A Life Less Ordinary

 I'm still trying to recover from this Stomach Flu, it's been the worst one I've ever had.   I'm glad I didn't get out tho' as we're having an Air Quality Alert, I have no idea Why?  They say it will be in effect thru Tomorrow, but, likely I'll still have this Flu Tomorrow, since, they tend to last at least Two Days.   The Daughter is having to pick Princess T up from Work for me, she knows how to drive but isn't licensed.  But, it's just a Block away and easier than me risking having to need a Restroom between here and there and not have one to get to in time!   The Man will go along to offer Emotional Support to her, she's protective of my New Truck and doesn't want to get into trouble driving unlicensed, even out of necessity.

She can't get a License on account of her Schizophrenia, we tried to get her one just for Emergencies, since, she knows how to Drive and doesn't want to do it regularly.  But the DMV said she has permanent suspension, I didn't even know that was a thing?  *LOL*  In Mexico she drove her Elderly Friends in their Vehicles for short errands when they couldn't.  There is no real Public Transport worth a shit around here and I would never allow my Young Granddaughter to take an Uber.  Too many Women have been Sexually assaulted by Uber Drivers, you don't know what random people get approved to be one!?   I also don't want her Walking Home, it's not that far but it's on a busy Roadway and she'd be Alone, not Safe either.  So, the lesser risk is The Daughter taking my Truck and picking her up.

Princess T is Saving like mad for her first Used Car, but now with Tariffs and all that Madness, the price of those will skyrocket too as demand for them increased.  Nobody will be able to afford New Vehicles with the kinds of increases expected and Interest Rates not likely to go down either.  Speaking of Loans for Vehicles, Thank God I finalized the Deal on the John Deere Tractor when I did, just in time!  *Whew*  They already sent me the first Bill for a Payment and I won't even get the Tractor until next Monday!!!   But, the Interest Payment is only just over Two Dollars a Month with the Terms they gave me, and a lot of time to Pay the Loan Off.  I'll wrap it up earlier, there's no prepayment penalties, but, wanted the spread for my Budget.

Today Mando and The Daughter helped a Septic System Company do some Work on one of the Mini Farms around here.  They hadn't had their Septic pumped in 50 Years!!!   So, I think we're fine with not having had ours done in 5.  *LOL*   They got Paid and got to know the Company's Owner, so, he said he'd come to our Property and find out where our Septic Tank is located, we have no idea and have been unable to find it ourselves.   I use heavy duty Septic System Cleaners Monthly, having them pumped is expensive.  The Daughter has done Septic Work in Mexico, where most of the Homes have them.  We're a small pocket of Older Homes built back when there were few City Services here in the 1960's when it was Rural, so all the Mini Farms are on Septic Systems.

When we were looking at that Pueblo Fabulous Custom Home in Wickenburg, it was even on it's own Well becoz it was so unusually placed out on a Plateau Mesa overlooking the Hassayampa Valley.  The Man still laments the Seller couldn't perform so we could have bought that Property, but I'm glad now we got this one instead.  That one was really too remote, tho' it was Sublime and worth far more than the Ask Price and had a Killer View and amazing Custom Architecture.  I don't know we would have been as Happy there and the driveway out to the Property was terrifying, so I'd have Panic Attacks taking it daily.  *LOL*  Plus, Wickenburg is a very small Old West kinda Town still.  And Small Town Arizona can be filled with a strange demographic of folks.  I prefer Urban areas, more progressive a demographic.

Anyway, looking back at when we were House Hunting for a Forever Home, I think we did end up Scoring the Perfect one in the Ideal Location.   No regrets, everything is as it should be.  Yes, I do miss having a Paid Off Home, I got so used to that and this one is too expensive to pay off in my Lifetime now.   LATER:  My Stomach settled down just enuf I could go get Princess T from work without incident, but, I wore a Pull-Up just in case, so I could feel confident enuf to.  *LOL*  I'd doubled up on the anti diarrhea over-the-counter Meds and Hope I've finally taken enuf to settle my System down?  I'm exhausted from so many Bathroom runs, I haven't eaten that much to need to go that often!  It sucks... but, I have no appetite, which helps.

Doing nothing all day has been Restful, tho' Sleep hasn't been uninterrupted.   So, I feel very Tired still since I had to keep rushing to the Bathroom and Hope I'd wake up fully in time to make it.   So, you don't get that REM Sleep, you're kinda in a state of Twilight Sleep where you're barely dozing and then rudely awakened by the urgency to make another Run to the Bathroom.   I think of all Sickness symptoms, that is one of the worst coz it almost always is accompanied by Nausea too... both miserable conditions to have any length of time.   The Daughter made me something to eat but I could barely eat any of it, felt too Nauseous and everything runs right thru you.  Which makes you reluctant to eat anything at all.   As a Diabetic, that's not good.

Princess T said one of her Boyfriend Rusty's Friends is Buying Eli's new Cat Tree from her and giving her a bit more than she Paid for it.  She got it on Sale, so he's still getting a good Deal and has a much smaller Cat that it will be Perfect for.  It really hasn't been used at all.   Eli was just too big for it and he knew it so wouldn't use it.  She's going to buy him one that's not as fancy, but is bigger so he feels more comfortable with being on it.  He's a huge Cat, so is too big for a lot of regular size Cat Products.  He's more the size of a small Dog and he's very heavy.   He Hated it and wanted it gone, he'd glare at it with his Mad Face.  His disdain for what he doesn't like in their Shared Room is hilarious and he's very stubborn and defiant.  *LOL* 

Some of the Monthly Events are coming up this Week and next Week.  "Sweet Salvage" opens Tomorrow, so it might be one of the rare times that I miss out on Opening Day of it.   I doubt I'll feel up to going even if I'm over whatever this is by Tomorrow.   It usually isn't this early, so I thought it would be next Week on Thursday.  Now I know it is Tomorrow and doubtful then I'll be going.  The Theme is a good Spring one called "Bloom", so I thought the Seasonal Vibe would be Strong.  I've perused the Sneak Peeks on The Book Of Faces and don't see much devoted to a Spring Vibe tho', which is disappointing.  I remember when the Themes were Stronger and more Evident.  Now a lot is more Trendy Pedestrian looks, which are Nice, but, not necessarily Inspiring or Creative.

Usually I can crib some Pixs to Share of upcoming Events when they've done Social Media Sneak Peeks.  This Month, there was only a Single Pix that was strong enuf visually to Save to my Photo Archives!   And, there was nothing Springlike about it either!!!   It was just a nice Vignette, well Curated and Designed, but I wouldn't have known if it was April or December by it.   And that's part of the problem lately with some of the Events, they've become very Mainstream, when, they used to be Exciting and different than anything else.   Now, most of the Events look very much like Vignettes at Big Box Stores like World Market, Home Goods, American Furniture Warehouse... or have the Products I can get at a Hobby Lobby, Target or other Shops with mass produced Merch and nothing particularly Unique, Vintage or Collectible.

I dunno, my expectations are higher if I'm gonna spend time attending anything these days.   Otherwise, I just won't bother.   So, I'm not exactly sad I might not feel Well enuf to attend an Event I usually really look forward to, but, don't really anymore.   And I don't know if it's mostly due to Attendees wanting what they can find anywhere else and is cookie cutter catering to whatever Trends are the Flavor of the Month?  That has caused a slippage in the Merch and how it's presented? But, I'm doubting that, since Attendance is much lower than it ever has been everywhere.  What used to draw them isn't consistently there now and so many have lost Interest and fallen away over time.  I'm seeing it even where I Sell, but then again, what Vendors are Selling or how they're Merchandising it has shifted significantly too.

The "Highland Yard Vintage" Event will be later in the Month and last Month theirs was very evident of Spring and I enjoyed it more becoz it was more Theme and Season accurate.   It got me in the Mood for the upcoming Seasonal Shift and that stimulates Trade when you immerse your Shoppers in a Vibe.   That's why Holidays do so well Commercially, it immerses you in the actual Holiday at Hand, you don't have to wonder what time of the Season it is being promoted, it's evident.  Halloween didn't used to have a lot of Commercial Success back when it wasn't promoted like it is now.  Now it eclipses Christmas in Sales.  I just think if you're giving a Theme to an Event, stay True to the Theme or don't bother having a Theme.

Yes, I'm being overly critical, and I don't have all the Answers on how best to Stimulate Trade once the Economy has gone stagnant and the Chaos has made folks Fearful and Distrustful of, what next?!  A potential Bond Market Catastrophe did force the Hand of this Administration to Pause 90 Days on the Tariff Disaster they've Created.  But, it hasn't solved anything, just a lot of damage done so far that will be a huge cleanup and to broker, which takes a lot of time, it can't be done instantly and recklessly.  It's spooking major Investors and it is suspicious that he Tweeted it was a good time to Buy just a few Hours prior to announcing the Tariff Rollback for 90 Days, knowing that would bump the Market upwards.  If that wasn't inappropriate and courting or encouraging Insider Trading, I don't know what is?!

I do find it Entertaining how Fearful his Spin Doctors and staunch Supporters on TV are about saying anything Critical or expressing an Honest Opinion that might be Negative.  They prefer to evade, avoid and simply change the Narrative and Topic when pressed about a simple Yes or No Answer about something Illegal he's done or doing.   I mean, I get it, they should be Scared, since they know he could be coming for them next, and it would be putting a Target on their Backs, Right?  But, they won't admit it publicly, that's for damned sure, too Fearful and whipped. So they'd rather compromise their own ethics, character or any morality they might still have left, to not Speak Truth against him.  

 

I mean he is coming after some of those that used to be on his side, but now considers Political Enemies or said something he didn't like.  And has put out an Executive Order weaponizing the Justice Department to retaliate against them even tho' they did nothing Illegal or Immoral.  Everything he has ever accused the other Political Party of doing, even tho' they weren't doing any of it, he is doing it.  It's his biggest "Tell" actually.   Just listen to what he accuses other people of and that's exactly what he's doing and deflecting with the false accusations against someone else.   So you're not paying as much attention to what he is actually doing that IS exactly that, and is usually Criminal and Illegal.

I can't watch much News Today becoz that Moron is on every Station talking his bullshit to justify what he's doing.  They've had Small Business Owners on for the past few days being Interviewed and how the Tariffs are already destroying their Businesses and many will fold.  Many already Paid for Merch they had made Abroad, that now they cannot afford to Import, so it's loss on top of more loss to them and financially they're seriously compromised now.  Many said they can't just use American Companies to produce what they make becoz it doesn't exist here.  There are no Factories producing much of what is being currently made Abroad.  And, at a price point that could be the least bit competitive to produce it or sell it.

 And, even if starting Today, American Industrial could or would start making whatever it is, the Cost to implement whatever it is would be so prohibitive.   That no Small Business could afford to Invest that much or wait long enuf for it all to come to fruition.  Or to get Americans to do the Work at an affordable Cost their Customers could or would pay for the same thing.   If I-Phones were made in America for example they would cost at least Three Times what they Cost you now, which is already pretty expensive.  So, most people couldn't then afford them.  The starting Base Model now is about $799, Pre-Tariffs... and up to $1,299 for the Pro Max Model.  If we made them in America the Base Model would be over $3,000.  Just how long, if ever, do you think they could get to a competitive Rate to match what we used to pay?

Granted, I don't like the Idea of Foreign Sweat Shops exploiting Slave Like Labor and even using Children to produce Cheap Goods.  But, that's what American Consumers now expect as to a price point for what they've come to rely upon and be able to afford.   We are a Consumer Nation and it's not as if America hasn't exploited Foreign Workers in our own Country, we have Generationally.  Who do you think now does just about all of the Migrant Work, Meat Processing Work for your Foods?  Immigrant Workers in usually poor working conditions and for less than an American Worker would do it, if they would even take the Job or be able to do the Job.

I just don't think a lot of Thought has been put into so much of what's going on, it seems haphazard and on whims of one Man.  Perhaps some short term Extortion by You Know Who for his own Gain and Ego, but not for the American People and our best interests at all.   The Free Trade that has worked well for 50-80 Years has benefit the American People and other Countries.  It's not perfect and certainly some aspects could be re-negotiated in a more mutually beneficial way for all, but not like this Bullying and Trade War nonsense, trying to Extort Countries while also harming American Businesses in the process.   This is not Helpful, Trillions of Dollars have been Lost and wiped out in a matter of just Days by this Chaos and Incompetence, it is Financial Vandalism and punitive!!!

I lead a Life that is less Ordinary and Unconventional, but, whether you do or you don't, nobody can sustain the Tariff Extortion going on by this President, whether you're a Foreign Country or an American affected by it's lunacy.   I mean, a 125% Tariff against one of Americas biggest Trading Partners is Insanity.   Imposing Blanket Tariffs against every Nation, many of which have never done us Wrong, and even some that are not even Occupied by Human Beings, is just Crazy.  If their previous Tariffs were 2% or lower, just what is he presuming to Negotiate that is better?  He's never said, becoz there isn't anything more beneficial to be had for America really.  So, much of this makes no real sense, but then again, the Orange Lunatic often makes no real sense in what he says and what he does, so, can't say I'm surprised at all.  But, nobody is effectively stopping him either, clearly.

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Love, Light and Blessings from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian