Life and Veterinary Adventures

My brother, Austin, recently took a bus from Milwaukee to stay with me in Chicago for his spring break. We snapped some sibling photos for our mom just before heading to the movies. We saw The Grand Budapest Hotel and we loved it. I love most of Wes Anderson's films, but this one will definitely make you laugh. Go see it if you haven't yet! We also spent a lot of time eating at some of my favorite local spots. Austin got brunch at Flying Saucer while I was at work one day. I love their pancakes. Tristan also took Austin to Jeni's Ice Cream, because how could we not introduce him to some of the best homemade flavors of ice cream? We of course had plenty of pizza, and even ordered Indian food one night. (I'm new to Indian food, too, but this was Austin's first time trying it.) On Sunday, our uncle who also lives in the city, picked us up and took us back to Milwaukee for Easter. We enjoyed a nice dinner with family before heading back to take care of t...

We celebrated the new year at our friend Corey's party. It involved beer pong, dancing, Ke$ha, and champagne at midnight. Cheers to a new year!

This Christmas was really great. It started off with Tristan's work's holiday party on a boat at Navy Pier. It was so much fun. I took advantage of the open bar, danced with friends, and took lots of silly photos at the photo booth. The party theme was Yacht Rock, by the way... My work party was an ugly sweater party at a bowling alley (and not nearly as exciting) but there were also free drinks and pizza. I also got a bonus!! My new job just treats me so well. On Christmas Eve, I grabbed my friend Veronica's car from her roommate, Brianna, to use for holiday travels while she was in Mexico with her family. Tristan and I dropped our dogters off at Megan and Anton's and headed to my uncle JJ's (who also lives in Chicago, yay!) We exchanged gifts with my immediate family, and then everyone drove to the burbs to my great uncle Rock's to meet up with the rest of our family. We all caught up, played fun gift exchange games, and at...

Last month I started a new job. While I really liked the hospital I was working at, it had a few too many management and employee issues that it couldn't quite sort out. It also left me feeling very stressed and drained. I was lucky to get an offer to work at a practice with a vet I used to work with at my last job. Everyone at my new job is very friendly and appreciative. I actually get to sit down and have a break during long shifts, and the practice is closed 2 days a week. I'm so happy I made the switch. I'm far less stressed out, and I'm not completely drained of energy when I get home from work. (My scrubs aren't ugly and I get to work with one of my favorite area rescue groups, too!) Hooray for new beginnings!

This year, Tristan and I stayed in the city instead of traveling in a big triangle to see our families in a short period of time. We missed them, but it just made more sense for us, the dogs, and our finances, to stay home. Our lovely friends, Megan and Anton, invited us to their home to have a delicious Thanksgiving meal. Our friend Corey also joined us. We had a great evening listening to music, watching the parade, and eating some of the best Thanksgiving food I've probably ever had. (The Dangs know how to cook!) We also played a few games that made us all laugh extremely hard. I'm so thankful to have friends like these.

In September, I volunteered with the Humane Society of the United States' vaccination and spay/neuter program called Pets for Life with my coworker, Angela. The Humane Society is such a great organization and I love how hard they work to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to get vet care for their pets. I worked in the "reactive" dog line with a vet from a local ER hospital vaccinating the dog or human aggressive animals. It was pretty amazing how many pets were getting vaccinated and leaving the house for the first time! We also educated owners about the importance and the benefits of spaying and neutering. Note: This is a post I had saved in September and forgot to share!

Surprise, surprise... I've been ignoring my blog again. I think I'm going to cue up a few posts to prevent any more cobwebs from forming over here. So I last left you with a post about Cookie having some GI upset. It actually continued for about a month, while I experimented with different medications and continued to use some, until a vet I worked with suggested to change her diet. I had not thought about that because she had been eating the same puppy food for months with no issues. I gradually transitioned her to a new food with a different major protein, and sure enough, I saw an improvement. (I'll spare you the details.) I discontinued her meds, and she's been back to her old self ever since. Cookie just turned 1 year old this past month! Her big sister, Honey also had a birthday and turned 3. They grow up so fast...