She's going home, bye, bye....

 

I always feel a little sad when RQS goes home.  I love having her near me, but I also feel a little freer when I have the time to  take care of my own affairs without worrying about her feelings.  We have a good thing going, where our periodic absences from each other's lives makes the fondness grow stronger.

Today, RQS had to go home.  She had things to take care of at home, and I had things to do here as well. So, after relaxing all day (and having some of our leftover lobster), we got showered and dressed (me in a $5.00 dress I picked up at Burlington a few years ago) and prepared to go to the station. So, around 3:15, we left for the train station, me without my wallet in my handbag.  Well, after dropping RQS off, I found out that I left my wallet at home while I was on the drive thru lane at McDonald's.  AARGH!  You can guess how careful I drove home - I'm glad nothing happened on my way home.

Next, I was off to Walmart with my wallet in hand.  It was time for me to replace my car's cell phone charger.  When I brought the charger and cable up to the cash register, the credit card reader had problems with my card.  Why, I do not know.  But I ended up having to swipe the card instead of inserting the card to charge this to my account.  Later, I'd find out that my credit card company's fraud detection system had texted me about this transaction, and I okayed it.  Luckily, I had a second charge card for another transaction I'd make in the same store.

- - - - - -

When I got home, I found that RQS had a problem with her taxes. (I won't go into details here.)  When our tax lady looked into it, she found that Fran (who RQS used for her taxes 2 years ago) made a mistake, and RQS got flagged for a problem with her 2022 taxes.  OUCH!  This makes me glad that I had to do a last minute shuffle and find our current tax preparer.  I just wonder what tax year 2025 will look for me....

 

 

PS: The tax problem was with a previous tax preparer's mistake - The State/Local forms were not filled in correctly.  The person who did the taxes did this two years in a row.  I'm glad that both of us have someone good on the case these days - I almost got stuck using this person, and dodged a bullet with my taxes.

For some reason, it was a jammie day. (a short post)

Again, I didn't have much energy today.  I stayed in my jammies almost all day, and watched YouTube videos to relieve the boredom.  Although I woke up early, I had no energy, and fell asleep on the couch in the afternoon, losing my chance to do things in the daytime.

Why have I been so tired lately?  God knows, I don't.  I have a feeling that I'm suffering from the effects of depression.  Yet, I don't feel down.  So, around 7 pm, I finally started to get ready to go out for dinner.  Unlike yesterday, I decided to get dressed as Marian and go to the local buffet. 

Now, I have some of my winter wardrobe available to me, but I didn't want to deal with putting on tights to be worn with a dress.  So, I found a pair of leggings and tried on a dress that I bought from Target.  One problem - it was a size too small for me.  Now, I had to figure out what to wear.  And I decided to wear a summer dress with the leggings, and go out wearing a denim jacket over the dress.

When I finally went outside, I was glad to be wearing the leggings and the denim jacket.  It was too cool for the dress alone.  Then I drove to the buffet and chowed down for an hour.  (I'll pay for this when I get on the scale in the morning.)  Eventually, it was time to go home for the evening - a short evening out, but one I needed as Marian.

It was almost the perfect weather to be wearing a short dress. (a short post)

 

I wasn't sure that I'd like the above dress.  However, I decided to buy it because it is inexpensive, and because I wanted one more dress in this style.  Today, I had the first chance to wear it when I picked RQS up at the train station.

We didn't have much scheduled for the day, so we first went to eat. After lunch, it was off to Uncle Giuseppe's to do a little shopping. Entering the store, we were greeted with the sounds of a man singing to a karaoke soundtrack.  His music filled the store, and I have to admit that he was very good.  Could he a professional taking up any type of gig needed to pay the bills?  I have no idea, but it was much better than the muzak that fills many stores.  Regarding what we bought, little is the key word here, as we didn't fill up a single bag and were able to spend less than $40.  One of the things I bought was a crumb cake, minus the cake.  The label said it all: "Just Crumbs."  I haven't had anything like this since I was a kid, when my mother called this a "Pizza Crumb Cake."  And that's the best description of this delicacy. Yum!

After our supermarket run, we went home for the night and had some salmon I had in the freezer.  Given how much food I have in the freezer, it's time to rotate old food out (and into our stomachs) and replace it with new frozen food. Did I care much for the salmon?  Not so much.  But I think this was related to the seasoning on the salmon, and not the quality of the fish.

Then, the day was over.  Not much to say for the day, and then it's just as well.... 

A day trip to Olana

 

RQS and I planned to visit Olana for a long time, but couldn't get out of bed early enough to make the drive to Hudson, NY.  Today was the day we finally made it.

- - - - - -

The first thing on my docket for the day was a Zoom meeting that took up the better part of an hour.  I had gotten dresses in a red floral dress I bought from Target a year or two ago.   When I had come out of my bedroom (this is where I usually work on the computer), I found that RQS had decided to wear the exact same dress in her size!  Today, we would look like the Bobsey Twins whether we planned to or not. This would be my first time at Olana since I was there with XGFJ several years ago.  My visit with RQS would be different - we'd be able to see the second floor of the house as well as the main floor. 

Instead of driving straight up Route 9, I decided to cross over the Hudson at Newburgh, and then speed up to Catskill on the Thruway, instead of getting caught in slower traffic on the East side of the river. This was a wise choice, as we were able to make it to Olana by 2 pm.  Given that the house tours end at 3:45 pm, I figured that we needed the extra time on site if things were busy.

For those unfamiliar with Olana, it is a 250+ acre site that was landscaped and developed by one of the leaders of the Hudson River School of painting.  Frederic Church was extremely successful at his craft, and had the money to make this site both a work of art, and a masterpiece of site location - it is impossible to get a scenic view that isn't fantastic from this property.

With Olana's setting in mind, Church's house is priceless.  .For the most part, it looks exactly like when it was lived in by the Church family, and New York State was lucky to acquire it when it did.  (Could you imagine Church's artistic studies and his own art collection being sold off at auction?  I can't.)  

However, the house was very warm when we visited, and I needed to cool down within an hour of starting the tour.  (Don't worry, I saw everything, missed nothing, and chatted with the docents quite a bit.) So RQS and I got in the car, and started our drive home through scenic rural landscapes.  Eventually, we reached Poughkeepsie, where we stopped to eat (too much), then drove home.

All in all, it was a good summer day, and we had a great time together.... 

I was dehydrated and didn't know it.

 

Last night, RQS and I went to dinner with my brother at an Oriental Buffet.  We ate enough food to feed an army, and my digestive system paid the price overnight.  I didn't notice that I had needed to drink some water when I woke up, and wasn't thinking of food or drink throughout the day.  This was my mistake, and I almost paid dearly for it when I went into the shower.

Around 3:00 pm, I stripped and went into the shower to freshen myself up to go outside.  In the middle of showering, I got a little dizzy and took extra care to keep my balance, finish my shower, and dry off before rushing to the kitchen to get a glass of orange juice.  While I was waiting for my metabolism to process the OJ, RQS got showered and dressed.  Then, I finished with my "morning" routine, got dressed, and prepared to go out to the supermarket for our evening meal. 

Today would be a day where I'd be going outside as Marian.  And the weather was perfect for wearing a casual summer dress.  It was nice to get out of my trousers and back into a dress again. I didn't choose any of my new dresses to wear.  I was in the mood to wear something plain and functional.  Maybe tomorrow, I'll break out one of my new dresses if the weather is right.   

Before going to the supermarket, we stopped for a burger at a local fast food joint, and that did the trick for me.  Within a half hour, I no longer was concerned about how I felt earlier in the day.  Both the liquids I consumed and the food I ate restored me to a state of normalcy.  After another 20 minute drive, we reached the supermarket and picked up some dinner. 

Did we eat the salmon we bought for dinner?  No.  We were still full from our lunch.  So, we had a little nibble, and decided to cook the salmon for tomorrow's dinner. 

I started off the day slow, but gained momentum through the day.

 

Today was a day where I woke up late, and did almost nothing throughout the day.  Did I fold laundry?  No.  Did I straighten out the apartment?  No.  But I finally got around to getting a domain name for my co-op's website, and finally have something ready for the world to see.

- - - - - -

The day started with me laying in bed shouting at my digital assistant to shut her mouth.  It only tries to wake me up on weekdays, and I wanted to sleep.  Begrudgingly, I got out of bed only for a bio-break, and then I was awake for the day.

Now that I was awake, I took a few minutes to be brought up to date with the latest news and turned it off when I was getting sick of what I was hearing.  (The snowflake's "Big Beautiful Bill" became uglier before the Senate bucked it back to the House.)  So, I turned on some mindless, or entertaining, or historical videos, and spent a good part of the day watching TV.  Eventually, I did a little bit of cleanup (not much), before deciding to get showered and dressed.

Before I was done getting dressed, my new printer arrived.  (I bought a cheap, open box laser printer that I could use while my other one is in the shop for warranty service.)  One could easily tell that this is an older printer model, as its control "screen" display is an unlit 2"x1.25" black on gray panel.  (I had to tilt the printer so that I could read what was on the screen.)  Unfortunately, I couldn't set up a true wireless connection.  But I could connect it to my LAN, and I did get things working after 45 minutes.

I put on the above dress knowing that it'd be warm outside, and drove down to Costco to see if there was anything worth buying.  As usual, I found some things I could use, but limited myself to things I thought I will likely use.  On the way out, I made the mistake of trying a couple of slices of Costco pizza.  It took 15 minutes from the time I ordered my pizza to the time I got it.  And it was NOT worth my wait.  I would have rather spent the time driving to a good pizzeria and spend a little more for better slices.

On the way home, I called DCD.  He's sounding good, but I don't want to get too close to him anymore.  The only thing he can do is to lean on others, as he will never be capable of taking care of himself again.  Yes, he's lonely.  At least, he's recuperating somewhere other than his ex-girlfriend's house.  As I reached Croton, I noticed that two exits were closed due to repaving on Riverside Avenue..Luckily, I knew to avoid the heart of Croton on my way home, so I arrived without incident.

- - - - - -

Tomorrow, it'll be a day spent in Mario mode.  (AARGH!)  my brother, RQS and I are going out to eat on Long Island.  It's just as well.  I haven't seen him in a while.  My only concern is to make it across the bridge before holiday traffic clogs things up. 

 

I went out in the rain, only because I didn't want to cook.

 

Today, the weatherman predicted late afternoon rain, and boy, was he right!  After doing laundry (when it was dry outside), I decided to get showered and dressed.  By the time I was ready to go out, it was dark outside and the heavens had opened up.  There was no way that once I got into one of my dresses, that I would not go outside.  So I grabbed an umbrella, and out the door I went. After 30 minutes of driving, I decided to have some Fish & Chips at the diner in Pleasantville.  The food was plentiful, but they fried the fish for a bit too long.  At least it was filling....

- - - - - - 

Sadly, the Snowflake's Big UGLY Bill made it through the Senate, and it's back to the House for reconcilement.  I ration how much time I spend watching news these days, as a continued diet of unpleasant news is infectious, One can get the key elements of what one needs to know in 10 minutes of watching the news these days,  Why let the Snowflake have room in your head?

I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that the bill will die before it hits the Snowflake's desk.  But what I'm more worried about is the Snowflake's threat to revoke the naturalization of New York City's Democratic Mayoral Nominee.  He is using all the tools at his disposal to stifle any dissent.  I just wonder how long he can do so, given how unpopular he is in his own party. 

- - - - - -

With all the troubles going on these days, I try to remember this phrase:

This too, shall pass.

Too bad it feels like a kidney stone passing at times as of late.... 

 

 

 

PS:   Sadly, the bill did pass and was signed on Independence Day. 

Bermuda Cruise 2025 - Port Day #1 (04/29/25)

 

Bermuda, at last!  It's been a while since we were here, and we haven't yet decided what to do.  So we ended up going ashore for a while, then taking it easy on the ship.

But first....

The weather in Bermuda is often warmer than it is in New York.  Today was an exception to the rule, as we needed our early spring clothes (long sleeved shirts, windbreaker and full length trousers) to go outside - something we found out right after breakfast.  To make sure we made it to the main dining room for breakfast, we woke up around 7 am and made it to the dining room just before 8:30.

Once we were seated, another couple sat down next to us, and cruising became the topic of conversation.  The couple had taken an MSC Mediterranean cruise, and it was very different in style and ambiance than MSC's American subsidiary.  They noted that people were coming onboard and leaving the ship at almost every port (no Jones Act / Passenger Vessel Services Act problems in Europe), and it felt strange in comparison to North American based cruises.  But the thing they noticed first and foremost was how many people smoked, and how much they smoked.  I don't think I'd want to be on a ship where I'd have to air out my clothing every day to avoid getting sick.

After breakfast, we took it easy for a while, then walked off the ship.  It took us a while, but we bought a 1-day Bermuda transit pass (bus and ferries) that we plan to use to reach the other side of Bermuda tomorrow.  And then, we browsed the Clocktower Mall before going back to the ship.  It was nice to be on land for a couple of hours, and it will be nicer to spend the whole day there tomorrow.

We rested when we returned to the ship, and then went to dinner at our new assigned table.  As usual, the food was good and filling.  But service wasn't that great - I had to ask our waiter a couple of times before my wine was brought to the table.  RQS had to request a second portion of ice cream, as they did not deliver the sugar-free variety they had the night before.

A little over an hour later, we went to the ship's theater to watch a comedian, Joe Materese, perform.  Strangely enough, he was able to tell Italian jokes without offending anyone.  But then, being Italian, he was able to poke a little fun at his background without getting anyone upset.  I had to leave the theater a little early, so that I could take a bio-break.  Yet, I saw enough of this act to make me want to see his 18+ show later on in the week.

PS: Universal Standard's Mystery Box sale ended today.  Instead of buying one of these boxes, I decided to buy a simple chambray dress with a 25% discount.   RQS said it was well worth the money.

A day I should have done more things, but didn't

I had only one thing to take care of today, and I was lucky to even get that in because of how lazy I was feeling.  Did I really want to go out in the cold?  No!  But I had to pick up RQS's dress at the cleaner's, so that she'd have it onboard the cruise we'll be taking soon.  That forced me to get out of bed and get ready to go outside.  And today might be the last day I can spend even part of my time in Marian mode.

- - - - - -

The first thing I did upon waking up was to get my head together and figure out what I was going to do for the day.  One of the things on my list was to check in with DCD's ex to see if he made it back to her place.  (This would trigger her dumping him back at the hospital, saying that the man is homeless and has nowhere to live - her house was off limits.)  No news on that front.

Next, I expected a phone call from a firm which provides dietary and lifestyle coaching.  My doctor recommended this organization's services to me, saying that they could help me lose weight.  Given that I'm going on a cruise soon, I said that I'd look to start things up when I return from my upcoming cruise.

And then, I finally got showered and dressed to attack the world as Marian.  I wanted to wear my sweater dress.  But to do so, I needed to wear some thermal tights.  One problem.  The flannel tights I have are not control top tights.  So I felt that everything kept slipping down in back as I moved.  (Next time, I'll wear a pair of control top tights and put up with a little bit of the cold.)  Once dressed and made up, I was off to the tailor's to pick up the dress. The last time I was at this dry cleaning/tailoring shop, a different lady ran the place.  Now, the place looks more minimal than in the past, and the former proprietor was gone. This was a shame - I liked the former proprietor, and wished I could have struck up another conversation with her.

Not having any plans of where to go, it was off to Barnes and Noble to look at some books and kill time.  I knew that when I got home, that I would have to start packing for my upcoming cruise, as I had to drop off a large suitcase at RQS's place this weekend.  Arriving home, I found a package from Lane Bryant which contained matching panties for a nightie she gave me for Xmas.  I intend to wear the set for her when she's up here for Valentine's day.

Finally, I got around to packing.  This was my least favorite chore for the day, as I would have to be out and about as Mario for over a week.  At least, RQS and I agreed on the shore excursions we plan to take in San Juan.

A quick trip to Poughkeepsie and back.

 

RQS had several things on her docket that had to be taken care of today.  First, we had to take her dress to a seamstress to be altered to fit properly.  Then, it was up to Poughkeepsie to pick up some clothing RQS had ordered and delivered to the store, and finally, to pick up a space heater to replace one which was recalled.

- - - - - -

Given that I am still recovering from a bug, I didn't get moving until 2 pm, not leaving the house until 3:30 pm.  Our first stop was at the seamstress's place, where RQS spent $50 to get her dress altered.  After we left the shop, we took Route 9a into Peekskill.  Along the way, we saw a gathering of fire trucks (and maybe police cars) blocking the entrance to the Cortlandt Train Station parking lot.  There was no way that I was going to stop and find out.  That could be done later after we got home,

About an hour later, we were up in Poughkeepsie to pick up the package waiting for RQS at Lane Bryant.  Although I parked at the other end of the mall, I figured we could stop into Target before going home.  Sadly, my GI Tract told me that I had to make it home pronto, and that's what we did.  By the time we made it home, I just had enough time to take off my coat before I took care of some important business.

Once done, it was off to the kitchen to start preparing dinner.  After shredding 2 chicken legs w. thighs, we started cooking some string beans, chopping up some scallions, and cooking some noodles before tossing everything into a skillet with peanut sauce.  Yum!  RQS even went back for seconds!!!

The rest of the evening was uneventful.  "Z Nation" was on the idiot box, and we enjoyed some mindless entertainment for the rest of the night.

Fogo de Chão with RQS - NYC Restaurant Week

 

Fogo de Chão is a chain of Churrascaria restaurants which specialize in what I describe as Brazilian BBQ.  No, my description does not do this kind of restaurant justice.  It is the place for Atkins Diet feast!  Grilled meats keep on coming until you have to say "Uncle!  Food Won!"  And for NYC Restaurant week, I decided to take RQS to their Midtown Manhattan outpost to feast like there was no tomorrow.

One of the problems of taking the train into Grand Central is that it is awkward to make an easy transfer (in midtown) to a "B Division" subway line to access one of the former IND system routes' subway stations.  I could make it to  Grand Central Terminal easily.  But to get to a station associated with the 6th or 8th Avenue lines, I either have to make an awkward transfer involving a block's walk underground, an out-of-system transfer involving a 2 block walk underground, or simply take surface transit to the desired location.  Given that I had time to kill and mistakenly forgot one transfer point, I ended up walking from 42nd Street and Park Avenue to 53rd Street and 5th Avenue (give or take a few hundred feet).

My timing ended up being perfect - Both RQS and I arrived at the restaurant at 6:00 pm.  And from there, we went inside to feast.  RQS had forgotten that I had planned to get a Mani-Pedi earlier in the day, so she was a little surprised to see me arrive in Marian mode.  Yet, the dress I was wearing had grown on her a little.  (She said that if I buy more dresses like this, that I will have to try them on before committing to them.)  After getting enough salad and veggies to empty a farm (I have to mention how good their Caesar Salad is here - I could have feasted on that alone), the meat began to come. And boy did it come!  Chicken, Lamb, Sausages, various cuts of Beef all came around to our table, and within an hour and a half we were stuffed like Thanksgiving Turkeys.

All too soon, it was time to leave.  I went back to Grand Central the long way, and she was able to take one train home.  By 9:30 pm, both of us were at our homes and ready to go to bed.  Both of us enjoyed this mid week get together.  I think we'll do it more often if I can find a few excuses to do so.

It's amazing how much of a mess was near my desk - a quick post.

 

If I'm guilty of vices other than gluttony, I'd say that my next one might be sloth.  Laziness is a hidden trait that can be attributed to me, as I don't like to work.  This doesn't mean that I won't work hard.  I just avoid hard work whenever I can.

Over the past few months, I have allowed messes to accumulate in the corners of my apartment, and I decided to attack one for a few hours (with a lot of breaks).  It's amazing what one can accomplish when one breaks work down into manageable chunks.  (I guess that my experience of being a project manager helps me in this regard.)

Sooner or later, I will get everything organized in my apartment.  Until then, expect me to talk about my mess now and then.

- - - - - -

This weekend, the weather is supposed to be bad.  So, when I go out as Marian, I'll be wearing a dress over leggings, mimicking the kind of garments a cisgender woman would be wearing in inclement weather.  I've found that the leggings I've bought from Universal Standard are of a much higher quality than what I have bought from Woman Within.  So, I'll try to up my garment game in the future by buying garments from brands I know have the quality level I want.

Why do I mention garment quality?   Simple.  I'm finding that well made athleisure garments tend to be more forgiving of odd shaped people when they are worn.  Not once did I have to pull up Universal's leggings during a day of wearing (except when taking bio-breaks, of course).  I can't say this about the leggings I have bought from WW or Walmart.

There will always be some garments I'll buy at cheaper outlets.  But now that I have developed a sense of my own feminine style, I can afford to buy clothes that I expect will last, instead of clothes I know will end up in a donation bag after a few wearings.

Another long, hot weekend was started early.

 

RQS and I discussed coming up early this weekend.  Although the "Lobster Truck" would be elsewhere, I was able to entice her to come up a day early with oysters - 12 Oysters for $12 at Whole Foods on Fridays between 2 and 5 pm.  So we made plans for her to meet me at Grand Central Terminal after I went to Universal Standard's Sample Sale.

- - - - - -

I got dressed in a comfortable dress on Thursday,  then left my house around noon, proceeding to Manhattan on the 12:42 pm train.  When the train got into Grand Central around 1:45 pm, we got delayed because the train couldn't make it al the way into the station, and had to discharge passengers through the first two cars of the train.  I was totally exhausted by the time I made it to Universal Standard.  (The heat both under and above ground was gruesome, and I was a little dehydrated by this point.)  So, after stopping for some air conditioned comfort, I went upstairs to do some shopping.

Once I was upstairs, I was greeted by a staffer who has seen me at several of the sample sales.  Then, I proceeded to browse the racks to find things I might be interested in.  As much as most of the stuff wasn't worth my interest, I found two items of worth: A blue sleeveless dress (that I wasn't sure that I should buy) and a pair of leggings that I could always wear when the weather gets cooler.  $75 later, I was out of there with garments that would normally sell for over $175 ($40 for the dress and $35 for the leggings)

Leaving the store, I decided to take the East Side local to Brooklyn Bridge, then back uptown to Grand Central.  This way, I could be assured to have a seat in an air conditioned car on its way uptown.  (The last thing I want to do is stand on a subway car being delayed due to problems ahead of us.)  While on my way, I found that RQS was 45 minutes behind me, so I knew I'd have to wait for her at Grand Central.

Around 3:30 pm, I arrived at Grand Central and waited for RQS to arrive, then we took the train back to Croton.  Since there was nothing ready for us to cook, we picked up some food at Trader Joe's and had dinner a little later.

- - - - - -

Friday came, and the focus of the day was to have oysters at Whole Foods.  So, I donned the blue dress I bought the day before, and we drove to Chappaqua.  RQS thought we were going to White Plains, and I wanted to see what it was like on the former Reader's Digest campus.  We got there at 2:30 pm, and the supply of oysters was already starting to run out.  $24 later, we were eating oysters normally selling for twice the price - and they were yummy!  If scheduling works out, we may make this a semi-regular part of our routine.

Once done with our meal, it was off to the jewelers to have a few links taken out of her watch band.  And then, we drove to Cold Spring for Ice Cream before returning home for the night.

A belated birthday dinner

 

This is NOT what I wore out to my belated birthday dinner with RQS.  I was thinking of wearing this outfit until I realized that it's a pain to go for a bio-break when wearing a jumpsuit.  But I figured that I would show you how I looked today when I met with a friend for dinner.  The trouble with that plan is that her phone is an Apple phone, and they do their damnedest to make their products incompatible with Android and Windows equipment, so that Apple can lock people into their ecosystem.  And I had to figure out how to get 3 pictures sent to me in text messages from an Apple phone copied onto my PC, then accessible by Google's web software.

The above is the dress I did wear to my belated birthday dinner.  It is comfortable, and I felt pretty when we arrived at the Hudson House Inn for dinner.  This restaurant is only a few short feet from the river, and is a wonderful place to have a nice romantic meal.  But I digress.

RQS and I have been at this place a couple of times.  First, it was for a Hudson Valley Restaurant Week dinner.  Next, it was for a Thanksgiving dinner a year and a half ago.  I am no stranger to this place, and would cheerfully eat here more often if my finances allowed for it.  Both of us ordered the same main course, crab stuffed salmon - and loved it.  It's hard to believe that one can get filled up with a smaller quantity of high quality food than a larger portion of lower quality food.  (Too bad that I grew up on junk food, and have a lower class palate when eating on my own.)  

Years ago, when I was dating CSN, we had considered this place for a wedding banquet.  (I'm glad that I terminated that relationship, as it would have ended in a costly and messy divorce.)  The Hudson House Inn may have seen its better days.  But I can't complain about what it is now, as it is known for being an excellent restaurant with nice accommodations for people who might want to spend a romantic weekend in Cold Spring.

You might wonder why I broke up with CSN almost 40 years ago.  The first thing was that she was one of those yuppies who wanted to get to the top, and would never have understood who I really was inside.  (And this was way before I realized that I was transgender!)  Next, CSN wasn't a humble person as I remember her, and she was extremely status conscious.  (I, on the other hand, did not care about outward displays of status.  The last thing I wanted to be was a pretentious asshole - even if I didn't recognize it yet.)  In the end, it was a good learning experience for me, as I learned a little bit more about who I was and what I valued in life.  I still was far from the person I am now.  But I had started to find out....

Fast forward about 40 years, and I am still living in the same apartment I bought before I met my late wife.  Her death taught me to appreciate people in the here and now, as they may not be around in the future when I "have time" for them.  So, I try to show RQS how much I care for her whenever possible.  Though it might have been a birthday dinner for me, it was a way of realizing that someone like me has undergone similar experiences and is trying to show how important I am to her. 

RQS went home, and I got keys made - a quick post

 

One of the problems with going about as a female is that almost everything one carries around during a typical day is carried in a handbag.  My problem concerns the headache of carrying around a key fob for my car which weighs more than the key that it replaced, then pulling my keys out of my handbag when I wanted to open my front door.

But first....

It was time for RQS to go home today, so we hung out as long as we could before going out for a quick lunch.  As has been my habit all weekend, I put on a comfortable dress and drove to the nearest Mickey D's for some takeout.  By the time we got there, school had let out and we realized that we'd have to run back to the station before eating our food if she were to make her train on time.

We got to the station in time for RQS's train, and I stopped for a few minutes to finish my lunch.  And then, I decided to make a run to Walmart to get a key chain and to get some keys cut.  Well, I picked up the key chain in the above picture - it's certainly something no cisgender male would have for himself.  Yet, I still had another store to visit.  Walmart's key cutting machine claimed that one of my keys was an uncommon key which required cutting off site for $7.00 - so, I cancelled my order and decided to go to the Home Depot nearby.  Once in the store, I had to wait for service, as two other ladies were in front of me waiting to get their keys cut.  Fifteen minutes later, I had the four keys on the ring and I was ready to go home.  Arriving at home, I found that all four keys worked as expected.  I was able to more easily find these keys in my bag.  So, I hooked my car's key fob into my bag where I couldn't lose it (or the original keys attached to it).  Now, it'll be much easier for me to open up my front door when I get home.

My refrigerator door was open for an undetermined period yesterday, and I wouldn't trust the perishables inside the refrigerator compartment.  Given my upcoming trip, I won't replace these perishables until I return.  So, I decided to go out to eat.  It was nice to be addressed as a female again, as I entered the restaurant.  As much as I could have eaten a more inexpensive dinner if I cooked it myself, I enjoyed what I ate.  It was a nice way to end the day....

Lunch with SJM

 

 

Another day, another lunch....

Today, I caught up with SJM, a former colleague from the imaging firm.  We try to meet every month or so to catch up on things, and I told her all about my December cruise.  Although I was a little long winded, she had a good chance to tell me what has been going on in her life - such as the saga of a car that has been in the collision repair shop more than it has been out of it.  (With these "new fangled computer gizmos," it's hard for the average body shop to get many cars working as if they were new without dealer/factory assistance.)

Normally, I am a few minutes late for lunch.  But I got there on time - even though I took a little extra time to wear tights under a dress, instead of a tunic and leggings.  (The process of putting on stockings is a small price I pay to look more feminine.) As usual, we chose to eat at one of the places in Croton, this time, the local Japanese restaurant - Samurai.  As much as I enjoy Sushi, I decided to order the lunch special which included Teriyaki Chicken, Miso Soup, Salad, White Rice, and a California Roll, while SJM ordered her usual meal.

As usual, conversation flowed like water, and she told me the story of having only one good car in a three car household.  Given that one of the cars is being held hostage, I offered to give her a ride when she has to put her one good car into the shop for service.  But I digress.  She looked much more at ease today, now that a lot of business issues are behind her.  Having many of the stressors removed from her life has made her feel good inside - and it shows on her face.

All too soon, we had to part.  But we made another date for next month - "Same Bat Time and Same Bat Channel."  And then, I went home to rest....

Florida-Bahamas Cruise 2023 - Day 6 - Sea Day

 

Florida-Bahamas Cruise - Day 6 - Sea Day - 12/14/23

Today, choppy seas were the order of the day.  Barf Bags were found by all the staircases, and people were complaining in the cruise forum about the rough seas.  Although there is not much that the captain of the ship can do other than to try to find a calmer path to sail, newbies don’t have enough experience cruising to understand this.  They don’t know what really rough seas are like, and will likely complain about the slightest problem

I decided to go to the buffet for both breakfast and lunch, and was glad I did so.  There was no way I was going to get out of my cabin in time for a more formal meal, when I could get what I wanted when I wanted at the buffet. Between meals, I heard several announcements that informed passengers of activity location changes from the pool area to locations in the interior portions of the ship.  With weather the way it has been for the past 24 hours, it was prudent to do this.

 

Since tonight is gala night, I made sure to have everything ready to go.  My LBD with a zipper puller is hanging in the closet.  My stockings (and a backup) are ready to be worn.  And my flats (I chose not to wear heels) are out.  All I needed to do was wait until 6:00 pm to dress to impress.  And I couldn’t wait for this time to come, as I want some nice pictures taken of me tonight.

All too soon, I’ll have to start packing, and I’ll be sad.  Even with all my negative comments about this cruise, I am enjoying it.  At least, I’ll soon be at home and in my own bed with a new CPAP mask.

A trip to NYC and a temporarily lost handbag

 

My plan for today was to first go shopping at Universal Standard's sample sale, meet RQS at Grand Central to take the same train into Croton-Harmon, and then go to the one game night being held by my friends in Yonkers.  And everything on the checklist was accomplished, but with some drama while in Croton....

- - - - - -

When I got dressed, I figuratively flipped a coin to determine whether I'd be wearing a dress to Universal Standard, or wearing a unitard (body suit) under a duster.  The dress would be more convenient for taking a bio-break, while the unitard would be more convenient for shopping at Universal Standard.  I chose the unitard, as I wanted to be able to try on clothing without having to strip down to my bra and panties, possibly exposing that I was born in a male body.  And this would be a wise choice.

Before I got to Universal Standard, I stopped by Metro North's lost-and-found office in the vain hope that the backpack I misplaced a month ago was found and in their custody. From there, it was on to the subway to reach the store.  Upon entering the store, I noticed that two 20-30 y/o women were trying on garments, one of them in a unitard like me, and the other stripping down to her bra and panties to try on clothes.  Neither of them was uncomfortable with my presence, and both of them were handing me garments to try on.  There were 3 dresses I was interested in, and the 2 ladies said that I looked great in the black dresses (1 of which I would wear as a duster, which I did later on).  However, US's signature dress, their Geneva dress (a dress with an asymmetrical hemline) looked good on me, but the color was terrible for me.  So I made a note that in the future, to try one of these dresses in a color that looks good on me.

Next, it was off to Grand Central where I met RQS for the trip to Croton.  I killed some time before she arrived, and we took an early train home. And that's where the fun began.  Arriving at my apartment, we carried several bags upstairs, and the handbag containing RQS's phone was misplaced.  We attempted to ring her phone, but we couldn't hear it.  So both of us worried about going on our cruise without normal documents.  I was willing to drive to Albany to get a replacement state issued photo ID card, and willing to do a round trip to her place to get her birth certificate - the minimum documentation needed for a closed loop cruise from NYC.

After a break for dinner, we went back home.  Before entering the door, I looked around, and found her bag sitting where I often place my bag.  I rang her phone, and neither of us heard it.  Then she took her phone out, and I rang it again.  This time, we heard the ring.  So, we were both very relieved.  At this point, we were very late for game night, and decided to drop by just to chat - and that's what we did.  It was nice to see the gang again, and I hope to see them one more time before the holidays.

I forgot it was a holiday, but the post office didn't.

 

I decided to return a dress I bought through Amazon.  It looked "just OK", but not good enough to keep right now.  So I boxed it up, printed a return label, and got set to bring the dress to the post office to be returned for credit.  One problem - today was a Federal Holiday, and I can't bring a package to a post office that's closed.  AARGH!  That's one more task I'll have to take care of tomorrow before my new sofa arrives.

After that, I figured that I should make a quick run to Walmart to pick up a couple of pairs of leggings.  Unfortunately, I misplaced those I used to wear to work under my tunics, and needed a couple to wear on my upcoming trip.  Again, a problem - the local Walmart didn't carry in my size.  So, I decided to drive up to Fishkill, where I found 2 pairs in my size in a color I could wear under tunic length dresses.

Do I intend to wear dresses without leggings if I can?  Yes!  I prefer wearing dresses whenever I can.  As a TG who lives on both sides of the gender coin, I prefer to wear dress like garments that reaffirm my feminine nature.  However, I'll have my leggings, so that I can be practical in the cooler autumn weather.

The awkwardness in my plan is that I'll be with RQS at her place the day before our trip, and there the night we return.  Why is this an issue?  No counter space in her bathroom.  I'll have to get made up in a hurry, and can't afford to skip anything, or to leave anything behind.

Keep your fingers crossed....

I can't believe I made such a dumb mistake

 

I just received a dress today, and I can't believe that I made such a dumb mistake as I made.  As most women know, women's sizes are all across the chart.  Depending on the vendor, I run from being a woman's size 1X to 5X.  Usually, I order size 3X when ordering from Catherine's, and 2X when I'm ordering from Woman Within.  Because I wanted to avoid the BOGO 50% off deal, and get the above dress at 75% of list price, I ordered it through Amazon.  But I made one BIG mistake.  Being a size 28, many of the places I shop at put me into a 3X dress, as consistent with the sizing on the Catherine's site. But this dress has a Woman Within label, and a size 3X is a size 30-32.  I'll have to return it before I travel. (As if I didn't need any more things do I?)

- - - - - -

Getting home after a weekend with RQS is a little sad.  Yet, there's a part of me that still enjoys being by myself, and not having to answer to anyone.  Today was one of those days.  I always enjoy it when we're together.  But sometimes, I like being alone.  I guess many widows and widowers get this way in our old age.  But I had the chance to see my neighbors, and inform them of my travel plans.  They will look for any deliveries that come after mid week,  and hold them for me until I get back from my trip.  It pays to have good relationships with one's neighbors.

 

 

 

Once inside my apartment, I proceeded to take care of installing a 6 outlet adapter that I had just received from Amazon.  Although one can get these at Home Deport, Lowe's Target, Walmart or any decent hardware store, I decided to bundle this with the above order for ease of bookkeeping.  As usual, I did things the hard way, and didn't wait until the morning to start this task.  Instead, I had to look for a flashlight to see things, and then screw this in for security.  I don't want to think of this again when I have my reclining sofa delivered in a couple of days.

- - - - - -

As you can guess, I have lots left to do before my trip, and not enough time to do them....