Sometimes I miss the salon...

[mylady]

I've found lately I've really been craving adult conversation. When I worked at the salon, I would get that once a week. A day with adults where the conversations weren't interrupted by little ones or about the kids or the house or whatever. Just joking back and forth, having fun etc. My mobile business is booming. I'm booking out to the point I've stopped accepting new clients for me, they all have to book with my groomer unless it's a cat. Then I'll take it. But I get very little adult interaction. I'm with the kids all day, I make dinner, hubby comes home and we sit down to eat, then I leave for work and am pretty much in the van talking the poor dog's ear off. Any other mobiles ever just get lonely? It usually doesn't bother me, but lately I've even started taking Monday nights off so I can have an extra evening at home with hubby and the kids. Unfortunately hubby is fairly addicted to online games so even when he's home he's not much of a conversationalist. With the new mobile coming there will be plenty of room for two groomers so maybe then I can have a day or two when I have multiple dogs that my groomer can work with me. I just enjoy working with other groomers, being able to talk dogs and shop. No one at home really understands what I'm talking about when I try, or if they do, they just aren't interested.
I still really love grooming, love my time with the dogs, I enjoy the mobile, I'm just missing the co-workers comraderie I'm used to. I was lucky to almost always have people I loved working with. The groomer at the last salon and I had a blast when we worked together. Miss that.

[SCGroomer]

I too miss the salon or maybe it's just I miss people in general lol. Being a woman in business is hard and I seem to have lost touch with friends because they don't seem to understand what it takes to run a mobile biz. At least at the shop we could laugh, joke if a dog was acting up, talk about our hubbies (good, bad and ugly) and in general get tips and tricks from each other. Now in my mobile I sit there and think to myself "what could I do differently on this dog to wow the owner" nobody to ask but me. I do like the independance and being on the road and around town but I too miss the fellow groomers and people. Mobile is hard we are a different breed for sure I try to talk to my hubby and he goes with me on mon and tues but then i am alone wed-sat he says well you talk to all kinds of clients. I try to explain it's not the same as a friend or co-worker. Maybe you can talk to your hubby and have a date night on monday nights or a family out to dinner night? I had to talk to my hubby a few months back and we decided no matter what sunday nights are our night together we take turns once a month planning a date. My hubby is addicted to World of War on xbox and that was our solution I finally had to sit him down and tell him "i need adult/friend/hubby something time lol" It's hard for them to understand when they go to an office or something like it all day and joke and laugh and have camaraderie all day. Good Luck

[baddog]

This is why I listen to talk radio when I groom, it's not so lonely that way

[Crystal]

I do

I get pretty lonely sometimes. I talk to the dogs, but it's different. They don't all watch the same shows I do, and they don't frequent the same restaurants either, Lol!!!

Although I don't have kids, I still work, come home, talk my hubby's ear off, then play with my guys. I miss working with people, and I miss having a bathroom available when I need it.

[PuppyFluffer]

Nevermind.

[dogmom25]

This is why I listen to talk radio when I groom, it's not so lonely that way

I too am guilty of this one. I find myself watching the clock and waiting for 1:00 pm to roll around so I can listen to Clark Howard. I then flip to NPR at 4:00 until I'm done for the day. I have to say the my knowledge in finances and news has gone up a lot recently. It's not the same as having a coworker to chat with, but at least they are adults.

[petpalswi]

I feel that pain

with the exception of holidays, I am always off on mondays. I do all my running around then. I do alot of talking to my self as I am almost always alone. of course I talk to the dogs and they are very good listeners, but its usually a one sided conversation. and the cats just look at me as if to say " do you ever shut up". I have several groomer friends and I try to hook up with them once in a while. we've done breakfast or lunch, shopping, grooming shows and seminars of course. but its not always easy to find the time that works for my friends, and right now I cant really afford going out to breakfast ( no income- 2 more weeks). my husband and I talk alot. but sometimes he just doesnt understand what I'm going through. I used to do alot of pet sitting, sometimes I wanted to vent about the work, he would always tell me 'just quit'. he didnt understand. only someone that is doing the same thing understands. there should be a support group. I really like being on my own, no one to supervise, or to tell me what to do. but it does get very lonely too.

[Arrooh]

What

you could do is take up the inniative and set up a girls night out or such. Meet with your grooming friends on say Monday night for Dennys. Make time for it. I meet with some dog show people for snacks/late dinner at 9:00 most Mondays for instance. They go after a conformation class that I don't need but sometimes I go to the class to see the lovely show dogs or sometimes just meet the core group after. I do remember being an at home Mother and suffering lack of adult conversations. Church, Ham Radio, Civic Association helped.

Now I know about me that I'm pretty social. I thought about a Van but nixed it because I wouldn't like to be in those confines all day with only dogs to talk to. Thus part of the reason I so love Housecall is enjoying the company of many of my customers. Some aren't around but many enjoy our talking as much as loving the dog groomed so comfortably. I gain so much by stepping into all these peoples homes and learned to enjoy people that I would not have otherwise connected with. So I understand.

[artman100]

hahaha

This is why I listen to talk radio when I groom, it's not so lonely that way

I hear ya baddog and I agree,nothing like NPR or Rush radio not that I care about party politics, just the company! LOL

[Hello Kitty FTW]

I have the online games problem with my hubby, too, and it finally came down to where I was ready to throw his computer out so I could have a conversation with him. We've gotten to a point where he has a window of playtime then he has to log off and communicate with me. It makes the time spent alone for the most part worthwhile, and it gives him time to enjoy gaming with a limit.

[SCGroomer]

I do have nights out with friends but there is nothing like going to work and having co workers to chat with. I do listen to rush and schnitt talk radio and enjoy it but now that I am a little older and friends have started families and such it would be nice to be able to have a co worker to grab a bite to eat or chat with. Hubby i am sure gets bored with me. All in all I do like mobile just not the alone part...

[PuppyFluffer]

I have the online games problem with my hubby, too, and it finally came down to where I was ready to throw his computer out so I could have a conversation with him. We've gotten to a point where he has a window of playtime then he has to log off and communicate with me. It makes the time spent alone for the most part worthwhile, and it gives him time to enjoy gaming with a limit.

I solved it by rolling my own toon, levelling it to the max, getting all the cool gear - then kicking hubby's butt on a regular basis everytime he logged on. WoW is almost as addictive as cigarettes imo and takes about the same amount of years from your life.

[fortheloveofdogs]

I actually went through a little bout of depr'essions a couple months after starting my mobile business because of the lack of co workers. It was very hard for me to get used to. I am used to it now, but it was tough. Ya, you talk to the clients, but you only see them once every so many weeks. Not the same as seeing the same people everyday. I still go into the shop I worked at every now and then and talk the girls' ears off. They are kind and listen. I miss it a lot, but do still like mobile.

[groominshuman]

Well, I love it...I have a tv and listen to my line up. I have plenty of talking time, my dogs, LOL! They listen great, better than anyone and never complain. They are always happy and give me tons of kisses. I don't miss the barking dogs. My husband isn't addicted to games, thank goodness, it would really be lonely at night then, he just travels alot but always calls me a couple of times a day. I am very lucky.

[RudyRoo]

I love being alone. After years of being in sales, having to deals with bosses, sales quotas, customers and the darn phone ringing all the time I love solo grooming. I work by myself on Mondays & Tuesdays, its great,, just me and the dogs. On Friday, I work with another groomer and dread having to listen to all her drama. I enjoy visiting with my housecall clients, but is mostly just social chit chat,,. I am a 15 plus year volunteer with Boy Scouts, so I guess that is my outlet for human contact, plus my son and family.