Walking my dog today and I see a guy with three angry barking little dogs on extendable leashes coming my way. 2 Shih Tzus and a Pekingese it looked like. Being a wary dog walker, I elect to cross over to the other side of the street at the intersection and continue on my merry way.
Well the Pekingese was having none of it, barking and growling, he darted into the middle of the street coming after me and my dog (who looked but pretty much ignored him), and then the retractable leash broke. The dog comes barreling at us, and his owner and the 2 yapping shihtzus after him.
At first I just stopped, thinking the dog would just bark and sniff Duke and the guy could catch him and be off. But the dog doesn't do that, instead he growls and darts in and basically attacks my dog, completely unprovoked. My 50# dog yips, jumps aside, and then the hackles went up and he started growling, not his usual play growl, but a "back off or I will be forced to hurt you" growl. The Pekingese is now darting around in circles, growling at Duke, while I'm clutching his collar trying to keep my dog from killing the little **** and also dancing around trying to keep myself between them (and seeing if I can aim a good swift kick at the attacker). Meanwhile the owner is standing off yelling at his dog to come (it doens't) or to sit (my dog does a couple of times, his doesn't). His other two dogs are busy yapping their little heads off but thankfully don't get involved. Finally (read, 30 seconds later, but felt like forever), he manages to grab his dog and I practically bolt down the sidewalk with mine. An apology? A shamed face? Nope, nothing, the guy just walked away.
Halfway down the block I see a woman with a lab mix wagging its tail at us. She witnessed the altercation, and hurriedly crossed the street as we came down it. I wanted to shout at her, "it wasn't my dog's fault, that little ****forbrains attacked him!"
We made it home without further incident and as far as I can tell the other dog never drew blood.
Teach your dogs manners people, or next time the GSD your Pekingese picks on will rip his yappy little head off, or his angry mom will.
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Life in Chicago
Well I've been in Chicago now doing a summer lab animal fellowship at the University of Illinois at Chicago for about 4 weeks. I have Duke and Addy here with me (pros and cons to that) and have been spending some time with Jackie (as much as possible).
The traffic here totally sucks. I have a 9 mile drive to work and it takes me 30 minutes in the morning if I leave around 7am and about an hour going home leaving at like 4:30pm. Luckily I've been listening to audiobooks (Song of Ice & Fire #2) which is probably all that's keeping me sane.
Last weekend I went and saw Jurassic World solo (pretty fun movie) and took a long day of bike riding up and down lakeshore drive with Jackie - including a brief stop at the Lincoln Park Zoo.
This weekend, Nathan came down. Friday night we got Chinese food, took Duke for a walk, and watched the last 4 episodes of season 5 of Game of Thrones.
Saturday we took Duke to the Montrose Dog Beach - with a stop at Slims for some Chicago hot dogs and frozen yogurt on the way. Pretty tasty and reasonably priced. Dog beach was crowded but very fun - Duke had a blast, zooming all around. Came home, dropped off Duke, and then walked the 2 miles to Davis Theater to see Inside Out. Huge line outside so I sneakily bought tickets on my phone and we walked past the line and straight in. Cute movie, interesting concept, but we both thought they could have done more with it. Long walk home and it started raining/storming on the way. We barely made it back right as the thunder and lightning started. Luckily I had my umbrella, though Nathan refused to use it until the very end. We ordered some deep dish Chicago pizza for dinner and watched The Heat and Little Shop of Horrors before calling it a night.
Sunday (today) we got a late start to the morning, ate some leftover pizza for lunch, and then walked about a mile to the train station. We took a couple of trains to the Roosevelt station and then walked about 15 minutes to the Shedd Aquarium, Jackie's friend hooked us up with free tickets that got us in everywhere. So we saw everything, including the dolphin/beluga/penguin/dog show. Spent a long time there, then headed back on the train to home. Fed the animals, Nathan packed up, then had leftover Chinese food before driving back to the train station and taking that up to O'Hare to drop Nathan off. I went with to say goodbye. Then the lonely ride and drive home.
Overall, I love my fellowship here, the people are very nice and the program sounds amazing, but I worry about living in Chicago. I'm not Jackie - she thrives on the nightlife and seems to make friends easily. I've mostly felt like I'm wasting so much time commuting, plus being lonely, it's making me question Chicago or really any big city as a potential future home.
I guess we'll just have to see how the next 7 weeks go.
The traffic here totally sucks. I have a 9 mile drive to work and it takes me 30 minutes in the morning if I leave around 7am and about an hour going home leaving at like 4:30pm. Luckily I've been listening to audiobooks (Song of Ice & Fire #2) which is probably all that's keeping me sane.
Last weekend I went and saw Jurassic World solo (pretty fun movie) and took a long day of bike riding up and down lakeshore drive with Jackie - including a brief stop at the Lincoln Park Zoo.
This weekend, Nathan came down. Friday night we got Chinese food, took Duke for a walk, and watched the last 4 episodes of season 5 of Game of Thrones.
Saturday we took Duke to the Montrose Dog Beach - with a stop at Slims for some Chicago hot dogs and frozen yogurt on the way. Pretty tasty and reasonably priced. Dog beach was crowded but very fun - Duke had a blast, zooming all around. Came home, dropped off Duke, and then walked the 2 miles to Davis Theater to see Inside Out. Huge line outside so I sneakily bought tickets on my phone and we walked past the line and straight in. Cute movie, interesting concept, but we both thought they could have done more with it. Long walk home and it started raining/storming on the way. We barely made it back right as the thunder and lightning started. Luckily I had my umbrella, though Nathan refused to use it until the very end. We ordered some deep dish Chicago pizza for dinner and watched The Heat and Little Shop of Horrors before calling it a night.
Sunday (today) we got a late start to the morning, ate some leftover pizza for lunch, and then walked about a mile to the train station. We took a couple of trains to the Roosevelt station and then walked about 15 minutes to the Shedd Aquarium, Jackie's friend hooked us up with free tickets that got us in everywhere. So we saw everything, including the dolphin/beluga/penguin/dog show. Spent a long time there, then headed back on the train to home. Fed the animals, Nathan packed up, then had leftover Chinese food before driving back to the train station and taking that up to O'Hare to drop Nathan off. I went with to say goodbye. Then the lonely ride and drive home.
Overall, I love my fellowship here, the people are very nice and the program sounds amazing, but I worry about living in Chicago. I'm not Jackie - she thrives on the nightlife and seems to make friends easily. I've mostly felt like I'm wasting so much time commuting, plus being lonely, it's making me question Chicago or really any big city as a potential future home.
I guess we'll just have to see how the next 7 weeks go.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Oh happy days :)
Yes I am in the middle of the hell weeks I formerly mentioned, and yet I keep having good fortune and happy things happening to me :)
My happy things:
1. I was offered another summer internship interview, this time at Cornell
2. I was awarded another scholarship, this time specifically for lab animal medicine
3. My group got 39/40 on our 2nd homework assignment (this is especially awesome because we received a D on our first assignment)
4. Nathan is taking me to see Beauty and the Beast next Thursday at the Orpheum :)
5. I was offered the internship position at the U of I - Chicago :D !!!!
Yep. Happy times.
In other news, I've also started another weight-loss journey. The stresses of vet school and certain things happening in my life lead to a ridiculous cycle of me eating anything and everything that sounded moderately tasty with zero regard for portion control. I recognized this pretty quick but decided I didn't care.
Then I stepped on a scale, saw the number, and decided I'd be okay so long as I didn't get back up to X (the number I weighed before starting Weight Watchers back in the day).
Then mid-February hit and I had been avoiding the scale but decided to jump on to see where I was at... and the number was X+1. As soon as I saw that I noticed that yeah, my pants weren't fitting super well and yeah, I was getting more tired and lazy with exercising Duke (a lot more fetch, a lot less walks - which I had been blaming on the cold weather).
So then I realized I should actually do something about it, but I decided I was going to be more realistic about things and take it slow. So I gave myself February. I literally made the conscious decision that I could keep eating whatever I wanted whenever I wanted up through February 28. But come March 1, that was it. I was on a diet.
So March 1st came and it was a Sunday that I had to work. I drive by a Culvers on my way to/from work and the Flavor of the Day was Cookie Dough Overload and I thought to myself, well what's one more day? Thought about stopping on my way back all through my shift, it was the thought of that delicious frozen custard full of delightful cookie dough that kept the smile on my face while dealing with rude and ignorant clients. And then I got in my car to drive home (with my pit stop) and realized what I was doing.
I didn't go to Culver's, I went home and ate scrambled eggs instead.
That was a pretty proud moment for me and my motivation. Since then I've been counting calories every day and keeping within my range of desired intake.
I realize it's only been 5 days, so it doesn't really seem like a big deal. But for me, that's pretty damn good, especially compared to the last few months.
On the down side of that, while my current weight is X-4 (it dropped during February despite my laxity - I was probably still semi-conscious of it), it hasn't changed by an ounce since March 1st. Which is disheartening, I don't expect to drop pounds every day, but it's just frustrating to see zero progress with all of my hard work. Again, I know it's only been 5 days. It just feels like longer.
Anyway, my goal is to keep tracking my intake for all of March. I might do little changes as far as activity goes (like taking the stairs more, walking Duke more, etc) but that's not my focus for this month.
On April 1st though my plan is to add regular exercise into the mix. Again, I'm going slow with this, and I'm debating giving myself a non-tracking day (1x/week, 1x/2 weeks, or 1x/month??? not sure yet) but I'm thinking in April I will start focusing more on the activity side of things. I also think it might be easier to do it then, hopefully the weather will be nicer and more enticing by that point.
Well I think that's enough about me. Time to try to refocus on this current pharmacology lecture (actually fairly entertaining this time).
My happy things:
1. I was offered another summer internship interview, this time at Cornell
2. I was awarded another scholarship, this time specifically for lab animal medicine
3. My group got 39/40 on our 2nd homework assignment (this is especially awesome because we received a D on our first assignment)
4. Nathan is taking me to see Beauty and the Beast next Thursday at the Orpheum :)
5. I was offered the internship position at the U of I - Chicago :D !!!!
Yep. Happy times.
In other news, I've also started another weight-loss journey. The stresses of vet school and certain things happening in my life lead to a ridiculous cycle of me eating anything and everything that sounded moderately tasty with zero regard for portion control. I recognized this pretty quick but decided I didn't care.
Then I stepped on a scale, saw the number, and decided I'd be okay so long as I didn't get back up to X (the number I weighed before starting Weight Watchers back in the day).
Then mid-February hit and I had been avoiding the scale but decided to jump on to see where I was at... and the number was X+1. As soon as I saw that I noticed that yeah, my pants weren't fitting super well and yeah, I was getting more tired and lazy with exercising Duke (a lot more fetch, a lot less walks - which I had been blaming on the cold weather).
So then I realized I should actually do something about it, but I decided I was going to be more realistic about things and take it slow. So I gave myself February. I literally made the conscious decision that I could keep eating whatever I wanted whenever I wanted up through February 28. But come March 1, that was it. I was on a diet.
So March 1st came and it was a Sunday that I had to work. I drive by a Culvers on my way to/from work and the Flavor of the Day was Cookie Dough Overload and I thought to myself, well what's one more day? Thought about stopping on my way back all through my shift, it was the thought of that delicious frozen custard full of delightful cookie dough that kept the smile on my face while dealing with rude and ignorant clients. And then I got in my car to drive home (with my pit stop) and realized what I was doing.
I didn't go to Culver's, I went home and ate scrambled eggs instead.
That was a pretty proud moment for me and my motivation. Since then I've been counting calories every day and keeping within my range of desired intake.
I realize it's only been 5 days, so it doesn't really seem like a big deal. But for me, that's pretty damn good, especially compared to the last few months.
On the down side of that, while my current weight is X-4 (it dropped during February despite my laxity - I was probably still semi-conscious of it), it hasn't changed by an ounce since March 1st. Which is disheartening, I don't expect to drop pounds every day, but it's just frustrating to see zero progress with all of my hard work. Again, I know it's only been 5 days. It just feels like longer.
Anyway, my goal is to keep tracking my intake for all of March. I might do little changes as far as activity goes (like taking the stairs more, walking Duke more, etc) but that's not my focus for this month.
On April 1st though my plan is to add regular exercise into the mix. Again, I'm going slow with this, and I'm debating giving myself a non-tracking day (1x/week, 1x/2 weeks, or 1x/month??? not sure yet) but I'm thinking in April I will start focusing more on the activity side of things. I also think it might be easier to do it then, hopefully the weather will be nicer and more enticing by that point.
Well I think that's enough about me. Time to try to refocus on this current pharmacology lecture (actually fairly entertaining this time).
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Come on spring
I'm not going to lie, Spring Semester of 2nd year of vet school absolutely sucks.
It's funny, because it's a combination of things that is making it tricky. Overall I really like some of the classes and find them really interesting (especially surgery). But I'm currently taking 30 credits. THIRTY CREDITS! That's without taking any electives... To top that off, in the classes this semester I have so many homework assignments, online quizzes, tutorials, and other random things to do that I've already forgotten to do some, despite actually making a MS Word calendar and checking it practically hourly to make sure I don't forget anything.
A problem I'm about to face is the fact that they gave us 2 weeks off without an exam. To be fair there were still homeworks and online quizzes etc to do and there's always class to attend, but no exams to cram for. This put me into a state of zero-f**ks-given and my motivation has never been lower. This is also partially senioritis (though I'm only in 2nd year) and the desire to just be done with classes. This will be a problem for me because in the upcoming 2 weeks (checking my calendar here) I have 7 exams, 2 homework assignments due, and 6 quizzes.
I may die.
I'm also not doing as well this semester as I should be. My grades are not living up to the standards I hold myself to, but again I can't seem to find the motivation to care enough to work on it.
Prime example: I am sitting in a lecture RIGHT NOW, and instead of paying attention I am typing this up.
I'm tired of the cold weather too. It's hit the 30's a couple times in the past month and both times I took Duke for a bike ride - it was great! But anything below that and I'm just cold and miserable, and while I take him to the dog park nearly every day to play some fetch on the frozen pond, I can't wait for winter to be over.
I applied for a few internships for the summer (okay 7) and so far have heard back from 3. Tufts essentially waitlisted me (boo) but both CSU and U of I-Chicago both want to interview me! That is very exciting because those are my top 2 choices (I would love to spend 10 weeks of my summer hanging out with Jackie :D). So we'll see how that goes, hopefully I get one!
Being VP of RAM Club (research animal medicine) is probably one of my biggest highlights of my life right now. If I could devote all of my time just working on that stuff I probably would. Alex S and I make a great P/VP team, and I'm not going to lie, I'm actually kind of glad that she took over the presidency. As much as I love what I get to do, she has to deal with all of the coordination/administrativey crap. I mostly just get to do the fun stuff.
Hah, midway through typing this I thought of more stuff to do for RAM Club and then spent the last hour doing that (again, not paying attention to pharmacology, le sigh).
But I did make this cool logo:
It's funny, because it's a combination of things that is making it tricky. Overall I really like some of the classes and find them really interesting (especially surgery). But I'm currently taking 30 credits. THIRTY CREDITS! That's without taking any electives... To top that off, in the classes this semester I have so many homework assignments, online quizzes, tutorials, and other random things to do that I've already forgotten to do some, despite actually making a MS Word calendar and checking it practically hourly to make sure I don't forget anything.
A problem I'm about to face is the fact that they gave us 2 weeks off without an exam. To be fair there were still homeworks and online quizzes etc to do and there's always class to attend, but no exams to cram for. This put me into a state of zero-f**ks-given and my motivation has never been lower. This is also partially senioritis (though I'm only in 2nd year) and the desire to just be done with classes. This will be a problem for me because in the upcoming 2 weeks (checking my calendar here) I have 7 exams, 2 homework assignments due, and 6 quizzes.
I may die.
I'm also not doing as well this semester as I should be. My grades are not living up to the standards I hold myself to, but again I can't seem to find the motivation to care enough to work on it.
Prime example: I am sitting in a lecture RIGHT NOW, and instead of paying attention I am typing this up.
I'm tired of the cold weather too. It's hit the 30's a couple times in the past month and both times I took Duke for a bike ride - it was great! But anything below that and I'm just cold and miserable, and while I take him to the dog park nearly every day to play some fetch on the frozen pond, I can't wait for winter to be over.
I applied for a few internships for the summer (okay 7) and so far have heard back from 3. Tufts essentially waitlisted me (boo) but both CSU and U of I-Chicago both want to interview me! That is very exciting because those are my top 2 choices (I would love to spend 10 weeks of my summer hanging out with Jackie :D). So we'll see how that goes, hopefully I get one!
Being VP of RAM Club (research animal medicine) is probably one of my biggest highlights of my life right now. If I could devote all of my time just working on that stuff I probably would. Alex S and I make a great P/VP team, and I'm not going to lie, I'm actually kind of glad that she took over the presidency. As much as I love what I get to do, she has to deal with all of the coordination/administrativey crap. I mostly just get to do the fun stuff.
Hah, midway through typing this I thought of more stuff to do for RAM Club and then spent the last hour doing that (again, not paying attention to pharmacology, le sigh).
But I did make this cool logo:
Definitely a good use of my time.
I should just go home.
Friday, January 9, 2015
Externship at Mizzou
Well since I had to keep a journal for my externship at the U of Missouri, I decided to just copy and paste it in here for an update. Enjoy!
Day 1 (12/16/14):
Arrived too early
Talked to Craig - went over program, exciting
Talked to Shelly, got administrative things done
Talked to Aaron Ericsson? about potential research projects
(mouse poo ie microbiome or zebrafish behavior)
Met Marcia - offered to drive me to ACUC annual review
Went to ACUC annual review - disagreements, scientist vs
vet, very entertaining
Met other externs at OAR, went to VA imaging - like a sales
pitch to do a PhD in his lab, very excited about his stuff
Long day, excited for the rest
Contacted Sarah Hooper and Cat Hagan about setting up time -
may do some bat bleeding
Day 2 (12/17/14)
Morning watched 2 current resident presentations on mouse
strains - some info I knew, some I didn't (liked the history of Jackson Lab), asked
a question about audiogenic seizures and cochlear degeneration, then had to
leave early
Did the Repro lab - Loved it - but wish there had enough
mice for us each to do our own. was a
little frustrating when Ava claimed she did the right testicle but actually did
the left. Would also have been cool to
actually insert the pipet into the infundibulum. The whole concept and procedures were really
interesting
Afternoon meeting was cancelled (they were busy ranking
candidates for the residency program next year, hope Mitch gets it)
Spent the rest of the afternoon shadowing Dan and picking
his brain about his path to residency (since he's a MN grad like me). Got to see a bunch of adorable dachsund
puppies and a muscular dystrophy dog (Captain) and help with blood
draw/radiographs. Also got to see a bat
room and a cat room (gave Clavamox to post-spay cats).
More talking with the current residents (super
helpful).
Day 3 (12/18/14)
Early morning at the swine center. Shower in facility - that was new! Had a long productive morning shadowing Megan
and Mike Linville. He was very
informative, giving me the tour and the history of the facilities.
Went to the OAR holiday party - lots of good food and
company. Got the chance to talk with
more of the vets and residents and watch a fun game being played.
Following the party went to a live internet cast of primate
rounds from Tulane. Heard about some
really interesting cases of granulomatous inflammation in some macaques.
From there I went to shadowing Jake in the last of the
animal facilities where I got to play with dachshund puppies, help restrain one
for an ear cleaning and cytology, and looked at some fighting mouse wounds
including a mouse who had lost his entire penis and had a random hole in his abdomen
that he peed through. Super
weird/gross. Ended the day looking at
the slide from the dog ear and possibly seeing some yeast.
Day 4 (12/19/14)
Later morning thank goodness. Started with OAR rounds, basically updates
from all the different factions. Pretty
interesting, and since I'd already toured all 3 vet cares I actually knew about
all of the cases they talked about, which was fun.
Talked with Lon and Pat about ACQA and got quizzed on OLAW,
USDA, AWA, and The Guide. Also learned
more about the structure of Mizzou's animal stuff.
Met with Dr. Bryda about my research project. Unfortunately not what I was hoping for -
more PCR and benchtop than anything with animals. Still should be a good
learning experience. Set up training stuff for Monday.
Joined the other externs for a mouse necropsy/parasitology
lab. Using pet mice - found tapeworms,
pinworms, mites, and all sorts of protozoa.
So gross! Never getting pet mice
from a store again. Very cool and
interesting though.
Weekend activities:
Dog park, hiking, Hobbit with first year residents Dan,
Jake, and Megan
Day 5 (12/22/14):
Morning came to learn PCR with Miriam (but she'd already
finished) so then went over and watched Dr. Men do zygote injections. Very cool and finicky - he thinks its tedious
Came back to the lab and saw the PCR didn't work. Set up a new one myself with Miriam's
guidance using the Accuprime kit.
Had a window of time so went over to ARC to help Sarah
Hooper with bat stuff! Helped take
pictures under UV light and then rehydrating (SQ injections of LRS) and feeding
(mealworms!) the bats. Very cool.
Back to run gel on my PCR to see if it worked. Started doing the TA cloning on the sample,
plated the bacteria for overnight.
Day 6 (12/23/14):
Morning was going to help out with bat stuff again but
because of their late night they didn't get started until late.
Spent the morning reading background information about my
research project (CRISPR in rats) as well as one of my books about veterinary
surgery. Also emailed the rest of the
people I hadn't gotten ahold of yet and scheduled up almost all of the rest of
my activities.
In the afternoon I continued working with Anagha on my
research project. Unfortunately the previous day's work didn't turn out, so we
repeated the TA cloning with positive and negative controls as well as taking
into account information from Invitrogen.
Plated the bacteria again and hopefully there will be some growth
tomorrow.
Day 7 (12/24/14):
Update with my research project and we had colony
growth! Waiting to set up the next part
until next week (since we are both off tomorrow and I'm off on Friday). Spent the rest of the morning updating my
PowerPoint presentation and doing more background reading into the CRISPR
technology.
Did send out a text to the remaining first year residents
but unfortunately they didn't have much going on either.
Weekend activities:
Drove back up to Minnesota for Christmas with the family
Day 8 (12/29/14):
Long weekend but back in the saddle. Started the morning
working on PowerPoint, then got an update from Anagha about the project. She ran through the next steps of the project
and the timeline and we worked out a plan.
Then had a slide review with Dr. Marcia Hart. Very interesting and informative! Saw a few interesting cases and got to review
some histology. See notes in notebook for more info.
Rat and mouse handling lab with Megan. Very fun, though not enough mice/rats for us
each to have our own. Megan managed to
blind stick a rat vena cava and impress us all, no one else could hit it. Fun and informative.
Day 9 (12/30/14):
Woke up feeling like I had swallowed a bag of gravel and
broken glass, which were currently occupying space in my joints and no
sleep. Elected to not bring my illness
into surgical suites (daschund spay/neuters were on the schedule) and attempted
to aid my immune system with extra sleep.
Came in the afternoon and had an extended vivarium tour at
Discovery Ridge with Jason Huntsperger.
A lot of good information about facility management and design. Went well over the scheduled time, but very
interesting.
Was going to then go to learn about rodent colonoscopy with
Sarah Hansen but she had been in other rodent facilities that day so we had to
reschedule for Friday. Finishing the day
with some more research into my research project.
Day 10 (12/31/14):
Watched Megan do a mass removal on a MN mini pig - really
black mass!
Then followed Sarah Hansen over to check up on the puppies
that were sterilized yesterday, they were all doing well. Soaked another dog's sore foot and also ran a
fecal float on the other puppies in the litter (the ones that didn't get
surgery had loose stool). Didn't see
anything on the fecal.
Got a protocol from Pat Farrar to review and set up a
meeting time to go over that with her.
Also set up a more concrete plan to meet with Sarah Hansen
on Friday for the rodent colonoscopy.
Got an update from Anagha about my project - basically on
hiatus until Monday since we're at a good stopping point and she's taking some
days off.
Day 11 (1/1/15):
Helped Megan do her daily checks - first the pig with the
mass removal and then the puppies that were recently sterilized.
Spent the rest of the day out and about Columbia, reading
over the animal protocol from Pat Farrar, and working on my project.
Day 12 (1/2/15):
Started the day working with Sarah Hansen all morning. First I helped her get things ready and
watched her do 3 rat colonoscopies.
After that I helped with the necropsies and tissue sample collections
along with Nick Harrison.
We got pizza and then headed over to OAR.
From there, Liz, Dan, Nick, and I went to Middlebush Farm
and accompanied Lon Dixon and posse on the ACUC inspection. Finding expired needles was pretty much the
only thing of note (and then the discussion about how and why things like
needles expire).
That pretty much summed up the day. Busy last week coming up but excited as well.
Weekend Activities:
Drove over to St. Louis for the day - visited the zoo and
the Arch.
On Sunday went to the dog park and ran into Sarah Hansen
with her dog and daughter.
Day 13 (1/5/15):
Day 13 (1/5/15):
Starting my last week fairly slowly. Slow morning, then had to decide whether to
hit up the 2nd year Lab Animal Medicine class or stick around with the other
externs and go to a class for the residents on infectious diseases. Decided to stay here, they talked me into it
by reminding me that day 1 they would probably be going over the syllabus for
the class, which isn't something I really need to know.
Class is interesting, talking about disease outbreaks and
how to handle them. Given a case to look at and questions to address. Talked
about approved vendors, how to address the issue with PI's, talking about
budget concerns, risks for exceptions, disease transmission, etc. Basically ended with "do some research
and come back on Wednesday with ideas." Interesting class, will get more
out of it on Wednesday I think.
I then went to the Pathology PBL class and realized there
wasn't much point to being there - all the presentations will be happening next
week after I'm gone, but it was nice to meet some new people.
After that I had a meeting with Anagha to discuss my
research project and presentation. She
helped me flesh out the presentation a bit more with some more background info
on the specific goals of the lab and we discussed future plans for my mini
project.
Spent the rest of the afternoon working on my presentation.
Day 14 (1/6/15):
This morning I started off talking to Dana Weir about
facility management. It was a really interesting
discussion and not something I had given a lot of thought about until
recently. We ended up going more over
the Disease Outbreak PBL that had been discussed with the first year residents
yesterday.
Then went to the ACUC meeting, not quite as hot button as
the last one but still really interesting and fun to watch.
From there I spent the rest of the day with Beth Ahner and
James Cook's lab watching orthopedic surgeries on dogs. It was really interesting - especially seeing
all t he power tools and hammer and chisel in use, not to mention seeing Dr.
Cook make a new meniscus out of pig skin.
Very cool stuff, but really long day.
Also got some feedback from Dr. Bryda about my
presentation. Will have to find some
time somehow to talk with Anagha again.
Scheduling this last week has been crazy!
Day 15 (1/7/15)
Crazy busy day.
Started at Disco with Dalila and learning about her role in colony
management at the MMRC. Showed me how to
do health checks, wean mice, ear tag, and take tail snips. For all my mouse background, I was pretty
slow at it! Took a bit longer than
expected but still really fun/interesting.
Then went over to the OAR and was hoping to go over my
protocol review with Pat but she wasn't around.
Then went to the lab animal lecture that Jake gave about rat
biology. Made me miss my old pet
rats! Was fun hanging out with Megan,
Mike, Sarah, and Dan.
Then went out to lunch with them at Panda Express - not
terribly vet related but I enjoyed the company.
There's never a good chicken to rice ratio with the food there I find...
always too much rice left over.
From there I met up with the other externs at OAR and we
walked over to LIDR together for a talk about that facility from Travis. Very interesting, and a bit odd to me about
the security. You can find tularemia in
wild animals, but if a mouse with it goes missing the FBI gets called in. They also keep mosquitoes there, so learning
about their husbandry was grossly fascinating.
We then headed back to the trailer and waited just a little
while for a tour from Craig. Went all
over the MU campus and a bit through Columbia.
Very interesting and informative - two of the other externs came a long
and it was funny how little one knew about the town she'd been living in for
the past 2 1/2 years. That was really
fun and basically ended the day.
Except I got some feedback from Dr Bryda about my
presentation so will likely spend the rest of the evening working on that -
then an early day tomorrow!
Day 16 (1/8/15):
Early day starting with the pig orthopedic surgeries. Mostly an observatory role - interesting at
first seeing the blood draw from the jugular and watching them put the pig
down. Shaving and scrubbing. Then in the surgical suite we were basically
kicked out, so that was less interesting.
Apparently they had a problem with hypertension? The other externs and I were called upon to
calcluate a CRI fluid rate for Dobutamine. Nick was called away to help Sarah
and Liz and Ava were stuck with the calculations. They got Mike Fink to help out and eventually
had it figured out. I headed out early
to hit up the 2nd year Lab Animal Medicine class again.
Managed to find the room and sat in on Marcia's lecture
about hamsters and gerbils.
Unsurprisingly, a lot of histo pictures :)
Spent my lunch hour working on my presentation (only got so
far last night before I lost steam).
Did a PCR lab with Dr. Bryda and Miriam. Pretty basic stuff, and mostly had already
gone over it with them for my project, but still good to get another run
through and practice stuff.
Following that I polished up my presentation a bit and then
had a meeting with Dr. Bryda. We talked
for over an hour about the presentation, how to format it better and add/adjust
things, and future directions etc. After
that I went back to my cubicle and spent another 3 hours making her suggested
changes. Practiced it a couple of times
and called it a night.
Day 17 (1/9/15) Last day :(
Started the morning off with OAR rounds. Pretty entertaining, similar to the first
time. Got to hear more about the mouse
with the mysterious hole (apparently not so mysterious a problem) and updates
about puppies.
Then went to path rounds and questioned everything I ever
thought I knew about gram stains. I
swear it was purple for positive and pink for negative... but what do I
know. Pretty interesting looking at the septic hedgehog
organs - the heart I thought was especially cool, though the others were also
interesting.
Then it was game time, had to give my presentation. It did not go as smoothly as when I'd
practiced, I got a bit flustered and mixed up and I'm pretty sure I just
confused most of the people (and the people who actually knew what I was
supposed to be talking about had to correct me on some stuff). But hey, it's done, and that's what happens
when you have a very limited time to try to learn a whole new topic.
Ava and I then went to grab some food, well coffee for her
and Chipotle for me. Delicious.
Spent some time going over emails and then had my final
meeting with Craig. Kind of sad, but
good to recap the program and go through pros and cons. Then I went around and found people to say
goodbye to (Sarah Hansen and Nick, Ava, Marcia, couldn't find Liz).
Then back here at Megan's, packing up and wondering how 4 weeks
went by so quickly - I'm not ready to go back to the cold of Minnesota!
Monday, October 6, 2014
And in real time...
While I'm slowly updating posts from well over a year ago, I'll give a quickie that's more in real time.
Life is hard.
New job (okay I started in May so not that new but whatever) working at an emergency veterinary clinic. My job mostly entails answering the phone, checking in clients, making them sign paperwork, and begging for money at the end. Basically all of the things I want to avoid about vet med by going into lab animal. So that's fun...
Went on an epic road trip this summer (did I already write about this?? I don't even know) with Megan and Sara. Drove from Rochester to Lincoln, NE to Glenwood Springs, CO to Las Vegas, NV to San Diego, CA to Flagstaff, AZ to Georgetown, CO and back home. It was amazing, rafting in Colorado, drinking in Vegas, going to the zoo and whale watching in San Diego, and seeing the amazing Grand Canyon. Plus lots of driving. It was super fun.
In August I got a dog!
Yep, his name is Duke of Weselton, he's a black lab-shepherd mix, and he's insane. We just graduated basic obedience last week, and he has more energy than Nathan's dog Jackie and Belle combined, which is saying something.
So that's pretty special.
Year two of vet school is well under way and I'm struggling to keep my head above water, or care enough to keep swimming. It's been rough, we'll see how this year goes.
I managed to set myself up with an internship at the University of Missouri over winter break, so that should be fun. Also been doing a lot of work as the VP of the Research Animal Medicine Club - booking lunchtime speakers and tours and food and things.
Busy life man. And here I am, procrastinating.
Life is hard.
New job (okay I started in May so not that new but whatever) working at an emergency veterinary clinic. My job mostly entails answering the phone, checking in clients, making them sign paperwork, and begging for money at the end. Basically all of the things I want to avoid about vet med by going into lab animal. So that's fun...
Went on an epic road trip this summer (did I already write about this?? I don't even know) with Megan and Sara. Drove from Rochester to Lincoln, NE to Glenwood Springs, CO to Las Vegas, NV to San Diego, CA to Flagstaff, AZ to Georgetown, CO and back home. It was amazing, rafting in Colorado, drinking in Vegas, going to the zoo and whale watching in San Diego, and seeing the amazing Grand Canyon. Plus lots of driving. It was super fun.
In August I got a dog!
Yep, his name is Duke of Weselton, he's a black lab-shepherd mix, and he's insane. We just graduated basic obedience last week, and he has more energy than Nathan's dog Jackie and Belle combined, which is saying something.
Year two of vet school is well under way and I'm struggling to keep my head above water, or care enough to keep swimming. It's been rough, we'll see how this year goes.
I managed to set myself up with an internship at the University of Missouri over winter break, so that should be fun. Also been doing a lot of work as the VP of the Research Animal Medicine Club - booking lunchtime speakers and tours and food and things.
Busy life man. And here I am, procrastinating.
Italy Part 1: Rome
July 17:
Stupid early morning. We brought our bags down the night before so just hauling the little stuff down in the morning. Shuttle/taxi got there around 5 minutes late - we were the first stop. Picked up 1 dude then went to pick up 2 more but they weren't ready (Meg got a snippy reply when she went to see). Thanks to them, got to Orly at 5:40am, then had to find our gate. Shuttled to the plane and then fly to Rome. Waited for the bags and then decided to take a shuttle bus to Termini station (5 euro each). Arrived, super short walk to the hostel and they let us up the elevator and into our room! Took a 2-3 hour nap (necessary!) and then dressed for church-friendly and headed to the restaurant suggested by our hostess for some delicious sparkling wine and pasta. Then off to Termini and the metro line A to Spagna (Spanish Steps) for a tour at 5:30. We arrived stupid early again and now waiting (bought postcards 20 for 1 euro and a fan for 2 euros). Very hot. Finally found the tour - she had a mic and speaker! Went to Spanish square (steps were French!), 2 old columns with Mary and Saint Paul on top, 2 churches, the Pantheon - largest dome, and the Trevi Fountain. Lots of Pagan turned Christian stuff! Good tour. Walked back down a street full of vendors and artists and watched a woman use spray paint and stencils to create beauty for 10 euros. Finally decided to get one - gave her creative freedom and it paid off big time - gorgeous. Creepy towel man outside but shower then bed.
July 18:
Alarm off at 8am so we'd be ready for our breakfast set up in the kitchen at 8:30 - cereal, hot chocolate, croissant (filled), yogurt, etc. Dressed and out the door (after herding cats mom & Megan) around 9:30. Walked to the Colosseum (my map skills) and then trying to find where to meet our tour guide (at reserved tickets). Had a short tour (with our own handheld speakers!) and then wandered some more and through the Constantine exhibit. Headed over to Palatino/Roman Forum and had to walk/wander a long way to find the entrance due to some construction. Wandered around the area but very hot, very little shade/breeze, and barely any information on what we were looking at. Finally walked home for a lovely 3 hour nap. Got up and headed out to the Hard Rock Cafe for food. Had to wait awhile for a table but not as long as predicted. Claudio took our order then switched to Elena. I had half a BBQ bacon cheeseburger and Meg & mom split twisted mac and a smaller burger. Headed home and stopped at outdoor market - found out we should buy leather in Florence. Also stopped at a supermarket and got chicken, chips, and cookies to make a lunch. Showered, read, talked to Brian for awhile about pride, Megan got snuggly, and finally sleep ~2am.
July 19:
8am wake up, breakfast, & out the door by 9am. Brief "argument" about bus vs. metro, got on the metro to "Ottaviano." Then walking a ways to Museo Vaticano and being worried about being late and in the wrong place (again!). Got to skip a huge queue and got our tickets at the meeting point. Our tour guide "Margarita"? gave us speakers/headphones. Tour of the Vatican Gardens. Very quiet and peaceful and lots of shade plus history of the Vatican. Then walked through the museum (da Vinci, Raphael, Dali) to the Sistine Chapel. I thought the ceiling in the church on our free tour was more impressive! We took the wrong exit out of the Sistine Chapel so had to backtrack to get to the right one. Then found a nice little souvenir shop run by nuns and I got a pin. Sat outside on a bench and ate our packed sandwiches, chips, and cookies. Debated going up the Dome - 7 euros and 300 steps or 5 euros and 500 steps, decided not to. Then into St. Peter's Basilica, touched the worn feet, wandered around. Finally home through the square and back on the metro. Read, took a nap, now mom and Megan are shopping. Yay alone time, but I miss Nathan. They brought back pizza and wine from the same restaurant as before, then bedtime.
July 20:
Got to "sleep in"! Alarm @ 8:30, out of bed ~9am for breakfast. Dawdled a bit and headed out ~11am (in & out to potty!). Then decided to do a trip advisor walking tour of baths/temples, etc. Saw the circus, some old bridges over the Tiber (62 BC!) and the Marcello Teatro (like a smaller Colosseum). Also saw a face from the 1st century - w/ "Mouth of Truth." Then decided to walk/shop for shoes up towards the Spanish steps and then over to Barberini. Then walked home from there - tried to stop in a McD's for a toilet but a long unmoving line. Finally back to our usual restaurant for pizza and bruschetta (free!). Meg and I walked down to the laundromat to check it out and on the way stopped in a lingerie shop. Cheap stuff - awkward though! Laundromat was too pricey - will try in Florence. Now home - after trying to find mom to let us in. Short nap break. Got up and mom and Megan went to try to find a WWII free museum (was closed unfortunately) while I Skyped with Nathan and took a shower. They got back and mom and I went to the train station to get my Euro pass stamped - waited in the wrong line then got to the right line and ran home for my passport. Then got it stamped, stopped at McD's for Coke and shakes (1 euro) then home.
Rome Summary:
Nice place, fountains everywhere - overwhelming amount of super old (BC) structures. Not as big as I was expecting - fairly walkable. Metro not great and I was afraid of using buses - couldn't buy tickets on the bus. Super hot until the thunderstorm then better so long as you stay out of the sun. The Colosseum was impressive, the Roman Forum not so much (probably because no info/tour). The Vatican was both over and underwhelming. Too many people! Very glad for online ticket purchases. Calm in the garden but then super crowded in the museum/Sistine Chapel. Sistine was less impressive than a church on our free tour. Never found good shoes for Megan. Hopefully in Florence we can find good leather products. Food was good but really only ate at one restaurant besides the Hard Rock Cafe. No cannolis yet. Hostel has been great - WiFi, clean, old locks/keys, Don't feel like I missed anything.
"Ancient City"
3.5 out of 5 stars
Stupid early morning. We brought our bags down the night before so just hauling the little stuff down in the morning. Shuttle/taxi got there around 5 minutes late - we were the first stop. Picked up 1 dude then went to pick up 2 more but they weren't ready (Meg got a snippy reply when she went to see). Thanks to them, got to Orly at 5:40am, then had to find our gate. Shuttled to the plane and then fly to Rome. Waited for the bags and then decided to take a shuttle bus to Termini station (5 euro each). Arrived, super short walk to the hostel and they let us up the elevator and into our room! Took a 2-3 hour nap (necessary!) and then dressed for church-friendly and headed to the restaurant suggested by our hostess for some delicious sparkling wine and pasta. Then off to Termini and the metro line A to Spagna (Spanish Steps) for a tour at 5:30. We arrived stupid early again and now waiting (bought postcards 20 for 1 euro and a fan for 2 euros). Very hot. Finally found the tour - she had a mic and speaker! Went to Spanish square (steps were French!), 2 old columns with Mary and Saint Paul on top, 2 churches, the Pantheon - largest dome, and the Trevi Fountain. Lots of Pagan turned Christian stuff! Good tour. Walked back down a street full of vendors and artists and watched a woman use spray paint and stencils to create beauty for 10 euros. Finally decided to get one - gave her creative freedom and it paid off big time - gorgeous. Creepy towel man outside but shower then bed.
July 18:
Alarm off at 8am so we'd be ready for our breakfast set up in the kitchen at 8:30 - cereal, hot chocolate, croissant (filled), yogurt, etc. Dressed and out the door (after herding cats mom & Megan) around 9:30. Walked to the Colosseum (my map skills) and then trying to find where to meet our tour guide (at reserved tickets). Had a short tour (with our own handheld speakers!) and then wandered some more and through the Constantine exhibit. Headed over to Palatino/Roman Forum and had to walk/wander a long way to find the entrance due to some construction. Wandered around the area but very hot, very little shade/breeze, and barely any information on what we were looking at. Finally walked home for a lovely 3 hour nap. Got up and headed out to the Hard Rock Cafe for food. Had to wait awhile for a table but not as long as predicted. Claudio took our order then switched to Elena. I had half a BBQ bacon cheeseburger and Meg & mom split twisted mac and a smaller burger. Headed home and stopped at outdoor market - found out we should buy leather in Florence. Also stopped at a supermarket and got chicken, chips, and cookies to make a lunch. Showered, read, talked to Brian for awhile about pride, Megan got snuggly, and finally sleep ~2am.
July 19:
8am wake up, breakfast, & out the door by 9am. Brief "argument" about bus vs. metro, got on the metro to "Ottaviano." Then walking a ways to Museo Vaticano and being worried about being late and in the wrong place (again!). Got to skip a huge queue and got our tickets at the meeting point. Our tour guide "Margarita"? gave us speakers/headphones. Tour of the Vatican Gardens. Very quiet and peaceful and lots of shade plus history of the Vatican. Then walked through the museum (da Vinci, Raphael, Dali) to the Sistine Chapel. I thought the ceiling in the church on our free tour was more impressive! We took the wrong exit out of the Sistine Chapel so had to backtrack to get to the right one. Then found a nice little souvenir shop run by nuns and I got a pin. Sat outside on a bench and ate our packed sandwiches, chips, and cookies. Debated going up the Dome - 7 euros and 300 steps or 5 euros and 500 steps, decided not to. Then into St. Peter's Basilica, touched the worn feet, wandered around. Finally home through the square and back on the metro. Read, took a nap, now mom and Megan are shopping. Yay alone time, but I miss Nathan. They brought back pizza and wine from the same restaurant as before, then bedtime.
July 20:
Got to "sleep in"! Alarm @ 8:30, out of bed ~9am for breakfast. Dawdled a bit and headed out ~11am (in & out to potty!). Then decided to do a trip advisor walking tour of baths/temples, etc. Saw the circus, some old bridges over the Tiber (62 BC!) and the Marcello Teatro (like a smaller Colosseum). Also saw a face from the 1st century - w/ "Mouth of Truth." Then decided to walk/shop for shoes up towards the Spanish steps and then over to Barberini. Then walked home from there - tried to stop in a McD's for a toilet but a long unmoving line. Finally back to our usual restaurant for pizza and bruschetta (free!). Meg and I walked down to the laundromat to check it out and on the way stopped in a lingerie shop. Cheap stuff - awkward though! Laundromat was too pricey - will try in Florence. Now home - after trying to find mom to let us in. Short nap break. Got up and mom and Megan went to try to find a WWII free museum (was closed unfortunately) while I Skyped with Nathan and took a shower. They got back and mom and I went to the train station to get my Euro pass stamped - waited in the wrong line then got to the right line and ran home for my passport. Then got it stamped, stopped at McD's for Coke and shakes (1 euro) then home.
Rome Summary:
Nice place, fountains everywhere - overwhelming amount of super old (BC) structures. Not as big as I was expecting - fairly walkable. Metro not great and I was afraid of using buses - couldn't buy tickets on the bus. Super hot until the thunderstorm then better so long as you stay out of the sun. The Colosseum was impressive, the Roman Forum not so much (probably because no info/tour). The Vatican was both over and underwhelming. Too many people! Very glad for online ticket purchases. Calm in the garden but then super crowded in the museum/Sistine Chapel. Sistine was less impressive than a church on our free tour. Never found good shoes for Megan. Hopefully in Florence we can find good leather products. Food was good but really only ate at one restaurant besides the Hard Rock Cafe. No cannolis yet. Hostel has been great - WiFi, clean, old locks/keys, Don't feel like I missed anything.
"Ancient City"
3.5 out of 5 stars
Monday, May 19, 2014
Paris Part 2
July 15, 2013:
Back to the hostel and met up with the family and made a plan for the day. We walked up and down a boulevard (can't read the name of it in my handwriting) (full of tourist shops and sex shops). Then stopped outside the Moulin Rouge for a tour (DiscoverWalks with Lulu). Fun Montmartre tour (artists etc). Ended at the Sacre Coeur - hot! Wandered around and dipped our feet (walked into) a wonderful ice cold fountain. Then to Abbessess road (nun) and a small bakery where we picked up baguettes with fromage (cheese), an eclair for Megan, and chocolate tarts for mom and I. We hopped on the metro for a quick toilet/wine pick up from the hostel and then to a nearby park. We sat on a bench, ate food, enjoyed the sights (pigeons trying to mate and a couple of people making out hardcore). Also, when resting before the tour we saw a drag queen walk by. Now, probably going to head home soon. I headed home and left Megan and mom in the park - showered and got sheets for our new room in 502 - so many stairs! Mom and Megan got back and we all napped for a couple of hours. Then dressed and off on the metro (after horrible WiFi time) to the Hard Rock Cafe. Got a pin, a table at the bar, chicken tenders, and soda. Hung out for awhile - met some Canadians who had a cousin try out for the Wild, then off to the metro and home and bed. Read more Dragonswings and missed Nathan...
July 16:
Early morning - alarm started at 8am but I didn't get up until 8:45. Slow start, but got on the metro (after our last breakfast) and to the Arc de Triomphe by 10am. Of course then we didn't even go up it... waste of an early morning! Walked down the Champs Elysees and stopped at the McDonald's - got some tasty macaroons and used the restroom. Before then we stopped at a street artist and got a painting - I talked the guy down from 35 to 10 euros! Then kept walking - went into some shops and the Disney store. Long walk toward the Notre Dame - stopped for some leftover baguettes and to enjoy the Seine. Got to the Notre Dame - huge line. Asked for info and the tour meets at the big horse statue. So here we wait until 2:30pm. Finally had the tour - great info. Some outside and then cut the queue and inside galore - the south rose window has been restored more and is thicker because of the Seine than the north rose (which has 75% of its original material). Good tour, then back to the hostel for naps. Now trying to get packed up for a super early day tomorrow. After packing we headed out to walk back up to the Sacre Coeur - 233 steps (mom counted). Few more tourist shops - I got a Chat Noir print. Picked up a hot dog and "croque mon sieur" and walked home for bed - not much since alarms were set for 3:45am.
Paris Summary:
Here for a long time and definitely didn't need more. The hostel was easily the worst so far - the staff was hot and cold. The WiFi was always awful, the lounge wasn't very comfortable, and way too many stairs! Breakfast was okay - good hot chocolate. For the city - had a mix of experiences. Some very nice people (helped unstick my bag) and some less so. Good bakery smells to awful urine/poo smells. Playgrounds by the Seine, Louvre was way too big to see in one go but didn't want to go more. Eiffel Tower was great and going early was the best idea. The fireworks on Bastille Day were amazing - I think worth the 3 hour wait. The metro was pretty easy to use and stations everywhere. Still a lot of walking! Had good luck with the food (crepes!). Not very handicap accessible.
"City of Stairs"
3 out of 5 stars
Back to the hostel and met up with the family and made a plan for the day. We walked up and down a boulevard (can't read the name of it in my handwriting) (full of tourist shops and sex shops). Then stopped outside the Moulin Rouge for a tour (DiscoverWalks with Lulu). Fun Montmartre tour (artists etc). Ended at the Sacre Coeur - hot! Wandered around and dipped our feet (walked into) a wonderful ice cold fountain. Then to Abbessess road (nun) and a small bakery where we picked up baguettes with fromage (cheese), an eclair for Megan, and chocolate tarts for mom and I. We hopped on the metro for a quick toilet/wine pick up from the hostel and then to a nearby park. We sat on a bench, ate food, enjoyed the sights (pigeons trying to mate and a couple of people making out hardcore). Also, when resting before the tour we saw a drag queen walk by. Now, probably going to head home soon. I headed home and left Megan and mom in the park - showered and got sheets for our new room in 502 - so many stairs! Mom and Megan got back and we all napped for a couple of hours. Then dressed and off on the metro (after horrible WiFi time) to the Hard Rock Cafe. Got a pin, a table at the bar, chicken tenders, and soda. Hung out for awhile - met some Canadians who had a cousin try out for the Wild, then off to the metro and home and bed. Read more Dragonswings and missed Nathan...
July 16:
Early morning - alarm started at 8am but I didn't get up until 8:45. Slow start, but got on the metro (after our last breakfast) and to the Arc de Triomphe by 10am. Of course then we didn't even go up it... waste of an early morning! Walked down the Champs Elysees and stopped at the McDonald's - got some tasty macaroons and used the restroom. Before then we stopped at a street artist and got a painting - I talked the guy down from 35 to 10 euros! Then kept walking - went into some shops and the Disney store. Long walk toward the Notre Dame - stopped for some leftover baguettes and to enjoy the Seine. Got to the Notre Dame - huge line. Asked for info and the tour meets at the big horse statue. So here we wait until 2:30pm. Finally had the tour - great info. Some outside and then cut the queue and inside galore - the south rose window has been restored more and is thicker because of the Seine than the north rose (which has 75% of its original material). Good tour, then back to the hostel for naps. Now trying to get packed up for a super early day tomorrow. After packing we headed out to walk back up to the Sacre Coeur - 233 steps (mom counted). Few more tourist shops - I got a Chat Noir print. Picked up a hot dog and "croque mon sieur" and walked home for bed - not much since alarms were set for 3:45am.
Paris Summary:
Here for a long time and definitely didn't need more. The hostel was easily the worst so far - the staff was hot and cold. The WiFi was always awful, the lounge wasn't very comfortable, and way too many stairs! Breakfast was okay - good hot chocolate. For the city - had a mix of experiences. Some very nice people (helped unstick my bag) and some less so. Good bakery smells to awful urine/poo smells. Playgrounds by the Seine, Louvre was way too big to see in one go but didn't want to go more. Eiffel Tower was great and going early was the best idea. The fireworks on Bastille Day were amazing - I think worth the 3 hour wait. The metro was pretty easy to use and stations everywhere. Still a lot of walking! Had good luck with the food (crepes!). Not very handicap accessible.
"City of Stairs"
3 out of 5 stars
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Paris Part 1
I'm going to update the rest of this so it is immortalized on the internet, but obviously I'm no longer in Europe. So the rest of it will not be italicized, but still straight from my journal :)
July 11, 2013:
Train to Paris through the Chunnel (got a blurry pic going in). Off at Gare du Nord then onto the metro - and I got stuck in the turnstyle! Tried to call for help - no luck. Some nice guy gave us his ticket then helped shove Nathan's bag over. Got to the hostel then up to 4th floor room 407. Now relaxing after a shower. Hanging in hostel lobby - not super useful host, terrible WiFi - tried to call mom but crappy. After awhile we headed up the hill and a ton of stairs to the Sacre Coeur. Took pictures, tons of market-type stuff around and hawkers, great views of Paris. Stopped for a nice meal at Le Deli. 18.5 euros each for appetizer, entree, and dessert. I had ravioli, salmon, and chocolate cake and it was delicious! Nathan's was not as great. We then walked around, took more pictures, then headed home and to bed.
July 12:
We elected to sleep in this morning but were rudely awoken by cleaners knocking, We indicated the room was occupied but that just inspired them to take out their keys and try to get in! That wasn't fun, but they finally gave up. Got up, packed, and headed down to check out (~11:30am). Set up our luggage in the luggage room and went to the metro to figure out day passes. Was pretty easy - then walked around and finally got back to the hostel to wait for mom and Megan. They arrived! Got dad's phone, put their bags in the room (after they changed), then wandered around Montmartre for a bit. Bought some stuff for lunch at the supermarket, then got a bit turned around heading home. Finally made it, checked in, and mom and Megan took a nap while I set up dad's phone. Then we all headed over to the Lourve. Megan, Nathan, and I got in for free and it was 12 euros for mom. Saw the Venus de Milo, Mona Lisa, and tons of other famous art work. Finally headed out to the Palais Royal, walked through the mediocre garden (where is all the grass?) and then went on a food hunt. Eventually stopped at Le Royal Cafe - another "formulae" meal: ravioli and delicious chocolate mousse. Drank tons of water - very thirsty and footsore. Met some Minnesota girls and got our pictures taken. Finally a long walk back to the metro and home. Crappy WiFi, but bedtime anyway.
July 13:
Early morning (8am) - a good breakfast with hot chocolate and croissants. Then out to the opera to the Discover Walks tour. 2 French women "Louise and Lauren", lesser known landmarks, 1 hour 30 minute tour. Ended at the obelisk. Not as good as Sandemann's. Tried to find the Batobus stop - wandered around 1 km in the wrong direction, but we figured it out and headed back (played some games along the water while we wandered). Got on and found seats and busted out the lunch we packed (sandwiches and chips). Enjoying the ride and the views. We got off at the Eiffel tower and were disappointed at the huge lines. Bought some ice cream and back on the Batobus (after Megan got some mini towers) to the Notre Dame. Wandered over a bridge covered in locks and walked over to the Cathedral and another huge line! Back on the Batobus (and some napping) then off to the Champs Elysees stop and a long walk to the Arc de Triomphe. Passed a lot of fancy shops and a McDonald's. Then (couldn't get near the Arc) a very long walk back to the Eiffel Tower. Got some food (a cheesy hot dog and coke) and then checked out the still super long lines, but now the top level was closed. We all decided to try for early tomorrow morning or Monday. Now back on the Batobus to the Orsay to jump on the metro home. Unfortunately there wasn't actually a metro stop there so we had to go find one. Got home, jumped on WiFi and realized there was a "block party" by the firemen for Bastille Day tonight 1 km away from 9pm to 4am. So we changed and limped over. Donations in a barrel and entertainment cheesing up singing Elvis and Tina Turner etc. Finally our feet hurt too much and we headed home and bedtime.
July 14 (Bastille Day):
Very early morning - up at 7am! Shower, breakfast, and out the door by 8am. On the metro, 2 transfers (the #6 train was aboveground!) to Bir Hakeim. Short walk to the Eiffel Tower - arrived around 8:45am. Bit of a line already, got in and got tickets and up to the top! Everyone (but me) surprised at the height. Bit crowded but got pics of major landmarks like the Arc in the morning haze. Back down to 2nd floor for more pics then saw a mini air show! Tons of military jets with the first ones trailing red, white, and blue smoke. Nathan had fun, but then we finally headed down to the ground and went and got delicious Nutella filled crepes! Watched them make it - Nathan got strawberries in his and Megan and I were just Nutella. Delicious. Now back on the Batobus - helicopter fleet went by and just now more jets trailing colored smoke. Rode to the St. Germaine stop and walked over to the Ponts des Arts (the real lock bridge). Then saw a sign for St. Germaine Church and headed there - but we got the wrong church! Still was pretty inside. Then we hit up some tourist shops and Nathan and I headed back while the other two continued shopping. Had some ticket issues on the metro but eventually got home. Hung out downstairs and used WiFi and ate leftover cheese and breakfast breads. Megan and mom got back and we all went up for a nap (though I read for a bit first). Got ready and went on a walk looking for a park - found a sandwichery but kept walking. Went to a bar by the hostel for happy hour drinks - tequila sunrises and Nathan's lime thing, I could barely drink mine. I ran back to get my phone and then we tried (and failed) to find the sandwich place again. Jumped on the metro to the Eiffel Tower for fireworks. Got a decent spot on some stairs. Nathan and I went off for food first and got some iffy sandwiches, now Megan and mom are food-hunting. Awesome fireworks and music, Megan and Nathan got us home on the 12, overall great late night.
July 15:
Okay so we got up around 9am and got dressed (Nathan showered). Went down for a quick breakfast then back up to pack up. Nathan grabbed his bag and then we all went to the post office for stamps. Then Nathan and I jumped on the metro to Gare du Nord (while Megan and mom went exploring). Said goodbye as Nathan went on to the airport and I back to the hostel.
Going to cut this off here as this is where my traveling companion roster loses its first member (and I'm getting a little tired of typing/reading my tiny handwriting). Will return to finish Paris (and the rest of the trip) eventually!
July 11, 2013:
Train to Paris through the Chunnel (got a blurry pic going in). Off at Gare du Nord then onto the metro - and I got stuck in the turnstyle! Tried to call for help - no luck. Some nice guy gave us his ticket then helped shove Nathan's bag over. Got to the hostel then up to 4th floor room 407. Now relaxing after a shower. Hanging in hostel lobby - not super useful host, terrible WiFi - tried to call mom but crappy. After awhile we headed up the hill and a ton of stairs to the Sacre Coeur. Took pictures, tons of market-type stuff around and hawkers, great views of Paris. Stopped for a nice meal at Le Deli. 18.5 euros each for appetizer, entree, and dessert. I had ravioli, salmon, and chocolate cake and it was delicious! Nathan's was not as great. We then walked around, took more pictures, then headed home and to bed.
July 12:
We elected to sleep in this morning but were rudely awoken by cleaners knocking, We indicated the room was occupied but that just inspired them to take out their keys and try to get in! That wasn't fun, but they finally gave up. Got up, packed, and headed down to check out (~11:30am). Set up our luggage in the luggage room and went to the metro to figure out day passes. Was pretty easy - then walked around and finally got back to the hostel to wait for mom and Megan. They arrived! Got dad's phone, put their bags in the room (after they changed), then wandered around Montmartre for a bit. Bought some stuff for lunch at the supermarket, then got a bit turned around heading home. Finally made it, checked in, and mom and Megan took a nap while I set up dad's phone. Then we all headed over to the Lourve. Megan, Nathan, and I got in for free and it was 12 euros for mom. Saw the Venus de Milo, Mona Lisa, and tons of other famous art work. Finally headed out to the Palais Royal, walked through the mediocre garden (where is all the grass?) and then went on a food hunt. Eventually stopped at Le Royal Cafe - another "formulae" meal: ravioli and delicious chocolate mousse. Drank tons of water - very thirsty and footsore. Met some Minnesota girls and got our pictures taken. Finally a long walk back to the metro and home. Crappy WiFi, but bedtime anyway.
July 13:
Early morning (8am) - a good breakfast with hot chocolate and croissants. Then out to the opera to the Discover Walks tour. 2 French women "Louise and Lauren", lesser known landmarks, 1 hour 30 minute tour. Ended at the obelisk. Not as good as Sandemann's. Tried to find the Batobus stop - wandered around 1 km in the wrong direction, but we figured it out and headed back (played some games along the water while we wandered). Got on and found seats and busted out the lunch we packed (sandwiches and chips). Enjoying the ride and the views. We got off at the Eiffel tower and were disappointed at the huge lines. Bought some ice cream and back on the Batobus (after Megan got some mini towers) to the Notre Dame. Wandered over a bridge covered in locks and walked over to the Cathedral and another huge line! Back on the Batobus (and some napping) then off to the Champs Elysees stop and a long walk to the Arc de Triomphe. Passed a lot of fancy shops and a McDonald's. Then (couldn't get near the Arc) a very long walk back to the Eiffel Tower. Got some food (a cheesy hot dog and coke) and then checked out the still super long lines, but now the top level was closed. We all decided to try for early tomorrow morning or Monday. Now back on the Batobus to the Orsay to jump on the metro home. Unfortunately there wasn't actually a metro stop there so we had to go find one. Got home, jumped on WiFi and realized there was a "block party" by the firemen for Bastille Day tonight 1 km away from 9pm to 4am. So we changed and limped over. Donations in a barrel and entertainment cheesing up singing Elvis and Tina Turner etc. Finally our feet hurt too much and we headed home and bedtime.
July 14 (Bastille Day):
Very early morning - up at 7am! Shower, breakfast, and out the door by 8am. On the metro, 2 transfers (the #6 train was aboveground!) to Bir Hakeim. Short walk to the Eiffel Tower - arrived around 8:45am. Bit of a line already, got in and got tickets and up to the top! Everyone (but me) surprised at the height. Bit crowded but got pics of major landmarks like the Arc in the morning haze. Back down to 2nd floor for more pics then saw a mini air show! Tons of military jets with the first ones trailing red, white, and blue smoke. Nathan had fun, but then we finally headed down to the ground and went and got delicious Nutella filled crepes! Watched them make it - Nathan got strawberries in his and Megan and I were just Nutella. Delicious. Now back on the Batobus - helicopter fleet went by and just now more jets trailing colored smoke. Rode to the St. Germaine stop and walked over to the Ponts des Arts (the real lock bridge). Then saw a sign for St. Germaine Church and headed there - but we got the wrong church! Still was pretty inside. Then we hit up some tourist shops and Nathan and I headed back while the other two continued shopping. Had some ticket issues on the metro but eventually got home. Hung out downstairs and used WiFi and ate leftover cheese and breakfast breads. Megan and mom got back and we all went up for a nap (though I read for a bit first). Got ready and went on a walk looking for a park - found a sandwichery but kept walking. Went to a bar by the hostel for happy hour drinks - tequila sunrises and Nathan's lime thing, I could barely drink mine. I ran back to get my phone and then we tried (and failed) to find the sandwich place again. Jumped on the metro to the Eiffel Tower for fireworks. Got a decent spot on some stairs. Nathan and I went off for food first and got some iffy sandwiches, now Megan and mom are food-hunting. Awesome fireworks and music, Megan and Nathan got us home on the 12, overall great late night.
July 15:
Okay so we got up around 9am and got dressed (Nathan showered). Went down for a quick breakfast then back up to pack up. Nathan grabbed his bag and then we all went to the post office for stamps. Then Nathan and I jumped on the metro to Gare du Nord (while Megan and mom went exploring). Said goodbye as Nathan went on to the airport and I back to the hostel.
Going to cut this off here as this is where my traveling companion roster loses its first member (and I'm getting a little tired of typing/reading my tiny handwriting). Will return to finish Paris (and the rest of the trip) eventually!
Thursday, April 3, 2014
I know its been awhile, but I need to vent
This is going to be a long angry post, but please bear with me.
As many of you know, I have been in the process of applying for an Army scholarship, the HPSP. If I got it my tuition would be covered for the next three years in exchange for service after graduation. I started working with the recruiters in May, filling out the immense application, submitting all the necessary paperwork, going in multiple times to talk to them and make sure I submitted everything. And I did. Unfortunately I was too honest, fessing up to my childhood "asthma", requiring my medical records from childhood to be sent. Due to a miscommunication, my old clinic sent them every single medical record instead of just the ones pertaining to the "asthma", meaning the army had to go through a hundred pages of medical records instead of the usual 10-20. It shouldn't have been a problem, since they had all of these records by October, but someone somewhere screwed me over. Basically, a different department reviews the medical records and then clears you for a physical. The physical results become part of your application (along with the 60 pages of application, motivation essay, copies of identification, transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc). My application has been done (with some minor essay revisions because I wrote too much for the form) since early March. I was waiting to be cleared for a physical. More people started applying for this same scholarship in February, and were also waiting on a physical. The deadline approaching, I started calling my recruiters almost daily worrying about getting the physical in on time. They told me that there was nothing to do but wait for MEPS to clear me and they would ask for an exemption waiver to try to buy some time.
Well folks, I got the call today, and the exemption did not go through. After a year of work and effort I'm getting rejected from this scholarship not based on anything to do with me, not because I failed to submit information on my end, but because the system failed to get their shit done on time. I did everything right, and I'm getting screwed, and getting screwed out of tens of thousands of dollars. I might not have gotten the scholarship, it is competitive, but I won't even get a chance now due to sheer bureaucracy and incompetence.
As many of you know, I have been in the process of applying for an Army scholarship, the HPSP. If I got it my tuition would be covered for the next three years in exchange for service after graduation. I started working with the recruiters in May, filling out the immense application, submitting all the necessary paperwork, going in multiple times to talk to them and make sure I submitted everything. And I did. Unfortunately I was too honest, fessing up to my childhood "asthma", requiring my medical records from childhood to be sent. Due to a miscommunication, my old clinic sent them every single medical record instead of just the ones pertaining to the "asthma", meaning the army had to go through a hundred pages of medical records instead of the usual 10-20. It shouldn't have been a problem, since they had all of these records by October, but someone somewhere screwed me over. Basically, a different department reviews the medical records and then clears you for a physical. The physical results become part of your application (along with the 60 pages of application, motivation essay, copies of identification, transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc). My application has been done (with some minor essay revisions because I wrote too much for the form) since early March. I was waiting to be cleared for a physical. More people started applying for this same scholarship in February, and were also waiting on a physical. The deadline approaching, I started calling my recruiters almost daily worrying about getting the physical in on time. They told me that there was nothing to do but wait for MEPS to clear me and they would ask for an exemption waiver to try to buy some time.
Well folks, I got the call today, and the exemption did not go through. After a year of work and effort I'm getting rejected from this scholarship not based on anything to do with me, not because I failed to submit information on my end, but because the system failed to get their shit done on time. I did everything right, and I'm getting screwed, and getting screwed out of tens of thousands of dollars. I might not have gotten the scholarship, it is competitive, but I won't even get a chance now due to sheer bureaucracy and incompetence.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
London Part 2
I'm sitting in the gorgeous hostel courtyard in Vienna and realized I should keep updating. So here's the rest of London ! (Man I've fallen behind, been in Europe for 4 weeks today!)
July 10:
Long day! Got up early (8am) showered and ate breakfast (opted out of the omelette), talked to Lyle again, then headed out to Hyde Park and Wellington Arch for the free tour with Steph. She totally stole the Eddie Izzard bit about flags! Good tour - saw Big Ben (Elizabeth II clocktower), Buckingham palace, Trafalgar square, Downing Street, the old MI6 headquarters, Westminster Abbey, and a lot more. After we went to Old Monk Pub for more fish and chips and Nathan had chili. Meh but only 6 euro each so... we got interrogated by a Wisconsin man asking Nathan about Polaris, was awkward. His daughter was studying in Germany. We then ran (3pm) to the London Eye, waited in line to pick up our river cruise and Eye tickets. Then ran to the pier to get in line again to get on the boat. Got inside and sat next to the window. There was an audio tour through the speakers but people/kids were being so loud and rowdy it was very hard to hear. Saw Big Ben, Shakespeare Globe, London school, Tower, Millennium Bridge, London bridge, St Paul's cathedral, and more from the Thames. After the cruise we waited in line for the London Eye - got in car #12 (2 cars away from the orange car #10). Amazing views- super high. Then went home for a bit and tried to pack. Off again to the HRC (near Hyde Park, had to wander a bit to find it), then to Piccadilly circus, then back to Westminster for night pictures of the London Eye and Big Ben. Finally home again, wrote postcards and now bedtime.
Holy crud. I started typing this up almost a week ago! I'm in Berlin now enjoying my "day off." Going to finish up this dang London post if it kills me!
July 11:
Early morning again. Packed up and stripped beds and hauled everything downstairs. Put the bags in a storage area and headed up to Camden Town to check out the markets. Picked up a small photo for my Euro art collection and wandered around more. Headed back and stopped at the post office to send some postcards. Walked back to the hostel, now just hanging out until we leave for St Pancras station and Paris! Took the bus to Pimlico then the tube to Kings Cross/St Pancras station. Should have stopped by Kings Cross to satisfy the screaming Harry Potter fan inside me but basically rushed through security and passport control to the platform. Nathan is off to spend our coinage on food.
I'm going to end July 11 here because after this point we're in Paris.
London summary:
This city felt overwhelming - too much to do and not enough time. The tower of London was exhausting and the weather went from HOT to chilly in our 4 days here. Was sunny though. Met some rude people - worker at McDs, people shoving, etc. Hostel was more early-to-bed early to rise than Amsterdam. Better public transit, but that might just be because we used it. Lots of history here and free museums (that we didn't go to!). Nathan: "big city, lots to do, but nothing too exciting. Except for the theatre." Shows are here in full for sure - Wicked for 25# was great. The hostel was nice - big lounge, fancy breakfast, free drinks, cheap WiFi but it was up 2 flights, the lockers didn't lock, and the lobby closed at midnight. Also had the impression that we were bothering the staff. Cars parked on the street faced any direction. Less bikes but still around. Confusing ordering food in pubs. Pay to use toilets - but not in restaurants at least! London Eye was good, river cruise meh.
"City of No Time"
3 out of 5 stars
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
London Part 1
Sitting at the train station in Venice waiting for mom and Megan to arrive, since I read during the train ride I figured I could start typing up London for the 15 minute wait for them to get here.
July 8:
Got up early (7am) and finished packing, then off to the bus stop. Jumped on 197 and had a long ride to Schiphol. Traversed the airport, checked our bags, then off to the gate. Now on the bumpy delayed plane about to take off. London here we come! Gatwick airport - tix to Gatwick express train to London. 20 pounds each - pricey! Got to the train station and got some "King Tango" (like Fanta) and a sausage roll (not bad). Got on the train. Now off to London for reals. Arrived, waited in line to buy an Oyster card at Victoria station and ended up buying day passes instead. Rode to Pimlico, walked to our hostel and up 2 flights to our room (#8). Got settled in, changed to shorts and a tank top (hot!) and headed out to try to find a place to fix my phone and explore. Took double decker bus #24 to Victoria again and found the Apollo Victoria Theatre playing Wicked. Checked out the box office and Nathan bought two tickets for tonight! 25 pounds each, not bad. No luck on the phone - they don't make this model in the UK :-(. Hopped on the underground and got off at Westminster for exploring! Big Ben, London Eye, parliament, and hot dogs and roasted peanuts for sale on the bridge. Finally grabbed pasties and headed home to shower, change, and back to Victoria for the show! Great show - could really hear the accents! Weird thing was the crowd - people in tank tops and ripped jean shorts eating chips and popcorn, more like a movie theater! Bought a poster there - hopefully we can keep it nice. Hanging out at the hostel bar now - looking up phone info and skyping with the fam. Hopefully its not too hot to sleep!
As an aside, melting here in Venice (at the hostel now), I didn't know what hot was yet in London :-p
July 9:
Writing on the tube. Woken early by Aussies having a chat in the room at full volume around 7am - no respect! Got ready late and barely made breakfast at 10:30. Too late for the free tour so we took our time and then headed to the Tower of London (bus 24 to Victoria then train to Tower Hill). Huge place! Latched on to part of a tour, saw exhibits on the mint and torture, and inside the white tower was a big exhibit on weapons and the armory. Also waited in a long but quick line to see the crown jewels. A lot of gold, etc but almost just looks like costume jewellery. Grabbed some ice cream and a pin of the white tower, then went to a ticket shop to see if they had Book of Mormon fix - no luck. Now have to rest, relax, hopefully grab some fish & chips for dinner, and maybe see some sites at night. Took a long nap then up and out walking looking for food. Finally decided on Prince of Wales - took us awhile to figure out that we had to order food at the bar. We got bangers and mash (but they ran out of mash so subbed chips, and the sausage was gross) and fish and chips which were greasy and delicious. Caught the 24 bus home then hung out and in the room and chatted with Lyle from Louisiana (34, in the army, bearded). Now hanging out in the hostel bar trying to figure out how to do the rest of London in a day and a half. Looks like an early to bed night, shower, and breakfast tomorrow. (The hot chocolate here was not good).
Amsterdam Part 2
Going to change up the style here and make the journal entry in italics. Hope that doesn't confuse y'all.
July 6:
Overslept and missed breakfast :-( Got up and walked over to the Rijksmuseum - passed a fashion week display. Tons of paintings, sculptures, Van Gogh, Hague students, etc. Bit overwhelming! Then to the supermarket for bread, turkey, cheese, and stroopwaffels - caramel waffle cookies. Back to the hostel where we cooked the bread and toasted sandwiches with soda and Doritos. Quick break in the room then off past Rembrandtplein (street artists!) and to a market. Bought a pin, but they were all closing up shop at 5pm. Wandered back to R.plein and bought some postcards on the way. Now off to buy a some street art (I decided that my souvenirs for myself this trip, other than pins, would be art created by locals if at all possible.) Went to Amstel dam square for our red light district tour - chose to go with the rated R tour guide "Lee" with bright red dyed hair. Pretty entertaining and more info about the district - project 1012 making it more family friendly, different streets have different types of women, tried men in windows but it worked too well, etc. Stopped for a 2 euro peep show (on the tour!) Followed the guide to Durty Nelly's Irish Pub. Sat and made friends there for awhile. Nathan had some tasty Somersby cider. Met some nice Canadians and a few Irish as well. Then they went to Casa Rosso sex show and we walked home - stopping for Frozz frozen yogurt and fries with cheese and forks and a brief chat/eating on a bench. We are going to try to go to the beach tomorrow! Public transit is tricky though...
July 7:
Had a rough nights sleep - woken by roommates' lights and snoring, ugh. Up around 9, ate breakfast and packed up for the beach! Walked to Centraal station, bought tickets from a person after a machine demanded a PIN. After a little confusion we jumped on the train to Zandvoort an Zee. Nathan took a nap on the train - I enjoyed the scenery. Got here and followed the long train of people headed to the beach. Convinced Nathan to come down onto the sand and found an orange rock for Vicki. Now to relax, eat our picnic lunch, and maybe go out in the water. Went for a walk up and down the beach. Saw quite a few topless ladies (young and old). Headed back and slept on the train ride home. Kept looking for a free toilet but no luck, eventually paid 0.50 euro at KFC. Back to hostel around 4pm. Ate stroopwaffels - YUM! We must buy more... went to Albert Heijn supermarket and they were out! Went to Anne Frank house - no pics allowed but very interesting/depressing. Headed toward the Dam square and stopped at another AH supermarket and looked for stroopwaffels - too many options and none looked right! Sent Nathan in to look while I sat out front and updated my journal. Mailed a couple postcards. Next to find a Febo (vending machine fast food place) and another delicious hot dog from that street vendor near the HRC. We did except hot dog man was gone :-( so we got more fries instead. Walked back, packed, showered, and then my phone was knocked down and the screen completely broke! Hope to repair in London...
Amsterdam summary:
Overall I really enjoyed this city. Weather was nice, all walkable, traffic with bikes, transit, cars, and peds was terrifying. Everyone was pretty nice and it was easy to get by with no Dutch. Our hostel was a bit far from the main part of town - next time stay more downtown. Red light district seemed tame - saw more flesh at the beach! Paying to use toilets was a pain, soda was pricey in restaurants, and paying for ketchup sucked. The meat I'm burgers and hot dogs seemed tastier - more spices? Probably spent too much $ but will try to keep a better eye on it. Tours (Sandemanns) were great, boat cruise was meh. Museum was way too big and overwhelming. Anne Frank house was depressing and moving but I don't think it would have been worth a 2 hour wait in line - unless you'd recently read the book. The airport is huge and well signed. Public transit probably wasn't as confusing as we thought but we just rarely used it. Zandvoort was a great beach but not much else around, other than restaurants. Overall, a great town with lots to see and do!
Four stars out of five
Okay so that wraps up Amsterdam, right on the day I leave Florence. Not sure how much I'll be able to do in my future travels but one city out of 10 is a good start! I'm three weeks into my trip today and about to go to my 6th city out of ten. Halfway done! Mom and Megan leave from Venice on Saturday, then I meet up with Amanda in Vienna.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Amsterdam Part 1
We'll see how much I actually post sitting in my bed in Florence but I've decided to at least attempt updating about my grand European adventure. We'll start with Amsterdam, taken directly from my handwritten journal:
July 3-4:
Left work around 3:15 and met Nathan at the light rail. Rode it down to MSP. Long flight to Reykjavik (6 hours) but we got "upgraded" to the exit row. Couldn't keep the bags under the seat I'm front and couldn't recline so not sure if it's really an upgrade... my window seat was VERY cold! I watched Argo and tried to sleep. Short layover at KEF - Iceland is weird! No trees at all, just rocks, grasses, and lichens. Our flight to Amsterdam was delayed - waiting for a late plane from JFK. Arrived in Amsterdam (2.5 hour flight), got our bags, and went to find the bus. After some confusion we got our tickets and on the bus. Got off at "Museumplein" and then a 600m walk to The Flying Pig Uptown hostel. Briefly "lost" our bags (someone kindly hauled them up to our floor) then got settled in (top bunk!). I showered then cleaned and Nathan napped and showered. Here the pen color changed as I indicated I stopped writing in order to take a short nap. After our nap we went on a wandering walk through Amsterdam. We first looked for an ATM and then just headed toward the city. Walked past the Hard Rock Cafe (HRC) and then stopped for some food at "Pancake Corner." Had giant pancakes topped with ice cream. Also some yellow "orange" Fanta. It was okay. Kept walking and exploring and finally found an ATM for Nathan. Finally turned and headed back - never really got lost. Another nap, a short walk, and then back to the hostel bar for WiFi, pizza, and Coke (& vodka for Nathan). Made semi plans for the next day then off to bed (after reading Chris Kluwe's book for a bit).
July 5:
Got up at 9am, got dressed, and went down for free breakfast. Chocolate flake cereal, toast with peanut butter, and a not great undercooked hardboiled egg. Back to the room for a bit then down again for the free city tour at 10:30. Again I took a break here and picked up after the tour. We really just got hauled to the dam square for the Sandemann's tour at 11:15. The tour was great. Nathan is telling me to write that I'm eating old BK fries. Tour: guide was Kate, walked thru the red light district and the old church. Scantily clad ladies in the window. Church and district had good business sense - could pre pay for sins. Passed coffee shops and Chinatown, the highest point in Amsterdam (3m above sea level), the porch weigh station, cannabis museum, break for lunch at meeting point on Amstel dam/Royal palace/white monument (we ate at BK and got charged 0.50 euro for ketchup!). Also went outside the cheese shop - 2 year old cheese and I won distribution duty/leftovers. Ended outside the Anne Frank house and the tallest church. Nathan and I went to Paradox coffee shop and had cake and Coke with two people from the tour (Leon and Winni from Perth). Took a walk through Vondelpark (right next to hostel). Ponds and lots of people. Took a 2 hour nap then went on the river cruise canal tour - audio guides, narrow turns, tight bridges, house boats, and (no offense Amsterdamers) nasty Heineken beers. After we split the tastiest hot dog and stopped at the HRC for a pin. We then walked to the red light district which was packed full of people. A long walk back, had to stop at McDonalds for a toilet. Footsore and tired muscles mean shower and bed.
Okay this task is very daunting. So I'm going to stop here and pick up again later.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Rainy Day in May
Well it hasn't quite been a month, so I'll call this a win!
I have become a lazy slob. No, seriously, I've barely been biking at all (other than to/from work) since two weekends ago. On that weekend I biked a lot - to work (2.3 miles), to a potential place to live next year (2.4 miles), back home (4.4 miles). Then I biked from my house to Nathan's (12.3 miles HOWEVER I got lost and went an extra 2.2 miles). That was all just on Friday (total = 23.6 miles)! Then on Saturday Nathan and I biked back to my place (another 12.3 miles, no getting lost this time!). On Sunday I biked from Nathan's to Anoka where my mom and sister were having a spaghetti feed fundraiser (for the 3-day walk for breast cancer) - that was 15.9 miles. So for that one weekend I biked 51.8 miles, and that felt like a lot. Over three days. I haven't done nearly that much since then, and in exactly a month I will be biking three times that much over 2 days. I am so screwed! I did order bike shorts - that were "delivered" but I never received so now I'm dealing with USPS to get that sorted out. I also took Addy on a bike ride - that was fun for me but not so much for her! I think I'm going to try to get her used to it, it was fun!
Finding a place to live has also been vexing. I'm pretty committed to one girl to room with, but she has a 75# dog that is making it difficult to find a place. At least for only 2 people, and it has been incredibly difficult convincing a third person to join us. We've had 2 people turn us down and 1 just completely ignore our request. Disheartening to say the least, especially because I found a seemingly perfect place (that I biked to) that has 3 BR. It's $1250/mo, which is good for 3 people but a bit steep for 2.
Europe has been fun, but challenging. There is just so much to plan! And I'm definitely not one to just get there and "wing it." I did that on the cruise with Nathan for the most part and that meant that most of the stops were spent wandering aimlessly. I don't plan on making that mistake again, but it does mean a lot of research to do. So far I have hostels and travel booked for Amsterdam, London, Paris, Rome, Florence, Venice, and Vienna. Still have to get things setup for Prague, Berlin, and Copenhagen. I did book my flight home though, so I will be back in the States on August 16, just in time for my sister's bachelorette party on the 17th (that's been another mess in itself, but not really worth mentioning). Haven't booked any tours or attractions or planned anything in detail yet though, that's still on the to do list.
Work has also been fun, but challenging. I've been writing a protocol paper on a protocol I've never done before, so that was interesting. In more of the fun category, I've finally started working with mice again! Yep, less than 2 months left and I finally start a mouse project. Working with the mouse people at the U has been a challenge - getting card access to all the restricted areas a hassle, not to mention all the quarantine rules, but it brings back good memories of working at the VA. Just the good ones, because no one was ever being mean when the mice were out.
My classes have been proceeding along. I am so excited to be done with Chemistry - easily the worst class I've taken since graduating. Each test is 20 multiple choice questions, generally ones that require a lot of equation making and solving long problems with multiple steps, with easy places to mess up. And of course the answers you get if you mess up a single step are all potential choices - and no partial credit. So if I solve the entire problem but forget to subtract at the end (say I solved for the amount of gas released and the question asks for the amount of gas left) I get it wrong and lose the same amount of points as someone who just completely guesses. It's completely disheartening, and I almost always run out of time on these tests - usually I'm a fast test-taker. Right now I'm averaging a B in the class, but the final is worth about a third of my grade and of course it's cumulative. Ugh. On the other end of the spectrum, Physics has been a breeze. I don't know why, but physics just makes perfect sense. All you have to do is find the right equations and input the numbers and bam, answer. It's probably all the algebra. Anyway, my physics final is on Saturday and my chemistry final is on Tuesday. So one week from today I'll be done with classes until vet school! That's pretty exciting.
I think the weather has finally started to normalize. We haven't had snow in over a week! At least here, but down in Rochester they had a ridiculous amount of snow last week (well over a foot). Mom's car got stuck in the driveway - and this was in May. It's raining tonight, but rain is acceptable to me. Just no more snow. It was supposed to be thunderstorming, but I haven't heard any yet.
Here's hoping I don't fail my finals, can find a place to live next year, and get everything figured out before I leave the country!
I have become a lazy slob. No, seriously, I've barely been biking at all (other than to/from work) since two weekends ago. On that weekend I biked a lot - to work (2.3 miles), to a potential place to live next year (2.4 miles), back home (4.4 miles). Then I biked from my house to Nathan's (12.3 miles HOWEVER I got lost and went an extra 2.2 miles). That was all just on Friday (total = 23.6 miles)! Then on Saturday Nathan and I biked back to my place (another 12.3 miles, no getting lost this time!). On Sunday I biked from Nathan's to Anoka where my mom and sister were having a spaghetti feed fundraiser (for the 3-day walk for breast cancer) - that was 15.9 miles. So for that one weekend I biked 51.8 miles, and that felt like a lot. Over three days. I haven't done nearly that much since then, and in exactly a month I will be biking three times that much over 2 days. I am so screwed! I did order bike shorts - that were "delivered" but I never received so now I'm dealing with USPS to get that sorted out. I also took Addy on a bike ride - that was fun for me but not so much for her! I think I'm going to try to get her used to it, it was fun!
Finding a place to live has also been vexing. I'm pretty committed to one girl to room with, but she has a 75# dog that is making it difficult to find a place. At least for only 2 people, and it has been incredibly difficult convincing a third person to join us. We've had 2 people turn us down and 1 just completely ignore our request. Disheartening to say the least, especially because I found a seemingly perfect place (that I biked to) that has 3 BR. It's $1250/mo, which is good for 3 people but a bit steep for 2.
Europe has been fun, but challenging. There is just so much to plan! And I'm definitely not one to just get there and "wing it." I did that on the cruise with Nathan for the most part and that meant that most of the stops were spent wandering aimlessly. I don't plan on making that mistake again, but it does mean a lot of research to do. So far I have hostels and travel booked for Amsterdam, London, Paris, Rome, Florence, Venice, and Vienna. Still have to get things setup for Prague, Berlin, and Copenhagen. I did book my flight home though, so I will be back in the States on August 16, just in time for my sister's bachelorette party on the 17th (that's been another mess in itself, but not really worth mentioning). Haven't booked any tours or attractions or planned anything in detail yet though, that's still on the to do list.
Work has also been fun, but challenging. I've been writing a protocol paper on a protocol I've never done before, so that was interesting. In more of the fun category, I've finally started working with mice again! Yep, less than 2 months left and I finally start a mouse project. Working with the mouse people at the U has been a challenge - getting card access to all the restricted areas a hassle, not to mention all the quarantine rules, but it brings back good memories of working at the VA. Just the good ones, because no one was ever being mean when the mice were out.
My classes have been proceeding along. I am so excited to be done with Chemistry - easily the worst class I've taken since graduating. Each test is 20 multiple choice questions, generally ones that require a lot of equation making and solving long problems with multiple steps, with easy places to mess up. And of course the answers you get if you mess up a single step are all potential choices - and no partial credit. So if I solve the entire problem but forget to subtract at the end (say I solved for the amount of gas released and the question asks for the amount of gas left) I get it wrong and lose the same amount of points as someone who just completely guesses. It's completely disheartening, and I almost always run out of time on these tests - usually I'm a fast test-taker. Right now I'm averaging a B in the class, but the final is worth about a third of my grade and of course it's cumulative. Ugh. On the other end of the spectrum, Physics has been a breeze. I don't know why, but physics just makes perfect sense. All you have to do is find the right equations and input the numbers and bam, answer. It's probably all the algebra. Anyway, my physics final is on Saturday and my chemistry final is on Tuesday. So one week from today I'll be done with classes until vet school! That's pretty exciting.
I think the weather has finally started to normalize. We haven't had snow in over a week! At least here, but down in Rochester they had a ridiculous amount of snow last week (well over a foot). Mom's car got stuck in the driveway - and this was in May. It's raining tonight, but rain is acceptable to me. Just no more snow. It was supposed to be thunderstorming, but I haven't heard any yet.
Here's hoping I don't fail my finals, can find a place to live next year, and get everything figured out before I leave the country!
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