Another weekend with RQS

 

We awoke on Saturday morning, and decided to relax for most of the day.  It was a nothing burger of a day, I don't have much to say about it.  So I'll skip it and move on to Sunday.  I had two things on the docket for the day: (1) Church for the first time in months, and (2) Dinner with Vicki at Benjamin Steakhouse.  And this had me get dressed up in the morning, stripping off my clothes for the better part of the day, and then getting dressed again for dinner.

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I awoke early and proceeded to rest a little before getting dressed.  Going back and forth into the bedroom, I tried not to make noise, so that RQS could continue to sleep.  Around 10 am, I went to Dunkin Donuts for some coffee and a donut, and I was off to church.  What can one say about going to church.  It is a communal feeling, where one feels more connected to people and one's better self.  It was nice to be there, but I left before after-mass coffee, so that I could get back to RQS.

Stopping at the supermarket at the bottom of the hill, I bought some cream cheese so that RQS would have something to smear on her bagel. When I got in the door, RQS was already in the living room watching YouTube videos.  But she got up to toast our bagels, and we both had something to eat before taking an afternoon break.

Around 5 pm, we both got ready for dinner.  I put on the same dress I was wearing for church, while RQS was in the shower, and then we both made ourselves up for dinner.  At 6 pm, we drove to Vicki's, and then proceeded to the steakhouse.  Arriving at the steakhouse, they tried seating us near a fireplace.  I asked the hostess to seat us somewhere else, as I didn't want the heat making me uncomfortable.  (RQS later agreed with me later on - it was way too warm in that corner of the room.)  So, we ended up being seated in a far corner of the room, but could barely hear each other speak over the noise of the room.  Shortly afterward, our orders were taken, and we proceeded to feast on our steaks.  YUM!  The $45 restaurant week dinner menu wasn't bad.  But Vicki ordered an $80 bottle of wine, not realizing that I've cut back on my drinking after my doctor asked me to stop to see if certain blood levels were affected by the medicines I've been taking or by my alcohol consumption. Although the meal was good, I could have easily skipped having a half glass of wine that added $55 or so to what I was paying for dinner for RQS and myself.  

Around 9 pm, we were on our way home with leftovers.  Vicki was coming to a home that just had power restored.  (Last week's storm killed her power lines for 2 days, and she was living in darkness since then.) We came home to a warm apartment, and were both glad to strip off our clothes and relax.

Another day down, and I did nothing of note (a quick post)

 

I enjoy the days where I have nothing that I absolutely have to do.  Today was one of those days.  Could I have done my laundry?  Could I have gotten dressed and gone out?  Could I have finished my paperwork for a second passport?  The answer is NO to all of these questions.

 

After having to run to Long Island and back, it was time to relax - today was that day.  I'll be out as Marian for the next two days, and then I'll be in Mario mode for the better park of a week.  Two days of this will be spent with RQS, two days will be spent at the family homestead, and another day will be spent at the co-op's open shareholder meeting.

 

Rest was the order of the day, and they only thing I did was to shower to feel fresh.  And then it was back in my jammies for the rest of the day.  At least, I'll have two days out as Marian before being stuck as Mario for a while....

Relaxing & Preparing to Vlog

Today was a day where I didn't do much of anything, save for laundry.  It's becoming more common these days for me to be a couch potato.  So, I don't mind excuses that get me out of the house and doing things.  If the Yonkers meetup group met every Thursday as it once did, I'd have gotten up and did more before the end of my day.

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RQS was right.  As soon as I got my new sofa, I'd find myself falling asleep there during the day.  But this leaves the bed available for night time use.  In the daytime, I'm more likely to be watching YouTube videos or reading books.  Last night, I finished Romney, A Reckoning, by McKay Collins.  I found out about this book a while back, and it paints a damning picture of what today's GOP has become.  I highly recommend this book to those people who have any doubts regarding Trump's (and the GOP's) unfitness to govern.  Although I have started another book, I'm not sure if I'm going to finish it on time.  Since it is in high demand, I must return it at the the end of its 14 day lending period.  This means that I may just have to request it again after a few weeks have passed.

On other matters, I am starting a YouTube essentials course on the basics of Vlogging.  There are several topics that I plan to talk about and I hope that others find my Vlogging of interest.  However, I am not likely to use my authentic transgender identity until I go 24x7 in the world.  Instead, I will likely Vlog as Mario, as I still can present as a decent looking male when I need to.

Recently, RQS sent me information from 2 Vloggers who discussed the trip I recently took, and a solo cabin that is just like the one I stayed in on my December cruise.  I'm glad that others have similar feelings to what I have about travel on this ship.  Given what I have written in my cruise blog, I have confirmation that I can report on a cruise line, a cruise ship, and a cruise itinerary with an objective eye.  Hopefully, I will be able to maintain my objectivity as I develop the skills to Vlog on topics I choose.  And when I do so, I may post some links here for my readers to view my Vlogs.

A too short weekend with RQS

 

I've gotten spoiled.  RQS has been up here on a weekly basis, and I've enjoyed the little things she does for me - and I've told her how much I appreciate what she does for me.  Unlike my former relationships, RQS knows how I feel about her, and she's not afraid to tell me how she feels about things.  We both feel that we're fortunate to have each other in our lives.  We feel a little depressed when we have to part at the end of each weekend.

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Relaxation would become the theme for the weekend....  On Friday,  I was late getting to the train station to pick up RQS, and apologized  - Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa!  It didn't bother too much, as we ended up going for a nice drive before dinner.  (We had to pick up groceries, etc. before I could cook....)  Once home, we had a quick dinner and then relaxed.  It was nice to be able to spend a day in Marian Mode, as for the next 3 days, I'd have to present as Mario. 

The next morning, we slept late, and then took a long drive up to Dover Plains and back, stopping in a local supermarket for some Tipsy Scoop ice cream.  Unfortunately, they had only one flavor in the freezer, Mint Chocolate Chip, but it was good enough for our purposes.  So we went home, and I prepared some ribs for dinner. (You can guess what we had for dessert - something green....)

Sunday came too quickly, and I decided to drive RQS home.  I gave her a set of TV tables (small tables often used for eating TV Dinners in front of the TV) to get them out of my house.  But first, we went to my brother's place, as he had something he wanted to take care of with me.  The 3 of us had dinner, and then it was back to his place for a few minutes.  We then went to RQS's place, where Iwas lucky to find a spot in front of her place in which I could "almost fit" my car, and then unloaded stuff before heading home.

Being alone is such a lonely thing these days.  Now that I have someone in my life who accepts me as Mario and Marian, it is a little depressing when we separate at weekend's end.    But on the whole, I consider myself lucky.  How many TG's have given up on romance because they feel no longer date-able?  It's nice to know that I will not likely be in the dating pool again....

I'm looking for a cheap cruise without a single supplement.

 

I took the above cruise a few years ago.  Would I take it again?  Probably not.  But, if I were to see a cheap cruise like it offered on Princess without a single supplement that sails out of New York, I'd jump at the chance to take it.

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There is a problem with cruising.  In many ways, its like taking a tour bus, except that it covers a larger area on water.  If I were to take a tour bus to see the sights in San Francisco, the knowledge that I'd gain from that bus ride would give me an idea of where to focus my exploration on a day to day basis.  Cruising is much the same, as it helps familiarize a person with the important things that can be seen in a coastal area.  In the Caribbean, I like to say that each island consists of 3 main things: a beach, a fort, and a shopping district.  The size and scope of these things differ from island to island, but for the most part, there is not much difference between the islands.

With the above being said, cruising can be a great way to detach from the world.  When I was still employed by the bank, I found that NOT being able to read my emails or make phone calls from the ship forced me to disconnect.  There is an art to disconnecting from the world.  But once it is mastered, one can relax without pressures of the outside world getting in the way.  (Leave your phone on, and you can receive both a large phone bill upon your return and bad news to be processed while still on the ship.) 

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So, why do I cruise?  I guess it's habit.  I've gotten used to the idea of staying in a hotel that moves from port to port, and not having to pack and unpack at each destination.