What The Hell... Let's Just Blog

 So, I'm up at a ridiculous Hour, mostly becoz I fall Asleep now so often during the Day, Post-Stroke, that it's throwing off my whole Sleep Schedule and Internal Clock I guess?  *Le Sigh and LOL*   Plus, The Man and I did our first Outing since I got out of the Hospital and tho' it wasn't much, it physically wiped both of us out enuf that we fell Asleep in the middle of said Day we did the earlier Outing.  *Smiles*   So, I think I dozed off on the Sectional watching some Bigfoot Hunter Show at about Five in the Afternoon!   Then Woke up past Midnight thinking, well, it's a brand New Day!  What the Hell... let's just Blog... and so, here I now am! *Bwahahaha*   Above are some LEGO-Like Plant Succulent Kits we got at the Chazza, not put out by LEGO, but similar and turn out Cute, Princess T has gravitated to Plant LEGO Kits now.  They are Keepers and Stylish, No?  Micro Brix was the Company, they have a whole Succulent Series.  But Block Tech, JMBricklayer and IMoment makes Kits too that are similar and inexpensive.

I'd watched a Ron White NetFlix Comedy Special, I'd seen it before, it wasn't a New one, he'd done it a few Years ago, but I Love his Specials enuf to watch them more than once tho'.   I like people who are just Naturally Funny, doesn't matter what they say, it is told in such a way it's hilarious... and... he's one of those with such a Natural Talent.   So, after that was almost over, Princess T wanders in and asks me Why I'm still up, am I Okay?  They're all concerned about me now, coz, I made Chili again and the last time I did that, well, it didn't turn out so well, did it?   *LOL*  The Stroke while making it I mean, the Chili apparently turned out to be the best I'd ever made, or so they tell me.  Coz, Natch I didn't get any, since I had the Stroke whilist making it.  And the rest is History.  *Bwahahaha*

The Son doesn't think that Statement is Funny AT ALL, he's been way too Serious since I've had my Stroke, it Scared him a lot I guess and so he doesn't like when I make Jokes about it.   Even tho' usually we all thrive on Gallow's Humor.   So, when the Kiddos smelled the Divine Aroma coming out of the Kitchen from said Crockpot, I'd Joked that this time I'd managed to make Chili WITHOUT having a Stroke!  *LOL* And his Sister didn't miss a beat and said that was Good News, otherwise, no more Chili for us!  *LMAO*  And she and I burst into raucous Laughter and he looks aghast and disgusted, saying, that's NOT Funny... which made us Laugh even harder until we Cried, coz it WAS fucking Funny!  *LMAOROTF*

And I says to him, you KNOW you're gonna be Glad I risked my Life making Chili, in the Morning, when you get up at 3:00 a.m. for Work and can take it in for Lunch, after it's cooked all Night in the Crockpot and I didn't Stroke Out doing it this time!  THEN he Laughs and says, yeah, I will.   *Smiles*   I know, I know, we're Sic people.  Pray for us.  *Winks*  And nobody waited 'til Morning coz it smelled so good they were asking me by about 9:00 p.m. if it had cooked long enuf to have some, and it had... and, it was Chili worth risking your Life for, that was the unanimous consensus.  *Bwahahaha*  Every time I make it, I make it a little differently.  So it's never the same twice... I have an infinite amount of ways to make Chili.

This time I used a New Product our Grocer was carrying called "Four Sixes Chuck Wagon Chili Mix" Seasoning, Thumbs Up on the flavor it helps impart to your Chili.   I'd buy it again as a Chili Seasoning, it's worth the extra Buck it costs IMO.   But, you can Buy a Cheap Ass Chili Seasoning Packet from the Dollar Store too and they ain't half bad either, so, it's not the Secret Ingredient necessarily to making a good Chili.   This time the Chili con Carne was with Ground Beef and Ground Pork as the Protein, along with a wide variety of Beans thrown in and flavored Cans of Tomatoes.   I used Two different Cans of Tomatoes, one had Garlic and the other had Cilantro and Lime added.  The "Stroke" Chili had been an Elk Chili.  *LOL*  Above is Beautiful Steam rising off Today's Chili, it tasted damned Good if I do say so myself.   And if you don't Almost Die making a Chili, apparently it can still turn out Good.  *Winks and Snicker*

Needless to say, by Morning, about half the Chili had already gotten eaten, I never seem to make enuf of it even with a Gigantic Crock Pot full.  *LOL*   Cheap way to Feed the Masses too, so I always have ingredients for a New Chili concoction in the Pantry and some kind of Ground Meat in the Freezer.  Tho' I have made Vegetarian Chili before and nobody ever complains.   Our Grocer had a big Sale on Canned Beans of all varieties for a Buck apiece, so I recently stocked the Pantry again, we'll be eating Beans for Days.  *Winks*  I will Buy Weirdo Beans too that you might have never heard of and throw them in a Chili as well.   Once in a Food Pantry Box we were given, we got a shitload of Crowder Peas and discovered the tasty Bean that they are, so now I use them a lot too.  They're a variety of Field Pea, a Species of Cowpea, a Domesticated Plant from Africa, like a Black-Eyed Pea and good in a Chili. 

Crowder Peas apparently are used more in the South and in Dishes such as Crowder Peas with Tomatoes and Green Onions, or with Ham Hocks.  I like to throw 'em in my Chili.   Tho' topping said Chili with Green Onion or Sweet Onion ain't bad and preferred, with any kind of shredded Cheese as well.   But, I don't put Onions of any kind in my Chili coz The Son HATES Onion and then wouldn't eat it, it's just better for us Onion Lovers in the Family to add our Onion coz you can't take an ingredient out of a Chili, but, it's easy to add it to Taste.  *Smiles*  I think The Son had Onion Trauma at some point in his Adult Life after he moved away from Home coz he used to be able to eat them, now he just can't.  And there's some shit I can't eat either, so, I respect when someone just can't or won't.  I'm not judging and I won't make you fucking eat it or try it if you're Grown.  I abhor Food Pushers.

Even with Small Kiddos I only ever had a Two Bite Rule, becoz Kids are notorious for THINKING they don't Like something they've never even had or tried ever.  So, my Rule was, take a couple Bites, then, if you can tell me you still do not Like it, you don't have to ever eat it again in my Home.  I'd say 99.9% of the time, the Kid discovered a New Thing they really Liked and just didn't know it.  *LOL*  You'd be Surprised actually what Kids will like if it's introduced into their Diets early enuf, who knew?  My Kiddos always LOVED Veggies and Ethnic Foods, Why?  Becoz I introduced them to all kinds very early on and they just Naturally Liked it and didn't develop aversions to it.  Princess T unfortunately had early Gut Issues and Food Allergies, but she Liked the Foods, she just could not eat them without negative consequences, so we cut them out of her Diet, including but not limited to Lactose Product.   Turns out it's an Asian Ancestry thing with Lactose Intolerance, I didn't even know that.

Then I started thinking, when was the last time I saw Milk Products in Asian Cuisine?  Like... NEVER!   So, makes perfect Sense now why half my Kiddos with Asian Ancestry are Lactose Intolerant.   They can consume it, but it makes them suffer too much to be worth it.  Anyway, I don't personally have Food Allergies of any kind and have a Stomach like a Goat.   But, some Foods I just do not Like.  Yet, every 7 Years I'll try them again becoz every Cell of your Body is replaced every 7 Years and so you'll be Surprised what you Hated that now you really Like, who knew?   Brussel Sprouts was a complete Surprise to me coz I Hated them Forever and then suddenly, in my Senior Years, Roasted Brussel Sprouts is one of my Fav Veggies now and I LOVE them, Roasted on a Grill with a Honey Sauce Drizzle... Sublime!   Longhorn Steakhouse's Crispy Brussel Sprouts with their Spicy Sauce with a Sweet Undertone, OMG!  {Recipe Hack for it: Chili Powder, Butter, Smoked Paprika, Sea Salt, Red Pepper Flakes, Maple Syrup and Honey}

Okay, so enuf of the Food Porn at this early Hour.  *LOL*  Actually Post Stroke my Appetite is shit, I can't eat much before I just feel full and not like eating, no matter how good it is.   And Yes, a Stroke can affect your Appetite, I Dr. Googled it, as we just do these days when our Inquiring Minds Need To Know.   They say it may mean you lose Weight, well, no Downside to THAT Post Stroke Side Effect!  *LOL*  It's not a Problem, so, I'm not worrying about it, I eat, just, Hunger isn't an Issue and I feel full quicker than before I had the Stroke and don't have much of an Appetite to satiate, it's Fine.  If I lose too much Weight, I'll worry then.  But if I don't think Starvation or Malnutrition is eminent, no Worries.  If the Diabetes goes away after I lose the Weight I Need to, it will be an unexpected Post Stroke Benefit IMO and actually improve my Health and overall Well Being.  *Smiles*

This Morning, Mister Eli the Cat was so Hungry for his Gourmet Wet Cat Food that he Opened Princess T's Bedroom Door, came down the Hallway, Opened our Bedroom Door and then started Crying at me demanding to be Fed and heading back to her Room... it was 4:00 in the Morning, but, I got The Message, he knew I was up anyway Blogging. *LOL*  As his Staff, well, ignoring him isn't an Option or he'll Cry and Yowl like Hell in the Song Of His People.  *Smiles*   He does Love his Trout Fancy Feast, it's his Favorite.  And he Hates the Chicken or Turkey, and as it turns out, the Bird Flu has given some Cats the Disease in their Poultry Brands of some Cat Foods, so, mebbe it's just as well he has an aversion to it.  You know when he has an aversion coz he either will refuse to eat it, or take a couple bites and throw it up right in front of you to prove his Point.  *LOL*   I guess he instinctively knows or has heard on the News that Seafood isn't transmitting the Bird Flu and Killing Felines.  *LOL*  Yes, he watches TV and he likes "Sponge Bob Square Pants" Cartoons best.

Princess T is up at Four in the Morning too doing her Dishes, since, she Slept after returning Home from their Flagstaff Trip Sunday Afternoon.  They were disappointed that Flagstaff had NO Snow... yet, the News said Blizzards, the worst in a Decade, were hitting so many States across the Nation, that they felt sure Northern Arizona would have Snow... Nope.  She said they barely had Ice and it wasn't even very Cold, bummer.  There they were, like Two Fashionista Snow Bunnies bundled up and it wasn't even necessary!  *Bwahahaha*   She came back in her normal Arizona Lower Desert Wardrobe, which apparently she'd brought with her, just in case, and, immediately went to Bed.  *Ha ha ha*   A One Day Turnaround Road Trip to Flagstaff behind them, they'd had Enough Fun apparently.  *LMAOROTF*   Timmy's Gramma had let him take her Vehicle, coz it's more reliable than his Hooptie.  So The Man and I thought they were Home even earlier coz we drove by and saw Timmy's Car in the Driveway at Noon!  We're like, Damn, that was a Quick Trip!  *LOL*

Again this Month I'm Dealing with some Creditors who are not up to the Job apparently of processing payments Mailed in... either that or the USPS is fucking up more than usual... not sure which it is?   I wanted to get set up on the Free Online Payment Service some Creditors offer, since they all Charge you a Fee now to make a Phone Payment and I don't use Apps.  Plus, I'd already Mailed the fucking Payment the Day I get the Bill and it's floating out there or sitting in some Clearinghouse languishing?!  But, the one for my Truck Payment, with the Dealership being the Creditor, kept saying I already had an Account Online, which, I don't.  I went TO the Local Dealership to ask if they'd set one up that I didn't know about when I bought the Truck, they claim they hadn't.  So, now I have to call their Financing Dept. at Nissan to find out Why it won't let me set up the Online feature, since Mailing it in is now becoming a Pain in the Ass.

  I won't do Auto Pay coz you are giving Permission for any Lender then to access  your Account any way they want to... Nope!   I've financed thru Nissan for Years, best Rates and Terms when they'll do the Loan from the Dealer, and you only get that Favor by having superb Credit... I'd like to Keep it that way!   But, I don't want hassles every fucking Month or to have to talk to some Service Rep in some 3rd World Country, getting Slave Wages, who can't speak good English, is reading off a Script, and can't understand me at all, trying to sort this shit out either!  It's really a No-Win Situation and sadly happening all the time these days as everything is outsourced now to impoverished Countries who will do the Job for a Dollar and Ninety-Eight Cents and have Zero Experience or knowledge of the Industry they're Servicing Loans for.  *Eye Roll and Le Sigh*  Also, Loan Processing Centers in the U.S. now seem to be Processing Payments out of Obscure Companies I never heard of and am not doing Business with.

Listen, back when Lenders were doing their own Loan Servicing and actually Toting their own Notes for the Life of a Loan, instead of Selling the Paper before the Ink was even dry, I ran Loan Servicing for major Financial Institutions.  So, I know how it should be being done, and clearly, it no longer is.  And clearly, whoever they Hire to do Loan Servicing and Customer Service now doesn't even have rudimentary knowledge, so they are Clueless and get rattled if you know their Job better than they do... they have no Words... it's not on the Script.  *Eye Roll*  And when they try to feed me a line of BS or constantly change their Story, I Call it Out and that flusters them all the more to where then I've had some just hang up on me coz they become overwhelmed or intimidated.   I remain Calm and Pleasant, since, no point in Shooting the Messenger making American exploitable Wages and doing their best in whatever capacity they just can in some Call Center 3rd World Sweatshop I envision them working from.   And here I am with 1st World Problems... so, I keep my Perspective in Check.

Remember when Forever Boheme' looked this Minimalistic and Editorial?  Me either, it was only for about the first 18 Months after we Moved in 2019-2020.  *LOL*  Yes, I Liked it, and could easily Live like this too, but then I'd of had to rid myself of 80% more to Keep it this way... couldn't do it.  Not yet anyway, probably not ever? But, I digress, shit ain't Simple all around these days, everything seems to be a lot to Unpack so, here we now are.   I do get Angry at the American Companies who no longer want to Pay Experienced and American Employees to do this Work for them and to properly Service their Loans and provide adequate Customer Service.  You know they're all making record Profits, so it's not a matter of them being unable to afford it, they just aren't passing any of the benefits of that on to their Consumers at all.   And, just mebbe, they can't even find Qualified Experienced Workers anymore, I dunno?   I have seen Workers who... well... let us just not go there Today... *LOL*

  And Honestly, I never take out a Loan if I can just pay Cash for whatever it is we Need, but the Cost of some items, and Emergencies that come up to replace or repair expensive shit, is prohibitive these days.   When reliable Vehicles could be Bought for under Ten Grand, I could pay Cash for them.  Now most cost more than several Properties I used to Own, Okay!   When the Cost of a Vehicle now is more than we used to pay to Buy a Home, it's not usually something most of us can pay Cash for anymore.  Princess T is Working her Ass off and Saving like a Miser towards paying Cash for her 1st Vehicle and yet she's not even close to enuf to Buy any reliable Used Vehicle yet!   At what Vehicles used to Cost when they were Affordable, she'd already have enuf to Buy Two now and pay Cash for them. 

 And she has no Credit yet, so unless I Cosigned she'd never get a Loan... or decent Rates/Terms if she managed to find a Car Lot to give her a Predatory one for people who can never Qualify for Loans.  Which is a No-No, don't do it!  Predatory Lending... BAD!  Should be Illegal too, but, it's not.  Modern Day Legal Loan Sharking is a Thing now backed by our Court Systems, who should be against Predatory Lenders, and aren't at all to protect Consumer Victims of it.   And you know what bugs me even more?  That most people don't even know what Predatory Lending even is, so how can they be properly Aware and Guard themselves against it?!  I can explain something to you, but I can't understand it FOR you tho'.

And forget about any of the Younger Generation being able to afford Local Apartment Rents or Buying a House now, it's way out of Reach with most Local Wages being Paid to Average folks.  And I don't Care which Administration is at the helm, unless Corporate Greed is addressed, that's not gonna get Fixed or go down.   Whenever Record Profits don't bring Prices Down to pass along to the Consumer, that it shouldn't still make Prices go even Higher, even when their Margins are way the fuck UP, you know it's never then going Down my Friends.  There is no trickle down Economics, that is a Myth circulated by the Elite for longer than I've been Alive and it's never happened, and never will. So put that Pipe Dream Fantasy to Rest once and for all and put a Daisy on it, it never actually had any Life to begin with.  If you Voted in DumbOld to get Cheaper Eggs and Gas, well, you Lost too and you just don't know it yet.  He's even now admitted the Truth {Gasp}, yeah, Surprise, a Truth out of his Mouth... that, it would be very Hard to bring Prices Down.  So... it won't happen.  Sorry Chumps... you got Played.

Pretty sure those obscenely Rich and Corrupt MF's are Laughing their Asses off about it too amongst themselves.   But, in due Time it will all become quite apparent what happened, then, let the Damage Control begin, perhaps for several Future Generations to come.   Pretty sure our Kids, Grandkids and Great-Grandkids are gonna Hate and eventually Resent us for what they'll be suffering as the consequences for what has happened this Election Cycle and for as long as it may take to Recover from it, if that's even possible, we just don't know?   I really Pray it won't be as Bad as even his Previous Inner Circle and Administration Leadership of his 1st Term Warned us in advance that it would be if he got Elected again.  The fact 99% of 'em sounded the Alarm and risked retaliation and retribution was Surprising.   Tho' after all transpired, most knew Petting him nicely and faux Flattery would perhaps not put them on the Hit List and in the Cross Hairs being knowingly compiled for the Revenge and Retribution Tour Planned and Promised out loud BTW?

People have literally left the Country in Fear of knowing they're definitely on that List.  That typically only happens in Countries notorious for such Atrocities and Demented Leadership that Citizens are fleeing for their very Lives and seeking Asylum elsewhere.  Just contemplate that for a Moment if you will.   And we really wanted America to become like those depraved Countries with notorious Human Rights Violations and folks desperate to get OUT... any way they can, due to the impossible grave Reality it becomes for them, really?   Well, be Careful what you Hope and Vote for, you might just get it, is all I can say.  Yes, we probably won't have to worry about anyone wanting to come here, coz we won't even fucking wanna be here when it all comes down to the Reality of it, rather than the Wet Dream Envisioned by those that Supported it and hadn't a Clue what it would be like for Reals!!!   

The vast Majority of MAGA I know, have never been out of the U.S. in their Lives, very little exposure to anything outside a very limited Bubble Demographic Region actually even here in the U.S..   So, no Point of Reference whatsoever to what Dictatorship and Authoritarian Led Countries are like to Live in and endure.  Clueless.  They actually Imagine it's gonna be Fun Times and Better for THEM.  The whole thing seems very Egocentric driven in fact, they might even be Aware that it's gonna be very Bad for the "Others", whoever they deem them to be... and which they don't Care, so long as nobody is Coming for Them!  But them, the delusion they won't be impacted by the dismantling of our Institutions, Rule of Law and Democracy as they've always had the Privilege of knowing it and Living under it's protections, plausible deniability prevails still among the MAGA.  

It will be a rude Awakening, lemme tell ya.  When you realize who you went to Bed with and what you Sold Yourself Out for.  And when they Come for You is when you realize... Ruh Roh, you mean they won't have MY Back, but, I was Loyal and On Board the Movement, I bought all the MAGA Gear and all?  Nope, you were merely a Rube and a dispensable Commodity to be Used and then discarded when your limited Usefulness is over and it was all bled dry and fucked over.  Not hyperbole, you mark my Words.  You'll rue the day.   And personally, I do think DumbOld is getting Played now himself, he's now surrounded himself with Dangerous Men wealthier and way smarter than himself and they can and probably will find devious ways to replace the Old Fool as soon as they can rid themselves of him... coz they're Smart enuf to know a Buffoon, albeit a Useful one, when they see one, but Bought and Paid for him.   Things should get Interesting, since, they already have and the Power Play is obvious between MAGA World and The Elite Heavy Hitters, the factions collide and it should be spectacular.

Do you really think Musk and the other Intellectuals and extremely obscenely Wealthy Heavy Hitters that DumbOld has now let in the Back Door and cozied up to, really don't think the likes of a Hillbilly like Marjorie Taylor-Greene and most of the other MAGA World Misfits and low life Extremist Nutjobs is a Joke?!   They do.  They only hold contempt for folks like that they look down upon.   Bannon is already losing his shit coz he sees it coming.   And he sees that Doing Time for DumbOld meant absolutely nothing for his Loyalty, coz he's been replaced by Musk and others... so, he knows he is going under the Bus.  And his alleged Net Worth is a pittance compared to the Heavy Hitters now garnering Favor and Whispering Sweet Nothings in the Ear of the Narcissist soon to be in Charge.  Bannon's nutty and bitter enuf to want to incite a Civil War tho' if he riles up the rabid Base enuf to enlighten them that they're now Screwed Over.   I do foresee a potential Marie Antoinette Moment.

I mean, a riled up, ginned up rabid Base Stormed the Capitol once, so, wouldn't be a stretch that someone manipulating and weaponizing them could do it again.  Especially if they Feel betrayed by their Orange Messiah and who he now has the Backs of, that ain't them!!!!!!!!  Things could get very, very ugly and violent and that troubles me coz once you start blowing shit up, it's hard to put the pieces back together again... when it's all been blown to smithereens.   And Opening Pandora's Box is risky business, coz in Greek Mythology it contained all the Evils of the World, which is Why the Phrase is still used Today as it is.   If the Curious or Ignorant wanna open that Box... well... shutting it, or trying to anyway, won't necessarily eradicate what was released and unleashed upon us all.   And I know some are now saying, Let it Go, lets not Talk about any of this and pretend like all is Well... even tho', clearly it's NOT.   I don't know, I quit playing Pretend as a Child, I'm Grown now and have been Grown a Minute.  Time to Grow Up if you haven't yet.

*******

 Outspoken as ever, not Shy about it, Controversially Yours... which is Why most of you come here, coz I keep it 100% and don't try to Shine Sunshine up your Asses when the shit gets Real... or the Emperor has no fucking Clothes on and yet far too many will say nothing about it... Dawn... The Bohemian