Lunch with Maria (in spite of the recent weather)

 

The above is certainly not a lunch for a summer's day.  But it does illustrate how full I felt after finishing off a chicken sandwich and a bowl of clam chowder at lunch.

But first....

Over the past few days, we had several inches of rain which caused major problems in the area.  Tuesday was the worst of it, with 6+ inches falling in my region, causing some small bridges to be washed out, some roads to get flooded, and some hillsides to fall onto local roads making them impassable.  On Wednesday, we still had a little rain, but all of the roads I needed to take to New Jersey and back were clear.  Today (Thursday), I had to deal with a sporadic light mist of rain on the way to Cold Spring to have lunch with Maria.  However, Maria had a much harder time to reach me, as the main road from her place to the restaurant we were to meet was closed.

 

In my area, there are 2 main roads on the East side of the Hudson River to reach Albany (our state capital): Route 9 (which is mostly a local road that connects communities along the river), and the Taconic State Parkway (a limited access, divided highway that parallels the river, but is more inland).  I live near Route 9, and use it to travel upstate (or, at least until I cross the Hudson to connect with the New York State Thruway (another limited access road, part of the US Interstate roadway network).  I had to leave Route 9 before the washout in order to reach the restaurant, while Maria had to take a detour.  So, she was a little bit late.

When Maria arrived, we were seated outside, under a large umbrella.  This would keep us dry in case of a light rain, and get drenched in case of a heavy rain.   It was a little of a crap shoot, but we chose outdoors seating and were lucky.  I told Maria of my issue with the foreign birth registry (among other things), and she told me of things going on with her family (her daughter is moving out of state), and more importantly - she is starting to date someone nice.  Yay!  We had the longest lunch we have had in a while, and I'm hoping that she and her boyfriend (?) can meet both RQS and I for dinner soon.

All too soon, we each had to go home. And when I got home, I had no energy to do much of anything.  But it was a good day.....

 

 

 

Thanks to RQS, I can get a needed document.

 

As I mentioned in a prior post, a bureaucrat ruined my day by telling me that I have to resubmit paperwork to be recorded in a Foreign Birth Registry.  Today, with the help of my partner, RQS, I was able to locate a record requested by the bureaucrat and request it from NYC bureau of vital records.

But first....

I didn't get much sleep last night because of the email I received from the overseas bureaucrat.  So, when I finally woke up this morning, I had only gotten 3 hours of sleep.  This wouldn't be enough to make it through the day, but it would be enough to see RO in Parsippany, NJ for lunch.

Parsippany, NJ is one of New York City's suburban communities, not known for much other than a highway or two, as well as a shopping center and some strip malls.  For us, the town is a midpoint between the Poconos and the Hudson Valley, and a convenient place to have lunch now and then.  And it is in Parsippany that one of the very few remaining Fuddrucker's franchises stands.  We both love their burgers, and will occasionally meet at Fudd's for our lunches.

Both of us reached Fudd's at the same time, and ordered our burgers.  Then, the catching up on life started.  I talked about the sale of the family homestead, my upcoming cruise(s), and the status of the foreign birth registry.  It was nice to see RO, but the time to leave came way too soon.  So, we made a date for September, and then went on our way.

- - - - - -

On the way home, I chatted with TCL, and she wondered why I didn't suggest getting together.  I mentioned that I was in Marian Mode, and didn't think she'd be comfortable seeing me as Marian.  Eventually, I made it home and was able to take a nap for a couple of hours.

Next, it was time to go to dinner with Vicki.  So I put my dress back on and drove to Yorktown Heights to meet Vicki at a restaurant where one of her friends was performing.  I was running late, but got to the place on time.  Vicki complimented me on the dress I was wearing, Part of our conversation involved the quality of my feminine presentation, and how she respects the effort I make in that presentation.  Although the food served was decent (both of us ordered Caesar Salad w. Chicken), I'm not sure if I'd order the dish again.  Then I mentioned how my appetite has changed lately, and Vicki noticed that I lost a few pounds.  I mentioned my health issues, and that I'll be discussing them with my doctor in August. All too soon, it was time to go, so we parted ways. 

- - - - - -

Later in the evening, I had my nightly call with RQS.  I told her of the problem locating official NYC records for the foreign birth registry.  She found the record I was looking for, and made it possible for me to order the paperwork I needed to send to the registry.  (Now, I have something to talk to Maria about when I see her tomorrow.) 

Even though RQS got the smallest amount of space in today's entry, she made my day!  And now, I can proceed to get the paperwork needed for the foreign birth registry.... 

 

 

PS: My Grandmother and Grandfather (not my biological grandfather) got their marriage license at the end of one year, and got married the next day in a local church.  It must have been unusual in the 1940's to have a Protestant marry a Catholic in those days.  Too bad that my grandmother didn't save any pictures from that day.     

 

 

Installing a Door Knocker (a short post)

 

OK, this is not going to be a long post today.  I have too much on my mind to talk about my day, or about the big issues that occupy my mind these days.  Instead, I'd like to talk about something simple: How should people announce their arrival when delivering things such as a hot pizza?

- - - - - -

When my apartment building was constructed, the doorbell buttons were placed below the mailboxes on the main landing.  This is not intuitive for most people.  So, I placed a new doorbell button near my front door - and no one knew to ring me.  All they could do was knock on my door - and I couldn't hear it from my bedroom.  So, I decided to buy a door knocker.

The first door knocker I bought was way too big for my door, a star shaped knocker that measured 8" x 4" from top to bottom and side to side.  The minute I saw it, I knew it wasn't right for me.  So I decided to go to Home Depot and Lowe's to find something I could put on my door.  Well, Home Depot no longer carries these items in its stores, and the only one at Lowe's cost $70.  There was no way I'd spend that kind of money on something that would rarely be used.  So, it was back to Amazon to order a new knocker.

Two days later, the new knocker came to my place.  And I decided to install it during an afternoon where I'd be at home for the day.  I was lucky to have a cheap drill to put new holes in my door.  But it was a pain to screw the knocker onto the door, as the "Knocking ring" (whatever you want to call the piece hanging from the lion's mouth) got in the way of screwing the screws into the door.  AARGH!  But I got this job done in two separate attempts, and not have something which should make a loud enough sound when someone's at the door. 

 

 

PS: Today's post reminds me of a joke from the movie "Young Frankenstein."  In one scene, Gene Wilder is looking at Teri Garr's breasts and the giant door knocker nearby, and says "What Knockers!?!"  Leave it to Mel Brooks to slip a joke like this into his films.   

 

I got crucified by a paper pusher - will I come back to life?

 

As I've written before, I applied for the foreign birth registry of a nation, so that my right to claim citizenship is recognized.  Although my brother hit a bump in the road with his paperwork, he is now a dual citizen of both the United States and of this country (which I will leave unnamed at the moment.)  I just hit another bump in the road, and I will need to resubmit my photographs (no big problem) and submit one extra piece of paperwork that I do not have access to - my grandmother's marriage certificate.  AARGH!

I do not know if my brother has the date and jurisdiction of my grandmother's marriage license, so that I can get a certified copy from the appropriate entity to file with the photographs requested by the foreign birth registry.   But you might be interested in the contents of the following letter, so that if you are going through this process, you can understand what I'm going through.

Dear applicant,

We are dealing with your application to obtain Citizenship through entry on the Foreign Births Register. Unfortunately we cannot proceed with your application without the following document/s:


For the applicant (yourself):

1. A newly completed application form (pdf attached) and 4 new photographs, the witness to the application submitted is not the same witness that certified/witnessed your passport sized photos and your photo ID. The same witness must certify/witness all your documents. Please ensure the form is completed in full. Please ensure that the back of 2 of the photographs submitted are stamped, signed, dated and the application number is entered on the back by your witness. Please ensure that your witness stamps, signs and dates your application and submits a business card /letterhead if no stamp is available.

2. A certified/witnessed photocopy of your current state-issued photographic ID document (i.e. passport, drivers licence, national identity card), certified/witnessed by the witness to your application form. If you are sending a copy of your passport, please ensure that all the data on the photo page is fully visible.


For the grandparent (your grandmother):

1. Original civil marriage certificate/s showing name change from birth surname to current surname - Church certificates, certificates of marriage registration, marriage licenses and/or photocopies are not acceptable.

Please ensure that your application number is clearly marked on the envelope.

When the documents are received and your application is reviewed, you may be contacted again for further clarification or documents if required.

As you can see, I have a bit of work before me.  My grandmother's history is a bit sketchy, as my dad preserved precious little documentation regarding her life.  Yet, my brother squeaked through this process, so I should do so as well.  But when?  I want to be able to leave the USA if the Orange Monster goes completely berserk.

 

 

PS: We found a photograph of the Marriage Certificate, but we need an official copy. Given that it is not digitally accessible in the NYC records database, it's going to be a bit more of a pain in the ass than I would like.

I'm having trouble choosing between two cruises.

 

Soon, I will have a minor influx of money which will allow me to choose between 2 similar cruises offered by 2 different cruise lines.  The first cruise will be a 5-day cruise on Virgin Voyages between New York and Bermuda.  It will arrive in Bermuda at 4 pm, and leave at 4 pm the next day.  The second cruise will also be a 5-day cruise on Norwegian Cruise Lines between the same ports, both departing and returning 1 day later.  This cruise will arrive in Bermuda at 8 an and leave at 3 pm the next day.  Which cruise will I take?

Examining the 2 cruise itineraries, Virgin's cruise spends several hours less in Bermuda than NCL's cruise. Is that the only difference?  When I ran the numbers for the add-ons I'd purchase for each cruise, Virgin's cruise comes in with a price a few dollars more than that of NCL's cruise.  However, Virgin serves better food than NCL does.  Even when I factor in the specialty meals I'd get on an NCL cruise, I'd choose Virgin over NCL in this area.  But food isn't my only consideration.  The extra time I'd get in Bermuda on an NCL cruise allows me to get to St. George on Bermuda's other end - for free, if I use NCL's ferry.

What I haven't mention so far is loyalty status.  If I take the Virgin cruise, I won't accumulate much.  I'd have to reach the equivalent of 5 cruises to get an extra specialty coffee and a $100 bar tab per cruise.  However, on NCL, I'd get an extra water container after 1 more cruise.  (I'm at Platinum level, and I get the free bag of laundry already.)  Big deal!  Virgin does not have any more cruises scheduled to sail from New York after this fall, while NCL makes New York one of its home ports.  I don't add much to loyalty status by taking either cruise.  The next level of NCL loyalty status will be easier for me to achieve.  But I would get more on Virgin - if I choose to fly to Florida for one of their cruises.

So, which cruise will I choose?  In a week, I should have the money that I'll use for this cruise.  One cruise sails out of Brooklyn (Virgin), while the other sails out of Manhattan (NCL).  It is easier for me to reach the Manhattan cruise terminal than the one in Brooklyn.  Yet, I'm not sure of what I will do  I'll let you know when I make the decision. 

RQS had to go home today, and I had to go....

Mary Roach, the author of the above books would understand the problems I have with my GI-Tract.  Today, my problems were much worse than usual, and I almost needed to call for a doctor to deal with it.  As a result, I'm going to have a conversation about this issue and the issue with my legs when I see him next month.

But first....

RQS had to go home today.  So we got ready at the usual time for a Monday, and I drove her to the train station.  Hopefully, she got home before the first of the thunderstorms started.  After I dropped her off, I decided to take a drive to Costco, and look for a dish drying board that they had on the shelves a couple of weeks ago.  I didn't find it, so I left the place buying nothing.

When I returned home, I had the first of my GI-Tract issues.  (I won't go into details here, but it was a painful experience.)  Once this need was taken care of, I decided to take a nap.  And then, as I was getting ready to cook something for dinner, the co-op president called, and we chatted about some co-op business I'm not free to discuss here.  At this point, I only wanted a slice and a soda - which I got at a local pizzeria.

Next, it was off to Walmart for some undies (I'd never buy my bras there) and a few other supplies for the house.  This gave me the chance to walk around a little without putting too much strain on my legs.  I figure that I'll have to find safe, dry, and cool places to walk so that I can get in the activity to restore my legs to some form of "normal" health.

Finally, I ended up back at home.  And it was just in time,   So off came my clothes, and soon I was comfortable in my bed.

A trip to "The Egg" that almost ended in a disaster.

Today, we drove from Croton, NY to Albany, NY to see a performance of Paula Poundstone at "The Egg".  This theater is one of a modernist group of buildings near the New York State Capitol building that were commissioned by Nelson Rockefeller (if I recall correctly) to spur development in this area.  Anyone driving to Albany will see some beautiful old buildings near this complex, as well as this complex.  It's too bad that there is an economically depressed area near this peaceful area.

But first....

RQS had forgotten some of her diabetic supplies at home and wanted to buy some to keep at my place. So, we drove to the local CVS, where RQS had problems with the person working the pharmacy counter.  RQS wanted to buy her supplies at retail prices, as her insurance wouldn't cover an early purchase.  The woman behind the counter had no idea of what she should or could do, as all she knew was how to push buttons for insurance coverage purchases, and not for "full price" purchases.  RQS was getting frustrated, and I decided to fill the car up with gas while RQS was trying to get things done at CVS.  Well, it took a supervisor to fix RQS's problem (I should say that the problem was with the inexperienced counter clerk), and RQS was out of the store shortly after I returned from the gas station.

We finally were on our way to Albany at 3 pm, and got there around 6 pm. (We had stopped nearby for dinner before arriving at the Egg.) The theater was scheduled to open its doors at 7, not 6.  So we decided to relax near "The Egg".  In the upper picture, one will notice a bench near the entrance to the Egg.  We sat by tables near this entrance.  And this is where the "Almost Disaster" once happened.  The following email to the office of the commissioner of police describes it best:

My partner and I drove to Albany, NY on July 25th to see a performance of Paula Poundstone at The Egg. We arrived early, and we were sitting outside on one of the nearby benches. Around 6:30 pm, a youth came up to us and asked us to help him take a picture of him and his cousin. We both were a bit suspicious, as he was posing in a way NOT to get his face in the picture, but to get a small shot of his cousin on his phone. (The weirdness of this caused us to both be concerned that something bad was going to happen.) While this was going on, another person on an e-bike was riding around the area. Both of us thought that a "grab and snatch" operation was being attempted, and we didn't give either of these people (both happened to be black, if that helps you identify them) the chance to make us victims.

Please note that we were very lucky. Others may not be lucky in the future. Hopefully, there is something that can be done to make this area safer for the public.

Thank you

We were lucky.  I'd hate to deal with Albany police AND try to get my car started so that I could go home.  Even worse, I had over $500 in my handbag (as well as some credit cards and keys for both my car and house), as I had just gone to the bank for my weekly cash expenditures.

Shortly after this almost disaster, we went inside the theater and waited for the Paula Poundstone performance.  She was funny (as well as very political), and worth the 2 1/2 hour drive to see her.  The show started a little after 8 pm, and ended around 10 pm.  Due to road construction near the Egg, we ended up crossing the Hudson, forcing us to take local roads back home.  I was very grateful to have made it home by 1 am, as both RQS and I needed a long delayed  bio-break, followed by a restful sleep.