Tyson The Escape Artist

 The Son was upset on Saturday Night, his Native American Friend Garrett had said he got Two Tickets to a Sold Out Concert and asked The Son if he'd go with him?   Coz Garrett's Girlfriend couldn't go.  His Friend had Paid $100 and thought he got the Tickets from a reliable Source, as it turned out, he'd been Scammed by a Scalper and the Tickets weren't legit!  Luckily The Son hadn't had me drive him all the way out to Mesa for it before Garrett called him from the Concert Venue to say he couldn't get in coz they were telling him the Tickets were Fake.   We'd gotten to West Phoenix, so just turned around and glad I hadn't dumped him off at the Venue in Mesa only to find out he couldn't get in and then have to pay for an Uber back Home.  He was gonna give Garrett $40 for a Ticket his Girlfriend was gonna use before she couldn't go, Garrett didn't wanna go alone or invite someone he didn't know.

  He felt bad for his Friend being Scammed and Trusting this Seller, who was someone he felt he knew, so could Trust.  So, anyway, The Son had not expended anything, other than hype to go to a Sold Out Concert and then the Big Letdown.  I'm glad I didn't drive all the way to Mesa.  But, he was very angry about it, getting his Hopes and Excitement up for the Weekend, he hadn't planned anything else on his Night Off.  But, he was upset for this Friend being so naive he got ripped off and hadn't told The Son that he'd bought the Tickets from a Scalper.  You never Trust that kind of transaction, it's usually a Scam and exploiting people desperate to get Tickets than can't be had coz the Venue is Sold Out.  Being Invited to something and then being Letdown is always tough, for whatever reasons that happens, even if it's not the Person's Fault, it's very upsetting and disappointing.  And lately he's been very disappointed and let down by several Friends.  So it kinda compounded for him.  And now he's getting Drunk and wanting to Swim in the Pool... I do not have a Peace about Swimming Drunk!  *Le Sigh*  So, now gotta keep an Eye on his dumb Drunken Ass coz he's Self Medicating with Alcohol... as Alcoholics do!   And if someone Copes or Dulls themselves at the Bottom of a Bottle, and Substance Abuses, it's never Positive and is Triggering to me.

So, not presently Happy with The Son's deterioration, his Autism and Bipolar I Moods and Depression get bad and more pronounced when he Drinks and he becomes a challenge to get along with or rely upon due to being under the influence.  He conquered serious Drug Addiction and got Clean Years ago now, but the Alcoholism persists.  And now on to Caregiving Challenges, The Man always has Sundowners now after around 2:00-3:00 p.m. and gets more difficult to manage or pacify.  So it deteriorates and goes downhill from there on out.  He gets irritable, confrontational, malcontent, agitated, doesn't want anyone to be around him or talking, laughing, shit, even breathing it seems... *Eye Roll*... and Imagines things that you cannot convince him aren't Reality based.  The big thing now is Dinner, getting him to eat it coz now he Imagines EVERYTHING is Too Spicy, even if it's not Spicy, he'll claim it is and then won't eat it.  *Le Sigh*  His Orange Chicken, Too Spicy, when, it wasn't coz I didn't want it wasted so I ate it, very Orangey, not at all Spiced that I could tell.  He wouldn't eat the Steamed Jasmine Rice and I knew for sure that wasn't fucking Spicy!  *Eye Roll*  But, he claimed it had "Touched" the Spicy Parts.  *Oy Vey, so I just took it away*   

I won't make him something else, I figure if everything is gonna be Imagined as Too Spicy, he won't eat that either.  I had about Four different Leftovers and he Imagined it all Too Spicy.  So, I just let him munch on the damned Cheetos he was happier with, whaddya gonna do?  I can't eat FOR him!!!  I wanted all the Leftovers gone from the Chinese Takeout, but he wasn't gonna eat any of it, not even the single Crab Rangoon, which he usually LOVES, but, Nope, probably gonna be Too Spicy he says stubbornly!!!  Bloody Hell as my Dear Mom would say!   So, I ate it, delicious, NOT Spicy.  *LOL and Winks*  So between The Son now being Down in the Dumps about the Concert he'd looked forward to attending... and The Man being a real Challenge Tonight, I decided to sequester myself in our Bedroom and just Blog.  *Winks*  And then The Man came in and went to Bed... I swear he does that on Purpose when I wanna Blog!  Just so he can then be Annoyed I'm still up Blogging in our Room.  *Ha ha ha*  Sucks then to be him... *Winks*

There is a good UAP Task Force Special of Whistleblowers on News Nation... all other Stations had pre-empted their regularly scheduled programming to cover {too much} the Knicks first NBA Title Win since 1973.  Hey, I'm Happy for Die Hard New Yorkers, who've been Loyal Fans to a Team that's Lost for over 50 Years and most can't even afford Tickets to go see... long overdue.  But... to me... it's just a Game, and the Owner of the Knicks has not treated his Team's Fans Right and overpriced the Games for only the most Elite and Wealthy Attendees.  And, when folks lose their Minds over their Sports... well, I just can't muster than level of intense ginned up extreme Behavior a lot of them exhibit, I've never lost Control that much for anything.  It looks Crazy to me.  Some of them really do lose their Minds and spiral out of Control, either in Negative ways or Positive ways, about a Sporting Event, or Team... and I find it a form of Hysteria induced Madness and unsettling actually. *LOL*

So, I thought perhaps 10 Minutes of coverage would be just Fine, but Lord have Mercy they're droning on and going on about it like it's Life Altering to the Nation, it isn't.  So, I Channel Surfed past all the Hysteria about the Win, and New Yorkers swarming the Streets and acting like enormous masses of drunken Sailors who'd been out to Sea for over Fifty Years and just set Foot on Land for the first time in over half a Century!!!  *LMAO*  I watched the Reporters having to Deal with Crazed Fans acting the Fool around them to get on TV acting the Fool for Millions to see how unraveled they were Acting.   I end up Laughing and finding it embarrassingly ridiculous to see Grown Ass Adults behaving that Crazy and losing Control in Public... or... at all.  I'd be highly annoyed and embarrassed if anyone I was around or knew started Acting that way for any damned reason at all.  I'd be like, Calm the fuck Down and get ahold of yourself Man!!!  *Smiles*  Get Normally Excited, that's Fine... but don't Act like a Lunatic about it and make a Spectacle of yourself!!!

So, I've got the UFO UAP Special on instead, that at least Interests me more than any Sporting Event ever.  The Man Loves Football, but not many other Sports, even tho' he used to play all kinds of Sports and was quite an Athlete in School, and even Playing for Military Teams during his Military Career, so he could Care Less.  I'm glad I don't know any Knicks Fans, I'd surely dampen their revelry if it just Spun out of Control and got Sill or Over-The-Top.  Anyway, I wanna see "Disclosure Day" the new Film by Steven Spielberg.  I'd like to see it at the Theater on the Big Screen, even tho' we rarely go to the Movies anymore.  Emily Blunt is the only Star in it tho' that I remotely even know of, the rest, I Honestly have to say I've never heard of, even Colin Firth, couldn't tell you anything else I've seen him in either, mebbe I have, can't say?   But Spielberg's Movies are usually worth watching, so even with a relatively Unknown To Me Cast, I'm intrigued enuf.  I do think there's been a 90+ Year Coverup on what Governments, including ours, already know and won't disclose.

My Lifelong Friend Sheree just sent me this, she's on Vacay in the Florida Keys... she lives full time in Florida and has ever since her Family Retired there.  We were Friends when our Families were Stationed in England and both lived on Glebe Close in the American Military Projects there off Base.  I used to Babysit her coz she was an Only Child and Younger than me, she was more my Brother's Age and her Parents didn't really want her staying Home Alone.  So, it was more like Friends having a Slumber Party while her Parents went out on Date Nights really, and so much Fun, many Fond Memories, I'd of done it even if her Mom hadn't insisted on Paying me to.  Her Mom I Adored, sadly she Died of Cancer quite Young and Sheree is a Cancer Survivor.  She got it around the same Age her Dear Mom did, only her Mom had it way back when Treatments weren't as advanced as they are now so she succumbed to it.  Sheree Rocked not having Hair and even having very Short Hair growing back in.  She's always also had the most Wicked Sense of Humor of all my Lifelong Friends, she's hilarious.  We've been Friends since I was a Tween and she was not even a Tween yet.

Sheree, even Beautiful and being Wickedly Funny during aggressive Cancer Treatments and a Trach

Me around the Age I Babysat for Sheree... Circa very early 1970's.  Her Family knew I was very responsible and Worked a Paying Job since the Age of 14.

***

I've always been Mature for my Age which is why I always had Older Friends when I was Younger.  And now that I'm Old, Ironically, most of my Friends now are of Younger Generations and I get along fabulously with them even if they don't usually like us "Boomers" as a Demographic.  *LOL*  I'm often told I'm not like a "Regular Old Person", well, "Regular" being very Subjective of coarse.  "Normal" too.  I will admit I am probably NOT your "Garden Variety Senior" by anyone's definition.  *Bwahahahaha*  And, I happen to really LIKE Young People and try never to get so Old I forget what it was like to be Young.  And, to be entirely Fair and Honest, a lot of "Boomers" I don't like either, they annoy me.  Not any I know here of coarse, you all ROCK, but, I think even the Seniors I get along fabulously with know what and who I'm talking about as a Demographic of unlikeable, annoying, and generally Unlovely, Boomers!  *LOL*

I talked with The Niece extensively via FB, she knows I don't do Phone Calls well, tho' she does Call fairly often to check in on us.  She's living with her Dad in Texas now and helping him get VA Services.  I think he's being Scammed by a VA "Advocacy" Group and I told her so, they're charging him a Fortune to be "Represented" to receive Benefits he should be getting for Free and they're taking a "Cut" of, I told her to report that, I think they're exploiting elderly and diminished Disabled Veterans who are vulnerable Adults.  Anyway, her Dad is a handful and I know if he wants to use something or someone he's chosen, she's gonna be hard pressed to run interference on his behalf.  They only reconciled recently coz their Family dynamic is complex for a host of reasons, between the Dad and all Three Sisters... very complicated Sibling and Parental Dynamic.  Her Mom was a Lifelong Bestie of mine and went completely Off the Rails shortly before her Death too.  Her Dad's been Off his Rails for as long as I can remember.  Not all of it Service related, just how he was Raised... Rural Oklahoma, need I say more?  *Eye Roll*

I was saddened to hear her High Tech Job didn't work out and now she's just applying for Caregiver Income to take Care of her Dad coz neither Sister wants to do it.  And she does Gig Work.  She's capable of so much more since she's a Tech Guru, but she said immersing herself in AI advancement felt too complicit to something that leaves a very bad taste in her Mouth coz she's Aware of the damage it is definitely gonna cause Society.  Some will get very Rich off it, much will be destroyed by it and be collateral damage, including the Natural World and Civilization as we know it.  She's told me things about AI, coz she went back to College to learn more about development of it, that are scarier than what I already knew about it.  She said these Data Centers are being set up more for Mass Surveillance of the Public, very Big Brother 1984 shit, of which I was already suspicious about intent, now even more so and The Niece said it was really Freaking her Out the more she knew what she'd be a part of if she pursued it further.  She could get in on the Money Making aspect of it but felt it would be Blood Money.

Anyway, Tyson got out this Morning, scared shit out of The Son, coz Tyson was here at 5:00 a.m. when he went out after waking up to check on him, then gone by 7:00 a.m.!  He'd managed to push open a back Gate we go thru to Open Irrigation Gates at the Irrigation Ditch back there.  It's a hard Gate for even me to open, but Tyson is strong as an Ox, why he's named after Iron Mike Tyson... I'd always thought why did the Grandsons Name him after Chicken... bwahahaha... I know, I felt like a Putz for not recognizing it was the Famous Boxer who bites Ears off!  *LOL*  But Tyson Chicken is what came to mind for me coz I'm such a Foodie!  *LOL*  The Kiddos thought that's hilarious, but for other reasons.  Anyway, Thankfully Tyson remembers where he lives and came Home himself and was laying on the Front Doorstep directly in front of the Front Door!  *Whew*  The Grandsons were in Scottsdale, and The Son had called them.  He knew I'd Freak Out about Tyson being Missing on my Watch, which, I did!

He knew he was in trouble so was very remorseful, looking guilty as Sin when I came out to tell him he can't go exploring anymore or he'll give his Great-Gramma Dawn a Heart Attack!!!   I was Praying to St. Anthony to Find and Return him Home as I drove around the Neighborhood talking to any Neighbors who were out and about doing their Irrigation this Morning.  We'll get ours at 11:00 p.m. Tonight until 1:00 in the Morning for our Rotation.   Tyson better behave for the rest of his stay coz I can't take losing a "Child" and he is The Grandson's Kiddo and I'm the one Babysitting him, so I feel a big responsibility.  The Son tells me I'm too Old to be Babysitting him or a Human Child now, it's too much responsibility to put on me, so nobody should be asking me to do it, he could be Right?  I was almost in Tears desperately looking for him, Heaven Forbid if something had happened to him, I'd of felt responsible and never lived it down!!!  So, Tyson The Escape Artist is mercifully fine and found his own way Home again.  *Whew*

It did give me more Blog Fodder and both The Son and I were so upset that he went and bought me a Starbucks Frappiccino so I'm Calm Down some.  Coffee, tho' a Stimulant, Calms those of us with Hyperactivity and ADHD, it has a reverse effect on us coz our Metabolism and Brain Wiring is Haywire.   If I didn't have Caffeine in my Day I'd be buzzing around like the Tasmanian Devil Cartoon Character, a whirlwind of overstimulated activity.  {See Above, Yes, that would BE ME without Caffeine!  LOL}   So, anyway, that was way more excitement than I wanted to wake up to on a Sunday Morning, that's for sure!!!  But, Domestic Animals are like Children, they require Supervision or they get into all kinds of mischief and do foolish things that could put them at risk.  And with Tyson being a scary looking Dog, people will be afraid of him even tho' he's super Friendly and wouldn't hurt a Fly, nobody knows that unless they know him.  He'd of let someone bring him Home, he's just that unafraid of and friendly towards even people he doesn't know and would be compliant with their requests made of him.

Turns out our Neighbor Omar said Tyson got out to come visit his "Girlfriend", their Old Female Pit Bull, whose not breeding age anymore and is in poor Health, but Tyson and her just Adore each other.  Now it makes perfect sense, Omar said he came over to spend time with her and they had a big time romping in his Yard and then Tyson just voluntarily came back Home.  He knew we'd be upset when we found him missing, he's done this before tho' to spend time with their Dog.  But Omar's Mom is scared of Tyson, so we don't want him doing that and scaring the Old Lady by trespassing onto their Property to see their Dog.  But, he's a Dog, he doesn't know that and he's infatuated with her so he's gonna do what a Male Dog is gonna do to show off for a Female Dog he has a Relationship with that is amicable.  They just romp together and I'm sure he gets lonesome, she probably does too, they're both Seniors now at the Twilight of their Species Advanced Age.  She's been plagued with Tumors and I don't think will be around much longer.  Below is Tyson staring thru our Fence at his Beloved.  I realize now he can almost clear our High Fencing if he decided he wanted or had to, even tho' he's Old now!

 

We got back from The Daughter's Housecleaning Job in Chandler.  I'd moved Tyson over to the RV Garage Mahal side of the Property, which is triple Gated and not Gates he can Open.  But dammit, if he didn't manage to escape again, no idea how, there's no place to wiggle under or exit, but, he's gone!  So, I had to call the Grandsons again and tell them he's misbehaving so this isn't working out at all and I don't want anything to happen to him on my Watch, but, I can't keep Eyes on him all Day and Night.  He wasn't at Omar's this time, they keep their Old Dog inside most of the time anyway, she's not Outside except when she is let out to go to the Bathroom.  Tyson is too big and crashes around too much to be Inside here, plus we have an Inside Cat.  I Hope the Grandsons can find him now?  They said they were only about 35 Minutes from Home, I just can't look any more, it's over 110 and I got overheated as it is.  Other than that, everything is Swell.  *Eye Roll*

Well, not really... that was sarcasm of coarse.  I had to chastise The Man while I was gone taking The Daughter to her Job.  I knew I'd be gone 5 Hours and The Man can't Walk around that long, so I had to leave him at Home, he was not Happy about that.  The Son was the only one Home to watch him and he got really confrontational, angry, unlovely and mean when The Son was only trying to make him something to Eat.  So, The Son called me and said he really doesn't want to watch his Dad anymore becoz he's too uncooperative and gets too agitated now when left in his Care and he doesn't know what to do or how to handle it.  It's very triggering for The Son becoz he gets Emotional to see his Dad that way, and he feels very attacked for no reason.  He knows his Dad has Brain Damage AND Dementia, but it doesn't make him feel capable of Dealing with it, I understand, he's particularly difficult for The Grandson and The Son.   So, I had to call The Man and have a Come To Jesus talk with him about projecting Anger and Yelling at any of the Kids I leave in charge of Caring for him in my absence.  

I told him I Need the Help with Caregiving and if he drives all the Kiddos off who are Family, so that they don't want to fill in for me, I can't do it all by myself anymore.  So, that means he might not be able to stay in the Home being Cared for if he becomes too difficult or aggressive.  That seemed to Calm him way Down, but then The Son was very unraveled by the time I got Home, having to Deal with both his Dad being so difficult, and Tyson being so difficult, he wasn't Coping well at all, so started drinking early.   He didn't wanna be responsible for either one and felt he can't Cope with the level of Care both require and all that responsibility had clearly overwhelmed him. 

 It is problematic.  He knows it's problematic and that he is an Alcoholic.  I can't get Sober FOR him tho'.  That's something anyone with a Substance Abuse Issue has to do for themselves.  I'm hoping Tyson comes Home by himself voluntarily again, clearly he remembers where he lives, but he can't keep going off on his Adventures and finding ways to escape... it puts him at risk and I'm not comfortable about that.  I don't know how Allen keeps him contained while he's at Work all Day?  Perhaps at "Home" he Behaves better, I dunno?  He's got more area to roam and play here ON the Property, so I don't know why he's wanting to get out if not for the other Dog next door?   She didn't seem to be the reason this time tho'.   So... shit...

While I was out and about waiting on The Daughter to finish her Housecleaning Job tho' I did get to go to "Merchant Square Antique Mall" and did a bit of Retail Therapy.  They had a big Summer Sale going on with some Vendors having up to 50% Off.  I got Two Vintage Bank Bags, one has a 1950's Cashier's Check with it from The Bank I Retired From, they both were 50% Off.  I got Two Altered Art Tops, one is a Vintage Band T-Shirt Top with Batik Fabric Arms attached to it... the other is a Crocheted Vintage Lace turned into a Top.   I got an Arted up Vintage Baseball with Stars and Stripes Art on it.  And Two Jars of Honey, from a Local Beekeeper, one Tamarisk Honey {lighter Golden color} and one Alfalfa Honey {darker Amber color}.  They had about a Dozen different types of Local Honey, each of mine were Pint Sized.

LATER:  Tyson didn't come back on his own but the Grandsons found him a couple of Neighbors over and brought him Home.  Now he's sequestered only on the back Porch, don't know how else to contain him until Allen leaves, so that he won't get out again.  Irrigation has been a challenge coz it's only The Daughter and I doing it, and we couldn't lift one of the Gates, it's stuck.   The Son passed out early, he'd been drinking, and I knew that was gonna be problematic, he drinks too much on his Days Off.  The Grandsons left again, so I don't even know where they are, but, at least they found Tyson and secured him.  I'm pissed at all the Guys actually and The Daughter knows it, so she's trying to be most Helpful.  

Rob, next door, had said if we needed help to ask him, but they're having some Family Drama apparently.   And The Daughter said he seemed too irritable to even ask when she went over there.  Seems he and his Dad are at odds, which, isn't unusual, Rob drinks too much too and the Parents don't at all coz they're devout Mormons.  If a person's drinking becomes problematic for what they're responsible for, and them getting along in Relationships, then it causes contention, plain and simple.  I don't judge anyone who drinks Alcohol, I just don't wanna be around it, and especially if someone doesn't do it in moderation to the point it's become Alcoholism.  Seems most people I've ever known who drink really often, tipped into Alcoholism, and it's caused problems in their lives and their Relationships.  They don't seem to realize that for them, they can't and shouldn't drink then at all, permanently.

The Daughter is an Alcoholic too, but a different kind of drinker, she drinks every day but moderates it enuf it doesn't impair her function and she never seems drunk.  So, it doesn't bother me so long as she's moderating herself to where it doesn't Negatively impact Function, Mood and Relationship.  She's actually less Schizo acting when she's taken the Edge Off with Alcohol.   She said she wished her Brother knew when he's had enough and would just cut himself off like she does, but, he seems not to have that capacity or desire to, so he almost always overdoes it.  Anything done in excess becomes problematic.  I've got my own excesses, thankfully it's not Substance Abuse.  But anyone prone to Muchness will overdo whatever they do.   If I did drink I am sure I'd of become an Alcoholic, so I chose not to partake.  Don't like the taste or how it makes me feel anyway.  I like to be in Control of myself.  And, I'd be a mean drunk and get into Fights, not a Path I wanted to go down.

  

As you can see I went to my fav Mediterranean Restaurant and I had almost a $10 Frequent Customer Credit, so my Meal cost me practically nothing this time coz I used my Credit.  It builds up fast coz I don't go there that often.   I always save the Greek Salad, Pita and one Dip for The Daughter after she finishes her Job.  So, the one Meal feeds both of us.  It was the high point of the day to get out, take some Pixs at the Antique Mall and have some Me Time away from the daily Stressors at Home.  Since, the day had it's high and very low points, it was a necessary balance.   The Daughter coming Home to help out really Saved my Ass... since the rest of them were not having the best day ever to be able to be relied upon or weren't even here and so I would have had zero Present Help otherwise. 

*******

Keeping Calm and Carrying On... Dawn... The Bohemian

Deep Dive Down Memory Lane

 I'm Saving this Meme coz I really do want to get some of these made up for my Funeral, I Laughed my Ass off when a Friend sent it to me coz she immediately thought of me when she saw it!  She knows I would totally do this!!!  My Kids think it's a Great Idea... The Man knows it would totally go with my Over-The-Top Gaudy Gypsified Coffin I chose and prepaid for, festooned with Bright Roses and Huge Virgin Of Guadalupe Images, my Family & Friends know me well!  *LOL and Winks*  Glad that The Man and I got everything out of the way early we were doing and had an early Luncheon at "Applebee's" coz it got to 112 by 3:00 p.m. when I picked the Grandchild up from her Work!  {See Below and also how terribly Dusty the Air is coz of all the damned Construction going on around our Community!} She said it was so sweltering in the Back at Work that she'd been joking with her Older Female Co-Workers about how Hot their Receiving Room was.  The Older Ladies were saying how bad their Backs were Sweating and Princess T responds, "Well, I got Toilet Paper between my Titties!"   And everyone Laughed their Asses off.  She has got an unexpected Wicked Sense of Humor for an Introvert, I'll give her that!  *Smiles*

I'd brought The Man with me to do Environmental Cleanup at One Park, he sat at a Ramada in the Shade near the Manmade Lake and Splash Pad for the Children, which cooled off that part of the Park coz of the Water and Spray from it.  I picked up my Check and my Loving Cup Gift from Friend Amy at the Antique Mall, foofed my Showroom a bit, put some Pokemon Cards in the Locked Case and a Vintage Globe in the Showroom.  Then traded in my Aluminum Cans at the Recycle Center.  Then we had our Luncheon of the Appetizer Platters they have on Sale.  I had the Garlic Parmesan Boneless Wings, very heavy on the lovely Garlic... and Two Orders of the Wonton Chicken Tacos in mine.

The Man had Onion Rings, Riblets, and the Battered Shrimp in his.  I swear I'll smell like I'm warding off Vampires with my Breath all day now but the Garlic Parmesan Boneless Wings were fragrant and deliciously divine!  I'd never ordered that flavor before and would definitely order it again.  All their selection of flavors I've ever had have been excellent tho' and I Love their Homemade Ranch Dip to dip my Celery Sticks into.  I had the Strawberry Lemonade with a Free Refill, Love their Lemonades too there.  The Man has been enjoying getting out and about a bit again now that he's built his Stamina and Strength up enuf to after the Heart Attack and Surgery, then Rehab Period.  He's still got Cardiac Rehab to go tho', at the Hospital.

 

Now that I Ordered some Online Old Yearbooks from my Overseas High School I'd gathered up all other Yearbooks I had.  Not just my own, I've Collected Vintage Yearbooks, both Local ones and Antique or Vintage ones from any School.  They can actually be worth a lot of Money to someone wanting to replace theirs or who never got one when they were in School.  I've Resold many myself and usually find them at Chazzas, likely Donated after the Owner of them Dies and the Family Donates it becoz they don't wanna Keep it as part of the Family History.  I like looking back at the Fashions, Hairstyles, Nostalgia of every Era they were Preserving among their Pages of High School or College Life in various parts of the Country or American Military Schools Abroad.  And of coarse I Cherish the ones with all my Childhood Friends, and all the Wonderful Memories, it doesn't seem like so much Time and History has passed sometimes.  Okay, so Who was your biggest High School Crush?  The Man and I swap Stories about ours.  His Mom ended up remarrying after his Dad Died, and shocker, she Married the Dad of one of his Old Girlfriends in High School!  So, now, technically, they're Step-Siblings, Right?  *Bwahahaha LMAOROTF*   Below was my biggest and hardest Crush by the High School Years:

Then

Now... Yeah, that Lovely Lady got my High School Crush, but she is Top Shelf and Aged Well too!   I Respectfully defer.  *LOL*

My biggest Crush in High School was on my Friend Jackie's Older Brother Charles.  {See Above Then and Now, he's Aged Well and is an A-OOhga Silver Fox, as Blog Friend Shirley would say, at over 70 now.}  Jackie was such a Fun Friend and I never actually got to meet her Brother in Person, coz he was Older and I would have Spazzed and Geeked Out as a Tween does. *Ha ha ha*  But I knew her Older Sister Terry, who was such a Fashionista, I wanted to BE Terry when I Grew Up!  *LOL*  So, I definitely was Fan Girling Terry too, since Jackie and I were aspiring to be budding Fashionistas, but Terry had it Down and was so Sassy and such a Boss in High School.  We looked up to Terry, she was Bad Ass.  We were geeky Underclassmen. *LOL*  Their Mom was British too and had also Married an American G.I. of Color.  Their Dad was so Handsome and their Mom so Pretty, they got the Beautiful People Genes, Smiles, so all Four of their Kids were good looking too.  *LOL*  One of her Brother Charles' Daughters looks so much like her Aunt Jackie that I'd of thought it was Jackie's Daughter!!!

Jackie

Terry

Charles' Beautiful Daughters, the one on the Left looks so much like her Aunt Jackie did in High School!   Her with her Dad {Below}.

I didn't Date in High School, I just had Crushes on some Guys.  *Smiles*  But all the Popular Guys were my Posse, so my Female Friends Loved that.  I could make the Introductions to the Guys they liked.  I was like one of the Guys, which, is NOT conducive to being asked out on Dates.  *Ha ha ha, I was in the Friend Zone*  But, I didn't mind, coz those Friendships with all my Male Friends usually lasted way longer than Romantic Relationships would have, often for a Lifetime, which was better.  Anyway, I feel I was destined to meet and end up with The Man, so all is as it should be.  I had more Guy Friends than Gal Friends when I met The Man and likewise, he had more Female Friends than Male Friends.  So, neither of us minded the other one having so many Friends of the Opposite Sex. I've never seen a problem with that, but a lot of Couples do.  Often The Man became Friends with my Male Friends and got along with them really well, becoz I've always had great Friends who were Ride or Die with me, Protective of me, and stayed in my Inner Circle like Brothers from other Mothers. 

Sandy

Barb

Yava

Renee

Julie

One of the Gals I knew from my American High School Overseas, Sandy, went on to become Miss Georgia in the Miss America Beauty Pageant.  {See Above}  Of coarse all of the Four Eakes Sisters were Gorgeous, even as Teens, so I wasn't Surprised, Nice Girls too, Beautiful Inside and Out.   Two of my Friends, Barb and Yava, became Homecoming Queen in their Senior Year.  {See Above}  And I do remember thinking it was gonna be my Friend Renee who would be one of the Underclassmen Attendants at Homecoming, but she got beat out by another Friend of ours, Julie, to be our Class Attendant for Homecoming. Both just the Sweetest Girls that everyone liked so much, so casting of Votes had to be close I figured.  I was conflicted on who to cast my Vote for, you could only Vote once.  Renee was the Quieter Introverted Friend, who didn't even seem to realize she was so Beautiful.   So I confess I Voted for her, since Julie was involved in everything and I was pretty sure she'd get a lot of Votes and didn't Need mine.

Then

Kathy Now

Above is a Then and Now of my BFF whose been my Bestie since we were Tweens, Kathy.  A different BFF Kathie than the one that just Passed Away in May, who I met as a Young Adult in Arizona.  I've just known a lot of Good Friends with the same First Name, tho' sometimes different Spellings of it.  *Smiles*  Some Names are madly popular during different Eras and so you know a lot of people with that Name.  Kathy and I met coz we lived right Next Door to each other on Glebe Close in the American Projects Housing in Thetford, England and went to High School together, becoming Besties.  Her Parents were also an Interracial Intercultural Union, her Dad a White American G.I. and her Mom a Filipina.  Her Mom was stunningly Beautiful and a lovely Person, sadly she Died quite Young, both of our Moms got Cancer, mine Survived it, hers Sadly didn't.  I got along so good with the Moms of my Best Friends, often their Moms were like Friends once we became all Grown.  Kathy and I will be BFF's until the day we Die.  She's Beautiful Inside and Out and has been like a Big Sister to me for well over Fifty Years. 

Above is my Brother and I in High School Mug Shots of that Era in Time.  My Brother was 6'4" by High School, so towered over most Guys and he had the Best Hair, the Color of a Raven's Wing, thick and wavy, more like our Mom's Hair.  My Dad had the very Straight Blue Black Hair of his People, I just got the Straightness, my Hair had trouble even holding a Perm... which, was a Thing for a while and I had a loose Fro' going on for a portion of my Teens and early Adulthood.  *Ha ha ha*  I'd had very long Straight Hair all my Life so I liked the Change.  My Friends didn't, especially my Guy Friends didn't, they couldn't Imagine why I'd cut my extremely long Hair off that they Admired and apparently Loved?!  *Smiles, who knew?!*   At one point my Hair reached way past my Hips, I Sold it to a Wig Maker who used it to make Human Hair Wigs... my Mom Cried!  *I can understand Why now... at the time I thought she was being Silly.*  I did the same each time my Granddaughters each cut off all their Lady Godiva-Rapunzel length Beautiful Hair.  *LOL*

RIP Young Tommy Leal

Sadly, one of the Guys we knew, Tommy, tragically Died in High School while running Track & Field.  He was only 16 and didn't know he had a Heart Defect, he'd even passed the required Physicals to engage in Team Sports and he'd been very Athletic and a Star Athlete from a very Young Age.  He was Handsome, Popular and well liked by everyone, so I remember it being such a shock when it happened.  That same Year Tommy Died so suddenly and tragically, another Young 16 Year Old Female Student, Jo Austin, Died tragically of a Brain Aneurysm.  She'd just had a Bad Headache at School and Died on the Bus Ride on the way Home!!!   They never got to Marry, have a Family, cut short before they even attained Adulthood.  Life is very Fragile like that and Old Age is a Privilege not afforded to many, so I don't take it for Granted I've been Afforded the Privilege of Growing Old.   But, most Memories are Sweet, Nostalgic and Good that we choose to remember fondly and savor for a Lifetime.  I try not to recall any that were Bad and dwell too long on them.

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I Hope you enjoyed the Deep Dive with me my Friends... Memories should be Sweet & Savored for a Lifetime... Dawn... The Bohemian