So, it was the Finale' of "Halloween Wars" and I must say I couldn't pick a Favorite to Win so I didn't argue with any Winner the Judges would pick this Season. All Three Teams produced such spectacular pieces that I wouldn't have wanted to be a Judge and make a decision. I didn't even have a favorite, which is rare, I liked all Three Concepts and thought all Three were Superbly executed too. The Theme was Mutant Carnival. The Killer Clown that was part Circus Tent and part Evil Clown mutated together. The whole Ferris Wheel was Chocolate with Blown Sugar Bulbs that lit up and it spun around. Each Team had the Surprise Element sprung on them to make a Carnival Game out of their Display. This Team had the Judges throw Chocolate Balls at the Ferris Wheel to try to bust out a Light. One Judge was able to hit a Sugar Bulb and break it.
The Losing Teams were no less spectacular with presentation and execution. This Mutant Killer Elephant was enormous and so Realistic looking. The Carnival Game was a Pumpkin Ring Toss onto his Tusks, the same Judge was able to do that successfully while the other Two Judges missed again. *Smiles* When you think that every one of these is seamlessly made of Pumpkin, Cake and Sugar, it's truly Ahhhmazing. I just Love this Seasonal Contest and never miss it every Halloween Season, it's my favorite of all the Seasonal Fall Shows... I've watched it since the very first Season.
The Mutated Fortune Teller Spider Woman with multiple Arms and Eyes like a Spider was a really clever concept and her Arms moved over an enormous blown Crystal Ball made of Sugar that was also lit up. Their Carnival Game was a Frog Toss to try to break her blown Sugar Potions on the Shelf beside her, Two Judges were able to break a Sugar Potion Bottle. The Claw Footed Table she was Fortune Telling at looked like Real Furniture and was carved out of Pumpkin!!! The Sugar Artist of this Team, who is Arabic, he'd made more Sugar elements than the other Two Teams. The Fortune Tellers Multiple Eyes and her Face really impressed me, the Multiple Eyes gave you an Optical Illusion Effect to where your Eyes can't Focus properly and made you feel like you were having Double Vision, which was a Cool Illusion too!!!
All my Photos that I took of it turned out so well, they don't repeat and loop the Finale' with reruns like they do all the other Episodes leading up to the Finale'. So I knew I had to take Pixs as I was watching it the one and only time it would be on. The Niece and The Daughter watched the Finale' with me but it was hilarious coz they both kept dozing off on the Sectional while sitting up with their Mouths hanging open, then would Come To now and again not realizing they had fallen Asleep. It had been a long day for both of them going to Chandler for The Daughter's Job there, but it had gone very well. I appreciated The Niece providing the transportation since I couldn't with my Truck being on the fritz and questionable until we know why Warning Lights are still on after replacing the Battery? It may just be a simple Electrical Reset of the Smart Computer System and Sensors that the Truck has?
But becoz both the BRAKE in Red Light, and the Engine Picture Light is coming on still, I couldn't risk a long drive to Chandler in case something was still Wrong and it broke down and stranded us again. Not way out there, Towing it back to the West Valley would be hella expensive and a long, long ways from Home to get back to the House and the Dealership for any Repairs we can't do ourselves. As it is The Son had covered the $230 Battery for me, I don't know if my Warranty will cover whatever else might be Wrong or need to be Done now? We're gonna drive to the Auto Zone first after The Grandson's Appointment to return the Old Battery for a $20 Refund on the Core Recycling and have them run the Free Diagnostic they will do there. That may give us an indicator, at no Cost, on what exactly the Diagnostic says is the problem or needs to be remedied.
Before going to the Dealership and then telling them what a Diagnostic done already revealed. I like to have more than One Opinion on Vehicular Repairs, just to keep everyone Honest. Tho' my Dealership has been very Honest and rarely charged me for anything since I bought this 2024 Nissan Frontier. I had Traded in a 2019 Nissan Frontier to get this one when that one needed expensive repairs finally. I prefer to have a Paid Off Truck but it wasn't Paid Off yet and was now costing a lot in Repairs as well as having expensive Loan Payments. Tho' my Interest Rate on that one had been Zero since I bought it during Pandemic... and got a lot of expensive Freebies too. This one has a low Interest Rate and a lot of expensive Freebies thrown in as well. Lifetime Free Oil Changes, Free Running Board Steps installed so I can get in easier, Free Bed Liner installed, and a Free Extended Warranty.
So this has been a good Nissan Dealership to be a frequent Customer of, they've always treated me Right. This is my Third Vehicle bought from them. I used to have a Nissan Titan but that's a lot of Truck, too Big, too hard to get in and out of when you're Old! And it was just too big and too much Truck for me and didn't get the better mileage the Midsized Trucks give you. But back when I bought the Titan they had quit making the Midsized Trucks for a while, then brought them back. It's the only reason I even bought a Full Sized Truck, tho' back when The Man still drove he often had Full Sized Trucks when we always had a 2nd Vehicle. He had a huge Dodge Ram he really liked. I prefer to drive either Toyota, Nissan or Mitsubishi Trucks. They run like a Top, only ever need preventative Maintenance, and I've consistently gotten up to 300,000 Miles on them with virtually no problems if you do the regular Maintenance. The new Smart Trucks tell you what they Need and When. But they do have a lot of fancy Electrical Computer Programming.
I'm using up more of my Arizona State Fair Images, I find it all to be very Cheerful, Colorful and Wonderful Escapism during these Trying Times we're in where too much is Negative, Bleak and just Too Much!!! The Two Generations behind me feel there is NO Future for them and that is disheartening that Two whole Generations Feel that way! Feel that despondent, Feel that the Older Generation has ruined everything for their Futures and made it so they don't Believe they even have one to Inherit now or look forward to!!! None of them can afford even Rent or the Essentials, don't know if AI will eliminate all Jobs and Replace them, most can't afford Health Insurance, don't have Employment that even offers Benefits or Retirement Pensions. They don't think Social Security will be Solvent or the Age to receive it will be jacked up beyond any attainable Life Expectancy. So they don't even want to Grow Old.
Princess T said that she doesn't think most of her Generation will Live to be 40 and probably won't want to get Older than that anyway with how things are right now, let alone when they get even worse!!! She said most of her Peers don't even want to have Children and bring them into this mess. And she's not Alone in her Thoughts about this, her Parent's Generation doesn't feel any more Optimistic coz things for their Generation already seem fucked at Ages 40-50. Most of them that have Worked since their Teens are now not even Earning what they made a Decade ago, have had Unemployment or Underemployment now, even in high Paying White Collar Careers... and AI has already begun the Big Replacement and the Fuckening. A lot of both Younger Generations have had to move in with Elderly Parents and/or Grandparents and share expenses.
I've got so many Friends now that didn't even Raise their Grandkids, or don't have Kids with Special Needs, but say Adult Kids and Adult Grandkids have had to either move in with them... or they had to move in with their Kids or Grandkids! That's becoming the Norm now... or... Middle Aged Adults are having to still move in with multiple Roommates to make Rent!!! And most can't afford a Home unless they Rent out Rooms to those who can't Qualify to Buy a Home, in order to make the Mortgage Payments. Coz Housing Costs and Rentals have gone into the Stratosphere Locally in Cost to Rent or to Buy. I had Roommates in my Teens and Twenties... but if I was over 30 and still required finding Roommates to be able to afford Rent or pay a Mortgage, it would be discouraging. I don't mind Multigenerational Living at all, I'm an Old Hippie, so Communal Living doesn't bother me one iota, as a preference tho', not as an absolute necessity!!!
When I was a Corporate Executive running the Foreclosure, Collections and Bankruptcy Departments for Major Financial Institutions protecting the assets of their Real Property Loans, if the Stats ever neared anywhere close to 4% of Delinquencies back then it was a Crisis. Most Delinquencies didn't end in Foreclosure or Bankruptcy either, usually it was remedied in Collections. And Interest Rates back then soared to almost 16%+ and the Bubble Burst due to the Lending Practices and inflated Pricing of Real Estate. Yet, Foreclosures now are way higher than back then. In August of 2026 Foreclosure Filings were 1% higher from the Previous Month and 13% higher than a Year ago, that's staggering Stats! That means 1 in every 3,569 Housing Units had a Foreclosure!!! And Repossessions {REO's} were up 22% Monthly and a staggering 42% Annually!!! Christ on a Bike!!!
And by State Stats, the highest rates of Foreclosure Filings were in South Carolina, Nevada, Texas, Florida, Maryland, Utah, Illinois, Indiana, Delaware, and Alabama. Arizona was rated 13th... and the lowest and 50th was Vermont. There were sometimes more Filings in lower ranking States based on Population... Example is Alaska only had 87 Filings but ranked 19th. While Vermont had only 5 Filings which was the absolute astounding lowest amount and the best Rating together, I'm impressed. Texas had the highest Filings at 4,961 and Rated 4th. And the most depressed Counties made a huge difference. In Arizona the Counties of Pinal, Cochise, Gila and Yuma were hardest hit, that's mostly Rural Arizona. And that Trend was similar to Foreclosures in my Day too. Rural Areas are always the hardest hit when the Economy is in the shitter. Yet, Rural Areas tend to Vote Red anyway, even tho' most Economic Crisis have happened when Republicans are in Power.
Since Post WWII Economic Records the Republican Party has presided over the vast majority of Official Economic Recessions and Downturns. With 10 out of the last 11 Recessions beginning under Republican Presidents. The GDP Growth under Democrats has been 4.1%-4.3% Annually compared to 2.4%-2.5% under Republican Administrations. Job Growth has been significantly higher under Democrats too with roughly 164,000-170,000+ per Month compared to roughly 61,000 under Republicans. Unemployment Rates have Historically tended to decrease under Democratic Presidencies and increase under Republican Presidencies too. Policies matter and correlate with Financial Instability and Cyclical Crashes. I'm staunchly Anti-Partisan, but I am very Statistically and Mathematically inclined to view things.
So clearly the Numbers and Math show and Reveal the Truth, that one side has been consistently failing us, the vast Majority of Average American Citizens, for sure. And the Statistics aren't good when they are running things and haven't been for as long as Records have been kept making comparisons. Yet, here we now are anyway... with a Reverse Robin Hood Effect, Stealing from the Poor and Middle Class to Give to the Rich and Elite. Yet, the most vulnerable States/Citizens tend to occupy the Deepest Red States, go figure!!! *Scratches Head, perplexed!* States that Rate Low in Metrics like Health Outcomes, Life Expectancy, Median Income, Educational Attainment, while Voting consistently for the Republican Party is quite the Mystery, isn't it? I'm sure there's no Single Cause and could be intensely Debated and Speculated as to Why. Educational Attainment really matters as a Predictor of Voting Behavior tho'.
Well, it's the Morning of the Appointment and I just woke The Young Prince up and told him to get Allen up coz they have less than an Hour to get ready and we'll need an Hour to commute there. So, hopefully we can get this Show on the Road on time? Neither of them are Morning People and I think they may have stayed up too late and are still tired from the long drive. This is why I wanted them to get to Arizona earlier than Sunday, knowing what an early Appointment had been set for Monday. If I don't see them actively moving around by 6:30 I'll do another Welfare Check to get their Asses in gear. I'm ready and it's only 6:13, I don't know how much time Two Gays need to get presentable for something important, it shouldn't be longer than a Woman tho', Right? *Winks and Laughs* It will be Interesting to see what he wears to this Appointment... the last ensemble for the 1st SSI Doc was a hoot!
For those that may have missed THAT Post description, it was Wet Look Booty Shorts, Combat Boots, a skin tight see thru Camouflage long Sleeve Shirt, Beanie Hat with Bunny Ears and a Raccoon Tail attached to said Booty Shorts... he was a Vision! *LOL* And that's NOT Trying to Look Crazy, that's typically how they dress, all his personalities/alters, with some different distinctions depending on which one of the Seven is dominant and fronting? I'm never sure if it will be a Male Alter or a Female, one of the Good Ones, or one of the Bad Ones, so we'll see this Morning which emerges? *Smiles* I don't know how Allen drives either, I know it would take me about an Hour to get there City Driving and in the height of Rush Hour to that destination Downtown. Coz it's just off Central Avenue in the Heart of Downtown Phoenix. I'm gonna suggest he take Indian School Road all the way Downtown rather than the Freeway, which will be gridlocked between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m. and we're supposed to arrive at least 15 Minutes early. And, there's loads of Road Construction, Accidents, delays etcetera to always consider and account for.
This is a Blast from an Arizona State Fair 1990's Past, The Young Prince's Parents as Teens, The Daughter and Bobby. Every Year so many would get the Black & White Photo Booth Pixs, which were popular when I was a Teenager too. *Smiles* They always turned out so candid and good too!!! So some of my Favorite Images of all Generations that had them done in those Photo Booths that graced the State Fairs, Carnivals and some Malls from the 1970's thru around early 2000's. Below is me as a Young Teen of about the same Age as The Daughter was in her Photo Booth State Fair Pix, only Circa early 1970's, and I'm pretty sure I had mine done at a State Fair too here in Arizona with my High School Bestie here in Phoenix, Debby. May she R.I.P..
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They Nicknamed us Stork and Sparrow in High School, coz we were both really Skinny, but she was 6'2" and I was 5'2". *Ha ha ha* She ended up Married to a Man who was around 6'7" and they had a Giant of a Son who had Platinum Blonde Hair just like one of her Brothers, tho' they were all Blondes, her one Brother had the Blondest Hair ever and so did her Son. She had Four Brothers and they were all 6'4"-6'7"... and her Mom was 6'2" also, but their Dad was Short, around 5'7"! In Family Group shots he looked like he was sitting down coz they towered over him! *Smiles* All the Men in my Family are very Tall too, on both sides of the Family, 6'2" being the Shortest, my Brother is 6'4" and we have Relatives who were 6'7". Most of the Women were Tall too, over 5'7", I'm probably one of the Shortest. And I was definitely the only one with Light Hair on Dad's Side, and the only one on Mom's whole Side who didn't have Blue Black Hair too was her Younger Sister Angela, who had the same color as me... recessive Gene handed down to us both from an Irish Redheaded Great-Great Grandfather from what I'm told. *Smiles*
Oddly, tho' both The Daughter's Bio Father and The Son's Bio Father also had Black Hair, and Exotic Ethnicities Heritage, both of the Kiddos got that recessive Gene and when they were little they both were Light Haired like me. And, tho' The Young Prince's Dad also has Black Hair he got the recessive Light Hair Gene. And, tho' Princess T's Dad also has the Black Hair, only she got the Dark Hair and her Three Younger Sisters got the Recessive Gene and were Light Haired too! Must be a particularly stronger Recessive Gene then coz usually the Dominant Genes show up more often. My Brother had the Blue Black Hair, he also went Silver prematurely, like our Mom. Like my Dad, I kept my Natural Color into Old Age, Dad had Blue Black Hair until he Died at Age 74... I don't think any of his Siblings who did live to Adulthood ever went Grey or Silver either, all kept Blue Black Hair all their Lives... and I know my Paternal Grandmother had Blue Black Hair until she Died too. Genetics are fascinating to me, it was a Field of Work I always pondered going into. Biology or Science were Two of my favorite Subjects in School.
My Mom liked to tell the Story of when we were Stationed and lived in France and she heard me performing a 'Surgery' at Age Two on our Back Porch area of Base Housing on the Cement Slab by the Back Door. I was surrounded by other American Teenaged Boys and I was cutting open an Earth Worm and telling the Boys that this one was Pregnant!!! *LMAO* I guess they had the Worms to go Fishing and Little Surgeon Dawn had fascinated them with my dissection skills using one of the Boy's Pocket Knives!!! Yeah, I was a Scary Little Psycho Toddler apparently from a very early Age! But I looked Cute and like Butter wouldn't melt in my Mouth. My Mom would dress me all fussy while living in France with a little Chapeau and a tiny Straw Purse that looked like a little Hatbox with a Wristband on the top to wear and carry it on my Wrist. She'd put Rags in my Hair at Night so that it could try to curl my matchstick straight Hair into Banana Ringlets, so I Looked like a Little Angel tho' she and Dad both said I Acted like a Little Devil. My Brother was the Golden Child, I was apparently quite the Handful. Imagine that! *Bwahahahaha and Winks*
Well, the Appointment went excellently. Turns out the Doc was also a Clinical Certified Psychologist too, which alleviated my concerns about his Qualifications to do a Mental Health Assessment. It's in a huge Govt. Building Downtown, easy to get to, we arrived in about an Hour, which is exactly the amount of time I'd told The Grandsons it would take us. The Office was empty and locked up at our Appt. Time, so that was unsettling. They don't Open 'til 8:00 a.m. which is when our Appt. was but the Letter had told us to arrive 15 Minutes early. So we called the Social Security Caseworker who then informed the Receptionist to come open up for us, she arrived slightly after 8:00 a.m. to let us in and the Doc slightly after that. The whole 18th Floor was Vacant so nobody to ask and they had a Note on the Door asking for Deliveries to be taken to the 20th Floor, so we had sent Allen up there and it was deserted too, nobody there.
The Doc said I could come in for the Assessment, which was a couple Hours and went well. He did ask pertinent Questions about History, and seemed concerned he's been this ill this long without Services really since turning Age 18. He said that's a long time to go unserved, I agree, he's 26 now. He asked what Services I've attempted to get for him and I told him and he said, Yeah, well, it's a mess, isn't it? Yes, Yes it is, DES sends you to Social Security and then you wait 7 Months or more for them to get to your Case, then there's all of this to get thru, it's a LOT for someone whose not Well and not Stable either. Since full time Caring is such a full time job requiring intensive Supervision constantly, he could see why Allen and I are now having to Share it, it's too much for even both of us. And he genuinely seemed a bit Fearful that The Young Prince is not Safe to be around... which, can be True and we were Honest about that. It's why he can't be Hirable, nobody can Guarantee Safety, not for him, Customers or other Employees.
The Humorous part was the set up of the Room and what happened at the Tail End of the Assessment. I'd been there to Answer Questions when needed but without prompting responses from my Grandson. I know the Drill, not my 1st Rodeo with Clinical Assessments. However, the Room Setup Puzzled me. Windowless smallish Room with a Door that requires Coded Keypad to Enter or Exit. Table in Middle of Room with Three Chairs on each side. One for the Doc, Two for Client and whoever might be allowed to accompany them when they require Help. But, the positioning was what puzzled me. Doc had his Back to the far Wall, furthest away from the Exit. Clients nearest the Door/Exit, so, if things were to pop off and go Sideways, that Doc is gonna hafta get past a Seriously Mentally Ill and perhaps Unstable Client to try to Escape that Room and get out the Door! Okay, so I've set up the Visuals for ya.
So, for the remaining last 15 Minutes of so of the Assessment my Grandson says to the Doc, whose Poker Face not to show some level of Concern and Fear was already not Masking well, I'm not sure the Doc felt totally Safe, "This is where I ask my Grandma to leave the Room." The Docs Face was unforgettable, one would think a "Silence Of The Lambs" Moment had just happened. Coz if you remember correctly Hannibal's intention was to eat his Shrink with Fava Beans and a nice Bottle of Chianti! And I'm thinking of some of my Grandsons more disturbing Art, you know, like the Mannequin with Knives, Chopsticks and my Pizza Cutter sticking out of and imbedded in it's Head!! *LMAOROTF* I had to keep a Straight Face and Exit without Laughing coz the Fear inside that Room was now palpable and my Grandson had noticed it too. Small Windowless Room, Doc not near Exit to Escape, no Security Cameras or Security on the Premises, no Witnesses. *Bwahahahahaha* When Allen asked why I was coming out Alone I told him and said his Husband's last Words to the Doc... and he deadpans with a look of legit Concern, "Is that Guy gonna be alright? Do you think the Doctor is gonna be Safe now you're not in there?"
I shrugs, I honestly dunno, I certainly Hope so Allen, or this isn't gonna End Well! *LOL* When my Grandson emerged he smirked at me and said, did you see that Doctor's Face Gramma? I think he was legit Terfified of me!!! And I wasn't trying to Scare him, but I could tell he was very uncomfortable around me, especially when I said this is where I wanted you to leave the Room! Well... the Good Doctor had seen how Big and powerfully built Allen is... and I'd confessed Allen can't physically handle or restrain him and doesn't always feel Safe or Competent as the only Caregiver. And certainly The Young Prince has sent Allen to the ER before when he goes Mental. So, the Good Doc probably wouldn't stand a chance. He didn't look particularly robustly Physical and had a Sweet Temperament and good Presence about him that was Calming and put you at Ease tho'. I'm SURE he's sat before some Real Serious Head Cases in his Career, his Bio said he had a couple Decades of Experience.
Yes Dear, I responded, I had noticed, the Doc's Face was Priceless when you said that, I'd even told Allen when I came out. We were concerned what might happen after I left. We're glad nothing Bad happened in there... and... we all waited 'til we got outside to erupt into raucous Laughter back in the Car, well, after everyone emerged Alive and Unharmed, it was now Darkly Funny like a Horror Comedy might be! *Ha ha ha* No Christian Bale {In American Psycho} or Anthony Hopkins {In Silence Of The Lambs} Moments, and for that I was truly relieved and glad, so was Allen. And he was a very Nice Doctor, Young, Tall, Handsome, very competent and Professional, we all liked him and I don't Believe he was probably in any Danger, but... he wasn't SURE about that and it showed. *LOL and Winks* But many people have often said I'm Scary and they're Scared of me, and I'm just an Old Woman, so people can Fear anyone I guess. *LOL* One Question he had asked was if The Young Prince was having any Voices and Hallucinations right now? And if so, could he describe them?
Well, he definitely WAS, I could certainly tell he was, coz he's kept Staring hard at one Corner of that Room in a way I knew was Scaring him considerably and making him very Nervous. He was picking at his Skin and muttering under his Breath barely audibly too, never a Good Sign. He tries to talk his Voices 'Down'. I knew the Doc had been noticing it too. He told the Doc, Yes I am, but I can't Talk about it, he won't let me and will get very Angry if I do, it's one of the really Scary Ones. The Doc looks at me and I tell him that some he Sees are Demons and quite Demonic, very unpleasant, and Scary. He sees them all the time, so it's why he puts Symbols everywhere for Protection, Salts the Doorways, and even has a Symbol of Protection Tattooed on his Chest. So, it's probably Best then we don't Talk about THAT ONE and try to just ignore it. Doc agreed.
After we left my Grandson told Allen, that Building is really upscale and pretty and it looks like it's very expensive and Styled Office Space. But... it had a very Bad Energy and Scary Vibe, there's lots of the Unpleasant Ones in there that I See, they're everywhere, I wasn't comfortable in there, I'm glad we're out. I wouldn't wanna Work there with what I was Seeing. I too thought the Space felt devoid of Positive Energy, in a Cold but Stylish Clinical Minimalistic Upscale way, but I wasn't seeing things or even sensing them. But the Moment we'd arrived my Grandson had told me, I don't like this place Gramma, I hope we don't have to stay in this Building long, it's Creepy, deserted, but full of 'Them'. *Splendid* ... I was already thinking this might be dicey to get thru! So was Allen, so he was nervousing rushing up to the 20th Floor to see if we could get someone or tell us what's going on!? Deserted up there too... was this some Escape Room Scenario that was playing out now, I wondered? It did bring out some Paranoia... even if you're not usually prone to it. It was getting an unexpected Horror Movie Feel to it for sure! Now we're arriving Amped Up due to this, Swell!!! *LOL*
Okay, so then we're standing on that deserted 18th Floor when we arrived and it was very Horror Movie or Haunted Attraction or Twilight Zone Episode worthy, I ain't gonna Lie. He was getting Squirrelly and looking around all Wild Eyed and Pacing the Floors like a Caged Animal, I didn't wanna lose track of him NOW... he was insisting I call his Social Worker at Social Security to ask what the Hell's going on? Clearly Spooked even before we would be seen, IF anyone showed up that is? All the Doors had Security Key Pads that would require some combination to enter or exit, so nowhere to Escape if someone felt suddenly in Danger or had a Paranoid Schizophrenic Episode!!! *LOL but Holding my Breath nervously!* Anyway, after that I took the Grandsons to Brunch at "Snooze". We all needed the 'Release' of it all being mercifully finally Over and behind us. *Whew* Allen asked what I thought the chances were that The Young Prince will be Approved now, I think very high actually. If this don't come with a Check and Approval, well, I don't know what the fuck will?
The Grandson didn't Look all totally Crazy coz Allen had picked out his Wardrobe to wear for him, so he looked Handsome and quite Fashionable. But his Hair was messy, sometimes he won't let anyone help him with it, so it does an Einstein and he looks like he might just have Invented something. And, he did have a Wild Eyed Look, what I call his "Charlie Manson Eyes Stare" going on, and that lasted even thru Brunch and after we got back Home. {See comparison of the Eyes Below, so you know what I mean... and there is a Clinical Name for that Look and those Eyes... Scleral Show or Sanpaku}. Yes, he looks like a Psycho about to eat Gourmet French Toast as if we're just some Normal Family having Brunch. *LOL* So I knew The Grandson was Edgy, Nervous, trying to keep it Together to get thru this as best he could, it showed in his Eyes and Stare. I wasn't sure if he could or not, so I was prepared for anything.
I didn't think it would matter much really on the Assessment how he was Groomed unless it was really bad, looking Neglected, like a Crazy Homeless Guy... and we didn't wanna appear like inept Caregivers and have Adult Protective Services get involved. If the Assessment was done properly and well, and it was, becoz this Doc asked the Right Questions actually, he could look decent and cleaned up Well, even on a Bat Shit Crazy Day he might be having. The Doc did Ask: Did he choose his Clothing and Dress himself for coming there {No}, does he require Help Dressing and doing so Appropriately {Yes}, did his Partner Help to Dress and Bathe him before the Appointment {Affirmative to both}. Could he do either by himself and it be appropriately completed {No}. We made it clear he needs round the Clock Care, he rarely goes anywhere unaccompanied, for his own Safety mostly, but... sometimes coz The Public and being around them isn't comfortable for him either. And his Voices will often tell him to walk out in front of Traffic... and stuff like that, to Self-Harm. Keeping him Alive, and wanting to even BE Alive, has been Tricky since he was only Seven. High Rate of Suicidal Ideology.
The Doc asked what couldn't he do at all this Morning, which was his Hair and his Teeth. We choose our Battles Wisely I explained, so long as he has Pants on, I'm usually Golden with what else he won't do or resists, not a Hill I'm willing to Die on, or Allen either. Doc did ask about him being so Thin, we explained the Lifelong Eating Disorder where he either thinks his Food is Alive and Moving, or is Tainted and someone is trying to Poison him. With his Hallucinations about Food, Rice look like moving Maggots and Spaghetti look like writhing Worms, so he hasn't eaten that in Years, for Example. And I have to Taste his Food in front of him so he feels it's Safe to eat and I haven't Poisoned it or it was prepared Tainted by someone else. There's few people he Trusts completely and isn't Well enuf to prepare his own Meals safely either or be Trusted with Dangerous Kitchen Utensils. Well, those that are left which he hasn't impaled into the disturbing Mannequin Head Art in his Room that he took from the Kitchen!!! I did ask if the Art had a 'Name', Thankfully it wasn't one of ours. *LOL and Whew*
So, Yeah Doc, he's always been underweight and sometimes is Bulimic if he thinks he's eaten something that will Kill or Poison him. He Picks at his Skin constantly, making Sores and it Bleed, to let all the Poisons out, and get at the Sensations of moving or Living Objects under his Skin, or like he's got shards of Glass under his Skin that have to be picked out. So he's got a multitude of Skin lesions and Band-aids all the time, more than an Old Person! And hence, all the various Scars and even Healed Cuts. He takes Meds for the Picking Disorder, he rarely Cuts himself anymore to let the Pain or Torment out too, and one Psychotropic he can still tolerate, so takes while he still has a supply Social Services in New Mexico provided, which also helps with his Seizures. He did eat his French Toast at "Snooze" tho', so that was a good Sign that the Appointment hadn't wrecked him completely for the rest of the Day, but it had clearly taken a heavy Toll.
But, he's almost out of both coz New Mexico only Approved a 90 Day Transitional Supply and neither Arizona DES or Social Security has Approved him for State supplied Care or Insurance Coverage and he has no Money or Income coming in. It's why we're Applying for Disability Benefits. Allen takes the same Psyche Med that the VA gives him at no Charge, so sometimes he'll give our Grandson some of his if he runs out, becoz he actually needs it more than Allen and is unmanageable and quite Psychotic without it. Making Caregiving impossible and tricky or downright risky. I told the Doc that's why I have Concerns all of this is taking so long to evaluate and give us a determination. Anyway, by the time we got Home my Brother-In-Law Bob from Alaska was here to visit us on his way to Texas where the rest of his immediate Family lives now and he Lives for the Winters.
We had such a lovely long visit and it was good everyone was here to be able to see him. He bought Pizza and Garlic and Cinnamon Sugar Bread Knots from "Domino's" and they Home Delivered it. We took loads of Photos. Bob looks great for being 77. He was very concerned about how his Little Brother is looking, he could plainly see the rapid deterioration. But, he had Quality Time with his Brother and that's what mattered, even tho' The Man isn't much of a conversationalist anymore, so most of the rest of us, including his Big Brother, did the Socializing. I explained to Bob, well, now, he has trouble remembering how to use a Phone, Bob. And he could see how much trouble The Man has being ambulatory and steady on his Feet, the Walker is definitely necessary now. He did eat a Slice of the Supreme Pizza and a couple of the Bread Knots tho' and a Cranberry Drink. So, that was better than usual. The Young Prince didn't sit in for the Family Pixs, the Psyche Eval had taken it out of him and he visited briefly and had to go Lie Down, Bob understood.
After The Young Prince Signs the Paperwork I have to return to Social Security after the Eval they'll be leaving to go back to New Mexico. I had thought they'd be staying thru Halloween but I don't think Allen has that much time to be off Work. His VA Disability isn't enuf to live on so he'll still have to Work, which is why if The Young Prince also gets his Disability Income it will be Helpful and Allen can do more of the Caregiving, he'll have more time to devote to it and relieve me of more of it, physically and financially we'll both be able to be less burdened with the Caregiving requirements if The Young Prince is receiving Services and Benefits, of any amount that might be Approved. Allen brought most of his Chocolate Chip Pancakes from Brunch Home with us coz the Appt. had Stressed him out considerably too, tho' he waited outside in the Waiting Room, he was Anxious about how it was going in there. He said the Anxiety was rather overwhelming, so it wasn't that he didn't Love the Food, the Presentation of it and the Atmosphere of the Restaurant, which is a Favorite of ours.
Now some of the Photos taken during my Brother-In-Law's visit. He was having Fun with my Voodoo Doctor Halloween Prop Hat, which he wore to show his Two Granddaughters that their Great Aunt Dawn had taken him over to The Dark Side. *LOL* I forgot that the Youngest One is now a Junior in High School and the Oldest One is already in her first Year of College! They've both Blossomed and grown into Beautiful Young Women. The Oldest one being very Tall and her Younger Sister being very Petite, both very Shapely, Athletic and Gorgeous. Bob's Daughter, and Only Child, was playing Semi-Professional Sports in College and was on a full Athletic Scholarship, she was that good. So the Girls are following in their Mama's Footsteps at being Smart and Superb Athletes. Bob actually was a Star Athlete before he joined the Military. Some of his Football Records still haven't been broken there in Utah where they grew up. Even tho' The Man was a very Talented Athlete, his Big Brother was always a tough Act to follow Athletically.
And now some more inappropriate Dark Gallow's Humor, with all the Vehicles at our House showing up en mass, I get an urgent call from my 83 Year Old Dear Neighbor Sylvia asking if something bad had happened and was everything and everyone alright?! She thought one of us had Died! It was Sweet, and Neighbors around here do look out for each other and notice when something looks unusual or abnormal, like so many Cars suddenly showing up and People all at once. Bless her, she was so relieved it was just a lot of Family from Out of State Visiting and showing up all at once. *Whew* And then she and all of us Laughed and Laughed. *Smiles*
It's a good thing the Dealership checked everything out for me and just had to reset my Sensors after the New Battery was installed coz The Man has a VA Doctor Appointment in the Morning with Dr. Klein! *Whew* I'd almost forgotten, with everything else that has been happening. We're going to ask him about the decline in eating and if that indicates anything is Wrong? Bob is 77 and says he hardly eats anymore either and mebbe it is normal as you're getting this much Older and in your Mid to Late 70's? Bob is a Diabetic too, it runs in their Family, but he's got it stabilized and is on different Meds than we are... but about the same amount of them as I am. Their Dad Died in his Mid-Sixties of complications from Diabetes, not very long after Retiring and quite suddenly so it was a total shock to us all. I'd only met him once. His Mom and Dad had Outlived him in fact. The Man's Paternal Grandparents lived into their early 90's and outlived half of their 11 Children, some of which were Younger than The Man and his Two Oldest Siblings. He has an Uncle that is several Years Younger than he is. His Mom lived to be 88.
Bob wants to talk The Son and The Daughter into coming up to Alaska next Spring and Summer to do the Seasonal Jobs that Princess Cruise Lines offers Young Adults up there. They can easily earn around Sixty Grand just for Summer Work and after Two Years of committing to it they Qualify for Free Cruises anywhere in the World that Princess Cruises goes! One of our Nephews did it for Years, their Brother's Oldest Son, just for the Summers and it paid for his Home, Cash, and he got to Travel the World on Cruises for Free. Both the Kiddos said that might be something they'd seriously consider. You can't find any Work around here that Pays Twenty Grand Plus a Month for just the Summers with Free Cruises thrown in as a 2nd Year Bonus!
And Bob said that doesn't even include Tips and he said the folks that Vacation in Alaska usually have lots of Money and Tip big! So he said most Workers are also making $200 a Day in Tips on top of the Salary, depending on what Jobs they take on. He said the Bus Drivers make the most in Tips that transport all the Tourists going on the Cruises there and on the Wilderness Tours. And he said the Kiddos could stay with him at the Cabin there and help him tidy up the Property, right now he spends the Spring and Summers there but is thinking of Selling it coz he's been getting lots of lucrative Offers from prospective Buyers even tho' he doesn't have it up For Sale. He said everybody up there is now doing Air B&B's for the Spring and Summer and almost can't Buy enuf Properties to make into Vrbo Vacation Rentals.
When his Wife Carol was still Alive they did it with their 7,500 sf Property on 10 Acres. It was Chalet Sized and they could Rent it out to 3 Different Clients who could Rent out each Level of it's Three Stories. He had a Runway and Airplane Hangar at that Property and said he often Rented to wealthy Californians who flew their own Planes in. And he said you can make Sixty to a Hundred and Twenty Grand a Summer Renting out your Property and charging $180-$200 for a Cleaning Fee for what it takes to get it ready for the next Booking. After Carol Died tho', Bob Sold the Big House to an Investor and now he lives in the Log Cabin on Acreage he owns up there. He Owns lots of Properties and has made a lot of Money Buying and Selling Real Estate, as well as owning his own Businesses and Retiring from the Mines in Alaska too. He said his Daughter wants him to slow down and quit Dreaming up new things to do to make Money coz he has more than enuf and keeps trying to find ways to Spend it. *Smiles*
But, I think it actually keeps him going and looking forward to the next Business Venture he can Succeed at. He's a Brilliant and Successful Businessman and Entrepreneur, he's been a Millionaire most of his Adult Life. So he doesn't need the Money, it's just something he likes to still do. He said he'll never live long enuf to spend it all, but he enjoys what he does to make it. He is a self-made Man tho', he was no Trust Fund Baby and wasn't Born with a Silver Spoon in his Mouth or given anything. And it bothers him when most very Rich folks have obtained their Wealth by exploitation of other people. He said you can become an Honest Millionaire, but to become a Billionaire you have to not Earn it and exploit people, probably being Corrupt and unscrupulous, I do Believe he is absolutely Right about that. He's a Good Man and has always treated everyone Right and Generously that have Worked for him, often Mentoring the Younger ones to become Entrepreneurs too and obtain Wealth. I told the Kiddos, both Generations of them, if Uncle Bob wants to Mentor you, pay attention and do what he says, you'll end up obtaining Wealth.
He'd just gone Moose Hunting last Week and gave away about 1,500 lbs. of Moose Meat. And he'd caught some Salmon that weighed more than Princess T and has Photos of the King Salmon that size. He prefers the smaller Salmon coz he said the huge Kings are only good if you eat them right away, they go mushy if you have to Freeze them. So he usually catches and releases, so the 100 pounder in the Pix he caught and released back into the River, only keeping the Small ones. He said they Die anyway after Spawning and then the Bears mostly eat them. He had Pixs of all the Bears, Moose, Caribou and Elk he'd Photographed last Spring all over the Roadways on his drive up to Alaska from Texas. He said on the way back to Texas, in the Fall, you don't see any Wildlife anymore like you used to coz too many Tourists often makes them become more reclusive coz the Tourists tend to bother them for intrusive Photo Ops. Or don't know how to act around them.
I know on previous Trips we made to Utah you'd see a lot of Wildlife there, way more than in Arizona, especially Deer, Elk Herds and Antelope. One of Bob's Friends went to New Zealand on a Hunt and the Rack on the Red Deer introduced to New Zealand look Surreal, they're so huge and have so many Prongs!!! I don't like Hunting Pixs of the Big Game being Displayed by the Hunter so I won't Crib one to share, but look up Red Deer of New Zealand to see how Fictional and Fantastical these Red Deer look and how Mythical their Racks can look with literally Dozens of prongs spanning an enormous distance, as big as a Moose's Antlers really, but with all these Prongs!!! I've never seen anything like it! Bob wants to go to New Zealand next but his Daughter feels he's too Old now to go International Hunting and poncing off like that. But he said he wants to do it while he still can. And their Paternal Grandpa went Moose Hunting in Alaska when he was over 90 Years Old! *LOL*
He said their Younger Brother, Wes, quit doing Taxidermy now and doesn't have any Interest in doing it anymore. He's trying to encourage him to start doing it again coz he could line up all kinds of Business for him. Wes is an Amazing Taxidermist and Artist. And he was a Custom Home Builder until he Retired. Bob had Pixs of their Younger Brother and his Wife, Wes looks really good but Bob said he's having serious Health Problems like The Man is. We'd heard he was and were worried about him, he seemed to be doing even worse than The Man healthwise. Wes is my Age and since their Dad Died in his Sixties, all the Brothers were worried as they moved thru their Sixties. Now The Man and Bob are in their Seventies and Wes is 69, so at least they surpassed the Age their Dad Passed Away at.
Their Oldest Sister Died in her 70's tho'... so Bob, so far, has lived longest of the Five Siblings. I could tell the Condition of The Man, since Bob's last visit to see us, had really worried him and he said so. He's closest to The Man than he was or is of any of the other Siblings. They have a much Younger Sister who was Born when some of them were already Grown and in the Military, so she's not much Older than my Kiddos. She's had a Big Family and Raised 9 Kids and is a tiny little Sprite like their Mom was. My MIL wasn't even 5 ft. tall... but their Dad was a very Big Man and looked exactly like Bob. So Bob is the Son that looks like a Clone of their Father. And Wes looks very much like Bob and their Dad did too, just not identical to their Dad like Bob looks. The Man looks like he was the Mailman's Son and that's the Family Joke, coz all his other Siblings look alike and he was the only one with Dark Hair, Hazel Eyes, and was very lean built of all the Men in his Family. *Smiles*
Here was my Tiramisu French Toast from "Snooze", I Shared it with The Young Prince, who also got a different French Toast with Mascarpone and Strawberries. And I Shared my Bacon But Different with Allen, he'd never had it. The Young Prince can't eat Pork, tears his Stomach up. I enjoyed the Fruit and my Iced Lavender Latte' too, the Food there is always exceptional and it's a great Atmosphere. Princess T, when she was Little, used to call the Restaurant my "Pretentious Egg Place". *LOL* So, we still Laugh about that, altho' now she's a Young Adult she more fully Appreciates the Upscale Menu, Atmosphere and Presentation... tho', she was Right, it is somewhat Pretentious and so are most of the Clientele, but the Staff are very Unconventional looking, Trendy and Wonderful Young People, so is the Manager. Everyone who Works there is heavily Tattooed, Pierced and has Edgy Hairstyles... some are part of the LGBTQ Community, seems to be a prerequisite to be 'different' if you Work there. *Smiles and Winks*
The Tiramisu French Toast with Coffee Creme and whipped Coffee Mascarpone is New on their Menu. Originally I was gonna have the Benedict Duo but I remembered they had this and wanted it again in case it's Seasonal and they take it off the Menu after Fall? Now that "The Tipsy Egg" Closed and went out of Business in Downtown Historic Gilbert, "Snooze" is the only place besides "First Watch" I can get a really upscale French Toast now or a decent Gourmet Style Benedict. Yes, many Diners have something plainer on the Menu that is similar, but, I'm very Extra so I don't always want something Basic. *Winks and Smiles* I had to Smile Today when I waded thru my Comments and saw an Anonymous one that sounded suspiciously like a tRump Apologist. I intentionally didn't get Baited, since I don't engage much, if at all, with a MAGA. I simply have no desire to Listen to them Parrot what they probably just heard via Faux News or a New Mindless MAGA Meme.
And that whole Cult Mentality who makes excuses for what is inexcusable, and try to justify what is just never justifiable to decent people. If your Moral Compass is intact or not skewed, you couldn't possibly still Support any of that. But it still Amuses me that whenever they do Comment on Social Media now, it's almost always under the cover and Cowardice of Anonymity. *Bwahahahahaha* You see so much thrown away MAGA Merch now that most are no longer wearing the "Uniform" to boldly proclaim their affiliations either. Princess T says when any of it comes in as Donations at Work, they throw it away as Trash. At the Antique Mall, the MAGA Wear/Political Hawkers can't give that shit away now and I'm glad they're stuck holding worthless Merch that promoted this Shitshow. And Honestly, if you have something relevant or Proud to say, have the Balls and Courage to Identify yourself. I could have just marked the Cowardly Anonymous Comment as Spam, but sometimes I just like to fuck with someone like that for my own Amusement and Wicked Fun. Hiding coz they don't wanna risk a Return Visit to their Social Media Spaces I Wonder? *LOL and Winks*
Just like the violence prone MAGA Dickhead that assaulted and punched that Woman for wearing an Anti-Pedophile Shirt at a MAGA Rally... he's been Identified and can't hide under any Cowardice of Anonymity now that everyone is splashing his Identity, Employment and Location all over the Internet and it's gone Viral. His Life is pretty much over and destroyed after being caught on Video and Images doing what he did... as a consequence for what Police refused to do. And I'm sure local Security and Law Enforcement also caught Heat for how they mishandled all of that too, Good. Every inappropriate or Criminal Action or Support of it has some consequence to it and usually it ain't Good and the Negative Energy and punishment it attracts as a consequence is deserved. Boldly acting or proclaiming you Support Pedophiles or other Sex Offenders, or are one, is generally not a Wise Move Publicly. Birds of a Feather flock together and all that... and most of us stand Against such Perverse and Twistedly Sick Criminal behavior. If it's NOT a Deal Breaker for you that an American President is a Serial Adjudicated Sex Offender and Pedophile... and Career Criminal, well... it speaks volumes about YOU to the rest of us.
And, the rest of us ARE now feeling some kind of way about folks who are still rabidly MAGA or apologists for The Movement. Becoz it's feeling like those who Supported Evil like Hitler's Movement, or Pol Pot's Movement, or Edi Amin's Movement, or Mao's Movement, or any Extremist Religious Cult Leader's Movement like Jim Jones or the Waco Whacko and Jihadists or other Terrorist or White Supremecists Movements... once Weaponized, Radicalized and fully Indoctrinated, the Followers of such Men and Movements can become very dangerous and violent towards the rest of Society and no longer a functional part of it. It certainly won't end Well or be a Peaceful and Humane Outcome, that's for damned sure, History bears that out clearly, crystal clearly.
And often the Past is a pretty good Indicator of the Present or the Future going Sideways if you pay attention and heed the Warning Signs. And when MAGA views Non-MAGA as those who should be eliminated or driven out of the Country... well, it makes the rest of us feel uneasy at best. At worse, completely Defensive about our Self-Preservation and Need for more adequate Protection from our Government so all Americans feel Safer, Represented and not Targeted, which isn't happening with him at the helm. And if someone wants to join a Cult and wreck their Lives, and NOT cause Harm to anyone else, they have that Right and prerogative to be as Weird, Far-Side and Brainwashed as they wanna end up. I don't Care, so long as it doesn't infringe upon my Right to Peace, Safety, Freedom and Pursuit of Happiness in a Functional Democracy.
Not a Perfect One, but one that is Globally Respected and has good Allies and Partnerships. One not Threatened by Fascist takeovers, rampant Corruption, a Theocracy trying to impose it's Brand of Religion on us all, an Oligarchy, a wanna be King or Dictator who insists on Authoritarian or Totalitarian Rule... and shit like that, which I see playing out from this White House and escalating in alarming and disturbing ways. Many Generations of our Loved Ones fought and even Died protecting America and the Freedoms and Privileges we enjoy, and aided our Allies to do the same. The Sacrifices made I don't want to have been in vain if America just gives all that up without a Fight and without Defending it with everything we've got and every ounce of our Being. The Right for every Human Being to be treated with Dignity, Respect, the Right to Live Peacefully and try to attain The American Dream and still Believe in it. Not many places on Earth exist that offer such opportunity and Freedom from Oppression or Persecution. It doesn't mean we haven't had the Dark Past and Offenses galore along the way, we have... Whitewashing it won't Change the unpleasant or uncomfortable Truths.
In Real time it's only the 27th and Four more Days to Halloween and just a Week out from the Primary Election and Results we'll have had, or incidents that might arise due to it, by the time this Post Publishes. I'm Prayerful it goes without incidents and extreme Violence and sowed Chaos. That any Transfers of Power will be Honored, Respected and Peaceful, as they SHOULD be. We already know if his Side doesn't Win it will at the very least be Contested coz he's Contesting it before any Votes are even Counted!!! He knows he'll Lose in Courts, becoz it's all faked and unfounded, no Proof or Evidence ever presented or produced to verify any of it... it's all only meant to cause distrust in our Election System and Process.
But, even a low IQ or uninformed person running with low information, can and should be able to fathom that anyone who claims it's only Rigged if they Lose, but not Rigged if they Win, should realize they're being Played and Lied to. It's a Heads I Win, Tails you Lose Con Job going on. So Wake the Fuck Up already and don't Believe every outrageous thing spewing out of his Lying Mouth in a desperate attempt to hold onto Power at all Costs and Using gullible people to attain some demented New World Order he imagines he can make America into his own Image as, as if a god. And my latest Political Satire Meme is Below, which will be Stale and Old News by the time this Publishes. Since the Fuckery literally Floods the Zone so much and so staggeringly back to back, that nobody can keep Pace with it and process it before a new low hits and before anyone has had time to react to the previous low, no matter how awful, newsworthy or unbelievable it is!
This one is spot on, she seems like she IS the perfect Spokesperson for their Movement... and look at his Face behind her, is he literally Orgasmic or Jerking Off while she's speaking?! And now he's constantly talking about Men's Asses... and also Women's Asses too, asking them to stand up and turn around at Rallies!!! And this is a sitting American President being that vulgar and Obsessed with Sexual Crude Talk all of the time and ogling, demeaning and objectifying Publicly, while feeling a need to constantly talk about it publicly!!! His Obsession with Men's Asses is really setting the Gaydar off big time too. Listen, we know he's a Pedophile... and has Sexually Assaulted Female Children and Women numerous times and it's of record and he's an adjudicated Sex Offender.
But I'm beginning to think he is more into Guys, mebbe even Boys, than Gals... and definitely has a Hard On for Male Dictators he has Bromances with and Love Letters from. Mebbe they are making him their Bitch in more ways than one? And he's such a complete Moron, he was talking about how great Men's Asses were at a recent Rally and said, it was like a Big Muscle... dumb Fucker, Gluteus Maximus IS A BIG MUSCLE, Fool! What a Spectacle he is for the entire World to see and Mock America for having a Leader like that!!! It's beyond embarrassing and humiliating, I'm so Ashamed to have to make constant Apologies to our International Community about him and his Cabal of Vulgarians. I know they don't blame all of us, knowing a great many didn't Vote him in and abhor everything he is and stands for... but they also know a great many did! And it's hard to Trust or Depend on an America that is Okay with him on any level and wants him to be the Leader so much they installed him TWICE!!! There's absolutely no Excuse for THAT, since clearly it was Intentional on those Voter's behalf to make him President again!
I went to "Sprouts" over near the VA Clinic to pick up some Essentials I was out of, Photographed some things which most of the Pixs will hit in another Post now. But, they had Pumpkins marked down to only $2.50 and $3 each that were really nice, some Heirloom, most very large. I got a pure White enormous squat Heirloom Pumpkin called a Flat White Boer Variety, for only $2.50! It filled my entire Shopping Cart! And is heavy as a Boat Anchor! These Varieties last a long time, I've had some that lasted clear thru August of the next Year before having to be thrown out. They aren't good for Carving Jack O'Lanterns, but I buy them for Display only, not for Carving, and keep them up after Halloween Decor is taken down for the Thanksgiving Harvest Autumnal Decor Look. The Family isn't fond of Pumpkin Flavored Foods so I usually don't bother to cook with the Meat of my Real Pumpkins. And Harvesting the Seeds I've done a few times, but I've not had good Luck with growing my own, or of drying them out and Seasoning them to eat either.
I often Wonder, if an Applicant has no means of Support, no Money, and nobody to Borrow Money from to get to these Appointments they must attend... how does the Government expect them to arrive? They don't Schedule them anywhere that is Walking Distance, or Bike Riding Distance away. Often it's clear across the City!!! And, in areas that have Paid Parking too. There at that particular Office Allen said the Parking Lots charged a Fortune and it was by THE MINUTE! He Parked therefore by a Parking Meter and most of them only allow 2 Hours at a time... so he had to run down and feed the Meter again so he wouldn't get a Ticket too. We spent 30 Minutes waiting for anyone to even show up... then the Interview/Assessment was over 2 Hours long. We weren't sure if they offered Parking Validation {they did, but only at a specific Lot, that wasn't where Allen knew to look, he's not familiar with Downtown Phoenix and a lot of Lots were Full}. So he won't get reimbursed for feeding the Meter... and couldn't risk Parking anywhere that charged a hefty Fee by the Minute, coz he was short on Cash and so was I this close to end of Month.
The Man's VA follow-up went excellently, all his Numbers were even better than last Week! Dr. Klein said they were perfect and he was amazed coz they literally couldn't even be better. He said not to worry about the not eating, coz they're intentionally giving him Meds to severely suppress Appetite so he'll lose his excess Weight which puts more strain on his Bad Heart. He's lost 15 Lbs. in the 3 Months since the last visit, which is exactly the trajectory Dr. Klein wanted him to be on for Weight Loss. He's not taking his Meds FOR Weight Loss specifically per se, it's for Type II Diabetes, but the benefit of the Med is Weight Loss and he's Losing Weight very well on it and at just the right amount. So, now I, and Nurse Remi, can rest at ease that he's just Fine and his Doc isn't at all worried about this. It's what is supposed to be happening. *Whew* His Labs showed improvement on everything, so Dr. Klein said whatever I have The Man doing, keep at it, it's making a huge difference for a 74 Year Old Man with his comorbidities. *Yay, takes a Bow, Winks*
Dr. Klein, his VA Primary Doc, and Dr. Pham, his Cardiologist, always tell The Man, in all Seriousness, you do know she is keeping you Alive more than we are? *LOL* They both tell him if he didn't have me, he probably would have succumbed to his conditions long ago, perhaps many Years ago actually. That validates my Caregiving is on Point when his Medical Professionals say that and mean it. I know I don't do everything Right all of the time, and often Fly by the Seat of my Pants on what do do or how to do it, especially without much, if any, Present Help and no compensation, but I give it my best attempt to be a competent Caregiver. Anyway, he doesn't even Need to see him now for 6 Months! Neither does Dr. Pham, so that's great, the Calendar isn't chock full of Appointments now. *Whew*
We took Pixs before The Grandsons left, don't know when they'll be back, since, I had assumed they were staying for Halloween, but they couldn't. The Young Prince didn't seem to mind, even tho' he enjoys spending Halloween here opposed to there in New Mexico. He said their area doesn't do much for Halloween and they don't get many Kids who go Door to Door Trick-Or-Treating either. Last year he Carved a Lone Jack O'Lantern with a Candle in it and that was all the Decor they had. He knows we go All Out here and he's always been used to that Celebration of both Halloween and Dia de los Muertos. So he does miss it whenever he's not been here for the Holidays.
The Youngest of the Trio of Granddaughters in Pittsburgh sent me more Pixs, I can tell she's really Feelin' her New Makeover. She should be Proud of how much Weight Loss she's accomplished thus far and how Cute she looks with her new Edgier Style. She's very much like both of The G-Kid Force in that she's always been the more Stylish and Fashionista Minded of the Trio of Granddaughters we have Back East. Her Two Sisters aren't that much into Style, Fashion, Creative Bold Looks... this one is Fearless just like The Young Prince and Princess T when it comes to Wearing her Revolution. And being the most comfortable being Different and in her own Skin. *Smiles* But she had gotten quite Heavy in her Mid-20's and so she really did need to get serious about her Health, better Eating Habits, and losing excess Weight before hitting her 30's soon. She's always been a Pretty Girl, but she is Short and when you aren't Tall, Weight can pack on a Small Frame more and be less Forgiving. And the Older you get, the harder it gets to stay as good looking as in your Prime Years.
The Oldest and Youngest Granddaughters of that Daughter's Spawn were very Svelte and tiny in Childhood and in their Teen Years. The Middle one always has had a Weight Struggle, Bless her. Even when she was a little Kid, she was a Husky Kid. She was very Active in Sports and all, but it didn't matter, she was a Chubster and even had a struggle with Childhood Morbid Obesity, so I got concerned for her Health early on. I said something to our Daughter about it, coz I didn't know if there were Health Issues or Emotional Issues she wasn't telling us about that Grandchild? But the Kid was getting Obese in Grade School and it alarmed The Man and I. Especially since her Sisters weren't Fat at all, they were actually quite Skinny. Her Mom was Petite until after Age 50 when she had a Weight problem set in after Menopause, which happens sometimes. And their Dad has always been Muscular and in great Shape even tho' now he's over 60.
So I felt the Family wasn't all in a struggle to Eat responsibly. As she got Older, she did Confess she Emotionally Ate, and it wasn't just Genetics, it was over-eating and eating the Wrong things, Bad Habits and Choices, which became Lifelong Bad ones to then have to conquer and overcome/resist. I don't Believe in Body Shaming anyone, but if your Health Tanks becoz of Poor Lifestyle Choices and terrible Eating Habits and you're a Loved One of mine, I am gonna say something. I know the Struggle, and have a Point of Reference to draw upon... both in being Naturally Skinny, and then being Overweight and having a Battle with the Bulge! After a Hysterectomy in my 50's, I went from never having a Weight Problem and always being very Thin, to suddenly being Obese and my Health suffered for the excess Weight I carried.
And Emotionally as well as Mentally it can be hard too if you don't Feel Good about yourself and how you Look. Plus, you ARE Judged, whether you Like it or not, people do Judge the Morbidly Obese... or those who become less Attractive due to their Bodies Image, or falling apart or ill Health making them look Busted. Nobody wants to look unattractive or prematurely hammered by Life and our Choices or how we just Naturally Look. I used to get Teased more when I was Underweight, people didn't think they could Offend you by saying mean or inappropriate and Offensive things about how Skinny you were I guess. The Underweight do suffer Judgment too. My Mom, The Daughter, Princess T and I were just Naturally Underweight people who ate normally and yet our metabolisms burned off Fat Naturally I guess. My Mom was often called Olive Oyl, since she was compared to Popeye's Comic Book Underweight Girlfriend. She didn't gain Weight until she had a Hysterectomy too.
I once had a Grown Man I didn't know, come up to me in Public in a crowded Bowling Alley on Base, when I was about Princess T's Age, and as Skinny as she is, and put his damned Hands around my Waist, his Fingers Touched coz I only had a 19 inch Waist back then, and say, "Damn, Girl, you're Skinny!" I was mortified and it was intrusive and so fucking Rude, not Flattering or Funny, tho' everyone Laughed. Nobody thought I should take Offense, but I knew if someone had said something about "Damn, Girl, you're Fat" and put his whole Arms around my Waist, if I was Obese, the consensus would be that would be Abusive and Cruel, and it would be. The Daughter, in High School, was so Thin that a Popular Boy once asked her why she looked like a Starving Ethiopian, did she have an Eating Disorder? She came Home Crying, but even after having had Five Children, she still had Hips like a 14 Year Old Boy! Only now in her late 40's and at Menopause, she's finally able to Gain Weight. She's almost as Skinny as her Adult Kids are.
Okay, now back to Halloween Topics, since, it's only Four Days away in Real Time so I wanna still Talk about it even in Post that won't hit for mebbe close to a Fortnite. Tho' I have less Unpublished ones now, I just haven't been on a Bloggy Bender lately. Anyway, while at the VA Clinic near Sun City where The Man goes coz that's Dr. Klein's Location, and the Clinic near our Home isn't taking on New Patients, there is a GOODWILL nearby that we pop into either before or after his Appointments there. You could walk from the Clinic to the VA and so it's handy it's there to bide time either before your Appointment or to do something nearby after it. Well, they had Two of those Scare Owls you put out to deter Pigeons, and they were only $4.99 each so I got them as Halloween Props! Everyone was coming up after I Scored them and lamenting that they'd looked at them, but didn't get them and should have. Oh well... *Winks* There's a lot of Old People there since it's so close to the huge Retirement Communities of the Sun Cities. And they can be Talky and a lot more Sociable due to their Generation. *Smiles*
Some of them I don't mind Talking to at all coz they're people I'd easily be Friends with. Others, not so much. *Ha ha ha* We did meet one Delightful 80 Year Old named Dorothy while eating our Brunch at "Tom Yum's" Thai Restaurant tho'. It was her 1st time eating Thai food and she wanted suggestions and asked for ours, coz she liked what she saw us eating and wanted to know more about it. We had quite a nice visit with Dorothy, she didn't look 80, she looked wonderful for her Age. She had Dark Hair and the most lovely Green Eyes. She seemed mesmerized by my Grey Eyes and Darker Complexion, so asked, "I don't mean this to be Rude or Offensive, but what Nationality are you, I can tell you're not White?" I didn't take Offense coz I'm not White, and she Guessed Right before I even Answered and said, you look Mixed, perhaps Indian and European... but a more Ethnic European too? Spot on, Dorothy was good! *Ha ha ha* Then she said, I'm Mixed too, she looked White, turns out she had a White Mother and a Hispanic Father.
She said that tho' people assumed he was Mexican, he actually was Peruvian Ancestry... well, then I realized why she was probably more Weta, and with the Green Eyes and very Pale Skin. A lot of South Americans aren't necessarily Dark and don't even look like they'd be Spanish Speakers. She was telling me she lived in Arizona for Years, but not when it was still Segregated before the 1970's. She said she lived almost all her Life in Chicago and during her Generation, her Family had to live in Black Neighborhoods on the South Side of Chicago, rough Neighborhoods, but they always were treated well there by their Community. I told her the same, tho' I'm Younger, due to my Parents Interracial Union we too had to live in Non-White Neighborhoods and usually if it was Off Base Housing, it would be in Black Neighborhoods. But, we always were treated very well by our Communities and Accepted, not Excluded in Communities of Color.
Not so much by White Communities, Dorothy said the same, but said it was hard coz she LOOKED White, and so she had Mixed Reactions if people didn't know she wasn't actually Lily White, but Mixed and Light Skinned. Me too. I wasn't ever Light Skinned like her, but people usually just thought I was White and had a Good Tan tho', so I could "Pass" for White sometimes. *LOL* Dorothy said most other Hispanics thought her to be White and if she doesn't say she isn't, people don't usually have a Clue she isn't. I wouldn't have either, I thought she was a pleasant Old White Lady until she told me her Heritage and asked me about mine. She seemed Curious more than trying to be intrusive or biased in the least. She said that she usually likes to meet other Mixed Race People with similar Life experiences of being Biracial. In her Day it was so Taboo that she often felt very different, Shamed, and not accepted by either Culture her Parents were. I only had that with my Dad's People, Mom's People it was a Non-Issue. But Society never liked it... and many still don't. The Mixing of Races can still be a very Controversial Topic across the Board with many folks. Oy Vey!
I really did Bond with Dorothy and she'd be someone I could so easily Befriend and enjoy talking to. She hoped to see us again and I think if I do run into her again, perhaps there at the Restaurant, we'll exchange Numbers. She said she wanted me to show her Pixs of my Family. She said her Husband Died last Year and transitioning to Widowhood has been difficult. I would assume they had been Married a mighty long time and that would be so hard after so long. She had a big Bowl of Pho', a Tureen, coz she didn't know they give you so much of it. I know to order the Small Bowls. *LOL* I do Hope to meet Dorothy again. I really Liked her and even The Man seemed to get along with her and he's usually not Social or Sociable at all if a Stranger just walks up and starts Talking. *LOL* She seemed interested in whoever she was Talking to and it didn't seem like an interrogation, just someone so easy to Talk to and Open Up to about the more difficult conversations that you wouldn't necessarily ever have with a Stranger. Dorothy bailed from Chicago due to the Crazy Taxation there, Twelve Grand Annually for the Home she had there. Everyone I've ever known from Chicago left for that reason.
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There will be more for later... Dawn... The Bohemian