Designated Doodler

I love Orange is the New Black. I love the questions it raises about humanity, morality and our country's jacked up criminal justice system. While at TCU I attended a seminar held by falsely imprisoned men who had lost decades for crimes they didn't commit. I have such a passion for criminal justice and it makes me sick that we throw people into a system that only hardens them and encourages recidivism. I'm all for justice. But I'm also for humanity. I can't even explain the many ways my heart broke hearing these men talk about how they were scapegoated for crimes they didn't commit. One of them wasn't even in the same state as the crime when it was committed! It's absolutely unreal...the horror stories that are out there told by people who have lost huge chunks of their lives to a broken system. And who do we have to fix this system? Politicians who don't care? Prison administration who just wants to fill racks and cut cost...

The search for my puppy has ended. I got my little nugget at just six weeks old and named him Parker. He is a Schnoodle (Schnauzer/Poodle) who is more Poodle than Schnauzer. I was lucky to find him here in the Houston area at a reasonable price. It's funny because I initially searched for Poodles and Schnauzers and I got a little of both. The reason I wanted those breeds are because the miniatures are small and both are hypoallergenic (since I'm allergic to dogs :( The woman I got him from had a boy Poodle and girl Schnoodle that mated and had a litter of six. I thought boys were more chill, so I got a boy. He is absolutely adorable but needs SOOOOOOOOooooooOOOOooooo much training. I'm attempting to potty train him. I use the word "attempting" because there are still plenty of accidents. He is also play biting, which is no bueno. So if you have any training tips at all, please share, haha. It's going to be quite a summer for me...moving into a new pl...

First I found the job (or rather, the job found me), and then the search was on for an apartment. After touring some stupidly overpriced places, I finally found home. And I give myself extra kudos for not being "swept away" by the fancy finishes and amenities that some of those ridiculously expensive apartments offered. It is so tempting to sign that agreement and move into a resort-style place, but fighting that temptation was critical. So before having a child, my plan is to get a dog. Now the search has begun for a relatively hypoallergenic pooch. I've been thinking of getting either a schnauzer or a poodle. I have wanted a dog for more than 20 years and now I can finally have one, I'm so excited! I just hope that my little barker will get along with my little meower. I love my cat to pieces and I know that he'll be thrilled to have a playmate. He's definitely the alpha, so I'll need a beta dog for sure, haha. If you have any breed suggestions (or new...

If you love thrill, suspense, romance and completely destroying yourself, then you really have to watch (hulu) or read 11.22.63 by Stephen King. First Mr. King destroyed me emotionally with The Dead Zone - one of my favorite books. But that wasn't enough, nope, he just had to rip me to shreds with this masterpiece of a story that left me sobbing like a newborn. I became so enthralled with the hulu series that I purchased the book. To my dismay, the book is 900 pages and I did not have the patience to get all the way through it before succumbing to my desire to finish the hulu series. So reluctantly, tonight I pressed play on the final two episodes of the show. And just as I knew it would be, the last two episodes were the perfect ending to the thrilling story of one man's journey to try and stop the JFK assassination. I don't want to spoil anything if you're interested in the story so I will only say that James Franco's portrayal of Jake Epping was perfectly m...

1: Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed? Open 2: Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotel? Depends on the hotel, usually yes. 3: Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out? Out. 4: Have you ever stolen a street sign before? No, that's ridiculous. 5: Do you like to use post-it notes? Only as a teacher, not in my personal life. 6: Do you cut out coupons but then never use them? I did once. 7: Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of a bees? Definitely bear. You can shoot a bear. 8: Do you have freckles? Yes. And as a kid I drew them on a self portrait and my teacher got mad at me and said I didn't have them. But I do...only in the summer. Stupid teacher. 9: Do you always smile for pictures? Yes. I also smize. Sometimes I even booty tooch. 10: What is your biggest pet peeve? Probably chewing with your mouth open. 11: Do you ever count your steps when you walk? Yes. 12: Have you ever peed in the woods? Yes I have. ...