Holding In Hurry Up And Wait Mode

 I had to severely cut back our Old Aloe Vera Plant which we have Poolside in a Half Barrel, it had gotten too leggy hanging over the Barrel and was dying out on the inside of the Planter.  We'll try to re-root some of it and offer some out front for Free to anyone wanting cuttings.  The local Hummingbirds get a lot of sustenance from the Flowers of it and it's Gel is great for anyone with Sunburn or any kind of Burn.  But we simply have too much of it to keep it all except in some Pottery Planters.  I may look for some secondhand Pottery Planters to put some in around our Front Wall area, not much else has thrived in this excessive Heat except my Potted Rosemary.  I need to find big Pots for the Cactus cuttings that came off when the big Peruvian Apple Cactus got knocked over twice during these fierce storms.  I have about 10 Arms to Re-Pot and not waste.  When I saw the price of Peruvian Apple Cactus as big as those Arms, it's worth Salvaging them all.  

They go for about $80 an Arm at that Size!  Mine have yet to Flower or produce their Fruit, but it's a large Plant and got as tall as the Patio Roof in Front.  I grew it from discarded cuttings Roadside someone left illegally dumped.   They propagate well from Arm Cuttings and have Pups that grow out of broken Arms, making them just fuller rather than just taller.  So my damaged Plant will actually look better after Nature's Trim of it.  My Aloe Vera should do better now I've dealt with thinning it out.  I'm going to sort the cuttings of it and put what I'm giving away in Banana Boxes left out front.  If they all don't get taken we can have Bulk Garbage pick up the rest the 1st Monday of September when they pick up Curbside Garbage set out.   I also have a Baby Palm Tree and a Baby Date Palm that need relocating to better locations on the Property than they Seeded and began growing.

It's so Humid this day that I feel soaked after being Outside just a little while tending to those Plants.  *Whew*  So I came Inside and began a Deep Dive into short Reels on deep Scientific stuff, I can really get Lost down that Rabbit Hole, so fascinating and informative, yet explained in a way you can understand even if you're not a Scientific Prodigy.  The Young Prince watches those types of Reels incessantly and now I know why he does, so much you can Learn from them about anything and everything.   I always Loved Science and did very well in it, but wasn't interested in entering any Field involving it coz I didn't think I was smart enuf, just fascinated enuf, which probably wouldn't cut it.  *LOL*  I Loved Forensics and often thought of gravitating to that once I began a Career in Criminal Law in my 2nd Corporate Life.  But the amount of additional Schooling it would require didn't fit in to my Life then at all and I was already Raising Two Generations of Kiddos.  

Princess T said Rusty's Sisters other Cat had Kittens to.  The other one had Two but One Died and only One has Survived.  She got preggy when she accidentally got out, same happened with her Sister sometime later.  She ended up preggy too and had Three Kittens, one is a Calico that Rusty and Princess T wrestle with wanting to Keep, at his House of coarse.  *LOL*  But, they both feel bad about giving away the other Kittens and just selecting One, becoz they've assigned Human Feelings to the Mama Cats.  *Ha ha ha*  The one with the Sole Kitten seems already Over Motherhood and is more interested in her Sister Cat's Newer Kittens.  So, I doubt she'll mind if they give her Kitten away when it's Old enuf.  Since they already have to separate the Newer Kittens away from her or she ignores her Kitten entirely and dotes on the Younger ones.  *Smiles*  She said all the other Three Kittens are mostly Black, one being a Tuxedo marking.

  Rusty takes care of his Younger Sisters Two Cats coz they don't live there with their Dad and only visit.  The Dad got the Girls the Cats... Rusty got stuck taking Care of them and buying them what they need... Princess T has helped him with them.  Eli is not a friendly Cat and I won't allow any more Cats.  It took her a Year to talk me into allowing her to even have another Cat after Miss Priss Died.  When Eli needed a new Home and Anthony's Aunt found out she was allergic to him when he was a Kitten and they'd let Anthony have him.  Next thing I knew Anthony was over here all the time with his Kitten, making me feel sorry for the damned Kitten's plight and I'm such a Sucker for a Hard Luck Story.  Anthony used to visit Eli all the time even after he gave him to us, so he had visitation, until such time as he just grew up and Moved Away.  Now he and Princess T haven't been Friends for Years and he rarely comes back to where he grew up here.  It happens, Life moves on.

The Man and I now are keeping Bedtimes of a Toddler, I was Asleep again before 6:00 p.m.!   And then woke just now at 6:00 a.m.!  Apparently now I require a full 12 Hours of Sleep, plus a Nap/Siesta too... Holy Hell, I'm turning into a Newborn Infant in my Old Age with the amount of Sleep I'm doing!!! *LOL*   I heard running across our Roof and it sounded big enuf that it probably was a Raccoon, we get some here on the Mini Farms, Tyson The Pit Bull Great-Grandpup once chased one up our Neighbor Omar's Date Palm Tree, it was as big as a Medium sized Dog!  I felt bad for it being so Scared, and for a while, when Tyson lived here, we didn't get any Critters coz they were scared of him and he was fiercely Territorial about HIS Yard.  *Smiles*  He's a big Softie with Birds tho' and would lay there and watch them Steal his Kibbles.   And, he was fearful of the Roof Rats, which, can get as big as a small Cat and apparently have enuf Attitude to Scare a Pit Bull!!!  Yikes!

Today our Roofer should be here to put the Tarps on the missing parts of the RV Garage Mahal Roof to stop any Water seeping in and causing Water Damage.  We don't know how long the Insurance and our Mortgage Company will take to process and distribute any Claim Money for the Roof damage?   I'm hoping they don't dally too long, tho' our Roofer has so much Work with how big the Storms have been, that then he has to have the time to get to each Job too.   So I feel we'll all be Holding  in Hurry Up and Wait Mode?   *Le Sigh*  I'll be glad when it's just done coz it's already been such a hassle that I Hope never to have to file a Homeowner's Insurance Claim again, this being the first one I've had to ever file and hopefully the last? 

 Yes, you pay a Fortune in their Premiums every Month all of your Life, but once you have a Claim, what a fucking Ordeal it is to get your Money paid out or Claims even Approved!!!  It's quite the Racket they got when you think about it.  How much do they pull in when you never have Claims compared to Payouts?  Shit, I'd like to get big Monthly Checks forever from Customers, for doing nothing for them 99% of the time.  And then raise prices considerably or drop them as Customers if you have to do something for them even 1% of the time!   When I think about how much we all pay out Monthly for Hazard Insurance, Vehicle Insurance and Health Insurance, for a Lifetime, it's considerable.  We all Hope to never have to use it and stay Healthy, have no Wrecks or no Property Damages, to be sure, but, then you've really Paid all that Money to get nothing for it.  Yep, quite a Racket.

I Shamed The Man into doing the Dishes.  You have to ASK him or strongly Hint/Shame him into doing anything at all or he'll walk right by it now as if it's Invisible and he doesn't see it needs to get done and won't get done all by itself.   Usually me or the Kiddos do everything, but I'm not giving him a Free Pass to just sit and watch his Reruns all Day long when we've been doing everything else or I'm too tired to do one more thing that has gone undone now for a few Days, like a Sink full of Dishes nobody washed.  I did all of the Cooking for the last few Days coz The Daughter has been away doing Work for Elderly Friends for a little bit of Money and her Daily Mike's Hard.  The Son has been doing all our Yardwork, which has been considerable, plus he Works his Job Shifts.  Princess T cleans up after herself and rarely even leaves her Room, so none of it was hers. 

 I wanted to see how many Days that The Man would stroll by it as if it wasn't Seen?  And after I'm doing all the other Housework, Caregiving, Cooking, Shopping, Laundry, Pricing of Inventory for extra Income, Gardening, Feeding the Animals, Working my Shifts at the Antique Mall, etcetera.  At Day Three I'm like... that's a lot of Dishes there and they won't do themselves Honey... and just walked off.  *Winks*  I heard the Water in the Sink running moments after that, he's good at getting a Strong Hint that my expectations are, just do it.  Coz if I stroll back thru and they're not done, Mama ain't gonna be Happy, and when Mama ain't Happy, ain't Nobody gonna be Happy... Right?  *Winks*  I don't complain about doing as much as I do, which is more than my Fair Share and he knows this about me.  I'm not Lazy, I'm not Idle, I'm Hyperactive due to the Adult ADHD and Manic Bipolar Mode I'm usually in, so I'm always a flurry of activity Doing something all of the time, if I'm not Blogging or Sleeping.  *Winks*

I've had numerous Family and Friends often tell me they get tired just watching me do stuff coz it just LOOKS exhausting and I never Stop.  *LOL*  I LIKE to keep busy, I don't know how people can Stand to do Nothing and be Idle or Still actually, to me that is torturous.  Even Blogging, I'm Typing Fast, Thinking Fast, pulling Photos out of Folders and Archives, so to the Family, it still looks like a lot of Work to produce a Post as often as I do and get it done in as little time as it takes me to do it.  I don't do anything for long, becoz I usually get everything I'm doing done in record time.  Slow Working and slow Moving folks annoy the Hell out of me and make me feel jittery and restless waiting on them.  I'm very impatient when someone isn't efficient and takes too long to do anything, moving at the Speed of Death in anything they're doing.  If you hesitate too long to make a decision, I'm thinking of how many decisions I could have already made before you make your first one!!!  *LOL*

And if you are so timid, weak, incompetent or afraid of making decisions that you almost can't make one unless by Committee, so you'd have plenty of other folks to blame if your decision is not a good one, I could just Bitch Slap you!   I feel you should never be in a Position of Authority if you can't Own your decisions and Stand by them with confidence!!!   And by not making a decision, you've actually made one to do nothing about something.  And those who do nothing about anything I've observed are usually the ones who are the harshest Critics about those who've done at least something.  And the biggest and loudest Complainers usually too, when they've made the least Contributions but have expectations of Receiving something for the nothing they've done. If you haven't Earned or Worked for a damned thing, just be Grateful if someone else did the Work so you'll have it freely Given.

It's a good thing I took loads of Pixs at the Event coz most taken with my Old School Camera were shitty, so only about half were worth Sharing.  The best Pixs I took were with my Phone and I don't do that often so as not to use up my Data and Photo Storage capacity.  It's part of why I also never use Apps on my Phone.  Anyway, que sera sera, at least I got some decent Images out of the many taken, but I was disappointed in my Photography this time around.  Next Month is the Halloween Themed Event and I better do a much more capable Job of it then!!!  That's my Favorite Themed Event, natch.  *Smiles*  I went out early to do Environmental Cleanup at Dust Devil Park near where The Grandchild Works.  Lotsa drinking goes on Friday Nights so tho' I didn't get there early enuf coz they'd already emptied about half the receptacles... I still got a lot that now won't be Landfill bound.   The New Young Guy Park Ranger, Angel, who replaced my Fav little Older Guy, didn't last long.  He's gone already, replaced by an Older Bald Middle Aged Hispanic Guy whose more efficient and much more pleasant.

This New Guy at least acknowledges Park Patrons... and in a friendlier manner, none of us much liked Angel.  *LOL*  He was Young, Lazy, and Arrogant, he acted like Park Patrons were Invisible and even if you Greeted him Warmly, he ignored you as if he was Deaf.  I don't think he WAS Deaf coz he'd sometimes have his Headset on listening to Music, so he was just Rude and Antisocial.  People at that Park are all Friendly and Greet one another, if you go there often they will even introduce themselves so you know their Name and they know yours.  One of the Regulars whose a Middle Aged Guy who Skateboards is Named Joel, he remembers my Name all the time.  I told him I have to think "Billy Joel" in order to remember his, coz I got Old Timers going on.  *LOL*

  He said that will do, coz being likened to one of his favorite Music Artists is flattering.  I joked, well, and you're better looking than Billy Joel too... coz this Joel is, he's a nice looking thin, tall, Middle-Aged White Guy who still enjoys Skateboarding for Fun, while he still can. *Ha ha ha*  After Middle Age it might be too risky to still do it?   Even Tony Hawk is getting to where mebbe he shouldn't anymore?  *Winks*  So many activities we used to do in our Youth, probably not such a good idea even at Middle Age, let alone once you're a Senior.  *Le Sigh and Smiles*   Anyway, Joel is a nice Guy and I just Hope one day not to have to come by the Skate Park section and see him splayed out to where I have to call Paramedics.  *Ha ha ha*  Sometimes there's another Middle Aged Guy with him, and they're talking about Skateboarding if they're not doing Tricks, but I haven't seen him as much recently.  Even Princess T's Friends and Boyfriend don't Skateboard as much now as when they were in High School.

I almost forgot I'd agreed to work a Night Shift Tomorrow at the Antique Mall, Sunday Nights are okay tho' and the comped Space Rent is always appreciated.  I think Friday was Payday and I'll have a Check to pick up too, also appreciated at EOM, I did okay last Pay Period and Sales were up and some quality Merch Sold that was more expensive.  This Pay Period started well but I don't wanna Jinx it by saying anything too Optimistic.  *LOL*  I have a lot of Pokemon Cards to still price and get in there, some of the more expensive Cards have Sold, the Pokemon People are really serious about their Collection.  And right now so many Sales at our location are Pokemon purchases.  And I've got all these Cards, but I've got to look each up coz I know nothing about what ones are worth more than other ones... it's labor intensive, but necessary.

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That's all Folks... Dawn... The Bohemian
  

Bureaucrazy... And The Tiny Hoard Haul

 

I never did show you my Tiny Hoard Haul of Smalls from the Event, so, Above is my 11 Antique Hardware Salvage Escutcheons, my Fav being the Brass Arts & Crafts Style one from the 1920's  {Middle Far Right}.  Some are for Antique Doors, some for Antique Furniture Drawers that Locked, back when all used Skeleton Keys.  Which were used up until the 1950's but had fallen out of Favor as Residential Security Locks by the time WWII ended and mass produced high secure Pin-Tumbler Cylinder Locks replaced them with Modern Day looking Keys, which, are also now falling out of Favor and replaced with Tech Gadgets.  I don't even use and insert my Truck Key, it just has to be close enuf to the Vehicle.

And here's my tiny lil Vintage Diner Creamer, which was my most 'Major' Minor Purchase at Ten Bucks.  *LOL*   My Escutcheons were mostly $1 and $2 each with only the largest one pictured in the Middle at the Bottom of the Pix being $3.   The most Valuable one of those was only priced at $2, and it's the one I said was my Fav, of the Arts & Crafts Era type Home.  It Matches an Arts & Crafts Doorknob and Doorplate I already had, so I was Jazzed to Score it.   Loved the Graphics on this Little Creamer tho', usually I only pay $5-$7 for them but I had never seen this Design and in Green, so I felt $10 was Fair.  We use ours in my Collection of them for Pancake Syrups and for Coffee Creamer.  Becoz sometimes we wanna be Fancy like that at Breakfast and to make some of my Collections utilitarian and practical to justify Keeping them.  *Winks*

When my Friends at the Event saw what Restraint I'd used they Marveled, that's all you got Dawn, that's almost pathetic!  *LOL*  But, with my 5-to-1 Rule in place, I reminded them, that this pathetic lil Haul of 12 Objects means the Math of 60 Things must now go Out as they come In!   And I am keeping myself Accountable with that strict Rule in place.  I actually will likely rid myself of more than 60 objects coz I'm on a Culling, Editing and Purging Roll of Curating what I still have and want to continue to Downsize harshly.  When I'm on that Roll it's the rest of the Family, Oddly enuf, that starts pawing thru what I'm ridding us of and dragging shit out of it asking if THEY can Keep this or that... who knew?!  They who are always the ones to tell me I have Too Much, suddenly form Attachments to shit I've Detached from!!!   And say, well, you're getting rid of Too Much now!!!    Whatever... *LMAO*

They do the same with Princess T, who is notorious about Editing, Purging, Downsizing her own Stash of possessions on The Regular.  Her Mom and Brother go thru her Discards like it's Christmas for them!  *LOL*  She has me go thru the Stash of her Discards to Pull what I think we can easily Sell, but sometimes her Mom and Brother snap that Saleable Stuff up too, begging to have it.  Okay then, means we have to Buy them less.   Since the Schizophrenic Spawn can't hold down gainful Employment, that Works for Princess T and I if they're Content and Delighted with the Hand-Me-Downs instead.  *Ha ha ha*  Actually some of my Friends and I Trade Discards and Stuff we want that each other has, as well, quite often, beats Buying Stuff.   A Good Trade usually works out better for both Parties too... whether to Keep or for Resale.  Each of us having our Customers and Client Base that is specific to us.  

My Friend Dan The Man, may he RIP, Loved Trading anything Weird and Wonderful he Found and had, for any Native American Wares I had. *Smiles*   He and his Wife, Rita, Specialize in Native American and Western Collectibles and Antiquities of that Genre and Rent a lot of Space at our Mall.  They have some of the best Real Deal Native American Pawn Jewelry that is Old and Authentic, at our Mall.  A lot of Tribal folks on the Rez used Pawn as their Currency at the Trading Posts.  I know my Relatives would use the Trading Post a lot on their Rez.  And my Grandma and Aunts made a lot of stuff to Sell for Income, both Traditional Objects and what they knew Tourists and Non-Indians liked and preferred to Buy that was just made by an Indian.  My Grandma would sometimes just make the Tribal Style Outfits the little mass produced Indian Dolls made in Japan would wear that was Sold at the Trading Post.  I still have some that came with a piece of Paper that say the Outfit was made by an Indian!  *LMAO*  We always thought that was Comical.

  Above, that Sterling Antique Pendant has Two Old Deer Teeth on it!  Anyway, I Miss Dan a lot, his Dear Wife Rita is doing Well at handling Widowhood Thankfully.  They both were in their 80's, so that's a very long time together and sometimes a Spouse left behind won't last long after the other one Crosses Over.  So I was Worried that might happen to Rita.  She's just a tiny little Sprite, but tireless, she comes in to Work her Spaces and will literally spend all day there foofing her Booths and Cases.  Dan used to work several Shifts and was equally tireless, but was a big Man, even in his 80's, he was a big powerfully built imposing looking Guy with a Gravely Voice like an Old Cowboy.   They used to live in Wickenburg and had a Store there for Years selling Western Wares and Native American Wares.   Wickenburg is still known for being like a remnant of the Old West of smaller Towns around the outskirts of the bigger Urban areas.  We almost bought that Pueblo Style McManse out there that the Sellers ended up not being able to Perform on coz they had serious Title Issues. 

 The Man LOVED that Property best.  He's still crestfallen we had to back out AT SIGNING, due to Clouded Title Issues that would have been a Legal Nightmare to Clean Transfer of Title. The fucking Title Company missed it and I luckily had been in the Industry long enuf to catch it immediately when I got the Paperwork for us to Sign.  *Whew*  Long time Readers might recall there was a 3rd Party on the Original Deed of Trust, Marion, who ended up being the Dementia riddled Mother of the Son Selling the Property!!!  He and his Wife had Co-Signed with his Mother to Buy it, coz it was a Luxury Custom Home, and she'd lived in the Upstairs Unit, which was a whole separate Home.  Until she got Advanced Dementia and had to be Institutionalized in California with only a Medical Power Of Attorney that one of his Sisters had.  Which couldn't transfer Assets, just make Medical decisions for Dear Ole' Mom. 

 And they'd have to wait for her to Die and then go thru Probate to even consider a Sale and distribution of their Shares of it if Siblings contested her portion.  Messy as fuck, I suggested he might wanna Lawyer Up fast coz they Needed to Sell after his Mom's Income ceased paying her portion of the Note.   And all the Siblings, Five of them, didn't even get along and play well with each other, so the whole Sale would have been Contested, very Messy, and ole' Marion was not Competent to Sign over any of her Assets.  I couldn't Believe their Realtor didn't know all this beforehand before putting the Property up For Sale, and that a Major Title Company didn't catch the Issue as we were Closing the Sale!  Yikes!  As far as I know that Property never got Sold.   But, we had so many Sellers who couldn't Perform, and had Relative Contested Sales, or Title Issues of one kind or another, it was Crazy to me... it's common for Buyer's not to be able to Perform... but Sellers, WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

  The Lake House was a Short Sale with the Bank, with us as Backup Buyer, by the time the 1st Buyer couldn't Perform we'd JUST Signed on the Villa McManse an HOUR before the Bank offered it to us!  Ain't that a Bitch, we'd waited almost a Year to Buy that Property and see if they could Close the Deal with the 1st Buyer, Short Sales can be complicated, but a Good Deal for a Buyer.  And we REALLY wanted that Property and were in our Paid Off Historic Home, so could Wait it out, Time being on our side coz the Adoption was taking Forever anyway of The G-Kid Force and the only reason we had to Sell our Beloved Historic Home to comply with Adoption Criteria they just make up as they go along.  There was no good reason they should have forced us to Sell a Property the Kiddos had lived in since Birth all that time and CPS had no problems with.  But, Rules for Kinship Placements are totally different than for Adoptions, even if the Kids are your Relatives and you've already had them all their Lives as a Kinship Placement for Years and Years, go figure!  Bureaucrazy.

  And even this Property was problematic for the Sellers coz a Bidding War broke out and Four other folks Outbid us, so I backed out.  It took all Four of them unable to Perform what they had Bid on and go down the List of potential Buyers to get to us, 5th in Line, and Pre-Qualified, so we knew we could and would Close in 3 Days with our VA backed Loan.  The Sellers were so Grateful and relieved that we didn't flake out too, in such a Messy Market, that they Gifted us generously, which, they didn't Need to, but it was appreciated.  So, they gave us a John Deere Tractor, a Brand New Unused Washer & Dryer, a Laptop, Brand New Unused Fridge, Brand New Unused Stove and Microwave... all wouldn't have conveyed with the Sale otherwise.  Most Homes weren't coming with Appliances at the time.  We had our Own, but it was nice to get Brand New Ones conveyed at No Cost to us!   And Pandemic had just begun Globally, so Interest Rates tanked to 2% and people were pulling out of Major Deals out of Fear.  Blood in the Streets, perfect time to Buy IMO.

I had taken 98 pixs while out and about so should have sufficient Blog Fodder Fresh Imagery for a Minute.  *Smiles*   Some didn't turn out, alas, but most did.  My Camera is Old and malfunctioned once, the one The Daughter got for me recently has the Lithium Battery stuck inside, so I don't know yet how to successfully remove it or if it's leaked and ruined the Digital Camera, which is a nice one if I can Salvage it, by Samsung and would be a nice backup Camera to my Canon.  My Gifted Camera from a Dear Generous Blog Friend in Canada got Stolen at our Antique Mall.  A group of Young People came in while I was foofing the Showroom and taking Pixs of my Vignettes.  Some distracted me, I'd set the Camera down to help them, clearly some of the others Pocketed it and I didn't notice 'til they all left, without Buying anything.  I was so Upset!  They'd fled the Mall too.

They'd successfully done one of the oldest Thieving Tricks in the Book to come in Groups and use some as a Distraction to the Mark, so the others won't get caught Stealing what you have.  I put Curses on them all... coz I'd only had the Camera a couple Weeks!  Embarrassed too that I'd been such an Easy Mark for the ploy.  They seemed like Nice Young People of means, not like a Gang or even like Shady Motherfuckers that they clearly were.   Sometimes now Shoplifters do it for kicks or the Thrill of getting away with it, not out of Need or Poverty.  Now I don't set anything down of mine around any Customers, you can't Trust anyone.  Even in Retirement Communities, Shop Owners tell me the Old People are the worst Thieves... mebbe sometimes due to Cognitive Decline or Forgetfulness, but, more often, on Purpose!  They know Law Enforcement is lax on Theft and particularly lax on Seniors, pitying someone Elderly, Courts are too lenient on Old Criminals too.

 

I took The Man out with me to do Environmental Cleanup, he just sat in the Truck in the Shade by the River, but he enjoyed getting out and taking the Ride there.  He's having more trouble Walking now, so we need to work on that to keep his Mobility going.  Our Home isn't really very Wheelchair accessible and it would cost too much to make it that way.  He has a narrow Wheelchair the VA provided, but it would still limit him in where in the Home he could go and he crashes around like a Bull Elephant in his Walker, he'd be wrecking the House on Wheels in a Wheelchair!   I can't let him ride the Scooters for the Disabled in Stores or he is a menace with it.  To be sure a lot of people in them are and plow into people, either accidentally or intentionally, thinking becoz they're in a Scooter they can run over Pedestrians.  I've had a Come To Jesus with more than a few reckless Scooter folks who ran into me or a Family Member without apology and having an Attitude of Entitlement too!  They can go fast enuf to be as dangerous as any Vehicle.

One Middle Aged Morbidly Obese Woman in one plowed into me at a GOODWILL once, so hard she hurt me.  Then she got an Attitude like it was MY fault and she had the Right of Way in her Scooter!!!  OMG, I came Unhinged and told her to back the fuck up in that thing, she'd hurt me running into me so recklessly.  Instead of being apologetic, she started to get Mouthy and Threatening with me!  Oh Hell No!   So I told her I'd drag her Fat Ass right off it and we'd see how fast she could Run or how good she could Fight, coz I was gonna Fuck her up now and destroy her Scooter!!!  You never saw someone throw one of those things in Reverse and skiddaddle off so fast in your life!  The other Customers started clapping, coz they'd seen her run into me hard as I was looking at something on a Shelf in an Aisle too narrow for both of us.  I didn't even see her coming and careening towards me too fast. They asked if I was Okay and she had actually Bruised me and then became Verbally threatening first!  I wasn't having it.

 She was about 20 Years or more Younger than me, but so damned morbidly Fat, she should watch her Mouth if she was gonna become confrontational with an Able Bodied Person she started something with.  Get Mouthy and Threatening with some folk and you best be able to back that shit up.  She also shouldn't be bashing into Old People or Children in the damned thing, she was dangerous and reckless in it.  All she'd had to do was either wait or say Excuse Me like a Civilized Human Being and I would have gladly made room for her to get by or walked out of the Aisle rather than Create a Spectacle like she chose to.  I bowed to the Applause the other Customers gave me, in good Humor.  I think she'd been a menace thruout the Store in that thing and I wasn't the first person she either ran into or almost did.  And one of the Employees also came up and asked me if I was alright, coz you could tell she'd injured me.  If I'd been a more Fragile Senior or a Small Child she could have caused Serious Injury or a Fall.   Mini Rant over about reckless Scooter Riders who are also Unlovely People.  *Winks*

*******

The small amount of Retail Therapy was enjoyable... even while also dealing with Bureaucrazy stuff... Dawn... The Bohemian

The System Can Be Very Dark & Ominous

 So, my Roofer showed up early, but the Adjuster hasn't shown up on Time, natch, he said they always keep you Waiting.  I know he's got a lot of Work to do so I'm sure that Frosts him, but he's a Chill Guy and I like him as a Person, and he's very forthright about the Job, he's not the Bullshit Artist Salesman some Companies hire to Sell Product but don't know much about the actual Industry or the Work, coz they aren't the Roofers.  He is a Roofer, he does the Work, he's done it for a while, and thus he's getting a lot of the Work that the Con Artists in the Biz aren't if you see thru their Sales Pitches and Bullshitting.  With having lotsa Family and Friends in The Trades, we're not ignorant nor naive.  And we surround ourselves with People who know more than we do, to consult before hiring anyone.

Anyway, if this Adjuster isn't timely then I won't be getting to my Event in a timely manner either, dammit!  I was talking to our Roofer and he said the Big Storm we had last Night really hammered the East Valley this time, they got hammered last time too.  We had strong Winds last Night and I was Praying we didn't have more damage or catastrophic Situations like big Tree fall.  There was, but thankfully not on our Property, our Palms lost a few dead Fronds is all, and they dropped without hitting or damaging anything like a deadly trajectory.  A Palm Frond is heavy and serrated so can be like a Toothy Edged Razor Sharp Javelin being thrown. *Whew*  One Neighbor to the East of us just had Two very Beautiful large Old Date Palms Cut down.  They were Alive and Healthy, but I suspect some folks are getting worried about Mature Landscaping becoming deadly or dangerous.   Many Residents with large Old Trees are having them thinned of Branches so they won't catch so much Wind and it can blow thru the Branches easier or take the Tree down.  It's been scary Weather.

The Adjuster just showed up, I forgot his Name already but he seemed pleasant and asked me the Right Questions I felt, so did our Roofer.  So, perhaps he's a decent one who knows what he's doing, you just never know how competent their Inspectors/Adjusters really are in the Industry of Contractor Work... and not just Insurance Claim Mitigation.  This is why my Contractor wanted to be here with the Inspection, to ensure whoever they send did what they're supposed to do and didn't do a Bullshit Inspection or fake the extent of damage being more Minimal than it truly is to Save on paying out what should be Paid Out to replace and not do just a half-assed Repair.  Since the damned Deductibles are now 1% of Property Value per Claim, which is outrageous Extortion in my opinion, I want everything done fucking Right the first time, and only time!  I don't want future Claims playing out coz they didn't approve the Job that should have been done.  Once is more than Enough hassle and expense.  I made it clear that if that Roof doesn't Hold with the damages being significant and presently unrepaired, the Claim will be WAY higher.

Now that it's after 9:00 a.m. I know I won't get to my Event and get good Parking before the Doors Open, shit.  Princess T said she'd ask her Boyfriend to pick her up from Work so I can go later and not worry about getting back Home early for her sake.  So, that's Helpful.  Tho' if I get far off Parking it's gonna be painful to do that much Walking, since it's also been Stormy, damp and humid, so my Bones are aching like a Toothache right now already, doing nothing!   The problematic Foot and Knee on my Right Side is something I've got to consult my Primary Doc about coz the Pain level is becoming very problematic to my Mobility and powering thru the constant Pain is tiring.  I have a very high threshold for Pain, I'm not a pill popper so I rarely take even Aspirin for a Headache, I don't like Drugs of any kind.  I only take my Diabetic Meds reluctantly to manage that damned Disease. 

 I have a faulty Pancreas and always have, you can't get a New one, so I have to just limp this one along.   I had low Blood Sugar problems since Childhood, then high Blood Sugar after gaining the excess Weight after a Hysterectomy in my 50's.  I used to be painfully Thin when I had low Blood Sugar and my Lady Plumbing intact.  Now, even taking Ozempic for the Diabetic Maintenance, I haven't lost hardly any weight on it at all.  Those Celebs that got Skeletal on it, not my problem at all on it.  *LOL but Le Sigh coz dropping some excess Weight would have been a nice Bonus of having to take it for Diabetes Control.*   The Man takes Ozempic for the same reasons, he's an Insulin Diabetic, hereditary in his Family unfortunately, he hasn't lost any weight on it either, just didn't do that for either of us as a Side Bonus.  But, we haven't had any of the Negative Side Effects of the Drug either, which, I'm glad of coz it is Managing the Diabetes and stabilized it, which is WHY we take it.  As Active as I am, how I eat, my Lifestyle focusing on Health and Well Being, has had no impact on losing much Weight.  Very frustrating.

I changed what and when I eat, I've built Muscle, and improved my daily recovery, reduced Insulin levels, to try to reduce Insulin-Resistant Fat.  It should have helped my Cells to respond to Insulin again better, but, it's been so fucking slow to see any real progress, that I really can't do much else.  I've done everything they tell me should Work... and just isn't.  So the Docs said my Pancreas is faulty, I Fast every so often, so my Pancreas can Rest and Calm Down.  I don't have much Belly Pain from it Luckily, which can happen when it's not functioning well.  I don't have Gallstones either, which can happen and cause blockages.  I don't Smoke or Drink.  I eat small frequent Meals.  I should be in better shape dammit!  *Le Sigh*

I got to the Event just before they Opened and still got good Parking, it didn't get busy 'til after they Opened the Doors.  They were Selling strong, even larger expensive pieces, unusual for a Summer Crowd actually.  I visited with my Friends coz the Checkout Line was really long and stayed long.  So, I went over to "The Indian Fry Bread House" and had Lunch, came back, the Line wasn't any shorter than when I left to go eat, so I just stood in it to get the few little Smalls I picked up.  Mostly ornate Antique Escutcheons {Decorative protective Metal Plates for Skeleton Keyholes} for Antique Doors, from my Friend Big Kenny, he had them for only $1-$2-$3 each so I got 11 of them to do Restoration on some of my Old Doors missing them.  The Hardware of a lot of Antique Doors can be missing or damaged over Time.  Architectural Salvage is my Jam and is Big Kenny's Jam too.  He's a Fabricator, he once Bought 49 Antique Doors from me when I was at the Historic Home.  *LOL*  The Above Taxidermy Bird was from France.

I got a tiny Vintage Fancy Diner Creamer from my Friend Michelle.  That's all I got, but I took loads of Pixs for Blog Fodder.   I try never to get Shoppers in Frame but that one Lady seemed to be everywhere in the Background and would linger so long, so, couldn't avoid it. And as you can see then it just kept getting busier with other people now in Frame, so I thought, fuck it, they're way in the background. *Ha ha ha*  I can only wait so long before I lose patience with someone lingering too long when I'm trying patiently to Photograph something, respectful of them Shopping... and they see that and just hang around for a prolonged period that seems excessive, whether intentionally or just oblivious and in their own Bubble.  *LOL*   A lot of folks are in their own insulated Bubble and Tune Out everything around them.   I do it myself sometimes, but I apologize if I've gotten in the way of someone else while in my own little Trance and World.  It happens.  *Smiles*

Since Rusty was picking Princess T up from Work I got to linger longer myself at the Event and stayed a couple Hours instead of just One.  Not becoz I was doing much actual Shopping, I was just having such a good time being there.  Several Friends and even some Customers Wished me a belated Happy Birthday.  One Customer was having her Birthday that day.  They had a lot of 1st time Visitors to the Event and they asked me how it goes.  I meet a lot of good people and kindred Spirits when I attend... some have started out as Strangers and become Friends and we meet up there every Month.  I'm not very actively Socially, so that kind of Situational Friendship suits me best right now actually.  It's like Blog Friendships, we meet up here and it's Nice and I can fit it in to my Life easily.   

Big Kenny has lost even more Weight and is in even better Shape, he's been Inspirational and has been telling me the tips on how he's done it and maintains it.  He's only got 15 lbs. more to go to reach his Goal Weight and level of Fitness on this Journey he's been on now 3 Years.  He eats mostly Veggies and Lean Meat Proteins like Chicken & Turkey.  Lots of Eggs.  He cut out all Dairy and Soft Drinks, drinks only Water and lots of it.  And he eats frequently and has everything between 11:00 a.m. and before 6:00 p.m..   He's never Hungry and craves the things he now only eats, has had no withdrawal from anything he cut out of his Diet.  He doesn't eat Fried Foods or overly processed Foods, not a lot of Carbs so rarely has Breads, Pasta, Rice, Potatoes.  He said it was only ever hard the first Couple Weeks, then it was easy, now it's a Life Change he's just stuck with and very seldom backslid coz he feels better, looks better, all his previous ailments completely disappeared, and he had a lot of them.

Of coarse my Indian Fry Bread wouldn't have been on Big Kenny's List of things to eat, but I so seldom have it and it's so filling and tasty.  I don't eat a lot of Fried things and limit my Carb intake too, so this was a rare indulgence.  It's a Tohono O'odham Tribe Member Owned Business and won a James Beard Award.  Their Mom founded the business and she passed away in 2024 and now her Son and Daughter run it.  Their Family Fry Bread Recipe has been handed down for Generations.  Their Tribal Name means "Desert People".  They are Descendants of the ancient Hohokam Civilization of South Central Arizona and Northern Mexico.   There are Four segments of their Reservation South of Phoenix and West of Tucson and borders Mexico, there are only about 37,000 Registered Tribal Members left and only about 14,000 live on the Rez, most live Off-Rez now, and in Mexico too. 

  Fry Bread is not a Traditional Native American Food, it's how Indigenous Tribes learned to make do with the meager rations the U.S. Government gave them of Salt, Flour and Baking Powder.  When they were herded on to Reservations and couldn't produce or Hunt their Traditional Food Sources of their Natural Diet or have access to it, so that they didn't all Starve.  My Dad ate some really Crazy stuff growing up on Reservation Government Rations and Food Insecurities were constant and often still are to this day.   Growing up we ate some of those Crazy things just becoz it was incorporated in his Diet for so long that it became a Staple he'd always eaten and Survived on.  I didn't even realize most American Families didn't eat Crazy food combinations like that, out of necessity or ever heard of having to eat it. 

  So Friends would come over and we'd be eating something like Saltine Crackers with Warm Milk and Brown Sugar for Dinner, and they'd be like WTF, that's some Crazy Shit you're eating?!  *LOL*  Dad said the Govt. gave them a lot of Saltine Crackers as a Food Source and they hadda Learn to do something with 'em for Nutrition.  It's actually quite good, like a Poor Person's Porridge.  So was any Pasta with Warm Milk and Brown Sugar, another thing we grew up eating quite often.   What Weird Foods did you eat growing up that you didn't know most Families probably never heard of eating?  Or mebbe were a Local type Food not eaten everywhere else?  Some Local Foods around the Country I think sound pretty Crazy too.  But I'll try anything once, twice if I like it. *LOL*

I fell Asleep very early after my Event, when I got Home from it.  Around 4:30 p.m. actually, and it wasn't a Nap coz I didn't ever wake up from it until the next Morning.  *LOL*  Sometimes now when I do anything I have to Sleep to Recover from the Activity, it's kinda pathetic really.  All I did was spend a couple Hours at an Event and a couple Hours commuting to and from it.  Then we had Company, the Kiddos long time Friend, Glitch, who's a Computer Programmer and Genius, but looks like an Outlaw Biker.  He'd worked for Amazon in Cyber Security for over 7 Years and Amazon has screwed over a lot of their AI Developers like him and laid them off about 6 Months ago with shitty Severance Packages, that to me, were Insulting.  I'm glad they're getting Sued.  May the Litigation and what's Awarded their Victims be very expensive. 

 I felt they exploited them all along coz his Salary was not ever what it should have been for all of what he Developed for them.  But he said they notoriously underpay and exploit all of their Workforce, most Top American Companies do.  He's gotten better Offers from the Chinese, I told him I'd consider it.   Amazon threw away their most Valuable Assets, so, Fuck them... go to their fiercest Competitors who are Smarter and not Cheaping Out to Save a Buck, when they are Obscenely so Rich they could easily Invest in you, but won't... Payback is the ultimate Bitch.  I don't Like the Corporate Grind nor their Posturing and Politics, it's always been very Fucked Up and Messy IMO.  But, it's a Game they Play and so either you Play it Well or you don't.  If I'm Invited to Play, then Dark Dawn will usually be whose Playing.  *Winks*  They very rarely will get Dawn Of The Light in Executive Decisions, that side of me would be too Soft to Play Hardball, which is usually their Game of Choice, not mine.

Listen, in my Corporate Banking Career I switched Teams from Working for American Banks to Working for European Owned ones who Paid me much, much more.  I gave my American Employers chances to Counter offer, they Cheaped Out and didn't.  Their Competitors Head Hunters will always come knocking to make Offers in a fiercely Competitive Global Economy.  I go to the highest Bidder... coz sometimes no American Company is looking out for you and yours and I refuse to be Exploited or Taken for Granted.  Nobody Owns me.  You either pay me what I know I'm worth and Valued at, or I go to who will, it's just that Simple to me from a Money Angle.   And I keep my Mind on my Money.  *Smiles*

 And Trust me when I say Corruption runs Wide and fucking Deep in anything that involved Money, especially lots of Money, so don't Feel Sorry for any of them, they won't Feel Sorry for you and yours, Trust and Believe.  You won't be Dealing with Saints.  And if I gotta Deal with some Devils, then they will have to Deal with Dark Dawn too, it's only how it can be even a remotely level Playing Field filled with Apex Predatory Types who can Smell even a drop of Blood in their Waters and eat you Alive.  The System can be very Dark.   Ideally it wouldn't be... but it just is mostly and generally.   Capitalism has run amok now and isn't Working very well for a lot of folks.   Which is why they're getting wooed by dangerous Options presented to them in Tricky ways that Dress it Up to look more Hopeful and Offer them The Fantasy they so would like to Believe it is or would be for them.  It isn't.  But, that's a whole other Post.  Let us just Deal with One Reality at a Time, One Day at a Time.  *Eye Roll and Winks*

 And if I'm not doing Volunteer Work as a Ministry to Serve Community and God, I expect to get Paid and use my Expertise as Leverage.  Either you'll Purchase that Leverage for your Company's benefit and financial gains to have an Edge on whatever Industry it is, or someone else will.  Mebbe a Foreign Entity willing to Pay their Employees what they're actually Worth?  That may sound Unpatriotic to some, but America can be and sometimes has been Stupid about what or who they Invest in or fuck over.  Right now they're being incredibly Stupid and the Foreign Competitors on Top of their Game know this and are Hiring our Best and Brightest away when American Companies are screwing them over.  Touche', Clever Move on the Chess Board of Global Dominance.  Right now the Winning isn't on our Side, coz we got Stupid Incompetent Leadership and Greedy folks Shafting everyone who is or was Employed and adds Value.  So, Fuck 'em.

 We have an Idiot at our Helm, mebbe our Competitors don't.  I don't suffer Fools well and Idiots can cause too much collateral damage and get everyone spiraling Downwards.  I don't go all the way to the Basement in someone else's follies.  Donnie Two Dolls and his Billionaire Buddies just wanna enrich themselves while screwing over everyone in the process, that is Bad Karma that eventually catches up to you.  Be Nice to everyone on your way Up, coz you never know when you're gonna meet them on your way Down.  The Paradigm Shift always comes eventually.   Our Friend said Bezos doesn't even own the Company anymore, he's a 51% Shareholder, and the current Owner is moving everything to Nashville to cut Costs and is doing what the Company claimed they never would do.  While firing a lot of the Developers  who have made them Billions, thinking AI will replace what they do, so there's currently Lawsuits in process.  Sounds messy.  Everyone was under a 3 Year NDA they had to Sign too, fuuuuck!  I Feel bad for who got Screwed and did good Work for those Fuckers.  But, am I Surprised, No.

  I've never liked Amazon anyway and don't do Business with them and won't.  What they've paid their AI Developers, to me, was blatant Exploitation, and I told our Friend that.  The Niece is a Tech Guru and Genius and I told her the same thing, she was being Exploited and underpaid for what she was bringing to the Table of a Company that made their Money off her and discarded her too.   I was making just slightly less than either of them in my 1st Corporate Life in the fucking 1980's!   Anyway, I've told both of them, if the Chinese are making you a Deal you can't refuse, with minimal Contingencies you'd have to Agree to that lock you in and inhibit your Options, like American Companies have tied them up with, consider it.  I never agreed to Contingencies that weren't in MY Best Interests, either you got me on MY Terms or I Walked and went to a higher Bidder with the Respect of allowing me my Options to remain intact and fluid.

  I like Options, I like Leverage, I wasn't looking for a Job when I found any that came looking for me and fell into my Lap.  Your Gifts always make Room for you, but you have to recognize your own Value.  And Preserve your Good Reputation in any Industry that you Added Value to.  And know that in EVERY aspect of Life, Power Corrupts and Absolute Power Absolutely Corrupts, with practically no exceptions.  So, you look out for YOU, coz those in Power will NOT, you're merely a Commodity to them, not even a Person.  And you never get in Life what you Deserve, only what you Successfully Negotiate in YOUR Favor.   If they look at me as merely a Commodity, I look at them as merely a way to get as much out of THEM as I can Successfully Negotiate in MY Favor and for ONLY as long as I wanna put up with them, it's not Personal, it's just Business. 

 I keep my Business separate from what's Personal and I Care about.  I don't give a Fuck about your Business if you don't give a Fuck about your Employees... you get what you give.   Treat me Right, I'll treat you Right and Fix any Problems you have me to try to Solve for you, for the Right Price.  It's all Transactional.  Don't think that your Employer is your 'Friend'... and I don't Need them to be... I'm all Friended Up when I come to Work for you.   We just have an Arrangement.  And when that Arrangement no longer Works for ME, Bye-Bye-Bye.  On to the next Arrangement that does. *Winks*   Hey, Relationships of any kind sometimes Work out and sometimes they just don't.  It happens.  Things Work until they don't anymore.  The only Constant being Change.  And some Change is Good... and some is Bad.

  It didn't always used to be that way, I remember when it was Better than all this and I had some Long Term Loyal Connections Corporately, that Treated me quite Well.  No Complaints and it worked out Well for a long time, what Arrangements we had in place as Employee and Employer.  Some folks even stayed Cradle to Grave in those days, not me, but some.  *Ha ha ha*   Mutually Beneficial and not so much Corruption as I see now, you could Earn good Pensions, Profit Sharing, Stock Options, generous Bonuses for exemplary Work, and everything.  Not Ideal, but not quite so Dark, Lawless and blatantly, shamelessly Corrupt and Toxic anyway.   You could, back then, manage to Keep Clean Hands and your Moral Compass intact without it costing you your Career, or some Revenge and Retribution directed at you for not getting Dirty too or being coerced into doing anything Illegal and Immoral to keep Employed.

 Now it's Otra Cosa.  The Trajectory is definitely Downwards now in a very steep Decline that seems to have no Bottom to how Low it can and will go.  And the Corruption is all the way to the very Top of the Food Chain and trickles down to those who will do the Bidding of the Apex Predators so they don't just get eaten or torn to shreds.  But that's just how it now is and I accepted that's how Corporate America now Works and you Adapt, Improvise, Work it in YOUR Favor if and when you can for as long as you can.  Or, be an Entrepreneur if that's your Bandwidth to do whatever that will take, and be your own Boss and be your own Shot Caller and Refine your Hustle.  And, you better have a Hustle.  Coz Darker Times lie ahead is my Prediction.  Wish it wasn't, but... it's what I Foresee unfortunately.

 

*******

I would prefer to be a Ray of fucking Sunshine, but, not Today I'm afraid... oh well... mebbe Tomorrow... Dawn... The Bohemian