Follow The Money

 So, since Sunday Morning my "Sleeping In" culminated voluntarily just after 6:00 a.m. out of Internal Clock Reset, The Son gave me Money to go out and have Brunch for myself and try to Salvage some of Memorial Day Weekend and get some Me Time while his Dad is Hospitalized.  He knew Sunday is the only Day nobody is Working in the household, so I didn't have to take anyone to Work or pick them up from Work that day.  Nothing on the Calendar.  So, I drove all the way over to the East Valley to have Brunch at "Snooze" and do some light Grocery Shopping at my favorite "Whole Foods" in the same Mall there on 20th Street & Camelback.  And wouldn't you know The Man calls right during my time of Bliss all the way across the City to tell me he can come Home, is getting sprung from Hospital, so could I come get him!?!  *Insert Resting Bitch Face since I could have gotten that Call earlier that Morning so I wouldn't be clear across the Valley!!!*

That meant cutting short the Me Time and getting the most of my Gas Expense to go clear across the Valley, I'd intended to make a Day of it, dammit!  But, him being Discharged meant I had no choice, nobody else to go get him.  I slog all the way back to the West Valley from the East Valley only to get there and he's happily now ordered and eating his Lunch!!!  Even his Male Nurse then had to wait to take the Two IV's out of his Arms until he'd finished eating, but, at least he liked the food and I don't have to Feed him now.  I had my Groceries in the Hot Vehicle, but, nothing was perishable, and Parking was full there, lots of Hospitalizations and Visitors on Memorial Day Weekend Holiday!!!  I met an Old Guy who said he had to drive there every Day from Yuma coz his Girlfriend had been Life Flighted there from Yuma several Days ago.  So it wasn't how he anticipated spending their Holiday Weekend either... and had driven much further, Bless him.

He was holding a Plant and I said, Wow, you been here so long then you grew a Plant!?  He Laughed, he'd looked so somber in the Elevator when we first met and went down from the 4th Floor to the Lobby.  He Thanked me for making him Laugh coz it had been a rough Year for them too already.  He'd had Quadruple Bypass himself... and now this with the Girlfriend.  I told him I'm getting a Free Puppy when my Hospital Punch Card is Full on my 10th Visit, coz we're up to No. Six now already in just Two Months!   He Laughed again, it was good to see him able to appreciate Gallow's Humor during what clearly was a horrible time he and his Beloved have been going thru.  To get a Life Flight from Yuma to Metro Phoenix, she must be very bad off and is on the same Ward as The Man was.  The Screamer was still there hollering his Head off every so often like a Horror Movie Scream Queen with Blood Curdling Screams.  So he and I joked about that Guy too.

The Staff were saying that Guy does it for the Attention mostly, and they do Wish his Doc would just have authorization to Sedate him coz he was working everyone's last Raw Nerve... Patients and Staff alike.  I can only Imagine how it is hearing that all Night long while trying to Sleep or being startled Awake with Blood Curdling Screams, he has some Lungs on him, you could hear it past the Ward they are on!  Even someone in excruciating Agony I've never heard carry on like that!!!  But that's almost like the Nursing Home Ward for Wander and Fall Risk Patients and the extreme Elderly, many of which have serious Health Issues, but serious Cognitive Decline as well and aren't Right in the Head.  It has Alarms on all the Beds and everyone has Colorful Bracelets on for what Risk Factors they Pose.  The Man had them all up his Arm.  *Winks*  He Bled badly again when they took the Two IV's out.

His Meds are changed AGAIN... they have put him on 3 New Ones and off 2 Old Ones.  I'll wait 'til the VA sends him the New Ones before I change everything switched.   And when they told me he should see his VA Primary Doc in a Week, I Laughed, and said, surely you jest?  You're Lucky if the VA can get you in every Six Months, Darlin', so not a Chance we can get him in there within a WEEK.  But, I will get him in to his Civilian Specialist that early if that will do?  They agreed then, since, anyone who knows the VA is aware I'm not being hyperbolic about how hard it is to get Appointments with any Docs there.  Anyway, he's Happy to be Home watching his Programs.  The previous Roommate he had, a Middle Aged Black Guy, had been discharged before him and a new Older White Guy named Willard was there now, with all his Family visiting him.  Seemed like a pleasant Old Man with a very Serious Condition.  I overheard Docs telling him and his Loved Ones that he could Live with what he had for Longer than he might Think!!!  THAT didn't sound Good or Promising for any Recovery from whatever it is?!

They were Walking One Old Pleasant Man up and down the Hallway who looked like he could be a Centenarian... I almost called him a Centurion... Wrong Word... ha ha ha!!!  You'd of been, What?, he looked like he was in the Ancient Roman Army!?   Well, kinda, he looked THAT Old... but, the Right Word for 100 would be Centenarian not Centurion, so, that was Funny.  *Winks*  I was close tho'.  *LOL*  He was joking with the Nurses and seemed to know everyone really well, so perhaps he too has a Punch Card for being a Frequent Visitor???  *Smiles*  He was getting around pretty good for how Frail he looked, they had a Belt around his Waist they held onto tho', like they were Walking a large Dog.  *LMAOROTF*  Mebbe he's a Flight Risk and might Run Off otherwise?  And be Faster than we might Think?!  *Bwahahahahaha*  I was wearing one of my Grateful Dead Tie Dye Shirts and got a LOT of Compliments Today on both my Dreads and my Shirt... all from Younger People who walked up to me to tell me they Loved my Hair and Shirt.  That's always Flattering when they go out of their way to do that.

Two were Young Handsome Black Men with nice Dreads of their own too, but much shorter than mine.  Three were Young Cute Yuppie White Women at "Whole Foods".   To have Five Sincere Compliments from Attractive Young People was very Flattering, kinda made my Day.  *Smiles*  Let's face it, no Youngster had so approach any Senior and tell us how Good we look and give us Sincere Compliments that do not sound at all patronizing.   One of the Young White Gals told me she'd gone to see the "Grateful Dead" at a Concert in Cali... I guess she assumed I'm a Dead Head, which, I'm not, I just always Loved their Brilliant Branding and Graphics on their Clothing and Accessories.  As for the Music, not a Fan, tho' the Instrumentals could be good, it was an Acquired Taste for their Music IMO, even in their Heyday.  They developed more of a Cult Following really of Devotees who went everywhere following the Band, like a Tribe of Nomads not tethered to a Job or Career.  I wasn't that kind of Hippie.

Anyway, there are a lot of the Beautiful People Demographic, and the Affluent, in the Far East Valley, so People Watching can be Fun and different over there.   I like People Watching, and "Whole Foods" has a Wealth of Healthy Stud Muffin Guys and Fit Beautiful Young Women doing their Grocery Shopping.  *Winks and Smiles*   I have a lot of Nostalgia for that Old Mall it and "Snooze" is in, it used to have so many of the Shops I frequented when I was a Teenager, so I've been walking those Cobblestone Brick Paths at that Outdoor Mall for well over Fifty  Years now.  Just walking somewhere you Walked and left Footprints that long ago is rather Sentimental at "Town & Country Shopping Center".   I still enjoy and look forward to going there whenever I can get over to that side of the City.  It's not what it used to be in the 1970's-To the Early 2000's.  The last 20 Years have seen a lot of Closures/Vacancies.

 A lot of the Old Shops and Restaurants Closed over the Years, like "Jutenhoops", "Baby Kay's", "The Bagel Shop", various Import Stores like "Tangs Imports" and "UNICEF Import Store" for Charity, "My Sister's Closet", "Book Star","Chakra 4 Teahouse", and the International Food Court.  There was a good Mediterranean Restaurant too that Closed there.  Much of the Mall has Vacancies still.  But it has some destination Shopping and Restaurants and a Big "LA Fitness" Gym now.   And they have "Trader Joe's", "Whole Foods", "Snooze", "Banana Republic", a Popular Brick Oven Pizza Place "Bianco Pizzeria", "Nordstrom Rack", "The Container Store", a Two Story "Barnes & Noble Bookstore", a fair amount of small Spas, small Boutiques and small Yoga Studios.  

Anyway, I had a little bit of Me Time before I got the Call to come back and pick him up since he was being Discharged Today.  So, he was Home before Noon.  I went then to the Discount Grocery in Peoria since had a $15 Credit there to use from my Frequent Shopper Credits you accumulate and gets you Free Groceries.  And they had Memorial Day Sales, so I got a lot of Food for not much outlay.  I'd intended to go there anyway, so picking him up from Hospital just set me back a couple Hours from that Errand.  I never did get to go back to the Event, usually I go back another time, mostly just to see what else has been put out over the Four Days it runs.  I didn't need to Buy anything else and wouldn't expect to, but it's Fun to attend and to Socialize some... and see if it was a profitable Show for my Friends who Sell there?

Well, I suspect now we know why Donnie Two Dolls was missing his Son's Wedding... he had a previously Scheduled new faked Assassination Attempt Appointment to attend at the WH!!!  He never spends Weekends there, most especially a Holiday Weekend, yet, he just HAPPENED to be there for this newest Staged "Assassination Attempt", how coincidentally and suspiciously Handy.  *Big Eye Roll*  He really wants that Ballroom BAD!  And the sympathetic Press acting like it's legit.  But the whole Staged Assassinations Thing is really getting out of Hand and getting Old and less Believable each time, and of coarse it's all being spun as if it's not really Questionable and is totally Credible. I saw a Cute Meme that said no wonder there's shots ringing out at the White House, ever since they let a Felon move in the Neighborhood's gone to shit.  *LMAO*

 The growing Back his Ear Thing was ridiculously unbelievable enuf, since that can't even happen... ask any Plastic Surgeon and just look at Evander Holyfield's bitten Ear Decades later, it's still Jacked Up, and he was a Boxer Fit and in his Prime... this is an almost 80 Year Old Man who grew back his Ear... really... uh huh.  *LOL... they must think America is beyond Stupidly Gullible!*  And the Insider Trading he's illegally doing, must be pissing Martha Stewart off big time... she was a small Player and did Time for it compared to his Crimes of Wall Street!!!  He's manipulating and Juicing the whole Market to skew in his Favor, blatantly, he's not even trying to hide it, he's bragging about it in fact.  The level of Criminal Activity is unprecedented with this Guy.  Nobody in our Nation's 250 Year History has done no Time for such a level of corruption and litany of Crimes from any Citizen, let alone a President!  Now he and his whole Family allegedly are getting IRS Immunity for past, present and future Audits!  Why would you even NEED that unless you are definitely committing Tax Fraud?  And we all know he IS.

My Solution would be to Seize all his Assets, and those of his Spawn, of ill gotten Wealth, ALL of it, and distribute it back to the American People that he and they've Stolen it from, ALL of us!  Forget about Prison, they're not sending any 80 Year Old in Poor Health to Prison anyway, but, let him and them live out Life Penniless for what they've done.  That would still be Justice Served for the Nation he's exploited and Grifted off of all his Adult Life.   As we finish out Memorial Day Weekend I think upon all of those who made the Ultimate Sacrifice for our Nation that we should be Honoring and ensuring what they Died for wasn't in vain.  For those of us who have Loved Ones who Served, we understand and know firsthand the Personal Sacrifices involved.  Not just for the Veterans Sacrifices either, but their Families who Served alongside them as well have made incredible Sacrifices, rest assured.  Having such Dishonorable Leadership is an insult to all of us.

When my Dad first Enlisted he was barely 17 Years Old, so were his Nephews and Brother who Served.  The Man didn't even get to finish High School when he was Drafted in 1969.  His Older Brother and Dad Served too.  The only reason his Younger Brother didn't get Drafted is the Vietnam War ended before he turned 18.  The same with my Younger Brother.  I am Thankful I have a Son and Grandson who haven't been Drafted and ever forced to go to War.  Especially one not Supported by the American People.  And this Iranian War has virtually no real Support of the American People and was illegally started and unnecessary, we're worse off now, from a Global perspective, for what's been done, than before it began.  There's a lot to unpack right there.

 The replacement Regime is worse and Younger, and the Strait of Hormuz is Closed and Controlled by Iran, when it wasn't before.  We haven't done a damned thing for the Iranian People, so that can't be used as a Humanitarian excuse.  And their Nuclear capacity... well... the speculation was always all over the place on that... not consistent at all between what Intelligence claimed and what this Regime is claiming.  I'd be inclined to rely more on National and International Intelligence about it all coz even the Word "Intelligence" and this Regime being used in the same Sentence would be an ironic Joke.  But, I must say, one 'Success' of said War is it's made SOME a whole lotta Money... and I always Follow The Money when I wanna know Why something corrupt was Done or some Problem has never been Solved.  Take that to Where and Who it Leads you TO... the Trail of $$$ will Reveal the Truth.  Who and What Benefits MOST???

I really NEED to go to The Desert Botanical Gardens since I haven't been this Spring at all yet and it's damned near Summer already.  I usually use my Membership more but I haven't had either the Time or the Resources to drive all over the place now.  Princess T doesn't Work Today so she might be Home all day, she got pretty Sunburned at The Lake with her Gay Boy Posse's Outing.  They had a Big Time but it was a lot of unshaded exposure and she hasn't spent a lot of Time Outside.   So, since she's also not with Mister Wonderful anymore, she'll likely be Home to watch Grandpa for me.  The Son Works Today but I usually just drop him off in the Mornings, he has been Walking Home from Work, it's not far.  I didn't get much Me Time on Sunday due to The Man's early Discharge from the Hospital.  And I Need some Me Time to remain Centered and Recharged enuf to Carry On.  Being out in Nature is the Best Recharge and Reset I can get.

 

I might also get some more good Blog Fodder too.   I got an enormous ornate Silver Punch Bowl for $7 from SAVERS the other day. {See Below}   I use them for Displaying things rather than for Entertaining.  I have one For Sale that's Plain but has all it's Silver Cups, in the Showroom right now too, that I also got from SAVERS.  I was talking to some random Senior who saw me getting this one and she began a conversation with me about how the Younger Generations don't even appreciate or value such things anymore, which is why we find them On The Cheap at Chazzas, she's not Wrong.   She said she'd considered it, but she looked quite a bit Older than me and I think her Entertaining Days are probably drawing to a Close too, so she Passed on it.  I told her I'm not using it for that, just for Displaying things in it, we both Laughed.  The Camaraderie of our Season of Life needs no Words really, we relate to what's Unsaid as much as what's Said, with a Quiet Understanding.

I was Delighted to Score this for only Seven Bucks tho', at the Antique Mall they still usually go for over $100 easily, tho' I kept the Plain one with it's 12 Silver Cups slightly under that, should be a relatively Quick Turn and I wasn't into it for much either.  At the Chazzas, some Silverplate is overpriced tho', especially the Trays now or Tea Set Pieces.  The Trays are an easy Resell, but the Tea Set Pieces, unless you do something novel with them, who even uses Formal Tea Sets anymore?  Or even Displays them like my Parent's Generation did?  My Mom had a weighted European Silver Tea Set that she always Displayed and was very Proud of.  My Brother kept it coz I had no use for it and it was so Beloved by her I didn't wanna Resell it, she'd likely Haunt me if I had.  *LOL*  He got all her Beloved Jasper Wedgwood too, she Collected that all her Adult Life. 

 And she J'Adored Fine China and Crystal... I gave it all to my Brother when the disposition of her possessions became necessary.  She'd given me the Special Sentimental Objects herself she wanted me to have over the Years.   He and his Lady are more Old School Hollywood in Aesthetic, so it suits their Decor and Style Sensibilities better than mine.  I'm Quirky and Eccentric with my Aesthetic and Style, my Brother knows that about me, as do my Friends.  So if they've got something Weird and Wonderful or an Oddity, or Ritualistic and/or Exotic, they think of me first and usually Gift it to me.  *Winks*   I'm fortunate that my Spawn are Chips Off the Ole Block and will like Inheriting all this Cargo I have an abundance of.  The Son is a Minimalist to his Core, but the rest of them lean towards Maximalism and Quirky Attractions to the same stuff I always have.  They have an Inheritance laid up for them that is still vast in spite of the ongoing never ending Great Edit & Purge.  *Winks*

And you know what?  I don't even Care if I don't get rid of most of it anymore, I'm not particularly Stressing about it still being a lot of Muchness.  I'm thinking if things get more dire in America, you better have something laid up to be able to hawk or Trade, coz that's looking very likely.   The chasm between the Haves and the Haves Not is widening into a bottomless Abyss we're on the precipice of.  And I really can't say what will happen when Anarchy could set off when the Haves Not just have Had Enuf of watching the Haves rip them off for what little they had left?  Coz the Greed of the Haves is insatiable, once you're into Billions and Trillions, do you really NEED MORE... I seriously Doubt it... you can't spend that much in several Lifetimes, so it's ridiculous and obscene Hoarded Wealth.  Especially when the 99% are more and more not Having Enuf to even Exist or Survive.   I do feel like a Marie Antoinette Moment is looming in America's Future.  And it will be about Time it did.

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Spring is speeding past us... Dawn... The Bohemian