Eleventh Hour Emergencies ~ Fun Times!

 

I did some more Environmental Cleanup at the Nature Preserve by the Gila River.   That lactating Pit Bull Mix small Female was still in her Den there, so I gave her more of the Beneful Dog Food I'd bought for her at the Convenience Store, it's the only Brand they carried, she'd eaten all I'd left before, so must have been hungry and liked it.  I don't own a Dog so have no idea what Brands are most beneficial?   I just know they're all pretty expensive compared to Cat Food!!!  This time she came out a bit to greet me, still timid and cautious, but clearly she remembered me being the one who left the Food last time.  She has a deep Den in that Thicket and it's right up against the River, so Cooler, very Shaded, and very near a huge Water Source for all Wildlife. 

 Of coarse I'll never know her Back Story or why she's there?  I didn't see her Pups, so she must have them deep into that impenetrable Thicket of thorny Brambles and small Mesquite and Palo Verde Saplings.  But she's clearly Nursing, that was visibly obvious.   It's not the first time we've seen Stray Dogs and Chickens or Roosters in that area.   Usually you only see them the one and only time, so I was surprised she was still there and why I figure she'd made a Den for her Pups there.  The area isn't without Human Contact, People are there frequently becoz it is a Popular Nature Preserve and Recreational Area just outside the Urban Areas, with loads of Hiking, Biking and Horse Riding Trails, Wildlife and good Fishing.  It is maintained by the County.

If I do see one of the Parks and Recs Rangers I'll tell them about her and let them decide what is best to do if they feel an intervention is necessary?   Like I said, so many Residential Properties are nearby that have Mini Farms and Small Ranches, with loads of Domestic Pets, Horses and various Farm Animals, that she could also be from any of them really?   There's Goat, Sheep, Steer, Cows, Horses, Llamas, Pig, Chickens, Rabbits, Turkeys and many Working Pets that are living walking distance from that River, all along it, at the various Properties nearby.   And, new Subdivision Hells are being built now close by too, replacing Agricultural Land and Raw Desert in that area.  It's a shame that Urban Encroachment and Sprawl is butting right up to State Trust Lands, County Parks and Nature Preserves now.

Of coarse this Regime would like to Sell Off a lot of our State Trust Lands across America for Profit to wealthy and greedy Investors, who move across Lands like swarms of Locusts.   Short Term Greed by the Elite with Long Term Consequences for the Masses that can't be reversed is always Bad.  Responsible Development I have no problem with, but a lot of it isn't all that responsible or ethical and doesn't have the well being of the rest of us in Mind.   Or consideration of Nature and the destruction of the Natural World and the Beauty and Sentient Beings that can't be Lost or it's Forever Lost for Future Generations and the good of all.  I personally Believe the Earth Spirit is Angry and I don't blame Mother Earth for roiling against Mankind, we're not Good Stewards as a Species or as a Collective, are we?

But enuf of potential Apocalyptic stuff, I had to take to the Bed this Afternoon and Nap, to quit thinking upon all the Negative Energy.  Negative Energy that abounds these days and is exhaustive to be under the oppression of and threat of all the time these days.   So now for some Fluff of Life for this Post and to invite some Positive Energy in to being.  I did a fair amount of Environmental Cleanup and I could tell I hadn't done it for a while since it had built up in the areas I went, so I pulled a lot of Aluminum Cans out of the Nature Areas I went and out of a couple of lovely Parks too.   People in Parks can be so lazy about littering no matter how many Trash Receptacles are made available to them and conveniently.  They'll throw Trash down BY a Trash Can, too Lazy to put it in, just sometimes Feet or mere Inches away from where they just drop it!   I tidied up as I Collected Aluminum to ensure it gets actually Recycled.

Mostly in the Parks now there's always some Homeless, but they've always been Polite, Respectful and Cordial.   When they see you Collecting Aluminum and looking like an Old Rasta Woman they just acknowledge you and don't bother you at all.  They may even think I'm one of them for all I know?  *Winks*   Hell, the Affluent always thought I was The Help when I lived in Affluent Rural Subdivision Hell in the McManse, they never thought I Owned the place or could afford to live there.  *LMAO*  I guess they don't think someone with any measure of Success would ever do Volunteer Work like cleaning up without compensation, or taking Care of picking up behind Environmentally Unconscious folks?  I consider it my Privilege to be Healthy enuf to do it and on Retirement Time to be able to do any Volunteer Work I feel is important and necessary.  Since, nobody is getting Paid to do it, and it would therefore be left Undone otherwise.

Me just not doing it for a short while showed becoz it had piled up and clearly, nobody else was doing it in our absence.   Near Phoenix International Raceway and some Luxury Homes is a long straight stretch of Road with Natural Desert where the few High End Homes are dotted here and there along it.   The River runs on one side and the Mountains are on the other side that make up part of the Estrella Range.   In about a 20 Foot stretch beside the Road I picked up 30 Aluminum Cans, right by a Million Dollar Home, that people driving by just throw out their Windows, on their way to PIR or the Nature Preserve, or, just passing thru and oblivious of the Littering they Create for that Community and the Natural World around it.

I always feel good after I've done some Community Service and Environmental Work to Honor Mother Nature and my Community in Positive ways that make a small impact, but one nonetheless.   I'd like to do it more often becoz I do enjoy it and I know it makes a difference.  But, it did get to 119 again Today so around 10:00 a.m. I had to call it a Day.  I'd mailed The Young Prince his Birthday package in a fancy Birthday Design Mailer before I went Home.   The Post Office was Open an Hour earlier than I thought it would be actually, big Surprise and convenient, since, by Noon I'm always done for the Day due to the Extreme Heat.   Blog Friend Shirley said Cali is getting loads of Earthquakes, and we're getting out of control Fires in Arizona, the one on the North Rim is still only 30% contained and there's Four more now.  The North Rim Fire is so large and Hot it's Created it's own Weather System!!!

The Son and Marina went to Tucson for a Concert, it was a Day Trip but he took a Day Off coz they didn't get back to Phoenix until really early the next Morning driving straight thru after the Concert.  It was a good time but they were pretty wiped out.  I was thinking they'd spend a couple Days there, but she had Kids, even if she had Vacation Time, so wanted to get back for them.  Her Oldest, a Daughter, is Grown and helps with the 9 Year Old, but, still, School is starting and there's lots going on when the new School Year begins and you usually need a Parent Enrolling and such.   Plus, that's always a big Expense, they say the Average Arizonan spends $800 per Child to start School now.  I know it, I Raised Two Grandkids and put them thru School and still often help pay for School for the Younger Grandkids in Mexico who are still in School and struggle to afford Tuition, Bus Far, Lunches, etcetera.  {Footnote: More on that later in this Post.}

Anyway, the Kiddos looked Fly going to their Concert, I'm not familiar with the Band, probably some more Modern Alternative Punk Indie Rock Band called The Gaslit Anthem who are an American Band from New Jersey.  Online Googling seemed confused if they were from New Brunswick Canada or New Brunswick, NJ, conflicting Online Data was confusing, so AI really hasn't figured that shit out and isn't all that accurate, as it turns out.  *Bwahahaha*  They formed in 2006 so they're not New, but I can't say I know who they are, the Kiddos Loved the Concert and like the Band.   I listened to an Online Video Performance of their Song "45", not my preferred type or Genre of Music, but I can see why the Kiddos like it, it's theirs.   And not sure if "45" was a Political Protest Song, it could have been?  *LOL and Winks*  Marina drove since her Vehicle is more reliable than his and we didn't want them risking being stranded somewhere between here and Tucson.  *LOL*

I'll be Working Friday Night, they still haven't approached me yet about how much longer this "Temporary" Friday Night Fill-In Shift is gonna be?  I had expected Richard not to be able to return, due to the magnitude of what he's going thru Healthwise, but, at some point I figured they either rotate some other Temp in if he's gonna have the position held open a really, really, long time... or, give the Shift permanently to someone else.  Mebbe give Richard a different Shift if and when he can ever return to a permanent Shift?   I kinda doubt it, but, sometimes folks bounce back enuf to go back to something permanent after a huge Health setback or near Death experience.  I know Richard wants to, he's tried to come back prematurely but Management wouldn't let him and I'm glad they felt he wasn't ready, coz he wasn't, it was a huge risk to try.  Not that we haven't had very ill folks return, and then succumb to their illness, we have, it happens, especially with an Aging demographic of Worker or with some Illnesses with temporary remission. 

  

  

I still miss all my Lost Co-Worker Friends terribly, I think about most of them a lot.   We've Lost a lot of stellar people in recent Years, both in Real Life and The Land Of Blog.   One of the Granddaughters in Mexico just sent us a bunch of Selfies, which, I always request the Grandkids to send me recent Pixs as I know they all have Phones with Cameras and Young People Love taking those Selfies.  *Winks*  So, no Excuses.  Tho' usually when they send some, there's an Ulterior Motive so I'm waiting for that Penny to Drop.  *Eye Roll and Winks*  For some reason all the Youngsters like making those Kissy Lips for their Selfies, it Amuses me.  *Bwahahaha*  They all have such Lovely Smiles so I personally think a Smiley Face would be more Flattering than Kissy Lips.  *Smiles*   So, I'm Oversharing Proud Gramma Dawn Imagery again of a Grown Grand-Kiddo.  She's the one whose Raising her Two Younger Sisters and Supporting them now their Gramma Saint Maria has gone on to he Larger Life at Age 90.

This one had to Grow Up really fast, even before their Gramma succumbed, becoz they were her Primary Caregivers in the latter Years as Aging took a Natural Toll.   They doted on her as much as she'd always doted on them all.   She'd Raised her own Son as a Single Parent premature Widow when her Husband, who was in Government, was Assassinated when the Ex-SIL was still a Child.  She never remarried and felt it a privilege to Raise the Three Younger Granddaughters of The Daughter's Brood, when she couldn't and I couldn't take on Three more Little Ones or even get them into the Country actually.  I was already Raising the Oldest Two, as long time Readers know, Five would have been overwhelming while also being a Full Time Caregiver to The Man and being unable to sustain my Career, forcing Early Retirement.  I was willing to take on Three Teens when Maria Died, but, again, impossible to get them Legally into the Country.  Our Immigration System is seriously broken and corrupt, nobody is actually fixing that.

 

I think The Daughter's Trio of Youngest Kiddos prefers staying in Mexico, but they are trying to get Paperwork in Order to at least come for visits to America for the first time and be with Family here too.  They've never been here, we've been there, tho' Maria often visited America more than we visited Mexico.   She has influential Relatives in Mexican Government, in America living here Legally, in Europe... so she had a lot of Connections to travel where ever she wanted to Worldwide.   The Children were a lot more complex.   And this Granddaughter is now an Adult so she can try to get her own Paperwork in Order now but said it's very expensive and complicated.  Plus, America's Politics do concern and scare her as much as they do us right now, so there's THAT.  So, I've asked her to delay any Trips here even IF she can Legally cross one day.  I'd Hope in the very near Future, this Regime will be past bad History and we can move forward as a Nation with good future History again?  Only Time will tell.

In the interim I enjoy getting all the Pixs from all the Grandkids who I cannot be with in Person.   Both those living on the East Coast and those living Abroad.   It would be nice in our Lifetimes if we could be with them all in Person, since, The Man and I aren't getting any Younger and don't plan to become Immortals.   So, Tick-Tock.   Time does pass so quickly and before you know it the Windows of Opportunity do narrow and then close.   I'd like to still be able to Travel, there's places I still would like to Visit, but, The Man just isn't Well enuf to take this Show on the Road and it's unsettling to him also, he doesn't Travel well anymore.  It interrupts his Routine and unfamiliarity is disorienting to him and causes Anxiety and Mood deregulation.  I don't wanna put him thru that just to be able to Travel and see or experience things I'd enjoy, but would be too hard for and on him... thus, it would be more difficult for me too.  You're always in Caregiver Mode with a Loved One requiring Care.

Princess T said a lot of Creepy Customers came in to her Work Today.  Two Men in their Fifties said lewd commends directed at her, asking where the "Fun Things" were and then directing the Term at HER like a couple of Old Pervs!  She ignored them as being Crude and Creepy Old Men, but she notified her Supervisor about them.  She felt very uncomfortable and felt a Male Employee needed to handle them.  Another Guy had a full Erection in the Electronics Area!!!  *Gross, I guess he really Gets Off on Electronics?!*   And, The Underwear Guy was in, he's a Regular, sniffs and Buys Ladies' Underwear every time!!!   Princess T said no telling how many Women's Underwear he must own now coz he Buys so many every time he's in there!!!???   Ewwwww... and they're not in Sizes to suggest he Wears them, he is just a Panty Sniffer Weirdo and Creeps everyone out.  

She said he looks like a Normal Guy too, so you'd never know how Creepy and Fetishy he is other than when he's in there sniffing and Buying Women's Underwear!!!  He goes to all of their Locations, they draw Straws, so to speak, on which Female Employee has to Help him when he requires Assistance.  This Day they made the New Girl do it.  *Bwahahahaha*  She was a good Sport, they warned her who he was and it was her "Initiation" into Helping the Creepy Customer Types.  *LOL*    She always confides in me about her Work Day and the Challenges that might come up, especially with Customers, Management or Co-Workers.  She likes the actual Work, but of coarse Dealing with The General Public in any Retail Setting can be an Adventure!  I've Shared with her some of our Creepy Customers, Karens or Weirdos that come in. 

I'm so Glad the Nazi Lover quit coming in.  He was an unassuming little spectacled balding Middle Aged nondescript Guy.   Until, he'd want to fondle all the Nazi Memorabilia and almost have a visible Orgasm doing it!!!   Ewwww.  I don't like the Nazi Cases anyway, Creeps me out and I don't even wanna Touch the stuff, it's got such Negative Energy.  But know, it's a part of unsavory History and there are Collectors of all kinds of Militaria from all of the Wars and different Militaries, Friend or Foe.  Whatever floats your Boat, but, do it Privately if you Get Off on it, please!  Anyway, it got to where when Nazi Guy came in I told our Manager, I'm not waiting on him, he Creeps me out, you wait on him.  

So Steven would come wait on him since none of us wanted to due to how aroused he got fondling the Nazi shit in the Locked Cases, it was obscene and uncomfortable.  He never actually Bought any of it, would always come in and spend a lot of time just fucking fondling it like a Hitler Loving Perv and seemed to delight in making you cringe, mebbe that Got him Off too, his Freak Flag was flying fucking High, that one!   I don't know what happened to him, he disappeared during COVID, mebbe Natural Selection took him out, I'd venture to Guess he was MAGA and a flaming Covidiot too, just a hunch.  Mebbe his Creep Karma finally caught up with him?  *Winks* 

I thought this Plaque was Cute and Funny, even tho' I don't drink Alcohol or do Rx such as that... and wouldn't even suggest doing either, or both together... tho', it might just be the only way some might Cope with all this Madness these days?   I started some Escapism Coping by going down some Online Rabbit Holes, mostly looking up remote Islands, which, always fascinate me and probably appear more Idyllic than they actually are.   Tropical destinations are high on my Bucket List, I always Daydreamed of Living and Retiring in a Tropical Locale, and ended up in a Desert Locale, go figure!  *Smiles*  I have visited Tropical Locales and do feel they deliver in Natural Beauty in a way unmatched IMO.  The Man spent too much Wartime in Tropical Locales so he doesn't have such fond Memories of being in or around a Jungle Environment, which is understandable.  So, it's not his Ideal Vacation Spot to visit one.

And indeed the Penny did Drop as I expected it to when I initially got those Grandkid Pixs... which almost always mean some Ulterior Motive or Need will be then requested, but mebbe not right away.  *Le Sigh*  When they Want or Need something, is when you get the most Contact. I got an Emergency Book Of Faces PM Plea in Spanish from the Oldest Granddaughter in Mexico.  Whose 18 and finishing Raising her Two Younger Sisters, that she only had Money to send the Youngest, whose an excellent Student, to School.  School starts there too but they have to pay to go and pay for the Buses that take them.  She didn't have Money to pay for the Middle one, whose Special Needs and not such a good Student and doesn't like School, but needs to try to finish.  She's been held back, much like Princess T, Academics is a struggle for that one and she'll have to go longer.  Her Younger Sister has caught up to her and will probably pass her and Graduate earlier, coz Academically that Younger one shines, like her Oldest Sister of the Trio did.  The Oldest Won College Scholarships and that's the Youngest one's Goal too so her Older Sister wants to make that happen and support it.

Anyway, she contacted me, the Oldest one, after she sent those Pixs I'd just Shared.  I knew it was with Urgency, but my Spanish isn't fluent and I knew what she'd written involved School and Money, but needed a fluent Translation in order to respond and calculate it in American $$$.  Telling me at the 11th Hour poses a problemo coz I just paid Bills, just sent The Young Prince his Birthday Money, and until I get my Social Security Check, didn't have the amount she needs for that Middle Grandchild to start School TOMORROW!!!   Oy Vey, isn't it like Kids to spring a financial Emergency on you at the last possible Minute and expect you to pull it out of your Ass?   Anyway, Princess T is the only one who would have the Money to Front and then have us reimburse her.  She wasn't Happy to do it for THAT Sister since that one has been somewhat delinquent at times and not taken School seriously enough.

  

In Princess T's Mind, and rightly so, she doesn't mind if that Sister has difficulty Academically, she did too and can relate, so that's not the Issue, being a Special Needs Student.  But, she expects her to take School seriously if she wants her Older Sisters, their Mom, or her American Grandparents to make the financial Sacrifice on her behalf.  Otherwise, what's the Point, just drop out then and go to Work and earn your Keep.   I just Paid for that one to attend Summer School to try to recapture Credits and get more caught up so she MIGHT Graduate, this Year or Next Year, we're just not sure, she's 17 now and it may take that one 'til she's 19 to Earn her Diploma, I dunno?   Her Younger Sister will likely Graduate Early and with Honors before she's even an Adult Age.  Her Tuition has been covered by her Older Sister.  Princess T did agree to Loan her Mom the Money for the other Sister's Tuition, with the stipulation she has to take her Studies seriously and do her best, whatever that is.  Not an unreasonable request.  *Whew*

The Daughter doesn't have steady Work, she does little side jobs and is basically Unemployable due to the extent of her Disability.  But, she'll find a way to Earn the Money to repay Princess T as soon as she can, since she's willing to Front the Tuition to send to her Sisters Tomorrow Morning so they can Register that one and get her Enrolled by the Deadline.  *Double Whew*   It was too late Tonight to do a damned thing, so I'll have to do it Tomorrow after dropping Princess T off at Work and before going to Work myself, Fun Times!!!   I can't say that I haven't had to Deal with many 11th Hour Emergencies, but they never get any easier to work out on The Fly.   We usually do, since, we tend to Work well under Pressure... but... I'd like more Notice and more Resources between Family Emergencies and Crisis, ya know?  *Le Sigh*

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Fun Times in the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian