Here’s a recent conversation with my internet friend Patrice, which she asked me to preserve on Lightning’s blog for possible future readers:

Patrice: This is something I’d like you to write several blog posts on — how do you organize your life, space, and time so that you can train as much as you do? You work full time, right? Lack of nearby space, and working full time are my biggest impediments, especially in the shorter days of winter.

Me: Hi Patrice. I’m not sure I have enough for several blog posts, but here’s a try: Yes, I work full-time, a GS-14 for Treasury. I also work an average of 50 hours a month building a software app for a client, as my side job. I have virtually no social life, have pretty much given up TV, and can get along on small amounts of sleep when I need to. I apparently have a mild version of Asperger’s, which may account for unusually high focus and endurance with annoyingly infinite attention to detail. I work at home most days and have great flexibility in my hours, though these days doctors visits are taking a ridiculous amount of time. I love my wife, my kids, and my friends, truly I do, but since Lumi, my life is really about my dogs. Typical day in any particular time frame would look very different, but typical day until my latest bout of leg injury: up at 4am, get ready for day, drive 30-60 minutes picking up assistant(s), drive 60+ additional minutes to/from training location, 2-4 hours training, drop off assistant(s). I’ll spend additional time on dogs each day for things like trimming nails, playing fetch, cutting up raw food, etc., but that’s about all the time we have for training on weekdays. In bed (with dogs) around 10pm. Not unusual to train virtually all day on Saturday and/or Sunday as well as any holiday, counting events, workshops, and club training days as “training”. As for locations, I do have access to several excellent training grounds within about two hour radius, generally too far. But I’ve found dozens of fields, construction sites, parks, etc., over the years where I can take the dogs and my assistants to train, depending on what we’re working on as well as weather, and also accommodating my assistants’ schedules. I think schedules and other circumstances are highly individual and question whether knowing mine would help anyone. Virtually every successful trainer I know sends at least some of their dogs to pros at least some of the dogs’ careers, largely because of time though of course they also want their dogs to get quality training. All this makes a high demand on time and finances. In addition, at least for me, the demand on emotions is just as high. Anyway, does any of this help, or would more detail about anything be useful?

Patrice: Lindsay, nice try. I want at least one blog post so the information won’t get lost in the bowels of Facebook. I’ve been wanting this ever since I started reading your blogs. Please. I’ve always thought that the logistics are at least as important as the methods and practice. (It must change seasonally, right?)

Me: OK, Patrice. Was that post about the right amount of detail? I’ll try to make it a regular feature. I’m sure others also interested since important to you.