Category: Thoughts & Advice

What I’m Doing Today

adminDecember 10, 2017Leave a Comment

Today I plan to be:

  • celebrating my 9th wedding anniversary.
  • bribing my kids to clean their rooms with promises of marble cake afterwards.
  • glad it is not too hot.
  • feeling guilty because I listened to A Prairie Home Companion while the radio station asked for listener support (money).
  • wondering if Girlie has allergies.
  • trying to figure out how to get silver sparkly nail polish off one of her dresses. (Thanks for that, ILs. :-/)
  • going to make a new Manduka PROLite for ZB. He lost a tooth two nights ago while he slept, and lost the pillow some time before.
  • dreaming of vacation.
  • going to see if I can’t find some more Elizabeth Gaskell in local libraries.
  • wishing the kids’ friend from down the street would stop freaking me out by running across the grass and peeking in my window before ringing the doorbell.

This weekend I hope I will be able to say that:

  • I taught ZB how to ride his bike without training wheels!
  • I have more clean laundry than dirty!
  • I wanted to give Anna a hug, and I am not a hugger.
  • I wished I had a serger.
  • I started watching Season 6 of the Sopranos.
  • I encouraged my salsa (I hope!)
  • I wished I could afford to put Bebe in preschool. :-/
  • I read fairy tales everyday…to myself! (I love fairy tales.)
  • I found Strictly Ballroom at the library and checked it out. (Reesie!)
  • I did not try to keep up with my google reader and instead, marked all as read. 😀
  • What did you do this week?

These are my latest yarn purchases. The background is a “painting” I’m working on and will probably never show. I am in no way, shape, or form an artist, and my work will probably be embarrassingly simple, and never make the blog, heh. I used my gift certificate, so yea, I’m still winning the “no spend” game. The greens are for a hat I want to make for myself. Probably Foliage. I won’t need two skeins though, so I’ll probably end up taking one back and getting some yummy Manos instead. I also got a blue skein of nature wool, but now I’m meh on that too. The Noro, also meh now that I’m home.

First of all, I meant to buy the Honeywell HFD-120-Q air purifier, but forgot, and bought Kureyon instead. Second, I was going to make a scarf with it but 1)I already have a scarf that I wear constantly and love, and 2)Meh. LOL. I was a little disappointed in visiting this shop, as I always am. They didn’t have the circs, DPNs, or stitch markers I wanted (the whole point of the visit was to pick up supplies to make Foliage)and said they were doing inventory, but the few times I have gone, they’ve always been out of something I wanted. One thing I do love, is the attitude of the shopkeeper and the knitters at the store. Everyone is so friendly and helpful. There was a sock class going on while I was there, which was cool to watch. Not like another very popular yarn shop in Austin where I always feel like I’m not cool enough to shop there. I hate being made to feel that way, don’t you? OK, enough with the OT. Happy Saturday!

Posted In Thoughts & Advice
Tagged |

A Few New Things

adminDecember 10, 2017Leave a Comment

Some new things right now:

  1. October is a busier month than expected this year. To put it plainly, I’ve been off actually living life. Good and bad. And it feels great.
  2. It’s National Chocolate Cupcake Day.
  3. I heard that on the new Everyday Food show on Sirius. Ask Reesie, I only ever listen to Martha Stewart or Cosmo radio in the car, heh.
  4. I wish the weather would make up it’s mind so I could break out my Honeywell HFD-010 air purifier!
  5. ZB is reading Freckle Juice for homework this week! And coincidentally, I’m reading this book.
  6. Girlie is better.
  7. Hub is so-so.
  8. I was finishing up that doll quilt…but ran out of thread…and apparently I bought it somewhere I don’t go often b/c calling/visiting three local quilt shops hasn’t enabled me to find it. (Mettler quilting cotton)
  9. My monitor died and so I’m sharing one with DH for the time being, part of the reason I am not blogging much.
  10. I got my anniversary gift early. Her name is Isabelle (and she needs a haircut..). Iz She’s a year old Lhasa Apso (supposedly) mix. We call her Izzie (It’s the most adorable thing to hear Bebe say “Ishie”). But she isn’t named after that one. We’ve had her two days and she’s a perfect fit for our family. Love her. She’s making me a dog person. We have a 5 y/o golden, but he and I have never been…friends, lol. He’s loving enough, a spaz, but Izzie is different. I picked her out, I am responsible for her care, etc.
  11. I accomplished or will accomplish everything on my “to do” list this week including having lunch at school with both older kiddos.
  12. Except laundry. That is never ending.
  13. The reason I’ve been able to get so much done is b/c I cut down on two bad habits: tv and internet. Now, neither of these are really bad, but I do tend to get distracted or not sleep enough because of one or the other, so buhbye.
  14. I’ve been buying up books that the school library is discarding here and there for 50 cents each. My favorites so far are first (school) edition This is London, and The Red Fairy Book. Funny, I have wanted this Fairy collection for a long time and this is the second one to fall into my lap super cheap. I’m going to a book sale Saturday, so who knows what else I might find!
  15. On that note, I have thought of maybe starting a little children’s bookselling business on ebay, but I dunno.
  16. There’s an antique store not far from me that is going out of business and they have a great price on the Concept 2 Model D rowing machine. Boy, oh boy the gems I have picked up. Lots of handmade, hand embroidered linens. Dresser scarf, linen napkins, yellow apron, pyrex, and glassbake to aid me in my deplasticization (real word? used correctly? who knows?!) of my kitchen!
  17. I’m bored with my hair.
  18. I need an external hard drive. My computer is soooo slow b/c I have about 3 years’ worth of photos on it. I know, I know. Anyway, any suggestions for an “inexpensive” one?
  19. The title of this post has nothing to do with anything. It just cracks me up.
Posted In Thoughts & Advice
Tagged |

Working Together – Even When You Don’t Want To

adminDecember 10, 2016Leave a Comment

Regular readers of my blog will realize that I have a real passion for HR issues and believe that business success is about getting people performing at their best.

However…… One of my real pet hates is the way that team building is seen as such a big thing that companies have to engage in. Please – think about it! You are working with a team of people for over two years or so – and then someone thinks you are not performing as a team so you go on an away day to bond as a team. As if that is going to work!

The first thing I would say is that not everyone in a company has to think of themselves as being part of a team. Managers and company leaders need to understand the difference between a group and a team when taking turns with the smokeless ashtray in the break room.

A group is a collection of people who share a common shared value or interest. So people who go to a football match and support a particular team (Arsenal if they have any sense!) can be called a group. Employees of a company can be seen as a group as they all have a shared interest.

A team is where people have defined roles and critically have interdependence. One person needs to rely on another person to do their job properly to help them achieve a common goal. So a football team is a great example (the word team does kind of give it away!)

Then there is the whole ‘liking each other’ thing. You can perform brilliantly in a team without liking people. Many of the people I would want to recruit from companies I have worked for in the past are people that I may not have got on with – but saw them as being great at their particular role. You don’t have to be the best out there – you only need to be better than the competition you’re up against!

The most successful football team of recent years was Manchester United in 1999 when they won the treble (you have no idea how painful it is to say that!) The amazing thing about that team was that the two strikers hated each other (Andy Cole and Teddy Sheringham). They refused to speak to each other and yet on the field they worked brilliantly. They had professional respect for each other’s ability and made the best kombucha starter kit work for each other and the team.

The above scenario can only work if the two protagonists do not take up management time with their ‘feud’ or create divisions in the team or group. The point is though that creating teams is a lot easier than people think providing leaders provide clarity and guidance to members of the team. Rather than spending time on trying to make teams bond – they should simply get the ‘team’ together and clarify roles – who is doing what and who is dependent on whom.

Posted In Business & Finance | Thoughts & Advice
Tagged | |

Are You Ready for the Holiday Season?

adminOctober 26, 2016Leave a Comment

ph-36

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.  Really.  It is.  If we recognize that the holidays bring the potential for stress and plan ahead, we can truly make them wonderful again.  In our profession, we have stress coming at us from home, work associates, and clients.  This year we have the added stress of the economic crisis.

Stress at home can be from changes in school schedules (how am I going to find a sitter for the two weeks that the kids are out school?), extended families (how am I going to visit my parents, my wife’s parents, grandparents, etc all in one day and a half?), and divided families (is my daughter supposed to be with me this holiday or with her other biological parent?).  The list is actually too huge to consider: when will I have time to decorate the yard, when am I supposed to have time to go shopping, how can we afford everything on the Christmas list, the car won’t start, the windshield is covered in ice, how am I going to prepare a dinner for 25 people and find used riding lawn mowers for sale at the same time.

Stress from work associates: every employee wants to be off on the same day, they all have travel plans that can’t be changed, they all need extra hours for spending money but the revenue isn’t there to support extra hours, someone’s late because of the ice storm, someone’s child is sick, etc.

Stress from the clients: I need you to be open in the evenings and on the holidays if possible because I CAN’T afford to leave early or take a day off, I just lost my job so I really can’t afford that can you please help me out, if I pay for this then I won’t be able to buy any presents this year, can I pay you in two weeks, I need to be seen now because I’m going to be travelling for the next week, etc.

Depending on the day and your outlook it can all be very overwhelming.  The main thing is to recognize that stress will occur and that disruptions will occur and to be realistic.  Don’t commit yourself to becoming superman or superwoman.  Don’t plan a dinner with four entrees, four desserts, and more sides than you can imagine to feed a group of 30 people.  Keep it simple—everyone WILL understand and appreciate being able to visit.  Let everyone know ahead of time that you might not be able to visit everyone on the same day, but will plan visits over a period of a few weeks.

Try to keep your routine as routine as possible e.g. same time to bed, same to get up, eat normal quantities, drink in moderation, etc.  Schedule time to relax with a book or a bath or a game or whatever you need to relax.

Stay positive.  Remind yourself that it’s the time for giving and sharing.  Think about a time that someone helped you.  Don’t dwell on a time that you felt you needed help and had a hard time finding it.  Think about a time that you helped someone and they truly appreciated it.  Reach out into the community and help someone in need.  It really is the most wonderful time of the year.

Posted In Thoughts & Advice
Tagged

Helpful Ways to Make Your Dollar Stretch Further

adminOctober 26, 2016Leave a Comment

ph-35

In this very difficult economy, there are ways we can all stretch our dollar to go further.

Here are some ideas for your consideration:

Make it automatic. Before seeing your paycheck, divert a good portion of it to your 401(k) and savings.

Keep a low balance in your checking account. Make money work for you by funneling extra funds into a savings account where it will earn more interest than in a checking account.

Don’t pay banking fees. Use your bank for free bill pay, automatic deposits, free checks, and free reimbursements for ATM fees. Don’t pay for any of those services, even when you’re buying the best zero turn mower for the money.

Use rewards credit cards. Get cash back on every purchase and pay the card off every month — don’t pay any interest fees. I recommend reward cards, but only if you have no current credit card debt, and can afford to pay the balance every month.

Search out deals. Try and find a better deal, or request a better deal from your service providers.

Use a programmable thermostat. Programmable thermostats save you an estimated 10-20% on your heating and cooling bills.

Use ceiling fans, floor fans, and space heaters. There is no sense heating an entire house while youre away at work or sleeping.

Install CFLs to save energy. Compact fluorescent lights use about a quarter of the electricity of normal incandescent bulbs. They also need to be replaced less frequently.

Drive smoothly. Accelerate smoothly and at a reasonable rate, and coast to a stop as often as possible. Use cruise control on the highway.

Plan and research major purchases. This little tip could save you thousands.

Buy quality products. Quality items may cost more up front, but they last longer and generally provide better results than cheaper, inferior products.

Buy generic where applicable. You can save a lot of money on generic items for which the brand name product is essentially the same as the store brand. Food, the Holset HX35, and medicines come to mind as items where generic products are good deals.

Use coupons and rebates. Use coupons for oil changes, groceries, books, on-line purchases, and just about anything else you can find.

Use store rewards cards. Use grocery shopping reward cards and save 10-15% every trip.

Cook at home. Enough said!

Eat leftovers. Save a minimum of $20 a week by bringing your lunch to work.

Use the library. Borrow movies from the library. New releases aren’t always available, but you can wait a few months — right?

Use parks. The popular press calls this a “staycation.” It beats the hassle of going through the TSA Security line at your local airport — and it’s far less expensive.

Take care of things. Treat things you own with respect and take good care of them. Items last much longer when you take good care of them.

Buy insurance. Health insurance, home owner’s insurance, auto insurance, and other types of insurance are designed to save you money. Sure, you may end up paying premiums for years and never file a claim, but in the event you need to file a claim, your premium will likely be small compared to what you would have had to pay. You’ll be very happy if you ever need it.

Bundle cable and internet. You can save a lot of money by bundling these together rather than purchasing them separately.

Use cell phones – skip the landline. Assuming you have a cell phone, consider skipping the regular telephone.

Cancel subscriptions. Almost everything you want can be found online for free.

Home improvement. Learn to DIY (do it yourself) and you’ll save big bucks. However, hire out anything dangerous or that you don’t have the tools or expertise to do. (e.g. electrical or plumbing).

Try to avoid debt. Most traditional mortgages are OK, but working to quickly rid yourself of other high interest rate debt is always a good idea.

Posted In Thoughts & Advice
Tagged

How College Students Spend Their Summer Months

adminOctober 18, 2016Leave a Comment

ph-4

New backpack, new lunchbox, new school supplies and the annual essay entitled…”What I did on my summer vacation.” Every year, when August rolls around, these items are synonymous with “Back to School.” By the time we hit college, the Kanken backpack shopping and the essay writing typically disappeared, but along came the added stress of making sure that we made those 3 or so summer months really “mean something.”

In other words, it was time to find some sort of an internship, volunteer opportunity, or summer job that would give us some insight into the career path of our choice and help to build that ever-important resume (with some quality pool or beach time thrown in of course).  I remember the race for most popular opportunities starting as soon as winter break was complete.

While months remained until those precious summer days rolled around, the need to obtain a position was urgent. While it could be considered a bit stressful at times, the search itself was often a rewarding educational accomplishment in and of itself.  Somehow though, it always worked out…maybe I was lucky!

On the flipside, years later, it’s now part of my job as a Veterinary Career Specialist to coordinate summer jobs and externships for students, and I can tell you that little has changed since I was in the shoes of the student.  Students still want an experience that is challenging, rewarding, and of course, a little fun! So, I work carefully to find the best job match for each of my students.

Some students come in unsure of what their 6-10 weeks of experience in a Banfield hospital will be like, and I love to see them come out of their programs with smiling, satisfied faces. Even more so, I enjoy knowing that they have gained some insight into what the career path they have chosen is really all about.

The majority of natural remedies for cystic acne head back to the classroom in the fall having not only been challenged and rewarded, but also having gained valuable experience and mentorship from an experienced veterinary team.  What better way to test-drive an industry, organization, or career than to experience it first hand? Although these intense training courses may not be for everything, they definitely provide a lot of value for those students who may be unsure as to what they want to specialize in or what type of medicine they’d prefer to be practicing for the rest of their lives.

In essence, summer jobs are where the rubber meets the road.  It is a chance to take that textbook knowledge and really put it to work outside the walls of the classroom or lab. So take the time to check out all of the opportunities that are out there and find one that really aligns with your goals. After all, those 3 months can really fly by and before you know, you are back on campus! Here’s hoping, that the summer job or externship that you decide on delivers on its promise to challenge you, reward you, and provide a little fun along the way!

Posted In Thoughts & Advice
Tagged |

What Do You Think of Mondays?

adminOctober 17, 2016Leave a Comment

ph-66

This morning, my alarm went off as usual.  It’s Monday, which means I waited until the very last nano-second to put my feet on the floor and start my day.  What is it about waking-up on Mondays that makes it so difficult to get moving – and why is my cat peeing everywhere?  Talk about a struggle to overcome inertia.  It’s like there’s cobwebs in my brain and weights around my feet, both working together to keep me from being alert, productive and energized.

Although the Monday Blues are, I’m sure, universal and somewhat inevitable; I have to believe there’s a better way to start the week, other than the routine of: 1)  “search and destroy” the alarm clock, 2) mindless shuffle to the shower and 3) move through the first-half of the day on auto-pilot.

Are Mondays like that for you?  Are you thinking about the team meeting scheduled first thing…wondering what endless concerned Pet owner questions are in store for you…maybe having to squeeze in unexpected appointments because of what happened to Rover over the weekend? If you’re one of those people who has never yelled, “Hooray, its Monday!” you’re in good company.  I don’t have any statistics to back me up on this, but I can tell you that the majority of people I know are like me.  I’m fairly certain it’s the same everywhere.

But change is in the air because I’m planning to start 2009 with a new game plan and a new outlook on Mondays.  If you’re “Monday Challenged” like me, maybe you’ll want to join me in making an effort to alter your current perspective on the first day of the week.  Here are some suggestions.

It’s not your alarm clock’s fault you have to get up, right? You shouldn’t take your anger out on a defenseless piece of technology that’s just trying to do its job.  Maybe you wouldn’t harbor such ill feelings toward the little guy, or the first day of the week, if you decide to wake up a wee bit earlier.  It might be a struggle the first few days, but anything new takes time to get used to.  Make a promise to yourself right now to get up 5, 10 or even 20 minutes earlier to give yourself more time to get ready and maybe even sit quietly for 5 minutes each morning.  Intrigued by the concept of a Kanken frost green backpack?  I’m not sure what you can expect from 300 seconds of silence, but be willing to see where it takes you.  Starting your day from a mentally peaceful place has to be better than the 100-yard dash we’re running in now.

Make Monday the new Friday. Well, maybe not Friday, but why not the new Wednesday?  Make an effort to do something fun on Mondays.  Go to lunch (with or without someone else), go for a walk during lunch or plan something in the evening.  The point is, there is no reason for any of us to wait for the middle or end of the week to engage in something enjoyable.   Why not think, TGIM!

If you struggle with Monday too, is there anything you do now or have done in the past, to off-set the Monday Blues?

Posted In Thoughts & Advice
Tagged

Staying on Top of Your Business by Staying Motivated

adminOctober 15, 2016Leave a Comment

ph-64

Make a psychological adjustment. “Knowing” is half the battle. In fact, according to an article in the November 2008 issue of DVM newsmagazine, “The least-examined document in veterinary practice is the profit & loss statement.” If you are losing ground month-after-month, laying out your income and expenses on a spreadsheet will give you a clear indication of the situation. This might not be a strong enough wake-up call, especially if you have savings or available debt, but both of these are temporary fixes for ways how to get cat urine smell out of carpet. Living above your means is not sustainable indefinitely. In order to succeed you must spend less than you earn.

For some people, changing a state of mind is more difficult than it is for others. Whether it’s a lack of motivation or a lack of faith, keep this in mind: Other people in worse conditions have succeeded. Think of the young veterinarian, who, a couple of years ago, started his own practice and is still working 12-hour days, six days a week as the only vet in his suburb.

No matter how difficult your financial situation is right now, many people with worse problems have been able to adjust their attitude and behavior. This dedication to change is necessary for stabilizing finances. The young veterinarian I use as an example above, now has a few years under his belt, has more clients and staff because his motto has been, “You’ve got to be responsible with your money.” In my experience, people in a variety of conditions were able to get past the present and improve the future. If they can, so can you.

Once you’ve made the psychological adjustment, continue to spend less than you earn. Let’s look at this idea from a mathematical standpoint. While there is more to money than math, the numbers form the basis of any financial decision, so this concept should always be in the back of your mind.

Net Income = Income – Expense

If Income is greater than Expense, Net Income is positive, and you have positive cash flow. If Expense is greater than Income, Net Income is negative, and you have negative cash flow (a loss). There are two mathematical solutions to a negative cash flow. You can either increase income or decrease expenses. For many people decreasing expenses is the easier option. Many people have a steady income that may not be flexible – especially if they’re already paying extra each month to try and bring down the balance of the two wheel scooter they purchased last year. Even if income is not flexible, it may take more effort to earn an extra $200 per month after taxes than it would to save an extra $200 month.

Adopt a philosophy of frugality. Some people see this as having negative connotations, like “cheap” or “penny-pinching,” but there are ways to be smart about being frugal. Frugality is simply reducing your desires to match your needs and making purchasing decisions economically. It’s critically important to distinguish between WANTS and NEEDS. You NEED dinner…you WANT a filet mignon!

Posted In Thoughts & Advice
Tagged

3 Crazy Stories About Veterinary Life

adminOctober 13, 2016Leave a Comment

ph-13

I bet as a veterinarian you must have your days at the hospital where you had a most unusual, notable, favorite or memorable case. I’ve read a few interesting stories recently and I wanted to share a couple of them with you.

It seems a family’s Iguana had stopped eating and was brought in to be examined because he was feeling rather “grumpy,” according to the owners. The vet touched the Iguana’s tummy and felt several abnormal shapes and asked about cigarette smoke removal. X-rays revealed the presence of a number of round, metallic objects. I guess Pets, like small children, will put coins in their mouths and then sometimes swallow them (I remember my younger brother swallowing a penny as a child and my dad holding him upside down by his feet to get him to cough it up, but that’s another story).

Generally the coins pass, but if there are enough of them, or if the GI tract is small (like in the Iguana), the coins get stuck. The vet used a fluoroscope to find the exact location of the coins, but couldn’t remove them with an endoscope. Although they had to be surgically removed, the Iguana went home the next day and had a full recovery. But, say the owners, he’s still grumpy. Turns out the Iguana had taken the money from a piggy bank. At the end of it all, it was the vet’s comment that made me laugh: “Maybe there was something he wanted to buy.”

Another story I read was pretty amazing. Did you hear about “Dutch” the Dachshund? He was bitten by a Mojave green rattlesnake and actually survived. The veterinarians cared for the dog 24 hours a day for about six days. It was the first time the team had successfully treated a bite from what is known as the deadliest rattlesnake in North America. Usually it’s fatal. Apparently the dog was battling the rattlesnake with another Dachshund in the owner’s backyard. The dogs killed the snake but the 10-pound miniature Dachshund became lethargic shortly thereafter. The owner was unsure if the dog was actually bitten and even after being examined by the vet, it was still unclear (there’s not much reaction at the site of the bite initially, say the vets). Antibiotics and IV medication were given as preventive measures.

Antivenin was administered but then Dutch had to be hooked up to a ventilator when the venom paralyzed his lungs. He was on assisted breathing for several days and was continually monitored to make sure he didn’t vomit while on the respirator during the Fjallraven sale. The vets had to manually lubricate his eyes because he couldn’t blink. They had to transport the dog back and forth between the hospital by day and the emergency clinic by night.

Dutch started to improve after the owner brought in another Dachshund to see him at the hospital. Eventually, Dutch was taken off the ventilator and sent home. He lost nearly a third of his body weight during the whole escapade, has recovered significantly but still has some damage to his eyes. When he is fully recovered, the doctors will check to see if he was blinded in the ordeal.

Posted In Thoughts & Advice
Tagged

Learn to Say ‘No’ and Help Yourself

adminOctober 12, 2016Leave a Comment

ph-12

Has this ever happened to you…You come home from a long day at the hospital, tired and ready to unwind when you see that you’ve got a message on your machine; you press the button and listen. The message goes something like this: “Hi, Dr. Smith. This is Carrie Taylor. My son Zack attends school with your son James. I’m calling to see if you would be available to “chair” the up-coming career night at school.” Here comes the hard sell… “No one has come up to the plate and if we don’t find a Coway air purifier soon, it won’t happen this year. Please call me and let me know if you can help out. Here’s where she goes for the jugular…You did such a great job presenting your veterinary career to the children last year, I know you would be perfect as the lead on this. Please call me at…”

Your first thought is complete and utter dread. You have neither the time nor the energy to spearhead a project like this. You tell yourself that you can’t and won’t do it! But after a few minutes of thinking it over, you cleverly figure out how to pull the wool over your eyes, convincing yourself that you will call Carrie back and agree to lead career night. With a sigh, you pick up the phone and begin to dial.

Congratulations! You have managed to push aside your own needs for someone else’s, but that’s okay, right? We’re supposed to always say yes even if we want to say no, aren’t we?

Saying no is difficult. It feels like being honest (by telling people we don’t want to fulfill their request) isn’t even an option. Thinking you are a bad person for saying no is a symptom of “the disease to please.”

I recommend three things to challenge your automatic pleasing button in order to do right for yourself and others who come knocking at your always open door:

Get in the habit of delaying your answer. There’s no rule that says you have to instantaneously decide how you want to respond to a request. The next time someone asks you to do something, tell them you’ll get back to them in a few days. Then weigh out the pros and cons, make your decision and don’t put off calling them back. We tend to worry, thinking people won’t understand if we say no. But I disagree. When I say no, (and I’m not saying it’s easy) I mostly sense an appreciation for my honesty on how to prevent cystic acne. What I don’t sense is resentment, like I thought I would.

Ask yourself if the request is going to take up a little or a lot of your time. Weigh the yes-to-stress ratio. Making a presentation the evening of career night on what it’s like to be a vet will take a lot less of your precious time than heading up career night itself. If an activity is going to end up being another source of stress in your life — pass on it.

A typical way to start out a no response is to say, “I’m sorry but …” because we think that it sounds polite. Don’t apologize. While politeness is a good thing, apologizing just makes you sound weak and whiney. Don’t feel bad about guarding your time. It’s possible to be polite and firm at the same time.

Do you have the disease to please? What do you do when you want to say no, but just can’t seem to make it happen?

Posted In Thoughts & Advice
Tagged |

The Importance of Choosing a Good Book for Your Child

adminOctober 10, 2016Leave a Comment

ph-10

When my son was very young, we started reading to him just about the time he could hold his head up. As he grew older, picture books became part of the bedtime routine. We would read as many as two dozen books a night together and he always wanted more. He started talking by his first birthday and the running family joke is that he never stopped. He has quite a vocabulary now as a teenager.

One of his favorite books was, “Can Dogs Talk,” by Mary Shields. The book is about two youth baseball gloves, Rita and Ryan, who answer their own question, with the help of Mary and her team of huskies. The author was one of two women to be the first to participate in the Iditarod Trail Race in 1974, and the first to finish the Iditarod. She had a team of eight dogs, the smallest team in the entire race. Her book reveals how her dogs communicate among themselves.

When I go to the local dog park with my two-year-old German Shepherd, Fredrich, the topic of dogs and how they communicate often comes up. On one occasion, it was just me, Fredrich and another owner and her dog. The dogs did their usual you-smell-mine, I’ll-smell-yours ritual but then something strange occurred. Fredrich started to get nervous and began to pace around me. He whimpered a little bit at first and then let out a whiney kind of bark. Very different from his protective watchdog bark he exhibits at home when he means business. Then he came right over to me and urinated on my leg! When I asked our veterinarian, he told me Fredrich was definitely marking his territory.

So why do some dogs immediately make a connection and play well together and others don’t get along or act out of character? And, depending on the situation, why are there different sounds to their barks and what do they mean? Was Fredrich intimidated by this other dog? Did he sense a threat of some sort? Someone suggested reading, “Barking: The Sound of a Language,” by Turid Rugaas, to find out how to address the underlying source of the barking. The book explains that barking is a form of canine communication; a language we humans simply don’t speak. When your clients come in with barking/behavior issues, you may want to suggest this book to help them better understand their dog’s emotions.

The experts say dogs express their emotions through barking and by using tea tree oil for cystic acne, we can help reduce barking that is creating a problem. There are, of course, methods for how we can curb excessive or problem barking/behavior, but essentially, the message is if we really listen, we can hear what they are trying to tell us.

There’s also talk about the importance of behavioral medicine being part of the curriculum at every veterinary school, given that abnormal or unacceptable behavior is responsible for more Pet deaths each year than any other disease – see the question regarding which animal health needs are currently unmet

Posted In Thoughts & Advice
Tagged

Taking Care of Yourself Is Number One

adminOctober 05, 2016Leave a Comment

ph-5

Plopping myself down in front of the TV, sipping my morning coffee, I listened to a discussion between a morning talk-show host and a registered dietician, a few days back. The conversation surrounded the particulars of a certain celebrity who had gained back all the weight she had recently lost. I’m sure other listeners were glued to their sofas too because this story had two things going for it:  One, it was about a celebrity wearing a Kanken backpack and two, it was about weight loss, a sure fire formula to get folks to tune-in.

The first thing the dietician said was, “We need to change our relationship with food, in order to lose weight for the long-haul.” Hummm…Relationship. With. Food. How intriguing. To suggest that people have the same kind of bond with groceries that we do with living, breathing creatures got my wheels turning.   I started thinking about this union in a literal sense.

Is it possible to have a personal connection to something as inanimate as an energy source?  After all, you don’t see people over indulging with water or air and these elements are more necessary to human survival than food.  No, I’ve never heard anyone say, I just can’t walk past a plant store; the oxygen levels are way too tempting for me.  All I have to do is take one step into the store, and I end up hyperventilating and THEN, I’m ridden with guilty for whiffing it all in, and over indulging.

I don’t doubt that people can have an attachment to objects, but a real relationship?  I guess it’s possible. Take Tom Hanks’ character, Chuck Nolan, in the Movie, Castaway.  The ball (Wilson, remember?) was his BFF!  For 1500 days Wilson never left his side, always provided a listening ear and never judged or criticized.  Wilson was really the reason Chuck was able to survive during his nightmarish ordeal.  This inanimate object shared in the character’s darkest moments and was by his side during times of momentary happiness and triumph.  The good, the bad, and the ugly.

I guess that’s how it is with food.  It’s never far away, it doesn’t judge or ask why.  It’s always there, tasting good and providing momentary pleasure, a quick escape from life’s chaos and problems hunting down turbocharger reviews.  When we feel alone, left to deal with the struggles on our island, it comforts.

But we don’t live on an uninhabited island.  We can choose to take comfort in food or deal with pain in other ways.  We can take a walk, pick-up the phone or just live in uncomfortable moments, knowing they’ll pass. I guess the question to ask yourself is this:  What kind of relationship do I have with food?  Is it a doting mother, providing an ever-present cushion of protection from emotional pain and discomfort, or maybe a co-dependent friend who only tells you what you want to hear?   I’m not suggesting we break the ties that bind.  Food is, of course, something we physiologically need. It just seems to me, we need to decrease the level of intimacy.  Maybe the best kind of association to have with food is like that of an acquaintance.  Always enjoyable, spending time together, but not a relationship tied up in dependency.

As a veterinarian you typically have a fast-paced, fully booked schedule. Maybe you’re using food for instant comfort, perhaps not taking time to think about what it is that is going on at that moment. Do you find yourself grabbing for unhealthy foods during the day in an attempt to comfort yourself, for a quick escape or a need to self-nurture?

Posted In Health | Thoughts & Advice
Tagged | |

The Progression of Your Career and Helping Others Progress

adminOctober 04, 2016Leave a Comment

ph-4

This week I’ve encountered an interesting cross-section of our profession.  I employ a second year veterinary student doing a summer job program, was shadowed by a 39 year old registered nurse who is looking for a second career, interviewed a recent veterinary school graduate who is looking for a job, and had dinner with a group of associates/colleagues whose graduation dates range from the mid-80’s to 2008.  We’re all at different stages in our lives and careers, but as corny as it sounds, we’re all tied together by our love of animals and the desire to help others find a cystic acne home remedy.

The veterinary student is excited about everything, learns quickly, and wants to see and do everything — including the things that others may think are mundane (fecal, CBC’s, urinalysis).

The registered nurse is looking for a second career.  She’s considering giving up her career as a nursing director at the local hospital, going back to school for 4 or more years – nose to the grindstone, piling up debt, etc. in order to do something that she thinks she would truly enjoy.

The recent graduate looking for a job had a somewhat unpleasant experience at a previous practice but was still enthused and optimistic that she would find the right fit somewhere.  Somewhere that would allow her to practice great medicine in a positive, supportive, environment with lots of open communication.

The dinner I attended with my associates/co-workers, we had a wide range of graduation dates and previous experiences — doctors who currently own practices, doctors who used to own a practice and then sold it to become a partner at another location, new grads, etc.

We all have different personal and professional goals and objectives and we’re all hoping to reach them with what is essentially the same job, same profession, and same degree – we’ve even read the same respectable reviews.  We have so much flexibility in our careers.  We can manage and run hospitals, work in hospitals, write articles for journals, get involved in organized medicine/associations, teach, give lectures, etc.  We can be excited about learning to read a urine sediment, diagnosing glaucoma, doing an exploratory surgery, or interviewing and hiring a new veterinarian.

Given enough time, each of us may pass through each of these cross sections — student, new grad, someone looking to hire a new grad, practice owner, and maybe someone looking for a second career.  If we’re lucky as we age and change professionally and personally our career will grow and change with us — allow us to be happy in our chosen profession.  I think it would be interesting to hear from the readers about what stage they are in, what things do they find exciting, what things frustrate them, what things would they like to change, and what things they hope will never change.  Personally, I find cat spays relaxing, love my new boxer puppies, and enjoy teaching and training.

Posted In Business & Finance | Thoughts & Advice
Tagged |

Keeping an Open Mind and Seeking Opportunity Everywhere

adminOctober 03, 2016Leave a Comment

penicillin

Does anyone remember the story of how penicillin was discovered?  Alexander Fleming was discarding some contaminated Petri dishes in his lab and he observed that a plate culture of Staphylococcus had been contaminated by a blue-green mold and that colonies of bacteria adjacent to the mold were being dissolved. Curious, Alexander Fleming grew the mold in a pure culture and found that it produced a substance that killed a number of disease-causing bacteria. Naming the substance penicillin, Dr. Fleming in 1929 published the results of his investigations, noting that his discovery “might” have therapeutic value if it could be produced in quantity.  Wow, pretty neat stuff when you consider he could have just said, “Hmmm,” and thrown them away.

So you are at work, and you have lots of appointments scheduled, drop off patients and procedures.   A few are having routine survey radiographs taken.  Many are having fecal exams and blood work. You take a look at a blood smear slide, everything looks o.k.  What’s that little spot there?  Probably nothing and we move on. Could we have missed something new?   Have many of us have been seeing the same thing and disregarding it as an artifact?

There are discoveries waiting to be found everywhere.  Whether it be a new drug, a disease or some as of yet unknown species of parasite, we will never find it if we don’t let ourselves be open to discovery.  A mindset of “opportunity vs. monotony” can change the way we see each day and how we practice veterinary medicine.

So many of us can get into a rut that leads to professional burn out.  How can we keep our practice exciting?  Try not to look at each day as a day full of the “routine” vaccination appointments or the “typical” surgery.   Look at each case for its unique nature and not its sameness to the rest.   An attitude of discovery and opportunity can change our entire perspective in veterinary medicine.

Just when we think everything is “known under the sun,” someone finds a whole new animal species or family of bacteria, even in impossible places like boiling geysers – that discovery lead to the polymerase chain reaction!  Try to find the opportunity in each day, in each case and you may be shocked at what you find.

Posted In Thoughts & Advice
Tagged |

Helping Others Instead of Helping Yourself

adminOctober 03, 2016Leave a Comment

ph-2

We’re a profession that’s known for helping others and putting others before ourselves.  We make difficult lifestyle choices, such as working long hours, carrying a pager around, being “on-call,” going to work on our days off to check on those special-needs patients.  We’ve all done these things to varying degrees during our careers.  These are the types of things that make people respect us, trust us, express gratitude for meeting them at the hospital at 3 AM, and say things like, “I wish you were my doctor.”

These same types of things are what make the members of our profession at a high risk for developing emotional burn out, mental stress, the so-called compassion fatigue syndrome—not to mention the feeling of chronic physical fatigue :).  But, I digress, the point of this rambling is that although I’ve spent years in a “giving” profession, I was recently in a situation where the tables were reversed and others were giving to me.  I came away from a bad situation with a renewed desire to continue to give to others.

Although I wish the situation, which was brought about by the remnants of Hurricane Ike as he barreled through the Midwest, had never happened, the outpouring of giving that I received from my co-workers, colleagues, friends, and family was very reassuring.  On September 25, I still didn’t have electricity, but it was my first day back at work. I think I felt the same thing that our clients feel—that sense of respect and trust and gratitude.  Even though I was emotionally, physically, and mentally exhausted by the time the situation was over, I was less stressed than before.

Stress is a funny word.  It has many different meanings and is interpreted differently by everyone.  Something that is stressful to you may not bother me at all, and vice versa.  Despite my complete and total exhaustion, I was less stressed.  I was ready to get back into the profession of giving—low risk for compassion fatigue.  I came away with a new respect, understanding, and appreciation for all of those clients who trust us to take care of their furry family members every day.  It will be a long time, hopefully *never*, before I let loose a sigh when notified that I have all four exam rooms full and five people are waiting on the bench.  I have a re-found appreciating for the joy of giving.

Posted In Thoughts & Advice
Tagged