Beginning of a new week

So, it is the beginning of a new and possibly historical week. First off, we have the California primaries on "Super Tuesday." Second, I begin classes in a science field - Vet Tech. Third, my mother is coming back from a long stay in Seoul to visit for a few weeks because it is my maternal grandmother's official 80th birthday, that is a big deal in any culture I think. Zeus also just got his yearly shots.

Ok, so first of all, this year has been very interesting politically. I remember when I first went to vote in 2000. I lived in TN at the time and thus, it became an issue of voting for - yes, a Republican. Since then, I have become very disillusioned with the Republican party - what with its anti-tolerance and stiff policies. I mean, honestly, I don't think religion has a place in politics. I think politics can be governed by mere universal values. For example, for all those right-wingers who say that we are a Christian nation - well I've got news for you, the country was founded by Deists, not very Christian the way we know it. I see it this way, the reason our nation is so great is because we are free to believe what we want to without persecution. If we begin implementing theocratic principles, then we are no better then the nations that we claim are our enemies. Anyway, so here I am now more or less a democrat or actually an independent because honestly, I don't know who would be the best leader. Many people who are elected to office end up doing their own thing anyway... like some leaders we know.

Anyway, enough of the soap box. So tomorrow I begin classes and I truly look forward to them. Since I am waitlisted for most, I won't know until Tuesday which classes I will end up taking. If all goes well, I'll be done by Spring 2009. If not, then it could be Spring 2010 because of prerequisite courses that I need to take. Anyway, we shall see. Zeus got his shots at a vaccine clinic run by Ambassador Dog and Cat Hospital. My husband took him to them because we figured they would be cheaper. For a full run of shots (all the boosters that he needed) it cost about 40 dollars, which around here is pretty reasonable. However, Gabe tells me that it felt like an automatic car wash. He was called in, two (I'm assuming vet techs) showed up. Not even a hi, how are you and stuck my puppy. Ok.... so maybe bedside manners aren't required... maybe they were busy who knows. I just don't think that is really an acceptable way to treat my pet.

As for my grandmother, she is now 80 and we had a birthday party bash (sortof) last year because we were afraid she wouldn't make it to this year. So now here we are - she happens to be my last grandparent living. I imagine my mother (or her sister) will throw a small get-together and celebrate her life. She has been moderately sick for the past few years so we expect that it won't be too long and thus we celebrate each birthday like it would be her last...

Well, on that morbid note, I'll be signing off now. Off to get ready to go to church.

While I still have time...

So it is late Tuesday evening - although I guess late would be a relative term. I figure I should contribute when I can for fear that once school starts I will no longer have time to post my random musings. Although this assumes that anyone is reading these postings. Having said that - there seems to be something about just putting it out there.

Today, Zeus my Pekingese/we-dunno, King Charles Spaniel maybe? son that is covered in fur and runs on four legs did something rather intriguing. He found a spider on the ground and began to follow it. He didn't eat it, mind you - just, well - looked at it. When it kept running away he decided that he would continue to snuff at it. Having said that, I now wonder, what happens should the spider (which it wasn't) turn out to be something like a black widow or a brown recluse? What should I do (other then flip out) if he were to be bitten? Do dogs get bitten by spiders? That was a rather odd thought that occurred to me. Which I hope will be answered in my studies and future work as a vet tech. I began reading for one of the classes that I hope to get in to next week, Introduction to Animal Science by Shapiro (who is also the instructor). The first few chapters feel like a review of general biology - what with the discussion of Punnett squares and cells. Reading this chapter also made me realize how little I knew about the cattle and farm aspects of animals. He points out that most urbanites (me included) only interact with animals in a pet-parent relationship or the like. Very true. In a future posting I have some musings about the two sides of the animal rights/welfare/research debate.