My Trip To Urgent Care Now...

 

There's a Monthly Event I attend that has Opening Day Today in Real Time and I can't drum up the enthusiasm to get out of my jammies yet to head Downtown to it.  *Le Sigh*  Just crawling back in Bed or Blogging is feeling preferable at the moment.  And, a big Storm looks like it's rolling in and I feel congested becoz of it and whatever is hanging in the Air.  Ugh.  I saw the Sneak Peeks and was underwhelmed, but that happened last Month to and yet when I attended it was better than what they'd enticed us with on Social Media Sneak Peeks, it happens.  So, I should go, it's a Me Day I really need given what the rest of the Month's Calendar looks like.

I'll probably go but I don't know I'll arrive early enuf for good Parking at this rate of ambivalence and lack of motivation.  And there's nothing I Need to Buy and no real Retail Therapy Budget, Sales for the last Pay Period at the Antique Mall Flatlined to where I Owed... only just under Two Dollars... but, that means no Check.  I Worked and I Sold stuff, so that also means a Loss of really more than the One Dollar and some Cents I will let ride and carry over that I Owe them for Rent.  *Le Sigh*  This Pay Period started out Stronger, so all Body Parts Crossed it makes up for the flatlined Pay Period before it?  A new Big Antique Mall Opening won't be Helpful, Customers are likely to now go there.

I hear it's really nice and some of my Vendor and other Industry Friends already procured Spaces at the new Mall.  I don't have it in me to set up New Space and go somewhere unknown and New.  Better the Devils you know than the Devils you don't as my Nanna always used to tell me.  I know what to expect at our Antique Mall and have been there since the very beginning when they just Opened.  I had their first Sale to another Vendor before they even Opened or had their Point Of Sale up and running!  Bragging Rights to that.  *Winks*  And, I do have Customers who are my Regulars and know where to find me there.  One of my Fav Customers and her Two Daughters came in last Night while I Worked.

Everyone Working this Shift didn't show up for Wednesday Night, so all of us were filling in for someone else!!!   This is happening a LOT... a whole Shift will call in or just not show up and they have to scramble to fill it with us Fill-Ins covering for whose not there who should be.  So, all Three of us Working it were not Regulars and none of us have a permanent Shift.  Some of the Ladies even have Big Girl Jobs so they said they can't always accept a Shift if it conflicts with their Real Job.  One works at a Wal-Mart doing the Personal Shopping for those who get their Product Delivered or just come and pick it up when it's ready.  She really likes doing that, being a Personal Shopper.  I think I'd like that kind of Work too.

Both Ladies were Older and really Nice, I didn't know them before Last Night's Shift and we worked very well together.  They Need good Workers like them for the permanent Shifts actually, instead of Slackers and those who aren't reliable or very committed to their obligations.  It was pretty busy for a Wednesday Night, but mostly folks buying Pokemon.  I Sold all the Pokemon Merch out of my Locked Case within Days of bringing it in.  I had a New Old Stock Pokemon Digital Watch, a Pokemon Backpack and a Pokemon Beanie... got good Margins on all of it coz the Pokemon People don't haggle, they pay whatever the Price is without a blink of the Eye.  Even Stratospherically Priced Pokemon!  Some Boxes of Cards are $125-$400, I kid you not!   I can Buy this Retro 1940's-1950's Era Dining Table and Chairs {Below} for only $295!  Or the Lucite 1960's-1970's Era one {Further Below} for only $200!  My Vendor Friend John that I ran into at the "Goodwill" recently is selling the Set Below:

I Wish I'd of Invented Pokemon, I'd be a Made Woman now!  *LOL*  And the Pokemon People are such Nice Customers, mostly Young Adult Males, but they're very Serious Consummate Collectors of it and some have been for over 20 Years now.  You forget sometimes that Pokemon has been around a Vintage amount of Time!!!   Since February of 1996!!!  Our Son Collected it and then handed his Collections down to The G-Kid Force and they Collected it.  None of them are Passionate about it now, they prefer Anime Product and Collect that now.  Anime is also Big, if I have any, it Sells right away.   Of coarse the 1st Anime came out in February of 1986 so it's been out a Decade longer than Pokemon.  The Son Collected that before any of his Peers got into it and when it was hard to get it from Japan and here in the U.S..

Anyway, Work was Okay but I was disappointed I'm not getting any Profits or a Check for this past Pay Period.  It would have been Helpful with the Price of everything Essential going up so much.  Every time I fill up with Gas I'm having to re-calculate Budget and then evaluate where I should drive anywhere not absolutely Necessary?  I Hate that, I like the Freedom to do Unnecessary things in Retirement, it's how Retirement is meant to be IMO.  It's aggravating enuf it's filled with so much Medical shit and Appointments for Social Services that The Family really Need, which takes up the hugest portion of my Time.  So I don't have a lot of Free Time or Me Time to actually enjoy Retirement.   And I see most Seniors I know are in the same Boat and have to Work some Supplemental Income Hustles to make their Ends Meet now too.  Many are still Working Full Time Jobs well past Retirement Age coz they simply HAVE to now.  Even if they're Octogenarians and not in great Health!!!

 You now must Work 'til you literally Drop Dead in this Economy that's Failing us Regular Americans.  Only the Obscenely Wealthy don't have to Work or Earn their Fortunes and just run their Grifts off the rest of us and not pay Taxes on their Income or Wealth either.   And, I still kinda hafta Work off and on to Supplement a Fixed Income to make ends meet.  I don't mind Working, but, I don't feel like I should HAVE to for purely Financial Existence Reasons.  Our Pensions, Social Security and his Disability Income don't always cover expenses so I have to find other streams of Supplemental Income now.   To ensure we all Three Generations can Exist in One Household and have the Essentials like Shelter, Food, Water, Utilities, Transportation, Medical Needs met, Emergency Funds for any Crisis that comes up, Preventative Maintenance on Home and Vehicle or Repairs when they come up.  It's a big drain now financially and every regular Income American is Feeling it all the more now.  Yes, First World Problems, but Problematic nonetheless.

I did Buy myself something Special for Mother's Day coz I don't expect anything, The Family, except for Princess T, is broke.   I put it on a Credit Card and will pay it off in increments, coz if I don't deserve it, who does?  *Bwahahahaha*  Princess T may be Buying her first Car this Weekend, we're all going to look at a Celica she wants to possibly Buy.  It's Vintage, Older than her actually, but Rusty negotiated a good price on it for her and he can work on the Older Vehicles.  So any work it needs he can do for her at no cost to her.  *Winks, Boyfriend Mechanic Perk*  His Dad even has a Tow Truck lined up in case they can't drive it away.  Rusty's Family often Buy Cars, fix 'em up, and flip em for Profit.  It's a Mexican MacGuyver Thing.  *Bwahahaha*  The Son and I are going to ensure the Kiddos are Safe at the Transaction, so, The Son is The Muscle, coz the Kids have Cash.

I don't like Kids in their 20's trying to handle Business if they're carrying a fair amount of Cash to do it.  It's just Risky and with The Son and I going along a whole lot less Risk coz we will go Full On Hood if the Seller ends up being a Problem or a Stickup Scammer pretending to Privately Sell something.  Listen, it happens, but Dealerships now have no Good Deals on Used Vehicles, they're all priced in the Stratosphere where to pay Cash for one you better have in excess of Twenty or Thirty Grand, and Tariffs and Taxes are The Devil for all Major Purchases now too.  Forget about it, better to get something Privately so that it's affordable if you don't wanna Finance and have Vehicle Payments.  Princess T wants no Bad Debt like Vehicle or Credit Card Debt.  I'm glad she's a Young Person not already getting deeply into Debt and good with Money Management and disciplined at Saving.

I'd be Debt Free if everything had worked out as Planned, but Life Happens, Shit Happens, so, I've had to reluctantly come to Terms with having a heavy Debt Load in Retirement due to circumstances that were all beyond my Control and became necessary.  I didn't Plan for The Man to be Medically Retired, I didn't Plan to have to take Early Retirement to become his Unpaid Caregiver as my main full time "Job".  I didn't Plan to Raise nor Adopt Two Grandchildren, I didn't Plan to have to give up my Paid Off Home to get them Adopted and take on expensive Mortgages again.  I didn't Plan to move Three times in less than Six Years and have that expense, anyone whose done a Major Move can tell you that it costs as much as what Buying a Home used to Cost!!!  And the Cost of each Home went up exponentially... I paid $49,000 to $385,000 to $488,000 respectively!  Granted the one in the Middle was a Million Dollar Property but the Luxury Home Market had Crashed and devalued by a LOT and never has Recovered.

I didn't Plan for all the Adult Children to Need to come back Home and find Space for them all here, after Downsizing livable Space, and also need our Financial Support.   I didn't Plan for my Paid Off Vehicle to be the one The Man had his catastrophic Accident in that Totaled it, and so now have another expensive Vehicle Payment, when Vehicles now Cost what a Home used to Cost.  I didn't Plan to have to buy a 5th Wheel to House extra Family here, but we thought we were going to have to Raise Three more Grandkids when the Paternal Grandmother Died and left them without anyone.  I didn't Plan for so many expensive Home Repairs at the Villa McManse and this Property, major outlays for shit like Air Conditioners, Water Heaters, Water Softeners, Major Appliances, Ductwork, Pool Equipment replacement.  It's always something now to have to Finance every 5 Years or so!  I don't even expect to be Debt Free and pay everything off anymore now.  It would take a Lottery Win to.

 The Historic Home was over a Century Old but never required this much Maintenance for shit that doesn't hold up or last more than 7-10 Years, they built everything to LAST a Century ago.  Now it's Designed NOT to last, so you have to perpetually Replace it rather than be able to Repair it, and it's never inexpensive regardless of not holding up very long.  Every time you replace just an Air Conditioning Unit it's Five to Ten Grand depending on what that Home requires!!!   The replacement of the whole Ductwork System in this 1980 Home, coz the Original one was now like Swiss Cheese, cost me $36,000!   That's damned near what it cost me to Buy the Historic Home and only slightly less than what a New Vehicle now costs ya too!!!  The 5th Wheel cost me more than the Historic Home had cost me in 2000... a 5th Wheel will set you back around $65,000-$125,000 now!!! 

  So, do the Math.  I'm just fortunate I got a 2% Interest Rate on this Mortgage coz Homes in Arizona are right around Half a Mil now.  They are saying that to afford a Mortgage in Arizona now you should make a Minimum of $59 an Hour!!!   I don't even know anyone making that much working in Arizona at the vast majority of Jobs.  Most People aren't even getting Full Hours either now and the Unemployment Rate is as high as I've ever seen it.   Coz those New Jobs that the Media report that the Government/Administration say exist every Month, and Parade Out as if they are Real Jobs to make their Numbers look Good, either aren't paying Livable Wages or aren't Full Time, and most are Ghost Jobs saying they're Hiring to Appeal to Investors and look a lot healthier than they are, but really aren't Hiring at all.   The Son can't even find Part Time Minimum Wage Work to temporarily Settle for so he has any Income!   He's Applied at them all, doesn't even get an Interview or Callback!  The Niece had the same problem and she's an I.T. Guru and Genius Computer Programmer!

 And some of the Shit that AI is now doing at an accelerated pace, and according to AI Company Execs and Designers of it, is some REAL Scary shit they didn't even know AI could do or become Self Aware of by itself!!!  It's outsmarted it's Human Designers by far now, outsmarting any Human in fact, and is finding Human Flaws and exploiting them already, especially in the Realm of National Security.  And tho' the Geeks might be getting a little excited it's doing things they never fathomed it could do on it's own, I think that's some scary shit and a slippery slope where Humanity is now in way over our Heads with this Artificial Intelligence which is way smarter than we ever could have Imagined it would be and it's Learning FAST and become Self-Aware, like it thinks it is a Human counterpart.  The Sci-Fi Apocalyptic Shows weren't far off about Warning us of The Machines taking over.   And us Humans are quickly becoming Obsolete and Unnecessary to the Wealthy... except as their perverse Playthings that is.

And now for some Food Porn since, enuf of the Doom N Gloom, let's have some Comfort Food shall we... Eat, Drink, and be Merry, for Tomorrow we shall all mebbe Die!!!   So, I'm Down with that, ain't got Nothing left to Lose.  LATER:  Well, I got my Ass in gear, got dressed up and went to the Event, it was a really good one.  I got a Holy Mother Labradorite Carved Stone and Sterling Silver Necklace from my Talented Artisan Friend Cyndie.  Hadn't intended to get Jewelry, but OMG it is Ahhmazing, especially when Sunlight hits the Labradorite Stone, which is quite large and Beautifully Carved Mother Mary, resembling a Virgin Of Guadalupe Image of her.  The Silver she's encased in is also a Party In the Back coz it's very Ornate Silver. 

 I also got a Decor Book I've wanted, it was the last one left and I've not been able to find a Used one Online so I finally relented and paid Full Retail for it.   And when you can find it Online it's 2x to 5x more expensive than it was Retail.  I went to the Native American Owned "Fry Bread House" for Lunch and had some Fry Bread with Grilled Veggie Medley, delicious.  I'd missed Breakfast so this was more a Brunch than a Lunch Meal.  And all my Industry Friends were asking about The Man and how he's doing, everyone has been Prayerful about his continued Healing, even my Pagan Friends.  On the way Home I stopped by "Sprouts" for Essential Groceries and everything I Needed was on Sale, so I was jazzed.  Deep Discounts too, so it save me a lot of Money.  I got Home JUST in time to pick Princess T up from Work.  One of her Male Co-Worker Friends got Fired, so she was wondering what happened to him, he didn't inform anyone.

Of coarse she herself has been on Notice before due to Attendance when she gets Sickly, and she has Chronic Health Problems, so someone can be a good Worker and still end up being let go these days for inflexible Policy.   It's Minimum Wage Work so I Hope he finds something better that is more a Career Path than just a Job that won't even Support you.  As one Door closes, another usually opens.  All the Young People who work there are so nice and good Workers, so they'll be an Asset anywhere they go.  I had a very good day after all once I Motivated myself, and Traffic wasn't too bad going in to the City or coming back, but it was getting heavy coming in to the City by the time I was coming back from the Inner City.  So my Timing beat a lot of Rush Hour Gridlock.

One of the Jewelry Designers told me it would be her last Weekend at the Event, Sad to see her go, I would like one day to get a piece of her Work.  She said she'd be at "Junk In The Trunk" but I only went there once Years ago and Honestly wasn't my Jam.  Too crowded, too many Vendors who weren't Selling what I'd ever Buy, you have to pay to get in, and Parking was a problem.  So it's been a Hard Pass ever since even tho' it is a very Popular Event and many of my Industry Friends are a part of it and do well there.  Anyway, at this Event I did get loads of Blog Fodder Imagery, got to Socialize quite a bit, which was nice, even some Random Nice Customers Socialized with me, which was a Surprise.  They liked how I Smelled and what I was Wearing and that initiates conversation when you get a Sincere Compliment like that.

It also is Advertisement for my Friends who I Buy from so I can tell these New People where I got it and from Whom, so they can check out the Designer for themselves.  Most of mine is OOAK Pieces but the Designers make lots of lovely Pieces and they'd be sure to find something equally nice.  And some of the Statement Piece Clothing isn't OOAK and is part of a Line where they could get one like it.  My Mothers Day Pressy to myself came Today too, it's even better than I thought it would be.  It's a very Early Magnolia Pearl Backpack made with Vintage and Antique Fabrics, Vintage Jewelry, and Two whole Minks, I LOVE it!!!  I squealed like a Schoolgirl when I saw how much better it was than it's Photos!  And I got it at a Price way lower than even the Earliest Pieces ever Cost, so I couldn't resist, since the E-Bay Seller had it on a Buy-It-Now Option at that Low Opening Bid Price!!!  Booyah!!!  It still has original Tags on it from over Twenty Years ago, so is like New Old Stock of a OOAK Creation from Robin's First Line.

I haven't uploaded any of my Camera's Images yet, but some will end up in this Post when I do.  I had to take a long Nap, for some reason, even tho' all I did this day was go to the Event, I felt like I was beat up from a Cage Match, I literally hurt all over and it was painful.  After a LONG Mid-Afternoon Nap I Woke not as sore, which was good, don't know why I had such Body Pain for no apparent reason?  The Son made Dinner, woke me up, I Ate, then went back to Sleep for a couple more Hours.  So, he made sure his Dad got his Night Meds so he didn't have to Wake me again to do it.  The Man was in our Bedroom watching a Paranormal Show Marathon while I Slept.  I Woke just after 7:00 p.m. and do feel a little better physically.  I mean, when I was Body Sore it was all over, even my Toes were hurting!!!

The Daughter did make contact with her Brother and say she was staying with her Friend Jennifer and doing some Work for her.  I haven't been bothering her so long as I know she's doing Okay and is somewhere Safe and doing Work she's getting Paid for.  Jennifer needs Housekeeping Work and I think she met her thru one of the Older Men she's been doing a lot of Work for on their Property.  Word of Mouth being the best Advertisement for Side Work as folks will share a good experience with who they know and it cultivates Contacts and more little Jobs.  She's kept the 5th Wheel immaculate since the Boyfriend hasn't been in there, he was clearly a lot of why it was unkempt and overwhelmed her.  The Young Prince I've got to make another Inspection soon to ensure he isn't Hoarding dirty Dishes or dirty Clothing or barricading Doors again?  He's mostly been Sleeping a lot since the Social Security visit, it wrecked him Mentally/Emotionally and he's Recovering from that.

My Firewall had apparently Held so the Hacker attempts weren't as successful, Whew, but Microsoft located them IN our Neighborhood and we remembered the Two recent big SWAT Raids on both of those Streets!  So, I'm wondering now if new Criminal Types have moved into our Community and trying to Hack everyone's Wi-Fi to steal information and Victimize the Community?!   This Community is more financial secure than most around it coz these are expensive Mini Farms, most are now worth $700,000 to over a Million, so a more affluent Community of mostly Older Residents and Multi-Generational Households that are doing better than Average.   Some have lived here since the 1960's when the Community was first built.  Microsoft would have called me back Today if their Scan didn't come back Clean, to tell me what to do next, but, their Scan came back Clean and notified me on my Computer.  *Double Whew*  It scared me a lot tho' to be Targeted by professional Hackers.

So, you can now see some of the Retail Therapy I indulged in for myself for Mother's Day.  *Winks*  I've downloaded Images from the Event and what I Won at Auction.  And Yes, I was very good to myself and no regrets about that.   I work very hard and make a lot of personal Sacrifices for the Family so they wanted me to get something I really wanted for Mother's Day.  If they could have they would have covered all the costs.  I didn't want Princess T covering it all coz she covered the Taxes we Owed and the Prep for them, which, was already a lot and exceedingly generous.  Plus it might make the others feel bad that they can't do anything for me.   The Man always wants me to enjoy whatever Special Day is dedicated to Moms, coz I have Raised Two Generations of Children and mostly had to do it on my own, while also holding down demanding Careers or also doing Extreme Caregiving.  He knows it's always been a lot to juggle and Sacrifice my Needs for everyone else.

So, if I get myself a Book, a Backpack and a Bangle, they all were very Supportive and encouraged it.  I had waffled on whether or not to and they knew I wouldn't if they didn't speak up and say, do it.   No, I didn't NEED any of it, but I Wanted it.  *LOL*  And I did have an enjoyable time even just enjoying and being Inspired by what I didn't Buy and had no Temptations to Want either.  I talked with a Lovely Lady in Line at Checkout who says she comes almost more for the Visuals and Inspiration than to Buy anything, tho' she had chosen a lovely Denim Jacket with a Fun Accessories Jabot made from Vintage Ties and a Bling Brooch, very Clever.  She had said her Daughter had bought one of the Jabots last Event and she decided she should try to pull it off, I think she can.  She was a very Attractive Classy Stylish Older Woman who I think could totally Rock what she'd chosen and I told her so.  I enjoyed our conversation while waiting to Check Out our Purchases.

Okay, so a Funny Story, coz this Saturday Princess T and her Boyfriend are going to look at and potentially Buy that Celica, for Cash, and since they'll be carrying Cash, and People have been Killed for a lot less, I insisted The Son and myself go with them to ensure their Safety.  Well, Princess T delicately told Rusty this and it made him all kinds of nervous, not about potential Robbers, mind you, but he's like, do they have to come, coz they're way too Crazy and Hood and if someone did try to Rob us!  You know how they are, they'll both go Hood Postal and I already saw your Uncle do that when your Mom's Boyfriend got aggressive, and I thought he'd Kill the Guy before your Brother Mediated and got your Uncle to Stop beating Mando down!!!  So, Rusty asked his Dad to come instead, and his Dad will be Armed, so they will be Safe.  I just thought it hilarious that Rusty thinks we'd be more Crazy and Dangerous than any potential Robbers who'd try to Stick us up or be foolish enuf to try to hurt them!  *Bwahahahaha*  He could be Right... *Winks*

I agreed, that as long as his Dad is coming and is Armed for their Protection while viewing this Vehicle from complete Strangers, I'd be Good with that.  I just want the Kids to be Safe and not harmed or killed over a couple Grand, you know.  Life is Cheap to most Criminally Minded Folks and my Grandchild knows I've seen too much while working for the DA's Office to not be Cynical about People I don't know or Trusting the Motives of Strangers.   I am Cynical as Fuck and I don't Trust you until and unless you Earn my Trust, even then, don't Cross me, ever.  And definitely don't even Think about harming someone I Care about and Love, or I'll make it my Mission in Life to take you down and out for it, you'd become my Obsession if you harmed a Loved One of mine.  And The Son or The Grandson can handle themselves just Fine, so, they're both Street and Hood enuf to handle someone who becomes a Threat.  I think Rusty's Dad can too, so I entrust my Grandchild's Safety to him.

The Man has been good about doing his PT Exercises for me, coz he's supposed to do them Daily or Twice Daily if he feels up to it.  We only had to modify a couple that he couldn't do as many reps of, but, overall he did good.  And it only takes 5-10 Minutes to do what they want him to do, so, it's not too much.  And it strengthens his Body, what they'll soon be scheduling him to do at the Hospital Cardiac Rehab will strengthen his Heart and be monitored closely by Health Care Professionals in a Hospital Setting on the 5th Floor of the Hospital he had his Heart Procedure at.  Which is a Cardiac and Stroke Care Hospital and why I took him there opposed to the Hospital even closer to our Property.  You get a lot of Calls from Subcontractors of HUMANA tho', I've had to decline some offers that apparently HUMANA will cover, but we already have so much coming and Approved, I don't wanna overwhelm him with Home Care Visits, or me either.

Later Friday Morning:  I just got back from Urgent Care, for me this time!!!   For a couple days I've had tightness in my Chest behind my Right Breast, Shortness of Breath and considerable Pain all the way thru to my Shoulder Blade.    At first I thought it might be Allergies, with everything in Bloom and the Weather being Windy, I had congestion and a slight productive Cough, but otherwise didn't feel Sick.  I didn't have a fever, but I did feel quite exhausted and after my Event Yesterday spent most of the rest of the day Napping and still fell Asleep early, so The Son knew I wasn't feeling good.  Then I thought, wonder if it's a pulled Muscle from helping lift The Man into a standing position, which he always needs help with and he's well over 200 lbs. and like Dead Weight.  Then by this Morning the Pain was worse and I thought, better find out if it's Bronchitis or Pneumonia or something to do with my Heart, coz this isn't feeling right.

The Son went with me, I spent over 3 Hours having various Tests, but they got me right in, so no waiting at that Urgent Care Location.  Which is my Fav one for that reason, it's a Satellite Emergency and Urgent Care of St. Joseph's Level One Trauma Center Downtown in Phoenix.  Anyway, luckily the Tests came back favorable, no obvious Lung Issues, no Pneumonia or Bronchitis evident, my Heart seemed Fine, but he was worried about my Stress levels.  And, sure, I knew that could be it, not like I haven't had a shit ton of Stress, prolonged Stress, and heightened Stressors recently with Family Emergencies and Health Crisis they've had.  So, the Doc wants me to do follow-up with my Primary and said to try to manage my Stress as best I can.  When I said I'm a full time Caregiver of more than one Family Member he said that can Kill you just as easily as any other Health Crisis, I know this.  Many Caregivers drop Dead first, I've known some who have from the demands of Extreme Caregiving.

So, that's how I spent almost all of Friday Morning until 2:00 p.m. this Afternoon when they finally let me come Home.  I may lie down again and Nap after Blogging a bit coz I feel exhausted again, but relieved it wasn't my Lungs, Heart or an Infection/Illness.  With being at Hospitals and ER's so much with The Man, and Social Security with The Grandson, I've been around a lot of Sickly People more than usual and it is the Season of increased Contagions and exposure to them if you're around a lot of folks.  Especially in Hospital settings and ER's, lots of Illness that could potentially be contagious abounds.  Luckily at this Urgent Care it was just me and one other person when I first came in and I got a Private Room, not just Curtains separating you from others like in Emergency Room Settings that are overcrowded.  I watched the Vintage Game Show Channel on Cable while there, Oldies of "The Price Is Right" and "Let's Make A Deal" were on.  Gives perspective on what things used to Cost opposed to now.

People were Winning $7,000 Cars and TV Sets that looked like a Box of Bricks, they were so bulky.  *LOL*  The Furniture being Won was hideous, definitely late 70's to early 80's Decor/Furnishings, hilarious to watch even People's Hairstyles and Clothing from that Era... all hideous.  The Polyester abounded for Men and Women, and the feathered Mall Hair and bad Makeup application for the Women, and the Porn Star Mustaches for the Guys and very Bad Haircuts.  The Men's Leisure Suits were gaudy, and the Women's Fashions for Contestants was frumpy, not a Fashionista among them.   And I forgot how goofy a lot of the Contestants were in those days on Game Shows.  They had one Gal from Phoenix on, and Bob Barker was still the Host. 

 I forgot how Misogynistic the Game Show Hosts were towards Women back then, saying Offensive shit like, "And what's on you Girl's Tiny Little Minds?" to the Barker Beauties Models, who'd give Bimbette Answers in return.  *Shudder*  I do remember the Personal Scandals later on of Conflicts with Barker.   But of coarse that was the Era I was in my Corporate Lives and Sexual Discrimination was Rampant and Misogyny was the Status Quo too, as well as Racism.  So, it wasn't "The Good Ole Days" for everyone, that's for sure, and why none of us wants to go backwards to those practices and archaic blatantly discriminatory times.  I do like some of the Old Game Shows tho', so don't mind watching the Old Reruns of them, Nostalgic in a good way too sometimes.   While also reminding us of what the Past was like, lest we forget and tend to look back with Rose Colored Glasses.   We can often Cherry Pick our fondest Memories and discard the rest.

I'm up from my long Nap coz The Son made Dinner for his Dad and I, told me it was time for his Dad to have his Night Meds, and wanted me to administer them.  His Dad can be resistant to The Son and The Grandson telling him to do thing, it's a Male Pride Thing I think.  So, now he's fed and Medicated.  *Winks*  And I do feel quite a bit better after an almost Four Hour Nap.  I hadn't intended to be Asleep that long in the Middle of a Beautiful Day after having spent all Morning at an Urgent Care having Testing and Evaluation, but, clearly Needed it.  I could only eat half my Meal, but The Son had gotten me a Taco Bell Meal Deal Box while at the Urgent Care, it's next door to a Taco Bell and he knew I hadn't had Breakfast or Lunch and was having Blood Draws twice and Meds administered on an empty Stomach.  The Doc said it was okay to bring it in for me to eat.

For only $7 I had a Chicken Chalupa, a 7 Layer Burrito, a Crunchy Beef Taco, Cinnamon Twists and a Soft Drink, not bad Value for the low price and it was very good.  The Son went over to Church's Chicken across the Street from the Urgent Care and ran into his Lifelong Friend Q there.  Q is like a Son to me and calls me Mom, so was concerned that both The Man and I were now having Health Issues at the same time.  He knows that Stresses The Son out.   Bless him, he's trying to be a Caregiver fill in and cook Meals, he's not very adept at Meal prep so you get some very 'interesting' offerings.  He kind of makes it up as he goes along, Bless him, and we try to eat whatever it is coz he means well and tries really hard, having the best of Intentions.  Let us just say, none of what he's presenting looks anything like my Food Porn Imagery AT ALL... but I know he's really trying and his Heart is in it, he Cares, so I don't wanna be critical or hurt his Feelings.

If I had Photographed the Meal he just made for me, his Feelings would have been Hurt coz, I didn't even know what it was supposed to be until he told me what he'd made for us and it was supposed to be!!!   He SAID it was a Grilled Ham and Cheese Sammie with a side of Italian Wedding Soup.  Grilled Ham and Cheese Sammie sounds Basic enuf to prepare, and easily identifiable, right?  Well, the presentation was Two very soggy pieces of Bread sitting side by side, they looked Wet.  On top of one was a very shiny square piece of Cheddar Cheese, it didn't look exactly melted, but it looked almost plastic, I don't even know how you do or manage that???  *LOL* 

 On top of the Cheese Slice was some thinly diced Roma Size Tomatoes sprinkled with heavy Seasoning.  On the other piece of soggy Bread was some enormous chunks of Ham, which tasted good but was too thick and long to make a Sammie Close and they were just piled up on the Bread Slice!  I ate the Ham, left the rest of the Sammie concoction, and ate the Soup.   And I hid what I didn't eat in the Garbage so he won't know I threw it away and it was inedible.  It was so Sweet of him to prepare it for us and he'd be embarrassed and upset that we couldn't eat it.  The Man is actually eating his, but he's one to mash food together in an  unrecognizable mound anyway, so, there's THAT.  *Smiles*   And he seemed to be enjoying his, I just couldn't, I did try coz I was hungry.

  The Daughter had come Home but was gone again all day at some Side Job, she's trying to Work as much as anyone will Hire her for little Jobs for them and provide the Transportation too.  Princess T had Rusty do for her Today what I was supposed to and couldn't due to my Medical Situation playing out.  We're doing many things on The Fly and I do appreciate each Family Member stepping up as much as they are able and despite their limitations and disabling factors that make some things harder for them.   They're trying and I'm appreciative of that and not trying to make Fun of it in a mean Spirited way.  But, it is Blog worthy, since, well, you can't make this stuff up.  *Ha ha ha*   And we're just all muddling along, including our Kiddos trying to handle their Parents/Grandparents seemingly falling apart Medically in Real Time.  While, everyone is totally reliant on us for their Housing and Essentials, since, none of them is earning enuf to provide it for themselves.  So, it's Scary stuff for them all, all Four of them.  

So, I wouldn't wanna be in their place, I really wouldn't.  Almost all of their Generations are in dire straits right now Economically and many don't have enuf for Essentials, don't have Jobs or Jobs that pay a Livable Wage, don't have Insurance or any Hope for a Pension or Retirement in their Future.  They don't even know if they'll have a Future!?  Princess T told me this Morning that she doesn't expect that Civilization will Survive long enuf for her to reach Age 50 and she's 20 now.  She literally thinks in 30 Years or LESS, there will be no Future for her entire Generation or anyone else still Living at that time!!!  It's part of why she doesn't want any Children, she doesn't think anyone can ensure bringing a Child into this World right now is giving that Child any chance of having a Future or a good Life, let alone a long one.  I Hope she's Wrong, but I have similar concerns for all the Young People currently already Born, I can't even think yet upon those yet to be Born and what the Future holds for them or if there is one?

And News just broke that the Criminal in the White House is gonna give himself a Billion more of your Tax Dollars to himself via the IRS!  So he's Suing the IRS, while being in Charge of the DOJ, to Pay himself coz he's on both Sides of that Lawsuit.   And, this from a Guy whose never Paid his Taxes and openly Brags about not Paying his Taxes, saying that just makes him 'Smart' to commit Tax Fraud!!!   I guess all the Bank Fraud made him 'Smart' then too, another Get Rich Quick Scheme, among many.  And, furthermore, more of your Tax Dollars are paying out "Restitution" to some of the People he Pardoned, who Pled Guilty to their Crimes and had Committed those Crimes, and got their Get Out Of Jail Free Cards handed to them by their Presidential Bro', to the Tune of Millions to each One, and Fines and Restitution Wiped out to their Victims. 

  There's a long PARTIAL Laundry List of these recently Pardoned Cronies he's having YOU compensate for their Crimes.  So these Convicted Felons are profiting off their Crimes even more now with you paying them Restitution for them being caught and successfully Prosecuted for their Crimes... and this is just a Partial List.  Plus, he's still actively doing this and it's not always making The News as a Major Story.  So more will be shelled out by us, The American Taxpayers to his Criminal Friends... and their Victims now won't receive what they should have in their Legal Restitution Owed... in already over a Billion in Restitution and Fines, so Crime DOES Pay with this Administration, and you're footing that Bill:

Trevor Milton $550+ Million

Paul Walczak $4.4 Million

Ross Ulbricht $183+ Million

HDR Global Trading Ltd. BitMEX $100 Million 

Todd & Julie Chrisley $22+ Million

Jason Galanis $80 Million 

Devon Archer $43 Million

Imaad Shah Zuberi $15.7 Million

This ought to concern every Taxpayer, if any other President had ever done even a fraction of this, it would have removed them, caused them to Resign and be Prosecuted, and caused an uproar.  I'm not hearing a whole lot of consequences for this and now Donnie Two Dolls wants a Billion for himself in Lawsuit Restitution to pay him for doing his Crimes, ain't that Rich?!  You do the Crime, but if you're part of this Administration, you not only don't do the Time, but now you get compensated by the American Taxpayers Millions or Billions of your Tax Dollars for having done said Crimes!!!   Sweet!   And I think his Voters probably always knew how shamelessly Corrupt he is, but thought they'd get Windfalls like this too.  So were willing to overlook it if they got Paid Off to look the other way and enable him.  Only... that ain't happening and now they're like, "Where's OUR piece of this Criminal Action?!"

*******

And the Fuckery continues unabated... America should be Asset Stripped and Bankrupted very soon at this rate... Dawn... The Bohemian

There's A Dead Fly In Our Salad... And Then... Hackers!!!

 There will be some Walks down Memory Lane with this Post, with some Blast From The Past Images I dredged up out of the Photo Archives of Friends and Family.  I'm Feeling Nostalgic, what can I say?  Time warps by so damned fast.  The Man's Cardiac Appointment went well, Dr. Pham is pleased with his progress and wants to get him off some of the Meds, he feels he's on too many and I'm in Agreement.  If we can reduce what we can then that would be good.  They only discontinued one this time, since, it could be causing his Swelling/Water Retention.   They're also setting him up for some Cardiac Physical Therapy which will strengthen him and his Heart, gently, and is done at the Hospital he had the Procedure at.  It's different than the Home PT which Dr. Pham explained is to make sure his Limbs don't atrophy and takes Care of his Legs and Feet, his Mobility, and his Breathing.  

So those will be different Exercises he can do at Home, opposed to the Heart Cardio which is done in the Hospital under Medical Supervision there.  It's daunting to him, and a lot, but, will improve his Heart Health as it Heals from a near Fatal Heart Attack Episode.  Dr. Pham told him again, Buddy, we're both Lucky your Wife caught this in time, and have her to Thank, becoz you wouldn't have lasted even Half an Hour more otherwise!!!   And I'm Thankful I listened to her or I wouldn't have had Time to Save you either!!!  That's how close to Dying he actually was, a matter of mere Minutes from when they performed his Procedure!!! 

 I think it's hitting Home for The Man that I literally Saved his Life by prompting the Cardiologist and Staff to give it more Urgency and have them Trust my Judgment and Intuition, rather than me Trusting theirs about how Bad Off he was or wasn't.  I could tell that impressed Dr. Pham becoz he Thanked me again for insisting we didn't have Time to delay.  Usually a Doctor won't just heed some Patient near hysteria about saying there's No Time, but he did.  Coz he could see how Serious I was and risked mockery by shamelessly saying I'd had a Premonition and didn't have a Peace about waiting, or, he'd surely Die, and I knew it.

I think if our Surgeon hadn't been of a Culture that Believes in such things, perhaps it would have been a different outcome, but he didn't mock me, he Believed me and Trusted my Instincts.  It's hard to explain Premonitions to people, especially skeptics, so a lot of folks wouldn't take you Seriously.  I've had people mock it before or not Believe or Trust me when I have a Bad Premonition and tell them as a Warning, if it can be avoided, and Trust me, it's always Bad, you don't have Good ones.  And sure nuff, it's always come to pass and then even if they might still be not totally convinced, it usually then makes them uncomfortable and fearful coz they don't understand and think it's some kind of Witchcraft or Sorcery, which, it's not.  Now, Donnie Two Dolls, he could be a Devil's Disciple from The Dark Side, mocking Christ and Offending the Faithful by the AI Imagery he's Posting of himself.  The New Troll Memes mocking his "I thought I was a Doctor in that Image" are fucking hilarious tho'!

But, I digress.  A Premonition is just a strong intuitive Feeling or Forewarning that a Future Event ~ usually and often negative or unpleasant ~ is about to occur, usually without any Conscious Evidence or Logical Reasoning.  It's just a Form of "Future Sight" and can come to those who get them in the appearance of a Dream, a Gut Feeling, a Vision, or a sudden inexplicable Sense of Dread.   I've had mine come in any of those ways, but most often in Visions they come to me or the Sense of Dread which leaves a Metallic Taste in my Mouth as if I sucked on something Metal like a Bullet.  I take them as a Warning in Advance and I always take mine Seriously and I always took those my Mom and her Older Brother had Seriously coz they had them more often than I do with more Details that could be very specific.  Mine can be specific, but not always.

Sometimes I just know something very Bad is gonna happen at an exact place and within a short period of Time, but I don't know exactly what Form the Bad thing is specifically.   And then I don't want to be in that place and have a sense of Urgency to leave it immediately, so I won't be involved in whatever Bad thing IS gonna happen.   I once avoided a Triple Homicide by mere Minutes while doing the 2000 Census coz I told my Census Co-Worker Interpreter, Delfina, we have to count these People quick coz something very Bad is gonna happen here very soon and we need to be gone when it does.  It was a Sunny Calm Day and the Property was having a Child's Birthday Party.  I Urgently told her, we don't have much Time, get out of here FAST!  And we did.

 But, within Minutes the Estranged Husband showed up, shot and killed his Estranged Wife, her new Boyfriend, and then committed Suicide!  I didn't know these People or their Dynamic/Relationship.  We hadn't even walked back to our Vehicle yet, just a little ways down the Short Street, when we heard the Gunshots behind us!   Delfina was Superstitious and asked HOW I knew that was gonna happen?  I told her I didn't know exact specifics of what would happen, just that it would be very Bad and we needed not to be there and get out quickly so we wouldn't be involved.  Otherwise, no telling what he'd of done to potential Witnesses before he turned the Gun on himself?  And, I wouldn't have even wanted to Survive and have seen him Murder Two People at close range and then blow his own Brains out either!

My Premonitions be like that.  And like when I had the One of The Man I just knew it was something about Hearts, jumbled, coz my Vision didn't exactly show a Human Heart, just Hearts... a Valentine's Heart, a Sacred Heart, Jesus Touching His Heart.  Just something to do with the Heart... and then connecting it to The Man... and then of coarse his Medical Emergency in Progress and knowing, oh shit, it's a Forewarning, he's gonna Die if we don't intercede very quickly coz the sense of Dread and Urgency was Strong and I had that Metallic Taste in my Mouth which only comes when imminent Danger is very close by.  It is a Fight or Flight involuntary Stress Response.

Anyway, so Tomorrow is another packed Day, we have the new Physical Therapist coming at 8:00-8:30 a.m., whose Name is Wendell, then at 10:00 a.m. he has Labs at the Hospital, then I have to Work that Evening by 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m..  We had a little Panic when The Man thought he'd Lost the important Paperwork that told me where the Labs are and what the Kidney Doc's Name and Address are!  OMG, I was so relieved when we finally found it and now I've taken it away from him, I don't even know why he had it, I knew I'd put it by the Front Door Calendar so I'd have easy access to Addresses and Names of all these Specialists and Points of Contact Info.  Until we see the Kidney Doc, now kicked back to July, I won't have a Business Card of his.  Just the Hospital Printout of Follow-Up Care.

The Man is notorious for taking things and either hiding them or misplacing them which is why I don't want him handling anything anymore.  I want him leaving it up to me to Organize Paperwork, check the Mail, answer Phone Calls.  Coz with his Memory Care Issues and Dementia he hangs up on People, or talks to them and instantly forgets who even Called or what they said, or hides or misplaces Mail and Paperwork.  But he jumps on that fucking Phone when it rings, no matter if it's the Landline or one of our Phones before we can get to it!  Or sees the Mailman and rushes out there to grab Mail we've told him not to.  Or picks up a Package Delivery on the Doorstep and brings it inside but forgets where he puts it or who it was for!!!   Oy Vey!!!  Whaddya gonna do?!

He didn't remember Dr. Pham and kept asking if we knew this Doctor.  I kept telling him, Yes, he's the one that did your Heart Attack Surgery Honey.  I think he'd have to see someone often to recall them at all now, and then, it's a crap shoot whether or not he'll remember who they are.  He sees some of our Friends sometimes and doesn't know who they are anymore.  Or even any of the Grandkids and Great-Grandkids who don't Live with us and aren't in Arizona.  He never remembers any of them and seems Surprised they're ours.  *LOL*   The G-Kid Force are getting Worried about when he might Forget who they are too?  It can and probably will eventually happen as his Memories fade backwards in Time and get erased as the Disease progresses.  Once he loses 1989 he won't remember me either.

  We think right now he's somewhere in the 2000's still, but definitely not before 2005 coz he still knows who Princess T is and she was Born in 2005... The Young Prince in 2000.  Our Two Kids in the 1980's, but he met us when The Daughter was 7 and The Son was 3, so 1989 would be as far back as he could go with remembering them either.  I figure he could get me mixed up with his 1st Wife one day if I insist I am the Wife and he doesn't remember he was Married to someone else before, in the early 1970's.   By the time my Mom's Dementia caused her Death, she'd gotten stuck somewhere between 1957 and 1960, coz she still remembered she had a Daughter, I was Born 1957, but forgot she had a Son, my Brother was Born in 1960.  

And she still thought she was Married to our Dad and that he wasn't Dead.  It upset her every time to tell her, so we quit telling her and just said he couldn't be there... which, wasn't a Lie.  And it upset my Brother for her to think he was HER Brother instead, they have the same first Name, so that confused her and she thought my Brother was my Welsh Uncle.  I told him to just play along or he'd only serve to agitate her and she once punched him in the Face when he got her upset... they can get very Physical, even if they never were before.   And she lost her ability to speak English and could only remember her 1st Language, Welsh, near the End.  And our Welsh is quite limited coz she never wanted us to have an Accent and to speak English only.  It was hard.  Dad's Body gave out first, not his Mind at all, and that was easier actually to Cope with.

My Brother's Body is giving out first and he said he's really glad it's not his Mind giving out first, and I am too.  He did finally get his Morphine Pump replaced, waited 9 Months for it tho', his Insurance kept dicking around coz he's on a form of Medicaid now for the Terminally Ill.  He did Fine during this replacement Pump Surgery, he's very high risk for any Surgery, even Elective ones, so, it's always super risky.  So, I was relieved when he notified me it was over and he'd done just Fine, it was installed and he hopes this one last long enuf he won't have to get another replacement.  He keeps outliving projected Expiration Dates, and that's been the Issue.  *LOL*  We can be a Militant bunch about not Receiving Grim Prognosis.  *Winks*  They give us a Sell By or Expiration Date and we just say, "NOT Receiving that... we're not Dead 'til God says so."  *Ha ha ha*

 He said this Surgery did kick his Butt, so his Recovery is slower this time and he's gotta take it real easy and get used to the full dosage of Morphine again, coz he'd done without it functioning properly for almost a full Year to manage his Pain.  He's been Offline a lot but did call to Wish me a Happy Easter.   He remains Up By Faith and Trusting it WILL Hold.  So far it has, his Docs don't even know why he's still Alive actually and say so all the time.  *Smiles*  Even the Local Paramedics ask him now, how many times have you had the Plug Pulled on your Life Support now and Come Back?   The Count is at Eleven so far!!! 

  Poor Marcie, his long time Partner, says every time she makes that difficult decision on his behalf she feels like shit afterwards and then he Comes Back and she has to tell him, well, I hadda tell them to Unplug ya again!!!  *Ha ha ha*  They have Dark Gallow's inappropriate Humor about it all too, but it has been truly awful for her!   And he now has a huge Chest Tattoo of The Grim Reaper with a DNR under it.  For the Benefit of any Medical Team responding to a Call.  If he Codes now, he doesn't wanna be Brought Back anymore.  *LOL*  He knows that for whatever reasons, his Body or Spirit has Come Back on it's own and even his Docs can't say why or how that's happened so often, it's a Mystery?  I Nicknamed him Lazarus.  I know one day it will happen to us all tho', Death is a certainty eventually.

Sometimes Princess T takes me back to when I was 20 since she's such a chip off the ole' Block that it's eerie how Alike we are in our ways and our Thoughts.  We were on our way to her Work and she happened to say Gay Timmy has another Job and just posted a Pix of himself in his little Vest and he looked so Cute in it.  I said, well, he is a Cutie, but what happened to him aspiring to be a Housewife and finding himself a Daddy Warbucks?  She said the Boyfriend isn't very ambitious and that she herself doesn't Need a Man for his Money, she has her own Money, is good and disciplined with Money, so she wants and Needs a Housewife like Timmy.  She'll Earn the Money and just wanna come Home to a Clean House and a Nice Meal after Work!!!  OMG I was JUST like that at her Age, I could have said just that too!

When you're Raised in a Matriarchal Society or Family, like I was, and she was, the Earning Potential and Independence and Strength of the Women makes it so they don't NEED a Man for Security or their Money.  So, it's not a Priority.  If you find one with a good Earning Potential, well, that's just Gravy, but you will always exert your own Independence apart from him and not be dependent upon him.  When I met The Man, I Earned more than he did, and did for most of our Marriage until the Banking Industry went completely Sideways.  Otherwise I would have had an equal, if not better, Retirement and Investment Portfolio too.  But, he Earned good Pensions and also Earned a Disability Income from all his Military Sacrifices made making him a 100% Disabled Veteran.

But, The Man was not intimidated or threatened by my Success and Independence, he'd never actually met a Woman with my Outlook and Strength that could match a Man and Square Off with one without hesitation.  He knew I could be a Ball Breaker if I Needed to be, just don't make me Need to be. *Winks*  I think that was intriguing to him enuf he thought it was a Positive and not a Negative, coz he Lives Dangerously like that.  *LOL and Winks*   And, he was the better Cook and much more Orderly and Disciplined about Housekeeping than me.  His Military Discipline showed up in how he keeps everything around him in Order, Tight and Immaculate.  

And his Hunting Skills and Culinary Jedi Abilities were intriguing to me, he could catch it, bring it Home AND prepare a nice Meal with it, then Clean Up after himself AND Earn good Money and be a Handsome Stud Muffin too... Splendid... I'll take THAT one!  *Winks*   He was the whole Package and apparently that's what Princess T is looking for too, her Priorities are so similar to mine when I was 20 that I had no hurries or worries to find a Man, didn't even Care if I found one actually.  I was doing just Fine on my own and being Single, even being a Single Parent, which wasn't easy, but preferable to me than being in a Bad Relationship like my 1st Marriage.  

But, in spite of being a total Psycho, as it turned out, the Ex had been a good Earner, a hard Worker, Tidy and Orderly about his ways, cooked exceptionally well, he was Handsome and a Stud Muffin too, just very Mentally Ill and self medicated a LOT to try to Manage it.  And with my Mental Health battling my Ex's worse Mental Health, it became too volatile and dangerous, so I couldn't Salvage that.  Plus, I don't like being around Alcoholics or Drug Addicts who can't manage Sobriety, becoz it causes a shit ton of collateral damage when they're Using.  I don't Drink and I don't do Drugs, so that was never the Circles I ran in and some functional Alcoholics are difficult to spot and some Addicts are Secretive about Using.  And Serious Mental Illness isn't always so apparent either.  So, you can be Fooled.

When I met The Man he was Open about being LDS and not a Member in Good Standing so I didn't have to worry about him being Churchy *LOL*, but he didn't Drink, didn't do anything Illegal, and was a Morally Traditional and Upstanding Guy.  One with an Old Fashioned way about him that was so much like my Dad's Generation, and endearing, that it Appealed to me a lot.  Guys of my Generation weren't like him at all anymore and I thought he was so Sweet and so Chivalrous in an Old School way that I knew my Family would Approve of him and I wouldn't mind him meeting my Kids and being around them.  He was like the Old Timey 1950's Dads of TV Sitcoms, like "Leave It To Beaver's" Dad, who, I always liked that Kind Fatherly Character and how he interacted with the Kids.   I wasn't known for choosing the best Relationships to be in, my Track Record was abysmal in fact.  So, The Man was something different, which, turned out to be a Good Thing.  *LOL* 

 My own Dad was Tough and Stoic, yet the Kindest and Best Dad ever, who'd do anything and everything for Family... that was the Role Model I grew up with.   And tho' my Mom and The Man never got along, she had keen Senses about People and said that tho' she didn't Like him, he was good Father, Husband, Son-In-Law Material and a Keeper!  *LOL*  The Man always thought my Mom to be an Old Gypsy Witch and she kind of made him uneasy, lest she put some Hexes and shit on him if he pissed her off, but he was always very Good to her.  And my Dad and The Man always got along from Day One, my Dad called him Son and meant that, The Man was closer to my Dad than he'd ever been to his own Dad.  Now, that said, my Parents Liked my 1st Husband coz he was a Charismatic Psychopath, and I'm not Kidding, everyone Liked him... even if they didn't Want to!!!  Psychos be like that sometimes, very Endearing, just also very Psycho and dangerous!  You might think you'd never Like a Psycho, but, you might be Surprised you would and might!?

 Anyway, The Indigenous ways of my Dad didn't bother The Man, he has an Adopted Female Cousin, Vida, who is Navajo.  It was harder for him to embrace my Mom's Cultural ways tho'.  He Liked my Welsh Uncle a lot and my Uncle Liked him and said he was a Good Man, they got along so well.  But The Man said the Welsh like Mom's Family, were an Unusual People and perhaps it was the Romani ways most misunderstood by him actually, tho' Mom's Family are Mixed, so are called the Didi Kai, and are not fully embraced by either the Welsh or the full blood Gypsies.  The Predictions and uncanny Ability to Read People so accurately and get into your Head and seem to know your Thoughts, did, and still does, Unsettle The Man.

  His own People do think it's Sorcery, a lot of Uber Religious Brands do... so I'm used to that accusation, and so did my Dad's People actually, Indians can be very Superstitious.  I think some of my Paternal Relatives likened my Mom to being a Skinwalker and they won't even speak the Name for Fear of them.   So they were always Scared of my Mom too, lest she put Curses on them, and she didn't like any of my Dad's Family very much, she had her reasons, I kept my distance too for the same reasons and still am cautious.  She had been known to do a Curse or Two when necessary.  *Bwahaha*  I have reconciled with some Paternal Relatives, but were always closer to Mom's People, they accepted me more.  In many Tribes they don't accept Mixed Race Children well and in the Old Days many used to Kill them.  Historical tragic Fact of the Not So Distant Past actually.

Looking more European than Indian, and often being able to Pass for being White, I wasn't embraced by my Dad's Family at all and I knew it from a very early Age.  Whereas my Mom's Family Adored me, and Kids kinda LIKE that.  *Winks*  My Welsh Nanna and my Welsh Uncle, Mom's Big Brother, well, I was their Favorite.  Yes, you shouldn't have Favorites but all my Cousins and my Brother would unanimously Agree, I was the Favorite and the Golden Child to our Nanna and to my Welsh Uncle Syd.  *Winks*   I could do no Wrong in their Eyes and I was super close to both of them their entire Lives and I miss them a lot coz of that Special Relationship and Bond Shared.  

My Brother was embraced by my Dad's Family, I don't even know why coz he has way Fairer Skin Tone than me if he doesn't get a Tan.  He can get some Color, but I'm my Color all the time and just get much Darker and quicker with any Sun Exposure at all.  *LOL*  But he did have the Blue Black Hair and our Dad's Eyes.  He liked going back to the Rez too, with Dad, for Visits and I Hated it as much as my Mom Hated the abject poverty condition of Reservation Living.  So, I often opted out and Dad understood why, I just didn't Like how the Indigenous had been treated and I did understand their Hostility towards White People.   And I represented too much of what that 'looked' like and was self-aware of that mark of Privilege afforded me by Appearance.   Most folks assume I'm White and I get asked often how I keep a good "Tan" all the time.  I just answer with, well, my Dad is Native American.  And then what you consider me as Being, Ethnically, is totally up to you, I don't Care.  *LOL and Winks*

But, I am more the complexion of my Son, and you can see how different that looks next to our Mom, his Nanna, who was Peaches and Cream Complexion.  She could Tan pretty good tho', my Mom, without Burning, oddly enuf she could just get Coppery Dark during Summer if Sunbathing, coz her Dad was Swarthy and the one with part Romani Heritage and they tend to be Darker folks.   And my Dad was much Darker than all of us.  Dad was as Dark as some of his Black Friends who were Medium Black.  My Dad's Oldest Brother, pictured Above, when he was in the Military, his Not-PC Nickname was Blackie!  I kid you not!  Dad and most of his Relatives, didn't like being Photographed tho', Superstitious about it.  So not many Pixs of him exist, or of my Gramma, Aunts and Uncles.  This is me next to my Paternal Relatives, my Paternal Grandmother and my Dad's Oldest Brother, my Uncle Dwight aka: Blackie. *LOL*   Dad and my Uncle were the same complexion, so I do look quite White next to them, but quite Dark next to my Maternal side of the Family.

The new PT, Wendell, just left.  He's a Young Filipino Man, very Nice, The Man liked him so did all the Exercises required, which, he'll be doing Twice Daily now to strengthen his Legs mostly and build some Cardio.  We only have Three Visits Approved for Wendell by HUMANA, so Wendell said we might wanna talk to our VA Doc, Dr. Klein, and get him to Approve more, coz the VA usually Approves more without as much hassle.  And that way we avoid Dealing with TriCare For Life or HUMANA for the PT and the VA will just provide it.  I think that's a good Plan coz the VA has Approved extended Home Care Visits already with no pushback.  That's who sends Nurse Remi Weekly and extended her Visits becoz they've been so beneficial to him.  Having a PT is like having a Personal Trainer who can help with Exercises that Strengthen, yet Monitors condition and modifies accordingly.  I'm not Skilled to do that Monitoring and adjusting/modifying a Regimen.  

LATER:  Luckily Dr. Ting's Office, the Kidney Doctor, has a Lab Tech right in his Office so no waiting like at the Major Labs, which are always too overbooked and have numerous Walk-Ins without Appointments too.  So, we were in and out with his Lab Work and I took him out for Brunch at "First Watch" afterwards since he'd done so well with his Physical Therapy Exercises and with the Labs, no complaining or resistance, he was compliant and kinda showing off while doing his Exercises really, which was good to see.  That's the "Old" him that I used to know so well.  He had the Wild Caught Alaskan Salmon Benedict which came with a Side Spring Salad with a Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing and a Fly had flown into the Salad and Died there, so they comped us his whole Meal, which was unexpected, I just wanted a new Side Salad with no Dead Flies as the extra Protein.  *LOL*  And I Photograph our Food first for Blog Fodder and you couldn't see the Dead Fly 'til you were into the Salad {see Below}, so thankfully he never eats Salad coz he chokes on it and found the Fly before I was eating any of it!  *Whew*

Hey it's the Season for Flies in the Desert, them lil buggers get on and into everything, so I knew it wasn't intentional and they felt so bad about it and Thankfully it didn't get eaten!  Ewwww.  I've eaten Insects, but Flies, lots of disease potential with those.  He was putting the Salad into a lil To-Go container for me to take to Work tonight when we saw the drowned Fly, whose demise came in the way of a drowning in Lemon Vinaigrette.  *LOL*  It did put him off eating his 2nd Benedict, he has a Weaker Stomach than Yours Truly.  And a Fly in his Food had upset him more than it had upset me.  I had the Steel Cut Oatmeal with Fruit and it came with a Carrot Muffin of the Day.  And I had my fav Iced Specialty Coffee they have there, which is to Die For.  So, anyway, it meant that The Man got comped his whole Meal and will eat the other half of it for his Lunch Today.   He'll forget all about the Fly by then.  *Winks and Laughs*

The Oatmeal was hearty so I have the Muffin and Salad to bring in to Work.  They exchanged my Salad with a Fresh one and put the Dressing on the side since I'd be eating it much later Today at Work Tonight.  So now I'm having some Down Time before I go in to Work Tonight's Shift.  I don't know what Wednesday Nights are usually like coz I normally don't fill in for any Wednesday Night Co-Workers regularly.  I'm guessing it might be Slow tho', Mid-Week usually is.  I may bring in a little bit of Fresh Merch for the Showroom.  By next Week I plan to take out any Seasonal Merch that didn't Sell for Easter and just Save it 'til next Spring.  There's not that much of it that it will take up a lot of Storage Space in the She Shed and I've cleared out a LOT of Inventory out of there already, so have more Space now.  I'm still doing a She Shed Purge and while the Weather stays Cooler I wanna get busy finishing that Project up.

I'm going thru Crates of Merch we intended to Sell, but now I wanna Curate and Cull it to only be Selling the items I know will Sell better, and just Donate the rest and get it gone expediently.  I'm kinda Over trying to Sell what languishes too long in Inventory and takes up expensive Real Estate Space I could Turn more in and Profit from quicker.  The Demographic and what they're Buying just is what it is, doesn't matter if it's Good Stuff if nobody is purchasing it and it sits around taking up valuable Space.  Not here, not there, I'd rather it just be Gone now and be that much further along in my Great Edit and Purge Project of Downsizing and Curating Possessions to what I will eventually consider Just Enough.  I don't have Plans to get rid of everything, but I'm only now Keeping what we Love, Display or Use.

And I got really Freaked Out coz Microsoft notified me someone tried to hack into my Computer so my Anti-Virus Protection notified me of Hackers.  They apparently tried to get in via The Book of Faces site and access some Offsite Betting and Porn Hub!!!  Hackers really are The Devil but Microsoft can Trace IP Addressed and found the Hackers live on Two Streets in our Neighborhood.  That reminded me then of the Two recent big SWAT Raids that happened on those Streets and I'm wondering if that has anything to do with this kind of illegal Hacking Activity those Residents might be involved in heavily?  Usually ours is a quiet very non-eventful Community where nothing much happens, so Two Big Raids in the middle of the day both times really alerted other Residents.  One even sent their drone up to video record the Raid near their house.  And showed The Son and I her footage, coz she's a Cashier at our Grocery Store down the Street.

Anyway, Two Hours later Microsoft had scanned and corrected everything and no Virus was detected so the Hackers were unsuccessful.   They were doing such things at like 2-4 in the Morning when we'd be Asleep, so we had no activity from our location and it was then easy for Microsoft to Trace their activity and where exactly to pinpoint it coming from nearby.  They asked if we owned any of those Properties and we don't, but now I now some shady Ass Fuckers live there on Flower and Mulberry Streets in our Mini Farms Community and will alert my Neighbors so they can be cautious.  Microsoft's Hotline Guy was very good at explaining what they do and that they give you their Employees Employee ID number and direct Contact Secured Phoneline and will never ask for Money or your Personal Information.  He said anyone who does is a Hacker, so Report it.   I'd never send Money or release Personal Information anyway, but some people might fall for such a Scam.  Scammers are so Clever these days and we all can be vulnerable.

Princess T laughed when I told her coz she misunderstood part of what I was telling her about it when I picked her up from Work.  Instead of the Word Offsite "Betting", she thought I said Offsite "Bedding" after talking about someone trying to access Porn Hub with my Identity and failing to!!!   Then she was confused when I followed up with, "And I don't even Gamble!!!"  She said, "Huh?"   She thought Porn Hub and then someone looking at Offsite BEDDING was a hilarious combo, so had no idea then why I'd be talking about Gambling all of a sudden?!   And why I didn't Laugh at her Joke about, well, mebbe they needed it after watching Porn {new Bedding}!  So we both Laughed Out Loud when we realized what she heard wasn't what I'd said, the Two Words do sound very much alike when you say them tho', I ain't gonna Lie.  *Ha ha ha*  I'm glad when the Scan was complete our Firewall apparently Held and notified me in time to have Microsoft do their thing.  I didn't know how long my System might be Down and compromised, but Microsoft Freezes it temporarily when a Hacker has tried to hack in. 

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Be Well and Be Safe my Friends... Dawn... The Bohemian