Susy the Groomer

I was created on a boat in Seattle Washington, brought into the world in Torrance California, and quickly returned to Seattle where I have called home ever since.  Boating is still a big part of my life. My parents had a sailboat, and belonged to a boating club.  My Dad was an aeronautical engineer, and my Mom was a stay at home Mom.  I have one brother who is 9 years older than me.  We always had pets. Cats, a dog, fish, lizards and a parrot. I remember playing veterinarian with my weimaraner, dressing her up in bandages and parading her around to everyone.  School was never really important to me except to facilitate my Gymnastics career. I started gymnastics at the age of 5 and continued through collage making it to division 2 nationals. I did manage to Graduate from Seattle University with a BA in Fine arts-Drama, and 2 minors: athletic training and music. During and after collage I worked for an import corporation by day, and taught few dance classes during the week.  Then I discovered cocaine and everything changed.  I left the life I had known and disappeared into the darkness.  After 13 long years, some of which I lived in my car, I emerged from the darkness. October 28, 1993 was the date.  Using the delivery skills I had learned in my other life, I got a job delivering pizza.  I also inherited my Aunt’s parrot Fang.  It was Fang and her battle with cancer that lead me out of the pizza business, and into a job with my avian vet.  I loved the Veterinary environment but the drug induced fog I had lived in for so long was finally lifting, and I wasn’t happy just being an animal assistant and receptionist.  I wanted more.  I knew I wanted to stay with the vet industry, but I wasn’t sure where I fit in best.  One day in 1998 I drove the groomer to the bank to cash her check.  It was twice what mine was and she was leaving at 2 pm, working part time.  I started to think of grooming as an option. I asked her if she would teach me on my day off and I bought some basic equipment and a book. Then, before I could start, she was fired.  A few weeks later they hired another groomer and I was back on the learning trail.  The vet hospital was bought by a corporation and they offered me a paid training position with a girl who had graduated top of her class from the Nash Academy.  I jumped at the opportunity and I apprenticed with her for a year, soaking up all of her knowledge. Then I was moved to a high end corporate hospital, then on to a private practice closer to home.  I worked for that guy until I went mobile in 2006.  I still have a close relationship with that vet hospital and we share many clients. I am married, and I have a house full of animal love.  We have cats, rats, fish, horses, chickens, and an African Grey.  No dogs, but I’m rent a mom to an adorable, tiny Havanese.  As a stifled performer I have been looking for an outlet.  I have competed in creative grooming a handful of times and love the show aspect of that, but I have very little sculpting or painting skills so I have moved into the rescue competition ring.   I have recently turned my attention to podcasting as a new way to use my entertainment skills combined with my love of grooming and teaching.  And that’s my brief mostly grooming history.