New Year, New Posts

Yeah, I realize I'm a slacker. But I promise to try and post at least pictures on here regularly so you can see what's going on....

Spent New Year's strolling down Duval St. in Key West with Kip and our British friend Chris. It was a fantastic voyage through bars with cheap but strong drinks, glittering beads raining down on our heads, and many spectactularly dressed trannies. Even awkwardly sleeping in the car and having to drive back and forth among islands to pick up our fallen comrade didn't take away from an amazing experience.

I hope you all had wonderful holidays and your New Year has begun with a bang! Enjoy the pics!

Sas

Blame it on the moon....

Another physio exam down, another weekend of fun begins!

Completely irrelevant but still awesome pic of Mystic Dragon Capri Sun. Really yummy (tastes pretty much like Pacific Cooler)...

Took this awesome pic after a long day of particularly yucky dissection. Would make a great movie poster...

Kip riding "Gums"

Friday night we convened once again for our Cocktails at Sunset House. It was an interesting evening complete with random medical discussions and sacrilegious statements. To add to our motley crew, our physiology professor, Dr. Roy, and his wife joined us for libations and a little pipe smoking.

(Sherlock Holmes style, not Cheech and Chong Style. C'mon.)

A few highlights from the conversations:

Coconut IV bags: We mentioned our experience with coconut water to Dr. Roy. Travis brought up having seen a documentary on using coconuts as IV fluids when in survivor situations. Our token med student at the table jumped in right away discounting the possibility of creating the proper vacuum with a coconut unless you cut the top off, while others of us argued that a vacuum wasn't needed to administer fluids and I just sat there wondering how you would pierce the husk of the damn coconut in the first place and just how sanitary is coconut water when we've seen what it can do to your intestinal constitution?

Dr. Roy (on life in South Africa): We didn't want a new government! It's the rest of the world who forced it on us! And now we've got lots of crime and corruption. For heaven's sake, we now have a 500 Trillion Zimbabwe Dollar note that won't even buy a loaf a bread.

Mike (not sure where this came from but it was damn funny): I don't feel any guilt. Fuck him and his apple.

Mike and I up front; in back: Kip, Travis, and Paul.

Saturday night was the monthly Full Moon party. It seems each month there is a theme associated; this month's was a "Foam Moon Party" (catchy play on words, huh? I wonder how proud the guy who thought that one up was...). Something inspired Robin, Kip and I to check out some of the local clothing stores (boredom) and upon finding that they pretty much sell the same ghetto clothing that you would find at Rave or Wet Seal or in St. Kitts, we somehow came to the conclusion that we were going to do a GC version of Pimps N Hoes that night.

Seriously folks. I think there's something in the water here.

Anyhow, at a store called Crave Kip found an awesome 'shirt set' that sported satin trim on the collar and french cuffs, as well as a matching satin tie and pocket kerchief. The shirt is a deep maroon color, and the satin details are a funky pattern with yellows and peaches and some maroon. It was quite the pimptastic shirt.

Our next stop was a sketch shoe store on Eastern Ave that apparently sells way more clothes than shoes. It reminded me a lot of Karabana's in St. Kitts. They even had those awesome stretch pants with printed on pockets/belt loops/stitching to make them appear to be jeans when really they are just a horrible pair of plain ol' stretch pants.

At the 'shoe' store, I found my top for the evening, a tight-fitting rouched cotton halter with a plunging neckline. Robin found a cute little dress in an awesome teal color. And Kip found his pimptastic baby pink sunglasses and tiger striped pinky ring.

I shit you not.

Kip inspecting his Super Heroes mood ring.

We made one more stop, to a little boutique in a building that seems to be either falling apart around it or in progress of being built where I found the perfect chunky necklace to complete my outfit. By this point we were all starving, so we headed to Yoshi for some fantastic sushi.

They encourage you to play with your food at Yoshi.

After hanging out at the house for a bit, playing a round of Kings with Travis, we were suitably tanked and headed over to CJs.

The Reason for the Season.

PimpTastic.

If any of you are Foam Virgins, as I was, you will be mightily impressed by the giant inverted phallus spewing out suds all over people dancing in the sand. Yes, suds soaked sand.

Travis reliving his childhood.

This would be so much more creepy if it weren't for the giant suds tumor on his face.

Travis and Robin with Kip doing something abnormal.

Kip trying to hit on underage chicks outside of the women's restroom.

I'm pretty sure his drink was full when he ran in that time...

I have no idea.

I wasn't keen on getting a MRSA infection, so Kip had to dance me into the foam.

Midnight brings with it Last Call here on GC (which just seems sooooo unfair at a Full Moon party), so we decided to clean off our suds with a little midnight dip in the Caribbean. Because that makes total sense.

Somehow Kip managed to keep the sunglasses but lose the ring. Despite the fact that these Full Moon parties seem to invite Trouble (you know who you are), overall it was a great night out with friends. Can't wait till next month!

Random

So I've gotten so far behind with this thing that I thought I'd just take a moment to throw a montage of funnies together for your general amusement...

Kip riding his Big Wheel at the grocery store:



"Big Daddy" aka "Fat Bastard" hangin' in the backyard:




"Big Daddy" meeting Ruby (and taking the most immediate exit possible):

Kip, Robin and I went to Hell again this week to mail off some cards (people don't forget to check your postmarks!) and the Coconut Water Doctor was there:

Not the most sanitary conditions....



Better than Viagra!



Cars do not come equipped with coconut holders.

Refreshingly gross!

The chickens really seemed to like it!

Some more random shots...

Ghetto prep of Absinthe

Local shipping company



Cool shot of Fat Bastard



Pretty sure this is an asshole. We've passed it a couple of times now at the Cost-U-Less (Sam's Club of GC) and each time we just stop and stare. Mind boggling.

Mmmm, tastes like salvation....it's Sacrilicious!

On the way to the Ag building this morning we stopped off at a Texaco for coffee and breakfast.

(Note to Dad: I don't usually buy breakfast, however this morning I conveniently left my bagel with peanut butter and jelly on the roof of my car and drove away. But don't worry, I have my passport tucked safely away. Somewhere.)

Kip was already at the checkout when I walked up with my coffee and banana bread. As the cashier rang up our order, I glanced down and saw what Kip had chosen for his morning snack:

And I was all Bible Bar? and then she added another dollar to our bill.

Mmmmm....sounds delicious.



These people are insane.

Apparently this island has a blasphemer's tax. Good to know.

They Really Don't Serve Beer in Hell.

THURSDAY 5/7

Second day of veterinary school began with our Clinical Skills course; basically a 1.5 hour lecture on playing with puppies and kittens followed by 2 hours of actual playing with puppies and kittens. One the way back to campus we stopped for a coffee break at the beach and were informed by a local woman that the SMU vet school has a wonderful reputation and are well respected. As opposed to those med students who just party all of the time.

Paul, Kip, me, and Robin.



Kip mulling over how Awesome he is.

The afternoon consisted of a 1 hour lecture with our Dean on 'why we want to be a vet' because that was apparently not addressed enough in our personal statements or interviews. There were 2 more unsuccessful trips to the bank (I sense a trend) and an afternoon trip to Hell. We met Ivan the devil, a nutty old guy who built this completely tourist-trap souvenir shop in Hell, and he dresses like the devil each day hanging out with the plethora of people who visit his shop daily. Ironically (or not?) he's a born again Christian. Who dresses like the devil. In a place called Hell.

While there we searched high and low for someplace that serves beer in hell, however it seems that place closed down some time ago. We had to drive into West Bay, which reminded me a little too much of St. Kitts, to a liquor store that bosted the Cheapest Beer on Island. Yeah, by like 50 cents. While searching for beer, a homeless guy accosted the car in search for two dollars. I believe his exact words were: "Ro dun yo winda. Gimmie two dolla." The guy was pretty damn insistent. If he had been just a little bit nicer we might have shared a beer with him in Hell, but he was just a little too creepy to actually roll down the window. If I had, there was a good chance I would be on the pavement and the car would be gone with my new friends held hostage.

I was just glad I had two guys in the backseat who I am sure were both ready and willing to leap out of my little rental at a moments notice. Right.

Eventually we made it back to Hell with some beers, only to be shot down by Ivan with that whole born again thing. But we were informed that we were free to drink our beers anywhere on the island so long as its not in the car while driving.

This is Hell. I especially like the grammar.

This totally looks like a fake blue screen shot, just how the sun was shining that day.

Paul, Robin, me, and Kip in Hell. Where we belong.

They weren't kidding. Whew. We were beginning to think all hope for cheap booze was lost.



Hell Post Office.



Kip attempting to demonstrate how Awesome he is.



Ivan took this shot for us. He's so hitting the gin & juice behind the counter.



This was totally Kip's idea. He orchistrated the entire thing.

We so belong in Hell.

Later that evening we did a little anatomy studying (not much too study at this point) and had another movie night (I shared with my dearest classmates Kip and Robin my Adopt an Animal Friend TV show that I used to tape for the Humane Society. They were amused. I think.)

FRIDAY 5/8

We started our morning out with a little Dead Puppy time, where I was finally feeling smart for once. Doesn't seem to matter to everyone that I've been there before; it's still impressive that I blurt out the right answers. Well, I say impressive. I'm pretty sure they would use terms like irritating, obnoxious, cause-for-knee-shattering.

That afternoon was free once again, due to the continued absence of our dear Professor Kumar. We took advantage of our free time investigating the island a bit. Kip, Robin, Paul and I checked out the turtle farm, Dolphin Discovery, had lunch at the Best Burgers Ever place, and finally stopped at the bank for again where (finally) my money had cleared and I was able to buy my car! Pictures to follow.

Friday night was the long-awaited JagerMonster Full Moon Party at CJs. After such a long and stressful week of socializing and investigating and worrying about our histo prof, it was nice to just kick back and down unbelievable amounts of Black Label scotch.

The Pre-Party at the dorms. Grey Goose and OJ and Good Times.

A crazy bunch of holligans. Mr. Beau Beaus (Kip's roommate), Kip, He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named, me (behind Travis), Robin, and Travis (aka Where's Waldo)

Kip giving me some lovin.

I don't remember taking this picture. Guess I should just be glad my top is still on.



Kip being Awesome. Again.

Yeah. I really don't have much to say about that night. Me + Scotch = whatthefuckwereyouthinking.

SATURDAY 5/9

Recovery phase. Slept in basically all freaking day. Checked out the new theater with Star Trek (which was awesome), had dinner at the sushi restaurant near campus (expensive), and a laid back evening at home.

I'm pretty sure I swore off liquor scotch at least three thirty a million times.

SUNDAY 5/10

Sunday we drove out to Rum Point which despite its name is really just a crowded beach for the secluded gazillionaires who live on the outskirts of the island and who don't like dogs at their beach. Poor Ruby was seriously offended. Thus we left Rum Point for an area just past it and had lunch at a place called Kaibo’s. Nothing to write home about, although I was a fan of those Conch Fritters. Kip begs to differ.

We did get to drive around the entire island, which in total came to about 60 miles one-way. It was interesting, and there are some fantastic houses out there...but that's about it. Probably won't bother going out that way again.

Thus ends our wild and crazy adventures during the first week of classes. Classes are in full swing now (read: Histo prof has returned with no explanation and so far no make-up times), so I probably won't be updating this very often as shenanigans will be kept at a minimum.

However there is this vet school barbecue on Friday afternoon.....

Where the hell did the last year go?

Today we celebrated the first birthday of The Cutest Baby in the Whole World (and I'm not biased in any way because he's not mine).

Remember this face?

I conveniently forgot my camera and thus have to recycle old photos. Alex is pictured here at around 9 months. Be assured, his head is still quite large and not much else has changed.

Anyhow, this little ball of cuteness celebrated 12 months of sleeping, eating, and pooping today. I was a little trepidacious about going to the party, since I knew there would be children in attendance and I'm pretty particular about the children I'm willing to hang out with. Specifically I'm not a big fan of the ones with the soft spot on their heads. Just creeps me out to think I could accidentally slip and poke my thumb into their white matter.

I solved this problem by going straight for the beer. Doesn't really help with my motor skills, but typically after a few the kids learn to keep their distance from me.

Anywho, there were a number of the usuals and some newbs in attendance, and the kids were all acceptable ages (read: tying their own shoes and wiping their own butts). Most of our time was spent eating, as with most family events, and the cake was completely acceptable and totally fattening (thank you Publix). They even got a separate cake for the B-day boy, and apparently its a 'tradition' to publicly ridicule watch the child smash the cake with his hands and smear it all over his face. I was reminded of Anthropology courses where tribal children fulfil rites of passages by killing their first lion and smearing themselves with blood....except this was yellow cake and green butter cream frosting. But the concept's pretty similar.

Alex, being daddy's boy, did not play the part. This kid's showing his OCD very early in life, getting grumpy and cranky when he realized that his hands were dirty. The dog ended up damaging that cake better than the kid. In tribal terms I think that means he won't have lots of girlfriends. At least we know he won't end up like Pigpen.

By far the most impressive part of the party was the Unveiling of The Gifts. First birthdays are the new Sweet Sixteen! This kid raked in toys of all sorts, cute little outfits, even golf clubs (and yes, they were metal and will inevitably break a window). I was especially interested in the toys that involved blinking lights with music and singing and strange voices. I'm pretty sure those are the root of the ADD problem in America.

When I was a kid, we played with legos and paper and wooden popsicle sticks. Stuff that required imagination, creative thinking, and glue. My parents took this theory a step futher and trumped my 5-mile-walk-uphill-in-the-snow story with their 20-mile-walk-through-ice-capped-mountains story by exclaiming they never even had TV growing up.

(How the hell did they keep up with important current events like what's going on with Brit Brit or who got kicked off this week on American Idol?)

I'm thinking about getting our little friend Alex a script for Ritalin on his second birthday. You have to be proactive with these things.

After playing with all of his toys (me) and eating his cake (me and the dog), my little friend Alex was completely tuckered out and made his way to bed. As we left my hands lingered over the Leap Frog caterpillar thing that sounded out letters to enhance reading skills. I liked how it said F-U-C-ooo, that tickles!-K.

(You think I'm joking? Go to Target right now and try it yourself. Seriously. GO.)

(And I soooo want to know what the other parents faces in that aisle look like when you do it.)

(By the way: do not pull the string. No matter how sultry tempting they make it sound by saying "Pull My String", just don't do it. Trust me.)

Altogether a nice afternoon, although by no means did it inspire me to run out and get a kid rightnowthisminute.

But then again, tick tock. Tick Freakin Tock.