To Many Tails To Tell

Did you see what I did there? You know - Tales <--> Tails ...

So just over 4 months have gone by without a peep from me, but I am here to say I'm back once more.

First semester was chugging along at high speed and I had a lot of work scheduling changes, so of course the blog had to slip behind. Then May came... on the morning of May 13 I was out for a walk, Brian came to pick me up so I could attend lecture and as he was turning into a subdivision, so I could jump in off the main road,  he was in a head on collision at combined speeds of 130 kms/h. It was our little blue, 2-door hatchback Ford Ka against a pickup truck towing a trailer of gardening/landscaping tools. The air bags deployed and the electronics under the passenger dashboard started sparking and eventually did start on fire but after Brian was already on his way to the hospital. Thankfully, HE WAS WEARING HIS SEATBELT, and he left the scene without any major wounds or fractures. The ambulance ride and hospital are a huge long story for another time, but in the end Brian had no internal bleeding, no kidney damage, no broken bones! He did however leave with severe muscle damage all across his chest + torn cartilage on his ribcage, the muscles in his left shoulder were damaged from being on the gear shift, and his leg muscles also because of shifting. He got an unexplained clean laceration across his right knee which required the surgical team to assess if his patella tendon was torn or impacted. Thankfully it was not, but the laceration needed 4 stitches and his knee was awfully swollen, and it is still in rehab currently. It was a miracle for how uninjured he was, but he did sustain a major concussion. One that left him with short term memory loss of a minute or less. He could remember possibly up to two mins on a good day. The only thing he could remember was that he couldn't remember anything and by the time he got his notebook out to write it down he would forget what he wanted to write. His anger at his mental state was so heart-wrenching to witness, and the pain he was in on top of it - I couldn't imagine. When he got home he slept for 2 days, I had to wake up every 2-4 hours to check his vitals and get him to drink and take pain medication. I helped him to dress and walk to the bathroom and I did anything I could to make the pain a little less. His resets were so hard on him that he hated being home. He actually preferred for me to drive him around because that is what is mom would do with him when he was little in order to get him to fall asleep. It worked every time. 

                 
 The brown paper bag is the bag of extinguishing powder they poured on/in our car

Then after two weeks, on the night of Monday, May 26th, I was back at my first night at work after the accident and Brian managed to get into our new car. His intentions were good and just went down the road to the IGA to get us dinner for when I got off work like he did so many times before. However, it was rainy, it was a new car, and HE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DRIVING!! But he did and he managed to hit the gravel shoulder over correct on a newly paved and slick road, rolled the car twice and slammed driver-side and wheels on ground (amazingly) into a pole. If the pole had not been there he would have kept rolling and wouldn't be here today. A lovely young women stopped and stayed with Brian until helped arrived and she also called me. My roommate came and got me from work, and drove me to the scene. This whole time I was also in contact with one of the police officers at the scene and with an ambulance paramedic. They had to jaws of life the roof off of the car to get Brian out, but he was stable in the ambulance and had just left for the hospital when I got to the scene which was so close to home and he had a pizza for dinner. Ha I love pizza! And to find out the most amazing thing was the witness followed the ambulance to the hospital and kept in contact with me and waited for my best friend and I to arrive. I cleaned out the car for what I could. I actually had a really good conversation with the police officer and he was super helpful, him and the tow trunk guy even managed to get the trunk open to save my birdseed shopping bags that my grandma made for me! And the cop even had the same tow truck guy tow his car once! haha Then once I had the car cleaned and put the items in my roommates car, the police officers left and let me settle the towing with the driver. I watched him all by himself hook the car up, slide it away from the pole and then get it up on the bed flawlessly. And to my amazement he gave me a hug and told me that he knows a guy down the road who will give him cash for the car and I can just go and be with my partner - done deal!!! It was so generous of him. Then my roommate dashed me home to empty her car, get Brian's passport and overseas health insurance card and then my roommate had to get up early for a conference, so my best friend came and stayed with Brian and I at the hospital for hours! And when we arrived the witness was still there and got to go in and see Brian while my best friend and I went to the bathroom. Then we went in and thanked her for everything she did. And then there was Brian, a true human cockroach - can't kill that guy for anything apparently! :P Just kidding!! Hahaha but Cocky is my bestfriends new nickname for Brian! But seriously this kid came out with his short term memory FIXED except for a complete blank on the previous two weeks and it has taken a few months but those two weeks have now mostly come back to him. He had a few lacerations on his right arm where he decided to get up close and personal with the pole! But the hospital total ignored these and I had to take the glass out myself and put iodine on it and clean it and bandage it for a few days, luckily they weren't deep. He again was wearing his seat belt and now the damage to every single muscle fibre in his chest has been uncomprehendingly painful. Lastly, when we left Brian to rest for the night we found a GIANT piece of glass just inside the canal of his ear but far enough to have to get a hook tool to get it out but couldn't go deep enough to cause more damage, but apparently the glass was forgotten about until last rounds before shift change so 5-6am. The next morning I offered to take my roommate to the conference so that I could pick Brian up from the hospital and go to the pharmacy for his medicine and the store for food, but instead my best friends husband took their son to school and came in the opposite direction from hospital to come get me and then took me to Fremantle to the hospital to discharge Brian. Again there was a whole story that I wont get into here, but we will never ever be returning to the hospital even if our life depends on it. EVER. Then my best friends husband drove us to everywhere I had to go and we got Brian home and I took care of him again! This time I employed the help of Brian's friend T, who has become so close to us over these past few months! He drove me around for weeks, he came and hung out with Brian for hours so I didn't have to miss work. Brian's brain was so incredibly fixed I am still sooo shocked and happy I wouldn't take back the second accident for anything!!

I never met the driver from the truck across the street and the guy that helped me must have gotten to the scene first, because the other guy never got out! haha

In the weeks following the accidents so much has changed in our lives. Immediately was dealing with insurance companies from the first accident and had to gather so much proof to claim financial hardship. (And just today August 27, 2014 we received the official notice that the insurance company truly understands we are broke as sh*t and have settled the claim!!!!!!) Then had to compile evidence to submit to defer my final examinations which were starting in June. I received deferred status the morning of my very first final exam. I had obviously not studied the entire last month of class let alone attending lectures in any form. Brian's family all chipped in money to get us enough money to purchase another vehicle because we live just outside any bus routes and THANK YOU! It is an amazing vehicle. A 4wheel drive Kia Sportage 1997 manual! Its so small for a 4wd but it handles sooo well! And I love it so much, just last week I put $600 into servicing her! Top Things: Transmission flush, brake line flush (SOOO MUCH BETTER), and computer diagnostics just for new purchasing relief. Then winter break was 4 weeks long, but technically I had the two weeks of finals off since I got deferment, so I ended up picking up more hours at work while my classmates took exams. Brian was out of work for about 8 weeks time, and I was out of work for a total of about 4 weeks. Pretty rough on the budget! But that is life and all you can do is keep moving forward with a smile on your face for all that we still had, have now, and will have in the future. 

Then there was a bunch of small odds and ends just to put into place - taking a 40min drive to the original storage company that our first car got towed to to clean it out and pay for the towing ($500 minus $50 for letting them salvage it). Then our in June our landlord, who is amazingly understanding and has amazing taste in wine, decided upon eviction of our roommates... yes you read that correctly that turned plural... and I did feel bad for my classmate because she was going through finals and only had one week before going down to the farm practical we were supposed to go on together but I had to cancel due to the accidents. And then our landlord came home about a week later and was here for two weeks and it was so awesome having him around to help with the yard and stuff and just to catch up and here about New York and his model wife!!! Such an awesome couple!! :) I just drink the wine while Brian and him talk about bands for hours! Then I felt so awful because there was a massive storm the night before the big moveout day for our roommates and there was a giant tree branch across the entire driveway!! But all turned out well and they have a cute new apartment together really close to the ocean and close to Fremantle which is just still an awesome little town/suburb (perth labels still confuse me). Especially this: I live in the suburb _____ that is a just a section of what is known as the city of Cockburn Central which is just a suburb of Perth, WA which stands for the whole region, unless you specify and say Perth CBD or city centre! crazy Australian lingo! Now both Brian and I are back at work and taking one day at a time! 

I attended a farm placement (a graduate requirement) at an Alpaca Stud in Serpentine, WA at the very end of winter break (July) and a week before my deferred exams. And I am soo happy I didn't cancel. I attended with my bestie, my old roommate, and one of my nicest classmates. It was an experience of a lifetime! I had sooo much fun and there was SOO MANY BABIES!!! There was a 3 week old baby boy who is chocolate brown and has a white Z on his face soo aptly named Zoro (Baby #4) - and his name stuck! AND HE IS GOING TO COME HOME WITH ME!!! Along with another baby boy born August 8 (Baby #66) who is ginger and white (technically not called ginger in alpaca lingo but that's what I keep calling him) and since his mom's name is Savannah (you know like the desert) - Brian and I have decided his name shall be Sal Amander (you know like salamander - because they live in the desert) hahahaha. We are very excited. We are going to help the family sheer in October, and then halter training in December and then they can come home. We are sincerely hoping we can make an agistment deal with our landlord so we can keep them here with us, but if not there is a few other agisting places we have in mind. But I know they will love me more if they get a daily dose of my crazy! :) Yea - I kind of became Alpaca addicted! just a little! Totally in love. :)

My Deferred exams went really well - well in all honestly they didn't feel very good after taking them - but in the end I pulled off really good grades! I received a Distinction in pathology and credits in my other two classes (even though I was 1% away from a distinction in animal systems 2: welfare and behavior) - I'm not bitter about it at all, I swear :P! Again, my deferred exams were in the first week of school and I feel like I have been behind since, but I have made it this far so I will just keep chugging along! AND NOW I HAVE A NEW STUDY!!! :)

I promise all my things got filed and put away and you can still see the whole floor! Brian isn't allowed in for long so it stays really clean! :P

Brian and I celebrated our 7 year anniversary at the end of June very casually with lunch at a new cafe and a walk with Nomsa. It was very low key and very us! :)

My birthday was August 1st and I woke up early to skype with my mom and dad, and then Brian and I hit the road and drove 1hr 40mins north of the city to Yanchep National Park! So many kangaroos, a cave tour, picnic in the woods, a hike around loch McNess, within 8 metres of 8 (supposedly 10) Koalas and an informational talk about them, and then we left just in time to make it to dinner in the city at Ninnikup Jip (The Garlic House) which is a Korean restaurant with strong Japanese and western influences with a small gathering of close friends (but not all my friends here in perth). All day I was surrounded by great friends and love! :) Totally worth skipping intro lab on parasites :P 

7am car ride!! :)

 Birthday cards and the start to all my presents!

The invitation photo to my birthday dinner! :P

Other than that - the weeks just keep slipping by with the studying, getting Brian to and from work, I was working 3 days a week, and walking Nomsa 3 days a week. And this week has been our first study break of the semester and it was so needed! I finally feel like I have a better grasp on this semester and I can maybe focus better (that just might be the sleep)- having exams week one threw me off and I hope to never experience that again. 

I have loads of pictures to share and I hope to get them up early tomorrow! Lots of picture flowers from my walks with Nomsa, just a few alpaca pictures (not too many because I can't share farm secrets of course), probably a few cat photos snuck in there, and any other ones I feel like letting the public see! There is a good chance I am going to try something new with my pictures instead of the youtube photos and I need everyone to try and comment or send me an email at kitkat2017@outlook.com so I know which format you like to see my photos in.

OH I forgot to add in that I passed my first quiz of the semester in my Immunology & Molecular Genetics course! I achieved a 95% on our quantitative genetics quiz! :D Good boost to keep pushing to catch up! I have just a few more announcements to share in a few days - but I have to hold them secret for now. Plus will give me an excuse to stay on top of blogging more regularly!! hahaha a wish I will keep striving for!