A Long Time Gone... But, I am Back!

Life... is.... Good.

<Insert a hundred happy faces here>

They say no news is good news, which is probably why I've been so absent. But, lately, my mind keeps thinking it's time for me to come back to my ramblin' roots... so here's an update, and hopefully the first hello back of many more hellos (that come a little quicker than every 3 months...)

So, here is an update.

Arizona

Is getting hotter than hell. Oooo girl... this Canadian is BURNING up and, to quote the locals, "this ain't even all that bad." Well friends, it feels bad. However, other than the fact I can't rest my skin against any surface without breaking out into a dripping sweat, Arizona is treating me really, really well.

I got a dog, his name is Cash.

Who knew that a little fluffy girly-mutt dog could make my heart so fulfilled and happy? Cash is wonderful, he is goofy, sometimes disobedient, cuddly, funny, smiley... just great. He fancies himself quite the ranch dog... even though the sight of a poofy dog following behind me as I move cows around is a little amusing. He is my constant little shadow and I am happy to call him "my dog".

My job is fricken' wonderful

& there's this little two year old that I'm obsessed with.

Even when i'm complaining about my job I'm happy, it's sickening. I love my boss, I love our horses, I love our program. I LOVE how much I'm learning. I wake up, and fall asleep, feeling blessed to be riding cutting horses in Arizona whilst being surrounded by uplifting and amazing people.

I have officially shown - TWICE!

The first time I showed was a bit of a train wreck, resulting in a 63, the second time I learnt a couple valuable lessons and walked away with a FREAKIN' 75. 75s are truly what dreams are made of. It was in December of 2013 that I told my ex-Boss that I wanted to show by January 2015, only three months later I found myself showing for the first time. Dream chasing is a real thing, and I feel like the more I believe in myself, and the more I set my mind to something, the more the universe gives to me... it's amazing, and humbling.

I have a life here.

People from home come & visit! 

Everybody wants to escape to warm Arizona!!

When I was in Texas I was suffering from homesickness... terrible, dark homesickness. I went home for the holidays and wondered to myself if I could ever make a life for myself somewhere other than home. The homesickness I was feeling was a lot deeper than just being away from home for the first time, it was a homesickness that made me question leaving behind my roots, the physical place I loved so much, a friend group where I had finally cultivated happy healthy relationships, my family. It took awhile for me to fall into a rhythm here too, but once I did I settled right into what feels like a life. It's refreshing, a teeny bit scary, and I'm excited to see where it goes from here.

but then, there is always, my most beloved...

Home

Jingle. Plain & Simple.

I miss Jingle with my whole heart, I feel like my life is falling into place here but i'm just missing... and lacking.. this major piece. A few weeks ago my farrier gave me a call that my horse was a little unkempt and acting a little wild. Brigitte, my Best-friend, went out to groom him and remind him of manners and snapped this photo for me. He is so handsome <3. She also said he was squirrely through most of it, until she groomed his mane and tail. She said he seemed to remember all the time I've spent braiding him and grooming his mane and tail over the years. So cute. sigh. miss him so much.

But - this too is falling into place - i'm hoping come October I can get Jingle on a trailer and have him down here! Cannot wait for Jingle amongst the Cactus!!

Summer.

I am heading home for the summer - for July and August. I'm going to be part of the Stampede Ranch Girls again, and I plan to serve at my old restaurant so I can make some money to put into my savings. Finally, that means i'll get to spend more time with my boy - Jingle! It's bittersweet... I don't want to leave Arizona, but I need to get my affairs in order, and as the temperature creeps above 110 F I'm thinking the summer months are the prime time to leave. Besides, what's 60 days?

Happy to be back, and hoping to catch up with all of you. :)

Customer Service... The Good, The Bad & The Ugly.

I have had some really interesting run-ins with customer service in the equine industry lately...

My first experience, I detailed when I bought my beaaaautiful Jeff Smith Cowhorse Saddle, the people at Frontier Western Shop in Claresholm, Alberta were absolutely WONDERFUL, and coddled, guided and helped me via email, phone, and in-person, every step of the way. Including taking in my old Circle Y, letting me return an ill-fitting saddle, and guiding me to one that I love and fits well! They also threw in a cinch for free, and guided me toward a saddle pad they thought would work best (Classice Equine ESP). In the end, I don't really like it as much (... post for another time), as my old standby - professional's choice SMX, but that doesn't matter - they honestly tried their hardest to make sure I was happy, and my horse was happy. I'm the type of person that appreciates that, and spends more money as a result. Isn't that the whole point behind customer service?! - Treat your clientele like gold so they continue to always come back, and spend lots of money.

Secondly, I went to Horse Life to get a saddle pad repaired and cleaned, they have a wicked fast, and cheap, cleaning and repair service. The store manager then educated me on a range of blankets, and I ended up buying one. He did make a semi-snarky comment about western riders, but he was pleasant and really easy to deal with. I was happy, and impressed with his product knowledge, honesty, attitude, opinions etc.

Then... 2 weeks later, I had to call them to see where my pad was - they had told me repairs were 10 days at the very most. Apparently the lady was a little behind due to a big order, and mine would take a couple more days. I wasn't bothered, but if I had needed the pad ASAP I would have been. However, when I went in to pick up my pad the staff was really nice and attentive, the repairs on my pad were excellent AND when I brought in tags showing I didn't think I had recieved my 20% off from last time, they were quick and no questions asked, refunded me the difference.

& then... there is the third customer service experience... which was not good at all. Atleast for this week, Lammles, you lose, big time. I shop at my local Lammles pretty regularly, especially for clothes. They definitely aren't the best with their immediate customer service, atleast at the location I shop at, they don't say "hi" and you have to go to them if you need help - but, that's okay, i'm a pro shopper, so I don't need to have my hand-held and don't mind being left alone.

However, one day, i really did need help and when I asked the lady working she seemed less than happy to oblige. I was looking for a cheap rain sheet for these hot days-cool nights we've been experiencing. They had tons of stuff on sale, and when I asked if they had my size in something on sale, she just stared at my blankly. Okay... I started to feel customer-guilt, I'm not some bargain-bin only shopper. So, I asked her for full-priced items, it then took quite a bit for me to finally get her to walk over to the blanket display (a big wall, requiring a ladder) and help me look. Then, that took her quite some time. Then when she finally found something, she threw it on the ground and kind of wandered off... No product knowledge, no assistance, no nothin'. Okay, one bad egg, I've worked, and been a manger, in retail - I get it.

I went over to the desk to see if I could order in a cinch I need. I had been in a couple weeks previous and was looking for the particular cinch and they were out of stock. I was later informed by a friend that works at another location that, they can order things in for me - that was definitely not offered that day... So, I went back, same day as blanket fiasco, and was handed over to a young boy who seemingly didn't understand what a "cinch" was. Okay... now i'm being snarky, but after 10 minutes he finally got me a Weaver catalogue, threw it on the counter and told me to find the cinch.

So... I proceeded to sit there, looking for this random cinch. Once I found it, I told him that I could take one of two, depending what they could order in, and what size I needed. I then had to prompt him to write my personal information and the cinch information down. This was all under the eye of the man I know to be the Store Manager...

Whatever. Atleast I got my cinch ordered, right?

No.

I called today and spoke with a girl who sneezed, coughed and sniffled into the phone without apology, who asked me "Well... like... did anyone write your information down?"... Yes. "Did they like, write, it, in a like book?" .... No? Maybe? I don't know? Well.... she then went to speak to the store manager and came back and said "Oh ya we got an email back awhile ago, your order would have to be a special order. So like no one called you? Wanna order it? It'll take anywhere from 5-8 weeks to get here."

No. I do not want to deal with you at all.

& so, in a last ditch effort for her to redeem herself, I dropped the customer service F-bomb, "No, that is fine, I will just order it online off of Irvines."

Her response, "K bye." click.

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So, Frontier - you win this week. Your personable, happy to help, well educated staff, never fail to impress. I am more than willing to take the 1.5 hour trek to your store because of how amazing you guys are, and if my gas light is low - your online store is the one I go too first.

Honestly, all I do is spend my time on the internet looking up tack stores, tack sets, funky tack, etc. etc. So perhaps I should just go and open my own tack store - 50% all my original blog readers ;)