Ok, THAT'S IT! I've had it! Time for a VACATION! With Photo update

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

One word for you - Winter. Blah!

I'm tired of the winter boots and cold toes and soggy mittens, 30 layers of clothing, taking 20 minutes to get me and the doodles geared up for a simple walk, and cleaning up after wet doodles and standing in the dog park throwing a ball when it's -20 and going out for a potty break at 11pm when it's -25 and I was already in my pajamas, and scraping ice off my car and traipsing through big dirty slushy puddles and picking up poop in the snow and all of it. One day it's -25 and everything turns to ice and the next it's -4 and everything turns to slush. I just had to remove my gloves and use them to clean off the salt that was burning Winston's feet and making him refuse to walk. I actually put my gloves on his feet like boots so that we can make it the rest of the way home. I thought I was going to get frost bite.

I've had it! It's time to cash in those vacation days and head south!

During the winter months I get SAD. No, not the emotion, the disorder. Seasonal Affective Disorder. It's real, I promise you. And thanks to the cold weather and lack of sunlight, I am one unhappy chick right now. All the vitamin D in the world isn't going to snap me outta this winter funk.

I don't have much money, but unless someone can tell me of a really good, but really cheap, doggie friendly vacation spot down south where I can drive my doodles to, then I might just have to splurge on a week in Cuba. All I know is that I need to get out of this cold dark icy, then slushy, then icy again, dreary city and all the stupid frustrating rigamorale that goes with winter and soak up some sunshine!

BLAH! ok, rant over. seriously, any suggestions for doodle friendly vacation spots down south?

**** And another thing! How's a girl supposed to snag a guy when she looks like this?

[Deanna & Desi & Cori]

Jane lives in Florida and she's VERY doodle friendly!  (Don't ya love how I invite people to stay with you, Jane?)

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

tee hee. don't think I haven't thought about it LOL! - one of these days all of DK in the north is going to show up at Janes door if she keeps posting those sunny Florida pics LOL!

[Sharon & Monty]

Oh, i so feel you!! I Hate winter.   I try, try, try.  my daughter described it best to me last winter.  I had not heard from her for a few weeks. I emailed her.  She said "I'm trying to convince myself to do one pushup", Yep, thats how I feel.  So I dunno, I think you need to keep taking those doggies outside.  I'm trying to do better for me and Monty this year. When I come home its only about 15-20 minutes till it gets dark.  So I've taken to throwing the ball off the deck, very short distance, but I encourage him to go, go go, cause I'm freezing to death.  Its not much, its not enough, but I'm trying.  Keep trying, something is better than nothing, right?

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

I know! I've been wanting to go to a yoga class  but every day by the time I come back in after taking the doodles to the park all I want to do is put on the kettle and slip into my flannel pj's.

[Chelsea and Bailey]

Isnt living in the dark so depressing! We dont do day light savings time in good  ol' Saskatchewan so when I leave to work its dark and when I get home from work its dark. I feel like I'm living in Antarctica- or wherever it is that its months of darkness. haha. This week has been an unbearable -45 to -47 degrees. Bailey has not gotten any form of exercise and (I know this sounds bad), but I do not feel bad about it! All I can say is THANK GOD for having a fenced in back yard or I would be teaching how to use a pee pad! LOL

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

there was a moment when Sophie wanted out at 2am that I very seriously considered putting her in the bathtub to do it.

I've heard about the deep freeze in the prairies. sorry! I'm so jealous of your backyard though!!

[Phoebe's Mom]

I am so with you on the cold.  We have been having an unseasonably warm winter but today was minus 33 with the windchill.  I could not open the stinking poop bag so I had to take off my gloves.  It took me forever to get the feeling back in my fingers.  I blogged about it today (www.thinkingsoup.blogspot.com) because I cannot believe that I was out walking in weather colder than my freezer!!!  Good luck with that trip to Cuba or perhaps dropping by Jane might be a good idea as well.   :)

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

OMG the poop bag thing is so frustrating. I've actually started using my mouth to open it by rubbing my lips together. That way I don't have to take my gloves off. I've had one too many close encounters with frost bite. I wear a pair of those thin stretchy gloves under neath a pair of mittens so that if I have to take off the mittens then I can still function with the gloves for a bit.

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

Sherri, you are a good doodle mommy.  I am trying to imagine Winston walking with your mittens on his feet.  lol. 

What if you guys plan a summer weekend and watch summer themed movies and eat hot dogs and chips and potato salad while sitting on the floor picnic style on the floor in the family room.  Heck, splurge and turn the heat up real high for a few hours so that you can unbundle yourself.  I understand where you are coming from though because I HATE the winter.  I HATE the cold.  I HATE the snow.  I live in Chicago which gets cold, but probably not as cold as Canada though.  :)  Or you could just embrace the winter and spend a weekend in bed watching movies, eating junk food, and cuddling the doodles.  What better way to help the mood than snuggling warm cuddly doodles. 

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

embracing it is a good idea. I have tried very hard to do this. I bought very expensive Sorel winter boots and wear leggings under my pants and three pairs of socks, three shirts and sweater, two scarves, a hat, a big puffy coat with a hood all done up, just so I won't feel the cold. then I go out with the dogs and hang in the park with other crazy people like me. On the upside the park is less busy this time of year. I just wish it didn't have to be so dark by the time I get there.

The week-end in the pjs eating hot dogs thing sounds more like denial, but I'm all for that lol!

The biggest problem is how on earth am I going to snag a boyfriend if I either look like the michelin man or spend all my time in my living room in flannels eating hot dogs? Not a very sexy look :o(

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

when I said "embrace" I didn't mean by going outside.  :)  I do everything possible to stay indoors during the cold.  Since you do have to go out, you might find a guy who is into nature and dogs and would think that you are attractive and interesting just for being outside to give your 2 special pups some exercise.  You could actually end up finding a perfect guy that way...keep positive and keep warm.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Sherri, You might want to kill me when I tell you this....but I love winter, UNLESS the power goes out :) However, our temps have not been as low as yours. My mom gets like you do in the winter. Maybe you can swing by and pick her up on the way to Jane's house :)