Naturally one emerged as my favorite and I secretly called her Lola, even though we weren't supposed to name them since we were selling them. She was so calm and sweet (which says a lot when you're talking about Jack Russell terriers!) and fell asleep on me on a regular basis. I desperately wanted to keep her but unfortunately I am just not at a stage in my life where I can have pets. It would be a nightmare finding a suitable rental and we're just not financially able to buy property now. Plus we are out a lot so it just isn't fair or responsible to own a pet right now.
So the puppy was sold (she was the last to go) and named Duchess (ugh! ugh! ugh!) and yesterday she died. The woman that bought her didn't tie her up or put her in the house/garage or take her along when she decided to go to town for something. This resulted in Duchess chasing the truck and getting hit and killed. And I am angry, really angry at her. I know it's not my dog, but I loved her anyway. She did a stupid, irresponsible thing and I am angry. I know she is sorry and I know I am sad and should work on being sad instead of angry but today I am angry. Hug your pet today and please, please care for them responsibly! They are permanent babies and need you! Goodbye Lola, I love you.
Maybe you've noticed I've been trying to write more. Since returning from Asia I'm really making an effort to set goals (even if they are small), learn, search for happiness and stand up for myself and the things I believe in.
I've already mentioned my love for stationary and so I'm showing you my new Inspiration Journal. I'm writing quotes, blog ideas, funny anecdotes and interesting information down in it. I bought it when I was traveling in Thailand and decided I should use it instead of save it (like the other 10 journals I have in boxes). I'm not really a "dear diary" type so this seems like a useful application for it.
So this is where I'm at. I am trying to figure out what I want to do with my life long term and keep doing what makes me happiest. I'm not sure where this blog is heading but it will probably continue to be a record of things I'm doing and stuff I'm thinking about. I like things to be interactive so if you're reading and have hesitated on commenting in the past I would like to encourage you to comment. It really makes my day and I do write back!
What about you- do you set specific goals for yourself? Do you journal? What do you think of my new blogging direction?
Speaking of goals, to give an update on my reading goal, it's slowed down a lot since I've been working full time but I'm going to keep going and see where I get. The important thing is that I'm reading, right? I'm in the middle of three books (Wicked, Look Me in the Eye and The Year of the Flood) so hopefully I'll finish them all up soon. I figure reading should be about relaxation and enjoyment rather than numbers. Saying that, I still covet the reading numbers of some of my friends. I just don't know how they find the time to read that much though!
I have to say, I am so sick of hearing about Swine Flu. I wish there was some sort of vaccination I could take that would save me from all the catastrophizing and media hype about this. This reminds me of all the SARS and Avian Flu (bird flu) garbage in the past few years. People, this is nothing to get crazy over. All of these actions that I've been seeing to help protect yourself and your loved ones from swine flu is likely just going to make things worse.
What do I mean? Well, let's look at the new additions of antibacterial wipes and Purell dispensers that are gracing the entrance of public places. This seems like a good idea but the overuse of antibacterial products is one of the things that is contributing to drug resistant strains of microorganisms. These products are helpful but you shouldn't be slathering them on all the time. Regular soap and water will do the trick. Also, it's okay to be a bit dirty sometimes, in my opinion, because it helps your body build up its immune system. Anyway, this is just one small example of a change I've noticed since the swine flu was classified as a pandemic.
I did a little bit of research and as I suspected, many more people die from influenza (aka the regular flu) yearly than have died from the Swine Flu. The symptoms for both are pretty similar and for the vast majority of people the swine flu is fairly mild. Unless you fall into one of the more vulnerable groups (very old, very young or very sick) you are probably going to be just fine. I'd like to point out that those vulnerable groups are the ones that are vulnerable to just about every illness as well, not just Swine Flu. Shouldn't we be focusing our energy on AIDS or cancer? Aren't these things bigger threats to public health and well-being? Probably but they've been covered before therefore the scare factor has worn off so the media isn't reporting on them. Until new and frightening information is gleaned (cancer is airborne!?! you can get AIDS from fast food!?!) those topics won't be making the headlines.
I can see why people are freaking out. Historically speaking, H1N1 has killed a lot of people. However, that was in 1918 and we've become more medically and hygienically advanced since then. Plus, the Spanish Flu was given a '5' on the Pandemic Severity Index and right now the Swine Flu is rated as a '1'. I think everyone really needs to chill out about this. We're a long way from here:
Before I get a bunch of comments telling me to take Swine Flu seriously, let me say this- I don't think we should ignore it. That being said, we need to be more sensible and exaggerating about it will only cause panic and panic solves nothing. I was reading an article online today that seemed to have a little bit of common sense. It's called 7 Better Ways Medicine Can Beat Back Swine Flu. Probably my favorite tip for swine flu prevention was to make sure you're getting enough Vitamin D. It's easy to do, there are no side effects involved and you are probably Vitamin D deficient anyway. You don't need a shot or a round of antibiotics, you don't have to drown your children in Purell; just use common sense. Get enough rest, eat well, exercise, take a vitamin, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze and wash your hands with soap and water.
To sum it up: if you're concerned about Swine Flu I suggest you wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, shut off the latest emergency Fox News bulletin and go outside to get some Vitamin D.
My supper date with Steph and her friends was a lot of fun. We met at Maki Maki and ordered a lot of sushi! Everything and everyone wasn't photographed but here's a little peak at a few of the delicious dishes! I would go there again since the prices were okay and the sushi was yummy! I think I need a plate of tuna sashimi all to myself though. I miss the sushi place we went to in Korea with it's included miso soup and cheaper prices. Maki Maki does have a better menu than that place though. Does anyone else love sushi like I do? What's your favorite kind?
After working a 12 hour shift I was greeted by these silly boys. Sev decided to enter the 24 Hour Film Contest this year and recruited Matt to help him. They entered a few years ago but had been unable to finish their film in time. They decided to use a stop animation tableau style since it cut down on budget expenses, made reshooting scenes easier and they didn't have to worry about giving recognition to actors or getting permission to shoot at various locations.
The theme was "romantic western" so they had some sort of space cowboys thing going on. They also had to include some chocolate coins as props and have the words "reel" and "fabulous" somewhere in the dialogue. I'm not sure when they find out if they won anything but it's an accomplishment that they actually managed to make the whole thing (and not stay up all night doing so). I haven't seen the film yet but I'm looking forward to it!
I came across the Uniform Project recently and thought it was a pretty interesting idea. I'm not really that fashionable but I try to look nice. I definitely admire people who have a strong sense of style and are willing to take risks (and not look like a total idiot in the process). In the Uniform Project the creator is wearing the same dress (she has 7 identical dresses) everyday but styling it completely differently using accessories and other clothing pieces. If you click on the monthly viewing of the blog you can see how successful she is. It's astonishing how different she looks each day!
This reminded me of the Little Brown dress (that I once featured on my Little Brown Blog) although that woman actually wore only one dress for the entire year (and did add a few things to it but just for warmth purposes). Both these women are doing/did similar projects with different purposes. The former is trying to raise money for children in India and the latter is trying to raise environmental/anti-materialism awareness. I think both are worthy causes.
It makes me think of a post made by my lovely friend Simone, at her fabulous blog Skinny Dip, on how she is striving to makeunder her life and wardrobe. I have to admit that I am a serial shopper- I especially love things on sale and often buy them without thinking about if they are worth any money at all or if I really like or need them. This bad habit has meant that my drawers and closet are bursting. Living in Korea was a nice exercise in sustainable shopping since I literally couldn't wear 95% of the garments they sold there (I talk about their "free size" over here). This really cut down on what I bought and it made me learn to be creative and to choose wisely when I was purchasing a new piece.
Needless to say, once I returned to Canada my bad habits have reared their ugly heads and I find myself shopping just because I can. I am doing a bit better I suppose because I do think twice before buying something and I am much better at purging my closet. I should probably purge again soon but maybe I will do that once the cold weather sets in and I can gauge what I am wearing a little better. Does anyone else have trouble letting go of clothes? Is your closet minimalistic or out of control? What's your biggest shopping weakness?
...is some good company and all your stress just melts away. I love these girls! I am also ridiculously excited that it's the hockey pre-season. I can't wait to cheer for the Oilers this season!
I check up on the news online and I somehow got redirected to this article. Who is buying this stuff? Specifically the creepy baby hand soap or the soap that smells like bacon. People are freaks!
I read Corinne Maier's book over a couple days in Chapters. I mentioned this to Stephie and immediately was met with, "Oh no!!! Does this mean you're not going to have kids!?!". I thought this was amusing but I reassured her that I do plan on having a child or two sometime but that the book is interesting and important (not to mention hilarious!) anyway.
Before anyone gets too excited, one of the most fascinating things about Maier is that she is a mother herself. Yes, that's right. She loves her kids too and isn't some crazy, ultra feminist, baby eating monster. She's just willing to admit something that the vast majority of mothers would never dream of saying- she sometimes regrets having children and misses her former child-free life.
Should she feel ashamed about this? Is Maier afflicting major psychological and emotional damage on her children by sharing this; especially writing a book about this? I don't really know. What I do know is that society is way too fixated on traditional lifestyles and should really keep their noses out of other people's bedrooms. It's natural for a culture/species to be self preserving and obviously reproduction is a huge part of that. However, not everyone is qualified, able or wants to have children and that should be okay. Instead of being criticized by everyone they meet, they should be supported in their decision. Why does everyone have to have a baby? When you consider what a state the environment is in and all of the children that are starving, being abused, neglected, etc is growing rapidly every day it might not be a terrible idea to abstain from adding to all of that.
So the next time you hear someone say they don't want kids, please don't patronize them with "Oh, you'll change your mind!! Children are the most precious gifts in all the universe and everyone should have a gang of them!!". Imagine if the same rude attitude was presented to an aspiring parent! There would be outrage! It's important to remember that not everyone has to have the same life. It's a good thing that everyone doesn't aspire to be an Octo-mom, an 18 kids and counting, an Angelina Jolie or a Jon and Kate + 8. Otherwise there would be no more room for new programs on TLC and we would probably run out of resources a lot faster.
I definitely recommend this book for the giggles (how can you not chuckle at chapter titles like, "Labour (child birth) is torture" and "You won’t have to use that idiot language when talking to kids"?) and the thinking it produces.
So I decided to try and be domestic and made supper the other night. I used the crock pot since I love that you can dump stuff in it and leave it alone. I decided to try an unusual sounding recipe that had great reviews: Asian Peanut Butter Pork. Overall it turned out pretty tasty. The pork was moist and tender and the sauce wasn't really that peanut buttery, it was more like an unusual sweet sauce (but not in a bad way). I went all out and even picked up the recommended garnishes and I'm glad that I did since the lime really helped add some lightness to the dish. The sauce is really heavy. Everyone liked it, however, it's not really the type of thing you'd want to eat everyday. The website I found the recipe on looks pretty interesting. The writer made all of her family's meals in the crock pot for an entire year and blogged about it. Lots of good ideas! Does this mean I will be cooking all the time? No, sorry folks. I still dislike it immensely!
Besides being ridiculously busy at work and trying to balance life otherwise, I have been playing online games. My current obsession is trying to name all of the countries in the world in 15 minutes or less. My best score is 166 out of 195. It's hard though! And some of these countries are spelled so strangely! Another problem I am having is that I am starting to get obscure countries but then I forget obvious ones. Give it a try and tell me your best score! That website has lots of fun quiz games that really make you think.
There's a store on Whyte Ave called Le Papier which I love going to. It is full of pretty cards and stationary! It also has inspirational art that isn't tacky. I especially love mary anne radmacher's work. If I ever get a job with an office I am totally buying some and having it framed to display. Here are a couple of my favorites. I got Matt one of her greeting cards for our anniversary this year.
I also picked up a couple of these journals and gave one to my Mom and the other to my Dad. I've been eying them for years- since I lived in Edmonton before I went to Korea, actually. Now I finally got around to buying them and I asked them both to fill them out and give them to me at Christmas time. I am really looking forward to their answers! I think it's a neat idea, even if some of the questions don't totally fit. I suppose if someone was really motivated they could create their own books with their own questions. I have a terrible memory (hence why I blog so much) so I think these journals will be a really special gift that I can keep forever. Have you seen anything pretty or inspirational today?
Our weekend had a couple of strange/irritating events. When we returned to Edmonton after visiting my Mom there was someone parked in our assigned parking stall. Matt and I took some deep breaths and tried to calm our rage and then parked on the street in front of the building instead. It was a really nice car too, much nicer than ours. We wrote a polite but firm note and left it on the window and then Matt proceeded to jump in the shower and start getting ready for our movie date. About halfway through his shower the water shut off completely. His hair was full of shampoo and the only rinsing option came from the Brita water filter in our refrigerator. Poor Matt.
We shook it off though, it was our anniversary after all! We set out and on the way to the movies we noticed a NORAEBANG!!! Yep, that's right, they do exist (well one does anyway) in Edmonton. We went in and chatted with the nice owner, looked at the rooms and the song lists (he updates them with current English songs!), grabbed a business card and vowed to return soon. Seemed like our bad luck was improving.
The movie was okay and gave us something to talk about since we've both read the book. We get home and the person is STILL parked in our spot and the note hasn't been touched. At this point they have been parked there for at least 6 hours (probably longer though since we were gone all day). We park on the street again and go up to our apartment. The water is still off. We go out and purchase bottled water so I can wash my face and brush my teeth. It's an interesting exercise in water usage. Hmmm...
The next morning there still is no water. Apparently a pipe broke and so they are trying to fix it. Leah and I need a shower in a desperate sort of way. Steph is still visiting Mom so I text Bryn and Alisse. They both say we can come over and we head to Bryn's (it's closer). Bryn is a total sweetheart and makes us banana chocolate chip pancakes! I proceed to get syrup all over myself. We return to the apartment and the same person is still parked there. We get them towed. Our water is fixed shortly afterward and normalcy resumes.
I could make this really mushy but that's not really my style. It was our ten year anniversary this weekend and we had a nice day. Nothing really monumental happened but I suppose you should be recognizing the important relationships in your life every day, right?
We went out and saw the Time Traveler's Wife (you can read Matt's review of it over here) and then bought ourselves a present.
I've always wanted to have nice things. That may sound really materialistic but let's face it, we need stuff to run a household and I am sick of owning a bunch of crap that is falling apart. We spent a ridiculous amount of money on new pots and pans and they are just gorgeous! Now that I'm staying in one place I want to make my living space as comfortable as I can. My parents have already helped me in the right direction with the fabulous living room furniture and TV and so now my goal is to keep that up and invest in quality things that I will love for a long time. You can see what we were cooking with before and our beautiful new cookware in the second picture. What do you think?
I think the next thing we need to save for and invest in will be a new table and chairs. What are you saving for? Have you made any big purchases lately?
Anyway, to get back on topic- Happy Anniversary Matt! And thank you to everyone that recognized our special day!
I wish I could see them more often! I hope that Zeus stays healthy. I was teasing Dad about Venus gaining weight. I wish I had a house so I could have a pet. Aren't they adorable?
I was able to get Friday off of work so I could go to my Dad's house and celebrate his 56th birthday with him. It was a fabulous meal (as always) of BBQ chicken, pork chops, salad, roasted potatoes and fresh buns. We also had the traditional DQ ice cream cake which Sharron added even more Reese Peanut Butter Cups to. Like it wasn't fattening enough already. It was delicious and we all stuffed ourselves. After supper we played Balderdash (which we call Bangladesh after Sharron slipped up and called it that years ago) and it was really hilarious. Some highlights included Foumart (An unsuccessful chain of grocery stores run by Mr. T) and Fingers (A movie about a gang of fingerless pirates who are unable to cut open their lemons and ultimately die of scurvy). Jules won for the first time too so that was nice for him. In case you're not familiar with the rules of Balderdash, they give you a word, movie title, name, etc and you have to make up a fake definition and then hope people choose yours as the correct definition. If you look closely at the picture you will see that we are all idiots and accidentally played from finish to start. Oops!
The next morning we had a fabulous breakfast and spent some more time visiting before heading off to see my Mom. Her birthday is on the 15th and so we wanted to see her and enjoy her fantastic cooking. She made ham, scalloped potatoes, fresh garden beets and carrots with rhubarb pie and ice cream for dessert. Basically that was the end of eating for the day. Haha!
We returned back to Edmonton and Matt and I spent the rest of the weekend together. Why? Well, it was our anniversary. September is busy! I will blog a bit more about our anniversary soon. I can't believe it's been ten years! Oh and if you want to see all the pictures from Dad's birthday you can go over here.
Since returning from Asia I have thought a lot about our mandatory tipping policies in North America. Everywhere I go I am being accosted by tip jars, tips being added into my check and being outright asked for a tip. Asia has a pretty strict "no tip" policy (although it's definitely catching on, especially in tourist frequented areas) and in fact they will chase after you to return the money if you do leave a tip! Needless to say, it's been difficult to adjust to adding on that extra 10, 15 or 20 percent again. Frankly, I'm getting a little annoyed.
Before I sound too much like a miser, I don't mind tipping if there is something to tip for. If someone has really done an exceptional job or if they have done a good job and are clearly very busy (I am talking about waiters/waitresses here). What I object to is the attitude that tipping is mandatory and expected. Isn't tipping a bonus or a reward? If so, why do so many people feel entitled to receiving one? It's getting worse too. In the past I was only expected to tip my server, my bartender, my pizza deliverer. Now everyone has a jar sitting in front of their cash register! I feel bad for the fast food workers but really, should I be tipping you? How about the people at the cupcake shop- sure you served me my cupcake in a timely fashion but does it really merit a tip? Should I be monetarily thankful to you too? I was under the impression that you were already getting paid to do your job and that it was coming out of the money I paid for the product.
The argument here is that these sorts of jobs have poor salaries and that these workers are depending on their tips in order to make up the difference and survive. Why are consumers picking up the slack for employers who refuse to pay a decent wage? I think that's the real issue here. With inflation rising and wages staying the same, especially for unskilled work, it is getting harder to make ends meet. I can see the appeal of trying to get a few extra bucks but it feels a bit like begging. Also, what about the jobs that deserve tipping and don't get it? When was the last time you tipped the poor furniture delivery person? These guys just carried your new couch up 4 flights of stairs and maneuvered it into your labyrinth of an apartment and all they get is a smile and thank you? How is that fair when you just handed the pizza guy an extra $5? It just doesn't make much sense to me (which is why I often don't tip the pizza guy and I do tip the furniture delivery guy).
I think that we should question tipping. What is it's purpose and is it really helping anything? Maybe if we only tipped when it was really deserved then there would be more pressure on some employers to increase their crappy wages. Possibly I am just really out of touch and cheap and should go back to Asia? What do you think?
After hanging out with Diane I did a few errands and then decided to succumb to the "new" cupcake trend that seems to be going on. I realize this isn't that new, since they have had cupcake shops in Vancouver and Calgary (and who knows where else) for a number of years now. In fact, a few years ago Leah bought make a cupcake birthday cake (it was just a CAKE though, so I didn't really understand what they were trying to pull with that)! Now it seems to be exploding a bit and cupcakes are everywhere! Have you seen allof thecomplicatedcupcakecookbooks you can buy now? Of course, no one can forget the awesome hamburger cupcakes that I made last month.
There are two cupcake shops in Edmonton within a few blocks of each other: Fuss Cupcakes and Flirt Cupcakes. Is this really sustainable? Are cupcakes here to stay or will one (or both?) of these businesses be collapsing in the next while? Is a cupcake really worth $3.10? Why are cupcakes so popular these days?
I decided to find out and went to Fuss Cupcakes and tried their Soul Mate concoction. The Soul Mate has chocolate cake infused with vanilla butter cream frosting and then is dipped in chocolate ganache. The cake itself was nothing special- dry actually, but the presentation is really fun and whimsical. The whole shop is quite the novelty and that's my opinion of all these cupcake shops. We're in a recession and $3.10 seems pretty inexpensive for something fun even though it is actually quite expensive for the product itself. I am sure that all of the cupcakes are tasty but it's a silly expense when you could just bake your own at home.
Maybe cupcakes are for the weight conscious? It makes sense- you just have one and put the rest away. Cupcakes are adorable and as a result, their size makes you think that you're not really indulging. The problem with baking them yourself is that rarely does anyone just eat one cupcake and give the rest away. When you bake you end up eating a lot of the batter, icing and then a number of your creations (or is this only me and my zero willpower?). Really you would be better off making a cake since it is less time consuming and you'll probably only eat a piece of it. Or have a cupcake party with a bunch of people so that the decorating work and the eating is more evenly distributed.
What do you think? Have you noticed the increased cupcake popularity? Are they worth the hype? I just keep thinking about how ridiculously popular they would be in Korea (are there cupcake shops there now? I miss Korea!!).
Before I went to Korea I was struggling at a job that didn't make me happy. In fact, most of the time it made me pretty miserable. One of the few things I loved about that job was getting to work with my friend Diane. It's been too long since I've seen her but we finally managed to meet up. It was so refreshing to hang out with someone who understands my sense of humor and holds so many of the same interests as I do.
She's interested in joining a book club and I have been trying to find one/get one started. I met up with Catherine from my Bookleaves book club (in Korea, yeah she lives here now) and she has a book club with some friends. Also a friend from university messaged me about a book club and so now I think I just need to get off my butt and call people.
Aren't Diane and I cute? It took me a lot of convincing to get her to let me take her picture. People can be so funny. We had a yummy brunch and basically talked until we were just about hungry again.
I'm not so sure of this season of sytycd canada. I've been pretty underwhelmed so far. Can it be that the first season spoiled me? Or that they are playing too many dance shows back to back? Maybe. I do enjoy Emanuel (they fixed his hair... hmm... no surprised) and I love Melanie Mah. I'm not really attached to any of the contestants like last year and what is with all of the falls and mistakes!? Sloppy stuff. I keep hoping that it will pick up or maybe the new American one will be better?
The major downside of my job is it's schedule. Ultimately I want to find a day job like Matt so I can do fun things in the evenings. Like host sytycd nights at my house! I had Tuesday off this time so I had these guys over (Sev and Leah came too) and we all watched it together and made hilarious comments and heckles. If the show isn't good at least the company makes up for it. It's just not the same when I watch it alone the next day after Matt tapes it for me.
Hope everyone is having a good Labour Day weekend. I wish I had tomorrow off but I am working. It's okay though since I will get paid overtime and get a day off in lieu (that hopefully I can use to get this Friday off since it's my Dad's birthday). Last night Matt and I hung out at Steph's house and played some fun games with her and a couple of her friends. It was a good time. Matt drank too much Grog (literally, he was drinking something called Grog) and ended up falling asleep at 11pm. Classy! Steph, Bryn and I went out though (Justin also wasn't feeling up to it) and had a nice time chatting away at O'Byrne's Pub.
Today I spent some quality time with my Nintendo DS and then went with Leah to WEM so she could do some shopping. Somehow I totally screwed up with my navigating on Fox Drive. What is going on with it? So much construction in this city right now! It's driving me crazy!
Lucky Matt has tomorrow off and right now he is off meeting an old friend. He finished the play he's been writing and they are going to do a read through. I am trying to figure out what to do/give Matt for our anniversary this week (Sept. 12). Ten years, can you believe it? Surreal. I also really need to get back into reading mode- I've basically stalled 2/3 of the way through Wicked. It's so boring! I've invested so much time in it though so I don't really want to quit it.
Life has been going at full force lately. I have been working hard at my new job and things seem to be going well. It was back to school this week and that meant lots of shuffling clients around. I was with one of my clients while they were registering for a new school. We were standing in line for the ID card picture taking when this guy turns to us and asks, "Are you two in line to get your pictures taken?". Apparently I look like a high school student?!
Matt and I decided to have a date night and go and see Up. I'd heard a lot of positive reviews about it and was really excited. Since we're thrifty, we went to the cheap theatre (that way it isn't ridiculously expensive if you get popcorn with your movie. Twelve dollars is just way too much for a ticket!).
I was given the task of finding seats while Matt stood in the popcorn line. I started scanning the theatre and climbing up the stairs to get a spot. Suddenly I heard my name being shouted frantically. I looked up and there were 2 of my work clients. What are the chances?! "Come sit with us hey how are you doing why aren't you at work today can we have some of your popcorn?". So date night was basically hijacked and confidentiality was out the window. Did I mention that I had just finished working two 12 hour shifts with them the previous two days.
The movie was fantastic though. I highly recommend it. It's funny, touching and makes you really think about the important things in life. It's a great date movie and good for all ages. My clients liked it too. Haha!
This cartoon from a softer world made me tear up a little. When I first returned from my Asian travels back in May/June, my dog, Venus, had just had four puppies. Since I was an unemployed bum living with my Dad, I was the one taking care of the puppies all day so I grew pretty attached.
Naturally one emerged as my favorite and I secretly called her Lola, even though we weren't supposed to name them since we were selling them. She was so calm and sweet (which says a lot when you're talking about Jack Russell terriers!) and fell asleep on me on a regular basis. I desperately wanted to keep her but unfortunately I am just not at a stage in my life where I can have pets. It would be a nightmare finding a suitable rental and we're just not financially able to buy property now. Plus we are out a lot so it just isn't fair or responsible to own a pet right now.
