Show Dogs Awards Night In New York

Here's a bit of fun and frivolity. I'm in New York for a few days on business, in part to attend and participate in the Westminster Dog Show (which runs Monday and Tuesday); and surrounding events. I've been going to Westminster for the past 6 years, and I look forward to it every year. As Americans, we are not alone in our love of dogs and the sport of showing dogs for competition. Dog shows are amazingly popular here in the US and many countries worldwide. The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is a venerable institution, with all the pomp, circumstance and good fun too. They promote responsible breeding practices. Most people involved in dog shows love dogs and enjoy spending their lives learning, loving and living with their favorite breed, usually because of the personalities of a particular breed. Breed enthusiasts are really into their favorites. I have my own favorite...with two standard poodles, I now consider myself a "poodle person". I'm sure this will attract my usual share of nut-job extremists who will leave a comment chastising me for not rescuing dogs, bla bla bla. Well of course there are plenty of GREAT dogs in shelters that deserve homes. And the last time I checked, this a free country, so I would tell those extremists to chill out and recognize that people are free to enjoy pure breeds and appreciate dogs of any variety. Since I do happen to care, I may as well mention that if you are so inclined to add a dog to your life, do consider visiting a shelter. You can find both pure and mixed breed dogs who need someone's love, affection and a good home. There, I said it. OK now back to the fun stuff. So last night was the 55th Annual Show Dogs of the Year Awards, an evening to recognize the top judges, trainers, breeders, handlers, and owner teams. It is a rarefied group of the exalted within the dog show world. It is a fancy black tie affair- a good excuse to pull out all the stops and have fun. Oh by the way, the top photo above left is me with friend Michelle.

above: the statuettes are lined up waiting for the awards ceremony.

above: in the center of each table were beautiful arrangements of roses, and copies of Dogs in Review magazine for 2010.

above: I'm partial to poodles- so I snapped a photo of these two posters. There were breeds for each dog group, but I conveniently forgot to take photos of them!

above: dessert was dark chocolate "purses" of chocolate mousse, topped with white chocolate dog, so delish!
Fabulous After Party Entertainment
After the awards, a small group of us went to a lounge called the Carnegie Club, where they featured "Sinatra Saturdays", right up my alley...

above: The Stan Rubin Orchestra was already performing when we arrived. I love the big band sound, it isn't common to find places that still feature this style of entertainment anymore.

above: we made our way to the mezzanine lounge, where I took a few photos of the orchestra, and the lead vocalist who was channeling Frank Sinatra.

above: I just like this view of the bar below, with the orchestra in the distance. This was like a 1950's lounge. It was filled with pleasant aroma of cigar smoke and swell music.
Check out this groovy video from the club:


above: once we had our champagne, we decided it was time for cigars...

above: I'm not a smoker by nature but once or twice a year I enjoy a good cigar.

above: The atmosphere, music and company made for a perfect way to wind down a great night in Manhattan. New York, the city so nice they named it twice.
-Rick Rockhill

Snowboarding Bulldogs Train for the Olympics

You're seen them here before, demonstrating their amazing abilities on skateboards and snowboarding on the world's longest parade float at the Rose Parade. Now Tillman, Rose, Lyle and Sully are training for a special competition at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. Sponsored by Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Pet Foods (my employer) they are training at the Mountain High slopes in Wrightwood, California. Tillman and Rose continue to attract a great deal of media attention. This week, the video of their training was featured in the UK. Soon they are headed north to Vancouver to join the Olympics festivities, which should be fun. Check out this FUN video of them all training and having a blast. Enjoy~

When Dogs Snowboard from Mountain High Resort on Vimeo.

The Jury is out on these cupcakes

It's only been the past two years or so that I started drinking cawfee. I *love* the smell of coffee beans, ground coffee, and freshly brewed coffee. And so, I started a daily visit to Starbucks. It is quite habit forming, but on weekdays I only have one cup per day, in the morning to start the day. Weekends are another story- I like to brew a whole pot of cawfee and watch the sunrise on the mountains. I digress. Back to the daily Starbucks visits. As I stand in line to place my order, I usually stare at that danged display case of baked goods. I have a wicked sweet tooth to begin with, but I usually order a blueberry scone in the morning. Recently however something more alluring caught my eye. Cupcakes. Oh My.
I've been drooling at those cupcakes for several weeks now, contemplating how delicious they would be. Most times my visit has been in the morning, so a cupcake didn't seem right. Yesterday however was different. I made an afternoon pit-stop at Starbucks and there they were. The ultra-rich chocolate cupcakes, calling out to me. The barista girl asked what I wanted. "I'll have a tall Pike's drip cawfee, black..." and I hesitated for a moment and then suddenly blurted out "...and a chocolate cupcake too". The nice Starbucks lady handed me a little box that contained the most beautiful chocolate cupcake, capped off with shiny swirls of frosting. I caught myself drooling and tore into the box. I took my first bite off the top. The rich chocolate frosting melted on my tongue. I dug in with another forkful of the cake portion. And then my dessert world came crashing down. The cake itself was dry and stale. I was so disappointed. I had hyped myself up with such high expectations of how this cupcake would taste. I wanted to go back and complain. But I let it go and sulked in the corner. I glared back at the display case of baked goods, wondering if I just had the one that was left from yesterday, or if they were all old and dry. Or was it how all Starbucks cupcakes tasted? I wondered. I was distracted by a phone call and before I knew it I was lost in the world of work and soon my mind was off to more pressing matters.

I decided that I really need to give them another try, so tomorrow I'll try the red velvet one...or maybe the chocolate one again. I'll report back and let you know if they measure up. Until then, the jury is out...
-Rick Rockhill

My Final Days at PETCO

By now most of you are well aware that last Friday was my last day working at Petco. I spent most of the weekend relaxing, but also reflecting on the past 13 years. As I mentioned in Saturday's post, I need to re-program my mind. Today is a new day- it is the first day as an employee of Natural Balance Pet Foods. I need to do all that normal stuff of getting my office organized and setting up my computer, new e-mail contacts, etc. Before I move on, I'd like to share photos from my last few days at the old job. In all honesty I was surprised to learn that my colleagues wanted to have a "Roast" in my honor to say farewell on Thursday. I really didn't want all the fuss, but it was important closure for the team after my long career with the company. Anyway, the festivities began on Wednesday night, when my direct team hosted a Happy Hour at a local restaurant, which was a lot of fun. Thursday was the busy day; morning exit interviews, an off-site lunch with the senior team, followed by the "Rick Rockhill Roast". The lunch room was filled with colleagues from throughout the organization, including a number of dogs who normally come to work everyday!

above: As I walked in with Sheldon (you can just see his shoulder) I was surprised by how many people showed up. It was very flattering.

above: Someone made a series of wacky posters and put my head on the images. Like this one of Saturday Night Fever. I'd throw my back out if I tried to even pose like John Travolta did...

above: then there was this Harry Potter take-off. There were several others, I just didn't get photos of them all.

above: During the Roast, various people stood up and shared semi-embarrassing (but fun) stories about me or zany memories. A surprising number were either about this blog, my fascination with wearing Ascots or all my celebrity connections. One person told the story of the time I invited Ellen DeGeneres to Palm Springs to visit for the weekend on the first time I met her.

above: I hugged a few people who came up and shared touching stories. I've left off photos of most people- I didn't have time to ask if I could post their photos.

above: One of my team members send me a box of chocolate-dipped strawberries. I ate too many of them before I took a photo of the box they came in, so I snagged this image right from the website. Wow they were good.

above: at the Roast, we feasted on chocolate cupcakes....

above: and CAKE. It was chocolate inside and really delicious. As I ate a piece I actually thought of Empress Bee, of the High Seas. I wished she lived nearby, she could have had a slice! Sheldon kept trying to stretch his pointy nose close enough to get a lick of the frosting. Fortunately I was successful in controlling him. It was a really fun afternoon. If any of my former co-workers happen to read this post, I want you to know how much I appreciate this gesture. It was one heck of a send-off and a huge honor. I was humbled by it all.
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As I left the building Friday with Sheldon and Duncan, I breathed a heavy sigh and gazed up at the blue sky and smiled. It had been quite the ride.
-Rick Rockhill

Time to Re-Program My Mind

Yesterday was my last day at my prior employer. It was an enjoyable and rewarding 13 year career, yet I am ready to move on. Colleagues, co-workers and executives gave me a very nice send-off, quite generous accolades, in fact. I am deeply appreciative. Yet I cannot dwell in the past. I must begin to look forward. To do so I must "re-program my mind". Thirteen years anywhere is a long time, and I owe it to my new employer to come to work fresh, energized and sharp. When I walked out of my office building for the last time as an employee, I let out a deep, heavy sigh. It was symbolic in a sense but was necessary. Sheldon and Duncan were at my side, and both looked up at me as if to say, "What's wrong?" Their tails wagged, and they opened their mouths and smiled at me. It felt great. Before we drove off, I logged onto Twitter and Facebook from my blackberry and entered the simple phrase: "It is finished." Later I was surprised to see the comments from folks who responded knowing, to what I was referring. My decision to leave was driven by an interesting opportunity elsewhere, and it wasn't a decision I made lightly. Although looking back, my subconscious knew I was ready for something new. As I drove home to Palm Springs, my mind was filled with thoughts. I remembered a quote of artist Vincent Van Gogh, who said: "I put my heart and my soul into my work, and have lost my mind in the process" Very fitting, I thought. It's not intended to be negative, just meaning that my mind was all about the last 13 years and it took over who I am.

I decided I needed a quick celebration. So I stopped off at Cold Stone Creamery, ordered the largest cup of chocolate ice cream they offer, and gobbled it up. This weekend is important for me. I must begin to re-program my mind. Release myself from old habits, thoughts, limitations and prepare for a new adventure. Visualize what I want to become in my new role, and "reboot" my systems. It may include a trip to a day spa, and most certainly a nice dinner with close friends to celebrate. Those would be much needed distractions. But in the background, will be a mental de-fragmentation of sorts. I really need it.

FYI, if you are just catching up, here is the background to all these work changes:
The News...Part I
The News...Part II
-Rick Rockhill

Things That Matter To Me

These past few weeks I've had a lot of things going on that have occupied my time and thoughts. All good stuff, but I've just been preoccupied with work and career transitions. John and I are grateful to have pets in our lives, they really make things better in every way. Just as an example, the other day I was out running errands, busy with all kinds of trivial things. I was on the go with my head down, not taking the time to smell the proverbial roses, That is, until I returned home and was confronted by Sheldon and Duncan. There they stood, side by side, peering through the side gate- tails wagging in full swing. It was at that precise moment when I was reminded how great these dogs are and how much they mean to me. Poodles are especially smart creatures, experience emotions and "connect" with people in a unique manner. They were so happy to see me return home, it melted my heart. I've said this many times here- dogs make life better. It occurred to me that I've neglected the poodles lately being busy thinking about work. Despite this, dogs love you unconditionally and are always happy to see you. I remembered just how much Sheldon and Duncan mean to me. They are an important part of our family.

above: Here are Sheldon and Duncan relaxing on the sofa next to each other. I'm grateful to have been reminded about the Things That Matter To Me, like my two poodles. What matters to you? What pulls you though the week?
-Rick Rockhill

Five Feet of Fresh Snow in Palm Springs

With all the crazy rains that pummeled Southern California last week, Palm Springs definitely had its share. We hardly ever get any rain 'tall, but I do believe we received more rain in five days than we typically do in a year. Well anyway it was a lot. One nice outcome was the snowfall on the lovely mountains that frame our Coachella Valley. This view at the top left is the San Jacinto Mountain, just over 10,000 feet elevation. They received five feet of fresh snow during last week's storms. The photo doesn't do it justice, as I have an el-cheapo camera so my sincerest apologies.

above: here is a view of the other mountains, called "San Bernadino" where the highest peak is 11,500 feet.

above: I don't think this photo above did what I intended. Its sort of a pan-o-ramic view of the San Bernadino mountains. I intended to show you how they go on and on... Its part of why I love living here in our desert. Click on it to biggify.
The Palm Springs Aerial Tram
The following photos from here on are from The Desert Sun website. This first one is of the tram car at the Palm Springs Aerial Tram. It goes up to the peak of the San Jacinto mountain. It is the largest rotating tram car in the world, and offers the best views of Palm Springs. You can see how stormy it was here in this photo. I wish I had been able to go up for a tram ride during the storm!

above: fresh snow at San Jacinto Park, (top of mountain). So beautiful- who would have thought this was Palm Springs?

above: a veritable Winter Wonderland. Dean Martin would have burst into song, what was it, "Marshmallow World" I believe?

above: one final view of the snow at San Jacinto Park at the top of the tram. See, Palm Springs has plenty to offer. Incidentally, back down on the floor of the desert where I live, it will be 65 degrees today. Hope you enjoyed these photos of our natural beauty here in Palm Springs. Come for a visit, its fantastic.
-Rick Rockhill