penny is....a mess!

So, most of you are familiar with my sweet Penny girl. She turned 2 in June :) This is my favorite "baby" photo of her [I can't help but repost it every once in a while, okay?!?!]

Seriously - is that not one of the cutest puppy photos that was ever taken? In the history of puppy pics? I know, I'm biased :)

Anyway, most of you have been with me for a while, and might remember her slew of health problems in that first year. Kennel cough --> pnemonia --> mange --> urinary tract infection --> allergies, then miraculously all cleared up in November or so. It's been quite a while since we have had any health problems with her, but this status took a turn for the worse right when I started school. 

Poor puppy did not take me going back to school very well. I think she was quite comfortable with the routine we had developed around here - which was, I worked 3 nights a week and was home with her most of the rest of the time :) Now, I am gone for at least 10 hour days 5 days each week. Let's just say it turns out she doesn't adjust well to significant routine changes. Within days of me starting, she started to get sick --- a testimony to the fact that stress reduces the capabilities of your immune system!

First, her separation anxiety problems shot through the roof! I mean, she ATE our backyard gate. Like beaver style. Like I came home and the bottom of the gate was missing, and only shards of wood remained. 

Then, before I had a chance to fix the gate, she escaped out of it. Luckily our townhome maintenance guy has my phone number and called me at school to notify me that my "brown dog is running around." You might think I'm an idiot for not fixing the gate, but honestly, it waslike 8 inches of space, and I did not think she'd be able to get out! She's foxier [and more determined to find me] than I ever know, it turns out! So, I raced home to find her, heart pumping out of my chest because I was SO scared she was going to run away in her desperation to find me or get hit by a car or something. When I got home and flung open the door to the backyard, there she was. *sigh* At least she returns home when she escapes, eh? So then I got really mad at her because I was so worried and then I felt like an asshole because she only did it because I threw this huge schedule change in her face and she freaked out because she loves me. I felt especially bad when she looked at me like this all night:

 Puppies do say "sorry, mom" when they know they've been naughty. 

So then she started sneezing. And having goopy eyes. And coughing, or "reverse-sneezing" according to the vet. Excuse me but what the hell is a reverse sneeze?!?! So we got her some meds. No help. Then we started giving her some Benadryl. Ta-da, no goopy eyes! Then she started eating the pads of her feet. To the point where they were all bloody :( Poor thing. So then we made her these protective booties til we could take her to the vet again:

Then she got put on steriods and antibiotics. Ta-da! All better! Then, as we started tapering off the steroids, her hair has started falling out. And with the hair falling out came flaky skin, scabs, and darkening of the skin in the center of the circles where she was losing hair. CRAP. I have been really stressed out about this, but I'm praying it's still allergies. She's now on a prescription dog food [$70/bag --- NOT CHEAP], antibiotics, fish oil for her coat, benadryl, and a coat creme and spray. She is medically high-maintenance to say the least. Thank goodness Gryffin is just chillin. She had a skin scrape - no mites. Had a fungal/ringworm test, and we're still awaiting those results. But I'm sure Gryff or Tyler or I would have ringworm by now if that's what it is. 

Taking her to the vet again this morning to show the docs the progress of her skin issues. And I don't mean positive progress. I mean, it has spread SO far. She's lost so much hair. Then she licks the wounds because the skin is irritated. So I have had to put her in t-shirts to help discourage the licking. While she likes this MUCH better than the cone of shame, she still is annoyed with me. But she does look pretty cute in t-shirts.

And that is the summer saga of Penny. Unfortunately, it's not even close to being over I don't think. [okay and how dumb am I? I watched Marley & Me last night! I was BAWLING my eyes out...]

Has anyone had pets with severe allergies? Either environmental or food related? If so, please tell me how it got resolved!!! 

Prayers for my sweet puppy would also be REALLY appreciated!!!! Thank you :)

Cheers [and off to the vet!]

the hunger games

Howdy! 

Today I took Part 1 of my Anatomy FINAL [Hallelujah!!!], and I have declared the rest of today a closed book/notes day! Now, let me tell you a little bit about the hold Anatomy has taken on my life this summer. 2 hours of Anatomy lecture 4 mornings each week. 8 hours of scheduled dissection lab per week. But, you see, this part is sneaky. They schedule you for 8 hours, but one week my lab group actually spent 22 hours in lab. I keep waiting for that to be comical to me, but it's still too soon ;) 

Dissection lab was such an incredible opportunity for me for SO many reasons. Obviously, I learned a hellofalot! Like, a lot a lot. I am incapable of learning anything else right now, so don't bother to try to get me to listen to anything you might need me to remember later, because I most likely won't even comprehend what you are saying. It is such a blessing that my PA Program [yeah, for you new readers, I started school to become a Physician Assistant in June] has such an incredible lab opportunity. I am so grateful for the body donors for choosing to let me become educated so well on the human body. Being thrown into an interesting/uncomfortable-at-first situation such as cadaver dissection with 3 strangers also forces pretty quick bonding. So, from this experience, I made 3 really wonderful friends. What better way to get to know someone than stick them in a lab together for hours upon hours?!?! But here is a picture of my lab group, affectionately known as "Team Dubs" because we're the W last names in our class :)

This picture cracks me up, it's our typical attitudes during lab. Clearly, I was irritated often enough to earn the reputation a the one with attitude. Haha :)

Anyway [you know how I like my tangents], my point in explaining the time commitment of Anatomy to you is that it has kind of taken over my life. I was reading Anatomy terms/study guides every night before bed, and often dreaming about it. I even would startle awake in the middle of the night by a single anatomical word that seemed to be screaming at me in my head. Sound asleep one second, then "GUBERNACULUM!" and I was awake.

I mean, as nice as body parts are, I got pretty tired of thinking about Anatomy even in my sleep. So I decided to do a bit of light leisure reading before bed. I was thinking I would read for maybe 15 minutes each night just to calm my brain a bit, and direct it to thinking about other things. So I picked up The Hunger Games, a book I bought months ago that has been sitting oh-so-patiently on my bookshelf. Well, turns out that book is not the kind you read calmly for 15 minutes before bed! It is a *page turner*!!! I'm talking on the same level as Angels and Demons or Harry Potter #6. Oh yeah. I ended up reading it in 4 days just so that I could focus on studying again haha. I adored it! And here is my book review for you:

The Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins

 Sometime in the future [no, this book isn't strange sci-fi futuristic], North America is destroyed by natural disasters. The surviving people live in Panem, a nation divided into a Capitol and twelve districts. The Capitol maintains its power over the districts in every way possible, and namely they do so by controlling the food available to its people. One way the Capitol asserts its power is to mandate the annual Hunger Games, a brutal fight-to-the-death between 24 of the districts' children. 

One girl and one boy from each district are chosen by lottery to go fight in these nation-wide televised games. Out of the 24 contestants, only 1 can survive. Katniss Everdeen is the book's protagonist. A 16-year-old girl who comes from extreme poverty seems the most unlikely of champions. She, and a classmate named Peeta, are chosen to represent their district in the Hunger Games. The desolate arena in which they are dropped into to fight for their lives holds every form of danger imaginable - and beyond. 


This book reminds me a bit of a cross between The Giver and 1984. It is suspenseful, involves a love story, yet is a wonderfully easy read. Central themes include the fight for self-preservation - both instinctually and societally. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a gripping read! Plus, The Hunger Games is coming out as a movie in March of 2012, and the cast looks phenomenal!You'd better read it before it comes to theaters!


The Hunger Games was my read #9 of 2011 [I think I might hit my goal of 12 books!], and it is actually the first of 3 in the series. I requested the sequels Catching Fire and Mockingjay from my school's interlibrary loan, and I can't wait to read them!!!


Anything exceptional you've read lately?
Cheers [to great lit!]

after all this craziness

HELLO!!!

I have been DYING to blog this summer! I can't believe it's been 2 months since I have! But, I have been trying really really hard to focus on PA school [and thus far, it's been paying off!!!], so that meant no blogging and no cable [say WHAT?!?!] this summer. But I have finals today, tomorrow, Mon, and Tues, then a glorious mini summer vacation. Tomorrow afternoon I plan on taking some time off from studying to catch up on you lovelies and also catch you up on my hectic summer! Including: how everything is going with school, Naggie update, book review [The Hunger Games!], and pictures of the fun I have managed to squeeze in this summer. And for those of you who don't know --- I had a drastic hair change a few weeks ago! This once-uber-blonde has officially joined the dark side :) 

I've missed you :)

Thanks for sticking with me during my summer lull of blogging!

Hope summer has been beautiful for each of you!

Come back tomorrow afternoon so we can catch up!

Cheers!

the best potato soup you'll ever have

Hi there folks! In an effort to avoid studying, and while I am waiting til 10am so I can buy Big Gig tix to see Blink 182 and My Chemical Romance, I am posting the promised recipe and book review. 

*** This soup is one of my favorite meals ever, and my husband is the best at making it. We originally found a recipe similar to this years ago, but have since tweaked it to make it our own. You will enjoy it --- I promise :) 

Creamy Potato and Green Chili Soup

Ingredients: {we ALWAYS double this recipe so we can enjoy leftovers!!!}

4 medium potatoes

1/2 lb green chilis, frozen and chopped

1 medium onion

2 tbsp butter

1 can cream of mushroom soup

16 ounces chicken broth

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp cayenne pepper {omit if you don't want spice, or if you like it spicy like us, double the amount!}

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions:

Cube potatoes into 1 inch squares and place in a 4-quart pot. Slice onion and pour in chicken broth and add enough water to just cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for about 30 minutes.

*** don't be concerned if your potatoes stick to the bottom a bit. Whether they are peeled or not, some will stick. While it's best to stir a little bit here and there, you do NOT want to scrape the burned part off the bottom of the pan while the soup is cooking. Just leave that layer be, otherwise you will get burned flavor in your soup.

Add the remaining ingredients except for 1 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of flour. Mix the remaining milk and flour; pour into soup mixture and simmer for another 30 minutes. Top with shredded cheddar cheese {and crumbled bacon if you'd like!} and serve with crackers, bread, or cornbread.

Makes 4 servings.

If you make this, let me know! I hope you like it :) We had a rainy/gray day here last week and it was perfect for that day!

On to the book review...

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

It is 1937 in Shanghai, China, and two sisters, Pearl and May, seem to have it all. Riches, beauty, fashion, fun, boys... until their father reveals to them that he has lost all his money {and their savings} gambling. In a deal with a local gang, he has sold them as brides to some men from Los Angeles. Meanwhile, the war between China and Japan begins, and they find themselves torn between staying in a war-ridden country and heading to an unknown country to fulfill their duty of the arranged marriages. The trials these two face are numerous and insanely difficult. But through it all, they have each other.

This book addresses issues like the effects war has on people and a country, discrimination, social and family heirarchies, secrets meant to protect loved ones, and the roles fate and destiny have in our lives. 

It's a good and intriguing read. If you have a sister, the intense bond the two main characters share will remind you of the competitive yet loving relationships you most likely share with your sister. 

Aaaand Lisa See just released her follow-up to this book! So I am really looking forward to that :) And for those of you who are counting, that was book #8 for me for 2011. My goal is 12 books this year :) I'm thankful I got 8 finished before I started school! Because who knows when I'll get the chance to read my final 4!!!

Have you read any good books lately?

Cheers :)

been missing you :)

Hello, friends!!! {new and old :) }

I apologize for my blogging hiatus --- seems to be a problem of mine lately! It has been crazy in my life lately! Neighbor issues {to put it mildly}...which I didn't want to vent about here, so I kind of avoided my blog altogether I suppose. Apologies --- I hope you forgive me :)

I had my LAST day of work on May 27th! With that last day came a lot of mixed emotions. I felt sadness that I wouldn't be working where I did anymore --- because I have never had a job where I learned so much and also made such incredible friends. I love my Rose girls deeply :) They are such a wonderful team, and I will miss them dearly. Another aspect to moving on from one chapter in life is the fear that you won't be able to maintain those bonds you made previously. I sincerely hope I am able to remain friends with these crazy girls, because my life wouldn't be the same without them!

While I was sad, I have to admit that it was also pretty awesome to be done with work! I was eagerly anticipating the start of PA School! Some days my nerves got the best of me, but I knew I was working toward the career I want. For those of you who don't know, PA is Physician Assistant. They are comparable to NPs {Nurse Practitioners}, and work with physicians in any setting you could possibly imagine. Chances are really really good that you have seen a PA at least once in your Doctor's office, and you probably didn't even know it {often people assume PAs are MDs}! Anyhoo :)

I had orientation last Thursday and Friday, and then really got into my classes on Monday! I have successfully made it through my first week, and it was HECTIC! But exactly what I signed up for :) Anatomy is I.N.T.E.N.S.E. Along with my other 3 lab partners, we have a total of 10 weeks to dissect a human cadaver from head to toe. Did I mention it's face-paced? Thus far it has been an incredible experience. Body bits and formaldehyde aside, it's super fun! I am pretty excited to have the opportunity to do this. All of my new classmates {class of 44, 38 girls : 6 guys} are awesome, and I think we're going to be a tight-knit crew, whether we like it or not, here pretty quickly! 

So I will be mad crazy woman busy, immersed in anatomy, for the next 9 weeks. And I'm sure my "summer" will fly by in a flash! But I think blogging gives me a minute to slow down, organize my thoughts, and put things into perspective. So I hope I take the time to do it :)

Along with the start of PA school came a sad goodbye --- to cable television, on demand, and my dvr. If you know me, you know I'm a girl who has MY SHOWS! In the last 2 years while my husband has been diligently studying to become a doctor, I have been working 3 nights/week as a CNA...and then not a whole lot else. Which gave me lots and lots of time for mah showwzzz. I love TV. Like seriously. But I knew that once I started school: A) I wouldn't realistically have the time to watch tv. B) If I did find the time to watch tv, then that meant I was using it as a distraction tactic. And that = fail. So I decided to get rid of it all together. Yeah like we don't even have our digital converter set up. I literally haven't watched tv since May 31st. I feel like a recovering addict or something...

So that's a little update in my life! The dogs are definitely pissed that I'm in school for 9 hour days, because up to this point they have been ridiculously spoiled when it comes to having mom or dad at home with them. With Tyler home at night, and me home at day {I worked nights, remember?} they rarely had to be alone! So they are coping by being leechpuppies as soon as I come home from school and digging up the backyard while I'm gone. Thank goodness our backyard sucks and only has rocks, dirt, and that poor poor tree {the one Penny destroyed last summer...}. So I don't really care if they dig. 

But I just wanted to update everyone since I got a few comments from friends along the lines of "Where the hell have you been on your blog?" and "I miss reading your blog!" :) I'm alive and well, just busy! 

I did finish reading the book Shanghai Girls last night, and I also want to share our INCREDIBLE {I simply cannot be modest in this instance} potato green chili recipe with you. I have been craving it, and my wonderful husband made it for me for dinner last night! What a catch :) So stay tuned for my recipe and book review post tomorrow!

What have YOU been up to this summer?

Cheers to our new experiences :)

update + funny puppy video!

First of all: finally, at loooong last I have finished The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, the third book in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series. I think you've probably seen my reviews on the first two installments, and I was less than impressed with them. I figured I ought to finish off the series though, considering the second book ends in the middle of some pretty good action.The third book follows Lisbeth Salander during her recovery from brain surgery and as she tries to prove her innocence in the crimes she was arrested for in the second book. She and Michael Blomkvist are ruthless in the tactics they use to bring down a corrupt secret political agency responsible for stealing years of Lisbeth's freedom and life from her. This book was my favorite of the three, and I'm glad I read the series so that I could have an opinion on them. Definitely not even on my Top 20 favorite books. And I'm proud to say I have now completed 7 books thus far in 2011. Beating my one book/month goal, which is good considering I'll be up to my ears in medical books come June! I'm sure I'll fall behind on my leisure reading soon enough...

As for my impending doom, I mean education opportunities...I am super nervous yet excited for what is to come! It is now May...which means I start school next month! June 1 I will start the path to become a Physician Assistant! All my textbooks have arrived, my order for medical equipment is in...eeeek!

Anyhoo. Stressful future-life-ahead-of-me aside...Tyler and I celebrated our wedding anniversary last week! He had a long day at the hospital {3rd year medical student on his neurology clinical rotation}, but when he got home we went to the gym and then went to Lala's Wine Bar & Pizzeria --- one of our favorite Denver restaurants! We love it there! Casual yet delicious, affordable yet divine! Mmmmm. The restaurant even comped our dessert since it was our anniversary :) Here are some pics from our date night out!

Wine flights for $12 --- yes please!

Cheese & Salami Plate. Salivating right now.

Also, a funny update on the puppy front. My coworker gave me an educational treat-dispensing toy for dogs. Her cute little pug didn't like it so much, so it was gifted to my furbabies! We originally thought Gryffin would be all over it, since he likes to be such a busy guy all the time...but turns out Penny was the one who was ALL ABOUT IT! Haha. She is obsessed. Here is a video of her playing with this toy for the second time.

I think she needs to go a few steps up on the difficulty level! Do any of you have toys like these for your dogs? Which brands/ones would you recommend? 

Hope you all are having a great start to May and I hope you all have very blessed weeks!

Cheers ---

my response to celebrating death

As I am sure you are all aware, tonight it was broadcasted as a special news alert that Osama Bin Laden, leader of the Al Qaeda, is dead. Responsible party: the USA. Tyler and I were just sitting down with our bowls of pasta for dinner when I turned on the TV to find this news alert. My initial response was just disbelief. It has been almost 10 years since September 11, 2001, the day that started a chain of events that have spiraled into more involvement/occupation of countries in the Middle East than I ever thought would happen. It was also because of that day that the name Osama Bin Laden became familiar to every American citizen. Over the years, he has come to be the face of terrorism. A name people say with hate and disdain.

No doubt, he was an awful man. Responsible for the deaths of thousands of people. Innocent people. Americans as well as people in his own country. Men, women, and children. It seems he did not really discriminate against who he killed. He caused more pain and suffering in this world than is imaginable. It is a good thing he will not have the ability to wreak havoc ever again.

However glad I am that he is unable to continue his "work", this moment is still bittersweet for me. I can't bring myself to celebrate triumphantly in the streets. I think we should only celebrate the beautiful and joyous occasions in life, categories of which death can never be a part of. I hope that Osama's death can allow for closure for those who lost family and friends to 9/11 and its aftermath. I hope that some can rest easier and that this can be a new beginning for peace to reign over terrorism.

However idyllic my sentiments are, I am not completely naive. I do realize that the death of this man does not mean that Al Qaeda will stop operating altogether. Terrorism will continue to exist in various forms across the world. And honestly, my first formed thought upon hearing of this death was, "What will their retaliation be?" 

I thought President Obama's speech in response to the news alert was wonderful. He spoke with pride and wisdom. Tonight, I am proud to be an American. But not because we killed a man.

 

As someone with multiple friends and a brother in service to the country, I recognize and honor the sacrifices individuals and families have made to fight for freedom and peace {as paradoxical as that very phrase is...}. I am thankful for the bravery of those who put their safety on the line to guarantee everybody else's. I could feel the collective sigh of relief American citizens breathed upon hearing the news, and I can only hope and pray that today's events mark a positive tomorrow.

That is all.

Sorry for the rambles, I just felt the need to share my thoughts :)

cheers.

Disclosures: I don't claim to be an expert in politics or the happenings of the war(s). I realize this is a very controversial topic, of which there are vastly differing opinions. Feel free to comment and share your opinion, but don't take this post as an opportunity to be rude to me for sharing mine. Thanks.