I decided to spend another day in NYC

 

Do you think I really need to take this class?  Probably not.  Yet, there are some things about building sites using WordPress that may be of use to me.  Specifically, I want to leave something NOT connected to Google's blogger for my co-op's long term use. Given that this is a free class, I don't expect too much from it.  But it will be an opportunity for me to visit NYC, take the class, have a light dinner, and then see a (Off ?) Broadway play at half price.

The first question I have is: Do I attend as Mario or as Marian?  Given that I will likely be one of many people here, I will likely blend into the woodwork either way.  Since it will likely be in the low 80's, I will likely go as Marian and wear a summery dress to be comfortable in the expected weather for the day of the class.  After this, I have to determine which play to see.  This is the harder question for me to answer, as I don't want to spend a lot of money right now. So far, I lean towards seeing "Operation Mincemeat", 

Todaytix.com describes Operation Mincemeat as follows:

How did a dead body, a fake love letter, and — of all people — Ian Fleming turn the tide of World War II? Winner of the 2024 Olivier Award for Best New Musical and the most acclaimed West End show ever with 77 five-star reviews (and now four Tony Award nominations), Operation Mincemeat tells the chaotic true story you couldn’t make up if you tried. It’s 1943, the Allies are losing, and there’s only one thing left to do: risk it all on a stolen corpse. Singin’ in the Rain meets Strangers on a Train in this fast-paced, hilarious musical retelling of a twisted secret mission. 

Yes, this story is derived from a real life story which has been made into a movie.  I figure that it may be a fitting thing to see given that this play, like my last, is inspired by a gruesome reality.

Big question: How do I fit in a bite to eat between the time the class ends and the time the play begins?

A return to Savor

This is one side of Savor in Mahopac, NY.  There is a restaurant on the other side of the building that RQS and I went to over the weekend - and we'd both want to go back there soon.

But first....

As usual, I have yet to make a major dent in the clutter in my apartment before RQS arrived for the weekend.  So, before she arrived, I started to fold/store the laundry I had in the baskets from yesterday, then hang up much of the clothes hanging on my closet's  sliding  door guides. Even so, the apartment remained in its usual state of disorganization when I went to pick RQS up at the station.

It's a matter of fact, that I will usually be wearing a nice dress when I pick RQS up at the station.  Today, I was wearing a short, sleeveless, denim dress, as I was expecting warm and humid weather outside - and I was right.  One of the first things that RQS mentioned was that it was warmer than expected.  I responded, noting that it was 90° outside. Then, she realized why she was feeling warm, as 4 pm is often the warmest part of the day in summer weather.

Since both of us were hungry, I asked RQS if she wanted to try the restaurant I went to at a recent meetup. So, I drover to Mahopac, and pulled into the last parking spot in front of the restaurant.  Walking in, I was greeted by the same waitress who served our meetup group, and she remembered me from earlier in the week.  We were seated inside, and told that we should be done by 6 pm, as a large party was expected then.  This was not going to be a problem for us, as it was only 4:30 pm, and I knew we'd be out before 5:30 pm.  Once we sat down, I looked for the menu items I had on my last visit - and I was not disappointed.  RQS chose a half-size portion of her pasta dish, and still had leftovers to bring home.

It was a nice start to a weekend....

 

What do you do when you've bought way too many clothes?

 

I love how I looked when this picture was taken years ago.  It was a period where I was exploring my feminine side, as well as making many clothing mistakes which enabled people to "clock" me.  Now, I have developed a reasonable self-confidence, but have an overflowing closet to show for it.

Going through my closets tends to be a disruptive experience.  Tossing things I never wear into donation bags isn't the problem.  Instead, it'd the feeling that I might just wear these garments again (or for the first time) in the future.  There are dresses in my closet that I haven't worn yet thanks to Universal Standard's mystery boxes, as well as dresses in the closet which no longer excite me.  So, pruning my closet is the only logical thing I can do.

A similar thing has to be done with my undies and my bras.  The difference is that whatever I no longer want to wear has to go into the trash bin.  Yet, this isn't as hard as it could be.  Whenever I find something on the verge of wearing out, I toss it.  Given that I've been buying a better grade of undies than I originally bought in the stores, my old drawer of "unmentionables" is getting a refreshment as well.

Years ago, I complained that my late wife was a clothes horse.  Well, the only difference between us in this area is that I can afford to keep myself in a refreshed wardrobe at will....   

A trip to Daryl's House with Vicki

 

Daryl Hall (of Hall and Oates) owns a music venue in Pawling, NY that was once occupied by the Towne Crier Cafe (now in Beacon, NY).  Tonight, one of Vicki's favorite performers, Martin Sexton, performed there, and we went up for dinner and a show.

- - - - - -

My day started with me starting to write an entry for my cruise related blog.  Although experienced travelers would have packing for a cruise down to a science, inexperienced travelers might need guidance.  This entry is meant to give those people some of the guidance they need.  While writing this entry, I decided to catch up on laundry, and put 3 loads through the washer and dryer.  By the time the laundry was done, I turned off the computer, brought the laundry upstairs, and then proceeded to get ready to meet Vicki at her place.

Given how warm it was today, I decided to wear the dress above.  I figured that the less I wore, the less oppressive this weather would be for me.  Even this would make me feel like I was wearing too much due to the heat and humidity outside.  But I digress.  Leaving my apartment at 4:45 pm, I knew that I'd make it to Vicki's place by 5:00 pm.  Yet, Vicki was expecting me to be a little late, and we didn't start our journey to Pawling for another 10 minutes.

Now, driving to Pawling during rush hour is rarely a pleasant drive.  If one takes the most commonly used routes from Vicki's house, one would drive to Route 684, then follow Route 22 North to Pawling.  One problem - traffic along this stretch of road moves very slow during rush hour.  So, Vicki consulted Google for directions (I feel that she depends on Google too much for my taste), and it took us through back roads to get near Pawling.  Given how remote this area is, I would not consider returning via this road at night.

On our way there, we discussed many things - with Vicki trying to take control of the conversation when I was discussing will making.  I didn't need any advice on how to make a will.  Instead, I simply needed to figure out what I want to have done with my assets when I pass away.  I wasn't venting. All I was doing was to state where my mind was at, and she went into problem solving mode.  Thankfully, I have her as a friend and not as a spouse. 

We reached Pawling at 6:00 pm, and were seated 1 table away from the stage.  I ordered the fried calamari appetizer and a huge pork chop for dinner - and I'd order both again the next time we are there.  Dinner was over for us around 7:00 pm, and we killed an hour before Martin Sexton came on stage.  Both of us enjoyed his performance of Beatle songs (his latest album covered the entire Abbey Road album), and I found it interesting that Vicki enjoyed some Beatle music.  (Long story here, which I'm not in the mood to cover now.)  After a break, he performed a set of his own music, and the show was over by 10:00 pm.

For our return, Vicki knew that the easiest way home was the most direct way home.  I was home by 11:00 pm and ready to call it a night.
 

 

The Outlaw Is Dead!

 

With an entry title like this, one might think we'd be celebrating another person's death.  But in this case, I am talking about a visit to NYC to see the play "Dead Outlaw" on Broadway.  As much as I should have gone into NYC yesterday when the weather was cooler, or earlier today, when more tickets were available, I have no complaints.  The play was well worth what I paid to see it.

But first....

I keep adding more clothes to the "Dirty Laundry" baskets, and I have enough to fill two washers.  Since RQS is coming up on Friday, I figured that I could either do the wash today, or put it off until tomorrow.  Guess what I chose?  If you thought I'd stop putting this task off, you'd be wrong.  If anything, I started putting winter clothes into storage containers, and figured that I have to start on a third donation bag with excess clothing that's currently in the closet.

Around 3:30 pm, I decided that I was finally going to go into into NYC to see a Broadway play.  Only one problem.  By the time I would get to Croton-Harmon station, I would be on the margin of being able to get tickets to one of the plays I want to see before those plays started.  As I got to the station, the 4:46 pm train was leaving the platform.  So I took my time walking to the elevator to the ticketing area.  At the elevator, there was a mob of friends packed inside and the doors weren't closing.  Taking the stairs, I got to the ticketing area at the same time as this group.  Luckily, I was able to get to one of the ticket vending machines without having to wait for this group to be done,  And then, I had to wait 20 minutes for the train.

Once on the train, it took me 45 minutes to cool down from the heat outside.  Thankfully, I was wearing one of my favorite dresses, as I would have died if I were wearing much else.  (Too bad that I have to wear wigs, as they don't allow my head to radiate heat the way natural hair would allow.)  When I got to Grand Central Terminal, I skipped the chance to take a bio-break, and this would be a concern later on  I took the crosstown subway, then walked to the TKTS office in Times Square to buy a ticket for a Broadway play.

For those readers not familiar with NYC, Times Square has been a place that true New Yorkers avoid as much as possible.  It is a place fit only for tourists and for people in transit to Broadway plays.  Assuming one has taken the subway to Times Square / 42nd street, even a native New Yorker can get confused where uptown and downtown is due to the buildings with scaffolding on them - it's hard to see the street signs and traffic lights which give clues as to which way to walk.  So it took me a couple of minutes to find my way to Duffy Square (at the Northern end of the Times Square area) and the TKTS office.

Of the plays I wanted to see, only Dead Outlaw was on sale.  $95 later, with ticket in hand, I went to the theater and went to my seat.  (Or, I thought it was my seat.)  A few minutes later, the usher came by and directed me to another seat - he mistakenly told me to sit in the wrong seat.  Now, I was dead center, 7 rows out, with no way to sneak out for a bio-break.  Throughout the next 1 hour, 40 minutes, I was hoping that the play would end soon, so that I could go to the loo.  Yet, even with this annoyance, I enjoyed the play.  Would I have paid $190 to see it at full price?  No.  But for $95, it was worth it to me.

Before I go on too far, Dead Outlaw is a musical based on a real person's life and afterlife.  Elmer McCurdy was a person who lived a complicated life, wanting to become a bandit from childhood.  His life took him in many directions, and he ended up becoming an incompetent bandit before being shot to death in 1911. And that's the beginning of his afterlife story.  The coroner who embalmed his body mummified him, and charged money for people to see his corpse.  The body ended up being an exhibit in several traveling shows, a prop for movies, and a display for a scary amusement park ride before being forgotten about for decades. It was only in the 1970's did the body show up again, and finally put in its final resting place.  Hopefully, they will find a way to make this person's life and afterlife into a movie.

But back to the play....

I first heard a clip of the musical's opening number being sung in front of the Coney Island Sideshow Museum - and it was a perfect fit to be performed there.  (Sadly, I can't find that clip now.)  So, it became one of several musicals I wanted to see.  The music was a blend of rock and Broadway styles, and had an energy that I like in my musicals.  The story was wonderfully macabre, without being gruesome.  Once one gets used to the main character being a corpse for 45 minutes, it's fun.

Luckily for me, the play ended with enough time left to make it to the ladies' room without incident.  As I left the theater, I fought the usual Times Square crowds to make it to the shuttle, and grabbed a bite to eat when I got to Grand Central.  Sadly, the train I took home stopped at Yankee Stadium, and got crowded with fans who saw the home team lose.  At least, the play had a happy ending - the corpse is finally buried, encased in 6 inches of concrete (to prevent further use of the corpse).

I had lunch with "Short" Vicki today, and I'm glad we're friends who live in different worlds.

 

Last night, I didn't get a good night's sleep.  Although I went to bed earlier than usual, I passed out around 2 am, and woke up sometime around 5 am for a bio-break.  At this point, my body was awake enough to resist falling back to sleep, causing me to wish that I didn't have lunch scheduled with "Short" Vicki today.

- - - - - -

Vicki made a mistake in the choice of restaurant.  She thought it would be open at 11:30 am, and it didn't open until noon.  This didn't matter much, as I noted that I was feeling a little bit "Off" today.  Could it be the ennui I've been feeling as of late?  Or, could I be suffering with over stimulation to what's going on in the world as of late.  In short, I don't feel like I'm accomplishing much, and that I don't have the energy to participate in life.  Hopefully, Vicki will understand the mental malaise I've been dealing with lately.

We caught up on what's been going on in our lives, and I realized that she and I live in two very different worlds.  She's out and about regarding her sexuality, where I still keep part of myself in a closet - for practical reasons, given this administration.  Vicki said that I shouldn't fear US Customs upon returning to the US from a cruise, but I can't be sure of this given how border control has been hassling "certain people".  I don't want to get caught in their BS and be the person who has to fight to defend myself. But then, I'll admit that I could be over reacting to the news as of late.  Yet, I feel that my knowledge of history is telling me to be werry, werry careful - Elmer the snowflake may soon be hunting transgender wabbits.

- - - - - -

After lunch, I went home to rest.  And I know that I passed out on the couch watching TV.  This is what I needed, although I am likely to be up through the night.  I'll catch up on some of my chores tomorrow....

I'm lucky to live in the Northeast USA

 

Recently, I read a report (I can't find it right now) which lists 6 Northeastern states as being the most friendly to the LGBT community.  I am lucky to live in one of these states.  However, it saddens me that I can't risk visiting a state which is among the most LGBT unfriendly states in the union - Texas.  I'd love to take RQS with me and pay a visit to our 2 friends who live in the Dallas area.

As I've mentioned, I watch a lot of YouTube videos generated by people who have valuable things to say, most of which are well informed on the subjects they discuss.  (There's a lot of garbage out there.  So it takes time to separate the wheat from the chaff.)  One of the videographers I watch is a Floridian who discusses the problems with owning Florida real estate and how overvalued it is right now.  Recently, this gentleman came to New York City and did a video on our real estate market.  Instead of trashing it, he felt (based on objective measurements) that New York City real estate (especially Manhattan real estate) is undervalued.  New York, like major Northeastern cities, is a place where there are not enough places to live.  Yet, it is a place that has many opportunities for those who want to put up with the headaches of living here.

If I choose to take a land trip as Marian, I'll likely be in the Northeast - heading to Washington, DC may not be safe as long as the Orange Snowflake is in power, as its local laws can (and often are) overridden by congress.  This is not a problem for me, as I have yet to explore Northeast in the way the region deserves.  Specifically, I am interested in visiting Boston as Marian and getting to know the city in the way I've gotten to know DC.

For the most part, cities such as New York are cities where people "live and let live".  We are too busy with our own affairs to have the time to cause problems for others.  Since opportunities abound here, we have fewer temptations to retreat into attitudes of the past than if we lived in areas of fewer opportunities. I feel lucky to live in the Lower Hudson Valley, as I have access to New York City and to the rural beauty of the Upper Hudson Valley.  Within a "short" drive, I have access to much of New England.  Even though the Northeast has a highly dense population, there is a lot of rural beauty easily accessible to many who live here.

Could I live elsewhere? Likely not anymore.  Having a relationship with RQS who lives in New York City ties me to this region.  Any move I make would need to consider her needs as well.  Since she can't drive, we would need to be in a place with excellent mass transit.  This rules out much of the USA - especially rural areas of the nation.  I'm glad that I own my apartment, as well as half of a rental property.  At this stage of my life, I can afford to travel - and I expect to do more of this in the region in which I live and express my authentic self.

This past weekend was too short

 

Laffing Sal.  RQS and I will likely be visiting her when we next visit San Francisco.  Although she is a simple, decades old animatron, she is the best symbol of San Francisco's Musee Mechanique at Pier 45. For me, seeing her in person says I am really in "Fog City" and am ready for a great adventure.

Why do I mention his mechanical wonder?

RQS and I are counting down the days until our next two cruises (the first to Canada and the second to Alaska.) This limits the time I can help my brother with work that has to be done on the family homestead before we can rent it out.  This past weekend, I cut a weekend with RQS short, so I could help my brother with the house.

I knew I would have one problem.  Not doing any dirty work around the apartment, I don't have any clothes I can sacrifice for painting the basement.  And I'm glad my brother gave me an out, saying that I can keep him company while he finishes applying "mud" to the drywall, so that he can paint it during the week.  Hopefully, we can get the work finished before mid June, so that we may have someone renting the place by August.

After my brother was done with the work on the house, we drove to a buffet and enjoyed a good meal.  I rarely go to buffets, as I eat too much.  But here, the food was worth it - including the Asian Snails.  This visit, I skipped the sushi in favor of hot food.  Yet, I knew I'd pay for the indulgence later on.  

All too soon, the day ended, and it was time to go home.  Tomorrow, I'll go to my first meetup in a while.

Bringing some of my 2nd wardrobe to RQS's place.

 

As most of my readers know, my girlfriend/partner, RQS, is comfortable with me being in Marian mode when we're outside together. She's traveled with me in Marian mode, and will likely do it again when the Orange Snowflake is out of power. In the near future, I'll be bringing some of my feminine wardrobe to RQS's place (she's OK with this), as the weather will be perfect for both of us to be spending time in dresses on warn NYC summer days.  

Why is this important?

Most of us gender variant people (transgenders, bi-genders, cross-dressers, etc.) who don't fit into the traditional gender binary do not have spouses/partners who are comfortable with our non-traditional presentations. I am one of those lucky ones that do, something I wouldn't have dreamed of 6 years ago when I was dating XGFJ.  

I will take things slowly, bringing only a small subset of my wardrobe to RQS's place - 4 or 5 sets of undies, socks, dresses, and the makeup I'll need to go out with her.  (I'll also bring some shoes and other accoutrements.) I'll take care not to overwhelm her with my feminine things, as well as keeping the space they take up to be a minimum.  (She has very little storage space in her apartment.)  But this will be a milestone for us, as both sides of me will be present in her place.  We are blending households - but in two apartments we are keeping for the foreseeable future.

Hopefully, I will have more good news to write about over time, as I'd rather write about things like this than write about how MAGA is trying to persecute us.  Either way, I'll write about it.

 

This emperor wannabe has no clothes.

 

The Emperor has no Clothes!  I don't mean this in a literal sense,  But I do mean it in the sense that he only has power if we act is if he has any power.  However, he is losing most of his cases in court, and his administration is screwing up the rest of them due to DOJ attorneys being chosen for loyalty instead of competence.

The first example of his losing is NYC's congestion zone tolling that's been in place since January 2025.  One would think that he'd have a good case against NYC before ordering NYC to remove congestion zone tolls.  Recently retracted documents show that the Snowflake's lawyers have a very weak case.  Several months after the Snowflake's original removal deadline, these tolls are still in place and are doing their job better than NYC could have hoped.  Although the case is still in the legal system, it is doubtful that NYC will lose the case.  Simply put, the Snowflake made a threat that he had no power to cause harm to his intended victim, NYC.

Recently, the Snowflake suffered an even greater defeat- a little known federal court ruled that Congress had sole authority to levy tariffs, and could not unilaterally delegate this to the Executive branch of government. In short, even though the court's order is stayed on appeal, the Snowflake is again being checked by the courts.

Now, the "TACO" phrase is being applied to the Snowflake.  TACO - Trump Always Chickens Out.  People have gotten wise to him, and know that he will usually back down at the first sign of resistance. His so-called tariff deals are much ado about nothing.  Does one remember what happened to the Canada and Mexico tariffs?  What about the UK tariffs?  After a large amount of bluster, not much has changed, save that people no longer want to do business with America while the Snowflake is in office. Foreign governments know what TACO stands for, and are taking advantage of it.  Even better, Jimmy Kimmel has a new video for "Taco Man"!

So, how are transgenders being affected by the Snowflake's actions as of late?  Memorial Day weekend marks the graduation day for cadets in our service academies.  There were 3 transgender cadets who graduated, but weren't given their commissions because of the Snowflake.  They had until June 7th to resign or be involuntarily discharged. If they voluntarily resign, they will be responsible for the cost of their education.  If they are forced out, their education was for free.  I wonder how this saves money for the American taxpayer?

 

PS: West Point Cadets may have shown the Snowflake their disapproval of his actions by refusing to shake his hand at their graduation ceremony.  Although he may have shaken some hands, more of them didn't - officially because he left early. I'm not sure of what the objective truth is.  But I'm sure that many cadets were glad to be able to follow their honor code by not honoring a 34-count felon who is temporarily in charge of our executive branch of government.

 

 

 

 

 

Financial stuff by day, with an open afternoon and evening.

 

The above sign was posted through London (from what I recall from history books) throughout "The Blitz".  It is something that we should keep in mind today, as the implied message is: "You have no control of when your number is up. So focus on the here and now, instead of worrying about the future."  In an age where our media wants us to live in fear, so they can have more eyeballs and ears, it's hard to keep our focus on the present.  But that's what I had to do with issues facing the co-op, and with issues affecting me as a transgender person.

Today started out with a meeting with a representative from our lender, as we look to deal with issues resulting from problems which occurred last year.  We were prepared for the worst, but the meeting went better than expected.  There is a good way to deal with our issue, and I expect that we'll finally see some movement on things soon.

Next up was a phone call to the lab testing company.  Two weeks ago, my doctor ordered some blood tests, and I received a bill for them.  After making the call, I found out that the doctor's office keeps supplying incorrect information to the lab, and that they keep billing the wrong insurance carrier.  The billing problem has been fixed with the lab test company.  But now, I have to hector the doctor's office to get things straight when they send things off to the lab test company, as the doctor's office keeps overwriting information I have corrected each time they order a lab test.

After taking care of morning activities, put on a dress (with leggings) and went on a Costco and Stew Leonard's shopping run.  It was a good way to waste some time.  But it was not a good way to stay frugal.  At least, I got a year's supply of AA and AAA batteries out of the trip....

 

And now, a break from my usual rants for Flag Day

 

Rufus T. Firefly.  It's one of Groucho's characters that will always strike a chord with me. In art, it's because Groucho trashed pomposity, politics and war in a single film.  In only 69 minutes, the 3 Marxes do to society what we should be doing now - refusing to show any respect to our president and the corrupt people who keep him in power.  I can only imagine what Groucho would be saying if he could see the idiocy going on in Washington, DC right now.

Today's post is a break from my normal routine where the day's events in my life are posted roughly 2 weeks after they have occurred.  Normally, Flag Day would be a day where we celebrate the meaning of America's flag and all the symbolism around it.  On a typical Flag Day that falls on a weekend, we might hear strains of Sousa marches playing as fireworks are shot off nearby.  However, this year is different.  The Orange Snowflake wants a military parade in Washington, DC to celebrate his 80th (?) birthday.  This disgusts me to say the least.

I'm not a person who gives much of a damn about holidays, especially one for which the banks do not close.  But now, the "taste" of Flag Days because the snowflake tried to make the holiday all about him. If I want to watch a "Clown Show" about a country going off to war, I won't have to watch the news.  Instead, I can enjoy myself and watch "Duck Soup", an infinitely more enjoyable way to spend 69 minutes.  I know that Rufus T. Firefly wins his war against the very pomposity that the snowflake loves.  So, I'll close out today's post with....

Hail, Hail Freedonia, land of the free and brave!

It's so easy to be depressed these days

 

There's a certain emptiness that I've been feeling as of late.  Social tensions around the world are propelling those in the developed world, left behind by social and economic change, to attempt to turn the clock back to a time where their privileges put them in a more comfortable place.  (Whew.  That was a lot to say in one sentence!)  In short, the "former haves" in the developed world want to go back to the 1950's where Gays/Lesbians were in the closet, Latinos hid their identity, and Blacks "knew their place".  The only transgender person that people knew about was Christine Jorgensen, and she didn't elicit the fear in some people that an out-of-the-closet transgender person does today, 

It is easy to want to retreat into a fantasy world.  But many of us are unable to do so for the next 3 ⅔ years.  They have either socially and/or medically transitioned long ago, and their legal/social identities differ from those assigned at birth.  Over time, many of us will gradually lose the ability to get passport renewals due to the Orange Snowflake's hatred of transgender people.  But what can we do to keep sane in a crazy world?

First, we have to partially disconnect from social media, as well as excessively biased news media.  Social media platforms, such as Facebook, are geared to keep us clicking on the latest "news" whenever we hear our cell phones beep.  So, find ways to turn the beep off if possible, and then skim the platform on a device other than a cell phone.  Staying informed of the news while disconnecting will be harder.  We have to choose local (if possible) stations that focus on community news, and not propaganda being poured down our throats.  (I'm reminded here of one TV station holding corporation whose "newscasts" I'd avoid, as they require all of their newscasters to present a propaganda segment as if it were local news.) 

Second, defend critical thought.  The snowflake is attacking Harvard University because it rejected his son.  Good riddance!  The snowflake is vengefully punishing Harvard for this rejection.  Now is the time to support institutions such as Harvard for standing their ground and maintaining their values.  Why, you might ask, is this important?  Every time that the snowflake causes us to give up a piece of our humanity, we give up parts of our freedoms.  At first, we might limit what we can say in public.  Next, it might be who we do business with. And then, we could be wrongfully putting people into prison camps - or worse.  It happened once in Central Europe, and could happen here now.  People are weak, and they would rather live in fear than to take the risks which would set them free.  So, stand your ground whenever possible. 

Finally, the Orange Snowflake is a bully.  Bullies tend to be weaklings who have mastered an art of projecting power.  Don't be afraid to challenge a bully if you have the power to fight back.  If the law is on your side, use the court system to stop him and his minions.  If public opinion is on your side, use it to attack him.  And, if there is any form of resistance you can offer, no matter how insignificant it may seem, then offer it.  The most important thing one can do to a bully is to show how weak s/he really is.  Resistance and always being aware does just that.

It's so easy to be depressed.  But don't be.  We live in challenging times, and we overcome.  It will take time, effort, and money.  And we have the lessons of the past, from prior civil rights movements showing us the way.  So keep calm and carry on.

 

Even with better editing and film reconstruction, Caligula is still a Turkey.

 

Before anyone starts to make noises about Caligula, the Ultimate Cut, one must know the history of the film and of this version of the film.  When Caligula was filmed in the 1970's, Bob Guccione's edit was so pornographic that many of the principals wanted their names removed from the film's credits.  This film took only unused film shot by the film's original director, and was assembled to follow the original screenwriter's script as much as possible.  And yet, there is not much that could be done with this film due to the nature of its subject - the Emperor Caligula.

The 1979 version of the film is purely pornographic, and a total waste of time and money.  But, how do you deal with a subject like Caligula?  He had an incestuous relationship with his sister, he raped both women and men, he participated in orgies, he turned the wives of Roman Senators into Prostitutes and more.  With a cast that includes Malcolm McDowell, John Gielgud, Peter O'Toole and Helen Mirren, the film had a chance of being a must-watch.  It would be impossible to deal with the subject of Caligula without watering down the story to where it has no meaning.  Instead, Bob Guccione, the publisher of Penthouse Magazine decided to film extra pornographic scenes, and this film became a guilty pleasure for many.

The 2023 version of this film is infinitely more watchable, but it is still hard to watch. None of the original film appears in this cut, as it has been reconstructed only from footage shot by the original film crew.  Bob Guccione had nothing to do with this edit. Yet, it would be hard to avoid the extreme excesses that define Caligula's life.  For example, an early scene is an orgiastic sequence where the emperor Tiberius shows Caligula the facts of an emperor's life. Information given in this early sequence is mentioned towards the end of the film, letting the audience in on the assassination yet to come.  There is virtually no way to tame down Caligula to make any film about this man more palatable to modern audiences.

So, was it worth the $13 (senior rate) I spent to see this film?  Probably not.  But do I regret seeing this film?   No. 

Forgetfulness and old age

Like many old folk, I notice that my memory isn't as quick or as sharp as it once was.  I can remember the days when I could work on a computer program 500 pages long and remember the exact page and "paragraph" a section of code could be found.  Now days, it takes me longer to remember things, as well as having only a vague idea where that memory comes from.

Today, I got dressed in one of the 2 dresses I received from Universal Standard this weekend while RQS packed to go home.  Having dropped RQS off at Croton-Harmon around 1:45, I proceeded to take a short drive and then have lunch.  Just as I was ready to take a long bio-break (my GI Tract was acting up again), RQS called me - she couldn't find the medicine she was supposed to being home.  AARGH!  I looked around the apartment and found nothing.  Although I'd look into the back of my car when I went out to the movies, I told her what I didn't find.  (Last week she left the medicine in the ice box.  Now, she left it where it can't be found.)

Luckily, she is going to the doctor's office tomorrow, and hopefully, she can get an early refill of the prescription.  If not, we'll deal with things then.  Getting old is a bitch, but it's better than the alternative. 

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Postscript:

RQS Called both her pharmacy and her insurance company.  All she needs is a new prescription from the doctor she will see in the morning.  This will allow her to get her drugs without having to pay an exorbitant fee for them.

Setting up a new blog for the co-op

 

 

Years ago, I decided to set up a blog for my co-op.  I maintained it for a while, and then let it go fallow.  Covid had gotten in the way of things, and then we had no one interested in showing up for our annual meetings.  Realizing that no one cared that much about communications with our shareholders, so I dropped work on the bog.

Recently, my co-op got into a financial bind due to no fault of our own (I can't go into details here), and we've had a minor shareholder revolt caused by a maintenance increase and an assessment to pay for some bank imposed costs.  One shareholder (the apartment below me) is demanding to see all of our co-op's records to determine whether some fraud is occurring (it is not).  Another shareholder sent a letter to all residents - but did not pay postage, as s/he either paid off the postman to insert these letters into our mailboxes, or had an illegal copy of the postbox key.  But I digress....

One of the good things that has come of this is a recognition from our co-op president that we need better communications with our shareholders.  So, I dusted off the blog I let go fallow and brought it up to date.  I'll admit that I back filled some entries, but I made no effort to do a detailed back fill which would take a lot of effort.  I figured that I might need to delete most of the prior posts, so it wasn't worth it so say much other than to mention that shareholder meetings were held, quorums were not achieved, and the prior board remained in power, because not enough people were interested in participating in the election.

To safeguard things, I have decided to make the co-op blog an invite-only blog, so that only shareholders have access to it.  When the board gives its OK, I will begin the process of getting a domain name fr the co-op, and attaching the blog to it.  Eventually, I will flesh things out a little more and have something which will be useful to our co-op's shareholders.  Until then, I will work on convincing the board that we need to communicate better, and that this blog will be one of the tools we will use to do so.

A trip for lobster ended in Fettucine Alfredo (a short post)

 

RQS came up this past Thursday, and we knew we were going to do a few things over the long weekend. But, for the most part, we would relax and chill out.

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We woke up on Friday, and relaxed most of the day (as usual).  Around midday, we got showered and dressed, then went out for a couple of errands.  First, we drove down to Yonkers to return her old phone (she traded it in last week for her new phone) to the cell phone store.  My plan was to NOT pick up lobsters until the drive home, as we would not have refrigeration, and I didn't want them to go bad before getting home.  So, when we drove back home, we stopped into the local Shoprite - and....  NO LOBSTER! The crustaceans were sold out for the day.

What could we do?  I had some leftover rotisserie chicken in the refrigerator, and we decided to make some Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo. So, we changed our plans.  Today, we'd eat pasta. And tomorrow, we'd eat lobster. So, we picked up some pasta and some cheese for grating, then home we went.

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RQS has gotten used to seeing me in dresses, and this weekend would be no different - my nails were polished, and there was no way Mario would appear until the polish was removed.  If we woke up, got dressed, and got out early enough, we might take a long drive and go to a museum.  However, I knew we wouldn't be doing this.  When was the last time either of us woke up early?  And for this weekend, when would it be warm enough for me to enjoy wearing a dress (sans leggings) outside?

There's a hole in the bucket, Dear Liza, a hole....

 

In a little over a year, my co-op has gone from a place where I'd be glad to own an apartment to one where I wish I could sell the place and be done with it.  Being on the board of directors, I am not able to talk about any of the details why I feel this way.  But I can say that I (and other shareholders) have received letters from one outraged shareholder complaining about how things have been managed.

Why is this an issue?

Being on the board puts me at financial risk if we were held liable for the problems the co-op is facing.  Right now, I think we'd win our case if ever brought to court.  But I'm very concerned about my financial future, given that I'd have an extremely hard time recovering (if possible) from any judgements.  Luckily, our lawyer is on the case, and we are taking proactive steps to resolve our issues.

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Our problem is one that I can see us finding a way to resolve.  But there are many other condos and co-ops in this country which have problems worse than ours.  For example, the collapse of an apartment tower in Florida caused the state to enact legislation to deal with Home Owner Associations (HOAs) who have kicked the can down the road, deferring essential maintenance that would keep their buildings safe for residency.  Due to this law, many condos in Florida are effectively worthless, given the rise of HOA fees and assessments needed to bring their properties up to snuff.  (My co-op has continually maintained our property, and was in excellent shape until the beginning of 2024.)

Right now, I am very concerned that things will keep getting worse all over.  Last night (as I write this), one of the ladies in our zoom meeting mentioned that her firm just laid off a significant number of employees.  Given her skill set, she feels safe.  But in her shoes, I'd still keep my resume updated and my fingers tightly crossed.

We're starting to see the effects of the Orange Snowflake's trade war.  He's pissed off our friends, only to get an occasional "win" he can brag about in his propaganda.  Canada has sworn off US goods, and largely avoided the US for its "Snowbird" vacations.  I'm not sure that there's anything that can be done to win back Canadian business until the Snowflake is long gone from office - and that will take years, at best.

So what does this all mean?

I feel that on a macro level, America is heading towards a depression.  Both our short-term and long-term policies have been geared to dealing with today's issues instead of heading off those that will happen tomorrow.  In Florida, inadequate regulation has destroyed the value of a large sector of its real estate market.  In the US, ballooning federal debt will destroy the value of the US Dollar as well as our economy.  Hopefully, we will be able to ride out the troubles I expect to see and come out relatively whole 4 years from now.

 

A visit to the doctor and a zoom with the girls.

 

Although my doctor only sees me looking like the image on the left, my Texas friends have only seen me looking like the image on the right. Today was a half-and-half day for me, and I hated looking like the fellow on the left when I'd rather look like the "girl" on the left.  But then, Alfred, like Bugs Bunny was not afraid of putting on a dress when it is called for.

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Today started with me not getting enough sleep overnight.  I was running on 3-4 hours of sleep when I woke up, and it didn't make sense for me to go back to sleep before going to the doctor's office at 9:45 am.  As expected, the doctor was running a little late, and I could have arrived at 10 am without losing any time.  However, with this visit, I saw my doctor relatively quickly (for him) and had the chance to tell him about the problem I've been having with my leg and the problem I've been having with my GI-Tract.  

With the doctor's visit out of the way, I got a bite to eat and went home to take a nap.  Even though I woke up around 1:00 pm/1:30 pm or so, I didn't bother going out again before the zoom meeting with my Texas friends.  This was just as well, as I had some co-op business dropped on my lap, and I had to sign a document which would allow us to start negotiating the final cost for something previously required by our bank.

Around 7:00 pm, I got dressed as Marian and prepared to start the zoom around 8:00 pm.  Now, I wasn't in the mood to talk a lot, as I was still tired.  But I wasn't going to cancel things for tonight, as I don't want to get into that habit.  My Texas friends came on first, followed by RQS.  We caught up on what is going on in each others' lives, and the zoom lasted longer than usual.  Around 10:20 pm, we ended the meeting, and I went out to CVS to pick up some stuff.  While driving, I made my nightly call to RQS and we caught up on each other's day.  I mentioned to RQS that when I mentioned the possibility of our friends visiting NYC, that it wasn't shot down out of hand.  RQS noticed it too.  But I'd rather see them in a city like Chicago, Philadelphia or Boston, where all of us would have to travel to get there.

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All in all, this wasn't as bad a day as it could have been.  If a friend didn't cancel dinner for tonight, I'd have had no emotional energy left to enjoy the zoom with our friends.  So, things worked out for the best after all.

Someone too poor to even maintain friendships

 

A while ago, I met a young woman at a meetup and developed a friendship.  Well, not a close friendship, but more of someone I could meet for dinner on occasion, and not miss it we didn't meet for dinner.  

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As my readers know well, I am lucky enough to be able to buy the things I want to buy - as long as it is in moderation.  If I want to meet a friend for dinner, I schedule it - and worry about my diet (or lack of one) afterwards. My friend is far from being able to afford dinner, and cancels our get-togethers more often than not. 

MAR is a 40 y/o health care aide who is getting tired of her job.  She wants to find something else, but feels locked into her role.  (I feel that she's afraid to spread her wings, but who am I to say?)   Her vocal style does not project confidence and quick thinking, and that may be what's holding her back in life.

Her body is wearing out from the physical labor part of her job.  Given that she is not a salaried worker, she depends on the number of hours that she clocks in to maximize her pay.  Unfortunately, she has never been able to clear out her debt, and this means that she will cancel dinners at the last moment when there is too much week at the end of her money.

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Today, as I expected, MAR cancelled dinner at the local diner.  I suggested a get-together 4 weeks later, and she feels she won't have money until July.  Dollars to donuts, she'll look to schedule something and then cancel at the last moment. 

I'm glad I don't count on this woman for serious friendship....