Bad News

 Well, I just can't think of any other way to Title this Post except that it was Bad News I received when I went in to fill in at Work for my Dear Friend Dan The Man.  I'm glad I have some Pretty Images to offset a Bad News Post somewhat, for balance.  I'd been told that he needed me to fill in for him until he could return, I knew he had some Health Issues, I didn't know particulars and the Manager had made it sound Temporary and that Dan would be returning, just that When was not yet known.  Okay, I accepted with that in Mind, thinking my Friend was just taking Care of himself and it probably was something he could recover from in due Time?

Well, apparently it isn't, it's doubtful he's coming back, it's doubtful he will Survive actually!!!   *Sob*  I discovered he was Hospitalized, which, didn't sound Good to me at all, I didn't know Why he was Inpatient, or if he'd had another Crisis?  But I didn't jump to immediate conclusions since, tho' a shock to hear that, since I didn't know this, I still Hoped he'd have some recovery, go Home, then when released by his Doctor, return to his Shift as planned?   I now have the impression Management had no idea how bad off he actually is until the Assistant Manager went to visit him in the Hospital during my Shift on Wednesday Night.  It traumatized her from what I was later told.  Even tho' Docs had prepared her for his condition.

She came back looking quite distressed, we all Adore Dan, he's like everyone's favorite Grandpa or Elderly Uncle.   He's in his 80's, but a robust Man in his 80's who doesn't look like or act like he's that advanced in Age at all.   He and his Dear Wife Rita could be mistaken as a couple in their 60's, they're vibrant and Work tirelessly, sharp of Mind and seem quite strong in their Physical Health, their Ages being considered.   But, from what another Male Vendor Friend disclosed to me, all of Dan's major Organs are shutting down now.  Docs can't drain the Swelling down fast enough.  It is very unlikely he'll make it out of the Hospital, let alone get to go Home or return to Work!   It was a shock only becoz he had not been sickly lately.

I Worked with him just last Week in fact while I was filling in for another Co-Worker.  He did have Skin Bruising which is called Senile Purpura, the Purplish Skin discoloration on extremities, and, that had troubled him lately.  He had recovered from a Bad Senior Fall last Year, but now I do Wonder if he had Head Injury then that now is causing the shut down?   Extensive Bruising and Swelling have occurred now and often are a Sign of Internal Bleeding and Swelling, which, is what's happening, he's retaining Fluids to an alarming rate now.   His Edema being extreme now means it is likely caused by severe Organ damage.   I just had no Words.  He and Rita were on my Heart and Mind the rest of the Night.

My Friend Ken, whose Showroom I inherited due to his Medical Issues and decline after a Senior Fall last Year, is also not doing well.  Nobody has even seen him in a long time, he's my Age and had been very Robust and Healthy too, before his Bad Fall.  He had considerably damage and will require numerous reconstructive Surgeries to his Face due to the extent of serious injuries he sustained.   It is scary to see so many Elderly Friends take Falls and find it hard, or impossible, to recover from it.  There are steps to help prevent Senior Falls that you can take, I try personally to adhere to them, you do have to put in the Work tho'.

The Man has his Specialist Appointment this Thursday Afternoon, it's way over in Sun City West, so, we'll just make a Day of it.   I try to make a Special Day of it around his Appointments to dispel his Anxiety levels before and after having to go to any Appointment or have Testing done.  It's like a Reward System to get him on board and prepared adequately for going to his Appointments and having the right Attitude about it, otherwise, he'd resist or just not go.  He'll wind himself up if not prepared way in advance, you can't just Spring stuff on him or he discombobulates.  So, no Trickery, just Psychology implemented to get voluntary compliance.

So I make it sound like a Fun Day with just the Appointment thrown in, let's just get it over with, then we'll do enjoyable stuff around it.  He is always Game for Fun, so, if we do something Fun first, then something Fun afterward, he'll endure the Doc visit or Testing part of the Day.  The Daughter and I went to the Gym together on Wednesday Morning, he opted out of going, which, was a Surprise.  I thought he'd insist on going, but, he didn't want any semblance of a Workout.  So, she and I actually got to be at the Gym for Three Hours and had a really nice Mother/Daughter time there.  She came as my Guest.

We had a $15 Credit in the Cafe, so that paid for all of my Brunch and I only had to Buy hers.   I had the Rainforest Acai which was 345 Calories and is a Sambazon Acai Sorbet, Bananas, Coconut, Granola, Strawberries and Blueberries, delicious, I'd definitely order it again.  The Daughter had a Salad and some hard boiled Eggs with a dusting of a Spicy condiment on them, she said it was all very good too.   I had to cut some of my Workout and Routine short for The Daughter's sake.  She's only in her 40's but I'm Physically more able to do a Workout, her Heart Rate got too high during our Bicycle Workout, so the Machine suggested she stop, and, we did.

Then in the Wet Sauna she could only last about half the time I usually stay in there, so we quit early too.  She did Fine with the Hydro Massage, she lasted the entire 10 Minutes but didn't enjoy it as much as I do.  *LOL*   I think she just did a higher setting than she should have for a First Time.  But, overall we had so much Fun Working Out together and having Quality Mother/Daughter time.   Afterwards we went to a GOODWILL nearby and she found me the above Tank Top, which, just cracked me up, I hadda have it!  *LMAOROTF*  Yes, I will wear it!  *Winks*

The Daughter actually Recorded me on the Exercise Bike at the Gym becoz you can pick a Screen of some Exotic Locale to Virtually Bike thru and she gets a kick out of Why I choose my Locales.  I picked Barcelona, the Ride takes you thru the Boardwalk on the Beaches and it Amuses me to try to run over the Pedestrians, Joggers, Dog Walkers.   Why?  Well, I'm Twisted like that.  *LOL*   Becoz if you peddle real fast they actually look over their Shoulders and start running to get out of your way, but if you Bike slowly they ignore you and just Walk.  So, it's more hilarious to me to Bike as fast as I can thru the Crowds just to get that reaction and Laugh my Ass off while I'm doing it.  Since, it's Virtual, nobody gets run over, they manage to get out of your way and I'm sure it's all AI.   *Bwahahaha*

The Daughter is looking over at my Screen and Laughing 'til her Sides hurt as my Pedestrians scatter and run for their Lives.  *Smiles*   She's like, "Mom, Stop It!!!"   And we're Laughing maniacally and we're up near the Big Mirrors so every once in a while we also get a glimpse of ourselves and that's even Funnier.  She looked like a Vision, since, she's still Slender and has a Cute proper Black Workout Ensemble, she wants to look Fierce at the Gym in case the Stud Muffins take notice.  *LOL*  Whereas I looked... well... this Day I had what really looked like a Dyke Lesbian ensemble on and it was not flattering, I looked like a very Butch Manly Big Ole Gal.   The Daughter is dying with Laughter, saying it must look like she's my Younger, Hotter, Lipstick Lesbian Girlfriend?  *Bwahaha*

So, WHAT was I wearing?   I had on a loose Grey Men's T-Shirt, some very Baggy Cotton Sweat Pant type Men's Shorts that come down to your Knees with Big Grey Stars against a White Background Print.  I had gaudy Socks that have Cartoon Animals Characters in bright Colors and even gaudier Colored NIKE Kicks on that are several tacky Neon Colors!  {See Above} Those Tennis Shoes are so Over-the-Top that the Kiddos all HATE me wearing them becoz they are quite hideously ridiculous and loud. *Smiles*   My Dreadlocks have to be piled up when I'm on the Equipment or I'll be sitting on them or getting them caught in the Machinery like dangling Ropes trailing behind and around me.  So, Yes, I was a Vision!  *Winks* 

  Now, you must remember that 99.9% of the Members at LIFETIME FITNESS do not look Ghetto Fabulous, it's a high end expensive and rather pretentiously attended Gym.  They are all in very Bougee Workout Costumes by comparison.  *Winks*   And, Staff there look like Vegas Showgirls with plenty of Plastic Surgery and Guys that look like they were profiled in MUSCLE & FITNESS Magazine.  I'm sure they Feel some kind of way about the condition I show up in to do my Workouts, yet, I do not Care.  *Smiles and Winks*   Even the Seniors that attend are usually Old Folks who've got the appearance that they've exercised their entire Lives, are already very Fit and dress as tho' they're looking for Hookups there.  *LMAO*   Old Guys always try to make Small Talk, and the way I show up, well, their Bar is quite low IMO.  *Bwahaha*

The Daughter thought it funny that the Seniors there are trying to be Seen, Show Off and look Cute, just as much as the Younger Gym Rats clearly are.   I dunno, our critique may seem harsh, but, if you saw the Women in particular, they spend as much time trying to look Cute for The Gym as they would for The Club and I find that highly Amusing since, allegedly you're there for a Workout.   But, The Daughter did the same thing... so... it must be a Thing that they just do now?   The Workout Clothing Industry must be making serious Bank tho' coz many of those ensembles looked really Cute and Expensive.  And a lot of the Pretty People are there.  I ain't gonna Lie, if you can pull it off, it's Attractive and shows off a well sculpted Body and the effort and/or Plastic Surgery that went into getting it.  *Winks*

LATER:  Well, Work woke me up early asking me if I could come in Tonight and fill in for yet another Co-Worker, but I had that late Specialist Appointment for The Man, so I couldn't and declined.  They really were bummed.   As it turned out his Appointment was a cluster fuck, we didn't even really know why we were there?   I hadn't Scheduled this Appointment and they weren't forthcoming about any of it.  It turned out to be the Urologist, he's not having any more problems since the Kidney Stone removal the Hospital did Months ago.   We arrived and they asked if we had done a bunch of Tests, we hadn't been told what THIS  Appointment was for, we had been told nothing about getting a slew of Three different Tests at Three different Labs!  They re-scheduled everything, at a completely different location!

After we left we pondered the whole Mystery of it all, since they couldn't even tell us Why he was there or why he needed all these Tests if he's no longer having problems?   So, I told The Man, fuck this, it's likely a Money Grab they know Medicare will mostly cover and TriCare likely won't at all since it's probably not necessary... so, we'll Cancel it all.  If you hedge on Why something is allegedly necessary, then I become a skeptic that it's necessary at all.   Anyway, we did have a nice Meal Out at "Tom Yum" Thai Restaurant.   Photos of our Meal were above in the Post, we even had Dessert.   It was the only Meal of the Day and when we got Home The Daughter was cooking Spaghetti and upset that we'd already eaten.  *Le Sigh*  She means well, but knew we were out all Day, I don't know Why she thought we wouldn't eat all Day?

She had too much going on in the Kitchen and was becoming Agitated and Mental... so perhaps a Spaghetti Dinner might have been overly ambitious for her to handle?  *LOL and Eye Roll*   I was exhausted from managing The Man and his failed Appointment all Day, Traffic had been horrible and congested, the Appointment was not close to Home.   I did go to the Asian Market to pick up some supplies that we can only find there, things like our fav Jamaican Jerk Seasoning, Olive Oil from the Middle East, imported unusual Jams and Vietnamese Coffee.  I stocked up on it all, my Ex-DIL, her Aunt owns that large Asian Market, it's a really nice one and has Imported Foods from around the World, each Aisle carries Product from a different Country and Culture.   So, it's like the League of Nations who are shopping there.

I remember one time I went shopping there with my Cambodian DIL and I thought the Funeral Papers were Pretty for Craft Projects so I bought some.  She wasn't sure if I knew what they were for but she didn't say anything to discourage me.  But, when we went thru the Register, one of her Relatives was the Cashier, looked quite alarmed and asked, "Who Died!!!!!???"   My poor DIL had the embarrassment to explain that nobody had Died, her American MIL just thought they were Pretty.  *LMAOROTF*  She was such a good Sport about how embarrassing that must have been for her.  *Smiles*  I'm sure her Relatives went back and told everyone in the Family that The Son's Crazy Mom was Buying Funeral Papers becoz they were Pretty.   Well, they are... *LOL*

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Blessings, Love and Light from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian