Changing seasons

This week was full of ups and downs!

It is really exciting with having some new business friends, awesome people to get to know and grow with. With two other groomers I am able to take some time to get acquainted, where before I was always in too big of a hurry. I don't feel as limited in what can be done each day.

My heart goes out to Polly's family; Polly, we will do our best to take care of Tippy and Scamp for you.

I will miss Cocoa, you are gone way too soon. I hope Angel is there showing you around, I won't every forget you, RIP.

Website

I am really happy with how the website is turning out. Dan is doing a great job on it. He didn't like the colors of it but he says it grows on him as he works with it. It is not complete yet but it is really starting to take shape. The first girl I trained to groom is coming for a visit today, will be fun! This week has gone by really fast, things got busy at work and time just flies! I am taking a vacation in October, yeah!

Gonna try to catch up... (Triskit and my work)

I just don't know where to start. I got OLD yesterday, another dang birthday! Too bad they are so consistent. When your little you can't wait for the next one. I am not sure when that changes, but they definitely get less exciting as time goes by. Lost Triskit (Shih Tzu) about a month ago. Had her since she was 9 weeks old and she would have been 17 on October 25. She will always hold a special place in my heart, I miss her so much. Some things should last forever! My love for her will. RIP Biscuit!

On a much brighter note... Business is going well, growing rapidly! My daughter Ariel started working with me full-time back in May, she is almost completing grooms on her own. She is such a quick learner and does a great job. A few weeks ago I hired a third groomer to our staff. Alli is doing very well and she fits right in. I feel really fortunate to have a great team. Having other groomers allows me to focus on my business also, where before I was constantly struggling to do everything and not getting anything done to my satisfaction. Now things are going much better! I hired an accountant too. Finally realized I really shouldn't be trying to do everything myself. Now I can refocus on what I enjoy doing, working with animals! Someone asked me a while ago how many pets I had~ I told them I lost count, but definitely over 1000. I love them all!

Roller Coaster

The way life has been lately, ups, downs, curves.

There are some great things. Business is going great. Will be even better when the furnace stops running so much and we get a little humidity, fly away fur can be hard to work with. I really appreciate all my customers, I don't always say it enough, without these great people I wouldn't be able to enjoy what I do.

I love my new dog Macy! She is a four year old Pitt Bull. Adopted from a local rescue, she really has a sweet disposition. She has skin trouble we are working on remedying. She is so amazing I would love to get her certified as a therapy dog.

My nephew made it back from Afganistan Friday. I am so relieved. He earned a purple heart while serving our country. Now he will be able to meet his son in a couple weeks. Welcome home Mike!

On the flip side my uncle Duke passed away on 2-28-09. I did not know him well but many of my close family members did. No matter how big a part you had in my life, you will always have your place in my heart. RIP Duke.

I am looking forward to spring! At least weather warm enough to walk my dogs and bicycle. Looking for some great running shoes, I am going to run a 5k this summer.

Place of business

I have had several requests to list my business information here.

Kim's Animal House
131 Marion Blvd Ste A
Marion Iowa 52302

In the Indian Creek Mall, near Thomas Park, behind McDonalds.

319-377-0061

Founded 8-19-08. This is a full service pet grooming salon. We also carry some retail and pet food. Some brands I have in stock currently are Eagle Pack Holistic, Precise Plus, Serengeti. We can get most premium/ super premium dog and cat food, also small animal and bird food. We do many special orders. Inquire at the phone number listed above.

Preoccupied

It's been a long time. This year has flown by so far. I don't imagine it slowing down any time soon. Where do I begin? I visited Rob in the spring. I drug him to Philadelphia to see some of the great historical places there. I got to meet grown up Gooby! I got a chance to relax, it was my calm before the storm.

When I got home it was train, train, train for Ragbrai! Training combined with Jesse's graduation party and his celebration for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. Party preparations, ride, announcements, ride, commencement, ride; that was in one night. OK so I am exaggerating, but it seemed crazy at the time. Jesse's party turned out awesome and I rode 6 1/2 days of the 7 days of Ragbrai. The half day we rode all morning in the cold rain by the half way town I just wanted to curl up in a ball somewhere and suck my thumb.

After Ragbrai, I worked at my previous employer for a week. During this time it was confirmed my employer was closing shop. *stress* So I went to Colorado for 8 days. OK, so the Colorado trip was planned for over a year but it sounded good when it seemed more spontaneous. Todd's scout troop, I think 10 adults, and our children invaded Ellen and Johns house for almost a week. We originally planned on invading their back yard with just a few of us leaking into their house, but after we ended their drought by taking our Iowa monsoons with us we ALL invaded their home and left the tents to blow away into their neighbors horse pasture or any other random place they ended up. That was way more entertaining then it must sound here. We went to the Denver Zoo, Wolf and Wildlife Sanctuary, Drove to Pikes Peak, Air force Academy, Cave of the Winds, Garden of the Gods. Some of us went hiking on our last full day there. I almost put my foot on a rattlesnake to tie my shoe. I don't know who was more scared, me or the poor snake that almost had my stinky foot on it, but that rattle sound they make seems MUCH more ominous IRL then when you hear it on TV. It was a great week.

Todd's Grandma passed away. 2 family friends passed away. We lost our little Pomeranian. All hold a special place in my heart. ~RIP~

When I got home I had to hit the ground running. Find a rental space where pet grooming was allowed. Utilities, licenses, Realtors, postcards to notify people where I went (over 800), get program running, office equipment/supplies, tub, washer/dryer, water heater, the list goes infinitely on. We arrived back from Colorado on August 10 and Kim's Animal House was operational by August 19.

It will take some time to fill in the blanks and elaborate on some of these things, but I hope to frequent here more often.

New bike!

I finally got a road bike, January is a good time to buy a bike, but it is also a bad time. Now I want to ride. They are callling for 50 MPH winds and a blizzard. I guess I am still a fair weather rider, I am ~so~ not going to ride out there today.

My bike is a 2006 Orbea, new in the box with Shimano 105 shifters, deraillers, and wheels. Zues brakes. It is silver and charcoal. I can't wait to go ride it.

Remember Peanut?

That little tiny kitten my mom found near death back in 2006 (pictures posted in November 2006). This is him today. Such a stinker too. He is perpetual motion and always ready to play! I thought this dopey picture had to be published. Peanut currently resides with my parents. He is one happy, fat cat.

The Zoo

My pets, aka "the zoo", are a rowdy bunch. It is hard to begin to introduce them all, that is why it has taken me so long to even try. Here goes...

Triskit (Nicknames include: Biskit, Siskit, Sissy, Bisky, Queen Bitch, and many other variations) Registered name Triskit Tai Winkie. (Sire was Tai Pan Hot Shot, Dam was Winkie Sue) She is a 15 year old grey and white Shih Tzu with a larger that life chip on her shoulder that not one of the other pets in my house will even look at, let alone knock off. This little 10 pound dog rules the non human lives in my house, the other pets will walk a six foot in diameter circle around her to avoid getting snapped at. She is very vocal, screams went you try to groom her, barks incessantly until you feed her, yet she can be the sweetest little princess when she wants to be. In her day she could and did run with the big dogs... she used to play tug of war with our Saint Bernard who has since passed. She would take the kids for walks, and sleep on my pillow . She doesn't see the best now, and only hears sometimes. Not sure if she has selective hearing or really has trouble. She has a way of being naughty and nice in the same wag of her tail.

Next in line is Bonsai. (Nickname: Sai) He is my 15 year old black and white domestic short hair cat. He follows me everywhere, when I sit he is right there to sit in my lap. He purrs constantly even though he is struggling with kidney failure. He sleep next to me with a paw on me to make sure he knows if I get up. If I run my fingers under the edge of the sheet or wiggle my toes under the covers the game is on! Triskit recognizes Bonsai's #2 position in the pecking order and generally leaves him alone, none of the other animals mess with him at all. He used to always, and still on occasion hold complete conversations with me. Answering everything I say with meows that fit right in with the topic.

Then there is LaMia (Nicknames include: Mia, Miles, Jami) Registered name Lamia Minnie Tally Wag. (Sire was Bozo Tally Wag, Dam was Minnie Woof) I had difficulty finding a name I thought suited her, I found myself searching a dictionary for something appropriate. I saw the definition before the name. It said "in Greek mythology; a female monster". The word Lamia. This is a dog that did and still does steal your shoe or a sock or drag around a 2 foot rope bone, she drops her nose in the snow and plows through the yard. She completely blocks out anything you say to her unless it sounds fun or it ends in the word treat. She will beat on you and dig at you with her paw until you pick her up and hold her but if you insist she come to you she will drop and roll over on her back for you to come rub her belly instead. She does run with the big dogs and she gets them on their backs and climbs all over them play biting and growling, if she wants to play and nobody will attend to her she has a half shrill, half howling bark she turns on to make her wishes known.

Then there is Puffit. (Nicknames: Puff, Roo, Rooski, Piffit. Poof) Registered Name Lil Mystical Puffit, instead of Lil Miss Muffit. I did not name her with a part of each parent's name cause I just couldn't make anything from them. The Sire was Ka Ce's Leonardo, and the Dam was Moshannon Shelly Fan Jo Pep. Puffit is a 10 pound buff Pomeranian that is 4 years old. She has a genetic problem with loose back knees (Lax Patella) which causes her knees to bend either way sometimes and she limps a lot. It is not evident whether she has any pain from her ailment. She runs and beats on LaMia when she can. She is our house thief, if you don't watch her she will steal bones from the big dogs and even Triskit. She is a closet eater, she waits until we go to sleep to eat. She is definitely over weight.. or big boned as the kids like to say. Her tongue is bigger then her mouth and if you don't watch it she will lick you to death. One of her favorite tricks is trying to stick her tongue up your nose. I groom her many ways, she gets such a long coat she seems more comfortable when she is shaved. She often has a mohawk, or a heart shaved into her coat somewhere... or something fun to let her express herself. Whatever it is she struts around like she owns this town. Occasionally she will forget Triskit is the matriarch and she will try to step in, she is always put in her place.

Marty. She likes to call herself "Good Girl or Marty Girl, pretty girl". Not sure her exact age... Guessing she is 8 or so. She is our Blue and Gold Macaw. She has a limited vocabulary. She says "Hi", and "good girl", and "hahaha". When she thinks she is in trouble she yells "stop". She has said "sonofabitch"<~~ came with that one, don't really say that. She will chant " here kittykittykitty, here kittykitty, Where's that cat?" A dog is called Boomer in her mind because the previous owners had a dog named Boomer. So when she wants a dog to come to her she will say "come here Boomer". She dances and sings and licks the dogs when they lick her. She does not like blondes and she has bitten people with blonde hair. She will get on the floor and waddle around behind me and follow me around along with Bonsai. She will sit at the table and eat with us when she can. When I get junk mail I hold it out to her and say it's a bill and she shreds it for me. She will let me cradle her in my arm sometimes. If she gets startled she'll say "What up" or "what that?" She sits on the back of the seat in the car and laughs at people going by. Sometimes she yells hi or what up at them. She fits right in with the zoo.

Buddy and Duke I will do together because they are two peas in a pod. They are Boxers. Both fawn and white. Buddy has a white box on his nose and a crooked white bow tie mark on his scruff. Duke has a black face. Buddy is 3 1/2 Duke is 4. They look a lot like a double mint commercial most of the time. They will simultaneously shake their bodies or run side by side. They are incredibly nosey and have to see everything. They and Puff and sometimes LaMia have a really bad habit of barking profusely when anyone arrives here. They tiptoe around Triskit, they shower Marty with licks all over. They roll over and let Puff and Mia beat on them and they love it. They play tug of war with the little dogs and let them win. Buddy watches the only other animals we have in the house, fish, for hours. You can tell him to go fish and he will sit there and watch the tank for quite a while. Duke will stand at the edge of the bed and whine to get up there. When they need to be kenneled, I just say "Kennel" and they go right in and lay down. They both think they are human to the extent they have their own love seat. They love camping and disk golf and anything that has to do with running and playing. Unfortunately Buddy has something wrong with his knee. The Vet is still trying to figure out, as you can imagine it is difficult to try to get him on bed rest to allow it to heal. When the Vet did the x-rays he didn't have to tranquilize him though, which is generally standard procedure. He laid still and let the Vet do what was necessary. Great dog!

This is my zoo!

Dad

Today is the 28th anniversary of my Dad's death. He died when I was 10, he was 37, of colon cancer. Now colon cancer is very preventable if caught soon enough. Even when he was suffering from it, had he gone to a doctor when he started having problems they had a good chance of helping him. Every year at this time, and many other times, I wonder how my life would be different if my dad was still living. I miss him always.
RIP Dad. I love you.

Ramblings

I like an article or a verse or a flip comment from a strange little old lady in the grocery store that not only makes me stop and ponder at that moment but reiterates itself in my mind at random times when I think I am concentrating on other very different things.

Happy New Year!

Now that the "feed" day is behind me I can focus on better habits. Starting that off tonight with a 30 minute ride on the trainer! I get to look forward to that getting easier because right now it is anything but easy. I had to do something today after I ate lunch at mom's! She is too good of a cook. I am sure even though my arms are tired from boxing on the Wii I did not come close to burning all those delicious calories off!

I started reading Alan Alda's book today "Things I Overheard While Talking To Myself". So far I am really enjoying his unique humor. I will let you know if I recommend it when I am done. Climbing mountains at 70+ years old is definitely something he can be proud of! Hopefully I will be strong enough at that age to do incredible things like that.

I had a conversation tonight that dabbled in religion, astrology, astronomy and many other interesting topics with a great friend. Those conversations are great mind stretchers. My PT Ellen and I discussed how she is going to make sure I sufficiently torture myself this year. What a great day!

2008 resolutions!

2008~ The year of the Rat in Chinese/ Japanese zodiac. This year I am going to focus on self improvement. Not solely physical improvements I intend to make, though I do have a lot of those, my primary objectives this year are specific. Thanks to a great friend of mine, I have the opportunity to learn the Danish language. I am going to learn everything I can about that language and Danish history. It is part of my heritage and I am really interested in it. I am going to train for and complete Ragbrai 2008. I did 3 and a half days of 2007... this year I am doing it all. I did not train like I should have last time, I will not let that happen again. I am saving the tips I get from work to invest in a better bicycle, I intend to put my whole heart into it this year and have fun. My biggest goal for 2008 is a fairly typical resolution for many people to make, I have made it before. This year I am going to focus all my energy into it and live it, not just say it and wonder why it didn't happen... I am going to stop procrastinating. Many things I have put off until now, I am going to do. No more excuses. The year of the Rat will be a great year.

Kids!

My kids are great! I have four wonderful children. The middle school may not think so today, after suspending my youngest daughter for slugging a kid after he told her she looked like a boy. Well, I am sure worse things have happened. My oldest daughter came in from school today, put her back pack on the floor complaining how heavy it was. I looked at her with my sarcastic "duh" expression. She laughed and proceeded to tell me that all four of them had been playing tricks on each other with an item we have in our house. The oldest boy hid it under the covers of the youngest boys' bed. The youngest boy hid it in the oldest girls' dresser drawer. This has been going on for some time. Then, laughing hysterically, she admitted the oldest boy placed the item in her back pack last night. She unzipped her bag, and pulled out~ our fire extinguisher. I asked what would happen if there was a fire. Three of my four kids that were standing there said at the same time, "We'd know right where to look." So funny!

New Year Resolutions

So many things to accomplish, so little time. Here is my list... (1) Spend time doing enjoyable things with the ones I love. (2) Become financially independent. Follow my career dreams. (3) Get in better physical shape. (4) Continue being nicotine free. (5) Train for and complete Ragbrai. Just a few off the top of my head. There are many more all involving self improvement and quality of life, these right now are my focus. I have also decided to do things I want to, but in the past worried about what people would think. Things that hurt nobody, except myself for a minute, like getting my lip/navel pierced. If people don't like it then they shouldn't have it done. I won't judge them. Happy 2007!

Festivities

With all the holiday festivities, I have neglected to post. Christmas was good. My kids seem very happy with gifts they received, and gave. I went on a seamstress mode again this year. I made a quilt, pillows, scarves for gifts. I did some fun photos on fabric and tried my hand at applique. I made a couple fleece blankets for birthday gifts too. I also made some homemade Christmas cards with buttons, pipe cleaners, and anything else I could find. Just searching for a diversion from the standard boxed cards and purchased gifts. My only wish would be to see those I wasn't able to, during the holiday. Now I can settle in and prepare for exercising and training for Ragbrai this coming July. Hope you all had a great holiday, and looking forward to a bright new year.

Crash

My oldest son got in a car accident this week, thank God nobody was seriously injured. He hit a van, totaled his car, and did significant damage to the van. The driver of the van ran a stop sign, his insurance company accepted all liability. I can't help but think of what could have happened, one of those mortality checks you get in life. Thankfully all three people involved are safe. I am so grateful!

New Jersey, New York...

I was so fortunate this year, got 2 vacations! In October I flew out to the east coast to visit my great friend Rob. We hung out in New Jersey for a couple days. We went out to eat, went to the mall, just spent quality time together. Such distance between friends, never enough opportunity to sit and visit face to face. It was really nice! I love the east coast, it has so much history. I love to hang out in the cemeteries, some of the graves are from so far back, it seems unreal. That is probably not most people's favorite thing to do... but its one of mine. We went to New York while I was out there. Upstate New York in October with all the fall colors throughout the Adirondack Mountains is one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. Some of our stops along the way were several rest areas and Woodstock Harley Davidson. We stopped in Saratoga Springs, NY. The town famous for it's Revolutionary War battlegrounds, as well as the best tasting spring water! So full of historical points of interest, monuments, museums, horses! Rob was stationed there when he was in the military, so I got to see a bit of where his past was spent! That was so great, every second. We spent a good portion of one day touring the battlefield. I really had an awesome time. The Saratoga Monument in Schuylerville, NY was an amazing structure, climbing to the top of that was really neat, and right there is a very old cemetery, how great is that?! I wish we had a week to spend in Saratoga Springs, there were so many things to see. It is pretty touristy there, but I can definitely see why. The next day we headed to Lake George, NY. Also a lot of tourism, but so beautiful and interesting. The lake is huge! Nestled in the Adirondacks. Fort William Henry is located right on the end of the Lake. We walked around part of the lake, and checked out all the historical sights we could find, and we hung out in the Arcades for a while. So many fun things to see and do! I could go on and on about it, but you really should just go there and see it all for yourself! Thank you Rob for such a great time! I will remember all of those things forever! Before I went there I thought of New York as crowded over populated, big city, dangerous... all that. New York is a really big state, there is so much more than just New York City. This trip offered me a pleasant surprise, a side of New York I never knew existed. Thank you again and again Rob, for sharing one place that means so much to you, with me. For all the beautiful places etched in my mind. For all that you did to make sure my visit there was so enriching. And for letting me meet and play with your kitten Goober! Such a fantastic cat! For everything, thank you!

Pike's Peak

This past September my family took a trip to Colorado Springs to visit my best friend from high school and her husband. After we spent a few days exploring all the great natural wonders there; the Garden of the Gods, Cave of the Winds, Cliff Dwellings, all the beautiful scenery, we decided to head to Denver and spent the day at the Denver Zoo. We had a great time reminiscing and getting reacquainted with each other. I wouldn't consider myself an extremely active person, I usually walk 3 to 5 miles per day or more. On the way back from Denver I decide I was climbing Pike's Peak the next day. I thought, after all. How hard can a 12 mile hike be. HA! I think everyone thought I was crazy, but they knew I meant it. The next morning my friend and I got up way before dawn. It was pretty chilly. We had prepared CamelBaks and high carb snacks. We had sweatshirts and gloves and everything we needed. My friend had trained for an Accent on Pike's Peak, so she knew everything we needed. It was right before dawn when we started up the mountain. It was so beautiful to look back and watch the sun rise over Manitou Springs/ Colorado Springs. Being a flat lander from Iowa, I quickly realized I hadn't really adjusted to 7000+ ft. (I reside at about 800 ft.) I had to make frequent stops to catch my breath. The time it took me to get to Barr Camp, basically the half way point, many locals could have been to the top. I probably would have been smart and turned around at that point, but I am way too stubborn for that, so upward we climbed. It seemed like days had passed by the time we made it to tree line, approximately 3/4th up the mountain. Just past tree line is when my friend realized I have a fear of heights. Up to that point I felt some what secure, in all the trees. When it was just rocks and thin air my fears rose significantly. My friend was wondering how she was ever going to get me off that mountain. At 11,000+ ft. breathing became difficult, compounded by self inflicted fears, the last 3 miles were excruciatingly slow and difficult. The last mile of Pike's Peak is pretty trying for many locals there, the last part just before the summit is nicknamed the "16 Golden Stairs". Don't let them fool you! It is not 16 steps and you are at the summit. It is a grueling series of steep switchbacks that seemed to make the previous climb seem trivial, and it is really damn cold up there. At times on that climb I thought I wouldn't survive and it probably took me double the time it would take people more accustomed to the altitude and extreme physical exertion, but I made it! I CRAWLED onto the 14,110 ft summit, eventually, I crawled to the truck and into the back seat, and buried my head in a pillow until we were back down the mountain. I started feeling better then, and proud, and all that other giddy stuff. I am no mountain climber, for sure. But I would do it again. It was beautiful! An experience I will never forget. We went to the Pike's Peak Harley Davidson shop. I bought a hooded sweatshirt. So now I can say, "been there, done that, got the swe...". Aww nevermind *grin* Thank you Ellen for helping me have such a beautiful experience.

New house!

Grats on your new house Trazidar! What a great home. So spacious and full of trophies from victorious encounters with all those evil monsters. After the time we had with her, too bad Azar didn't drop remains! /Hug