Out with the old sofa...

This is obviously not a picture of my apartment.  It looks too clean and barren.  But it represents how I feel, now that the sofa that I've owned for 25 years is out of the apartment.

But first....

Last night was another (almost) sleepless night, where I couldn't fall asleep to save my life.  Something was preventing me from relaxing enough to drift off to sleep.  And if I had a container of zzzQuil, I would have mega-dosed on it just to fall out.  So I knew that I was going back to bed once the junk haulers left and try to nap a little bit.

I don't know if any of my readers have had the need to use Junk King's removal service.  This is a franchised operation similar to 1-800-GOT-JUNK, where one identifies the junk to be removed, and shortly thereafter, it's gone.  The regional franchisee for the operation runs a side business in selling second hand goods and estate sales - Revivals.  It's a nice synergy (I hate that word, as it is overused to justify many corporate mergers) of two complementary businesses.

This morning, 3 men came to remove my sofa - at exactly 10 am (as scheduled).  I knew that getting the sofa out of the apartment would take a lot of effort, but I wasn't letting the cat out of the bag.  By the time they figured out how to get the sofa out, they had to remove the sofa's stump legs with a pry-bar and sledge hammer, then removing the entryway door to get the sofa out.  (It wasn't this hard to get the sofa into my place 25 years ago, as I only remember having to remove the door.  But I digress.)  Once they got the sofa out the door, they were gone in 5 minutes.  I paid the bill, thanked the 3 men, and then went back to my bed for a nap.

- - - - - -

Waking up at 2 pm, I knew that this would not be a day spent in Marian mode.  I had a co-op board meeting scheduled for 6 pm, and needed to present as Mario for that.  So, I reluctantly got dressed as Mario and took care of some chores before the board meeting.

The board meeting went quickly, and I was able to go out afterward to pick up some outlet extenders at Lowe's  One problem, these aren't the type one permantly attaches to the wall outlet.  So I will have to get different ones tomorrow.

Synchronization

 

After spending the weekend (mostly) as Mario, I finally got a chance to go out in the world as Marian.  First, RQS and I went for pedicures,.  And later, Vicki and I went out for dinner.  This doesn't sound like much, but....

- - - - - -

RQS has noted that by the end of the weekend, we are totally in sync with each other, and that it is hard to part.  Our arrivals at the other's house begin with a greeting, and then a period of synchronization with each other after being apart for the better part of a week.  By the end of the weekend, it seems like we can almost always have a good read on what the other is thinking and work seamlessly together.  Yet, RQS noted that I was several steps ahead of her yesterday when I shifted our pedicures into today.  Once she realized that I had to be in Mario mode to buy the sofa, all was OK.  But she would have liked a better clarification of what I was doing, to understand the whys and wherefores before things start to happen.  Today, with incomplete information from her, I realized which nail salon she wanted to go to, and made sure we went there before she had to go home.

Later on, I dropped RQS off at the train station and killed some time at BJ's before proceeding to Vicki's house.  I got there a few minutes early and texted Vicki of this, saying not to rush.  But when she got home, she wondered - did she give me the right time?  I told her that I was there early, and texted her to say she didn't need to rush.  And then, we headed off to Lefteris Gyro.

Both of us ordered the Greek Salad with Chicken - and both of us feasted.  Unlike most meals, she finished first.  She was famished!  We chatted about many things.  But when I told her about what is going on with our board and our managing agent, she started saying what to do, instead of listening to find out what was really going on.  Eventually, she caught on, seeing that our slow progress on some projects depended on one person - and understanding why things are the way they are.  (Vicki is one of the people I use for reality checks, and I know she can keep a confidence.) 

Once dinner was over, I drove Vicki home and fell out early.... 

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....