Wordless Wednesday....its been a while!

We are finally moved!!!

Yay!! :)

I couldn't resist the Uhaul picture ;)

Poor Domino

When we got Domino from the humane society we were told that he was originally adopted from there as a puppy, but was brought back when his owners had to move and couldn't bring him. Side note: this is the lamest excuse in the book! I have moved half way across the country with 3 large dogs, a cat, and a gecko! I also know someone who lived in her car for 2 weeks until she could find a place that allowed her dogs...it can be done people!! Anyways, we figured this was a lie and they just didn't want him due to the fact that he was growing like a weed and had no training aside from "sit...but only for a treat!"

Well, we are packing now and are beginning to think that the moving excuse may have been true. He is pacing the house with a pathetically sad look on his face. No matter how many times we bring him to the new place to sniff around and promise him he is coming with, he still acts depressed. How sad is that?! To all the people out there who are laughing at me through their doubt in animal emotions; yes I do strongly believe that animals can remember things like this and feel sad. I also believe that they grieve, so take that!!

Here is a picture of him lying where his bed used to be, in what used to be our bedroom and now is packing central. He goes in there every night and lies down in his spot while giving us the saddest puppy eyes ever. How could anyone drop him back off at the humane society after this look?!

Any other pet parents out there with ideas on how to get him to realize that he is coming with us? I can't take the sad pacing anymore...

Her Fearful Symmetry

Hi, so I had this idea to start a blog book club...sounded good right? I don't know who I was kidding, I don't have time for that! Ahh, wishful thinking... Anyways, this was the first book I was reading, so I figured I would do my review and questions here. If any of you have read it, I would love to hear what you think. It was an interesting book!

Review:
This was a beautiful story about the interconnectedness of life and family, even into death. It shows the connections between twins and the ways that they can be both captivating and painfully stiffling. Niffenegger presents such rich characters and eloquently describes the relationships between them. One aspect of this book that I particularly loved was the ambiguous way that she played around the idea of death and life afterwards. It was a fantastic way to present the topic in a way that leaves the reader questioning the world as they know it.

Questions: (warning; if you have not read the book, these will spoil it...stop now!!!)

1) Who did you sympathize with more, Julia or Valentina? Did your sympathies change as the story moved on?

2) Do you believe in ghosts? If not, how did you feel about the concept being presented in this book? How do you feel about the idea of ghosts now?

3) Do you think Elspeth intended to take Valentina's body all along? What do you think of her decision?

4) How do you conceptualize the relationships between twins? Do you think this was a relevant depiction?

5) What do you think of Valentina's nickname "mouse" and how if fit her in the begining as compared to the end?

6) What are your thoughts on Martin?!

7) How do you think the "secret" between Elspeth and Eddie affected each character in the book? What do you think of the decision that they made?

8) Finally, did you like the book?

Answer some, answer all, make up your own, review the book...whatever! I will post my answers in a comment form, so as to not sway anybody's thoughts :)

Need a pick-me-up?!

This will do it! Ive had a crazy stressful week with no sleep and too many finals...but this video even made my day better :)



Matt is from Seattle and decided to go around the world dancing. Somehow Stride gum found out about it (you know, the longest lasting gum people) and paid for him to go to a ton more places! Lucky guy!

Check it out...

Lisa over at Lisa's Yarns is doing a giveaway for a hat I really want. So, you should enter....and pick the colors velvet grapes and sweet grape...just in case you win and decide you don't want it, Ill give it a great home!! ;)

Do movers ever do "pro bono" work?!

I hate moving!!! This is the status of my "office".....during finals week! Only Apple Lane could cause us to decide to move during one of the 3 busiest and most stressful weeks of my year!! So, although this is a wonderful move for us, it is still a pain in the butt to do.

On a positive note though; I finally splurged on a nice desk for the new place. So, my work area is going from this

to this...

Plus, we are keeping the extra room as just and office. No more office/bedroom/storage/what ever else!!! Yay :)

2 years already?!

Yesterday was my 2 year anniversary with Rachel...awhh! Not to be sappy but its really amazing how quickly time goes. The thought of how quickly time flies for some reason makes me think of how fragile life is and how much it can be left unacknowledged. It has been a great 2 years, so here is my overview of appreciation :)

What do I love about "us".....
-Feeling connected and having it feel good, even in my isolated individualistic manner.
-That we find eachother funny, and also acknowledge that most other people probably do not!
-That she has become an animal lover and fully appreciates the quirkiness of Squash as well as my own quirkiness in my passion for animals.
-The way we sleep, not cuddling but still connected :)
-Struggling together...even when it seems too hard.
-Inside jokes and stories, which are all hilarious by the way!
-That "Beatrix" (our new GPS) may have just saved our relationship, or at least saved us from quite a few fights...and its ok to rely on her for such a big task!
-"the other way" ;)
-Saturday nights playing scrabble in our pjs.
-That we somehow made even a place like Apple Lane feel like a home.
-Feeling supported and encouraged, even when I feel like stress is breaking me into a million pieces.
-That we are very different and yet somehow very much alike.
-Learning more about myself as an individual and as a part of a unit.
-That we have finally figured out how to effectively make joint decisions (not an easy task!)
-Being confused moms to a large, hairy, unruly "child!"
-and of course...feeling loved!

I love you honey! Here's to 100 more.....

Why is an owl smart?

I love owls. I love books. I especially love reading in trees, I actually had a tree claimed at my grandma's house when I was a kid for that exact reason! I love coffee and reading glasses. So...when I saw this t-shirt I was instantly in love! Plus it was on sale for $9! I was so excited that I almost paid more on shipping than the shirt itself, but alas I am going to have to wait 6-9 business days for it......

Its Professor Hoot on a shirt!!....life is good :)

Enought about me...

...who are you?!

I know I have found a lot of fun blogs by looking through the followers of the blogs I follow (thats an odd sentence)....so I figured I would make it easier for you! Everyone post a comment that explains a bit about themselves (or share whatever you please!) I'll learn more about my followers and you can meet some new people :)

Eavesdropping in Starbucks

I was at Starbucks last night doing homework. I was enjoying my corner all to myself for the first hour or so that I was there, then 2 women came in and took the table next to mine. As it turns out, they were having some sort of a weight watchers/bible study meeting. The client (we will call her Pam) and the leader lady (we will call her Sue) sat down and pulled out their manuals. I was immediately annoyed with Sue as she was a constant gum chomper! This is my biggest pet peeve, it makes my skin crawl! Anyways, Sue asked Pam to tell her how the holiday went and basic information on how her eating was going. It was a little weird. I won't go over the entire conversation, but I feel the need to mention some of the key points.

At one point, Pam stated that she had made some dinners from her healthy recipe book. Sue stated that she was supposed to "throw out all recipe and diet books" as they were "too tempting to stray from what God is telling you to eat." Sue also made statements about the lies that research and "the world" tell you about eating healthy. Pam had mentioned that she likes to buy her snacks at Trader Joes. Sue said that this was wrong because she was listening to "the world"...Im not sure what that even means. From what I could gather the point of this diet is that it is not a diet, that there are no real rules, you just eat what God tells you to.....oh and what Sue tells you to, she was awfully bossy!

The thing that bothered me the most about this conversation is that Pam kept mentioning that one of her biggest struggles was that she was alone and she felt lonely and depressed about this which made her eat. Every single time she said something along these lines, Sue would say something about her husband; "yeah, my husband is great, he is my biggest support" or "my husband cooks me wonderful healthy meals." How rude is that? She was obviously supposed to be Pam's support, not make her feel worse!

I just thought this was really weird. I am not particularly religious, but I have no problem with a religion based diet program, I actually think that it could be very beneficial for someone who has a strong faith. This one just seemed a bit ineffective. Just eat what God tells you? What is wrong with a healthy cookbook or something. I could tell Pam felt a little lost and confused and she definitely wasn't getting any answers from Sue!

I am rambling though, I do have 2 main points out of this story. First, Sue quoted a lot of scripture during this meeting (usually when Pam asked a valid question and she obviously didn't have an answer!). One of these quotes was devotional that Pam was supposed to say when she felt like eating (as a way to speak to God I think); "see how I hate those who hate you" Um.....a) what does this have to do with warding off hunger?! and b) this is my problem with organized religion. It just seems so oxymoronic to me that hate is a part of any religion! Does anyone know of a religion that honestly promotes equality and an open mind?! In my mind, this should be the norm. What good can come out of promoting hate?

The second thing that bothered me about this was that Sue kept making statements against Pam's habit of eating alone. She said it was the path to mistakes (or something along those lines) and that it should be avoided, even at home! She even mentioned that "when I was a single lady, I used to eat my dinners on webcam with a friend or family member" Yeesh, what is wrong with eating alone?! I love to do things alone! What good is this going to do for Pam? I actually think it would just harm her by giving her even more shame about being alone. What are your thoughts on this? Am I the only one who loves to eat/go to movies/etc alone?!

Any other thoughts on this odd "non diet" diet?!

Holiday movies!

My favorite holiday movie has always been Prancer. A little girl helping out an injured reindeer so he can fly on christmas...come on thats good stuff! Makes me cry like a baby every single time. Then of course there is A Christmas Story, I love this movie! Every time I see it I think of sitting in the living room with my grandpa laughing while my mom and grandma comment on the movie's stupidity! :) Whats not to love about a pink bunny costume as pj's, a sexy leg lamp, and the line "you'll shoot your eye out, kid!"

Most of the new holiday movies fall a little short of the classics in my mind. But, to get in the spirit, we watched a few recently. My mom loaned us 4 christmases and it was really cute. That may have been more due to the adorable relationship between teeny tiny Reese Witherspoon and the giant Vince Vaughn though than the actual holiday aspect of it! Last night though I watched a Hallmark movie (don't judge!) that was adorable. It is definitely going in my group of holiday favorites! It was called A Dog Named Christmas and was about a developmentally delayed 20 year old who fostered a dog over the holidays and.....well I won't ruin it, check your local listings! It was really good and of course, I cried multiple times (those damn Hallmark movies!) The shelters here in Seattle are doing the same thing and I thought it was a good idea. Now after watching the movie, we are definitely going to look into it. We just have to be strong enough to bring the dog back after christmas, Domino is already too much! I think shelters across the US are doing the same thing, everyone should check into it and watch the movie!

So, I know I am missing quite a few, what are your favorite holiday movies?!

On a side holiday note, Rachel got me tickets to the Nutcracker by the PNB for our anniversiary! I have been wanting to go ever since I moved here 4 years ago. I am super excited!! :)

Ahh, Brandi!

Free Brandi concert at Easy Street Records.....awesome! I love that she is so adorably humble, she commented that she was surprised so many people showed up...to her free in store performance! There were hundreds of people crammed in between all the cd racks, it was about 900 degrees in there and we were too short to see anything without standing on tiptoes. But, oh so worth it! She is one of the few people that can pull off a good Cash song, in my mind...and of course is cute as a button while doing it! ;)

Happy Whateveryouwanaka!!!

I love the Gap commercial! The first time that I saw it I thought of the coexist stickers that always make me smile. I didn't see any reason for controversy....Then I went to find a link to the video so I could write this blog. I realized that there is a big controversy and even a boycott! Apparently using the term "whateveryouwanaka" while singing and dancing in a joyful manner is disrespectful! Who knew?!

I just feel so strongly that everyone deserves the right to their own beliefs. I hate hearing religious teachings that say they are the only possibility. (I will fight the urge to step up on my soap box again by just providing the link to the last time!) Why can't everyone just believe in what they feel comfortable believing in and celebrate accordingly?! I think that singing "Happy Whateveryouwanaka" is a perfect way to get that point across!!

I have an idea...

Because I really want to join a book club but don't have the time! What do you think? :)
http://readingistherapeutic.blogspot.com/

We try to do a nice thing for a dog...and people mess it up!!

Rachel got home from work on Saturday and we were excited to have a somewhat lazy day. We headed to the library so I could print a bunch of stuff off that I needed for a presentation and were planning on taking Domino to the park for a good long run afterwards. Then home to fulfill the laziness part of the plan. Well, the best laid plans....

On our way to the library we saw a dog on the side of the (very busy, might I add) road. So, I turn around at the next light and we pull over on a side street near him. He is super sweet and comes right up to us, which is when we notice that he has severe corneal ulcers and cataracts in one eye. This means that he is not only running along the side of a busy road, he is also half blind! We check the tags, no name and number, just a rabies and dog license (both expired by a few years). So, I call the vet. This is where the fun begins...

The guy at the clinic gives us the owner's number. No answer. So, we call the vet back and ask if we can leave him there until the owner is reached. He says no because they are about to close. We (irritatidly) ask what he thinks we should do with (his client's) dog. And his reply was "you could call the shelter, but they will probably just tell you to keep him until you can find the owner" This is a large Bernese Mountain dog who is not neutered and looks and smells like he hasn't had a bath in his entire existence. Honestly, the stinky-ness and size would not have detered me, but the fact that he was not neutered kept me from wanting him around Domino. (Neuter your pets people!!!!!)

So, we decided to tie him up in our yard and hope the owners called soon. Bad idea, he turned out to be a barker and whiner. Our neighbors would have been on us in an instant. In this time, the vet called back and gave us the owner's address (a little odd, yes). So, we drive by to see if maybe the people are home. Well, we try to, this home does not exist. We could find the houses that should have been on either side of the address, but not the right one. We stopped in at a few and everyone said that they had never seen the dog before.

Finally we decide to just go to the shelter. This ended up being the worst part of the whole experience. I followed the posted rules and went in without Bruno (I forgot to mention, the vet told us "her" name was Bruno...he was definitely and unaltered male!). I stood in line for over 30 minutes. During this time I got a year's worth of annoying people watching in! An incredibly annoying girl interrupted the 1 woman at the desk about 5 times, because she "just needs this little thing" or "oh can I have that form" or "I just have a simple question!" Another lady budged in line because she "just had to pick up a ferret...Im a foster volunteer" good for you, Im just trying to drop off this dog in my car!! Then the ferret lady went off on an entire story about how she saved some ferrets from a drug house...I was about to scream!! The lady in front of me in line asked about a million questions about the cat she was adopting, every response was "well we recommend (so and so) but thats a great question for your vet!" take the hint lady. Finally it was my turn, I told my story and the lady said "oh, just go get the dog and I need your drivers license" I turned around and saw the line of about 12 people and almost cried at the idea of being behind all of them when I got back. I think she saw the desperation because she said "you will just drop him off when you get back"....ahh, relief!

So long story short; we spent 3 hours of our much needed "lazy day" dealing with ineffective people (shelter workers excluded; they are doing the best they can on a very limited budget) all so we could save Bruno. Was it worth it? Of course! He was a sweetheart and loved the extensive car ride. Plus, I would have had a far worse day if I had to see him dead on the side of the road. This is yet another reason why I like animals more than most people!

Being a Barbie does not get you through life!

I have held off blogging about this ignorant bigot for quite a while, but I can't hold back anymore! As if her close minded views on homosexuality are not enough! I am so sick of hearing her talk. Everything that comes out of her mouth is so fraught with entitlement and...well ignorance! I just want to scream at her that her boring typical blonde plastic looks do not equate with perfection or universal adoration. Does she really think she is more popular or powerful than Larry King who has been around forever?
She eminates this idea that she is 100% right and everyone agrees with her and she should get whatever she wants in life! She is so incredibly close minded and vapid to me! Get a personality and formulate your own beliefs! There is nothing less attractive or more sad to me than a typical society derived "attractive" person who relies on their looks to get them through life. You are not entitled Carrie!!



In this next video she acts like she just stopped a terrorist bomber or something! She also acts like this Miss USA conflict was the hardest thing she has ever gone through, what a privelegded sheltered little life she has led. This is my favorite quote though, "Im disgusted at the way some people can be so intolerant" Come on Carrie, lets try some insight!!

By the way, the group she is speaking to here is the "family research council" and they fight for "preference in public policies for heterosexual marriage and the traditional family." Very likely the same people who posted signs all around my neighborhood that stated "Protect children; reject Ref 71" like we are some sort of child devouring aliens or something! Well guess what, those signs didn't work and neither will your new spokesperson "Carrie the Bigotrous Barbie"!!

Purple :)

As I have posted before, I love the Stranger horoscopes even though I am not generally a horoscope kind of person. Well mine for this week is perfect!

Pisces
According to Leonardo da Vinci, you could magnify the power of your prayers or meditations tenfold by bathing in purple light. Back in his time, this was easiest to accomplish by standing near a church's stained glass window that was tinted purple. These days you can get the same effect with the help of a purple lightbulb. Alternately, you could simply close your eyes and visualize yourself surrounded by a shimmering purple glow. I recommend this practice for you in the coming days. It's an excellent time to do anything and everything to intensify your spiritual power. PS Experts in color theory say that purple nurtures the development of the imagination, which would be of great value to you as you tone and frim your devotional impulses.

"Visualize yourslf surrounded by a shimmering purple glow?" I do that every day! :)

(for those of you who don't know me well, I am a purple freak...absolutely obsessed!)

Apparently a conversation starter!

I have these sleeves, technically they are gloves I guess. I love them! They are my favorite item of clothing. Well, aside from some of my heels but school has succeeded at completely taking away my life, so I never get to wear heels anymore! Anyways, I love these sleeves. I have noticed an interesting phenomenon though. Every time I wear them I get a comment from an older man. Not a sexual or attraction sort of comment, just something about my sleeves. Its usually a comment such as "those are interesting" "arent your elbows cold" "did you make those, they are so unique?!" Generally a conversation is started through this comment which is actually kind of nice.

I started to notice this trend on the first day this fall that I wore them. A man on the train who was probably in his upper 50s commented on them and it started a conversation about regional weather trends and some tv show I had never heard of. Then, a man on the bus who was probably late 50s asked me if I made them which started a conversation about his volunteer work making shirts for veterans (Happy Veteran's Day by the way!). Then again on my way home a man in his 60s or 70s told me his wife would love them! I just thinks its really interesting that my gloves draw the admiration of older men who likely would not be wearing them. I have no thoughts on an explanation for this, I do fully enjoy the conversations though :)

Rain rain go away!

Im really sick of the drizzle! Its dark and chilly and constantly wet. Why cant it just rain hard and be done with?! Id be fine if it rained every single day as long as it did it in one good downpour. I miss thunderstroms and real rain....I hate this stupid drizzle!

Ok I am done pouting. On a positive note; I love my new rain boots and here is a picture of a dog with an umbrella. Only in Seattle...

Stolen post

I saw this on Lisa's yarns and thought it was a fun one, so here it goes...

1. What animal should cease to exist? (Not including bugs. That’s too obvious.)
-Pomeranians! Just kidding, I love all animals and think nothing should be excluded...but I seriously do not like these yippy little puff balls!

2. What was your favorite thing about the beach?
-Absolutely everything! I love when it is basically deserted though and you can just listen to the waves. Plus, I love sandpipers; those little birds that chase the tide searching for bugs and stuff, they are adorable :)

3. If scientists found a way to allow dogs to talk, do you think we should implement it? Or should we just keep them quiet?
-I am torn on this one. It would make animal abuse harder for the jerks that do it if they had to listen to the cries for help. But, there is something so amazing about the silence of a pet. I'm going to go with no, because I don't think we should impose our scientific discoveries on nature...but I do think more people should listen to the silent pleas of animals.

4. How do you order your Starbucks?
- Grande pumpkin spice (normally sugar free vanilla) light room americano.

5. What’s worse? People who don’t know the difference between your and you’re OR people who  smack their food?
-PEOPLE WHO SMACK THEIR FOOD!! hands down, this is my biggest pet peeve! Close your damn mouth people! This goes for gum chompers too, have some decency!

6. What CD can you listen to over and over?
- Right now it's Brandi Carlile's "Give Up the Ghost", but basically anything by her!

7. What was the most surprising thing about college?
- The experiences outside of the classroom. Its true that it is the time to figure out who you are. This is undergrad that I am referring to. The most surprising thing about grad school is that I am still alive and partially sane!

8. What’s the best deal you ever got? (Biggest sale item.)
- I love this question because I just got the best deal ever. I was at Fred Meyer shopping for boring necessary stuff and remembered that I needed a new bra. This wasn't fun bra shopping, it was boring "I really need one" bra shopping. So I found on on the sale rack that was purple, which added a little excitement. I went to check the price after the sale on the self scanner thing. It read "foundation, 3 cents" which I assumed was a mistake with the scanner. We went through the self checkout aisle and it rang up that way there too!! So, I paid quickly and left with my 3 cent bra!! Awesome :)

9. Who is your role model? Why?
- This is a seriously tough question. I am convinced that I don't really know of my role model. This isn't because I don't appreciate the people that I know or that I know of, I am surrounded by amazing people. This is simply because I believe that the people out there who deserve "role model" status are the silent fighters. The woman making minimum wage at 3 jobs to support her children, the people who are overworked and underpaid at homeless shelters and foster care centers, the drug addicts who turn their lives around only to encounter struggles and judgment, the person who gives up their seat on the bus to an elderly passenger or their last dollar to a homeless veteran......all without praise or notoriety. These people are my role models!

10. What movie would you like to see that is in theaters right now? Why?
- Where the Wild Things Are. It looks beautiful and it is nostalgic for my generation.

Those are my answers, comment with answers to the questions that you like or repost if you so please :)

Inspiration (and a bit of weekend review..)

So, Friday was the longest day I have had in quite some time! I had a midterm due in my 9-12 class..then I had a learning disability/ADHD assessment to finish up in my practicum, from 12-4...then off to work from 5-1am. No rest for the wicked! Well I was dreading this all week. It was a pretty crappy week also, I had another midterm due on Wednesday...too much.

Turns out though, Friday was pretty great and not nearly as exhausting as I anticipated. This was partially due to the fact that the vet clinic that I do relief work at is an emergency clinic, which means it is rarely boring. I walked in to find an owl that had been brought in by a good samaritan after it was found potentially hurt. How awesome is he?! I named him Professor Hoot, pretty clever if I do say so myself :) Watching him was one of those experiences that make you think about how much more amazing nature is than all this technology crap that us humans are so proud of.

I try my best to slow down my life and attend to all the amazing things that are so often overlooked in this world. In our society, we look at technology, city skylines, and man made stuff and think to ourselves, "Wow we rock, look what we can do!" But, I happen to think that a tree that withstands the tests of time to live hundreds and hundreds of years is significantly more amazing than anything man has made. Sometimes it takes something as simple as a hurt owl to remind me of that...thanks Professor Hoot!

Here are some of my favorite examples of the wonders of nature...

I watched a very large group of birds flying around the waterfront from a window at my school the other day. It is amazing to see a group so large move as a single unit as they play around the buildings on the waterfront. I read somewhere that flying groups of birds, except when in a V, do not have one single leader. They work as a group to direct the formation. That is absolutely amazing! When do humans accomplish such a feat?!


What could possibly be more amazing than northern lights?! There is very little in this world that is more peaceful, or that connects you more to nature than the experience of laying on your back in the country somewhere and watching the night sky filled with stars and nature's own light show!















I will admit, I used to be freaked out by spiders! Something happened though that made me start to realize the complexities of a web. They are absolutely beautiful in their precision and functionality. You have to have respect for something that can make something so amazing...how dare we swat away their meticulous hard work?!












My own personal favorite, the thunderstorm! I am originally from North Dakota and we have some amazing thunderstorms. There is no better experience than driving out in the country during a thunderstorm and allowing the force of nature to overwhelm you. Its a beautiful mixture of excitement, awe, and fear that leaves you feeling like a very small part of a fantastic piece of nature.

What has nature done lately to inspire you?!

Ignorance in full display

There was a guy on the train this morning complaining about the health care debate because, "the only people without health care are the lazy ones who don't work or the ones who decide to spend their money on tvs and stuff instead!" Seriously buddy?! I am a full time grad student who chooses (maybe not the right word...forced is more like it!) to buy textbooks instead of health care...not tvs! My application got dropped from Washington state basic health because of "budget cuts" and I can't afford any other coverage.

Also, because people are fighting to take away my equality rights within my relationship (vote to approve ref 71 please!) I wouldn't be able to be covered by Rachel's insurance even if she had it!

I understand that there is a misuse of the system currently in place and that there are likely many people acting in just the manner that he was speaking of. But, keep your judgemental ignorant display to yourself. Those of us working our asses off to better our situations don't need to hear that during our morning commute!

Squishy is the Queen!

This is how you make a bed when a cat is laying on the rumpled up corner...

She glared at me the entire time with a look that said, "do not even think about moving me to make this bed!!".....so I didnt! Anyone with a female cat knows that there is no point in pretending like you are in charge!!

ps: I was running late this morning also because she laid (all comfy looking) on my back as I was trying to get up! :)

pps: Don't laugh at our polar bear sheets. They were on sale and they are flannel...plus they are purple and I think they are cute!!

And a cute picture of Domino with his head out the window on the way to the dog park....just because its furry friday!

I like animals more than I like most people!

Really, I do. I am a very very good pet mom. I went into debt in order to give my baby an extra year for cripes sakes! Plus I take care of other people's pets very well in all the different arenas that I have done so in my life (vet jobs, pet sitting, etc..).

Well today, I have had someone accuse me of neglecting their cat and yell at me for saying that I believe dogs should be neutered! What is going on in my world today?!

I was at the dog park and a lovely (sarcasm please!) lady came in with her unaltered doberman. He instantly started fighting with another male directly in front of me so I simply stated "thats what happens with 2 unneutered male dogs." She got all defensive saying "no, he's just playing..trying to show he is boss." I was quiet for a bit. Then, he got into 2 more fights that she had to break up by standing between the dogs. During one of these, Domino was right in the middle. He can't read aggression, so he just sulked over to me, scared and confused. The owner of the other dog is somone who I have talked to a few times and she is constantly contimplating wheather or not to neuter her dog. (Why this is such a decision is beyond me!) I told her that she may want to leave before the dogs get themselves hurt and informed her (yet again) that unneutered males often fight like this. Well, the doberman lady heard this and went crazy! She said "I work in the vet clinic down the road so I know that isnt true!" to which I replied (calmly) "Ive worked in vet clinics for 10 years and I have seen many injured dogs from male aggression fights." I also said that I was surprised she had a purebred, unneutered, ear and tail docked dog since she claimed to work in a vet clinic. Most people in clinics have compassion enough to at least not torture their dog in these ways, and dont get me started on the mutt over purebred argument! She claimed that her clinic dosent hold that belief "they believe in the breed!" which was a bunch of bs and simply her way of justifying her selfish desire to have a purebred fake showdog.

Meanwhile, I am keeping an eye on the dogs. Her dog keeps picking fights with the males. Domino is sticking to the sidelines, confused about the lack of friendly playing. And, people are 1 by 1 taking their dogs either home or into the other dog park area. Oblivious lady though, still thinks that she is right and her dog is "just playing." Awesome. Although I completely stick to my belief that dogs should be neutered except in the very very rare occasion that you are actually a responsible and well intentioned breeder (rare rare case!). I still was upset by this lady challenging me and telling everyone that they do not need to neuter their dogs.

The other case; a lady I was cat sitting for this weekend completely lied to my boss and said I neglected her cat! I love cats and this one's name was Purple, anyone who knows me knows that I would never neglect a cat..expecially not one named Purple! So although my boss believes me and I am sure the lady was just trying to get a free service, It still stung.

Reasons number 1275 and 1276 why I like animals more than people! :)

What does this say to young girls??!!

This is what is wrong with our society! Why do we need models that are so skinny they are sick? How do you make a size 4 woman feel fat?! Seriously, I am baffled by this. This picture is absolutely disgusting! It isn't even physically possible to be this skinny, why photoshop a beautiful skinny girl down to an alien looking form?

I know I am not alone in my belief that a confident, healthy woman is far more attractive than a sickly one who feels fat in her size 1 jeans! Case in point; Dr. Torres on Grey's Anatomy is leaps and bounds more attractive to me than Dr. Grey!! (And no, the irony of the fact that I had to pull a fictional character as a reference rather than a real woman in our society is not lost on me) She is confident in her skin, she even danced around in her underwear on tv!!

Why are we setting this unattainable goal for our women? If our society is making models feel fat, there is something that needs to be changed! We need to embrace ourselves and find a way to be comfortable in our skin. I am not saying anything is wrong with wanting to look good. But, you do not have to look like a photoshoped model in order to do so. Be happy with your unique aspects, it is what makes us different! Be healthy, eat well, find a weight that is comfortable for you, then flaunt it! Confidence and uniqueness are far more sexy than trying to fit some predetermined mold! Come on girls, nobody wants to be a plastic Barbie, how incredibly dull! Let yourself age, embrace your laugh lines, they are proof that you are living! Enjoy life and enjoy food, do you really want to die wishing you had eaten that piece of oreo cheesecake?!

Much thanks to Dove for using real people as their models!!

One of those weekends...

Its been a less than desirable weekend. On Thursday night I fell down some stairs at a house I am petsitting at and landed directly on my tailbone. It hurts like hell! So, for the past couple of days I have been walking like I have a stick up my butt and grimicing in pain every time I have to sit down. Its been a blast.
This morning I went home, looking forward to the couple of hours this weekend that I got to spend at home, and drove in to a circus being put on by our neighbors. Awesome.
Heres to hoping that Sunday is enough to redeem the weekend.....

Buy it. It rocks!

Brandi Carlile Give up the ghost

A hodgepodge of information....

....because I still dont have internet! Looks like its going to be a month without it now :( sucky....

So, I have been spending a lot of time in the library and starbucks. This sucks because...well because its not my comfy couch mainly! It is interesting for people watching though. Plus I just got a mini notebook for school, so I have been getting use out of that. We were in starbucks the other day and we got to watch the poor cashier give everyone that dumb taste challenge that they have. What a waste of time! Just give people the free sample and get the line moving along, yeesh!

Off topic; we went to see Whip it on Sunday and it rocks! I love Ellen Page, she is hilarious! Anyways, its a really funny movie and it made me want to finally make it out to see the Rat City Rollergirls. I have been saying that since I moved here so maybe I will actually do it now!

Pet news; we are searching for a dog walker or dog daycare for Domino. Its an interesting search....he is a handful and I think my description of him ("a 100lb dog who is very undersocialized, needs a female walker and at least a month to warm up before he will not be spooked by everything on a walk with you") is scaring people off. Im not getting many replies to my emails.....?

Ok, thats it. Im feeling disconnected from the world....poor me.

A very brave kitty!

Squash is very brave, and a bit of a brat! She is no longer scared of Domino, so now it is her self-proclaimed job to make sure he is aware that the house (and everything in it) belongs to her! So, what does that result in? A 6lb cat bossing around our 100+ pound dog!

He didn't even attempt to get his bone from her, just looked at me with pleading eyes. The pictures don't do justice to a Squishy glare!

No internet for a week?!

Our cable and internet have been down now since Sunday. I can go without cable, we only have a few channels anyways. But, loosing internet is like loosing a limb! Rachel called and scheduled a repair for today. Although I was not excited about the 4 hour timeblock that I had to be home for, I was very much anticipating the return of internet signal. Apparently my expectations were too high...

The cable guy was there for over an hour trying to figure out what was wrong. Side note: this completely freaked out Domino of course. He tried to shove his 100+ pound body under our bed numerous times! He came back in to say that the cable line was ruined and would need to be reburied.....sometime within the next week! Being pessimistically suspicious, I asked what he thought happened to it. He said that it went around our neighbors part of the house and was both intertwined with all their crap behind the house and had been dug up and chewed by their dog...as I suspected. He gave me an apologetic look and said we would be called with a more definite date.

I HATE OUR NEIGHBORS!!!
This is what the back of their portion of the house looks like;

So, the cable line is underneath and tangled between this junk yard! Plus, their poor little chihuahua is tied up on the side of the house all day long. Of course she chews on cable lines and breaks free to roam around. (Something else she does that bothers me because I know I am going to come home someday to see her dead in the street!)

I hate them! They sit home all day doing nothing with their lives aside from impeding on ours. I am a busy grad student and I need internet!! Not to mention, we pay $62 a month to have it!

So, that is my rant session. I am currently sitting in the library "quiet zone" (dont get me started on loud libraries!) waiting for an email from my professor and listening to 2 teenage boys gossip about their myspace. I am frustrated.

Photohunt: Twisted

I spent my week searching for a 30 hour day...

...to no avail! So, Ive been busy and stressed, and absent. class has started again and I am in my final year of coursework for my doctoral degree (mini celebration for me!!), so needless to say, Its going to be a busy year.
Class. Practicum. Reports. Assessments. Dissertation! Internship applications. Papers. Study. Study. Read. Study. And Read.
Thats my life, who is jealous?! Anyways, I just thought I would share where I have been. I will get back here, I promise!

Photohunt: Upside-down

Melly Belly is so cute!!

Furry Friday

I'm going to talk about other people's pets on this furry friday. I do pet sitting as a pseudo-part time job right now and this, even more than working in vet clinics, has made me realize that there are some funny pets out there...and some even funnier owners!
(all names are made up by the way, gotta maintain the anonymity of these kids!)

Marty, Matt, and Gill: These guys rock! They have so much personality that I think they may be comedians in furry form :) Gill is a chubby cat who morphs into a pirrhana at dinner time. He actually needs to be removed from the rest of the food bowls or he will dive in with no regard for the other teeth that are in the way. Matt is a oversized cat who acts like a human. He is bigger than most small breed dogs that I have seen and "talks" like crazy. Marty is the dog of the family and is a wonderful sweetheart!

(Not Oliver, just an example of the cart!)

Oliver: This one is a doosy! He is a really old dog that is past his due date! He "walks" with a cart and needs to take breaks to cough up some phlem about ever 5 steps or so. He wears diapers because he has "lost function" but I think he really just likes people wiping his butt for him! Although it sounds pretty funny, its actually very sad. It is my firm belief that we are given a gift through the ability to euthanize our pets and that we should have the strength to be able to pass that gift on to them when it is time.

Carrie and Gaston: If ever anyone has a fear or hatred of pitbulls, they need to meet these 2. Carrie is the sweetest girl ever, although quite a bed hog. Gaston is like a 5 year old boy who needs his Ritalin! He actually has a treadmill in the house just for him! They are 2 beautiful, rescued pits who I absolutely love!

(again, not him, just showing how darn cute they are!)

Dobby: This guy is the epitome of a lack of stranger danger! He is an adorable italian greyhound who thinks that the world is his best friend. He slept inbetween my legs within 10 minutes of meeting me. For anyone who has never seen an italian greyhound, they are basically miniture versions of a greyhound and they look (and are sometimes) very fragile! Picture that, now try sleeping with one tucked under your arm, in bed, under the covers! Adorable, but slightly anxiety provoking :)

 

I love meeting animals and being witness to their amazing personalities. We have to thank the brave scientists out there like Jane Goodall who broke through the absurd belief that animals have no emotions. Spend 5 minutes with one and it is readily apparent that they are emotional beings with distinct personalities. What would the world be without our furry friends for love and entertainment?!

When opposites collide!

*Friday update: Apparently this guy got hauled away in handcuffs a few hours later.....ahh, karma! :)

My school is little, its a private graduate school, not a big univeristy so there are significantly fewer students. I love this because there is good communicaiton between professors and students. It like a little community and it is a wonderful way to foster growth.

Of course though, there are downfalls to this. The main one being our facilities. We have 1 floor of a building that is mainly filled with students from the Art Institute. Aparently they don't have enough room in their 2 buildings, so occasionally they have classes on our floor. This may not seem like a big deal, but it really really is! We have completely different atmospheres and they should not intersect.

Our floor: We are respectful of our graduate student status within a professional atmosphere. Most people are dressed fairly nice and conservative. We are quiet, it is an unwritten rule that our computer lab is quiet so people can do their assignments or research. Our classes are always on time and we respect our professors and fellow students. Basically, it is just a professional atmosphere filled with very hardworking students.

Their floors: Very loud! I rarely go to the library because it literally sounds like a busy coffee house with everyone gossiping about last night's party and not a single soul reading or studying! This is really a shame too, bucause the library has a beautiful view looking over the waterfront and mountains...and I never get to use it except for the few days that they have a longer break than us, during which I fully enjoy the silent library! Students are usually walking around on their cell phones. Plenty of the clothes are either costumy or trashy. Basically, it is the polar opposite of our floor.

Aside from my longing for the library and the cloud of smoke I have to walk through on the way in the door, this contrast is not a problem to me. I actually enjoy the culture shock at times. But, I hate when they come onto our floor and gossip loudly in our computer lab or stroll arrogantly through our halls. Is distracting and disrespectful in my mind.

Now to the reason for this post. I was sitting in our testing center computer lab today scoring a personality test. I heard a guy in the hall on his phone yelling at someone for calling him while he was in class.
Arrogant little prick: Why are you blowing my phone up?
...
ALP: Im meeting with my teacher and you keep calling my F*&^ing phone! Im talking to my teacher...thats so rude dude.
Me (to the other girl in the lab): Why is his phone even on then?
Her: I know, isnt that rude?!
ALP: I cant meet you now, I came early to talk to my teacher, dude!
...
ALP: Im not bringing you your computer you asshole, Im in class!!
...
ALP: F*#K, Im not doing it, asshole! Dude you are being so retarded (keep in mind, this is a psychology grad school, we do not use that word!)
...
ALP: (at full scream mode now): Send the f*"king cops then, Ill tell them Im meeting with my teacher and you were blowing up my phone, they will see it was f*#king rude! Send them!
...
ALP: no dude, you are a F*"k! Whatever dude, Im gonna be an adult and talk to my teacher...your just a F"*k!!

Me: And that is the difference between an Argosy and an AI student.
other girl: Perfect example!

Seriously, this guy is in school acting like this. He is an adult and he was acting less mature than most kids I know! Oh, and I walked by the room he was in a little while after this and he was playing a game on whoever's computer it was....no teacher in sight!

Its stuff like this that make me appreciate my parents greatly. I was taught respect and how to act in a professional environment. I can have fun, but I know how to act like an adult and when it is appropriate to do so. Obviously a very valuable lesson.....

Baby alpacas!!

Someday.....

.....I will have a real office!

This is currently how I am working on my homework, papers, and dissertation! In my makeshift office in our extra bedroom.
Oh and this is my office chair...classy huh?!

Dont get me wrong, I am grateful to have a space to work at least! I'm just saying that someday when I have a real live office with desks and big comfy chairs, I will look back at this post and fully appreciate it!

A sampling of my favorite commercials on Furry Friday...

...because of course, they are always about animals!

This is just plain adorable!


This is my favorite commercial ever! It makes me want to fly with an emu! :)


Another good WA lottery one. The things we do for our pets....

Back to the grind?....did I ever leave it?!

Class started again and along with it, that constant feeling of urgency and being just behind where I need to be. You know, that feeling like a  

black knot in your stomach 

that is connected to a switch that will not turn off in your brain 

by a tight spiked chain that runs up your spine...

...

yeah that feeling! 

I am not going to miss that when I am finally done with school. There is nothing like working your ass off only to feel perpetually like you are about to miss a deadline or loose a paper or fall off the face of the earth! Bring on the ulcers.....

Wordless Wednesday

An attack on bigots! (lets turn the tables for a minute)

*disclamer: this is a rant in the truest sense but it is important to me and that makes it emotional!*


I read an article in The Stranger on my train ride home today that made me force back tears. For those of you who are not Washingtonians, here is a little back story before I explain the article. Our state presented a law (ref 71) giving domestic partners almost equal rights, basically "everything but marriage." A religious group formed a petition to get enough signitures to be able to put it (ref 71) on the ballot in November. Basically this is a repeat of prop 8 in California but with a domestic partnership law rather than actual marriage.


Ok, now for this article. It was ruled that the contributors of this referendum had to remain public, so The Stranger decided to utilize that. The author called up some of the backers of the ref 71 vote and asked them why they were against the domestic partnership law, here is a sampling of what they said. Im calling them by their names as well just because the comments are too stupid to be hidden behind anonymity!


James McFadden stated that although he is backing it, it is really a lost cause because "gay marriage is going to happen" in "pro-gay and very liberal" Seattle. Ok, gotta love an optimist (sense the sarcasm please)! He then stated that he is against gay marriage though because he has "seen people with perferated anuses and they end up with a colostomy bag." Ok James, you lost me there. For starters, anal sex is not a direct synonym to domestic partnership! There are pleanty of straight couples who have anal sex, plus even if us gays are not allowed a stitch of civil rights, there is still going to be anal sex going on in all forms of relationships, legal or not! Why is this guy worried about anyone's anus but his own?...odd


Carrie Vasko had some very weird ramblings that I didn't follow. She did pull out the gay teacher card though saying that "school is there to push math and science, not to push these personal agendas." Because yes Carrie, our entire life mission is to convert as many young vulnerable children as possible...bring on the toaster ovens!! (again, sarcasm please!)


Esther Mayoh (hows that for a name?!) said her main reason for being against ref 71 was that she "didnt want our state to leagalize sodomy." Here we go with the anal sex again! Yeesh people, is that the only thing you can come up with?! She passed the petition around to what sounds like quite a few people, but admited that she didn't read it! How very responsible of her. She also referenced a few family members who were "involved in that lifestyle" but are not anymore. Here is a hint Esther; they are very likely still gay, they are just lying to your bigitrous ass about it!!


And on to my personal favorite, Paul Henry, the biggest misinformed, judgemental idiot of them all! His entire belief system on this issue seems to be built on his idea of gays being basically comprable to rats. He stated that gays (I hate the use of the term "gays" by the way, its just a way to distance yourself from someone you are uncomfortable with!) are "even more than gross. I think they are major incubators of a lot of the bacteria. It is common for homosexuals to have hundreds of different sexual experiences with people...There are bacteria that are called 'gay-related syndrom' or something, but it is not healthy. And by using lots of antibiotics against them, the antibiotics are no longer usable because they don't work." What the fuck?! (excuse my language, but that deserves the F word!) Seriously, where does this stuff come from? I was unaware that my monogomous, loving, respectful relationship was crawling with bacteria simply because it is with a girl! They really should have put that in the manual when we joined this cult!


Why did this article make me cry, you ask? I have so much invested in gaining equal rights. It potentially affects my right to see my girlfriend in the hospital, our ability to raise children someday, our financial stability within our relationship, insurance, wills, and the list goes on and on...

I am being told that these basic human rights are being taken away from me on the basis of "sodomy" and some odd bacteria that dosen't even exist?! This is my life, stay the hell out of it! Giving us the right to legally be in our relationship does not affect anyone outside of it! I am appaled that anyone outside of my commited relationship finds it to be their right to take away any of ours. We are not "incubators of bacteria" who all sleep with hundreds of people. We are simply 2 people in love who have commited themselves to eachother in a very normal relationship.


Shame on you Paul, Esther, James and Carrie for placing your assumptions on my life! Keep your bigotry to yourself, talk about how horrible we are with your equally ignorant friends if that makes you feel superior, but do not impose it on a society that is working to include us. We are not asking for you to be gay or even to be accepting of us. I could not care less if you liked me, I do my best to exclude bigotry from my life. We are simply asking that you just stay out of an issue that does not affect you in the slightest way. We only want the basic human rights that you are allowed. And you are given these rights no matter the status of your marital relationship. Nobody comes into your bedroom to inspect for "sodomy" or "bacteria" because that is ridiculous, it has no merit on the ability to legally be in your relationship, so why are you placing it on mine?

"My love is just as real as yours..."

Ok, I am done...I am stepping off of my soap box that should not have to exist.