Springtime!

I love Spring! the weather is not too hot, nor too cold. Perfect.

The scenery is also perfect.

Our backyard:

Kailua:

Sunset beach:

Sunrise in our backyard:

Family Efforts

This semester Seth and I are making efforts to exercise. So of course, Fatty, feeling left out, has decided he has a few pounds to shed. Usually I have to lift his fat body over the wall leading down to the beach, but today he tried (and successfully) made it over on his own, by using his weight to swing himself over the wall. It takes him a good 30 seconds to a minute to shuffle enough fat over the wall to swing himself over.

It was honestly the saddest/funniest thing to watch.

Of course he learned and perfected this technique at our old place:


Such a crafty critter.

Baby Lacey

I got these pictures from my dad.

I looked like a hairless asian baby boy when I was little.

See the top blue ring? That was my best friend for years. My dad told me that my parents still have it.

This is my sister Noelle and I at Grandma's house in Honolulu. Noelle was so chubby!!!! haha.

I can't figure out what I'm holding in my hand. Any ideas?

Since my last post was so sad, I thought I would post some good news:

-One of my oldest and best friends is getting married to a great guy. I couldn't be happier to hear that!

-Got an A on my first exam of the semester.

- swimming to Chinaman's hat in a few days.

-Going on a new hike this weekend.

-I'm going to eat a delicious sandwich today.

Have a good day!

What a day!

Today I pretty much witnessed the saddest thing.

This morning when I went to the zoo, the vet tech told me and my coworker that we had a brush tail rock wallaby in quarantine today.
These are the only kinds of wallabies on the Hawaiian islands. Someone had found it caught in pig snare in the mountain area and had brought it in for care. I was excited to see him! We always start off the day cleaning the quarantine cages and feeding and giving meds to the animals. So Quinn and I went to go see him, only to find the saddest situation we had ever seen.

The pig snare had just mutilated this poor guy's leg. His leg just showed about 2-3 inches of completely exposed bone, and the surrounding flesh was so incredibly swollen and infected. All of the muscles, arteries and veins, and nerves were completely torn up. Sorry to paint such a gruesome picture for you, but thats how awful it was. Not only that, but when I went in his cage to feed him, he didn't even move. Thats saying a lot for a wild animal that isn't exposed to humans often, if at all. He was lying on his side, motionless. The vet tech came to help him up, but as soon as she let go, the wallaby just fell, and started to twitch his leg. then he started to drag his head on the ground, and his eye began to twitch, and it seemed like he had some sort of neural problem or something. Quinn and I had to move him over to the next cage, and he didn't care if we touched him, or picked him up. It was so sad. You could tell he was in so much pain.

The absolute worst part, was that instantly they decided to euthanize him. I mean, I wouldn't want him to live like that, but I guess I'm still not used to the idea of euthanasia. I felt like it was so barbaric. The vet tech picked him up so ... roughly...and then accidently DROPPED him from a couple feet up. I cringed. Then she just casually plopped him down on some portable crate/carrier, and held him down. Then they injected him with the "stuff." I was just standing there with my mouth open. Then I had to sit there and watch the necropsy in the clinic. SO SAD. Ok, I wasn't like all teary-eyed and crying and all that stuff. I just felt a little uncomfortable like it was so barbaric and rough. I know that as a vet you have to make those decisions and do those things, since obviously that poor wallaby couldn't live in that condition. I don't feel like I could ever do that so....easily....or casually. Its so weird thinking that I will have to do that when I go into veterinary medicine.

Anyway--Sorry for such as sad story. I will make sure to post tomorrow. I don't like leaving my last post on an unhappy note!

Here's a brush tail rock wallaby. I couldn't bare to take a picture of the cutie I met today.

Leg trying to steal bone

My friend showed me this in class today. It made me laugh, so I thought I'd post it.

hahah. Cheers.

Student Loans

Is it weird to just forget about student loans you've taken out?
I took out some loans a few years ago and forgot about them. Now I just found out that one of my loans was unsubsidized.....hello, high interest rates!!! Ack. Now that graduation is nearby, I'm all worried about paying these things off. Any suggestions from anyone who has dealt with loans? Can you pay the unsubsidized one off first? It frustrates me to be in debt. I know many many people graduate from school in debt, and that it is quite common, but I'm not exactly sure how to go about handling this. Advice please.

Today I love...

This mascara.

My mom introduced me to this in high school and I have loved it ever since. I admit its a bit more pricey than you're average mascara, but I think you totally get your money's worth. It doesn't clump your eyelashes, and extends them so much! And the mascara lasts forever. I love it! I hardly wear makeup, but I almost always use this. You can find this amazing stuff here.

Growing up

Baloo's 2nd birthday is coming up. Remember when he was itty bitty???

My little fatty has turned into my big fatty.

And I love this fatty. He keeps me company when Seth is gone, and has such a funny personality of his own.
This is my favorite picture of him. It always makes me smile! We found him asleep like this one night. Note the blanket and all the toys. I totally spoiled him.

I heart fatty.

Quickly

Ok, this is going to be quick.

Anyway, school has started again. It actually started on Monday and for some reason I thought it started on Wednesday. School always starts on Wednesday! So I was all excited to spend Monday at the beach or something, and then when I found out about school starting the next day, I was annoyed. BLERG!! Argggg, I soooo wasn't prepared. I didn't have any notebooks, or pens, or textbooks, or anything! And I hated getting up in the morning for my running class since its all rainy and stormy. But I got over it. And school is super easy this term, since I'm just finishing up my GE's. Oh yeah I totally wussed out of my swimming class because its at 9 in the morning and I was too cold and didn't want to get into a bathing suit. Maybe next semester.

Seth works a ton! I never see him, Since I leave at 5:45 am and he gets home at midnight when I'm already asleep. It sucks. It makes weekends so much more fun though since its the only time we can spend together. Fatty loves the extra time with me because I have been taking him for walks. If I even walk over to where his leash is he runs over and sits obediently next to the door!

Oh and good news, I did really well in my classes from last semester. I know weird, huh. Some of my grades were so high I didn't think they were mine! But hey, I'm not going to question them. Just glad its over.

I'm so excited for the summer to come. I'm not sure why, but the idea of having no school and sunny weather with Seth sounds wonderful.

Ciao.

Too Cute

This picture is too precious to not share. Especially for you wiener dog lovers. This is Blitz:

Don't let that cuddly face fool you! He is quite the sneakster and master destroyer of the house.

Easter walk with Fatty

For Easter we decided to take fatty for a Sunday walk behind our house.

I usually take Fatty for walks after school while Seth is at work, so naturally he was so excited that Seth was coming too!


He did some weird things...which is not unusual. Baloo is our entertainment.


On a good day, the scenery behind our house is beautiful


Can't you tell we are the best of friends?

We hardly went a block when Baloo got so tired and slobbery, that Seth had to carry him home, slobber and all.


People stopped to ask if he was ok. haha. In fact I can hear his snorting in the next room right now.

Happy Easter!

I'd like you to meet...

...my animals friends!

Over the past few months working at the zoo I have gotten to know quite a few animals. It is amazing to see how each one has a different personality and different ways of expressing themselves. They are so much fun to be around!
This is Bobble the meerkat.

He is so adorable because his head always "bobbles." He runs sideways and is always falling down, like he has some vertigo problem or something. But he is just so adorable. I love visiting his family!

The meerkat exhibit opens this Tuesday.

This is Azizi and Saphi, African Wild Dogs.


They go crazy when we see them because every time Doc visits them, they get an injection or some sort of treatment that they don't like. So, when they see us or Doc, they get a little agitated. Rightfully so, I guess. They're still adorable!

I don't know the name of this guy, but we found a gigantic spider on his shell. It looked like it was cleaning it. I would die if I found one of these in my house.


This massive guy is Mordecai.

He is HUGE. We actually got to go into the enclosure with Doc and he just started trudging towards us and it was kind of intimidating! Ok, I know, he is just a turtle, but do you really want any of animal that size coming towards you?

This is Speedy, his "girlfriend." She has lots of fluid in her neck. Doc is checking it out.


This is ChaCha the toucan. I love this bird because it is so smart and curious! When you go to her cage and call her name, she will bounce down her branch all the way up to you and just stare at you curiously with her blue eyes. I love visiting her.


These two are Tufi and Olive, the swans. I like these guys because I got to know them on my first day at the zoo. They always stay around each other, and are so cute!



Anyway, I have so much fun getting to see all of these animals every week. Hopefully the next few weeks I can get some more pictures of some other animals...I've really been meaning to get some pictures of the bears and giraffes. More to come next week!

Antibiotic Awareness

One of the most important things that I heave learned in college this year is about the current misuse of antibiotics. Research has shown that most of the common strains of bacteria have grown resistance towards commercial antibiotics. The main cause of this has been due to misuse of antibiotics.

How do we misuse antibiotics? Well the one of the main ways we do is by taking antibiotics when we have a cold. Colds are caused by various viruses, and NO AMOUNT of antibiotics can cure it! You might think that it doesn't cause any harm by taking antibiotics anway, but by taking unnecessary antibiotics, bacteria in your body are able to develop resistance to them and grow stronger, making it more difficult to treat future infections. If you have a cold, the best thing to do is rest and drink lots of fluids---let your immune system fight the cold!
We also misuse antibiotics by not taking the entire prescribed amount of antibiotics when we have a bacterial infection. By not finishing the prescription, and only taking them until you feel better, you are not killing all of the bacteria that caused the infection----instead you are only killing the weaker bacteria, leaving the stronger bacteria left to develop resistance. The next time you have the infection, you will need are larger and stronger dose of antibiotics! (If available!)

Doctors are also giving antibiotics to patients that do not need them. We could say that it is their fault for handing them out when unnecessary, but most doctors were shown to do this because their patients would be upset or feel neglected if the doctor didn't give them some sort of prescription. We can help fight bacterial resistance by not demanding antibiotics when we do not need them, such as when we have a cold or the flu. People need to understand that by taking antibiotics when they're not needed are doing more harm than good!

The scary thing is, that at the rate bacteria are evolving and developing resistance, we might come to an age where common antibiotics will not work anymore. If we don't control the abuse of antibiotic use, we might not be able to treat simple bacterial infections anymore because they have simply grown to become completely resistant to our treatments. We might see a turn of the century where it was like before penicillin was discovered: bacterial infections causing extremely harmful and fatal results, and virtually nothing being able to stop them.

So, the best way to conquer this is to educate ourselves and develop knowledge about the problem. Do something about it: don't misuse antibiotics!

Photoshoot

I really want to have some nice pictures taken of Seth and I while we're still on the island. We met and started our life together here on this island, so its important to me to have some way to remember our time here. Sooooo... does anyone have any suggestions of who to look for as a photographer?

Much thanks.

Here it comes...

FINALS WEEK.

Brace yourself!!...

Monday: Animal Behavior

Tuesday: Senior Bio- Ecology

Wednesday: Human Anatomy-Exam III

Thursday: Adv. Molecular Bio ---And Lab notebook due...yikes!

Friday: Human Anatomy 

I am worried the most about my adv. molecular final, because this class is insane. And the lab notebook is due, and for any of you that know what that notebook entails, then you understand the incredible amount of stuff I have to put together and include in that thing. Now that I think of it, I probably should have taken care of that over this weekend (lllaaaaaaazzzzzzyyyy).

You know for some reason I'm not as stressed out as I thought I would be. I think that I've just got so many things to do and study for, that I've just kinda hazed over from thinking about it all. Kinda like when you upload too many things onto a computer, and it starts to slow down, and then eventually, it crashes. My brain has hit overload. Biology, I hate you. 

BUT.... once this week is over, it is all downhill until graduation. This spring, I'm taking a jogging class for the 3rd time, and a swimming class. Oh and some financial management mumbo jumbo class. I pretty much consider anything anti-biology to be "downhill" for me. 

AND we have a 10 day spring break! And I am going to make sure that is full of relaxation and fun adventure time with my love. Be jealous!

Oh and I made the cookies and cream cupcakes today.
 

I just realized that this is a sucky picture. They were good though, I promise. They have oreos on the inside, and then one on the bottom as a "surprise". Yum. Thanks for the recipe, Katy!

Fashion model

Fatty modeled for me today. These were the results:




Isn't he just the greatest model? ha! The last one is my favorite.