Update: Great News!

This will be a Two-Fer Post Day and I'll skip Publishing a Post Tomorrow then.  First things first before we get to the Great News Later:  Okay, so, I still feel weak and fatigued, no energy and a bad headache, but, my Numbers are excellent!  I'll take a 118 Reading all day long.  But, it's probably more due to Fasting than this horrid Dietary intake I feel was making me feel really Sick and I clearly wasn't tolerating physically.  So, I did make the call in to my Doc's Office, she doesn't work Mondays but they'll leave her the Message on if what's happening is Normal or concerning?  This might be an adjustment period that will pass while my Body detoxes from anything that was driving my numbers back up?   If I know I won't be feeling this way all the time and permanently, I will power thru the No or Low Carb Dietary Misery I'm experiencing.  I remember Big Kenny did say I might feel like Shit for a couple Weeks.  And Blog Friend Shirley, who has restricted Diet, said I could be Purging, so it makes sense when you go Cold Turkey with a major shift in intake.   But it Feels all Wrong and instinctively I feel quite Alarmed it's not Normal or Safe for me. 

I just can't really take care of business whilst feeling this Shitty, so The Man is pretty much having to rely on the Kiddos to Care for him when they're not Working.   Between the Three of them it's relatively decent Caregiver coverage, but, he's very anxious about me feeling this bad and I can't fake that I'm feeling good.  Just sitting here Blogging is a push, I've been lying down a lot and having trouble staying awake.   Then waking up with extreme fatigue from The Jump, so, nothing is getting done that I usually do, nada, zilch, it's all come to a screeching halt and piling up.  So, then I feel pretty depressed about that and sink lower into a Funk I'm having difficulty climbing out of.  It's a physical and emotional One-Two Punch and I don't wanna Do anything now.

But, my Numbers are Great!  *Bwahahahaha*   And other than all that, everything is Swell.  *Eye Roll*   So, I'm Blogging so I won't just crawl right back into Bed and Sleep the Day away, which is what I FEEL like doing.  I did make myself a decent One Egg Omelet for Breakfast with Fresh Spinach, Roasted Corn, Onion N Bell Peppers Southwest Relish.  Drank an 8 oz. V8 and had a Coffee Yoghurt, since I'm trying to use those up so they aren't wasted.  Nobody else eats Yoghurt and they do have about 4-6 Grams of Carbs per Serving, which is considered very low Carbs.   A Very Low Carb Diet is usually restricted to 20-50 Grams per Day, I'm well, well, under that since I started.  I haven't managed Zero Carbs, I think it's almost impossible?!

I don't think I can just eat Meat, Fish, and Eggs exclusively, I don't even really like Meat, so normally don't eat a lot of it.  I don't cook Fish at Home coz it stinks up the House, and tho' I do eat a lot of Eggs, I can't Live on Eggs alone.   I'm not sure if all the 11 Cheeses I bought are the lowest Carb Cheeses?   Cheddar, Gouda, Goat, Feta, Muenster, American, Brie, Cream Cheese and Parmesan are tho', according to Google... which I'm relying  upon heavily to educate me on Carb contents of foods I might not realize contain too many Carbs.  Others are no Brainers and I already knew were Carb Heavy and moderated them long before all this.   I think she pretty much expects me to follow a Keto Diet?   I've heard both Good and Bad things about that Diet.

The Keto Diet can have long-term Negative Health and side effects that I don't wanna risk, so it would have to be a short term solution.   I don't want Kidney Stones, Digestive Issues or the "Keto Flu" which is Fatigue and Brain Fog, which I'm already immediately experiencing and is debilitating.   And there are potential Heart Health Risks too and I've already had Heart Issues, so can't Risk that either due to a high Fat intake.   So, I don't want to just Solve a Problem and then replace it with other Serious Problems that the Solution Creates, that makes absolutely no Sense to me at all.  Whine Fest now over.   *LOL*

Example of my Brain Fog, which in hindsight are hilarious, but in the Moment, not so much.   I was searching everywhere for my Diabetic Log Book this Morning that I track my Numbers in, couldn't locate it where it always should be.  So, I'm yelling at everyone about messing with that Organization of Diabetic stuff I keep there and making it so I can't find anything, including my Log Book!   I'm waving my Left Hand around while demanding someone help me find said Log Book and The Man comes over and gently says, "Honey, you're holding it, right here in your Left Hand you're waving around!"  *Bwahahahaha*   Oh...   And, Yes, we Laughed and Laughed, but I can see the Alarm on his Face as well.  And Princess T is saying between Giggles, "Gramma, you're not Okay, and something is not Right, you really need to talk to your Doctor about this new Diet they have you on..."

"Well, my Numbers are really good on it...", I say, and they're like, "Yeah, but does it really matter when you're in this condition otherwise?" Point taken, I'm looking and acting like a fucking Hot Mess on it so far.  Today is Pool Cleaning Day, so I guess I won't Skinny Dip in our Pool and traumatize Brad, the Young Hot Pool Guy Owner, who now can't get his Younger Pool Guys to show up coz I once forgot it was a Monday.   And gave the Poor Young Thing a Full Monty.  *Winks*   Now I try to remember the Day of the Week it is so no more Nudist Mishaps traumatize the Young Men hired to do Pool Maintenance.  *Smiles*  Tho' they might not mind catching The Daughter or The Granddaughter Nude, coz they still got their Girlish Figures, mine's never coming back.  *LOL*

I did a little minuscule bit of Work this Morning while it was still Cool enuf to and so I didn't feel like I'm accomplishing nothing at all.  I mean, it was a pathetic amount of doing, but, it was something.   Which is better than nothing!  *LOL*   I received some of my Antique Ornate Hinges I Won at Auction and am very pleased, nicer than the Pixs and larger too, Color me Happy.   I also no longer have to Share my Computer coz Rusty built one for Princess T, so she's all hooked up in her Room now and is as Happy as a Clam at High Ride.  She mostly plays Roblox on it and checks out her Friends Instagrams.  She's a Lurker and not really an Online Participator.  *Smiles*

A lot of Teens Post a lot of their personal stuff Online and she's way too Private for that, tho' she doesn't mind me Blogging about her.  *LOL*  She knows that mostly I'm only gonna say the Nicest of things, Right?  *Winks and Bwahahaha*   Plus, nobody of her Generation Blogs, at least I haven't seen any Teen Bloggers and I been in this Community a long time now.  In fact, Blogging ain't what it used ta be in it's Heyday and I do miss that.  I especially miss the Junquing Bloggers who'd cover various Events and Flea Markets across the Country, or even Abroad.  I'd come along vicariously via their Blog Coverage and make out my Bucket List of places that seemed to have the best Pickins.  Yeah, I never made it to a single one of them, but still... *LOL*

Many of my Industry Friends did and would go on the Regular, they don't anymore, or not so much.   It's not only too expensive now to Travel to all the destinations, but the Deals aren't out there either like they used ta be.  Just about everyone can now see Online what they have and know Value so they expect Retail Prices when you Buy from them, not Resale Prices.   It's not that Deals can't still be found but the Thrill Of The Hunt is way more intense now to find those Primo items at a good Price, especially if you are in Resale.  Even if you're Keeping it for yourself, nobody wants to be that End of the Rainbow Customer that Paid Top Dollar for anything and everything.  Unless Money is no Object, then you need a Bargain.   I do better at Chazzas than Pickin' from Private Sellers who seem too in Love with what they have For Sale.  Most Price their stuff at what I consider their "I Don't Really Wanna Sell It" Price Point.

Even at our Antique Mall, some of the Sellers of the better Primo Items, want Top Dollar for all of it and I just won't pay it.   I don't need anything that bad I'll pay what they're asking.  Then so many of them complain that they don't have decent Sales, but, they've overpriced everything and need that Over The Rainbow Customer to walk in to Buy it, on everything they have For Sale, that's Why.   And the Consummate Collectors now seem to be few and far between.  Besides, most pretty much have rounded out their Collections too and are filling in the elusive and hard to find Objects only, that they will have to pay Top Dollar for in order to Score it.  When I see the Picker Shows now I know I'd never pay what the Pickers are Paying, let alone what they'll have to Resell it for... too Rich for my Blood and out of my League!

Therefore, I've lost Interest in even watching any of the newer Episodes coz it's outrageous what the Sellers are asking and what the Pickers are Paying!!!   They must have an Elite and Exclusive Client Base that have deep Pockets and Money is no Object, that's all I got to say about it.  They're not Selling to Average People, that's for damned sure.   I think I once Blogged that an Industry Friend did go to the "American Pickers" Location in Nashville, Tennessee, which has now Closed.  Well, I don't Wonder Why since she said it wasn't Selling anything picked from the Episodes, all of the Primo Items Displayed were from Mike's Personal Collection and NFS and all they were Selling were Tourist Souvenirs from the Popular Show, T-Shirts, Coffee Mugs and such.   She was very disappointed.

 Nothing evident of Frank's so she guessed their Business Partnership didn't include him as much as the Show suggested it did?  I guess the LeClaire, Iowa Store is still operational.   The Nashville Store had been Open for 15 Years, I remember when they Opened it, Sweet Old Warehouse Building.  When Frank Died he was worth an estimated Six Million and no close Family.  Most of the Regulars also left the Show.  Now I mostly watch Salvage Shows where they Salvage from Properties they're being Paid to Raze.  I always feel conflicted about that since so many of the Historic Structures are fabulous being torn down... but at least some of it Salvaged first.   History is being obliterated these days... and Whitewashed too.

Two more Memes that came on my Algorithm Feed that I liked and will now Share.   I have the T-Shirt {Below} I bought during 1.0, so, I'm getting another Four Years Wear out of it, unfortunately, with 2.0.   I'd much rather have been able to Retire it from Use Forever, you know?  *Le Sigh*   They still Sell it and I am glad I didn't get rid of mine, so I do still have it to Wear and make a Statement, coz I am Sorry about this President, every Nation I give apology to for him and his Cabal of Vulgarians.   It's a National Embarrassment and Disgrace to have Leadership like this, but, tho' I do feel that the Ketamine King manipulated and bought the Election for him, nobody is really looking into that like they did the Fake 'Steal' when he Lost and all Evidence Proved that one was a Free and Fair Election.  Even those they hired to prove otherwise, could find no Evidence or Proof and had to admit, no, it wasn't, he Lost.  He and his Base just never accepted The Truth.

 

Tho' I do think he didn't Win this one Freely or Fairly tho', it was suspicious to me when he allegedly did Win, and Elon strongly eluded to hanky-panky with the Election on his part when their Bromance ended and they were going at it Online like School Kids.  Out of the abundance of the Heart, the Mouth eventually Speaks.

UPDATE:  Great News, well, a mix of Good News, Bad News, my Doc called back right away, even tho' it was her Day Off, becoz she never told them to put me on a No Carb Diet and said to immediately cease and desist!  She said I need to monitor and moderate Carbs and Fruits, and to keep with a LOW Carb Diet, NOT a NO Carb Diet!  But that I NEED my Carbs, Fruits and Vegetables to stay Healthy and not have my Diet be actually Harmful to me and potentially dangerous to my existing condition and complicate things further!   *Whew, close call, no wonder I'd felt dreadful right away!!!   Bullet dodged apparently!*  

 She was glad I'd done my own Self-Advocacy Work Online to find out if I was having a Bad Reaction to what I'd been told, and clearly I was.  She wasn't Surprised.   I don't know who will get in trouble for relaying Wrong Information to me on that previous Call, but they could have caused me some harmful outcome apparently had I not instinctively felt things were definitely Not Right!  So, now I'm relieved, she still feels the spike in A1C is due to the Trulicity not having the efficacy it once had since I've been on it for Years now and sometimes that happens.   So, I'll be switched to the Ozempic by next Week, you need a One Week Hiatus when switching the Weekly Injectables, so then perhaps that will be Helpful?  Right now my Numbers seem stable and drinking more Water could be a reason she said, a Gallon a day definitely cleanses your System nicely without causing Harm or side effects.

I'm still gonna eat all the No and Low Carb Groceries I bought, but can bring in some Moderated Carbs and Natural Sugars like Fruit, which I eat sparingly anyway.   I'm not a Junk Food person, I don't like Fried Foods, I don't have a Sweet Tooth, I rarely eat Meats, and if I eat too much Meat I don't feel good, so I predominantly eat Veggies anyway.   I limit my Pasta or Rice intake, but I do partake every so often, mebbe Twice a Month with a Meal like that, small Serving of it tho', I can't eat too much of it and don't want to either.   I usually don't have any problems restricting my Diet to normal requests, the No Carb Diet didn't seem like a normal request to me and I was worried about such a harsh Diet.  I feel the same about going totally Vegan, most Vegans look Sickly, Weak and Frail to me.  I don't wanna be Overweight, but I don't wanna be Underweight or Sickly looking either.

Now at least I can have a more healthy varied Diet that I can Live with and continue improving my condition with choices that are sensible and not so severe and extreme.  I'm happy about that and just a single Meal after getting that approval, I felt a lot better, just with a small amount of Carbs and small portion of Fresh Fruit with a Protein and a Vegetable, which is a more well rounded Diet.  My Numbers were still good and I no longer felt absolutely dreadful, the Headache subsided and I had some Energy.  It felt so much better to not feel so Sick and Miserable, so my Mood also improved and I didn't have so much Anxiety about Food and Meals either.   The Kiddos and The Man can still eat Foods I won't partake of and more often than I can, or in bigger portions, and that's Fine.

 

I had a small piece of Catfish for Dinner with a Southwest Salad Kit and an oz. of Cubed Peaches.   Then as a Snack later on I had Carrot Sticks, all very Satisfying and not some Crazy restrictive Diet that made me feel ill, I feel Fine again and it's such a Relief.  *Whew*   I respond to Foods pretty quickly, if there's something I can't tolerate I don't feel good right after eating it and then refrain from eating it again, simple.   You don't Crave anything that makes you feel awful, you'll instinctively avoid it becoz it's not something you have a Positive experience with eating.  I did have a taste of my "Lime N' Da Coconut Pepper Jelly" on a Low Carb Cracker and it is delicious!!!   Wow, I'd definitely Buy it again, a new Favorite.   I do use Keto Cracker Brands that are Low Carb to put my Jams or Jellies on and limit myself to about 3 to a Serving.   There's a wide variety of Brands and they're not expensive and I like the taste of them.

 

Princess T paid for my Catfish and bought her Grandpa a whole Meal, I only wanted the Catfish and not the Sides since they were Carb heavy.  She wanted Catfish and I never Cook Fish at Home coz it stinks up the House and we have some nice Seafood Restaurants nearby, with good prices and good Fish selections, so, why bother?  She wanted to Treat us once she knew my restrictions were lifted, she was relieved I wasn't gonna continue feeling like Death, and we got it To Go since she and her Grandpa didn't wanna leave the House.   She doesn't Work on Mondays and likes to just Chill at Home, she's quite a Homebody on her Days off unless she spends time at her Boyfriend's Home with him, he's a Homebody too.  They aren't your Garden Variety Young People at all, they behave more like Old Retired People.   Rusty just goes to Work and then comes Home and spends time with her when she's up for it.  *LOL*

She'll go places with me, but mostly she doesn't accept Invites to go places with Friends very often and declines.  She's just not Social and doesn't like Groups.    She used to go places with her Gay Boy Posse of Timmy and Matthew and were like the Three Musketeers, but now that Timmy has a Boyfriend he lives with, he isn't as available anymore.  Apparently the Boyfriend still doesn't have a Job and lives with his Mother, so Timmy moved in with them and is going to some College Classes and Working a Job.   Princess T doesn't understand why he's settling for an Unemployed Partner whose still living with his Mom and has no ambition to get a Job?   Well, I guess the Sex is good, is all I had to say about that, and she Laughed and Laughed.  *Winks*

  

Matthew is still attending College, which is a good excuse to still be living at Home with his Mom so he doesn't have to spend Money living in the Dorms and trying to Work while furthering his Education.   Matthew is an excellent Student, Timmy struggles, so it will probably take Timmy longer to attain his College Goals, Matthew is well on Track.   But, both have Goals and that's good.   Princess T struggled all thru School and was in a lot of Special Ed Classes with an IEP so she knew College wasn't for her.   But she'd Worked her Hustle since she could Walk and helped me with Retail Sales, so, she had Experience beyond her Years for that and likes doing it.   She knows Money and how to make it, she's excellent at Managing her Finances, so, she'll be just Fine.

She gets frustrated at the lack of Work Ethic so many people have and I can relate to that, so many people just want a Check and don't really wanna have to Work for it.  *Eye Roll*   And, they aren't Mature or Responsible enough to Work Independently and need constant Supervision like a Child or they try to do the least amount possible and goof off.   And that's not just Younger Employees either, I've seen enuf Middle Aged and Senior Employees who are total Slackers and I'd never Hire or rely upon to be up to the Job they apply for or are doing Half Assed once they do get the Job.   They usually are the incessant Complainers too, if they have to put forth any effort for what they're getting Paid to do, they Bitch and Moan about it.    And this is why they'll never replace or do the Work that Immigrants are doing, they wouldn't and couldn't cut it...

********

Blessings, Love and Light from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

Bombs Away And Miserable Carbless Existence

 The Son had Q and even Mando {whose looking for some Redemption with me}, look at his Car with him and they determined this last issue might have just been a series of unfortunate events, random, and nothing to do with what had been fixed before?  It seems something on the Freeway Home from James' House where they did the repairs, blew a hole thru his Transmission Pan!   So, it wasn't internal, but an external force that played into the current problem, which, was actually Good News.  So, this Morning we went to Auto Zone and bought a new Transmission Pan which they'll install Today.  He'd cancelled his Insurance since he wasn't driving, so on Payday will renew it if he can get it roadworthy again and not need a Ride anymore?  All Body Parts now Crossed I won't have to be an Unpaid Mom Uber then?  *LOL*

The Daughter has a Housecleaning Job in Chandler this Morning and Afternoon, The Man wants to tag along, which is okay.  We do plan to eat at my fav Mediterranean Restaurant since my choice there is Restrictive Diet Friendly.  I only cannot eat the Pita Bread, which is Fine... I'll abstain.  I'm already a Quarter of the way thru my Gallon of Water intake for the Day and it's not even 9:30 a.m. yet.   So, the hydration Goals are easy peasy for me, I like Water and I drink a lot of it anyway, just never set a Gallon a Day Goal before.   Turns out drinking a lot of Water also replaces me drinking Coke Zero since I'm not Thirsty when I'm so hydrated.  Have to Pee a lot, but, I'm Okay with more Bathroom breaks.  Especially if all this eventually helps me Feel better?

I will be Bitchy for the first couple Weeks, that's a Given when you make any drastic changes, within a Fortnite tho' you'll adapt and no longer have it Feeling like deprivation or hardship to you.   So, I just gotta White Knuckle it for Two Weeks and I should be Golden then for the other Four she is asking me to do this for to see if it makes any difference at all to my Numbers/Labs?   We've tried Dietary changes before and it never helped, so, I'm not even Guardedly Optimistic this will either, but, I'll try anything Once, Twice if I Like it.  *LOL*  If my Pancreas is taking a shit coz it's just not a good one, there's not a whole lot I can do to Change that Hand Dealt me.   Quality of Life is far more important to me than Quantity of it.

And so I Woke this Morning with the Uplifting {I'm being facetious} News that Draft Dodger Donnie has Bombed the Shit out of Iran without Congressional Approval and started a War with them, Splendid!  Of coarse his Cabal of Vulgarians claim we're not starting a War with "All" of Iran... WTF, you can't Bomb the Shit out of any Country, dropping Dozens of New 30,000 Bombs on them that have never been used in a War before, and not start a War with ALL of that Country, what Moron came up with that Spin and Moronic Logic of it?!   So, I beg to differ, what Iranian Nationals WON'T think the United States has declared War on them, pray tell?  Let us assume if they had dropped Dozens of Big Bombs on some of our Soil, what part of America would think we aren't then at War with that Country?  Exactly.  {Above is one of my Dad's Older Brothers... and my Dad... when they were Younger Military Recruits.}

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I have always said this Psychopath is spoiling for a Fight, any Fight, even with his own People, let alone Foreign Actors.  He enjoys provoking violence and unrest, sowing chaos and profiting off it by lining his own Pockets with the Spoils.   There is likely some angle to this which makes him financially gaining from it, coz he's just that Transactional about everything, with no regard for any Human Life or suffering caused by his Actions and lack of basic Humanity or Compassion.  He has none, that's part and parcel of being a Psychopath, and one with no Guard Rails or Limits and nobody stopping him, makes him the most Dangerous of Humans on Earth and exceedingly unpredictable.  {Above is that same Uncle's Three Children, who I kept in touch with over the Years.  My Male Cousin in that Pix with his Sisters, and Pix Below that when he was 70 in full Pow Wow Regalia, Passed away earlier this Year.}

The mockery of saying Iran now has to be Diplomatic and come to the Table for some Diplomacy would be a Joke if the Regime here weren't so Serious.  Diplomacy isn't possible when you freely admit you Lied to and Tricked another Nation, they'll never Trust you now, nor should they, your Word is meaningless and your Actions spoke Volumes of your True Intentions all along.   Trust and Believe it will be Retaliation from them you'll only get now, and heated Extremist driven Hatred, in the form of Terrorism against us... wait and see, it's coming now, for SURE.  {Above and Below is me with one of my Besties from High School... they called us Sparrow and Stork, coz I was so little and only 5'2" and Debbie was also thin but 6'3".}   Pix Below that is my High School Mug Shot ID Pix... I was wearing my Love Beads and a Dashiki.  *LOL*

 And every Nation around them knows this too and is preparing for the fallout of what he's done, the E.U. is holding an Emergency Meeting to Scale Up Defense, all the Arabic Countries, the same.  The Shifting Stance of the U.S. under this Leadership has nobody feeling we're Allies or can be Trusted, not even to do the Right thing anymore.   Europe is telling their Citizens to store up at least 72 Hours of Emergency Supplies, I strong suggest we do the same here in America, just sayin'.   We've Bought the Ticket so now we're on for the whole fucking Wild Ride this deranged Lunatic is taking us all on.   Fun Times.

Other than all that, everything is Swell.  *Bwahahahaha*   I'm Happy to be heading to the Far East Valley this Morning coz I don't get over that way very often and they have places I like to go, so, Blog Fodder Imagery will be forthcoming.  In the meantime I got all Dolled Up, Accessorized, putting on Real Clothes and everything.   So, I'm not slumming around in an obvious Funk, I've got the whole Facade going on.  *Bwahahahaha*   I attempted a couple of Faceless Selfies, which, I suck at taking, Forgive me, it's the best I could do to show off my Accessories and Batik Ensemble I'm wearing.   My Neck is in need of a Plastic Surgeon at this juncture, I look like a Shar Pei Dog there, but, a complete overhaul to make this Rose look like it's not Fading Fast would cost a Fortune, so, forget about it.  *LMAO*

Trying not to get my Shar Pei Neck in Frame proved to be even harder, but made for a hilarious Frame of out of focus Mister T worthy array of Turquoise Necklaces and me Off Center, but you get the gist of it.  I'm TRYING to climb out of a Deep Funk, actually get out of Bed and Dressed each day, and look halfway presentable and "Normal" in Public.  You know, so that nobody calls Adult Protective Services, or the Police, thinking I'm a Danger to Self and/or Others?!  *Bwahahaha and Winks*   I'm not making any Promises, but, I Attempt to Pass for Normal, and a Harmless, Sweet Little Old Lady, Okay?  I'm doing my Best, sometimes I even Succeed... or so The Family tell me, so that I'll stay on the Right Trajectory and not go all Dark Dawn and do a deep dive down into The Abyss.  *Winks*

One of our Great Granddaughter's just turned One and had her 1st Birthday Party.  She looked a little overwhelmed.  *LOL*  But it was a Cute Bee Themed Party and her Cousins were there, it's great that they live so close to grow up together.   It seems that the Granddaughter's Ex did show up for his Daughter's Party, tho' we haven't heard he's doing much in the way of providing anything Positive Post-Divorce.   I felt some kind of way about him before they Married and haven't changed my Mind or Opinion about him.  Don't need to meet someone to sense Loser and Player, his Track Record spoke volumes for itself.   Anyway, she's keeping it together and holding it down admirably as a Single Parent and it's beneficial for the Kiddos to have the responsible and most supportive Parent around primarily anyway.

I was glad to see the Party went so well, I know the Granddaughter is juggling a LOT and is a great Mom.   Her Older Sister is too, the difference being she Married a Childhood Sweetheart who is also a great Dad, Husband and SIL, and that makes all the difference when Raising a Family.  I remember all the Birthday Parties we Hosted for Two Generations of Raising Kiddos, it's a lot of Work and Expense to pull off, but Creates some Memorable Moments, no matter how humble or elaborate, the Kiddos always enjoy themselves and the being of the Center of Attention on their Special Day.   I remember The Young Prince, being our legitimate Genius Child, would make his Guest List and only wanna Invite his Uncle, Aunts and Dad's Friends, plus any of our Friends, instead of his own.

 

Okay, so One Year, when he was about 7, and had kept this Practice every Birthday since he was a Toddler, of not having Kids he knew and were his Friends or Classmates or Day Care Friends, on his Birthday Party Guest List, I hadda ask.   His response floored me and told me exactly how Intellectual, far beyond his Years, he's always been.  "Becoz my Friends don't have Jobs..."   *Bwahahahahaha*   He looked at me as tho' I was The Clueless Child by not figuring this tactic out and hadda ask!   Since, clearly all the Family Adult's and their Friends had Jobs/Careers and would spend a Fortune on him for his Birthday, and on the Video Games etcetera at the Venues we'd Host them at!!!   And, most served Alcohol, so he knew once the Drinkers got a bit tipsy, they'd be much more Free with their Money and he milked the Hell outta that, like Casinos do when they Liquor Up the Gamblers!  *LMAOROTF*

 

Yeah, I have Raised some little Hustlers, and Princess T's Hustle was a bit different than her Brother's was, since she does not like Peopling and never has.   So, she would ask if she could just have mebbe ONE Guest and I spend the Money I wouldda on a bigger Party, on just her and this Friend?   Hey, you didn't have to threaten me with a good time, so it was a Done Deal almost every Birthday she requested this, which was most of them!  *LOL*   And usually they'd have a Sleepover too, and the Two Gals would be indulged more than Hosting a bunch of Kids.   And the Special Friend's Family always bought a really nice Special Gift for her, knowing it was just the Two of them and I'd keep their Kiddos for the Night and most of the next Day.  *Winks*   Win-Win.   And by the time you're Raising Grandkids, Trust and Believe that attending or Hosting Children's Parties is not something you'd rather be doing.  *Smiles* 

But, when you're a Young Parent, well, its different and Yes, we threw the bigger Kid's Parties, sure.   Some of them were over-the-top and usually included more of our Friends and their Children, that our Kiddos grew up with.   I wasn't one to Invite a lot of Families I didn't know just coz their Kid was in my Kid's Class.  Becoz usually that meant some Strangers dumping their Kid or Kids off and not staying and sometimes not picking them up on time either, forget about it.  *LOL*   I remember one Mom we had to literally hunt down when she didn't show up to pick up her Daughter, she'd gone out of Town!!!   Who fucking does that?!  I told her if she didn't get her Ass back STAT, I was calling CPS to come get her Child and say she'd abandoned said Kid.   Even tho' our Kids were still Friends, no further Invites ever happened with that Kid's flaky and irresponsible Parent.   And their Friendship was relegated to playtime on the School Playground, not at our House!

You're probably wondering how our Meal Out went while we waited for The Daughter to finish her Housecleaning Job?   Excellent, in fact, the Owner, Anthony, comped us a Meal for our Daughter to bring to her when she got off Work, Bless his Heart, a Lovely unexpected generous Surprise!   We'd talked with him while we enjoyed our Meal and complimented he and his Staff on what excellent Mediterranean Fare they offer.  He knew he'd seen us there before and we explained how far West we live, where they don't have any location, but we always come now when our Daughter has a Job in the East Valley.  So, she got a lovely Chicken Gyro for her Lunch when she got finished with her Job.  The Man orders from the Children's Menu since Above is the very ample Children's Portion.  They have many Selections for Children to choose from and don't mind Seniors ordering off that Menu, no restrictions.

 

This is the Lamb Kabob selection with Lemon Greek Potatoes, Greek Salad and Tzatziki with fresh Pita Triangles.   I always have the Mezza Plate which has Spanakopita, Greek Salad, Dolmades, Falafel, Tzatziki, Hummus and Pita Triangles.  Anything I shouldn't have I saved for The Daughter, not realizing she'd have a whole Comped Meal compliments of the Owner before we left.    Sure, the Filo Pastry of the Spanakopita is probably a Carb, but it's light and not thick, and the Spinach Pie filling is on my restrictive new Diet.   Same with their Dolmades, which are heavy on the Protein Ground Lamb filling and very light on the amount of Rice with the filling, wrapped tightly in delicious Grape Leaves.   The Falafel is a Carb, but there were just the Two and Yes, I ate them.   Chickpeas of the Hummus and Falafel rate about 2.1 Grams, I felt was permissible?  *Imagines Doc Clutches Pearls ~ LOL*   

 

Listen, I'm really, really trying to behave and do this, I'm Googling Carb content of every fucking food on the Planet now, it's Insane that almost everything does have Carb content my Friends, so, whaddya gonna do?  I think a Low Carb Diet is completely possible, but a No-Carb Diet, not so much.   Google claims it's possible, but, that it's not the most Convenient nor necessarily the Healthiest approach for most people, I thought as much.   While it's possible to Survive without Dietary Carbs, it requires a significant shift in how the Body gets it's Energy and I'm already feeling that Energy Drain just a couple Days in.   So, I'm not Game for this long term at all and plan to discuss it with my Doc, coz it's not sustainable and not Healthy, so, Why???   Why would I risk it, even as experimental to see what it does for The Numbers, if it's not sustainable???  Or Healthy???

Ergo, I'm going very Light on my Carb intake, but I am not really that Interested in attempting NO Carbs even if I could manage it.  Could be more detrimental to my overall Health and Energy Levels, which already are both depleted anyway, so don't need to worsen doing something extreme that probably won't be effective.   The Benefits of a Low Carb Diet over time aren't very large.   The Body uses Carbs as it's main Energy Source.   I'm already experiencing the Unpleasant Negatives of a very Low Carb or No Carb Diet, such as Headaches, Fatigue and Weakness.   It could cause digestive issues and Bad Breath... so, I'm weighing the Negs carefully since I don't feel so good doing this actually and may call the Doc on Monday when I set up my Six Week Follow-Up to complain about my concerns for this Regimen.   I don't need to complicate things.

  

So, anyway, other than the immediate Neg Side Effects from trying to eliminate Carbs, everything is Swell.  *Bwahahahaha*   Stay Tuned.  *Winks*   Good Food Porn of my one Meal out since going on this shit Diet I HATE.  *LOL*   But, drinking my Gallon of Water is proving to be so easy and eliminates Hunger, so, since I HATE the Diet, I don't mind eating less of it.  *Smiles*   I did eat some Celery Sticks with Peanut Butter and some Carrot Sticks as a late Snack instead of a Dinner.  I have no hunger for a Dinner, and especially not an appetite for a Carbless one.

I haven't yet Downloaded the Pixs I took with my Old School Camera Today for Blog Fodder, my Camera Battery went Low so I had to recharge it once we got back Home and it's still on the Charger.   But, we did visit "Ivy & Sage" again, Love that Store, did Buy a couple of Jams.  The Cashier told me her Sister makes the Prickly Pear Jelly I bought and owns a Mini Farm too.   The other Jam was one I wanted to Buy last time I was there, didn't, and knew when I went back I'd get some of it to try.  It's "Lime N Da Coconut" Flavor by Pepperheads.  I am a total Jam and Jelly Geek and tho' I eat Jams and Jellies sparingly, they are nice to have a dab of with a Breakfast or Lunch for additional Flavor.   I learned to use a dab on a Poached Egg Breakfast from having it done at a fav Gourmet Restaurant on their Bennies.    And, they often use some Peppery Jams/Jellies on Gourmet Bacon too.

I like trying new Flavor Profiles too and the number of Jam and Jelly Flavors of those products is pretty vast and interesting combos and ingredients.   The Man's Family used to Can their own Jams and Jellies that his Mom, Sisters and Sisters-In-Laws would get together and make after harvesting Fruits and finding different ways to preserve them to use thruout the Year.   I've never tried it myself, but follow some Blogs where the Bloggers do Can their own Foods.   I admire those folks who are Domestic Goddesses and Culinary Jedis, it never was my strength to be either.   So, I didn't inherit those traits from either of my Parents, Mom being a Domestic Goddess and Dad being a Culinary Jedi.  My Younger Brother however is a Culinary Jedi and loves to Cook and is very good at it.   The Man too was an excellent Cook before he had the Traumatic Brain Injury.  Now he can't be Unsupervised in a Kitchen setting.

He and I did split some Baklava Ice-Cream, which, yeah, a Forbidden Dairy for my new shitty Diet, but, is probably the only Ice-Cream I'll have for the next Six Weeks.   It's a flavor I can't get anywhere else and I just wasn't passing up getting some while we were way over there.  Bad Dawn.  *LOL*   I'd had the No Carb Headache for Two straight Days and it wasn't subsiding until I ate something that did have some Carbs in it, and I moderated how much I ate, and it was worth it to get rid of that Killer Headache.  It's akin to a Migraine and renders you almost unable to Function, so I had been miserable with it and only got some Relief if I could manage to Sleep.  But, the Pain even kept me up.   I'm not thrilled with having these No Carb Diet Side Effects already and didn't expect to.  The lack of Energy, Fatigue and Weakness is pretty bad too.  Of coarse I Dr. Googled it to see if I should be concerned?  And, I am enuf to call my Doc in the Morning and discuss it.

My Brother, the Retired Hollywood Photographer, is Covering the Renaissance Festival in Cali, he got in front of the Lens a couple times and sent them to me.   Since he's Press he knows everyone there that are the Participants.   Sometimes he dresses in Period Costume too, but this time I see he didn't.    My Friend Kendra {Below, the Pretty Blonde 3rd from the Left in the Pix} is also at an Event.   I don't know the other Three Women, tho' I've heard of some of them.   It seemed to be some kind of White Party, since everyone is wearing White present, even in the background.   Kendra is an ahhhmazing Designer and one of the few people I'd Trust to Decorate my Home FOR me if I wanted someone else to do it.   Her Aesthetic is and has always been one of my Favorites of all my Designer Friends.

Kendra Shared the Below Meme with me knowing I'd Luv it!  *LOL*   She and I are probably the most Outspoken Militants of our group of Friends.  You don't have to Ask how we REALLY Feel.  *Winks*

And the Quote Below I found for myself to Share:

In case you're not familiar with Michael Franti, he's an American Singer, Songwriter and Musician.  {Below}

Michael was Adopted by White Finnish American Parents, his Bio Mom was of Irish, Belgian and German Ancestry, his Bio Dad was of African American and Native American Ancestry.   He grew up in a multi ethnic Household with other Adoptive Siblings.   He lives in Bali, Indonesia with his Family.   They live at the Soulshine Bali Hotel which they built together with Soulshine Bali.  {See Below Pixs}

That looks like an Ideal Vacay spot for my own Bucket List.   And what a Beautiful Slice of Paradise to Raise your Family and make your Art Form of Music.   The Room prices there per Night are surprisingly affordable, around $159 a Night, with complimentary Breakfast, for a Luxury Vacation in a gorgeous Tropical setting and the Musician Owns the Resort.   Reviews are quite Positive and give it Five Stars overall saying it's truly Magical and often Sharing their Pixs on their Ratings.   That bottom Pix, for example, was taken by a Guest and Shared on their Review and Five out of Five Star Rating of their Experience.   I can picture myself Vacationing there, Yes I can.  *Winks*

*******

Enduring Carbless Misery...  Dawn... The Bohemian