Random thoughts running through my head.

The chickens went to their new home tonight out in San Martin. Moxie helped me round them up in the back yard and load them into their box. She FINALLY got to chase the chickens. She was so happy I thought she was going to explode.

Out in San Martin the local vet was out vaccinating all the dogs and cats against rabies. Its a state funded program, free rabies vaccines for dogs and cats in el campo, out in the country. You can get them free in town too if you go to the centro de salud. The U.S. should have such a policy. More people would vaccinate their pets. Watching the vet work was interesting, as an ex vet tech. The man was missing three fingers on his right hand, one could only guess how that happened. It made drawing up the shots and pushing the plunger on the syringe tricky, but he managed it. His animal wrangling skills were, interesting to say the least. I say wrangling because it was. These are ranch dogs, not used to be restrained in any way. A rope around the neck and a loop over the muzzle to control the head and prevent bites. The next part was intriguing. They flipped the dogs over onto their backs to give the injection in the thigh muscle. Why put the dog is such an uncomfortable and scary submissive position? That injection can be administered with the dog standing. But I guess they weren't really interested in the comfort of the dog.

The culture here is very different, especially with regard to animals. This same night at San Martin I spotted a baby bunny being housed in a bird cage and fed tomatoes. Most of the things I see here with the animals flies in the face of everything our culture says is right and proper animal husbandry. But it works. So is it wrong, or just, different?

This was probably my last visit to San Martin for several months. It felt weird. Something is very wrong in that community, but as an outsider (after all these years still an outsider) I may never know what it is until its too late. Lupe is going to the doctor on Sunday. I'm glad for that at least. I will worry about those girls day and night. Sometimes this job is so defeating.

I decided today that I really hate drunks. People who drink to excess are about the most inconsiderate, self centered people out there. Getting drunk is just plain selfish. What about the people that have to take care of your sorry drunk ass? What if those people are your children? Do you know how pathetic you are as a parent, when your child has to make sure you don't do something stupid while you're drunk? DO you really think that kind of responsibility should rest on a childs shoulders? I hate to be the one to break this to you, but your friends don't like taking care of your sorry drunk ass either. While I don't mind being the designated driver, I do mind cleaning your vomit out of my car upholstery. When are you going to grow up and take some responsibility for yourself and your actions? Oh, and I don't buy the "but I was drunk, I didn't know what I was saying/doing" excuse for a second. Being a dumbass and drinking more than you can handle does not excuse you from being a civilized human being. Saying nasty hurtful things and doing nasty hurtful things, is unacceptable, whether you are under the influence or not. Just because you can't remember what happened last night doesn't mean I don't. The rest of us, mature enough to have a good time without getting wasted, have to live with the memories of your insults and abuses. I hate being around you when you are drunk. You are a mean, arrogant prick. I wish you would just grow up!

There. Glad I got that out of my system.