Rockstar and Soto Again...

Tonight was another hard core study night for me. Yesterday's fun in the sun robbed me of valuable study time for tomorrows two tests in histology, so I had to hit the books pretty hard today. Rockstar didnt mind, cause he had a play date, again, with Soto. The two of them are like two peas in a pod and from the looks of this picture, both Rockstar and Soto are missing Mondo...

Only in St Kitts...

Most of the time I am too involved in my studies to realize exactly where I am and what I am doing and how crazy it actually is. Sometimes I look around and say "wow, Only in St Kitts...." Today I had one of those moments as I waited for the catamaran and this little lizard (larger than Harry Potter) came out and was eating the meat off of a chicken bone. It was seven feet away from me... Crazy!

Hilarious!!

Rockstar never ceases to amaze me with hilarity. How hilarious is it that this is my pug and he sleeps like this ALL THE TIME. He is too adorable and although I know that this heat and humidity is not ideal for his morphology (aka - strange facial features) I know that he is keeping me driven and I am so happy that I have brought him here with me in St Kitts. I hope that he feels the same way.

Also, if you look closely you can see one of his pimples. I must ask one of my professors, "do dogs go through puberty??"


"Mommy, chicks dig it when you let it all hang out..."

Catamaran Trip Today...

So today was a great day for relaxation, our orientation catamaran trip was cancelled due to inclement weather and we made up the trip today. It was great although not alot of people went due to the massive two exams that we have on Monday morning, but it was alot of fun nonetheless. The catamaran brought us to a great snorkeling spot where we saw lots of fish, jelly fish, coral, spiny sea urchins, conches, and squid, it was really cool and I wish that I had pictures.

Next, the boat takes you across to Nevis (an upscale St Kitts) to have lunch, basically a little barbeque. We relaxed in the ocean and walked the beach checking out the Four Seasons and other really nice hotel resorts in the area. Where we went is where Kelly Rippa loves to go two to three times a year and Matthew McConaughy goes hiking on Nevis all the time. It is a really beautiful island and I hope when everyone comes to visit we can explore the island a bit more.

So it was a really relaxing day for us girls and I even got some color (watch out selina and ida, krista's got some color) But I made sure to go strapless so that I would not have any tan lines for Julies wedding (20 days to go!!).

The only thing that would have made it better would be if some of my friends from home were there with me...

My First Exam - 1 Wrong

Well, my very first exam in veterinary school was this week on thursday in Gross Anatomy of the dog and I am please with the results. I got one wrong, and on the bottom of the page, if you look closely it says that I got a 27.6 out of 30, but really I got a 29.2 out of a possible 30 points (there was a mistake in the correction). I was pretty proud that all of my studying and hard work had paid off. It is pretty amazing the quantity of information that I have learned already. I am proud to say that I can identify and state the functions of all the bones, muscles, arteries, veins, and nerves of the forelimb of the dog (there are alot of structures). Mostly the class did very well with 80% being the average, but my lab group (me, Kheli, and Teresa) all got an A and we are quite proud of that. It feels GREAT to have an exam behind me although we have another two exams Monday morning in Histology... Wish me luck...

Miss you Mondo!!

Ok, so the closest thing that I have to my boyfriend is this football bobble head with his picture in it and my pillow case, also with his picture. Rockstar isnt quite convinced that either of these are his daddy, but he misses him too!

Check out another blog

http://criblife.blogspot.com

check out my girlfriend Kheli's (Soto's Mommy) blog hosted by this same site. There are other pictures there of me and Rocks.

Hilarious...

I love this joke that Jen M sent me...

The FBI had an opening for an assassin. After all the background checks, interviews, and testing were done there were 3 finalists.Two men and a woman.For the final test, the FBI agents took one of the men to a large metal door and handed him a gun."We must know that you will follow your instructions no matter what the circumstances. Inside the room you will find your wife sitting in a chair. Kill Her!The man said, "You can't be serious, I could never shoot my wife."The agent said, "Then you're not the right man for this job. Take your wife and go home."The second man was given the same instructions. He took the gun and went into the room. All was quiet for about 5 minutes. The man came out with tears in his eyes, "I tried, but I can't kill my wife."The agent said, "You don't have what it takes. Take your wife and go home."Finally, it was the woman's turn. She was given the same instructions, to kill her husband. She took the gun and went into the room. Shots were heard, one after another. They heard screaming, crashing, banging on the walls. After a few minutes, all was quiet. The door opened slowly and there stood the woman. She wiped the sweat from her brow."This gun is loaded with blanks" she said. "I had to beat him to death with the chair."Moral of the story: Women are evil. Don't mess with them

A Couple Monkey Pictures...

So as I said, I am unable to take pictures at the zoo for now, but I wanted to send along a sample monkey picture. This is a picture of the species that is housed at the zoo (vervet) although the ones that I feed are a bit older. Enjoy...

"Mommy, Can we get a monkey??"

My First Day at the Zoo

So this morning was the first day that I volunteered at the zoo. It is not as though I am really interested in zoo animal medicine, but it is an oppurtunity that I could not pass up. In reality, it is not a zoo, but someone's rather exotic collection of animals. There are five vervet monkeys, two tortoises, a pea hen, two guinea hens, a black iguana, two ducks, a goose, four chickens, and a mongoose. The Ross University students have taken over feeding the animals when someone found that the owner knew little about how to care for the variety of species that he had. It is a thankless job and entails buying the fruits and vegetables that the animals will eat and washing bowls and replenishing water, all in 95 degree heat...

Anyways, today, as I said was my first day and I brought the monkeys plantanes and avocados and mangoes and they will take the food out of your hand. I can stand in the large cage and pick up the bowls and they look at you, it is quite a surreal experience to say the least. One of the female monkeys is actually loose right now, but stays close to the zoo to be fed, and she is a bit vicious, although I bet that I can earn her trust in a couple of weeks. It is so interesting to see them up close and how they interact. Their conditions are not ideal, but the owner is able to be pushed in the right direction as to what type of cages he should construct and that is what truly matters.

The sad part about today was when I found two of the doves severely hurt. The mongoose, a carnivorous ferret-like animal, is also loose and I think that he is the culprit behind the attacks. One dove's wing was torn off and another had a missing leg. Luckily, there are veterinarians on the island that are sympathetic to the situation with these animals. After contacting one of them, we decided that we should put the two injured doves to sleep. A constant reminder that as a vet, there are responsibilities that are not always fun. As you can see, it was both an interesting and sad first day at the zoo, but I hope that there is more fun and intrigue in the future.

Sorry that I was unable to get photos of the monkeys and the doves. The zoo owner does not allow pictures to be taken of his animals, but I am sure that he will let me in the future, so stay posted for some great pictures to come.

Congratulations to Kevin and Colleen!

Congratulations to our friends Kevin and Colleen who were married tonight (friday, not saturday). Knowing them and their crew, I know that the wedding and reception were extra special events and I am sorry that I was not able to be there. Best of Luck to the both of you and miss everyone. Also attached a picture of how I am sure that Nicky and Tania looked at the wedding (Nicky the ham, and poor, poor Tania!!)

Rockstar Misses His Daddy!!

"Daddy, When are you coming to visit? I fricken miss you!"

Rockstar's New Girlfriend

Watch out Hazel, Lucy, Ricki and Gigi, Lola is in town. Lola is Rockstar's new neighbor and her mommy, (Kimberly) is a student at Ross and a great asset for information about upcoming semesters, professor quirks, and overall 'how to live on St Kitts advice." Rockstar and Lola finally got to meet off leash on Thursday and were happy to get to know each other....

"Mommy I cant help it if all the St Kitts girls love me, I am a Rockstar"

White Coat Ceremony

The white coat ceremony is the first time that you are welcomed into the veterinary profession and it took place today. It is a surreal event, a reminder that all of the studying that you are doing is for an actual reason. For me, it was a time of excitement although other people in our class took it less seriously. We had the dean of University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine speak and other faculty members welcome us, recieved a white lab coat with the veterinary symbol on it and was generally a great experience, it also meant that we were excused from anatomy half hour early. Left picture shows the set up in the auditorium and the area that we walked up to get our "white coats". Center is a picture of me and a friend, Amy, who is also from Long Island and Bottom is a picture of me, Kheli and Teresa...

Did you see Mondo on TV?

Perhaps you saw Mondo on TV last night... Was he voted "World's Sexiest Man?" or "Best Boyfriend of the Year?" Not quite, although he should be. Infact, Mondo was at a press conference to announce the new New York indoor lacrosse team name, the New York Titans (sounds powerful and awesome, right?) Anyways, Mondo has already been signed to the team along with Nicky, his younger brother. So what's instore for Armando? A lot less time and more and more to do? Probably, but he will enjoy every minute of it, I am sure. I am just sorry that I wont be able to be there for all of the games at Madison Square Garden and the long workouts, running sessions, and perfectly balanced meals, but I can be there in spirit and try to let him know how proud I am of him.

Check out the article from The Metro that they quoted Mondo in:

Bash of the Titans
by amy zimmer / metro new york

SEP 14, 2006
MIDTOWN — Remember the Titans? That’s what the Jets used to be called.
Now, that name lives again in the city as New York’s new lacrosse team has adopted it after receiving more than 7,000 entries in a naming contest.
When Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the team’s formation in July, he suggested “The Mighty Mikes.” The Empire and the Torch didn’t make the cut, either.
“Some are printable and some aren’t,” Titans president George Daniel said of the names they received that had to be vetted for legal and trademark concerns. “The image of New York is one of power. The name ‘Titans’ captures that.”
But will at least 10,000 lacrosse fans mark their calendars for Jan. 20 for the team’s opener at Madison Square Garden?
“This is an invitation for everyone to come out and watch a game,” said Ryan Boyle, 2005 Rookie of the Year for the 21-year-old National Lacrosse League, at yesterday’s press conference. “Once you see our game, you won’t want to turn away.”
The Titans gave up their first-round draft pick to snatch Boyle away from the San Jose Stealth. The 24-year-old, two-time all-American at Princeton, who also played on the USA Men’s Lacrosse Team, will be the new face of the team.
Boyle is one of the few players on the team who has made lacrosse his full-time job. He also plays for the Philadelphia Barrage for the outdoor Major League Lacrosse. Players say the NLL’s indoor games played in hockey rinks are faster paced, higher scoring and more violent.
The league’s average salary for players is $14,000, and it caps out at $25,000.
“These guys are weekend warriors,” Daniel said, “but they’re the best in the world.”
Some of the players are electricians, chiropractors, teachers and salesmen. Armando Polanco, 30, from Oceanside — whose brother Nick is also on the team — took a lunch break from his marketing job at MTV to attend yesterday’s event across the street from the Garden.
“We don’t play this sport for the glory,” said Polanco, who switched to lacrosse in eighth grade because he was hitting too many kids when he played soccer. “I would play at the Garden even if they weren’t paying me. If I had to pay to play there and I could get my friends to join, I would.”
In the crease
• NLL has a 16 game season. Four Titans home games will be played at the Garden and four will be played at the Nassau Coliseum.
• Season ticket packages for the Titans will begin at $50 and some individual seats will go for $15.


N.Y. Titans bring lacrosse to MSG
BY KRISTIE ACKERTDAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com
Thursday, September 14th, 2006
By day, Armando Polanco is a mild-mannered marketing manager and real estate salesman. On weekends this winter, Polanco will be a New York Titan.
Yesterday, the new New York franchise of the National Lacrosse League unveiled its new name and logo at a press conference outside the Garden, where the team will play half of its home games. Four of the team's eight home games will be played at Nassau Coliseum.
Polanco, a defenseman from Long Island, and 2005 NLL Rookie of the Year Ryan Boyle were on hand to announce the team's name and its colors - orange and blue, which will be familiar to fans at the Garden and the Coliseum.
"I think it's a perfect fit for the city," said Polanco, who works at MTV. "I think New York fans haven't seen anything like it before, and change is always good in New York."
The Titans will begin their season at the Garden in January. The NLL is a 21-year-old league with 13 teams across the country. The average player salary is $14,000 for a 19-game, four-month regular season - which is why players such as Polanco wear many hats.
"I like to think we are the pioneers of lacrosse," the former Oceanside High standout said. "Maybe our kids will be able to play lacrosse as their sole job. Right now, we do what we have to because we love it."
The question is, will fans share that love? The Titans are banking on their "minor league prices for a major league," according to team president George Daniel.
"We are the only one among the major leagues that offers tickets for the very affordable price of $15," Daniel said. "Really, that's affordable for any event in Madison Square Garden.
"You'll get to see the very best players in the sport for minor league prices," Daniel said. "It's a very exciting sport, the fastest growing sport. It's a popular sport here among the schools."
Very popular in Long Island and upstate, the sport is still in its infancy in the city's public schools. Only six teams play the sport in the city's PSAL league.
Daniel said the Titans expect to help foster the sport in the city by donating tickets to home games to the mayor's Take Me Out to the Ballgame program, and also with the City Lax program, which helps develop programs in the city's public schools.
"I think a lot of the fan base will be younger, young families, maybe suburban families," Daniel said. "And we will introduce the sport to the city."

I am so proud of Mondo and would love to share some of the photos with you, but unfortunately, I have spent 2 days trying to get them to load.. no luck.....
Miss you mondo, love you

Rockstar's Tux Shot....

"Check out my Armani style, Ladies"

How to leave a message on this BLOG

Hey guys, just a bit of a tutorial for those who do not know how to leave a message on this site (listen up Patrice and Mom). The blog consists of posts, that is, messages that I have left at a certain date and time that may or may not have pictures, below each post, there is a hyperlink (you press it and go to another page) that says "2 Comments" or "0 Comments" or whatever, when you hit these, you are brought to the comment page to read the comments and to add a comment to the conversation, something to me, something to Rockstar, WHATEVER. To add a comment, you type what you would like in the box and then choose other for who its from. Then you will be prompted to leave your name so that everyone knows who wrote the marvelous message.... Good, now you are ready to blog....

Pictures from Chris and Jen's Wedding

Ok, so the wedding was a month ago, but I just moved to another country and am still sorting out everything. Anyways, I just opened up the pictures that Amanda sent me two weeks ago and thought, these need to be shared with everyone. Anyways, they made me smile and miss the Polanco's and the extended family. Miss you guys and love you. Also, Congratulations to Chris and Jen on a great wedding and an exciting future. Best of Luck!!

BTW, doesn't it look like me and mondo are the parents of Nicky, Kris, Tania and Amanda?? Weird.... And no one has to say it, what type of poses are these that I am making, with Tania I look like a Chiquita Banana model and with Amanda I look like I love the air guitar.

Sleepy pug

My weekend...

There are lots of thing sot do on the island, but Teresa, Kheli and I thought that it would be best to lay low until our first set of examinations. So Friday, Kheli made ground turkey tacos at her house and Rockstar and I were both invited. Actually, Kheli's dog, Soto, invited Rockstar. So we had wine and tacos and Rockstar and Soto had a lot of fun running around. Soto is Rockstar's first island friend. Needless to say, after all of the humping was done and overwith and Rockstar and I were back home, Rockstar slept like a log for the first time since we've been here.

Saturday we went to school to study histology a bit more. There is a 24 hour microscope lab were we went to take a look at some of the slides of tissues that we are responsible for. Yes, we go to school on Saturdays... Geeks, I know. That night we decided to go out for a drink to a bar named Rockys and then off to another place so that Teresa could sing karaoke (she's a karaoke nut!) Anyways, the karaoke hosts down here have nothing on Patrice, the Long Island Karaoke Queen. It was fun, nonetheless, and it got us away from the books for a couple of hours.

Anyways, how was everyone's weekend? I hope that everyone is relaxed and ready to start another work week.

My first day of school

Ok, so I have been in vet school now exactlyone week (well at 8 am tomorrow morning), but this is my first day of school photo. And I am happy to say that I am not the only one corky enough to have my school picture taken, both of my girlfriends, Kheli and Teresa wanted "first day of school" photos as well. Anyways, I look like a complete nerd, but love the photo anyways.

I also attached some photos of the view from my school. It is really beautiful because the school is on the coast and built in to a huge hill, it looks really nice from every level but it means walking up four flights of exterior stairs to get to classes.

Hope that everyone is great!!

My address...

For many of you, it is no surprise that I am holding a baby raccoon, for others, it is quite a surprise. But be comforted, no wild animals were hurt in the making of this picture.

Anyways, just wanted to make a correction to anyone that wanted to send me a letter (or a lovely package) here in St Kitts. My letter address is
c/o Ross University
PO Box 334
Basseterre, St Kitts, WI
And my packages should be mailed to
c/o ross university
west farm, Main island Road
St kitts, WI

I realized when I got here that not only have I NEVER seen a post truck, but also that I had to post box, so everything must go through the school. (Dont worry, Ill get it eventually).

Me and Chrissey on Newsday.com

Ok, so this was a great picture taken of me and Chrissey, another bartender at Cabo... And it was on the Newsday.com website for about a week!! I do miss Cabo a bit, so it is only fair that I post this picture and pay my respect to the place where I started.

I wish that they made mojitos in St Kitts, they can barely get the bacardi and diet right...

Hello all to my new blog!!!

OK, so it is obvious that the whole newsletter thing just wasnt working out, so I am trying another approach and I hope that this serves us all well, and in the end I will have a little piece of cyberspace to call my own.... Lets start setting this thing up and see how it works out.