The last time it snowed I had one of "those days".

Some folks would have given it a complete and total goose egg, but (and please forgive me cynics) I choose to look at it as cup half full kind of day.

Had my first cup of coffee before the snow really started coming down. On the way to take middle school child to school I noticed one of my tires was nearly flat.

Ok, so snow is swirling and I have a flat tire, where does the half full part come in you ask?

Because the tire was not yet totally flat and I got to drive it to the tire place and best of all, it was still under warranty. That is a far better scenario than getting a flat on the highway with three kids and a wet dog, in a blinding snow storm with a dead cell phone battery.
Obviously things could have been worse.

Said tire place is having a $9.95 special on oil changes that I went for because I was in need. Tire place noticed that I had a break light out, that they repaired. Which is a far better alterative than being alerted to this fact by the police. I also had them install new wiper blades that I had been meaning to purchase and actually got to see my way home in the snow storm.

Four year old watched intently out the waiting room window and witnessed four fender benders, which served as complete and total entertainment for said four year old. Fender benders came complete with police, flashing light and tow trucks. Anyone who has ever done errands with kids on a daily basis know that waiting in public with bored small children can be a hellish experience. On the bright side there were no ambulances and no one was hurt.

So if you got this far and are still reading, you are thinking, that is nice and all and good for her, but isn't this blog supposed to be about dogs?

Ok, here comes the dog part.
On the way home from the car place I pick up Rooney, the Scottish Deerhound pictured above, for an overnight as a favor for a good friend in need.
So I got to thinking that maybe I just used up some pre-karma points.

Is is possible to earn karma points because the universe knows you will not say no to a favor for a good friend even before it is asked of you if your friend is in need at the exact same time that you need a little help yourself? If you didn't know I was this flaky before you read this blog , I guess as my kids would say, the cat is out of the bagel now.

By the way, this dog can be a ...umm...how to say this without offending my friend...."a bit needy". He can be a most persuasive whiner. Which leads me to the dog training question of the day.
How do you folks cope with dogs who constantly bark and whine? By the way, Rooney did settle nicely but not before testing his pipes a bit.

Speaking of barking and whining, there is a very small dog that I see at middle child's school yipping it's little head off in a car, with quite possibly the shrillest bark I have ever heard, and I have heard plenty of shrill barkers in my day. I don't know how they can drive, or why they would continue to take the dog with them in the car free to yip like that.
Here is a tip owners of little white yipping fluff ball. Try leaving the dog home, or ride with the dog securely in a covered crate or at the very least, secure the dog so it can't attack the car window like that. Me, I would call a trainer!
The longer you wait, the harder this habit will be to break.

Cost to fix flat tire Zero dollars
Bill from repair shop under $50.00

Being able to drive a flat tire to the shop
Not being pulled over by the cops
Having my child entertained by a snow storm in a waiting room
Helping out a friend All Priceless

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