whew!

Hmmm, it's been awhile since my last post and now I can't remember where to start.
Well, two weekends ago Jim brought Brett down on Friday night and stayed until Sunday. We letterboxed all day on Saturday and most of the day on Sunday. It was GREAT! We went to Lake Russell, Georgia Guidestones, the SC/GA Welcome Center, then finished the day up at Paris Mountain. We had a marathon and were literally going until we didn't have anymore daylight. We drove home (or should I say **I** drove home), the 2 boys slept all the way back from Greenville, then they woke up long enough to eat pizza and get that cool "Is that EC or US?" box at a location to remain un-named. Then Sunday, we went to the picnic at Lake Greenwood State Park that Kim does every year for the greyhound group. Of course, we recruited one more victim into the letterboxing community and got the 10 year old hooked. Griffin and Brett became good buddies. I sure wish I had the energy of a 10 year old (damn, I just sounded like an old person)...LOL
Had hotdogs over the campfire, ate, talked, then Jim and I took the boys off for some more boxin fun.

This past weekend, Jim came down and we did Thanksgiving for him on Saturday. Of course, that 'Chief' thing reared its' head and he has to work this Thursday and then has to be at the department this weekend for a Toys for Tots function, so that pretty much precluded him from coming down this long weekend. Oh well, we had a good time this last weekend. We made a quick trip up to Abbeville where Kim got mom's letterboxes (which Jim and I already had), ate the famous hotdogs at The Roughhouse, and took a drive around old Abbeville. Jim got an evil stare from the guy who serves the hotdogs and a laugh from me, Kim and mom when he asked for slaw on his dawg. Poor Connecticut/North Carolina boy..said he will just bring his own slaw next time (lol).

He also worked on my truck that had been 'dead' since Monday. It needed a new battery, but I couldn't, for the life of me, get the dang thing out. Of course the first thing out of his mouth was something I heard my dad echo over and over "Well, that's your problem, you have to have the right tool for the right job", funny I had said to Kim 2 minutes prior that he would probably fuss at me for not using the right tool. (laughing) My poor truck needed a little attention...I couldn't figure out why my windshield wiper fluid wouldn't flow. So, I start acting like a doctor and treating my truck like a patient...well, the fluid is low, lets fill that. Ok, still doesn't work....JIM???
Lines plugged? Well, ends up being a blown fuse. Well, heck, I haven't ever changed a fuse in a panel before, I didn't even know what a blown fuse looked like. He kinda chuckled at me, "you can change a tire, but you don't know about a fuse?" Shoooo, DUDE, I can change a tire in less than 2 minutes. That's ONE thing I did learn on the island!!! Go ME!
So today I went to Walmart, found my 7.5 fuse, and went to the parking lot to replace it. Turned the ignition on and it worked right away. Yay, I learned something new.

I think I finally found the house I am going to have in Indiana. Pending the approval of my Uncle Dave (really my god-father) I am going to get that lease signed right away. It leaves a little to be desired in the 'cute' aspect, but it will certainly do for a year. Maybe I am being a little harsh, it is pretty cute. It is a 2 bedroom, 1 bath, very well taken care of house 15 minutes away from Purdue. The handbook says I do have to be within a 15 minute drive..one of the requirements for emergency/ICU duty. A retired couple lives next door and a younger couple on the other side. A good-sized fenced in yard for the 2 mutt dogs. Tally is gonna be shocked when that white stuff comes down; I will definitely have to get pictures of THAT first encounter. Maybe he will be singing White Caribbean Christmas (in Indiana).

Talked to Theresa today. It was good to hear from her, I sure do miss all my friends. I know they are busy busy with clinics, though. She just took 3 weeks off from school because she is getting married on Saturday. I know she is so excited. I was picking her brain today for hints and warnings about clinics. She did say one good thing..she said we do have an extra edge on most of the students that have gone there for their entire veterinary career. They 'track', meaning if they know they want to do small animal, they take all their classes tracked towards that. She said she was in Large Animal Medicine rotation with 7 other small animal medicine trackers. The clinician asked them a question, which no one knew except the "Rossie". She answered right away and now they all think she is a genius. (Now, if they only KNOW her..JUST KIDDIN girl). Ok, for all you curious school buddies, he had asked them what bone separates the medial and lateral Guttural Pouch. I think the Ross students do come out on top, if even only in that aspect (that we have to know about everything, we don't get to pick and choose, and we definitely don't track!) I guess all that hardwork does pay off.
I told her how scared I was getting about not feeling prepared for my first rotation: Small Animal Surgery, which is divided into soft tissue, orthopedic, and neurosurgery. I guess as long as I read, read, read and work my butt off, I should be fine.

That about catches you up to speed now. I am getting everything ready to take to my new house. If anyone wants a dog or cat, lemme know. I have some that can be rented, rent to own, or perhaps even given away *grin*.
I think now I need to go and finish my to-do list for the night. I am going through my pile of notes that I have saved (which cost a forest in paper) and find my Small and Large Medicine notes to go and have bound. Yes, Paula Welling, that *is* better than my way.