Graduation

Well, I did. Graduate that is. And my family surprised me by showing up in L.A. Wednesday night. It was a short trip but a fun one. Nice to see my sister's boys too. I, of course, took no pictures all weekend, because that's how I am, but here's a couple from graduation.


Update on the continual kitty-proofing of the apartment: our dining room chairs are the new target of Dexter's oral fixation. See photos below.



Consequently, this is what our dining room looks like now. He's persistent and I'm sure he will figure out how to get around this latest preventative measure in no time.

I passed!

Looks like Katie gets her Master's Degree! I just did my presentation today. I am so relieved. Now I have one more undergrad final on Wednesday. I better pass that or I don't get my Bachelor's degree. And I don't think that would work out - can't get the Master's without it. So back to studying. But I got to celebrate a little - I stopped for a celebratory starbucks beverage on my way home.

Who thought this was a good idea?

I don't know why I decided that a master's degree was necessary in life. All I have to show for it thus far is a year of debt (not a small amount), a year behind in making money at a salary job, and mounting insecurity and self-doubt as I await my grade for the comprehensive exam. It's a horrific exam where they ask you to compile at least a month's worth of work and about 50 pages of information into 25 pages and 6 days of work. I think the directors of the program are just sitting in their offices this week going, "Haha, suckers. See if you can beat this." For some degree concentrations, this may be practical, but for design, it's just plain mean. After you have answered all of the questions, if you're concise, you're left with about 8 pages to dedicate to your design. And haven't we learned that designs are evolving - a process involving making a design, getting critiqued, re-thinking, and redesigning and then starting the process all over again. There is no time for that in the comp. You get one shot at a design and if it sucks, (which I don't see how it couldn't on your first shot), you're forced to try to defend it in front of a panel that is expecting a good design rather than thinking about the unreasonable time and space constraints. Thanks USC, you're right, this has been a "captone experience." One I will always think back on with great distain.

I'll let you know next Tuesday if I passed.

Another day another vet bill

Yes, that's right. We are seriously considering getting kitten insurance (well, as serious as you can be about that, which is not very). But yeah, this one was an extra doozy because we had to take him to the emergency vet - very nice, I'm glad I know it's there now. His new favorite hiding place is under the lazy boy - which has two wooden tracks where the wooden rockers roll. We are usually good about checking, but one time is all it takes - and a broken kitty s what you get. So his paw was smooshed. Apparently he totally flipped out. But he was clam by the time I got home from work. Sam had put some bacitracin on the part that was bleeding, but his paw had swollen up to about twice it's regular size, particularly the "pinky" pad of his left foot. Huge. So I called the vet right across the street...who was closing in 4 minutes. So they sent us to the emergency clinic fearing he had broken something.

No break. But now he's got pain meds. Which is good. The bill for the x-ray to tell us he'll be fine. Less good. Oh well. Another day, another vet bill.

Life update

It has been too long since I talked about what is going on in our life. And it's possible I am procrastinating because I am supposed to be finishing a presentation I have to make on Tuesday. And because of the changes in life, I no longer have time to complete it if I don't finish tonight.

Anyway, Sam is still working away at his job. This month was a really great month for him. At work that is. He was in a car accident earlier this month. Not his fault and it all but totaled the car (we kind of wish it had). We are still waiting to get the car back. And Sam anxiously waits for the day when he doesn't have to drive a crappy rental. I has now officially been a month.

The end is near for me. I am almost done with school. This month is going to be a long one though. My comprehensive exam is the first week in May (and oral defenses the following week). Grad classes are over by then (which means I have a large project due before then). But what I thought was a good idea in trying to make my last semester easy backfired. Because I am taking a few undergrad classes which do not finish until after the comp. Meaning I have to finish papers and study for finals during the comp. So I have been trying to schedule things out. I think it's going to be okay, but I'm a little worried. Not procrastinating would be a good first step.

Also, I just got a job. So all the free time I used to have is now spent at work. It's a great job - just three days per week - and I will probably be there for at least six months. Perhaps it will turn into a full time gig, who knows? We will see. I will be able to focus on work a lot better once May 15 has come and gone. Also, who thinks it's a good idea to ask for about 5 days off work right after they get a job? Yeah, that's what I thought. But I think the comp and finals is a good excuse and one they will understand. And since they're paying me by the hour...they're not loosing anything but extra people to get stuff done.

Our kitten is doing better. He's almost normal, but he pretty much always tilts his head to the right. Which actually makes him look that much cuter.

Sam and I want to move. We are paying far too much rent at this place. It's lovely, but expensive and I have had it with the management. We would at some point like to buy a house and saving about $500 per month (or more) would help a lot to that end. The lease is up in August. I have already been looking online and the search will intensify once I'm done with school. So much will be better when school is over. I can't wait. And with that in mind, I'm going to make sure I pass my classes by stopping procrastinating and getting this presentation finished.

Do you have a second to save the planet?

I hear something to this effect almost every day. Why is it that when people want money from you - and for very good causes - they phrase it that way? I mean it's brilliant. On Larchmont Boulevard where I go often to run errands, there are always people there collecting money for homeless shelters and homeless children programs.

One dude was really cool and I had just spent $4 on my coffee from Peets so I felt like I might as well talk to him. I ended up making a $20 donation to some homeless outreach program. It's fine, I'd rather donate to that than give money to panhandlers. But then literally the next day, I was walking down that same stretch of street (they ALWAYS hang out right by Crumbs so they can ambush you right when you're at the most vulnerable point of your sugar coma and/or guilt for spending $3.50 on a cupcake) and some other girl asked me to donate to another homeless thing. I very nicely told her, "Sorry, I just donated to a guy yesterday for a similar program." She shouted after me, "But this one is for homeless CHILDREN!" It doesn't change the fact that I can't give everyone with a worthy cause $20 every time they ask. It's not personal. And I think it's great that they are doing it, but the way these people ask, you are forced to sound like a horrible person when you decline.

Yesterday on campus, the Greenpeace guy asked, and I quote, "Do you have a second for the environment?" Of course I have a second and of course I do care about the environment, but this isn't going to take just a second and I don't want to sign up to have you take x amount of dollars out of my bank account every month. I looked at him and actually laughed when I said no. Because there is no way to say no without it sounding rediculous. But he and I both knew he set me up. That's how they get you.

Our dizzy kitty

Long story short: our kitten has vertigo.

He was at the vet following his declaw surgery and presented with symptoms of idiopathic feline vestibular syndrome. Idiopathic, meaning it has not definite cause as they ruled out other things that could cause it like inner ear infection. He had rapid side to side eye movement, tremors, a right head tilt and could not stand due to dizziness. After three days of treatment at the vet he was eating and drinking on his own and able to stand long enough to use his litter box. His tremors and eye movement subsided after less than a day there, and he was left with what is essentially kitty vertigo - dizzy kitty. He can walk and run a little, but he lists to the right and sometimes falls over. He can't jump up on things and certainly not down from things without falling - hard. It's kinda funny if you didn't feel so darn bad for him. So we try to play with him gently and help him climb up to his favorite spot on the back of the couch (which he can usually do on his own now; he just can't get back down).

The vet wants to see him in two weeks for a follow up. What I've read online about it gives him a good prognosis. He could be back to 100% in 7-30 days. There's a chance he could be left with slight symptoms and a very slight chance of symptoms recurring. But for now we hope for the best and are learning to live with a disabled kitten. Who would have thought.