I went from a Bipolar Depression to a Manic High, I have mixed Episodes like that, often dovetailing one extreme to the other, se la vie. So, I've been Manic Blogging and since I've shortened Posts, now I'm up to 10 Unpublished ones in the Queue! Yeah, well, I'm an overachiever too, what can I say? *Winks* Funny how a Caramel Macchiato from McDonalds regulated my Mood like a Good Medicine, best Four Bucks the Kids ever spent on me they said. *Bwahahaha* They also bought me some large Fries there as comfort Food and coz the Golden Arches Fries are really the only excuse for 'Food' there that I actually like.
I ate mebbe 1/4 of them, feeling satiated, coz Yesterday was Ozempic Day, so, no Appetite for a couple Days afterwards. Gave the rest to The Man, he devoured them along with the Double Cheeseburger they got for him. He actually thinks McDonalds sells Real Food! Whatever... he grew up quite differently than me and his Family weren't Ethnic Cuisine experiencers and therefore enjoy bland un-spiced Foods... Gak!!! So, Regulated by my McD's Coffee, which I'll have to make a Mental Note to Self, next time you Bottom Out on a Bipolar Bender, just have a Golden Arches Iced Caramel Macchiato, who knows what Ronald McDonald is putting in it, but, hey, it works, whatever it is, so it's a Bargain Mood Regulator when you're spiraling Downwards like a Plane Crash going down like a Dart!? *Smiles*
I don't even now feel the Need to Vent or go on a Rant in this Post... Surprise! *Bwahahaha* Mebbe just a little. Coz it's not that there's no Trouble in Paradise, but I'm Coping slightly better now... well, sorta... Okay, so I'm NOT, but I Feel like I can give the Pretense and Illusion that I am again, so, it's all Good. *Winks* I'm off The Ledge and that's what matters, I didn't Jump and got Talked Down successfully. The Man is beginning to balk about his Cardiac Rehab tho', Splendid! I told him it's Mandatory, not Optional, he's going. And he has to behave and do the Work, without being difficult or unlovely while he's there. I don't want him getting 86ed out of Cardiac Rehab!
We have the Intake for it already Calendared and Scheduled, or whatever they call it, Registration mebbe? Intake sounds like what they do in Prison, Jail and Psyche Lockdowns. *Bwahahaha* Okay, so let's call it Registration then, shall we? *Winks* He just wasn't Happy it means that in order to have it Approved and Billed for Insurance, all his Home Help has to be Closed Out, including his Beloved VA Nurse Remi. He'd rather keep Nurse Remi and forego Cardiac Rehab. Too bad both cannot be Approved at the same time tho' I know not Why coz the VA is Funding Nurse Remi, or so I was informed???
Cardiac Rehab is Funded by both HUMANA Medicare Advantage, his Primary, and TriCare for Life, his Secondary Insurer... so I don't know why they should even Care what the VA is Paying for and Approved at the same time for a 100% Disabled Veteran who Qualified for it?! But, Bureaucrazy is just that... Crazy... and unfathomable, and its not a Battle I'm willing to Die on a Hill for right now. I got too many other Fights to Win and Systems to Resist and then Conquer. I am part of the Resistance making Good Trouble all the time, it's sometimes my Super Power, or so I'm told. I'm an Aging Super Hero tho' and right now don't feel like I'm making the headway necessary to get the Services, Benefits, and Coverage all the Loved Ones require and desperately Need. But, whaddya gonna do? I can't even find my Cape sometimes! *Winks*
They're doing major Construction on the Main Road in front of our Homes and Subdivision, on both sides of our Community, the only Two Roads we can Exit our Community from. So, that is not only challenging now to get in and out of our Community with the Construction and how many Lanes they've blocked off, causing super heavy traffic congestion, but, becoz we have the largest Shade Trees on our Street, they park the Big Rigs now under them on the Sidewalk area in front of our Property! That obstructs my view to back out of our Driveway and makes a tight fit to maneuver out or in too. There is a low retaining Noise Barrier Block Wall between our Access Road and the Main Road that run parallel to one another. So between that Wall and their Rig, it's barely enuf for my Truck to fit thru, it's tight! I'm a pretty good Driver and experienced, but I'm getting Older, so it makes me nervous to not have clear views or tight squeezes in my Truck, which is a New one, I don't want any damage to it. Or get hit by someone coming down the Access Road I can't see coz the Rigs obstruct my View of the Street.
I've had to ask them to move their Rig some a couple times now coz they literally didn't give me enuf space to back out safely and were hanging a bit over my Driveway with the Trailer part of the Rig holding enormous Spools of Orange Wiring that are as tall as our House! Luckily the height of the their load didn't damage our Trees, but a couple of smaller Pine Boughs did get broken off by the clearance being questionable! Our Trees are over 45 Years Old so they're quite Tall, and throw a LOT of Shade, which is why they Park under them, to Shade their Cab area they sit in and also Shade them while they Work around their Rigs or stand around talking to one another, take Breaks, etcetera. So, I don't wanna be an Ass about it, since it is 114-116 every day now and they're Working in that Heat. My Son has Worked in The Trades, it's tough physical Work. I want to be both compassionate and reasonable. So far they do move their Rigs if I ask them to so I can safely get in and out of my Property. So, they've been Nice pleasant Workers.
All of the Workers have been Younger Hispanic Men and when they see Princess T, they're SUPER Nice then. *Bwahahahaha* And she'll Joke with me, well, THAT one was Cute Gramma. *Ha ha ha* Young Men like to Show Off when they see a Cute Young Woman, so it is humorous to watch how much the Workers fawn over ME too, just coz I got a Cute Granddaughter. And an Attractive Daughter too who can speak to them in Spanish fluently. *Winks* If you recall, when we required the dead blighted enormous Pine Tree removed a couple Years ago, I got a $2,800 Job knocked down to $800 and that Tree cut down and removed in 40 Minutes, to Show Off, coz my Cute Hispanic Granddaughter was watching them "perform", for what to them was an "Audience of One"! *Smiles*
Batting her false Eyelashes demurely, looking Hawt in the Cutest and Sexiest Head Turning Ensemble, and Smiling Sweetly. *Winks and Laughs* Our Neighbors next door were having a small dead blighted Mulberry Tree removed at the same time, Paid MUCH more and it took their Guys TWO DAYS to do the Job... coz, they didn't have a Cute Girl watching for their Crew to Show Off for. *LMAOROTF* Both Rob and TJ said they should have "Borrowed" Princess T, coz they couldn't Believe how cheaply I had that enormous 60 foot Pine removed and how fast those Young Men took it down... for her benefit!!! *Bwahahaha* Below is one of her Older Sisters in Mexico.
On the way to Work this Morning she showed me some Killer COACH Boots she got marked down significantly at the GOODWILL coz she was schmoozing with the Cute Gay Male Cashier. She knew he was Gay, and he was Cute, not Fabulously so like her Brother, but obviously so. And she knows how she talks with her Brother about Fashion and Brands, Makeup and Style, so they got to talking like THAT and joking with each other about the Boots. Since they are high risk Inventory they only had the One on the Floor and the other held in the Back as Loss Prevention Measures, it had been marked $19.99 {they're Hundreds Retail}. He was joking, "Girrrl, Hell, I Love these Boots, I don't even know if I'll be about to Find that other one?!" And Winks and Laughs. She was like, "Girrrrl, you better, coz I'm gonna look Fierce in these Boots too!" *LOL* Her Boyfriend Rusty was with her, he's seen her Work her Hustle before and schmooze for Favor, they were in a Scottsdale Chazza location too, very Uppity Demographic of Shoppers. *Ha ha ha*
So, she said she could tell this Cashier probably Deals with Customers who are Pretentious, entitled, demanding and can be difficult. They don't Nickname it "Snottsdale" for nothing. *Ha ha ha* But, she'd been talking Style, Fashion, Brands, with this Gay Cashier and developing a rapport, next thing he comes back with the Pair of the Boots and now it's only Marked $9.99 and he says, "Oooops!" and Winks. She made a small "Donation" of Five Bucks, so he wouldn't get in Trouble for whatever had gone on in the Back to grant her some Favor and a Hood Hookup. She can look Fancy and Top Shelf, but treats folk like us Gals from the Westside do, and how I Raised her to Treat everyone, with Respect and no Pretentious Bullshit or feelings of Arrogant Entitlement, no matter how Hawt and High End she looks. *Smiles*
And she Winks back at him as they're leaving the Store, he's her new Best Friend now and she said Scottsdale has the High End Donations. So she's gonna make Rusty and I take her back next time she goes Wardrobe Shopping. *LMAOROTF* We don't get out to Scottsdale much and they only have Four Locations of GOODWILL in the Uppity Affluent Area there, but their Donations are sometimes Primo and worth the Pilgrimage drive. And once you know the Staff at any place we Shop at regularly and Befriend them, and they genuinely LIKE us, we always get those First Cousin Deals and Hood Hookups. You Treat folks Right and they Treat you Right in return, it's reciprocity at it's Best. It's sadly lacking in Today's Society where folks tend to treat who they consider "The Help" and "Service Job Employees" like underlings or like shit. There's no good reason for doing that, people are people. We Treat a Homeless Person with the same Respect, Compassion and Dignity that every Human Being Deserves. People generally respond favorably to that.
LATER: I did go to this Month's Event at "Sweet Salvage", Princess T insisted. She said I not only Need a "Me Day", I probably Need a "Me Month". *LOL she could be Right!* My Doc's Office was blowing up my Phone again, while I was there, and it turns out, my Mammogram was Normal, so The Girls are in good shape. But... there is a Mass on or near my Left Ovary, which is why they've scheduled that other MRI with and without Contrast, to get a closer look at that and determine what it could be? Since they'd called me about 9 times in Two Days and SimonMed Imaging had been calling me about Results being in that I should know about, and talk to my Doctor about, I knew it wasn't Good News. At least my Top Lady Bits are in good Order, it's the Bottom Bits that are sketchy looking right now. My MRI is Scheduled this Week, they wanted to do it sooner but I didn't have a day open until Midweek, too many other Appointments committed to already.
So, anyway, on the Positive Side, tho' I didn't Buy anything at all at the Event, it was a really good one and a lot of my Friends were there to Socialize with. And, I got loads of great Blog Fodder from it. Then I went to our other Antique Mall Location in Phoenix and found The Man a bunch of Vintage Fishing Lures for $1 and $2 each, and a large one that looked like a Real Fish that was $6. He Collects Lures and was Delighted with such a big Haul, I must have gotten him about 25 of them. I also got myself a Vintage "In Living Color" T-Shirt with one of the hilarious Characters the Wayans Brothers had on the Show "Wanda" as played by Jamie Foxx, and a Vintage "Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas" T-Shirt from one of the Vintage Clothing Vendors there too, which, Online fetches a Fortune, who knew? And a heavy Irish Rosary, a really nice Quality one at a great price. Such a Bargain the Rosary was that I couldn't NOT Buy it... when something is priced so low they MAKE you Buy it. *Winks*
I stood Tall on the Two Tees for myself coz I LOVED both of them and got my Employee Vendor Discount on all my Purchases. Then I went to the Discount Grocer and got a Month's worth of Non-Perishable Groceries to stock up the Pantry. I met the Owner this time, a Delightful and Funny Arabic Immigrant, probably in his 50's, with a Wicked Sense of Humor. He even helped me to my Truck with my Haul and gave me a $15 Discount and some Free Snacks!!! So Sweet. I Save so much Money shopping there. For $140 I got Three Banana Boxes filled with Groceries, Six Bags of Specialty Gourmet Bird Food, and Six 24 Pacs of Bottled Welch's Cranberry Drinks in various flavors: CranGrape, CanApple, CranPineapple, CranStrawberry, CranTropical, Cranberry, CranWatermelon & CranMango. They're very refreshing on Hot days.
But, back to the Beginning... Traffic was Surprisingly Light this Morning going in to the City so I made such good time getting to the Event that I could stop and eat Breakfast first at "Joe's Diner" and have my Berry Crepes with an Iced Tea. Food Porn Imagery of it is further Below, you're Welcome. *Winks* I just get good Parking at the Event and Walk over to "Joe's Diner", which is just down the Street. I would have Treated myself to Lunch Downtown too at "The Indian Frybread House" but I was already done before they even opened, and I went to the other Location of our Antique Mall instead. I wasn't all that hungry by Lunchtime anyway, my Crepes had sustained me for the Afternoon too. So, no Frybread this day, tho', it would have been nice to have some. *LOL*
You can see that the Event had a strong Patriotic Theme for the 250th Anniversary Celebration. So, the Vignettes were really nice and very Editorial this Show. They're getting back to doing more Vintage again, which I'm glad to see. I don't mind the Filler and Import Merch, but I mostly go for things you can't find in Big Box Stores, so the Vintage Merch is more appreciated by me anyway. I'm guessing with Tariffs still in place, even tho' the Courts deemed them Illegal and told him to stop, he hasn't, and so it's harder to get Imports and Mass Produced Merch from Abroad into the Country now at decent price points. Nobody is gonna pay a Premium on Madd Produced Merch, mostly made in China and India... the reason it was popular is coz it was Cheap and a lot of it. And a lot of folks just like Decorating with Cheap, coz they don't plan to keep it or have it be any kind of Investment... they'll go with any Trend that replaces it. And that's why Mass Produced Merch Sells well.
On the way Home I got half priced Drinks at SONIC, got a Route 44 sized Cherry Limeade and a Route 44 sized Coke Zero... I was thirsty enuf to drink both. *LOL* It was 109 as I was driving Home, so not quite as Hot as the last few days has been, but still pretty Toasty. And I noticed at the Event that there was nobody standing in Line or there early. The Majority showed up about 15 Minutes before the Doors opened this Month, due to the Heat, I highly suspect. I don't blame them, I got a shady Parking Space under a big Palo Verde Tree in their Back Parking Area, then I walked to the Diner and stayed there until just after the Doors did Open at the Event. So, I was pleased with when I arrived, where I Parked, what I ate for Breakfast nearby, and that the Crowds were sparce, but still pretty well attended for Summer. I've seen Stronger Sales at the start of Summer than usual, which is encouraging, even at our Mall.
It was unexpected, but I think Soccer brought some International folks that except for coming for Soccer, probably now would never come at all to the U.S.. Internationally our Reputation is poor now due to this Regime and how it's treated the International Community, including long time Allies and important Trading Partners. Few in the International Community can or will Trust us anymore and they are justified for not Trusting us anymore. I do Hope that when we get rid of this Administration we can regain the Trust and Reputation we've enjoyed and had Internationally before... it remains to be seen how long, if ever, that will take now??? Running Damage Control behind Bad Politics and foolish Policy and Actions is always a very difficult Process Diplomatically. This Prez has no Diplomacy, he Disrespects constantly, and just comes off as an Unintelligent Bully who petulantly has to get his way or he melts down like a Child and has NO Moral Compass, he's always been a Career Criminal, notorious Grifter, and Consummate Conman... ALWAYS. He's no different now than he's been the past 50+ Years, since the 1970's, at least... mebbe even before that!!!
So, above is my obligatory Food Porn that everyone enjoys the Visuals of... I do LOVE Photographing Food. And what's hilarious to me is that all my Friends and Family that have always Teased me about Photographing Food... now they ALL are doing it!!! *Ha ha ha* And, I'm GLAD, coz they are Photographing some Ahhhmazing Food Porn that they're eating!!! And they're realizing how many people enjoy looking at Beautiful Food Presentations and that it Helps a lot of the struggling Restaurant Industry, that has been hit hard ever since Pandemic... and is still struggling due to current Economic conditions being so shitty. Okay, so my last Photo for this Post {Below} is a very Editorial Vignette Created by my Friends Roman and Geisel... LOVED it! I like their Aesthetic and their Merch, it's some of the best.
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Blessings, Love and Light from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian
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