You snooze, you lose... (a short post)

 

One of the problems I have is procrastination.  It's a common problem, but one which have caused me to lose out on taking a 401k distribution in 2024.  It's not as much of a big deal as it sounds - I don't need the money right away, but I wanted to get the distribution made in 2024 for tax reasons.  Instead, my delay has likely caused the distribution into tax year 2025.

There are several things going on that I want to take care of in 2025.  One of them is getting a tooth implant, replacing a molar that I lost over a decade ago.  This will help me with chewing, as I put too much wear and tear on one side of my mouth.  Then, I'd like to do some apartment remodeling, specifically in the bathroom, where I want to replace the toilet, vanity (and sink), and medicine cabinet (with electric outlet).  Although I could take this money out of my savings account, I chose to take it out of my 401k.  This way, I can keep my already taxed funds at an acceptable level.

Strangely enough, not having anything to do while RQS is here encouraged me to start finding places for some of the mess in my apartment.  Clothes are migrating back into my closet, replacement furniture is arriving over the weekend, and I'm seeing some results from my minimal labor.  Yet, I have to fight the inclination to put things off, so that I can keep up momentum.  This is the hardest thing to do.

Soon, I'll get back to finding an electrolysist. I still want to clear off the beard from my face once and for all. I'm tired of dealing with shaving on a daily basis.  This is one of the important things I want to do in the new year....   

We'll see what happens during the new year....

There are many levels of paperwork to be dealt with.

 

As I might have mentioned, I am in the process of getting a second passport.  With the lunacy going on in the USA, it would be foolish of any trans person not to have an escape route out of the USA if the worst were to happen.  (Given the similarities of 2024's USA to 1932's Germany, it's not as far fetched as many middle of the road Americans might think.)  To do this, in my case, one has to have a grandparent born in a particular country, then prove that you have a right to citizenship via "Overseas Births".  This means the following:

1. Get a copy of one's grandparent's birth certificate from the country of origin.
   (My brother mailed away to the appropriate people, and got a certified copy of this document.)
   
   
2. Get a copy of the birth certificate that shows one's parent qualified to be a citizen via overseas birthright.  (I was charged to take care of this.)
   
   
3. Get a copy of my birth certificate, showing my father (or mother) was my parent by blood. 
   (This would show that I qualify for citizenship via Overseas Birth.)
   

Steps 1 & 3 didn't take much time.  However, Step 2 took 14 weeks, as New York City and New York State had to be involved with this process.  Now that I have proof of my lineage, I can proceed to the next step - beginning the process of filing paperwork to get citizenship via overseas birth.

- - - - - -

Italy, Ireland, and the United Kingdom are 3 countries which allow for citizenship via overseas births.  However, the UK only provides for patrilineal overseas birth citizenship.  Yet, having an Irish passport allows one to BOTH reside in the European Union and the United Kingdom, as Ireland and the UK have treaties that were in effect before the EU was established.  From what I understand, Germany and Russia also have forms of overseas birth citizenship, but I won't comment on them here.

I also may qualify for a third passport based on my mother's lineage.  If I were to get that, I could travel (and possibly live) anywhere in the British Commonwealth.    Right now, I am focused on getting my 2nd passport based on my father's lineage, as it gives me the most freedom to travel if needed....

Keep your fingers crossed.

Boxing Day - Game night with RQS

 

It was the day after Christmas. And all through the house, every creature was stirring. Yes, even my mouse. (Computer mouse, that is.)  After a busy Christmas day, the last thing we wanted to do was get moving early in the day.

I got out of bed around 9:30 am, and started feeling a little nauseous. By the time 10 am came along, I was ready to throw up, and made my way to the sink to do just that.  As much as this sounds like I was getting sick, I feel that I was reacting to a surplus of sugar in my system from the cookies I ate late the night before.  No matter what the cause was, I avoided eating anything until 2 pm.  And then, I only ate some dry toast to deal with the lack of food in my stomach.

Around 4:00, we started to nuke some food in the microwave.  I heated up a frozen meal without problems.  But when RQS started to heat up her food, the microwave made some weird noises and shut off.  She then ended up warming up her food on the stove.  Something had to be wrong with the circuitry in the microwave, as it would keep beeping if we closed the door.  So we left the door open, and made it a point to buy a new microwave before the day was out.

At 5 pm, we left for the appliance store to get a new microwave.  We got there a little after 6 pm, and were ignored for more than 15 minutes until I got the sales manager himself to ring up the sale.  At least, we got a staff member to haul the new microwave to the car - it's nice to play the "little old lady" card.  They wouldn't have helped a man bring the microwave unit to his car....

We stopped for a fast food dinner, and then went to game night.  It was nice to have RQS with me while we played our game.  Although I had played the game once before, I let the host explain the game to RQS. But she wasn't getting the hang of the game due to its  operational complexity.  Yet, we both had fun, and look forward to the next game night.

Christmas Day - Post Mortem

 

I hope all of my readers have had a very Happy Holiday season.  As you can see, this is how I looked on Christmas Eve.  What you can't see are my stockings falling to my knees because I didn't since the waist of the false garter stockings high enough.  (I also don't like how the dress is sitting in this picture, but that's another issue that can be handled by Photoshop.)

RQS and I didn't get moving until 3:00 pm, as we knew we could make a 5:00 pm dinner on Christmas Eve.  This would be the best dinner so far of the holiday season, as we also has a 5:00 pm dinner in New Jersey with TCL.  Today, we had to be out the door by 3:15 pm to make it to TCL's place by 4:45 pm, and we just made it in time.

After a few minutes of waiting, the three of us made it to a Chinese Restaurant in Mahwah.  Unlike the past times we were at this place, service was slow and sloppy.  At least, the food was decent.  Mind you, I'd have gotten much better food in NYC, but one takes what one can get in suburbia.  Both RQS and I felt that the quality of food and service has gone down a notch, and we will likely hunt for another place to eat next year.

Following dinner, we went back to TCL's place, where we had some tea and cookies.  To say that her place had a strong cat odor would be putting it mildly - I'd bet that her two male cats had been marking territory, and that TCL had grown insensitive to the odor.  (I'm glad that I don't have to take care of cats any longer.)

All in all, it was a nice day.  Yet, I'm glad that Christmas is over until next year.

Christmas Eve

 

The day started off by our need to do some laundry before going out for the evening. There were two baskets that needed to be taken care of, and I didn't want to let this task slide any longer.  So, I got dressed and started down the stairs with the two baskets.  And then....  OOPS!  I tripped and dropped the baskets,  I was lucky not to take a fall myself.  But I had to sort out my laundry before continuing on to the laundry room.

About two hours later, my laundry was done, and I was able to get dressed in my new sweater dress.  Originally, I planned to wear tights to cover my legs,  But, RQS was wearing stockings attached to garters.  So I decided to wear my mock garter stockings to keep up with her "Girly Game", as well as a matching bra and panties.  Both of us were concerned about how cold we'd feel when we went outside.  As for me, I felt a little vulnerable, as I was wearing less on my lower body than I usually wear and felt as if I was wearing almost nothing under my dress.

Shortly before 5, we arrived at the restaurant (Peter Pratt's Inn), and enjoyed a hearty meal.  RQS ordered seafood themed dishes (mussels, then scallops), while I ordered duck themed dishes (duck quesadilla, then duck two ways). We both finished our meals with Caramel Cheesecake, and felt wonderfully sated without feeling stuffed. In short, we had a great meal.

Next, we were off to Ossining for Christmas Eve services at the local church.  This is becoming a routine for us, as this was the second year that we have been able to be there on Christmas Eve.  It was nice to be able to connect with my past memories.  RQS enjoyed the service, and might want to go to an occasional service during the rest of the year.

Once the service was over, it was time to go home.  After midnight, we decided to open our gifts.  RQS was happy with my gifts.  And I was pleasantly surprised by RQS's gifts - in addition to a men's watch (which could go with my feminine wardrobe), she gave me a nice assortment of sexy lingerie.  (I guess we're both upping each other's "Girly Game" as our relationship progresses.)  Then it was off to bed for the night.

Now that the holidays are over, I can catch up on my posts.

 

RQS usually comes to my place on Friday afternoons and goes back home on Mondays.  If I go to her place, I'll usually arrive on a Friday, and leave on a Sunday or Monday depending on which side of the street I was able to park.  This holiday season is different.  RQS came up on a Friday, and will not leave here (with one exception) until after holiday season ends.  So I'll be catching up with occasional posts which describe what happened....

- - - - - -

The weekend before Christmas followed our usual pattern.  RQS arrived on Friday, and we ended up going out to a Chinese restaurant in Mohegan Lake.  (It was a choice between having Mexican for the 3rd time that week, or having something different.  Different won out.)  Once we were finished with dinner, we drove home for the evening.

Saturday came, and we ended up taking care of a couple of errands before driving to Ikea.  I wanted to replace a chest of drawers which is gradually falling apart with a cheap, but tolerably solid unit.  This would allow me to port clothing from one chest to the new chest, allowing RQS to be able to store more of her clothes at my place.  This would make it easier for her to stay for longer periods of time, when she has nothing much to do at her place.

Why did we go on Saturday, and not Sunday?  Bergen county, New Jersey has "Blue Laws" which limit the types of business which can be conducted on Sundays.  Furniture sales is not one of the permitted business activities.  So, we had to make it to Ikea on Saturday.  Otherwise, we would have to wait until after Christmas to check out the chest.  Once there, we wandered through the store until we found the chest in which I was interested.  RQS mentioned that I wasn't sure of the chest's dimensions, and convinced me that I should wait until I was sure of the measurements of the chest.  (I had previously measured the chest, but lost my confidence in my measurements, given that I had done this over a month ago.)  So, we browsed the store and bought a couple of things before leaving.  Just before we checked out our goods, we looked at the packaging for the unassembled chest - each of the two boxes weighed more than I wanted to lift into the car.  This meant that I would order the chest, and let someone else deliver the packages to my apartment.

Although we talked about stopping by Lane Bryant while in the neighborhood, holiday shopping traffic in Paramus scuttled this plan, and we went home for the night....

Idiocracy

 

With what's going on in America these days, I wonder if we're already in an Idiocracy.  The movie was supposed to be one big joke.  Yet, somehow, reality is becoming stranger than fiction.

- - - - - -

To start, I'll note that as I have become more educated, my politics have turned leftward.  No, it is not because my core values have changed.  But it is because I understand the world as a complex system that has no ideal solutions to its many problems.  People who lean right see the world in simplistic terms, as if the universe was a simple binary system.  

Unfortunately, the more complex a system becomes, the more unlikely it is to work well as there are a greater number of failure points.  America was designed well for simpler times.  Our constitution was designed to be flexible enough to be adopted to changing times.  But the one thing that couldn't be foreseen was that as our nation grew and technology advanced, that we would have millions of poorly educated people stuck in dead-end jobs, bereft of opportunities to advance themselves.  To make things worse, each of these uneducated people has an equal power in their votes which determine the direction our country takes.  Since each of these poorly educated people is a point of failure in our nation, no wonder why we are so dysfunctional as a nation.

Our founding fathers' big mistake was to assume that the majority of men (now people) running this country would be people of reasonable virtue.  They could not foresee a time where a person like our president to be could get elected by lying in his campaign statements.  Although educated people did not believe these lies, the poorly educated echoed them as if they were truth, helping to get this convicted criminal elected president.

When one looks at the president to be and his cabinet nominations, one sees great incompetence ready to take over the reins of government.  The best example of these bad choices is RFK jr. to be in charge of the nation's health.  Vaccinations have been responsible for the eradication of Polio; the reduction (if not elimination) of diseases such as Rubella, Whooping Cough, Measles and Mumps; as well as helping to slow down the spread of Covid-19.  Yet, RFK jr. is the darling of the conspiracy set who believe that vaccinations should be banned.  I have met the man, and found him to be lacking in the things needed to be an effective leader.  And he is only the tip of an iceberg.

I fear what will happen on inauguration day.  Will we be a nation run by idiots?  Or, will congress and the courts come to their senses and stop the executive branch from hastening the decline of our nation?  Only time will give us an answer to these questions....

Frustration - a short post about something other than transgender life

 

I recently attended a co-op board meeting.  Although I won't go into details about what we discussed, I will go into some of my observations in regard to this meeting....

- - - - - -

Knowing what was going to happen at the meeting, I knew to allocate 3 hours of my evening for the board.  This got in the way of my finally doing laundry, but this was my laziness' fault and not the board's fault.  Around 6 pm, I opened up the meeting, and the president gave us the latest status updates on matters of concern.

Around 6:30, we interviewed an applicant who wants to live here, and we reported the result of our vote to the site manager from the old company.  After that, the outgoing site manager gave his report, and we relayed our concerns to him.  But this isn't what frustrated me.  One board member was trying to slow down our decision making, something which would cost the co-op (and our shareholders) big bucks.  I was almost at my breaking point when I told her in no uncertain terms - stop getting in the way.  No one is going to come out of the blue and rescue us - we have to deal with our problems ourselves.  Both the president of the co-op and I are tired of this lady.  She has nothing to offer, and only stands in the way of making any real decisions.

When the meeting ended, I chatted with the board's president about my frustrations, noting that I will take care of a letter that has to be sent out before Xmas.  The problem is that our outgoing management firm may either slow walk the letter, or simply not send it out in time for our shareholders to deal with upcoming changes.  Hopefully, we will get things done on time....

I can't believe I ate the whole thing....

 

 
I was supposed to meet my friend from the census for lunch today.  However, I screwed things up in confirming our get together, and we had to postpone things for 3 weeks.  There is much I had to talk about, and I guess that will have to wait until we recover from holiday season.  But this didn't stop me from having a nice meal out.  No, No, No!  I ended up having lunch at the Mexican joint down the hill from me, and spent money that I didn't need to spend.

It was not easy for me to get up and ready for dinner with the meetup group.  My bed was comfortable, and I was lying on a heating pad being used to help me deal with some back pain I've had for the past couple of days.  Yet, I made sure to get dressed again, and out the door for a second restaurant meal of the day.

Finding a parking space at the lot in back of the restaurant was impossible. Almost everyone seemed to be having their holiday dinners.  Instead of circling the lot for an hour or so, I went to the new parking garage across the street from the first lot, then walked to the restaurant in the rain.  (Too bad that there was no place to put the umbrella when I got to my table, but I digress....)  Of the 4 people who were there when I arrived, I didn't know anyone.  But soon the people I knew came to the table.  

My stomach must be getting smaller, as I was filled after eating a small bowl of chili with chips.  Yet, I had a light salad afterwards - something I wish I had skipped.  Too bad that the restaurant was crowded, as it took forever to get my food.  I'd have liked someone to bus the table earlier, so I didn't have my dirty plates sitting in front of me.  Luckily, the person next to me wasn't eating, so she didn't mind me spreading out a little.

Being in a loud restaurant with a lot of noise isn't pleasing to me.  So, once I paid my bill, I was out the door and on the way home.  Did I enjoy the day?  Not that much.  But I did enjoy some of the food....

 

PS: If you can't remember where I got the title of this entry, watch this old ad.

 

 

And now: Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel

 

When I was young, I loved watching this show.  Yes, it was campy.  But it was fun to watch.  It's a shame that this show was done with a campy style, as the tone of the Batman comics was much darker in spirit.  But what does this have to do with my life?

Well, many of us have to live two separate lives.  One out of circumstance, and the other out of choice.  The first life is what others expect of you.  The other is what you expect from yourself.  Most of the time, our outer and inner lives are in rough synchronization with each other.  Other times, they are not.  In the case of the fictional crime fighter, his Batman persona was a way of coping with the damage done to him in his past.  In my case, it is my true spirit coming out of a cocoon.

Last night (as I write this), I had a conversation with Vicki.  She noted that my personality as Mario and Marian is the same person, just expressed in two very different ways.  RQS sees this, regardless of what clothing I am wearing.  But what is this difference?  Vicki feels that Marian's personality expression reflects the lack of both the familial emotional damage done to Mario as a child and the social emotional damage that would have been done to Marian had she been born with a female body.  There is a certain emotional strength in Marian that Mario could never have, as she never suffered the blows that most children have received while growing up.

Why is this important?

I realize that I never want to give up my life as Marian for anything.  Yet, it is threatened by the undercurrents of today's politics.  A conservative gay man who made a case for same-sex marriage long before it was the law of the land once noted that he was surprised to see this happen in his lifetime.  Same-sex marriage only challenges one of one of our traditional beliefs: Heterosexual relationships are a cornerstone of our society's values.  Society begrudgingly acknowledged gay and lesbian rights and moved on to other struggles.  But that left transgender people with fewer allies.  

The existence of transgenders challenges something more basic in society, the idea that people could be born with the mind of one gender, but be housed in the body of the other.  I'm reminded of a joke from the "Addams Family Values" movie where Morticia delivers her newborn child.  Gomez pops out into the waiting room where everyone is asking: "What is it?"  And Gomex proudly announces: "It's an Addams!"  It's not the answer most of us were expecting to hear, but it is an equally correct one that challenges our standard mode of thinking.  To most of us, one's sex/gender is the most basic form of identification one can have - and it is fixed at birth.  To Gomez, it is simply that he had a healthy child.

Right now, my rights are protected in most of the "Blue States".  But they are being attacked in congress, as Sarah McBride may be denied her right to go to the women's loo in peace.  Sarah understands the nature of the game.  But most people do not.  They see the world in binary terms such as reproductive gender and not the fluidity found throughout nature.

As for me, I will continue exercising my rights to go out as Marian, as this is the personality that best fits who I am.  She may evolve, like most of us do over time.  Yet, she will feel more like a whole person while doing so. This is the most important thing to me - to be true to myself.

Happy New Year - 2025

 

Happy New Year!!!!

(My regular posts will resume tomorrow.)

Thinking about the year soon gone.

 

RQS and I seem to be spending most of our free time together, and we've got a routine that seems to be working for us.  This got me thinking about how my life has changed over the past few years, and how things seem to be crystalizing into something nice this past year.

- - - - - -

At the beginning of the year, I was concerned about visiting my uncle before he passed away.  Sadly, this did not happen, and I ended up taking a California Coastal Cruise by myself - one of the few times I've traveled lately without her.  (Yes, I will note that I booked my Hawaii cruise before I met her, but I did offer to have her come with me on the cruise.)  Our big trip was our Norwegian Cruise in June   And then, we took 2 separate cruises to Bermuda.  Cruising has become our favorite form of vacation, but the idea of visiting places already visited has diminished.  We want to experience new places.  And that may mean changing how we travel and where we go.

As we age, we have to worry a bit about changes in our health.  RQS has had her health problems, and I have had my issues.  I will soon need to search for a new GP, as my doctor is getting old.  He's a good doctor, but I have my issues about reaching his office, and the quality of his staff.  My sleep doctor is retiring at year end, and I need to find out who I will need to see for future follow-ups.  Luckily, the doctor who performed my colonoscopy is young, and I will likely be able to see him when I next need to have the lower part of my GI-Tract inspected.

Getting older often means that one will see his/her peers gradually die off.  Earlier this year, one of the people with whom I went to college suddenly passed away.  My cousin passed away just before RQS and I went on one of our Bermuda cruises.  And last night, I was told that the clinical supervisor for my feminine speech training at Mercy College had passed away due to a heart attack.  I live one of the more unhealthy lifestyles of people I know.  Yet, I've been lucky enough to maintain my addictions to air, water and food.  

Now that I've been out of the workforce for 2+ years, I miss work for only one reason - the social aspect of being in an office.  Towards the end of my work life, I knew that my efforts were underappreciated.  At the bank, I was no longer in the location where the company was growing, I was in a field that was quickly dying off, and I had been unable to make the transition to a new skill set in time to maintain my value to the corporation.  I was a misfit for the first job after leaving the bank .  And then, the next 2 jobs had no room for future growth.  So I'm glad that I have my days to myself.

Even with having days to myself, I'm finding that I'm attending fewer meetups.  More of them are being held on weekends, and I am no longer free on weekends.  More of my time is committed to being with RQS (and her time with me) than I ever had with XGFJ.  We stumbled into a solid relationship, and I make sure to tell her how lucky I feel that she's with me on this part of my journey through life.  Contrast this with my brother's life.  My sister in law's illness has put extreme stress on their relationship, and he stays away from the house to maintain his peace of mind.  Earlier in the year, he booked a Mediterranean cruise for August, and then cancelled it for reasons other than he wanted to mention - I think my sister in law's illness played a part in his decision.  Virtually all of his travel now is without his wife, and I feel sorry that they do not travel together to see their offspring.  I wouldn't trade my life with RQS for his life with his wife.  I prefer to spend my time with RQS when possible.

I am worried about what will happen over the next 4 years.  The president-elect is being reckless with his nominations, and will likely alienate us from the free world.  More important to me is the GOP's attitude towards transgender people.  Although I could live in stealth mode, I don't trust the powers that be not to violate my civil rights.  So I am working on getting a second passport.

So many things are in flux right now.  And yet, I feel calm.  Somehow, I'll find a way to survive and prosper - in spite of the world around me.

 

A day spent doing nothing. (A quick post.)

 

Last night, I decided to wear something pretty to bed.  Little did I know that neither RQS nor I would bother to get dressed to go out today. Thankfully, my apartment is warm enough that I could wear a "little nothing" and feel comfortable all day.

We had no plans for the day, and given the outside temperature, it didn't make sense to go outside.  Instead, RQS straightened out my kitchen while I emptied out a chest of drawers, so that I could buy a more functional chest from Ikea next weekend.  I could then move stuff from the chest that currently holds part of my female wardrobe to a chest whose drawers open and close without difficulty.  (Would it make sense for me to repair the old chest?  Yes.  But I don't have the woodworking tools to take care of this simple task.)

Once our tasks were done, it was time to relax.  And we did so for the rest of the day.  We thought about booking another cruise from a last minute booking list.  But we held off.  I wasn't sure if RQS could afford another trip, and I didn't want to encourage her to take any trips she couldn't afford.

- - - - - -

Luckily, I had more than enough in the house to make a decent dinner.  However, I know that my GP will read the riot act to me when I see him this coming week.  I shudder to get on the scale, as I don't want to know how much I weigh.  Yet, I need to ask the doctor a couple of questions, and this will be my one opportunity to do so.

A visit to the bank and a feast at home

 

As I am one of two people who have signatory powers for the co-op, I was expected to meet the board's president at the bank for whatever tasks were needed as we transfer our operating account from one bank to another, one management company to another.  Since I am only known to the bank as Mario, this determined how I'd dress for the rest of the day.  (The cold weather outside reinforced the decision to dress in Mario mode today as well.)

Around 11 am, I arrived at the bank, and found that our president had mostly completed work at the bank.  All that was left for me was to email a copy of a form to the new managing agent, and to collect reimbursement money for renewing our Zoom account.  And then, we were done.  Now, it was time to rest until I had to pick RQS up at the train station.

At 3:45 pm, I picked RQS up at the station, and then we took a drive to Yorktown and Uncle Giuseppe's.  (Uncle Giuseppe's is an Italian Specialty supermarket with locations in the NYC suburbs.)  Unlike Trader Joe's, where I have a hard time breaking $50 in a typical visit, I broke $100 at Uncle Giuseppe's on this visit.  And this visit only resulted in less than 2 supping bags worth of food.  At least, we got our meal for the night - Zuppa de Pesce. Our next stop was at the Foodtown, where I only wanted to pick up some fresh pasta that I forgot at our prior stop.  And that's where RQS accidentally flushed ker keys down the toilet.  Now, that forced us to get some keys cut sometime this weekend.  

We finally got home and relaxed before I started to prepare dinner - and it was tasty.  Both RQS and I enjoyed our meal and the dessert we had afterwards.  But now, we had another thing to take care of this weekend....

I don't have much to say for today, save that I couldn't eat the whole thing.

 

OK, I know I have to go on a diet other than "See Food".  But when it's a once-a-year dinner at a good restaurant and service is slow, it's hard for me NOT to chow down from the bread basket.

- - - - - -

I didn't want to get up today.  It was raining outside, and they predicted more extreme weather by dinnertime.  For the most part, I stayed in my jammies and watched videos most of the day.  That is until I found a 7-8 year old computer that was once my dad's machine until he passed away.  Although the computer runs Windows 10, it can't be upgraded to Windows 11 because it doesn't have a TPM module.  (Even more important, the machine still uses rotating disk memory and is way too slow compared to modern machines.)  So, I have two Windows 10 machines that can't be upgraded, and I don't know what to do with them.

Next, I had to get showered and dressed.  Although I really want to go out as Marian, I'm not going to out myself to people I'm not sure would respect me after the outing.  (There are still some advantages to presenting as a male, and I have to take advantage of them while on the co-op board.)  Just before I was to pick up my fellow board members, I decided to finally subscribe to a new anti virus platform.  This was easier than I thought it would be.  But it will be way too expensive to stay on this platform after this subscription period ends.

Once done with installing the new software, it was off to pick up my fellow co-op board members, and then to the restaurant.  At the restaurant, we met the new site manager, our accountant and our lawyer.  As much as we discussed formal business with our experts, we also participated in normal social chit chat.  Service was slow, and I ate too much - simply because the bread basket was right in front of me. And then the food came!  In this episode of "(Wo)man vs. Food", Food won this round.  I ended up bringing the seafood home, only to trash it in the dumpster.  After 2-3 hours, I wasn't going to trust the safety of a seafood dish, and I wasn't going to reheat it for tomorrow's meal.  So the only thing I figured I should do is toss the leftovers because it was the safest thing to do.

- - - - - -

Tomorrow will be another day.  And I am scheduled to go to another meetup.  Like the last one, I'm not certain about going.  I'll make a decision about it tomorrow morning....

The Co-Op meeting was the most I could deal with today.

 

It was raining on and off today, and I had to be home in the evening for a co-op board meeting. We had a lot to discuss today, and the (to be) former site manager didn't show up, as he had an excuse (as usual) that prevented him from attending our meeting.  

- - - - - -

If it had been better weather, I'd have liked to go out as Marian and do some shopping.  However, this was not a day to go outside and brave the elements - I wasn't in the mood to get showered and dressed, much less turn myself into Marian and return to Mario mode for the evening. So, I relaxed in bed most of the day, and decided to get ready for the co-op meeting at 6 pm.

6 pm came, and I started the zoom meeting.  Eventually, all of the board members arrived, and we got some more disturbing news about events that took place since our last monthly meeting.  Suffice it to say, that none of us were happy.  One board member keeps acting as if our president can do more than she's already doing, and this pisses off both the president and myself.  This person is as useless as tits on a bull. And we're both tired of her.

Soon enough, the meeting ended - and I am ending up driving 2 people to dinner tomorrow.  Too bad that I have to be in Mario mode for this dinner.  But, I am looking forward to Thursday when I can again present as Marian again.

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming....

 

By the time you read this, Christmas will have passed.  I can't wait for the holiday season to end, as it will allow me to get back to my regularly scheduled activities - such as watching movies NOT related to the holiday.

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I'm writing this post a little over 2 weeks before Christmas.  And a lot will happen between now and then. For example, I will be seeing my doctor for the first time in a few months, and he will likely read me the riot act for not losing weight.  I'll  wear my hair suit, and note that the Zepbound he prescribed is not covered by my drug formulary.  (I'll have to check this out in 2025, as I want to finally do what I've should have been doing all along - live a more healthy life, and lose weight as a byproduct of my actions.  I may need to have a different GLP-1 Agonist drug prescribed for me, so that it is covered by Medicare.)  I'll also be seeing my sleep doctor for the last time before he retires, and get a referral to a new sleep doctor.  (I'll also ask him for a copy of my script, so that I can buy a travel CPAP unit.)

Not all of the things that will be going on in my life will be health related.  For example, RQS and I will be attending a choral performance where one of the singers has been a member of the Yonkers gaming group I belong to.  A week later, we will be seeing Darlene Love in concert again.  She doesn't yet know that I also plan to buy her tickets to a Broadway show that will be performed on the same day that her Boston friend wants her there for a baby shower.  RQS will be very happy that I've made it possible for her to decline the invite, saying that I surprised her with show tickets.

There will be some serious things that must be taken care of.  My co-op is switching to a new management firm, and we have to make sure that we do our part in this transition.  For example, I've already had to sign paperwork to give me signing authority for the co-op, and access to the bank accounts being opened up for us.  We'll soon have our yearly holiday dinner, and that will give us the chance to get to know our new site manager in an informal setting.  Hopefully, they will do a much better job for us than the old firm has done.

Of course, I'll be catching up on my social engagements, such as seeing my friend from the census, as well as attending a meetup or two that will take place before the holiday.  I expect that I'll be quite busy through year end.  Hopefully, I'll be spending most of my time as Marian, and not as Mario.  Christmas Eve dinner will be spent as Marian, and I'm hoping we get an invite, so that New Year's Eve can be spent this way as well.  Keep your fingers crossed....

Merry Christmas 2024

 

Merry Christmas!

(I'll be back tomorrow with more posts.)

The stockings were hung up with care.... (a quick post)

 

As I write this, it is 2 weeks before Christmas eve.  Hopefully, all of my readers will be with close friends and/or family by the time you read this.

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This weekend, RQS was up in Croton.  Saturday night,we decided to see the movie "Juror #2" as it will soon be out of the theaters and only available on streaming.  I won't give away too much of the film's plot.  But if you are a fan of "12 Angry Men", you may like this film.  If it is Clint Eastwood's last film, he has directed a film that could give him a fitting end to his directorial career.

Sunday was a day I'd have liked to stay in bed.  Instead, we went to the Hudson River Museum, and viewed the first floor or Glenview, its former exhibition space.  As much as I'd like to say that I enjoyed this visit, my back was killing me, as I have a hard time standing in one place for a long period of time.  Yet, I can say that Glenview is a worthwhile place to visit, and I recommend visiting when you are in Yonkers.

I finally figured out what I can get RQS for Christmas.  Although I already have 2 gifts for her, she deserves something else.  Right now, I won't post it here, so that it remains a surprise.  But I can say that it will prevent her from having to visit a friend that she doedn't want to visit during the winter.

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The good thing about the weekend is that I was able to be out and about as Marian.  All too soon, I would have to spend time as Mario - and will feel very uncomfortable for those two days.  At least, tonight, I'll have a chance to speak with my friends in Texas....

Beware of using credit cards on poorly designed web sites.

 

Happy Holidays!  This is the time of year where many small organizations raise money by holding concerts, giving special tours, and organizing  special events.  However, many of these organizations do not have professional web site designers, nor do they have the same kinds of payment security needed in an internet filled with scammers and hackers.

Last night, my partner decided to buy tickets for 2 choral concerts and a museum visit on their web sites.  Her actions resulted in getting triple billed by one choral society, properly billed by the museum, and no bill at all from the other choral society.  Without the ability to contact anyone related to the triple charge, she will need to dispute the triple charge with her credit card company.

This led me to think: How many of these small sites can be easily hacked, and money stolen from credit card users?  I'm pretty sure that few of these sites are contracting out to firms like Speedpay to handle their credit card processing. (Speedpay is mostly used by larger firms, such as a foreign car manufacturer.)  However, I'm less certain that they are not working with other firms whose specialty is handling small business transactions.

With all of the risks of doing business online, I find it amazing that we do so many online transactions. I do business with many small businesses, and have been lucky enough not to have gotten burnt by scammers (or not noticing a minor scalding.)  Yet, I try to research new sites before doing any business with them.  Often, I wait to hear that a friend has successfully done business with a firm before doing business with it myself.  Even then, I still have a degree of risk I have to deal with.

The other day, I learned about 2 potential cruisers who got scammed by a fake travel site advertised on Facebook.  They were told to pay for their cruise using the Cash.App application.  To me, this would have been the first clue that the travel site is a scam.  Not for these 2 people.  They ended up going to the pier, ready to board the ship, and then they found out that they were scammed.  OUCH! 

In the end, one has to use both common sense and skepticism when paying for things on the internet.  If we'd do just a little more than we do now, many of these scammers might go elsewhere.