Asking For A Friend...

 

Well, by 7:45 a.m. Princess T was calling me balling her Eyes out coz they were not only sending her Home Sick again, but told her to take Two more Days off using her all her Saved Vacation.  Which, she'd been Saving for her Birthday in September, which would be like proper Vacation and not using it for Sickness.  They said in September maybe she can take her Birthday off without Pay.  She had her Urgent Care Letter saying she could return to Work and wasn't contagious, had Medications for what was Wrong, but they insisted she stay Home for another Two Days at least. 

 She said the Boss was snarky with her about it, which made her feel bad, so she's not sure she won't get Fired now?  So of coarse she broke down, feels physically and emotionally now lousy anyway, but was willing to Soldier it out, but, they won't let her.  I calmed her down and said she wasn't looking for a Job when she found this one.  So, there's other Jobs out there in the event they Terminate her for legitimate absences due to Illness.  What else ya gonna do?  Circle the Wagons and Carry On in this fucked up Economy and harsh World.

I bought her a Meal from SONIC with her favorite Blue Hawaiian Slushie from there.  I also took her Grandpa to the Estrella Mountain Park to eat our Breakfast, which I ended up getting off the Value Menu at "Del Taco".  Not many Cans at the Park it has been Deserted every time we're there and has been for Weeks, very unusual, but there is a Fire Ban so nobody can even BBQ at the Ramadas.  The Entry Booth Gal asked if we'd be Hiking, I joked, why, you gonna send the Search and Rescue Team out in Advance?  *Winks*  She Laughed and I said No, our Hiking Days are well behind us and we never did Hike in the height of Summer... that's something Non-Residents of Arizona foolishly do with One bottle of Dasani.  *Smiles, she Laughed again*

I dropped The Man off at Home and went to do Essentials Grocery Shopping.  A whole Fire Dept. Crew of Gorgeous Tattooed Stud Muffins were in there, stopped me and asked if I was behaving and keeping hydrated?  *LOL*  I assured them, Yes, my Darlings, I was.  And they said Good, coz they'd rather come to hang out than to provide ER Assistance, I Joked back to the biggest and most Handsome one, ohhhh, so you do House Calls like that too, Lovely... *He Winked and Laughed*  They think you're a Harmless Old Lady, but we could hurt a Young Man like that.  *Smiles*  We not only know where it's at, we know where it used to be!  *Winks and Grins Naughtily*

  Plus, I could envision him in just a Thong, cleaning my House.  And if I do have an Emergency, I want THAT Crew of Studly Handsome Young Men, they all looked like Chippendale's Strippers... ummm, I mean Dancers.   Or, as Mistress Maddie would dub them, The House Boys... *Bwahahaha*  Princess T giggled when I told her that Story of my visit to "Fry's" and running into the Crew harmlessly flirting with me in the Fruits & Vegetables.  *LOL, she knows how Bad and Shameless I am... ha ha ha*   My Dear Mom was like that in her Old Age, she could get away with anything with any Handsome Young Stud Muffin flirting with them and got so many things Comped coz they thought she was Adorable and Loved her Accent. 

  She'd tell them, "Ohhh, if I was only Sixty Years Younger my Love...", ask them to flex their Muscles for her, and they would, even the Gay ones!!!  Mebbe especially the Gay ones, coz Mom got along very well with her Gay Boy Posse too, just like her Grand-Daughter {The Daughter}, and her Great-Granddaughter, Princess T.   *LOL*   Mom would have The Daughter's Gay Male Friends coming over to visit her, they'd Cook for her, Clean for her, do her Hair and Nails, they Adored her, she was everyone's Beloved Nanna.  She thought it Shameful that a great many of those Young Men had been tossed out and turned away by their own Families, when they were very Young Teens, just for being Gay.  But Proud of them for being Brave enuf to Live their Authentic Life.

Anyway, I digress... the Park was Lovely, but the Humidity was high Today and it was already 102 by 10:00 a.m. so we called it enuf Todaying for Today when it was still quite Early.  Ate our Breakfast there at a Ramada in the Area they named "Navy North".  The Nature Preserve had more Cans to pick up by the River.  An Older White Haired Lady was there trying to round up a Stray Dog she'd been seeing there for Weeks.  She runs a Dog Rescue and said he's been a hard one to get trusting enuf to get into her Vehicle.  She feeds him regularly to get him used to her and stay healthy.  Plenty of Water there, but no Food for a Domestic Pet really.  A lot of abandoned Pets are dumped off there and Lost Dogs go there when they smell the Water Source.

 I was Hopeful she'd succeed this time to coax him into her Car.  He'd come to her but not get in... so I don't know if Today was finally successful or not?  He had a Blue Collar so she was Hoping he might have a Microchip too?   He won't last long in the Heat or with the larger Apex Predatory Animals of the Desert like Coyote and Mountain Lion which do inhabit the area.  Even a large enuf Bobcat or a Feral Hog could be a threat to a weakened Domestic Canine.  He looked like a German Shepherd Mix and was incredibly lean, if she's seen him out there for Weeks he likely doesn't come from any of the Residences nearby the Preserve in the Mini Farms Community by the River.  You do sometimes see some of their Roosters that get out and go to the River tho'.  *LOL*

I've seen a lot of Dead Roosters and Chickens along the River.   So whether they were discarded Corpses left by the Santeria as Offerings, or Fowl that got out and got killed by Predators or were Road Kill getting hit by Vehicles, I can't say for sure?  The Natural Predators will eat the remains tho'.  You never see them but the one time and then everything will be gone next time but some Feathers.  There were Three Dead Chickens last time I was there a few Days ago, just Feathers Today.  But it looked like the County had been out there doing some major Trash pickup too and that was good.  So it was cleaner than usual and they'd left some large Black Trash Bags Roadside by where people Fish and do Recreational Stuff, so they could leave Trash in the Bags rather than throwing it around.

I thought about jumping in the Pool Today coz it's so muggy and Hot, but, I took a Nap, picked The Son up from Work, and just decided to stay in AC Blogging instead.  I don't have the energy now I got a Male Adult Child at Home to get into a Bathing Suit and then out of a Bathing Suit.  *LOL*  When it's just the Gals and The Man Home I Skinny Dip and that's so much easier and I only have to remember not to do it on a Monday when our Pool is Maintained by Brad or one of his Pool Boys.  *Winks*  Don't wanna run another one of the Help off like last time I lost track of what Day it was.  *Snicker*  

 I don't think Brad would care, I don't think Brad is as Young as I thought he was, he's starting a Beard now and it's got a lot of Grey in it.  But he might think I did it deliberate and I wouldn't do that to any Young Man, who can't then Unsee what they Saw.  *Bwahahaha*  Brad is a Hot Pool Guy Owner and holding his Age well, he should probably Shave the Grey stubble off.   Brad pictured Below, he is a Cutie, Married, has Three Young Children and is a Nice Young Man, we like doing Business with him:

I didn't know he'd been a Paramedic before he owned his own Pool Business until he told me when we discussed the shitty Economy recently.   Coz of coarse being a Paramedic is Noble Work, The Man did it too when he was Younger, but doesn't pay worth a shit like it should.  Most Paramedics I have known must have a 2nd Job too to make the Ends Meet!   And of coarse you have to see and Process a lot of heinous shit you roll up on in that Line of Work, Cleaning Pools, no matter what you see, would be infinitely easier to Mentally Process.  In fact, The Man went back into the Military as a Field Medic in the Army, becoz being a Civilian Paramedic for a time, after he came back from Vietnam and was Medically Discharged from the Marine Corps. due to War Injuries, was Emotionally Wrecking him.  He said he decided he'd Hurt someone when he snapped on a Call that a Woman's Boyfriend had Killed her Baby and faked what happened to it. 

The Man said the Baby was Dead, but they aren't allowed to Call It, only a Doctor can.  The Baby's Mom was Freaking Out, his Partner was faking CPR on a Dead Baby that clearly had been Killed and Abused by the Male on Scene. And the Boyfriend was giving a Bullshit account of what happened to the Child.  The Man said next thing he knew he had that Fool up by his Throat and only the Officers arriving on Scene stopped him from snapping the Guy's Neck.  He'd killed many an Enemy in Wartime as a Sniper in Special Forces, sometimes in Hand to Hand Combat, he was very efficient at it and had a high Body Count.  So killing a Baby Killer Civilian would have been easy for him, but Illegal, so he realized he didn't have enuf Restraint not to do it if someone didn't Stop him.  So, he quit and went back in the Military where you can Kill the Bad Guys and are encouraged to.  *Winks*  

But, I digress, another Pix of Handsome Brad at Work from his Stock Photos and one he shared on his Biz Page of he and his Beautiful Wife, they are a Gorgeous Young Couple.  They are what I'd call The Beautiful People and they've made Beautiful Babies, all Three Kids are Adorbs.    Brad agreed that it took too much of an Emotional Toll to continue with that Line of Work too, plus, he has a Lovely Family to Support.   A Hawt Paramedic is what you want Responding to an Emergency tho', No?  *Winks*  I joked with Brad about that, he knows I'm Wicked Naughty and tell him to send the Cute Pool Boys if he doesn't wanna do it himself as my Hawt Pool Guy Owner, I PROMISE not to Swim Naked again and run them off.  *Winks and we both Laugh, he knows I'm an Old Hippie with Zero Inhibitions and no Shame in my Game*   His Company is a smaller Family Owned one and not a National Chain Service, but they do good Work and I prefer to Support Small Businesses.   So, a Link to his Biz Page PRACTICAL POOLS.  

See, you probably will end up on my Blog if I know you or do Business with you, I'm Free Advertising, you're Welcome.  *Winks and Smiles*  Anyone worthy of Praise ends up Praised and Promoted on here and anyone worthy of being put on Blast, well, you know what will then happen as well to ya.  *LMAO*  Cross me and I can become a Nightmare... Pray for me... The Lord ain't done with me yet clearly and I'm still a Work in Progress and sometimes blow my whole Christian Witness when Dark Dawn is sent out to Play, like the Devil and Queen of Darkness that side of me can be.  *Bwahahahaha*   I think we all have our Dark Side, I just acknowledge mine and try not to allow Dominance of that visceral Side of me that is damned near Feral in Nature and pretty vicious and unrestrained when unleashed.  Dawn of the Light is my Better and more Angelic side that I prefer to Be most of the time.  *Winks*  If I end up in Hell rather than Heaven, it might be coz Dark Dawn sent me there.  *Winks*

My Kiddos and The Man all know that if I'm Calling upon Jesus Calmly when I'm really Mad and going Dead Calm with No Emotion evident, everyone better Hope to God that Jesus responds and stops me from what I'm about to do to someone.  *Winks*  Mostly He has, a few times he didn't show up quite in time for some Fool.   I have to then Believe PERHAPS that Person had it coming to them, and so no restraint, no Mercy or Grace was extended to them and I was the Instrument to mete out what they then got and deserved?   That's my logic, you can agree to disagree, I don't particularly Care.  *Bwahahahaha*  The Man too, will sometimes remind me, "Honey, that's not very Christian of you...", if he can see I'm about to Lose my Witness and Lose my Shit and go Postal or totally Mental on some Fool who has provoked or antagonized enuf to meet Dark Dawn and thus Invited her out to Play.  *Smiles* 

 He is a much Better Man... and I am sometimes a very Unstable Woman who can tip into Instability... so I'm glad he's the Yang to my Yin, coz I can be Dark and Cold.  Or... Wonderful... you choose really by how YOU choose to Play me, Hard or Soft?  *Winks*   The Kiddos will sometimes also remind me, "Gramma... BE Nice!"  *Bwahahahaha*   WHAT?!  I'm NOT Being Nice???   "No, No, you're NOT...", and that reminds me that I'm tipping and someone is Triggering me to be NOT NICE to them, and I Need to Dial it Back quick.  Even if that Fool is not realizing they're stirring up some dangerous Waters and stepping into mine, straying out of their Lane and it's gonna get too Deep and in over their Head real damned fast.  I don't suffer Fools, I know I should becoz a Fool is just a Fool and who knows why they are?  But, I Honestly Feel that Natural Selection just tends to take them out, becoz they're Fools, that's all.  Is that Wrong?  Or just Nature at Work?  Asking for a Friend.  *Ha Ha ha*  The Family say if I ever tip over into Dementia, I'm gonna be a real Handful... they could be Right?  *Smiles*

*******

Are you a Friend?  Just asking... Smiles... Dawn... The Bohemian

Finally, Some Good News To Share!!!

 Sit Down, get Comfortable, Strap In, coz I'm going Long and we'll make this a Two-Fer Post kinda day.  *LOL and Winks*  We just got a Bill from who Provided The Man's long series of Tests for our reasonable Co-Pay of $17 on a $30,000+ Bill.  We had been told that with our Insurances there would be no Co-Pays, but, for $17 I'm not going to War about it.  If I get too many Bills for Co-Pays we shouldn't be getting tho' I will challenge it.  But having to Appeal paying on such a small Bill is hardly worth the Stress, Energy and Time I'd have to spend fighting it and losing my Peace, you know?  Every Dollar Counts on a Fixed Income already stretched thin, but I know how much the Providers are already eating and getting stiffed by the Insurances that they didn't Pay and "adjusted" down.  So, I don't wanna Protest too loudly to those Companies providing Services who are getting Screwed more by the Insurance Companies than even those of us Insured are, you know?

When I see the amount Billed, the amounts only Paid, it is shocking really how much Insurance Companies won't and don't pay for of the Bill and those Companies mostly end up having to Write Off!   After The Man had his Catastrophic Accident way back many Years ago, and 10 Months worth of Hospitalizations and Care for it, his outstanding Bill was $997,000 and Insurance only paid for $57,000!!!   That amount was distributed among several Providers, St. Joseph's Hospital Level One Trauma Center, Barrow's Neurological Center Rehab, and the Nursing Home he was sent to for further Rehabilitation.  He was sent Home to me in terrible condition becoz he was becoming too expensive and nobody was getting properly Paid for their Services!   He had Three Insurances... Imagine if he'd been Underinsured or Uninsured!!!

Then, when he got his Accident Settlement, which wasn't very large considering the extent of his Injuries, but we'd had to file against our own Insurance Company coz the Driver causing the Accident was in an Uninsured Vehicle which was also a Borrowed Vehicle, Unlicensed, and an Illegal Alien who just got deported to Mexico for almost killing someone with reckless driving... we had to repay TriCare HALF of his Settlement, to reimburse them for what they had expended!  Even tho' he'd still require Lifetime Care for his Injuries and need a lot more expensive Medical Treatment for Years and the rest of his Life!!!  Our Attorney's advised us to just let them pay it out of the Proceeds, becoz fighting the Government is just too expensive and we'd spend more trying to Win than we would just paying out.  

That's how the Government works when they end up taking you to Court... they have bottomless deep Pockets and Resources and you don't.  So, even if you Win, you Lose.  So, I'm very Jaded about our Healthcare System and the Insurance Companies, it's all rather looking like a Racket.   But it's not like Patients have any Choice when they're Sick or Injured or Disabled.  Anyway, it's an affordable Co-Pay so I was just Surprised to get one since we'd be told we wouldn't have any Co-Pays by the Provider of the Service, and now, we do for some reason?  Don't know if it's an Administrative Error or not?  I don't like Surprises tho', however modest they may be, they add up if they're financial ones.  You end up Nickle and Dimed to Death.  I choose my Battles wisely, yet, if you're not supposed to have to pay for something, my instinct is to fight it then when they Bill me for it.  *LOL*  I'm fighting on too many fronts right now for bigger matters, so the small stuff I have to swallow hard and just let it slide by not going to War about it.  *Winks*  

Other that that, everything is Swell.  *Bwahahahaha*  I've been getting easily annoyed lately, I think it's just a feeling of being overwhelmed and the reaction is annoyance if just one more little thing happens, however trifling or trivial.  As I'm Aging, I'm finding my annoyance factor increasing.  When I Googled it, which, of coarse I would *Winks* it says: As we Age, a reduced tolerance for annoyance is incredibly common, but it rarely happens 'just because'.  It's frequently tied to underlying physical and neurological shifts, such as fluctuating Hormones, chronic Pain, or even conditions like Geriatric Depression.  Which, disguises itself as irritability rather than sadness.  Sensory Overload and Sleep, due to reduced tolerance for Chaotic Environments, bright Lights and loud Noises decreases.  Disrupted Sleep can dramatically limit your ability to Emotionally Regulate during the day. Well, there ya go, Explained.  I Love Dr. Google!  *Bwahahaha*  

Psychological and Emotional Factors play a part and of coarse I know what all those are that remain unresolved when things aren't going to improve and are a constant you must Deal with, as best you can.  I try not to have resentment, but it creeps in there sometimes.  So it manifests in low grade anger and impatience manifested when I'm feeling somewhat resentful of the Daily Grind, such that it is and will always be, day after day without a break.  I always envisioned Retirement being different than what Hand has been Dealt.   I thought in Retirement I'd get to Travel and do the things that a couple of demanding Careers and Raising Two Generations of Kiddos made impossible until I Retired and everyone was Grown.  Even Caregiving for so long, I felt perhaps The Man would be in good enuf Shape to take the Show on the Road once we got Kids Raised and still go places and do things.  I know, it wasn't a realistic expectation, but it's the one I HAD and no longer have, past tense now Reality is painfully evident.

I know many people who are doing things in Retirement and I do enjoy hearing their Stories and what they Share of it Visually on Social Media, I go along Vicariously now.  That has to do coz it for sure ain't happening for Reals and I know this.  You make a Peace about it, yet, once the Hope of ever doing it is gone, it's something you have regrets about not being able to accomplish and do.   It used to be a high Priority to have Quality of Life, I strived for it, attained a lot of it, so just Existing and being in Survival Mode constantly, alters your Mood about a lot of things.  You don't wanna just Exist, you wanna LIVE Life fully, or at least I do and still try to, with limitations restraining me, but not preventing me from at least attempting to still Live my Best Life Daily, within Reason and Reality now.  The Dreamscape can exist, it's just Fantasy now tho', it won't happen and so the Hope of it happening is fading fast.  I used to think it would happen... for a long time.  I Wish I still could.

I do think about, IF I had the Freedom to do whatever I wanted to do, what would I be doing and prioritizing?  It's good to ponder such things from time to time, since Priorities do shift almost constantly as Time passes.  And I spend less time doing what wouldn't even be on that list, which is why perhaps a lot of the Editing and Purging has stalled coz, does it really matter now, is that the Best use of my Time at this Season and juncture?   Will it ever actually be finished even if I devoted tons more Time and Energy to it?   Often the answer is a simple No, I'd rather be doing something else more Enjoyable, and, so, I do, when I can.  If something is so grandiose a Vision to get Done, and will probably Realistically take Years to do, do I even have that Time?  No.  So, I'm kinda just setting some of it aside now, not all of it, but I may not eat that whole fucking Elephant in the Room, no matter how Hungry I get to remove all of it from my Space now. 

I do start some Edit & Purge Projects real early, but by 9:00 a.m. it's already way too Hot to be out there or in non-climate controlled Space trying to do any of it.  And last Year, due to Climate Change, it never cooled off until Winter Months, Fall was still too Hot!!!  So that was a whole Seasonal Quarter we used to get things done in that remained too Hot to do much at all or utilize Spaces that don't have AC.   I don't think that is going to improve based on evident new Weather Patterns that may just be our New Constant Seasonal Shift?  What I end up doing is tiny little increments of things that don't make a lot of Progress that is evident or even satisfying or giving any feeling of accomplishment.  That's disheartening coz during COVID and the Lockdown, we did get so much accomplished here even thru that turbulent period of unsettling times we weren't sure wouldn't be like that Forever?  I'm glad they weren't but now there's New Devils Plaguing us.

Hey, I Finally got Good News to Share and is Positive.  I just stepped on one of those missing Rhinestones, the bigger ones that had been Missing, from that Birthday Pressy to Self!  Yeah, we already replaced the missing ones now, but, apparently this had fallen on the Floor when unpacking the Bag and so both missing ones had been Mailed, fallen out of the Vintage Brooch part... one found in the Box, now this one found on the Floor!  We'd Swiffer Swept the Floor before now too, so a Miracle it was still there and got missed, whew.  I had to go pick Princess T up from Work, she was Crying and they were sending her Home Sick, but she has no Sick Time and didn't know what was Wrong?  She was light headed, dizzy, severe Headache and Nausea, felt like she was going to pass out, so had to immediately sit down rather than Stand.  I took her to Urgent Care, they ran some Tests and feel like it's severe Allergies so gave her Prescription strength Meds.

I know The Man has been Wheezing a lot and find it hard to Breathe.  They're doing so much Construction around here there's always dust and particulates in the Air, plus stuff is Blooming, so no telling what's stirred up causing Respiratory sufferers to get really Sick?  I felt relieved it wasn't something more serious coz she does have frailty in her Health and is a tiny little Sprite.  I thought mebbe she got dehydrated again working in the Heat of the Receiving Room in the back where she's stationed at Work?  That happened last Summer and it's not unusual in Arizona for Heat Related Work Incidents if it's not kept Cook enuf.  Anyway, she felt somewhat better after they Administered the Meds and we got something to eat on the way Home from "Wildflower Bread Co.", Soup and a Sammie.  The Italian Wedding Soup was good but I wasn't so fond of the Buffalo Chicken Sammie on Ciabatta, first time having it.  They put some kind of Horseradish on it which I HATE Horseradish so it ruined the Sammie for me and overpowered my palate.

I wouldn't order that again.  She fell fast asleep the moment I got her back Home.  Her Rx at the Pharmacy won't be ready until after 2:00 p.m. and it's not even 1:00 p.m. yet.  I fed The Man some Orange Chicken when I got Home, he was here by himself but I wasn't dragging him along to the Urgent Care.  It's 113 already and I didn't even wanna be out in it, let along him shuffling along and loading his Walker in and out of the back bed of the Truck and waiting on him to walk at the speed of Death.  She was already Crying and Miserable, that was enuf to handle at the moment.  She calmed down once she knew it was nothing Serious, it had scared her to have the sensations she was having and not know why, so she had a Panic Attack.  Plus she was upset about Work coz they make Employees feel bad and like they might get Fired for being legitimately Sick.  She did get a Note from Urgent Care to return to Work.  She had a Young Cute Doctor who said he Hates when Employers threaten Employees who are Sick with possible Termination.

She had taken a Pix of me and a Selfie of herself at the Restaurant, mine was dreadful, I'd stabbed myself on the Chin with the sharp long Toothpick holding my Sammie together and it was Bleeding.  She thought it was funny coz she didn't know it was Blood and thought it was Beet Juice or something from the Sammie, she felt terrible when she realized I was Bleeding!  I didn't even know I was until she showed me the Pix and I tried to wipe what we thought was some kind of Red Juice off my Chin!  And, it was Blood and kept Bleeding rather profusely!!!  We then had inappropriate Humor about calling out, "Medic!" and suing for getting injured by a Dangerous Instrument in my Sammich.  *LMAO*  Anyway, it was good to get her to Laughing since she'd been quite hysterically Crying beforehand, which always makes us Grammas tense and anxious to have a Grandchild Crying in distress or pain.

Okay, and now for some other Great News...  FINALLY a Call Back from the Doc's Office after pestering them incessantly since July 1st, which I'd been waiting on those Test Results.  The MRI showed no "Mass", so it came back Clean, no Worries, perhaps was an Intestinal Blockage that cleared on it's own?  I know when I knew they said the anomaly was near Ovaries or Intestines, I started eating Holistic things to clear out whatever may be backed up, in case it was something like that.  I'm big on Holistic Remedies and rely on them a lot coz they're the least invasive of Treatments and have no addictive qualities to them.  I'm very Relieved and know my Family will be too.  The Office said no other Follow-Up Needed.  *Whew*  Well, that was the Best Possible News and Outcome, Right?  I had been Hoping that No News meant Good News, but would have liked to have had that information a Week ago to alleviate the distress and alarm my Family was having about this.  I was staying Calm and Collected, but it was on the back of my Mind that it could be something Serious too... or not.  I'd doused myself with Holy Water Daily while waiting on those delayed results.  *Smiles*  And now, it's just Gone... whew!!!  They couldn't tell me what it was or where it went, but I don't Care... it's GONE now.   

I'm glad they were thorough and did the CT Scan, the Ultrasound and the MRI... whatever it was is evident in the first Two Tests but by the 3rd one was completely gone, not a trace of whatever it was.   So now I can carry on without that hanging over our Heads and being Worrisome or trying to fit one more Medical thing into the Mix.  *Whew*  Princess T is still Asleep, she really was wiped out by not Feeling Well.  So, I'm glad they sent her Home and the Urgent Care gave her something stronger for the Pain and for the Symptoms to alleviate Nausea and severe Congestion lest it turn into an Infection.  I got her Rx just now and Eli the Cat hasn't left her Side since she got back and went to Bed, he's Devoted to that Girl!!!  And he can tell when she doesn't Feel Well, he won't leave her Side when she's Unwell.  I do Hope when she returns to Work Tomorrow with the Doctor Letter that they don't give her a Bad Time or Write her Up or Threaten Termination again, it Stresses her out and she doesn't need that.  She's a damned hard Worker and cannot help having chronic conditions they were told of and aware of before even Hiring her.

 

Of coarse we all know that Employers don't give Two Shits about their Employees anymore and that's primarily why nobody gives a Shit about their Job or their Employer either.   My Paternal Cousin has lived in and worked for a Company in Japan all his Adult Life.  When he tells us of what Japanese Employers Offer as Usual and Regular Employee Benefits, if American Companies did that they'd have Loyal Workers from Cradle to Grave!!!  He gets a Paid Vacation anywhere in the World every Year that his Company provides for him, all expenses Paid.  Before Work every Morning they do an Exercise Class that also is for Emotional Well Being as well as Physical Benefits to the Workers.  They also have Universal Healthcare... the Government usually pays 70% or more, depending on Age and Income.   Anyone living there 3 Months or more gets Enrolled.  My Cousin has enjoyed excellent Health and Well Being and attributes it to the whole Environment and Work Experience there, he only comes back to America for Vacays and Visits, he'd never live here again.

Irrigation is coming 7:00 a.m. on Monday Morning and The Son will already be in Work so The Daughter and I will have to do it again, ugh.  At least at that Hour it will be Light and not in the Middle of the Night at some ungodly Hour like the last Two rotations we were assigned.  *Whew*  So, we can see what we're doing and the Water shouldn't be as Cold.   The Son also cleaned up the Irrigation Ditch and raked everything up in the Yard that was debris after he did the Yardwork this time.  The high temps have really parched the Grass even with Irrigation coming regularly for the Summer.  This time I won't oversleep either, like I did last time, which left The Daughter to do most of it alone coz she didn't have the Heart to wake me, so things weren't done very well and I had to let the Pump run past our rotation coz we hadn't taken on near enuf Water and would have potentially flooded Neighbors then downstream who got theirs later.  You have to take on all the Water you're assigned or you could flood other Properties with the excess they'll then get.  Plus, your Property needs that Water, especially your Trees.  

My Family are all settled down and relieved now to know I'm Okay, it was really Stressing them out and I couldn't alleviate that until I knew more after received Bad News about 2/3 of the Tests I'd had previously.  I'm glad it didn't take some Biopsy or Exploratory Surgery that would have sidelined me and been invasive with recovery time.  It's all the greatest Outcome I could have Hoped for and I'm so Grateful to have Good News for a change and not more Bad News or sketchy information that was vague and troubling.   And I'm so glad they can have relief from worrying about me, I didn't like that, makes my job as a Caregiver harder if they think I'm Unwell and things will fall apart.  Everyone becomes despondent and scared, emotional and more unstable becoz the sense of Security and Well Being is now compromised.  Nobody knows what will happen once I'm gone, I don't even know... so that Unknown is some scary stuff coz there's no Replacement or Volunteer to step up or step in and we all know it. 

Rusty's Sisters one very Young Female Cat, whose not even a Year Old, got out one day and got pregnant.  The Two Cats his Dad got for his Younger Sisters are both Females and both Inside Only Cats and under a Year Old.  The Sisters don't live in the Home full time coz the Parents have Shared Custody and they mostly live with Mom, so Rusty got stuck Caring for their Kittens. Princess T has helped him.  Well, one day as his Dad went to Work one slipped out as he exited, she came back, but had gotten knocked up.  So, she just had her Kittens, Five of them, the first Two born Alive, the Three were Stillborn she had after that.  Rusty will have to bury them and the Two are very small coz the Mama Cat is so Young and inexperienced.  She seems to be doing okay at Mothering them, but they look like Runts and Princess T is worried about their frailty and the Mama Cat's inexperience.  She found a Home already for one Kitten once it's weaned and old enuf to be Adopted by a Co-Worker.  Another Co-Worker wants the other one but is only 19 and lives at Home so has to get her Parent's permission.

Princess T said the ironic thing is that the Two Cats, the one that got out is the more mellow and obedient one, the feisty one never did get out.  The feisty one doesn't like her Sister Cat's new Kittens tho', so they have to keep her away from them coz she hisses at them and now isn't as close to her Sister as she was before that one became a Mama Cat.  Before the Sisters were very close, they had come from the same Litter.  Princess T showed me the Pix of the Kittens, both Black like Mama Cat... no idea who Baby Daddy Cat is, there's Three Possibilities of Cats in the area and of coarse Cats can have Kittens in one Litter by different Males Fathering them.   I asked her what the Three Outside Cats around there look like, one is Calico so we can dismiss that one Fathering them, Calicos are Female... but the White One and the Orange One are likely candidates, 50-50 on the White One being Male, and 80-20 that the Orange One is Male.   Also, Tortoise Color Coat Cats are almost always Female too and a rarer color.  Most of our Female Cats have been Calico, Tortoise, or Tonkinese Cats.

Our Tonkinese Cat, Jasmine, came to us as an Older Stray, Tonkinese are quite Rare, so we figure she must have belonged to someone, coz they can cost $600-$1,000.  She was missing Teeth and our Vet had said she was already a Senior Aged Cat when we got her, but she lived quite long after that, only dying after getting injured being hit by a Car.   She never wanted to be an Inside Only Cat with having come to us as a Stray and Older, it was hard to break her Life's Habits as a very Mature Senior Feline.  She was great with Kids and would Walk the G-Kid Force to the Bus Stop at the end of our Street at the Historic Home and then come back Home after they got on the Bus.   As she got Older she got slower, of coarse, and got hit while crossing the Street to get back on our side from the Bus Stop one day.  It was a slow Speed Limit but some folks drove fast down the very short Street, which wasn't heavily trafficked tho'.  I didn't even know what a Tonkinese Breed of Cat even was before we got Jasmine, she was a Beauty and already Spayed when we got her... evidence she had been Owned by someone.

We also ended up with a Stray Siamese Male Cat who was so Handsome, named Yul, he too was a great Cat with Kids, especially Princess T.  Yul was one of the few Fur Babies I had to have put to Sleep becoz he developed Feline Leukemia and would have spread it to our other Cats becoz it's highly contagious.  And, he never was an Inside Cat and didn't want to be Inside ever, nor was he litterbox trained.  All our Cats were typically Working Cats on our Acreage and lived Outside full time, except for Rat Boy who lived her whole Life Indoors and had never been Outside in her whole Life.   Eli is our only other Inside Only Cat becoz he too has never been Outside and doesn't want to be.  He's such a fraidy Cat he doesn't even like to be outside of Princess T's Bedroom!   He'll timidly venture out and then rush right back in, nervous the whole time he's out of their Room, which is his Sanctuary and his whole World and he's Okay with that apparently.   We have tried to make him feel comfortable and at ease outside of that Room, he's not having it and is a Happy Feline Recluse.  *Ha ha ha*

I do think Princess T is Sleeping the whole Day away, she really was feeling Sickly and Exhausted, Clearly!   It's almost 7:00 p.m. and she's been Asleep since this Morning after coming back from Urgent Care, before 9:00 a.m.!!!     I haven't Woke her coz clearly she needs this Down Time to recuperate and Feel Well enuf to return to Work with her Note from the Urgent Care showing it was legitimate.  Her Employer sent her Home, but I know they'll penalize her anyway, they've been Firing good people for much less, it makes no sense from a Corporate Standpoint to lose your best Workers over trifles.   Attendance is important, but when folks are legitimately Sick you shouldn't want that liability of making them feel obligated or afraid for their Jobs and come in Sick.  Had she passed out and fallen, gotten hurt, or been contagious, they risk making an Employee feel like they have to stay anyway for Fear of Termination.   She's been there Two Years now, is one of their Best Workers and they know doesn't abuse any of the Rules in place.  She's a very Rules Oriented Person, she used to make up MORE Rules for herself as a Child!!!  Not kidding!!!  *LOL* 

It's 8:00 p.m. now and I'm trying to stay up, I didn't get my Nap Today so I'm struggling to.  *LOL*  I have become like a Child with my Need for Naps and an earlier Bedtime now.  Oh, and as you can see in my Quest to Buy some Vintage Toys and reclaim some Childhood.  *Winks*  For some strange reason Vintage Toys are appealing to my Collector Gene right now.   I did get my Turquoise Grumblies Tremors Toy I bought off a Seller on E-Bay, that rounded out my Collection of them.  He was so quick Mailing it to me and it is in great condition and was very reasonably priced.   They just make me Smile with their goofy expressions, what they say and how they look like Colorful Cousin It's or Gonks.  In a previous Post I had profiled Pixs of them, now I have Four of the Line, I won't get the remaining few I don't have coz I don't particularly care for their expressions, like the Purple one Below.  I have the other Three and one not Pictured in that cribbed Advertisement.

I guess I'm just in my 2nd Childhood full on now?  *Bwahahaha*  And I don't Care, I'm enjoying my Toy Collectibles as much as any of the other shit ... ummmm, I mean, Precious Objects I've Collected and had Obsessions about.  And one day my Heirs will have to dispose of and wonder what the Hell did Gramma/Mom have this for?!  *Winks*  Actually Princess T won't say that coz she Collects her version of Toys she's infatuated with so she Gets It... and we have Fun showing each other what we just got and added to a Collection.  She's bought me some of mine, I've bought her some of hers.  Rusty really encourages it coz he's bought many of hers.  *Smiles*  And, apparently, for a Guy in his Mid-20's he's also got a Passion for certain Toy Collectibles like some of the more intricate LEGOs Kits and Model Cars.   So she's bought a lot of his for him too.  Sometimes it can be quite an Investment you can Profit from.    

When I do Sell off some of my Vintage Troll Collection, I get a huge Margin Profit from them.  I have some very Early and Rare ones, and some of the more Popular ones from various Eras.  I've Loved the Trolls Line since I was a Child.  They don't do anything and you never actually Played with them, but the Appeal has lasted thru many Generations of Kiddos and they're as Popular now as they ever were.   I still have a Collection of Liddle Kiddles and their Clubhouses.  Loved those when they came out and they're hard to Source now, but every so often I got Lucky and found some, even at Chazzas!!!   But, especially on E-Bay where you can find virtually anything.  Literally ANYTHING... I bought a Johnny West 1974 Princess Wildflower that was missing her Right Hand.  Got a Deal on her coz the Hand was Missing.  Went on E-Bay, typed in Right Hand for Princess Wildflower on their Auction Search Engine, they had one For Sale for under Five Bucks with Free Shipping!  Drops the Mic!  What are the Odds of something THAT Specific, I tell you!!!!!!!!!!!??? 

My Brother had the entire Johnny West Line and we played with it even tho' at the time I was Older.   But he always wanted me to Play with him and since he was Younger and we were so close, we had fun doing it long after we should have outgrown it.  We stayed Kids at Heart so long I doubt we ever outgrew anything actually.  I would Play stuff with my Kids and then the Grandkids I Raised, I didn't mind Playing with Toys with them at all actually.   We'd have such quality time together doing it and they remembered those times fondly and how we didn't make them grow up too fast if they wanted to linger longer in Childhood.   Growing Old is Mandatory, but Growing Up is entirely Optional as far as I'm concerned.   You can be Mature and still have Childlike Wonder and Youthful Joy for as long as you Live as far as I'm concerned.  Above is me and my Welsh Nanna, she would Play with us, do Pantomimes for us as Kids coz she had actually been a Stage Actress, Dancer and Singer before Television.   

My Nanna never Grew Up and I LOVED that about her, she would be Silly in Public just to make folks Smile or Laugh.  Her Favorite Life Tips were:  Better to make someone Laugh than Cry.  And don't let the Sun go down on your Anger.   So I've always made it a point to make someone Laugh rather than Cry... and to never end a day stuck in the Emotion of Anger.  It was Wise and Sage Advice I'm glad that my Nanna imparted to us... along with not bothering to Grow Up.  *Winks*  I am such a Big Old Kid, you have no Idea.  *Ha ha ha*   My Kids and Grandkids Love that I will do or say the Craziest things with no embarrassment or shame in the doing of it.  I will always splash thru a Puddle, I can't see a Puddle and NOT splash thru it!   And Princess T will always Laugh and always say the same thing when I do it, "Gramma, you're such a CHILD!"  *Smiles*  But, guess what, she'd rather hang out with her Childish Gramma than any of her Peers coz she said I'm MORE FUN!!!   So, there!  I am... FUN.  I will ensure you will have the MOST Fun you can have without getting Arrested.  *Winks*

And I have never, ever, had someone walk into my Homes and not say, this is the most Interesting and Unusual Home I've ever seen!!!  And they will walk around asking me about all of it.  And that's an excellent conversation starter, even for Hired Help that are coming to perform a Service, they always stick around after they're done and want to see more and ask about things, then talk about what they like.   I don't care what they FEEL, but they will FEEL something, and that's better than Feeling Nothing about what they're experiencing.   I think your Home should be a reflection of who you are and be surrounding you and your Loved Ones with what you Love and is Meaningful to you, useful to you, or brings you Joy.  Ours is always Evolving over Time.  My Homes have never looked the same or static, each has had a distinctive Look for the Home's Essence as well as my own.  To me each Property also has a Personality and Essence to it.   I connect to that and Decorate it accordingly.   I Adore the Weird and Wonderful, Oddities, and always wanted to Channel my Inner Morticia Addams. 

In fact, when I was Growing Up my Favorite Homes on TV were The Addams' Family Home on the Sitcom, and The Munster's Home in the Sitcom when it was still in Black and White.   I always told my Parents, my Homes will look like that when I'm Grown... and... often they really have and my Parents were not at all Surprised.  I was that Creepy little Kid that enjoyed the Macabre, what was very Different and Quirky or Eccentric openly, remaining Authentic to Self.  I didn't Dress like anyone else and I didn't Act like anyone else, regardless of what was Trending, I wasn't all that interested in Following anything or anyone.  I definitely never Conformed in anything I did or have ever done, and that wasn't so much on Purpose, as it is just Who I am at my Core of Being.   Princess T says that by Today's Definition I am very "Extra", but as a Compliment, not a Criticism, she Likes that I'm "Extra".   She said it's much more preferable than being a Copy & Paste "Basic" Bitch... of which there is a Dime a Dozen and so overdone.   She's more than a little "Extra" herself and always has been.   *Bwahahahaha*

I'm taking The Man out to Estrella Mountain Park and the Nature Preserve Today very early before the Heat sets in.  To get him out of the House and in Nature for a while and I'll do Environmental Cleanup after we have Breakfast Alfresco out there.  I've brought plenty of drinks to keep hydrated, I LOVE our new Icemaker in the new Fridge, makes thick Crescent Shaped Ice Cubes, up to 10 Pounds of them Daily.  And they last a long time in Drinks and in an Ice Chest with Drinks.   I'm contemplating what Breakfast to bring with us to eat while at the Park, the Budget is tight so it will be some Value Meal.  *LOL and Le Sigh*  I'm almost thinking of some "Cracker Barrel" To-Go tho', he likes their Breakfasts and they have a good selection of Breakfast Meals that are decent and not very spendy.  We still have 5 Days before we get our Social Security Deposited, so I'm using "Can Money" from Recycling to Fund anything "Extra" right now.

 

He is busy watching his Dual Survivalist Shows this Morning, with that Arrogant Asshole Character Joe being mean, arrogant and uppity with my Fav Hippie Matt, whose his Survivalist Partner this Episode.  He's very condescending and disrespectful to Matt, who is so Sweet, so Chill, and not a Mean Bone in his whole Body, he stays Kind even when Joe is being a complete Know It All Macho Acting Asshat.  I'd go to a Survivalist Thing with Matt the Hippie from Utah... or Cody, the Barefoot Hippie from Arizona, Nice Guys, with Personalities and Essence I'd Gel well with.  We'd be Fine and I'd Trust their Judgment and expertise at Surviving without undue risk.  But, that Joe... he wouldn't make it out Alive, I'd have to say some tragic accident befell Joe if he were my Survivalist Partner.  *Winks*  Yeah, coz I'm pretty sure I'd have to do away with him when he made me Snap on his Ass. *LOL*  

I'm waiting for that Episode where they Air Lift that pretentious Prick out for doing something really stupid and risky to Show Off.  *LOL*  The Man gets a kick out of how much I despise Joe... he knows how I am with Men like Joe, he'd be a notch on my Belt.  *Smiles*   The Man has met many a "Joe" and said Guys like that who brag a lot and boast of how Tough they are, usually are trying to overcompensate for their insecurities and what they AREN'T capable of, or THINK they know in their Arrogance and Ignorance.  The Man agrees with me, he's an actual Survivalist and Observing all the Guys they've had on this Show, tells me which ones are the most competent and not "Made For TV" Hyped Up as Master Survivalists.  Just like Donnie Two Dolls was Hyped Up as being a Successful Businessman and Deal Maker on cheesy Reality TV... a lot of TV Personas are Illusions and Hype that Watchers can fall for Believing is Real and Authentic.  It's meant as "Entertainment" and Scripted, not Reality at all.  

But, The Man still likes to be Entertained by these Shows and since he's no longer in a Survivalist Mode, he likes to muse about how he'd fare in the Situations they are put in.  He's been in Real Life Situations of Survival and Survived, where folks were actively trying to Kill him, so he said much of what they're doing is more the Stranded kind of Survival Imaginary Scenario being Played Out for TV.   He said in most Cases and Episodes, there are probably Locals in Villages nearby that have been Living 24-7 and 365 like that for Generations and "Surviving" just Fine.  *Smiles*   He relied on the Indigenous Tribes in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos when he was in Southeast Asia doing Force Recon.  He said the persecuted Minorities of Indigenous Peoples were Friendlies and helped a lot of American G.I.'s and Welcomed them to their Villages for Respite when they were deep In-Country in thick Jungle.  

He said the Indigenous were so stealthy they could have killed any one of the Americans any time they wanted to, no matter how Primitive they were.  Coz they could Braid a Hair Bracelet on you while you were Sleeping, as a "Protection" for you, and you'd just Wake Up with it on your Wrist and never know they'd been that close to you for that long!!!  So, if they'd wanted to kill you instead, they certainly could have, and never did.   He liked all the Tribal People of those Countries and my Dad said the same, he made many Friends of the Indigenous Tribal Cultures of Vietnam... who are Ethnic Minorities and Hill Tribes.  They liked my Dad for being a Tribal Indigenous Person himself and The Man had a Navajo Tracker, who made it out Alive with him even during their last "Suicide" Mission which the rest of his Team, sadly, did not.  That Haunts The Man to this day coz he was the Team Leader and they were never told it was a "Suicide" Mission none of them were expected to or probably intended to Survive.

They never got picked up like they were supposed to and to this day he's suspicious they were never meant to?  Nobody expected he and his Native American Tracker to make it out Alive and when they did... they had no more Missions, were sent back to the States and he couldn't leave the Continental U.S. for 10 Years or talk about what happened!   He said after that he finished out his 39 Years of Service, Loving his Country and Serving it, but not Trusting his Government one iota.  And that's how I've always felt and my Dad too, we Love our Country, but don't Trust our Government.  My Dad's People have never been able to Trust the American Government, Indigenous had many broken Treaties and the whole "Forked Tongue" of the White Man was not a Myth Historically.   Dad said if his Culture gave you their Word, it was Binding and had Honor behind it that was meaningful to whoever gave you their Word and would be Honored.  I try to Live by that Standard myself.  If I give you my Word, you not only can Trust it, but know I will Honor it.  You can't Trust a Thief or a Liar... and my Dad said the Land was Stolen and the Lies were abundantly told.   It continues to this day.

*******

Riding High on the Good News received... Dawn... The Bohemian