Good News ~ Bad News ~ Organized Chaos

 Well, Good News Bad News to start off this Post.  The Son got called by the "Dollar Tree" Store for the part-time minimum wage Job, which, is, at least something and Walking distance from our Home.  Yay.  Now, for the Bad News, he needs his Birth Certificate and Social Security Card, which I keep for both Adult Kids in their Baby Books coz they lose every fucking thing all the time.  But, The Daughter has been Organizing for me, which was necessary... and Re-Organizing what I'd already Organized, which, wasn't necessary.  And guess what she moved, so it's not in the place I always keep them and can easily find them?  Yep, and now she can't recall where she put his... or mine... just hers and her Sons, which doesn't Help and even theirs ain't where they SHOULD be so they don't get Lost too!!!

So, I had to drop him off without them, and Hopefully they'll still let him start and get Copies to them later?  Then she proudly tells me, well, at least I Found my set of Keys to the 5th Wheel... well, Splendid, coz she'd Lost or Misplaced those Weeks ago and had to use mine.  But now mine are MIA and she THINKS she still has them.  Oy Vey.  These Two would lose their Head if it wasn't attached to their damned Shoulders, I swear!  They have worse Memory Care Issues, probably due to Years of Substance Abuse that's killed off Brain Cells, than me or their Dad has in the way of Aged Related Memory Care Issues, or his Traumatic Brain Injury and Dementia!!!  *Le Sigh*  When you have Special Needs Kiddos it's that way For Life, it ain't getting any better.  When I'm Gone, well, I just don't know what will become of any of 'em?

But, he was Jazzed, after being out of Work and Laid Off since before Thanksgiving of 2025, to FINALLY have any Job Opportunity.  Lotsa places saying they're Hiring, but, they're really not.  And, I'm hearing that from a lot of Peeps looking for Work, whether in High Tech Fields, Corporate America, or Blue Collar Jobs, even Minimum Wage Jobs.  A lot of Technology and AI is already replacing People, and, the Economy is so shitty that places are cutting back to stay solvent and a Reduction In Force is usually what happens first.  They'll just spread the Work among whose left and they can't complain or they'd just be Laid Off then too and everything just spread out even thinner with whoever is left and being exploited and overworked as well as likely underpaid... and with few, if any, Benefits.

So, anyway, I was Sweating Bullets in The RV Garage Mahal looking for said Baby Book in vain with The Son when The Man's Home Nurse John showed up.  They couldn't find me so I guess that all went okay and John said he'd Release him after next visit.  His Wound Care went well so we don't really Need John anymore.  Actually Nurse Remi could have done what they sent John to do and she said she just will, it's not a problem if he has another Wound Issue, she can Dress it and look after it for him.  But, she's contracted thru the VA and John was contracted thru our Medicare Advantage Plan and they wanted their contractors monitoring that Wound and Aftercare.  So... whatever... so long as it's Paid For and Covered by Insurance, any of them, I don't Care. 

I Priced a bunch of Merch to take into Inventory before the Weekend.  But, I haven't, coz nobody is Home now to watch The Man for me so I can, and he's not Well enuf to be dragged along to the Antique Mall yet.  I dropped The Son off at the Dollar Store to fill out his 1099's and such.  When his Sister gets back Home from her Side Job she's at I told her the Highest Priority is her looking for where she moved those damned Baby Books from and put them back, ALL of them!!!  Anything I've already Organized or Styled doesn't Need anyone to Touch it anymore, that's the New Rule.  *Winks*  I appreciate them doing what hasn't yet been Done coz it Needs to get Done, but don't mess up or lose what's already in place, that's all.  Some things shouldn't have to be said, but, you know... *Eye Roll*

I'm just Glad that The Son will have some Paid Employment again, he was becoming so despondent coz he's never been out of Work this long since he was only 14 Years Old!!!  He's a hard Worker and an Asset to any Employer.  He learns quickly and is almost Savant with the type of Autism he has... and he's skilled at a lot of things and if they're willing to Teach him more New things, he's Game for that with any Employer.  He's got Adult ADHD like I do and we can't be Still, so keeping us busy is not something we view as a Negative, we LIKE to be busy and get things done in Record Time.  I'm not bragging, but even at my Age, I can work Circles around most People and am faster than even Co-Workers in their Prime.  I can still Type faster than anyone I've ever known, I can still lock up any System if I try to Type faster than it can handle the number of Keystrokes.   And I can do it with usually 98% Accuracy too!  *LOL*

And that's with Arthritic Hands now, but, I have worn the Numbers and Letters off every Keyboard I've ever Worked on and put worn divots in the Keys that you can feel the indentations of from Use.  *Smiles*  I can bang out one of my Epically LONG Posts in no time and I can Type almost faster than I can Think.  And I Think very fast coz my Mind Spins at Warp Speed all the damned time.  *Ha ha ha*   Sometimes I can't turn my Thoughts Off and am so Hyper that only very Strong Coffee can Calm me Down enuf to Relax or Feel Tired enuf to be Still long enuf to Fall Asleep.  I should probably have always been on Medications.  *LOL*  But, I have the worst adverse Side Effects to any Psyche Meds they ever tried to put me on, so, I don't take anything for all of it from a Mental Health Standpoint.  I am OCD and Bipolar as fuck too, and probably somewhere on the Autistic Spectrum {undiagnosed tho' for that}!!!

When I was a Kid they didn't have Advanced Mental Healthcare at all so they just told my Parents vagaries like I was 'busy' and 'high strung', had above Average Intelligence and Bored easily, so, keep me Challenged and try to keep me out of Trouble.  *Ha ha ha*  That last part... well, there were some Stories!  *Winks*  Like the time we were Stationed in France and at Age 2, well, I stood in the Middle of the Road of Base Housing with a Big Stick, shaking it at the Base Commanders Car that was coming down the Street and had to Stop!!!  With his Chauffer getting out and saying, "Whose Kid is this!?"  This was when my Dear Dad was only an Airman First Class, and since I looked nothing like either of my Parents, they just said they didn't know whose Kid I was!  *Bwahahahaha*  I finally let him pass... and I guess they just figured I might have been some Feral French Gypsy Child, coz the Gypsies and Algerians used to Sell stuff Door to Door in Base Housing in them days.  *LOL*

And I definitely looked like a little French Gypsy Child and Acted like one too, I was Friendly with some of the French Gypsies there.   I was Working the French Flea Markets with no Money as a Toddler and Negotiating Deals for shit I wanted and had no Money to Buy.  My Parents lost track of me all of the time coz I was so Hyper.  And when they'd find me I'd have all the Free Shit I'd haggled for.  They'd check with the Vendors to make sure I hadn't Stolen it.  *LOL*  And I'd end up with it to Keep too, with Vendors just giving it to me.  Coz I spoke 5 Languages Fluently back then and the Flea Market Vendors, of every Ethnicity, thought I was Adorable and a lil Hustler, speaking to them in whatever their first Languages were, they appreciated my Toddler Game and my bold Hustle.  *Bwahahahaha*  I was kinda Cute, I had very Dark Skin but Blonde Hair and Grey Eyes, and only Weighed 16 lbs. at Age 2, so was Tiny.

My Mom endeared herself to the Algerians who Sold the kinds of Merch she liked to Buy like Jewelry and Tapestries from Algeria.  Only the Algerian Men were smitten with her and always wanted to take her away to the Casbah!  Even tho' she had Two Small Kids in Tow and was Married, didn't matter to them, they were persistent those Algerian Men.  Who were Handsome and always carried this big curved Knife on their Hips.  So, after we bought all we wanted of Tapestries and Bling from them, Mom would not answer the Door when they'd come around and have us all Hide until they went away.  *LOL*  And we learned quickly not to Buy Bunnies from the French Gypsies.  Mom initially thought they were Selling them as Pets, 'til she Agreed to Buy one for me and the Woman slit it's Throat right there and then to show her it was Fresh to EAT!  My Mom almost Fainted and she said I Screamed!  Funny Story now, not so Funny back then, and traumatic as it was happening. 

Much later, when we lived in England during my Dad's last Overseas Assignment and Tour of Duty before Retirement, I was a Teenager.  I worked the British Flea Markets, which had a lot of Irish Gypsies, Pakistanis, and East Indian Vendors.  I worked my Hustle there too and began working for an Old Irish Gypsy who taught me everything he knew.  He Sold Gold and Silver Jewelry, not fake either, and did a lot of Business Trading with the East Indians who were Flea Market Vendors.  So we always had lovely East Indian Meals prepared Fresh.  But it was hard Work setting up and taking down the Tents he Sold out of.  Sometimes he Paid me in Cash, sometimes in Trade if I wanted Gold or Silver Jewelry for myself or my Mom.  He once gave me a Fav Ring, a Sterling Silver Snake Ring with Burmese Ruby Eyes, I LOVED it.

Sometimes I'd do some Side Work for the East Indian Vendors he knew and rather than pay me, they'd Trade me some of their Gorgeous Exotic Velvet and heavily Hand Embroidered Kurta Tops, which I looked really good in.  And some of the African Vendors had African Trading Bead Necklaces and Colorful Caftans and Dashikis, that I'd Work in exchange for them to Trade me for that Merch rather than Pay me.   I always dressed Exotic Hippie Style like that, even tho' most of my Peers in High School were wearing Jeans and looking more Pedestrian and scruffy.   Well, except for all my Black Friends at School, who always had Swagger and cutting edge Style.  *LOL*  The Black Guys at School wore "Walking Suits" in the early 70's. {Similar to See Above new Modern Retro Style 70's Wear} Our School was about Half Minority Students, since our Military has been a way out of Poverty and into a Career, it's why my Dad and many of his Family on the Rez Enlisted.

A very faded Polaroid of me Circa Early 1970's in one of those Velvet Embroidered Hand Embroidered Kurta Tops I Traded Work for with the British East Indian Vendors before we moved to Arizona.  I Loved those Tops and had a whole Closet full of them, the East Indians would make them in the Tiny Sizes, coz back then I Wore an American Size 1 and pickin's were slim for someone that Small.  I think my Top Weight before I had Kids was 98 lbs. and usually more around 93, so I was smaller and skinnier than Princess T even is now.  Hard to Believe, but True.  I only Weighed 128 when I Delivered The Son at Age 28, who was a 10.6 lbs. Baby at Birth!!!  Yeah, Ouch, coming out of Hips as Slender as a 14 Year Old Boy's and I was almost 30!  *Bwahahahaha*  As I recall I weighed less than 110 when I Delivered The Daughter and she was 8.2 lbs..  I had easy Births compared to a lot of my Big Friends who you'd think would have no problems giving Birth, with their Wide Hips, but, did.

I just got Chinese Takeout for Lunch/Dinner, squeaking in only moments before they quit the Cheaper Luncheon Menu.  *Whew*  I got Mongolian Beef, Cashew Chicken, Kung Pao Chicken, Sweet & Sour Pork, Eggrolls, Steamed Jasmine Rice, Fried Rice.  Everyone could sample whatever of it they wanted when I got the Four Luncheons Home to split Four ways.  Princess T was going out to Dinner with Rusty, her Boyfriend, so she wasn't eating here... and The Daughter is at a Friend's Home, so it was just all the Guys and I here to eat it.  The Grandson only can't eat Pork, he has Gut Issues with Pork Products so just doesn't eat them anymore.  The Daughter and her Kiddos all have Gut Issues and Food Intolerances, mostly Lactose, but Princess T was allergic to so much more than Lactose as it turns out when they did the Testing for what she has Sensitivities to.  Lord, she was basically Food Allergic, poor thing!  *LOL*   Her Brother and Mom only slightly less so.

On the First of the Month we can splurge some, but, not much anymore.  I've got to take The Son to another Job he has way across the City, with the Price of Gas I'm not thrilled about how far the Job is, don't feel it's worth it but he's Cultivating a Contact with a Private Contractor who wants him to join the Team for Side Jobs.   She owns her own Business and he used to work with her when they both worked for a Company, he likes working with her and this could turn into something more lucrative as she gets more Contracts.  She's a Subcontractor tho' and that's always a risk coz a lot of Contractors tend to Stiff their Subcontractors and not Pay them.  So, he's cautious and seeing how it goes.  Right now he Needs any Work and most of the higher paying Jobs/Contracts are in the North and East Valley where the Money is.  More affluent folks live in the East and Northeast Valley, so you can get the big paying Jobs there for Wealthy Clients with Deep Pockets.

So, I guess I'll have to hang out on the Eastside while he's doing this Job with her.   But, I don't like using up that much of my expensive Gas coz it's costing me $100 to fill up now and that's being frugal with how often I do.  Gas just went up another Dime in the last 24 Hours!  So, it does worry me, we're on a Fixed Income.   I can't stretch a Fixed Income coz there's no prospect really of increasing it much, if at all, any kind of way with discretionary Income Needed for Cost of Living Increases at the current Inflationary Rate. 

 It's spiraling out of control and most American Wages can't even keep Pace, let alone American Retirees or those having Job Insecurities and Food Insecurities already, or can't afford basics like Rent or keeping their Vehicles gassed up so they have transportation access, with these skyrocketing Prices.  Nobody is getting Relief in the way of actual Tax Breaks for Ordinary Folks either, we still Owed a lot.  And that tapped out most folks Savings if they Owed Taxes big again.  I was fortunate my Grandchild paid for it for us this Year.  I simply didn't have it.

We've got Six Mouths to Feed and only One Minimum Wage Income coming in from a Job right now.  And Fixed Income from Retirement Pensions for he and I, and Disability The Man Earned by being 100% Disabled from his Military and Dept. Of Defense Service.  We spent a Lifetime Working hard at Careers to have a Retirement where we didn't have to Work, and in his Case he can't even Work or Care for himself, so, I can't really Work a Real Job either with being a Full Time Unpaid Caregiver to him.

   Listen, if I didn't have that preventing me from Working, I might consider getting a part-time Job to make ends meet easier, so long as I wasn't penalized by Social Security for doing so.  But if you Earn over $24,480 and you are under FRA, you get Penalized a whole Dollar for every Two Dollars Earned over!  If FRA it goes up to $65,160 a Year before Penalties kick in, which are then $1 for every $3 over.  I'm now over FRA of 67 so there would be no limit on Earnings... FINALLY... Whew!  So, Yeah, I'd consider it to alleviate Financial Stress.

There's gonna be a huge dump of Family Photos and Food Porn Images in this Post, I've been trawling my Photo Archives and Folders Online I keep all my Images in.  I'd been looking for some of my BFF who just Passed Away Yesterday, for the Tribute Post that will Publish just before this one.  Along the way I found other Favorites of Family and Friends, so decided to include them too.  I haven't been doing much Photography coz I haven't been going anywhere to.  Gas being so high, just taking The Son to this Job Tonight used all my Gas to where the "Lights" came on the Dashboard telling me I only had 50 Miles worth of Gas left, so... remember to fill up!!!  *Le Sigh*  When I put $20 in it only gave me 4 Gallons, but that's all the Cash on Hand I had until our first of the Month Pay hit.  Otherwise, I wouldn't have had Gas Money.  It's getting critical and I hear in Cali it's up OVER $7 a Gallon now!!!  When they go up Arizona usually does too coz we use the same Refineries there.

I'm already livid that it's almost at $6 a Gallon and going up exponentially every single Day now, by increments of a Dime or more Daily, which, is ridiculous and scary!!!  Becoz soon the Reserves will run out and then we'll have Shortages, so that will spike prices even more and once Shortages happen on anything, Panic sets in with the Public like it did with Food and Toilet Paper during the Pandemic.  When a Run on an essential happens, they shit gets Real.  And so I'm bracing for that, coz, it's not like you can stockpile Gasoline!!!   I don't know anyone who owns a Hybrid Vehicle or an Electric One, tho' I do see them all over the City and they're becoming relatively popular but have their own Issues that are significant.  Enuf so that I don't want one.

 

As you can see by my Lead Images, over by where I dropped The Son off at that Job, was my favorite "Whole Foods", which, they don't have any in the West Valley.  So I went in to the Bakery and ended up with the Frangipani Tart, which was spendy, but, fuck it, I WANTED it.  And if we don't deserve it, who does, Right?!  *LOL and Winks*  And, it was delicious, tasted as good as it looks, so The Man and I had some as soon as I got it Home.   It was quite large and all I bought while there.  But I did also stop at a "World Market" and get some Macadamia Nut Honey from Hawaii, and some Lavender Blueberry Jam too, and some Japanese Imported Mochi in Three Flavors. {See Below}

I Love Gourmet Foods and "World Market" was somewhere my Mom and I always Shopped Together so she could get her British Import Foods from Home that normally she couldn't find in American Grocers.  Phoenix also has a lot of Fine International Grocers, in fact, my Ex-DIL's Cambodian extended Family Owns most of them in Maricopa County that are Asian Grocers.   But there are Arabic Grocers, African Grocers, Eastern European Grocers, East Indian Grocers, Mediterranean Grocers, Hispanic Grocers, Russian Grocers, European Grocers, and several International Bakeries all around the Metro Area too.  We have diversity in a City of this size and I just Love that about Metro Phoenix.   I feel decadent putting a Gourmet Jam or various types of Honey on something as simple as a piece of Toast or an English Muffin.   I am a Food and Beverage Snob, I ain't gonna Lie, it's one thing I won't Cheap Out on, I Buy the Best I can Afford, always.

Above is The Daughter in her early Teens, Below is me with a Newborn Young Prince, and The Son, who was an Uncle yet again and he HATED it!   *Ha ha ha*  Since he became an Uncle so Young, as a Grade School Aged Youngest of our Brood, he didn't like us being Grandparents already.  He hadn't had us all to himself all that Young and his Sisters are quite a bit Older than him.  So Sharing us was not easy for him to embrace or being like a Brother to the Nephew and Niece that we became Custodial Grandparents to at their Birth.  It had been difficult enuf for him when his Older Nieces were Born and the Oldest only came to visit as a Toddler.  He was adamant that you shouldn't be called a Gramma or Grandpa until you had White Hair!!!  *LOL*

That was his Criteria... ha ha ha... and so by that Standard I still wouldn't be called Gramma and I'm already a Great-Gramma to several.  So, it wouldn't have worked out.  My Dad Died with Blue Black Hair in his 70's, as did most of his side of the Family, most never went Grey, Silver or White Haired.   Mom's Side went premature Silver quite often, including my Younger Brother, who takes after her side of the Family more.  He had Blue Black Hair like Mom and Dad, Mom went Silver in her 30's and he started going Silver in his 30's too, but, never lost much Hair and always had thick wavy Hair I was envious of.  Mom's Family had the very coarse Curly Hair... I got the Native American Texture and Straightness instead, but, I'm one of the only Family Members with Light Hair.  I'm told a Great-Great-Grandfather on Mom's Irish Maternal Side of the Family had Red Hair.  Tho' all the other Irish and Welsh Family Members had the Blue Black, so that pesky Recessive Gene showed up.  All my Native American Relatives have Blue Black Hair.

Above Two of the Great-Grands who are Sisters, they have a Younger Brother.   And Below is a Granddaughter with her Oldest Child, her Youngest is a Girl.  Their Youngest Sister has yet to Marry or have Children, I don't know if she wants any or ever will tho', not a Priority and she's 24, so has time to make up her Mind about it.   The Young Prince and Princess T don't want Children, Princess T isn't even sure she wants Marriage?   Her Brother, after he gets this Divorce, said he never wants to Marry again and isn't a Breeder, so he doubts he'd end up with Children unless he switches Teams and ends up with a Woman and she wants a Family.  *LOL*   It could happen, he's Dated Women before and considers himself Gender Fluid when it comes to Relationships... even tho' he's a Trans Man who sometimes presents as a Female.

Below is the Little Bother of those Two Sisters... they're the Trio of Great-Grands of our Oldest Granddaughter Back East in Pittsburgh.  Some of the Pixs are Older ones so all the Great-Grands are getting much bigger already than in these Photos.   Anyway, I actually had a good time over in the East Valley and won't Need to bring The Son Home.  He'll be getting a Ride back when they're done with the Job in a few Days.  They'll also be setting up a Paint Booth Tent here beside The RV Garage Mahal for him to do the Painting of the Custom Cabinetry they'll be making for the Clients.  I have the Room, the Owner doesn't yet, since she lives in a Rental at some Nice Apartments and is Scouting for another Commercial Building.   They only do smaller Custom Jobs for Residential Customers, she doesn't wanna branch out and do Big Commercial Jobs and end up with too much Work too soon.  To whom much is given, much is required... you can Grow too fast. 

I wake up this Morning to The Grandson telling me Sayde had to take him to the ER and he'd gotten another Brown Recluse Spider Bite from a different Friend's House than the last time he got Bit by one!!!  Oy Vey, last time it was on the Ass, this time on his Leg, I guess this is a bad Year for them and he's had Bad Luck being attacked by them.  *Le Sigh*  He spent Six Hours there, but I didn't know it coz I wasn't Home yet, I was taking The Son to that Job near Scottsdale.  He got a Ride Home afterwards, but I was still gone for Hours coz it was Rush Hour and I was way over on the Far Eastside.  So, Luckily when he realized what kind of Bite The Young Prince had gotten, when they'd been at their Friend's Home, she took him to the nearest ER.  He has no Insurance so, now I HOPE I can afford the slew of Prescriptions they gave him?!  He'll be added the Cost of the ER Bills to the Stack he already can't Pay from previous Emergencies that required immediate Medical Attention.  *Le Sigh and he shrugs, whaddya gonna doe?*

He's got no Money, is unemployable, and SMI to the Max, so, also Non-Compos Mentis, so he can't enter into any Legally Binding Agreement since he's not competent to.  Anyway they should have signed his Ass up AGAIN and pushed hard to get him on AHCCCS indigent Healthcare Coverage, so that at least they'd get Paid.   And, since he was gone for Six Hours, I didn't know that so The Man was actually here without Caregiver Coverage too!!!  Oy Vey, this is Why leaving The Grandson in Charge is something I hardly never, ever do.  At least Sayde took one for the Team and took The Grandson to the ER and sat with him for Six Hours.  I'd of had to drag The Man along too and that would have been Too Much only a Day after a Best Friend Died.  

And I can't risk exposing The Man and I to a bunch more Sick contagious folks at some ER either.  Every time I go lately I end up getting Sick and not Feeling Good for Days later, catching whatever was going around to bring them to an ER!!!   And he's so frail, and we both have comorbidities so it can become serious or even fatal to us.  So, anyway, I have a stack now of RX to fill for The Grandson, all Body Parts Crossed it's affordable Medications?  I think it was before when he got Bit by one.  At least we got Paid now so I have some Money to cover the Cost of whatever it is, coz, he HAS to have it.  Brown Recluse Bites are no Joke, the Venom eats your Flesh and I've seen some horrific Cases of when folks got Bit and neglected to get immediate Medical Attention.  A Friend at Work has almost lost his entire Shin to the severe Necrotic Tissue Damage!  It's eaten 1/3 of his Shin now and he may lose his Leg and he's a Big Powerful Built Guy.  His Wife showed me the Pixs, it's horrific and terrifying! 

So, the Bad News just keeps on fucking coming, doesn't it?   I took The Man with me to just sit in the Truck while I did Environmental Cleanup at the Park, so he'd be in Fresh Air, Shaded, with the Windows down in the Truck.  It's a Cool Breezy Day.  I got 40 Cents a Gallon off my Gas with my Fry's Discount but it still cost me $78 to fill up!!!  I took him out for Crepes at "Coladas" afterwards, he had the Peach, I had the Mango Kiwi Coconut Pineapple, which is a Summer Seasonal one.  Both came with a Scoop of Coconut Pineapple Ice-Cream.  We sat outside at a Bistro Table and it's next door to where the Pharmacy is to drop off the Grandson's Rx.   Which will Thankfully only be $23 for all Three, when they Pharmacist knew he had no Insurance she put him on their Discount Plan.  Which Saved me a lot of Money, since I told her I had to cover it since he has no Income and no Employment.  Princess T got off Work before 8:30 a.m. coz they had no Work, so she was with me and said she'd cover it if I couldn't.

The East Indian Female Pharmacist looked shocked and said, "You Work?!  And have Money!?", Princess T Laughed and Joked, and said, "Yeah, I'm Twenty... and I work over at SAVERS and I'm a 'Saver'..."  *LOL*  She said people always think she's about 12 and still in Jr. High School, when she's wearing little or no Make-up, sometimes even when she is, coz she's Tiny too.  Most High School Girls these days are as Big as I am, not a Size 3 like she is.  *LOL*  Nobody ever thinks she's an Adult and Twenty, she said sometimes Rusty gets hard looks from people who think he's Romantically involved with an Underaged Girl.  *Ha ha ha*   Anyway, above Pix is The Daughter with my recently Deceased BFF's Older Daughter, who I was the Birth Coach to when she had her Oldest Son as a Teenager.  She did a lovely FB Tribute to her Mom with some Pixs I'd never seen before of her Mom. 

 

And now for our Crepe Pixs, coz, you KNOW you WANT 'em.  *Winks and Smiles*   We were the 1st ones waiting at the Pharmacy before they Opened at 9:00 a.m. and there was a line already forming behind us, so the Pharmacist had to hit the Ground running this Morning.  The Pharmacist came to unlock the Security Gates around it and said, "Wow, you all are up Early... nobody Slept In on this Fine Saturday Morning?!"   And I piped up, "No, and I already had Crepes...", and everyone Laughed.  *Smiles*   And Princess T said in a Bougee exaggerated Pretentious Voice, "Ohhhhh, and she's already had Crepes, La-De-Da...", and everyone really Laughed then.  *Smiles, we get up being Hilarious, what can I say?*

That lil Outing was almost too much for The Man, so I'll go to pick up the Prescriptions Solo, he's had enuf Activity for one Morning now.  He really is having Mobilty and Balance Issues now, it's scaring me actually.  I don't know if we'll get his Leg Strength up to Speed or not?  Or his Heart Strength?   I am thinking of getting him one of those under Desk Ellipse Leg Exercisers for Seniors that are Remote Control and actually move his Legs FOR him, but exercises and strengthens the Muscle with low impact and he can do Seated.   AMAZON has one but I don't use AMAZON or their Prime, never Ordered anything from Bezos in my Life and won't.  Anyway, E-Bay has some too but they're all expensive or from International Sellers, which means, high Tariffs even if the Price was good, not Ordering anything with a Tariff attached to it either, Fuck Donnie Two Dolls and his Tariff Extortion Racket.

That's Right Eli, it's exactly how I Feel too about this Regime!  *Winks and Laughs*   Eli has the Best Feline Facial Expressions ever IMO.  *Smiles*   I know this was an extra lengthy Post dumping Too Much Visually and with the Content, but, I'm Manic when I'm Emotionally Raw and Blogging is Helpful.    LATER: I went to the Discount Grocer and got some great Deals on Non-Perishables we Need and Stock up on, plus they always give me $10 Off my Order.  Now I'll only Need to Buy Perishables for the rest of the Month out of the Grocery Budget.  The Young People at the Discount Grocer who are Cashiers know me by now.  *Smiles*  I come in the 1st or so of every Month now. 

The Daughter is back now, someone loaned her a 10-Speed Bike and she rode the Ten Miles Home on it.  She got quite a Sunburn, but I'm impressed she rode the whole Ten Miles, since, she hasn't ridden a Bike for Years.   Since they're letting her Keep the Bike until they Need it, she may let her Brother ride it to and from Work to the Dollar Store, which is only about a Half Mile from Home.  He could Walk it easily or I could Drive him, but Biking would be quick and good Exercise.  He has someone lined up to buy the Malibu, since, it's not Operational so he might as well Cash Out on it for Salvage, it is Titled, but hasn't ran in a long time and he's put a lot of Money into it to no avail.

In a little while I gotta pick up the Grandson's Rx Meds from the Pharmacy too.   Below are some Family Photos, we never Owned a Camera Growing Up so my Parents would sometimes borrow one of those Old Brownie Cameras from a Friend and that's the only time we got Photos taken and very few as a whole Family.  We never had any Professional Portraits taken.  But, Growing Up we didn't know we were not 'well off' coz my Parents always really made a gorgeous looking Home, Mom had such a Good Eye for The Good Stuff and Dad always Worked Two or more Jobs.  His Military Job and then he always worked as a Master Chef at some High Class Restaurant AFTER Working his Military Shift!

The Photo in the lower Lefthand Corner Above is my Dad in Alaska when he was stationed there for a Year unaccompanied at Murphy Dome.  He looks so Dark coz everything was White... his Uniform, the Snow, the Sky... ha ha ha.   Below Right Hand lower Photo is The Man with our Oldest Daughter at her Wedding.  She's the only one of our Three Kids whose ever actually Married.   Tho' we have several Grandkids who have Married.   The Son and The Daughter have been in long term Relationships that were Common Law Arrangements, not recognized in Arizona coz we're not a Common Law State.   The Far Right Lower Pix is The Daughter and her Friend Amber again at the State Fair Photo Booth, every Year they'd have one taken.  I Love those Pixs too, they always turned out so good.

 

I Love the Meme Below, it's so "Me".  *Ha ha ha*   Well, we Found The Son's Baby Book and I felt like a Putz, coz The Daughter came Home and walked right to it in The RV Garage Mahal.  Guess where it was?  EXACTLY where I'd always put it and The Son and I had looked exactly there numerous times and must have looked right AT it and couldn't Find it!!!   Oooops!!!  Ever do that?  Can't See for Lookin'?  *LOL and Blushes*  The Daughter was like, Mom, how HARD did you and he Look?  Coz it was RIGHT THERE, exactly where you always put it and I'd never moved it, I'd just taken my own Baby Book out to show a Friend my Baby Pixs and hadn't put mine back yet.  So, I told her to put hers back again too so her important Documents would also stay Safe and not Lost.  His Birth Certificates were in there, I have extra Copies.  But, his Social Security Card wasn't coz we recalled he'd asked for it Years ago and has promptly Lost it, of coarse.  *Eye Roll and Le Sigh* 

 

If he'd of given it back to put Safe, and be kept by me, it would still be there.  Oh well, I can see by the Envelope it used to be in... that we've re-ordered it now Three other times, so not the 1st or even 2nd time he's Lost it!!!  *Triple Eye Roll then*   They are a Scatter Brained bunch.  I'm a Creature of Habit and important stuff I always keep in the same place so that it's easily Hands On.  I'm not very Organized, and I work more in the Realm of Organized Chaos.  But Oddly, I know where shit is within my Organized Chaos and nobody can ever figure out how I even do that when it looks Chaotic, but, I know where it all is specifically.  But if YOU Move it, then I won't know where the Hell YOU put it.  And if you don't remember where you did, it might never be Found?!

Below is one of my Fav Pixs of The Daughter with her Son.  Since she was in Mexico almost 20 Years, I don't have many Pixs of her with The G-Kid Force as Children... practically None with her and Princess T, only a scant few of her with The Grandson, whose her Oldest of Five Kids... the other Four being Daughters, Three of which were Born and Live in Mexico.  The G-Kid Force and her Three in Mexico try to have a functional Relationship with their Mom.  It's challenging due to the level of her Mental Illness and Substance Abuse History, plus, her inability to really connect Relationally.  Or to make good choices and decisions on a consistent basis.  They have to be the Adults in the Room with her... and that will never change and they are all Old enuf now to know this.   So, these Two don't want to become too close, they're wary to, and I understand why they are, it could be Hurtful to.

Below is me at Age Two and a Half with my Little Brother at Age 6 Months, he outweighed me!!!  *LOL*  He had the Peaches and Cream Complexion like our Mom and I was Darker like our Dad.   But he had the very Curly Blue Black Hair like our Mom and I was a Honey Blonde, which darkened to a Light Brown as I got Older.  He was such a good and Happy Baby, I on the other Hand was NOT... LOL... I was what they used to call "A Handful" as a Child.  *Winks*  My Brother therefore was The Golden Child.  *Smiles*  And he's been a Wonderful Brother my entire Life, I've never met anyone that didn't Adore my Lil Brother, who, isn't so little really. coz by his Sophomore Year in High School he was 6'4" and towered above even most of the Seniors.  But, he's one of those Big Gentle Fellas.

*******

Okay, so, we're Done now... Winks... Dawn... The Bohemian

The Loss Of Another Dear Friend And Spot On Matriarchal Superstition Omens

 We won't start the Post with the Bad News that my Matriarchal Superstition Omen about a 3:00 a.m. Call right AT the Witching Hour, with nobody on the other end, indicating someone close to us Dying that Day, was fucking Spot On unfortunately.  All Day I was waiting for to know who had Crossed Over tho', or would be, and the Family knew it.  Hoping I was Wrong, but I hardly ever am about such things.  And, in my Gut, I kinda Knew Who too, so it was just a matter of Confirmation and Validation when it happened.  It's not like I WANTED to be Right again.  To me the Call was just her saying Good-Bye to me just Hours before her Soul Departed.  So, Fluff first:  So, the Granddaughter calls me real early to tell me a Yellow GUESS Purse was hitting the Sales Floor that she desperately wanted, could I Buy it for her?  She can't Buy anything until it's Three Days in Inventory, so I headed out and ended up getting some things too, plus her Purse. 

 They had some expensive Quality Beach Towels with great graphics for only $3.49 each and Today is Customer Appreciation Day so another 30% Off that low price.  I got Three of the Beach Towels, a Copper and Amethyst Crystal Chunk Necklace, a 1960's Metal and Enamel Mixing Bowl with Mushroom Graphics, a Pewter Cynthia Rowley Ice Bucket with Rhinestone Bling around the Rim that Online Retail Sells for $100 {I got it for $4}, a Bag Lot of beautiful fancy Ink Pens in Gold & Silver, some Art Stamps, and 5 Books which included Cookbooks and a Tie Dye Fabric Art Book.

And Below is my exact Mid-Century Enamel Metal Mixing Bowl, Online it Sold for $35 and I got it for $5.  Not long ago I got a Hull Cornucopia Shaped Art Vase for $4 there too, that I just Love, it's pictured below the Mushroom Mixing Bowl Pix.   I like some of the Hull and McCoy Vintage Art Pottery.   The Vase Online said it was from 1946 and had Sold for $90, I knew my $4 was a Steal coz I do know something about the Line.  Tho' Art Pottery Value has been all over the place, it's still worth Collecting if you Love it, Display it, and get some at a Bargain Price.  As for Resale of it, it's still iffy unless you Sell it Online and reach a broader Client Base of Serious Collectors of just about anything and everything. 

The pix Below is exactly the Ice or Wine Bucket I just Scored for Four Bucks, but this one Sold for $100 Online.  I Google stuff as I'm Shopping that catches my Eye to see what the Value might be if I'm unsure.  I have a "Good Eye" as they say in the Industry.  *LOL and Winks*  Her Yellow GUESS Purse is a Vintage one and Online I saw it at $217 and I got it for her at $3.  I think it's Ugly, coz it's a bright Yellow, but, she likes it, so, that's all that Counts.  Online it came in Beige too and the one exactly like hers pictured online was the Beige one rather than the Yellow {See Below}.  I don't Like either one, but it's not for me or all about me, and she really liked the Yellow and noticed the Quality.  She's got a "Good Eye" too, that Kid can spot the Good Stuff since when she was sitting in a Booster Seat and Scored me a $35,000 Persian Rug Curbside on Bulk Garbage Day while sitting Shotgun in her Booster Seat!  *LOL*

I didn't wanna spend much so close to "Before Payday", but, by Tomorrow when we do get Paid for May, all of it wouldn't have been there.  And I had a good time with the Retail Therapy, still Cheaper than Real Therapy and much more effective and therapeutic IMO. *Winks*  My House is cluttered right now and messy, it's Clean, but, we've really had some deferred Housekeeping lately.  And I'm the worst Offender when it comes to Clutter, in fact, I'm the only Offender, Truth be Told.  *Le Sigh and Shrugs*  I try to do better and for a time I do.  The Kiddos say if it keeps me Sane and able to Function at the High Level I do to be in Charge of this Shitshow, it's Fine, don't risk trying NOT to do it then.  *Bwahahahaha*  They could be Right?  If I had a Non-Cluttered existence and quit the habitual Clutter tendency, perhaps I'd go Insane, we just don't know?  And we don't wanna find out either.  *LMAO*

My Inquiring Mind wanted to know, so I Googled why some of us are prone to Clutter and here's what I got:  People are prone to Clutter due to a combination of Emotional, Cognitive, and Lifestyle Factors, including Mental Health Challenges like Depression, ADHD, High Stress, Perfectionism, and Deep Sentimental Attachments to Items.  Procrastination due to Decision Fatigue, Lack of Organizational Systems, and Growing Up in a Cluttered Environment also contribute.  Well, except for that last part, since I didn't Grow Up like that at all, My Mom kept a spotless uncluttered Home even tho' my Parents were avid Collectors and our Home was always Tasteful and filled with The Good Stuff from their World Travels, all the rest of the Symptoms that cause it are Spot On. 

So, bottom line is, I'd be a Poster Child for Why you're Prone to Clutter then.  I had 10 of the 11 Reasons.  *Smiles*  There were other Reasons they expanded upon, like it buffering the effects of Trauma, had a LOT of that over a Lifetime... or Isolation/Loneliness, which Full Time Unpaid Caregiving of Loved Ones definitely Creates... but I quit Counting at 10 that I definitely had.  Pretty sure I could have kept Counting.  *LOL*  But, it wasn't really a Contest of how much of the Reasons I do it, as just Understanding Why I probably do it and find the Habit of it difficult to quit entirely for a sustained period of Time.  I can do it for perhaps a Fortnite before I fall back into Bad Habits and slowly it piles up again.  The Daughter helps me with it, so does The Young Prince, but, they know it will be temporary and I won't be Healed or Cured.  *Le Sigh but Smiles all around... since, Yeah, this is as Good as it Gets!*

And they personally Feel that since I take Care of everyone and always have, with a Lifelong Vida Loca, without losing my Mind completely, well, it's a small thing to be my Coping... or Not Coping... Mechanism, to Fall Back into or upon.  And they think I could have had much worse Coping Mechanisms actually, which is True... I don't Self-Medicate with Alcohol, illegal Drugs, or any reliance on any Prescription Meds except for the Type II Diabetes.  The few times I've had Professional Therapists/Shrinks even have me tell them a SMALL fraction of what I'm trying to Cope with On The Daily, and have been for just about Sixty Plus Years now, closing in on Seventy Years, with no real Breaks... they said I've Coped remarkably Well.  These are my Monkeys and this is my Three Ring Shitshow to be Ringmaster of.

I don't think the Pros in Mental Health could Handle Hearing it all, so I just gave them the Sampling of some Highlights.  *LMAO*  Which was more than enuf for them to Process Professionally and already think was Too Much I'd been thru or Dealing with still.  *Bwahahaha*  If I'd dumped the whole Bale on any of 'em, I could tell it would have been a very thick Case File and way too much Therapy/Sessions needed that would eat up the rest of my Lifetime and not really be Helpful.  *Bwahahahaha*  So, there, Professionally speaking they think I should have gone Off Rails or Offline Completely Long, Long Ago, given just the Highlights, and I didn't.  So, I try to just extend myself some Grace about what pesky Coping Mechanisms I've developed to stay relatively Sane and Alive considering the WHOLE Back Story.  Which is a Crazy One, you can't make that shit up.  *Ha ha ha*

It does make for some Good Blog Fodder tho', I ain't gonna Lie.  Coz until I got a Blog, I never told hardly any of this shit to anyone.  *Bwahahahaa*   You all have Handled the Telling of it better than I thought most Dear Readers would, which was Very Nice.  *LOL and Winks*  And it's been very therapeutic to dump here and just release into the Universal Ether of Cyberspace.  Then just Purge the Posts regularly and Delete them after they've been up a little while.  I'm not Attached to anything I've Blogged, it's no Legacy I'm Planning on Leaving Behind.  The only ones that will stay up indefinitely will be the ones Written just before I Drop Dead and thus will never get Purged when I go Offline from this Mortal Realm Forever.  I don't know if my Family will give Closure here or not, they don't Blog, they don't Read Blogs.

The Man is watching some Marathon "American Pickers" Episodes, they're doing some Old Ones when Mike and Frank were still doing it together and long before Frank Died.  I think I've probably watched every Episode ever made, but I do like to watch Old Reruns coz most of them I long forgot about and still therefore Enjoy.  Just like the very Old Episodes of "Roseanne" that I watch all the time.  I got so Invested in the Characters of the few Shows I ever have watched regularly.  I particularly liked all the Characters on "Roseanne", you'd want Friends like them and their Friends, coz they were more Authentically portrayed than most Sitcoms, IMO.   I'm not big on TV watching.  I didn't even own a TV of my own until after I Married The Man.  

I had a small Black & White for the Kids to watch their Cartoons on, that's all, and they weren't big on TV and still are not either.  The Man LIVES for his Shows and watches way too much TV in our Opinions.  The G-Kid Force never watch TV.  Princess T has one in her Room and keeps it on Marathon "Sponge Bob Square Pants" Cartoon as entertainment for her Cat, Eli, who Loves to watch TV and that Cartoon in particular, and for just Background Noise for herself, she's not watching it herself.  The Daughter and her Son don't have a TV they watch, tho' she has a nice one in the 5th Wheel that came with it, and he has one he brought from New Mexico and never watches.  The Son has a TV and is a Gamer, it's usually what he's doing with his TV.

As of Today we've been having Phone Harassment from The Daughter's Ex-Boyfriend, Mando, whose acting completely unraveled and unsafe.  We told him not to call here again, so if he persists or continues Stalking Behavior, I'll involve the Police.  The Daughter is feeling very unsafe and Paranoid becoz of him persisting and indulging in Stalker Behaviors.  She doesn't want to bring any dangers to the Family becoz of someone she was in a Relationship with.  So, she's been staying a lot at Friend's Homes that he doesn't know or have contact with.  If I see him anywhere in this Neighborhood, nobody around here is a Friend of his so he shouldn't be creeping around here.  

  He's been calling from all kinds of different Numbers all Morning, but we recognize his Voice, even tho' he refuses to Identify himself.  He has left Voicemails, so we do have Proof of the harassment and how many incessant Calls have been coming in during a Single Day with the same Voice from each Number.   I think he's unhinged and has Anger Management Issues.  I also was told by our Neighbors Cousin, that he didn't feel Safe around him becoz he owns a Gun, he's a Convicted Felon, so, for that alone he would be in violation.  I don't know where he got a Gun, but an unhinged Person with a Weapon whose acting erratic and deranged, plus, knows he's Dying, is something I feel is potentially a dangerous situation and I will convey that to Police.

  

I don't Need his shit being one more thing, since The Grandson's unhinged Ex is problematic right now too and threatening to show up.  Far too many Crazy Folk to contend with and so if I can make Trouble for them to keep them away from our Family, I certainly will, and then they can contend with all of that.   Other than that, everything is Swell.  *Eye Roll*  I did some Environmental Cleanup and filled up another Bag with Aluminum Cans and Scored 22 Packets of Spicy Shrimp Top Ramen still in their Retail Case left at the Park.  I asked the Homeless folks if it was theirs, they said No, Park Rangers say they have to throw it away if nobody takes it, which would be a Waste, and it was near Noon when they will be removing Trash and anything left behind, so I brought it Home.  The Food Banks often leave such things for anyone to take and we could use it, I just don't want it thrown away and wasted.  I got a lot of Mouths to Feed here who aren't getting Nutritional Assistance Benefits.

I made some Chicken Pho Ga Vietnamese Packet Ramen for The Man and I, and to use up the scraps of the Rotisserie Chicken we had left from Yesterday.  It was delicious.  We eat a lot of the Ramen Soups, Princess T practically Lives on them.  *LOL*  The ones Sold at the Asian Grocers are the Best, just like what you'd get ordering at a good Vietnamese Restaurant.  You can add in what your Family likes in the way of Fresh or Canned/Frozen Veggies, Fresh Herbs I grow, and any Meat Scraps so none are Wasted.   The Man enjoyed a nice Asian Chicken Soup coz he hasn't been Feeling great again, so Chicken Soup is always a good standby when you aren't Feeling 100%, great Comfort Food when you're Sick or chronically Unwell.

We did have the incessant whacko Calls from Mando stop when I finally picked up one, Lost my Calm and sounded like Lucifer himself telling him Never to call this Number again.  The Visceral Anger, okay it was Pure unrestrained Rage, in my Tone, even unsettled The Man.  He was like, Holy Shit Honey, you sounded Demonically Possessed right then!  *Bwahahahaha*  But, the Calls stopped, it had been really causing The Man too much Anxiety for the Phone to keep ringing off the Hook constantly for several Hours this Morning with this Nonsense.  He agitates easily and the Phone disrupting his Programs coz it's blowing up with the same Person calling over and over and over, who shouldn't even be calling that Number in the first place, was Triggering to him.  It's our Landline Phone Number, not our Daughter's Number.

But, The Son said his Sister broke down Yesterday while helping him do Yardwork coz her Phone was blowing up incessantly and it was Triggering to her Mentally too.  He asked who the Hell was harassing her like that and she finally told him what's been going on and she can't take it anymore.  It's Feeling Unsafe, it's Feeling completely Crazy and Unhinged... and tho' she's Seriously Mentally Ill, even she has never done that to someone, no matter how unraveled she has ever been.  The Fixation is very Creepy.  I'm thinking he got Locked Up for 13 Years for way more than he ever has acknowledged even to himself, frankly.  Very few folks are Locked Up that long for Nothing.   

A Jury felt it was for something, a Judge felt the Sentence was suitable.  He got released before his whole Sentence, but my Gut instinct is, he wasn't an Innocent Man by any means.  His Behavior I've Witnessed in a brief time makes me feel he has gone off the Deep End and Violently, before.   Anyway, my Niece called, the had to quit the new Job, it wasn't working out.  What they told her they'd hired her to do wasn't the actual job they had her doing and it was just a mess.  They'd gone thru half a Dozen other people in that position in short order before her, and now she knows why.  So, they'd been deceptive, some of the previous people who rotated in and out had sabotaged some of the Programs.  They felt they got burnt so they burned the Company on the way out.   

 

It's a Family Owned Biz and she said they weren't treating anyone Right and that has backlash if you burn thru good people, you just end up with less Qualified folks.  She is a typical Millennial tho', "Yeah, No" and they just Quit, without having another Job already lined up, they just walk off and never come back.  Now after only 3 Months she's Unemployed again.  But, I didn't weigh in on that, I'm from a different Generation and the Millennials are how they are when it comes to Work.  She's quite Brilliant at I.T. Work and has a Genius I.Q., so she can Automate a lot of what would take others Weeks to do and get it done in 8 Hours.  So, often she Works herself right out of Full Time Work by successfully shortcutting Procedure with Automation she Developed, to where it's no longer necessary to have someone there now Full Time.  She didn't seem to understand if you whiz thru the Work coz you're TOO efficient, they won't wanna Pay you to then sit around for Six Hours if it only took you Two to finish!!!  *Eye Roll*

You've Automated yourself right out of a Job.  Which, yeah, saves the Employer a Half Million Bucks in some Cases, but now, they don't Need you, Problem Solved, less Employees needed.   She is now Developing some AI in Classes she's taking for AI, and she knows the downside to it, but, for someone like her she sees the opportunity and excitement in the Development of it.  Companies will want AI Gurus for sure, but, again, it will put a lot of People out of Work, just like Automation has done.  Double Edged Sword that Companies will Save Money on and Profit off of more, but at the expense of People having Jobs.  Anyway, other than talking about Work, we had a nice conversation otherwise updating one another on what's going on.  She doesn't seem upset she no longer has the Job, she didn't like it, or the Company.  So, she was unhappy there and feeling undervalued, uncompensated and unappreciated.

Okay, now for the Heavy Topic of the Post Title:  Remember my Phone ringing at 3:00 a.m. The Witching Hour this Morning?  I think I put that in my previous Post that hasn't Published yet either, I'm Two ahead now.  But, when that happens and nobody is on the other End it always makes me immediately think, is someone going to Die Today?  It's a Superstition my Mom had, that if you get a Phone Call at exactly 3:00 a.m. or a knock on the Door at exactly 3:00 a.m. but nobody is on the other end of the Line or the Door, it means someone is Crossing Over that Day, and that's The Sign you will get to know it will be the Day.  If you're not Superstitious or weren't Raised with Superstitions you probably think that's all bullshit.  I don't.  So, all Day I had been expecting to hear that someone I know has Died.  Well, it's 6:58 p.m. and The Niece in Texas {no actual Biological connection, she's a Best Friend's Youngest Daughter}, just informed me that 5 Hours ago her Mom Died.

My Bestie is like a Sister to me, our Families are like Family to each other and have been for about 30+ Years.  We share so much History and so many Stories.  Four of her Five Kids are like Nieces and Nephews to me and like Cousins to our Kids, I didn't know her Oldest Daughter, who never lived in Arizona.  My Friend developed Stage 4 Cancer and had been told she had until March or April, they couldn't do any more for her.  She went thru all the Treatments, lost her Hair, but Rocked the Bald Look coz she's a Beautiful Woman, and was in Home Hospice at her Youngest Daughter's Home in Texas.   We've talked extensively about Extreme Caregiving since Alex began Extreme Caregiving for her Mom.

I feel numb Emotionally, the Emotions spent some time ago about it when we were first told her prognosis was so grim.  But expected this to be a Final Good-Bye last time I'd talked to her a few Weeks ago.  She was at Peace with Dying, knew she was Dying.  The Caregiving was Extreme and too much for her Daughter, so, it has now Released them both.  No more Suffering, no more Pain.  I wouldn't have wanted her to endure more.   We were always there for each other thru the Years and many Tears and Crisis.  I only Wish they had still lived close so I could have been there for her in recent times as she battled the Fight for her Life with Cancer.  R.I.P. Kathie, Love You and will Miss you always.  Have been Losing so many Friends recently, it's never easy even when expected.  The Docs had told her she wouldn't last beyond March or April, so, she held out 'til the very last Day of that Deadline, April 30th.  {In Real Time, this won't Publish for a couple Days.}

We had a lot of Crazy Times together, good Crazy times and the worst Crazy times over the Years of our Decades long Friendship, which lasted close to 40 Years and we remained Close and Tight thru all of it.   She Raised her Oldest Grandchild for the first 8 Years of his Life and then the last 10 Years he went to live with his Mom, one of her Three Daughters, and the 2nd Oldest.  I remember Kathie joking with me about Raising both of The G-Kid Force by saying, "Hey, are those the Grandkids you said you were never Raising Dawn?  Got double for your trouble, didn't ya my Friend?"  *LOL*  She had Dark Humor like that, busting your Chops especially for the things you said, in ignorance or arrogance, that you'd NEVER do. *Smiles*  Ya just gotta keep on Living...   You never REALLY know what Life will hand you to do that you thought you'd NEVER do in Life.

When I got my Hysterectomy she'd had a similar Pre-Cancerous Biopsy too and I told her, get it done as well.  She wouldn't, and didn't, coz she was fearful it would make her gain more Weight too, as it usually does, and she was already a Big Woman.  I had been Skinny before mine and gained 60 lbs., she was overweight and always Dieting, so she was wary to risk that much gain herself.   And tragically, that turned out to be a Mistake and a Bad Decision, coz it did turn into Cancer and by the time she realized it had, it was already at Stage 4 and Treatments failed coz it had spread too much and was everywhere now.   In hindsight she lamented that she should have listened to me when I pressed her to get the Hysterectomy and perhaps this all could have been avoided?   I'm a Fatalist, so, mebbe not?  Our Time is just when it is.

I Hope she's Greeted by all her Loved Ones and all mine who Passed before her.  Mom and Kathie always got along quite well.   And my Dad felt she was like another Daughter to him.  When he was close to the End of Life, we both came over regularly to ensure he could stay at Home and live Independently for as long as possible, before he finally had to be Hospitalized and then go to Hospice.  Kathie Cared for him like she had her own Dad when he was Dying, and not many Friends would be All In like that with you as your Parent is deteriorating and Dying.  It was a lot of Work and she would do whatever it took, no matter how unpleasant, right along with me as if it was her Parent.  That's the kind of Ride or Die Friend she always was.  The kind you could call at 3:00 in the Morning with a Major Crisis and she'd be there immediately.  She always told me I was the only person she'd ever met who was Crazier than her.  And she meant that in only a Good and the Best Way.  *Smiles*

It is with a heavy Heart to Lose such a Treasure, you might only ever get a Handful of People in Life who you remain that Close to and keep in your Inner Circle.  Watch each other's Kids grow up and Grandkids grow... only One of her Grands is an Adult, the rest are still quite Young so they didn't get as many Years with her as the one she had first.  I attended his Birth as Coach coz she tricked me and told me to Deliver some Chinese Food at the Hospital.  And when I arrived with the Food she had me help Deliver her First Grandchild instead coz she said, "I can't do it..."    And so her Daughter, who is The Daughter's Bestie too, was okay with Aunt Dawn stepping in and being her Birth Coach when her Oldest Son was Born.   He's in his late 20's now, they grow up so fast. 

This Old Pix is of me with my Welsh Nanna when she came for visits to Arizona.   Having 3 Generations together was Special, tho' she Lived to be a Great-Grandma, she never could come to America to see my Kiddos coz she was too Old by then to Fly and get Insurance.  I Wish my Kids and my Grandkids could have known her tho'.   Princess T didn't even get to know my Dad, he passed the Year before she was Born.   LATER: Brand New Day, I decided rather than Grieve the Loss of yet another Friend with any more Tears, I'd feel Celebratory of her Life and all the Good Times we had for almost 40 Years of being like Sisters from Other Mothers.  I feel that when your Quality of Life is Gone, it's Time to Go and most of us won't wanna linger Holding that diminished Space of Suffering.  I wouldn't want to, I wouldn't expect anyone to want to.

I bought The Daughter some fake Hair at SAVERS that you just add to a Ponytail, it was just $1.99 but matched her own Hair Color and Texture exactly.  She brushed it out, washed it, put it on and it looks amazing and makes her look Younger.  She used to have thicker Hair, before Drugs, Food Insecurities for over Twenty Years and Peri-Menopause took it's Toll.  She had more Hair loss than me and I've had it pretty Bad due to Aging and Health Related Issues with the Meds Diabetes requires.  It's why I got Dreadlocks and that's helped retain some thickness, but I'm still Balding on Top like I'm turning into a Man with my Female Hormones cratering.  I even feel as aggressive as a Man, I swear, now I know why they're pissed off all the time.  *LOL*

My Fav Photo of Geronimo, to me, one of the Greatest and Wisest Warriors for his People that ever Lived. I liked his Funky Style in this Photo of melding Traditional Wardrobe with what was imposed upon his People by the Invaders who took over all Tribal Lands as if they Discovered something that someone else had already had for Centuries and thus presumed Ownership of it.  I always equate that for Today's perspective of me walking into a Parking Lot and Discovering your Car and presuming Ownership of it now.  My Dad never could wrap his Mind around the Concept of Humans "Owning" any of The Earth and considering it Personal Property.  

I did FINALLY convince him to Own some Property when he was quite Old, but he never felt comfortable about it.  The Earth to him belongs to no-one and is Free to every Living Thing to Exist upon... we're each Generation just to take Care of it for Seven Generations into the Future.  Even Materialism meant nothing to him and rather than use Money he'd much rather work out a mutual Trade with you instead.  If he had Two of something and you had none of it, he'd just give you the other one.  And he felt your Footprint on this Earth should be minimal and in Tune with all of Nature.  I took so many of those Teachings to Heart and so he had no problem with me being a Hippie of my Generation.  He felt many of the Young Hippies had the right Ideology in their own fashion of exhibiting it against the Establishment, but he knew their drugging would undo the Movement.  He wasn't Wrong.

 

This is a Pix of Eli the Cat when he's Pissed Off at his Human, his Facial Expressions speak 1,000 Words I tell ya!  He cracks me up.  He has fucked up those Satin Sheets of hers when he's Mad at her.  *LMAO*  My Kiddos {Son and Daughter} are doing my Yardwork in preparation for Irrigation coming on Monday.  Now The Son gets Text Notifications of when it's coming so I don't have to try to keep calling to ask now that I don't have E-Mail, which is how they used to send it to me for our Rotation Schedule.  We'll be getting Irrigation more often now it's Spring, then Weekly when it's Summer.  Tapering off during Fall and Suspended during Winter.  The Rotation will be coming at Four in the Morning tho', Ugh... Hate those Crazy Hour Rotations Assigned by SRP. 

I did some Environmental Cleanup this Morning, light on finding Aluminum Cans but Scored the Kids a Basketball.  Then I went to the "Dollar Tree" and got 4-Pacs of bottled ICB Cream Soda for The Man for only $1.25 a 4-Pac!!!  So, I bought all of them they had, Six 4-Pacs for him.   I also got a slew of Frozen Jumbo Burritos in different Flavor Fillings for only $1.25 each and some "Michelina's" Frozen mini Dinners for $1.25 each too, we Love their Salisbury Steak with Potatoes.  Sometimes you can get the mini Dinners for Ninety-Nine Cents still at some Grocery Stores... so the Dollar Stores now sometimes charge more than just a Buck for everything, up to $1.50 each now in most Dollar Stores.   I got 18 different Flavors of Popsicles for $3 a Bag of them.  

I'm trying to stretch our Grocery Budget more, coz now that Gas in Arizona is almost at $6 a Gallon for Regular, way above what most of the U.S. is paying, since ya'll are just barely over $4, you might be forced to choose between Gas or your Groceries and Medications.  It's costing me almost $100 a fill-up and Phoenix Metro is a big City over 200 Miles Across in every direction and Urban Traffic all the time.   So, you might need to fill up Twice a Week if you Work or have a lot of Appointments and don't live close to everything you might need.  The Walk Score in most of Metro Phoenix is not good, and our Weather is too Hot to Walk Far, so you must Drive.  Our Public Transit sucks too and isn't Safe, too many Bus Pirates being Stick-Up Artists.

And I'm a Foodie and I've been Hungry before, never wanna revisit that situation of having Food Insecurities, so, I do Stock the Pantry and Budget for Eating Out.  I'll work my Hustle to ensure we got enuf Food and can indulge in at least nice Meals.  But with Gas so high and going higher almost Daily with no End in Sight, well, it's putting the Screws to everyone, isn't it?  Transporting Goods is costing more so everything will cost more.  They Deported most of the Migrant Workers and those doing the Jobs Americans were no longer doing... since this vile Administration doesn't realize America was Built on the Backs of waves of Immigrant Labor doing the hard work, so that's gonna cost everyone more as well.  You ain't gonna get your Snowflakes out there in the Fields or in the Meat Processing Industries doing those Jobs.

Anyway, I did good at the Dollar Store and picked up much of what we Needed, on The Cheap.  The Son cooked a nice Breakfast for us when I got back, The Young Prince's BFF Sayde joined us coz she's here this Morning with him.  The Kiddos finished my Yardwork so the Property looks fabulous and manicured... like I got Landscaper Service.  *Winks*  The Son used to work for a Major Commercial Landscaper when he was Younger, so he knows how to do it like the Big Major Resorts have it done.  And, since he's my Spawn, he's Working for me for Free, so, that's the Right Price.  *Winks*   His Sister helped him this time, she knows how to do Landscaping good too... it's a big Property for just One Person to do.  Even the Professionals would send in a Team for a Property of this Size, which is just over an Acre.  In Metro Phoenix, that's a Big Lot tho' and a lot of Private Green Space.

I had Brad, the Hot Pool Guy Owner, whose in his 30's, do the Pool Pump Repairs for Free, so that this one, looking all Cute like this when she came out to tell him she'd cover the Cost for her Gramma, didn't have to pay a damn thing.  *Winks*   Yeah, she knew what I was doing when I said, "Hey, I know you said you'd cover it for me Darlin', and I told him you were, but, could you come out here and Negotiate that with Brad, asking him what it will Cost ya, lookin' all Cute... which is the BEST Negotiation Tactic with any Man... EVER."  *Wink Wink*  Next thing we knew, The Daughter was waltzing in saying Brad said he would try to Fix it at No Cost and see if that Works, so that my Daughter doesn't Owe him anything, Mom.  And... I KNOW what you did, Mom... you're goin' to Hell!  *Bwahahahaha and she Winks... coz it's a Tried and True Tactic passed down from Generation to Generation.  That my Nanna and Mom Taught me.  Smiles.*

Sheeyit, when I was Young and Hawt I could get shit done for Free too and don't think my Nanna and Mom didn't use that to their Advantages.  And the same when our Daughters were Young and Hawt.  And now our Granddaughters are... so the Tradition continues.   Me Below when I was 17, with one of my Paternal Native American Aunts from Oklahoma who was visiting Arizona to see my Dad.   That was back when Hot Pants was a Fashion and I'd just come from Europe, which was way more Liberal about Fashion, and Fashion Forward than America {always has been}. And my Folks would tell me to put on my Hot Pants and Tube Top, with my Honey Brown Skin that looked like a Good Tan Year Round and was Flawless at that Age, and we'd go Negotiate us some Deals my Friends.   Words were never really Necessary.  Just Eye Contact and a Smile... *Bwahahahahahahaha*  An Old Lady just can't pull that off... so... I Need the Heirs to now... *LMAO*

*******

Hey, I didn't invent the Patriarchy and how they just are... Winks... Dawn... The Bohemian