Speaking of YD

Things are starting to look up once again for YD.
Last year about this time she had fallen in a bucket of shit (figuratively speaking) and wasn't coming out smelling like a rose.
This year she is turning everything around for herself.
A few weeks ago, she and one of her friends went over to "Pick ur Parts" and got a "new to her" transmission for her old classic truck that she bought a couple of years back (It has been sitting in my driveway for a long while, since the tranny died) They labored under the truck for two days getting the new transmission in place. After a couple of days one of the mounts slipped. It didn't cause any damage, so they are replacing that today or tomorrow. At least this time the truck is in her driveway and not mine.
About three weeks back, I had a customer come in the store and as per the way I do business, started chatting it up with the customer. She was buying various things that I recognized as being part of barns and fencing for large animals. Of course I asked her what she was doing with them. She told me she had seven horses and ten big dogs and that one or more of those critters had broken through their fencing and it all needed to be repaired.
I asked her further about her horses. She told me she wasn't really the horsey type, but she owned seven in various ages all of which needed training, because she didn't know how and she didn't have the time. Of course I mentioned that this is what my daughter does for a living. She immediately gave me her number and told me to have my daughter call her.
YD called her that night, but the woman had to be in court and couldn't meet her the next day, and took YD's number. But YD never heard from her. So on a whim yesterday, YD called her back. The woman was so happy! She had forgetten to save YD's number in her phone and had lost it. And then asked if YD could come right then. She went.
The husband was at the gate to their property when YD pulled up. He asked her what she was there for and YD said, "Well, I'm not really sure, but to talk to someone about the horses." He asked her if she was a handler and YD told him..."of sorts". He told her she was hired!
They went on a tour of the property, met all the horses and dogs. Discussed the horses diet and experiences so far. The woman met them at the barn. Talked to YD about her past experiences with animals and asked how much she wanted to be paid. YD has always been told what she would be paid, and told them that. So they said how about 20 hours a week at $XX/hour? YD said she got really light headed and almost fainted. Then they asked if that was enough. O.M.G.!!! They also asked YD to make a list of everything she would need to train their horses and she would have it all in a few days.
She has a three month old, a six month old a yearling, two stallions, two brood mares and one eight year old mare to work with. One of the stallions is two and barely green broke. She told me she was starting with him. (Apparently the owner has a little trouble with him)
YD called me last night to say thank you for hooking her up with this woman. I'm just so happy to do that. I know that YD is a great trainer and with the right people and references she can make a fantastic living at what she loves to do.
It all has to do with an old mare I bought 18 years ago to keep my kids away from the front of the TV. That mare trained YD in the ways of horses.

Why I love my YD

*Now with an update*

Ring, ring. Ring, ring. (that's my phone, ringing)
Me: Hello?
YD: Hi Mom! Whatcha doing?
Me: Hi Binks! I'm hobbling. How are you?
YD: Hobbling?
Me: Yea, my feet, can't walk after work.
YD: I'm sorry, that's not good! Well,I'm good. Mom?
Me: Yes.
YD: I have a great idea! Ya wanna hear my great idea?
Me: (Hesitantly) Yeasss...
YD: You know how I'm moving to a house in July? On July 5th?
Me: Yeasss...
YD: Well, I was thinking,
Me: That's always good!
YD: Well, what I was thinking is that since my room here at the ranch smells just like a shit hole, (she lives right next to the sewer clean out that always needs to be cleaned out)that it would be a good idea for me to come and sleep on your couch until the 5th of July! How do you like that idea??? Isn't it a great idea Momm...You know I love you and well, it sure would be great to spend more time with you and I'll clean out the kennel and the dogs can sleep out there and there won't be lakes and islands on the frontroom floor form Fatty (Trixie), cause she'll be outside, and you know.

Me: Okay. Fatty isn't going to chew up any more furniture is she?
YD: No.
Me: Okay, when are you coming?
YD: Tonight. Thanks Mom, I love you! MUAH!

YD came back...for a whole day!
She brought her clothes and when her new landlady heard that she was staying here until the 5th, told her to just move in there and wouldn't charge her for the extra days. It isn't like she was going to make anything from the space in the meantime anyway. So, one of YD's friends helped her load up her belongings at the ranch and she is all moved in now. She just has to unpack. I know she is going to love it there. The landlady is only four years older than YD. Her friend that helped her move in has been helping take care of her for YEARS. He has known her since she was 8 or 9 and is almost like a dad to her. He lives at the house too. The house is a big one and is in horse country about five miles from here. She'll be happy there.

More experience with Magical Mexicans

It seems that every time I ask my YD for a hand with something she shows up with one of her co-workers or another person she works on the side with in training horses. Today I called her for an idea of who might be able to change the starter in my truck. It broke yesterday. It's been breaking for a long time. I just didn't know it.
For the last two or three weeks, every once in a while, like if I drive to Comcast (a ten or so mile drive) The truck wouldn't start. But if we jumped the battery, it would go. Yesterday, MD and I went to Serramonte (a mall about 12 - 13 miles away. I knew I'd be taking a chance turning it off, so I sat in the car while MD paid her phone bill. Then we went to Joann's. I figured that the truck would be okay to shut off. (Heaven only knows why I thought it would be okay then) So, in we went and an hour later, out we came. To a truck that would not start. My neice, who I just happened to buy the truck from was there also and had parked next to us, so we just waited til she was done with her shopping and got a jump from her.
We came home and stopped at the grocery store to pick up some food. I called OD and told her to stand by, cause we may need a jump. We did. She came down and we jumped the battery and drove home.
I figured that in the morning, the starter would be cool and I would be able to start the truck, but that was not going to happen. I called the local parts store, got a price on a rebuilt starter, and told them I'd pick it up when I could find a ride. That's when I called YD. She said she'd be up after work and I could talk her though the procedure, since I (ahem) know how to do that kind of stuff. She brought her friend whose horses she is training. She made him get under the car, she and I handed him tools, and held the light. It took about three hours, but my truck started again!!!! YAY!
This is where I found out that the starter had been breaking for a while. I didn't realize it, but when I started the truck with the new starter it sounded so much better. Apparently the old one didn't sound right and I didn't know it. Some mechanic I turned out to be.
At least we have found another Magical Mexican in our midst. Now I have one that does emergency roof patches and one that does mechanical stuff.
But now I have to go to work tomorrow, I was kind of hoping I could use the truck as an excuse.

New Trix

Every Thursday, I "babysit" my furbaby grandson. So I expected to see Dozer when I came home from work. It's always a happy occassion, cause I love Dozer. Today I had a surprize when I got home. YD had gone all the way to Gilroy (about an hour and a half away from us) to pick up Trixie. She will not be Trixie long if YD has anything to say about it. She doesn't like the name, but she loves the dog! I'm pretty taken by her myself. She is six months old, very well behaved. She's a little leary of the cats, doesn't chase them though. She just gives them wide berth. (Funny to watch) She is not all that quiet, but not a pesty barker yet. Of course, we are all new to her and I'm sure she was told to be on her best behavior, so for now she is minding.
Right now she is doing what dogs do best...laying on her side sound asleep.
I'm thinking it is a good thing that YD has her own place and it is on the ranch. There is just not room for four dogs here. I don't even know how we managed with three! (and I am looking for a new German Shepherd...oh my!)

Cause the gov'ment says so

I have been so sick of hearing this government mandated switch over to digital or else you don't get to watch TV thing. What has it been? A year? Two? That they have been touting this BS over all the TV channels and radio stations.
Perhaps I am a bit paranoid, but it seems to me, at first it was just a ploy to make every one pay for all entertainment. Right now, my TV and computer are the only things that really entertain me. We've paid for cable for as long as I can remember...well, wait, in the early 60's we didn't pay. So they told everybody and their brothers that if you don't have cable already, you need to purchase this stupid little box to convert some damned signal going into your TV so it is digital and you can watch TV. I think it is a great way for them to start watching us.
They put it off and put it off, and now they are saying okay, we are serious this time, June 12th (or 19th or whatever date they have set) is it, you must be prepared to switch to digital...or else...and then afterward every once in a while you must scan something to add new channels, and then you get to watch more...
I figured we were out of the loop here at my house, because we have been paying for cable forever and they kept saying if you have cable you are ready...Even showing people in T-shirts saying I AM READY. (No I never wanted one of those T-shirts either) I got a letter from Comcast the other day (Comcast is our entertainment director/cable company) I normally don't open much in the mail from them, cause it's usually some threatening letter saying pay up or else you don't get to watch TV. By chance I opened this one. It said. You need to get some digital adapters for EACH TV in your house or else you only get to watch channels 2 - 32. Yeah. Like any of those channels are worth watching. Yuck...local crap, paid advertising hour long shows, Chinese TV, Mexican TV (three channels of it) One blue screen channel. (just in case you are fond of the color blue and want to watch it all day and night) I do have the 4AM local news on every morning so I can laugh at all the people who commute two hours to work and back when the traffic on the 880 is at a stand still...they actually call it the parking lot! Of course I need to see just how much fog is in my near future so I know whether to wear my light jacket or not as light jacket. I could jut look out the door and know first hand, but where's the fun in that?
So...in order to get the channels I actually watch: TRU TV, Court TV, HGTV, the channel with all the families with all the kids and the one about how to dress yourself on it, I have to have a digital adapter. To the tune of $1.98 per box...and that's per TV! We own five TV's!!! Oh but it is okay, the first two are free. MD decided that she wanted a regular cable box, so when I go through all the free premium channels, she can watch movies out in her little room. She's paying the extra $7 for that.
Alrighty then. I called and ordered everything we needed. They sent it post haste. I think we ordered on Wednesday, the boxes were here today! I have NEVER in my life seen such a quick turnaround! (See the government wants in our frontrooms something bad.) Only...they sent four cable boxes! Not three adapters and one cable box! Geez! So I made a few phone calls and when I didn't get the answers I wanted started asking for supervisors and managers. They checked around found that our local Comcast office had what we needed and sent us up there to trade. We didn't know they had sent four cable boxes. We thought they had sent four adapters (instead of the three and one cablebox) We went up with one and there was a huge line out the door. People waiting to trade boxes, pick up new boxes, pay bills, bitch and complain and all manner of whatevers they do at the cable office. CA-RAP! MD stood in line until it got close to our turn and then I went in to sign papers answer questions, etc. That is when we found out that our entire order was wrong. The guy laughed and said he had never seen such a screw up. He let us come home with the adapters and a promise to return the other two cable boxes on Monday morning.
Went out to my truck and the freaking battery was dead as a door nail. I am thinking I will need a new battery here. Everything else is working fine...I hope. Anyway. a really nice gentleman by the name of Guerrmo came over to us and asked if we needed help in his broken English. I said yes please. He moved his car over to our truck and created magic on my battery and wa-la we came home. We are now waiting for our hook up to be complete, so that the government can start watching us. Cause I know that is what they are doing!
Okay...they said...it should only be around fifteen minutes to make the connections complete and it has been two hours! I have to make another on of those phone calls! Damn!