Bizarre Dreams And How Easter Played Out

 I had the Weirdest of Dreams, have you ever dreamed of a TV Personality being randomly in your Dream?  Well, a fav Broadcaster, Chris Cuomo, was in mine for some Strange Reason.  It was one of those Apocalyptic type Dreams that could actually happen any day now with the current affairs going on... and Chris was covering it as Media, as he does, but with a group of people I was with, as things were crashing down around us like a War Zone.  Woke me up coz I don't like Predictive Dreams that seem way too real and alarming.   I like Chris, he's one of my fav Broadcasters becoz I like how he approaches his Topics, he interviews people well and he's Smart and respectful to all his Guests, whether he Agrees with them or not.  He handles controversial and Fringe people adeptly but respectfully.  So the good part of the Dream was meeting him, the bad part was everything else.  *LOL*  Above is a Great-Grandpup doubling as The Easter Bunny for the Great-Grand Humans we have.  Oh the Humility!   And a Bunny with Attitude.  *Smiles*

The Good News before I went to Bed last Night was they Rescued that Downed American F-15 Pilot that was shot down in Iran.  He was injured but is gonna be Okay, whew, Answer to Prayer, since I was so concerned about his Welfare.  The last thing we need is any American Military being captured by the Iranians and held as Prisoners of War, or, worse fates than that.  Our Recovery Teams are exemplary and I'm glad they all made it Home safely too, whew again, coz that's risky Business to extract our own who need extraction in an active War Zone.  The Man was extracted numerous times, but when he couldn't be, he had to make it out on his own and he has harrowing Tales of Suicide Missions where if you make it out Alive, you're a very fortunate rare Statistic. 

 He and his Navajo Tracker in Vietnam were the only ones of his Team that made it out Alive in his very last Mission.  A Mission that turned out badly, to be a Suicide Mission, and they weren't told that, and where they never were picked up like they were supposed to be and extracted.  So had to hike out by Foot, which took Weeks.  Mostly coz they were somewhere "we never were" to do that Assignment and he suspects weren't meant to Survive it either.  He is haunted still by his Elite Force Team that didn't make it out Alive, he had to inform their Families when he got back and since he led the Team, he felt responsible for every Man.  He has great Respect for the Native American G.I.'s coz he said their Tracking kept a lot of Troops Alive and got them out of Situations and Jungles that were dense and dangerous even if it hadn't been Wartime going on. 

 He knows my Native American Cousin who was in the Marines was a Tracker.  My Cousins and my Uncles and Aunts who are Indigenous and Served didn't make a Career of the Military tho', only my Dad did and became a Lifer, Serving 27 Years.  His Brother, Sisters-In-Law, Nephews who Served, did some Tours of Duty and spent some Years in the various Branches of the Service, but didn't Retire from the Military.  They all chose to go back to the Reservation to Live out Life instead and Marry into the Tribe.  I often think that if my Dad hadn't Married a European, he wouldn't have made it a Career either, but he knew he could never take Mom to the Rez to live.  She was appalled at how the Native Americans were treated and the abject Poverty most all lived in.  It's still bad now, but back then, way worse.  Dad wanted better for us Kids too, a proper Education, not at the Indian Schools, and Opportunities he never had.

Mom enjoyed the Nomadic Life they led too, and Dad really loved it, Dad always said most Indigenous Tribes, except for the Pueblo Tribes, were Naturally meant to be Nomadic.  And of coarse my Mom's side of the Family has some mixed Romani Heritage from what she told me, like it was a Family Secret.   Since, a lot of Mixed Didi Kai, as the Mixed are called, don't make that known coz then it's hard to get Jobs or Housing due to discrimination. There's something inside anyone whose of an Ancestry that was meant to be Nomadic that actually makes you have what we called Itchy Feet about staying put, you get the Wanderlust bad and don't have a sense of Permanence to any Place specifically.  I had a very hard time staying put, I was over 50 before I even tried to, but I moved several times after then too.  *LOL*

I say Forever Boheme' is Forever, but a part of me suspects it might not be and I'd be Okay with that if I can dump enuf Cargo to make Traveling Light possible again?   I know, a Tall Order, the Cargo is what keeps me staying put more now coz Moving it all is brutal and expensive.  So, The Man therefore thinks it's probably good I have a lot of Cargo or I'd be moving us around all the time.  *Bwahaha*  He could be Right.  *Winks*  I'm disposing of it but I do got a lot of it now I switched to Maximalism from Minimalism I Lived for well over 50 Years.  In my 50's and 60's were my acquisition and accumulating Years and I became very Good at it apparently.  *LMAOROTF*  I became an acquisition Jedi of sorts actually, who knew I had a Talent for it?  *Winks and Smiles*  Listen, Hunting and Gathering was also just Naturally in me, but I didn't apply it to Assets or Investments as much when Younger. 

In my Ambitious Career Years and Corporate Lives I fixated and focused on the acquisition of Position and Power... and making Money.  I Bored of that once I reached the Top of my Game and saw that the View from the Top wasn't all that and it came at quite a Cost to Family.  Family has always been a higher Priority, and God too, a lot of Corporate Success Stories have to put Family last and compromise their Moral Compass, I wasn't willing to do that so I knew I'd ditch the Careers eventually when it had Serve US well enuf and not corrupted my Moral Integrity or my Moral Compass.  You get it Tested tho', rest assured, you will be surrounded by a lot of Corruption at high levels, Power Corrupts and absolute Power absolutely Corrupts.  But if your priorities remain People First, then Money, then Things, you will not sink to that level of Moral depravity and compromised Ethics.  It won't make you Popular tho' in the Posturing and Politics involved, just know that.

I guess I didn't Care tho' how any Adversaries viewed me, I didn't even Care if they Respected me coz some never will, but, make 'em Learn to Fear you, that goes far.  At the end of the day tho', I wanted Peace and my Calm not disrupted and to pursue what mattered and was my Bliss.  The rest was merely a means to that End.  At my Core I was that Hippie Chick I always was from my Tween Years onwards, and I'd of been just as Happy living in a Commune and making Art whether I became a Starving Artist or not.  But, I realized by Age 14, when I first went to Work for an Irish Gypsy while we were Stationed in Europe, that he Schooled me on Working my Hustle and that Money Buys Options.  And Options are always preferable to having none.  He was a Wise Old Traveler who dealt in Gold and Silver, so he wasn't a Poor Gypsy and he Cultivated Contacts like nobody I'd ever met before!  He was very Tight with the East Indian and Pakistani Immigrants who'd prospered... and when they prospered they did very well.

My Dad and Mom had sent me to go work the Flea Markets with that Old Irish Gypsy they knew, coz they knew he'd give me quite the Education.  I don't even know if he had any Family of his own, so he treated me like his own Grandchild and gave me Gifts all the time, like a Sterling Silver Snake Ring with Ceylon {Now called Sri Lanka} Ruby Eyes.  He got me interested in the Jewelry Business coz that was his forte.  He's been a Carny too, but said the Money wasn't in the Circus, it was in Precious Metals and Precious Stones, it still is.  I sure Wish I'd taken his Sage Advice he gave me back then and bought all the Gold and Silver and Precious Stones I could.  Gold is just shy of $5,000 an Ounce my Friends!!!  I could have bought a shitload of Krugerrands back when I worked as an AVP for Valley National Bank... hindsight now being 20-20, I should have!!!  Dammit!  I Invested in Stocks instead and they still pay me Quarterly Dividends, and will for my Lifetime and my Heirs Lifetimes, but, the Gold would have been Nice too.  *Winks*

Anyway, I'm glad for all the Mentors I've had in Life, Dad always told me to have a Mentor who was Experienced, had Wisdom and lots of Knowledge, ready to Retire, and ready to pass the Mantle and Teach you all they know for Free so it wouldn't be Lost when they Die.  I am Mentoring People still, I did at the tail end of both of my Corporate Lives.  I'd find an Up and Comer who would and could be Mentored and Taught, bestow everything I knew to them, and let them run with it and add to it as their Ambitions might lead them.   Many I Mentored have done very well for themselves and I'm Proud to have been a small part of that.  You can't take any Credit for their Successes any more than you can take any of the Blame for their Failures tho'.   Few get ahead all on their own and it's best to always surround yourself with people you know are Smarter than you.  You can't fucking know everything and those that think they do are Fools.  You know what you know, you don't know what you don't know, and what you only Think you know can fuck you up.

  Once Grown, you got to Own your own Decisions in Life and Learn from the Mistakes and the Hard Knocks Life that aren't your Fault, but, are sometimes the Hand Dealt you to Play.  The more Barriers I had, I saw it as the more Challenges to overcome and conquer.  Perspective and Attitude is everything... and Success leaves Clues.  Wise people pay attention to the Clues and Breadcrumbs that some folks overlook or feel too Proud to utilize and pick up.  If I can Trust you to Manage the Small Things then I know you can probably Handle the Bigger Blessings too.  Why would you expect God to even give you more if you can't even Handle what you got right now, it would be Wasted and squandered on you.   If you can't Manage a little, you sure as fuck can't Manage a lot my Friends.  And some folks don't wanna put in the Work to be Successful, they just think it's handed to you as you do nothing.  And then wonder why nothing happens.  *LOL and Eye Roll*

Anyway, Success is subjective as a Topic anyway, what is a Success to one person can look like Failure to another, it's whatever you deem Success to YOU is?   And just Be who you were meant to Be, nobody else can really have the Power over your Destiny to dictate Who you ARE.  You can relinquish it to them, but you have the Power to Be who you are or not.  Trying to be what you're not, and were never Meant to Be, seems like a shitty and un-purposeful way to go thru Life IMO.  Accept that not everyone is gonna Like or approve of who you are, and that's okay, let them Be them, but let you Be you.  I think you'll be happier for it and not have all your Joy robbed by people dictating who they think you should Be and trying to morph yourself into whatever the fuck that is?   My Dad always told us we were fearfully and wonderfully made as we are by the Creator, each of us, it's just us Humans that seem to Question that sometimes.

We once had a 3-Legged Dog named Chico, he was just Born with a shriveled up little back Leg and Foot that didn't even touch the ground.  But that little Dog didn't know he wasn't whole so he acted just like our other Two Dogs and did everything Dogs just did, without regards to the difference and challenge he had having one less Leg and Foot to do it.  He just did it anyway, oblivious to his apparent Disability, he lived out his Happy Dog Life just as he was Created.  He wasn't any less Happy than the Four Legged Dogs and they weren't less Happy with him either, so he was having HIS Best Life, sans a Leg, just being himself and we Adored him and didn't actually treat him any different than our other Dogs, he didn't expect that we would.  If we did have a Barrier in Life, say, like a Diagnosis, Ethnicity, or Disability you couldn't Change and might make Life just more challenging, my Dad's Question to you would be, well, is that ALL you Are?  It isn't.

Okay, now on to Food Porn, since, I just got a Comment from Blog Friend Mistress Maddie who was making a fabulous Easter Spread to Die For to Host Easter Dinner at his Home.  He talked of Glazed Parsnips and I couldn't recall if I'd ever had any or not?  So I Googled the Recipe to see if they looked remotely familiar and they did!  So, I guess I have had them and I recall liking them, above is the Food Porn Pix of them cribbed Online for a Recipe of them made with Rosemary.   When people Photograph and Stage their Food Porn this skillfully and Editorially, well, it makes me want to try whatever the Recipe is!!!  That's why I Buy Recipe Books, for the Imagery of the Food Porn, Seriously, it's why I do, coz I sho' don't Cook and am not a Domestic Goddess like The Mistress is.   If I was Hosting a Dinner Party for 11 I'd be having a Nervous Breakdown right about now!!!  *LMAOROTF* 

 Anyway, I never liked Brussel Sprouts until I had them Roasted, Glazed and Charred, Sublime!!!  Now it's one of my fav Sides to order if any Restaurant has it or Roasted Root Vegetables on their Menu.  I Love my Veggies and usually load up on Veggies even when eating a Meat or Carb with a Meal... rather have a larger Veggie portion and smaller portions of the Meat or Carbs now.  We had a light Breakfast of Greek Yogurt with Granola and Fresh Fruit, will skip Lunch, in preparation for our Easter Dinner.  Since The Son may be the only one Home alone, we decided to include him in our Easter Dinner, he doesn't have to order the Lamb, since, he's not a Fan of it and can order anything else "Dino's" has on the Menu.  I don't want him Home Alone for Easter and it seems his Niece and Nephew won't be Home and The Daughter isn't coming over. 

 I heard Rumors that Mando lost his Car... can't verify tho'.   His Tags expired last Month which would void his Insurance and I don't know if he still has a License either?  Plus, I couldn't afford to take everyone out to Eat anyway.  The Daughter would have had a Cleaning Job for Easter Sunday but I told her I can't take her, I got Easter Plans and she didn't wanna really accept a Job on Easter Sunday either.  She's been doing Jobs daily and said she needed the Holiday Rest, coz it's been a lot of Physical Work on Ranches and Farms.  She enjoys the Work and appreciates the side Jobs she can get hired to do for whatever they can pay or compensate her.  She's one to Work for Room & Board, Meals, if that's all they can offer her in exchange.  

  People like her Work Ethic and the Job she does for them, so she has repeat Clients and Word of Mouth Referrals.  Anyway, she's shooting for Orthodox Easter Sunday and I can swing that since I may not afford Two Easter Meals at "Dino's" anyway.  Back in Da Day our Antique Mall used to Host our Easter Dinners and all the Vendors and Staff would gather together for most Holidays with a complimentary Meal provided by the Mall.  They used to do a lot more for the Vendors and Sales were way Stronger too then and Rents were way lower.  Most of that has eroded or been discontinued completely and is why we don't have Vendors now who stay a long time like they used to when it was profitable and more like an extended Family and Community for most.  Especially for the Older Vendors who might not have had Family or the Single Vendors, it was better than spending Holidays Alone. 

I still Like what I do and will continue doing it, but it's not the same as the heyday of it all and will never be again.  Some of the Old Timers that are still there reminisce about how it was, and it is Nostalgic in a Good way.  But now is now, we live fully in the Present and try to not fixate on what the Future holds, which is scary to contemplate.  Some Predictions are dire and I don't like to dwell on it, Today has enuf worries of it's own.  I'm into hard Data and Statistics.  Based on Data since WWII the U.S. Economy has performed better on average under Democratic Presidencies than Republican ones.  Key indicators include GDP Growth, Job Creation, and Household Income growth, have generally shown stronger results during Democratic Administrations.  While Recessions has started more frequently under Republican Administrations, that's just the Factual Data and Evidence to back up those Statistical Truths over the past 70 Years Plus of Leadership.  

I'm not Partisan and never have been, never will be.  I always considered myself an Independent Moderate, but, I do pay attention to who Leads better, I don't support Poor Leadership no matter what Label they slap on themselves.  I don't even like Partisan Politics coz most Voters tend to be putting Party over the Good of the Country now, deeply imbedded in their Partisan Loyalty at all Costs.  It's gotten way too Cultish for my liking and has been very divisive in such Negative harmful ways that make Unity impossible.   We're no longer a UNITED States of America, we're very fractured and at odds with one another.  A Country divided within and upon itself won't prosper and risks falling apart with such Polarization and lack of Shared Vision.  Lack of Shared Vision always leads to Division eventually.  Instead of Evolving we're Devolving now.

Even Respected Economists seem to be Guarded about what they say since they don't wanna panic the Public or have Political backlash.  Growth is projected at 2.2%, with high Debt levels, and moderate to slow consumer spending.  Geopolitical tensions and Madmen at some helms, including ours, make Stability Questionable at best, and at worst, Global Instability and Fragility at Historic levels.   Currently the U.S. Federal Budget deficit is damned close to 2 Trillion, let that sink in a Minute.  And with the reckless spending in progress at over 2 Billion Daily just on Military expenditures for his Ego War he and his Family are Grifting from... well, it ain't improving the deficit that's for sure.  China's Growth by comparison is projected at 4.6%.  They're doing more than Twice as good as we are.  And we have a Cooling of the Labor Market.  

That may make the Eyes Glaze Over for some of you, but, I keep track of such things personally to remain Informed.  And if Countries can't get their Fertilizer on time for Planting Season, we could see Global Famine.  And if Gas Prices don't stabilize and continue rising at the current rates, everything will go up in Cost considerably.  And that's not including the damage still being caused by his Tariffs nonsense.  Small Businesses are hit hardest and they're the backbone of America.  They can not absorb the Losses that Mega Corporations can nor do they get the Sweet Deals and Elitist Breaks that the Giant Corporations receive.   You may already be seeing added Fees/Taxes for Transport for anything you Order Online and especially Import Tariffs are very High.  I don't Order anything directly Internationally anymore.  But a lot of what you see in the Shops is Imported, it's not Made In America and never will be.

The Man has chosen an ill fitting Shirt to wear for Easter Dinner, I really should Spirit that one Away after he takes it off, it's too tight.  But I don't have the Energy to re-dress him and he still likes to dress himself and choose what he wears and then ask me if it's Okay?  I just say Yes, unless it's really Bad, coz I want to build his confidence that he can still have some semblance of Independence and Choices in his Life as the progression of the Dementia compromises a lot of that and will continue to.  If he's comfortable enuf wearing a tight Grey plain T-Shirt, when he had loads of better and more Stylish Options, well, whatever... I can Live with it.  When he eats a big Meal tho', tighter Clothing might not be the Wisest Choice.   I dressed up a bit and just thought he would too for this Special Occasion, Guess Not!!!   *Smiles*  No idea what The Son is wearing and he was still doing Yardwork for me Today, so I'm sure he'll Shower and Change before we go.  I suspect The Young Prince might have come Home, but is holed up in his Room, no Contact.

He doesn't like Holidays, it's Sensory Overload for him to Celebrate them, so mostly he doesn't and I respect that Choice.  Especially Religious Holidays he feels have become too Commercialized with folks Celebrating those who aren't even of that Faith.   Which is Curious, but I don't mind it, if they're Joyfully Celebrating, I don't care why or how they are, doesn't matter to me.  Celebrate or don't Celebrate whatever you want to.  But The Young Prince is always Intellectually assessing why people do what they do that makes Zero Sense to him.  If they're not Christians, why would they even Celebrate Christmas or Easter Gramma?  Well, I have no Answers, everyone must have their reasons for participating... or not participating... to each their own... whatever.  It doesn't have to make Sense to me what people do, or why they do it, most of what people do doesn't make Sense to me actually.  Humans are a motley crew collectively.  *LOL*

I have a Niece {not Biologically connected}, that became a Jehovah's Witness in her early Teens.  Tho' her Family were Catholic, I think the JW's exploited that she had an unhappy complex dysfunctional Home Life and they became more like Family to a floundering Youngster looking for Acceptance and a Community to Belong to.  Anyway, fast forward, she became Ex-Communicado with the JW's becoz she is a Lesbian, and began Questioning too many things/teachings, so I guess you can get kicked out of the Fold and shunned by Cultish Religions and that's what happened to her.  So, she began, for the first time since Childhood, to start Celebrating Holidays and Birthdays again, but it's still very foreign to her to.  The absence of doing it erased a lot of her earlier Memories of the Joys of any of it she might have had before her Teen Years and conversion, brainwashing, Programming, whatever they do in that kind of Religion.  She said she has had to De-Program herself and it's still very hard to, she feels her Brain was affected in ways she's sure weren't healthy.  She has a very high IQ so it had nothing to do with Intelligence.

We're still very Close, her Mom was a BFF and Died many Years ago, prematurely from Cancer.  Her Dad has Dementia and she's his Caregiver now and moved in with him, so we do discuss a lot of things.  She never had a good Relationship with her Dad at all, lotsa reasons, but, with the Dementia, he's actually become a better Person, go figure.  Dementia does Change people so I guess it can work like that too, in Positive ways as well.   He used to be an Alcoholic, but now forgot that he used to Drink, so he's sober for the first time she remembers.  He's always been Mentally Ill with a Sociopath leaning, but with the Dementia, it has tempered his Behavioral Demons he exhibited before the cognitive decline.  He's a Kinder, more Thoughtful Father now and she enjoys having the ability to establish a better Relationship in his Final Years, or however long he has.  I was glad to hear that, I never Liked her Dad, even tho' her Mom and I were Best of Friends and I Loved their Three Kids like Nieces, so I became a Surrogate Auntie to them all.

I say all of that to express my Opinion that Religion can Help or Hurt people.   And various Ailments can change people in Positive or Negative ways too.  You just never know.  I like to hear the Stories with a Happier Ending for people.   Restorative Stories are Uplifting.  Her reconciling with Estranged Family has been a very long Journey and I knew it had left quite a Void she couldn't exactly fill with Surrogates like us.  And sometimes Family can be Toxic enuf that Estrangement is preferable and reunification impossible or not even Safe.   If Relationships aren't Healthy ones I don't suggest exposing yourself to whoever it is regardless of who they are, Family, Friends, Co-Workers, random Strangers... it's just not worth how unnecessarily complicated it makes things, let alone Unsafe with some people.

The Son and I made a run to the Grocer to hit the Sales they had for Easter Weekend, he was Buying, since he's made some Money donating Plasma.  I had Coupons too, so we got over $40 Off in Savings which was more than 50% Off the whole Purchase, not Bad.  One of the Cashiers is a Neighbor who lives here in the Mini Farms, she showed us some footage she took this Wednesday of a huge SWAT Team descending upon one of her Neighbors!   Her Husband has a Friend who has a Drone and Photographed what was going on, they had Guns drawn and a LOT of them, so it was something significant, we don't know what.  I couldn't find anything about it Online and the News didn't cover it either, so no telling what kind of a Bust it was?   She doesn't know that Neighbor and said that Property has never caused any suspicions or the occupants any trouble she's aware of, so, it's a Mystery.  She had good Images of the Takedown tho'.  We're a low Crime Rate area here, so it was unusual.

The Young Prince is Home, Showered, but hasn't talked to anyone, The Son knows I can't really invite him now for Easter Dinner and is Okay with that.  He knew if his Niece or his Nephew came Home before we left for Easter Dinner, I'd have to rescind his Invite coz I can't afford to take them all.   Plus, he said mebbe it will be nice for his Dad and I to just get away and have a nice intimate Holiday Meal without any Adult Kiddos in tow?   The Man does better when it's just he and I.   He's being a little bit Testy Today but he's looking forward to his Easter Dinner, he really looks forward to it every Year, it's become our Tradition and Ritual that is very Familiar to him still.  We'll be leaving in about 40 Minutes or less.  We'll pop in to the Antique Mall too, I have nothing to bring in but wanna see what they did for the Holiday Weekend, if anything, and if it Stimulated Trade or not?  At the Grocer the Easter Merch was wiped out, the Shelves bare, they Sold damned near all of it... which is good. 

 

These Three Archived Pixs are of the first little Booth I had at our Antique Mall, Booth #44 and I used to pull more income in from that than I sometimes did working at the DA's Office!!!   Back in the heyday of the Antique Mall opening, you could easily Sell what you preferred Selling and it was my first time doing it.  So, started with Smalls and worked my way up to Selling the bigger Good Stuff over the earlier Years, when even Antique Furniture could Sell, and Architectural Salvage was Hot too, and Vintage items of all Genres and Eras could Sell.  Now the Crap Hawkers do the most Sales there, not the Purists who actually Sell Antiques, Collectibles, Vintage items and Salvage of Value and Quality.  Now if you have the Real Deal or a Repop, most will choose the Reproduction every time coz it's Cheaper and they Care not about the provenance, authenticity or even the item, it's just a Style Trend they jumped on for the Moment.  It will be something else when the next thing or Look Trends.

I did so well with this very Small Booth that I graduated and expanded up to a Showroom, then Two Showrooms, Locked Cases, Art Walls, some Upstairs Shelving Units, other sized Booths.  But when the Pandemic hit we Downsized our Space considerably and gave up a lot of it.   Coz during the Pandemic the Mall had to be Closed coz it was a Non-Essential Business.   Princess T and I then combined our Wares and Share the Spaces we have now, which is just One Showroom and One Locked Case.  Things were recovering after Pandemic until this Regime's 1st Term, things tanked, with this Regime's 2.0 things tanked further, people are worried about the Economy and they're not spending, they're pulling way back.  

Sometimes they can only afford Essentials or even struggle to, so they don't have the Luxury of indulging in non-essentials now.  Only when we get affluent Visitors do we do better now and we get no International Visitors since this Regime's 2nd Term, he's alienated all our Foreign Visitors and Allies, killing Tourism and International Trade.  I miss our International Customers.   We aborted Plans to visit the Antique Mall for Easter, The Man wasn't doing so well, his Legs and Ankles are swelling up and it's hard to keep his Shoes on.   I'm worried about it coz he's prone to Congestive Heart Failure and Fluid Buildup is always an early Warning Sign.  He's on Meds for all of it, and will be seeing a Kidney Specialist by end of Month.  But, I'm kinda worried he'll be Hospitalized again soon if things keep going sideways like this?  We get our Taxes done in the Morning, so will get that necessity out of the way at least that he has to be present for.

Our Easter Dinner went well tho' without a hitch for him, he was in good Spirits during it and ate a fair amount of his Meal.  He loves it all but took about 2/3 of his Home as Leftovers.  I ate about 2/3 of mine and only brought about 1/3 of it Home as my Leftovers.  *Smiles*  I'd not eaten almost all Day, skipping Lunch, so I'd be hungry for it.  Our Reservations we made Online didn't go thru so I won't do that again, but they apologized and got us a Table anyway.  Perhaps they're having trouble with their Online Reservation System, I dunno, she didn't seem Surprised about it, but had no record of us.  So, we actually got our Table a wee bit early, which was handy since they began filling up by around 4:15 with large Gatherings, many with loads of Children.  Which, The Man can't take too much Sensory Overload if it gets noisy and extremely busy around him.  You can see the big Gathering of Seniors behind him.  

  

But another big Gathering of Young Adults and Children came in and sat to the Left when we were about done.   I think the large group of Seniors were a bunch of Friends and many must have been hard of Hearing coz they were rather Loud.   The Young Adults and Children were just animated, as Younger folks just are.  I think that large group were Baseball Spring Training Fans, many wearing their Team's paraphernalia.  *Smiles*   Above is my Meal and below is the Greek Salad I chose with it, The Man had the Tomato Basil Soup with his since he can't eat Salads with no Teeth.   This was a lot of Food, 2-3 Meals really for the portions we usually eat, but all delicious, as it always is.  The Owners and their Family always make the rounds talking with everyone. 

I always take Photos of the Spit Roasting Lambs they're doing out on the Back Patio.  They do Two at a Time and everyone in the Restaurant claps and Celebrates each one coming inside that is Done.   The image directly Below was about halfway done and the one Below that one is the Lamb they finished and brought in to Serve to us.  So we got there just about the timing that one was ready to bring in and carve up, Hot off the Spit Roast BBQ Rotisserie.  Everything is always so Fresh there and Homemade, including their Pita Bread and Tzatziki.  The Man LOVES their Tzatziki, he slathers it on everything.  He didn't eat much, if any, Greek or Arabic Foods until he met me, and found out he really likes the Cuisine of the Mediterranean.   His Family just never ate much Ethnic Foods I think, and they grew or Hunted most of what he grew up Eating, so it was Fresh, but Locally Sourced and basic American Fare.  We always ate predominantly Ethnic Foods growing up.  So I introduced him to a lot of 'New To Him' Foods when we met.

And, likewise, he introduced me to a lot of Wild Game that were 'New To Me' and I'd never eaten before.   The only thing I didn't care for that he Hunted and took 15 Years to even Draw Out on to Hunt, was Antelope.  Too Gamey, they eat too much Sagebrush, and they're too Lean a Meat.  He's expert at dressing and cooking Wild Game, but I told him, no more Antelope, didn't like it.  I was Surprised how much I Loved Quail, they're so Cute tho', so he always Joked with me that he only Hunted the "Ugly" ones.  *Bwahahahaha*   We Love his Dove Nuggets too, they are exceptional and I miss that he doesn't Hunt and can't prepare things anymore due to the Dementia now.  TJ came over and asked him if he wanted to go Gold Panning and he declined and said he's just not Well enuf to anymore, and I Believe he knows he just isn't now.  When he gives up things on his own it's easier on him to accept new limitations his Illness is imposing.

So, this was our Lamb... the Skin on it was Crispy, Seasoned superbly, is my Favorite Part so The Man always Trades me all his Skin for some of my more Well Done portions, which he likes best and I don't.   I like the juicier fattier parts and Skin best, which is usually the Meat just under the Skin.   Below is the Table set up for that large Gathering of Young Adults and Children that was beside our Table, before they arrived, Staff were setting it up as we began our Meal, we had a Booth nearby.   You can tell by my Patio Photos that the Day remained Glorious, it was 95 Degrees tho', so a Hot one by later Afternoon, but the Morning had been in the 70's and pleasantly Perfect for an early Morning Sunrise Service, Picnics, BBQ's and earlier Egg Hunts at Parks or Outside elsewhere.  Some Years it's very Hot when Easter hits later in the Month of April, it came 2 Weeks earlier this Year and we'd Mercifully Cooled Off from that searingly Hot Streak 22 Degrees above Normal.  *Whew*

  

Tomorrow after we get our Taxes out of the way and Done, we'll go to one of the Biggest County Mountain Parks we have an Annual Pass for to look for all the Easter Eggs Kids missed finding.  Our Pass expires on the 15th of April and I'm thinking of not renewing it due to The Man's failing Health.  We get a 100% Disabled Veteran's Discount on the Annual Pass, but you must have the Veteran with you or you can't get in under that Family Pass, which is just ridiculous IMO.  I like to Hike, he can't Hike, and it is a fucking Family Pass for Disabled Veterans and their Families.  So it makes no sense to exclude the Family just coz the Veteran may not always wanna come along.  Many Veterans with Disabilities can't do all the Recreational Activities the Parks offer like Hiking and I'm not just leaving him at some Picnic Table to wait on us while we do a Hike, that's Crazy.  

So, anyway, we don't like that Restriction so may Opt Out of Buying an Annual Pass now due to that Restriction they've imposed.  The Desert Botanical Gardens Annual Pass doesn't have such Crazy Restrictions on the Family or even a Guest you can bring.  However, Lifetime Fitness also now has some Crazy Restrictions on Members, so, a lot of places are doing that now I guess???   Anyway, I have less Age related Restrictions on my Membership there now coz I'm Paying rather than Medicare Advantage Plan Paying for me.   And to me it's worth it coz I Hated the imposed Ageism Restrictions, it was discriminatory and offensive.  I want the same benefits to my Membership as any other Member, regardless of my Age.  Medicare is Paying for a Membership, it's not actually Free.  

But I guess Medicare Providers have some kind of Deal with each Gym they allow their particular Advantage Plan to join and that's Why.  Since I'd been a Paying Member before, and a Medicare Advantage Member with United Healthcare for Four Years too, they gave me a Senior Discount on my Paid Membership so they wouldn't lose me as a Customer, and I was satisfied with what we Negotiated.   So long as I can Budget for it I feel it's well worth the Investment in my Health and Well Being and I really like that Gym and what is offered there that I use when I go.  I'd like to eventually take some of the Free Classes they offer, but for now I can't commit to attending regularly enuf on any given Day or Time to attend a regular Class. 

 I do go more often now that I don't have to bring The Man with me.  We let his Membership go, coz he wasn't really using it and got disoriented too much, would forget which Locker he'd put his stuff in, Wander too much, it Negatively impacted my ability to do Workouts and Unwind.  Plus, he isn't that into Working Out like I am, I like Exercising and he loathes it.  I have to Trick him to get him moving enuf that it constitutes the Cardio he should be doing to improve his Heart Health.  Or to eat a Heart Health Diet he should eat without Protest.  *Le Sigh*  As my Dear Ole' Dad would argue tho', "Ya gotta Die of Something, Sweetheart...", and so Dad's Words ring in my Ears and I know he's Right about that.  Above is one of my Fav Pixs of Mom and The Son on one of his Teenage Birthday, I wanna say he was about 13-14.  Both The Daughter and The Son were very close to their Nanna and their Grand-Dad {My Parents}.

I did find out all our Mall was doing for Easter Weekend was offering a chance to be in a $100 Gift Card Drawing for One Day only and for One Lucky Customer only, but you had to Purchase something to Enter the Drawing.  I just don't think that incentivized many to come in and spend frankly, but, we'll see if it was a Trade Stimulator or fell flat?   A Discount on every Purchase might have been a bigger draw, or smaller Gift Cards being able to be Won with a Drawing every Hour for anyone coming in.  They've done that before with $5 Gift Card Drawings every Hour and it keeps people in The Mall for a full Hour or so and is a wildly Popular Promotion.  Then it promotes spending of anyone who Won the Gift Certificates to put towards a Purchase. 

 I dunno, but 40 Winners opposed to one Big Winner is better Odds in most Customer's Minds and that would then be Forty People spending Money, probably more than just Five Bucks too, rather than just One spending perhaps only the Hundred they Won?   Let's just presume all 40 Winners of Five Bucks each spent Ten Bucks only.  That's still quadruple the spending of One Winner spending the $100 on their Gift Card Winnings.  I always Work the Numbers when it comes to Money.  Having Forty Customers feeling like Winners is preferable to just One feeling Lucky, Right?  *Winks*  Anyway, I don't know who Dreams up the Promotions now, but, they could do better IMO to Stimulate more Trade, it often falls quite flat what they're doing now.

After the Big Easter Dinner I laid down for a very late Afternoon Nap and didn't wake back up until almost 11:00 p.m.!!!  Yikes!!!  I had another bizarre Dream with another random Celebrity in it among regular people, this is getting Weird.  *Ha ha ha*  Again, regular people otherwise trying to cope with dire circumstances and this random Celeb is just there among us, who knows Why?  This time it was a 1970's Celeb, Erik Estrada from the old C.H.I.P.'s TV Show I used to watch, coz I had a Crush on him way back in the 1970's and even had a Poster of him and of Bruce Lee.  *LOL*  I did get to meet his Co-Star many Years later here in Phoenix, Larry Wilcox, who was very short, freckled and had Red Hair in Real Life. On the TV Show he always looked Blonde and not so Short.  

But he was a very sweet Guy, he was promoting some Frozen Yoghurt at a Convenience Store called "Freddie Boomers".  Which clearly didn't work out for him coz you can't even Google the Brand now.  But I remember the Sample tasted good.  Erik is 77 now and Larry 78, but they're still piping along.  In the Dream Erik was TV Sitcom Age tho', but not dressed like a Patrol Cop.  *Smiles*  Many Moons later I saw Erik on some Spanish Speaking Novelas on TV co-starring with Raquel Welch.  I went to School with a Girl who claimed to be related to Raquel, her name was Cindy Tejada and she bragged about being related to the Star.  I never doubted the Story, but can't verify it either, Cindy was very Pretty and I knew Raquel's Maiden Surname had been Tejada.  Welch was from her 1st Husband and probably helped in Hollywood during her Era not to have a Hispanic Surname.  She had that Killer Body she was renown for after having already had Two Kids! 

I went way off Topic coz that Dream was a brief one, just standing around a destroyed Neighborhood, don't know which Neighborhood, why it was in ruins, or why we're standing around in it with a Seventies Celeb whose now Old and still among the Living, but still as Youthful as he was in the Seventies in this Dream?  *LMAO*  Dreams can be so Weird and jumbled in a nonsensical way, can't they?   It's interesting to even remember one when I wake up, usually I don't.  I always Dream in full Color, I guess not everyone does tho'!  I'm not one to try to make Sense of or Interpret my Dreams, this latest Bizarre one just seemed not Real at all, just a random Crazy Dream.  The earlier one disturbed me coz it did seem as Real upon Waking.  

Yes, a Neighborhood was in ruins, and the earlier Dream looked like a War Zone too, but, that one was in Progress, so more disturbing than an Aftermath one where you're now Safe, but, lots of destruction to behold.  Kind of like you see folks doing after a Natural Disaster like a Tornado or Hurricane, Safe now, but, damn, what a Mess!   Both Dreams had quite a Mess and swath of utter destruction, but, at least everyone in Dream Two had Survived whatever it was and Erik wasn't acting like a Famous Person, just part of the group.  In Dream One I was certain Cuomo was there covering whatever Event was taking place as Media, so, it didn't seem so Odd he was there, it at least made Sense, and he was his appropriate current Age too, of 55.   I don't know Why I was in either Dream tho' coz none of the other people, besides the lone TV Personality, were recognizable to me, just random ordinary Strangers who'd Survived or were trying to Survive, whatever had happened or was actively happening.

I spent some Daydream Awake time just falling down E-Bay Auction Rabbit Holes and cribbing Imagery of Product I thought was Eye Candy.  Seems folks are purging their Closets a lot these days and offering expensive Designer Duds up on Auction Sites galore, more than usual.  Most of the time they want far more than original Retail, so I wouldn't be a Player, but I can enjoy lurking in their Closet Castoffs Online all the same.  *LOL*  I have bought Closet Castoffs of Popular Brands Online before, but only if it's being Sold for far less than what it had Cost Retail, I usually know what it Retailed for even if it's a Retired Line.  Some folks will Buy at the inflated prices if it's Retired and no longer available, but I am generally not that Customer.  Often it's like an Upscale Yard Sale to paw thru Online.  *Smiles*  I will Invest in a good Statement piece and couple it with inexpensive Chazza Wardrobe Sourced Locally.

There used to be some Upscale Secondhand Clothing Stores that Sold either on Consignment or bought better Quality Brands.  Last time I was at the Malls they used to be in, they had Closed and were gone.  Guess that Market dried up coz they had been large Stores and seemed to have enjoyed Success for Decades beforehand.  But, the World we're living in is changing daily and will never be the same again.   And now at the click of a Mouse you can Buy anything Online and have it Delivered to your Doorstep, that the Brick N Mortar Shops simply can't compete with that level of convenience and lack of Overhead Expenses and Hiring of Staff.  I can sit here at any time of the Day or Night and Shop Online, or enter a Bid to get something for hopefully the lowest price the Auction started at, you can't do that at some Shop.  And I've found my Grandkids Generation prefers doing that, they don't even like going Shopping.  Most of them prefer to even Socialize Online now, it's bypassing a lot of unnecessary interactions you may wanna avoid in Real Life.

 

I still like Old School Shopping excursions and Socializing in Person, but I do see the Appeal of Online Shopping and even Socializing via Social Media in this hectic paced complicated World we now live in.   I like The Land of Blog here and it's Community more than I actually like most Real Life Socializing or Community {or lack thereof}.  It's more insulated and convenient for my particular set of circumstances and keeps me Connected and yet able to Handle my Business without leaving Home.  I don't Question why Future Generations are ditching some of the previous ways of doing things that weren't convenient and took up a lot of your Time and Energy to do it that way.  Plus exposed you to more, like Traffic, expenses of getting out there, People Drama you might run into along the way in unexpected interactions you'd rather have avoided.  I find I enjoy my Solitary Time much more Post-Pandemic than I thought I would Pre-Pandemic.  

It slowed Life to a Pace I like and gave me Quiet Time sans other interactions I had to have otherwise and thus didn't Need or feel a Need to have anymore.  I don't feel particularly Lonesome or Lonely most of the time, nor Isolated, when I can Connect some other kind of way via our Devices.  I don't use my Phone or my Computer as much as most folks I know, yet, I do use both Daily.  And I enjoy the time spent on them, that I Control, since, I don't feel I'm Addicted to the Phone, tho' the Blog, that might be considered a Mild Addiction?   Okay, so I'd go thru Blog Withdrawal if I was denied access to it, I admit.  I might need to some day have an Intervention and go to Blog Rehab, I dunno?  And then I'd surely relapse the Moment you left me Alone with a Computer and Access to it again.  *Bwahahahahaha*

They might need to develop some 12-Step Program for Recovering Bloggers with Sponsors and the whole thing?  *LOL*  I do know folks who got Blog Sobriety tho', they just Quit and never came back, or, perhaps some Died, you don't always know why they disappeared from The Land?   And a lot went on to other Addictions of various newer Social Media Platforms that never caught on with me.   Like Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok, YouTube, Tinder... well, you get the gist.   *LOL*  Listen, I don't even know all what everyone spends their Time Online doing now, don't Care and it might be TMI to find out.  *Winks and Smiles*  Here's a Fun Algorithm Factoid tho', sometimes when fleshing out a Blog Post's Content I'll Google something for accuracy or updated information.  

Well, I wanted to add at least One Online Dating Site to that List of Platforms that never caught on with me or I know absolutely nothing about, coz I never visited or used one.  Example, never visited Twitter or Tweeted in my Life, doesn't Interest me in the least what anyone fucking Tweets or puts on Truth Social.  *Smiles, Yawns and Shrugs*  So, I wanted to add a Popular Dating Site that Singles, or even Cheaters and Players, might be using in 2026.   But I have no idea what most of them are called, except Tinder, so I thought, well, I'll Google and see what List Pops up?   Well, wouldn't ya know the only List that popped up for Yours Truly was a Seniors Dating Sites List!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  *Bwahahahahahaha*  How hilarious is that... and if anyone is Tracking what we Browse, or checking our Search History, they might erroneously Assume I'm looking to use one of those Sites now I guess?  *LMAOROTF*   My Dark Sense of Humor finds that hilarious, so hadda Share it.   Great Ending to this Bizarre Topic Post too, dont'cha think?  *Winks*  And now it's past Midnight and a Brand New Day... so... 'til next Post Entry...

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Dreamweaver Dawn... The Bohemian