What a Difference a Week Can Make...

Megan and Scout waiting for me to get pizza in Panorama Plaza.  We've actually had a few decent days to take a walk around the neighborhood.  Good because Scouts getting curious and stir crazy these days (like the rest of us...)

And this is why.  Scout trying to find a place to pee early into Winter Storm Vulcan. 

 "Just when I thought I was out they pull me back in!"  

Not bad for one night's worth of snow, eh? 

Shovel, shovel, photo break.   Shovel, shovel, photo break.   Shovel, shovel, photo break.   Shovel, shovel, photo break.   Shovel, shovel, photo break.   Shovel, shovel, photo break.   Shovel, shovel, photo break.   Shovel, shovel, photo break.   Shovel, shovel, photo break.   Shovel, shovel, photo break.   Shovel, shovel, photo break.   Shovel, shovel, photo break.   Shovel, shovel, photo break.   

Ok.  Now Megan can brave the dangerous icy road to get to work...  Next...

Howdy neighbor.  Don't mind me.  Just shoveling off my car. 

Sorry Mr. Mailman.  This is all I had the energy to complete.  I hope you have snowshoes.

Glad a large portion of this has melted off.  It about sums up my week.  Good excuse to stay at home and watch movies and drink cocoa.  But, the fire pit in my backyard is almost visible and making me anxious for summer...

Puppy Files

Scout testing out her new dog bed

 Megan testing out her new human chairs

This is from the last winter storm.  It's been nice out lately.  We have to prepare for tomorrow's Winter Storm Vulcan.   

Snow beard

I call this "the snowplow" 

My dog's pretty narcissistic being more fashionable than her owner and all... 

After committing the unforgivable act of giving a bath.

Scout and Bella sharing a bowl of water after rampaging throughout the house. 

"My tennis ball is under the couch.  I must get my tennis ball1" 

The look of a puppy that realizes she is stuck under your couch...

Rachel had a swim invitational a few weeks back.  It was a lot of fun and Megan and I literally watched from the rafters.  

 "This is a middle school aquatic center?  No wonder our taxes are outrageous."  

After hearing about difficulties one woman was having, I have a new ranking of problems: 1) Third World Problems 2) First World Problems 3) All Other Problems 4) Affluent Suburban Soccer Mom Problems.

 Rachel is the second splash from the top.

GO LIL' RB!

 Wait.  Poutine is just french fries with gravy and cheese.  And it's considered gourmet?  I guess I am a connoisseur of fine dining after all.  But, I may have to retract that since it came from the frozen section of Trader Joe's.

 For Valentine's Day, my dearest wife made me a huge batch of homemade Snicker bars.  What's the quickest way to a man's heart?  Through his chest.

Pretty low key lately.  So...

Quesobago

Hiking at Thousand Acre Swamp (http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/newyork/placesweprotect/centralwesternnewyork/wherewework/central-thousand-acre-swamp.xml) in the Polar Vortex!  If there was ever a time for the Quesobago to appear, this was it (http://www.quesoforall.com/).

This is the first time we've been out here on a winter hike.  During the summer, it's so primordial.   You almost expect a dinosaur or something to pop out.  

More vines overtaking the trees. 

A clearing in the middle of the forest.  It appears to be old farmland.  You can't see it in the picture, but theirs an old stone fence just slightly in the woods.  In the summer, the grass and other plants are over your head.

Snow covered boardwalk leading into the pond.  Just follow the little animal prints. 

Megan stomping through the snow. 

Steve's Diner (http://www.simos.net/steve/) for lunch.  We've only visited for breakfast and we've been missing out.  This is the O.C.D. Burger with sauerkraut, fried pickles, swiss cheese, and thousand island dressing.  You had me at steak fries...

After eating that burger, time to burn off some calories with more winter hiking through Linear/Channing Philbrick Park.  With the fresh snowfall, it looks like a scene from Calvin and Hobbes.

Snow hanging out on the rocks in Irondequoit Creek 

The little island in Irondequoit Creek 

Well, if there's one dog ready for spring, it's Scout...

Not sure if anyone else is on Reddit, but if you are please friend me at: http://www.reddit.com/user/mikekraus/

Greetings From the Polar Vortex!

Nothing like -2 degree weather with -25 degree wind chill.  POLAR VORTEX!  It's the first time I've ever had to scrap the ice off the inside of my car windows too.

 Before...

After.  This was from the previous snowstorm.  Nothing like shoveling a ton of snow and waking up to shovel another ton of snow.

 The backyard is a frozen wasteland.

Plans for New Year's Eve fell through.  So, ordered some pizza from Headliner's (http://headlinerspizza.com/).  

If I wasn't sold on Headliner's before, I certainly am now.  SLICE THE SIZE OF A NEW BORN!  Who ever does their marketing is a genius.

Mmmm...  Pre-mixed vodka a Gatorade on sale at the liquor store.  How convenient.

New coffee mug around the ol' house.  This is what I look like before my caffeine.

 After I've added some coffee.  Nothing like a heat activated cup o' joe.

And now for the misadventures of Scout.  This week's episode: Discovering the Lost Underworld of the Couch. 

It won't be long before she won't fit under there anymore.  I'm just waiting for her to go after her ball and start crying because she's stuck.  

This is what happens when you can't go outside...

That's all.  Hope everyone back in Michigan and Chicago are keeping safe in warm.  All's well over here.