An Everlasting Faint

 I was gonna hit the Gym Two days in a row and then I was so freakin' sore I'm second guessing whether that's a good idea or not?  *Le Sigh and LOL*  I'm not sore from the previous visit there, I'm sore from both the Arthritis in my Left Hand and Right Foot, and... I tripped over a Milk Crate that had blown over in the Storm on the back Porch... banging my Shins on it and wrenching my Back when I almost fell and caught myself enuf to stay vertical!  The Son grabbed onto me and it scared him half to Death coz he thought I was gonna take another Senior Fall, but on Cement this time and not in an Irrigated Water filled Pasture like last time I got splayed out like a Starfish!  *LOL*  So, my Shins are ridiculously sore, yet I didn't Bruise, which is very Surprising.  But, my Left Shin is very swollen.

Other than that, everything is Swell.  *Bwahahahaha*  I did kick myself into gear and go to the Gym after all.  Another big and buff looking Senior was parked beside me just arriving, and he limped out of his Vehicle same time I did, we both looked quite crippled up and were in Handicapped Parking, so he Smiled big and encouraged me by saying we'd be feeling better after we did this.  He said his Social Media algorithm keeps sending him Videos of 90 Year Olds Working Out to Shame him into going.  *LOL*  So, we both hobbled in together talking, he was a nice looking Older Black Man, I got the sense he was Retired Military or Law Enforcement, drove a nice Sports Car, very congenial but not flirty.   Many Single Older Men are Scouting for someone to look after them in their Old Age.  *Yeah, NO! Even if I WAS Single myself, LOL*

 I can't wear my Wedding Band anymore due to Arthritis swelling and malformation of that Ring Finger.  So I'm Careful of talking to Older Senior Men who strike up conversation with me, many get the wrong impression and think you're interested if you respond in a friendly manner.  *Ha ha ha*  But, this Guy wasn't like that at all, just a very nice Guy motivating himself to stay fit and Healthy in spite of obviously having some measure of Disability going on.  As fit, muscular and big as he was, like a Retired Pro Athlete, he was hobbling around worse than me and it was obvious he's got Bad Knees and Mobility challenges, walks like he's in chronic Pain.  When you hurt a lot, you can tell when other people do even if they say nothing and never complain about it.

Anyway, I had a good Workout, not as long as the Day before, kept it to One Hour.  Then I went a little ways away to the new BUC-EES.  I've heard so much Hoopla about it, never been in one, this is the 1st one in Arizona located at Bullard and the I-10.   I have to confess, I was suitably impressed, and I'm not easily impressed. It's like the Wal-Mart of Convenience Stores and enormous. Packed even that early in the Morning coz I was done with my Workout by 7:00 a.m..  I got the Family some of the Brisket & Egg Breakfast Tacos, coz I'd heard good things about their Brisket and they make their own Tortillas there too.  Folks weren't Wrong, the Brisket was excellent, fall apart tender and hearty Breakfast Tacos.  I got a bigger Breakfast Burrito for later which I'll have for Lunch.  And I got a T-Shirt with their Logo and was their Halloween Graphics T-Shirt with the Beaver Mascot, cute.  {See Below}

They had some BUC-EEs Arizona T-Shirts too, mebbe another time.  They were Cute too, with Saguaro Cacti and their Mascot in the Desert of the Cartoonish Graphics.   I should have probably Photographed that but I didn't and only Photographed my 2X Size T-Shirt once I got Home rather on their Display Mannequin there.   Since I like Halloween Merch and figured the Arizona Tees would be around longer, I opted for the Seasonal Graphics Shirt.  They had some nice Dia de los Muertos Merch too.   I Photographed some of that, I liked the Taco Party Server {Below}.  It was Metal with great Dia de los Muertos Graphics, but, I'd never use it, so I Passed on the Temptation to get one.  I enjoyed walking around, lots of people were, it seems to be a Touristy type destination.  Nice addition to the area IMO... and perhaps it will stimulate some Gas Wars too and bring some higher pricing down?  Arizona is some of the highest Gas Prices in the Nation.

I took a few Pixs, lots of people were.  I guess it's the kind of place folks wanna document in Pixs that they were at?   And, since it's just off a Major Freeway, I saw a lot of Tourists who aren't Locals.  Odd for this time of Year, but likely just passing thru AZ on their way somewhere Cooler? *LOL*  There was a whole Leather clad Motorcycle Biker Club there taking Pixs of themselves in front of the Store.  So, I wasn't the only Photographer snapping Pixs of the place, like the Weirdo I usually look like Pathologically Picture Taking everywhere I go.  *Smiles and Winks*    Then Below are Pixs taken at COLADOs of the Breakfast I had there, the Tropical Crepe and an Iced Caramel Macchiato Coffee.  Usually I have a scoop of the Tropical flavor Ice-Cream, but forgot to ask for it... usually the Cashier asks if you want the Scoop, she forgot to and so then so did I.  *Pouting*

 

 

I heard the funniest Man's Name on a Show Today that The Man was watching... Erazmus!!!  And his last Name was Trout... what a Name!   His Wife's Name was Zona.  Okay, I was chuckling for quite some time.  And she dies of what they used to call "An Everlasting Faint"... so, now I'm rolling with Laughter, that it's what they used to call Heart Attacks!   An Everlasting Faint... OMG!!!  *LMAOROTF*  And apparently ole' Erazmus was a Serial Killer who tended to have Wives who had very peculiar "Accidents" that Killed them... so, wasn't an Everlasting Faint after all his 3rd Wife had, she was Murdered, Ole' Zona.  Along with his 2nd Wife who a Brick "accidentally" fell on her Head off the Roof, killing her, what are the Odds?   And possibly his 1st Wife also met with an unfortunate yet intentional End, she just disappeared.  The Man watches some of the strangest things sometimes and I said don't get any Ideas from Ole Erazmus, he did get caught and convicted.  Plus, I don't think I'd be that Easy a Kill?  *LOL and Winks*  But, it gave me an excellent and hilarious Blog Post Title Hook and some Laughs, you can't make this shit up!!!  *Ha ha ha*

 

I should price some Merch to bring in to the Antique Mall, I have some good Quality Smalls that would be an easy Turn and good Margins of Profit.  Some are Old New Stock Star Wars Figures of Darth Maul and the Packaging is pristine.   This Week I Sold all my Law Enforcement Emblem Beanie Bears that were some Special Edition for Phoenix PD in the early 2000's.  Someone bought them all.   And I Sold my Otis O'Brien 1972 Ventriloquist Creepy Doll, he was well over $100 so I'd had him a Minute. But he made for a good Display piece in the Showroom until such time as he Sold.  Tho' the Manhandling Customers always took him down from up high to mess with him.  So, I'm glad he finally Sold so he didn't get ruined by the Asshole Shoppers who just fuck with stuff they aren't gonna buy even if it's expensive.  Someone Bought him when we had our recent 20% Off Sale if you Bought anything over $25.  The Mall will reimburse me 5% of that.

This Pay Period I did Sell some better Quality Merch, unusual for right now when folks are typically not spending much.  Today is a Saturday and the close of our Pay Period and I'm doing quite well this cycle, so should get a decent Check on Payday.  I need to, so, any discretionary income I can earn any kind of way is really helpful and appreciated.  I almost have enuf Recycled Aluminum to turn in too again.  I drove around looking at Storm damage, we were Lucky, many Homes not far from us lost almost their entire Roof of Shingles on their Primary Residence.  Enormous 60 foot Trees, mostly Pines, were ripped out of the Ground and thrown around!  I took some Storm Damage Pixs for you to see how bad it was.  Many Luxury Golf Course Homes in Litchfield Park got the worst of the damage from what I saw.  The Root Balls on some of those felled Pines was over 15-20 Foot Across and High!

There were Miles of a swath of destruction like this thru several Cities.  So the damages some folks experienced was so much worse than what we did, so I feel very fortunate now.  The Adjuster called and is coming on Thursday Morning and my Contractor will meet him here and go over what's needed with him.  Our Exterminator came Today too and bulked up our Treatment, we have them on Retainer, but mostly for Termites, since this has been a bad Year for them and we didn't want damage from those little nasty Critters, they're catastrophically destructive.  Most of our Home is Burnt Adobe Brick, but The RV Garage Mahal, the She Shed, our Pool Shed, and our Facia on the Home is Wood.  

The Son and his Lifelong Friend Q just brought Pizza home, they'd got Fishing, but didn't catch much... just Sunfish... so no Fish Dinner.  *LOL*  They said there's a lot of Cans down there so Tomorrow, on my Birthday, The Son wants to take me to Breakfast and then go glean those Can together, I guess that means he wants to spend my Birthday Morning with me?  *LOL*  I don't mind, I didn't have Plans, I was gonna wing it for the day anyway, so it was open to whatever happens.   I hadda MAKE The Man have a slice of Pizza, I'd been Napping and nobody was Home 'til the Guys got Home from Fishing, so I know he hadn't eaten, but he claims he did.  Then when I asked, well, what did you eat?  He couldn't tell me coz he hadn't eaten.  This is a pattern with him now, confusion about what he did, didn't do, thinks he did and he didn't.  He gets upset with everyone but me if they try to coax him into eating when we know he hasn't.  I just bring him the food anyway, then walk away so there's no room for argument, and he'll eat it.  *Smiles*

The Caregiving I'll want a respite from on my Birthday, so The Son asked pointedly, you want me to take you to Breakfast Solo?  I did.  He'd of sprung for his Dad too but honestly, I want a nice relaxed Breakfast without being in Caregiver Mode on my Birthday and wondering if he'll be agreeable or difficult during the Meal?   And if The Son is paying, then I want him to enjoy his Meal too and not have to worry about his Dad during it and if that will spoil the present of doing it for me?  It's just too many variables to risk bringing him along and that's a shame, but it's the reality of it, coz lately he's been in a very unlovely Mood a lot and for no apparent reason.  So, I'm glad that they'll be having Nurse Remi coming again, he really liked her visits and she was so Caring yet stern with him, like another Wife.  *Ha ha ha*  She's joke with him even, "See, it's like having Two Wives now... making sure you're okay and taking Care of you..."    And he'd Laugh, but enjoy the Attention and Care she gave while here.  He was always Agreeable with her coz she has such a Kind manner about her.

I got more Bad News from The Reservation from my Cousin DeAnna.   Her Older Sister, Wewokajanna is the one recovering from TB, and that's slow, but she's Home.   BUT, now Wewokajanna's Youngest Daughter has been diagnosed with Cancer!!!   It has spread coz it was neglected too, and she's been Hospitalized numerous times for other ailments so I don't see how they could have missed it really if they'd been thorough about Exams all the other times?  But, it is the Indian Hospital, so...   Anyway, they think that it spread to her Hip and Abdomen from her Breast.   Our Paternal Grandmother Died of Breast Cancer spreading in much the same way, living there and basically not getting the best Medical Care either.  Most Tribal folks there are quite impoverished and the work they do is menial unskilled Labor coz the Education at the Indian Schools is no better than when my Dad went.  He was put to Work, unpaid, as a Child, at the Indian Schools and it was called an "Education".

  You can be Intelligent and still be so poorly Educated that it makes a profound difference in how Life plays out for you.  Couple that with Generational Racial Oppression, and not very many of my Paternal Side have had a decent Education or good Jobs.  So, Dad joined the Military when he turned 17 and Retired after Serving 27 Years.  Many Male Paternal Relatives also Enlisted, but got too hurt during Wartime to make it a Career, they almost always got Front Line deployments during Wartime and came Home injured.  Most were Trackers, The Man had a Navajo Tracker in his Special Forces Unit when he went to Vietnam for double deployments there.  Only he and his Navajo Tracker made it out Alive during his 2nd Tour of Duty there, but both were severely injured.  The Man said many Native Americans ensured their Units in Special Forces Survived, coz they could Track an Ant thru the Jungle, were very Quiet, so you never heard them coming and the Enemy rarely even saw them coming, and had good Instincts in dangerous situations.  

I know my Cousin was a Tracker in Vietnam for a Special Forces Unit and wouldn't use a Gun, he used his Knife.  His Mantra was what all my Male Relatives told us to do, if you have an Enemy, make sure they Fight you all day long and never See you.  *Smiles and Winks, it's very effective, coz it's a Mind Fuck too, LOL*   But my Dad was in Food Service, so Luckily he managed not to get injured even during deployments to Combat Zones.  He said Food Service, Medics and Clergy didn't have Weapons in Vietnam, but he always got along with the Local Villagers near his Bases instead.   They liked American Indigenous, so they'd give him Intel as to when shit was gonna go down, and he'd pass that Intel along.  Out of his own Pay he'd bring Food into the Villages and Share it too, as is the way of his People.  It endeared him to so many Vietnamese while there that he came Home with lots of Friendship Gifts, some costing the Local Villagers a whole Month of their Wages!  That's how highly Respected and Honored he was to them.  He felt they were put in a very difficult Situation, Local Villagers during the War.  And of coarse our Country abandoned those who'd helped us when we pulled out.  There and in Afghanistan.

  But, I digress, anyway, so, the Youngest Daughter of Wewoka is the about the same Age as The Daughter, I'd say Mid to Late 40's, so still pretty Young and likely has been left too long now to recover.   DeAnna also lost her Youngest Daughter just last Year to illness left undiagnosed for too long to do anything about it, she was a very Young Adult, I don't even think she was in her 30's, but may have been.   DeAnna had quite a few Children coz she was Married off at Age 13, just like my Paternal Grandmother had been.  *I know, that's what I thought about it, even when I was 13 and hearing my Cousin had been allowed to Marry and was Pregnant at Age 13!!!*  DeAnna is my Age and that was still a Tribal practice, allowing Girls too Young to be Married and have Kids that Young.  So her Oldest Son, she had at only 13 Years Old, and her Youngest Child many, many Years later.   Below are the Parents of those Cousins, their Dad was one of my Dad's Older Brothers, their Mom was Cherokee. 

Both of my Parent's Cultures allowed Girls way too Young to be Married, usually to much Older Men.  In Mom's Day it was usually around Age 15!  She was considered an Old Maid and worrying my Grandparents that she and my Dad waited until she was 21 to Marry!  And my Dad was 23 when they got Married and his Family also thought that was too Old to wait that long!!!  And to Marry a European, oh, they didn't like that either on his side of the Family and never got over it!   But they were Fearful of my Mom coz they thought her to be a Welsh Gypsy Witch and probably a Shapeshifter who had a pact with the Dark Side.  *LOL and Winks, they thought the same of me too and still do actually.  Winks*   I'm GLAD my Parents were more Progressive than their respective upbringings tho', and very Unconventional in their ways, they didn't just comply and were very Bohemian for their Generation.  And sadly, many Cultures still do have Child Brides Globally tho'.  It's Creepy and Sexually exploits Children, it should be a Crime Globally IMO.  My Parents both thought so too... 

Tho' me waiting 'til 28 to Marry, and having had a Child Years before that, they thought was waiting a long time.  *Bwahahahaha*  I never really wanted to Marry and they knew that, so they were always trying to play Matchmaker with some Arranged Date for me.  *LMAO*  Once, Dad gave permission for an Egyptian Guy to Date me coz the Guy asked my Dad if he could, and Dad said Yes, and neither one of them had asked me!  *LOL*   He was handsome and a nice fling, but, I definitely wasn't gonna Marry him, his Culture was very objectified about Women and he found out quickly I came from a Strong Matriarchal Cultural upbringing, so would never be the subservient obedient little Woman, even tho' I was a tiny Sprite back then, I weighed about 98 Lbs. even tho' I had a Toddler at the time, coz The Daughter I'd had a couple Years earlier.  I didn't wanna Marry her Dad either.  *LOL*  Marrying The Son's Father was a huge Mistake, my Pregnancy lasted longer than the Marriage.  *Bwahahaha*   But, The Man was a Keeper and I was over 30 by then and thought, well, lets TRY Marriage to a decent fella... and so now here we are well over Three Decades later.  *Smiles* 

The Daughter has gone out with Danae, Princess T has gone out with Rusty, so only The Son and Q are Home with The Man and I.  The Young Prince and Allen couldn't get here yet coz Allen got a bad Infection at Work, I was so worried he got Screw Worm coz he is Employed at a Texas Slaughterhouse and we all know the Cattle there have been Infected and who knows if it can transfer to Humans?  The Industry doesn't exactly Protect their Workers real well that Process our Meats for consumption, just sayin'.   Allen said most of the Workers are Immigrants from Mexico, South America and Africa, very few Americans do what he does.  He grew up on his Grandpa's Cattle Ranch, so he's been doing it since he was only 14 and he's a big Corn Fed Young Man, so can do the really Physically demanding work it requires.  But even he says, in his late 20's, he can't keep Pace with the Old African Men who do that for a Living.  He said most of them are Skinny and Tiny but are like Ant Men, they're so Strong and Tough.   He does have to be Careful about being Gay tho', coz in their Cultures they tell him they Kill Gay People, and I don't doubt that either.

 *******

Well, I've gone on long enuf for this Post... Be Well my Friends... Dawn... The Bohemian

Dear Diary...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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