I had Old People Insomnia last Night so I was up super Early even tho' I could have slept in coz nobody Works on a Sunday here. So, I decided to get to The Desert Botanical Gardens when they Opened at 7:00 a.m. and do the last Day they were Celebrating Dia de los Muertos. It was lovely at Sunrise there and they have a Light Show that isn't on during the Day, so that was great to experience and I got to Photograph it just at Sunrise. The Ofrenda was so packed with what everyone had put on it to Honor their Dearly Departed that you could hardly see it anymore, so I'm glad I went on Day One and Photographed it in it's more pristine condition. But, it was lovely and so Moving to see everyone's offerings, Family Photos of those they Lost, and Notes put up on the Altars. Just about every Square Inch was covered in what folks had added, very Touching.
Unfortunately the Outside Cafe' was out of the Green Chili Pork Stew, I had really wanted to have some on the crisp chilly Morning coz it was so Cold I could see my Breath this Morning and everything was tinged with Frost. Then Warmed up to 82 Degrees by Noon. I did still take a lot of Photos. And, I was disappointed to learn the Mercado wouldn't begin, or any of the Dancing, Music, Costumed Performers, until after Noon!!! No way I was hanging around for Four more Hours for that and by then it would be crowded too. I'd come early to avoid crowds and for the first Hour practically had the whole Garden to myself. The second Hour I was there it began to fill up and that was my cue to bounce. I went to "Five & Diner" for Brunch instead by 9:30 a.m..
I had the Cadillac Meatloaf Dinner, since, when you're Old, you can eat whatever you want whenever you want it. Coz we have a different Relationship with Time in Retirement and Old Age. So Meatloaf Dinner for Breakfast it was! *Winks* And it was delicious, I ate all the Mixed Veggies and Texas Toast, half the Mashed Taters & Gravy, one slice of the Meatloaf with Mushrooms/Gravy/Crispy Onion Straws. Then I brought Home the other half of the Taters and other Meatload Slice with what was on it for The Man. Plenty for both of us and that's all he eats when we go there anyway, he always gives me his Veggies and Texas Toast. I had their delicious Strawberry Lemonade too. There was a Car Club eating there that had their Vintage Cars in the Parking Lot and they were Old Guys and those Cars were Original 1st Cars they'd Owned since their Teen Years, I was impressed at how good Care they'd taken all their Lives of their 1st Cars!
I was heavily preggy with The Daughter at the time and the Seats of that were on the Floor and I'd have to roll my Pregnant Ass out of the Car. I only weighed 118 when I Delivered her, but had been 98 lbs. before ever having Children, and it just wasn't a practical Car for a very Pregnant Woman or a Newborn Baby, so by 8 Months Pregnant, I Sold the Car to my younger Brother. *Smiles* By the time my 1st Kid was Born I was more into Trucks and only bought Toyota, Nissan {used to be Datsun}, or Mitsubishi... to this day I still only drive those coz they serve me well and I'm past my infatuation with driving American Muscle Cars, tho' I still admire them. In Arizona, Mustangs used to overheat coz their Radiators were too small for Desert Driving in this extreme Heat.
My Maverick used to overheat a lot too but had a bigger Radiator, still, if you had to stop every so many Miles to tend to an overheating Radiator situation and always carry tons of Water, too much of a Pain in the Ass just to have the Style of a Muscle Car. I had 100 Spoke Chrome Rims on my Maverick, those were a Bitch to keep shiny and clean too, but they looked so damned Good. And we'd Cruise Central Avenue and Race with other Cars, I had a 302 V-8 Stock Engine so it was a fast Quarter Car and I'm still a Lead Foot to this Day. *LOL* Before I Dated The Daughter's Father I Dated a Professional Racecar Driver that also worked for Max of Switzerland Dealership that Serviced Luxury Cars like Rolls Royce and Maserati's here in Phoenix.
He had a Shelby Mustang that was Gun Metal Grey with a Roll Bar Inside instead of a Back Seat and half the Engine was in the Front Seat. That Shelby could blow the Doors off a Porsche Carrera and he often did just that Street Racing. He could put a $100 Bill on the Dashboard and say if you could grab it when he punched the Accelerator, you could have it... you could. not. do. it!!! It was like a fucking Jet taking off! *LOL* He quit Racecar Driving when he had a Bad Accident in a Pro Race and put the Racecar upside a Wall, damned near leaving nothing but the Frame and him strapped in his Seat. He had an Identical Twin Brother, but after the Accident, due to the reconstructive Surgeries he hadda have on his Face to put him back together, they didn't look alike anymore! But, he was still a Handsome Italian Stallion. *Winks*
Anyway, enuf of Nostalgia, back to the Here & Now. I stopped by "World Market" and they were having a Golden Santa Scavenger Treasure Hunt, Four Golden Santas hidden in the Store and if you found them you got a $50 Gift Certificate. I had wondered why there were a throng of people waiting in a group before they even opened, a huge amount of Japanese Tourists were there, they seem very keen on Scavenger Hunts and were speaking Japanese, so I don't know if they were Tourists on Vacation? We're finally starting to get our International Tourists again, they have stayed away due to Donnie Two Dolls Offending the Whole World and NOT making America a Trusted Destination to go on Vacation anymore. In fact, we had Travel Advisory Warnings Worldwide for the United States, like you usually reserve for Politically unstable and dangerous corrupt led Nations!!! Well, with this Regime we are unstable, dangerous and corrupt now, no doubt about it.
Anyway, all Four Golden Santas were found in short order, I wasn't looking all that hard for them coz I was there to see if they had any Sales Post-Holiday. They did and I got Four large Bottles of Imported Olive Oil, from Greece, France, Spain and Portugal, usually $19.99 a Bottle, for only $3 each!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Color me Happy, we use a lot of Olive Oil and it's usually very expensive, so I stock up when I can get the better Brands discounted. I also saw that at Grocery Stores and Big Box Stores Today, Coffee had skyrocketed to about $16 a Box for the individual K-Cup Pods!!! So I went to my Discount Grocer and got every Specialty kind they had in the K-Cup Pods for only $4.99 a Box of various Starbucks types {Sunsera, Pike Place, Holiday Blend, Fall Blend, Creme' Brulee, Sumatra, Verona, French Roast, House Blend, Vanilla Lavender, Veranda, Breakfast Blend, Caramel, Vanilla, Pumpkin Spice, and Blonde Veranda} LaVazza, Death Wish Coffee, Black Rifle Coffee, Seattle's Best, Bulletproof Coffee, Medium & Dark Roast Trader Joe's Brand. I could become a Barista right here at Home now! *LOL*
I had a $15 Discount too there so Three Boxes of the 10-Pod Coffees were Free to me. Since Coffee had skyrocketed in price and we drink a lot of it I wasn't hesitating to get what they had before everyone does a Run on it there. That's what happened with the Ocean Spray Cranberry different Flavored individual Bottle drinks, they had a Run on them and now are out and probably won't get more in. They get Overstock so you never know what they'll get in or when they'll ever get it again, if ever. So, you gotta get yours while there's still some left. I also got Boxes of Cereal, the really good Brands, for 99 Cents each, so stocked up on that too. And they had Eli's Gourmet Cat Food also on deep Discount, so I stocked up on that as well while they have it. Alas, they no longer have Cheap Wild or Exotic Bird Seed, so I couldn't Score any of that for our Wild Bird Friends.
Amber came over so us Gals, The Niece, The Daughter, Amber and I, sat Outside and visited around the Pool area. It's a Beautiful pleasant day and has been all day long, it's still 80 degrees at 4:00 p.m., but with a light Breeze. This is why Snow Birds flock here in the Fall and Winter Months. And they are here in force now, for sure, they are apparent everywhere. Some are very friendly and outgoing with Locals, some just are enjoying a Vacation and acting very Touristy, some have 2nd Homes here they live in half the Year or a few Weeks of every Year if it's just a Vacay Home they Own. Most have Means, since, you don't go on lots of Vacations, especially lengthy ones, or Own Two or several Homes if you don't have the Means to be able to. But not all are Pretentious, I've met some Lovely people who became Friendly with me when they're in Arizona, but from somewhere else that's their Home State or Country.
One of the things that The Man and I did on Saturday was go look at what the Flooding across the Roads in and around the Nature Preserve. They are really destroyed and I don't see us being able to go there most of the Winter since a lot of major construction and expense is gonna be required. Not being able to be near the Rivers for so long is a bummer, we enjoy the Nature Preserve, but, it's not done Flooding yet and we have no idea yet how much more catastrophic Weather might hit either. Nationally it's been very irregular Weather that is highly unpredictable and causing a lot of damage and high risks now. People have been harmed or Died, Properties have been damaged or destroyed. So I don't want to get too complacent. We don't even have our Roof replacement started either coz the Roofers are so behind coz so many Properties received considerable damage and current Storms are stacking up more damage on top of existing damage to Properties locally.
I am a Hoarder, I ain't gonna Lie and it is like a Disease that if you are afflicted with it, battling it is constant. I Hoard nice or necessary things, not Trash, and for the most part it never gets to a level that would require a definite intervention or need Sanitary or Safety Concerns either. I like a Home that is visually pleasing and people tell me it is, so, mostly they say nothing about what I find to be bothering about it. Mebbe they're too Polite to, I dunno? *LOL* So, for right now I'm going to tackle a room of it again and then get back to Blogging later on... since, I do prefer doing this to doing that... if I tidied up and organized as frequently as I Blog then it would be Done already. *Bwahahahaha*
Well, as I walk in to clean the Kitchen this is what I see! How Crazy is that?! A fake Eyelash in the Yellow Death Mac N Cheese Container! Princess T said to tell my Bloggers it wasn't hers!!! Hadda be her Mother's or one of Mom's equally Crazy Friends like Amber!? *Bwahahahha* Sometimes what the Kiddos leave in their wake just cracks me up and definitely makes for some hilarious Blog Fodder, No? *Smiles* Nothing Surprises me anymore actually, I've seen it all... or at least I think I have until I see something like this, that is!!!!! *LOL* I quit the Cleanup and Decluttering after about 40 Minutes once I got overwhelmed and my Executive Function just went to shit. The Young Prince told me the best thing to do is to just Step Away, Regroup, and come back later when those unsettling Feelings aren't as Paralyzing and Overwhelming to me. Otherwise, Emotionally I start to get really bottomed out and agitated. So, some got Done... most didn't. Some being better than None. *Winks*
Princess T is mad at her Cat and doing her Room coz he was Naughty again with her long absence of being over at Rusty's for the Weekend. He is prone now to pissing on something of hers in defiance. And if it's on her Bed she's really Mad at him, which, I don't blame her. He's on thin Ice right now with her. We're getting a lot of Spam Callers on our Phones right now, probably those damned Medicare Advisors trying to talk you into switching Plans, it's almost worse than the Political Calls during Elections when Open Enrollment is upon us for Medicare, its nonstop Calls we aren't interested in receiving. I forbid The Man to talk to them coz he'll agree to anything or get confused about what the caller is even trying to explain or do... and I don't want him Recorded Agreeing to something that then I have to run damage control behind and explain it's not valid coz he has Dementia and TBI... so is Mentally Impaired. I'm sure many Seniors are and get themselves into all kinds of binding shit they weren't competent to have Agreed to Ethically or Legally if their cognitive decline is extreme.
But we have someone like that as President in the White House and they're still allowing him to make crucial decisions, while being Bat Shit Crazy AND in serious Cognitive Decline, so, mebbe it's what we've come to as a Nation, I dunno? Do we really even get phased at whatever Crazy shit he says, does or Tweets anymore becoz it's been this way now for 10 fucking Years with him, worsening by the Minute?! He should have been removed and Institutionalized for his own good and the good of the Nation, a long, long time ago. There is nobody in my Crazy Family who is as Crazy as that man, and that's saying something!!! *LOL* And when other Crazy People notice and say you're too Crazy, that's about as Crazy as it fucking gets on the spectrum and Far Side of how Crazy a Person can get or be. Donnie Two Dolls is definitely at the FAR Side of Crazy, Pegged Out and Certifiable.
Okay, so, we establish I Faded at the Gate in doing the Work around here that needs doing and I haven't had the Bandwidth yet to tackle Pricing Inventory either. The House is a Hot Mess and looks it too, but, I don't even have the Energy to Burn the Place to the Ground actually. *LOL* In fact, I don't FEEL like Working at all, so, I probably will cut myself some slack and not Work, since, allegedly I AM supposed to be Fucking Retired, Right? *Bwahaha and Eye Roll* Now I don't have to GO to Work, I just Wake Up and it's all around me!!! *Le Sigh and Winks* I am probably on extended Burnout coz I know what that Feels like, I did have it in my Corporate Lives too as some juncture and at least I was getting PAID handsomely to do all that. None of what I do around here comes with a fucking Check. *Humphhhhhh and Fucky Darn* So there's little incentive or motivation, it's like running on a Hamster Wheel actually, you get nowhere and there's no Reward. Just an Exercise in Futility. *Le Sigh*
Plus I'm bummed the Holidays I enjoy most are over. Tho', by this Month already and Mid-Month Christmas will kick in to High Gear. They're already playing Christmas Music in most of the Stores now! Which, that was a Surprise when it was only the 5th and TARGET had the Christmas Music Playing when I was in there!!! Now, don't get me Wrong, I'm not one to complain about Holiday Music, I find it to be uplifting unless they play the C&W Depressing Christmas Songs where the Poverty Stricken Kid is Buying his Dying Mother New Shoes so when she meets Jesus they will somehow matter! *Eye Roll* When I hear C&W Christmas Music I think to myself, well, this could account for a portion of Christmas Suicides if they're listening to this shit during the Holidays, that's for sure... makes me wanna Slash a Wrist and I Love and revel in Christmas and it's Vibes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lord have Mercy it's depressing, despondent and Hopeless Lyrics to that Genre!!! Perhaps why so many MAGA are of that demographic, and make even whatever Crazy shit he's saying sound good to them, I dunno?
But, it was of the Happier Vintage Variety of Christmas Music, so it was Uplifting to trawl TARGET listening to it and seeing Christmas being hauled out and put up on all the Shelves now. There are some lovely Christmas Offerings this Season tho' I rarely, if ever, Buy any Christmas Themed Merch anymore. I'm more on the downside of Christmas Decorating now I'm considerably Older and I have a Christmas Closet, that's Walk-In Sized and full of Christmas Decor, with some overspill in The RV Garage Mahal Storage of it too. Now that I have half The She Shed cleared out of Stored Inventory I also have a large faux Christmas Tree Stored in a Corner of it too. I got that little Tabletop 4 ft. Christmas Tree at SAVERS this Year on The Cheap which will go up this Year and be Decorated easily and quickly. It's small enuf it will go down easily and quickly too, which was a consideration. This Year even Princess T said she's probably not putting up a Tree in her Room, first time ever, she usually does. She has put too much new stuff to Decorate her Room regularly with, to have Placement now for a Tree.
Of coarse we have Two Alcoholics at Home {Son and Daughter} so, I never buy Alcohol or keep it at Home even for Guests, they must bring their own if they want to imbibe. Except for what the Alcoholics have bought for themselves, it would be a Dry Home completely and I'm Okay with that. Never needed it or Cigs in my Life or Home, never want it either. It's a Smoke Free Home as well, Smokers have to Smoke outside in the Smoking Area that only was set up for the Smokers after Adult Kids who Smoke moved in, I've never Smoked and The Man gave up Smoking and Drinking when he met me and realized I did neither and tolerated neither in a Partner either... Deal Breaker for Moi. If you Smoked or Drank, I probably wouldn't even consider you coz my Ex was an Alcoholic and Drug Addict, so I've had Enough of living with that. And I don't want my Home smelling like a Dirty Old Ashtray either, yuk and Gak! I was so glad when they Banned Smoking in Stores, Work Places and Restaurants. Tough transition for the Smokers, since most were Addicted to their Cancer Sticks.
Even now, at the Antique Mall, if I Work a Shift with a Smoker I ask them how they ever held down a Career with as many Smoke Breaks as they Need to take?! Christ on a Bike, you're only here 4 Hours, is a Smoke Break every 15 Minutes Telling that it's a serious Problem for you? We have some Chain Smokers clearly... and honestly, I don't wanna cover for you coz you have an Addiction that takes you away from the Work you're supposed to be doing. Being gone that frequently that everyone else has to do your Work FOR you when you're out there Smoking rather than up to the Job!!! Same with folks who can't put down their Phones... Addiction is never good for anyone, renders you less functional or tolerable and places burdens on everyone else due to your Addiction. When I'm on Base and I see all the Young GI's on their Phones constantly I'm thinking, WTF do they do during a War, take their Phones into Battle doing this?! Es No Bueno. *Eye Roll*
I worked on things about an Hour more and didn't feel as Overwhelmed or stuck inside my own Head as much, so got more done, then quit once I got physically tired. I found out from a fellow Local Blog Friend/Reader that after 30 Years they changed the Veteran's Day Parade Route in Downtown Phoenix from Central Avenue to 3rd Street between McDowell Road and Indian School Road, ending near the VA Hospital! That sucks, way less Parking, which Downtown Parking is already limited and a chore for any large Event, a very Strange choice of Route since 7th Street or 7th Avenue would have made more sense, 3rd Street is not a good Choice for Routing a large Parade. Our Veteran's Day Parade has often been the biggest one in the Nation and we always go coz it's The Man's Special Day to be Honored and he so looks forward to that, being Recognized for his Many Years of Service to Country, just shy of 40 Years worth!!! Plus, he is a Highly Decorated actual War Hero.
So, I Google Earthed the new Route and saw where I MIGHT be able to find Parking close enuf I can Walk a Disabled Veteran or Wheel him in a Wheelchair, Curbside to watch the Parade along 3rd Street. There's an Affluent Neighborhood nearby where a large 1800's Victorian sits on Acreage right on the Corner of Palm Lane and 3rd Street which looks Hopeful to me to snag a spot to Park. But, if Parking is ridiculous I can't do it coz he's too Disabled to Walk far and lug all his Medical Equipment, so for Disabled Veterans this is going to be a really piss poor change of what the Route is and I'm sure there will be complaints about it later. They claim it was due to "Heightened Security", just WTF?! Did they have any High Security Concerns or Issues in the past 30 Years that have suddenly escalated in 2026 or do they think the Outcome of this Election might have caused some? I do wonder what "Heightened Concerns" they Speak of? They were very vague on the Website.
After all, the MAGA who Lost are the most Violence Prone Devoted Cult Base that PRETEND to be Patriots and wouldn't be above doing Domestic Terrorist Acts again REAL Patriotic Veterans who Served and are being duly Honored. They Worship a Sex Offending Five Time Draft Dodger too Cowardly to Serve and pretended to have Bad Feet. He's 80 now and Walks just fucking Fine for his advanced Age, so you can't tell me that as a Young Draft Age Man his Feet were so Bad he couldn't go to War. His Rich Daddy just Paid Off some Doctor to say he had Bad Feet, but all thru the 70's he sure was at a lot of Discos Dancing Away with his Pedophile Bro's like Epstein, on those alleged Bad Feet and the Vietnam War didn't end 'til 1975. A lot of the Yahoos who act like they would Fight for Donnie Two Dolls sure turned on his Ass when they thought mebbe he'd reinstate the Draft and send them to Iran to Die for his Ego and Greed Based Illegal War he and his Spawn are making lotsa Money on with Government Contracts and Lord knows what other shady Backroom Backdoor Deals.
Anyway, even if the Parade Route makes it so we can't find Parking and just have to forget about attending this Year until they put it back on a reasonable Route that Works for Attendees and Disabled Veterans, I'll take him for his Free Meal at "Applebees". I almost forgot it was already gonna be Veteran's Day on Wednesday, so much has been going on I lost track of what's coming up in a hurry!!! So, Thanks Taja for informing us of the Change and New Route, they haven't been Advertising any of that worth a damn so there will probably be lots of confusion and folks lining up at Wrong locations along Central Avenue where it's been for Three Decades, I highly suspect.
It could end up being a real confusing Cluster Fuck, I Hope not, since Veterans and their Families do look forward to this and those participating in the Parade and putting it on do put a lot of Work and Effort into it too. Many come from all over the State to be in the Parade. And it being culminated at the VA Hospital is something perhaps Hospitalized Veterans might appreciate, I dunno? Depends how much of it they could see thru the South facing VA Hospital Windows I suppose? We'll see how it all Plays Out on Wednesday? I start my new Night Shift on Friday Nights starting this Friday The 13th, so I'm trying to build up my Stamina so I'll Feel more like it was a good idea to accept it? Right now I'm more inclined to Feel like, What WAS I Thinking!? *LOL*
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Happy belated Veteran's Day by the time this Post Publishes... Dawn... The Bohemian
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