On Becoming a Criminal

The Mice have driven me to a life of crime. If perhaps not a life of it, at least a recent crime spree. You see, in our city, it is actually, truly illegal, to the best of my knowledge, to leave a car running in a parking lot, even if the car is locked. Recent highs of -10 degrees coupled with two small Mice to come along on grocery runs have led me to rethink the ethics of breaking this law. Previously, I had not even broken that such law! Yes, I'm quite the goody-two-shoes. Apart from the occasional speed limit breakage, which wasn't even all that impressive after high school, I can't remember ever breaking a law intentionally. Well, it has happened twice now that I have been at the grocery store and have been absolutely unable to allow myself to bring Miss Mouse and Baby Mouse out to a freezing cold ice box for the trip home. Soooo.....running car it is. Thank you, Grandpa Bob, for getting the automatic opener put on our vehicle!!! Without that, I wouldn't dare break this law! I've had one car set on fire already in my life; I don't need to deal with a stolen vehicle! Even leaving it running locked is a risk, which is why it is illegal and is cautioned against repeatedly by our police department, but the likelihood of frostbitten baby fingers seems to trump the likelihood, or long-term severity, of a stolen vehicle. Baby Mouse is forced to wear mittens, but she is an escape artist and is out of them by the time I leave the driveway or parking lot it seems. As she is still facing backward, there's not a whole lot I can do about it...other than to, of course, continue my crime spree. Please don't turn me in.