Pretending To Be Retired

I know I already used this Lead Image, but I liked how it turned out, so it's a good Lead-In Hook Pix for a New Post.  *Smiles*  I'm so many Unpublished Posts ahead now I don't really need to Blog for a Fortnight or more, but, whatever.  I want to just sit at Home and Gel, Blog, take longs Naps, do nothing at all when I am Awake... but, that's not my Reality... dammit!  Isn't pretending to be Retired supposed to work like that?  *Le Sigh*  Well, at least I cancelled the fill-in Shift at the Antique Mall for Tonight, I don't even know why I accepted it in the first place, knowing how Physically spent I've been lately, barely making it to early Afternoon before I'm done Todaying for Today.  It truly Bites... but... I don't even know yet why, so I have to just Stop when necessary.

I did get some of my Wardrobe switched around in here... and in The RV Garage Mahal, where some of it is now residing.  I've culled my Closet and entire Wardrobe, so there's nothing more I'm inclined to get rid of.  But, I wanted my favorite things to wear to be most accessible.  Then the less favorite things I don't wanna wear as often to be out of the way.  Perhaps then I'll detach from them enuf to Sell them too, I dunno?  Clothing is Selling well in the Showroom, I brought Home a bunch of empty display Hangars, so I know how many have moved, it was a lot.   I changed the Clothing around in the Showroom to give it a fresher look and have all the Hangars facing in the same direction again.

That also gave me a sense of which T-Shirts haven't Sold yet.  But I actually didn't have many that were in Inventory a long time, so that's a good sign, that overall they're Turning quickly as I put new Merch in, it's not just the freshest Inventory that is Selling.  I have too many on the Racks really, so have been holding back bringing in more.  I have more, but slowly the She Shed Storage of Inventory is thinning out really fast, which is good.  Then I can Purge more out of The RV Garage Mahal or the Main House and put it in there as Inventory that will be Moving Out eventually and Sold.  Donations I do the day I fill up Boxes of it.  But most things now are Sellable and the Money comes in handy.

There's a lot I could be doing to wade thru Possessions and do more towards The Great Edit & Purge Project.  I just haven't been in the Head Space or Mood to and totally lack the Physical Energy to either.   Plus, the Showroom and Locked Case at the Antique Mall are quite full and no real empty Space to cram more in there to Sell.  The Daughter said she's doing a Yard Sale this Weekend.  Each time she's done one we've been disappointed, that even being frontage on a Main Road that is very heavily trafficked and visible, attendance was poor.  To me its not been worth the effort and work she put into Hosting one.  That has Surprised me coz this Location, I thought would be Ideal for Hosting them.

I just don't see folks attending them like they used to, back in the day you could Host a Yard Sale and really make a lot of Money on a Weekend.  I never liked Hosting them coz the Yard Sale Demographic became mostly annoying to me and I don't like Strangers swarming onto my Property either.  No telling what else they're Eyeballing that isn't For Sale and they may be Casing your Joint for.   I'm skeptical like that of folks I just don't know and so don't want to Invite Randoms onto my Private Property.  *LOL*  I just don't Trust Randoms.  Society has too many Criminally inclined who think Theft is a Victimless Crime and it's not a Big Deal to Steal.  Just Loss Prevention in a Retail Space can be challenging, I don't want folk like that coming to my Home!

I make The Daughter set up in The RV Driveway.  Which is long and has enuf space in front of our Locked Gates, that actually Attendees of her Yard Sales never really are allowed where we don't want them to be on our Property.  They can't really see much from there and it respects my Privacy while she's Hosting one, I don't have to Deal with the Randoms who drop by.  *LOL*  I loan her my large folding Tables and Tarps.  She can play Music on her Speakers on the 5th Wheel she lives in, which is behind the Locked Gates too.  For ambiance it sets a nice Mood and she's got the Shade of all our Biggest Trees on the Property to be out there for however long she Hosts one and people show up.  Nosey folks can't and don't see anything and that's how I like it.  *Smiles*

I'm not becoming part of the Anti-Social Social Club, I just lost a lot of my Trust in Randoms... you've got to EARN my Trust, it's not Freely Given.  And if I don't know you, I certainly don't Trust you.  So, anyway she may be doing that this Weekend and we'll see how it goes?  She's been doing a lot of Housecleaning Jobs for some Money and finding other ways to have a small stream of income since she can't Work and is still Paranoid about applying for SSI.  She wants to see how it goes for her Paranoid Schizophrenic Son first, then MEBBE she said she might let me Help her to re-apply for SSI Benefits again.  She Qualified over 20 Years ago and she's not any Weller than she was back then, just Older... no Cure for Schizophrenia and other Serious Mental Illnesses.

It would be nice if she and her Son had some Income of their own, however unlivable an amount it would be receiving SSI, it would Help defer their Support all being on our Dime of Fixed Income.  Our Pensions and The Man's Disability Income isn't really enuf to support a Family of Six and all our expenses here at Forever Boheme'.   The Master Plan had initially been to have no Mortgage, no Vehicle Payment, no Loan Debt, in Retirement... we had it for a Minute... and then Life happens, shit happens, you adapt, pivot and improvise.   I like this Property better than the Paid Off ones we've had, but it would be Nice to NOT have a big Mortgage in Retirement, or Debt of any kind.  It was never my Master Plan to.  Being a Retired Bank Executive, I had a Master Retirement Plan in place and even accomplished at one point... which, got shot to Hell when Life plays out differently.

I never expected to be Raising Grandchildren.  Never expected The Man to become so ill and disabled he'd be Mandatorily Retired and require Full Time Unpaid Caregiving... by me... requiring my forced Early Retirement and forfeit of the bulk of my own Pension.  Never expected that The Man would be in his catastrophic accident in my Paid Off Vehicle, which was Totaled, but Saved his Life coz it was a Big Truck.  Never expected to be forced to Sell our Paid Off Historic Home and Acreage to qualify to Adopt our Grandkids when that became mandatory to, as Laws changed about Kinship Placements.   Didn't expect all the Adult Kids and then the Adult Grandkids to all need to move back or remain here at Home coz there's no Affordable Housing Locally anymore.

  Didn't expect the ones that can Work to go thru so much Job Loss or Underemployment due to a shitty Economy.  So much happened that you ditch Original Plans and just make New ones.   And so now here we are.  Living the Dream.  *Bwahahahaha*   But, it's important to be flexible with Dreams and Life Goals coz everything is subject to change without notice really, we never know what our Futures hold.  What challenges we'll face, things can't always be accurately predicted.  Some things go Right and some things go Wrong.   And often, some changes work out for the better in the long run, so, mostly, things are as they should be.  I don't always handle change well at first, I'm a Creature of Habit.  Involuntary change can be Good for me then and get me out of my Comfort Zone and able to receive more.

We're back now from Today's gig The Daughter had, it went well and Today I felt well for the entire time.  *Whew*  I think perhaps the day before I might have gotten some Heat Exhaustion?  Today I stayed inside AC the whole time and felt better.  I had a nice Brunch at "The Tipsy Egg" at around 1:00 p.m. coz I hadn't eaten Breakfast.  I had the Acai Bowl and a side of Fruit again.  I didn't Buy anything at the Antique Mall this day tho' my Vendor Friend had made an Altered Art T-Shirt Top with Grateful Dead Graphics and Batik Material on the Arms that I LOVED, but it was too small for me.  I think it had been a Child's Tee coz the Neck was too Small to fit over an Adult Head.  Bummer, and Dammit!  I would have bought it, had it fit, no way it would tho'.  {See Below}  I think I would have had to Cut the Neck of it to make it fit over an Adult Head.  I wasn't sure I wanted to pay that much and then have to make Alterations that might not work.

The Daughter and I went to the GOODWILL Clearance Center and got a lot of Clothing by the Pound.  Most of mine was to Resell, most of hers was to wear.  I got The Son some Clothing, and a few pieces for my own Wardrobe too.  The Daughter got some Kicks there as well, White Brand Name Tennis Shoes.  There are a slew of very Young Male and Female Pickers there who do Resale.  I never seen so many in one place and they seem to be there all of the time.  Overhearing them they all seem to know one another and do their Resale Online.  On that side of the Valley the Demographic of Picker seems to be mostly Teenagers or Twentysomethings and White.  Very Nice Young People tho' and far more courteous that the Westside Pickers when hitting the Tables as they come out.  It can be a Free-for-all Westside.  There everyone behaves and has manners and is respectful of everyone else getting to the Tables.

Plus I noticed a better Quality of Merch in the Clearance Center over there and the Building is also Air Conditioned, which it isn't at the much bigger Clearance Center Westside which is in an Industrial Warehouse and Hotter than Hell itself.  I haven't been to the Westside Location in a long time now and usually wouldn't in Summer anyway, too Hot.  Plus, Pickin' around Polite folks is preferable to Pickin' around those acting Feral and losing their Minds, like the West Valley Location seems to attract.  Seriously, the vast majority at the West Valley Clearance Center are Rude, Socially don't show any semblance of Manners or Etiquette, and it's almost like being in the Ring.  I can hold my own against folks acting Uncivilized, but, I'd rather not.  We got "Dragon Garden" Chinese Takeout for Dinner when we got back Home.  Above is the Mongolian Beef and Spring Rolls but we also got Egg Drop Soup, Steamed Rice, and Vegetables with Lo Mein Noodles.

Tomorrow we finally have nothing on the Calendar so I may take The Man out for a Ride.  He's been stuck in the House a lot coz his Mobility is still compromised and taking the Show on the Road is just hard with him in his present condition.  But he needs to feel inclusive and like he's got something to look forward to doing and engaging in.  I know he's been very depressed and feeling like more of a burden as his Health deteriorates along with his Mind, it's a double whammy.  I want to do things with him but not so much that he has a Medical Emergency becoz it was too much too soon, a difficult balancing act.  If his Cardiac Rehab was scared to exercise him this last Session, then I don't know how much is too much of just everyday activities he's trying to participate in with us?!   I don't have the Medical Monitoring the Hospital has to tell how he's Coping Physically or in distress and pushing too hard.  I think his Heart is still very weak and not functioning optimally now.

He Loves his new Exercise Equipment I got him tho' and uses it voluntarily now every day he won't be having Cardiac Rehab.  They don't want him doing any Exercise on his Cardiac Rehab days scheduled.  And it's something he feels like he can do while sitting and watching TV, moving his Legs and his Arms with it to keep them strengthened and not atrophying.   We just keep it there in the Livingroom coz it's not that big and doesn't take up a lot of room and is where he likes to use it.  I may ask him what he'd like to do Tomorrow?  We'll do whatever it is early before the Heat sets in and then be back before his Sundowners kicks in too.   His Moods and Behavior past 3:00 p.m. deteriorates rapidly now.  We still don't know if or what we'll do for the 4th of July?  Becoz it's the 250th we feel the Fireworks Displays may be bigger and more extravagant, so we'd like to see a Display this Year.  We heard a lot of places are actually doing it on the 3rd of July which will be Tomorrow Night in Real Time.  Westgate in Glendale near the Stadium is closest to us and we could probably see their Displays from near the House, they're doing it July 3rd.

 

Our City is having it at Phoenix International Raceway on July 4th.  So, we might do both the Glendale and Avondale Fireworks Displays since they are Free Venues and not as Crowded usually as Downtown Phoenix at the State Capitol.   So, I've scoped out Two Locations for Friday and Saturday Nights and we'll see how that might work, depending on how The Man feels coz I don't wanna get stuck in a Traffic Jam with his Poor Health, nor do I want to risk him getting Overheated being Outside coz it doesn't Cool Off much after Dark now and can still be over 100 Degrees at Night.   Of coarse I do know some areas near PIR where we do Environmental Cleanup that we could sit and watch the Displays and they are close enuf they should still be visible at the Raceway Event if getting closer might be not such a good idea.   Glendale is trickier coz it's built up around there a lot and not a lot of random places you could go to ensure seeing it without going to the actual Venue area.  Since he has trouble Walking, I don't know I'd risk having to get far from the Vehicle and just be in some Parking Lot.

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Celebrations will be long over by the time this Publishes... so I do Hope you had a Happy 4th of July 250th Birthday of America... Dawn... The Bohemian