Monday, May 17, 2004
Back from the Black Hole
Alright, I'm done with finals, I'm done coughing my lungs out and I've done my dishes and vacuumed my apartment. Does this mean I'll be back blogging on a regular basis? Maybe. I still have three loads of laundry to do, I'm still recovering from being sick which means I have a lot of weight to re-gain so I have to eat eat eat, and I have to tend to my garden which is finally sprouting some herbs and lettuce. (Tomatoes, beans and peppers will come later. . .)
Ahh, what's new? I started my Geographic Information Systems (GIS)workshop today, which I'm finally getting elective credit for. It's pretty cool--we're learning how to put all kinds of data, including topographical features, water sources, residences, vegetation cover, disease cases etc., into integrative map programs to visualize and analyze cool things like disease outbreaks. Maps are fun, especially if you're a nerd! The neat part is that there's some great software and data resources (like satellite photography) resulting from decades of military R&D, and now tree-hugging pacifist geeks like me can use the same technology for environmental, public health and conservation projects! The irony.
I started my
pet column job a few weeks ago and it's fun. What's nice is that I get to talk to the clinicians who are practicing hands-on research and medicine. After being in the classroom eight hours a day, it's nice to be reminded that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. So now I get to write and get paid for it. Although the journalist-style interviewing and writing will take ne a while to master. . .
Anyway, here's a factoid I learned from one of my clinician interviews: did you know that until this year, there were no standards designated by AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) for post-surgical pain management? Meaning that if your pet went in for an invasive surgery, no pain killers were required as the pet recovered from anesthesia. . . How would you like to wake up without any drugs after after getting
your gonads removed? Sheesh!
I start taking care of some snails this week form my research project, then in a couple weeks I get to go a' hunting for tadpoles in the local ponds! Fun stuff.
