Me and My Pug in St Kitts

One blog gone, another in its place...

2009-05-26T16:48:00.002-04:00

For almost two years I updated almost daily for family, friends, and the growing number of prospective Ross Students who frequently checked in on it. I only wish that in the end of my time at Ross I had had more time to update it for those who enjoyed checking in on me and a certain silly pug named Rockstar.

Now, it is on to my clinical year with Rockstar by myside at Tufts University in Massachusetts and I am excited to announce that I will be beginning a new blog of my adventures there at http://rockstarsmommyinclinics.blogspot.com and I hope that you can visit and check out our new adventures.

12 Hours in London before off to Africa!!

2008-04-19T14:26:00.002-04:00

Hmm.,... well marathon flighting is definetly NOT my favorite thing... Yester day we began in St Kitts at 3.. Flew to miami, then an 8 hour flight to London over night....

Landed this morning and have 12 hours to have fun... So we take the Underground into the city and walk around abit... Me, the stupid one forgot to bring tennis shoes and was stuck walking around the cold city with flip flops (imagine the looks that I got!!) but it meant that I 'allowed' myself to buy a new pair of shoes (everything turned out amazing). And the great thing about using a currency that is worth more then US, is that EVERYTHING seems cheap... 15 Pounds for shoes sounds like 15 dollars and I was happy to shell it out thinking that I got a deal... turns our 15 pounds is more like 30 dollars, making the whole deal alot less attractive!!

But we saw Big Ben, crammed into a British 'telly' and drank ale at a pub...

Now we are getting ready for the rest of our trip to begin as we are checking grades in the British Airways terminal at Heathrow Airport. Ahead of us we have an 11 hour trip to Johannesburg, South Africa.. But for now we are feeling pretty posh as we walkaround the high class stores and restaurants. And to top it all off, they serve you complimentary Grey Goose martinis!!

Well, wish me luck! Wish that I could upload the pictures so far, but the airport computers arent exaclty set up for that!!

Kayaking From One Island to Another

2008-04-13T08:53:00.002-04:00

So recently I had a GREAT oppurtunity to do a 2 1/2 mile kayak with my friend Jen across the channel from Nevis to St kitts. There were going to be a bunch of swimmers so it would be our job as kayakers to make sure that everyone was safe. There were alot of people for this event and it was on EASTER which made it pretty cool as well. Above are all the Ross students, professors and spouses that took part in the event.
Never realized how much fun Kayaking was until we got in the water... It was hard sometimes when we were in the windy channel, but in total is was GREAT! by the end, our lackluster kayak had taken on alot of water via 3 big holes that we found once we hit shore, and we were pretty tippy in the end, but it was alot of fun!!
Here is the crew of us kayakers... Alot of our friends... Great time! Hope to do it again soon!!

5 Days Until Africa!!

2008-04-13T08:49:00.002-04:00

Can you believe how close it is?? You think that I would be so excited I could hardly speak.. .But in reality I have 4 HUGE exams between now and then, making excitement about Africa on the BACK burner... For now it is studying respiratory diseases of small animals and anesthetic protocols of pregnant mares... But in a week, it could be ELEPHANTS!!

23 Days Until Africa!!

2008-03-26T15:19:00.002-04:00

Where has March gone??

But really I might have willed it away with all of my excitement for my Africa Trip!!

The Proof that Rockstar is the MOST BAD#SS PUG EVER!!

2008-03-18T21:07:00.003-04:00

Come on, what other pug can take on a German Shepherd AND a Pit Mix??

His dad would be so proud!

Joey and Rockstar Eat Quesadilla

2008-03-18T20:56:00.002-04:00

So imagine me trying to sit quietly and eat and study on a sunny Saturday afternoon... Then imagine Joey and Rockstar breathing down my neck for a bite...

With pets this cute, who can refuse them?

And no worries. Cheese and bread (the main constituents of a quesadilla) are NOT harmful for a bird. Just the opposite is true, in fact, that birds, like their human guardians should have a variety of foods (not JUST seeds)...

Rockstar, however, would prefer if cheese and bread became the mainstay of his diet from this point forward...

Introducing DYLAN... My Hallmates Cockatoo...

2008-03-18T20:01:00.002-04:00

So it is a testament to just how busy that I have been this semester that I havent even had time to properly introduce Midges animals and Rockstar's and my new neighbors. Here he is, Mr Dylan in the hallway between mine and Midge's apartment acting like a goof... And Midge's two pugs are there (butts only) standing as our ferocious watch dogs (who wouldnt be afraid of a pug?)
Dylan is a gorgeous cockatoo, an Australian species. He is quite the character as his favorite foods are hot peppers (the hotter the better). He says "Hi Dylan" and "Pretty bird" and laughs as well... And he dances to HIP HOP!! Having animals at home makes vet school that much more interesting!!

Midsemester Break Rainforest Hike...

2008-03-17T20:50:00.002-04:00

Up to the crater we go... But this shot had to be taken of the neighboring island of Montserrat (or is it Saba?) This is right before we entered the forest to commence our hike!
Another gorgeous shot... And into the rainforest we went. It was a pretty challenging hike as far as footing goes, so I never took out my camera in order to document the trip until we got to the top (plus who wants a picture of sweaty, rainforest Krista?)

And here is the panoramic view of the crater of Mt Lamiuga, about 2 hours later! We were going to descend into the crater, but because of wet ropes, we thought it unsafe and we are going to come back in a couple of months and try again!!

37 Days Until AFRICA!!!

2008-03-11T17:23:00.003-04:00

Imagine this is my hand... And they imagine my excitement... I am not only going to meet these guys, but I am going be doing necessary medicine on them (SO EXCITED!!)

But I have so much to do before then... FINALS! GRRRRR....

Rockstar has a Play Date...

2008-03-11T17:15:00.002-04:00

Meet Romeo, another one of Rockstars friends... Of course you know Marty, Jens giant German Shepherd... A couple of weeks back we had a little play date with some studying (and some yummy Indian food).
But why is Rockstar playing by himself? In the beginning he was all weird and I started to think that he is just getting old...
Then Marty tried to take his toy and he became Rockstar the puppy once again!

The rest of the night we wished that he would be an old man again and relax so that we could study....

5th Semester Party (I cant believe that I am out!!)

2008-03-06T19:51:00.002-05:00

Here at Ross, all of the semesters have different events (bakesales, parties) in order to raise money for our 7th semester banquet. With 7 semesters on island it means that there is always something to do on a Friday night. This party was for my semester - 5th and I would liked to start by saying how I CANNOT BELIEVE that I am already in 5th semester... I remember like yesterday when Kim was in 5th and now she in in clinics back in the states... TIME FLIES...

Well, our party idea was to have a pajama party... It was alot of fun to play dress up as you can see Julia and I did... But obviously the party was not cool enough for Cory here, who fell asleep atop Lindsey!
The real fun of the night was bartending for couple of hours... Well, it was nothing like Cabo back home, but what two girls cant have fun in a run down Tikki bar in the back of a house named the "pink elephant" pouring cheap booze and wearing nighties!! Jen and I, of course, had a BLAST!

There is an Egret on My Balcony and Rockstar is Begging for Food...

2008-02-19T09:55:00.004-05:00

There are a million cattle egrets here in St Kitts, but I never thought they would be interested in my balcony... Imagine me sitting in my living room studying and when I see a flash of movement out of the corner of my eye I look and there is a big old egret foraging on my balcony...

I am sneaking over to take the picture and telling Rockstar to come look and he jumps up and runs to the closet - scarying the egret away and cementing in everyones mind that he is a really food motivated dog!

Rockstar and Joey on the Balcony at Dusk

2008-02-19T09:49:00.003-05:00

Sometimes my Pug is such a dork. Look at him in this picture. He is all upset that I asked him to get on the chair... Joey is in the background in her cage chirping like a maniac...
But dusk is beautiful here in St Kitts... As always!

Rockstar gets a New toy!

2008-02-19T09:42:00.002-05:00

Oh how I love my Pug!! When I was in Florida for the NAVC there were tons of free stuff being given away so I grabbed a couple of things for my pug, including this cute stuffed dog that is now a ball of stuffy material on my living room floor. But what is the cutest about these pictures is his reaction to the stuffy and how it changes in the 2 minutes that I am taking pictures.At first there is excitement and interest. When he was a puppy this time period lasted a very long time.Now, since he is an old man (going to be 6 this year) this stage lasts for about 30 sec to 2 minutes max.
Then it is on to this face. This is definetely his "Im way too cool for a stuffy, Mom" face.

And lastly, the eyes droop and suddenly you have a sleeping pug that is neither interested in the stuffy or in you for that matter... Good thing that I have to study!

The Big Vday without Armando in St Kitts

2008-02-14T19:50:00.002-05:00

Well Valentines day just isnt Valentines day without the one that you love... That must be the hardest thing about vet school is just being so far away from Mondo. Here is it February 14th and we are on opposite sides of the ocean!!

But, Mondo always has a way of making me feel like we arent that far apart! And soon he will be here for his semester visit and we will be able to have a late Vday!

This picture was from the last Valentines Day that we spent together in New York. Ida got engaged on this day and we all went to dinner in Rockville Center (ahh.... the good old days)

Hope that everyone is having a great Valentines!

You Know that You are in St Kitts when...

2008-02-09T16:43:00.000-05:00

A large portion is sitting in the school computer room (LRC) when the silence is interjected by a SCREAM and a scuffle. I look back to see my friend Lindsey pulling off her sweater with a look of complete horror, and my other friend Rachel running as far away from her computer as possible screaming "CENTIPEDE". Of course, all we need is a tiny reason to be distracted because we are all stressed, so we take a moment to watch this as it all occurs (with my feet indian style on the chair so that I dont get bit.) Within moments we all knew what happened. Lindsey had been bit by a centipede that had crawlen out of Rachels bag. She had to run to the nurses office for benadryl as this is not the first time she has gotten bitten and knows what type of reaction she is in for. Two of the computer room aids came over to rifle through Rachel's bag to find the creature... and then they killed it much to the joy of all the students...

Centipedes are one of the many joys of life on St Kitts... They dont live near me, but most of my friends see them on an everyday basis. They arent small little wormy creatures... They are carnivores and the big ones can eat rats!!

Luckily, that was as much excitement as we had that day, for we quickly mulled back to classes and watched Lindsey fight to stay awake after all that Benadryl!

Rockstar and Lucy on a Walk

2008-01-31T20:21:00.000-05:00

Finally I have had a second to breath and what do I do?? POST.

Meet Lucy, she is one of my new hallmates dogs. She is a Kittitian mix and has an interesting temperment... She only likes pugs!! Literally, any dog comes around and she is the most vicious thing ever, she cannot play with other dogs and must be restrained when others are around. But around pugs, she is a delight!! How STRANGE!! Luckily Midge owns 2 pugs and of course she can play with Rockstar! Lucy kind of looks like a pug mix as well, she has this long body and this super short nose... My guess is that she is a Kittitian puggle!

Rockstar is happy to have a walking buddy, even if Lucy doesnt like to go on very long walks. We are breaking her in slowly but surely. Rockstar and I are confident that in the next couple of weeks we can get her conquering that Turtle Beach Hill a couple of times per week. For now we will have to drag her up the hill so that Rockstar can chase the monkeys!

Oopsy and the Booty

2008-01-31T05:49:00.001-05:00

aHH... The Update on my dear Oopslaan. Oopsy is doing well, save a minor behavioral problem. But she is enjoying life in the one pet household lane. My grandmother likes to have her around, and whenever I call she is talking about Oopslaan once again...

But the house here is quiet (well not that Joey got here) in a special sort of way. Oopslaan was the only cat that would give my friends (Jessica seen here) back massages while we studied.

Im a Baby Bird Mommy!!

2008-01-30T19:14:00.000-05:00

Well, I was only going to foster Joey. It started when Cory and Julia asked me to foster their hand raised cockatiel until they found a home for him (we now know that he is a girl!!) I figured it would be fun to have a bird... But, we all know the end to the story, the bird is too cute and I am a sucker, and now I cant get enough of her. As I type this now she is sitting on the towel on my head chirping away.

About three months ago, Joey was just a little thing, and Cory and Julia had to feed her every 4 hours! You can see her persistent personality shining through even though she is so young. She is still a sassy little bird with lots of attitude - she even likes to steal Rockstars toys out of his mouth!!

As Joey grew, so did her appetite. This is more like what she looks like now. We know that she is probably a female because of her color pattern - she is called a "pearl" cockatiel. Although I dont have any pictures of her now (I have been sososoos busy!!) I will post lots soon and you will all get to know her crazy personality...

Thank you Cory and Julia for a great addition to the family!! You know that Joey will be loved!!

My Classes this Semester Number 5!!

2008-01-12T20:04:00.000-05:00

Toxicology - 3 Credits
The study of toxicants and poisonous plants of significance to livestock and companion animals, including their source, properties, toxicity, toxicokinetics, mechanism of toxicologic damage, detection, diagnosis, and treatment.

Small Animal Medicine 1 - 5 Credits
Topics covered in Small Animal Medicine I include the problem-oriented approach to veterinary medicine, cardiovascular disorders, clinical hematology, respiratory disorders, oncology, selected infectious diseases and neurological disorders. The important diseases of dogs and cats are discussed according to their pathophysiology, clinical signs, diagnosis, differential diagnoses, treatment and prognosis.

Anesthesiology - 4 Credits
An integrated lecture and laboratory course designed to introduce students to the principles of general and local anesthesia of small and large animals. The etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of fluid and acid-base disorders are discussed; and also recognition, treatment, and prevention of anesthetic emergencies. Laboratory sessions provide students with experience in small animal anesthesia, in addition to demonstrations of monitoring equipment, mechanical ventilation, and large animal general anesthesia.

Diagnostic Imaging - 5 Credits
This course provides an overview of the physics of diagnostic radiology, the principles of veterinary radiography, and quality control of radiographs. Normal radiographic findings and anatomy in small animals and equines is emphasized. An introduction to diagnostic ultrasound and its various applications in veterinary science is included, along with an introduction to alternate imaging techniques (magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography and scintigraphy).

Introduction to Clinics 1 - 1 Credits
The course introduces students to examination techniques of small and large animals. Aseptic techniques, neurologic, urogenital, ophthalmic and lameness exams, clinical pathology, and selected large and small clinical animal topics are covered.

A Pug in Any Language is Still a Pug

2008-01-12T19:58:00.000-05:00

So you would think that I have too much time on my hands to be doing such silly searches (and I dont!) but I am on an online dictionary searching for the word "modality" to understand what the heck my text book is talking about when I notice that you can do searches in about 30 different languages!! What English word do I search?? Well "PUG" of course. Here are the results:

Arabic:
كَلْب صَغير ذو أنْفٍ أفْطَس
Chinese (Simplified):
狮子狗，哈巴狗
Chinese (Traditional):
獅子狗，哈巴狗
Czech:
mops, zakrslý buldog
Danish:
moppe
Dutch:
mopshond
Estonian:
mops
Finnish:
mopsi
French:
carlin
German:
der Mops
Greek:
ράτσα σκύλου
Hungarian:
mopszli
Icelandic:
kubbur (hundur)
Indonesian:
sejenis anjing
Italian:
carlino
Japanese:
ちんの一種
Korean:
퍼그(발바리의 일종)
Latvian:
mopsis
Lithuanian:
mopsas
Norwegian:
mops
Polish:
mops
Portuguese (Brazil):
carlindogue
Portuguese (Portugal):
carlindogue
Romanian:
mops
Russian:
мопс
Slovak:
mopslík, zakrpatený buldog
Slovenian:
mops
Spanish:
doguillo
Swedish:
mops
Turkish:
(bir cins) buldog

Some one had told me before that they call pugs "mops" in Europe... So funny. Anyways if you want to do your own search, check it out here.

A Belated Birthday

2008-01-12T09:03:00.000-05:00

Well, it is almost 1 week that I have been back in St kitts... And I just have a couple more pictures of my break in New York. At the end of all of it, I got to celebrate by birthday with Mondo's family, who are always the sweetest and never forget. We had a delicious dinner (I had seconds) and then lots of desert. I even won money on scratch tickets making it a pretty lucky birthday celebration. A special thankyou needs to go out to Patrice, who is the one that is responsible for all the greatness at these dinners. Not only does she organize them and cook, but she makes everyone feel special when they are at her house.At this point Mondo and I only had a couple of days left to hang out together, which is always sad to have to say good bye, but we will be seeing each other soon (2 weeks) for a quick rendezvous in Orlando! Mondo made this vacation extra special by making time for us to relax and have fun, we even went to Mount Snow to ski and snowboard (but I have no pictures). I've said it before and Ill say it again, I might just be the luckiest girl in the world to have Mondo in my life!
And of course I celebrated my birthday with Rockstar! It is hard to believe that he is going to be 6 this 2008 year! With all that we have been through the bond just grows stronger.... But now it is back to St Kitts to the sunshine for us!!But before we leave, Rockstar needed his tri annual pug out fest at Aunt P's house. Here he is devouring a homemade meatball, pasta and sauce. This is definitely not recommended by Dr Krista, but once in a while it just makes the pug happy!

Off to St kitts for more learning... Crazy to think that we only have a year left on the Rock. Thanks for making it a great vacation and wonderful time home to everyone that I saw!

New Year's Morning with Friends

2008-01-10T17:24:00.000-05:00

Now, I have never had a New Years morning like I had this morning of New Year's 2008. We head to our friend's parents house for what we think to be a nice brunch and find a feast fit for KINGS! There were literally breakfast foods that are too gourmet for me to spell right, french toast, bagels, bacon, sausage, eggs, bread pudding, fresh berries and melon, and so much more! Mondo and I had never been so full!Tommy and Selina chowed down with us as well as Kelly and Chris, Mr and Mrs Feinstein and Joanna. Why dont I have more pictures of everyone??
And then after we had stuffed ourselves, there was still more. We were celebrating Chris's birthday and Kelly had surprised him with crepe cakes from a bakery in Brooklyn. These cakes were DELICIOUS, but I barely had room!

Happy New Years to all from Krista, Mondo and Rockstar!!

New Year's Eve

2008-01-10T17:10:00.000-05:00

New Year's Eve back in New York held quite a bit of running around for me and the pug, but we had a great time ringing in the New Year. First Rockstar and I went to my Dad and Ginnys house to see my Aunts, Uncles, and cousins that I missed on Christmas day. Rockstar was following around my cousin Kylie the entire night and she came out of her "shy shell" for just long enough for a picture.
Then it was off to put the pug to bed and head over to Mondo's family's party at Thai Taste in Massapequa to see the entire family. There was great food and it was nice to catch up with everyone (and give lots of veterinary advice, too!) Here I am with Tania and Patrice (my two favorite Polanco women - well Tania is almost a Polanco!)
And then there was the Sunny and Cher incident. I am not quite sure how it happened, but Aunt Marion asked me to be Cher and I thought that she was talking about karaoke... turns out that she had an entire outfit for me complete with a wig. All that I knew to do to be Cher was the dramatic hair push... So I did that while Scotty played Sunny and hammed up the crowd. I guess you never know what is going to happen at a Polanco family party!
And we werent the only ones that were hoodwinked into getting dressed up. Aunt Marion had an Elvis costume as well and got one of Mondo's cousins to dress up and dance! In a word... hilarious.

There were lots of other pictures throughout the night, but sadly none of me and Mondo. I know that other people took pictures of us. If you have a picture of me and Mondo from New Years Eve, please send me one!!