Random Stuffs

[Shiloh47]

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Does anyone here have experience with hedgehog care? There’s a breeder in my state that sells them and has good reviews and I was thinking of getting a little buddy (it’s been on my mind for like 5 months) as my post-undergrad gift hehe. They seem small and manageable and like a good pet to deal with for landlords since they have cages, and umm snuggle sacks for the hedgehog!? Anyone want to feed my delusion 😂

 

[MixedAnimals77]

Does anyone here have experience with hedgehog care? There’s a breeder in my state that sells them and has good reviews and I was thinking of getting a little buddy (it’s been on my mind for like 5 months) as my post-undergrad gift hehe. They seem small and manageable and like a good pet to deal with for landlords since they have cages, and umm snuggle sacks for the hedgehog!? Anyone want to feed my delusion 😂

Hedgies are fun. Don't over feed them with mealworms. Overall I've found them to be easy keepers. Just do your research on how to care for them. I had one a long time ago. Be prepared they are prickly. I say this because despite it being obvious the number of people who are surprised by their prickliness is astonishing...

 

[pp9]

Be prepared they are prickly

I love hedgies outside of being their vet. You almost can't do anything without full anesthesia. I've only had one or two that didn't automatically curl up for the entire exam, lol.

For some reason, hedgies love to get constriction injuries on their feet/legs from human hair. Idk what it is, I saw it probably 30+ times in my three years of FT ER. A few were bad enough to warrant amputation. So if you go through with it, maybe set up a dedicated clean playpen instead of letting them roam around your house. Otherwise, keep yours on a good diet/exercise plan.

 

[thenontraveler]

I love hedgies outside of being their vet. You almost can't do anything without full anesthesia. I've only had one or two that didn't automatically curl up for the entire exam, lol.

For some reason, hedgies love to get constriction injuries on their feet/legs from human hair. Idk what it is, I saw it probably 30+ times in my three years of FT ER. A few were bad enough to warrant amputation. So if you go through with it, maybe set up a dedicated clean playpen instead of letting them roam around your house. Otherwise, keep yours on a good diet/exercise plan.

We learned in class that you can put them in a clear tub with a little water in the bottom and they won't curl up and you can look through the clear tub to visual other things without sedation

 

[pp9]

We learned in class that you can put them in a clear tub with a little water in the bottom and they won't curl up and you can look through the clear tub to visual other things without sedation

This often doesn't work unless the water is deep enough, to the point where they feel like they need to start swimming, which is pretty stressful for them. It's not a humane way of approaching the situation when there's a better option (sedation/anesthesia). It's the exact same as people holding tortoises underwater to get them to come out of their shells for exams - you're using the threat/fear of drowning to facilitate a physical exam.

You also can't actually examine them effectively this way (you can look at the ventrum at best), so it's in everyone's favor to get a little sedation or anesthesia going. Then you can auscultate, palpate, do a dental/oral exam (super important in hedgies), etc.

 

[thenontraveler]

This often doesn't work unless the water is deep enough, to the point where they feel like they need to start swimming, which is pretty stressful for them. It's not a humane way of approaching the situation when there's a better option (sedation/anesthesia). It's the exact same as people holding tortoises underwater to get them to come out of their shells for exams - you're using the threat/fear of drowning to facilitate a physical exam.

You also can't actually examine them effectively this way (you can look at the ventrum at best), so it's in everyone's favor to get a little sedation or anesthesia going. Then you can auscultate, palpate, do a dental/oral exam (super important in hedgies), etc.

So good to know! Thank you 😊

 

[MixedAnimals77]

Got in the mail my mortgage payment is lowering by over $100/mo because of escrow stuff. Proceeded to make my dinner and dropped it all on the floor...oh the irony of life

 

[pp9]

My cousin has a set of pots/pans that costs $1500 on her wedding registry.

Insanity.

That is all.

 

[DVMDream]

My cousin has a set of pots/pans that costs $1500 on her wedding registry.

Insanity.

That is all.

I shouldn't laugh, but honestly the audacity some people have.

 

[pp9]

I shouldn't laugh, but honestly the audacity some people have.

It's crazy. Another cousin that got married several years ago had a $50 garlic chopper/peeler tool on hers?? Does it really have to come from Williams Sonoma or Sur la Table?

Part of me is like 'wow you're nuts' and the other part is 'should I have gone way crazier with my registry?' I felt bad putting a $150 vacuum on mine lol

 

[deleted626763]

It's crazy. Another cousin that got married several years ago had a $50 garlic chopper/peeler tool on hers?? Does it really have to come from Williams Sonoma or Sur la Table?

Part of me is like 'wow you're nuts' and the other part is 'should I have gone way crazier with my registry?' I felt bad putting a $150 vacuum on mine lol

I would feel weird about someone spending that kind of money on me (referencing the $1500 pots and pans set).

I think $150 for a vacuum is way reasonable.

I couldn't afford a single thing on a coworker's baby registry. I was surprised how many of her things were marked as purchased. They were normal things one needs for an infant but only the most premium brands (Nuna Pipa, etc.). Even her bottles, diapers and books were all very premium brands that were out of my $20 "baby gift for a pregnant coworker I don't know well" sort of budget.

 

[pp9]

I would feel weird about someone spending that kind of money on me (referencing the $1500 pots and pans set).

I think $150 for a vacuum is way reasonable.

I couldn't afford a single thing on a coworker's baby registry. I was surprised how many of her things were marked as purchased. They were normal things one needs for an infant but only the most premium brands (Nuna Pipa, etc.). Even her bottles, diapers and books were all very premium brands that were out of my $20 "baby gift for a pregnant coworker I don't know well" sort of budget.

Putting on my old lady hat here - I blame social media for a lot of things, this included. Society has rapidly gotten more materialistic, and people are drinking from a firehose of in-your-face consumerism. Everything is tagged with the term 'luxury' and everyone wants what everyone else has. You can buy anything you want without even having to leave the TikTok app now. And I'm guilty myself - 2025 is definitely a de-stashing year for me (I'm a recovering skincare junkie).

'Run, don't walk, to get this $5000 bassinet I have (that I got for free) that has a built in essential oil diffuser and will match your home's aesthetic!' 'What are you even doing if you don't have this $500 gadget that does exactly one thing (that you'll use one and never touch again)?'

 

[deleted626763]

Putting on my old lady hat here - I blame social media for a lot of things, this included. Society has rapidly gotten more materialistic, and people are drinking from a firehose of in-your-face consumerism. Everything is tagged with the term 'luxury' and everyone wants what everyone else has. You can buy anything you want without even having to leave the TikTok app now. And I'm guilty myself - 2025 is definitely a de-stashing year for me (I'm a recovering skincare junkie).

'Run, don't walk, to get this $5000 bassinet I have (that I got for free) that has a built in essential oil diffuser and will match your home's aesthetic!' 'What are you even doing if you don't have this $500 gadget that does exactly one thing (that you'll use one and never touch again)?'

I agree that social media and the constant stream of influencers and personalized advertising makes people think they need these things or that more expensive necessarily means better.

I can't speak for wedding stuff, but advertising for baby stuff strikes me as so manipulative too. "THIS is the thing that will finally make your baby sleep" or implying that you aren't as good of a parent if you don't get the most expensive premium item.

 

[battie]

I quit Facebook a long time ago now, over a year. My social media is SDN, Snapchat, and occasionally insta for 5 minutes. And as I told my therapist today, that has helped with a lot of anxiety and has meant I don't need to do a lot of behavioral changes with the changing economy.

A friend asked how we keep the house so clean with a toddler and two large dogs. And a big part is that we don't have a ton of stuff. And we chuck stuff as we get new stuff. We don't get the toddler a lot of physical toys because we know he won't use them, even if he wants them in the moment.

Also. Minimalism now means I can park in my garage, unlike my boomer grandparents and Gen X parents 🤣

 

[MixedAnimals77]

Also. Minimalism now means I can park in my garage, unlike my boomer grandparents and Gen X parents 🤣

Bro my inlaws do NOT understand this. They are constantly getting us crap. Then I have to constantly get rid of it. It's exhausting. There are times I want to throw literally like everything away except my main furniture 😅

 

[pp9]

Also. Minimalism now means I can park in my garage, unlike my boomer grandparents and Gen X parents 🤣

Bro my inlaws do NOT understand this. They are constantly getting us crap. Then I have to constantly get rid of it. It's exhausting. There are times I want to throw literally like everything away except my main furniture 😅

Lol didn't we have this same conversation recently?

My parents were not bad with 'stuff.' My inlaws, at times, have had so much 'stuff' piled up that it looks like a (cleaner) hoarder's home. Like having to squeeze by piles of stuff to navigate the house and with one wrong move, an entire stack of something topples over. My MIL's goal is to resell everything for a profit (she's the person that buys everything off clearance racks thinking she'll sell if for full price on ebay). It won't leave the house unless she makes money off it. Because she literally buys junk, it ends up staying forever. No one is going to buy your $25 Yankee candle off ebay.

Slightly off topic now, but by MIL and SIL also dumpster dive for groceries, go to food banks (they are NOT even close to poverty...MIL/FIL own a house and a lake house, SIL just bought a massive brand new house), and will drive 100s of miles a week just to hit up every church cookout in the area for free meals. They also drive 100s of miles every week to hit up every store in the area that has a really good couponing deal going on. SIL won't pay for wifi at home, so her teenagers have to go to the library every day to do homework and stuff. She doesn't even pay for trash pickup, she just hauls everything to their parents' house. They are the people that get excessive couponing banned from stores.

Pathologic frugality. I guess you could say that my SIL could afford her house because she doesn't spend a dime, but her kids are legit miserable...so there's that. And the only reason she bought the house is because she thinks the entire family will move in with her and help her cover her expenses so she can live for nearly free.

 

[MixedAnimals77]

Turning 30 in July. Wanting to go somewhere/ do something for it. Baby will be almost 3mo. Suggestions? Things you did for turning 30?

 

[battie]

Turning 30 in July. Wanting to go somewhere/ do something for it. Baby will be almost 3mo. Suggestions? Things you did for turning 30?

I was 4 months pregnant and had COVID, so worthless to you 🤣 Just here to offer that if you come to the metro area and don't want the kiddos, I'll babysit!

 

[Trilt]

I also turned thirty in the depths of COVID quarantine 🙃

 

[JaynaAli]

When I turned 30 I had just moved from residency-town to big-girl-job-town less than a month prior, 10 hours from family, and didn’t know hardly anyone so I did nothing. And then COVID happened six months later. But I’m not much of a traveler anyway unless it’s for dog sports.

 

[pp9]

Turning 30 in July. Wanting to go somewhere/ do something for it. Baby will be almost 3mo. Suggestions? Things you did for turning 30?

Another person who didn't get to celebrate the big 3-0 😢 How big do you want to make it?

 

[SkiOtter]

I went to Disney and on a short Disney cruise (about a 7 day trip iirc between the two?) with one of my BFFs who turned 30 a couple months before me (we went in between our birthdays) and her daughter who turned 3 like the week before so we celebrated all 3 of our birthdays. We’re both big Disney fans 😂

 

[DVMDream]

I turned 30 in 2018, I'm too old now to remember what I did back then. 🤣

 

[MixedAnimals77]

Another person who didn't get to celebrate the big 3-0 😢 How big do you want to make it?

I'm very torn. On one hand of course I'd love to go out of the country but baby doesn't have a passport yet but should by the time bday rolls around. On the other hand staying in the states would be easier for a multitude of reasons.

Currently considering going to one of the Carolinas for some beach time but idk I'm not sold on it

 

[Crayola227]

Hawaii is pretty amazing this time of year

 

[pp9]

I'm very torn. On one hand of course I'd love to go out of the country but baby doesn't have a passport yet but should by the time bday rolls around. On the other hand staying in the states would be easier for a multitude of reasons.

Currently considering going to one of the Carolinas for some beach time but idk I'm not sold on it

If you want more activity/sight seeing, Chicago, NYC, DC come to mind (I'm sure there's more). For relaxing/beach, I always suggest Tampa/Clearwater. Partially because I lived there so am really familiar, but also because it is a nicer area. I don't know how recovered they are post-hurricanes, but it might also make for less tourists...

 

[ESD_2029]

I'm very torn. On one hand of course I'd love to go out of the country but baby doesn't have a passport yet but should by the time bday rolls around. On the other hand staying in the states would be easier for a multitude of reasons.

Currently considering going to one of the Carolinas for some beach time but idk I'm not sold on it

Honestly, if we take a trip this summer it'll be to somewhere up north like Maine or Michigan to escape the heat and avoid the issues with hurricanes. If you come to NC/SC in July (lived in NC for 5 years), it's hurricane season and we all know what the government is doing right now, so I'd just be aware of the weather on your own. The beaches aren't thaaaat great unless you go to the Outer Banks, but that's $$$ in peak season.

 

[SkiOtter]

Honestly, if we take a trip this summer it'll be to somewhere up north like Maine or Michigan to escape the heat and avoid the issues with hurricanes.

Yesssssssssss

 

[ESD_2029]

Yesssssssssss

Hubs loves the lake to land ratio in Michigan, so we're considering it for a short weekend trip from the hellscape that is a Texas summer.

 

[pp9]

Honestly, if we take a trip this summer it'll be to somewhere up north like Maine or Michigan to escape the heat and avoid the issues with hurricanes.

Yesssssssssss

Hubs loves the lake to land ratio in Michigan, so we're considering it for a short weekend trip from the hellscape that is a Texas summer.

Tossing my anonymity out the window here MI in July is not a heat/hellscape-free zone unless you are talking UP/very north southern MI. Right now it's still 40s-60s with a few days in the 70s/80s thus far, but late summer is not fun. I've spent time in Illinois, Atlanta, Pensacola, Tampa, Orlando, and Southern MI. Atlanta/Orlando were miserable, Tampa and Pcola are hot but comparable to Michigan in July/August imo. Honestly anywhere in the Midwest is a stagnant, humid armpit from late June - September. You get all the heat/humidity without the breeze. Worth noting that Florida weather, sans hurricanes, is far more predictable than midwest weather.

I'd also say Maine, mostly because I myself want to go, lol. Came super close to going for a bachelorette party a few years back and then the bride ended up choosing Nashville 😒

ETA: In MI I would point you towards Traverse City, Holland, Mackinac, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, and Detroit. Depending on what you were looking for, any of these could make for a long weekend. If you wanted a longer trip, I'd tell you to rent a car and hit up multiple areas. Hit @SkiOtter and I up and I'm sure we could plan an entire week for you, lol

 

[SkiOtter]

MI in July is not a heat/hellscape-free zone unless you are talking UP/very north southern MI.

You’re not wrong 😂😂😂

Hit @SkiOtter and I up and I'm sure we could plan an entire week for you, lol

Also not wrong on this 😂😂😂

Absolutely LOVE mackinac and was THIS close to planning my wedding for up there next summer but the price difference between up there and the GR area just was too much for my brain even though my heart wants it 🥲 gonna go to the small mi vet conference up there instead next June 😂

 

[pp9]

You’re not wrong 😂😂😂

Also not wrong on this 😂😂😂

Absolutely LOVE mackinac and was THIS close to planning my wedding for up there next summer but the price difference between up there and the GR area just was too much for my brain even though my heart wants it 🥲 gonna go to the small mi vet conference up there instead next June 😂

Soooo expensy!! We went up there once when I was a kid. My husband and I looked to stay on the island for a long weekend and it was an immediate no

 

[DVMDream]

Turning 30 in July. Wanting to go somewhere/ do something for it. Baby will be almost 3mo. Suggestions? Things you did for turning 30?

Go on a cruise, can visit many different places at once if you can get baby a passport soon. Or can do an Alaska cruise without a passport as long as you depart from Seattle and return to Seattle, you'll still stop in Canada but don't need a passport as long as your starting and ending ports are in the US. You will need everyone who is traveling birth certificates though. Some excursions Alaska cruise excursions require passports so just avoid those.

I loved my Alaska cruise though they're kind of pricey. But cruising is a nice way to see multiple places.

I still don't recall what I did for my 30th, that was 7 years ago, today.

 

[JaynaAli]

Happy Birthday @DVMDream!

 

[SkiOtter]

Go on a cruise, can visit many different places at once if you can get baby a passport soon. Or can do an Alaska cruise without a passport as long as you depart from Seattle and return to Seattle, you'll still stop in Canada but don't need a passport as long as your starting and ending ports are in the US. You will need everyone who is traveling birth certificates though. Some excursions Alaska cruise excursions require passports so just avoid those.

I loved my Alaska cruise though they're kind of pricey. But cruising is a nice way to see multiple places.

I still don't recall what I did for my 30th, that was 7 years ago, today.

I think some cruise lines require baby to be a certain age but def look into it, mixy! I love cruises and that you can relax and food is all included.

happy non-30th birthday Dvmd!!!

 

[pp9]

Happy birthday @DVMDream 🥳

I've only been on one shorter cruise but I would go on one again. Definitely an easy trip, all you need to do is pick dates and figure out how to get to the ship (and book any excursions you want to do). Honestly not a bad idea with a baby, you're always within a few minutes of your hotel room in case a nap/change of clothes/etc is needed stat.

 

[JaynaAli]

and figure out how to get to the ship

Story time! My friend and her husband and her parents went on a 7 day cruise out of Galveston in August 2017. We are like 10 hours from Galveston, but they drove down because we live three hours from an airport and by the time you have a layover in Atlanta or wherever, it’s almost faster to drive. A couple days before they were supposed to be back Hurricane Harvey went from a nothingburger into a major issue and they couldn’t make it back to port before the hurricane. I think they spent an extra day or two at sea then cruise line decided to take them all to New Orleans for a day or two because they didn’t have enough supplies to keep everyone on board and the port at Galveston was closed because of Harvey. They resupplied and changed out the entertainment employees, and their week long cruise turned into a 14 day ever ending trip. And they couldn’t just easily fly from New Orleans to home because their vehicle was in Galveston so they’d still need to get that somehow. Luckily their car didn’t flood in whatever parking lot it was in, they didn’t know if it had or not. It was a cruise they’ll remember! Her FB photo album is titled “the cruise that never ends”.

That’s not to turn anyone off of cruises, my friend said the cruise line did actually take good care of them all during the whole ordeal, but maybe a reason to fly to the ship and not drive…

 

[deleted626763]

I too am turning 30 in July, @MixedAnimals77!! 🙂 '95 heat wave babies unite! 🙂

I am close with my mom, so we are going on vacation to Wisconsin in August. She is turning 60 next week.

 

[deleted626763]

Happy birthday, @DVMDream! 🙂

 

[MixedAnimals77]

Happy birthday @DVMDream !

 

[MixedAnimals77]

Hawaii is pretty amazing this time of year

How's hawaii July vs end of Dec/1st of January do you know?
Hubs 30th desire I think is Hawaii but considering stealing his and doing it for me and making him pick something else.

Ideally I'd love to do Italy but I am not going to Italy during peak tourist season even if baby gets a passport. It's a March/Sept destination type place

 

[Doctor-S]

Happy Birthday @DVMDream!

 

[cdo96]

I'll be turning 30 next summer! So I'm making notes for what I want to do. I'll be exactly 1 year post-residency and hopefully by then will:
- have a little more money
- have replaced my sleep debt / fixed my severe sleep deprivation
- idk??? have a hobby?

 

[battie]

- have a little more money

Gross understatement of the day 🤣

 

[cdo96]

Gross understatement of the day 🤣

My treat yourself ability is about to go from a resident salary to a specialist salary without rent or a mortgage (since I'm moving back home). it's gonna be... hehehe.

 

[cdo96]

plus also working 3-4 days a week???

 

[pp9]

plus also working 3-4 days a week???

Man oh man do I miss my 3 day weeks.

 

[cdo96]

Man oh man do I miss my 3 day weeks.

As someone who currently works 5-7 days a week, I cannot wait.

 

[battie]

Man oh man do I miss my 3 day weeks.

As someone who currently works 5-7 days a week, I cannot wait.

Had to bump up to 80hrs per pay period to keep my house husband. We're going through a corporate coup right now. I don't plan to leave. But if something happens and I do leave, I'm hoping to go back to 72hrs per pay period

 

[pp9]

As someone who currently works 5-7 days a week, I cannot wait.

Had to bump up to 80hrs per pay period to keep my house husband. We're going through a corporate coup right now. I don't plan to leave. But if something happens and I do leave, I'm hoping to go back to 72hrs per pay period

The amount of decompressing one can do with 3 day weeks is so helpful. I have been doing 5 day weeks since summer of 2022 and I still have not adjusted back mentally. 2 day weekends never feels like enough, even beyond the normal 'I wish my weekend was longer' feeling.

Plus you can do the fun stuff like extend vacations without using PTO, make appointments/get stuff done, balance parenting/childcare things with your partner more easily, etc.

Also while typing out timelines just now, it hit me that I'm three years (and two publications) away from being eligible to sit for zoo boards.