Will it EVER stop raining??

Well, it's June! (Although with this craptastical weather, one would think that it's actually April or something?!)

A few things have happened in the last couple of months...such as, I play softball with my coworkers in a beer-league once a week. It's pretty fun, however there's only one problem...I never hit a ball, caught a ball or threw a ball before I signed up to be on this team....so I'll let you be the judge about how good I am! In all honesty though, I'm not THAT bad. Thankfully for me (and my fellow aviators) I have good had I coordination...but that only extends to hitting the ball. As for catching the ball, well I'm a little fearful that I'm going to get a ball to the face. I just don't know how professional ball players do it! How can they A) throw the ball at something like 98mph, then B) hit the ball at whatever speed they hit the ball at, can then C) CATCH the ball at whatever ungodly speed the ball is now travelling at!

It actually reminds me of when I curled this winter- I'm too competitive, and having never played before, I have no right to be competitive, especially when I'm only learning (and barely understanding) a new rule once a game- twice if I'm lucky- but it's fun, and I'm doing it with a bunch of friends, and heck, IT'S A BEER-LEAGUE! So who cares if our only win to date was because the other team forfeited to stayed home to watch the Canucks get their asses handed to them by my home boy Adam McQuaid and the Boston Bruins!!!

On a different note... on June 7th, I had my 1 year anniversary with the feedlot animal veterinary consulting company. I still LOVE my job. Except for those days when it's -35'C out and the deads are all frozen stiff and this is the sight that welcomes me.....

But it's not always like that....thankfully. Like I said, right now its been raining non-stop. Just last week there were areas in the neighboring town that got evacuated because the river rose 3-4 feet.... I suppose the town got it's name for a reason though..."High River"...

Made it down to Medicine Hat the last weekend of May for a visit and a branding. I brought along my uniform too and took in the final year end parade of the unit that I used to work with. Also got to spend the majority of the Sunday with my cousin and little cousins! What a riot they are! Here is a picture from the branding. It was my friend Joan's uncle Lyle's branding. We did about 110 calves in about 3 hours. I was the vaccinator extraordinaire! In other words, I guess I didn't screw up bad enough last year so they figured they'd ask me back this year!  

And that's about all that's NEW! A few exciting up and coming things include getting the opportunity to work at the Calgary Stampede to showcase the beef industry and represent our company, attend an office party AT stampede which includes a rail side chuckwagon race night view, Katy Perry concert with Joan, Jess's wedding in Moose Jaw in August, the Reesor's own branding the weekend after Jess and Jon's wedding, and then home in September for my sister's wedding. 

Places I'd like to go this summer include but will guaranteed not all take place: Head smashed in buffalo jump, writing on stone national park, dinosaur provincial park, float the bow, take in a polo match, make it to an event at Spruce Meadows, and the only one that seems obtainable at this point in time, attend more than just ONE day of stampede this year. 

So what are YOU doing this summer? 

While you think about how awesome my summer could shape up to be, I'll sign off and simply say " Stay dry fellow Canadians, and whatever you do or where ever you go, DON'T FORGET YOUR TOQUE!!" 

Another year has come and gone...

I suppose you can say I've forgotten, but I haven't, I swear! It has crossed my mind from time to time, but I never really had the time to sit down and write. I know I've said this before, but it seriously takes me 3 hours to write!

So here I am. It's a Sunday. We "sprung ahead" last night in time, and although we aren't quite at the first day of spring, today it's 9 degrees out! I had to go get something out of my car and went out in just my tank top! I guess you could go out in a tank top when it's -35....but the point is that I was comfortable!

So, what's happened since LAST January?!  A LOT! That's what! To think and write chronologically:
February was friggen COLD! That's all I remember about February.... I'm not even lying, it was -35 the whole month, I'm sure.
March was eventful.... it was my 24th birthday, and the the bull sale for the people I worked for. The week leading up to the sale we were working on the bulls- washing and drying and semen testing them all.  I hurt myself pretty bad when we were moving them into the barn so we could semen test them. I was in a bad spot. Looking back, it was stupid of me. I should have known better...but they were a little worked up and the gate was a little..."special"? and a bull turned back and I was on the inside of the gate and so when the bull turned back, he hit the gate, and the gate hit me, square in the face I might add, and it threw me back about 10 feet. I apparently rolled about 3 times- I have no recollection of that- I just knew there were 15 bulls running back at me, and so my immediate thought was to stand up. My boss ran over and ask if I was ok, and I said yes, and we kept going. About 10 mins later my cheek had swelled up a little and where the gate hit me, it drew blood. He said " I thought that you said you didn't get hurt?!" and I said " No, I said I was ok and am a big girl, not that I wasn't hurting!" Well without going and having radiation shot at my head, I am pretty confident in saying that I fractured my cheek bone. It hurt for MONTHS. My forearm was pretty bruised up and so was my hip from where- when I apparently rolled over 3 times- I did so on my pocket knife that was in my pocket.  All in all, it could have been A LOT worse and I was extremely lucky. I looked at it this way though- nothing a little make up and liquor couldn't rectify!

After the bull sale, things got a little tough at work. The bull sale was a little stressful, and things didn't really settle down after that....I looked and found another job. I snuck home Easter. Much to the surprise of my parents, because I had told them I was going to Edmonton. Next thing they knew, I was ringing the doorbell with my video camera on and filming! It was a good surprise. Was also the longest time I've spent away from home (Sept- April). When I got back, I interviewed at the new job. I believe it was the first of May or so I was offered the job. I gave my notice and started on June 7th.  I gave myself a week between the old job and the new job. I took the time to pack my things and get life together. Joan and I even made a trip to Montana. Good times!

The new job is 20 mins South of Calgary in the town of Okotoks. This was a logical place to go because I was coming up almost every other weekend as it was for gliding. In April alone I put 6000 Km on my car!! Not even kidding! With back and forth to work being 50Km x 5x4 = 1000 for the month. Plus driving to Calgary and further every weekend that month..... well, like I said, it was a logical place to move.

 So I work as a consultant assistant, putting my tech diploma to good use in a feedlot animal health veterinary consulting practice. My primary job is to do post mortem exams on the dead feedlot cattle belonging to our clients in our immediate area. I also look after export of cattle and horses to the  USA, export of beef to the EU, importation of cattle from the USA, BSE surveillance, lab testing, I'm the technical representative on our in house animal care committee. I also monitor 12 of our clients in Canada and the USA and bring pertinent information to the attention of the consultants in the event that intervention strategies need to be suggested for certain disease processes. It's VERY interesting and I love my job! I work with a lot of people and the group dynamic is awesome!

I lived with my cousin in Calgary for 3 months before moving into an acreage house with a girl I found on Kijiji! She's awesome too! Her name is Amy. She has a horse here, and the house is so rustic and country. I love it! We're a good fit!

In November I went to Regina to work for Eastondale Angus at the Canadian Western Agribition. A week later, my coworker Charlotte and I went to Vegas to go to NFR! ( I know I know, 2nd year in a row, but this time I wasn't tied up in conferences, so I was able to get a lot of shopping and touristy things in!)  I worked Christmas day and Boxing day- all of the other people I work with have small children, so I volunteered to work them so they wouldn't have to.  December 30th, my niece was born. December 31st I hurt my back- I tell everyone I got in a fight with a big black woman. She weighed 1200lbs and was dead but she still kicked my ass! So, that being said, it happened at a feedlot....LOL although I knew right away it wasn't the same pain Ive experienced before with my chronic back pain, I still hoped it would go away. Well, it didn't....4 days later, I walked in to the hospital... I was given anti-inflammatories, and told to do physio. I went to an acupuncturist- which Ill admit I thought was complete hogwash, but I'll admit, I walked out of there a different person. I haven't had issues with my back since- not even my chronic back pain!

Last week I celebrated my 25th birthday. I invited friends and family out to a bar in Calgary for some two stepping! It was a great time! Joan and Holly even came up from Medicine Hat.

And that's about it?! hahah, my year summarized into a few paragraphs!

I'll try to make a better effort at updating....I promise!!

Until next time, keep the blue side up!

-A