Well, tomorrow morning, after I go visit the chiropractor, I visit the clinic I will be doing my practicum at for the first time. I will admit, I'm a bit nervous. The whole last two years of my life, more or less, ride on the 5 weeks I will be spending at this clinic. They have the power to pass or fail me, based on my performance in their clinic. 

All I can really hope to do is to make a good impression tomorrow, and then, when I'm back after the easter weekend, do my very best while I'm "working" there.

Well, just got home from doing my horse practical exam, and I'm happy to report it went well. No craziness like on the day I did my cow practical (with forgetting my kit at school and losing my cell phone battery down the storm drain and all that) The only thing I messed up on was fitting the halter, which luckily was not one of the three auto fail points. I got everything else, including all the anatomy points, which were what I was most worried about. 

Unfortunately, this is also the last time I got to see Saffire, and I will miss her for sure. I feel bad, I promised her carrots, and I forgot to bring any. But she was a total sweet hear for me for the most part. The only thing she did, was try and shoulder me into a snow drift when I was trotting her. It was really quite funny. Even Erin (who was testing me) laughed. Silly girl.

So, now I have the rest of the day off, and thank goodness, because I have a lot to do to get ready to fly to Kelowna tomorrow afternoon. 

Yay! Only one more exam to write!!

Update # 4

Things are still looking good. Sam's not on the adoptable list yet, but I didn't really expect him to be. I spoke with the gal at the adoptions desk again yesterday, and she said that the fact that Sam's so underweight will mean that he'll stay with them longer than the minimum 4 days before he goes up. They'll want to take extra time to make sure that he is healthy enough to be adopted.

I was also looking at the intake dates of the dogs they have up for adoption, and there's quite a few similar, high energy breeds on there that have been waiting to be adopted for several months. There are a whole lot of people that want a little lap dog, and not as many who want a high energy, intelligent dog who will take more effort on the owner's part to keep happy. Me, that's -totally- what I want. I'd like to get him into agility, I'm thinking. (for those who don't know what I'm taking about.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_agility )

So, please continue to keep your fingers crossed for me and Sam.

Update # 3

Well, as it stands, I have everything arranged except for the actual adoption. Ann's land lord said she can keep the dog for a month for me.

I called the pound and lunch today, and he went to the SPCA this morning. The SPCA doesn't know when exactly he'll be up for adoption, they estimate 4 to 10 days. This is where things manage to get complicated again. In four days I fly to Kelowna for a week for reading week. So if he comes up for adoption on friday morning, I'll skip my morning classes, get a cab, and go down. If not... well, hopefully he goes up for adoption before monday, and then Ann will adopt him for me, and I'll just pay her back.. Failing that.. Well, I have to just cross my fingers that no one snatches him up before I get back from Kelowna. It's that, or not go.

Update # 2  

I just got off the phone with the SPCA, and it's looking good! Now I have to talk to the pound and find out when they're going to be transferring Sam to the SPCA (I think I'm settled on that name)

Update # 1

Dad said yes... Now comes the hard parts.. Finding someone to keep him for a month, and then convincing the SPCA to let me adopt him..

I think that I'm going to have to be completely honest about this with the SPCA. I'm going to call them tomorrow, and explain the situation, and see if they will adopt him out to me given the circumstances. 

Because, honestly, I'm a terrible lier, and it's not really something I want to become good at. If they know my situation, and still say yes, then it's truly meant to be. And if not.. Well at least I can be reasonably certain that he will find a good home. He's a wonderful sweet dog. And if that's the case.. well, I'll find another.

Hahaha, I wrote a big long diary, then forgot I hadn't up-loaded the picture yet, copied the text, uploaded the picture, and totally without thinking, copied the picture, totally forgetting that it would un-copy all the text... Boy I'm silly some times....

Ok then, from the top.

Well, my two midterms today, Immunology written this afternoon, and Radiology (as in taking X-rays) practical this morning, went better than I thought they would. Particularly radiology. I was pretty worried about it, but I managed to get my two views done in less than the 15 minutes allotted, and both of them turned out quite well. I didn't freak out and blank and forget where to center and measure or anything. And.... I fell in love.

Most of our radiology dogs have been very sweet, and this is not the first one I've wanted to take home, but I feel like I've just been waiting for this little boy. You see, all our radiology dogs come from the pound, so they all need homes. Today's dog just tugged my heart strings like nothing. I actually cried when I had to give him back to Sandi to take him back to the pound because I wanted to keep him soooo badly. But I didn't think I could.

He's just the sweetest fellow.. He's about 5 months old, we're guessing, and an Australian Shepherd cross by the look of him. He's pretty under weight, but he's friendly and curious and quiet and gentle... Oh I just love him so much. He's all red and white, with a little bit of dark brown here and there. And he's a cuddle puss too *grins* He spent about 15 minutes curled quite contentedly in my lap while we waited for Sandi to come back for him.

As I said, I didn't think I could take him. The appartment where I'm living, I can't have any pets. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to find a way to make this dog mine. There's only one month left of school before I head to Kelowna for my practicum. So.. what I'm doing is trying to find someone who will let this dog (who's name I haven't settled on, but I'm leaning towards either Sam or Todd) stay with them for this last month. After that, I can take him to Kelowna with me. Dad already has a dog, who I'm sure would love the company. And he has a huge fenced in back yard too. 

So, I have to convince Dad when he calls me tonight, which I don't think will be too too hard, because it will mean I'm definitely staying in Kelowna after I'm done my practicum, which I know he will like. And I've already talked to two people about keeping the dog for this last month.. one of my class mates, and my Immunology teacher. And, if neither of them work out (they both have to consult other people before they can make the decision) then I'll ask Sandi (our radiology teacher)

And, if I can't find any one, then I'll know it wasn't meant to be, and that will be that... but if I can make this happen, I'm going to.

I'll post updates as things progress. Wish me luck, everyone!

Oh dear...

I thought I was past the point of being stressed about my radiology practical exam this morning... but apparently I'm not..

Gods above I want this week to be over..

Well well, it's always nice to know your bank is in fact looking out for you. Got a call from my bank's fraud department today. Turns out someone in Quebec got their hands on a copy of my debit card and was trying to withdraw $240 with the wrong pin last night... 

Unfortunately this also means that my debit card has been de-activated, and I have to get into a branch during business hours to get a new one, which I'm not going to be able to do probably till I'm in Kelowna... That's a pain. At least I still have my visa.

Well, today went better than expected, considering how grouchy I was when I woke up.. I have -almost- completed all my competencies (there's over 100) Only 4 left, all of which I will have no problem getting on my last competency rotation in two weeks. What a relief. It really would have sucked to have to come back for any of them, especially since I don't live in town.

Still stressing about exams, and still planning to study my ass off (which is why I'm not going to be around much) but, well, at least I'm in a good mood tonight.

Just finished watching Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Arc. My gods, I'd forgotten how wonderfully cheesy that movie is. I can't wait to watch the other two. *grins* But not tonight.

I have long had a love affair with water. I don't know what it is, but something about bodies of water in nature appeals to me. I was pondering this on the long bus ride home, as we crossed the frozen North Saskatchewan river. Be it Lake, River, Stream, or Ocean, I have always gravitated to bodies of water when ever accessible. There's something about them that brings me great peace. I'm not a swimmer, I never have been. But I sit beside, dip my feet in, wade, explore tide pools, and I am at peace. 

I miss the ocean. I hope not to let another year pass without making it back out to the west coast, but there are other things which I am deeming more important for spending my money on this summer. Both business and pleasure.

Geez, it's not even warm -in- the school today!

I have to go in to school early (in comparison to usually Wednesday schedule) and I'm contemplating taking my laptop with me. I guess it depends on how much earlier than I have to be there I go in, and how much studying I'll be able to do in that time. I guess it's just as likely I'll stay home as late as I can and risk being a little late getting into the clinic.. It's just so much easier and more convenient to do all my study stuff on my computer than one of the school ones.. We'll see how I feel tomorrow, I guess.

The weather outside is right nasty, wind chill is -45C, but the wind made really cool lines in the snow outside my window today.

It is -nasty- out there! Blowing snow and a wind chill of -33C. Yucky. Wish I didn't have to go out today at all, but at least Gina will be giving me a ride to and from the mall, since my only other real option is to sit downstairs in the lobby for the three hours..

Hmm, it seems I have to kill three hours at the mall tomorrow so someone can look at the condo.. (it's for sale) That's a bit of a pain in the ass..

I discovered yesterday morning that I am in possession of the Indiana Jones Trilogy on DVD. I really don't know how I managed to be un-aware of this fact, but some how I was. So, needless to say, I'm rather excited. I haven't watched those movies since I was probably in elementary school. It shall be highly entertaining to see them again. And I -can't wait- for the fourth one to be out in theaters.. 

There's a pair of magpies that are stealing the winter apples off the crab apple tree outside my window, but they're frustrating me to no end by not staying put long enough for me to take pictures of them! *grumbles*

Well, the biggest thing I learned today was this.. Pigs are fucking LOUD creatures. I mean oh jeez are they ever! I was -very- happy that they provided us with ear plugs, because you sure needed them. I'm honestly not sure if the sows or the piglets were worse.. And the smell... You got used to it, but I most definitely prefer the smell of the dairy barn to the smell of the pig barn. I'd forgotten what pigs smell like. There used to be a pig farm a ways outside of the town I grew up in, and we occasionally passed it on our way to here or there.. The smell was instantly recognizable, that's for sure.

All in all though, it was kinda fun. The showers were pretty clean and the clothes they gave us to wear weren't that bad. My allergies and my asthma did not act up, so that's something else to be happy for. However, doing a basically blind stab to get blood from the cranial vena cava on a piglet is a bit nerve wracking... 

And we all got a good laugh when one of the barn workers dumped about 100mL's of lube on Dr.Blair's head in revenge for something he had done the day before. I think Dr.Blair was -very- glad at that point that it was a shower in, shower out facility, because he booked it right back into the shower and left us with Erin. His face was priceless. I think we all thought it was semen at first, because we had watched a semen collection from a boar just a few minutes earlier... Talk about gross *grins*

Not a bad day all in all. The only thing that really sucks about it, is that it's not Friday. It really feels like it should be.

Oh, got 100% on that quiz, by the way... 

So instead of coming home after school to study for the small animal nutrition exam I have this afternoon, I had some fun last night instead.

Nothing terribly exciting. Went with one of the girls in my program to pick her 2 year old daughter up from day care, then went over to the mall and bought them some dinner, and tagged along while she did a bit of shopping. Her daughter is absolutely adorable. Cutest thing ever.. When ever Ann tries to get her to say "thank you" for something, she says "you're welcome" instead.

Didn't get home till after 8, so pretty much just checked my mail and got ready for bed. It was nice just to have some friendly company for a change. I may have a room mate, but we really don't see each other pretty much at all, except to drive to and from school every day.. So I almost may as well be living on my own. That said, the arrangement works well for us, but I get lonely.

This morning, I'm listening to my new CD and trying to study while I wait for it to be time to leave for the pig barn. I can't say as I'm terribly looking forward to it, but.. meh. I guess it's really noisy and smelly (though they apparently provide you with ear plugs) -and- really dusty... so I'm a bit worried about my allergies and my asthma, but I'm bringing my inhaler and hopefully all will be well.