Nanobugs!!!

NO, this is not a new flea or flu bug, electrical device or chew toy for your pet........ this is the delightfully creative 'invention' of Nancy, (an old friend of mine from hospital days). (my first life) She has made microbiology a-MAZingly fun and understandable and there is NOTHING this lady does not know about. She and her family have created a fun way to fight infection for all ages. I wish I had had a resource like this when I was trying to get through that course at UNMC long ago!! Even though Nancy is a nurse.........the educators of the world could take a lot of lessons from this gal!! :) Someday when you are just looking for a "cause" go to Nanobugs.com and enjoy the ride!!

Hershey

Along the same grooming line.............. what an experience four of us had in Hershey, Pennsylvania a few weeks back. You have never seen chocolate until you visit the chocolate capital of the world in Hershey............. EVERYWHERE we turned there was chocolate. Hershey is where the mother of all trade shows is at and we managed to get there this year for the first time. Its kinda one of those things where its always on your list to do...........but its always just that step away from what you think you can. Well, now its on our list of "can't ever NOT do it agains"!! From what I hear attendance was down some this year (4,500) but most vendors(and I'll have to admit, most of my industry friends, sell HIGH dollar items) relate that people were BUYING. They were all encouraged by the trend. It was because of one of my aquaintances was willing to let some of us do some work for them that we actually got up the momentum to get us there. I am grateful for that. I'm not a great traveler..... and planes are not really my preferred mode of travel but I found it particularly interesting that one of the international airports that we traveled through, once we got back that way, was about...........oh, maybe 3 times larger than Lincoln's airport?? By the way..........it was perfect connections, timing, and flights leaving out of our own Lincoln airport to get to where we were going. All in all.........it was a great trip.......... learned lots, good entertainment, good food, good friends, and no, we didn't buy much! :)

Groom Salon

So much has gone on here I'm just not even sure where to start. As you know, Maria and Paula from our grooming salon have been out hot on the trail working to become certified. They return from Iowa yesterday, having both successfully completed the last two of five exams needed to become fully certified in both the Terriers as well as the Non-Sporting breeds! We are all very proud of their continued pursuit in this endeavor and remain grateful to those who have so graciously allowed them to travel w/ their pets to their respective testing sites. There is more on their plate for the next year.....stay tuned!!

Woo-HOO Roy Boy!!

Big news from Dian in Cape Cod. She is on her way home from a trip well spent. Roy returns w/ 12 of the 15 points he needs for his Championship so YEA!!! Carol is back..... I can tell she's reading e-mails. Four of us are on our way to Hershey soon so I may be absent again for awhile but I'll try to get right on it. I look forward to seeing many good long distance friends and meeting new..... just hoping my feet and this stupid achilles tendon of mine hold out!! Cindy may end up 'pushing' me around!! I'm NOT looking forward to the plane ride and I don't do well w/out my daily fix of "husband" but I'll put on my "big girl panties" and get over it!! It will be good to go but good to get back! No wonder I'M the one w/ the pet care facility so that YOU can all travel all over.......... cuz I'm just not the best at it!!

UpDate......

Forgive me followers, for I have once again, not blogged!! End of summer comes, things are supposed to slow down and......... true to history.......it never does. It's 'different'..... but NOT slow. Right off the gun everybody's schedule readjusts to the influx of summer staff leaving, student schedules, and long awaited vacations. KENL INN staff are not allowed to take vacations during the traditional summer months so by the time summer is over they are usually standing in line. Cindy's back from Branson, Dian's in Cape Cod, Rose has gone home to Maine for three weeks, Carol is on her way home from Colorado, Shawna is soon to leave for Columbia, & Rachel leaves for the Czech Republic for a phenomenal trip w/ her grandma after that. Ha, then, you know...... it'll be the holidays again!!
In the meantime Paula and Maria have just gotten back not long ago from another NDGAA certification in Chicago and now have been blessed w/ a WONderful opportunity to get to the biggest groom show there is.......in Hershey, Pennsylvania!! They have taken on the job of driving a truck full of equipment for one of the major vendors at the show al-l-l-l-l-l the way there...but WHAT an opportunity--so they JUMPED and said YES!! Well, THAT pissed me off.....(even though I was primarily instrumental in getting it all arranged for them)..... Anyway, so I decided that Cindy and I should be going too!!! We haven't attended the PCSA national convention for a long time so......... THIS will be IT!! WE will take the 'big bird'.... it should be fun w/ all four of us there if we don't kill each other!! :)

EOS

That's short for End Of Summer..............this last w/e pretty much wraps it up here for the major 'summer crunch'. Sadly, we bid good-bye to several staff members that are back into their own "school" world here now. We appreciate their efforts over the summer and look forward to them coming back for the holidays. We had a great bunch of folks this year. Sadly, also, we said good-bye recently to an eight year employee as well as two groomers, all w/ alot of potential as well as our "Kassie" who has been w/ us for many years, (off to Afghanistan, back in school, graduated, and now awaiting her turn at vet school.) She's chosen to spend her time waiting w/ her fiance in the service, stateside here..............and I guess I can't blame her for that!! I wish everyone the best in their new pursuits. Its been challenging getting everyone that's left into a schedule so that we can continue our pledge of 5am-midnight coverage but we got 'er done!!

The new suites have been a big hit..............and oh, my,..... WHAT a nice place!! Nice for the dogs... nice for the staff. Our friend Jorge (Animal Planet's Groomer Has It fame) from NYC was here for an all too short visit again. NEXT time its a longer stay!!

Girlie Girl is Back

With much sadness on everyone's part........ the home for Duffy didn't work out..... through no fault of her adoptive "parents".......(and through no fault of Duffy's)..... it just didn't work out....
SOOOO......... dang!!! Here we are......... a three dog family again!! Ben and I were both a tad sad when she went the first time but in our talking about that .........it became obvious that when she had to come back ---- she had to come HOME (w/ US!). Ben and I decided a long time ago that we really were NOT a "three dog family". Things just moved a lot smoother, it seemed, when we just had two..... that was a good number for us. But, we are all learning to adapt in our own ways to new routines and new rules and learning to enjoy and respect each other. Poor Shoe......... she just originally thought Duffy was an annoyance..... then she finally figured out that she was here to stay........and now they are best friends. TailR, (whose ONLY world has always been ME,ME,ME) is still a bit confused on what this beast's purpose REALLY is but he, too, is learning that we can all be kissing cousins!! :)

Yea!!!

Well, congratulations are in order for several folks here. First off, Joe got his Eagle Scout award…….. Secondly, Kristin persevered and actually pulled off completing the Triathlon, (whew!!)………. & Doug finished second, I believe, in some pretty intense Tennis matches at the Cornhusker State Games!! YEAS!!!! Also, I’m happy to say that Doug has moved into the “pool position” (yes, that’s POOL position, not POLE position) to do some of our assisted swimming activities. Also, Tammy & Chevy have both been promoted to newly created positions of Training & Quality Assurance/Control officers. Best wishes to all!!!

Hogan M.

Ohhhhhh…………. What a hard nut to swallow. We just received a call from a very good customer to tell us that their dog had succumbed this morning to the heat & humidity. These are excellent and very responsible people with the most wonderful little dog. He had plenty of shade and water available and who knows what other circumstances might have been involved but nevertheless……… things do happen. This is especially hard for me as I am ‘partial’ to those little pug-nosed (brachyocephalic) breeds and this was a wonderful little dog. (only 6 years old & seemingly very healthy) We take these summer months all quite seriously here at K.I……… shades are already up, we’ve been pounding “heat” precautions & “work smart” options into everyone’s head, and this week’s TenMinuteTrainer is on “safety” anyway. (which this time of the year is always centered on the heat!) One of the things we usually do around here is always think of the Pet’s First….. and some of the emphasis of this trainer was to not only worry about the pets ……but also yourself and your coworkers. The tragic passing of our friend Hogan this morning personalizes that all a bit more!! Our sincere condolences to this family…………. Our hearts hurt…….. Rest In Peace, Hogan M.

Bark in the Park

Last week was the annual “Bark In the Park” at Haymarket Park. This is an annual “dog” day w/ the Saltdogs baseball team. Although the Saltdogs didn’t do too well that night we all had a good time. Lots of dogs were there, the weather couldn’t have been better, and we all had a nice relaxing time of watching the ballgame w/ our best friends!!
A special thanks to all those who made our booth something really special. We had lots of good contacts, saw lots of friends, gave out a lot of Jodene’s special ‘dog ice cream’ and had three winners of some nice baskets that were prepared as prizes. Impressingly enough, I did not hear one altercation b/t anyone and everyone there had good control of their dogs and seem to be very good responsible dog citizens. KUDOS to everyone that was there!!!

My Girlie Girl is gone!!

This is a picture of Duffy........my 'girlie girl'. She has stolen our hearts here at K.I. and finally, now she has a new 'forever home'. Everyone here knows I would have kept her in a heartbeat...... (and I was getting closer).... and holy crap.... even Ben said he was about to 'crumble'...... I tried to make sure that WE never talked about her because TWO dogs are really enough for us!! We will miss her terribly!! She came to me a little more than a month ago. Belonged to an older (not THAT old!) lady that loved her to pieces but just had to admit that maybe the Bull Terrier (of which she had owned before) just was a little more than she could handle this time around. I had JUST the right home in mind for her but she was a little shy and not very social right at first so she spent some time just getting used to us and used to other dogs for awhile. **learning to be a dog** She belongs to Gary & Colleen now. Gary (our contractor) just couldn't convince himself that he was "ready" yet..... Ready??? well, hell..... he spent all the time at home talking about her.......(I heard from EVERYONE else that he wanted her)..... so Colleen calls me yesterday and said "what the heck is going on w/ this dog deal?" ---and after some discussion about the situation out she came and away they went. Once she got out here and we started loading her stuff in the car.... Colleen couldn't get OUT of here fast enough!! I didn't know how she would do so I thought maybe IN the crate would be the best idea but Colleen would have none of that.... she had the passenger side of the car all ready to go for her. Duffy was so cute.... just a sittin' there w/ her ears all perkied up like she knew what she was doing as they drove off!! Gary wasn't home until way late last night so I still have to hear the story of 'how it went'.!! :) I'm not worried..... this is a match made in heaven. .........and they all will live happily ever after...........

Made it!! :)

Well, we got through the first big whomp of the summer….. Memorial Day W/E. All went well…….. AND we christened the new Executive Suites w/ 10 dogs!! WHAT a nice place we have made!! WoW!! Now that the w/e has past, and most of our ‘friends’ have gone home…… we are busy again in there….. still w/ lots of details and finishing things to do but I think last w/e gave us all a taste of what we had. Our guests were very happy and very good. That’s always a worry, because “ideally” those guests are “supposed” to be clean, quiet, and non-destructive…… In the “real” world….. unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen. It’s a little tricky sometimes to determine who will work and who won’t. This w/e is again, not hugely busy but already I foresee the ‘bigness’ of next w/e. Many of the staff are trying to cram in their last few days of vacation before we get started on much more summer here…. as days off are few and far b/t from here on out.

KUDOS!!

Congratulations are in order for Paula (certified in Terriers) & Maria (certified in the Nonsporting Group). They are successfully past the first leg in their journey to become NDGAA Master Groomers. This is a long and ardent process so I’ll keep you up to date as they go. A special thanks goes to Doc & Chip’s parents who so generously let these ladies groom their dogs to specification for the last 4-5 mos. and to my Administrative Assistant, Jodene, who made the whole wk/end sooooo very much easier and enjoyable for all of us who went to the associated workshops. (talk about a ‘party’ planner!! Woo-ha!! J)

Also on the map here is our own Kassie who has graduated from UNL w/ her Animal Science degree. We all know that sooner or later we’ll lose her to vet school but until then we are always happy to have her here w/ us. Maria’s son Christopher graduates from H.S. tomorrow…… (he was still wet behind the ears when she started here!) and…. We have too many to mention fellow employees that have taken the PSCA certification since I last blogged about any of that. WoW!! Everyone got into the ‘learning mode’ here and really went to town. Amongst those that did…..Sheri, Morgan, and Suzanne all went on and did their Level II certifications as well!! Great job, everyone!!!

New Suites!!

So, here I go on some more….. on a roll here, for now. I guess the biggest news, as we kick of the summer here on this Memorial Day w/e ----is the opening of our new Executive Suites. As most of you know, we closed down the second kennel building at the first of the year and started remodeling. We have a lot of work to do yet but half of it is finished and inhabitable. I think it has gone well beyond many people’s ideas but me thinks “the vision” is becoming clearer! Hopefully, those of you who have a hard time getting in or spend a lot of time on the waiting list will not have to worry about that any longer!! Please ask for a tour…. We LOVE to show off our new ‘digs’! Dian will have pictures up on the web page soon also I’ll bet.

Anniversary!

What?? Did I say "anniversary" in that last blog??? YEP, Ben and I are celebrating our 34th today! WoW.......... you know, I 'used' to think that was a really long time. 34 is how old Ben told the clerk at the desk he was when we got our marriage license!!! HA!! He might have had HER fooled!! :) I remember when we had first opened the KENL INN and Ben had a massive heart attack and I was deep into a LOT of 'turmoil'......... I was SO angry at the time.... and all I could do is be mad and pissy because I wanted to be married for 15 years!!! For some reason, 15 was a 'majic' number for me ....and I was convinced it wasn't going to happen! Yes, it really WAS that serious at the time..... but HA, HA!! He had ME fooled!! :):) Anyway, here it is............ #34!! and yes, there's not a day that goes by that I don't know that I am the luckiest person in the whole world and thank the Lord for every minute that goes by. Thank you, Thank you, Ben!!! It truly IS a wonderful life!

This One's 4 Lynn!!

Yes, I've been horribly negligent in my 'bloggin'............ My friend Lynn says she misses me. Maybe I'll get going again. Lynn is one of our First Response Team out in the front office. Most of you know her....... Lynn is the one that so thoughtfully brought my husband and I an 'anniversary present' here this morning!! Hence, my shriveled up sore tongue here now. Our (MY) gift was a wonderful bag of salted pistachios...... she knows my weakness!!! So now tomorrow I'll probably have a sore throat too!! I've already put them away once.... but here they are sitting right on the top of my desk!! FLUIDS!! bring me FLUIDS!!

PCSA certifications!!-- & Kenl 2

whoa!!!---- I'm hot on the topics here but my mind must be in high gear. Congratulations to three newly PCSA certified folks here at KENL INN. Shawna & Jodene both recieved their Level 1 certifications and Sheri recieved her Level 2 certification.

And, as a quick update to the construction process in Kenl 2...... floor out, floor down, framing all done and walls to go up this week........ work on the exterior of the building will begin I'll bet and we've picked out some colors and materials to go into the finished product. Gonna do some foot work this week on some of the final touch type things just in case they need more time to get ordered or something but things are moving well.

Nebraska Brittany Club

While I was blogging about the Easter Bone Hunt it reminded me that we really went from one event into the next this w/e. Friday night the Nebraska Brittany Club's Specialty show was held here at K.I. They spent the day out in the field doing field trials and then ended up in our daycare building for their conformation show. A good time was had by all and they were the ideal guests!! We would welcome them back any time and hope that they feel the same about us and our accomodations!!

Bunny Hop

whew!!........ I think I've just about recovered from yesterday's event. We again held our annual Easter Bone Hunt yesterday and I'll tell you the response was overwhelming!! We had dogs, kids, and owner's (of both) crawling all over the place. That 'ol 'rabbit' just could hardly keep enough bones out there for the masses. Mother Nature was the bomb!!--lovely, lovely day!! We had the MotherShip Mobile out for some baths, Jax collars were there to sell some really cool new stuff, we gave lots of tours & information, people played in the new astroTurf play yards and in the agility field on all the equipment and lots went out on the trail for a hike!!Thank you to everyone that came. We hope you had a good time and enjoyed the fun ...... and most of all, enjoyed just being out w/ your dog for the afternoon. We have lots of good ideas about what to do next so we hope you will be watching for the next event.

It was a great event and we have a ball doing them but.....On a side note to that.........we were reminded of how childish and self-centered adults can really be. RACING to get the freshly dropped bones.....(after they already have an entire sack full) and / or whining & complaining about not being able to find enough bones??? (next year I think we might just have a private time for those under 4 and over 60!!) GAWD!!!.---- THIS is why we work w/ PETS!!!

Out w/ the old-In w/ the new!!

Well, last week, things just seemed to happen faster than fast............. Permit for the new Suites was had, the old floor is gone and the new floor is down. (old floor having been slanted just so, so that fluids could drain easy as was the standard 20 years ago) Believe it or not, it was cheaper to "throw away" the old floor and poor a new one than it was to just level out the old one! I'm told, that yesterday they brought in all the material for framing the walls and that the framers will start in today followed closely by the electricians. The old garage door is coming out this am and new framing for the outside will start soon. Anybody have a use for 3 very usable single stalled garage doors??? I know where you can get them pretty cheap!

Storm tree

Oh, yah............. I think I promised you Storm pictures...
here is last Monday's storm's contribution to our landscaping.
It's quite impressive ..... this was prob. a 30-40 foot cedar tree that's probably 50-60 yrs. old I'll bet........ he's right as you first turn in the driveway on the right. A sad day for his other cedar cousins that stand tall & proud right there too. It truly is amazing...... this was probably the largest of the 4 or 5 that stand there...... and it was the THIRD one in the row. He'll be lying there for awhile ..... the arborist said it would be awhile before he got here. (and Ben and I aren't into heavy tree work anymore!) We're just glad nothing was damaged and no one hurt when it came down! You can see where it actually pulled a big part of it up by the roots. When the storm was going on you could TELL that something had come down. The 'cedar' smell in the air was amazing..... even a long way away.

Phew!!

Phew!!! It's Saturday afternoon and I can honestly say that we are on the downhill side of a VERY busy week!! As always, God bless my wonderful, wonderful staff...... they have buckled under and done everything they needed to in very much stressful and 'off the wall' circumstances. We got the pool operational finally (it has to cure good for awhile) so its nice to have Suzanne back in operation w/ her assisted swims and its nice to be able to get in and do those Gym 'n Swim activities again..... AND the pool looks great..... we went w/ a new color so its REALLY like a good spring clean!!
Kenl 2 is a wreck!!! Destruction started in there in earnest this week and they weren't kidding!!! The entire floor has been removed and after some initial plumbing and electrical work a new floor will be poured yet next week. In the meantime, in order to get access to the area ..... one play yard is down, a new fence is up and we are running off of only 1/2 as many outdoor runs as usual. Sure, why not??? It's only spring break!!! :) It's been an extra challenge to work around that, try to get outside chores done while workmen are all on lunch break so the 'fraidy cats' aren't freaked out by the noise. oh, Yah..... the noise.... nothing like our nice radio system w/ the sound of 2 bobcats and a jack hammer going!! Have I mentioned that I am SOOO very glad we have a primarily indoor facility!!?
Besides that, we had the opportunity to serve as hosts for a PCSA Certified Kennel Operator testing site this weekend on top of everything else.
Oh, Yah......... and did I mention that Nancy, Maria, and Opal were all gone out of the grooming salon?? Opal's sick and hopefully back this week, Nancy's out w/ her shoulder surgery and Maria (our head stylist) is out on her annual mission trip to Mexico. Thank heavens for Karen who has joined us. She comes from another well respected groom shop here in town so she has been able to jump in and really make tracks ........ as well as everyone in that department really pulling together and getting it done as well. (tomorrow will be a real test...... the last Sunday of the last of the spring break...... I know we have 84 departures but I haven't checked on how many of them are getting groomed before they go home but I KNOW it will be a challenge!)

Storm?? oh, yes!!

Thanks to those of you who have expressed concern about us as a result of the Storm Monday night. Yes, it certainly was quite a "treat" for us out here. We had ground covering hail, in addition to LOTS of wind & rain. I'll get some pictures posted for you here when I get a chance. We have a daily "TMT" program here....(Ten Minute Trainers) .. for the staff and it just so happens that the TMT that started on Monday was "twist & shout"....... which as you can imagine has to do with tornadoes, and the upcoming 'potential' (insert REAL) threat of inclement weather that we can experience at this time of the year. What better way to get the whole thing started than real life demonstration!! There is always a lot of discussion about what to do, where to go, what to do w/ the pets, etc. It gives staff time to think out all of our emergency plans and get cemented into their heads what exactly they are to do so that everything becomes more automatic to them. However, you never really know what you will do in an emergency until the time actually comes so Monday's storm put it all as just a tad bit more 'real' for them. I'm happy to report that only one big 'ol tree was our only casualty!!

Why NOT??

So, here we are.......... in the midst of spring break... and as one would only anticipate, NOW -->in the midst of a new construction project. As many of you know, UNL just got out last week and LPS is now out THIS week. That always makes for fun & games around here. Juggling the needs of what everyone wants, accomodating last minute plans from families, etc. In addition to that, we now have 'officially' started the construction on the new VIP suites. As you know, we started 2009 by actually decreasing our overall occupancy by 1/3. Fortunately, this has not yet become a problem--We have emptied (well almost) Kenl 2.... and they have torn down one of the play yards in order to access the back Kenl....... (Good grief, we have quite a little protected fortress here!!) We've put up new barriers to block all that off from all of the everyday goings ons and strategized NEW ways to get out to the hike trail, where to park, enter to work, etc. It should be fun and exciting to enter this new phase of our development..... I look forward to showing you all around.

Can you smell it? Can you SEE it??

Well, YES!!! the 'ol Mom Dog is liking this day light savings change here already. Even though it is against my nature to go along w/ changing the stupid time of the day in order to suit our whims & fancies....... I'm kind of liking it this year. The daylight at night is nice but I'll have to admit, being a very early riser,....... I DO miss it in the morning. I become such a hermit in the winter time. Lights out...& then I'm gone!! BUT......I can cruise the yard and actually see some little planlies that want to come out and I'm really getting the urge to smell dirt!! As are "the kids"...... they're dying to get out and RUN!! Maybe we'll do that this evening.

Pool Down

Today begins a 'poolless' time for the next week or so........ that is NOT a 'poo-less' time --that IS a 'pool-less'. Out comes the water tonight and tomorrow starts a power clean and repaint period that will hopefully keep us all going for another long while. Our apologies for the inconvenience and disruption of services.....and our thanks to those of you who have kept the pool busy for us. I'm worried that the new paint smell might be a little overwhelming for the monthly Cornhusker Kennel Club meeting Tuesday night but if we have a whole lot of "high" dog fanciers running around town on Wednesday..... we'll prob. know why!! Many of our classes have been canceled for the week and of course, the private swim sessions. It is a struggle sometimes ...... its not something I'm sorry we did but it IS truly a lot of work and hassle. Knowing how much benefit many dogs have gotten and how it has extended their lives helps a whole lot. And then, of course, watching those dogs and how they love the Gym'n Swim activity just HAS to put a smile on your face.

Hesperocyon

For those of you NOT familiar w/ the above term......... fear not!! (there will be no test later) However, as I am reading today this is an actual rock star!! The 'rock' is a 30-35 million year old fossil of a very nicely preserved Canine which dates back to the Oligocene Age. This fossil contains what appears to be a small, 'meerkat-like' carnivore w/ recognizable canine teeth. It was acquired several years ago by Mr. Lawrence Kalstone. (Mr. Kalstone and his wife Shirley are well known names in the grooming world) It was obtained totally by accident at an auction of dinasour remains. (sounds like a totally fun Sunday afternoon, right?) This new treasure is housed at the AKC Library BUT ...... the neatest thing is............... it came from Nebraska!!!
----------------How cool is that??! --------------------

PCSA VFA

Okay, I know that sounds like a lot of jibberish but I am VERY proud to announce that we have just completed our Voluntary Facilities Accreditation through the Pet Care Services Association. (for those of you 'medical' folks ..... it would be like going through JCAH) The PCSA is our national organization of Pet Care Facilities and we have just been through a review process (both written and personal inspection) that again, helps to assure our customers that the care we provide is as optimal as possible. This has been a LONG time in the works..... Kudos to Dian, for getting this all together and seeing this project through!! AND kudos to the staff that all took part in the initial review process that we put ourselves through. They all had their own section of policies/procedures to work through, update, and revise as was needed to help keep all of our stuff current and within standards. There really wasn't that much to do as we already have good practices in place as a part of our everyday routine...... but as always, it's a hassle to just get things all together and then actually open yourself up for a totally random inspection from outside industry experts.
I appreciated the response from one of my staff that later said..... "you know KQ, ...... I just want to thank you for having a place to work where we didn't really HAVE to just get all excited about these people coming...... its so nice that this is all just a routine part of everything we do!!" :)

Blogenda Absentia Gurpole

Okay, that's the name I've given to the excuse that I haven't been blogging for the last month. Enough for the excuses.... and I'll try to get going again here. Thank you to all of you readers that have 'missed' me. I appreciate your support.
I think I somehow have slipped into a very peaceful 'winter' mode and have pretty much been enjoying it!! ah, yes, my excuses are many.....but lame &........... Life goes on. Actually, I've been sleeping at night for one thing.......... don't know what's 'wrong' w/ that picture but as many of you attest........'it's not all bad!' Also,I suppose as we age this becomes a more frequent occurance, but I was 'crushed' earlier at the sudden & unexpected passing of a very close friend. Truly, a cruel remider that Life is NOT fair. Ben and I have both spent some serious time being sick this last month. (this even caused me to not go to work one day which is totally unheard of!) AND............ those danged jigsaw puzzles have invaded our warm & winter house here again and Ben and I are both pretty fanatical about that. ----along w/ the new 'Wii' addition. (a gentle remembrance as to how competitive we both really are-- but happy to report--no injuries to report yet!) Oh, yes........... and then there's this damnable 'Herman Munster boot' I'm wearing for this little 'attatchment issue' we have here w/ Mr. Achilles Tendon. :(

All in all, its not been a bad hiatus..... we've had lots of stuff going on at the KENL INN........... more on that maybe tomorrow. See you back then, I hope!!

Ritter

As a side note to the cold weather,....I'm happy to report that Paula had another good day in the Mobile Grooming Unit yesterday, even in spite of Mother Nature's attempted interferance. One of the highlights was her ability to groom a magnificent German Shepherd, named Ritter, that we have cared for for many years. Ritter is 14 years old now, and unfortunately, we probably won't have the honor of caring for him much longer .....but the Mobile unit seemed to be a good alternative for his devoted owner to choose as it was becoming harder and harder to get Ritter in for his monthly 'spa dates'. We missed having Marty come in and the banter that usually ensues..... but I trust that he found this a satisfactory alternative. Paula said after his bath that he (Ritter, not Marty!!) he got down and even as wobbly as he was,...... went back to the house, took his position, and sat there just as alert and regal looking as ever!!! Refreshed, and ready to do his job!!

Dang, It's Cold!!

Crapinolla!! Geez, its cold out here this morning. -6 degrees by the 'weather alert' here on my computer. A true reality check for those of us here in Nebraska where by MY standards I think we've gotten by w/ some pretty darned mild winters the last few years. Makes me sooooo very much appreciate the fact that somehow, even 20 years ago, (when everyone labeled me as totally crazy!) that I had the foresight to build an all indoor facility for the pets we were going to take care of!! Even those folks in the boarding kennel industry that heard of my plans were doubtful but now that that is even more the industry norm ...... I guess it wasn't such a bad idea after all. :)

The Closing.........

And, whew, here we are tonight,.............. the "official" last night of our "holiday" season. Its been a good one. Very little illness (on either the pets or the staff's part) Patty & crew are over there right now doing the final 'exit' routine. Oh, there will be plenty of pets left yet but we are out of the "frantic" phase and into just a nice good routine now. Lots of "catch up" to do now. We've not had any real emergencies and things have gone pretty smooth. Kudos, as always to the staff that have rallied ---worked extra shifts, worked extended shifts, worked other departments to help out and to Alisyn who made it back from China in time to even get in on some of the fun!! Folks are already looking ahead and planning for some well deserved time off. And once again, thank you to all those great customers & to Mother Nature for her help!! I can honestly say that its been 21 Christmas's and each one just gets better & better!! We'll "cruise" now for awhile until 'spring break'.

Multiples.....

One of the things I was going to blog about last week was what fun we were having w/ "multiples" of pets ......all of the same breed. Obviously, in the picture shown, we were having fun w/ dachsunds that day. On the day last week when we were noticing it........it was beagles, beagles, & beagles!!! Beagles have always been a real popular breed but have seen a big increase in popularity since Uno won the Westminster show last year. We had 16 beagles last week one night! --only to be outdone by the 37 labs we had! (that's a lot of 'labbing') That was followed by 11 Cockers & Jack Russels and 10 Golden Rtrvrs. Then we had 9 Boxers, ShiTzus, & Germ. SH Pointers. Then came 7 schnauzers, & 6 each Bichons & Shepherds. 7 Max's & 4 Zoey's..... is the best I can get on repetitive names. (Usually, there's more of that!!)