Happy 4th of July 2026 And The 250th

 

Listen, I don't know that I'm Feeling particularly Patriotic or Proud of America right now, given present Political Leadership, but, dammit, it is the 4th of July and 250th Celebration, so, I may even go look at Fireworks for the first time in Years!   I usually don't bother coz Arizona on the 4th of July is ridiculously searingly HOT and sitting Outside waiting on Fireworks to pop off, not my Idea of a comfortable Evening at my Age.   When Younger, Yes, we always did it.  When we had Smaller Children who really, really wanted to see Fireworks, both Generations of them that we Raised, Yes, we always did it.  Now, we don't have to, so, we usually don't.   I like Fireworks and they still possess a Wow Factor to me, yet, once you've seen One Display of 'em, well, you know, you've pretty much now seen it before and all.  *Winks and Whah Whah Whah*  We also rarely do the 4th of July Big BBQ's we used to.  It was a Tradition and Ritual to for many Years.  It hasn't been now for many more.

Even the Younger Generations have lost their enthusiasm for all of it, I'm Surprised they lost it long before we did, prematurely in fact.  Princess T rarely even bothers to make Plans for the 4th of July with her Friends or her Boyfriend, they're entirely disinterested, their whole Generation.  They don't Feel a whole lot to Celebrate America for anymore and I can't say that I blame their Generation for being jaded and discouraged.  The Future looks bleak to them, the American Dream unattainable, or at least out of reach, for most of their Generation.   No matter how hard they Work, Wages are not at all keeping up with Inflation and AI is making them nervous about the Future of even having Work for Humans if Companies can get a Non-Human to do it instead.  None of them likes the prospect of Data Centers, not a single Young Person I know thinks it is not gonna be disastrous to the Environment, our limited Resources like Water and Energy, and to Civilization.

But, even The Man was saying, Honey, do you think we should see Fireworks this Year, 250th means there might be more spectacular Displays than ever???  So, we just might.   By then I should have my Test Results concluded and back, with a Plan of Action for whatever is going on with me.  The Man should be well into his Cardiac Rehab Program too.   The Young Prince said it was a lot to Process and Unpack when I told him what's going on with me.  He'd Wondered, and he was the only one I hadn't told in the immediate Family yet... and didn't Feel it was Right to keep him out of the Loop, he should know.  I knew of all of them, he'd take it the least well tho'.   So, I was glad we did it via FB PM where he could slowly digest it and respond in Real Time, yet, not get visibly Emotional... he tends towards Deep Emotions.  He Worries about my Mortality, as does his Sister, all of the time, they always have.  They Needed me to Last thru their Childhood, and I did... but, they wouldn't want me going on into the Afterlife even now they're Grown.  So, I do try not to.  *Le Sigh*

I mean, eventually, Yeah, it has to happen, I have zero Plans to become an Immortal, despite Popular Requests.  *Winks*  I would like to perhaps get somewhere into my 70's, I wouldn't be opposed.  Beyond that, I dunno.  I'm very conflicted about getting into my 80's, even if that's my Destiny to.  My 90's, Forget about it, don't wanna, tho' a scant few Maternal Relatives have, I don't wanna be one of them.  There would be far too much prospect by then to have Outlived Younger Loved Ones and I don't wanna Outlive ANY Younger Loved Ones, none.  So, there ya have it.   But, you get to a certain Season of Life and Mortality does remind you it's coming for ya, sooner than later now.  More Past than Future now, and that's Okay, everything being as it should be in the Natural Order of things and Circle of Life that we all have as our personal and unique Journey to experience, depending upon Hand Dealt us.  I'm not gonna get Morbid or too Macabre about it.  But my Peers are dropping like Flies or are now long been gone.

So, around late Afternoon, in spite of usually experiencing Sundowners past around 3:00 p.m., this Day, Father's Day Sunday, The Man was particularly buoyant of Mood!   He asked if we could go do Environmental Cleanup?!?  It was later, but around Heat of the Day still, so 108 and I said that might not be a good Idea.  He said, well, we could drive around to the places we do it and have the AC On in the Truck and have a Cooler with Ice and Cold Drinks.   Clearly he really wanted to go so we went.  We parked in the Shade of Big Trees, and there was a Breeze, so it wasn't too bad actually and I did get out of the Truck and due to it being Father's Day Weekend, the Parks did have a lot of discarded aluminum.  Drinking Dads.  *Bwahahahaha*  Apparently lots of 'em.  *LMAOROTF*  None were there now, but clearly they had been earlier, I filled up an entire Big Bag of discarded Aluminum Cans, so, it was a big Haul of 'em that I wouldn't have otherwise gotten.  Had he not insisted we go do it.  He sat in the Truck and would only get out to dump my Buckets into the Big Industrial Sized Garbage Bags we use.

Then we went and got "Baskin Robbins" Ice-Cream.  Lotsa Younger Dads there with their Spawn, it was Cute to see it actually.  The Kiddos were very giddy to be going for Ice-Cream with their Dads.  It was busy as a Hive there.  I got a Waffle Bowl with Caramel Pralines & Cream scoop and then a Specialty Coffee scoop that has potent delicious Espresso Swirls.   The Kid working there really Hooked me Up, with a decidedly Hood Hookup.  There were a lot of folks there and nobody's was as generous as mine, I kid you not!   We were near the Historic Property we used to own.  Mebbe he remembered me from when he was a Youngster, I dunno, once they're Grown, sometimes I don't recognize them anymore, and he looked to be The Young Prince's Age of Mid 20's.  He didn't look familiar, but everyone in Avondale still knows pretty much everyone in Avondale, or is Related to someone we know... Generations worth of folk we know... and, I happen to be very Memorable apparently... Smiles and Winks... 

Anyway, mine dwarfed The Man's Two Scoops, even tho' it was his Special Day!!!   He had some kind of Chocolate duo of Scoops, he is a Chocaholic and one of the only ones in the Family who eats Chocolate.  The Table behind us, that Young Dad you see behind The Man, had about 7 Kids, ranging in Ages from Teens to Toddlers!  *LOL*  You can only see Four slightly in the Pix, the other Three were there tho', Blazed on their Ice-Creams.  *LMAO*   Comparison Study Below of who got the Hood Hookup... and be advised my Waffle Bowl goes all the way down to the Bottom of that Cardboard Cup it sits in:

Mine

Or His?

Usually I finish long before he does, but this time he beat me... and when I mentioned it, he said, well, it's coz he gave you pretty much the whole Gallon each of your Flavors.  *Bwahahahaha*   Our Oldest Daughter has not Called nor even Commented on FB and I Posted all the Father's Day Pixs of her Dad there in Real Time.   So many other folk we know pretty much immediately Commented, Wishing him a Happy Father's Day and "Liking" the Pixs taken of him, and of us.  I get disappointed in our Oldest, and even the Grandkids there in Pittsburgh, who don't at the very least give him a brief Shout Out, on just Social Media, that Costs them Nothing.  What, mebbe 10 Seconds of your Time to acknowledge someone.  They're on it all of the fucking time... send me loads of stuff about themselves, their Kiddos, which I do Love receiving and Cherish.   So, it is appreciated they do that with me.

 They do know their Grandpa has TBI and Dementia, and I know that feels awkward for not only them, but our Oldest Daughter.  Her Stepdad, Tony, has even more Advanced Dementia and The Man's Ex had to put Tony in Long Term Care.  He only remembered who the Family Dog was!  A couple of the Adult Grandkids in Pittsburgh do keep in Contact with me regularly, and our Oldest Daughter's Younger Sister does, and she's not even The Man's Child, his Ex Remarried and she's Tony's Oldest!  But she's a Lovely Young Woman, with Two Lovely Kiddos, and Likes me a lot apparently.  And The Man's Ex keeps in Touch with me too, I genuinely Like her and her current Husband, we got along when I met her and Tony.   In fact, her whole side of the Family really Liked me, I guess I'm Likeable enuf?  *LOL*  And his Ex has a Lovely extended Family and Husband... I Liked them all too.

  But, The Man has a FB Page too... and Crickets, so he just quit using it after a while and I don't blame him.  But, his whole side of the Family are like that too, ALL of them.  So, he's kinda used to it, but it still has to be somewhat hurtful I would think?   My side of the Family always was more Ride or Die with him, even my Mom and she was not always his biggest Fan, but did treat him like a Son.   And she and I always had our Moments, and often clashed, so, Mom was just being Mom and had diagnosed SMI {Serious Mental Illness} too, he knew that about her.  Mom could be Wheels Off on the Crazy Train, all of my Life.  *LOL*  He wasn't at first used to that Dynamic of Family being so connected tho', in spite of everyone having their Issues, we are Ride or Die with one another... Family is and always has been EVERYTHING.   If folks ignore your Social Media Page that you only set up to keep in Touch with them all, why bother, even if you are Related?  He quit even bothering.   When they don't have him any more they may regret the ambivalence, neglect of maintaining relationship, and indifference?

Anyway, the Two Oldest of our Granddaughter's Back East did send me a bunch of Pixs of the Great-Grands, so that was Lovely.  The Middle Granddaughter's Youngest, a Daughter, just turned Two, so I have a Wonderful Avalanche of those Images of her Milestone of attaining the Terrible Twos.  *Smiles*  The Oldest Granddaughter's Two Oldest, both Daughters, just smashed their Dance Recital and so I got loads of Images of that too.  Of coarse all are Precious and I am so glad that both Granddaughters who have Blessed us with Precious Great-Grandchildren, Five between them, are Pathological Picture Takers like Yours Truly is.  They will not regret having taken so many, only Parents who didn't take enuf lament that they didn't take more.   So, there has been Contact with me, just not Contact Wishing their Grandpa a Happy Father's Day acknowledgement, which, I just Wish they all would have.   The Grandkids in Mexico never know American Holidays, but Wish us the Mexican equivalents of them when Mexico Honors those occasions.  

Anyway, I didn't see many 'Dad' Posts they Shared from back there either.  Surprising, coz all Three Girls are pretty close with their Mom and Dad, and the Maternal Grandparents back there.   The Oldest Daughter doesn't Post much of anything anymore tho', once she reached her 50's, she really became more withdrawn I noticed.  I don't know Why exactly, but, some folks just do.  I saw it a lot when a lot of folks I know reached their 50's, a Shift came, an obvious one.  The G-Kid Force call it "Acting Old" and tell me all the time that they sure are glad I don't and never have "Acted Old".  And so I don't SEEM Old to them.   And a lot of the Young Co-Workers and Staff at the Antique Mall always tell me the same thing, they don't even think of me as being an Old Timer or a "Boomer", coz I just don't Act or Seem like one.  *Whew and Laughs*  Seriously, some Boomers are terribly annoying and my own tolerance for that is marginal at best, at worse, I don't even wanna be around that Boomer Mindset that I just don't Like or Connect with at all.

Anyway, Adorable Great-Granddaughters at their Dance Recital in their Recital Finery.   The Colors the Granddaughter chose for each Daughter was perfect, the Fair One looks great in Baby Blue and the Dark One looks great in Red.

And these Sisters are very, very close... and very Protective of their little Brother.  Tho' at first the Oldest One had jealousies coz she'd been an Only Child for more than a Minute and it had been all about her all of the time.  Sharing now... and basking in that Spotlight with Sibling Rivalry competing for the Attention and Center Stage... was something she had to slowly get used to.  *Smiles and Winks*  She was more than a bit of a Diva you see.   And that Younger Sister is full of Piss and Vinegar, that one!  *Bwahahahaha*   The Baby Brother is all Sweetness, so far, and has Two Big Sisters that absolutely Adore him, so, he's Golden.

 

Below is the Half-Sister of our Oldest Daughter that I told you has always been rather close to me, with her Oldest, a Son.  She has a Lovely Daughter too.   Now, this Sister was even Wilder than our Oldest Daughter was... a real Wild Child and so she did appreciate that she could never shock me and tell me anything and everything, as a confidant.  When sometimes I'm not even sure she told immediate Family back there at Home?   At our Oldest Daughter's Wedding for Example, this Sister was underage and got Drunk.  Everyone was oblivious and would have been Shocked... had they known.  But, I took her aside gently and told her to put away that Vodka she was spiking that Orange Juice with... and after that, she and I had an Understanding and we got along Fabulously.  She said she couldn't Run her Game on me... and I told her I never get so Old I Forget what it was like to be Young.  Nothing she was doing she had Invented.  *Winks* 

Below is the now Two Year Old Great-Granddaughter at her Birthday Party with her Two Besties.  Aren't they all Adorbs with their Sippy Cups?!

And Below is after partaking of the Birthday Cake... did you notice?  *Bwahahahaha*   All of her partook of said Cake, clearly!!!   A change of Wardrobe was necessary...

 

A few more Dance Recital Pixs Below:

The Birthday Girl, having more Wardrobe Changes than Heidi Klum on "Project Runway"!   *Bwahahahahahaha*

And Below is one of my Fav Pixs of The Daughter with Dad.

*******

Happy 4th of July from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian