I did my Environmental Cleanup this Morning after dropping Princess T off at Work, wearing my Jammies, which was comprised this day of my Mickey Mouse Cotton Pink & White Striped Jammie Pants with a Big Mickey on one side, which look like Quirky Capris, topped off with an Artsy Graffiti Inspired T-Shirt that I just Love the Graphics of, which is like really good Spray Paint Graffiti Art of a Girl wearing Sunglasses with Reflections of Benjamins in the Lens and a Red X Spray Painted across her Mouth and also says Graffiti Writing of such things as "Hustle In Silence", "Trust Issues" and colorful Embroidered Quotes like "Talk Less" and "Stay Calm". I was a Vision of crazy looking mismatched Wardrobe. *Winks and Bwahahaha* I find that so early in the Mornings, if you're Old, and look Quirky, doing a Community Service for their Community, you look Interesting enuf not to be Scary and talk to, and so people just stop and talk to you. *Smiles*
So, I've gotten to know many of who I now call "The Regulars and Usual Suspects" of that Skater Park "Dust Devil Park" nearby where I live. My little Park Ranger Sweetie hasn't been transferred yet, so he still Saves Cans for me when he's doing his rounds there. He works Five different Parks and always gives me rolls of Bags so I don't have to spend Money on that. We stop and talk every Morning now. My Hope is his Boss settles down and doesn't transfer him, coz he's a good Guy and good for the Community, everyone Likes him. The Dog Walkers, Skaters, Joggers, Homeless, and Walkers at the Park stop and talk to me too, now that they see me there all the time as a Usual Suspect as well. *Smiles* One thing I know about any Demographic in Society, is that once they Feel you "Belong" somewhere, you just Fit In then, no matter who you are, how Odd you are, where you are, and Acceptance often then transcends many things, and you make Acquaintances, even Friends.
The Homeless at that Park aren't the Scarier Demographic of The Unhoused Criminal Element and those who are Whacked Out and Spun all the time on whatever their Addiction is. It's mostly Regular Folks down on their Luck and some living in their Vehicles, which they Park there. Many have Small or Midsized Dogs, so a Homeless Shelter won't take the Pets and they won't leave the Pets behind. I know when The Grandsons were Homeless they refused to relinquish Tyson The Pit Bull, whose their "Baby", just to get themselves into a Shelter, they lived in their Car with him too instead. I've been Homeless, so, I never Judge, you never really know how it is, and the many circumstances that can cause it and lead to it, 'til it's you. Trust and Believe when AI takes the Careers of most of the Middle Class and other White Collar Professionals it will displace, you'll see a whole new Demographic of the down on their Luck and potentially Unhoused folks. I don't know how America Plans to handle that or if they even have a Plan? Coz it's coming...
They already Know and have Predicted that at least 40% of all Jobs/Careers will be Lost to AI. And that's a very Conservative Estimate based on what AI is proving NOW, which are staggering percentiles from The Jump! And I wouldn't like those Odds if I were a Betting Person, of Betting on something that could go AT LEAST 40% completely Sideways and likely very much more, we just don't know how badly Sideways yet! And it is outpacing the Inventors of it to where now they realize how monstrous and dangerous is portends to be. I always felt it would be... my Spidey Senses set off numerous Alarms about AI. And I'm no Genius Inventor, but I can spot a Dangerous Thing anytime I see it, with fairly uncanny accuracy. It's kept me Alive thus far in some exceedingly Dangerous Situations, to where I could see it before it happens, and so not be any of the collateral damage it caused. Sure it can be Fun and do some Good, so Humans are "Playing" with it FOR NOW, pretending like it is Harmless ENOUGH... but when the Bad comes, it's gonna be REALLY Bad. Potentially Extinction Level Bad IMO.
You got Crazies like Kim Jong Un already putting AI on Nuclear Warheads... so... anything used for Good can and always will be also used for Bad in the worst ways possible. You have to factor that shit in to any equation. Not all Humans are Good Humans, it's naive and foolishness to assume they also won't be utilizing it in ways that are fucking chilling. I don't even Trust this Madman we got and his Insane Clown Posse to do Right with it. He'll soon be 80 and isn't in great Shape Physically, Morally or Mentally, so he has Nothing to Lose and might just take the whole World Out with him for all we know... it's Why he and Kim had such a Hot Bromance going on, with Love Letters and everything, and they both Pander to Vlad... Birds of a Feather flock together.
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I got a lot of Pokemon and LPS Merch Priced to take in to Work Tonight, that stuff Sells even when Sales of everything else flatline. Right now I need Stronger Sales so I'm glad I have some Merch that is an Easy Turn to make up for the fact The Good Stuff isn't Selling very well right now. Of coarse when I went Grocery Shopping Today I noticed shelves rather bare and prices way up on certain Products too. They say it is gonna worsen coz 40% of Fertilizer comes thru the Strait of Hormuz and so the price of that, if Farmers can ever obtain it, went way up... meaning, everything being Grown, also going way up. And Beef is already way up. My Tip for still being able to afford good Steaks and cuts of other Beef Product: Since it's priced too high it often won't Sell and then they'll discount it a lot, so you can still get it much cheaper on the Mark Down and if you use it in a day or Two from Purchase, it doesn't matter that it's some Aged Beef.
You can Thank me later if you're a Carnivore going thru Beef Withdrawal right now coz of the Cost increases. *Winks* I got some Filet Mignon Steaks and Porterhouse Steaks marked 50% Off coz they hadn't Sold at the inflated increased Beef Prices due to this Regime. Now, since Beef went up by 30%, that's still now 20% Cheaper than usual for me to be able to have them at that Markdown Cost. Booyah! And while the rest of us struggle to afford Groceries and our Medications increasing exponentially, I guess Besoz just blew up his Rocket at Cape Canaveral, quite an explosion, it's a wonder nobody was hurt or killed. I think in their Space Race Rush the Billionaire Boys Club competing with each other is being too risky and I'm glad it tanked their Stock with his Rocket Bomb he ended up setting off!!! If I were a Local I'd be really concerned about those kinds of epic fuck ups. I Hope Blue Origin gets Sued for such a catastrophic explosion which was a massive blast by Industrial Standards. About $2.5 Billion has been poured into The New Glenn Program so far. Think of the Problems that could Solve if used for Public and National Good instead of Corporate Greed.
Above are a couple Pixs of the Middle Granddaughter in Mexico who is Managing a Bodega now that belongs to her Boyfriend's Mom. She likes to take Videos at Work to show her Mom and I what she's doing, we're very Proud of her coz this is the one who had a lot of Learning Disabilities in School, so Formal Education was a Struggle for her too, like it was for her Older Sister, Princess T, but they're both very Bright, and know how to Hustle to Earn Money, even tho' Academically they had major challenges. This one is doing a Grownups Job and she's not even Grown yet, even tho' she never finished School. She couldn't afford to continue going anyway, after her Paternal Gramma Died, and felt it best that her Academically Gifted Younger Sister get the Tuition Money instead, coz the Youngest, like the Oldest of the Trio, is likely to earn College Scholarships for Academic Excellence. This one figured, she was failing in School so might as well go to Work and Earn instead. And she's Earning while she's Learning a Trade now, which, will be invaluable in Life. Not everything can be Taught in School.
Even tho' Sales have slowed in Retail, Blog Stats are way up, so more folks at least seem to be spending time Online Reading Blogs. Hey, if we have no Money to spend, this is at least Free to do and entertain ourselves, Socialize, and find some Uplifting Topics to enjoy, as well as Serious Discussions to participate in or just be taking in quietly. I was Interested in the Outcome of the Texas Primaries coz it told me everything I needed to know about that State really. They'd rather Vote in a Seriously Corrupt Scoundrel Candidate on the ReTrumplican leaning side of Immorality and blatant well documented Corruption, with loads of Moral Baggage, well, you get what you Vote for, Texas. I have no pity when all that blows back and blow up in the Faces of those choosing someone they clearly know is a Criminal, to Lead them, make decisions for them and about them. It's Amusing to hear them Interviewing Voters who choose someone like that, Critical Thinking and assessing things and people for what they are, is not exactly their Strength. Yeah, there's One Born every Minute who either can be Suckered or is just like who they would Vote for.
Above is my Old Friend Cigar Hugh, who Taught me more about The Good Stuff, Fine Art and Antiquities than anyone I've ever known. Work went very well Tonight, in Real Time it's a Friday Night and I was filling in for my Friend Judith. And everyone Tonight was a fill in for someone else and we all work well together and are Friends. Yolanda made Pulled BBQ Chicken Sammies and Potato Salad to bring in for us all for Dinner, which was so sweet of her, she's an excellent Cook too. I'd never had Pulled BBQ Chicken before, it was as good as Pulled Pork, who knew? She brought Burger Buns to put it on and she has a unique homemade Potato Salad too that I really liked, lots of fresh Herbs in it. Susan and Brigid were working with us too, so they had Four of us on which was plenty of coverage. It was really busy and brisk Sales, I ended last Pay Period not Strong, but I did get a Check, even tho' I had no comped Space Rent coz I haven't been pulling Shifts due to The Man's Medical Emergencies the past Two Months. I started out this Pay Period Stronger tho', not Strong, but, Stronger, so it was a little more Encouraging plus now I'll have some comped Space Rent for pulling Tonight's Shift.
My Feet Hurt tho', from so much Standing and Walking, since I haven't been doing it for a couple Months, you Feel it when you start doing it again. *LOL* I felt bad for my Friend Anthony, he lost a Dear Young Friend, only 32 Years Old, so he was really Emotionally distraught coz it just happened and he's still trying to process it. He'd just Texted the Friend at 9:00 in the Morning and 15 Minutes later his Friend was Dead!!! Life can be very Fragile like that. It's a difficult thing to Process, and especially such a premature unexpected Death, really blindsides all Loved Ones and Friends of that person. The Friend he Lost left behind a Young Wife and Two Year Old Son, plus another Child from a previous Relationship, who is a bit Older, but he didn't have Custody of. Now both Children will never know the Father they Lost so Young.
Anthony is Single and no Kids but said it hit Home for him since he's around the same Age and you don't think about your Mortality so much in your early 30's. It was sobering to him for that reason... here one Minute, gone the next... almost literally. He was the last person to speak via Text to this Friend while he was still Alive! I remember that happened with a Blog Friend of Mine, we did PM's on FB every day after she'd read my Blog. One Evening she said she didn't feel so good so she'd call it an Early Night... she Died that Night from what her Daughter informed me, so I was the last person she had contact with and she hadn't even been Sickly!!! She was a Full Time Caregiver of her very Sickly Disabled Husband tho' and I think that took a heavy Toll and caused her premature Death. He lived for a couple more Years and their Daughter took over his Caregiving so he could remain in the Home.
I did some Retail Therapy while at Work tho', got such a Deal from a Vendor who gave me an incredible Discount on a 1920's Native American Cast Iron Doorstop that I've been Admiring for Months now, so, hadda have it. Got a Metal Vintage Milk Crate for only $11, and the Vendor who makes my Creepy little Prim Dolls made one for the 250th Anniversary of America so I bought her too. And another Vendor had a 1930's Striped Butterscotch large Suitcase that I Collect, for such a low Price I thought it was a mistake, but, it wasn't. The Interior is a rich Purple Satin in excellent condition for it's Age, no musty smells. So, Color me Happy that I Scored a Quartet of really good items for an excellent Price that was affordable. I'd forgotten to pick up one of my Checks there, so that Paid for a large portion of it and so didn't bust the EOM Budget, which is always tight now due to Cost increases of everything Essential.
So, Above is my 250th American Anniversary Prim Doll and Below is my 1920 Native American Cast Iron Doorstop. Online my Doorstop can go for 4x what I Paid for mine so I was Jazzed that the Vendor gave me such an incredible Discount, a pleasant Surprise to get 1/3 Off, which made it Affordable and I Paid Cash, which means the Vendor doesn't get hit with a Processing Fee if you Pay by Debit/Credit. I've Photographed it before becoz I was so Lusting after it for so long. *Smiles* She had moved it once and I thought it had Sold, so when I saw it again Tonight I thought, I really Need to make an Offer and Hope I don't insult them with what I can afford to pay Cash for it. They Accepted my Offer without hesitation so I'm glad they didn't Decline or Counter, coz then I wouldn't have been able to get it. I knew how much I had to spend for it and that's the Best I could do to get it. Luckily they Accepted.
I Love the Sage Bundles she Sells too so I may get some of those like what's on each side of him, but I didn't get them this Night. But, it was overall a very good Night and we had great Customers this Evening too, everyone was easy to Serve and knew what they wanted, and they were Buying, not just Looky Lous and Time Wasters. If you're Window Shopping that's Fine, I do that a LOT too, but I don't Waste the Time of Employees when I know I'm not Serious about Shopping/Buying, it's not necessary. But you get some that I call the Looky Lous who want or have to Touch everything they see in a Locked Case and they know for a Fact they have no intentions of Buying a damned thing. You don't have Time to Wait on Real Customers when Looky Lous are monopolizing the Time of Staff and Wasting it... and keeping actual Customers Waiting for nothing... coz, they're just Wasting everyone's Time and limited Resources of having coverage. An Actual Customer may need to take some time to make decisions, but they are Serious about Purchasing and can take all the Time they Need to make said Purchase.
I just Feel like some folks have to Touch/Handle everything they See, who knows why that's such a necessary Impulse for them even when they know they aren't interested in Buying it??? And even tho' they know they're taking up inordinate amounts of Staff Time and especially when it's busy and lots of other actual Buying Customers are kept Waiting on account of them. Mebbe it's a Power Trip and Control Issue for them to keep everyone Waiting on Purpose, I dunno? But it's inconsiderate and annoying. For some who abuse such a bad habit too long, and too many times in a row, I'll tell them that when they feel more decisive, I'll get back to them, and I'll close the Case after they've Wasted enuf Time and it's clear they're never Buying anything, just Time Wasters. And we have lots of Requests stacked up on Last Call to Help other Customers at Locked Cases. Otherwise you end up with irritated REAL Customers who had to Wait too long while you dicked around with a Looky Lou Time Waster.
Look at this Old Retro 1950's Beautician's Chair, with what I call the Vinyl Lucy sparkle Red Upholstery of that Era that I just Love, and all that Chrome... it's in Pristine Condition for it's Age. I have some 1950's Atomic Dining Table Chairs {with Retro Dining Table} in that same Vintage Upholstery and with Chrome, I just LOVE them and they're so comfortable and Timelessly attractive Mid-Century Furnishings. But, I've not seen a Beautician's Chair like this one in the Lucy Red Vinyl before. Usually they tend to be the Retro Turquoise Vinyl, Blue Vinyl, Orange Vinyl, or Mustard Vinyl and even Luxor Gold Vinyl. Once in a while I've seen the Pink Vinyl ones... and a lot of them had the Chrome Ashtray in the Arm on one side. After seeing this Red One at our Antique Mall I Googled some others for a heady dose of Salon Yesteryear Nostalgia. {See Below, Smiles}:
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My Friend John, who Owns his own Salon, still has Retro Chairs like this in his Salon, coz he's all about Vintage Decor, and they all still Work and are in use. I have to get The Man in to John's Salon to get tidied up soon, he's long overdue for a Haircut and Beard Trim... so he isn't looking like a demented Biker, Pirate, or Duck Dynasty Family Member. *LOL* I did get all our Pokemon and LPS Merch into Inventory when I went in Today, so that should bump up Sales for the Weekend. Pokemon was Selling like Crazy again Tonight, I'd say 80% of Sales lately have been Pokemon related Merch. And they don't just LOOK, they always Buy. And they spend a lot on their Pokemon Collections and the Demographic is vast, Male & Female, Children up to People who are Middle Aged... even Generations of the same Family enjoy Collecting it Together, which is nice to see that common Interest and Bond. You usually only see Parents and their Kids Sharing a Collectible Love for Sports Memorabilia Generationally or Disney Merch. Now it's Pokemon.
Blast From The Past Teenager Pix of The Daughter with one of her Lifetime BFF's Jennifer, they both were Teen Parents when The Young Prince was Born and Jennifer had her Daughter at about the same time. Sadly, her Daughter, who was a Beautiful Child with Gorgeous Green Eyes, Passed Away from a Serious Fatal Illness at the Age of 9, and she was Jennifer's Only Child. I used to Babysit her Daughter from the time she was a Toddler, so it hit really hard when her Kiddo Passed Away after an Illness and I still had The Young Prince, who was the same Age and went to School and was Friends with her Daughter all his Life up to that point. Oddly, Jennifer's Younger Brother Joe looked so much like The Son that even I couldn't tell them apart when they were Younger!!! They were the same Age and everyone always got them mixed up, including me and Joe's Parents. It was eerie how identical they looked!!! Joe to this day still looks a lot like The Son enuf people mistake them for being Related, tho' not as identical as when they were in Grade School. Joe was Darker as a Child, The Son has stayed Darker. In Grade School Mug Shots and in Person as Children, they looked more Alike than they do now they're Middle Aged Men tho'.
The Son was always getting asked if he was one of the Solanos? *LOL* They've kept in Touch over the Years off and on, Joe has a lovely Family now and Five Kids... I think Jennifer is still Single and now Childless. I don't know that she could ever have any more Children. I still have Photos of her Daughter and it always moves me to Tears to look at them... since the last one was her Memorial Photo you have done at the Funeral to hand out to Attendees. I couldn't even walk up to the Open Casket at the time, 2009 was just too soon to lose a Precious One only Born in 2000. If she had lived she'd been turning 26 this Summer. It's sometimes difficult to go thru my Photo Archives, which is often why the Kiddos do it for me now to get things sorted out and Archived to Preserve it all.
Blessings, Love and Light from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian
Are your old photos labelled?
ReplyDeleteSome are, some aren't. Sometimes we just Wrote on the Photo Album off to one side and we recently took a lot of the Photos out of Old deteriorating Photo Albums which took up too much Space, and instead have put the Photos into Vintage Suitcases for protection and preservation. Many Old Photo Albums were not Archival Quality and some Photos like Polaroids never held up well either. Now of coarse most people don't even make Photos anymore into hard copies and keep them in some Cloud. I don't like that but have given up having Online Kodak print anything but my most Beloved newer Family Photos to keep and be able to Touch.
DeleteThe Family Photos are wonderful, putting a Face with the story, brings a much clearer pitucre to the blog.
ReplyDeleteI think so too and everyone I know realizes they could end up in the Ole Blog... The Family actually enjoy being Minor Celebrities here. *Winks* Keeps everyone accountable too, lest their Tea be spilled here as scandalous Blog Fodder. *Winks*
Delete