By the time you read this, we'll be ready to be landlubbers.

 

 

 

By the time you read this, we'll be back from our cruise.  We originally planned to take this cruise in June, but one thing got in the way: an offer from Princess Cruises to "Move Over" to a different Canada/New England cruise, so that they could make our cabin available for people who paid for a "Guaranteed" cabin. In exchange, we'd receive a free cruise, the money paid for this cruise returned to us as refundable onboard credits.  Within 10 minutes of receiving this offer, we accepted it and were booked on this cruise.  Little did we know that this cruise would be even more popular than the cruise we originally booked.

(New Cruise Cabin Location Above)

 

(Old Cruise Cabin Location Above) 

When we booked the new cruise, we were given a balcony cabin on the Aloha deck (12) of the ship.  this deck is just below the Lido deck (14), and I expect that the cabin will be a little noisy until late hours on the ship, due to the buffet area being above us.  I'm not sure whether it is much of an upgrade from the obstructed cabin we originally had on the Emerald deck (8), as it was near the main atrium.

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We've been on this and similar Canada/New England routes before, so choosing shore excursions wasn't as important to us as it could have been if this were our first cruise together.  We've already been to Peggy's Cove, NS, so we weren't that interested in going there again for a photographic tour.  But, we hadn't been to Lunenberg, NS yet.  So we booked this excursion.  We would have liked to get the Alexander Graham Bell excursion at another port, but this was sold out before we had a chance to book it.  So, we had a few days without scheduled excursions to explore some ports at our leisure.

This will be the 4th cruise we are taking this year.  We have one more left to go.  Strangely enough, we'll enjoy having most of autumn to enjoy on dry land.... 

 

Lunch with a friend and zoom after dinner

The day started with a gradual waking up.  By 11 am, I was up and running and getting ready to have lunch with MSJ.  It was nice to be able to see her again, as we have had way too many postponements of our lunches this summer.

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I made sure that I was properly shaved and made up before getting dressed.  It was still warm enough for me to wear a casual denim dress from Universal Standard that has been a staple of my summer wardrobe since I bought it.  Rushing out of the apartment, I barely made it to the pizzeria on time.  When we met, it was as if no time had passed.  So we went inside, ordered a couple of slices each, then went to the park to chat and eat.

MSJ talked about family affairs, and how recent dealings with the government put her and her family through the ringer.  Then, we discussed medical issues, specifically an incident with her and marine life, while I mentioned my recent pinched nerves and doctor's recommendations.  She brought me up to date on what was happening with her sons, and while she was talking, a mendicant came up asking us for money.  Neither of us had ever seen a homeless person or a beggar in Croton before, and we handed this person some small bills so that she could get some food.  (I hated seeing her hunt through nearby garbage cans for food, that I felt I should help her out a little.)  We then shifted to talking about current political events, and both of us felt we had good cause to worry about what is happening to us, or what could happen to us in the near future.

All too soon, we had to part. I went home, and awaited a zoom meeting with our Texas friends.  Opening the meeting at 8, I had to use my Chromebook in the living room, as the AC in the bedroom wouldn't keep me cool while I was wearing my wig.  RQS and I talked about our Alaska trip, and I showed off some pictures I took.  I made a joke about who would wear the white dress if we got married, and it evolved into me saying that a wedding would be held in San Francisco, and that our friends would be invited.  I'm pretty sure that they would come if we were to do so.

Shortly after the zoom meeting ended, I had my nightly phone call with RQS, and then closed things up for the day....

Only one thing on my docket came to pass today.

 

I had two things on the docket for today, and one of them got postponed (again).  First was a lunch with (Short) Vicki (postponed), and the other was a movie with DS.  It was just as well that Vicki postponed our lunch, as I would have been totally exhausted before going to the movies.

But first....

DS had suggested that we see the "Naked Gun", a reboot of the old comedic series which starred Leslie Nielsen.  I was surprised that Liam Neeson did this movie, as it was a departure from his usual style of film.  So, after a day of rest, I put on a comfortable, casual denim dress and drove to the movies.  DS knows I am trans, but we relate to each other as two women.

I should have allocated more time to get to the movie.  It took me 45 minutes to make it from Croton to Mamaroneck, and park in the lot behind the theater.  DS was easy to find - there was no one else in the theater, and they still had 10 minutes of trailers to go before the movie started.  We didn't have a chance to chat before the film started, so I turned off my phone and sat down in the reclining seat.  This film did not have as many rapid fire gags as the original movie did.  But there were a few that made me chuckle.  For me, the best part of the movie was the ending.  No, I was not waiting for the film to end.  Instead, they slipped gags into the credits and broke down the "4th Wall" as part of those gags.  (If you see the film, make sure to stay through the credits.) 

Once the film ended, we walked over to a nearby pizza parlor.  DS is in-between jobs, and has to watch her money.  So we both ordered a couple of slices and caught up on what is going on in each other's lives.  I talked about my cruising, while she talked about the gigs she is doing to pay the bills.  All too soon, and yet, just in time, dinner had to end, and we went our own ways.   

Today was a nothing burger of a day. (a short post)

 

It's rare that I wake up early and cook breakfast.  And it's even rarer that I go back to bed and fall asleep again.  But that was the main focus of the day - my total lack of energy until afternoon came, and when I found the energy to stay out of bed.

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Around 7 am, I got up and cooked some breakfast.  I rarely find myself having a short burst of energy, then depleting it quickly.  But that was my morning in a nutshell.  Right after breakfast, I felt a need to go back to bed, and I couldn't find the energy to leave it until the afternoon.  This meant that my plans to go into the city and see a Broadway play would have to be changed.

By the time I was ready to go outside, it was way too late for me to do anything that required a trip to the city.  So I got showered and dressed, wearing my new dress from Universal Standard.  It fit me well, but I'm unhappy with how the flutter sleeves look on me. Then I took a drive to the store to pick up some face powder.  My first stop had me picking up setting powder a little darker than my usual shade.  Once I realized this, I decided to drive to Target to get another container of powder.  

Once I was done with my shopping, it was back home to spend the evening.  Not much to say about today, and just as well.  RQS and I will be doing a Zoom meeting with our Texas friends in a couple of days, and we will be booking our next European cruise over the weekend as well.  (We may delay this until we get back from our next cruise, due to constraints on RQS's finances.)

The day started with a call from my doctor...

 

I can't say that I was asleep when my doctor called this morning.  But I can say that the call disturbed me before I got out of bed.  And this set the overtone for the rest of the day.

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My doctor wanted to review the results of a blood test he gave me a week ago.  Seems like one of the levels was way too high, and he wanted me to avoid alcohol until I see him again next month.  The reality is that I eat too much fatty food, and that the rich food I was eating on the cruise combined with the 2-3 drinks per day I was drinking on the cruise (I rarely drink alcohol otherwise) could have been a factor.  I guess that this has to be a wake-up call to get my act together when it involves what I'm eating.

Now that my morning was shot, I took care of some little things around the house, then went out for lunch and then make a run to the supermarket.  At the supermarket, I made sure to pick up some salad, as well as some fruit.  Maybe I can start changing my diet before my next cruise?  I hope so.  And then, I was home for the night, as I had a co-op meeting scheduled for 5:15 pm.

I started the co-op meeting, and it took a while for the board members to join in.  We conducted our business, and yet, it still seemed as if the president and I were the only two doing the work.  I'll be glad when we get some issues resolved, as both of us want to go on and do things other than spending our time keeping the co-op running. When the co-op meeting was over, I started 2 loads of laundry, and then called my brother.  His boss made an offer to him that he couldn't refuse - a promise to pay attention to my brother's need for a better work/life balance.

Finally, I chatted with RQS.  We got price quotes for 2 different cruises.  She wanted one cruise, and I wanted the other.  Both are good choices.  But RQS is more sensitive to the price of the cruise than I am.  So, I think I will bend to her preferences, and choose the shorter, less expensive cruise.  More on this later.

A split weekend with RQS

 

(The Marxes made more sense than our current government.)

I spent the Labor Day weekend with RQS.  Half of the time at my apartment, and the other half at hers.  She needed to replace her printer, and I needed to spend as much time in Marian mode as I could.  Given that I would be the one driving her from the computer store to buy her new printer, and back home to install it, this made perfect sense.

As expected, RQS arrived on Friday afternoon, and we decided to go out to eat.  This time, we drove to an AYCE (all you can eat) sushi place in Yonkers, where we chowed down on some delightful grub.  And then, I suggested that we stop by Micro Center and pick up a new printer.  I knew that if RQS bought the same printer as I had in my place, that she'd likely be happy. So I steered her to buying the exact same printer as I owned, and she got it on sale - $20 less than I paid for mine. After buying the printer, we drove home to relax - and we did do through Saturday.  Neither of us wanted to go out.  This meant that a possible dinner with Vicki was out.  So, I cooked some chicken I had in the fridge, and stayed in until Sunday morning.

Oft times, I joke with RQS about going to church while she stays asleep on the bed.  Well, as much as I thought about going back to sleep when the alarm rang, I decided to wake up and make this weekend's service.  By the time things were over, I called RQS, and was bring home Mickey D's for us to eat around 12:30.  Within 90 minutes, we were off to her place, hitting almost no traffic on the way there.  If we had waited until the next day, we'd be stuck in traffic.

Labor day came, and I had to leave.  It was nice to spend another weekend as Marian, knowing that when we take our next cruise, I'll be stuck for two weeks as Mario. 

Gone are the days I'd visit DC. (a short post)

 

Normally, I'd consider a short run to DC if I had nothing better to do at this time of year.  Ever since the Orange Snowflake took power, he has had nothing but hatred for the LGBT community, even trying to erase transgender history from the record.  A year ago, DC welcomed us all.  Now, I can't trust that I'd be safe, given the militarization of the nation's capital.

The above photo was taken in the Kennedy Center for the Arts.  It was a place that artists would be proud to stand on its stage.  Now, the snowflake has debased its stage and the honors it hands out.  In the name of cultural cleansing, he has taken over the Kennedy Center and is now eliminating any "Degenerate" entertainment. As a result, many artists are boycotting the center and its awards.  People like me are staying away from the Kennedy Center and DC.

The use of the National Guard to "clean up the city" by moving the homeless out of town is offensive.  What is going to be done for these people?  People who can't afford housing need shelter, something not available to them.  People who have mental health problems are not receiving treatment.  While the guard has been in DC, what has it done?  Picking up the trash, "Police Call" in military usage.  Did we need to call out the guard for that?

But what about the cases where the guard has been used to terrorize a city, as it did in LA a few weeks ago?  Can we say that the snowflake won't use the guard like Hitler used the SA, only to replace them by the SS?  DC is an unsafe place right now, and I choose to go elsewhere, where people like me are tolerably safe for now.