Givers And Takers... Which Are You?

 It looks as tho' it might be another Cooler balmy day so I may get more done in The She Shed with sorting out some more Inventory to Price and get out of here?  I grabbed anything Autumnal or pertaining to Halloween yesterday and brought that full Crate into the House to price and get in there at the Antique Mall within the next couple of days.  Some of my Autumn and Halloween Merch is already Selling quickly.  I noticed even the huge amount of Halloween Merch the GOODWILLs put out early, is depleted and even completely gone already at their various locations and they've had to move on to Christmas Merch rolling out real early!  I was Sad I didn't get to enjoy it for very long before it's gone and it was still only August!!!  So, folks are in the Spirit to Buy for the upcoming Holidays very early this Year and I'm seizing the Moment and brief Window of Opportunity.

I am getting better at discerning what will be an easier Turn and Sell quickly and what won't.  So, what won't, I'm now just Donating right away and to Hell with it, let the Laws Of Reciprocity be Activated by my Donations, it always happens, I can't Outgive God it seems.  I try to sometimes just to see what happens?  Just how much can I Give over and above what makes sense to... and then just sit back and watch the Flood of Blessings pour out.  I don't Give to Gain, I'd Give abundantly even if I Received Nothing, but, that NEVER happens.  Givers Gain, it's just the Divine Law of Reciprocity and you don't have to be Faith Based to even Activate it, you could be a Skeptic or Non-Believer and it will still Activate for you.   The only people I've met who have constant Lack, aren't Givers, they tend to be Takers.  So Money and Blessings just drain out and hemorrhage, they have to constantly then try to get more any way they can, usually by Greed Based Methods, or Questionable Practices, and insatiably, for those kinds of Taker People.

I've known Taker People who just can't understand why Giver People Gain and things just Come to you so effortlessly.  I always try to explain it in basic terms that don't seem too Spiritual and that it's just how the Universe responds to Generosity.  But, a Taker has a very hard time converting to being a Giver, it's just not a Natural Response for them.  And I explain that Giving doesn't have to even always involve Money... you can Give of your Time and Talents, as well as your Treasures, to Activate the Laws of Reciprocity.  I challenge them to do it and see what happens to prove my Point and hopefully alter their Habits of always Taking and rarely Giving, so they'll benefit from just being Generous Souls who do it as a way of just Being now.  Not all Takers are horrible Folks, they just aren't inclined to be Generous ones and in the Taking they Imagine they Gain more, but, they really don't.  What you do and Why you do it really actually matters.

Well, I picked up every Wednesday Night Shift thru September to fill in for my Friend Crazy Ed, whose having Surgery and needs Recovery time.  I had forgotten that some "Halloween Wars" is on Wednesday Nights, dammit, so I'd already accepted every Shift, but I think on Wednesdays its reruns of previous Competitions anyway.  Sunday Nights will be the new Episodes of the 2026 Competition so I'm keeping Sunday Nights Free starting September 13th.   And "Halloween Baking Championships" for 2026 airs Mondays starting September 14th, so I'll keep Sunday/Monday Nights Free thruout September and October.  It will be good to get comped so much Space Rent thruout September and Hopefully Sales are Stronger now it's Fall too?  I priced Two Crates full of Inventory to bring in Tomorrow Night.

I was gonna bring it in Today but now I know I'm Working Tomorrow Night, I'll just wait and bring it in slightly before my Shift starts.  When I picked Princess T up from Work they had a bunch of Pokemon Cards so I got a slew of them, will make excellent margins coz they were huge bagged Lots of them and many were Holographics, plus some had the Card Sleeves too, so now I don't have to buy more of those either.  I also got a Pokemon Collector's Tin Storage Container.  I got a White Rabbit's Foot Keychain and some Vintage Mother Of Pearl Rosary Beads made into a Necklace.  And some good Hard Cover Recipe Books.  And some hilarious Banana Chonies for The Man. {See Above, Smiles}   They had started putting more of their Halloween Merch out now.  So I Photographed some of it.

I saw a good NetFlix Movie called "The Whisper Man" {2026} with Robert DeNiro and Michael Keaton, more in supporting roles in this one, but excellent nonetheless, since the Leading Man, Adam Scott was just Okay in it.  The little Boy in it tho', Acston Luca Porto, was very good for such a Young Child Actor.  I liked the Movie, and of coarse DeNiro and Keaton are always worth watching in their roles.  I was Surprised such a new Movie was already on NetFlix actually, especially since it was good and not a bomb... but it was a Streaming Film with no Standard Theatrical Release, which, was Surprising.  It was only released August 28th of this Year and is from a Novel.   I guess others were shocked this never was released in Theaters instead.  I don't know how much Streaming Nets, I would have thought a Theatrical Release would Net much more and not as much cultural impact, but I could be Wrong???  Who knows how the Industry is going these days?  Streaming Platforms might drive Subscription Renewal tho'.

The Young Prince had been contacting me that they expect to roll in between 2:00-3:00 in the Morning... they had delays in New Mexico.  He has kept in close contact with me so I wouldn't worry as the time elements had to change from what they originally planned.  Arriving safely is all that matters, not when they roll up.  Allen intends to eventually relocate back to Phoenix.  He has his VA Disability now to supplement his Income working and will now be able to afford Rents here and there's way more Work here than in Clovis or the Texas Border employment he's currently doing at a Slaughterhouse there just across the Border between New Mexico and Texas.  I don't know he wants to do that kind of work indefinitely anyway and he's a super intelligent Guy so he could go back to School on the GI Bill and get a Degree to do something else less physically demanding and more intellectually based.  He's madly interest in Physics.  He and The Young Prince Geek Out on various Science related topics way over my Head intellectually. 

I can Honestly say The Young Prince seemed smarter than me by the time he was only Two, no hyperbole, the vocabulary he used freely at only Two Years Old I'd sometimes have to look up the meaning of the Words!  And I'm not a Stupid Woman, Academically I did very well too... and was a kind of Idiot Savant in some areas, like Money related and figuring out Solutions to Problems.  *LOL*   But, my Grandson was identifiable as a Child Prodigy and Genius from a very, very early age.  That's why it was appalling that they didn't let him finish his Schooling or even Scholarships to higher Education, on account of discrimination due to his Mental Illness.  It's a waste of a Beautiful Mind IMO, I always felt that given his predisposition to absorb knowledge like a Sponge, coz he's insatiable about Learning, he'll eventually Invent something significant.  I think a lot of Geniuses are not too tightly Wrapped Mentally actually. 

This was my Fav Mehndi Design I ever had done and I've often toyed of the Idea to have it permanently Tattooed by a good Black N Grey Tattoo Artist.   But, my Skin is Old and I'm a Diabetic, so it's probably not Wise at this Advanced Age to even bother now.   And Hands are not a good spot with my comorbidities so I just never did it.   I'd like to have had permanent Mehndi Design, but during my Corporate Lives, both very visible extensive Tattoos and the Dreadlocks would not have had the Careers fare as well, they might not have ever even hired you back in those days... mebbe even these days?!  *Le Sigh and Eye Roll*  The Stereotypes still abound for both.  People judge so much based on appearances which is silly becoz appearances are often quite deceiving and inaccurate.  

I spent half the Night sorting Pokemon Cards and putting them in Card Sleeves ready for Pricing.  I have an abundance of good Inventory now to last a while, I can rival the Pokemon exclusive Vendors now.  *Ha ha ha*  I hadn't realized I'd Scored so much in one fell swoop, Lucky break coz you don't often see Bulk Buy Lots of what's Trending and Hot, it almost looked like a Serious Collector's whole Collection got Donated and that's quite possible.  Especially if the others around them don't know the Value of a Collection and remain ignorant rather than using the Internet to research something first, which is so easy now, there's no excuse to remain ignorant.  I've Learned so much about random shit with Googling it, that I feel highly Educated about too much now, just enuf to be dangerous and overloading my Brain.  *LOL and Winks*

You see, in my Brain I've always looked at stuff and calculated the Dollars and Value, it's automatic and something I can't refrain from just doing, always have.  So, the more I know about more stuff, the more calculations are being automatically registered on what's visually around me.  Think of the Predator in the Movie "Predator" when that Alien is looking at the Visuals around him and those Computer Like Calculations are being summed up about what he's Seeing.  Mebbe my 21% Unknown Origin DNA is from his Planet, I mean, I do have the Dreadlocks now and always had the urge to have them too.  I'm Prettier tho'. *Bwahahahahaha*  Okay, so when I'm Buying the Bagged and Boxed Lots of Pokemon Cards & Sleeves at SAVERS, a couple of Resaler Young Guys are right beside me contemplating a purchase.  They were way too slow, even in their 20's to do their Calculations quick enuf.  I almost felt Sorry for them... ALMOST... coz I can do mine with Lightening Speed, like an Idiot Savant, coz I'm not good with Math, just if you convert Math into Money.  *Winks* 

And even Post-Stroke I was hella faster than these Two Young Men at it.  I dunno, are they Teaching Basic Math anymore in School?  Coz with some Resalers and Vendors their Math doesn't add up and square, so I often Wonder??? They should be Teaching Money/Finance, but I digress.  So I'm snapping up the best Bags and Boxes before they even began Computing what they could make off each Bag.  Poor things, they got the Leftovers, coz there were some Bags that the Math wouldn't have added up to be the Primo Margins and that's all I'm Interested in.  I'm grabbing a Bag and within about 2 Seconds got the Math Down and then moving on to the next.  If I took as long as they were taking to make a decision that could make me some Bank, I'd be a Broke Bitch for sure and hang up that Hustle as not my Jam.  *LMAO*

 But, at least they were Hustling and ya gotta Respect that.  They both looked like the kind of 20-Somethings who'd be living in their Gramma's Basement playing Pokemon, so I'm sure they know the Cards well... just Mathematically Challenged.  I was Profiling coz they were both chubby White, big, as in Tall, Youngsters with long, not well Styled Hair, and Band T-Shirts... the Uniform, as Princess T calls it, of Guys clearly who have probably never yet even gotten Laid.  *Smiles and Winks, Yes, her and I do that when we People Watch too... it's a Hobby... Bwahahaha*  I was a bit of a Distraction to them, coz they were obviously doing what I was doing, only way slower, so they actually stopped and looked at me agape and then into my Cart, blatantly envious of what I'd Scored, and began reconsidering some Bags they'd put back waffling on whether there was Money to be made on The Buy?  *LOL, Poor Things* 

 Sometimes after I'm Done with my Calculations and I know another Picker is struggling with their decision making or waffling about if they can make Money I'll give em a Yeah You Can Darlin', and they Thank me.  I have had some Regulars now come up and ask me what I think.  Now, to be sure I've seen some Young and very Adept Hustlers out there in the Resale World and they have a Look too, a "Uniform" if you will, but looking way different than this Duo.   The adept Resaler Gen Z Crowd hang in Packs when they go Pickin', they almost always look very Trendy and Fly, they got Swag for sure, most are heavily Tattooed, whether Male or Female, with really nice expensive Flash by well known Tattoo Artists.   They can Pick thru a place so quick and adeptly that sometimes if they're there, you know you better be on your A-Game or you're only getting the Leftovers.  I find it to be amusingly Competitive, so Princess T and The Daughter enjoy it when we Square Off with that Crowd.

 

You see, we have an Advantage, whether Male or Female, they always Notice Princess T and she can be a handy Distraction for her Mom and I. Tthen swoop in while she's being Eye Candy and Bait, then some of them wanna Impress her, and when they realize she's with us, wanna Impress us too, coz that might be an "In" with her.  *Winks*  And, Yeah, we'll Play that Game as well, Why Not?  They're always great Young Hustlers and Nice Young People at the Top of their Game very early on, I Respect that.  I always Cultivate my Contacts, as does The Daughter, and it's always Who you Know in any Industry that makes the difference, way more than What you Know.  Coz if you just surround yourself with more People who know more than you do, then you get a Free Education and actually don't have to do all the Work yourself either to figure everything out, Win-Win.   And Gen Z knows what's On Trend and the next Hot Thing to make Money on.

And, to be sure, the Industry in general of Resalers and Pickers, is a Tight Bunch who Connect easily and most Know one another.  If they don't Know you yet, they want to.   And I've had some of the most Experienced of them, who are generally The Millennials, 30-45, and have been at it longer than the Teens and Twenty-Somethings of Gen Z, think it's Cool when a Boomer is still at it and they'll Share in their Haul if they've Scored a lot of it and I mention they sure Scored a lot of Good Swag there.  *Winks*  Hey, would ya like some of it, coz usually a Savvy Resaler will load up quickly and reconsider some of it a bit later before Checking Out.  Coz you can always put something back, but if you Waffle and it's not in your Cart, then, you Snooze, you will Lose if there's any Competition in the vicinity.  And there usually is now, everyone's having to Work their Hustles these days, the Economy is not Ideal unless you're of the Billionaire Class.  I've only known a few of those in my Lifetime and their Skill is adept Exploitation.  Which is just not my Jam.

 

I can be Tricky, to keep my Advantages, but I won't work a Con on anyone, nor will I Exploit another Human Being, it's just Bad Karma and not Humane.  I get mine while there's still some left, becoz Survival of the Fittest is gonna come more and more into Play as there is more and more Blood in the Streets Economically, Trust and Believe.  When Resources become Scarcer and folks start having some major Lack, you will see a Turn in how folks Behave.   As a reminder, just think of how it was during the height of Pandemic when Shelves were Bare and folks got Crazy about Toilet Paper.  Now, I always had more than enuf of everything for me and mine, but I know many people who didn't.  We Shared some of what we had with those who hadn't noticed the Clues and Cues so found themselves in a Jam with no Options and no Resources.  But some folks acted during Pandemic like it was a Mad Max Sequel playing out... or insert any Apocalyptic End Times or Zombie Movie you've ever seen where it gets vicious, lawless and violent fast.

 

To me the MAGA became the Zombies, coz most of them did act Brain Dead as fuck, some still do, it is like a Virus and Disease he spread that they Caught.  Him being the main Carrier of it.  Some may never Recover from it.  A great many succumbed to COVID due to the low information and lies they bought into and ran with.  Ignorance is never Bliss, it's just ignorance.  And sad to say, my Grandson was absolutely Right about his overall assessment of most People, Statistically speaking of General Public, being Stupid and Slow Witted, gullible and easily Misled or Exploited coz they have low Critical Thinking Skills Developed, or have been poorly Educated on Purpose to be easily Misled and have a Herd Mentality.  I'd always Debate with him that No, MOST of the Population isn't, I give Humanity the Benefit of any Doubt... and then I began to watch most of the Population with a more Critical Eye, and well, he could have been Right... coz there is a whole lotta Stupid out there, and they Breed and they Vote.  And so here we now are as a Nation.  *Bwahahaha and Le Sigh*  

Above are my Dear Industry Friends Pauline and Victor, they bought so much from me when I was Moving and Selling the Big Stuff.  At the time they had a Lovely Brick and Mortar Resale Store in a Historic Downtown Building with the Exposed Old Brick and the greatest Vibe.  Sadly, a lot of those Shops had to close down during Pandemic and we've Lost so many great Indie Shops like that now, about 90% of them have Closed.  I just got a Text from our Grandsons that they had to get a Motel for the Night coz Allen got Leg Cramps from all that Driving, The Young Prince can't Drive... well, he knows how to, but he Hallucinates too much with the Schizophrenia so he chooses never to drive coz he sees things and cannot differentiate what's Real and what's Hallucinatory.  The Daughter has permanent Driving restrictions for the same reason, she can never be Licensed to Drive for a Lifetime according to the DMV coz of her Illness and how Paranoid she gets.  She thinks people are Chasing her and she's even jumped out of moving Vehicles as a Passenger!

I have to Work Tonight and every other Wednesday Night this Month to cover for my Friend Crazy Ed whose having yet another Surgery.  I've always told Ed I'll cover for him so he can retain his Shifts whenever he's able to come back to Work, he'd do the same for me.  I don't know what he's having Surgery on this time, last time it was his Shoulder.  He's in good Shape for his Age but does things he probably should no longer do at his Age, like moving big heavy Antique Furniture, by himself!!!  He and our Friend Ken have always Worried me becoz tho' Strong Men for their Age, they were doing risky shit and Ken got almost fatally hurt eventually, doing so.  I'd warned them both, don't... let the Young Stud Muffins do that now for you.  Just coz you still CAN do something doesn't always mean you should.  I'm guilty myself of doing things my Kids and Grandkids say a Woman of my Age probably shouldn't be doing and most my Age can't do anymore... and it is humbling, even if you still CAN, you probably shouldn't.  I can still lift over 100 lbs., I shouldn't tho'.  *LOL*

  

The Son always Jokes that I probably still have a Knockout Punch, but, I probably shouldn't be getting into Fights anymore at my Age.  I counter with, but, I'm too Old to run away now, so I have to make that first Punch really Count and drop 'em like a Rock tho', Son!!!  And, would they underestimate me coz they don't think I can, and so never see it coming?  Probably.  So that's still my best option if someone were to be physically confrontational or threatening to me and I wouldn't verbally be able to  de-escalate the Situation.  You then have to put them Down.  And Fair is Rare anyway, I Fight any way I can, so long as I Win and do maximum damage to the opponent, coz I don't wanna ever have to do that again with them.  Once is always enuf.  *Bwahahaha*  The Kiddos all Hope I never get Dementia like their Dad/Grandpa, coz they're pretty sure I'd be violence prone, and very easily agitated, coz I fucking am now, and have to Dial myself back... so, they could be Right...  *LMAO*

I never have been a Patient Woman, even as a Child I remember being impatient and not tolerating anyone or anything that was slow, stupid, or annoying to me.   But I've always had very good Self-Control, becoz I'm a Notorious Control Freak.   But, I do notice as you Age Out, that wanes along with everything else... so the ability to Self-Control gets harder and harder coz you have less Fucks to give really.  And, once you have NO MORE Fucks to give is when things get Real Real.  *Bwahahahaha*  And so the Family is always weighing, is THAT the LAST Fuck Mom/Gramma has to give?  *Winks*  And I will usually give someone Fair Warning, that if they give me nothing left to Lose and no more Fucks to give, things are gonna get Real and fast... so, do they want that?  Their Choice, give me Options, extend me some Hope that I have something left to Lose and wanna hold onto... otherwise, the Gloves are off and we will have us a Situation.

This is the Fav Meme of my Millennials here at The Asylum...  As it is The Daughter is happily Living in our 5th Wheel on the Property.  *Smiles*

I just Love the Art Murals Downtown in all the Cities Artsy District.  Alas, some Asshat Companies have painted over some of them, which has not been an improvement at all, so I simply don't understand why you would?  Some folks are just Culturally Deprived I think and can't stand Beautification or Beauty in general, they have to destroy, ruin, raze, desecrate, pervert or defile everything they touch... this President included.  What he's been doing illegally to destroy important Historic parts of the Capitol, which belongs to The People, not him, he's a temporary Tenant there, is an abomination.   Every single one whose enabled him to do it should be Prosecuted IMO so that nobody will carry out his Illegal Orders anymore, but so long as we don't hold those accountable who are his Minions, Domestic Terrorists he attracts, and his Cabal of Vulgarians, well, expect more of the same.

"Highland Yard Vintage" just posted a slew of Pixs of their upcoming "Halloween Market" and I can't wait to go in person to enjoy it, will spend a day there and they run it for a while, so I'll get to go more than once.  It's a long commute to the East Valley, but worth the Pilgrimage, and "Merchant Square" Antique Mall is in front of the Warehouse that Hosts the Big Event, and I'm sure many Vendors will have Seasonal Merch and Decor now too.  I've gotten some of my best Vintage Halloween from their Antique Mall, relatively few Vendors at ours have Vintage Halloween.  I'm gonna go back to that other New Antique Mall too and see what Halloween and Autumnal Vibes and offerings they got going on?  I've got some Vintage Halloween I'm bringing in, as I am Purging some of my Halloween Cache' I've accumulated over a Lifetime.  I don't Display it all anymore and so I want to Cash Out on it now, well, some of it, that I'm not that Attached to.  *Smiles and Winks*

And sometimes I reconsider, like this Wooden 1980's Vintage Tole Painted Pumpkin Art, I pulled out of stuff I was Selling and decided to Keep it coz it so matched one of my fav Tole Painted Jack O'Lanterns from the Eighties.   Nobody does Tole Painting anymore and I always liked it when it's well done, so Whimsical and my Kiddos of both Generations Loved when I'd put out the Tole Pumpkins every Year inside the House as Decoration for the Holidays kick-off.  Now they Display Year Round in the Guest Bedroom that The Son now occupies, which Houses my Climate Controlled Halloween Collections that can't have intense Heat exposure in The RV Garage Mahal when not Seasonally Displayed.  Plus, some I like to enjoy Year Round, why not, it's my Home, I can do anything that Pleases me, no matter how Quirky and Odd it is.  *Winks*  And Bottle Art, nobody does that so much anymore either, and I Loved Bottle Art and amassed an impressive Collection of it in it's heyday.

I really Miss my Industry Friends, like Forest pictured above, who Worked at my Friend Fedora Mike's Antique Mall, and all the other great Shops and Antique Malls that no longer are.  Some are still doing their Thing, but many moved away too and are doing it elsewhere, places that perhaps the Markets are Stronger still.  Forest I think moved to Texas where he was originally from after the Antique Mall had to Close. The Photo Memories remind me of what was and I'm glad it was Documented Visually so we can remember fondly everyone and everything when things were in a better place than they presently are and who all was a part of it.   The Melrose District still has remnants of what Was, but it's a Shadow of what it used to be in the heyday, when Trunk Shows abounded, Events abounded all along 7th Avenue, and Shops abounded, many now Closed and what replaced them is Meh.  I haven't bothered to even check many of the new things out coz before you go Downtown a 2nd time they're already Gone and didn't make it.  In this shitty Economy he's Created, it's just tough.

 

Forest's Book of Faces Page hasn't been active in a while, but many folks fell off FB, so that's not so unusual.  He really Rocks the Texas Cowboy Look, but Forest always was Fashion Forward and such a Sweet Man, always Smiling, always Upbeat and Positive... with a great Energy.  I do Hope he's doing well where ever he is now.   I always liked to introduce The Young Prince, while he was growing up, to solid Men in the LGBTQ+ Community, that he could ask advice from, growing up as a Gay Child in a predominantly Straight World.  It was invaluable to him to know he had a Strong Community and Male Role Models he could look up to and feel good about being his Authentic Self.   The Young Prince came "Out" as a very Young Child coz he always knew who he was and stayed Authentic to himself.  I remember him Arguing with some Family Adults who'd take him Shopping and said he could pick out what Wardrobe and Accessories he wanted that they'd Buy for him and he'd choose Girly things, which was always his preference.  They'd be worried he'd be Bullied or worse wearing it, but he didn't Care.

I still remember in Pre-School his Dad took him Shopping for a Belt, and they came Home with a White Girl's Belt with Leather raised Colorful Daisies on it in a Rainbow of Fabulousness.  He LOVED that Belt and Bobby told me, I tried to talk him into a Boy's Belt, but this is what he wanted, Bobby is Bi, but he was Worried about his Son wearing the Daisy Belt to Pre-School and getting picked on.  A legit concern coz he has been Assaulted for being Gay, even as a Child, and not always just by other Children, but by Homophobic Adults!!!  So, we'd have the Safety Talks, just like you have to do with your Minority Race Children, to keep them Safest from the Dangers of Racist Society out there.  It's an unfortunate Fact that you have to, but, they have to know for not to be as Targeted and Victimized by the Biased, the Hateful and Prejudiced of Society.  I still remember knowing, by Age 2, that sometimes it could be Dangerous for my Dad to be out in Public with me and have people Question why I was with him... coz I didn't LOOK Indian enuf and they'd Question that I was his.  It was Scary.  And there's lotsa Scary folk out there... still!

Now that we're in my favorite time of Year I'll be busy doing stuff to enjoy it all for as long as I can.  Like I said before, the GOODWILL did the kickoff early and ran out of Merch, Selling Out, prematurely, before August was even over!!!  So I don't doubt that September Sales for Autumnal and Halloween Merch is probably gonna be Strong and premature Sell Outs too.  There's a few things in the Sampling of Merch Photographed, that I got my Eyes on and might get.  Simple things, probably inexpensive Retail Therapy, to add to what I like to Decorate with for the Season and it's Holidays.   Or get Ideas and Inspiration from, becoz we like Creating some of our own Seasonal Decor and Art too.  Both to Style with and to Sell if we get the Time and Inclination to Create enuf of it.  Sometimes you have to make what you're Selling becoz there's just difficulty Sourcing it for Resale.  If you don't have enuf of it when you're Downsizing, out of your own Stash of it.

And it is why you have difficulty Sourcing enuf Vintage Seasonal Merch for Holiday Decorating to Resell.  So, most Vendors now have new Merch, or Art they Created, or get Creative about dressing up mass produced Skeletons and Dress Forms in Costumes instead.  You just can't always get, or even afford, the Real Deal anymore.   Unless you already had it and made your Money on the Buy many Moons ago, so that you can Profit off Selling it now and a lot of serious Collectors don't wanna let go of their Primo Collections.  And they're not gonna Sell it to you Cheap.  I know that very rarely do I Sell to other Industry Friends now coz I might as well Cash Out on my Full Investment myself at my own Retail Spaces.  I'm down to my Best Stuff and I'm reluctant to let it go well under what I know it's worth just so you can make Money off it.  *Smiles*   Now, that said, a lot of things aren't For Sale, but, they can Be Bought, even Industry Friends, if they make me an Offer I can't refuse, can purchase it, at the Right Negotiated Price.  *Winks*

*******

Happy Autumnal Vibes from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

I've Been Me A Long Time

 I'm staying about Two Weeks Plus Unpublished Posts ahead consistently now and enjoying that new way of Blogging.  Some went Long, but I sometimes can manage to Shorten a Post, I'm still a Work In Progress for not being so Extra and being more Basic.  *Winks*  Since I do this primarily for my own benefit and enjoyment, I don't really Care if anyone Reads it, just enjoy the Visuals then during a Visit.  I know a little bit of my Muchness goes a long way, I've been me a long time.  *Bwahahaha*

I'm dumping Eye Drops into my Eyes coz the Storms have stirred up a lot of particulates in the Air apparently.  So my Eyeballs are itchy and gritty, flooding them with Eye Drops is somewhat helpful in order to see what I'm doing and not be rubbing my Eyes and so uncomfortable with how they feel.  I've got "Triple Relief" in "Clear Eyes" right here at the PC, Two Bottles of it in fact!  *LMAO*  I have another Bottle of it in the Truck, some by each TV, Stock in Eye Drops should go way up due to me alone.  *Winks*

Back when my Medicare Advantage Plan, when we could get UNITED HEALTHCARE to cover Veterans in Maricopa County, used to allow is $50 each in Non-Prescription Pharmacy Needs, I stocked way up on items that otherwise would be out of Pocket expenses, but necessary.  I do miss that feature, since HUMANA offers a different benefit of giving you some of your Medicare Premium back instead.  HUMANA Medicare Advantage Plan is trying to step up their Game lately, we initially had problems with them, considerable ones.  I preferred having UNITED HEALTHCARE actually, but they did Veterans in our area dirty by involuntarily refusing to Insure us now.  They said Veterans of this huge County were not "Profitable" enuf!  Not that we have access to the best Healthcare or Insurance we all deserve and should be a Human Right, but, are we PROFITABLE enuf to Insure?

And of coarse our whole Healthcare System is based on how Profitable you are, not how much they can provide the Best Healthcare to any of us.  Which is precisely why we really need Healthcare Reform that would catch up to what damned near every other Country provides to their Citizenry.  Yet America, the Richest Country on Earth, claims they can't Afford!  *Eye Roll and Bullshit Called Out*  Please, give me a Break... it is easily Affordable to America, but Profits mean more to them than the American People and our Health do, that's the Real Reason, let's not patronize the public by pretending otherwise.  Even some 3rd World Countries now have National Free or way affordable Healthcare for all.  While in America if you can't afford Healthcare or you get too Sick and aren't Profitable anymore, you're on the Hurry Up And Fucking Die Program!

Anyway, so HUMANA has been doing way better recently and so that is good news at least.  We had our Annual Healthcare HUMANA Nurse Show up.  Her Name was Sandy and she was Ex-Army, we really liked her and she was very thorough.  Then HUMANA called to follow-up on Sandy's visit and ask if they could do anything else for us.  We're Good really, the VA has also stepped up their Game for The Man's Care, so I can't complain at all right now, everything is better than it was or had been with our Coverages.  So, some are improving their Standard of Care and for that I will give them a decent Review... I don't just put places on Blast here, if they do Good, I'll tell you so.  *Winks*

Gas is up to almost Six Bucks a Gallon locally, at some locations you can still get it barely under Five... still higher than the National Average, as Arizona usually is.  So I'm intentionally not doing much Driving or much Shopping, and that is never good for the Economy when en mass we all start doing that.   He's crashing this Economy and will Bankrupt the Nation as surely as he's Bankrupted Businesses he poorly ran too.  So long as he enriches himself and stay out of Prison for committing his continuous Crimes, this is how it's gonna just be.  Our Government shouldn't be so impotent to stop one Geriatric Cognitively Declined 80 Year Old Crazy Dangerous Man IMO.  We look Weak as Fuck to the rest of the World when we don't or can't!!!

The early Storm missed the West Valley so I was able to go to the Antique Mall after all and put my Inventory in.  I'd started this Pay Period out Strong and ended last one Strong too, so will get a decent Check and Sold some higher end Merch for a change.  Whoo Hoo!  The Showroom was a a bit messy, but not too bad.  The Customer who'd asked if they could get a 15% Discount if they bought both Plush My Lil Ponies only bought One and the Cashier gave them the Discount anyway, which wasn't what I agreed to and they shouldn't have, but, whatever.  They bought the White One which was getting dirty being knocked over all the time on top of the Locked Case and I'd rather Sell the other one at Full Price anyway.  So, no harm, no foul.

  Paid Staff mess up like that a lot tho' and it gets some Vendors upset when someone makes an Offer on certain Terms of a Bundle Buy you Agree to, then only takes One item and wants the Discount anyway.  That wasn't what you Accepted and they should call you back with a different arrangement if the Customer changes their Mind, but I know most Customers do it on purpose, it's not accidental.  It was busy for a Monday there actually.  And I'm pleased the better Merch is Selling and not just the nitnoid Smalls.  I'd Sold almost all the Pokemon Plush Figures I had so I've got to bring more of those in.  And I brought more Pokemon Cards, still have a lot to price and look up tho'.

We went back to the BBQ Restaurant and got their Special, which is 5 different Meats, 3 different Sides for $44!  {Leading Images of this Post} Everything was exceptional, we got Brisket, Burnt Tips, Chicken, Two Kinds of Ribs, Onion Straws, Sweet Cornbread, and Corn Nuggets.  It fed all Five of us in the Family and there's still some leftovers.  A Guy from Texas was there at Opening and he's a BBQ Guy in Texas so said he's fussy about BBQ when he's Traveling, coz it's what he does for a Living too.  I talked him into trying theirs, coz he was waffling and about to leave before the Doors opened.  I told him he could Thank me later.  He showed us Pixs on his Phone of his Brisket and Ribs, looked fantastic and Texas is renown for their Pit Masters and BBQ, that I know.  So, I Saved them missing out on his Sale, and he ordered a lot.  If I like a place I'll promote it and give good coverage to the Business.  I think we all should support not only our Fav Businesses, but especially our Small Businesses.  They're really hurting right now coz of this vile Cabal of Vulgarians driving prices way up.

Above is The Daughter as an Infant, we used to call her Buddha Belly.  *LOL*  All of our Kiddos were swarthy when they were Babies and during Childhood... me too... we lightened up as we got Older.   She was a Cute Baby, so was Princess T.  The Boys, not so much, they grew into their Good Looks.  *Smiles*   Anyway, I took The Man to Sonic for a Mini Milkshake too and we went and did Environmental Cleanup, well, I did, he sat in the Truck with the Windows down, it was a blustery day and really pleasant to be out in.  He did really well until he didn't, he began getting Sundowners by 3:00 p.m. which is predictable and right on time for him to go downhill Emotionally and Behaviorally.  He started Crashing around with his Walker, bashing into things.  We had a Delivery on the Front Porch when we got Home and he's bashing into it with his Walker and kicking the Box!  WTF?!

I tell him, Honey, don't do that, what if it's Fragile, you're bashing Hell out of it and drop kicking it, you might break whatever is inside it.  Well, it's in my way and I can't get past it he whines angrily!  Well, if you let me pick it up first, then it won't be in your way and you won't get so frustrated or have to manhandle it.  He insisted then on picking it up himself, was blocking me getting to it, since him and his Walker take up the whole damned Entranceway... Eye Roll and Big Sigh... and he's holding it so precariously I know he's gonna drop it and grab it just in time before he does!!!  Oy Vey, I don't know what it is but I Hope it is well Wrapped?  *LOL*  This is how he gets by Midafternoon every day, and so I usually put him to Bed early coz it won't improve as the Night wears on.  And I don't wanna get Cross with him, I like to go to Bed on great Terms with Loved Ones.  My Welsh Nanna said never to let the Sun go Down on your Wrath.

He was good all Morning tho' and the earlier part of the Afternoon, so it was a Good Day together overall getting him out and having a Fun Time.  When he wasn't having Fun anymore is when I call it a Wrap.  *Winks*  When he came Home crashing around, Yelling Angrily and slamming Doors is when The Son asked if he'd been like that all day?  I told him No, but it's Sundowners Time now, so, he needs Time to settle down, calm himself, and watch his Shows before I put him to Bed around 6:00 p.m., so we only had about 3 Hours to Deal with the Negative effects Dementia just has on the Victims of it and their Families.  It can be a tough row to hoe even if you've previously had experience, which I had, with my Mom.  She was about the same as The Man is, at about the same Stage of the Disease actually.  She could live Independently longer than he's been able to, given his TBI required Full Time Caregiving long before the Dementia set in. 

Anyway, now he's Home and parked in front of a TV with his Programs on, he's mellowed and in a Room by himself so nobody is inadvertently annoying him.  If you're Living and Breathing, that can sometimes be Annoyance enuf with him!  *LOL*  In fact The Niece I have in Texas whose been the Caregiver of her Dad with the onset of Dementia said it's only been Two Months and she just can't do it anymore.  She's not getting the Emotional Support from her Siblings and her Dad's Family either, they're critical but not in Caregiver Mode at all... easy to be an Armchair Critic when you're not in The Game.  So, she's cutting and running and dumping him in their laps now.  He's very Unlovely and Mean, can be Violent.  Since they pretend to have all the Answers and are so critical of the Care she's given him and all she's done for him in just a couple Months, which is considerable, she said they can now just take over, Peace Out.  

She's helped him Financially and to have his Living Conditions improved by about 1000%.  She said where he was living was substandard and unsafe, Veteran's Services {allegedly some Veteran Advocacy Group which I think is Suspect and Predatory personally}, put him in a Rat Trap of an Apartment and charging him $500 a Month for their Services... all very Suspect.   She's spent about $11,000 in Two Months on him to bail him out of a lot of Bad Financial decisions he was making for himself, her Sisters and his Siblings claim he's still competent enuf to make decisions, when, he's clearly NOT.  And becoz they've fought her all the way and been on his "Side", she feels like it's too stressful for her to continue, I agree, it's taking a Negative Toll on her and even with the best of Intentions, if someone refuses your Help, and other enable them, you might as well Tap Out and dump it on them then.  She's never been close to her Dad, but she pities him now he's Old and not doing well.  She's gonna come see us soon.

 

Above is One of The Other Nieces {Middle} with her Son and DIL... I was her Coach when she had my Godson.  She was a Teen Mom and Single, and her Mom, who was one of my BFFs, didn't think she could Deliver her Grandbaby, so they had me come in and sub for her.  She was there, but was Freaking Out, so it was a good think I filled in.  We joked that I came to Deliver them some Chinese Food during the Long Labor and ended up Delivering a Baby instead.  *LOL and that's True, I had no idea they'd rope me into being the Birth Coach and helping Deliver the Baby!*  He was always a Beautiful Baby and grew into a Handsome Young Man, he's a Life Flight Paramedic now and they live in Texas, his Mom now lives in Florida, she's an IRS Attorney, quite Proud of them both.   I also was the Birth Coach for each of The G-Kid Force when The Daughter had each of them.   So, I've helped Deliver at least a half Dozen Babies.  

This Granddaughter made that Eyeball Crocheted Rose and is trying to find it to send to me, she Creates a lot of Special Effects Makeup.  The Pix is when she still had her Beautiful long Hair before she got the Crazy "Wolf" Haircut that just made me think she'd gone all Brittney Spears.  *Smiles*  The Young Prince said it's Popular and Trending in some Circles that don't mind looking like Freaks.  And, I think that is the Look she was going for... so... to each their own!   Why a Pretty Girl would make herself look unattractive with a really hideous Haircut, I can't fathom.  But, she had said she didn't WANT to look Pretty and I'm thinking to myself, well, that'll do it!!!  *Bwahahahaha* 

 I withheld Commenting coz it's her Hair, it's just Hair, temporary, and I got Dreadlocks down to my Ass, so, I won't stand in Judgment of any other Hairstyle someone digs and wants on their own Head.  I've seen some pretty Cray-Cray Hairstyles I think are hideous, but some of them became quite Popular in their time!  Remember Mullets, the Edgar, and Porn Mustaches?  Dorothy Hamill Hair, Big Mall Hair, and the Soccer Mom Haircut?  All absolutely Hideous... *LMAOROTF*  Anyway, she just celebrated a Birthday and got herself another Tattoo, or Two.  The Chest Piece isn't done, but she got a lot done in One Session. {Above}  A lot of Family, on all sides, have been heavily Tattooed and Pierced for Generations.  My Native American Grandmother had numerous Tribal Tattoos all over her Body and multiple Piercings long before it was Mainstream to, outside of Tribal Communities.  I remember when I got mine it was still Illegal and you had them done in the back Rooms of Outlaw Biker Motorcycle Shops.  *LOL*

That Granddaughter also painted her new Wallet.  She's very Creative and Artistically inclined, many Family Members also are.  I haven't let on that the Granddaughter Sisters back East aren't getting along coz I don't know the whole Back Story and don't want to get involved or take 'Sides', I'm as Neutral as Switzerland coz my Relationships with every Grandchild and Child are good and I wanna keep it that way.  *Smiles*  They have to sort their shit out between themselves by themselves, I just find it a shame anytime Family Members are Estranged, for whatever the reasons.  But, often they don't have Conversations, they have Arguments, and then everyone is on the Defensive and nothing gets Worked Out.  It's more Important for them to be Right than to have Peace I guess???  *Eye Roll and Sighs*  I instructed every Kiddo the Four Words to shut down anyone confrontational and argumentative works like a Charm every time:  "YOU COULD BE RIGHT."   

 I will not Argue or get Engaged with a Confrontational person who clearly now has little control over their Emotions, Words, or is too Passionate about whatever it is they're losing their shit about... so, those Four Words END it immediately and I just Walk Away.  Problem Solved. It is always my Hope that Family can move past their differences, communicate rather than argue, and reconcile when and if it's possible to.  Now, that's not to say all Relationships can or will be Healthy ones, and if they aren't, then I Support their decision not to have exposure to that, even with a Family Member.  If a Relationship has turned Toxic, I fully understand disengaging.  The Son wasn't Surprised his Nieces are Feuding actually, so mebbe he knows more than I do?  He's not much Older than them coz he was a very Young Uncle, so they tell him more.

Princess T apparently REALLY Forgave Rusty, coz he's taking her out for Dinner somewhere Nice and she's dressed up, dolled up and looking Sexy as Hell... so, clearly he's been Forgiven.  *Winks and Smiles*  The Son and The Man both Joked that it's worth a brief Breakup to have a Makeup like that.  *Bwahahahahahaha*   I do not think that Young Man will risk ever calling her Crazy again and have The Crazy Train go Wheels Off Rails and run his foolish Ass over!!!  *LMAOROTF*  It was a spectacular huge Full Moon tho', I must say, and so I'm not Surprised at all that the whole Household was boarding The Crazy Train during it... all aboard, Aye, Aye, Aye...   And in this Familia we don't dispute being Crazy, just don't be Fool enuf to Trigger it, or Taunt it, or pick a Fight with it, and think that is remotely a Good Idea, or then Safe to be YOU, coz it won't be, that's all.  Princess T is so Shy and demure, so Quiet and Introverted, so Tiny and Harmless appearing, that folks forget her Dark Side is very, very fucking Dark.

Anyway, I'm glad the Kiddos are now Good with each other, her being Heartbroken would have been Bad for us all for a long while until she Got Over it.  If a Breakup is on HER Terms she's Done and Moves On Quickly, Swiping Left... if it's NOT tho', oh Hell.  *Smiles and Sighs*  And I could tell it had shook the Hell out of him.  I thought he was actually gonna Pass Out from having a Panic Attack and being out in 106 degree Heat too long, desperately searching for her in heightened Anxiety Mode and Fearful if she was Okay and he'd be responsible if she was not, so I thought I might have to call for Paramedics.  The Man was trying to Talk him thru it to Breathe and drink some Water.  It's why The Son told him, Dude, it's Okay, we'll go try to find her and contact her, just get a Grip and be Okay, Alright?!   We were worried about her too, but staying much Calmer and not hyperventilating or almost Passing Out.  In this Family we have Mental Health Crisis all the time so we're more used to it tho' when any one of the Family goes Psychotic and Off Rails, doing Crazy shit.

She'd scared herself a little bit I think, for how Psychotic she got, especially when he tried not to let her leave his House... and she knew she had to, coz she wanted to hurt him and leave so she wouldn't.  I do that, if I have someone being too Confrontational with me and they won't back down or step off, and have made me so Angry I go dead Calm... now I know I MUST leave becoz it will escalate to a level they might not be Safe when I Snap.  I would be Calm and quite Unemotional when I Snap, so they likely would have no idea how much Danger they could be in if they don't let me Walk Away and come back to Center and Balanced.  I prefer to have rational, respectful, decent Exchanges with anyone and everyone... if that isn't possible, I don't want the Exchange at all coz I know it could become a Trigger and go Sideways and Off The Rails completely.  She's Learning that too, which is good.

A Blast From The Past of me with my Retro Friend Jenny.  She's the one who had Five Grand worth of her Merch Stolen that I told you about and the Police wouldn't do a damned thing even once she herself found the Perps trying to hawk it on "Offer Up" and notified the Police that they could Solve the Case... and they wouldn't.  They suggested SHE Contact and approach the Criminals and ask for it back or Buy her own Stolen Merchandise back, can you Believe they'd even tell someone to do something that damned risky and insane!?!   So I don't think she got any of it back, and she easily could have had they done their Job and taken the Crime Seriously.   Jenny is also a Cancer Survivor, so she's been thru an awful lot in recent Years and yet is still the most buoyant Spirit and always Smiling and Upbeat.

And The Daughter, Rob and Jason just got back from the Scrap Yard where I turn in my Aluminum Can Recycling and they Scored us a Hammock for Poolside, another Schwinn Bike in Jazzy Boho Colors, and a Weed Eater.  Tomorrow Rob is going back to Score some Guttering to put up on our Back Patio so we don't have so much Flooding with these torrential Storms and it can divert the Water off the Roof onto the Pasture instead.  He's getting it for the price of Scrap, coz they all now know the Owner of that Scrap Yard really well and Befriended him.  He's been good to us too... he gave Princess T a Big STOP Sign once as a Gift.

You can see our Pink Oleander Bush Poolside got ravaged by the Storm that Wrecked the Roof of The RV Garage Mahal, we had to cut a lot of big limbs off it and will now have to re-shape it and perhaps drop it to Block Wall Height, cutting it back to give it symmetry again.  They grow back like Weeds so I'm not worried about it.   I Love Hammocks, we used to have a big White lovely Macrame one that was also self standing, but it finally got too weather worn to be safe to lay in.  This one is Canvas and folks up and is easier to move around.  Our Macrame one was on a big Tubular heavy Metal Base and didn't have the Cup Holder.  This is also easier to get into and out of.   I'm going to put a Pillow on it and enjoy laying out there on it in the early Mornings or Evenings now.

I'm concentrating on making Home just where we spend more and more time as time goes on.  I think during Pandemic I realized I enjoyed being Home even tho' it was Lockdown, it never bothered me as much as I thought it would or might.  In fact, I got used to it quickly and then didn't wanna go out anywhere or be around a lot of other People and how hectic and less Serene the World can be outside of the Sanctuary of Home.  I Love our Home and we just have immediate Family and an Inner Circle of Friends we enjoy that are ever here, which suits us just fine.  Of coarse the Younger Generations Socialize more than we do, we did at their Ages too when we were Young or Middle Aged.  So, most of the Guests invited here are their Friends now, or our Neighbors, with just a few who are closer to our Generation or even Older than us.

I already got Friends asking about the new BBQ Restaurant we have been going to so I linked them to the FB Page RSBBQ Avondale, AZ.  I included some of their Promo Pixs further down in this Post so get you salivating some more with Food Porn.  *Winks, you're Welcome... or... I'm Sorry???  LOL*   So many things on their Menu I now wanna try like the Two kinds of Pork Belly Bites.  And I wanna run thru all of their Sides too eventually.   The Man now wants me to Buy him one of their Hats, it's Baseball Style and he always wears Hats, but usually they're Military Graphics, but he is Obsessed with Hats and Collecting them.  To the point we did have to go thru his vast Collection and Edit it to get it down to a reasonable amount he actually will and does wear.  Coz he's gotten some Odd ones that I couldn't for the Life of me figure out why he wanted that Hat of some Company we never heard of, never did Business with, and wasn't even aesthetically interesting.  *LOL*  I noticed with the onset of Dementia, he has some very Odd Obsessions now that he gets Fixated on.

Like the Obsession with Fishing Equipment, yet, when The Son and all his Friends or our Neighbors would agree to take him actually Fishing, he never wanted to go.  He likes the IDEA of Fishing now, not the actual DOING of it anymore.  He was such an Avid Sportsman I thought he'd Love the Idea of being Invited to still do those things.  But the few times we insisted he go, our Neighbors, Friends and Family said it went very badly and he wanted to be Home and became agitated and difficult for them, so they had to abort the whole thing and it wasn't a Good Time.  In fact, it ruined what the rest of them had intended to go do for Fun and nobody was having Fun anymore having to Deal with him.  Ah well, so, now he gets excited if we go to the River or one of the Manmade Lakes at the various Parks and I find him any lost Fishing Lures.  He's like a Kid at Christmas to even Score a Lost Bobber!  And if they have them cheap at an Antique Mall, I pick up a few for him for his vast Collection he's built up.

The Grandsons said they'd be arriving late, so didn't make it last Night. No idea how much later, but driving safely is all I want them to do, it's no marathon to get here at any particular time.  So, I'd rather they take all the time they need since Allen has to do all of the driving.  All that The Young Prince said was some Stuff came up and they'd be leaving New Mexico later than originally planned.  Kids are vague when it comes to what Stuff means?  *LOL*  OK, Stuff... got it.  *Smiles*  They try to keep Texts Short for me coz they know I go LONG in response, like my Blog Posts.  *Bwahaha*  Just tell Gramma Stuff came up.  And then they know I'll just respond with the big Thumbs Up Emoji.   *Ha ha ha*

All the Halloween Shows and Events are starting by next Week, since in Real time it's the 1st of September, which to me means, Fall has finally arrived!  Yay!!!  I have so much written on my Calendar now to remind me what's on TV or what Events are Scheduled around the City.  It's my Favorite time of Year, September thru November.  October is my all time Favorite Month of the Year, but most of the Activities are in September and it may begin cooling off too this Month some.  I can't wait for my Utility Bill to go down, it came in this Month damn close to $600 and I know we're not using almost double the Electricity, so I also know those Data Centers all opening close by are responsible for the big rate hike for us Residential Customers.   And I expect Water Bills to go way up too due to them.  I do Hope they all implode Economically and lose so much Money they have to shut them all down, coz Public Outcry and Political Pressure doesn't seem to be swaying the Powers that Be or moving the Needle to benefit the Public.  They never asked Residents about building them in their Communities, they just did it.

I can't afford Utility Bills over Five Hundred Bucks every Month, this I know.  This Month the Utility Co. put a Flyer in there asking if you need Help with the Bill, so they know this is gonna spiral downwards quickly when people just can't pay the Bills.  In a Climate where if they turn your Utilities Off you could Die from the Heat, they have liability issues pending if too many folks die, especially if it's Children and the Elderly or Disabled of us.  So, I'm waiting for that Penny to drop... and they aren't making Pennies anymore, as you well know.  *Winks*  Some of the Coin Vendors are already Selling Rolls of the last Year's Issued Mint Pennies for quite a bit of Money!  And some Stores won't even take Pennies anymore as if they're no longer Legal Tender!!!  Their "Machines" can't accept them or give Change back that involves Pennies, so now they round UP... not DOWN of coarse, when you make a Purchase.  It all adds up over Time.  You'd be Surprised.    And now to finish up with some Food Porn from the BBQ Joint... you're Welcome... Or... I'm Sorry again!

*******

We're well into Autumn by the time this Publishes... so I hope you're having great Autumnal Vibes my Friends... Dawn... The Bohemian