Check it!

In the weeks after Milton's tragic passing decisions had to be made. After some deliberation and a lot of research we decided on a brand new Ford Focus Hatchback. It gets super good gas mileage, it was relatively affordable, and we both thought it looked pretty sexy. We had the unfortunate experience of dealing with the numb-nuts at Perry Ford in Santa Barbara but in the end we got a good deal. This was the first big purchase for Carolyn or I and I am proud of our negotiating skills. We even walked away from a deal at one point because it was just outside our price range. We got a great interest rate (2.79%), the exact color we wanted, and even got cruise control installed for way less than stickered price. I cant tell you how happy I am to finally be driving around in what feels like an adult vehicle. For far too many years I have driven old beater cars without radios, power lock or widows, AC and four functional doors. Even though this Focus is a pretty base model it feels like a luxury car to me. Finally, I feel like a full fledged adult in an adult car. I also feel like an adult because Carolyn and I applied for a loan together, opened a joint bank account, and have signed up to make car payments for 6 years. Help me name the new car by voting in the poll or suggesting a better name.

Eulogy for Milton

Dearly beloved we have gathered here today to honor the life of Milton, a car whose "character" and outspoken engine never failed to give passengers pause before entering. Mitlon my (t)rusty 1992 Honda Civic passed away this past Tuesday at the age of 189,354 miles. Below is listed a complete list of the parts and systems that were either missing or broken at the time of his passing. The name Milton struck me as appropriate for a car that was frugal, not flashy and obvious prone to commuting. Maybe it he were a person he would commute to an office job, pay taxes and take a modest if not dull vacation every 3 years. Maybe even a stay-cation. He was simple and reserved, knowing value was not in his plain-jane appearance but in the content of his hood. I purchased Milton in 2003 from a Hispanic fellow by the name of Abraham for $2700 dollars after a blown tire on a slick freeway totaled my '85 Corolla (rest his soul). He was the newest car I had ever owned. Not long after we were acquainted Milton held nearly everything I owned as he helped me move out of my apartment and take a new direction in life. Milton would go on to dutifully move all my belongings an additional eight times. This included the 368 mile journey south to Santa Barbara. The nearly deafening rattle of the transmission and the incessant clang of the front fender flapping in the wind were almost a comfort as I pulled out of the driveway and headed for a promising new beginning. Yes there was always plenty of time to think on those trips without such distractions as a radio. After Milton's passenger side window was smashed for access to the stereo I made the decision to never again install a radio for fear of making Milton a target. The engine noise was so loud generally phone calls were difficult if not possible. Yep just me, Milton, and the road. Gradually Milton began to show his age as the miles ticked on. His once flawless white paint began to peel and rust under the Santa Barbara sun and sea air. Much like ill-fitting glasses on the nose of a hard working office worker the bumper refused to stay in place. Tape, rope, glue, expoxy, zip ties, wood, screws, bolts were all used in vain to keep that bumper in place. Various stains and smells accumulated causing first time riders to raise eye brows or contort their faces like they were sucking on a sour candy. Despite Milton deteriorating exterior and the troubling noises it made I can recall getting 420 miles on one full tank of gas heading home for Christmas. Indeed until the very end Milton got 37-38 mpg.
On Tuesday I sold Milton for $200 dollars after the doctors at Meinke diagnosed a blown head gasket and failing transmission. The daily commute over the pass the last few months had been hard on him and between you and me I think his spirit had been broken. Too many moves, too many long drives home, too many leaks to continue. Part of me feels responsible because I often complained about driving a car that had all the amenities of a ford model-T, admitted embarrassed by his condition. I longed to feel like an adult and to have an adult car, not one that looked like it was abandoned and then drove into hell by a 16 year old. For this, old Milt, i am sorry. You were everything I needed for a tumultuous 8 years: reliable, economical, and a constant source of amusement as things continued to fall off and/or break. We neither got into any accidents or got any tickets. Only twice do I recall needed to call for help because you didn't start. Even when your engine failed on the pass this Tuesday you showed tremendous valour finishing the grade and taking me home in your triumphant last ride. Thanks old friend. I only hope my next vehicle can serve me as well only have a radio and maybe power windows or air conditioning.... dome light that comes on....that's all.

Official report:
Blown head gasket (official cause of death)
Failing transmission (didn't help any)
No power steering (sever leaks required expensive repair)
No a/c
Heater stuck permanently to most hot setting
No radio or speakers of any kind (stolen on separate occasions)
Paint peeling (cheap paint job prior to my purchase)
Rust on truck and hood
Broken driver side door handle (there's a special trick to getting out)
Permanently locked or unlock rear door ( you choose)
Broken rear view mirror driver side (ultimate insult happened Monday night at the hands of neighborhood hoodlums)
More stains and foul smells than the homes of the people featured on Animal Planets "Animal Hoarders"
Dash display the would light up roughly 65% of the time
Multiple oil leaks
Belts that were frayed
Bumper flapping in the wind
No lamp house or turn signal on the front passenger side (fell off somewhere)
Broken turn signal rear same side (backed into fence)
Missing Honda emblem (fell off at car wash-glued back on- then fell off again after slamming hood closed after trying to jump its dead battery)

Rust in peace my friend. The images below are the last taken of Milton though some of you my want to remember him in his better years. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaamazing Graiace how saweet the sound......hmmm hmmmm

For all my Veterinary Professional People Enjoy!

I got this link from my bosses former boss and it is priceless! This is so close to how it actually goes, its hysterical. Its hard to pick my favorite part.

Five Nights In Fairbanks!!! Part III of III

I can't tell you the relief I felt as we enjoyed the final dazzling streaks of emerald in the pre-dawn sky. I had pulled the whole crazy plan off. I put a ring on my dream girl in spectacular fashion, having executed my dream proposal. We were now able to scratch the northern lights right off both of our bucket lists. For at least the following 36 hours Carolyn's name became Fiance. For the remainder of our Alaskan adventure I could really relax and enjoy each moment without the sinister whispers of doubt stealing me away. We saw the lights, we were engaged, and we still had two nights in Alaska.
Day 4: Too jazzed up to sleep and too early to call everyone we've ever met we headed to breakfast at "Family Diner" in Fairbanks. We were greeted at the door by a cave-dwelling waitress and the unpleasant odor of cigarette smoke. For the first time in forever we were faced with the very difficult decision of choosing to sit in the smoking section or the second-hand smoking section. Seriously this place had reindeer and moose available in the omelettes. Needless to say we steered clear of the game and that diner the rest of the trip. We napped for an hour before packing our bags and checking out of our hotel, our destination: Chena Hot Springs Resort. 60 miles outside the nearest town this resort was the perfect place to spend the last two days of out trip. It was quiet, rustic, secluded, and forget about cell phone reception. We arrived mid-afternoon and wasted no time wading into the soothing hot springs. After a relaxing soak we had dinner at the resort lodge the was equipped precisely how an Alaskan lodge should be. Moose antlers, iditarod musher jerseys, and antique sporting equipment lined the walls. Dinner, nap, coffee. Again we were geared up for another night of watching for the lights. Could we be so lucky to see them once last time? Yeah we did... Simply amazing. This night we had the benefit of watching and waiting from the "aurorium", a heated, glass-fronted cabin tucked away in the hill just above the resort. A welcome alternative to a freezing and cramped Kia Optima after three nights. Especially wonderful, the place was all ours with not another soul passing through all night. Hot water from the springs would trickle through pipes around the room to provide heat and a tranquil noise not unlike camping next to a mountain stream. Ahhhh, this was relaxation! When the aurora would show we would scramble in the dark to put on our boots, gloves, and jackets before rushing out to take pictures. In the wee hours of the morning we retired to our room with huge smiles on our faces having seen the aurora twice!

Day 5: The next day was, in a word, active. We visited the resident resort goats. We toured the on-site ice museum filled with neat sculptures and novel ice creations. Carolyn and I split an appletini served in an ice glass at a bar made entirely of (you guessed it) ice!

Next we toured the resort's geo-thermal power plant and green house. We learned of the 100 year history of the resort and how the hot springs provide all the heat, electricity, and even some of the food for the resort. Its incredible green house is powered/heated by the springs and can grow our dinner salads ingredients in 60 below weather!

Next we hit the trails hiking through the woods and to the top of Charlie Dome, a nearby peak that promised 360 degree views of the Alaskan wilderness. The hike was intense, gaining in elevation swiftly and without any yield. Already exhausted and unable to tell how far we had left to go in true Matt and Carolyn style we pressed blindly forward. Most people would call it a day and go soak in the springs but not us man we were looking for punishment. Eventually we conquered the peak and were treated to an awesome view as promised.


Hot springs, dinner, nap, coffee, and we snow-suited-up for a chance at one last chance at seeing the lights. Now thoroughly spent, our inner vacation warrior's spirit wavered and at 2 am we made peace with the fact the seeing the lights twice was still twice as many times as we thought we'd see them. We tucked our tired bodies in and passed the heck out. An hour later we were startled awake: BOOM BOOM BOOM, Aurora!.....BOOM BOOM BOOM, Aurora! Everyone in our hall way had been put on the Aurora wake-up call list. This Paul Reevere of the Aurora had us up and out in minutes. Can you believe it? Three nights of lights. Well after the Japanese tourists had turned-in we decided we too should catch some sleep in preparation for our epically long travel day home. Minutes after putting head-to-pillow we were out, just long enough for us to stare at each other and say, "is this all for real?"

Five Nights In Fairbanks!!! Part II of III

The Moment! The third night after making our way back from Denali we decide to try yet another spot. This time we went further north and twenty miles east well away from any light pollution. Slowly we drove further and further pulling over every 3rd mile to scout viewing potential. Each spot didn’t seem good enough for various reasons and sometimes for no reason. I wanted to drive directly to outer space to feel assured. I could feel myself getting increasingly irritated with the situation and the stupid full moon. Why oh why didn’t I think about the moon before booking? Eventually we stopped at a pull-out with slight elevation and good clearance above us. And we waited... and waited... I began to drift to sleep giving up hope of seeing anything that night. Carolyn was awake and squirrely getting in and out of the car often. "Babe, are you asleep?” Of course I am babe its frickin 2:30 in the morning and we’ve sat here for hours!" I shot back grumpily. We decided we didn’t want to sleep the approaching day away and started back to the hotel. I was the throws of panic at this point. After over 10 hours of staking out the light not one shimmer, glint, or flash. I am the biggest fool in the world. Distracted and deprived of sleep I breeze by our exit for the hotel. Thus began slurry of cursing and grumbling. We were so tired and the exits in Alaska were few and far between. I had just absent mindedly delayed sleep by another 20 minutes at least. I was intensely focusing on searching for a sign indicating the next exit when Carolyn startled me with a loud gasp. "Babe look, I think that’s it!”. I looked out my driver's side window and over my left shoulder to see the faintest of faint green hues. How she spotted it behind us and out my side of the car I can’t explain. In fact what she saw was so faint and brief we weren’t even sure if it was just imagination. Delirious and desperate perhaps we were projecting our hopes onto reality. Regardless we agreed it had to be investigated. Not having the stamina or the heart to drive back outside the city we returned to the hill overlooking the city where we sat eagerly the first night. Carolyn kept her eyes wide open peering in every direction her spinal anatomy would allow. At the top of the hill we flew out of the car and were rudely slapped in the face by a brutally cold wind. After just a few seconds my fingers were numb and my face stung. We estimate with the whipping wind the temp was the ballpark of 15 below zero. Moments later the neither the wind nor cold mattered in the slightest because the show had begun. Off to the north, high in the sky the aurora welcomed us to a private viewing. A faint band of what looked like fog would gradually grow in mass and steadily green would fade in. Like a firework in slow motion the color would grow out toward you and peak with a vibrant deep green and then slowly fade. Before one line was done another would begin and soon it was hard to focus on just one. They were to the north, north-west, south, and directly above us raining down. I cannot describe to you the elation of the moment. At last we were privileged enough to see what we came this far to see. In the moment I was faced with a fantastic dilemma. Do you take a second to snap a few once in a life time photos to catalog the moment or do you get right to the business at hand? I decided I needed to do both, but before I did, I needed more clothes on. Violently shivering I dove into the back seat and frantically put on my snow jumpers, another fleece, and large down jacket. Before exiting and pulled the ring box from the very bottom of my backpack. The lights were still in full swing with no signs of leaving so I quickly set-up my tripod and mounted the camera. In order to capture the lights I had to use 30 second exposures. This camera, being digital, needs an additional 30 seconds to process the exposure before being able to take the next. For every picture snapped, a minute went by. (An eternity in this situation.) In between shots Carolyn and I embraced, laughed and danced. I instructed Carolyn to go stand on the snow bank overlooking the northern sky line. I centered and focused the frame on her and set the auto-timer. I pressed the shutter button and scrambled to her side. Flash... timeless. I tell her to stay put to take one more. On the way back to the camera the wind blows over the tripod and I had to catch it. Again I center and focus the frame. I press the shutter and run over to her side once more this time struggling to pull the ring box from my jacket with my frozen double gloved hands. As I reach her the box comes free and I dropped to one knee. Let me tell you in 15 below, whipping winds and a timer going speeches go right out the window. All I muster is "will you marry me?” Comically my first muffled attempt was swallowed up in a gust of frozen wind. "What?!" she says trying to help me to my feet. "Will you marry me?!!"......snap flash. She giggles and says yes, we fall to our knees into the snow bank together kissing through our scarfs. We tore away our scarfs to meet lip to lip and hold each other. After a few minutes we returned to earth to celebrate the moment. We danced and took pictures, hugged and kissed. To our left was the biggest full moon in 24 years, every other direction was the aurora. The show last a full hour or more, plenty of time to give my aforementioned speech and tell Carolyn the whole story of the surprise.Im sure glad I missed the exit that night.

Five Nights In Fairbanks!! Part I of III

I'm not sure where to begin this story. Most people aren’t at all surprised to hear were engaged after 4 and 1/2 years but exactly how we came to be engaged is where the surprises come in. A few people were aware of my super secret plans to whisk Carolyn off on an Alaskan adventure but for the most part I had to keep this one under wraps. I couldn’t risk ruining the surprise and blowing a plan that was years in the dreaming and months in the planning. Now that were back from the trip of a lifetime we can shout it from the roof tops, Were Engaged!!Eventually we'll post all our pictures and tell the story from both sides (check her blog too) but for now heres the beginning. And how it all happened was truly by the book, which is of course if the book is a fairy tale. The Preparation: For years I have had a plan in my head of how it was all supposed to go. Some time ago Carolyn and I had talked about how amazing it would be to see the northern lights. It was after our conversation that I got the idea to purpose to her under the spectacular lights. I had no idea how to get there or even where to go but I was set on the idea. As my time frame developed (after graduation before grad school) I began to save. Finally in January of this year I sat down and started to research. Two days later I had two tickets to Fairbanks Alaska!! The plan was finally set into motion. The main goal, surprise Carolyn and purpose underneath the northern lights. I got Carolyn’s parents blessing and recruited a few others to help pull of the surprise. There were seemingly a million things to be done and I had to think of everything. I booked the flight, hotels, and rental car. I had to organize time off of work for both myself and Carolyn without her knowing. I had gather snow gear to keep us warm in temps well below zero. Ginger needed a dog-sitter and of course I needed a ring! Week by week I meticulously worked out every detail without arising any suspicions. Difficult to do because after four years of dating and daily harassment anything can be suspicious engagement activity! Of all the details to work out the hardest by far was making sure Carolyn didn’t plan something for that special weekend. We all know how Carolyn loves to plan and free-time isn’t really in her vocabulary. In fact I had people on the inside reporting to me on her plans to take me on a secret camping trip the same weekend we were in Alaska. Luckily I was able to keep her schedule free by committing to fake plans as the trip neared. Day 1 The night before we left was my 28th birthday and despite my every attempt to get to bed early we didn’t go to bed until after midnight. We went to dinner and had cupcakes did the whole "birthday thing". My stomach was in knots the whole evening and I had hardly slept in two days. Ha ha she had no idea. Day 1: At 3:30 am Thursday morning my alarm went off and I shot up. I kissed Carolyn awake and once she was coherent (sort of) I asked her if she trusted me. She took and understandably alarmed tone and said yes. "Then I need you to get up and pack, we're going on a trip". Unlike most of us who would immediately ask where are we going or what the hell is wrong with you she only asked if her coworkers knew. I told her it was all taken care of and retrieved a list of items to pack that I had prepared in case packing at 3am was problematic. We were on the road by 5:45am (not bad right) and headed to LAX. Soon she found out where we were headed and any trace of sleepiness or reservation went out the window and there was only excitement. Check out Carolyn’s side of the story on her blog to find out what it was like to find out your going to Alaska two hours before you get on the plane.
Several hours later we arrived in Fairbanks Alaska and check into our hotel. We gathered info from a few locals on where the best places to see the lights were near the city. Almost every one we talked to seemed out right confused when we told them we were on vacation from California. They all wore an expression as if they were waiting for some punch line like we were playful locals having a bit of sarcastic fun. Without fail they all said something to the effect of: "what are guys doing up here now? You should come back in September when it’s nice, not sure if you’re even going to see the lights but good luck anyway." In the beginning I laughed those kinds of comments off. However, as the trip went on my anxiety grew as the lights were more elusive that I thought. We found that out the first night as we waited in the car on a chilly Alaskan night for them to show. After watching and fighting exhaustion for several hours we gave in and left our hilltop perch over looking Fairbanks for our hotel. Tired as I was that night, sleep was still difficult to come by. Day 2: Our first full day in Fairbanks began with an exciting trip to downtown where we happened upon the start of dog-sled race. It was exciting to hear the announcer introduce the mushers and hear the countdown to sending each team off. 3, 2, 1 go and the team of dogs as many as twenty would launch themselves forward and zoom down the street.
After all the teams left the gate we headed north to the town of North Pole Alaska. It will be fun to tell our kids we've been to (the) North Pole to see Santa’s house. Next it was back to Fairbanks to check out the international ice sculpting championships where we took in numerous wonders of ice. Life size horses, slides, mazes, and people all carved by hand painstakingly out of ice. During the day we noticed a sign advertising a hockey game that night so on a whim we decide to go cheer out the Fairbanks Ice dogs as they took on the Kenai River Brown Bears at the not-so-big Big Dipper Ice Arena. The ice dogs killed the bears 3-0 and the game had all the hits, saves, a shoving that makes a hockey game complete. The night continued with us going back to see the ice sculptures again this time beautifully lit up. Where most mere mortals would go to bed after an epic day of activity, Carolyn and I pressed forward. Determined to see the lights we drove twenty-six miles outside of the city on an icy road to find the perfect spot for viewing. We pulled off the highway into a snowed in recreation area and waited. And waited..... And waited..... No sign of the lights. The nearly full moon shined brilliantly in defiance, mocking me and my plans for proposal. Finally at 5:30am we gave up and made the long journey back to the hotel. Disappointed at not seeing the lights but on the plus side we did see a Lynx run across the highway on our way home! Once at the hotel we collapsed. Day 3: We awoke bewildered at 2 pm the next day, the unfortunate side-effect of staying up all night. Within an hour we hit the road in our rental car to drive two hours south to the massive Denali National Park. Denali is the size of Maine but in the winter only the first three miles of the park are open to drive. The drive there was very beautiful with ample photo opts of the majestic mountain ranges. When we arrived we decide to take a hike into the park beyond the point which cars could not pass. Denali was serene and silent, we felt like the only people in the park. Sunset approached so we hiked back to the car and headed back to Fairbanks. Already we could see the largest moon in 24 years rising over the mountains. Statistically speaking March is supposed to be the most active month of the year for the lights. There is ample darkness and the weather is making a transition to spring providing good conditions to see them. This is what my research had revealed and precisely why I booked the trip when I did. The Fairbanks travel bureau says that if you stay in Fairbanks at least three nights you have a 90% chance (weather permitting) of seeing the lights. That is, of course, unless you book your trip during the time in which the moon is bigger and brighter than it’s been in 24 years. In addition to that it just so happened that Aurora activity, which is based on solar storm activity, was forecasted to be a 0(quiet) or 1(low) on a scale up to 9 (head explodes) the entire length of our trip. As many locals told us, "you should've been here two weeks ago probably the best aurora I’ve seen my whole life living in Alaska". My other favorite: “well hey next week is supposed to be active if you guys are still here". No, no we will not, but thanks for the tip Joe Eskimo. This was our chance, these five days. By the third night my nerves were getting the best of me. What if after all the work, carefully planning and money spent, I could not carry out my dream plan? What if I held out all these years for nothing? Yes the trip was and is still going to be amazing but the whole point of everything was for the moment where I propose under the celestial green hue of the Aurora Borealis.

ALPACAS!!!

Working for VetsHere! has given me an great opportunity to get acquainted with new and interesting species. One of my new friends is the alpaca. I recently spent the morning with several Alpacas owned by one of our best clients in the Santa Ynez Valley. On this particular occasion we were scheduled to trim there hooves and briefly examine the baby alpaca (called a "Cria").

Alpcas are part of the Camelid family. In relative size the largest of the common members of this family is the camel, followed by the llama, follow by the alpaca. All of which are used by humans for various purposes.


Relax people don't eat them. Much like sheep they are sheered annually and their coat, which is called "fiber", is sold to manufacturers to make a variety of clothing items. Like sheep's wool alpaca fiber is warm but, unlike sheep's wool, alpaca fiber is not itchy and is hypoallergenic.

As with any other animal alpacas have their own signature defense mechanisms. These buggers employee three novel approaches to avoiding veterinary care. The first, and perhaps most defining of the camel cousins, is the always entertaining spitting. That's right, when an alpaca feels threatened (or just doesn't like you) it will hurl a gut fluid luggie straight at you. Second an interesting technique referred to as "cushing" which is essentially sitting down. What's that you want to trim my hooves, ha ha, check this out! Third, the good 'ol fashioned kick to nether regions. Not nearly as dangerous as a horse or Bruce lee kick but potent enough to make you real sore. Fortunately for us the alpacas we dealt with last week were not big spitters. Actually, Beyonce, Rihanna, Little Debbie, Baby Reindeer and the rest of the gang were fairly well behaved. The general game plan for these guys is to slowly wander their way pretending to be completely disinterested. After a few seconds of half-hearted whistling a made up tune and staring at the clouds you spring into action. Get them in a quick head-lock and once they know they've been bested a halter can be applied. If Vets Here ever does get picked-up for a TV show you might get to us in action because a film crew was with us to capture the whole day. Alpacas are pretty neat and getting to work with them was good fun.