Now I know my ABC's

After having attended the Royal Wedding last month as a guest of the Queen, one would think that I would have had enough pomp and circumstance in my life for quite some time. Au contraire. I jumped right back in the saddle and headed to Kentucky — not for the Derby but for the 2011 American Boxer Club National Specialty Show — commonly referred to as ABC where all the elite boxers compete, including Katandy's Fast Forward "Frankie," who took Best of Opposite Sex handled by Dan Buchwald.

M.B.I.S.S. GCh. Katandy's Fast Forward "Frankie"

There's no requirement that you have to be a Boxer to attend the National ABC show, but Roger and Thelma Lou stayed at home to keep Dad in line. You know the old saying, "When the cat's away, the mice will play." Honestly, I had my doubts about Roger keeping anyone, including himself, in line. Obviously, as the only female in the house Thelma Lou called all the shots because Dad pressure washed and stained the entire deck, hand scrubbed and waxed the floors, and planted all of Mom's favorite flowers while we were gone. He certainly was one busy little beaver, and we all benefit from the fruits of his labor.

Although I missed playing with Roger and Thelma Lou, I must admit that it was really cool to have Mom all to myself on Mother's Day. First, I surprised her with breakfast in bed — a bowl of Kellogg's Cinnamon Pecan Special K. What do you expect? We're shacked up in a hotel room and I had to work with what I had. Then I presented her with a beautiful bouquet of red roses.

Mother's Day bouquet for the best Mom in the world!

We topped off the day with a rigorous 3-mile hike in the beautiful Eden Park of Cincinnati, which overlooks the Ohio River, bringing my current total to 7.5 miles of the 12 miles that I committed to hike for our Hike-a-Thon to raise money for Dog Scouts of America while promoting responsible dog ownership.

Enjoying the view of the Ohio River

Our community hike took place last Saturday, May 14 at Fieldwood Dog Training Center in Carlisle. With the exception of a few pit stops, Roger led the pack for almost the entire 3-mile course. If you would like to support Team Katandy's Triple Threat but haven't yet done so, fear not. There's still plenty of time — you have until the end of May. You can either visit our FirstGiving webpage or remit your cash or check donation directly to Mom. 

 Thelma Lou displays her new Outward Hound Pack

Roger the Rock declares himself "Leader of the Pack"

Note: Backpacks are not required. Roger and Thelma just got theirs and think that they look exceptionally cool wearing them. You know how kids are with new duds.