I've finished packing, but am not ready to go....

 

I can only imagine what will happen if I forgot to pack anything important for my trip.  Right now, both my carry-on and large suitcase are virtually ready to go.  There are a couple more things that I will need to pack in the morning, such as my CPAP machine.  But I'll deal with that in the morning.

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This afternoon, I had lunch with SJM, and we talked a bit about everything.  I mentioned the tax headaches I had this year, and she mentioned her headaches in that area.  And then we got into the problems with the American medical system and how they are forcing her to make choices that she shouldn't have to make.  After that, we talked about the place where we both once worked, and noted that it was a mediocre place to work at best, that we are both better off for being out of the place.

Once I was finished with lunch, I got a mani-pedi before doing some last minute cosmetics shopping for my trip.  I can't seem to find the small perfume vials I bought a while ago, and this forces me to bring a full size bottle in my checked suitcase.  AARGH!  So many things I should have checked out a long while ago, and I didn't do so.  Such is life.

Tomorrow, I'll get dressed as a female and prepare to spend the next 10 days of my life as Marian.  It'll always feel strange presenting my legal (male) ID at the airports and at the cruise ports.  But I know from experience that TSA has no problem with this, and that the cruise line hasn't given me any problems with this in the past.

Let's hope that I haven't forgotten anything....

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On other matters, I have ordered some outfits from Universal Standard.  What bothers me is that the day after I placed the order, I got a 20% off code that I could have used for this order.  Given that I spent over $350 for 2 garments, I would have saved at least $60 had I known to wait for a couple of days.  AARGH!

Next, I placed an Amazon order for a few things I'll need when I get back from my trip, knowing that my next door neighbor will hold them until I return home.  Couple this with a Lane Bryant order I placed (two slips that I'll wear as nighties), and there will be a lot waiting for me when I get home - including credit card bills....

Today, I'm taking a breather.

 

The original post I made for today went missing, so I cobbled this together to make sure that my readers would have something that might be of interest to read today.

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Soon, I will travel from Croton to JFK Airport using mass transportation.  As much as this will not be as easy as using a cab service (or Uber) to get from my house to the airport, it will cost much less.  In some other cities, such as Chicago, one can get to the airport from downtown via a simple subway (EL) ride.  The premium to do this is an extra $3.00 added to the fare coming from O'Hare airport.  (The normal $2.00 fare applies on trips to the airport.) In New York, the Port Authority (who manages our airports) gouges passengers for an $8.50 fare to ride the Airtrain from the LIRR Station and NYC Subway station in Jamaica, or to the NYC Subway station in Howard Beach.  Yet, it's still cheaper for a solo traveler to pay this price than to hire a car service.

But first.... 

When I went to Hawaii, I didn't have the option of using mass transit to get to the airport.  So, I ended up spending $260 or so to spend one night at a hotel in Newark and to leave my car at the hotel for 13 calendar days.  Two years later, I refuse to spend $150 to reach JFK from my house.  Instead, I plan to spend $12 for a cab to bring me to the train station, $7.50 to reach Grand Central, $5.50 to get to Jamaica station, and $8.50 to reach the airline's terminal, for a total of $33.50.  That's over $100 in savings by the use of mass transit.  Please note that this only makes sense when travelling solo - it still makes sense for large families to use long term parking lots, as the cost to reach the airport is shared by more people.

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Do I think that this will be the way I will usually do things in the future?  Who knows?  But it's worth a try, and I have enough slack in my schedule to allow for minor hiccups....

I've started packing, as I don't have much time left.....

 

Packing for my trips isn't always an easy thing.  Even at this late date, I might still need to pack a single day's worth of male clothing because I might be corralled into seeing my uncle's friend.  Although I doubt this will happen, I have to keep this possibility in mind.

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California weather at this time of year is similar to that of New York. But this means that I have to prepare for both cold and hot weather.  San Francisco can be quite chilly, while San Diego can be quite warm.  Yet, there are ways I plan to deal with this on a 9-10 day trip.  First, I will select basic clothing that I can wear for 2 or 3 times before needing to be washed.  Then, I will plan my auxiliary items, such as sweaters, that will allow the basics to be practical in a wider range of temperatures.

Packing for a trip as Marian has always proven to be a complicated task.  I have to make sure that I have two sets (1 pair for each day, plus 1 pair to hold my "tuck" in) of undies, 2 bras, and appropriate tops/bottoms, dresses and socks to get me through a week or more.  If I'm gone for more than a week, I have to think about washing my wig in the sink. 

As much as I'm no longer excited about taking this trip, I will take it anyway, as it is a chance to present as Marian for more than a week at a time.  It should be fun to visit Venice Beach and Santa Monica in my authentic presentation, and make my around using the mass transit available in this city....

HVRW Restaurant Week - Tilly's Table w. RQS

 

Tilly's Table is a "Farm to Table" restaurant located on an old farm in Brewster, NY.  Normally, I couldn't afford to eat at this place for a casual weekend dinner with RQS.  But we were finally in luck - it was the Spring edition of Hudson Valley Restaurant Week (HVRW), and the price was finally right.  So I made reservations for two, and made sure that RQS brought a nice dress to wear in her suitcase this weekend.

 

Both of us got dressed to the eights - RQS in one of her three Karina dresses, and me in a LBD from Universal Standard.  Needless to say, we both looked our best when we arrived at the restaurant.  Were we in the right place?  The sun had gone down, and we couldn't be sure of which building on this farm we were supposed to go.  So, I parked the car and chose one of the two possible buildings - and I made the correct choice, as I saw the "Tilly's Table" sign in front of the building's entrance.

Shortly after we entered the building, we were directed to our table and given menus.  RQS was lucky that fish was on the HVRW menu, as she had a dental problem which would be taken care of after the weekend.  So, RQS ordered the salmon and I ordered the prime rib.  YUM!  Both of us had only one complaint - the vegetables were not cooked enough.  They were too firm, especially for someone having a hard time chewing their food.

As you can guess, RQS caught me in the middle of showing her something when she snapped the above photo.  I felt good wearing the dress in the photo, and will be bringing it with me on my upcoming cruise.

All too soon, we had to go home.  I took my time driving back to Croton, as I'm still not used to all the electronics on this car.  For example, the car is equipped to work with Android Auto (AA).  But it took over 30 minutes for AA to fully connect on the drive home.  Obviously, there are some glitches with AA and the car's infotainment system.  But until I figure out how to stop them from causing me problems, I'll have to play debugger on my own again....

By the time you read this, I'll have returned from a cruise

 

As most of my readers know, I write blog entries between 7 and 14 days before they are made available to my readers.  Soon, I'll be posting a record of my most recent California cruise which sails from Los Angeles to San Francisco, Avalon (Catalina Island, CA), San Diego, and Ensenada Mexico before returning to Los Angeles. When I decided on taking this cruise, I had hoped to visit my uncle in his Los Angeles nursing home.  Sadly, he died 11 days before the cruise.  Since it was way too late to cancel the cruise, I decided to go on it anyway - if only to have 9+ days in a row where I could present as Marian and not Mario.  

Right now, I plan to enjoy a full day in Los Angeles, not knowing what I'll be doing.  I've found that my cell phone has NFC, so that I can use Google Wallet to pay for trips on LA's mass transit system.  So, I won't be needing to use Ubers to get around in the daytime.  (I'll still need to use them at night, as I don't want to inadvertently travel through high crime areas after dark.)  For the times I'm near the hotel, I might bring a swimsuit, so that I can get a tan near the pool.

In many ways, San Francisco is like a second home that I stayed in for only a short while.  So, if I can, I'll visit the place where I scattered my late wife's ashes before returning to the cruise ship.  Catalina Island will be new to me, and I'm not sure of what to do there.  But, I'll be visiting RQS's cousin in San Diego.  This is something I look forward to, as this will be the first of RQS's relatives to meet me as Marian,

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this trip will bring me only pleasant memories.  I'll let you know when I start writing posts upon my return.

Universal Standard - How quickly things sold out.

 

The other day, I visited Universal Standard's showroom to look at their new Linen Collection.  As much as I wanted to buy several items, I deferred any decision because I wasn't sure if I wanted to spend several hundred dollars on three garments.  By the time I made my decision (less than a week later) to buy two of these garments, they were listed as being sold out.  Were these limited edition pieces?  I don't know.  But I intend to make another appointment at their showroom the next time a new collection is made available.

This weekend, I plan to visit the same store for their sample sale.  I expect it to be chaotic, where cisgender females will likely strip to their undies to try on some of the garments put out for final sale.  As for me, I'll be wearing a unitard under a duster, so that I can try on clothes without stripping down to my unmentionables.  (This will be he same thing I'll wear when going to Flax's "Barn Sale" next month.)  Hopefully, this trip will be a worthwhile use of my time....

HVRW Restaurant Week - Le Provincal w. Vicki

 

Hudson Valley Restaurant week (HVRW).  It comes twice each year, and I try to have at least one fancy dinner with Vicki each time it comes by.

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As you would expect, I usually present myself as Marian when dining with Vicki.  During HVRW, I always try to dress up a little when going to nice restaurants, and I made sure that I was wearing a nice dress with stockings (actually, tights) when she picked me up.  (I rarely present as a male when with Vicki.) Tonight's dinner was at Le Provincal, a French bistro in Mamaroneck. This is one of our go-to places for French food, but one we rarely eat at because of its normal price.  HVRW makes this place affordable to us, as we would likely spend close to $200 for a meal for two.

Vicki drives differently than I do, and this is not a criticism or compliment.  Like me, she tries to drive safely, but I noticed the differences in driving style, as I was a passenger for this trip.  Arriving in Mamaroneck, Vicki moved close to the center of the street so she could slide into a parking spot both quickly and easily.  However, some woman (Vicki used another word) decided to slide in between her and the cars to her right, stealing the spot from Vicki.  I looked at the driver, and I noticed that she was likely an immigrant from a place where cutting into lines was accepted, and that there would be no gain from arguing with a person who is that inconsiderate.  Vicki wanted to block this woman from getting to the parking spot, and I wanted to get another packing spot which would likely open up near the restaurant.  Eventually, Vicki relented, and we got a spot much closer to the restaurant than the first spot was.

Dinner was excellent (as usual), but the wait staff we expected to see was off for the night.  The dinner more than made up for the loss of the parking spot.  Sadly, dinner was over too soon, and we took the long way home to chat.  (It helped that Vicki missed my exit, and took side roads back to my place.)  All in all, this was a pleasant evening.  But next time, I'll do the driving.