Ain't that always the way?

Remember a few posts ago when I said this? Forget it. It was temporary insanity brought on by a short stretch of warm-ish weather. I am most definitely not used to this yet.

Tonight Indy is expecting between 3 and 6 inches of snow. Apparently that would be more snow in one night than we have had in the entire month of January. But this morning dawned clear and a little sunny so I went ahead with the puppies appointment at the beauty parlor this afternoon.

Cut to three hours later and it's time to go fetch them, but it has been pouring snow for at least an hour and it's looking pretty bad out there. So I call my darling husband in the hopes that I can trick cajole him into coming home early and picking them up on the way.

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Me: Hey, babe, have you checked the weather lately? It looks pretty bad. Think you might be coming home early?

Him: Nah, if I leave now, traffic will be bad. I'll just wait until the regular time.

Me: Are you sure? The weather is pretty bad.

Him: Yeah, I'm sure. Why?

Me: We-ell-ll, the puppies are ready to be picked up and I was thinking you could get them if you were coming home soon.

Him: Nah, you better go. I'm going to be awhile....If you're leaving you probably need to shovel the driveway before you go.

Me: I'm sorry, say that again? We must have a bad connection...I thought you said I should shovel the driveway.

Him: That is what I said.

Me: Really bad connection here. Gotta go! Bye.

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Shoveling snow while it is still snowing is a bit like pissing in the wind. You end up cold and wet and only marginally better off than you were before you started. I shoveled like a champ for about 5 minutes before my arms were ready to mutiny and start beating me to death with the shovel. After a full 20 minutes of shoveling the longest driveway known to man, I turned around to realize I could no longer see the driveway where I started. Damn snow.

Duty done, I hopped in the car, turned the heater up full blast and set out toward PetSmart. I thought I was getting better at this driving-in-snow thing but apparently not. I was tenser than a stage mom at the Little Miss Universe pageant. I am that driver all the Northerners are swearing at and flipping off as they fly by me in the slow lane.

Riding with the puppies in the car is never a good time for the parties involved. Oliver hops back and forth from driver to passenger seat and jumps at the window every time you use your turn signal. Lola will paw at your chest and howl a blue streak for the first 15 minutes of any car ride (wouldn't you know, about the length of time it takes to get to PetSmart!). I briefly considered putting them in the trunk for the ride back home, but figuring that a fender bender was a distinct possibility in this weather, decided against it. To my surprise, I think the furbabies could sense their mommy's distress because they were amazingly well-behaved until we reached our neighborhood.

Once we turned into a street they recognized, all bets were off. Lola was howling and Oliver was jumping at the door to get out. By the time we got into the garage, all I wanted was a nice glass of wine and a few minutes of peace and quiet.

So I open the car door to let us all out and Oliver literally rolls out of the car directly into the muddy tire track left by my front wheel. SERIOUSLY?! ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?! All of that stress plus $40 down the drain and now he is covered in mud from snout to tail!

Needless to say, Oliver got a not so gentle bath and is now sporting an interesting haircut on his tail (where the mud just would not come out). And I will spend my snowed in evening sipping a glass or three of wine while researching those doggy groomers that come and groom them in a little truck parked in your driveway. Adios, PetSmart.