This week's update is short as I've been focusing on my day job. (Something has to pay my bills before I hit it big right?)

I finished the first set of proceedings for my upcoming talk at SAGE Centers for Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Care yearly Symposium. I will be doing a 1 hour lecture for veterinary technicians called "The Art of Anesthesia: Basics, Tips, and Tricks" with a 1 hour "Anesthesia Monitoring Lab" to follow that will have hands on with monitoring equipment.

For those in the San Francisco Bay Area that are looking for some RACE approved CE in veterinary medicine come join us on Sunday, March 19, 2017 from 9:00 am – 6:30 pm at the San Francisco Airport Marriott. Preregistration is required. Please fill out the registration by clicking on the link below.

The second conference that I will be speaking at this year is the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine's Specialty Forum. I am giving a 1 hour lecture in the technician's track on Friday June 9th called "Evan's Syndrome: A Technician's Guide". If you've ever had the chance to go to ACVIM's Forum in the past you know it is an amazing place to learn and connect with like-minded individuals.

If you would like to know more about the Forum click the banner below to check out their site.

After I've prepared for these lectures I will have time to devote to my artistic endeavors and I'll update you as I go. If you happen to join me at any of the conferences, please say hi.

PS: I'm using my married name for veterinary stuff, so look for Yvonne Brandenburg, RVT, VTS (SAIM) in the program notes.

In the meantime: I hope magical adventures find you where ever you are!

As many of my friends and family know, I am infamous for setting lofty goals for myself. I've recently set high expectations both professionally and personally. I thought that I was cruising along but of course life likes to throw some wrenches into the mix and this week was no exception.

My husband and I noticed that one of our furry four-legged kids was eating as much. Bobby slowed down his eating over the previous week and being an orange boy that was very unusual for him. As a veterinary technician working in a specialty hospital I felt like I know what to watch out for before things get too bad. Boy was I wrong.

I felt like I was blind-sided. Bobby's blood work showed that he was in kidney failure. What?! How was that possible? He had his yearly blood work in November and he had a pretty clean bill of health. This felt so sudden and he needed to be hospitalized so that he could get diureses and flush out his system.
 
Bobby’s a pretty sensitive soul, so I figured that staying in the hospital was going to be the worst thing ever for him. He proved me wrong. He was in the CCU for 5 days and he made friends with the amazing veterinary nurses that took care of him. They are the best a pet parent could ask for and I'm eternally grateful for all they did and continue to do. Happily he's home now and sucking up all the attention.

Suffice it to say I was very preoccupied this last week and a half.

Either way life is still trucking on and I have to keep my eyes on my goals. After all, I was the one to give myself the goals.

A long term goal of mine is to complete my Bachelor's degree in Veterinary Technology. This is the field that I work in on a daily basis. I work at a specialty and emergency veterinary hospital and I love being able to help animals and pet parents get better. It's a tough job but there are so many rewards. My friends and family know that I am constantly learning and stretching myself. It's one of the things that I love about writing too. There are so many things to learn out there and the only limit is your imagination.

So working on my Bachelor's degree takes time and dedication. Did I bite off a little too much my first semester back? Probably. Would I do it like this again if I could do it all over? Probably. But without adversity how is anyone supposed to grow?

I'm still in the process of editing my manuscript. Unfortunately, it's lower on my priority list for the next few weeks because impending deadlines. I've been keeping my subconscious working by immersing myself in the publishing industry any time that I'm driving in my car in traffic. Podcasts are amazing for that. My favorite by far right now is by Joanna Penn. For any aspiring authors I highly recommend her podcasts and her website: The Creative Penn. I'm learning and absorbing all that I can to help my novel be as successful as it can be for readers to enjoy.

I promise to keep everyone updated as I get further along in the publishing process. Thank you for your patience.

Of course, until I've created enough intellectual property (novels) to become a self-sustaining author, I have to keep my day job. I have to work for what John Lee Dumas described in his interview with The Creative Penn as other peoples agenda or OPA. Unless you're an entrepreneur and work just for yourself then you know that a 9-5 day job consists of mostly OPA.

While working within the confines of what is expected of me, I try my best to see what I can do to better my future. Hence going back to school to get my Bachelor's degree. Do I know exactly what I want to do with it in the future? No, but I like diversifying my options. Something Joanna Penn talks a great deal about and I wholeheartedly agree with her.

For me professionally I am working on my public speaking and will be lecturing at two conferences this year. I hope to continue to do this in the future, but maybe next time I'll make sure that the conference proceedings aren't due 1 week apart from each other! Speaking of which, I'd better go so that I can complete those goals! They are due in the next 12 days.

I'm going to adjust my goals and keep on going. I'll talk to you soon.

I hope magical adventures find you,