Well it's official now, today i graduated from Pierce College with an
Associate's Degree in Veterinary Technology.

The whole morning was ironic, since Saturday was very bad for me.  Long
story, but there's a slight conflict between me and another co-worker
at this new place.  I'll write an entry on that another day.

So I woke up exhausted, my eyes puffy and I really just wanted to stay
in bed.  Also when i finally dug out my old black graduation robe from
UCLA to iron it, you won't believe what i found.

It must have fallen off the hanger and been on the floor of the closet
for god knows how long.  I shook the hair off it and then saw it.  A
nice two inch tear on the sleeve, and various tiny holes on the back.
Fortunately it's so flowly that the folds hid most of the holes.

And behind one of the folds, near the zipper, are four little holes, in
the shape of a paw.

Considering there was no white or gray cat hairs, and that it was in
the dark, confines of my closet, it can only be Imp.  *sigh*

Ah well, it didn't look that bad.  My fellow graduates had gowns with
folds in them, fresh from the package.

The ceremony was very roughly set up.  The whole semester has been
haphazard.  No communication, so everything was thrown together.  The
ceremony was at ten a.m. and when i got there at 9:30, chairs had just
started to be set up.  Why?  Cause the people who had the key to the
classrooms for the chairs were late.  And my digital camera decided to
die when i checked it.  So the disposable camera from the glove
compartment had to do.  *sigh*

The girl who had the refreshments and the programs was dealing with a
broken printer, then her computer crashes, and on top of it her
boyfriend of 5 years had just broken up with her.  The poor thing was a
mess by the time she showed up during the ceremony, and I hope she will
be alright. But somehow we all got it together.

Twelve of us filed out onto the grass in front of the agriculture
building and it was a short ceremony.   I carried a spray of orchids
that my family sent me.   My classmate who I asked to take pictures was
running around trying to set up the refrehment but she still managed to
get a bunch of pictures taken.  I'm gonna drop them off tomorrow and
get them scanned ASAP.  My family was unable to come to the ceremony
because my mother and father had a trip planned six months ago and also
my mother's going for my master's degree and it's her finals week.  But
it was still nice to have the flowers to remind me.  I know they are
proud of me regardless of them not being there.

Then after the ceremony we are all mingling out in front of the
agriculture building, taking pictures and heading inside for
refreshments when all of  sudden, the campus SHERIFF shows up.

In mingling with my friends, i saw the head of the RVT program(my main
professor) and the head of Veterinary Sciences arguing with the cops.
Then suddenly everyone is moving to move the chairs back in.

In summary, the cops said we didn't have a permit to be out on the lawn
or in the building and we had 30-45 minutes to leave.  *pause for all
jaws to hit the floor*

Oh sure.........kick us off, will they?  Never mind that in the last 18
years we have never had to get a friggin permit.  Never mind that
there's also a kid's birthday party going on around the corner (who
apparently was also asked to leave, but they didn't), Never mind that
this also happens to be a GRADUATION CEREMONY AND STUDENTS ARE HERE
WITH THEIR FAMILIES!!!!!!!!

Sooooo.........chairs were picked up by guests and friends and put back
into the classroom.  Everyone had nibbled on the food anyway, but most
of the families were already leaving to go out to lunch to celebrate.
The leftover vegetables and fruit I heard was going be come dinner for
Hamlet, our resident and VERY elderly pot-bellied pig.  The rats would
get to nibble on a bit of cheese and the rabbits would get the carrots
sticks and lettuce.  So in the long run, everyone got a meal.  :)

But now i'm done with school, and now for a little while i can focus on
me.

Uh, check that, Mischief is waiting on the bed, cause i'm supposed to
focus on HER.  Yeah. that's what I meant, honest.

Take care,

Kristi