Easter is a time of year when I get to eat one of my favorite seasonal foods - Peeps. I always stick with the original yellow Peeps - they taste best. I always buy them in the single packs because I prefer them soft and fresh. I know that I have fellow Peep lovers out that prefer them dried out with a little give but for me there's nothing like a fresh yellow Peep right out of the package on a spring day.

Yummy peeps picture from www.citykelly.com

And although Peeps may not have much to do with veterinary medicine - Easter time certainly does and when I was at the grocery store purchasing some "on sale" end of season Peeps I once again witnessed the horror of the wall of Easter lilies. My heart sinks whenever I see those lovely fragrant flowers and every year I break my vow to commit Guerilla warfare in the supermarkets and clandestinely place signs on the festive plants that say CAT POISON! These flowers are so dangerous to cats. They can cause irreversible kidney failure and death in cats. The sad thing is many people aren't aware of this and many buy these as gifts for friends or to liven up their house for the holiday and what do cats love to do but chew on new plants and flowers brought into the house. Within an hour after ingesting the plant the cat will begin to vomit. Within 12 hours they will become depressed and within 48-96 hours they show signs of kidney failure such as urinating more, depression, gastrointestinal upset and dehydration. If untreated within 18 hours most cats do not survive! So please help me spread the word - if you have a cat, know someone who has a cat, or know someone who knows someone who has a cat - please let them know the dangers of this beautiful and festive plant.

And don't forget that plastic grass or anything stringy can be a danger to cats too - for some reason there are cats out there that love to eat stringy objects! I knew one cat that loved to eat stringy objects and had 4 surgeries for obstruction. For his last one he was turned over to the hospital I was working at and we took care of him. One of the doctors adopted him and one day they saw him running down the hall with a balloon chasing him! He had swallowed 1/2 of the balloon string! Luckily they were able to gently remove about 2 foot of ribbon and free the cat from the balloon monster! Plastic grass can cause obstruction in the intestines if ingested which could mean surgery to remove the offending object and hospitalization for the recovery. 

Easter lillies - help spread the word! photo by Andrew Dunn from the Wikipedia entry

Not to leave dogs out of this informative but depressing holiday talk, they have some dangers too. The most serious are holiday chocolates, candy and tablefood sharing. Dogs have a much better ability to find hidden treats than children do so please keep your dog away from the Easter egg hunt area. You should take an inventory at the end of the hunt to make sure everything was collected and maybe even make a map ahead of time so you can find all of the goodies in the end. I did have a case of chocolate toxicity in a small dog 3 days after Easter. The family came home and found pieces of plastic Easter eggs and vomited up chocolate. The dog did fine but he was hospitalized for 2 days. Chocolate really is toxic to dogs but there are many types of chocolate and many sizes of dogs so not every chocolate ingestion is treated equally. A 90 pound Lab that eats one M&M is going to be fine - probably won't even show any vomiting or diarrhea side effects. A 7 pound Chihuahua that eats 1/2 a pound of baker's chocolate is in a whole lot of trouble. For detailed information on how chocolate toxicity works in dogs take a look at the Purdue Veterinary School Wellness Center Website. 

Chocolate Easter eggs - remember where you hide them! photo from www.bbc.co.uk

Other dangers for dogs at Easter time include ingestion of candy and tablefood that they are not used to eating - in some dogs this can lead to a painful and potentially fatal condition called Pancreatitis. Pancreatitis symptoms include severe vomiting and diarrhea (often bloody) and severe abdominal pain, depression and dehydration. Dogs with pancreatitis must be hospitalized for days with intensive care and pain medication. The last danger is foreign body ingestion - those darn plastic eggs with the goodies inside can lead to obstruction in the intestines if they are eaten. If obstructions occurs the symptoms are vomiting and usually with a good appetite in the beginning which progresses to loss of appetite, dehydration and depression with continued vomiting. With all of these similar symptoms it can be tough to figure out what exactly we're dealing with but diagnostics and your careful history can be very helpful in ruling out obstruction from pancreatitis and other conditions that cause similar symptoms.

I hope this information has been helpful. It is not meant to scare you and ruin your holiday. It is meant to give you information to help keep your pets (and other pets) safe. Does anyone have any stories to share? Any questions? Please post comments!

Happy Easter everyone! Construction updates are coming soon!

Today was really insane - so much going on in one day! Let's see - over the course of this ONE day here we had:

2 network installation guys
2 HVAC guys
5 painters (still there as I write this)
4 plumbers (still there as well, pressure testing our O2 and N2 delivery systems)
1 landlord
1 sales rep
1 delivery guy (dropping off a couple 200lb doors)
1 interior designer (Cheryl!)
2 guys working for the building owner (putting plywood on the ceiling in back)
1 roofer (patching up the holes the HVAC guys were drilling)
1 Doctor (that's Kristin)
1 Official Clinic Poodle
1 tired computer geek posing as a general contractor

And there's drama emerging too, so in addition to guiding a lot of work, unloading a truck, and going on a lumber run, I spent a lot of time mediating in person, and on the phone...

1. Painters vs. HVAC
The painters had to leave this morning because the HVAC guys were in the way. I didn't know the HVAC guys would still be here today, so, I screwed that up. We gave them all some extra cash for their time, and they came back in the afternoon.

2. Owner's HVAC vs. our HVAC
The owner's HVAC guys claim our HVAC guys screwed something up on the roof (bypassing the economizer, and not putting the thermostat cabling in hard pipe). The problem is - our HVAC guys didn't do anything on the roof except turn on the gas. We think maybe the other HVAC guys are sore because they didn't get the bid, and everyone's been very impressed by the obviously superior quality of the work our guys are doing... Eastside Heating and Air Conditioning - doing excellent work, quick and on time, for a good price.

3. Our HVAC vs. Owner's HVAC - the empire strikes back!
In retaliation, our HVAC guys happened to point out to the building owner's contractor that the common area HVAC duct is broken at one of the joints. Ha, take that!

4. Plumbers vs. General Contractor
The general contractor moved some pressure pipes around in the back, and dismantled some of the brackets, in the process of putting up the plywood on the ceiling. I didn't know this until the plumbers came in and saw it, and they were pretty pissed - that stuff is oxygen-purged for use with medical gas, and they'd taped it off to prevent contamination. None of the tape was moved, however, so all is well, and everything's back in place just fine.

5. HVAC vs. Roofer
The HVAC guys drilled a nice hole for the water heater vent, with the proper clearance (1" minimum) around it through the wood decking (since that vent gets HOT) but when the roofer patched it up he moved it, so it was touching the wood. Not good. Oh and he also goobered a couple giant slabs of tar down into our space. So, they were sorta pissed. By the time they noticed it he was gone. They managed to maneuver the vent around a little, enough so we've got more than an inch of clearance all around, but it's not quite as perfect as it was when they first did it. They did go up to the roof afterwards though, and commented that the guy did an excellent job with the roofing.

6. DeeDee vs. the Scissor Lift
The little baby scissor lift we have now (to steer into tighter spaces) overcompensates for being pathetically tiny and lame by beeping CONSTANTLY at a Kiss-concert volume level, and DeeDee hates it. I hate it too, so I can't blame her. I miss the good ole SkyJack^® 19' Platform Scissor Lift (*sniff*).

7. HVAC Guy Nick's Hand vs. Some Sheet Metal
While drilling some sheet metal, a piece got away from his grasp and sliced three of his fingers pretty badly, OUCH! He went to the hospital, and probably needed some stitches - haven't heard back yet.

So, lines have been drawn, alliances formed, and blood has spilled! This is starting to feel seriously epic.

Our fancy designer-color CAT5E network cables!	DeeDee stops by for a visit	Finishing the connections on the pressure piping system

Kristin and I spent a lot of time in the clinic over the past few days, finishing up some odd framing tasks, installing the support structure for the overhead surgery lights, putting in a little bit of drywall (so we can hang the cabinets this weekend) and installing low-voltage boxes and chases for network cables. Kristin's also been painting the old seismic reinforcing columns - they were a pretty nasty faded color, and she picked a great matte red that cleaned them up a lot, but they still maintain a little of their original weathered appearance.

I had an interesting inspection on Friday, and spent the weekend worrying about it.

<rant>

The inspector told us that we had to INSULATE at least 50% of the exterior wall. Now - that wall is masonry, and is adjacent to the neighboring building's concrete wall, so, first of all... insulation? get serious!

Also, we sandblasted it so we could leave it exposed. It looks awesome. Now we have to build a wall in front of it?

Aside from that, we've ALREADY BUILT FRAMING in front of it. How the hell are we supposed to get in there and frame out 50% of it NOW?!

You know, I appreciate the safety and order that all our building codes have produced. In this country, even after a major earthquake we have pretty limited damage. In other countries, there's a stiff breeze and thousands of people are crushed under pancaking concrete slabs with no reinforcing steel in them. So, I get it, codes are good... mmkay? But here's the problem - you have to TELL ME THIS WHEN I'M GETTING THE ORIGINAL PERMIT YOU JERKS!!!! You can't make me go through days and days of reviews, revisions, discussions, variances, checks, fees, and arguments, only to finally issue me a permit for my plans, and THEN JUST MAKE UP NEW CRAP DURING INSPECTIONS! No - not okay. Sorry. You can't have it both ways guys. You want to be tough in permitting? Fine - but when you're done, I get to build it AS PERMITTED. You want to be tough during inspections and make crap up? Fine - but then don't even bother with plan review and permitting - just let me start building, since the permits apparently don't mean anything anyway.

</rant>

Okay, there's actually way more to the story, but I don't want to publicly impugn anyone's reputation, so you'll have to ask me offline. Thanks for letting me vent. I feel much better :)

In the end, I spoke to the head of the inspection department who was actually a very nice guy, saw the point, and said he'd talk to the inpector. So, I *think* we're in the clear, but I'm going to be pretty nervous when this guy comes back for the final framing inspection. You can bet he's gonna be pissed and he'll pull his tape measure out for every little thing. But we're ready... BRING 'EM ON!

Enough of that - here's the construction schedule update!

Week 1 (DONE): All HVAC main supplies and returns hung and operational. Floor grinding finished, floors sealed and done. Storage room floor epoxied and complete. (btw, this is a picture I took while spending the night there, guarding our cabinets and surgical lights) 

Week 2 (DONE): All main electric conduit run, all ceiling fixtures located and junction boxes installed. Framing begun, and well underway - rough framing is already about 50% complete!

Week 3 (DONE)
My Boastful Claim: Rough plumbing complete. Rough framing complete. Storage space electrical installed.
What Actually Happened: We got pretty close. The framing was completed in week 3, and the storage space electrical was installed - rough plumbing got a slightly later start though.

Week 4 (DONE)
The Claim: HVAC registers installed, returns and supplies dropped into rooms with ceilings. HVAC venting installed (dryer vent, gas waterheater vent, medgas vent, bathroom exhaust vent). Pressure piping for oxygen and nitrogen installed. Medical waste gas system installed.
Reality: This is the end of last week - the rough plumbing was done, but the medgas is still in process - it will definitely be done by the end of this week - they just have a few hours of work left to do. The HVAC finish work was also not *quite* done, they're finishing up tomorrow (Tuesday) - so, maybe 2 days behind schedule. Not so bad!

Week 5 (THIS WEEK)
The Original Plan: Electrical work within stud walls, wires pulled
The Revised Projection: The electricians are coming back at the end of the week, so this won't be completed this week - however, they did get a head start on it last week when they had a couple spare days. So, this portion, along with all items from above, should be completed by the middle of next week - a 2 to 3 day overall delay.

Week 6 (NEXT WEEK)
Plan: Drywall. Plumbing fixtures.
Outlook: Good for drywall, but not for plumbing finish work. Since the electricians might be there for half the week, it leaves just a couple days to do the drywall, which *might* be finished by the end of the week.

Week 7 (revised): Finish drywall, paint. Electrical fixtures, lighting installed. Plumbing fixtures installed. Casework, cabinets, countertops installed.

Week 8 (revised): Complete painting. Floors cleaned and touched up, final coats of sealant applied. Paint, carpet, trim details.

Week 9: Bring in equipment, open the doors!

So, even though a few things have slipped, I'm still projecting my original super-aggressive 9-week schedule.

the plumbers and electricians made this beautiful sculpture in the wall, but we're thinking about covering it with sheetrock anyway (sorry guys!)

cable trays we installed overhead to carry the oxygen, nitrogen, and vacuum pipes, as well as the network cables, across open spaces like the office

I can't believe our last update was on the 1st of March!

Well, we've been really busy with the clinic and have lots of updates. Michael has been coordinating up a storm and putting hard hours of physical labor into the job - framing, putting in lights, hanging cable trays, and laying out where everything goes. 

Me and Mom at Clyde Commons enjoying Popcorn and Champagne for Happy Hour

This past weekend my parents came up from Los Angeles to spend the weekend with us and celebrate my birthday. We had a great visit and roped them into helping at the clinic - birthdays are great for that! My dad helped Michael with framing and when my mom and I arrived with painting supplies we all set to work on priming part of the big wall - prepping for casework installation. That wall is high! But my dad did enjoy riding the scissor lift up and down after Michael strategically placed it between the truss and ductwork, without hitting the plumbing stubs! Man, can he drive that lift!

Me standing by the primered wall in the treatment room

As far as schedule goes, things are looking great! Michael is coordinating all of the subs to their maximum potential and to their credit, the subs are working hard and getting things done on time or ahead of schedule!

Michael's prediction

Week 3: Rough plumbing complete. Rough framing complete. Storage space electrical installed.

Week 4: HVAC registers installed, returns and supplies dropped into rooms with ceilings. HVAC venting installed (dryer vent, gas waterheater vent, medgas vent, bathroom exhaust vent). Pressure piping for oxygen and nitrogen installed. Medical waste gas system installed.

Michael framing

So far, half way into Week 4, we have rough framing completed, storage space electrical installed, oxygen and nitrogen outlets installed, pressure piping for oxygen and nitrogen half way finished, medical waste gas system installed, the HVAC guys are in there today working on the vents and the electricians started installing the electrical work in the stud walls yesterday (that's a week 5 goal!). Extras include framing in the display shelf by the front door, framing the reception counter - Michael is hoping to finish that today, hanging cable trays - Michael finished that yesterday for the pressure piping to rest on - it looks really cool, primer started on the big wall - mom, dad and myself worked on that and I'm going back in tonight to continue, all silver straps on the ceiling painted to camouflage their existence - I finished this on sunday - what a huge job but it looks great, and can lights and bathroom vent installed - Michael's expertise once again.

We also had an electrical inspection of the back space (where radiology is located) yesterday, so the landlord can finish the ceiling - yay we passed. Next is the rough framing inspection and then the electrical inspection, once the electricians finish, and then the dry wall can go up! Once the dry wall is up we'll be calling the painting team back up from California for another session.

We've shifted gears from geological pace to subatomic... remember before how each week *maybe* one small thing would happen, maybe not even? Well check this out:

Week 1: All HVAC main supplies and returns hung and operational. Floor grinding finished, floors sealed and done. Storage room floor epoxied and complete. (btw, this is a picture I took while spending the night there, guarding our cabinets and surgical lights)

Week 2: All main electric conduit run, all ceiling fixtures located and junction boxes installed. Framing begun, and well underway - rough framing is already about 50% complete!

Future (planned)
Week 3: Rough plumbing complete. Rough framing complete. Storage space electrical installed.
Week 4: HVAC registers installed, returns and supplies dropped into rooms with ceilings. HVAC venting installed (dryer vent, gas waterheater vent, medgas vent, bathroom exhaust vent). Pressure piping for oxygen and nitrogen installed. Medical waste gas system installed.
Week 5: Electrical work within stud walls, wires pulled
Week 6: Drywall. Plumbing fixtures.
Week 7: Electrical fixtures, lighting installed. Casework, cabinets, countertops installed.
Week 8: Floors cleaned and touched up, final coats of sealant applied. Paint, carpet, trim details.
Week 9: Bring in equipment, open the doors!

Okay so it's a little optimistic for a construction schedule, and I know we'll run into a few delays. I've been overlapping subcontractors, which will be hard to maintain for the duration, and there's always inspections that could turn up issues we'll have to rework.

But for now, the construction is actually AHEAD of schedule, which I believe is actually a first in the history of civilization. I feel like we're violating a fundamental law of physics and getting away with it, so let us enjoy it and gloat for just a little bit okay?