Brrrr. It’s Cold Outside. And I’m…Grateful?

I’ve heard of some regions in the U.S. that have gotten “waist-deep” snowfalls in the past week and I’ve watched weather reports of vehicles stuck on roads and highways because of the heavy snowstorms.

 

And who doesn’t snicker as they watch those inevitable videos with people sliding keister-first down their driveway on the ice? (Okay, the snickering may not be kind – but I always wince first and say a quick prayer that no one was hurt during the creation of that video.)

 

In contrast, we didn’t get that much snow here. It snowed on and off for three days and we got maybe four inches total.

 

Doesn’t matter. I’m not a big fan of the snow and the cold no matter how much or little we get. Before Maggie Minx, I could stay inside all toasty and warm and completely ignore the snow and the cold. I could appreciate how pretty it was – from a distance.

 

But not anymore. I’m out there on a daily basis – whether it’s nine or 90 degrees.

 

That “neither rain, nor snow…” thing doesn’t apply only to mail carriers. But dog walkers don’t get Sundays and holidays off – we’re out there every single day.

 

Yesterday morning was sunny as Maggie Minx and I trudged around the neighborhood plodding along the snow-covered sidewalks. She was desperately looking for a little grass on the ground to sniff while I was concentrating on staying upright.

 

Because green grass was nowhere to be found, Maggie sought out other dog tracks. I’m not sure if it was to help her navigate through the deep (for her) snow – or to reassure herself that other animals still lived in this white-covered terrain.

 

Even though I was all bundled up, my eyes were watering and my nose was running. So I was feeling cold and my neutral mood was quickly heading into grumpy territory.

 

But then I looked down. To the pristine snow where no doggie or people tracks marred the expanse of white. And the sun shining down caused billions of tiny sparkles in the snow. Which, if you know me at all, you know how much I love sparkles.

 

So then I started appreciating the beauty of the snow – even through my watery eyes.

 

Of course, I had to pull my phone out of my pocket to try to snap a picture. I knew it probably wouldn’t be as beautiful as real life, but I gave it a shot anyway. (A shot – haha. Get it?!)

 

Anyway, my mood instantly lifted, and I smiled as I sniffled along through the rest of our walk, vowing anew to remember to bring a Kleenex with me the next time.

 

Even though I know this, I once again came to realize that I have the power to change my mood. Rather than be annoyed that it takes me 10 minutes to bundle myself up multiple times a day to take Maggie out for a walk (and another five minutes to zip Maggie into her own purple puffy jacket), I can choose to be annoyed…

 

…or I can choose to be grateful that I have all sorts of blessings. That I have enough clothes to bundle myself and my dog up and keep (mostly) warm outside during this very cold January.

 

That I have the ability to walk with my Maggie Minx and get a little bit of exercise and fresh air, even if it’s frigid air that makes my eyes water and my nose run.

 

That once our walk is over, we get to come back inside to a warm, comfy and cozy house that gives us shelter from the snow and cold.

 

And, uh, I’m mostly grateful that I have a whole case of Kleenex here that could prevent all manner of sniffling during my walks with Maggie.

 

But seriously, I am grateful that – once in a while – we have sunshine and blue skies here in Ohio in January. That’s an instant mood-lifter if there ever was one.

 

So, yes, I’m blessed. And I’m grateful.

 

But does it make me a bad person to also wish for a mid-winter thaw? I’d even take a 40-degree day. As long as it’s sunny. And as long as my case of Kleenex lasts.

 

Happy Sunday, everyone. Stay warm. (And if you live somewhere warm already, well, I’m not talking to you. Well…okayyyy…that’s not a good attitude, Jane. To all you folks in warm environs – stay cool!)

 

 

A Walking Comedy of Errors

The other evening I was happily tapping away at the computer keys working on a blog when Maggie Minx started whining to go on her umpteenth walk of the day.

 

I have had people tell me the dog has me completely snookered and she doesn’t need to go out that often – but I really don’t want to find any “surprises” on the floor. And she really does go every time I walk her.

 

My friend Suzy tells me that if we humans sat on the toilet every two hours, we could probably “go,” too – even if we didn’t really have to go when we first sat down.

 

Maybe that’s true. But I’m still erring on the side of caution. And, besides, all this walking has to be doing something good for me. Doesn’t it?

 

So I have this walking-in-the-dead-of-winter-thing down pat. Or so I thought.

 

If you read one of my previous blogs, you know that I locked us out of the apartment early in the morning on one of those 18 degree days. So, since that time, I make sure I put the bungee cord key holder over my wrist. Every time.

 

I have my ear muffs and scarf hung up on this cute wall hook rack along with Maggie’s leash, so I’m always prepared for the cold weather.

 

I check my Apple watch to see what the outside temperature is, which will determine the jacket or coat I wear. I don’t want to freeze in my lightweight winter jacket when it’s in the single digits and I don’t want to sweat in my heavy winter coat if it’s a balmy 40 degrees.

 

Currently, I have two pairs of boots in the tray by the entryway – one for when there is no ice and the other with the little spikey things on the bottom that keep me from slipping on the ice.

 

I have a glass container that holds a flashlight for early morning or later evening walks so I can see to pick up Maggie’s, uh, deposits as I don’t want to accidentally step into anything. In that container is also a roll of doggie bags so I always have one in my pocket.

 

You’re either rolling your eyes at my “over-preparedness” – or thinking I’ve got it all together, aren’t you?

 

Yeah, not so much.

 

When Maggie’s whining turned into a sharp bark, I finally got up from my computer with a heavy sigh and I stomped across the room to the front hallway.

 

(I didn’t say I LOVED going on umpteen walks a day.)

 

I managed to grab my Apple watch from its charger (so I’d get credit for all those steps) and saw it was 25 degrees out. Heavy winter coat? That’d be a firm “yes!”

 

I put on my regular boots without the spikes because it had been warmer and the sidewalks were mostly clear. (“Mostly” being the operative word.)

 

The bungee key cord went around my wrist, the doggie bag and flashlight went in my pockets, I clipped the leash onto Maggie’s vest and out the door we went.

 

The first thing I noticed was that I couldn’t see very well. Oops. Forgot to take off my computer glasses and put on my regular glasses before stomping toward the front door. But, okay. I just needed to be careful since computer glasses are really good for working on the computer a foot away from my face, but not so good for blind-as-a-bat me to see long distances.

 

The next thing I noticed was that even though a lot of the snow and ice had melted, what was left was a little slick. Oops. Should’ve worn my spikey boots to be completely safe.

 

Vince and my #1 rule when walking the dog? Do. Not. Fall! We knew we didn’t want to risk broken bones at our advanced age. And now, since it’s just me, who would walk Maggie Minx were I to end up sporting a cast?

 

We walked past the street lights toward the darker part of the neighborhood when I suddenly smelled skunk. Uh oh. I’ve noticed a skunk waddling across the yards a couple of times in the last month and I’m hyper-vigilant because I do NOT want to deal with de-skunking either me or the dog. I don’t know the process and I don’t have the proper equipment – so I’m darn sure not going to be caught in any potential spray.

 

No black and white striped critter was in the visible vicinity – but, remember, I couldn’t see very well and it was dark out with lots of remnants of snow. How would I have seen a skunk? Yet we fortunately walked on unscathed.

 

We quickly crossed the street and started walking in the opposite direction away from the skunk smell. Whew. But it suddenly got way colder and way windier. My eyes started watering and I realized I’d forgotten my ear muffs.

 

I used to scoff when my mother insisted I wear a hat in the winter as I didn’t want it to mess up my hair. I still don’t like the static electricity situation a hat causes, so I’ve compromised with ear muffs. And I have noticed how much warmer I am when my ears are not left unprotected against the elements.

 

So I was feeling frozen and completely put out by this entire fiasco. By this point, I felt like I should just go home and start over, but I knew Maggie would feel gypped and we’d have to add yet another walk to the schedule.

 

So we continued on. One moment I was walking along at a brisk pace – and the next moment? Well, I was sliding on a patch of ice. My heart was slamming in my chest and I was wondering which broken bone would do the least amount of damage.

 

Luckily, Maggie was straining against the leash to get to a piece of cardboard that was blowing in the wind and, I swear, that 10-pound dog slid me across the ice and kept me upright until I could regain my footing.

 

It probably wasn’t a pretty sight and it certainly wasn’t graceful – but I didn’t care. I Did. Not. Fall. Yay me.

 

By this point, I realized I didn’t want to tempt the gods of fate any longer, so I started heading for the relative safety of home.

 

But just then Maggie decided it was a good time to let me use the poo bag in my pocket. She usually does her thing nearer the sidewalk, only this time she walked right up near a neighbor’s kitchen window and squatted. A neighbor I have not yet met.

 

So there I am, fumbling to simultaneously remove my glove, open the bag and turn on the flashlight. Maggie, who was now finished and exploring new areas, runs into some metal bell ornament in the neighbor’s yard. I’m horrified at the noise it’s making and I’m trying to scoop up her deposit and keep hold of the leash and the flashlight.

 

Just then the front door opened because the neighbor wanted to know who was causing such a ruckus and was lurking in her front yard with a flashlight.

 

Ack! I apologized profusely and said we were on our way and we turned and got the heck outta Dodge.

 

But once I returned home, I realized I’d lost one of my hot pink gloves. Could this evening get any worse?

 

So I brought Maggie inside and unclipped her – and then went back out in search of my glove.

 

Sure enough, there it was – in Neighbor X’s front yard. Fortunately, she must have decided we were harmless and her lights were out. Either that – or she was sitting in wait in the dark, phone in hand poised over 9-1-1 in case the miscreant and her yappy little dog returned.

 

But I didn’t hang around long enough to find out. I grabbed the glove, hustled back home and vowed that it was Maggie’s final walk of the night.

 

And I thought tomorrow is another day. Let’s hope it’s not nearly as “exciting.”