I Am NOT a Junkie

But . . .

I love dog shows. My feelings for dog shows are on par with any football fanatic you can think of. Seriously. And this year I am determined to watch the Westminster Kennel Club dog show. Here are a few things I did to ensure it:

• The German Shepherd Dog Club meets on the second Tuesday of every month. Unfortunately, this year it conflicts with Westminster. No problem, I convinced the club to move the meeting up a week.
• The dog show is being shown on a different channel this year. The only way I could watch the German shepherds on live streaming was to download Fox Sports 1 app.
• I didn't want to miss the German shepherds, especially after all that work, so I set an alarm on my phone to go off 10 minutes before the dogs entered the ring. I also took a late lunch, so I could watch the show in peace.

I got to see what I wanted, and I loved every minute of it. I was very excited to see Rumor take Best of Breed and Best of Group again this year. That is one good-looking bitch. However, the Herding Group was the final group last night. I didn't get to sleep until midnight, only to be up at 4:30 AM for work. I'm going to have to be up late again tonight to see if the German shepherd wins Best in Show. I have a feeling that I'm going to be really, really cranky tomorrow.

I've decided that watching the Westminster Dog show on TV isn't good enough. I have to see it person. Thirteen months ago I shared my Westminster Woes. I also shared a plan to save money so that I can attend the Westminster dog show to celebrate my 50th birthday next year. (Funny side note: when I was in the emergency room last month I looked at the doctor and said "I am not going to die today. I'm going to Westminster next year dammit.")

Those who know me know that I'm great at making plans but

I suck at follow through. Well, I've got news for you! I've been saving pennies, cashing rebate checks, recycling aluminum cans and transferring the occasional $20 from one account to the other. No, I don't have the $1,400 that I had hoped for. But I do have a respectable $1,068. That's not too bad considering the difficult year that I had. (Even my mother was surprised to hear my progress. She said -- and I quote -- "You're actually planning and saving? That doesn't sound like you at all!" Thanks Mom.)

After Memorial Day I'm going to start making travel plans in earnest. This time next year I'll be writing posts in New York City. How cool is that?! -- K

P.S. Please feel free to share any New York City/Westminster travel tips and suggestions!