Know When To Hold 'Em ~ Know When To Fold 'Em

 Well, I had to have a Serious Talk with The Niece about responsibility.  She assumes she's responsible, but at 46, yeah, NO, you're not managing things in your Life well Darlin' and it's causing you most of your problems.  Case in point, Sunday Afternoon she hit the Casino and stayed way longer than usual.  The Family {ours and hers} feels she has a Gambling problem, she doesn't acknowledge she does becoz she mostly Wins.  But the word 'mostly' doesn't apply when she's Losing and she's suddenly on a Losing streak.  And as Kenny Rogers Song says, ya gotta know when to Hold 'em and know when to Fold 'em, know when to Walk away and know when to Run.  *Winks*  On Sunday she Lost bigly... her Rent Money, all of it!  So had to ask me if she can pay me half on the 16th and the rest at EOM instead?  I reminded her no Landlord will be that Gracious.

Plus, asking me if it's Okay when you already don't have the Money anymore is kind of a moot point, there couldn't be a No Answer to the request.  I'm only Okay with it becoz it's a One and Done I told her, a Lesson to be Learned if she doesn't wanna be Living in her Car again?  She knows that I have no problems having the hard conversations with people and confronting them about their Demons they don't have control over.  She's whined to me about her Family telling her she's Mentally Unwell and irresponsible.  I let her Vent about it and then Speak the Truth in Love that, well, you ARE, and acknowledgement of what you struggle with is the only way you can Deal with it more appropriately.  Denial isn't at all Helpful.  Blaming everyone else either.  No Shame in having Mental Illness.  And acknowledging Bad Coping Mechanisms either.  Especially when it has become like a Disease with Addictive Behaviors and Dependency Issues.

So, she took ME saying it better than she has anyone else saying it, coz she knows I Speak Truth in Love, not in Condemnation.  Just be Convicted and acknowledge your Truth, rather than Living a Lie and Pretending there's not a Problem(s).  When clearly there IS coz look at where you are in Life that it took you there.  None of us is without our baggage, what's Normal is highly subjective and often overrated, quite a lot of folk are Dealing with what's Abnormal.  In her case she's highly Intellectual, probably has a Genius IQ, but she does clearly suffer from some Mental Health Issues and has been Hospitalized for it.  But she is one to think she doesn't have any and that her Family is the Reason.  Well, probably that contributes, coz her Family has a bunch of Mental Health afflictions, each and every one of them on both sides!  They've had a rash of Suicides, Institutionalizations, and Mentally Ill Behaviors.

As a casual Observer, whose seen my fair share of Mental Illness playing out all of my Life, coz it runs in my Family Deeply too and I fully acknowledge having Mental Illness myself, I can spot another one even if they're undiagnosed.  *LOL*  And when she was trying to excuse NOT Believing she has a Problem, I asked her to use Logic then, coz she is a very analytical Mind and Math is her Thing.  Okay then, let's see, it's the 1st of the Month and you Lost ALL your Money on Day One, including the Rent Money, just in One Afternoon at the Casino.  That DOESN'T seem like a Problem to you Logically, and Analytically?  What consequences COULD that have if you were having to tell anyone but Aunt Dawn you did that and are Broke now on the Day you got Paid?  I Rested my Case and she had to come to Terms with how Abnormal that is and that it certainly IS a Problem.  She'll have to Hustle now doing her Gig Work to make it up and make Rent, which, she will, but it will create pressure and hardship for her, and Stress.

Now, I don't NEED her Rent Money, that's our Agreement and our Arrangement tho' so I told her I expect her to Honor it or we don't have an Agreement and Arrangement anymore.  It's Helpful to me to have it, it's definitely Helpful to her to have it, but I won't go Hungry or not have a place to Live if she couldn't come up with it.  She could in a Worse Case Scenario, and I drove that Fact Home to her also.  She has to acknowledge that I was Speaking Truth in Love even if it wasn't what she WANTED to Hear, but definitely was what she NEEDED to Hear.  A Gambling Addiction is not a Hobby anymore, it's being Dependent on something you're clearly having difficulty getting Control of and can Negatively impact your Life.  If you're Losing, Stop, Walk Away.  Perhaps a Winning Streak will resume, but if it doesn't, don't go above what you can AFFORD to Lose.  That would be Responsible Gambling.  Facing her Demons may be something she isn't Ready for entirely, I can see that.  A lot of Mentally Ill folk have Addictive Personalities, it's common.  I always wanted to know WHY... so I've done my Due Diligence.  To have better Understanding of Why we do what we do.

People with Mental Health Conditions are Two to Four Times as likely to struggle with Addiction than the General Population.  It's a Condition known as Dual Diagnosis or Co-Occurring Disorder.   Saying "Addictive Personality" isn't a clinical acknowledged Term tho' or recognized Medical Diagnosis, that's my layman term for it.  Environmental Factors do explain why Mental Illness and Addiction frequently occur together.  There are hypothesis as to why we're prone to Self-Medicate:  It eases Suffering.  Turning to Substances or Behaviors that numb or escape Painful Emotional States... such as depression, despair, fear, anxiety, distressing hallucinations.   It's a False sense of Control.  Since Substances or certain Behaviors can initially make you Feel "Leveled Out" and more "Balanced" and Calm.  You can come to rely on that rather than Medical Care/Medications prescribed.

But there are also Shared Biological and Brain Mechanisms:  Overlaps of Circuits, since Mental Health Disorders and Addiction affect the same Brain Regions responsible for Reward, Motivation, Stress Management and Impulse Control.  Dopamine and Chemistry play a role too since those of us with ADHD involve Dopamine regulation Pathways that are nearly identical to the Brain Circuits Triggered by Drug Cravings and Immediate Gratification. {ie: perfectly explains my Addiction to Retail Therapy, Winks}  Then there's Genetic Vulnerability.  Specific Genetic Traits related to how the Brain processes Dopamine and Stress can make a Person more inherently more vulnerable to both Psychiatric Symptoms and Addictive Behaviors.

Then there's Emotional Dysregulation and Impulsivity.  If you have difficulty Coping due to certain Mental Health and Personality Conditions, it can be hard to achieve Emotional Equilibrium or tolerate distress.  And a big one, for most of my Family anyway, is Risk-Taking Traits.  Impulsivity and a desire for Immediate Relief, coupled with a propensity high for Risk-Taking {common if you're Bipolar, ADHD, have Personality Disorders} just fuels the Cycle of seeking quick Fixes, whether thru Substances or Behavior you've Adopted as your Coping Mechanism.  And tho' it's Short-Term Relief, over Time, chronic use of whatever it is alters Brain Chemistry and worsens Symptoms.  Dual Target Therapy is what would be most Helpful, most people can't get or afford even Therapy for the Mental Illness... or the Addictions developed tho', so most won't be Helped at all.  And addressing one without the other rarely Works either.

Love the Nick Cannon Costume Above... Bwahahahaha.

There, so I went deep into those Weeds becoz having some grasp and understanding has been Helpful to me to Manage The Asylum and all of us in it.   Despite any and all Treatments over a Lifetime not being all that effective or Helpful.  You have it for Life, so you better Learn how to just Live with it and Cope as best you can, or, most get to the Point where they End Life becoz they just find it harder to Live than to Die.  I only got to that Point the one time, and failed at Ending it... which gave me that now infamous Week involuntarily in Psyche Lockdown... which is somewhere I'd rather never go again frankly, it wasn't Helpful either.  It just Warehouses Residents until they deem them Restored enuf to be released back out into Public and the Wild.  *LOL and an Eye Roll*  They wanted to Release me Four Days Early, I resisted, Three was not enuf to Stabilize me and I knew it, and tho' I Wanted to Leave, I also knew it would be a huge Mistake to Release me and I told them so.  I'd go back to everything that sent me there in the first place, so I hadda be able to Cope better first with my Reality.  Caregiver Burnout aside, I'm Mentally Ill too... juggling both, is a Full Time Job 24-7 and 365.

Not very many Mentally Ill folks will know that or say that, or admit the Space they're trying to Hold, or so I'm told, but I know when I'm Off Rails, and potentially a Danger to myself or others, I've been Me a long time already.  *Winks*  And, I know I'm all my Family has got.  But, I could have Manipulated them into Releasing me that early, I can Look like I'm doing better than I am and give the Appearance of being Okay when I'm NOT.  In fact, just coz you're Crazy doesn't mean you're Stupid, and so it's also not uncommon for someone Mentally Ill to Play you and tell you what they know you Want to Hear.  I can give Textbook Answers to all the Questions if I want to be deceptive, that's why it's often very hard to Evaluate someone.  I was so Relieved that The Young Prince, in this last Eval, was Honest and not deceptive or as Guarded as he usually is, to avoid detection as being as ill as he is.  There is a level of Fear and Stigma of the Paper Trail, that if you were to reveal how ill you are, involuntary Commitment is a possibility, so, mostly you'd avoid that decision to be left in the Hands of a Stranger taking Notes Professionally. *Winks*

Even The Daughter, as Open as she is, will be Guarded until and unless she has felt out whose asking the Questions before she'll give them accurate Answers without deception.  I still have yet to get her in to that Advocacy place that her Insurance suggested we go to in order to have an Advocate to apply for SSI.  Clearly Mercy Care felt she really would benefit from this place in order to Qualify for Federal Services again, and I'm sure she would.  It might grease the Tracks even to get her certified again after a long absence from receiving Benefits and Services if an Advocacy Group that is well known is involved?  The Hospital Caseworker that voluntarily hooked us up for The Young Prince was very Helpful in getting thru to Social Security and aligning Evals and Appointments for him since clearly he could never pay the Hospital what he Owed them.  And he'd be back if he didn't get any Treatment, regardless of still having no Income.

 

And I knew The Niece had gone to the Casino and been vulnerable that day becoz she's Stressed Out about having to drive all the way back to Texas before her Car is fully Serviced and stay with her Dad again so she can get thru the New Career's Training Program.  She knows she'll do Well in the Career, she's the Right Person for the Job and to be an Asset to that Employer developing their Programs and their AI capabilities.  But, her Dad is a Hot Mess and so is the rest of her Family, so she'll have to Deal with Job Training and the Stressors of a Family she'd rather at this point, cut off and out of her Life completely... for her own Well Being... and just Love them all from afar, which is probably Best.  And we're not pointing any fucking Fingers, nobody in this Familia is Fine either, but we acknowledge it and aren't Ashamed of it.  We don't give a Rat's Ass how anyone Feels some kind of way about it either.  Most People have their own Demons they're wrestling with behind Closed Doors and when nobody is looking.  *Winks*

Anyway, on to less weighty Topics, like Two Days after Halloween ones.  I spent the Evening, while having the Come To Jesus Talk with The Niece, sitting there emptying out most of the Halloween Bags of Candies we hadn't handed out.  Sorting it into what we'll keep to eat, or the Toys we'll just hand out next Year and keep the Nice Sealing Designer Bags for next Year too, and what we'll Donate and hand out 'til it's gone Today at the Antique Mall and where Princess T Works, or where ever we see someone who'll enjoy getting a Bag of Halloween Candy due to Halloween being Rained Out.  We're Diabetics, The Man and I, so we don't want to Keep all that was left over.  I'd gone more than a bit overboard getting the really good Quality Candies on Sale before Halloween.  And the Snack Size of them is perfect for Rationing out to the One who has a Sweet Tooth in this Household, The Man.  *Winks*

I dropped off all the Halloween Bags of Candy at the Antique Mall, everyone was on 'em like Flies on Rice.  *LOL*  It was gone before I even left.  *Smiles*  I took The Man to ARBY'S for a Roast Beef Sammie for Brunch, we ate in the Park, I had their Gyro, which is quite good actually, he ate all his Sammie.  We went to go to the River but Emergency Services had the Roads Closed off coz with all the Rain the Rivers were all Raging and Flooding Bank to Bank, for the first time ever in all the Years I've lived here, the Rivers were breaking the Levies and spilling over like Waterfalls!!!  This is really Bad.  I'd gone to The Desert Botanical Gardens early this Morning coz the Weather was Glorious for Today, but up to 4 more inches of Rain is expected, which is not Good.  They'd postponed Dia de los Muertos Celebrations until Nov. 6-9th.

It was still so pleasant to walk around the Gardens after the Rains subsided and then stopped coz everything smelled wonderful and it was only 66 Degrees all day long.  Anyway, we went to the White Tank Mountain Park instead to do Environmental Cleanup, lots of people there Hiking and such, the Waterfall there should be running with all this Rain.  I haven't Walked the Waterfall Trail in Years tho'.  The Man enjoyed our Outing so much and I took him to "Olive Garden" for Dinner and we had the Endless Soup, Salad and Breadsticks.  I started with the Zuppa Toscana and then had the Minestrone.  He started with the Pasta Fagioli and then had the Minestrone.  We took most of the Salad Home for the Kids and the extra Breadsticks the Waitress brought us.

So, we were out virtually all day until 6:00 p.m. and our Street has bumper to bumper Cars Parked coz the Cemetery Lots are full for Dia de los Muertos, so they come and Park on our Street, which is still walking distance to the Cemetery.  So long as they don't block our Driveways or try to Park ON our Property we don't mind.  Tomorrow will be the last Day to Honor their Dearly Departed and the Cemetery is filled with Beautiful Altars/Ofrendas.  I'm looking forward to the delayed Celebrations at the Gardens, perhaps the Weather will be better by that Weekend?  It was great Today but I don't know for how long before the next series of Bad Storms hit?  It is so Bad in Arizona right now we're making National and International News!  Even my Brother in Cali called me to see if we were Okay?  He saw on the News about the Four Tornados we've had here, the Flooding, 600 Water Rescues in a single Day on City Streets, and the Lightening Strikes hitting People!!! 

Cali, Nevada and Mexico are also having this Bad Weather, but Arizona seems hit particularly hard it seems.  While I was at the Gardens one of the Sweet Elderly Female Docent Volunteers took my Pix for me, she took more than one coz she wasn't used to my Phone Camera and wanted to make sure she got at least One good one, I think they all turned out pretty good.  In fact, all the Pixs I took Today turned out decent enuf to use as Blog Fodder for Posts.  I'll save a lot of the Desert Posts for later after I've Shared all of my Autumnal and Halloween Images I've taken.   The Daughter is Home now and has been working on tidying up and Decorating her Spaces in The 5th Wheel, it's looking way better already, I'm pleased.  She made an Altar in there for Mando, coz his Family gave her one of the small Urns with his Ashes that they gave to those closest to him.  That was Sweet of them to include her, but they said our Family made the last Year and a Half of his Life better than it had been and he cherished that. 

The Daughter was upset Today when she went to make an Ofrenda at his Memorial Site where he was struck and Killed coz someone {and they know who it is}, had vandalized and desecrated it, and put a Pitchfork behind his Cross and a nasty defamatory Letter on the Altar.  Which is Uncool and Sacrilege, you don't mess with someone's Sacred Sites, Graves, or Ofrendas/Altars to their Dearly Departed, even if you didn't like them in Life, you don't Vandalize Gravesites or Memorials, it's very Bad Karma.  Let the Dead RIP.  I know why this Family has done it, they Lost a Loved One they felt he was responsible for the Death of, but I'm still in disagreement with what they did to his Memorial regardless if they feel justified and angry it's there Honoring his Life.  Anyway, she took both the Pitchfork and the Letter and disposed of them, going on a Crazy Rant down the Street loudly, holding the Pitchfork in the Air. *LOL*  The Guy Friend she was with said it should make a bold Statement to that Community... coz the Family that did this lives in that Area so they will know that his Crazy Ex-GF is on a Mental Rampage if anyone messes with his Memorial again.  *Smiles and Winks*

And... most people around these parts know our Family and a great many do think we're Witches, so... they wouldn't wanna risk Hexes and Curses be upon them either.  *Winks and Laughs*  Anyway, I am Sad someone desecrated the Site and hope they won't continue to do so and upset his Family and Friends more than they already are that he was the Victim of a Homicide.  Of coarse anyone that Loses a Loved One to a Violent Crime has a wide range of Emotions that last Forever, so this other Family is clearly Wrestling with that too, they Lost a Child.  And tho' he Served 13 Years in Prison and then when new Modern Evidence overturned his Conviction and exonerated him, they felt some kind of way about that too.  I don't know the particulars of the Case coz it wasn't a Case I remember Working at the DA's Office and even if it was, I didn't know him back then even tho' it was a High Profile Case.  And if New Evidence overturned a Conviction, there had to be circumstances to Question the original Conviction by Jury.  And he did Serve 13 Years very Hard Time whether he was Innocent or Guilty.  If he was Innocent that's a long time to Serve Hard Time for something you didn't do.

Anyway, I had told The Son and The Daughter about the Situation with The Niece, so that neither of them Loan Money.  She has profusely apologized to me and knows she messed up, and is now having to do a lot of Gig Work to make up the Loss of an entire Paycheck in a Day.  I just Hope she acknowledges she has a problem?  Sometimes it takes a lot of introspection for someone to come to terms with something that has become problematic or an Addiction.  Gambling can be a really bad one and the ruination of some people.   Anyway, now Moving On to Politics... a reliable Source told me that they knew some Senators when they used to go to some High Class Parties.  And every one of them bragged constantly about it being one big Party and Drug Fest when they were actively in the Senate!  Cocaine being the main Drug of Choice, so, seems a lot of Senators are Coked Out Cokeheads, so is it any Wonder they're making Bad Decisions!?  I Wish she had Named Names but said she wouldn't risk being Sued if she did.  Valid point.

I know when I Worked in the Jewelry Business after High School in the 1970's, for a Big Jewelry Store in the Valley that a lot of the well known and Wealthiest in the Valley shopped at, they Sold a lot of 14 K Gold Coke Spoons, 14 K Gold Razor Blades for cutting Blow, 14 K Gold Toot long Cylinders for Snorting it, etcetera.  And a lot of Celebs and well known Residents would come in and Buy that Paraphernalia... so it was well known that at most Parties Cocaine abounded, even in that Era.  And of coarse in the Seventies this was a Mob Town, with the Gambino Crime Family running Phoenix and the Bonano Crime Family running Tucson.   Sammy The Bull Gravano was sent to Phoenix when he entered the Witness Protection Program after testifying against John Gotti, he still lives here.  

I found it very Odd tho' that their whole Family kept their Real Names and Identities and everyone knew where they relocated... so, it wasn't typical Witness Protection.  And he got involved in the Ecstasy {Molly} Ring here, so still did some Time.   The Daughter used to know his Daughter and one of the Cousins when she was Dating a Sicilian Guy in the Nineties that owned a bunch of Strip Clubs Locally.  That's a whole other Story of how she met THAT Guy!  *Bwahahahaha*  They tend to like the Crazy Gals, that's for sure.  He and his Cousin were Cruising Central Avenue one Evening in his Cousin's Mercedes and stopped to Proposition her and she took off her High Heels and smashed their Windshield coz she felt Offended that they acted like she was a Hooker!  Anyway, they thought that was 'Cute' and he asked for her Number!  And began taking her with him to very Upscale Clubs around the City. *Smiles*  I didn't know she was hanging with the Italians and Sicilians at the time and exactly who.  I wasn't Okay with it... but she was my Wild Child... and Bat Shit Crazy... still is.

 I remember my Uncle was visiting from North Wales when the Guy showed up one Night at our Historic Home looking for The Daughter.  My Uncle came to me and said, our Dawn, some Paisan is here wearing an Armani Suit, a President's Rolex with a Diamond Bezel, driving a Red Lexus with Gold Rims and a Baseball Cap turned backwards... he said his Name is Antony and it's probably not good he's here being you Work for the DA's Office and this Guy looks like a Made Man for sure.  *LOL*  Well, sho' nuff, he introduced himself to me as her 'Boyfriend' and I'm like, you can't be seen here... if you're under surveillance I'll have explaining to do at Work and I don't Need that kind of Drama and a Headache Son, capische?  *Ha ha ha*  In my wayward Youth I knew a lot of the Older affluent Italians in the Valley, some who Owned Casinos in Vegas, and they liked to have Pretty Young Things as Arm Candy.  I was never interested in being some Old Married Made Man's Goomah.  But I had Pretty Friends who were back then, and they bought them Houses, Cars, Jewelry...  But this Antony was only 19 and Owned many Strip Clubs... so... he was Younger than most Shot Callers and that made me nervous.  Young Men are more reckless and careless.

*******

May your Autumn Vibe be a pleasurable one my Friends... Dawn... The Bohemian

Halloween & Dia de los Muertos Rained Out For First Time Since 1987

 Okay, so, it's a long Post Title Hook Today but pretty much explains what happened.  For the first time since 1987, almost 40 Years, it Rained on Halloween and Dia de los Muertos too!!!   So, yeah, torrential Rains and epic Flooding requiring over 600 Water Rescues on regular City Streets that quickly became raging dangerous Rivers, plus a Tornado in North Scottsdale, was how it played out this Holiday Weekend!!!  Oddly, on the East Coast where some of my Granddaughters live, the Weather was glorious for Halloween, no Bad Weather in Pittsburgh and so the Great-Grandkids had a wonderfully balmy looking Halloween, while in the Desert we needed an Ark!  *LOL*

Even tho' it poured, Trick-Or-Treaters donned Umbrellas or just got soaked to the Skin and came out in force anyway looking like Drowned Rats, Bless them!!!  Mostly coz we Decorate extensively, most think I'm a Real Witch or practice Voodoo *Winks* and we hand out full Bags of Candy and Small Halloween Toys.  So, we had way more Kiddos that came than expected in inclement Weather and they didn't let Climate Change ruin their Halloween Haul!  We had a line of Cars in front of our House most of the Night!!!  *LOL*  In fact, some Parents told us that their Kiddos said if they only went to ONE House, it would be ours coz we always have the best Decorations and give out the most Candy, plus, what will the Witchy Voodoo Priestess be like on Halloween?! *LOL*  That Warmed and Touched my Heart!!!  We did make it worth their while to come out in the Elements and brave it to get the Bag of Candy we handed out to each one.  We even gave a Bag of Candy to our AMAZON Delivery Driver and he was as happy as any Child to receive it, having to be out in that Weather doing Deliveries.  *LOL* 

We took loads of Pixs coz even in the Rain, and perhaps becoz of it, the Lighting was ideal for Photography.  Even pushing me way back into our Entryway to hand out Candy worked really well for the Photo Ops.  Becoz it was Chilly and Fresh Air Breezy, we opened the Front Door and set up a line of Chairs for the Family to sit behind me.  So everyone could not only see our Exterior Decor, but some of the Interior Decor as well, which was a Big Hit for the Families that came.  And we could just all sit and visit with each other while waiting for Kids to walk up.  The Niece and The Son enjoyed that a lot.  Princess T went out with Rusty, The Daughter never did come Home.  The Man watched TV in the Living Room and we could keep an Eye on him from our vantage point.

So, despite the Bad Weather, I'd say it was a very nice Halloween.  Tho' it's still Raining like Hell so the Dia de los Muertos Celebrations are also compromised significantly and they are all Outside.  I had planned to attend a Dia de los Muertos Event at The Desert Botanical Gardens but won't in the Weather and heavy Rain.  It will run thru the 3rd so we'll see if it Rains all 3 Days of it?  I hope not, but it looks likely that it will and Streets are dangerously Flooding,   So it would be unwise to take the risks to do any unnecessary traveling in the City or Freeways.  They've had Water Rescues and Cars literally swept away or totally submerged on City Streets that the Water was raging as fast as any Dangerous Rivers!!!   And the Tornado that Touched down in Scottsdale, I don't think that's ever happened before, lots of damage caused.

At one Elementary School in El Mirage Four Adults were struck by Lightening that hit the School while Kiddos were being picked up!!!  El Mirage is a City not that far from here, just North of our City in the Metro Phoenix Area, and Lightening Strikes too were looking very dangerous and touching down everywhere.   Below is some of the Live Feed I was getting Halloween Day/Evening about the Weather, since we were monitoring it closely for Safety reasons.   And some areas relatively close by were not looking Safe, some had Hail the size of Quarters pelting down too and causing considerable harm and damage!  Luckily, we just got the torrential Rains and not much Wind in our Neighborhood.  *Whew*   I still have The RV Garage Mahal Roof Tarped and not replaced yet, Roofers are so backlogged and Claims delayed or won't pay out 'til all Work is done and inspected.  So I am always holding my Breath about more catastrophic Weather... I haven't even been Paid Out yet on the initial Claim and had Work done or even started yet on the last Property Damage it caused.  Below are Images of the Lightening Strikes and Scottsdale Tornado coming down behind Camelback Mountain!

Anyway, Cars were lined up in front of our House at one point dropping off Costumed Kiddies, regardless of the Weather and the Weather was BAD for the whole shebang, Sideways Rain, Street and River Flooding.  So I was pleased to see that Halloween wasn't a Bust due to the Crazy Weather.  Otherwise I would have ended up with way more excess Candy/Giveaway Halloween Toys than I did!  We're Diabetics, The Man and I so we couldn't have all this Candy not handed out!  *Whew*  I do have plenty left to hand out Post-Halloween that I'll bring in to our Antique Mall and hand out where Princess T Works too, to rid myself of it that is Bagged to hand out.  We wanted to ensure we had enuf to hand out, since every Year we've had more Kids than the previous Years before, as more people hear about how we Decorate and that we hand out the Good Stuff.  *Winks*   All Night long Friends and extended Family were sending me Pixs of their Halloween activities and Costumes, or Cool Decorations seen.  Some were Videos, which I don't know how to load to my Blog or transfer from one Social Media site to how my Blog loads Videos.  The Niece may School me on that, she's a Tech Guru.

Q showed up with his Family, a carload of Kids and their Cousins, so we took some Pixs together.   He has one Child with severe Allergies and Health Issues so has to be very Careful about what Treats the Kiddo is exposed to.  That Child didn't get out of the Vehicle in case anyone was handing out what he's deathly allergic to.   They didn't want a Trip to the ER on Halloween Night.  Q knew I wasn't handing anything out with Nuts in it, which is what the Boy is most allergic to apparently.  But, poor Child has a litany of Allergic severe reactions, costing his Family a Fortune in Medical Bills.  Princess T has a lot of Allergic reactions to Foods especially, but other things too, Gut Issues galore, which is why she's so Thin and Frail, only 90 lbs., so I know how Careful you have to be when someone can't tolerate a lot of exposure to certain things that trigger Medical reactions that can put them in the ER or Hospital.   A Medically compromised Child is always a big worry for any Parent or Guardian.

The very first Kiddos we got were our Next Door Neighbor Omar's Niece and Nephew with his Brother and Sister-In-Law.  {See Below} They told me their Kids said if they only went to One House if Halloween got Rained Out, it would be ours!   Coz ours is always the Best!  Awwwww... Bless 'em, they let me take their Pix, Adorbs!!!  Their Parents always dress up in Costume too.   Kids began coming at around 5:30 p.m. which was about 30 Minutes earlier than usual and at 8:00 p.m. I didn't have any more coming, which is an hour earlier than usual to finish handing out Candy when Weather is good.  I watched Holiday Halloween Baking Championships after 8:00 p.m. when I decided to go Inside and not sit Outside with the Front Door open anymore.  Which was perfect Timing coz I had no more Trick-Or-Treaters anyway by then, the last of them had come at around 7:50 p.m. and they were much Older than the earlier Kiddos, one even was the Driver.  *LOL*  But she looked Adorable and I hand out Candy Bags to everyone, regardless of Age.  Hell, if you dress up your Dog in Costume I'll give you a Bag for being all up in the Spirit of the Holidays!  *LOL*

So, The Niece took Pixs of me handing out Candy so I'd be in Front of the Lens too.   She said I looked Awesomely Eerie sitting there in the Glow of our Exterior Lighting and Autumnal Colors of our Doorway, like I might just tell your Fortune too or Cast some Spells!?   She's pretty convinced her Aunt Dawn is a Good Witch.  *Bwahahaha and Winks*   The Son and I had pushed his non-working Vehicle back some in the Driveway so as to open up the Porch Decorations to be seen easier and not obstructed.  A lot of people without Kids drove by too and slowed way down to look at the Decorations and Wave to us.  I Parked in the RV Driveway on the other Side.  The Niece spent some time here and some time at the Casino playing in a Poker Tournament, but, she didn't Win this time.  She said one Guy was Cheating and they should have banned him from the Tournament, instead, he ended up Winning, she made a Complaint and so did some other Players.  She said if Desert Diamond Casino keeps allowing what he did, they'll get a Bad Rep among the Poker Tournament Crowd and lose Business.  She's never seen it allowed anywhere else Nationally that she had ever played.  She tried explaining the Tactic, it's Lost on me tho'.  *LOL*

The Witch is 'In'  *Winks*

I did take a bunch of Pixs of our Set Up Outside both before and after the Sun went down, before and after the Storm hit.  It almost looked like it might not Rain up until around 3:30 p.m. and then it was nonstop from there on out including Today.  Below is a Vendor Friend Jeri from the Antique Mall in her Costume, she look fabulous for being in her 70's.  She and her Husband, Jackson, who I often work with, just got back from another Tropical Cruise for her Birthday to Bonaire, which is just before Halloween.   A couple of the Pixs she Shared are Below, it looks like a Tropical Paradise, will have to now add that destination to the Bucket List.  *LOL*  One day... one day... perhaps I shall start actually crossing some of the Bucket List destinations off...

 

In the meantime I shall just live vicariously thru the Adventures of Family or Friends who are Sharing the Experiences as they're Living their Best Life and Traveling the World in Style.  It was their first time to Bonaire, they've been on over 50 Cruises.  That's not hyperbole, they really have!!!  They go on several every Year.  I was Surprised there were still Cruise destinations they had never been actually!!!   I had never heard of Bonaire, it's part of the Dutch Caribbean and a Municipality of the Netherlands off the Coast of Valenzuela and their currency is the U.S. Dollar.  It looked like a fabulous Birthday Cruise and I'm glad Jeri Shared so many Photos of the Island, she's got a good quality Camera and is a very good Photographer.  I Wish I could take such good Selfies.  Alas, mine turn out dreadful.  *Le Sigh*   Loved the Family Costumes Below of some of the Members of The Addams Family, well done.

Our Downtown Phoenix "Brass Armadillo Antique Mall" did have some Employees in Costume and Shared a Pix of it.  {See Below}  They've had a high turnover of Staff and Vendors too so I don't know many of them anymore, I used to know so many of them for so many Years.  Those days are gone now for both Locations retaining people, be it Paid Staff or Vendors.  So there isn't the camaraderie we used to have and enjoyed so much.   As people either leave the Malls or Die Off, Newbies just don't connect in the same way as the Old Days of the Industry.  And most of them don't remain long enuf to either.  Before I get their Names imbedded into Memory, they're already gone, never to be seen again, coz they never even come back to visit or shop there.  It's a shame coz Once Upon A Time it was like a big extended Family of folks.  I miss that coz you could make a lot of good Friends with common interests that were Kindred Spirits and remained close and connected for a long time.

  

Anyway, with the Weather turning bad and Road conditions being sketchy, I've not been productive or left the House Today, didn't even get out of my Jammies and took a long midafternoon Nap too.  Only The Son is still Home with The Man and I, both of them seem glum, perhaps due to how gloomy it is Outside, I dunno?   I think The Niece went to the Casino again, she Gambles a lot, but it's not my place to tell her so, her Family has done enuf of that and becoz she has Won big, she contests that it's not a problem... perhaps it's not... I don't know the Math of what her Winnings versus Losings are, it's none of my business.   And it seems to be her only Hobby and form of Recreation/Entertainment so it doesn't necessarily have to be profitable to be a Hobby, so long as it's not moved in the direction of an Addiction to Gambling.  Most of her Friends are other serious Poker Players who play the Tournaments and all seem to know one another and have mutual Respect for each other and the Game.

With The Daughter not being here she's not managing what she earns well at all.  I get concerned that people can and sometimes do take advantage.  I usually help her manage whatever she earns to make it last and ensure nobody is taking advantage when she has some Money.  Anyway, she has her Account linked to mine so I can monitor her spending habits and it seems she forgets if she uses a Non-Chase ATM she will incur a Fee and I think that's how she got slightly overdrawn.  I transferred to cover it in time before she incurred any overdraft fees.  She's way out in a Rural Area so I'm sure there's no Chase ATM out there and she's using whatever is close by.  She should just use her Debit Card and not rely on taking Cash out of ATM's to avoid Fees.  Anyway, it's a process when someone has Mental Impairment to get them to be able to manage their affairs and why most require a Trustee.  I haven't been able to get hold of her on the new Phone Danae got for her, but I have left Text Messages for her to remind her to use more Care.

Above was Gypsy James, his Daughter, and a new Girlfriend and her Child.  He hasn't had much Luck with his Relationships, but he has Dated some nice Women who also have an Only Child, and his Child and their Child have gotten along well.   He has shared custody with his Ex and he's a really good Dad, he and his Daughter are so close and she's quite the little Tomboy doing everything her Dad does.  She's a good Kid and growing up so fast!   Below is The Niece and The Son as they were sitting behind me in the Doorway while we handed out Candy.  She'd gotten The Son the Gag Gift, a succession of a bunch of little Purple Plastic Gift Boxes, one inside the other, about 5 or 6 going smaller and smaller until in the last tiny one was a plastic Hand giving you The Finger.  *LOL*

 

I did Mail our bills in a Postal Drop Box nearby, it's still Raining hard off and on, the Sky looks ominous still so we'll probably get Storms all Night long and potential Flooding.  We're Sandbagged and so far it's holding, we also have Rain Barrels and they've filled up several times for the past Two Days and had to be emptied into the Pasture area.  I think all of the Celebrations for Dia de los Muertos will be compromised now, I don't think this Weather is lifting for Days by the looks of it.   Ironic that Family in Pittsburgh had perfect Weather and here in the Desert we practically needed an Ark this Halloween!!!  It's Raining so hard now our Pool is almost cresting with Water!!!   This is not good and I'm hopeful it stops before it crests the Sandbags too and risks getting into the House!!!   We've done all we can to inhibit Flooding, but when it Rains this much in a Desert, the Ground can't absorb it sufficiently either once it's past saturation point.  When you get too many Days of way more Rain all at once than you'd usually get Annually, everything Floods really bad.

So, anyway, miserable Outside, but I got all the Bills mailed, bought myself a Starbucks Frappuccino and went straight back Home!  I have Cute Jammies on that look like Street Clothing so I didn't bother to get Dressed.   And rather than watching all of the coverage of the depressing Politics on TV right now due to the Elections being upon us, I'm watching Old Episodes of "American Pickers" instead.  Back when Frank was still Alive and some of the Episodes I don't remember ever watching.  They were better Episodes, the Older ones, IMO.  I keep checking on the Flooding and have asked The Son to try to empty out some of the Rain Barrels into the Pasture again so they have room to catch more coming off the Roof.  It's Labor Intensive work emptying heavy Buckets of Water out of Rain Barrels for Days on end coz they're just filling up too fast and Top Off.

I emptied out 2/3 of both Rain Barrels before it was too much for my Back, The Son had emptied them out about an Hour beforehand.  The Rain is so constant it's hard to keep them emptied out sufficiently before they Top Off again, the Water over the Sandbags did crest a bit, but not enuf to cause Panic or damage.  *Whew*  The Tarps on The RV Garage Mahal are holding.  *Double Whew*  No use getting hold of our Contractor to do that Roof until things dry out again.  Princess T said she'll Front me whatever it costs to get the Job Done and then I can reimburse her after I get a Settlement when it's Inspected and the Money is released from the Insurance Company and then the Check is Endorsed by the Lender.  Then I can pay our Roofer whatever extra he's owed beyond Supply Costs.  It's been such an Ordeal that I Hope never have to file a Hazard Insurance Claim of any significance again.  Not with the outrageous Deductibles of $5,200 per Claim!  It almost negates having Insurance at all when you're out of Pocket that much per Claim unless you had a total Property Loss of Hundreds of Thousands.

I'm disappointed the final Events of the Season are Rained Out, I'd looked forward to attending and precisely why we renewed our Garden Membership to attend it all in Oct-Nov!   Dammit!  If they'd only had the Ofrendas set up Inside like they used to, I'd still go to experience it, but the last few Years they've only done an Outside Dia de los Muertos Display of Altars/Ofrendas.  Altho' they have done the Mercado still mostly Inside a Building.  But, I haven't bought anything since the Priest I used to Collect the Retablos Art of hasn't been there anymore.  I don't know what happened to him and I signed up for his Class to make them Two different Seasons and couldn't attend when The Man had Medical Emergencies right around that time and I had to Cancel going.  Seemed every Holiday Season he'd have some Health Crisis that was Major for so many Years in a row, that I quit making firm reservations or plans.  When you are a Full Time Unpaid Caregiver it's 24-7 and 365, so your Time is no longer your own.

One of the Kiddos Childhood Friends, Felicia, had a Baby late in Life and this is her Little Girl.  I remember when I first saw Pixs of the Baby, I thought it was her Grandchild and was embarrassed to learn it was her Baby!  Ooops.  She's the Youngest Daughter of our long time Friends Dino and Yolanda,   Felicia's other Children are Adults, and her Older Brothers all have Grandkids the Ages of this Youngest Daughter.  Which is why I thought this little one was her Son's Child and not hers!  She's a pretty little thing but always has such a Serious Countenance, so I suspect she's an Old Soul.  Last Year she was Wednesday Addams and that was a perfect Character and Costume for her usually dour Countenance!   *LOL*  But this Pix she Shared of that Year didn't Copy for some reason so I couldn't Crib it off FB's Feed to me when she Re-Shared it. 

My long time Francophile Blog Friend, Andie, of "Divine Theater" Blog Adopted Three Siblings and so she had them adorably Costumed resplendent in what her French Versailles Style Home {inside and out it's spectacularly transformed} would match.  What she's done with this Property in a few short Years is miraculous becoz it is a newer Subdivision Home and you'd never know by what she's transformed the interior and exterior to look like and resemble a Historic Chateau in France!!!  She's got such a Green Thumb too that everything has lushly grown in record time as well.  I always look forward to her FB Shares with me now that she doesn't Blog anymore.  We used to exchange Friendship Gifts back when Bloggers used to do that and send Surprise Gifts to one another back in the Old Days of Blogging in it's heyday.  The Community and Land Of Blog was much bigger back then and has shrunk considerably in recent Years.

I so wanted to visit the Historic 1895 Queen Anne Victorian Rosson House during Halloween coz they were doing several Holiday related Event Tours there.  But, alas, October sped by too quickly and I didn't get there in time to do it, dammit.  I remember in the early 1970's when I Worked on the 11th Floor of the Valley National Bank Building as a Corporate Executive and my Office looked out over Rosson House before the City bought and renovated/restored it to it's original splendor.  It was a Flophouse at the time and I always hoped it would get bought by a Preservationist and be brought back to it's original Glory.  It took over a Million Dollars to do, but the City accomplished it, along with some other Historic Structures occupying Heritage Square, and they didn't get razed like so many others sadly were Lost in those days.  I couldn't have been Happier.  I always wanted to buy a Phoenix Victorian but they were always in now the worst parts of the City, even tho' when built in the 1800's they were in the Aristocratic Neighborhoods of Phoenix's most Wealthy.  Heritage Tourism wasn't cultivated here much so we Lost most of them to development.   Nor was Gentrification until recently.

"MacAlpine's" has been continuously operated as a Soda Fountain & Restaurant, plus Storefront Areas Selling mostly Collectibles now, since 1929.  I Love going there too and the Waitresses often wear Era specific Costumes at Halloween.   They still make their Milkshakes using the original 1920's Commercial Soda Fountain Equipment, which are in a lovely Seafoam Green Color of that Era that they made Appliances that lasted forever without breaking down or wearing out.  The Original Booths are still there too, I Love eating there, so Nostalgic and takes you way back to a different place in Time, even before my Parent's Era.  My Mom would come with me sometimes and say it reminded her of when she was a very Young Child in the early 1930's, when places existed like that.  Her Mom, my Nanna, got Married in a Fringed Flapper Wedding Dress and Cloche Hat!!!  

 Nanna used to wear a lot of Cloth Turbans, Bandeaus and elaborate Headbands too of that Era and inspired me to in the 1970's.  My Nanna was an Entertainer, an Actress on Stage, a Dancer and Singer, back when she was a Young Woman, it's where my Gran-Gran met her.  So Nanna was VERY Theatrical and Gorgeous.  She had very Corkscrew Curly Blue Black Hair and the most Amazing Green Eyes.  My Grandson, The Young Prince, has my Nanna's Color Eyes.  He used to get so embarrassed when he was a Child and everyone would stop, stare, and tell him what Beautiful Eyes he had.  I still have loads more Images for Future Posts... so will end this Post now with some Halloween Visuals that just made me Smile...

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I do hope your Halloween was memorable in all the best of ways my Friends... Dawn... The Bohemian