Wow, long time, no blog. It's not that I haven't had ideas, it's just that none of them have... solidified. I get brief thoughts while I'm driving that I can't seem to turn into a decent posts once I get home. The worst part is that the wisps keep circling in there, and frankly, things are getting crowded. So, I'm going to try and turn some fragments of thoughts into a group of "shorts" that will be worth reading, and also either 1) get them to go away or 2) help them firm up into something useful.
Maryland drivers. Probably the most frustrating part is their complete lack of understanding of the yield/merge procedure. I think in the licensing handbook, it must explicitly state that moving traffic is required to yield by any means necessary in order to allow ramp traffic to join them in the fray. And by "fray," I mean giant cluster***. Seriously, these people are kamikaze pilots that will wrench their car onto a freeway with absolutely no regard for the fact that there is a 99.9% chance than another vehicle, going upwards of 70 mph, already occupies that space. But I did not learn to drive in Maryland, and I drive a big ass truck with 243,000 miles on it and I would LOVE a new one... so bring it.
Geography. I am not a Marylander. I have been here for almost 2 years now, and I'm still a West Virginian. My difficulty is that my dream job (6+ doctor, large animal practice, that requires little to no horse work, no alpaca work, and with a haul in facility) does not exist in West Virginia. So I'm job hunting, hoping to find a practice close to West Virginia, with enough doctors that I can spend more time where I actually want to be AND actually develop a life in the new location. Oh, and it can't be in Maryland.
Interns. I just want to say that I am possibly the worst candidate in the world to shape young minds. Seriously guys, I'm way too honest to be dealing with impressionable youth. Because they ask me about things like, student loans and exactly how much I love my job. And I don't tell them to pick another career path and sell a kidney if it means they won't have to take out loans (I'm not that bad), but I'm honest. I have already had the world's worst (college senior guy, asked me why girls died after having sex with a horse) and candidate for the world's best (licensed vet tech with an ag degree). My current intern is so sweet she makes my teeth hurt. Eighteen years old, cute as a button, and so enthusiastic and happy that I'm really not sure what to do with her. Should be an interesting summer.
Summer fun. I'm doing a lot of traveling to see friends and family this summer. I spent a weekend with my twin and her family to meet my niece, who is the most perfect, beautiful creature I have ever seen. I spent a weekend with the travelers of my family who are currently living closer to me than they ever have. We took a trip to see the space shuttle. Incredibly impressive that something that large went to space, but I'm still curious about how they got it into the hanger where it's on display because the tail sticks up in the air way higher than the giant door opening. Two theories. 1) The tail was taken off then reattached inside. 2) Smithsonian museums used some of the budget to buy a lot of pizza and beer and call up a bunch of friends. Confused? Think carrying a couch through a doorway. Pick it up... tilt... finangle... curse... push/pull... PIV-OT (sorry, Friend's reference, had to be done).
I think I'm going to stop here. I'm not out of ideas, but it's like 11pm and I'm on call.
