You may remember my discussion a post or 2 ago about the ghetto apartment that I just moved into. Well, it is even more ghetto than I thought.
Annie, Bubba, and I spent Saturday afternoon moving my earthly possessions into my new Bachelor Pad o' Love. Now remember, my apartment is ghetto. Well, it didn't take long for the "natives" to start getting nosey and scoping out my stuff on the moving van. Luckily, I don't have much stuff that is noticeably very nice, with a few exceptions.
I have a brand-spankin' new gas grill that my parents got me for Christmas this past year. I've never used it cuz I've been mostly homeless since then. It was the last thing that was loaded onto the moving van, so naturally, it was the first thing off the van. We set it out of the way and on the grass at the back of the van. I didn't think much of it until the local residents started making comments like, "That's a nice grill." Or, "Where did you get that grill?"
That's when my monkey brain started thinkin', "Hmmm. Maybe we need to get the grill off of the grass, and back onto the van. And maybe we really need to kick this unloading thing into high gear, before the entire apartment complex realizes what I have in my apartment."
That made me a little nervous.
Or maybe it was because of the meth-head/crack whore/alcoholic 40-something chick that kept hangin' around the van. Yeah, that might have made me a little nervous.
At one point, I asked my brother, "Do you think that she's a meth-head, or an alcoholic?"
To which my brother replied, "A meth-head. I'm about 75% sure of it."
Sweet. Nothing like it.
On Sunday, Annie and I went back to the apartment to work on getting things unpacked. She started on the kitchen and loaded up dishes in the dishwasher. About 5 minutes after she started the dishwasher, I heard a funny sound. Kind of like the sound that water makes when it's leaking into places it shouldn't. We quickly found the source of the leak.
The garbage disposal.
Since the water was only dripping, we placed a pan under the leak and let the dishwasher continue it's mind-numbing job.
Then the heavens unleashed there fury. Water started flooding out from the leak. Then we had a real problem.
After a call to the apartment complex, they fixed:
1) The dishwasher,
2) The towel rack in the bathroom, which had fallen down,
3) The electrical outlet in the bathroom which some genius put in upside down.
4) The leak in the hot water heater, which was dripping water onto the floor and rotting it.
Last night, Annie and I returned to continue our quest to make the apartment habitable. Annie had brought over an oven dinner. It didn't take us long to figure out that the oven didn't exactly work properly. It took about 1.5 hours to cook a "30 minute meal." It wasn't until we baked the biscuits that we realized the problem: the bottom heating element didn't work.
So I had to make another call to them today, and they fixed that too. With much apologizing.
I gotta give them credit, they are at least being nice and prompt about fixing these things.
On the work front, this week has been slllllllooooooooowwwww. I'm not exactly sure as to why. On Monday, we only did about 45% that we did the previous Monday. Today will be much like last week. The only difference is that today I have only seen 1 patient, and the remaining money that came in was from a long-term boarder. So even though the daily total from last Tues. and today are identical, we are much slower than last week.
What's really weird is that the phones aren't even ringing.
Crazy.
Keep on keepin' on.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Moving Day...Again
I'm moving today. And it's supposed to rain all day. Nice. It's only fitting cuz when Cameltoes and I moved my stuff into the storage shed in February, it was snowing.
As I have stated in a previous entry, the place I will call home ain't exactly a nice place. But, it's alls I could find that was on the first floor. With two, 50 lb, dogs at my house, I ain't making that many trips up and down the stairs to walk them. Call me lazy, I don't care.
I'm working again today, as I have every Saturday since we've opened, and we are once again slower than molasses in January. Shocking, I know. The phones aren't even really ringing, which is odd, because on Mon-Fri, the phones ring of the bloody hook. So far, with 37 minutes left before we close, we have made a grand total of $171 for the day. Amazing. And we are paying one tech about $65 for today, and the kennel boy about $45. And that's not including my salary for the day. Yeah, we be in da red just a wee bit.
However, we've been averaging around a grand/day for this week (not including today), so we're getting closer to the elusive "break-even" point. But until we start doing better on Saturdays, or even better, close on Saturdays, they are going to keep hurting our bottom line.
I just figured out that, assuming that nobody else walks in in the next 30 minutes, we will average around $900/day for the week.
On an unrelated note, my parents were supposed to fly out of here at 6:30 this morning. Thanks to the remarkable knack for the airlines to be on time, they didn't take off until about 8:45. I feel bad for them, cuz a lot of that time was spent stuck on the plane.
T-minus 23 minutes and counting. I'm not looking forward to moving. Much less having to shuck out some more $$$ to rent the U-haul and bribe, I mean pay, my brother to help me move. Oh well. It's all part of it.
Keep on keepin' on.
As I have stated in a previous entry, the place I will call home ain't exactly a nice place. But, it's alls I could find that was on the first floor. With two, 50 lb, dogs at my house, I ain't making that many trips up and down the stairs to walk them. Call me lazy, I don't care.
I'm working again today, as I have every Saturday since we've opened, and we are once again slower than molasses in January. Shocking, I know. The phones aren't even really ringing, which is odd, because on Mon-Fri, the phones ring of the bloody hook. So far, with 37 minutes left before we close, we have made a grand total of $171 for the day. Amazing. And we are paying one tech about $65 for today, and the kennel boy about $45. And that's not including my salary for the day. Yeah, we be in da red just a wee bit.
However, we've been averaging around a grand/day for this week (not including today), so we're getting closer to the elusive "break-even" point. But until we start doing better on Saturdays, or even better, close on Saturdays, they are going to keep hurting our bottom line.
I just figured out that, assuming that nobody else walks in in the next 30 minutes, we will average around $900/day for the week.
On an unrelated note, my parents were supposed to fly out of here at 6:30 this morning. Thanks to the remarkable knack for the airlines to be on time, they didn't take off until about 8:45. I feel bad for them, cuz a lot of that time was spent stuck on the plane.
T-minus 23 minutes and counting. I'm not looking forward to moving. Much less having to shuck out some more $$$ to rent the U-haul and bribe, I mean pay, my brother to help me move. Oh well. It's all part of it.
Keep on keepin' on.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
About To Move
Today, I called up my future housing place, to see if all is in order. It is, except for the following:
1) I have to call TXU to get service started. I also need to have proof that I set up my account, and that it is active on moving day
2) I have to have proof of renter's insurance, because I have dogs. I've never heard of a rental place requiring that, but it's news to me. But I guess it's good to have the coverage anyway, since the apartment complex is OLD and may be prone to fires, floods, earthquakes, locusts, plague, you know, the usual. So that's another $200 that I have to spend. No lie, the appliances are straight from the 80's, complete with parachute pants, a Thriller album, and sweet mullet.
The "amenities" include: 4 walls, a ceiling, air conditioning, heat, and my very own flushable toilet! That's about it. No pool with complementary hotties in bikini's. Bummer.
3) I need to pay $200 for this month's rent, another $400 for my 2 dogs (and that's a fee, not a deposit), and this in addition to the $200 application fee that I paid 2 weeks ago and the $200 mandatory renters insurance. So my first month's rent is really something along the lines of $800. What a steal, considering that my "normal" rent is $680/month (including $20/month for "pet rent" in addition to my $400 dollar pet fee.)
4) Proof from my "vet" of my dogs' vaccination records. Well, we just got proof, cuz their vet is me. How lucky.
5) I also have to promise to turn over my first born child. Seriously.
Update:
I'm at work right now, and my boss is talking to a lady that is literally crazier than a clown on 4 day acid trip. Seriously, she is outta her mind. She has a dog that is terminal. And not just from one thing, but from many. If you saw this dog on that Houston Animal Control show, where they show the animal "cops" rescuing mistreated and neglected dogs, you would be very pissed off at the owner for the condition of this dog. It's deplorable.
So, she is in complete denial over the dog's condition, and refuses to "let go" of her dog. I understand the close bond, but she is keeping this dog alive, and has been for at least 1-3 years, solely for her own selfish reasons. I could probably get her ass thrown in jail. This dog is in HORRIBLE shape. She has even taken her pet to a "Pet Communicator" to see what the dog really is saying and what he wants. He told the "Pet Communicator" that he still wants to live, and he's trying the best that he can.
What a scam.
And the lady doesn't "believe" in euthanasia, or killing any animal. She's a vegetarian, and I can only imagine that she's a card-carrying member of PETA. Nice.
Meanwhile the dog is suffering tremendously.
Great.
Keep on keepin' on.
1) I have to call TXU to get service started. I also need to have proof that I set up my account, and that it is active on moving day
2) I have to have proof of renter's insurance, because I have dogs. I've never heard of a rental place requiring that, but it's news to me. But I guess it's good to have the coverage anyway, since the apartment complex is OLD and may be prone to fires, floods, earthquakes, locusts, plague, you know, the usual. So that's another $200 that I have to spend. No lie, the appliances are straight from the 80's, complete with parachute pants, a Thriller album, and sweet mullet.
The "amenities" include: 4 walls, a ceiling, air conditioning, heat, and my very own flushable toilet! That's about it. No pool with complementary hotties in bikini's. Bummer.
3) I need to pay $200 for this month's rent, another $400 for my 2 dogs (and that's a fee, not a deposit), and this in addition to the $200 application fee that I paid 2 weeks ago and the $200 mandatory renters insurance. So my first month's rent is really something along the lines of $800. What a steal, considering that my "normal" rent is $680/month (including $20/month for "pet rent" in addition to my $400 dollar pet fee.)
4) Proof from my "vet" of my dogs' vaccination records. Well, we just got proof, cuz their vet is me. How lucky.
5) I also have to promise to turn over my first born child. Seriously.
Update:
I'm at work right now, and my boss is talking to a lady that is literally crazier than a clown on 4 day acid trip. Seriously, she is outta her mind. She has a dog that is terminal. And not just from one thing, but from many. If you saw this dog on that Houston Animal Control show, where they show the animal "cops" rescuing mistreated and neglected dogs, you would be very pissed off at the owner for the condition of this dog. It's deplorable.
So, she is in complete denial over the dog's condition, and refuses to "let go" of her dog. I understand the close bond, but she is keeping this dog alive, and has been for at least 1-3 years, solely for her own selfish reasons. I could probably get her ass thrown in jail. This dog is in HORRIBLE shape. She has even taken her pet to a "Pet Communicator" to see what the dog really is saying and what he wants. He told the "Pet Communicator" that he still wants to live, and he's trying the best that he can.
What a scam.
And the lady doesn't "believe" in euthanasia, or killing any animal. She's a vegetarian, and I can only imagine that she's a card-carrying member of PETA. Nice.
Meanwhile the dog is suffering tremendously.
Great.
Keep on keepin' on.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Global Warming Heating Up Pussy Love
Yep. It's true. Global warming is causing more and more pussycats to "get it on." It's true.
Animal Group Blames Cat Influx on … Global Warming
By Monisha Bansal
CNSNews.com Staff Writer
June 11, 2007
(CNSNews.com) - A coalition of animal shelters says there has been a "dramatic" increase in the number of cats brought in - and it blames the trend on global warming.
"Today more than ever, animal shelters across the United States are reporting skyrocketing influxes of cats and kittens being brought into their agencies," Pets Across America said in a statement.
According to the group's president, Kathy Warnick, "many believe global warming is extending cat breeding seasons and causing the cat population to swell."
"Cats are typically warm-weather, spring-time breeders," said Warnick, who also serves as president of the Humane Society of Missouri. "However, states that typically experience primarily longer and colder winters are now seeing shorter, warmer winters, leading to year-round breeding.
"Basically, there is no longer a reproduction lull with cat breeding cycles and unfortunately, it seems more people are bringing boxes of kittens into our agencies during winter now."
Kieran Suckling, policy director for the Center for Biological Diversity, backed up the idea, in principle.
"The assumption that a warming climate will alter the reproductive rates and success of some species is solid and has been demonstrated in a number of species," he told Cybercast News Service.
"Cats, I suppose, will be somewhat protected from these other impacts due to humans - at least in the near future - providing them with relatively stable shelter, food, etc," he added.
Pets Across America reports that animal shelters across the U.S. are reporting "spikes" in the number of cats and kittens they are taking in.
"The organization associates their steady increase of cat intake - a startling seven percent last year alone - to likely be an example of how warmer climates really do affect the number of cats breeding more frequently," its statement said.
Pets Across America says some shelters have experienced an increase of more than 30 percent from 2005 to 2006.
According to the National Climatic Data Center, the mean temperature in the United States rose less than one degree Fahrenheit (0.66) from 2005 to 2006.
Kelli Ferris, an assistant professor at the North Carolina State University School of Veterinary Medicine, sounded dubious about the claims.
"The increase in the numbers of homeless friendly and feral cats in many parts of the country involves so many factors that I think it would be extremely difficult to quantitatively evaluate the contribution of subtle changes in the environment," she told Cybercast News Service.
Ferris noted that increases in human population and the availability of food could be a factor.
She cited "factors of irresponsible pet ownership that are variable between regions of the country and across individual states." Also increased percentages of households that own cats have been documented over the past 30 years - a trend she said means that "there are more opportunities for cats to be released in to the environment."
"Adding to the complexity of determining the possible effects of global warming is that we really don't know the actual population numbers of free-roaming cats over the past five years, let alone the past 50 years, that would allow us to measure true changes in cat numbers," Ferris added.
Myron Ebell, director for energy and global warming policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, called Pets Across America's concerns "silly."
"It seems like everyone wants to link their issue or problem or cause to global warming," he told Cybercast News Service. "One basic problem with most of these ridiculous claims is that there is no correlation between local temperatures and the alleged effect."
He noted that in the United States, "lots of places were warmer, but lots of places were colder than the previous year."
Wow...that's all there is to it. Keep on keepin' on.
Animal Group Blames Cat Influx on … Global Warming
By Monisha Bansal
CNSNews.com Staff Writer
June 11, 2007
(CNSNews.com) - A coalition of animal shelters says there has been a "dramatic" increase in the number of cats brought in - and it blames the trend on global warming.
"Today more than ever, animal shelters across the United States are reporting skyrocketing influxes of cats and kittens being brought into their agencies," Pets Across America said in a statement.
According to the group's president, Kathy Warnick, "many believe global warming is extending cat breeding seasons and causing the cat population to swell."
"Cats are typically warm-weather, spring-time breeders," said Warnick, who also serves as president of the Humane Society of Missouri. "However, states that typically experience primarily longer and colder winters are now seeing shorter, warmer winters, leading to year-round breeding.
"Basically, there is no longer a reproduction lull with cat breeding cycles and unfortunately, it seems more people are bringing boxes of kittens into our agencies during winter now."
Kieran Suckling, policy director for the Center for Biological Diversity, backed up the idea, in principle.
"The assumption that a warming climate will alter the reproductive rates and success of some species is solid and has been demonstrated in a number of species," he told Cybercast News Service.
"Cats, I suppose, will be somewhat protected from these other impacts due to humans - at least in the near future - providing them with relatively stable shelter, food, etc," he added.
Pets Across America reports that animal shelters across the U.S. are reporting "spikes" in the number of cats and kittens they are taking in.
"The organization associates their steady increase of cat intake - a startling seven percent last year alone - to likely be an example of how warmer climates really do affect the number of cats breeding more frequently," its statement said.
Pets Across America says some shelters have experienced an increase of more than 30 percent from 2005 to 2006.
According to the National Climatic Data Center, the mean temperature in the United States rose less than one degree Fahrenheit (0.66) from 2005 to 2006.
Kelli Ferris, an assistant professor at the North Carolina State University School of Veterinary Medicine, sounded dubious about the claims.
"The increase in the numbers of homeless friendly and feral cats in many parts of the country involves so many factors that I think it would be extremely difficult to quantitatively evaluate the contribution of subtle changes in the environment," she told Cybercast News Service.
Ferris noted that increases in human population and the availability of food could be a factor.
She cited "factors of irresponsible pet ownership that are variable between regions of the country and across individual states." Also increased percentages of households that own cats have been documented over the past 30 years - a trend she said means that "there are more opportunities for cats to be released in to the environment."
"Adding to the complexity of determining the possible effects of global warming is that we really don't know the actual population numbers of free-roaming cats over the past five years, let alone the past 50 years, that would allow us to measure true changes in cat numbers," Ferris added.
Myron Ebell, director for energy and global warming policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, called Pets Across America's concerns "silly."
"It seems like everyone wants to link their issue or problem or cause to global warming," he told Cybercast News Service. "One basic problem with most of these ridiculous claims is that there is no correlation between local temperatures and the alleged effect."
He noted that in the United States, "lots of places were warmer, but lots of places were colder than the previous year."
Wow...that's all there is to it. Keep on keepin' on.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
All By My Lonesome
Bean left on Thursday to visit an old childhood friend. Her and her mom are visiting the friends in Phoenix until late tomorrow night. Then Bean will be gone to New York from Monday to Thursday evening. So, I will be all by myself for about 8 days. Sniff, sniff*.
Thursday night one of my vet friends, his wife and I went to the pitiful Texas Rangers game. Our seats were awesome though: 24th row right behind home plate. I mean right behind home plate. They weren't off to one side or the other. It was the best seats that I've ever had. And they were FREE! We even got free season ticket parking. Not a bad time...except that we left after only 7 innings because the Rangers were getting creamed 11-2. Not much point in staying any longer, especially since all 3 of us had to work the next morning.
I finished work today by seeing a grand total of 3 patients today, of which only 1 was a legitimate one. The other 2 were boarding dogs that, had we been closed today, would have come in yesterday, and I would have examined them on Friday.
The 1 patient that I legitimately saw today took me about 10 minutes to see, and gained us about $240. So, we really only made about that much today. Considering that my salary alone cost us more than that, methinks that being open on Saturdays is not such a good idea. I hate being open on Saturdays, although it's not bad since it's so dang slooooow overall.
Having a veterinary clinic open on Saturdays is pretty pointless nowadays. Unless you are in a rural area, or doing a mixed animal practice, there really is not a point to being open then. It's pretty hard to make it work financially, although many vets think that it does. And that, in my opinion, is wrong thinking.
Enough about the rant. Sorry.
I'm gonna crash now.**
Keep on keepin on.
* Bring out the stripper's pole, the body oils, and the mud wrestling pit, cuz Daddy's gonna have a PARTY!!
** Another big benefit of being open on Saturdays is that by the time that I'm finished with work, which is around 12:30 or so, I'm so freakin' tired from the week that I'm toast until about 5 or 6 o'clock. It thereby takes out a full day, and not just a 1/2 day like most people think. It's a sweet two-for-one deal. And I don't much like it very much.
Thursday night one of my vet friends, his wife and I went to the pitiful Texas Rangers game. Our seats were awesome though: 24th row right behind home plate. I mean right behind home plate. They weren't off to one side or the other. It was the best seats that I've ever had. And they were FREE! We even got free season ticket parking. Not a bad time...except that we left after only 7 innings because the Rangers were getting creamed 11-2. Not much point in staying any longer, especially since all 3 of us had to work the next morning.
I finished work today by seeing a grand total of 3 patients today, of which only 1 was a legitimate one. The other 2 were boarding dogs that, had we been closed today, would have come in yesterday, and I would have examined them on Friday.
The 1 patient that I legitimately saw today took me about 10 minutes to see, and gained us about $240. So, we really only made about that much today. Considering that my salary alone cost us more than that, methinks that being open on Saturdays is not such a good idea. I hate being open on Saturdays, although it's not bad since it's so dang slooooow overall.
Having a veterinary clinic open on Saturdays is pretty pointless nowadays. Unless you are in a rural area, or doing a mixed animal practice, there really is not a point to being open then. It's pretty hard to make it work financially, although many vets think that it does. And that, in my opinion, is wrong thinking.
Enough about the rant. Sorry.
I'm gonna crash now.**
Keep on keepin on.
* Bring out the stripper's pole, the body oils, and the mud wrestling pit, cuz Daddy's gonna have a PARTY!!
** Another big benefit of being open on Saturdays is that by the time that I'm finished with work, which is around 12:30 or so, I'm so freakin' tired from the week that I'm toast until about 5 or 6 o'clock. It thereby takes out a full day, and not just a 1/2 day like most people think. It's a sweet two-for-one deal. And I don't much like it very much.
Monday, June 04, 2007
Not So SLOOOOOOOOOW
Well, my wish has been granted. It's been slower than molasses in January...up until late last week. Since last Thursday, things have quickly picked up. Today was our busiest day ever. It was a dang good thing that our new tech started working this afternoon, or else we would not have been able to cover it.
I'm still BEGGING for a receptionist. I told my boss after Saturday's busy arse day that we are really gonna need one. And I purposely let him answer almost all of the phone calls today to let him realize how badly we are gonna need one. Methinks that he's getting the picture.
Overall, I've been working my butt off. Since I'm a receptionist, technician, computer I.T. guy, office manager, and oh by the way, a veterinarian, I get a tad busy during the day. I'm averaging about an hour for lunch every day, and putting in about 9-10 hours in each day. I'm getting a bit tired.
I've gotta go.
Keep on keepin' on.
I'm still BEGGING for a receptionist. I told my boss after Saturday's busy arse day that we are really gonna need one. And I purposely let him answer almost all of the phone calls today to let him realize how badly we are gonna need one. Methinks that he's getting the picture.
Overall, I've been working my butt off. Since I'm a receptionist, technician, computer I.T. guy, office manager, and oh by the way, a veterinarian, I get a tad busy during the day. I'm averaging about an hour for lunch every day, and putting in about 9-10 hours in each day. I'm getting a bit tired.
I've gotta go.
Keep on keepin' on.
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