Here’s Sunday’s catch up post. It’s quite long, but hopefully worth your time and attention.

Here we go! Grab a cup of something and engage!

On Wed., June 10th at 7:48 a.m. I Wrote:

This is Subway and shopping day!  WOO HOO!

I’ve walked a lot already (5512 steps) on the back porch and to the canasta out by the road to drop a trash bag in it so I’ll exceed 7500 steps by a bunch by the time I get back home.

Social Security came so I put $150 into savings and paid $150 toward the credit card balance ($497.00). I’ll withdraw $800 (in colones) from the ATM today: $700 for the July rent and $100 for shopping today and feria and lunch with my hermanos on Friday. That will leave me about $350 leeway to either pay more on the credit card to zero out the balance, put more toward savings, and/or for groceries between now and the end of the month. Some of it will go for groceries but nowhere near $350; maybe $100. I have rice in abundance  and will get more frijoles molido today. Cat food will probably be $30 for the rest of the month, too.

D and I hop on the bus around 8:40 a.m., so less than an hour from now…

At 1:45 p.m I wrote 

D and I ate at Subway, got him socks at Payless Shoes, and I got some groceries and boneless chicken breasts at Pali and Mercado Municipal. I’ll return tomorrow to get dehumidifying crystals, potatoes and a few other things, plus an INR check at Clinica Medica Sanchez.

The ATM only let me withdraw up to 50,000 in colones today (a bit over $100) for some dumb reason, so I’ll try again tomorrow.

A realtor will be here Thursday

… to take photos of the property and home, so I’ll prep the apartment on Wednesday afternoon for that. There isn’t much to do — just have to get the cat stuff hidden and the floors swept and mopped (which I do every other day anyway), and I have to get the cat-proofing covers off the loveseat so the place looks super spiff. I’ve just recently stored miscellaneous items again and can store even more (briefly) to accommodate the photo shoot. Easy peasy.

The lawn care guys should show up

…this weekend or early next week to mow and prep the yard for professional photos. The grass is getting unruly looking and Deb will want it to be  manicured. I hope they get rid of the algae on the driveway, too. It’s treacherous!

I know Deb wants to sell this property

When she does, I’ll probably start looking for a cheaper place to rent. $700/month is okay (utilities included), but less would be even better. I’ll look for unfurnished options up here in the heights, units with kitchen appliances only and see if I can find a good deal for under $500/month. I’ll have time to look. (Unless the new buyers of this place let me stay for $500-550/month plus dehumidying crystals, utilities included.)

Francisco is Painting 4 Portraits of CR Wildlife

He’s amazing! I’m encouraging him to repurpose them as post cards, smaller posters, greeting cards, etc.

The following image are COPYRIGHTED

by the artist!  Do not share without his written permission!

He is so freaking talented. I am in awe!

Walked 10,627 steps today

On June 11 at 11:19 a.m. I wrote:

9610 steps so far today!

Got bloodwork done. My INR is 2.18. I was able to withdraw the rest of the rent for July from the ATM this morning, so that’s done, too.

Ate a hamburger, salad and Coca Cola at the soda at MM.

Bought Lizano sauce and more cat food at Pali.

Visited with Jon on WhatsApp for 20 minutes and confirmed that I plan to see him, Francisco and D tomorrow at the feria and afterward for lunch.

Heard from Jo Essensa, Howard Jones, and Autumn McKenzie on this, the 27th anniversary of DeForest Kelley’s death. De FB sites all commemorated the date in some way.

I’m doing okay, emotionally. Better than ever before on this date, for sure!

Spoke with two ticos on the bus on the way to Grecia

I spoke to them first, initiating the convos. Told them in Spanish that I don’t speak Spanish very well yet, but I’m studying a lot. Both reacted favorably to that. The first man thought I meant that I was a total newbie and tried to start teaching me good morning, good afternoon and good evening. I smiled and told him (in Spanish), “I’m at about the third grade level, according to Duolingo.”  He perked right up, impressed by that, and told me that he understands a fair amount of English but that he doesn’t speak it at all well. So we conversed in Spanish. I told him where I’m from, how long I’ve been here, that I’ve applied for pensionado status and that I totally love everything about Costa Rica.

He didn’t ride the whole way in to Grecia, so when he departed a tica took his place beside me on the bus. I said the same introductory spiel. Turns out she lived in Vancouver Canada, New Jersey and a southern state in the past so she was quite fluent in English but I kept talking in Spanish as much a I could (readily), only changing to English when I got stuck for a word or expression. I need to keep practicing and don’t know many Spanish speakers and the ones I do know (Jon, Francisco, etc.) I’m not with enough, so I have to seek opportunities to connect. Bus rides are perfect venues for this!

Tomorrow I’ll do the feria 

…to get avocados, iceberg lettuce and carrots. That’s ALL! I want to be able to afford lunch without putting it (or anything else) on my credit card this month. Gotta focus on FRUGALITY because I want to be adding reliably to my liquid savings account every month. I want to be able to help pay for Lisa’s visit next February without feeling strapped afterward (e.g. in “finance recovery mode”). It would feel great to get $5500 to $6500 into liquid savings by then.  I’d have to deposit $400/month to reach $6500, but if I remain frugal and dedicated, it’s do-able.

And Jackie is supposed to sell our property within two years so I should wind up in good shape financially after that happens. Enough to live out the rest of my life without having to worry about outliving my puny 401K savings ($22K).

(Warner Bros., where I had my 401K plan, merged with AOL years ago — ACK!!! — and when that fiasco ended, my $42K in savings had fallen to $22K. On another front, Carolyn and DeForest Kelley put me into their wills for a share of their assets upon their deaths, but after De died, Carolyn took me out because she developed dementia and the ridiculously mistaken notion that I’d had a romantic relationship with him. (I’m trans, so NO! You know what our relationship was like if you’ve read my book.) So, I ended up getting the shaft two different times, and in that way wound up being less well off than was warranted. Fickle Fate! So, to say I’m a little wary of being shafted again is a bit of an understatement. But my younger sister’s and my names are on the deed, so I don’t think it can happen…)

Anyway, I’m not gonna stress over finances as long as I’m making headway every month.  (Social Security needs to remain robust beyond 2023 for me to feel completely out of the woods, though.  ACK!  VOTE BLUE, WILL YOU!!  SAVE MY BACON AND PROBABLY YOUR OWN!)

Guys are working outside

…on the gardening chores but I haven’t heard any lawnmowers start up yet. They may be waiting to do that until closer to photography day, which is the prudent thing to do for sure!

Had a Dream About My Younger Sister Last Night

In it, I was screaming over and over that I hated her. Weird, because when I’m awake I just feel hurt and kinda sorry for her. Can’t understand her ardor for T-Wrecks and his policies. How damaged a soul she must be for reasons unknown to me. How fearful of the world beyond her walls, her bubble.

I’m so grateful we aren’t much alike. I’m soooo much freer to explore, meet different types of people without fear, etc.

(She has been raped more than once, by both strangers and known individuals, so I can understand why she’s more fearful than I am. But then how can she trust T-Wrecks, the self-proclaimed pussy-grabbing sexual predator and alleged pedophile?)

She will never experience the unfettered JOY of embracing different cultures, peoples and adventures. That’s tragic, you know?

I can’t hate her. I pity her.

T-Wrecks, too. I HATE what he does and says, but I pity the woundedness that created him. He could have built GOOD outcomes had he not been twisted (made “wicked”) by his horrible father, a bigoted sociopath.

HIS tragedy has become a global tragedy and challenge and my little sis  can’t (or won’t) see what is patently OBVIOUS to ALL but cult members: the man is a menace to all that is good and noble. An anti-Christ figure if ever there was one in the flesh.

It’s heartbreaking!

I hope she comes around and finds her way to a world that isn’t as fucked up and scary as she has been TOLD it is by fucked up, truly scary and callous super sociopaths: the people pulling T-Wreck’s strings (and hers).

Enough of that!

Life is too short for “if only” and “I hope…”  when it comes to indoctrinated, brainwashed victims.  They are victims who go on victimizing even their own families by voting for victimizers and liars/deniers time and again.

Send ’em love and move on!

Don’t let their undertow bring you so low as to HATE them. They know not what they’re doing!  (If they did know, it would destroy them.)

“Depart from me. I never knew you.” — Jesus

What a heartbreak IF, when they get to heaven, this is what they hear from the Jewish Rabbi that they believed they loved and aspired to emulate.

I don’t believe in heaven or hell, or in a divine Jesus, but THEY do –and this should scare the stuffing out of them. Maybe it’ll convince them to do some research into the oh so well documented life of T-Wrecks, their Golden Calf.

On Friday June 12 at 7:24 a.m. I wrote

I walked on the back porch for 40 or 45 minutes but wasn’t wearing my step-tracking watch so I’m estimating 3000+ steps at minimum so far today. I’ll exceed 7500 steps after I walk to my neighbor’s and around the feria. There’s very little doubt of that!

In a little over 120 minutes I can head down to the neighbor’s to catch his Uber to the feria. Sure hope the biting dog isn’t out and about. It was two days ago. It needs to be chained up or put down.

I know where it lives now: I saw it on the second story of a casa across from telephone pole 69. I will take pictures of the home and the telephone pole on my way down today (if it’s safe to do so, if the dog isn’t loose) and will write up my report and send the photos along with my photos of the dog in question to SENASA so they can deal with the situation.

Trying to Decide Why I NEVER Feel BORED in Costa Rica

But I never felt bored in the U.S., either, as far as that goes. Of course, in the U.S. I had stuff to worry about, so my mind wasn’t ever this quiet and unperturbed there. My brain, cat, and the environment here keep me feeling adequately stimulated and energized. I reckon that’s it.

I read, write, study Spanish, walk, and appreciate not needing to do much more.

Retirement is great!

But a lot of folks would likely go stir crazy with so little to occupy them. If I weren’t a reader/writer I’d definitely want more to keep me occupied since I’m not a TV/entertainment watcher or gamer. I love just sitting on the patio listening to and watching the critter activity outside. It’s very relaxing. Just wish I had a freaking adequate camera to capture what I witness. I should look on Marketplace and see if I can find a used decent one at a great price…

Looking forward to seeing my CR Hermanos today

I haven’t seen Francisco in at least a month. He is finally over dengue fever and back to creating art again. One month is too long to go without abrazos from one of my favorite hermanos!

7500+ steps! WHEE!

Just met my goal of 7500 steps at 3:08 p.m.

The feria and lunch were fun! I spent my entire 15K colones (about 35  USD) at the feria. Gave Jon 5000 for gas, since he said he’d drive us home; the rest went to potatoes, aguacates, mamon, and iceberg lettuce.

Also had lunch at Grecia Football Club. Put that on my debit card.

I got home with a mystery bag of vegetables!

I sent  a picture to Jon and D to see if it belonged to them or Francisco; nope!  Jon said it looks like swiss chard and cilantro coyote. So, either a stranger dropped it inadvertently into my bag while Francisco was carrying it, OR I grabbed it by accident after buying something else — but I got home with everything I went after, so I don’t think that’s what happened. It remains a mystery!

Jon and Francisco will take me to Alajuela

… next time they plan a trip there so I can get  Mom’s (or Aunt Tod’s?) wedding ring appraised. It’ll cost $5 for the appraisal but I’m sure it’s worth at least that. It has silver in it and several wee stones that look like diamonds. We’ll see!  If it’s worth anything substantial ($250+) I’ll put the proceeds into savings. If it’s less, I may keep it as an heirloom.

Which brings us to TODAY, Sun June 14

C and I walked this morning. Two tico gentlemen on the futbol field called out to us, “Good morning, beautiful ladies!” in English, which tickled C to her toes. She loves receiving enthusiastic male attention. (As for me?  Meh! But it was sweet of them to notice and compliment us.)

I put in a lot of steps before walking down to C’s place, so I got back here with a total of 10,000 steps. YAY!    C wants to walk tomorrow at 6:45 again and maybe on Wed before her hubby and I hop on the bus to go get our weekly Subway sandwich.

Cindy Winder contacted me yesterday

…just to check in and see how I am. She also sent me a video she took several months ago of two male iguanas sparring in the feria parking lot because I sent her a few images I took of some iguanas yesterday. Fascinating! (“Boys will be boys! Plenty of food to go around, but I want it all!” They must be Republican iguanas! LOL!)

Dina contacted me a couple days ago

She and her esposo (spouse/husband) will fly back from Houston July 19th, just a few days after my CR hermanos return from their trip to France, so I’ll be getting together with them shortly after the 19th (Dina and hubby).

July is Shaping Up to be BUSY for me!

I will dog-sit for two weeks, take Cindy to lunch on her milestone birthday on July 11th, and see Dina and her husband sometime after the 19th, in addition to my usual weekly outings to Grecia for groceries and (once a month) INR check. Funzee! 

The weather is cool and humid

I perspired a lot coming back up the hill from San Isidro this morning. My heart is strong as a hammer — it didn’t exceed 100 beats per minute even when I felt the most “stress-tested” on the way up, and it dropped to 74-78 within two or three seconds afterward. I swear I’m aging backward down here near the equator!

And I’ve Discovered Something

Ten years post-transition (social, surgical), the thing I find least interesting about myself (and others) is our transgender or cis status! The topic, when it predominates, bores me. I’d much rather talk about other things!

I remember how exciting it was at first.

To name it, proclaim it,

 and have people call me he and him.

But no more.

I’m almost completely incurious about other people’s genders or presentations. Other than wanting to know their pronouns and names so I can interact with them comfortably and respectfully, I’m okay with not knowing any additional details about their unique personal journeys. I prefer to talk about other stuff.

Cis people don’t lead with their genders front and center

…unless they’re prostitutes (no disrespect toward this profession intended here!) or proactively engaged in finding sexual partners to seduce and create relationships with. Or unless they’re actors performing in a gendered relationship role.

I don’t understand the proclivity to hyperfocus on one’s gender. I never have, which is why I don’t get triggered when I’m misgendered. I’ve been misgendered most of my life, so it’s like water off a duck’s back for me when strangers or casual, uninformed acquaintances do it.  (I also recognize my privilege here. Transwomen contend with safety/existential issues far more often than trans men do.)

So, I’m not longer haunted or discomfited by gender dysphoria per se because I feel confident about who I am: a man in the wrong vehicle. The vehicle appears female even when I dress to match my brain (despite having undergone chest masculinization surgery, since I’m not on T or other body-altering hormones).

And I don’t hate or minimize females, so I’m not outraged or offended (any longer, as I was during the 1970’s) by being interpreted as female. IMO, females trump MOST cisgender males six ways from Sunday. They’re smarter, tougher, kinder, more resilient, protective and nurturing than most cisgender males. They cope with life better because they’re more adaptable.  WOMEN ROCK!  I love the “feminine” within the species — intuition, empathy, compassion, resilience, adaptability!

I Think I’m Two-Spirit 

… a Native American/First People’s term for 50/50. I respect BOTH aspects of my  nature.

No one can put me in a binary box. I’m too male to be female and too female to be male.

Was I born intersex? Dunno? Whatever I was born, I embrace it ALL these days. I deny no aspect of my being. It has all served to bring to fruition the human BE-ING I became and am still becoming.

It feels good to feel this good

… no matter what anyone else thinks or believes about me. Nobody’s perfect, but being OK with my imperfections allows me to be okay with other peoples’ imperfections, too, and that’s both wonderful and liberating.  Nobody needs to measure up to artificial standards of “normalcy” or “appropriateness” to get my blessing. The ONLY line I draw in the sand is “bigotry/xenophobia and incivility.”

We can be a noble species

I’ve seen and known (and presently know) noble people. We have the ABILITY, hands down. What too  many seem to lack are the will and the intention to strive for high ideals and universal empathy and compassion.

I know the USA can do better!

I see it every day here in Costa Rica — CIVIL-ization: compassion, empathy, patience, affection, helpfulness, diversity, inclusion…

My perspective since leaving the USA has been confirmed and underscored. Human beings can get along wonderfully well. All it takes is treating others as wonderfully well as we want to be treated. You know… “Do unto others –”  You know the rest of that wisdom saying!

That’s really all it takes. Are your votes “doing unto others as you would want done unto you?”  Are your thoughts?  Your actions?

It’s worthwhile taking a little inventory, you know? It doesn’t take much time at all to find ways and means to be kind to everyone you encounter. A smile, a nod, perhaps an offer to carry someone’s groceries…

That’s my two cents worth for today!