The Sleep Test Results are in!

 

Today ended up being the last day I was going to present as Marian for a while.  So I made the most of it when Vicki mentioned that she wanted to talk about something serious, but not critical.  Instead of laying around the apartment and doing nothing, I told Vicki that I'd meet her at 5 pm, and we could get a bite to eat.

Although I started getting ready around 3 pm, I was late getting out of the house, and barely made it to Lefteris Gyro on time to meet Vicki.  (The food is healthy, plentiful, and reasonably priced.  What more can you ask of a restaurant.  When I arrived, Vicki was already waiting for me at the table.  I almost didn't recognize Vicki at first, as she had her hair scrunched to the back of her head, exposing the area which alopecia has taken its toll.  (I made sure NOT to say anything about this.)  And then we got into our conversation.

I'm not going to say much about the conversation, save that it was related to health issues.  I mentioned that I got a call from the sleep doctor's office today telling me that I have severe sleep apnea, that I'd be getting a new CPAP machine and put on a regular schedule of new supplies.  YAY!  The only problem is that it will take 2 weeks to get approved by my insurance, and another 2 weeks before it arrives.  AARGH!  The way things are going, it will arrive when I'm away on another trip.

On my way home, I called RQS, and found that she was having trouble with printing a luggage tag for our upcoming cruise.  Since I couldn't solve the problem from a moving car, I suggested that she contact MSC to figure out what was wrong - and she now has a luggage tag for her suitcase.  Next, I stopped at the bank to deposit a check, then onward to home.

Arriving at my house, I met a new resident - a nice woman raising a child on her own.  Although I don't want to get her in trouble, I figured that I should ask our managing agent for information to find out if she's an approved resident.  Then, it was doing the last load of laundry before my trip.  

I can't wait to get on the ship!

 

 

 

PS: I received test results from the lab several weeks after the sleep test.  They confirmed what I already knew - I need my CPAP machine!

Game night, and I wasn't initially in the mood.

 

Although the above game is often played at game night, tonight was not the night for it.  Instead, we played a card collection game which I do poorly at, but enjoy the company of the crew at our Host & Hostess's house.

- - - - - -

But first....

The weather was crappy again today, and this meant that the driveway work originally scheduled for Tuesday and rescheduled for Friday won't be done until next week.  AARGH!  That means I will need to visit my brother and leave my car at his place for a week.  Considering that I only trust him to drive the car AND that I hate giving up my keys to anyone, I will feel a little bit naked and vulnerable when my brother drops me off at RQS's place on Saturday.

Around 5:00, I started to get ready for game night.  It would likely be the last time I would be presenting as Marian for the better part of a week.  But once ready, I sped to Yonkers (I was late as usual) and made it for the second game of the night.  Because the weather would likely be a little chilly, I decided to wear a flowing tunic top over leggings - the first visible female garments other than dresses and shoes that I've worn since early Spring.  Given the humidity, I should have stuck to  one of my dresses.  At least I know I have to start rotating my clothes for the season soon.

Was I glad to get out of the house?  Yes.  I needed somewhere other than my apartment to be in for part of the night.  But I'm also sad that I will need to present as Mario as soon as Saturday comes.

Lunch with a friend, then a shopping trip in the rain.

 

Today's lunch table looked nothing like the one above.  Instead, today's meal was at the Mexican restaurant down the hill from me, lunching with a friend from the Census.

- - - - - -

Given how cloudy the skies looked when I got up, I wasn't enthusiastic about getting dressed and out in the world as Marian today.  What made things worse, is when I started to use my electric razor, one of the rotating blades wasn't being held in place.  Unfortunately, I couldn't fix this problem and had to place a rush order with Amazon for a replacement.  In spite of this, I was able to get myself made up and out the door in time for lunch.

It was nice to meet my friend again for our monthly lunch, and we caught up on what was going on in each other's lives.  All too soon, lunch was over and we parted until next month.  After we parted, I went to Kohl's to drop off a broken silicone vegetable steamer I'm returning to Amazon.  One of the 3 legs were broken, and another didn't have a silicone sheath over a plastic leg.  Luckily, I don't have to cook in my non-stick pots and pans for a while.  Then after that, It was off to Poughkeepsie to do some shopping at Target and Lane Bryant.

A little while back, I bought some sexy lingerie to wear at home.  And when I saw the robe in the above picture, I felt it might be the perfect compliment to some lingerie I bought 2-3 weeks ago.  (Sometimes, a T-girl wants to wear pretty things, even if her body doesn't do these garments justice.)  Unfortunately, I didn't see this garment in Lane Bryant, although the site said it could be found in the store.  (I guess I'll have to mail order it soon.)  Once done with Lane Bryant, it was off to Target to see if I could find a really cheap electric razor - which none were in my price range.  So I guess that I'll have to make do until the replacement shaving head comes in a day or two.

Now, it was time to go home.  Before I started off, I found that we might yet have another weather related delay in scheduled driveway/parking lot work - I'm glad I can use my brother as a fall back. In addition, I finally got a response from my sleep doctor - he says that he hasn't received the results of my sleep test.  AARGH!  This is hard to believe.  But I'll have to accept this for now, and will complain if I don't have more information when I get back from Bermuda.

- - - - - -

While writing this entry, NYC's Mayor has just been indicted by the Feds.  It'll be interesting to see what happens in local politics, as NYC only votes Republican when the Democrats have gone too far - and this is too far for most of us....

The only thing on my docket was a meetup, and I'm glad I went.

 

The above is an old picture of me at a meetup.  But it illustrates that I enjoy being with people when I can do so.  Today, I didn't do much of anything until almost dinner time, and then went to Larchmont for $2 tacos on Taco Tuesday.

- - - - - -

Yesterday's weather caused the planned driveway/parking lot work in my complex to be delayed for several days.  Instead of not being able to use my parking spot on a Tuesday going into midday Wednesday, this work was postponed until Friday.  This will put a big crimp into my plans for where to store my car during my cruise if this work is delayed any further.  The one benefit of this was that I could park in my reserved parking space Tuesday night, instead of trying to find a parking spot on the street.

Around 4 pm, I started to get showered and dressed for dinner.  Taking out one of my "old standby" dresses that I always feel good in, I started off to the restaurant at 5:45 pm, making it to the restaurant at exactly 6:30 pm.  This time, I wasn't the last person to arrive.  And yet, we still were disrupted, as we had to move to the rear dining room to get the discounted tacos.

Once done with dinner, it was off to an ice cream parlor for something sweet.  By now, my legs didn't want to help me walk, but I made them take me to the parlor and back.  I'll be sure to take RQS here if we're in this area on a weekend.

- - - - - -

Not much went on, but it was a good day out as Marian.

I'd have never dreamed how free I feel these days

 

Yesterday, I outed myself as a part of getting a new BJ's card.  As a Transgender person, I have a sense of freedom being able to control how I out myself to others.  In the past, I tried to hide the fact that I am transgender. Now, I use caution in outing myself.  Yet, I am often taken for a cisgender female in many interactions.  This is a good feeling.

The other day, I went to a fast food joint and used the drive up window.  Using the best female voice I could muster, I ordered my food - and was taken for a female without anyone seeing me.  My voice is getting better, but it is far from perfect. And this woman's unseen acknowledgement of my femininity made me feel good.

One of the nice things about being out in the world as much as I've been as a TG woman, the more I'm taken simply as a cisgender female.  Although I have no interest in the male of our species, it would be nice if some male found me attractive as a female.  (Mind you, with this would come risk - men often have a hard time taking NO for an answer - and even worse.)  The more that I'm seen as a female (without qualification) the freer I will feel.  

All of this makes me want to participate in more women's groups.  Sadly, my past experiences on exploring being out as a female has closed many of these doors to me in my area of suburbia.  I figure that RQS and I may need to find a neighborhood that suits both of our needs, so that I can build a better social network with people who need not have any clues that I was once someone other than the Marian they are seeing.

The bag is packed and ready to go, but not me.

 

Today's theme is: things go wrong.  They are not going wrong in a critical way.  Instead, they are going wrong in an awkward way.  

- - - - - -

Last Friday, I left a message for the sleep doctor asking about the next steps in the process of getting a new CPAP machine.  How did the sleep test go?  Do the results suggest that I need a CPAP machine? When should I go in to see him again?  Do I need another sleep test to determine the new settings for that new CPAP machine?  There are so many things I want to know, and do not have input from this doctor 1 week after the sleep test.  And today, I found out that the message I wrote may not have been received.  So I wrote another message and sent it out - with no answer by end of day.  This means that I'll have to call him in the morning and hope for the best.

Next, after I drove RQS home (depositing my large suitcase at her place ahead of our upcoming cruise), I decided to stop at Lane Bryant on the way home to browse a little.  No one noticed me there, which may be a good or bad sign.  I think that they were understaffed, and that I came in at the same time as another customer who needed attention.  But I digress.  Next on my list of things to do was to get a new membership card at BJ's wholesale club.  That's where the fun began.  As soon as I got to membership services, a deafening alarm made it impossible to speak.  And it took over 5 minutes for someone to come to the desk and turn off the alarm. Once the alarm was quieted, I started my interaction with the lady behind the counter, noting that I wanted a new card with a name change.  She complimented me on how good I looked, and I was gone from the desk in less than 5 minutes more.

On the way home, I found that tomorrow's driveway work has been rescheduled for Friday.  This means that I'll have trouble parking Thursday night after playing games, and then not be able to take an early train to RQS's place on Saturday.  If bad weather strikes again, I'll have to ask my brother to store my car at his place, then deliver me to RQS's place that afternoon - with a pick up a week later.

Am I ready to go on my cruise?  No.  But ready or not.....

One week and counting (a short post)

 

One week to go.  The countdown has begun.  By this time next week, I'll be sailing to Bermuda. And you'll be reading this after I've returned from the cruise. (Sorry, I never post in real time anymore.)

- - - - - -

Until today, I didn't give the task of packing for the trip much thought.  But, having to take RQS home along with my large suitcase made this cruise seem a little bit more real to me.  So, I printed out a packing list to make sure that I didn't forget anything.

I plan to keep presenting as Marian until I leave for RQS's place next weekend.  And then, I'll present as Mario for about a week and a half.  On a ship where most people still get dressed up for formal night, I'll be envious of RQS, as she has the freedom to dress in a way that makes her look her best, while I'm stuck wearing clothing which doesn't let me feel my best.

When we go to the cruise terminal, we may have to deal with traffic jams caused by NYC's "Tunnel to Towers" race.  Our arrival time at the terminal is scheduled for 2 pm.  However, we plan to get there early enough to deal with the expected long lines at the terminal.  (Brooklyn's terminal facility is not known for speed, and it handles large passenger volume poorly.)  The last time I cruised out of Brooklyn, it took me over an hour to pass through the gauntlet to reach the ship.  Hopefully, by getting there later than last time, I can avoid the early bird processing jams.

One week and counting.  Hopefully, RQS and I will enjoy this trip....

Cruising - A great way to chill and disconnect

 

The above is a typical Northbound East Coast cruise itinerary.  And it is the one that RQS and I wanted to take this Autumn, but exceeded this year's travel budget if we did so.  It would have been the perfect cruise to take with me presenting as Marian, as I had done this route as Marian several times before.

Every time I cruise, I find that the time I spend away from home allows me to chill out and relax.  Where I have problems staying focused enough to read anything at home due to the numerous distractions that I allow to get in the way of my reading.  This doesn't happen on a cruise ship, as I can't flip between channels until I find something temporarily interesting to watch.  Nor can I get the latest information drop on my cell phone which triggers another rabbit hole exploration.  

When I cruised with my former cruise partner, she'd often be playing cards in the casino while I was reading in the cabin, or being entertained elsewhere on the ship.  (She often gets comped by the cruise line's casino program to get free cruises because of her gambling on the ship.)  Now that I cruise with RQS, neither of us are found anywhere near the casino, save when we must walk through it to get somewhere else.

After 7+ days on a ship, I feel refreshed by the time I get home.  But I wish I could take another cruise shortly afterward.  This year, I will have taken 4 cruises, 2 on Princess, 1 on MSC, and 1 on NCL. The latter 2 cruises will have the same basic itinerary, and I'll be able to make an apples to apples comparison of 2 cruise lines.  Hopefully, I won't be bored with Bermuda by the time we finish the second cruise. Even more, I hope to be able to visit Bermuda as Marian on the second cruise.

Right now, I am packing for the first of the 2 Bermuda cruises.  Hopefully, I'll be done packing before RQS arrives tomorrow, as I'll be driving her home and leaving my big suitcase there for ease of travel.  By the time we're done with cruising this year, RQS may have as many cruises with me under her belt as I did with my former cruise partner.  Hopefully, my former cruise partner is having as good a time as I am on my cruises....

Why do transgender people skew towards being Liberal?

 

Why do transgender people skew towards being Liberal?

This is a question that has a simple and logical answer.  Liberals put a greater priority on the rights of the individual than they do for the community's need for individuals to surrender their rights to the collective for its preservation.  For example, who do we value more?  Do we value the contentious objector to a war fought for questionable reasons, such as Vietnam?  Or, do we value the drafted soldier who may give up his life fighting in the same war where our nation's goals were not achieved?  Whose rights matter more, the individual or the community?

Historically, gender was viewed as a binary in Western culture. Either one was born male or female, and then slotted into the roles assigned to the associated gender.  Household and community tasks were assigned to the genders, and rarely did things not match accepted Western cultural norms. Reproduction was a higher priority than it is today, as both a large number of women died in childbirth, and many children died before they were adults. Homosexuality was discouraged, and being transgender was totally out of the question. As you can guess, people who did not meet these norms had to hide their true selves in order to survive.  

The 20th century brought us great change.  We had 2 world wars.  We entered the computer age. And Christine Jorgensen made news with her sex change (now called gender confirmation/correction surgery). Things people took for granted as unchangeable could now be changed.  Gender may be the first attribute assigned to identify a person, and traditionally has been based on a person's visible genitalia for good reason. This can scare people with weak self identities. These people tend to cling to traditional ways of identifying people, and reject transgender people as freaks - simply because they don't understand the emotional pains of people born with a brain that develops with the characteristics of one gender, while the body develops with the characteristics of the other. In short, those that reject transgenders as being weird are simply looking to conserve traditional ways of understanding the world.

When people are rejected by a collective group of people, they gravitate to others that will accept them. Liberals tend to be much more diverse in views and expressions, as they accept non-traditional ways of defining the world.  This is why transgenders tend to associate with liberals - we are accepted for who we are, and not being forced to comply with others' ways of looking at the world.

Yet, there will always be some transgender people who identify with others that hold "conservative" values - even when those others reject them because of being transgender.  I'll never understand why some people keep trying to belong to groups that would reject them. But then, humans are a tribal species, and none of us enjoys being rejected by our peers.  One trans person I've met moved to a "conservative" region of my state and decided to go to the local church - and was rejected because she was transgender.  I don't know what happened to this trans woman since then, but I know the rejection must have hurt her very much.

So I have to ask, have you noticed how political conservatives are using the "fear of the other" to control the masses?  Look at Trump's lie, saying that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, OH are stealing dogs and cats, then eating them.  This has "given permission" to crazy people to terrorize the residents of this city, and has forced schools, offices, and public events to be shut down for public safety. Contrast Trump's lies with objective reality - the Haitians have been a net benefit to Springfield, law abiding people who have helped in the rebirth of the city.  No wonder why transgenders skew towards being liberal - we have suffered like most of the groups that have been defined as "the other".

So, what do you believe and why do you believe it?

 

Getting back to "Normal" - some thoughts about normal

 

In less than 2 weeks, I'll be on the first cruise to Bermuda for the year.  So, one of the things I have to do is pack for the cruise.  Since this cruise is being taken as Mario 😒, I won't be able to dress up nice to have a good photo taken of RQS and I together.  At least, I have almost 2 weeks' of clothes for my male presentation that I can pack in advance, as I don't wear them that often anymore.

Given that the first of the two cruises will be taken on MSC, RQS will get a chance to see why I'm ambivalent about taking cruises on this line after the treatment we've gotten used to on Princess and NCL. Do I think RQS will enjoy the cruise?  Yes.  Or, I wouldn't have decided on taking this trip.  However, I think that she, like myself, will use MSC only for inexpensive getaways.  There will be one benefit of us taking this first trip to Bermuda, followed by another one several weeks later - I can ask the pier personnel whether my "sister" would have problems getting back on the ship, showing her male, legal ID.

- - - - - -

Recently, my brother has prodded me to take care of paperwork required to get our dad's birth certificate.  When I went down to NYC to get dad's birth certificate, I found that I had to mail in the application, and not pick it up in person.  AARGH!  One of the tasks I'll be taking care of today is filling out the paperwork, sending in a copy of my birth certificate, dad's death certificate, and a check for $45 to cover NYC's paperwork charges.  Hopefully, we will get a quick response on this, as I'd like to get this over and done with soon.

- - - - - -

The other day, I started to notice a small gap forming between the caulking on the tub and the tiles on the bathroom wall nearest the bathtub's hot and cold faucets.  Today, I applied new caulk to fill in the gap, and hopefully keep things from getting worse for a while.  If in the future I need to do more about this, I may call in Bath Fitter to take care of all plumbing related issues.  At that time, I'll put in a liner over the bathtub area to make it look new, a new toilet, and a new vanity/sink combination.  After this, I'll take care of installing a new medicine cabinet and I will have an up-to-date bathroom.  (There goes another bucket list vacation!)

- - - - - -

Next week, I will have to park my car on the street outside my apartment complex, as we are getting our driveway resealed and restriped.  I have to make sure that I am home early enough one night, so that I don't have to walk far to my car the next morning.

- - - - - -

If there is one thing I can say to my trans friends out there it would be: Being able to be your true self doesn't eliminate the day to day problems from your life. Instead, it allows you to focus on the solution to those problems with one less distraction.

Sleep Test - How did I do?

 

Nine years ago, I was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea. For those who don't know what this is, it is not snoring.  It is that the person gets so tired, that s/he falls far enough into sleep that the body stops breathing.  I have grown to depend on my CPAP machine to go to sleep, and take it with me whenever I plan to sleep away from home.

Recently, my CPAP machine has displayed a message that it is past its predicted life span, and that it is on its last legs.  This meant that I had to schedule an appointment with the sleep doctor, and then an appointment to take a sleep test.  Last night was that sleep test.

- - - - - -

Before I went to the hospital for the test, I bought a set of men's PJ's (aargh!) to wear during the test. Last night, I packed up my PJ's and a full change of clothes to take with me for the next morning.  When I was finally wired up, I found out that this would be a diagnostic test to see if I had sleep apnea, and not the test I'd need to get a new machine script.  (The doctor was starting from scratch to be safe.) And it took me 2 hours to fall asleep for the first time this evening.

I was awakened around 3 am to fit me with a nasal mask (presumably to see if my breathing improved with a CPAP device), and I was able to get to sleep much quicker than I did the first time.  I was awakened again at 6:30 am, and proceeded to get showered, dressed and out the door.  While on my way out, one of the reception personnel and I chatted a little before I got into my car and drove away for a breakfast sandwich.

- - - - - -

My question is: When should I contact the doctor's office for the next step in this process?  What were the results of this sleep test?  Will I need to get a new CPAP machine?  Inquiring minds want to know.

The most important thing on my docket was a sleep test.

 

Imagine me going to bed.  Then imagine me shoring, with a touch of sleep apnea.  That is what is going to be measured tonight....

- - - - - -

Several weeks ago, I noticed that my CPAP machine was generating a message telling me that it has exceeded its projected life span.  Since life without a working CPAP machine would not be good for my health, I had to visit a sleep doctor AND schedule a sleep test.  Well, tonight is that sleep test.

Normally, I sleep in some form of feminine nightwear.  So, to take this test, I had to buy a pair of men's pajamas from Amazon and hope they fit.  They arrived yesterday, and now I'm packing a to-go bag for an overnight stay.

My problem is that I'm usually awake until 1-2 am.  This is not good for someone taking a sleep test.  Hopefully, this won't be a problem this time around.  But I wonder - will they be starting from scratch to determine if I have sleep apnea, or will they be measuring my breathing for the prescription I'll need for a new CPAP machine.  

Ideally, I'll have the new machine by mid-October.  If not, I hope I have it before Thanksgiving.  Keep your fingers crossed. 

 

PS: Tomorrow, I can revert to Marian mode and go and get a Mani-Pedi.  Yay!

A day doing nothing (a short post)

 

For the most part, RQS and I did nothing all day.  Yes, we did a small amount of cleaning. But most of the day was spent doing nothing but watching videos and relaxing.

- - - - - -

RQS and I have gotten into a routine of spending one day each weekend doing nothing but relaxing.  This is a good thing, as we both are on the go in our own ways during the week.  RQS does take care of more things than I do.  But I find that amidst all my mind's wanderings, I seem to get the most important things (to me) done.

I had gotten showered and dressed for only one reason - to pay the delivery person for Chinese food being delivered to my door.  Once done eating, I decided to change into something sexy and wait until RQS was ready for bed.  This was the perfect thing to do this evening, as both of us were in the mood.

As I said - for the most part, it was a day spent doing much of nothing.

It's nice to still nice to be able to go outside in a dress (a short post)

 

Now that the weather is getting cooler, I'll soon have to go back to wearing leggings under tunic length dresses, or find some other way to wear clothing that defines me as female during the cold weather months ahead.  But for now, I'm enjoying being able to go outside as Marian, wearing a comfortable dress.

- - - - - -

As usual, I did my everyday preparations for the day for picking RQS up at the station.  Then we drove to Panera Bread for a forgettable dinner - for me, a tasty salad, something I should eat more often. It was a nice change of pace for us, as this is not on our usual list of go-to places to visit on a Friday night. Yet, when we finished our meals, we felt it strange that we had just finished dinner and had nothing left on our schedules for the evening.

After going home, we settled into our usual routine, save that I finally did some laundry to clean the bathmat and towel that got soaked as part of my cleanup efforts from the other day.  It's amazing how tired one can feel at my age, when she has to go up and down staircases several times - even with a light load of laundry.

Not really much more to say, save that I can't wait for my next cruise to start - and it will start soon.

Little things of note to me - a short note

 

As I write this, RQS is coming up by train, and I won't have much time to write later.  Right now, I am the proud resident of a mess.  It's hard to get my place uncluttered without help.  And even if I get it uncluttered, there is still so much to do.  For example, I just had tile and wall work done in the bathroom due to water damage from the shower.  What I didn't notice before is that due to shifting of the tub over the years, is that I've notices an area that needs re-caulking to prevent future issues from occurring.  While I'm at it, there are some areas that need to be re-grouted.  There goes one weekend day!

But it's not just one thing, it's the multitude of things that have fallen through the cracks and have to be taken care of.  My TV in the living room will need to be replaced, and that forces me to ask a question: Do I want to get rid of an old entertainment center (which I like, and once cost a lot) to both have more wall space and allow me to buy a larger TV.  This would make it possible for me to consider getting new carpet.  But first, I'd have to purge a lot of things from this place.  And then, it would need its first paint job in years.

Yet, it's the little things that bother me most, as I can't make enough headway in eliminating the little gatherings of clutter around the place.  Each time I empty a basket of unsorted items, I have a new one to deal with.  At least, I can say that I'm on top of my bills....

Game Night - Finally, an evening out as Marian!

 

Now that I'm back in New York, I can finally get back outside as Marian.  Yay!  I was starting to get very tired of wearing trousers....

- - - - - -

This morning, I woke up early and took it easy most of the day.  While relaxing, I received a message from the president of the co-op, asking me to move some money from our savings account to our operating account.  This will allow us to start a property improvement that our resident shareholders will notice.  However, I had to instruct the site representative about the scheduling of this work, as I didn't want to take the risk that my building's work would be delayed until I was away.  Luckily, I was able to get this fixed.  Rank does have its privileges.

While thinking of the co-op, I've had a problem sending messages to the co-op's board members.  One member's email address changed. Yet, my system had continued to send email to her old address.  It took me an hour to resolve this Gmail problem, and I did it the brute force way - I deleted her entry in my address book, edited the email list, and did all sorts of things until I got it working right.  Yay!

- - - - - -

Shortly after visiting the bank to transfer co-op money, I got some lunch from Mickey D's and sat down at my computer for a while.  I paid some bills and sorted out paperwork needed to get my dad's birth certificate.  Unfortunately, I had a GI Tract issue which required some cleanup.  I found out that I hated the mop I was using, and decided to replace it when I had the chance.

A little later, I drove to Game Night, and had a good time.  Today was different than usual - I was on the winning team for the two games I had the chance to play.  All too soon, the night had to end.  But I had one more stop to make - the supermarket.  And that's where I bought a new mop, as well as some food which we could eat over the weekend.

All in all, it was a good day, in spite of the mess I had to clean up.

Philadelphia Trip - 09/11/24

 

We set our alarms to wake us up around 8 am, so that we'd be checked out of our room by 11 am.  Our plans were to first explore the Reading Terminal Market, then visit the US Mint. and finally visit the Fragments at Franklin Court before going back to our hotel for our bags, then to the 30th Street Station for our train home.

Unlike the past 2 days, RQS and I used Ubers go get around Philly.  It didn't cost that much more than it would have if we took the bus, and we were much more comfortable doing so.  Our first stop was the Reading Terminal Market, where it felt as it were NYC's Chelsea Market done right.  (I've yet to visit Seattle's Pike Place Market, so I can't use this market as a reference.)  The food there was overwhelming, and I wish this place was near my suburban New York residence to visit on a regular basis.  Both RQS and I had breakfast crepes, and then walked over to our next stop, the US Mint.

Photography is needlessly prohibited inside the US Mint building, and I wanted to ONLY get a picture of the mosaics on the entry wall.  But I was told I couldn't even get that.  So I had to take a snapshot of one of the artifacts inside their theater as my act of peaceful defiance.  With this being said, it was a boring self guided tour, as none of the equipment was in use today.  Yes, there were things of mild interest.  But not enough to make the long walk inside the mint building worthwhile.

Next, it was off to the Fragments at Franklin Court, where could see the nation's first post office, and other historical buildings.  However, we took our time walking over there, as the path we walked had little shade and the sun was beating down on us.  Arriving at Franklin Court, we went into the post office (not much to see there) and then found that the rest of the buildings were closed for the day.

Now, it was time to go back to our hotel and rest before taking our train home.  After retrieving our bags from the storage locker, we rested for a couple of hours at the hotel before going to the 30th Street Station.  And then, we killed 45 minutes before boarding our train.  By 7 pm, we were in NYC, and we parted for the night.

It was a nice trip and one I want to do again - as long as we don't have to deal with s shut down city.  The loss of Center City due to the presidential debate cost us a chance to visit Independence Hall and to visit the Eastern State Penitentiary (the latter for scheduling reasons).  Hopefully, we'll be able to do this again soon - with me presenting as Marian.

Philadelphia Trip - 09/10/24

 

The main tourist part of Philadelphia was on "lock down" today, as the presidential debate was being held at the National Constitutional Center on Independence Mall.  This meant that the visitors center and associated buildings would be off-limit to visitors due to security concerns, and that we'd have to go elsewhere for our tourism fix.

- - - - - -

As I noted in yesterday's post, I had GI Tract issues last night and blocked up the toilet.  This morning, RQS and I had to get up early, so that we'd be ready for the maintenance engineer when he arrived.  We were originally told that this man would arrive between 8 and 9 am.  But we later found out that he'd arrive around 9 and 10 am.  This was more than acceptable to us, as RQS would be able to get an extra hour of rest.  Around 9:30, the maintenance engineer arrived, and he used a snake to unclog the pipes.  (The one thing you can't say about me anymore is that I am full of s**t.)  It took a while, but he was done by 10 am.  Then, the cleaning ladies came in to clean up the bathroom before we could get ready to go out for the day.

Noon came, and so did RQS's cousin.  Now, we had to do the hokey-pokey to get into her cousin's clown car. After contorting ourselves into some unnatural positions, we had managed to fit ourselves into her car, and we were off to the Penn Museum to spend much of the day.  We walked through several galleries including Ancient Egypt, the Middle East, and Africa.  By 3:30, we were pooped, and it was time to go to South Philly for some fish at Anastasi Seafood.

RQS's cousin took us past the corner where Pat's and Geno's compete selling cheese steaks. And then we walked up the street a few blocks to a fish monger who would cook food to order to be eaten in a street side shed.  Her cousin had mistakenly this was another place she had gone to, but we decided to eat here anyway.  Can I say much about the food?  Not really.  This is not a restaurant after all - this is a fish monger that cooks food.  The seafood platter wasn't bad, but it wasn't NYC's Oyster Bar either.

We were dropped off at the hotel around 6 pm, and we relaxed a bit before going out for some ice cream.  It looked like this was a day where the police had to make their presence known, as they didn't want to be held to task if anything would occur in the upcoming debate.  Once we finished our ice cream, it was back to the hotel to watch the debate.  Would it change any minds?  No.  Hard core people with locked in positions would never be swayed by a debate.  But it did show that our former president wasn't up to the task of leading this country.  I hope that he doesn't get the chance to do so again.

Philadelphia Trip - 09/09/24

This would likely be the saddest sight we'd see on this trip - the S.S.United States, just before it is expected to be towed away from Philadelphia to a place in Florida where it will be sunk and turned into an artificial reef.  For people who enjoy trips upon the water, knowing that this once great ship is likely being scuttled and turned into an artificial reef soon.

- - - - - - -

When we awoke, we got moving relatively quickly, as we were meeting RQS's cousin after breakfast to do some sightseeing.  Luckily, there was a place down the street where we could get some breakfast, and we walked over there around 9:30 am.  By the time we were done with breakfast, we still had time to kill before her cousin arrived at 11:00 am. Before I go too far, getting into RQS's cousin's car is like trying to load clowns into a clown car.  Mini Coopers are small to begin with, and both RQS and I had to perform unnatural body movements to get in and out of the car.  So both of us felt cramped as we drove the 20 blocks to reach the Mütter Museum.  

The Mütter Museum is a museum of medical oddities, but not in a way you'd expect from a circus sideshow.  Instead, the exhibits are tastefully presented, with respect for the people whose bodies these artifacts are taken from.  One can view many medical maladies, and see how the body and skeleton is affected by them. This is not a museum whose collection would be assembled today.  Yet, it is a valuable guide to how doctors would learn about these ailments over a century ago.

Next, it was off to drive past the "corpse" of the S.S. United States.  This ship was stripped of almost everything important years ago, and is now a rusting hulk on Philadelphia's shoreline. The conservancy that owns the ship has been in a dispute with the owners of the pier where it is docked over docking fees, and the ship was scheduled to be evicted this week. Yet, I can't but help hope that someone will rescue this ship and find a way to preserve it before it is turned into an artificial reef. On the way back to the hotel, we passed by the area which will be cordoned off for the presidential debate.  It's sad to need such security these days, but American politics are too polarized to take any chances with the candidates' lives.  

Later on, it was off to dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant.  It was Restaurant Week, so we chose the special from their list of offerings.  Although the food was good, I'm not sure if I'd eat there again, as the service was slow and not up to our standards.  Once we got back to the hotel, the "fun" began....

As I've mentioned here before, I have GI Tract issues.  (I'll have to change my diet, as I need to introduce more roughage my meals.  But I digress....)  Unfortunately, I clogged the toilet, and we couldn't get late night maintenance - and we were told to use the toilet in the club room for the rest of the evening.  AARGH!  Even the use of a plunger didn't help.  (I have a stronger one at home.  The cheap one here was worthless.)  There was no way we'd get dressed to go to another floor to relieve ourselves, so we figured we'd figure out a way to make do until maintenance would arrive at 9:00 am the next day.

Philadelphia Trip - 09/08/24

Philadelphia, "The City of Brotherly Love".  I'd never have coined that phrase for this city, but it is what it is. The last time I was here, it felt like New York City would have been had the Erie Canal not been built. Now, the city seems to be growing up with quite a few tall skyscrapers being built.  And this would be our destination for the next few days.

If we didn't have non-refundable Amtrak tickets, we would have postponed this trip.  What we didn't know at the time of booking was that the second presidential debate would be held during our visit, and that our plans to visit Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, the Constitution Center, and the US Mint would be scotched for the day we planned to visit.  However, there were enough other things to do, that RQS and I would likely be busy for the 3 days we would be here.

- - - - - -

Our day started by getting showered and dressed, and out the door to Penn Station, NYC.  Although this was a weekend, the subway's weekend schedule didn't make it overly hard for us to reach Penn Station in a reasonable amount of time.  (Often, the weekend schedules might force us to make multiple unneeded transfers to reach some parts of Manhattan, as some routes are shortened and don't facilitate the transfers we need to make.)  By 2:30 pm, we were on the train and off to Philly.

Once we reached Philly, it was off to our hotel.  I was surprised to find that the hotel was on a narrow street that was too narrow for a cab to drop off passengers without blocking traffic.  Yet, the hotel was in a busy an relatively safe neighborhood.  So it appeared that I again had a made a good choice in places to stay.

After having a chance to rest, it was off to a Japanese place for Sushi, and then off for Ice Cream before trying to take an Uber home.  And this is where the first glitch in or trip occurred - I entered in the hotel's address, 130 S. Juniper Street, and accidentally got 130 N. Juniper Street filled in for our destination. Our Uber driver could not speak any English - he was effectively a deaf mute to us.  We ended up walking several blocks with our melting ice cream to our hotel room.  At least the ice cream was still enjoyable when we settled in for the night.