Cause and effect

 

The other day, I received a communication from someone who said that I betrayed her.  That word may be a little harsh, but I never meant to hurt this woman.  She then mentioned my ex-girlfriend as a comparison, and I responded - my ex betrayed me.  In short, I was saying that almost all people should get a second chance when no evil intent was intended.  Sadly, this person will likely hold her grudge forever. 

But this got me thinking a little....

One of the things this person has in common with my ex is a connection to me.  Could she have influenced the ex to do certain things?  Possibly.  In anger, people will do the strangest things and regret them later. But I was thinking in a very different direction.  What if the ex was trying to send me a signal, and it misfired in a way she couldn't expect?  When a person says they want to break up, one shouldn't expect a newly minted ex not to think about dating - even if it's the day after the breakup.

This triggered a thought about another woman I know who was separated from her husband for years. When he died, like me, she wanted to get back into the saddle as quickly as possible.  For both of us, this approach didn't lead us in the direction we expected to go.  In my case as of late, if I didn't go out in the world as Marian, I'd have had my choice of 2 different girlfriends.

As you can guess, I've been doing a lot of thinking while working.  My MP3 player can distract me only so much.  I get a lot of ideas for this blog while screen scraping or key entering data at the office.  Yet, only some of them have any value to me these days.  I don't want to include events from others' lives as I did in the past.  Yet, I must say that the chaos I saw first hand made for interesting reading for some people - especially one person who both spoke and wrote loudly.  

Lately, I don't go into as many meetups as I used to in the past.  I'm a little bit more picky now.  One group is hit and miss due to the small group size.  The other is hit and miss due to the distance to get there and to get home.  Do I miss them?  Sometimes.  But, I no longer need that many meetups to be with people. Strangely, that's a gift that my ex, this former acquaintance, and the pandemic have given to me. 

A quick and short post - I'm So Tired!

 

I would like to have fallen asleep early last night.  However, it was the first session of online Jackbox Party Game night with DS.  

- - - - - -

Normally, I look forward to excuses to be with people, in-person or on-line. This time, I was too tired to do so - yet, did it anyway.  It showed.  By the time RQS called afterwards, I needed sleep badly.  By the time I was ready to sleep, all the energy I had was to clean off the makeup I was wearing all day, put on my jammies, and turn off the lights.  Being tired took care of all the rest.

Hopefully, I can make it through the day at work....

An unexpected communication

 

Today, I had an unexpected communication from someone in my past.  I won't go into what was said, save that this person still hurts from the loss of a friend and is not in the mood to see if something can be recovered from the past.  It saddens me to have received this communication, as this person will always hold in the anger that eats its way out from the inside.

But enough of that....

What I originally planned to talk about was an acquaintance and a headhunter spam email that they received:

From Headhunter:

I wanted to bring this Lead Software Engineer opportunity with DTCC back to the top of your inbox. At DTCC, they recognize that their continued success is directly attributed to their talented team. Still not sure?

 

DTCC employees work at the center of the world’s financial markets, bringing both innovation and stability to the entire post-trade lifecycle. Their work environment favors openness and gives people the freedom to do their jobs well, by encouraging diverse opinions and emphasizing teamwork. When you join their team, you’ll have an opportunity to make meaningful contributions at a company that is recognized as a thought leader in both the financial services and technology industries.

 

A few awesome benefits you'll receive while working at DTCC:

• Competitive compensation, including base pay and annual incentive
• Comprehensive health and life insurance and well-being benefits, based on location
• Retirement benefits
• Paid Time Off and other leave of absence
• Flexible/Hybrid Work Arrangements
  

Let’s chat so I can tell you more about this ex-dynamic and diverse group of professionals!

My acquaintance, someone with brain cancer, posted this to their friends:

I'm currently dying of brain cancer.  How are  your work from grave policies?  Or work from afterlife?  Or, do your health benefits cover reincarnation? Leave of absence to be dead?

I'm glad that my acquaintance has a sense of gallows humor.  Maybe, this is why they have lasted longer than expected....

This is the one time my doctor might recommend for me to have a donut.

DAMN!!!!

I woke up thinking I'd still have air in my tire, and found that I need to find my "Donut" and hope for the best.  There went plans to go to work today - after I got all made up and dressed as Marian.  Now it was time to switch back to Mario mode....

- - - - - -

After waiting a while (I needed to breathe a little), I called AAA around 10.  They said the truck would arrive before 11:55.  It arrived around 11 am, just as I was starting to drink my 2nd cup of coffee.  Leaving that cup sitting by my computer, I rushed downstairs to meet the tow truck operator.  His compressor wouldn't work off of my car's socket, so we tried his truck's socket - with success.  But we didn't fill up the bad tire.  We filled up the donut (being safe) and mounted it on the car.  The old tire and rim had 2 potential problems- there was a small nail in the tire, and there was a deformation on the inner rim of the wheel hub. The old tire and wheel hub was put in the trunk, and the car was ready to be driven.

After tipping the man, it was off to Mavis. The fellow at the desk was polite, and he was able to take the tire out of my trunk and tell me that it should be ready in 2 hours.  Either the nail or the deformed hub was likely causing the leak, and he said that if I needed a new tire (highly unlikely) I would get a call.  It was off to the bookstore to kill some time, when I got my call - the tire only needed to be patched (I hope he's right in the long term), and that the repair would only cost me $25.00.  (I was prepared to pay much more!)  But this also confirmed my suspicions - the shop wanted to close early last Thursday, and they didn't want to keep it open for just me.  (If a repair took only an hour and it proved to be minor, why couldn't they have done this before they closed on Thursday night? Closing up shop early was the only answer that came to my mind.)

Something I realized today - I felt more awake not having to go to work, than if I had gone in as planned.  I mentioned this to the woman sitting next to me when I described my job, and her reaction indicated that I should leave the job for my health.  She may be right.  

Odds and Ends for the month so far

 

Jack Benny.  There is an old joke about him getting mugged.  The mugger says: "Your money or your life," waits a long time for a response from Jack.  The mugger says "Well?" and Jack says: "I'm thinking!  I'm thinking!"  Well, I've been thinking about a lot of things lately, and want to get some off my chest.

- - - - - -

I find it amazing that shortly after I sensed that I had processed much of the grief over losing a relationship with XGFJ, that I started to sense grief welling up from the loss of FCP as a friend.  Yet, this grief was easier to manage, as I didn't have to process other grief at the same time.  There is only so much deep loss a person is equipped to deal with, and I had too much hit me in too short a time.

Things are going well with RQS.  She's far from the type of person I'd seek out.  She's not tall, she doesn't have blond hair, and she lives in an area where car ownership can be a big liability.  So seeing her becomes a scheduling issue - for my car.  Things weren't as bad for me when I dated Ex-GF-M, as her area was less densely populated.

Due to scheduling issues, I've again had to cancel going to some meetups.  Work, Co-Op board issues, and dating have gotten in the way of going to meetups - and I don't mind this too much.

I'm still ambivalent about quitting my job.  I like having new money come into my bank account, as I don't want to drain my savings accounts if I don't have to do so.  Yet, because of issues with my car, I have decided that I must soon start looking for a new car.  I hate doing this now.  But with a car that has 180k miles on the odometer, it's time to do so.  (My issues with the slow leak are the tip of the iceberg in this area.)

Assuming that I quit my job soon, I'm looking at taking a short Bermuda cruise.  Until I make a decision on employment, I won't schedule this cruise.

- - - - - -

As Jack would say: "I'm Thinking...."

Marry Me!

 

Last night, I saw a nice piece of fluff on the big screen.  "Marry Me" is a typical Rom-Com with an interesting twist on the Cinderella story - the woman is already a princess, and the man is reluctantly dragged into being a prince.  If you watch it for the story, you'll enjoy the movie.  But, if you watch it for the music, you'll be sorely disappointed.  For me, going into Manhattan to see this film was an exercise in sticker shock - 2 senior tickets cost us a little more than $40.00!  I've gotten spoiled by suburban prices, and I would look to see movies in suburbia the next time I'm out to see a new flick.

- - - - - -

RQS and I have discussed the "elephant in the room" several times: How she will reacct when she sees me as Marian for the first time?  And I think that she's getting a little more comfortable with the idea. But I'm not going to rush her into this.

Getting to RQS's place is not the easiest thing to do.  Often there is a traffic jam on the Jackie Robinson (formerly: Interboro) Parkway.  So I have to bail out and travel on local streets.  Yesterday, there was a snow squall that threatened to reduce visibility to zero on the most troublesome part of my trip - getting into her neighborhood and finding a parking spot.  Luckily, after 1 trip around the block, I found a spot in front of her front door.

Shortly after I arrived, we went into the city to watch the aforementioned movie. Afterwards, we went to several stores looking for the MTA's new OMNY card - without success.  Neither of us are happy with the MTA's old Metrocard payment system, and we would have bought the cards if they were available at the stores indicated by the MTA website.

When I eventually left RQS's place, I found that I needed to fill my tire with air again.  (I can't wait until I can get the car to Mavis and get a resolution to my issue.)  Although I drove 20 miles or so on an underinflated tire, I felt more comfortable looking for an air pump in suburbia than inside NYC limits. In Westchester, it's hard to find an area without several competing gas stations within a 5 minute drive.  In Central Queens, it can take longer, depending on the route one takes.  And I didn't want to risk time hunting for a station in an area I don't know that well anymore.

It's too bad that when I was on Long Island proper, that I wasn't able to take time to say hello to my brother.  Hopefully, I'll be able to do so the next time I'm out there....

I am getting tired of all of this.

 

Who'd have thought 2 years ago that we'd still be feeling the effects of the pandemic on society?  Over the past few months, most of us have been living "normal" lives.  Yet, there have been sporadic shortages which have affected our lives in ways we'd have never expected - such as the lack of computer chips creating a shortage of cars on dealer lots.  Although most people I work with don't fear catching the virus (we're all vaccinated, and the Omicron wave hasn't been as painful as expected), we still cringe if we see people who aren't wearing masks.

In 2020, I felt energized to go to work as Marian.  This year, it's normal - but the work exhausts me.  I still enjoy wearing a dress, and I'm much more comfortable wearing women's trouser like garments than I was in the past.  Yet, I'm likely going to call it an end of a career soon, as I'm simply tired of feeling tired most of the time.  I'll likely be in trousers more often, as I have reasons to spend more time as Mario these days.

Does this mean I'll be giving up my dresses?  Absolutely not!  It means that I again have a life that calls for the presence of Mario.  I have not changed.  My circumstances have changed.  And this will mean that my scheduling of Marian and Mario time will get more complicated, as I will be doing more switching back and forth between the genders, as I did years ago.

So what am I tired of?  It's not of being Marian.  I'm much more comfortable as Marian than I am as Mario.  But that doesn't mean I'm uncomfortable as Mario.  I'm simply tired of all the other energy sucking factors in my life that make it hard to enjoy the place in life I've worked hard to achieve.

I never thought I'd be feeling this way many years ago.  Is this what being old is all about?

Pussycat, Pussycat, where have you been?

 

Pussy cat, pussy cat, where have you been?

I've been to London to visit the Queen.

Pussy cat, pussy cat, what did you there?

I frightened a little mouse under her chair.

 

- - - - - -

 

I may not have mentioned this before, at my place of work we will hire almost anyone capable of doing a very boring job.  Many of the positions would be perfect for functioning people on the autistic spectrum.  Today, one of these people made me think of the above nursery rhyme.

Years ago, my IQ was measured, and I scored high on two different tests.  Each put me into the top percentile.  (This explains many of the social problems I've had, as people like me tend to have a common set of issues that often go unaddressed well into adulthood.  But I digress.)  Yet, because of problems I had during my youth, I had to go to school for several years on the "Short Bus", meeting several youngsters on the spectrum along the way.

There is a person at my workplace who does not understand why people in London are eating dinner at the same time people in New York are having lunch. Compare that with me, a person who can explain why the clocks on GPS satellites run slightly faster than those on earth, and you'll find that I have a very hard time code switching to talk with this person.  So I'm polite, and leave the conversations with him to others.

 

Today, this fellow decided to try to have a conversation with me about the meaningless issue of the recycle bin exchanging places with the regular garbage bin - and I politely shut it down.  I didn't want a 10 minute chat with a person about this topic.  Later on, he made some comments to invite a conversation about a new corporate logo being applied to the break room walls.  Although I will agree with him that this change applies needed color to the room, it is a meaningless topic for me.  Once you get past saying that it looks nice, there is not much to talk about.  Yet, he wanted to say that it is unusual (it usually is on the first day), and have a 10 minute chat about the logo.  So, again, I shut him down politely, saying that it will become the new usual.  And then, I left the lunch area.

We all see different things in life.  To me, I saw a corporate logo writ large, while he focused on the colors.  I'm glad that someone has found a productive use for someone like him.  But I also wish that he wouldn't announce his every move so loud that you could hear it across the room.  Who needs to hear in a break room that he is eating lunch, when that is what people normally do around 12-1 pm?  He loudly announces that he is starting work, going on/off break, going to/from lunch, and going home.  About the only thing he doesn't do is shout that he is going to the loo to take a bio-break.  It's easy to understand why I try not to associate with him.  If someone gets on your nerves, you stay out of his/her way.  Yet, I have to say that he's lucky to never be able to understand how cruel this world can be.....

 

I may have dodged a bullet, but what type?

 

Today's post will be a short one.  And it involves transportation, travel, and a possible travel companion.

- - - - - -

At one time, FH wanted to have us spend a weekend away in Amish Country.  I'm glad we didn't do this, as we never got past first base with each other.  Any trip we would have taken would effectively have me being her chauffeur. And that's not something I want to be after seeing her for her real self.  If things had progressed far enough with FL, I'd have been glad to travel with her, as we get along well with each other, and enjoy each other's company.  Too bad she couldn't deal with Marian being part of my whole.

Recently, I met RQS, and she's already interested in taking a trip to Washington with me.  At least, I wouldn't be serving as her chauffeur - we'd be taking the train and splitting the cost.  She wants to do special things with me.  But is it too soon?  It's similar to the experience I had with FL, but yet, it's different.  So when I found ways of putting off a trip to DC, I felt good for now as if I dodged a bullet.  Yet, she will eventually want to do more things together, while I'm still trying to figure things out.  

My big question is: Am I trying to avoid the wrong kind of projectile?

Not having much to say at times....

 

One shouldn't talk much when watching a movie at the local theater.  Maybe that's why sell so much popcorn - it keeps you from talking and it carries a hefty profit margin. However, things are very different when two people are on the phone....

- - - - - -

When I met my late wife, it was after two marathon late night phone conversations.  We ate our fair share of popcorn at the movies, and it showed on our waist lines.  Although she is long gone, I remember the nature of these conversations well, as she rented the strangest combination of movies for the first date. If she were here today, I'd bet that she'd recall all the movies she rented and in which order they were played. However, none of those are traditional "Date Movies", and I will not mention any of the titles in this post (largely because my memory is shot).

Lately, RQS and I have been having conversations that can easily go on for hours.  And if I didn't have to get up so early in the morning, we'd probably talk through the night and into the morning.  Yet, we wouldn't have any substantive to say to each other.  Instead, we simply like the other's company.  It's way too early to say anything. CWS is still in the picture for now..  And I think that she will be in the picture until RQS is sure of her feelings about me in my female presentation....

A slow leak that has yet to be fixed

 

This morning, I found that the air pressure in my tire was dangerously low.  It may not have been this bad, but I knew I had to inflate the tire before driving to work.  So, off to the local gas station I went....  Arriving at the gas station, someone else was using the air pump, and he handed me the hose with about 30 seconds to spare on the vend.  The tire needed more air, so I dropped another 4 quarters into the machine, and filled my tire with 3 minutes of air.  Yet, this still may not have been enough.  You can bet that this car will be paying a visit to Mavis in the near future....

Now that I was late, it was a leisurely drive to the office.  I arrived 20 minutes late, but no one made mention of it.  If anyone complained, I'd say that I planned to make the time up at day end - which I did.  And it was another 8 hours of mind numbing work.  As usual, the first half of the day went slowly, but things went faster in the afternoon.  If I could only have the second half of the day, I'd be comfortable staying at this job for another 2 years.  But, with the agonizing mornings, I want to be out of there soon.  AARGH!

- - - - - -

And that leads me to thoughts on dating....

The other day, I told RQS about Marian and it is still something she has yet to experience before she can make any forward moves.  But things look good right now.  CWS may fall by the wayside, as she hasn't been available as much as I would like, given the time I have known her. Yet, I'm not closing any doors until I know how RQS reacts to Marian when she meets her in person.  (In this case, it pays for me to use the 3rd person for clarity.)  For me, it's a race to find the first decent catch that accepts me as Marian and Mario.  The one thing I will say - I will not "roach" either of these women.

Right now, I made a decision to suspend my OK Cupid account, as it would be way too tempting to swipe right and keep making superficial contacts with new women..  The way things go, I can get a refreshed list of women at any time if I need to go back into the dating pool.  No matter what happens with RQS and CWS, I think I'm going to take a break from meeting new women for dating.

 

 

PS: The tire is leaking air at a faster rate than in the past, probably due to the recent cold spell.  So it'll be off to Mavis on Thursday to see what they can do for me.

PPS: Mavis screwed up the appointment.  I'll have to put up with the leak for another week, or take off a day from work.

Here's a cruise similar to what I took in December.

I just saw the pricing of the above cruise, and figured I should mention it.  Given that we're less than a month out from the cruise, NCL has priced it to look like another "Unicorn" is out there for hunting. The key differences between this cruise and the cruise I took in December are: (1) the replacement of the port of Charleston, SC with Nassau and (2) my cruise took place on the Gem, while this cruise takes place on the Getaway.

If I were to take this cruise, I'd go for the mini-suite again, and possibly sail as Mario.  Why Mario, you might ask?  Well, I might want to get off in the Bahamas, and don't want any hassles with Bahamian customs.  At $749, plus taxes, port fees, and gratuities for a mini suite, this is a bargain!  But I am not interested in this cruise, as I was bored when I was in Nassau with XGFJ, and that there is nothing worth doing in Port Canaveral.

- - - - - -

My brother looks at auctions to occupy his time.  I look at cruise deals.  In this age of the pandemic, good deals keep coming around.  Although ship capacity is often limited to 50% these days, it is possible that added capacity will only serve to raise prices.  Recently, one video blogger prognosticated that when cruise lines start creeping back to sailing at 100% capacity, that pandemic suppressed demand will cause cruise prices to go up instead of down.  A cruise group he organizes had cabin prices double since he organized that group.

 

Right now, I expect that there will be a lot of last minute price drops until people get wise to the fact that cruise ships are no longer floating Petri Dishes. It's too bad that I couldn't take advantage of last minute discounts for the Hawaii cruise I'll be taking later this year. I simply love the idea of a good bargain.

On the topic of my Hawaiian cruise, I wonder if I will have a traveling companion by then.  If so, will she be comfortable with me sailing as Marian?  Who knows?  But it will be a very interesting situation of this were to come to pass.  And if it comes to pass, will I be able to get her a cruise ticket without putting the deal I have at risk?

- - - - - -

 

Originally, I was planning on taking my Hawaii cruise in Marian mode.  I am hoping that I will be able to do so later this year.  Keep your fingers crossed for me....

 

 

 

I'm sad tonight...

 

This is going to be a quick post tonight.  I had a very good day today and would like to talk about it right now.  But I am sad.  Two people I knew from my days hosting the AOL Widows and Widowers chat room passed away recently.  

I had a wonderful day with RQS, and I was able to being up the issue of being both Mario and Marian with her.  She's not yet completely sure how she feels, but she wasn't in a hurry to give me the bum's rush. When I eventually left her this evening, I drove home very carefully, as they were spreading salt for tomorrow morning's expected snow.  In NYC limits, they spread enough salt in some places that I first thought some other substance (think of loose gravel) had been dumped on the roads.  In Westchester, they had only started to spread salt, and I was stuck behind a salter truck for a few minutes before I was able to get around him and get home while I was safe to drive.

When I finally made it home, I read a text from a long ago girlfriend telling me that two people had died.  One I met on a date (it was only curiosity), and we became friends for a couple of years before she retired and moved to Florida.  Her death was sudden and unexpected.  If I lived in Florida, I'd have driven to her services and the shiva afterwards. But in New York, I don't even have her daughter's address to send my condolences.  The other lady I only met at W/W gatherings, but she was a good person for whom I wished the best.  With her, cancer finally took her life, and she will be missed by many.

So, instead of feeling happy for the good day I had, I feel sad because of the message that ended my evening.

Someone's sense of timing is way off

 

Tonight, I thought I was supposed to see CWS.  But we got our signals crossed - I thought we were supposed to meet after work, and she thought it was supposed to be tomorrow night.  So I ended up eating Burger King instead of some nice Pad Thai.

- - - - - -

It was just as well that I had changed into Mario mode to see CWS, as I ended up going to Target to buy a replacement electric shaver.  My old one has a piece which is always falling off, and I lost one of the cutting heads when this happened today.  Given that the shaver is several years old, I figured that it was worth my while to buy a better shaver and use the old one for "rough cutting" when needed.  (There are times where I want to shave off 5 a little o'clock stubble, and I don't want to get the good shaver clogged with both makeup and "beard" shavings.)

I think it will take a while to break in the new shaver.  That's good, because it has most of the bells and whistles a person could want - and I want to get comfortable with all of them.  Eventually, I think I will end up spending the money to get all my facial hair zapped from my face.  Until then, I will deal with the daily task of shaving all over my body to have a more feminine appearance.

- - - - - -

If you're wondering why I chose the cartoon at the top of the entry, it's because I will soon take the subway - and I remember the days of being a commuter all too well.  I'm grateful that this is not a regular occurrence anymore.  Now, when I trek into the city, it's for pleasure.  And I'm grateful for that.

Game Night

 

Whenever I go to game night, I try to avoid looking like a slob. But these days, I also try not to overdress. So I dress for game night the same way I go to work - casual.  Casual for me does not mean wearing jeans. As a male, I'd wear chinos.  As a female, I usually wear tunics and leggings.  Having switched to tunics and leggings has made it much easier to make my way in the world as a female.

Some of us from game night are going to see Al Franken in Tarrytown.  (By the time you read this, seeing Al Franken will be past tense.)  None of us know what to expect.  Will he be serious, or will he put on an act?  I would prefer that he be serious, but he will be entertaining no matter what.  Assuming the weather is nice, I plan to go as Marian, as that is the only way that people from game night know me.

Assuming I have the day "to myself" beforehand, I might go to church in-person, something I haven't done since before the pandemic.  In the two years that have passed, the church I have gone to has merged with a nearby church, and February services are being held at the nearby church.  Since this will be the first time I'll be going there, I'll be a little bit nervous.  But if I was accepted at the original church, I'll have a couple of people who remember me from there who can make me feel comfortable.  Afterwards, I plan to get a mani-pedi, so I can look my best before meeting up in Tarrytown.

Will I look as snappy as the characters in the cartoon above?  No.  But I will feel good about how I look, and that's the key thing...

I shouldn't have bothered with the meetup tonight.

 

Lately, I've been feeling very tired, and I haven't had much energy to do much of anything when I get home.  But tonight was the first chance I've had in a while to go to one of my remaining meetup groups to "Celebrate" National Pizza Day.  So I said "to heck with it", and took the 1 hour drive to hang out with the group as Marian.  I wasn't prepared for a place so noisy that I could barely could make myself heard over the din.  Yet, I had a nice time.  But it wasn't worth the drive when I needed to catch up on my sleep. 

On the way home, I realized that I was feeling bloated, and have had way too many carbohydrates in my diet lately.  So I'll have to change this, so that I can fit into my dresses as spring approaches.  But if I were to get another job, it would likely be as Mario - and those dresses would still stay in the closet.  The big question is: Do I really want to keep working?  This job has triggered bad eating habits, and I have gained 10 lbs. over the past year.  Would I eat better if I were working at a job I enjoy more?  Would I eat better if I finally retired for good?  Who knows?  But I know one thing: I shouldn't have gone to the meetup tonight or pigged out on pizza....

Another short post - the non TG issue of the day,

Recently, I have looked afar at what is going on in Canada.  But the importance of what is going on North of the border has hit home - Anti-Vax truckers are protesting pandemic restrictions and vaccination mandates by blockading Toronto, and as a restult, causing shipping problems across 2 nations.  It's now getting impossible to ship goods over the Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor, Ont with Detroit, MI.

One person I know has had to change suppliers for goods needed to run a business.  This person is afraid of what will go missing next because of the supply chain problems caused by these protesters.  Can you imagine if this protest starts "infecting" the USA, where truckers could paralyze major cities by blocking key interstates?  

This is the tip of an iceberg in many ways, and I wonder what is going to happen in the USA due to the Canadian strike.  I'll bet that we soon see issues with our own truckers, and it could have a domino effect here.

What do you think?

A short post for the day....

 

Al Franken.  Here's a person who's grown on me over the years.  His early comedy was a mixed bag to me, but as he became more serious, I grew to respect the man.

- - - - - -

I've always wanted to see Franken run for President, after his service in the Senate.  He's the type of person who could have taken Trump down in a 2016 debate and still looked "presidential" while doing so. But then, a comedian has to have developed perfect timing to do this, and it is a skill that would be perfect in today's political environment.  When the political system has become a bad joke, why not have a serious comedian run a country?  (Heck, if Ukraine has done this, why not here?  At least, we don't have to worry about Mexico grabbing Texas back, or Canada grabbing Alaska.)

While shopping for tickets to see Postmodern Jukebox, I saw that Franken was on a nearby stage.  So, I decided to buy myself a ticket.  Unfortunately, my friend Vicki couldn't go with me.  But I was lucky.  Someone from my Yonkers game night group wanted to go.  It looks like we'll have a nice dinner nearby, then go to the theater to see the show.

Be it funny or serious, I expect this to be a very enjoyable evening....

Helping a friend with buying/setting up a computer

 

This is how I imagine I look when at my computer desk, save that I don't have a cat on a nearby windowsill.  However, I helped a friend buy a computer today and set it up for her use.  And she is much more likely to look like this, as she has two cats that want to be nearby their human.

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When I woke up this morning, I really didn't want to go out.  But I'm glad I did, as I felt a little bit useful for a change.  My plans for the day were to drive to meet RQS where she undergoes physical therapy, drive to Micro Center where she would buy a new laptop, then back to her place in Queens to get it set up. Since I knew how long it should take me to reach the Ridgewood area of Queens, I was able to leave the house around 11:15 and reach her on time.

The drive to Queens was uneventful, and I reached her area a little early.  So I waited nearby (not wanting to pay for parking) for her to give me a buzz.  Shortly afterwards, I picked her up and drew a "straight line" to the nearest Micro Center store in Flushing.  (I put "Straight Line" in quotes, as I stayed on the same road under different names, and with curves from Ridgewood to Flushing.) Within 15 minutes of getting to the store, we left with a new computer, heading towards her place.

RQS lives in an area in which it is hard to find parking.  It was fortunate that I was able to find parking within a very short walk of her house.  And then the fun began.  We had to unpack the new computer, perform initial system setup, remove the old anti virus, and install the new anti virus before doing much of anything else.  It was a minor headache to install the new anti virus, as the setup insisted that we add dashes ('-') between several 4 character codes on the barely readable receipt (upon which the dashes were not printed). AARGH!  After a quick bite to eat, we progressed onto the next task of the day - moving data from her old PC to her new PC.  And again, we had problems with product serial numbers before using the Laplink software.  Yet, we got the job done, and I was out of the place by 7:30 pm.

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It was not the right time to tell RQS about Marian - but that time is getting close.  When I do, I hope she can deal with this part of me.  Only time will tell....

 

 

PS: I called RQS the next day.  She loves the computer, but found that I didn't copy everything over to the new machine.  So, she's done some manual work to do so.  On the whole, the operation was a success.

There are so many trips I want to take, but so little time and money left to do them.

 

Lately, I've been thinking of the places I want to see and the trips I want to take. As much as I'd like a companion to travel with, there's a part of me that enjoys traveling alone.  Having been widowed more than twice as long as I was married, part of me yearns for having someone with whom I can build a history with. And there's another part of me that needs to chart my own path.

I'm not sure whether any companion I may travel with might accept traveling with Marian.  It's more costly per person to travel as a single than to travel with a companion.  And my frugality recognizes that I miss FCP for this reason (among others). But now, it's time for me to figure out which trips will be important to me and which trips I can take - preferably as Marian, if possible.

On my list, in no particular order or sequence are the following trips I'm giving a high priority:

• Great Britain and Ireland, with a week in London, returning on the Queen Mary
• Iceland (preferably on a cruise ship), doing the ring around the island.
• Panama Canal Cruise (old locks)
  
• Hawaii (already booked)
• Cross Country Train from NYC to/from Seattle
• Cross Country Train from Toronto to/from Vancouver
• Cross Country Car trip, seeing the USA in a car other than a Chevrolet.
  (The details of such trip have yet to be defined.)

Some trips (not on this list) will be done twice, once as Mario and (hopefully) once as Marian. The first trip would be to find out what procedures exist for entering and leaving a foreign land, as the last thing I need is to be hassled outside the USA because I prefer to travel as Marian.  

However, traveling pretty (as Kim might put it) is not my only travel related issue.  So is time and money. The cost of travel insurance for foreign travel gets more expensive as I get older, and I am already approaching 65 too quickly. Additionally, it seems like more demands are being made of my time these days, so I have less time available to travel. Finally, I now have a finite supply of money, and need to budget it carefully for the rest of my life.  So, the key to part of my future happiness is that I have to be ruthless in choosing my trips, as I want to be sure that I get the most out of the time and money I have left to me.