Christmas Eve 2024

 So, it's Christmas Eve, Princess T had to Work but The Son apparently didn't have to and either they forgot to tell him or he forgot and drove all the way there and had to come Home!   Monday I Binge Watched a NetFlix Award Winning Docuseries from Australia called YOU CAN'T ASK THAT.   People from marginalized groups were the topic of each Episode and responded candidly to Questions about their identities, Lifestyle and/or experiences.  It was fascinating, each Series Episode was a different Group such as:  Indigenous Aboriginal People, Little People, People Over 100, Terminally Ill People, Trans People, Recent War Veterans, Children of Same Sex Parents, Ex-Prisoners, Blind People, Disfigured People, Down Syndrome People, Suicide Attempt Survivors, Refugees, Ice Users, Gambling Addicts, Wheelchair Users, Muslims, Polyamorous Couples, Fat People, Sex Workers, The S&M Community.   They should do an American version of this, it's excellent and quite educational.   I watched the Two Seasons worth back to back.

Princess T's last Gift that I'd Ordered Online from E-Bay, arrived just in time.  *Whew*   She's been enjoying her Vintage "Playboy" Magazines that she'd bought for herself, she uses them for her Art Drawings of Nudes, so, I'd bought some Iconic ones from our Antique Mall, one with Bo Derek.   And the one I ordered from an E-Bay Buy It Now feature with Pamela Anderson.   She won't know who either Woman is *LOL*, but the one I got with Marilyn Monroe, she will, everyone knows Marilyn, she's eclipsed Iconic forever.  *Winks*  I'd wanted to find the one with the Playmate of the Month and Actress that my Brother Dated in the 1970's, Michele Drake, but, couldn't find it.  She was a very nice Girl and even met my Parents.   I remember how Sexy and Beautiful she looked when she and my Brother went to the Phoenix Playboy Club for an Event way back then.  My Daughter's Father's Jaw dropped, when we all met at my Parent's House for Dinner, he knew my Brother had done Work for Playboy, but didn't know he was Dating a well known Playmate!  *LOL*

 

My Brother still gets the attention of many Gorgeous Women, he's such a great Guy and such a Masterful Photographer.  He has many Celebs he knows personally and he treats everyone the same, whether they'd be Famous or a Homeless Person, and his Charisma is palpable to people.  I'm very proud of my Little Brother, which always sounded funny to call him Little coz he's 6'4" and a very husky Tall Man, but one of those Gentle Giants.  I'm only 5'2" so I got the only Short Genes in the Family, the only Light Hair, all the Recessive Genes apparently.  *Ha ha ha*  Now that he's Retired, he'll often Gift his Friends with a Photography Portfolio he takes of them, as it helps their Careers and Promotions.  If my Brother takes a Pix of you, it's always gonna look like the most Amazing Version of yourself.  He's Photographed Pamela Anderson and always said she had some of the best Skin in Hollywood in his Opinion.  But, he always said on the Original Baywatch Cast, he felt that Actress Alexandra Paul was the most Beautiful Naturally so, even without Makeup... she was in 92 Episodes in the 1970's.

It isn't a Myth that some people are more Photogenic, and will look better in Photos than in Real Life, and others look better in Person than any Photo you could ever take of them.  It is also True that a lot of Models, even way back when, without professional Make-Up, or Air Brushing their Photos, weren't as good looking in Person.   My Brother burst a lot of Bubbles for me of Celebs, especially about who were the ones with amazing Real Life Character and Personalities... and which ones were NOT.  *LOL*   He and his long time Partner, both worked in the Industry so they knew a lot of Famous People thru their Work.   His Lady was a Broker for Famous Clients.  They've been together almost as long as The Man and I, but never Married.   Her First Husband was a Famous British Actor tho'.   She's a great Gal and has been so good for my Brother, so their Relationship has lasted Decades.  My Brother and I are very close, always were, we did just about everything together as Kids and even when he lived in Arizona as an Adult.  He's a Sibling who is also a Best Friend.

My last little Pressy to Self arrived just in time to put under the Tree, my 1966 Michigan License Plate which has my Initials and the Water Winter Wonderland State Motto of that Era.  I think it will make a fine Christmas Prop every Year becoz it's Off White and says that.  I was just fortunate by pure Serendipity that the one I found Online just happened to have the Letters of my First and Last Name, what are the Odds?!   It also has my fav Number "7" and my least fav Number "4", which is Funny to me also, and who doesn't like a couple of "8"s thrown in for good measure?   *Smiles*   I like Quirky Gifts like this which is Why my Family prefers to just hand me Cash and let me Buy my own Gifts with it so I'd get the Weird shit I Like and they might not have a Clue I'd prefer becoz it's so Randomly Weird.   *Bwahahahaha*   I can get truly ecstatic over a Gift that nobody else on the Planet might... like the Bear Head my Brother once sent me on my Birthday that they got while cleaning out a Celeb's Storage Locker for him.  *LMAO*  One of my Bro's Best Friends does that for a Living, cleaning out Famous Client's Storage Lockers for them and disposing of the Contents as they Wish.

 

It was part of an Old Hollywood Prop Bearskin Rug and the Head had become detached so the Owner wanted it disposed of.   My Brother's Friend was like, what the Hell are we gonna do with the Bear Head, the Rug will be no problem!!!???!   My Brother tells him, my Big Sister's Birthday is coming up, I'll send it to her as a Surprise.   Well, his Friend thought it was a Gag Gift ala "The Godfather" and Horse Head in the Bed kinda Joke.  *LMAO*   And my Brother is like, No, you don't know my Sister, she's very Morticia Addams and it's not a Joke, she'll be Thrilled to receive it and not the least bit Surprised I'd send her something like a Bear Head in a Box for her Birthday Surprise Gift... it will be "Normal" to her!   *Bwahahahahahahaha*   And he's Right, it was the Best Birthday Gift EVER!!!   And I have it Proudly Displayed in our Home wearing an Old Santos Crown.  *Winks*   My Brother knows me, I was always that very Weird little Kid too, a True Wednesday Addams Child that kinda unsettled his Friends growing up.  *Ha ha ha*

  

Said Black Bear Head my Brother Gifted me with {Above}.  He never did tell me which Famous Person it belonged to, it doesn't matter and they respect the Privacy and Confidentiality of their High Profile Clients, which is only right.   But, I do like to Muse about how many Hollywood Sets this was a Prop on?  *Smiles*   It's a very Old Mount, which is why the Head came off the Rug eventually while in Storage, but I just Love it.   And as you can see The Young Prince had tucked in one of his Clay Voodoo Dolls which he'd put all over the House and I didn't even know that one was up there 'til I took this Pix for the Blog Post.  It always cracks me up that he does that to Surprise me, The Daughter is like, Mom, don't you think that's Creepy?   Nope, your Son knows me and realizes I'll find it hilarious and keep them there, it's why he does it... it's our little Inside Joke actually.  *LOL*   He always Joked and told his Friends I was a Voodoo Priestess and they Believed him.  Needless to say they always gave me the utmost due Respect.  *Bwahahahaha*

The only thing that Creeps the whole Family Out that I J'Adore, and so they put a Festive Color Beanie over it's Face for every Holiday, Red for Christmas, Black for Halloween... etcetera... is my Frankenstein Deer Mount.   I got it from my Friend Shelly and it's Nose fell off during a Show she was doing in Texas.  She's previously Beaded the decrepit Ears, it's a very Old Mount from probably the 1920-1930's Era so has seen better Days.   Well, I agreed to Buy it at a First Cousin's Price in spite of the Nose having fallen off and told her if she ever located the Nose, Save it for me and I'd re-attach it myself.  Taxidermy Repair can be spendy even tho' one of my Brothers-In-Law does it for a Living so I'd get the Family Hood Hookup from The Man's Younger Brother.  *LOL*  Anyway, long Story Short, I'm having Lunch with my Friend Pamela the Day Shelly found said Deer Nose and I'd gone Downtown to pick it up before meeting Pamela for Lunch at a fav Restaurant.

Pamela and I are conversing about Why I was all the way Downtown on a Weekday and I said to pick up my Deer Nose, and it's in the Truck... when our Young Waiter rolls up on this Conversation in Progress.  He stops Dead and said he'd rolled up on a lotta Conversations, but, he's just gotta hear the Back Story to this one!!!   *Bwahahahaha*   And Pamela says, Oh, that's a NORMAL Conversation for THIS Friend and not at all Shocking she's got a Severed Deer Nose in her Truck, it's more Shocking to me that she actually read and answered a Text Message I sent her!  *Bwahahahahahahahahahaha*   And, that's the Truth and that Waiter said it was the best Back Story he'd ever heard and I must be a very fascinating Friend to have and never Boring?!   She said he had no Idea... *LMAOROTF*   She once Gifted me with a Victorian Era "Haunted" Christening Infant's Gown that looked like it had Old Blood Stains on it and Creeped her Out too much to Keep, lest the Rusty Stains actually be Blood, but knew I'd Appreciate it.   And she's given me a 1950's Era B&W Photo that has an actual Apparition in it.  *LOL*

 

I've had many Friends Gift me with the Weird and Wonderful shit they find and instantly think of me, so, this is very Usual and Appreciated.  I've had Friends Gift me with Old damaged Store Mannequins, Derelict Style Lampshades, and all manner of things to put into my Cabinets of Curiosities I have around our Home and in The RV Garage Mahal and Art Studio Spaces.   I Buy Old Medical Cabinets and Old Barrister Cabinets and make them into my Cabinets of Curiosities, filled to the brim with Oddities and whatever is Weird and Wonderful.  It fascinates folks even if they wouldn't have any of it in their Homes.   When my Kids and Grandkids were Growing Up all their Friends LOVED our House, since, it was very much an Addams Family Experience to enter our Home.  *Winks*   And from early Childhood, I WANTED a Home Decorated like the Iconic Old Addams Family Series.  Had I ever found an Old Victorian Mansion to Buy in Phoenix, I would have Scored it and that would have ended up my Forever Home.  Sadly, Phoenix razed most of them prior to the 1960's and kept doing so right up to the 2000's.

Investors and Developers pay Cash for them for the Land Value and Location, tear them down and put up something Modern and usually hideous with absolutely no concern to preserve any History.   Yes, it pisses me off coz you can't compete with that as a Buyer.   And it pisses me off more that the City allows it actually.   Heritage Tourism could have been far more Profitable had Phoenix and surrounding big Cities directly around Metro Phoenix had been proactive in Saving at least some of it's Rich History, but, they all didn't.   And the scant few that Survived, were turned into Museums and aren't actually Lived in, so, no opportunity to Buy one for the average Home Buyer... dammit!!!   That's why Owning my Historic Home was Rare and I was loathe to have to Sell it, even tho' it was just a Century Plus Old Ranch House on Acreage and not a Victorian Two Story Home.   It was Condemned and slated to be Razed, I fought the City to not only leave it standing, but, outbid them on it, Negotiating a Deal with the Bank who Underwrote me, and then Sold it to a Preservationist.  It's the ONLY reason it still Exists.

The City HATED me for it, and harassed me for a few Years.  Coz as long as the Original Structure was Standing and Pre-Dated the City by Decades {the City was only Founded in 1948 and the Home was a Turn of the Century Ranch at one time and the City was previously only a Stage Stop}, it was the only Grandfathered piece of Land in the City that remained.  *Winks, no Easements, no Zoning Restrictions they could impose, ridiculously Low Tax Base*   Well, I always Won in Court coz I could Represent myself very well, it's what I did for Banks in my First Corporate Life regarding distressed Real Property.   So, it was a Hill the City finally knew I was willing to Die on and I passed all the pertinent Legal Protections the Property had to Mr. Avila when he bought it.  He's been Kinder to the City than me and let them put in a Sidewalk, giving up that much of his Non-Easement and Possession to the Street, I didn't give the City a Square Inch of my Property, so they had to Work around that when I Owned it.   If you give an Inch, they'll want a Mile.   And I knew most of the Judges, and they knew me and that I'd come Prepared to Prevail, so... Touche' City!  *LOL*

Above and Below is the Taco Tree at our nearest Mexican Restaurant.  And, Yes, I now like not being harassed with frivolous Court Threats or Appearances here at Forever Boheme', no HOA either... since I Believe that HOA's are also The Devil.   At Villa Boheme' I went Toe to Toe with them too and they knew if they dragged me into Court, I'd end up with ALL their fucking HOA Money coz their bullshit wouldn't stand up in Court.  I didn't Care what Lawyer they Hired, a bullshit Court Case is something most Judges have Zero Tolerance for, it wastes the Courts Time and the City's Money to have frivolous Lawsuits jamming up their Calendar.   Most HOA's, especially in Affluent Subdivision Hells, are just filled with Bored Young Trophy Wife Housewives and Old Company Execs put out to Pasture, all of who want to still seem relevant and powerful.  Telling their Neighbors what do do... well, fuck them... now Dark Dawn wants to Play!  *Winks*  

Becoz, they put stupid shit in Writing that will sink them in every Case that isn't legit and Boy did I have some hilarious HOA Warning Letters that would have made any Judge say WT actual F?!   We'll Fine you if you don't cut your Grass... it was Stadium Grade Astroturf and wasn't even Real!!!!   You MUST Raise the Canopy of your Trees or be Fined... ummm, Moron, the Canopy is the TOP of a Tree, so Pray Tell how one RAISES that?   And then the Idiots said, well, they droop... ummm, they're Desert Willow, that's what they fucking do!!!  *Bwahahaha*   You can't Display your Nativity at Christmas... I put a Strobe Light under my Baby Jesus Vintage Blow Mold Nativity Set, just to DARE them to take me to Court for expressing my Religious Freedom on my own Property!   I told my Sri Lankan Dear Young Neighbors {the ONLY Good Neighbors in that dreadful and Racist Community}, to keep their Ganesh Altar up too in their Inner Courtyard, despite HOA Threat they couldn't have it... coz the HOA had Illegally used a Drone to see it was even there!   

The Husband Gifted me with an identical Hand Carved Ganesh as his Thank You.  And they still have their Beautiful Altar in their Inner Courtyard and are no longer being harassed about something that isn't Illegal to have... and they were only being Targeted becoz the Racist Fundie Neighbors despised having an Ethnic Non-Christian Immigrant Family living among them.  And John and Sofie were a Wonderful Affluent Young Couple and had a 7,000 sf McManse that they kept immaculate in every way, and, they could afford to live there in a Million Dollar Listing, so had every Right to be there in the Community!   Anyway, the HOA ended up Protecting their Sixty Grand coz I threatened them it would be mine if we went to Court, ALL of it... and mebbe a Judgment for even more due to the Emotional Stress their Harassment was Causing me. 

 Becoz it is Stressful and can be expensive to be Targeted... which is Why 45/47 needs to be stopped from his Retribution and Revenge Tour against Innocent People and Political Adversaries he just wants to go after, punish and destroy on baseless Claims, simply coz he has the financially deep Sycophants willing to fund it all.    And tho' the HOA Imagined themselves to be Relieved when they saw my Listing go up, yay, we finally forced them out.  Well, I wasn't finished with them yet, I deliberately Sold it to an Air B&B Party House Wealthy Investor from Cali, who Closed in less than 24 Hours... and I'm sure the HOA shit Kittens about that!   And still is, coz... well, the Party House is still there, paved almost all of the once gorgeous Professional Landscaping in order to Park more Cars, tore out most of the Plants, and, well, I Bet the HOA Wished they'd left us the fuck alone now?  *Winks and Payback is a real Motherfucker*

And now, out of pure Curiosity, since there's no reason other than that I'd ever wanna go back there, I do see that the Common Areas are not being Maintained all that Well by the HOA.  Since I represented Financial Institutions in Distressed situations, me thinks that HOA is in some Financial Crisis, not uncommon if not Managed Well.   So... glad we got out while Equity was rising and before the next Real Estate Bubble bursts... and... it will.   We bought in there after the first one burst, when Million Dollar Listings had to be Sold for about $370,000, coz nobody was Buying them and all were in default or costing the Owners an Arm and a Leg to Maintain upside down Real Property of enormous ridiculous sized Homes, build in the Wrong Area to command those Price Points, so they got stuck with.   And it was unfortunate for those that had overpaid for their Real Estate and then the bottom dropped out.   Even if the Market Corrects, if you Paid too much, you Paid too much, and the Wrong Location is a Loser.  Remember only three things in Real Estate: Location, Location, Location.   Oh, and Buy/Invest when there's Blood in the Streets.  *winks*

I was a Player at those Fire Sale Price Points tho', which is why we bought the McManse and Sold it after it ensured I got The G-Kid Force Adopted and Cashed Out our Equity on a Quick Turn.  Coz the Adoption Board was so Impressed with the McManse after refusing to Approve our Paid Off Historic Home as adequate enuf.   And they then Paid for the Expensive Adoption too, so, I factored that in as a huge Savings as well of about Thirty Grand or more per Child.  They even Hired a Fancy Scottsdale Lawyer to push the Adoption thru and all my Legal Paperwork said I was a Single Woman... I'm NOT... but... whatever, it got the Job done and a Fancy Lawyer and Judges pushed it all thru, so... I didn't Care.   It was funny tho', coz The Man, with his TBI, turned to me in Court and asked me, when the Adoption Finalized, does this also mean we're now Divorced and you're Single again? 

  Awwww, Bless him, no Honey, we're still hitched Legally, you just couldn't be pushed thru as their Adoptive Father due to the extent of your Disability, so, you're still Grandpa and I'm Legally now Mom.   Yeah, it's all fucked up... but so are our Systems.   And you can Buy almost anything if you have enuf Money to... just sayin', he who Bankrolls it to the satisfaction of The System, will Own it and get it Blessed by the Powers that Be.  *Eye Roll and Winks*   And Yes, I would like to see Positive Changes, but, not Negative ones and I think that's what we're in for during the next Four Years, so, No, I'm not On Board with the Crazy Train and Insane Clown Posse and their whole Clown Car Entourage of Criminally Inclined mostly obscenely Rich Extremists.   Justice will be Rare as Black Stags... BTW my Talented Designer Friend Hand Dyed this Stag Mount with Human Black Hair Dye, she's Brilliant.

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Have a Happy Christmas Eve my Friends... I have plenty of Christmas Holiday Eye Candy to come for Days and to close out the Year and usher in 2025... Dawn... The Bohemian