Things And What Happened Around Them

 

I'm stealing a profound Sentence from another fav Blogger that described exactly and in one Sentence, how I Feel about Downsizing and the 'Stuff' I formed Attachments to and have trouble sometimes Detaching from.

"I don't necessarily want the things anymore, either, I want what happened around them."

Thankyou to AGING AWKWARDLY Blog for that profound Sentence, one that I have never been able to put into Words myself.  Wow.

What happened around them is long gone, forever gone, sometimes the People too.  And with every Object there are People attached to the time, place, experience, Memory, that was happening at the acquisition of it.  I always try to remind myself when Detaching from the Stuff of Life, I'm not Selling or giving away MY Memories, someone else will Create their own when they possess whatever it is.  I can Keep the Memories.  Problem is, once the Object is Gone to remind me of said Memories, often I can't and don't Remember anymore.  Those Objects tied me to the Memory somehow in the Data Banks of my Brain.  Which are pretty scrambled and in bad shape these days, those Data Banks of Memory Storage, I think I'm at Capacity and Saturation Point this many Years in to Storing Memories up there, there's not a lot of Room left for more Data or Organizing Old Data efficiently to Retrieve without an Object prompting it?  *LOL*  

And it's True Times have Changed, people don't do what they used to do, not Socially, not any kind of way really.  I'm the last of the Dinosaurs that still does a lot of the things I still hold onto stubbornly and do.  Socializing is waaaaaay different, like the fellow Blogger, I used to Entertain a lot and so did my Friends and extended Family.  I miss that too, nobody does it anymore... or at least hardly at all.  Sometimes even if you do, it's hard to get folks to show up.  Everyone has such busyness of Life these days that Socializing has become quite secondary in Person, or mebbe not on the List at all of things being put on a Calendar, not even during Holidays.  Were you the Hostess with the Mostest?  Did you go all out and Over-The-Top with everything, especially Celebrations?  I did.  I remember even Hosting Wine and Cheese Parties and I don't even Drink, and if I did, I doubt it would be Wines.  

But, I did it for my Friends coz they were all Drinkers, and, I like Cheese.  And it was just Fun and brought people together Recreationally, we all had Demanding Careers.  When we works, we works hard, when we hangs, we hung loose.  *Winks and Laughs*   We'd make a Big Deal of every Party, every Gathering, we had Themed Parties sometimes, Toga Parties when that was a Thing, Masquerade and Costume Parties at Halloween, Christmas Parties, Hayride Cookouts, Keggers around Bonfires {again I didn't Drink but I'd fund some of what Kegs would be there}, Pool Parties {still have some of those with the Younger Generations, I doubt you'd get Geriatrics to show up to one even if all our Friends weren't Dead or Moved Away now, LOL}, New Year's Eve Parties, Baby Showers, Bachelorette Parties before the Weddings, Church Picnics, Easter Egg Hunt Gatherings with the corresponding Easter Buffet Spread.   Fuck, I'd make up reasons to throw a Party!!!  *LOL*

Now, my Kids grew up around that Atmosphere when we were Younger Parents, so they have Fond Memories of it and often lament that their Generation mostly ceased doing it.  They Love to still do it, but participation wanes with their Friends.  Except for Immigrant Families, they still do all of that all of the time, usually every Weekend.  *Smiles and Bravo, Standing Ovation!!!*  But, by the time I was Raising Grandkids, it did slow down, it didn't Cease.  But by then almost everyone I was hanging out with were other Young First Time Parents Raising their Families and getting together coz all our Kiddos were Friends.  Few Grandparents in my Orbit were Custodial Grandparents Raising Grandkids and so most of them didn't want little ones or Teens around and your Invitations to whatever they were doing, ceased entirely. 

 Coz you couldn't do it without your entourage.  And now your Life is completely different than their Experience.  There's no real Point of Reference anymore.  When you become a Full Time Caregiver to ailing or Disabled Loved Ones, same thing happens too, it Isolates, your Social Life becomes a thing of the Past, and would have to be exhumed and Raised from the Dead.  I had no Lazarus Moments, it just Died it's Social Death and I put a Daisy on it and went into Mourning after Burying it, of sorts, you Grieve lots of things that become Lost or will never be.  Your Traditions and Rituals may Evolve and Change over Time too.  I don't even know I'd have the Bandwidth to Host a big shindig anymore?  The G-Kid Force would lament, why are all these people here and when are they going to leave?  *LOL*  Both being part of the Anti-Social Social Club, they prefer NOT Peopling.  And their Tribe is very much like that this Generation coming up.  They're very De-Socialized, aren't they?

As it is my Old Hippie Communal Multi-Generational Style of Living and often having Long Term Houseguests takes getting used to even for some of the Family.  They aren't as comfortable with it as I always have been.  The more the merrier so long as they all get along and play well with others, respect the House Rules and each other, combine Resources and look out for The Good Of All.  Sharing is Caring.  Throw more Water in the Beans if there's more Mouths to Feed.  Sharing your Time is the most Priceless Gift coz you ain't getting any of that Time back.  Needless to say I made that Statement to Princess T this Morning and by the time she got off Work at 1:00 p.m. early, she'd already Made Up with her Boyfriend Rusty again, the breakup being as brief as the last one.  Do you still Care?  Coz the Sharing of each other's Time is Priceless, we only have so much of it, so only Spend it if you still Care for the Person, don't Waste it otherwise.

 

Most of my Interactions Socially these days are limited and Situational, which is Fine at this Season of Life coz I got a lot going on.  I can't exactly Prioritize Socializing like I used to.  Even tho' when I had demanding Careers and  Corporate Lives, Raising of Families {Two Generations of 'em}, somehow I still managed to squeeze in a busy Social Life.  I don't know how I Managed that actually, now it seems Insane... and I guess it was just a higher Priority and a Season that just has passed, a Ship that has Sailed, and tho' I've accepted that, I don't really want or need the Stuff anymore, so I'm Downsizing again ad nauseum and have been for Years now... but I do Want what happened around them.  It's not something I can Have, but it's still a lingering Want, coz the Memories of it all are Priceless and yet fading as I get rid of one Object at a time that ties me to them.  And helps me Remember.  Coz I am a really Nostalgic Sentimental Fool to the Max!!!

If you give me something I really think is hideous, or could never use, wear, or even like one iota, but with the Right Heart and Spirit behind Gifting it to me, I'll Keep that POS becoz of the Person attached to it.  *Bwahahahaha*   I've had someone point it out, WTF is THAT, it's not your Aesthetic or Vibe at all, it looks out of place!  Oh, well, So-And-So gave it to me and that's the only Value it has to me actually, I just can't always bring myself to get rid of it.  So, often I told Loved Ones and Best of Friends, a Gift Of Service or Money is much more Appreciated.  *LOL* And I don't find it to be lazy or impersonal at all, always the Right Size and Color if it's Cash... and Gifts Of Service are my Love Language.  However insignificant or small what you do or did you think was, it means a lot to me.  Then you'll be my "Favorite".  *Winks and Laughs* coz ... and the Competition then begins with everyone vying to be my Next Favorite for a Minute.  *Smiles*

Now, to be perfectly Honest and Transparent, I didn't get to do all the things many of my Friends and Relatives got to do due to my own Personal Commitments and Obligations.  My Careers were both extremely demanding, I Raised Two Generations of Kiddos with Special Needs, and I've been a Caregiver for a very long time too, Generationally in fact.   So, I had to bow out of a lot of things I could have done, would have done, experiences that would have been great to have had.  Some shit fell off the Bucket List along the way coz I got more Time behind me now than in front of me and that fucking List was ridiculously long and unrealistic for the most part.  When I Dreams, I Dreams BIG my Friends.  And even tho' I'm Old now and Tick-Tock, I have ridiculously lofty Goals and Visions still that may or may not be attained.  That's Okay, I'd rather have them than have none.  If you have no Vision and no Goals, are you among The Living Dead then, I have to Wonder?  *Winks*

I've got some Senile Purpura big Purple Bruises on my Skin all the time now and it Freaks the Kiddos Out!  Sometimes I'm covered in Bandaids, so I buy them in bulk now.  *Bwahahaha*  What happened?!  I frankly don't know and couldn't tell ya, it looks bad but it almost never hurts or bothers me, it just looks way more concerning... and even Tyson the Pit Bull does NOT like it, he'll lick where they are and whine, like he's really worried about me having those visible Owies.  Bless him.  Dog Tongues are very soothing, not like Cat Tongues, Eli will lick ya and it's like Sandpaper, not soothing at all even tho' he's being Nice by doing it.  Which is Rare for Eli, he is a Scoundrel usually.   Google says Animals may lick you a lot to show Affection and Bond with you, so, I accept their Love Language when they express themselves that way coz I'm pretty sure I don't Taste Good.  I'm closer to being Mutton than Lamb, let us just say.  *LOL*  Tyson ADORES ME, the Kiddos get a real kick out of how Excited he gets to see me and be near me.

He literally can't stop Wagging his Tail when I'm around and his Tail is like a Whip, so everyone Laughs about it, look, when you're around Mom/Gramma his Tail spins like a Propellor!  And it does, and he Smiles, he's a big Ole' Goofball like that and even tho' I am NOT a Dog Person, I Adore my Great-Grandpup Tyson too.  Sweetest Dog ever.  he looks Scary, is as Powerful as a Bull, and has a Head like a Bulldozer, but, he's Social as he can be and docile of temperament.  He's a good Boy.  I Wish he could just romp thru the Pasture without a Leash on him but he's become an Escape Artist and so now we can't Trust him not to get out and risk getting harmed.  I don't know why he began Escaping coz for a long time he was fine being on the Acreage and it's all Fenced, so we really don't know how he's found an Escape Route, but, he has and it Freaks everyone out when he goes Missing on their Watch.  We can't have that anymore.   So, he unfortunately really screwed himself out of the Freedom he once had and enjoyed.

Kids and Animals, that's why they require so much intensive Supervision by Responsible Adults.  The Grandsons and Sayde have been so Quiet it's not like they're even here and they rarely have ventured out.  I haven't even actually SEEN Allen or Sayde since they arrived.  They have to be using the Guest Bathroom, but when, I couldn't tell ya coz I haven't even bumped into either of them in the Hallways yet.  They're like Ninjas and The Young Prince comes out to get any Food or Drinks for them too, tho' I said they're both Welcome to make an appearance.  I mean neither one of them is Living here, it's just a temporary short Visit and there's absolutely no grudges or animosity they should be fearful of from the rest of the Family.  Listen, if our Grandson is willing and able to work his Relationships out, we Celebrate that and Support it.  He knows our only concerns is he's Safe and the Relationships are Healthy ones that don't turn Toxic or Unsafe.  That's all.  If they can Manage that, they have our Blessings.

 

None of the Three of them is very Socialized or Social, mostly due to their Mental Health and individual Diagnosis which just makes Social Situations and interactions harder for them.  It's hard to fit in when Society deems you a Misfit and isn't particularly inclusive or tolerant.  The Young Prince is like his Sister in that he doesn't mind his Solitary Time at all, he's not particularly fond of People and has a very limited and small Inner Circle, which is his Comfort Zone of Socializing at all.  He's mostly in his own World and Bubble, which isn't always tethered to Reality, Schizophrenia is a very complex Condition... so is D.I.D..  Since The Young Prince has suffered a Severe Head Injury and does have Seizures too, the D.I.D. of his fractured Seven Personalities/Identities has not ever been formally Diagnosed.  I want to try to talk to that Shrink about that during the SSI Clinical Qualifying Evaluation.

He takes Meds for the Seizures, which began after he was run over by a Hit and Run Driver when he was a Pedestrian in New Mexico.  Nobody ever caught who did it so he never got any compensation for his Injuries or appropriate Medical Care coz he was on Medicaid, which was pretty Basic.  You get the minimal amount of Care they can possibly provide and you can only Qualify for on Medicaid... coz you can't afford Healthcare and most Disabled folks on it are indigent and have no Income or only a Disability Income that's not even remotely enuf to Live on unless they Qualify for other Social Services like Subsidized Housing, Nutritional Assistance, etcetera.  No one Agency really works with the others so you have to apply individually so it's a lot of Bureaucrazy going on and mounds of Paperwork for you to fill out and the Government to then Wade thru and either Approve, Deny or Work on your Appeals.  It's not very efficient and a lot of Countries have devised better ways that Work, that we should explore too.

We're finally getting a couple of "Whole Foods" in the West Valley, one is near a big Mall and near where we almost bought that other Mini Farm that we dubbed "The Marilyn Monroe House" coz it was Contemporary Mid Century Modern Architecture.  It had major Plumbing Issues tho' that weren't disclosed and our Inspectors found, so we backed out of the Deal and actually reported the Realtor, who also was the Investor who'd done the Remodel and Flip, coz he'd put Lipstick on a Pig, and that place leaked like the Titanic and had some Black Mold due to Plumbing Leaks, which required Remediation.  So we dodged a Bullet there and like this Mini Farm and Home much better, more bang for our Buck too.  But that one was walking score distance to a huge Mall, and many other Restaurants and major Shopping along Bell Road.  The Whole Foods location, when it Opens, is damned near across the Street from the Mini Farms Community... dammit!  Ain't that a Bitch?  I've been harassing "Whole Foods" for Years now to build a location Westside, now they do right by what I almost bought as a Forever Home!  *LOL*

Some folks Hate "Whole Foods" but I Love it and shopped the East Valley Locations, where they all are, for Years now.  I also like "Trader Joe's" which has opened many West Valley Locations.  One is pretty close to here so I can easily shop there and often do now.   Location, Location, Location are the only real things to consider when Buying Real Estate.  This one is close to a lot too, but not a Walk Score lot of them, close, but would be quite a Walk and not that convenient to Shop without a Vehicle.  I Love Walk Score Properties, at the Historic Home we were spoiled coz it was in Olde Town near the Old City Center with lots of Walking distance Restaurants, Schools, Doctors, Post Office, Shopping, Dentists, Recreational areas, Events... literally everything we needed or wanted and many folks in the Historic District didn't need or even own a Vehicle.  So, it was like Small Town Living in the City and everyone got to know everyone else in the Community so it was very tight knit for Urban Living.

*******

May the Things and what happened around them bring you fond Memories to always Cherish... Dawn... The Bohemian

We Don't Have A Relationship With Time Anymore

 One of my fav Comedians, Kathleen Madigan, said something her 80 Year Old Mom told her that resonated with me and perfectly explained how being Retired and much Older is.  We don't have a Relationship with Time anymore!   OMG, you have no idea how that gave me an epiphany about how The Man has become... he no longer has a Relationship with Time anymore!!!  *LOL*  In Kathleen's Comedy Routine about what her Mom said, she'd gone down to Florida to visit her 80 Year Old Parents and meet their Friends there who are just as geriatric.

  One Lady Friend, Ann Marie was acting strange, Kathleen asked her Mom, "So what's up with Ann Marie?"  And her Mom simply Stated, "Oh, she's hammered..."   And Kathleen's like, "But Mom it's 7:30 in the Morning!!!"  And her Mom is like, "Kathleen we don't have a Relationship with Time anymore... I've already had Lasagna.  We live in a whole other dimension now."  Well, I fell out, it was not only hilarious, but so True!  The Man is definitely now living in that other dimension, I'm only perhaps halfway there right now.  But, he's Six Years Older than me, I'll probably catch up... *Winks*

Yes, I binge watched Comedy Specials by favorite Comedians that I'd already seen before but are worth seeing again, the hilarity is just as profound watching a rerun of it.  So, see... I to am beginning to watch reruns of my favs, just like him.  *Bwahahahaha*   Besides, some of the newer Comedians I don't know, aren't that good to where I can get thru their Specials.   And one who was from Australia, had an Accent so thick and used Aussie Slang so frequently, he had to explain the Jokes to an American/European Audience, and should have probably had subtitles, so, it lost the effect.

  If you have to explain a Joke to me, it's no longer funny.  Some new ones are pretty good tho' and I try to remember their Names so I can watch more of what they do.  There are some Comedians who started their Careers in their Senior Years and they're fucking hilarious.  They probably were always funny, but only after Retirement felt, well, folks say I'm hilarious, why don't I give this Stand Up a whirl?!  And see how that goes?  And of coarse Humor about Aging, I can now fully relate to.  And there's something fully Liberating about having no more Fucks to give when you're a certain Age.  *LOL & Winks*

Princess T is on the Outs again with her Boyfriend, Rusty.  He was sitting out front of our House this Morning when I was taking her to Work, looking like an abandoned Puppy.  Ruh Roh, thought I, and she snarls that he could just sit out there, she didn't Care.  Oh shit.  She was very quiet on the ride in to work and I could tell he was Texting her furiously, her Phone was pinging like Crazy.  I hope he doesn't bother her at Work, but her Phone is in her Locker there so it shouldn't be a distraction that she's having personal issues interfering with what she's doing.  She doesn't like to take her Personal Life in to Professional Life, but of coarse we know it spills over when you're going thru stuff. 

She just had her Review and wasn't pleased with it coz tho' her Performance is exemplary, she's had a lot of Health Issues so Attendance was problematic.  And we all know how that Negatively impacts everything else on Reviews, almost to the exclusion of everything else.  You could work Circles around everyone else all of the time and have the best production, efficiency, experience, loyalty, accuracy and attitude... but if you miss a few Days due to Illness, they'd let you go and keep a Slacker that just shows up every day and does fuck all. 

 

And that upsets her coz some who aren't good Workers got a better Review coz they don't have Health Issues, but aren't good at their Jobs.  And she's always being asked to help them finish their Work coz they're too lazy or slow to get it done.  And she gladly helps everyone out without complaint.  And she's a very diligent Worker even when she isn't getting Paid to do something, she'll give 100% all of the time and be more conscientious than anyone usually.  Especially more than any Gen Z's typically are.  After all, she was Raised by Old People so what we instilled was different than most of her peers the same Age as her.

So, right now she's unhappy about Work and her Boyfriend, so I feel bad for her.  She has legit reasons to be upset with both actually and we've talked about it.  No Job is perfect and no Person either, but you have your Standards and what you're willing, or unwilling, to tolerate with each.   Her Employer did give her a Free Lunch from "Chick-Fil-A" for her Birthday Month and a little Tiara to wear.  They do that every Month for whoever has a Birthday that Month, tho' the Men don't get Tiaras... LOL.  It's a nice gesture and she did appreciate that, took the Edge Off her not getting a Perfect Review. 

 She's a Perfectionist so she wanted top Marks for everything and that's difficult to attain, usually they'll find something to improve upon even if you're their best and brightest.  She's Young, first Job, so she personalizes it more than it is.  Half the time it's not Personal, it's just Business.  And I told her, about Management, Listen, you're a Minion, so even if you know something isn't being run or done Right, NOT your Problem.  It's their Ship to either Sail it or Sink it, if you think the Ship is going Down and having a Titanic Moment, head for the Life Rafts early and first, and get yourself off a Sinking Ship is my best advice.  If they lose their best and brightest people, it will suck to be them is all.

So, we'll see how her Relationship and her Job play out, but, I can tell that right now, both are problematic for her and she's not one to tolerate anything being a problem for long.  I feel bad for her, coz she's a good Girlfriend and a good Worker, so having problems with both thru no fault of her own must be frustrating as Hell.  Her Birthday is coming up this Month on the 22nd, I'd Hate for it to be spoiled by Issues of Life plaguing her during a Celebratory time coz she's turning 21, which is a Big Deal and Milestone that should be Memorable in all the best of ways.  I know her Gay Boy Posse will indulge her tho', so, there's that... Timmy and Matthew won't let her down and she rarely has Issues with either of them, they Gel well.  Timmy has a lot of Drama and Issues with his Boyfriend... Matthew has wisely stayed unattached.  *LOL*

Matthew is the Brainiac Nerd of the Trio and is enrolled in College on a full boat Scholarship, he's super Intelligent, so he's at NAU up near his Rez most of the time now, but comes down for visits and Special Occasions.  He will come down for her 21st Birthday for sure.  I'm sure he's had to hear an earful from both Princess T and Timmy about Rusty {who he and Timmy knows and were Friends with too}, and Timmy's Mister Wonderful, who both he and Princess T do not like at all.  I met Mr. Wonderful, weak limp handshake, but Tall, Dark and Handsome, seemed Polite, Quiet, Insecure and Introverted, whereas Timmy is the opposite and a total Extrovert, not Quiet, and is Confident and well liked.  They have been together tho' as long as my Granddaughter and Rusty have been a Couple, going on 3 Years now.

I just don't know if either Timmy or Princess T is with the Mr. Right for either of them frankly?   I like Rusty, helluva Nice Guy, hard Worker, very Quiet and Introverted, but his particular Strengths that she likes don't make up for his Weaknesses that drive her Crazy... and that's a Problem.  She Values Honesty and he has trouble with the Truth it seems and so his credibility is always in Question and I can see where that would be Problematic and a Deal Breaker if someone Lies habitually about even stupid stuff that doesn't even matter.  Why?  Is it Defensive Lying coz you think The Truth would be more uncomfortable or problematic, coz, it rarely is. 

 Most of us can Handle The Truth, but Lying, well, can you Trust a Liar?  No... in a Word.  Coz everything coming out of their Mouths then becomes Suspect, is it a Lie, a Story, a stupid Fib, a Fabrication, Bullshitting, being Evasive, an Embellishment?  I prefer The Truth and so does she, less complicated, nothing to then Hide.  A Liar has to have one Helluva good Memory not to be caught out in the Lie too, with the Truth, it's always the same and never wavers, coz, it's fucking TRUE.  And she has one of those Memories like a Steel Trap, so she will remember what you said before and it better Square with what you're saying now.  Or you will have a Situation and a Confrontation about it.  And now it's ON my Friend!

  She will dredge it up what doesn't match up and now she's Questioning ALL of it!   So... it was a Lie... now what else have you Lied about?!  You get the gist... the Interrogation now begins and it will be relentless, you'd be better off getting Water Boarded by the CIA.  *Smiles*  And she is Merciless about what punishments will be exacted for Lying to her or Wasting her precious Time with you if you can't get your Shit together.   She knows he Loves her, that's not in Question, never has been, but Trust is now broken over mostly silly stuff, but, broken nonetheless and Earning it back, well, I don't know if he even can now that he seems incapable of sustained Change to alter what he now knows is a Deal Breaker in their Relationship.  And Heartbreak is hard for each of them and I see it coming and looming large.

And when you have a Heartbroken Young Loved One you know how hard that is for the rest of us, who Hate to see them going thru all of that.  And have to pick up the pieces of their Shattered Emotions... fuuuuck!!!  I had thought they were back on Track, he even spent a Fortune on some new Hand Embroidered Jeans from the Orient that just arrived, for part of her Birthday Pressy and she was so Delighted with them.  Now I'm wondering, will she set said Jeans on Fire... or still wear them?  Your Guess is as good as mine!!!  Oh, and Sayde has been spending the past Two Nights here and not leaving, her Car has been in my Driveway 24-7 for the past Two Days, so I don't know what the Hell is going on in the Art Studio?  Don't wanna know really...

 The Son and I speculated, mostly in Darkly inappropriate Gallow's Humor coz we're both Sic like that... on what Arrangement that might be, perhaps a Menage A Trois they're developing, shit, we dunno?  I don't wanna know. He don't wanna know, but the Imagination does run a bit Wild.  Mebbe they'll all get their own Place together and live Happily Ever After as a Threesome.  Tho' Living Together didn't work out quite so well when it was her, her then Boyfriend Ian, and The Grandsons.  But, that was when Allen was very jealous of the Relationship his Husband had with the Girl.  Now perhaps they've worked around that shit of them both liking him and jealousies cast aside, Three Crazy folk just getting along and doing Life and Love Together, what could go Wrong?  *LOL, the Imagination runs Wild yet again on that Question!*

 Listen, if it Works Out tho', that would be great, I'd get my Art Studio back and have one less Loved One to be Caregiver of... and they'd be doing them Independent of us.  Win-Win.  I've heard the Word Polyamorous from my Grandson before, so... he'd be Down for that I suspect???  Whatever floats your Boat among consenting Adults.  *LOL*  Allen wants a Family and of coarse, he and his Husband aren't Breeders.  I was rather relieved about that actually... and even with that Trio, I'm thinking, probably still not a good Idea to be... what kind of Crazy, but Good Looking, Grandkids could come of those Unions, I don't even wanna think about actually.  It's just a lot of Crazy Genes mingling IMO.  But she has no Kids and I don't know how she Feels about that now she's in her later 20's?  Tick-Tock and all that.  At least they'd be Cute.  *LOL*

Allen has a VA Disability Check and a good Job, Sayde has a Job, if The Young Prince Qualifies for his Disability Check, they could make it financially and afford their own place I figure.  I'm looking at the Silver Lining of even that Black Cloud coz it is a lot of Crazy Cohabitating, but would kind of be like their own Group Home, it could Work.  *Winks*  Allen in a hard Worker and good at what he does, with Sayde, it would alleviate the Caregiving aspect a lot coz she's very Nurturing towards The Young Prince even tho' she has her own Mental Health Issues, they tend to be on the same Alternate Reality and Plane they Exist in at least.  I know it's not a Planet I'm familiar with or from... it's Out There and pretty Spacy.  *LOL*  There are times I've looked at each of them and thought, you're not From this Planet, are you?   They have probably never had a Relationship with Time, ever!  *Winks*

Speaking of Time, and Relationships with it, I took a Deep Photo Archive Dive back about a Decade ago for Blog Fodder Imagery since I'm really Light on it right now that is Fresh.  And, frankly, the Past had more Eye Candy in the Industry IMO, and I really miss those heydays of it and all the Shops and Events that no longer are, or have scaled way back and are only a remnant of what they once were.  So, a lot of these are from the "Rusty Saturday" heyday when they had a Brick & Mortar Shop and Event of their own called "The Salvage Yard" and many of my Industry Friends Partnered with them for the Event and to Rent Space in their Shop, so it was like a Big Family that now is scattered to the Winds these days.  Interesting how I can look at an Image from a Decade or more ago and know exactly what I was doing that Space in Time and whose Inventory it is, what the Event was like, who was there, what we did... Good Times.

Times have changed, the Industry has been hit hard by it, as has all Small Indie Businesses and Vendors, most clinging to what's left of it.  A shame coz AI cannot replace the Creativity of these folks and what they do, what they Source, AI is only a copycat of what it's Programmers have exposed it to that already existed.   I don't like Deep Fakes, never have, never will.  I like One of a Kind Original Ideas and Product best of all.  That's not exactly a Venture Capitalist Moneymaker so they'll never fund that.  And I don't Care that they don't so long as they don't drive it all out of Business with their Bullshit that I'm not at all Interested in.  The Son was Laughing his Ass off this Morning coz an AI/Bot Call came in from my Truck Dealership. 

 When I know I'm not speaking with a Human, I verbally abuse the Hell out of AI/Bots, am Rude and Insensitive as Fuck, coz they're not Real, they're not People, and... it's Fun.  Coz I Hate them and I refuse to Deal with any of them.  Do you know the AI/Bots actually act and feign like they have Feelings and get Offended when you tell they to Fuck Off, you're not Real and if you don't give me a Real Person, I'm hanging up, you're irrelevant to me and I don't use you.  *Bwahahahaha*  So, anyway, waiting for Nissan to respond, since sometimes they do Record the Calls to see how it's going.  *LMAOROTF*  This Nissan Bot was trying to convince me 'she' could be more Helpful even tho' 'she' knew I wanted to Speak to a Representative. 

They are persistent... but then they just irritated me more... I don't want your Help, you're not a Real Person, you're not Helpful, don't have your Humans call me anymore, you just piss me off, I'd disassemble you or unplug you... mebbe set you on Fire... and then I Hang Up.  *Winks*  The Son was Laughing so hard he was Crying.  He said it never gets Old to hear me Abuse Technology I abhor.  I mean, there ARE Humans I'd like to get that Abusive with who are Idiots and equally annoying, but I Respect their Humanity and their Dignity... I don't have to Respect a fucking Robot or Artificial Intelligence, so, it's actually a nice Release to fuck with it on purpose any time they Call, or I get one when I Call for Customer Service.  *Smiles*  When I do finally get a Human from their Company I tell them, don't have those Bots try to talk with me, I'll Abuse them and then hang up every time, got it???  If they Value my Business, they'll take Note.  *Winks*

Consumers hold the Power, if we boycott Companies who displace or abuse their Workers and replace them with AI and Bots, then they lose Revenue and it's no longer Cost effective or Profitable.  I do what I can to that end.  I wanna be part of a Solution, not part of the Problem enabling this Fuckery.   And I'm Retired, if I were still a Working Stiff, I sure as Hell wouldn't enable or Support what was coming for my Job and the Jobs of everyone I know or exploiting them.  But, everyone has to do whatever they Feel is Right.  But when it all goes to shit, I will sit back and say, well, that could have been Solved, if, as a Collective, The People used their Power against what is coming for them and will upend Life as they know it and threaten their Security or very Existence.  To see Injustice playing out and do Nothing, or Support it, is complicit.  I will Rage Against the Machines, even if I'm a Still Small Voice that will.

Now, if they Tax the Hell out of the Machines and those that use them to replace Employees... and distribute that generated Income to those who it all Displaced, or every American to make our lives better and improved, as a Basic Universal Income, I'll be fucking Cool about it then, but not until then.  Share the Wealth Motherfuckers or just Fuck ALL the way Off.   The Kiddos, my Friends, and The Man know how Militant and Anti-Establishment and against the Status Quo Fuckery I have always been, so they're not Surprised I react with hostility towards it all.  Even when I was a Corporate Executive, I was like that and when I'd get the Executive Bonuses if it was Cash rather than the Stock Options I preferred to receive in Lieu of Bonuses, was one of the few Supervisors that Voluntarily Shared it with my Staff, coz they were doing the Work and making me look good.  My People Loved and worked their Asses off for me coz they knew I had their back and would go Toe to Toe in Battle up the Food Chain if I had to for them.

If someone way higher up the Food Chain felt some kind of way about that, I'd tell them, well, I wasn't looking for a Job when I found this one coz you called me to come work for you.  So, if you Feel you can find someone who can and will do it better and kiss your Ass instead, by all means, Hire them.  But, I'm not that One, just so you know.  I never got Fired, never got Reprimanded, I was never Insubordinate, but I was nobody's Lackey, Cock-Sucker, or Sycophant... plenty of them around to replace me with if that's what you want or think you Need.  I guess they chose not to tho' and they knew I was a Fixer, and Solved a lot of the Problems they had Created for their Companies, so, it was just easier to Play me Soft rather than Hard.  And some of Capitalism is good until it runs Amok and hurts the Normal People.  And it is... and Yang calls it "The War On Normal People" and Wrote a Book about it, that's Spot on from an Insider's View of it all.

 Coz, at my Core, I'm just a Chill Old Hippie who never wanted a Title, I'd of been Content living in a Commune and making my Art without a fucking Care in the World or any Stress or Societal Bullshit actually. Around other Kindred Spirits that are all about Peace, Brotherly Love, and Kindness prevailing in how we treat one another.   But, if the Establishment threw enuf Money at me, becoz they Valued what I COULD do for them if they got me to Play and Solve their Problems, I'd let Dark Dawn be Dominant on The Job, and Dawn of the Light would be who was in my Private and Personal Life and Sphere of Meaningful Influence, People I actually Care about and Support with that pile of Money and Options provided. 

 I like Options, I like Money, coz it Buys more Options. *LOL*  So, yeah, I'd Play their Game until I didn't want to anymore.  And I Played it well and to my Advantage, if I do say so myself.  Coz I didn't take myself or them all that Seriously.  So, give me any reason to say Fuck all the way Off.  *Ha ha ha and Winks*  Do you know upon each Retirement from my Corporate Lives I was the only one neither gave an Exit Interview to?  Wanna know Why?  They already knew exactly what I Thought, and where I Stood, coz I kept it 100% during my whole Tenure.  So, in my Case, an Exit Interview was never even necessary and many times they Paid me Handsomely to come in as a Temp Consultant when things got all Fucked Up again and needed sorting out. 

 But, I was Done with being Employed, so I'd always set Terms and Demands I thought they'd refuse, coz it was a ridiculous amount of Demands and Insane Terms.  But, they Paid and Honored them, just goes to show ya how Valuable Solving Problems CAN be once they desperately Need Solutions and will actually implement them.  *Winks and Laughs*  America's current Problems CAN be Solved if the Right People are in Leadership.  We have a Wealth of very Brilliant People in this Country who can Lead and Solve Problems, haven't been Bought and Paid for to be Slaves to Corporate Mega Donors, Super PACs and Billionaires.  

 Some of them actually have enuf Money of their own they Earned, so aren't Interested in Enslavement to anyone for a few more Bucks, or even a lot more Bucks.   They actually Care and can put Country above their Politics or a Party.  We're not exactly Voting for THOSE People tho', even if they throw their Hat in the Ring to Run for Office.  It's unfortunate.  America seems to want an Outrageous Personality, a Showman, to be Entertained instead.  And here we now are.

A Total Clown Car filled Administration, so over-the-top and Tone Deaf, the Theft and the Grift and brazen Corruption, I wonder who has an Appetite for that?   I mean, at their Core, Who?   We need to leave behind the Extremists, that small group on each Side that are not the Majority.   But they concentrate Wealth among themselves, those Authoritarians and Oligarchs, and thus extraordinary corruption ensues.  And there are Leaders who could replace that.  BUT for the Overton Window isn't quite in Range I think!!!  The Overton Window is the range of Political Ideas and Public Policies that Society finds acceptable at any given time.  The acceptable range is what Politicians can support in Ideas and Policies inside this Window without looking too Extreme or losing Public Support. 

 Ideas and Policies outside that Window are perceived or viewed as Radical, Fringe, or just unthinkable and too extreme for Public Discussion.  Even if it would actually Solve a serious Problems will not even matter without the Public Support to implement it and embrace it.  So, that Overton Window is important to consider.  Radical Reactionary Politics can be Good or Bad.  We're clearly not all there yet to Support what will Work... to be Solutions Oriented... and so it is how it currently is... Based on Image and not Reality.

 Tho' I personally can embrace even extraordinary and Radical Solutions, if they Work, I fucking Work them, Support them, Problems get Solved. Just like Social Security going broke, it doesn't have to, the Solution has always been there, is Simple, and just not implemented by Leadership on either side.  They're both Guilty and why we Need something New... the Two Party System isn't working for the Majority of us anymore... we are Non-Partisan or Anti-Partisan and fed up with Partisan Politics putting Party over Country and lacking in Patriotism.

*******

Well, that's all Folks... Dawn... The Bohemian