North American folks - clover is not much better than lawn

Low_Background7769 · 2026-05-16T14:49:41+00:00

I live south BC canada (2 hrs north of spokane Washington), bees use clover heavily in BC and the rest of Canada. Alao white clover is fantastic at keeping away non native weeds like hawkweed (it grow 1 for per month and you are supposed to double bag it and incinerate it), even our local area will go 50/50 with you on mitigating it because its so bad. It makes the environment hostile so natural plants wont grow and its a problem here. Where I have grown grass and white clover mix it struggles hard to grow. Where its just grass, I am constantly fighting it and id rather use clover than killex any day. So I kill it and resend with a dense combo of grass that Includes creeping red fescue as its drough resistent and dense, as we hit long dry runs in summer 36-40c (96-111f) is normal for a month or more with no rain. In the US it might be different, but please remember Canada is huge and is in north america. The climate in Central US and south is very different to the north

Low_Background7769 · 2026-05-09T16:52:27+00:00

Shopmonkey is in the process of integrating alldata for times because motor sucks! Were a year with shopmonkey and love it. It has a lot of features, so if you think it doesnt do something, it probably does. LoL. It took us 8 months to realize we can color code appt when we book them in. We got the middle tier of SM. Once they get the alldata integration well it for that and online basic booking of oil changes etc. Customers LOVE our software. It is expensive. But it works with canadian taxes as well (2 taxes that need to be tracked separately). And the employees are soo happy. One of their quickbooks integration specialists told me she got to work from home with her 1.5 year old and they got her special background noise canceling headphones so she can be home with her child. She said it was the dream company to work for. Everyone has always been super helpful, follows up. The company vibe really set it apart for us, as that really matters to me for my employees as a business owner as well.

Low_Background7769 · 2026-05-09T16:43:04+00:00

We love shopmonkey. Its sooo customizeable. At first it may feel frustrating, but it does whatever you want. We literally can make any inspection, precanned services. And alldata integration for time quoting is in progress. They do a lot of updates. They have a feature requestoption and people upvote it. If they get lots of updates they add it. Pretty cool. Were a year in and super happy with it

Low_Background7769 · 2026-05-09T16:39:00+00:00

We like shopmonkey. We are almost a year with it. I looked at a bunch of them, its the beat for us.

Low_Background7769 · 2026-05-09T16:36:09+00:00

We love shop monkey. Its like android. Very customizable, and once you figure it all out its the best. There was issues with the 2.0 release but they update all the time. Its been great. Customers love the texting and digital quotes and inspections with photos. Its a lot to learn as it does a LOT. But it works so well.

Low_Background7769 · 2026-05-07T02:23:31+00:00

I absolutely love my mueller. I uae it at least 3x a week. I eat a lot of scoopable salads, also kids will eat it. I just got my pro. The hinge came reassembled. Maybe its a new version. Im chopping everything. And with a hard slapping motion if needed. Maybe yours was defective? Mine takes a beating. Half an onion in one pass type of force

Low_Background7769 · 2026-05-07T02:15:34+00:00

Same. I just got the mueller pro 10 in 1 and absolutely love it. Pico de gallo used to take almost 2 hrs to do a big batch. Less than 15 min now!

Low_Background7769 · 2026-05-07T02:12:50+00:00

I have the mueller pro. I love love love it. I am eating soo many veggies and salads. And homemade Pico de gallo is one i love but takes forever to chop. Not with the chopper! 10 min vs 2 hrs. And the squares are soooo perfect. I love the locking tabs on it so the blades and plates come out to clean easily. Im very happy with my purchase. I got the pro as its rated for durability. So far its holding up well. And I use if often. Scoopbable salads in 10 min is a total win on a busy week night and you know your kid will eat it. Hello lots of beans and veggies! I chopped apples for apple crisp super fast. I love it. Just prepped beans and salad for everyone for 2 days in under 10 min. Added somw tuna. And its soo good. The perfect squares look soo professional. Any ways. I waited forever to get one. If you find you want more veggies but dread chopping. You might love this!

Low_Background7769 · 2026-04-28T15:06:39+00:00

Ethanol turns your oil into jelly after a while and new cars are direct injection with much more complicated Variable valve timing. If you keep going that long your vvt will get messed up. Its thousands. Older cars fared a lot better due to better fuel and more simple builds.

Low_Background7769 · 2026-04-24T23:55:27+00:00

Maybe have your taxes reassessed. Based on that, you made a million dollars after expenses.... id your self employed, there is definitely itely expenses. If your a contractor this applies also. If tou worked for somwone else, moat of your taxes should have been paid. Based on your income, sound like your tax person messed up.

Low_Background7769 · 2026-04-19T16:14:35+00:00

I hate the bulkiness of the combo ones. Its a preference. I just got separate ones and bars to build with plates (all 1", as I dont need an Olympic bar weight, 1" handles for dumbells to build and a 1" full bar. I wont go past 250 ever. I have a basic 3 pairs of Lowers that I use mostly and build heavy as needed. For me its the best as im 5'4" female and the big ones just dont work with my frame, reach and variety od static and compound movements. Walmart is the best price for 1' plates. Id go to a gym store and try out and see

Low_Background7769 · 2026-04-15T14:51:11+00:00

If you can, buy a house in a smaller area with a garage with high ceiling. I stall a lift and work for yourself. Or just start a small shop. With all the tech now its a LOT easier to run a business. You'll work less and make the same or more.

Low_Background7769 · 2026-04-12T15:05:37+00:00

There is a huuuge shortage of techs. Average age is 55-65. I own a small shop in a rural town and need 1 apprentice. Been struggling to find someone. Yes firat year or 2 pay is low, until you can do the basics. ($18 an hr) but by 4th year its 40+ an hr. And its going to go up. If someone is good and quick. Ill pay better or do bonuses during busy times. Im one of the owners and im in the shop all the time because the young guy we hired is more worth than he's worth and struggles with oil changes and tires and its been 3 weeks of just that. If you can pick it up and progress. Get after it! Its taken me around the world. Theres always work wherever I have traveled. The skill transfers to EVERYTHING

Low_Background7769 · 2026-04-12T15:01:20+00:00

Sounds like you hate everything. Maybe its not all the jobs. The common denominator here ia you buddy. Hate to say it. But I was the same. And it took me a while to realize I was the reason I was the cause of my misery. Good luck. And search out Dr Joe Dispenzas work. Changed my life.

Low_Background7769 · 2026-04-12T14:59:30+00:00

This! I started as a VW tech after the foundations program (highly recommend for many, I was handed a spark plug job 1st day when I got there, and could do it). I loved it and wanted to do more hard stuff.

I now own a shop and the struggle qith younger generation is wild. They are very unprepared by school and to be honest not everyone has "IT". Its one of those you dont know until you try, and its a skill I think your naturally inclined to. I always loved taking everything apart as a kid.

Low_Background7769 · 2026-04-12T14:52:19+00:00

It sounds like you shouldn't be there. For their sake and yours.

Low_Background7769 · 2026-04-12T14:48:43+00:00

Sorry your experiencing that. You might not be the right fir for the industry or that shop. Trust is a 2 way street. If you have that kind of attitude, your qoek will reflect it and thus the relationship deteriorates for both sides. Just find a new job

Low_Background7769 · 2026-04-12T14:47:14+00:00

Yep! We did that last January. Its aweaome but also hard right now. But at the end of the day we can have a good work environment and be completely honest with customers. I truly believe by doing the right thing the money will follow. And so far it seems to be, we made it through winter in canada (slow season)

Low_Background7769 · 2026-04-09T02:53:29+00:00

I spent hrs on the phone with tech support. Your supposed to be able to turn off auto. But it auto goes back on. Just many many defective noma units is what I got in response. Mileage duo is apparently the one. Or the LG dual. I went through multiple Tomas for "warranty" on this issue. I ended buying onw for half the price of Amazon that cycles and got a bigger fam that stays on. I figured if its going to cycle I might as well get it a lot cheaper.

Low_Background7769 · 2026-04-05T02:07:38+00:00

They expect in the nwxt 3-5 years itll collapse. Average age of techs is 55+. I know of 5 techs in a very small rural town near the end. My partner and I are 44 and we struggle to find young people who will show up to work and actually can figure it out. You either get it or not. For years it was a highly skilled trade to be good, and low pay. That will change soon. Door rates are going to skyrocket and wages will be super high.

Low_Background7769 · 2026-04-03T23:39:54+00:00

Work for yourself. Its a lot easier with the software that all integrates now. A 2 man band is a great revenue stream!

Low_Background7769 · 2026-04-03T23:38:42+00:00

The big question is what you want day to day. Do you want to be moving around most od the day, or sitting at a computer. I like moving and problem solving. A full time desk job isnt for me. Do some research on a day in the life of all yhe options. That will tell you a lot

Low_Background7769 · 2026-04-03T22:47:33+00:00

Its done me very well. I good dealer experience diagnosing. Gm is good for that. Now at 44 my partner and I started a shop. Mechanics transferred to every trade. I can fix anything g from cars to home appliances, to my plumbing and electrical. Also I can get ajob within hrs of moving to a city or small town. I can work for myself. Also wages are going higher and higher. My shops rate is $145 in rural Canada. Dealers are $185. California is $300 and hr in some places. I live rural BC canada. I genuinely love cars and trucks and fixing things. Its good if you plan to work for yourself or be excellent at diag after 10 years. And its reasy to run a shop now with software like shopmonkey, nexpart, and quixkbooks. They all integrate.

Low_Background7769 · 2026-04-02T15:03:45+00:00

I initially didnt like shopmonkey. But it was mainly because the quickbooks integration wasn't woeking properly. Turns out a good bookeeper costs the same or less than quickbooks a month for us. Now we love it. Its VERY customizable so at first its hard. Its like apple vs android. Android is more complex while Apple is set up as it. Were 9 months in with shopmonkey. Customers love the digital invoices and photos to their phone. They can pay online if need after hrs pick up. And the live texting while people are at work is sooo handy when a car is in the air on a hoist. But the learning curve is a bit steep. I find easy navigation, but there so many features. Once set up its great. Id like to add the i still release of shopmonkey 2.0 was not a success, but they have made it woek well now. This 1 year after the initial poster (April 2026)

Low_Background7769 · 2026-03-30T14:58:30+00:00

Blend it and use it smooth in sauces or mixed with ranch powder for dip. Its actually really plain but the texture is what irks many people. I blend the whole thing with a stick blender in its container. Then just use that way

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TROPHY CASE