Stir Crazy

So the weather here has been... temperamental... lately. I mean, it's not been fun with the wind and the rain and the melting snow, but that's not my problem. (BTW, thanks for that wind storm yesterday, California. Please feel free to send some sunshine soon....) My problem is that it's been crappy weather in which to own a dog. Think mud and paws and floors of houses and cold and wind and dogs not wanting to go outside.

We're all a little stir crazy right now. I tried to get a picture of the dogs rough housing in my tiny kitchen so that you would see how insane they are, but every time I got out the camera, Blue seemed mesmerized by what was in my hand. Luckily, Casey knows exactly what a camera is and ignored me completely. So basically you get a picture of the expression that is on either my face or Blue's nightly. It's a "Good LORD can we get Casey outside to let out some energy soon?! Please?" sort of expression.

Tomorrow I'll post some gratuitous cuteness because Blue is adorable and I'm trying to get as many pictures of him as possible while he's with me. (But, just between you and me, the last time I spoke to my dad, he seemed to be wavering on the whole taking the dog thing. I think I would be okay with whatever he decides, but I'm positive I won't be heartbroken if he says no. I'll keep you updated.)

Be Careful What You Wish For

I heard about this story early on Monday before it came out in the media. (The picture in that story? A heartbreaker.) It lead the 11:00 news that night, so I stayed up to watch the footage. The whole thing makes me so sad. I don't know what would have made these dogs do this. I mean, these dogs were obviously NOT family pets. They were breeding dogs owned by an irresponsible owner. They could just as easily have been any large breed of dog. This man chose not to have his dogs spayed/neutered. He chose not to have them vaccinated. He chose to let them out, unattended, into an inadequately fenced yard. But I have to wonder what must have happened to an otherwise happy go lucky even tempered dog to make them behave this way? Pit bulls are not inherently human aggressive or violent like this. Were they trained to be aggressive to strangers? To anyone who approached the house? The thought makes me so sad. Ultimately, I have to believe that this man chose to let this happen to this woman and the blame needs to lie with the him.

Of course, I can't read any of the comments that people have left to that story. I just can't. I've learned that there's nothing I can say to get people to listen to logic when they are utterly convinced that pit bulls are a threat to their well-being. And that's fine. I just have to go home, hug my dogs, and remember to be the picture of a responsible pit bull owner with well behaved dogs each time I step out in public.

So when talking to zlionsfan that night, I made the half-hearted wish that some major story would come through within the next 24 hours to wipe that story off the front page. I think my actual words were, "I hope something horrible happens. Well, not really horrible, but..." This breed doesn't need any more bad press.

BAM.

And then? BAM.

The first story made me feel the type of fruitless anger that I always feel when hearing about screw-ups by others that I'll have to pay for. (Ask the Colts or Pacers for more money? Of course not. Why would we do that??)

The second story, well, I'm sorry to say that I didn't believe it. I shook my head, laughed at the shortcomings of weather-people, and went about my business.

And then the snow started.

And then I was late to class because people can't drive in 2 inches of snow in Indiana. They panic like it's the end of the world coming.

And then I left class and it wasn't snowing any longer. (And my walk was shoveled*) And I thought to myself, "Two inches? They were freaking out about two inches??"

And then I was awakened by a phone call this morning (at 6:40am!!!) telling me that classes had been cancelled. I laughed at the silliness of people in Indiana and how we freak out when there's such little snow on the ground, luxuriated in the fact that I have AWD, and then proceeded to lounge with my dogs until it was time to get ready to go to work.

When I let the dogs out, Blue was completely buried in snow. He had to hop like a rabbit to get into the backyard. Hilarious and adorable. I wish I could have captured it on film. It was then that I had some inkling of what was going on outside. Perhaps I should have looked out my window at 6:40am. If I had, I would have seen that Curvy, who usually looks like this: looked like this: Please note the snow that was (and still is) coming down. The only reason why I made it into work today is because of Curvy's AWD (we almost didn't make it out of our parking space there) and because I live a mere four miles from work.

Well, at least the pit bull story is old news. And I don't have class to worry about tonight.** And now the sun is coming out, so I might just be able to make it HOME from work too!***

*Before you go getting all "the boy is awesome," know that he was apologizing for something. (I'm looking at you, J)
**I got a text message, a phone call, AND an email. The university did an awesome job of getting the word out that campus was closed.
***I'm being somewhat ironic there. I can already see Kat(i)e getting all ready to yell at me about how it could be so much worse. I know it could be. This is rough, but it's worse elsewhere. Like for my parents. Or like in Chicago where it's much colder... All I have to say is that your plowing/road clearing system is better than ours.****
****Not that I'm bad mouthing our salt trucks and plows. I love all of you guys. Especially the ones that lift the plows and swerve out of my way when they see me instead of spraying snow all over my car for my already overworked wipers to remove.

Frigging Winter

I went out to my car Thursday morning and it was frozen shut. Literally. Like can't open the doors frozen shut. Like can't see in the windows or windshield through the sheet of ice frozen shut. Silly me hadn't put together how a light mist the night before and an overnight drop in temperatures MIGHT result in a car that's frozen shut. Especially if the owner of the car had been too lazy to put the car in the garage the night before.

I'm so glad it's winter. I mean, everything in my life is easier now that it's cold.

I have to wear more clothing, which means more laundry, I can only let my (short haired) dogs out for 2-3 minutes at a time when they do their business and immediately return for entry back into the warm house, and walks are pointless because it's basically me forcing the dogs away from the house as they try with all their might not to leave the warmth and comfort inside. Oh yes, and did I mention that since I'm all of five feet tall, I can't reach my entire windsheild to scrape the ice off? This isn't even considering the increased gas bill from heating my little home, the fact that my over-energized dogs are driving me insane, and the fact that once I've placed my butt on my couch under a blanket, it takes an act of God to get me to move back into the cold so I'm neglecting my friends.

That's it. I'm moving to California. I've got family there. I'm sure one of them would let me sleep on their couch (with my two pit bulls and a cat) until I get on my feet. Right? RIGHT??

Someone call the wahhhhhmbulance.

I realize that in the grand scheme of things, this is nothing to complain about. I've still got my health, my home, my friends, my family....etc. I know. I know. If this is the biggest thing I have to complain about, I live a charmed life.

But still.

I really hate winter. I just wanted to go ahead and get that on record before I start really seriously considering random places (that have so far been a pipe dream) for vet school (should I get in, which is a long shot...) A girl's got to aim high, right? But still...if I hate THIS winter, can you even imagine??

Boo. Dear May - hurry up and get here. The temperatures are only going to get worse, and I'm impatient.