Grim Reaper & Dark Influences

 

No, nobody Died, the Post Title Hook of this Post has more to do with the Dia de los Muertos inspired Tequila Bottle we picked out at "Total Wine".   An expensive one, don't Care, I was in THAT frame of Mind this day, Budget be Damned.  And this was Two sided, so double bang for your Collectible Buck, like Two Bottles in One.  *LOL*  They didn't carry the small Vineyard Makers of the Etched Wine Bottles and since I was Buying The Daughter some Liquor for her Birthday, which we're Celebrating a day early due to her Dad's Appointments that fall ON her Birthday, we were there picking out what she likes to drink.  She was like a Kid in a Candy Store, Gleeful!  *Winks*

 

I'm fairly certain the Young Man waiting on us thought me to be a real Weirdo, coz he's trying to Sell me on the best Contents and I'm like, don't Care, I don't even Drink, only Interest is in the Bottle to use on my Altar to Honor my Dead Relatives.  *LOL*  I'll make my Kids and their Friends drink whatever is IN the Bottle.  Yeah, his Face... Priceless.  The Daughter is Winking at him and saying, "And we don't Care coz the best Collector Liquor Bottles are the really GOOD stuff..."  *Ha ha ha*  They only had Two of these and from what I see Online, the Empties as Collectibles alone for the Bottles, Sell for double to quadruple or more than it is even holding the Contents, so, Win-Win for them, unless they Keep it to put on the Altar in Honor of me in the Future?  *Bwahahaa* 

She also got some Coffee Kahlua and Vodka to make Black Russian, so, she's happier than a Clam at High Tide... and, I took she, Mando & The Man out for a Birthday Breakfast too.  They all had Biscuits & Gravy, I had an Open Face Hot Roast Beef Sammie with Mashed Taters and Cold Brew Caramel Macchiato.   I just ate the Roast Beef & Taters and gave the Kids the big Homemade Bread with Gravy to takeout and eat later, too many Carbs for me and I was full eating just a little.

So Today's Food Porn Images are of my Breakfast, their portions at TJ's are ridiculously large and always feed 2-3 extra people at our house.  *LOL*   Mando is the only one who could clean his Plate, for a small lean Dude he can pack away some food.  He's amazed our Family Survives on how light a portion we feel full on, usually a 1/4 of what he said most folks eat.   But, it's how we've always been, I never finish a Restaurant portion of anything in one sitting and The Man eats Light too.   And, I don't Need to, my Mantra has always been to Eat 'til Full, then Stop.   I'm not a Food Pusher either, if you can't eat it all, don't.  The only thing that bothers me is gluttony and especially when I see Obese Children.   To me, that's Bad Parenting and setting them up for potential Health issues, Bad Habits, and probably low self-esteem about Body Image with being morbidly Obese from an early Age.  Likewise, I'd feel the same if you were Starving your Child and not giving them enuf to eat.

If you give Children Healthy Choices of Foods they Learn to enjoy Healthier fare and actually prefer it, even once give Choices of something Unhealthier.  If you feed them Crap, they become addicted to eating Unhealthy options.   A lot of American Households don't have a balanced Diet and it shows.   Anyway, my Sammie wasn't a Healthful Choice but I never make such a thing at Home and at this Restaurant their Roast Beef and Gravy is Sublime.  So, if I'm there, I'm likely ordering it.  *LOL*  The Waitress knows us and Laughs coz she knows I'm taking 3/4 of it To Go and won't even be Eating it myself.  So, when she brings it to me she asks what 1/4 of it I'm partaking of this time?  *LOL*  Oh, I'm not Sharing this time, I Joke back, coz, she knows that's Sarcasm and a Lie.  *Winks*  Mando took the Leftovers for himself.  *Ha haha*

There were other Premium Selection Liquor in Collector Bottles available, but about the price I paid for mine and I liked my Bottle better if I was gonna go Balls to the Wall for a Fancy Bottle.  *Ha ha ha*  But, I did Photograph some of the more Interesting Bottles, tho' the Mandala Brand's Art Bottles for 2025 were not as good as previous Years, rather banal IMO.   They were mostly behind Glass so I knew those wouldn't be in Range.  *Smiles*   They have some of the Premium High End shit behind Glass in Lit Cases like you'd see Art at a Museum that can't be handled.  *Winks*  I know when The Son worked there he said the Local Famous Rappers would come in to Buy the Primo shit just to fill Bathtubs with for Shooting their Music Videos!!!   Crazy shit like that!!!

  He had One Rapper who spent Thousands on the Ciroc Ten Special Edition Premium, that was a Grand per Bottle at that time, to fill a Bathtub with for a Music Video being shot!!!  He wondered if they were doing a French Montana?  *LOL*  He said they all came in like The Wu Tang Clan, there were Nine of them.  When the Video dropped it showed him pouring it in the fucking Tub, I think over a Beautiful Woman in the Tub or something!   The Son was like, Yeah, I Sold that Liquor to the Fool... clearly he's making too much Money to be able to Waste it like that!!!  Ain't no Woman so Hawt that I'd be pouring her a Tub full of anything costing Thousands to Bathe in!!!  *LMAO*   Now, personally, I don't know how that would Feel on the sensitive Lady Bits, so not sure I'd want the Bragging Rights to that either as the Female in the Tub full of Vodka no matter how much they Paid me to be in their Video?!   And to say I was the Crazy Bitch sitting in a Bathtub full of Ciroc!!!   The Daughter said she'd only be that Crazy Bitch if they let her Drink it afterwards!?  *Bwahahahaha*

This interesting Bottle was Shaped like a Human Heart, wouldn't mind Owning that one.  I have a lot of Skull Shaped Clear Glass Vodka Bottles I found at Chazzas, the Vodka that comes in them is expensive if you Buy a Full Bottle of it at a Liquor Store.   Anyway, The Daughter and I had Fun Times cruising the Aisles of "Total Wine" looking for interesting Liquor Bottles to Photograph for my Blog Fodder.   The Young Prince should be Flying out next Friday for a Visit, then he'll go back, now that he and Allen are both on Meds that seem to be Working for them, perhaps they've put a Divorce on Hold?   I do Hope they can Work things out satisfactorily and don't be too hasty to end a Relationship.  I always tell Young People that Marriage isn't Perfect even under Ideal Conditions and must be a Work in Progress since both People involved are a Work in Progress.   The Lord ain't even Done Working on me yet at this Season of Life!  *Winks*

But I understood the reasons behind their Estrangement and I didn't blame my Grandson at all, one must have Trust and feel Safe in any Relationship or it doesn't have a Healthy Foundation to Build upon.  Anything being Built is only as good as it's Foundation.  Shitty Foundations and shit falls down, falls apart, and won't stand the Tests of Time or be able to weather the Storms.   And both People have to be All In... and anyone that can leave, let them, they were never a part of your Destiny, just making a Guest or Cameo Appearance in the overall Story that is your Life.   People come, People go... some abide, some don't.  And now for The Dueling Granddaughters Sharing Pixs of some of our Great-Grandkids *LOL*, I swear now they try outdoing each other in Good Humored Sibling Rivalry of Showing Off their Kids and I'm Loving it!!!  *Smiles*

And the Winner is... Seriously, no Winners, no Losers, just Overdosing on Cuteness and Pride I am, they can't send me enuf Pixs of themselves or their Children.   I'm pleased they're both Pathological Picture Takers since becoming Moms and that their Kiddos are so comfortable in front of the Lens.   Tho' the Oldest of the Five is getting more Coy now she's Older and not the Center of the Universe and has to Share Center Stage with Two Siblings and Two Cousins.   She's conspicuous by her absence in this Drop of Great-Grandkid Imagery, so she must be having a Diva Moment?   It happens.  *Winks*   The One of a Great-Grandson pretending to be a Tattoo Artist on his Mom is rather Priceless as a Kodak Moment Capture, didn't realize he was a Leftie.  Both of The Man's Brothers are Left Handed.   I may have originally been, but back when I was in School they discouraged being a Leftie {??? Shrug}, so I Learned to use both Hands equally and still do.  Coz I've always been a fucking Rebel, Militant, and very Non-Conforming.  *Winks*

I think it had a lot to do with screwy Religious Beliefs imposed on everyone in those days involuntarily, even if you didn't Believe that Form and a Fashion of their Religion and Superstitions?   I dunno, mebbe they thought The Devil was a Leftie or somethin'?   Associating the Left Side with Evil? *Bwahahaha*  Or due to it being different and a sign of Weakness?  The Word Sinister comes from the Latin Word for Left and in Medieval Europe Lefties were often accused of Witchcraft.   And I've been accused of that for a Host of Reasons.  *Winks and Smiles*   And most things are Designed for the Right-Handed of Society anyway, being designated for the Majority.  Any Minorities of any kind have often faced punitive actions, discrimination and biases. 

 I do recall being Punished if you didn't switch Hands, so, you just did without Questioning Why the Stupidity and Superstitions of others Dictated it.  *Shrug, not much has really changed*  It would and still does drive some People up the Wall if you use either Hand and can refuse to have a Dominant one.  *LOL*   They get Twisted about it and demand to know, are you Right Handed, or are you Left Handed?  Like you have to be one or the other and so I'll be Eating Left Handed all the time while Writing with my Right Hand WHILE Eating, and just act like I don't really know, which am I, and Why does it even matter or Why do you even Care?  *Winks*  But, you MUST choose, No, No, I don't.   I can be Both... SEE... *Bwahahahaha*  And I can be a Weirdo in more ways than you can possibly Imagine and never Conform, I just don't Care how you Feel about it, never have.  So, just Deal with it and Move On, you are too Uptight, Calm Down.  *Smiles*

This was my Mom's Immigration Pix for her original Green Card, which, they changed to a Pink Card many Moons later.  She always had to carry it with her to prove she was here Legally, even after over 60 Years in the U.S. Legally.   She always said it was a Privilege, not a Right, for any Country to Host you if you were not a Citizen by Birthright.   People often asked her Why she never applied for Citizenship and to become Naturalized?   She'd say, becoz I will always be Welsh, regardless of what I Convert to, and every American will consider me a Foreigner regardless as well and Feel however they do about where I'm originally from.   So, I have no Desire to give up what I just AM and will always BE.  She was very Proud of her Heritage and would make no apologies for it.  

 My Dad was always Proud to be Indigenous and felt that People whose Ancestors were Immigrants to America, however far back, should not resent current Immigrants, it's hypocritical.  He'd say to any Non Indigenous Person, if you are against Immigration to the United States, for any reason you use as your Excuse, Splendid, when you leaving?  If they countered with they are only against Illegal Immigration, he said all the Non-Indigenous weren't here Legally or Invited to come or to stay, so, what's the difference?  To him there was no such thing as an "Illegal Human Being", becoz frankly, every Continent now has people coming and going. 

 Some Invited or Welcome, some Uninvited or Unwelcome, so, it hardly mattered to him, why they come, why they stayed, or why they left where they came from.  Treat each with basic Dignity and Humanity and as fellow Human Beings, period.  Why some folks seem so Insecure they can't manage that is a Mystery to me?   If the only way you can Elevate yourself or Feel Good about yourself is by putting another Human Being Down, and trying to Act Superior, by pretending they are somehow Inferior, you're just a Sad and Pathetic Specimen of Humanity.  One with some obvious Internal Unresolved Issues and Conflicts being projected outwards in Unlovely Patterns of Behavior that aren't Becoming of you.  You Appear, to folks like me, that you have a very Tortured Soul that is vulnerable to Dark Influences.

*******

Happy Halloween from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

The Mexican MacGyver & Dia de los Muertos Art Bottles

 

The Storms are still raging Outside and I spent the entire Night and wee Hours of the Morning turning the Pump on and off to drain the Water Barrel into the Back Pasture as it kept filling up to the top!!!   Thank God that Mando rigged something up just in time, we've started calling him the Mexican MacGyver.  *LOL*  Cute Post Title Hook Name for a Post too, so, why not, let's see what it Catches?  *Winks and Smiles*  My Readership is back down to Normal, so no more Web Crawling going on for now with elevated Stats that were stratospherically high.  Who knows what nefarious purposes they were Crawling the Web gleaning information and Data?  Of coarse they have all the Data they'll ever Need on all of us, Thanks to DOGE access granted to Teen Nerds and the Ketamine King.  Plus all Government Agencies gathering of it for a long time and now being loose and careless as fuck with it all!

As you can see, being anchored Inside due to inclement Weather raging Outside, and The Man still Recovering from his Heart Surgery, I fell deeply down the Rabbit Hole of Online Collectible Dia de los Muertos Liquor Bottles.  *LOL*  I don't drink, I'd never pay what these Sellers are asking for their empty Limited Edition Liquor Bottles either, mostly Tequila Brand Alcohol tapped into the Collector Bottle Market it seems.  But, if I happened upon any of these by pure Serendipity at the Right Price, well, they'd be Home Altar Displays for sure to Honor the Dead Family and Ancestors every November during Day Of The Dead.  Being Hand Painted, each is OOAK with slight variations in the Artist's Painting of each Bottle produced and probably a Limited Production as well each Year being different Designs.

I got a little Obsessed with the Mandala Brand Bottles, they're Magnificently done and great Graphics.  Very expensive Tequila when New and full, so I don't know if that's coz it's a Primo Tequila, or just due to the Artistry Bottles?  Mebbe both?   Empty and being Sold as Bottle Art, waaaaaay more expensive tho', so you might as well Buy them when they're still full of Tequila IMO.  *Winks*   I mean, unless, like me, you don't Drink and you really are only a Bottle Collector and that's all you ever wanted of this genre of Art?  *Smiles*  Still, I'd opt to pay less, have someone else drink the Tequila, and keep the Bottle for myself.  You'd have no problem getting rid of the contents, pretty sure.  *Ha ha ha* 

This Matching Pair was particularly nice, seems only one Seller had both and the Female is more difficult to Source than the Male.  Lots of Sellers had the Male version for Resale, none had only the Female for Resale.  And the Seller that was Selling both had a better price for a Two-Fer than those just Selling the more common one to Buy.  Still, very spendy, seems empty Bottles were commanding Double or more of what a full one with contents of the Liquor would Cost brand New.   Made me Smile that therefore the Liquor was rather worthless compared to the Bottle?  *LMAO*   But the Mandala Brand was not the only one Marketing Cool Bottles for the Holiday/Holy Day of Dia de los Muertos.   Tho' Tequila Makers and some Wine Makers were cornering the Market on Art Bottles it seems.

  

This Ltd. Edition of Dos Artes Tequila I really liked the 3-Dimensional Bottle of.  And, as it turns out I have numerous small Liquor Skull Bottles painted as Dia de los Muertos Calavera that I've picked up at Chazzas over the Years.  I always Buy them when I find them, didn't realize the Value was as high as Sellers get Online for them, coz I Paid hardly nothing for mine at Chazzas.   Plus, I got whatever, whereas Online you can choose the Designs you most want and can Source, and with Art, that is muy importante.  *Winks*   I could get very carried away with Art Bottles so it's a good thing most aren't within Budget and that I don't Drink so am not spending Money on Liquor either hardly ever, since I won't be drinking it and neither will The Man.

But, I sure do like all of these Bottles, I ain't gonna Lie, what a Collection they would make if you managed to Source them all and Display them.   The One Below was perhaps a Favorite by a slight Margin of the Mandala Brand Art Bottles.  I like them all, but that one particularly so if I had to pick just ONE.  *Smiles*   I don't even remember how many of the Small Calavera Painted Liquor Bottles I've amassed over the Years coz they're not all in one place being Displayed as a Grouping/Collection yet.  The Daughter will get around to that eventually, I'm sure.  It's Cooling Off enuf lately we can actually go into The RV Garage Mahal without spontaneously combusting.  And I can't wait to be able to putz around in there and work on it myself some more.  It still requires a lot of Work coz she's unpacked everything and even my Aisles in there now are cluttered up with stuff on the Floor rather than Placement and Decorated with it.  She's done some Decorating but doesn't wanna mess with any Vignettes I've done and finished.

Eventually of coarse I'll want it all Styled and Placement for what is being Kept and even what might get Sold Off in the Great Edit & Purge which will remain ongoing eternally it seems.  *LOL*   Letting Go is becoming easier and if I keep the Practice up, I do Hope within my Lifetime to get to Just Enough rather than Too Much.  I know, I know, a lofty End of Life Goal, it will give me something to do tho' 'til Death departs me from this Realm.  Then the Heirs will have to dispose of whatever they decide to divest themselves of and make Money on.  They have realized there is Investments there that can be turned into ready Cash when needed, so, Inheriting any of it that's still here is no longer bothering most of the Heirs who see it as a Passive Income Flow they paid nothing for and can make Work for them to earn some Income.  Having Money Work for you rather than you Working for Money is always preferable.  And an Inheritance is the Easy Money of Life.

 

I didn't have an Inheritance but I did wanna lay one up for our Kids and Grandkids and I Adopted so they're equal Heirs as their Mom is now.  *LOL*   The Son is the least likely to want to bother with disposition of a damned thing, he find it more of a hassle than just Working for his Money.   He's the True Minimalist of the Family and would rather Own as little as possible that he'd have to take care of and decide what to do with?  *LOL*   In so many ways he's so much like my Dad that way.  My Dad could have lived Blissfully with mebbe Owning Bare Minimum of Stuff, and I mean the BARE Minimum!!!   He was perhaps the least Materialistic Person I ever have known my whole Life, almost anything and everything he ever had Bought he got for my Mom.  He'd Buy her anything or make it for her, coz he was Madly Creative and Inventive.  Mom liked very nice things and had a Good Eye for them.

   

She always taught me to Buy Quality Items and the very Best that you can Afford.  Then keep Trading Up as you can afford to, 'til you get to the Primo Pinnacle of whatever it is.   Never Buy a Fake or Reproduction, Invest in The Real Deal, it will hold or increase in Value more times than not.  She wasn't Wrong.   She also always invested in Precious Metals and Precious Gems of all kinds.  She had a fondness for Diamonds, Rubies and Emeralds of coarse.   And, she preferred any Gem set in Platinum coz it wore better than Gold and Showcases the Stone better.  When my Dad would get Stationed in various Countries, she knew what they were known for in the Precious Metals and Gemstone Business and tell him what to pick up for her and bring back.

   She said if any Government went to Shit you could sew Gemstones in the Hems of your Garments and they'd be Currency in any Country on Earth and be small enuf to Conceal and Travel Light with a hidden Fortune.  *LOL*  I guess Gypsies did a lot of that kind of thing being unwelcome Global Nomads.  Some of the Roma I know here in Phoenix still Trade in Precious Metals and Gemstones and making a good Living doing that.  My Roma Friend Alex finds it Amusing that so many still Believe all Gypsies have to Steal, or even Steal at all.  Becoz he said he's always had more Money than any Gadje he knows or has ever met, and he doesn't HAVE to Steal, nor has his Family ever Stolen.  They're Honest and make all their own Money legitimately.  And he doesn't need to, Trust and Believe.  It is a Negative Stereotype perpetuated, in every Culture there are some Dishonest and Honest, Good and Bad folk.  No Ethnicity can be painted with a broad Brush Stroke and aren't a Monolith.

So, Moving On from Art Bottles now.  I climbed out of the Rabbit Hole I'd fallen down, coz I could have gotten Lost down there in the Dumpster Fire that can be the Interweb and suck you down too deep!  *Bwahahahaha*   Googling Art Bottles was far enuf to go to climb back out easily without wasting all Morning.  I never made it to The Gym coz I'm too achy from all this Rain and Working Out in Pain isn't anything I'm Down for actually.  Plus, risking injury isn't preferable either and I'm so sore just with the Weather, that the swollen Joints wouldn't tolerate too much punishment.   I could have gone just for the Sauna and the Hydromassage, followed by a Hot Shower.   And, later on if the Weather breaks to where I don't have to drive in dangerous conditions, I still could, since Sundays have no Ageism Time Restrictions imposed.

I'd like to know how the Pay Period Ended last Night but am rather hesitant to call and find out coz pretty sure I ended up Owing the Mall this time?   Unless I pulled it out of my Ass the last Day of the Two Week Cycle, it wasn't looking good by Friday Afternoon anyway.  UPDATE:  Called my Stud Muffin Friend Anthony at Work to find out how I ended the Pay Period and got great News.  Yayas, pulled it out of my Ass on the very last Day of the Pay Period with Strong Saturday Sales and will get a relatively decent Check instead of Owing!  *Whew*  So Thankful and relieved to hear that Good News, it had been an abysmal 13 Days of Sales otherwise, only 1 Strong Day that turned things around!  But Thank God for Saturday turning things around!!!  I don't like those Nail Biter Pay Periods or when Sales Flatline even if the Pay Period begins Strong and then Dies at the End.

 So, Color me Happy, I do Hope this next Pay Period, which begins Today {Sunday the 12th in Real Time, this will remain Unpublished for about a Week}, will be much Stronger due to the upcoming Holiday???  I did Stock some Halloween Merch out of my Personal Collection, so I'd have a decent enuf Halloween, Dia de los Muertos & Autumnal Vignette in the Showroom.   People are spending for Halloween at least and I am Selling Halloween and Macabre Graphics T-Shirts fairly well right now.  But you gotta Sell way more T-Shirts, or Collectible Toys, or Paper Arts Supplies, to make a Profit, than you do if Antiques and Quality Vintage Items were actually Selling instead.  And what really should be Selling at an Antique Mall instead of Pokemon Cards and Costume Jewelry or Cheap Knives made in China!  Yes, those Vendors are Killin' it.  And I don't begrudge them their Good Luck, but, it's frustrating we're not drawing a correct Demographic to an Antiques Mall.

We might as well be at Comicon, be a Bodega, Selling at a Flea Market, or be a Toy Store or Clothing Store, even a Chazza, really, and just not pretend to be an Antiques Mall anymore.  Coz the Crap Hawkers are making the most Money and those Selling Primo Merch are struggling and going under at a brisk rate.  The turnover of those Selling Quality items is constant.  Which means more Crap Hawkers are there now than Antique Dealers or Industry People at all anymore.   And I don't have anything in common with the Crap Vendors, they're Selling Merch I wouldn't even Buy at a Yard Sale or a Chazza, let alone at an Antique Mall and marked up.   If I want Repops and Mass Produced items that are Crap Made in China, I can go to any number of Big Box Stores to get it Cheaper.  Well, not now that the ridiculous 100% Tariffs of China is in place again, but you know what I mean.  *LOL*

And so you know what we're Dealing with at Home Post-Op, this is his Poor Arm where going in at that location not only Failed and caused him to need to be Shocked back Twice, but, started Bleeding Out after Surgery!!!   So, tho' his Groin area looks good, this doesn't look good at all, they had to put 40 Minutes of heavy Pressure on it to stop it Bleeding when he first got out of Surgery, I was Freaking Out so they had to ask me to go to the Cafeteria and Unwind a bit or I might have flipped out!  Especially when the Big Male Nurse putting the Pressure on is asking Mando and I to Observe so we could do this when we take him Home if he began to Hemorrhage again, then Call 911 and bring him right back!!!  WTF?!  You gotta be Kidding me?!  Needless to say I've been Eyeballing this fucking Arm with grave Concerns and was glad the VA Home Nurse dressed it for us with fresh Bandages and looked to see if it was getting Infected or whatever else could go Wrong with it?   He says it doesn't hurt but it looks grotesque & Scary!!!

The Rain finally stopped by Noon but the Sky still looks ominous and that more is certainly coming our way.  I don't know how much more saturated Ground can absorb tho'?  I don't really feel like doing anything now, zero motivation to and don't wanna get out and have bad Weather roll in and make driving hazardous if I don't really Need to be anywhere.  I got all Groceries bought Yesterday in between Storm surges.  All Bills with the exception as One waiting on our Social Security Checks to cover it, have been Mailed/Paid.  I stocked the Showroom and Locked Case with some fresh Inventory too.  So, anything else can be done from Home and I needn't venture out really.   I can Price some more items, but right now I don't have room for them to be brought in since Sales haven't turned enuf Product to make vacant Space available for much.  I moved a bunch of Product around Yesterday to make everything Showcase differently, but I can't 'make' extra room for more. 

With the Government Shutdown being active and nobody getting Paid Federally, I really don't know if Social Security Checks will go out this Month... or not?   I haven't made my Truck Payment yet coz it's not due until after we get our Social Security Income which covers that Payment.  So, I'll have to hustle to come up with it another way so I can still send it out on time and not incur Fees or a hit to our Credit... it's frustrating and over 700,000 Federal Workers aren't getting Paid at all that are still Working, same with our Military who are Active Duty, it's just a Cluster Fuck.   They're Laying Off Thousands too now, gutting the CDC even more, the Treasury, the DOJ, crucial Research, Investigative, Audit, Scientific and National Security Positions.

The Daughter was Teasing her Dad coz he was telling her that when she and Mando bring him to his VA Doc Appointment, to remind him to bring his new All Terrain Walker Dr. Kline got for him.  Now, he never uses it really, so The Daughter says, well, whaddya gonna do Dad, run around in the Parking Lot with it first to get the Wheels dirty so it'll be Believable that you're actually using this?  *Bwahahahahaha*  So, he literally pauses and contemplate this a moment, and in true TBI Logic, says, well, could you Guys do that FOR me so the Wheels will look used then?  *LMAOROTF*  When the VA Nurse came he made a big Production of walking around the house with his Cane, he has an Umbrella Stand full of them and almost never uses any of them, I told her this, but we keep on at him to not be so Prideful and use his Medical Equipment more.  She understands, her Husband is similar and about our Age too.  *Winks*  The Man does use his Shower Seat consistently, that's about it.

The Man was chomping at the Bit to get out of the House so first I took him for Ice-Cream at "Baskin-Robbins" and we both tried one of their new flavors which is a Grapefruit take on a Margarita Drink called "Paloma Paradise" and it's fantastic!!!   I think the Grapefruit even works better than the usual Lime of a Margarita.  Another Customer had suggested it when I asked him what a Paloma even was, I didn't know coz I'm not a Drinker, but I have had Margaritas before and was intrigued when he told me it's a Grapefruit version of a Margarita and they make excellent ones at "Barrio Queen" Restaurant's Bar if I ever wanna try the actual Cocktail.  *Smiles*  The Man and I both LOVED the Ice-Cream, might be a favorite New flavor in fact now!!!  It has a mild Chili Pepper-Lime mixed in with the Paloma inspired Ice-Cream and is a pretty colored Dessert too.

Then I went thru "KFC" Drive-Thru, got us both a Chicken Pot Pie for Dinner and he wanted to go to the River to see how the recent Monsoon Storms had altered the Rivers at Tres Rios Preserve?   Well, suffice to say this was the highest and fastest I've seen the Rivers flowing since the big Floods a couple Seasons ago that were caused by Water released from the Dams!!!   OMG, and this was caused by Storm Water, not Dam released Waters!   We ate our Chicken Pot Pies at the Nature Preserve and it was a balmy 73 Degrees and still overcast Skies, so perfect pleasant Weather to be Outside in.  I collected some more River Stones and he did some Environmental Cleanup and there were a lot of Aluminum Cans.  

He did very well getting back to his usual activities, I could tell the Surgery had really improved his circulation and stamina considerably.  I made him take it easy, but it was a very good day out and got him up and moving, which is very important.  The worst thing you can do after a major Surgery is be too sedentary.  It could cause more complications than he's already had during and directly after the Surgery.   I feel so fortunate that he came thru such a harrowing close call again, he's tough as Old Boots, my Guy!!!   He was in great Spirits getting back to what we like doing together as a Couple and feeling so much better in the doing of it.  He stayed Happy even after Sundown and is Sleeping good with having been out in the Fresh Air for a few Hours.  He didn't finish his Pot Pie, but, that's Okay, he still doesn't have his Appetite back but he ate more than half of it.  I told him to just Eat 'Til Full, then Stop.

With the Good News I'd gotten from the Antique Mall about my Closing Sales being way better than expected, it was an all around good Day and Tonight no Storms.  *Whew*  Also, it was another Episode of "Halloween Wars" and some of the "Halloween Cookie Challenges" Shows that I really look forward to watching.  So, I Binge Watched those for the rest of the Evening and they were good Episodes.   I had to try to Photograph my favorite Cookie of the Cookie Challenge, the Baker ended up being the Winner and he was very deserving of it.  He was an Amputee with One Leg and his Artistry IMO was Superb, to get that much detail on a Cookie just blew me away {see Below}.   The Cookie was a soft one and cracked but he salvaged it and hid the crack well with the Design I thought.

The Challenge was a Silhouette Challenge, just look at those long lines of and flying Witches... and that Spooky Castle with Steps leading up a Mountain to it, how detailed on such a tiny Scale!!!   And then the tiny Royal Icing Skulls, Jack O'Lanterns, Foreground Tree and Tombstones 3-D Effect was Brilliant too!   I thought his Color play was Excellent as well, he kept a lighter Night Sky with Bright Moonlight, but it's the right Pop and use of Color so everything isn't too dark and makes his Silhouettes stand out Beautifully!   Masterful, I liked seeing that Guy work and was so Happy he Won.   My Fav Team of Halloween Wars Won their Episode too, and I did agree with who got sent Home.  The Non-Winning Teams that would go forward to the Semi-Finale did a good Job tho' too.  Judging can be so hard when there's that much Talent competing.

I like that this time of Year I have plenty of Blog Fodder to use, moreso than any other time of the Year, which can be a lot more boring at times.  This coming Week will be his VA Nurse Visit on Tuesday, which is also The Daughter's 44th Birthday on Tuesday, the 14th!  Then on Thursday is the Event at "Sweet Salvage" with a Theme of "Bountiful Market" which has kind of an Autumn/Thanksgiving Vibe to it.  I would have liked to have seen some Halloween held over to this one, it was so Generically and Pedestrian an Autumnal Vibe that I wasn't intrigued by the Sneak Peek Pixs.  But, they held back during the Halloween Event last Month to show how well it was gonna go Full On Halloween, and I was pleasantly Surprised.  So, perhaps I will be for this Show too?  I won't Critique it too harshly based on Sneak Peek Pixs that didn't do anything for me personally. 

Then on Friday is my Doc Appointment to get my Ear looked at.  It's not as Painful now, so a part of me is Hopeful it's not Sun Damage or anything to be Concerned about and has Healed and might have just been an injury or small abscess that finally drained on it's own?  But, I am glad I'm still getting it evaluated and perhaps they will take a biopsy of it to examine further to ensure it's nothing malignant?   You don't think to put Sunscreens on some places like your Ears, top of your Head where Hair might be thinning or parted, back of your Hands, etcetera.  And I have lived in Arizona since 1974 so that is a lot of intense Sun Exposure for an extended period of time even tho' I'm not light complexion and darken considerably more every Summer.  I don't wanna be all Bandaged up or cut up, but, whatever they have to do I'm Okay with.

 

So, it will be a very full Week, actually a very full Month, since there is a lot on October's Calendar.   Princess T was saying Gabe is her New Supervisor and everyone was worried about that.  Well, Gabe is the Young Man who really, really likes me... and thus... that gives my Grandchild Favor and I told her so.  *Winks*  Gabe is about the Age of some of my Older Grandkids, late 20's to Mid 30's range, hard working Young Man and does a good Job IMO.  Well, apparently he has already shown Favor to Princess T, so she's rather like Teacher's Pet now and just mebbe, all Body Parts Crossed, it MAY aide her in him going to Bat for her if she does have another Sick Day?   He let her go Home early on Saturday becoz he said she'd worked so hard, had outperformed all her Co-Workers, which, she consistently does, but before now it didn't give her any Favor, so he let her leave 30 Minutes early!

 

She was Joking that I'm Gabe's Favorite Person and he talks about me all the time as if he's one of my Grandsons too, and she says he always wants to Impress me, Bless him.  *LOL*  He is the one who did ask me if she would come Work there, back before she even finished High School, and he's asked me for Professional Advice too, since, he's in Management and wants to do a Good Job of it.  He's got a fairly serious Medical Condition himself he battles, Crohn's Disease, and there is no Cure for that and it can become Life Threatening for some People.   So he has the utmost Sympathy for her Gut Issues, since he has a chronic inflammatory Bowel Disease that affects the lining of his Digestive Tract.  She said he has to spend a lot of time in the Bathroom and gets Teased about it.  She didn't know Why until I explained he told me the Illness he has and what it is.  

Then she felt Bad for him and said nobody should Joke about that, even in Fun.  I told her not to participate in any Teasing, but also, not to talk about what I'd told her coz I don't think he's Shared it with Co-Workers, just mebbe his Upper Management Team.   Folks are on a Need to Know basis and they don't really Need to Know, she understands that level of Confidentiality being Respected at Work especially.  She's Sensitive about anyone Joking about her chronic Ailments coz it involves intense Suffering and Negatively impacts her Quality of Life, what she can Eat, how often she ends up in an ER or Urgent Care, affected and Negatively Impacted her Education with missed School Days coupled with being Learning Disabled too, her Employment no matter how good a Worker she is.   It is no Joke, but, folks can be Insensitive and Inconsiderate, even if their Intentions aren't to be deliberately Hurtful and Unkind or lacking Sensitivity due to someone's Illness or Disabilities.

She's Sensitive that she can't Read or Write very well at all, probably only got to about a Grade School Level with it and stalled out.  She's Intelligent and Wise beyond her Years, but quite Learning Disabled.  Once she Learns something she's very good at whatever it is and sometimes overcompensates with a stronger Work Ethic, knowing that Intellectually when it came to Accademia, she really struggled to even Graduate.  There are Words she knows that everyone else her Age would know what they mean, and she doesn't and has to have it explained to her.   Her Vocabulary can be limited by her comprehension being slower than average, even tho' she's not Stupid and I honestly do not think she has a low IQ, she does have some Mental Barriers, and inability to Mood Regulate as well.   

Whether caused by Invitro Dangerous Drug Exposure or something else, we could never get Doctors/Specialists to be conclusive about it.  She was a Meth Baby, she knows this.  Her Mom was Homeless and not really Mentally able to be taking Care of herself properly, didn't get Prenatal Care, and was Institutionalized off and on during the entire Pregnancy in either Psychiatric Institutions or the Penal Institutions a lot of Mentally Ill end up in if they're being or acting Crazy in Public and/or making Bad Decisions and Using/Addicted.   And, even IF The Daughter had not been Self Medicating with Illegal Dangerous Drugs, the Rx Psychotropics she was supposed to take regularly for her SMI and the Schizophrenia in particular, could have harmed any Unborn Child as well anyway, mebbe even more so... so there was no Winning for Losing.  She never intended to ever get Pregnant and each time she had a Child she asked to be Sterilized but since she was Non Compos Mentis, they wouldn't do it here or in Mexico.

She tried every form of Birth Control made available, even the Injections, which they do for Free in Mexico... all to no avail either.  I can relate to that myself, never tried to get preggy and was on Birth Control when I got Pregnant each time... whaddya gonna do?  *LOL*   Anyway, The Daughter carries a lot of Guilt about her Addictions and Mental Illness affecting all Five of her Children, before they were Born and After they were Born.   Her Kids don't blame her for how she is Mentally and are just all relieved she's been Clean now for several Years and managed to stay Housed.   She's less Paranoid in Open Spaces and not feeling Trapped, or in Buildings with Spaces unseen, it's a Paranoid Schizophrenic Thing.   She sometimes thinks the Walls are Listening.

 It's hard for her to remain Housed, which some people don't understand, but she's doing much better at NOT being perpetually Homeless by Choice now.  The smaller the Space the better she does in it, so she spends most time in the 5th Wheel or Outside of our Home on the Property, which looks bucolic and Feels Safe to her.  It's been a Process... and, she doesn't just disappear now for Days, or Weeks at a time, like she always has since she was about 15 Years Old.   She'll never remember where she went or what she did during those Episodes, coz she has D.I.D. too, so, it can be very risky and I never had a Peace about it, she is a Vulnerable Adult and always will be. 

Anyway, if anyone is gonna be Princess T's immediate Supervisor I'm glad that Gabe is.  She's so worried about getting Fired for being Sickly.  I am worried about it too for her coz whatever Work she does, this is going to be how it just is for her.   I'm Hopeful the Specialist will finally see her next Month and we find out the Cause of recent Episodes and if there is something to alleviate or prevent it?   Diet alone isn't working, going to Urgent Care and ER's hasn't worked either.   Her Pediatricians were always at a Loss on what to do for her Gut Issues since Birth.  The Older she got the more she's suffered from Digestive Issues even tho' her Respiratory Issues are less severe than Childhood, she still has that too.  And her Anxiety is always intense, she has Social Anxieties and Mood Disorder.  Pretty sure she is Bipolar, tho' her Docs never formally put that as a Diagnosis, I've never formally been given it either but I'm Bipolar and ADHD as fuck!!!  *Bwahahahaha*  If you're very high functional they usually fail to diagnose you or Label you.  That can be both good and bad.

Today in Real Time is the 13th and it's a BFF's Birthday who is battling end stage Cancer.  She asked that instead of Gifts everyone Donate to the American Cancer Society, so when I was Online sending her a Birthday Wish, that's what I did in her Honor as my Gift to her, if that's what she'd rather have this Year.  I'd never done an Online Donation before tho' I see the Requests to from people all the time in Go Fund Me Situations or to support their Fav Charities and reaching a Goal of an amount to Raise.  I was the 1st to Donate to her Fundraiser so I do Hope everyone she knows participates, I think it will bring her Joy.  In her Old Age she doesn't have much and lives with her Youngest Daughter, probably only has a Bedroom there that's her Space, so there was nothing she wanted or needed in the way of things.  

She's undergoing Treatments, but, whether she'll achieve a Remission when it was left far too long and so late, I don't know?   The Fundraiser, after you Donate, Shares the Request to your FB Page automatically, so I Hope some of my Family & Friends that she doesn't even know do a lil somethin-somethin if they can too.  I've kept in touch with her Daughter since she no longer does very much for herself now or goes Online.  The last thing she Wrote to me was simply, "I'm Dying."   She's usually chatty, so, I knew such a short succinct response meant she's not in a good place Physically or Mentally.   She once had a Pre-Cancerous diagnosis a few Years after I did, back when we were in our early 50's.  Her choice was not to get the Surgery coz she was fearful of the Weight Gain I had after it, which was considerable, and she was already over 200 lbs. so didn't wanna risk Gaining well over 60 lbs. like I had.   

She had always known me as her Skinniest Friend and literally I have always been Naturally a very Thin person before they gave me a Hysterectomy.  I was 135 lbs. as a Top Adult Weight ever before my Surgery, and ballooned to over 200 lbs. after it and have stayed pretty much Fat for the majority of the next 18 Years of Hormonal upset it caused.  But, to me the greater Risk wasn't Obesity, it was Cancer and I had a Family History of it and numerous Relatives succumb to it, not a pleasant way to go, I opted to just be Fat and not Thin anymore.  I tried to talk her into the Surgery back then and said, listen, we can always attempt to lose Weight, I think it's far easier than attempting to fight and survive Cancer. 

I kept thinking mebbe she'd change her Mind and go get the Surgery, and since she didn't, I don't think it was only Weight Gain that scared her, Surgery did too.   I was a Custodial Gramma Raising Two Special Needs Grandkids and taking care of being a Caregiver of an Ailing Husband when I had to have that Surgery, so Recovery had to be Fast Tracked and she remembers how hard it all was for me.  I told her it would be different for her, but, since she was living with one of her Daughters who had a lot of Kids who were little, she didn't think it would be, she helped with the Grandkids there a lot too.  She said she knew she couldn't Cope after a Major Surgery like I was Coping, and mebbe she couldn't, I dunno, I'm not her.  So, I dropped it... and now Wish I'd been more persistent to talk her into just having it.   But, I Respect her Autonomy both then... and now... over her own Body.

I never interfered when Friends were deciding upon Abortions, that was between them and their Medical Professionals too IMO, regardless of how I felt about whatever decisions were made.   No big Life decision is all that easy for anyone, Life Altering ones in particular.   So I just lend my Emotional Support to anyone making any big Life decision and leave it up to them to make, their Life, they must Live with the decisions they make.  I have a Peace about my own decisions that were big or hard, I wouldn't have wanted anyone to presume to know how it would impact me if they coerced a decision on my behalf, or forced a decision upon me, however well intended or their reasons for doing so.  That's why being a Caregiver is so touchy and hard, I have to make decisions for other people when they can't make them for themselves, it feels quite intrusive and like playing God.   Even if they are a Child, but especially once they're Grown.

 

I still let The Man sign off on big decisions involving him directly, like his Medical Care, so that he still feels in Control of that part of his Destiny.  If he told me No, I don't want this, even if I disagreed, and we talked it over, I'd Respect his decision, it's his Body, his Life in the balance, his Risk to take or not take.   Yes, he has Cognitive decline and Brain Damage, he has now for over 15 Years, I sometimes forget it's been that long and about half of our time together!!!   But he Trusts me unconditionally to make decisions either for him, or if I suggest it's best, he'll make the decision for himself based on my advice.  So far, we can discuss even the Scariest shit involving his Medical situations and he'll look to me for the best Answer, it's weighty, it's never gotten easier to Green Light anything with high risks to him.   Sometimes with Elective procedures that are part of Preventative Health we decline, too much risk involved.  If he didn't Survive an Elective Procedure that he could have declined, it seems like a preventable Death.

I've had Healthy Friends who Died during an Elective Preventable Health Procedure becoz they were just Older and thus, that poses Risk to consider having it.   My Friend Romeo was over 80, he was having a Colonoscopy, no hint of being Sickly or having a Disease, just making sure he didn't.  Died during the Procedure, probably from the effects of Anesthesia, as I recall he got Pneumonia afterwards due to it and never made it out of the Hospital.   He'd been a Hollywood Stunt Man, in Old Black and White Westerns if you see a Man being dragged by a Horse, Romeo perfected that Stunt and said it likely is him in that Movie!  He was the Healthiest, most Handsome and Vibrant 80+ Year Old Man you'd ever meet and his 80+ Year Old Wife still looked like a Showgirl or Movie Star herself.  She was Wrecked by how he Died coz it was preventable Death.  Looking for something in his Colon really, even IF he had something there, he was 84, chances of Dying from Old Age were par with anything else taking him out IMO, leave him alone would have been better & lower Risk.

Anyway, sometimes Fate just plays out as it just will and everything is as it should be, as my Dear Ole Dad always liked to say, he was a Fatalist by his very Nature.   He firmly Believed that everyone has a Fate and some folk's Fate is good and some folk's Fate isn't, and there wouldn't be much, if anything, they could do to alter that Fact.  He could have been Right?   Fatalists Beliefs are a Conviction that all Events are Predetermined and that Individuals have no Power to Influence their own Destinies or Outcomes, whether thru Fate, Luck or a Higher Power. 

 He had a sense of Well-Being despite being a Fatalist, that wasn't so much resignation or hopelessness, but due to his Cultural and Religious Contexts about it.   Which he had a total Peace about and so do I.  Our Parents didn't specifically Raise us to be any particular "Religion", they didn't Practice any Organized Religion or Label us a Denomination, they were never Churchy.  Instead they encouraged us to visit the various Churches, Temples, or Sites that were deemed Holy, and decide for ourselves what Relationship we Sought with our Creator and were Spiritually seeking.  

 Dad converted to Christianity when he Married my Mom, when he was in his early 20's, coz they allowed them to be Married in the High Church of Wales in her Home Country, so it was required.  But to his Point of View, even the Christian Teachings about Jesus show that He accepted His Fate and knew it was Predetermined and His Destiny for to be as it was.   Thus EVERYTHING IS AS IT SHOULD BE.  I don't know that my Dad's form of Fatalism was Theological, I feel it could have been Empirical {by Forces beyond Understanding}?  I just know it Influenced me considerably, since tho' I Practice Guarded Optimist and a form of Christianity along with other Cultural Influences I have {clearly, LOL}, and, I can say I also Practice Empirical Fatalism. 

  And I don't NEED to Understand everything to Accept it if it's Forces beyond my Limited Understanding.   I only know in part and I don't Question Forces beyond my Understanding or my God's Higher Power, whose Universe it is.  Until such time as we have a Universe, God can run His Universe as He so chooses and deems fit to, without me Questioning any of it.  When I have a Universe, then I'll make the Rules of it and Run it as I Wish and so Choose.  *Winks*   Pretty sure tho', if I had a Universe to run, I'd cock it up way more than God ever could or would, so, best not to give me one to run.  Probably best not to give you one to run either, No???  *LOL and Winks*

*******

Happy Autumn my Friends... Dawn... The Bohemian