The past work week was a pretty standard week for us. Wednesday
was another home JV football game that concluded with another big win for
Riverheads! Thursday was one of those days....one of those days that I wished
that every would-be vet student was with me so that they would understand just
how "un-glamorous" this job can be. Among other disgusting and dirty
jobs that day, preforming a necropsy (or autopsy for animals) on a 600 pound
calf that had been dead for 12+ hours in the middle of a brush pile in 90+
degree heat was the highlight of my day. There was sweat, snot, spit, flies,
spiders, more flies, and an intense struggle not to vomit when I made the
rookie "gut shot." Ultimately, I didn't mind doing it- it
NEEDED to be done. In fact, what bothered me the most is that opening up that
calf didn't give us any answers. But I just couldn't help but think of all the
young ladies out there aspiring to be a veterinarian, and perhaps even the
general public, who believe the job is all ponies, kittens, rainbows, and puppy
kisses. Don't get me wrong, there are puppy kisses, and I love them; but some
of the most important jobs of a veterinarian really involve getting down and
dirty!
But then...there are times when being a
veterinarian IS glamorous! This weekended Clark and I got to travel to the
FABULOUS Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg so that I could attend a continuing
education conference put on by Merial and Newport Laboratories. The resort was so nice and definitely
somewhere we couldn't afford on our own!
I was blown away by the generosity of the
companies providing lodging, meals, and free products. I recognize that their
effort is rooted in their hopes that we'll use their product and services, but
it was a super nice weekend. The actual meeting part was only from 8-12
Saturday morning, so we had Saturday afternoon to explore the resort and Williamsburg as we pleased. I took the opportunity to get a massage at the spa
:) Then we drove out to the Premium
Outlets for a little bit of shopping. I think I could have spent DAYS
in the outlets alone. Williamsburg is a neat place and I would love for us to
go back and see more of the town. My family vacationed there the summer before
I started undergrad. It's hard to believe that has been EIGHT years ago now!
Yikes! I'm sure there would be lots of other features of Williamsburg that I
would appreciate better as an adult.
This week has been off to a good start. Tomorrow is Clark's birthday and tonight we are headed to one of Staunton's top restaurants to celebrate! This weekend is Open House at Westwood and I'm looking forward to being part of the event!