Happy Canada Day

Every time I get homesick, I hit youtube and look for Canadian specific videos to make me feel better. A good dose of Rick Mercer or some National Film Board shorts usually cheers me up pretty quickly, but sometimes I just have to watch this video instead:




I've tried explaining to a couple of my American friends why this video gives me shivers every time I watch it, but it seems to be one of those things that just doesn't translate very well. I wouldn't consider myself to be a particularly rabid hockey fan, especially not compared to a lot of Canadians, but it resonates with me on a level that I think is particular to our country. I think, whether we follow it regularly or not, the game seeps into our pores and becomes part of our cultural identity in a way that is hard to pinpoint or describe, and yet that video somehow seems to sum it up. So, whenever I need to feel just a little bit more Canadian, I watch it.


And, for the record, that coke can would need to be smushed before being used as a puck. No way would you play with it that way.

Cats

I spent part of the day on Saturday just following the cats around with a camera. I ended up with some pretty ordinary footage, but I figured I'd post it anyway.

This is a classic example of the "arguments" I have with Minnow. You'll have to excuse my dorky voice, I seem incapable of conversing with her in a normal adult tone.


This is Merlin, trying to stay awake. He does this a lot, though I've never seen him tip completely over. It's certainly got worse lately, though I suppose that extra 2lbs he's put on since January might be making him a little rounder.


And here we have a typical wrestling match. Consensus seems to be that Minnow won, but they're usually about 50/50. A few minutes after I stopped filming, Merlin walked up to her and smacked her on the face and then ran away. So don't worry, he gets his own back.

Talent Crush: Regina Spektor

I've posted music of hers before, but the more I listen to her, the better I like her. I finally got my hands on one of her albums, and every song is different and amazing. My only real complaint is that I want to sing along so badly, and I just can't match her vocal range or style well enough!

Cow Tippi.....er, Cow stabbing

No, we didn't tip cows today, we just stabbed them in the neck. And only to get their blood.

Yeah, I know. That doesn't make it sound any better.


Anyway, I did a jugular stick on cow today and hit it first try. I'm proud of myself, but I couldn't get too puffed up about it given that the vein is about an inch and a half across. I mean, really. I also hit the tail vein on the third try, which I was pretty pleased about. Actually, the hardest part about the cow lab was getting the cows into the chute in the first place. Most beef cattle are slightly nervous of people, so it is very easy to drive them. Ours are handled more than usual, so they don't fear us, and as a result, we have to use somewhat unorthodox methods to get them to move where we want them. This may seem like a scene from some bizarre horror movie (when vet techs attack?) but it was really just us trying (and failing) to drive the cattle. Honestly, if I were a cow, I would have been scared!


But apparently the cows couldn't care less, cause they sure didn't move.

Ah well, blood was eventually achieved anyway.

Stuck in my head

This is awesome on so many levels, I can't even begin to address them. I've had it stuck in my head ever since Snuggles (aka Yuri, aka itty bitty kitty kitty, aka Banjo Tweedy) sent it to me.



Rock on.

Video time

I started messing around with the video settings on my camera, and wow....it actually takes pretty decent videos! You can expect a significant increase in moving picture content on the blog.

That said, wanna know why I felt it necessary to take some video? This is why:



Yep, lambing season!!
and have I mentioned how much fun my classmates are?






Bonnie's comment at the start was in response to my "Um, do you want me to edit out that bit about you......"

Also, Alona and I worked with Hero and Drake after class. Hero needs some work on the whole "sit" command thing.


I love my program!

Stuck in my head

Excuse the poor video - I'm getting kinda sick of the "embedding disabled by request" tag on any youtube video I feel like posting lately. Anyway, this song has been in my head for about a week, and I love it.

Beautiful

Just a quick update for now. I promise I'll post something else later, but I needed to share this now.




credit to Dani for finding this

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

What a great way to start my first week of vacation! Home got their snow last night and I stayed up til 3am watching the crystal clear and miserably snow-free sky and feeling jealous. I woke up again around 5am because the light had changed and looked out my window to see thick yellowish clouds which made me feel much better. Apparently it started falling just after 7am and sticking around 8am. I woke up at 10am to a nice thick coating and it's been snowing non-stop ever since.

It's funny, I've always felt like slightly less than a true Canadian because of the lack of snow in Victoria. Some sort of Canadian Lite because we get all excited over our measly little 2 inch drifts and the city shuts down. After seeing how Portland reacts to snow though, I'm feeling just the tiniest bit superior, and perhaps a little more Canadian afterall. I guess, even in lotus land, there are enough transplants from back east to infuse everything with a little more sanity and common sense. Here, most of the transplants seem to be from California, and they out and out panic at the first sign of white stuff falling from the sky.

The news station this morning had 5 hours of continuous "Winter Storm Coverage" complete with reporters live on location throughout the city to check in and tell everyone how things looked from their angle. People were encouraged to send in their photos of the snow and the weather crew was giving updates every 10 minutes. Best of all though were the shots from the traffic cams which really highlighted just how unprepared Portlanders are for this weather. ODOT issued a warning to all drivers and has made chains or studs mandatory if you want to get on a highway, but they can't force common sense on people.




This video is actually from 2004, but it was taken in downtown Portland, just near PGE park. I haven't seen anything quite that spectacular on the traffic cams yet, but the day is young! I have faith in the ability of overconfident SUV drivers to provide us all with yet another horrifying video.

I got my final marks back this morning for all my classes. I got A's in both intro to vet tech and medical terminology (I would have been embarrassed if I hadn't, she practically gives them away), a B in animal science, and...a C in A&P. I'm not happy about it, or proud of it, but I won't complain too much. I passed, and in the end, that's all the really counts. As long as I pass, I get to go on to the next term and learn from my mistakes so I can get a better grade. And in the meantime, I can stop panicking and just relax.

So, I'm spending a wonderful day on my couch facing the window so I can watch the snow. We're up to about 3 inches now and no sign of stopping yet. I have tea, a blanket, a good book, and strategically placed cats - one on my feet, one tucked in to my neck. Life is pretty darn good.

Filler

Too busy studying and sleeping to post a real entry. Instead you get ultra-adorable video.

Fun with Cellos

I've been a fan of Apocalyptica for several years, so when K&B asked if I'd like to see them live on Friday, I jumped at the chance. Apparently they play Portland fairly frequently, and the show is well worth seeing.

In case you've never heard of them, picture this: Metallica covered by four cellists. Sound impossible? Just watch the embedded video. They're a bit out of tune in spots in that video (they weren't on Friday night) but you get the idea.

The band had fantastic energy, great crowd appeal, and the music was awesome. Actually getting to see Perttu playing those ridiculously fast bits was unreal, and I couldn't quite believe that Eicca really could headbang while playing the cello. Really, if you get a chance, check these guys out. They rock.


In other news, I got an A on my Breed ID test last week, so I feel better about that. I also have a day off Wednesday (college closed for professional development or some such) and I can't wait. A whole day off, oh goody!

Musical Interlude

I love this song.
Actually, I like several of Regina Spektor's songs, but this one just gets me more than the others. I wish I could find an official video for it, but I suspect one may not exist. Regardless, just ignore the video and listen to the music.




Thanksgiving went well tonight. I spent the day with friends, I'm content and full, and there are leftovers in the fridge. Really, what more could I ask for?

Flashback to 7th Grade

I suppose this is going to get me some flack for being so young, but yes....I was in 7th grade when this movie came out.

I watched it again tonight, and I realized that it was only the second time I'd watched it, the first being in theatres with my friend Liz when it first came out. Actually, knowing Liz, we probably saw it on opening weekend. I'd never bothered to watch it again, despite the fact that it really is a pretty good movie, but I was struck by how familiar the whole thing seemed for such limited exposure. Then the credits started rolling, and this song came on. I was surprised to realize that not only did I know almost all of the words to the song, I could even remember some of the dance steps, and when they were danced.

Grade 7 was the first time I can remember coming home from school and consistently having the house to myself for an hour or two before Mom got home from work, and I loved it. I would beeline straight for the cabinet where the cookies were kept (usually oreos or stale oatmeal raisin.....my two least favourite cookies, even today), grab a pop from the basement pantry shelves (caffeine-free, diet Safeway select cola....thanks Mom), and turn on Muchmusic.

Much is the Canadian equivalent of MTV, and as a self-respecting 13 year old, I was hooked on it. Our Lady Peace, Aqua, Bran Van 3000, Prodigy, Hanson, Holly McNarland, Oasis, Wallflowers, Chumbawamba. I could honestly say that I still like about half those bands, and I certainly liked them all at the time (yes, I had a Hanson CD. No, I don't want to talk about it). Will Smith was a bit of a regular on Much, and the MiB video was #1 on the Countdown in August of 1997, just before I started my first year of high school. I watched it a lot that summer.

Kind of amazing what sticks with me, given that I certainly don't remember much of anything relevant I learned in school from back then.