A Real Catch 22

 My Doc Appt. with the new PC went so well, I really like her as much as I liked my other PC who transferred.  Glad I fought so hard to keep her then with HUMANA.  With their shenanigans to try to force you to use their wholly owned Subsidiary Docs, who, I wouldn't trust when they are Owned by the Insurance Company.  That's akin to a Company Doctor whose in the Pocket of the Company, not looking out for the Patient... and in this case, also trying to loot the System and defraud Medicare IMO.  Anyway, this Doc is excellent so I know I'm in good Hands.  They are sending me to get an Ultrasound of my Ovaries and Lady Bits to make sure there's no Disease.  Don't need tainted Lady Bits.  *Bwahahaha*  While I'm there they'll do my Mammogram too, to make sure The Girls are in good shape.  *Winks*  My A1C was down to 6.4, so I'm getting close to the 5's Goal... and my Weight was ALMOST under 200 now.  So close!  And my Foot Pain is just Arthritis.  Old Feet.  *LOL*

I had Breakfast at "First Watch" and they had their Summer Menu out Today, so I tried the Banana Brittle French Toast, it was sublime!  Caramelized Bananas, Blueberries, Honey Roasted Almonds and Almond Butter Creme Anglaise on French Toast Custard Dipped Challah Bread with Whipped Lemon Cream, Maldon Sea Salt and Mint dusted with Powdered Sugar.  It's as Editorially Beautiful a presentation as it is a lovely flavor profile and quite filling but Light and fluffy texture to the French Toast.  They served it with a side of warmed Maple Syrup but it was sweet enuf without it for me.  And of coarse I had my Fav Iced Specialty Coffee too.   Two Thumbs Up for this Summer Menu addition.

Then I went Grocery Shopping, it was Senior Day so 10% Off your whole Purchase, which they do every 1st Wednesday of the Month, plus I had a $13 Off Coupon and a lot of In Store big Sales.  So I got $260 worth of Groceries for only $106 after all my Discounts were applied!  And their Pharmacy only charged me $18 for all the Meds the Urgent Care put me on, so that was a relief and Bargain too.  *Whew*  After I got Home I Scheduled my Ultrasound and Mammo for the 16th, they'll do them back to back to get it all over with at once.  So I got my stuff on the Calendar before it fills up with everyone else's stuff.  *Winks*

The Young Prince, at my request, moved my Wrought Iron Industrial Clothing Racks into The RV Garage Mahal from the Art Studio so I can put all my Wardrobe on them that had been Stored in the Art Studio.  Now I have Access and he has them out of his way and more room for his things.  When I had to relinquish the Art Studio Space I knew a lot of my things in there would have to move out again so he could move in and make it his Semi-Personal Space at least.  He's trying to feel Settled In again and Decorating with his Beloved Objects.  I didn't have to do that so much with The Son in the Guest Bedroom coz he hardly has possessions, he's a True Minimalist in every way so doesn't mind that Room displaying my best Collections that require Temperature Control and would have no other appropriate placement otherwise.

Okay, so you knew I'd have to include a couple more Political Ire Memes, each day he draws Breath America is in turmoil and nearing Bankruptcy as he robs us blind and spends our Money as if it's his and a Blank Check to do with whatever his insatiable Greed and Sociopathic Ego desires.  He's a very deranged and dangerous Man whose probably near Death's Door so he doesn't give a fuck about America or the Future.  Since he hasn't paid Taxes in Years and owes Millions in Back Taxes, I don't know how he was ever allowed to run for Office and hold the Presidency.  Since, any other Federal Job, County Job, State Job, you have to be 'Correct' and not have anything Owed to the IRS or any trouble with the Law, especially concerning Fraud, or other Criminal Behavior being Investigated.  Sometimes you can't even have any Bad Credit.

 

I didn't wake up in time to take The Son to Work so I guess he Walked there.  He had to be there at 5:00 a.m. and perhaps he couldn't wake me?  I Woke with a start at 5:14 and he was of coarse already gone, I hope he made it on time?  It's not a long Walk there and he almost always Walks Home, but I usually take him so he has more time between getting up and getting there, to have some Coffee and a light Breakfast.  I have to get Princess T to Work by either 6:00 a.m. on Tuesdays and 7:00 a.m. Wed-Sat anyway.  She Works close by too, but I don't want a pretty Young Woman Walking alone in the City, especially when it's that early and not many people around... too much risk.

So, I'm up Early now and don't Need to be, so... I Blog.  *LOL*  I'd even gone to Bed earlier to ensure enuf Sleep, so was Asleep by 8:00 p.m. last Night.  I'm enjoying being more of a Morning Person actually, I get more done.  I do need to tighten up with finances this Month better, I've gone over budget already on some things I didn't intend to spend as much on.  Like Groceries, and Gas, some other Essentials Shopping... coz... well... even with frugality everything is costing more now.  Adjusting a Fixed Income for spending more is a Process/Challenge that I haven't totally adjusted seamlessly to yet, but have to.  I fronted Princess T for some spendier things she wanted and couldn't Buy from Work, but I can coz as a Customer I don't have Employee Restrictions to wait 3 Days for what hits the Sales Floor.  I knew why she needed me to, Retail they would have been astronomically expensive outlay.  She'll fill up my Tank in Gas for me a couple times to repay me.  *Smiles*

I think most Average Americans are Coping as best we can to get by while Donnie Marie has the adage "Let them eat Cake" as he gorges himself on the gluttony of increasing his Wealth exponentially with his Grifts, Raping and Pillaging of American Taxpayers... and the rest of the World he's Extorting too.   If Vikings had invaded America we'd have a similar outcome as his Crew being installed and left without Guardrails, Checks and Balances or Consequences for their endless Crime Spree.  If you are obscenely Rich you're likely doing better and getting much Richer, as if you Need to be any Richer than a Billionaire.  But everyone else is being screwed... figuratively and actually, by the Rapist In Chief.

 Who, lest anyone forget, IS also an adjudicated Sex Offender and has paid off some Victims Families, one as Young as 13, which is of Record as his Youngest Victim, that we KNOW of. Which makes him a Pedophile, not just protecting Pedophiles and having loads of Friends who are Pedophiles.  Birds of a Feather flock together, you are known by the Company you keep.  Mebbe to his Supporters that's okay and they can overlook a Sexual Predator and Molestation of Children tho', coz they keep Supporting him.  So that makes me definitely Question their Moral Compass and what they might be doing, or have done, that nobody knows about and hasn't been revealed?   Behind Closed Doors and when they think nobody is looking or will ever know, you might be Surprised at what some folks are capable of or have done, but clean up well in Public and put on a facade and veneer that you'll only see.  My Welsh Nanna used to call such folks Street Angels, House Devils.

 

But, anyway, I never try to 'Change' anyone like that coz they are rotten to their Cores.   And his most Devoted strike me as some Sickos and quite Twisted in that way, to Support Evil is very Telling about you.  Lost Causes, all of them, who've hung on to Support him regardless of what he's done, said, will do.  Which speaks volumes about them to me... coz I already knew what he was, since the 1970's it's been well known and no big Secret.   Even his Predatory ways were widely known, but I always figured he Paid Off and Bought all the Right People... or Threatened and Intimidated or Silenced those that couldn't be Bought and Paid For... and I don't think I was Wrong either... he still is.  The Epstein Files wouldn't even scratch the Surface of his level of Corruption, or his Friends.

Anyway, Moving On... on the Positive Note I can tell you that The Man has been improving and I'm encouraged by how resilient he's trying to be.   I'm Proud of him for trying so hard and I know he needs to hear that often, so I try to remember to say it often to buoy his determination to keep on keeping on relentlessly, he really is a Warrior.  He has some PT Today with Asian Paul and OT Tomorrow with White John.  We really like both Therapists, really good with him, really Nice Young Men with great Hearts for Service to their Clients and their Communities.   And I see they're making progress with The Man so this has been beneficial to him and he wants to show them he can do this, so he challenges himself for them.  When an Old Marine is Showing Off for some Young Stud Muffins it's very Touching to me, coz I know how much harder it is for him now to.  And they do too, so have Respect for him.

Since Paul isn't coming until around 3:00 p.m. Today we do have the Morning for whatever we wanna do.   I got all my Wardrobe out of The Art Studio Yesterday and set up in the Bedroom smaller Rack and the larger Rack in The RV Garage Mahal, Thanks to my Grandson having the Strength to move it all for me there.  It's heavy Industrial Grade Wrought Iron Piping made into Racks, you could do pullups on it.  The smaller one has Wheels, the larger one doesn't and took brute strength to move, and way into the back part of The RV Garage Mahal and the Gauntlet to get all the way back there, no easy feat.  But, my Grandson is way stronger than he looks, a lot of Men forget that about him, to their own peril sometimes if they think he's too effeminate and that they're stronger than he is.  Usually, they're so NOT!   Coz they ain't got that Schizophrenic Strength going on, which is Crazy Strong!!!  The Daughter, as frail as she looks, and even back when she weighed 93 lbs., can move Refrigerators that aren't empty!!!  *LOL*

I've been known to have some Psychotic Strength myself whenever I've gone completely Off Rails.  *Winks*  It can make some Stories seem like Urban Legends Locally.  *Bwahahahaha*  Anyway... I haven't had to go Mental in a while, Thankfully, tho' I have put on my War Paint to Challenge Insurance Companies lately and Won those Battles.  I choose my Battles Wisely, any I can't Win I'll Scheme about until I'm sure I can, they become my Obsession and Fixations until I defeat them.  *Smiles*  You rarely wanna become my Mission Statement and Obsession to Take Down coz I'm more than tenacious and relentless about it.   I do Like a good Challenge once you wanna Play Hard like that. And release Dark Dawn to come out to Play.  *Bwahahaha*  The Sweet Little Old Lady that you've known as Dawn of The Light retreats to let Dark Dawn dominate and it can get ugly and quite vicious.   With no Fucks to give.  *Winks*

It would be Nice if any Politicians finally stepped up to give us a more functional Healthcare System.  They know what would work, there's many 1st World Countries Models they could emulate that work well.  But it wouldn't profit their biggest Donors of Big Pharma and the Insurance Companies so much, and actually Serve their Constituents instead of making Rich folk Richer and padding their own Pockets with whatever Bribes are being made and accepted.  If we looked at the Financials of a lot of these "Public Servants" I think you might have some revelations as to why things don't get done on your behalf but certainly are working out quite Handsomely for most of them.   The Public are getting Played and there are some Politicians who are Clean and not Corrupted, but they are the Exception, not the Rule these days.  And they're slandered and Name Called precisely becoz they actually Care about the People and might reveal the corrupted peers.  There's no REAL Scandals about them, coz they aren't Scandalous and have Clean Hands and preserved their Reputations and integrity.

In about half an Hour I have to go to The Son's "Dollar Tree" Store to pick up some cheap Melatonin and Magnesium for The Man, which can be had there rather than by Prescription.  The VA will send him Melatonin, but he's out of it and hadn't called it in before he ran out, he takes it every Evening as prescribed.  Since he was low on Magnesium they want him taking a daily Supplement of that too now and I can get that at the Dollar Stores Medicine Aisle as well.   The VA is pretty quick about Mailing us his Meds, so is Express Scripts for my Meds, and that is convenient to have it all Delivered now.   I'm all stocked up now on my Meds, some of them cost a lot more now than they did tho', especially the Ozempic co-pay almost tripled recently thru TriCare.  But at least I can still get it covered.  It's done well to stabilize the Diabetes, which is why I take it, but I haven't had any drastic Weight Loss like some folks apparently do on it, just slight Weight Loss since taking it actually.  Bummer, I'd Hoped it would add the Bonus of getting me to Goal Weight.  *Le Sigh*

That is how stubbornly my excess Weight hangs on, even Weight Loss Drugs don't Work, so I have to just eat really Well and work my Ass off Exercising to Lose Weight of any significance.  As you get Older that gets harder to do the latter, I have Joint Pain so I do have to pace the amount of Exercise I do lest I aggravate Arthritic and Worn Out Joints and make that Pain and deterioration worse.  A real Catch-22.   That paradoxical dilemma that I cannot seem to escape due to contradictory rules, limitations and mutually dependent conditions is maddening to me!!!  I'm essentially Damned if I Do and Damned if I Don't in most cases!!!  Dammit!!!  *Le Sigh*   If I do have to get the Ovaries removed I'm only Hoping that doesn't add to the Challenge of Weight Loss like the damned Hysterectomy caused?  I had NO Problems with Weight prior to that Surgery, in fact, I had trouble Gaining Weight my whole Life before that up to and including getting to Age 50 and being Naturally underweight no matter what I ate or did.  But, removing the Plumbing, altered all that.

And a lot of folks, like The Niece, claimed that Stress and Work aided them in significant Weight Loss and getting their Girlish Figures back... but it hasn't for me and I got loads of Stress and Work!!!  Dammit!!!  *Le Sigh*  But, I did and continue to get my A1C down with all the hard Work I'm putting in to maintain a Healthier Lifestyle, so there has been progress in the right direction.  So, I keep on keeping on.  And my Doc just told me, since she saw me for the 1st time, that I'm very Muscular for a Woman whose almost 70, so Muscle weighs more than Fat, so that made me feel somewhat better.  I know I got Biceps that Rival my Son and my Grandson's Biceps.  I can still lift more than 100 lbs., tho' I shouldn't, due to Old Lady Bone Density risks of fractures doing so.  *Winks*  Old Age hasn't tempered me much, I will still often do something just becoz I CAN.  It's so hard to resist... you know?  *LOL*

 Just coz you CAN still do something doesn't mean you SHOULD tho'.  And, I could probably still knock a Sucker out Cold if I had to, which is a handy Self-Defense Technique I perfected.  Since I can't Fight Long anymore, so I have to take you out early and Quickly with one strategic Punch.  *LOL*  The Son still marvels that I'm the only one he's ever seen Knock someone Out Cold with one Punch.  I've done it a few times in my Life, when it's become necessary to go Toe to Toe with someone initiating a Fight, who wouldn't back down or let me Walk Away... and I just had to End it then with a flourish so they wouldn't get back up.   That leaves a lasting Impression upon any Adversary.  They then think twice before coming for you again.  I'd rather get along and play well with others, but some others just don't get along or play well and so you cannot always avoid those Types.  Who spoil for a Fight and antagonize, looking for Trouble.  Well, if you're looking for it, you'll probably Find it.

 But, I don't like confrontation and avoid it at all costs tho'.  I'm a Drama Free Mama and if you even Smell like Drama and a Headache I'd rather practice avoidance of you and your Bad Energy, your troublesome ways and inability to just be Nice and be Peaceful with everyone.   I don't like violence or those prone to it, but if I am confronted by one, and can't Walk away or Talk my way out of it with diplomacy, then it becomes me or them... and it's definitely then gonna be them that Goes Down.  I don't really Care if I Win or Lose any Fight actually, but you'll damned sure never wanna Fight me again, and know you've been Fought, and I'll wanna really HURT you and put the Hurt ON you, I'll ensure that. *Smiles*   Listen, if I HAD no Choice but to have to Hurt you, then you definitely Deserved it and had it coming, so I will Feel Nothing about doing it.  Nada.  I won't Feel any kind of way about it actually, not Mad, not Sad, no Emotions about it at all.  It just HAD to be Done.  You made that Choice for yourself when you chose me to be confrontational with and it was your Consequence for very poor judgement.

I think if there were more Consequences for folk's very poor judgment and bad behavior we'd have less problems in Society actually.  Rewarding either, even by not having Consequences, is a Mistake.  It only escalates behaviors tolerated and shitty judgment if they don't suffer Negative Consequences from any of it.  If you display chronic shitty judgment and bad behavior, then I don't have pity or sympathies for any Consequences you have to face for it.  None.  My Kiddos all knew that about me too, both Generations of them that I Raised.  If I can't Teach you then Life will Teach you instead.   And Life can be a really sobering and cruel Teacher of Hard Knocks Life.  So, better to Learn what I'm Teaching you and apply it, coz Life won't show you as much compassion or Love and won't give a Damn if you suffer or even Die from your Actions either.  Natural Selection has taken many a Fool Out.  To the betterment of Society in most cases.  Life doesn't suffer Fools much or for long.  Nor do I actually.  You may Pity the Fool, I do not.

We've got our Air Conditioning Tech coming to do Summer Maintenance on our Two Units.  One is an Older Unit that came with the House, one is a Newer Unit we're still paying off.  Arizona is very hard on AC's, we've got a very demanding Climate.  And Climate Change has increased the Work those Units have to now do too.  Plus, they don't Manufacture them to last like they used to, or even be repaired in some cases, our disposable Society requires constant replacements now of everything, at a Premium Cost I might add.  *Le Sigh*   So, every Season we sweat how the Units are holding up, we have our folks on Retainer and Service to do all Preventative Maintenance regularly, but, the Life of things now is intentionally reduced by who Manufactures them, for more Profits, so, whaddya gonna do? 

 It's Capitalism and Greed run amok... and has sadly become The American Way.  Not all Countries are like that BTW.  We've Traveled the World and most Countries aren't as Greed Driven or intentionally Wasteful.  We're No. 1 in both from my Observations.  I Wish we weren't, we don't have to be.  And not all of us are.  I try to Teach Younger Generations to be more Environmentally Conscious and to be less Wasteful or Greed Driven.  Or so Disposably Minded and Consumer Driven to get the next best thing before what they already have has even begun to wear out, coz then they're easy Marks for Corporate Greed, but it has to be Taught and sadly it isn't being Taught enough.  Neither is Financial IQ, even some making a lot of Money are Financially irresponsible, wasteful and reckless with it.  To whom much is given, much is required.   And if you can't even handle a little, you sure as Hell can't handle a lot.

Anyway, getting Summer Maintenance done now helps with not having a breakdown during the Hottest Months when Companies will be overwhelmed by Service Calls.  It's been 108 for the past couple of Days now, so Summer has arrived.   Having the guys here Early means getting that out of the way and another thing crossed off my To Do List, which sometimes seems endless lately.  *Le Sigh*  No Rest for the Weary.  I stocked up on what we'd need to get thru Hotter Weather in case prices keep going up, which, I'm sure they will.  It's why I kind of went over on my Grocery Budget buying necessities while I could get better prices for now on it all, I know that won't last.  I think our Economy is in real trouble and they have no Policy in place to improve things at all. 

 In fact, they have no Policy... None... not even the alleged Concept Of A Plan anymore that they tried to Con the most naive or ignorant of the Public into thinking WAS an actual Plan.  *Eye Roll*  He now has said out loud, he does not Care.  I knew it all along, but he now has made it perfectly clear to even any Idiot who can Hear and absorb what he has said now, more than a few times, in case you missed it the first couple times he said so.  Or thought he was joking, he's not joking, he means it, HE DOES NOT CARE about any of us, only himself and enriching himself and his own... PERIOD... no more HAS to be Said now.  And you've really gotta be some kind of Special Stupid now to Imagine he does or ever did.  He didn't... not ever.  And that's not gonna Change.  And the Polls indicate that even some of the most Uneducated are beginning to realize that Fact, of his Base... but, not all of 'em.  They'd go right over the Cliff for him like Jim Jones Style Sacrifices.  They were doomed the moment they made him their Chosen Messiah to Worship at the Feet of.

*******

Let the rest of  us find a way out of this Catch 22 America has become... Dawn... The Bohemian

Another Battle With Insurance... And Another Health Issue

{My Lobster Dinner @ "Crab 99"}

 Okay, so, as if having Medical Issues that need immediate attention isn't stressful enuf, and concerns about possibly having Diseased Ovaries now, I had to have another Battle with HUMANA, my Medicare Advantage Provider, AGAIN!!!  I'd contacted ABRAZO and they are getting me right in to see my New Primary Physician, another Female they assigned to me now that my Primary with them got transferred to another Office further away.  They just told me to remember to notify HUMANA about the change in Primary Physicians to update their Records.  Seems like that should be no problem, Right?  Wrong!!!

{My Freebie Pound of Crawfish I'd Won last visit, had a whole Bag of Huge ones like this in it, with Corn Coblettes and New Potatoes!)

I call HUMANA and they tell me, Oh, that Doc isn't In Network... Okay, says I, which ABRAZO Doc is In Network then?  None they claim, which was very Weird, coz ABRAZO is One of Three Major Medical Providers in Maricopa County, the other Two being DIGNITY HEALTH and BANNER.  What about them asks I, Nope they claim, not In Network!  Really, says I, that sounds very Suspect.  Especially when they tell me who is In-Network and it just HAPPENS to be a wholly owned Subsidiary of... HUMANA!!!  Humnnn, that's sound potentially fraudulently Illegal to Scam the Feds and a Conflict of Interest, you'd be filing Claims to Pay YOURSELF... and I know that recently both AETNA and CIGNA got Federally Investigated for Fraudulent Activities very similar to this.  I hang up, coz I was talking to a HUMANA Peon.

{My Freebie Bag of Crawfish & Fixins in an Herbed Garlic Butter Sauce}

Then I call my Doc's Office over at ABRAZO... news to them that they're Out of Network with HUMANA, so they said they'd look into that coz it sounds Weird, especially when I told them I was also told their Two larger other Competitors were allegedly Out Of Network too!   Very Suspect they say.  Oh, don't worry, I'm going higher up the Food Chain right after this Call says I, and talk to someone with Authority over at HUMANA.  I get a Supervisor, and I tell her that CIGNA and AETNA are under Federal Investigation for similar Practices just revealed and uncovered and fraudulent, and I'm thinking about turning this all in to the Feds to look into, if I don't get this "Misunderstanding" put Right.  Coz for all I know this Unknown to me wholly owned Subsidiary they're trying to force me to use, are they even a Doctor, or are they sending me to a Veterinarian or some Hack behind an Ice-Cream Shop or something?  *Winks*

Needless to say, said Supervisor said to give her a "Minute" and within that 60 Seconds she pushed it all thru for me, no more problems, I get to use my Newly Assigned Doc over at ABRAZO and I called my Doc's Office to tell them that too.  That didn't take long they said, and Laughed, I've been going to them for Years, so let us just say they know I'm no pushover when it comes to Dealing with Insurance BS, of which, they agree, is out of Control now.  I know it's all since this Administration coz I never had these problems with previous Administrations... but when the Government is Corrupt and doing Illegal shit at the very Top of the Food Chain, it's no Surprise when every other Entity that is large and in charge will figure they can do the same thing and get away with it as well!

I didn't Need that extra Stress and aggravation, but, I also didn't wanna be passed off to some sketchy Doc at a wholly owned Subsidiary of the very Insurance Company that Claims will be Filed with, sketchy as fuck!!!   Paying themselves so to speak, how very convenient and what a Grift that is of Taxpayer Funds up for grabs now to whatever Criminal Enterprise wants to get Richer Quicker.  And what level of Care are you then actually getting when there's such a Conflict of Interest?   Anyway, I got it resolved to my satisfaction for me, but I just wonder how many Seniors are gonna be involuntarily forced to use wholly owned Subsidiaries of Insurance that are participating in this fraudulent Scheme to pay themselves out of Federal Medicare Funds?

  Just something to be thinking about... you know, since, allegedly this Administration is supposed to be pretending they're all about Waste, Fraud and Abuse while being the biggest perpetrators of Waste, Fraud and Abuse... along with their Big Donors and Special Interest Groups and Corporations getting Rich off Questionable Practices.  Anyway, The Man went to his Kidney Specialist and was supposed to see a Dr. Ting, who, by the Surname I assumed would be Asian.  Well, in walks a Middle Eastern looking Doctor and I think to myself, this Guy doesn't look like he'd be a Dr. Ting, he looks Arabic or Moroccan to me.  *Smiles* As we were leaving he handed me his Business Card, sure enuf, he had a Middle Eastern first and last Name.  *LOL*  I liked him, couldn't recall meeting a Dr. Ting anyway, tho' we may have too, I dunno, they Share an Office.

The Man's Kidneys while Hospitalized were not doing well, which is why they assigned him to a Kidney Specialist in the first place.  Dr. Abdelaziz, looked familiar to me and I guess he did see The Man during one Hospital Stay when his Kidney function wasn't good.  But, he marveled coz he said the Kidneys have regained regular function and asked what we'd been doing to cause such a turnaround on our own?  I told him I've been loading The Man up with Cranberry Drinks daily, lots of Water, Blueberries, Grapes, Bell Peppers, Pineapple, Cabbage, Cauliflower and Seafood... all of which Kidney Friendly Foods, plus I always Cook with high quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  He said, well, what you're doing is Working, so Keep doing it... I won't have to see him now for a Year unless things go Bad between now and then!  Whoop Whoop, Great News!

He had his Eval with Victor early this Morning, it went very well, he Aced his Eval and did more than twice as much as he had last Eval, which impressed Victor a lot.  He told me whatever I'm doing with The Man, to keep doing it too.  Then his VA Nurse, Remi, came, his Numbers were all good so she was really pleased as well.   She always asks about the rest of the Family and saw my Arm Bandages from my Urgent Care Visit so asked what was going on... I told her, along with the Insurance Drama which I had to sort out.  She's such a compassionate and Caring Home Nurse, we just Adore her.  She always makes The Man laugh a lot while she's here... he joked its like he's got Two Wives now.  Coz she is in Agreement with me 100% of the time so we Double Team him.  *Winks* She thinks that's hilarious.   And said he behaves a lot like her Dear Husband. *Ha ha ha*

So, as a Reward for doing so well Today I took him to "Crab 99" again coz we had that 1 Lbs. of Crawfish we'd Won on their Roulette Wheel last time.  OMG it was FANTASTIC, and so many Crawfish, in a Garlic Butter Sauce.  You can choose your Sauce and it also comes with Corn On The Coblettes and New Potatoes in the Boil Bag and Sauce.  The Man was licking his Plastic Gloves the Sauce was so damned good and fragrant!  *Smiles*  The Crawfish were whole and I wasn't sure how best to eat them that way, so one of the Staff there is a Beautiful Black Amerasian Young Woman, about our Granddaughter's Age, she said Crawfish Eating is her Specialty and she Tutored us on how to do it.  I got so good at it by the time we finished that she said I was doing it like I've always done it... she was just an exceptional Teacher tho'.  And they were some of the biggest Crawfish I'd ever seen, Monstrous sized!!!  You get quite a Workout eating them served Whole!  *LOL*

We also Ordered the Clam Chowder, for The Man, and since half our Meal was Free and I'd Won it and would Share it with The Man, I also ordered their Grilled Lobster Meal.  The Presentation was Lovely and different than I'd ever had Lobster presented, it also had Baked New Potatoes and Steamed Broccoli... it was some of the best Lobster I've ever had and the Price was half what "Red Lobster" was wanting to charge for Lobster!  I'd heard on TV that the price of Lobster was way up coz the price of Gas for Lobster Fishermen was up so high and the populations of Lobster are lower inland now than ever before, so they can't economically fish for it further out now in hopes of finding more of a population to Harvest.  Anyway, my Food Porn Images show you our Meal for this Post.  We enjoyed it so much and I Won another Plush Crab on the Roulette Wheel, so, now I have Twins of them.  *Smiles*

I've since learned a Hack to get into the Meat of the Crawfish Claw. I think next time we'll try some of the Fried Catfish and Fried Clams. We're trying out most of what's offered on the Menu, a lot of folks were ordering the Crab Legs.  I know that's a lot of a Workout to get to the Meat, mebbe moreso than the Crawfish.  *LOL*  The Crawfish were worth the effort coz it's like eating Mini Sweet Lobster.  The Man never tried Crawfish before he met me, now he realizes he really likes them.  He'd never eaten Gator either, now he realizes he really likes that too.  They don't serve Gator there tho'.  But they do have Cajun flavored Seafood Dishes as one of the many Flavor Options you can choose from.  Anyway, so it rounded out the Day nicely and The Man clearly enjoyed himself and was upbeat the entire Day.  He did really well.

The Niece has been doing okay since her Mom Died, she's had Friends be there for her in Texas, so I understand why she wouldn't come back to Arizona now, she's got a great Inner Circle there where her Husband is from.  I know her Mom liked it there too, and if you have a Wonderful Community it means the World.  The Niece also has lost a tonnage of Weight, I don't know how she's been doing it but she looks Fabulous now and has reached her Goal Weight and got her Bikini Body back.  How she looked before she had all her Children and then struggled with Weight for the last few Years.  It was so good to see her looking so Happy, so Refreshed and so Svelte and a Hawt Mama Jamma!  *Smiles*  I'd been Worried about her coz the Caregiving of her Mom for this past Year while she was Dying was so rough, so demanding, and she juggled it with Parenting Three Kids and while her Husband is mostly away on Business, and none of her Four Older Siblings helped.

But her Friends showed up for her and God Bless them all for coming thru and having her Back thru this rough Year of Extreme Caregiving and allowing her Mom to Die at Home by providing Home Hospice herself mostly, with just a One Day a Week visit from a Home Nurse that helped administer her Mom's Treatments and give her brief Respites and Training on how to Care for her Dear Mom.   I'm so Proud of her.  I'm glad all her Friends got together to take her out to The Beach for a Fun Time and to show off her New Svelte Bikini Body she's worked so hard to attain.   I mean, this Girl was well over 230 lbs. in the "Before", so it's quite an accomplishment to get back down to the Slender Frame she always had before, it's not easy.  Before having Kids she was Tiny... her Older Sister stayed Tiny after even Four Kids... sometimes it's the Luck of Genetics distributed unevenly... some Family get the preferred Genes and some don't.  *Le Sigh*

Her Older Sister {on the Left}, lives in Florida and has a very demanding Career.  She wasn't always there for their Mom and that did cause some Family division, since, she often came to visit us and Friends here in Arizona, but didn't stop by Texas to visit her Mom, even during the Terminal Illness Battle.  I really don't know if she was able to get there for the Funeral, I do know she did get to visit her Mom at least once during the Home Hospice and during Treatments.  Which I was relieved to see coz their Mom wanted all Five of her Kids to be there at some points before she Passed, she knew she was Losing this Battle.  But, The Three Sisters are Estranged tho', and so are the Two Brothers, so, the Family Dynamic is complicated, very tense and divisive, always has been.  I'd often Mediate even when they were all Growing Up.

   So, since their Mom was Living with the Younger Daughter, I'm sure that could have been complicated and tense.   The Older one, who is the Middle Daughter, does have a Support System in Florida who was there for her, I'm glad about that.  I don't know the Oldest Daughter, never met her.  Out of the Two Sons, I only have contact with the Younger one now, who is doing well, the Older one is not and hasn't been Clean in Years, so everyone HAD to cut him off.   He always reached out to me coz they all consider me their Aunt Dawn and I Love them all, but he was just making Contact with everyone to ask for Money, or couldn't be Trusted to be around your Home or your Family, so, I don't want Contact until and unless he gets Clean and for a sustained period of Time. 

 It's Sad, and I know his Dear Mom wanted it so bad for him, but, it never happened in her Lifetime unfortunately.  The Younger Brother did turn his Life around, I'm so Proud of him.  But, he was no longer close to any Family, including his Mom.  He has more Contact with me and my Family, than them.  I want the very Best for all those Kids as much as I do for all my own.  Watching them all Grow Up was a Privilege & Joy, and that our Families remained Close all these Years.  Above is the Younger Son I do have Contact with still.  He has a Lovely Girlfriend now and has been Sober for Years, I'm Proud of him.

Above my Cousin and his Wife in North Wales, he has an Older Brother but nobody has contact and I don't know how many of my Welsh Cousins are still among the Living?  I have a few Cousins left here in America on the Rez, but there's not many of our Generation left anymore.   I know my Dad ended up being the last of his Generation on his side of the Family and only my Mom's Older Brother outlived her, so she was second to the last of her Generation on her side of the Family.  So, I guess I got pretty good Odds of having mebbe a few more Miles left in me?  *Winks*  Today I go in to see my New Primary Doc for that Ovary Thing follow-up.  If they're Diseased I just want them removed.  I Need to also Schedule a 6 Month Diabetic follow-up too but that could wait, the Diabetes is stabilized right now and I'm more concerned about what's on my Ovary and if it's something to worry about, remove, not be concerned about?   I don't neglect things when we know something looks Suspect or a Mystery, I want it taken care of early, better results that way.  And Hopefully no more putting on the War Paint to get the damned Insurance to cover Care!?!

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Always ready to go to battle tho' if they start a War with me, coz I Surrender to no-one *Winks*... Dawn... The Bohemian

My Own Trip To Urgent Care Now

 So, Today's exceptional International Food Porn is coming to you compliments of my Friend Pamela, whose Touring Italy right now.  Her DH is Italian American, and they Travel extensively and I think both still have extended Family in other Countries.  Pamela's Chinese Maternal Gramma was a Bull Fighter in Mexico!!!  So her Family History and Stories are as Interesting as ours.  *Smiles*  We still can't Find The Son's misplaced Wallet, so now he'll have to get his Cards re-issued for ID and the Bank, he had some Money in it, Luckily not much.  We're convinced it's somewhere here tho' coz he only went one place that day and pretty sure he didn't leave it there or in Q's Truck... he made his Purchase of Hotdogs at the Grocery Store and Q even recalls he put it back in his Pant's Pocket as they left, they only did a Hotdog Run for the BBQ and The Son bought the Beef so his Nephew could have some too. 

Now

Then

 We literally had everyone looking for that missing Wallet!!!  Lately he's been forgetful and distracted too much, so it may just be somewhere odd and we'd never think to look?  Even tho' due to his Autism he's a very Routine Oriented Creature of stringent Habit, it's not in those usual places he always puts it.  I'll be relieved when it's Found, coz he's Fixating on it, all of us have looked tho', to no avail.  I get Fixated when I can't Find something tho', it consumes me, so I understand his Fixation on the Lost Wallet, it's important and he's upset with himself mostly, for Losing it.  I don't know where else to look and I'm hoping he didn't drop it in the Trash accidentally, coz... then it will never be Found.  But, I felt confident we'd Find it... and here... coz I'd been petitioning St. Anthony, Patron Saint of Lost Objects, to Recover it for us.  The Son was rolling his Eyes about that but I said, just wait and see, that Saint never lets me down!   Above is a Now and Then Pix of The Daughter with her Lifelong BFF Amber... at 15 and at almost 50.

He's been doing so much Work in the Yard it could have dropped anywhere on the Acreage too, but I told him to check all Pants Pockets, mebbe he left it in another Pair?   But then... by around Noon, after I told him, just rifle thru some more Pockets on different Pants, he found it, in the Pocket of a Pair of Pants he'd worn earlier and forgot he had changed out of before Company came!!  Thank You St. Anthony for the Revelation of Extra Pant Pockets!  *Whew*  So, relief about that, he's Calmer and more Centered now he's not stressing about that.  I went and Mailed Bills and went to SAVERS for 50% Off Day.  The Granddaughter doesn't work on Mondays, Sale Day, so usually I don't go.  But I wanted some Summertime Colorful Capris to wear and found some, Three Pair in solid Summery Colors of Red, Lilac, and a Burnt Orange.  A couple of T-Shirts too with nice Graphics.

There were also some Industrial Grade Commercial Restaurant thick Steel Pans in Two different Depths, so I got one of each and only Paid Three Bucks for both.  Those are great for BBQ's and indestructible.  Looked like a Restaurant had Donated a bunch of Industrial strength Commercial Kitchenware.  People were snapping them up, the price was already low and half off made them damned near a Giveaway for the quality.   Anything Restaurant Commercial Grade I've ever Bought I've never regretted, lasts forever.  

And when you have a big Family and/or Entertain a lot they're indispensable.  It was super Crowded, but always is on 50% Off Day, they Turn a LOT of Product on that day.  The Daughter had made everyone Breakfast this Morning, we'd missed her Cooking, she's a good Cook.  The Son really tries, but like me, it's not his Strength.  The Young Prince is a good Cook but he doesn't like to Cook or be in charge of a Meal, he'd rather be a Sous Chef for someone else and just do what they say they need for him to do to help.

Irrigation is coming this Afternoon, everything is ready to receive it coz the Kiddos got it all done.  With all Hands on Deck, after my Talk with each one, things are going smoother now in mutual cooperation to distribute responsibilities more equitably.  *Winks*  Today tho' The Young Prince is cooking the Steaks I bought on Sale.  He likes cooking Steak and does a good job, he knows how everyone likes them cooked.  Irrigation went well... so did the Steak Dinner... but then... I've been struggling with some Kidney Pain and ended up taking myself to Urgent Care.  For once it wasn't The Man and the Doc and Nurses there teased me about that.  *Smiles*  They know us by our first Names now.  *LOL*

  Turns out I only had a bad UTI but the MRI they took showed something on one of my Ovaries {never had them removed with the Hysterectomy} and so they want me to follow up with my Doc about what that might be?  And I have some Diverticulitis, which I had to look that shit up when I got Home to know what it is.  *Smiles*  Anyway, all Three things were likely causing my intense Pain and other Symptoms.  And I'm like, Gee, Doc, you got any BAD News?  *LMAO and so did he, that Doc and his Staff thing we're a riot!  LOL*  A Medically tragic riot, but a riot nonetheless.  *Ha ha ha*  I Joked that both of us Used To Be Good Looking and very Fit and well Preserved all the way thru to later Middle Age... then everything went to shit apparently in Old Age.  As it does.  *Winks*  Seriously, The Man still Played competitive Sports in the Military well into his 50's and looked so Handsome!  I wasn't too bad myself until well after my 50's... AND THEN...  *Le Sigh and Bwahaha*  I'm not shittin' you, Above and Below are The Man and I after Age 50, we weren't too badly Preserved or deteriorated back then!  I have Visual Evidence and Proof we hadn't gone to shit yet!!!  *LOL*  

We didn't look too bad for a couple of Grandparents over half a Century Old, YET, who were even still Raising some Young Grandkids and didn't yet even have our Youngest, The Son, completely Raised... and then the whole slippery slope began happening at an accelerated pace, WTF?!  *Le Sigh and Oh Well*  So, anyway... now we're running Old Age Damage Control behind ourselves.  So, they gave me IV's of some Non-Narcotic Pain Meds, since I'd drove myself there and refused anything stronger, some strong Antibiotics via IV, and Saline to further hydrate me.  I'd drank a lot of Water and Cranberry Juice at Home coz I thought I either had a Kidney Infection or Kidney Stones, never had the latter, and it turned out not to be that, but there's a first time for everything. 

  The Ovary 'thing' could be a Cyst, they're Painful and I've had them before on my Ovaries, more often when I was Younger... less so after Menopause, so I will get it checked out since I got the Hysterectomy Years ago due to some Pre-Cancerous suspicious 'stuff', and if the Ovaries now Need to come out, so be it, don't really Need them anymore.   Tho' I don't Want a Surgery right now, if I Need one, just do it already and get it over with.  The Family of coarse were all panicky, which, isn't unusual when I don't feel Well.  Ironically The Man finally sees his Kidney Specialist this Afternoon, Dr. Ting!  We've been waiting to see him a long time coz last Appointment got kicked back Two Months.  So, we don't know what's going on with The Man's Kidneys?

Other than all that, everything is Swell.  *Bwahahahaha*  I had gone to the one Urgent Care that's like a regular Level One Trauma Center's Satellite ER so they have literally everything there but most folks don't know about this Gem so it's never that busy.  You get seen right away and the Care is Excellent.  They all asked how The Man was after his Scorpion Sting and if I ever found and killed it, happy to hear I had and that he's recovering Well. 

 They said after I'd left and he was waiting for the Ambulance Ride, he began to have all the more serious symptoms of a Scorpion Sting like his Eyeballs moving rapidly, so that's why they wanted an Ambulance to transport him and had sent me to the Hospital ahead of it, coz they didn't wanna alarm me that he was rapidly showing more serious Signs and Symptoms that were alarming.  *Whew*  They had given him the Anti-Venom too and needed him monitored at the Hospital by his regular Specialists in case he had a Reaction to it.

So, I'm glad I murdered that lil Offending fucker!!!  He's squashed and Dead now, won't be stinging any more of my Family.  And he was as large as The Man had recounted, I'd figured The Man was exaggerating the size, he wasn't, it's the biggest one I've seen, they're usually half that size!!!  I do think it was just a larger Arizona Bark Scorpion tho' and they are the only High Danger with Medically Significant possibility of Death of the Ten Species of Scorpion in Arizona.  

They're all over the place in Arizona and impossible to eradicate, you can only Hope to eradicate their Food Source to have less of them around.  We've had a big Ant and Red Water Roach Problem this Year outside, and keeping them Killed off will help with not having as many Scorpions.  Anyway, so my Medical Adventure isn't over yet, now I've got to Schedule an Appointment with my Primary and tell them about the Ovarian shit and see what that's all about?  *Le Sigh*

Above are a couple of Pixs from North Wales of my Cousin, and his Dear Wife.   This is the side of the Family that my Brother's Oldest Son resembles so much that it's like he's this Cousins's Son!!!  Even to the Eyebrows!!!  *LOL*  Genetics are so fascinating like that, it always intrigued me to study Genetics.  Anyway, this Cousin in Wales is the only Maternal Relative now over there that I still have any contact with, we've stayed in touch over the Years and his Dad was very close to our Family and visited us annually until he became too Old to Travel Internationally anymore and get Insured for the Trip.  My Uncle did live to be 90 tho' and tho' you're not supposed to have Fav Relatives, he was my Fav Uncle and always treated me like the Daughter he never had, coz he only had Sons... and he'd so wanted a Daughter.

 

I took some Pixs at the Pool of some Unusual Cloud Formations, never seen any like it, looked really Weird.  The Son Joked that mebbe it was a camouflaged UFO spying on us?  *Winks*  Well, I had all my Clothes on just dangling my Feet in the Pool... so... Nothing to See here Alien Guys.  *LMAO*  Unless they come down with a Medical Team to Cure all our Ills, and Diplomats to solve all our Political and Social problems, just don't bother, Humans are cocking things up just fine all by ourselves down here, we don't Need any Help with that.  *Eye Roll*

I mean look at the Before and After of The People's House, looks like Tweakers moved into it!!!  The Neighborhood's gone to shit when this Psycho moved in with his Family and Friends!!!  I hear all the "Entertainers" are now backing out of the 250th and his 80th Birthday Celebration with the whole Cage Match on the WH Front Lawn Thing, coz it's so very unpopular nobody wants to really be associated with it.  Not even B-Class or Washed Out Celebs that he tends to attract, coz he's one himself.  I think since it's Pride Month too, perhaps a bunch of Queens ought to Score those Tickets and show up instead, that would be Fabulous and at least make this 3-Ring Circus News worthy and a Spectacle worth watching... I'd Tune In then!  And have his Head explode, or mebbe his Heart, on Live TV... and mebbe finish him off spectacularly?  After all, he wants his Image on some Money and ya gotta be Dead for that... so... just sayin'...  *Winks*

*******

Hanging in there here in the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian