Living in a Snow Globe

Living in a small condo with two large dogs that shed all the time was like living in a snow globe. The anal retentive, OCD and neat freaks should not own Labradors. These dogs seemingly shed all year round. It was as if they took turns shedding. On some weeks, I’d see the slight orangeish hair on the floor from when Abby shed. On others, I’d see the white hairs from Andy.


I’d try sweeping up the hairs but it was a poor substitute for the Hoover vacuum cleaner. I had hoped sweeping would take care of the dog hair but it didn’t. The Babies were not nearly as scared of the broom as they were of the vacuum. Abby tolerated the vacuum but Andy was terrified of it. In a larger place such as my mom’s, I’d put Andy in a room in the back while I vacuumed in the rest of the house. However, in a small place, shifting Andy around was impossible.

I grew accustomed to having the hair around me. It was a price I paid to have the Babies with me. I had to find a way to clean my place for the sake of sanitation and hygiene. A further incentive for me to clean was to avoid dog hairs piercing through my skin on the bottom of my feet. It hurt like hell when that happened. The hair felt like a tiny shard of glass ripped into my foot. I’d have to go in a dark place and shine a light on my foot to find the small strand of hair. Then, I would use tweezers to pluck the hair out.