Life Happens... Shit Happens... Play Whatever Hand You're Dealt

 I'd gotten up in time to take The Son to Work by 5:00 a.m. but he'd apparently already decided to Walk there this Morning and was gone when I got out of the Bathroom.  Mebbe he didn't hear that I was up?  He doesn't mind Walking and it's nice outside that early and not a far walk, less than 1/4 of a Block from Home.  If I look from our Access Road towards the West, I can see the Intersection and his Dollar Tree is on the Southwest Corner of that Intersection.

  That's probably the most convenient employment he's ever had and he really likes that aspect of it, no transportation costs necessary and he doesn't need to own a Vehicle.  He would like to be Full Time, get more than Minimum Wage and have Benefits tho', Underemployment is just as hard as Unemployment really, it's not enuf to even Exist on and be fully Independent.  So he knows he'll have to find something else, either another job or a 2nd job. 

The Niece called me and had Won a Big Poker Tournament so she isn't struggling now for a few Months.  She's Unemployed again and just doing Gig Work and playing Poker to exist.  She's living with her Dad now in Texas and he has some subsidized Apartment for Old Veterans who were Homeless.  He didn't retire from the Military, he served 18 Years and didn't fulfill his 20, got out when the RIF's were going on and accepted a ridiculously low Severance Package.  It definitely wasn't a Serious Golden Parachute they offered anyone, yet, many voluntarily took the Bait voluntarily, perhaps afraid they'd be involuntarily Severed anyway with Nothing then offered? 

His Wife was a BFF of mine and she took the RIF too, at the same time her Husband did, but she only had 11 Years in so it at least made more sense.  But, she had consulted me since she knew The Man had been offered one too, all long time Active Duty had during that period of Reduction In Force of the Military.  The Man consulted me about his and I told him to decline.  Becoz I told him that, many of his Friends declined too, knowing I was affectionately Nicknamed "Money Woman".  *LOL and Winks*

But, Barb and her Husband took theirs, against the advice I gave them. And within a Year were filing Bankruptcy and things never got better for them financially or in their Marriage, which then ended in Divorce.  All of the Severance Packages the Military offered were ridiculously low and you'd be Taxed as "Unearned Income" on it like you would a Cash Bonus by an Employer.  So, consider you then would really be getting about Half of what was already unacceptably too low to forfeit a full Retirement if you fulfilled your Career Contract and Served 20 Years. 

 The Man had well over his 20, since by the time he was involuntarily Medically Retired later on, he had Served 39 Years.   So he still would have gotten full Retirement and Benefits, plus Disability Status, but, would have been looking for another Career way past his Prime.  So, Financially, it wasn't worth it and he took my advice not to accept the RIF offer.

Some of his Best Friends, when they asked him, what does Dawn Think?  Well, they decided to decline the offer too and stay in, they never regretted that decision.  Everyone who took the RIF did regret their decision to, coz the amount, after Taxation, wasn't even a full Year's Salary, so WTF were they thinking, it's Simple Math and not Rocket Science!!!??!    Combined, my Friend and her Husband were offered $80,000 which sounded like a lot of Money to them, but he only had Two fucking Years before Full Retirement Earned him a LIFETIME Pension, which, he forfeited!!!  

 And after Taxation, they probably cleared right around $40,000, which was only $20,000 each, Hell you can easily Earn that much in a Year at some very Basic Jobs that require few Skills!!!  So, needless to say, they had no Pensions now, were way too Young to draw their Social Security and had made no major Investments as a Passive Income Flow.  In a Word they were SCREWED.   And everything went Downhill from there and they weren't the type to Rebound.  You can Bottom Out and still rebound, I have.   If you were Successful once you can be Successful again even after any epic Failure.  But it's up to you to regroup, recalculate and reconfigure after Life Altering Events.

Anyway, Divorce ensued and then each became perpetually Homeless. She Died prematurely and he's in bad shape and on some kind of Assistance Program for Old Veterans or he'd still be Homeless.  And The Niece and one of her Younger Sisters are now Middle Aged and things aren't going swell for them either.  Both are highly Skilled, but in their 40's and Lost their high Salary Careers some time ago and so nothing has played out in their Favor since, Welcome to 2026 and our current Economic Situation for many folks.  Above is a Blast From The Past of me and a few Industry Friends over 25 Years ago.  And Below, me and Mom, I always bought her either Orchids or Violets, she Loved growing those.  Her Wedding Bouquet were Orchids.

   So, anyway, now the Niece has become her Dad's Caregiver and moved in with him coz she was Unhoused again.  But, something about the Veteran's "Program" seems suspect to me coz they Charge him $500 a Month for it out of his Social Security. I think they are "Claims Sharks" personally and told The Niece so.  Accredited and Legitimate Veteran's Advocacy Organizations {VSO's} provide this kind of Help without Charge and applying for VA Benefits and filing Claims it always Free.  But he was a Veteran, Homeless, Desperate, Old, and a Vulnerable Adult... so you know the Scammers Target such Demographics.  I don't Like her Dad, I was good Friends with his Wife when she was Alive, and I Love their Kids like Family, but I don't like to see him or anyone else exploited either.

Anyway, this Service is charging him but got him Housed, it's substandard Housing and I still think they're a Scam Organization exploiting Veterans and their Families.  But, it's not my decision to make and it ensured The Niece wasn't Homeless too when she quit her last Job, which she said didn't work out.  I had advised her not to Quit tho', who does that when it took over a Year to even find another Job after a Big Layoff in her Industry?   But a lot of Younger Generations are like what I call the "Yeah, No, Generation" when it comes to Employment and just up and spontaneously Quit Jobs and Careers when they don't Like something or don't wanna do it.  That's their predominant Response.  They don't Tough Shit Out like previous Generations did.  *LOL*

 Her expertise is one quickly becoming replaced by AI so I do think she has to Cross Train to something else that Humans will still be doing, but I don't give Unsolicited Advice and even when someone Solicits Advice from me, it doesn't mean they'll take it or that they even should.  Each person has to have a Peace about their Major Life Decisions regardless of anyone else's Advice given.  And the consequences and outcome of Personal Choice in Life is EVERYTHING.   And to be Fair, many of my Generation are Dropping Out and Quitting a lot of stuff too, no more Fucks to give apparently.   And if an Employer can't even be All In, then they're Out too, which, I can't say I blame most Employees for that Sentiment these days.

But, I tend to be very Strategic with my decisions and use any Leverage I have to my best Advantage.  Also Calculating every Angle, assessing Risks and Options Carefully, Reading People, avoiding Dangers, not much is left to Chance or Luck.  So, even tho' I can be Spontaneous, it's mostly the Appearance that I am, I've done a lot of Mental Gymnastics about it first, Trust and Believe.  It's Experience coupled with Street Smarts that works best for me coz I didn't get much Formal Academic Learning under my Belt.  Which is Okay, I've met a lot of highly Educated Fools in my day.  But Street Smart Folks I know usually land on their Feet and have the Nine Lives of an Alley Cat and the Survival Rate of a Cockroach, no matter what happens.  *Smiles and Winks*  

The Niece has a Genius IQ but doesn't always make Wise or Street Smart Decisions, some very Intelligent people be like that.  *LOL and Le Sigh*  Just coz you're highly Intelligent doesn't always ensure you're the best Decision Maker or Manage your Life well.   So, anyway she calls her Aunt Dawn to vent about frustrations or tell me what's going well for her and I mostly just have her Feel Heard and don't try to Fix Life for her.  Sometimes that's all someone wants or really needs from you.

  All my Kiddos will run everything by me and they always have, they Respect my Input.   Then I tell them to decide for themselves how their Journey will then play out, given whatever Information or Advice I've provided.  When I Debt Counseled Clients in Financial distress I did the same thing for them.  I weighed in with my Opinion about it when they've Solicited Advice and faced with Big Decisions that can be Life Altering, sometimes they take it and sometimes they don't.  Shrugs.  Life happens, Shit happens.

I remember when I had to make the agonizing decision to forfeit 60% of my Pension from the DA's Office to become The Man's Full Time UNPAID Caregiver, and UNPAID Caregiver of my Two Special Needs Grandkids, just Four Years from being fully Vested to receive 100% of it!  Christ on a Bike, I knew it was a considerable Financial Hit for us that would require restructuring my whole Retirement Plan completely and on The Fly.  You sometimes have to think fast on your Feet when Life hands you a shitty Hand dealt.   How you Play that Hand will determine your Outcome, mos' def.  I prefer to Play the Game of Life to my Advantage whenever possible, even when the Hand Dealt isn't Ideal, if you Play it Right, you might still get some decent Wins regardless of what Cards you do or don't have.  I've done Okay with mine.

 Yet, back to difficult decision making... it comes up if you Live long enough... if it hasn't yet, just keep on Living.  So, he and they required Full Time Caregiving and nobody else was going to provide it... nobody.   I exhausted all resources and even remote Options.  No Long Term Care Facility would even take him, let alone be Affordable anyway if they even had.  No Day Care would take my Grandkids due to their extent of Disabling factors, and he couldn't watch them anymore either due to his Condition.  So, I couldn't really Work and make that a Priority anymore, it was Time to Fold 'em I figured.  I ran all the Numbers in my Head and the Logical Solution was to take the 60% Hit, which, over Time, would be less Financially crippling than any other possible or impossible Option available... or not even available really.  Shitty Hands sometimes get Dealt.  *Le Sigh*

   Do I regret the Decision I made?  NO. It was the Right one to make at the time and when your Hand is Forced and you look at the Hand Dealt you that you gotta Play.  As Kenny Rogers would have said, you gotta know when to Hold 'em, and know when to Fold 'em, know when to Walk Away and know when to Run. You never Count your Money when you're sittin' at the Table, there'll be Time enuf for Countin' when the Dealin's Done.  Every Gambler knows the Secret to Surviving is knowing what to Throw Away and knowing what to Keep.   Coz every Hands a Winner and every Hands a Loser and the best that you can Hope for is to Die in your Sleep.  And if Not Dead Yet, the Game ain't Over.

Truer Words were never Spoken or Written actually, so that's Song's Lyrics are pretty Profound actually.   And so I made Peace about it... even tho' I resented having to be faced with such an impossible Situation and Choice that was Life Altering.   Life happens... Shit happens.  I Play whatever Hand I'm Dealt and you have to also.  From time to time I've mulled over some Decisions made in my Life where I could have Played the Game more to my Advantage and better.  But, at the end of each day you have Decisions to make almost constantly and you'll Win some and you'll Lose some.  The Losses will Teach you something just as surely as the Winnings will, perhaps even more so actually.

I watched a Documentary on "Burning Man" called "The Man Will Burn", it was Interesting.  And tho' I've never been and had heard it began as a Counter Culture Movement and promoted Artistic Expression in the 1980's.  Of spontaneous informal Celebration and Radical Self-Expression that would be Free from Commercial constraints of Traditional Society.  It seemed to me, from the Documentary coverage, that it has morphed into being something quite different than it's humble beginnings.  Especially once it got hijacked by Elites and Big Donors for their Entertainment and influences, being a Playground for the Rich, with pretenses of being against the Establishment and the very things that has made them very Wealthy.  But it's hedonistic Fun and most Demographics can be Down for that en mass.  Would I find my Tribe of Peeps there... Yeah, those that could actually Afford to be there.

 It isn't as all Inclusive as it pretends to be tho', most ordinary folks couldn't afford the Luxury and Indulgence of it now.  The Median Household Income for Attendees is $148,000 to $300,000 with a lot of Celebs and Billionaires in attendance and Elite Donors too, like Elon Musk and his Brother Kimbal, the Brother attended for 25 Years and was on the Board Of Directors, a Position Granted after making substantial Donations, until he stepped down this Year due to outrage over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.  And Elon makes big contributions and mebbe Believes in it, who knows?  Hey, there's a Dark Side to everything.  And a Money Side.  Granted, to be Fair, to put on anything as extravagant as it has become over the Years, takes Millions of Dollars, and a LOT of coordination and Work, coz like the Old Saying goes, Gas, Grass or Ass, nobody Rides for Free and nothing in Life is really Free. 

 It looked fascinating tho' and is quite an elaborate and unusual Spectacle. Those who are Devoted to it seem to make regular Pilgrimages and call themselves "Burners".  So, clearly folks are getting something out of it that they're not getting anywhere else in Society or their Daily Lives.  And there's nothing Wrong with that IMO.  Also looked to me like the Government naturally took an opportunity to extort Millions from it for "Permitting".  Even tho' nothing is allegedly Bought or Sold during the Event, Fees are calculated based on percentage of Gross Revenue.  BLM Fees have ranged from Three to Four and a Half MILLION DOLLARS!  *Eye Roll*  Yeah, clearly it's not what it used ta be.

We'll round out this Post with some Political Satire Memes, the very last one I might have already used, can't recall and it's too good to Waste if I hadn't, so, forgive me if it's on repeat.  *Smiles*  I did some Environmental Cleanup real early, not Hot yet but Humid as Hell so my fresh Clothing was soaked by the time I got Home and I had to Shower and Change again before 9:00 a.m.!!!  LATER:  And I'm really Upset and Angry after his Cardiologist Visit.  As usual Docs, Specialists and Nurses are giving conflicting information about his Meds and it could cost him his Life according to Dr. Pham, his Cardiologist!  Splendid.  The MOST Important Medication of all his Laundry List of Medications is one the VA Stopped!!!  So, he hasn't been taking it for 3 Months coz the last time we saw Dr. Pham was before then.  Well, he never should have been taken off of it!!!  He would surely have another Heart Attack without it and it's the one that Stops his Stents from clogging up again!   Fuuuuuck!

Luckily I don't immediately dispose of any Meds they take him off of, I keep them in a separate area in case they change their Mind.  *Whew* So, Thankfully I could put him back on them immediately and Today.  Thank Baby Jesus and all the Saints.   Disaster narrowly averted!!!  They took him off another Med tho' that the Specialist doesn't want him on so I'm going to tell the VA he can't be on that one anymore per his Specialist.  Confused yet, coz I sure am half the time with change upon change and conflicting Doctor Opinions and Instructions changing constantly every Visit!!!

 I sure do Wish all these Docs were on the same fucking Page.  It's so confusing to Patients and their Families coz I'm not going to contest or contradict what a Medical Professional is telling me to do, I am Trusting they ALL know what the Hell they're doing!!!  I'm not a Doc, a Cardiologist, a Nurse or a Pharmacist.  Listen, I'm not even entirely comfortable being a Caregiver responsible for so much Medication and administering it correctly and knowing what all it's for.  Especially when they constantly change it up or don't agree with each other, Truth be told!  And his Life is literally in my Hands and so I have them Write everything down Old School Style, or Print it and Date it.  I insist, so that I have Proof and Evidence, in their Writing or on their Letterhead, that this is what they told me to do and when they told me to do it!

*******

Hanging Tough in the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian 

Function Above Form

 I got all the Posts done and sitting in the Unpublished Queue for the rest of July.  So, now onwards to August Posts, even tho' in Real Time it's only the 13th of July and I'm on a smokin' Hot Roll of Creating my Posts.  *Drops the Mic and Smiles*   I mean, what else are ya gonna do when it's 115 or Hotter most days now except something pleasurable in AC and that still isn't very Physical to risk working up any Sweat?  *LOL*  I keep thinking, I should go to the Gym, and then I don't.  My Knees have been Achy with the Monsoons moving in, my Bones and Joints can forecast the Weather and any Rain, I swear!   I'm like a Living Weather Vane of intensified Pain when Storms are eminent. *Le Sigh*

The Man is parked in front of the TV and seems Content enuf with his Programs, he's on a Fix of The Food Network competition Shows right now.  I don't know that's Feeding his Mind, coz he has been avoiding his New Exercise Equipment suddenly and not doing it while he watches the TV now.  He was doing so well with that too, I think he easily loses interest with things, he's already complaining about Cardiac Rehab and is it really NECESSARY?  So, I don't think we'll get thru all the Authorized Visits he has coz it is a LOT.  And only Two actual Sessions in, along with the Intake Session, he's Burning Out already and was glad for the Cancellation on account of it conflicting with Irrigation and me being unable to change that happening, coz the Water was coming, so we had to Cancel his Rehab Appointment instead.  He wasn't Sad about it.  But then, neither was I. *LOL*

I don't Feel like doing anything at all when it's really Hot, so after I do everything necessary and mandatory or required to do, I opt to do Nothing Else.  *Winks*  Nope, not another damned thing.  And I'm strangely Okay with that, which is rather out of Character for me actually.  I am strangely Okay with all my Naps too, I look forward to them in fact, no matter how long they are, and they are getting LONG now.  I don't intend for them to be that lengthy, they just end up being longer than expected.  I swear my Siestas could take up the better part of Daylight Hours now!  The Kiddos often come Wake me Up just coz they get so concerned that I've been Down for so long in the Middle of the Day, then also go to bed at Night too!

A Massive Haboob Dust Storm is hitting right now in fact, it obliterates the Sun and turns the Sky Orange with Dust Particles just before it arrives, eerie, if you've never seen or been in one.  Very Dangerous, very high Winds, Dust towering over the highest parts of the City, dwarfing it.  The devastation from one can be significant and you definitely don't wanna be caught out in one, especially Driving, visibility is Zero, so if you require Emergency Services, it ain't happening.  The above Trio of Pixs were taken last Monsoon Season in 2025, these are as bad we're now getting.  It tipped our large Potted Cactus over, but thankfully against our large Lantana Bush so the Pot didn't break, it's a Huge expensive Ceramic Heavy Pot, so that took a lot of force to knock over, coz the Cactus is heavy too in it, broke about 8 Arms off the Cactus too, but I can re-root those as new ones.  It's a Category 3 currently.  The Bottom Pix was taken just now and Posted as someone was Flying In to Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, that had to be a Terrifying Landing!

So, now I've downloaded the Images I took at that New Antique Mall AMERICA'S ANTIQUE MALL, and some of things that caught my Eye and I Photographed.  My Retail Therapy consisted of Three Colorful Art Mannequin Hands {Pixs are Shown Above and Below}, I only didn't Buy the Middle Finger one coz it was more like a Paperweight and Fabricated rather than an actual Arted Up Vintage Mannequin's Hand.  My Hands bought have a mounting bracket to attach to a Mannequin that can be also used to mount them on a Wall to hold things, which is the Purpose I'll be utilizing them for.  I think all my Mannequins that need Hands have them.  *Winks*   The Vendor that had them was called HEAVY SAUCE and doesn't have a Book of Faces Link, but could be an Urban Brand actually coz they do have a Trademark and an Instagram Page... so, could be one and the same, I dunno?  The Booth looked Edgy and Urban Streetwear.

I liked my Trio of Mannequin Hands and the Colorful Paint on them reminded me of Graffiti and just appealed to me even tho' I hadn't intended to make any Purchases, I couldn't resist.  Otherwise I'd of had Non-Buyer's Remorse, and a little Retail Therapy within Budget is never remorseful to me.  *Winks*  I felt it would Inspire The Young Prince also, since he's Arting Up a lot of my Mannequins and their Body Parts that I give him to do so.  I like his Art and it Displays well, this Artist's Vibe reminded me of my Grandson's Vibe, everything he does is vividly Colorful and very Imaginative in ways I've never seen before, so it's quite distinctive and Unique to his particular Style and Aesthetic he Creates for himself.  He'll like these Hands.  This Antique Mall is one we will definitely go to as a Family and enjoy.  There were Vendors each of us will gravitate to, the variety was excellent.

And more and more I'm thinking that when The Young Prince gets his Living Space the way he wants it, mebbe we will Create some Art there together actually.  I do wanna get back to Creating, I'm Happier when I am Creating something, regardless of what it is.  And it's more about Feeding my Soul than Selling it tho' I have Sold my Art before quite profitably in the Past.  Whether or not we Sell a lot of our Art we'd still Create it anyway and Princess T is Madly Creative as well.  She's also a really good Artist, we used to think she Traced some of her Drawings when she was little coz they were that good, and it was hard to Believe a small Child was that good already.    The Young Prince began his Creative Journey doing Sculpting and was so good and so quick at it, that it was awe inspiring to watch him Work.  He'd make a Masterpiece and then Destroy it coz he wasn't attached to his Outcomes no matter how good they were and he'd wanna sometimes re-use the Art Supplies, but didn't have the Money to Buy new Supplies.

He's inclined to Paint over a Canvas he's already done spectacular Art on if you don't Buy him another Canvas.  So, I try to keep anything I really like set aside so he won't Destroy it, and make a request to Save that one so it's Preserved!  *Whew*  He once painted an Old Round Retro Table like a Galaxy and I Loved it... but forgot to tell him how much I Loved it, and next thing I knew he painted over it again... arghhhhh!!!  And I do have to ensure everything we own doesn't get turned into some Art Project with him, or it could be.  *LOL*  He'd be that Mad Artist that lived emersed in his Art completely, every Square Inch of his Space turned into Art, he Lives and Breathes it.  To me that's a True Artistic Spirit.  Princess T's Room also reflects her Artistic Nature, but in a more Curated and Refined way than her Brother.  Some of his Art can be disturbing, but he's making a Statement with it that can be Powerful all the same... especially when he explains what Inspired it.  Often it needs no Explanation tho'.  He said if he has to Explain anything to you, he's already Lost you of it's Purpose.

Anyway, I did enjoy my visit to that Antique Mall and in the Future I wouldn't be opposed to Renting Space there to see how Profitable the Location actually is?   The Demographic they're attracting doesn't mess up the Spaces and go Feral, which impressed me, so everything looked very Curated and Tidy even tho' there were a lot of Shoppers there.  I'd prefer to attract that Demographic that knows how to Act and to Behave in Public when out Shopping or doing anything Recreational.  Those that don't know how to Act or Behave in Polite Society are destructive and inconsiderate, a lot of time they also have tendencies towards Criminal Behaviors as well, and they become a Loss Prevention Issue, Safety Issue or a Vandalism Issue to Retail Establishments.  I'm fed up of the Feral Acting Adults and their Feral Children that we constantly have to run damage control behind in Society.  They create unnecessary Losses to decent hard working respectable folks trying to make a Living or Live Peacefully and not have our surroundings destroyed, vandalized, stolen or molested.

The Middle Finger goes up from me to such Feral Folk.  *Winks*  I did like the Finger Mannequin Hand, had it not had a flat bottom I might have bought one.  But the underside isn't a Hand, it's just flat like it's just a Sculpture and Paperweight Purpose just sitting there, so I'd have no Functional Purpose for it.  Right now Function above Form is more Appealing to me.  All the Kiddos who Work had a real Early Shift Today, The Son had to be there before 5:00 a.m. and Princess T before 6:00 a.m., so it was an early Wakeup Call to transport them.  I didn't mind coz I'd slept a lot of the Stormy Day away Yesterday anyway, you couldn't be out in that long Haboob that hit, too dangerous.  My Potted Cactus it knocked over is too heavy to put upright so we have to figure out some leverage to get it standing again.   A Dolly and a Pulley System is what The Son is thinking, he's Madly Strong and couldn't budge it.  So it took massive force for the Wind to knock it over like it did.

It is a big heavy Cactus, most Cacti are heavy coz they're Water filled.  And this one is as Tall as our Roofline now and has many Arms.  Luckily it fell against our Lantana Bush so didn't tip completely over flat or smash it's heavy expensive glazed Pot, which is really heavy too.  The Pot is about Two Foot High and I paid a lot for it, filled with dirt and a Mature Cactus, that took a lot of Wind Force to knock over.  I would be hard pressed to push it over and it was quite stable and solid on the Front Porch.  So it was like a Microburst of Wind hit it and toppled it.  We didn't seem to have sustained any other damage Thankfully, coz I did see huge Trees snapped in half while driving The Son to Work, so there was a lot of Storm Carnage.  I've seen it topple over 100-200 Year Old massive Eucalyptus Trees before during these types of Storms.  Or snap a Century Old Mesquite or Ironwood Trunk in half, and Mesquite or Ironwood is an extremely Hard Wood, not easily broken, for even a Small Branch, let alone a Mature Trunk.

The Son was able, with a Dolly, to get my Potted Large Cactus upright again but a lot of Arms broke off of it.  Fine, you let them cork over and replant them and get all new ones.  That's how I got this one, someone had dumped the cuttings Roadside and I picked them up a few Years ago and planted them in Pots.  It's a shame more folks don't propagate them properly with that knowledge and just give them away if they don't want that many.  Here in Arizona Cacti can be expensive for mature ones or specialty ones and the Native one you have to get a Cactus Tag for unless you grow it yourself or bought Land with them already on there.  They are all protected in Arizona.  Anyway, pups will grow out of the broken Arms still in the pot and it will be a thicker and less tall Cactus which is fine coz it was outgrowing it's huge Pot anyway.  It's a Peruvian Apple Cactus from South America, they do well in Arizona.  Just one Tall Arm can be over $180 at a Plant Nursery.

 

About 8 of those Arms snapped off the Mother Plant and will be 8 New Plants that already are quite Tall and Mature so will root easily and are already Big.   Anyway, so we got that put right and that was our only damage from the Storm but all across the City there was massive Storm damage they were clearing up.  I took The Man for a nice Drive and we went to the East of Phoenix to have Breakfast after his VA Labs were done really early.  He had to Fast for the Labs.  We went to "Snooze", one of my fav Breakfast-Lunch spots.  Everything was excellent and no crowds yet coz we got there so early.  The only problem I had was my Bacon But Different never got to our Table for almost all of the Meal and they were short-handed of Waitresses.  Our Waitress was Sweet but had just Lost her 4 Month Old Kitten this Morning so she was Emotionally struggling.  I know Rusty's Cat's Kittens also Died, I think there might be something to so many Young Kittens just up and Dying?  Healthy, then just Dead!

Anyway, so I finally asked where my Specialty Bacon was that I'd ordered?  They went and got me Regular Bacon, so they had to take it back and bring me the right Bacon, coz mine is more expensive and different, it's why they call it Bacon But Different.  *Smiles*  I wasn't gonna pay the Extra on the Order if it was regular Bacon and I Love their Specialty Bacon.  When it finally came with the Right Order the back had kind of half-assed doing the Specialty Bacon too but I didn't have it in me to send it back again.  But everything else was fine and done well, so I don't know what was going on in the Kitchen with the Bacon fiasco?  *LOL and Shrugs*  It wasn't the end of the World, and it came so late by the time they got it Right that I just got it To-Go coz I was by then finished with my Meal and we were ready to leave.  Then we went to "Whole Foods" nearby and got some Groceries.

Then we went to "Everything Goes" an Antique Mall owned by my Friend Nan, we were still running so Early that we got there about 8 Minutes before they even Opened!  I Love getting an early start to the day now coz we get everything done before Noon and before the Heat of the day sets in or traffic gets heavier.  I hadn't intended to Buy anything but my Friend Minnie had a Vintage Rosary I wanted and some Vintage Horse Show Ribbons.   Another Vendor had some Vintage Silverware I wanted and was Cheap but very Ornate Handles.  And the Vendor who had the mini Cracker Jack Trolls had some more so I bought more of those too.  She had some this time with Multi-Color Hair.   When I got Home I went to "Sprouts" to pick up some of what "Whole Foods" didn't have that I needed.  The Son and I then put some Chili in the Crockpot to make for Supper.

So, here's the Rosary I got.  And Below are some Show Ribbons.   Minnie had reduced her Booth by half the size she used to Rent, so she's clearly downsizing her Retail Space there.  She always has good Merch and used to have her own Line, but she's raising Three Girls and her Husband has an excellent Career, so I think she's focusing more on the Family now and being less of a Workaholic.   Her Kiddos are Teens now and that when you really need to focus on how they're turning out before they Blossom into Young Women and Men.  And they Travel a lot.  Anyway, she had the Show Ribbons Displayed so Creatively around the Skirt section of the Dress Form Mannequin.  I'm totally stealing ... um, borrowing that idea from you Minnie.  But giving Credit where it's due, Loved the Look.  *LOL and Winks*

Minnie always has lovely Fashions in her Booth and she Possesses Style when she Dresses, but I'm no longer a tiny little Sprite like she is and a Size 1, so, nothing would fit from Minnie's Closet.  *Le Sigh*  That Girl is the same Size she was when I first met her over 20 Years ago and after having had Three Kiddos, and, she looks exactly the same too, she's virtually Ageless and it's as if Time has stood still for her... and No, she's had no Work done, she's just got good Genes and is a Beautiful Person both Inside and Out.   She was Adopted, and Below is a Pix of her with her Adopted Mom.  She told me her biological Mom was Native American so she was born at the Indian Hospital and had her Children there too, so I do think she's still a Registered Tribal Member of a Federally Recognized Tribe.  Anyway, I could show you a Pix of Minnie I took many Years ago and she looks no different at all.   Pixs Below to Prove it!!!  

Now

Way Back Then... this Daughter of hers is Grown now!

The Young Prince used to have such a Crush on Minnie when he was a Child, even tho' he knew even back then that he was Gay, he said he'd of Switched Teams for Miss Minnie!  *LOL and Winks*   And she Adores my Grandkids and has watched them Grow Up into Young Adults, she is like an Auntie to them both coz they've known her all their Lives.  I'm glad that some of my Industry Friends are still hanging in there all these Years with it.  But, a lot left the Business, some of the really good ones, and no matter how killer their Merchandise, Showcasing of it, Pricing, Talent, it just wasn't profitable enuf to keep doing it anymore.  The heyday is over and I don't see it rebounding anytime soon, so I'm glad that for me it's just a Hobby and way to Downsize Possessions and make some discretionary Income to supplement a Fixed Retirement one.  I certainly wouldn't even attempt to make a Living doing it.  And most folks I know still in the Game also Work a Full Time Job or Career to earn an actual Living. 

The Daughter is upset right now on account of Mando and us being adamant he will never be Welcome.  She's not willing to give up the Relationship but at least now she's not making the pretense of not seeing him without our knowledge.  Some of her Friends had told us she was and they were reliable enuf Sources of information that was accurate.  Also, becoz none of her Friends like him, they don't associate with her as much as they used to when he's not around.  He's one of those Guys who isolates whoever he is Dating and that's typical of abusive types of people who are controlling and manipulative and he'll never change any of that.  She thinks he will and is, but, I know it's a brief facade and he'll go right back to how he just is and always apparently has been.  And I wasn't putting up with that nor was the rest of the Family or any of her other Friends.  Anyway, she's Grown and she's choosing to spend more time with him now so she is often not here now.

If she prefers that then that's what she's going to just do and I have my Peace about it.  She's been MIA and Off The Grid so often over the Years that I didn't expect it to last that she'd stay put here just coz she was developing a Relationship with her Adult Kids now.  They are okay with her not being all that close coz she never has been and they came to terms with that a long time ago.  It's harder for her Son becoz he'd like things to be different, Princess T's expectations are totally pragmatic about her Mother and she was Grown before she even 'knew' her really or had her around, so, it's a non-issue for her.  Sometimes she's more Fine with less of the Family here coz there's less stressors for everyone and less that I'm responsible for.  She'd rather I have less people to support or worry over.   I have one of the Three Sisters of The G-Kid Force who live in Mexico {the Middle one} that wants to come to America, but I can't see that actually playing out and happening with the complexities of our Immigration System now... and risks.

An Old Pix of me back when I didn't have Dreads but had Cornrows coz Princess T had them at the time and wanted me to have them along with her, so I did.  Gives you an instant Facelift coz they're so damned tightly Braided to your Head.  I didn't like that I had to wear a Bonnet at Night so they wouldn't get the Fuzzies, I don't have to do that with Dreadlocks.  And with the Cornrows, they only lasted a few Weeks and then I had to take them out.  I didn't mind having them but they took as long to get done as my Dreadlocks did, and that poor Girl's Hands after doing mine and my Granddaughter's, must have hurt like Hell?!  Princess T at the time had very long Hair down to her Hips and they'd had outbreaks of Head Lice at School and she didn't wanna get them so wanted Cornrows for Maintenance reasons during that outbreak.  It worked, she never got any and I was relieved.  

In Hot Climates those kinds of things run rampant in the Elementary Aged School System.  And it always Creeped me Out and was a lot of Work to rid your Kids of if they got them.  And some strains of them were hard to kill off and were resistant to the Medicated Shampoos.  The Young Prince never got them, he had very nappy Hair as a Child, coz his Dad's Side are Puerto Rican and have some Black Hispanic Heritage... and I guess they didn't particularly like his Hair Texture or something, I dunno?   So I never had to worry about him, but with her it was always challenging to make sure she didn't get them from Classmates.  They'd send Home Letters if there was an Outbreak and send any Kids Home who got infested, but you know how Kids are, they spread whatever they have.   I'm sure if you shone a Black Light in an average Day Care with Little Ones, it would Light Up the Room!!!   *Shudder*  As Old People still Raising Grandkids, we tried to ensure they didn't drag Home every Illness or Outbreak going around at School or when playing with their Friends.   Tall Order.   I'm so Glad they're now Grown!  *Whew*

Speaking of Illness... and possibly Infection too... Princess T did return to Work on Tuesday, feeling somewhat better but our Bad Weather is still causing her Respiratory distress and Allergies real Bad.  Plus, Eli's Bite on her Thigh looks like it is Infected right away so I'm glad we immediately put her on a Strong Antibiotic Regimen from the Urgent Care right after she got bit.  We'll keep a close Eye on the Wounds and I'll take her back if it looks like it's not improving or worsening.  She'll be on the Meds for 10 Days and they told me it should fight any Infection, which, they said they expected coz it was a deep puncture wound Bite and any Animal Bite has a high rate of Infection.  They didn't give her a Tetanus Shot at the Urgent Care but said they might if she has to come back.   Her Leg was real sore at Work so she's also taking maximum Strength Tylenol as well for Pain and Swelling.  And they told her to Ice it as well to relieve Swelling.  Eli has been Fine with her, I think she just rolled over on him while they were both Asleep and that caused what happened?  He's not usually a Biter like that.

If he became prone to vicious attacks and Biting then we'd have to get rid of him and she doesn't want that so we are hoping it was a One Off and he won't do it again?  Coz it was a Bad Bite, all Four of his largest Teeth punctured her Thigh and she got a Scratch too.  You can't really Discipline Cats, they don't have a concept of Discipline like a Dog does, so you pretty much waste your time Scolding them.  Sometimes it makes them more resentful if you were to.  Mostly I give him disapproving Looks, which he doesn't Like that, and then we Ignore him, and he doesn't like that either, to alter Behavior to more appropriate Behavior.  He's not Stupid, so if done with consistency, he knows what's unacceptable and what is okay.  And I do swear he understands you and can look Ashamed when he has Awareness he's done something to Upset you, make you Mad, or make her Cry.  He kept trying to make Nice with her and make up with her after having Bitten her.  He knew damned well that he'd bitten her, we just don't know Why, only he knows that.  And he Adores her so it was out of Character for him.

  

He insists on Sleeping with her but I don't know she's ever rolled over onto him to where he felt in danger or startled before?  She's not very Big, she barely weighs 100 lbs., if that, but he's only about a 23 lb. Cat.  So she Four Times his Weight and much larger and he's getting Old and I think a bit Arthritic now.  Even when Grooming him I have to be Careful that I don't make it Painful for him and am Gentle, he Loves to be Groomed and looks forward to me doing it.  Get's a lot of his Loose Hair off him and he lets you know if it hurts to Groom any part of his Body that might be more sensitive and he experiences Advanced Age Pain or discomfort in.  I notice his Hindquarters are where he'd rather you never Touch, so she could have just bumped his Hindquarters or Legs while they both were sound Asleep and that would startle him and perhaps be very Painful and illicit a defensive reaction.  It's all Speculation on our part, trying to figure out what might have happened?

 

This is a couple of my long time Friends who moved and no longer are at the Events or Antique Mall Locations they once were.   I miss them and lost Touch since they moved.   Not everyone I know uses Social Media so it becomes harder to stay in Touch with those who don't and Leave the Industry or Move Away.   And by now so many of my Friends have Left the Industry, Moved Away or Passed Away, so my Inner Circle keeps dwindling more and more with the passage of Time.   I can't say I'm all Friended Up, I am not adverse to meeting New folks to Befriend, I just don't put myself out there enuf to actually cultivate any Relationships now like I used to.  You do have to Invest yourself in people and cultivate your Relationships in order to have a bond that becomes meaningful and not just superficial or situational.  I'd say in recent Years I have more Acquaintances now, and... that's Okay.  It's a level of interaction I can handle for right now.

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The first Post of August... ooops, last Post of July... from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian