Alice's Wonderland

I am excited to announce that I am a proud pet parent (not a pet owner, a parent). Alice is a fancy rat, not because she's super classy or anything, that's just the kind of rat she is. She lives in a cage in the office, and she is super cute. I was limited to a small pet, something that could live in cage. Fish creep me out, and birds are too loud...so rodent was the way to go! I have been asked 'why a rat? Why not a hamster?' Well, the facts are these:

-Rats are very smart, they can learn to respond to their names and even learn some small tricks

-Rats are sweet and won't ever bite out of frustration or malice. She'll nibble at my fingers, but mostly she just gives 'kisses'

-Rats aren't as staunchly nocturnal as hamsters. Alice takes naps throughout the day, but she wakes up and loves to play during the daytime too.

-Rats are very social and affectionate. I've already told you about the kisses.

-Rats are clean, contrary to popular belief. I read that (domestic rats) spend 1/3 of their waking time grooming themselves. 

-Rats are better than hamsters. The end.

Alice with her 'nummies' (a peanut), giving kisses, and snuggling in her strawberry. Seriously, how cute is she?

What time is it?

It's summertime. Almost.

Most people get excited about summer for various reasons: BBQs, swimming, camping trips, no school, etc, etc, etc...
Yes, I like BBQs, and camping trips, and baseball games, but the whole 'no school' thing doesn't apply to me (teaching summer school...and such). Actually,  I'm not really a big fan of summer. Hot weather makes me all complain-y.
I hate wearing shorts because I'm really bad at shaving my legs. I don't think I've ever shaved my legs and not shed a little bit of blood as a result.
I hate that swimsuits come in two styles: Cute yet skimpy or Something a nun would wear to the beach. Just because I'm not a size 2 doesn't means I'm in my 50s. So, until I track down that elusive modestly cute swimsuit, you won't see me in the pool.
I'm just not a summer person...can we just skip it?

Who's That Girl?

Five episodes in, and I am hooked on the new Fox series New Girl. At times, I think this show is partially based on my life. Essentially, it is about a girl who is quirky and weird, and likes being quirky and weird, and through her quirkiness and weirdness ends up being pretty adorable (or in the show's word: 'a-dork-able'). I can totally relate to the main character, Jess, because being adorable is my thing! People are always saying things to me like, "Oh, you're a preschool teacher, that's adorable." "You have a crush on a guy, you're too cute." And yeah, working with 3 and 4 year olds is super cute. Especially when instead of napping (like they're supposed to), they kick you, hit you, laugh at you and make you so frustrated that you cry*. And I'm not sure why but somehow my having a crush on a guy who probably will never feel the same way seems 'cute' to my married friends. Yes, sometimes I think my life is just too cute for me to handle. Doing all the quirky and weird and 'adorable' things I do every day is exhausting. It's actually pretty hard work being this adorable all the time....but I guess someone's gotta do it.

(What can I say?)

*To be fair, that was an isolated incident...I really do love my job

How much is that doggy in the window?

I want a dog. I can't have pets in my apartment, and I can't barely take care of myself, let alone another living thing...but I really want a dog.

Just for kicks, I decided to go on the Ventura County animal rescue site...I'm not sure why I did this, but I found a new way of torturing my self. Looking at adoptable animals that need homes when I can't be the one to give them that. Luckily, VCAR is a no-kill shelter, so none of these puppies are in danger, but shelter life can't be fun, and my heart is breaking that I can't give loving homes to all these adorable mutts.I mean who can say 'no' to this little lady?

Don't you just want to take her home and love her? I want to cuddle this puppy and give her a name (she doesn't have one, yet) and a bath and a place to call home.

I'm not sure when it happened, but I am such a softie when it comes to dogs.