I was binge watching a new Reality Cop Cam Series with The Man that we just discovered... "Crime In Progress" with Raw Body Cam and Dash Cam or Surveillance Footage. It follows the evolution of Crimes in Real Time, exactly as it happened, and I like it has no re-enactments or narration, which, I often find annoying, to be Truthful. Granted, some Shows I like the Retired Narrator of, like Homicide Hunter Lt. Joe Kenda of Colorado Springs, he's a Hoot. At 79 Years Old he's dryly Funny to me how he retells Serious Stories of his long Career Investigating 387 Homicide Cases, Solving 356, a Closure Rate of 92% which is so Impressive! He's got a Wicked Sense of Humor, I know I'd like that Guy and would never tire of his Storytelling of actual Events he spent a Career doing.
I guess The Man and I like those types of shows becoz both of us had some firsthand experience in our long Careers with Law Enforcement. In between his very long 39 Year Military Career he did work for a time as a Beat Cop in the Hill District of Pittsburgh and as an Undercover Narcotics Cop infiltrating Outlaw Biker Gangs. Yeah, he's an Adrenalin Junkie like that, but after Vietnam there wasn't many Career switches for a Special Ops Sniper with a high Body Count, except the Mob or Law Enforcement. *Winks* And eventually he just went back to a Military Career, switching from the Marines, to the Army, as a Field Medic, and eventually to the Air Force as an Electronics Technician. After Retiring from a Bank Executive Career he sent my Resume' in {unbeknownst to me} to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, and thus began my 2nd Career and Corporate Life. And what a Wild Ride it was!!! *LOL*
Okay, so my Beloved's "Reasoning" for Secretly sending in my Resume' to a Job I had Zero Experience in, like Criminal Law, was Twofold. First and foremost, in Retirement I was driving The Family Crazy. I don't do Retirement well, and you can only Clean a Home so much before you get Bored out of your Mind and start then Picking on Loved Ones about messing it up again. Getting on everyone's last Nerve. *LOL and Winks* They thought perhaps I'd catch a Homicide Charge if they didn't lure me out of Retirement somehow with a Challenge. *Smiles* Secondly, The Man felt I was far too Macabre to just have been a Bank Executive and call it a day. He felt confident one of the largest DA's Offices in the Country would just be Perfect for Yours Truly. *LMAO, ahhh, I just Love that Man!!! Smiles*
Handling all the Criminal Trial Closeouts of all the Bureaus from Homicide on down to any other Bureau's Felonious Files, and doing the Internal Audit of such before they were Archived. I had no Idea what that all even was when they Hired me! I went in Cold and apparently my Resume' impressed them enuf they didn't even Interview me, just one day he told me, "Oh Honey, you have a New Career, the DA's Office just Hired you!" That isn't hyperbole, I sat there on Day One not even knowing what I'd gotten myself into... or more accurately, The Man had gotten me into! There I was at Orientation with Rick Romley, the DA, Welcoming me and asking me what I'd be doing? And I say "Criminal Trial Closeouts" like I had any Idea what the Hell that was or would entail! *Bwahahahaha* Talk about Earning while you Learn! The Man felt it would be an excellent Challenge for Yours Truly... him not knowing Real Estate Law does not = Criminal Law as a seamless Career Change... but, whatever. *LMAOROTF*
He wasn't Wrong, it was far less Dry or Boring than Real Estate Law. Tho' it didn't pay remotely what I'd been used to Earning as a Bank Executive, but the Benefits were Excellent and he had very astronomically high Medical Bills at the time, which were kinda wiping out and blowing my Retirement Planning quickly. But, an unusual Crossover. *Bwahahaha* And, I did do very well there and ended up Processing most of the higher profile Cases that Co-Workers shied away from, for a variety of reasons. Not everyone that came to Work in that Position was up for experiencing the Files from some Bureaus like Homicide, Sex Crimes, or Family Violence, or Vehicular {which often included Vehicular Homicide and some very graphic stuff to see and not be able to unsee}. I once had a Double Homicide File Defendant whose Name on the File was "Lucifer The Devil"... I got Stories like Kenda's! *LOL*
You do have to know you've got the Stomach for exposure to Crime Files of all kinds, and then be able to go have a Sammich without puking or having incessant Nightmares about the Files and Crimes. And interestingly to me, most Co-Workers washed out quickly, many never made it thru the Probation Periods of 90 Days! We had a low retention rate, most just walked off the Job coz it Got to them. Most had Masters Degrees in Criminal Law too, so huge Student Loan Debt and then realizing they weren't cut out for that Line of Work. At least I didn't have that hanging over my Head. I just went in Cold and caught on, since, I tend towards Immersive Learning. Where something New but fascinating enuf, will kick in my ability to absorb the knowledge quickly and efficiently. I'm kinda an Idiot Savant of sorts like that sometimes. *LOL, Seriously*
Some things click in my Head like that, so it was like Financial Stuff clicked for me from an early Age, when it came to Money, I seemed almost Genius from the Age of Two my Parents told me. Couldn't do Math worth a shit, but if you turned it into Dollars and Cents, my Mind suddenly accessed something unexplainable, pretty sure I'm somewhere on the Autism Spectrum undiagnosed actually. *LOL* Well, as it turns out, so did ARS Codes and all things related to Crimes, just click for me, who knew? *Bwahaha* And had The Man not gotten so Sick that I had to take an Early Retirement from that Career, I might even still be there to this Day, Honestly. Plus, by then I'd inherited The G-Kid Force to Raise as each was Born, and no Day Care would take them either, so, Life happened, and began a New Chapter of Challenges. Se la vie! And now here we are at yet another feeble attempt at alleged Retirement. *Eye Roll and Smiles*
I no longer have to GO to Work, I just Wake Up and it's all around me. I've come to the conclusion this Home will never be Editorial enuf to remotely Photograph in a Panoramic way for the Ole' Blog, and The RV Garage Mahal will never be "Done" and Organized either. The Art Studio is now Forever gonna be The Young Prince's Living Space. And, Full Time Unpaid Caregiving is probably the biggest Challenge I ever have been put to the Test of. It has no Retirement Options or Pensions that come with it, no Vacations, no Salary. There is no Starting or Ending Shift Times, it's 24-7 and 365 nonstop, and no Staff, so, you will be all things to everyone you're Caring for, exclusively... and I have Five of 'em!!! It's like a Group Home of sorts, with no Funding tho'. *Le Sigh* For a Group Home Owner who does it for a Career AND Profit, they'd get Paid around $3,000-$8,000 Monthly Revenue per Resident... you do the Math. I could sure use Forty Grand a MONTH, if I was a PAID Caregiver, I ain't gonna Lie!!! *LOL*
And with this here Crew, pretty sure they'd be Top End Resident Revenue, with the exception of mebbe Princess T. Let's face it, when I was Adopting The G-Kid Force and the Adoption Board was Rating my Grandchildren on their 1-4 Scale of how Hard they are to find Placement for as Adoptees, due to extent of Disability, Age, Demographic and Care... she Rated a 3 and they said that "If they had a 5", THAT'S what The Young Prince would have been Rated at!!! *Bwahahaha, yep, they actually said that out loud and were NOT Joking!* He was actually considered by the Adoption Board to be "Unadoptable". Which is also why I think he SHOULD be a Shue In for SSI Disability Qualification and Approval, but, what do I know? *Eye Roll* I may hold their Feet to the Fire and ask them, then what Group Home are you going to find Placement for him in and how much will that Cost ya Monthly opposed to $994 per Month paying him SSI to defer his Care and Costs to ME?
I think SSI would be a Bargain compared to Residential Care Cost to the Feds or State, coz then I'm relieved of the responsibility and Care completely for the rest of his Natural Life. He's 25 now, so I think once they do the Prospectus of how many Years of Costs that might entail for THEM, perhaps it might be Wiser not to Deny our Claim, ya think? *Winks* I could just Opt Out and say I can't do it anymore and it's Too Much for me on all levels. And once they see my Dance Card and how Full it is, they couldn't dispute that Claim, they'd be hard pressed to. And I can go in Person and be so damned Crazy myself that then they'd have to ponder, oh shit, we might end up with all SIX of them, her included... Holy Mother Of God, we best push this one through STAT! *Bwahahahaha* Above, Long Time Readers might recall when Princess T, then with Isaac, who got Swiped Left and banished from The Kingdom forevermore {Rusty is a far better BF}, re-enacted Local ongoing Police Brutality happening in Minority Communities {even long before ICE}, for their Halloween Costumes. We've got a Wicked Sense of Inappropriate Humor and are so NOT PC. *Winks*
I once did that to DES when they wouldn't help me with The G-Kid Force and after The Man's TBI. Brought them in {The Young Prince unmedicated and with all his Pokemon Cards he was Obsessed with at the time}, Princess T in Hard Shoes kicking Hell out of their Metal File Cabinet from her Stroller, brought my Bible and sat there saying I'd Read it from Genesis to Revelation and just turn them loose and do that every damned Day, coz I had Nothing left to Lose. The Supervisor at DES not only pushed our Approval thru for some Services I applied for, she told me I never had to come in Person for any Re-Certification either, they'd just do it by Phone, and they did, for YEARS. She could tell, I had no more Fucks to give and if they became HER Problem to find permanent Placement for, she was truly Fucked!!! *Winks* Listen, it was just a Job to that Woman... and I wasn't going away. I was letting her Experience The Joy... of My World, and Welcome to it... that's all, just a TASTE of it! A Sampling. How ya like me now? *Wicked Snort*
*******
Don't threaten me... or us... with a Good Time... Winks... Dawn... The Bohemian

Our “system” is so screwy! Of course you should be compensated for saving the state oodles of money for 24/7 care. Luckily for them, you were willing to do it. Not everyone can, or should. My ex (74) is in a care facility because he was too far gone mentally (and sometimes physically abusive) for anyone to take on in their home. All paid for by the govt aka taxpayers. Kudos to you, Dawn!
ReplyDeleteYes, many folks end up like your Ex and it is a tough row to Hoe to Care for someone in bad Shape, be it Physical, Mental, or Age related. Not everyone can or should do it, with each of my Parents it did reach the Point of Need that neither my Brother or I could provide it for them any longer, we did for as long as we possibly could, even beyond really... eventually, we had to liquidate everything they owned and even then, Mom had to be made Ward of the State of Cali to receive Services coz she was costing $11,000 a Month to Care for and we nor she had those kinds of Resources... if only, Right? *Bwahahahaha* I don't even know anyone who makes Eleven Grand a Month, let alone shell that out for a Loved One and still expect to be able to support themselves as well.
DeleteSeems some police brutality went into getting Rusty to pose in those photos with Princess T, LOL.
ReplyDeleteThat one isn't her Current Boyfriend Rusty, that was Irresistible Isaac, who was NOT a Good Boyfriend and deserved a bit of brutality, truth be told. *Winks* He was abusive and her Brother and Allen were ready to kick his Ass so he had to Go. She said he got Fat... and ended up with a trashy Girl, as was his Destiny. *Smiles* He didn't know when he had a good Woman, she could do better, but he was one of her first Loves and I felt bad that he broke her Heart at the time, she was so Young and he was Older so preyed on her Niavette since she really didn't Date much and was a very wholesome Girl and he was a Playa-Playa.
DeleteSSI has a maximum benefit cap for individuals of not much over $900. Even if/when the Young Prince qualifies it's not enough money for him (or anyone else) to live on. My older daughter had a stroke at the age of 54, is now totally 100% disabled, and receives less than $700 monthly after they deduct the Medicare premium.
ReplyDeleteI know what the Cap is, but it is better than Nothing at all, and of coarse they will take Medicaid out, he's not old enuf for Medicare eligibility. I'm so sorry to hear of your Older Daughter's plight, it isn't enough to Live on so they really require a Caregiver to take them in and subsidize their Existence. I know that will be me, for him, whether or not he qualifies for that paltry amount. It's disgraceful, but, some working folks aren't making very much more coz the Minimum Wage isn't livable either and Social Programs have been cut to the bone to provide Nutritional Assistance, Healthcare for those Uninsured or Underinsured, Medication Subsidies don't really cover enough if someone is on a lot of expensive Meds to be able to stay Alive... it's all quite a Hot Mess and yet this Administration keeps cutting and cutting while pretending it's the Poorest and most Vulnerable of Society ripping everyone off, when it's actually the Billionaire Criminal Grifters like this President and his Cronies.
DeleteThank goodness for family looking after each other. I work in an akin to child services industry and it is terrible when there isn't decent family around for some kids.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, at the DA's Office the Bureau Chief of Family Violence told me she couldn't find Safe or Adequate Placement for most Children who didn't have Family to take them in whenever a Parent or Guardian got Locked Up or had an Unsafe Environment to Raise said Child(ren). She commended me for taking my Grandchildren in due to the circumstances that warranted it. Not every Grandparent can, or will. But, she and I both knew the Stats, that 60% of Boys and 80% of Girls in Foster Care end up Abused, Neglected or Sexually Molested... no way I was putting MY Grandbabies at risk for that kind of Destiny that would ruin their lives. Since both of them were also Special Needs Children they would have been most vulnerable or exploited while in The System. I would rather endure hardships and have no Help, that to relinquish them to any System that would not Care nor Protect them adequately. Our last CPS Caseworker, Miss Robin, who was the only one who was really Helpful, ended up quitting CPS due to how terrible it was and working for the Adoptions Bureau. She actually handled our Adoption and became our Caseworker Advocate, what are the Odds? It really was Divine Intervention IMO and I owed a lot to Miss Robin's dedication and Care for all of her Clients, in both Agencies she worked for. Sadly, there were some not up to the Job at all... we had one CPS Caseworker named John, who in Five Years I never saw or heard from the Guy so wasn't even sure he was Real? No telling how he was covering his Ass to pretend to handle his Caseload of Clients when he wasn't doing his Job... but it took Year Six to get Assigned a New One, also not a good one, and then Finally got Miss Robin, who was exemplary. By then my Grandson was already a Teenager... before we got any Caseworker worth their Salt.
Delete"G-kid force" is blessed to have you!
ReplyDeleteFunny story how you ended up at the DA's office. Sounds like the stars aligned.
Full retirement doesn't appeal to me anytime soon. You're right, you can only clean and organize so much! And I'm not really a "lady who lunches"
LMAO, a Lady Who Lunches... me either. *Bwahahahaha* I'm also not a Domestic Goddess so just being into Housekeeping was making me Mental I think, and everyone else in the Family coz I got Anal about it not being messed up again constantly, so that I'd have to do it over and over again, with no Salary. *winks* Yet, I had 3 Generations under one Roof, and The G-Kid Force at the time were still Children, so, that wasn't happening... Kids are naturally messy little Creatures. And I missed having a Corporate Income, dumping an Executive Position to become a Caregiver really cut our Income by more than Half at the time, so as soon as The Man became Well enuf not to need me to be Home to take Care of him and the Kiddos all of the time, I was happy to go back to work my 2nd Corporate Life Career. It was a Stars aligned kinda Serendipity tho', I'd never have thought to apply there myself actually. *Smiles*
DeleteI cannot understand how it is taking this long to approve your grandson for disability. And I will never understand how your daughter is not approved either. They are lucky to have you as an advocate - can you imagine the young prince navigating this all on his own? impossible. And I feel that is the governments plan.
ReplyDeleteAs you know I counsel people with my charity and it breaks my heart to see what our disabled and elderly citizens are receiving and expected to live on. I had two women (one 45 and one 48) break down in tears in my office this week. And meanwhile utilities and food prices just go up and up.
I know you are in the trenches assisting the most disadvantaged and those in crisis, I commend you, it's important Work. They had told me it would take 5-7 Months to even get to his Case, so at least it was fast tracked beyond that projection, which is a bit encouraging. The Daughter was on SSI over 20 Years ago, which may, or may not, help her re-qualify to receive it now if I can get her over the intense Paranoia she has about our Government. She's sure this Prez is going to round up folks like Hitler did and try to exterminate the Undesirables of our Society. I cannot tell her that won't happen, I'm not sure it's NOT his intentions, given what they're putting into the ICE coffers and buying these enormous Detention Centers/Concentration Camps and already rounding up, without due process, a lot of folks and not allowing access to these facilities either. It is all very Hitleresque and deeply disturbing.
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