I bought the sofa!

 

Today's post is a short one with a large purchase - I bought the sofa!

Originally, RQS and I planned to get a pedicure today.  One problem.  I would need to present as Mario to buy the sofa, and I didn't want to change back to Marian after being out all day.  So I adjusted our plans on the fly (with a comment from RQS to keep her informed on how my mind was working) and decided to spend the day as Mario for the sofa purchase, then spend tomorrow as Marian for the pedicure.

- - - - - -

Around 2:30 pm (we usually get moving slowly when we have no firm plans), we drove to Yonkers and asked for the salesman who serviced us last time.  After a little bit of waiting (he was servicing another customer at the time), he showed up and I told him that we were ready to make a deal.  He was very happy.  When I asked about the price of the sofa, he started to quote the non-discounted price of the item before (as planned) RQS brought out a copy of the online price for the same item.  Almost immediately, the price adjusted downward, and we chatted for a while on stuff other than furniture.

A little while later, RQS interrupted us, noting it was time to fill in the paperwork.  So, we proceeded over to the service desk, and finalized the deal.  On the way out, the salesman said NOT to bring along the wife next time.  (He was joking, but there was the part of me that said - the two of us work too well together, and he wanted a chance to make a higher commission.)

All in all, a good day!

I dilly dallied, and it saved me money!

 

RQS and I have visited the furniture store several times, and we've seen them selling the above sofa in the store for $2,699.  If I had bought it then, I'd  have had a net cost of roughly $3,500 after furniture delivery (and removal) charges, furniture protection add-on, and taxes.  Today, I saw the following information on the store's website for the sofa:

The $780 savings by buying now also result in an approximate $60 savings in sales taxes.  It's probably best that I drop the hammer on this sofa now than later.  However, this will likely force me to be in Mario mode one day this weekend - and I hate doing so.  But to save this kind of money, why not?  However, I now have to arrange the removal of my old sofa and the delivery of my new sofa within a 2 week period.  AARGH!  I hate deadlines, but it is something I have to deal with if I want to be sure that I can get this deal.

- - - - - -

Dilly-Dallying doesn't always save me money, but that's OK.  I've been seeing a car in my price range at a dealership 2 hours away from me.  It's almost too good to be true.  Will I jump on making a deal?  No.  I may visit and ask about the car.  But if they aren't interested in selling the car at the advertised price (without excessive markup), then the car will go to someone else.

TCL says that I am a little too frugal.  But I am careful, as I can't afford to waste funds I can't make up by earning a salary anymore.  So, it will be a hard decision for me when I finally drop the hammer and buy a new car.  At least, I'll have the money in my bank until I'm ready to spend it....

Due to possible flooding, RQS comes up tomorrow.

 

Today, the rain screwed up a lot of things.  One of them was RQS's weekend trip to see me.  But it was better to be safe than sorry, and the more I found out, the wiser that postponing RQS's visit would become.

- - - - - -

The weathermen were warning people last night of heavy rain that would be coming this morning.  Little did I know how true this would be.

There were more comments on other public forums, noting highway closures throughout Westchester county.  It was not a good day to go out, and I think that the two of us did the smart thing by waiting a day to get together again.

Two meals out, and I feel bloated!

 

Lately, I haven't had much energy to do much of anything.  But when it comes to meeting people, I find the energy, as being with friendly folk is very important to me.  Today was a day where I might have overdone things a little....

- - - - - -

Last night, I received a text from my friend SJM asking if I could change out lunch from Friday to today.  And I said, "Yes," as I had nothing else planned for the daytime.  But I did have a meetup scheduled for the evening, and I wasn't too sure if I wanted to go.  So, I set my alarms to wake me up, and I got to the restaurant before her.

SJM and I discussed many things, my travels being one of them.  And then she discussed the details of her life, with some good news - her husband's gradual recovery from a health ailment AND a therapy program that he wants to go to.  He is finally optimistic about his life, and she will move heaven and earth to give him the chance to again live a normal life.

All too soon, lunch had to end, and I drove up to the Poughkeepsie Lane Bryant to see the costume jewelry they had in the store.  Unfortunately, nothing interested me.  So I drove home, with a quick stop at Walmart.  Arriving at home, I took a quick nap.  Then I realized that I'd be running late for the evening meetup at The Melting Pot in White Plains.  I texted the organizer to say I was going to be late, and got in the car.

30 minutes later, I was in White Plains, and in the restaurant before 7:00.  I didn't hold up dinner.  We sat down at the table and chose a pair of fondue dips for our veggies, and then had a good conversation while waiting for our food to arrive.  Not having fondue before, I was game to try it.  But it is not something I'll go out of the way for again.  I prefer to go to the meetup for human company, and not for novel food.

Just before 9:00, we left the place, and I drove home.  It was a nice day out as Marian, and something I haven't been doing enough of lately.

Maybe I watch too much political news?

 

Considering what many loyal Trump followers believe about what is being reported by the mainstream media, one wonders how the fictional Ted Baxter could be considered an idiot - when these people get their "news" from an outlet (Fox News) whose viewers test as knowing less than if they didn't watch any news at all.

Last night, as I write this, a New York judge ruled that the Trump Organization's finances were fraudulent, and that this fact need not be tested before a jury.  So, what does this mean fr the rest of us?  If one watches the "liberal" news outlets, this is painted as Trump finally getting his comeuppance in business.  By distorting financial information, he has defrauded both the state, his banks, and the public.  If one watches the right wing news outlets, this is painted as our ex-president being attacked by the "deep state."  What I see is that a cult leader's corruption is being exposed to the public, and that its followers are fighting the cognitive dissonance that occurs when one truth competes with another in their minds.

Trump, simply, is a two-bit grifter who got lucky for a while.  If it weren't for "The Apprentice" show, he would never have been portrayed as a successful businessman on TV.  All of these shows followed a loose script, with Trump making judgements on whether someone succeeded or failed, usually ending one contestant's run with the phrase: "You're Fired!"  If an uneducated person were to see this show, s/he might think that he is the model of a successful businessman, and someone who could run a country if given the chance.

Think of the phrase: "I, alone, can fix it."  His loyal followers never will ask the simple question: "Did he do it, alone or not?"  They see others getting in his way, and blame his (and their) failures on his opponents.  The rest of us know he's unfit even to work as a carny.  But the Dunning-Kruger effect has kicked in.  Those who know the least about a subject will think they know much more than they do about that subject.  They will follow people who shout loud and project confidence, not people who speak softly and know how much there is yet to know about things.  This is simple, but a sad part of our human nature.

Why am I worried?

Right now, Trump is ahead of Biden in preliminary polling.  If Trump regains the presidency, we will again see political chaos, and the erosion of human rights.  As a transgender person, I fear what forces he will unleash to cement his hold on power.  But what happens if Trump is convicted in one of his criminal cases, and is unable to serve?  Virtually all other GOP candidates are likely to win against Biden.  Bailing out for the good of the Democratic party's chance of winning the 2024 election may not be on Biden's radar right now.

I fear a competent GOP leader in the White House, as s/he would be beholding to many of the same people who supported Trump.  But being competent, this person may do much worse than Trump ever could do.  Unlike Trump, this person knows that s/he alone can't do it.  But s/he with others can do it.  And we already know that they want to do to us transgender people....

 

I saw an old flame tonight

No, I did not even think of reigniting the flame.  Patty is a pleasant memory, and we retained our friendship after we broke up.  And now, when I meet her, it is in Marian mode for two reasons:

• I don't want to reawaken things by presenting as a male.
• I am more comfortable meeting women in female mode, so that there is no hint of sexual interest.

Patty is comfortable with this.  And yet, I was thinking of warning her that I was going to be wearing a dress when I went to City Island to see her.  Go figure.

- - - - - -

Before we got together, Patty texted me to let me know that there was an unexpected death in her family, so that she wouldn't have to talk about it in any detail.  Yet, that was one of the first things we talked about, because she needed to tell me about it.  And then, we started catching up on what's been going on in each other's lives.

Patty grew up in a close knit family, and anything that would unravel that fabric has to hurt a bit.  This death, coupled with a family issue which I won't go into here may make things unable to be mended between Patty and a family member.  I feel sorry for her, as I think she's already read the tea leaves and sees the last chance to heal some old wounds go away.

Dinner was a little bit more expensive than I had planned.  But I had the cash ready and available tor a bill that was higher than expected.  (Moral: Don't eat the broiled fisherman's platter when a simple piece of fish will do.)  At least, I was filled to the gills, so to speak....

- - - - - -

All too soon, we had to leave.  But I suggested that we try to arrange a foursome for dinner next month, with me presenting as Mario.  Hopefully, that will happen....

I got some things done this weekend.

 

Every time RQS comes up here, we spend a little time cleaning out the clutter in my apartment.  This weekend was the first time we attacked my downstairs storage compartment, and we got a lot done in less than an hour.  From not being able to make it in to the compartment, we made a path which allowed me to reach the back shelf of the compartment. This may not mean that much to some, but I have over 600 vinyl LPs in the compartment that I want to get rid of, and I have someone willing to buy them when I'm ready.  All I have to do is make a path, so that I can get all of the vinyl out of the compartment and into the record dealer's truck.

To say that my record collection reflects a sometimes eclectic taste is putting it mildly.  I have a CD of music which was played as the Titanic sank (not original, of course), Ernie Kovacs' music collection played on his TV show (including Solfeggio, or the theme for the Nairobi Trio), Orson Welles' recording of the Begatting of the President (about Nixon's election in 1968), Glenn Miller movie music, Gershwin's piano roll recording of Rhapsody in Blue, Carl Stalling's sound effects and music for Looney Tunes cartoons, and others too numerous to mention.  For all I know, I might be sitting on a gold mine.  But I doubt it very much.  My vinyl collection is in very good condition, and I hope it beings me enough money to pay for a long weekend away from home.

There are some things I plan to transfer from vinyl to digital storage.  For example, I have an alternate version of Jim Croce's "Age" which has never been released on CD.  Other vinyl recordings may be treated the same way - transferred to digital first, then disposed of.  But I intend to find out about a pressing of John Lennon's "Imagine" album that has two stampings of one side, and never should have gotten out of the factory.

So much cleanup to do, and so little energy at one time to do it....