Life's a Road Trip

The past couple of weeks, though rather busy, have been great. I thought I’d post a quick update.

Misty is working at a pet grooming salon. For those of you who know her, you’ll understand what I mean when I say that she really enjoys her job. This is a girl who, throughout her life, has brought home every stray – and strange – animal that she could find. Even after working with them 40-hours per week for the past few weeks she hasn’t tired of them. Something else Misty really enjoys is Halloween. Thankfully, she wasn’t scheduled to work that day. She and Dave spent most of the day decorating our front yard, porch, and entryway to thrill the kids she knew would be by for treats later in the day. When I say decorating, I don’t mean lighting a couple of Jack-o-lanterns. Misty goes all out! She has a skeleton, a huge spider web, three or four disembodied skulls staked four feet high lining our sidewalk, spooky music, a fog machine, and more. She also dons a costume prior to the arrival of our annual visitors. We ended up not having a lot of visitors this year, but those who did venture down our court were provided with sweets that made it worth the walk.

I voted last Tuesday – and hope that YOU did so as well. The election didn’t turn out the way I wish that it had, but there’s always 2012, right?

 One of my nieces, Mackenzie, celebrated her birthday last week. As usual, I enjoyed spending time with her and the rest of my family. We had a great time…and ate cake! What can beat that?

 I spent the first half of Thursday volunteering at a free clinic. Scott Grimes, a fellow MPH student and Public Health Corp member, served with me as we convinced community members to sit for their flu shot and assisted them in the completion of the required paperwork. Some folks needed more convincing than others, but I think Scott and I did a fine job of persuading them. At the end of the day, only five doses remained.

A fun part of the day for me was when Scott began feeling guilty about telling everyone else to be vaccinated when he, himself, had no protection from influenza. So, one of the volunteer nurses, Janet Zetzl, put Scott into her chair and poked him too!

Scott Grimes receives his own influenza protection

 Don’t let Scott’s face fool you… he was hamming it up for the camera. Janet is an excellent nurse and we didn’t receive a single complaint. Hopefully, those who weren’t vaccinated will visit us at one of the upcoming clinics. If you’re in need of a flu vaccination and want to know more about this opportunity, visit the Gennesaret Free Clinic site for more information.

 School is going well, exceptionally well, actually. I aced my last biostatistics course and have strong A’s in all of my classes. Of course, I have research and papers due in a few weeks, not to mention final exams. I’m in good shape though, so I have no worries in that department. I’ve registered for Spring classes now: Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Advanced Epidemiology, and Applied Multivariate Statistical Methods. Sound exciting? It does to me, and that’s what counts! I’ll complete my internship in the summer, take one more class and complete my thesis in the fall, and then I’m done, unless, of course, I decide to pursue a Ph.D. My school makes saying no to that proposition quite difficult as my tuition would be fully comped in addition to an annual stipend. I have a bit of time to make that decision so, for now, I’ll worry about completing my current courses and just cross that bridge when I come to it.

 After a somewhat hectic week, Dave, Misty and I were invited to hang out with a good friend in Broad Ripple yesterday evening. We sure couldn’t pass on that offer! Thanks for the invitation, Ange! We took a quick walk around the Indianapolis Art Center, spent some time at the Ashland Gallery, and finished off with dinner and cocktails at Flatwater Restaurant on the canal. After such a busy week, this evening was much appreciated.

 It’s certainly good to break away from your work and worries for a brief respite. I recommend you do the same. Spend some time with family and friends, take a walk, enjoy yourself, and don’t forget to breathe!

I voted today. Did you?

This is a good article about walking for health – Healthy cognition and memory, that is. http://ow.ly/2UMWV

Dulworth family reunion last week. Dave took the best photo of me lovin’ on one of my nieces, Makayla. Check it out! http://ow.ly/2Jv62

We spent this evening at the Earth Discovery Center at Eagle Creek Park. Dave had entered the Images of Nature photography contest, and we were attending the artists’ reception. One of Dave’s entries earned an honorable mention ribbon. That’s not too shabby considering this was the first time he has done anything like this, and that he is self-taught. So, congratulations, Dave. You did an awesome job! Congratulations to each of the other entrants as well. There sure was some beautiful artwork at the center tonight. If anyone is interested in taking a look at a few hundred gorgeous photos, then swing by the Discovery Center within the next couple of weeks while they’re on display.

Correction: With my original post, I refered to the photo contest as Imagine Nature. I have since corrected it to the correct name: Images of Nature. Sorry folks!

A week-and-a-half ago, Misty received a telephone call from a friend who had found a stray dog. I was in class and Dave, during a brief moment of insanity, agreed that she could keep it here overnight. The little guy had no tags and, after confirmation by our veterinarian, no RFID microchip. We reported him as a found dog hoping that someone would claim him. Two vet visits later, and another scheduled, he is still with us…

Misty named him Gizmo because he looks a bit like the cute little gremlin – at least if you cock your head and squint your eyes correctly. He was nearly black when he arrived, though we later found a white dog under all of the grime. His fur was terribly matted, his skin was in poor shape with a few abrasions, and he was absolutely covered in fleas. So, in addition to the vet, he has experienced a trip to the groomer.

Now for those of you who know us, you know that we like B-I-G dogs. This guy weighs no more than our two cats – a whopping 14 pounds. To see him around other dogs, however, you would think that he was the 135 pounds of our late Grizzly! A neighbor’s dog escaped his enclosure, sprinted across the road, and nailed Gizmo. The poor little guy was pinned and the much larger dog was attempting to bite his neck, until Misty and I intervened. Once I was able to run the other dog off, Gizmo jumps up and lunges toward him. I couldn’t believe it! Yesterday we introduced Gizmo to Dakota, our 95 pound, female Newfoundland. His initial response was to try to bite her…at least until he discovered that she was a female!

Gizmo acts quite differently around our cats. Tigger – our grumpy, old man – doesn’t like Gizmo one bit. I thought he was afraid of the dog, for a couple of days. Then, I witnessed him chasing the dog, and the dog running behind Misty for protection. Now that was a sight to behold!

Our other cat, Boo Boo, has a ‘special’ kind of relationship with Gizmo. To our surprise, Boo Boo and Gizmo get along very, very well (Gizmo is an intact male, at least until next Tuesday). The two of them snuggle, lick, and tease as if they’re a male and female of the same species, not two males of differing ones. The first time that Gizmo attempted to, um, be intimate with the cat, Tigger barfed. Coincidence, or not?

Despite the drama, Gizmo seems to be sticking around as the newest addition to our family. He is a shaggy, little Shih Tzu: white, with a brown patch of fur surrounding his left eye. He has a curly tail and a horrible under-bite that, believe it or not, is desirable in the breed. He seems intelligent, most of the time, but excessively stubborn. He should fit in just fine around here!

I’d like to spread the word about a campaign two of my classmates put together to help decrease teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections in Marion County (Indiana). It’s called iKnow, and it’s an AWESOME plan to get advice on sexual health issues important to teens. All a teen has to do is text iKnow to 61827. S/he will receive confidential, professional advice on issues s/he may not feel comfortable asking a parent about. Lisa and Stephanie, you did a fantastic job. Congratulations! Again, teens can text iKnow to 61827 for help with issues regarding their sexual health.