It's hard to believe that it has been 4 years since I've worked at the census, and 4 years since I felt comfortable with being 'out' as a transgender person. Today, I met with one of my friends from the census and had a nice lunch.
My friend (let's call her CSC) and I have been trying to meet on a monthly basis since our work on the census ended. And we've been able to keep up to date on happenings in our lives since then. She's shared information on family events, her travels, and on things in general - and I've done the same. The one thing I'll share about our conversation is how her dietary restrictions have affected her when dining out....
CSC comes from a Jewish family. As a result, she lived in a kosher household and has never eaten pork or shellfish. That is not an issue for her. She is allergic to peanuts, peas, and bananas. She is also a vegetarian who once ate meat in the past. So, she finds herself having to talk about dietary issues every time she goes out to eat. Even when she does so, things can go a little wrong as it did today; A pea was found in the yellow rice served to her, and she had to send it back for some white rice. (A minor issue, Yes. But she could have suffered a severe allergic reaction.) She told me about visits to restaurants which had no vegetarian options on the menu, where the chef concocted some very tasty dishes just for her. And she told me about restaurants that said they couldn't accommodate her - then they did. Nowadays, it's much easier for her, as most restaurants are willing to have both vegan and gluten free foods on the menu, as well as knowing how to keep "special requirements" food prepared separately from "regular" food.
All too soon, it was time to go. So we made plans for the following month and went on our way.
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Once home, I had to switch back to Mario mode. I had a handyman coming over to see about replacing the exhaust fan/ceiling light in the bathroom. This will be a slightly more expensive project than I planned, as he suggested that he repaint the ceiling after he finishes installing the fixture. (The ceiling paint has started to flake off in one area, and I've deferred doing this work.) So, I handed him a deposit, and he will buy all the supplies needed for the job - and he will get back to me to schedule the work.
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Now that my 15 minutes as Mario was over with, it was time to switch back into Marian mode for a zoom call with my friends from Texas and RQS. I'll bet that they noticed that I was exhausted, but I was able to stay awake during our meeting. (Again, I didn't get enough good sleep the night before.) Hopefully, we will all be able to get together again in 2025. But that's another story. Shortly afterwards was my nightly call with RQS to end my day.
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