Dog, Part 4: Return to the Cone of Shame

Dog goes in for the first of two knee surgeries tomorrow morning. Though I had originally planned to wait until March to schedule it, several factors made me push the time frame up. The worst was watching Dog fall down the stairs because her hindquarters have zero strength/stability because both her ACLs and an MCL are shot. At first it was hilarious, and then the realization of what was happening set in, and I quickly went from giggling to feeling horrible. So, I called Dr. Vet, and made a plan. I asked Boss-Man if I could be in late, which is gratefully he said is not an issue ("I would have to be seriously evil to tell you no; like, Dr. Mengele level of evil to say no to you being an hour late so you can bring your crippled dog in for surgery"). Poor Dog doesn't know she's in for a second round of two-weeks-time in the Cone of Shame. I'm going to try to rebrand it the Cone of Destiny, to make it sound better for her.

Her ACL and MCL in her left hind leg are thoroughly shot, so they're replacing them altogether. It will be a long recovery time, probably, considering how old she is. But, she's in good shape, so she won't take forever. And she's a Lab/mutt mix, so she has what Dr. Vet refers to as "hybrid vigor." I like the sound of that.

Honolulu, Part 2 is upcoming. In just under four weeks, I will be scoping out paradise with my girl GC for a house I will never rent, and a job I will never apply for; Dog won't be able to travel after surgery. And I wont be able to afford to, either. However, there's nothing in the world that would make me choose otherwise; Dog deserves all the love and care she needs and thensome. Id rather have Dog than live in paradise, and considering where I live currently... that's saying something.

Honolulu, Take II

Well, I had a seriously lovely surprise yesterday morning. Fortuitous. Serendipitous.

For the last couple of months, under the gun of possibly being laid off, I have been researching options. I am currently enrolled in an EMT-B program. Since I'm fairly certain that I'm going to be laid off, I needed a way to get a job in a crappy market; since Massachusetts is in the midst of a hugescandal involving paramedics/emts falsifying re-certifications, chances are good that I will be able to land one pretty fast.
I've been kicking around the idea of moving to Hawaii for some time, now. I'm quite serious about it, actually, which is a change for me. Arranging a cross-country move is hard enough, and the move is trans-Pacific. So I figured that returning would be a good idea to get a feel for the place outside of the scope of vacation.

That brings us to yesterday.
One of the few friends (seriously, like, 3) who lives in Honolulu sent me a message asking when I was coming back. I responded that I'd return when I knew what my vacation allotment would be. Out of boredom while standardizing the Karl Fischer autotitrator, I checked out flights at Orbitz.

I found a roundtrip flight from Logan to Honolulu for $587.

So, hot damn! I bought it, and am returning to check out apartments, employment, and education situations when I go there. (I almost typed 'home.' I should have left it that way!)

It's destiny!

Relocation

So for a while I've been pondering picking up and moving. I'm leaning heavily towards Honolulu, HI, for a multitude of reasons, mostly stemming from it's lack of snow, ice, and nine months of winter.

I spent a week in Honolulu in March, and it was AMAZING. I have dreams that I am still there; that I never left, and that I'm working in a bakery (which is hilarious to me, because I can't eat anything in  a bakery) and sharing an apartment with six other people.


While this pipedream is seriously not gonna happen, I am making moves to make the move itself actually happen. I'm downsizing my living expenses in a big way, and am looking actively for a position and apartment there. I have never really made a cross-country move like this, and am more interested in knowing if it's actually possible.


I'm not looking to stay permanently, but I am looking to stay for up to 5 years. Heres hoping for good times and success in my endeavour.

Next Adventure

The next adventure has been scheduled, booked, and paid for.

Waikiki Beach, Honolulu Hawaii.


Yeah, I am going with my sister. Should be a good time. I am really stoked to take a gander at Queen Lolokelaini's palace, learn about the history, snorkle, check out the nightlife, check out the delicious local cuisine, maybe look for a job...  I can dream, right? There will be lots of gorgeous photos to be taken, and Im totally excited to get myself into a parasailing harness. Me and heights? Love!