ugh.

i think i'm getting sick. one of my close friends, sharon, has been hacking and coughing for three days. i figured it was inevitable. but i feel downright cruddy today. that - and i'm pmsing something fierce!

we had our first anatomy laboratory practical today. it went much better than i expected it to, though i still don't think i made an A. i'm pretty sure i pulled a B. i felt moderately good about it when i left. there was only one specimen that absolutely threw me for a loop - it turned out to be something that was very badly pinned, as far as i can tell (at least half the people in my class seemed to have missed it - plus it was the one question that EVERYONE clustered around, staring at in confusion). for those who are interested, it was the thoracic duct - which handles lymph drainage in the body. i'm sure everyone is fascinated to know that. we should get the tests back tomorrow or friday, as the prof is a very speedy grader. we're also supposed to get back our parasitology midterms tomorrow. i don't feel so hot about that one. i think i made a B or C. hard to say. we'll see. no use prognosticating?

i have found a place to sleep at school! the ag library (which is directly across from our classroom) has these deep square red chairs with soft cushions. they are right next to the windows. if you push two together facing each other, you make a sort of deep bed/crib. i fit down in it nicely, though i have to curl my legs up. it's fantastic. with my cell phone alarm clock, sweatshirt pillow, and jacket blankie, i have a great place to sneak away when i need to catch some zzzzs. in phys yesterday, i fell asleep, which is very unlike me. so, instead of embarrassing myself in micro, i went to the library and slept through micro and lunch. it was GREAT! i feel like a real vet student now - staying at school till 12am, sleeping in the library, eating and breathing school school school. actually, now that i say it, it's kind of depressing. ah well. after our anatomy practical today, i came home and lay in a stupor on the couch. i really don't feel good.

jim has been mister handy today. the washing machine broke on saturday, which was distressing. but jim took it apart, looked at some confusing metal parts, diagnosed a problem, ordered a new part - and whaddya know? i now have my washer back. he also has been working on the soobie all day - new transmission filter, tire rod - the works. i married such a handy guy to have around :).... (that's drool coming out of my smiley).

little bit of birdie trauma. titus somehow got out of his cage yesterday while i was at school. to amuse himself, he climbed on carnegie's cage, grabbed his toes, and proceeded to try and rip them off. so carnegie has 2 deep gouges on his toes. neither is suture-worthy, but i have to give him trisulfa for a week to fight off infection, clean his toes, and take him back to make sure there was no nervous and/or muscular damage. he also is missing some tail feathers and his dignity. so he had to go to school with me today for a doctor visit. thankfully, my hero - dr jones - is on clinics this month, so he didn't charge me to check carnegie out and give me some meds. there are so perks to being a vet student.

i guess that sums it all up right now. i'm having a slumber party this weekend. it should be really noisy and fun - as there are going to be about 13 girls crammed into my house.