Stupid dog...

I lied - I thought that I wouldn't be blogging again until after the holiday - but I'm so boiling mad/relieved right now that I just had to post - and try to bring down my blood pressure. My beloved dog ran away tonight. Yeah, yeah he's back and fine but not until I had flipped out and almost had a heart attack! You have to know my dog. He loves me very much. Either that or I eat a lot and he wants to be next to me in case I decide to share. Regardless, he's always under my feet and he likes it there. He prefers to go outside - potty - and come right back in. He follows me to the bathroom, bed and everywhere else. So why pray-tell he would run away beats me.
Tonight I was putting up the Christmas stuff. I let the dog out, packed up a box of fall decor and went to let him back in. He wasn't there. He also wasn't in the back yard and didn't come when I called. I put on my slippers - in 20 degree weather - and walked around the house looking for him. I couldn't find him. I went in and grabbed a flashlight thinking maybe he was playing one of his "games". Still didn't see him. I yelled for him (no, I don't care if the neighbors were sleeping - my freaking dog was missing). Then I went 100% bat poop crazy...
As I mentioned before my husband is out of town. So, I had to wake the kids up, got them re-dressed, put them in the van and go looking for the dog. No, I did not have any idea which way he would have gone or where he might be, but I couldn't stay in the house and hope for the best - it's 20 freaking degrees and even my furry best friend knows how stupid that is! I parked at every second house and got out and searched with my flashlight (again - don't care) and then I did the unthinkable. I called my husband, who is stuck on an island, hunting (yes, I know stupid) and started crying over the phone demanding that he tell me where my dog is (he didn't know - go figure). TC said to leave the light on in the garage and listen for him to scratch on the door. Great idea honey! I'll just sleep on the kitchen floor tonight and hope for the best. Whatever. I then decided to walk down towards the lake and see if he tried to go in the water (yes he's a lab but he hates to swim - it was a last resort kind of thing). I'm not sure what I was going to do in this instance - I suppose throw him a raft. I then also flipped out thinking that if he didn't come home tonight he would be outside tomorrow morning, freezing, when the blaze orange hunters got up and they might think he was a white tailed doe (you know, because he doesn't have horns). I decided to make one more lap around the neighborhood when I saw the idiot dog. He ran to the van and tried to jump in the front seat - with me. Apparently dummy was as scared as I was (however, he didn't wake up the kids or call TC but whatever).
So, I have found my dog. I've also scared my children, caused my husband to loose his buzz and tripled my blood pressure. However, I don't care. I have my dog - right by my feet where he belongs.