Greetings, Earthlings!
Greetings, Earthlings! It’s time to get to know the self-proclaimed resident oddball, Kelly! I can typically be found wearing fun scrubs and prancing (and sometimes limping) around the clinic. I have my moments (don’t we all!), but my goal at work is above all to make people smile. I do that by cracking horrible puns, singing off-key, and keeping a stash of candy in my drawer. I speak fluent sarcasm; however, my sense of humor can be a bit dry sometimes. But how did this little ray of sunshine get here? It all started ten years ago…
I had been working in apartment leasing and management for six years when I decided that I wanted to do something, ANYTHING, that involved animals. I was studying biology at the time and needed a flexible job for school. That’s where PetSmart came in. It was a good place to learn basic husbandry for exotics (you’ll see why this is important later when I mention my zoo!), and it was helpful when it came time for me to transition to Oklahoma and continue my studies at good ol’ OU. I spent two years at PetSmart and really enjoyed my time there. Not only did I learn a lot, but I also got a husband out of it! My amazing partner in crime, Christian, was my manager while working for PetSmart. I know, I know… Dating the manager?? How SCANDALOUS! So, after falling head over heels in love with the boss, I needed to find a new job, STAT. That’s when I entered the veterinary field. I spent two years at Banfield where I learned a lot of the basics of veterinary care, and it was there that the doors to specialty practice were opened to me. I began working for a veterinary ophthalmologist and learned that specialty practice is completely different than general practice. While working there, I also started working part-time with a veterinary surgeon. After a few years, I rejoined general practice with the awesome Dr. Marianne Kelley at Acme Dog and Cat Hospital. After a few months of working with me, Dr. Kelley felt that she had reached the pinnacle of veterinary medicine and decided to retire (let’s hope I don’t inspire the same feelings with Dr. Holland!). I stayed on with the new practice owners for a few months before finding my way to my new home, Holland’s Veterinary Referral Hospital.
Anyone who has spent more than five minutes talking to me knows that I have three true passions: my husband, my pets, and my fandoms. I have been told that my adoration for Christian can be… nauseating. He is my true love, my soul mate, my best friend, the yin to my yang, and every other cheesy description for a husband you can think of. We started dating in 2009 and married in 2012. He is creative and supportive, funny and clever, thoughtful and insanely handsome. He’s always doing things, both big and small, that make me fall more deeply in love with him every day. My wedding band no longer fit, so he took an afternoon and made a new one for me from scratch out of a bull horn. My favorite movie as a child was The Brave Little Toaster, so he drew a face on our toaster. He knows who my favorite Doctor is, so he folds my Doctor Who blanket to spotlight him. We bonded over our love of films, and for Christmas last year, he made me the rose in glass from Beauty and the Beast. He goes out of his way every day to let me know that he loves me. On top of all that, he cooks! My grandparents had a saying about marriage. “Marriage is 75% give and 25% take. But it only works if both of you live by that.” I think that’s part of why Christian and I work so well. We both do everything we can to support the other and we both put the other before ourselves. It makes finding a place to eat difficult sometimes (I want to go where YOU want to go), but it works. Whatever luck I had in this life, I happily used up finding him.
Our home is our own little piece of paradise. We have 2.5 acres in Wellston, and we literally live in the woods. I just love it. Eventually, we want chickens, guineas, goats, and a HUGE garden. One step at a time though. We already have a zoo in our home with five dogs, four birds (three African grey parrots and a cockatiel), four snakes (a ball python, two corn snakes, and a milk snake), two tortoises (Redfoots), and a fish tank. I could go on for HOURS about all our pets, but I’ll just sum up and focus on the dogs here. Feel free to ask about any of my other critters anytime, though!
I’ll start with our first dog, Maximus Decimus Meridius (AKA- Max). He’s a 15-year-old dachshund who embodies every wiener dog stereotype out there. He rules the roost (or thinks he does), and he can never be warm enough. Even on the hottest July days, he is happiest buried under a mass of blankets. He’s getting grayer all the time but don’t let that fool you – he’ll still tell you off for sitting in his favorite chair or not scritching his neck just right. Do you all remember that scene from Jumanji where the old rhinoceros trails after the rest of the stampede? That’s Max when the other dogs are running amok outside, and that’s why we call him “Our Little Rhinosaur.”
Then we have Rosie, our 7-year-old dachshund mix. When I saw her available for adoption in PetSmart with those EARS… I couldn’t help myself. I was on the phone with Christian in a split-second begging him not to be mad if I brought her home. In typical Christian fashion, he said yes (isn’t he the best??). She is our little princess/guard dog. She loves to perch at the edge of the fence line and monitor the woods for dangerous deer, crow, and squirrels. If only she would do something about those moles digging up our yard…
One of my good friends is an RVT at Quail Creek Veterinary Clinic and was fostering the most adorable puppy. But in typical puppy fashion, he was driving her bonkers. Being the awesome friend that I am, I offered to take him for a few nights to give her a break. That was a year and a half ago, and Washburne is still with us. He is two years old now and has yet to grow out of his goofy stage, but he is the most radiant, joyful dog I have ever met. He is pure happiness on four legs.
Next is Ollivander, the 4-year-old shih tzu. He was a patient at Acme Dog and Cat Hospital who was going to be returned to the rescue group he came from due to aggression issues. Well, I was in love with him despite his grumpy nature (or maybe because of it), and knowing how upset I was about seeing Ollie lose his home, Christian again stepped up and offered to adopt him. He’s been with us for a little over a year now and is easily my favorite (don’t tell the others!!). Turns out the little bugger just doesn’t like kids!
Then, three months ago, I was on my way to work and saw this dejected, emaciated girl making her way down a busy country road. I pulled over to check on her, and she quickly tugged on my heartstrings by trotting up and gently licking my chin. After trying in vain to find her original home, Christian and I decided that there was no way that we could justify having a fifth dog and started looking for someone to adopt her… Until she became the only dog in the house who was completely devoted to Christian. The other four dogs love my husband, but they are truly MY dogs. Winifred is 100% completely and wholeheartedly Christian’s dog. We don’t know how old she is, but she’d definitely had a rough life before we found her, and she has quickly become adapted to living the life of luxury. She sleeps on her very own quilt and has a teddy bear that she curls up with. She and Wash are best buds and regularly rock the house (literally!) chasing each other around.
I’m not sure if you noticed a trend in our dogs’ names, but they all have some sort of origin in movies (Gladiator, Lord of the Rings, Serenity, Harry Potter, and Hocus Pocus). In my household, entertainment reigns supreme. We have over 1,500 movies and TV series in our collection, and I have been known to be a little obsessed. I can easily have an entire conversation in Firefly quotes and Disney song lyrics. I have a Doctor Who inspired tattoo and collect Nightmare Before Christmas memorabilia. I eat, sleep, and breathe Sherlock and am a proud Hufflepuff. I regularly re-watch the Lord of the Rings series and am currently re-reading the Game of Thrones books (for only the sixth time).
I love college football, and I watch my Sooners play every chance I get. Win or lose, doesn’t matter – I love my boys! Whenever the game is on cable (GRRR), I will begrudgingly watch other teams play, but none of them hold a candle to my Sooners. BOOMER! I also enjoy watching the NFL, but collegiate football is more entertaining to me. Maybe growing up in Dallas in the middle of the Cowboys heyday put me off of pro football. Who knows? I’ve always been one to shun the popular opinion just because it’s popular, and lord knows, the Cowboys were all anyone could talk about in the 90s!
While watching football, I’m usually also doing cross stitch. My mom taught me the art when I was a child, and I’ve found it to be very relaxing. Sometimes I will cross stitch from a pattern, and other times I will fashion my own creation. I recently completed my first needlepoint project, and I’m looking forward to starting something new.
I’ve only been with Dr. Holland for a short while (it’ll be a year next month – woo hoo!), but I already have lasting friendships here. Amber, who did her blog a few weeks ago, and I met while working at Acme Dog and Cat Hospital, and she is the one you all have to thank for me working here. As soon as there was an opening, she was on the phone with me telling me to apply. She has a warm, kind heart, and we have definitely connected on our shared love for books and pit bulls, among other things. My nickname for her pibble, Brawny, is “Heart” because he steals mine whenever he’s near. Everyone knows Chelsea with her vibrant hair, but she has an equally vibrant personality. We share most of the same nerdy fandoms and enjoy singing Disney songs when things get a little slow. We also bonded over our mutual love for Excel spreadsheets and organization (we are SO cool). She is one of the most compassionate people I’ve ever met in the veterinary field, and that is a feat.
In conclusion… Live long and prosper. Happiness can be found in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light. Remember that not all who wander are lost. Don’t ever look back, it distracts from the now. In 900 years of time and space, I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t important. And that includes you.
