People First, Then Money, Then Things

 This Morning I'm hearing all my Neighbors Livestock, they're quite animated and vocal this Morning, I guess they have lots to say?  *LOL*  It's another Beautiful Day and 73 Degrees at 11:00 a.m., so may get into the 80's and near 90's again this Day?  That's Warmer than usual but I'm Luvin' it coz it means we don't need the Heater or the Air Conditioner on which Saves on Utilities, which, can be higher during the Winter usually.  February typically is inclement Weather and Cold, it has been off and on inclement, but not as Cold as usual, Wetter than usual, it's not Monsoon Season but we've had a lot of Rains.  Perhaps the Livestock is just Happy with the nice Weather too?  *Smiles*  I did an Art Freefall down that Rabbit Hole Online to see what was For Sale from some Favorite Artists like Vladimir Tretchikoff {1913-2006} and Leo Jansen {1930-1980}? 

I did a burn of some Boxes and put some other good broken down ones Curbside in case someone Needs the U-Haul Boxes that usually you have to Buy?  I'm sure Allen or his Family bought them for The Young Prince to move here, they are all brand new U-Haul Boxes, only used once by him, but I have no use of them.  He broke them down nicely so they're flat for someone to cart off if they get to them before Bulk Garbage Day, which is the 1st Monday of every Month.  I'm clearing things out that need to just be gone, either Donated or thrown away.  I've also Priced a Banana Box of T-Shirts and Specialty Baseball Style Caps that are Collectible.  One was from Ground Zero in New York commemorating 9-11-2001.  The Man never wore it so it still had it's Tags and looks like New Old Stock.

I'd wanted to go to the Discount Grocer but don't know when Princess T gets off Work Today and don't wanna get all the way to Peoria and get a Call that she needs to be picked up early.  I have some Bags of Cans to take in for Recycling again, we will have filled up our Frequent Customer Appreciation Card which gives you $10 extra when it's Stamped Full.  You get it Stamped each time you Recycle over $5 worth of Cans, we usually, each trip, Recycle 15-50 Pounds of Aluminum, so well over the Five Bucks worth each visit.   I did get our Grocery Shopping done, and we did some Environmental Cleanup at the Park and this time The Man used his Walker without complaint.  He's realizing it makes it safer and faster for him to Walk without Falling or risking a Fall now.

Princess T pulled a Muscle in her Back, not at Work, she thinks she Slept Wrong and now she's having bad Pain.   Rusty is going to give her a Back Rub and I Hope that Helps her coz she's really in Misery right now with it.  But, she doesn't wanna go to an Urgent Care or have to wait to get in to see a Doctor for a regular Appointment, it would probably feel better before we could even get in.  I got a Text Apology from Mando, he could see things from our perspective, which, is at least acknowledgement he was in the Wrong and made himself be Unwelcome now.  I reminded him that our Daughter has a Vulnerable Adult Status so we're very protective of her.  And her Son and Brother, her Daughter, Mom or Dad, certainly won't tolerate her not being respected and treated with dignity, or be threatened or abused in any way in our presence, especially in the Sanctuary of our Home, period.

Well, he had an Admission of his Guilt in the matter, in Writing, and that's a Receipt in the event anything ever escalated between them.  I still don't think they're compatible, but they seem very codependent upon each other.  She's not an easy person to have Relationship with due to the extent of her Mental Illness anyway, and she knows this.  So, sometimes she feels at fault for how things go Sideways between herself and other people, at least partially at fault, and I'm not even discounting that to be an accurate assessment.  Nobody is all good or all bad, it's usually a mix of both with almost anyone, with some exceptions of coarse.   And some folks lack self-control when upset, hurt or angry.  I'm such a Control Freak that I always try to have Control of myself, it's the one thing I CAN ultimately Control.

It's now 85 Degrees and gorgeous Outside, I did a lot of Work on the back Patio.  I got my Inventory Priced too and it's in the Truck ready to be taken to the Antique Mall, probably later Tonight, I won't risk going before 5:00 p.m. after the Night Shift begins, so that I won't risk to get asked to Work it at the 11th Hour.  The Son is cooking Dinner for everyone, he's stepped in on Meal Prep since his Sister has been gone, she was doing all the Cooking.  She's only been Home the once since the Boyfriend got kicked off our Property.   His apology is accepted, but doesn't invite him back, since, it was his 2nd Offense with losing his Temper here and not voluntarily leaving and having to be told to leave.  I'm not one to Forgive and Forget that easily.  If you have a problematic Temper, lose it somewhere else.

The Young Prince seems to be on the mend now from the Food Allergy scare, he's able to eat again and keep things down and in.  When I was at the Grocer I got some new Protein Smoothie Mixes, for the times when The Man and I can't eat.  It will be a good supplemental booster for when our Appetite is not good.  Each has Fruit/Veggie Servings for a whole Day in one Smoothie and I was impressed with the contents in each Serving, and the Flavor Profiles, I bought a selection of each, so we'll see how they Taste?  The Man probably won't be eager to try any, but I will, and if they're appetizing and tasty, I'll buy more of that brand from Kencko.   I even bought the Coffee Flavor, along with each of the others Flavors listed above.  You could get it in the 2 or 4 Pacs and it averaged out to about $2 per Serving, which isn't bad, Cheaper than Buying all the Ingredients in them to make from scratch.

The Young Prince has been working on his Living Space and doing his Laundry.  So he's taking responsibility for doing it without Help and I'll allow that so long as he's making progress in the ability to show he can manage some of his own Care.  He knows if he needs the Help, it's been offered.   But he has to keep on top of maintaining a safe and clean living environment coz this is our Home.   Safety and Cleanliness, good Hygiene, and Self-Care as much as anyone is able, is a House Rule everyone must abide by if they want to remain here.  I'm a Hands Off Caregiver if you can do those things for yourself and don't Need or Require someone to do it FOR you.  What you can't do for yourself we will Assist you with and provide that level of Caregiving for you.  But I'm not your Live-In Maid Service.

This Pix was taken of the Fieldstone Fireplace and Buffalo Mount of one of the Ranchers Homes that The Daughter has been Cleaning the Property of.   That's amazing Fireplace and Taxidermy, she said I'd Love his Home and his Collections.  He's given her some he doesn't have in his Main House and just kept Stored in his Barn, as part of her Payment, since she'll take things in Trade that she'd like to have and give to me.  She said this Buffalo is enormous and so is his Home, you have to possess a Property of Scale for some Taxidermy this large.  The Villa McManse was to Scale and had the 30 Foot Ceilings, this Home isn't for something so large.  She's just staying at the Buckeye Property until they get it done, it's a big Job apparently, lots of Acreage to tidy up before he transfers Title to the Buyer and finalizes the Sale.

I've been Organizing my T-Shirts ever since I Purged and Curated my Wardrobe and Closets.   T-Shirts and Capris are my go-to Wardrobe most days and helps us Sell our T-Shirts in the Showroom too.  Coz Princess T and I often wear the kinds of Vintage and Retro Band T-Shirts we also Sell in the Antique Mall and people always ask us where to get Shirts like it, so we send them to Showroom #140 at "The Brass Armadillo West" in Goodyear.  Ever since we started carrying that kind of Merch I've noticed more Vendors carrying it now too at both our Locations, which is Fine, it brings in the Younger Demographic of Customers who are Buyers and who never haggle about price.  I want to Appeal to the Younger Clientele becoz they are the ones spending Money freely and also appreciate our Aesthetic and Vibe.  In Reality now, we're just not Selling to Senior Citizens and our Merch probably doesn't Appeal to them either.  The Young People always tell us ours is one of their Favorite Spaces at the Antique Mall, which is flattering.

My Psychedelic melting Popsicle T-Shirt by Liquid Blue.

 My Joey Mars Zidzoii T-Shirt also by Liquid Blue.

My Jimi Hendrix Axis Bold As Love T-Shirt, which is one of my all time Favorite Album Covers too and I still have that LP, the Tee is also by Liquid Blue.

I have a slew of Grateful Dead Tee's, becoz I always Loved the Band's Marketing and Graphics, tho' I never was a devoted Dead Head of their Music.   Most of them are by Liquid Blue, which is a Clothing Line I particularly like the quality and graphics of.   Plus, tho' I like to have my Tees be very big XL-XXL usually, the Kiddos still borrow them from me and wear them too, so we get a lot of Bang from my Wardrobe Buck coz Three Generations of several Family Members are wearing it.  I've had several Vendors, Customers and Designers at Events and the Antique Malls try to Buy a lot of what I'm wearing right off my Back, but, I'm not Interested in disrobing to make a Buck.  *LOL*  I could Sell any of my MP Collection anytime, but, also not Interested when someone offers to Buy any of it coz most are Vintage MP of Retired Lines, and most of the really Older pieces are OOAK and I couldn't replace.

I had intended to go in to the Antique Mall, but I took an Afternoon Nap again and by the time I woke up, it was too late to, so, Manana.  *LOL*  I have a Banana Box full of Priced Inventory already in the Truck of various T-Shirts, Hoodies and a Baseball Style Hat of Ground Zero 9-11.  Nothing Earth shattering to go in immediately and I'll probably add to it by Tomorrow, I do have things to still Price and just haven't yet.  I got busy clearing off my Work Table on the Back Patio, the Kiddos had put a lot of things on it and I want it cleared of all but what I'd use to Work on.  The Creation Station in the Art Studio has so much of The Daughter and now The Grandson's stuff on it that you couldn't do any Work or Creating at it right now.  

Plus, now he's Living in that Space, I don't know how much Art except his will actually get done in there?  *Le Sigh*  We almost had it ready for me to use for it being an Art Studio and not another Family Member moving into it again... ah, well...  I'd rather have Family surrounding me than Stuff right now.   People First, then Money, then Things.   The Man has been Marathon watching Josh Gates and Team exploring "X" things to verify if they exist, quite a Surprise he's as engaged with it and it's not his usual Reruns, he's not seen these Episodes of "Destination X" and so I did watch a few with him of Cryptids, since, it was interesting and I do happen to Believe at least some of what they're looking for Evidence of, probably do Exist.  

They were talking of things only recently Discovered that nobody knew about for Real, until the 2000's conclusively with verified Evidence to Prove their Existence, tho' Sightings over the Centuries had always said they did.  The Giant Squid, some Monkey Species, and other Animals.  So much of our Earth is as yet Unexplored.   And so I'm sure more and more will be discovered over Time and we'll be more knowledgeable about.  We shouldn't be so arrogant as to think we know and have seen everything there is to know and see yet.  I am concerned when some Species, previously unknown but Legendary, are finally discovered. Since, Mankind hasn't always been the best at Preserving Wildlife or even treating other Humans appropriately either when "Discovered" for the first time.

I've been Photo Archive Diving deep again.  I have so many Photo File Folders I haven't Opened Up in Years.   Taking Visual Trips down Memory Lane is quite Nostalgic, so many things, People and places I'd almost forgotten about, especially if they're Gone now.   I'm glad I was a Pathological Picture Taker coz I don't know how many Pixs even exist of most of it except what I Photographed over the Years.  You just don't see People Documenting Places unless they're on Vacations.  I almost never don't have a Camera on me Documenting everything.  *LOL and Winks*  I only lament that I didn't take more of some of the places, People and things that are no more.   Who knew they'd one day be Gone?  Often too soon.   I just don't think about it in that perspective at the time.  When I'm at a favorite place, surrounded by Beautiful things and People I enjoy, I just don't think that someday, they will be Gone.  And it will be perhaps the last time to enjoy them and take the Photos to Preserve those Memories and that's all that will be left.

I for one do Miss all that is now Lost and was really Special.   Not a whole lot compares now, so it's not just the Nostalgia or Sentiment, it's the Quality of the People, the places, and the things, that no longer often exists in the here and now for me.   It was often better then than now in ways that cannot be replicated.   I do embrace the Changes, coz, the only constant IS Change.   Yet, I Wish some of what was Lost, hadn't been.  I've just felt very Sentimental and Nostalgic lately.  I was even watching some really Old Black and White TV Programs earlier Today, cheesy ones like "Leave It To Beaver" {1957-1963} and "My Three Sons" {1960-1972}.  *LOL*  Which now I view more as Comedic Entertainment than the Era they were made always seemed to try to make them have a Serious "Lesson" to impart to the Viewers.   The fact Ward and June always wore Suits/Ties and Dresses/Pearls and such just around the House always amused me, coz... my Dad never wore a Suit and Tie around the House.  Mom was Fancy, but didn't do her Housework in Heels and Pearls or wear those little Aprons.  *LOL* 

And those Kids of theirs, so proper, so well behaved in an unrealistic way I doubt Kids ever really Talked and Behaved EVER, even when they'd get into the "Trouble" of the Episode.   The Episode I watched a Fav Uncle was Babysitting the Boys while the Parents were away with Friends and Beaver snuck a Kid into the Movie Theater without Paying, against his better judgment not to, and got caught.   And the "My Three Sons" Episode was a really Weird one I never remember seeing, correlating as a Backdrop what the Family was doing that Day rushing to get ready at Home on a Monday Morning, with some Space/Satellite Launch of the Era in 1957 called "Countdown" {1960}.  It never occurred to me how many Old TV Shows had Dead or Missing Mothers to the Kids on the Shows and Motherless Boys usually, being Raised by the Male Relatives!   I call them "The Dead Moms Sitcoms".  *LOL*  Comedy always ensued with Motherless Households.   Most actual Single Parent Households I knew of had Missing Fathers.

I do know some Modern Single Dads, most Marry, or Remarry, and so the Kids do end up with a Mom before they're Grown, usually.   But, a fair amount of the Single Moms I've ever know, never Marry, or never Re-Marry.  I myself spent 7 Years as a Single Parent Household between when The Daughter was Born and when The Son was Born.  There is not much Comedic about Single Parenting really.   But, I must admit, the very few Motherless Households of Kids I knew, the Dads really struggled more to Raise Children Alone than any of the Single Moms ever did.  And nobody I knew had an Aunt Bea {Mayberry RFD}, Alice {Brady Bunch live-in Maid}, or live-in Maternal Grandfather Bub and Uncle Charley {My Three Sons}.   I didn't have any Friends who had a Maid or Housekeeper growing up, even in Single Parent Military Families where the remaining Single Parent could and would be Deployed sans the Family. 

Growing Up I did know some Kiddos being Raised by Grandparents and even some being Raised by Foster Families.   But, most Families had the Mom and Dad, few seemed to be on more than One Marriage either.   Tho' there were some blended Families I knew since some of the Moms had a Kid before Marrying, or had a Spouse that had Died and Remarried becoz in the Military, especially during Wartime, a lot of those being sent to Fight never came Home.  Many were Killed in Combat, some of my Friends had MIA Dad's too, and if their Bracelets never got Returned, it meant they never got the Bodies or Status Recovered either.  One of my Best Friends had a Pilot Dad in the Air Force, shot down over Vietnam, she never knew what happened to him, as far as I know he remains among the MIA to this day.  Her Mom was allowed to declare him Dead and Remarry after a long period of Time.  Luckily she had a Wonderful Stepdad and he owned a successful Construction Business and wasn't in the Military.

The Man actually was declared MIA with his Team during their last Mission during his Tours in Vietnam, which they hadn't been told was a Suicide Mission and nobody ever came to pick them up from that Mission!   So didn't expect any of them to Survive it.  He was in a Country we allegedly never were... and when all but he and his Navajo Tracker didn't get Killed during the Mission, and managed to walk out of the Jungles of Laos, he wasn't able to talk about it or leave the Continental U.S. for a whole Decade!   He had to tell all the other Families himself that their Loved Ones were Killed and their Bodies never recovered by our Government, but are Memorialized on The Wall, since, he knew they didn't Survive.   It Haunts him to this Day that only he and his Tracker managed to not get Killed and that they were left there to Die.  The Man has great Respect for Native American Trackers coz they were that good.  My Native American Cousin was a Tracker in the Marine Corps. too during Vietnam.

 

The Man said his Navajo Tracker taught him a lot about Tracking and how to tell which Animal or even the Ethnicity of a Human by their Tracks!!!   He once told me, even tho' you aren't full Indian, you Walk like one and your Tracks are evidence of your Indigenous Ethnicity.  It's called "Indian File" and is characterized by a Straight Line Gait... Feet placed directly in front of each other, Toes pointed forward or slightly inward and stepping on the Ball of the Foot.  I didn't even know I have always Walked like that and probably why I had exceptional Balance and still do, and move Quietly.  It's efficient, silent and stable movement, so I inadvertently have folks always tell me they don't hear me coming, glide when I Walk, and I almost sneak up on them Silently even tho' I'm not trying to.  *LOL*   I don't remember being Taught to Walk that way, I just instinctively always did I guess.  I can tell whose coming by their Walk quite often too, it's as distinctive to me as their Laugh or even their Cough.

 

LATER:  Well, I got Two Sick Grandkids now.  The Young Prince had a relapse, so now I'm wondering if he doesn't have a Flu and not just an Allergic Reaction to that Soup?  An Allergic Reaction wouldn't last this long, he seemed better and then bam, same symptoms as initially.  So, he's got the Guest Bathroom tied up needing to be in there constantly.  Princess T either has the Back Injury or a Kidney Issue going on.  She's resisting having me take her to an Urgent Care {we'll avoid the Hospital ER's with them being overwhelmed}, becoz she doesn't have enuf Sick 
Time to get this taken Care of AND her Wisdom Teeth removed, which will require at least a Day Off and we still have to Schedule the exact Dates for extraction.  We finally did get her Insurance Approval to get it done so now can Schedule the Date(s).  Don't know if it will take One Visit or Two yet?

She's afraid of losing her Job since then there wouldn't be anyone Employed in the Household.  I told her, well, there are other Jobs, but you've got to take Care of whatever this is.  She Promised me she'd let me take her to Urgent Care when she gets off Work Today.  I don't know how she'll get thru the Standing Up the whole time Shift tho'?  Fun Times!!!   I'm not getting a whole lot of Sleep with the Two Grandkids not being Well and juggling them with The Man.  The Daughter isn't here to help and The Son looks like a Deer caught in the Headlights when Dealing with Sick Adult Nephew and Niece or his Dad.  His Dad has been more cooperative when I hand him over to The Son than he usually is coz I told him, Listen, I'm spread too thin right now with Sick Grandkids so you HAVE to Behave!  Coz if I Go Down, you all are fucked.  That seems to Get Thru to his Addled Brain enuf he complies.  *Winks*

Other than that, everything is Swell.  *Bwahahahaha*  At least I know which Urgent Care will see the Granddaughter right away and no long waits, plus, they've taken her State Provided Insurance before.  With the Grandson it's trickier coz I haven't been able to get Social Services to approve him for State Provided Medical/Dental and some won't take what he has from New Mexico, which is limited Benefits, mostly just Nutritional Assistance temporarily.  Arizona hasn't even Approved The Son since Mid-December of trying to even get an Interview to be considered, and I can't recall when was the last time we took the Grandson in to DES to try to push thru at least some Medical Services for the Indigent/Permanently Disabled???  They should have both The Son and The Grandson on File in their Database coz they're both Title 19 who've had State Provided Coverage before.   But, it's getting a fucking Interview first.   And both Guys now Owe Medical Debt to some Locations and won't see you if you Owe them Money already.

The Son at least has a Scheduled Date for a Phone Interview now in Mid-March, after having waited since Mid-December of last Year for one!!!  At that Rate it would be potentially Three Months before the Grandson MIGHT get an Interview Date to be CONSIDERED.  That's not APPROVED... just CONSIDERED!!!   Even when they get the State Coverage, Approvals for certain needed Procedures and stuff takes another period of Time to wait for Approval Verification, like it has with Princess T's Wisdom Teeth extraction Approval Verification.   And I'm still waiting for my Swap Out of HUMANA Coverage, which, they claim I'll have beginning March 1st, but they haven't sent the New Card yet with the Replacement Coverage for the Right Plan rather than the Wrong Plan they initially Assigned to me in error.  *Eye Roll and Whew, this is all fucking Exhausting and Inefficient and Incompetent as Hell, isn't it?*

Escapism right now means Blogging and venting to you all, so, bear with me.  *Winks*   She'll be melting down soon about not being able to get into the Guest Bathroom and it smelling like Puke and other vacated Bodily Fluids from her Brother... so I'm bracing for that next.  But, I have no Words.  *Le Sigh*  At least we got all his soiled Clothing and Towels Laundered during the brief time he thought he was recovering from whatever this is, so, that's a bright spot.  He's at least dressed now in Clothing not tied around him like a Toga that belongs to someone else way larger than he is.   If he or she are contagious, with whatever is ailing them, I really don't want us Old Folks getting it.  I don't think she is, it's either a Back Injury or Kidney problem, perhaps from a UTI?  She gets Sick a lot, always has since Infancy, she has a compromised Immune System and both Kiddos were Meth Babies, so had precarious Health Issues from Day One.  So, this has been ongoing for 25+ Years now.

I just want for them all to keep adequate Health Insurance since they all have chronic Health and Mental Health Issues and permanent Disability that has no Cures.   When the most vulnerable of Society have no Services it falls on their extended Families, even once they're Adults, to try to manage it all, which isn't sustainable for any Family if you only had ONE, let alone more than that of Loved Ones with Special Lifetime Needs.  I don't really know what to do at this point even tho' everyone is now Grown?   I put a CBD Rub for Pain on her Back and Kidney area, which relieved Pain some, but she still had no range of motion in that area and couldn't Cough, Laugh or even Breathe without some Pain.  I don't have any Prescription strength Meds and I wouldn't use them without her getting an Rx for something from a Doc who tells us what's Wrong with her anyway.

    I'm hesitant with any Pain Management Meds being used, so many are Addictive and we've been down that 10 Miles of Bad Road before with The Son and The Man being Prescribed Opioids and getting Addicted to them.   Both Men still have chronic Back Pain and The Man has other Service related Injury Pain, but they just tough it out now, or they'd relapse with the Addiction to that Pain Management shit that is prescribed by Doctors and has caused a National Epidemic of Drug Dependency Issues in America.  Most Addicts didn't just pick up Street Drugs one day, they were Prescribed Prescription Drugs first by their Doctors that they then got Addicted to.   Most Pain Management Rx and Psychiatric Rx have Addiction risks to taking them.  Patients and their Families have to weigh the Risks against the Benefits of what's Prescribed.

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