Now to go to Long Island to have my printer serviced.

 

One would think that I'd be having no problems with a printer which is only 3 1/2 months old.  Yet, I'm reminded of John Belushi going "But Nooooo!" on early episodes of Saturday Night Live.  Yesterday, from what I can tell, all of my printer nozzles got clogged, and I can't clean it myself.  So, off I will go to Long Island to have the printer serviced.

Going to Long Island from the Northern Suburbs of NYC is a pain in the ***.  Luckily, I already have an excuse to cross the bridge to get there: I have to bring RQS home and pick up the suitcase I had packed for our Eastern Canada / New England cruise.  So, after I drop RQS off (and retrieve my suitcase), off I go to Farmingville, NY for printer servicing.  Of course, I'll have to find the time to retrieve the printer once it is fixed.  But until then, I'll have to do without a color printer and scanner.

The question remains: In which gender do I want to present in the morning?

The way I feel, I will likely present as Marian, as I'm in the mood to wear a dress.  So, if I do, I hope I don't get any flack from the person who owns the place.  But then, I could change my mind before the morning comes.

- - - - - -

I am overdue for my car's oil change, but there's nothing I can do about it right now.  My appointment is scheduled for another 1 1/2 weeks from now, and I'm trying not to put on too much mileage before my appointment.  (I set the date for my 18k mile service to take place after I returned from the cruise that was postponed.  I'm hoping that I don't break 20k miles before then.  

 

I didn't have problems with the Clapper, just a Flapper.

 

Instead of talking about GI-Tract issues that cause toilet problems, today's focus is on the more mundane - a toilet flapper.  RQS and I were ready to go out and get a mani-pedi together, and then we had a problem.  The toilet wouldn't flush, and water was continually running.  This could only mean one thing: The toilet flapper was stuck in the up position and wouldn't close. 

I've been dealing with this problem for ages.  It was not because the flapper wouldn't make a good seal.  It was because the chain connecting the flapper to the flush handle kept getting stuck or disconnected. I jury rigged some solutions, but hoped I'd replace my ugly yellow toilet before having to deal with the flapper.  You may say that replacing a flapper is easy.  And so it usually is.  But I couldn't get the darned thing off of its mount, and I refused to call for expensive help. To make things a little worse, I couldn't turn off the water to the toilet (a problem which will require a plumber's help to deal with a frozen shut-off valve).  So I knew that whatever solution I chose would need to be done while water was flowing into the tank.

This was not a task I wanted to do on a Saturday when everything was going to be expensive.  I'd rather be getting my Mani-pedi.  So, I rushed to the hardware store and bought 2 flappers to be safe.  After 30 minutes of half-assed work, I got the new flapper installed and ready to use.  Yes, I expect a few problems with the chain.  Now, it's much better than it was a day ago, and that's what counts. And I did get a pedicure later in the day - a nice way to end the afternoon....

It's a bitch when the cable goes out for the day.

 

I had originally planned to sleep late with RQS and then go out for the day as Marian.  Those plans all went to blazes around 10 am when the internet went out.  Normally, an internet outage would be short, as a minor server glitch would be resolved without having to call the cable company.  Today's outage was worse, as the TV signal died around noon, and took over 6 hours to get back to normal.

When I called the cable company, they claimed that there was no outage, and had me go through the usual routine of doing hard reboots of both my cable boxes and cable modem.  At this point, I knew I'd have to untangle the spider web of cables behind my computer desk, as well as the wires leading to my land line. One problem - the computer desk is way too heavy to move while loaded, and I needed to get things done without moving the desk.  Now, I know how a "shade tree mechanic" feels when working under a car.

Once I was done untangling the mess of wires and disconnecting my extra computer to make space in the corner where my main computer sits, I had a mess of stuff piled on my bed.  This wasn't going to be dealt with in the afternoon.  I needed to get showered and dressed, and do something worthwhile.  This meant going out as Mario, and delivering another donation bag to Green Drop before their 5 pm closing time.

RQS and I had different reasons to go to Walmart, mine being a need to buy more storage containers.  While on the way there, I received a call from the cable company telling me that they were working on the problem that caused me to lose my internet, and asked me if they could cancel my service call.  Of course, I said YES.  Now, RQS and I could sleep late, and I wouldn't have to present as Mario for part of the day.

By the time we finally made it home, the cable company was still working on the problem.  An hour or two later, cable/internet service was restored.   Now, we cold catch up viewing what we missed earlier. 

New York City has nominated a Muslim Socialist for Mayor

Zohran Mamdani, a name you'll be hearing more of over the next few months.  He recently became the presumptive winner of the of the Democratic Primary nomination for the NYC Mayoral election taking place this fall.  Why is this important?

America's "Leftist" party has had to move to the center to capture voters who have been abandoned by the GOP and the MAGA cult that hijacked it.  Unfortunately, the Democrats do not excite many people due to the lies spewed by the GOP and their propaganda outlets.  Whenever people like AOC (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) and Bernie Sanders hold meetings in "Red States" friendly to the Orange Snowflake, they get a large vocal audience which supports Democracy and wants to fight our Oligarchy.  The question is: Is this a fringe movement?

I think the recent NYC election which made Zohran the likely winner of the NYC Mayoral election (rarely do people other than Democrats win the election here) also is a reflection of a sea change in American politics.  Gone are the people who would support Andrew Cuomo (NYS's former governor) because he is an experienced, but flawed leader.  Most NYC residents want real change.  If Zohran wins, he owes little to the traditional Democratic Party machine.  But he will have problems because no one owes him anything. 

How much of a liability is this?  Given that the city is too big to fail, I figure that it can survive 4 years with an incompetent mayor, as it has done in the past.  Yet, it signals a great opportunity for people on the left, as it means that there is a strong message that can be used to fight the GOP - if only more people could jump on the bandwagon.  As much as I am an economic conservative, I am a social liberal.  And I think that this primary election could signal a sea change in American attitudes taking place soon.

 

Keep your fingers crossed. 

We're still having problems with our rebooked cruise.

 

This will be a short post.  

Tonight I had to script a letter to the folks at Princess Cruises about how our reservation was screwed up after we accepted their Moveover offer to make room on an overbooked cruise.  

Last Friday, I received an offer to give up my cabin on an overbooked cruise, and in return, receive a free 7 to 10 day cruise (with our money returned to us as refundable onboard credits.) After some thought, RQS and I accepted the offer and booked a substitute cruise for later in the year.  On Saturday, we noticed that RQS couldn't access the new cruise booking, and we contacted Princess.  Their representative told us that the Captain's Circle number (Loyalty ID) was entered incorrectly, and that we should contact our travel agent to get this corrected.  We did this on Monday, and he did some work with Princess, saying that we should expect to see a correction in their app in a couple of days.  Today, RQS logged in, and saw different information coming from their website and from their app.  To make things worse, she still had no access to the replacement cruise AND had some information fouled up on our upcoming Alaska cruise.

So, I sent an email to the woman who made the Moveover offer AND copied our travel agent on the email.  If the problem is not fixed, I will continue to escalate things up the ladder until we reach someone who can get things done. 

We would have been leaving on our cruise today

 

If all had gone to our original plan, we'd be on a ship headed for Nova Scotia.  However, we took a "Move Over" offer, and got a free cruise out of the deal.  (How often does a cruise get overbooked?  I don't know, but I'm glad that an offer was made to me to take another cruise for free as our compensation for the change in plans.)

So what did we plan to do instead?

We figured that we would leave for Mystic, CT for 3 mid-week days, and take a trip with me in Marian mode.  However, the hot weather forecast for the rest of the week made this trip impractical.  So, I suggested we cancel our reservations, and put the trip off until it is "cooler" outside.  Now, we're hanging out in the apartment in the flimsiest of jammies we own.

- - - - - -

Co-op business keeps getting in the way.  We had a legal issue that required the use of an attorney, and several board members treat their responsibilities as something that will occupy their time 3 hours per month.  The president of the board is getting tired, and I won't take on her responsibilities.  When the president asked for approvals during the day, I had to text some of the board, so that a majority approved using the attorney.  This is a familiar pattern of behavior, and we're tired of people who don't take up their share of the burden of running this place.

Once I get the co-op's ATM card, I will apply for a domain name for the co-op's web site.  (I will not publish it here.)  Hopefully, we will have people interested enough to write newsletters to send out, and for the co-op site to be a repository for them.  I figure that once I've used the co-op's needs to learn the basics, then I can start working on my other blog's domain name.  

 - - - - - -

Keep as cool as you can this summer....

 

 

By now, I would have been reporting about a 10 day cruise

 

This is how I looked over 6 years ago.  I now have a better hair style, and I have a partner that I can count on.  But picture is a reminder that no swimsuit is going to make me look like something other than a transgender woman when presenting as a female.

Why do I mention this?

RQS and I will be spending a few days away from home, as our cruising has been postponed for a while.  Any short, inexpensive trip we take will have me presenting as a female, and will be in hotels which have a swimming pool.  So, I'll finally be able to break out and use this swimsuit again.

Right now, we're looking at places we can reach within a 3-4 hour drive, an inexpensive train ride, or by a cheap flight.  One of these places is Mystic, Connecticut.  A person can easily spend a day viewing the maritime museum at Mystic Seaport, and visiting the nearby Aquarium  But, what else is nearby?  Do we want to spend an evening at the casino?  I'm not so sure if that's the best way to spend an evening or two.  If we were in Mystic, we could do a day trip to Newport, RI.and view a couple of the Gilded Age mansions there.  This would force us to leave on a Monday, and return on a Friday.  Is this practical for us?

Where else could we go?   Philly?  Boston?  Toronto?  Looking at these options, I found that these options would be more costly, as we'd be buying tickets and reserving everything at the last minute. I know one thing - we will discuss this when we're next together.

Secret Mall Apartment (a short post)

 

Can you imagine having an unauthorized apartment in a shopping mall?  Well, 8 artists did, and occupied an "non-purposed" space in a shopping mall for roughly 4 years!

- - - - - -

I had nothing much to do today, and didn't want to start any tasks that would spend a lot of energy on a hot day.  So, I figured that I'd wait until almost dinner time and drive to the movies to see a documentary - Secret Mall Apartment.  This is the true story about how an artist (with 7 artist friends) found an unused space on a Providence, RI mall's property with an unguarded way to access that space.  Once in that space, the artist (and friends) gradually set up a living space in that 700+ sq.ft. area in which they made their own for almost 4 years.

How, you might ask, did he find his way into the place?  Well, he remembered that there were some strange nooks on the site which didn't have any logical reason for being used.  Yes, they could be accessed from the non-public areas of the mall.  But there was also one way to access this area from the outside without detection.

Over time, the artists found multiple ways to gain access to this space, found furnishings at the Salvation Army Store to make this place more like a private apartment, and found a way to build a new wall to separate this space from areas the average security guard would notice.  Before this apartment was found, if I recall correctly, they were looking for ways to have running water in this space.  

Sadly, 1 of these 8 people was caught, and he was banned from the mall forever.  In an ironic twist of fate, this man was invited back to the mall for the premiere of the film.  But then, the owners of the mall are considering turning part of the mall into residences.  Maybe the artist was simply ahead of his time after all? 

I just received an unexpected email from the cruise line about my upcoming cruise.

 

I just received an unexpected email from Princess Cruises today, and jumped at calling RQS as soon as we had the chance to digest it.  Seems like Princess Cruises has oversold the cruise we are about to go on, and is offering us a free cruise of up to 10 days on the same route, plus our money back from this cruise IF we move over to a sailing later in the year.

Nice deal if one has the flexibility to change things, wouldn't you think?  But this posed a new dilemma for us: Since we won't get our money back until Autumn, and we want to go away, where can we go where it's both cool and cheap at this time of year?  That's a big problem for us!  As one could say,  these are first world problems.  But it is a nice problem to have, as we will have approximately $2,000 each in our pockets, almost enough to complete payment the "Bermuda Triangle" cruise that we'll be taking next year.

We'll have to book shore excursions for the rescheduled trip.  But we have a chance of going to see Lunenburg, NS, an excursion for which we were on standby for the original cruise.  It would have been nice to get away from New York during a heat wave, but I can live with running the air conditioner for an extra few days this summer.

Now, if this is the worst thing I have to deal with this week, things can't be too bad....   

- - - - - -

Looking at this from a different perspective, it seems like cruise lines are trying to fine tune their reservation systems to leave as few "General Cruise Cabins" unoccupied as possible.  In the past, there were two times one could score a cabin at the lowest possible fare:

1. Upon initial offering of the cruise.
   
   This is when every cabin on the ship is available, and a person has their pick of available cabins at a low price.
    
2. After Final Payment Date (usually 3-4 months before the cruise).
   
   This is when the cruise line has unsold cabins they have yet to fill, and will offer them at low prices to fill the ship as much as possible.  One may not have many cabins to choose from, but the fares charged will be low. 

Selling discounted cabins following final payment date is not efficient.  Ideally, the cruise lines could match supply exactly to demand.  And it looks like several cruise lines (RCCL being the most noted of those using this practice) are overselling "Guaranteed Cabins", knowing that there will be cancellations prior to sailing, similar to the procedures used by airlines to fill up their seats.  It may be cheaper (and better for a cruise line's reputation) for a cruise line to give away free cruises later on for voluntary bumping, than to involuntary bump cruisers just before a cruise's sailing date.

Examining the offer email I received, it provided me with another reason to book air and pre/post cruise hotel stays through the cruise line - they would handle the rebooking if I accepted the offer.  Otherwise, in my case, the cruise line would only offer an (up to) $600 per person compensation for travel expenses not booked through the cruise line.  

Luckily, Princess Cruises has always treated me well.  It's nice to know that I will be going on a similar cruise to the one I originally chose later on in the year.  

 

Lunch with a friend, then some retail therapy

 

I had almost forgotten that my friend from the census, CCS, and I were scheduled for lunch today.  Luckily, she contacted me to confirm our get together.  And I was glad to have a clean and comfortable dress to get into for one of my last days as Marian until mid July.

- - - - - -

CCS and I have known each other for 5 years, and we try to see each other every month..  She chose a new restaurant in Briarcliff Manor serving a Mexican/Italian menu.  Surprizingly, she loved her Quesadilla, and I loved the Linguine Carbonara - and both of us will likely be going back there soon.  We talked about today's political situation, and why I'm hedging my bets on America by applying for a second passport.  She had a bit more to say, including supplying the name of the man who will be running against my congress critter next year.  (My congressman is a coward, and refuses to tell people where (or if) he plans to hold town halls, as he supports the Orange Snowflake's attempts to destroy America. But I digress.) 

Once we left the restaurant and went our separate ways, I stopped at home for a bit, and then drove to Poughkeepsie to see if the above garment was in stock at Lane Bryant.  Once I got there, I found it, bought it, and took it home with me.  Could I have spent more in the store?  Yes.  But I'm in the process of purging excess stuff from my closet and don't want to add any more dresses to my collection.

- - - - - -

One thing I can say - I'll likely be wearing this late one evening when RQS is next here....   

Sometimes, I feel that our world is being flushed down the drain.

 

A Golden Toilet - a perfect metaphor for what the Orange Snowflake is doing with America.  If one supports the snowflake, one might be reminded of the riches the man has achieved.  If one is among the opposition, one is reminded of the excess, cruelty and evil the man represents.  A recent google lookup provided the following result when queried about the Guggenheim, an art request by the snowflake, and the museum's response:

The Request:

In 2017, the White House requested to borrow a Vincent van Gogh painting, "Landscape with Snow," from the Guggenheim Museum for the private living quarters of President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.

Museum curator Nancy Spector responded that the painting was unable to be loaned, citing that the painting was part of the museum's Thannhauser Collection, which has strict rules against travel. 

The Offer:

As a counter-offer, Spector suggested a long-term loan of Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan's work titled "America".

"America" is a fully functional toilet made of solid 18-karat gold.
This piece had been on display at the Guggenheim, where visitors were invited to use it.
The artist offered the toilet to the White House "for a long-term loan". 

Interpretation and Reaction:

The Guggenheim's offer was seen as a satirical commentary, poking fun at the excesses of affluence and the art market.
    
Some viewed the offer as a "sick burn" and a form of protest against the Trump administration.
The exchange became a widely reported news story and sparked debate about art, politics, and social commentary. 

I feel that this was a perfect response, and more appropriate today than it was several years ago, as the snowflake seems to be trying to flush America down the proverbial toilet.  Without his history of bad governance, he is known for vulgarity and bad taste.  Can anyone mention anything about him or his actions that is subtle?  I doubt it.

As I write this, the G7 summit has started, and he has been proven to be an embarrassment there as well. I feel that it is only time that the GOP will be forced (for its survival) to push him out of power. But it will take a larger than life gaffe for this to happen.  And the signs are there.  At the G7 conference opening, he pushed to have Russia readmitted to the former G8.  (Russia was kicked out of the group after its invasion of Ukraine in 2024.)  Would any sane political leader advocate that while Russia still occupies Ukrainian soil?  I doubt it.  Sooner or later, the snowflake's lunacy may force the GOP to confront its biggest problem - the Orange Snowflake. Right now, it will not survive without its cult leader.  And I can't wait for that day.

- - - - - -

But enough of that stuff.

Today, I woke up with absolutely no energy to do more than go to the bathroom, then back to bed.  It wasn't until I made myself some lunch and had a few drinks (non-alcoholic, of course) to quench my thirst did my energy level rise enough to stay out of bed for the rest of the day.

Through the course of the day, I received two packages - both delivered to the  entryway to my group of 6 apartments, and not to my door as in the delivery instructions.  This is a minor annoyance, as I had to get dressed to go to retrieve them, but not enough to complain about.  (Most people leave their residences at least once per day, so they'd see their packages upon returning home.) 

The package from Lands End contained an exercise dress that could double as a simple "Little Black Dress".  To me, it was worth the gamble to buy it, as I saw it on RQS looking more like something a woman would wear to a restaurant than on the tennis court - a truly "one and done" dress for more than one setting. 

 

The package from Target contained a Blazer Dress that I don't see me wearing until the cooler weather comes around.  And even then, I plan to pair it with black leggings, so that my legs aren't as exposed as they are on the woman in the photo above.  Who knows, once I get a lot of travel out of my system, I might want to return to the workforce again.

Now, I have to find ways to reenter the social world, so that I can make use of all of my wardrobe.  

Some thoughts on Independence Day

 

Today, I'm posting an entry which is meant to be current on the day my readers see it.  Too bad that I have to write something like this.

- - - - - - 

This year, I'm no longer sure if I can still say that I'm proud to be an American.  Our screwed up electoral system allowed a bombastic, dictatorial, grifting third rate TV personality to become president.   I can only imagine what the cadets at West Point were thinking when our so-called president gave the commencement address, given their honor code:

"A Cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do."

What would you think in their position?  They are obligated to obey orders.  But in the back of their minds, some must be wondering what happened to the German soldiers who defended themselves by saying:

"Ordnung ist Ordnung" 

 

or, in English,

"Orders are Orders" 

That is, orders must be followed, no matter what.

Given that our president is trying to provoke people in California (using ICE raids to round up illegal aliens) to use violence so that he could declare martial law,  the resistance is holding firm - and GROWING!  Our president uses cruelty to achieve his ends, and has given Carte Blanche to his masked criminal enforcers (usually without judicial warrant) to snatch people off the streets of America.  The time to resist these criminal actors is now!

Two hundred and forty nine years ago, our forefathers said that they were fed up with having a king whose government didn't care about the needs of America.  I hope that the same sentiment is still held by enough people so that we can prevent another "king" from destroying our republic.

Years ago, someone asked Ben Franklin what kind of government do we have?  He replied, saying:

"A republic, if you can keep it." 

 Hopefully, we will be able keep it.....

 

In my heart, I can't understand ignorance.

 

In my heart, I can't understand ignorance.  Maybe it's that I have a desire to understand as much as I can?  Who knows?  But as I write this, MAGA is denying that the Orange Snowflake's birthday parade was hardly attended, while 11 million people attended No Kings protests across the nation.

One of my Facebook friends, a TG person who doesn't want to acknowledge the truth that only photographs can show, is caught up in the false narrative that there weren't that many people attending the protests.  But then, she hasn't seen the "Gender Correction" letter being sent out for passport renewals.

- - - - - -

Ignorance is either a lack of opportunity to see an objective truth, or a choice to ignore an objective truth.  If one sees the objective truth and recognizes it as such, then the person is rational.  Choosing to ignore an objective truth is something else.  I'm not sure of what to call this.  Yet, who defines "Objective Truth?"  Years ago, broadcast TV had something known as the "Fairness Doctrine."  Sadly, Ronald Reagan killed that off, and along with it died objective news casting. Today, people pick their "news" sources based on their prejudices, and never hear opposing points of view that would test their views of reality.

Sadly, news organizations without a Fairness Doctrine will slant the news to serve the wishes of their owners.  All too often people on both sides of the political divide claim that the other side is reporting falsehoods. This has resulted in the political divide we have today - to such an extent that rational people should be thinking: Should we split up the United States along its political divides and limit the harm done to people on both sides of the divide?  Or, should we put guardrails on the 1st amendment to the constitution, and somehow make all organizations claiming to report the news report it objectively.

- - - - - -

I have a transgender acquaintance who still yearns for some of the conveniences of her biologically male past, such as being able to pee standing up.  Another transgender acquaintance I met through a (former?) reader of this blog is obviously TG.  That shouldn't be a problem, but this person moved to the back woods of Upstate NY and was rejected by her conservative church.  They both have the same flaw - they think that their (political) tribal membership card will continue to be accepted after transition.  I'm reminded of the Jews who supported Hitler, thinking that he'd take care of ALL who supported him.  Yes, they were taken care of, but not in the way they thought.

The above two people are choosing to be ignorant.  I expect that reality will soon hit them in the face.  It's a shame, as us aware people understand the consequences of the actions of people like those two, and we hate the upcoming suffering that their type is causing to happen.  As for me, I will try to get out of the way and report what is going on objectively as long as I can.
 

I paid off my last cruise for 2025 (a short post)

 

I will be taking a cruise on the Queen Mary 2 later this year.  It's not the route that I wanted to take on my first cruise on this ship.  But it will be a route that I am very familiar with and know how to plan for it.  Given that I will need to travel as Mario due to America's current political situation, I will take advantage of the fact that I should not be hassled for my gender presentation when in the Caribbean.

RQS and I booked this cruise a few weeks ago, and she's almost paid up.  I figured that I'd pay things off, and make it a little easier for her to take care of her upcoming bills.  As for me, I figured that I should withdraw some more money from one bank account, as the money in savings is earning virtually nothing. Since I will be away soon, it's nice to know that all my bills have been paid for this month.

My large suitcase has been moved into a place where I can start packing it, and I am planning on bringing it to RQS's place over the weekend.   One problem - TCL wants me to stop by, and I have no excuses left not to do so.  It'll take me time to pack 7-days of clothing, and still be able to have a suitcase ready to bring down over the weekend.  I don't want to do it on Monday, as I'll have to fight to get a parking spot.  Yet, I have to figure out how to fit everything in - and that includes going to church on Sunday.

This is going to be one busy weekend coming up! 

Preparing for my upcoming cruise while thinking of battles of the past. (A short post with a long title.)

 

As I write this, I'm taking care of preparations for my upcoming cruise.  Although our ship will be visiting the above ports, it will not be in the order we were supposed to go when we last booked a 10-day cruise with all of these ports.

When we originally planned to take this cruise, I intended to go as Marian, as I never had problems with people on either side of the Canadian border.  This time is something else.  Now that the Orange Snowflake is in power, I want to be as invisible as possible to anyone loyal to his criminal regime.  That means that I'll have to travel as Mario.  AARGH!

- - - - - -

One thing I can say is that I'm glad that I didn't legally transition as of yet.  Reports I'm getting from social media are that transgenders are getting notices from the Federal Government that their gender markers have been "Corrected" when they get their new passports.  Now, they have Federal and State issued IDs that no longer match.  How cruel can one be to minorities?

The other night, I watched "Good Night, and Good Luck" on CNN.  The bravery of Edward R. Murrow should inspire today's media leaders.  Instead, they all capitulate, forgetting the lessons of the past. Too bad we don't have enough people like him to stand up to bullies that are in charge of the levers of government.  

Lots of little stuff, but nothing of major importance.

 

This was "one of those days."  No, it was not a disastrous day.  Instead, it was a day where everything was a little bit off, and led me not to accomplish much.

- - - - - -

I may have mentioned that my apartment's super was coming over today to work on the bathtub water faucets.   To do this, I had to be up early, so that I could be ready anytime he was to come.  This meant that I would be dressing as Mario today, as I would be able to take care of some errands that required the presence of me in boy mode.

Once dressed, I put two loads of laundry into the wash, and then took care of errands.  Between the time I put clothes into the wash and then the dryer, I picked up some lunch.  Once the clothes were in the dryer, I deposited $440 in checks and took out $140 in cash to pay my super for his time and materials.  Laundry was done by 1 pm, so I had the time to sit and relax in the apartment until the super came.

This would be the first time I payed loose attention to the work my super was doing in the bathroom.  An hour later, I had learned a couple of things about bathroom plumbing, as well as having a plumbing fixture that should last a few years.  The super only asked for $50 to cover the parts he bought.  But I slipped him an extra $50 to help compensate him for his effort (even though it was done on co-op time).

Now that I had a working faucet again, I could rest.  Then TCL (The Cat Lady, as I call her) called just before I was about to take a short nap.  While on the phone, I found that I got an email from NYS Office of Unclaimed Funds - we need 2 more documents before they can send us any money.  That's OK with me, but I don't have access to certain things, and I forwarded the email to my brother for his opinion.

- - - - - -

Thankfully, the weather will be cooler tomorrow, and I will feel better about going outside - if it doesn't rain.... 

It's getting a little too warm for me to visit the city as Marian

 

The above map of New York City shows the density of Age 65+ residents in each borough.  And as an older transwoman, I figure that I should "act my age" and visit the NYC outpost of SeniorPlanet.Org for a 1 hour class on website building.  I didn't expect much, but it was a good excuse to visit the city and see an Off-Broadway play afterwards.

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The day started with the drip in my bathtub's hot water faucet becoming a steady stream of hot water.  This is something I couldn't fix on my own, and would need the help of our apartment complex's super whether or not a plumber needed to be called.  So, after I got dressed and on my way to NYC, I called our super and he agreed to come over sometime tomorrow.

Now that I got the process of fixing the leak started, it was time to pick up a sandwich that I could have for lunch before going into the city.  Because of this stop, I might have missed the train I wanted to take.  But I did catch a train that, with connections would bring me to NYC's in-person Senior Planet site at exactly 3 pm, including subway connections and walking.

When I arrived at Senior Planet, I wasn't sure of what to expect, save that the class would be a very light overview of website building.  And yet, I was surprised to find how little people of my generation understand about the internet and how things work.  So, I'm glad that places like Senior Planet exist, if only to provide technical scaffolding for those who didn't grow up around technology, as I did.  Since the lady at the entrance asked me to stop by her desk on my way out, I did so - and became a member.  We chatted for a minute (woman to woman) and she found my humor entertaining.  Now, if I go there again, it will be as Marian - as I want to live as much as my life as possible as a woman.  But I digress....

Next, it was off to Greenwich Village to eat.  After trying to find the Stonewall Historic site, I gave up after walking further than I wanted along Christopher Street.  (My back was bothering me, it was warm, and I had only a limited time to eat and travel to the theater.)  So, I walked back to the Ghandi Cafe for a "quick" dinner.  Although I ordered my old standbys, Samosas, Lamb Sagwala, and Onion Naan, I wasn't happy with today's meal.  I think that part of my reaction was predicated by the restaurant having its front window open and relying on ceiling fans to keep people cool.  This wasn't good enough for me, as I polished off at least a quart of water and a glass of Lassi to stay hydrated.  If anything, I'd bet that my taste buds were affected by my body's reaction to the warm weather.

Around 6:20, I was off to catch a train going uptown, and arrived at the theater with 15 minutes to spare before the show began.  I had good tickets for The Imaginary Invalid, an adaptation of Molière's classic comedy about love, greed, doctors, and deception.  One problem, my body's reaction to heat had me semi-conscious throughout the show, and I missed many of the jokes.  (I may go back and see this play again before it closes, weather and money permitting.)  But what jokes I did catch were funny, and actually got me to laugh (a rarity).

At 8:30, I was headed back to Grand Central and made it there with 10 minutes to catch the next train back to Croton. When I got off the train, I tripped on the platform and almost fell down.  But I was able to keep my balance and step onto the platform without harming my self.  Getting into the elevator, two ladies of my generation and I chatted for a second in the elevator.  When I came down the steps leading to the cab stand and parking lot, one of those ladies made sure to wait for me to come down the stairs - as if I were a typical woman traveling alone late at night.  It's nice to know that most people seem to be seeing me as a large, but overweight woman. 

 

 

 

 

A visit to the pulmonologist, followed by a co-op board meeting

 

There were two things on my docket for today, and both required that I present myself as Mario.  This was just as well, as it rained in the morning, making trousers a more practical garment for the day.  

But first....

When I last visited my now former pulmonologist, I knew that this would be my last visit with him due to his coming retirement at year end.  Everything went well, and I made sure to schedule my follow-up with another pulmonologist in the same medical group that day.  Today was that follow-up.

The first thing I did was to transfer my ID and money into Mario's wallet, and got dressed to present as Mario.  Around 1 pm, I drove to the doctor's office and checked in.  Within 5 minutes, I was brought into the back, and an assistant took my vitals - everything was OK.  Then the doctor came in, saying that the CPAP machine reported my daily use, and the machine was effective in helping me sleep properly.

My next step was back home to rest, as I was feeling tired.  After a rest, I opened up the co-op board meeting.  Unfortunately, the co-op president was caught in traffic, and I had to fill in the gap for an hour or so.  Eventually, our president joined in, and we got down to business.  Our new member was welcomed, and he looks like he will become a valuable member.

Once done with my business for the day, I called RQS.  She was much more energetic than usual, noting that she had a much worse time with the weather than I did - she got soaked on the way for her medical visit (or, at least, her shoes did).  But she was able to resolve a problem with her transit card.  That was good news.  And on that note, I'll end this post....  

How does one deal with a company which has bad customer service?

 

 

 

Someone I know lost her mom during Covid.  She now has a problem caused by a business who, after 2 attempts to get the problem resolved, still can't get things right.  In fact, the firm's representative suggested that my friend break the law to get it resolved.  AARGH!!!!

 

But first....

 

The problem started when my friend's mom overpaid the premiums on an insurance policy.  This would not normally be a problem, as eventually the over payment would be refunded to the customer.  However, the customer died during the pandemic.  Sometime late last year, the insurance company sent a notice to the wrong address for this woman, and the woman's granddaughter passed the notice on to my friend along with a refund check addressed to my friend's mother. My friend now had a dilemma.  The estate was closed out several years ago.  There was no bank account in which the check could be deposited and funds passed through to the woman's heirs.  How should she proceed to get this money? 

 

My friend's first task was to find out exactly who to contact in the insurance company.  This was the first layer of the problem.  Many companies issue checks from an entity holding a different corporate name than the entity with which one did business.  (Think of private label credit cards - a credit card issued with the Exxon, Sunoco, Shell or other fuel companies might send its refund checks with a Citibank payer name on the check.) In my friend's case, this was harder than it should have been for her.

 

The next layer of the problem was that the customer service number wasn't geared for payee problems.  It was geared for collection problems - their focus was on collecting money from people who were late on their payments, not on those that the company paid money to.  Yet, through perseverance, my friend was able to reach someone in customer service.  She explained the situation to someone in a foreign call center, and was told to submit proof of her mother's death and proof that she was the executor of the estate - which she did. 

 

Several weeks later, my friend received a check.  When my friend looked at the check, it was made out to be paid to her mother.  She called the company back and got someone who could barely speak English and was likely to be making things up on the fly to keep my friend happy.  My friend explained the problem, and the woman at the other side of the line told my friend - pretend you are your mom and cash the check.  The customer center suggested that my friend commit a crime to get the money that should be paid to her.  This was a ludicrous suggestion, and my friend insisted that the problem be fixed properly by issuing a check with my friend's name on it.  The call center lady "agreed" and said that a new check would be sent out shortly.

 

Another few weeks went by, and my friend received a second check.  And again, the check was issued to her mom.  So again, my friend made a call to the company and reached another person.  Again, the foreign call center suggested that she cash the check, and she refused.  This time, she led the call center fellow through the situation and got him to state who the check would be made out to (my friend's name).  This time, my friend thought the problem would be resolved and forgot about it for a while.

 

Still, another few weeks went by.  When my friend returned home after a long weekend, she found another check in her mailbox.  Opening up the envelope, she again found a check - again with her mom's name. Now, my friend became royally pissed off.  What should she do now?

 

I suggested that she talk to a lawyer (she has one in her family) as well as contact Elliot Advocacy.  Another friend suggested that she go to her bank and ask what to do.  Hopefully, she will get an answer she needs and finally get this problem resolved once and for all....   

 

 

 

 

 

  

Food for thought

 

The above picture of me was taken at Washington, DC's Kennedy Center.  It seems such a long while ago that I felt safe in visiting DC as Marian, and I don't plan on visiting there until the present regime is gone. But I'm wondering whether it is still safe t stay in "Civilized" areas of this country anymore, now that the Orange Snowflake is calling out the National Guard to suppress anti ICE ("La Migra") protests in Los Angeles, CA.

Our "Chief Executive"  believes that universal cruelty in oppressing his enemies, and that a disregard for law and order to feather the nests of him and his friends is OK.  He has no respect for women, people of color, as well as the LGBTIQ community.  He is a narcissist who has decided to imitate his authoritarian friends by holding a military parade in our nation's capital on his birthday.  

In a previous entry, I mentioned that the Catholic Church may be sending a message that it is time to send a message that people like the Snowflake are evil and must be resisted. But how?  As much as my heart wants to see violence used against the violent, this might not be the right approach when dealing with the Snowflake, as he will likely use even more violence against us.  So, what can be used against him?  Malicious compliance may be the best answer.  Bureaucracies exist for good reason. In addition to administrating public services provided by the government, they serve to subconsciously remember "lessons learned" from prior systemic failures, and help prevent them from happening again.  As the church provides for spiritual welfare, government bureaucracies provide for economic and social welfare.  Without some of the protections provided by today's governments' social programs, we would have likely seen our republic fall during the great depression of the 1930's.  Sadly, we are in a position where our nation will soon need to choose one of two paths to preserve a social order: (1) Authoritarianism, where a dominant group oppresses all others to maintain its power, or (2) Democratic Socialism, where the social leadership uses its economic power to deal with the needs of the less powerful, reducing the chance for a revolution like France had in the 1700's.

In short, our society has a simple choice: (1) Use violence to maintain an increasingly corrupt social and economic order, or (2) Use economic power to deal with the needs of the underprivileged to maintain the stability of society.  Citizens can help make it easier for our leaders to make the right choice by making our voices heard, and getting in the way of people who would choose wrongly. Demand accountability whenever possible.  Attend public forums.  Scream and shout, as squeaky wheels get the most grease. 

Years ago, Gandhi used non-violent methods to make it untenable for the United Kingdom to remain in India.  It is unlikely that America will ever develop something like the "Great Internet Firewall of China" to prevent Americans (and the world) from having access to the truth, and not just what the Snowflake wants us to hear.  We must use this tool as a weapon against authoritarianism while we can....