Playing catch up

Sometimes the entire concept of time just leaps past me. I was gently reminded today that I have a blog in which I had not written in some time. Upon further investigation it seemed that I had managed to allow an entire semester to go by without a single post. This post will consist of what is sure to be a feeble attempt at literacy as well as to catch up with what has happened in the last 5 months!
In January I began My 3rd semester of veterinary school taking classes such as Bacteriology, Virology, Pharmacology, and Pathology. This is justly nicknamed the "year of the dreaded -ologies". I enjoyed most of the classes right up until about the beginning of March when all of a sudden there was a landslide of information from every class with enough memorization for several years of study but only 6 weeks to lean it all. I am very grateful that my early grades game me a bit of a buffer since I needed every inch of it during finals week.
One day while driving down my street toward (I forget where honestly so we will just go with school) school, I came across a small puppy wandering along the side of the road. I stopped the car and looked around to see if there was anyone nearby whom she belonged to. After seeing no one I tried calling the pup as she was heading currently toward a very busy street and locals here are more likely to swerve to hit dogs rather than avoid them (One of the very sad truths about this island that makes me excited to be back home). To my surprise the pup trotted toward me and let me pick her up. Since my car is actually just a soft top samurai jeep, and I didn't want to risk her jumping out while I drove, I walked with her in my arms back to my house. Along with being lethargic and underweight she was also riddled with parasites. We pulled probably 75 or more ticks off of her the first night (first pic).

At first I swore up and down that I was not going to keep her, but slowly after no one else I knew was looking for a dog, she (and Shawn) wore me down. Her name is Leeloo (after the redhead from the Fifth Element). Yesterday she got spayed and in November Shawn will come here to St Kitts and spend a month with me before taking her back to California with him. She will be Shawn's dog as per our agreement, but since Shawn is mine I guess that makes her mine as well.
I had a fantastic few weeks off at the end of april, during the first week I was able to travel home to see many of my friends who I've been missing terribly. I also got to hang for a bit with my so-cal fam and hit up Disneyland with Shawn which is always a good time, got a tour of New Deal studios and got to hang out with the amazing Fon Davis (Creative director, stop motion expert as seen in likes of Star Wars, The nightmare before christmas and Coraline movies, he is a practical effect goad along with being just a fun and irresistibly sweet guy). Also got to meet the fabulous Peter Rubin (finally as we've been FB friends now for a while), had a great dinner and chatted until all hours. you may remember seeing some of the 3D on screen renderings that came out of his brain if you saw the newest superman movie. All those great shots of "Krypton" and the throne room there as well as the capsule that takes the baby to earth. Yep. Those were all his doing. We also got a chance to get all dressed up and attend a super fun masquerade ball in Brea, Ca.

Shawn.

Fon Davis and Friend

Pictures hanging in New Deal studios showing how they created
the "growing" effect for Alice in the live action Alice in Wonderland film

Shawn, myself, and Fon at LORE masquerade ball

The second week I mainly spent hanging around and helping Shawn in his shop as he worked on his ED-209 Robocop enforcement droid replica for the Bay Area Maker Faire. I learned how to lay up fiberglass and helped with some of the drill work for detail pieces. I can now proudly say that somewhere in the world there is an Enforcement Droid with my name on it.

laying up fiberglass

Showing off the toes

At the Maker Faire all done
With Shawn and his last project
Iron man

Compared to the toy

My name's on here

This semester is proving to be much more interesting than the last but 3 times busier right at the start. Got involved once again in helping in the Mr. RUSVM competition. Proud to say that this was our semester and green (my semester color) had the winning contestant (my good friend Walt).

Dressed as Alice for a "malpractice" skit

Hanging out before the skit

Being taken off stage (pushed by Jordan) by one of our Zombies (Rhett) 

We are about to start our 4th week of class and have already had the first set of "mini blocks". A mini block is a combination exam of two classes in one test. This is to prepare us for later semesters when all of our classes will test at the same time (blocks). Classes for this semester include Pathology 2, Pharmacology 2, Mechanisms of Disease, Clinical Pathology, and Public Health and Epidemiology. If all goes well, by august, I will officially be a "3rd year" vet student. :) All in all I am happy and doing well. I count myself very lucky to have so many support systems of close friends, as an amazing boyfriend who loves and supports me daily. Hopefully more soon (but no promises!)