Function Above Form

 I got all the Posts done and sitting in the Unpublished Queue for the rest of July.  So, now onwards to August Posts, even tho' in Real Time it's only the 13th of July and I'm on a smokin' Hot Roll of Creating my Posts.  *Drops the Mic and Smiles*   I mean, what else are ya gonna do when it's 115 or Hotter most days now except something pleasurable in AC and that still isn't very Physical to risk working up any Sweat?  *LOL*  I keep thinking, I should go to the Gym, and then I don't.  My Knees have been Achy with the Monsoons moving in, my Bones and Joints can forecast the Weather and any Rain, I swear!   I'm like a Living Weather Vane of intensified Pain when Storms are eminent. *Le Sigh*

The Man is parked in front of the TV and seems Content enuf with his Programs, he's on a Fix of The Food Network competition Shows right now.  I don't know that's Feeding his Mind, coz he has been avoiding his New Exercise Equipment suddenly and not doing it while he watches the TV now.  He was doing so well with that too, I think he easily loses interest with things, he's already complaining about Cardiac Rehab and is it really NECESSARY?  So, I don't think we'll get thru all the Authorized Visits he has coz it is a LOT.  And only Two actual Sessions in, along with the Intake Session, he's Burning Out already and was glad for the Cancellation on account of it conflicting with Irrigation and me being unable to change that happening, coz the Water was coming, so we had to Cancel his Rehab Appointment instead.  He wasn't Sad about it.  But then, neither was I. *LOL*

I don't Feel like doing anything at all when it's really Hot, so after I do everything necessary and mandatory or required to do, I opt to do Nothing Else.  *Winks*  Nope, not another damned thing.  And I'm strangely Okay with that, which is rather out of Character for me actually.  I am strangely Okay with all my Naps too, I look forward to them in fact, no matter how long they are, and they are getting LONG now.  I don't intend for them to be that lengthy, they just end up being longer than expected.  I swear my Siestas could take up the better part of Daylight Hours now!  The Kiddos often come Wake me Up just coz they get so concerned that I've been Down for so long in the Middle of the Day, then also go to bed at Night too!

A Massive Haboob Dust Storm is hitting right now in fact, it obliterates the Sun and turns the Sky Orange with Dust Particles just before it arrives, eerie, if you've never seen or been in one.  Very Dangerous, very high Winds, Dust towering over the highest parts of the City, dwarfing it.  The devastation from one can be significant and you definitely don't wanna be caught out in one, especially Driving, visibility is Zero, so if you require Emergency Services, it ain't happening.  The above Trio of Pixs were taken last Monsoon Season in 2025, these are as bad we're now getting.  It tipped our large Potted Cactus over, but thankfully against our large Lantana Bush so the Pot didn't break, it's a Huge expensive Ceramic Heavy Post, so that took a lot of force to knock over, coz the Cactus is heavy too in it.  It's a Category 3 currently.  The Bottom Pix was taken just now and Posted as someone was Flying In to Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, that had to be a Terrifying Landing!

So, now I've downloaded the Images I took at that New Antique Mall AMERICA'S ANTIQUE MALL, and some of things that caught my Eye and I Photographed.  My Retail Therapy consisted of Three Colorful Art Mannequin Hands {Pixs are Shown Above and Below}, I only didn't Buy the Middle Finger one coz it was more like a Paperweight and Fabricated rather than an actual Arted Up Vintage Mannequin's Hand.  My Hands bought have a mounting bracket to attach to a Mannequin that can be also used to mount them on a Wall to hold things, which is the Purpose I'll be utilizing them for.  I think all my Mannequins that need Hands have them.  *Winks*   The Vendor that had them was called HEAVY SAUCE and doesn't have a Book of Faces Link, but could be an Urban Brand actually coz they do have a Trademark and an Instagram Page... so, could be one and the same, I dunno?  The Booth looked Edgy and Urban Streetwear.

I liked my Trio of Mannequin Hands and the Colorful Paint on them reminded me of Graffiti and just appealed to me even tho' I hadn't intended to make any Purchases, I couldn't resist.  Otherwise I'd of had Non-Buyer's Remorse, and a little Retail Therapy within Budget is never remorseful to me.  *Winks*  I felt it would Inspire The Young Prince also, since he's Arting Up a lot of my Mannequins and their Body Parts that I give him to do so.  I like his Art and it Displays well, this Artist's Vibe reminded me of my Grandson's Vibe, everything he does is vividly Colorful and very Imaginative in ways I've never seen before, so it's quite distinctive and Unique to his particular Style and Aesthetic he Creates for himself.  He'll like these Hands.  This Antique Mall is one we will definitely go to as a Family and enjoy.  There were Vendors each of us will gravitate to, the variety was excellent.

And more and more I'm thinking that when The Young Prince gets his Living Space the way he wants it, mebbe we will Create some Art there together actually.  I do wanna get back to Creating, I'm Happier when I am Creating something, regardless of what it is.  And it's more about Feeding my Soul than Selling it tho' I have Sold my Art before quite profitably in the Past.  Whether or not we Sell a lot of our Art we'd still Create it anyway and Princess T is Madly Creative as well.  She's also a really good Artist, we used to think she Traced some of her Drawings when she was little coz they were that good, and it was hard to Believe a small Child was that good already.    The Young Prince began his Creative Journey doing Sculpting and was so good and so quick at it, that it was awe inspiring to watch him Work.  He'd make a Masterpiece and then Destroy it coz he wasn't attached to his Outcomes no matter how good they were and he'd wanna sometimes re-use the Art Supplies, but didn't have the Money to Buy new Supplies.

He's inclined to Paint over a Canvas he's already done spectacular Art on if you don't Buy him another Canvas.  So, I try to keep anything I really like set aside so he won't Destroy it, and make a request to Save that one so it's Preserved!  *Whew*  He once painted an Old Round Retro Table like a Galaxy and I Loved it... but forgot to tell him how much I Loved it, and next thing I knew he painted over it again... arghhhhh!!!  And I do have to ensure everything we own doesn't get turned into some Art Project with him, or it could be.  *LOL*  He'd be that Mad Artist that lived emersed in his Art completely, every Square Inch of his Space turned into Art, he Lives and Breathes it.  To me that's a True Artistic Spirit.  Princess T's Room also reflects her Artistic Nature, but in a more Curated and Refined way than her Brother.  Some of his Art can be disturbing, but he's making a Statement with it that can be Powerful all the same... especially when he explains what Inspired it.  Often it needs no Explanation tho'.  He said if he has to Explain anything to you, he's already Lost you of it's Purpose.

Anyway, I did enjoy my visit to that Antique Mall and in the Future I wouldn't be opposed to Renting Space there to see how Profitable the Location actually is?   The Demographic they're attracting doesn't mess up the Spaces and go Feral, which impressed me, so everything looked very Curated and Tidy even tho' there were a lot of Shoppers there.  I'd prefer to attract that Demographic that knows how to Act and to Behave in Public when out Shopping or doing anything Recreational.  Those that don't know how to Act or Behave in Polite Society are destructive and inconsiderate, a lot of time they also have tendencies towards Criminal Behaviors as well, and they become a Loss Prevention Issue, Safety Issue or a Vandalism Issue to Retail Establishments.  I'm fed up of the Feral Acting Adults and their Feral Children that we constantly have to run damage control behind in Society.  They create unnecessary Losses to decent hard working respectable folks trying to make a Living or Live Peacefully and not have our surroundings destroyed, vandalized, stolen or molested.

The Middle Finger goes up from me to such Feral Folk.  *Winks*  I did like the Finger Mannequin Hand, had it not had a flat bottom I might have bought one.  But the underside isn't a Hand, it's just flat like it's just a Sculpture and Paperweight Purpose just sitting there, so I'd have no Functional Purpose for it.  Right now Function above Form is more Appealing to me.  All the Kiddos who Work had a real Early Shift Today, The Son had to be there before 5:00 a.m. and Princess T before 6:00 a.m., so it was an early Wakeup Call to transport them.  I didn't mind coz I'd slept a lot of the Stormy Day away Yesterday anyway, you couldn't be out in that long Haboob that hit, too dangerous.  My Potted Cactus it knocked over is too heavy to put upright so we have to figure out some leverage to get it standing again.   A Dolly and a Pulley System is what The Son is thinking, he's Madly Strong and couldn't budge it.  So it too massive force for the Wind to knock it over like it did.

It is a big heavy Cactus, most Cacti are heavy coz they're Water filled.  And this one is as Tall as our Roofline now and has many Arms.  Luckily it fell against our Lantana Bush so didn't tip completely over flat or smash it's heavy expensive glazed Pot, which is really heavy too.  The Pot is about Two Foot High and I paid a lot for it, filled with dirt and a Mature Cactus, that took a lot of Wind Force to knock over.  I would be hard pressed to push it over and it was quite stable and solid on the Front Porch.  So it was like a Microburst of Wind hit it and toppled it.  We didn't seem to have sustained any other damage Thankfully, coz I did see huge Trees snapped in half while driving The Son to Work, so there was a lot of Storm Carnage.  I've seen it topple over 100-200 Year Old massive Eucalyptus Trees before during these types of Storms.  Or snap a Century Old Mesquite or Ironwood Trunk in half, and Mesquite or Ironwood is an extremely Hard Wood, not easily broken, for even a Small Branch, let alone a Mature Trunk.

The Son was able, with a Dolly, to get my Potted Large Cactus upright again but a lot of Arms broke off of it.  Fine, you let them cork over and replant them and get all new ones.  That's how I got this one, someone had dumped the cuttings Roadside and I picked them up a few Years ago and planted them in Pots.  It's a shame more folks don't propagate them properly with that knowledge and just give them away if they don't want that many.  Here in Arizona Cacti can be expensive for mature ones or specialty ones and the Native one you have to get a Cactus Tag for unless you grow it yourself or bought Land with them already on there.  They are all protected in Arizona.  Anyway, pups will grow out of the broken Arms still in the pot and it will be a thicker and less tall Cactus which is fine coz it was outgrowing it's huge Pot anyway.  It's a Peruvian Apple Cactus from South America, they do well in Arizona.  Just one Tall Arm can be over $180 at a Plant Nursery.

 

About 8 of those Arms snapped off the Mother Plant and will be 8 New Plants that already are quite Tall and Mature so will root easily and are already Big.   Anyway, so we got that put right and that was our only damage from the Storm but all across the City there was massive Storm damage they were clearing up.  I took The Man for a nice Drive and we went to the East of Phoenix to have Breakfast after his VA Labs were done really early.  He had to Fast for the Labs.  We went to "Snooze", one of my fav Breakfast-Lunch spots.  Everything was excellent and no crowds yet coz we got there so early.  The only problem I had was my Bacon But Different never got to our Table for almost all of the Meal and they were short-handed of Waitresses.  Our Waitress was Sweet but had just Lost her 4 Month Old Kitten this Morning so she was Emotionally struggling.  I know Rusty's Cat's Kittens also Died, I think there might be something to so many Young Kittens just up and Dying?  Healthy, then just Dead!

Anyway, so I finally asked where my Specialty Bacon was that I'd ordered?  They went and got me Regular Bacon, so they had to take it back and bring me the right Bacon, coz mine is more expensive and different, it's why they call it Bacon But Different.  *Smiles*  I wasn't gonna pay the Extra on the Order if it was regular Bacon and I Love their Specialty Bacon.  When it finally came with the Right Order the back had kind of half-assed doing the Specialty Bacon too but I didn't have it in me to send it back again.  But everything else was fine and done well, so I don't know what was going on in the Kitchen with the Bacon fiasco?  *LOL and Shrugs*  It wasn't the end of the World, and it came so late by the time they got it Right that I just got it To-Go coz I was by then finished with my Meal and we were ready to leave.  Then we went to "Whole Foods" nearby and got some Groceries.

Then we went to "Everything Goes" an Antique Mall owned by my Friend Nan, we were still running so Early that we got there about 8 Minutes before they even Opened!  I Love getting an early start to the day now coz we get everything done before Noon and before the Heat of the day sets in or traffic gets heavier.  I hadn't intended to Buy anything but my Friend Minnie had a Vintage Rosary I wanted and some Vintage Horse Show Ribbons.   Another Vendor had some Vintage Silverware I wanted and was Cheap but very Ornate Handles.  And the Vendor who had the mini Cracker Jack Trolls had some more so I bought more of those too.  She had some this time with Multi-Color Hair.   When I got Home I went to "Sprouts" to pick up some of what "Whole Foods" didn't have that I needed.  The Son and I then put some Chili in the Crockpot to make for Supper.

So, here's the Rosary I got.  And Below are some Show Ribbons.   Minnie had reduced her Booth by half the size she used to Rent, so she's clearly downsizing her Retail Space there.  She always has good Merch and used to have her own Line, but she's raising Three Girls and her Husband has an excellent Career, so I think she's focusing more on the Family now and being less of a Workaholic.   Her Kiddos are Teens now and that when you really need to focus on how they're turning out before they Blossom into Young Women and Men.  And they Travel a lot.  Anyway, she had the Show Ribbons Displayed so Creatively around the Skirt section of the Dress Form Mannequin.  I'm totally stealing ... um, borrowing that idea from you Minnie.  But giving Credit where it's due, Loved the Look.  *LOL and Winks*

Minnie always has lovely Fashions in her Booth and she Possesses Style when she Dresses, but I'm no longer a tiny little Sprite like she is and a Size 1, so, nothing would fit from Minnie's Closet.  *Le Sigh*  That Girl is the same Size she was when I first met her over 20 Years ago and after having had Three Kiddos, and, she looks exactly the same too, she's virtually Ageless and it's as if Time has stood still for her... and No, she's had no Work done, she's just got good Genes and is a Beautiful Person both Inside and Out.   She was Adopted, and Below is a Pix of her with her Adopted Mom.  She told me her biological Mom was Native American so she was born at the Indian Hospital and had her Children there too, so I do think she's still a Registered Tribal Member of a Federally Recognized Tribe.  Anyway, I could show you a Pix of Minnie I took many Years ago and she looks no different at all.   Pixs Below to Prove it!!!  

Now

Way Back Then... this Daughter of hers is Grown now!

The Young Prince used to have such a Crush on Minnie when he was a Child, even tho' he knew even back then that he was Gay, he said he'd of Switched Teams for Miss Minnie!  *LOL and Winks*   And she Adores my Grandkids and has watched them Grow Up into Young Adults, she is like an Auntie to them both coz they've known her all their Lives.  I'm glad that some of my Industry Friends are still hanging in there all these Years with it.  But, a lot left the Business, some of the really good ones, and no matter how killer their Merchandise, Showcasing of it, Pricing, Talent, it just wasn't profitable enuf to keep doing it anymore.  The heyday is over and I don't see it rebounding anytime soon, so I'm glad that for me it's just a Hobby and way to Downsize Possessions and make some discretionary Income to supplement a Fixed Retirement one.  I certainly wouldn't even attempt to make a Living doing it.  And most folks I know still in the Game also Work a Full Time Job or Career to earn an actual Living. 

The Daughter is upset right now on account of Mando and us being adamant he will never be Welcome.  She's not willing to give up the Relationship but at least now she's not making the pretense of not seeing him without our knowledge.  Some of her Friends had told us she was and they were reliable enuf Sources of information that was accurate.  Also, becoz none of her Friends like him, they don't associate with her as much as they used to when he's not around.  He's one of those Guys who isolates whoever he is Dating and that's typical of abusive types of people who are controlling and manipulative and he'll never change any of that.  She thinks he will and is, but, I know it's a brief facade and he'll go right back to how he just is and always apparently has been.  And I wasn't putting up with that nor was the rest of the Family or any of her other Friends.  Anyway, she's Grown and she's choosing to spend more time with him now so she is often not here now.

If she prefers that then that's what she's going to just do and I have my Peace about it.  She's been MIA and Off The Grid so often over the Years that I didn't expect it to last that she'd stay put here just coz she was developing a Relationship with her Adult Kids now.  They are okay with her not being all that close coz she never has been and they came to terms with that a long time ago.  It's harder for her Son becoz he'd like things to be different, Princess T's expectations are totally pragmatic about her Mother and she was Grown before she even 'knew' her really or had her around, so, it's a non-issue for her.  Sometimes she's more Fine with less of the Family here coz there's less stressors for everyone and less that I'm responsible for.  She'd rather I have less people to support or worry over.   I have one of the Three Sisters of The G-Kid Force who live in Mexico {the Middle one} that wants to come to America, but I can't see that actually playing out and happening with the complexities of our Immigration System now... and risks.

An Old Pix of me back when I didn't have Dreads but had Cornrows coz Princess T had them at the time and wanted me to have them along with her, so I did.  Gives you an instant Facelift coz they're so damned tightly Braided to your Head.  I didn't like that I had to wear a Bonnet at Night so they wouldn't get the Fuzzies, I don't have to do that with Dreadlocks.  And with the Cornrows, they only lasted a few Weeks and then I had to take them out.  I didn't mind having them but they took as long to get done as my Dreadlocks did, and that poor Girl's Hands after doing mine and my Granddaughter's, must have hurt like Hell?!  Princess T at the time had very long Hair down to her Hips and they'd had outbreaks of Head Lice at School and she didn't wanna get them so wanted Cornrows for Maintenance reasons during that outbreak.  It worked, she never got any and I was relieved.  

In Hot Climates those kinds of things run rampant in the Elementary Aged School System.  And it always Creeped me Out and was a lot of Work to rid your Kids of if they got them.  And some strains of them were hard to kill off and were resistant to the Medicated Shampoos.  The Young Prince never got them, he had very nappy Hair as a Child, coz his Dad's Side are Puerto Rican and have some Black Hispanic Heritage... and I guess they didn't particularly like his Hair Texture or something, I dunno?   So I never had to worry about him, but with her it was always challenging to make sure she didn't get them from Classmates.  They'd send Home Letters if there was an Outbreak and send any Kids Home who got infested, but you know how Kids are, they spread whatever they have.   I'm sure if you shone a Black Light in an average Day Care with Little Ones, it would Light Up the Room!!!   *Shudder*  As Old People still Raising Grandkids, we tried to ensure they didn't drag Home every Illness or Outbreak going around at School or when playing with their Friends.   Tall Order.   I'm so Glad they're now Grown!  *Whew*

Speaking of Illness... and possibly Infection too... Princess T did return to Work on Tuesday, feeling somewhat better but our Bad Weather is still causing her Respiratory distress and Allergies real Bad.  Plus, Eli's Bit on her Thigh looks like it is Infected right away so I'm glad we immediately put her on a Strong Antibiotic Regimen from the Urgent Care right after she got bit.  We'll keep a close Eye on the Wounds and I'll take her back if it looks like it's not improving or worsening.  She'll be on the Meds for 10 Days and they told me it should fight any Infection, which, they said they expected coz it was a deep puncture wound Bite and any Animal Bite has a high rate of Infection.  They didn't give her a Tetanus Shot at the Urgent Care but said they might if she has to come back.   Her Leg was real sore at Work so she's also taking maximum Strength Tylenol as well for Pain and Swelling.  And they told her to Ice it as well to relieve Swelling.  Eli has been Fine with her, I think she just rolled over on him while they were both Asleep and that caused what happened?  He's not usually a Biter like that.

If he became prone to vicious attacks and Biting then we'd have to get rid of him and she doesn't want that so we are hoping it was a One Off and he won't do it again?  Coz it was a Bad Bite, all Four of his largest Teeth punctured her Thigh and she got a Scratch too.  You can't really Discipline Cats, they don't have a concept of Discipline like a Dog does, so you pretty much waste your time Scolding them.  Sometimes it makes them more resentful if you were to.  Mostly I give him disapproving Looks, which he doesn't Like that, and then we Ignore him, and he doesn't like that either, to alter Behavior to more appropriate Behavior.  He's not Stupid, so if done with consistency, he knows what's unacceptable and what is okay.  And I do swear he understands you and can look Ashamed when he has Awareness he's done something to Upset you, make you Mad, or make her Cry.  He kept trying to make Nice with her and make up with her after having Bitten her.  He knew damned well that he'd bitten her, we just don't know Why, only he knows that.  And he Adores her so it was out of Character for him.

  

He insists on Sleeping with her but I don't know she's ever rolled over onto him to where he felt in danger or startled before?  She's not very Big, she barely weighs 100 lbs., if that, but he's only about a 23 lb. Cat.  So she Four Times his Weight and much larger and he's getting Old and I think a bit Arthritic now.  Even when Grooming him I have to be Careful that I don't make it Painful for him and am Gentle, he Loves to be Groomed and looks forward to me doing it.  Get's a lot of his Loose Hair off him and he lets you know if it hurts to Groom any part of his Body that might be more sensitive and he experiences Advanced Age Pain or discomfort in.  I notice his Hindquarters are where he'd rather you never Touch, so she could have just bumped his Hindquarters or Legs while they both were sound Asleep and that would startle him and perhaps be very Painful and illicit a defensive reaction.  It's all Speculation on our part, trying to figure out what might have happened?

 

This is a couple of my long time Friends who moved and no longer are at the Events or Antique Mall Locations they once were.   I miss them and lost Touch since they moved.   Not everyone I know uses Social Media so it becomes harder to stay in Touch with those who don't and Leave the Industry or Move Away.   And by now so many of my Friends have Left the Industry, Moved Away or Passed Away, so my Inner Circle keeps dwindling more and more with the passage of Time.   I can't say I'm all Friended Up, I am not adverse to meeting New folks to Befriend, I just don't put myself out there enuf to actually cultivate any Relationships now like I used to.  You do have to Invest yourself in people and cultivate your Relationships in order to have a bond that becomes meaningful and not just superficial or situational.  I'd say in recent Years I have more Acquaintances now, and... that's Okay.  It's a level of interaction I can handle for right now.

*******

The first Post of August... from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

Well... F*cking Cheers... Eat, Drink & Be Merry, For Tomorrow We May...

We'll lead off with Happy Fluff... with an Adorable Pix of one of our Great-Grandsons.  I had bought an Acai Berry Smoothie from the Grocery Store and was disappointed that the taste isn't as good as Acai Sorbet.  It seemed watered down, I won't buy it again, not at the price, I could get me an Acai Tropical Mango Bowl for a buck more from "Robeks".  *LOL*  I always do a price comparison calculation in my Head of Gourmet items that I enjoy the most, to see if it's worth the splurge at a Grocer, or just get it at a fav Restaurant.  Often, the Restaurant is a better Deal IMO, which is Surprising, but they do buy Product in bulk so probably get it Wholesale.  I am a Fan of unusual Flavor Profiles so I'll spend up on them as a decadence I will Budget for.  Especially those Foods that also have Holistic Health Benefits ta boot, Win-Win.

And I Share Accurate History and Quotes from those in the Past who said it, that speak Volumes about the Character of who said them Historically.  Above incapsulates it, and why we mustn't Whitewash our History no matter how unpleasant or uncomfortable it is.   Most Indigenous Tribal Leaders weren't the less "Civilized" of our Nation's People, if History is recounted accurately as to what was done to them all, consistently, by the American Government.   The Genocide of my Dad's People was responsible for Millions more Deaths than even the atrocious Nazi Holocaust by Hitler was against the Jews and the Gypsies.   But our Schools don't Teach about our Atrocities against Humanity and so Bad History tends to repeat itself here becoz nothing is Learned from it so it never happens again to anyone else.

 There were State Sponsored Extermination Campaigns all across America to Murder all Native American People without consequence.  In California alone the Native Population plummeted from 150,000 to 30,000 in just a few Years in the 1800's.  In the 19th Century 1,500 Raids by the U.S. Government were authorized against Tribes, Killing even the Elderly, Women and Children.  Survivors were forced into 4% of U.S. Territory on Reservations to only be able to Live there and many Starved there or Died of Disease.  Even in my Dad's Generation he Lost Three Young Brothers by what was still being done.  So when I see Human Right Violations in 2026 I see we've Learned Nothing from our previous Bad History that is being covered up, altered to Sanitize or debunk it with Lies, or remaining just unspoken.  It is disturbing and it is dangerous to Humanity.  We should never Dehumanize another Human Being to attempt to justify Atrocities committed against our Fellow Human Beings, it's pure Evil.

 Moving On, since I know my Dear Readers don't Need to hear me Preach about such things.  Back to Foods, a less controversial Topic.  *Winks*  The Man isn't very experimental with Flavor Profiles or Foods, he grew up with a very bland and Middle America kind of Diet, his Family don't even Spice things.  *Gasp!  Clutches Pearls!!!*  Hence he's like a Delicate Flower when it comes to Stomach Ailments and I have a Stomach and Constitution like a Goat, he says.  *LOL*  It is True I can eat Foods so Spicy they make Styrofoam Sweat or even Melt.  *Bwahahaha*  I like Foods that have some Throat in them and Flavor, Bland Foods are disgusting to me, Gak.  But, to each their own when it comes to Dietary preferences and Foods they enjoy most, it's all subjective, isn't it?  The Man now eats Foods he never grew up eating since he has been exposed to more variety due to my influence.

And it has been reciprocal since he grew up in a Hunting and Fishing Family, they Kill things and Eat them, with regularity.   So there were some Proteins I'd never had before meeting him and eating them, Fresh, after he Hunted them down and Killed them.  You Marry a Great White Hunter and you're gonna be eating some very unusual Animals you'd only ever seen Alive and not in your Local Grocery Store Butcher Shop section and Meats Aisle.  *LOL*  I'll eat anything Once, Twice if I Like it, so, I'm very Experimental with Food and willing to partake of something New to me.  My only Condition was, he had to bring it Home not looking like it did Alive in the Wild, hadda LOOK like it just came from the Grocery Store so as not to Freak Out the Kids and I.  *Winks*

I dunno, you see Bambi's Mother strung up like a Lynching and it just Kills the Appetite completely IMO.   And some very Tasty Foods look so damned Cute in Life, like Quail for example.  He jokes with me that he only Killed the Ugly ones, a Mercy Killing if you will.  *Eye Roll and Laughs*  Quail is very good, so are Dove Nuggets, a Favorite.  I Loved his Moose Chili and Javelina Pot Roasts.  And now he can't Hunt anymore due to the level of his Disability, I do miss those Meals he Hunted and prepared for us for many Years and we came to look forward to and Love incorporating into our Diet.  He was also an excellent Culinary Jedi and I miss that too, he always did most of our Cooking and Loved preparing Meals, he was so good at it too.  Above is one of my Aunts with our Kids and one of our Grandkids.  As you can see The Son was a very Young Uncle... he HATED it and was very jealous of the Grandkids.  *LOL*

The only thing he ever Hunted, and it took him 15 Years to even Draw Out on One to Hunt it, that I did not Like eating at all, was Antelope.  Very Lean Muscular Animal, very Gamey coz of what they Eat, mostly Sagebrush.  He's good at making Wild Game not taste Gamey, but Antelope was a particular Challenge and we agreed, not worth Hunting again.  We just didn't like it and they're a big Animal, so we had a lot of Meat to Eat of it and try to get Creative about not wasting any of it and making something with it that would be palatable.   We mixed it with Meats we do like and that was Helpful, to make Burgers or Chili or Sausages with it and just use it up.

Once a Friend, Dino, who worked at a large Resort on their Golf Course, came to The Man holding a large Dead Domestic White Goose.  He said one of their Golfers had accidentally ran over it and killed it with their Golf Cart! Don't even ask how that can happen, didn't seem all that "accidental" to me.  I don't even run over Wild Geese with my Truck and they're crossing the Street slowly everywhere around here.  Even tho' they know they can Fly, and staring you down with their Beady little Eyes with an Arrogance that I can Imagine might make some Golfer Snap and run one over.  But this was a lone White Domestic Goose, not as inclined to tie up Traffic like a gaggle of Wild Canadian Geese do, marching in Single File holding up Traffic, usually at Crosswalks, that I've ever seen anyway.  *LOL*   Anyway, Dino didn't wanna Waste it and asked if The Man knew how to Butcher and prepare it to Eat, he did, so both Families had Vehicular Homicide Golf Course Goose that day.  *LOL*

I do find it quite Interesting that the Wild Canadian Geese around here almost always use the Crosswalks tho'!  They could Cross the Road anywhere, but don't.  And the Crosswalks also have Caution Signs saying Migratory Bird Crossings happen.   So perhaps they are Smarter than we think they are?  And know they are deliberately tormenting us Humans by their Pedestrian Behavior?  *LOL*   Sometimes they even stop mid Crosswalk and directly in front of your Vehicle while waiting on them, and Stare you Down for a while before moseying across at leisure and getting to the other side.  The really obstinate ones will reach the other side and then act like they may change their Mind and go back across!!!  *LMAOROTF*   There is nothing across the Road they even Need since the Ponds and Lakes are on the side they're usually leaving.  And now most of them seem no longer to bother Migrating anymore, they stay Year Round in Arizona.  Canada a distance Dream perhaps, they've now become Ex Pats, these Canadian Geese?  *LOL*

Well, the Hernandez Family next door to Rob's Family forgot to drop their Gates and now their property is Flooding!   And nobody can get hold of them so the rest of us now have an Issue with our Irrigation we get after them!!!   I went to their Home and rang their Doorbell to alert them coz Water is running down their Driveway and now all down the Street, but nobody is coming to their Door.  So I don't know if they went to Work and forgot or they've got some other Issue with their Irrigation distribution, but, it's a big problem coz it's Flooding and wasting a lot of the Water too that should be distributed downstream from them.  *Le Sigh*  We opened our Gates and tuned on our Pump earlier so at least it helps some, but we and Rob are out there now trying to alleviate what is running off the Hernandez Property.  Rob is inclined to jump their fencing and go handle it if it appears they're not Home to.  His Family are friendly with all the Neighbors.  Otherwise we'll have to alert SRP of the problem.

The Daughter made me angry, she said this Morning she'd show up and she not only hasn't, but, she said she sent Mando and she knows we don't want him on our Property at all, ever.  If he could get here she could get here and I called her and yelled at her for presuming it would be Okay to send him over here, now her Brother is livid.  Last time Mando was on our Property he got aggressive with The Son and The Young Prince and The Son got into a Physical altercation with him.  I don't want that happening again, The Son has to get ready for Work and doesn't need to Deal with her Ex-Boyfriend who became Drama and a Headache to where we banned him from being anywhere near our Property.  She may be forgiving of his out of Control Temper, we are not.  He doesn't have Control of himself and so I don't want him around my Family or our Home, Period.

Anyway, I'd just gotten back from Urgent Care with Princess T for the Cat Bite, since Dr. Google had said to get Emergency Treatment for a Deep Puncture Cat Bite, which this certainly was, coz Felines have a 50% Infection Rate in 3-5 Hours!!!   She's already Sickly and has been for days now so her Immune System is already compromised.  So, the Urgent Care, now familiar with us *Eye Roll*, said we'd irrigated and cleaned it well enuf, so they prescribed the regimen of Antibiotics she'll Need.  I pick them up when the closest Pharmacy Opens after 9:00 a.m. now.  Which will be after I get The Man Home from Cardiac Rehab.  If I had someone to take him I'd just have them drop him off but then they'd have to hang around to pick him up and that's a Big Ask.   The Senior and VA Transports generally won't do someone with Dementia or TBI for obvious reasons.   Liability Issues if they lose them and can't keep track of them.

 

And ICE is still rampantly now Executing People in the Streets so frequently now we can't keep Pace with the Coverage.  Last Two Executions weren't even the Right Guy they were allegedly after, WTF?!  And who Honestly Believe any REAL Investigations will be done and Justice for those very suspiciously similar Murders by ICE, any of them?   And I knew the Good Dark Gallow's Humor Political Satire Memes would come out with Moscow Mitch and Miss Lindsey, and so enjoy my inappropriateness that has some of the Media clutching their Pearls about it and having the Vapors!   Please!!!   Spare me the Pious Double Talk now they're Dead.  I'm so Frosty about the Sanctimonious trying to say it's inappropriate to speak Ill of the Dead, when they spoke Ill of them while they were still Alive all the fucking time... Hypocrites!  Here be a few of my recent favorites that hit my algorithm feed... {Above and Below}   And they say Death comes for folks in Threes, so all Body Part now Crossed of who will enter Door No. 3 into Eternal Hell for Selling their Souls to Satan... 

You know which Political Devil I'm Hopeful that the Grim Reaper comes to Collect on next and have the World be rid of another Evil, Greed Driven, Hateful Misogynistic Racist Career Criminal and Pedophile Motherfucker.  I can't wait 'til he's Gone from this Earthly Coil... any kind of way I'm Fine with.  If anyone think that's terrible, oh well.  Pray for me... Thoughts N Prayers and all that if you Fear for my Mortal Soul.  *Eye Roll*  With the Help of Neighbor Rob and Princess T we managed to get the Irrigation done, not a good Head of Water due to our Neighbor Flooding upstream of us during most of our Rotation.  Rob did jump their Wall and handle the problem, he knows they'll appreciate it coz it risked Flooding their Home and RV Garage.  What an Ordeal and one of our Pipes blew a Cap so we had to improvise to Cap it until we can go to Home Depot with The Son after he gets off Work to replace it.  The surge was so strong when Rob finally stopped the Flooding of the Neighbor that it blew the Cap right off and cracked it so it wouldn't fit on properly.  The PVC deteriorates in this Climate.

Blog Friend the Mistress Maddie said the most hilarious thing about Miss Lindsey:  "I'd done told and told Lindsay Belle many a time at her age to not mix those poppers with drinking and Viagra!"  *LMAOROTF*  Above is my Favorite Meme about Moscow Mitch.  I was having such trouble with Irrigation and needing to be here and not at the Hospital that we just called and cancelled The Man's Cardiac Rehab with Chris.  They said it was Fine coz we gave them time to fill his slot with someone else.   I didn't need the Stress of trying to be Two places at Once and leaving Princess T to try to Cope with the Irrigation mess at Home.  She's got the Cat Bite Injury, is still recovering from her Allergies coz these Dust Storms, Major Construction across the Street and Major Fires Pollution around the State, isn't Helping her get over her Respiratory Distress at all.  The Man is Wheezing too so I didn't want him exerting himself at Rehab and making that worse either or then getting there and they say he wasn't in good enuf condition to even do it.  With everything I needed to be doing at Home, that would have really Frosted me.  *LOL*

With no longer having to take The Man to his Cardiac Rehab and getting the Irrigation now done, I can dry out here, I got pretty soaked and that Water was Cold!  We'd had Two Major Dust Storms last Night and then torrential Rain afterwards, so it's Humid and Hot out there now, icky to try to do anything in and getting soaked with Cold Irrigation Water wasn't Fun either.  Princess T did a good Job of helping me and so did Rob tho', a Debt of Gratitude to them both, I'd of struggled to do it without Present Help.  And, I found out that Rob had seen Mando on his Bike and turned him away, saying, Hey, you're NOT Welcome over there, so don't go, in fact, you're NOT even Welcome here talking to me, so go back and forget about it... I got them covered and this way nobody is causing Trouble or instigating a confrontation.   

Mando wisely left, Princess T had seen him talking to Rob and was hoping Rob would turn him away so we didn't end up with a Dramatic Confrontation here.  I don't Care if he wanted to "Help" and rode his Bike all the way here from Buckeye, The Daughter knows she shouldn't have even asked him to.  I had Words with her by Private Messenger about it.  He might have been able to Sweet Talk himself back into her Orbit, but we don't want him in ours, period... he fucked up too bad to ever have that happen the moment he communicated any verbal or physical Threat to any of my Loved Ones. 

 From what my Grandson said during that incident, when The Man was having his Heart Surgery and I was at the Hospital, so lousy Timing for someone to make epic Drama with us, he thought his Uncle was gonna beat Mando half to Death.  He didn't want The Son going to Jail, even tho' Mando had initiated it and then got mouthy with The Young Prince once he was safely in his Vehicle and driving away... saying Homophobic Smack Talk.  So, No, I don't want him around, EVER, he's not Welcome, he showed his True Colors more than once, ran out of Chances.  Out of the abundance of the Heart, the Mouth always eventually Speaks.  Those with a carefully constructed Facade eventually give themselves away about their True Nature and Self, the Illusion they fabricated then crumbles.

  The Daughter knows it's a Toxic Relationship, but she has impaired Judgment due to her Mental Health making her a Vulnerable Adult, and keeps Forgiving him and Pitying him due to his Cancer Diagnosis, he's not worth it.  Before his Terminal Illness he was like this, it's what the Streets are saying about him, from Reliable Sources we know, and I have no reason to Believe otherwise or Doubt what folks told me either.  I didn't Need to be Wound Up about him again, I got enuf going on, so I'm glad that Rob convinced him to turn around and just ride away.  Rob came over to talk to The Son and I about it afterwards and before The Son went to Work.  The Son was nervous about leaving due to the Irrigation Issues and then knowing his Sister had stupidly sent Mando over here, which she shouldn't have... he had Words with her too.

 Rob said he might have implied to Mando, that if he didn't turn around and just ride away, HE might just have to beat his Ass.  Rather than The Son or me Flipping Out on him or calling Police on him, coz nobody around here wants him hanging out or around coz he's already caused too much Trouble for everyone.  Rob's Family had Trouble with him too.  He was told by them and by us not to come around our Homes anymore and WE had not Invited him back, he KNOWS this.  And Police have already been to our Property looking for him recently, but I didn't know where he was anymore, and didn't want to know either.  But, I had been Hopeful they would locate him, for whatever reasons they were actively looking for him?   They wouldn't say but they were trying to Serve him with some Papers from what I could gather... so somebody is having him Served and he's evading being Found to be giving Addresses he's never actually Lived at, Rented or Owned.

Anyway, disaster and Drama were averted thankfully.  Listen, I didn't want him wasting time and energy riding a Bike so far for nothing in this Heat either, so I was upset with my Daughter for asking him to.  If I don't want someone around I am not one to ask Favors of them when I have a Need, I don't think that's Right.   I don't Use anyone nor Exploit anyone for my own benefit, I don't Believe in that.  And if I have something against you and don't want you around me, I don't even want you to have problems in Life, Be Well and just Be Gone is all I ask of you.  I can be Civil and even Kind to anyone, even if I Dislike them, or Disapprove of their Behavior or Lifestyle, coz Life isn't a Popularity Contest and it's not all about me.   And I'm not the Lifestyle and Behavior Police, I'll let Law Enforcement Deal with Corrupt folks, and you can have whatever Lifestyle you want so long as you leave me alone to enjoy mine.

The Son had Bought some Ear Buds from a Locked Case and Sealed Box at Wal-Mart when we'd gone there Yesterday.  When we got it Home it was half EMPTY... the Earbuds were missing, but it did have the Charger still in there!!!   So, of coarse we hadn't thought to check it at the Register since, Locked Case, Sealed Packaging, you could hear something in the Box and you wouldn't know how heavy it should feel.  He was concerned we'd have trouble with the Return and they wouldn't Believe us, but, it wasn't a problem and we exchanged it for the same thing.  This time asked the Cashier in Electronics to open it for us first to make sure everything was there this time.  The Cashier, Son and I mused how Odd that was.  Did the Manufacturer forget to Package the Product?  Did the Delivery take something out and then reseal it?  Did an Employee take it out?  Did someone take it out for a Customer and not Walk it to the Register, give it to the Customer and they Stole it and then ditched the Box?  Lots of Questions and Possibilities.  They were expensive, but on Sale at a great price, so, Luckily they still had some.

Ted Turner Classics had an Old 1971 Film "Carnal Knowledge" on with Jack Nicholson, Art Garfunkel, Ann-Margret, Rita Moreno and Candace Bergen.  For it's Era I guess it was well received and relevant, but I couldn't get thru more than 10 Minutes of it before Tapping Out, even with a Young All Star Cast. *LOL*  Some things just don't Age well.  I don't think I ever saw it before when it first came out, and I'll be okay never seeing it thru now.  *Ha ha ha*  I do like seeing some of the Old Classics Ted Turner resurrected and restored, some were well worth preservation and introducing to a New Audience.   I've been resurrecting Old Photos myself that I have preserved and long forgotten about.  I just haven't been in the Mood to tackle too much lately tho', zero ambition to actually, too Hot also to do anything physically demanding of me unless it's absolutely necessary.  Tomorrow The Man has VA Labs, but the Clinic is close by and they usually aren't crowded so he's in and out at the one that's down the Street from us.  

I can't even remember why we're having them done?  *LOL*  Sometimes all of the Medical Stuff becomes a Blur.   And our Irrigation Pump seems to have gone out now after this last Rotation was done.  We checked our Fuse Box and the Extension Cords, it seems it could be the Pump and we'll have to get Rob to look at it.  He or his Brother changed out the last Pump for us that went out, I don't know how long they last, I think this one has been a few Years Old... tho' it is said they should last 5-15 Years, I know we haven't had it that long.   Tho' I will have Rob check also that a Circuit Breaker didn't Trip first before replacing anything?  I really don't need or want the outlay of Pump replacement coz it's a couple Hundred Bucks or more.  *Le Sigh*  Property Maintenance is a never ending Money Drain coz nothing is built to last anymore, or even be Repaired, and is intended to be disposable and often to make Money for their Manufacturers at our Expense perpetually.

I lament all of the Businesses that fail tho'.   Above was a New Vendor who had the best and most Unique Taxidermy, at decent prices, at an Antique Mall in the East Valley.  They were gone within Months even tho' it seems they Sold some of their Work, like this Hell Hound, which, I would have Loved to have had the Budget for coz it was a Modest Price for something so different.   Below is a Specialty Item on a Fav Restaurant's Menu that I miss too, since "Gertrude's" at the "Desert Botanical Gardens" Closed after a long Lease there and I don't like the replacement Restaurant at all or their Menu Selections and high prices.  I'm not paying Thirty Bucks for a Hamburger or a Taco, I don't care how they try to Spin how Gourmet it is prepared.  *Eye Roll*   I haven't even been using my renewed Garden Membership hardly at all this Year coz of Gas Prices being so outrageous and it's a long commute, plus, the Weather being searingly Hot earlier and even later each Year now.  If I don't use it much this Fall I might not renew it at all in 2027.

I'm having trouble Budgeting for necessities and the essentials, so anything non-essential I just can't justify as much now.  You go into Existence and Survival Mode when the Economy is in the shitter and worsening all of the time.  And I feel its only just begun to worsen and that part concerns me a lot coz there's not much preparation us ordinary folks can do when incomes, whatever they may be, can't possibly keep pace with Inflation and the Corruption going on among the Elite robbing America blind.   I can't see the logic of the uber Wealthy Hoarding up such Wealth if they wreck the Nation in the Process, coz what will they or their Heirs then Inherit?   All the Money in the World will be totally useless and worthless if Society grinds to a fucking halt and gets totally up-ended in some Dystopian Nightmare they have Created for us all out of their Greed and Corruption destroying everything functional.  Dysfunction never has an Upside. 

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Well... as my Blog Post Title Hook said, Cheers... Eat, Drink & Be Merry, for Tomorrow we may... {You fill in the Blank}... Dawn... The Bohemian