A visit to the doctor - something I never like.

 

This is not a photo of my doctor.  Only when I started living full time as Marian and moving towards a medical transition, would I switch to a female doctor.  (As long as I  have my original equipment, I'd feel a little uncomfortable with a doctor who doesn't have my "plumbing configuration."  With that being said, this is not a discussion about doctors for transgender people.  We need to choose doctors with whom we are comfortable, and advocate for the best treatment we can get in our healthcare system.

Today, I visited my doctor.  I knew that he was going to be upset that I gained a couple more pounds since I last saw him.  But he was surprised to find out that the pharmacy was going to charge me $500/month for a Mounjaro (GLP-1) prescription.  There was no way I was going to pay that much for a drug, when there are others that Medicare has approved and is covered by my prescription insurance plan.  

What I forgot as well as my doctor did was that I was supposed to get my yearly physical.  So, after my visit was "done", I was asked to stay a while to get my blood drawn and for an EKG to be taken.  I again mentioned the problem with the GLP-1 drug that was prescribed, and he said that his assistant would look into this for me.  Guess what?  I got a text from his service that an Ozempic prescription was now on file, and also got a text from the pharmacy that the prescription was ready for pickup.  I'll have to call up the pharmacy to ask how much this prescription costs before I start with it.

- - - - - -

Unfortunately, there was 2 inches of snow on my car when I left for the doctor.  When I returned, I found that my parking space hadn't yet been plowed.  So, when I heard the plow a hour later, I was out of the house again to kill some time for the plow to do its job.  With the expected slop to be on the ground for tomorrow, I'll have to give up on the idea of wearing a fancy dress to Christmas Eve dinner and  to church, and simply wear a sweater dress over leggings for practicality.

This is the kind of problem many of us have to deal with during winter in New York.  It could be much worse.  But I'd rather have the problems I have in a TG accepting state, than to live in Florida where we are treated like dirt.  And some people wonder why I stay in my high tax state....

A weekend with RQS, getting ready for Xmas

 

As I write this, we're all getting ready for Xmas, and Amazon boxes are going here and there.  RQS has has some of her boxes shipped here, And I've had to make sure that boxes containing small Xmas gifts for her don't arrive when she's here.  This is not a big thing.  But it is something I have to stay aware of before the holiday.

Sunday came, and Amazon delivered the SIM card for her new phone.  It was a little bit of an effort to get her new phone plan set up, in part because the SIM Card ID was not easily legible without assistance, and that the setup would be more easily done on a laptop, and not the cell phone itself.

At that point, RQS started a little bit of cleanup around the place, while I edited my co-op's website to include some government contacts as part of the "useful contact" page.  And then I joined in the cleaning effort for a little while.  After getting some room freed up on the dining room table, RQS started to work on some of her art on a "clean" surface.

Later that day, we put a spatchcocked chicken in the oven and feasted on the bird when it was fully cooked.  We took out some stuffing I had prepared the day before, and, with a salad, we had a filling dinner.  This wasn't much to talk about.  But the day wasn't that eventful either.  In short, this was a Jammie day that went well.

A new restaurant and a new phone.

 

As I write this, Christmas and New Year have yet to come.  Yet, I'm rushing to get a co-op newsletter out before the end of the year, so that shareholders see that we are trying to communicate with them on a regular time frame. 

RQS is unable to reach me today, as she left her phone here last weekend.  So we made arrangements for me to pick her up at the train station at 4:30.  Once I picked her up, we decided to go to the new Thai restaurant in town.  Before I say too much about the restaurant, the owners used to have a place in Thornwood, and after 20 (?) years, decided to move to Croton to open a new place.  Their website still lists the Thornwood address, even though they have been located in Croton since Halloween weekend.  

We walked into the restaurant without reservations, and were shown to a table next to the bar.  We were told that since the place hadn't yet been given a liquor license, they were giving away a glass of wine with each meal.  Looking at the menu, we both saw that prices were a little bit more than we expected.  I could easily manage this unplanned cost, so I ordered the Tamarind duck while RQS had chicken in a spicy red curry sauce.  Both were excellent!  We'll be going back when the budget allows for it.

Our next stop was Best Buy, where RQS bought a backup cell phone, just to have a cheap phone for use in an emergency (or, when she leaves her phone at my place).  It took a stop at 2 stores, as the first one didn't have the budget Motorola phone in stock.  When we got home, RQS was about to buy a SIM card directly from a service provider.  I told her NOT to complete the transaction, and explained why she should buy the SIM card through Amazon.  If the card were shipped by the cell phone company, it wouldn't get here until sometime after Xmas.  But, if the card came from Amazon, it would be here before the end of the weekend.  So, RQS ordered the card, then started to set the phone up for backup use.

Hopefully, RQS will be able to use her new phone for phone calls by the end of the weekend.

This was a quiet day until I decided to go out after dark.

 

As I write this, it's a week before Christmas.  RQS now has 2 boxes she can open on Christmas, and I can relax a little before the holiday.  Given that she knows about her big gift (a cruise), I felt that she should have something small to open on Christmas as well.

- - - - -

I didn't start getting ready to go out until 4:30 pm.  Once I was ready, I went out to the car and started driving to Walmart.  But before I was out of the driveway, my brother called to shoot the breeze.  He opened up a little about his home situation, and then we chatted about the family homestead.  Once at Walmart, I took a detour to Best Buy to see if they had a webcam I could use as a replacement.

My back was hurting a little as I entered the store, and proceeded to the computer accessories area.  (I was smart enough to be using my cane tonight.)  Five minutes later, I went to the check out area to pay for the webcam.  And that's when things went South.  One would expect a busy store with slightly less than a week to go before the holiday - but it was almost empty.  There were only two people tending the cash registers, and neither of them were doing anything fast.  One of the attendants were handling a return that was taking forever.  (I couldn't hear much, but if I did, I didn't understand their language.)  The other attendant couldn't feed a new roll of paper into the receipt printing machine.  Ten minutes later, I was almost ready to give up on the purchase and go to Walmart.  But then, a register opened up, and I was finally able to leave the store.

Next, I took a drive and ended up at Trader Joe's.  $60 later, I was out the door with the food I'd need this weekend.  At least, I won't have to go food shopping when RQS arrives tomorrow.... 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                 

Schedules change, and sometimes for the better.

 

Today, I had lunch with my friend from the census.  At this time of year, it's always hard to find good days to meet, but we did so - and had a good chat.  She told me of her husband's semi-retirement and of some other goings on in her life, while I mentioned my cruise and the little things we enjoyed.  Time passed quickly, yet I felt that I was "out of sync" again.

Once finished with lunch, it was back home to rest for a while.  While I had the chance, I texted Maria to see if we're on for the weekend.  She would only be available for lunch on Saturday, so I had to check with RQS whether she would be able to make it up to Croton before noon.  After a little back and forth, she said she'd take an early train, so that I could pick her up at the station for lunch with Maria.  

While I was in the mood to text, I checked in on my acquaintance from meetup (MAR).  She doesn't get that I can't make any weekend dates, and she has a hard time having any energy to meet on weeknights.  Sadly, she's stuck in a rut, and there's nothing I can do (or should do) to help her at this stage.  When one's 40, stuck in a dead-end job, and still living with parents, it's doubtful she'll ever be able to afford the time or money to maintain certain friendships. 

Since I was home for the evening, I decided to do some laundry.  Although I didn't bother folding anything, the clothes are clean and ready to be put away.  Once done with this task, I checked in with RQS and found out that her friend wanted to have lunch, not dinner, with her on Friday.  So RQS will be able to make it up here Friday night and have an easier time making it to lunch the next day.

In the end, the calendar worked out for me.  And that's a good thing when I'm living as much of my life as I can in Marian mode. 

Happy New Year!

 

Happy New Year!

(See you tomorrow.) 

I'm tired of talking politics, and I hope that the new year is better than this one.

 

Today will not be an excuse for a political rant.  I am thankful that the year is almost over, even though I have a few chores left to take care of before baby new year comes a calling.

- - - - - -

I'm very thankful that I've been able to take 5 different cruises this year.  It's nice to have someone to share experiences with.  After being widowed for 29 years, it feels a little strange to be with someone I can trust to be there when I need her.  (She feels the same about me.)  It's a blessing to have someone in my life who can accept me both as Marian and as Mario.  Unlike former relationships, I don't have to hide the feminine side of me from her.

I've tried to keep in touch with people, but some of them have fallen by the wayside.  One friend is assumed to have died, or he is unable to keep in touch.  Another friend is doing OK, and we have to find time to get together during the new year.  Yet, unlike most cisgender females, I do not have a typical woman's network of friends.  This is the price a transgender person pays for being assigned male at birth.

In spite of what is going on in the Orange Snowflake's mind, I have been able to live most of my life untouched by his evil nature.  Yes, I get angry when I hear his voice.  But I know to change the channel and catch up on the news in ways where I don't have to hear evil words come out of his hateful voice. Yet, I still have faith that things will get better sooner than later.  However, I know that I have an exit plan underway, just in case things get really bad.

When I look at things going on with my co-op, I worry about things that could cause our complex to fail financially.  Luckily, I have a voice in things, and use it as much as possible,  I publish the co-op's website, as well as manage the co-op's zoom presence.  (Zoom is nothing much to talk about.  But I handle all technology issues for the co-op.)  There are some accounts that are in arrears, and I am looking to get these shareholders to pay up, so that others don't have to carry them.  Hopefully, 2026 will be a better year for the co-op, as I don't want to take on any more responsibility than I have now.

After a year of having no tenants in the family homestead, it looks like we will have some soon.  This year, 2025, the house became a money pit for my brother and I, and neither of us expected that we would sink as much money into the house as we did without rent coming in to pay the expenses.  Assuming we get someone good to rent the place, I'm hoping that we will sell the place 5 years from now, as I expect I'll need a cash infusion by then.

So, I'll close this entry with a simple wish - have a joyful and prosperous new year!

 

It's hard to believe that this year passed so quickly!

 

The image of a hurricane from space.  It seems like a fitting metaphor for this chaotic year.  We went from relative calmness, steered by a caretaker president, to a lunatic who is steering us into the middle of a global storm.

For a transgender person in the United States, we were the first targets of Trump's hatred.  He tried to erase us from history - even at the Stonewall Memorial site.  Yet, he has failed to silence us and force us into the closet.  Although people like me are staying in stealth mode when we interact with the Federal Government, others are openly challenging this corrupt administration.  We were the canaries in the coal mine.  Next, he targeted women, people of color (I hate that phrase), anyone who looks Latino (they were in the Southwest before the Anglos), and now anyone who stands up to oppose him.

Yet, life has gone on as normal for many people, save that they have to make hard choices because of our president's foolish actions: pay rent, pay for food, or pay for medical care.  Everything has gone up in price for the average person, and yet, the president claims that "Affordability" is a hoax created by the Democratic party.  

What many people aren't seeing yet is the debasement of the legal system.  Promises to deport the criminals among the "undocumented" (I call them illegal aliens, as am not politically correct) have been broken, and now it's a numbers game to round up as many of these (generally) law abiding people as possible, herd then into prison camps without the rights to challenge their detentions, and then shipping them off to places such as El Salvador's CECOT, where these people are treated worse than most farm animals.  The DOJ is trying a third time to indict James Comey, simply because he did his job and investigated the crimes committed by Trump.

Fortunately, people are waking up. It's hard to believe, but even MTG is now on the president's shit list because she opposed him on releasing the Epstein Files.  In special elections held recently, the Democratic party has over-performed.  The snowflake knows if we have a fair election, the GOP would lose big time.  Even if the election is rigged slightly, they have no guarantee of winning in the general election.  I'm sure that my congress critter will be voted out - he has done nothing for his district, save make meaningless promises.

Sadly, I've had to stay in stealth mode when taking cruises this year.  Normally, I'd present as Mario when sailing to the Caribbean.  For convenience, I'd have sailed as Mario when we went to Alaska.  But I'd have sailed as Marian when going to Bermuda and on the New England/Canada run had the snowflake not weaponized branches of the government to terrorize people.  

Sometime late next year, I'll be filing to renew my passport and my global entry card.  I wonder what that process will be like, considering what he's already planning to do with ESTA applications which foreigners must submit before coming to the US.  (I'm appalled that we may soon be demanding to know foreign tourists' Social Media history and all Email addresses used in the past 5 years.)  What will his henchmen dream up to limit what US Citizens can do, especially their right to leave the country.

Earlier this year, I applied to be registered in a foreign nation's foreign birth registry.  If things get really bad here for transgender people, I will marry RQS and take her to Europe with me, hoping that I can bring enough financial resources with me to start a new life there.  

It's amazing - in less than a year, America has changed from a democratic republic into a fascist state.  Hopefully, we'll see this change soon....

What a difference a few years can make.

 

It's been about 12-13 years now that I've been going out in public as Marian.  I've cruised as Marian and have flown as Marian.  However, things changed in January 2025 when the Orange Snowflake took power.  Now, I'm careful NOT to interact with any employee of the Federal Government presenting as Marian, as I can't trust anyone in the Federal Government to respect my rights as a human being, much less a trans person.

The other day, I received an email from a pen pal in Canada.  She said that if she knew that I was going to be on a cruise with one of her other friends, that she'd have made the effort to be on the same cruise as well.  If a Democrat had been elected last year, I'd have felt no qualms about taking my next cruise as Marian.  However, I'm playing it safe by presenting as Mario.  So, I will avoid meeting this fellow, as I would avoid meeting my pen pal on the ship.

It's sad to think that it's not just transgenders that are under attack.  It's anyone who doesn't fit the snowflake's Aryan idea of what an American should be.  He calls countries such as Haiti, Somalia, and Iran as "Shit Holes", and hates people from these countries because they are not Aryan.  Even when people have assimilated into American life, he'd deny them the opportunity to become full fledged Americans simply because of their race and nation of origin.  If the man hadn't so much evil and hatred in his heart, I'd almost feel sorry for him.  Stress the word "Almost" here, because he's one of the few men I can't say a good word about.

I'm glad that some Republicans are finally feeling safe enough to start challenging the snowflake.  But that doesn't affect my level of respect for any of them - they haven't earned any yet.  If a bully were to choose 1 victim out of 101 people, 50 would side with the bully out of fear, 49 would hold their coats and say nothing, leaving only one person who'd help the victim.  I hope that I'd be that 1 person who'd help the victim, even if I had to go "all-in" to do so.  Since 99 of the remaining 100 would not help the victim, I have no respect for them, as I have no respect for any of the GOP members who Kow-Towed to to the snowflake or ignored the victim's cries for help.

Sadly, all I can do is talk today.  I am not willing to be a sacrifice on the altar of the snowflake.  But if things get worse, I will try and help others avoid his wrath.  I don't know what will happen if things get worse, but I will try to be prepared, as well as having an escape route if I need one myself.

Going from one cruise to the next (a short post)

 

Somehow, we seem to be going from one cruise to another with only short breaks on land.  Although this is not true, we've compressed a lot of cruising into a short time - 5 cruises in one year.

- - - - - -

As I write this, we will be taking another cruise in a few weeks.  This cruise will be on one of the more boring routes I could think of:

• New York - Start
• Port Canaveral
• Nassau, Bahamas
• Cruise Line's Private Island
• New York - End

All this on a 7-day cruise.  This trip is not one where we plan to do any exploration.  I've been to all 3 destination ports before and found them all boring.  There is "no there there" in Port Canaveral.  The only good reason to stop  here may be to visit the nearby Space Center.  Nassau is a bore.  And that leaves the private island, a place where the cruise line can pick even more money out of one's pocket.

One of the things we like about cruising is that, as RQS says, "All one has to do is show up, and the rest is taken care of for you."  It's a chance to turn off, tune out, and chill.  As long as the cruise isn't one where there are too many kids and not enough sober people, we usually find ways to relax in comfort.  Whether we chill out watching movies in the ship's theater, sipping drinks in a lounge, or grabbing food at the buffet, we relax.  And if one lives in the NYC orbit, one needs to find ways to relax.

A problem we've had with cruising is that there is so much nickel-diming going on with cruising.  Instead of selling "all-inclusive" fares, most lines don't include so-called gratuities in their fares.  This is a deceptive practice that is annoying, as one has to perform an extra calculation in one's head to figure out the true base price for a fare.  I'll buy soda packages, as it's cheaper for me to do so, than to buy each soda individually.  I'll buy fare packages that include dining and adult drinks for the same reasons.  In short, I'll pay a little more for simplicity in pricing, as I always seem to break even on the deals.

As I cruise more, there are fewer places I want to travel to via cruise ship, and more I want to travel to by train.  Soon, I'll be planning another trip that involves riding the rails.  Until then, I'll be on the waters.

It was a busy day and evening

 

Today would be a busy day.  I didn't have the time or energy to clean up my apartment before RQS came up today So, all I could do is get some little things out of the way, so that she could feel more comfortable while here.

- - - - - -

I woke up early, but had little energy to move.  My back was bothering me a little, and I didn't want to spend what little energy I had cleaning up my place.  So, I moved things out of the way and got ready to go out as Marian for the first time since before my last cruise. 

Getting ready as Marian involves several things.  First, I have to shave very close.  Then, I have to apply my makeup.  And that has a routine that I try to follow: (1) Clean my face, (2) Apply beard concealer, (3) Apply dark makeup to disguise my chin bones, (4) Apply foundation, (5) Apply brow makeup, (6) Apply setting powder, (7) Apply blush, and finally (8) Apply lipstick.  There are times that I am in a rush and skip a step - but that's usually when I'm in a rush.  It's a production, but worth it to go out as Marian.

- - - - - -

My friend from the imaging firm and I had a lunch appointment scheduled for noon at Panera Bread in White Plains.  So I wouldn't have much time in the morning to putz around and all I could do would be to get up, get ready to go out, and drive to White Plains.  By 11 am, I was running late, and was about to call my friend.  Then I read a test on my phone - my friend would be late.  She "got credit" for asking for a delay, and this suited me just fine.

We met at Panera at 12:30, and had a nice chat.  I talked about my recent cruise, and she talked about her Thanksgiving day dinner disaster.  All too soon, lunch had to end.  Part of me couldn't wait - this place was much too loud in which to hold a good conversation.  So I went home for a while, waiting for RQS to come in.

At 4:30, I picked up RQS at the station, and we went to a local "Red Sauce" joint for dinner.  But neither of our dishes were covered by red sauce: she had shrimp scampi, while I had chicken scarpiello.  Yum!  The food was tasty, plentiful, and filling. We lingered a bit at the restaurant, and then it was off to the Westchester Woman's Chorus perform at a nearby church.

- - - - - -

A friend of ours performs with the chorus, and we were there to hear her (and others) sing.  It was a nice performance, and  we were glad to have gone.  We met DS there from game night, but she didn't have a lot to say.  Soon, it was time to leave, and we were home for the night.

Still recovering from my cruise

 

As I write this entry, I've been on land for 3 days now.  And reality is catching up with me.  I've had to write out a fistful of checks (actually, they are ACH Payments for the most part) , and my bank account is the lowest it's ever been for a while.  By tomorrow, my monthly Social Security payment will be credited to my account, and I will be mostly whole again.  

Catching up with this is always a pain in the butt.  Last night, I laundered 2 baskets of dirty clothes, with another basket ready to go today.  Today, I paid bills.  And tomorrow, I'll likely do some apartment cleanup before going out for lunch with a friend and going to game night for the first time in a couple of months.

- - - - - -

Today, I went to the radiology center in town to get a liver scan.  Now, I have some understanding of how a woman feels as her belly gets slicked up for the ultrasound scan, and for the device to be rubbed over the skin.  (No, there's no sensory comparison.  But there is a procedural comparison, and only that, here.)  In a week and a half, I expect that my doctor will be giving me some bad news as the results of this scan comes in.

Once done with the liver scan, it was off to the bagel shop to get breakfast.  Being without food or water for 10 hours made me hungry and thirsty.  And I dealt with that need before going home.  Then, I relaxed for the rest of the day. 

Merry Christmas 2025

 

Merry Christmas!

(See you tomorrow.) 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

 

While we were on the cruise, both RQS and I were noticing the gradual mounting of Christmas decorations around the ship.  First, it was setting up this Christmas tree.  Then, it was the read garlands around the light sconces on the ship.  Gradually, the ship had been transformed for its Christmas season cruising.  If I could afford both the time and money, RQS and I would be taking a Christmas cruise on the Queen Mary 2.  Given what I've seen so far, they how to celebrate the holiday on this ship. 

Several years ago, I took a Christmas Cruise which sailed from New York to Port Canaveral, NCL's private island, and Charleston, SC before returning to Manhattan.  This was one of the first cruises to sail after Covid-19, and it was one of the best cruises I've ever been on.  On Christmas Day, both children and their parents came down to the atrium in their PJs, just to visit with Mr. & Mrs. Santa.  The best gift that we could get that year was the ability to travel again as things were coming back to normalcy.

This year, I have yet to buy RQS a present she doesn't know about.  But I've already given her the gift of a cruise we'll be taking soon.  As much as I'd like to have traveled as Marian for this cruise, I know I'd be pressing my luck with another visit to Florida and its dreaded bathroom laws.

- - - - - -

I still have to give RQS an idea of what I want for Christmas.  I don't need any more dresses in my closet.  And I need to figure out what best fits me from the Marian side of my closets if I want her to give a clothing gift.  Jewelry would be nice, but I'm not sure of what I'd want and it's hard to find things that will fit me and look good on me.

Still, as I write this, it's a couple of weeks before the holiday, and we have time to figure things out. 

 

 

 

 

 

Eastern Caribbean Cruise 2025 - Thoughts on the cruise (12/09/25)

 

The more I travel, the more I realize that I should have done much more traveling while I was younger. Now that I have a travel partner, I feel a bit more secure about going into the unknown (for me) and experiencing new things.

In the case of this cruise, it wasn't much of a stretch for me to take this trip.  I am comfortable with the cocoon of cruise ship travel, as it allows me to feel safe in foreign lands.  What was new for me was the casual elegance of this ship.  This was the first time that I kept bumping into people who think like I do. (I'm not talking about agreeing with me.  I'm talking about people who can disagree, but talk about and analyze objective data.

I remember one acquaintance telling me that I would enjoy the Queen Mary 2.  And she was right.  Sadly, she is preoccupied, and doesn't include me in her circle anymore.  But then, there is a difference in social class between us, and I figure that she isn't comfortable with someone from my social level.  Yet, I feel that I finally was in my milieu when I was on this ship. Maybe, I have finally started to reach the social level I could have been in when younger, had I only proper mentoring and guidance.

Sadly, the older I get, the more I realize that I wasted much of my life.  We live two lives: the first, where we waste much of it away.  And the second, where (if we're lucky) live up to our fullest potential.  For me, travel is helping me live up to that potential. 

Eastern Caribbean Cruise 2025 - Disembarkation Day (12/08/25)

 

I don't have that much to say about leaving the ship today.  The alarms were set to go off at 5:45 am, and I was up even earlier.  Normally, if one is on the starboard side of the cruise ship. one doesn't get a chance to see the Statue of Liberty at sunrise from the safety and comfort of our cabin.  However, our ship was brought in to the pier pointing South. And that meant that the ship would do a U-Turn before going to the pier, allowing me to capture the shot above.

- - - - - -

We got off the ship around 8:30 am or so, and spent the next 30 minutes going through the cruise terminal hunting for RQS's luggage.  (It was placed in a wrong, but nearby area.)  By the time we found it and got outside, we saw the ferry leaving the dock, meaning that we would have to stand outside on the coldest day of the year, waiting for another hour.  Of course, we had no intention of waiting.  But all the cabbies shunned us, and the fare to take us to Central Queens.  After getting frustrated, someone at the pier told us - summon an Uber, as it will be cheaper. So, we did.

When the Uber arrived, we encountered a very nice fellow at the wheel  His GPS took us through a traffic jam I always try to avoid (the section of the BQE that's falling apart and always moving slower than a walk), and then through back roads to RQS's place.  (I knew most of the roads, and it probably was the fastest way there.)  What startled me a little was that the driver was getting his directions in Chinese!  We were at RQS's place before 11:00 am, and the gentleman helped us bring our luggage to the first landing of RQS's apartment.  I made sure to give him a good tip!

- - - - - -

RQS had no food inside her place.  So at noon, we ordered some from a local pizzeria.  We knew we were going to have problems when she had to repeat a phone number and address several times to the fellow on the other side of the line.  At 12:40 pm, we got our first call - where were we?  The delivery person was waiting for us.  (But at the wrong address, as we'd find out when RQS went downstairs.)  After a few fits and starts, the fellow still couldn't find us, and claimed he was in front of our place.  So, when the pizzeria called at 1:00 pm, we were both very upset and told the person we were cancelling the order.  We wanted hot pizza, and after 30 minutes, it would likely be cold in this weather.  After hanging up on the owner, he left me a message telling me to F-Off!  With an attitude like this, and a screwed up delivery, we'll never order from this place again - a sad thing, as this was the best pizza joint in the neighborhood for delivery.

I got home around 4:30 pm, and found that a plumber was doing work downstairs.  What was being done, I don't know.  But I'll find out at our next co-op board meeting.  At least, the work being done did not affect my apartment. 

Eastern Caribbean Cruise 2025 - Sea Day #6 (12/07/25)

 

This would be the last day we'd have breakfast in our room.  Room service came at exactly 9:30, and they put all of our places on the small table, save for the one they put on our bed.  We were hungry and ready to feast - and feast we did.

The last sea day before returning home is always sad.  We have to pack up our clothes, toiletries, and other things, keeping what is needed for the morning into our carry-on bags, and stashing the rest into larger suitcases which left by the door tonight to reappear on the pier tomorrow morning.  There are so many people who get things wrong on this last day, such as packing their passports in their larger suitcases being brought to the pier.

One usually says goodbye to the new friends met on the cruise, knowing that they may never see these people again.  One will often hand their cabin attendant a tip for service, as well as tipping any staff member who went over and above what would be expected from that staff member.   And we planned to do that tonight, when we'd see our cabin attendant for our last time.

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For the most part, we took it easy today, packing things back into our suitcases, so that it could be left by the door before 10 pm.  We were mostly ready to go before dinner, but we planned to do one last inventory of things before leaving them in the hallway.

We went to dinner for one last time in the main restaurant, and had an almost private nook all to ourselves.  Today's minor inconsistency in service was that the person normally assigned to take our drink order didn't see us in the alcove, and we had to ask for service.  Again, a very minor issue that didn't get in the way of enjoying our last dinner on the ship for this cruise.  And, I'm glad to say - everything was to my liking!  Yum!

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Once back in our cabin, we did one last check before putting our luggage in the hallway.  This is when the reality set in - we will be at home tomorrow, and we will have to pick up our towels if we leave them on the floor.

Coming home is such sweet sorrow. 

Eastern Caribbean Cruise 2025 - Sea Day #5 (12/06/25)

 

As we approach New York, both RQS and I dread our return home.  No, it's not because our cruise is ending.  Instead, it's because we're coming back to some of the coldest weather we've had in a while.  When I look at the NYC weather forecast, I see subfreezing weather for the day we return.  That means that we'll have to be outside, on the waterfront, while we wait for our ride home.  And then, once at RQS's place, I'll have to cart most of my bags up to Croton that same day.  If I'm lucky, my car won't be covered by too much snow.  But I won't know until I get home.  

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This morning started with another Room Service breakfast. This time, it came early.  Only one problem: they forgot to bring sweetener with the coffee.  But we made do.  Around 11, we left the room to have a snack and to do some laundry.  Around 1, we returned to the room with our clean laundry and all traces of breakfast were gone. I had a table I could fold clothes on!

Around 3:15, we went to afternoon tea, expecting to meet a new acquaintance there. She wasn't there when tea service started, but she did appear at our table a bit late.  I told her of my idea for an adaptive garment, and she loved it - she doesn't have the use of one arm, and my garment idea would have solved one of her needs, making it easier to get dressed in the morning.  While there, I showed her a few pictures of me in Marian mode, and she loved it.  She wants to find out more at some later time.

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Tonight would be the last gala night of the cruise, and today's laundry run gave me a clean white shirt for the night.  Yay!  I don't have to break open another new shirt for this time in a suit and tie!  So I took out the suit one last time for this trip, and went to dinner with RQS.  This was the night of the chef's parade, where key restaurant personnel were saluted for the hard work they do.  I preferred something like this, where we didn't have to completely disrupt our meals, than to endure Princess's Baked Alaska parade towards the end of their cruises.

 

Eastern Caribbean Cruise 2025 - Sea Day #4 (12/05/25)

 

I don't have much to say about today's activities, save that we ordered breakfast from room service and went to afternoon tea.  But with that being said, that's enough to occupy the better part of a daily post.

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We set our alarms for 8:00, so that we'd be dressed enough for when room service came.  Around 9:45, our breakfast came - with hot breakfasts for both of us, some pastries, and a toasted bagel for me.  And this breakfast service is complimentary on Cunard.  The only thing that didn't come was coffee - we may have forgotten to write it down on the card we hung on the door the day before.  There is something very nice about having exactly the food one wants delivered, and not a standard breakfast setup as done on other lines.

Around 11:00, we got out of our room to let the attendant make up the room, and I returned around 1:00 to relax on the bed.  (My back has been bothering me for most of the cruise.)  RQS returned around 2:30, and we left around 3:15 for afternoon tea service.   

 

Afternoon tea is a daily ritual on Cunard ships.  On the Queen Mary 2, it is a special treat, as the wait staff marches into the room from both sides of the room accompanied by music from a pianist on stage who plays all through tea service.  The food at tea service is not meant to be a meal.  Instead, it is meant to keep a person from feeling peckish before dinner is served.  For us, this would be the high point of our day, even though dinner had yet to come.  We enjoyed experiencing this ritual, and will likely make it a regular part of our future Cunard trips. 

Eastern Caribbean Cruise 2025 - St.Lucia (12/04/25)

 

St. Lucia.  It's a tender port for this ship, and we decided not to go onshore with the heat and humidity outside.  Instead, we decided to get up late and go for lunch again.

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RQS noted that this ship is frequented by a more educated clientele, more world traveled than the cruisers we have met when sailing other cruise lines.  For example, on one of our recent Princess cruises, RQS met a man wearing a MAGA hat, and couldn't wait to get away from him.  On a line most frequented by Americans, some people think that they can offend others by wearing political slogans and symbols that are divisive in nature.  Contrast this with Cunard, where virtually all the people we have met are well educated and have enough social skills to be able to be polite with people who disagree with them.

At lunch, we were seated at a shared table with 3 other couples.  All were well educated, and one gentleman (a former Republican mayor of a town in New Jersey) and I were having a pleasant point-counterpoint discussion of current affairs.  Although we didn't agree with each other regarding America's current parallels with past history, we enjoyed learning from each other.  Unlike many in the GOP, he is not a fan of the Orange Snowflake, and he understands the damage this man has done to our country.  Too bad that I will be unable to keep contact with this gentleman after this cruise - I could learn a lot from him.

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At dinner, another couple from Scotland chatted us up.  We enjoyed the chat, but found it hard to hear them with the noise reflected from the surfaces in the restaurant.  Afterwards, we went to the ship's theater to see a performer, Katie Clarke, perform on the piano.  She was good.  But we had to leave before the show ended - neither of us could risk waiting for elevators tonight.

It was a nice day.  But we know that days like this will end soon - the ship is now returning to New York with its cold weather.  Hopefully, any snow left on my car will have melted by then.