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.

I wonder what has happened to someone I once knew.

 

Thirty five plus years ago, I ran a computer bulletin board system which allowed users to dial in and exchange messages.  This bulletin board system was connected to others via dial-up phone connections, and predated the general use of the internet by the masses.  Several of us in the Northern Westchester area met in person and developed friendships.  Chris was one of those people.

Now, Chris was one of three siblings, the only boy of the three.  Vicki and I feel that Chris was a victim of emotional abuse for reasons I won't discuss here.  But I will say that Chris lived in a fantasy world of his own making, and that he would tell "fantastic" stories to make himself seem special in front of people. His reality was mundane.  He paid his bills by working as a security guard at a nearby firm and dumpster dived for the computer parts from which he build his first computers.  He was responsible for introducing Vicki to me.  But he was always under the illusion that Vicki would be his girlfriend, while Vicki was making sure that this would never happen.

Eventually, Chris's parents died and left the family homestead to the three siblings.  When I saw this building, it had solid bones, but it was in need of a lot of TLC.  There was a big hole in the kitchen floor that needed repair, and I never found out why it was there. The sister I met was a little bit crazy, and the other wanted nothing to do with Chris or her crazy sister.  In time, Chris would be the sole resident of the place, but he couldn't perform basic property maintenance.  For example, he didn't even know how to keep his driveway free of ice during the winter.

Chris got mixed up with the wrong person and got locked up for an attempted crime against someone's property.  (His acquaintance persuaded him it was going to be a practical joke, from what Chris once recounted.)  He was in jail for roughly a year and a half while the house went unattended.  During that period of time, several of Chris's friends tried to look after the place until Chris's sister put the kibosh on that.  That winter, the pipes froze and made the house a disaster area.  Neither sister knew or cared to turn off the water and winterize the house. Eventually, the house was sold as-is, and needed just as money to repair the place as it did to buy the place.  Hopefully, the new owners have made this place a good home.  But I'm digressing from the story. 

When Chris was released from jail, he ended up in a nearby suburb.  Vicki and I each said that it would be prudent of us not to be in contact with him, and I had one or two contacts with him at computer flea markets   Luckily, I lost contact with him.

Several years later, I met Vicki while shopping at Bed, Bath and Beyond.  Vicki noted that I was the only person she missed from Chris's circle, and we began a friendship that lasts to this day.  But what happened to Chris?  Neither of us wanted to renew contact, but we wanted to find out what happened to him.  After a little internet research, I found out that he moved to North Carolina - far away enough, that neither Vicki nor myself would ever have to worry about meeting him again.  

Yet I wonder.  Did he ever get the therapy needed to put his life back on track?  That's one of many questions I doubt will be answered....

Lunch with CCS and Game Night afterwards

 

It's nice to have friends.  And today I was able to see one for lunch.  CCS and I have known each other since the 2020 Census, and we try to meet with each other once per month.  Both of us had a bit to catch up on, and it felt like we could have chatted longer if we didn't have time constraints.

But first....

I had several things to do today:

1. Lunch with CCS
2. Laundry
3. Trying to find a Door Knocker
4. Game Night

Since CCS and I rarely meet before 1:30, I usually have time to take care of little things before meeting her for lunch.  I didn't start getting ready for lunch until noon, as I'd be able to get showered, made up, and dressed without rushing.  So, I decided to wear a flowery dress to lunch, as it would be comfortable both in the heat of the afternoon, and in the coolness of the evening.

Lunch lasted longer than usual.  We tend to meet at 1:30, and finish around 3.  Today, we finished closer to 3:30.  The conversation stayed on the typical subjects that usually come up - our trips, our activities, and upcoming events.  We will meet the week before both of us leave on our upcoming trips, and it will feel like we just met a few days before.

Once done with lunch, I decided to run over to Home Depot to find a Door Knocker.  The one I bought from Amazon was a little too large for my door, and it will be returned soon.  This trip was a waste of time, but I learned something - Home Depot is not the be all/end all big box hardware store it makes itself out to be.  There are interesting gaps in its store offerings.

When I got back home, I rushed to put a load of laundry into the washer and then the dryer.  I was done with my laundry by 6:45, and I was off to game night.  As I left the house, my brother called - all the obstacles to selling the house have been removed.  The lender's bank has approved arranging the closing, and I could now give the lawyer a schedule of my availability to set up a closing date.

Game night was fun, even though I didn't do well in the game we played.  While playing the game, I sent word to a few friends that the last known obstacle to selling the house has been removed.  Hopefully, we'll have a closing date set before my upcoming trip.    

On the way home, I decided to get something to eat.  So, I drove to the White Castle in Yonkers for some "Belly Bombers".  (I grew fond of them as a kid.)  As I drove there, I was reminded of how the area used to look when my late wife worked nearby.  There were several late night food trucks operating in the downtown Yonkers area - I don't think this would have been the case 30 years ago.  Hopefully, this means that this area of Yonkers is becoming safer and a more desirable place to work and live.

I was supposed to have lunch with a friend today, but...

 

Last night, I received a text from MSJ asking me if I could postpone our lunch until next week.  Considering how busy  this week would be for me, I was glad that we could postpone things.  But this left me with nothing that absolutely had to be done today.

- - - - - -

I finally got a decent night's sleep and woke up reasonably well rested.  Yet, I could not get up the energy to get dressed and go outside for most of the day.  MSJ and lunch were postponed until next week, and I decided to make this a Jammie day (again).  I still had to take care of things, so I started by washing my wig and letting it dry for future use.  (I'm glad I have a choice of wigs to wear.)  But what should I do? what do I need to do? And what will I do?  all came to mind.  Then, I decided to get showered and made up, and put on the dress below.

 

It is an exercise dress with built in shorts.  So I knew it would be a little inconvenient to wear.  (Think potential restroom visits.) Yet, it looked good on me, and was appropriate for a summer's day.  So I'd be prepared to go out when I finished taking care of things at home. 

Around 5:00, I decided to drive to the local mall, and found that there was almost no activity there. The Sears at one end of the mall closed several years ago, and the mall is barely hanging on.  Most of the storefronts are empty.  Some of the remaining storefronts are occupied by places such as a martian arts studio, an independent jewelry store, and other small independent businesses.  If the remaining anchor store (a Macy's) were to close, I'd expect this mall to be closed within a couple of months.  I didn't bother to walk the full mall length, as it was very depressing and my legs were bothering me after a short walk.

My next stop was at Trader Joe's where I picked up some fruit, some juice, and some salad I could eat for dinner.  Did I need to stop there?  No.  But I still needed to walk around a little, and it gave me a few more minutes on my feet.

 

Every Brilliant Thing

 

If either of us had our druthers, Vicki and I would have chosen a different date for us to go into NYC to see the play "Every Brilliant Thing".  The weather forecast was abysmal at best, with thunderstorms and abnormally heavy rain expected during the whole time we'd be in transit to the train station, to the restaurant, and to the theater.  But there was no way I was going to give up seeing this play, having already dropped over $100 for my ticket.

- - - - - -

This morning, I got moving slowly, but made sure to have some food in my gullet before Vicki arrived.  As much as I wanted to wear a dress, I wasn't sure if the weather would have permitted me to do so.  Instead, I wore one of my tunic length dresses with leggings underneath.  (I should have worn the dress, as it was too stick to wear the leggings without getting overheated.)  Vicki was wearing a trouser outfit, and also would have liked to have been wearing a dress.  (Both of us should have done so, but that's the luck of today's draw.)  As we got to Croton Harmon, the heavens opened up, and we both got waterlogged to one degree or another.

Once we had our tickets and were on the train, the rain came back with a vengeance.  By the time we reached Ossining, we could barely see the parking lot next to the train tracks - the Hudson river was lost in the deluge from above.  By the time we reached Tarrytown, one could only see a gray wall of rain - I'd have pulled over to the side of the road if I were driving a car.  Yet, by the time we reached Grand Central, the rain was only a manageable drizzle.

From Grand Central, we took the subway over to the restaurant - Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bau.  Arriving at 5 pm, we enjoyed a wonderful Dim Sum dinner.  Vicki loved the quality of the food, even though a couple of the dishes she wouldn't order again.  (I agreed with her, and will remember it for next time.)  By the time we left (6 pm), the place was starting to get crowded. So, we took the subway to Times Square, and walked over to the theater to see the play.

Vicki and I were seated in different areas of the theater due to a seat selection mistake.  Both of us loved the show.  Even though an unseen character attempts suicide several times, it is a play which affirms, if not celebrates life. Audience members are chosen to participate in the show, and one tends to feel more energized leaving the show than when one arrived.

The show broke around 8:45, and we were heading back to Croton around 9:15.  I dropped Vicki off at her car at 10:15, and I was in my bed by 11:00.  Not bad for a day with terrible weather during part of it.  

 

Monday, Monday, Can't trust that day...

 

Again, I woke up very early for me and took a couple of hours for me to get drowsy enough to fall back to sleep for another cycle.  But then, the effort I make to go to the toilet for relief is just enough to trigger an Adrenalin response to prevent me from getting more rest. So I've learned to make sure I had enough relief in order to trigger a relaxation response from my body when possible.

What does the above have to do with it being Monday (as I write this)?  Well, I had enough to take care of today that even the slightest trigger would be enough to keep me awake for hours.  Couple this with the change of atmospheric pressure that has my knees reminding me how old I am, and even going back to bed for a couple of hours wouldn't help much.

- - - - - -

Yesterday, my brother asked me to talk with the lawyer handling our house sale.  Luckily, I had called his office around 3 pm, and got an unsatisfying answer - it's the buyer's bank that is responsible for the delays in the sale of the house.  So when he called around 4 pm, I had already taken care of the one task that I had responsibility for today.  Now, when he calls, he won't look like he's a pain in the ass for calling twice in a single day.

A little later, I got showered, made up and dressed to go out to the diner.  (I was not in the mood to cook.) After finishing off half of my fish and chips, I then went to the supermarket to pick up food for the rest of the week.  I figured that I'd get this task done before my Zoom with our Texas friends this evening.  Was I in the mood for this?  No.  I'd have rather gone out for a drive tonight, as tomorrow will be a nasty day.

- - - - - - 

The  Zoom call went better than expected, as one of our Texas friends had more to contribute to the conversation than usual.  Yes, RQS and I did much of the talking.  But this time, it didn't feel like we were putting in all the effort to talk.  

 

 

We're about to enter another "Forever War" - and I'm Afraid!

 

We've been at war with Iran since February and we have nothing to show for it save 16 dead bodies so far. The Orange Monster (as usual) said that we must defeat this enemy without defining what an American victory looks like.  Like our mistaken involvement in Vietnam, the Monster is on track to sending in American soldiers to fight and die on foreign soil.  And, like Vietnam, America will have a hard time getting out of this war.

 

There is a totally incompetent man holding the office of US President.  He has no concept of any idea of how to end this war.  The Gulf nations who pay for America's troops to fight and die for their oil now demand that we keep fighting this war, as they know that Iran will become much too powerful if America pulls out of this war.  Like Vietnam, pulling out is politically impossible to the powers that be, because they are unable to admit defeat.

 

So, what is likely to happen?  Like Vietnam, America will continually escalate things, thinking that its obsolete war tactics and technology will be enough to defeat Iran.  And, like Vietnam, America will run the financial printing press to pay for this war, destroying the value of the US Dollar.  The UK had a similar problem after WW2, and found that it couldn't afford to be a colonial power any longer.  With America, the debasement of our currency will eventually end the era of our "Pax Americana" - we will no longer be able to maintain the "Peace" around the world that benefits everyone.  World commerce will suffer, and people around the world will suffer because the world order will not provide the stability and safety needed for people to prosper.

 

In eras of instability, our species has tended to make wars.  The US is at war with Iran.  Ukraine is at war with Russia.  Will China finally attack Taiwan?  I see this happening while America is distracted in Iran.  Assuming that this war starts in the next couple of years, what will happen to our computer chip supply?  We have a big problem with data center construction sucking up as many chips as TSMC (and others) can fabricate.  What will happen to our economy if we can't get the computing power we need to facilitate a modern economy?

 

Making war is similar to smoking cigarettes.  Before a nation starts a war, they can have millions of dollars worth of munitions that can be used, just like a smoker who has bought a few cartons to be smoked.  Once used, munitions are like cigarettes - totally worthless.  Both have done their damage, with little value to show for it.  Was may be necessary at times, but should be avoided save for the most extreme of reasons.  One may need to fight to resist bullies, as a nation may need to fight for its survival.  But it doesn't need to fight wars to feed its ego.  We don't need to prove that we're the biggest power in the global playground.  We need to prove we ready to fight when needed, but avoid fights we don't need to fight/

 

Right now, we're in a war we didn't need to fight.  The Orange Monster can not admit that he made a mistake, and that America has lost this war.  Until this happens, things will continue to get worse around the world.  Let's hope that things change soon.... 

A movie for a Sunday afternoon (a short post)

 

OK, most of us reasonably well educated people know of Homer's two classic works: The Illiad  and the Odyssey.  These are classic tales which lend themselves to retelling - either in the ancient Greek time frame, or in some other time frame.  One of my favorite retellings of the Odyssey is the movie "The Warriors".  Same story, just different settings.

- - - - - -

RQS and I awoke knowing that we'd be eating breakfast, showering, and speaking to my brother before leaving for the movie.  Why my brother?  He texted me with another complication for the sale of the family homestead - the title search is taking way too long, and he wants me to chat with the lawyer to see if some pressure can be applied on the title search company to speed things up.  (Their excuse is that we have a very common last name, and it's taking forever to do a proper title search.)

Around 2 pm, we drove to the movie theater, and arrived in time for a 3 pm show.  It was nice to be in a dress again, especially on a nice Summer's day.  For a big box office opening, there were hardly any people in the theater.  And we settled down for the next 3 hours to watch the movie.     

All too soon, the movie ended, and I had to drop RQS off at home.  Again, I hit some traffic and trekked back on some local roads before getting onto the highway.  It was nice to get back home and get into something more comfortable than the dress I wore this weekend. 

Trekking to RQS's place for a change

 

I never know what traffic (and parking) is going to be like when I start out towards RQS's place.  RQS is comfortable with me seeing her as Marian, and has become comfortable with me visiting her as Marian.  Since the weekend would be book ended with days perfect for me to be wearing dresses, I chose to wear a comfortable dress to RQS's place.

 

But first....

 

Right now, I have a basket of laundry waiting to be done.  Yet, I chose to get moving slowly, and start my trip to RQS's place around 2 pm.  Of course, I had to make the obligatory stops at the bank, and at the gas station before leaving town.  Although I expected heavy Friday afternoon traffic on the way to the bridge, I hit almost no traffic.  This looked like an exceptional day - until I hit traffic on the other side of the bridge.  And this caused my trip to take 15 minutes more than usual.

 

Normally, it's hard to find a decent parking space in RQS's neighborhood if I get there after 4 pm.  But this time, I parked only 1 block away.  So, instead of buzzing RQS to carry a 12-pack of soda upstairs. I stacked the soda on top of my suitcase, and wheeled it over to RQS's place.  Once  there, RQS carried the soda upstairs, and I took off my wig once I had a chance to rest.

 

RQS and I wanted to try out a new diner in town, so I put my wig back on, and we walked to the diner.  Neither of us knew what to expect.  The last Queens diner we went to, the Tasty Diner, wasn't tasty at all.  This diner, the Ridge, was the opposite.  We both had large portions of food that were quite tasty.  Yum! Finally, we walked back home and then we were in for the night.

 

- - - - - -

 

Saturday came, and we decided to make this a Jammie Day.  I can't say much about the day, save that we stayed in our Jammies most of the day (with RQS's exception to fetch the delivered pizza).  This was a day mostly spent watching movies on Netflix and Amazon Prime.  This was just as well, as there were flood alerts all across the NYC area.   

I saved someone a lot of money today.

I saved someone a lot of money today, simply because I was in the right place at the right time.  And this should serve as a warning to my readers to be careful of scams being propagated via the internet.

- - - - - -

Going to the dentist is always an expensive day for me.  Today would be more expensive than usual, as I needed both a new filling and a crown on a nearby tooth.  So, I knew that I would be spending over $2,500 for a 2 hour visit.  What I didn't know was that I'd be the catalyst in a chain of events which would prevent an old person from getting scammed by someone claiming to represent a business entity.

My dentist is in walking distance of my apartment, so I got there at the stroke of 1 pm.  As I entered, I saw a gentleman struggling with some financial issue working with "tech support" on the other end of the line.  Overhearing what this man was saying, he was told that 2 payments were made from his bank account, and that the fellow at the other end needed his account number to refund the money.  Of course, the "tech support" person was looking to have a program run on this person's phone to take control of it, scan the phone for financial information, and then suck the money out of all of this person's bank accounts. 

I knew that something had to be done, and I was in luck.  The receptionist was coming back to the dental office with lunch for the gang.  Seeing her as she was about to enter the building, I rushed to the door and told her what I thought was going on and asked for help.  A minute later, I was escorted into the room where my dentist would do his magic, so I could only get the rest of the story after my work was done.  Thankfully, the receptionist got involved and saw the signs of a scam about to start.  (Think of remote control programs which take over a computer or a phone.)  And then she told the gentleman about to be scammed to hang up the phone and reboot it immediately.  Next, she told the man to check his account with the organization, and found that no transactions had been applied to his account.  Phew!  He was narrowly saved from a scammer, and all thanks to the receptionist who knew how to step in and take control of the situation.

- - - - - -

Sadly, none of this could save me the money I had to spend to have my teeth repaired.  But I'm glad that I was able to stop a scam in progress.  I've provided the following links to help my readers identify similar scams and protect themselves: 

https://www.fdic.gov/consumer-resource-center/2023-10/scammers-and-fake-banks

https://www.firstcitizens.com/personal/insights/security/top-financial-scams-targeting-consumers 

https://www.wellsfargo.com/privacy-security/fraud/bank-scams/?utm_medium=www-redirect&utm_source=privacy-security--fraud--bank-scams--index

Additionally, one can also watch the YouTube channel, "Scammer Payback" for more information on internet scams and how they work to stop them. 

 

I hated going into the city as Mario. But the play was worth it.

 

I'm sorry that I couldn't get a picture of the understudy who played Bobby Darin in the play "Just In Time" tonight.  But, I did get a picture of the rest of the cast during the closing number.  (I got caught taking a picture, and I had to put my camera away.)  Thankfully, AI cleaned up the picture better than I could myself, and I can say that if used wisely, AI can be a great assistant to skilled humans. 

But I digress....

Today was going to be the worst day of the current heatwave, and I didn't want to take the risk of overheating if I were dressed as Marian.  (New York City is a heat island, and would be unbearable without Air Conditioning.)  So, I showered and dressed and went out the door as Mario again.

Arriving at the train station, I easily found a parking spot.  However, I was in such a rush, that I bought a round trip ticket at the full price, instead of at the senior discounted rate I usually pay.  And this would be typical of the way my finances would run for the rest of the day.  I reached Grand Central at 4:30, met RQS in the waiting room, then walked over to the Grand Brasserie for dinner.  (It was French Restaurant Week, and we got a better deal than we usually would get dining here.)  The place was noisy, most of the noise coming from the bar area where people were watching the FIFA semi finals.  (I couldn't give a hoot about that sport.  If I wanted to see men running around for 90 minutes without scoring, I'd go to a singles bar before closing.)  It quieted around after Argentina won.  But it also got warmer inside the restaurant.  So, we were glad to  leave the place around 6:15 to make a 7:00 show.

It's always a minor headache to reach the theater district in a heatwave.  Does one swelter underground and walk an undefined distance to the theater?  Or, does one ride in the air-conditioned comfort of a cab, but spend much more money to get to the theater?  We made the mistake of taking a cab.  Midtown Manhattan streets are usually jammed during rush hour.  But the police were making things worse by prohibiting left turns to reach the West Side of Manhattan - even when street signs are directing people to turn left.  We reached 51st Street and 6th Avenue and told the cabbie to drop us off here.  We could walk faster than the driver could get us there.  As we exited the car, the policeman started to give the driver a ticket for stopping.  But what was the driver to do?  I feel sorry for him.  The police managing street flow were making things worse, and we had to make our 7:00 show.

After a bit of huffing and puffing along city sidewalks, we made it to the theater just in time.  We took our seats, and for the next 2 hours, we enjoyed a great musical, albeit with an understudy playing Bobby Darin.  I got busted trying to take a still photo of the star.  But I was able to take a picture of the rest of the cast as we exited the place.

RQS and I look at the subway system very differently.  I was trying to tell her that we'd take the Broadway line, and she was only thinking of route ids ("W" Train, "N" Train and "R" Train) to reach her destination.  Once she understood how I thought about the system, it made sense to her.  So, we walked to 49th and 7th, and entered the subway system.  This station made me very glad that I was not wearing a wig - it must have been over 100 degrees in that station.  I got out at Times Square, while RQS proceeded to Union Square, where she got her usual train home.

It was a long day.  And I'll be glad to get back into a dress tomorrow for my dental appointment.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Some like it hot, but I don't.

Today and tomorrow are going to be brutally hot (again), and the wisest thing I can do is to present as Mario as much as possible.  If it weren't for the fact that the brain generates a disproportionate amount of a body's heat, I'd be comfortable wearing a wig and presenting as a female.  But, with temperatures bound for the upper 90's/low 100's, it doesn't make sense to risk getting heat stroke.

But first....

I had two things on the docket for today.  First was a doctor's appointment.  Second was a co-op board meeting.  Neither of these appointments were desired, as I  would rather have stayed cool and in my jammies and in my apartment.  Instead, I had to get dressed to see the doctor.

Around 11 am, I went to the doctor, and this time, he didn't hector me about my weight.  He must be a little glad that I am losing some weight.  I mentioned an issue I've been having with my legs (he didn't say much about this), and then we discussed a refill of a medicine I've been taking.  When he noticed how much the drug was costing me, he changed the prescription to a generic - and that will save me $150/month.  Yay!

Next, I decided to take a drive while I was out, and went to BJ's for some retail therapy.  I didn't buy anything I didn't need.  But I did buy some things I could have delayed purchasing if I needed to do so. And then, it was back home for the rest of the day.  The air conditioning was cranked up to the max, and it was tolerably cool inside.  But I knew that it would become unbearably warm in the afternoon, and that I'd stay in air conditioned comfort as much as possible.

Finally, it was time for the co-op board meeting.  Tonight, it was a quick one - most of our big problems are nearing resolution, and our next meeting won't be until September.  I was glad it was over.  Yet, it was the type of meeting we should be having every month.  I learned more than I wanted to about one board member - she couldn't even afford to turn on the air conditioning in this heat.  Her lights were off, and she was dressed in a way that allowed as much perspiration to evaporate as possible.

And yet, my day was not finished.  After finishing the bulk of this entry, I decided to take a rest.  And guess who called me....  TCL!   She has no understanding of electronic technology, and had to replace her Cable TV remote.  Around 10 pm, she called me with a problem.  After she replaced her cable remote, the volume control wasn't working.  It showed a different volume level bar on the bottom of the screen, and when she raised or lowered the volume, nothing happened.  I knew exactly what the problem was, and I was not in a position to fix it.  Instead, I directed her to call the cable company's support line and ask for help programming the cable remote.  Guess what...  They guided her through the process of fixing her problem, and I didn't have to spend an hour on the phone with her.  Yay!

 

 

 

Lunch with TCL, with a home without internet or cable

 

Recently, I celebrated by ##'th birthday.  Today, TCL and I scheduled lunch together at a local (for her) restaurant to celebrate.  Sadly, this meant that I'd be dressing as Mario for the next 3 days.

But first....

As usual for a Monday, I dropped RQS off at the train station for her ride home  On the way to get a quick buttered roll at the local deli, I noticed the following:

Guess what's coming to town?   

- - - - - -

Once I had my buttered roll in hand, it was off to TCL's place.  It took less time than expected, and I had to kill time before pulling in to TCL's driveway.  TCL asked me to bring something small and light into her house.  The place reeked of cat!  I'm glad I don't visit that often.  I was glad to be able to get back into the car and drive to the new Italian joint in town. Both of us wanted to try the new place, but we found it underwhelming.  The food was good, but the portions were small.  We'll likely end up going to the "usual" hang out next time.  And then I drove TCL back home. 

I decided to take the Bear Mountain Bridge home, as I expected fewer traffic jams going North, instead of going East.  Although the road was detoured due to a washout,  it didn't take much longer to get to the bridge than it usually does.  And then, it was the "Goat Path" to Peekskill, a 5 minute drive to the library to pick up a book on hold, and a 5 minute trip to the supermarket to pick up food for the week.

Once home, I started on this blog - and then the internet went out for a couple of hours.  There went the Zoom with my Texas friends.  But I didn't want to try to stay awake for them and not be at the top of my game.  So, I sent a message to say that I've postponed things until next week due to an internet outage, and then I tethered my main computer to my phone to catch up on things. 

 

 

A Summer's Weekend With RQS

 

RQS and I agreed that she would come up this past weekend, and I would go to her place the next.  Often, when RQS comes up for the weekend, we choose to go out to eat either on Friday night or on Saturday.  This week would follow our usual pattern, but in ways we didn't expect. We would take advantage of the opportunity to visit a restaurant on City Island and have broiled lobster for Bronx Restaurant Week.  However, things would not go as planned for us, although we did have our lobster. 

- - - - - -

Earlier in the year, RQS picked up a "Backup" phone she could use in case she had problems with the cell phone she normally uses.  (I have the same thing with my backup phone, using a cheap phone/text only plan.)  Well, she brought her backup phone with her, instead of her normal phone, and tried to connect with me on the way up to my place using my backup phone's number.  When she reached me, she asked whether I had received any messages, and we discovered that she was calling the wrong number.

Next, we went to the supermarket to pick up some food, then went back home to relax.  I could finally take off my dress and my bra and get into something comfortable. (RQS never tin her wildest dreams thought that she'd ever be intimate with someone who'd be saying THAT!  Score one for us TG's.)  And then I proceeded to cook dinner - assorted seafood in marinara sauce over angel hair pasta.  Yum!  That was filling!

- - - - - -

Saturday came, and we took it easy most of the day.  Around 4 pm, we got dressed to go to the City Island Lobster House restaurant in the Bronx. Now, for those of my readers unfamiliar with the NYC area, the Bronx is the only NYC county located mainly on the mainland.  The rest of NYC consists of island based territories: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island (making up the other 4 counties of NYC).  City Island is a small community in North East Bronx which is isolated from the rest of the Bronx by a large park and a narrow road that leads to the island, crosses a bridge, and then has a perpetual traffic jam during summer months.  And we decided to visit City Island at its busiest time.

After we suffered the traffic jam leading to City Island, I handed my key fob to the valet who parked my car.  (I hate valet parking, as I have to detach my key fob from my handbag to that s/he can park my car.) Then we entered the restaurant.  Both of us considered this to be a big mistake, as the staff was totally overwhelmed by the mob of people looking to have a good meal.  Yet, we hung on for 30 minutes before we could get a table.  (Reservations mean nothing in this place when it's busy.)  Once seated, service was less than desirable - it took forever for us to place our orders, then it took even more time for us to get water, and our food.  Normally, I might blame the wait staff for not caring to bother with customers.  But today, they were running around the restaurant like whirling dervishes.  There were too many people there, and they set no limits to the number of people the restaurant would serve on a busy night.  Yet, when the main course came, we loved the food - but not the service.  They didn't bring us lobster crackers, nor bowls for the shells.  I had to ask several times for them, when if I had seen them, could have grabbed them myself.

Would we go back?  For the food, YES!  For the service, NO!  Yet, we feel that the place is worth trying on a weeknight when the place is not as crowded.

- - - - - -

No church for this Sunday - both of us stayed in bed until 11 am.  It was a jammie day for both of us, and we relaxed - as usual for a Sunday afternoon and evening.  We figured out much of our game plan for next week, as well as making sure that RQS had everything ready to go for her trip home on Monday, 

 

My schedule might collide with a house sale.

 

My brother and I have "owned" our family homestead for years.  Yet, we didn't have control of it for years, since my dad was living there.  After he went into the nursing home, we fixed up the place to rent the place out.  When our tenants moved out (into their new home), the house has sat vacant.  Recently, we've been paying taxes on a non-performing asset.That's part of why we decided to sell the house.

We went into contract in late May, and the clock has been ticking.  Our lawyer told us that the buyers have 2 months to close on the deal unless their bank refuses to give them the loan.  And now, my schedule conflicts with the last 2 weeks of this 2 month period.  So, I sent an email to my brother to let him know which days I can and cannot be available for the closing.  Hopefully, this won't cause the closing to be delayed any further.

I have a lot of memories of living in this house.  And I will miss having a connection to the house.  But for everything, there is a season.  Yet, that season is over.  

- - - - - -

My apartment has been my home for much longer than the family homestead.  Like the family homestead, I have held back on doing many of the renovations and modernization that most properties go through over the years.  My kitchen looks like any kitchen did in the 1970's, and my bathroom looks a little older than that due to the color scheme of the toilet and bathtub.  It'll need a hard core renovation when I eventually leave this place.  But that'll be someone else's concern.

If I had had children, I know how my property would need to be divided.  This is not my reality in this universe.  My niece and nephew will get most of everything, with the proceeds of the house sale going to RQS upon my demise. (And I hope that's not anytime soon.)   

- - - - - -

Memories are important things, as that's all any of us can take with us when we pass.  If there is something afterwards for us, no one knows.  But I want to be rich in happy memories when that time comes. 

 

As a lark, I contacted someone I once knew

 

The other day, I sent out texts to several people I hadn't heard from in months, if not years.  And I was surprised to hear from one of these people.

Maria #2 and I met via a dating app, but we already knew we were going to be friends and not lovers.  (She was out of my league in many ways.  But she did tell me some things about living near XGFJ.  But that's another story for another day.)  Maria got busy with her life and had no room in her life for a friendship at that time.

Two years later, I reach out to her to say hello, and found out that she and her boyfriend (now husband) had moved to Ireland.  When he lived here, he was the immigrant looking to become a citizen.  Now, she's the immigrant looking to become a citizen.  Amazing, huh?  Yet, with the political shit storm generated by the Orange Monster and the GOP, it makes perfect sense to leave the USA.

- - - - - -

Right now, I wonder if anyone is tracking all of the crimes being committed by the flunkies loyal to the monster.  The monster has given his Brown Shirts and Black Shirts effective immunity for the murders they have committed under the guise of enforcing immigration laws. We've seen them lie about their actions, with upper political echelons protecting these animals.  It is unsafe for virtually all immigrants to stay in this country now, and it is becoming unsafe for the native born as well.

RQS senses that I may have to leave the US if the monster if not checked soon.  But where can I go?  I'm too old to start a new career.  I'd have to worry about moving my money out of the US, so that I could have a comfortable retirement.  Yet, if I have to do so, I will.  At least, I know where to start finding resources to make this possible. 

Game Night - with a little celebration

 

 

OK - I'll explain about the celebration in a few....

But first, I'll describe the day.

Since I'll need to present as Mario on Monday and Tuesday, I held off on doing my own nails to prepare for the coming weekend.  Instead, I decided to sleep late, and then fold 2 loads of laundry from last night.  By the time I was done with things in the apartment, it was getting close to 5 pm, and I had to get ready to go to game night.

By now, I have my routine down pat to prepare myself to present as Marian.  First, I shower, making sure to shave as much of my body as possible.  Then, I prepare for my makeup routine and let my undercoat dry.  After I shave my face, it's time to put on my underwear, bra and falsies and start applying makeup.  I'm usually done in 15 minutes at this point, but sometimes I take more care to get everything right. Once done with my makeup, I spritz on some perfume, put on a dress, and am ready to put my wig on just before leaving the house.

I left the house around 6:50. and headed to Yonkers for game night.  There is a Mickey D's along the way that I'll often stop at.  But there's one problem I have to deal with - there is no left turn into Mickey D's driveway.  So, I usually make the left turn into a skating rink's parking lot so I can make a right turn into Mickey D's.  Well, there was some police activity at the skating rink, as there were 4 police cars in front of the door.  There was no way I was going to hang out here - even if I wanted to.  I drove through Mickey D's, picked up "dinner" and finished my drive to game night.

Game night was fun, even though I lost both games.  There were the 3 of us girls at our table (me the only TG), and we had a chance to chat.  One game selected the starting player by birth date - and this made me the starting player.  When the games wound down, we chatted loosely on current events, all of us having had fun watching Iran's Lego Block propaganda videos.  

Around 10, I left game night and drove home talking to RQS.  She has booked her trip to see her sister.  So, I can now book my cruise to Bermuda.  (Now to find some extra cash to pay for the cruise.)  My big question: Will I take the chance on traveling as Marian this time? 

We've hit the middle of the year. How quickly time has passed.

 

God, how I could have born to be the happy woman in this picture.  Alas, I was born with the wrong chromosome mix, and could not ever look as good as this idealized version of myself.  At least, I didn't have to deal with mood swings, monthlies, pregnancies, or any of the problems unique to a cisgender female.  And I would never have met RQS - that would have been a great loss.

When I look at today's politics, I see women's rights under attack around the world.  In some cultures, its a religious patriarchy that subjugates women.  In others, it's social values which insist that a woman must be subordinate to a man.  And in nations like the USA, women are under attack - and many don't see what's happening.

In the past few years, the US Supreme Court has effectively eliminated a woman's right to control her own body.  Some states are making it illegal for a woman to travel from her home state to get an abortion in a state where it's legal, putting the woman at risk of legal persecution if her home state's government finds out.  These states are attempting to prevent out of state sources from sending in drugs which can induce abortions, and will force a woman to carry a rapist's child if she becomes pregnant.

America's attack on women started with several religious fundamentalists seeing a chance to gain power by using Americans' strong religious beliefs (especially in what we call "Red States").  Trusted leaders easily manipulate people who only think in 2-3 second sound bites, getting them agitated in ways that they are willing to elect authoritarian leaders to impose their cultural values on those who don't agree with them.  And guess who benefits?  Not the common person.  Not society as a whole.  But, only the people manipulating the masses.

- - - - - -

Why did I start off sounding like a history teacher?  Well, the Orange Monster's attack on Transgenders is in full swing.  And I'm thinking of doing a peaceful act of rebellion - taking a short cruise as Marian.  I'm tired of obedience to a norm that the people did not choose.  Only by standing up for our rights, can we survive this hateful administration. 

But the choice of taking this cruise depends on RQS visiting her sister.  I would be booking this cruise ONLY if she decides to fly to Florida.  I'm not sure yet of what will happen.  But it'll be nice to get back on a ship again.