Do you groom your own pet?

Are you good at giving shoulder rubs? I could sure use one right about now! I just finished brushing our little furboo girlie and it took about 2 hours! I didn't realize it, but apparently I was holding my arm at a funny angle while I was doing it, so now it feels like it's going to fall off!

I enjoy brushing the dogs, I find it relaxing (well, maybe not so much when Mr. G. is trying to get away - then it's more like World Federation Wrestling - all I need to do is put a sock over my head and it'd definitely qualify. (You know how they always wear those costumes...)

Anyway, it is relaxing when one (dog, not wrestler) goes to sleep in your lap & you can just take your time combing the tangles out of their silky hair. It's a lot like knitting but without having to count stitches. :-) Afterwards they look SO pretty & it lasts at least ten minutes -'til they go outside & find something smelly to roll in, or shove their heads down in the crack of the couch & come out with static making their hair stand on end. When that happens, it's so funny it makes up for the loss of the perfect hairdo! With her hair standing on end Ms. P. looks amazingly like I do first thing in the morning! ;-)

Speaking of mornings, have you ever really taken a good look at dog walkers as you drive to work? I totally expect a passing car to stop any day now & ask me for fashion tips when they see how spiffy I look as I'm walking the 2 fluffs first thing after getting up. Right now it's pretty tame because the mornings have been chilly enough for me to wear my long coat, & that hides some pretty scary things that are being worn when the dogs decide we must go out immediately.

I tend to think of myself as invisible (as opposed to thinking everybody is looking at me), but that comforting belief vanishes if I happen to glance toward my next door neighbor's house as I pass it... her door gives a startlingly clear reflection of me how I look.

Hmm, I think groggily, maybe penguin pj pants (length: just below the knee - originally came to the foot but get shorter every time they're washed), hoodie, and Crocs don't quite go together... kind of a top-heavy look. Actually it wouldn't be a bad ensemble if one was gathering sea shells on a chilly morning in shallow ocean water. Bearing in mind that I live in the far north, it just looks like someone determined to lose herself to frostbite from the legs down.

Ok, back to the pet grooming... (talk about straying down the garden path!)

Sunday DH ran into a woman who has the same breed of dog as ours. He said it looked just like them except for the coloring. SO they got to talking about tangles, and guess what? This woman (who, IMHO, has more dollars than sense) has a mobile groomer come to her house EVERY WEEK to groom her dog!

This is one of those vans that's equipped like a grooming salon but is on wheels.) Price? $60.00 a pop (not counting tip)!!!!! Okey dokie, let's see... that's 52 x 60= $3120.00 per year, plus tips. Of course we have 2 dogs, so for us it'd be $6,240 per year. OMG!!! Next time I'm feeling decadent for spending $30 each at the groomer every couple of months I'll just remind myself of this woman & feel like quite the thrifty girl! :-)