Simon's new job!

Yep, Simon has a new job! He wasn't exactly looking for one or planning to leave Reynolds and Reynolds very soon, but the opportunity presented itself and it was just too good to ignore. The vet school of all places was seeking a web designer and as soon as I mentioned his name they were immediately interested. They had already interviewed quite a few applicants (I saw them while I was working, so I'm not just bragging) but they held off until Simon just put in his application. They responded immediately and hired him almost as quickly! Working for the university has its perks in pay and benefits, and it's a better environment for creative types. They've just started working on a total overhaul of the current vet school website and associated functions so he'll get to help them! He's excited for more opportunities in a more interesting environment. I am excited that he'll be in the same building as me! We'll get to carpool and maybe get lunch together, and on the days when I'm stuck here all the time I can least go down and say hi to my soon to be hubby. He actually works in the office next to me, but I only work Monday nights when he's not there... But it's an exciting change for both of us! It also got Simon to finally launch his portfolio website, so if you'd like to see his work, thoughts, and musings go here: http://simonwille.ms/

Our wedding is quickly approaching, and we're both excited and looking forward to sharing our special day with all our loved ones. I've managed to get some more info uploaded to our wedding website at www.mywedding.com/SimonAndDayna in between classes and planning for Vet School Open House. I think I've managed to bite off a little bit more than I can chew at the moment.... school feels like it's at the bottom of the priority list, which is never a good thing. There are just too many other fun things I'd rather be doing! And planning the college's biggest yearly event that tends to draw ten thousand people is a very big task. I love it, but it's definitely a time gobbler!
I've noticed that my most stressful times often accompany the addition of a new pet...or two. Here are Calvin and Hobbes: the newest and teeniest additions! Everyone knows I love turtles, and it does make me sad I couldn't bring mine from home since I don't have a good yard for them, so I found a solution! A rescue I've worked with had 2 ornate box turtle hatchlings in need of a home, and I can keep them in a small area for a few years until I have a better yard. And they're just TOO CUTE! Observe...

Dr. Me

Here's me getting ready for my first day of school, just like kindergarten all over again! Honestly I think this was the first time I was actually excited to start school since elementary school, and that was mostly just because of recess! So far I've learned to do a physical exam on a cow and a dog, which are so different you'd think it was between a plant and a rock, and have already taken the first exam in immunology. They don't waste any time throwing you into everything! I have a histology exam tomorrow, anatomy on Friday and physiology on Monday. And for you kids that only took one hour tests that you usually finished in half the time, just imagine an anatomy test for 4 straight hours. And that's just a regular test! Finals can last twice as long as the regular exams!

Our class is 132 students, of which only 36 of them are male and I have yet to really meet more than half of the class. But I've been assured I'll know every one of their voices by the end of the year. We spend every day from 8am - 5pm together in the same classes, which at the most are split into two groups just for the sake of space. We get a few breaks from class during some days of each week to try to give us some extra time, all of which is usually devoted to studying...or sleeping, whichever is more critical at the moment.

Oh and free stuff! They LOVE giving us free stuff! Obviously it's a HUGE financial burden just being in vet school so they actually do a lot for us to try to offset the costs if they can. Most of it is corporations wanting veterinarians to work for them (major drug and dog food companies) but the student organizations are good about it too. They gave everyone a free, really nice backpack that has enough room to hold even more than all our books plus basically all of our school supplies: pens, highlighters, notebooks, spirals, lunch boxes, just about everything! And the best part is the free food, for both me and the dogs! There are several low cost dog food programs, but there's even one where we get one free bag of purina dog food delivered to our door every month! All the organizational meetings are during our lunch break so I get free lunch at least 2-3 times a week, and they don't skimp on those. So it's actually really nice that they try to help with some things to relieve some of the stress.

So far I have loved every second of it (even though I occasionally drift off in physiology) and it is definitely everything I was hoping for! There isn't very much built into the curriculum with exotics (zoo animals, pocket pets, wildlife) because it's such a small percentage that choose that path but as far as the basics for dogs and horses go I think I'll be amply prepared! I'll be back after next week when the first round of exams has subsided...