AT MIDNIGHT: Well, it's now The Big Day and Princess T came waltzing into our Bedroom at One Minute after Midnight last Night, giggling, to announce she's now an Adult. I bantered back with faux sarcasm, "Splendid, so when you Moving out?" *Bwahahahaha* She's never moving out, I don't think any of them are at this juncture, quite comfortable here they are, waiting for us to either kick off or move into Senior Living I think? Who am I kidding, they couldn't afford this place or get along and play well with each other without us, so they expect us to become Immortals actually. And now everyone is Grown in the household, I'm released from Childrearing after almost 50 consecutive Years of it... or some big number like that from the 1st of them to the last of them I Raised. *LMAOROTF and Whew*
This is the 22nd of September and Princess T's Coming Of Age, 18 Today, and Officially an Adult, so it's a Big Deal for her and for me, I'm Officially DONE Raising a 2nd Generation of Kiddos, cause for much Celebration! Yup, I Lasted getting The G-Kid Force Raised... yay Me! *LOL* Her Gay Boy Posse at School indulged her with lavish Gifts, Timmy with a Dozen Long Stemmed Red Roses and another Gay Male Friend, Matthew, got her the Hello Kitty Gifts. She claims Gay Men give the best and most thoughtful Gifts. Mostly coz they Love Shopping as much as us Gals do and know what we want. *Smiles* Both Boys are going Ice Skating with her.
The Event was worth waiting for, I was first in line and thoroughly enjoyed the ambiance and Halloween Themed Show, I took lots of Photos. The only downside and complaint was it was packed and so checkout lines were so long I couldn't get checked out before running out of time and having to leave. So, I had to ask to have my items returned to Inventory, which was disappointing, since I'd spent an Hour and a Half choosing them. And had been first in Line waiting 2 Hours to get in. Several other people had reassessed their purchases when seeing the lines were SOOO long and not getting any shorter. That's lost Sales for the Designers.
I just can't stand for 1-2 Hours in a checkout line, I have Diabetic Neuropathy in my Legs and Feet, so it would be too painful. And there's nothing I want or need so bad to even stand in a line that is too long and/or slow and barely moving. I bring a fold up Chair to sit in when I'm in line waiting for the Doors to open becoz of the inability to stand for long periods of time. I knew it would be a popular Event so it was good to see it so busy for those Selling. Our Antique Mall has flatlined this Pay Period and Sales are so weak, the worst ever since the Mall opened Years ago, that I'm going to have to reassess staying if it doesn't pick up.
Others in Retail at most places are telling me they're struggling to stay solvent, so, it's clearly the Economy and Customers aren't buying very many non-essentials. To be sure, Gas alone is up over $5 a Gallon around the City in some Gas Stations now, which is ridiculously higher than the National average. Allen took The Son to Work since I was at my Event, and he said it's too long a commute and The Son should consider taking a Job closer to Home. For $24 an Hour, which is after his recent Raise, its still not making him enuf to get his own Apartment or buy another Vehicle, so it is discouraging.
Anyway, The Son can't just quit, since the Court Costs and fines, plus that Garnishment for a Vehicle repossession from over 9 Years ago, would cause him Legal troubles he doesn't want or need. He's trying to do the right thing, but said at times he just wants to give up, give in and give out, it seems Hopeless to Earn a Living now. With the troubles I had this Month from Social Security, it is alarming how our System seems to be unraveling. I've heard from another Blogger that some have had it worse. Receiving Letters that Social Security made huge Administrative errors for Years and overpaid people, and now want all that Money back right away!!! Seniors have had to Sell their Homes to put right what Social Security fouled up!!!
Becoz The Man is Retired Military he doesn't get much in the way of Social Security Checks, but over the Years since his Retirement Age, they've fouled up the amount of his SSN Checks numerous times. You'll get a Letter saying they underpaid you and will be adjusting the Checks, then you'll get another Letter contradicting that saying they overpaid him. I'd venture to say we've received 1-2 Letters like that annually so I wasn't surprised to hear from the Blog Friend in Cali that Checks were messed up. So the amount of the small Checks he gets has changed constantly, but, it's a small percentage of his Earned Retirement Income so it hasn't caused Hardship.
And so far SSN keeps just changing the Check amounts and notifying me of the Administrative fuck-ups they keep making to his Social Security, and are trying to auto correct. Hell, I don't even know if ANY of the amounts have ever been Correct at this point, in our favor or theirs? They don't seem to be able to figure it out for someone not even receiving hardly anything Monthly. And when you attempt to Call the number on the Letters, you never can get thru, EVER. You need Appointments to go in Person and honestly, he can't tolerate that Dog and Pony Show, so I've just let Social Security muddle along with it.
But, if they keep messing up my Checks, I'll have to get an Appointment to sort it out, since, it's a large part of my Pension Monthly. At the Event there's a Senior I always talk to in Line who is Raising Four of her Grandkids and gone thru all of what I've gone thru with The System. She said when her Oldest Grandson turned 18 in May, her Checks got messed up too and changed to his Birthday instead of the Date she used to receive them, even after an extension was granted. So, that's likely what happened to my Checks too, since now they are coming near my Granddaughter's Birthday. I just Hope only a single Month of miscommunication and delays is all we will endure?
The Granddaughter, Matthew and Timmy are going Ice-Skating after School and Timmy's Grandma will pick them up after I drop them off. They'll only be Skating for a couple Hours, I just don't want to stay sitting on Metal Bleachers and watch Teens thru Plexiglass Skating in Circles and falling down for Two Hours and waving to me saying, "Look Gramma, Look!". *LOL* None of them Skates well and spend most of the time hanging on to each other desperately for grim Death to stay vertical, so it's a Comedy of Errors, but, they have a good time and don't get too bruised up. *LOL* I was told by my Friend Roman that a Gal we know who used to be a Designer at the Event owns the Ice Rink, I didn't know that.
She received all her pressies we bought Online, she'd gotten a lot for her Money since she'd saved Coupons and been comped some items, so, she was jazzed and Shipping was Free. She's a very thrifty Shopper always and gets considerable bang for her buck, so, it was an impressive haul for what I paid. She kept pulling things out of the Box and some of the comped items were very nice for something Gifted to her for just ordering what she paid for. I liked some of it so much I told her we'll order more from that Company for Christmas for her, her Brother and even a few Smalls for myself I'd like. She got the Cutest Voodoo Doll Whimsical Porcelain Cone Incense Burner for $3. The Smoke comes out of it's Mouth and Eyeballs. *Smiles*
The Grandsons are in overdrive doing a LOT for us, they cleaned, organized and transformed the Kitchen while I was at my Event!!! The Daughter and The Son noticed how much had been thrown out and disappeared, so they were concerned I'd come Home and rather than be elated at all the hard work the Grandsons did, Freak Out that they threw so much away? Allen is notoriously Fixated on things being "Expired" or allegedly "Rotten", even if they're not and you just bought it. So, you have to watch him like a Hawk, it's his Autism. We Laugh hysterically about it, since you can see him suspiciously Eyeballing Expiration Dates and things you have stockpiled. He thinks he's doing you a favor by Purging it FOR you and without asking. I gently tell him to ask first, but, he Spirits shit away like I'm too feeble to know what's Expired now and am trying to kill us all by feeding everyone Expired product and using it. *Ha ha ha*
He almost threw out our huge strong Commercial Grade Black Garbage Bags the Local Park Crews now give The Man and I for coming and doing Environmental Cleanup as Volunteers! They're bigger and sturdier than what you can buy at the Stores and it saves us Buying all that we use. I had them in a container out front and we grab a few to use Daily. So I had a small Panic Attack when Allen said he'd taken care of Cleaning up and disposing of stuff in that area, including those! It did look nice, but a lot was just now gone. I had to retrieve them from the Garbage after Allen said he'd thrown away all the "Rotting" Garbage Bags we had near the Aluminum Can Receptacle by the Garage! *Yikes, close call*
I told him those are from Park Staff giving us extra Bags, so please don't toss those, we will use them all and don't have to buy expensive Bags now. *Whew* He agreed he won't, but had to add that some look "dirty"... well Allen, they're for Garbage and Aluminum Recycle, so they don't have to be particularly squeaky Clean, but, they're empty and Free, so... *Winks* This is a Guy that has worked Years in a Slaughterhouse and comes Home covered in Cow Blood and Guts, but, his fastidiousness with Cleanliness outside of his Work is Legendary. He's reached status in my Book of a Domestic Goddess, I kid you not!!! Suzy Homemaker types have nothing on Allen, yet, The Young Prince is a Slob, so they're like Oscar and Felix in "The Odd Couple". *Bwahahahaha*
The Young Prince will clean and do a great job if Solicited to, but Allen will clean just because... and it doesn't even have to be dirty and he'll still clean it. Sometimes I have to stop him recleaning what's clean and direct him to a Housekeeping Task better Serving us. *LOL* Now, both, being Twenty-something Year Old Guys, will drop Wet Towels and their Banana Hammocks on the Bathroom Floor tho' and/or hang Towels sloppily on the Racks, which drives the Women in his Household Cray-Cray, since, The Son and The Man know better and do better than the Young Guys. And when it comes to Dishes, they'll use every MF Bowl, Plate, Pot, Pan or Utensil in here before Washing any. Or buy Paper and Plastic so they don't have to. *Winks*
Anyway I got some good News from The Daughter's Boss about my Brakes, he checked them at his Garage and said they're fine. It's squeaky coz of dust, they don't need replacing anytime soon. So, Shirley, you were Right. *Winks and Whew* However, he did say my Shocks all need replacing sometime, nothing urgent, they're leaking fluid and I wasn't surprised. Shocks on the back are half the price of the front ones so I'll Save up to get them done first, he suggested the back first anyway, they're leaking the most. The front ones will take me a while to Save up enuf for, so I will have to wait several Months for that replacement. I know I also need an Oil Change and new Filter again, I'm overdue on that preventative maintenance. At least nothing urgent and expensive right now. *exhales*
The Son has to Work this whole Weekend since next Thursday-Sunday they're Closing the Line for Annual Maintenance. His Co-Worker may take him Saturday and Sunday, we are Hoping, I got too much going on this Weekend to have a Two Hour Commute each Day. The Man and I dashed in to the Antique Mall Friday Morning after getting everyone to Work and School to mark down some older Inventory in hopes of Stimulating Trade this Weekend. Sales have been dreadful, worst ever, so this 2nd Week of the Two Week Pay Period I have to crush it. Since I had Four out of Five Days of NO Sales, which never has happened before since The Mall opened Years ago!!!
I'd rather mark everything down and get it out of there in case I must decide to close down? I don't want to right before the Holidays, would rather wait and re-assess come Summer, when we expect dismal Sales. One of the Neighbors on our Street is having a huge Tag Sale and she's got volumes of Customers, so, I'd probably be better off doing that and having no overhead if Sales at The Mall go stagnant. With having the entire Family here now we could Host a Tag Sale thruout Fall and Winter and see how much they Net?
Snow Birds are back by Fall so Sales usually pick up at The Mall, we'll see tho'? There were lots of Customers in my way when I was in there doing Markdowns. Which looks Promising on the Surface, but, every single one was just a Looky Lou, making a mess, getting in the way, but buying nothing. Just having Warm Bodies show up is no guarantee they're not just biding time and window shopping, not really Buyers. And, I had some more Theft, but not a lot. But, they left evidence behind that they'd been Stealing the Small Toys that are bagged, ripping or slicing them open and Stealing all or part of the contents. Each Bag being only $1-$7 each, so... huge Eye Roll. Mostly LOL Surprise Mini Dolls this heist. {See above Image if you don't know what they are.}
The Arizona State Fair is back and Opened Yesterday and will run thru end of October. Princess T wants to go and I don't mind going with her, she'll be on Fall Break and they have an Armband Day during that Week she's out of School, one Price for Unlimited Rides. But, that Day is always packed so it sounds better than it is, long lines, but, Saves me Money, so, whatever. If she and Timmy don't mind standing in ridiculous lines while I tool around the Fair just enjoying the Atmosphere and Visuals, while eating Indian Fry Bread, I'm Golden. *Winks* I usually have a rendezvous place near one of the Stages with Performers that I meet back up with them at. The State Fair is only a Shadow of what it used to be, while being far more expensive, but far less than it once was. Just like everything else.
LATER: You saw the Pix earlier in the Post of Princess T and her Birthday Boy Posse who went Ice Skating with her. They didn't stay long since the Boys said too many Guys were coming up to our Granddaughter and asking for her Phone Number. *LOL* She won't give it out and so then some of them asked for a Hug instead, which Timmy and Matthew could tell mortified her and creeped her out, and they're so protective of her, so Timmy said he piped up that she doesn't give Hugs, but they do! Of coarse the Straight Guys were then mortified that Two Gay Guys with her copped a Hug... so then left the Trio alone. *Bwahahahaha*
Timmy's Gramma ended up not being able to pick them up coz she had to pick up one of his younger Nieces she's now Raising. So, luckily I was still nearby visiting a "Spirit Halloween Store" by the Ice Rink and they walked over there for me to take them Home. They're all spending the Night at Timmy's having a Slumber Birthday Party for her, so I dropped them off there. They'd had enuf Fun and were ready to just Chill, watch Horror Movies and Gossip, lots of Tea to spill apparently on people at School and that Trio can Dish it and serve it up Hot. *Smiles*
More to come on the Event... Dawn... The Bohemian