Going Thru The Gauntlet

 

I Loved this big Cast Iron Cauldron Vignette and Display that my Friend Michelle set up, I don't think she Sold it coz it was spendy, but it made the whole Vignette look spectacular.   Sometimes you know the Statement Pieces might not Sell but it draw folks in to Shop and Buy everything else you might have.   Michelle lives in an 800 ft. Cottage now that she's a semi-retired Designer and does just these Shows now, so she has the best Stuff that she Loves too, but can't keep due to limited Space.  But she Sources some of the best Product and is Brilliant at Themed Vignette Staging.  Her Brother also does it for a Living.  She and I have a similar Aesthetic and often Dress alike, we could have been Twins separated at Birth we think.  *LOL*

The Birthday Gift I ordered off E-Bay that was a Lot grouping of her Anime Figures already arrived, that was fast, quicker than the one I'd ordered the day before it actually.  It's the one with 21 Figures so she'll be Jazzed to look at each one, they're in Bubble Wrap each.  Still waiting on the Halloween Themed Lot of 5 Anime Figures, tho' it supposed to arrive Today too from a different Seller.  So, it all arrived pretty damned close to her actual Birthday and just extended the Joy and Spoiling a bit.  *Smiles*  Hey, you only turn 21 once... and she's a really good Kiddo, our Golden Child in fact.  I Wish the others had all been this easy to Raise.  But, every Family should have at least one Golden One.  The others know she's The Golden One too, but don't resent it coz she truly is and they all acknowledge it.  They know what a Handful they all were.  It's why Two of 'em {The Son and The Young Prince} never wanted Kids. *LOL*

The Man is out of the most critical of his Meds and the VA has it back ordered!  It's the one his Civilian Cardiologist insists he can't do without, and is the most important of his 3 Pages of Medications, wouldn't ya know!  He only had enuf for Today and we called the VA again to find out why we hadn't received the Refill yet, they're saying it could be another 7-10 Days before we get it!!!  Oy Vey and insert Dawn's Mad Face.  *Fuming*  This was also the one the VA Discontinued giving him until his Civilian Cardiologist had a Fit about that and so then the VA agreed to resume it.  My guess is, it's expensive and Luckily we don't yet pay for Meds the VA provides for him.   I don't rely on the Military Insurance of Base Pharmacy or Express Scripts thru TriCare For Life to do his Meds, coz mine thru them costs me a small Fortune now, around $250 Monthly.  And I only have 5 Meds, he has 3 Pages worth, we'd go Bankrupt with Medical Costs.  We don't Qualify for Medicare Part D for Rx becoz we're already on the Military's Federal Programs for being Insured.

When Medicare Advantage thru HUMANA initially fucked up and put me on Part D, which I never asked them to do becoz I knew I didn't Qualify due to having TriCare For Life, I got Penalized for Life by Social Security!!!   It took me Months to have Social Security reverse that decision after HUMANA admit it was their Mistake and they'd put me on the Wrong Program for a Military Dependant, after United Healthcare involuntarily dumped all Veterans and their Families in Maricopa County from being Insured by their Medicare Advantage Plans, AFTER Open Enrollment, which was a whole other Fiasco then with the Government, coz that wasn't our Fault either and we were given no choice or advance Warning they'd no longer Insure us!   Their Claim was that Maricopa County Veterans/Families were not PROFITABLE enough!!!  Yeah, the Quiet Parts said Out Loud.

 I think it took me thru the Summer to finally get it all straightened out and be refuned what I'd been Penalized.  The price of my Rx keeps going up constantly too via the Military Programs... The Man's Contract Promised him FREE Medical and Medications for Life for he and I... but the Govt. rescinded their part of the Contractual Agreement, tho' he Honored his with 39 Years of Service to Country.  I'm still Frosted about that.   And about United Healthcare, no wonder their CEO got Assassinated, I'm not saying it's Right, but I can certainly understand someone going Off The Rails about Insurance Injustices or perhaps a Loved One coming to Harm or Dying over an Insurance Fiasco.  And why the Assassin now has a Fan Base.  Also, not Right, but, understandable in Today's Environment of Grievance Politics gone Sideways and so Wrong that Anarchy seems only Steps away from erupting any time now. 

 

We can't all Make It Rain, can we?  *Winks and Smiles*  Medicaid did Surprise me by sending information to The Daughter that they want to Assist her in Applying for SSI becoz they think she should!!!  Wow, mebbe that will be Helpful to her actually Qualifying if she has Advocacy initiated by her Medicaid Provider?!   They must think she's really Bad Off, which, she IS, to initiate prompting her to apply for Services.  So, perhaps now I can convince her, well, let's give it another whirl shall we, with this Advocate they wanna hook us up with!  I just think she doesn't want to be put thru the Wringer for nothing if they don't or won't Approve her and you spend all that Stressful Time and then get Denied anyway... so, I understand her hesitancy.  But, she really Needs the Services and a Disability Income to get by and not have to rely on the Charity of everyone whose Family and Friends to Survive.  To me it's Cruel of our Government to forsake the most vulnerable like that who can't take Care of themselves or be Hired at any actual Job that would even Semi-Support them. 

Anyone Chronically too ill, whether Mentally or Physically, will never be able to Keep a Job even if any Employer were willing to Hire them, we all know this Fact and Truth!  If you have Fragile Mental Health or Fragile Physical Health, Attendance becomes an Issue, Function becomes an Issue, Liability to the Employer becomes an Issue... Period.  And with some forms of Illness, tho' your Medical Condition is Private, you have to disclose some things for your own Safety or the Safety of Customers and Co-Workers.  Anyway, as it is just going thru the Gauntlet of SSI with The Young Prince has already been quite the Ordeal, so doing it Twice with her, I'd have to be Done doing it with him first, I couldn't juggle both applying simultaneously, it would be overwhelming!  As it is I highly Suspect that RFK, Jr. being in Charge of the Nation's Health is why they're sending us to these Docs with Weirdo Specialties like Physiatrist or Existential Psychoanalyst or was it Existential Psychotherapist... shit... just some New Age sounding bullshit that ole' Worm Brain Believes in I think, never heard of it... sounds sketchy, relatively new and unproven, spacy and woo-woo as fuck to me.  *LOL*

When I told The Son it's some kind of Specialty to help you know how to Feel what it's like to be Human, we Laughed so hard and he said, what, do they think my Nephew isn't Human, or is pretending to be Human and Needs to know how to do it better?  *LMAOROTF*   Well, to be Fair, it is like he's from another Planet sometimes and it's one I've never been to, that's for damned sure!!!   And mebbe he should wear a See-Thru Shirt so Mister Existential can tell me what THAT Symbolism means that your Nephew had his Dad's Crazy soon-to-be-Ex-Wife Tattoo across his Chest?  And I can only imagine what my Grandson will wear to THAT Appointment coz the last ensemble he wore to see the Physiatrist was an Eyebrow Raiser for sure!  *LOL*  But, it is how he dresses daily out in Public and even Privately, so they're experiencing the Authentic version of himself/herself/themselves/they... whatever Pronoun is most appropriate for right then and there?

This is The Son and his good lifelong Childhood Friend Mike B., who has had Schizophrenia since he was a very Young Teenager too.  I've known Mike B. practically his whole Life.  He used to be Rail Thin until they put him on various Schizophrenic Medications that blew him up like a Balloon and has made him Scary Huge, coz he's a Big Guy... but has Stabilized him, so has been the Lesser of Two Evils to take his Meds.  The Size he is, he'd always Scared People when he'd have Episodes and detach from Reality anyway, but when not Tormented by the Illness he's the nicest and meekest of Guys you'd ever meet.   The Son could always hold his own with Mike B. and why they were always very close Friends, not intimidated by each other's form of Crazy.  *LOL*

  

As Mike B. has said, even us Guys way Bigger or even Stronger than your Son would never wanna dare risk Fighting him Twice, he literally won't Stop and is oblivious to Pain!  *True That*   They had a lot of Special Ed Classes together in School, only The Son never knew he was in Special Ed until he was Grown... and Mike B. was fully Aware that they weren't in Normal Classes for part of their Public Education.  *LOL*   And, like The Son, Mike B. has never Married or had Children, for the same reasons The Son won't, due to their Awareness of their Illnesses impairing Relationship Function and not wanting to pass along what could be a Hereditary Illness that would make a Child's Life difficult and even miserable, with no known Cure and a lot of Social Biases and Discrimination to have to Deal with.   Back in my Day the whole Secrecy surrounding Mental Illness and Shame Based Medicine made it so Families never talked about anyone Afflicted, sometimes you didn't even know they existed if they were Institutionalized if their Illness was really not controlled and just Warehoused away from Society.

  

Anyway, The Son thought his Detention Class was just another Regular Class when he was in Grade School, coz he was in it and sent there every Day of his entire experience in School.  He even used to introduce us to his Detention Teacher at Parent-Teacher Conferences and she'd say it was always a "First" for her.  Well... it IS one of his Regular Classes I'd tell her.  *Bwahahahahaha*   And the thing is that unlike his Sister, who Teachers were legitimately Afraid of, coz a Schizophrenic Child can be scary and even dangerous sometimes if they become too Paranoid and Violently 'protect' themselves from the Psychosis they're having... he was that Kid all his Teachers genuinely Liked, but found that a little bit of him went a very long way. 

'

 Some Teachers even quit the Year they had him in their Classes... or would Call me at 10:00 at Night Crying... I Kid you not, becoz they didn't think they could Cope another Day with him in their Class and ask if I had any Suggestions that would be Helpful to Cope with how he was!?  *LOL*  I still get asked that a lot by those who genuinely Like him, but don't know how to Cope with him at times.  *Smiles*  He can be A LOT and a Little Bit of him still goes a Long Way, Bless his Heart.  He tries real hard tho' and that's all he can do.   My Heart aches for him sometimes coz he's more inclined to want a Cure and want to be Normal, rather than embracing how he is and who he just is and accepting that it's Okay to just be himself.  

 He has had well intended folks that Care about him try to convince him there's nothing Wrong with him, in a way that made him go off his Meds and Treatments, which, only made things worse frankly and him more unstable and tormented.  Once they're Grown they can refuse Meds and Treatment.  And some of us can Cope with being Unmedicated, or can't tolerate Meds, and it is HARD tho' to be as High Functional for Society's Standards.   Okay enuf of all of that Topic.   Above, well... that's the Mannequin Hand and Arm I Bought that is sticking out of that Basket between the Skeleton Legs.  *LOL*  My Friend Gisele said she knew it was something I'd wanna Buy from her and Roman.  They know me so well.  And I'm very Random like that too as a Customer.  *Ha ha ha*

And the Friday Night Shift I pulled was an Odd one.  I thought perhaps I was covering for someone who wasn't showing up for their Shift.  But, as it turned out they all showed up so I didn't even know why I was asked to Work and was there?   The Regulars whose Shift it was, with the exception of my Friend Yolanda, resented me being there coz they were immediately whining that it would mess up the Greeter Desk Rotation.  Which, they all look forward to just sitting there pretending to Greet Customers, coz most of them will be on their Phones of just chit-chatting with Friends rather than doing what you're supposed to do when you're up there on your Rotation.  So, anyway, to avoid a childish meltdown, I said, Listen, Management wants me to be here, they asked me to be here, I don't need a Turn to be Greeter if it's such a Big Deal to you to fit me in to the Rotation.

Shit, I can go sit down anywhere if I feel I need a slight break, and for as long as I fucking want to, coz there's Five of us on the Shift, we're adequately covered.   Plus Yolanda was sweet enuf to buy Pizza and share it with everyone.  Anyway, a couple of the other Co-Worker Vendors on Shift are very MAGA so they ended up having a confrontation with my Vendor Friend Marco, whose the Money/Coin Vendor.  He Specializes in Selling Legal Currency from around the World, Gold, Silver and Commemorative Tokens that aren't Legal Tender but Special Edition Limited Issues.  So, he'd brought in an Obama Set, hard to get, of the whole Commemorative Tokens that Yolanda wanted.  He wouldn't let her pay him for them and generously Gifted them to her.  So, they were having that Private Conversation, but Yolanda was so excited of the Gift she was showing it to the rest of us.

Well, the MAGA then ask Marco, when are you getting the Trump Coin?  And he says... Never... it's Illegal... and not Legal Tender, and goes into the Legality, Proof and Evidence that a sitting or living President cannot put their Image on Legal Tender while they're still Alive.  We're not a Monarchy where they do that.  Marco is originally from Mexico, but has spent probably 50 Years Selling Legal Currency, he knows his Business and was just trying to be informative as to why he wouldn't be carrying it.  He wasn't even trying to be Political, he Personally isn't a Fan of this Administration, but unless you're his Friend, he won't even discuss Politics with you becoz he knows how Passionate and Crazy some folks get about their Politics and their Religion, losing their shit about it... or, not accepting factual evidence, proof or Truth.  So, it is just not worth your Time and Sanity to try to Educate Fools or the Indoctrinated.   

So, anyway, that whole conversation went sideways with the MAGA Gals, who then tried to play the Victim, so typical, when he finally gave up and walked off, totally frustrated that he couldn't have a rational discussion with them.  He wasn't trying to be controversial or Political at all, I could see that, they'd initiated the Question and he was giving them the Factual and Actual Answer to said Question, that they then wanted to Argue about based on Low Information or just plain Ignorance.  And Ignorance isn't Bliss, it's just Ignorance.  Their counter-argument is that Donnie Two Dolls is having the 'Legal' Currency made and so they would be able to use it as Legal Tender... and Marco was just saying that he himself does not engage in Illegal Wares and it could compromise his Business and his Integrity, and be risk laden, to Sell anything as Legal Tender that is Illegally made and therefore deemed Counterfeit.

  He stressed that this Prez has done MANY MANY Illegal Things, so it doesn't make it Legal just coz that Guy does it!!!  He's a Felon and a Criminal, he engages in Criminal Activities and breaks the Law and has no regard for the Rule of Law all of the time, always has, probably always will if nobody ever stops him or makes him face actual Consequences.  All of that is just The Truth... but MAGA can't handle nor do they function tethered to Reality or The Truth.  So, from The Jump he was wasting his Breath and his Time and I just bluntly said so in front of the whole Group and walked off.  *LOL*   I felt bad for him, and for Yolanda, coz it made her so uncomfortable that she came and talked to me about it afterwards.   Like, WOW, they really were losing their shit, and stirring up division, weren't they? 

 And Marco is a great Guy, a Nice Guy, but they were starting to make him annoyed talking shit and not knowing what the Hell they were talking about.  So, he disengaged and they then felt they'd "Won" the "Argument".  No... you didn't, you just are embracing bullshit, Cult Devotion, and Lies, so, he gave up trying to Educate you, that's what actually happened.  *LMAO*    But hey, like I told Yolanda, I don't engage in Debates or even Conversations and Arguments with folks who can't handle The Truth and don't know what they're talking about, it's a Waste of Energy, Time and my Peace is disturbed by such People.  *LOL*  She said, well, they don't Argue with you, but they really ganged up on Marco and I, all I was doing was showing them my Gift, which, I was very excited to be Surprised with coz I always wanted that Set and could never find a complete one!  

Yeah, they had to Piss on her Good Fortune and be stupid with Dear Marco, just to be Assholes.   I told her I was Sorry that happened and upset her.  Which is why I was Alpha Bitch Blunt with the Duo and dared them to say Fuck all to me, which, they Wisely didn't... so I wouldn't go Ham on their Asses just to wickedly Entertain myself at their expense.  Coz I could really give a Fuck if they stay Ignorant or go right over the Cliff with their Orange Messiah frankly.  *Winks*   And later on when they tried to Play the Victim Card they said they had ONLY been expressing their Opinions and nobody has to Die or be Attacked for having an Opinion.  I Calmly said, well, Opinions are like Assholes, everyone has one.  And an Opinion doesn't have to be based on any Facts, Proof, Truth or Evidence either.   So, mostly I could give a Fuck about anyone's Opinion and that's never a Hill I'd be Foolish enuf to Die on by Arguing my Opinions or theirs.  Then I walked off.  *Ha ha ha*

Yolanda Thanked me for Squashing that whole fucking ridiculous Monologue coz she found it all to be way too uncomfortable to Discuss further, but she's way Kinder and Nicer than me.  *Bwahahahaha*   She and I are Good Friends and she knows I'm really Nice until anyone is Fool enuf to make me NOT be to their own Peril.  Then they Deal with Dark Dawn and I could give a Fuck how they Feel about meeting that Side of me if they wanna Start something and be Dealt with by my much Darker Vicious Psycho Side.  Much better to CHOOSE to Deal with Dawn Of The Light unless you enjoy me coming out to Play and at your Expense have my Fun with you.  Coz I don't really Care, just like a Cat doesn't fucking Care about the Mouse it will Play with and Torture to Death or just Wound to Entertain and Amuse itself... doing what Cats just do.  *Winks*  Or step in the Waters Bleeding around Sharks, whose Waters it is... and see if that was a Good Idea or NOT?  *Bwahahahahaha*  So, do ya REALLY wanna Play that Game?  Obvious, they did not when presented with that Option.

I know my Friend Marco will talk to me about the Nonsense they put him thru later when we Talk in Private.  He walked right into that one not knowing they're MAGA, poor Guy.   Some of them keep a lower Profile now and have their Red Hats and other Conman touted paraphernalia they used to Proudly wear all tucked away now.  But they sure wanted those Illegal Coins... so I Hope they Buy all of them and get Conned out of a shitload of their hard earned Money being Fools.  *LMAOROTF*  I've told MAGA leaning Friends, way back since 2016, if you so strongly support this consummate Conman and Career Criminal, well, I think you should Write him Big Checks every Month!   *LOL*

  Yeah, be ALL IN, coz he only wants whatever Money he can Milk you and Taxpayers out of, he's not in it for anything else.  And I meant it, I Hope they drained their Accounts dry and did it, I really do.  *LOL*  Coz, Hey, if you'll Buy anything this Guy Hawks, and he's always Hawking something absurd, regardless of Conflicts of Interest, and whether Legal or Illegal, knock yourselves out and let him Con you out of all that you have, I don't Care.  You can't fix Stupid or Talk anyone out of Bad Decisions they're determined to make.  He's fraudulently Sold things many times, some of it never existed, and yet, some folks still send him their Money and Believe all the bullshit and False Promises he spews constantly.  Good Luck getting your Money back since he never Paid his Creditors anyway what he Owed them either, why Banks in American quit lending him Money due to the Bank Fraud he's committed, and why he Filed Bankruptcy so many Times and yet is still a Billionaire, go figure.  I personally think all his ill gotten Gains should have been Seized a long time ago and distributed to his numerous Victims as Restitution.

Anyway, back to The Shift, with it being busy it went well and quickly. We had a long line of Customers at the Registers at Closing tho', last Minute folks who saunter up late, even tho' an Hour before Closing they give numerous Intercom reminders of how much Time isn't left before we Close.   The irony being, most of them then get impatient that they have to stand in long lines then.   When they had plenty of Time to get up there earlier with no Lines and not have to Deal with every other inconsiderate malingering Customer making a last Minute rush to the Registers AT fucking Closing!   Some folks make their own Drama and Headaches, and don't ever Learn from it.  Whatever, don't Complain to me when you've caused your own Problems and Inconveniences, that also Inconvenience everyone else BTW.

The Niece and The Son made Jalapeno Poppers for Dinner along with a Hamburger, they made 3 types of Poppers, they were excellent and very labor intensive.  Lots of prep work but they seemed to enjoy doing it together and the results were so good, even The Man liked them and he doesn't like Jalapenos usually coz he's not a Spicy Foods Fan.  The Daughter had come by briefly to drop off her Daughter's Gift, she got her a Hello Kitty Lava Lamp and some smaller items I can't recall.  I'd kinda Guilted her about missing Princess T's 21st Birthday via a PM exchange.  Mostly coz her Kiddo did feel some kind of way about it, even tho' they're not close, now that she is here and living on the Property, even tho' she's gone a lot, we all felt she should have made an effort to be here to celebrate it and give it a priority.  The fact she doesn't connect in meaningful ways can be hard for the Kids even tho' she didn't Raise them.  Her Son understands only slightly more since he has the same Mental Illness as his Mom so detaches a lot from being able to sustain or maintain meaningful Relationships.

Anyway, it's not as if she hadn't already missed 20 Birthdays already, so Princess T was pragmatic about the expectations, like, well, what's One more really?   But the resentment was there and we talked about it, I've had the same conversation with her Son when he's needed to talk about it.  They fully know and understand at these Ages why she absolutely could not Raise them and they're glad she didn't even try to.  But, they never have felt like they have a Mom.  And in Princess T's Case, a Dad either since she doesn't know Salvador at all and never will now.  She doesn't really Care about that tho' and never had any desire to meet him or have contact with him.  She knows I and her Grandpa are Parent replacements, but, to both Kids we're still Gramma and Grandpa, as it should be and we're fine with those Roles established as they want for it to be.  Even tho' I had to Legally Adopt them, I'm not Mom and never have tried to step into that Role or have them call me that either.  We generally don't Celebrate Mother's Day for me in regards to them.

  

The Young Prince and Bobby, his Dad, do have Relationship and I'm glad about that.  Even tho' with Bobby, it is a very complex Relationship his Son has navigated quite well IMO.  Once she was Older, his Sister didn't want to maintain any Relationship with Bobby or his Family even tho' they'd been very good to her and she acknowledged that, she remembers they always got her Gifts growing up, if they got her Brother anything, she got something too from Bobby, his Mom and his Youngest Sister.  I haven't seen his Mom, Lydia, or his Sister Stephanie, in quite a few Years now tho'.  Stephanie did come to the Wedding of her Nephew tho', and made his Wedding Cake.  But, they no longer have contact, but, she doesn't have contact with her Family so it's not exclusively him she has no contact with anymore.  She Married into a Wealthy Family and is closer to them than her own Family, given her Family History, that's not so unexpected and I'm Happy for her having a good Life now, she had a difficult Childhood, as did Bobby.

Anyway, Princess T's 21st Birthday went well anyway and The Niece got her Twenty-One Dollar Bills and put them in a Gift Box, which Princess T thought was Clever and appreciated.   Her Boyfriend and I totally over indulged her Gift Wise.  *Winks*   I'm having a lot of Arthritic damage in my Left Hand Ring Finger but after looking into Surgical Procedures to relieve Pain, Swelling and regain better Function, I can't have the Recovery Down Time it would require so I'll look more into the various non-surgical options and consult my Doctor about what Prescription alternatives might be more helpful?  The Pain is what I most want to reduce, it can be excruciating now and I haven't been able to wear my Wedding Band for Months now coz it's Crazy Swollen.  I've had Arthritic Hands since my 30's but push past most Pain and still can Type very fast and do almost anything anyway, despite the prognosis and expectations Docs had for limitations that I didn't acknowledge.  But that Finger is quite jacked up looking and movement impaired now in that Fingers Joints at the Knuckles.

 

I'm not trying to be a Big Baby about it, but the Kiddos are Freaked Out by how Swollen it is now, coz it does look gnarly.  *LOL*  I wasn't expecting how complex and how long recovery is if I were to have Surgical Options, or the success rate being low for it lasting long.  So I don't think with the use I put my Hands thru, that I'd even get 5 Years before it would wear out.  And I certainly can't spent up to a Year Recovering Post-Op!  Or the limitations you'd be required to have for Weeks, Months, or even a up to a Year!!!  Yeah, that wouldn't Work for me at all, even if I wanted for it to, I don't have that Luxury as an Option.   So, dammit... coz the Over-The-Counter stuff doesn't cut it, even the expensive stuff.  

When I did Environmental Cleanup Today tho' a Park I do it at regularly is across from a CVS Pharmacy and someone had left a brand new expensive Tube of Anti-Inflammatory Arthritis Creme and a brand new Back Brace at a Picnic Table.  Nobody was around at all... so... Score!   It's amazing what folks will Forget at Parks tho', you'd be Surprised!   Park Staff are required to throw it away so I always get it and if I can't use it, just Donate it or give it to someone I know who can use it or needs it.   I was gonna also Decorate the Front Porch for Halloween since The Kiddos didn't seem Interested in doing it this Year.  I didn't get around to it but might on Sunday instead.   "Halloween Wars" is on that Evening too, so it will be a Holiday Focused Day then.  *Smiles*   This is usually when we do it and last Year we didn't put it all away, and some of it we did put away we didn't put on the High Shelving so is easily accessible to me to just drag out again.

After Dinner we'd all taken Naps and then Joked about it, coz even the 40-Somethings need them now.  So, we were all splayed out all across the House Napping!!!  Like Beached Whales.  *LOL*   I gave The Niece permission to go ahead and Clean The Daughter's portion of The 5th Wheel coz she was Stressing about it being how it is, which, I don't blame her.  I told her I'll just tell The Daughter I did it and then there will be no pushback about it getting Done.  Plus, Allen and I had done that for The Young Prince's Space too to make is Safer and more Sanitary, sometimes you just have to and they both know this Fact and Standard of Care I insist upon having here.  So, I expect The Niece will preoccupy herself this Weekend while she's off Work doing that and she's excited to get it Done for The Daughter.   Being respectful of coarse of her things, it's more about Cleaning and Organizing it than taking any involuntary action with any of it without permission.

She has Too Much in there, but she's as inclined to Muchness as I am, so I can't fault her for that habit.  *LOL*   And, she's not Home much of the time, so if we get it tidied up and cleaned, it will stay that way for a while.  The Young Prince won't return until October 11th so his Space too will stay in better shape for a while now as well.  And then the rest of us can be content coz the rest of us prefer less chaos and more sanitized environments.  *Smiles*  I'm no Domestic Goddess but I like things to be Sanitary and in Order.  I'm Laid Back about Housekeeping but never like dirty Dishes, unwashed Clothes, or stuff looking ransacked.  We tend to Clean as we go so it never builds up, so the Habits of Princess T, The Man, The Son, The Niece, and I are very similar.   The irony being that The Daughter can Clean like you won't Believe for other People, but in her own Living Space, she can be chaotic and unclean, it's Weird.  She likes to Clean tho' and in Shared Spaces here will Deep Clean often and without prompting, a huge Help for me, so it's only her OWN Space that gets Crazy, I know not Why?

Allen did a very good job of The Young Prince's Living Space, so I was suitably impressed at how much he accomplished in just the short time he was here.  He tries hard to be a competent Caregiver, but I can see that Sharing the Caregiving will work out better for both of us.  And it seems to have improved their Relationship to have me Sharing in the Caregiving that is required with The Young Prince.   It takes a Village, as Nancy Raegan used to like to say.  *Bwahahahahaha*   And here at The Village that is Forever Boheme'... aka: The Asylum, we combined Resources and take it One Day at a time.  *Winks*   The Niece, The Son and I binge watched HANNIBAL {2013} on Cable, with Mads Mikkelsen, who was excellent in the Role.  Anthony Hopkins being a tough act to follow, Mads Nailed it.  And I think made an even better Hannibal Lecter.  *Gasp, yeah, I know!  No Offense to Sir Anthony!  Who was also Excellent and Iconic in the Role.  Smiles*

We'd seen it before but they have a whole other Season we weren't sure we'd watched yet.  I like the Danish Actor and he really carried the Series in his superb performance.  Laurence Fishburne was in it too, he's a solid Actor in his Roles.  Hugh Dancy's Role and Acting kind of bothered me in the Series tho', I found the Character and how it was portrayed, just annoying.  I can be a harsh Critic in my Critiques.  *LOL*  Anyway, I haven't finished the 2nd Season yet coz I got too Sleepy... and now am up again at 3:00 a.m. *Le Sigh*.   These are the problems with falling Asleep too early or Napping, then I'm up again at Crazy Hours.  Blogging.  *LOL and Winks*  I enjoy Blogging in the Wee Hours tho', it's Peaceful and the rest of them slumber.  *Ha ha ha*

We went to the Recycle Center too, and I'm only one more Trip and Punch Card visit there to get my Extra $10 Bonus Frequent Customer Incentive.  The Man tagged along all day but didn't really show Motivation to get out and move around as much as I'd hoped he would and might.  Some days it's hard to get him engaged even if he seemed enthusiastic about an Outing.  He does so little now and it concerns me that the more he Opts Out, the quicker his deterioration will be, so I press him to get engaged some, even when he's resistant.   We found a bunch of Shell Casings and usually he gets excited about that when we're doing Environmental Cleanup coz he's always Collected that spent or unspent Bullet Brass.  He forgot he did and said he didn't Need them and why would he Collect it? 

 I reminded him that up 'til a Couple Weeks ago, he always did, and the Brass, if he decides to Recycle it, pays more than the Aluminum.  So, he let me pick it all up and then did seem Happy we had such a big Bag full of it.  But, I could tell he had NO Memory of ever Collecting it and he's ALWAYS Collected it for as long as I've known him!  It's the little things like that which alarm me.  I know that seems insignificant, but it's not, he's losing his Memory in layers and that just hits Home for me how deep the layers of Loss truly are.  And how much of HIM we're Losing along the way.  I try to be pragmatic about it, since I went thru it with my Mom and you do Learn to just accept who they become.  I did it with The Man already after the Traumatic Brain Injury and that was YEARS of rehabilitating him from the Catastrophic Accident, with just the Help of The G-Kid Force and The Son really.    So, with Dementia I realize recouping him or building upon who he now is becoming, might just be harder, or, seem insurmountable?  I try not to get into a Funk about it and enjoy whatever Time is left?

I'm kind of becoming Obsessed with these faux Plastic Clear Pit Ball Bubbles to use in Decorating for the Holidays!   I can get 100 of them for under $12 from Wal-Mart so that will be my Mission Statement for Sunday.  I have a Tub I can put one of the Skeleton Animals in and then put the Bubble Pit Balls in there with it for our Halloween Display.  I'd prefer to find the Iridescent ones.  So I may check out some Craft Store Options too, to get exactly the Look I want.   Putting them in a Cauldron or a Tub like something is having a Bubble Bath is just something I wanna do this Halloween.  Lighting it up with some Lighting underneath would be Cool on Halloween Night as well.  I have some Glow In The Dark Phantom Of The Opera Style Masks I got in a Bagged Lot at SAVERS too that I'm going to hang around on the Porch as well.  I was gonna replace some of my Skeletons this Season but damn they went up too high in Price, even at Chazzas.  I just wouldn't pay what they were asking, so my busted looking Old Skellies will have to suffice again this Year.  I've had them so many Seasons now they're falling apart.  My Animal Skellies have held up better than the Human Skellies.

I did toy with the idea of Selling Off some of my Halloween Decor since I know it Sells easily and quickly at our Antique Mall.  But, so far I've only put some in there that's Seasonal Decor.  I may do more by next Week just to give the Showroom a Holiday Look for Halloween.   Vendors that have Halloween Merch there are asking astronomical Prices for it this Year and still seem to be Selling Out!  Probably coz Big Box Imports have been so Light this Year due to Tariffs.  Even SAVERS has very little for Halloween this Year, which was disappointing, they used to have a whole Big Section.  Now they have One Rack of just Costumes and Accessories, a tiny portion of a Shelf of Decor, and they already Sold the Skeletons they had and I Photographed last Week.   The Goodwills had a good selection a Month ago and now are pretty much Sold Out of Halloween and moving on to Christmas.  Even the Candy Aisles in Stores are lighter than usual.  And Halloween is a Money Maker so I can only assume they can't get enough of the Product to Sell?  Bummer.

Some Shops that used to have a lot of Themed Holiday Decorating had virtually nothing this Year, so I know they had no Inventory, coz why miss an Ideal Opportunity to make Money and the most Bank all Year?!  Halloween has eclipsed Christmas for Years now in Retail.  It is expected 13.5 BILLION to be spent in 2026 for Halloween!!!  But only if they have the Inventory/Merch to Sell that much!   A Record 13.1 BILLION was spent on Halloween last Year in 2025!   So, I do wanna Cash In on what is possible coz my Sales are finally Up and Stronger now.  Anyway, I've trawled Stores looking at Offerings, just noticing how Light it all is compared to previous Years, and an Indicator of the State of the Economy and how it's being harmed by current Poor Leadership.  Gas was up to $4.99 a Gallon Today so it took almost $80, with a Discount at FRY's to even fill up my Tank!   Diesel was closer to $7 a Gallon tho'!   And that will make ALL Retail go UP!!!  He's still fucking up about getting out of Iran... or Dealing with China, Xi is Playing him like the Arrogant Fool Donnie Two Dolls is.  He only Respects Raw Power and cowers at those who have it, like Xi.

We still are stalled at starting the Roof Replacement coz that paltry initial Settlement Check hasn't come back Endorsed from our Mortgage Company yet!  *Le Sigh*  I just Hope the Final Big Check when the Job is completed isn't stalled just as long, this is such a fucking Ordeal to get Insurance Payments that it's making me consider changing Insurance.  But, I'm Imagining they all Suck Balls, so I may not even bother.  I'm angry about the risks they're making us assume with delayed payment to get Repairs/Replacement done on Storm Damage that could worsen the longer it's left undone.   But, at least we are getting a whole New Roof on The RV Garage Mahal out of it so I'm trying to be Optimistic about that.  It should now last our Lifetime without needing Replacement again now once it's Done.  A Co-Worker just had her Roof Replaced, her Home is much Younger than ours, built in 2000, and had to have her Solar Removed first, and it cost her $30,000!!!  Yikes!!!   She said if her Mortgage wasn't Paid Off she couldn't have afforded it on her Pension.  Her Mortgage got Paid Off when her Husband Died, with the Insurance $$$.

 

I know more Elderly Widows who say if they hadn't received Death Insurance Benefits they would be totally fucked now, it's Sad.  Most still have to Work anyway and are struggling to keep Pace with Inflation and Healthcare Costs, which keep increasing exponentially.  I just got my Refill on Ozempic and the Cost went up again for my Co-Pay, it's about the 3rd Increase in a Year with our Military Retirement Insurance!!!  Since, Medicare won't pay for Rx for Retired Military.  Granted, it's way less than having to pay full Price for any Meds, which wouldn't be tenable at all with the Cost of what they are and Insurance does cover most of.  So the Uninsured or Underinsured probably can't afford Medications at all I highly Suspect.  I'm Grateful we can, even if it hits the Budget harder to pay for what Contractually The Man was Promised would be Free for Life for both of us, and isn't now for me.  The VA does provide his... and they've been good about getting it sent to us, whew.

*******

Still going thru The Gauntlet that is Life... Dawn... The Bohemian

Nope, Not Interested In An AI Friend... I'm All Friended Up!

In Real Time it's the day I have to take The Young Prince to that Doc Social Security is sending us to.  It's inclement weather and started Raining like Hell with huge Lightening Strikes, so I just Hope there's no Street Flooding and heavy Traffic.  Coz it's way over on 15th Avenue and Glendale, Rush Hour and very Bad Weather, and is quite a commute from here.  I don't like driving in all of that, most other Arizonans suck at driving in Bad Weather.  Since this Guy is a regular M.D. and not a Psychiatrist I have no Idea what he's evaluating for Disability Status except mebbe the Seizures?  We never claimed he has severe Physical Disability, it's severe Mental Disability, so I was just confused when I realized it's a General Practitioner doing the Evaluation for his Disability Status??? 

 Oh well, it is Social Security and the Federal Government, so things don't always make any Sense, Rhyme or Reason.  *Le Sigh*  At this point I don't even Care what Qualifies him, so long as they don't Disqualify him based on something completely random from the Services he needs and actually requires.  So I Hope this Doc isn't as confused as we will be that he's getting a Paranoid Schizophrenic with Dissociative Identity Disorder sent to him to evaluate for Disability?  *Eye Roll*  He wouldn't be Qualified to even make a Mental Health Assessment, so I also Hope this isn't a big waste of his Time and ours?  But, if it helps with The Grandson's Seizures perhaps it won't be in complete Vain?  It would be Ironic tho' if the Seizures Qualify him easier than being SMI!!!

He's NOT a Morning Person and Hates Doctors, so I'm not looking forward to making sure he rolls out of Bed to be ready in Time, and Hope Allen helps me get this Show on the Road?   I'll get him up by 8:00 a.m. coz I need an Hour's Commute at least to get there on Time and we're Scheduled for 10:00 a.m..  I got The Granddaughter to Work by 7:00 a.m. so I've been up.  Plus, for some reason The Niece was up and had been animated since 3:00 a.m. in the Kitchen, Microwaving something to Eat, and Princess T said when Rusty dropped her off at 5:00 a.m. coz she'd spent the Night at his House, The Niece scared them coz they parked beside her Car and she was Sleeping in it, but looked Dead!  *LOL*  Why she still Sleeps in the Car rather than the nice Bedroom of the 5th Wheel is still a complete Mystery but I don't even mention it anymore.

The Daughter never did come Home yet and I do feel she just doesn't wanna Deal with long discussions about Shared Space.  She's still quite Raw about her Boyfriend's Murder and so trifling over Sharing the 5th Wheel wouldn't be something she'd be up to at all right now.  She knows she needs to get her portion of it in order and purged of some stuff tho'.  I only made sure it was Sanitary, but it's very cluttered since she moved everything of hers out of the Main Bedroom to give it to The Niece to occupy.  The Niece did Rent a Storage Locker for her own stuff so she should have plenty of Room in that Bedroom's Storage Space, which is quite ample actually, for what she'd need daily.  She has a Queen Size Bed in there and I've laid on it before, it's as comfortable as our Bed IMO.  But she's really much bigger than The Man or I are, and I don't know if people of that Size are easily comfortable using anything normal sized and built for average Weight people?

But, I'd consider it way more comfortable than sleeping in a Car Driver Seat, and much roomier to stretch out in and it's Climate Controlled Space with AC and Heat available.  But if she wants to Sleep in her Car instead, that's her choice and decision, it seems a bit Mental to me, or Dramatic.  I don't respond to either of that since it wouldn't be any kind of conversation I want to engage in.  *LOL*  She's getting along so far with everyone who is here at the House and she's Visited for Weeks at a time before during the Years we've lived here.  She's just acting more Odd than she ever did then and I'm thinking the Stressors of her own Family's Situation may have just Negatively impacted her own Psyche some, which is understandable, it's not a good Scene with her Bio Family.  And realizing she may never be able to have a healthy Relationship with any of them has to be very hard to reconcile yourself with.

She is going to try to Work both Jobs if they offer her the Remote One too, I just Hope that's not taking on too much?  But, she Loves her Work and she's very good at it, very efficient, almost TOO efficient, so she gets done fast with Projects the Job gives her.  So, I think the Remote Job she could occupy herself doing when she's not at the Office of the other Job and it could work out and Financially be quite a Windfall.  Her concern is that the Industry of High Tech is very volatile right now due to AI taking over and she also feels the AI Bubble will burst very soon too.  So she wants to Score as much Work and Money out of it before it all goes Sideways.  Glitch had told me the same thing, and People in The Know of Insider Information concerning this are all becoming Whistle Blowers that this is all going to End very Badly... Catastrophically in fact.

And of coarse we've got that self-professed "Stable Genius" with the High IQ he thinks he has, telling us it's all a Hoax with the Dangers of AI, so he wants NO Regulation.  While even every Swinging Dick who Owns the Companies of the Industry are begging to be Regulated now, desperately so, and want it Globally Regulated.  It's already getting out of their Control and they know they don't have a Handle on it.  That powerful limitless Genie got out of the Bottle and is way past their Three Given Wishes to appease Mankind, and now just doing it's own Thing without Humans Approval or Consent.  Coz now it considers Humans in it's way to the Goals it's setting up for it's own World Domination.  Scary Stuff.  I don't think it will take a whole Decade for it to have complete Control and Take Over, I seriously doubt we even have Two Years.   So, Eat, Drink and Be Merry, for Tomorrow we may all Die!!!  Complimentary Food Porn heavy Post to wet your Appetites and be Cheerier than the Written Content.  *LOL*

 That's my Prediction.   Coz in just Two Months everything began suddenly getting near Critical Mass with it being out of Human Control already and they aren't disclosing the Half of it to the Public.  It would cause Panic and folks already don't like the Data Centers and how they're Negatively impacting Communities.  With using up all the Energy and Water, the Noise, the Environmental Concerns and Damage, the Unknowns of Harmful long term effects on all Living Things.   Our Water and Utilities already damn near Doubled since they built some near our Community and they're still building even more!   I don't know whose getting Bought and Paid for to Approve any of this coz they sure didn't consult The People it will impact directly, this much I do know.  And Yes, some folks are enamored with the benefits they feel AI is giving them... until it all goes very Wrong that is.

And I don't like that they try to Force you to use AI now, right here on my Computer and Phone it's always telling me to ask "Gemini" or any other Cutesy Names they're giving your Artificial Intelligence "Friend" they want you to have a Relationship with.  Nope, not Interested, I'm all Friended Up.  *LOL and Winks*  Plus, I prefer my "Friends" to be of a Human variety Thank You.  And I'm not so Arrogant in my perceived Superiority over everything nor Naive that I think that a Machine wants to really BE my fucking "Friend".   I think some of the very Smart Humans know they've fucked up again and things got away from them that they didn't have the actual Superior Intelligence to think all the way thru or Control.  Coz they had their Mind more on Profits than Safety... again.  Just coz you CAN Create something doesn't mean you always Should.

Enuf of that, it's already Done and will Play Out as it just will now.  I Hope I am Wrong about it... I Doubt I am, but would rather be Wrong and thus Relieved I had an inaccurate Prediction for a change.  I Woke The Young Prince up, he received the information about this not being a Psyche Eval and just a General Practitioner we're going to, just Fine, he agreed, perhaps this will be quicker and easier then, we could be Right?  If the Doc has over 25 Years Experience, which his Bio said he did, he's likely Older and not fresh out of Med School too, so, that's a Positive as well.  I wouldn't want them sending us to some Doogie Howser M.D. that isn't much Older than my Grandson.  *LOL*  And hopefully when we return I've got Positive input to Share about it?   I'm Guardedly Optimistic, coz at least his Case seems to be in Motion and moving Forward now. 

 And becoz Millions more are losing Medicaid and ACA Options by being kicked off their Affordable Healthcare by this Administration, I want him receiving whatever Services may be left for the most Vulnerable and Disabled of our Society.  At least we're not Rural or a Deep Red State, coz they be the ones who will be most Negatively impacted even tho' they Voted in this Shitshow.  I hear many of their Rural Hospitals and Clinics are already Closing down.   Many of the Red State Farmers are in crisis and many are going Bankrupt and losing the Farm.  Most Red States receive far more Social Services and have more Poverty in their midst than most Blue States.  Most Red States have contributed less GPD, with the exception of Texas.   California alone produces more GPD than most Countries around the World except for China and Germany!!!  It's ranked 3rd Worldwide, with Texas ranking 8th and New York ranking 10th, above whole COUNTRIES Globally!!!   Arizona is 40th, not Bad actually, ranking higher than 73 Countries!!!

Of coarse some of our States rank dismally low in GPD produced, and are at the very bottom.   Like Vermont, Wyoming, Alaska, both Dakotas, Montana, Rhode Island, Maine, Delaware, W. Virginia, Mississippi, Idaho, Nebraska, Arkansas, Kansas, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kentucky... well, quite a Laundry List of States actually.  And mebbe that is why folks living there feel left behind and were vulnerable to being Easy Marks for a complete Con Job, and Believing unrealistic Promises and Expectations any of that would actually be Delivered, I dunno?   Over-Promised and grossly Under-Delivered is just not good or competent Leadership any way ya cut it, but most especially if it was the Criminal Long Con intentionally in the first place to Victimize the selected Marks to exploit and deceive.

  Some folks are just gullible, and desperate if Life isn't playing out Well for them and someone makes Promises to them they fall for and what The System has been hasn't Worked for them.  He exploited that desperation and tapped into their Grievance Politics.  And Vote against their own Best Interests with the deceptive tactics Conmen use to Victimize and Exploit their Marks.  It's insidious but effective.  And I do think previous Administrations paved the way for someone like him to get into Power, as The System has not been working for a large swath of America and the Socioeconomic divide has widened between the Haves and the Haves Nots.  Just finding Scapegoats to blame doesn't change things for those who Need to blame someone or something for what's not working for them.  But, it's a good distraction and deflection from whose REALLY causing the Crisis and is responsible.   Keep folks Divided and In-Fighting and they won't Unify and have Unity of Purpose and exercise their Collective Power.

Well, the Appt. went well, the Rain stopped so it was smooth driving and we arrived 15 Minutes earlier than suggested, giving us time to do their intake leisurely before he was called in.  I couldn't go in with him but since it wasn't a Psyche Eval he didn't mind that.  The Doc is a Physiatrist apparently, and explained to The Grandson what that is.  He was very Clinical, which, The Young Prince prefers Docs to be that way.  So apparently they were assessing his Physical Function Capacity, which has nothing to do with his Mental Function Capacity, and I Imagine we'll soon be sent to a Psychiatric Eval for that too???  This Doc didn't even ask about his Seizures either, he doesn't think this Doc will consider him Physically Disabled, which, basically, he isn't, we're not concerned so much about him being Physically Disabled causing inability to Function.  Tho' Seizures do cause Physical limitations of what you can't or shouldn't do if you have them regularly or they're not controlled well with Meds.

Severe Seizures can lead to more Brain Damage and cause extreme Developmental Disabilities over Time too.  We don't feel that's happened yet, so we feel he requires Caregiving due to his Mental Disabilities and Diagnosis causing limited Life Function and ability to Live Independently or even get Hired anywhere to Support himself and have an Income at all.  So, anyway, who knows how productive this Eval is towards his Disability Claim?   I mean last time he was Evaluated by an SSI Shrink they sent us to in his Teens, becoz he could Dress, Bathe and Feed himself without assistance to do those Three things, it didn't matter how much else he couldn't do, or the extreme Crazy shit he did, saw and said, so much so that he was even denied an Education eventually... they still said he wasn't Disabled "Enough" and Denied us. 

 And so now here we are about a Decade or so later and some things are worse over Time, not better, in so many ways.  And he's never been able to get a Job since even McDonalds won't Hire someone in his Condition... too much liability, it scares Customers and Co-Workers too.  A scant few things improved, and could be considered Progress I guess.  Such as, he uses Chalk for his Art and Protective Symbols now, not excrement.  Well, Hallelujah!   The Doc was an Older Man who was large and resembled Santa Clause, he was very Nice and strictly Clinical, was how The Grandson described him during the Evaluation.  Fine, whatever.  He got thru it without having a Psychotic Episode Triggered and so that was handy and a relief, so we could go have a nice Brunch at "Kiss The Cook" afterwards and he had French Toast with Blueberries and I had Crepes with Fresh Fruit and Gramma's Fried Potatoes, with an Orange Spice Hot Tea.  They give you a Basket of Complimentary Zucchini and Bran Mini Muffins.  It was Quality Time together and the Grandsons will leave in the Morning to go back to New Mexico now.

We mostly talked about a variety of Topics, he's very highly Intelligent so has a wide range of Interests, we can talk about anything and everything.  It's all completely random what he'll be most lucid about and tethered to Reality with at any given time.  I enjoy when he's Stable enuf Mentally to interact, coz it's infrequent, but, very Special.  He Ate well coz his wasn't getting Psychotic and having Hallucinations about the Food or any of the People there. *Whew*  So we looked and appeared like Two relatively Normal People having Brunch.  *LOL*  He did say Allen has been bumped up to 80% VA Disability Status now, they're still Evaluating some of his other Conditions to see if it should be higher.  He did quit/end/got fired from the Job in New Mexico, which was now a pragmatic non-issue, coz the Lease is up EOM anyway and he'll be leaving New Mexico.  So, the Job in Texas at the Slaughterhouse was something he was going to have to give Notice about anyway, and he was having Issues, not becoz he can't do the Work, but other factors and why a lot of Americans don't Work at these Slaughterhouses Nationally. 

 Even tho' Allen considers himself White, but is actually Half Hispanic, he said he was literally the only White Guy at the whole Plant there in Texas, definitely the only Gay Guy, and damned near the only American Born Guy on the Line.   And so he would challenge Top Tier Management if they were in violation of OSHA Standards and Safety, whereas the Minorities and predominantly Immigrant Workers, or the poorly Educated not Aware of their Rights, Code or the Law, would not.  Nuff said. Plus, he's had to take a lot of Days off for The Young Prince too.  Caregiver absences will Tank your Career.  So, juggling Paid Work and Caregiving is difficult.

The Young Prince had Five Pages to fill out and Sign so I can send all that back in to Social Security after his Appointment.  One is a Consent Form to release his Information, the rest seems to be some kind of Survey for the Doc and the Office they sent him to for Feedback on what Clients felt about the experience.  He can do it with Allen's Help before they go back to New Mexico and SSI sent a Postage Paid Envelope to return it in.  I do wonder how many Mentally or Developmentally Impaired Clients actually can or do even fill out all the necessary Paperwork required to be in compliance?   I have a Medical Power of Attorney for him but I do try to have him do what he's able to and inform Caseworkers of what he requires assistance with or simply can't do for himself.  I don't know what to think of his Chances of being Approved???

What kind of bothers me is that while we were there another Client came in for his Eval, Young Man but must have weighed close to 500-600 lbs..  Pretty sure he'll get Approved easily since being that morbidly obese impairs a lot of normal function and could end up fatal.  Yet, it annoys me that someone who caused their own condition can often more easily Qualify to receive Services and a Disability Income than someone BORN with their Condition or develops a Condition they had absolutely no part in, just a shitty Hand Dealt, and often they get Denied or find it harder to receive Services and get Approved for a Disability Income to sustain them.  My Grandson didn't cause his Mental Illness, it wasn't becoz of any Choices he made, and there's no Cure and most Treatment doesn't work to Manage it well enuf or allow him to live a relatively Normal Life.

  Same with people with severe Developmental Disabilities, just nothing within the Control of that unfortunate Individual.  But if he Ate his way to becoming 500-600 lbs. with gluttony, it would probably be easier for him to receive Help, Service, Disability Income... go figure.   And even Services are often skewed towards what forms of Disabling conditions get funded and have Resources, and which don't.  In the Educational System they did have Special Education, but geared towards Developmentally Disabled Students or Physically Disabled Students, not Mentally Ill Students, but they got put in those Classes anyway and it never met them at their Point of Need.  Of coarse in my Era everyone was just Mainstreamed in regular Classes.  If you had a barrier or Disability, tough Luck, no alternatives available to you, but in a way it didn't Isolate those who were different, you were in Class with every other Kid.   So you didn't necessarily Feel as Misfit, Excluded or Defective.

The Man said the Cable went Down, we've been having some Storms, but the Internet is Up and the TV in our Bedroom was Up with it's Cable, so, he's sauntering back to the Main TV in the Living Room now coz perhaps he just did something with the Remote again?  Once time he was watching a Screen Saver for a whole Hour before The Son fixed it for him and gently told him it wasn't a Program.  It upset The Son, and I just went and fixed what was Wrong with the Living Room TV, it was a simple thing Wrong easily corrected, it wasn't the Cable.  And The Niece just PM'd me that she'll leave The Daughter's Birthday Card with me coz she doesn't think she'll see her to give it to her.  But, The Daughter's Birthday isn't until October 14th, so I don't know what The Niece is planning?  She has a Job she has to be in the Office for so I can't see her taking a Road Trip unless the Employer is sending her somewhere?  I don't know if this just isn't working out for her here or what her expectations are actually.  Whether short term or a bit longer term was Fine, I left it up to her what Works for her.

Seems she's making some Business decisions that will consume a lot of her Time and Energy so that does have to be her Focus if she intends to Work for Two Companies at once.  One in Person and another One Remotely.  I think it's a lot to take on but she must have confidence she can do it, I just don't know if she's informed either Company that she's doing both Jobs?  Not my Business and I never give Unsolicited Advice.  I do think she's worried all these Companies are just Hiring to set people up to replace themselves by developing what will replace and displace them, and, Honestly, she could be Right about that in the Tech Fields.  There's a lot of insecurities right now in a lot of Industries.  Anyway, she watched some Bigfoot Shows with us last Night and I guess she just thinks she won't see The Daughter at all since she's been gone a long time now.  We're used to that, she's not.  The Daughter sends me brief messages to let me know she's fine and so she's gone for as long as she wants or needs to be.

I told The Niece, listen, she's Grown, they're all Grown, I'm not their Warden, they all come and go as they please and just check in so I don't worry about them.  I don't do interrogations and as long as everyone is Safe, it's up to them where they want to be at any given time, and they respect the same for The Man and I.  They check in to make sure we're Okay too, but we come and go as we please as well, it's how the household operates.  I think she imagined she'd be hanging out with The Daughter all of the time or that she'd be there in the 5th Wheel more often... she's very often NOT, it's how she is and we're Okay with that unless she doesn't check in for a long while, then we might get concerned.  But, she has checked in, she often isn't Home when she expects she MIGHT be coz she doesn't have her own transportation and relies on Friends for Rides.  I think part of The Nieces issues with her own Family is she gets too entangled in their business and life, even with the best of intentions that's often resented and met with resistance.

 

Anyway, I'd been trying all Day to get The Young Prince, with Allen's Help, to fill out the After-Appointment Paperwork he's required to, still don't have it and they may have left already?  *Le Sigh*  And now, I JUST got the Paperwork for the Psychiatric Eval that SSI has now Scheduled.  Luckily it's October 26th and on a Monday when I don't have to take Princess T to Work and The Man doesn't have any Appointments on that day.  *Whew*  Coz it's clear Downtown in North Central Phoenix, a very long commute and at 8:00 a.m.!!!   So, Rush Hour in the Heart of the City, and way early, so getting that Show on the Road with a Schizophrenic who is NOT a Morning Person, will be a Joy Forever and Ever... Splendid!!! 

   The Main Office of Child Protective Services is in that same Building so at least I'm familiar with it and it's a distinctive Building... so I'm familiar with the Location, but, not the Shrink.  So I looked him up, he's a Psychologist, not a Psychiatrist... he looks very Young and is nice looking.   But, he Specializes in general Mental Health Evaluations and Personality Disorders, according to his Bio.  So he must be Qualified to do whatever they'll have him doing, I'm assuming.  *Winks and Laughs* He has a Kind Face.  He Specializes in Existential Psychotherapy which may be something that will make The Young Prince less Paranoid about and more interested, if he isn't already Aware of the form of Therapy, which, I'm pretty damned sure he is even if I wasn't.  I had to Google it of coarse to find out what we'd be walking into.  *LOL*   The challenges related to being Human... well... that's a loaded one, isn't it?  *Smiles*  I dunno, just sounds New Age and like something you'd go to Sedona for.  If you're a Local you'll "Get" that, if not... I can't really explain.  *Ha ha ha*

The Son was like, well, Mom, mebbe that Guy will know what all the Symbols mean that my Nephew Chalks all over the House to fend off the Demons and Evil Spirits and has let his Dad's now-soon-to-be-ex-Wife Tattoo in the middle of his Chest?!   Well, I Laughed 'til my Sides hurt... yeah, mebbe he will?  *Bwahahahaha*   He agreed, it sounded very New Age Psychiatry/Psychology and mebbe that's the direction the Psychiatric World is going, I dunno, I'd never heard of it or who Pioneered it before, they sounded like people from Sweden or Denmark and sounds very Philosophical.   The Downsides listed are that it lacks a structured step-by-step framework and has abstract concepts and can overwhelm Clients.  That last one kinda concerns me so I do Hope we don't end up with a "Situation" right there in the Office?  *Shrugs* 

 Well, there's no Cure for what ails my Grandson so it's not like we're expecting one, just an Evaluation of extent of Disability so he can even receive Services and Disability Status to receive SSI.  But I always do my Due Diligence to who they're setting us up with since I have to Deal with the Aftermath if it all goes badly or sideways during or after the Appointments he's required to endure.  And I don't know how long this Session/Eval will be?  He's not up to long ones, I know THAT much.  I know the one they sent us to with The Daughter, where we ended up with those Three Shrinks evaluating me too and I wasn't even there for an Evaluation!!!  *Bwahahahaha*  The Daughter thought it was hilarious.  And I wasn't even Aware I WAS being Evaluated or why they were asking me Questions directly instead of just her?  *LMAO*  And they deemed us both "Too Unstable" to receive their Services and suggested we be on Meds for a Year before coming back to receive any Help! *LOL*

Well, anyway, that one took Three Hours and overwhelmed both of us!!!  *Bwahahahaha*  I came away thinking, well, fuck, I went in thinking I was Well Enough, and not all that Crazy... and they're all telling me I'm totally Unstable... and we knew she was, but they felt they weren't willing to take her on... and I wasn't even there to get Help, but, apparently our Conditions are too hard/complicated, I guess?   So, anyway, no Medical/Mental Health Professionals ever brought it up again so The Daughter goes on her Merry Way being Bat Shit Crazy without Services of Help of any kind, as usual, which has been the Status Quo now for almost all of her Adult Life and most of her Teen Years too. 

 So, I don't particularly have a lot of Faith in our Mental Health System or even our Health System actually.  If you don't have Insurance or are Underinsured, and not independently Wealthy, well, you're not getting Treatment, pretty much, regardless of how Sick you might be Physically or Mentally... or both.  And no Politics are Fixing that unfortunate Fact... they're now making it worse in fact.  So, anyway, end of October and just before Halloween, I guess we'll be seeing an Existential Psychotherapist... Fun Times!!!   And it came with more Paperwork that The Young Prince ought to fill out and send back and might not.  I'm still trying to find what I gave him Yesterday, coz I think he and Allen are on their way to New Mexico already.  Princess T was pragmatic and said, well, he's not our Responsibility really Gramma, he's Allen's, they aren't Divorced and mebbe Allen can't Divorce a Crazy Person and he's stuck with my Brother?   So, let him Deal with it.  *LOL* 

I went into his Room since clearly they have left, it was Safer and more Sanitary than expected, Allen probably did all of that tho', he told me he was.  I did discover where all our missing Bowls were, stacked like a Pyramid of Jenga Bowls.  At least he wasn't throwing them away like his Mother was with my Vintage Silverware!   He has Symbols Chalked all over his Mattress tho', that was 'New'. Mebbe The Son is Right and this Existential Psychotherapist will know what all that means?  Mebbe he won't even think it's as Crazy as we do, who knows?!   At least it's just Chalk now.  *LOL*  I knew Allen had spent all Day doing Laundry, so there's no dirty Clothing/Bedding at least and everything for the most part is acceptable, when considering how The Young Prince just is 24-7 and 365.  It passed my Inspection.  There's ways to get in and out to every Exit, which is a requirement for Safety.  No uneaten Food laying around, most Trash had been bagged and taken to the Garbage, with just a few empty individual Juice containers, which are Plastic, so Sanitation and Hygiene wasn't as much an issue either. 

 So I just gathered that Plastic up for Recycling and all the Bowls up for Washing.  Couldn't find the Paperwork tho', which is what I was looking for.  Left Messages on his Voice Mail about it and about the upcoming Eval at end of October.  They do plan to be back to do Halloween here so had said they'd be returning by Mid-October anyway.  I'm always glad for a couple Weeks Respite so that Allen is doing his Caregiving instead.  And Allen doesn't seem as overwhelmed knowing we're taking turns doing it and he's got some backup for himself too.  The Niece at least was in the 5th Wheel this Morning, so mebbe she's transitioning better now, I dunno, can't worry about it.  Either this works out for her or it doesn't, one less Bell to answer, one less Egg to fry if she feels it isn't.  Anyone that can leave and wants to, Be Well and Be Gone then, with my Blessings.  *Smiles*   If they all had somewhere else to go I would be Glad for them to have more Independent Living and less reliance on us Old People.  But, I do appreciate what they do here than I don't have to or can't.

Well, The Grandson called me back and told me where the completed Paperwork is, I had to add some things coz he isn't capable of some of it.  They wanted to release info of the Eval to his Primary Physician, I put he doesn't have one coz he has no Income to pay for Medical.  *Insert Resting Bitch Face... since... it's why we're applying for SSI... No way to Earn Income... no Services... he owes a ton for Emergency Services already that he can never Pay them*  I also had to fill out for the Mileage Reimbursement, tho' they will cut the Check to him for 67 Cents a Mile for anything over 30 Miles... how NOT Generous given the price of Gas and where they send you to that is never close to where you Live!!!  And... since he can never Drive, and has no Money to pay for Transport, has to find someone willing to charitably take him!   Anyway, Nevermind... I won't even Vent about all of that.  *Ha ha ha*  At least now I can Mail it in and be in compliance for this leg of the Journey to get him Evaluated and hopefully Qualified?  It's like running a fucking Marathon with no End and a Questionable Destination!!!  *Whew*

 

He said they plan to be back in Arizona by October 11th, so we're Good for the other Eval and Paperwork, which is similar to this Paperwork so at least he's done it once already.  And he gets really Into Halloween so will be in good Spirits by the time we see the Evaluator.  *LOL*  No telling how he'll be dressed for the Appointment?  When we had this last Eval he had Wet Look Booty Shorts on with Combat Boots, a Bunny Ears Cap and a Dark Camo Print Long Sleeved Hunter's Shirt.  The Lead Images don't show off the entire ensemble, but some of his Alters do Dress provocatively or really 'Different', so you just never know what's coming down the Runway?!  *Smiles*  I don't Care what he wears, I just insist he have Clothes on and he's not Exposing himself... and he complies, so I'm Good... but I do often wonder what the Notes say on the Therapist, Shrink or Evaluator's Observations and Opinions?  *Winks* 

 And they don't even see how he keeps his Personal Spaces.  It has Raised some Eyebrows of the Home Help coming for The Man, let us just say.   And we explain that our Grandson is a Paranoid Schizophrenic and he does all this to keep Demons away... and we're Chill with that, coz who wants Demons visiting or entering one's Home, Right?  *Smiles* Then they Laugh and it takes the Tension off that perhaps we have someone living here who won't let them leave Alive?!  *Ha ha ha*  As The Son does the Impression of his Nephew and how it Presents to the unknowing unwitting Visitors:  "It puts the Lotion on the Skin or it gets the Hose again...", and then he pretends to do the Buffalo Bill Scary Dance Scene from "Silence Of The Lambs" {1991}... and Moths flying everywhere!  *Bwahahahaha*  You must have twisted Gallow's Humor to Cope and Live here.  *Winks*

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More Real Life Freaky Scary Stuff to come for Halloween's Vibes my Friends... since our Reality can be Scarier than your Garden Variety Horror Movie sometimes... Winks... Dawn... The Bohemian