Dear Diary...

 Okay, so, I never really kept a Diary to incriminate myself of my poor judgment and misspent Youth, it's just as well.  *Winks and Laughs*  It might have been quite Scandalous and Salacious, given Mi Vida Loca.  *LOL*   But, it is a clever Blog Post Title Hook that can reel ya in, No?  *Bwahahaha*  I'm rather Proud of myself for finally thinking up a Clever one, during a Nap, no less, when it came to me.  Who knows Why I was Blogging IN my Napping Dream Phase of unconsciousness, but, I was... *Smiles*  The Dream World is a Strange Place indeed.

I'm waiting on another Roofer to come give us an Estimate on Repairs, made it clear, Repairs, not a whole Roof Replacement.  I even dug the Shingles out of The RV Garage Mahal that match said Roof, so there's no excuses, they could use them if they like, that's what we have them for, Minor Repairs until such time as a New Roof is necessary, Hopefully after I'm long Dead.  *Winks*  Now if something will last a Decade longer, I'm Good, coz, that's probably all I'll Last too.  *Bwahahahaha*  Princess T said if the Repair Bill is agreeable to me, she'll cover it and I can then pay her back, that's a Relief.

I overslept Today coz Princess T was Sick so I didn't have to take her to Work and had dropped The Son off at Work before 5:00 a.m., so I just went back to Bed.  And didn't Wake again until 10:30 a.m., but felt ever so much more Rested.  Right now both The Daughter and Princess T are Asleep coz neither of them feels good, Jeeeeesus I hope they're not coming down with another thing contagious to give to us Old Folks?  That is always higher risk with Multigenerational Living for the Seniors of the Arrangement.

The Son's Black Eye looks terrible, but he has a good Story at least for how he got it with an accidental Head Butt at a Concert, by a Teenager.  Note to Son: At 40, don't stand so close to any Mosh Pit.  *LMAOROTF* At least it apparently was a good Concert and worth the Black Eye he got while there.  And, it either makes him look like a Fighter and really Tough Guy not to mess with... or someone who mebbe Lost a Fight badly... depending on what conjecture Strangers might come up with on the Canvas of their Imagination and on The Fly?  *LOL*  They'd of coarse draw a different conclusion if he was a Woman.

And no Male in the Household would wanna be seen with her lest he be accused of being responsible.  It's a sad commentary of Society, but, I Confess a Gal with a Black Eye I'd instantly think she was a Victim of DV too.  But a Guy, I think totally different Thoughts about how he got it.  Anyway, he got quite the Shiner from that Teen's back of the Head crashing into him when the Teen got forcefully pushed.  And the Teen seemed more hurt than The Son was coz The Son has a very hard Head, he's been told that before.  He has a Head like a Mountain Goat apparently and a thick Skull. *Smiles*

My Navajo Wool Rug already dried out by this Morning, which was Surprising given how Humid it was, and it doesn't smell funky at all either.  Still no idea how Water got in on the Floor in that one Corner near the Side Door of The RV Garage Mahal tho', but, at least I see no Roof leaks on the Interior, which was my main concern.  With the intensity of these Storms I really have concerns about Property Damages that will continue to be caused by them, which is why I won't file any small Claims against our Hazard Insurance.  I'd wanna Save that for any major Claim that might happen.

My Bones are still paining me with all this Weather, so my opportunity to hit The Gym this Morning never happened, I was too fucking sore by 7:00 a.m. to go.   Mebbe later Today after I know what a Roof Repair is gonna set us back?  Or at least have a better idea of having a Professional doing it anyway.  The Cost of everything now seems absolutely outrageous and out of control IMO.  Seems a lot of price gouging and exploitation is going on in all Industries lately and there's so little Regulation to prevent that kind of Victimization of the Consumer.  And to be Fair, our Government is shaking down Businesses too now like Mobsters and Extorting them, so they pass that along to the Consumer.

But, enuf of all that, I'm stretching for a more Uplifting kind of Post, I know, you can hardly tell that, but, I am trying to, that's all I can do.  *Ha ha ha*   My Pasture is very Green from all that torrential Rain the Desert normally wouldn't get that much of all at once.  So, that's the Positive Part of all the Flood Waters... Greenery... the Desert comes Alive after big Rains, it really is impressive how fast it does take advantage of something it rarely gets.   There are Tadpoles everywhere, some Desert Frogs and Spadefoot Toads actually can imbed themselves for up to 2-3 Years in Desert Soil in dormancy... called aestivation.  Pretty remarkable Creatures and their adaptations to living in a Desert.

Roofer just left, we liked this Guy, he's the one The Granddaughter got a good feel about too.  The damage is extensive and Photos verify it, close ups and The Son said, yeah, this is a big job, not a small one, we have now filed an Insurance Claim.  This Company will work with us so we don't have out of pocket expenses and will cover our Deductible.  The type of Shingles up there aren't being made anymore, so that was verified and I suspected might have been the Truth, we have had them for over Six Years, shit gets discontinued and improved constantly within that Time frame, not so unusual.

Dealing with our Mortgage Co. was frustrating, they only use Bots, but our Hazard Homeowners Insurance still uses Humans, so that went well.  Now I've got a Claim started and an Adjuster will call to give us a Date to meet with our Roofer and discuss all the Insurance stuff required.  We'll get a new Roof out of this much damage, I wouldn't think there is any doubt about that and especially given the swath of damage to our Community that this was a Major Storm with huge amounts of significant Storm Damage.  We've had Days of it now and Crews are overwhelmed with the amount of Work needed for Emergency Repairs and such high demand for Immediate action to prevent worse damage and Loss.

Our Guy just got back from Kansas where he was repairing Tornado damages and said to him this didn't look like usual Arizona Monsoon Storm damage, me either.  We both think it was more than a Microburst either due to the duration, and swath of damage mile radius from Buckeye to Glendale.  Like me, he thinks it's a Tornado that touched down and we don't usually get them here, but the damage he's seen reminds him of the Midwestern States Tornado damages he sees all of the time, particularly in Kansas.  He said those with Spanish Tile Roofs had Tiles fly off and get blown thru Block Walls!!!  No Haboob does that.  I've lived here since 1974 in the Valley and the Weather lately has been atypical and highly unusual for a Desert.

He's been doing Estimates in all the Neighborhoods around us including his Ex-Wife's Home which is where he was at when I called him, assessing her damages in the Lakehouse Subdivisions just to the West of ours.  He said of coarse his Ex called him first when she got Roof damage and we joked that one of The Man's Brothers is a Roofer but he's in Utah so we didn't call in a Favor for him to come out, or we would have too if he was Local.  *Smiles*  I joked that at least his Ex thinks a lot about his Quality of Work and Expertise.  *Ha ha ha*  He said, well, I think mebbe she wants a Free New Roof too... he could be Right?  *LOL*  I find out so much about People I first meet, the Kiddos say I'd make a Fine Investigator coz folks open up to me and tell me stuff voluntarily and easily.  If I wanna know your Story, I'll get it out of ya.   *Smiles and Winks*

Anyway, when I saw the extent of the damage up there we're fortunate and Lucky we don't have Flood damage too really, inside the Structure, coz it tore a shitload of Shingles off in large sections and along the ridgeline and edges of the roof.  Many others were bent back but didn't break off and fly off, so a Repair would not cut it, it does need a full replacement, dammit.  But, they gotta do what has to be done, you can't argue with the carnage of an Act Of God, it can be and often is significant.  And I expect our Homeowner Insurance to now cover it.  We maintain our Property well and the Roof was fine before this Storm.  I see many of our Neighbors also lost Roofing.  So he could get a lot of Work just around here.

So, that's at least some closure about all of the Storm Damage and what has to now be done.   And we don't know how many more Storms will rip thru this Season either?!   So, I do Hope we can get the Roof done before the next one hits?   The Son talked to the Roofer and got a good Feel that this Guy knows exactly what he's doing, so did I.  The Roofer said a lot of the Industry now is filled with Salesmen Types who Subcontract all of their Work and don't do any of the Work themselves or even know anything about Roofing Materials or what's required.  The Son asked him significant Questions and got straight and qualified Answers... we do grill our Contractors to know if they're the Real Deal or just some Big Company's smooth talking Salesmen.  And that's Why I do put folks at ease right away coz I'm Scoping them Out without appearing like I am.  The more they Talk, even casually and without being On Guard, the more I then know about them... and if they're a Bullshit Artist, Conman, or Liar.  *Winks*

He was saying he's had complaints from people already about the Scammers coming door to door after a Storm with bullshit Quotes and questionable integrity and backgrounds.  It's a shame Consumers have to do so much due diligence to avoid being Victimized by some Scam or exploited during Emergency situations where their Properties have damage and they've already been traumatized by catastrophic Weather that was scary.  The past Three Storms have been that kind of scary, I told the Family to stay away from the Windows, I really questioned that there might be loss of Life or Serious Injuries over these Storms and not just Property Damage!

It's only 5:00 p.m. and we're getting another fucking fierce Storm coming in from the South and it looks ominous as Hell.  I just Hope the Roof on The RV Garage Mahal holds up and doesn't leak where it's already damaged and I guess it doesn't matter if more Shingles blow off since it is having to be all replaced anyway.  At least if the Insurance approves everything... you never know with Insurance Companies tho', so I hold my Breath until we get a Thumbs Up that they'll cover everything.  Time is of the essence since these Storms are one right after another, I don't know how fast they can and will put a new Roof on, but I want it done Right and this isn't the Ideal Weather to be Re-Roofing a large Building like that.  So, I'm pretty Anxious still, I'd Hoped we'd get a break in these severe Storms hitting incessantly.  We're getting more Water each time in One Day than Arizona usually gets in a whole Year, so the Ground also can only absorb so much of that before it can't and won't anymore and then you got Flooding happening.  And overly saturated Ground won't let Trees Root Systems weather high Winds either.

So, we're bracing for yet another really Bad Storm that looks imminent before Dark this time.   I'm Reading my Andrew Yang Books, I'm not an avid Reader, I usually like Books with Visuals, like Decor and Cookbooks.  But Yang really interests me in the Political Realm and makes a lot of sense and would be great in a higher position of Leadership.  If America wasn't still so prone to Racism and Misogyny then Intelligent Competent Women and Minorities would do better Politically to be in our Top Leadership and displace these Rich Geriatric White Good Old Boys who are so out of Touch, Pander to the Elite, and much too Old and stuck in the Past, but, we're not there yet and won't be in my Lifetime, that much is fucking clear.  It bothers me but, folks keep Voting them in, so... they get what they Vote for.

So, the above Two Books is what I'm currently Reading, I'm enjoying them, it's a good Read and some Celebs I respect and like were part of the Yang Gang, so I was in good Company apparently.  I do Hope that by 2028 we have a viable 3rd Party to Vote for so that us Independents of every persuasion have someone to Vote for instead of these Two Parties that aren't doing a damned thing for any of us.  We make up more than 50% of the National Electorate now that aren't Partisan, so we should have a stronger Voice than we currently have in our Politics. And a Candidate of our own to Vote for who isn't a Democrat or a Republican, or any mutant version of either that is now being Created and is an abomination like MAGA. 

 That looks like a failed Experimental abhorrent Creation and Creature from the Mind of a Dr. Moreau.  It's ridiculous to even claim to be a Conservative or a Traditional Republican with Values and any semblance of decency or an intact Moral Compass, if you are a MAGA.   And the Left Extremist views aren't Traditional Democrats either, that seem to be ready to hijack that Party too and mutate it to be yet another abomination.  Anyway, I'm Solutions Oriented and I think outside of the Box when it comes to Problems, Yang is a very Outside of the Box kinda Problem Solver too so it was no wonder he strongly appealed to me as someone who would actually implement Positive Change for everyday Americans who are otherwise getting Screwed by our Politicians currently holding Office becoz they don't give a shit about any of us Regular Folks and what we really Care about and are struggling with.

I never did get to The Gym, what with Storms looming, it didn't seem sensible to get out there in it and take a risk later in the day.  So, I'm determined that Tomorrow I do need to go.  Sunday is my Birthday in Real time and I've wasted half the Month already with no visits to The Gym I'm paying a Membership at, which is just foolishness and wasteful, and I try not to be or do either of those things.  I'm frugal, so I don't Waste Money and have a low opinion of those who do squander their Resources.  However limited or abundant your Resources are, be responsible with them.  I had to Debt Counsel too many folks who weren't financially responsible, in my 1st Corporate Life, running Collections, Foreclosure and Bankruptcy Departments for Major Financial Institutions. 

 Foreclosing on many of them, or watching them File Bankruptcy, and some made Big Money, it didn't matter, and it was never how much they made that was ever the problem, it's how much of that they kept and didn't squander.  Donnie Two Dolls has squandered epic amounts of abundant Resources... his and everybody else's.  Anyway, I'm intrigued by the concept of Universal Basic Income for a lot of reasons, most of which are based on the Future and what it likely holds for many everyday Americans and what they'll be up against and facing.  And America can afford to implement it, they could right now in fact.  Since they squander way more Money and Resources every fucking Day in our Government, so it's a matter of Priorities and not even thinking about Solutions to looming Problems we'll all be experiencing sooner than later.  And there's a whole Laundry List of reasons why keeping the Average American as broke and indebted as possible helps Richer Elite Folks exploit and take advantage of them more to get even Richer.

Anyway, there's ample debate about many viable Solutions to existing Problems.  Some will be For or Against, whatever... but I just know what's happening NOW isn't fucking Working for most Average People.  And if you're not part of a Solution then you are part of the Problem, that's a Given.  So, something better Change and be Tried that is Solutions Oriented, and I'd suggest fast.   When folks are losing everything, they become desperate people, and desperate people do desperate things... and given nothing left to lose, that = Dangerous!  That much I definitely know, not just for Observations made during Corporate Life #1 as a Bank Executive in Departments Fixing Problems to protect their Assets as a Lender on defaulted Loans, but especially from Observations made during Corporate Life #2 working for one of the largest DA's Offices in the Country.   I saw what Desperate Dangerous People are capable of... it ain't never Pretty.

In Real Time, with only 3 Days to go 'til my Birthday, even tho' this Post won't Publish 'til Month's End, I haven't even given any Thought as to what I Plan to do for this coming Sunday actually?   Usually Birthdays, mine especially, are downplayed coz I don't really have a Need for much or a Want to have it be made into a Big Deal either.  I prefer spending my Personal Celebrations Simply.  I know, someone "Extra" like me, you might be Surprised to hear that, but it's True.  I prefer Simple Pleasures, always have, probably always will.  What I consider an Ideal spending of a Day and Blissful, is probably not what most of you would ever align with and think we'd just be Kindred Spirits in the doing of it together and be equally Content with just doing that.  *LOL*  It's the one similarity that The Man and I Share tho', even tho' we're exact Opposites in every way, we Enjoy the same Quirky Ideas of an Ideal and Blissful Day and what we'd enjoy most doing together.  We're both Weirdos like THAT.

Doing Simple Things that make a Small Positive Difference in the World, or just my Community, or for Nature at Large, for me is always most Enjoyable as an Activity.  Anything I do as a Volunteer I know is something I'm Purposed to do, coz I don't even Care that I don't get Paid to do it.   I was very Successful in the Corporate Grind, and very Ambitious from an early Age to make Money, as much as I could as easily as I could, but, only becoz it Bought Options.  I don't really Care so much about the Benjamins as I did about the Options it offered, and that's just a partial reason Why the Universal Basic Income Concept does Appeal to me and Intrigue me.  Imagine if you will that every American over the Age of 18 had at least a measly Grand of Financial Security Monthly, how that could Buy them more Options and alleviate some of the usual Stressors of what they Earn or how they Earn it? 

 Those already Successful or Financially already Secure or even Affluent, it just Empowers them a bit more, but those who are struggling, it Empowers them a LOT more.  In our Family of Six Adults it would be Six Grand a Month MORE, which definitely shifts Life in a more Positive direction and Buys way more Options than exist right now.   And Frees them up to pursue some things that they otherwise might not pursue for lack of Opportunity, Resources, Circumstances, or just Fear of Risks and thus stuck with Settling for less.  For the Marginalized of Society is Buys some Security.  For those with an Entrepreneur Spirit it's Seed Money.  And for those naysayers that say, what about Lazy folks?  What about Squanderers of Money?  Hey, Lazy, Stupid and Squandering Tendencies will happen no matter how much or how little you have... coz that's just Who those type fucking ARE.  A Grand isn't gonna Fix that, but it's a Grand more they will be putting back into the Economy some kind of way by Spending it.   You'll make of it what you will... or what you won't. 

 But if AI does indeed eliminate 40% or more of Jobs, as they project it definitely will, do you really want 40% more of the Population with NO Income, no Job Prospects or not getting Retrained, and Destitute, Stressed Out beyond Measure, and Desperate, I fucking don't!  I'd rather everyone at least have a Grand a Month coming in so they can Eat and mebbe find the basic Essentials to Survive, and accept whatever other Employment is still available without worrying so much about what those Jobs Pay or if it's being offered Full Time.  Anyway, mebbe YOU have a more viable Solution to upcoming Problems, that we can explore and be Intrigued about together, I dunno, but I'm listening right now to folks I know who are Smarter than me, were way more Successful than me, and who at least have some viable Solutions to existing Problems.  Coz Problems aren't being Solved at all right now, that's for damned sure, and what's in place Governmentally, isn't even thinking about Solutions at all either for any of us.  They're mostly Creating the Problems.

Speaking of folks Creating Problems, The Son got into another argument with his Sister last Night, he thinks she's sneaking Mando onto the Property.  I've not seen evidence nor proof she is, he could be Right, he could be Wrong?  I reminded her again NOT to be caught doing it or it will get her kicked out.  I reminded him again, too many confrontations will get him kicked out, especially if alcohol is involved.  Usually if he has had nothing at all to drink, he gets along and plays well with others.  He didn't ask for a Ride to Work this Morning even tho' I was up early to provide one, coz he knew he'd pissed me off again last Night with having to Referee his disagreement with his Sister.  She came to me to Mediate, so I did, and send them each to their respective Corners.  But, other than that, everything was Swell.  *Eye Roll*  Both Kiddos had done a lot of Work for me and I think they both were tired and Emotionally Raw, which is never Helpful.  I think more is going on in their Heads than I can Moderate FOR them, Therapy would be more Helpful.

She hasn't been getting her Paying Jobs so much, most of the Old Folks she's been tirelessly Helping give her Things rather than Money. She'd prefer to have some Money, but sometimes I guess they don't have it and she'd still Help them out anyway, so then they give her stuff instead.  If I can Sell it for her I do and then give her the Money, but, Sales for anything now is Soft, even if she's getting nice Things given as her payment for whatever she's done for someone.  So converting it into Cash isn't just that easy.  She did get Two Nice Bikes, so she has her own Transportation now coz she can Ride a Bike like the Wind and go Miles and Miles on one.   The Son has been more inclined to just Walk or take an Uber.  His last Uber Driver was one of our Neighbors here in the Mini Farms Community who gave him a ride Home from the Grocery Store.  He had too many Groceries bought to carry Home and I was waiting on the Roofer Guy to show up for that Estimate and Inspection, so couldn't go get him.

Our August Social Security won't hit 'til the 19th, so I'll be Tapped on my Birthday Sunday and on a Shoestring Budget to do much.  I think I only intend to have One nice Meal out for it to Treat myself and I can swing that.  I did get the Call from the Insurance, as expected, Claims are a Pain in the Ass to Deal with.  They claim to be so backlogged it could take a MONTH Or TWO to Inspect, Approve, Pay Out to get Repairs done!  I queried, what in the meantime, this is an Emergency or we could have significantly MORE damage if you delay replacement for 30 to 60 Days, we're having Storms almost every day and Two Months from now is AFTER Monsoon Season is over!!!  Plus, now their Deductibles for Wind and Rain damages are Crazy!  Due to the Catastrophic Weather Conditions now they've jacked them up really high. 

 

It's 1% of total Home Value on the West Coast and 2% on the East Coast, which, the only Saving Grace for us is their Valuation of our Property is almost $300,000 less than the actual Value, but 1% of that still equates to a $5,500 Deductible!!!  Thankfully our Roofer said they'd Cover that, coz I didn't even expect the whole Job to cost that much, let alone an Insurance Deductible.  So, we better get a proper eval of damages from their damned Adjuster and I told this Guy that our Contractor wants to be here to explain what it requires coz he's the Roofing Expert, I don't want a half-assed Job or one that puts a Band Aid on the Situation and we'll have to endure more problems later.  If the Deductible is that freakin' High I want the Job done Right the first time and totally Covered!!! 

 I knew they were Recording the Conversation coz they said so and that's why I express ALL my Concerns so it's all of Record and Taped.   Needless to say I'm upset, tho' they did say they approve us to Tarp the damage... Swell.. ya THINK!!!   If they're gonna dally a Month of Two they better approve Tarping damage so I don't have Flooding, more Damage and Loss of Contents too!!!   So, lets keep all Body Parts Crossed I don't have further hassles beyond the long delay in getting things done and they cover everything.  They sure are ensuring nobody files smaller Claims for Property Damages and Losses if their Deductibles are outrageously high, to me that is a form of Extortion after you're already paying High Premiums.  But, I hear tell some States have had such Catastrophic Events they can't even get Homeowner's Insurance anymore at all!   With Climate Change and how much it's costing to repair and replace damages from it, it won't be long before that happens everywhere.  Plus, Property Values are inflated IMO.

*******

Well, enuf Bitching for One Post... Smiles... Dawn... The Bohemian

Generosity Of Strangers

 

I took The Man out for a Drive and I did a bit of Environmental Cleanup while it was still Overcast and Cooler this Morning.  Then I took him out for Breakfast at a new Restaurant called POCA MADRE that we'd never been to before.  I felt like splurging just a bit.  It was on the more expensive side but the Food was good and the atmosphere very nice.  An Eastern European Family, Mother, Daughter and 10 Month Old Grandson, were at the Table by us.  The Mom Thanked The Man profusely for his Service, she had a very thick accent, I would think Ukrainian or Russian.  She had told us she had her Children quite late in life, in her Mid-40's, so she never thought she'd get a Grandchild, her Son didn't want Children and she was delighted when her Daughter gave her this First and only Grandbaby.  He was adorable and for some reason was fascinated by me.  His Gramma said usually he doesn't like someone he doesn't know that much.  Well, I'm adorable too, what can I say?  *LOL and Winks*   We both had the Chile Relleno Breakfast, I chose Seasoned Potatoes as my Side, The Man had Beans & Rice.  Both came with a stack of Freshly made Corn Tortillas.

 I had the Horchata Special Iced Drink, which has Two Espresso Shots, Whipped Cream sprinkled with Cinnamon & Nutmeg.  When we went to pay for our Meal, our Waiter said it was already covered and had been taken Care Of!!!   What!!!  It had been about a $50 Meal and after they'd left, he discreetly said they had been the ones who covered it for us!   They had wanted to do it Anonymously so he didn't say anything while they were still there.  OMG.  They had driven off in a new Lexus, and had been dressed very nicely, and were such Nice and openly Friendly people.  But, still, what a generous gesture, it was not a cheap Gifting to give to some complete Strangers in more than a Thank You to a Veteran for his Service!  It really Touched us deeply.  We have a lot of Ukrainians who moved here when the War in their Country started and they were displaced, and most of the Women are here without their Menfolk, who stayed behind to Fight the invading forces of Putin.  I couldn't even Imagine moving to a new Country as a Refugee and without your Husbands or Adult Sons, who are having to stay to Fight for an indefinite period of time.  It breaks my Heart for them, displaced for so long.

The News has moved on mostly, past Ukraine and Gaza's War coverage, which we rarely hear of now, since now we've been embroiled in our own War in Iran due to this President and his numerous distractions and Fuckery.  And far too many Civilian Americans are more concerned about the price of Gas than they would be about Lives Lost due to these Wars anyway.  It can be very abstract and too distant to them if it's not on our Soil and they're insulated from it if not Serving in our Military and making any Sacrifices.  I remember even during Vietnam, the average Civilian didn't wanna talk about that War or hear about it and didn't treat our Military Loved Ones well when they came back from Fighting over there.  The Man was spat on and called a Baby Killer... they pretty much all were treated like that and why so many of them never talked of their Service over there at all.  None of the Middle Eastern Wars have been well supported either and were highly Unpopular as well. The Man Fought in them all too.  This War is even way more unpopular than Vietnam ever was, I'm so glad he's not involved in this one.  *Whew*  So I just Pray our Civilian sector doesn't treat our Veterans that badly who have to Serve in this one and blame them for what this Administration is having them to do?  

The Government Contracts the whole tRump Family is benefitting from due to starting this War is the ONLY reason they started it.  It's a War For Profit coz everything is Transactional to them making Money for themselves, as much as they can, any way that they can, illegally or otherwise, and regardless of Cost to Americans or Lives Lost.  And now they can't get out of it coz they never had any Exit Strategy, real or truthful Mission Statement for being there, or permission by Congress to be there in the 1st place.  And now it's become a complete Cluster Fuck of epic proportions Negatively impacting the Globe as even more disastrous consequences for his Fuckery and Stupidity.  Don't expect Gas Prices to go down anytime soon... and our Stockpile of very expensive Military Grade Weapons is dwindling coz he's wasted so much of it on this Iranian Fiasco and it's costing Billions Daily just to keep funding it.  He's put our National Security at grave Risk to enrich himself and his Spawn.   And he doesn't Care about our Military, or our Veterans, or those who've Died Serving our Country, or their Loved Ones... he's called them all Suckers and Losers openly and with nothing but contempt.  He himself dodged the Draft several times and is a Coward.

Anyway, enuf of that, just mentioning him at all leaves a Bad Taste in my Mouth.  He can't FOAD soon enuf, so the World will be less One more Evil POS.  While out we stopped by The River Preserve, it was running fast and high.  Gleaned a lot of Aluminum Cans cleaning up around where piggish folks had been Fishing and doing Recreational activities without taking their Trash with them, too Lazy and Environmentally Unconscious to pack it out empty.   I don't Care how often we go to do the Volunteer Cleanup, you can never keep on top of it.  But, every little bit is Helpful coz some of it has sat out there for over 50 Years otherwise.  I'm not being hyperbolic, I've picked up Cans that had the detachable Pull Tabs from the 1970's!!!   So those Cans did indeed sit out in Nature as discarded Trash just that long and nobody had picked them up before I did!!!  And, being I take all my Aluminum to be Recycled for sure, at least they don't end up in some Landfill either.  About 90% of Aluminum used is already Recycled, so it's important to Recycle as much as we can so we don't have to create more of it.

I've been "Green" long before it was a Popular Movement and a Tree Hugger Environmentalist my entire Life without apology.  My Dad was for his entire Life before me, I Hope my Children and Grandchildren continue to follow our Example and carry it on into their Futures as well.  They know I always have done it, so in the Doing of anything Positive that leaves every place better than you Found it, and better for you having been there making an Intentional Positive Difference, you set the Best Example of how to Live Life Right and do the Right Thing, not just the Easy Thing.  I enjoy doing it and it's good exercise too, since I haven't been getting to The Gym early enuf, most Mornings I don't have it in me and by later in the day I'm too Tired.  I've got to get back into going consistently tho' coz I'm paying for a Membership.  

And I like my Gym a lot and I like going there once I get motivated to get there.  *Smiles*  And I feel better after a Workout and time spent on the Hydrotherapy Bed and the Steam Sauna, and a nice Shower there.  I did do one more Crate in The She Shed too, but it's so Humid and Hot now, that's all I could do before Tapping Out.   I didn't mind since I don't wanna do a lot of Work now, I did all my Todaying for Today already before Noon.  *Smiles*  Now I'm gonna Read some Blogs and get caught up on what' ya'll are up to?  *Winks*   Well, I got thru my Blog Roll on my Sidebar and caught up, some of you had been prolific at your Blogging so I did a Deep Dive into unread Archived Posts too.  Most of you have been up to more than I have.   Then I took a Siesta, as has been my Summertime Habit to escape the Heat of each Day.  *Smiles*

And while Napping a Clever Blog Post Title Hook came to me, which was just Weird that I was Blogging in my Sleep, but I was. Which means Life must really be shit if that's what I'm Dreaming about now?!  *Ha ha ha* And when I Awoke, I Wrote it down coz it isn't often a Clever one comes to Mind, even when Awake, let alone, Asleep!  *LOL*  So, the very next Post, that'll be the Clever Title Hook I speak of.  *Winks*  The damned Landline House Phone had kept ringing incessantly while I was Napping, so it wasn't a blissful uninterrupted Siesta anyway.  Most were likely Spam and Scam Callers, but one was The Niece and I probably would have and should have taken that one since she's supposed to be coming for a visit soon.  But, The Niece, Bless her, goes long on Phone Calls {like I do while Blogging}... and I just can't right when I Wake Up, be that engaging on a Call.  So, I'll try to remember to Call her later when I have ample time to be on a Call. 

Some folks LIVE on their Phone, I never have, never will, I think of it like a Leash that I'd rather not have on at all frankly.  I use my Phone mostly for Emergencies or in case I have one actually.  I am prone to even purposefully not having it with me if I don't want to be doing something and get interrupted with a Phone Call from anyone for any reason.  The Family Hates that... what if we have an Emergency, they wail and be all Dramatic that I didn't have my Phone with me?!  Then what the Hell are you calling ME for, Call 9-1-1!!!  *Smiles Wickedly*  Mostly I find that if you're not physically available, folks will Call you becoz they NEED something that they want YOU to DO FOR THEM... and so, no Device Leash, no Favors or Special Requests coming in like I'm the "Make A Wish" Foundation.  And that works Swell for me when I'm out doing something else.  Coz I Guard that Time and I am doing something else, so I don't wanna Take nor be Interrupted by Phone Calls.  *Smiles*  I don't get many Calls coz I don't give my Number out hardly at all unless you're in my Inner Circle.

Even most Businesses won't get my Cellphone Number, only the Landline.   Tho' those Smart Phones Spy on us and Listen to every fucking conversation going on, so you will get the Algorithm Feed about your last Conversation Topic.  So specific you know your Phone was Eavesdropping and I don't like that one bit actually, it's intrusive and too "Big Brother" for me.  My Conversations are Private even if they're of the mundane.   If I'm NOT Talking to you, then I don't particularly want or like the idea of you Listening In like you're some International Spook for the CIA or FBI gathering Intel on me and whoever I'm having Conversations with.   And I don't think anything I have to say warrants constant surveillance.  It barely warrants a Blog Post.  And yet, here we are!!!  *Ha ha ha*

I like really Weird shit and should have Bought the above Cased Metal Fillings Dental Teeth Model, or whatever it was, but I didn't and I don't even recall where I ever saw them at, or when exactly, it's an Old Pix.  *Le Sigh*   I was surfing thru a Deep Dive of my Photo Archives and it was one worth Re-Sharing, if I ever used it before, which, is doubtful.  I turn Photos used before in a Post, Sideways in their Archived Folder, so I'll know better it's been Shared, and this one wasn't turned.   Not that I haven't recirculated favorite Photos numerous time before, I have and I will.  But I do so enjoy my Deep Dives into the Archived Visuals, coz many times I've long forgotten what I've Photographed, the People, the Places, the Things, and that's like my actual Memory Storage Backup for my Memory Care Issues obviously Purging a lot of actual Memories from my Brain's Data Banks now. 

  Tho' I do possess a phenomenal Memory for what happened in the distant Past, it can be eerie sometimes the trivial inconsequential shit I remember.  Like the Lyrics to damned near every Old Song I ever Heard, mebbe haven't heard in 50 Years, 'til it Plays again and I Sing along, even if I never like the Song!  *LOL*  The Kiddos find it Amusing that I can Name That Song so quickly it blows their Minds when one comes on and I'm listening to some Oldies Station like "The Seventies On 7" and recall every damned Song they're Playing on there.  Coz to them, the 70's is like such Ancient History and they know if they asked me what I had for Breakfast or did I take my Medicine this Morning, I couldn't say for Sure, or if I even had Breakfast, or was it the Day Before that I did???  *Bwahahahaha* 

And speaking of Dredged up Pixs, here's an Old Pandemic Era Photo.  *LOL*  I kept all my Favorite Masks and keep them by the Front Door... you know, for the next Pandemic.   Since this Clown Show already has so much going Wrong and totally Sideways, with all the Cuts they've made in Firing the most competent and skilled in all our Agencies, Inspecting our Foods and other Safety measures... running with Conspiracy Theorists and Extremist Viewpoints, so much is already so contaminated now it's a virtual Laundry List of things you have to avoid due to the Risks now of consuming any of it!!!  Each Day it's yet another Warning being rolled out coz they're dropping the Ball on keeping us Safe or Healthy!!!  Clearly a lot of Companies are NOT self regulating appropriately so require checks and balances to make sure they're not supplying the Public with dangerous Products with contaminants and cutting corners or improper practices we wouldn't necessarily even know about without Inspectors and requirements to keep things Safe and Sanitary.

I got Great News from my Vendor Friend Amy, her 33 Year Old Son had that lengthy Emergency Surgery to remove the Cancer Doctor's found and it was successful.  They did have to take several feet of his Intestine, but, they think they got it all and he's out of the Hospital now and doing well.  *Whew*  Such a Relief!!!   I'm sure they'll now monitor him closely to ensure he remains in remission and it doesn't re-occur, but, seems like they may have caught it in time to remove it all and have it be contained enuf to do so.   She's already has such a tough Year with her Dear Husband's Health and her own, serious Health Issues and Emergencies, more than we've had and just about as constant.  This Son came back Home to live with his Parents and help them out thru their own Medical Crisis, so he didn't even know he was as seriously ill and in as much danger as he was with his own Health and Life!!!  He and his Parents are very close, his Older Brother isn't and is the Prodigal Child of the Family.  His Two Older Sisters are in the Military and Active Duty, so they can't just drop everything to be there for the Parents.  So Amy affectionately calls him "The Good Son".  *LOL*  And he is the Baby of the Family.

I'm enjoying Pixs I have of various Friends, most of them are Industry Friends and I do still see them fairly regularly, once a Month or so, which, for me is regularly.  *LOL*  I don't get out much and have been waning therefore in my Pathological Picture taking for Blog Fodder.  So, I'm glad when either Friends get in front of my Lens voluntarily and are Good Sports about me Sharing Pixs of them, or, send me good Pixs of themselves that we Share with each other on Social Media.  Some have even gotten me in front of The Lens for a change, which doesn't happen very often and I take hideous Selfies, so gave up trying to learn the Art Of The Selfie.  The Grandkids tried to show me how they always get such exceptional Selfies, but, I think in part, it's the Subject matter, you know?  How can they NOT look Cute!?!  When you're already Adorbs, you almost can't take a Bad Selfie!  *LOL*   And most of the Family and my Friends are so damned Photogenic, so they always take great Pixs that turn out really good and won't embarrass anyone, coz you can't Hate a good Pix of yourself.

Adorable Minnie I don't think has ever taken a Bad Pix in her whole Life... and she's got such Style and is a tiny little Sprite like Princess T is.  So they look Cute in almost anything they wear too.   Princess T joked that Miss Minnie is so Ageless that pretty soon in Years to come, she's gonna look Younger than my Granddaughter when they take Pixs together!!!  And that might be True, coz I've got Pixs of Minnie before Princess T was even Born and she looks exactly the same as she does right now, even is the exact same Size as well as Ageless, as my Granddaughter we be at turning 21 next Month!!!   And Minnie's own Grown Daughters look like they could be her Sisters and not her Kids.  She hardly wears any Makeup and is just Naturally Radiant, in Personality too, everyone Loves Minnie.

And my Vendor Friend at BAAM, Sarah, with her Dear Husband.  Their Booths used to be right by my Old Showroom when I had Room #114 in the Back of the Antique Mall.  They still have those Spaces and you can find everything 1950's Retro in them coz Sarah Lives and Breathes that Era 24-7 and 365 and is like a 1950's Pinup Gal.   She too is a tiny little Sprite but she said she didn't always used to be that way.  She is a Living Testimony of successful extreme Weight Loss and keeping it off, since, at one time she was Morbidly Obese and has dealt with chronic Depression.   But you'd never have known it if she didn't share her Story and she's kept it off and has such a bubbly buoyant Personality that you would not think she battles chronic Depression.   She and I candidly talk openly about Mental Health and feel it should be discussed without shame, embarrassment, fear or condemnation or bias more.  Society struggles to accept that the Brain is just another complex Body Part that sometimes has been afflicted with Illness or Disability too.

 

With the Heat I've been sequestering Indoors before Noon onwards now until we get us some Fall temperatures, it's just too Hot.  So, even going to my Events, I try to get Home before Noon now and don't stay all that long, the Commute almost takes me longer to get Downtown where they're at.  I haven't been to the Desert Botanical Gardens much this Year either so my Membership for 2026 has hardly been worth the expenditure, I may not even bother to renew for 2027.  I Love going there and Supporting the Gardens, but with rising costs of everything, I just am re-assessing what to spend Money on and how much I use what I would spend it on. 

  Gas isn't going down much and keeps rising dramatically, so commuting Costs are now a huge part of the Budget.  And City driving in a Metropolis is just expensive by the very nature of heavier Traffic and distance... since the Metro Phoenix area spans a lot of Miles across now.  Roughly 50-60 Miles from East to West and 30-40 from North to South... covering 14,500 Square Miles.  Maricopa County spans 137 Miles East to West and 102 Miles North to South.  The City of Phoenix alone, not counting the huge Sister Cities banking up against it that make up the Metro Area, is 517.9 Square Miles.   You have to factor all of that in, and density of Traffic, when commuting anywhere in the Valley to get to any destination.   I'm pretty good at calculating the Time it takes, for the most part, depending on Traffic and any Detours or Accidents.  But, the Cost factor keeps rising to do any of it now.

In Real Time and way before this Post will Publish, it's not even my Birthday yet, Four actual Days to go, but I'm calculating Costs to do whatever I wanna do for that day and assessing how much of it to outlay for, or just not do?   It will be a Me Day to do as I please and falls on a day when none of the Kiddos has to Work, which is handy since I'm everyone's form of Transportation to and from Work.   But, Budget is tight and that damned Roof Cost to repair the Storm Damage is still a big ole' Question Mark and the Roof Guy never did show up yet and it's getting Late so I'm doubting he will now.   Mebbe his Office did remind him I'd Cancelled, tho' he'd called again after that to say he was still coming by, mebbe he reconsidered it being a waste of time?  Who knows?   And I realize most Roofing Companies are more Salesman pitch to upsell Replacements rather than any Repairs, than what the Job should be anymore.   And I dislike that tactic immensely, it pisses me off and then I would never do Business with a Company that deploys those Tactics.

Above are my Dear Industry Friends Aliyah and Cyndie.  I'll be seeing them just after my Birthday.   The Event they'll be Working, "Sweet Salvage", is Celebrating a Birthday too, 15 Years!!!   So, the Theme is going to be "Time Well Spent".   Aliyah used to work at our Antique Mall when she was a Teenager and before she got Married and started her Family.   Below is her with the Mini Me she has at Home, who looks just like Mama.  She's a Modern Hippie so we've always gotten along fabulously coz we share a similar Vibe even tho' we're Two Generations apart in Age.   She used to be a Model and a Female Body Builder who Competed in that Industry, so she's always been very Health conscious and fit Young Woman, she's the one that turned me on to some tasty Vegan Foods that I now like enuf to eat regularly, since I do like Veggies, Fruits and things eaten Raw and Natural, more than Meat anyway.  And Cyndie is a very Talented Jewelry Designer, she Marries Antiquities with Modern Elements to make Jewelry of them and I've Collected her Creations for Years and Years now.  So I have quite an extensive Collection of Cyndie's Work. 

 

I'm gonna have a Sick Kid Home Today coz Princess T has an upset Stomach and will be Calling In to Work Sick.  Her Cat is yowling for his Wet Food like he's starving to death at 5:30 in the Morning, coz he knows I'm up and just came in from dropping The Son off at Work.  *Eye Roll*  I think I may go to The Gym early then, nobody will be there at this Hour and I can use all the Equipment... but, then, I remembered, they're Cleaning both the Steam Saunas and the Showers this early so you can't use them... so, scratch that bright idea.  *LOL*   I like doing both more than exercising.  *Ha ha ha*  And there's no way I'd spent over Two Hours exercising until they open up the Saunas and the Showers at 7:00 a.m..  I wouldn't last that long coz my Bones ache when it's Rainy, and it has been.

In fact, we got Water in The RV Garage Mahal, but Thankfully it's not coming from the Roof.  I think it came in under the Doors due to the Sideways Rains, but it got a lot of stuff Wet that now I have to try to dry out.   One is a Native American Navajo Wool Rug, which smells like a Wet Dog when it gets Wet... so I'll have to Hand Wash it and then Dry it out when the Sun gets really Hot by Midafternoon.  It got saturated coz it's a large Runner sized Rug, but it sopped up a lot of the Water that otherwise would have gotten elsewhere, so, that was fortunate really that it worked like a Sponge barrier.  I'm nervous about the Roof damage since we're having so much catastrophic Rain.  Even our Sandbags didn't hold up to last Night's Rain so it came all the way up to the House. 

 Luckily, coz we have Irrigation, our Home's Foundation is Raised up by about 6 inches so it didn't get Inside the House.  *Whew*  And we'd also Raised everything on the Back Porch up on Bricks so that helped them not get Wet.  It doesn't look great to have everything raised up but it stop it getting Flood damaged.  They were showing on The News the Storms Wind and Flood damage, we're among the Luckier ones from the devastation some folks experienced to their Property.  Big Trees were uprooted and tossed around onto Houses and Vehicles.  Some Roofs were literally ripped completely off exposing the Interior of Buildings, so everything Inside got Flood Damaged.   Our City got the 84 mph Winds, but most got around 65 mph Winds, which still is no Joke.  We saw some areas where every Tree was ripped out of the ground, and Street Signs were also ripped out of the ground, like a Tornado had whipped thru.  I'm getting concerned if we get too many of these incidents, Hazard Insurance will stop covering our Communities.  That's happened in some States.

Anyway, other than all that, everything is Swell.  *Eye Roll and Sighs* I've been watching a Japanese Movie, with English dubbing, about their Nuclear Disaster in 2011, it's really good in spite of being a Foreign Film.  The Acting is exaggerated, and Cultural nuances evident, but the content of the Movie is based on a True Story and has been done quite well in a Series Type Movie, so it's pretty long and I'm only about halfway thru it.  The NetFlix Series overall have been worth watching and we're still getting Amazon Prime coz Allen is paying for it.  Our Cellphone Carrier is providing the other Cable Channels on our Plan, we hadn't even known that for a long time so had been paying for something for Months that we get with our Carrier as a Bonus!!!  Anyway, I don't watch much TV but it has made getting stuck inside due to Weather worthwhile to have something to relax and do.  The Man won't watch the good things provided, he is content with his Reruns of his Shows.  *Shrugs*

The other day The Son noticed his Dad had been "watching" a Screen Saver for over an Hour!!!   He got very concerned and talked to me about it and gently told his Dad, hey, Dad, this isn't a Show, it's just your Screen Saver Scenes, let me Help you put it on your Shows Okay?  His Dad let him, but, of coarse it made The Son Emotional that his Dad had been thinking the changing Screen Savers was an actual Show to watch for an Hour and not realize what it was!!!  He's doing things like that and I know it's a progression of his Demential related illness, but, it does kinda break your Heart.  I try to see the Dark Gallow's Sic Humor in it, or I'd probably not Cope with it well either.  But I can't Stop it, and I'm only Serving to slightly slow the progression down with some of the Exercises I have him doing to stimulate his Brain a bit, like we did with the TBI.  The Dementia is different tho', so not responsive to the same things that Healed some of the Traumatic Brain Injury and regained a lot of Function for him in spite of TBI.  His Brain is going to mush more with the Dementia and not Rewiring itself.  After my Stroke I worked tirelessly on Rewiring my Brain and it was real Helpful to.  Coz I could tell my Brain was Glitching.

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Very unusually Wet tidings from a Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian