Sunday, January 30, 2011

Stir crazy

Earlier this month I was marvelling at how bizarre the weather was. After all, we were getting temperatures around 0C when the seasonal norms at this time of  year were closer to -25C. It was freaky weather. But it was never freaky weather that was going to last forever. The fact it made it as far as January was bizarre. If it had lasted all winter I think we would have been looking at the end of the world.

You'll be happy to know the world is safe. Ever since mid-January the temperatures have been...brisk. At one point this weekend Environment Canada was predicting it would go down to -42C...without windchill. Fortunately it din't think that happened (because Environment Canada predictive abilities are crap), but it's been pretty steady around -30C, and with windchill it's hit as low as -53C in recent weeks.

I am not complaining, by the way. I'll take some cold over risking life and limb on all the ice that was kicking around a few weeks ago. It just means having to get back into your winter routines. Like going out and starting the car and making sure she has enough time to warm up. To remember that the right front tire loses air when it gets this cold so you have to swing by the gas station a couple of times a week to top it up. I have to constantly being touching non-metallic things to ground myself so that I don't A. Electrocute myself or B. Build up enough charge to fry the electronics I use at work, thereby incurring the wrath of the IT department.

Oh, and that break we were getting on our oil and electric bills? I suspect that's over and done with.

But the other thing we're dealing with is Boo. Because it's hovering around -30C that's the cut off point on when we'll let him outside. When you take a dog that's used to getting four walks a day and cut him off, well, let's just say we're dealing with an unhappy dog.


Yes, he's that good at looking pathetic. Every couple of days we take him outside, which gets him all excited until he's out for two minutes and tries to hover off the ground because his paws get too cold (and yes, we know about the dog booties. We have spent about $100 on them because the little bastard is Houdini when outside in his ability to lose them). Being a little dog with a small brain, this lesson lasts about 24 hours before he's either pathetic like he is above or, well, like this:


Which is to say, all that energy he normally burns off with his walks has to go somewhere. So when not in a "my masters hate me and beat me" type of sook, he's badgering us endlessly to throw his "fishy".

We've actually been talking again about getting another dog, to help keep him company. We are at work during the day and I do feel kind of guilty about leaving him alone so much. Plus, he's not the best around other dogs. I've always thought another dog might help with his socialization. We're considering a Labradoodle, but we'll see. There's already a fair amount on our plate already this summer, but we've been talking about another dog for awhile now. So we'll see.

But in the meantime it would be nice if it ticked up a a few degrees - just warm enough so that he can go out for a proper walk and burn off some of that energy. And also so he'll stop guilting us.

Last Five
1. The kids don't stand a chance - Vampire Weekend
2. Songbird - Oasis
3. Laughing with - Regina Spektor*
4. Numbers - Ryan Adams and the Cardinals
5. Lazy religion - Young Galaxy

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

It definitely didn't take our pooch that long to do her business this morning.

Anonymous said...

Puppy blackmail is a wicked thing. Grin!