I'm posting this blog again (from Myspace) because I had a conversation with a friend this week about kids and it made me think about it. He is 61 years old and he and his wife chose many years ago not to have them - his belief, based on a lifetime of traveling the world and experiencing life in a manner that very few will shadow, is that the overpopulation of the world is one of the baselines for all of the societal ills that plague us, and the current situation of the U.S. is that *no one* stops and thinks about this before having more than one kid. We do it because we can and because we want to fill some selfish, inner void instead of using education, self-discovery and self-improvement to fullful ourselves. Either way, he's childfree, someone I very much admire, and WE AGREE.
I've definitely chilled on worrying about it. I'm 40 now, not having any kids, and I'm still thrilled about it to this day. Again, mommies just never seem happy to me, despite their repeated attempts to convince me that *it's the greatest thing ever*.
So here's the old post:
Everyone who knows me knows I have been struggling with the decision to have a kid or not. I think I've about decided NOT to do it. Sure, my body is telling me "Idiot! You're running out of time! You'd better do it now!" but my mind just isn't there. I love my solitude. I love being spontaneous. And I LOVE that a lot of people I know who have kids, are finished raising them and are joining me in the ranks of freedom once again. (i.e. they had their kids in their early twenties)
I've talked to at least 10 people in the last several months about the whole thing and I've met several women who, like me, choose to be Child Free. (I LOVE that term!) I have a very deep suspicion that there is a big secret kept by those with kids that having them isn't necessarily as great as it's made out to be. I RARELY hear how great the whole experience has been... more often than not, what I hear is "well, I'm glad I had him/her, but I sure am glad he's/she's grown now and I'm done! Life is all about me now!" I'm not kidding. I can't count the people I know who stopped at one and say that they love their kid but if they could do it all over again... NOT.
Which leads me to my theory about having kids in your twenties - much smarter than waiting because, hey, in my book, ignorance is bliss. You'll never know what you're missing out on if you have them when you're young! Wait until you're thirty-something like me, and you start to see that decision in a whole new light. So yea, have 'em when you're young and dumb. :)
I remember being 25, young at heart, very much in love with my new husband, and wanting to have kids - badly!! I honestly believe that is biology doing its job - if you didn't feel that way, we may never procreate! But as we got older, our views on that changed. Marriages change. That lusty, powerful, all-encompassing passion you feel early on changes... and then you're stuck with yourself all over again. It happens to everyone, no matter how in love they think they are when they first marry.
I recently read an article in WIRED magazine. They had a survey on things to do to remain happy - and one of the top things to do to keep yourself happy and healthy in life is to NOT have kids! Also, in support of what I said above, stats show that the ones having the kids in the world are in their twenties - we thirty-somethings decide otherwise.
Instead, I think I'm going to own dogs, travel with my friends and family, take LOTS of free solitude time, stay healthy, volunteer for charity and the like.
The idea of having to take care of another human being for something like, 25 years, is just too much for me. Do you realize how expensive college will be by the time they're there???
Nah, I'll keep my retirement and spend it on myself. :)
Saturday, August 29, 2009
This would be exactly why I bought my own veterinary practice. This was written in July, 2007.
I'm so introspective and stuck in analysis paralysis these days that I want to vomit. I talk to my best girlfriends ALL of the time regarding the Emotions of Divorce. Hey! ED! Is there any relation to the Emotions of Divorce and Erectile Dysfunction? I don't know. Hell, it's 6am right now. :)
I'm on a wild roller coaster ride. I have great days and terrible days. Really not any in-between. I melt down over little things, like not getting to the grocery store on the days when I planned to go, or not getting enough laundry done on my day off.
The hardest part for me is letting go of my financial status. I went from having several thousand dollars per month at my disposal to being house-poor, lucky to have grocery money left over after paying the mortgage. Part of that is my fault - I bought this house from my ex and rolled a good chunk of my debt into it - which is fine, except that with the crappy housing market like it is, even my house-on-the-hill ain't worth much. So I have to hunker down and ride out the storm, so that when the sun shines again, I can make a buck or two.
I have another quote that I love, that jumped out in front of me the other day when I was thinking about selling my house and renting an apartment so I wouldn't be so broke all of the time. It went something like this:
"You can't see what's in front of you if you are constantly looking behind you."
Okay, so time to let go of my marriage for real, and stop pining for a life that I never had anyway. If money was what kept me in that place, then it's time I listen to some advice AGAIN that was given to me long before I even went to vet school:
"Do what you love and the money will come."
Do you think that applies to the Lotto, too? I mean, shit, I love scratch-offs. :)
I'm so introspective and stuck in analysis paralysis these days that I want to vomit. I talk to my best girlfriends ALL of the time regarding the Emotions of Divorce. Hey! ED! Is there any relation to the Emotions of Divorce and Erectile Dysfunction? I don't know. Hell, it's 6am right now. :)
I'm on a wild roller coaster ride. I have great days and terrible days. Really not any in-between. I melt down over little things, like not getting to the grocery store on the days when I planned to go, or not getting enough laundry done on my day off.
The hardest part for me is letting go of my financial status. I went from having several thousand dollars per month at my disposal to being house-poor, lucky to have grocery money left over after paying the mortgage. Part of that is my fault - I bought this house from my ex and rolled a good chunk of my debt into it - which is fine, except that with the crappy housing market like it is, even my house-on-the-hill ain't worth much. So I have to hunker down and ride out the storm, so that when the sun shines again, I can make a buck or two.
I have another quote that I love, that jumped out in front of me the other day when I was thinking about selling my house and renting an apartment so I wouldn't be so broke all of the time. It went something like this:
"You can't see what's in front of you if you are constantly looking behind you."
Okay, so time to let go of my marriage for real, and stop pining for a life that I never had anyway. If money was what kept me in that place, then it's time I listen to some advice AGAIN that was given to me long before I even went to vet school:
"Do what you love and the money will come."
Do you think that applies to the Lotto, too? I mean, shit, I love scratch-offs. :)
Education of the Female Mind
Written July, 2007 and I still believe it to be true to this day.
For all of you girls out there who actually read my blog, I want you to listen to this, and listen to it hard:
My education is what kept me afloat during this divorce. I didn't have to fight for alimony or argue about possessions. I was able to turn around and buy my house outright, with NO argument from the bank for a fat mortgage. I have a credit score in the 800s. If I walked into a car dealership right now, I could finance just about anything I wanted, no questions asked.
My point? Get your lazy asses into school. Figure out a way to support yourself, even if you don't have to utilize it at this point in your life. Things change throughout the years and life has this funny way of ripping your comfort zone right out from under you, when you LEAST expect it. I promise - it is never a bed of roses forever and if you don't plan for a rainy day, you're going to regret it.
So do what you need to, to set yourself up. Get an education. Then you can choose - REALLY CHOOSE - whoever you want and whatever you want in life. You don't have to make any decisions that don't suit you just because someone else is picking up the tab.
I get a certain amount of ego-boosted relief from the realization that at this point in my life, meeting a man who actually makes more money than me would be difficult. It's like I made it as an independent woman and that can never be taken away from me.
I wish all of the women in my life could experience that feeling!
For all of you girls out there who actually read my blog, I want you to listen to this, and listen to it hard:
My education is what kept me afloat during this divorce. I didn't have to fight for alimony or argue about possessions. I was able to turn around and buy my house outright, with NO argument from the bank for a fat mortgage. I have a credit score in the 800s. If I walked into a car dealership right now, I could finance just about anything I wanted, no questions asked.
My point? Get your lazy asses into school. Figure out a way to support yourself, even if you don't have to utilize it at this point in your life. Things change throughout the years and life has this funny way of ripping your comfort zone right out from under you, when you LEAST expect it. I promise - it is never a bed of roses forever and if you don't plan for a rainy day, you're going to regret it.
So do what you need to, to set yourself up. Get an education. Then you can choose - REALLY CHOOSE - whoever you want and whatever you want in life. You don't have to make any decisions that don't suit you just because someone else is picking up the tab.
I get a certain amount of ego-boosted relief from the realization that at this point in my life, meeting a man who actually makes more money than me would be difficult. It's like I made it as an independent woman and that can never be taken away from me.
I wish all of the women in my life could experience that feeling!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Was GW a Sith?
HEHE!! I had to re-post this one, cause I think it's damned funny. :)
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Something interesting noted....
Category: News and Politics
I was watching one of the Star Wars movies this week (for the millionth time) and I caught something that was said, that I think is filled with truth. I also forget which great Jedi said the response, (I was more intrigued by the content) it was probably Obi Wan but it went something like this:
"If you are not with me, then you are my enemy" (I think Senator Palpatine said it?)
The reply to this was:
"Only a Sith deals in absolutes."
The Siths are the evil dark side beings that the Jedi battle throughout the whole series. What I found interesting was that this was an older movie, out before Bush was in office, and yet those words hold a lot of familiarity. Remember when he said, "if you're not with us, you're against us!"????
I think it means GW is a SITH!!!! OH MY!!! I always knew it. :)
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Something interesting noted....
Category: News and Politics
I was watching one of the Star Wars movies this week (for the millionth time) and I caught something that was said, that I think is filled with truth. I also forget which great Jedi said the response, (I was more intrigued by the content) it was probably Obi Wan but it went something like this:
"If you are not with me, then you are my enemy" (I think Senator Palpatine said it?)
The reply to this was:
"Only a Sith deals in absolutes."
The Siths are the evil dark side beings that the Jedi battle throughout the whole series. What I found interesting was that this was an older movie, out before Bush was in office, and yet those words hold a lot of familiarity. Remember when he said, "if you're not with us, you're against us!"????
I think it means GW is a SITH!!!! OH MY!!! I always knew it. :)
Another oldie...
I wrote this blog back in 2006, ironically only a week or two before my ex and I decided to split up. Amazing how things work out, and how the universe continues to take care of me. I still believe in the power of positive thought to this day, and that tapping into your creative processes can do more for healing your body and spirit than anything external.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Intent?
Category: Dreams and the Supernatural
I've been reading a book called "The Power of Intention" by Wayne Dyer. It's a very interesting book. If you think about Star Wars, and The Force - that pretty much sums it up! Okay, so it's not that cheesy... but it is about the power of positive thought and how important it is to maintain positivity. Basically if you have good thoughts and visualize a rich, abundant future, then that is what you will draw to you. If you focus on the negative, then alternatively, that is what you will get.
Just last week I was visualizing a Krispy Kreme donut before work, and guess what??? When I got there, a pharmaceutical rep brought in a whole box! I saw it in my mind and I made it happen. :)
Seriously - I've never been a religious person and don't plan to start anytime soon. I despise organized religion. God, for me, has always been in nature and in the natural beauty of everything. Intent, according to Dr. Dyer, is the underlying energy that flows through everything - energy that, in theory, is all part of one big picture. This energy can be considered the Creative Source - God, if you will. If you are able to free your mind and tap into it, then the possibilities in your life are endless simply because you are pulling positive energy into your life.
It's the religion of quantum mechanics, in a way. Perfect for us science geeks. :)
Sounds a little like Luke and Aniken, right? :) If you look around and open your mind, you'll start to see that there is talk about this unseen force everywhere. I'm finding this extremely intriguing! I think this is one of the answers that I've been looking for - and I think this because when I look back on my journey to becoming a vet, I realize that when I was trying to get into vet school, all I could see was graduating and being a doctor. I just couldn't stomach anything else - and I now realize that I made it happen by opening up my mind, which led to more creativity - i.e. it gave me more ideas on what I needed to do in order to succeed. I've been tapping into this unseen force long before I knew I was doing it.
Part of the theory is that if you are closed to the creative source, you will remain stagnant, lacking ideas and creativity that propel you forward to success. If you open your mind to it, your creative ideas flow more freely, thus bouncing ideas in and out of your brain in an attempt to create in reality what you see in your imagination.
Think it's hokie? Well just remember those Krispy Kreme donuts... and the fact that I am a doctor after all. :)
(I'll probably post more on this as I evolve)
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Intent?
Category: Dreams and the Supernatural
I've been reading a book called "The Power of Intention" by Wayne Dyer. It's a very interesting book. If you think about Star Wars, and The Force - that pretty much sums it up! Okay, so it's not that cheesy... but it is about the power of positive thought and how important it is to maintain positivity. Basically if you have good thoughts and visualize a rich, abundant future, then that is what you will draw to you. If you focus on the negative, then alternatively, that is what you will get.
Just last week I was visualizing a Krispy Kreme donut before work, and guess what??? When I got there, a pharmaceutical rep brought in a whole box! I saw it in my mind and I made it happen. :)
Seriously - I've never been a religious person and don't plan to start anytime soon. I despise organized religion. God, for me, has always been in nature and in the natural beauty of everything. Intent, according to Dr. Dyer, is the underlying energy that flows through everything - energy that, in theory, is all part of one big picture. This energy can be considered the Creative Source - God, if you will. If you are able to free your mind and tap into it, then the possibilities in your life are endless simply because you are pulling positive energy into your life.
It's the religion of quantum mechanics, in a way. Perfect for us science geeks. :)
Sounds a little like Luke and Aniken, right? :) If you look around and open your mind, you'll start to see that there is talk about this unseen force everywhere. I'm finding this extremely intriguing! I think this is one of the answers that I've been looking for - and I think this because when I look back on my journey to becoming a vet, I realize that when I was trying to get into vet school, all I could see was graduating and being a doctor. I just couldn't stomach anything else - and I now realize that I made it happen by opening up my mind, which led to more creativity - i.e. it gave me more ideas on what I needed to do in order to succeed. I've been tapping into this unseen force long before I knew I was doing it.
Part of the theory is that if you are closed to the creative source, you will remain stagnant, lacking ideas and creativity that propel you forward to success. If you open your mind to it, your creative ideas flow more freely, thus bouncing ideas in and out of your brain in an attempt to create in reality what you see in your imagination.
Think it's hokie? Well just remember those Krispy Kreme donuts... and the fact that I am a doctor after all. :)
(I'll probably post more on this as I evolve)
Brad Pitt, My New Hero
**Disclaimer: The following post is inflammatory and might offend some of my readers. It's about my personal opinions and is not an attack on anyone, so don't send me any hate emails after you read it or else I'll accuse you of exactly what I wrote about.
I was watching an interview with Brad Pitt and Bill Maher and I decided that I now idolize Brad Pitt. That's a biggee coming from me. But the things he said were so in line with my own thoughts and beliefs that I just had to start seeing him in a different light. He is an incredible humanitarian; he lives part of his life in the French Quarter in New Orleans, helping poor people and helping to rebuild people's lives. He gives more back in terms of being a good, decent man than most who claim to be "good christians". And he rejects christianity based on logic.
He talked about the legalization of marijuana and we all know how I feel about that one. Our government can't get their shit together enough to generate income from any other source other than unfair, unprecedented and unbelievable taxation, so why not at least use some creative thought to develop other sources of that taxable revenue? Study after study after study has shown the benefits of marijuana and have pretty much disproven so much of the rhetoric and false information out there. The only reason there is a "war" against it now is because the wrong people are making profits off of it, including the government. Just not the American People.
Many would read this and believe I'm a stoner, but in fact, I am not. At all. I am simply sick and tired of having to maintain a certain public position that goes against what I believe. I am sick and tired of having to forego my personal opinions on stuff just so I don't offend someone who knows me. Well fuck it; this is my blog, and this is how I feel. Legalize marijuana, allow pot bars and tax the hell out of it just like we do alcohol. We'll be rolling in money in about 24 hours and our healthcare crisis *might* be solved.
The other thing Brad talked about was religion, another seriously sore sticking point for me. I especially love it how people who are religious have no problem letting others know it, like they have to advertize that they are in some special club. BUT - let someone like ME make a comment about how I don't believe in religion, how I think the whole Jesus is the son of god myth is a load of ignorant crap, and I get attacked from all angles. THAT is the part I am sick of. I don't attack people for THEIR beliefs, so why do they feel the need to attack me for mine?
Being a "christian" does NOT make you a good person. I see so many people using it as a crutch for their bad behavior. If you can't consciously decide to make good decisions in your life and to try to be a good person without church, then I don't think there's much hope for you. I read all the time about how people go to church and try so hard "for their kids". Well let me tell you, if having kids wasn't a good enough reason to get your shit together and be a good person, well I don't think god or jesus or even allah is going to help you there. Stop using it as an excuse; get your life together, work hard, love hard and be a good friend or shut the hell up, because you ain't gettin' into that place you call heaven by making excuses in your life about how you are always trying so hard to be a good person!
I HATE the hypocracy of it all.
And, again, thinking it's a load of crap is MY opinion; it's not a personal attack on anyone else, it's a statement that reflects my logical, 40-year evaluation of my experience with God and the Universe.
Brad said he thought it didn't make sense, either. And that is my view. You might as well believe in Santa Clause or the Easter Bunny.
Having said that, I do believe Jesus was a man. I believe he might have even been an evolved human, someone of higher morality and intelligence, to whom humans were naturally drawn. I believe he probably went on to have a family and I believe that any God who would have his own child nailed to some cross is no god I want to believe in. To me, that is a directly antagonistic position to what god is supposed to represent.
I believe Jesus was a real man, who had sex and loved women and raised a family. Hell, he was a carpenter and that's pretty hot! :)
Whenever I make this argument, I am told, "but he died for our sins!". Come on, does that really make sense? Wouldn't it make more sense to just believe that god expects us to be kind to each other, to try your best to be a good person, to try to make society a reflection of good instead of evil? Is it really believable that the crucifixion of one person absolves the rest of us from being crappy people?
It's not that I don't believe in a higher being; it's that I believe that there is more logic to it than the myth. I believe there is a god; but I can't answer what it is, or how it works. What I do know is that nature is incredibly complex and any creator of it all MUST be a scientist. You just can't go from creating the universe to nailing your son to a cross.
It just doesn't make sense to me.
I was watching an interview with Brad Pitt and Bill Maher and I decided that I now idolize Brad Pitt. That's a biggee coming from me. But the things he said were so in line with my own thoughts and beliefs that I just had to start seeing him in a different light. He is an incredible humanitarian; he lives part of his life in the French Quarter in New Orleans, helping poor people and helping to rebuild people's lives. He gives more back in terms of being a good, decent man than most who claim to be "good christians". And he rejects christianity based on logic.
He talked about the legalization of marijuana and we all know how I feel about that one. Our government can't get their shit together enough to generate income from any other source other than unfair, unprecedented and unbelievable taxation, so why not at least use some creative thought to develop other sources of that taxable revenue? Study after study after study has shown the benefits of marijuana and have pretty much disproven so much of the rhetoric and false information out there. The only reason there is a "war" against it now is because the wrong people are making profits off of it, including the government. Just not the American People.
Many would read this and believe I'm a stoner, but in fact, I am not. At all. I am simply sick and tired of having to maintain a certain public position that goes against what I believe. I am sick and tired of having to forego my personal opinions on stuff just so I don't offend someone who knows me. Well fuck it; this is my blog, and this is how I feel. Legalize marijuana, allow pot bars and tax the hell out of it just like we do alcohol. We'll be rolling in money in about 24 hours and our healthcare crisis *might* be solved.
The other thing Brad talked about was religion, another seriously sore sticking point for me. I especially love it how people who are religious have no problem letting others know it, like they have to advertize that they are in some special club. BUT - let someone like ME make a comment about how I don't believe in religion, how I think the whole Jesus is the son of god myth is a load of ignorant crap, and I get attacked from all angles. THAT is the part I am sick of. I don't attack people for THEIR beliefs, so why do they feel the need to attack me for mine?
Being a "christian" does NOT make you a good person. I see so many people using it as a crutch for their bad behavior. If you can't consciously decide to make good decisions in your life and to try to be a good person without church, then I don't think there's much hope for you. I read all the time about how people go to church and try so hard "for their kids". Well let me tell you, if having kids wasn't a good enough reason to get your shit together and be a good person, well I don't think god or jesus or even allah is going to help you there. Stop using it as an excuse; get your life together, work hard, love hard and be a good friend or shut the hell up, because you ain't gettin' into that place you call heaven by making excuses in your life about how you are always trying so hard to be a good person!
I HATE the hypocracy of it all.
And, again, thinking it's a load of crap is MY opinion; it's not a personal attack on anyone else, it's a statement that reflects my logical, 40-year evaluation of my experience with God and the Universe.
Brad said he thought it didn't make sense, either. And that is my view. You might as well believe in Santa Clause or the Easter Bunny.
Having said that, I do believe Jesus was a man. I believe he might have even been an evolved human, someone of higher morality and intelligence, to whom humans were naturally drawn. I believe he probably went on to have a family and I believe that any God who would have his own child nailed to some cross is no god I want to believe in. To me, that is a directly antagonistic position to what god is supposed to represent.
I believe Jesus was a real man, who had sex and loved women and raised a family. Hell, he was a carpenter and that's pretty hot! :)
Whenever I make this argument, I am told, "but he died for our sins!". Come on, does that really make sense? Wouldn't it make more sense to just believe that god expects us to be kind to each other, to try your best to be a good person, to try to make society a reflection of good instead of evil? Is it really believable that the crucifixion of one person absolves the rest of us from being crappy people?
It's not that I don't believe in a higher being; it's that I believe that there is more logic to it than the myth. I believe there is a god; but I can't answer what it is, or how it works. What I do know is that nature is incredibly complex and any creator of it all MUST be a scientist. You just can't go from creating the universe to nailing your son to a cross.
It just doesn't make sense to me.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Reminiscing
I go through periods where I am burned out, where I absolutely cannot stand to talk to one more owner, to look at one more infected ear, to find one more sewer mouth, to tell one more person "yeah, we actually do have fleas here in the high desert despite what Dr. I'vebeeninpracticefor100years told you."
But right now, I'm feeling great. I'm motivated, excited and I feel like working hard to grow the business. Part of it, I think, is experiencing the application-to-vet-school process with a few of my technicians. It's making me remember what I went through, including the extremely hard work, the networking, the conversations, the sleepless, tear-filled nights... and that was just with trying to get accepted to a vet school - any vet school! Vet school itself was one of the most difficult undertakings of my life. Women all around me were getting married and having babies when I was educating myself, working to improve my brain and my life and to put myself in a position of always being able to take care of myself, no matter what. It was a difficult choice to do something everyone else was not doing (anyone can have babies; not anyone can go to vet school!) but one I never regret.
I have been thinking about how lucky I am. I am part of a very small, elite group of professionals who are blessed enough to become veterinarians. There was a time in my life when I just could not fathom doing anything else; and I still can't. I was born to do this, born to do nothing else. I worked so damned hard to get here, and sometimes I have to stop and remember everything that happened along the way. It does help with the burnout phases.
I've recently been back into contact with an old friend of mine who helped me get into vet school. He didn't do anything difficult for me, he wasn't a professor of mine or a close personal friend at that time, but he saw something in me when I was in my late twenties that made us bond as mentor and student even though I've never actually worked under him. To this day, I am certain that the letter of recommendation he wrote for me on my vet school application helped get me in. I could be wrong; but I feel it to be true and I am thankful even now, and it was 11 years ago when he wrote it! (for those of you in the know, he's a pretty important guy at Heska - make sense now? :) )
I am hopeful for my girls, but I also realize the path they are choosing and how long it is. My sis recently gave me a quote that is sooo true: "The path of least resistance leads to a longer road." These girls have a long road anyway, but I do believe it's a shortcut to do what you dream of doing and to do it well. And that path is never easy.
But look where it got me. :)
But right now, I'm feeling great. I'm motivated, excited and I feel like working hard to grow the business. Part of it, I think, is experiencing the application-to-vet-school process with a few of my technicians. It's making me remember what I went through, including the extremely hard work, the networking, the conversations, the sleepless, tear-filled nights... and that was just with trying to get accepted to a vet school - any vet school! Vet school itself was one of the most difficult undertakings of my life. Women all around me were getting married and having babies when I was educating myself, working to improve my brain and my life and to put myself in a position of always being able to take care of myself, no matter what. It was a difficult choice to do something everyone else was not doing (anyone can have babies; not anyone can go to vet school!) but one I never regret.
I have been thinking about how lucky I am. I am part of a very small, elite group of professionals who are blessed enough to become veterinarians. There was a time in my life when I just could not fathom doing anything else; and I still can't. I was born to do this, born to do nothing else. I worked so damned hard to get here, and sometimes I have to stop and remember everything that happened along the way. It does help with the burnout phases.
I've recently been back into contact with an old friend of mine who helped me get into vet school. He didn't do anything difficult for me, he wasn't a professor of mine or a close personal friend at that time, but he saw something in me when I was in my late twenties that made us bond as mentor and student even though I've never actually worked under him. To this day, I am certain that the letter of recommendation he wrote for me on my vet school application helped get me in. I could be wrong; but I feel it to be true and I am thankful even now, and it was 11 years ago when he wrote it! (for those of you in the know, he's a pretty important guy at Heska - make sense now? :) )
I am hopeful for my girls, but I also realize the path they are choosing and how long it is. My sis recently gave me a quote that is sooo true: "The path of least resistance leads to a longer road." These girls have a long road anyway, but I do believe it's a shortcut to do what you dream of doing and to do it well. And that path is never easy.
But look where it got me. :)
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Lewis Carroll Moment
I had the strangest thing happen when I was walking this evening. Up ahead of me on the road, I noticed a HUGE, and I mean HUGE, rabbit casually kinda halfway hopping across the road. He was carrying something in his mouth. When he saw me, he stopped, and just stared at me. I got pretty close to him before he dropped what he was carrying and hopped away. When I got up to the object, I found that it was actually the remainder of about half of a carrot - and I mean a whole carrot, complete with the green top on it! I stood there for a second, half wondering if I was experiencing some weird magic mushroom flashback, or if I was really sleeping and dreaming it or what. I mean, I did read a lot of Lewis Carroll as a kid and I've always been in love with Alice, but come on... a wild rabbit carrying a whole carrot in the middle of the frigging desert?
Sometimes life is just strange.
Sometimes life is just strange.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
The Glorious Madonna Inn
I took Steve to the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo for his 47th birthday. The place is fantastic, and I'd go back again in a heartbeat! It kinda reminds me of a big dollhouse, or maybe some place a Hobbit would live, except for the giant size:
It's kinda hard to describe the rooms, but the simple version is that every room at the hotel is built around a theme of some sort. We stayed in a room for the first two nights called the Old World Suite that is almost indescribable without actually seeing it yourself!
You had to walk down into a cave-like, basement-like area to get to it. The actual room number was 192. Note the downward-pointing arrow:
View from the door, looking out:
On the inside, the walls and floor were rock. Not fake rock. Real rock. And they built the bathroom within that rock! This is a pic of the vanity:
I'm in the shower here, took this picture for scale; no, not because my husband enjoyed snapping naked pics of me. :) You can even see the waterfall falling behind me!
The living room:
Steve was especially obsessed with the fireplace. It was pretty awesome, and since this hotel is on the central coast, the highs were in the low 60s and we were able to use this fireplace in August!
The last night, we stayed in the room called Just Like Heaven. It was painted entirely in blue, and had baby-sized cherubs all over the room. They were a little bit creepy but cool just the same. The furnishings look like they should be dusty and musty and stinky, but in reality they were luxurious and beautiful. I fell just as in love with this room as I did the Old World Suite! What made it kinda neato was that right in the middle of the room was a spiral staircase leading to a lookout tower above the room. You could climb up into it and have the highest view from the hotel, of the valley below.
We parked behind the hotel, and walked to our room via a little bridge.
Steve climbing the stairs:
Using my photographic talents for seeing light (haha), I took this view from the ground floor looking up at the spiral staircase (going into the watch tower) in the evening sunlight:
I thought the sink in the bathroom was just beautiful:
And last but not least, the creepy cherub. Why on earth these things are religious icons, I'll never know. They reminded me more of little demons. :)
The last pics are taken in the hotel's restaurant, where the wine was great and the food was fab. The best part? The decor. Check out the pink, and notice the gigantic roses hanging down from the ceiling. Borderline gawdy, but absolutely fantastic:
No matter what, this hotel is absolutely fantastic! I had wanted to go there for a decade, and finally made it with my best friend. 3 nights was hardly enough time, and if I ever go back, I'll stay in a different room every single night. I can't imagine not enjoying any of them!
If you get the chance to stay there, do it!! Definitely a very unique experience.
It's kinda hard to describe the rooms, but the simple version is that every room at the hotel is built around a theme of some sort. We stayed in a room for the first two nights called the Old World Suite that is almost indescribable without actually seeing it yourself!
You had to walk down into a cave-like, basement-like area to get to it. The actual room number was 192. Note the downward-pointing arrow:
View from the door, looking out:
On the inside, the walls and floor were rock. Not fake rock. Real rock. And they built the bathroom within that rock! This is a pic of the vanity:
I'm in the shower here, took this picture for scale; no, not because my husband enjoyed snapping naked pics of me. :) You can even see the waterfall falling behind me!
The living room:
Steve was especially obsessed with the fireplace. It was pretty awesome, and since this hotel is on the central coast, the highs were in the low 60s and we were able to use this fireplace in August!
The last night, we stayed in the room called Just Like Heaven. It was painted entirely in blue, and had baby-sized cherubs all over the room. They were a little bit creepy but cool just the same. The furnishings look like they should be dusty and musty and stinky, but in reality they were luxurious and beautiful. I fell just as in love with this room as I did the Old World Suite! What made it kinda neato was that right in the middle of the room was a spiral staircase leading to a lookout tower above the room. You could climb up into it and have the highest view from the hotel, of the valley below.
We parked behind the hotel, and walked to our room via a little bridge.
Steve climbing the stairs:
Using my photographic talents for seeing light (haha), I took this view from the ground floor looking up at the spiral staircase (going into the watch tower) in the evening sunlight:
I thought the sink in the bathroom was just beautiful:
And last but not least, the creepy cherub. Why on earth these things are religious icons, I'll never know. They reminded me more of little demons. :)
The last pics are taken in the hotel's restaurant, where the wine was great and the food was fab. The best part? The decor. Check out the pink, and notice the gigantic roses hanging down from the ceiling. Borderline gawdy, but absolutely fantastic:
No matter what, this hotel is absolutely fantastic! I had wanted to go there for a decade, and finally made it with my best friend. 3 nights was hardly enough time, and if I ever go back, I'll stay in a different room every single night. I can't imagine not enjoying any of them!
If you get the chance to stay there, do it!! Definitely a very unique experience.
A REAL vacation
It took a while to make final decisions, but after spending the first year and a half of practice ownership without any real time off, Steve and I decided to take a real vacation. It started with planning for our annual Laguna Beach week off (at our timeshare) where my friend (a veterinarian) covers for me at the hospital. Then we realized that my friend, who is a full time relief doctor, might want to cover for two weeks instead of just one, since she comes down from the central coast for us. Heck, it's also right before Christmas, and that would give her a pocketful of change to spend! So we asked her, she agreed, and we extended our vacation for another week.
We'll be celebrating our 1 year anniversary. :)
So we'll be closing the hospital on Nov. 26 and will be closed through that weekend (we committed to do doing that when we hit the ground running, haven't looked back, and never regret it! It's a great holiday mental break for us and the staff and as we all know, a happy staff is a happy hospital). Of course in typical Deb & Steve fashion, we'll probably take off Wed. night and start the vacation early. :) But, either way, we'll head to Laguna that Friday like we always do, for a full week. Then on Fri, Dec. 4, we hop a flight to Mexico for 8 days. Don't come back till late at night on the 12th, and don't have to be back at work until the following Tuesday.
So it's nearly 3 full weeks off!!! I admit, I'm a bit scared (read: terrified as shit) to be gone for that long, esp. with a small business and this economy. But, we kinda figure that if we're going to crash and burn (something we are not even in the same universe of doing) then we'll go out with a bang. :)
I've never had this much time off, ever, in my whole life, that revolved around a vacation! Or, at least, not since I had summers off.... :)
Will be a fab time, we booked a luxury suite with a rooftop terrace and private outdoor jacuzzi. Can't go too many days without a spa, you know. :)
We'll be celebrating our 1 year anniversary. :)
So we'll be closing the hospital on Nov. 26 and will be closed through that weekend (we committed to do doing that when we hit the ground running, haven't looked back, and never regret it! It's a great holiday mental break for us and the staff and as we all know, a happy staff is a happy hospital). Of course in typical Deb & Steve fashion, we'll probably take off Wed. night and start the vacation early. :) But, either way, we'll head to Laguna that Friday like we always do, for a full week. Then on Fri, Dec. 4, we hop a flight to Mexico for 8 days. Don't come back till late at night on the 12th, and don't have to be back at work until the following Tuesday.
So it's nearly 3 full weeks off!!! I admit, I'm a bit scared (read: terrified as shit) to be gone for that long, esp. with a small business and this economy. But, we kinda figure that if we're going to crash and burn (something we are not even in the same universe of doing) then we'll go out with a bang. :)
I've never had this much time off, ever, in my whole life, that revolved around a vacation! Or, at least, not since I had summers off.... :)
Will be a fab time, we booked a luxury suite with a rooftop terrace and private outdoor jacuzzi. Can't go too many days without a spa, you know. :)
Friday, August 14, 2009
It's not always bad.
My husband told me the *coolest* story recently. He absolutely adored his Grandma, you see, but she passed away from stomach cancer many years ago, and he still feels the pain to this day.
He said that one time, he walked into their house to discover the strangest odor. Being a teenager of the 70's, of course he recognized the smell: the indisputable pungency of mary jane.
After walking around the house trying to figure out the source of the odor, he finally found both of his grandparents in the back bedroom, high as kites, giggling, eating and just having a wonderful time. Their droopy eyes and stoned faces were classic, he says!!
He started laughing, asked them what in the heck his 70 year old grandparents were DOING, to which his Grandpa answered, "Well, that there cancer doctor told us that your Grandma's tummy might feel better and she might eat better if we get us some of that there marijuana. So we went out and got some from one of your cousins!"
He says it's one of his fondest memories of them.
And I say, why does something that brings so much happiness to people who are dying have to be illegal?
He said that one time, he walked into their house to discover the strangest odor. Being a teenager of the 70's, of course he recognized the smell: the indisputable pungency of mary jane.
After walking around the house trying to figure out the source of the odor, he finally found both of his grandparents in the back bedroom, high as kites, giggling, eating and just having a wonderful time. Their droopy eyes and stoned faces were classic, he says!!
He started laughing, asked them what in the heck his 70 year old grandparents were DOING, to which his Grandpa answered, "Well, that there cancer doctor told us that your Grandma's tummy might feel better and she might eat better if we get us some of that there marijuana. So we went out and got some from one of your cousins!"
He says it's one of his fondest memories of them.
And I say, why does something that brings so much happiness to people who are dying have to be illegal?
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