Where do these 'sponsored links' come from?

As usual, these have nothing to do with me.

Went to a hog farm today. It was a last-minute facility change, so our planned lab couldn't apply. We were supposed to see a nursery and read ear notches and actually catch and pick up a pig, but there were no little pigs at this farm. This was more of a feeder-finish farm, where he gets the pigs at around 7 weeks of age, grows them for 18 weeks (up to about 250 lbs), then sells them off for slaughter. Though I didn't get to actually handle a pig, this was kind of neat because it was a for-real hog operation, instead of a squeaky-clean teaching facility. As in there were 4 hog houses, each with about 1000 pigs. And in one pen, there was a pig who had died sometime in the past couple hours (probably from stress, said the farmer) getting gnawed on by the other pigs. I bet I wouldn't have seen that at UGA's facility. The farm owner had one of his workers go get the carcass when we left the house. I asked what they did with the dead ones, and he said "Oh, we got a hole we throw 'em in.". About pigs: they're cute in the 'so ugly it's cute' way. They're EXTREMELY loud. Squeal is more like scream. They're prone to hernias. And Good God, the stench. By far the smelliest animal I've dealt with yet.

You wanted to discuss things further. I said call me when you have time. I guess you changed your mind.

21 days to go. Followed by unemployment (so far at least).

I will probably not get an A in Microbiology. I'm just hoping for a B in Algebra.



I sort of wanted to go look in that hole.

One step closer to growing up

Today I got a new toy. I guess I can consider it a birthday present to myself.

It's silver. More importantly it's got four wheels, four doors, and an engine.


Now I just have to learn to use it.

I guess the sliced Tofurky will have to do.

Today is Thanksgiving. I have no plans, and it's a little delicious- though turkey is delicious too, but I can eat that whenever.

  Technically, my day of nothing started yesterday after I was cognisant enough to move; with each birthday celebration, recovery times get longer. Last night I watched "Kinky Boots", partook of the half-bowl I found, and ate ice cream. Delicious. I thought about going to the Cheeseburger show at Go Bar, but fell asleep. I woke up at 2:45am to the loop of the dvd menu music.

  Today I slept in, and so far have yet to make myself in any way, shape, or form presentable to leave the house. I've been drinking coffee, playing on the internet, and will probably use today to clean my house and do laundry and shit like that because it desperately needs to be done.

  Oh, I also saved another anole from feline jaws of death. My cats were so distracted by me opening a can of food that they didn't see him sitting 8 feet away in the bathroom doorway. I managed to drop a tupperware container over him before they noticed, and got him back outside.

  I need a job. If any of you people's workplaces might be hiring, let me know so I can fill out an application.

  Speaking of the above, I have never felt as unwanted, unappreciated, and generally worthless as I did this past weekend, and now every time I enter that building I feel nothing but contempt. A sampling of things I heard include 'Good. You have no business working there anyway." and "Once we get her out of the way..." Also getting screamed at like a 6-year-old for adding up my own credit card tips (no, I don't trust the managers' math. Yes, I've caught errors on many occasions, and was one of many employees whose tips were being 'skimmed' by one manager who was eventually fired for stealing) and seeing another coworker get screamed at for wiping down the counter using Windex (since that's what we use to clean EVERYTHING). Nothing but disrespect up in there.

   My neighbor's dog has been barking non-stop for over an hour. He's also trying to dig under their gate. I don't think they're home, so I hope he doesn't get out. I do wish he'd shut the hell up though.

  Many thanks to everyone I saw Tuesday night. I had a great time! Karaoke was a blast, as was pretty much the whole day once I was finished with my tests. It was an eccelctic group of people, but I think it worked out well. I hope everyone had a good time!

  I think I was going to say something else, but now I can't remember. The barking has got me distracted... Happy Thanksgiving!

Edit: After I finished writing this, I signed out. MySpace must have heard my plea for a job, as this is the ad that was on the "Signed Out" page:

she looks scary.

I fell asleep writing this last night.

For the first time in two years or so, my hair is all one color. Even the grey ones.

Tuesday night. It's my birthday. I'm going to call Shokitini and see if they have a room available. I'm thinking 9-11pm. Drinks. Microphones. Let me know if you want to come! (I'd like a guesstimate headcount).

Kevin and I did a trivia show for a private party at Buffalo's last night. It was a fraternity social. They hired us once before. Nice kids, but on the clueless side.

If what I've heard is true, though you'd lie if I asked you about it anyway... gross, dude. And it means that my decision to be done with things is only that much more concrete. You are too old to be messing around with girls who still have a '1' at the beginning of their age.

December 20 may be it for me. I'll most likely decide today.

On Wednesday, by going to a meeting and paying $15 in dues (which pays for our group t-shirt), I scored not only free dinner (Olive Garden ravioli) but also a free year-supply of Advantage flea treatment for two of my cats. A field veterinarian from Bayer came to speak to us about fleas and their new prescription product, and got the company to give us the hook-up. Many thanks to Bayer from all the SCNAVTA kids!

Now- off to work. To be followed by schoolstuff schoolstuff schoolstuff for the next 5 days. No rest until Tuesday night.

Hey Mister DJ, put a record on

I love The Onion.


However, I'm not much a fan of onions.

a day in the life...

I am convinced that calves are the cutest baby animals in the world. Cuter than puppies. Cuter than kittens. Baby cows win hands-down. They have such soft hair and long skinny knock-kneed legs. They're clumsy and curious and will act up to get your attention. They have long pretty eyelashes, and will 'nurse' on your fingers for ages. They are just fricken' adorable. If I could have a baby cow (that would stay a baby cow...) in my backyard, I would. Except I am sure my landlord would, well, have a cow. Har har.

I got my shot. So that's done. I'm not sure if there was some sort of minor reaction, but after I had the vaccine, I went to Transmet and ate a calzone and drank a beer. Then I went to Target to get gloves and cat litter. By the time I got home I felt awful- almost like I had a really bad hangover, but how in the hell could I have given myself a hangover like that with one beer consumed with food and water? My head was splitting, I was freezing, and I felt a little nauseated and dizzy. I turned my furnace on with the thermostat on 70, turned the spaceheater in my room all the way up with my door mostly shut, stayed fully dressed (jeans, socks, shirt) and added a big long-sleeve flannel shirt, and crawled under my down comforter. At 6:20pm. And I woke up at 1:30am. Then I went right back to bed, and slept until 8 this morning. Feeling better for the most part.

As everyone has probably heard by now, because this is Athens and word travels fast, this morning the owner of The Grit jumped from the College Ave. parking deck. Pretty crazy. I happened to walk to work this morning, and while walking up Washington Street, saw all the emergency vehicles and the sidewalk roped off. I saw them closing up the ambulance and then it drove past me. But I didn't know what was up until later when a coworker arrived. He had witnessed the whole thing. I am glad that I was 10 minutes too late for that. Either way, it's a bummer. My sympathies go out to his friends and coworkers and family.

It did make me think... we as human beings are fragile. It doesn't really take much to be here one minute and be gone the next. I think a lot of people sort of take living for granted. They think they are invincible. You see this all the time- in the way people drive so recklessly around here, they walk out into the street without looking, they do generally stupid shit that most of the time ends up causing no harm but could go horribly wrong. Most of the time they are just in a hurry. Today was a day of non-regulars at work, and lot of them kept telling me that they were in a hurry. I wanted to tell them to just chill and actually enjoy their lunches and their company and their current free time. To not be in such a hurry to get on with it, to move on to the next thing. Why the rush? If you hurry through life, you get to the end much sooner.

))<>((

It's autumn. I can tell because of the way the air smells. Crisp, clean, a little like leaves, a little like burning wood, a lot like something else I really can't place. Not like summer, which smells like a wet dog and hot asphalt, and is almost thick enough to drown in. Autumn smells like the complete opposite of Summer. Yes, the cooling temperature, changing leaves and 'falling back' an hour are all indications of autumn, but I don't believe it until I smell it. I smell it every day now, and though I'm not big on cold, I love that smell.

I'm having one of those days where I feel like I'm forgetting something. Like maybe I'm supposed to be somewhere or be doing something in particular. I have nothing written down, and I can't think of anything I normally do on a Tuesday about this time. So if there is anyone out there who I've just stood up, or didn't call, or whatever, sorry. I forgot.

I'm having bad luck with that Rabies vaccination again... it's a series of 3 shots that have to be taken on a schedule. I went out to the Health Department earlier this afternoon to get my last shot (the third one is the only one where there is a little leeway- you can get it anytime between Day 21 and Day 28 of your vax schedule). Last Thursday was Day 21, but as I was a little, um, we'll say ill, I decided to wait until today to go get stuck. There I'm told that their refridgerator conked out and all the vaccines were messed up and had to be reordered, so they don't have it. Thursday is Day 28. The lady said it should be in tomorrow or Thursday, but usually when they say two days it really means two weeks. So if I miss this last shot, I may have to start the entire process over again. Of course, this is completely out of my control, so my teachers can't get mad at me over this. And the only thing I am really concerned with is that if I have to start the whole series again because of this, are they going to try to make me pay for it? There's no way I'm dropping another 5 bills on that. The lady said they wouldn't, but it is a government entity, and we all know they like money, so we'll see.

My slight irritation at this situation disappeared when I walked outside. Not only is that smell that I love in the air on a lovely, though a bit windy, sunny day, but I saw a guy go jogging down Harris Street with his dog on a leash. Now, a guy jogging with a dog is by no means a rare sight in this town. And I like both dogs and guys, but them jogging together usually not an occurance of note. Except this guy was jogging with a Dachshund. A young, not-full-grown-yet Dachshund. Jogging with a Lab, sure. Jogging with a weiner dog, not so much. The dog's legs couldn't have been more than four inches long, and though the guy was jogging in such a way so that he wasn't literally dragging the dog along the pavement, the dog really couldn't keep up. Both guy and dog looked like they were having a blast, but it pretty much just looked ridiculous, which made me laugh and wish I had a camera.

I need a lift out to the DMV place. I'm about to get older, which means my license is about to expire. It would be cool to avoid this, so if you can hook a sister up, let me know. I'll buy you a beer or something.

I get to play with cattle tomorrow. My restraint book mentions at least six times that many handlers have been killed by cattle who kick or crush, and that you should always have an escape route in mind. I do understand the need for safety when dealing with dumb 2,000 lb. animals, but telling me this over and over doesn't exactly make me want to hop into the corral and look at a cow's teeth, which is probably one thing I'll have to do.

Hmmm... naptime, I think.