My boyfriend Phil and I are celebrating our first holidays together. What's more fun than shopping for someone you love? The other day I was out on the road in Northeast Cobb...interviewing people for a news article and stopping by the local Starbucks to see familiar faces and work. I was chatting with fellow coffee lovers when my cell phone rang. The assigned piano rift ringtone told me it was Phil. "If you were shopping for a coat, say, hypothetically, what size would you buy?" Phil asked. I smiled. "Medium." "Okay, thanks. That's all I wanted." He quickly disconnected. I feel giddy for a …

I've had Shelby since she was eight weeks old. I socialized her with other domestic pets. She loves cats and rabbits. Dogs, not so much. She's very selective about dog friends. That could be why Shelby detests boarding. I'd take her to tour the best-rated kennels. During the walk through, Shelby would give the scene a disinterested look-over before pulling us toward the exit as though her fur was on fire. If I boarded her at a kennel, she reportedly sat staring out the kennel run door-constantly. At 'dog recess' she was annoyed by the attention of other dogs. She sat staring out of the fence …