Snowy Saturday

I received a warning this morning.  Before Bill went into the house from snow blowing the driveway, he cautioned me to be extra extra careful when I walked to the end of the driveway to get the papers.  He added that holding on to the snowblower had kept him from sliding to the ground in that area. 

I planted his suggestion in my head and walked on to the barn, sliding here and there, even though we had five inches of new snow overnight.  

In fact, it's still snowing, and, indeed, that intimidating ice we've been dealing with for the past several days is more dangerous than ever. 

One would think that the blanket of snow would make a difference.  Not this morning. 

The snow is powdery, so there's still no grip underneath the stuff; plus, the really bad patches of ice are totally invisible. 

Of course, we've had several days of maneuvering over and around them to memorize where most of them happen to be.

Still, after chores and as I poked along slowly through the driveway, I was glad Bill had cautioned me to be careful.  

No matter how slowly or carefully I placed my foot on my way back from the paperbox, I still endured a scary slide but managed to stay upright.  

From that point on, while taking even more care with each step, I wondered how many people were gonna hit the deck today and get hurt before it starts raining on the snow and maybe changing the consistency of the ice. 

Long story short, it's dangerous out there, so, locals, be extra careful. 

In two weeks, Bill and I can forget the ice cuz we're gonna escape to dryer ground for a few days.  For now, though, slow and steady will hopefully keep us upright. 

I do think a lot of people around here have had enough of winter.  

We've had a great one this year, but its limitations and the extra work it causes are starting to weigh on the general mental well being of folks who don't spend their days at the ski hill or taking their snow machines to the mountains. 

The worst part: it generally gets worse before it gets better.  So, Mother Nature, I'd suggest that it would be okay to speed things up a bit. 

In the meantime, we are lucky because we have a sports-filled weekend.  Unfortunately, at this household, nobody's too excited about the Super Bowl.  We'll pull for Atlanta, even though we have not followed them at all.  Neither of us like New England.  Sorry, Pat. 

This morning while discussing tomorrow's Super Bowl, I said I was excited to watch Lady Gaga, while Bill said he was anxious to see a couple of commercials. 

Of course, the other aspect of Super Sunday which is good for me is that Bill likes to throw the party.  That's been a tradition at this house for years.  Usually, he'll buy pizza and whatever else we're gonna graze on.  We'll have a beer, and then we'll call it a party.

The past few years, Willie and Debbie and sometimes my sisters (they aren't bigtime Super Bowl fans) will come, and along with Willie will come his chili, created from his special recipe.  They haven't announced if they're gonna join the party yet, but if they read this, maybe we'll hear from them. 

Today, however, the schedule is chock full with a lot of good college basketball games, topped off by No. 1 Gonzaga hosting Santa Clara at the Kennel. 

So, rather than spending too much time slippin' and sliding, I'm thinking the couch will be pretty safe today with all that basketball excitement. 

Maybe tomorrow, we can walk safely again, and we can spend more time outside not watching every single nuance of the big game.  

Of course, there's always the Puppy Bowl, and if we were to have a family conference to determine what we're gonna watch, I know the Puppy Bowl would win out with at a least 3-2 margin.  With this year's lack of enthusiasm in the Love household, it could be 5-0.

Here's the scoop on tomorrow's Puppy Bowl (Yahoo News), just in case you haven't heard:

In case you live under a rock, Super Bowl LI is set to take place on Sunday, Feb. 5. A solid one-third of American households are expected to tune in to the big game, as the New England Patriots take on the Atlanta Falcons in Houston.

But, the Super Bowl isn’t the only programming set for Sunday: there’s also the Puppy Bowl. Now in its 13th year, this alternative programming is only increasing in popularity, thanks to its unending cuteness. We’ll go so far as to say the Puppy Bowl is the better programming choice for your Sunday viewing, and not just because it’s adorable. Here’s why:

It’s Early
Super Bowl Sunday may essentially be an American holiday, but it doesn’t have official status yet. That means that on Monday, your hungover, over-stuffed self is still expected to get up in the morning and get to work. In addition to indulging in food and drink, the Super Bowl runs late, ending somewhere in the 11 p.m. hour. The Puppy Bowl, however has pre-game coverage starting at 10 a.m., and the whole thing is over at 5 p.m., allowing you plenty of recovery time before work the next day.

It Encourages Adoption
While the NFL has had a troubled relationship with charities and equal rights, For 13 years, the Puppy Bowl has teamed up with over 30 pet adoption centers across the country to encourage adopting instead of buying new pets. All the puppies competing at the Puppy Bowl are up for adoption and battle it out on the turf to find their “fur-ever” home. According to the ASPCA, over 7.6 million animals are placed in shelters every year, making adoption incredibly important to support.

Kitty Halftime Show
There’s no sports alternative to football during the Super Bowl. But, even if you prefer kitties to puppies, the Puppy Bowl has your back. While the pups take a break from playing “ruff,” kitties take over with their laser pointers, feathers, and bubbles. Yes, there’s a kitty halftime show and it’s just as elaborate as anything Lady Gaga could put on. This year, the Puppy Bowl got two major acts: Kitty Gaga (complete with a meat outfit) and The Chicago Rock Cats to entertain. So, yeah, it’s going to be pretty cute.

Puns Galore
If you haven’t gathered by now, the Puppy Bowl is a non-stop pun fest. Though some may find puns to be the lowest form of humor, we’re all about them. From playing it “ruff” to “turd down” to “paws interference,” there are endless dog-related jokes to be made, and the Puppy Bowl’s “ruff-eree” makes all of them. As opposed to the forced humor of Super Bowl commercials, these jokes are all natural.

Seriously… So Many Puppies!
If you think betting on the Super Bowl is fun, then you haven’t paid much attention to the Puppy Bowl. Ahead of the annual airing of the game, Animal Planet places the entire Puppy Bowl starting lineup online, allowing fans to pick their choice for Puppy Bowl MVP. Whether you like fluffy pups, big dogs, small puppers, or spunky pooches, there’s someone there for you.

So, there ya go.  Whatever you choose to watch tomorrow, I hope you enjoy it and that Super Sunday is what it's supposed to be:  super!

In the meantime, GO, ZAGS!!  Looking for win No. 24 and a continuation of No. 1.  Tonight at 7 p.m. PST on ESPN2.  

Happy Saturday.