Arranging Space For Life -vs- For A Photograph

 There is a difference between a room arranged for a photograph and a room arranged for a life.

Again, I totally stole... um, I mean cribbed and borrowed that Quote that is so profound from a Blog.  OLD PRAIRIE MOONLIGHT Blog has a way with Words and Quotes.  Too Good to not re-share and use!!!  I sometimes forget that Spaces arranged for Life should be different than Spaces arranged for a Photograph... or the Vision on the Canvas of my Imagination even, which would make them Editorial, but not as Useful or Functional.

I made the Execute Decision this Morning to take The Man out, he Needed Fresh Air... I Needed a New Back after loading his VA All-Terrain Metal Walker in and out, in and out, of the back of my Truck!  *Whew*  I'd done some Environmental Cleanup very much earlier, so I wasn't exactly fresh as a Daisy Physically for schlepping him and his Medical Equipment around, but he enjoyed the Outing, but it's not even Noon yet and I'm knackered!!!  No more Todaying for Today, I'm Done and Tapping Out like a Wimp!  *LOL*

I'm making a nice Crockpot Chili which has been simmering since early Morning, coz it's actually rather Chilly and Overcast Today, lovely to be out in, never like this in late April, so I'm enjoying it while it lasts.  I did get a whole bag of Aluminum gleaned, and Found a Rosary {broken but fixable}, a pair of Jean Shorts in The Man's Size {neatly folded, smelling of Fabric Softener and just sitting on a Picnic Table}, and some Armor-All Dashboard Cleaner with a Dashboard Cloth.  The Strangest of things get left at Parks, I swear.

There were lotsa "Walkers and Runners" at the Park on this Cooler Day.  One Old and Small, but obviously quite Fit Mexican Man, lapped me about Five Times, running around this entire Park, which is a large one!  And I Walk pretty briskly, most folks can't keep Pace with me.  I couldn't Believe how fast and tireless he was at his Age and RUNNING, he didn't even seem out of Breath, and I can only assume has been long-distance Marathon Running all his Life?!  Or mebbe this has become necessary now to outrun ICE when they're doing these Illegal Raids just randomly picking up Citizens and Non-Citizens alike if you fit a certain Racial Profile?   They've been present in Metro Phoenix A LOT!

  

I just drove The Man down to the Nature Preserve so he could just look out the open Windows of the Truck at Nature.  That early in the Morning a lot of Wildlife is around and in the River.  A huge Grey Crane with about a 7 Foot Wingspan has been hanging out in the same spot every time I've been there lately, it was there this day too, Magnificent Creature and HUGE.  I think it's a Sandhill Crane, but I'm no Bird afficionado?  We have lots of types of Cranes in Arizona.  It was catching some good sized Fish.  More than the Fishing Humans were.  *LOL*

I bought some more Nerds Gummy Clusters in the Cherry Lemonade Blitz  Ltd. Edition flavor.  They had them on Sale and I shouldn't have, coz I tend to wanna eat the whole damned Bag... and... I am an Insulin Diabetic... tho' it never raises my Sugar Levels, go figure?!   I'd given other Bags I had of the other flavors to The Grandson and his Friend Sayde so I wouldn't eat them, but, then I Caved and bought this Bag secretly, like I was buying illicit Drugs.  Bad Dawn!!!  *LOL*

I took him out for Lunch, thus the loading in and out, in and out of the Truck, we went to about 9 different Restaurants before we could find one Open yet -or- not so crowded it would be a ridiculous wait time!  *Le Sigh*  We got all excited about going to a new one nearby the House called "Crab 99" which touted Loaded Lobster Cajun Fries... only to find out from the Owner he won't have his Grand Opening until May 1st!  Online it hadn't said it wasn't Open at all yet... dammit!  So, no Loaded Lobster Cajun Fries to Share... Pout... we ended up just Settling for some "Panda Express".

I was just too Hangry and fading fast to quibble after Eight different stops were a No-Go.   That is problematic when you wake up and start your Day too Early, most Restaurants, unless they're Breakfast/Brunch Joints, don't even Open until after 11:00 and we were Done and Home before then.  I wasn't sure the Chili at Home would be ready that early, perhaps a later Lunchtime and definitely by Dinnertime.  The Man barely ate any of his... his appetite is just poor now and he's still having lots of trouble Breathing and Walking.  Not having much activity his Leg Strength has already deteriorated too.

Anyway, lifting him and his equipment several times was exhausting, I can't do that too often, and especially too many times in a row during any given Day, it's Too Much.   And due to his Memory Care Issues he forgets to ask me for something until I'm already Sitting Down or trying to Rest/Relax, and then he Recalls a Need and I've gotta get back up again.  *Le Sigh*  It gets to where I get Snappy about it and I try not to, but Christ on a Bike, I'm so fucking Tired and Hurting sometimes, from all the Lifting and Fetching, that if he asks for just One thing Too Many, when I think I'm finally Done and can catch a Break and my Breath, I'm not using my Pleasant Tone in response.  *LOL*

I was watching Comedian Kathleen Madigan and she was talking about her 83 Year Old Parents, and her Mom being the 'Caregiver' of her Dad who has Dementia, I was Laughing so hard, coz she could have been Talking about The Man and I.  She's says her Mom gets so Mad at her Dad sometimes that she has to ask Mom to Settle & Calm Down.  {Our Kiddos do the same with me.}  And her Mom will be saying to her Dad, "Just Sit Down will ya, what are you getting up again for??!!!"   And Kathleen will say, "Mom, be Nice to Dad!"  And her Mom will respond, "Well, Christ, Kathleen, he's fallen 7 times already in the past Two Weeks and I've had to call the Fire Department to pick him up!  And, should he really have a 'Favorite Fireman'?  Because he does!!!"   *LMAOROTF*

When she took her Dad for expanded Services it was so reminiscent of all the Paperwork I have to go thru to Qualify, that I Laughed until my Sides hurt.   She does what I end up doing, coz it's Pages and Pages of Questions he doesn't know the Answers to and neither does most of the Family know or remember, including me, so, Kathleen just finally checks all the Boxes!   And she says the Intake Nurse or Caseworker will review it and just go, "Wow!", and she'll just go, "Yeah... and just look at him, he's still here, even tho' he's got EVERYTHING Wrong!"  *Bwahahaha*  And she said her Mom's had so many Parts removed now, that if they cut her Head off and looked inside, she'd be Empty!  *LOL*

"Dollar General" has Coupons for Saturdays and I ended up getting $40 Off my purchase using them Today.  And some of the Food items were already a good Deal even without Coupons.  The Older Cashier knows me coz I come in all the time and she was even impressed how much I got off.  And they had Eli's Favorite 'Trout' flavor of 'Sheba' wet Cat Food. Nobody else ever has that flavor and they'd just got more in, so I bought it all.  Their Shelves were practically bare they were so busy and I guess some shipments aren't in yet.   Above and Below are some Blast From The Past Pixs of me at my Friend Heidi's Shop that she used to have in Scottsdale before she moved back to Montana.  {She's pictured Above this Image.}   I'm wearing some of her Cut Velvet and Lace Top Creations.  I ended up Buying a Blue one, should have got the Above Tan one too in hindsight.

Anyway, I'd done so much so early that before Dark I needed a Nap and when I woke up again it was a brand new day!!!  Some Neighbors were having a big Party and I could hear methodical thumping, which, for some reason, upon waking, I thought someone had put Shoes in the Dryer and went to check and just turn it off.  *LOL*  Coz it was like Boom, Boom, doo-doo, doo-doo, do-da do-da duh, over and over again!  Just sounding vaguely like some of the Kid's Kicks thumping around in a Front Loader that they'd washed and put in the Dryer!  *Ha ha ha*  It was past Midnight and my whole Family on a Saturday Night were either not Home or Asleep, so, I eventually concluded it wasn't coming from here and was the Pinche Neighbors just having a Mariachi Party of Bad Music.  *LOL*

Well, at least it wasn't Karaoke this time, when those Fuckers get Hammered, Cats having Sex sound better.  *LOL*  And it's not a Live Mariachi Band either this time, always better to just be a Dee Jay spinnin' Bad Tunes than Live Bad Back Yard Bands singing them Live either.  But it is a Saturday Night, slash wee Hours of Sunday Morning, and the Neighborhood is hoppin' on the Weekends.  Otherwise it's a bucolic quiet friendly Hood with little Crime, so I don't mind the occasional Fiesta poppin' off on the Weekends with what sounds like Circus Music to me.  I like Good Latin Music, not the Music that sounds like the Circus has come to Town and is in the Neighbors Back Yard... so, not a Fan of the Mariachi Genre.  *LOL*

Since it is a Sunday Morning Technically now tho', I have been Tempted at times to have a Music War and start playing some loud Gospel in response.  We got a great sound system too.  *Winks*  Some real Vintage Kick Ass Black Church Gospel, and have me some Church up in here at 2:00 in the Mornin', just for some Wicked Fun and to see what their response is?  Mebbe some Old School Kirk Franklin God's Property like 'Stomp' {1997}?  But, I've resisted.  Mostly coz The Man had been to my predominantly Black Church in South Phoenix many times and said, "Honey, that's too much Church for Two in the Mornin' tho', so let the Devil just be.  They'll all probably be Passed Out by Three anyway."   And he could be Right.  *Bwahahaha*   He was used to Mormon 'Church', so I remember the 1st time he came to Church with me and the Kids, he was a little unsettled, confused and bewildered, "Is this Church, or have we gone to some packed out Concert, Honey?"  *LMAO*

 

Now, I've never been to any Mormon Church or Service, and have no Lifetime Plans to, so I don't know how Dry it is?   The Home Teachers that used to drop by and bother The Man all the time were pretty Dry, it would make me doze off if I even bothered to overhear any of it.  But I've been to Catholic Masses with the Smells and the Bells, and Solemnity of listening to some good Gregorian Chants similar to "Enigma's" Music, which I happen to Like, so I asked him, compared to what?  *LOL and Winks*  I remember my Friend's Roman Catholic Priest, Father Jim, who I just Adored, telling me he giggled a little on the Inside when I was there as a Guest once during his Homily and said "Amen!" to something he'd said... coz in Seminary I guess he had a Pentecostal Roommate.   *Smiles and Winks*

And tho' my Church's Street Ministry is Non-Denominational, coz I don't like Denominational Churches any more than I like Partisan Politics, I've been to a Pentecostal Church before, and there were parallels to the Energy levels, to be sure.  *Smiles*  So, Tonight, nope, I haven't blasted any Gospel at them to tone down the thumping of the Mariachi repetitive beat that sounds like Sneakers bouncing around in a Dryer.  *LOL*  And, it got me up to check the Dryer.  So now I'm Blogging, coz if I Slept all Afternoon and all Night too, it would definitely throw off my Sleep Pattern and Rhythm all to Hell, which, has been happening with these extended Naps I now Need.  *Le Sigh*   And we do have thick Adobe Burnt Brick 10-12 inch Walls in our Home, so the thumping is muted and not all that loud, so, mostly it's Peaceful with everyone in my household Asleep, to Blog. 

I did eat the whole Bag of Nerds Gummy Clusters, even tho' I tried not to, so I really CAN'T buy them again, it wouldn't be Wise.  *Winks*  I don't even like Candy or Sweets usually, but these are Sour and Tart, and I like the taste and texture too, so, they're The Devil.   And I must resist from now on and not get a craving for some anymore.  My "Panda Express" Meal Fortune Cookie even said, "Save More Spend Less"... and The Man's said, "You will have many Blessings", and he Joked that he will now, coz I'll be Saving more and Spending less, so they were some good Fortune Cookie messaging.  {See Below}   In this shitty Economy even "Panda Express" is shouting out a Warning to us in their Fortune Cookies, it's not subliminal or vague either.   I ain't gonna Lie, I found it Prophetic and rather Darkly Hysterical to get that one in mine.  *Bwahahahaha*  

At least Sales have been super Strong this Pay Period for the First Week of the Two Weeks of it, at the Antique Mall.   So I may get a very healthy Check to make up for Owing $1.79 the last Pay Period.  *LOL and Whew*  All Body Parts Crossed that Week Two of it remains equally Strong?  I've got to bring more Inventory in for the Locked Case now, but the Showroom still doesn't have a lot of empty Real Estate to pack more in there really.  I haven't taken Easter Merch out yet tho', so I may Crate that up by next Week and put it back in the She Shed for next Year.  I don't like holding onto Seasonal Holiday Merch a whole Year, but, I did get the additional Storage Shed Building for doing that and I've emptied it out quite a bit recently.  Enough that I have Six Banana Boxes filled of The Daughter's Clothing in there now, so she doesn't have so much crammed into the 5th Wheel and can keep it Tidier... we Hope.  *Winks*

Since The Boyfriend is now History and not coming over, she's kept it better, she always did before him, so frankly we all do think he was the Offender in making a mess in there.  And it was overwhelming her Emotionally, Mentally and Physically to Deal with running damage control behind him.  And he didn't even Live here, and used the "I'm Dying" Card way too handily and often.  So it was very disrespectful of him to spend so much time in where she lives and make such a piggish mess, who does that?!  

 Well, except for someone piggish, and Lord knows when we do Environmental Cleanup, there's stark evidence of how many of them live among us and act practically Feral and Unsocialized.  Being Environmentally Unconscious in the Outdoors, so no telling how piggish their Indoors Living Spaces are too?!  I don't wanna know... but, when I worked at the DA's Office and did The Census every Decade, I did get a glimpse into how some folks Live, and it's Mind Blowing how many Live Nasty, in filth and squalor, and are Okay with it.  *Shudder*

The Daughter just rolled in at 2:00 a.m. with one of her Female Friends, who brought her over some Clothes.  Her Friends are very good to her and she's been Helping this Friend out, to do some Hospice Work for someone they know whose Mother is Dying and being set up for Home Hospice by them.  The Friend with the Dying Mother has been completely overwhelmed and is the only one in the extended Family taking Care of the Dying Mom, nobody else is being the least bit Helpful. Family Dynamics can be quite Complex like that, especially during Trying Times.

 So, she's needed The Daughter and this other Friend to step up and step in when this Poor Woman's own Family will not at the greatest time of Need.  As my Dear Ole' Dad always said, Nothing Sorts People Out Quite Like Trouble.   Ain't that the Truth!!!  The Daughter also groomed a Friend's Big Dog Today for some Income, he's a Regular for his Spa Treatment here now.  He's like a big White Shaggy Sheepdog and feels very Pretty and Swag when she's done with him, it's so Funny how he preens afterwards and has his Swagger On.  *LOL*

They wanted her to Shave him for the Summer but they didn't have a Leash and she wasn't sure he'd safely let her do that without being Leashed so declined that part and they took him Home Unshorn.  *LOL*  He would have looked Weird Bald and Shorn I think.   And mebbe he wouldn't Trust her as much after that or be as Happy to have his Grooming done, so she didn't wanna jeopardize that regular paying Gig either.  She's good with Animals and can sense when something wouldn't be a Good Idea with them, Shaving this Dog seemed like a potentially Bad one.   And she doesn't have Professional Dog Grooming Tools and Supplies, so she wasn't using her Brother's Shaver to Shave a Dog, The Son would have lost his Shit about it.  *Bwahahahahaa*  

I could just Imagine him seeing White Sheep-like Dog Hairs in his Electric Shaver and going WTF??!!!?  And then knowing his Clinically Diagnosed Crazy Sister Shaved Amber and Rosemary's damned Dog with it!  And she's Crazy, but not Stupid, so she said "Yeah, No."   Which is what a True Millennial would say when asked to do something on a Job, they definitely aren't doing, under any circumstances, Right?  Their Generation will just Quit any Job, just like that!  Our Generation didn't even think we could do that and that it was an Option, we stayed at Sucky Jobs and sucked it up, Right?! 

  A Millennial will just Walk right off the Job while waiting on you if you give them a hard enuf time, and you'll be risking doing that Job yourself!!!   So when any Millennial is waiting on an Older Generation Person and that Customer is acting the Fool and going all Karen or Ken on them, I'm thinking, Oh Shit!  Coz that Millennial might just Quit right now, walk off the Job, and none of us then is getting Served unless we get behind the Counter and know how to do it ourselves!!!!!!!!!!! *LMAOROTF* 

So, personally, tho' it is Rude and Insubordinate, I'd rather get a "Yeah, No!", from one of 'em, and still get some Service or my Order, and not have them all just Walk off the Job.   Coz now when you go anywhere, you're Lucky if the Business even has One or Two actual Humans even Working there!!!   So you don't wanna Piss Off the Last of the Mohicans and have Zero Employees to wait on you!!!   I'm allegedly Retired, so I don't wanna hafta do that Shit myself!!!   And each Generation has their Quirks and differences, to be sure. 

  But I do tend to call the Millennials the "Yeah, No" Generation.  It epitomizes their Mindset and way of Being in quite an incapsulated way I think.   They are quite in their own Bubble.   And I've got a 25 Year Old Grandson now wandering around with a big Bowl of Captain Crunch at 2:30 a.m. like a Lost Soul, and had to remind him, don't leave a Hansel and Gretel Trail of that shit for your Uncle to step on or he'll Lose his Mind about it again, Okay?  *LOL and Winks*   

As The Son quickly closes in on 40 he is Sweating the Small Stuff and having Meltdowns about it, that Midlife often just makes folks do.  *Bwahahahaha*   And he'll be like, "Mom, Why doesn't this even Bother you?!", and all I can say about my Generation's Season of Life in response is, "Well, because I just don't Care anymore...", and Walk Off.  That kinda makes him Mental too, coz then he's left with the Broom and the Dustpan as I'm crunching thru the Bread Crumb Trail underfoot of Captain Crunch, coz it does make quite the Satisfying Crunch if you think about it and Listen.  Once Upon A Time it might have bothered me... not now tho'.  *LOL*

 Above is me Once Upon A Time when I was about his Midlife Age and might have still given a Shit and Cared too.  But now... well... kinda therapeutic in these dire Times, much like smashing Glass just to hear it break, in that Satisfying way that it also reduces Stress... or... mebbe that's just me?   Plus, I got The Son behind me with Dustpan and Broom, so... it's all Good as far as I'm concerned.  One of the perks of Multigenerational Living, if they Live with you long enuf, or hafta move back in, eventually it becomes Beneficial.  *Bwahahahahahahahaha and Winks*

 

So, April is almost a Wrap, hasn't it just sped by at Warp Speed?!   And I see that May's Social Security Check disbursement is gonna be almost a Week later than it was in April.  I finally did get the projected Dates of Issuance, so I can Budget and pay the Bills accordingly out of those Checks.   Since about half our Income comes in on the 1st {Our Earned Pensions and The Man's Earned VA Disability}, and the rest almost the End or Middle of each Month {Social Security and any Antique Mall Proceeds}.  It's never Enough, and now that only The Granddaughter has an actual Job that pays regularly and is only Minimum Wage, the rest of us has to Work our Hustles to make the Ends Meet now.   The Young Prince and his Mother, the Schizophrenics, are Unemployable due to the severity of their Mental Illness.  

The Man and I were put out to Pasture many Moons ago now.  The Son hasn't Worked since before Thanksgiving and has put in Applications literally everywhere, even for Minimum Wage Part Time Work now for shitty Jobs, coz he's that desperate to just get Hired anywhere that Claims they're Hiring and you find... really ARE NOT.  So, No Luck.   Allen sent The Young Prince a Bouquet of Flowers Today, so I asked him, are you sending Mixed Messages?  Allen has been blowing up his Phone still incessantly and sometimes The Grandson is apparently trying to kill more Flies with Sugar than with Vinegar just so Allen will send the fucking Divorce Papers and Finalize it. 

 So, I asked, Whatssup with the Divorce... and he Sighed and said he told Allen, Listen, I can remain Civil with you and even be Nice, but I just don't wanna be Married anymore, Okay.  Not to you, not to anyone, not ever again, period.  I never wanted to be Married in the first place... but it's what you wanted when they finally Legalized Gay Marriage in Arizona, and I thought you'd Honor it, but, you didn't.   So, just send the Papers for me to Sign so we can both be Done with this Chapter. 

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Life does have it's Seasons and Chapters to it... and Arranging of Space for Life versus for a Photograph... Dawn... The Bohemian