Springtime... Ain't It Grand...

 

Our Medicare Advantage Plan was very proactive with The Man's Gym Membership, they automatically sent him his Authorization Code and Letter to activate Membership at Lifetime Fitness.  So, we went and did that this Morning and now he can start a regimen and we'll see how devoted he'll be to exercising and doing relaxing activities he can utilize there, like the Saunas and Jacuzzi Spa?   They have Health and Wellness benefits too.  Anytime he doesn't want to go I'll attend solo.  For the Summer, it will give him something to look forward to doing in a Climate Controlled Space, when it's too Hot to do much Outdoors.  Above and Below Pixs are of The White Tank Mountains with a profusion of Blooming Brittlebush in the foreground.  It can be burned as Incense and the Resin has other Historical Uses by Indigenous Tribes.

I went and picked up more Seeds from the Seed Library at the White Tanks Mountain Park Library.  This time I got Asparagus, Fennel and Chamomile.   While I was there getting my Seeds I told Two Senior Ladies about the Seed Program, they didn't know and assumed you had to Buy the Seeds and it wasn't Free with their Library Membership.  I think a lot of people forget to ask Staff what the Membership includes.  You get your Library Card Free but it does come with lots of side benefits besides checking out Books and Movies.   They even have Monthly Culture Passes for Free too to places like the Desert Botanical Gardens, Zoos and Art Galleries Locally.   

When you obtain a Culture Pass it's only good for 1-3 Days after issuance. But, it's a great way to visit places you might like to try out before Buying Memberships or paying full price every time you want to go.  I'm going to be renewing my Desert Botanical Gardens and County Parks Memberships this Month.  Right now they're giving a Free 13th Month when you renew, so I'm going to take advantage of that extension of time.   I go often, so it's always worth it to me to just become a Member and it supports those places, which is important too.  Do you see the little Bird perched on the Warning Sign at the Library?  *LOL*

  I get Guest Passes with each Membership to hand out to Friends or take extra people I bring.  My Membership is good for Me, One Adult Guest and all Grandkids under age 18.  I get a Discount in the Gift Shop and at any Plant Sale and Special Events they have thruout the Year.  During the Fall and Spring is when I go the most often.   But, I am a hardy Soul, who visits during even the Summer Months, when I practically have the whole place to myself becoz it's so Hot.  During the Heat of Summer, even the Wildlife is wilted and will just sit by you in the Shade, an unspoken "Damn it's too Hot, Huh?  So let us just put our Species differences aside shall we?"  *LOL*

Anyway, I have to Work this Saturday Night, so I'm thinking I might just go to The Desert Botanical Gardens Tomorrow Morning for a Power Walk, after I drop The Son off at Work and Princess T and Timmy off at School.  I've gotten all my errands squared away Today, so with the Weather being Glorious right now, it would be enjoyable.   We're having a Cooler than usual late March, so I want to do as many pleasant Outdoor Activities I can while the Weather is holding up like that.  My Brother is having intensive Flooding there in Cali, their Home got Flooded in spite of Sandbagging it.  They also had a Tornado touch down only 20 Miles from where they live!!!  WTF!?

I think if we don't do something now about Climate Change escalating, it will and could become irreversible.   I do wish more people would be Environmentally Conscious and responsible about Stewardship of the Planet, but far too many aren't.   It's staggering to me how short sighted most people are about what they're screwing up now will have longer term effects that could be permanent.   Only when things are truly FUBAR do they Wake Up and by then, it's really too late in the Game to turn things around, they Slept thru the Window of Opportunity.  If you are an Environmentalist, Naturalist or Preservationist you get ridiculed and Labeled Negatively and mocked, as if THAT is the Bad Thing to be.

Moving On... I've spent too many Decades already trying to scream it from the Rooftops that we're messing up the Planet and at some point, it can't or won't recover from the abuse and misuse our Species has put it thru.  The rest of the Natural World is in Harmony and moves in Purpose with Nature and it's Design, unless Man puts his Hand on any of it and tweaks it for his own Purposes.   Then things go sideways, becoz we've altered things or introduced things that become invasive to an area they were never meant to occupy in the grand scheme of things.   I would have liked, in my own Lifetime, to see more Positive Change in the right direction, but it's been too little, too late.   And still far too many in complete Denial or Oblivious about the Obvious.

While The Niece was here for a couple Days she signed up for Showtime and got us hooked on a Series called "Yellowjackets".   So, The Daughter and I were trying to binge watch all the Seasons of it before she left.  *LOL*  It's a very complex Storyline, but something we could get engrossed in watching.   I gave up on the Series of "The Strain" since it got too ridiculous.  It had started out good and then steadily went downhill to the point I felt like I'd been robbed of my Time even getting as far into it as I did, only to just lose Interest entirely and not be able to get thru another Bad Episode after it jumped the Shark.  *Eye Roll*  I don't know if the Writers just got Lazy or ran out of Ideas and should have just cut it shorter to keep it's Quality of Episodes consistent? 

Anyway, "Yellowjackets" is probably meant to be a Serious Drama, but with our twisted Dark Gallow's Family Humor, we're finding most of it to be hilarious and inappropriately laughing our Asses off.   The Niece gets a kick out of that, since, she's used to people reacting normally to what we find to be amusing or downright hilarious rather than horrific or serious.  *Winks*   Yes, we can Laugh at things that aren't really funny in a traditional sense or nobody else could possibly find any Humor in I suppose.   There was a Movie that The Son had watched numerous times and always Laughed his Ass off at one part that NOBODY he'd ever watched it with found the least bit Funny.   They thought he was Sic and a Weirdo or demented to even think it was Funny at all...  *LOL*

So, he asked if I'd watch that Movie with him, he didn't tell me that part of the Back Story of watching it with numerous Friends.   He wanted to see my natural reaction to that one part.  Well, I had the same reaction of hilarity at that part that he had, Laughing my Ass off instead of being shocked or horrified.  Which he found to be even funnier... and explained where he got his Weird sense of Humor from.  We couldn't stop Laughing at that point when he explained that I was the ONLY other person EVER to see that part and think it was as hilarious as he did.  But, shit, it WAS... and if I watched it over and over again, I'd find it to be as hilarious as the first time!   

Semi-Spoiler Alert: Someone in the Movie unexpectedly gets his Head blown off, quite Calmly and unemotionally I might add, by someone who gave no indication he was gonna do that.   Now, to me, instead of recoiling in horror, just the fact they're sitting there like good Friends having a chat one Minute as if nothing would go South...  AND THEN, the other Guy just suddenly, for no apparent reason leading up to it, and so unexpectedly, just takes out a Gun and blows the Friend away...  AND THEN, just as Calmly carries on like nothing just happened, struck a Gallow's Humor Chord in both of us... that apparently nobody else saw the triggered Dark Humor in at all?!  

  

Now, to me, that's Weirder... becoz... the more Abnormal and unexpectedly random something is, the more I'm Dialed In to how freakin' Funny that is.   Didn't see THAT coming... *Ha  ha ha*  Yes, it can be a Bad Thing, I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT FACT TOO... I don't discount the obvious reaction you SHOULD have.    But... I can still Laugh about it and see how "Slipping on a Banana Peel, you shouldn't be Laughing, and yet you can't help yourself...", it can still be too, you know?   And don't tell me you have NEVER Laughed inappropriately at something you probably shouldn't have.   But, you found so highly Amusing or downright Hilarious, that you just couldn't help yourself and the initial uninhibited reaction it caused, regardless of impropriety.  I wouldn't Believe you.  *Winks*

This is why my Kiddos of both Generations like watching things with me, becoz they said it Normalizes their reactions to things that everyone else finds inappropriate or Weird.  *Winks*   Yes, they obviously inherited that from me, since we react almost identically to certain stimuli even if nobody else would... we ARE total Weirdos like that.  It still Amazes The Man how we can Laugh at ANYTHING.  *Smiles*   But, it's also why we often Laugh our way thru epic Crisis, becoz if you didn't find some of that shit Funny in the least, you might break down and never move thru it successfully either.   

And, when someone we know is Dealing with some heavy and awful shit, they almost ALWAYS call us.  Why? Becoz they KNOW we'll make them Laugh about it and have some levity to inject inappropriately... can't help ourselves.  *Winks*   Even when Salvador just got his bad Diagnosis News, he told The Daughter that he knew she'd still have him Laughing before the Bad News Call was over.   And he NEEDED that, becoz she's just that predictably Twisted and demented, even if she's totally Down with the Seriousness of whatever it is and has your Back totally and unconditionally, coz she's Ride or Die to The End.   You can only imagine what she said to him to get him Laughing about Colon Cancer... and he Laughed so hard it made a Horrible Day better for him.

BTW: He did get Good News when he went back to see his Docs after the grim Diagnosis.  *Whew*  So the Treatments are expected to be successful and help him make a full Recovery if he abides by what he needs to do to beat this.   I was so relieved to hear that and also encouraged by how many of you had Uplifting Positive things to say about Treatments for that particular form of Cancer being quite advanced and successful now too.   He's not telling any of the Children and we're not telling Princess T either, for now... and hopefully it won't even be necessary to?

 

The Man, after signing up for his Gym Membership, predictably then thought he needed to go out and Buy a bunch of Workout Clothing and Swimsuits, which, NO, you don't.   We bought a plethora of Fishing Equipment and you have never gone Fishing and refused to go when invited by The Son and his Friends.   So, let us first see if you've Earned the Right to Invest in getting any Exercise Gear by consistently going to The Gym and Exercising/Swimming?   Or, if, like with many other things, he just likes the IDEA of Working Out and having Gym Membership, but won't put any of it into Application?  Plus, he has Swimsuits becoz we have a Pool, so I insisted he go thru his Wardrobe and find them and have them handy for use at The Gym.  

He can just wear his Cotton Shorts and T-Shirts to exercise.  I didn't Buy any Gym Gear and I've been able to Workout using my Legging Capris and T-Shirts just Fine.   I don't need to Look like I'm going to be making any Exercise Videos or becoming a Personal Trainer in order to go to The Gym, it's not necessary.  *LOL*   And Lord knows, he doesn't need to look ridiculously suited up to do whatever I'm sure he can only do at The Gym and probably won't, even tho' he can.  *Double Winks and an Eye Roll*   The only thing he'll NEED is to remember to wear his Watch that he insisted I Buy him and spend a fortune on, that he never wears.  Becoz he'll have to Time the Minutes carefully that he spends in The Saunas.  You're only supposed to spend 10 Minutes, I'm limiting him to 5 to be on the Safe Side.

I told him the First time I ever have to ask some Random Guy to go in and check on him in the Men's Locker Room, to ensure he didn't fall out in the Sauna by staying in too long... I won't take him to The Gym anymore.  *Winks*   He'll have very strict Supervision and Guidelines when he goes before I'll give him any Freedom to just do whatever he wants.  Since, his decision making skills are compromised so I want to ensure he can manage what he's wanting to do and doing it properly so as to benefit from it without incident or injuries.   They do have Personal Trainers there and once he's comfortable enuf to receive Instruction by a Stranger, I might set him up with one to set up a regimen for him.

*******

Happy Spring from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

Amidst Orange Blossoms... Bad News

 The Air here at the Mini Farms is heavy with the heady Scent of Orange Blossoms... a Divine and thick Sweet Aroma.  All of our Neighbors have Citrus Trees of all kinds and Share their Harvests.  We already have an abundance of the most delicious Sweet Pink Grapefruit from Omar's Trees.  They're enormous too, twice as big as a Softball.   He has Orange, Lemon, Lime, Tangelo, Peach and Pecan Trees too.   T.J.'s Parents have Lemon and Orange Trees.  Another Neighbor has Pomegranate, a different type of Pecans and Grapes.  I'm presently growing Cherry Tomato, Spring Onion, Artichoke, Rosemary, a few type of Basils, Aloe, Sunflowers and various Mints.

Of coarse, with everything in Bloom, most of the rest of the Family is having Allergies badly and feeling crappy.   I'm Okay, not a sufferer, I'm more sensitive to things like Pollution and Urban Smog.   Anyway, with everyone feeling congested, we've been eating a lot of Caldo de Pollo.  Nothing like a good Chicken Soup when folks aren't feeling Well and go off their Appetite, not feeling like eating and yet having to take Allergy Meds, so shouldn't do that on an empty Stomach.   I can usually get a good Soup down them and coax them into eating something that will actually be beneficial and helpful to ease congestion.

These Refried White Beans from a Favorite Local Restaurant, "Tamales Guadalajara", are THE BEST ever.  I sometimes have intense Cravings for them and usually buy a Large Takeout Container to bring Home with us.   I can sit and eat just a Bowl of those and feel completely satisfied as that being my whole Meal.   The Family ate it all in a Day tho', so you don't get much of a chance if you wait too long to get yours.  *Smiles*  Everyone has been turning to Comfort Foods to Cope with stressors lately.   We'll get to that later... the Bad News just keeps on coming it seems... the Fluff of Life and the Beauty of the Natural World is a Welcome distraction actually.

The Son finally got his IRS Letter so he could get his Taxes done.  He had an Identity Theft some Years ago so now requires that Letter from the IRS to prove he's himself and not who was Working under his Identity falsely.  It was likely someone in the Country Illegally and they were in the Trades too working in Mesa, AZ.   He had to get proof he'd never Worked where they Worked or earned what they'd earned, so that he didn't have to pay the Taxes on it.   That Employer was probably notified by the IRS that they had an Employee who wasn't who they were saying they were and impersonating?  It's messy when that happens to you.

Anyway, he was upset when he realized how much higher his Taxes were this Year, Welcome to the Club of the Over Taxed in America my Son.   Now he knows why I tell him that his Generation and the Grandchildren's Generation need to fight for Change, especially about whose NOT paying Taxes in this Country, like the obscenely Wealthy.  When Billionaires pay Nothing, yet hard Working Low Wage Earners, who can barely afford the inflated Rents and the Basics to Survive, are having to Work Mandatory Overtime and 100+ Hours a Week to Produce what the Nation NEEDS, are being Taxed too much, there needs to be drastic Change.

He could not afford the Rents in Maricopa County right now if he tried to live on his own, even with all the Overtime he's pulling.   Someone was telling me this Week that Mesa, AZ has the Third highest Rents in the Nation.  I don't know what Data they pulled that Statement from, but, I could Believe it.   I know that the Cost for College, Student Meals and Dorms is going up by about 4%-6% again in our State, if the Proposals pass to increase them.   Soon, only the Affluent will be able to get a College Education in this Country.   I'd like to see EVERY Child in America get the very Best Education, even beyond High School, so as to improve Society and their Options and contributions in their Lifetime.

 I think the Nation needs to Invest in it's Young people and provide them with Free or Subsidized Advanced Education so they can be Globally competitive.  I know, Radical Ideas, but, I see a dumbing down of our population and why so many can be so easily manipulated, exploited and weaponized by the unscrupulous.   A poorly Educated population designed to be a permanent underclass to use as a cheap Commodity to make the obscenely Rich Richer, is not what a First World Nation ought to have as a Standard IMO. 

  Every Young Person I ever Mentored and Taught everything I knew when I was ready to pass the Mantle, got ahead and did very well in their Career Path afterwards... they got on and became valuable Assets.  I didn't mind providing them with a Free Education that I had to Earn the harder way.   They were each and all worthy of Investing in.  Some of them even exceeded whatever I had achieved and I'm Proud of them for going beyond what I'd accomplished.   I'd like to see every Generation behind mine doing better, it's what my own Parents wanted for my entire Generation and their Parents wanted as well.  You don't want, and shouldn't want, things to be harder and worse for the Future of those Inheriting it.  I want them to all see and Imagine a Bright Future with ample Possibilities and be able to be a part of and inclusive of, The American Dream.

  Otherwise, a paradigm shift will happen when desperation sets in to the marginalized, disenfranchised, hopeless and exploited... and desperate people do desperate things.   As Technology replaces many at the lower rungs, what will they be able to do if they haven't been Educated enough to perform tasks at an elevated level in the Workforce?   People aren't disposable and when they realize you Think they are, and that you don't have any of their interests at Heart, then you're going to have revolts and chaos.   France, Iran and Israel already saw that playing out in their Nations.  The weight of repression can't hold people down who have nothing to lose.

I am concerned for both our Nation and our Young People especially, things are NOT better for most of their Generation.   Far too many are having to move back in with Family and live like people do in Third World Countries out of necessity.   The way our Politics is becoming so Toxic, we're in trouble with our Leadership and the options for who will be running things.   Far too many are behaving like Domestic Terrorists, with infiltration into Government of Extremists and Radicalized Lunatic Fringe Groups and Cult Like Personalities.   That is not a good thing, it's never been a good thing, thruout History Atrocities happened anytime Madness, warped Ideology and Cruelty prevailed in positions of Authority.   

Anyway, this next Election Cycle I am not looking forward to, I think Violence is a very real possibility and Jan. 6th was merely a Practice Run for the sect of Society wanting to actually overthrow our Government.  Not that the vast majority of those with that Ideology could run anything or have any actual Policies, beyond just Culture War Mentality.  I haven't heard any real Policy coming from that whole Group in Years.   Just the ginning up of those they know are Fearful, Ignorant or just Angry and needing to project it somewhere... anywhere... rather indiscriminately actually.

Moving On... since, you just have to...   I sure Wish that Eli liked having his Pix taken as much as Yul used to.  Our Male Siamese we had for Years, he just Adored being Photographed, he was extremely Vain like that.  *LOL*   Princess T was also his Human too, she's been the One that most of our Cats bonded closest to, with the exception of Rat Boy, I was her Human for over 20 Years.   She was also our longest lived Feline, tho' many of ours did attain Old Age, others had a short Life.  I'm fixating right now on random trifles becoz we got Big Bad News Today.  So, I'm distracting myself so as not to fixate on what we just found out.

Yes, admist Orange Blossoms... Bad News.   The Daughter just got a Call from her Ex in Mexico, Salvador, Princess T's Dad, that he has been diagnosed with Prostate Cancer.   He's already the Primary Caregiver of his 90+ Year Old Mom whose in very bad shape now, Saint Maria, and the Three Younger Daughters of our Daughter, plus the Daughter he has by his new Wife, he's supporting and Caring for all of them.  So, this is not good and he doesn't know yet what Options he'll have?   He and The Daughter have always remained on very good terms, she has a way of doing that with any Exes.  So she is quite upset by this News and it's stressing her out considerably.  He didn't tell her to upset her, but he felt she should know.

Her Friend Marcos in Mexico sent the Children some Money to help out. He has told her that if she can't get their paperwork in order to come to America, should something happen that they have to relocate there, she and the Kids can come live on one of his Properties in Mexico.   His Brother Beto owns Properties in California and has said the same, should relocation to America become necessary and we can't accommodate them all here.   Her Ride or Die Friends know our situation here, so they try to Help as much as they're able, Bless them.   They all consider us extended Family and we consider them all as extended Family.  Sometimes those not related by Blood are closer than many Blood Ties.

This is Princess T's Dad with one of the Granddaughters, the Youngest of he and The Daughter's, when she was an Infant...   I'm not sure how we will tell Princess T about her Dad... I think I want to wait until we know more about his Prognosis and Options.   I'm not sure how she will receive such News and I'm not sure he's told any of the other Children yet... they're already all concerned about their Beloved Abuelita, who Raised them, being so frail and near End of Life.   Life often can be very hard and difficult... everyone has their particular struggles going on.  So, I always say to Be Kind... you never really know everyone's Back Story and/or Burdens they're bearing.   May yours be Light my Friends... and if not, may you be given the Strength to endure them with Dignity and Hope.

No matter how long it's been, or how long we had them, I still miss those Beloved who have crossed over before us... I think we all do... it's never easy.  Mortality confronts us all one day... yet, we're not Dead 'til God says so.   So, even Grim Prognosis does not have to be Received as an Expiration Date or Shelf Life for any of us...    Mom, my Brother and my Mom's Older Brother were all given Terminal Illness Diagnosis in Middle Age.   Mom lived to be 84, my Uncle to Age 90, and my Brother is over 60 now and still hanging in there despite all of them having Grim Prognosis and short "Expiration Dates" given by Medical Professionals.  Who were then baffled by how they just kept on Living despite their diagnosed Conditions and that "Nothing further could be done for them".   Salvador has the right Spirit and Attitude about his Diagnosis, I Pray that takes him far beyond it...

*******

I'm Glad that the Air has the Scent of Orange Blossoms and Spring brings forth New Birth in all of Nature like it always does, even amid Bad News... Dawn... The Bohemian

The Mood Rollercoaster

 

I've started this Post over twice... Dealing with Insurances right now has been a Royal Pain in the Arse I tell ya!   I got my Lantus Insulin filled, which I take Daily, and it's been the most expensive Co-Pay so far and no Rx for the Needles to administer it!  WTF?!   So, now I have to find out why there's no Script for the Needles?   Luckily The Man has a lot of Needles supplied by the VA.   Ironic that Dangerous Drug Addicts get Free Needles yet us Diabetics and Seniors on Fixed Incomes, not breaking any Laws, have to get Prescriptions and Pay for ours.  The Base no longer providing my Meds is proving to be very expensive.

We're still having problems now with the GAP Insurer... who said they were finally Paying the Claim over the Phone last Week, then by Letter this Week said they were Denying it!   *Le Sigh*   There's so many random reasons and loopholes in Policy that they can deny Claims that I doubt The Son will be able to successfully Contest it.  To me GAP Insurance is a total Rip Off, I'm soured on it after this incident and Negative experience.  Any Insurance that refuses to pay on Claims was worthless and a total waste of Money to procure.

Anyway, Moving On... I should be doing some housekeeping, but I'm just not in the Mood to at all, so I'm not.  Yes, it NEEDS it, No, I'm not doing it tho'.   Lately I haven't been in the Mood to do any kind of Work or Grind... I'm weary of the load and how stretched I am and feel.  It's been a Mood Rollercoaster for me lately, up and down.  But, I bought the Ticket so I'm on for the whole damned Ride.  *LOL*  Anyway, eventually a lot of it will have to get done, but, I'll wait on when I can tackle it in the right Spirit.   The Son and The Daughter helped me with some Yardwork that T.J. had not finished up.  He'd said he would, but the waiting got tedious, so we just did the finishing touches.

What had happened is that the Grass was so Wet from Rains when he cut it all with the John Deere before Irrigation, that when it flew out and hit the Walls, it stuck to them.  I tried hosing it off while still Wet, that was gonna be a chore.  T.J. said to wait 'til it dried out and he'd just brush it off with a Broom.  Well, either he forgot or was so busy Planning and Hosting his Parents huge 65th Anniversary Party the other day, so it never got done.  He's usually reliable.  After drying out, it was like glued to the Walls now and it looked bad.  Took The Son, The Daughter and I a lot of Muscle to scrape it all off.

I also trimmed back our African Daisies in front of the Wall as most of them had grown leggy and spent most of their Bloom, setting Seed.  I read Online that cutting them back will prolong their Blooms and keep them looking manicured and not Die Off prematurely.   We'll see, I had Collected a lot of Seed from them, so, even if they're truly spent, we had a great showing this Season, it was Beautiful for a long time.  Mostly we had the Orange Blooms, but some Yellow Blooms is lasting longer.

  I got some Lavender Seed and Artichoke Seed to plant from the Seed Library at the White Tanks Mountain Park Library.  Every visit I can get Three Free Packets of Seeds from their Seed Library.  So, anytime we're at the Park we visit the Library and I get my Free Packets of various Herbs, Veggies and Flowers.   They have a very good selection and it's a generous program that many people don't take advantage of.  There's always no shortage of Seeds and Staff told me that even when people know it's available, they often don't participate in the Program, which is encouraged.

I think if people knew that growing your own Food and Herbs is so easy, even if you're not an experienced Gardener or don't have a lot of Space, they'd probably give it a go.  With us having a Mini Farm I want to do more and build some extensive above ground Victory Gardens, since we get Irrigation regularly, so that part wouldn't be problematic and we'd be utilizing our Agricultural Zoning Status more.   I've even had some Local Small Restaurants tell me they'd Buy Produce from small Mini Farm Home Farmers like us if we offered it.

The Niece is with us since she'd scheduled a Dental Appointment with our Dentist.  She said she'd take The Son to Work first so I could Sleep in until time to take the Kids to School.  I was worried she'd then oversleep and miss her Appointment, she assured me she would not.  Well, she did... Sleep right thru her 2nd Alarm and miss her Appointment and now I feel bad.  We get Princess T up at 6:00 to take her and Timmy by 7:00, her Dental Appointment was at 7:00, so we could have gotten her up too at 6:00 had she just asked us to.

So, now she's got to re-schedule and pay for a missed Appointment.  I feel it's mostly coz she tried to help me out by waking up too early to drive The Son to Work so I didn't have to.   She told me not to worry about it, her own fault for Sleeping thru her Alarm, not our responsibility to be her Wakeup Call.   We were waking up a Teenager anyway, we just thought she was already up and getting ready or had left already for the Appointment.   She badly needs Dental Work and has some significant problems to address, so I hope they can get her in again soon?

You know how your Mom Spidey Senses just know something like that could and would happen?   You KNOW these Kiddos, you've known them all their Lives.  *Smiles*  Well, she did Laugh that the Day before I Told Her So and asked if she was SURE that taking him wouldn't make her too Tired and potentially miss her Appointment if she fell back Asleep?  *LOL*  She said it was something her Mom would have warned her about too... her Dear Mom, may she RIP, was one of my Best Friends and we were like Sisters.  I know her Three Girls miss her terribly, we all do.

The Daughter reconnected with another Lifelong Friend from their High School Days Locally.  Andrase took her out Yesterday and made her a Meal at his House, she knows so many Guys that Love to Cook!   She said he looks exactly like he did in High School, he almost hasn't Aged since then.  So, he must be like The Son, people always say that about him too.  He remembers me from back in Da Day and told The Daughter and The Son he'd like to see me again too next time they get together.  I'm always Amazed at the Positive Impression I made on these Kids, even all these Years later now they're Middle Aged.

I'm glad that since The Adult Kids have moved back to the Old Neighborhood they've reconnected with so many Lifelong Friends they'd lost touch with over the Years.   So many of their Friends from Childhood didn't move away and stayed within the Community they grew up in.  Or, like them, they did, but felt a need to return.  You can't build the same History with New Friends that you have already established with Old Friends over an entire Lifetime.   The Shared Experiences and Memories are a Social and Community Based Bond that is difficult to replicate.

The Son liked the East Valley but said people were not as Community oriented and close to their Neighbors.  So, individual Families just had to be closer, and Thankfully the Ex-DIL had a large extended Family she could do that with.  Plus, the Cambodian Community is closer with one another due to the Shared Cultural Bonds.   But he missed being around people he had Shared History with and reconnecting now is something he said has filled that Void that existed when he moved outside of the Community for so long.

I know that my Five Years in Subdivision Hell outside of the Community I had Ties with, was such a disconnect and so Isolating, that I couldn't even enjoy having a Luxury Home there.   Many of the Kids Friends come by here now that we're back in the Community, so there's always good Company dropping by.   People didn't do that in Subdivision Hell... mostly they didn't even know what their next door Neighbors even looked like or what their Names were!  Didn't matter how many Years they'd lived by one another either... Weird and very Foreign to us!

 In fact, if your Child was Lucky enuf to be Invited into their Homes to even Play with their Child(ren), which was Rare lemme tell ya, and you came to pick them up to go back Home, the Parents would leave you standing on the Doorstep rather than Invite you Inside and offer any form of general basic Hospitality!!!  Weird!   And, most of their Kids weren't allowed to enter your Home either, with very few exceptions. Even if you introduced yourself to the Family so they'd have a comfort level of who their Child would be around and Invited the Family over to see where the Kiddo would be.  Above is The Niece as a Teenager.

In the Barrio of the Historic Neighborhood our Historic Old House was in, you always had your Neighbors Kids at your House or your Kids at theirs.  In fact, my Kiddos grew up having Meals at their Friends Homes and vice versa, almost as often as they Ate at Home.   Any Party being held, or BBQ, everyone was Invited, it was never Exclusive, it was always Inclusive, if you wanted to attend.  Slumber Parties were common too, they are here at this location too, as are Sharing of Meals with Guests/Friends.  So we're back to our comfort level of Community Bonding we find as Normal and not so Foreign to us.

The Young Prince and Allen stopped by Yesterday Afternoon and visited for quite some time.  They asked if Tyson might move back over here for a while?  He's been apparently Homesick for here and not feeling well due to Apartment Life, even with the Dog Park in their Complex, and has been physically ill.   Their Vet told them that he's having Anxiety, mostly due to the amount of other Dogs there where they now live.  Here, he only had Omar's Female Pit Bull around and she Adores him and he her. He's a Friendly and very well disciplined Dog, he's good with other Dogs, many Dogs aren't.  That stresses him out apparently.

He's a very large powerful Pit Bull, so can hold his own in a Dog Fight, but he's not a Fighter and when another Dog is aggressive, he assumes at first that they're Playing.  I remember when someone's Huge German Shepherd Dog jumped our Fence and got in with Tyson and became aggressive.   Tyson thought him to be just Playing and reacted good natured, UNTIL, when Allen tried to get the Dog to leave our Property, the Dog got aggressive towards us Humans.  Then Tyson went into instant Protection Mode and to avoid either Dog getting hurt in a scrappy situation, he had to disarm the other Dog.

I was impressed with how Allen did it, he used to Train Military Dogs.  So he knows how to incapacitate even an aggressive large Dog so quickly and without hurting it, that it was a sight to behold, the Dog knew right away who was Alpha and in Charge, that's for sure.  *LOL*  Tyson is a Shelter Rescue Dog and so Allen was the one that had to Train him to be as disciplined and Sweet as he now is.  He says it's possible to alter behavior of an Animal to be more Positive and Socially acceptable, just like it is with a Human.  He knows I Spoil Tyson rotten, but can handle him, since I'm strict with Behavior.

Tyson has better Behavior than most people's Kids.  Of coarse my Kids are exceptional Beings... we're talking of OTHER people's Kid.  *Bwahaha* Above is The Daughter when she was 12.   Anywhoo, Tyson's biggest obstacle is he has no idea how big and powerful he is, so sometimes he gets so happy and excited he could knock you over if you didn't insist he slow his Roll.   Think of a overly hyper speeding Tank coming at you if you didn't tell him to Calm Down and Behave. *LOL*   His Tail is like a Whip, even his Tail is Strong!!!   And, sometimes he would like to sit on your Lap or ON you and, he's just too damned big and heavy!  So Allen is the only one big and strong enuf to be able to allow him to do that.

Tyson isn't the smartest, Bless Him, he's like a Big Dumb Jock Guy actually, so his Tricks are limited and Basic.  But he does them without even being asked to, if he thinks he'll get a Treat from CERTAIN People. *Smiles*  We won't mention who that ONE CERTAIN Sucker for a Treat is, when you just Sit your Ass down, either on Command or just becoz you know you'll get a Treat from HER if you just do it.  *Bwahahahaha*  So, I always try to have Dog Treats here and better go get some, or his big ole Face is Crestfallen and Confused, if he sees me and I'm Treatless and he's sat his Ass down obediently to get his Treat.  *Ha ha ha*

I won't mind him being back, we all miss him and he keeps Coyote and Raccoons away from our Property, or anyone who might be Trespassing.  Trust and Believe, if you had a Burglar or potential Thief trying to get on your Property, they'd think Twice once they see Tyson... he looks intimidating.   He knows all our Next Door Neighbors and likes them all, they spoil him too and Omar's Family would like their Dog to Breed with him before she's too Old to.   She's a Lovely Dog too, but an Older one, she never even barks at any of us and she's a disciplined and Sweet Pit Bull as well.  As a Breed, they've been so maligned and vilified.  What makes a Bad Dog is usually a Bad Owner.

That said, Pit Bulls are very powerful Animals and formidable if they are feeling threatened or protective of what is theirs.   So I do think a lot of people who choose the Breed, do so for good Protection and a Breed of Dog that does usually respond well to Dog Training Methods.   I'm a Cat Person, but I have Owned Dogs and my Parents always had one or more Dogs.   I must say Tyson's ability to be highly Disciplined and respond to Command is more impressive than any Breed we ever had.   I know a lot of Dog Owners and most of their Dogs barely respond to any Command the Owner gives them to Behave, when they're not.

With Tyson, all I have to do is say his Name sternly and make Eye Contact, if he's getting too excited or Misbehaving in any way, and he immediately responds and stops whatever he's doing.   If he's gotten himself worked up into an excited frenzy while Playing, since he is a Young Dog, if you just say Calm Down, you've instantly got a Calm Dog. He can go from too excited and overly energetic, to Dead Calm, at a Command to.  Hell, I can't even do that... nor can any Kid I ever Raised!  *LOL*   Anyway, enuf of Bragging on my Great-Grandpup.  He's all that and a Bag of Chips, clearly.  *Winks*   He'll be glad to have his Acreage back to run Free on.  *Smiles*

I made a Donation Run this Afternoon and brought some fresh Inventory into the Showroom too.  I've Sold a lot of Smalls this Pay Period, but not a lot of better high quality Merch, just a couple pieces.   I finally Sold a large Vintage Metal Budweiser/Arizona Diamondbacks Sign I'd had in Inventory a long time.  It was a Cross Collectible with the Beer and Sports Team Advertising together on it.  I knew it was gonna be a Hard Sell, since better quality Advertising takes Time to find the Right Buyer whose willing to pay what they're worth.  I had a Bargain Price on it, to try to have a quicker Turn on it... but we don't get a lot of serious Collectors coming in anymore.

I did get to visit a while with several of my Vendor Friends while there, so we stayed longer than we'd intended to, just Socializing, after Stocking the Showroom.   I haven't been in as often, so had a lot of catching up to do with everyone.   Some joked with me that come the first of every Spring, I sure get Dark fast... I do... and by end of Summer, well, I start to look more like my Dad's side of the Family in complexion.   I don't spend a lot of time Outside, if I did, that's how I'd be all Year long, most probably.  *LOL*

My Mom had the Peaches and Cream Complexion, she had Beautiful Skin her whole Life, hardly a Wrinkle or Blemish on her, clear into her Eighties.   She used to Laugh when we'd visit her Country in North Wales and as a Teenager I'd ask her how before I even spoke, everyone already knew I was an American?   She thought it would be fairly obvious an Answer... I guess I thought I blended in better. *LOL*  I knew I didn't on the Reservation when I'd go visit those Relatives, everyone can spot a Halfbreed instantly... my Grey Eyes and Light Hair a Dead Giveaway.  *Ha ha ha*   My Brother and I have been trawling our Photo Archives lately and Sharing them on The Book of Faces... now FB Tags pixs of him and our Mom, as him being with Me, their Facial Recognition cannot tell her and I apart anymore!  *LOL*  I do resemble her a lot, especially as I'm Aging. 

A Teenage Me, when I was Princess T's Age...

Me, slightly before getting Dreadlocks...  

When I went to the Renaissance Festival, the Gal that actually talked me into getting Dreadlocks, Kristi Bigsmiles, has had them many Years  longer than me.  Mine are now as long as hers and I could hardly Believe that when I went this Year and saw her, since, I'm only just over Five Years in.  They are growing on me like a Weed, I attribute good Hair and Nail Health to Collagen Powder which I put in my Health Food Smoothies.

The Adorable Kristi, she has the most Radiant Smile ever.  She gave me a lot of good advice and sufficient confidence about getting and maintaining Dreadlocks, I owe her a Debt of Eternal Gratitude for that.

*******

Happy Spring my Friends... Dawn... The Bohemian