Birthday Weekend

Just updating after my fabulous birthday weekend. Turning 23 doesn't really feel much different other than telling people that I am now 23... it is just a little strange. It makes me feel about 10 times older than 22 felt!
But onto the details... Saturday one of my lovely wives, Nikki, and I went to the wine festival held around Apple Blossom time. I actually had no idea that this existed before my mom told me about a week or so ago. We had a great time and tried a lot of different wines. I ended up buying one bottle that was $9 from a Williamsburg winery. A Riesling, of course! We also tried a great Rose Moscato from Spain, but it was just a little too expensive for me ($20...). After we left there, we had family over at my house, as usual, with a great dinner mom made and gifts. I got lots of Mizzou gear that mom got out on our trip including a huge, super soft blanket, a new pillow, a scentsy with a few different scents, a cute tiger plush with Mizzou bandana, a jersey for Beamer boy to wear, a pawprint magnet to put on the car, and something that came today, which is a Mizzou car fin to put on and a wine glass! I also got two different bottles of wine and another wine glass from my grandmother.

After everything was over, we also had a lovely bonfire in the backyard, complete with roasting marshmallows. A wonderful way to end the night.

On Sunday, I went to Dad's house who lives about an hour away. We had plans to go to a winery that day and I could bring Beamer, but it was raining about the time I had to leave. We did have a backup plan, though. We went down to the mall and into the Apple store to buy a new laptop for vet school. I definitely need my Dad with me for purchases like this since he knows what I need. Unfortunately, the store did not have the laptop I wanted with all the additional features that my Dad said I needed (More memory and something else I'm not really sure what it is... but makes my computer faster). So, on we went through the rest of the mall just to look around. Not finding too much else (besides two cook books that Aimee bought for me!) we went out to dinner at P.F. Chang's, a first for me. We had some fantastic chicken lettuce wraps and some plum wine (another first, not sure if I'd get it again). I got pad thai, not exactly the best by far, but decent. Dad got something with beef and Aimee got some really good shrimp with walnuts that I really liked. After that, I just went back to Dad's house and he gave me my gift, which was a new backpack! It is gold and black and will be perfect for vet school. I have been desperately needing a new one since my old backpack is from middle school.
Finally, Dad helped me order my new laptop and it should be here sometime next week, I can't wait! I'm also a little sad since there goes $1600 I had been saving up... my biggest purchase to date (right behind Beamer boy). But I am pumped for a new laptop and I'll have some time before school starts to get everything in order that I need.

That just about wraps up this weekend, next weekend is Apple Blossom with fireworks and a parade! Plus lots of really great (and unhealthy) food! Finishing up with a picture of my first wife and I from the wine festival. The only thing that could have made this weekend better would be to see my other two wives that I miss dearly. Love you guys!

Mizzou visit!

Well, I am finally back from my big Missouri trip! I have a lot to post about, so I hope I can remember everything. I had a great time and I'm really glad that my mom could come out and experience it with me.

We left Friday morning for the airport, only about an hour drive. Our plane was delayed, of course, about an hour. We finally got off the ground and into New York, where we had a layover. Thankfully, I booked enough time in between flights just in case we were delayed. We had plenty of time in New York to board our next plane to St. Louis. I am pretty sure I could see Manhattan, The Empire State Building, and Central Park when we were in the air, which is a first for me. It was pretty cool to see such a huge city from the sky. Once in St. Louis (about 7pm their time), we went to get our rental car and drove to Columbia, about an hour and half drive or so. It went very smooth and we got to our hotel about 9:30 and we were wiped. We ended up grabbing something pretty quick for dinner and then going to our hotel to pass out.

Saturday was the big day full of things to do. We got up early and headed to the open house Mizzou's vet school at about 9am. We checked out the club booths first and I met some new people and learned about some clubs. I will definitely be joining the PALS club at my school-which is basically like a therapy dog kind of club. Your dog just has to have a CGC, which Beamer already has, so we are all set (they just have to be evaluated by one person just to be sure they are fine). Not sure what else it entails, but we get free Frontline/Heartguard! Perfect for a poor vet student. There weren't any other club booths (that were there) that interested me, though.

Next, we went to the vet school book store. I bought a ton of Mizzou vet school stuff there! A few shirts, a hoodie, a jacket, a few stickers, I bought my dad a hat, and a few other little things. Mom bought a few little things and some clothes, too! I also met up with my one roomie who was coming to the open house, Kristin! Meeting her for the first time 'officially,' it felt like I had known her for years. She is super and I can't wait to room with her! It is too bad our other roomie couldn't make it, but I'm sure she is great, too, and I'll meet her in July.

After spending a lot of money at the bookstore, we went on a tour of the small animal hospital, which was great (though less informative for students who will be starting in the fall than my previous tour). Still, it was awesome for mom to see everything. After the tour, I went to go meet who my 'Big' is going to be for the next year, her name is Chris! She was super nice and sounds great! Then we went to go tour the large animal hospital/mostly equine section where we saw a horse demonstrate the equine treadmill and lameness indicator.

The last thing we did was go to the last lecture, which was on Toxicology with Dr. Evans... let me just say I am so looking forward to that class. He was dressed up with a cap, bike helmet, and ski goggles, to say the least, and in his presentation he referenced Star Wars. He was hilarious and entertaining. That should be a fantastic class when I get to it!

Kristin and I finally met up with Sarah, who has been super awesome at helping both of us with any questions or concerns we have. She is currently a first year! After we left, my mom commented on how super nice EVERYONE in Missouri is... and I got the same impression when I went out for my interview. We did not meet anyone who wasn't helpful or nice in some way.

After the open house, my roomie and I had to go meet the property owner to get a showing of the place we will be renting next year. It is about 10 minutes driving from the school (and less than 5 miles total). The first thing pulling in that we noticed, the road was TERRIBLE!! Potholes EVERYWHERE. Both Kristin and I were having our doubts just based on the road. The actual place looked really great and I'm really looking forward to living there. It is a 4 bedroom duplex that has a fenced in backyard. Not huge, but large enough for dogs to play and do their business. It does look like it can get a bit muddy after it rains, so I'll have to watch Beamer carefully. But, mainly I wanted a fence so that if I am super busy studying, I can just let him out to go potty really quick.

As you walk in, it has a split level. Upstairs, there is a decent size kitchen, a small dining area, and then the living room. There is also a deck (no stairs to go down, though) that Beamer is going to LOVE to lay out on when it is nice. The master bedroom and one of the full baths is also upstairs, which Kristin is going to live in. The place also has a 1 car garage. Going downstairs, there are the remaining 3 rooms. One has a door to the backyard, so that room will be our office/guest room for people who visit to sleep in. I have already claimed my room, which faces the backyard. It is slightly larger, but has a small closet (which I could care less about). There is a full bath down there as well. The place seems perfect for us and the rental company has been amazing to work with. No pet limits (on number of pets, weights, size... anything). The dogs just have to not be aggressive, of course, since there are families and children in the neighborhood. I'll be the only one bringing a pet of any kind at this point, but my other roomies plan to get dogs somewhere down the line, as do I plan to get another golden at some point when the perfect litter comes along. The place is just $800 plus utilities, so you can't beat that price (which is split between 3 people!)

So the showing went great and the rental company should be emailing us a lease to sign anytime! I did have to say goodbye to Kristin at that point (she had a long drive home) but it was fantastic to meet her (and her mom).

Mom and I then went back to the main campus to have a look around and to go to the main campus bookstore. We saw a few buildings there, one that looks VERY similar to Burruss Hall at Virginia Tech. We also looked at the columns, that are pretty infamous on this campus! After that, we spent quite a bit of time at the bookstore where mom says that she got all my birthday shopping done. I also bought another hoodie here, a shirt, and a new bottle (mine was broken and I had to toss it at the airport).

Since we hadn't eaten hardly at all that day, we went to a place that was recommended, a Thai place called Bangkok Gardens. It was delicious and we had a super nice waitress! I also had to drink some sake. Mom and I walked around the downtown area just a little and then we drove around town a bit to go and see what was near where I live. We ran into a cute custard place and I got some good ice cream!

Finally, at that point, we were worn out so we just went back to the hotel for the evening and sorted through our things as well as prepared for the return trip back on Sunday. Once we got going Sunday morning, we returned the rental car after driving to St. Louis and then had a direct flight back to Dulles. We finally got back home about 6pm that evening. Today, I am still feeling pretty tired from the trip, but we had a fantastic time! Mom says she can see why I fell in love with the place when I went out there from how similar it feels to Tech and by how nice everyone is. Going out there again just wiped away any doubts about being nervous about going so far away (though of course I will miss my friends and family at home). I'll just add to my family when I'm out there. I know that this is the right place for me to be!

It's been a busy few weeks. I've been working nearly every day, which is great because I desperately need the money but I'd also like to have a few days off now and then. Two weeks ago, I went and got my newest tattoo. It is representing my journey as a Hokie and future Missouri Tiger. I am IN LOVE with this tattoo... I will need to get it touched up in a month or two, but otherwise, they turned out beautiful! (Please excuse my poor looking toes...)

Anyway, today is finally the day my Mom and I are heading out to Missouri. The open house is tomorrow and I'll finally be able to meet one of my roommates and we will also be signing our lease for our duplex and seeing the place. I am SO excited to go back and actually see Columbia. I didn't get to see any of it when I was there for my interview. And, I'm excited to experience it with my mom and not alone this time. I'll also be meeting some future classmates and learning even more about where I'll be attending the next four years. It is still surreal that all of this is happening.

In other news, I found out that I am 23 on VMRCVM's waitlist this year. That is actually better than I was expecting (somewhere around 30)... so that is good. But still, even if by some chance I do get called off the waitlist, I won't be going. I still just don't feel right about them as I do about Missouri. Of course, I'd still have to think about it!

I'll be back on Sunday or Monday with another update on how things went in Missouri. Our plane leaves at 1:40pm today and then we won't get back in until around 5pm on Sunday.

Wow, what a crazy and amazing week this has been. On Wednesday, Beamer turned had a birthday. I cannot believe that my boy is now two years old! Where has the time gone? And, what an amazing two years it has been. He was a wonderful puppy and an even better companion to me. We have learned a lot from one another and he has gotten me involved in the world of dog showing and trials.

After a busy week from work, we had an even busier weekend. I had signed up for the trials in Boonsboro, Maryland, since a few people told me it was a great little show. I was very impressed with it! On Saturday, we were supposed to be entered in Rally Advanced A, but apparently I messed up my entry and didn't realize it. There was nothing we could do, so I just ran in the Rally Novice A that I had accidentally entered in. We ended up rocking the class with a 98 and 1st place. So, the day didn't get off to the best start, but that's alright. My dad and his wife came out to see me, which was really nice. Amy has been really supportive of coming out to see my dog trials. Dad went to get us some lunch while I anxiously awaited my Obedience trial later that afternoon, although they couldn't stay to watch it.

I had also entered Beamer in Novice A Obedience, something I kept debating with myself doing. I wasn't sure if he was ready or if I was ready for it. I knew he could do everything, it was just a matter of him focusing in the ring. We ended up doing really great that afternoon! Only two of the original five of us Q'd. Beamer was wonderful and I messed up a few things. I got to talk to the judge afterwards and he said I had a tight leash, I wasn't allowed to touch him for the down stay (and I was trying to position him so he wouldn't move... won't make that mistake again), and that I was moving when I gave the recall command. The feedback is always good since Obedience showing is something we are really new at and the rules are much stricter than rally.
But anyway, we got Second place with a score of 185! We met a very nice person with a black lab who beat us with a score of 187. They did great, though, and definitely deserved it! Beamer was very focused with me during the whole run on Saturday, I was so proud.

On Sunday, we basically had a repeat of what I entered. I was for sure in Rally Advanced A and we ran. Beamer did /mostly/ well. He was following me great and just a little distracted (more than yesterday but I think he was just warn out from he day before). But anyway, he has this problem where he baulks at jumps. He will get a good running start and then won't jump, I don't get it... I even practiced with him beforehand in the parking lot over some large logs to hopefully prep him for the jump. But even with that, he wouldn't. I thought that it was an automatic NQ (and I also thought you could try the jump again... apparently not) but I was shocked to see a score of 82 on the board! Wow, what a relief that we got our first leg towards our RA title! There was only one other team in my class (who got a 70) so we got first place today, too! Now, all I need to do is really work on Beamer's jumping which probably means making my own jumps at home and working with him more than an hour every week or so.

This afternoon, I was still pretty nervous about our upcoming Obedience trial. I knew that we could do it from the day before, but I also knew Beamer was not at his best today. There were 6 in our class today, only 3 Q'd. Our turn was pretty disastrous- his heeling was nothing like the day before (where his off leash heeling was better than on leash). Both were pretty bad- the leash was tight and he was dragging behind at times. On off leash, he was still lagging behind me. On the recall, he did not come front or listen to me when I signaled him to finish. He was distracted by something outside the ring. But other than that, he did well for the figure 8 and stand for exam. The sit and down stays were great for both days and the judge was awesome and Q'd us. I was almost certain after that heeling we had been NQ'd. We ended up getting 2nd in our class again with a score of 170.5 (note that 170 is passing! One team actually got 3rd place with 170, haha!)
Wow, so what a relief, two CD legs down... I can't believe it! Since I was so hesitant with entering him, anyway. I am a VERY PROUD MOMMA!!

This trial was great, to sum up! Separate buildings for both Rally and Obedience and Obedience had 2 rings to get things moving quicker. The judges were AMAZING!! The judge for Rally (both days) tried really hard to get me into the right class, but it was the AKC rules that made it so I couldn't move up. She was super nice to me and tried her best. The Obedience judges were also really cool. The one the first day talked to me about how to improve myself as did the one from the second day. And she was really generous to Q us that second day.

They also had prizes that some dogs got and some you had to sign up to be eligible for. Beamer got two prizes both days- Highest scoring golden retriever in 'A' and Youngest dog competing. We got a calendar, a golden retriever notebook, a cute pillow, and a golden retriever wooden box. Also, if you got a placement in Rally, you got a toy, AND if you got first you also got a bag with a few goodies in it, so we got two of those total as well.

I'm just going to wrap this up because I could go on forever about it! But, to sum up, my boy is amazing and I cannot imagine life without him. I am very very proud of all we have accomplished together! 

My dad, Beamer, and I

Wow, where has the time gone? Beamer's second birthday is on Wednesday, March 27th. Just two short years ago, I remember that I was studying for a Nutrition exam and getting that email that my boy was born in a litter of 5 boys and 4 girls. Now, he has grown into a handsome young man and I could not have asked for a better boy. Yvonne, his breeder, picked out the perfect pup for me!

In other news, it sounds like we have finally secured a place to live! It's a 4 bedroom duplex with a 1 car garage and fenced in backyard. The company we are renting from has other vet students living in some of their places and I hear they are great to work with (and so far, I get that impression, too). I also have two awesome roomies for the fall and I can't wait to meet one of them at the open house next month. We are going to be signing our lease when we go out for it, too. The other one I won't meet until the summer, but both of them are awesome. Beamer will be having a rat terrier and kitty living with him for now and maybe more if my other roomie decides to bring something home. They also don't have a pet weight limit or number of pets limit, which is also amazing!! I'd love to welcome another golden into my life at some point.
We are going to be making one of the rooms an office and guest room so people visiting have somewhere to sleep besides a couch in the living room. So, I am pumped for this place!! We sent in our applications and deposits yesterday and when I called, she told me it was ours!
There are a few parks within walking distance and a few lakes, too, which will be great for Beamer since he loves the water. There is also a jimmy johns within walking distance, too!! Our place is about a 10 minute drive from the school but is also a little bit away from the city of Columbia. It's perfect!

Now, there is just a little less than a month until the open house, and I'm excited. I can't wait to get out there and actually get a chance to see Columbia. I also get to meet many of my future classmates for the class of 2017!

Beamer's biopsy report

Yesterday, I got Beamer's biopsy report back. His lump was 'Cystic trichoepithelioma' which is benign. What a sigh of relief for me, and of course, I am glad that my boy is fine. Though, he is prone to get more in the future, so I'm sure that I'll have more freak-out sessions in the future about him. Growths scare me on goldens- unless I can feel that they are just fat (which this one wasn't) I worry. Sadie, our black lab, has a fatty growth on her, but I don't worry about that one.
Anyway, Beamer is doing fine- just waiting to take out his sutures next Wednesday (which is the first day I work that week).

In other news, the housing hunt seems to be looking up. My roomie and I now have quite a few options and I have some phone calls to make tomorrow to a few places. It looks like most places won't know what they have for July until April, which really sucks since I want to find a place and get a lease signed when we are out for the open house mid-April. We may or may not be looking for third roommate for the fall. It depends on what the rent is on the place we find.

Also, my sister who moved out to California is going to be coming back to visit tomorrow for her spring break. It will be good to see her. And, the super dog expo is Sunday so I'm going to be picking up some gifts for Beamer for his upcoming birthday, which is March 27th. I really didn't get to do too much for his birthday last year since I was in the middle of exams. 

Beamer update

I'm just posting an update after Beamer's big day. He was really pissed off at me when he did not get breakfast that morning. He is such a food motivated dog, too, so that doesn't help.

We did his procedure at about 11am Friday morning. I wanted to try to do it with just a local anesthesia on him and if that didn't work, we could go to sedation. But, he did absolutely wonderful with the local. I held him in my lap while my wonderful vet injected the area with some Lidocaine (after shaving part of his beautiful golden mane).

After 15 minutes, I got him back out and laid him on my lap again while my vet removed his lump. It looked like a sebaceous cyst since we some some white material after removing it. Beamer got 4 sutures in and he was done. He got lots of pill pockets and treats afterwards plus he finally got to eat his breakfast a bit late.

It's been a slight challenge to keep him from playing with Sadie, our black lab. But, otherwise he has been doing really really well. He doesn't even mind wearing his cone at night. Now, it is just a waiting game until we get the biopsy report back. Here are a few pictures of his incision and where it is.

In other news, I started house sitting last night for an old yorkie. I'm house sitting Sunday through Sunday and I have to go during lunch and stay the nights. I meant to take ear plugs with me last night because the previous house-sitter told me he is restless at night, but I forgot. I didn't sleep well probably because of that and just being in a new place. He is on a lot of different medications for his multiple problems as well. It will all be worth it in the end since I'm getting paid $30 a day.

Today is also my mom's birthday! So, a big shout out to my wonderful mom. She has been so supportive of me and my dreams since day one. I couldn't ask for a better mom or best friend. We are both really close and share everything with each other. It is going to be hard to move almost 1/2 way across the country and not be able to see her everyday or even every month like I was when I was at Virginia Tech. So, Happy Birthday, Mom! I Love you!!

This is my boy and I at work today. We did a needle aspirate of his lump but couldn't tell much since it was such a small sample. We are thinking it is just a sebaceous cyst, but I am going to have it removed Friday for his well-being and my own sanity. Of course it will be sent out for a biopsy as well. I'm really glad I found this now since I'll only be working here until July and then I go out to Missouri for vet school. I also have had pet insurance on him since he was 8 weeks old and this will be the first time I've ever had to use it. I only have to pay my $200 deductible.

Beamer, of course, loves coming to work with me and I'm sure he won't know what is coming Friday besides no breakfast... he will be pretty upset. Poor boy.

In other news, I saw yesterday that my Sallie Mae loans are finally deferred. I just don't know for how long, so I need to call them and find out. At least my payment is now only $60 for interest instead of  over $300 a month. I also found out yesterday that there is no Wells Fargo in Missouri, which really sucks since that is the only bank I've ever used. So... not sure what I am doing about that at the moment. Still looking for a place to live and for some realtors to get back to me. I'm about 99% sure I've got a roommate nailed down, so that is out of the way! I'll meet her officially in April at the open house, which I am very excited for!

I'm worried about my boy. He will be 2 at the end of March. About a week ago, he was cuddling with me on the couch. I was petting his chest and found very small lump. Of course, he came to work with me the next day (I work at a vet's office). I tried to find it again and I couldn't. I also had 2 other people feel him over and no one could find this mysterious lump.
A week goes by and last night I am petting him again and I find it once more. It feels about the same, but I am concerned since he is so young, and since he is a golden- cancer is very high in this breed and I am very aware of this fact. I am really glad I took out pet insurance on him for this reason. I have not had to use it yet, thankfully, but I will be grateful that I do have it later.

Anyway, I take him and mark the spot with a sharpie and then be sure I can find it again. Of course, this is after working a really really busy stressful week and I'm finally off for 3 days until Tuesday (I swear I was only home for an hour after work when I found it). He will be coming to work with me on Tuesday- hopefully that black mark will still be there but if not, I am pretty confident I can find it again. It feels like it is just in the skin layer- not soft but not really hard, either. Very small, probably a little smaller than the size of a pencil eraser.

Being in the vet profession, we seem to worry a lot more about the possibilities with the things we see. So, I'm hoping it is nothing, but I think I am about 95% sure I am going to get this removed and biopsied to be on the safe side. The pet insurance will cover everything besides my $200 deductible. I'll also do a needle aspirate Tuesday just to get an idea of what we are looking at.

So here is to me worrying all weekend. If they aren't crazy busy Monday, I'll see if I can take him in then to have it looked at so I can get him in for surgery sooner.

Well, it looks like my decision has been made! First, let me start out by saying that I have been an emotional wreck these past 24 hours. Yesterday at my dad's place (about an hour from where I live) I was checking my Facebook on my phone and there was a post about VMRCVM letters going out two weeks early. My heard dropped about 3 feet when I read that and I started freaking out. I knew that they sent emails out, so I checked mine and nothing. Then I check the online status page and still... nothing.

I then go online to the student doctor forum (I'm a member) and check the VT thread. There are people posting that they got accepted. I am really having a panic attack at this point as I had not heard either way. With VMRCVM you either get wait-listed or accepted at this point after interviews. Someone else then posts that they were wait-listed. Hours go by and a long drive home and still NO WORD. I am feeling sick and nauseous at this point. I tell myself that I'm going to stay up no matter how long it takes which lasted until about midnight last night. Then, I /tried/ to go to bed, which of course I could not sleep... at all. I checked my email at 2am, and then at 5:30am which at that point I decided I wasn't getting any sleep. I had to be at work at 8am anyway.

Finally, I get to work and tell everyone there about the awful time I am having. I decide to check my email again at 8:30 and FINALLY there is an email from Tech. I got wait-listed. One of my co-workers said that I looked so much better after reading it since being stuck in limbo was pure torture. Having others know and not a word on my end was so painful. There were others in my same position, which helped. So anyway, I got wait-listed at my in-state school. Not a big shot, I knew I bombed that interview, it was terrible. I'm not going to go into it again.

After April 15th, you can call and get your wait-list number from them. Which is, of course, the same day that all acceptances are due for the schools. So, I DECIDED I AM GOING TO MIZZOU!! I am so so excited. From my last post, you can tell I was going to have to make a difficult decision if I got accepted to Tech. I really loved Mizzou and was even leaning towards going there regardless. I am so RELIEVED that I don't have to make that choice.

I know that I am going to love Missouri!! It is sure going to be a new experience for me and being so far away from home is going to be hard, but I'm just so excited to be starting a new chapter in my life and that I AM going to be a veterinarian in just 4 short years.

Well, I had a lot of time off this past weekend to think a lot about vet school. I LOVED Missouri when I was out there. The people were SO friendly and welcoming. One of the first people I met was my taxi driver and he was super nice and talked to me about his business he is starting up (with electric taxis). He offered to drive me to and from my interview and back to the airport as well, he was so great and I was really happy to not have to worry about that. Once I got to my interview, the students who were there and calming us down were most welcome at the time. They knew we were all so stressed. The committee during my interview was also really kind as well and of course, how can I forget the admissions staff, they were wonderful! The interview, or at least how I remember it, went really smoothly and I didn't stumble at all. I felt confident in all my answers and it seemed to go really well. It was just a traditional 15 minute interview.

Anyway, what I am getting at is that I just really loved Mizzou and their program and school. The best thing I love about the school is 2+2 program they have- 2 years of classroom and then 2 years of clinical. Most schools only have 1 year of clinicals, so that extra year is going to be super helpful. Something that I am also liking, which I originally didn't like, are the periods they have. Instead of 2 semesters, they have 4 periods a year. You still get the usual breaks, which is nice (though summer break is only 6 weeks long... ugh). You have fewer classes at once but it is crammed into a shorter time.

Another awesome thing is that you can get in-state tuition after the first year of school and it is apparently really easy to get. The open house is sometime in April, which I will be going to if I am attending Mizzou. I'll meet some of my future classmates and hopefully find some friends and a place to live.

Plus, all these signs I am seeing are pointing me to Mizzou. Everywhere I look, all I see is Missouri. The most noted being a license plate that I saw on a car saying M1zzouuu or something along those lines. I saw that car not once but twice! AND, their mascot is a tiger, which has been my favorite animal since I was young...

Now with VMRCVM, it is the school I had always dreamed of going. Almost every vet I worked for went there. I attended undergad at Virginia Tech and VMRCVM admissions always came to talk to us about school.

The interview I had was a mess- the multiple mini interview. I hated every second of it. From the nerve-wracking 2 minutes to write things down  about the scenario to the 6 minutes of having to talk to someone. I was basically always talking to the interviewer and I ran out of time during each of the 8 scenarios. I just did not and still really don't feel confident about how I did at all. The whole day was a mess, really, with the snowy weather making it worse. The waiting for the interview wasn't too bad and some students came and talked to us. The waiting was a bit excessive as we got started late in our group. By the time that we got done with the interview, I just left and didn't even stay for a tour (which I did want to go on). The weather was just getting so bad that I wanted to get home. At this point, we either get in or get waitlisted. So, as of now, I am still in the waiting game. March 1st had better get here soon so I know.

VMRCVM's program only has the 1 clinical year with 3 years of classroom and has the basic schedule just like undergrad with semesters. When I was down for the interview, I just didn't get that same great feeling I got when I was at Mizzou. I don't know if it was that interview, the weather, or what that made me feel that way. But, whenever I think about Tech, I just don't feel good about it. Maybe I won't have an issue deciding between these two schools because I'll get waitlisted at Tech, or maybe I will if I get accepted.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Blacksburg and that area. It is my in-state school and will be cheaper to go there. I'll only be 3 hours from home and that is something that I really need. I am really close to my friends and family and when I am at school, I talk to my mom about once a day. So, if I got to Mizzou, being 14 hours away from home is going to be really hard.

So as of now, I am still waiting on Tech, but that is how I am feeling at the moment. I might have a really hard choice to make in a few weeks.

It's been nearly 3 weeks since I have been admitted to vet school. I still just cannot believe it. Every time I think about going back to school in August I am just filled with so many different emotions; disbelief, happiness, excited, anxious, even a touch of sadness. I recently joined the student doctor forum (which I really wish I had found about a year or two ago instead of just last week) but it is a really great resource. It's also a great place to talk with some of my potential classmates at Mizzou if I do attend there in the fall and maybe even find a roommate or two. But, that is getting ahead of myself. I am still waiting to hear from VT and I am getting more and more anxious by the day. We are supposed to hear by March 1st, so basically any day from now until then. Every time there is a new post on the VMRCVM thread on the forum, I almost have a heart attack thinking someone has heard something. As I have gotten farther away from that horrific interview at VT, I am feeling better about it. I still have to say I am not a fan on the multiple mini interviews (MMI) and would much rather have a traditional interview. I'm not sure why I'm thinking so much about interviews anymore for vet school since I did end up canceling both my Auburn and Tuskegee interviews, so I don't have any more to worry about.
I also did hear from NC State last week and I didn't get in there. It was what I expected since they don't do interviews and they only have 20 out of state spots, so the odds were stacked against me. No hard feelings over it.

So basically, for now, I am just counting down the days until March 1st until  I hear from VT. I really just want to know where I will be going in August, whether that is in Columbia or Blacksburg. Lately, I've also gotten really excited about Mizzou- so if I end up there, I will be alright with it. The biggest thing with it being so far away; that will be really difficult for me. But, I figure I'll probably be so busy it won't be too bad. Plus, I'll always have my Beamer boy with me. Mizzou's vet school does things a bit differently compared to VT. One thing I really like is that you get 2 years of classroom and then 2 years of clinicals (2+2) vs. VT that has 3 years of classroom and 1 year of clinicals. Mizzou also has periods instead of semesters, which is very different. And... you only get 6 weeks for summer break, which kind of stinks. But, if I have to, I'll deal. Definitely not a deal breaker for me.

All in all, I'm just hoping to be back in Blacksburg for the fall. I miss it so much and that brief visit last month was not enough. There is an open house in April for both VT and Mizzou (on different weekends) that Mom and I are going to go to and hopefully find a place to live and meet some classmates.

Other than vet school stuff that I've been trying not to focus on, my vet tech classes seem to be going pretty well. I have 5 days off (until Tuesday) and I've been working on a bit of it daily. This past Friday was supposed to be my interview at Auburn. My terminology class finally seems to have picked up to something interesting. Radiology is really dragging since this is the 3rd week (soon to be 1 month in) that I've been reading about how an x-ray machine works and how x-rays are produced as well as all the electrical components. Lets just say... I'm tired of reading about all of that and I just want to move on. Also, I've got a few pet sitting jobs lined up which will help out a lot in saving for a new laptop and among other things I'll need for school in August. 

I am still in shock after finding out I got into vet school Tuesday night. It is still hard to believe after so many years that I will finally be starting veterinary school in August. In just 4 years, I'll have a DVM after my name and a Dr. before it. Wow. Just wow.

Today was the last day for NC State to send out letters to us, so I should hopefully be getting mine in the next few days. It looks like they only accept 20 out of state students, so my chances at this school are lower, but not to matter. I am already in a Mizzou.

I also decided today, after a lot of thinking, that I am going to cancel my last two interviews that were at Auburn and Tuskegee, Alabama. My thought process on this is that even if I go down, spend a ton of money on both of these interviews getting there and if I get accepted, I still would choose Mizzou over both of these schools. The big reason is that Mizzou allows you to change your residency after the first year so I could be paying in-state rates after that. That equals a huge savings of at least $50-75,000 total so it isn't even a question of is it worth it. Also, a big factor to me is that Auburn requires business dress for normal classes. For me, this is a huge deal since I don't have anything like that in my current wardrobe. I had to go out and buy everything for my interviews. I'd have to buy a whole new wardrobe just for normal classes. Now, some people have said 'suck it up it is professional school' or 'you will have to wear that for clinicals.' Well, let me just say, I don't mind wearing something nice for a reason, like clnicals. That is fine with me, I have no problem with that. My problem is when it is for something like classes- which makes no sense. We are going to be stuck in a lecture hall all day or down in the labs. I just don't see the point of dressing up nicely for that, I just don't.

Anyway, now that my rant is over, it is nice now to not have to worry about any more interviews plus, look at all the money I will be saving! I did have to cancel my flight and didn't get the money back for that, but I will be able to have $150 towards another ticket sometime this year, which I will be flying to San Diego Comic-con in July, so that works out great.

After work tomorrow, I am going to call each school and tell them that I am no longer attending the interview. Hopefully they can send out another interview invite to someone else who would like the chance!

I GOT INTO VETERINARY SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!


After that really terrible weekend I had at my interview at VMRCVM, yesterday night I got the best news possible. I was at work, it was almost 6:00 and then we would be closed. I see my mom's phone number pop up on the caller ID on the work phone. My co-worker answers it before me, but I go upfront to grab the phone from her. She says that she got a letter in the mail from the University of Missouri and wanted to know if she could open it for me. I wasn't sure what to say... I was excited for the results but so so nervous. I asked my co-worker and my boss (who just happened to be up there) and they said sit down, breathe, and have her open the letter. The first word out of her mouth was 'Congratulations!' and I just lost it. I burst into tears as she read the first line of the letter to me that I had finally been accepted to veterinary school. It took me a good minute or two to even stop crying and to be able to actually speak. It hit me that somewhere in August, I will be going to veterinary school. Missouri was the first school I heard from about an interview and the first school I interviewed at. I did enjoy the little bit of time I spent there- it really reminded me of Blacksburg. So, if I have to go there, I will! The only drawback is that it is 14 hours away from where I live and I really like/need to be near my family. So, that would be the only reason I am hesitant about this school. Also, they do 'periods' instead of semesters and it seems like 4 periods is equal to a semester. I am not 100% sure on how this works, exactly, but it sounds like we only get about a 6 week break during the summer, which isn't long enough in my opinion.

Anyway, last night I got home from work a few minutes later and Mom came downstairs and hugged me. I burst into tears again and we both stood there crying together. It was surreal. My mom, her boyfriend, my sister and I then went to Olive Garden to celebrate. I got 3 of this strawberry lemonade vodka drinks and they were delicious. I came back home and then pretty much went to bed. I had no motivation to work on homework after that! Last night, I could not sleep well at all. I kept tossing and turning all night- I cannot even recall what I was thinking about during the night.

Today was a new day and a new outlook on life. I am going to be a veterinarian in a little over 4 years . I am still waiting to hear from a few schools about admissions and I still have 2 interviews to attend down in Alabama. But it is still good to know that if every other school I applied denies my admission, I still have a potential spot at Mizzou.

A few updates this week; it has been super busy. First off, I started my veterinary technician classes. I am only taking two classes, Terminology and Radiology. The terminology class should be a breeze- you have 1 test a week for 10 weeks and then the final. But for all the exams (minus the final) you have unlimited attempts on them. The final you just have 2, but hey, I'm not worried about it.
Radiology is not as easy. You still have one exam per week for 10 weeks plus a final, but you only have 2 attempts on all the exams and the final. Plus you not only have the book to read out of but also slideshows and videos. Overall, it should be really simple and I'm glad I have had the opportunity to be able to take these classes. My employer is paying for them, which is great, and I also get to start doing technician things at work. As of now I am only allowed to read urinalysis sediment (at least when I know what I am looking at) and place catheters (I actually put two of them in on Wednesday and was really impressed with myself!)

I also think I have figured everything out for my Auburn interview in Alabama. I booked a flight to Atlanta on Thursday the 7th. My interview is at 2:30 in the afternoon on February 8th. I allowed myself enough time to go on a tour before my interview and then I can drive back to Atlanta to catch a flight back to Dulles at 8:45 that night. I hope that this goes well, it sounds like it is about a 30 minute interview. I also found out some good advice from a friend who had an interview with them last year. Apparently, they have a dress code of business casual for daily classes, which is kind of turning me off from them, but I will go where I can get in, so if I have to do it it, I will.

I also found out a few days ago that I got an interview to the final school I was waiting to hear from, Tuskegee (also in Alabama). One of the doctors I work for went to school there. That interview I have tentatively scheduled for February 18th or so; no word on what time yet so I have not booked anything for it yet. So, that brings me up to: Interviews for Missouri, Virginia Tech (both done), Auburn and Tuskegee (to come). Tufts said no in regards to an interview to me and then finally NC State I am just waiting to hear from as they don't do interviews.

Now, onto the the details about my interview with VMRCVM. I had my interview yesterday so it is still pretty fresh in my mind. I went down Thursday afternoon and I was able to stay with my roommate from last year in my old apartment, so it was nice to see her and the old place. The school held a dinner at 6pm that night, which was apparently a new thing this year. It was a formal dinner with a table of about 8 people. Most of us were interviewees for the next day and then a faculty member or student was at each table so we were able to ask questions. I sat with someone I graduated with last year in my major as I knew her. Most people at my table were either out of state or from Maryland and I had a good time. We had a few awkward silences but then we got to talking again. Dr. Pelzer also talked to us more about the interview and how it would go the next day.

That night, I could not get much sleep. I was tossing and turning all night I am sure due to being nervous. This was the most important day of my life, pretty much. This interview determines if I get into the school that I want to go to (plus it is my in-state school). Once you get an interview here, everyone is on the same page so the interview makes or breaks it. My interview was at noon that day, so I get ready and head out into the snowy weather to the parking lot where the shuttle took us to the vet school. In the reception area, there was some food but there was no way I felt that I could eat anything at that point. I could barely down the oatmeal I ate for breakfast. 

We were then shuttled over to career services for the actual interview due to having more space there. The interview at VMRCVM is very different from the traditional interviews. They do multiple mini interviews there which are basically scenarios that you read first and then go into a room and discuss them. You have a total of 8 to go through with 2 minutes to read and then 6 minutes to go in and talk to the interviewer. Going in, I thought I would like this method more because there is nothing you can really do to prepare for it. All you have to do is be yourself. Coming out of the interview, I decided I like the traditional interview much much more. I was way too stressed out during each interview I had trying to figure out what to write down int he 2 minutes I had and then trying to discuss what I needed to in the other 6 minutes. I ended up running out of time in pretty much every interview I had with the interviewer.

I did not feel very confident coming out of there with how I did. I felt like it was an awful experience but at least it sounds like I am not alone. The few people I talked with felt the same way and no one was really sure what just happened. So, that makes me feel a little better, but I am still really upset and disappointed with this interview. I feel like I blew my one chance I had. I won't know anything until March, so it looks like a waiting game until then.

I am still upset about it today, but one good thing that came out of this experience is from the snow. I decided to leave right after the interview (I didn't stay for a tour since I have seen the vet school numerous times). My friend canceled dinner that night, which was sad but the roads were getting bad, so I decided to just leave that night as well and drive home instead of leaving the next morning.

Today, I went over to Berryville to see if I could get my tattoo finished (of Tali'Zorah vas Normandy from Mass Effect) and I was finally able to get it finished! I got it started back in October and I've been trying ever since to get in with Jason (at Body Art Tattoo Studio) to get it finished up. I am so very pleased with the way it turned out and so happy! I guess if it wasn't for the snow I wouldn't have been back in town to get it done.

So that is all for today, thanks so much for reading!

Today has been a pretty decent day! Work for 6 hours today- busy on and off. Then, after I get home, I get an email from Auburn University in regards to an interview for vet school! I am pretty excited! It is pretty far away, but I am willing to travel if that is what I need to do to get in. According to mapquest, it is about 11 hours away to drive- so I think that is much too far for just a short visit. This will be my third interview that I have had an offer for. I did hear from Tufts last week and I didn't get an interview there and I really wasn't that upset about it. One less place I have to travel to. So far, that brings me up to one interview at Missouri already done, one at Virginia Tech in a week and half, and then one at Auburn sometime around the first or second week in February. I have to call them tomorrow morning to actually schedule it.

I talked to one of my friends who interviewed at Auburn last year- they said that they have a business casual dress code for day to day classes there, I am not sure how I feel about that. I am more of a t-shirt and jeans kind of person. So... we shall see about that. At this point, I'm willing to go where-ever I get in at the moment. Hopefully I'll get my letter from Missouri before I leave for this interview.

Getting out there is going to be yet another adventure. Seems like I am going to be flying out to Atlanta yet again and then renting a car and driving 2 hours to Auburn. Since I'm under 25, renting a car will be... interesting. I'll have to pay a lot more just to rent a car for a day or two. I am thinking of flying out Thursday the 7th, having my interview on the 8th and either flying back that evening or the next day depending on the time of my interview and things. I'm trying to balance flying out for these and work as I don't want to take off a ton of time since I need the money to pay for these trips. My last trip cost me about $800, most of that the plane ticket to fly right into the small airport.

But anyway, I am excited to get more interviews and have these new experiences. I still have yet to hear from NC state... still waiting on that letter from them in regards to admissions since they don't do interviews. And Tuskegee, in regards to an interview or not (which is also located in Alabama).

Welcome! I'm not sure if anyone is going to be reading this blog- but I think I need somewhere to write out my thoughts and feelings once in a while. For those who might be reading who don't know me, hopefully I can give you a little bit of insight.
 
The start of the year has been a really exciting time in my life. I hope 2013 is going to be much better than 2012 (which had its ups and downs). 2012 was great since I had a pretty lax schedule my senior year of college plus graduation, which could also be counted as bitter-sweet since I really miss seeing two of my wives, Megan and Jackie on a daily basis. On the downside, I lost my kitty, Nip, this summer. The pain is still there and she will always be remembered. I also did not get into vet school last year which did hurt, but honestly not as much as I thought it would. I had thought I would be devastated, but I wasn't. I have to admit, it has been nice just working and making some money. My boss did, however, invite me to start the veterinary technician program in a few weeks, which is awesome. I'll still get to learn more before I (hopefully) start vet school in the fall (which I'll go into more about here shortly) and I get to start performing vet tech duties at work like placing catheters and tubing patients. Best of all, the clinic I work at is paying for it all. 

Now onto why I am hoping 2013 is going to be an awesome year. 2012 ended with me hearing from one of the veterinary schools I applied to, Missouri, for an interview. You cannot even imagine my excitement when I got that email. Plus, I wasn't even anticipating hearing that early from a school. Just this past weekend, I flew out to Columbia, Missouri for the interview. Lots of milestones that weekend, my first flight by myself, first taxi ride, first time getting my own hotel room, and first time flying at night (which was gorgeous!) As for the school, I think I wouldn't mind going out to Columbia if I had to. It is pretty far from home (14 hours according to Mapquest) but it really has that community feeling that I love just like my alma mater, Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. I, unfortunately, didn't get to see much if any of the actual city of Columbia at all. I got in at about 7pm the night before my interview and I was in the air by 12:30pm the next day. I just had a few short taxi rides to see the city, which was mostly just farmland. 

As for my interview, I think that went really well. The bad part was that it was at 7:30 that morning and I had to wake up at 5:45 that morning to shower and dress nicely for it. Once I got there, I really wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be. The staff and student ambassadors welcomed me warmly and I chatted with them and a few other fellow interviewees while I was waiting. The actual interview itself was only 15 minutes long- I got asked lots of questions in regards to my lyme disease project that I did a few summers ago. One of the intervewers also threw out a few random questions about lyme disease. One I knew- why is it called lyme disease (since the first case was in lyme CT). The other, where did lyme disease originate from, I didn't know. I was honest about that and then they said it was from Europe. I was also asked about a little bit of research I did on beef cattle temperaments and my large animal vet experience which I felt like I had a good amount of (though not any of equine or of any exotics). One of the three intervewers asked me about my time I spent as an undergraduate anatomy lab teaching assistant. I loved doing that so I was happy to talk about it. I also informed them about my vet tech upcoming classes which I didn't get a chance to put on my application. 

Needless to say, afterwards, I was very glad it was over. I want to say I did really well, I didn't stutter or was dishonest about anything. I acted like myself and tried to put my very best out to them. After the interview, I went on a tour of the school with one of the students who I'd been talking to. She was super helpful and very nice. The school seems very impressive as was the clinic. We even got to see a horse being prepped for some kind of surgery (probably colic). We couldn't see the actual surgery itself since the drapes were in the way, but it was still my first experience seeing any kind of large animal surgery. 

I went back into the waiting room for interviews for about 30 more minutes and talked a little bit more to some students and others who were intervewing before I had to leave to go check out of my hotel and head to the airport. I did talk to one really nice lady who's daughter was intervewing. She actually went to Radford (which is about 30 minutes from Tech) and we talked about Blacksburg. Before I left she said 'Go Hokies!' and I couldn't resist to call back. She said she now lives in South Dakota. 

 My flights there (I had to go to Atlanta for a layover and then to Columbia out of Dulles) were alright. The first one I didn't have a single issue. The second we had a small mechanical issue that was resolved in 15 minutes. It was a really tiny plane (only 17 people were on it but there were lots of empty seats). I got to see the cities at night and it was just so beautiful. I only had a 2 hour layover when I was flying in. On the way back, we had to get some more fuel for the plane so that was a little delay. I had a 5 hour layover in Atlanta that time so I pretty much got to walk and see the entire airport looking for food and a good place to crash and watch episodes of Death Note to pass the time. Once I was finally on the plane, we had a delay leaving and getting in. Meanwhile, there was this poor girl who must have had some kind of mental disease that caused to her make these high pitched noises and do a strange sneeze-thing. I was sitting diagonally from her and she did it THE WHOLE FLIGHT I was so fed up with it by the time we landed. I know she couldn't help it... but you get to that point where it just gets in your head and you cannot get it out. I had my music turned up as loud as it could go I was playing my 3DS. 

That night, my dad picked me up from the airport and I spent the night at his place since he lived 10 minutes from the airport and I still had an hour drive home. After being awake from 5:45 that morning until about 11:30 that night I was pretty wiped. 

Now, if you are still reading I really commend you! I knew this would be a long first post but I never expected it would be this long! But, I'm not done yet. I still have yet to even mention the best news of this year, yet. I got word the day before I left for Missouri that I got an interview at VIRGINIA TECH!! I was so excited for this since this is the school I really want to go to. It is 3 hours from my home and I already spent 4 years of my life there for my undergrad. I was at work when I found out and trust me everyone in that building knew. My interview at Tech is on January 25th at noon. I'm going down the night before and going to go to this dinner they are having and then I will leave on Saturday the day after. I'll hopefully see some friends who are still down there, as well! This interview is situation based so there really is no way I can prep for it besides look up some current events (on the advice from a few friends who have interviewed there and got in). This will be the most important day of my life to date and I am really hoping all goes well. As for now, I am still waiting to hear from 4 more schools, NC State (who doesn't have interviews), Tufts in Mass, and Auburn and Tuskegee in Alabama. Who knows what that will bring for me as well. I should hear around the beginning of February about admission to Missouri. 

Anyhow- thanks so much for reading and I hope I can post some more updates soon!