Cyrsti's Condo

Somehow over the years, Janie B and I lost track. Number one she is younger and gorgeous but more importantly is going through what the rest of us have - or will- go through as we MtF transition.  Janie B Recently she added a fiction post to her blog called "Smile for the Camera"  If you like a little well written transgender fiction, follow the link above!

I have been meaning to write a post "focusing" on pictures here in Cyrsti's Condo for a minute now. Finally, I'm going to try to make some sense of a complicated concept. If you are like me, pictures don't really represent what I think I look like.  So, either I try to play with them or just don't put much emphasis on them.  Years ago, I think I could take a better picture than what I really looked like. As an example,  I have used a picture on the left which is actually 10 years old and quite possibly the most commented picture I ever put on line...but...presenting to the public in this outfit was quite a different story for several reasons.  The picture itself as you can see, is essentially what I call- a picture of a picture-taken from a mirror reflection. It wasn't a "fake", but an adjustment designed to garner all the false adulation one can get on line-which does us NO good in the public eye. Now, lets take my "red" picture be

I just read a post from Janie Black 's blog   called  "Just Living Life." Essentially, what I got from her post was, just because she isn't writing-that doesn't mean something is wrong. Plus, (regardless of what some want to think) life goes on, for the most part unremarkable. Good for Janie, a great thoughtful idea to pass along to the blogosphere. I totally agree, then again I don't.  Like her, my day is very mundane, even though in a very different sense from my past.  I put on a pot o joe and am munching a piece of toast in my sweats, bundled in a soft blanket. It's 4 am in Cincinnati, Ohio and it's snowing heavily.  Tuesday and Wednesday our wind chills are expected down around zero degrees. My life is not so mundane though because, I'm freezing and it's not even really cold yet.  Mundane for me is knowing and expecting my reaction to the cold-primarily because of my HRT changes. (SO different.) Then, however I don't want to

" Kerplunk!" another Sunday Edition from the Condo has hit your virtual front porch! Well, kids, another week has flown by and swept up October with it and brought in some chilly weather in Southwestern Ohio! My hot cup of "Joe" tastes good this morning! Page 1.- The week that was - or wasn't.   Of course the week that was, included Halloween-otherwise known as "All Halla's Eve" (Holla back) for cross dressers everywhere.  Three of the blogs I follow on a regular basis; Femulate , From "me" to Mandy , and Janie Blac k  all featured some sort of Halloween experiences. I enjoyed the differing perspectives! We also had a wide range of other "happenings" to reflect upon, such as the first Condo complete guest post ever from Pat, Helen Boyd's   post on Trans Partners and our look at " Bob Seger " . All in all, a busy week! Page 2.- The Battle goes on.   The tragic discrimination faced by active duty transgender

Good morning "Condo-ites" or at least it is here in Southwestern Ohio U.S.A. All too often I forget to say "Hi!" to all of you reading around the world and on all the ships at sea.  I'm humbled-and thanks! Around here at least,   our too "sexy" for Ohio beautiful weather is till hanging around!  The coffee (Joe) is on and we have plenty to cover! Page one.- Dressing in Layers.   Last week in a couple different posts we covered the lengths most of us had gone through to hide our feminine "collection" of items which we have worked so hard to find.  So far, one of the best I have read comes from our " Purging Revisited " post, from Mandy Sherman .  I have added the link for you to follow back and read her "hide and seek" story.  Speaking of Mandy, she like Paula has mentioned her blog in comments so I am now linked to both here in the Condo.  In addition to the natural "reciprocation" of linking though, I think it

Hello, all! Hope the "Joe" is brewing and you have a bit of time to sit down and enjoy our "Sunday Edition." Page 1.-  "Terf Balls"   The never ending battle between the radical feminists or woymn and the radical transgender seemed to come full circle and out again this week.  Perhaps, it all coincided with the time of the year "Michfest" happens in Michigan. It's the festival famously known for it's exclusion of trans women by woymn born woymn.  If you read the never ending war of words between both sides, the discussion ranges from the ridiculous to the pathetic - sadly.  In my simplistic ways of thought, the woymn can stay in their little corner of the girls sandbox and use some sort of "original equipment" genitalia requirement to be there.  Flip the coin, it's the same idea as the males who think they are men because of how many kids they have with how many different women.  The females Terf's have just come up wi

As we all know, no matter how far you are in the closet - or not- we are all in a battle to be pushed back into our closets and having the door slammed on us. The more of us who speak up and out when ever we can (even in your own small way) helps our cause-no matter if you identify cross dresser, transgender or whatever. Those of you who do navigate the world femininely, know first hand the trepidation of the simple matter of using the rest room.  Sure it's simple to say, the more you do it the easier it becomes but that is just not true. It only takes one redneck woman to spot you and scream bloody murder and get you in more trouble than you bargained for.  Then we are stuck.  How incredibly ignorant to call us perverts and think it is some sort of walk in the park to constantly worry about what restroom we are going to use?  Plus what about those who seriously think we should use the men's room-really? Taking the subject one step further, when my partner Liz and I were

I feel some sort of a "kinship" to Tassi Zuriak.   She another of the "blogging sisters" I have corresponded with who are dedicated to many hours of time and effort to produce quality blogs. Here in Cyrsti's Condo, I've added links where you can check out Tasi's Fashionable TG Woman blog and now, here is another of Tasi's efforts called  Sister House  for you all to check out. Over the years, I have found it interesting how different paths certain blogs take.  For example,   Stana of the  Femulate blog and I share age and a few similar experiences but her gold standard blog takes her visitors into more of her daily life and fashion.  I have a tendency to be more into transgender news, events and of course my own opinions. Then, if you take Janie Black for example, she is younger and really questions the basis of gender and sexuality in the world. Toss in Shelle, Paula Gee and Pat ( who should have her own blog) and all the various diverse layer

Back in the day here in Crysti's Condo, you may have recalled my first prescribing HRT doctor telling me to expect a fuller, longer head of hair.  Being similar to most (I assume), I just thought, "Yeah, that's cool, but let's get on to the real priority - breast development."  Now that my hair is reaching the middle point of my back, I'm not so sure my priorities were reversed. To begin with, I believe as sensitive and feminine as my "girls" are, my hair has become a true treasure for me.  As big as a pain in the rear it is for me to color it and try to style it, my hair gives me a huge step forward in my feminine presentation process. As one of my initial "admirers" (another pain) told me on one of the first nights I went out with no wig, "Look at you, sitting over here looking all natural."  He was one of those who delighted in calling me "Chris" and saying things like "hey man."  From that point forward,

Credit for this quote goes to Janie Black and my shower.  Janie asked on her blog today what gender means her readers and/or how they would define it.  I came up with a short version in the shower, where I do some of my best thinking.  (can't sing) " Gender is simply what is between your ears and how you decide to present it to the world."