Another Jammie Day (a short post)

 

This morning, I woke up around 10 am and had nothing on the docket.  Should I go out?  Should I clean my apartment?  What would be the best way to spend my time?  So many ways to spend the day, and I spent it watching videos on many subjects.  Even as I write this entry, I have a historical video on TV, covering the history of the A-Bomb and how our government managed its propaganda during WW2.

The clothes horse side of me wanted to see what dresses I could buy.  Did I need them?  No.  Yet, I can see how my late wife got addicted to buying clothes she didn't need.  So I always try to ask myself: Does the new garment add something useful to my wardrobe?  Usually, the answer is 'no.'  But, last week, the answer was 'yes' , when I placed an order for a pair of brown leggings that I'd be wearing with a light brown sweater dress.

I eventually got moving around noon, and moved into the living room.  6 hours later, I finally did something useful and deals with two suitcases.  The first, a 28" bag, contained most of what I carried with me on our January cruise.  The second, a 24" bag, contained some items from my female winter wardrobe that I planned on wearing last weekend when at RQS's house.  Even though nothing was removed from either bag (I actually added underwear and socks for my next cruise in the 28" bag), I placed both bags to the corner of the room where I previously stored empty suitcases, making space in the living room.

Was it a wasted day?  To a degree, yes.  But I will be busy over the next week or so, and I don't want to be overwhelmed before then.

Ragtime

Today, there was only one thing on the docket - going into NYC to meet with RQS and see Ragtime at Lincoln Center.  As much as I'm not a fan of musicals, I knew RQS would enjoy it, and we planned for this day long before Xmas.

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I set my alarms to wake me up around 8, so that I could make a 10:42 train.  This would bring me into Grand Central at 11:40, giving me 20 minutes to make it to Union Square for lunch.  So, I hopped into the shower at 9:15 (after I finished the co-op's meeting minutes for review), and was ready to go to the train station by 10:00.  This was a little chancy.  I'd be late if I couldn't find a parking spot (the station I go to is large, but often has no vacancies), but I wanted to pick up an egg sandwich before getting on the train. But luck was with me today, I got a decent parking spot.

Given this is winter, a sweater dress was my choice of the day.  Although most cisgender women were wearing trousers, some were wearing dresses.  So I didn't stand out too much.  I hoped that there wasn't too much of a snow melt, as I  didn't want to be stepping around puddles while wearing flats and tights.  I got lucky there as well.  So, when I made it to Grand Central, I chose the non obvious route.  Instead of taking the 4th avenue line direct to Union Square, I decided to save on walking by taking the shuttle to Times Square, and the Broadway line to Union Square, where I'd be leaving the system at 16th Street instead of at 14th Street. (2 street blocks = 0.10 mile, plus a 1 avenue block = 0.33 mile.)  The walk was long enough already than to add close to 1/2 mile of unneeded walking.  This was a smart move, as I ended up less than a block away from where we planned to eat lunch.

When RQS arrived, I said that she should go buy her lunch, and that I'd get up when she got back to the table.  All of a sudden 20 people walked in, and the store received a large door dash order at the same time.  It took her 20 minutes to get a sandwich which normally would be ready in 3 minutes.  So, we split her small sandwich, and headed up to Lincoln Center for the play instead of lingering in the sandwich shop.

It took us 15 minutes to make it from Union Square to Lincoln center.  Not being familiar with the complex, I had to ask for directions - and found the theater in the back of the complex.  It was nice to enter the theater from a mid level, as we didn't have to walk up too many flights of stairs to get to our seats. Although the seats were too narrow for me, my knees weren't hitting the back of the seat in front of me. So, I was able to be tolerably comfortable for the two acts of the play.

Rarely does a musical make me say "Wow!" But this was one of them.  Like a good Opera, the songs told the tale.  Unlike an opera, there was some spoken dialog that helps people understand the play.  So, when intermission came, there was the usual mad dash to the women's room.

I've never seen a sign like this before, but it made sense.  Where does the long line to the ladies' loo start?  In the case of this theater, the line was over 120 feet long.  Yet, that line moved, as there had to be 20 stalls available for use at any one time.  As for RQS and me, we were on a different line for only 2 stalls.  And it was just as well, as I liked having the extra room that a single stall facility has.

The play ended at 5:00, and both of us entered the subway around 5:15.  RQS was home by 6:15, while I was home by 7:00.  It was a long day, but well worth the effort I made to get to see RQS and the play.

First, the dentist, then a few other things.

 

Today, I ended up at the dentist's office for my regularly scheduled tooth cleaning.  I was not really in the mood to go, as I'm always getting hit for a bill similar in price with an oil change/tire rotation service on my car.  Yet, it was something that needed to be done, and off I went.

Now, for those people who haven't read this blog before, I always present as Marian when I visit the dentist's office.  Although I could have gone as Mario, it wasn't in the cards for me today.  I didn't want to remove my nail polish and get stuck in Mario mode for the next few days.  So, I took out a sweater dress I own, got out my tights, and dressed as a cisgender woman would for work on a cold winter's day.

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This time at the dentist, I wouldn't be seeing the doctor, but only the dental hygienist.  I expected a $300 charge to my credit card, and that's what it was.  After that, it was off to Panera Bread for lunch.  The outlet near me was busy, and I envied the 4 ladies who were playing Mah Jongg, as it would be nice to get back into learning the game by playing it.

From there, I tried to visit a co-op board member in the rehab center, but I couldn't find a space in their parking lot.  So, I skipped out on that, and went to Trader Joe's to pick up some food before going home.

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Around 5:30, I started the Co-Op board's Zoom meeting, and we took care of some long outstanding business.  I disagreed with the board's president about an issue I can't go into here, but the Site Manager understands why I want a certain type of information we can get without any issues.

Finally, around 8 pm, I was able to start cooking dinner.  It was a long day.  But tomorrow will be another long day, as I'm meeting RQS in the city to see a play.  More on this tomorrow. .  

Returning home in the cold

 

 

Given the weekend's cold weather, I was not in a hurry to go outside and go home.  But, I had a dentist appointment scheduled for Tuesday, and it had already been postponed once.  So, homeward I had to go, and that meant I'd be leaving RQS sometime in the afternoon.

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As usual, I woke up relatively early, allowing RQS to sleep for an extra hour or so.  It took us a while to get moving, as she had things to take care of as well.  Around 2 pm, I ended up leaving her house and walked to the bus stop, where I didn't have to wait long for the bus to arrive.

When I reached the subway station, I didn't go straight in.  Instead, I picked up a sandwich and ate it on the train.  (This is New York, after all - no one gives much of a damn on an uncrowded train, as long as one is far away from the people on the train.  I'd never do this in other cities, as it would be an unforgivable sin.)  It took a while to reach Manhattan, and then 20 more minutes to reach Grand Central.

So far, today's trip was much easier than Saturday's trip - it was 15° f warmer than Saturday, with much less wind. Also, I could use ADA Accessible stations to make my transfers between subway routes. In short, it was relatively comfortable trip  for a winter's day.  So, I felt comfortable going home, as I didn't have to deal with Saturday's travel issues. When I arrived at Grand Central, I took the time to get a buttered bagel at Starbucks, and still had time to spare when catching the train home.  Although I took a semi-express train home, I got home around 5 pm or so, and was able to rest. 

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With the afternoon having been spent in transit, I took the rest of the day to rest, and to work on my travel blog.  It's my way of keeping busy and doing something constructive. 


PS: It was nice being able to go to RQS's place as Marian - the cold weather made it easier, as I wouldn't overheat in what I was wearing.

Going to RQS's place for a change

 

 

 

It's been a while since I've been to RQS's place, and it was time for me to make an appearance.  But, alternate side of the street parking has been suspended for a while, and I was warned that I wouldn't find a parking spot.  So, I knew that I'd be taking a cab to the train station, then the subway to Queens, and possibly a bus to RQS's house.  It would be a pain - especially with the subways on a weekend schedule.  Yet, I didn't realize how much of a pain this would be.

 

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I didn't start to get moving until 10:30, and proceeded to get showered and dressed.  Around noon, I went out for my usual sausage and egg sandwich, then called the cab service around 1:00 for the ride to the station.  By 1:45, I was on the train and heading for Grand Central.  This would be the easy part of the trip.

 

Once at Grand Central, I had to make it from Manhattan to Queens.  I made the mistake and followed Google's directions for the subway:

• Take the #6 line to Canal Street.
• Transfer to the J line to Essex Street.
• Transfer to the M line to Myrtle/Wykoff
• And finally, take the bus to RQS's place.

Well, Google didn't take into account one thing - I was toting a suitcase.  The Canal street transfer is not accessible for those using wheelchairs.  Even though I am able bodied enough to walk, I would need elevators to make the transfer at this station tolerable.  Instead, I should have taken the #6 to Brooklyn Bridge (a known accessible station) and made the transfer there.  Sadly, Canal Street is a complex station with many confusing passages (with staircases) to navigate - and I must have walked up and down at least 5 flights of stairs with a heavy suitcase.  AARGH!

Now that I made it to the platform, I saw my train pull away.  It would be almost 10 minutes for the next train to come. At least, I was still sheltered from the sub-freezing wind outside.  I hopped on the train, and made it to the next transfer point, where the train had just pulled into the platform.  And now, I was on the train that could take me close to RQS's place.

Finally, I made it to Myrtle/Wykoff.  I had a decision to make.  Do I leave the subway system and take a bus to RQS's place?  Or, do I take the subway 2 more stops, and go down 4 flights of stairs to make it to street level, then walk to RQS's place?  The accessible station won out.  Leaving the station, I hoped that the MTA's bus schedule was correct - I'd only have a 5 minute wait for the bus.  This may have been the second big mistake of the day.  Once I was outside, I was hit with a blast of wind that almost knocked me to the ground.  If I didn't find shelter from the wind, I'd get frostbite - it was less than 10°f outside, and 5 minutes' exposure to the cold would be the maximum one should risk.

Luckily, I didn't have to wait long for the bus, and I was finally within 10 minutes of RQS's place.  But this trip would take longer than the expected 10 minutes.  First, there was the streets, narrowed by snowbound cars which hadn't moved since the big snowfall 2 weeks ago.  My bus was stuck waiting for an Uber to unload.  In normal times, the bus could squeeze between the Uber and cars parked on the other side of the street - but not with snowbound cars on both sides of the street.  Next, there was construction/demolition equipment at the end of the block, taking up more than their share of space.  (This is where a fire displaced 120+ people 2 weeks before, just around the corner from RQS's place.)  Finally, I was in walking distance of RQS's place - and by 4:15 I was inside her apartment, enjoying both the warmth of the place and the aroma of meatballs being cooked.

It's amazing how evil our president is (a short post)

 

It's hard to believe how ugly this man's soul must be.  I've been totally disgusted with this poor excuse for a member of our species for a long while now.  He has no standards, and yet, he's still in charge of our government. He has turned a division of our government into his own Gestapo.  He has destroyed the department of justice.  He is destroying our economy.  And yet, he is still in power. 

Like many TG people, I am avoiding the headaches of coming into contact with Federal government officials while presenting as Marian.  Next year, I will be trying to renew my US passport, hoping that I have not been placed on our government's blacklist.  (Yes, citizens with some names, mostly Middle-East/Arab in nature, are being prevented from getting passports.)  My desire is to be able to leave this country when I can, just in case the remaining safeguards that preserve our freedoms fail.

Assuming that the Democratic party regains control of the House of Representatives in the 2026 elections, I see one way that he (and the rest of his regime) can be forced out in 2027 - denying the government for funding of any of its functions.  The Orange Monster has destroyed the rule of law.  So, why not deny the government the money to pay any of its employees, essential or not.  What would happen if the government was shut down for months?  Would the military stay on duty?  What about Air Traffic Control?  So many parts of government would cease to function when people stopped showing up for work.

But how could this force the monster out?

The answer is simple.  The Democrats in the House could say that both the President and the Vice President MUST resign before they will allow the government to be funded.  The Speaker of the House, a Democrat, becomes president, and then he can start work on cleaning up the monster's mess.  Even better than this, he could serve for a little under 10 years, as he could be elected to 2 terms in his own right.

If money makes the world go round, then the people who control the money can control its spin.... 

 

I was exhausted, and it wasn't yet 3 pm.

 

I was awake by 7, even though I didn't have plans to leave the house by 10.  Why was I awake this early, you might ask?  Well, I had to drive to Summit, NJ to see my cousin who will be going to hospice soon.  He'll be the second of my cousins to die, and I wanted to make sure that I got the chance to see him while he's still above round.

It's a 90 minute drive from my place to Summit, mostly along highways.  To avoid the tolls on the Garden State Parkway, I decided to take I-287 to SR-24 to reach Summit, and then side roads to the hospital.  It wasn't a hard drive, but a boring one.  

When I reached the hospital, I found something quite unusual: One enters the parking garage on the 4th level, and can go down or up to find empty parking spaces.  Once one is at the main entrance to the hospital (floor 5), one can go down or up to reach patient levels.  In short, the entry levels are not on the "Ground floor", something that can be confusing to a first time visitor.

To use an expression, my cousin looked like "death warmed over."  He had almost no energy, and he was spending a lot of what he had left to talk with me.  He was under heavy medication for pain, but not enough to have made this visit not worth it.  We talked about our family, and people who died decades ago.  We talked about our ethnic heritage (specifically about the Caribbean Island that our shared grandparents came from), and how our grandparents came to America.  He mentioned that I should check into getting a third citizenship from this island, but I had to tell him that one can only get citizenship by descent if one's parents were citizens of this island country.  

All too soon, it was time to leave.  My cousin spent all of his energy speaking with me, and it was time for me to go.  He'll be barraged by visitors tomorrow, and I expect that will take the last of his remaining energy away from him.  I know that if he dies during the week, that I won't be able to attend the wake or the funeral.  At least, I paid my respects to him while he was alive.