The Era Of A Junquer's Paradise

 Thankfully my Stomach settled down midday, so, whatever was Wrong was short and sweet, some AD Meds I'd Scored from the Dollar Store did the trick and stopped the Trots.  Whew.  It's anxiety ridden when you're Old, slower and need emergency visits to the Bathroom.  *LOL*  I haven't eaten much, not wanting to flare it up again.  But I felt okay enuf to go pick Princess T up after Work.   She's going to Flagstaff with Timmy Tomorrow so they can see some Snow.  A day trip together, they Travel well together.  He said he doesn't Travel well with most other Girls he knows tho'.   She knows those Girls and said she wouldn't Travel well with them either.  *LOL*

Then she was comparing a Gay Guy's Room to a Straight Guy's Room and saying, Straight Guy's Rooms always look like they got a Depression Room going on Gramma!  *LMAOROTF*   She has to give Rusty ultimatums to Fix his Room before he tries to Fix 'them' as a Couple.  *LOL*  She said when she was over there for New Year's watching that Movie, his Table was sticky and when she put something on it, you couldn't pick it back up... disgusting!  *Bwahahaha*   She's like, mebbe I need to get myself a Gay Boyfriend becoz they have the same Housekeeping Standards that I do Gramma!  *Smiles*  Timmy's Room is a Vision and as Styled as hers is.  She cracks me up!

Now, that said, I told her that Grandpa was the Cleanest, Tidiest and most Organized Single Man I'd ever met, I contribute it to his Marine Corps. Discipline and Training.  He had his Clothing Finger Spaced in his Closet and you could bounce a Quarter off his Bedsheets!  *LOL*  He's way better at Housekeeping than this Old Hippie lemme tell ya.   When he folds our Laundry it looks like when you Buy it and take it out of it's Commercial Packaging!  *winks*   He can pack a Suitcase like nobody I know and it looks perfect in every way, like a Dry Cleaner cleaned it, pressed it and folded it all.  My Suitcase always looks like Customs already rifled thru it searching for contraband and packed someone's dirty Laundry!  *LOL*

Another Blast From Princess T's embarrassing Young Fashionista Hilarious Past {Above}, she's mortified when I show her these!  Look at the size of that garish Flower Barrett, it's enormous!!!  *LMAOROTF*  Anyway, she was Happy after Work Today becoz they'd hired a New Girl who Works on her Table now sorting Women's Clothing and this Girl used to Work for GOODWILL.  She's fast and kinda already knows what to do tho' SAVERS is way more Organized and better to Work for than their Competitor.  I've heard that before from Women I know who've Worked for both Chazzas.   The Girl told her that Working for GOODWILL sucked.  My Good Friend and Vendor Co-Worker Deb at our Antique Mall told me the same thing and used to Work for both Companies too.  She knew my Granddaughter would like Working for SAVERS, she enjoyed her tenure there and Worked in Books until she reached Retirement Age and began Collecting her Social Security.

I'm having so much Fun trawling my Photo Archives and reminiscing about many of the Shops and great Inventory of the Junquing Past.  Most of those Shops have Closed over the Years and the Inventory ain't what it used to be in those that are left either, I miss those days of the Era of a Junquer's Paradise.   There used to be Honey Holes galore to go Pickin' in them days!!!  *Le Sigh*   And the Events used to be loaded with Quality Salvage, Vintage Merch and Antiques from every bygone Era you could Imagine.  Back then Architectural Salvage was my Jam and earlier, in the 1970's, I often got it Free or got Paid to haul it off when they were razing all the Magnificent Victorian Mansions that used to line Major Downtown Phoenix's Historic Districts.  It was tragic to see them destroyed and Forever Lost, and I shed many a Tear as each went down.  But due to my vigilance, at least a lot of their Architectural Salvage didn't end up Landfill bound, I'd haul it Home and Squirrel it away, so, it still Exists due to my Rescue of it.

I also Love to Rescue Old Photos and call them my Adopted Relatives.  I like to Imagine the Lives of the People in those Old Photos and Why nobody kept the Pixs to pass down, of their Ancestors?   I do Love Vintage Ephemera, it was never meant to Survive and so that which does, I think holds snippets and glimpses of History in a much more Personal and Everyday way than the History Books do.   Anyway, I watched Two good NetFlix Shows, a Movie called "The Fundamentals Of Caring" {2016} starring Paul Rudd, Selena Gomez & Craig Roberts, about a Professional Caregiver and the Disabled Teen he's been Hired to Care for, funny and touching, I really liked it.   The other was called "Don't Die" {2025} and was a Documentary about the wealthy Entrepreneur Bryan Johnson whose putting his Body and Fortune on the line to defy Aging and extend his Life.  It was very Interesting, Quirky and Thought provoking, I really liked it too.

The latter Documentary is controversial becoz it's something people do feel some kind of way about when someone is extreme in whatever they're doing.  This Guy is chasing the Fountain of Youth and reversing negative Aging effects in an extreme way.  Scientifically the research he's providing by being a Human Guinea Pig is invaluable becoz they've only ever been able to research Mice and such in this same way.  He's voluntarily doing it to himself under their Care and putting it out there as to cause and effect of what's being tried.  It's developed a Cult Following now becoz of the obvious potential benefits of becoming healthier and halting the negative effects of Aging or at least slowing them down.  He was a miserable Millionaire before Fixating on this, he didn't even want to Live anymore and was Suicidal.  

 

This has changed his Life in a Positive and Profound way, he had the Money to do it, he's found Purpose, Peace and potential for Profit in it, so, personally, I feel more Power to him.  He might benefit us all or Future Generations with this Experiment.   Or, he might also go too far since he's pushing boundaries with his Body and that can backfire too, as much as neglecting yourself can and does.  At the end of the Day, looking at his Before and his After, it's benefitted him tremendously already.  It's an Extreme Lifestyle tho'.  He looks Healthier, Happier, definitely looks Younger, he can stand beside his Oldest Son and they look like they could be Brothers, so, mebbe it's actually Working?   At the very least he WANTS to Live now and doesn't wanna Die... thus the "Don't Die" Catch Phrase he's Adopted.  A Health Food Product Line has been Developed from this Lifestyle, so, tho' it's Costing him a Fortune, and become his Obsession, perhaps he'll also make a Fortune to keep Funding it?   And becoz of that, some think it's another Big Grift... thus, obvious Controversy.  *LOL*

Now, would most of us Do or even be able to Afford what that Guy is doing to attain his results, absolutely not.  I'd lack that level of commitment or Obsession and I can be pretty OCD.  *LOL*   And, even if the Cost were to become affordable, most wouldn't anyway.  There's already Positive Healthy ways to Eat, Exercise and Live now that don't catch on or Interest many folks.  It's all a conscious Choice and it does take some Sacrifices, Commitment and Work to maintain a Healthy Body and Mind.  But, it is a Pay Now or Pay Later Scenario too if you don't take Care of yourself, isn't it?   We all hear the Joke that is however True, that if we'd known we were gonna Live this Long, we WOULD have taken better Care of Ourselves.  *Winks*  Go to any Geriatric Ward and see the effects of Aging tho' and that's the Future for all of us should we Live long enuf and that Guy is trying to find ways to make Aging more palatable than that.  Hell, I'd be on Board with Scientific breakthroughs to do it, he's putting in all the Money and Risk, not me.  You go Dude!

And, from a standpoint of discussion, what Health Craze hasn't been a Cult Following from time to time?  Some were Fads, some Worked, many more really didn't and were a big Grift.  There's a LOT of Money to be made on both ends of the Spectrum, Health... and Illness/Diseases or other Body and Mind Breakdowns everyone will encounter at some point in Life.   I'd rather spend my Money on the Business of Wellness, than shelling it out to Get Well once something is upon me that gives me no Choice but relying on Big Pharma and Western Medicine to try to Cure me or Save and extend my Life.   The Son sat and watched both Shows with me and we enjoyed them both, each gave us a Topic to discuss afterwards in a stimulating conversation.   The Movie about Caregiving he knew I could relate to and the Gallow's Humor in the Movie is something in a situation like the Movie Topic, we can also relate to and have a point of reference about.  We got Sic Humor here too.  *Winks*

Okay, Courting Controversy is popular too, let us be Real.  Anything potentially Controversial will attract Attention, whether you're Seriously trying to be Controversial or not.   Some Topics will just Trigger than response and so in most cases, nobody wants to talk about them openly very much, if at all, just a few of us.  *LOL*   Some things we just NEED to talk about more, they're the Elephants in the Room that most people skirt around, AS IF it's not there, they don't notice it, pretend it's not in the way, yet it is, and obviously so, whether we have Dialogue about it or not.  *Smiles*  And some things NEED to just be Said, whether who Hears it likes it or not, Feels some kind of way about it or not.   This Morning was a Shining Example when I have to confront The Man about his impaired Habits due to his TBI and onset of Dementia.  I know his Reaction is not gonna be Positive, ever, but, things still have to be Addressed and Said regardless.  For his Good and everyone else's, so, I never Hold Back.

 

Every Morning Princess T and I Partner in tending to Eli The Cat.   She gives him Fresh Water in his contraption that holds his Water and metes it out thruout his Day.   I fill his contraption that holds his Dry Kibbles and metes it out thruout his Day and put his Daily Ration of Wet Gourmet Brand Cat Food in his Dish.  And, Scoop Out his Litterbox.  Yes, I do more and he's not MY Cat, but when you get your Young Kids and Grandkids a Pet, well, it comes with the Territory, doesn't it?  *Eye Roll and Sarcastic Laugh*   So, sometimes The Man wanders into her Room whilst we're doing this to see if he can "Help".  She's getting ready to go to Flagstaff this Morning with Timmy so was getting Snow Bunny Fabulous, so, she gives Grandpa the Shitbagged Litterbox Cleanout to take out to the Garbage Can, which she was gonna do for me, I'm still down on the Floor with Eli.  Now, he knows it's got Cat Shit in it, Right?  Yes, Yes he does.

She reminds Grandpa to take Eli's Poo out to the Black Garbage Container, not the Blue Recycle one, so he Toddles off down the Hallway with it.   Luckily I get up right away becoz I've still got the now empty Recyclable Cat Food Container to put in the Recycle Garbage.  And he's taken a Right Turn into the fucking Kitchen, in Dementia Man Distraction Mode, and set the fucking Bag of Cat Shit on a Paper bowl ON THE KITCHEN COUNTER where we prepare FOOD!!!!!   I yell, NOOO, get that Cat Shit off the Counter Honey, you can't do that!!!   And he yells back, I put it on that Paper Bowl... AS IF that's stopping any cross contamination and isn't a fucking Health Hazard, OMG!   I give him my Crazy Eyes Look and he grumbles, mumbles, picks it up and takes it to the Garbage where he should have been heading all along!  And now I'm Sanitizing the Kitchen Counter!

 

Becoz, Oh, Look!  He'd sat said Bag of Catshit down right by an Open Bag of the Kid's new Bag of Tortilla Chips and a Box of Bakery Cookies of theirs!!!   So, should NOTHING have been Said just becoz he'd take Offense and go a bit TBI Mental about having done something Controversial that is NOT Okay and been confronted with it?   Perhaps some of you would have just quietly addressed it with No Words, but, I'm NOT that Gal.  *Winks*  No matter how Angry and Upset he might get, he will be confronted each and every time he does something that is potentially harmful to himself or others, you can Count on it, he can Count on it, it's how I Run The Asylum here.  *Winks*   I don't happen to Care if you're in Agreement with my Stance on anything or not, we can Agree to Disagree, but, it's gonna be put on the Table for an immediate discussion in Real Time.   It is a Democracy here and so we can take a Vote if you Like.   Whose FOR Catshit in a Bag on the Kitchen Counter beside their Food and on their Prep Area?   Chances are, I'm Winning the Popular Vote.   *Bwahahahaha and an Eye Roll*

And this is Why he also needs a Full Time Caregiver, becoz this is his lack of logic and appropriateness that now limits him and impairs his judgment.   There are times we have to remind him to put Pants on and take a Shower too or change Clothes every Day and put Clean ones on.  It's Why he requires constant Supervision like a Child now.  We'd be the ones negligent if we didn't say anything, or do anything, and ensure he's not in Harm's way or putting anyone else in Harm's way by what he now does and seems no longer able to think thru in a rational way.  And this is also Why I have a huge problem with us installing a President in more serious obvious cognitive decline than my own 70+ Year Old Loved One.   We just convinced Uncle Joe not to run again becoz he was in obvious serious decline, and he is a Good & Honorable Man at least, but still...    

However, Why, oh Why, is America so dead set on installing Geriatric White Men, no matter how untethered to Reality and presenting Dangerous Situations and poorly rationalized implemented and often extreme Policy, rather than the alternatives presented?  One of Life's Mysteries that makes little to no sense to me personally.   I know that tho' The Man has always been an Honorable Guy and a True Patriot, he's in no Condition now to be Leading his own Life, let alone the Lives of anyone else.   And it can be a bitter Pill to swallow when decline sets in with the Natural Aging Process.   Nobody can help but Age, it happens, but, Saner Heads should prevail once it's apparent someone is in cognitive decline and just shouldn't be doing something anymore.  It seems we are skipping that important step in Governing and Politics, especially regarding The Supreme Court Justices.  Just an Observation.  *Winks and a Nod*   It might Solve a lot of Problems, Age Limits and Term Limits on this shit... just sayin'.

Okay, now that we've Solved America and the World's Problems in a Single Post *Winks*, what else should we address and find Solutions for?  *Bwahahahaha*   I know, we're so Clever, aren't we, so, if only WE were in Charge?  *Snicker*   Princess T has left now for her Flagstaff Adventure with Timmy, they're very Stylish Snow Bunnies, those Two, and looking Good is more Importante than keeping Warm, clearly.  They were a Winter Fashion Statement as they drove off.  *LOL*   She's told Rusty she'd be out of Town for a Day so when she returned she expected his Room to be Cleaned and not Nasty anymore and looking like a Depression Room.  Then had quipped to me that mebbe she should just get herself a Gay Boyfriend becoz then these things wouldn't need to be actually Said???  *Bwahahahaha*   Timmy's Mister Wonderful didn't Work Out so well either, apparently he was not being Faithful and Timmy found out.  So, I'm sure he and T will have plenty to gossip about on the Road Trip.  It's Telling they didn't take a Road Trip with their Love Interests instead.  *LOL* 

I'm almost sure each of them in an argument with their Significant Others flounces off with the Statement {Her} I've got my Gay Boy Posse, Later!!!    And {Him}, I've got my Hawt Straight Girl, Later!!!  And they go off and have more Fun and less Infighting with each other than they ever have with a Romantic Relationship, so, it Works for them right now.  *LMAO*  I do Get It, I wasn't inclined to want a Romantic Attachment either until I was almost 30.   So, I had a huge Posse of Hawt Young Guys who were my Besties and Lifelong Best Friends in fact, and no Strings attached.  We did everything together, I was like One of the Guys and it suited me just Fine.   I'm still Lifelong Friends with most of them, tho' Boyfriends came and went, a Husband too.  *LOL*   And, as a Bonus, I'd often Hook them up with my Good Looking Female Friends if they were wanting Girlfriend Material and that kind of Relationship.  I just wasn't Interested, Life was Good being Single and Unattached, less complicated too.  The Man knows all my Lifelong Male Friends and get along with them.

I'm speculating her Relationship with Timmy may last longer than any Romantic Relationship she'll ever have?   And, she's got her Priorities, the Ride or Die folk in your Life are Priceless and likely to remain in your Inner Circle, mebbe a Lifetime.   Now, a Romance may last that long too, but the Odds ain't as good.   They are infinitely better if that person is ALSO your Best Friend.   The Man and I are Polar Opposites in every way imaginable, but, we are Best of Friends and I enjoy doing things Together.   Our Bullet Points are Shared Vision and Family First, it Works for us.   He knows, as do I, that not having a Shared Vision eventually leads to Division, and, if Family ever isn't a Priority, you're with the Wrong Person coz Family is EVERYTHING to me.  *Winks*   I'm also a firm Believer that if anyone can Leave you, they were never Tied to YOUR Destiny, so, let 'em go.  Be Well and Be Gone.   Nobody no longer in my Life was ever Tied to my Destiny, so, I let 'em just go and really Life will still be quite full in spite of whose no longer a part of our Lives.

The Man had been a bit cranky and contentious, even The Daughter said something to me about it, in jest, that Dad was certainly being in Push Back Mode.  *LOL*   I knew he'd been cooped up since before Christmas and his Routine was wrecked by my Stroke, Hospitalization, and fact Recovery has Sidelined me into the New Year.   So, I decided I really needed to take him out, we'd take it easy, do some Environmental Cleanup, which he was missing a lot, and then out for a nice Meal afterwards.   The Nature Preserve had a lot of Assholes who'd dumped enormous amounts of Trash and Old Furniture right at the River, such a shame that people can be so Environmentally Unconscious and Dirty like that.  Fish & Game were there in their Truck assessing the illegal dumping.  If they really wanted to do their Job well, the Idiots had left enuf of the Trash with their Names and Home Address on it to Identify themselves.  Makes me Wonder if the Rangers took heed and gathered Evidence, taking Photos if they had to take it to Court to get a Judgement against the Illegal Dumpers?

We only pick up and haul off the Aluminum dumped and there was a lot of it, but the City/County will have to Pay for the huge Environmental Cleanup necessary to rid the Nature Preserve of all the rest of the illegally dumped Trash.   A big Job and likely expensive.  We hauled off perhaps 60 Lbs. of Aluminum Can Trash, so it was obvious we hadn't been there for a while doing it like we usually do on The Regular.  The culprits are mostly Beer Drinkers and Canned Alcoholic Beverage Drinkers, very few are Soda and Energy Drink Cans.  And that's not even Counting whatever is Trash from Bottled Drinkers of all sorts, whether Glass or Plastic Bottles.   The volume of that is even higher than Aluminum Trash.   One Lady used to Collect the Glass & Plastic Debris, but we haven't seen her around for a long time, she was quite elderly, so, nobody seems to be on it.

So, The Man perked right up and was Cheerful again after his Outing, we went to "Angry Crab Shack" for Dinner and our Adorable Young Waitress, named Mariah, comped us our Drinks.  Mostly due to an almost close call that wasn't her fault, but, she felt badly about.  She gave us an extra Handout about their New Drinks, which had Pictures and what they were Called, and all said they were Lemonades, so I assumed, Not Alcoholic.  I cannot Drink now becoz of Doc's Orders and I never Drank anyway, but, with my current Meds and Heart Issues, would have been problematic and mebbe a Medical Episode, had I not known my Lemonade was Alcoholic!!!   I didn't know coz the Pictured Drink and Words beside it didn't indicate Alcohol/Cocktail!   So, I ordered one that was listed as an Iced Hot Honey Blueberry Lemonade, it looked pretty and delish.  *LOL*

Well, I'm sitting there waiting for our Drinks to come, The Man had ordered a Soda, his came right away.   I'm waiting and waiting for mine to show up and while waiting I happen to flip over the extra Menu Handout that had the Pictures on the side I'd looked at and on the back Side it says "Cocktail New Menu" and there was a description of what was IN the fucking Drinks Pictured on the Front, which WERE Cocktails and NOT Non-Alcoholic Lemonades!!!   Oh shit, and Vodka at that, so, I wouldn't have tasted it either!   So I rushed up to the Counter and she's at the Bar Section and just had made that Honey Blueberry Lemonade and say to her, if that has Alcohol in it Darlin', I cannot drink that due to my Health right now, I didn't see it was not just a Virgin Lemonade Selection, I'm so Sorry!   She apologized too and said it's all so New to her she didn't even know 'til she was looking up how to make it!  *Whew, Disaster narrowly averted!* 

So, she made me a Virgin Strawberry flavored Lemonade instead, which was the best she could do... and then when the Check came, I Paid it and thought it seemed a bit low.   It wasn't 'til afterwards I realized it was lower becoz she hadn't Charged us for our Drinks and had Comped them!   I'm glad I had given her a good Tip, since, I hadn't paid attention that we didn't get Charged for our Drinks.   See above to see that by the Pixs, it's not evident at all that this is an Alcoholic Beverage and they just said beside each Pix the type of Lemonade it was!   I do think they need to fix the Menu to mention on the Picture Side, that these are Alcoholic and not regular Lemonade Drinks.   Had they been Virgin Options of the same New Lemonades I definitely would have liked to try it.  

  Anyway, no Harm done since I caught the problem myself. Before she brought a Drink to my Table that I shouldn't even have, didn't know had Liquor in it, couldn't taste the Liquor in it, and could have caused a Medical Issue combined with my Meds.  *Whew*  Plus, with my low tolerance for Alcohol I couldn't have driven either and The Man can't Drive so we'd of had to call The Son!   Or hit my Monitor Twice if I felt Whoozy, thinking it was my Heart or another Stroke coming on, not knowing I'd had effects of Alcohol!!!  Yeah, could've been very bad.  Since, that signals that I'm having a Medical Emergency... could you only Imagine... The Son said it could have been a potential Lawsuit, no Wonder they Comped your Drinks Mom!   And he Mimes pounding on his Chest at an Imaginary Heart Monitor thinking he's having another Medical Emergency becoz they didn't appropriately let on their new Lemonades have Alcohol in them and the Customer isn't Aware either until after, too late, they take a big sip of what they thought was only Lemonade !  *LOL*

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Happy New Year my Friends... Dawn... The Bohemian