All Vaxxed Up

 So, while we were at the CVS to fill The Man's new Rx for his Foot Infection, they gave us our COVID Booster and Flu Vaxes while we were there.   So, we're now all Vaxxed Up again and the Young Male Pharmacist was really good at giving Shots, didn't feel a thing.  His Rx will be ready in the Morning, they had to backorder one of the Three he'll be on, he wasn't to begin them 'til Tomorrow anyway, so, that was fine.   The CVS a Block from our Home is efficient and not that busy, so, the best Civilian Pharmacy for us to use that is also so conveniently close by.  We're still playing Phone Tag with the VA Clinic to get his Follow-Up Appointment.  *Le Sigh*

I'm also trying to Re-Schedule Princess T's Dental Appointment on Wednesday, since, now she's Working, I need a later one if they can still fit us in later that same Day?  We don't know how long she'll retain her Medical and Dental Insurance now she's got a Job, but, since she's earning Minimum Wage she may still qualify for her Healthcare under ACA?  Well, that's if Kamala Wins, if 45 Wins and nixes Affordable Healthcare and Medicare, most Americans who are Economically disadvantaged, Old, or have Pre-Existing Conditions like she does, are just Screwed completely.  I mean, after 9 Years he only has an alleged "Concept of a Plan" to replace Obamacare.  *Eye Roll*   When you have a Medically compromised Child you worry about their Coverage.

It's supposed to get to 113 again Today and is already 108 at Noon.  Another Category much stronger 5 Hurricane is slated to hit the same places Helene just did, so those poor Souls are in mortal danger again, the surges expected are twice as high as Helene and deemed un-survivable for those who choose to stay!  So, being exceedingly Hot doesn't seem so bad compared to enduring all of what they are along the East Coast trajectory of another catastrophic Hurricane.   And of coarse the Alt Right is trying to spin their tired old misinformation and lies about Aide being diverted to Illegal Aliens instead of Hurricane Victims.  To gin up those who tend to run with low information and Believe anything radical, rather than fact check anything for accuracy first.

The Man is being difficult, since, any further Health Crisis he's up against, he goes to pieces and doesn't cope with at all.   He dislikes the VA but it's the only Primary Care he has except for some Specialists he's assigned to that he also doesn't like to have to see either.   I'm glad he let me see his Toe and have me deal with it, he'd of ignored and neglected it until he might have lost his Toe, Foot or Leg if it progressed and took hold.   What happened is he nicked the Flesh on his Big Toe next to his Nail when he was trimming his Toenails.  He showed me then and it was a tiny nick and didn't look bad, but, I insisted on keeping an Eye on it since he's a Diabetic and has Neuropathy in his Extremities. 

Well, by Day Two it had Reddened and I didn't like the look of it by late Yesterday Afternoon.   But, he was being stubborn about getting it seen to and resisting I take him to get it Professionally looked at.  But, by 1:00 A.M. the Redness had increased to past his Big Toe and the Swelling was alarming, so, I gave him no Choice but for me to take him to the Small ER that is never very busy and close by.  It's the Satellite ER of a Level One Trauma Hospital Downtown, St. Joseph's.  They spent 8 Hours getting IV Antibiotics into him to avoid Hospitalization, since, all Local Hospitals nearby were full, no Beds, so they were having to send Patients all the way to the Far East Valley!!!

As it is our Insurances won't pay for Ambulance Transport most of the time and especially if it's a long ways, the cost of Transport by Ambulance can be prohibitive too... literally Thousands of Dollars payable upon Demand!   So, we couldn't afford that scenario, especially when we live within sight of a big major Hospital I can easily get him to myself if he has to be Inpatient for any Health Crisis.   The ER Doc was sympathetic to that and so wanted to get him stable enuf to release and have me just do the follow-up myself... or get him into the nearby Hospital by taking him there myself if that becomes necessary.  He's so Medically Fragile that most of the time they want to Admit him now.  Above is some Creepy Halloween Chili with Frank Fingers.  *LOL*

As I was sitting for 8 Hours in ER, the Live Feed of Food Porn on my Book of Faces was epic!  *LOL*  I think they get my Algorithm from how often I Photograph my own Food at Restaurants?  *Smiles*  But, I really do enjoy the Visuals and some of the Recipes are worth knowing about, seems they do know my preferred Cuisine quite well!  They just don't know me well enuf to realize I do not Cook!!!  *Ha ha ha*  But, let's face it, even tho' not a Food Blogger, I Delight in the Visuals Shared of the best good Food Porn, a thing of Beauty that it all is.   And of promoting the Restaurants I frequent Locally as well.   I took The Man to "Coladas" for Crepes after he was a Good Boy and got Vaxxed Up.  He Hates Shots, so, requires Bribes.  *LOL and Eye Roll*

I had the Machaca Crepe for the first time and it was Sublime, I'll definitely order that one again!   It has Potato, Machaca {Traditional Dried Shredded Spiced Beef or Pork that is then rehydrated}, Cheese and Mexican Cream with Mexican Cheese Crumbles and a nice Spicy Dip, along with a Caramel Iced Macchiato.  The Man had his 'usual' Peaches Crepe with Ice Cream and a Peach Blossom Iced Tea.  He was agitated in the Restaurant coz a couple of Young Hispanic Women at another Table had their Two small Feral Children running around like Banshees and Screaming shrilly.  The Boy was about Two and the Girl about Five or Six, both Women oblivious to how intrusive their Kids behavior was to other Diners.  The Kids were literally running into People and totally out of control.  I felt Management should have addressed it, but didn't... the Kids or other Patrons and Staff could have risked being hurt.

I like Kids, but, it's up to Responsible Adults to Teach them how to Behave, especially in Social situations and in Public places.  I don't blame a Child for a Parent not being up to the Job, they Learn what they Live.   And a Child who isn't Taught how to Act and have acceptable Boundaries will become an Adult who doesn't know how to Act or have acceptable Boundaries.   Then it truly becomes Society's Problem to Deal with the outcome of all that.   An Older Spanish Speaking Woman did approach them about their Kids when they ran into the Old Lady.  But, the one Mom only made a feeble attempt to Calm the Kids down any.  Thankfully they left soon after, they'd been done eating for a while and were taking up Space and causing a Scene and Inconvenience to other Diners with their Kids long after they should have just left.

When you Pay to go out somewhere and want to enjoy something, the last thing you want to have to endure is someone else's misbehavior, no matter how young or old they are.   So, I didn't blame The Man for becoming agitated, I was annoyed.   But, the Kids stayed away from our Table coz I was giving them The Look that a Stern Grandparent would and it doesn't require Words.  *LOL*   So, they acted Buck Wild around other Tables, but were loud and so boisterously running around at warp Speed, that it disrupted the whole Restaurant really, for probably a full Hour.  Once they left, the Ambiance returned that you go to a Crepe Restaurant or Coffee Shop for.  Rather than to a fast food Joint that has a Children's Playground to attract that demographic and is more Age Appropriate for The Littles.   If your Child(ren) struggle and are Behaviorally Challenged, know where NOT to take them, Okay?

An Hour of hearing shrill Screams that could burst your Eardrums and having Kids Zooming around willy nilly crashing into People and Things, well, not the Ideal Dining Experience.  *Eye Roll*  So much for a nice relaxing Brunch, tho' the Food was Sublime, so, there was that.  *Smiles*  The Man actually went to sit outside for about 15 Minutes so he could decompress, they had a couple of Bistro Tables out there but it was already triple digits by Noon so I retrieved him and coaxed him back inside.   He was looking at those Kids like he wanted to trip one of them tho'.   So, I'm glad they instinctively knew to stay away from our area. *Bwahahahaha*  My Fantasy was more about Bitch Slapping their Unfit to Parent Mamas.  I'd feel Guilt Free for Readjusting a Grown Ass Adult's unacceptable Social Disruption and Behavior.

I can communicate that with just my Eyes, so both Women averted having any Eye Contact.  Which was Funny, I ain't gonna Lie. *Smiles*  The One just glanced quickly at me the once and looked down a lot after that, avoiding Eye Contact completely.  *Winks*  They knew their Kids were Acting the Fool, but clearly have no ability for Parental Control.   I made Eye Contact with the Older Little Girl too, and she carefully then herded the Younger Boy away as they continued playing Tag and Screaming from a Safer Distance.  *Bwahaha*   Had Princess T been present I know she would have loudly asked me whose Feral Children those were acting Buck Wild and disturbing everyone?  *LOL*

  In the Past we've had some of those Parents come up and apologize to us or just quickly and wisely leave out of embarrassment of being Called Out.  *Winks*   Some have no Shame tho'.  And any who want a Situation, well, they won't be disappointed, we aim to Please and Oblige.  *Snicker*  Usually Management will be Wise enuf when a disruptive Patron is finally pissing off their Good Customers, come and tell them they need to Go or Police will be called.  It's only the most low life or most uneducated type that will continue to be disruptive.  Well, unless they don't mind getting Arrested or being Banned from an Establishment, especially if they've got Kids in tow.  But, I've seen that happen in Public too, some folks just need harsh consequences to Learn the Hard way what isn't Socially acceptable Behavior.  Rant over, I know I'm Preaching to the Choir here and we're likely Unanimous about this Topic?  *Smiles*

The Arizona State Fair is back already but it's been too Hot to even consider attending.  I like to go at least once, but, last Year opted to go with just Princess T and her Friends, let them go their way and just walk around and meet up afterwards at a designated spot.  If it doesn't Cool down enuf I doubt I'd want to go, it would be too uncomfortable and Drinks there are very expensive to keep hydrated enuf.   They don't Open until around Noon and I don't like going Downtown after Dark, the Fairgrounds are not in the best part of the City.  Parking is at a Premium in the City so we usually Park Blocks away and walk in.  I do enjoy going, even tho' in recent Years it's a Shadow of what it used to be in it's Heyday.  It's just gotten so expensive, both to attend, and for those who Rent Space there, that it's becoming less worth it for both and it shows.

There's a lot of things I'd like to do but Budget this Autumn is tight, so, probably not gonna.  Dammit.   I can only hustle just so much discretionary income above and beyond on The Fly.   And the extreme Heat does drain me of Energy that is finite now and depletes before much of the day is out.  *Le Sigh*  Half the time now it's all I can do to bother being appropriately dressed and just not bother with things like wearing a Bra or doing my Hair, and practically never bother with Makeup.  *LOL*   I know, I've taken the Old Hippie Thang to an extreme these days and I don't really Care either.  *Bwahahaha*  I know I should Care, but, I really just don't.   And besides, does anybody really Notice?  I doubt it...  *Winks*  The Human Sideshow I see walking around in Public these days, I blend right in inconspicuously actually.  *LOL*  You just don't attract that much attention, even IF you were trying to... I suspect... in the City... anything goes.

Princess T has Sundays and Mondays Off so it's a Laid Back kinda day now that I've got all The Man's Medical Crisis attended to.  As far as I know the VA still hasn't gotten back to him to Schedule that Follow-Up, so, that will be an ongoing hassle I suspect.  I'll have to come up with a Plan B should they neglect him and not get him in when they should for a serious Follow-Up request from an ER Doctor who already Treated him and is trying to avoid a Hospitalization and complications.  With the VA, that's not unexpected, getting Appointments is like Winning a Lottery, your Chances might be better with Winning a Lottery actually.  And finding a Civilian Doc who will take the Military Insurance and your Medicare, well, that's often akin to a Lottery Win too.  Our Medicare Advantage Plan covers most things, but most Civilian Facilities HATE TriCare and won't accept it.   I don't blame them, they likely won't get Paid by the Government.

Or, only a small fraction of what they're Owed.   So, they'd just rather not Treat Veterans, their Families, or Active Duty Personnel.   I used to feel quite Militant about it, but, Raging against The Machine is rather futile.   And Health Care Reform, well, doubt it will happen in our Lifetime so, my expectations are low.  I'll be pleasantly Surprised if we just have a Peaceful Transfer Of Power this time around?  We can only hold out Hope and keep our expectations realistic.  Less than a Month to go before it all shakes out how it just will.  Of coarse I deeply Care Boys and Girls, but, I realize it's not within my Control, so, I've just stocked up on Essentials in the Event that shit goes Sideways again.  

It's a strong possibility that it will, and I only have Guarded Optimism that we can effectively Deal with it better than they did January 6th, coz that was a real Shitshow and Cluster Fuck, wasn't it?   It was fortuitous the Mob Mentality was mostly a bunch of MAGAt incited Yahoos that didn't know what to do once they breached the Capitol and just wanted to take a Shit on Nancy Pelosi's Desk, Hang Mike Pence, whilst Live Streaming themselves doing it, and such Hillbilly Mentality stuff as that, poorly thought out and executed.  But, if they should become more Organized and better Led to Wrath and effectively more Weaponized, it could be a whole other Situation.   Once someone joins a Cult, well, most will Die for their Cause no matter how illogical, irrational, outrageous or demented.    In Waco and Jonestown they were willing to Die horribly and take their innocent Children with them on their Suicide Mission... so... it goes real Far Side with Cultists.

If you've ever tried to have a rational conversation with anyone whose been indoctrinated, and gone Lunatic Fringe, you realize you can't reason someone out of something that took no reason to get into.  I do know some and they're really Far Gone now, Hopeless Causes as far as I can tell and no longer tethered to Reality or Reason.   My Dear Friend Rick said his 90 Year Old Mother has become MAGA Obsessed and she's always been a devout Woman of Faith and lived a good Wholesome Life.   So he just can't fathom what happened to her... other than, she's a Vulnerable Adult now.  So, he's attributing it to her being 90 Years Old and subject to any kind of exploitation, easily led astray and easily fearful, due to her advanced Age related vulnerabilities.  I know he really worries about her coz she's in a real small Town in a very Blue Political leaning area, so now people don't want to Deal with her or be around her anymore, it's changed her in really Unlovely uncharacteristic ways.  

He Loves her dearly, but had to tell her she can no longer Parrot her Politics to him that she heard from Faux News and Hair Furor, he just can't see her becoming like that.   He's a Good Guy and he said she used to be a Good Woman he had so much Respect for.  But, this whole Political hijacking of a Major Party has spun so far out of control now that it really worries him for people who got sucked in to it.  Become so Cultish, Hateful and Cruel about how they have chosen to Be towards other Human Beings who don't Kiss the Ring and now are perceived as mortal Enemies and not Fellow Americans.   The Dehumanization of "Others" can have a very insidious and atrocity directed Outcome to it... atrocities of the Past have shown us the worst of our Species and total lack of basic Humanity.  If you don't Learn from History you're doomed to repeat it.  Now IQ 45 is espousing the Bad Genes thing again, and Superior Genes of people like him, he's sounding more and more like Hitler.

The VA Clinic did get back to The Man finally and don't want him to bother with his Primary, they want him to immediately Schedule an Appointment at the Main VA Downtown Hospital with a Podiatrist instead.  And, if he can't get in within a reasonable time frame, take him to the VA Hospital ER instead and make them Deal with him immediately before he becomes Medically more compromised over this.   So, we're trying now to get an Appointment with the Podiatrist Downtown and if we can't, Tomorrow I'll be whizzing him down to the VA ER, which is a Joy Forever and Ever coz it's always packed and long waits to be seen, no matter how critical your Situation is.   He abhors it, but, it is what it just is, so, all Body Parts Crossed we can just get that damned Specialist Appointment soon instead?  Managing him at the VA ER is no Fun, he gets really agitated and angry, he feels quite embittered and I don't blame him.  His 39 Years of Service to Country mean nothing really.

 

Princess T was saying The Arizona State Fair Armband Days are only on Thursdays and they all have to Work, so she's not sure they'll even bother to go this Year.   She doesn't seem too bothered about it, me either, I may or may not try to attend, depending on the temperatures for October.   October 27th is the last day and it began September 20th.  The Weather so far was too Hot for all of it thus far.  It used to run past November and start later in October.   I'm not even sure yet whether I'll attend all the Events in October or not.  If some of them aren't really doing a Halloween Theme this Month, I'm not that interested.  I'm in full Fall Mode right now and anything else I won't waste precious Time on.   Autumn will seem fleeting enough as quickly as Time just passes by now.  And I revel in my favorite Season of all and want to linger in it.  I'm glad I got the Front Porch Decorated for Halloween so we can enjoy it each day.  The Son and Princess T's Boyfriend mentioned it this Afternoon.

The Son even said he will look forward to sitting out there Halloween Night like last Year with a Fire Pit and helping us hand out Candy to the Trick-Or-Treaters.  I thought he would make other Plans, but, he enjoyed it so much last Year that he said it's how he'd prefer to spend that Holiday Evening here at Home.   I guess some he knows don't do too much, if anything, on Halloween anymore, and he still enjoys doing the Traditional things he has fond Memories of doing with Family on Halloween.   Since he doesn't have his Ex's Kiddos to take around to do Trick-Or-Treating, I can tell he does miss all of that, and misses the Girls a lot too.   She and her Girls are lovely people and we Loved them all very much.   I wanted for them to be able to move on and have a wonderful Life too.

He was in their lives for over a Decade, so, even tho' they weren't biologically connected, he got attached even after he and their Mom called it quits.   We have no contact now... her Choice really and we respect that... tho' we do Miss them all.  I kept in touch the longest, I still Cared, but it became quite awkward since she did make some trouble for The Son and I couldn't support that.  He'd moved on and was doing good, he didn't need that... so, I voluntarily detached.   I didn't want to build any animosity or feel conflicted.   He only wanted the best for his Ex and her Children and knew he could not be a part of their lives anymore in any capacity, which, he accepted.  He assumed the bulk of the blame for why it couldn't and didn't work out.   But, perhaps she felt she'd wasted a precious Decade, I dunno?   And she did the right thing by ending it, I encouraged it in fact, for her sake and the Kiddos, he was a Hot Mess at the time.  She Loved him enuf to stay longer than she should have actually.

The hard part for The Son is that he's on great terms with every other Ex he's ever had and still actually good Friends with all of them but her.   He would have preferred it to be amicable and civil between them, when it could not be, he felt it best to sever all contact and ask me to do the same.  I agreed to once I realized some spitefulness was playing out and causing him trouble, long past when they broke up, to where, I didn't see the Point and felt staying in touch with the rest of us became her Conduit to get to him?   Not Cool.  It seemed both of them had moved on, so, causing trouble for him made little sense to me, he wasn't causing her any and it seemed vindictive.  That was a side of her I didn't like and hadn't seen before, so, I didn't want to have to address it.   Be Well and Be Gone seemed to be the best approach and make no way to have any more Contact. 

  I still Hope she and the Kiddos have nothing but wonderful experiences and a Happy Life, they deserve it and I still Care very much for them all.  We're the kind of Family that you can be an Ex of and unless you're some complete Psycho that poses a Threat, or choose to be a real Asshole, we can still have Relationship that works in some capacity that is favorable for everyone concerned.   It doesn't have to be hostile or ugly, all my Kiddos Exes know this and all the others are still able to keep in Touch and know we have their Backs, even tho' it didn't work out for them to still be with The Son or The Daughter Romantically anymore.  The Daughter is still Friends with her Exes, but keeps it Real about any Choices they're making that she doesn't want their Children to be exposed to.   That can be the only Fly in the Ointment with all of us here... the Welfare of all Children comes first.  Working Together to that End benefits the Children best, those biologically connected or not.  But, if there's no Bio Connection, often they want zero Contact after a Breakup with your Family Member.

Today is Tuesday Morning in Real Time so Princess T has to get to Work at Hour earlier, at Six in the Morning.  That means we're up by Four, since, I'm her Ride to and fro.   She often gets out earlier too, they're re-stocking from having had the Big 50% Off Sale every Monday, all the Back Room Employees don't Work on Monday.  My Arm really hurts from being Vaccinated now... getting the Shots was virtually Painless, but the Muscle sure knows by the end of 24 Hours, that it's been Molested.  *LOL*   I had both done in my left Bicep near the Shoulder, so I would have a Good Side to still Sleep on, even tho' I prefer Sleeping on my Left Side.   But, I knew I'd need and want to use my Right Arm more than my Left, thus, choosing that Side to get Vaxxed.   I Eat Left Handed, but, other than that, am predominantly Right Handed. 

  I can do most things with either Hand tho', always have been able to be Ambidextrous.  Oddly Ambidexterity as an Exact Cause is Unknown, but, may be associated with an imbalance in the Brain, ADHD, Schizophrenia and PTSD... so, that explains a lot.  *LOL and Winks*   Most would say I have all Four of those Conditions, tho' the Schizo One was never a formal diagnosis like it was with The Daughter and The Young Prince... so... mebbe I got a milder Case of it, I dunno?   *Smiles*    So, anyway, my Arm hurts and I woke up with a Killer Headache too, which, may or may not be from the Vaccines, could just be Air Quality, which has been not good either, lots of Pollution hanging in the Valley.   Most of it is from Construction and Farming, along with the influx of Seasonal Visitors which expands the population a lot during Fall and Winter when they arrive.   I do like that the Snowbirds have Money to Winter anywhere they like and bring it with them to spend.  *Winks*

I successfully switched Princess T's Dental Appointment from 3:30 to 4:30 the same Day, they were happily accommodating.  The VA Podiatrist less so, they couldn't even get someone in with an Emergency like The Man's until late November!!!   So, I'll keep an Eye on his Infected Foot and if it worsens, just utilize the VA Hospital ER instead.  Not Ideal, but, whaddya gonna do when the VA can never give you a timely Appointment even for Medical Crisis and extreme Cases that shouldn't have to wait and worsen.  Anyway, just him having the IV Fluids with Antibiotics pushed into him Yesterday made a profound difference and rather than Reddening and spreading, it's Pinkish now and receding.  I pick up his Oral Antibiotics from CVS Today so perhaps that's all he will actually need?   I told him to Schedule the late November with the VA Podiatrist anyway when they call back.  Then they can have him on their Rolls and keep an Eye on his Feet, trim his Nails for him, etcetera.

*******

Happy Autumnal Vibes my Friends... Dawn... The Bohemian