Trying To Buy Less And Choose Well

 I'm trying to get a few Unpublished Posts ahead while I feel like Blogging and going thru Photo Archives and this one is gonna be Visually heavy and long, so, sit down.  *LOL*   I haven't downloaded the Pixs I took while we were out Sunday coz I didn't take that many, not much that would have been Visually Interesting or Editorial.  And even what I took at the other Event was lackluster when I downloaded those and only a scant few were worth Sharing as Blog Fodder.  And there's not much to go Pathologically Picture Taking that's 'New' around the House.  Tho' we did Clean like Merry Maids in preparation for The Daughter's Medical House Visit.  *Bwahahaa*

  I'd been thinking of going to the Desert Botanical Gardens Monday coz I don't have any obligations for The Grandchild's Transportation to and from Work.  The Man wouldn't be going coz it's too much Walking for him.  I have a Membership there and this is a nice time of Year to use it.  The Lead Image was one of the Great-Grands in Pennsylvania, the Middle Child of the Oldest Granddaughter of our Oldest Daughter.  That one is a Clone of her Mama!  It's like looking back 30 Years when that Granddaughter was the same Age!!!

Above I was in a "Sweet Salvage" Video of the Event's Opening Day, but I don't know how to download a Video, so took a few Stills of my Appearance in the short Video.  I look quite intent don't I?  I had no idea they were filming.  *LOL*  I had intended to Price more Inventory but didn't, I've still got Two Milk Crates Priced and ready to take in and I don't know I have a lot more Space to cram more in the Showroom or the Locked Case actually.  And I just Donated a Box of items, so don't have anything sorted to Donate right now either.

  If I hadn't felt so exhausted I could have gone thru some things from the She Shed or even tidied the Main House more, but, I didn't feel like either task.  Sometimes I want to feel more like a Human Being and not a Human Doing, if that makes sense?  *Smiles*  There's always more to do than I have time or energy for and it can usually wait.  And, I just remembered, Shit, can't go to the Gardens coz The Daughter has that Medical Home Visit scheduled smack dab in the middle of the day!  *Le Sigh*

 Ah well, that has a Priority, even tho' I'm not convinced much will come of it in one visit?   She needs me here to do it with her or she won't want to do it at all.  She's been Calm about it so far, but as it draws closer, she'll start to Mentally unravel some about it and I know this.  I'm not even certain what they're devoting to this visit?  If it's a Home Nurse, a Home Medical Caseworker, a Combo of any of that?  I don't know if One or more People are showing up from her State Provided Medicaid Insurance?  So, there's a lot of Questions and no Answers to them until whoever it is arrives and clarifies the Purpose?  We do know, thru Written Confirmation, that now she Qualifies for Dental, which is such a relief, overdue and desperately needed.  I'm so Grateful for what she is Qualifying for since she can afford nothing.

I Paid for a bunch of her Dental about 1.5 Years ago, and a bunch of The Young Prince's Dental at about the same time.  Neither held, the Work was not holding up and I don't know why?   Coz I took them to my Dentist and the work he did for me has held up.  But, I don't have nearly the Dental Problems or deferred Dental Care that they've both had.  And, I'm very proactive about my Dental Hygiene and consistent Care, they haven't been and haven't had the Money to take care of Problems early on so they don't worsen.  I don't think either of them has had Dental Insurance since becoming Adults.   And even with most Insurances, it doesn't cover everything and can be prohibitively expensive if you have Dental Issues.

Anyway, I'm glad she's still Qualifying for Medicaid and they're sending someone here instead of insisting I try to get her to go in to some Office somewhere else.   When you have a Loved One with significant Mental Health Disabilities or Developmental Disabilities, that can be particularly challenging and they don't always cooperate.  Once they're an Adult, they can refuse to go and refuse Treatment unless they are considered Incompetent to make any decisions.  That's a tough Call coz I had The Man Evaluated and they claimed he still was Competent Enough!  Tho' of coarse, he's not Competent Enough to make good decisions for himself, take Care of himself either, on a consistent basis at all and has significant cognitive decline.

Even with Dementia, it's almost a necessity to go thru a Court Hearing and all kinds of Legal Logistics to get someone deemed Incompetent to make decisions for themselves.   Or, to be involuntary Committed if they are a danger to self or potentially to others.   And that's a safeguard for abuses of the Past.  But, it can make it difficult for Families when a Loved One makes terrible decisions as a Vulnerable Adult and gets exploited or reckless with their decision making.  We see that currently even playing out in our White House with a President with considerable Cognitive Decline and Mental Health Issues that are so obvious, but his Competency has not been challenged Legally or Medically yet... and it's dangerous.

So, I guess I'll be here at Home Tomorrow instead of having a Freedom Day of enjoyment, dammit!!!   I think therefore I will work on sorting some Merch in the She Shed Tomorrow Morning, until her Medical Visitors arrive for their Appointment here with her.  I think it's scheduled around Noon and is slated for about an Hour.   I don't know if it's a Subcontracted Agency like it is with the VA Nurse that The Man has, or not?  We've been very happy with her Agency and Services provided, so, again, I remain Guardedly Optimistic and Open to it for The Daughter and Hope it makes a Positive difference in some way?   I mean, they can't 'Cure' her Mental Health Issues, but, Physically, she has Medical Issues too that aren't totally addressed.

If it stays nice Weather all day, which it should, I should be able to get a lot done if I pace myself and don't overwhelm.   And the Blog Post Hook Title says what my Ultimate Goal is in the Downsizing Project and Simplification of Life... trying to Buy Less and Choose Well.  It's a Process, especially for those of us inclined to Muchness and being Maximalists.   I've been a Minimalist before, so I know I CAN do it and reach Just Enough if I keep working at it and reach that Balance in between both Minimalism and Maximalism.  There is Too Much that I want to Keep tho' at this juncture, to even swing too far in the other direction again and I acknowledge that Reality too.  I don't want to get rid of anything I'll then regret parting with.

There would be no Buying most of it back over Time again, coz most Time is behind me now, not in front of me.   And it's taken a Lifetime to accumulate the things I Love and got, it would probably take another Lifetime to dispose of it all, even if I wanted to.  And, I don't want to.  I don't mind the Letting Go as I Edit, Purge, Curate, Downsize.  I'm Processing it as I go and over Time I tend to reassess some decisions to Keep something, revisit it, and decide, now it's Time to Let it Go.  I suppose that Process will continue.   My Heirs are assisting me and they can be more Objective about a lot of it.   And I don't mind their input since it's Helpful to me.

The present irony being, both The Daughter and Princess T are suddenly getting very Nostalgic about some things I've Let Go of and they decided, can we Keep it?  *LOL*   And some of the things I did Keep, they're really, really Glad I made that decision so that they still have it.  So, I'm Glad it's a Process since, several Generations are now making those decisions Together in a Unified consensus of what to Let Go of and what to Keep.  It's all gonna be theirs to Inherit at the End of the Day, so, it's Important to me to respect their Wishes of what they'd like to Inherit and what they don't really have Attachments to or Sentiment about.   Princess T, when we were foofing the Showroom, pulled some Inventory I'd put in, that had been hers as a small Child and she forgot I still had.  She decided, I'm Keeping this... and we now are Glad she pulled it before it Sold then.

And that happens, our Attachments wane or get stronger over Time, back and forth, as we Change over Time too.   In the Growing Up of being a Military Family and then becoming one as a Married Woman, I had to Learn to Detach A LOT.  Not just of Things, but of Places, and People, becoz we were always on The Move and Global Nomads.  We HAD to Travel Light and Let Go of a lot that we'd be leaving behind and never, ever, seeing again.   I kept the Memories, of coarse, but not the Things, nor ties to a particular Place, Homes, or even a lot of People we'd probably not keep in Touch with, except a scant few.   Detachment became habitual until my latter Years when I was able to finally Stay Put... well... somewhat.  In the last few Years I have Moved several times again and had to detach from a lot, again.  It's familiar to, but at the same time, can be bittersweet to, still.

I remember my Civilian Friends would often ask where I was "From"?   And that always was depending on what Time Frame, for any Military Family, whose not "From" any particular place except temporarily.  It would be like asking any Nomadic Traveler where they are From?   We've come From many Places actually and now we're Here.   So, right now I'm From Here.  *LOL*   I never thought about being 'From' anywhere in particular or having it be important to be 'From' a particular single place.  We moved 1-4 Years all of my Childhood during my Dad's 27 Year Military Career and then I Married a Career Military Man.  I Love Traveling and had Hoped to do even more of it after Retirement.  Had The Man remained Well we could have, and intended to, but, it's just not possible or probable now and I've resigned myself to that Reality.  Taking this Show on the Road is logistically risky.

In Real Time it's MLK, Jr. Day and I spent all Morning Pricing Inventory for the Antique Mall Spaces and got 3 Milk Crates filled of it.  I'm waiting on The Daughter's Home Visit for her Medical Team to arrive.  She said Noon to Four and I thought, Shit, it's FOUR HOURS they'll be here?!  I almost Shit Kittens thinking it would be a brutally long Eval she wouldn't be able to get thru and take up half the Afternoon?!   But, the Time Frame is Noon to Four, whew, tho' that's not a very nailed down time frame for an APPOINTMENT, our VA Nurse gives us an Exact Time she'll be here when she comes!   No Doc Appointment at their Office would tell Patients, oh, I'll see you on this Date sometime between Noon and Four!  Just coz they're coming here doesn't mean it should be like having a Repair Tech coming with a big spread of arrival times tying up your entire Day waiting on them!!!  Especially on a Holiday!!!

Of coarse our Social Security Checks didn't come coz it is a Holiday, so are later than late now to get Paid.   So, Princess T gave me her Debit Card and said whenever her Mom's Medical folks leave, she'll pay for Lunch from "Ed's Fish & Chips" if I'll go get it.   This means she wants Ed's Fish & Chips.  *Smiles*   But, if I fly for it she buys for it, so it's a good arrangement for The Man and I to also get Fish & Chips for Lunch and not have to Cook.   And this Medical Team better show up coz I don't have any Number to call if they aren't here by Four!!!  The Daughter isn't good about taking down information and we're Lucky she got as much info about her Appointment written down on the Calendar as she did.  I don't even know which Agency is sending People???   I'm assuming it's Mercy Care???

I did get the whole Livingroom and Sitting Room done last Night before Bed and while watching a cheesy Sci-Fi Movie that I lost interest in.  So, the House looks in Order until you get to the Diningroom Section near the Back, but, they won't be going into that Room and Visually a lot of it isn't too bad at a glance back there, it's camouflaged.  *LOL and Winks*  She didn't want to do the Interview in the 5th Wheel where she's actually Living, even tho' she'd cleaned it up in case they insist on seeing where she's Living??? 

 You never know with Social Services, so you cover all your Bases for Inspection possibilities that a Caseworker might be required to make and report on.   The 5th Wheel is a new one and lovely inside like an Apartment, it can Sleep up to Nine People and I make her keep it tidy and clean.  I Inspect regularly to ensure she's Coping with her Housekeeping and Hygiene.  And Mando is there and expected to Help her if he's staying there most of the time.

I ran across these Old Pixs of some of my Vintage Valentine's Hearts I Sold back in 2015 and regret having Sold them now.  Ah well, it happens.  I have few Regrets of what has been Sold Off over the Years and the Money it provided was more necessary at the time than the stuff was in the Keeping of it.   I remember 2015 being a Year of very high Medical Bills for The Man and preparing for a Move that the Adoption Board mandated in order to get The G-Kid Force Adopted.   We had a Paid Off Historic Home on Acreage that should have been our Forever Home, but tho' it was deemed Suitable for 15 Years of Kinship Placement of Grandchildren, the Adoption requirements are different than Ward of the State Placements with Kin of Children in The System.  

You jump thru whatever Hoops Social Services mandates if they're making decisions about your Loved Ones and you Legally couldn't afford to fight them about it.   So, during those Years I blew thru a lot of our Money and Savings for The Two Grandkids we were Raising and The Man's Medical that wasn't covered.   I was Selling Off Assets like a Crazy Woman and then had to Fight to get the rest Written Off coz it ended up exceeding almost a Million Bucks of Medical Bills for The Man and Insurances paid for less than 1/8 of it. 

 

 He'd require a Lifetime of Medical beyond that and so I dug in hard and Challenged all of The Systems with everything I had in me... and prevailed.  When I go on the Warpath, I mean Business and had nothing left to Lose.  That makes you a very formidable Adversary.  So, I Won those Battles eventually, every single one of them, but it did give me One Nervous Breakdown and a Week in Psyche Lockdown... I Needed the Vacation.  *Winks*

 

And Long Time Readers might remember how I Negotiated even that involuntary Stay in Psyche Lockdown?  I was Wheels Off, they claimed a Suicide Attempt but all those Pills didn't Kill me or let me Sleep, it just made me more agitated and aggressive.   So, The Psyche Ward has me tied down to this Stretcher in my Jammies asking me to Sign an Agreement whilst Non Compos Mentis {questionably Legal and I felt Coerced}, before Admission, to Pay them $1,800.  I refused.

  I told them I didn't Care if they ever got Paid and if they weren't gonna Admit me, untie me and let me go, I'd Walk Home.  I didn't even know where I was, it had been a very long Ambulance Ride with Police Escort.  *Ha ha ha*  It had apparently taken Seven Young Male Officers of my City to restrain me and wrangle me onto that there Stretcher and they were all present saying, she can't be untied, she's not Safe!!!  *LOL*

So, Intake had a dilemma, they were required to Hold me at least 48 Hours for Psyche Eval and to Protect myself from Harm, but I wasn't Agreeing to their Shakedown for $1,800.   So, they ask me, and this is still absurd as Fuck... "How about $30 then?"   And it Amused me so Fucking much, that it dropped that much, that my response was intentionally just as absurd... and I Agreed to Sign for Thirty Bucks Payment, BUT ONLY if they'd set up a Payment Program for it in Six Months to Repay them!!!!  *Bwahahahaha* 

 And they Fucking Agreed to!   And so while all the other Crazy folks in my Psyche Lockdown Ward were on the hook for $1,800 each, and some were legit Insane Motherfuckers who shouldn't have been Signing Agreements for anything... my Stay was $30 worth of Five Dollar Payments for Half a Year.  Coz Like I said, I didn't Care really if they ever Fucking got Paid, I'd decided I wanted to be Dead anyway, what did I Care?   That's how Fucked Up our Mental Health System is... and still is to this day.

 

Anyway, Fun Times of the Past are what they just were.  Moving On.  If anyone Threatens or Challenges me now, I'm to the Advanced Age where my Long-Term Care Plan is either a Mental Institution or a Jail/Prison Stretch, coz I can't afford any Nursing Homes.  So... it's leverage when they realize you have no Problems with those alternatives, and nothing to Lose, if they wanna Play you Hard.  So, mostly they choose to Play me Soft instead, which is a Wise Choice on their part really, and a whole lot less Expensive and less Dramatic for them.  *Bwahahahaha*

   I can go from being a Sweet Kind Little Old Lady to Pre-Demonic and seemingly Possessed in 1.8 Seconds on a very Bad Day if they want that Outcome.  It's very Liberating for me personally to just Snap, go Ham on a Fool, and not have to Restrain Dark Dawn from coming out to Play actually.  *LOL*   But, Dawn Of The Light is more Popular and well Liked.  So we always do her first and Dark Dawn as Backup.   *Winks* 

I had The Man doing Dishes and The Daughter and Princess T are doing Laundry, so everything will be Spic N Span around here by Noon... and oh, Look, it is NOON already!   So, anytime now and between Four we should have the Cavalry coming for The Daughter's Care!  Whoop Whoop!   It should be Interesting coz she's real Squirrelly Today in anticipation of their Visit, and very Paranoid about it too, so her Schizophrenia might be Triggered, depending on how they Play her???  It could be Lunch and a Show, we just don't know yet?  *Winks*

  I don't even know how many folks they're sending?  Or if this is a One Off or a Regular Thing they will be doing for her?   I do Plan to ask them if they can Advocate for more Resources... perhaps help her with SSI Qualification, Nutritional Assistance Qualification, get that broken Phone replaced that The State already Qualified her for?  Mental Health and Medication Services?   The usual.

She isn't as Resistant in her Mid-40's now, and Clean for a few Years now too from Dangerous Street Drugs, as she always was as a Teen and Young Adult about receiving Help and Services.  Or being AS out of Control as she used to be.  To where I had to just Let her Go and put her entirely in God's Hands, coz I just couldn't Deal with it anymore.  I gave her to The Lord and had to Trust He would bestow Grace and Mercies upon her, and for over 20+ Years He certainly did and I got her back in somewhat better Shape than she used to be. 

 For that I'm Thankful and Grateful coz I never Gave Up on her, I just knew I was in over my Head and beyond my Abilities to do more than I already had for her.  At some Point Acceptance is part of the Grief Process when there is no Cure for something and it's gonna be Bad to some extent Permanently.  Mebbe even worse before it ever gets better?  And there is nothing you can Do about that.  But to Love Unconditionally and remain Up By Faith and know that is HAS to Hold.

 

She has less Episodes now, tho' she still has about 2 per Month, it's far less than the almost Daily she used to have, magnified by Drug Abuse.   I've got her now looking for her Broken Phone to show them she Qualified for a Phone, but it's been broken a while now and Phone Repair Places tell me the State Provided Phones can't be Repaired and have to be Replaced.   They're pretty Nice Phones actually and a Lifeline for her so I'd like her to have a functional one as a Leash of sorts. 

 When she disconnects Mentally she doesn't always know where she is or what she's doing or how she got there, so, it's important to put the Tracking Device on it to Find her if she goes MIA.  Saves me undue Stress.  We have The Young Prince, also Schizophrenic, on his Grandpa's Phone Plan thru T-Mobile that gives us Two Free Phones for each of The G-Kid Force on a Military Dependent Plan.  So, Princess T has one too.   The Plan isn't inexpensive, but for Four Phones it's reasonable.

I'm hoping her Team shows up closer to Noon than to Four so my whole Day isn't shot to Hell coz I got other shit to do.   And, if she's not Triggered during the Appointment, there will be no Trouble in Paradise Today?  *Bwahahahaha*   And then I'll take my Merch in to the Antique Mall, buy Sodas for Princess T, and get Fish N Chips like she asked me to on our way Home.  I'm guessing The Man will wanna tag along, which is why he took one for the Team and did those Dishes.  *Winks* 

  LATER:  Well, her Nurse Caseworker came at around 3:00 p.m. and was a lovely Young Lady whose Haitian originally.  She's gonna get some Advocacy requested for Mental Health, SSI, Nutritional Assistance and even Immigration for our Grandkids in Mexico thru Catholic Charities who helped her Family get their Paperwork.   We talked a lot about things that weren't about Health, but she said have Created a Strain on Clients of recent times due to how Crazy things have become and how folks are struggling to Cope with it all.  I can only Imagine, since, she's a Medical Caseworker for those on Medicaid.

 She has American Family and Family from Haiti, she and her Sister were Born in Haiti and came here when she was a Teenager and her Sister was 21.  Their American Cousins helped them with their process.   She said it's harder after you turn 21 so urged The Daughter to start now so the 18 Year Old, whose the Oldest of the Trio there, can get her Paperwork done before her 21st Birthday, which can push things back.  She said with American Parent and Relatives there should be no blocking those Kids from coming to America.  I agree, they don't even wanna LIVE here, Mexico is their Home, but they want to be able to visit their Mom and other American Relatives and Siblings any time they want to.

It was a very good visit and we really liked her a lot, The Daughter felt very comfortable with her too, she was so Caring and so Helpful.  After the visit was a wrap I went to the Antique Mall and dropped off 3 Milk Crates full of Inventory, then picked up Fish & Chips for The Family.  I Photographed some of what I brought in {see Below}, it was quite busy.   The Rent went up again, it tends to every January.  I'll get a Check on Payday but it's gonna be a small one with Costs going up.

  

I think the Mid-Century Merch should be well received and some of my Vendor Friends who Specialize in it, I left enuf Meat on the Bone for them to Buy all of it if they want.  I don't mind being the Middleman and we all make Money.   I've got it all Priced to Move fast.  Coz, as you can tell, there was a lot of it from that 1970's Golden Harvest Line.  Some pieces are solid color and some have Patterns of Two different Graphics that do Mix & Match well.   And the other Vintage Line of China I have off to the Right of it in this Pix also could Mix & Match with this Line.   We do have some East Coast Pickers that Source China coz they run a Warehouse that Replaces missing pieces from various well known Lines.  They come in a few times of Year and have Bought Up most China I've had, even if I have Orphaned pieces.

Co-Worker Friend Eve was in there with her Baby, she's Walking now, and so Adorbs.   Eve and her Husband fill in for Eve's FIL whose the Retired Phoenix Cop that I don't like very much.  His Son and DIL are the nicest Young Couple tho'.   I try to be Civil with Mark, but, he's just got an Attitude and he knows I'm Retired from the DA's Office and some Cops have no Love for the DA or AG's Office.   Their Problem, not mine.  I always have to Wonder if the ones who had a Beef with us is coz they had to be Investigated?  *Winks*  Just sayin'.   And with the Bad Attitude Mark has as a Retired Cop, I can only Imagine what kind of an Attitude he carried with him on the Job.  He's got a big Ego and high Opinion of himself that comes off very Arrogant and Confrontational.

I don't Like him and I can tell the Feeling is Mutual.  *Bwahahaaha, Snorts and Winks*  Sometimes I'll talk with him just to make him uncomfortable on purpose, coz he doesn't Like to even try to Make Nice with me.  *Ha ha ha*  I know, I'm Naughty like that when Toying with someone I do not Like coz they've caught an Attitude with me for no good reason.  *LMAO*   My Friend Crazy Ed told me he finds it Amusing when I'm Squaring Off or Messing with Mark for Entertainment, he said it's like Mark never Learns.  *LOL* 

  I'm having Fun with it, clearly Mark is NOT... and I do think he knows I'm just fucking with him to Amuse myself, and that I don't Care and am not Impressed with him.  *Giggle*  I made him Open my Case while I was in and made some conversation just to watch him squirm to have to say something back.  He's such a Douchebag and he knows I think so.  *Ha ha ha*   And it would be Fun to know what he calls me behind my Back, tho' I can Guess, pretty accurately, I think.  *Bwahahaha and Winks*  The difference between us, pretty sure, is that I'd call him what I think of him to his Face too with no hesitation.  *Smiles*

Okay, a few Pixs of The RV Garage Mahal... The Daughter has been working on clearing Pathways coz she'd unpacked everything now and it was blocking my Walkways.  So I told her I don't need to risk a Fall and needed all Paths clear of clutter.  We can sort thru it later if it doesn't have Placement right now... and a lot of it doesn't... and that's how we can Curate better.  When something has no Place to BE, then, it's more likely to get Let Go of, probably Sold or Donated at this juncture.  And I'm even Curating and Choosing Well what I wanna Sell and not bother trying to Sell as well.  What I don't wanna bother Selling, if she doesn't wanna Host a Yard Sale to move it and earn a few Bucks, we'll just Donate it to where Princess T Works. 

And the Laws of Attraction Activated immediately again.  The Nurse Caseworker was asking The Daughter during the Visit if she has Money for her own Food, which, she doesn't.  We provide all her Food and Mando provides some with his Nutritional Assistance Benefits.  So, the Caseworker said she'd help with her Application for that coz it shouldn't be on our Dime to provide basic Needs that she should easily Qualify for.  So, while I'm picking up the Fish & Chips that Princess T was Buying for everyone, it's Walking Distance from The Old Historic Home we used to own and I like driving by it.  There's an Alleyway Road on the East Side of it and right in front of the Alleyway was a large packed Food Box from St. Mary's Food Bank sitting Curbside!  

It was getting Dark by then and it's Bulk Garbage Day in Da Hood, so piles of people's Bulk Garbage was waiting for early Morning Pickup in piles too everywhere up and down the Street Curbside.  I knew if nobody picked up the Food Box it would be ending up in Bulk Garbage and Landfill bound, wasted.  We could use it so I picked it up and it had a really great Selection of Foods that The Daughter really likes and always uses!  Like it had been specially made up for her!!!   I used to Volunteer at St. Mary's Food Bank, they often leave Food Boxes in low income areas, Parks, Bus Stops, for anyone Needing it to just take it Home.  Sadly, a lot of it gets thrown out if nobody does pick it up, coz City Services doesn't drop it back off at the Food Banks and just puts it in the Trash, wasting it, which is a shame.   And sometimes people pick thru it and only take what they like and leave the rest too.

I think in the Morning after dropping the Granddaughter off at Work I'm gonna hit the Gym.  Going early it's not busy and I can use the equipment I like best with no waiting and sometimes stay on it longer since there's nobody waiting to use it.  Plus, the Wet Sauna usually doesn't have anyone else using it that early either.  And, I usually get back Home before anyone else even wakes up and it just starts my Day better.  I've decided I'll probably then take The Man out doing some Environmental Cleanup so he can get his daily exercise too.  We should then also have enuf to turn in at the Recycle Center and get some Cash.  I'm hopeful our Social Security Checks will have also hit so I can finish paying our Bills???

The Prez Idiot In Chief is still acting the Fool about having a Hard On for Greenland and further alienating all of NATO and every Ally we've ever had.   Can he just hurry up FOAD already?   The World will be a better place without evil greedy Criminal Pedo Bastards like him.  I only watched a smidgen of The News, then have been binge watching Vintage Game Shows on a special Game Show Channel that runs them, so funny to see the Hairstyles and Fashions from the 70's-90's.

  I was watching an 80's Game Show I always liked called "Press Your Luck".   And one of my all time favs is "Supermarket Sweep" that began in the 60's and actually ran thru 2022!!!   I remember thinking in the 1990's that the Host, David Ruprecht, was Handsome and I liked that Shirt he wore in a variety of Colors.   He's 77 now and has Aged like a Fine Wine and very well... still good looking and you can tell it's him, he hasn't changed much.

In the 1960's I liked "Let's Make A Deal" with Monty Hall best and enjoyed the Costumes the Contestants wore like it was Halloween all the time.   I also watched "Wheel Of Fortune" Tonight and can't Believe Vanna White has been doing it this long, since 1982, and still looks amazing.  Pat Sajak, her Co-Host actually holds the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest Game Show Hosting Career for a Single Show!   He's now Retired and 79 Years Old, Vanna's still turning those Letters at Age 68 and not looking her Age at all and looks as svelte now too as she ever did!!!   I've always liked Game Shows and I once worked with a Guy, when I was in Corporate Banking, that was on an Episode of "Wheel Of Fortune" in the 1980's and was a Big Winner.  He said you have to pay the Taxes on your Winnings, and back then rather than Winning a lot of Money, they won big Prizes, and he had to relinquish some coz he couldn't afford the Taxes owed on them.

And at the same Bank, a Co-Worker Friend of mine was one of the first $10,000 Scratch Ticket Lottery Winners in Arizona's Lottery and she bought an SUV with it.  Back then you could Buy a Brand New SUV for under Ten Grand.  *LOL*   My Ex also Won $5,000 once on a Scratch Ticket too here in Arizona.  I'm just not much of a Gambler so I rarely buy Lottery Tickets.  And you know what they say, you can't Win if you don't Play.  But, my Mantra is that you can't Lose if you don't Play either and the Odds aren't in your Favor for Winning.   *Bwahahahaha*  At Christmas I do always get some inexpensive Scratch Tickets for the Family to put in their Stockings and this Year The Son and Mando were Winners on their Scratch Ticket.   Mando actually Won twice coz he traded his Winning Ticket in to get more Tickets and Won more the 2nd time around.   The Son won Ten times what I'd paid for the Ticket so he just kept his Winnings.

The Son has been playing Volleyball with some Childhood Friends that get together every Monday Night to play.  And he's been working out with the Punching Bag at Home, he used to do Mixed Martial Arts when he was in his 20's, but hadn't hit a Bag in a long time.  As he's closing in on 40 he knows he has to keep in better Shape or it's all Downhill from here on out.  He doesn't look his Age but he said he's Feeling it.  It's a Mixed Team of Guys and Gals that have all known each other since they were either Children or Tweens.  One of his Female Friends, Julie, just got Laid Off from her Job too, so they were discussing how hard the Job Market is right now even if you have a wealth of Experience or were with a Company a long time, with excellent Reviews and Performance, and they still let you go.  Companies have no Loyalty to their Employees anymore.

They had a good time and his Friends came back to our House after the Game and hung out Poolside Socializing 'til about 11:00 p.m..  We do have the Back Patio and around the Pool set up with Color changing Lights, comfortable Tables and Chairs, for Entertaining and Hosting Guests at any Hour.   That's part of the Appeal this Property had, it's like a Staycation kind of Vibe so we get a lot of Company coming over to Socialize here and that's what we were used to and missed when we lived at the Villa McManse.  It was a big Property, plenty of Room for Entertaining a lot of people, but too Rural, and with Neighbors who were too Uptight and complained a lot about everything and anything.  So, it isolated you since it wasn't near anything or anyone we knew.  This Home is only a few Miles from our Historic One and in the same City, so we know a lot of People around here.

Now, that said, most of our Guests/Friends now are the Ages of our Adult Children and Adult Grandchildren coz for The Man and I, most of our Peers who were Friends either Passed Away or Moved Away.  The few who still are Alive and live Local, don't get out much and certainly don't go Visiting or doing things like BBQ's, Pool Parties, Get Togethers, which, we still enjoy doing and so do the Younger Generations.  I think a lot of Older Folks become quite Reclusive in their Old Age.  So unless they live in an Active Seniors Community of some kind, they go Off the Grid and lose touch with everyone they used to know.   To be Fair, some have Poor Health now, Mobility Issues, or Cognitive Decline, which does impact Socializing... or, they are Caregivers too, which can Isolate you as well... if folks don't come to you in order to keep in touch.  I'm fortunate that the Generations Younger than us come to our Home often so we don't have to get out much to have Social Visits.

I was thinking of hanging out Tonight in The She Shed coz Mando hooked up a Mechanic's Light for in there to see well after Dark if I wanna Work out in there later on.    Our Firepits, we have Two of them, are out in Front of the She Shed and by The 5th Wheel, so we have Tables and Chairs set up out there too for Entertaining, Eating Alfresco, sitting around a Fire, etcetera.   NEXT MORNING:  I did hang out briefly in The She Shed pricing Merch but it was too Cold so I didn't get much done before Tapping Out coz it got in the 40's!   Brrrrr.   So I finished up pricing Merch inside instead before going to Bed around 1:00 a.m..  I had to be up before 5:30 a.m. to get Princess T to Work by 6:00 a.m., Tuesdays being her early day after being off Sun-Mon.  I told her about our Rent going up at the Antique Mall.   She said Minimum Wage went up some and that made her recent Performance Raise not a Raise really at all, so she's not Happy coz they probably were aware ahead of time. 

Of coarse she also found out that some of the Spanish Speaking Ladies who don't speak or understand English and have been there for 20-30 Years aren't making any more than she is!!!   She said they're Older and do a good job, so that doesn't Square.  Of coarse she's not naive and knows what that means and so do I, and... it's not Right.  When she was growing up in Da Hood of the Old Barrio, almost all her little Friends had Non-English speaking Parents who worked long Hours at Jobs they were often exploited at and growing up very Poor in spite of that Work Ethic their Family had.  So, it makes her upset coz she remembers how much lack they endured but were always exceedingly generous Families, giving and sharing whatever they had.   If your Kiddos were over there Playing with their Kiddos at their Homes, they'd Feed and Water yours too.  If their Youngest had outgrown something yours could wear, they'd send it Home with them.  

By contrast, in Affluent Subdivision Hell, at the Villa McManse, where many Properties had originally been Million Dollar Listings before the Luxury Housing Market Crash, her Friends Families there, by and large, were selfish and stingy.  Sur, they had Money, but wouldn't even offer her a Glass of Water if she was at their Homes and mostly, becoz she was Latina, wouldn't allow her IN their Homes!  With the exception of Crazy Pamela's Parents, who were Good People and treated her like extended Family coz we were practically the only Family that had their Special Needs Daughter over to Play.   Crazy Pamela didn't get her Nickname for nothing, the Child was Off the Chain Bipolar as Fuck.  *LOL*  She once threw a Bible at Princess T... our Grandson merely deadpanned, "Well, it was the Right Book!"  *Bwahahaha*   Princess T could be Crazy Bipolar as Fuck too and practically Pre-Demonic.  *Winks*

But, our Grandkids were both Special Needs too, and Pamela's Family always had them over and had no Issues with The Young Prince being openly and fabulously Gay either.  They even took Princess T on Weekend Vacays with their Family, to give me a break from Grandparenting a little one.  I'm kinda sad that now they're Adults, their Friendship has drifted and she doesn't hear from Crazy Pamela as much anymore even tho' Pamela has been driving for Years now, she quit coming over or inviting Princess T over.  I think she still lives at Home there with her Parents tho' in their Big House?   And she's still apparently Dating the same Guy who was her High School Sweetheart and the only Boyfriend she's ever had.  They haven't Married, but I remember them being together since Pamela was about 15-16 and she's 20 now.

 

Pamela had thought initially she wanted to be a Nurse like her Mom and was working in the Medical Field as a Receptionist at her Mom's Doctor's Office.  But, has since chucked that Ambition and is working Retail now.  She struggled in School too, with having Special Needs and being on a lot of Psyche Meds, so perhaps it was too ambitious a Goal for her?   And just not the right Line of Work to pursue?   As she got Older her Behavior got better, much, much better, and she seemed more stabilized on her Meds too.   I always liked Pamela, even when she was a real handful and a little bit of her went a long way.  Her Parents knew that and also knew I'd never hold that against the Kid, so would have her over often even tho' it was challenging to at times.   I'm pretty sure she was ADHD as well as Bipolar coz she reminded me of The Son when he was growing up and he's got the Cocktail Diagnosis of being Bipolar, ADHD and Autistic.  Pretty sure Pamela had a lot of Diagnosis as well going on. *LOL*

Some Friendships abide over Time and some ebb and flow, and I guess their Friendship has just drifted apart as they became Young Adults now.  Part of the Problem was, Crazy Pamela wanted desperately to Fit In there with the most Affluent and Mean Girls, even tho' they often treated her badly and mocked her.  She was and is a Big Girl and Chubby, tho' very Trendy and Cute, and most of the affluent Girls, like their Moms, wanted to end up being Trophy Wives... so, you get the Visual of what all that means.  *Eye Roll and Snicker*   Princess T is Naturally Skinny, but she said there was a lot of Eating Disorder going on there in the Affluent Burbs of Rural Subdivision Hell with most of them Rich Mean Girls.   And most of the Moms of these Girls, as their Kiddos got closer to being Grown, found themselves to be The Starter Wives.   No more Anchor Kiddos and their Husbands often left them for the Newer Models... so a lot of Homes went up For Sale then. 

  

Almost all of the Dads of those Kiddos in that Community were Doctors, Lawyers, Pilots, Officers from the Military Base, Professors, CEO's, Pastors of Mega Churches, or in Politics.  So, there was a lot of Ego going on and almost all of the Wives didn't Work but were cranking out a slew of Kiddos coz it was a very Fundie Religious Faiths most of the Families belonged to also.  I'd say the average Family size had no less than 5 or more Kids and were constantly Prosyletizing to recruit Members, and being overly Friendly with your Kids ONLY until you wouldn't join their Churches.  Then they turned into the fake Christians they actually were and behaved liked Devils and various Cultish Religions they're all about and Shunned you.  

I saw more Racists and Homophobes in that Community than any I experienced even during the Civil Rights Era where my Family was blatantly refused Housing in some Communities and Segregation was common!!!   Pamela's Family were an anomaly there, weren't Religious, had 3 Kids, Worked hard at Normal Jobs with Two Working Parents.  So, they didn't Fit In any better than we did there and put up with a lot of the same harassment from Neighbors.   Our Older Black next door Neighbors did too and when we first moved in, the Husband told me of some of the Racism they'd experienced.  He was a Fire Chief and his Wife a Professor, they had a 7,000+ SF Home that they Paid well over a Million Dollars for, yet people had thrown Rocks thru their Windows, Vandalized their Landscaping and harassed them constantly. 

 You hardly ever saw them coz they kept to themselves, so weren't problem people and could afford to live in that Community.  They were clearly Targeted due to Race.   The Kids and I experienced a lot of the same, but, The Man didn't coz he's White and was Raised LDS.  So the Mormons there accepted him and would send their Bishop and the Young Men on their Missions to the House constantly... and he could see they didn't accept me or the Children.  He knows how the majority of his People generally are, and why he fell away from the Church coz he's not at all like that even tho' he was Raised that way.  But they Track their Members, I swear they must put Chips in them like you would your Pets to find them when they stray?  *Bwahahahahaha*  No matter where we ever moved to, even if we didn't tell anyone yet our Location, the Mormons could find him first!  *LMAOROTF*

There was another Large Fundie Church very prevalent of Members in that Community called CCV and The Young Prince humorously nicknamed it... that those Letters stood for Christ's Cult of the Valley.  *LOL*  Every Kid at Church he knew whose Family were Members had told him their Church was really Wacko, had made their Parents into extreme Religious Fanatics who behaved then very much like Jesus Freaks, and they didn't like going, and the Families were beyond Strange, I met some of the Adults, OMG!!!   One Dad would run around holding his Bible and yelling out Scripture loudly like a Lunatic.  I wasn't sure he wasn't a Preacher at one of those Fundie Churches???  *LOL*  He's the one that HATED that his Son was a Friend of our Grandson {coz the Gay needed to be Prayed Away and might rub off on his Kid... Eye Roll... coz apparently that's how they think it Works... LOL}, so to avoid his Son attending Comicon with our Grandson, he took him to FRANCE on an impromptu forced and spontaneous Vacation!!!

You can't make this shit up, we were supposed to be his Kid's Ride to Comicon.  So we pull up at the House with my Vehicle full of Kiddos going to Comicon, which included other Friends of The Young Prince from our Old Neighborhood too, and the Kid never came out to get in the Car.  So, The Young Prince called him, and the Boy answered and said, "I can't go, my Family took me to France, so that I couldn't go!"   We were incredulous and The Young Prince, whose got a dry and Wicked sense of Humor, merely Deadpanned, "Well, you'd never hear THAT in the Old Neighborhood!"   *Bwahahahahahaha*   The Teen was Mad and Bummed in Paris, coz he wanted to be at Comicon instead, it was somewhat fucking absurdly hilarious!!!   The Young Prince then Deadpanned, "Well, if you're gonna be Mad and Sad, might as well be in PARIS!"  *LMAOROTF*

And we don't have hardly any Pixs of the Kiddos with their Friends from Affluent Subdivision Hell becoz those Families didn't like having Pixs taken, as if they were all in The Witness Protection Program or something!  Yeah, the whole Experience of living out there was Weird and Surreal, and heavily MAGA too, as it turns out, tho', not at all Surprising.  When the Political Signs were going up in Yards in 2016, it was predictable what direction that Community would be leaning.  *Eye Roll*   The Young Prince Deadpanned that the MAGA Base was Bottom heavy with predictable Demographics and he wasn't Wrong, a very odd mish-mash combination Base of Angry Old White folks, the very Affluent, Fundamentalist Religious Types, and poorly Educated White Trash, pretty much summed it up.   Not a "Real" Conservative would ever Lean In to such Extremism and Insanity, so had nowhere to go after 2016.  I felt bad for TRUE Political Conservatives now their Party has been hijacked and polluted with the Toxic Cult Leadership of ReTrumplicans.

I personally Believe the actual Conservatives of this Nation need to form a New and Reformed Party to replace The Cult and have a viable Two Party System again that combined, with the Democratic Party, pushes back on Tyranny and Fascism hard, before it's too late to.   The parallels to Nazi Germany are not Lost on History Buffs who are Warning that it's mimicking what Germany went thru and has the perpetual Shame of trying to Live Down that Bad History of.   And if this Fool doesn't start WWIII I'll be Surprised... and Relieved... if we all manage to dodge that fucking Bullet with the trajectory we seem to be on with no Guardrails in place now.   Mebbe it won't even matter if I'm trying to Buy less and Choose Well if it all gets Nuked and America either Circles the Drain or gets obliterated when the rest of the World decides they won't allow this deranged Geriatric Madman to risk ending all of Civilization... we'll see...

*******

Now wasn't that a Cheerful Ending... ha ha ha... Dawn... The Bohemian