Post Christmas......

Well it's over, except for the cleaning up. What a busy, busy Christmas it has been. Our first year with the kennel at Christmas, whew.....I took the week efore Christmas off and the 27th, we had the 26th off since Christmas fell on a Sunday. We overbooked and had dogs in every nook and cranny in the place. LOTS of walking cleaning and cleaning and walking. Christmas eve was a tmy folks new condo. They love it there. They had previously lived in a beautiful old house in the historic neighbourhood but they were tired of the maintenance, racoons in the attic, squirrels in the attic, poor heat, no AC and all the attendant problems with a old house. So they moved. Nice condo, nice neighborhood. My brother nad his wife also came and we had a lovely champagne drenched Christmas and dinner. My family does Christmas in the european fashion. Formal Christmas Eve with dinner and present opening etc. Then home and go over and walk the dogs...at 12:30pm? Oh well, I guess we do what needs to be done.

Christmas day we had Mel come over and take care of the kennel and we drove to Tampa to see all the kids and grandkids. Carolyn was down with Sarah and Nicole from NY and we had a nice time and nice dinner. Then, back in the car and back to G'ville. On the way back we had alternator probs but made it anyhow. Whew....

Ever since it's been the kennel, the kennel, the kennel. We walk all the dogs multiple times each day, it seems to lower the stress level for them and consequently keeps the barking and destructive behaviour at a minimum. Something no one else seems to do unless they have to. After the New Year most of the dogs will be going home rather quicKly so we'll finally be able to get some rest. Thank God that Carolyn and the kids are here. They have been a big help at the kennel and since I had to go back to my slavey job Dolly would have had a hard time with the kennel. Always seems that things are working out. Blew our income projections out of the water. We will end up exceeding our projections by about 10-15% over what we had anticipated. looks like we'll go ahead and build out the other side of the kenel next summer and should be able to fill it after we hit all the phone books. Wahooo! Scary when a plan works out. See you all next year........

Have a safe and happy new year!

It's hard

No not that, get your mind out of the gutter!!! I meant life and all. Kennels is doing fine and things are overall doing good. I really got to get some more pictures up. I can be sooo lazy sometimes. It doesn't help that I live in the land of 24600 dial up either. No broadband available in my area unless I want to pay Direct TV's outrageous fees. Not me, said the littlest bear. With the kennel doing well, I mean we're doing a good biz for a new almost unknown kennel in the area, it makes it really hard to go to my stupid day job. I would much rather be at home and working for myself. The big sticker is the health insurance. I get it free with the state and if I try to go and purchase it on the open market it's like, well, you really don't want to know. It is sooo outrageous it will probably keep me at my suck-ass job for another year or so. Oh, the trauma, the pain. I guess I can live with it, it's not easy tho.

Christmas. It appears that we have the presents all bought! Hooray! Done early! Usually we're (read as me) at the mall on the 22nd or 23rd looking for that one gift for someone or another. God Bless on-line shopping!! The other thing that Dolly and I have decided is that we will do our Christmas shopping on Black Friday (day after T-day) and get each others gifts while we are together. An example, Hey honey, what do you think about this? Oh, that's really cool. OK, it's yours' for Christmas!! I mean how much easier can it be? You get exactly what the other person wants. No returning things the following week and none of that look of dissappointment when the hints that were subtley dropped for the past 2 months were not picked up on. Win-win as far as I can see. The only thing is, although it's been bought early the rule is; NO TOUCHING OR PLAYING WITH UNTIL CHRISTMAS. Still get that anticipation factor. I mean that takes all the fun out of it if you can have it right away.

Trying to get to Marias' for Christmas day. It's gonna be hard since the kenel is going to be packed again (muhahaha). I think we have a couple of folks that will walk and feed that day for us. For pay, of course. I just wanted Dolly to be able to speand time with her kids and grandkids esp since her mom is not with us and I'm sure we'll have some sadness. Thanksgiving morning was hard since it was the first Thanksgiving that she can tremember that her mom was not with us. It got better after Maria and the kids came and the drinking began, too much to think about. Well I'll try to update more than once a month but no promises........see ya and have a


Merry Christmas!!!