All together now! It’s beginning to look a lot like…

Mass exodus to the South?

Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Frostbite?

Yeah, any way you look at it, it doesn’t look good.  Winter is officially here.  I admired the snow storm for about one hour on Saturday and then it wore out its welcome.  After all, it’s all sparkling diamonds of frost and fluffy blankets of flakes until someone drives into a ditch.  (No, I did not- but many a driver did, which seriously inconveniences my commutes. I’m late enough as it is people! Let’s try to keep it together on those main transit ways.)

And the worst part is- my meager holding of agility equipment is banished to the sub-basement for at least 5 months.  Save for ONE solitary jump which I’ve been promised is ‘all I need’ to train agility indoors this winter.  I’m hoping it will *poof* into an indoor facility with a full ring of equipment when I pull it out tonight. ..

The Dog is inconsolable.  She used to explode into the yard and run loops through her tunnel and then make a few weave pole circuits.  Now when she goes outside… nothingness.  Her world is bleak.  Last night she stood in the yard, staring at me.  The burning gaze told me what she missed, and that she blamed me for the absence.

Sorry little Go Dog. How about a new table for Christmas?

My offer is met with hostile silence.   

I am ashamed for thinking this would make things right.

Five months… it’s not so long, is it? Maybe March will be uncharacteristically Lamb-ish the whole way through (none of this “in like a Lion” crap), and we will be back outside in the natural element of the agility dog before we know it.  At least there is plenty of time to ponder what next year’s season will focus on.   We have one last USDAA show this year, and then one more as well for AKC.  After that, it’s time to reflect on 2010 and lay out some goals for 2011 (NOT to be confused with New Year’s Resolutions… I can’t remember them past New Year’s Eve, let alone stick to them.).   For now though, going to try and make the most of these final shows (as we should with every show, I suppose).  Minor goals: Finish Tournament Bronze title (2 tournament Qs- in anything), and get that last Open Standard leg. Major goal: Have FUN (nervous about returning to the scene of the Lawrence, Kansas Confidence Slaughter of February 2010- A.K.A. the worst show ever- and always a struggle to do this in AKC, especially a one-ring show). Further, I am curious to see if this little showing break and cooler weather will boost both the Go Dog and I back into good ‘timezones.’  Also hoping- not a goal, just a prayer- that Iowa will not try to kill us on the way home from Kansas again. We are bringing a chauffeur (dad) to drive just in case the ice storm tries to do us in though, as we are wussy about snow.  Perhaps I will sacrifice a Gopher’s Jersey or something to appease the state. Or eat some corn in its honor. 

Pet a pig? 

Not really sure.