Matthew's Journal

Well, I'm back briefly between 3 weeks in Uttoxeter (actually staying in the branch practice in Repton) and 2 weeks in Ruthin. Whilst in Repton, I kept a paper diary, to help keep my sanity intact. I've written this up below, but it's 8 sides of A4, so I've included it with a lj-cut tag. I've not edited what I wrote, other than to expand any acronyms which might not make sense.It's not very good English in places, either...



18/3 day 1 Monday, week 1

Well, what a start! Alarm (on watch) failed to go off/ failed to wake me up. I woke up at 7am, two hours late. Dashed out in blind panic, but seemed to have remembered everything. Driving was fine until I hit traffic round Nottingham. In the end, I arrived at about 9.40: only 70 minutes late! The Staff were very good about it - I saw SA stuff until Tim (Cambridge grad) came back, and we went TB testing in a crappy farm - it took 2 1/2 hours to do 105 cows. Lots of shit. There's another student here - also called Matthew!
First impressions: practice v.v.big (10 vets), but staff all (so far) friendly. Flat: quite big, but dubious microwave and no towels or bowls(!) or shower (personal hygene may suffer).Toast for breakfast :/
Plans: read "Expiration Date" Alarms 7.45
Music: Rammstein "Mutter" - Rock!, Lamentationes de la Rennaisance
Later: bathroom a bit grim - mould on wall in 1 corner. I should have brought a pillow.

19/3 day 2. Tuesday, week 1

Morning: watched some rectals and many TB tests. This was dull, though the (ill-treated) cows to TB test were rather wild, so John got kicked. Afternoon, Matthew took the 1 visit (calving), so watched 2 dentals - quite interesting. Came back to Repton evening surgery. Had to persuade woman her cat really needed PTS (talk about not putting pet's interests first). Tommorow, need another Tesco trip. I think I should get some fruit and OJ - worry not getting any vitamins in diet. ?milk to drink in AM - but a bit less Calcium for 3 weeks not worth worrying about probably. I officially weigh 68.45kg (~=10stone 10lb); will this change in 3 weeks? Days seem to be settling into a routine, which is good. It's not very exciting really, but not too bad. Not quite got heating in bedroom sussed. Was cold this AM, but now too hot. Want to leave 5 min earlier tommorow AM
Music: Bach: Brandenburg Concertos 2+3/double violin concerto/sheep may safely graze/Jesu, joy of mans' desiring/suite 3 in D, Elton John: Something About the Way you Look tonight etc./Elgar: Enigma variations/Pomp+Circumstance No4/In the South, Handle: The Trio Sonatas Op.2
Plans: alarms for 7.30 tommorow, read more Tim Powers, start the first letter tommorow

20/3 day 3. Wednesday, week 1

New morning timings worked better today, although still not sleeping v. well and waking up at 6.20ish. Sat around for ages this AM before went out on calls. Waste of Time. Brucella blood tests today. Still watching, not doing. Tommorow, read TB tests done on Monday. Afternoon, got left in Tutbury, 'cos Chris couldn't be arsed to take me back to Uttoxeter. Stayed for evening surgery - impressed Steve with terrapin Treatment, and l33t rabbit-handling skills. Vote of thanks to Fraser Darling here! Bought (and ate) 5 doughnuts from Tescos - I know feel like a pig, and it wasn't the healthiest of dinners! Have now got a bowl - when toast runs out, will buy cereal. yay! Current plan is to do that on Friday, since no evening surgery at Repton. Did buy OJ, though. Net resalt, was v. late (7.30ish) back at Repton, so is now 20 past 8 as I write. Think letter may therefore get delayed - want to try and finish Tim P tonight. Not sure who to write to first, either!
Music: The Corrs: Talk on Corners, Bach: Brandenburgs 5&6/Violin Concerto in E/Keyboard Concerto in Fmin
Later(23:15): Finished Expiration Date. Very Very Good.

21/3 day 4. Thursday, week 1

Very quiet morning - eventuall went back to monday's farm to re-test and found a) 6 he'd forgotten on Monday, b) an IR so had to serve a TB2 ( a) may well complicate this). Rather gappy PM, too; Tom was impressed by my diving tackle of a BWM ewe we wanted to examine "good skills!" Go me :-) Then went to inspect a dartmoor pony (to certify it for the DP Society). Quite a nice 2yo stallion and very well hung! Arrived a bit late @ Repton and discovered evening surgery had already finished. The vet here is planning to organise a curry next week, which is nice.
Ignoring for a minute how much I'm allowed to see/do (which may improve over time), I think there are some problems: firstly, there isn't really enough LA work for 2 students - it would be OK if 1 wanted to do mostly SA, but next week there's another student for 2 weeks (Matthew is onl yhere 'til the end of the week). They'd be better only taking 1 LA student at a time. Secdonly, Uttoxeter is just a bit too big - Repton, for example is much more actively friendly it seems. Maybe I should be more pushy @UttoxeteI'l ltry and write a letter tonight after dinner: Vicky or Kate, I think. I'll start "Hemlock at Vespers" now, since its short stories so easy to put down.
Later(19:30?): heard ringing just as was getting into bath
Music: Bach: Brandenburgs 1+4/Suite in Bmin/Violin concerto in Amin, Amorphis: Tales from the 1000 lakes, Apocalyptica: Inquisition Symphony
Bed-time(23:00): no inspiration for letter & Hemlock@Vespers pretty good. Mysteries are a thing best served in short measurers, it seems, so they don't feel too contrived.

22/3 day 5. Friday, week 1
Quite a busy LA day today. Got to green-arm today! Might yet make a vet... Older Tom into classical music, too :) Managed to get off working the weekend too. Might do AM surgery @Repton. Must check service times tommorow
Tonight: ring Kate. Plan tommorow. Read ?+ letter
Music: John Tavener: Innocence, Shostakovich: Festive Overture/Symphony 5
Later: Kate and Elb both not in!

23/3 day 6. Saturday, week 1
Day off today. Drove up to Bakewell and looked round the church - has a Vernon chapel! Then bought a map of the Southern Peak District and then drove to Birchover, to stop and walk on Stanton Moor - good views and some standing stones - one of which has worn foot-holes and metal hand-holds to the top - rather sad really. The nine ladies was a small stone circle, and too full of people. Then onto Dale Abbey - a ruined church and a new parish church which use to be bolted onto the pub! The inn-part of the building appears to be a private house now. Thence back to Repton - about 100 miles in all. Much opportunity for reflection on the moor - need for God, to feel wanted and to feel I have some say in what I do with my life. I should sleep on that, I think. Bath later, and clean stuff for church tommorow. Maybe letter, psotcard and phone call.
Music: Anerio: Requiem, Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra/Diversions for piano (left hand) and orchestra, Fields of the Nephilim: Elisium, Mozart: Requiem

24/3 day 7. Sunday, week 1
Went to Repton church this AM for 10am eucharist. quite a good service, with hymns I know and lie, but seemed very much like ASB rite A, which is a bit naughty. Now have a palm cross. Will I manage to keep it for ash wednesday next year, I wonder... This afternoon, I went to Ashby de la Zouche. The church was quite nice, and I eventually found my way into the Castle - the signs had been rotated! It was made indefensible in the Civil War, and looks a bit sad now, and lacks atmosphere. It does have an extant underground passage, which was quite fun, though. I've now finished Cornwell's "Stonehenge", which was a plausible attempt to put a sotry of real people behind Stonehenge, but somehow didn't quite convince. Now started "Nothern Lights", which seems a little Potter-esque ATM. Have written a postcard to parents, which is a start - planning to write to Kate after this - we'll see if I manage to find anyting to say!
Classic FM in the car played Korngold's mini 'cello concerto from the film "Deception" - I want a recording +/- a 'cello part! Also the arrangement of Barber's Adagio for Strings for voices (Agnus dei) - both beautiful. I'd forgotten how moving Gorecki's third is... Later at evensong is a "dramatic reading of the Passion [come back Bach, all is forgiven!] which I think I shall go to. Clocks forwards next Sunday - will I remember? Dramatic reading was quite good. Food and more reading now.
Music: Bruch: Violin Concerto/Scottish Fantasy for violin and orchestra, Queen: Live Magic, Amorphis: Black Winter's Day, Mozart: Piano Concertos 11&22, Holst: The Planets, Gorecki: 3rd Symphony, Amorphis: My Kantele
Later(again):Kate rang. Yay! May go and visit next weekend...

25/3 day 8. Monday, week 2
Actually got to take a blood sample today! Did it pretty well, too. Saw a horse gelding under GA too (domosedan pre-med, Ketamine bolus). Recovery was pretty bad = suirely there should be a solution to this - it's always the feisty ones that fight the pre-med that have these problems. Busy evening surgery too - didn't finish until6.40. I've got to work good Friday, but will probably be done early. Have Easter Monday off, so probably going to visit antinomy and Nigel in Cheltenham. The other student, Emily, is not a final year from Cambridge, but a 4th year from Bristol who intercalated in Path (i.e. same year as me), and went to school with Helen Redfern (my yr.). She's rather too friendly, and keeps making eyes at me, I fear.
Expect to finish Nothern Lights tonight.
Music: Sisters of Mercy: "Victorian Night"[Live @Brixton], Messaien: Quatuor pour la Fin du Temps, Handel: Organ Concertos
Later: Finished "Northern Lights". Now "The White Phantom"

26/3 day 9. Tuesday, week 2

Curry is being organised for thursday evening. Still not sure 'bout Emily. Had to ask to g with JK tommorow - he's doing all the LA work, so will get none if I let Emily go with him every day - she seemed OK 'bout it. Very slow day. Good weather, so farmers out on fields, not with cows.
Music: Queen: Live at Wembley '86 disks 1+2, Mozart: Symphonies 36/38/39, Apocalyptica: plays Metallica for four 'cellos
Later: Kate says to turn up on Saturday AM - I needed to know this for logistics.

27/3 day 10. Wednesday, week 2

Looked liek being a slow day, but calls kept coming in, so in the end was quite a few LA cases - peritonitis, traumatic injuries, etc. Also, saw the tag end of a TECA (which I'd gbeen lectured on recently), which was good. Got a letter from parents today, which was a really nice suprised, plus some UKP to spend on an Easter egg. Should write and say thanks later. Also must arrange w/e with Kate an bathe, so not too smelly for curry tommorow. My parents are off to Brussels next tuesday, so I need to be organised if my letter's going to get there before they go. Apparantly, BT have finally written re the telegraph pole. They claim the incident happened during the day, with a dry road an wamr weather! Lying bastards! Parents have sent it on the the insurers, poiting out what lying bastards BT are...
Later: "The White Phantom" finished, just Viriconium to go. Letter not done
Music: Queen: Night at the Opera, Berlioz: Le Carnaval Romain/Symphonie Fantastique

28/3 day 11. Thursday, week 2

De-horning this PM. Use choppers which are about 4ft long! Anyhow, curry later (8pm in Tutbury). Am driving, so won't be drinking.
Later: Tutbury fully booked, so drover 3 other ppl to alternative curry place - car handles v. differently! Curry very good. Now time to sleeeep...
Music: Vierne: Organ Symphonies 3+6

29/3 day 12 Friday, week 2
Good SA morning - saw excision arthroplasty and a cruciate op. Also did anaesthesia monitoring and expressed anal glands - more stuff for the red book! Also a very smelly Ovine abortion -> poor prognosis for ewe, even after dead lamb removed. I've written to parents and Vicky as well - now I'm running out of stamps! Once I've posted them, it'lol be time for a bath + clean clothes for tommorow - don't want to turn up at Kate and Nigel's smelling of cow shit! Aim to be up by 9am and off at 9-9.30 -> arrive 10.30-11ish. Need to buy more stamps soon...
Music: Khachaturian: Gayane Suites 1-3, Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring/The Firebird, Queen: Day at the Races

1/4 day 15 Monday, week 3
Well, many thanks to Kate and Nigel for an excellent weekend, and for the easter egg :) We saw a few films, chatted, BBQd, spent time in the garden, and wen to Cheltenham. A bit of real social interaction was a pleasant change, and Nigel as a cool house (but one that needs a sofa). Saddened to hear Queen Mother is dead.
I was weak and bought 2 CDs: Vaughan Williams "London Symphony", the original 1913 version, and the Hilliard Ensemble's "Morimur" - a series of chorales and solo violin works by Bach, interwoven to show how Bach referenced the chorales in his violin writing.
Have Classic FM Hall of Fame on radio - will be intersting to see what the top 10 are (yesterday, lost it due to QM's death).

Music: Hall of fame, including: 10: Barber, Adagio for Strings, 9: Elgar: Enigma variations, 8: Beethoven 6, 7: Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a theme of Tallis, 6: Beethoven: Piano Concerto 5 "Emperor", 5: Mozart: Clarinet concerto, 4: Elgar: Cello Concerto, 3: Vaughan Williams: The lark Ascending, 2: Bruch: Violin concerto 1, 1: Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto 2, Hilliard Ensemble/JS Bach: Morimur

2/4 day 16 Tuesday, week 3
Early start today, and insomnia last night not a great combination, but the morning was pretty busy in the end (and had some foot trimming to do too) - out on calls solidly from 8.15 'til 13.30, with a good range of things to see. Afternoon was more quiet, so read the latest VR (DEFRA/BVA/RCVS have all submitted evidence to "lessons learned"), then back to Repton. The second Easter egg is vanishing rapidly (and After-8 one - very nice indeed) - I feel such a pig. Viriconium is proving unrewarding and difficult, and I may not finish it. The Introduction to Christian Theology is much easier going and more interesting. And maybe a little revision
Music: Vaughan Williams: Syphony 2 "A London Symphony", original 1913 version, Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No 2/Paganini Variations, Mozart: symphonies 39(end)/40/41
Later: have written long letter to Allan T.

3/4 day 17 Wednesday, week 3
Rather unexciting SA-dominated AM. Afternoon visited rich people (they have a butler!) and looked at ill chickens. Also saw a calving and assisted with a C-section; *huge* BB calf, followed by v.v. nice tea and cakes. They way you often get tea and a chat is probably one of the best bits of LA practice - you get to spend more quality time with people thanin package SA surgeries. Plan to sort out route home tonight - need to pack, tidy and ring tommorow night. Have rung Empire and MWW to arrange dinner on Friday.
Music: Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem

4/4 day 18 Thursday, week 3
Quite an intersting morning (lots of rectaling) - PDs, RDA, overdue calf. Afternoon, horse vacc and then on to Repton. Last night here so after ringing (hopefully), must pack up and load card.
Later: Quite good ringing, friendly ppl and pub trip. Now must pack...
Later(23.20): packed now. Now 69.45kg, but suspect recent pub trip makes this insignificant gain. Now sleeep

5/4 day 19 Friday, week 3
Busy day! Have given jabs, given IV calcium, looked at ketotic and LDA cows, generally a productive day. Must now drive home...