So I've since finished Dances With Wolves and The Dressmaker, discarded Lincoln after a valiant effort and begun A Separate Country.

Dances With Wolves was a good book. It had a Pocohontas feel to it: military white man (in this case, Lieutenant John Dunbar) learns the ways of the Native Americans (in this case, Comanche), falls in love with Native American girl (Christine/Stands with a Fist, who is actually white herself but adopted by the Comanche) and observes the destructive powers of white people from his new vantage point as an adopted Native American.

Nothing novel in itself, but the story flowed well, the main character was dynamic and while the expected things happened, it was still a powerful message from the past about acceptance of other people and cultures and just how destructive people can be. We look at that part as something of our past: we would never slaughter all those buffalo now! We would never hack down all those trees without reason! But really, we are doing that all over the world, just in different media - species are made extinct by hunters, development of rural land is unashamed, etc. It makes you sad to think that we really haven't learned anything after all that time. Sobering.

Anyway, I'll see how I feel about writing more book reviews. I'll obviously exceed my goal of two for the month - easily done with nothing else to do right now. Life will kick in soon with my external rotations beginning January 26th. I interviewed with a third residency program last Friday and ranked the three that interviewed me yesterday morning. My list is finalized and while I have one program that I like particularly well, I'll be happy to be paired with any of them. Results February 9th!

So with the new year just around the corner, I've begun to brood on my resolutions. Last year, I did "mini-resolutions" where I made a new resolution each month in an effort to get more accomplished and stave off the doldrums that are early February and onward by changing it up too frequently to lose momentum. All went well until school kicked in (and kicked my butt) and so I got probably only eight or nine months of solid resolutions in.

The thing is, I didn't stick to them very well after the month was done. What's the point of a resolution that you accomplish and then abandon later? It's made me feel both as though I can accomplish just about anything I put my mind to and as though I'm just wanting to check things off of a list to prove to myself I could do it. Which is pretty worthless in the long run.

I still need to decide if I'm going to go back to the mini-resolutions format or try to just live my life and improve it as best I can. There are definitely things I want to accomplish in life (running again, photography, volunteering, etc) but not much is exactly feasible during vet school. So we'll see.

I almost started this post by saying "I can't believe it's already half-way through the second week!" and then realized how many times I've mentioned my disbelief at the passage of time in my last few posts. So I deleted it to spare you all my shock and awe at a process that has been happening at the same speed since whenever it started.

It is an absolutely gorgeous day here on the island after some clouds over the weekend. I think tomorrow it's supposed to rain most of the day and cool down - hopefully the humidity decreases too because I've had to get a lighter blanket to sleep under at night and turn the fan on. It's just a matter of time before true autumn hits and it's rain all day and wind all night. I know I should go out and enjoy the day but I've got a few things on my plate that need doing and the more I crack down on myself now, the more hope I have for an organized semester (or so I hope...) Which reminds me: September's mini resolution! As I have so much to do this semester (to the detriment of my other MR ideas), I'm going to keep it simple and say I will look at my day planner EVERY DAY when I get home from class to stay on top of all that needs to be done. Shouldn't be too hard (famous last words, eh?)

On my plate today: sending out the Lab Animal Club's Lab Animal of the Month contest questions. September's questions are on the guinea pig :) It's a new thing I'm trying to keep people kind of engaged in the club between wet labs and lectures, plus it offers a prize which people always enjoy. Then I'm going to work on our assignment for next week's junior surgery lab on canine anesthesia (drugs, animal evaluations, equipment, etc). Dishes need doing and the house needs straightening (again?!, sigh) so I'll finish up with that later tonight.

To finish on a happy note, Fergus is doing quite well! I went out on Sunday and bought him a new, glass, 2.5 gallon tank to live in with a lid but no filter. The one in his 1 gallon tank was too strong and it wasn't worth paying the extra money for. So I'm going to wait until this weekend to give him time to fully de-stress for the original transplantation before moving him to his new(er), big(ger) digs. He's so happy to be out of his pet store cup, though; I came home to a big bubble nest in the corner of his tank! Not ready for a bunch of betta babies just yet, little man...

Somehow, it is now the first of September. How another week has managed to sneak past, I don't know. As I've mentioned, third year is already double the pace of the first two years and I feel myself lacking in confidence in my own ability to juggle it all. There are more classes, more tests/quizzes, more time needed even before studying starts and more responsibilities with clubs...how I'm going to manage it is also an unknown. I sat down with my planner on Thursday and wrote out every thing I need to remember to do on what day (nevermind that I haven't looked at the darn thing since...but I will!) which made me feel only slightly better. I just have to remind myself of how far I've come and how much I've already accomplished. Before starting, I had no idea how I would tackle all of the work. Before first year midterms, I wondered how I would possibly pass. But as time goes on, you just get things done. Not in a conscious way, but without noticing how much you're actually learning. And when your boss hands you six ferrets to do physical exams on over summer break, you do them without hiccup. That's what matters - getting it done.

So I think my strategy for this semester will be that of swimming in a cold pool - just jump in a get moving and don't think about the fact that you're turning blue and hypothermia is a distinct possbility and wouldn't a nice warm chair by the fire be nice? and oh yeah, there are sharks in the pool.

Because the weather has been decent lately, I've done a lot of non-school stuff, too: coffee with friends, making a little extra cash helping out a local business, fish and chips with friends up in the park and a bonfire last night at the beach. Surrounding myself with friends is one way I attempt to fight the feelings of loneliness - I really miss Danny and Ella. Coming home to a silent, dark little cottage is just depressing. So when I tagged along with friends from fish and chips to the pet store (one friend was getting some fish and shrimp to put in her fish tank), I wound up buying a betta fish for company. The set up I bought for him, however, is lacking. The tank is one gallon in size - a vast improvement over his cup on a shelf - with some nice gravel and a little fake plant. The problem is, the filter they provided has way too high of a flow rate and the little betta (his name is Fergus) ends up having to swim against the current. So I'm going to return this tank and get him either a bigger tank with the same size filter or (more probably) a similarly sized tank with no filter (which will require more frequent water changes).

Lastly and most importantly, my monthly resolution. Well, I'll tell you: I had one picked out, I really did. I was going to volunteer at a local therapeutic riding center. Problem is, I'm going to be way, way too busy this semester. So I'm a bit stumped right now, per usual. Hopefully I think of something soon..

Today is quite literally one of the most beautiful days I can remember, especially for August in DC. It's just over 70F, not at all humid, sunny with a light breeze...I'm in heaven. We went to a nearby farm that sells their own as well as local produce and stuff and picked up some nectarines and two dish towels with chickens on them for a wedding gift for friends (they raise chickens). Now Danny is out hacking back bushes and mowing the lawn (after he spent yesterday washing all of my parents windows, which is not an easy feat considering they have twenty-two floor-to-ceiling windows that make up the back part of their house!) I'm going to hop out there in a little while and prune my tomato plants which are, to put it simply, out of control. They're bushy and healthy and I'm getting more of the fist-sized ones instead of the cherry ones which my parents prefer to use, so that's nice. I got all excited last weekend and started planning out how next year I want onions and squash and peppers but then I realized I won't really be here next year since rotations will have started. Boo.

Speaking of vegetables, you're probably wanting to know how the vegan thing is going. One word: awesome. In the few short days since I made the leap, I have made a bunch of new recipes (I made falafel last night for the first time ever - everyone liked it!), lost three pounds and just felt good in general. My first real challenge was last night: my dad made an awesome chocolate cake for my grandmother's birthday dinner last night. I was able to resist pretty easily last night but when I sat down to eat lunch today a big waft of chocolate amazingness came floating up to meet me and it was so hard not to reach over a swipe a glob of fudgey icing off the plate (don't worry, I didn't.) I've been trying to focus my recipe searches on things that are either already vegan or easily made vegan. I think once I'm completely "over" animal products, it will be easier to swap in vegan meats and cheeses; right now, when I remember what a good steak tastes like, I think I'd just be setting myself up for disappointment if I tried to make something Really Not Vegan taste like Something Vegan, if that makes sense. I have had frozen vegan burgers, but I've always liked them so I don't think that's as big a deal.

Anyway, it's a glorious day outside - not going to spend it in front of the computer! Happy lazy Sunday :)

Today is the first day of a new month, which means its resolution time. Lately I've been a little lazy in my brainstorming and I think my productivity has reflected that. However, July's resolution - to broaden my horizons - was so successful that it creates the perfect segue ("seg-way" - I know, I didn't know how to spell it either) into August's resolution:

I'm going to go vegan for the month in the hopes that I can go vegan for the foreseeable future.

Whoa, right? I've mentioned that I stopped eating pork in my first year of vet school. I've talked about becoming a vegetarian, and I was really successful (and happy!) with my resolution to eat less meat earlier in the year. I felt better physically, mentally and "morally". But now, to leap into veganism cold turkey (or should I say tofurkey or turk'y)?

Let's break it down.

First, what does it mean to be a vegan? Generally speaking, a vegan does not consume anything that came from an animal. This includes meat, dairy and eggs but extends to products like gelatin and leather. But that's the simple version. I see vegans in a few distinct categories - those who do it for dietary reasons, those who do it for the morals and those (a subset of the second) who take it to the extremes.

Next, why do I want to be vegan? I would consider myself a mixture between the first two categories. Having been nearly vegetarian for a month, I felt great eating less meat and I lost weight. But I'm definitely in the second category, too. I don't like how a lot of livestock are raised: small cages for poultry and pigs, pushing animals - especially dairy - to their limits to their detriment, unenriched environments, etc. I particularly don't like how there are so few (and then only loosely regulated) regulations on transport to slaughter and slaughter. There is so much room for error and I hate the idea that an animal that I consume (or a product of an animal that will one day go to slaughter) could have been one that was ineffectively stunned or injured badly on the trailer or whatever.

The funny thing is, a lot of people look at lab animals like this and while it is largely untrue, there are always instances that crop up that make you sad due to human error. So how can I possibly be OK with animal research? I'm going to be there, working my rear off to make sure that every single creature under my control is treated with the utmost care and respect. I feel like my contributions to the problems outweigh any moral qualms I might have. In addition, I think the field of lab animal medicine is a lot more progressive than that of production and that makes me feel as though a lot of positive steps can and will be made. I don't feel that same assurance with the food industry.

So what will I eat? No meat, dairy or eggs, of course. But if I examine my reasoning for wanting to become vegan, I've decided that I will allow myself to eat animal products that come from local producers that raise their animals in a way that I feel happy with (free range chickens, for example) and slaughter their own livestock. As they have far fewer animals to process and do not have to ship to a far-away slaughter house, I can feel more confident that the animals will undergo a humane death. If people want to bash me for that, that's fine. It's about doing what I believe is morally acceptable.

My monthly resolution for July had been to create and stick to a budget. I hate to do this, but I'm going to switch because I feel like that's a task better suited for when I'm up and school and actively spending money (right now it's just groceries and random stuff). Plus, I feel like it isn't exactly a great resolution. Helpful and useful, yes. But not something to devote an entire month to. (As a side note, I seriously need to get my butt in gear with picking out resolutions before the second day of the month. Oops.)

Anyway, I'd like to switch my resolution something both broad and simple: expanding my horizons. I know it sounds rather Disney-fied, but I think I can accomplish so much with this one resolution. My ideas include new recipes (of which I have already made two successfully - woohoo!), thinking outside of the box when it comes to money saving, planning new fun things to do with the people I love to spend time with, staying up to date on current events, etc. Let's see how it shapes up!

Why do I have to title posts now?

July arrived yesterday but I was too busy rambling about my awesome day of shadowing to talk about my mini-resolution for the month. June's resolution to be healthier was neither a complete bust nor a raging success. I did succeed in being more active - Danny and I went on walks around the neighborhood most nights after dinner - and I started to track my daily calorie intake on My Fitness Pal (actually sticking to my set calorie goal each day has been variable...) which made me more aware and careful of what I put in my mouth. I'm still a major work in progress but I feel like I've been taking steps in the right direction, so that's a positive.

As usual, I have procrastinated brainstorming for the up-coming month's resolution and come to you with couple of measly, poorly thought out ideas. One of these ideas is to create (and stick to) a budget for myself. You may remember my March(?) resolution to save money in various specific ways, so I realize that this concept isn't exactly new to my personal resolution scene. But I think actually creating a budget would be an exercise that, if successful, would be an amazing "experience" to have under my belt. (For those of you gaping at the screen wondering why I don't have a budget - I don't just spend money willy-nilly. But I never actually have tracked where my money is going, and that in itself might help me save.) So basically I'd create a spreadsheet and start tracking and classifying my purchases and target the "problem areas" (I'm looking at you, Chipotle).

Another thought has been to spoil my relationship and plan out some more structured dates to places that I want to see. The drawbacks with this are: cost (although DC does have a lot of sweet free stuff) and time (Danny is usually super busy on the weekends and even four days a month - one each weekend - might be a bit steep to ask.) My modification on this was to plan more stuff with friends, but that's always based on availability and such and would be tricky to map out as easily as, say, a budget.

And the last thought is volunteering my time to some good cause. Since I only work four days a week, I have one extra day a week that I could (hypothetically) "donate" to a charitable organization. My problems with this are that it takes time to learn the ropes at those places and I leave for Canada in what, seven weeks?(!) AND I've been hatching a plot to do more lab animal shadowing on my off days. So that's tricky.

Now that I've essentially brainstormed outloud, I think the budget idea is the best one for me to tackle this month. Time to dust off Excel (just kidding - I use it every day at work!) and get cracking.

Welcome to my 100th(!) blog post. Sit down, have a drink, admire the scenery. I remember writing about wanting to be more consistent in my blogging; I'd say 100 posts is a great milestone. Pat on the back, self.

But wait! There are more things to pat myself on the back for, namely: I got a job offer from the lab animal facility I worked at for three years as an undergrad! Not only did I get a great offer doing lab animal-related stuff like I wanted to be doing, I'm going to get paid a decent amount more than I've ever been paid before! Pat on the back #2.

Pat on the back #3 is that I went for a jog yesterday in the breathtakingly beautiful weather and it was lovely and have been doing well with eating reasonable amounts of good-for-you food. Good first efforts on my June resolution.

Today will consist of going with my sister to shop for decorations for her birthday/graduation party that will be held on Sunday (at the same park that my rehearsal dinner was at, actually), getting some lunch, other small miscellaneous errands and probably more thank you notes. The TY notes are almost done though - you may now pronounce me most organized bride in the history of the world.

I think that's enough gloating for one day ;)

It feels simultaneously like forever and like just yesterday that I last posted here - I don't even want to know how long its been! It has been one hell of a (however long its been) since I was here last, but fortunately all of the chaos is behind me. I got married on May 18th and had a wonderful honeymoon in Charleston and Savannah May 19-26th. Got to see my friend who came home from Afghanistan and his wife while in Savannah and generally had a lovely time in a warm climate. Got home that Sunday night, went to the Orioles/Nationals game on Memorial Day, went to lunch with my sister for her birthday yesterday (well, her birthday was the 28th) and now I can finally say I've made it to the other side of the black hole of craziness that had been looming ahead of me for the last month or so of school. Finals, wedding, honeymoon, all done and out of the way.

I have a lot of stuff still to do for the summer, but the bulk of it has come and gone and I feel (mostly) at peace. To do lists have always been one of my favorite things and now that there isn't wedding stuff or school stuff on them it isn't so bad churning through them.

I'm happy to report that May's monthly resolution of making myself more presentable has been going excellently. I bought myself a new shirt, denim skirt and bright coral shorts and have started to wear some of the nicer clothes that are already in my closet. The only hindrance is money right now - with no summer job whatsoever I have zero income, so I don't feel quite right going out and buying a bunch of new clothes. But I think I've been doing a good job with what I have. No idea about June's resolution yet, but I still have a couple of days left!

Recently I've been thinking again about going vegetarian. Back in February, my resolution to eat less meat went really well and I've continued to eat less overall, although the amount has probably snuck back up after PEI Burger Love in April and coming home to a distinctly omnivorous household. I realized that eating less meat makes me feel somehow better overall - morally, yes, but also health-wise. I can't exactly pinpoint what it is, but I just feel good when I eat less meat.

So I've returned to considering full out vegetarianism. The hardest part for my February resolution was finding recipes, ingredients and snacks that were vegetarian that seemed easy. Sorry, but I can't really afford to go out and drop a bunch of money on some particular exotic spice or weird vegetable. After I was able to get a few regulars under my belt, though, it became a lot easier. So I think continuing to expand my recipe horizons is a key element. (Fortunately there's a boat load of good vegetarian recipes out there, it's just a matter of sifting through them!)

The other tricky part is that my wonderful almost-husband and the parents that I live with for the summer are strongly omnivorous.  When I'm home, I make an effort to pitch in around the house by keeping my spaces clean, mowing the lawn and making dinner. If I were by myself, making vegetarian dinner wouldn't ordinarily be an issue; with the others around I feel obligated to make something meat-based. I think my solution will be to make a vegetarian entree and then make a "side" of meat that they can add in or eat in addition to the entree. The last thing I want to be is a preachy vegetarian.

Which brings me to my last point...telling people about my decision. I gave up pork in my first year of vet school and when asked, I do my best to be as neutral as possible and just say, "I don't agree with how pork is raised." But (if you remember an earlier post where I went to a CFIA lecture on slaughter), it's past that now. I don't agree with how most meat is raised, transported and slaughtered. In the end my problem is not at all with raising animals to be eaten, or eating animals; it's the way that it's done that I just can't get over. But that's all a bit complex to explain to someone casually asking if you want ribs at your rehearsal dinner.

So I think I'm going to go back to quantifying my meat intake like I did in February (three meat meals per week). After that I may be ready to make the leap!

Hello again everyone :) Finally I'm able to get back to this blog. I'm so sorry for being quiet the past month but it has been a whirlwind few weeks. Wedding planning has become even more intense - it's finally crunch time and I'm going to be running around the next few two(!!) weeks getting all of the little details hung together and coordinating everything. It's a super daunting task but I think with the help of my fiance, family and friends we can pull it off! Mostly I'm excited for the honeymoon afterwards. We're going to Charleston and Savannah and I cannot wait for the warmth and the activities and just getting to be with Danny.

School finished uneventfully - exams went well and I managed to pack everything into the car on Thursday and roll out after pharm/tox on Friday morning. The trip was boring but went well - so nice not to have to worry about it snowing like I do when I come home for winter break!

As you may have already guessed, April's monthly resolution was a bust. I realized that there was no way I was going to be able to focus on a resolution when I had finals and wedding and packing and moving and all that jazz. Just not going to happen. I don't feel too badly about it because instead of trying and failing to complete the resolution, I never really committed to it in the first place. So it wasn't exactly a failure on my part, just a lesson learned that sometimes things like that have to take a backseat to more important things like passing finals ;)

I talked to my fiance yesterday on a ride to a friend's cook-out about how I wanted to try and be a bit more presentable. We discussed and I was pleasantly surprised to hear he feels the same way I do: by entering into our marriage, we're no longer just "representing" ourselves. So I want to put a bit more effort into my appearance as a whole (including wearing something a touch nicer than a tshirt every day, wearing some low-key make up a bit more, skin care, hair care, etc) and the perfect way to start is making it my resolution for May!

Got my electric bill the other day, and I think I can safely say that March's resolution (to be more eco-friendly) was a success. My bill for Februrary was $44; my bill for March was $27! And since March has been barely warmer than February (thanks, Canadian weather) I think a lot of that can be chalked up to my efforts. Yay :)

Onto the month of April. My current idea -  to volunteer my time to a good cause (TBD) - isn't exactly feasible right now. I have four clin path quizzes, two lab practicals and finals all between now and the end of the month. At the end of the semester I have to pack and move home. Nevermind that I'm getting married in six weeks and have to line up everything for my summer experience at a lab animal place. I don't exactly have time to spare at the moment, so that's off my plate until at least the summer (most likely June).

Anyway, I was thinking about all of the crap I have to do in the next few weeks and I thought: what if my April resolution was to be more organized? It isn't exactly in the most selfless resolution, but I think there are a few things I can do to make it apply to others and not just myself. For example:

• Clean my house regularly to keep dust/dog hair/etc down and keep things neat; I think my landlord would appreciate me taking extra good care of his property.
• Keep vendors and family up to date on wedding information (providing schedules, etc) to minimize chaos. (This may be wishful thinking...)
• Prepare for ahead of time for my clin path labs so I can contribute to my group more.

That's about as far as I can stretch it, but I think it will be a good thing to practice this month, especially with so many important things going on. Next month's resolution will be stronger, I promise! :) Until then, off I go to make a calender!

Sorry to have disappeared for a little while, but Danny was in town for my Easter break! I picked him up from the airport Wednesday afternoon and dropped him back off today. It was so nice both to see him and to have a few days break from school (including no pending midterms to loom over me)! We watched NCAA basketball tournament games, went to a class potluck on Saturday night and visited the national park up the road twice - once to walk on the beach and once to walk the trails that I normally run on in nicer weather. (Spring is slowly approaching for PEI - it actually rained today, with temps just below 40F - but it's still cold and there is still plenty of snow on the ground. I want it to warm up and be sunny and green, although I'm pretty sure such nice weather would suck away any motivation I might find for studying for finals.)

Speaking of finals, we only have three more weeks of class until finals start. In those three weeks we have two lab practical exams for surgery and anesthesia as well as three clinical pathology quizzes. Then two weeks of finals, packing and heading home! (Oh yeah, and then two more weeks until I get married - ack!)

Also, don't want to forget...today is the first day of April and that means a new monthly resolution. To recap, my March resolution was to be more eco-friendly. I Googled tips for being eco-friendly and found some great ideas. (Some of the suggestions I found didn't really apply. For example, PEI already composts province-wide. I already had plenty of laundry detergent and cleaning supplies so I didn't spend the money to make my own more eco-friendly blend. I'm already signed up for paperless billing back home.)

I had some successes: I didn't heat up my car in the mornings; I kept my heat two degrees lower than previously and just used an extra blanket on my bed; I didn't jack up the heat before bed or after waking up in the morning; I kept the lights off as long as possible in the evenings and just used natural light; I drove the speed limit; I even remembered to bring my extra plastic grocery bags to the store twice so as not to use more grocery bags. I had some difficulty limiting the amount of hot water I used for my showers, I ended up driving into town more frequently for various events, and I forgot my extra plastic baggies a couple of times. I'm waiting to get my electric bill for the month to gauge how I did more quantitatively but overall I'm pleased with my efforts.

As for April's goal, I'm stumped. I'll have to get back to you on that as soon as I think up something satisfactory!

The past two days (and tomorrow, if the forecast can be believed), PEI has gotten its first taste of spring! I was just reflecting the other day that my sense of temperature has changed since I came up here- freezing is no longer cold compared to the below-zero temperatures that I've dealt with this winter. It's supposed to rain all day tomorrow but get up to 50F. I may have to leave my jacket at home!

School is going pretty well. I received grades back on four midterms exams and I'm pretty pleased with how I did :) There are still two more midterms to be taken (theriogeniology and toxicology), though, so I'm not quite out of the clear yet.

The only thing not going well is my lower eyelid, which is painful, swollen and red. I went to a local walk-in clinic yesterday evening because the university's health center's doctor was on vacation for the week. Doctor figures its an infected gland in my eyelid, advised me to use a hot compress a few times a day to open the pore. If that fails, I have a prescription for antibiotic eye gunk that I can try. The only thing that's frustrating is how painful it is. I've tried taking Advil but it's not effective. I hope it resolves soon :(

My March resolution to be more eco-friendly is going OK. I keep forgetting to bring my extra plastic bags to the grocery store with me and I've made a few extra trips into town, using more gas that I should. But I've been doing well with keeping the heat low and only turning on the lights when there isn't much daylight left, so that's good. On the upside, I'm continuing to be successful at eating less meat. If I can just find a way to remind myself to bring the plastic bags with me to the store next week I would feel even more accomplished!

Today was the last of three midterm exams this week and finally I have some room to breathe. We have two midterms next week but they're the lab and lecture portion of the same class so it won't be quite as bad as having to study for completely different subjects back to back like we did this week. Then one exam the week after that and one the week after that and midterms will be done.

Although I've been swamped with studying, I got the chance to do a captive bolt wet lab on Wednesday evening. It's a pretty popular lab and I've signed up (and never been picked) every time it's offered so when I got chosen the night before a big exam I definitely had to stop and think. My week started off poorly with surgery lab and I felt pretty dejected about school and life in general; I needed to do something to re-establish the connection between being a veterinary student and becoming a veterinarian. So I went to the lab and learned how to use a captive bolt gun and got to captive bolt a couple of cow heads (that were no longer attached to living cows). It was an awesome lab and I'm really glad I went. I did have to stay up later studying that night but I think I did well on my exam the next day so it all balances out in the end.

Now that it's the weekend I just feel exhausted. I know I'm not going to study today but there is a bunch of other stuff I could and/or should be doing- namely cleaning the house and getting my wedding invitations together. But I think I may just take the rest of the day off and be a worthless blob.

Last but not least, it's a new month which means it's time to start my next mini-resolution. I think February's resolution to eat less meat went quite well, actually, depsite a bit of laziness over our semester break and it kind of ties into March's resolution, which is to be more environmentally friendly. I consider myself to be relatively eco-friendly already but I know there are things I can improve on. Some of the things I will do include:

• Leave the lights off as long as possible and just use the natural daylight
• Not crank up the heat when I get home and/or before I go to bed
• Re-use my plastic shopping bags at the grocery store each week
• Limit the length and hot water use of my showers
• Donate a bunch of clothes I don't wear anymore
• Make some "natural" cleaning products to use
• Clean out car and check tire pressure to optimize gas mileage

These were all suggestions I found just by Googling tips on being more eco-friendly. We shall see how the month progresses!

Resolutions by the Month update

I went to an extremely insightful lunch lecture before break given by a Canadian Food Inspection Agency veterinarian on animal welfare. I expected to go to it and hear all about how society is becoming more aware of animal welfare and how welfare concerns are present but that the CFIA is handling them and making things better every day [insert sunshine and unicorns]. The veterinarian, who practiced for a few years before joining CFIA, had always been an animal welfare advocate. She became a CFIA vet and was very committed to welfare and was very bold about her beliefs. She joined a CFIA task-force thing and is currently working solely to improve animal welfare of the millions (billions?) of animals we as a world consume.

She shared numerous pictures and stories that were absolutely heart-breaking. There were some positive points- like how prosecution has been successful and things are moving in the right direction- which was encouraging. But it was such an eye-opening fifty minutes and impeccably timed to coincide with my February goal of eating less meat.

The lecture had a profound impact on me. I thought about her lecture for days. My knee jerk reaction was to never touch another animal product again because I can't stand the idea that so many animals suffer during transporation to slaughter alone (nevermind some on-farm experiences and slaughter experiences). Unlike some vegetarians or vegans, I don't have a problem with killing or eating animals- how it happens is where I get hung up. I haven't done near enough research on nutrition to commit to a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle cold turkey (or should I say tofu? Har har har.) but it's something that is absolutely on my mental radar a lot.

I've been doing decently well on February's resolution to eat less meat. I didn't do so hot on break (with Danny) mostly out of laziness/convenience. But now that I'm back home it's a bit easier and I've found a bunch of recipes that I'm eager to try. Brainstorming for March's resolution but I think this one is going to stick with me for a while.

2013: Resolutions by the Month

I used to make New Year's resolutions. Being the sort of person that I am, I like the idea of setting a goal, working toward it and (hopefully) achieving it within a certain time frame. However, not unlike gummy bears (or chocolate chip cookies, or ponies, or Christmas presents, or shoes...), you can't have just one. So, excited about the promise of a new year and further encouraged by everyone around me, I would make a few resolutions (known by the hip-and-with-it crowd as "NYR").

Everyone felt obligated to make losing weight their number one resolution- as though putting it first on the list would somehow help- and I floated with that crowd a few times. Then, "being healthy" (which is secret slang for "lose weight but won't be discouraged when it doesn't happen") became the next big NYR, and I could agree with that, so that would make my list. I put other things down too, mostly to do with studying more or saving money.

Pretty much all of it failed. I know, I know, it sounds sad and pathetic but I'm over it. I stopped making NYR for a few years because I'm the sort of person that likes to set a goal and accomplish it and it would make me feel kind of dejected to have set out to do something and not finished it. Something like having no expectations saves you from disappointment- however that quote goes.

But this year I came up with something different: I decided that I would set a new resolution each month. Instead of being some vague like "lose weight" or "save money", I would make goals that were somewhat more quantifiable. And instead of being things purely for myself (although I won't say every resolution is completely selfless), I'm hoping I'm able to be a better person by accomplishing each of the mini-resolutions.

January's resolution was to be a better friend. It doesn't seem obviously quantifiable, but each "act" was a bit of a mental notch for me to remember. I don't need to go into detail (that would pretty much defeat the point of being more selfless, haha). Suffice to say that I feel like I reached my goal to be a better friend :) It feels good to set and reach that first goal- probably the first NYR I can remember actually accomplishing! Now, for the next one... I've waffled on February, but I think I've decided that my next mini-resolution will be to eat less meat. I think this will be an interesting one, since I've considered going full-out vegetarian intermittantly the past few years. In the back of my head I do have...moral qualms? about eating meat the way it is traditionally produced. I think I will feel like a better person if I can get myself to eat in a way that is compatible with my view points on production animals, their welfare, their impact on the environment, etc. Bonus- this will force me to try new recipes, which was runner-up for February's resolution. So here's to February 1st- let's hope I can keep it up!