It was just a last week when the temperature here was in the upper 30s, and I wore my down coat and mittens on our dog walk because it felt freezing cold.  And that was in October.  But today when we went outside, it took both my dogs and I to surprise because it felt a little hot.  Throughout the whole day Chris would want to go outside to get some sun, but a couple minutes later he would be panting ready to be back in the cooler house.  I’m glad it’s a little warmer than last week, but I could use a little bit of a temperature drop.  And so could Chris.

Last year after being out of school for a while, I got the urge to head back.  But the question was what to study?  And at that time we weren’t even sure where we would be living…  There were or still are several areas of study I’d like to peak into, but with school costing money, I can’t keep on stacking up credits just because I want.  Maybe if one day there’s a way to sell credits, I can live my dream of being a professional student.  But because that isn’t an option, I narrowed down my choices and landed onto one particular program.  Mainly because I already have all the prerequisites finished, and the program is only two semesters.  So this August I started visiting the advisor and got my application in for fall of 2010 because if I don’t start next fall all of my classes happen to expire.  Then I would have to go through anatomy and physiology classes again all because so much time has past since I took those classes, which is scary because I feel like I am getting OLD.

So a month or so ago I got a letter saying I had been accepted into the program.  But for some reason I wasn’t really convinced by the letter, and I needed some reassurance.  I don’t know why…?  Anyways a couple days ago, I finally got an e-mail reassuring me that I am in, and the letter was not a prank.  I know it’s quite a ways away to finally start the program, but I am now overly excited to get to sit in the class room again.  Sure I wonder if this is a right move on my part, and if I would be better off applying to graduate schools.  But with an uncertainty of how long I will want work after finishing any program, I think I can live a more peaceful life knowing my name won’t be on any amount of student loans.  And with this being a certificate program, it kind of works out because we don’t know where we’ll end up in two years, so once I pass the test it’s valid all across the country.  Most of all, to know that if I successfully complete this program, I will have less of a chance of having to work at a place, or more so the graveyard shift like I do now is just comforting, like really really comforting.  I guess I’ll have to finish the program before I can take that deep breath, but I’m excited to see all the blood and guts as an OR tech.

Yesterday, on my drive home from In-N-Out there was an interview on NPR that made me feel guilty in the amount I’ve never felt guilty before.  It just happened to be about this author and his new book Eating Animals.  Right after I ate a cow, great.  The author was saying that this book wasn’t about attacking meat eaters, but rather to inform what goes on in livestock production and the unethical treatment of animals within the meat market.  Oh yes, this author has got my attention, who happens to be a vegan himself.  I personally am not a huge meat eater, but rather eat it a few times a week.  I’ve also tried being vegetarian on a numerous of occasions, but it always ends up with me feeling like I haven’t had the right amount of protein in days…  And then, I eat meat.  I’m sure I’m just not making the right vegetarian dishes, and until I can learn how to eat right that way, I don’t think I can fully pledge vegetarian.  So if I’m having a hard time being vegetarian, I really don’t want to think about even considering becoming vegan.  But if this book made Natalie Portman become vegan again, I may just have to give it a try.  Better go eat my stack of tofu.

I can’t believe it is Halloween already, which means there are only a couple more months until the end of the year.  Crazy!  I’m a bit sad at the lack of Halloween spirit I have this year because it is my favorite holiday of the year.  Unfortunately, I had to work last night and tonight, so I guess I don’t have the energy to celebrate the fun holiday.  Normally I would have made a couple batches of sugar cookies to decorate and had carved some pumpkins, but this year none of that happened.  I did however pick up a pumpkin yesterday because I thought it was looking at me and saying, “please, take me home with you”, but whether or not he’ll get a face is still unknown.

So instead of carving pumpkins, I went on a search for pumpkins pictures we had carved over the past years.  I was able to find some of the pumpkins, but I couldn’t find all four years worth of pumpkins.  I think they may have gotten erased when I recovered my computer system a few years ago…  I swear I back everything up….  Oh well.

Well, I guess we’ll look forward to next Halloween.

I never thought of becoming a stamp collector, but after seeing these on my box the other day I think I’ll start.  I was going crazy looking at all the characters on the stamps, as I remembered watching their cartoons when I was just a little kid.  So the other day when I was driving to work, I just had to put a CD collection from all the old cartoon theme songs and listen to them.

I made a quick visit to the zoo this afternoon to check out the baby girl, and she was still as little and cute as three weeks ago!  I couldn’t tell much of a difference in her size, and there wasn’t an eco explorer I could talk to, so I don’t know what her recent measurements are.  Maybe next time… I did get to see her RUN.  Elephants can run?  While I was carefully observing Zuri and Kristi, there was this guy and a lady that were right by the fence, and as soon as Zuri saw the two people she went storming towards them.  I couldn’t help but wonder who that special lady was.  How was she getting what looked like a VIP tour?  I was jealous.  Perhaps she made a generous amount of donation to the zoo?

After Zuri, I made my way to the baby tigers, and of course they were napping.  Unlike Zuri, the growths in these cubs were pretty obvious.  But they sure are gorgeous animals.  I realized that the zoo put the water back in the pool, so they must be able to swim now.  I would love to see them swim, so I guess one of these days I’ll have to stand at the tiger exhibit all day long.

Unfortunately, the giraffes were eating their lunch, so I didn’t get a good look at the baby…