Bohemian Valhalla: Tick-Tock The Holiday Clock Is Winding Down

Christmas is just around the corner, Tick-Tock, and the Holiday Clock is winding down. In Real Time when this Publishes it will be Christmas Eve Day. I didn't take this Picture, but I have that Jadeite Pitcher, and the Jadeite Juicer too. Sold almost all of my Vintage Elves on the Shelf tho', or I'd still have a Collection like that too, some regrets about that, now they fetch a lot more than I Sold them for and are harder to Source for the really Old ones like I had. Ah well, the Money I got helped at the time and that was the whole Point of Investing in Collectibles, to enjoy them and then Cash Out on the Investment if Need be one day. It was part of my Financial Portfolio of Investments, if you will. Should have also Collected Gold Krugerrands, I had the Opportunity to when I was a Bank Executive, my Bank was Selling them all the time back then... dammit! Hindsight being 20-20. *LMAO*

Ah, well, we can never fully see into the Future and what it may hold, so you do the best you can with what Options you've got at the Time. I tried to Be the Bee, what can I say? *Winks* Now an Ounce of Gold is worth around $4,500, so Who Knew back when those Krugerrands were worth around $35-$40 an Ounce in the early 1970's of that Time, skyrocketing to $600 and Ounce by the 80's, and we thought that was Top Dollar... Bwahahahahahaha. Wish I HAD bought a huge Cache of them back then so Cheaply when we went off the Gold Standard. The Gold Standard Ended in 1971 for those who can't recall. The Gold Standard really collapsed way back after WWI though, which forced Countries to print Money beyond Gold Reserves, followed by the Great Depression, exposing it's inflexibility, leading to Hoarding and Bank Runs, ending Dollar convertibility in 1971. History Lesson now over. *Winks*

Okay, so I don't have Gold Hoarded up, but I got a lot of other shit Hoarded up, Gold Krugerrands would have been better tho'. *LOL* The above Meme cracked me up, mistaking Frankenstein for Frankincense. I do have some Frankincense BTW and some Myrrh, since I Love aromatic Resins and have quite a few to perfume my Spaces. It's the kinds of Caches of stuff like that which perplexed Family and Friends when we were Moving and they were helping to pack and didn't know how to Label the contents of the Boxes. So, they joked around and put Labels saying shit like Eye of Newt, Vampire Blood, Tears of Virgins, Tail of an Ox, Old Gypsy Woman's Conjuring Tools... it was Funny, I ain't gonna Lie, gave me many a Smile as I unpacked it all here. Hey, I know what all this shit is, but their exaggerated creative humorous interpretations were hilarious. *LOL*

I currently have the Three In The Mornings, so am up Blogging coz I became Wide Awake at 3:00 a.m., which sometimes happens, I know not Why? Almost on the Dot of the Witching Hour I snap Awake sometimes... us Witches be Witching like that. Just like Murderers be Murdering. *Bwahahahaha* Anyway, it brought to Mind those Boxes with Labels coz The Son hadda help Box up some shit from the Guest Bedroom in preparation of the Cox Cable Guy coming to swap out all our Equipment and Upgrade it. We had to move a whole Bookshelf and there were Two to Three Banana Boxes filled with what had been on it or around it that had to be carefully Boxed up temporarily. He took the initiative and I couldn't Watch, since, he's a Man, and Men be Manhandling too. *Winks and Le Sigh* He thinks he's being Careful anyway... and Helpful... so I didn't wanna Freak Out or Stress Out, he was trying to make less Work for me.

I would have preferred The Daughter to do delicate packing of anything but then he takes Offense. His Dad is the same, so they'd rather not Help sometimes than be accused of mauling/breaking things on Purpose. But, they DO... not on Purpose, but, it's still fucking broken now regardless of it being Accidental, isn't it? I remember The Young Prince, who is less heavy-handed and has a more Feminine Touch, coz he is Fabulous... deadpanning when something got Broken and he'd be the one to have to take one for the Team and tell me: "Hey, Gramma, remember that Nice __________ {insert Name of Thing} that you USED to have?" Yeah, that was how he often broke it to me that something got broken when I wasn't around and I USED to have it... and now, no more. *LOL and Le Sigh* So, I just Pray nothing in those Three Banana Boxes is something I USED to have now? *Le Sigh & Shrugs*

You will be regaled with Christmas Themed Imagery for Blog Fodder in Posts now probably thru the End of Year coz I have an Avalanche of it. And it is Uplifting Visually and we Need some of that, don't we? And, I highly suspect once the Holidays are a Wrap, there won't be much to be Photographed or do, or really be Celebratory of? Options are getting leaner as more shit is folding and closing up, I just don't foresee 2026 being a Stellar Year? But, I do Hope I'm Wrong about that Prediction? Gut Instincts and Premonitions are, I won't be tho', Sorry to be the bearer of Bad News, but, I'm just the Messenger. Visions I've had are not Good, let me just say, and I try not to dwell on it or think about it too much coz they're not the avoidable ones. Avoidable Premonitions that are Warnings and can be altered or avoided are less Troubling to me to have. This ain't them tho'. It's likely Why I'm having the Three in the fucking Mornings lately?

The Man now even gets Edgy when I have the Spidey Senses that something Bad this way comes. And it's not gonna be a Good News kinda Day, Honey. I get very agitated, so he knows something is Up and sometimes I will Talk about it with him if he thinks he Needs to Know. "What's Wrong, what did you Foresee now?", he'll query, sometimes I just tell him he don't really Wanna Know... and leave it at that. I mean really, if there's nothing you can Do about it, you don't really Need to know, even if you Think you Wanna Know. I don't even fucking Wanna Know, but I can't Unsee what I See in any Vision or Premonition given, and I'd prefer to just NOT have them quite Honestly. It would be more Blissful and Zen to be completely unawares sometimes. My Mom used to be Tormented sometimes by what she Saw and Foresaw coming. She'd usually confide to me, if it was gonna be really Bad, saying, "To be Forewarned Dawn, is often to be Forearmed." I guess she could be Right about that tho'.

You keep on Keeping On regardless tho'. Resiliency is Key during tough times and only tough folk will get thru it, even if many succumb and won't. I mean it is hard sometimes to feign Guarded Optimism with folks tho' and not just say, "Well, toughen up and buckle up Buttercup, coz it's gonna be a Wild Motherfuckin' Ride... and I don't see any Exit Ramps or Exit Strategy on that Horizon, so we Bought the Ticket and we're on for the Whole fucking Wild Ride now!!!" Weeeeeeeee... Hands in the Air like we just don't Care! Going off that Cliff all Zen Like and Laughing maniacally. *Bwahahahaha*

Us Dark Gallow's Humor Folk do see something to Laugh about in all of it, the Darkness, the rest of you poor Motherfuckers won't, and, will spend more time Crying, Wringing Hands and Gnashing Teeth, while absolutely Horrified and NOT Laughing, I highly suspect? Hey, if it's all going Off Rails anyway, Enjoy the Ride I say, what's the Alternative or other Option? Exactly. If what's Failing in America is gonna take us all the way to the Scene of the Crash site, that's handy, coz that's where we're heading. Salud! I cannot even feign Guarded Optimism now, but, I won't let the devils wrecking this Country and Democracy Steal my Joy either. Things have actually been bad before, we sometimes forget just how bad.

I remember the Year I Graduated 1975, being a really tough Year for America for a whole lotta reasons. Unemployment and inflation were around 10%, Interest Rates were around 10% too and would go up to almost 18% eventually, the culmination of the Vietnam War was on the Horizon and to end badly, we had Nixon in the Whitehouse and Watergate. Yet, I'm still here, and most of you weathered it too, and I wasn't even a Mature Young Adult yet, just a Teenager starting out Life on my own. Both of my Parents had recently survived Cancer at the time and my Younger Brother was given the beginning of his ongoing Grim Diagnosis, and he was only a Teenager too, still in High School, not expected to even Live. I still recall the Good Times of those Times tho', I just forgot about all that was Bad and Challenging, and there was a LOT of it, to be sure.

Half a Century erases a lot, it just does, I won't be around half a Century from now, but, I highly suspect folks will have forgotten much of this Bad History we're now moving thru too? And, remember, 100 Years from Now, ALL NEW PEOPLE! *Winks* That's reason for Hope I think. *Smiles* Okay, that's my Pep Talk of trying to be a Hopeless Optimist. *Winks* I'm having my Morning Coffee and it's 6:00 a.m., just dropped Princess T off at Work, usually only Tuesdays she goes in an Hour earlier, but due to Tomorrow being Christmas Eve, she said their Store is Closing early so they have to come in at 6:00 a.m. again, instead of 7:00 a.m. as usual. The Store is Closed Christmas Day. Our Antique Mall only Closes early on Christmas Eve too, no Night Shift, they Close by 5:00 p.m. and Christmas Day is the only Day of the Year they Close. So, not a Chance of getting Called In to Work now, since I only Work Night Shifts, Yay!

I pulled enuf Shifts for the last Pay Period to help cover some Rent, still don't know how I ended it tho' and if it will come with a Check? All Body Parts crossed it did and will? But, the last 2-3 Months haven't been Good for any Vendors. And this is usually the time of Year we be Killin' it, and we're just not, which is foreboding once the Holiday alleged 'rush' is over for folks allegedly spending. *Eye Roll* It all fell flat, total Flatline during the usually busiest Season to make Bank. So, I dunno. We keep on Keeping On... few other Options even exist, so, you Work with what you have. We have more than most, and are positioned relatively well, so I feel exceedingly Grateful we can circle the Wagons and just make it Work by combining all resources of everyone from Three Generations of Family being Unified of Purpose & Sharing Space.

My Industry Friends are all doing the very Best that they can too. Listen, we're not part of the Oligarchy and I doubt you even know anyone who is either? They are all doing very Well so they see nothing Wrong with how it's going. It's going Good to be them and for the obscenely Rich, better than usual in fact. So, Why would they want it to end, it's a Good Ride for them, they're Greased and highly Favored by the Cabal making all the Rules for their Class and the Criminally inclined Classes, it's Working for them just Fine. And as long as the Ruling Class can Con the Serfs {ie: the rest of us under this Modern Feudal System}, they have no Worries and no Hurries to change a damned thing until and unless their Marie Antoinette Moment is upon them. I say break out the Guillotines now, and start sharpening them in plain sight for the effect and Chill it might send up their Spines and jar the Spineless Enablers of them who have shown no Spine evident. We outnumber them by A LOT.

Things tend to Regulate once The Masses are Mad As Hell and Won't Take It Anymore. Nothing Scares the 1% like the 99% having nothing left to lose. We could be at that tipping point me thinks, and I'm not even Sad about that, it's long overdue actually, Regulation is Needed before the Wheels come totally Off this Runaway Train careening down the Tracks with no Guardrails in place. They removed the Guardrails so I don't know what they expected to happen? A Safe Ride? *Bwahahaha* Once you're on the Crazy Train you Think Crazy like that. *Winks* Reckless folks always act shocked when the consequences of being reckless finally catch up to them, as if it was never gonna happen. But it does... happen... every action has an equal and opposite reaction, Newton's 3rd Law of Motion.

We won't go deep in the Weeds of actual Science, that some Morons can't wrap their Heads around no matter how much the Science bears out Truths they refuse to Believe. Folks CAN Believe total Bullshit. Many do, sometimes BS is all they have Belief in actually, pity the Fools. You can't Fix Stupid. You just can't. So don't even bother. Oh Mylanta Dawn, what other Cheerless shit can you Blog about just before Christmas, you might be asking? *Bwahahahaha* Ah, I got an Avalanche and Shitstorm of it I could unload, and it's like a Good Therapy sometimes to just dump it all here, since, in Real Life I tend to keep a Lid on it, very necessary, Avalanches in Real Life can bury everyone otherwise and be unsurvivable. *Smiles, Spellchecker says that's not even a Word, seems like it should be tho'? LOL* But, I beg to differ, I Googled it, and, it's a legit Word and I even Spelled it Right, so Spellchecker is Wrong! *Eye Roll and Winks*

A Blast from Holidays Past again, since, I'm feeling particularly Nostalgic. I look like a little Red-Brown Troll next to my Amazon sized Blonde Viking looking Friend Cindy, but, I'm not as Red-skinned as Santa, he's beyond Indigenous Redskin. *LMAOROTF* But, his was Makeup and mine is Natural. *Winks* I don't know they even bothered to have Santa visit The Mall this Year, I didn't see any prep or lead-up for it, usually it's done Weeks in advance. Of coarse, I didn't even see Santas at any Retail Malls this Year either, usually you do, guess they were all out of Work too this Christmas, I dunno? Unemployed Santas, now ain't that a Bitch? *Le Sigh*

I fell is Lust with this Idea for a Tree Stand using an Old Clawfoot Wooden Table Pedestal. Now I want one. *Smiles* Sometimes you do see Oak Table Parts Orphaned and not thrown out, so I'll keep my Eyeballs peeled now Searching for one to make into a Christmas Tree Stand. Princess T told me on her way in to Work that since Rusty apparently isn't taking one for the Team, she Needs me to take her to a Dollar Store and TARGET after Work to get some last Minute Gifts... Splendid, it will be utter Madness out there with Shoppers just like her that waited 'til the 11th Hour to finish up their Christmas Shopping. To say I'm not looking forward to the melee would be an understatement. I get all mine done early for a reason, avoiding Stores and The Post Office when the Holiday Clock is winding down to this point of Tick-Tock, you're almost of Time and are skidding in Sideways now.

I know, I know, some of you Thrive on Stressing yourselves the Fuck Out, I'm not of your Tribe. I don't particularly wanna come along for the Ride either, if I can possibly Opt Out. But, The Princess doesn't Drive, so she Needs Taxi/Uber Service and I've been Tagged as "It". She had Rusty cornered Yesterday and they obviously hit The Big Retail Mall to get The Man's "Swiss Colony" Pressies, so I don't think the Guy had it in him to do a Dollar Store and a TARGET too after Work, Bless him. He's in The Trades so goes in to Work at 4:00 a.m., and does Manual labor, so by Evening, Shopping is probably the last fucking thing on his itinerary to wanna do... and for most Men, even EVER. I know The Son who was in The Trades and Worked super Early doing Physically demanding Work, never wanted to go Shopping, he'd rather face a Firing Squad than go Shopping with any Female on a Marathon Retail Therapy Mission. *LOL*

I made a big ole' batch of Holiday Crockpot Chili Yesterday, with enuf to even have some Today. Yeah it was 80 Degrees during the Day, but at Night it got down in the 40's and 50's, so, seemed appropriately Cozy Comfort Food to keep the Chill off. The Holiday Plates and Bowls were half Price when I did go to TARGET, even before the Holiday Madness last Push and Rush descended, so I picked up a bunch of them, I don't wanna do Holiday Dishes. I had intended to Buy a Holiday Ham, but, not enuf Grocery Budget to last the Month for a Crowd of this Size and until some of the others Qualify for their Nutritional Assistance, which, hasn't moseyed thru The System yet, still pending, guess they figure folks with no Income don't Need to Eat during the Holidays or something and will Survive upon the Charitable Meals of others? It's the New ReTrumplican Donnie Two Dolls way, Let Them Eat Cake! Oh, and just Two Dolls too. *Eye Roll*

This time I used Chorizo for the Meat, coz that's all we had left in the way of Meat. A little Spicy for The Man, but the rest of us, thought it was Heavenly, it was the Al Pastor Chorizo, Nom-Nom. I threw more Water in the Beans to stretch it further and feed more, since, we always have Company dropping in who have Food Radar and Hunger gnawing. What's One more Mouth to Feed when you already got a Big Family? *Smiles* Amber had brought by Tamales, but she likes my Chili, and is Working Three Jobs now to make her Ends meet, Bless her. That first Grandchild of hers is coming in April and she really is concerned she's gonna end up Raising that Baby that the "Old Man" {T.J.}, has Fathered by her unwed Twenty-Something Year Old Special Needs Daughter.

I think she could be Right, and she's already helping her Elderly Parents, her Dad in his late Seventies and her Mom has Stage 4 Cancer, she's Single, living with her Boyfriend's Parents herself to Save Money, so has a full Dance Card. She started Crying last time she came over, I just hugged her tightly. Been there, done that, it ain't anything to look forward to being tasked to do, it alters ALL Life's Plans for your own Retirement Plans, but Grandkids are worth any Sacrifices made on their behalf, I'd do it all again with no regrets, and I know for Amber, Family is EVERYTHING too. Since Eating Out isn't in the Cards right now, I've been salivating over Older Food Porn Pixs of it. *LOL* This is Why I enjoy Photographing Food. Today is my Weekly Ozempic Shot anyway, so I won't feel Hungry now for about a Week and looking at Food will be Enough. *LMAO*

With being almost out of Meat the Family will have to go Vegetarian for the rest of the balance of the Month. *LOL* It won't Kill them to, but they'll whine about it. The Pantry is stocked with Carbs and Veggies, Soups with some Meat in it, so, they'll be Fine. And there's always Eli's Cat Food for anyone really whining too much, to be offered up. *Ha ha ha* I do have Cans of Tuna, and Mayo, with the other Condiments necessary, but I'm really the only one that seriously enjoys a nice Tuna Salad, so I'll be more than Fine. *Smiles* The Daughter has had Food Insecurities for Decades living in Mexico, so she's not one to whine as much as the others when we're starting to look like Old Mother Hubbard's Cupboards. *Ha ha ha*

And The Son looks side-eyed at some of his Sister's concoctions she learned to stretch a Meal doing in Mexico. What IS this, he'll query? Don't Ask and we won't Tell. *Bwahahaha* Americans are so Soft, she'll say and Laugh heartily, and, we are compared to most Countries that really have experienced True lack. Then say she's eaten out of Dumpsters or Ocean Altars the Santeria erect, and she's just Fine for having done it and had to do it. *Winks* I've been Hungry, it ain't no Fun, if you're Hungry, truly Hungry, you'll fucking eat anything from anywhere lemme tell ya and without Complaint and be Grateful. I remember being a Homeless Single Parent with a Newborn and eating every other Day to ensure my Infant was fed, while Working Two fucking Jobs at the time. You do whatever it takes. There are no Real Free Rides in Life. How we have it now is Real Good by comparison.

I've had Abundance and I've had Lack, Abundance is definitely better. But, lemme tell ya a Truth, once you've had Extreme Lack, you Learn to Appreciate things you might have, a helluva lot more and be Grateful, than when you've just had Abundance or extreme Privilege. Privileged People always feel the most Entitled and Smug, the most Judgmental and lacking Compassion for and of those they have no Point of Reference to who are experiencing Lack. They generally take more for Granted, Believe all the Myths and Old Tropes about The Poor or the Disadvantaged, and when their Fall comes, they really can't hang. And will whine the loudest and play the Victim like it might Win them an Oscar for the Performance of Playing a Victim Card. Donnie Two Dolls plays The Victim Card as if he's ever fucking been a Victim or had and experienced any form of Lack or Hardship, which, he has not, but he HAS Victimized many.

Below was my Mom's last Christmas, that was my Brother at her Hospice, she looked Good even tho' she was so not Good at the time and actively Dying, with Grace, Fierce Pride, Resiliency and Dignity, Bless her Heart, she was a "Boss" and much Beloved. I'd pulled all the Favors I had in Arizona for temporary Placements I couldn't afford and she couldn't either. So we eventually had to move her out to Cali with my Brother and his Lady to pull all their Favors for her Final Journey and Placements. Various Celebrity Friends of my Brother made it possible for her to have the best Placement in Cali that we couldn't afford and she couldn't either, I'm Grateful for that, and they know who they are and would prefer to remain Anonymous, which I will Respect, but be Eternally Grateful to them for getting Involved.