NYC! Part II

While in NYC Carolyn and I, true to form, wasted zero time hitting almost all of our desired stops on a whirlwind tour. Here's a run down of what we did:

Ohhh yeah a real-life New York pizza pie. Delicious! Brick oven baked, thin, crispy and oh so good. Funny enough we were so busy hitting the sights and sounds of NY that we really only ate one nice dinner out. Mostly food was an after thought on our way to the next amazing place. We did stop to enjoy a dog from a hot dog cart in Times Square.

Times Square. We see it every year on TV, crowed and being hosted by an ageless Dick Clark or Ryan Seacrest. We got off the under ground subway and follow the steady pulsing flow of people toward the exit. Half way up the stair the electricity of the scene above hits us. We emerged on to the street and witness day light at night. Law actually requires lights and signs of significant size and specifications to front every establishment in the area in and around times square. Walking through Times Square is a wonderful sensory overload. Giant screens show commericals, light up signs, new tickers, hot dog carts, street vendors, Broadway billboards, people, accents, honking. Every 20 feet the light cast on you changes in color and intensity. Better and much more positive energy than anything Ive seen in Vegas by far.
We stopped in at Oddities, the pawn shop that specializes in the weird and morbid collectibles. They have a reality TV show that is part sideshow, part antique roadshow. Items include real mummified head, human skeleton, creepy puppets, antique medical equipment, and taxidermy sloths.


We also made a pilgrimage to McGee's Pub, the bar that McClarens from our favorite show How I Met Your Mother is based on. Though not exactly as it is pictured on TV it was a thrill to look around and see the inspiration. Same booths, painting and front face. Also an awesome burger!



We took in not one but two Broadway Shows! Spiderman the musical was amazing. The music was catchy and the set design was crazy creative. Spiderman and The Green Goblin engaged in aerial battles over the audience in an impressive wire display. Spiderman landed in the aisles bounced of the walls and balcony! Its one of the most expensive Broadway shows ever produced but it was apparent that its creators were going for something special. And NO, no actors were injured during the show! We also checked out Mary Poppins! Great special effects and classic songs made it a treat. We scored buy one get one tickets that made it a sweat deal!


I did some exploring by myself on Saturday while Carolyn was at her conference and visited Wall Street,Grand Central Station, Ground Zero, the sight where Mr. Washington was sworn in as presidente numero uno.

Second only to the Empire State was the Statue of Liberty. Again as we took the ferry across the Hudson to the Statue I found myself mysteriously emotional. It only got worse as we began to walk around. Its smaller that you think in person but (cheese alert) its meaning is larger that you realize before being there.





Imagine fleeing your country leaving friends, family and home behind for what freedom promised. Imagine being on a cold crowed boat for weeks or months and finally seeing the universal beacon of freedom and knowing you made it. Imagine the terror, the excitement, the relief at seeing Miss Liberty and entering a new world. Having that symbol officially greet you and bestow upon you opportunity that everyone before you never had. Wow right!
How about a carriage ride through a snowy central park on a chilly winter night. Our driver was a South American Immigrant who showed us all the sights where movies were filmed. He pointed to a building: "Jew see dat billing, dats wur day film-ed de Ghost Bussers", he grinned and turned to us, "who is jew calling, ghost bussers!"


We also found the original soup Nazi kitchen. Visited a four story haunted house themed bar and restaurant. Toured the American Museum of Natural History. We also visited Rockefeller Plaza where NBC films all its shows. Waved at the Today show. Got some great NY bagels. I met R.L. Stine, the author of the Goosebumps books that were my favorite growing up. Witnessed a 10 year old street performer effortlessly play Beethoven bringing a bustling subway station to a near stand still. I walked, and I walked, and I walked. I think that's the best way to really experience places; at times just wander aimlessly.







This trip was a trip of a lifetime. We took in so much. In the city that never sleeps we didn't really much either. Just the way we like it. Though living in the relentless pace and constant stimulation of the city would be a lot to handle for me I would say of all the cities I've been too, I like New York the best. It is romantic, strangely beautiful, ridiculous, iconic, dirty, electric and loud. It is undoubtedly the greatest city in the world.

NYC!! Part I

As I looked out over the snow-capped high-rises and sleek sky-scrappers of New York City that seemed to stretch out infinitely I found myself unexpectedly moved. For a brief moment I felt a welling up in my throat. Standing atop the Empire state building was something I knew I wanted to do. After all,who wouldn't enjoy a 360 degree view of one the greatest cities in human history from 86 floors up. It should be on the top of a long list of things to do in NYC but what I didn't realize was the being there in that moment was something to do on a short list of life-time experiences. I thought of all the people I knew that had never seen this incredible sight, and those who never will. Those who know me know I'm not the biggest urban guy and tend to seek beauty in nature rather than human construction. Choosing a hike over a museum any time. But this was different. For me this view was no less impressive than the impossible rock formations of Arches National Park or the vast wilderness of Yosemite. To attempt to wrap your head around what you see before you: How can so many people live in this space and still function day to day? I can't imagine the amount of blood, sweat, and tears that went into each of the literally countless buildings jutting up to the sky before me. Each one unique in its structure, style, color, and era of birth. I could not tear my eyes away. In fact after nearly twenty minutes of staring in awe I had to move inside the observatory because I hadn't realized by nose was turning purple due to the cold. Soon has I warmed up Carolyn and I were back outside for more. Friends and family I beg you come here and see this, it will move you. I still don't fully understand my emotion in the moment but I think it comes from both an overwhelming sense of privilege and joy to have been fortunate to be here and see this with Carolyn. I was sad for those people of the world who either never make it here or have no desire to. You really ought to see it. The pictures don't do it justice but are none the less impressive.







Check-in soon for part II of our trip to NYC and for pete's sake leave me a comment, I like them

How to tackle a goat: a prelude

Hey everyone, below is a story of a fun call involving goats. I know its kinda long and I probably told you the story already like 10 times but I think its worth a laugh or two at my expense. Scroll down past these video to read the story.If not check out these goat videos! Ha ha ahh goats!

How to tackle a goat

It was an exciting day. It was our first full day of appointments and we were so energized by a day of do-gooding and hand-shaking. A weight had lifted off of both Dr. Fanning shoulders (we were in business) and my own (I had a job I could depend on and was thrilled with). We had gotten a call from an elderly lady who had a very old sheep named 'Spooky' that wasn't doing well and needed to be put down. When we arrived at the ranch set amongst endless vineyards it was nearing sunset. The woman was kind and poorly concealed her deep love for the age-ed ailing sheep. Before retiring to her house while we "did the deed" she asked Dr. Fanning if we were keen on seeing goats. Dr Fanning who had raised and shown goats eagerly affirmed her goat knowledge and asked if she had goats and what they needed. "Well there are these two goats that sort of roam the back property, we don't handle them much but I like you to vaccinate them and check their teeth and hooves if you can". Sure we can. "We will come knock when were all done". Silently and professionally we euthanized Spooky, the black sheep in the pasture under neath a shade tree. As much as we dislike euthanizing the alternative for old Spooky is unnecessarily slow and painful for both ol spook and his choked-up owner.
"Ok lets see about those goats. Have you been around goats?" Dr Fanning asked.I laughed, "nope."
"That's fine we'll check them out and you can get broken in on goats then".
Sunset was upon us and we guess we had better hurry if we didn't want to do this in the dark. We entered the pen and sized up our opposition. "Holy $*%t, those are big goats man, Nubian Meat goats, probably what 200 to 250." Dr Fanning softly proclaimed as our two patients bolted to the far corner of the pen.
"Yeah", suddenly feeling like the kid who climbed up a tree without considering his height or a path downward. The pen was roughly 25 feet by 25 feet of mud and straw. Attached to the pen was a three walled covered barn-like enclosure with a 5 foot wide open door way. Plenty of room to run. At the back of the pen a now chained-up wide gate that had been opened to the back acres these goats were so accustomed to roaming. One devil goat was black and white while the other was solid brown. Once they had achieved maximum distance from us they waited. Both just stared, appearing to see right through us with the wild goat eyes, chewing mouthfuls of hay grain in unison. Your move mofo, come and get me.
"So whats the risk assessment here, do these guys bite much or kick? Or is it just the 120 inch horns I should be worried about?", I call out as I verify my shoes are tied. Double knot.
"Oh well they'll run you over, don't let them don that and you should be fine".
Don't let goat run you over...check. "So whats the game plan here: I ask while considering her possible meaning to 'should' in her last statement. Seconds later Dr. Fannning hurls her 110 pounds frame at the Brown goat. He nimbly escapes looking back in a taunting manner to suggest "is she for real?".
"Lets try and corner them and grab em by the horns and hold on."
I laugh, "Ok sure yeah, grab them by the horns of coarse".
Growing increasingly agitated by our slow yet deliberate stalking the goats began to display their impressive athletic ability. The black and white one leaped onto the side of the barn and tapped all four hooves to the wood easily clearing five or six feet."Ok, I did not know goats could do that". When pressed they would leap over the large wooden barrel in the center of the ring and each other. After several minutes of half hearted attempts and a showcase of ninja-goat-matrix flips I made a decision. These goat were going down. This was my chance to make a statement, I ain't scared of no goats. Worse case scenario I break my glasses but gain some respect. I sigh, "Ok, Let's do this". We corner the black and white one, 8 feet, 7 feet, 6 feet. My hands splay out in anticipation, knees bent. Five, four, he bolts, I stab laterally with both hands. I manage a loose grip on the horn closest to me momentarily as he charges by. The goat's momentum spins me around and I fall hard to the ground. I know that I fell hard because Dr. Fanning asked if I was ok and offered us to quit now. I would feel it tomorrow but not now. I was on a mission. By now the sun was nearly set and the elderly woman had emerged from the house to check-in. Again we corner, he bolts left, I go left, he stops on a dime and breaks right. "How do you like that, I just got juked-out of my shoes by a frickin goat. Son-of-a-B just puts the moves on me." It was a beautiful move a la Barry Sanders or Marshall Faulk. Again we corner he bolts past Dr.Fanning without so much as a finger layed. My next attempt I get two hands on two horns but again only momentarily as I
am flung solidly against the barn shoulder first. It must have looked and sounded bad.
"Maybe you guys should just quit, I don't want anyone getting hurt", the lady spectating beyond the fence cast out. I could see that by now Dr.Fanning wanted to win as much as I did. Corner,six feet,five feet,four, he bolts to my left and I launch myself left, hands out stretched. My body went horizontal like I was selling out for a fly ball. Just 3 inches from the end of each horn my hands locked as he dragged me long enough for my body face forward. I planted my feet as he wildly thrashed his head up and down. The end of his horn jabbed and dug into my thigh meat. I tightened my grip and tried to choke up. Searching for back-up, "what do I do?!"
"Just don't let go!, Try to press him up against the fence, press your knee into his chest and he'll stop" Dr.Fanning said in such a tone as to indicate she was very amused.
I followed her instructions and she took the vaccine from my scrub top pocket and promptly administered it. After a brief exam Dr.Fanning said "ok he's done". By this point the goat had stopped struggling almost as though he was saying "you've bested me good sir". Dr.Fanning swung open the gate and black and white when bounding away from the arena. One more to go. I'm not sure if it was luck or just the simple fact that the brown goat had accepted his fate having witnessed the capture of his compatriot but I was able to wrestle him down on my first attempt. It was now dark and as we proudly rode away from the ranch we both grinned ear to ear.
"That was a bad situation, those goats were crazy, don't worry that's the worse it will ever get with goats." Dr Fanning said.
I laughed, "that was awesome!". I thought to myself, that might be the best that it gets.On the short ride back to home base I made sure to accentuate my injuries to give Dr.Fanning a hard time for 'endangering' an employee. I went to bed with a smile knowing that I had earned some respect and didn't even break my glasses.

What's New?!

Hello all for those of you that occasionally check this page and have found only two new postings in 6 months I apologize. After a long hiatus I finally sat down to re-cap all of my summer festivities. Since then I have been so busy with the Holidays and work that I haven't sat down to post anything. Now that life has settled (somewhat), ((you know carolyn and I)), I intend on trying to keep up with this blog and promise to post some interesting stuff.
So whats new?
As many of you know this fall was a trying and stressful few months. I was scrambling to save up enough money to afford another quarters worth of classes at UCSB. Working at the emergency clinic downtown wasn't really working out for a variety of reasons and I was beginning to overwhelmed. After talking to friends and family I decided to put school off for another year while I worked on getting out of debt and putting some money away. Obviously the first order of business was finding a job that I could be excited about. I took a chance an sent out a resume to a job posted on craigslist for a mobile vet in the near by Santa Ynez valley. The mobile practice was a start-up in an area that is somewhat rural with lots of ranch style properties. Being that I have no horse experience and I live 30 minutes away I didn't figure I would hear back. Two weeks and an interview later I was the newest (and only) employee of Vet's Here mobile veterinary service.
As it turns out this was perfect for me. I got to be involved in starting a practice from the ground up. This was an opportunity to do work I love in a totally fresh and new way. And I get to learn equine(horse) medicine, the last major category of animal medicine I haven't done. Dr. Fanning and I roll around the Santa Ynez valley in a twenty-something foot RV style truck seeing almost anything and everything we can. Check out our website its pretty nice: http://www.vetshere.com/

More on Vets Here later....
After taking the job in the valley AND agreeing to do relief work at my old job San Roque AND finishing the emergency job I found myself working 7 days a week. From no jobs to 3 jobs! So I put my head down and worked through October, November, and December. Now as of January 12Th I am down to just one job and looking forward to getting back to a normalish schedule. Vets Here has been booking up and couldn't be more excited about my job. Oh and by the way a film crew is coming into town in February to shoot a pilot for a reality TV show based on us! Once edited producers from LA will shop the show at different networks. If we get picked-up you can look forward to seeing us on TV for a half-hour every week for season 1 of VET'S HERE! We will see where this goes but in the mean time we are having fun.

In the coming weeks I will tell you how to vaccinate a goat, what the hell is an Alpaca, and what does New York look like in January (Carolyn and I headed out the 27th). Thanks for checking in.

Aaand were back!

After nearly four months of no new posts on my "wildly" "popular" blog I have decided to return.I have had an awesome summer and so far a busy, unpredictable fall. I feel that before I can begin to write about life as of October I should update "everyone" on life since graduation.

Graduation was a crazy week filled with visiting and personal tours of my home for the last 3 years. From the mission to the beaches, from the great food to the great views, and yes I cant leave out YogurtLand I was excited to show off Santa Barbara. I cant thank mom enough for doing a lot of organization to bring people from all over. Though I didn't get to spend nearly enough time with everyone I was so happy to have everyone there to celebrate. I finished UCSB with a GPA of 3.2 and even though I still have not received it in the mail I now have a B.S. degree in Biological Sciences.Here are some pictures from that weekend


Right after graduation I went to work cleaning and packing as moving day was fast approaching. On July 1st I moved in with Carolyn to the infamous Transition Ranch. Over the last 2 1/2 years this ranch has been home to many of our friends many of whom were very much in-between things. Now that Carolyn and I finally find ourselves under the same roof and life is so much easier. If you haven't already visited the ranch I recommend coming to visit while we are still here. Mountain views, horses, a fire pit, horse shoe pit, chicken coup, newly decorated office, garden, and huge yard that is just a short walk to one of the prettiest views in SB is not something you want to miss.

The last box had barely been unpacked before I took off on a nine day excursion to the Sierras with James (aka Jonesy). Taking a where the road takes us approach we headed out to Yosemite then the Pacific crest trail further north. In addition to hiking 50 miles of trails (largely in two days) we hit some natural rock slides, attempted fishing, and boated in a hail storm. Yosemite was beautiful and camping with Jones was non-stop laughs. Here are a few highlights:





Next up was a fundraiser for CIMWI aboard the Condor express whale watching ship out of the Santa Barbara harbor. Carolyn worked hard to help plan the event that was a huge success, raising lots of money for our marine mammal friends. Special thanks goes out to the Turner clan who traveled down to help the cause helping to feed Sea Lions.

Then it was time to get out my sleeping bag again to head off to camp. I cant tell you how exciting it was to finally get back to camp after a 10 year hiatus. Not only was I going but I was able to bring Carolyn and my former roommate Seth. I was delighted to share this experience with people I love and bring great people into the camp Okizu family. After training and orientation we were all placed in respective cabin groups. I (Gumby) had the 14-15 year old boy cabin, Carolyn (Lily) had 8-10 year old girls, and Seth (Spongy) had 8-10 year old boys. We all used every ounce of energy we had bringing constant fun and positivity to the kids all week. In the end we were exhausted but could not have asked for a more meaningful or rewarding experience. I am pretty sure we will all be back next year. Let me know if you want to come next year too!

From camp we all went our separate ways. I breezed through Lodi 'cause I had this wedding thing to go to. No big deal just performing the marriage ceremony for my best friend in front of 200 guests. The ceremony went off without a hitch and my speech went over well. Mike was the event DJ and did a fantastic job. Pretty cool to all be there and be involved in such a big way. Dave is now a married man in part to Rev. Wooddall.




Once home the party finally had to end. Funds were running low and an opportunity presented itself that I had to take. In August I started a new job at CARE emergency clinic in downtown SB. The hours were grueling but the pay was good. Unable to find a job doing something other than vet tech work, I took the job with little hope of actually enjoying it. We all have to do what we have to do, when we have to do it, right?

August turned to September and on September 1st Carolyn and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary. We celebrated big with a wonderfully spontaneous trip to Portland Oregon. Carolyn happened to have frequent flyer miles and I happened to have a few days off of work and so we went!. Portland was a cool city with great food. The food at every restaurant we ate at was above average even if the service was not. The rose garden, Japanese garden, waterfalls, and wine country were all highlights of the trip. We also took in an interesting show at Dante's Inferno Night Club that was a combination of circus act, freak show, and strip tease. Definitely a uniquely Portland experience that provides context to the popular bumper stickers that say "Keep Portland Weird".



Lets see what else.... oh yeah we decided to adopt! Her name is Ginger and you can read all about her on Carolyn's blog. She's very cute and excited to meet all of you soon.
Thus concludes my summer wrap up. I am sure that I missed plenty of fun and interesting things I did this summer. If I stumble upon anything else worth noting I will retroactively post. Summer was non-stop fun and truly one of the best summer breaks I've ever had. Unfortunately all good things must end and has summer ends and fall begins the reality of post-graduation life is setting in. Stay tuned for a posting in the next few days that details life in October.

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!!

It's finally here. The last week of my undergrad at UCSB. Now only two finals stand in the way between me and freedom. Yes indeed it will feel so good to final get the 600 lbs gorilla off my back. I am certainly not done with school forever but this week will cap off a body of work that spans 9 years, nearly fifty different classes, and 4 schools. When I started my college journey it was a "pre-9/11" world. I remember taking my first math midterm during the first few hours of 9/11, I also remember not doing very. When I started college the first Shrek, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter movies were all hot new releases. Sugar ray and Destiny's Child were in the top twenty. Baywatch had it's last episode and "24" had its first. Gas: $1.70 a gallon and a UC tuition has doubled. I started at Delta College BEFORE the ipod was released! The Kings and Rams were title contenders! I drove a big brown towncar aptly named Jerome and I was dating ol' whats her name.My littlest sis Megan wasn't tall enough to ride anything at the fair. Yes many things have changed since then. 9 years later: new president (thank god), new car (newer), new lady, new town, and new fee increases for everything you can think of. One thing that never has changed is the love and support all of my family and friends has given me. Yes all of my guys in 2001 are still pretty much the same cast of characters in 2010. Mom and Dad haven't perfected life but they have perfected being loving, supportive, and encouraging irrespective of life's challenges. I still wear the same pair of white converse I laced up in 2001. On one hand I feel like I've grown a lot since the last time I donned a cap and gown, becoming more mature, stronger, more responsible. On the other hand I feel like I am very much the same person I was June 12th of 2001. I am not sure whether the idealistic motivated dreamer of 2001 or the weathered, determined, and battle-scared dreamer of 2010 had more to do with getting to where I am now. I do know that without Carolyn I probably wouldn't have made it. With her constant and unwavering support not only was I able to make it through I was able to do better than I ever had before. Be sure to thank her for being the one who got me to the finish line in the last half of this marathon when I was the most exhausted. In a way I feel like everyone around me believed in me more I believed in my self. That faith gave me confidence, strength, and courage to persevere even when I was a my lowest. I am now very proud to have earned my degree and justified all the hardships, late nights, and struggle. I am especially proud to have justified all the faith everyone has put in me. You were all right, I did it. Now wipe away the tears and put your game face on, finals are here and ITS THE FINAL COUNTDOWN! *please watch video for full comedic effect