Hello everyone! There have been lots of exciting construction going on in the clinic - Michael has been there everyday working with the subcontractors and making sure they adhere to a strict aesthetic code that he has applied to his design. This is particularly challenging with the exposure of all of those things that are normally hidden, like HVAC and electrical but they are doing a great job and are being quite flexible.

Michael driving the lift

Yesterday I rode my bike to the clinic to help Michael move the studs (lumber) into the clinic. They were dropped off yesterday morning and we single handedly moved a whole bundle of them in. The first bundle was small enough that we could open up the glass garage door and have them driven in by the fork lift. Sadly the second bundle was too long and wouldn't fit through the 10 foot door. After repeated team lifts we got everything in. We had everything delivered yesterday so the framer could start building walls today!! Can you believe it...walls!

New trees planted up front

They've also planted trees and bushes up in front of the building and put lights at the tree bases - it looks so nice.

Shiny floor and main HVAC

In other news - the floor was finished last week - it looks so clean and shiny! The swirls in the floor are going to make a great gripping surface for dogs that have fear of slippery floors or are unstable on their legs. I have a couple of choice senior dogs hired to do some floor checking - I'll let you know how it goes. Now I need to tell you a short story of dedication. In order for the floor to be finished we had to move the darn casework out of the clinic. Michael and the crew moved all of the boxes...AGAIN...into the space next door. Those giant boxes have been moved 4 times now! That was all fine but our casework is not insured if it is kept outside of our locked space - remember the whole back door fiasco? So...Michael grabbed a book, his laptop and a chair and headed to the clinic for overnight watch! Luckily the clinic is heated now so it wasn't too cold. I went down to have a late dinner and keep him company for awhile but he stayed the whole night. The next day - he and I played moving crew again and moved all of the boxes back into the space. We got creative with a couple of large heavy boxes that contain the counters and "skated" it into the space on 2 dollies! 

Needless to say we are getting quite the workout these days but it feels so good to have a hand in the creation of this beautiful space. It's fun and sometimes overwhelming and I can't wait to paint some WALLS!

It feels good to get some real construction rolling in there!

Electrical

The building owner's electrician pulled the conductors to our electrical panel Monday, and today the electrical panel went in and it's LIVE!! woohoo! This is the last major step remaining for him to deliver the space to us, everything else is cosmetic! As of today, the rent timebomb is ticking, so we're really gonna start moving now!

We've also signed a deal with an electrician (Dave Anderson from Anderson's Integrity Electric) and he's ready to start working!

Floors

back space taped off while the epoxy sets

We got the floors started. The back space is getting an epoxy resin coating over the concrete, so our floor guy (Alan Smith - Your Floor Guy, who I really like working with!) had a crew in working on that. We had some issues with the temperature (the finish got a little frosted) but he's working through it like a pro.

He also got the majority of the main floor ground, and it looks really nice. We're going with a pretty coarse grind, to provide as much traction as we can for wet-footed dogs with back problems. We'll have carpet tiles down in a lot of the space anyway, but where the floor remains exposed, it will have this groovy circular swirl pattern ground in.

Now that we have electricity, we should be able to start the HVAC system up and heat the space, so Alan can get in and finish filling cracks, and sealing the floor!

circular grind pattern in the concrete throughout the whole space

Plumbing

As Kristin already noted, the toilet drain is in and covered, and the vent stack is in for the toilet and the bathroom/kitchen/hallway sinks (that's the black pipe sticking up in those pictures from the last post - those will be inside walls when we're done).

We've also selected a plumber - Terry Massey, who repiped our entire house a few years ago, and did a great job. We're looking forward to working with him too - he's a nice guy, and a great plumber. 

HVAC

Our first shiny new supply duct is up!

We've contracted Eastside Heating and Air Conditioning to do the HVAC installation - they come highly recommended by Rose City Veterinary Hospital, and they've been great to work with so far. They were scheduled to start work Monday, but one of their main guys was out sick, plus they got a couple emergency calls they needed to attend to - but even still, they at least managed to get all the supplies for the job out to the site, and unloaded in our space (lots of shiny metal spiral ducts, cooool), so this morning they were ready to roll... they got the main drops in from the supply and return, and put in the main supply duct which runs the whole length of the space.

but most importantly...

SCISSOR LIFT (yeehah!)

Lots of the contractors will need this, so I rented it for a while. They'll need it to hang the ductwork, run the ceiling electrical and light fixtures, plus we'll need it for painting up high. Mostly though, I just wanted to play with it and drive it around. Starr Rentals here in Portland promised it at 8am Monday, and the guy was already there, with the lift unloaded on the sidewalk at 5 minutes to 8 when I got there - early?!? are you kidding me? That was pretty refreshing. I'm not expecting it to happen again for months.

I've been dying to sit up on these beams! (click the picture to open a larger version)

The scissorlift is also good for taking aerials (click the picture to open a larger version)

DeeDee and me on my bike

Today was a beautiful, sunny day in Portland. Michael and I took a quick bike ride over to the clinic to pick up a bid that one of the framers had dropped off - get this, he slipped it in through the opening in front between the studs - yes the space is not quite finished with open spaces to the outside! You must admit though that it was ingenious of the framer - and it does look somewhat like a sideways mail slot! It was also DeeDee's first visit to the clinic and she rode there in her basket and did great!

We have had a lot of activity at the space this past week and quite a few hiccups that we bulldozed through and, like true Americans, worked around them in real time! There was no way we were getting delayed by things out of our control anymore!

Our casework lined up against the wall

First off, our casework (cabinets for the back) were scheduled for delivery on Thursday but instead came on Tuesday. We were trying to have the back area floor done so we could move all of the boxes back there for storage. Sadly the floors were not ready by Tuesday but no big deal - we figure we'll just move the boxes later. The truck arrived at 7:30am and Michael, myself, Vern (our Butler rep), Dragan (our friend and Micheal's coworker) and Katie (our technician) were there to meet him. This 18 wheeler drove by with our casework on board and we waved...he honked and then disappeared. 8 minutes later he drove by again and blocked traffic while he and Michael figured out where to put the truck. The driver, Dave (who turned out to be very helpful moving the boxes) pulled to the end of the block - breaking a few small tree limbs and parked. We had to walk these huge boxes almost a whole block back to the space. We were hauling boxes and marking off the purchase order to be sure everything was there. Did I mention it was 7:30 in the morning? Everything arrived and we got it all secured in the clinic - and then I had to rush off to do relief work at Rose City by 9:00am! That was a long day.

The backdoor finally hung with our hand placed lock

The day before the casework arrived the landlord was supposed to have the back door hung but they wouldn't have locks in until the following week. Michael called our insurance agent and found out we are only covered if the space is locked. So Michael went to Home Depot after work to pick up a lock and put it in the back door (in the dark). He came home a little too quickly and I knew right then...the back door wasn't hung! Yikes - but not to worry, he called the General Contractor and he hung it the next day and Michael put in the lock...whew! I put paper over the windows the next day - we didn't want anyone to think those big boxes were big screen TVs!

Pipe in and concrete poured!

They have finally put in the pipes for the bathroom and water connection and poured the concrete! It looks so nice without the pile of dirt in the space (although Michael did take an excellent picture of it).  Not to be too critical here but we looked back through our emails and Michael had set a "next steps for space delivery" outline on 12/19. He set the goal of 12/26 for concrete cutting and digging the trenches, 12/27 for laying the pipes, and 12/28 for pouring the concrete. Certainly a tight schedule but they just finished that part on 2/12! Can you see why this is taking so long? The electrical panel is technically in the clinic but it's on the floor. The hole is cut for it in the dry wall so we are almost there! Luckily the rent countdown hasn't started but the landlord has been generous enough to let us in to start our work. 

Michael's fancy picture of the dirt

Things are looking good and like Katie said on Tuesday - it's just so nice to hang out in the clinic! It's feeling more and more real and the space really is beautiful with the sun streaming in the skylights. The next update will be from Michael about all the cool technical building stuff - he will be sure to dazzle you with pictures. (For those of you who don't know, Michael has a hobby business - Portland Pet Photography - and he has taken all of the really nice photos of the space!) 

Yesterday I stopped by the space to pick up a key to the front door! We have the key but the space has not been delivered yet. Still waiting for the pipe to be placed and concrete to be poured, and the HVAC and electrical panel to be put in. Oh yeah, and the back door to the space to be installed. So really, no progress since the last update except the key. The good news is that with the key in our hands we have access to the space and since the space isn't officially delivered yet...the rent countdown has not begun! It's a pretty good deal but we are running into some snags.

Hole for the scale and the bathroom pipe

This morning Michael and I went to the space and opened up the front door...ahhh what a sweet sound to hear that key turn and watch the door open! Michael was meeting the floor crew there to start work on the floors.  They were grinding the concrete that they could - had to work around the dirt pile where the pipe isn't in yet and they started cleaning the back space to prepare to epoxy the floor back there. Ok so here is one of those unexpected hang ups - they need to warm up the space in order for the sealant on the concrete and the epoxy to work! Who would have thought? And we can't heat the space without the HVAC and electricity - darn! We were starting to make progress! So we got one small work around and put a space heater in the back space so they can do the epoxy tomorrow but the rest of the grinding and sealing is on hold until the space delivery. Such is the story of the buildout. An April Fool's opening date is more and more appropriate. The good news is that the back area floors will be done by next week which is when we get our cabinetry delivered! So at least we'll have somewhere to store the stuff while the rest of the work gets done. 

My parents' dog Topper enjoying his Planet Dog "tennis" ball

My last post on tennis balls seemed helpful to people but a little dogcentric. What about kitties and dental health? Believe it or not there is a "chew toy" out there for cats - it's a small toy with cat nip stalks on the inside and it's called the Petstages Catnip Chew Ring. I've seen them online but never in action. If you have a cat that loves catnip it could be an option. There are also the famous Feline Greenies - a dental treat that most cats are crazy for. They come in a variety of flavors and reduce tartar and plaque buildup. The only trick is your cat must CHEW them - many cats get so excited they just swallow them which kind of defeats their purpose. The last great dental chew treat I've been suggesting is actually a dog chew but you can cut it down to cat size. The chicken jerky (made out of just chicken) and salmon skin rolls can be cut into cat size strips for your cat to chew on like a raw hide. The chewing action helps to "brush" the teeth. We have to get pretty innovative to find things to help cats - they are each individuals with their own tastes and preferences!

FORLs - notice the left most tooth - the left root and part of the right root is destroyed! The right most tooth only has part of the crown remaining.

The other thing that you should know about cats and their teeth is that they are prone to these awful cavities called Feline Odontoclastic Resorptive Lesions or FORLs. They are incredibly painful and ultimately destroy the teeth. They are aggressive lesions that can't be filled like human, or even dog, cavities. We don't know why they happen but if your cat has one, they are painful. The crazy thing about cats though, is that they won't tell you that they're hurting. They will continue to eat and act normal even with the pain. Since cats are prey as well as predators they have developed a very good masking ability and act as though everything is ok. Or sometimes I think cats are just so dignified and so much braver than dogs and humans that they figure that's just life and they live with it. Either way, it's important to have your cat's teeth examined yearly and evaluated to see if they need a comprehensive exam and treatment under anesthesia. 

Please post if you guys have any other great ideas on how to keep your cat's teeth clean and healthy. I'll continue to post about pet's teeth for Dental Health Month. Any questions, feel free to ask! And comments are always welcome!

Not much has happened since we last spoke. Michael went to the space yesterday to meet a subcontractor and show him around. Nothing new - no pipe and, as suspected, no back door yet and no electrical panel. But we are really close. Closer than we've ever been now that the front door is on. So I am ever hopeful that they can get these things done EARLY in the upcoming week!

Article featuring our new scrubs - but in pink

As time has been slowly moving along I have been reading through all of my veterinary journals and industry magazines pulling out pages of interesting articles and clipping out ads for cool products. One article I came across recently was about professional attire in the veterinary workplace from Veterinary Practice News. They had this little sidebar about designer scrubs and they featured a picture of Katherine Heigl in her London line - the same scrubs we're getting but ours are in grey! Who knew that with Katie's good taste we would be ahead of our time?

New anti-lick gel called Yuk

This is what DeeDee thinks about Yuk (but she hasn't tried it yet)

I also found this great looking product called Yuk! Anti-Lick Gel. The packaging is so cute and it looks like they have perfected what is gross to dogs. We will definitely have to have this stuff on hand. It could be useful to protect bandages and catheters!

While looking online for Pinball Publishing's phone number a few weeks ago, I started surfing their site. They have a cool Graphic Culture Catalog on their website featuring various print work they've done. I scrolled through the different entries admiring their work and I came to the December 31st entry and saw our business cards! They described us as a "brand new veterinary clinic located in Portland's charming Mt. Tabor district". So nice.

One last product I'd like to tell you about is Planet Dog's "Tennis Balls".

Planet Dog's Tennis Ball

They are these great, tough rubber balls that look just like tennis balls but they are smooth. They even come in a 3 pack like regular tennis balls but, unlike tennis balls, they are not bad for your dog's teeth. With February being dental health month, veterinarians are educating clients about the importance of healthy teeth. Regular dental evaluations and treatments, at home care with brushing, and appropriate toys make for healthy teeth. Sadly, tennis balls are not part of the appropriate toys list. Tennis balls are extremely abrasive and have a texture similar to fine steel wool.

3 pack

As dogs carry and chew on tennis balls, they start to wear their teeth causing blunting and sculpting that can eventually lead to pulp exposure, pain and need for dental work. Now, I am not one to get between a dog with OBD (Obsessive Ball Disorder) and their tennis balls but now there is a better way! Planet Dog has solved all of our problems - dogs, their people and their veterinarians can be happy with this healthy alternative. Now if we could just teach the dogs to brush their teeth all by themselves before bed!

I hope to have building updates soon so watch your email for notification.  Katie's mom, Patti made a comment on the last post about my hats - funny there a quite a few pictures with me wearing different hats on this blog - I do have quite a collection. I think I am even wearing a disposable surgical cap in one picture! I'll be sure to change hats for any additional pictures of me in the space - yet another reason to stay tuned.