2011!

Boyfriend usually creates a little video of his year-in-review.

I decided to play copy cat.

Dog Pee

I was recently told by someone that my boyfriend's dog doesn't like me, which I took extremely personal.  One of the possible reasons for this comment is because the boyfriend's dog PEES on my stuff!

Ok.  Maybe my clothes shouldn't be on the ground in the first place.  But really - who's perfect?  Certainly not me.

So because his dog urinates on my clothing, some people have assumed that his dog doesn't like me.  And I would be lying if I said that I didn't agree with them.  My friend Kimmy once told me she would support me if I decided to pee on someone's car for revenge.  Revenge typically indicates hatred.  Not love.

So I was explaining this to my hair stylist (Taylor Brown if anyone is looking for a stylist!) today, and she told me:
Honey - if a dog pees on your clothes, it means he loves you!

I'm thinking this lady is crazy and suffering from an anything-bad-is-actually-really-good syndrome, but she swore up and down that this was true.

So I googled it.

Here are the facts:

When a dog pees on your items marked with your scent (typically clothing), this means he is marking you as his territory.  This means that you are his and he is protecting you from other dogs by claiming his ownership of you.

This can also be caused by anxiety in which "the dog's anxiety causes it to seek out any behavior that has a calming effect, including chewing or urinating on objects that smell like its owner."

Another website mentioned that some dogs "place their ‘signature’ and add personal touches to territory or property they perceive to be theirs, in the hopes that outsiders will stay away."

There you have it!  He loves me.

Source:  Why do dogs urinate on their owner's clothing?
Source:  Why dogs mark territory with urine

Photo Credit

Addictive Personality

I have an addictive personality - sometimes.  When I find something I like, I LOVE it. 

Ask my mom about the time I went through an Oreo phase.  She frequented Costco to keep up with my addiction until ONE DAY the addiction was gone.

A new addiction?

Pinterest. 

This is what I have been waiting for my entire life.  I LOVE THIS SITE! 

So this is what I found today that made me really giddy inside and decide I must visit Holland.  How cool is this place?!  I found these photos on Travellingboard.net which displays a village in Holland with water roadways.

SIGN ME UP!  

As soon as I find me 7 little dwarfy men

And singing/dancing/talking mice

I'm moving here

3 Things

1.  Movies movies movies - since school has gotten out, I have been watching movies GALORE!  I canceled my TV during school to eliminate distraction, so now I thrive on Redbox.  So far my two favorites are The Help and Friends With Benefits.  Love!

2.  Passing stones - as most of you probably know, I have been spending some extra time in the ER for horrible kidney stones.  The pain from kidney stones is horrible, and this episode caused me so much pain that I threw up for an entire day (TMI?).  I'm ready for this to be OVER!  Thanks for the support friends!

Wish I could have screen-captured everyone's comments - I have some supportive friends!

3.  Pledge 4-in-1 Hardwood Floor Cleaner - I love this stuff!  This is the type of clean that you just squirt on your floor and mop up.  It's super easy, and I love the way it cleans my hardwood floors.

New Year

I'm laying in bed after recovering from an entire day of stomach flu or food poisoning.  Judging from the fever, I believe it was the flu.  This was a lovely way to spend the first day of the new year!!  Luckily, my mom came over to watch me hug a toilet (TMI?) and help around my house.  

I know most people right now are making blog posts on their new year "resolutions," so this post may be a little cliche, but sometimes cliche is fun.

For beginners, I don't typically make "resolutions."  They're difficult to keep, and most people never follow through.  "Run every single day" is not realistic.  "Lose 15 pounds" can happen quickly - then what? 

So I decided to post things that I am looking forward to in this upcoming year.

1. Moving to Portland - in less than 1 month, I will be packing my belongings (again), renting a moving truck, and driving to Portland.  We have an adorable apartment that the boyfriend is currently living in, in a great part of town.  Now the only question is where on earth are we going to put all of his climbing stuff!?
2. New Job - I have only been at my current job for a little over a year, however I feel like I have been there forever!  When I left my last job, I was just an intern.  It is expected for interns to leave.  They're not highly valued as an actual employee.  At my new job, I put in my notice with my boss as soon as I estimated a moving date.  Since I have put my notice in, I have had so many people approach me about how they enjoy working with me, congratulating me on my new move, and so much more.  I feel like an asset.  I have only just begun applying for new jobs in Portland, however I am excited to see what it's like to work in a big city with so many different opportunities.
3. Baby - ok ok ok - not MY baby, but one of my best friends in the entire world has a bun in the oven.  I CAN'T WAIT to meet him! 
4. Working Out - this past semester was absolutely brutal to me.  I worked full time and took four graduate level courses, so my personal health and fitness was put on the back burner.  My dinners consisted of chips or cheesits, and my lunches consisted of Rockstar energy drinks.  With that being said, I am excited to begin working out again and eating real meals!
5. Bloggy - I believe my bloggy needs a new look.  The whole half-naked-mermaid thing is cute, but I'm not in a sorority anymore and that picture doesn't fly.  Now that I'm school-less, maybe I'll have a little extra time to dedicate to my bloggy!

That's it for now!  I have a few more, but they're not too terribly exciting so I thought this was good enough :-)

Happy New Year friends and family!