The Prestigious Palm Springs Savant and Co.

Rick Rockhill, Palm Springs Savant

Coffeesister just reminded me that we have to go to Petco and pick up some cat food.

Petco is a huge pet food retailer, which you probably know because they’re not only in the US but other countries.

What you don’t know is that my old blogging pal, Rick Rockhill, is a bigshot executive with Petco. He talks a little bit about the company on his blog, PALM SPRINGS SAVANT, but mostly he talks about Palm Springs because that’s where he lives, and he’s the Savant.

Whatever that is.

I ran into Rick downtown the other day as he was walking with his partner, John or Steve, or something, and we stopped to talk for a few minutes because I’d met him once before and I thought, “Hey, he’s pretty cool for a guy who lives a lifestyle that’s so entirely different from mine that it would take the light from MY lifestyle over a thousand years to reach HIS lifestyle.”

(NOTE to John or Steve, or something.. I’m TERRIBLE with names. It’s nothing personal, k? I liked you, I really did.. you rock.. your name doesn’t.)

We talked for a few minutes and I got to meet Rick’s new dog, Shelby or Sheldon, or something, and we all marveled at what a wonderful small town atmosphere we have here in Palm Springs when you can just walk down the street and meet up with fellow bloggers, their partners and their dogs.

We didn’t get to talk very long because I had to catch a bus, so I excused myself and said, “I have to go catch a bus,” and Rick looked like he wasn’t sure what a “bus” was, but he smiled and said it was nice seeing me again.

I once read on his blog, “PALM SPRINGS SAVANT,” that I was the ONLY BLOGGER Rick has met in person. Can you imagine that? Being this world-renowned blogger whom people love and adore, and the only blogger YOU’VE ever met is RHODESTER?

HAHAHAHA!!! Geez..

As previously mentioned, Rick is a bigshot pet supply executive. He has several cars and a nice home in Palm Springs (according to his BLOG). To give you an idea of his level of bigshotness, I’ll let you in on a conversation that took place during my first visit to the new Petco which recently opened next door to us..

I was talking to no-one. The young assistant manager had excused himself to scurry off and polish the brass nameplate on the store manager’s door. I walked out of the cleanest, sparkliest Petco I’d ever been in — you could have eaten eggs off that floor.

I first encountered Rick when we’d moved to the area and I did a search for bloggers in Palm Springs. Google served up “Palm Springs Savant,” and I thought, “Well, that’s interesting.. he’s a SAVANT and he LIVES HERE, and he writes about it!” So I started reading it back then and haven’t stopped.

Palm Springs Savant is written from Rick’s POV (Point Of Vanity), meaning that it’s all about the fine restaurants, art museums and social gatherings around here, all of which I don’t get to attend due to poverty, lack of social standing and the fact that I’m a peasant toiling with the unwashed masses, so I live vicariously through his deep, brown eyes.

At least, I THINK they’re brown.. Steve or John would know, I’m sure.

But I don’t think Rick has ever ordered a taco at a drive-up window and had to dig around for extra sauce packs between the seats or in the glove box. I have absolutely NO DOUBT that he actually keeps GLOVES in his glove box — right next to the extra scarf and fedora.

Rick is very prestigious, which is a big word that means “can afford to dine out EVERY night.”

If you’re looking for a new blog to read, because lord only knows there aren’t enough of them out there, I highly recommend “Palm Springs Savant.” You don’t even have to live in Palm Springs. Rick writes about all kinds of places, such as London, Paris and Rome.

That’s because he’s often in those cities, like when he opened a new pet supply store at the Vatican — now the Swiss Guard need only WALK a block or two to get a bag of litter for the Pope’s cat, “George W.”

Speaking of kitties, a hungry kitty has just gnawed my toe off, so I best limp over to Petco and grab some cat food before they close. I’m sure I won’t miss it — it’s the bright, gleaming structure at the end of the parking lot, with the rainbow arching over the top and the dancing elves singing merry songs as customers bound out the door laden with pet supplies.

I think I’ll do a little name-dropping to see if the elves dance any faster.

UPDATE — Rick no longer works for Petco, he is now employed by Generation Natural Pet. You can follow their Facebook fanpage here and learn all about pet food. The Pope still has the same cat, but has changed its name to “Barack.”

RhodesTer on Twitter/Facebook/Subscribe to this mess

Tagged as: dog food, PALM SPRINGS, Palm Springs Savant, Petco