In Real Time this is a Day in Infamy, No, not becoz of Pearl Harbor, but, that too... but becoz it was the ill fated Day I got Married the First Time. *LOL* A 7 Month Marriage... lotsa Unlucky Sevens that time. *Winks* So, our Antique Mall was having a 3-Day 15% Off Sale and hardly any of us Vendors even knew about it and they didn't Advertise it worth a shit so most Customers didn't know either, so, it fell rather Flat on Friday. I can only Hope Word somehow gets out for The Weekend and enuf Customers stumble in if it doesn't and decide to Buy when they know it's a Sale on everything? I had zero Sales by 5:30 p.m. when we came in to place more Inventory in the Showroom and Locked Case. Ridiculous during a Sale to have NO Sales at all! And I'll include some Ghosts of Christmas Past Christmas Parties we USED to have Hosted for us at Work. Nevermore.
Anyway, I decided to use the 15% Off to get my Pearl Grey Fiesta Ware Mug & Bowl, and a couple of Christmas Altered Art Bottles that were already Cheap, and now would be 15% Cheaper. The Young Prince had not yet seen our New Showroom and New Locked Case yet. When he was last here we didn't have a Locked Case yet and were on the Waiting List for one and had Showroom 114 way in the back of the Mall. Now we have Locked Case 83 and Showroom 140 up near the Front of the Mall in a Choice Spot for both Locations. He Loved both and I let him pull a few pieces of our Inventory he wanted for himself to Keep.
He bought a Ladies Ring with the Sale Price, it was already inexpensive and has a Square Cut One Karat Stone that looks like Tanzanite set in Sterling Silver flanked by Two CZ tiny Diamond Yags. He likes to wear Ladies Rings and liked this one a lot. A little bit of Retail Therapy buoyed his Mood, which has been really Down due to having to return to New Mexico and let his Husband know that for sure, he's leaving, and for good. He's not sure how that will Land so he's very nervous about it, since, he's the one trying to Leave and deciding to End it?
They have talked of Divorce, and Allen is already acting like a Single Guy and not Respecting he's a Married Man. But I think Allen imagined The Young Prince to be too dependent upon him to do it and that he could just therefore do anything? The Young Prince figures if you want to act Unmarried, and not Honor a Commitment, just BE fucking Unmarried. Plus, the Anger Management Issues were escalating and it no longer felt like a Safe Space to Hold. So, I'm glad he's made the decision to get out and all the Family support that decision considering the circumstances.
Whether he was a Male or Female, I'd of given him the same advice, Verbal or Physical Abuse is never Okay and it generally gets worse. I know the decision to Divorce is never easy and to end a Relationship burdens and hurts the Heart even if you're leading with the Head, but, when the Horse is Dead, get off. I left my 1st Marriage for the same reason and having Zero Regrets that it was the Right thing to do. The safety, well being and respect of yourself and for any Children is too important. Thankfully, being a Gay Couple, and not wanting to Adopt, they had no Children to consider. *Whew*
Anyway, since his Dad paid for this visit, I can only Hope we can come up with whatever it takes to get he and his stuff back to Arizona for good. He'd wanted to Visit first to make sure coming back to Arizona would be what he wanted and was the Right decision to make during and after going thru a Divorce. But, he said all his Family and Friends are here and have shown The Love and Support he'd Need, even if Emotionally he'll be Raw and feel Down for a while. That's quite understandable, I took and Needed Three Years to rebound from my Divorce Emotionally. You don't jump right back into the Dating Pool if you're Wise, you Heal first. I wasn't even sure I ever wanted to Marry again with a failed One already Chalked up. I became very Guarded and had Kiddos to consider protecting from any more Bad Relationship Decisions. I hadn't been Lucky in Love, I made Bad Choices!
But now for the Fairy Tale Marriage with a Happy Ending. I wasn't even looking to Marry again when I met The Man, I had a 3 Year Old and a 7 Year Old, and both were Special Needs Children. But, I had Single Parented for a while before Marrying the 1st Time, and had a Solid Career, so I didn't Need a Man to Complete me. The Man wasn't looking to Marry again when he met me either, he'd made even more Bad Choices than me with Relationships in his Past! But we instantly gelled and really didn't even Date that long when he asked me to Marry him, he was more the Risk Taker of the Two of us, Clearly. *LMAO* We met on a Super Bowl Sunday on January 22nd of 1989 and were Married on March 18th of 1989 in Vegas, we Eloped, just us Two, didn't tell any Friends or most Family. At "Silver Bells Wedding Chapel" with a Chapel Provided Witness, and my Mom watched the Kiddos for us and was the only one we told of our Plans to Marry, she kept it a Secret for us.
Hard for Mom, she usually couldn't keep a Secret, but had told me I was making a Good Decision this time. *Smiles* Now, granted, she and The Man NEVER got along, but, she knew he was a Good Man and would be decent Father/Husband/Grandpa Material. She Liked my Psycho Ex {Everybody did, Psychos can be Charming and Charismatic}, but knew he was a total Train Wreck. I said Yes to The Man's Proposal, and the rest is History and was the best decision for all of us. One of our Best Friend Couples, Roger and Lisa, took us on our Honeymoon to Kauai, Hawaii coz she worked for Southwest Airlines. it was actually more Fun to have another Couple who were good Friends there coz we did so much more than we probably would have done, since, she'd been there many times before and knew all the places to go and they covered the Cost of everything as their Wedding Pressy to us. We were supposed to stay a full Week but on Day 3 my Mom called and said The Son wouldn't eat.
He's Autistic and was only 3 Years Old and didn't know we were coming back. So, it was too traumatic since he'd seen me every Day of his Life after I got off Work... and now for 3 Days I'd been Gone and he was too Young and Special Needs to explain it to. We rushed back on the next Flight out, vowing to come back on our 25th Anniversary. But, by the 25th The Man's Health had Tanked completely so it never happened. Que Sera Sera... shit happens, Life happens, whaddya gonna do? Plus, The Man isn't one to like Tropical Destinations, it Triggers him. Coz he spent too much of his Military Career fighting Wars in Tropical Locations and it gives him PTSD to see Jungles, too many very Bad traumatic Jungle Memories.
So, now we just have Staycations here at Forever Boheme', which, is a pretty Sweet Property to enjoy Staycations at, so, I don't feel the least bit deprived. We're Blessed to Own this Property, it's the best of both Worlds, The Man has his bucolic Rural slice of laid back Heaven here at the Mini Farm Community. And yet, we're in the Heart of the City, which I Love the Action, Urban surroundings right outside of the Mini Farm Community, and vibrancy of. Granted, I do miss having a Paid Off Acreage and Property, like we had at the Historic Home. And I do miss not having a Historic Home, tho' a completely Remodeled Vintage Custom Urban Farmhouse Style Home with the same amount of Acreage has it's benefits, I ain't gonna Lie. I just don't like having a Mortgage again and at our Season of Life, that was never The Plan.
And sometimes I even miss all the ridiculous amount of Space we had at the Villa McManse. Which, had been a Million Dollar Listing when it was built and before the Luxury Home Market Bubble crashed and burned, making Luxury Homes dirt cheap. It did get The G-Kid Force Adoption pushed thru tho' and The State Paid for it even, so, Served it's Intention & Purpose I Bought it for. *Winks* But it was a LOT of House to Maintain and was way too Rural for my preferred Lifestyle, I'm mos def a City Gal. Plus, we HATED the HOA and pretentious Uppity Affluent Community of Neighbors. Here it's not in Da Hood like the Historic Home was, and so is a better Location in the same City we already knew everyone in and wanted to return to and Loved, and we have the Best Neighbors/Community, still near everything we'd ever Need or Want.
But anyway, back to Post-Chapel Wedding in Vegas Story, there was a Convention in Town, so all the Big Casinos were Booked Solid, not a fucking Room to be Found!!! So, we had to Trawl off Fremont Street and find some Seedy little Motel called "The Normandie", had a Marquis that said "Highly Recommended By Owner, Elvis Slept Here"! *LOL* Well, Elvis must have Slept there with a Hooker coz it was that kind of a Motel as it turned out, the Kind you Rent by the Hour and they looked Shocked if you Rent the Room for a whole Night!!! The Room had Three TV's that didn't Work and I made The Man turn them all around, sure they were Recording from them whatever happened in the Rooms?! *LOL*
There were Mirrors everywhere, even on the fucking Ceiling, and Hookers with their Tricks were coming and going all Night long from the place! Well, it felt positively Salacious and made for a Great Post Wedding Story to tell for Years later. *Bwahahahaha* After Night One there we managed to Score a Room at the SAHARA and actually bought a 20 Year Time Share there coz it was the only Paid Off Casino on The Strip at that time and Debt Free. So, for 20 Years we had a Luxury Suite there to have Vacays at for a Week Annually, well worth what we'd Paid. I took Friends and Family there a lot. My Welsh Uncle went often with me, he Loved Vegas.
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The Normandie Motel was actually a 1930's Historic Motel with an Iconic Sign that has been preserved in the History Museum of Las Vegas even tho' it's since been demolished. But I Sourced some Blast From The Past Images of The Normandie so you don't think I'm making this shit up and feeding you some hyperbole. It looked Cute on the Exterior anyway... but, was Seedy even in 1989 and where the Streetwalker Pros worked their Trade who weren't High Class enuf to be in the Legal Brothels of Vegas. *LOL* And, so there we were, on our First Evening as a Married Couple... at the Infamous Normandie... and... better Story than if we'd gotten a Room first at one of the Better Casinos, Right? *Bwahahaha* We had gotten Married at "Silver Bells Wedding Chapel" on The Strip.
And Sadly, "The Silver Bells Wedding Chapel", tho' Iconic and built in 1966, was destroyed by Fire in 2002 and no longer exists either. It was a Cute Lil Chapel on The Strip, Diana Ross, Coolio and Dave Chappell got Married there too. Different Era, same Location, "Chapel Of The Bells" had Celebs like Mickey Rooney, Leslie Nielsen, Kelly Ripa & Mark Consuelos, Ernest Borgnine, & Bobby Unser Marry there. Now "Mon Bel Ami" is at the Location. I haven't been back to Vegas since our Time Share expired and it's changed in ways that The Son said wouldn't appeal to me anyway, he didn't like it and had fonder Memories too of how it used to be. First time I ever went to Vegas was in 1979 with The Daughter's Father when I was Dating him and he was in the Military, but not Old enuf to Gamble in Vegas. *LOL* I don't Gamble, so, we just did Shows, had a Wild Time and Ate Well. *Smiles* I never wanted to Marry him, tho' we did have The Daughter together in 1981.
I tried to find a Pix of when The Man and I got Married, but The Daughter has been re-organizing my Photos so I don't know where it is. We did look Young and Thin... even tho' both of us were over 30 at the time, so, we weren't that Young and it wasn't our First Rodeo taking a Swing at Marriage . The Man had more Exes than me, but he was Common Law with a Couple, due to being Together a while in a Common Law State that made the Arrangement a Legal Union. And in Arizona they don't acknowledge Common Law, so I never Counted Live-Ins or long term Relationships as Marriages that didn't make it to an Altar. *LOL* So, The Daughter's Bio Father, NOT a Husband or a Marriage to me, and we could just walk away when it didn't Play Out.
Anyway, most of my Lifelong Friends have known all or most of my Exes, and they are Glad for me and the Kids that I ended up with The Man. It's LATER and we're just about to leave for the Airport... The Man wants to tag along... and I'm going to "Sweet Salvage's" Bonus Event directly afterwards so I told him he can't be like a Deer Caught in the Headlights while we're there or like an Anchor weighing me down to where I can't enjoy it. He likes the IDEA of coming along places, but, the Reality of it sets in for him almost immediately and then it's Full On Caregiving for me and definitely not as enjoyable, relaxing, or restorative. Mando and The Daughter are taking Princess T to Work this Morning, so that was a relief. I couldn't be Two Places at once and the Flight Out for her Brother had the Priority this day.
We're back now, we just dropped him off, he was too Emotional to have us stay and felt he could hold it together better if we didn't wait with him. He made it to Denver Okay and the Weather there was Cold but no Blizzards that would Cancel his Flight to New Mexico. But, he did have a Five Hour Layover there, which seems excessive. I mean if a straight flight could be had from Phoenix to New Mexico it's only an Hour to an Hour and 20 Minutes!!! Going thru Denver is Weird enuf without a Five Hour Layover to connect Flights!!! I gave him Snacks to take with him coz he was down to his last $20 and that won't Buy much at an Airport. He was talking to Allen prior to me checking in with him, and I do hope their split goes smoothly without Drama and Ugliness on Allen's side of it? The Young Prince wants an Amicable split and can manage that on his side of it. In the Above Pix our Oldest Daughter was Preggy with her 2nd of 3 Children, whose now almost 30 and has 2 Kids. The Toddler Granddaughter in this Pix is over 30 and has 3 Kids now. Yes, I'm wearing Shoulder Pads. *Bwahaha and Shudder at Fashion Faux Pas of the Era*
Anyway, after that The Man and I went to "Merchant Square Antique Mall", for some reason I thought their "Highland Yard Vintage" Event was this Weekend but it wasn't. All the same, I got a very Old Metal Terrestrial Globe that has no Names on any of the Countries and shows only Tradewinds and Tropics Lines. It's a very Curious Globe and I don't have one like it, it intrigued me becoz it's all a heavy Metal and seems to be Painted on the Metal, not a Paper overlay. I can't find a Date or Maker anywhere and Google Lens couldn't find any just like it, some fairly similar were about $175.00 and I paid $20... the condition of mine is about the same as the ones asking almost $200, the Metal has discolored and rusted where it's seams must have been to put it together. A nice addition to my Old Globe Collection. The Man got some Fishing Lures.
Our trip to the "Sweet Salvage" Bonus Event also went very well, I bought just One item from my Friend Big Kenny, a Vintage Store Display of Gold Plated State Buttons, a different State Seal Design for every one of the 50 States on a Display Card for only $20. I looked it up Online and very few are available and each seemed to be unique and different, starting at around $115 and up, so, Score. I Love Displays that were Commercial, especially Haberdashery items like that, I make Vignettes of them. Below is my Model Showcasing it. *Bwahahahahaha* The rest of our Adventures of the Wind Down of Events 'til Christmas will be reserved for another set of Posts leading up to Christmas. Our 15% Off Sale Continues at "The Brass Armadillo" Locations.
Merry Christmas from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian
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