Yesterday was a bad day. I have had the R.E.M. song "Bad Day" running through my head nonstop since.
My little kitty friend died. I went to the vet to be there with him because no one - especially an animal in my care - should die alone. Because I went, my friend, my husband, another friend and the vet were all there to send Calvin off. I rubbed his little nose and his head and kissed him as his heart stopped. It was very peaceful and it broke my heart.
Paul went with me to tell the other animals. I think Miles is mourning, I haven't seen 'Lissa, Maxx could probably have cared less because Paul was there to snuggle with, and Dave seems totally unaffected. I cleaned up everything and I cried and I cried.
It's been a bad day...please don't take a picture.
Friday, December 29, 2006
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Pet Sitting
I have been pet sitting for my friends.
First I pet sat (is that a word?) for my friends who have 2 cats and 2 dogs. I spent most of my time there because puppies need to be loved. As a result, I didn't get much sleep as one puppy was so bummed at his mommy and daddy being gone that he whined until about 11pm at night and got me up at 445am in the morning. But they were all very sweet and cute and we had a good time.
Second I pet sat for my friends who have 4 cats and a bird. Two of the cats have diabetes, which means I stick them with insulin twice a day each. I have become an expert at sticking, so I am particularly good at this. But, one of the cats is drastically misunderstood. I am a bit afraid of her so my friend, a vet (it's always good to have a vet for a friend if you are going to pet sit), comes over to stick her once a day. This entails throwing a towel over her and poking her while she screams. Very exciting.
On the first day of my pet sitting, my vet friend says we need to rush the other diabetic cat to the vet (her husband) so we do. He tells us we're drama queens and that we need to soak his feet in an epsom salt bath for 20 minutes a day. I look at him, I mean, have you ever soaked a cat? And he says yes, seriously. So, now my pet sitting includes sticking two diabetic cats twice a day, soaking one of their cats' feet in epsom salt bath, and feeding a bird who yells at me when I leave the room. All in all, not the best way to spend a vacation, but not really a bad time as I love all these animals and I love my friend who goes with me to take care of the cats.
Today the worst thing that can happen to a pet sitter happened. I walked downstairs to stick the little diabetic cat who has already been to the vet once this trip and he is lying on the floor having a seizure. I cannot explain how awful this looked, I cannot do this poor little meow meow's pain justice. I immediately call my friend and her husband (who is on vacation from his vetting) answers. I say garble garble panic panic blah blah. He says take him to the vet. So I rush the kitty into his crate, into my car, and I drive a million miles an hour (oh by the way, yes I drive like a bat out of hell) to the vet. I am sobbing and talking to him, asking him not to die. My friend's husband goes in on his day off to meet me there and basically the kitty is having seizures. We will be waiting for final results over the next couple of hours, but it doesn't look good. I am devastated. Absolutely devastated.
I have been crying on and off all day. I hope that the kitty survives but I am steeling myself for a life or death decision where I have to hold him while he dies. Maybe I don't want to pet sit anymore.
First I pet sat (is that a word?) for my friends who have 2 cats and 2 dogs. I spent most of my time there because puppies need to be loved. As a result, I didn't get much sleep as one puppy was so bummed at his mommy and daddy being gone that he whined until about 11pm at night and got me up at 445am in the morning. But they were all very sweet and cute and we had a good time.
Second I pet sat for my friends who have 4 cats and a bird. Two of the cats have diabetes, which means I stick them with insulin twice a day each. I have become an expert at sticking, so I am particularly good at this. But, one of the cats is drastically misunderstood. I am a bit afraid of her so my friend, a vet (it's always good to have a vet for a friend if you are going to pet sit), comes over to stick her once a day. This entails throwing a towel over her and poking her while she screams. Very exciting.
On the first day of my pet sitting, my vet friend says we need to rush the other diabetic cat to the vet (her husband) so we do. He tells us we're drama queens and that we need to soak his feet in an epsom salt bath for 20 minutes a day. I look at him, I mean, have you ever soaked a cat? And he says yes, seriously. So, now my pet sitting includes sticking two diabetic cats twice a day, soaking one of their cats' feet in epsom salt bath, and feeding a bird who yells at me when I leave the room. All in all, not the best way to spend a vacation, but not really a bad time as I love all these animals and I love my friend who goes with me to take care of the cats.
Today the worst thing that can happen to a pet sitter happened. I walked downstairs to stick the little diabetic cat who has already been to the vet once this trip and he is lying on the floor having a seizure. I cannot explain how awful this looked, I cannot do this poor little meow meow's pain justice. I immediately call my friend and her husband (who is on vacation from his vetting) answers. I say garble garble panic panic blah blah. He says take him to the vet. So I rush the kitty into his crate, into my car, and I drive a million miles an hour (oh by the way, yes I drive like a bat out of hell) to the vet. I am sobbing and talking to him, asking him not to die. My friend's husband goes in on his day off to meet me there and basically the kitty is having seizures. We will be waiting for final results over the next couple of hours, but it doesn't look good. I am devastated. Absolutely devastated.
I have been crying on and off all day. I hope that the kitty survives but I am steeling myself for a life or death decision where I have to hold him while he dies. Maybe I don't want to pet sit anymore.
Friday, December 22, 2006
For the Peeps
1. Who was your first prom date?
Joel - no, he did not get any after prom sex.
2. Who was your first room mate?
Regina - frosh year at Syracuse.
3. What alcoholic beverage did you first drink?
Some kind of spiked punch at a friend's graduation party, after I had graduated. I was very good in high school.
4. What was your first job?
Bagger at a grocery store. I was promoted to grocery clerk and then to office clerk in my seven years' career there.
5. What was your first car?
1984 Mazda GLC - the little blue tank that was perfect for carting around cheerleading equipment.
6. When did you go to your first funeral?
1993 - my grandpa Rafferty.
7. Who was your first grade teacher?
I have no idea. We had one, who I think may have been Mrs. Rudolph, who got pregnant and left, and then we had a substitute who put tape on my mouth because I talked too much. I think her name was Mrs. Menke...but I could be wrong.
8. Where did you go on your first ride on an airplane?
Tempe, Arizona for the Fiesta Bowl back when Syracuse was good at football.
9. When you snuck out of your house for the first time, who was it with?
I snuck out when I was seventeen to have a conversation with my boyfriend. We were breaking up and he showed up at my house at 230am.
10. Who was your first best friend and are you still friends?
Kristen and yes.
11. Where was your first sleepover?
I stayed across the street at Dee Ann's house. I was so nervous I got up at 3am and walked home. This stunned everyone and I never had to sleep over at someone's house again. Smile. I like my own damn bed.
12. Who is the first person you talk to in the morning?
The husband, who is a grouchy old man, usually.
13. Whose wedding were you in the first time?
I was in my father's friend from high school's wedding as a very little girl. I still have the flower girl's dress. No memory of it.
14. What is the first thing you do in the morning?
Go to the bathroom.
15. What was the first concert you ever went to?
Sheena Easton - I giggle as I write that.
16. First celebrity crush?
Harrison Ford - I was Princess Leah so, of course, I loved Harrison Ford.
17. First crush?
I don't know. I never really had a crush as every guy I could date wanted to date me, so, um, no crushes.
18. First TRUE love?
Paul - the current husband, all the others were practice.
19. When was your first detention?
Never - I was a perfect high school student.
20. When was your first kiss?
On the Draper School Playground with Tom Nasadoski in 7th grade...okay, he might be my first love, not TRUE, but probably first love.
Joel - no, he did not get any after prom sex.
2. Who was your first room mate?
Regina - frosh year at Syracuse.
3. What alcoholic beverage did you first drink?
Some kind of spiked punch at a friend's graduation party, after I had graduated. I was very good in high school.
4. What was your first job?
Bagger at a grocery store. I was promoted to grocery clerk and then to office clerk in my seven years' career there.
5. What was your first car?
1984 Mazda GLC - the little blue tank that was perfect for carting around cheerleading equipment.
6. When did you go to your first funeral?
1993 - my grandpa Rafferty.
7. Who was your first grade teacher?
I have no idea. We had one, who I think may have been Mrs. Rudolph, who got pregnant and left, and then we had a substitute who put tape on my mouth because I talked too much. I think her name was Mrs. Menke...but I could be wrong.
8. Where did you go on your first ride on an airplane?
Tempe, Arizona for the Fiesta Bowl back when Syracuse was good at football.
9. When you snuck out of your house for the first time, who was it with?
I snuck out when I was seventeen to have a conversation with my boyfriend. We were breaking up and he showed up at my house at 230am.
10. Who was your first best friend and are you still friends?
Kristen and yes.
11. Where was your first sleepover?
I stayed across the street at Dee Ann's house. I was so nervous I got up at 3am and walked home. This stunned everyone and I never had to sleep over at someone's house again. Smile. I like my own damn bed.
12. Who is the first person you talk to in the morning?
The husband, who is a grouchy old man, usually.
13. Whose wedding were you in the first time?
I was in my father's friend from high school's wedding as a very little girl. I still have the flower girl's dress. No memory of it.
14. What is the first thing you do in the morning?
Go to the bathroom.
15. What was the first concert you ever went to?
Sheena Easton - I giggle as I write that.
16. First celebrity crush?
Harrison Ford - I was Princess Leah so, of course, I loved Harrison Ford.
17. First crush?
I don't know. I never really had a crush as every guy I could date wanted to date me, so, um, no crushes.
18. First TRUE love?
Paul - the current husband, all the others were practice.
19. When was your first detention?
Never - I was a perfect high school student.
20. When was your first kiss?
On the Draper School Playground with Tom Nasadoski in 7th grade...okay, he might be my first love, not TRUE, but probably first love.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Over A Week
It has been over a week, so let me tell you what I have been doing.
- Writing a book - revising my dissertation into book manuscript format.
- Babysitting my friends' pets - they don't have wireless Internet, so needless to say I was in a drought.
- Grading, grading, grading - over 60 exams with 20 short answer questions each (why do I assign these?), 25 10-15 page papers, 15 20-25 page papers, 2 7-8 page papers (again, I mean seriously, why do I assign these?)
- Christmas shopping - when your family lives in New York because you were evil enough to move to Utah, you have to ship presents... SHIP ... the post office kicks serious ass, but not really enough to make all that at all okay.
- Working on my third year review file - it's due January 15th, but you know, I come by the type A personality honestly, I am a Murray.
- I am the new department adviser (because, you know, I had NOTHING else to do...smile...so I volunteered when our other adviser went on sabbatical (why do I do these things?)) so I have been advising students - what is wrong with these people? It is holiday break and in they come for advice...dude, I didn't go near my school over the holidays in undergraduate.
- Joined a new gym and promptly slept through my first class because I was so freakin' tired.
- Parties, parties, parties.
- Watched Paul play lacrosse in a professional arena and noticed that when he's full of it, he checks people from behind! WTF happened to my sweet-natured husband? sports.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Writing Writing Writing
I have hundreds of pages to read in order to grade all these students and provide them with the grade they earned. But more importantly to me this holiday break, I have hundreds of pages to write.
I am in the process of rewriting my dissertation into a book. My decision is to do a drastic rewrite, making it more accessible and better at delivering the argument I make. My second decision was to do this over holiday break so no students would be around. As a result, I am a writing fool.
One of the bitches of teaching at a 4/4 is that I have no time to do research. Students believe that professor exist to kiss their ass...oh no, I mean, students believe professors exist to read their papers, grade their papers, grade their assignments, talk about their personal lives (this one particularly shocks me as I always think, we're not friends, why on earth are you telling me this?), and generally wait with bated breath for them to knock on our door. The problem with these beliefs is that they aren't true but I am a good person so I like to be available for all my students whenever they need me. Maybe I'm supposed to be a therapist...I don't know.
I exist to do political science. I teach at a 4/4 to bring new generations into the study of politics. In order for me to do this properly, I need to do research. I need to stop being available all the time to students.
I am in the process of rewriting my dissertation into a book. My decision is to do a drastic rewrite, making it more accessible and better at delivering the argument I make. My second decision was to do this over holiday break so no students would be around. As a result, I am a writing fool.
One of the bitches of teaching at a 4/4 is that I have no time to do research. Students believe that professor exist to kiss their ass...oh no, I mean, students believe professors exist to read their papers, grade their papers, grade their assignments, talk about their personal lives (this one particularly shocks me as I always think, we're not friends, why on earth are you telling me this?), and generally wait with bated breath for them to knock on our door. The problem with these beliefs is that they aren't true but I am a good person so I like to be available for all my students whenever they need me. Maybe I'm supposed to be a therapist...I don't know.
I exist to do political science. I teach at a 4/4 to bring new generations into the study of politics. In order for me to do this properly, I need to do research. I need to stop being available all the time to students.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
The Results Are In
Today we got re-measured for boot camp to see our results. So here they are:
But I am happy. I never missed a day (which I think makes me unique in the class) and I worked very hard and I feel great.
- 1 pound of weight loss (boo)
- 9% of body fat lost (cheers)
- 16 pounds of body fat lost (cheers)
- 5% of body water gained (cheers)
But I am happy. I never missed a day (which I think makes me unique in the class) and I worked very hard and I feel great.
Monday, December 11, 2006
My Cousins Down Under
I just discovered a comment from my fabulous cousin in Australia. I was so happy to see her comment - even though it was a sad post she was responding to - that I felt the need to just wax about my Australian cousins.
My grandmother came from Australia, which is still home even though she has lived in the United States for more than sixty years and only lived there about 25. She was a WWII bride and ended up living in Rotterdam, New York for her entire life. Her younger brother had four children who all had children and as a result, I have many first cousins once removed and second cousins in Australia. They are wonderful and I love to see my family, which, amazingly enough, has happened with not too infrequent regularity.
When I earned my Ph.D. all I asked for from my father was a trip to Australia and he took me (which is really nice gift for graduation). We went for about 3 weeks in the summer of 2003 and I am dying to get back. I keep hoping I will somehow be able to do a faculty exchange there so I can spend a bunch of time and not be just a visitor.
Anyway...thank you so much for commenting, Sue, and I can't wait to see you again!
My grandmother came from Australia, which is still home even though she has lived in the United States for more than sixty years and only lived there about 25. She was a WWII bride and ended up living in Rotterdam, New York for her entire life. Her younger brother had four children who all had children and as a result, I have many first cousins once removed and second cousins in Australia. They are wonderful and I love to see my family, which, amazingly enough, has happened with not too infrequent regularity.
When I earned my Ph.D. all I asked for from my father was a trip to Australia and he took me (which is really nice gift for graduation). We went for about 3 weeks in the summer of 2003 and I am dying to get back. I keep hoping I will somehow be able to do a faculty exchange there so I can spend a bunch of time and not be just a visitor.
Anyway...thank you so much for commenting, Sue, and I can't wait to see you again!
Friday, December 08, 2006
Cats!
After a sad day yesterday, I wanted some comfort food. So I baked. I baked a yellow cake that I was planning on frosting today with some delicious white frosting (my favorite kind of cake). I like to let my cakes cool over night for best frosting application. As I have dogs who are basically goats, I put the cake up high so they couldn't get to it. This morning I woke up at 530am to go to boot camp. Bleary-eyed I walked my way through the kitchen to leave and noticed that 1/3 of my cake was eaten! My little kitty cat nibbles!
My cat or cats - unclear who is or are the culprit(s) - got up there and ate 1/3 of my comfort food. MY comfort food. This made me yell. Since, however, I have laughed every time I think about it.
Goddamn animals!
My cat or cats - unclear who is or are the culprit(s) - got up there and ate 1/3 of my comfort food. MY comfort food. This made me yell. Since, however, I have laughed every time I think about it.
Goddamn animals!
Thursday, December 07, 2006
My Cousin has Died
I received a call this morning from my mother to tell me that my first cousin once removed (my mother's first cousin) died of a heart attack in the night last night. She was 66 years old. I am very sad. My mother is devastated. And there is nothing I can do. If I lived at home I could drive to my mother's house and give her a hug...these are the ways that living so far away hurt sometimes.
I, being somewhat spiritually bent, know that somewhere Josephine is being initiated into the afterlife. My grandfather and his four brothers (which includes Josephine's father and her four uncles) have probably welcomed her and are showing her the ropes. I imagine she has reconnected with the baby she lost and the baby I lost and the baby my aunt has lost and is probably giving them hugs...Josephine was a hugger. I take solace in this knowledge, but I am sad because I will never hear her call me "darlin'" in her Maine accent again. I will never receive another Christmas card with a great letter from her again. I will never be able to turn to her again when my mother is driving me crazy. And I will never be able to visit her home in Maine again and know I am home as well.
My heart is heavy and I am weary of all this loss.
I, being somewhat spiritually bent, know that somewhere Josephine is being initiated into the afterlife. My grandfather and his four brothers (which includes Josephine's father and her four uncles) have probably welcomed her and are showing her the ropes. I imagine she has reconnected with the baby she lost and the baby I lost and the baby my aunt has lost and is probably giving them hugs...Josephine was a hugger. I take solace in this knowledge, but I am sad because I will never hear her call me "darlin'" in her Maine accent again. I will never receive another Christmas card with a great letter from her again. I will never be able to turn to her again when my mother is driving me crazy. And I will never be able to visit her home in Maine again and know I am home as well.
My heart is heavy and I am weary of all this loss.
Monday, December 04, 2006
In Excelsis Deo
This weekend a very good friend of mine, her husband, my husband and I went to see Vivaldi's Gloria. It was fabulous. Two of my students were in the choir and it was fun to support them in their musical endeavors. But mostly, jeesh I love Vivaldi. I mean, truly love Vivaldi. Much better than Handel and a great way to start the Christmas season.
Then we went out to a bar and drank, which was just as fabulous. My friend and her husband are veterinarians and told us some great stories about animals. It was fun. A great end to a great weekend.
Then we went out to a bar and drank, which was just as fabulous. My friend and her husband are veterinarians and told us some great stories about animals. It was fun. A great end to a great weekend.
Friday, December 01, 2006
This is Why Democrats are Important in Congress
Today in the New York Times:
The Bush administration is withdrawing a plan to let big polluters
report less often on what they spew from their smokestacks.
report less often on what they spew from their smokestacks.
We will hear lots of conversations about how Democrats aren't impeaching Bush, or that Democrats aren't forcing a troop withdrawal from Iraq, because these are the big ticket items that the media need to focus on to justify their existence. But the truth is, it is this that makes the Democratic takeover of Congress so important. Our bread and butter issues, including those that entail the government actually regulating the operations of big business. In the hands of the Republicans, industry gets away with whatever it wants (Panic of 1896, Great Depression, Teapot Dome Scandal, Enron...the list is endless). While they sell their neo-conservative foreign policy to a terrified populace and their pro-life/pro-family policy to hard line Christians, behind the scenes they allow big business - who is truly and has always truly been their only constituent - to run rampant over the private lives of everyday Americans.
While others will lament the lack of revenge in Congress, I will say, the fact that the business-backed Bush has withdrawn a plan to allow business to hide more pollution is a perfect demonstration as to why my party has to keep winning.
While others will lament the lack of revenge in Congress, I will say, the fact that the business-backed Bush has withdrawn a plan to allow business to hide more pollution is a perfect demonstration as to why my party has to keep winning.
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