Bohemian Valhalla: Fantasy Escape Renaissance Cont. ~ Part III ~ The End

In this Post we'll finally get to some of my shitty Pixs I took while at the Renaissance Festival, with my now Jacked Up Camera with the damaged Lens. Last outing before the Festival it wasn't damaged, so I assume the damage happened while we were there somehow. There are only Two Pixs taken there that don't have that smudge in the middle of every Pix, so it obviously happened as we were entering and after we'd bought our Tickets... dammit! I think the Lens opened while in my Purse and got scuffed against objects in my Purse before I noticed it wasn't in the Closed position protecting the Lens when not in use. I vaguely recall taking it out at one point and seeing it was Open. The Button to Open the Lens must have accidentally gotten pressed on while it was in there.

I'm glad I had my Brother's Imagery to Share here in The Land for my Posts about it, since the majority of my Pixs were sadly compromised due to the Lens damage. He doesn't mind me using his Pixs to promote the Faires since he does the coverage, now he's Retired, for Free, as a Favor to his Friends who are a part of the Entertainment and Paid Staff at the Festivals. They appreciate it since everyone knows what a great Professional Photographer he's been before he had to Retire due to failing Health. He didn't want to completely stop, since he's had a Passion for Photography since we were Kids, so now he's morphed it into his Retirement Hobby to keep doing it, mostly as Favors to Friends in various Industries and Media. I remember when he did Paparazzi Work early in his Career, he had Lenses that could Photograph a Flea from across a Field. *LOL*

I have my first Day Stress Test this Morning, early, you can't eat or drink beforehand and so I Hope that doesn't make me feel ill? Being a Diabetic I can't Fast for too long. Tomorrow's Second Stress Test is even earlier, which will be challenging to make it on time after dropping off the Granddaughter at Work. The Cardiologist Office isn't that far but I won't let her stand outside before the Doors are opened since it's Dark and could be too dangerous for her as a Young Woman. I always wait until she's actually inside the building or let her sit in the Truck until they unlock the Doors. There are some Co-Workers, but not a lot of them and they're all Women, so, still too dangerous for any of them to stand outside even in a small group. I'm gonna tell them Today that I may be running late Tomorrow due to obligations to get a Grandchild safely to Work beforehand.

Becoz of my Age they had told me I could opt out of the Treadmill and just get the Injection Stress Test, which would have been less Physical, but, not as accurate a Reading. So, tho' it's gonna be pressing me Physically, I felt I could still do the Treadmill, even tho' I haven't been visiting the Gym since the 1st of the Year very much. With getting out of Breath and the being easily Fatigued, don't know I can do it the whole time, but will try. Not looking forward to either day, but, it is like a Workout at the Gym, so I'm just getting my Mindset into looking at it like that, instead of some Medical Test. *Smiles* I do Hope it might reveal something, since so far they haven't been able to tell me a damned thing since my Hospital release. So I don't know what NOT to avoid or do so as not to have another Stroke? I don't even know what caused the First one, they couldn't say!?!

They're Opening a Closed Prison in Marana, Arizona, to house all the Immigrants they're rounding up coz all the Facilities to hold them are so full they're having to release them now. So, of coarse the MAGA Ass Kissers in DC approved Leasing the Facility for a Dollar, while all Democrats opposed it, all the Repugs were on Board. We know what atrocities happened to Immigrants, especially the Children, last time the MAGA were the Administration, many of those Stolen Children, to this day still aren't accounted for. And since You Know Who has been closely linked to long time Bros who are known Underage Sex Traffickers, well, it disturbs me to consider what probably happened to those Children. Nobody was tracking what was happening to them or who they belonged to in order to reunite them with their Families after separation and being imprisoned and caged like Animals. So MAGA 2.0 is not likely to be more Humane or less Corrupt and Sinister.

They are covering what the newest round of Tariffs implemented Today are gonna mean for Americans, it won't be good, that's for sure. I don't think most Americans have a Clue what Tariffs even are or how they really Work. Especially the Economic downside, so they Believe the Orange Bullshit Artist's "understanding" of them, and we all know what a Moron he is and how badly he's managed his own Money for all of his Adult Life. And the Countries he's imposing them against are far more savvy about how to counter him effectively and make us Pay the Price. He's out of his League Intellectually and so even his entourage who are Intelligent are easily Playing him. There's mass confusion about much of what he's rolling out that is poorly thought thru and impulsively rolled out. Without any thought to how it just cocks things up and has a massive Negative ripple effect. Shitty Policy, Poor Leadership and Bad Ideas has significant consequences.

Locally the big Heists now involve Egg Theft, to the tune of $40,000 or more worth at a time being Pirated! I was able to get some reasonable priced Pasture Raised Brown Eggs from 'Sprouts' tho' for only $4.99 a Dozen, so I stocked up since that Bird Flu is now in every State. I got a lot of Deli Trays on Sale Post-Super Bowl as well, what they hadn't Sold for the Game was discounted considerably. So I have plenty of Veggie Trays, Fruit Trays, Deli Meat Trays and Cheese Trays now to munch on. The Man Loves that kind of thing and when I can't get him to eat regular Meals, stuff like that ensure he's getting some decent nutrition just snacking on those Trays of Foods. Most come with a nice Dip in the Tray as well, so I have a Ranch Dip, a Hummus and a Tzatziki Dip.

So, I got all ready to have quite the Workout on the Stress Test Treadmill and the Technician was an Older very Handsome Silver Fox and he said, Nope, we're doing the Injection, it'll be easier on you and quicker. So, he did and it was, I then had about an 8 Minute Scan and drank my Bottled Water, easy peasy and NOT Stressful. *LOL* But, now I can't have any Caffeine for 24 Hours, so the Family are joking I'll be ratchet and cranky, they could be right. Caffeine withdrawal ain't no fun and usually I get a Headache. When the Receptionist told me no Caffeine after Eight I'm like, Tonight? And she's like, NO, Eight this Morning until after your Test Tomorrow! And I'm like, you're a Ray of Sunshine aren't you? *LOL* And on the way out she winks and says, Have a nice day! And I shout out, Surely you jest! *Smiles*

I decided to stockpile some Essentials before Tariffs kick in, coz I got my Dividend Check from my Bank Stocks and it more than covered it all. At least my Stock Dividends haven't Tanked yet, so that was a nice Surprise, I know some Stock Markets are crashing already. The Market has essentially been Flat since he was inaugurated. Usually Downturns don't bother me coz they're Normal and eventually Stabilize. But what he's doing to the Country is anything but Normal and I do think that will seriously impact the Economy, Investors and even Global Trade significantly and in a Negative way. A serious way we probably haven't seen since the Great Depression. I'd like to be Wrong about that... doubt that I am tho'. I've never before wanted to be so Wrong about something tho'.

It'll be a Wonder if we don't all get Sick since it's been in the 80's for a while now and suddenly, Today, took a Cold Weather turn again and is in the Sixties or lower! That kind of Temperature spread tends to take a Physical Toll on your Body. I'm glad we attended the Renaissance Festival while it was still Glorious Weather. Now it's looking as tho' it could take a bad turn, tho' if it Rains too, we need it. Since everyone was staying Inside we had Company over, Q brought his Wife and Two Boys over. His Sons look so much like he did at their Ages it's as if he Cloned them! The Electricity went out for a while, the Subdivision they're building to the East of us has been problematic becoz their Workmen keep damaging Lines. They're the same Builders that took Seven tries to build a Brick Wall that wouldn't fall down! No telling then how shitty those Homes are being built?!

Jennifer, Q's Wife, and their Two Sons are in a Local Utility Company Commercial that's airing. They wanted regular Families for the Commercial and its only a few Seconds of footage of her making Bagged Lunches for the Kids and they run past the Kitchen Island and grab their Bagged Lunch on the way to the School Bus, no speaking. It was shot in her Friend's Kitchen of their Home. She earned $1,000 and each of the Boys got $500. It's a Cute Commercial and that's a good Payday during these trying times. I joked with them if they're Signing Autographs now they're Local Celebrities? *LOL* The Kids were hilarious coz I offered Snacks or a Candy, but they asked if they could have one of the Top Ramen Soup Packets to take Home instead?! Princess T laughed coz she Lives on that stuff too! Kids just Love it!!! The Youngest was so excited to have his Chicken Top Ramen Soup Packet!!! *LMAO*

They also had the time of their Lives in our back Pasture picking up Pecans and then picking Grapefruit, Lemons and Tangelo off the Fruit Trees that hang over our Fence from Omar's Property. We'd given them Plastic Grocery Bags and told them to fill them up to take Home. They each filled up a Sac. Jennifer said it reminded her of when she was a Child growing up in what used to be the Rural Westside, coz they'd do that. Before the Kids left to go Home they said they'd like to live here in this Neighborhood, it's Fun. It IS Fun and why we Love living here. They were also picking up Pinecones from my Trees, so they had a Sac of them too. It's so nice to have Youngsters come visit now that all of our Grandkids are Grown, we don't get a lot of Younger Kids around as much now. Kids have such a Joyful Energy and Natural Curiosity about everything.

I can't drink Soda, Coffee or Tea during this Caffeine Restriction, so I'm glad I'd bought plenty of Juices to drink, and Bottled Water. The Headache has subsided now that it's been most of the day without Caffeine. I once did away with Soda for 10 Months when I was on the NutriSystem Diet Plan. I don't even know why I forced myself to start drinking it again? Coz initially, after not having any for so long, it tasted vile to me. Same with Fried Foods, didn't like them after I didn't eat any for a long period of time, still rarely eat anything Fried. With Meat, I didn't miss it, but, didn't mind re-incorporating it in my Diet either. Now I switch from eating Vegetarian or Vegan Meals, to eating Meat, Fish and Dairy, back and forth, as it just suits me. Now I just watch my Carbs carefully, since that's what mostly spikes Insulin. I don't have much of a Sweet Tooth, so no problem avoiding Sugary shit. I prefer Savory, Salty and Sour anyway.

I stopped by the Antique Mall to tidy up the Showroom after the Weekend, it wasn't too messy but I had Sold a lot of Paper Arts Stamps and the Collectible Toys I'd just brought into Inventory. So, that boosted Sales considerably for this Pay Period. *Whew* It's still mostly all Selling of Smalls. I did have a Lowball Offer come in from a Customer that was considering Three higher end items but wanted 50% to 75% Off, which was Insulting and I declined. I counter offered to give them 20% Off but they wouldn't pay that, so, whatever... I do not like encouraging Lowball Offer People, that's not the Customer I want to attract and most of the time they are other Resalers and intend to Resell the item. I don't mind Selling to an Industry Person, but I don't want them Insulting me with ridiculously low Offers either. I'm not Selling anything for less than I Paid for it and then have to pay my Overhead, Commission and Fees on top of that, taking a Loss. What would be the Point?

Sometimes they do reconsider and come back to Buy the item and I'll stand by any Offer I made for a Week if they change their Mind and still wanna Buy it. That happened with a couple of the T-Shirts, they didn't Buy them the same Day they asked for a Discount, but, they came back a couple Days later and did, which is Fine. I don't mind giving a Customer a Deal, what Shopper doesn't like to get a Discount, Right? And sometimes they don't wanna wait for a Sale, so, it's all Good to give them the same Price a Sale would have anyway. Mebbe they can't come in on the Days we have a Sale or don't wanna risk the item Selling before then. If you treat your Customers right, they often become repeat Customers and remember you did them right.

There were more new Employees and more new Vendors I'd never seen before. There's a lot of turnover happening now and even some long time Vendors are Closing some of their Spaces down and downsizing the amount of Rental Space. My Friend Rita, whose Husband Dan recently Died, is letting a couple of their Booths go. They Rent a lot of Space and Dan used to Work Off the Rent a lot, but Rita doesn't ever Work Shifts. So, she's probably not only feeling the squeeze on paying full Rent now, but also Sales are Soft and they Specialize in Western and Native American higher end Merch. It's just not Selling like it used to and they have the Good Stuff of it. Most of their Clients tend to be people visiting Arizona on Vacation, who are Wealthier and Buy the Good Stuff and want Authentic Vintage Native American and Old Western Merchandise. Over the Years Dan and I Traded a lot of Merch with one another.

Rita was telling The Man that Dan had Died from an extremely Rare form of Cancer and that's why they didn't catch it in time. She seems to be doing well and moving thru the Stages of Grief and being newly Widowed with Grace. She and Dan are in the Octogenarian Years so I guess you kind of expect it by the time you're in your 80's. They were very vibrant Seniors tho' and didn't look their Ages or act it either. Dan was a big strong Guy for someone in his Mid-80's. Rita is a tiny Sprite of a Woman, but has abundant Energy and a very Youthful Spirit and a contagious frequent Laugh. I'm glad she's chosen to still be a Vendor there even tho' she'd downscaling the amount of Rental Space. It is a lot, it always was, so, it was time for her to have less to manage there. They had Showrooms, Display Walls, Booths, Locked and Open Cases. So their Rent would be very high for all of that.

The Daughter is making such progress in The RV Garage Mahal that I really do think we might just get it finished in 2025 after all!!!?? She knows that would be the desire of my Heart even tho' I haven't been able to help her very much on account of my Health right now. If her Son is able to get here by Spring then he'll be able to help again, he'd begun what she's finishing for me. When he and Allen lived here The Young Prince did a lot in there too for me. He and his Mom don't need me to delegate or micromanage, they know just what to do so I can just leave them to it. She picked up another Job Today when Q and his Family came over, they need someone to clean the Apartment they're Vacating so they can get their Deposits back and know she does good Housekeeping so they're Hiring her.

By Word of Mouth she's picking up Side Jobs enuf to sustain herself a little more. Since I can't and won't buy Cigs and Alcohol, which, she wants to pay for herself anyway, since, they're HER vices and Addictions, not mine. She limits her intake to 2 Mikes Hard Lemonades a day and a half dozen Cigs daily. So, she's doing good... and I didn't expect her to give up everything, giving up Dangerous Drugs on her own was huge and she had no Intervention or Rehab to do it, she did it on her own after Using for over 25 Years. So, that alone is Answer to Prayer for me that both my Adult Kids who were Dangerous Drug Addicts got Clean on their own and have Stayed Clean for Years now without backsliding. They are both Alcoholics too and wish they could quit, but, have cut way back. She has an easier time staying Sober than her Brother. He can go without Drinking for Days and then on a Day Off will drink too much.

The Son said Q's Older Boy really Convicted him in a way that only a Kid can do with their Innocence. He asked The Son why he Smoked so much? The Son never thinks he Smokes Cigarettes as much as he does, he doesn't Smoke in the House or around me or around Children, but he excuses himself and goes Outside for a Smoke. So, one of the Kiddos had followed him out there and asked him that Question and he said it really was a Gut Punch to give the Kid an Honest Answer to a very difficult Question. Of coarse he wanted to tell the Kids, don't ever pick up this nasty Habit, it's not Healthy and it's Expensive, but then they query as to Why HE does it then? Kids will ask you the tough stuff.

Q is an Exceptional Dad and since he grew up with my Kids it's Sweet to see him now being a Father. He and The Son were very High Maintenance Kids and The Son told me he knows for sure he couldn't be half the Dad that Q is, he lacks the Patience and Stamina to Hang with the high Energy of even a Good Well Behaved Child, let alone a High Maintenance one. He admits he doesn't know how his Dad and I did it, since we've Raised Four Special Needs Kids and now he's Grown he has no delusions about how difficult that must have been for us, and holding down Demanding Careers at the same time. I always had him Volunteering in the Church Nursery since he was 13 Years Old and then of coarse I was Raising his Nephew and Niece while he was still a Teenager living at Home. So, he knew how hard Childcare was and probably Why he never Fathered any Children. It's an excellent form of Birth Control to have them helping with Children from a Young Age. *Winks*

He helped his Ex to Raise her Three Girls, but, Two of them were Teens and only One was a Young Child. Plus, with being Cambodian, how they were Culturally being Raised was very different than how American Parents Raise their Offspring. The Son said in Asian Families there is a Deep reverence for the Elders, Respect and Obedience deeply instilled, and those Kids were Academically really Dialed In too. They'd go to School, do their Homework without being asked to, then spend Hours doing Violin Lessons or some other Lessons. The Son used to joke about it being The Asian Factor. When he first got together with his Ex he wasn't used to Kids being so Quiet, Obedient and No Trouble at all. He'd check in on them all the time to make sure they were Okay coz they were always so Quiet and Well Behaved he thought something must be Wrong!? *LOL* Disobedience and Delinquent Behavior was out of the Question in Traditional Cambodian Culture. We miss those Kids and the DIL terribly.

I can keep updated via Social Media but it's not the same of coarse. Now both the Older Girls have Graduated from College and the Youngest one should be Graduating from High School soon. They all Grow Up so fast and have turned into Fine Young Women like their Mama is. I do Miss the DIL, she and I were very close and it became awkward for The Son, which is why we all mutually agreed to disengage so both he and she could move on. It's always very hard when good people break up and there's no hard feelings but it gets awkward coz they're no longer a couple. We'd always joked we'd 'Keep' her if they ever broke up, but in reality, it just became hard to. She and the Kids know that if they ever need anything tho', we're only a Phone Call away. Above is her with the Oldest, taken earlier this Month during the Birthday Celebration of that Daughter.

I did take some Pixs of Booths at the Antique Mall that are Fav Vendors and I like how they Showcase their Wares. There's so few who are Skilled at Merchandising and Creating Vignettes with what they're Selling. They spend a lot of time doing it, usually taking all Day to revamp a Booth and not just foof it. So, Future Posts will have some of that included as Blog Fodder, which, I've been Light on lately, having Fresh Images. I'm not doing as much as I thought I'd do this Fall and Winter and Health has been the major reason of Why. I've had to slow my Roll and take Life at a much more relaxed Pace and forego doing things some days. Some days are Do Nothing Days now and it's Okay, I'm learning to savor doing absolutely Nothing and not feel any kind of way about it. We even turned down attending a BBQ at Andrase House and he does Fantastic BBQ but I didn't have it in me to be anyone's Guest. It was Sweet to Invite us, but I had to turn it down.

Andrase knows I've had some Health Issues and I told him I hadn't even gotten out of my Jammies all day and just didn't feel good. So he understood why I had to decline the Invitation. The Son Grilled some Chicken for us and we had all those Deli Trays I'd bought, so we just did Dinner Buffet Style. I'd been Binge Watching "Lost" and I'm still at Season 2. The Daughter is further along, she has a better Attention Span than me since she doesn't have Adult ADHD so can sit longer watching TV than I can. I did my periodic Blog Purge of any Posts not being Read that much in the Archives. I can't see the point of keeping them up too long if they're seldom still being Read. Probably everyone has Read the ones they come for and I'm not keeping an Online Diary here. Once I've Written a Post I never Read thru it again. Purging anything unnecessary is building up my ability to do it more ruthlessly in the whole Downsizing Process, so it's a good Exercise.

We've been discussing what I have an abundance of that I don't Need or don't Use as The Daughter is gathering like-objects together to assess. Holding on to a Collection of similar stuff not being Used or Displayed really makes no sense, not even to a Pack Rat Mentality like mine. So, it is Helpful to me to see how much of something I've actually got and Edit or Curate that effectively. I think I will spend most of Spring and Summer at that particular Task in fact, she's made it easier for me by grouping shit for me to then Deal with. It's not up to her what goes, since, not her stuff and she doesn't wanna presume to while I'm still above Dirt. That makes sense and is respectful, but we are having those often Comedic Conversations about how much of something I've accumulated. *Winks* Clearly I'm not a Well Woman. I mean, I've got Pool Balls for Days and no Pool Table!!! *Bwahahaha*

I have so many Vintage Mink Pelts you'd think I was a Viking! Or a Trapper!!! *Smiles* And don't even get me started on Antique Doorknobs, I could Open a Restoration Hardware Store!!! There are certain things I know I have a complete Obsession about, those are just a few. I'm completely 'Over' the Mink Pelt Thing, but, tho' they would easily Sell, the last time any of us had any Vintage Furs at the Antique Mall, some PETA Asshole Vandalized them all as if they have a Right to to destroy Merchandise like that becoz they don't approve of it! They Razor Cut Thousands of Dollars worth and were never caught. I Wish they had been coz they exceeded the threshold for it being Prosecuted as a Felony. Nobody ever got Restitution for our Losses. I don't Care if you're Passionate about any Cause, I Respect your Right to be, but, Destroying what isn't Yours is a Crime. If you Buy it to then Destroy it to prove your Point, Fine, THEN you're not committing a Crime... go for it, Video Record doing it in fact, for your Cause, it's YOURS to then Destroy and will be your Financial Loss, not mine.

Okay, so from here on out, every Pix Below and the One Above, the Quality tanks coz my Old School Camera has Lens damage and I didn't realize it. Sorry and, well, Dammit. So, beyond just the Amateur Status, I was working with faulty equipment, in my defense. *Bwahahaha* And so there's scuff marks in the middle of every damned Image, that looked at first like a Fingerprint Smudge, but ended up being Lens damage scrape. How that happened, no Idea, so I kept taking Pixs without knowing I had Lens Damage. I didn't take any Pixs with my Phone coz it was on low Charge and those Images aren't Saved to a Memory Card either. So, any Images I want Kept, I try not to Photograph with my Phone Camera. A Dear Canadian Blog Friend, Debra of the Wonderful Blog SHE WHO SEEKS is graciously and generously sending me a Hand Held Camera to replace mine. I can't Thank her enuf coz Old School Cameras are in short supply to try to Buy now everyone uses their Phone Cameras.

Before I got Debra's Message that she was giving me a Camera I'd been looking in TARGET and other lower end Big Box Stores to see how much of a selection they even had. The majority they offer now is a slim selection of either the Old School Instamatic Cameras which the Young People think are Cool now and I definitely don't want. And the Digital Selection was high end Nikon and Canon Cameras starting around $600!!! Yikes, that's out of my League, I probably would have trouble figuring out how to even use anything Professional Grade and not just a simple Amateur Point and Shoot. I get why Retailers aren't carrying what most people no longer use or buy, but I'm Sad, coz there are still some of us Dinosaurs that can't live without such things! *Bwahahaha* So, Debra, Thank You abundantly so I won't go thru Old School Camera Withdrawal and have Blog Fodder Imagery absence in my Blog Posts. *Whew* I am way too Wordy to have Pictureless Posts! *LMAO*

Anyway, out of the 106 shitty Pixs taken with the Lens Problem, some were Salvageable enuf to put in a couple of these Renaissance Festival Posts and this is the balance of them. Some of the Entertainers were arriving as we were and before they went into the Employee Entrance they Graciously posed for me. Sometimes it is hard to tell the Attendees in Costume from the Employees and Entertainers in Costume. Most will Pose for a Pix if you Politely ask and don't just Photo Bomb them without their consent. Since I know I'm going to use my better Photos on Social Media, I do prefer to ask people for their permission to be Photographed, it's the Right thing to do and respects their Privacy. With Crowded Venues it is almost impossible not to get random folks in Frame, tho' I do try to since you can't always get permission of who might be in the backgrounds or got in the way while you were actively taking a Photographic opportunity.

Some are Funny tho', like the Adorable background Guy in Costume watching and Smiling as I took this Couple's Pix. I think he knew he'd also be in Frame but didn't seem to mind or want to exclude himself. He's a Cutie so I should have probably chased him down to Photograph him too but we were getting in Line to get in. The Family is pretty tolerant of my Pathological Picture taking, to a Point. *Winks* But, having to keep coming back for me coz I stopped to take Pixs or talk to People can become an irritant to the Young folks. *LOL* They don't just talk to random people like us Old Timers are prone to do and now you Young Folks make Fun of in Commercials that ARE a Riot and so like my Generation I must confess you're Spot On about us as a Collective. *Bwahahaha* Dr. Rick's "Un-Becoming Your Parents" Commercials are hilarious! I don't know what it has to do with Progressive Selling Insurance, but, it is a Brilliant Theme you do remember and I guess that's The Point? *LOL*

Dr. Rick even has an Online Book you can Download that I do Wish they put in Hard Copy coz I'd Buy it to add to my Library. You know, For The Children. *LOL* And speaking of The Children, here's one of the few Pixs of them that turned out Okay. For some reason Princess T was standing awkwardly in so many Pixs that she'd be mortified if I used them. A couple times I did ask her to stand normally, coz, I don't think she realized the stance was so awkward it made her look like perhaps she had a Physical Handicap, which, she doesn't. *LOL* Anyway, as you can see Below, I got enuf Photos to be respectable and remember the Day. Plus, I did take some Pixs of just Stuff being Sold, which, I might include in other Posts, but, didn't need to be in this Trilogy of specifically Renaissance Festival Eye Candy Post Coverage.

I'm getting ready for my 2nd Stress Test Day, if I'm Lucky it will be as quick and easy as Day One, but, they did say this is the more Important Day, so, I dunno what it entails? Just that it entailed NO Caffeine and Detoxing wasn't Fun. *LOL* I got thru it, but, damn, I do need and like my Caffeine, so I can't wait to have a Coffee or Tea or Soda after my Test!!! *LOL* I was drinking Juices and Water all day Yesterday to keep hydrated, but, I was Jonesin' for what I prefer to drink. And I don't think I became too ornery and ratchet from the Withdrawal? *Winks* Being ADHD the Caffeine does help me Wind Down and Relax, so I had a very Hyper Day and couldn't Sleep worth a damn either last Night. Yes, it works the opposite on our Metabolism, if you're Hyper, Caffeine is not a Stimulant. It affects Dopamine levels, which improve Memory and Attention, and control Impulsiveness, so may even be Helpful as an ADHD Treatment.

The most common Treatment for ADHD is Stimulant Therapy. And perhaps why I Crave the stuff, I dunno? I know The Stroke was beneficial in slowing my Racing Thoughts down some and helping me Sleep more Hours. *LOL* Yes, I even had Days where I Slept a Normal amount of Hours like the rest of you Regular People do! It scared my Kids and DH coz they've never seen me Sleep more than a few Hours ever, far less Hours than most People Sleep. Oddly, feeling more Fatigued with extra Hours of Sleep didn't seem like something that should happen tho', so, still don't know Why the increased Fatigue when I am able to Sleep more now? I never felt this Fatigued when I Slept less due to the Bipolar Manic Cycles and ADHD, so, it's just Odd. I think my Brain is still Recalibrating itself around the Stroke Damaged parts perhaps, I dunno?

I mean, I was neglected by the first Hospital ER for over Three Hours after having a Stroke!!! Then had the Family take me to a 2nd Hospital ER, that took it Seriously and Treated me immediately upon arrival. Which, wasn't Good for my Brain to have such a long delay in receiving any Treatment, pretty sure. Second Hospital was Surprised that after such a long delay in receiving appropriate Treatment that I did as well as I did and have had a pretty remarkable Recovery. And like I said in a previous Post, don't ever ignorantly tell someone whose doing Well after a Stroke, "Oh, so, you didn't have a BAD Stroke then?" Becoz there is no such thing as a fucking GOOD Stroke, Okay... they're ALL BAD and damaging to the Brain!!! Saying something inappropriate diminishes the Seriousness of certain Conditions that are Life Threatening no matter what extent of it you might be having. There's no such thing as a GOOD Heart Attack either, or a GOOD Cancer, or a GOOD Accident with Injuries... ALL Bad even if someone Survives any of them and makes a complete or remarkable Recovery!

This Young Man was Adorable and had the Best Dreadlocks in his Hair and his Beard, so, I do Wish my Pix had turned out better of him. He was Brother Darkness tho' so I should have had him turn around and shoot the Frame with the Sun behind us. *LOL* He was helping me choose the Dreadlock Twist that would work best with my thickness of Dreads and instructing the White Lady installing it how best to Wrap them around a Dreadlock. She seemed more used to Wrapping them around Non-Dreadlock Hair for Customers so was struggling with the thickness of my Dreadlock and how stiff and dense they are. You can bend them but it is like bending Rope, not as flexible as individual Hair Strands would typically be. So, this Young Man's Help was appreciated and he had multiple Dreadlock Ornaments in his Dreads and Beard.

In fact his Dreadlock Twist on his Beard was damned near to his Bellybutton! I've seen Beard Dreadlocks before but none as long as his had gotten... and it wasn't a Weave. You see a lot of Weaves with Dreads, but it's easy to tell the difference between Natural and Fake Dreads. Tho' even with Natural Dreads you can Buy some Extensions that are Fun and install them too. Here I am having her install my new Hair Twist and figuring out which Dreadlock it would fit best on. The good thing is that with Dreads your Hair Ornaments are way more secured than with Undreaded Hair where it has to be Secured with other Accessories like the Straight Pins, Bobby Pins, Hair Snaps and such.

You can tell by this Pix that we're all Fading in Enthusiasm coz we were getting weary and everyone had about had enuf Fun. *LOL* Yeah, we're all Pitiful like that, even the Youngest of us, to where, we'll be somewhere Fun and turn to each other and say, "I've had enuf Fun." *Bwahahahahaha* We were unanimous on having enuf Fun so we left together even tho' we'd brought Two Vehicles in case anyone wanted or needed to stay longer... but... we didn't. *Smiles* Four Hours was enuf for us, we needn't stay from Opening to Closing, but most folks do. I think we did the first couple of Years. Now, once the Crowds thicken and Lines get long, Shops and Shows get crowded, and we've seen and done everything once, it's enuf. *LOL* We didn't even stay this Year for the Jousting Tournament, tho' the first one was during our Stay. We also didn't stay for the Wild Bird Show, tho' I did get a couple Pixs of the Handlers with their Birds before a Show.

We got enuf of the Obligatory Family Photos to show we were there. *LOL* The Kiddos don't take much Photography so they rely on me to take it all for us and then Share it when I download it. The Son had taken half a dozen with his Camera, The Daughter's Camera has a Battery Leak so she's not using it, and Princess T, if she took any at all, we don't know about it. Her Generation are more prone to taking Selfies and not always Sharing them except on their own Social Media Sites. *LOL* This Year she wasn't Hamming for the Camera like usual and was having some Social Anxiety about all the People, even tho' it was way less Crowded than previous Years on account of going on Super Bowl Sunday. So, she was just having a Bad Anxiety Day overall and was Happy once she was Home and holed up in her Room again. She and Grandpa are our Resident Recluses.

This Trio had some good Renaissance Era Costumes, it was the Weekend for it, so you saw more of it this Weekend than you might the other Themed Weekends. A lot of Work goes into this Era's Costumes and I'm sure Expense too. The comfort levels of this type of Costume is Questionable, especially when it's very Hot. I don't know if they're offered some Air Conditioned Space to go to in order to Cool Down in order to stay in Character all day? I'd definitely be falling out with heat exhaustion in these ensembles. Not to mention, when you have to use the Bathroom, how disrobed is necessary to cop a squat? These are the Questions we muse about as well as the Kilted Men and what they might be wearing under those Kilts, if anything? *LOL*

The Soap Guy said I could take his Pix if I smelled his Soaps... and I said, "You Naughty Boy.", and he gave me that Coy Look and Smiled. He was a Handsome fella, in a Jesus Wood Nymph kinda way, so... Yes, we went in the Shop and smelled his Soaps. *Bwahahahaha* I have Aroma Soaps for days at Home so didn't have a need to add to the Hoard, but, he did have some nice Homemade Soaps with some very Comically Amusing Names. So did the Essential Oils Seller that The Son got his Essential Oil from. And they put some on all of us and we were walking around and kept Smelling ourselves wafting thru the Crowd, we Smelled Divine and I should have bought some too. Each Essential Oil smelled different on each of us even if you had the same one. Mine smelled quite Sweet and Princess T's smelled quite Spicy. The Daughter's smelled Fruity and The Son's had a Sweet/Spicy blend of an Aroma. So we were joking it matched our Personalities well. *LOL*

There were literally rows and Tables filled in the Shop of these Essential Oils, almost too many Choices to consider. The Shopkeeper made some excellent suggestions tho' and The Son went with one she suggested for him and we all really did like on him. All my Kiddos are moving to using Essential Oils now like I always have since they are more economical and last longer than Perfumes, After Shaves and Colognes. You get to the place where you don't even smell them on you anymore but everyone else can even if you haven't reapplied them. I smell pretty much like Nag Champa Essential Oil all the time. Very seldom do I switch scents but when I do I'll use Dragon's Blood or Song Of India as my alternatives.

Yes, this Gal's Dreadlocks are Natural and Real, her Husbands are just as long and thick as hers are. They run the Drum Shop that also has Exotic Imports and they wear the Asian Hats and have them For Sale. I suspect they're not so much in Costume as they Dress like this all of the time and it's just their Lifestyle. They play the Hand Drums Beautifully so I always stop to Listen. I can't even Imagine how Heavy her Dreads are and how long they take to dry after being Washed... I know mine are heavy enough and I haven't got Hair that Thick and Rapunzel length yet. My Friend Bobby had Dreads even longer than this and you have to resort to Braiding them or putting them in a Ponytail or Beehive Bun, or they'd drag on the Ground.

This Young Lady was a Moth and Worked the Entomology Shop that has a wide Assortment of Butterflies, Moths and Bugs to purchase. I did take Pixs of that Shop and will include them in other Posts, this one is already getting too long. *Smiles* And becoz it is I'll now go Wordless and let you enjoy the Balance of the Imagery... you're Welcome. *Winks*