online JOURNAL

27 September 06
Little tidbits from my life...

I grabbed a salad for lunch today from the little cafe on campus, and sat down at an empty table which just happened to be right next to a group of film students discussing their upcoming project.

"We should have the girl lying on the bed, pulling a sheet up around her." "It's unmistakable there is a sexual incident happening there." "Should the guy be there at the beginning of the scene?" "No, no used condom on the ground. That's too obvious. Plus we'd have to fill it with something." "Well, I think we're going to avoid a clichéd ending when the guy walks out wearing a superhero costume." "I know! Instead of a sheet, the girl can pull a cape around her!"

...

Last night, getting home after a long day of caring for pinniped patients, I was making myself a cup of chai tea with soymilk and thinking about the new organic gardening book I bought and what sorts of vegetables I want to (try to) grow next year when I realized - Oh my gawd, when did I turn into a dirty tree-hugging hippie?!

22 September 06
I'm about a month into school right now; a month into my first semester at a "real" university. It's quite different than the community colleges I've attended before, and in a good way.

SFSU is just nicer. It's obvious the school has more money because everything is better maintained. Some of the buildings are older, yes, but they're not as grungy. The grounds are clean and nicely kept. And they can afford to replace the clock batteries. There are a lot more food options on campus (most likely because there are a lot more people), and you can even find the occasional organic eats.

One big difference I notice is in the people - I'm really noticing how bloody young some of these kids are. It seems like there are more just-out-of-high school students here than there were are City. It also seems like State students are generally smarter and more serious about their education than most City students, but I expected that. Seeing tables set up to promote sororities/fraternities is new, however. I watched as the sorority girls would target other girls who had the "right look" and try and recruit them. I'm sure it goes without saying that they completely ignored me. Eh, whatever.

20 September 06
Even though I dropped one of my classes my schedule seems just as full as ever. I have Chemistry class nine hours a week, plus an additional nine-ish hours for homework. And now, instead of leaving work early on Tuesdays to go to Pre-Calculus, I just end up staying longer to finish things up.

Yesterday, after working a full day up at the Center, I helped bring a sea lion to San Francisco for an MRI of the brain. We lightly sedated her, drove her to the MRI facility, and carried her crate in through the back door. We had to wait until all the human patients had exited the building so they wouldn't freak out if they heard the unmistakable "arf arf"ing of a sea lion. As soon as the coast was clear we let the sea lion of out her carrier and pinned her in the corner so the vet had access to her backside to inject her with a stronger sedative. Once she was out cold we carried her into the facility proper, positioned her on the exam table, intubated her, and pushed the exam table into the MRI room.

It was cool to watch the MRI technician's screen as the procedure was taking place and see the "slices" of the scan as they were taken. The entire MRI took about 45 minutes. I was most impressed by the nonchalance of the facility staff about having a sea lion as a patient; they've imaged at least one or two dozen animals for us before, so I suppose the novelty has worn off. But I'm glad they are willing to work with our researchers.

This sea lion is suffering from long-term domoic acid ("red tide") poisoning. The organism responsible is a Pseudonitzschia algae which produces a toxin which then enters the food chain as animals eat the algae. The toxin gets more concentrated as it moves up the food chain, and by the time it reaches sea lions (or humans, should they eat affected sea life) it is strong enough to cause severe damage. Domoic acid toxcity primarily affects the hippocampal area of the brain, causing a loss of short-term memory, confusion, seizures, and sometimes blindness due to neuronal damage. Depending on the severity of the damage we sometimes have to euthanize the animals - it's very sad to have to do this, but it would be even worse to let the animals continue suffering.

Several researchers associated with the Marine Mammal Center are doing research into various facets of domoic acid toxicity, and doing these MRIs allows them to look at the brains of affected animals, and monitor any damage or atrophy that may be happening. (Necropsies on deceased animals also contribute to their research.) Maybe some day they'll find out what causes these toxic algae blooms, and how to prevent it. In the meantime, we'll sneak sea lions into the MRI center when the other patients aren't looking.

13 September 06
Well, I've been back in school for two full weeks now, and so far the news isn't all good. First off, even though I've completed all of my general education requirements, since I've changed majors I now need to complete several pre-requisite courses before I can take the "good" classes - the ones I really want to take - so that's taken some of the wind out of my sails. This semester I was able to register for just two classes: Chemistry and Pre-Calculus.

Chemistry is going well. It's basically some stuff I've learned in my previous class, plus some new, more in-depth stuff. And today we got to burn chemicals and metals and make mini-fireworks in lab!

I expected to do well in Pre-Calculus. I thought Algebra was fairly easy and kinda fun, and since Pre-Calc was the next class, I assumed I'd do fine. Well, I was wrong. The first class meeting was a review of some Algebra stuff. The second class introduced topics that we touched on in Algebra, but were way more advanced than we ever did in that class. Yesterday was the fifth class meeting, and the teacher might as well have been speaking Greek. I was totally lost, so I came home and dropped the class.

I've never dropped a class before. In fact, I've never felt half as lost in any class I've taken as I did yesterday. I feel both disappointed in myself because I couldn't do it, and relief that I no longer have to try. But to my credit, I don't think the problem was me; I felt like there was a large gap where my last class left off and this one began. And to top it off, the teacher was moving at lightning speed (and I don't think she was teaching well, but even if she had been I don't think it would have been enough to help me), and the book was crappy.

Now my plan is to take a big step backwards and retake Algebra. Even though I got an "A" in it before, I think having all that in the front of my mind will help. And more importantly, I think taking Algebra at State will leave me in a better position from which to enter Pre-Calc. I assume that those classes are designed so the second begins right where the first leaves off, whereas City's Algebra class obviously didn't do that.

If there's any silver lining to this cloud, it's that now I'll only be in school three days a week instead on five, and I can spend more time with the seals on Tuesdays.

7 September 06
Whee, I'm finally done writing my travel journal from my recent trip to Hawaii. You can read all about it here: http://g-na.org/hawaii.html.

Or if you don't like that reading stuff and just want to skip to the photos, you can see pics both from above water and below water.

31 August 06
It's that time of year again - when a large segment of the San Francisco population packs up and heads east to the Nevada desert. And it's fun driving around the City and seeing all these people you don't know packing up their dusty gear into an assortment of trucks and vans. But for the second time since I first attended Burning Man* in 1999, I am not going with them. And I'm okay with that.

Over the years I've discovered I only like going to Burning Man with a largish group of people; it's no fun for me to only go with a couple of others. And this year, while I'm sure I'll know quite a number people on the playa, only a few of my close friends are going, and that makes it much easier for me to stay home.

Not to downplay an event which is unrivaled in its amazingness, but after seeing the same incredible art pieces year after year after year, they start to lose their incredibleness. Plus, there are roughly twice as many people attending now as when I first went (and I was a late-comer), yet there is probably less art now then there was then. There's certainly less art per capita. It's true: BM is no longer the same as it used to be.

I don't feel any animosity towards the event, and I do acknowledge its place in my social circles and the role it has played in my life, but at the same time I'm really glad that I am staying home this year. I think I'll go flush the toilet now, just because I can.

* It's two words, people: Burning. Man. Not: Burningman. This is a particular spelling error-pet peeve of mine!

19 August 06
My Summer Vacation.

Things I Loved:

Spending a week with a bunch of great people.
Having five 12+ foot manta rays do loop-de-loops over my head for a half-hour.
Baby dolphins!
Swimming with pilot whales.
Umbrella drinks.
Standing atop the tallest mountain in the world.
Telescopes, stars, and related geekery.

Things I Hated:

United Airlines.
Airport "security".
America.
Condescending dive shops.
Coming home to more miserable fog.

9 August 06
I don't have much to say today, I just have pictures of adorable little Astro:

7 August 06
Several years ago a friend of mine was getting ready to retire and he sent an email to his friends asking something along the lines of, "If you were in my position, what would you do with your time?" While I don't remember my entire response, I know I mentioned going back to school, taking cooking classes, volunteering at the zoo, and travelling. The great thing is that since then I've been lucky enough to be able to go back to school, volunteer both at the zoo and the Marine Mammal Center, and do a little bit of travelling. The sad thing is that during the last few months that I've been taking a break from school, I've lost any motivation I may have had.

I suppose it's inertia - I don't have to do anything, so I don't do anything (save for working with the seals one day a week). You would think it would be great to have the freedom in your schedule to do what you please, and it is, but only for a short time. After a while you realize that life is passing you by as you sit at home, hitting reload on Livejournal.

I am extremely happy (and grateful) that I don't have to work at an ordinary job, but at the same time I've come to realize that I need some sort of structure to my life - something to get me out of the house, at the very least. For that reason I am happy that I'll soon be back in school.

And, of course, as soon as I start school I will be longing for all the free time I used to have.

5 August 06
It's Saturday night, and I'm sure most of the people I know were out today and/or tonight doing fun stuff. (I'm looking forward to seeing pictures and hearing stories, so please hurry up and post those!) However, instead of going out and doing anything I was sitting here doing homework.

"But Gina," you ask, "why were you doing homework when school doesn't even start for three and a half weeks?" Well, it's because I have to take and pass a placement test before I can start my Chemistry class. Nevermind that I'm already registered into the class and I've gotten an "A" in my chemistry intro class; every potential student needs to take this test. So, since it's been a couple of years since my chem class, I'm spending many hours each day with a review book, dusting off those brain cells which luckily seem to have retained quite a bit of information - and to think I killed them all off!

Well I'll soon be done with that placement exam, and afterwards I'm headed west with a group of friends for a week of telescopes, diving, and umbrella drinks. Whee!

4 August 06
My current favourite food is Osha Thai's Spring Roll with Tofu. So yummy! I ate them for dinner last night and for lunch the day before, and had some for dinner the previous week. I just went downstairs to get some lunch and was quite saddened that I couldn't eat more spring rolls. Maybe I'll get some for dinner tonight!

3 August 06
Hrmpf. I just got home to find the cat had barfed on my keyboard. It's one of those clear Apple keyboards, and you can see kitty saliva in the lower-left corner. Guess I'll be taking a trip to the Apple store tomorrow to get a clean, bodily fluid-free keyboard.

30 July 06
I took a little nap this afternoon. I didn't want to get up, but I really had to use the bathroom, so I did. Now I am so tired and out of it, oof.

I'm tired because we got up early to watch Charlotte finish her first-ever marathon! (Well, she really ran a half-marathon, but considering the average mortal such as myself is not able to run 13.1 miles, it's all a marathon in my mind!) She made great time on a difficult course, and a group of us went out to brunch afterwards to celebrate.

Congratulations Charlotte! We're all super-proud of you. Now you can go out drinking with us again :)

27 July 06
I try to be very honest about what I write in this journal, and I feel like I often say somewhat personal things that I otherwise wouldn't reveal in a public forum. However, there are often things I never discuss because my opinions are different from what many others think and I don't feel the need to upset friends or random people just to make my point.

I'm not sure how I feel about this. I feel like I'm censoring myself enough already since there are certain subjects I am not going to discuss in front of an unknown audience. Do I want to censor myself further just because I think my point of view might offend others? Conversely, do I want to risk alienating friends and acquaintances because we have a difference of opinion? If they are a friend, would they care that I think differently?

26 July 06
Just when I had gotten used to the idea of being lazy and having all the time in the world, school registration came and brought me back to reality. Very soon, "free time" will be a thing of the past.

I start at SFSU in a month; it'll be my first time at a "real" university. But I've heard from several different people that CCSF's science classes are more difficult that State's, so maybe it'll be easier? I'm just looking forward to (eventually) learning about subjects I really love!

In the meantime, however, I have discovered I really screwed myself over by changing majors. All those science classes I took at City College? They are normally considered upper-division classes and applied to my major when taken at a four-year college, but considered lower-division and not applicable to my major since I took them at a two-year college. And that Physiology class I need to graduate? Since I took it at City it does not count and I need to take it again, this time at State.

In addition, before taking any upper-division Biology class (aka the good classes), I need to complete two semesters of lower-division Intro to Biology classes, regardless of any other classes I may have taken and passed with flying colors. And if that wasn't enough, when it came my turn to register on Monday, all sections of the first Intro class had just been filled, so I won't even be able to begin that until (possibly) next semester.

Grrr. GRRRR, I say!

19 July 06
This year Frederick and I celebrated the 4th of July in the way we felt most appropriate - by fleeing the country. We joined eight other divers from our local dive shop for a week-long scuba trip to Baja California. We stayed in the town of Loreto, which is on the Sea of Cortez about two-thirds of the way down the eastern shore of the Baja peninsula. The sun was hot and the margaritas were potent!

We dove with Dolphin Dive Center, doing thirteen dives (12 during the day and one at night) in the Parque Marino Nacional Bahía de Loreto (Loreto National Marine Park) over the course of six days. Our daily schedule was to get up a little after 7, eat breakfast, get on the boat, make two dives, have lunch on an uninhabited desert isle, return home, shower, nap, then have a poolside drink before heading out for dinner. I know, it's a rough life, but someone's gotta do it!

Critters we saw from the boat:
several bottlenose dolphins on our first few days
at least four green sea turtles
many jumping mobula (a mini-manta) rays
flying fish
a huge school of sergeant majors very noisily eating a slick of fish eggs
a tiny (up to 3" long) local species of portuguese men o' war

Critters we saw underwater:
a seahorse!
a tiny (~1-2") pipefish
two electric rays - a bullseye ray and a Cortez ray
several large southern (?) stingrays
lots of green morays, including a "garden" with an eel every few meters
a pretty argus moray and a few jewel morays
several nudibranchs
quite a few scorpion fish
a bazillion spotted sharpnose puffers
a half-bazillion adorable porcupine puffers
some huge (~3' long) puffers that allowed themselves to be petted
a sergeant major nesting ground, with many males guarding their nests
also many octopi, lobster, black coral, and much more

Highlight of the trip:
Turning off our lights on a night dive, in about 40 feet of water, and watching the bioluminescent light show explode around us as we waved our arms through the water! There is some type (or types) of plankton that emits light when agitated, and moving through the dark water leaves these incredibly beautiful bioluminescent trails. Nature is cool.

(I need an underwater camera!)

18 July 06
It's been awhile since I've talked about seals, so I'll babble on about work for awhile... I was working with two sea lions today - one adult female and one yearling male - trying to get them to eat. I was able to get the female, who hadn't eaten in the few days that she's been at the Center (possibly because of her illness, possibly because of the stress of being in captivity) to eat, which was nice. However, the male, who had previously been chowing down his calamari, wouldn't even take a bite. Go figure.

Now that I've had the training necessary to do so, I've been giving medications to patients. Previously I've administered subcutaneous (sub-q, or SQ) fluids, usually lactated ringer's or sodium chloride solution given to combat dehydration. To do so you hook up an IV bag, insert a needle into the loose skin between the shoulder blades, and let the fluid drip into the space between the skin and the muscle. It looks pretty scary as the seal ends up with a softball-sized lump where the fluid has entered the body, but it is soon absorbed.

Today I gave my first injection, a controlled substance pain medication even, to a badly injured sea lion. Sadly, later that afternoon the sea lion was doing so badly she had to be euthanized. Well, at least it wasn't due to anything I had done.

I have a sad, but interesting, story from last week. On Monday we got in a young adult sea lion with a shark bite. The bite was from a medium-sized great white, about 14 inches wide, on the sea lion's abdomen. You could see the lacerations from the individual teeth - it was really kind of cool, from a biological standpoint. And the injury didn't seem so bad; a sea lion that size has a half-inch to an inch of blubber, and the shark's teeth didn't seem to have punctured deeper than that. All in all, a little worse than a superficial wound.

On Tuesday the sea lion (still) wasn't doing so well. He seemed quite ill and we all assumed he had some sort of underlying illness, possibly the reason the shark had singled him out as prey. We administered fluids but he kept slipping downhill, and died that afternoon. After death, as we were collecting a post-mortem blood sample, my co-worker stuck her (gloved) finger into one of the bite wounds - it was at least 4 inches deep! In addition, she could feel broken ribs inside the animal; the shark had caused massive internal injuries that not even the vets had suspected.

I find this so interesting because I love sharks so much, and I've been studying them for years. White sharks typically attack their targeted prey with a single "test bite". They do this to a) make sure the intended victim is something they actually want to eat (this is the reason so many surfers are just bit once, because they don't taste good), and b) disable their prey so when they come back for the kill, the prey is either dead or weakened enough it won't fight back. This sea lion obviously was in good enough condition to escape after the initial bite, but sadly he probably would have been better off had the shark just killed him then and there. No one ever said Nature was kind.

14 July 06
Recent Readings:

The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter - Peter Singer & Jim Mason - I find this book to be a thorough, yet unbiased look at exactly what sorts of farming and ranching practices go into bringing a selection of foods to the table. The authors look at the food choices of three families - one eating a typical American diet, one set of "conscientious omnivores", and one vegan - and track their foods to the source. The book has a good conclusions section, and offers suggestions as to how you can best support your own personal ethics through your buying and eating habits. Even after years of reading about and studying nutrition and food sources, I learned quite a few new things. Highly recommended.

9 July 06
After spending the past week in a hot, sunny country it's really depressing to come home and drive into a cold, grey, miserably foggy city. Remind me again why I live here?