Another fun photo from the "It's Just Not Right!" column...

[via The Dawg Blawg.]

I've been meaning to post some random pet stories I've collected from friends & relatives through the years, but time got the best of me.

Anyway... here's Crazy Pet Story #1:

No, I'm not a relationship therapist (though I did major in family counseling in grad school).

And I'm not single (though I was single a full 34 years before I got married 6 years ago).

But since I believe that good times should be had by all on this national couples holiday that we call Valentine's Day, I simply offer the following FUN things that I used to do when I was stuck at home and alone on major holidays.

As we prepare to wrap our Christmas gifts this year, I am reminded of the many "interesting" experiences that Jim and I have had in previous years while wrapping gifts.

Not the least of which were those times that our dogs managed to get involved in the process!

And then there was the time when the majority of our gifts all looked "lumpy" one year. (Uh hem... I think most of those were wrapped by Jim.)

So, whether you're usually in a hurry and simply don't take the time to do it right, or you just never learned "the proper way" to wrap gifts, here are the best-of-the-best tips for wrapping presents.

Been there, done that!...

At our house, it seems like each and every year the act of wrapping gifts turns into a huge ordeal. Mostly because we've got two dogs who tend to make their way into the process.

Of course, their silly antics are just too darned cute, so we usually just "go with it" and choose to photograph the moment instead of get all worked up about it.

If you, too, have an indoor pet -- whether a dog or a cat -- you'll surely enjoy this funny take on wrapping presents with pets...

Last weekend we drove along the Natchez Trace from Nashville to Tupelo, Mississippi ...in our Jeep... with the dog in the back. It was a (long!) beautiful trip.

Our destination: Starkville, Mississippi (pronounced "Starkvull") to visit our friend Mike.

While we were there, we took a stroll on the Mississippi State campus (...a dog needs to stretch his paws after being cooped up in the back of a Jeep all day!)

Destin's first find: This Bulldog statue...

The first cloned dog (Snuppy) recently made the headlines, which brought cloning to the forefront again.

I'm not really into the whole cloning thing, but it's interesting (if not scary) how far they've come in such a short time.

In researching stories about the first cloned animals as pets, I found the following information...

The sentimental sap that I am (...on the inside. Few people know this about me in "real life"), I've been watching a lot of the Animal Channel on TV lately. (Or is it "Animal Planet"?)

The worst part: I am completely offended by the people who inflict such cruelty on their animals that the show Animal Cops depicts, yet I cannot force myself to change the channel!

Love cats? Here are some interesting cat tricks!