First, the dentist, then a few other things.

 

Today, I ended up at the dentist's office for my regularly scheduled tooth cleaning.  I was not really in the mood to go, as I'm always getting hit for a bill similar in price with an oil change/tire rotation service on my car.  Yet, it was something that needed to be done, and off I went.

Now, for those people who haven't read this blog before, I always present as Marian when I visit the dentist's office.  Although I could have gone as Mario, it wasn't in the cards for me today.  I didn't want to remove my nail polish and get stuck in Mario mode for the next few days.  So, I took out a sweater dress I own, got out my tights, and dressed as a cisgender woman would for work on a cold winter's day.

- - - - - - 

This time at the dentist, I wouldn't be seeing the doctor, but only the dental hygienist.  I expected a $300 charge to my credit card, and that's what it was.  After that, it was off to Panera Bread for lunch.  The outlet near me was busy, and I envied the 4 ladies who were playing Mah Jongg, as it would be nice to get back into learning the game by playing it.

From there, I tried to visit a co-op board member in the rehab center, but I couldn't find a space in their parking lot.  So, I skipped out on that, and went to Trader Joe's to pick up some food before going home.

- - - - - -

Around 5:30, I started the Co-Op board's Zoom meeting, and we took care of some long outstanding business.  I disagreed with the board's president about an issue I can't go into here, but the Site Manager understands why I want a certain type of information we can get without any issues.

Finally, around 8 pm, I was able to start cooking dinner.  It was a long day.  But tomorrow will be another long day, as I'm meeting RQS in the city to see a play.  More on this tomorrow. .  

I took it easy today, until I didn't.

 

For most of the day, I worked on finishing up the reconstruction of my Queen Mary 2 entry in my cruise blog. This was not much of a challenge, as I gave up the idea of needing to be as complete as I was in my original version of the post.  All I had to do was restore images, rewrite text, and skip providing my opinions of each dish presented in 12 nights on the ship.

- - - - - -

I spent the afternoon in my jammies, and took my time doing things.  The library called to let me know that a book on hold for me had arrived.  As much as I didn't want to remove my nail polish, I knew I had to do so before going to the library, as I had to present as male. So, I stripped off my nail polish, got showered and dressed, and drove to the library.

Once I picked up my book, it was time to get some grub.  I made the mistake of going to the local Halal joint and ordered a meat combo.  Where I used to work in NYC, there was a Halal cart with a fantastic chicken and lamb combo.  Add a large helping of white sauce, and a dollop of hot sauce and one would get a cheap, hearty, tasty and filling meal.  Sadly, I have never found a Halal joint or cart selling food that good again.

When I returned home, I started to eat my dinner.  Once I started, I knew I wasn't going to finish it.  So, after eating the meat part of the dish, I tossed the rice, "salad", and fries - I didn't need to stuff myself with starches.

- - - - - -

Now that I've dealt with the need to present as Mario for the week, I can now get my nails done again, and keep them polished for a couple of weeks.  (Valentine's day is coming, and I want to look my best when I take RQS out that evening.)   

The most important thing I did today was polishing my nails.

 

I rarely get the chance to leave polish on my nails, due to the unpredictability of when I have to present as Mario. Today, I had the chance to paint my nails, knowing that the polish would stay on for about a week.

- - - - - -

Last night, I ended up staying up late, not realizing what time it was, and realized that I wouldn't be able to do much until I fully woke up.  And I didn't have much energy to do much when I finally woke up around 10 am.  So, I wasted time during the day, and decided to do my nails in late afternoon.  

Once my nails were done, I figured that I should do some research on a minor issue - How do I remove the cover on my bathroom ceiling light fixture, so that I could replace a light bulb?  This doesn't seem that complicated, but without being the one who mounted the fixture and installed the bulb, I wanted to find out in advance of need.  So, off to YouTube I went, and I found a solution which should work for my fixture.  (Or, at least, I hope so.)

- - - - - -

This coming weekend, we're expecting at least 8 inches of snow.  Although I'm tired of shoveling the white stuff, I'm glad that I live in an area that experiences the 4 seasons.  Ideally, I'd live in a place with a covered garage where my car could stay parked in bad weather.  But until I have to move away from here, I'm stuck because of my lower cost of living - my monthly maintenance fee is less than half of what I'd have to pay in rent for a similar apartment.

 

 

PS: The YouTube idea worked!   I cleaned the cover, and put it back.

 

 

 

If it weren't for game night, I wouldn't have even bothered getting dressed today.

 

The rainy weather has made me a bit lethargic, and I had a hard time getting moving today.  There were two things on my docket that required me to get dressed, one being laundry, and the other being game night.  So, I figured that I could take care of a couple of things while doing laundry and caused a minor issue for myself.

RQS was originally scheduled to go home on Sunday.  Fathom Events scheduled a 2-night revival of Lawrence of Arabia for Sunday and Monday at selected theaters.  I bought tickets for Sunday evening. But that creates a conflict between the time RQS expected to be home and the time she'd be in the theater.  So I asked her if she could stay another night.

The other task that I took care of was removing the nail polish from my fingernails.  I figure that I'll need to present as a male when I meet with the sleep doctor on Monday, as well as an appointment I have later in the evening for a research study.  Given that I want to look my best when I meet RQS in the city for dinner on Tuesday evening, I'll likely schedule a Mani-Pedi for the morning.

Luckily, I had only one load of laundry to take care of.  The one problem is that I usually do my sheets along with the rest of my colored laundry.  This means that I'll have to inspect the fitted sheet to make sure that nothing got caught in it while in the dryer.  That I can do in the morning when I fold the laundry in advance of RQS's arrival.

Around 4:30 pm, I showered, and went downstairs to do laundry as Mario.  This was the more convenient way to be out of the apartment when my face had yet to be made up.  But when almost ready to go out for the evening, I had switched into Marian mode. Though I started doing the Laundry at 5:00 pm, I wasn't able to get out of the apartment until 7:10 pm. This meant that I'd be in Yonkers after the first game had started.  Even so, I drove down, and found that only an abbreviated portion of the group was in attendance.  I got into a couple of games, and left before the hostess returned with her dog.  (Just as well - he is ready to bite anyone who isn't family.)  On the way home, I chatted with RQS, and picked up some stuff for dinner to be eaten tomorrow or Saturday.

I was glad to finally be back at home by midnight, as I couldn't wait to strip and get comfortable again.

 

 

It's hard to plan things these days

 

I don't know how I stumbled onto the above picture of Alfred and Alice E. Newman.  But it illustrates how the true essence of an individual will show through, no matter the gender presentation of that individual.  In my case, my true friends see me as the same person in both male and female modes, although they are sometimes surprised when I show up in the alternate presentation.

- - - - - -

Planning my gender presentation can be a hassle.  For example, I have a book at the library that I want to pick up, and that requires that I show myself in Mario mode.  Yet, RQS and I plan to get a Mani-Pedi this weekend, so I will need to present myself as Marian for my visit to the nail spa.  This is a typical scheduling problem for me, as I have to figure out ways to do some things that require Mario to be present, while I will be out as Marian later in the day.  However, once I'm wearing nail polish, I'm stuck in Marian mode for the better part of a week (or more).

I have other scheduling issues to deal with.  Having a steady relationship with RQS, I do my best to make sure that my weekends are dedicated to being with her.  This has meant that my solo social life has been limited to weekdays.  But this also poses a challenge, as many of my friends are single (or in relationships such as mine) and are still working.  It's not easy to find times where both my friends and I are available to do things in the evening.

Yet, I manage.  I use a color coded calendar to tell me which presentation to use when out for the day.  On days where both Mario and Marian need to show their faces, I make sure that Mario gets the morning shift and Marian gets the evening shift.  Even this isn't perfect.  Sometimes, I need to be Marian in the morning, and Mario in the evening.  So, I try to make sure that I don't have to switch modes more than once in a day, and then only when I'm not wearing nail polish.

As I said - it's hard to plan things when one lives in two gender presentations.

I'm so tired...

 

This is another quick post....

- - - - - -

To keep my mind from exploding due to boredom, I've actively used an MP3 player to entertain me while I do an almost mindless task.  Today, one Beatles tune comes to mind: "I'm So Tired."  Although this song was written to "document" a different person's exhaustion, it seems to echo what I've been dealing with as of late.

Today, I started work with a bang.  Yet by the time coffee break came, I had no energy and was ready to fall asleep.  I was glad to have no outside events coming up.  But, I had a Zoom meeting with two of my friends from Texas.  And I wish I could have postponed the zoom for another week - something I'm glad I didn't have to do.

By the time my Zoom meeting ended, I was ready to put my head on a pillow and fall asleep - which I did for an hour.  At least, I woke up in time to say goodnight to RQS and remind her of a lobster truck that will be visiting her neighborhood tomorrow.

- - - - - - 

Tomorrow, I will have to remove the nail polish from this Sunday's Mani-Pedi.  I'll have another Zoom with my ex-boss, and then have to run to the pharmacy to pick up my prescriptions.  AARGH.  Next time, I'll be sure to be able to stay in Marian mode for a full week before I get another manicure....

Bahamas Cruise - Day 2 (Sea Day)

 

I woke up early. only to fall asleep again.  By the time I was fully awake, it was lunch time.  This is typical for me when I'm on a cruise - such as going out in my female presentation.

- - - - - -

This was the slow boat to Charleston, and yet, it was already warm enough outside for some people to take a dip in the hot tubs on the Lido Deck.  I figured that I was going to get at least one or two days use out of my swimsuit this trip - and planned accordingly for it.

When I got back to my room, I noticed that my TV wasn't displaying my account status.  (I like knowing what charges are being applied to my account in real time.)  So I went down to the main desk and asked for help.  Too bad this may have caused a minor headache for my room steward, as the person at the desk had English as a second language and could not pick up the nuance in how I was describing the problem.  Eventually, I caught up with the steward, and he found out that the problem was with the remote control and not with the upstream software.  (I'll be sure to give him a good review when I participate in the after-cruise survey.)

 

As became my routine, I decided to eat in the Grand Pacific (main) dining room.  It was strange to see this many staff members waiting to direct guests to available tables.  When I had the opportunity to talk with the woman in charge of the dining room, I found out that the room has been this way since the Gem started sailing earlier this year.  This ship has been operating below 50% capacity for weeks, and there is no sign that things will change anytime soon.

I finally had the chance to do my nails.  No, the polishing wasn't so great.  But it did get me through the week with minimal touch-ups.  If I had thought about it and had the time before the cruise,  I'd have gotten a mani-pedi.  Yet, it's nice to have nails on which I could leave painted for a while.

As would be expected, I forgot something at home - my jewelry.  So I used the few items I brought with me when I went to the photographers on later nights....

It's hard to keep in touch with people when you're tired all the time

 

It's hard for me to keep in touch with people when I'm tired all the time.  No, others do it with a schedule like mine.  I'm just a bad time manager these days.  I can't imagine how I did it when I worked in the city and had two or three less hours in my life each day to work with.  But I did.

Part of me is trying to juggle too many things at one time.  I want to see as many of my friends as possible, and schedules often don't work the way they need to work to make this a reality.  For example, one friend, MW and I were supposed to get together this weekend.  She forgot that it was going to be Easter, and that she'd be having her dad, her boyfriend and his daughter over that day.  Additionally, she had to help out her ex, who had to go to the hospital for emergency surgery.  Another example is KOL.  LK and I make time for her, but she has a nasty habit of letting things in her life get in the way.  (I won't go into KOL's family issues here, but they are likely to be complex at the present from what we know.) And then, there are all the other people circling around my life who never can seem to stop for a while.

Of course, not getting enough sleep doesn't help.  I used to take the ex girlfriend's issues with sleep a little bit lightly.  She'd go to sleep with her cellphone in hand, and then wake up a couple of hours later, unable to go to sleep for another 4 hours or so. She was always overtired, and now I've fallen into a similar pattern.  AARGH!

At least, I found the time to polish my nails last night....