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!

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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.

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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.

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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....

I decided to spend another day in NYC

 

Do you think I really need to take this class?  Probably not.  Yet, there are some things about building sites using WordPress that may be of use to me.  Specifically, I want to leave something NOT connected to Google's blogger for my co-op's long term use. Given that this is a free class, I don't expect too much from it.  But it will be an opportunity for me to visit NYC, take the class, have a light dinner, and then see a (Off ?) Broadway play at half price.

The first question I have is: Do I attend as Mario or as Marian?  Given that I will likely be one of many people here, I will likely blend into the woodwork either way.  Since it will likely be in the low 80's, I will likely go as Marian and wear a summery dress to be comfortable in the expected weather for the day of the class.  After this, I have to determine which play to see.  This is the harder question for me to answer, as I don't want to spend a lot of money right now. So far, I lean towards seeing "Operation Mincemeat", 

Todaytix.com describes Operation Mincemeat as follows:

How did a dead body, a fake love letter, and — of all people — Ian Fleming turn the tide of World War II? Winner of the 2024 Olivier Award for Best New Musical and the most acclaimed West End show ever with 77 five-star reviews (and now four Tony Award nominations), Operation Mincemeat tells the chaotic true story you couldn’t make up if you tried. It’s 1943, the Allies are losing, and there’s only one thing left to do: risk it all on a stolen corpse. Singin’ in the Rain meets Strangers on a Train in this fast-paced, hilarious musical retelling of a twisted secret mission. 

Yes, this story is derived from a real life story which has been made into a movie.  I figure that it may be a fitting thing to see given that this play, like my last, is inspired by a gruesome reality.

Big question: How do I fit in a bite to eat between the time the class ends and the time the play begins?