Finally Some Good News To Report... And Of Coarse Drama Too...

 I never did make it to the Recycle Center, it was 105 Outside, I forgot my Phone, and so I couldn't dally in case Princess T got off early again, which, she did, by 1:00 p.m. this day.  So after the Bank Deposit I went in to a GOODWILL nearby and found way too much good stuff cheap, but it added up to a lot spent.  I didn't have the 20% Off Coupon coz I don't get it anymore once my Old E-Mail Closed down.  But, half of what I got can Sell for way more than I Paid, which makes what I keep for myself be Free to me, so... whatever.  *LOL*  Some Retail Therapy is fine, I've Budgeted really well lately due to increased costs of stuff we hafta have and only bought Essentials mostly and not done discretionary spending.  Plus, my Granddaughter has insisted on buying a few things I did want that weren't Essential.

All work and sacrifices with no play would make Dawn a dull Gal anyway, Right?  *Winks*  Princess T doesn't mind the reduced Hours even tho' of coarse it means smaller Paychecks, she's enjoying having some time off getting out earlier each day.  The Son said the same about his Job actually.  Since both are Minimum Wage Jobs it's not like losing a few Hours makes much more difference when the Salary isn't enuf to support you and live on any way that you'd cut it and work your Ass off.  Plus with everything increasing in costs and the Economy Tanking and not looking promising, you can only stretch a Buck so much and you might as well enjoy Life even if you're Broke.

The Son had one Collection Call and used the tactic I'd taught him, they've never called him again and Wrote Off the Debt he owed.  *LOL*  He said he felt so much better too using it like Free Therapy and telling the Debt Collector all his Problems and that No, he'd never be able to pay them, but, when are you calling again coz this has really helped me Mentally to Cope with my Situation.  The Collector said Never and he meant it, pretty sure they Flagged the Account and just Notated it would be best to Write if Off coz he kept the Collector on the Phone for well over an Hour dumping all his Worries and Sad Tale on the poor Guy.  *Bwahahahaha*

  I used to run Collections Depts. and Four Minutes is considered maximum time to spend per Call.  It's not Cost effective to have one Debtor take up 1.5+ Hours on a Call and then not be able to pay you anyway.  And it's way Cheaper than Therapy and on the Creditor's Dime... Win-Win.  *Winks*  Nobody wants to Hear you or Listen to your Problems, but they Called YOU and asked why you're behind, so, dump the whole Bale if you have to, you'll feel better for having unloaded and you can Thank me later.  You can't pay anyway, so, what the fuck, nobody usually likes and mostly dreads getting Collection Calls, not me, Free Therapy if they really wanna know why the Payment is Late or they'll never get it.  *Smiles*

I like to pay what I Owe and Honor my Commitments.   But I realize sometimes people are in a shitty position with the Issues of Life and the Economy or Circumstances, so they just can't.  No matter how hard they Worked, how Responsible and Honorable they are, shit happens, Life happens.  Sickness, Death, Job Loss, Underemployment, Inflation, Unemployment for a longer period than expected, Eviction or inability to afford the Essentials, Medical Debts, Emergencies, Crisis, Disability... there's so many things that can derail even the best made Plans and unravel Life on the turn of a Dime.  I know firsthand how difficult it is to start over, more than once, when the bottom falls out in Life and you just have to Deal with it in Real Time and on The Fly... adapt, regroup and improvise.

It is a Small World sometimes.  We went to our new Fav BBQ Restaurant and another Customer started talking to us about the new item on the Menu, the Burnt Pork Belly Bites, which we Love, they do 'em Fried too and they're new on the Menu. She was asking our Opinion about them so we got to talking. The Lady was half Black and half Cherokee and happened to be from the same Rez as my Dad's Family there in Oklahoma.   So, the Owner, who looks White and is Blonde with Green Eyes, walked up and says she overheard me and the Lady talking and her Grandmother was Cherokee from Tahlequah too!  But that their Family got Written Off the Tribal Rolls when her Gramma Married a White Man.  And they didn't like her being so Light and White looking.  Well, they don't Like it, I says, my Dad's Family didn't approve of him Marrying my European Immigrant White Mom either.  And they really didn't like me being so Light either and looking more White than Indian.

So she was saying she can't trace her Heritage back much since it was erased on her Grandmother's Side due to the Interracial Marriage being scorned and some of the Children, like her, turning out so Light.  I can relate to that, she had the high Cheekbones but is way Fairer than me, but I told her my Dad's Tribe from both of his Parents weren't Cherokee, they were Darker Indians from the East Coast and just sent West to live among and Marry into the Cherokee Tribe, which, almost all of them have done now for Generations.   They all grew up way different than I did being my Dad remained in the Military and made it a 27 Year Career, so we were Global Nomads and I had exposure to many places and other Cultures around the World and here in the United States.  I Value that Experience and Lifestyle, and of coarse Married a Career Military Man too who is well Traveled as well and appreciated how much more of the World he was exposed to in his Career, since he came from a very Homogenous Insulated LDS Culture in Utah.  

 Dad has one Older Sister who did Marry a Creole Cajun, originally from Louisiana.  But he was half Indigenous and half Black with a French Surname, but from Canadian French Ancestry and they moved up near Canada eventually.  I remember his Name was Amedee Nadeau and he was as Dark as my Aunt Irene was.  She was very Dark, as was Dad's Older Brother too.  Often people thought my Darker Relatives were Black rather than Native American.  My Aunt Gil, Dad's Youngest Sister, Married a Mixed Race Man who was Indigenous Guanche Aboriginal mixed with Spaniard Ethnicity from the Canary Islands.  Due to that blend my Cousin ended up often being mistaken as being Inuit by my Friends who would ask how I had an "Eskimo" Cousin?  *Smiles*  People never realized Eskimo is an outdated Umbrella term that is usually considered Offensive, for either the Inuit, Inupiaq or Yupik People.  We're such a Heinz 57 Mix now that people aren't really sure what we are?  When I got Married my MIL's 1st Question to her Son was, "What Nationality ARE these People?"  Loaded Question.  *LOL*

 Anyway, I could certainly relate to her not being able to Trace Back much of her History of Ancestry though, and it is frustrating and a permanent Mystery then if Word of Mouth has inaccuracies, embellishments, or Blanks not filled in.  Or Family/Community Outcasts due to Marrying or having Children outside of your Race.  Our lineage Dead Ends too due to lack of information and even Adoptions outside of Tribes, since Mixed Race Children way back then were often killed, so sometimes they became Foundlings so Infanticide wouldn't happen to them.  And sometimes Childless Non-Indian Couples took pity on them and took them in.  That's what happened to my Paternal Grandfather, he was a Foundling, so likely a Mixed Race Child from a Local Tribe.  Somewhere in the vicinity of the general Vermont area, mebbe Abenaki or even Blackfoot, whose Language is Algonquian.  We don't know, no Written Records, Family speculation and Word of Mouth recounts passed down, accuracy unknown.  

My Grandma said she was of Wampanoag Tribal Ancestry.   And on Mom's side, well, the Didi Kai {Mixed Race with Roma} Relatives didn't keep Records either.  I Wish I could find out more, Ancestry dot com didn't help much at all either tho' they did pinpoint places of origin from Hundreds of Years ago being East Coast of the United States and North Wales, which, would be accurate Ancestral Homelands for sure.  It had the 21% Other Of Undetermined Origin part and a 1% Turkish, which was unexpected... but Mom had said there are a large population of Romani People originally from Turkey, so that Tracked for my Maternal Gran-Gran's Heritage accounts.   Above is The Man with a tinier Princess T sprawled out on him, she had bad Separation Anxieties so often would only fall Asleep on our Laps or in Bed with us and then we'd carry her to her own Bed Asleep.  After a while she just had a Cot at the end of our Bed, so she wouldn't wake up at Night and have a Panic Attack.  That's a faux Tattoo on her Arm, we bought them for her or she'd draw all over herself making "Tattoos".  She did that clear up into her Teens.  *LOL*

 I digress, my Welsh Gran-Gran too was Adopted out to a Chinese Childless Couple with Four of his Younger Siblings.  Six of his Older Siblings stayed with their Widowed Mom, who was Didi Kai Heritage and couldn't support 11 Children coz she and her Children were Illiterate. The Gypsies often didn't attend School.  But my Gran-Gran spoke Three Languages fluently, could fix anything, he just couldn't Read or Write in any Language.  I didn't know he couldn't coz he's pretend to Read, only sometimes he held the Newpaper or Letters upside down and that's how I found out, when I was a Teenager visiting him in Wales.  My Nanna was well Educated and Read to him. 

 From what my Mom recounted of my Gran-Gran's Mom, her Paternal Grandmother, she was a fierce scary Woman that didn't like that her Son had Married an Irish Woman, my Nanna... even tho' Nanna was also of an Indigenous Ethno-Cultural Minority group of Ireland who also lived Nomadically.  So they had more in common than the Non-Nomadic of Great Britain.  Mom said her Nain {Welsh for Grandmother and pronounced like Nine}, would put Curses and Spells on folks, and dressed very Old School Roma, so everyone Feared her, including my Mom and her Siblings.  There are very few Photos of even my Grandparents on either side of the Family, or my Parents in Childhood either, since they never owned a Camera... so absolutely none of my Great-Grandparents.  I don't know any existed of them?  As a Pathological Picture Taker, I lament that absence of Visual Family History too.   We just have the Stories passed down.

  But, in all Cultures there's biases and hierarchies or Tribalistic Behaviors, I think it's ingrained into our Species and I don't pretend to understand it.   Once you're blended you just tend to be more inclusive and less inclined to all that devisive "Othering" going on.  To me there's only One Race, the Human Race... the rest are Man Made Constructs.  Genetically we're identical, just like various Breeds of Canines are by their DNA... or Felines are by theirs.  I always end up bonding easily to other Mixed Race People, Society treats us about the same... contingent upon Society's Hang-ups.

 We had such a nice chat and she gave us a Hood Hookup of some Free Food to take Home, which was so Sweet, coz we ate there but told her we're a Multigenerational Family and were bringing the rest Home to feed the Kids and Grandkids.  She said we come in all the time and she appreciated that.  It's her Brother's Restaurant and she came out to Arizona from Georgia to help him set it up a Year ago and run it, their Mom Retired here in Arizona and why her Brother moved out here, coz the Mom was getting Lonely and wanting Family close by.  She said their Family does Generational Living too, most anyone with Indigenous Heritage does, or Immigrant Families from many other Cultures and Countries.  It's more an American thing not to.   She too likes Multi-Generational Living as she's getting Older as well, I agree, each Generation helping the others out is mutually beneficial so long as everyone contributes.

The Daughter's Friend Jesus just brought a truckload of things she and he cleaned out of a House for their Friend Darren, Jesus works for Darren and The Daughter is doing Work for Darren too.  He's an Old Rancher who owns several Mini Farm Properties near The White Tank Mountains out near where Jason lives, he and Jason are Lifelong Friends and own Properties out there.  Anyway the Hoard was from a Barn Cleanout of someone who Collected Vintage and Antique items.  Some got Weather and had to be tossed, but they hauled stuff away that didn't have to end up in the Landfill and Darren said to The Daughter, I know your Mom Sells and Collects stuff like this, see what you all could use or Sell and keep the Money. 

 He just wanted and needed it cleaned up and gone, so he didn't care how she and Jesus disposed of it.  Jesus is a nice Guy about her Age, Married, has his own Pool Cleaning Business and tho' he's Hispanic, he's so Weto he looks like a White Guy, Light Brown-Blondish Hair, very Fair Complexion, Light Eyes, but has a thick Spanish Accent.  When he first met The Daughter since she speaks Spanish as fluently as he does, he thought she was like him and just Weta.   That's her Nickname in Mexico for all the people she knows there anyway, so she laughed about that and told Jesus he can just call her Weta if he wants to, it's her accustomed Nickname and she doesn't take Offense.  Even tho' it is Slang and sometimes used in derogatory ways for Guerita, referring to a Person who is Fair-Skinned and/or Light-Haired.  All the Grandkids in Mexico I have are considered Wetas.  And it can be difficult for them being Mixed Race there.  But it would be here too.

My Godson sent me a Video, with him growing a 1980's Style Porn Mustache.  *LOL*  I didn't know how to get the White Arrow off the Mustache or get a good Still Image of his Video.  I actually helped Deliver him at his Birth.   He's a Life Flight Paramedic and the Oldest Grandchild of my BFF who Sadly Passed Away this Year of a long Battle with Cancer.  She and I were like Sisters and closer than she was with her Biological Sister.   So their Family is like Family and we call each other Family, so most people never knew we weren't Biologically connected.  Our Kids have introduced each other as Cousins since they could Talk and Walk.   And her Youngest Daughter often helped Babysit The G-Kid Force too, it's her and Princess T Below during a Halloween.  She's the Daughter that took her Mom in and did the Caregiving up to her Death as well so that she didn't ever have to go into Hospice and could be with Family right up 'til she Crossed Over.

   And my Friend often Babysat Princess T and The Young Prince for me after The Man's Medical Military Forced Retirement, even long before his Traumatic Brain Injury, so that I could still Work.  Coz it took almost 2 Years to begin getting his Veteran's Disability Payments, so my Income Supported us thru that whole Ordeal of Qualifying him for his 100% VA Disability disbursement.  His Pensions kicked in too, and then we had more Options for me to become a Full Time Unpaid Caregiver.  Tho' he had been Medically Retired by the Military, it's still a Process to have them decide percentile of Disability and then you receive your Payments Monthly for Service Related Injuries.  Allen was Rated 75% and still hasn't received his first Disability Check yet.  So, anyway, her Grandson and The G-Kid Force were often together in early Childhood like Cousins too, just like her and my Kids were while Growing Up.  I'm still Aunty Dawn to him.  He went thru College and has turned out so well.  His Mom actually put herself thru College being a Corona Girl and working at Hooters, and became an Attorney for the IRS, so I'm Proud of her too.  He now has Three much Younger Siblings who are still Minors.

 My Friend actually Raised this Grandson until he was 8 Years Old and then he went to live with his Mom, whose my Friend's 2nd Oldest Daughter and had him way too Young.  She was only in her early Teens, and was seduced by a Grown and Married Man who should have caught Charges for having an Affair with a Minor.  He was a Transport for At Risk Youth from the Projects and was having Relations with several Underaged Girls.  The Families all Settled out of Court.  All the Families were Poor living in the Projects and so a Settlement to help Raise these Children this Man Fathered was preferable to receiving nothing at all and putting their Underaged Girls thru the process of a Criminal Trial. 

 As you know from the whole Epstein Files Case, not very many of these types of Crimes has any actual Justice and Victims as well as their Families know this unfortunate Fact, even if they tell Authorities and Report it, which, my Friend did.  Notoriously hard to Prosecute when Children are the Victims, and it's usually covered up due to Liability Issues of the proportions and extent it has gone on and where, or who might have known and said or done nothing, and Hush Money paid to Victims and their Families or Threats to Silence them and make them Fearful of Testifying.   And it's a harrowing Ordeal to put a vulnerable Child Victim thru, they've already been thru enuf Trauma being Victimized by an Adult Child Predator(s).  It's why it bothers me so much we have a Pedophile President that anyone Supports knowing he's an adjudicated Sex Offender. 

 And has bragged about what he does and did, and can get away with due to his Status, and other Pedos he was very close Friends with, including Epstein, but not limited to just Epstein.  He Paid Off the Family of a 12 Year Old Girl he Raped... and that's of Record too.  He bragged about going into the Dressing Room of Teen USA Contestants, who were Underaged, while they were in various states of Undress!   That's a Serial Pedophile, Sexual Predator, and Pervert any way ya cut it.  Irregardless of his Laundry List of the numerous other extremely Serious Crimes he's committed and caught Felony Charges for and was Convicted, and is still being Investigated for {Money Laundering and War Crimes being the newest and most recent}, the Sexual Perversion and Crimes alone should be enuf we don't and shouldn't want him as our President IMO.  It shouldn't even be up for Debate really, yet, here we are... dysfunctional fucked up America 2026, on Display and a Spectacle for the Whole World to see.  How did it come to this I often Wonder?  It disgusts me.

Anyway, Moving On again... to Positive stuff.  I led with Food Porn Imagery on this Post of Tonight's BBQ in Real Time.  We tried their Fried Okra as a Side, it was excellent, we'll order it again definitely.  And we're rather addicted now to the Burnt Pork Belly Bites, OMG, Sublime!!!  It's new on their Menu so it's not even on the Board yet, they just started carrying it and I'm glad, it's a great addition and option, they do it Two ways.  They Comped us the Loaded Mashed Potatoes, Two Sides of it, which was an unexpected Surprise, but she said we've come in so often... so it was Sweet of her to give us some delicious Freebie Sides to take Home for the Family in Appreciation for us now being Regulars.  They are a really lovely Family that Owns the Business and we always Support Family Owned Businesses we've come to Love.  We know a lot of the Owners of Local Family Owned Restaurants.  Some we've gone to so long that now their Kids have Inherited running the Business their Parents or Grandparents Founded, and we watched them Grow Up!

I'm trying to feel more motivated to do things, so this Morning I started Environmental Cleanup before 7:00 a.m. and did it until 11:30 a.m., got a LOT of Aluminum Cans and turned them in Today too.  Lots of Kids having Soccer Games and Softball Games, lots of Adults on the Pickleball Courts.  There's a big new Pickleball Court and Soccer Field added to Friendship Park, which The Man and I call Duck Park coz the Lake always had tons of Domestic and Wild Ducks and Geese on it.  It had Rained last Night so it was Cooler but Mad Humid, I'd rather have the higher Temps and less Humidity frankly.  After I was done The Son and I took his Dad to "Whataburger" for Lunch, they have a $3 Ranch Chicken Wrap and a $4 Specialty Burger right now on Promo, both were good, his Burger was so large he had to take half of it Home to eat later.  

 

  My Wrap was just enuf and way bigger than expected for only Three Bucks.  They give First Responder Discounts but no Military Discounts so the Manageress hooked me up instead of a bunch of Coupons for next time. I hadn't realized "Whataburger" has been around since 1950.  Anyway, now we're back Home and I'm waiting for Princess T to get off Work, no idea if she's getting off early again, they've been getting reduced Hours a lot lately, coming Home 2-3 Hours earlier than their regular Shift.  For those who commute to Work a long way it's almost not worth them coming in if they get such reduced Hours on a Minimum Wage Job and Gas is so expensive.  We live so close it's not much to get her there in transportation costs.  She could actually Walk but I don't let her, too risk for a Young Woman Alone in the City, even on a Main Road.  I'd rather take her and pick her up to know she's Safe.

FINALLY I do have some Good News to report tho', Princess T's Friend and Co-Worker, Cathy, who had the Stroke at Work about 2 Weeks ago, well, she's doing fine and back to work from the Stroke at least.  She's still battling Cancer, but seems Jovial and her usual Self so the Stroke didn't cause any lasting damage Thankfully to her Brain or her Body.  *Whew*  I was so Happy to see her and that her Recovery from that was so encouraging, she said she feels like it didn't do anything damaging so everything was caught in time due to immediate Response.  Princess T feels good that she was the one who noticed it and called for Emergency Services to be sent.  The Fire Dept. is just down the Street so they arrived quickly and got her to a Hospital quickly that specializes in Strokes.  Same Hospital I was taken to when I had mine.  So, that's at least some Uplifting Positive News for a change... we'll take it!!!

Tomorrow I take The Daughter to do a Cleaning Job for a Friend of mine who lives in Chandler.   So, I'll probably go to a couple favorite places while I'm way over there in the Far East Valley while she's Working.  If she is busy Working Jobs for folks we know then she's thinking less about the Boyfriend's Murder and upcoming Funeral.  And her Friends have rallied around her so that she doesn't have to be or feel Alone either, which is Helpful as well.  I went to the Discount Grocery and stocked up on Essentials, got $25 Off with my Frequent Shopper Credit built up there, which was nice and Budget friendly, since everything there is already discounted.  Plus they have Weekend Specials, so I got Cereals, Brand Names that the Kiddos eat a lot, for 99 Cents a Box.  And they had Canned Chili of various well known Brands, so I stocked up on that.  And on the Starbucks Coffees of various types Keurig Style Cups for our Coffee Maker.  And those Varieties of Single Serving Welch's Cranberry Drinks I stocked up on coz they're about out of them now. We're well set up for Autumn in our Pantry now.

The Man came with me, with having a Cart to hang onto he did really well walking around a big Grocery Store.  And it was helpful to me coz I had 2 Banana Boxes of Groceries, a smaller Box filled of Boxed Starbucks Coffees, and 10 Cases of the Welch's Cranberry Drink 24-Pacs.  Which meant Two full large oversized Grocery Carts.  With a 3-Generation Household you go thru a lot of Groceries quickly, so it sounds like a lot but won't last but a couple Weeks or so.  It was quite the Workout to Schlep all that into and out of the Truck, tho' at Home The Son helped me unload it, but it was 106 Degrees and Humid coz a huge Thunderstorm is coming, so Humidity was damn near around 80% I'm sure.  I was Sweating Bullets. 

 He's got a Concert Tonight and Tomorrow Night, both Won on a local Rock Radio Station he listens to, so since it's an Outside Concert for both Days, he's Praying it won't Rain it out?  He and his Navajo Friend Garrett are going since he Won 2 Ticket for each Concert and Garrett has often given him Free Tickets to go with him to Concerts before.  Neither of them is Dating anyone and don't like to attend a Concert alone.  Plus Garrett has a Vehicle and drives them.   The Son has been so Lucky at Winning Contests on the Radio Station for all kinds of things, especially Concert Tickets to really good Shows.  Even when he went to see "The Rolling Stones" here, he'd Won those Tickets.  He's hardly ever had to pay for a Concert in a long time.  Either he's Won Tickets and given one to Garrett too, or his Friend Garrett has bought him a Ticket if he'll go with him and they didn't Win the Tickets.  So, they've gotten to see a lot of good Rock Bands and Heavy Metal Bands lately and have a good time.

I jumped in the Pool to Cool Off before the Storm hits, and took some Pixs of my self-seeded Baby Palms that are Poolside, and self-seeded Baby Date Palm in the Pasture near the Grapefruit Trees, my flowering Queen's Wreath Vine, and my Flowering Cactus that are Poolside.  I'll Post the Images in another Post, this is already Photo Heavy and will go Long.  Now that the Storm is coming it's Cooling Down, Breezy and quite pleasant, until such time as it isn't when it hits full force.  I'm hopeful my Tarps on the RV Garage Mahal Roof hold up, no idea when our Claim Money will be released and arrive?  They approved it, will mail it to me, but then I have to get our Mortgage Bank Lender to release their Name off the Check so I can Cash it.  The initial Payment is small, the bulk won't be released 'til the Job is Done and Photographed for the Bank.  Then that Check will come to me, and the Bank has to release their Name off the Check so I can Deposit it and then pay our Contractor. 

 What a Rigamarole it has been.  I Hope to never have another Claim in this Lifetime!  This was our 1st one ever on our Homeowners, but, damn!!!  Over a Month since Filing and we haven't even been able to get the Replacement Roof started coz no Money to!   Our Roofer/Contractor is used to the Dog & Pony Show Insurance Claims are, so at least he's been Kind and Patient about it, knowing how Stressful this has been for us to have significant damage and have to go thru all of this too.  I can't even Imagine if your Home was damaged to where you couldn't occupy it safely, having everything taking this fucking long to get Approved and Settle a Claim!!!  I don't know if all Insurance are as bad as one another, I suspect due to catastrophic Weather due to Climate Change and all the Claims being filed constantly now, it's why everything is so cocked up all the more?  Arizona at least didn't have to declare a State of Emergency like some States had to. 

Rusty came over to Swim with Princess T, she hasn't Swam much this Summer, which is Surprising, she used to be in the Pool all of the time when we first moved here, but this Year not as much as previous Years.  But she said she wants to get a Tan now... kinda late in the Season to start one, but, even tho' she's Fair now, she was Dark as a Child, and is of Hispanic and Native American Heritage, with some Asian thrown in too, so she Tans quickly and Dark if she goes in the Sun.  Rusty is already a Dark Hispanic.  I was telling the Kids I heard the Funniest thing at the Pickleball Court Today.  Two Young Black Guys were getting ready to play and the Medium Brown one was busy applying Sun Shield Sunscreen and the Brother Darkness one said, "N---a, you don't Need Sunscreen!"  And the Lighter one said, "I do unless I wanna end up looking like you!"   And the White Guy with them says, "That's Cold. Anyway, what is it, about a SP 15 level?"   Well, I was walking by as this exchange happened and it was all I could do not to bust out Laughing my Ass off, coz that was a hilarious Comedy level exchange!

You sometimes overhear the funniest things when walking by folks.  Anyway, the Niece is already in Phoenix having Dinner at "Chino Bandido's" Downtown before making her way to our House.  She left Texas, went thru New Mexico and then Flagstaff, AZ, so took the Northern Route I guess.  She should be here by 6:00 p.m. and will be living with The Daughter in the 5th Wheel.  That will help me make the Payments on it too and give her a solid place to Land/Live, it wasn't Working Out with her own Family, they are highly dysfunctional and didn't appreciate all she was doing for them, spending on them, and the Caregiving she was providing for her Dad.  Her Two Younger Sisters and some of her Dad's Sisters were interfering even tho' they had never looked after him and knew he needed a Caregiver. 

 So, she resented them dictating to her how to do it and also being on her Dad's Side when she was trying to ensure his Dementia wasn't making his Life too complicated with the Bad Decisions he was constantly making by himself.  She was running too much damage control behind him and yet those Family Members were saying she was trying to "Control" too much of his Life and Finances.   And pretending he could make good decisions, which he wasn't, and even before the Dementia, he had gotten shot in the Head, so he's not been Right since that Gun Accident, which was self-inflicted and very suspicious.  Our Niece said that at the time he and the Young Stepmom were Divorcing and she's not sure if the Stepmom shot him, he shot himself distraught she was leaving him, or, Believe the Story they both concocted that it was an Accidental Shooting of some kind?  We'll never know, no charges ever filed, I guess Authorities Believed it was an Accidental Shooting and mebbe it was... mebbe it wasn't.  He's had Mental Health Issues for Years tho', so, you never know.  

She's much better off here living with us and I know how helpful she is coz she's been The Daughter's Roommate before when they were in their Teens, and lived just Two Apartments away from my Mom's Apartment, and helped her out a lot.   And, she's come for long Visits here before and been very Helpful, she's like a Family Member and we've known her all of her Life, we get along great, she Works hard and is good Company for The Adult Kiddos coz they all grew up together and have a lot of History and are very close.   The G-Kid Force don't know her as well as their Mom and Uncle do, she was around when they were much Younger more, less so as they got a lot Older.  She kept in Touch all of the time and has come for Visits over the Years tho', we do a lot of Online and Phone contact when she'd lived in Massachusetts, Oklahoma and Texas... when she had her I.T. Jobs.   She worked for Major Companies Designing and Maintaining their Computer Programs and Troubleshooting any Problems they had with the Technology.  She said AI is taking a lot of those Jobs from Experienced Humans now.  Glitch said the same thing.

She does a lot of GIG Work now and has an I.T. Job lined up here in Phoenix, which is why she could move back coz they want her to start Working for them by the 14th, which was way sooner than she had expected to start.  She applied and thought it would be November before they'd need her, but they asked if she could start right away and when we said she could just live here, she could accept those Terms and not have to worry about finding an affordable place to live locally before she starts getting her Salary.  She doesn't know many folks in Arizona now except for us since most folks we mutually knew have either Moved Away or Passed Away now.   Plus, she said most of who she knew had Married and have Families now too.  So, nobody to be Roommates with except my Two Kiddos who aren't Married and have never been Married.  She's a Lesbian but hasn't been in a long term Relationship for Years now and will never have Children.   But never really wanted any.  It would be more Humans to worry about and try to Support.  *LOL*

 She's great with Kids tho', so it's a shame she never was a Mom, she'd of been a good Mom, I'm sure of it.   She's been a terrific Aunt to her Two Sister's Four Children they had between them.  Her Middle Sister has Twins, Boy & Girl, but her Ex has Custody coz she is a Recovering Addict and Alcoholic.  Her Youngest Sister has a Daughter and a Son, both Grown now, she was a good Mom and a Single Parent too after her Divorce... but has been in a long term Relationship with the Boyfriend she now has, whose originally from Cuba, his Family Immigrated and are quite Affluent Cubans.    Sadly, tho' all Three Sisters used to be so close, now they're all estranged... things got very complicated between them all and the Family dynamic being so dysfunctional has never been helpful to reconciliations. 

 It's always Drama and a Headache and I can see why she is Done with all that, she said having her Peace and less Negativity and Criticism is more of a Priority now she's in her later 40's, I agree.  She doesn't have any of that with our Family.  She knows if someone is even Smelling like Drama and a Headache, I nip that shit in the Bud!  *Winks*  The only thing that could be difficult for The Man, even tho' he's known her for almost all of her Life too, ever since he met me, is, she's a Talker.  And, he's not a Conversationalist at all and now he's got Dementia, he gets irritated if anyone wants to Talk to him and he doesn't wanna Listen or be bothered.  *LOL*  I told the Niece that her Uncle Ron may need more Quiet Time than ever before and not to Personalize it.  Since her own Dad has Dementia now too, she's probably a bit used to the Drill tho', he even sounded worse off than The Man's Dementia has progressed?  Plus, her Dad has always been a Jerk and The Man has had a more Caring and Endearing Personality, so is probably less Mean Spirited than her Dad has gotten with the Disease?  It just Amplifies how you already were.

It's like the Age Old Joke that someone says taking a Drug or a Drink Amplifies and Magnifies their Personality more and that's why they do it ... and someone responds, "Yeah, but what if you're an Asshole?"  *Winks and Laughs*  True that.  Anyway, now we're Old and have a full Household of People, The Man and I Guard our Quiet and Alone Time more than ever.  The Niece has lived Alone mostly so I think sometimes she's Lonesome and has been Starved for Company, so she can be a lot sometimes when she finally has someone to Talk to... be it in Person or over the Phone, so, she goes very Long.  I think once she's been around more People and settles in, perhaps she can Dial that back more?  She's a great Conversationalist tho' and I truly enjoy her Company.  She's got Genius Intelligence so she can discuss damned near anything in a very Intellectual way and without being patronizing, arrogant or Uppity about it.   

Some Intellectuals are Annoying as fuck, coz they feel and act so Superior to everyone else.  Many don't know as much as they think they do about everything, so you can't tell them anything, coz they act like they already know it all.  And sometimes they're as full of shit as a Stupid Person or Uneducated Person might be.  I don't Care if you have more Degrees than a Thermometer, I've still met some Educated Fools.  Their Arrogance is off-putting and Pretentious too, and if they're Boring as well... Yawn... I can't Tune Out and disengage to Drop Out fast enuf if they're not as interesting as they assume they are.  *LOL*   She's not like that at all.  Neither is Glitch, and he's definitely a Genius, but so Interesting, Fascinating, an all around Nice Guy, and knows so much, he's never said anything where I thought, he's full of shit or doesn't know what he's talking about.  *LOL* 

 The Niece and The Young Prince Geek Out talking way above my Head tho', they don't mean to, they just assume I'm as Genius as they are, and I'm pretty sure my IQ is much lower.  I remember when The Young Prince's Educators were SO impressed with his IQ and told me it was 148 and I'm like, "Oh...", coz I had no Idea if that was a Good Thing or a Bad Thing?!  'Til I Googled it Privately, and was then like, WOW!!!  *LOL*   The Niece and my Grandson are on the same Genius Wavelength and so their Conversations are much more Intellectual and Enlightened than the ones she has with the rest of us.  Not that we're Stupid, but, we're probably not at Genius levels either and we all know it.  *LOL*  I know what I know... and I don't know what I just don't know.  *Smiles* 

 And tho' The Son is very Smart, he said he was Stupid enuf too that he didn't even know he'd been in some Special Ed Classes all thru School!  Until one of his Friends who was in those Classes with him happened to say very recently, "Hey, remember our Special Ed Classes with _________ and ____________?"  And he's like, "We were in Special Ed!!!?"  *LMAO*  And I reminded him, well, you used to think your Detention Class was one of your Regular Classes too.  *Ha ha ha*  He even Introduced us to his Detention Teacher one Year in Grade School at Parent/Teacher Conferences, and she said that was a First for her!  And I said, well, he's in your Class every day, so, for him, it is one of his Regular Classes.  He doesn't even realize it's supposed to be a Correctional Behavior Class used for Punishment and Behavior Modification, he thinks it's Fun and he actually Loves your "Class" and the "Assignments" you give him!!!   *Bwahahahaha* 

  

Princess T didn't realize her Special Ed Classes weren't Regular Classes either.   Mostly coz all her Friends like Timmy were in them.  *LOL* The Daughter did tho', she used to call them her "Retard Classes" and her Teachers of them took Issue and told her they didn't like calling them that, they were "Special Classes" and so they'd prefer her to use the World "Special" instead.   And becoz most of the Kiddos in them were severely Developmentally Disabled and not able to Learn much, if anything Academic... and not Seriously Mentally Ill but Academically getting great Grades like she was, she told her Teachers, "Well, I'm not THAT kind of "Special"!  You do know most of these Kids don't even know they're here!!!   And you make me Babysit them, so, I think they're probably Retarded and I don't think I am a Retard or that I belong in these Classes with them, we're not Learning anything, and I'm not Stupid, I'm just Crazy."   They didn't like THAT Word either!  *LOL*

Oy, Yeah, I got the Phone Call coz they couldn't really gin her up or she'd start going Psychotic and throwing Furniture at them!  And frankly, I agreed with her, SMI Kids didn't need to be in Classes with severely Developmentally Disabled Kids coz the Point of Need is very different.  And she was absolutely Right, none of my SMI Kiddos Learned anything Academic really or not always met at their specific Point of Need in most of the Special Ed Classes, so, it was marginally helpful.  Mostly it was Helpful to Teachers and other Students in Mainstream Classes to just Warehouse the different Kids or those deemed Misfit Broken in Body or Mind Kids somewhere else.  Back when I was in School those Kids just stayed in Classes with the rest of us and actually I think it was more Helpful and Beneficial to them and to the rest of us.  It Taught us to be more Compassionate and Inclusive, more Accepting of Differences and Disabilities. 

 And our Teachers handled it just fucking Fine as I recall.  Some Kids got held back then if they couldn't keep Pace, so sometimes you'd just have a Kid or Two in Class a few Years Older than everyone else and they were doing a Grade or Two over.  Some Kids got put ahead, like me, coz I Bored easily and Learned quickly, so they let me skip Classes or do the Work of Higher Grades than I was in.  I'm pretty sure I was one of those Kids considered "Different" and a Handful, coz I have always had ADHD and been Bipolar, but they didn't have a Name or Diagnosis for that back then.  Or Medications for it.  They just told my Parents I was very Animated and Advanced in many ways, but a little bit of me would go a long way and I couldn't keep Still or be Quiet.   So they'd have to give me Extra and more Challenging Work to do in order to keep me Focused, on Task, not Disruptive, and Behaviorally Moderated.  *Bwahahahaha*  I Graduated earlier and Younger, with great Grades tho', so the Teachers did their Job even tho' I wasn't a Garden Variety "Normal" Child.

Well, The Niece just arrived, and Danae and Q are also here visiting the Adult Kiddos, so I've got quite a full house right now and will therefore end this here...  The Man will get Sensory Overload with all these Young People milling around now in his Space there in the Living Room... so, I will shuffle him around to where he's here in the Boudoir... coz I realized Q brought his whole Family, Wife, Kids... and some "Church's" Chicken... so, at least I don't hafta Cook, but my House right now is in shambles with Inventory everywhere and I don't know if everyone will have sufficient space to sit?!  Yikes, didn't expect this many People at once...  But, lotsa good Food and everyone visited with one another, but it became Sensory Overload for The Daughter and her Dad at one point, both being Emotionally Raw right now in different ways.

  Him with Sundowners and her with being Emotionally not in a good place or space yet in her Head due to the Boyfriend's Passing.  And how she felt a couple Weeks ago when we made the Arrangement with The Niece isn't how she's Feeling at this very Moment... due to circumstances taking a huge shift.  So, I just hope things even out over some time, she needs some Alone Time and I told The Niece to just give her some Space for a while to Process her Grief.  And The Man of coarse has trouble Peopling after 2 to 3 in the Afternoon, so he did pretty well and lasted 'til about 8:30 p.m. with late Company and loads of People actually.  Then he had to Tap Out and I knew it was well past Time for him to.   Company stayed 'til 10:40 p.m. coz it's a Weekend, but The Daughter has to Work Tomorrow so she needed to Tap Out too but didn't wanna feel Rude, she had a lot of the people over who'd come, to be with her, I entertained everyone knowing she'd started not doing well with the Sensory Overload... too many... all at once converging.  *LOL*

She doesn't really wanna be Alone and yet she can't take being around too many People either, so, it's complicated and the 5th Wheel is a Smaller Space to Share.  I don't think she'd prepared to receive The Niece Today either so didn't have everything in order in there.  Which, she would have, but then, the Murder happened, and it really derailed a lot and it's hung in a State of Suspended Animation of sorts while we Deal with the Unexpected and so much of it causing Emotional turmoil to work thru, and the Grief and Trauma factors as well.  I can handle lots of People being around better than most, and Q & Jennifer's Two Sons are Young but so well behaved, they really do well around having to endure an Adult focused gathering and enjoy coming to our Home, lots to see and ask Questions about.  *Winks and Smiles* 

 They're very Respectful and bring their Devices to play on, so they're mostly Quiet and it's not like you have to Entertain them, like some Kids seem to need the constant Entertainment Director foisted on Adults.  They remind me more of how we were expected to behave when our Parents were Visiting their Adult Friends.  And you Older folks know what I mean.  You knew better than to Act the Fool or misbehave as a Guest in someone's Home that your Parents took you to no matter how Bored you got or how bad you wanted to just go Home.  Anyway, The Son and Garrett are Home from the Concert, Garrett will just spend the Night in The Son's Room, there's a Queen Bed and a Recliner, he lives in Casa Grande and it's almost Midnight so we don't want him driving Home real Tired, he Worked Today before coming to get The Son to take them to the Concert, which lasted longer than expected, but was a good one.

The Daughter is now out Poolside talking with her Brother and Garrett, she didn't wanna be rude or an Ass with The Niece, it was just she wasn't in the Mood to chit-chat and act like everything is Fine, coz it's not right now for her, I understand.   She's finding out more gruesome details about what happened and it's disturbing... I knew it would be, with an impact at that Speed.  They're having him Cremated coz no way can the Mortuary make what happened to him presentable in any way... the Family never even wanted to see him in that Condition, which is best, The Daughter had already confirmed Identity and that was enuf for even One set of Eyes to have to See.  Some was covered of coarse, but she's finding out why it was and how far his Body was thrown upon impact... a ridiculous ways away from where he was hit and basically tore him apart... which is why they could only show her Body Parts with Tattoos to get an Identity.  Not all Body was still together and it's Traumatizing her to know.  I did say that with that level of Trauma, it would have been very likely Instant.  Not much Comfort, but perhaps some?

 

So, I do get it that she didn't wanna Talk about the fluff of life.  Or even everyday normal conversations about anyone's Job and what's going on with it, or Trip, or their Family dynamics being less than Ideal, or the Weather, or the problems Politically, anything really... not the Right Head Space to, Too Soon.  I have to gently remind any Guests that she's just not in the Mood or Emotional Bandwidth right now to Host Guests or be Entertaining or even all that Social.  I do Hope everyone understands that during a time of Grief and Shock, it's hard for someone to even go about a semblance of Normalcy.  She's wanted The Niece to be there with her coz she was having Issues with the Boyfriend, before he Died, and of coarse... no more Issues with thinking he might come by and they'd have complexities working out their separation, which was ongoing.   She often felt Afraid and didn't like being Alone out there in the 5th Wheel, so thought The Niece Sharing the Space would be great for the both of their Situations.  I agreed.  Also helped me out financially, that 5th Wheel costs me a lot and The Daughter can't help pay for it.

So, she's also Feeling a lot of Guilt.   And what she agreed to Weeks ago, now, she's thinking, wow, I have to Share Space, how's this gonna work out?  And that has put me on the Spot coz it's not like this wasn't extensively discussed first so everyone was On Board!  You agreed to something and you can't just suddenly change your Mind, it's not Fair to anyone whose now made the Arrangements... which means me and The Niece.  She's driven all the way out here from Texas, accepted the Phoenix Job Offer, knew she had a place to live here, we worked out the financials even between her and I.  Which, I didn't see much downside to at all so I don't want waffling now from anyone.  The Family tasks me with keeping this Shitshow going and making it all Square, and sometimes it means everyone has to adapt and improvise as things change, expenses mount, everything in Life being Subject to Change sometimes with little or no Notice.  Life happens, shit happens. 

 

I never expected to have to Share my Space with so many Generations either, but here we are and I'm fucking making it Work and making whatever Sacrifices are necessary.  I told The Daughter, well, if you need some Away Time, Sergio has Invited you to go to Mexico even before this happened with Mando, to Get Away.  So mebbe you should still consider a Month in Mexico at his place, to Process your Grief and have a big Manse on the Beach to be in where there's plenty of Space and Privacy.  Makes me feel a bit Crazy when I've coordinated things carefully, thought everyone agreed to what the Plan was... and then folks waffle at all, once things are beyond changing your fucking Mind!   Things will Work Out... but, each person has to do their part and stand by what they initially agreed to and extended an Invitation which has now been Accepted.

  I'm not putting The Niece in a bad position or feeling awkward, since, The Daughter suddenly feels some kind of way about something she Agreed to Weeks ago and now has 2nd Thoughts about.  I don't like that and made it clear.  She's not always Rational even when not under Stress, due to her Mental Condition, but she's also never been able to Support herself, pay Bills, Manage Finances, Live a Normal Life, so she has no point of reference that all the rest of us have had to, and we make it Work.  She's got the benefit of Family who will take Care of her, not everyone has that Privilege or Good Luck.  And Yes, cohabitating with many takes effort, mutual cooperation, and is harder than living Alone and only thinking about yourself exclusively.  I've never had the Luxury of only thinking about myself, Living Alone, and only having to worry about myself and my own Life or my own individual preferences, comfort and happiness. 

 There's more to consider, it's not all about you all of the time.  Sometimes The Daughter is so inside her own Bubble that she gets very Egocentric, it's why too she couldn't be a Parent, not Responsible enuf to make Kids THE Priority and make those necessary Sacrifices.  So, she didn't have to coz she couldn't and didn't Raise any of her Five Kids, not Well enuf to.   And her Brother sometimes snaps at her and says, Listen, me, Mom and Dad Raised your Kids, which wasn't easy for any of US either.  I was here from Age 13 helping them with the Kids when they needed it, you weren't.  So, don't be so Self-Centered and Selfish, it's not all about you, sometimes you have to suck it up Buttercup and put the Big fucking Girl Panties on and realize Life means compromises coz you're not the only one in it.   Schizophrenics have a very difficult time relating to other People or our Points of Reference and Obligations... coz pretty much they Live Full Time in their own Alternate Reality of a Mental Fog... and Relational detachment... and inability to be completely Functional without Assistance from everyone else they rely upon.

 Of coarse that Truth goes over like a Lead Balloon, but, sometimes it has to be said.  And he's telling her now is not the time to get Dramatic, like she's prone to doing, and just getting to be a Drama Queen about not having enuf Privacy and Space to Herself now.  Shit, nobody here has enuf Privacy or Space to Ourselves, are you "New"?!  *Smiles*  His Autism means, no Filter.  *Bwahahahaha*  If you can't Handle the Truth, well... don't come to him to receive a Sympathetic Ear when you're being a Drama Queen and thinking only of yourself.  *LMAOROTF*   And don't expect you'll get Sympathy from me when you go Dramatic and say, Fine, mebbe I should just move back to Mexico... Fine... do whatever you Feel is Right.  Anybody who doesn't like their Arrangement here is always Free to Go any time they need or want to, I'm not holding anyone Hostage and making you Stay if you don't want to!!!  *Smiles*  You got a Good Thing going here, but, by all means, if you have alternative Arrangements, Peace be with you then, Be Well and Be Gone if you must.  You have my Blessings and Love.  Bye.  *Winks*

Coz, let's see, I have an Extra Adult Female who I consider extended 'Family', who we all Agreed could move in, who just moved in and is willing to Work Full Time, Pay Rent to cover most of the expense of where you're Living in the 5th Wheel, help me with Cleaning, Purging Stuff, Cooking, and looking after your Dad, keep you Company and help with keeping your Space Safer and Sanitary all of the time, and make you Feel Safer so you're not so fucking Paranoid about staying in there by yourself or someone coming to "Get" you... I mean if it wasn't Mando you were telling me might, it's "Them" and we never have figured out who "Them" is coz it's part of your Psychosis you've always Wrestled with and been Paranoid about, and she wants to feel like she's Contributing to The Good Of All... which seems Fair, what's been agreed upon, so, what's MY Downside pray tell of The Niece agreeing to stay?   The Son deadpans, and so does his Friend Garrett, she has a Point.  *Bwahahahahaha*  Ya think???  *Eye Roll*  Stay Tuned...  *Winks*

  

*******

I Hope Fall is going splendidly for you my Friends... Dawn... The Bohemian