Surprises and Adventures

I went back to Peoria this weekend for a surprise birthday party for my sister (a total hit-she was shocked!).

We were out till waaaaay past my bedtime, and I left to go back to her place before the festivities totally ended. I took her boyfriend's keys (she left hers at home), and I was instructed to leave the front door unlocked so they could get in. I was also assigned an intense, 34-step process for letting the dogs out.

After a few minutes of joyful pouncing and puppy kisses, I let Parker out first.

He did his business all lickity split and came back inside. Snuggle muffin that he is, he made only minor attempts at licking my eyeballs out while I wiped his paws off.

Mila was next. She is not quite as focused as Parker when it comes to peeing. So, step 21-ish in the dog-letting-out process, I put Corinne's Uggs on and went outside with Mila to prevent mud-bathing. After a few minutes she did her thang and we walked back to the door.

It was locked. Not the handle. The deadbolt.

Parker had locked me out by jumping on the door.

"No big deal," I thought, "I left the front door unlocked, so I can just go in that way."

Nope. Apparently, my lock-doing reflex had kicked in.

I went back to the back yard. It was kinda chilly, and I had no coat on. I was thinking, "I have no idea when they're getting back. I'm glad I have the (only slightly muddy) furry dog out here with me. We will cuddle and stay warm....Oh shit, I have the only key!"

After 45 seconds of trying to get Parker to jump juuuuust the right way to undo the deadbolt, I decided, "Nevermind, no way in Hell is that's going to work." He just looked at me and whined, like, "Why aren't you coming back inside?"

I ended up crawling in through this window, which started closing on me when I was about halfway through.

Parker was sooooooooo excited, "O-yay! Cuddles! You're back! I can't wait to slobber your face off!" Him jumping all over me while I planked between the window and counter top did not make it any easier to get my legs unstuck!

But all's well that ends well, and I got to snuggle both of these sweet pups before we all hit the hay.