I'm starting to pack for my upcoming cruise

 

I miss being able to cruise as Marian.  The Orange Snowflake is out to erase transgenders from the earth, claiming "it is all in our heads."  One problem - it is easier to change the body than to rewire the brain.  And even if it could be done, should it be done?  When the person who holds the presidency has no morality, no sense of justice, and no respect for others, then how can anyone cis or trans feel safe?

Safety for us trans people is important.  For those like me, we can go stealth and not worry much - but we still have our worries.  When presenting as a male, my whiteness helps keep me safe from the ICE raids going on in neighboring towns.  So, if I have to make contact with anyone from the Federal Government, I've decided to do so as a white male and assert my "privilege". This is not real safety.  I've been hassled by a TSA Officer before flying to London, simply because he had a bug up his ass.  Could you imagine what he'd have been like if I were presenting as a female for an international flight?

I remind people that Cisgender people are not safe.  The husband of one of my friends is an immigrant from the Philippines. He is not white, but he is a male US Citizen who has communications issues.  He lives in a town which has suffered ICE raids, and my friend (his wife) fears what could happen if he goes out during one of these raids. He could not advocate effectively for himself.  Given that we have deported US citizens caught in one of these ICE roundups, do you think he'd be safe.

RQS is a fair skinned black, somewhere in the mocha shade of skin tone.  She'd likely be tolerably safe, as she has an "American" accent. And that relative safety would likely extend to many "American Blacks" who speak with an "American" accent familiar to many ICE agents.  But that doesn't extend to their initial treatment by these "authorities", as there has been a different standard of justice for whites and blacks in America. I must note that Asian Americans may have similar treatment to American Blacks, but would be subject to similar risk factors.  Yet, even if I were a second or third generation Chinese American, would I feel safe if ICE was raiding a Chinatown neighborhood as they recently did in New York City?

The promise of the Orange Snowflake was to round up the criminals who were in the US illegally and deport them first.  Instead, he is aiming for quantity over quality, scooping up law abiding people (here legally or illegally) to make artificial quotas.  So, a wise gender nonconforming person can not feel safe in a society where every touch point with the Federal Government puts her/him at risk.

So, I've started my packing, and I'm disappointed that I won't be able to wear my summer dresses again. But, I still wouldn't do so on this cruise, as many of the islands in the Caribbean have similar backwards attitudes as our president.  I'll still be relatively comfortable and safe, but I won't be as happy as if I could present as my true self. 

 

 

 

 

 

Soon, I'll be going on a cruise ...again.

 

 

This year, I'll have spent over a month of my time at sea.  My last cruise for the year is coming up soon, and I'll be on a "new" ship (for us) with RQS.   Unlike all of the other ships we've been on, the Queen Mary 2 sails for a cruise line known for its formality.  It'll be a new cruise experience for us, and I hope we'll enjoy it.

- - - - - -

As I write this, it is close to freezing outside.  I'm not sure if I want to bother getting dressed and taking care of errands.  The temperature will be lower than normal for the rest of the week, and I have things booked towards the weekend.  This means that I'll be looking for all my cold weather clothing, and hoping that I have enough of it available when I need it.

It'll be relatively easy for me to pack for my upcoming cruise, as I will be presenting as Mario while on the cruise.  It's simpler for me to dress as Mario, as the only thing that changes will be the number of layers I need to wear.  But I wish I could have gone on this cruise as Marian.  Even if we had sane politics in the US right now, I'd be in the Caribbean where cultural norms aren't as progressive as they are in the US.

I'm thinking of giving RQS a winter cruise for Xmas.  Although we'd sail several weeks later, I'd want it to be a surprise.  One catch: As much as I don't like the itinerary, it'd be the last chance I'd get to sail on an MSC ship before they abandon the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal for a new home port in Florida.  Hopefully, we'll see MSC return some day, as well as seeing the terminal expand to handle two ships at the same time.

- - - - - -

If all goes right, the year 2026 will have us taking 3 cruises.  But, as soon as we're done with our last cruise, I'll start the process of both renewing my passport and my global entry registration (Trusted Traveler ID), so that I can take my 2027 cruises without worrying if there is enough time on my passport to schedule a cruise.

Ideally, I'd be able to travel as Marian, with a passport that identifies me as Marian.  But that is not likely to happen soon.  RQS still wants Mario as a partner (even though she's comfortable with me presenting as Marian.)  And in today's political climate, it makes sense for me to stay in stealth mode when I have to deal with any employee of the Federal Government.  

Since I rant about the Orange Snowflake and his fascist regime too often, I'll stay away from politics today, save for the "in passing" references in this entry. I'm more concerned about how I'll dress when I get home from my next cruise, as we will want to take the ferry from Red Hook to either the Atlantic Avenue or Williamsburg ferry stops before summoning an Uber.  I maintain my sanity by maintaining my freedom to travel - by any means necessary.  Hopefully, I'll be able to complete the process of getting an EU passport (I won't say which country yet) before this time next year, as this will be my "Get Out of Jail Free" card if I need one.

 

I finally got my nails done!

 

I finally had the chance to get my nails done.  It's something I've wanted to do for several weeks, but the need to go out as Mario has gotten in the way.  Seeing my brother, having a doctor's appointment, and having to go to the bank for the co-op has all made it impossible for me to have at least 7 days (or more) in female mode.  As a result, it didn't make sense to have polished nails.

RQS was scheduled to arrive in Croton at 5 pm.  So I had just enough time after I got dressed to get my nails done, have a little snack and get to the station.  When I arrived at the nail salon, they knew me enough to ask whether I was there for a mani-pedi or just a manicure.  Since I was there for just a manicure, I sat down at the manicure station and proceeded to have my nails done.  While there I struck up a conversation with a recently widowed woman, and got into talking about cruising and the lines we preferred.  (Later, I mentioned to RQS that I wish I could have befriended this woman as Marian.  But this was not likely, as this woman was visiting family in Croton, but lives on Long Island - a very inconvenient place for me to visit.)

Once my nails were done, I had time to kill.  So I filled up the car, then drove to the station to relax until RQS arrived.  She didn't see me at first, but after a few honks, she saw me and my car, and we were off to have dinner.  The first stop was at the new Thai restaurant in town.  They couldn't accommodate us until 8:30, so we drove to a Mexican restaurant nearby.  I had the paella, while RQS had some tacos.  Both were yummy.  But my dish had enough food in it to feed two people  So I had leftovers to eat sometime over the next day or two.

And then it was time to go home.... 

It was Mario's day out. (A short post)

 

A financial issue with the co-op forced me to go out as Mario this afternoon (Wednesday).  I was asked to move a small amount of money from our savings account and wire it to our operating account.  This would allow us to make a payment from the operating account that had to take place by the end of the week. Unlike most days, I didn't mind so much going out as Mario, as I had several errands of my own to take care of as Mario.  So, when the president of the co-op called me while she was away, I used this essential excursion to the bank as Mario to also pick up a suit from the cleaners and a blazer from the tailor. 

My first stop was at the bank, where I performed the wire transfer.  And then, it was off to the cleaners to pick up my suit.  This stop took more time than expected, as my car had just downloaded an update to its software, and I had to give it 10 minutes to complete after the download.  So, this was a perfect excuse to have a slice of pizza before picking up the suit.  Fifteen minutes later, I was back in the car (with my suit), and off to the tailors to pick up my blazer.

Once I had everything in hand, I drove to BJ's for a shopping expedition.  Although there may have been 1 or 2 items that I might not have needed right now, I figured that I'll eventually use these paper plates as my old stash runs out.

I could have gone apple picking. Instead, I picked an apple pie.

 

When we got up, we had one thing to do: Pick up 2 of RQS's dresses at the cleaners.  So, we had a lot of time to relax before we got moving.

- - - - - - -

Often, our weekend routine has us relaxing, watching TV (or Youtube videos) until noon or so. Neither of us has much energy when we get up, so we're lucky to be retired and have the freedom to get up when we please.

As usual, this would me a day that I'd present as Marian.  When the weather chills down, I find it hard to dress in an obviously feminine way, and not look out of place. One thing I tend to do is wear dresses as tunics, and leggings underneath them,  If I feel like being a little more dressy, I'll wear a dress with stockings or tights underneath. In many ways, this is a compromise I make to avoid looking more like a female then a person who has the body of a typical overweight male.

When we finally got moving, it was 2 pm, and we didn't have much sunlight left.  Our first stop was at the cleaners, and RQS got her dresses.  I had forgotten to give her the receipt for the suit I dropped off the previous day, so I'll have to pick it up next week.  After a brief stop back at the house to pick up my cell phone, it was off to the North for some residual leaf peeping.  Sadly, as expected, the colors were muted, as many of the leaves had already fallen.  But it was enough to make the drive worthwhile. My GI tract was telling me that it was mildly upset at me, so I knew not to go too far from modern plumbing.  So, I decided to make my turnaround when I reached Fishkill.  

- - - - - -

Years ago, I became familiar with the Fishkill area when I moved to Croton.  During the American Revolution, the Fishkill Supply Depot was one of the largest encampments during the war.  However, like much of America's history, it has been mostly plowed under in the name of progress.  When I moved here, there was a small mall nearby that has also been plowed under, being replaced by a Home Depot, a campus of the local community college, and some derelict buildings. 

Since my stomach had stopped bothering me, I figured that we'd make it to Fishkill Farms to pick up an apple pie.  I remembered this place from the time I dated Patty, my ex-girlfriend of 25 years ago. The place was mobbed, as many people were going there for the corn maze and for some apple picking.  As for me, I knew I could get a good apple pie here, as well as some other farm fresh food to eat. 

I was glad that my stomach had settled down, as RQS had to use the facilities at Fishkill Farms.  Who ever wants to use a port-a-potty?  It was time to head home so that I could take my bio break.  But first, it would be a stop at Trader Joe's.  After navigating the roads from the farms, we got on the highway and headed home.  TJ's was busy, but we got out of there relatively quickly. And we were home for the night just before dark.

PS: The Apple Pie was just as good as I remembered, and worth the drive to get it.

Game night - This time, I just kibitzed.

 

This was a half and half day, where I started out as Mario and bought a lightweight blazer for my upcoming cruise, took it to the tailor to get altered, then took a business suit to the cleaners to be fresh in time for the cruise.  The other half of the day was spent in Marian mode, so that I could have dinner with MAR, then play games in Yonkers.

- - - - - -

I got out of the house late, and dropped off my suit at the cleaners.  The place looked almost empty, as if the owner wasn't getting enough business to stay open.  So I'll be sure to get my suit out of there as early as possible, maybe this Saturday, as I doubt the shop will remain open to the end of the year.  (RQS's dresses are in the shop, having been hemmed last weekend.)  Next, I drove down to DXL to buy a blazer, and $225 later, it was hanging in my car and on its way to a tailor I could trust.

There is a dry cleaning shop in the heart of Croton that does its cleaning on premises AND has a dedicated tailor on site.  This was the shop I wanted to take up the cuffs on my blazer.  $40 later, I was out the door, and able to pick up the blazer next week.  So, by 2:30 pm, I was ready to change into Marian mode and prepare for dinner with MAR.  One problem - she was hurting badly (cramps), and wanted to postpone dinner (again).  I suggested rescheduling dinner, and she jumped at it.

At this point, I had a couple of hours to kill before going to game night.  Just as I was about to put my makeup on, my brother called.  This caused me to get out of the house late, and arrive too late to participate in the one game being played tonight.  Just as well.  I was more in the mood to hang out, and kibitz a little.  (Note: "Kibitz" is meant as idle conversation, and not as providing unwanted advice.)  Even though I didn't play any games, it was a nice evening. 

I didn't bother getting out of my jammies today.

 

I only wish I could have looked like the woman in the picture above.  She is in the prime of young adulthood, she is pretty, and she looks good in whatever lingerie she models.  Instead, at best, I look like a frumpy old woman with a non-conforming body.  At least, I now feel comfortable in wearing the clothing I want to wear, and I am accepted as a woman by many people I meet.

- - - - - -

With the above being said, I stayed in the slip I slept in and then hung around the house all day.  Yes, I did reload my bookcase with the books I took out in preparation for a visit from the cable company's service technician.  Although I have read 90% of the books in the bookcase, there are still some I have to get around to reading when I have (or make) the time to do so.

Once I was done with reloading the bookcase, I went into the other room to work on the co-op's web page.  First, I had to make sure that the current edition of the newsletter was properly inserted into its page, and then I had to make a blog entry which contained some of the items from the page.  Soon, I will discuss an idea I have for the blog: putting less "sensitive" from our meeting minutes into entries we can publish on a monthly basis.  It'll be nice to be able to publish things on a monthly basis, instead of the sporadic basis we now publish entries on the blog. 

Tomorrow may have me venture out in Mario mode for a while, only to bring a suit to the cleaners for pressing and to shop for a lightweight blue blazer, both of which I will wear on an upcoming cruise.  RQS asks me whether I have my dress shirts yet, and I keep telling her that I have two of them somewhere in the house.  (I ordered them from J.C.Penney's a while back, and now have to find where my pooka has put them.)  Given that I have a dinner date, and then game night, I will be out of the house, no matter what.

 

Now that I'm home, I'm catching up on things

 

It took me roughly 2 hours to get home today, and I'm starting to take care of things needed to get me through the week. 

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Returning home after a weekend with RQS can be a pain, as I know of all the tasks to take care of when I get home.  For example, unlike my brother, I prefer NOT to use my bank's phone app to take care of bill payments and other things.  My financials are way too important to me to trust to a device that can get easily stolen (as happened with my wallet in Chicago a couple of years ago).  So, moving money from my personal account to the account dedicated to the family homestead had to be done from home.  But there were other tasks to take care of, such as 2 loads of laundry.  That got done this evening.  And I was expecting a delivery from Ulla Popken which UPS reports is stuck in Philadelphia.  (Dollars to donuts, the shipment is being delayed because US Customs isn't clearing the shipment due to the government shutdown.)

Normally, I'd have taken the time to switch into Marian mode and relax.  However, I have to present as Mario in the morning when I visit my doctor, as well as meeting the management company's site representative for a run through of the vacant apartment we are auctioning off next week.  Only after this is taken care of will I be able to switch into Marian mode and get my nails done (if I have the time) before going to a meetup in Valhalla.

I still have a big mess to straighten up over here, as well as laundry to fold and put away.  Those tasks can wait.  I'm tired and want to rest for a while.  

"Not Ready for Prime Time" is ready for prime time

 

Tonight, I went to a limited engagement show called "Not Ready for Prime Time".  This play was much better than I expected, and well worth watching if you're in NYC for its limited run.  

But first....

This would be my last chance to go out as Marian until next Tuesday night.  So, I decided to wear a sweatshirt dress over leggings and an old faux leather jacket to keep me warm, and trek into NYC to see this off-Broadway play. The cheap seats usually cost $38.  But on day of performance, "Rush" seats are available for $18.  At this price, it was worth taking a last minute gamble on seeing the play.  So, off to the city I went, and I arrived at Grand Central Terminal (GCT) at 6:45 pm.

I didn't have much time to waste, as GCT is at 42nd street and 4th (Park) Avenue, while the theater is located on 52nd street between 10th and 11th avenues.  For those not familiar with New York City,  the tone has to travel 1/2 mile North and 3/4 mile west from Grand Central to the theater.  This wouldn't be so bad, save that the closest subway station to the theater is 1/2 mile away.  One way or another, I'd be doing a lot of walking to make it to the theater on time to see the play. Having arrived 10 minutes early, I was seated in the front row, almost at dead center.  This gave me a perfect view, with one exception - part of the stage extended 3 rows into the seating area.  When performers entered this area, I couldn't turn enough to see them speak.  But this was a minor flaw for these seats. 

When I sat down before the play started, the band was playing instrumental songs from the mid-1970's.  It was nice to hear Billy Preston's "Nothing from Nothing" performed before show started, as it was a fitting intro to the story of the  Not Ready for Prime Time Players.  (Preston was a musical guest on Saturday Night Live's (SNL) first show.) And then the show began....

"Not Ready for Prime Time" focuses on the history of the show from the hiring of the original cast to the mass departure of this cast after the show's 5th season.  It documents the rise of Chevy Chase as the star of the show, his departure, the career growth of the remaining crew after Chase's departure, along with the tensions between the Not Ready for Prime Time players during their 5 years on the show.  What was a nice touch was that the show touched on the death of John Belushi, followed by the death of Gilda Radner. And this paragraph can not do this show justice.  But is does show how the first 5 chaotic years of SNL set the stage for the next 45+ years that the show would be on the air.

A little over 2 hours after I arrived, the show ended with the entire cast dancing to "Ackroyd" and "Belushi" reenacting the "Blues Brothers" routine and their performance of "Soul Man".  It was a fitting way to end the show - with some joyous music, and the memories of how great things were (at times) during the formative years of Saturday Night Live.  

But now I had a problem - I had to make it back to Grand Central, as well as finding a rest room to relieve myself.  I couldn't find the 50th street subway station I used on the way to the theater.  (Not all NYC subway station entrances are easy to find.)  So, I had to walk the 1/2 mile to the Times Square subway station to get to Grand Central.  And thankfully, I made it to Grand Central in time to prevent an unfortunate accident. (If I was in male mode, I'd never have made it to that rest room on time.)  Yet, I had another issue - I had only 5 minutes to make my train.  Missing it would cost me over an hour in my return home.  Luckily, once you make it to the platform, they always give people a fair chance to get onto the train before the doors close, and the train leaves the station.

Once back in my car, I drove home, and was entering my door at 11:45 pm.   It was a long day, but worth all of the headaches to enjoy the show.

My internet is still out. AARGH!!!

It's absurd that my internet/cable hasn't been restored, and it won't be until tomorrow.  So, I'll have to give my readers abbreviated descriptions of what's been going on here, and hope I'll be fully back online tomorrow.

- - - - - -

My cable/internet went down yesterday (Monday, as I write this) and hasn't come back yet.  I have a service call scheduled for tomorrow, but I don't know if that will fix the problem.  This makes it impossible for me to have a zoom meeting with my friends tonight - we may be able to reschedule for tomorrow night.

While I've been disconnected from the internet (I'm using a tethered connection to be online with my PC), we had a banking emergency with my co-op which would have forced me to change plans and present as Mario for the day.  (I won't go into details, but it involved a money movement.)  Since I was already going to the doctor today, this wasn't an additional headache.  What was the headache, however, was the fact that I got almost no sleep last night, and my heart was racing when I went to the doctor's office.  And this resulted in a new prescription added to the list of pills I take on a daily basis.

So, in 2 weeks, the doctor wants to see me again to make sure that my heart isn't racing, and see where my blood levels are at.  AARGH!

Keep your fingers crossed for me - I need to relax soon.... 

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.

Starting off another weekend (a short post)

 

I didn't have much to write about today.  It's hard to believe that we only got back from our New England / Eastern Canada cruise a little over a week ago.  And yet, it feels like forever in some ways.  RQS is finally replacing her bathroom sink faucet, something her landlord should be doing.  Now, she soon will be able to use her sink without having to play around, trying to get cold water out of a faucet that doesn't work right.

- - - - - -

Lately, I often wake up early in the morning, and feel very tired by early afternoon. Today, it wasn't as bad as usual.  Yet, I didn't start my drive down to RQS's place until 3 pm, and I hit traffic jams going to RQS's place which caused me to arrive 2½ hours later.  Luckily, I found a decent parking spot within 2 blocks of her house.

Originally, when we were getting to know each other, RQS wasn't sure about me meeting her at her place as Marian.  Now, it's a matter of comfort for me.  It's nice to know that I'm able to wear the clothes I want, when I want to wear them.  RQS is a keeper.   

So, why did I drive down today?  Well, I still had a large suitcase waiting to go home, and I needed my car to take care of that mission.  Additionally, I was traveling as Marian, and I wanted to be in air conditioned comfort on my way to Queens. Even though I tried a new route that caused me to lose a little time driving down, I was glad to have made the choices I did for this trip.

When I arrived, it was not yet time for dinner.  Yet, we decided to order a pizza and stuff ourselves.  It was an early end of the day for both of us, as we passed out before 10 pm. 

A prestidigitator who, putting metal into your mouth, pulls coins out of your pocket.

 

Ambrose Bierce defined the word "Dentist" as follows:

"Dentist: A prestidigitator who, putting metal into your mouth, pulls coins out of your pocket."

Now days, the dentist pulls more than coins out of one's wallet.  Yet, I see mine, on average, at least 3 times each year. And I often wince when I pay the bill, even though I know it pays to keep my teeth in better shape than the rest of me.

- - - - - -

Around noon, I started getting ready to go out.  Shaving, showering, and doing my makeup was the first order of the day, and I was done by 12:30.  And then it was time to get dressed, and kill a few minutes before going down the hill to the dentist's office. 

I usually go to the dentist presenting as Marian, and today was no exception.  The dental hygienist was running late, and it took longer than expected for me to get my teeth cleaned.  As the kid used to say in toothpaste commercials: "Look Ma, no cavities!"  And then it was time for lunch at the local pizzeria.

Once I was finished with lunch, I drove to Costco to do a little shopping.  One rule I have is: If I don't know whether I will be stopping somewhere on the way home, I don't buy anything perishable at Costco. And I followed this rule, buying an electronic scrubber and some other small items.  

As you can guess, the visit to the dentist was the most notable part of the day.  Hopefully, you do just as well as I did on your next dental visit....

A ghost package at USPS & billing screwups via my doctor

 

I occasionally have use of the skills I developed when I was a technology guru.  One of them is root cause analysis.  Today, I was able to diagnose the root cause of a problem and have it confirmed by my doctor's office.  But before that, I had to deal with a "Ghost Package" supposedly waiting for me at the local post office.

- - - - - -

When I awoke this morning, I knew that I'd have to visit the post office as Mario and show legal identification to claim a package that USPS said was waiting for me.  So, I got dressed and went to the post office at 10 am, presenting the paperwork to the lady behind the counter.  She couldn't find the package in the back, and asked me: "Did you receive it already?" I responded in the negative, and I heard her chatting with a supervisor, and then crickets for 15 minutes.  When she returned, she said it was a glitch in their computer system.  And I left with nothing to show for it.

But this got me to thinking.  Given that I often have unusual static interference when I use my cell phone to call people I know, could the regime in Washington have me on its watch list?  Could this USPS ticket have been a tool to get me out of my apartment so that they can bug my apartment?  I openly oppose the Orange Snowflake, and being TG, have honest concerns as to how far this government may go to silence opposition.  Even if I sound overly paranoid right now, I'm letting my mind explore the extremes to see if anything fits - even if I don't believe these things at the moment.

When I got home, I found an explanation of benefits from a former insurance provider.  They rightfully did not cover the lab tests my doctor requested.  In early afternoon, I receive 4 different texts from Quest Diagnostics telling me that I could pay the bill electronically, or wait for the paper bill to come. Well, I prefer receiving paper to verify that all is on the up and up.  But I knew I had to call my doctor's office while the issue was fresh in my mind (and when he was in the office).  So, around 1:30 pm, I called the doctor's receptionist and told her of the problem, and she told me that she'd update the account with Quest.  AARGH!!!!  This is what I requested be done over a month ago at my last appointment.  Hopefully, I'll be done dealing with Quest on this issue.  

I had figured that the problem with Quest was a paperwork issue coming from my doctor's office, and I was right.  But how does one communicate something simple, when one doesn't know the precise details of what goes on within a black box?  In my case, I knew that Quest defaults to insurance information provided by the doctor when each test is given.  So, the point of failure was at my doctor's office.  And once I could pinpoint the area of responsibility, the solution should be simple.  We'll see about this when I visit my doctor next month. 

Thoughts about my recent cruise....

 

If the Democrats had won the election last year, I would have been in Marian Mode with RQS on this cruise.  (We had booked it with this intention.)  Sadly, I had to travel as Mario, given the fascist assault on our individual liberties by the current administration in DC. This pisses me off to no end, as he is trying to take away any dignity we have in public. With that being said, we had a great cruise, save for not visiting one port due to weather conditions. 

The cabin we stayed in was relatively quiet.  Although we were under the Lido deck, just under the hallway leading to the buffet, we weren't disturbed by noise coming from the above floor.  We had one unfortunate issue with this cabin - it was way too close to the buffet, and we found ourselves walking out our door, up the steps, and into the buffet in less than 2 minutes. It was way too convenient for us to go up for an unplanned cup of coffee or a quick nibble. 😁

My current cruise goal is to visit a couple more ports in North America's northeastern areas, specifically St. John's, NL and Eastport, ME.  Many cruisers have heard of St. John's and its beauty.  But how many of us know that Eastport has one special attraction that requires people to leave the United States to visit?  If you haven't guessed, it's Campobello Island, the summer home of FDR.  We considered taking one cruise line out of Boston, just to see this place.  But we chose this 10-day cruise instead.

The next time we visit Boston on a cruise, we will likely already have "Charlie Cards" preloaded with money enough to get us around town and visit a few sites outside of excursions sold by the cruise line.  As it was, we enjoyed having a ship to ourselves, as the weather was perfect for us to sit outside and enjoy the view from the ship (or, what little of it there was in this port).

Hopefully, we will finally get to visit Charlottetown, PE on a future cruise.  High winds prevented us from making port here - the second time we had a cruise scheduled to make port here.  However, we did get to see the Giant Fiddle in Sydney, but were unable to take our shore excursion at this port.  Instead, we walked around the cruise terminal and picked up some items from local vendors.

Next year, Brooklyn will likely be mostly closed for cruising during the summer.  Supposedly, NYCEDC will be fixing up the Brooklyn Marine Terminal area (of which the cruise terminal is a part) in 2026, and cruising should restart after the summer is over.  Do I believe that?  I'm not sure.  But I know that Brooklyn is the only NYC area cruise terminal large enough to handle the Queen Mary 2 (a ship I'll be on soon).  So, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for now.  One thing I know: MSC will no longer be making Brooklyn a year-round home port after Spring, 2026.

And one last thing: RQS enjoys the coziness of a smaller ship, now that she's been on one.  I'm glad of that, as I'm tried of these elephantine ships carrying 3500+ passengers and all of the large ship hassles.  Give me a ship I can get on and off quickly, without fuss, and I'll be happy.  

A split weekend with RQS

 

(The Marxes made more sense than our current government.)

I spent the Labor Day weekend with RQS.  Half of the time at my apartment, and the other half at hers.  She needed to replace her printer, and I needed to spend as much time in Marian mode as I could.  Given that I would be the one driving her from the computer store to buy her new printer, and back home to install it, this made perfect sense.

As expected, RQS arrived on Friday afternoon, and we decided to go out to eat.  This time, we drove to an AYCE (all you can eat) sushi place in Yonkers, where we chowed down on some delightful grub.  And then, I suggested that we stop by Micro Center and pick up a new printer.  I knew that if RQS bought the same printer as I had in my place, that she'd likely be happy. So I steered her to buying the exact same printer as I owned, and she got it on sale - $20 less than I paid for mine. After buying the printer, we drove home to relax - and we did do through Saturday.  Neither of us wanted to go out.  This meant that a possible dinner with Vicki was out.  So, I cooked some chicken I had in the fridge, and stayed in until Sunday morning.

Oft times, I joke with RQS about going to church while she stays asleep on the bed.  Well, as much as I thought about going back to sleep when the alarm rang, I decided to wake up and make this weekend's service.  By the time things were over, I called RQS, and was bring home Mickey D's for us to eat around 12:30.  Within 90 minutes, we were off to her place, hitting almost no traffic on the way there.  If we had waited until the next day, we'd be stuck in traffic.

Labor day came, and I had to leave.  It was nice to spend another weekend as Marian, knowing that when we take our next cruise, I'll be stuck for two weeks as Mario. 

Where did that denim jacket go?

 

The other day, I noticed that my denim jacket is missing.  For some reason, I think I left it at RQS's place, but she said it isn't there. With all the mess in my place that I haven't cleaned up yet, she may be right.  But the same jacket could have been left somewhere before our cruise, and it's lost to the ages.  So, that gave me a task for the day - buy a new jacket at Lane Bryant.

- - - - - -

For the past few days (with one short exception) I have been able to go out as Marian and enjoy this time presenting as a female.  (I wish I could do it all the time, but in this political climate, it doesn't make sense to tease the bear without cause.)  Originally, I had plans to have lunch with a former coworker, but we postponed that until next week.  So I had a day to rest and relax again.

Around  3 pm, I started getting ready to go out, showering, shaving, and taking care of all of my "morning" preparation to go out as Marian.  It was nice to be able to get into a summery dress again, as I know that I won't have this option for long.  (When I get back from my next cruise, I'll likely need to be wearing clothes suitable for autumn weather.)  Knowing that it might get cool later, I put a shrug on over my dress, and out the door I went.

Instead of taking the most direct (and slowest) ways to Paramus, I decided to take the Bear Mountain Bridge, and take more of an inland route to the Paramus areaboth on highways and local roads.  About 1¼ hours later, I was at the store buying the jacket in the photo above.  It will be nice to wear on a brisk autumn day.  Then, I headed back home on a more direct route, only slowing down when exiting traffic blocked the lane I was in for most of the rise home.

And then it was time to make dinner and to do the laundry.... 

A long day where I don't feel I accomplished much. (a short post)

 

Tonight, I'm too tired to say much.  Yet, I did have a long day in spite of things..

But first....

I had a doctor's visit scheduled for mid morning.  If I could have, I'd have skipped it.  But if I stop going, I know my health will get worse.  So I tolerate the bad news to keep myself functioning as best I can.

After this, I had a zoom meeting with my niece.  Neither of us had much to talk about other than current American events - and that gets tiring after a while.

Given that I had dinner with Vicki scheduled for the evening, I got things ready, so that I could go out as Marian.  And then, I tried to take a 2 hour nap, after which, I didn't feel rested.  So I put on my makeup and got dressed, then off I went to the Japanese restaurant to have dinner.

Dinner with Vicki wasn't bad.  Neither of us could finish what we ordered, so I let her take home the leftovers.  We chatted about personal relationships, my cruise, and her friend who may need her to visit.  Once done, it was off to the stores for more shopping.

Eventually, I made it home, stored what I bought, and finally got to relax.   Not really much to say, other than a list of things I did without much context.  One thing of note: RQS's complaint letter to JetBlue got the attention of a mucky muck in corporate, and I got the message on my voicemail.  So I forwarded it to her, so that she can call them back in the morning.

It's off to Alaska!

 

By the time you read this, I should be home from my cruise.  We flew out to San Francisco from New York, then spent 3 days there until the cruise started.  I expected a different experience than when I took my first cruise to Alaska on this line almost 30 years ago.  Then, I was still filled with grief, having lost my wife the year before.  Now, I'm with a partner with whom I expect to spend the rest of my days.

Over the next few days, I plan to journal my daily activities.  Unfortunately, I could not take this trip as Marian for several reasons, the most important of which is that my feminine wardrobe is not geared for Alaska's climate. And now, with the Orange Snowflake in power, I would not feel safe going through any TSA/CBP checkpoints as Marian.  We now have a repressive political regime in power these days, and I don't want to be caught in its crosshairs while it's in power.

- - - - - -

Assuming one is interested in an Alaska cruise, one has several decisions to make when choosing a cruise itinerary, a cruise line, and a cruise ship.  Since I am very comfortable with Princess Cruises, it was topmost of the 3 lines allowed to sail into Glacier Bay:

• Princess
• Holland America
• Norwegian

Other cruise lines are allowed to cruise these areas for glacier viewing:

• Endicott Arm
• Hubbard Glacier
• Tracy Arm 

I had several port requirements:

• The cruise must make port in Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway.  
• The cruise must spend a full day in each Alaska port. 
• The cruise must make port as close to the Alaskan town as possible.
  (This ruled out Norwegian, which makes port at Ward Cove, 6 miles outside of Ketchikan.)

These requirements limited me to choosing a Princess cruise sailing out of San Francisco. Unlike my last Princess Alaskan Cruise package from this port, they did not have me stay at an airport hotel.  Instead, they booked me into the Mark Hopkins in the heart of San Francisco.  It's one of San Francisco's more well known places to stay with prices to match.  But then, this is a "Bucket List" type vacation and I feel that Princess now wants to make sure that people feel they are getting something special when they book their Alaskan cruise.

- - - - -

San Francisco will always be a special place for me.  My late wife always wanted to live there, but couldn't do so.  After visiting the place once, I wished I could live there.  But life made other plans for me.  It's just as well, as San Francisco lost much of its vibrancy with the Covid pandemic.  Businesses left town, and storefronts were shuttered.  It has yet to recover, and I doubt it will in my lifetime.

On my last visit to San Francisco with RQS, we visited the Japanese Tea Garden, the Musee Mechanique, and had a meal at the Swan Oyster Depot.  With 3 days in town, our choices have expanded, and I will document them in later posts.  Needless to say, we knew where to feast..... 

 

Closing out a weekend with RQS (a short post)

 

Sunday came, and with it came a trip to RQS's storage locker.  Like many, she inherited lots of home furnishings from her parents and other relatives and couldn't store them in her home.  Since she couldn't deal with parting with this stuff, it was stowed away into the storage locker above.  RQS has purged about 50% of the locker's contents over the years, and there is still a lot of work left to be done.

I got dressed in one of the dresses I had at RQS's place,  This dress was a little cooler than I wore into Manhattan, but not one in which I'd want to do any heavy lifting at the storage locker.  After a several block walk, we reached her storage locker and proceeded to do some work there.  Since there was no AC in the building, I wasn't going to work up a sweat and ruin a dress I had only worn twice.  This was just as well, as it gave RQS an excuse to stop working and for us to go out for a burger.

 
We stopped at RQS's place to rest a while, and I noted that I had to make sure I had a parking spot that would stay legal on Monday morning.  Once we visited my car, we saw a couple eating ice cream cones.  Both RQS and I wanted something cold, so we walked several blocks to find a Saturday/Sunday only shop, the Ice Cream Window.  According to the website, the window opened in the midst of Covid for 3 weeks, and has been open every summer since then.  While there, I asked one of the employees what goes on from Monday to Friday and he noted that the main business in the shop was a graphic design studio.

- - - - - -

The next morning came, and I packed up some of my gear and got ready to leave RQS for a few days.  But first, we had to deliver some of RQS's stuff to the Salvation Army.  This meant driving a couple of miles in slow traffic to get there.  So I dropped RQS off with her donations, and drove home for the day.  After a pit stop, I drove over to Uncle Giuseppe's and picked up some food to last me until I leave for my cruise.

Am I ready to cruise yet?  Probably, but I don't feel that way.