That's a first..................

“Any plan is better than no plan, and a good plan executed now is far better than a perfect plan executed too late.”

~ Mark Divine, The Way of the Seal

The Grooming Shoppe will be closed for 6 days!

Well that's a first!

Since opening our in May of 2016, this is the longest period of time that our doors have been closed.

To her credit, Becca saw the opportunity for a well deserved break and she acted on it, booking a 4 day escape to a warmer climate where she can spend some time with a friend and her sister.

Nothing fancy.

Just a quick get away.

For Susan, it's an opportunity to just take it easy for a few days.

My schedule doesn't allow for any vacation or down time.

Still, 6 days without the physical toll that grooming takes on her is nothing short of a godsend.

Traditionally, New Years day and New Years eve have not been all that special to me. Yes there were a few years where the entire family would go bowling together on New Years eve.

We also had a long standing New Years day dinner with some friends.

Times change .

Kids grow up.

People move on and new relationships bring new choices to be made.

There are new opportunities as well.

This hastily planned shutdown has afforded me the insight to look ahead to next year at this time.

With a little bit of planning and schedule adjusting, maybe Susan and I can sneak away for a day or 2 or 3 even in the future.

Heck, I have a whole year to figure it out, so why not?

At least I am aware of it now.

Who knows?

At this time next year we might be lying on a beach sipping fruity drinks somewhere.

We should probably be able to get some really cheap rates at the Jersey shore this time of year.

What do you think?

Now there's something to look forward to!

My New Year's Non-Resolution

“If you’re looking for a big opportunity, seek out a big problem.”

~ H. Jackson Brown, via The Way of the Seal

While I was sitting and chatting with a good friend the other night, I mentioned something I had just written about earlier in that week.

He commented on the fact that he had read that and then reminded me that he in fact reads everything I write.

He then added that the writings he likes most are the ones where I mention him (as in :a good friend, a dear friend, a trusted colleague, a mentor).

Not that he is wrong.

He is often an inspiration to me,which he is once again.

Another comment he made to me was that he has had a lot more free time lately since I have not been writing on a consistent basis.

While I am acutely aware of that fact, his gentle reminder is serving as a motivator for me to be more diligent in keeping up with my daily writing ritual.

My New Year's Non-Resolution,(I don't believe in New Year's Resolutions) is to be more mindful when it comes to writing.

Like any healthy activity,it is way too easy to get lazy.

It is way to easy to get off track.

It is way to easy to say I'll get to it tomorrow.

To be successful at any healthy activity,dieting,working out,meditation , yoga or in this case writing, requires three things,awareness,effort and commitment.

My dear friend has once again stepped up and inspired me.

It's not the first time he has done this and I can safely say it probably isn't the last.

Thanks again my friend. For the gentle reminder and mostly for being you!

Shavua Tov!

I should have been a milkman!

“If you must look back, do so forgivingly. If you must look forward, do so prayerfully. However, the wisest thing you can do is be present in the present...Gratefully.”

~ Maya Angelou

Once again the roads were empty this morning as I started my day.

With the other driver on vacation this week, I have been leaving my house earlier than I normally do. That combined with this being a holiday week makes for a whole lot less vehicles on the road.

I love being out there when no one else is.

It reminds me of when I was younger and first starting out in the job market.

I would leave my house before 6 each morning.

I was always the first car in the deli's parking lot at the bottom of the hill leaving my house.

The owner and I would basically open the place together. He would go in through the back door and I would carry in his newspapers through the front when he opened for business. Thankfully his coffee machines were on a timer and he would pour me his first cup of the day, hand me a freshly buttered roll and I would be on my 45 minute drive into work. By 6:45 I was opening the gates, then the back door,turning off the alarms, turning on the lights and getting the warehouse ready for the crew to start working at 7:30.

Like I said, I love getting a jump on the day before any one else .

My dream job at one point was to own a catering truck,you know, a roach coach.

Out by 4 in the morning, stocking up on fresh pastries and such for the morning's run and heading off to which ever parking lot was my first stop,

doling out coffee and donuts and other unhealthy goodies to my daily customers who were struggling to get their days started.

Running from stop to stop, from breakfast to morning break to lunch and then afternoon break before heading home for the day.

Life doesn't get much better than that!

For a few years, I used to do the Englishtown Flea Market on Saturdays. again, it was up by 4,out the door by 4:30, a drive down to the market (coffee cup in hand) a quick bathroom stop and a fresh cup of coffee and then finally arriving at the field where I would scope out my spot for the day.

By 6 I would start laying out my wares and by 7 the early shoppers would be descending on us.

Five or six furious hours later, I would be packing up and heading home, hopefully with a pocket full of cash.

I loved every minute of it!

Up before dawn.

Awake before the rooster's crow.

Being at full speed before others even headed for the starting line.

Yep...I should have been a milkman!

SURPRISE!

"A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work."

Colin Powell

Last night, we were invited to an engagement party for the Rabbi's daughter.

It was called for 8 p.m. however being the Saturday before Christmas we of course were busy at the shop and running late,finally showing up at around 8:30.

The place was packed...well over 300 people.

We were in the middle of the "mingling" and saying hello to friends when there was a call for quiet, the curtain for the stage at the front of the room opened and there all lit up was a chupa a wedding canopy.

The guests jaws dropped almost in unison!

This was not an engagement party.

We were at a wedding!

Well played Rabbi!

It was a marvelous surprise and an even more spectacular event.

Being one who has always relished the opportunity to surprise people, I am impressed, even humbled.

This was one for the ages!

Challenge accepted!

Time to up my game!

Shavua Tov!

Days like today.....................

“Let this season of joy truly be a season of joy. It is far too easy to get caught up in the Doing, and forget to relax, to love, and to enjoy. Stop, look around, breathe, be grateful for everything."

Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Today is one of the days of the year that I truly enjoy.

As the rest of the world seems to be shutting down from the mundane and gearing up for the upcoming holiday,we are busy doing business!

When I arrived at The Grooming Shoppe this morning, Becca had already opened, brought in our first client, put on the Christmas music and straightened and cleaned up the front end.

We were ready for action on what should be one of our busiest days of the year.

Truth be told, we were actually busier on the Saturday before Christmas last year.

It was the single busiest day we ever had.

It's not that we have any less business.

On the contrary.

Becca has done a marvelous job of scheduling before the holiday.

She chose to open last Monday (we are normally closed Sunday & Monday) as well as tomorrow,the Sunday before Christmas.

In those two days we will bring in an additional 2 dozen dogs and no body had to kill themselves on any 1 given day.

By 8:30 this morning , 2 dogs were in the door, bathed and on the tables getting groomed.

I love the energy!

I don't know when this whole concept of shutting down for days on end before a holiday began.

I hate it!

If you have ever watched A Christmas Carroll, in Dickenens' time, Scrooge wakes up on Christmas morning and yells out "hey boy" to the young lad walking past his window.

The streets are a bustle and Scrooge sends him to the butcher shop (which is open!) to get that goose hanging in the window.

I love it!

To me , it's all part of the magic and mystique that surrounds the holiday.

Tomorrow around 5 p.m., our last dogs will be getting their finishing touches.

After they leave,we will clean up as we do at the end of each day and the end of each week.

Some gifts will be exchanged.

An envelope with a special "thank you" will be handed out, and hugs and kisses given out.

A little while later, we will wrap up the day.

We will turn off the lights and as we put the key in the door to lock up, I will take one long last look into the shop and acknowledge that it really is A Wonderful Life!

Shabbat Shalom!

Money Helps.................

“Dance like no one is watching. 

Sing like no one is listening. 

Love like you’ve never been hurt. 

And live like it’s heaven on Earth.”

~ Mark Twain

I have been attempting to write this since Tuesday.

Every day since then , I have gotten to change the date on the top of the template and then something pops up.

Actually, on 3 separate occasions, my computer froze and by the time I rebooted I had to get back to work and had to put this aside yet again.

The holiday season is here.

With that comes gift giving, parties,get togethers and a plethora of social events.

In the past,finances and resources were scarce to say the least.

The pressure that I experienced was unfathomable.

I know what you're thinking, I brought this pressure on myself.

Of course I did...I know that.

None the less, it was pressure.

This year things are different.

No, I didn't hit the lottery.

No rich relative left me a huge inheritance.

And I did not rob a bank.

Having a job, with a paycheck certainly helps.

So did having a plan and an idea as to how I wanted to address the holiday season this year.

I had put aside just enough to be able to afford to do this with out creating a huge strain on anything.

The bills all got paid. The lights are still on and the car isn't getting repossessed.

These are all good things .

Trust me.

As one who has experienced all of the above, it's better to not have to deal with them!

It is said that money can't buy happiness.

Probably true, however....it does help when you have some.

Not having to have internal debates on a minute to minute basis over can I afford this or how can I afford that or but we really need this or wouldn't it be nice if only we could.....

Having that little , and I mean minuscule, cushion makes a huge difference.

No hand wringing.

No pacing.

No neck pain.

No head hanging.

I stand taller. I can be decisive.

I can be proactive.

I don't choose grand gestures that I can't afford. I don't even consider them.

I make smart choices that allow me to feel good about being me.

That's a whole world apart from being disappointed in myself on a daily basis.

Money helps.....

Shabbat Shalom

December Word of the Month

"The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention."

Oscar Wilde

December Word of the Month:

HEART

 one's innermost character, feelings, or inclinations

Last week while paying a shiva call, my rabbi shared a story from Pirkei Avot (The Ethics of Our Fathers).

The story told of a great rabbi who asked 5 of his students to name the single most best quality a person could posses.

While the first 4 answers were all very plausible choices as "the best" it was the 5th student's response that he chose as The Best Quality.

The student's answer was one who was a "Lev Tov",a good heart.

A Lev Tov in Hebrew ,a good heart is a very special quality,not to be confused or compared to as we say in English, being goodhearted.

It is much more.

A Lev Tov is an all encompassing quality,of goodness,too hard to describe in mere words.

Even the Yiddish expression a "gute neshoma" , a good spirit or good sole, does not accurately equate to a Lev Tov.

When searching Webster's for a definition that would work for me, the best I could find was the one above,one's innermost character, feelings, or inclinations, but that still does not begin to rise to the level of a Lev Tov, it merely describes where to find it

.

A Lev Tov.

I should only live long enough to someday be blessed with this quality.

Shavua Tov!

Not the first time and probably not the last...............

"Live so that when your children think of fairness, caring and integrity, they think of you."

H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

This is not the first time I've brought this up and it probably won't be the last time either.

I miss Becky!

It's been over 2 years since she left to start a family.

Yes I miss her presence.

Remember , we spent 5 hours a day,5 days a week with our desks adjacent to one another, a mere 3 feet separating us.

For over a decade, whenever I looked up from my desk, Becky was right there.

We worked together, traveled together, matured together and accomplished together.

You don't spend that much time in such close proximity to someone without developing a very special relationship.

I really miss that.

I also miss having a "Becky" to work with.

A Becky to bounce ideas off of.

A Becky who followed up on things for me.

A Becky who took my WHY's and What IF's and helped implement them.

When I would say "We need to....." it would happen.

Okay first there was usually that look the Tonto would give the Lone Ranger when he said We....you know the one....the one that says "what do you mean WE pale face!"

But then, it got done.

Things in my world are on an upswing.

Opportunities from the seeds I have been planting are starting to grow.

This is all good!

However, there is no Becky for me to turn to for help sitting at the desk next to mine anymore.

In fact, as of 3 weeks ago, there is no desk next to mine anymore.

I find myself at the crossroads of enthusiastic and overwhelmed.

Kind of unsettling.

2 roads that lead in very different directions.

Now that the other desk is gone, I know I will have to find a new way to handle all of the things that were taken care of by a Becky.

Outsourcing is definitely an option. Not one that I am proficient at ,but still an option.

Still,I miss Becky.

Imagine Don Quixote without Sancho Panza?

Quick Draw without Baba Looey?

Abbot without Costello?

Batman without Robin?

Unheard of right?

I've said it before and I'll say it again..................I miss Becky!

Shabbat Shalom!

Happy Hanukkah?

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

Oliver Wendell Holmes

Yes,it's that time of year again.

Hanukkah!

A festive, joyous time of year.

At least that what it's supposed to be.

For me, not so much.

Now before you go accusing me of being a Sgroogeberg,I want to say that I don't know why it is that I don't get all pumped up for this holiday.

I just don't.

Maybe there are some deep rooted issues from my childhood.

Remember I grew up during the time when Kenner, Hasbro, Mattel and other toy companies would bombard the airwaves with the newest,neatest,coolest must have stuff imaginable and trust me,we could never afford any of them.

Maybe it's tied to not being able to afford to lavish my own children with gifts when they were young.

Maybe it's memories of being the only person I knew on campus who lit candles?

All I know is I don't have a whole lot of warm fuzzy feelings associated with Hanukkah.

On the contrary, the more I dwell on it, the more painful and depressing memories pop up for me.

So happy is not what I experience during these 8 days.

The best part of this holiday for me is that for 8 nights in a row, I get to spend some time, no matter how brief that is, with my family.

Wrap that up and put a bow on it and it's the best gift I can ever receive!

2001.......A Less Space Odyessy

"IT'S NOT WHAT YOU GET OUT OF LIFE THAT COUNTS; IT'S WHAT YOU GIVE AND WHAT IS GIVEN TO YOU FROM THE HEART."

SARGENT SHRIVER

I'll keep this short and simple.

If you remember, this whole writing thing started when I was seeking support as I attempted 1 more time to do something about my weight and health.

Simply, I was hoping to write for 100 days, starting with 1 person on day 1 and adding 1 more each day for 100 days.

That my friends was 2001 days ago!

And now I take up a whole lot less space!

Just sayin'................

Nothing to fear but fear itself

“The full measure of a man is not to be found in the man himself, but in the colors and textures that come alive in others because of him.”

Albert Schweitzer

Before heading out to the gym this morning I checked my emails as I do first thing every day .

One of my emails was from a dear friend commenting on my writing from yesterday. I didn't have time to read the whole email as my ride was outside honking. However in her opening sentence she made mention of the fact that I write about my time management issues quite a bit (she's a Scorpio as well !).

This stuck with me for the entire 30 minutes I was on the treadmill today.

What is it about time that concerns me so?

The one and only answer I came up with is that time is a resource that will eventually run out.

When my days are done, they're done!

Am I afraid that I am getting closer and closer to that time?

Is it fear of this inevitability that keeps me on edge all of the time?

Let's be honest here.

The candle of my life is now burning on the lower half.

There are most certainly less tomorrows than there are yesterdays and that equation changes on a daily basis.

Do I fear my proximity to the finish line?

Am I overly concerned that the flame on my candle will soon be extinguished?

When I came home from the gym, I went back to my computer and read the rest of her email.

It made me smile.

You see, she sees that candle as a scented one (my words,not hers) .

While it is true that there is less and less candle left to burn each day, the perfume from that candle , having burned as long as it has, continues to fill the air more and more each day.

Even as the flame starts to flicker and diminish,and it always does,there will be the scent left behind.

The undeniable byproduct of that burning candle.

A candle light that illuminates a room will eventually die out.

The aroma in the air will last much much longer.

That is the legacy.

Thank you my friend!

Where did the week go?

"I learned to look more upon the bright side of my condition, and less upon the dark side, and to consider what I enjoyed, rather than what I wanted..."

~ Daniel Defoe, "Robinson Crusoe"

Don't even ask me where this week went.

I haven't got a clue.

One minute it was Tuesday and it looked like clear sailing ahead and the next thing I knew it was Saturday and I hadn't had a minute to myself for days.

Today I am finally able to grab some time to catch up on a bunch of stuff that I have neglected ,including writing!

So what's been going on?

Well, my evenings were eaten up visiting a friend who was sitting shiva this week.

I am glad I did, even though it came at the expense of any later in the day free time.

Of course there was the funeral itself which took care of my Tuesday free time.

Wednesday just seemed to disappear, and for the life of me I can't remember where.

There was my interview with the Ridgewood Adult School on Thursday which went very well (I will be teaching my So You Want To Start A Business course in March).

I also had to get a re certification of my CDL medical certificate which for some reason took up most of my Friday morning.

All I know is that in a week that I hoped would bring opportunities to keep moving forward, I did a lot and accomplished very little if that makes any sense at all.

It's a little bit after noon now and after a spending some time having lunch with Max, I hope to spend the rest of the afternoon cleaning up my desk and getting myself prepared for the upcoming week.

I feel a lite bit disoriented and a quiet afternoon of regrouping seems like just what I need to regain my balance.

Shabbat Shalom and I'll write again soon!