In Real Time it's still my actual Birthday but I've had enuf Fun. *Smiles* The Son took both his Dad and I out for Breakfast, we didn't have anyone Home to look after The Man and he was in good Spirits so it went well with him joining us and he wanted to. We went to "First Watch" and I had the Tropical Floridian French Toast and my Gourmet Iced Coffee I always get from there. The Man had his Biscuits and Gravy Breakfast, The Son had some Mexican Style Breakfast he always gets from there. You can see The Son's healing Black Eye in the Pix that he got while at the Heavy Metal Concert and being too near the Mosh Pit. The back of the Young Guys Head hitting him right in the Face.
The Son needed a Nap after eating all of his, The Man and I took about 2/3 of ours Home for leftovers. Then we went and did some Environmental Cleanup at the River Nature Preserve, drove around looking at the bad Storm Damage in Litchfield Park, which is a Town near us that our Roofer said he's got a ton of Roofs to repair or replace there, they really got hammered and so many huge Trees were lost and ripped right out of the ground. Just about every other Home near the Golf Course had our Roofers Sign up in the Front Yard, so his Teams will be really busy. I took some Pixs of the carnage to give you some idea of how fierce it was and how many huge Old Trees were lost, mostly Pines, Palo Verde, and Palms. The Palms didn't get blown over but many had every Frond ripped off of them, that takes one helluva Wind force to do that to a Palm Tree!
Then I took The Man to "Baskin Robbins" and we had us some Birthday Ice-Cream, the Lady, when she knew it was my Birthday, gave me a 3rd Scoop for Free! Then I dropped The Man back off at Home and The Son said he'd take Care of Dad so I could go out and have some Me Time for my Birthday. All I did was trawl around Stores looking at the Halloween Merch, but I had such Fun doing it and taking Blog Fodder Imagery of it, I only Bought a couple used Halloween Decorations at a GOODWILL, one is a Jack O'Lantern with some Audrey Venus Flytrap Toothy Plants growing out of it, got it for only $3.99, it's so Cute. The other was a really nice Halloween Wooden Painted Wreath with great Graphics. The original Price Tag still on it, so it was New Old Stock from a Decor Store, I got it 90% Off the original Price. {See Below}
Then The Daughter and Danae came in with my Birthday Cake lit up, I blew all the Candles out at once. And my Gift, which they put in a Cute Fuzzy Purple Halloween Vampire Bat Bucket filled with all kinds of Licorice Treats, a flocked Purple Glass Skull Candle, a Spa Headband, and small Halloween Decorations. {See Below} The Cake was a layered Strawberry and Tiramisu Sponge Cake with Whipped Cream Icing... very light and delicious. We had Chinese Takeout for Dinner from "Dragon Garden". So, a very nice Birthday and memorable in the best of ways.
The Temps on my Birthday got up to 114, I Photographed the Temp when it was at 113 {See further Below}, but it did get to a Degree even Hotter a bit later, toasty!!! And Humid coz it's still Monsoon Season so the Humidity is quite high too, it's like a Sauna out there! So, not much was done Outside after around 10:00 a.m. so that you didn't spontaneously combust! *LOL* I drove around in an Air Conditioned Truck and ducked into Air Condition Buildings quickly all day long. *Smiles* Now I'm Home in nice AC Cooled comfort and I'm done Todaying for Today. I wore my "In Living Color" T-Shirt with a Cartoon version of Jamie Foxx as Wanda, with White Capris, I got loads of compliments on it, even from Young People probably not familiar with the Character and the 1990's Show... the Older Folks knew exactly what it was about. *LOL and Winks* I Loved the Wayans Bros. Shows and Movies of that Era.
Since it was Military Discount Day at the GOODWILLs I did pick up a few good Cookbooks, hard cover, and some Shirts. There's one location that prices their Men's T-Shirts so low they're practically giving them away before the Discount is applied. Below is one I got for Princess T, but, if she doesn't like it I'll Resell it at the Antique Mall. I got me a couple Tees and Paid less than $2 each for them. And the Books at GOODWILL are good Quality and Priced so low too, the Retail Price on each of them was $25-$40 each, I Paid around $2-$3 each.
Tomorrow we'll turn in our Aluminum Cans for Cash, I'll have the back of the Truck full of Bags of them to take to the Recycle Center. The Son had Q take a Pix of the ridiculously small Sunfish they caught and had to throw back so they could Grow Up. His Bobber is damned near bigger than the Fish!!! *LOL* While we were there Today we ran into some Fishermen we see there and talk to all the time while doing our Environmental Cleanup and they said they had to throw everything back too, coz too small and too young to keep. But the Young Fish are aggressively taking the Bait coz they're ravenously hungry and inexperienced, and there's a lot of the Young this time of Year, so it's hard to catch the Adult Game Sized Fish to Keep. But even a Bad Day Fishing is better than a Good Day at Work, Right? *Smiles*
Now for the Storm Carnage Images taken in the Litchfield Park Community on the Golf Course... and hammered all the Homes along the Golf Course too, most had lost a lot of their Roofing. The Trees you see laying all ripped out of the Ground are mostly 50-60 Foot Pine Trees that are probably at least 60 Years Old or more. But Mature Palo Verde and Eucalyptus Trees were also often ripped out of the Ground, and other Trees I don't know the Names of. Mesquite and Ironwood Trees for the most part are hard to uproot, so most of them just lost some Branches. The Pixs don't do justice to the gut wrenching devastation of seeing Miles of huge Old Trees ripped out of the Ground like this, while it was happening it must have been terrifying coz they are all close to Residential Properties. Many did lose their Landscaping and so many lost a large portion of their Roofing too... high end Luxury Homes, most with the Spanish Terra Cotta Tile Roofs just peeled back and thrown like projectiles thru stuff.
Below are the great Graphics on a Hawaiian Men's Shirt I didn't Buy coz it was the wrong Size for me. If it's still there on Half Price Day tho', which is Tomorrow, I'm gonna get it anyway coz I can put it on comfortably, just can't button it, but could wear a plain Tank Top Under it and leave it unbuttoned. I guess the GOODWILLs are having a Half Price Day Tomorrow on the 17th of August in Real Time too. Now they only do it a few times a Year rather than every Week like they used to before Pandemic. I just don't think they're getting the Donations anymore like they used to, is my speculation. But, I did notice Today they are making their Stores look nicer and a lot neater and more organized, like their Competitors do. And their Employees are being more respectful of the Merch as well and not as surly to Customers. I prefer Shopping at Chazzas coz of the variety and pricing being better. And whether a For Profit or Non-Profit Thrift Store, I Shop at both.
This 15th Anniversary Event at "Sweet Salvage" is having a VIP Early Entry Contest, I don't need to get in early so I'm not participating. Lately I've been arriving just before they open the Doors on Day One of the Four Day Event becoz there's nothing I am desperate to get anymore. *LOL* I just enjoy going, supporting local Businesses and doing a little bit of Retail Therapy anymore. There's nothing I want or need really and with my 5-to-1 Rule in place I'm discerning about purchases now coz for every ONE thing coming in FIVE must go out. So, it's really gotta either be a Deal or something I'm willing to give Five things up to get it. I don't mind just Window Shopping mostly now and covering an Event to give Free Advertising and Promoting to the Small Businesses and Friends who Sell there.
Princess T has another Dental Appointment to finish up some preventative Dental Work before she gets too Old to go to that Dentist when she turns 21. He had told her she could still come, he's just not sure her Insurance would pay for it? I think they will, she's on AHCCCS and they cover her Dental, so it shouldn't matter what Dentist she chooses and she's been with him since she has had Teeth. *Smiles* Becoz she has Social Anxiety Issues she knows the Staff and the Dentist, so is comfortable going there coz they know her so well and she's always gone there, he knows this about her. He knows both Grands I Raised have Mental Health Issues and he's so good with them both. The Young Prince misses going there but the Dentist actually saw him until he was 21 too. He's a Pediatric Dentist, but, Teeth are Teeth and he's a very good Dentist and doesn't do unnecessary procedures. He knows Princess T takes excellent Care of her Teeth too and is vigilant about her Dental Hygiene. She's never had a Cavity.
She didn't like this Shirt I got for her, so I'll resell it. I thought she'd think it was Cute, and she did, but she said it's not like she'd wear it around, she's discreet about Vaping her MJ to Calm her Anxiety and she's not a big Pothead. She uses it strictly for Medicinal purposes for Mental Well Being and it is very Helpful for those with Panic Attacks and Anxiety to be Calmer and more comfortable in Public and Social Situations. Otherwise it would be hard for her to interact and she'd be reclusive in her Room all of the time and voluntarily staying away from Peopling. She doesn't even interact with Family very much, she's as Reclusive as her Grandpa is actually, so they're like Two Peas in a Pod. They could go all Day without saying a Word to anyone and be quite Content Alone most of the time. I used to Worry that it wasn't Healthy for her to spend so much time Alone, but then I realized how tense and Anxious being around People can be for her, and that was more Unhealthy for her to force herself to. At Work she's getting better at it and they encourage her. They know how Shy and Reclusive she is.
She is being given little bits more to do around Customers so she can get used to it and she's doing very well, her Co-Workers say that Customers really Like her, and Co-Workers really Like her too. It's not a matter of not being Liked tho', she's always been well Liked coz she's a very Sweet Person and isn't Mean-Spirited, but, she doesn't Like People... and it's not Personal, ha ha ha... its so hard for her to be around other People. Even her Boyfriend, sometimes she tells Rusty she NEEDS a break from him being around her. It's hard for him coz he likes spending Time with her, but she has to spend Time with anyone in small increments, even me, and I'm her Favorite Person to spend Time with. She used to be my Shadow when she was Younger, and she'd get Anxiety if I went anywhere without her. She has Separation Anxiety Issues too, when it comes to me, she Worries all the time about when I will Die. Of coarse she Worried about that all her Life. With Grandpa when she was Toddeler Aged, she'd hold a little Compact Mirror up to his Mouth when he was Sleeping to make sure he was still Alive!!!
The other day she got very Emotional, with Tears welling up in her Eyes, and was projecting how many Years I probably only have left! She didn't mean it in a Bad Way and I knew this, so I kept a sense of Humor about it, I know the Math and the Statistics. The Average Lifespan for Males in the U.S. is 76.5 and 81.4 for Females, which is pretty good actually... if you're one of the Lucky few to make it that long. So, she's done the Basic Math for both Grandpa and I, knowing he's had Fragile Health for a long time now and is probably only still among the Living coz we won't let him Die and have had him avoid Dying when he's had these very close Calls, which have been so numerous that it's all she remembers, is her Grandpa being Disabled and very Sickly. She doesn't remember him being any other way. Anyway, I joked our way thru the conversation coz I could tell it was laying heavy on her Heart and Mind.
Most especially since she'd said a couple things about her Mom that made me Laugh, but also almost Choked me up. We were in SAVERS and her Mom came up to the Cart excited to have found Two little things and ask if I'd get them for her. I agreed. She ran off giddy as a Child. Princess T deadpanned, "Well, I'm going to be YOU, Gramma, in about 10 Years... and she'll be running up to my Cart asking if I'll get things for her..." I had to Laugh, tho' she was Serious and it was a Serious Observation that is very accurate becoz her Mom will always have the Serious Mental Illness and require being looked after by other folks ensuring she is Safe enough. Schizophrenics have a tough row to hoe and many end up Institutionalized off and on, or for a Lifetime, she knows this about her Mom and her Older Brother, and that it is their Fate, and it Scares her that she may be all they have when I'm Gone. It is a LOT for a 20 Year Old to have to contemplate as a Future concerning Seriously Ill/Disabled Loved Ones.
Blessings, Love and Light from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian
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