We got some snow here yesterday. About 5 inches or so. Maybe a little more. No big deal, right? After all we do live in Washington state, not far from the Cascade Mountains.
You would think.
For reasons I can not begin to comprehend, Kristin's commute home last night took over 4 hours. She was at the UW for an informational session on their Executive MBA program when the snow started falling at 5 five o'clock and by the time she left the UW at 7:30, the snow was starting to pile up. Like everyone else within eyeshot of a newspaper the past few days, we knew this storm was coming. She had my Element with her so the drive home was nothing as far as she was concerned. If only everyone had all-wheel drive. Cars were abandoned on the sides of the road throughout King County and some people got so tired of sliding backwards on the hills, they simply left their cars in the middle of the Interstate and walked home. Like I said, I am unable to comprehend why this is the way it is. People live in a hilly area, are made aware of a storm for days, and still act surprised when they can't drive home. Once again, numerous reports of people running out of gas whle sitting in traffic. It just boggles the mind that so few people are prepared.
Anyway, as big of a pain in the rear the snow is for Kristin's commute and my mountain bike riding (ride tonight cancelled, by the way) our dogs love it. Our two siberian huskies absolutely love this stuff. Even in the heat of July all the neighborhood kids yell out "Snow Dogs!!!" when they see us out walking them (except the offspring of Washington State alumni; these kids see our no-connection-to-the-UW-huskies and yell out "Go Cougars!") and the kids are especially psyched to pet them and play with them in the snow. It's like the movie come to life for them. And the dogs can't get enough of it, they absolutely love kids.
We let the dogs out last night at 11:30 pm to go to the bathroom one last time before bed but within minutes, we realized they faked it. They just wanted to play. It was 11:30 pm and the dogs were chasing each other around the yard and, honestly, leaping into the air and belly flopping into the snow. It was like having two children playing exuberantly knowing school was cancelled in the morning.
In times like this it can be downright impossible to get the dogs back in the house. They're faster than me -- some would say smarter too -- and, to them, having me chase them around the yard is just another version of the same game they play with one another. But I had the secret weapon. Pizza crust. While they played in the snow, Kristin and I finally had a frozen Red Baron pizza for dinner. After all, she had only just then got home. And while the dogs definintely ignored my promise of a treat, and they certainly turned a deaf ear to my commands to "Come!", no dog can resist the scent of pizza crust. I opened the door, wafted the scent of the crust into the yard and within five seconds I had two snow-covered dogs inside the garage, tail wagging, and drool dripping from the end of their tongue.
Kristin is working from home today to avoid the icy roads and what is sure to be another 3-4 hour commute home, so I was able to talk to her this morning over coffee. I asked about her walk this morning with the dogs.
"They were ecstatic. I had to walk them a different route to try and trick them into heading back home because they refused to come home. There was one problem though. Annana was very distraught because the snow was too deep for her to poop. She's not tall enough to squat above the snow. I had no choice, but to take her into a street that had been plowed."
Ah yes, it's all fun and games till you have to poop.
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