I have a Job

I have a new job. I'm working for a farmer in the area who grows alfalfa and hay, etc and he also has a feed store on the ranch where people can buy any kind of animal food they want. cows, horses, chickens, turkeys, goats, pigs, cats, dogs, birds, and more. there is all kinds of hay, alphalpha, wheat, grass, etc. and straw. I don't know what my hours are going to be or what my pay is going to be. They just opened the office door and shoved me inside and closed it and I havn't seen anyone since. They are months behind so I'm working like crazy trying to figure out the software and getting things caught up. The farmers mother, Mary, who is 92 and the sweetest thing came in for a couple of hours and showed me what needed to be done and after that I just started working on the puzzle. I am a good problem solver, so I know I will figure it out. The upside is It's about five minutes away so I won't have to spend a fortune on gas to get to work and I can come home for lunch. I also don't need to spend much on a wordrobe. No one cares. I can come and go as I want as long as I get the work done. This is the backside of the ranch as you drive along Santa Teresa This is the front of the ranch and the office is the little building on the left. Some of the people I work with are real dummies, (just kidding), but I will say they are interesting. There is the owner, Willy Silva, who is a nice guy and he kind of reminds me of Louie Bonino. Same MO. Tom who works behind the counter has a really big red afro that he tries to hide under a sweaty baseball cap. He is short and square and he has big spaces between his brown teeth and when you talk to him, his eyes roll up like he thinks you are on the ceiling. I have learned not to ask him any questions because he doesn't stop talking until you walk away and close the door behind you. Matt is tall, thin, with long dark brown stringy hair that he wares in a pony tail and tries to hide it under a sweaty baseball cap. He is quiet and a little grumpy, but helpful. There are two cats that live at the office. I have grown partial to one of them. I forgot his name, but every morning since I started, he comes in and sits next to my keyboard and watches me work. Every once in a while he lets out a little half meow just to remind me that he needs his ears scratched. When he gets bored, he goes out to the store and climbs up on the counter where he has his own little bed and goes to sleep. At night he is supposedly catching mice. But in the day he sleeps in his bed and allows the customers to pet him. The other cat is not as friendly and I don't know where he goes, but I see him once in a while. The down side is I will probably be working part time and I'm not making as much as I made before anyway. But it's a job and I'm glad to be working, sort of.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID!!! 29 YEARS OLD AND COUNTING.

The Concert

Thursday afternoon, we traveled through heavy rain and wind to San Luis Obispo to hear the Gilroy/Christopher Choir perform in competition with other high Schools. Russ and Raquel invided me and David to go with them. Gilroy has a new High School called Christopher High School. Gilroy High and Christopher High have a combined Choir and they are fabulous. The Choir director, Mr. Rob, has been able to make being in the Choir "cool", so there are a lot of kids in the Choir. This really is an amazing Choir, and what an experience for these kids. There were only four high schools competing at this competition, but each high school had more than one choir competing. Gilroy / Christopher High School had a Concert Choir, a Men's Choir, and a Women's Choir and there was one high school that had a Treble Choir. As Anthony so humbly points out, Gilroy/Christopher was the only choir to receive a standing ovation (which they really did deserve.) The Concert Choir sang several songs, but one really got a standing ovation. It was an ethnic piece that started out with noises you would hear in a jungle, lots of noise, like birds calling, apes and monkeys chattering, and they made some noise with their hands that really sounded like birds flying through the concert hall. There were jungle drums and the choir danced and swayed and sang. It was really exciting and well done. The hall where they had the competition had really great acoustics to make this even better. Even though Anthony is technically not in High School yet, Eighth graders are invited to join the choir. So he is part of the Men's Choir. There he is in the middle, the one with glasses on. It was really fun. After the competition, we stopped on the way home and had dinner. We got home around 10:30pm and I couldn't go to sleep so Dave and I watched American Idol which we had recorded. I finally was tired enough to get to bed, but had a hard time getting up the next morning.

Girls Night Out

We finally did it, we had a girls night out with Me, Kim, Raquel, Judy Bonino, and Kirsten (Brent Bonino's Girlfriend) and of course Luci. It was a lot of fun and very relaxing and enjoyable. It was St. Patrick's Day so that's why we are all wearing green. The best part is it was not planned, it just came about at the last minute. It seems if you try to plan something, it never works out.

Luci Wednesday

Luci Wednesday was all about crafts. We painted pictures and made butterflies which now hang on my kitchen wall. I got the idea here. I will probably leave them there forever because they are so beautiful.

I am one of the lucky ones. I'm the grandmother to this little red head and best of all I live near her and get to spend time with her. She is sweet and clever and smart and most of all she is funny. And just so you don't miss out, I'm going to share some of her funny Luci-isms right here on my blog. Sunday I dropped by the Boninos to say hi and Luci comes running over to me yelling grandmaaaaaa!! and she hugs my legs. Just then Russ walks in the door and Luci in a very serious and solemn voice says to me as she points to him, "Grandma, this is Russell." and then she walks over to Russ and she points to me and she says, "Russell, this is Grandma." She was completely serious and polite. I guess she thought we forgot who we were. Seriously, my ears and my eyes and my mouth and my arms ache to hear, see, speak to, and hug all my grandchildren. That is my hearts desire. I miss them and miss their isms.

When will it end

Here I am whimpering about the cost of gas, but who can blame me. Good luck at the pump.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RUBY!!!!!!! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY RYAN AND BECCA !!!!!

This girl who is only thirteen years old, her name is Lilly Kate Wray and she is from the UK, designs and knits her own patterns. Check these out. I can barely follow a pattern and have it turn out right.

A perfect day.

In my current state of mental unevenous, there are few things that can keep me even or at least from falling completely over. One is my grandchildren because they don't care that I'm old and grumpy, they love me anyway. Combine that with baking or cooking and you have a really great combination. Wednesday is my Lucy day while her mom is taking an art class. We made an apple pie together and then we ate some pie and went for a walk. Can you think of a more perfect thing to do.

another unsolved mystery

There are so many things in the world to puzzle about. Like, why can't people all over the world get over themselves and get along and why does everything that tastes good have to be bad for you. I'm sure that one day all these mysteries will be solved, but here's one that I don't think will ever be solved. This little handknit was being made for a friend from two different yarns that I had left over. I love knitting baby things because they are quick and they always fit. I washed the sweater and layed it out to block it like I always do and went about my business. That night I checked the sweater and one sleeve had changed color. Just one sleeve, so what was different about that one sleeve. all the same yarn. It's faded on both sides of the sleeve so it can't be the light hitting it because the other side was down. It looked OK when I first laid it out to block, but somewhere between then and now, it changed. I have ripped out that sleeve and I plan on re-knitting it and still giving it. Maybe it's a poltergeist thing. Just another unsolved mystery????