Three Days and Counting

We leave for Groom Expo in three days.

Yaaaaaa!

I love going to Groom Expo.

I am so happy that it so close to me.

I wish that every groomer could go to some kind of grooming seminars.

It gives you a boost.

It makes you want to go back home and groom.

There should be a Grooming Expo in every State so that every groomer can go and learn, have fun, and talk to other groomers.

It is really nice to meet other people who you can talk to about grooming and they know exactly what you are talking  about.

I remember when I first started grooming, friends and family would ask about my new career.

I would excitedly start to tell them all about it, or a story about something that happened at work only to look at them and watch their eyes glaze over, or that really bored look come across their face.

When asked about what I do now, I keep my answers fairly short.

At least I try.

We save all year to be able to close the shop up for two days.

Oh...we save up to shop also...sometimes I shop too much. ;)

I love to sit and watch  other groomers groom.

I love talking to the venders and seeing new tools that have come out.

For the last few years I have also enjoyed competing.

Last year I competed in Creative with my girl 'Hanna'.

I said last year that it would probably be my last year competing with her.

She is 8 now and gets tired being on the table too long.

The grooming time is not bad because they give a break half way through, but the judging, and the time it takes for everyone to give their presentation, and award ceremony takes a long time, and gets very tiring. 

'Hanna' was so tired by the time it was my turn for my presentation that she slept right through it.

I wasn't upset that I didn't place last year, but I was upset that I did not finish everything that I planed on doing for my design.

I started with a white dog, and it took me so long to color her on stage, that I had to cut off all of the flowers that I was going to do and didn't finish the butterfly.

So, I was going to compete with her one more time this year.

I started back in February, coming up with a new design for this year.

I wasn't happy with my first design, so I let her grow out with another design in mind.

Then, in June I put another design on her.

But, as I was working on her I noticed that she was getting tired again.

I started thinking that maybe I should stick to what I said last year and not compete with her in creative again.

Then I got back from vacation to find Groom Expos catalog in the mail.

Now I had to make a decision.

As I was reading through the catalog, I noticed that they had a new competition at Hershey this year.

Abstract Runway.

That would be great for 'Hanna'.

The grooming is done ahead of time, where as I can give her plenty of breaks.

So, last month I groomed her and started drawing up abstract designs that would hide the scissored out areas that she already had from my creative design.

Here is a picture of the abstract design that I have put on her...

Oh, wait a minute, I don't want to show that before the competition.

Sorry about that.

You will have to wait to see the design.

Guess what?

You can actually watch the competition live on your computer!

Saturday night, September 8th, on BarkleighTV.

I am not sure of the exact time.

I think that the Abstract Runway competition is between the dinner and the Awards Ceremony.

Both my daughter and I will be competing.

My daughter will be competing with her Bichon 'Cooper'.

 This will be 'Coopers' first time competing.

He has a cute design on his sides.

I have no idea how long we will be up Saturday night.

Usually it would not matter, but I am in the Rescue Round-up competition Sunday morning.

Check-in for that competition is 7:30am!

That means that we will have to be up, car packed, and checked out of the hotel no later than 7am.

It wouldn't be that big of a problem except that I am not a morning person.

Let me change that a little.

I am not a hop right out of bed person.

I can wake up when I need to, but I need at least anywhere from 20 minutes to half an hour for my body to move after me eyes open.

Pathetic aren't I?

Can't wait to meet my rescue groom.

We leave for Hershey right after work on Thursday.

Can't wait!

Happy Grooming, MFF