Estrogen Contact Buzz

This morning was my second visit to Liz's weight life style group. The group so far has been approximately 25 to 30 cis women, one transgender woman and two cis guys (I think) all packed into a small room.

During the meeting I have a chance to look around the room and learn among other things how so many cis women deal with being over weight their entire lives. I am coming to an understanding of how body image ranks right up towards the top with most women and why so many take such good salon care of their hair and nails. It is all part of being part of the high maintenance gender.

Do they do it for men? Or for other women? Both I feel, which is one mistake beginning cross dressers make when entering the world. They dress how they think a man would want to view them, not how the other women do. Leading to an overly sexed image. As we all know, there is a fine line between classy and trashy.

After this morning's meeting, I almost think I can skip one of my rounds of estrogen patches this week!

Speaking of estrogen and HRT, I have a friend who just got permission to start her own (estrodial & spiro) this week! She was so excited :)

You go girl!!!!!

Do I Know You?

This post should have been added to my "Life Turns on a Dime" series, but somehow became lost in the dusty recesses of my mind. It happened  way before I had even considered being transgender and referred to myself as a cross dresser or transvestite.

It goes all the way back to 1972 when I was waiting to be inducted into the Army and I was working at a radio station in the college town of Bowling Green, Ohio. I had just broken up with my finance and headed north from my home for the job and stayed in an apartment with a couple other guys. Just in case I had the chance, I packed my meager supply of women's clothes/makeup and moved along with my other belongings.

My other two roommates were college students so during breaks they went home, leaving the place all to me. Seemingly an empty college town brings out the best and worst of who was left hanging around. For example, I was just wasting time one night walking in the snow when a hippie girl showed up on the gray night. After a brief snowball fight, she treated me to a sexual adventure. After saying goodbye we never saw each other again. I hope it was good for her!

There was also a quiet guy who was sort of a "hanger on" around the apartment. For some reason he stayed behind too during the Christmas break that year.

In the meantime, one weekend I went home for a day or two and by the time I returned, I found out someone had stolen my wig, dress etc under the guise of "straitening" out my room. Not long after that the guy casually mentioned "dressing up" like a woman. I agreed and headed for my "stash" only to find it gone.

I have always wondered what would have happened if I had still had my clothes, wig etc.

Another "what if" lost in time.

And the Trans Kids Suffer

Nearly all of my transgender email feeds today had to do with "45's" administration rolling back the Obama school transgender bathroom executive order.

Just saying...if you are trans and or an ally, (and voted for 45) you helped sell the trans kids up the creek. You had to know it would happen. Just saying.

On a more pleasant subject, I had several of you check in with comments on the power of presenting "natural." Looking back, it was and is one of the hardest lessons to learn. In my case, be gentle with my use of eye shadow. And, if I try to bring out my eyes, go easy on the lips...or vice versus.

I have also started a more structured pre-bed time routine which includes a gentle soap wash, residue make up tissue remover (with Vitamin E and collagen) and an anti wrinkle moisturizer. Of course at my age (67) I need all the skin care I can get. Finally, I brush my hair out, which is becoming quite the project as I have a lot of it.

With our unseasonably warm February weather, I am also trying to take some of the winter weight I have gained off by walking. I feel  (no pun intended) I need to take off at least ten pounds.

So, as I have always said, this girl thing is not a joke. It is so much more than applying makeup and buying the right clothes. As any cis woman knows, it is the work no one sees which makes the difference!