Vacation for Education - Rhode Island

It's hard to believe November is here already.  So much has happened in 2008, more than I ever could have imagined in a single year.  Getting on a plane for the first time in my life, becoming a Nationally Certified Groomer, revisiting an old favorite vacation spot, finally witnessing both creative styling and musical freestyle in person, attending new trade shows, and getting back in the grooming competition ring...  It wouldn't have happened without winning the NEPGP 2007 grand door prize.  Fate is an amazing thing!

This year's Fall Festival opened on Halloween with a fun costume party, following a day of competition and add-on programs.  The weekend brought more seminars and great contest entries.  I spent Saturday in classes, with a spoiled Poodle on my lap, while Sunday kept us busy in the grooming ring.  Never thought I'd be thankful for daylight savings time, but setting the clocks back gave me a much needed extra hour of sleep.  Well, not exactly - I still had to get up at 5 am to prepare for competition, but at least it felt more like 6:00 (only an hour or so earlier than I usually wake).  Of course I've been catching up ever since, generally falling asleep on the couch in the middle of a good evening movie. LOL

My goal for competition this fall was simply to do better than I did in the spring.  While I managed to pass my NDGAA practical exam at Intergroom, my styling wasn't nearly finished enough (at least IMO) to have any chance at placing in competition (esp. combined with all that missing hair somebody chewed off their legs).  Since competing is - or should be - about learning & improving (plus having fun), I aimed to try again at NEPGP.  Besides, with my free ticket, I had nothing to lose!  (Well, except missing a couple good seminars.) 

I roughed in with snap-on combs this time, saving several precious minutes.  By the time scissors down was called, I had nailed breed profile and finished sufficiently enough that I could call it done.  At least, done enough for a salon groom; for competition quality I thought it was still a little rough.  Mostly minor imperfections, but enough that I believed it deserved no more than a lower placement, if any.  We truly are our own worst critics!  The judges went over all the lovely entries, made note of technical merit, overall balance, and level of difficulty.  Finally they called out Third Place, then Second... when they came to First, I was stunned to hear them announce my name.  It never ceases to amaze me to be awarded a placement.  In my usual winners daze, I walked on stage and received my trophy and prize for the Poodle competition.  One more win away from A division!  (Yikes!)

And so, I close out the year of conventions with the show that started it all.  I'm extremely thankful for the opportunities that last year's door prize afforded me, plus the generosity of the sponsors who provided all those free tickets!  It truly was a year of new experiences and higher learning!   

It's not over yet, however...  Part of my winnings from the grooming contest include another free entry to Intergroom in 2009.  Thus the circle continues!

Here's to the new year offering even bigger opportunities and education for all professional groomers.

Vacation for Education - Pennsylvania

This week I returned from Groom Expo & Animal Behavior Conference in Hershey, PA.  Awesome show - so big it's actually a bit overwhelming!  I learned the trick there is to spend the first full day just methodically shopping the trade show, then you have the weekend to focus on classes.  Plus try to catch some of the competitions between all that.

Despite a tiring schedule, it was a fairly relaxing week.  A day in the country on each end of the trip, of course, helped.  The drive each way was long, but we enjoyed a short stay in the Amish country before show time (where we took annual family vacations when I was a kid), then on a secluded mountain with friends on the way home.  It's been nearly 18 years since I last visited PA, and it was great to see it again.  Also picked up some nice fresh dried herbs and oat flour while there - so much better than what supermarkets carry, plus way cheaper!  I even did a little Christmas shopping, plus picked up a souvenir or two for myself.  I found the most unique little trinket in one store; a pewter jewelry box which held a lovely necklace, a pair of earrings hooked in the lid, and the cover doubled as a lapel pin.  Never seen anything like it.  4 in 1 for less than $9, I couldn't resist!  The style/theme was a love & romance hex sign, very pretty for jewelry, I think.

When I first received the free ticket package at last year's grooming convention, I said "if I can only make it to one show, it'll be Groom Expo!"  I love the location, and heard it's one of the best shows, but total costs can be prohibitive for some, so I definitely had to take advantage of my gift certificate.  It's actually not so much the show costs that hurt you, at least if you go for a basic seminar package (daily price is close to average, but being a long show it does add up fast) - it's more the lodging.  Great accommodations, clean rooms, just a bit overpriced even with the group discount.  But then, maybe I really can't judge, as I wasn't able to use all the amenities...  In any case this trip has killed the rest of the year for any more travel, other than the quick trip to NEPGP.  Shopping did not help my bottom line, but they were all necessary business expenses.  The new dryer really did me in, but at least I didn't have to pay for shipping.  Just hope this one lasts me many years!

The seminars were wonderful and they provided ample breaks to allow shopping & contest viewing.  While this did cut into class time - could've taken more if they crammed the seminars back to back - it was nice to have the free time; and necessary if you want to see everything!  Like I said, that show was HUGE!  It's an incredible opportunity to meet so many vendors and sometimes even witness the unveiling of new products.  Not to mention taking advantage of any show specials.  I joined Barkleigh's "Groomers Club" and got back more than my money's worth in one day of shopping.  Okay, you want to know just how big the show is?  It's so big they have a tour guide! LOL  "Debbie & the Newbies" tours go around a few times each day, showing newcomers all the sights of Groom Expo.  You do have to wear a silly hat ;-) but you also get some coupons for the weekend.  So I highly recommend taking the tour first thing.  I made use of one $5 off coupon to join the Groomers Club, which subsequently saved me more when shopping.  There were also lots of free gifts from both the tour and the club.  I'd say nearly a third off all the stuff I brought home was free samples, etc.  Even snagged 2 or 3 very nice tote bags, which certainly came in handy for packing all that new stuff!

Back to the seminars!  Interestingly, I took fewer grooming classes at Groom Expo than I have at any other show.  Not that I didn't want to, but when there's so many choices, you have to prioritize.  Most of the weekend I spent in behavior & training and business seminars.  Everything was educational and fun, with fantastic speakers, a couple of which coincidentally held the majority of my chosen classes.  There were also excellent grooming demos on the trade show floor.

The competitions, esp. creative, were a must see.  Entries in the regular classes seemed average in number this year, but the specialty classes are where this show really shines.  That's where the big prize money is!  Creative is the star, and Groom Expo is one of the few (or only?) shows where you actually groom the dog in the ring.  You walk in with a fluffy Poodle (or breed of choice - but Poodle coats being the most versatile, that's pretty much all you see in creative these days), precolored if necessary, but little else, and you get a set time to sculpt, add more color, decorations and accessorize the dog into something else altogether.  This year's placements included a My Little Pony, a panda bear, and a hippie.  The "World Champion" (1st place) wins not only an enormous trophy and bragging rights, but $2500 prize money!  Incredible.  Now for a chance at that, I'd gladly come pay for the lodging. ;-)  hehe  Someday I hope to do just that!  Heck, even third place gets a very decent $750.  At least it'd cover travel & show expenses, with maybe a little left if you just stayed a couple days.

A review of Groom Expo wouldn't be complete without mention of the "Dancing with Dogs" tournament.  Ever since I first learned about Musical Freestyle, I've been rather hooked on it.  I've taken a workshop, read books & articles, and watched videos, but never seen a competition in person.  It was amazing to finally have that opportunity after so many years.  WCFO held contests throughout the weekend, and I was able to catch a few routines here and there.  Yet another ring I'd willingly travel down to enter!  Their prize money for this special occasion was nothing to sneeze at either. 

Freestyle is a relatively new sport, which is compared to dressage in the horse world.  As you "dance" around the ring, your dog follows you in heel position (walking forward or backward on either side), mirrors you face on, circles or weaves between your legs, add in some jumps, rolls, and other flashy steps, there are really infinite possibilities and combinations.  Everyone has a different routine of their own - that's why it's called "freestyle!"  I can see incorporating many country line dances into a routine, or for that matter just going line dancing with a canine partner. LOL  Freestyle is all about having fun, and the training is purely positive, so the dogs love the sport.  It's still less common that the mainstream sports, but if you ever have the chance to watch a competition, you'll surely be mesmerized!  There are several organizations, including WCFO, CFF, and MDSA; check them all out and google for more to see if anything is offered in your area.  Many freestylers also form local groups for camaraderie, support, training & practice, etc... perhaps you're lucky enough to have one near you.

In all, it was a very full week at Groom Expo and it was great to visit PA again.  Wonderful location... as my new tee shirt says, "Virginia may be for lovers, but Pennsylvania has Intercourse."  :-D  (Yes, that's a real town in the heart of the Amish country.  Nice place too!)

One more show to go... I guess four out of seven isn't bad!

How I Spent My Weekend

Well, I didn't make it to the SC grooming convention, but I still spent the weekend around dogs... even learned a few grooming tips!  My show buddy hijacked me for the regional Poodle Specialty (PCM) and dog show cluster... I'm just show equipment, ya know ;-) - dog holder/prepper/photographer/navigator.  It was a lot of fun - my first Specialty, very cool.  What's better than being surrounded by Poodles? :-) 
Just before ring time I practiced using the video function on the camera (another first for me).  As you can see, I got a little silly (shocking, isn't it?) with the closeups... but I couldn't resist that sexy butt (if you don't get it, you're not a dog person - and get your mind out of the gutter).  And just look at that face - is he not the sweetest boy ever?  Aww. :-)

Yes, it was very windy... what fun everyone had spraying up topknots!  Not. LOL  They still came out great.  And just look at all that competition - there were a lot of big names present that weekend.  Great networking opportunities. And while he didn't get any placements (came close, then AKC politics won out) Chaz showed wonderfully with his new handler.  That was the most important thing.  But someone we know from the UKC ring did take a first & third with her silver, so we still had some jump up & down excitement. :-)

God help me, I never thought I'd become a dog show addict... performance, yes, but conformation - who knew?  Karen, it's all your fault.  hehehe

More Chaz footage from the PCM Specialty:

Handler: Julie Wilkins

Vacation for Education - New Jersey

It's no secret that I'm, uh, not fond of NJ.  No offense to anyone from there, and I suppose any state that gave us Bon Jovi can't be all bad, but really, you know what it's like.  Let's leave it at that. 
Apparently, the only way to get me to NJ is with a free ticket!  I've only been to Intergroom one other time, and I had a pass then too (again from NEPGP).  Oh, don't get me wrong, the show is great, and definitely worth the trip!  But I could certainly do without everything outside of the convention center.  Friday, Apr. 11 was rather bad from the start.  First, we left later than expected, and I had just found out that I was supposed to be there earlier than previously planned.  Of course, we ended up forgetting the camera, so had to turn around for that... luckily only 12 minutes from home.  But still, we were late enough as it was!  Once we hit the cities down south, of course, traffic was a b****.  Oh yes, just what I wanted to do - sit motionless in NJ traffic for an hour.  The sun was going down, and we still weren't in Somerset.  I was supposed to take my NDGAA written tests between 3 and 6pm, which appeared to be the only available slot I could take.  That time was long gone.  Finally we arrived around 7, no supper in our bellies, just in time for certification orientation, but too late to register for the show.  Needless to say, by then I was totally stressed out.  Would they even let us in without our badges?  What about my missed tests; was I just out of luck?  Oh, and did I mention my contest/certification dog had chewed holes in his coat so his legs looked like they had a run in with a weedwacker?  *sigh*  My weekend was obviously doomed.  See what happens when I go to NJ?

Okay, so security did let us in for orientation.  Peggy Harris (my certifier) reassured me that they'd make certain I got my writtens done, and she could overlook the missing hair on my dog if the rest of the groom was up to par.  I was able to breathe and relax a bit after that, and once I had food in my stomach (dinner at 9? talk about eating with the elite!) I felt quite better.  Stressed, tired, and low blood sugar does not make for a pleasant Tara. LOL  There was the opening night party later, but no way was I up for that after my day - all I wanted to do was curl up with the Poodle and sleep.

Saturday was a fresh start and things started going much more smoothly.  I got the dog bathed & prepped for the afternoon competition.  Managed to fit in a little shopping and socializing.  And took my written tests, which were a bit harder than I expected.  Always a pleasant surprise though, as it shows their high standards.  As Peggy said, "they aren't gonna give it away!"  LOL  Here's a tip: if you're planning to certify, actually study the required reading!  Yeah, you say duh (and so did I after the fact) but I thought I had the breed standards down enough that I didn't need to read the grooming book too.  That's where I made my mistakes - got home, looked in the book, and the missed answered were right there in plain sight.  Oh well, chalk it up to education!  Next time I'll read both! haha  I still managed to pass with an 83; respectable enough I suppose.  Though a 90+ would've been nicer. ;-)
Afternoon brought the Poodle competition.  I was so excited and happy to be back in the ring I seriously was barely nervous at all.  Splash, the Mini who I borrowed from a friend, behaved excellently.  Great thing is this is a young dog, so I can use him for several years to come (as long as he doesn't rip out any more hair! ;-)  His conformation is terrible, but he (usually) has a great coat to camouflage all that with.  Can you say points for difficulty? hehehe  Well, I need to work on my timing, as I wasn't entirely finished when they called "scissors down."  Still looked very rough in my eyes.  Of course I am a perfectionist, like most groomers.  One of the best tips when you're competing is to rough in the entire dog, then go over it all in stages to refine it.  That way you never finish with a half done dog, just possibly one with correct lines that could've been smoother.  Splash actually didn't look too bad overall, even the patchy front leg was decently hidden.  But there were sticky-outies, and the front angulation needed to be taken in tighter.  Still, as I am so slow on Poodle grooms, I'm just glad I got as far as I did!  Needless to say I didn't place in competition.  But I'll be practicing over the summer, so look out in the fall! :-)
When the contest was over, I got a critique from one of the judges.  (Always do this when you compete - that's how you learn!)  She confirmed the faults I was already aware of, so I felt pretty good about that - at least I know I'm on the right track, and given enough time I could've done him up very nicely.  Then I popped over to the NDGAA booth for Peggy to review my groom for the practical certification test.  While I lost some points for the "loaded shoulders" and unfinished scissor work, I did achieve breed profile.  As in the contest ring, correct profile is the most important thing - you can do perfectly smooth scissoring, but if the profile is off, it's all but worthless.  I finished certification with a score of 88.  I guess I can live with that.

Sunday was a little more laid back.  A leisurely breakfast at the local diner, additional shopping at the trade show, catching what I could of the contests, and hitting some seminars.  The day's competitions included Extreme Makeover and Creative.  I didn't get to see much of the first, but know it's an awesome contest - several months of hairgrowth on the dogs, all to be sculpted into the perfect breed specimen, or another breed altogether!  I'd love to do this some day, maybe with a poodlington trim.  Just another ring to get in on! LOL  The afternoon Creative ring had some neat entries.  Pregroomed, as it was at APF.  The winner was an incredible Elvis theme, with a guitar on one side, and The King's likeness and name on the other.  Amazing.  I also particularly liked the Giraffe.  Great job!
I was only able to do a couple seminars over the weekend... the one downside to competing - it interferes with class schedules.  But what I attended was great.  First there was a lecture on providing Spa services.  Very good, I took lots of helpful notes.  Then Sue Zecco offered a "Subtle Changes" workshop on tweaking your grooms for more effective competition.  Oh!  After Saturday's contest, she came up and asked me if she could use Splash as a demo dog in her class.  Well, she didn't have to ask twice - I jumped right on that opportunity!  I suppose maybe some people would be hesitant of having their work picked apart and talked about in front of an audience, but again, this is how you learn.  Of course, Sue has a good sense of humor, so she did make a wisecrack about the missing hair. hehehe  How could she resist? ;-)  She went over my groom, pointing out what was right and what needed tweaking, made some subtle changes, and showed us all that this is a dog that one could place with.  Good to know!  I took several notes, and learned more about Poodle grooming, along with some great general tips for competitors. 

A wonderful end to the weekend.  With the van packed up, we headed back to NH late that afternoon.  Always nice to sleep in one's own bed.  Even nicer with a Poodle next to you. ;-)

Vacation for Education - Georgia

So begins the journey... 

After an already busy start to the year with local dog shows, lectures and salon renovations, I attended my first national grooming convention of 2008 over the weekend of March 7.  Atlanta Pet Fair truly is "the biggest little trade show" in the U.S. and is so worth the trip!  APF had been on my radar for some time, and my free ticket package was just the nudge I needed to finally go. 
The seminars were outstanding, with so many offered it was hard to choose; I wish I could’ve seen them all!  Grooming competition was somewhat smaller than I expected - more comparable to our New England show - but just as wonderful.  It was also very exciting to finally be able to see Creative entries in person.  This is another thing I plan to do in the future - what artist could resist all that coloring and sculpting?  The Model Dog contest was interesting as well, though I think I still prefer real dogs.  APF’s trade show was huge.  So many vendors, I had to use a lot of willpower to not buy everything I saw.  After all, I needed to be able to fit it all in the luggage to fly home!  Of course, I still made several purchases, some of which I had shipped, and the rest was strategically packed with the rest of our stuff.  But proudly, nearly everything bought was on my shopping list - products to try, etc. - I believe only one impulse item (poodle/groomer t-shirt) made it through.  Can’t guarantee the same would happen at a show we drove to. LOL

The flights down and back went off without a hitch.  Although the airport/security crap was still a pain as expected, but could’ve been worse.  I’m not sure if the Rescue Remedy helped at all, but acupressure techniques definitely managed to reduce any initial stress and kept my motion sickness well under control.  Coming home was easier on my nerves, now that I’d experienced flight... of course I was also too exhausted to really stress out, plus the flight was a bit smoother.  I only needed acupressure once or twice this time for some minor turbulance and pressure changes making me woozy.  (It was a tight little commuter jet.)  And I managed to read on the way, planning my schedule for the next show.  Not bad, I didn’t even need Dramamine!

Now, I swear I work harder at these shows than I do at home in my shop.  The hours are certainly longer!  Seminars started at 8 am each morning and ran until at least 5 pm.  Competition hours were even longer, and there were evening parties two nights in a row.  With the tight seminar schedule I barely had time to shop for necessities and quickly peek at the competitions, never mind squeeze in meals and bathroom breaks.  And on top of all this there was Daylight Savings Time, making me lose another hour of sleep in the middle of the weekend.  I actually missed a couple lectures that morning because of the stupid time change.  Luckily one of those missed topics is being repeated at another show, so I’ll be able to catch it there.  At least I was able to attend many other great lectures, including an ISCC SuperCoats, an awesome handstripping seminar by Daryl Connor, various breed demos, and other business related subjects.  Even got to sit in on a speaker lecture, which was great, and may be useful to me in the future if I ever do start teaching.

ISCC offered their rare Lifetime Membership, which I gladly took advantage of.  It’ll save a lot of money in the long run.  No more forgetting renewal fees, and now I can "officially" begin the certification process.  (Plus I got this nifty "lifetime" bar added to my membership pin!  Oohh. Aahh.  LOL) 
I also spoke with NDGAA about certifying with them as well, which I will start testing for next month.  You know, because I don’t have enough to think about already!

I mentioned APF parties.  Yep, even groomers need to kick off their shoes (sometimes literally, as I observed) and have some fun.  Unfortunately I was too tired to make the Internet Social, but have heard nice things about it.  If nothing else, what a great chance to meet your online friends.  Next night was the Kenchii Party, which advertised a DJ, belly dancing and breakdancing demos.  Even I couldn’t resist checking it out, and I am not a party person!  Gotta say the cash bar was terrible (had to go down to the restaurant for a good mixed drink), but otherwise the party was pretty awesome.  Great dancing and fun.  I, of course, remained a wallflower, though I was so tempted to do some of the familiar line dancing.  Maybe if I’d had a stronger drink. ;-)  If I had known anyone in the crowd, I likely would’ve at least done the Hustle to Last Dance at the end - which I was shocked noone started!  We always Hustle to that song up here!  Oh well, guess that’s what I get for not going to the Internet Social and meeting people to dance with. LOL  Incidentally, I still managed to make contact with several people from my groomers lists over the weekend.

All in all, a great start to the season... bring on the next show! 
But first, a nap. ;-)

Vacation for Education

Like most self-employed groomers, I don't take many "real" vacations - almost all trips are somehow business or dog related.  But that's okay!  Not that I don't enjoy time away from it all, but I am also more than happy to spend a few weekends here and there to learn more about my trade.  I'm all about continuing education!  It's so important for professionals to keep up to date with new developments in their fields, and there is always more to learn.  Grooming is an especially high burnout career, so taking time to refresh your knowledge and network with other pet pros is preventative medicine.  Conventions can stimulate the mind, rest the body, and soothe the soul.

Now, much as I love going to the trade shows and seminars, I do unfortunately have tendencies towards being a homebody, along with that definite shy streak, which subsequently gets worse the more I stay home. :-p  It has also become more difficult to travel now with all my allergies; packing food & supplements, finding acceptable restaurants, not to mention dealing with flareups - not fun away from home.  Plus the fact that all this travel costs money.  Hey, believe me, I could keep coming up with excuses!  But the truth is, valid as they are, there is no excuse good enough to get out of it.  Continuing education is simply necessary for the conscientious professional.  There are several forms of it, but conventions remain the best.  So I deal with it all - I designate funds for education & travel expenses (all tax deductible), I deal with the hassle of living with allergies, and I suck up social anxiety and make myself deal with that.  Besides, the enjoyment of learning new things outweighs all of those.  Oh, I still stress out, but it's worth it! :-)

Every year I make it a point to attend the New England Pet Grooming Professionals convention, along with any other seminars I can get to.  Last year was fairly busy for me, with a total of five (mostly local) workshops/seminars/conventions, up from four in '06, and previous averages of two or three per year.  And it looks like I may beat my record once again in 2008...  at the NEPGP 2007 Fall Festival, I won the door prize - a package of free entry to seven grooming shows!  Wow!  I was in total shock.  The entire memory remains hazy.  But it definitely was not a dream - I have the certificates to prove it! LOL  What an incredible opportunity.  I hope I prove myself worthy of such a gift.  While I won't be able to make it to every show (a couple are just too far or have conflicting schedules) I'll still be traveling more and further than ever before.  And quite likely getting on a plane for the first time in my life!  I'll tell you what, I'll be putting Rescue Remedy to the test on that trip! ;-)

So begins the year of new experiences and higher learning...