Well... F*cking Cheers... Eat, Drink & Be Merry, For Tomorrow We May...

We'll lead off with Happy Fluff... with an Adorable Pix of one of our Great-Grandsons.  I had bought an Acai Berry Smoothie from the Grocery Store and was disappointed that the taste isn't as good as Acai Sorbet.  It seemed watered down, I won't buy it again, not at the price, I could get me an Acai Tropical Mango Bowl for a buck more from "Robeks".  *LOL*  I always do a price comparison calculation in my Head of Gourmet items that I enjoy the most, to see if it's worth the splurge at a Grocer, or just get it at a fav Restaurant.  Often, the Restaurant is a better Deal IMO, which is Surprising, but they do buy Product in bulk so probably get it Wholesale.  I am a Fan of unusual Flavor Profiles so I'll spend up on them as a decadence I will Budget for.  Especially those Foods that also have Holistic Health Benefits ta boot, Win-Win.

And I Share Accurate History and Quotes from those in the Past who said it, that speak Volumes about the Character of who said them Historically.  Above incapsulates it, and why we mustn't Whitewash our History no matter how unpleasant or uncomfortable it is.   Most Indigenous Tribal Leaders weren't the less "Civilized" of our Nation's People, if History is recounted accurately as to what was done to them all, consistently, by the American Government.   The Genocide of my Dad's People was responsible for Millions more Deaths than even the atrocious Nazi Holocaust by Hitler was against the Jews and the Gypsies.   But our Schools don't Teach about our Atrocities against Humanity and so Bad History tends to repeat itself here becoz nothing is Learned from it so it never happens again to anyone else.

 There were State Sponsored Extermination Campaigns all across America to Murder all Native American People without consequence.  In California alone the Native Population plummeted from 150,000 to 30,000 in just a few Years in the 1800's.  In the 19th Century 1,500 Raids by the U.S. Government were authorized against Tribes, Killing even the Elderly, Women and Children.  Survivors were forced into 4% of U.S. Territory on Reservations to only be able to Live there and many Starved there or Died of Disease.  Even in my Dad's Generation he Lost Three Young Brothers by what was still being done.  So when I see Human Right Violations in 2026 I see we've Learned Nothing from our previous Bad History that is being covered up, altered to Sanitize or debunk it with Lies, or remaining just unspoken.  It is disturbing and it is dangerous to Humanity.  We should never Dehumanize another Human Being to attempt to justify Atrocities committed against our Fellow Human Beings, it's pure Evil.

 Moving On, since I know my Dear Readers don't Need to hear me Preach about such things.  Back to Foods, a less controversial Topic.  *Winks*  The Man isn't very experimental with Flavor Profiles or Foods, he grew up with a very bland and Middle America kind of Diet, his Family don't even Spice things.  *Gasp!  Clutches Pearls!!!*  Hence he's like a Delicate Flower when it comes to Stomach Ailments and I have a Stomach and Constitution like a Goat, he says.  *LOL*  It is True I can eat Foods so Spicy they make Styrofoam Sweat or even Melt.  *Bwahahaha*  I like Foods that have some Throat in them and Flavor, Bland Foods are disgusting to me, Gak.  But, to each their own when it comes to Dietary preferences and Foods they enjoy most, it's all subjective, isn't it?  The Man now eats Foods he never grew up eating since he has been exposed to more variety due to my influence.

And it has been reciprocal since he grew up in a Hunting and Fishing Family, they Kill things and Eat them, with regularity.   So there were some Proteins I'd never had before meeting him and eating them, Fresh, after he Hunted them down and Killed them.  You Marry a Great White Hunter and you're gonna be eating some very unusual Animals you'd only ever seen Alive and not in your Local Grocery Store Butcher Shop section and Meats Aisle.  *LOL*  I'll eat anything Once, Twice if I Like it, so, I'm very Experimental with Food and willing to partake of something New to me.  My only Condition was, he had to bring it Home not looking like it did Alive in the Wild, hadda LOOK like it just came from the Grocery Store so as not to Freak Out the Kids and I.  *Winks*

I dunno, you see Bambi's Mother strung up like a Lynching and it just Kills the Appetite completely IMO.   And some very Tasty Foods look so damned Cute in Life, like Quail for example.  He jokes with me that he only Killed the Ugly ones, a Mercy Killing if you will.  *Eye Roll and Laughs*  Quail is very good, so are Dove Nuggets, a Favorite.  I Loved his Moose Chili and Javelina Pot Roasts.  And now he can't Hunt anymore due to the level of his Disability, I do miss those Meals he Hunted and prepared for us for many Years and we came to look forward to and Love incorporating into our Diet.  He was also an excellent Culinary Jedi and I miss that too, he always did most of our Cooking and Loved preparing Meals, he was so good at it too.  Above is one of my Aunts with our Kids and one of our Grandkids.  As you can see The Son was a very Young Uncle... he HATED it and was very jealous of the Grandkids.  *LOL*

The only thing he ever Hunted, and it took him 15 Years to even Draw Out on One to Hunt it, that I did not Like eating at all, was Antelope.  Very Lean Muscular Animal, very Gamey coz of what they Eat, mostly Sagebrush.  He's good at making Wild Game not taste Gamey, but Antelope was a particular Challenge and we agreed, not worth Hunting again.  We just didn't like it and they're a big Animal, so we had a lot of Meat to Eat of it and try to get Creative about not wasting any of it and making something with it that would be palatable.   We mixed it with Meats we do like and that was Helpful, to make Burgers or Chili or Sausages with it and just use it up.

Once a Friend, Dino, who worked at a large Resort on their Golf Course, came to The Man holding a large Dead Domestic White Goose.  He said one of their Golfers had accidentally ran over it and killed it with their Golf Cart! Don't even ask how that can happen, didn't seem all that "accidental" to me.  I don't even run over Wild Geese with my Truck and they're crossing the Street slowly everywhere around here.  Even tho' they know they can Fly, and staring you down with their Beady little Eyes with an Arrogance that I can Imagine might make some Golfer Snap and run one over.  But this was a lone White Domestic Goose, not as inclined to tie up Traffic like a gaggle of Wild Canadian Geese do, marching in Single File holding up Traffic, usually at Crosswalks, that I've ever seen anyway.  *LOL*   Anyway, Dino didn't wanna Waste it and asked if The Man knew how to Butcher and prepare it to Eat, he did, so both Families had Vehicular Homicide Golf Course Goose that day.  *LOL*

I do find it quite Interesting that the Wild Canadian Geese around here almost always use the Crosswalks tho'!  They could Cross the Road anywhere, but don't.  And the Crosswalks also have Caution Signs saying Migratory Bird Crossings happen.   So perhaps they are Smarter than we think they are?  And know they are deliberately tormenting us Humans by their Pedestrian Behavior?  *LOL*   Sometimes they even stop mid Crosswalk and directly in front of your Vehicle while waiting on them, and Stare you Down for a while before moseying across at leisure and getting to the other side.  The really obstinate ones will reach the other side and then act like they may change their Mind and go back across!!!  *LMAOROTF*   There is nothing across the Road they even Need since the Ponds and Lakes are on the side they're usually leaving.  And now most of them seem no longer to bother Migrating anymore, they stay Year Round in Arizona.  Canada a distance Dream perhaps, they've now become Ex Pats, these Canadian Geese?  *LOL*

Well, the Hernandez Family next door to Rob's Family forgot to drop their Gates and now their property is Flooding!   And nobody can get hold of them so the rest of us now have an Issue with our Irrigation we get after them!!!   I went to their Home and rang their Doorbell to alert them coz Water is running down their Driveway and now all down the Street, but nobody is coming to their Door.  So I don't know if they went to Work and forgot or they've got some other Issue with their Irrigation distribution, but, it's a big problem coz it's Flooding and wasting a lot of the Water too that should be distributed downstream from them.  *Le Sigh*  We opened our Gates and tuned on our Pump earlier so at least it helps some, but we and Rob are out there now trying to alleviate what is running off the Hernandez Property.  Rob is inclined to jump their fencing and go handle it if it appears they're not Home to.  His Family are friendly with all the Neighbors.  Otherwise we'll have to alert SRP of the problem.

The Daughter made me angry, she said this Morning she'd show up and she not only hasn't, but, she said she sent Mando and she knows we don't want him on our Property at all, ever.  If he could get here she could get here and I called her and yelled at her for presuming it would be Okay to send him over here, now her Brother is livid.  Last time Mando was on our Property he got aggressive with The Son and The Young Prince and The Son got into a Physical altercation with him.  I don't want that happening again, The Son has to get ready for Work and doesn't need to Deal with her Ex-Boyfriend who became Drama and a Headache to where we banned him from being anywhere near our Property.  She may be forgiving of his out of Control Temper, we are not.  He doesn't have Control of himself and so I don't want him around my Family or our Home, Period.

Anyway, I'd just gotten back from Urgent Care with Princess T for the Cat Bite, since Dr. Google had said to get Emergency Treatment for a Deep Puncture Cat Bite, which this certainly was, coz Felines have a 50% Infection Rate in 3-5 Hours!!!   She's already Sickly and has been for days now so her Immune System is already compromised.  So, the Urgent Care, now familiar with us *Eye Roll*, said we'd irrigated and cleaned it well enuf, so they prescribed the regimen of Antibiotics she'll Need.  I pick them up when the closest Pharmacy Opens after 9:00 a.m. now.  Which will be after I get The Man Home from Cardiac Rehab.  If I had someone to take him I'd just have them drop him off but then they'd have to hang around to pick him up and that's a Big Ask.   The Senior and VA Transports generally won't do someone with Dementia or TBI for obvious reasons.   Liability Issues if they lose them and can't keep track of them.

 

And ICE is still rampantly now Executing People in the Streets so frequently now we can't keep Pace with the Coverage.  Last Two Executions weren't even the Right Guy they were allegedly after, WTF?!  And who Honestly Believe any REAL Investigations will be done and Justice for those very suspiciously similar Murders by ICE, any of them?   And I knew the Good Dark Gallow's Humor Political Satire Memes would come out with Moscow Mitch and Miss Lindsey, and so enjoy my inappropriateness that has some of the Media clutching their Pearls about it and having the Vapors!   Please!!!   Spare me the Pious Double Talk now they're Dead.  I'm so Frosty about the Sanctimonious trying to say it's inappropriate to speak Ill of the Dead, when they spoke Ill of them while they were still Alive all the fucking time... Hypocrites!  Here be a few of my recent favorites that hit my algorithm feed... {Above and Below}   And they say Death comes for folks in Threes, so all Body Part now Crossed of who will enter Door No. 3 into Eternal Hell for Selling their Souls to Satan... 

You know which Political Devil I'm Hopeful that the Grim Reaper comes to Collect on next and have the World be rid of another Evil, Greed Driven, Hateful Misogynistic Racist Career Criminal and Pedophile Motherfucker.  I can't wait 'til he's Gone from this Earthly Coil... any kind of way I'm Fine with.  If anyone think that's terrible, oh well.  Pray for me... Thoughts N Prayers and all that if you Fear for my Mortal Soul.  *Eye Roll*  With the Help of Neighbor Rob and Princess T we managed to get the Irrigation done, not a good Head of Water due to our Neighbor Flooding upstream of us during most of our Rotation.  Rob did jump their Wall and handle the problem, he knows they'll appreciate it coz it risked Flooding their Home and RV Garage.  What an Ordeal and one of our Pipes blew a Cap so we had to improvise to Cap it until we can go to Home Depot with The Son after he gets off Work to replace it.  The surge was so strong when Rob finally stopped the Flooding of the Neighbor that it blew the Cap right off and cracked it so it wouldn't fit on properly.  The PVC deteriorates in this Climate.

Blog Friend the Mistress Maddie said the most hilarious thing about Miss Lindsey:  "I'd done told and told Lindsay Belle many a time at her age to not mix those poppers with drinking and Viagra!"  *LMAOROTF*  Above is my Favorite Meme about Moscow Mitch.  I was having such trouble with Irrigation and needing to be here and not at the Hospital that we just called and cancelled The Man's Cardiac Rehab with Chris.  They said it was Fine coz we gave them time to fill his slot with someone else.   I didn't need the Stress of trying to be Two places at Once and leaving Princess T to try to Cope with the Irrigation mess at Home.  She's got the Cat Bite Injury, is still recovering from her Allergies coz these Dust Storms, Major Construction across the Street and Major Fires Pollution around the State, isn't Helping her get over her Respiratory Distress at all.  The Man is Wheezing too so I didn't want him exerting himself at Rehab and making that worse either or then getting there and they say he wasn't in good enuf condition to even do it.  With everything I needed to be doing at Home, that would have really Frosted me.  *LOL*

With no longer having to take The Man to his Cardiac Rehab and getting the Irrigation now done, I can dry out here, I got pretty soaked and that Water was Cold!  We'd had Two Major Dust Storms last Night and then torrential Rain afterwards, so it's Humid and Hot out there now, icky to try to do anything in and getting soaked with Cold Irrigation Water wasn't Fun either.  Princess T did a good Job of helping me and so did Rob tho', a Debt of Gratitude to them both, I'd of struggled to do it without Present Help.  And, I found out that Rob had seen Mando on his Bike and turned him away, saying, Hey, you're NOT Welcome over there, so don't go, in fact, you're NOT even Welcome here talking to me, so go back and forget about it... I got them covered and this way nobody is causing Trouble or instigating a confrontation.   

Mando wisely left, Princess T had seen him talking to Rob and was hoping Rob would turn him away so we didn't end up with a Dramatic Confrontation here.  I don't Care if he wanted to "Help" and rode his Bike all the way here from Buckeye, The Daughter knows she shouldn't have even asked him to.  I had Words with her by Private Messenger about it.  He might have been able to Sweet Talk himself back into her Orbit, but we don't want him in ours, period... he fucked up too bad to ever have that happen the moment he communicated any verbal or physical Threat to any of my Loved Ones. 

 From what my Grandson said during that incident, when The Man was having his Heart Surgery and I was at the Hospital, so lousy Timing for someone to make epic Drama with us, he thought his Uncle was gonna beat Mando half to Death.  He didn't want The Son going to Jail, even tho' Mando had initiated it and then got mouthy with The Young Prince once he was safely in his Vehicle and driving away... saying Homophobic Smack Talk.  So, No, I don't want him around, EVER, he's not Welcome, he showed his True Colors more than once, ran out of Chances.  Out of the abundance of the Heart, the Mouth always eventually Speaks.  Those with a carefully constructed Facade eventually give themselves away about their True Nature and Self, the Illusion they fabricated then crumbles.

  The Daughter knows it's a Toxic Relationship, but she has impaired Judgment due to her Mental Health making her a Vulnerable Adult, and keeps Forgiving him and Pitying him due to his Cancer Diagnosis, he's not worth it.  Before his Terminal Illness he was like this, it's what the Streets are saying about him, from Reliable Sources we know, and I have no reason to Believe otherwise or Doubt what folks told me either.  I didn't Need to be Wound Up about him again, I got enuf going on, so I'm glad that Rob convinced him to turn around and just ride away.  Rob came over to talk to The Son and I about it afterwards and before The Son went to Work.  The Son was nervous about leaving due to the Irrigation Issues and then knowing his Sister had stupidly sent Mando over here, which she shouldn't have... he had Words with her too.

 Rob said he might have implied to Mando, that if he didn't turn around and just ride away, HE might just have to beat his Ass.  Rather than The Son or me Flipping Out on him or calling Police on him, coz nobody around here wants him hanging out or around coz he's already caused too much Trouble for everyone.  Rob's Family had Trouble with him too.  He was told by them and by us not to come around our Homes anymore and WE had not Invited him back, he KNOWS this.  And Police have already been to our Property looking for him recently, but I didn't know where he was anymore, and didn't want to know either.  But, I had been Hopeful they would locate him, for whatever reasons they were actively looking for him?   They wouldn't say but they were trying to Serve him with some Papers from what I could gather... so somebody is having him Served and he's evading being Found to be giving Addresses he's never actually Lived at, Rented or Owned.

Anyway, disaster and Drama were averted thankfully.  Listen, I didn't want him wasting time and energy riding a Bike so far for nothing in this Heat either, so I was upset with my Daughter for asking him to.  If I don't want someone around I am not one to ask Favors of them when I have a Need, I don't think that's Right.   I don't Use anyone nor Exploit anyone for my own benefit, I don't Believe in that.  And if I have something against you and don't want you around me, I don't even want you to have problems in Life, Be Well and just Be Gone is all I ask of you.  I can be Civil and even Kind to anyone, even if I Dislike them, or Disapprove of their Behavior or Lifestyle, coz Life isn't a Popularity Contest and it's not all about me.   And I'm not the Lifestyle and Behavior Police, I'll let Law Enforcement Deal with Corrupt folks, and you can have whatever Lifestyle you want so long as you leave me alone to enjoy mine.

The Son had Bought some Ear Buds from a Locked Case and Sealed Box at Wal-Mart when we'd gone there Yesterday.  When we got it Home it was half EMPTY... the Earbuds were missing, but it did have the Charger still in there!!!   So, of coarse we hadn't thought to check it at the Register since, Locked Case, Sealed Packaging, you could hear something in the Box and you wouldn't know how heavy it should feel.  He was concerned we'd have trouble with the Return and they wouldn't Believe us, but, it wasn't a problem and we exchanged it for the same thing.  This time asked the Cashier in Electronics to open it for us first to make sure everything was there this time.  The Cashier, Son and I mused how Odd that was.  Did the Manufacturer forget to Package the Product?  Did the Delivery take something out and then reseal it?  Did an Employee take it out?  Did someone take it out for a Customer and not Walk it to the Register, give it to the Customer and they Stole it and then ditched the Box?  Lots of Questions and Possibilities.  They were expensive, but on Sale at a great price, so, Luckily they still had some.

Ted Turner Classics had an Old 1971 Film "Carnal Knowledge" on with Jack Nicholson, Art Garfunkel, Ann-Margret, Rita Moreno and Candace Bergen.  For it's Era I guess it was well received and relevant, but I couldn't get thru more than 10 Minutes of it before Tapping Out, even with a Young All Star Cast. *LOL*  Some things just don't Age well.  I don't think I ever saw it before when it first came out, and I'll be okay never seeing it thru now.  *Ha ha ha*  I do like seeing some of the Old Classics Ted Turner resurrected and restored, some were well worth preservation and introducing to a New Audience.   I've been resurrecting Old Photos myself that I have preserved and long forgotten about.  I just haven't been in the Mood to tackle too much lately tho', zero ambition to actually, too Hot also to do anything physically demanding of me unless it's absolutely necessary.  Tomorrow The Man has VA Labs, but the Clinic is close by and they usually aren't crowded so he's in and out at the one that's down the Street from us.  

I can't even remember why we're having them done?  *LOL*  Sometimes all of the Medical Stuff becomes a Blur.   And our Irrigation Pump seems to have gone out now after this last Rotation was done.  We checked our Fuse Box and the Extension Cords, it seems it could be the Pump and we'll have to get Rob to look at it.  He or his Brother changed out the last Pump for us that went out, I don't know how long they last, I think this one has been a few Years Old... tho' it is said they should last 5-15 Years, I know we haven't had it that long.   Tho' I will have Rob check also that a Circuit Breaker didn't Trip first before replacing anything?  I really don't need or want the outlay of Pump replacement coz it's a couple Hundred Bucks or more.  *Le Sigh*  Property Maintenance is a never ending Money Drain coz nothing is built to last anymore, or even be Repaired, and is intended to be disposable and often to make Money for their Manufacturers at our Expense perpetually.

I lament all of the Businesses that fail tho'.   Above was a New Vendor who had the best and most Unique Taxidermy, at decent prices, at an Antique Mall in the East Valley.  They were gone within Months even tho' it seems they Sold some of their Work, like this Hell Hound, which, I would have Loved to have had the Budget for coz it was a Modest Price for something so different.   Below is a Specialty Item on a Fav Restaurant's Menu that I miss too, since "Gertrude's" at the "Desert Botanical Gardens" Closed after a long Lease there and I don't like the replacement Restaurant at all or their Menu Selections and high prices.  I'm not paying Thirty Bucks for a Hamburger or a Taco, I don't care how they try to Spin how Gourmet it is prepared.  *Eye Roll*   I haven't even been using my renewed Garden Membership hardly at all this Year coz of Gas Prices being so outrageous and it's a long commute, plus, the Weather being searingly Hot earlier and even later each Year now.  If I don't use it much this Fall I might not renew it at all in 2027.

I'm having trouble Budgeting for necessities and the essentials, so anything non-essential I just can't justify as much now.  You go into Existence and Survival Mode when the Economy is in the shitter and worsening all of the time.  And I feel its only just begun to worsen and that part concerns me a lot coz there's not much preparation us ordinary folks can do when incomes, whatever they may be, can't possibly keep pace with Inflation and the Corruption going on among the Elite robbing America blind.   I can't see the logic of the uber Wealthy Hoarding up such Wealth if they wreck the Nation in the Process, coz what will they or their Heirs then Inherit?   All the Money in the World will be totally useless and worthless if Society grinds to a fucking halt and gets totally up-ended in some Dystopian Nightmare they have Created for us all out of their Greed and Corruption destroying everything functional.  Dysfunction never has an Upside. 

*******

Well... as my Blog Post Title Hook said, Cheers... Eat, Drink & Be Merry, for Tomorrow we may... {You fill in the Blank}... Dawn... The Bohemian

The Bad News Keeps Coming... Dammit!

I am 17 Unpublished Posts ahead and Counting, it's a new Record for me and shortening my Posts is the primary reason and has been so well received by visitors to the ole Blog.  I'm getting much higher Readership, even of the Archived Posts, which is why I'm not Purging any for now, they're all still being read quite a lot it seems.  I'm trying to catch up on my own Blog Reading of everyone's Blogs and finding New Blogs to Read and to add to my Sidebar.

We got some Bad News from the Grandkids in Mexico.  Bad for them, but, expected, their Dad is in Prison again and got sent up for 12 Years this time.  He has never turned his Life around and went from being a very skilled I.T. Tech working for major Corporations on both sides of the Border, to developing a drug habit he never got clean of and got involved with Bad and Dangerous People.  I feel badly for my Grandkids in Mexico coz they Love him, but him being around posed Dangers.  I'm glad his Mom, Saint Maria, didn't Live to see this, Princess T really doesn't know him and never will. 

The Daughter feels very conflicted when she hears the News, she got Clean and always hoped he would too, for the sake of their Kids and for himself.  And she was in a Relationship with him for a very long time and was the reason she moved to Mexico and spent Two Decades there.  He was a likeable Guy, but not a very responsible one, he Fathered way too many Children and had a lot of Baby Mamas.  He and our Daughter had Four Daughters together during their Relationship.  All Time in Mexican Prisons is Hard Time and he's Old, a lot Older than our Daughter.  He will likely now Die in Prison.

I knew the Middle Granddaughter in Mexico had been trying to reach me and I couldn't fully translate what she was trying to tell me, but The Daughter did.  I could read enuf Spanish to know it wasn't Good News, but I'm hardly fluent in reading, writing or speaking Spanish.  I can get by and understand more than I can conversate.  And my Spanish speaking Grandkids speak too fast for me to catch up and piece together a conversation and their English is marginal too.  Anyway, the Bad News keeps coming... dammit!

I should go the Antique Mall, the New One I have yet to go to that I hear is stiff competition for ours.  "America's Antique Mall", I don't know what their Hours are on a Sunday and I have no intentions of Buying, just trawling for the first look at it.   I looked it up and they are Open until 7:00 p.m..   It's off the I-17 and Dunlap, so a fair commute from here.  But, I went and I'm glad I did, I was very impressed, they will definitely give our Antique Mall some fierce competition and a run for the Money.  It's New, more Curated and Vetted, has better quality Merch displayed and showcased really well.   It's fully Rented out already and only been open less than 90 Days.

I really enjoyed myself there and am happy to have another good destination in the Industry to go to.  I found Three Colorful Mannequin Hands that were Painted Altered Art Style and can mount on a Wall to hold/hang things from.   The price on them was so low I bought all Three the Vendor had and Loved their Booth and Merch.  Some Vendors had high end pricing.  They had a lot of Vintage and Specialty Clothing Vendors and I felt their prices were exceptionally high.  Especially for the Tees, I wouldn't pay $100-$120 for a T-Shirt, but I know the Eastside Antique Mall Vendors charge that much too for theirs.

I took loads of Pixs so will have plenty of Blog Fodder Imagery.  It's a convenient location, I just have to drive on Two Freeways to get there and then get back Home, no Surface Street driving necessary.  It's not very far from our Downtown Phoenix Location which is off the same Freeway a little further North, so I can go to both when I'm in that area now.  I'd heard good things about it and they weren't Wrong, I will Shop there myself when I'm a Buyer or looking for Quality Merch.   They had such Unique items For Sale, as you can see by some of my Pixs taken of what interested me.

I would have Loved to own that "Freak Show" Art Vintage Door, Fair Priced but not within current Budget.  But, perhaps that won't Sell easily and be a Hard Turn, and then perhaps I can negotiate something with the Vendor to make it affordable and a possibility.  I like Architectural Salvage and something from a Sideshow Attraction or Haunted Attraction with original Art on it, is something I'm very Interested in.  The variety of Vendors was really good and I didn't see any Crap Hawkers evident.  Some Merch wasn't my interest, but it was Displayed well and most Vendors had a Genre of what they were Selling.

An abundance of Unique Items and true Antiques were in there too, something lacking at a lot of places now.  Loved the Steampunk Art Bar seen Below, never seen anything like it.   A lot of Work had gone into the Creation of it and I'm sure it's OOAK so their price was Fair if you wanted a truly Unique OOAK Statement Piece for your Home Bar.   We've now got a severe Dust Storm Warning in effect with Zero Visibility until almost 9:00 p.m. and it does look ominous Outside.  I'm glad I got everything done out there that I wanted to do in my Garden.

A Monsoon Storm hit around 1:00 a.m. and it's pissing in Rain, enuf we could get some Flooding, but we are Sandbagged where it might be problematic.  However, Irrigation is coming at 7:00 a.m. regardless of the Weather.  And I don't know if The Daughter ever got Home to help me do it?   The Son has to be in Work by 8:00 a.m. and I have to drop The Man off at Cardiac Rehab at 9:30 a.m., so, it's gonna be tight to be here to drop the Gates and turn off the Pump when our Rotation is over.  I may have to solicit our Neighbor's Son, Rob, to do it.  He did ask me if I could use some Help with it and I did tell him I might.  He knows things are hectic over here with everyone Schedule and our assigned Irrigation Time this Week.  *Oy Vey*

  

Well, at least the Property will get some good Water and we really needed it since it's been 114-117 lately every day and it's Toasting the Grass and Plants, stressing everything out.   My Mints have almost Died off due to it, I've kept some Herbs and Succulents Alive and the Rosemary, they're hardy enuf.   Never did get a Veggie Harvest this Season, too Hot too early and not enuf Rain.  This day a lot of Smoke had been heavy in the Valley from all our Fires up North of the State and in other States like Colorado that are on Fire this Summer.  Few are fully contained that are burning right now and we're losing a lot of Acres of Trees.  That will cause more problems as Monsoons rip thru coz in burnt out areas you then get severe Flooding and Mudslides.  Fun Times! 

I put a Rain Barrel on the Back Patio near the Pool coz that area is prone to a Waterfall coming off the Roof in a certain area.   We never did get hold of "Leaf Filter" for an Estimate for Guttering on the Back Roof by our Patio.   I guess their Phone Lines were swamped or something coz they sent Mail Fliers several times but never answered calls.  Never.  Seems like a bad Business Model to spend so much on Advertising and then never answer your Phone Lines you give out on the Fliers.  And then that makes me think, well, would I wanna then even Hire that Company and wanna do Business with them?  Coz, how would you then get hold of them if Installation was a problem or you had any other Customer Service Issues?  Even if I like the Product, if the Company has initial Issues, I'm skeptical.

Too many places these days Overpromise and Underdeliver.  I'd rather they Underpromise and Overdeliver frankly.   Same with our Politicians.  I'm soaked right now at 1:15 a.m. coz I had to be out there in the pouring Rain dealing with stuff in the middle of the Night.  The Rain was really Cold considering how Hot it had been all day.  So, now I'm guessing Irrigation Water is gonna be really Cold to be wading around in up to my Calves as well later on this Morning.  But, at least it will be Light by then, which makes it safer for me to be slogging around in it.  The Son wanted his Sister doing it instead of me, but, I haven't seen her arrived Home coz I went to Bed early, so don't know if she made it Home or not?

Her Brother said she'd been Texting him to say she would, but sometimes her Friends who are paying her to do Work for them flake out and give her Rides out to help them on their Properties, then claim they can't provide Transportation back.  Which would be fine if we knew in advance, coz I'd just go get her.  It's out in Buckeye, so not as long as a Commute to her Jobs in Chandler for Friends.  But, it's still a fairly long commute for me from here and I have to then know in advance to fit the commute in to my Schedule.  Right now I still have a Sick Kid at Home, coz Princess T has been SO SICK from those Allergies and Respiratory Issues.  She's been Sleeping whole Days away and Monday is her last Day Off to get Well from it!  So she's in no condition for Work at her Job, let alone to help me with stuff here at Home.

And I really haven't had sufficient coverage for The Man's Caregiving either so sometimes I do have to leave him Home Alone for brief periods of time and just check in on him by Phone.  He's done really well, I set him up in front of the TV with Beverages and Snacks or a Meal, with his Walker by him.  Usually he hasn't budged from there by the time I get back from whatever short errand I HAD to do, like get Kids to and from Work or their Appointments.   The Son had his Friend Q over to play Video Games since they both were off Work on Sunday so they looked after The Man for me so I could make that Pilgrimage to that New Antique Mall and get some Me Time and a Respite for a couple Hours.  I had stayed looking around the 35,000 sf Mall for about an Hour, doing a rapid Marathon Look-See for my 1st visit and not lingering.  The commute there and back was about another Hour.

 

To do it properly would take more than an Hour and when I have that Luxury of Time I'll go back and do that another day.   The Above Assemblage Art is like something The Young Prince would Create.  That Vendor had a lot of very Cool Assemblage Creepy Creations but a hefty price tag on their Altered Art.   I know I wouldn't be a Player for this piece at almost $200.   And I see some stress cracks already in the Assemblage where they used Clay to form the Body.  I had purchased a piece of Halloween Altered Art last Year that the Artist used a Chalkware type of Sculpting Medium and before I got the piece Home it sustained damage coz it was too fragile a Medium and if slightly handled by who had packaged it for me, caused the Chalk to turn back to Powder in spots.  I was so upset coz you couldn't do Returns.  So my Grandson is having to Repair it for me, coz he is a Sculptor, Thankfully.

But I don't wanna Pay some Artist a Premium for Work that is too Fragile to hold up and have my Artist Grandchild have to do immediate Repairs for me on it.   So I always look at how well it was constructed and will the Work they did hold up for the Buyer or fall apart after Purchase and be ruined?   If its Cheap I might take the risk, but not on expensive Art.  Some folks have the Artistic Talent but don't Create a Quality Product.  I Pay Up only if the Quality is there as well as the Talent.   Speaking of Quality, I went to "Robeks" Juice Bar for my fav Acai Tropical Mango Bowl and this time had a Male making it for me.  He was sweet, but didn't do as good a job as the Young Gals they usually have making it.  He was sparse on the Fruit Toppings except for the Coconut and Bee Pollen... hardly any Mango, Strawberry, Honey or Banana I usually have on it.  But, plenty of Acai Sorbet, so I didn't feel too disappointed.

Coz that Acai Sorbet is expensive if I go to Sprouts and get a Pint of it to make some of that Bowl at Home.  Right now the Fruits are always on Sale at the Grocer and I have some Bee Pollen coming from a Seller on E-Bay I got several Ounces of it from at a good price.   My Allergies haven't been very problematic since using Local Honey and Bee Pollen which is Helpful to develop Natural Immunities to Seasonal Allergens.  Coaxing The Man or Princess T, who have Respiratory Seasonal Issues, to use Honey or Bee Pollen is a challenge tho', they're not always on Board with my Holistic Remedies.  *Smiles and Shrugs*  I am worried that Princess T has been so Sickly this time around with her Allergies and Respiratory distress tho', so insisted she use some of my Remedies and she was in such Misery she was more compliant than usual.  She said that she doesn't always Like my Witch Doctor Remedies.   So, I will often hide them in her Foods.   *Bwahahaha and Winks*

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Whatever Works, I Work it, coz you can't rely on Luck... Dawn... The Bohemian

My Confession... And Daily Cognitive Overload & Neurodivergence

 I'm so many Unpublished Posts ahead right now that I don't need to Blog for a Fortnite really, but I just want to, so, here I am.  *Smiles*  I've been thinking how often The Daughter has run damage control with tidying up behind me and how I keep messing up by not maintaining it that way.  She says she doesn't mind but she has to, it bothers me and I'm the Offender!  The only Offender really, cannot blame any of the other Family Members for it since they are not responsible for any of it.  I'm always cleaning up after my own cluttering of the Main House.  The Young Prince and Daughter struggle with their own Private Spaces, not the whole Home like me.  *Le Sigh*

I am prone to clutter and disorder, I like Order, I don't like clutter, yet, I tend to make it the bane of my own existence, none of the rest of the Family are the Offenders!!!  And I Hate myself for being disorganized and cluttering, yet, it's a Habitual failing and weakness.  I do better briefly.  And I know Psychologically it's tied to daily Cognitive Overload and Neurodivergence.  So, that's my Confession and thus the Blog Post Title and Hook to reel you in this time.  *Winks*  No, I wasn't gonna Confess something scandalous or salacious, dammit, that would have been more Interesting, Right?!    *Winks*  Nothing to Confess in those Realms now at this Season of Life, more likely in my turbulent and wasted wayward Youth.  *Ha ha ha* 

Yes, I was a Corporate Executive of a Bank by my 23rd Birthday, so my Corporate Life was quite a tenaciously ambitious Success Story and a meteoric rise that made my Parents Proud and made me a lot of Money.  But on my own time I tended towards being a very Free Spirited Hippie with a rebellious unconventional streak that ran deep.  With very few Inhibitions, an Activist Nature, and a lot of bad Personal Life decisions, especially in Love.  But it was Fun, I was Fun, so... can't say I had regrets or would do anything different if there were Do-Overs.  *Smiles*

  I wasn't very settled until I met The Man and ended up with someone who was a more Settled Spirit and a sensible Union, for once.  *Bwahahahaha*  I'm pretty sure my Parents couldn't have been more shocked when I brought him, a wholesome Guy with a long Military Career, to meet them and eloped to Marry him in Vegas, without telling anyone but my Mom, who watched my Kids for me.  *LOL*  Mom and The Man rarely got along but she told me he was a good choice and would be a good Provider, Protector, Husband, Father and Grandfather.  She was always Right about People.

Yes, I'd been a Baby's Mama in one failed Relationship and didn't make the Mistake of Marrying that one, my Parents didn't like him anyway, especially Mom.   And Married once before for the 1st time, in a Marriage that didn't last as long as my Pregnancy with The Son to Baby's Daddy.  My Ex was unstable and a true Psychopath, but, VERY likable and Charismatic, even my Parents liked him, but Mom warned me he couldn't be 'Fixed'. *Bwahahahaha*  That was more of what my Parents had experienced as my Personal Life Track Record of Relationship carnage.

 Professionally I was still at the Top of my Game, but the Banking Industry was in Crisis by then, I didn't like the direction it was going with Bad Loans and Predatory Lending.  I wanted Out of the Industry as it was Going Down.  The RTC was already in and Closing Down many Financial Institutions by then anyway, I worked alongside that endeavor, it was the Right thing for the Government to do.  But it was as disastrous for Career Bankers, especially at the Top of the Food Chain like I was, as the Mergers and Corporate Takeovers had been and were.  You ended up with a Ghost Resume of Financial Institutions that didn't even Exist anymore, it was getting Old really fast for me.   Not a lot of lateral moves for a Bank Executive, they tend to bring in their own people at that level. 

  I was a Fixer of all things they were doing Wrong with said Bad Loans and Defaults, so, some Job Security even during the Fall and epic Failures of the Industry.  I was milking it for a while until something new and more exciting or challenging came along.  The Man just finally told me to quit Banking and do Consultation Work for them at an inflated Salary that really was ridiculously exploiting the Economic Collapse of the time.  He wanted to get Married and take Care of the Kids and I so I didn't have to Work if I didn't want to.  And we decided to Elope and then ponce off to Hawaii with another Couple we knew, now that I no longer had my demanding Career cramping our Style.  I can be very impulsive and spontaneous... The Man is the meticulous Planner... nothing he does isn't Thought thru.   He likes me being his complete opposite, we compliment each other well.  *Smiles*

After I drove the Family Crazy being prematurely Retired and bored out of my Mind doing the Domestic Thing, since I am NO Domestic Goddess and never will be. And seriously, you can only Clean a Home so much before you get Obsessively Mental about it and anyone messing it up! So, to save everyone's Sanity, The Man infamously submitted my Resume' to the Maricopa County's D.A.'s Office without my knowledge, and thus began my 2nd Corporate Life Career there when they Hired me without even so much as an Interview!   Some of my Lifelong Friends have been folks I met in the Industries I've done Work in, so we often Shared a Professional History as well as a Personal one.  They're the Best of Peeps and its that way with Blog Friends too, the Best of Peeps to Befriend IMO.

  And until he got Medically Retired and required my Full Time Caregiving, and until we then Inherited Two Grandkids to Raise as well, I might still be working for the D.A.'s Office... but, it was a lot to juggle.  And I was Retiring that 3-Ring Circus Act and just settled for being the Ringmaster of this here Shitshow full time instead... Living The American Dream, but in an unexpectedly Twist and different way.  Shit happens like that.   And I like what I do now, it's not like Work to Sell at an Antique Mall and I've got more Kindred Spirits there Working with me.  Above is my very Retro Pinup Gal Vendor Friend Sarah, who Lives the 1950's every day.  She Collects and Sells everything from that Era.

The Man regrets being Medically involuntarily Retired coz his 39 Years of Service in the Military really Defined him I guess.  I never was that Defined by any Career, or impressed with any of the Titles attained, I just Liked the Money.  *Winks*  Hey, it Buys Options... I happen to Like Options too.  *Smiles*  A lot of Money will Buy a lot of Options in fact.  An obscene amount will even Buy People, but, that was never my Jam, to Buy People willing to Sell themselves or Prostrate themselves for a Price.  And, oh so many do and will, an abundance of them are Up For Sale to the highest Bidder... and the Bidders know this only too well and exploit it shamelessly.

 I would fail to have an ounce of Respect for such folks, I wouldn't Trust them, and anyone whose that easily For Sale and Bought, is never worth much actually, not of what I Value most about People anyway.  And nobody ever had enuf Money to Buy me... some tried along the way... it's a Life Test of sorts when they do try.   You must ask yourself if you aren't For Sale, can you be Bought tho', and... for How Much?  Not that it matters what that Price is, we already established What and Who you are if you even consider it actually.

Whatever and Whoever you place your Dependency on or Owns you, ultimately Controls you tho'.   And, I happen to be a very strong willed Woman and total Control Freak and just would never relinquish that Control to anyone or give up my Freedom and have them Controlling my Destiny and Choices.  It's mine to chart out and either blow or succeed in, whatever MY Choices are, not yours or whoever was looking to Purchase you and find your Price.  If they don't have enuf Money to Buy you then they just Buy someone they can. 

 And there's lotsa folk out there For Sale... we can easily see that in our Political Scene right now of whose been Bought and Paid for and is now Owned.   And you can tell who they are right away and usually even who Owns 'em and they Sold their Soul to.  I can be quite "Extra", but, as an Old Hippie to my Core, my level of Contentment can also be quite "Basic".   I've had nothing and been as Content as when I've had everything.  Contentment is invaluable regardless of how much you have or make, or don't have.

And on the Political Front in Real Time, I guess "Miss" Lindsey Graham Died, so one less MAGA enabler in the Senate.  I don't know who South Carolina will replace him with, but hopefully it will be an improvement.  And more Hopeful that they'll quit the whole coverup of doing the Weekend At Bernie's with Mitch the Turtle too and come Clean about him either being Dead, Brain Dead, or not ever coming back to be in a capacity to remain.  Get it over with already and replace him too.  As the Geriatrics Die Off I Hope that new legislation emerges with Age Limits and Term Limits so we have less Geriatrics who refuse to Retire running and ruining the Country.

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The End... Dawn... The Bohemian