Monday, September 28, 2026

Tales From The Hood



 In Real Time it's a Sunday Afternoon and Irrigation is coming Tonight between 10:30 p.m. and Midnight, so, we'll be wading around doing it in the Dark.  Rob did us a favor, since our Weed Whacker went on the fritz and Maintained our Irrigation Ditch, cutting down any growth with his Weed Whacker, which, we appreciated.  It's his Cousin's Machine so he's not allowed to let anyone Borrow it so The Son had no way to do it and Manuel, our New Neighbor behind us who Shares that portion of Irrigation Ditch, hadn't done it either, but it had to get done before the Water comes.  Manuel's Family have either a small Pony or Donkey and it makes the funniest Noises.  I doubt it's a Horse, it sounds Smaller.




 The previous Owner had a Goat named Alfred who could yell Help like he was a Developmentally Disabled Human Male!  It was hilarious and would freak Guests out who didn't know it was just a Goat and not a Handicapped Person in Crisis.  *LOL*  We'd just yell out to Knock it Off Alfred, and then he would oblige.  Silly Old Billy Goat!  They can be Characters and their Vocal Range can be impressive. *Smiles*  Anyway, Alfred is now on an Inherited Mini Farm that is bigger and in Glendale that belonged to Laura's Elderly Parents who finally Passed in their Nineties, Laura herself was in her Mid-70's, her Boyfriend was in his 60's and did most of the Farm Work coz they had Livestock and grew things to eat.  Laura was an Old Hippie too and Gardened in the Nude.  But she had high Wooden Fencing around her Property so we only knew this when the Wind might blow a Gate Open.  *LOL*





I have to Work Tomorrow Night, I forgot that along with every Wednesday in September that I agreed to cover a Shift for my Friend Crazy Ed while he recovers from Neck Surgery, I agree to Work Labor Day Night too.  I think they're having a Weekend Holiday Sale so hopeful it stimulates Trade?  We'll see if it does and what kind of Sale they came up with?  Sometimes they just do something Silly like Double Points on Purchases, which, never stimulates Trade, folks don't Care about their Frequent Shopper Points so much until they're built up enuf already to Credit against the Purchase considerably.  Most don't even know they get Points if their Phone Number is on File and they give it with every Purchase to built up Points to use when it's Traded for Cash Value.  I just looked the Sale up and it's the Last Bash of Summer 3 Days and 15% Off everything purchases, so, that's mebbe gonna boost Sales.




Mando's Go-Fund-Me for his Funeral has generated 81% already, we Donated, so they only have a few Hundred to go to ensure the Family doesn't suffer the Hardship of paying for his Final Expenses, which is great that the Community responded immediately in such a generous way.   It was only put up this Morning in Real Time, by Tonight it will have covered the Costs.  That's what I Love about the Community we Live in and around, most people are Poor to Lower Middle Class or Retired on Average, nobody is particularly affluent, but they pull together and give what they have during Crisis.  And they help their Neighbors out in Life too.  One thing Mando always did was Help folks out, most of the Handyman Work he did if someone couldn't afford it or pay him, he'd do it for them anyway if the Need existed.  He'd never let me pay for anything he did on our Property either.  And he did a lot of Handyman Projects that you couldn't get Hired Help to bother with if it was a smaller job not profitable enough.


 


Above is some of our Fun Loving Customers and our Mall/Store Drone Shot early in the Morning facing South towards the Estrella Mountain Range in the Background.   To the East of our Mall is a LOWE'S Home Improvement Store.   And to the West, not attached to our Building tho', is a JC PENNEY'S.  Lots of other Shops and Restaurants to the North, East and West of our Mall in the same Parking Lot too. And a large Hospital just West of it, which is the one Princess T was Born at and The Man had his recent Heart Surgery at and I Recovered from my Stroke at.  Still some Raw Desert Lots undeveloped behind our Mall to the South.  Sometimes hard to Believe I've been there since they first Opened and had the very 1st Sale to another Vendor Friend before our Point Of Sale was even up and running!  Sold her a 1950-1960's Era Yellow Retro Kitchen Chair Stool with Stepladder built into it.




You see a lot of Red and other Colors of them, and now they make Repops of them, the Yellow is harder to find.  It looked like those seen Above that are Reproductions, mine was The Real Deal and my Vendor/Blog Friend Pamela knew this.  She's been following my Blog for Years before we ever met in Person when we both became Vendors when our Mall first Opened.  It wasn't even Opened yet and she had Rented a Showroom and I'd Rented a Booth nearby and was bringing in my Merch when I heard her call out my Blog Name!  *LOL*  She liked the Stool and asked if she could Buy it before we had the Grand Opening and I agreed.  Nice to meet a Blog Friend in Person too and it's as if we'd always known one another.   I'd had it since the early 1970's when I first had a Buttercup Yellow Kitchen and was in my Sunflowers Phase of Kitchen Decorating.  Pamela would have still been a Child back then, *LOL*but Loved Retro Styling with Bright Cheerful or Pastel Color Palettes.  We could always go Junquing Together coz our Aesthetics couldn't be more Opposite.  *Smiles*




A Storm is definitely brewing and building, I'm hoping it doesn't Scare Tyson too much coz he can't come inside, he'd be like a Big Bull in a China Shop Clumsy.  His Tail whipping around is enough to smash anything it hits to smithereens, it's like a Weapon and he gets too excited!   At their Home he's an Inside/Outside kind of Dog and spends more time Indoors, but Allen is a Minimalist and lives like most Young Men in their 20's, so it's more conducive to having a Big Dog.  I don't even want the Granddaughter's Inside Only Cat roaming the whole House.  Eli has to be closely Supervised when he's outside of her Room and he's such a scaredy Cat he doesn't like being outside of her Room anyway and only cautiously ventures out like he's being Hunted and could Die at any Moment.  *LOL*




For those of you who don't like Halloween, or don't like it making an Early Appearance, well, you're gonna either Love or Hate that I'm gonna roll some Christmas Retail Eye Candy Vignettes out too.  *LMAOROTF*  See, I don't mind the Holidays coming early and leaving late in the Retail Sector.  I find them to be nice Positive Escapism Visually and just the Atmosphere it brings that the Holidays themselves just impart that I enjoy so much.   And some of these Images aren't current and some are, but they're all Visually pleasing to me so I'm using them for current Blog Fodder Imagery since I'm not out there taking a lot of Pathological Picture Taking right now.  In fact, I'm not doing a lot of anything and I'm Strangely Okay with that.  I've been more of a Homebody than usual lately and it's suiting me just fine.




And becoz Vendor Friends of "Rusty Saturday" have the Cutest Vintage Tonka Type Cars and Trucks tricked out and Pimped for Christmas, it's always a Joy to Share some of what they do during the Holidays.  Sadly they have Downsized their Retail Spaces even more, they used to have their own Event and Brick & Mortar Store that I just LOVED and Shopped at often.  Other Vendor Friends Rented Space from them and set up their Pimped Pulls for Trunk Shows in front of the Business too.  Back then everyone had Pimped a Vintage Trailer or Airstream, which, you don't see so much anymore either.  I always wanted one to do that to also, but we needed something for Family to LIVE in on our Property so I had to Invest in the more Practical and larger expensive 5th Wheel instead.  Which cost me more than my Historic Home had!!!  Making me Wish, dammit, I should have just kept the Historic Home with it's 3 Back Cottages and Outbuildings to House Family in had I known it would come to all this.  Coz it was fucking Paid For and I LOVED it!!!  *LOL and Le Sigh*




Well, Hell, we can't know what the Future holds for us Years down the Road, so it was the Right thing to do at the time being it had been Vacant a Year and was constantly getting Broken Into and Vandalized.  The problem in Older Neighborhoods is that Vacant Buildings and Properties attract the Criminal Element and Police weren't taking it Seriously at all.  After Eleven Break-Ins and Vandalism in just a Year, I just had to put it up For Sale coz at the time I had no Family or Friends who needed a place to Live Locally and I didn't wanna Rent it to Randoms and become a Landlord either.  That's more Drama and a Headache that I didn't need at the time, whilst Working Full Time, trying to Adopt my Grandkids, and taking Care of a Husband who was recovering from his Catastrophic Accident and Traumatic Brain Injury.  It was already just a lot... and I decided to Cash Out on my Equity and have just the ridiculous Sized Villa McManse I'd just bought to move to,  in order to get the G-Kid Force Adopted, which was a lot of House and upkeep without Staff.  But a Wiser Investment at the time too.




When you can get a Million Dollar Listing for $370,000 on a VA Loan, with no Down Payment.  Cash Out on your Paid Off Primary Residence you are Vacating and The Adoption Board wouldn't Approve anyway coz it was Old and had Lead Paint... it made sense to strike while the Iron was Hot and the Luxury Real Estate Market was in the Shitter and Interest Rates were low.  The Villa McManse blew me away when I saw the Listing and Low Price, even tho' it had an HOA, which I knew from way back in my Corporate Executive Banking Days was The Devil, and it was Rural, I didn't intend to Keep it long.  Once the Adoption Finalized a few Years later I couldn't wait to flip it and Cash Out on that Equity and get our next Forever Home.  Which the Historic Home was Supposed to be and alas, could not be due to being Forced to Adopt due to Kinship Placement Laws and Reunification Laws of Wards Of The State changing drastically.   I had no Choice of The G-Kid Force would have involuntarily been put up for Adoption at Age 10 and 14!!!  Which is ridiculous and would have happened over my Dead Body!






  What do you think would happen to a pretty 10 Year Old Special Needs Girl and 14 Year Old Special Needs Gay Boy in a Foster or Adoption Situation... probably nothing good.  So that was never going to happen and I fought The System for Years... from the time she was 7 and he was 11 until I prevailed when they were 10 and 14 and the Adoption Finalized.  *Whew*  By then I no longer needed to impress the Adoption Board with a ridiculous Luxury Home, which was it's sole Purpose... and it was Time to now Sell and unload it.   And of coarse by then this Mini Farm was what was meant to be and checked off every Box on my extensive Wish List for a Forever Home, plus Interest Rates had dumped to 2% just before the Pandemic hit full force, so, Blood in the Streets again... perfect Buyer's Market for a High End Property that maxed out what VA Funding would lend on at the time on their Jumbo Loans for Veterans.  *Smiles and Winks*  





The Young Prince had already Moved Out before we Sold the McManse and moved to Washington State to join a Hippie Commune at Age 18.  Whaddya gonna do once they're Grown... they go off and Live Life.  Equity has in fact doubled since then on this Property in just a little more than 5 Years, so I can't Complain.  And, Luckily it is large enuf to be a Family Compound even tho' we NEVER expected everyone to move back Home again!!!  Life happens, shit happens... you Roll with it.  Allen is gonna help The Daughter and Princess T with Irrigation when it's done and the Gates need to be dropped.  The Son opened them coz the Ditch is filling up early and it's still 3 Hours before we're Scheduled, so, that's Odd and I think it means someone fucked up again Upstream on their Rotation and last time they did, they Flooded Downstream coz they hadn't taken on their Water Assigned.  Lotsa Newbies moving in as Properties go up For Sale.






 We can take on extra Water with our Property, but some Neighbors can't.  They don't have as much Pasture area coz some have larger Homes on their Lots and more Outbuildings like an RV Garage and a Bunkhouse or Casita Structure built on the Property too, or larger Pool and Recreational Area that doesn't need Irrigation Water.  Anyway, we're now prepared to take on the Water and turn on our Pump too once the Ditch is fully full.  Our Pump only serves the very Front Yard and East Side Yard, the rest of our Irrigated Property is just from our Four Gates to the Ditch being Open and Gravity Fed onto it.  The Gates are a Bitch to Open and Drop coz they're on the Ditch Side.  I'd like to change that eventually to them switched to the Interior Side to Lift and Drop coz then I don't have to Stand on a Fucking Plank to do it or go down into the Ditch to do it easier.  Couldn't go into the Ditch this time coz it had Water in it way too early already and that Mud gets like Quicksand once the Ditch fills up and the Water gets High quickly coz our Ditch is Deep and Wide.  





Some Properties only have narrow and shallow Ditches in Front of their Homes or up the Side if they're a Corner Property and get their Feed that way and those aren't Shared Irrigation Ditches so don't have to hold as much Water.  Those of us with Ditch Irrigation at the back of our Properties have larger Ditches coz they are Shared with whatever other Neighbor lives directly behind you.  You Share in Maintaining the Ditch and Hope your Neighbor does their Fair Share.  We've had good Neighbors so far Living behind us so it hasn't been problematic.  Tho', when they 1st Buy they may never have had experience with Irrigation so it takes a Minute for them to get into the hang of it and do it Right.  Neighbors who are more Seasoned do try to help out the Newbies tho'.  Anyway, The Son is too Tired and drank too much so his Sister and her Friend Steven are trying to get him in and put him to Bed.  He got the Gates Lifted and then fucking was laying like a Starfish in the Pasture, where, the Water will get Deep within the Hour!!!  He's gotta be up early to be in Work by 5:00 a.m..





He's not doing really well at cutting himself off at a normal amount of Alcohol, some days he does and other Days that are Stressful, he overdoes it.  Alcoholism is a terrible Addiction and a hard one to overcome and stay Sober from.  He did better giving up Dangerous Drugs and/or Cigarettes, without relapsing on the Drugs, has been Clean now for Years.  But that damned Fire Water is The Devil for both he and his Sister.  Tho' she never overdoes hers hardly ever, she's good at Moderating her consumption even tho' she does drink a lot and too early, she Nurses it thruout the Day and it takes the Edge off her Mental Illness so she's less Mental when she's had something to Drink.  So, choosing your Lesser Demon seems to work better for her than for her Brother.





And lately his Drinking has caused him problems, not at Work coz he never drinks before Work or under the influence, but, especially if he's at Friends Homes who Drink, and it's a bunch of Guys, things always get Crazy when everyone is under the influence.   I guess at Gypsy James gathering last Night some Guest brought a Younger Guy with him who was 25 and started a Fight.  Oy Vey, Gypsy James is Gypsy and Irish, so Fighting and Drinking is in his Blood, but he and The Son are now 40, so they prefer not to have to Deal with Young Guns who think they're Bad Asses and start something coz they had too much to Drink.  Well, it happened, didn't it?   And I'd said before he got together with The Guys, this isn't gonna End like a Crazy Weekend Bender that goes Sideways once everyone is Drinking is it?  No, Mom... Yeah, Right... 







 And so, The Son went to break up the Fight, even tho' he himself probably had too much to drink, and the Younger Guy hit him in the Eye he already had a Black Eye in from that Concert too close to the Mosh Pit Accident, and now damn near Closed it!!!   Fuuuuck, now, from what I was told, it was ON!!!  Oh, No!!!  I knew how that would End... not Well for the other Guy!  Unless he can go 20 Rounds or so, and Last Two Hours Fighting nonstop, is equally Mental, or flat can knock a Person Out Cold?  Which, I kinda doubted.  Sounded like some Random Immature Asshole trying to act Tough and Prove himself in front of a New Audience?   Were there Women there I Wondered?  But I didn't even ask... things can get Testosterone Heavy even if there aren't Females to try to Impress with whose got the Biggest Pair or is the Biggest Dick... *Mature Woman Huge Eye Roll*






Coz tho' The Son has never started a Fight in his Life, he will End one and you will get fucked up no matter how Young you are or Tough you think you are coz he simply will not Stop.  He can Fight for well over an Hour and a Half and most Guys can't Fight that long, even if they can Fight good.   And so when I had to pick him up Today I knew something was Up and he said not to get Mad when I saw his Eye, but someone Younger picked a Fight thinking they could kick Old Man Ass, and, he had to put that Guy Down.  Well, at least nobody called the Cops and from what I heard, the other Guy ended up looking way worse and should probably never underestimate his opponent when he picks a Fight with someone he don't know, regardless of their Age.  The Son used to do some MMA Fighting when he was in his 20's and he can take a hit and has a very high threshold for Pain, and has the Stamina of a Bull Ox.







  So, it didn't go well for the Young Troublemaker.  And I'm like, you're getting too Old for this shit Son... now you gotta go in to Work looking like this, WTF are you Thinking?!  You're being Groomed for an Upper Management Position, so don't act so Fucking Ghetto and Hood and Fuck that Opportunity up by looking like a Brawler!   And when he's hanging with his Old Boys From Da Hood, this kind of shit sometimes happens coz they are a Rough bunch and Age didn't make them any less Rough either.  And all of them are in the Trades where you can show up to the Job Sight looking like you had a Wild Weekend.  Some of the Crews he's worked with in the Trades are Hard Cases, many are Ex Felons, and the rest are Corn Fed Dudes who look like they could Fight a Bear and Win.  I don't know what the Young Guy does for a Living, but he bit off more than he could chew or swallow.







 So, pretty sure The Son drank too much Tonight coz he probably hurt like Hell and more Today from having been in a Fight with a 25 Year Old in their Prime.  *Eye Roll and Le Sigh, serves him right...*  Coz this wasn't a Boxing Gloves Fight, this was a straight up Street Fight with Bare Fists.  Think "Fight Club", and I'm sure it was Dinner and a Show for whoever was there coz anyone that knows Gypsy James or The Son, knows that if someone Starts something, they will not hesitate to Finish it.  And that it's gonna be one Helluva Fight too.  I wouldn't be Surprised if someone Video Recorded it and has put it on TikTok now.   That Young Guy will never be Welcome as a Plus One again I'm sure.  So, that was the Drama Of The Moment.  He's still in his Head about the Incident Tonight and is having trouble letting it go that some Random made Trouble on an Evening everyone just wanted to get together and have a good time.  Well, it happens.  You have to just realize the World is filled with Assholes and those looking for Trouble to Start.  You can't engage with them all, it's just not worth it.  *Christ on a Bike!*




*******

Just another Weekend of Tales From The Hood... Dawn... The Bohemian

Sunday, September 27, 2026

Helping Someone Thru The Grief And/Or Trauma Process

 



Well, I was Mistaken and stand Corrected, Sayde isn't even here and hasn't been for Two Days now, just her Car has been parked here.  The Young Prince and Allen drove her to our Grandson's Dad's House and she's never returned to retrieve her Vehicle yet.  He claims she did get an Uber back to her Mom's House... I found it Interesting about her and his Dad still... but I didn't dare ask.  Perhaps the Menage A Trois is going on over there with her, Bobby and his New Wife then?  I can only speculate, and how awkward that must still be for our Grandson, coz, tho' it broke them up and he's back with Allen, it's still very uncomfortable that his Dad hit on and now seems to be having some kind of a Relationship with his 20-Something Year Old long time Friend and someone he was Dating.




  Of coarse, when he told me the Situation and why he didn't come back for his Birthday coz of how Creeped Out he was about Sayde and his Dad... I reminded him every time his Dad has a New Woman, she's about 10 Years Younger than the last one.  He's working his way backwards of Legal Aged trysts and Girlfriends.  *Eye Roll*  Bobby is closer to turning 50 and much of the 40's is in his rearview Mirror.  Granted he looks exactly the same as he always has, he has Aged Well.  He and The Daughter were Teenaged Sweethearts and had The Young Prince in their Teens, they were at least the same Age, him just a few Months Older.  Angie, who is the Mother of his other Two Younger Kiddos, was Ten Years Younger than The Daughter.  The New Wife I think is 10 Years Younger than Angie. 




 I think Sayde isn't quite 10 Years his New Wife's Junior, but probably somewhat Younger.  Pretty soon he'll be like our Neighbor TJ, 65 and Marrying a 26 Year Old and having a Baby he won't Live long enuf to see Grow Up or be that near 80 Year Old at the High School Graduation!  The Son at 40 said he won't Date Younger Child Bearing Aged Women just coz he doesn't wanna risk being that 60 Year Old Dad at the High School Graduation.  And most Women he's Dated, even the Older ones, seem to want to have a Baby Together and it's problematic for him.  He used to want his own Child, but at a certain Age you know that Ship has fucking Sailed.   I mean TJ's Son is a Cutie and Thank God the Kid was born Healthy and not all jacked up due to that Old Geriatric Sperm... but the Young Wife will likely be Single Parenting in the not so distant Future.  So, I Hope it at least comes with good Checks as the Grieving Young Widow of a Geriatric Husband? 




I don't see the Appeal, I mean even Old Women don't wanna see Naked Old Men, let alone a 26 Year Old Woman, at least one would Think!!!? *Bwahaha*  I couldn't Imagine a 26 Year Old Man wanting to see me Naked either, so I'm not being Sexist by any means, I'm just sayin'... *Smiles*  Okay, so once one of The Daughter's Friends accidentally saw me Naked when she was doing a Video Chat on the Back Porch with her Back to the Pool and didn't realize I was Skinny Dipping coz it was just us Gals at Home.   It was her Dear Friend Chris, may he RIP, and No, he didn't Off himself with or from the Trauma of seeing me Full Monty ... and she yells, "MOM, Chris can SEE you!"   And Old Hippie that I am, seeing now Chris' Face on the Video Chat Screen of her Phone facing my way, waves and just says, "Oh, Hi Chris!", and walked Inside rather casually and non-chalantly, coz I had no Towel Poolside. 




 But I felt bad that he couldn't Unsee that!  He was Kind and said, "Hey, your Mom looks Good Naked for her Age."  *Awwww*   But he was in his 40's, if he'd been in his 20's, I doubt he could have said that with a Straight Face?!  Coz, I have Mirrors at Home and no delusions.  *LOL*  Anyway, The Grandsons Female Childhood Bestie, who he also Dated after his Separation from Allen, hooking up with his Dad now, well, it's Weird and definitely Awkward.  Since they drove her there tho', I guess they've come to terms with how it just has played out and is.  And, now that he's working things out with his Husband, mebbe he doesn't Care so much now either, I dunno?  He knows how his Dad is, and he's known Sayde since they were Young Tweens, so mebbe she's Freaky like that, I wouldn't know and mebbe he does and decided not to Judge or ruin a good Friendship over it???




So, I don't know what's going on with that mess, sounds complicated.  *LOL*  Allen and I have talked now, he was hesitant to even be in the same room with me.  *LMAO*  Coz he thinks I'm still angry with him, but I have never been angry with him, I just have boundaries he's crossed and I set him straight about my zero tolerance for that is all.  It was a Be Well and Be Gone scenario when they got kicked out that time, it wasn't working out and I felt Allen needed his own place.  He has trouble with Authority figures, and I AM the Authority figure in this household and protector of everyone in it.  When he wasn't able to get along with other Family Members and remain obedient and respectful, well, it was just time to go.  I have that Rule in place with every Adult here and so I wasn't even picking on him, he was just "Newer" and so didn't realize he'd challenged the Wrong One.  *Bwahahahaha*  The Young Prince knew it and had Warned him... my Gramma don't Play.  She's Nice to everyone 'til you give her a Reason NOT to be.






But, Young People, you know, especially Guys in their 20's laden with their Testosterone and thinking they have an Advantage they can leverage in any Challenge.  Foolish Man-Child that he is at that Age, he underestimated me as an Adversary to Challenge and that was a huge Mistake.  Now he's Learned his Lesson, we're Good.  I've allowed him to come visit becoz I do have Forgiveness that Young Folk are a Work in Progress, the Lord is still Working on them and I try never to get so Old I forget what it was like to be Young.  And sometimes do Stupid things even if you are very Intellectual and Intelligent, which, Allen is, but Academics and Life Skills can be Two different things.  Just coz you excel in one doesn't mean you'll excel in another.  He's Book Smart and Street Foolish is how I'd describe it.   And that Academic Arrogance of Superiority can get you in some Trouble with folks who are more Street.  *Winks*






 I do "Check" people when they're out of Line, becoz I don't Allow what isn't Tolerated and Behavior Accepted IS Behavior Tolerated.  He's headstrong and Autistic, so he has no Filter and often what he says and does then causes him Problems, I understand that since our own Son is Autistic.  Autism makes having Relationships challenging, they don't pick up on Social Cues and they don't always get along and Play well with others either, since, a little bit of them can go a long way, and be misunderstood. Anyway, now he knows we're good and I'm glad he and The Young Prince are working things out.  His Family put a lot of pressure on breaking them up and that hadn't been Helpful.  They want him to Marry a Woman, what can I say?   They've helped to mess The Young Man up and have his Self-Worth and Self-Esteem compromised thru no Fault of his own.  A True Christian Outlook would Believe he's Fearfully and Wonderfully Made by The Creator as he just is and not a less worthy Human Being for Being Himself.  But there's lotsa Bad Religion out there.




  Anyway, Above and Below are some of the Welsh Family Members who still live in North Wales.  The Woman is my Male Cousin Carl's Daughter Rhian with her Boyfriend, and Below is his Son Garreth.  Neither is actually a Natural Blonde, their Natural Hair Color is like all Mom's Family, Blue Black like a Raven's Wing.  But, I guess Blonde is popular coz not many Welsh have Blonde Hair, they tend to be Darker Ethnically.  It's why the English always treated the Gaelics badly like they treated all Ethnic Groups they invaded and were Racist against them.  There is still Bad Blood against the English.  But, I got the Grey Eyes of my Mom's Family.  Both my Cousins Kids, and him, have the Grey Eyes too.  My Cousin's Daughter Rhian looks a LOT like I did at her Age.  She looks more like my Kid than my Kids look like my Kids.  *LMAO*  My Cousin even mentioned that coz he remembers me looking like her when we were Younger and the last time I was in North Wales visiting Family as a Teenager.




We did find out more about Mando's Death, apparently it was a Young Person speeding in a Camaro Sports Car that hit him in a Residential Neighborhood where the Speed Limit was 25 mph and this Kid was doing over or around 60 mph and hit him on the Passenger Side and put him thru the Windshield!  The Kid must have Panicked, and lived close by so just drove Home.  But, a Young Black Man saw what happened and rushed over and tried to do CPR and Call 911 that there was a terrible Pedestrian Vehicle Accident Hit & Run.  Thank God someone was there with him to try to administer Aide if he didn't Die instantly and he was not Alone after such a devastating Trauma that would be Fatal.  Otherwise he could have laid there, since it was around Midnight, and perhaps nobody would have known until perhaps Sunup!?








  Those Rural Neighborhoods are Quiet and not very busy or traveled.  Most don't even have Streetlights, even our Mini Farms Community only has them on our Street coz we are facing the Main Road, the rest of our Older Community has no Sidewalks or Street Lights, it's inky Dark at Night.  Probably was where he was on his Bike too, inky Dark coz that's way more Rural out there and surrounded still by a lot of Natural Desert and no Urban development yet on that area.  It's close to a Freeway, but doesn't even have Street Lights at most Intersections yet.  The Residential out there is mostly Older Neighborhoods and Mini Farms.  But if someone was going the Speed Limit and driving responsibly, it probably wouldn't have happened.  I thought he'd been hit on the Main Road which is busier and higher Speed Limit, but it was on a Rural Residential Road on either his way to or from the Convenience Store on the Main Road.







 It had hit him on his Leg so that was terribly Broken and he wasn't Breathing, I don't know if he was instantly killed, but the Good Samaritan kept performing CPR anyway until Emergency Services arrived.  It's such a Rural Location and very late, so I don't know how long that Response too, but he was Pronounced at the Hospital.  The Kid's Mom called Police and turned him in, seeing the damage to his Vehicle and that a Person had been run over and her Son had left the Scene.  Whether he was under the Influence of something like Drugs or Alcohol, or just Speeding recklessly, I dunno. 





 I don't know how long the Mom waited to notify Police either, tho' it seems she did in a timely manner from what we're hearing, so Testing for DUI would be compromised if it wasn't right away?  At least they know who did it and didn't take a long Investigation to find the Hit and Run Driver responsible.  These kinds of Cases can be complex for the Police, Courts and DA's Office to resolve, depending on Evidence, if there are Witnesses, etcetera.  Even when our Grandson was run over as a Pedestrian and suffered Head Injury, which now has caused Seizures and further Disabling factors, he got no Closure or Justice.  Who hit him was never caught.




 



I Pray Mando's Family receives Closure and Justice for what happened, it's a terrible thing for a Family to go thru knowing a Loved One was taken by Homicide.  Nobody's Life deserves to End like that, by a needless violent Fatal act like a Homicide.  I know some of his extended Family from Years ago.  His Aunt was Married to a good Friend of mine and so some of their Kids I've known for Decades too, who were Mando's Cousins.  It's a small World sometimes.  I just Hope The Daughter doesn't act Crazy at his Funeral, she's Mentally Raw and Distraught still from the Trauma of it all.  She expected he would probably Die of his Terminal Illness, but not like this.  His Cousin, Laura, my Friend's Older Daughter, told me that his Sons and Cousin have put together a Go Fund Me for the Funeral Expenses, they've raised about 65% so far to cover the Memorial/Burial, which is good.   That Family has Sadly had to bury a lot of Loved Ones since the Pandemic. 






I Honestly don't know during a Vehicular Homicide Case how long it will take for whatever happens to the Defendant that caused this and Restitution to Victim's Families is Rare if there is no Insurance covering the Driver.   I Shared some of the Pixs I had of him with his Family, they hadn't ever seen them, he'd spent all of the Holidays with us last Year coz he had nowhere else to Celebrate them so we included him.  His Family's dynamics are complex.  He does have some Sons who are still living, his Youngest Son Died when Mando's Parents Died, all during the Pandemic.  The Castillo Family, I remember my Friend Dino, said Lost 9 Members during COVID.  From a Gramma all the way down to a 19 Year Old Nephew.  Hispanic Males especially succumbed to COVID more than most other Demographics... so did those of Native American Ancestry.  So, I Lost Relatives to it.





I got some Dragon Fruit on Sale, they have a Closeout Bagged Lot in the Produce Section, any Net Bag of Fruit or Veggies for $1.25!  Dragon Fruit, are usually $5.99 each and this Bag had a Red and a Yellow one, Score!   They grow on a Cactus and I tried to grow one once, since Arizona is great Climate for Cacti, it did well for a long time but never produced Fruit.  It's a huge sprawling Cactus when Mature and the Fruit hangs off the Ends of the Arms of it.  I still have part of it growing still in a Pot, but it's remained scrawny and I'm never expecting to produce Fruit from it in my Lifetime, I have a sense they are slow growing. They grow to Tree Size and get enormous with a thick Trunk.  And it is considered a Tropical Cactus so I don't know this is the right Climate for it after all?







The Son took his Sister and I out for Brunch at "Snooze" when we picked him up from Gypsy James' where he'd spent the Night coz he and James had helped a Friend Move things from a Storage Facility in James' Truck.  The Storage was near our Home so I dropped The Son off there last Night.  We picked him up in South Phoenix where James lives and then went for Brunch in the East Valley and brought Takeout for The Man Home which was the Biscuits & Gravy with Eggs.  I had the new item on the Menu which was a fabulous Tirimisu Mascarpone filled Coffee French Toast... Sublme!!!   They used to have a similar item on the Menu at "Tipsy Egg" that I Adored but took it off, this was as good as, if not better than, theirs and a great addition to this Restaurant's Menu.  I also had the Lavender Iced Latte and some Bacon But Different, which is the Specialty Bacon.   The Kids had a Brunch Special Cocktail each which they said was fantastic. 







 The Son a Spicy Bloody Mary and The Daughter a Breakfast Sunrise Strawberry Margarita.  The food being so good they almost forgot to drink their Drinks.  When Two Alcoholics say that you know the Food was Sublime.  *Ha ha ha*   Food Porn shown.  *Winks*   The Son knew his Sister is really Grieving the loss of the Ex-BF, who she still really Cared about and Loved, even tho' their Relationship didn't work out.  I still think the Cancer had gone to his Brain coz prior to that their Relationship had not had so many problems and he acted a lot more Calm and Rational.  Brain Cancer can really alter behavior considerably, I've known other folks who battled that and I think his Cancer had spread thruout his Body and why they discontinued all Treatments and gave up Hope.  






He'd been thru all the Standard Treatments like Chemo, Radiation, etcetera, which apparently didn't slow down the progression much and his Prognosis was Grim, he wasn't supposed to Survive thru this past Summer.  I felt like we made this final Year he had on this Earthly Coil inclusive and Memorable in Good ways, and especially during Holidays.  When someone knows they're Dying and feels they have no-one it's Sad.  And when Families have a complex and difficult dynamic, like his has, it's so complicated and often estranged.  Many Families are sadly like that.  And then when something like this happens, they realize, all the other stuff was insignificant and petty really.  Especially the Family Drama and Estrangements from Loved Ones.  Even if the reasons were valid and very complicated, I know they will have Guilt and regrets it didn't get resolved before they Lose Loved Ones and never made Peace between one another or said what should have been expressed in Life.  It's been said everybody Loves you when you're Dead.  Sadly True.







Anyway, I'm helping The Daughter move thru this Tragedy and awful Trauma by allowing her to reminisce about the Happier Times they Shared, and he had Shared with our Family, which is good.  She needs that right now, she isn't one to speak ill of the Dead and only bring up whatever their flaws and faults were in Life.  She did confess he put up with a LOT of her Crazy and still stuck with her, which, is True... a little bit of that goes a very long way and a lot of Guys can't hang thru it.  Perhaps becoz he knew he was Dying he felt it was good someone intentionally wanted to be his Girlfriend and Minister to him at End of Life.  Some long-time Healthy Relationships fall completely apart once a Partner gets Sick... it rarely begins when they're Sick or Dying and have nothing really to Offer but their Companionship and Love for you. 






 She kept with a previous Boyfriend who was Healthy and Strong when they were first together.  He was a Retired Pro Heavyweight Boxer and very Fit, but he got Cancer and Died from it rather Young, and she was there 'til The End when it took him and it was very Bad for him in The End.  I was Worried about her going thru all that again with Mando.  Coz when the previous Boyfriend in Mexico went thru his Illness and eventual Death, it Wrecked her, they were together a long time.   And she's had so many of her Friends Die in recent Years, too many.  Some were Old, and she had been taking Care of them in their final Years and Cleaning for them and doing Caregiving in Mexico for them coz they were Elderly Single Men of Status, but had nobody willing to be there when it counted. 








 But, some were her Age and some Died tragically, both in Mexico and here in the U.S..  In Mexico Death by Homicide is higher than here.  And here a lot of Younger folks die of Substance Abuse related Deaths.  Especially those that gain Sobriety and get Clean, then Relapse, the Death rate percentile rises dramatically for Relapsers. Anyway, enuf about Morbid Death Talk.   The Above Pixs of the Cute Grenade Shaped Bottle Hot Sauces and NIKE Bedroom Slippers were what The Son's Friend they helped move insisted on Gifting him and James with since they wouldn't let him pay them.  The Friend had Boxers too that were Promo items from what he does for a Living, but The Son doesn't wear Boxers so only Gypsy James took some of those.  The Daughter was like, Damn, I'd wear Men's Boxer that are Cute as Jammie Pants!  *LOL*  He gave his Sister the Slippers coz he knew he wouldn't wear 'em and knew she's Love them and wear them.  And it might Cheer her up some.   These Memes that came on my Algorithm Feed did.  Our Algorithms Know us well!  *LOL and Winks*





*******

We all may be Dealing with something, so try to just be Kind to everyone... Dawn... The Bohemian





A life touched by God always ends in touching others. - Erwin McManus

I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars. - Og Mandino (1923-1996)

For creativity to flourish one should try to look at everything as though it were being seen for the first or the last time. - Quote from "A Thousand Paths To Creativity" by David Baird

Is what I'm about to say an improvement on silence? ~ Galen Pearl