The Prodigal Fur-Child And Human Child

 Princess T went over to her Boyfriends for the rest of the Weekend and all Three Adult Kiddos went to the MMA Fights.  So The Man and I are all Alone on a Saturday Night, Whoo Hoo, we could run around the House Naked if we wanted to... we just don't want to... it's been a long day.  And he can't Run with his Walker anyway.  *LOL and Winks*  I don't know if The Daughter and The Niece will have a hard time with The Son, he drank too much before they left for the Fights.  Usually he holes up in his Room when he knows he's fallen hard off the Wagon on a day he doesn't go to Work and drinks too early.  But, since they had Plans and he'd spent $150 on Tickets for the MMA Fights, it wasn't like they weren't going, no Refunds.   My Imagery will be really heavy on recent Holiday Celebrations coz I went on a Pathological Picture Taking Binge for them.  *Smiles*  
So... Strap in...

 He was being a Jerk, which, when Drunk, that always happens.  He gets really hostile and even argues with his damned self if there's nobody in the Room, it's Mental Illness and Autism just magnified with Alcohol.  The Girls were exhibiting Dark Gallow's Humor about it, which is good, coz I was NOT.  I told him he was being an Asshole and nobody wants to be around him in that condition... Yes, I'm vicious with my Words around Drunks, it's a Trigger for me.  At least they have to be around him all Night, I do not, I told them to give him copious amounts of Coffee to sober his Ass up before they come back Home so I won't wanna set his stuff on Fire in the Front Yard and say Burn Baby Burn!!!  *Winks*  Anyway, they're all Gone for the Night, so there's Peace in the Valley and no Trouble at The Asylum or Paradise for now.  *Smiles*

Eli the Cat was Singing the Song of his People and trying to open the damned Door to the Bedroom he shares with his Human.  He knows how to do it.  So I had to go in there and make a fuss over him, coz if he gets really Mad at his Human being gone he's been prone lately to pissing on her stuff, her Bed, well, whatever he can reach to show his contempt for her choosing her Boyfriend over spending time with him instead.  *Le Sigh*  He is a Rascal and he could give a Fuck how Mad she gets when she gets Home to Piss-Fest.  And since nobody wants a Cat Piss smelling Home, she then has to Deep Clean everything right away.  This is why she doesn't ever want Children, she can barely tolerate being a Pet Parent and putting up with his Prodigal Fur-Child Nonsense!  *Ha ha ha*

I did a lot of Work Today putting Halloween away, it's 90% done now, 10% left on the Front Porch and then it will just be an Autumnal Decor Vibe of Harvest Themed Decorations left on it until Thanksgiving is a Wrap.  I have been asked on occasion, with having a European Welsh Mom and a Native American Dad, did we have conflicting sentiments about Celebrating Thanksgiving?  In a Word, Yes.  Had I been the Indigenous I wouldn't have Invited the Pilgrims to Dinner.  *Winks*  History shows us that it didn't end Well at all for the Native Americans of this whole Continent, any of them, in spite of their initial Hospitality.  My Mom's Country doesn't Celebrate Thanksgiving so it was a foreign Holiday and concept to her anyway and she never understood why Dad Celebrated it at all!  *LOL*

Later in Life, after we Grew Up, since they didn't have to just do if for us Kids anymore, so we wouldn't stand out even more amongst General Population as the very 'Different' Family in so many ways, they both quit Celebrating it at all.  I'd bring over a Plate of the Food for them tho' every Thanksgiving, spend Time with each of them.  They were Divorced and living Separately by then, after 36 Years of Marriage they called it a Wrap... and they'd eat it, we weren't opposed to Food as a Family, after all.  *Bwahahahahaha*    I don't know that any of my Paternal Relatives on the Rez Celebrate Thanksgiving at all, never seen any Posts that they do or ever have???  And definitely none of my Relatives in Wales even Understand or Celebrate American Holidays.   And none of our Relatives in Mexico do either.  But I think Thanksgiving is a very neglected Holiday anyway.

Except for Selling Thanksgiving specific Food, it's not a big Commercially profitable one, unless you Raise Turkeys, who eats them most of the rest of the Year?   Well, mebbe at Christmas???   Then Turkeys pretty much get a reprieve for the rest of the Year really, we're not clamoring to purchase a 12-25 lb. Bird most of the rest of the Year.   And it's harder to find the smaller Turkeys, so unless you have lots of Mouths to Feed, it can amount to a shit ton of leftovers and creative ways to use it up after Thanksgiving.  By Day No. 2 I'm pretty much Over eating Turkey and don't have room in the Fridge to have a lot of leftovers that perhaps won't get eaten.  Coz we're not Big on leftovers really, everyone forgets about them or wants something fresh and different.  So, this Year, "Golden Corral" it is, Twenty Bucks each, no Work, no Mess or Cleanup, no leftovers, all you can eat in one sitting of it all that somebody else Cooks and Cleans Up after... Works for us this Thanksgiving.

We never have had some of the Family Fights some folks endure during Thanksgiving Get-Togethers, coz frankly, we don't discuss Politics or Lifestyle Choices during a Gathering.   The only time we ever had a Fight at Thanksgiving was one of the 1st Years that The Man and I were Married and he insisted on Inviting my Mom TO Thanksgiving Dinner.  I tried to explain to him this would not be a good idea.  First of all, she doesn't Celebrate the Holiday.  Second of all, she prefers I just deliver her a Plate of the Food after we Celebrate the Holiday and just visit with her at her Home, she's Old now and set very much in her ways.  My Parents were never big on Visiting Grown Kids Homes, they preferred we go to their Homes and Visit and that was always what worked best.  But, he insisted, I relented, she and he got into a huge heated Argument about ZIP CODES... I shit you NOT!!!

It was whether Luke AFB had its own Zip Code or used the Zip Code of the City it's in?  OMG I shit you not!   As if anyone really gives a shit, Right?!  But, lemme tell ya something about my Mom AND The Man, they both have THE NEED TO BE RIGHT, and so neither was backing down and it was a Hill they were ready to go to Battle Over... and him to Die on... coz, she's a formidable Adversary, he had no Idea, he was pretty "New".  *Bwahaha*  Listen, that Old Welsh Gypsy will put fucking Hexes on you Man, and so for a couple Years they didn't Speak after that coz I shuffled her irate Ass on Home before Dinner even got Served at our House.  So that we could eat it in Peace and Tranquility and not have Thanksgiving totally ruined... and I brought her a Plate of it with us.  And she and The Man had a very volatile relationship the whole time she was among the Living.  But, he'd do anything for her and she'd do anything for him... it was complicated... they are both complicated and Mom was Crazy.  He didn't Factor In how Crazy my Familia is/was/will always be. *LOL*

And Listen, I'm one of those No Drama Mamas and so I will forfeit MY Need to be Right in Favor of Peace, you Hear me.  Do you wanna be Right or do you Value your Peace and not having your Calm Disturbed? And I told The Man the Key to avoiding Confrontation and Arguments is that if someone NEEDS to be Right, or has a difference of Opinion, be it him or anyone else, I don't really Care or give a Fuck at all... so... Four Simple Words will Solve any Problems as my response to anyone initiating Confrontation or being Argumentative: 

YOU COULD BE RIGHT.  

And then I just Walk away. *Winks and Smiles*

Yes, it drives them Crazy, but they're left Holding that Space, coz, what could they say?  I didn't say they WERE Right, I didn't say they were WRONG either.  And I frankly don't Care or have any Fucks to Give either way coz my Calm is not being or going to be disturbed and I maintain my Peace.  Shuts that shit down immediately tho'.  And did I really Care what Zip Code Luke AFB has?  I don't Live there, in fact, I don't really Care what Zip Code you have either.  I'm not Obsessed or Impressed with Zip Codes, or which are the Right and desired ones or Wrong and undesired ones.   And I don't work for the fucking Post Office so it's not important to me to get it Right unless I'm mailing you something and Need to Know what yours is so the Post Office can get it to ya and not waste my Cost of a Stamp.  *LOL*

My Kiddos also loathe that it's difficult to provoke me into an Argument about anything, I just don't Care enough to Argue about whatever it might be or is.  If it's something you are so passionate or Obsessed about you come unhinged, and lose your shit about it, that's for you to sort out, not my Problem and I won't let it be either.  I am apt to even tell you, if you are like a Dog with a Bone about it and can't or won't just Let It Go, "I just don't Care."  End of the whole Conversation for me, coz now I'm Checking Out and you're wasting your Breath and our Time.  It's become just a Monologue, not a Dialogue.   Remember in the "Peanuts" Comic Strip where the Teacher's Voice, Miss Othmar, was just squawking with no actual Words?   Wah wa wah wa-wah...   Well, that's what I now Hear after I've Tuned you the Fuck Out and my Adult ADHD Kicks in to High Gear so you've completely Lost my Focus and Attention anyway, Boring me.  *LOL & Winks*

I'm contemplating, since I don't have anything on the Agenda for Sunday, whether to go back to the Gardens for the final day of Dia de los Muertos being Celebrated there as an Event in Real Time, Sunday the 8th?  I could load The Man's Wheelchair up and take him and that would also let me experience the Mercado, if not the Procession, since, I doubt we'd stay 'til late when they have it at almost Dusk.  I usually attend very early when they first Open so that we have a lot of it to ourselves for an Hour or Two before Crowds usually show up.  Everything is Wheelchair accessible, and that would be easier than Renting a 
Scooter and not being sure he could work it properly or not be mowing people over with it.  *Smiles* 

 Even before Dementia, he in a Scooter was a Road and Pedestrian Hazard, as so many folks in Scooters often are.  Something about being on a Scooter makes the Rider feel Entitled to not have common courtesies and know that Pedestrians still have the Right of Way if you're in any Motorized Vehicle that could injure or perhaps even kill someone if you're out of control operating it irresponsibly, angrily or recklessly.  The moment I saw he got irate and aggressive while behind the Wheel of one, forget about it, you're not Safe to be in control of one.  I've had to confront people on Scooters who have tried to run into me, or run me over, or bully Pedestrians into conceding to their Vehicle aggressively. That if they don't wanna be yanked off that thing and don't have the Ability to still Run so I don't kick your Ass, back the Fuck Up and don't EVER Threaten me with it.  I've gotten Applause from other Shoppers for doing and saying that, coz those Scooter Riders are a Menace when they are misusing it in Public and being a dangerous Threat behind the Wheel of one.

One Younger Morbidly Obese Woman in a GOODWILL once got Mouthy with me while on her Scooter trying to Buffalo past me in a too narrow Aisle.  She got right up to where she actually bumped into me!  Then had the Nerve to have a Mouth on her too, Oh Hell to the NO!   I went Postal and Hood on her Ass and told her loudly I'd yank her Fat Ass right off it and trash her Scooter for Touching me with it if she dared to again!!!  She put that fucker in Reverse so damned fast and headed for the Exit.  Even the Employees Applauded me coz she'd been intimidating all kinds of Customers and even Children with her damned Scooter and feeling Entitled to misbehave coz she was on one and too Fat to Walk.  So I knew for sure she was too Fat to Run or last in a Brawl/Fight.  Her Mouth could get her Fat Ass handed to her if she isn't Careful in the Future and picks the Wrong One to get Froggy with.   Coz if you're feelin' Froggy, go ahead... Leap.   I won't even say a Word before I fuck you up.  *In Self Defense... of coarse... coz it's what a Jury Believes that Counts.  LOL*

Anyway, mostly, unless someone is the initiator of Trouble I'd rather avoid it completely.  But some Public are just out there spoiling for Trouble and it shows.  I'd still rather engage in avoidance at all costs, ignoring them if possible.  Coz it's not worth having a Good Day turning into a Bad One on account of anybody whose a Rando out there causing Trouble.  People who just can't Get Along and Play Well with others... and to them, we're all "Others" coz they're prone to "Othering" and being Theatrical about it.  There's just so many of them these days, too many of them in fact.  And I'm Old and rather not have my Calm or Peace disturbed by them, as we've mentioned before.  I Wake Up every Day in a Good Mood with the Joy of Jesus in my Heart and the New Day being filled with Possibilities of it being a Positive one if I can make it happen like that.  But I sure see a lot of the Public that just seem Angry and Confrontational all of the time.  Often for no apparent reason that probably involves me personally, or probably not you either, but they may Project it all on me, you, or anyone handy... and many do.  They have Tortured Souls I guess.

And during the Holy Days/Holidays is when so many of these types of People seem to be the most Aggressive, the most apt to act Inappropriately, even if they're allegedly Celebrating the Holidays and what they should mean.  *Eye Roll*  Think Black Fridays for an Example.  I NEVER do a Black Friday, nothing on this Earth that I want or Need to endure that melee and throng of inappropriately behaving people vying for a Discounted TV or something.  And Losing their Shit in Public to get it at all costs during a Holiday where allegedly Peace on Earth and Goodwill towards Men should prevail, if they were Practicing it properly.  *Bigger Eye Roll*

So, I didn't get to bed until late to ensure the Trio of Kiddos that went to the MMA Fights in the Far East Valley all got Home safely and without incident.  Coz, since The Son was already Drunk before they left the House to go, and being a Jerk, I knew that it likely wasn't gonna End Well, and, it didn't.  They had to leave early, after his Friend's Fight, which was 5th on the Schedule, becoz he had continued to Drink, I suppose he snuck a Voodoo Ranger into The Niece's Car and drank it on the way, which pissed her off coz she doesn't allow open containers in her Vehicle.  And then they probably Sell Alcohol at that kind of an Event too, pretty sure.  And an Alcoholic on a Bender isn't someone anyone wants to be around.  So, I got Calls from both The Niece and The Daughter to say he was being belligerent and they'd have been tempted to strand and leave him there except they wanted to ensure his Safety Home since they'd brought him there and he was close to being Blackout Drunk.

It got hairy on the ride Home since he picked a fight with his Sister and The Niece felt she was impaired by having someone not handling their Alcohol in the Vehicle.  She's a very cautious and timid Driver anyway, so I was relieved when they got Home, dumped him off and called me again to say they were driving around the Block and just wanted him inside and to go to Bed and Sleep it off before I come unhinged on him after he's sobered up.  They both don't want him kicked out, but I think they know nobody wants this kind of Stress and Drama or Substance Abuse in the Home either.  So, he's got some hard decisions to make about his arrangements.  Keep drinking and you can't be here... but maintaining his Sobriety has been short-term at best, he's found it way harder than getting Clean from Opioid Addiction, which he conquered and has stayed Clean with no relapses in over Six Years now.  Addictions are a difficult Demon to Wrestle with for a Lifetime.  If you are an Addict you know this, if you know an Addict you've probably dealt with what the Wake of and Addict causes to everyone else.

 

So, I really dunno if he'll be able to stay here or have to be asked to make other Arrangements, that will be on him as to what Choices he makes, Alcohol or Relationships and an easier Row to Hoe Sober?  He doesn't have as many Options as his Sister to find other Arrangements, she has lots of people who have and will take her in when she's not doing Well.  When he's not doing Well he pretty much knows he's chosen a Hard Path to go on Life's Journey thru if nobody is willing to Tolerate his Unwellness or be able to Cope with it.  I have a difficult enough time Coping with everyone's Illness of the Mental variety and Physical varieties, let alone any Addictions they add to that mix.  So, I just don't Cope with Addictions, don't want to, don't have to, don't need someone else's Addictions complicating my Home Life either and disrupting my Calm.  He's running out of Chances and so his Choices are narrowing, so he best choose carefully and Mindfully.  He has no Transportation due to Drinking, he has Court appointed conditions to driving due to a DUI several Years ago, and doesn't have an operational Vehicle anymore either. 

So, he's either riding a Bike or Walking to his Work every day and he does go to Work every day, he's a hard Worker and reliable on a Job.  So, I'd call him a Functional Alcoholic, I've known many people like that.  They juggle a demanding and/or successful Career or Job, all the while being a Closeted Alcoholic in their Personal Lives.  Sometimes, and quite often actually, their Personal Lives then become a Train Wreck due to their Alcoholism.  And Wreck the Lives of many of their Loved Ones who've had to Deal with who they become once under the influence and/or an out of control Drunken Hot Mess.  The Son is becoming increasingly Angry and Violent when Drunk, which, he never was before, so, he has to go if he can't behave well and verbally or physically have Control over himself.  

Otherwise, he's likely to catch Charges and end up in Jail too coz I have Zero Tolerance for verbal or physical abuse of anyone.  The mutual combat he and his Sister get into is not Okay either... she prefers not to engage with him coz she knows he Triggers her and only is like this when he's had too much to Drink.  She's an Alcoholic but drinks moderately, not until she's in a stupor and acting Stupid.   I don't want anyone Homeless again or losing Employment, but I can't get Sober FOR anyone either.  So that's on them if they can't and find it impairs their ability to make good Life's Choices and therefore make a Hard Life for themselves that could have been avoided with Sobriety.  Be an Addict and you have to Live like one, and suffer the consequences of your Addiction and what it causes for you, it's just how I see it.  Be a Drunk and be Alone is how it usually ends up when you drive everyone off who ever Cared.  And Burn all your Bridges with Alcohol that fuels those Fires.  And now for the Political Satire for Today's Post:

*******

Life is complex... and... i don't have all the answers... dawn... the bohemian

Happy Friday The 13th My Friends

 

By the time this Publishes it will be Friday The 13th.  Let us Hope it doesn't have any ominous shit playing out for any of you.  *Winks* And, for this Post, First let me give a Shout Out and Thank You for the Fabulous Images I'm Sharing of his to KEN FULLERTON PHOTOGRAPHY, becoz the Feed I got for his Dia de los Muertos coverage in Mexico was so exceptional and visually Stunning, I just hadda Share a bunch of them and give Credit where it is due, in case you hadn't seen them on your Feed?  My Amateur Photography of our Local Event pales in comparison, but, I do Love good and elaborate Celebration Costumes and I won't be going to our Local Procession on Saturday or Sunday to Photograph any of ours.   Bravo Ken, your Talent is so evident and these Images just blew me away and I know will blow away my Dear Readers, so, please click on the Link to Ken's Social Media Page to see even more.  I have plenty of Pixs I took at our Event too, which will last several Posts and are vibrantly Colorful and visually Stunning... they did a fantastic job on the Ofrenda again this Year, I think better than last Year and rivaling previous Years that were my favorites. 

Since Princess T's Boyfriend was picking her up after Work I was able to languish and spend as much time as I wanted to.  There were lot of new permanent Art Installations at the Gardens that I hadn't seen before, even during my last visit.  So I enjoyed Photographing those too.  I left only once things got really crowded.  I bought some Prickly Pear Flavored Cactus Salt Water Taffy for myself in the Gift Shop, it's SOOOO good.  I like everything Prickly Pear Flavored, it's one of my favorite Flavors and also a unique Beautiful Scented Fragrance as well when in Lotions and Candles too, which I just Love also.  I had a pleasant conversation with the Young Gift Shop Cashier about Prickly Pear Flavored Foods and Scented Candles & Lotions, coz they're among her Favorites too.  

After the Gardens I stopped by "Whole Foods" and "Trader Joe's" nearby to pick up more Groceries.  Then I also stopped at "Pho 43" for Dinner to take Home some Vietnamese Food, I got Pho and Chicken Lemon Grass with Steamed Jasmine Rice, and Sweet Bean Drink as take-out.  They were so busy there was a long wait if you wanted to eat while there and I wanted to take everything Home for the Family anyway.  In fact, for some reason "Trader Joe's" Grocer had huge long lines at Checkout too, I don't know why it was so madly busy on a Friday and the 6th of the Month with no Holiday Weekend?  Curious indeed.  Their Cashiers are numerous and very efficient so it wasn't a long wait in the long lines tho'. You got checked out expediently even tho' the Lines were some of the longest I've ever seen in any Grocery Store or even any lines at a Super Wal-Mart or other Big Box Store that also has Grocery Sections. 

When I got Home The Daughter was Deep Cleaning our Master Bathroom, she did an exceptional job of it, she really knows how to Clean Professionally.  Tomorrow The Son is taking his Sister and The Niece to an MMA Match where one of his Friends is in one of the 18 Matches they're having.  Spoiler Alert, his Friend Won his Match. The Son used to do some Amateur MMA when he was Younger, so he really enjoys the Sport.  It's way over in the Far East Valley, so, a long commute there and back, but none of them is Working on Saturday so it's not problematic.  I think that The Son said his Friend is in Match #5 of the 18 and it's a mixture of Amateurs and Pros having Matches.  They have another Male Friend who may be joining them and if he does he said he'd provide the Transportation coz he has the largest Vehicle to fit everyone.

I've now eroded my Unpublished Posts down to Six... at one point I think I had 25 or so stacked up.  So, it gave me opportunity to slack off and I have.  *LOL*  So, it will probably not be long before I'm Posting in Real Time again and I'll give you all a Heads Up when it's a Real Time Post finally.  *Winks*  I'm fairly caught up now in Blog Reads tho', I had gotten really far behind in Reading other Blogs.  In fact, I have gotten really far behind in a lot of things actually.  You name it, I've gotten far behind in it.   I had Intentions of using Cooler Days to do Work inside The RV Garage Mahal and yet, I really haven't yet.  Yeah, I've done a bit, nothing noteworthy or even Seriously tackling it.  I should, but, I easily get overwhelmed in there and when the Weather is so nice, I don't really wanna be Inside any Space just Working, I want to be Outside enjoying the Glorious Day.  I know, I know, that's not gonna accomplish any meaningful Goals that I always complain about that aren't getting done.

And there's now this Militant part of me telling myself, what if it never gets done, will it really matter?  *LOL*  And yet, I know that if it does get completely accomplished and done, I'll really revel in it, so it's one of those things I do feel very conflicted about.   When I have had other Homes where Goals were accomplished, even if it took Years, I know how Good that Felt that it was finally finished.  I'd like to have that Feeling about that here too.   I think what really hindered me is how many do-overs I've had to do, at each Property we Owned, and then several times here as well each time someone Moved In, Moved Out, Moved Back In... reclaiming Space and then giving it up again... finding Space for everyone else's Worldly Possessions when Space is now more limited coz we did Downsize Livable Space.   So, we were already challenged to find sufficient placement and space for our own stuff, let alone several other Adult Kiddos and their stuff.

Anyway, I do have to be in the Right Head Space to tackle Editing, Purging, Styling, Curating, Culling, wading thru a Hot Mess and making Order out of it and clearing out Space for everything to look nice and have appropriate Placement.  There are Sections I did complete in there, that look nice and give me some measure of accomplishment and encouragement.  I have gone thru a lot in the She Shed already and cleared a lot out of there and into the Retail Spaces to be Sold.  The Art Studio is a semi-permanent Pause coz now The Young Prince lives in there and so what's mine in there is secondary to him occupying that Space and with it being the way he wants it and finding places for his stuff.  I don't know if or when I'll ever reclaim that Space again, since I've reclaimed it Twice before already and then relinquished it again when Family had to move back Home.  So I'm almost hesitant to even reclaim it again just in case it will be for naught... AGAIN?   I do think he and Allen want to have their own place again and that would be the best Outcome for us all.

The Niece will eventually be moving out, probably sometime around the start of 2027.  I don't know about The Son or Princess T???  The Daughter will probably never move out, but, she also is the least likely to spend a lot of time here and she lives in the 5th Wheel basically and just about all her possessions are in there out of my way.  So, as long as she keeps the 5th Wheel clean and sanitary, I don't mind how she has it Styled and used for her own comfort and pleasure, it's her Space and was intended to be.   She's Sharing it better with The Niece now as they compromise on what each of them would require to cohabitate without conflict or annoyances.  The Daughter isn't there that much so The Niece practically has it to herself anyway and spends a great deal of time Chain Smoking in her Car, coz she's not allowed to Smoke in any of our Interior Spaces.

 I have a Smoking Ban in my Home, my RV Garage, my She Shed, the Art Studio and the 5th Wheel.  There are Smokers but they can only Smoke Outside and have a Smoking Area on the Back Patio and Ashtrays on the Patio Tables Poolside too.  I don't want any Interiors of ours to smell like Dirty Old Ashtrays or have Secondhand Smoke.  I've never Smoked and I find it to be a disgusting nasty Habit and Odor, I abhor the Smell of any of it, it reeks.   We have a nice smelling Home with Healthy Air and Atmosphere, I get complimented all the time by Guests and Hired Help on how good our Home smells.   I intend to keep it fragrant, inviting and Healthy for everyone.  Especially since we have Family with severe chronic Respiratory Ailments and that would be detrimental to their Well Being and ability to Breathe.   Anyway, our Smokers comply and try to even Air themselves out before coming Inside or I'd be inclined to spray their Asses with Febreze to fumigate them from smelling like nasty reeking Cig Smoke.  *Bwahahahaha*  To me it's as bad as having awful Body Odor and if you stank of B.O. I'd say something too!  *LOL*

 

I remember once buying a piece of Antique Wood Furniture that I couldn't keep becoz it had been in a heavy Smokers Home and you couldn't get that awful smell out of the Wood, it had permeated into it too long.   Anytime I was Buying Real Estate, I always tested the Air to know if Smokers had lived there and it was a Hard Pass if it smelled like they had.  Just like too much Cat or Dog Piss in a place, you can't really ever rid that awful Smell if it's gone on too long with someone's dirty or unpleasant habits.   Mebbe they've gone Nose Blind to it, but the rest of us haven't.  Anyway... I'm glad to hear that The Daughter and The Niece are managing to Share the Space somewhat easier than in the beginning... and work on what wasn't working for each of them.  The Niece is basically making the payment on the 5th Wheel so that helps me out to defer the cost, since, The Daughter can't, and The Niece said an Apartment, even a shitty one, or even living with her own Family Member, would cost her 3x or more as much.

A Sweet Older Lady as I was leaving the Gardens asked me if I'd like her to take my Pix in front of the Pumpkin Art Display and that was very Kind of her to offer.  I don't usually get out in front of the Lens and she said she doesn't either.  She did pretty good and it turned out Okay, I don't Hate it.  This is what I just look like now.  *LOL*   For some reason I had a lot of people stopping to tell me they Loved my Shirt and could they Read what it said.  They said they didn't wanna Stare so hard trying to Read it that it would be awkward.  *Smiles*  It's one of the SPENCERS or SPIRIT STORES Tees by Steven Rhodes that have the Weird & Wonderful Children doing or saying strange or inappropriate things about UFO's, the Occult, Cryptids, Neighbors, etcetera.  I've Sold a lot of these Genre of Tees in our Showroom too, they're Madly Popular. {See some examples of the Shirts Graphics Below, I own some I wear in XXL.}

There's so many more Steven Rhodes Graphics, I like them all, just difficult to always find them in an XXL and I like my Tees to be oversized and comfortable, plus account for some shrinkage when washed.   I've found most of mine at Chazzas secondhand or Resale on E-Bay in a Buy It Now Feature so I don't have to wait for the end of an Auction and just Hope I Win it.   And speaking of Winning, one would think the Midterms would have sent a STRONG Message to this White House of what Americans want and what they eliminated with the Blue Tsunami becoz they demand Positive Change and Government that Works FOR them and doesn't just give Corrupt Politicians carte blanche to enrich themselves at the Public's Expense.  But this Prez is so Checked Out, Senile and Tone Deaf that he's only fixated on his gauche Vanity Projects and appointed Stephen Miller, Dr. Evil, of all absolutely Hated inappropriate people, to replace Suzy Wiles as White House Chief of Staff!!! 

 What could go further Wrong appointing that Evil Nazi Psycho?!  In case you were wondering... *Eye Roll*  

I think we should Sue ole' Donnie Two Dolls for all the wasted Money and damage done in pursuit of his Vanity Projects to restore what he's ruined.  In fact, when a thorough Investigation is done into all the Corruption, may assets be Seized of all the Bad Actors responsible as they do Hard Time and given back to the American People, then Justice will have been Served.  Coz 90% of the American People were more upset of the flagrant Corruption than they were about the Economy statistically!  Both were Bi-Partisan major concerns of American Voters and caused the results to be what they were in this Midterm.  If Dems focus on both Issues I think they will be Serving all of the American People and doing what we actually want them to do as our Public Servants. 

 I'm of the opinion Hakeem Jeffries is the Wrong Man for Speaker of the House, he's clearly shown himself to be too milquetoast even as a Minority Leader and impotent to stand up to or for anything.  And I'm not interested in him being installed just as a Token 'first'.  There's better Young Choices more fitting to fill the position that I could think of and the Dems should have too or they're Wasting the 'Gift' America just gave them.  Schumer needs to go too, these Ancient ones need to pass the Torch and not hold onto it until they're farting Mummy Dust.  It's precisely why the Supreme Court got so fucked up actually, Sick and Geriatric isn't Working for any of us in Leadership.  I don't want it squandered like that and they'll be ignorant if they don't see that the Anger is still palpable that we're all fed up with the Status Quo and ineffective Leadership that isn't Working for us at all.  Pete Buttigieg would be my Choice as Speaker of the House, but he has greater aspirations leading up to 2028... not where Politicians go to Die as Speaker of the House.  *Winks*   

  I still want to have Guarded Optimism that America will sort this shit out satisfactorily and come to our senses moving forward???   The hard Work has only just begun.  Until MAGA and Donnie Two Dolls is absolutely Dead and not just on Life Support, I won't underestimate their ability to fuck things up further, make it much worse, and on Purpose.  Coz they've shown they have no Bottom to their depravity, propensity to violence, Chaos sowed, and Criminality.  The Corruption continues until it is Stopped and has consequences, Real ones, not just strongly worded Letters and Pearl clutching going on by who could do something about it and hasn't yet, at all, abdicating their responsibility to the American People.   Steps down off my little Soapbox now.  *Winks*  Okay, so that's all I have to say about that, since I want to still be riding high on Hope-ium and the Win... not fixated on wondering if the Dems will fuck everything up that's been handed, literally Gifted, to them by the Voters?  *Eye Roll and Big Sigh, coz I'm not convinced YET, so, Show me dammit, that I didn't Waste my Vote again!!!*

Dia de los Muertos falls at a perfect Timing for me personally to Honor my Dearly Departed, coz I Lost my Mom right before Halloween Ten Years ago and my Dad right after Thanksgiving over a Decade earlier than Losing Mom.  It really doesn't seem like they've both been Gone so long tho', the Missing them every Day is still as Strong as it was the Day they departed this Earthly Coil, Time has not altered that one iota.  I don't think it ever does no matter whose been Lost actually, the Void exists that cannot be filled, whether Family or Friend departing.  My List of the Dearly Departed grows ever longer now, longer than the Living who are still here at this juncture and Season of Life.  Mom did Warn me that is the hardest part of the Privilege of Growing Old, who you will Outlive... she wasn't Wrong.  It never gets easier just becoz it becomes more frequent that you Lose those you Care about and Love.

 

I'm up at 5:00 a.m. becoz I went to Bed so early the Night before, I'm keeping the Hours of a Toddler lately, I swear!!!  *LOL*  The Man said he killed the offending Cricket last Night after The Daughter had Deep Cleaned the Bathroom and not found it.  But, it crept out in plain sight as he was sitting on the Throne and he caught and flushed it.  *Smiles and Laughs*   So, we didn't have loud chirping all damned Night for the first time in almost a Fortnite!!  *Contented Sigh of Relief*  With all the Rain we've had, the Bug explosion has been epic.  When we go do Environmental Cleanup the number of Flies looks like something from a Horror Movie in some Agricultural places and Raw Desert.   I don't get bothered by Flies & Mosquitoes hardly at all, but some of the rest of the Family attract them and often get eaten alive.  Coz they sweat a lot more {like my Dad, I don't perspire hardly at all}, and they must taste good and tender too?  *LOL, Sweet Meat that they are.*  I'm pretty sure I'm too Salty {Winks in more ways than one}, too thick Skinned {I often bend my Insulin Needles when giving myself my daily Injections}, and my Nag Champa Essential Oil that I always smell like is perhaps a Natural deterrent?

So funny that while I was the only one at this Ofrenda at the Gardens, which was in a big Room of the Historic Adobe, Two Elderly White Ladies walked in and were musing about what Hispanics do to Create these Altars?  And they both said, while standing fairly close to me, well, I sure Like the Incense they must use, I Wonder what kind it is, it smells Lovely!?   I didn't have the Heart to tell them, oh, there's no Incense used on this Ofrenda, it's ME you're Smelling, and it's Nag Champa Essential Oil.  *Bwahahahahahaha*  Sometimes I'm told by everyone who knows me, that they know I'm anywhere, even if they haven't seen me yet, coz they pick up on the Scent of Nag Champa.  *LOL*  My Friends and Family do Believe that after I'm Gone, if they Smell any Nag Champa in a Room they'll KNOW for damned sure I'm there in Spirit... or perhaps a Haunt!?   I am the Gal that Smells like Nag Champa.  *LMAOROTF*

Now that our Master Bathroom has been Deep Cleaned I ordered another Black Wood Toilet Seat from that Charity E-Bay Seller for our Commode.  We Love how the one in the Guest Bathroom turned out Looks more Upscale, and our Master's Color Palette is Black & White with Jewel Tone Exotic Print Luxury Towels that I got from "World Market".   One thing I've found with House Guests who come to live with you, is that they seem oblivious of Quality Towels not being used like fucking Cheap Ass Towels you'd dry a Vehicle with or Dye your Hair with!!!   Don't act Ghetto with Luxury Items, Fool!!!  So, I've always, at some point, had to have a Come To Jesus with a long term Houseguest about not misusing my Good Towels like that or I'll go Postal on their Asses!  *Smiles and an Eye Roll*  I have a lot of Towels, mostly coz now we have a Pool and use a lot of Beach Style Towels too, so there's plenty of nice Towels to use that aren't my BEST fucking Towels.  And I am Anal as fuck about our Bathrooms being very Clean and looking Nice and Stylish.  So also don't go in there and go Feral or be Nasty, as if you've never used an Indoor Bathroom before like a Civilized Human Being!  *LOL*

Younger Men are the absolute worst, even worse than a Child sometimes in their Bathroom Habits.  But, I've had a Friend close to my Age that lived with us for half a Year and once used an expensive Towel of ours to Dye her Hair and I Lost my Shit about it!!!   Listen, I don't Dye my Hair... and I don't Care if you do... but Buy your own Towels to do it with, don't use ours.  The only other time someone did that they were a Male Tween Friend of The Young Prince who had Green Hair, used a Good Towel, and turned both the Guest Bathroom Sink and Tub Green coz that shit leaked out of his Hair every time he came over and Washed up after having had a Sleepover!  I always made The Young Prince buy high quality Hair Dyes for those Extreme Colors, like Green, Pink, Purple, Blue, Clown Red, Orange, Bright Yellow & Violet, which are usually only semi-permanent.  Coz the Cheap shit ends up leaching out on everything, Pillowcases, Sheets, Towels, Porcelain or Fiberglass Sinks and Tubs, Clothes.  But it stays firmly on the shit it leaches out onto even if it fails to stick on Hair!

I just put away about 2/3 of the Halloween Props on the Front Porch, mostly Skellies, it will take me more than a Day to do the rest.  It always takes longer to put things back in Storage that is Seasonal than it takes me to Decorate with it and put it out.  Probably becoz it's Fun and exciting to put it up in anticipation for Holidays and a glum chore to take it all down with the letdown that it's all over again and needs to be put away for another Year.   This time I'm sitting Skeletons in Chairs in the RV Garage Mahal rather than putting them up on the Storage Shelving.  The House right now is a chaotic Hoarded mess again, so I've gotta get a handle on that once again and get things in Order and more Functional.  I know I said I would do better, but, I haven't in the long run.  Gotta keep working on that and purge a lot of stuff so that there's just less to manage and simplify things for me.  It's a long range Goal for me and I know I can attain it if I keep chipping away at it consistently.

The more fed up I get about it, the more likely I am to get it taken care of with consistency and resolve.  I've been very scattered lately.  But now, some things have fallen off the Calender, like The Man's Appointments and Home Visits of his Medical Teams.  Which frees me up to get more done around here than focusing full time on Caregiving extraneous stuff he requires which fills up my Days and the Calendars with those obligations that have to be a Priority all of the time when he's not doing well.  It's a lot to juggle, maintaining a Home, having a lot of people in the Home, and Full Time Unpaid Caregiving.  And now I'll be Working on Friday Nights beginning on Friday the 13th, but I'm actually looking forward to that Gig as a regular respite from running the Gauntlet at Home.  Work outside of the Home is far easier on me and it earns me something in comped Space Rent so that I might get bigger Checks on what I can Sell as supplemental Income to a Fixed Income that isn't going as far these days in this shitty Economy.  Economically it feels like we're Running In Place sometimes and getting nowhere fast and even Falling Behind.

Without discretionary side Income there's nothing left after you pay for the Necessities of Life now.  And I'm good at stretching a Buck, but it does become ever more challenging now to do it and keep some Emergency Funds available too coz in Life there will always be unexpected Emergencies and Expenses that can't be predicted and must be funded.   Sometimes after I've taken care of paying everything, cleaning & chores, doing laundry, doing the Caregiving, feeding and watering everything that must be kept Alive *winks*, I don't have much Energy or Stamina left to tackle anything else on the Goals List.  So all that gets pushed back again and again until it seems like I rarely get around to any of it except on the rare occasions when Weather, Time and Strength permits me to.  If I didn't have the Younger Generations here helping with Cleaning, sharing Expenses, Home Maintenance, Cooking, and respite Caregiving so I can get a break from it, I'd be overwhelmed now, no doubt about it.  If your Kiddos live with you long enuf, you're Glad they're here.  *LOL and Winks*

I was going to do much more Today but ran out of time by the time I did what was necessary at Home.  Sigh.  I get poised to do some things and then the Clock seems to Warp Time by too fast and I run out of sufficient Time to do everything I wanted to do.  And it seems to take me so much longer to do everything too, along with running out of Steam and having to keep Resting.  The Man reminds me I'm Old, but I don't have to accept that I can't build up more Stamina and have more Energy than I seem to at the present time.  I don't feel like I should be this easily worn out Physically or Emotionally, as I have been lately.   Google says it could be from Chronic Stress {check}, Emotional Exhaustion {check}, and Burnout {checkmate}.  Okay then, well, that pretty much Explains it then.  Rather than just being shy of 70 could or would be the primary reason.   *Bwahahahahaha*   Emotional Labor and Caregiving, Chronic Stress and Burnout, and possibly underlying Medical and Mental Health Conditions and Neurodivergent Overload are likely more the culprit in my case I think, coz I never Feel all that "Old" actually and don't Think of myself as 'Elderly'.

I do have a large Banana Box filled to the brim with Inventory to Price to take in to the Antique Mall and I suppose I will work on that, mebbe out on the front Porch which is an Idyllic Office Space to do that kind of thing in and not seem like Work.  I still have it Decorated and eventually will only be putting away the Halloween Themed Decor and leaving out the Autumnal/Harvest Themed Decor until after Thanksgiving.  Then we'll switch it up to Christmas Decor.  I think this Year I will put some Exterior Christmas Blow Molds out there on the Porch to make it look Festive, and some Wreaths.  Since, what I'm doing Inside for Christmas will be more minimalistic this Year for Christmas Decorating.  At least that is the Plan for right now, closer to Christmas we'll see how enthusiastic I might get or Inspired to do more after going to Christmas Events?  *LOL and Winks*  I think some of the Events begin next Week and they do always get me into the Mood for Christmas once I attend them and get Inspired by what they've all done to make it Magically Festive for the Season.

 

My biggest hurdle is I move slowly past a Holiday, I tend to start early and put it away late on purpose, to enjoy it longer and immerse myself in it more fully.   I'm just a big Old Kid really and have Grown Old but refuse to Grow Up and be Serious all of the time, Life should be enjoyable and Fun too.  *Winks*   I had offered to take Princess T and Rusty to "The Desert Botanical Gardens" for the Finale' of Dia de los Muertos coz she really wanted to go but has to Work on Saturdays, but has Sundays Off, which would be the last Day of it there.  But, Rusty helps his Abuelita at Park N Swap on Sunday Afternoons so he'd have to be back by 2:00 p.m. and she likes to Sleep in on her day off so it wouldn't work out for either of them.  So, she was bummed about that but understand his Gramma relies upon him to help her make extra Money at the little stall she sets up at the Park N Swap Locally.  I don't know what she Sells there, but he helps her every Weekend on his day off, he's a good Grandson.

We went down by PIR and the Nature Preserve to see the condition of the Rivers Flooding, they have receded a LOT already, but are still Flooding across Roads.  Where the Levies broke tho' did dry out already, surprising, coz it was deep and like a Lake.  The Roads are wrecked and washed away completely where it receded, so it's not like they'll be open anytime soon, they'll have to completely rebuild those Roads.  And, in some Areas the River is still running over the Roads swiftly.  People were there Photographing it and some Dirt Bike Riders were running thru the low parts, foolish, coz they could still be swept away and where the Road has been ripped apart you can't see that under the Water.  How Roads look after a bad Earthquake is how the Roads look where the River Flooded across them.  Anyway, the Weather right now is fabulous and about 80 Degrees, Sunny with a slight pleasant Breeze.   I bought The Man a Breakfast Taquito and we sat out there by the Nature Preserve eating it.  He enjoys being driven around now but without wanting to get out of the Truck.

 

For Lunch we went to "Luna Grill" and got Mediterranean Takeout and split it.  They were out of the Grape Leaves Dolma still and almost out of Gyro Meat, they said their Supplier has been out of the Dolma for a Month now and they'd had a run on the Gyro Meat.   I got the Steak instead in the Bowl and substituted more Pearled Couscous for the missing Grape Leaves Dolma in the Lunatic Sampler Shareables Plate.  I ate what I knew The Man wouldn't out of the Santorini Bowl, no way he was eating Kale Salad Medley, Pickled Onions or Schug or Olive Medley.  I took a couple pieces of his Steak in the Bowl to try it, it was very good.  We had a really good day and getting out and about doing something enjoyable was just what I needed to get out of the Head Space I was in, which was in avoidance mode of doing everything necessary that is still undone around here.  It helps me to regroup, renew myself, and come back in with a different perspective about tackling it in just smaller less intimidating increments with no deadline or timeline pressuring myself unnecessarily.

In Reality everything can take as long as it just takes, I'm imposing my own Timelines that aren't important to attain really if I just can't or don't feel like it on any given day.  Sometimes just knowing I can wait and do it when I'm feeling like doing some of it, is all I need to come back to Center and get my Head around it in a more Encouraging way that doesn't Overwhelm me and make me feel drained.  Tonight I might just put on some Music and Price that Banana Box of Stuff, it would be nice to get it into Inventory before next Weekend, since I didn't manage it by this Weekend, which is Okay.  It's not like a lot of Customers are coming in and Buying a lot anyway, you can't Sell to Customers that aren't even there.  So the sense of Urgency to get the Merch into Inventory isn't really there.   Sometimes I put too much pressure upon myself and I could easy up and allow myself more Down Time to recharge Mentally and Physically.

I tackled more of Halloween on the Front Porch and got all of the Skellies put away now.  So it will take mebbe 10-15 Minutes to put away the Skelly Animals and few other Halloween Themed items and just have the Harvest Decor left out there for the rest of November's Autumnal Decor... yay!!!   Having a Nap after Lunch made all the difference Energy Wise, I hadn't even intended to fall Asleep, but I laid down on the Bed and woke up with my Phone ringing by my side to pick up Princess T from Work and it was already 4:00 p.m.!  She's stayed late to help Misc. Dept. roll all their Inventory out on the Floor, so Management gave her an Incentive, they hand out Tickets which buys Snacks and Drinks, she got 8 Tickets for helping other Departments out Two Days in a row after she could have just gone Home when her Work was done.  She doesn't often volunteer to do that and since she's very efficient they appreciate when she will volunteer to do it.  She said those Depts. are understaffed right now coz some people just walked off the Job mid-shift.  This Generation of hers will do that.   I call them the "Yeah, No Generation" of Employees.  They will Walk Off the Job Mid-Shift when they've had enough or Customers give them a hard time. *LOL*

I'm not even throwing Shade at their Generation for doing that.  Most of them are working shitty underpaid jobs, are underemployed, understaffed at work, have no guarantee of Full Time Hours, few if any Benefits, no Health Insurance, no Pensions to look forward to, probably will never own a Home, most don't even have their own Transportation coz they can't afford the cost of reliable Vehicles or the price of Gas, most can't even afford Rent even with their Jobs coz there's no affordable Housing anymore, and they don't think their Future is very Bright.  So, they really don't have many, if any, Fucks to give.  So, they certainly are not putting up with any Bullshit on Jobs that don't even make enough for them to afford a Living.   Most got shitty Educations in Public Schools and could never afford College... or, if they did they owe a ton in Student Loans they can barely repay and still can't get Employment for what they got their Degrees for.   I've met so many Young People doing menial Jobs who have College Degrees and still can't find a Livable Wage Job or got Laid Off in White Collar Jobs that are quickly being eliminated and replaced already by AI and Technology.

The Automation of Routine Rules-Based Tasks in White Collar Jobs is already happening.   The top White Collar Jobs that are most Exposed to AI are Computer Programmers and Software Engineers.  Customer Service Reps.  Financial Analysts and Accountants.  Bookkeepers and Accounting Clerks.  Paralegals and Legal Research Associates.  Data Entry Clerks and Administrative Assistants.  Content Writers, Copywriters and Translators.  Market Research Analysts.  Lawyers and Legal Counsel.  HR Professionals and Recruiters.   The Entry Level Squeeze hits Young Workers and recent College Graduates most.   And we all know Older Employees near Retirement Age, after about Age 40, face Age Discrimination and Layoffs at a higher rate becoz they're usually at the top of their Pay Scale and have the least amount of time left to be an Asset to their Employer and are slowing down Mentally and Physically or more prone to Medical Issues or Injury as they continue Aging.  If who you're Working for doesn't consider you an Asset, they will consider you a Liability.   One of the Employees who Walked Out Today Mid-Shift was in Management of a Department!!!

 

*******

Hang tough my Friends... Dawn... The Bohemian