You Cannot Fix Stupid

 They, Economists, are saying that this shitty Economy and Administrations Poor Decisions and Policies are costing each American Family approximately $250-$700 more a Month for Essentials.  I think they're being very Conservative in that Estimate and it's for a Single Person or a smallish Family in a lower Cost of Living State.  We are NOT that State or that Family, we have a large Family to support and things like Gas in Arizona is the highest in the Nation, so it's costing us closer to $1,300 more a Month just for Essentials.  That's $15,600 Annually!  That's also not sustainable for most Families with no way to increase Income to offset it.  Few of us can pull an extra Grand or more out of our Asses every single Month!!!  But, now here we are... And, I refuse to let it Steal our Joy and Good Times with Good Friends and Family.

The Man and I went back to "Sweet Salvage" for the Halloween Event's 2nd Day, he visited with some of our Friends there and enjoyed himself.  He walked around pretty well with his Walker.  It wasn't crowded at all on Day No. 2 and I told them all, it's coz nothing is up on Social Media, you all need Kim to have it promoted Online better.  I don't know why they didn't since they usually do?!  So, Two Hours after we left they did a decent Facebook Page Post.  A lot of Work goes into these Events and the Halloween Show is supposed to be the Strongest and most Popular, so for it to fall flat is a huge disappointment and missed opportunity.  Coz it really was the best Show ever for Halloween IMO, and they've had some great ones in the Past, but they really outdid themselves for this one and it should have a better turnout than it has had thus far. 

 I bought an Old Doll Head from the French Designer, the one in the Center.  She'd restocked with new Old Doll Heads that are about 150 Years Old from France.  I took a bunch more Pixs with my Cellphone Camera to ensure good ones.  And I Cribbed some they finally did take, after we left and I had mentioned it would Stimulate Trade and Interest if they Promoted it on all their Social Media sites.  I want them all to do well coz we Support all our Indie Businesses Locally and Hope they all keep going.   My Friend Big Kenny asked if he could come over and Buy more stuff from me, sure, so he will call me next week to arrange a Private Pick here at Forever Boheme'.  He's bought a lot from me over the Years, Flatbed Truckloads and Moving Van Loads in fact.  *LOL*  Every time he Delivered something I bought from him he'd leave having spent more Money than I'd spent and filling up his Truck!  *Ha ha ha*

He'd often even buy stuff that wasn't for Sale but could be Bought!  *Winks*  Often even the Furniture I was sitting on when he arrived!  *LMAO*  That's no exaggeration, he's done that in the Past.  Make me an Offer I can't refuse my Friend and I can Fall Out of Love with it for the Right Price.  *Smiles*  Come with a big Wad of Cash and I'll relieve you of it.  *Winks*  Cash always being the Right Size and Right Color.  And, it Buys Options, and other Good Stuff.  *Ha ha ha*  And sometimes he and I work out Trades as well, if he's got something I want and he wants something I've got.   Above is my Adorable Young Modern Hippie Friend Aliyah.  She used to Work at our Antique Mall when she was a Teenager.  Now she's Grown and has an Adorable Pre-School Aged Daughter.   She Bought our Friend Cyndie's Semi Precious Carved Stone Cicada Necklace, it really suits her. 

Aliyah got me eating a lot of yummy Vegan Foods during the Two Years I went off eating Meat to see if it would improve my Health and lower Diabetic Numbers for me?  It didn't, but I didn't mind giving up Meat and now I don't eat as much of it as I used to before that Two Year hiatus from it.  You don't go thru Meat Withdrawal at all, it's not Addictive apparently to your System.  I've reincorporated Meats, but in moderation and prefer Veggies and have reduced Carb intake as well, and ultra processed Foods.   Big Kenny changed his Diet and is now only 15 lbs. away from Goal.  His changes were Simple, he only eats White Meats or Seafoods, and no Fried Foods, hardly any Carbs, lots of Veggies, no Sugars, no ultra Processed Foods, and drinks lots of Water.  He was able to eliminate all Medications he'd been on coz his Health returned to where he no longer needed Medications to Manage it.  He looks great and feels better than he ever has.

I had Written almost a whole Post and deleted it coz it was too Negative and I just wasn't pleased with it enuf to Publish it ever after banging it out and getting it out of my System.  *LOL*  Sometimes a Written Purge of Thoughts is all I need and then I just delete it and never actually Publish it or even have to say it out loud.  And I feel better for it.  *Smiles*  I wore my Lily Munster blowing a Gum Bubble T-Shirt, it's Grey with Bleach Splatters, everyone liked it.  I wore some Betsey Johnson Dia de los Muertos Skull Earrings with it.  {See Below}  All my Friends at the Event were dressed in Halloween Fun Outfits, that weren't Costumes but lent itself to the Theme and Season of the Event... it's just a lot of Fun.   Closer to Halloween some will do Costumes tho', which is equally a lot of Fun.  And on Halloween Night we usually dress up to hand out the Candy to the Trick-Or-Treaters.  The Kids and their Families Love it.   And we have an enjoyable Night and after it's a Wrap for handing out the Treats, we watch Horror Movie Marathons.

 

One of the New Designers made some Wicked Witches Hats but they were pricey, probably too high really, so I don't know she will Sell any.  Her price points were high on most things and she lamented she wasn't having Strong Sales, and that could have been part of it.  I'd of bought some of what she had if it had been in my league of what I'd spend, but, it wasn't and I won't overpay for anything I don't really Need and isn't Essential.   I did enjoy her Displays, she did a great Merchandising Showcasing of it all.  But every time I looked at a Price Tag of something I liked, it was Sticker Shock.   So, I wouldn't be her Demographic of Customer where Money is no Object and you wouldn't even bother what it Costs or to even probably ask or look at the Price.  So, I don't know she'll last long as a New Designer and Vendor there?  If you can't close Sales on the most Popular Event of the Year, then, it's probably not the Right Location or Venue for you.

At Princess T's SAVERS Location I guess a couple of Madly Popular You Tubers came in, a Young Woman and a Young Man,  They came in together and all the Young People who work there, who are very Trendy and Stylish themselves, knew who they were and wanted Pixs taken with them.  I wouldn't have had a Clue who they were and I guess the Gal was way more Popular and more Cool than the Guy, from what all the Young Employees told me about them.  *Smiles*  They were so excited they were definitely having Fan Girl Moments about the Female.  *LOL*  Princess T knew who they were and pointed them out to me as they were leaving and her Co-Workers were excitedly informing us they'd come in and Shopped, Talked with them, taken Pixs with them.  I Guess some of these Online Influencers have Millions of Followers and so what they say about places is a Big Deal.

Good News is The Niece found some Apartments in her price range and can be in them by end of December.  I think that will be best for her since she's used to living Alone and Independently.  It's hard to live Communally if you've not had that as a Lifestyle before and there's not much personal Space here either, lots of Shared Space.  Anyway, I'm glad she's making Plans that suit her, that was my Intention for her, so she could Score this good Job and relocate somewhere that is far enuf away from her own Family's ongoing Drama.  She can keep in touch with them all but not have to Live it and perhaps that will work out better for them all as a Collective too.  Sometimes absence can make the Heart grow fonder so that when they do see her, they try harder to get along and be Kind and considerate, without the interference and judgment of one another?  I hope so, I know she wants to have some relationship with them all, but it's very complicated when there's a lot of conflict, complexities, long standing dysfunction, and baggage to work thru.  I've known the Family for Decades, they're so fractured and it's Sad.

I watched a good Movie with Angelina Jolie and Jon Bernthal called "Those Who Wish Me Dead" {2021} on Netflix.  The Child Actor, Finn Little was very good for his Age.  I also watched an Older Movie that was a True Story about a Family that Survived that Tsunami in Thailand called "The Impossible" {2013} starring Naomi Watts & Ewan McGregor and Tom Holland when he was still a Child, very well done.  It's been a relaxing Evening after a very full day of Activities with The Man.  We'd had Lunch at "Five & Diner", we Love their Cadillac Meatloaf and it's Two full Meals per Order for us, so we had it for Dinner too.  We did some Environmental Cleanup after going to the Event, we also picked up my Check from the Antique Mall and deposited it, the nicest one I'd earned all Year, which was Sweet.  The Antique Mall was very busy for a Friday, so Hopefully we'll have Strong Sales all Weekend too?

And if Big Kenny does coordinate coming over to Buy some stuff, that will be nice supplemental income too, depending on what he wants to Buy and what I'm willing to Sell.  He always wants my best stuff of coarse and my very best stuff I'm not Selling to a Picker coz I can get full price for it easily myself.  I'll Sell Good Stuff, but the Primo items I'm really not interested in Selling or Discounting if I did detach from any of it and put it up For Sale.  Pickers know that.  I've got some very nice items I know I'd be willing to Sell him if he's interested, a Native American Bronze Western piece worth a lot, but too much for me to Turn at our Antique Mall, he has the Clientele to get what it's really worth who would Buy it.  I'll Sell it to him and still make Money while leaving him good Margins.  I've got a lot of Native American pieces and he likes that kind of thing coz he has a lot of it and I've got a lot so I don't mind Selling Off some of it, within reason.  Ceremonial Pieces I Keep, but the rest I'm not that Attached to.

I liked this Hand Necklace my Friend Cyndie had For Sale at the Event, but it was out of my Price Range.  She was told it might be Ivory and very Old, but, it could just be Bone of some kind... I wasn't convinced it was Ivory, but it was from France and make a fine Necklace she Created and I liked the Silver Antique Heart Shaped Centerpiece she used as a Connector that had come off an Old French broken Rosary.   And I liked the Glass Beads used on the Chain too.  I also liked the Snowflake Fossil Stone Heart Shaped Votivo Necklace Below too, that was Price lower but I wasn't in the Market for more Jewelry, nor did I have the Budget for it right now either.   Like I said, my Budget right now is Modest and my Granddaughter's 21st Birthday is Sept. 22nd so I wanna make that Special for her as much as we're able.  While still having a Budget to have a nice Holiday Season from now 'til Christmas.

 Essentials have gone up so much that my Budget is more strained than usual, but a lot... Gas now is almost over Five Bucks a Gallon and Diesel is nearing Seven Bucks a Gallon here in Arizona, which is ridiculous.  Everything will now go up coz Diesel fuels most Transport and Supply Chain Distribution.  He's absolutely Tanking the Economy... while enriching himself Shamelessly along with his Demon Spawn and equally insatiably Greedy Sycophant Billionaire Buddies.   If they all have their Marie Antoinette Moment I feel they will have deserved a Head Roll en mass for what they're doing to wreck everything for everyone else.  They may have to retreat to their Bunkers when all Hell breaks loose when the masses reach their Breaking Point and come for them.  And they will come for them, desperate people do desperate things, that's a Given.

The Daughter is still doing a lot of Work for Friends out where the Ranches and Mini Farms are.   So hopefully she's earning enuf to see her thru the Holidays?  She said she'll get the 5th Wheel in Order when she gets Home and she can whip things into shape fast when she's pressed to.  Plus I told her we can Box Up some of her things and Store it in the She Shed and just rotate them when she needs to use and swap out things.  Freeing up more Space in there will make it easier for her to Maintain it and move around easier and have it all more functional.  She's been unraveled since the Homicide, which is understandable, that was a LOT to Process and Emotionally move thru the Trauma of.  And I told The Niece to not push anything coz right now is an Emotionally Fragile Time... so, be Mindful of that Fact.   When people are moving thru Grief and extreme Trauma, it takes some Time, sometimes a long time and can't be rushed just coz it inconveniences other people or is uncomfortable for them.

I got a Bagged Lot of "Halloween" Incense from SAVERS cheap and it Smells Divine.  I wasn't sure what "Halloween" Aromas they'd use for Holiday Incense, but I really like what they did, it's the type of Aromas I prefer actually so I'm pleased with how much I got for that low Price point.   It all looks like New Old Stock, none of the Boxes had any missing out of them.   Who knew Vampires Blood and Haunted Houses smelled so good?  *LOL and Winks*  There was other Boxed Incense in the Bagged Lot but these were the Seasonal Fragrances and had a very Hippie Vibe Aroma that I like with Champa, Dragon's Blood and Patchouli blends.   I'm pretty much set for Halloween already in Decor and even bought the better Candies to hand out while they're on Sale.  I figure closer to Halloween they won't be or the selection will not be as good?  I know TARGET is sparse on their Halloween Offerings this Year compared to other Years and most other Stores as well, even the Halloween Specialty Stores.  And at our Antique Mall Halloween Merch is Selling Out.  I Sold most of mine just this Week so have to bring more in.

My Sales for this Pay Period have begun Strong for the 1st Week and I Hope that holds for the 2nd Week of it?  I've got to Price more Pokemon Cards too, they're Selling briskly, the expensive ones mostly.  I bought some Antique Sewing Machine Wooden Ornate Drawers with cute Hardware to put them in until I've got them ready to Sell, to keep them Organized here at Home.  I'd of liked to put them in something like that as a Display for the Antique Mall.  But, the Locked Case doesn't have sufficient Room right now until some more things Sell to free up Shelf Space for something that long.  I've got so many Cards and want to get more into Inventory coz what we have is a nice mix of the American ones and the Japanese ones.  Most are also Holographics that I have.

 

The Mannequin Arm and Hand on the Left of this Pix is the new one I Bought at the Halloween Event.  I'd Bought the one in the forefront from the same Friend at another Event they had about a Month or so ago.  I think she's setting me up?  *Bwahahahaha*  They know me only too well as to what I'd be most likely to not resist Buying.  *Smiles and Winks*  But, they've all also Bought from me and next Week I do have at least One, mebbe Two, of my Designer Friends from that Event coming over to look at what they might Buy that I'd be willing to Sell?  I know I have to release and detach from way more but it's hard sometimes and foolishness not to.  I have too much and the Money is needed more right now, it's why I Invested in things I could profit off of at some point in the Future when we could no longer Work to Earn more.  It's Time... Tick Tock and all that.  But, a Process still since what I have I do Love and took a Lifetime to Source and Invest in it.  Each has some Memories and tho' I'm not Selling the Memories and can Keep those... the Object often prompts the Memories for me and keeps them intact in my Mind now.  *Le Sigh*

So, as you can see from this Image of my Witches Hat and where it finally ended up this Holiday Season, I still have some Christmas out in the background that never got put away.  Some Valentines Hearts too.  Yeah, by the time Christmas rolls around again I've never put away some of last Year's Decor and I don't really mind that I didn't.  As I'm Aging Out, that's becoming more common, I never used to be that Lazy or procrastinate about taking down Seasonal Decor and Storing it away.  Now, I don't mind enjoying it all Year and Save myself the Time, extra Work and Trouble.   And, since it's my Home, I have the Right to be as Weird about it as I wanna be and nobody really Cares.  Mostly coz the rest of the Family aren't really into Decorating for Holidays.  Princess T will Decorate her own Room for Christmas, but, she's the only one that feels a Need to.  And this Year she said she may not bother either coz her Room is pretty crowded with how she wants it to look all the time.  She'd have to get a small Table Sized Tree or Pencil Tree to fit it better now.

I'm personally thinking about getting a small Tree, one that I'll mebbe only use One Year and then Donate after Christmas is over?  *LOL*  I haven't decided yet since I have a couple Months to contemplate my Options and Desires about Christmas Decorating.  I like Decorating for Halloween more, I've never been one to Decorate extensively for Christmas except for putting up a nice Tree... in some Homes I put up more than just a single Tree coz we had Bigger Homes with more Communal Space to do that.  It was Fun when you have the Space to go all out, but here, we just don't.  Tho' I keep a certain Tree up Year round but it's not really heavily "Christmasy" and is a Vintage Tree that is discreet and small, in that one Pix above this Pix you can see it in the Background to the Left.  It has Tintype Antique Photos festooned on it, and Old Black Rosaries, it looks Cool being up all the time so we never took it down after we set it up a couple Years ago.  Nice way to display my Antique and Vintage dark Bead Rosaries Collection and my Antique Tintype Photos Collection.  I also have an Ornate dark Victorian Mourning Fan on that Tree.

 

There's so much I initially wanted to do in The RV Garage Mahal and Art Studio Spaces to Display Collections properly, but the larger Space is not Climate Controlled and it's been brutally Hot most of the Year anymore.  We used to have milder Fall and Winter Seasons and now we don't.  Today I'd like to go check out some Fav Indie Shops and Smaller Antique Malls to see what they're doing for Halloween.  I'm trying to motivate myself to get busy commuting over there since they Open at 10:00 a.m. and it's already almost 9:30 a.m., we slept in coz nobody had to go to Work with Princess T taking a Vacation Day Off.  She's busy doing stuff for her Birthday with her Boyfriend, she'll likely come Home laden with Gifts.  *Winks* 

 Which, I'll let her Buy what she wants as our Gifts to her and she likes doing that, picking out what she wants and I just go with her and we have that Girl Time together Shopping at her Fav Shops and Kiosks in The Mall that Sell her Collectibles.  Sometimes she's asked me if she can just Buy what she wants Online and I give her my Card to do it.  They then just deliver it to the Door.  I feel very Emotional Today and I don't even know Why?  I'm Emotionally Raw and that doesn't happen very often, I'm relatively Emotionless most of the time actually, so it's uncomfortable for me to feel such strong Emotions for no apparent good reason to, it feels very unsettling to me.  Nothing has Triggered it coz it's a lovely Day, The Son even made his Dad and I a nice Breakfast this Morning and had done all the Yardwork for us.  The parts of the Home I'd cleaned, edited and organized look Lovely and most of the Dining Room is in Progress of being Cleaned Up too.  The Young Prince helped with that to assist me with Executive Function.  *Smiles*

But, I did something right off the bat that upset me this Morning when I was distributing our Meds.  I accidentally gave The Man mine!!!  The Son was talking to me while I tried to concentrate and now distractions can make me fuck up royally and I did.  The Son was alarmed when I said, shit... Honey, did you already take the Meds I just gave you?  He had... dammit... and they were mine.  I only take 5 and they're all Meds he takes anyway, but the mix-up bothered me a lot, I can't make mistakes like that and it got me in a Bad Head Space.  I had to re-fill my Friday doses so I could take it, and then give him the rest of his Medications he should have had.  Thankfully I realized what I'd done and it's not like he'd OD on any of it even if he forgot to take it just for a day or took double for just a day.  Which, that's a relief, yet I was hard on myself for not staying Focused enuf when doing something important like that.  The Son apologized for forgetting that distracting me in Process now can mean I totally forget what the Hell I'm doing and could mess up.

I've told both Generations of Young People and The Man before, if you see me sorting or handing out Meds, or Paying Bills, WAIT to Talk to me about anything, don't interrupt me or I could fuck up what I'm doing and it's too important to get it Right!!!  Sometimes when they have something to say they think it can't wait, but it can, if I'm busy doing something important, it HAS to wait until I'm done with that task.  With having Adult ADHD staying on Task and keeping Focus is hard enuf without anyone compromising it further and having errors occur becoz of interruptions.  Even when I'm here Blogging, I don't like interruptions coz I then totally lose my Train of Thought or Type something Weird, mebbe whatever it is they're now saying to me!  *LOL*  I Type VERY fast, so I can actually Type faster than I can Think or even faster than what someone is Saying.  I can lock Keyboards up so I have to sometimes even slow my roll so I don't do that and have to then wait for The System to catch up to me.  When I Worked Census, they had to increase Keystrokes capacity for those of us fast so we didn't Lock Up their System and Crash it.

I've Shared this Story about the 2000 Census before with long time Dear Readers, but for Newbies, that Govt. Contract wanted Speed and Accuracy so would give big Bonuses for both.  Weekly, I always got my Bonus consistently.  Well, they thought they'd be clever to increase Productivity and Accuracy by saying that whoever could hit One Million Keystrokes would get Paid thru the end of the Contract.  Which was the End of December 2000, and could leave when they hit that Milestone, regardless of when they hit it, with full Pay anyway.   I Showed Off and hit One Million Four Hundred Thousand, just giving them Four Hundred Thousand Keystrokes as a Bonus, on October 1st.  *Winks*  They Paid me thru the end of December even tho' October 1st was the last Day I Worked for them, as per Agreed, they Honored their Promise.  A few other really fast Typists hit the Million Mark, not many tho', and you had to not only be Fast, but Accurate too or it wouldn't be Honored, I am both Fast and Accurate.  

 No matter how fast I Type I usually know the moment I hit the Wrong Key and go back and correct it immediately.  With few exceptions, so my Accuracy was high overall.  They had it built into their System to catch Errors/Typos anyway coz everything you Typed was bounced to Two other People, and if all Three Typed the same thing, it was 100% Accurate usually.   I Loved Working the Census and Govt. Contracts coz they Paid Well, always had great Bonuses they incentivized you with, and I made so many Friends while doing the Contracts.  To me it was easy Work and lucrative, so I did Census for Three different 10 Year Rotations.   I never applied the last time they did it coz tho' I could probably still do the Data Entry Work, they haven't had their Data Center in Phoenix again.  And I no longer wanted to do the Door to Door Census taking at my Age.

The Granddaughter that got the Crazy "Wolf" Haircut for her Birthday at the end of August.  She likes it and that's all that Counts and she's got a Pretty Face so can pull off some extreme Fashions just fine and doesn't look too Mental for having done it.  Tho' to me it looks like someone went Mental with the Clippers or didn't know what the Hell they were doing and slipped or made a Mistake or intentionally butchered your Hair.  *LOL*  And it's only Hair, it will grow back and I have to remember all of the Unfortunate Fashions of our own Youth and Past, Right?   Each Generation has had 'em, to be sure, we look back and go, What were we Thinking?!  *Bwahahahaha*  And Princess T and Rusty just came in bearing her Flowers Bouquets, yes, Plural... a Box festooned with Birthday Balloons and Gifts Galore, even Lighting Up... for her 21st Birthday, which is in a couple Days in Real Time.  His Birthday is the 13th of October, The Daughter's is the 14th of October.   So, Princess T has back to back Birthday Gifting to do next Month for her Mom and her Boyfriend.  *LOL*  Below are her Bouquets, 3 of them:

  

Don't they look particularly Purdy against my Colorful Granny Square Afghan Quilt?  *LOL and Smiles*   The Boyfriend is very indulgent, he knows his Woman, she is not Low Maintenance and is Very Extra and not at all your Basic Girlfriend.  *Smiles and Winks*  He's a Good Guy and we Like Rusty, they will have been Together for 3 Years very soon.  They do have their Lovers Quarrels, but tend to break up and make up at the Speed of Light, as Blog Friend Shirley so aptly said, it almost gave her Whiplash.  True that!!!  *Ha ha ha*  I don't even know what they Quarrel about UNTIL she tells me, and she will tell me.  *Smiles*  It's usually Trifles easily resolved actually... and has more to do with him not taking Seriously what she says bothers her, the FIRST Time and only Time she will fucking say it... so Remember it Forever and Ever or you'll be sorry you didn't.  *LMAOROTF, Wonder where she got THAT from?  Winks and Smiles* 

 I too will tell you something once, my Dad was like that, he wouldn't waste breath telling you again or there would be Hell to pay.  Coz we're Serious the 1st time we tell you something Frosts us... and it will ALWAYS Fucking then Frost us if you should be Foolish enuf to Forget.  *Ha ha ha*  We don't like repeating ourselves becoz you happen to be a Slow Learner on what will become a Conflict and Situation between us if you should Go There again and again.   If we told you it bothers us, just don't fucking ever do it again.  Forever and Ever.  *LOL*  It's not as if it's gonna suddenly NOT bother us just coz you are a Fool and do it on The Repeat.  If you tell us that something bothers you, we just don't fucking do it out of Respect for the Fact you Communicated to us that it's not tolerable to you, Simple.  Then there is no Trouble in Paradise.  *Winks*  I don't do whatever The Man has ever told me really Frosts him, why Trigger him by doing it, that makes zero sense to me in any Relationship.  I prefer and Value Peace and Harmony in every Situation and Relationship I'm in.  I'm a No Drama Mama to my Core.

If you even Smell like Drama and a Headache I'd rather you not be in my Orbit, Be Well and just Be Gone.   If you continue to be Dramatic and a Pain in my Ass, we just can't be Friends or have Healthy Relationship or Partnerships, and I'll make that abundantly Clear, Problem then Solved.  For each of us.  Why be around folks who can't get along with you?  I can Respectfully just allow them to be themselves somewhere else and with someone else, just not ME or around me.  *Bwahahahaha*  Even at Work, if someone is a Problem all of the time, I told Management Straight Up, don't ever put us on the same Shift or you will have yourselves a Situation.  *Smiles*   We've had a couple of Situations so they know exactly how Situational the Pairing me with a Problem Person is gonna be... I do not hold back nor suffer Fools. 

 And I frankly don't Care how the Problem Person FEELS about that, but they will know it won't Fly to be a Problem to me, without consequences they won't Like, not for a Second.  And then we'll have an Understanding.  And usually Peace and Harmony between us, so long as they stay in their own Lane from then on and don't step in my Waters Smelling like even a Drop of their Blood has entered into MY Waters.  Unless you enjoy swimming with Sharks who would have no problem tearing you from Limb to Limb becoz you were just that dumb or ignorant?  I actually am Friends now with a couple of people who started out being Problem People and learned the Lesson that it was better to be Friendly with me than an Adversary.  And, I can make Peace just Fine like that, would prefer it in fact, coz I won't Start anything with you ever, but I will Finish it if you Start something with me.  So, Why would you?  That's just Stupidity and you cannot Fix Stupid.

*******

Happy Halloween from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

Food P*rn And Some Vintage Upsetting Horror Recipes To Kill Your Appetite

 In Real Time it's a Wednesday so I'll be Working Tonight covering for my Friend Crazy Ed, who by now has had his Neck Surgery and I Pray it went well?  He's almost 80 and the Vertebrae he had them working on, from what I was told by my Retired Surgical Nurse Friend Sue, is a risky procedure, so she was worried about him.  She's 85 and said she would have hesitated to have that Surgery at her Age, but, perhaps it's a risk Ed needed and was willing to take?  He lives Alone so may end up in a Rehab Facility until he Heals and can do things for himself again?  The problem with Ed is he's having all these reconstructive Surgeries to correct injuries he's sustaining moving big Antique Furniture all by himself that he shouldn't even be doing anymore!!!  And he won't stop even after Recovering from each Surgery!  I don't call him "Crazy" Ed for nothing!  *LOL*

Of coarse Sue, we call "The General", coz she's a Retired Military Surgical Nurse who Served in Korea and reminds me of the Character of "Hot Lips" on M*A*S*H.  And she is Bossy and Orders everyone around like they're her Troops. *Smiles*  I have a problem with Authority and being Bossed around, especially if you're NOT my actual Boss or the Boss of anyone, but presume to be.  So tho' she and I are Friends, we've had our Moments and Dust Ups where she's gone all "General Sue" on me and I've gone all "Dark Dawn" on her, and she's assessed that's not the Hill worth either of us Dying on.  *LMAO coz our Co-Workers are like... Oh No, here they go!  LOL*   So, she backs down and off and then we don't have to go to War or be a Casualty of one.  *Bwahahahaha*  But I respect her Strength and that she's my Elder, she's a Force to be Reckoned with too, so most won't and don't Cross her.  *Ha ha ha* 

Sue knows I won't back down from anyone who Starts something with me, and I will Finish it with a flourish.  I don't Start fights with people, but if you were to Start one with me, expect to be Fought hard.  I don't even Care if I Win or Lose coz nobody has ever wanted a Rematch or more Scars to prove themselves. *Winks and Laughs Maniacally*  We've known each other now since around 2011 and I Like Sue a lot and she Likes me and my Family and genuinely Cares, nothing Fake about Sue.  She's Tough as Old Boots, but has a Nurturing side to herself which is why she was an excellent Nurse.  She actually Married a terribly Disabled Soldier she Nursed back to Health when they were both Serving in the Korean War.  He was badly Burned and disfigured, lost even his Ears... she looked after him until the day he finally Died only last Year, he was in his 80's too, she still misses him terribly!

 When we worked last Shift together she said she can't Believe her Dear Husband has been gone for 8 Months now, and she's so ready to Join him.  But the Lord won't Take her yet, even tho' she's ready to Go, coz at 85 she feels she's had a long enuf Run now.  She doesn't look or act 85, so sometimes I forget just how Old Sue is and still going Strong, I wanna BE her when I Grow Up!  *LOL*  She's been very Motherly towards us Younger Seniors and my Grandkids Adore her coz she has a Soft Spot for them.  *Smiles*  It's only in tender reflective Moments like her Sharing that, is when I realize Sue's Tough Exterior Hosts a very Sensitive Heart and Soul whose Dealing with Widowhood of a Marriage that lasted almost as long as I've been Alive.  I can't even Imagine that kind of Void left to Deal with.

The Niece is still acting Weird about being in the 5th Wheel, she asked if she could Sleep on the Sectional instead last Night while I was watching some late Night TV?  I didn't mind, a lot of Family Sleeps out there sometimes, it's comfortable, has a Recliner part built in and is L-Shaped so long enuf on both sections that Two People could comfortable stretch out and Sleep on it that way too.  She's complaining a lot about how Small the 5th Wheel is, and really, it isn't, it's a very large one actually, I spent more on it than I did on Buying my Historic Home!  It's comfortable for what it is, a Recreational Vehicle with all amenities.  You just have to come into the Main House to use the Toilet coz we don't have it hooked up to Septic, but, you can Shower in it, Cook in it, has a Softa that turns into a Double Bed and a Kitchen Table with Benches that also can turn into a Bed.  It has decent AC and Heating, The Daughter has lived in it for a Couple Years now comfortably and had Guests often who have when they Visit.

The Niece is a very large Woman and perhaps has some claustrophobia, I dunno, her expectations aren't particularly reasonable IMO and I told her so.  We had another Come To Jesus last Night coz she was waiting for The Daughter to finally get Home from the Cleaning Job to "Talk to her" about moving Furnishings that are outside of the Master Bedroom of the 5th Wheel that The Daughter cleared out of all her things and graciously gave up for The Niece to occupy as a Private Space!  It has a Double Bed and lots of Storage and a Closet.  I Warned The Niece that asking our Daughter to do more to accommodate her in Spaces that The Daughter Occupies would be a very unwise Idea.  You can't ask someone to let you come Live with them and then change their entire Living arrangement to suit yourself, it doesn't work like that.  I told her it's why things didn't work out with her Dad and wont' work out for her here either.  So... Carefully reconsider asking for Too Much from anyone in their Home.  It's not all about you all of the time.  Don't Push anyone too Hard, don't do it.  *LOL* 

I Love her, so I Speak The Truth to her in Love and she knows that, so, the Talk went well and I do Hope she takes the Advice to Heart or The Daughter will ask her to just leave then.  I'm pretty damned sure of that and I would Support that decision if she's asked to Sacrifice any more than she already has in her own Living Arrangements, to help out someone whose not actually biological Family, but we treat like Family.  You have to still stay in your own Lane.  I Warned The Niece, Listen, looks to me like you're having Trouble Reading The Room Darlin', and this is causing you Relationship Problems.  She did say that sometimes she's "Socially Retarded", her Words, and some folks are.  The Niece is Genius but Socially awkward, I highly suspect she's on the Autism Spectrum actually and I know she has Mental Health Diagnosis but doesn't accept her Condition like we have in our Family.  There's Shame and a lot of Denial in her Family about those who have Mental Health Issues, tho' Generations of them have.

I am blunt about my Observations that Yes, Dear, you have some Mental Health Problems and it IS still Obvious to everyone even if you struggle with the acknowledgement of it, it's nothing to be Ashamed of.  We accept you as you are.  She's already had so many Issues with just her Sexual Orientation, she Dated Men for a long time when Younger just to try to appear Straight and deny she was a Lesbian.  Of coarse that didn't work out even tho' when Young she was Beautiful and a Lipstick Lesbian, so a lot of Men wanted to Date her.  In reality she was much more Masculine on the Inside and how she just is.  So now embraces that aspect of herself, so she's more a Butch Lesbian now and comfortable with that regardless of Public Opinion.

Or her very judgmental Family not Liking it coz they're fanatical Bible Belt Baptists on her Dad's side and staunch Roman Catholics on her Mom's side.  So the Extreme Religious Doctrine imposed was very harsh about her being herself without having God's condemnation, rather than His Unconditional Love becoz He Created her just as she is, fearfully and wonderfully made, regardless of what Mankind thinks or feels about it.  I Hate when Bad Religion damages Good People, it's Cruel and it's not at all Godly in the Least.  Self Righteousness and being Pious is never Pretty, nor is Hatred and Prejudices guised in the disguise of being "Religious" to try to Justify Cruelty, Condemnation or Inhumanity.   She herself joined the Jehovah's Witness when she was a Teen, which REALLY fucking Mind Fucked her!   Until they excommunicated her, or whatever they do, becoz of her Lifestyle. 

 So she's got a lot of Emotional Trauma and Baggage from how Religion and other People couldn't accept her Authentic Self.  So, she's had trouble accepting who she even is at times, without Shame and Self Loathing.  Now she tends to be very Defensive, which is understandable.  She been spending YEARS now trying to Deprogram herself from the JW Damage, it really is Cultish and Brainwashes it's Members in ways that are hard to just erase, even when they desperately want to and are no longer a part of what it represents.  I've known quite a few JW's, some were even Friends, just like I know a lot of LDS, some were even Friends and I Married The Man who was Raised Mormon.  I saw how it dominated their Life in sometimes harmful ways and those who Questioned any of it, often were tossed to the Curb or harshly dealt with.  And, the difference between a Cult and a Religion, to me, is what happens when you try to LEAVE.  Nuff said.  The Mormons rarely bother The Man any more coz they think I am uncomfortably different.  And I am. *Bwahahahaha and Winks*

Anyway, so, by the time this even Posts, I don't know how it will Play out with The Niece living here or deciding mebbe this isn't for her?  Either way she has our Blessings, but I told her Last Night, if you decide to Stay, I know it's a Transition for you, it is for all of us too anytime someone comes in or goes out, so, you just have to get with The Program and Learn to Coexist in a Communal way, that's all.  That means compromising, sacrificing sometimes what you would prefer or want, and being respectful of each Individual within the Household.  You have to get along and play well with others for it to work... or, if YOU can't, you'll be the One that has to Go.  It happened with Allen, he likes the IDEA of Communal Living, but, it's just not for him. 

 The Young Prince met him in a Hippie Commune in Washington State when they were Older Teens, and Allen couldn't cut it there in that much bigger Commune either.  He was having too much conflict with Members, you can't be confrontational in a Communal Environment.  You gotta Work things out Harmoniously and Respectfully.   My Crew have Learned how to do that over Time and Generations of it being our Way of Living, but if you're "New" to it, then it might not come Naturally to you, comfortably for you, and if you got a lot of Ego and Selfish Behaviors, it's NOT gonna Work Out for you even if you thought it might.   I don't know The Niece can Transition, she wants to be able to fit in and make it Work, coz I know she Loves every single one of us and we Love her too and want her to have a Safe and affordable place to Land and Be.  It's the only reason we extended the Invitation when she was in Crisis with where she was before.  She's bounced around a lot so I don't know she even knows what she wants?  And if she doesn't even know what she wants, how can anyone else know what she wants either?

Perhaps she even may prefer being Nomadic in Nature, which is Fine, if you can make that Work, it's not such a Bad Lifestyle and especially if you're Single with no Dependents to have to think about.  She's never been Married, isn't in a Romantic Relationship or Partnering with anyone, and she has no Children, isn't close to her Biological Family... being a Nomad seems to suit her actually.   When she can Work Remotely it Works, but right now this Good Job requires her to go in for Work and so she has to assess what's Economically gonna be most Beneficial.  This doesn't seem to be a Career Choice she should fuck up IMO and I told her this too.  The Benefits and Hours are great, she's good at and Loves the Work, it's easy for her coz she's so Brilliant and has done it for so long.  She's worked for this Company before and they do seem to Value her and are glad she's back.  But, it's up to her what she makes of it... or doesn't.  You have to be Financially Responsible too, you can't really make a secure Living being a Pro Poker Player even if you're Good... she has that Fantasy, coz she is Good at it, but it can't Sustain her.

I don't like to run interference in anyone else's Life even if I know they're screwing it up.  If they're Grown, it's up to them to sort out what they fuck up in their Lives and Learn from it.  Some folks do have trouble letting go of the Fantasy Life they would prefer to be Living and just isn't practical or probable to make into a Living, if you know what I mean?   And I'm pragmatic to the Nth Degree and she knows this, plus I don't sugar coat anything, so she often bounces off me what I think and Solicit my Advice concerning it.  Whether she takes said Advice or not matters not to me either, I always follow Solicited Advice with, you're Grown, so now do with it what you will.  And I will NOT give Unsolicited Advice, not worth my Time or Energy to Waste Advice on those who didn't want it in the first place and never asked for it either.  Unsolicited Advice is rarely Welcome and almost never Taken and utilized, it's resented in fact, it's throwing your Pearls before Swine to expect it had Value to whoever never asked you for what you think about what they're Dealing with  They don't Care about your Advice frankly, so, Save it for someone who does.  *Winks and Laughs*

She did ask me about the Gambling and Poker Angle.  I'm not a Gambler, I like and prefer a Sure Thing, so I'm not that high Risk Taker who'll roll the Dice when I know I can make Money a Solid and more reliable way with lower Risks.  I asked her to consider how much she Earned Gambling and Playing Poker each Year for the past Five or so.  Do the Math, if you can't actually LIVE on that Income, it's not a Career Angle to pursue, just a Stream of Income to Supplement your Career.  Do it if you can make Money off it consistently, don't overdo it to the Point you're not making Money and are Losing Money consistently.  Have it just be your Side Hustle.  She's won Big sometimes, we're talking several Thousand Dollars, which is Sweet, and she Loves Playing Poker.  But has never been Life Altering in ways that would make it a Living. 

 So, to me, keep it as your Side Hustle Honey coz otherwise you better be comfortable being a Broke Bitch, coz your real Gift is in Tech Money Making Fields to pursue and adds Value in more reliable ways.  I Debt Counseled folks in Crisis for a Career in my 1st Corporate Life, she knows this, so Values my input.  Anyone can end up in Financial Crisis, even in doing everything Right.  This shitty Economy and the Threats AI Poses to alter Humanity and how the Economy will Work or not Work, is looming large.  It's scary stuff and so a lot of Working Aged folks are legitimately Scared shitless about it.  And they should be actually, if they're not paying Attention they are Fools, becoz some Heavy shit is coming very, very soon.  Many will be caught off Guard and totally unprepared for the consequences they never asked for or thought they'd be up against thru no Fault of their own.  I'm concerned and making preparations for when it all goes Sideways... and it will and already is... there's not been the Transparency or Honesty to the Public there should be.  Folks would Panic.

One of the other Nieces sent a Pix of herself with her Youngest Daughter, who is a Clone of her, looks exactly like she did at that Age!!!   She's had a lot of Health Problems, this Niece, so I'm glad to see her looking and feeling Healthier.  Tho' her extreme Weight Loss concerned me, it was a lot she lost after her Mom's Death and I was worried she wasn't eating or taking Care of herself due to Grief and Stress or whatever Meds she was put on.  She was her Mom's Caregiver right up to the End, it was a LOT, and her own Health suffered for it.  She'd even had a Heart Monitor implanted last Year around Halloween and I thought it was a Halloween Prop for her Zombie Costume, until we talked about it and I was told, No, Aunt Dawn, they had to implant that to Monitor my Heart!!!  Yikes!  WTF is going on Honey?  I knew her Mom was Dying, and this Niece has Three Young Children, Two Daughters and The Son is even Younger than this Youngest Daughter, so they're still all little, tho' the Oldest is in High School now.

Since our Social Security Checks finally hit I took The Man out for BBQ, and brought most of it Home for the Family so nobody has to Cook Tonight while I'm at Work.  I got a Military Discount plus a $5 Off Bonus for being a regular Customer.  I bought The Man one of their Hats, he'd been Jonesin' for one and I'd Promised him one when we got Paid.  He Collects Hats and is Obsessive about it, the Owner's Sister said her Husband does the same.  Like me she Purges some of his duplicate Hats or those he never ever wears and has long forgotten about.  *Winks*  The Man literally had amassed a Closet full of Baseball Cap Style Hats and so The Daughter and I had to go thru them and Donate about 2/3 coz it had gotten out of Hand.  *Smiles*  But as a Collection, he has some very nice Keeper ones of both the Baseball Type Caps and Cowboy Custom Hats and he is a Hat Person, he always wears one and looks good in Hats.

He was having a Big Time eating out and did quite well coz he Loves their BBQ, so tho' he looks positively demented in this Pix, his Mood was actually not as dangerous as he is looking.  *Bwahahahaha*  The Kiddos Joke that those are his "Sniper Eyes", which are almost as Scary, they claim, as my "Crazy Eyes".  So, whenever any of them is acting the Fool, we need only give them THAT Look and no Words are ever necessary.  *Winks*  Apparently it's the "I could Kill you" Look that they claim Scares people about Dad/Grandpa and I.  *Winks*  We were the 1st Customers in the Doors when they Opened and we got the Special again with 5 Meats and 3 Sides. 

 We double up our Meat selection of the Burnt Pork Belly Bites and the Sliced Brisket coz those are the Family favs, the 5th Meat we chose Pork Ribs coz they'd Sold Out of the Burnt End Ribs.  Our Sides this day were their BBQ Beans, Corn Nuggets and Fried Okra.  Shit, with my Post Stroke Partial Aphasia I almost Typed Fried Orca!  *LOL and PETA would be shitting Kittens about that, Right?  Fried Killer Whale... that's Funny in a Twisted inappropriate way... but I caught it in time to correct my Aphasia Mistake before you all are like, they serve Fried Orca, WTF?!  LOL*   Or mebbe some of you would be like, so... what did it Taste like?  Mebbe they didn't Free Willy after all?!!?   Okay, Okay, enough of that and let's go more PC now.  *Winks and Laughs*

Just Joking... one more... that The Son sent me... and I was LMAOROTF.  Coz some Vietnamese Friends of ours who own a Vietnamese Restaurant have a huge Tropical Fish Tank in the Entryway of their Restaurant and had to put a Sign on it saying the Fish were their Friends, not anything on the Menu!!!   Coz literally Americans were Freaking Out thinking the Fish were the Food!!!  At least our Friends had a Wicked Sense of Humor about it and of the inaccurate Stereotypes out there.  Lies like, they're Eating the Cats, they're Eating the Dogs, they're Eating the Pets... that Donnie Two Dolls was even spewing Lies about from the Bully Pulpit... and some ignorant Americans will Believe!!!  Coz they don't know any better either or are just Racist and Xenophobic Fucks too.

Okay, back to the good Food Porn of the Day.  You're Welcome.  *Winks*  A huge Monsoon Storm is rolling in early and I'm concerned it will hit around the time I have to go to Work or before?  Fuuuuuuuck!  I really don't like Driving in inclement Weather coz the Storms have been catastrophic and so dangerous of late and taking down whole enormous Old Trees and damaging Buildings badly too!  It's no Joke and if a Haboob happens before the Torrential Rains as well, it is Zero Visibility and those Roll in Hundreds of Miles High like a Tsunami Wave of Dirt Taller than even our largest Skyscrapers in the City!  I've Shared Pixs of it hitting Phoenix before, it's breathtaking to see Photos of, but Terrifying to get Stuck Out in and very dangerous.  It Sand Blasts your Vehicle so badly if you're Driving that it can strip the Paint off it and pit the Glass on your Windshield with the Sandblast force of it!  You can't Breathe in that either, so if you have Respiratory ailments, it can send you to an ER.  Fun Times and one looks like it's coming... Le Sigh.

 

 

The Thunder has been really loud too and we've had some fierce Lightening and Strikes that start Fires, and everything is tinder right now so that's never good either.   And my Roof isn't replaced yet, it's still just Tarped coz I still haven't gotten any Checks I can Cash.  The initial one from the Insurance, which was pitifully Small, had to be sent clear to Ohio to be Endorsed by our Lender and then will be sent back to us to Deposit, which, that's probably at least a Two Week Turnaround.  It's nowhere near enuf to pay our Roofer even for Supplies, which is ridiculous, they expect the Homeowner to cover that out of the ridiculously high Deductibles they've gouged you with now.  But our Contractor is covering our Deductible, so... I'll only be able to give him less than $200 that the Insurance expects him to start the Job with and the balance when it's finished, inspected by the Lender, and Approved for release of Funds to pay for the Job.  What a fucking Dog & Pony Show and Racket these Insurance Companies have going on now.

With Bad Weather rolling in I don't know how Dead it will be at the Antique Mall Tonight?  I never Priced more Inventory like I should have before going in, I still have Time to but not the Motivation to actually.  *Le Sigh*  Mebbe I'll saunter over to a Crate of Inventory I haven't put into the She Shed yet and Price some of it before I leave for Work... I'm contemplating it at least.  My Apathy and Indifference lately has been problematic and I do acknowledge it.  I try to Shake it Off, but sometimes I just can't be bothered to either.  *LOL and further Sighs*  I've already done Two Loads of Laundry Today and Cleaned more of the Dining Room Area with The Young Prince's Help.  It's about Half Done now.  We mailed the rest of our Bills and I took Care of Feeding the Cat and Wild Birds, the Caregiving of The Man... so I Need to Save some of my Energy and Stamina for Tonight's Shift if I expect to get thru it.

Okay, so, I just Shamed myself into pricing some 1968 Children's Hardcover Illustrated Books of Classics like "Call Of The Wild", "Pinocchio", "Swiss Family Robinson" and "Treasure Island"... and a 1970 Betty Crocker Cookbook called "Dinner In A Dish" also fully Illustrated with funky Recipes of that Era, which sometimes are hilariously unappealing.  I guess the whole "Dinner In A Dish" Series was big and several different Editions and putting weird shit in Jell-O Molds with flavored Gelatin was apparently a big Thing?   My Dad being a Master Chef during that Time Period, he never fed us crap like that, Thank Baby Jesus and all the Saints!   He wasn't some Mad Alchemist like Ole' Betty Crocker seemed to be Off her Rocker with and put it in Publication!!!  *Bwahahahaha*   I mean these are some Upsetting Recipes that could Kill your Appetite!  *LOL*

I mean, their Budget Casseroles alone make me wanna heave, I think I'd rather go Hungry frankly if the Grocery Budget ever gets that Bad!  Fasting and Hunger would be less horrifying to experience than that "Cheese Egg Bake" even LOOKS!   Mebbe as a Haunted Attraction Prop for Halloween to Scare the Kiddies?  *Smiles*  Or if that wasn't Stomach churning enuf for ya... how about some "Curried Fish In Rice Ring", oh Mylanta!!!  You know, with some Kumquat Garnish which they Imagine somehow makes it look edible or remotely appealing!!!  Lord Have Mercy!  I'm glad whoever made this Dish in the Seventies never Invited us over for Dinner!  *Whew!*  I don't think there would be any Polite way to decline that Horror or Presentation!!!   Unless you really don't wanna miss having Friends, I'd say don't Serve this at your next Dinner Party!  *LOL*  I mean, they did Warn you they were "Entertaining on a Shoestring"!  *Bwahahahaha*

But, I did Save the Worst Best for Last of the Upsetting Food Porn Vintage Recipes Horror Section as my Halloween Offerings of Terrifying Foods... how about some "Bologna Biscuits With Vegetables"!!????!!!  *Bwahahahaha*   Doesn't that look Yummy if you were perhaps Hosting and feeding Zombies if you were clear outta Brains?!  *LMAOROTF*  Okay, so that was Fun, I ain't gonna Lie, I almost Kept my 1970 Recipe Book for when I Need a good Laugh and Scare about what Foods some brave, broke or demented Souls actually might have Served their Families and Friends!  Luckily, I never knew any of those People even tho' we grew up Poor and just didn't know it... we ate well.  Even if some unusual Foods that my Dad did grow up eating on the Reservation with what Rations the U.S. Government gave Tribal People to try to exist upon and not Starve.  Many did anyway, but, I confess I didn't mind the Rez Foods Dad sometimes prepared for Nostalgic reasons... rather than some of the Fear Factor Foods of my Mom's Culture and upbringing!  Yeah, on Welsh Food Days I'd sometimes ask a Friend if I could eat at their House instead?  *LOL*

Blood Sausage, Steak & Kidney Pie, Jobbins {Mashed Turnips covered in Bacon Grease}, Cockles or Welkes, Laverbread {Bara Lawr, which BTW and Heads Up, is not a Bread}.  Okay, gotta explain that one in Detail to give you the disturbing Visual:  It's a Welsh Coastline edible Seaweed which is boiled down for Hours until it turns into a thick, gelatinous, dark Green to Black Paste!  *Yeah, Yuk!*   And Faggots, which is not a Homophobic Slur there, but is a Fear Factor Food of Nose to Tail minced Pig Offal Meatballs made mostly of Pig's Belly Fat, Liver and Heart wrapped in Caul Fat which is the Lacy Fatty Membranes of a Pig's Stomach Lining!  They have a very strong Metallic Iron Rich flavor that is truly disgusting and disturbing... Hungry yet?  *LMAO*  Poten Waed is a Welsh Black Pudding and is a congealed fresh Pig's Blood with Suet, Onions and Oatmeal, solidified into a dark dense Log.  It really is a strong Psychological hurdle even for those of us who grew up with a Parent that Traditionally ate that shit and Loves it!  *Smiles*  A lot of Gaelic Cultures eat some truly Weird shit!  *Ha ha ha*

Now, back to Halloween, which is far less Scary than the Food of my Mom's Culture or of the Recipes in those Vintage Betty Crocker Cookbooks.  *Winks*  But, makes for some Fun Blog Fodder so close to and in preparation for Halloween, No?  *Smiles*  We just had the Downpour, it was brief but the Thunder Claps were so loud is scared Eli the Cat to where he hid in the Closet and timidly came out peeking at the Bedroom Window as if something Terrifying would come thru it and get him!  Poor thing, Animals don't like Thunder.  He'll feel better when his Human gets Home from Work.  But I don't know what Time that will be Today, their Shifts have been all over the place lately and not adhering to their Scheduled Hours, which makes it so those who don't have their own Transportation, have a difficult time getting Home after Work.  Some like her have Family picking them up, some take Public Transit or an Uber or Lyft.

Anyway, tho' I will Take One for The Team and still go in to Work, and Honor the Commitment I made, I'm not particularly enthusiastic about Working Tonight really now.  It happens.  *LOL*  Hopefully we won't get more Storm and it was all we'll get, coz it really poured down?  It's only 2:00 p.m. so I still have a couple Hours before I need to leave for Work, we'll see what Mother Nature brings on???   Anyway, I thought perhaps "Sweet Salvage" Event would have Posted something of the Imagery and Sneak Peeks of their Halloween Themed Event, the most Popular one of the whole Year, since it Opens Tomorrow Morning, but, NOTHING!!!  That is Odd coz they always dump Imagery abundantly before every Month's Event to Stimulate Trade and get folks interested in attending, so no idea what's going on that they didn't Post a damned thing, not a single Image, and only briefly even outlined when the Event would be, which was a Single Banner of a Trio of Images, not even of their Store or Stuff, just random Cribbed Autumnal Imagery... just... Weird!!!

So, I went over to Instagram, which I almost never use or visit, to see if perhaps they Posted something there?  Just found this Lone Image of "Practical Magic" Theme that I think was from Last Year's Halloween Themed Event actually?  {Update: It was this Event!} They really haven't Posted much of anything at all on Social Media Platforms, which I feel is a Mistake.  Nor has any of the Designers on their Individual Biz or Personal Pages, so it's just really Strange and I plan to ask some of my Friends why everything was kept so Secretive or at the very least, neglected in their Advertising of something I know they put a lot of Work into to Host for only Four Days.  You can't always rely on it having been Popular in the Past if in the Present you get Slack or Lazy about your Advertising of upcoming Events, Sales, Product.  People sometimes won't bother coming if they aren't sure it will be worth their Time and effort?   I know that this Year's Theme isn't called "Practical Magic" and why I assumed this was an Older Event Pix of a previous Halloween Themed Event instead?   Anyway, I'll definitely go... it will all be a Surprise tho' what it looks like and holds???

Back in da Day they used to Host Preview Parties of the most Popular Holiday Events, you couldn't Buy, but they'd Cater, and had Music, it was Fun, you got Pristine Pixs of everything before Opening Day before it all gets picked over and messed up.  I Loved those Event Parties and it was usually a small Cover Charge to attend, well worth it just for the Catering and they did serve Wine usually and other Non-Alcoholic Refreshments. Socializing was great, with other Guests and  people you might know, you could talk to the Designers about anything coz they weren't busy helping Customers Buying the Merch yet.  And, you could scope out in advance, what you might wanna get there early to try to Score too and where it was located.  *Winks*  And, sometimes they'd have a Raffle to Win something as well.  I've Won more than once actually, I'm Lucky like that.

 

Attendance has been lighter than usual for recent Shows, so I dunno how crowded even this usually very Popular Halloween Themed Event might be?   People either dig Halloween or they don't.  Those of us who dig it, really dig it.  *Winks*  Christmas, by comparison, is Popular, but no longer as Popular as Halloween Commercially.  And, it attracts a different Demographic for that Holiday and it's Meaning to people, or even if it has no Meaning to them and they just Celebrate it anyway.  I've known Atheists and Non-Christians who Celebrate Christmas, which I always thought was Interesting.  But, mebbe they do Believe in Santa Claus... I dunno?  *Winks and Smiles*  It's all Good... anything Celebratory for any Reason is all Good.   And you don't have to have any Reason to Celebrate Halloween really or do it any kind of Specific way.

Well, Work went very well, it was pretty busy in spite of the inclement Weather, and it was a bad Storm, dumped over 2 inches in NE Mesa, which is more than they usually get annually.  So Streets looked like Rivers and stranded Motorists coz most Streets weren't passable.  And Parks looked like Lakes, literally people were Swimming in it, Kayaking in it, and one Guy was Jet Skiing in it!  The Water at the Parks was over Waist Deep on an Adult!  The Winds were Hurricane Force again, so they may have sustained more catastrophic Wind damage, I haven't watched the News but my Live Feed on my Phone was Alerting all Night long as I was Working.  Our area got a lot of Rain, but nothing catastrophic as the East Valley.

  My Co-Workers were the new Lady, Michelle, who I've already become good Friends with, I really like her.  And Jackson, whose working better than he used to, Nice Guy, but used to be more of a Slacker, but every Shift I've Worked with him lately, he has Worked well, so I have no complaints to work with either of them on Wednesday Nights.  Sue, "The General", had to leave early to meet a Niece for Dinner, which was Fine, we told her we had everything covered, and we did.  There weren't many Go-Backs like last Week, Customers were Buying what they had us take up Front for them and being more decisive about their Purchases.  I Killed it last Pay Period, so I'm getting a big Check for a change this Friday, and, I got a lot of my Space Rent Comped with Working so many Shifts, so I get to keep most of what I made.  Happy Dance!

I'd Sold a LOT of the $30 range Pokemon Cards, a lot of T-Shirts, a lot of Rubber Art Stamps, a lot of Fiesta Ware Dinnerware, and a LOT of 1960's and 1970's Era Dolls, almost all of those that I had.  Sometimes Sales are in Cycles like that if the Right Customers walk thru those Doors.  I've got to Price more Pokemon Cards then and get them in of the range that are higher, the Cheaper Cards aren't Selling as briskly as the Expensive ones, which was a pleasant Surprise.  I started this Pay Period off Strong too, for the same reasons, more of the same is Selling.  With the Economy still being preciously shitty, I'm very Surprised Sales got suddenly Strong, but, I'm relieved, coz my Costs are going up all the time on everything Essential, Gas took another hike and Utilities have almost doubled.  At the Grocery Store I memorize what I buy most often usually Costs and it's all Up in price now, with only a few exceptions.  For some reason Milk is way lower.  And we go thru a lot of Milk so that's a good thing.

The Niece, well, she doesn't seem to be settling in well even tho' The Daughter hasn't been here for Days, she's still Working at the Ranches and Mini Farms so can stay in their Guest Houses on their Acreages.  So, pretty much The Niece has had the whole damned 5th Wheel to herself yet won't stay in there at all, she's been staying out in her Car!!!  It seems quite Mental to me so I don't know what Mental Health Crisis she is actually moving thru and asked her about it, coz even my Loved Ones don't behave that Strangely.  The Daughter is quite comfortable in the 5th Wheel, she's even Shared it before coz Mando used to be over here all of the time and she'd sometimes have other Friends spend the Night, nobody complained it was uncomfortable, it's a very nice 5th Wheel and quite large actually.  The Master Bedroom is very nice and that's what The Daughter gave up for The Niece to have as her Personal Space in there.  She's got a Good Thing going, but I think she might blow it being too picky and critical?  She can be inclined to being Negative and stuck in having Bad Energy.  It's unfortunate, coz everywhere she goes, she takes herself with her, you know?

Changing Places won't Change how she is self-sabotaging.  The 5th Wheel is just Fine for someone whose been or found themselves Homeless.  It has a full Kitchen, so you can prepare Meals in there but also our Kitchen in the Main House is Open for everyone to utilize too.  Both Bathrooms are available in the Main House for toiletry needs and Showers, or a Bath is in the Guest Bathroom too.  Our Living Room Area is communally Shared for watching TV, but the 5th Wheel has a Big Screen TV and a nice Music Sound System too.  On the Back Patio is a Smoking Area for the Smokers.  Smoking isn't allowed inside of any structures, I don't want anything smelling like a dirty old Ashtray Inside, plus we have Loved Ones with Respiratory Issues that can't be around secondhand Smoke.  So, that's not an unreasonable Rule and nobody has ever had a problem with it.  She's a Smoker, but she has been using the Smoking Area there and Socializing Fine.  It's just she's being very hinky about Living in the 5th Wheel and that's what she Agreed to, so, I have no Words.  If she wants to Live in her Car instead, well, what can I say?  The Daughter probably will be Fine with that.  *Smiles*

I think The Niece has a delusion that when The Daughter returns she'll be able to convince her to change everything in the 5th Wheel.  I have Warned her, "Don't Do It!!!!!!!!!"   So, if she Foolishly does, then whatever transpires is on her, but I can Guarantee that it will not go well.  You can't come to someone else's Home and ask nor have the expectations they'll Change everything becoz of what YOU want, when, you're the Newbie on a Trial Basis to even see if it will work out for you and everyone else and you'll be a good Fit... or not.  We're doing her the Favor and I reminded her of that Fact, so, a Favor will only take you so far before now it might be rescinded if you have unrealistic expectations of what everyone is willing to Sacrifice on your behalf. 

 Personally, when I was Homeless once upon a time, and folks put me up 'til I could get back on my Feet again after my Divorce, with a Newborn Infant and a Four Year Old in Tow... I became like Water.  Water will conform to whatever it's put into.  When you have no Shelter, you become like Water, so whatever situation you're put into, you Fit!  Anyway, whatever... she has to sort out her own Situation and decide what's best for herself, whatever that is?   She's Grown, she's been Grown a long time now and is almost past Middle Age, so, she can't rely on being Dependent on other people to sustain her, becoz she is capable of sustaining herself and she's very Intellectual and Skilled, but time to start making Good Life Decisions on a consistent basis now too so that it all lines up for the best possible outcome and Life you're Living.  I can't tell her how to do that, each person has to figure that out on their own. 

I went to my Event and was about the 3rd Person there but went for Crepes.  When I got back I was about the 15th Person and didn't know, coz they didn't Advertise anything on Social Media well, as I've mentioned before, that they were allowing Early Entry for the first 13 People in Line by a Half Hour!!!   Damn, it cut off with the Lady directly in front of me, had I known this I would have waited to have my Crepes after the Event.  *LOL*  Ah, well, it was one of the best Events they've ever had for Halloween so they should have done Advertising on their Social Media Platforms coz it was not at all well attended and I suspect that is precisely why!?  Which is a Shame coz they put so much Work into it and I've got Blog Fodder Imagery for Days now and probably up to and past Halloween Posts.  I took a lot with my Phone Camera this time since my Old School Camera has been not taking great Pixs lately... or mebbe I'm just not with it???  *Smiles*

So, to ensure I got good coverage I had a Camera and my Phone in each Hand in Pathological Picture Taker Mode.  I got to visit with many of my Designer Friends, met some Awesome Women while in Line, one Named Cheryl, who was the Lady in front of me in Line, was so nice and we had such a pleasant conversation.  I hope to see her there again sometimes.  Some of my long time Friends that I always see there were there too, almost everyone comes to the Halloween Themed Event and the Christmas Themed Event, which will be in November.  I'll probably go back at least Once, mebbe Twice, during the Four Days of this Halloween Event, for something Fun to do that I've waited all Year for.  I bought Five items.

Two were Handmade Cloth Bat Women who look like the Bride of Frankenstein, that I got from my Friend Michelle.  One was an 1800's small French Doll made into a Mummy that the Francophile new Designer did.  She had not known what to do for Halloween since almost all her Merch is directly from France.  But, she totally Killed it, making her Space look like a Haunted Historic French Mansion or Chateau, Brilliantly done with OOAK Antique pieces from France.  OMG, I was in Lust which how she Decorated her Space, I'd of liked my Home to look like that for Halloween!!!   I got a very Old Vintage Mannequin, probably from the 1950's or 1960's, Torso with Head, modified to look like a Scary Scarecrow and wearing a Halloween Scarecrow Outfit.  I barely know that Designer but she's so nice and I'm sure she's told me her Name before, but I can't remember it.  *Le Sigh*  Then I got a Vintage Mannequin Arm and Hand from my Friend Giesel.  

 

So, now you've seen most of my Haul... and I'll end for now and Save a lot more Imagery and Storyline for the Posts after this one... *Winks*  Totally in a Halloween Vibe now... and Channeling my Morticia Addams, have the Interior Decorated for Halloween and some of the Front Porch already...

*******

May your autumnal vibes be strong my friends... dawn... the bohemian