Mental Illness And Bad Luck

 It's hard having Kids with Mental Illness and Bad Luck!  *LOL*  The Son was on the Crazy Train last Night, a trifle had Triggered him and he was Ranting and Yelling in a Room by himself and then at me when he'd come out of his Room.   His Niece came out of her Room since it was 10:30 p.m. and could hear him Ranting angrily, and tried to Reason with him, but, you can't have a Rational conversation when someone has gone Mental, he had to just let it move out of his System and go to Bed eventually.  He and Mando had gotten his Car running, but it took a shit again in the Morning.  He had to limp it back Home, and call me to get me up, luckily it crapped out a half block from the House.  *Whew*  So, then I had to take him all the way in to Work and rush back in time to get Princess T to Work on Time.  She goes in an Hour earlier on Tuesdays.

He wasn't Mental this Morning, it had Mercifully passed, he gets Psychotic when under Stress and the fact he drinks alcohol doesn't help and only Magnifies his Psychosis.  He's in a tough spot and so usually Goes Off on something insignificant as a Release Emotionally.  Gypsy James has a Ford Escape SUV he can Trade/Sell him in exchange for these Two Non-Operational Vehicles he currently has, but he wants too much for it and it's a Year that Model had Issues.  So, I told The Son, Pass.  He doesn't have the Credit to go to a Dealership, or any Down Payment, he's spent too much on repairs already for naught.  It was just a Money Pit to try to keep this Sedan roadworthy and to no avail.  Just as they repaired one problem, another one immediately showed up, it was just time to put a Daisy on it and give the Car it's Last Rites.  *Le Sigh*  So, that's where we're at this Fine Tuesday Morning.  *Bwahahaha*

James felt bad that the Car he'd Sold to The Son only lasted 2.5 Years and now took a shit.   But, it was only a Three Thousand Dollar POS to begin with, so, it's not like we expected a Full Warranty, it was what he could afford at the time and he's put a LOT of Miles on it due to how far his Employment is from Home.  Yes, I'd prefer he could afford a New Vehicle with Warranty but he can't risk Payments and needs to be able to pay Cash or work something out with a Friend that won't backfire on him like that Predatory Loan on a Vehicle that came back to Haunt him 12+ Years after he and his Ex had to let it get Repossessed.

He just finished paying off the Fifteen Grand some Corrupt Judge awarded the Predatory Lender on a Vehicle that had only cost Twelve Grand when they bought it over Fifteen Years ago, they paid a Year's worth of Payments on before it got Repossessed, and then the Lender Sold for several Grand.  It should have been, and probably was, a Loan Write-Off for any deficiency, if there even was a Lender loss on it?   Which I seriously Doubt.  I'm a Retired Bank Executive, so I know how it should go if you're NOT being Predatory in your Lending Practices.  Unfortunately a lot of Banks now are and exploit Borrowers, sadly it seems they're Paying Off Judges to Rule in their Favor now too.  So much blatant Corruption in The System that it cannot be Trusted anymore.  Even Supreme Court Justices {ie: Alito & Thomas} are corrupt and have been Bought and Paid For.  And these are the Ones allegedly Upholding or Making our Laws!!!???!   God Help us!!!

Anyway, so, I had to roll out of Bed at 3:30 a.m. again with an Emergency Phone Call from The Son about the Car taking a quick shit half a Block away.  I was glad he limped it back Home and I had Time to still get him to Work on Time, since, we had to drive all the way there this time.  He'd already told his Boss not to meet up with us halfway there coz he'd gotten the Car running over the Weekend.  It had been working quite well too and he'd renewed the Insurance on it when he thought it was operational again.  That was all short lived, even tho' on Test Runs over the Weekend it had seemed Fine.   I'm just glad it was NOT Fine so close to Home and not further down the Road stranding him further away or in the Heat of the Day.  *Whew*

For my Troubles, God is Good, I stopped for Gas and here sat a Food Box from the Food Bank with a Note from some Church saying, "Jesus Loves You, Take Me", right next to the Gas Pump I pulled up at, at a pretty deserted Convenience Store at Four in the Morning.   So, yep, I did and it had all the Non-Perishables we always use and Buy!!!   When you're feeding a Three Generation Family on Pensions and Family that only earn Minimum Wage, Low enuf Wages they can't afford to Rent & had to move back Home, or can't Work a Real Job due to extent of Disability, you appreciate any random Blessings Found.   It had Canned Vegetables, Canned Pasta Sauces, Pasta, Canned Beans, Bag of Rice, Two Boxed Yellow Death {Mac N Cheese}, Canned Soup, and a nice Quality Tube of Tropical Scented Sunscreen.  

 Quite a Blessing since Money has been Tight this Month.  Well, for several Months due to the Social Security and Pension Checks always coming Late now and the Working Kids both having Reduced Hours at Work.  Princess T said she'll be getting more Hours again now that so many people Quit, including her Boss, so, that's more Money and no more Shorted Hours.  Tho' she's having to Work harder to do the Jobs of the Vacant Positions now as well as her own, for no extra Pay.  And The Son is Hopeful they'll soon be back to Full Time Hours too?   At least nobody had to get Laid Off this time with everyone at his Plant agreeing to take a cut in Hours to ensure everyone was retained.   He still thinks the Widow is trying to Sell the Business her Husband had bought a few Years ago from the Founder of the Business who Retired and Sold it?  She wasn't expecting him to drop Dead and isn't up to running it.  Plus, now Tariff Wars have interrupted Soft Lumber delivery from Canadian Sources and jacked up Costs to make the Cabinets considerably.

If they can't fulfill the Orders it's a problem.  They cannot project what to do enuf in advance anymore and that's stressful.   Since the Tariff Fiasco is ever changing and so Chaotic and Impulsively implemented by Donnie Two Dolls and his Cabal of Vulgarians, who don't Care who it Negatively impacts or how many Businesses or Jobs it destroys.   The full impact of all of that is being felt, but will worsen and everyone in Business, big and small, knows that.  And a lot of Smaller Businesses are barely holding their Heads above Water or able to retain their Staff or afford the Tariff Taxes on their Orders as it is.  Not to mention what they'd then have to overcharge their Customers and Clients becoz of the Trump Tax.  As I think it should be Called and should be spelled out on every fucking Purchase it Negatively impacts so even The Cult Base knows what it's Costing them and whose to Blame!!!  {Above isn't my new Stained Glass Antique Salvage Window, I paid 90% less for mine, but, it's similar.}

Anyway, I filled up with Gas this Morning before Oil/Gas Prices skyrocket due to the New War that Draft Dodger Donnie Two Dolls got us into and Iran threatening to close off the Strait of Hormuz.   Mebbe they won't do it, but the Threat alone might impact prices and shake the Market?  The only Profiteers from War are Rich People, not the rest of  us.   No Working Class Stiff has ever needed a War nor started a War.  But they will be the ones sent to Fight one and put their Lives on the Line, by the Elite that do start them and will Profit off them and never Serve.   The Elite will Pay for a War and yet claim they cannot Feed the Poor as well... War ain't Cheap and Taxpayers will Foot the Bill for them too.   It's always Interesting to me how many Taxpayers will gripe about Feeding the Poor, but not the Price Tag of what a War has Cost them or the Lives Sacrificed needlessly in one, which you can't even put a Price Tag on that incredible Human Loss.

Look how Strong, Tough and Bad Ass we Look, whilst Chest Banging and swelling with Patriotic Pride that we are a Big Militarily Superior Super Power and can intimidate and threaten lesser Nations to bend to our Will.  That about sums it up to me.  And when we have a Warmonger Pussy President that wants to Appear Tough on TV & Social Media.  Who is Mentally Unstable, Unhinged and bypassing all Legal means of getting Congressional Approval to start a War, on his Dictate, Mood Swings and Whim alone, One Man with Nuclear Capabilities whose 79 and in Decline, that's a Recipe for pending disaster and doom if you ask me!!!   He'll be wholly responsible for whatever happens, good or bad, but, do we really wanna Assume that Risk and know nobody is fucking even trying to Stop him?   Coz they lack Backbone, Moral Compass, Ethics or Conscience. 

I think not, too much is at stake my Friends and if you're okay with that, you are probably Mental too, or at least Out of Touch with and Untethered to Reality.   This isn't some Cheesy Reality Show here he's heading up this time, it's not Celebrity Apprentice my Friends, which wasn't Real or Reality.   His whole Persona has been faked and a total Myth from the Start, you know that, Right?  Or, don't you?   It's easily Fact Checked unless you're too lazy or intellectually challenged to do so, just sayin'.   And really, Educating people who are running with Low Information or being Lied to and intentionally Misinformed is important. Even if it's very difficult for them to discern Truths from Bullshit being shoved to them and not knowing who is Trustworthy and whose blowing Smoke up their Asses while Using and Manipulating them.   A Con Artist doesn't have to be Smart, just Smarter than those they're Conning and Targeting, who are most Vulnerable and Easier Marks for them to be successfully Played.  {Above, a tasty pureed Butternut Squash & Carrot, with Pepitas, Cold Gazpacho Soup}

If you tell yourself a Lie often enuf it could easily become your erroneous Truth and you can be fully convinced of it.   I have no Doubt that there's a swath of the Citizenry that have bought into Lies and Deceptions and are fully convinced it's True.   I generally don't engage with anyone MAGA and deep into Cult Worship, pointless to, but I think most Moderates, Independents, Center Leaning folks can listen to Reason and are Free Thinking enuf to figure shit out when presented with Facts, Evidence and Proof they can Fact Check for themselves to verify the accuracy of.   Those who'd just run with a Meme, a Tweet or a Podcast Bro Opinion aren't typically getting their information from reliable Sources to begin with and don't explore more reliable options or Fact Check anything. 

 If you're that gullible, or lazy, then anyone can Sell you on anything really anytime they want to exploit you.   They just have to Sound Convincing to you or tell you what you Want to Hear, not what you Need to Hear and Know.  And when I get the Live Feed on The Book Of Faces, well, what a Human Sideshow that can be!   *LOL*   And the ones with the most hubris are often the "Thoughts And Prayers" People I've noticed.   OMG, the sanctimonious Social Media input from them is quite Entertaining and pretty Saccharine and Sanitized, while glaringly disingenuous, isn't it?   *LMAO*   I never respond, but I do notice they flock together from that Tribe.  Making a Spectacle of a collective showing of how Morally Superior and Godly they claim to be, whilst Proudly supporting things to the Contrary.  Often from the bowels of Hell, and I imagine Satan must be Laughing at how they can't distinguish Devils when they see one and have inadvertently become his Disciples!?  {Above is Carne Asada Tacos with Pico de Gallo & Guacamole... I just dumped it off the Corn Tortillas and whalla, Diabetic Friendly.  But only could eat about 1/4 of it, very filling and overly generous portion for me.} 

A couple of the Great-Grands, Brother and Sister.   Since the Children are the Future we need to ensure they have one to Inherit.   Anyway, it wasn't as Hot this day so we did some Environmental Cleanup early and put some Chili in the Crockpot for Tonight's Dinner.   The Man found a bounty of brand new Fishing Lures that someone hadn't even opened and just threw away, and a small Tackle Box filled with some they threw away too!   It's amazing what people will squander and waste, without even opening the packages they bought it in!!!   So, he was Jazzed to Score all that in a plastic sack in one of the nearly empty Trash Cans at the Nature Preserve while looking for Aluminum Cans to Recycle.   And throwing away Trash people just throw down and litter the Preserve with.

I received my Shipment of Ozempic, it's co-pay thru our Insurances is a lot more expensive than Trulicity, which it's replacing, more than double the cost.  It is what it is tho', I had such a hard time even getting our Insurances to cover it, so, can't complain really once it got Approved on Appeal.  I'm sure it's coz the demand for it as a Weight Loss Drug has jacked the Price up considerably from when it was just used for us Diabetics to Manage a Disease?   I do Hope that I tolerate it well?  I begin it next Tuesday, it's a Weekly injectable for Diabetes.    Luckily the Shipping is no Cost and delivered right to my Door, which is convenient and efficient, a huge Time Saver.    I've been lamenting how many of my Favorite Vendors have either Scaled Down or Closed Shop entirely lately.  So many are struggling right now just to hang in there and keep going, stay afloat in this shitty Economy this Administration has Created, after having Inherited the most thriving one in the World Post-Pandemic!

I know many of these Vendors won't be coming back, and I don't know if those that Survive will risk expanding again once they don't go Under?   One of my very Favs "Rusty Saturday" used to have a Brick and Mortar Store.  Then they Downsized to several Booths and Rooms in an Antique Mall.   Then Downsized to less Booths and no Rooms.  Now they occupy just a single Wall at an Antique Mall!!!   And they used to Fabricate a lot of the fabulous Vintage Industrial Style Displays made from Antique Salvage that they made and offered, they don't even do that anymore either.   When the best of the best and most Seasoned can't keep going, it portends some real rough times ahead.   I know I have to bring some more Fresh Merch into Inventory at our Showroom, I have it Priced but haven't been in to the Antique Mall since my Friday Night Shift.  It's rare to go in now to work your Spaces and not be asked if you'll cover a Shift for someone who either quit or didn't show up!!! 

The Young Vendors can't or won't Work Shifts to Comp their Rent, since it doesn't Pay enuf to make it worth their while or they have Real Jobs with a Real Salary/Income that Pays for their Work.   And the Old Vendors are dropping like Flies, either dropping Dead or having considerable Health Issues and Surgeries sidelining them.   The Mall got Spoiled when lots of Vendors vied for the Shifts, now nobody wants the Shifts.   If they don't bump up the Comp to be at least equivalent to, or even close to, a Minimum Wage, they're not gonna entice any Newbies to give it a go.   Comping Rent at only Ten Bucks an Hour is rather a Joke... since Gas has skyrocketed in Price to get to and from Work.   I happen to live fairly close by, many Vendors do not.

Almost all of the Ephemera and Paper Arts Vendors have Closed their Booths or Downsized their Inventory considerably too.   And the Brick & Mortar Paper Arts and Craft Stores are Closing or reducing Inventory at an alarming Rate too.   Some of the really big ones have Closed and Filed Chapter 11 recently and those still in Business often have a lot of empty Shelving when I've gone in.   I think this is why our Paper Arts and Ephemera Merch is Selling so briskly?   And I heard why we're getting so many Customers Buying Pokemon Cards and Merch is that the Stores are completely Sold Out of it and don't know if or when they'll get any more of it!!!   Now that I know this, when I see any Pokemon Merch I can snag for Resale at a good Buy, I'll snap it up to put in our Showroom or Locked Case.   I recently Sold a Plush Pokemon that Princess T told me was Rare and we Paid about Three Bucks for at a Chazza, for $100 just Days after putting it into our Locked Case!!!

When we were out doing our Environmental Cleanup we found a Young Man originally from Africa whose Car had broken down while he was fishing at the River.  He was at a Dead End Road leading up to the River, so was fortunate we happened by or he might have been stranded there a very long time.  He didn't have a Phone and his Battery was dead so he needed a Jump, luckily he had Jumper Cables and we got him started so he could drive Home.  He was so grateful, and said he wasn't used to this Heat!!!   That sounded unbelievable that he felt Arizona Heat was so much hotter than Heat in Africa!!!  OMG!!!  *LOL*  Anyway, we told him it's not wise to go anywhere rather remote by himself in the Heat, in case of an unexpected Emergency like he had.  He hadn't brought enuf hydration should he have been stranded longer and tho' he could have walked to a nearby Farmhouse whose Fields are near the River, some Farmers out there aren't so friendly or helpful.

Mostly due to people going to the River trampling thru their Fields and littering or even illegally dumping.   So, you can't blame the Farmers for getting upset with the Traffic using the River for Recreation and not being respectful of Private Property and making a helluva mess on it.  They post No Trespassing Signs but people just ignore them or even knock them down.   So, a lot of the Farmers and Ranchers don't have a lot of tolerance for folks from the City coming down near their Properties.  Anyway, we got the Young Man on his way and I'm glad we came by so he could be helped in his predicament.   He was only about the Age of our Adult Grandchildren, he hadn't caught any Fish either, so it was just a bad all around Day for the poor Guy!  He promised us he'd go straight Home and be Safe, so he didn't risk his Car going Dead again.

My Friend Lilia is closing out her Jewelry Making Business and put a lot of her Creations on Sale, so I just bought these Earrings from her.   I'll be linking you with her Book of Faces Biz Page CORONA COUTURE so you can see all she is offering.   I'll also be including some Pixs of her Creations in other Posts.   I'll be Sad that she's Closing her Studio, but she's not doing Shows anymore and is no longer at the Monthly Events either, it just got to be too much with all her other obligations and Career Job to juggle it too.  I completely understand and talked about that earlier in this Post, how it's just happening to a lot of smaller Indie Businesses now.   I've bought a lot from Lilia over the Years, she's been doing this for a long time and enjoyed it, she's madly Creative and has a lot of Supplies, so said perhaps some day she'll resume, just not now.   So, she's Selling Off what's already Created and not Creating any more at the current time.

She Creates a lot of Jewelry out of Old Silverware and Antique Salvage Hardware, with Vintage Brooches and Bling, or Vintage Religious Jewelry, Accessorizing a lot of the Necklaces and Earrings she Creates.   I've included some Pixs Below of some of the Necklaces she's offering too.  It was good to talk with her, I haven't seen her since she quite doing the Monthly Events, but I knew she had been doing some of the Quarterly Shows like "Junk In The Trunk" and "Thieves Market".  She said come Fall she might do a couple of those Shows to Purge the rest of what she hasn't already Sold Online.   Since there won't be more Inventory being made she's just wanting to Sell it all and be done with it for now.   She's helping out with an Elderly Parent and I know what that's like.  

Caregiving does consume you and especially if you're still Working Full Time while providing whatever Care they might need to continue living Independently, but with some Help, or giving them Rides if they can't Drive.   Her Parent is probably our Age so I know eventually our Kids might be in that predicament some day with us if I can't do it anymore.  I want to remain Independent as long as I can be and I already know The Man requires Full Time Caregiving, so I Hope to be able to do that for him as long as possible too.   But while talking with Lilia, I realized her Loved One is about the same Age as us and already has lost a great deal of the ability to do everything without present Help from an Adult Child.    Our Kiddos help out now, even tho' I can still do it, now I don't have to if they'll do it for me, which is still Helpful.  It's different tho' when your Parent{s} just cannot anymore and you HAVE to.

Anyway, Finances right now are stretched tight so the rest of the Month is pretty much on a Shoestring unless I get a decent Check from the Antique Mall Sales the next Payday?    Sales have been pretty Soft, so, I can't count on it.   At least I've gotten Checks, many Vendors have Owed the Mall and not made any Profit.   Several Vendors have also Closed their Booths and Cases or Showrooms and Moved Out.   The Mall has managed to Rent it all out again, but some of the New Vendors I can already tell, aren't gonna last long, you can always tell.   Sometimes they just don't have enuf Inventory to make a Profit or even cover Rent.  Sometimes they have the Wrong Merch that you know isn't gonna be an Easy Turn or they have the Good Stuff but are overpricing it.   We no longer have the Vendor Meetings and Get Togethers that the Mall used to Host, or even the Corporate Meetings where Management connected with their Vendors/Tenants.   So, it's been higher Turnover.

I'm keeping a close Eye on the Economy... times are tough, but I highly suspect they're gonna get even tougher.   The trite and crass Response from the ReTrumplican Party when Questioned about the Medicaid and Medicare Cuts and SNAP Cuts for Nutritional Assistance, that the Big Ugly Bill will take from about Twenty Million Americans, so that Billionaires can get more Freebies, was "They'll get over it!"  Just WOW!!!   Yep, that was Moscow Mitch's response and direct Quote!!!   So, the peeps that will lose their Healthcare or have it drastically Cut, or have their Elderly Loved Ones kicked out of Nursing Homes that Medicaid presently covers the Cost of, will just have to "Get Over It"!!!   Can't get your Meds covered, "Just Get Over It"... or be turned away when you have a Medical Emergency and it's no longer provided coz you won't have Coverage, "Well, Just Get Over That too!"   People will Die, "Well we all Die" was the ReTrumplican response, so, "Get Over folks Dying Needlessly too", I suppose!!!  Can't Feed your Family, "Get Over It"!

They don't even Pretend to Care about their Constituents, since most Cuts will actually be to Red States which rely heavily upon these Programs and Services.   States like South Carolina, Virginia, Louisiana, Oregon, Kentucky, West Virginia, New Mexico, Arkansas, Montana, Nevada, Washington State, Alaska, Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey, Colorado, California, New York, Vermont, and Hawaii, could kick as much as 30%-49% of their Residents Off Medicaid!!!   Some States seem to be refusing to provide Stats of how many of their Residents would be Negatively impacted, like Texas, Florida, Wisconsin, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Nebraska, South Carolina, and Wyoming... so chances are, their Residents are probably at High Risk and they don't wanna admit it and have it on the Record? Which leads me to Believe they also don't think we'll be having any more Elections and they're Safe from losing their Jobs by not adequately protecting their Constituents by Voting against this Bill?

Anyway, I don't see that side of the Aisle standing up for the People of America, they're bending the Knee and kissing the Ring still and if we did have more Elections, only the most uninformed or ignorant would still Vote for them.   But, to be Fair, the Democrats aren't wowing me with anyone they're offering as a viable alternative to this Shitshow either, so, I'm completely underwhelmed with the lack of Opposition.   So, I just don't know even what the Midterms will offer us???  Who IS their Messenger and more importantly what IS their Message?   I just don't know, it's all been conspicuous by it's very absence.  And that's concerning coz one side is now beyond corrupt and undemocratic, while the other side seems damned near invisible and impotent.   Unsettling Times.

I watched a NetFlix Special on that Carnival Cruise to Mexico that went bad and was stranded for a Week.   Never been on a Cruise and always imagined I'd want to go on one, now, not so much.   Not only becoz of everything that went terribly Wrong on this one, but even before it went Wrong, the Videos Guests too, even when things were allegedly Idyllic, looked overly crowded to me and chaotic.   Too many Guests packed on each Cruise and a lot of Sensory Overload, it did not look the least bit relaxing to me for a Vacay.  I've heard good things from people I know that go on a lot of these Cruises tho', but, what they might enjoy and what I would enjoy might be polar opposites when on Vacation?   I know The Man would HATE something that crowded and chaotic.  Anyway, probably never going on one, so, it's a moot point I guess.  I did enjoy the Special tho' and only vaguely recall when it was Big News.

 

NetFlix hasn't had a whole lotta new stuff that I've wanted to see, so I don't know I'll ask The Son to renew it when it's time again?  I don't watch much TV anyway, even on regular Cable, and The Man only likes his fav Shows Reruns.  He'll watch the same Episodes over and over again as if for the very first time.   I don't know if it's the familiarity of it that appeals to him or he just forgets he's seen the same Episodes numerous times?   He will ask me the same Questions numerous times and doesn't remember the Answers.   But, I repeat myself too, or so I'm told.  *LOL and Winks*   I'm overly tired most of the time lately due to the crazy Hours I'm having to keep to get Kiddos to Work each Morning.  It's a lot of expense added to when I'm having to do that much commuting and putting that much extra mileage on my Truck that normally I wouldn't.   I'm getting close to the Wire by Month's End now financially too.  So, have been scheming on ways to make a little extra??  I think mebbe everyone is in that predicament tho', everyone I know seems broker than usual.  *Le Sigh*

A refreshing Cucumber Watermelon Cold Gazpacho with Edible Orchids.  And Below is the Chili that The Daughter made, with and without Garnish, it was her first and I must say it smelled better than most we've made and tasted damned good for her first attempt.   I was surprised she'd never made Chili, we make it all the time becoz it is something everyone likes and is so easy to make, with whatever you have on hand. She wasn't sure what went in it so she added some things I don't, but I didn't mind it, Potato pieces were unusual.  *LOL*  I only had to help her with the Spicing of it and Princess T said she prefers my Thicker Chili, this was a bit Thin and Soupy for her liking.   So, she didn't have seconds like she usually would, but everyone else did.   With Princess T she can like the Taste of something, but if the Texture ain't Right, well, she'll Opt Out.  *LOL*

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Hang in there my Friends... Dawn... The Bohemian