Bitchfest Continued

 I'm so angry about the whole AC Fiasco ensuing, in spite of how much has been spent and thrown at it to correct/remedy it, that I am too wound up to Sleep.  It's been a Three Ring Circus of the most expensive kind. The half of the House in trouble is holding at a steady 78 Degrees at Night, and 80 Degrees or more during the Day, No Bueno.  Makes the Livingroom, Kitchen, Den, Diningroom, Guest Bathroom and half the Hallway untenable.   Luckily becoz the Old AC is and has been totally functional all along, All Bedrooms and our Master Bathroom, back half of the Hallway are Fine.  And the Art Studio Space has a Wall Unit AC, also functional.  And the 5th Wheel has an AC.  So, basically we're 'Living' there and have been thruout this Ordeal.

 I've calculated the Loan Payments for the faulty Newest AC Unit, UV Light, and Ductwork/Insulation Upgrade to be costing approx. $730 a Month... with the increased Utility Bill due to it to be costing approx. $765... for a grand total of around $1,495 Monthly now just becoz of this problem that STILL isn't resolved!  I still have a Too Hot Home and just a bigger Debt Load trying to fix it unsuccessfully!  Venting about it and putting a Major well known AC Company on Blast has at least been an Emotional Outlet and Release.  *Winks* What else are ya gonna do when you're still embroiled in a battle and with considerable Warranties you can't afford to Void Out and Lose either?  

I appreciate my Dear Readers indulging me in how many Posts I've devoted to this whole Fiasco.   I suppose we're all dealing with something these days and this is currently my Cross to bear.   I'll get thru it, some kind of way, but the Anger and Frustration is at critical mass right now.  We are lucky we still have their Loaner portable AC hooked up in our Room so our Old AC doesn't have to work so hard to compensate for the faulty New AC as much.   But, I shudder to consider what my next Utility Bill will cost.   I drained Savings covering the last one's substantial increase so that I didn't have to petition our Utility Company for some kind of extension or payment plan for hardship.  That could Snowball quickly and accrue exponentially if the Bills don't go down and nothing gets fixed and resolved. 

 But, we're breaking Records for consecutive Days over 100 Degrees already... and... also Records on actual Highest Triple Digits most Days.  Climate Change is Real.   I saw an interesting Documentary on Tesla.  Had the clearly Autistic Genius prevailed rather than Edison, who was in the Pockets of Big Business and Corporate America... do you know Electricity to the Whole World would have been FREE?   Yep, that was Tesla's Vision and Altruistic Plan and he paid dearly for it and would end up impoverished and just written off to be a 'Mad' Scientist and relegated to Historic virtual Obscurity intentionally. 

 How that was meted out to Tesla, while Edison was applauded for a more inferior distribution of Energy, is a whole other Blog Post Topic for someday.  Tesla proved that Edison's Direct Current was inefficient and more expensive.  DC versus AC Voltage Power.  And of coarse Autistic folk are Odd, but often quite Brilliant or downright Genius, and their Minds mos def work differently than anyone not Autistic.  Depending on where they fall on the Spectrum as to level of their function, or lack thereof, in Society, so, there's that.   I'd lay Money that ole' Odd Elon Musk is on the Spectrum and why he Named his Brand what he did.  Not a Fan of arrogant and morally questionable Elon, but I am of Tesla.

Anyway, I've been trying to distract my Train of Thought, so I can level out my agitation about our AC Ordeal, to stay more Centered, Calm and Balanced, by concentrating on other random things.   Anything that disrupts my Calm is going to be at Odds with me in a big way.   I've Shared the above Meme before, but it so accurately describes my State of Mind, that, it's worth Sharing again to remind you.  *Winks*  My Stream of Consciousness is sometimes an entire Train Wreck waiting to happen... and anyone in the way on the Tracks is gonna be potentially some severe Collateral Damage.  I'm so Thankful for Blogging, to dump some of it out here to lighten the load of Mental Baggage that accumulates.  *LOL*   I'm Creating this Post at almost 4:00 a.m., it's when I do my Best Work!  *Bwahaha*

Bipolar Adult ADHD OCD Work to be sure, but, MY Best Work nonetheless.  *Winks*   My Unstable Genius Grandson, The Young Prince, quite often tells me I'm more like him than I Think or realize... which is both flattering and quite disturbing, becoz... he could be Right?  *LOL*   Pretty sure he's way Smarter than me, I'm no Genius.  But, the Crazy Part, well, I am Aware that I am mos def not a completely Well Woman by anyone's stretch of Imagination on what constitutes Normalcy and Wellness.   I actually used to Think I was tho', but as I Matured and gained Wisdom, Awareness set in and now I don't dispute it or dispel the Rumors anymore.  *Smiles*

My Housekeeping is suffering due to the AC Fiasco, the Main Living Areas are presently, and have been, in deferred maintenance mode, for obvious Heat related reasons.  The Daughter has run some Damage Control FOR me with the Housekeeping dilemma, Bless her.   Since, she's lived a great deal of her Adult Life Homeless and can operate and function with necessary tasks under incredible hardship conditions.  Plus, her Mental State is such that she does Crazy shit all the time that makes no sense if you're completely Sane and know you probably shouldn't, even if you could.  *LOL*   She's been Buying me the Caramel Iced Macchiato from The Golden Arches each Morning to keep my Spirits up.  *Smiles*

It's become somewhat like my Kryptonite and the Family says is the best Four Bucks Invested to keep me from going Wheels Off The Fucking Rails and over The Edge into The Abyss, when I'm up under too much Stress and Pressure.  *Winks*   I might be appearing completely Wild Eyed and Unhinged, but one of those just Maintains my Calm for me and brings me back to Center, like it's Magical and has Therapeutic Properties that they should do actual Studies on.  *Smiles*  The Adult Kiddos say it's either that or convincing me to try Edibles, of the Medicinal MJ Bear variety, and I've heard she's The Devil if you eat the whole thing and not just a Leg.  I don't want an Out Of Body Experience and I must remain Functional and Reasonable after all, so, McD's Caramel Macchiato it is then. *Bwahahahaha*

The Kiddos once gave me a 10mg Round Gummi MJ Edible, low dose, I didn't Feel a damned thing, they kept waiting for it to, since I don't partake.  It just made me Sleepy, I Napped it off and didn't mind the mild somewhat fruity Taste.  So I guess it worked, didn't Feel euphoric, High or Weird, just relaxed.  It was supposed to be for their Dad, when he was not doing well during the AC Fiasco and needed Calming, since he was agitating me more than I already was.  He didn't like the Taste and so wouldn't swallow one.  *LOL*   But, remember when he ate ALL the fucking Brownies that The Grandsons Baked and was High for Three Days, making Mile High Sammies on Day No. 3?!  *Eye Roll and in hindsight it's a hilarious Story.*  

 And just a Crumb of those Brownies tasted vile to me becoz you could taste the potent Weed strongly that The Young Prince requires to stabilize Schizophrenia ... so... The Man is a complete Mystery.  *Shrugs*  Yes, I HAD to taste literally a Crumb to find out Why, when Unsupervised by the Grandsons, he polished off the whole fucking batch!?  I guess I expected them to Rock and taste delish... Gak, oily and Tasted like Strong Good Quality Potent Weed Smells.   The Son explained to me why the Alchemy his Nephew and Husband concocted was so Strong and powerful.  But, I'm no Pot Alchemist, so all I know is that it really fucked up my Husband, so no more Brownies for him!  AND, I was real Mad at the Boys and made them Babysit Grandpa for the Three Days as their Penance and stay in temporary Purgatory.  *LOL*

Lord all I needed was for him to take a Senior Fall while High like that and have to explain it at the ER as his Caregiver... I was sure I'd be catching some Charges?   Okay, let us get this straight Ma'am, you left your severely Disabled Brain Damaged Elderly DH alone around Pot Brownies with a Schizophrenic Grandson and an Autistic Grandson in Charge of him?  What could go Wrong?!  *LOL*   He wouldn't stay Down, had the Munchies, Cotton Mouth, China Eyes, a Silly Grin, the whole schmear.  Yes, Comically Hilarious NOW, but at the time, I was NOT Laughing and the Kiddos felt SO Guilty and Bad about it, it Scared them. I was furious at them not Supervising him closer around those Brownies.  Obviously they didn't wanna find out if I was capable of Homicide?  *LOL* 

  Tho' they assured me he could not overdose, but, he'd likely be High for Days... and... he was.  Said it was the Best he'd Felt in Decades... and, I can Believe that... Cures whatever ails ya.  *LOL*  Probably Why Big Pharma fights against it so hard too.  I'm not against Medicinal MJ... well, really, not even Recreational MJ, even tho' I've never partaken of the Habit, not even when it was Illegal or back in Da Day.   Which nobody Believes an Old Hippie Gramma with Dreadlocks down to her Ass hasn't.  So, they always assume I know where to get the Best Kush... talk about Stereotype Profiling!!!   Even the Rastafarians always think I'm one of their own tho', so, I must Look the Part to Joe Public?  *LOL*

We've taken to eating our Meals really early or really late while the AC Fiasco drags on, coz, it's too Hot in the Kitchen during usual Meal Hours.  The Son has been making some Meals, he has limited Culinary talents, but, what he can make is good.   The same with the Daughter, her skills are basic when it comes to Cuisine too... they didn't Inherit any of my Dad's Mad Culinary Jedi Genes apparently... skipped over me too.  *Le Sigh*   I have Awe, Envy and Respect for anyone whose a Gifted Chef or Cook, even if not formally trained and just a Natural at it.   It's why I Love to eat out and have someone else prepare my Meals.   I'm not very Extra in the Kitchen, just your Basic Amateur who barely gets by.   And, I don't like Cooking, I lack the Passion, Patience or Skill Set.

I just finished a Brunch that The Son prepared for me.  The Man refused to eat, he usually isn't one to partake of Breakfast unless I take him out to eat it.    And, lately, he's stubborn as a Mule about eating properly.  I do worry when he has no appetite and we can't get him to eat, he's an Insulin dependent Diabetic, so it's risky not to adhere to a Diabetic regimen with your food and you can never get him to drink Water.  Anyway, Princess T is forcing him to eat a small piece of Grilled Boneless Chicken Breast and a side of Veggies... she's relentless, she wears him down more than I even can.  *LOL and Winks*

I went to pick up some necessities at our nearby Dollar General and it's Closed!!!  The Kiddos that I know who work next door at SAVERS said it's been Closed for a Month now and they're not certain it's reopening or not?  That only leaves Dollar Tree nearby now, the Dollar Stores are Closing at an exponential rate, just when we need them as inflation is making it challenging to afford a lot of things.   I still miss the 99Cent Only Stores terribly.  Very few Indie Dollar Stores exist anymore either.  So, I went over to our Fry's Grocery Store across the Street instead and they were Sold Out of a lot of things... supply chain issues again!   Plus the nearby population explosion we're seeing is straining supply. 

But, I got what we absolutely needed, it was already 111 Degrees and Humid, we're breaking all kinds of Heat related Records almost Daily now.   So, not the best Timing to be having AC Problems nonstop, that's for sure.   I lingered in the Grocery Store and SAVERS to Cool Off and be comfortable for a while and Mood regulate.  When you're overheating for too long you get Headaches, confusion and become irritable about anything.   I'm drinking copious amounts of Water and Liquids with Electrolytes.  I like drinking Fluids, but The Man is terrible about hydrating sufficiently.  I have to Nag the Hell out of him to get compliance.  He's had Kidney Issues before due to it.  But, I can't Drink FOR him.

 

I'm not getting anything done at all really, but, I have preoccupied myself Online, mostly with Blogging and getting updated with everyone on their Book Of Faces Pages.   Most use it way more than I do now.  I've trawled E-Bay, not to make any Purchases, just to see what's out there and price points of it all.   There's practically nothing you can't find at Auction sites now, so it's a helpful Tool to establish current Values.  I'm wading thru my possessions and often don't know what they'll fetch these days at Resale, so, I'm doing my Homework from Home now.  I've got a lot to Price right now if I want to bring fresh Merch in Sunday Night during my Shift.

It's not that I'm Lazy right now, the Main parts of the House are just too Hot to work in.   The Daughter has tidied the whole Art Studio Space where she resides and has a functional Wall Unit, so I don't wanna mess it up with the clutter of my Inventory again.   So, for now, it isn't being processed and Housekeeping in general has been deferred until we get the AC Fiasco resolved.  They come on Monday... we'll see what's up NOW?!   I'm thinking the New faulty Unit just took a crap again for like the Dozenth time.  Just about every major part in it is replaced by now... it's just a poorly manufactured POS and Lennox should be ashamed and stand behind what they built better IMO.  I put Lennox on blast... the AC Company is in a dilemma when their repairs and replacements of part after part just won't cut it and we've now tried everything, to no avail!

  

I'm conflicted about Parker & Sons, for over 30 Years they've given us exemplary fast Service.  We've bought AC's from them in the Past, they used to use York and Trane Products, never a problem.   I think switching to Lennox might have been their faux pas.  Even tho' Lennox rides on a good rep, I'm not impressed at all with their Product or how they structure their Warranty to replace a POS Unit they've Sold someone.  Lennox therefore I put on Blast here, fuck them and their Reputation and PR, I'm telling you my Negative experience with their Product, I'd never buy another one EVER!   The Parker & Sons Workers have been exceptional at what they do, but a POS Unit that was Manufactured Poorly is just what it is IMO.   A Repairman can only do so much if the Unit is just a piece of shit and keeps crapping out or can't do it's Job for whatever reasons and needs incessant repairs constantly.

I haven't had to fill in for any Co-Workers this Week, so that's been a refreshing change.  Granted, all the extra Shifts I pulled last Pay Period comped a lot more of my Overhead Expenses.   So my Check was double what I would have had, at just the right time.   Pulling a lot of Shifts, and doing it on The Fly, usually called at the last Minute to replace someone who wasn't showing up or didn't give much advance Notice, makes planning your Days harder.   And, more tiring since if I don't know I'm gonna be asked to Work, I might have already not paced myself here... and then have the Stamina for there on a hasty Night Shift I accept.  But, I appreciated the reduced Rent it afforded me to pull those extra Shifts.

 

But, Thankfully the Kiddos can cover my Caregiving for me here, so that I can accept the additional Shifts in the Evenings.   And, lately, The Man has been easier and less difficult than he can sometimes be, especially if I rewarded him with Outings before I have to drop it on him that I gotta fill in at Work again.   His Routines are Sacred to him and if he doesn't have advance preparation for a change, it can throw him into a tizzy.  Especially my absence, sometimes like a Child, he gets intense Separation Anxieties and Fears about me being gone.   If I'm missing even briefly, the Kiddos tell me he's asking where I am, and standing by Windows looking for me, obviously in distress.  They have to keep reminding him I'm Fine and I'll be back, so, don't worry.  He has zero concept of Time now... be it Hours, Days, Weeks.

My Niece in Oklahoma said her Dad is like that now too and we use Gallow's Humor between us to diffuse how difficult it can be.  We have so many similarities becoz her Dad suffers from the results of a Gunshot Wound to his Head he Survived, which caused his TBI.   She said she'll gently tell her Dad, I think you're confusing your Memories, or, that was Star Trek.  *Bwahahahahaha*   Yes, both Men do get so immersed in their Shows that they think they were IN that Episode and they'll tell you something that actually happened on a TV Episode and not to them.  I will often say, that was NCIS Honey... so I GOT the Star Trek reference that The Niece humorously Shared.  *LMAOROTF*  I've known her Parents for over 50 Years, her Dearly Departed Mom, one of my Best Friends, Dying much too Young.

So, tho' no Biological Connection, her Daughters are 'Family' to us and I'm Aunty Dawn and have been their whole Lives.   Our Kids were their "Adopted Cousins" and most people don't realize there is no Bio Connection between our Families, since, they ARE Family to us, and us to them.   This Niece is their Oldest Daughter and she's been very close to me, more than she has with her Bio Aunties and Uncles actually.   She and The Daughter have been Besties their entire Lives, so, lots of Shared History.  Her Youngest Sister still lives locally and her Middle Sister lives in Texas, where their Dad now lives and Retired, he was Career Military and so was their Mom.   The 2nd Date I ever had with The Man, I had to cancel due to having to Babysit the Trio when their Parents got called to a Base Alert.  I was their designated Guardian for their Kids during Military Deployments and such, I was a Single Parent myself.

So, their Memories of us include that Date, where he shows up anyway bearing Pizza and a Dinosaur Cartoon Movie for all the Five Kiddos!  Who at the time were Ages 2-7... my Two and my Friend's Three, all Four of the Girls being VERY Close in Age... and The  Son being Close in Age to the Younger Sister of their Trio.  I was Knee Deep in Kids.  Yes, he's a Keeper!!!  *Winks*   So, there he is, on his 2nd "Date" ever, which turned into a Babysitting Gig for Five Animated Children.   Of coarse they wanna know Who he is?   And, wait for it, my 7 Year Old Daughter says, "Oh, he's gonna be our New Dad!"   I could have shit Kittens, but, they'd obviously Claimed him already and we still Laugh about that to this day, they Landed him Hook, Line and Sinker!!!  He didn't stand a chance!  He jokes, hey, remember when they were like your Loaner Kids, so well Behaved to deceive me?!  *LMAO*

Seriously, The Daughter, Aged 7, would clean and tidy the whole damned House if she knew The Man was coming over, you'd of thought SHE was getting ready for a Date!    She'd instruct her 3 Year Old Brother on how to behave so he wouldn't scare The Man away.  The Son at the time had been kicked out of every Daycare in the entire West Valley, I kid you not, a little bit of a Bipolar ADHD Autistic Kiddo can go a long way from a very early Age.  *LOL*   So, it's not AS IF The Man didn't enter the Relationship with Eyes Wide Shut, he knew me and these Kids weren't Right.  *Bwahahaha*  We never pretended to be your Garden Variety Family and I gave him Fair Warning, as did my Dad!  *LOL*   The Man still says, "Yeah, your Dad WARNED me!"  *Smiles*

Actually, my Beloved is so much like my Dad in Character, Integrity, Bravery, Personality, being Stoic, putting Family First, that even tho' my Mom and The Man never got along, she told me he was The One and a Keeper... becoz he was so much like my own Dad.    Mom and Dad did Divorce after 36 Years.   But he had her Back all his Life regardless and she knew this about my Dad, he Cared, he was Ride or Die with Loved Ones, no matter what happened... The Man is like that too.   They both earned their Sainthood, I Kid you not.   My Mom was as Cray-Cray as all the rest of us.  There should be little Saintly Statuaries of both The Man and my Dad in fact, circulating in Religious Circles, to call upon during Tough Times and for intercession in Hopeless Causes.   *Smiles* 

*******

Playing the Game Of Life you Win some Rounds and you Lose some... Dawn... The Bohemian