A visit to the Norman Rockwell Museum (Going "MAD" for the day.)

 

I didn't know this, but Mad Magazine once offered Norman Rockwell a commission to update the image of Alfred E. Newman.  Sadly, he declined the offer, based on the "Good Advice" from his wife.  However, years after his death, the Norman Rockwell Museum decided to have an exhibition of the Art of Mad Magazine. 

Both RQS and I realized that this would be a rare chance to see Mad's art treated as something more than disposable, especially since the current publishers of the magazine helped with the exhibition.  Our only issue would be the distance to get there.  We skipped going there the day before because of the length of the drive and the time it would take to reach the museum.  Since we didn't know when we'd have the chance to drive there on a weekend day, we bit the bullet and left the house around 10:00 am.

The drive up the Taconic parkway was dull and boring (as expected), but we made it to the museum by 12:30 pm (including stops for breakfast and bio-breaks).  Given the warm weather, it was the perfect day for both of us to be wearing linen dresses.  So we were comfortable on the short walk from the parking lot to the museum, as well as inside where it was properly air conditioned.

 

Some of Mad's "Usual Gang of Idiots"

I've been a fan of Mad Magazine since I was a child, and I have to say that this exhibition does Mad's Usual Gang of Idiots" justice, as it covers art from the EC Comics day, through the Golden Age of Mad, to the Current Day.

Of course, no exhibition of Mad Mad Magazine artifacts would be complete without a reference to my favorite sport 43 Man Squamish.  Although the unplayable sport described in Mad is a joke, it has rules always tend to make me smile when I read them. One could go on and on about this visit.  But it was nice to see the work of Al Jaffee, Dave Berg, Don Martin and Sergio Aragones again, being given the respect it deserves. 

We both spent too much at the museum's gift shop, and left the place around 3:00 pm.  It took us 2 1/2 hours to get home, including a stop in Dover Plains for ice cream.  It was a long day for us, but a day well spent....

. 

Going out to the movies

 

RQS knew that I would be presenting as Marian the entire weekend.  So, we decided to go to the movies, and beat the heat by someone else paying to keep us cool....

- - - - - -

The day started with neither of us wanting to get out of bed.  Yet, we were bored and wanted something to do where we wouldn't break a sweat.  And going out to the movies fit the bill perfectly.  But where should we go?  The only movie that we had even a remote interest in seeing was "Twisters", and we wanted to be comfortable when seeing this film.  That left us with only one good choice: The Alamo Drafthouse in Yonkers.

Unlike most movie theaters, the Drafthouse has had both a liquor license and a real food concession from its beginning.  Its original seats were both plush and sturdy - perfect for a movie viewer to enjoy a movie, some wings, and a beer to go with the film.  In addition to current first-run films, the Drafthouse has also shown classic films such as "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly"; "Once Upon a Time in America"; and "Once Upon a Time in The West" in single-night special showings. This is my favorite theater, and one I always try to visit for first-run films.

We decided to go for a 3:30 pm showing of "Twisters".  As expected, we had to endure 15 minutes of trailers before the movie. But once the movie started, time passed quickly - and we left the theater around dinner time.  So, what can I say about the film other than it was a good summertime film?  It was a pleasant distraction, a film that stimulated without making one think much to enjoy it.

After the movie, it was time to go home for the evening.  We stopped by the local supermarket to pick up some things we could eat that night (and for the rest of the weekend), then drove home where I cooked some Fettuccine Alfredo (no cream - classic recipe) with shrimp.  Yum! 

A belated birthday dinner

 

This is NOT what I wore out to my belated birthday dinner with RQS.  I was thinking of wearing this outfit until I realized that it's a pain to go for a bio-break when wearing a jumpsuit.  But I figured that I would show you how I looked today when I met with a friend for dinner.  The trouble with that plan is that her phone is an Apple phone, and they do their damnedest to make their products incompatible with Android and Windows equipment, so that Apple can lock people into their ecosystem.  And I had to figure out how to get 3 pictures sent to me in text messages from an Apple phone copied onto my PC, then accessible by Google's web software.

The above is the dress I did wear to my belated birthday dinner.  It is comfortable, and I felt pretty when we arrived at the Hudson House Inn for dinner.  This restaurant is only a few short feet from the river, and is a wonderful place to have a nice romantic meal.  But I digress.

RQS and I have been at this place a couple of times.  First, it was for a Hudson Valley Restaurant Week dinner.  Next, it was for a Thanksgiving dinner a year and a half ago.  I am no stranger to this place, and would cheerfully eat here more often if my finances allowed for it.  Both of us ordered the same main course, crab stuffed salmon - and loved it.  It's hard to believe that one can get filled up with a smaller quantity of high quality food than a larger portion of lower quality food.  (Too bad that I grew up on junk food, and have a lower class palate when eating on my own.)  

Years ago, when I was dating CSN, we had considered this place for a wedding banquet.  (I'm glad that I terminated that relationship, as it would have ended in a costly and messy divorce.)  The Hudson House Inn may have seen its better days.  But I can't complain about what it is now, as it is known for being an excellent restaurant with nice accommodations for people who might want to spend a romantic weekend in Cold Spring.

You might wonder why I broke up with CSN almost 40 years ago.  The first thing was that she was one of those yuppies who wanted to get to the top, and would never have understood who I really was inside.  (And this was way before I realized that I was transgender!)  Next, CSN wasn't a humble person as I remember her, and she was extremely status conscious.  (I, on the other hand, did not care about outward displays of status.  The last thing I wanted to be was a pretentious asshole - even if I didn't recognize it yet.)  In the end, it was a good learning experience for me, as I learned a little bit more about who I was and what I valued in life.  I still was far from the person I am now.  But I had started to find out....

Fast forward about 40 years, and I am still living in the same apartment I bought before I met my late wife.  Her death taught me to appreciate people in the here and now, as they may not be around in the future when I "have time" for them.  So, I try to show RQS how much I care for her whenever possible.  Though it might have been a birthday dinner for me, it was a way of realizing that someone like me has undergone similar experiences and is trying to show how important I am to her. 

The start of a nice weekend

 

As I've mentioned quite often, I don't have the energy that I used to have years ago.  In past years, I'd set myself up to do several things in the same day, and get them all done.  For example, I'd create a checklist for the things that I wanted to accomplish that day such as that below:

1. Call Cruise line about promotion offer.
2. Call Doctor's office regarding being set up to be able to leave messages after hours.
3. Lunch with a friend.
   
4. Shopping at the supermarket.
5. Ear Piercing.
6. Manicure/Pedicure.
7. Dinner Meetup.

When I was working, I had the energy to fit all of this into a weekend day.  (Not all of these things could be done on the weekend.  But I digress.)  These days, if I'm lucky, I get around to 2 or 3 of them. So when RQS came up for the weekend, I knew I had time to do only 3 things before she got here, and only accomplished 1 of them - the Mani/Pedi in that list. Retirement changes a lot about what one can expect from herself.  In my case, I manage what I do, so that I have enough energy to enjoy the time that RQS is here.

- - - - - -

My day started slowly, and I got out just early enough to have time for a Mani-Pedi at the local nail salon.  I'm not a conversationalist when I'm at the salon, as I am not a regular, and I don't want to use my voice that much.  So, my visits become a sort of quiet time that I can enjoy while someone takes care of me.

Once done with the Mani-Pedi, it was off to Dunkin Donuts where I sated my hunger with a egg & chorizo wrap.  It would not fill me up enough to make me skip an early dinner.  But if needed, it would hold me over until we ate a late dinner.  Either way, I'd be able to be in sync with RQS when she arrived at the train station.

As usual, I was in Marian mode when RQS arrived in Croton..(What would you expect after getting a Mani-Pedi?)  She liked the dress from Flax that I was wearing, and this confirmed my desire to continue purging clothes that no longer fit my style and fill more donation bags.  Since we both could enjoy an early dinner, we went to a nearby place for Greek food, then took a drive before getting ice cream for dessert.

Finally, we were in for the evening.  And it was time to strip.  But before I did so, I showed her an exercise dress I got from Macy's (online), and she liked it on me.  Yes, the hemline was a bit short for purposes other than exercise.  But it looked good enough to consider buying another.  (Now, I really have to prune what's in my closet!)

Tomorrow, it'll be off to have a delayed birthday dinner.  (More on that later.) 

Lunch with a friend, then dinner with a meetup - a quick post.

 

Yes, I had two meals out today, and I'm going to pay for it when I look at the scale tomorrow morning.  Being more serious, there were so many things I wanted to take care of today, but didn't have the energy to do much more than to go out for lunch and for dinner - both as Marian.

My alarms and reminders were set, and I was ready to go to meet SJM at the Capri pizzeria in Ossining at 12:30 pm.  For a change, I arrived on time - and SJM was late for a change.  I won't go into details, but she had resolved the issue she called me about last week, and she vented a little about all the issues she currently has on her plate.  Considering what's she's dealing with, she could use a vacation from her life for a while.  

After lunch, I went home and napped for a while before going to my meetup in Scarsdale.  For those unfamiliar with the neighborhood, parking is always at a premium in this town, and it is one of the most desirable places to own a home in the county.  (It often ranks among the top 5 most expensive neighborhoods in the USA - and for good reason.  I wish I could afford to live there.)   I found a spot directly across the street from the upscale Chinese restaurant, and arrived a minute or two late.  (This was not a problem, as no one had yet placed an order.)  As usual, I got into some nice conversations with the ladies, one of whom was asking me for recommendations for a long delayed honeymoon trip with her husband.  I recommended NCL's Hawaii Cruisetour, but noted that it is a shore excursion intense cruise which would keep them exhausted.  I then noted that they wouldn't have the energy for romance, and she responded - they had more than enough time for romance when they'd get home.

When dinner was over, a group of us walked over to the heart of town for ice cream.  Although we first headed to a small ice cream shop in town, it was too crowded for comfort.  So we walked over to the Haagen Dazs shop across the street.  A little bit later, it was time to go home.  And it felt real nice to finally take off my bra for the evening.

The only reason I got dressed was to go to the library.

 

Normally, I can wait until I've received a text from the local library that tells me that a book I want to read has arrived, and ready for me to pick up.  This week, the system broke down, and I was lucky to find out that two books I want to read were ready for me, and would be held for me until the end of the day.  So, it was at 4:00 pm that I finally got dressed (as Mario) to go to the library and pick up my books.

Now that I was moving, it was time for me to go to the library for my books.  Once done there, I was off to BJ's to check on some things.  First, I wanted to replace some reading glasses which had broken over the past few months.  Then, I wanted a large box of garbage bags, as my current supply will soon run out.  So $100 later, I escaped from BJ's, and back home to change into Marian mode for a Zoom meeting with RQS and my Texas friends.

Around 8:00 pm, I opened up the Zoom meeting and we chatted for almost 2 hours.  For a good part of the Zoom call, RQS and I were showing off our Norway photos and monopolizing the chat.  But our Texas friends got in their share of the chat as well.  I started to feel tired around 10:00 pm, so I signaled that it was time to end the chat for  this month, and to schedule something for early next month.

Hopefully, one day in the future, I'll feel safe enough to risk seeing my friends in their area.  However, as long as ultra conservatives are in power, I doubt that they will respect my rights as a TG person due to their current political stance.

It was a long, hot weekend - and we stayed inside as much as possible.

 

This past weekend, I decided to drive to RQS's place with my new car instead of taking mass transit and suffering with 100+ degree real-feel heat.  It was too hot to do anything, and we stayed inside as much as possible.

But first....

RQS was expecting a refrigerator delivery on Friday, and no one called to tell her that the delivery was going to be delayed.  She had a 8:00-11:30 am delivery window that kept slipping.  By the time she got around to talking to the store, I was already on my way down for a 4:00 pm arrival.  At that time, she found out that the delivery truck broke down, and no one claimed responsibility for notifying her that she wouldn't get the delivery on the scheduled date.  In short, she had taken food out of the old ice box using the store's expected time to facilitate receipt of the new ice box, and much of the food was likely unsafe to eat. 

At this point, we wrote off the food from the ice box, and decided to go to one of our favorite restaurants for some Mediterranean food.  This was a mistake, as they didn't have the AC on.  Although we enjoyed the food, it was too warm to feel comfortable.  (Luckily, the temperature had yet to spike, as it would later in the weekend.)

The refrigerator was rescheduled for delivery the next day, and again, things were running late.  This time, she was told to expect a delivery between 7:30 am and 10:30 am.  And then, the computer reported another delay - delivery was expected between 10:30 am and 1:00 pm.  Well, the delivery men came at 10:20 am, and were gone by 11:00 am.  That meant that we could finally get some breakfast (actually, lunch) and then go to the local Stop and Shop to fill the new ice box.

When we arrived at the supermarket, we found that a lot of the shelves were either empty or poorly stocked.  Both of us figured that the store had electrical problems, and several of the refrigerated compartments lost power.  This would cause the contents (mostly dairy and frozen foods) to go bad, and not be saleable.  So, we ended up NOT getting the ice cream we wanted, and not getting the vegetables we wanted.  But we did get a rack of ribs we would cook the next day.

After we were done shopping, we were in for the next two days.  Saturday evening's meal was a delivered pizza.  Sunday's dinner was the rack of ribs bought the day before.  YUM!   I was glad that I parked in a spot that I didn't have to vacate until Monday night, as I didn't want to go outside when the weather felt like it was over 100 degrees "real-feel". Luckily, by the time I had to go to my car, the temperature was still in the 70's, and I made it home before going outside was unbearable.

 

 

PS: Later on, I got dressed in Marian mode and went to see a movie.  It was nice to get back into a dress again.

PPS: One of my Facebook friends is a Transgal who still uses her male id for legal purposes.  She will be taking an international trip this fall, and I want to find out if she has any problems with her identification.