It was time. Six years overdue. Chase's first official haircut. A Kodak moment for certain and I was unable to take him for his scheduled time so I had a friend drop him off at the local groomer. The "stylist" would call me when Chase was ready which would take an estimated four hours. That suited me because then I could pick him up. I was more than ready when the groomer called. The GPS in my car had the address programmed and very soon I discovered "where the sidewalk ends"...literally. Dilapidated , faded clapboard homes with patches of clay and weeds lined the pot-hole abundant road. I actually passed the groomer's because I couldn't believe that it could be housed in the crumbling duplex that was a combination liquor store and pet couture. And it only got better. As I entered the pink and green garishly decorated waiting nook, Chase detected my presence and utilized his counter-surfing skills in an escape attempt. A wiry man with a mullet was brandishing a hair dryer at a poodle client. He deduced that Chase belonged to me and shuffled on over. I paid twenty-five dollars…a bargain considering Chase’s ears were completely puffed up in an eighties AquaNet bulky shoulder pad style and he smelled like he had been rolling in a Designer Imposters perfume. He also sported a Pennsylvania Dutch patterned bandana around his neck. I buckled Chase in the car and fled the ghetto. Back at home, his dog posse greeted him with growls and wary looks. I suppose he smelled funny.
Several days later when all of the styling gel wore off, I realized that the groomer had simply washed and fluffed my dog. No hair had been cut as requested and his style wasn’t even close to a traditional English setter. It was time for the bright lights and big city of Atlanta and Pet Smart. Yes…Pet Smart. Since they already had most of my money on pet products I figured that they might as well take the rest of it too. Seventy-five dollars and three hours later, my dog had his first haircut, pedicure and teeth cleaning. His orange spots were no longer hidden jewels and a report card detailed all products used and the fact that he was a “happy dog”. They even set a follow-up appointment out of courtesy. In order to continue to see his hidden colors, I would need to keep that appointment.
Back at home, the dog posse greeted Chase with their usual indifference. And for this tale of two groomers, the one at Pet Smart was definitely a cut above!
3 comments:
I think you should write a "Marley" book about Chase. Oh, but maybe that is what you are doing anyway. Seems those kind of books are more popular these days.
Sarah(my daughter's name), another idea. I've been collecting short stories from my dad about his life when he was younger. Now I'm going to collect them from my two sisters to add. Kind of like a scrapbook in writing. Of course I will add pictures.
Have a good day and thanks for visiting my blog. It is always a good reminder to drop in and see what you are up to. Coleen
Did I tell you we have two dogs, Samson and Gracie. Needless to say, Samson is the little one.
I started out writing emails to friends and family in 2003 about adopting Chase and taking him to training school. This was long before I had even heard about "Marley and Me" but definitely made me interested in reading the book. I finally decided to put the original emails to "paper" so to speak and started the blog. I also write about my family and my own life which I had been keeping on Myspace. I am planning on starting a separate blog to focus on that part of my life. It includes stories from my mother and grandmother's childhoods.
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