The Feminine Mystique

Over the years here in Cyrsti's Condo, I have taken various looks at a man's misconception of certain feminine myths such as rest rooms and purses.
No pun intended, but any verbal journey into the world of women's restrooms is guaranteed to generate feedback. Purses are much more of a fun topic. Just what the heck happens in that bag and just why does it weigh 40 pounds?

Here's yet another "girl myth". What exactly does it mean when a woman says she has nothing to wear? No matter how many times you look into her jam packed closet, she has nothing to wear...Really?
I understand the problem now and have for awhile. Finally though I can put it into words.
Here's why I might not have anything to wear tonight for my daughter's girls night out even though I do have a fair amount of clothes.
Considerations:
1.- Do the clothes fit? I have gained weight with the hormones.
2.- Are the clothes good fashion choices? (Some weren't to begin with.)
3.- What is the occasion and what are the other women wearing?
4.- How can I "mix and match" the best possible choices from the closet?
5.-I won't even mention, accessories, make up and hair!

So ideally, I do have something to wear tonight-then again I don't because I'm not so sure as of this moment what it is. I have to say if all of this sounds totally over the top feminine- it is and once again Karma Lady is laughing away! First I went through the payback of never being able to find my keys in my purse and now the closet? Another myth shattered!

Transsexual Surfing the Silver Screen?

From the Northern Star: "THE story of Gold Coast surfing legend Peter Drouyn who announced he planned to undergo a sex change in Thailand in 2009, has hit the limelight again. American film production company Westward Productions recently announced it planned to make a documentary about Peter and his alter-ego, Westerly Windina and film the operation Peter was about to undergo to become a "full woman." My Daily News surfing columnist, surfing legend and Peter's childhood friend, Andy Mackinnon, said he was really upset about the news and felt that Peter was selling himself short. "Everyone who really knows Peter is really concerned," he said. "It all goes back to around the year 2000 when Peter thought he might want to change his gender. "At first he just dressed up as a woman, then slowly changed his character and became Westerly. "He grew up a macho guy and was a real ladies man, but now is the complete opposite." Although Mr Drouyn planned the sex change operation for years, he never actually made it to Thailand due to financial problems. The planned documentary may finally fulfil Mr Drouyn's longstanding wish. But those close to him are uncertain this is the best thing for him." For more on the story, go here.

And...A New Era Begins

This post is the continuation of the family Thanksgiving story I recently passed along.

As you may know or remember, my daughter has been a huge proponent of my transgender transition and my son in law has followed.

Before she and the grand kids took off last night my daughter took me off guard by insisting I join her and her girlfriends at a special show they attend every year by the "Ruby Girls" drag act where we live. Let me point out while I'm out to her and she has seen pictures of me we have never been together one on one.

After my brief panic attack subsided, I decided it was time again to "hitch up my big girl panties" and do it. Hell yes my daughter and I at a drag show and her friends? Scratch the panic and get on with the fun.

Let the new Era begin with a flourish!

Busy Work

As a quick "Cyrsti's Condo" maintenance comment, I would like to point out you may be seeing some of my older pictures and playing with them with a newer photo toy Google Chrome is offering. Just can't resist playing with something I can actually understand!

End of an Era

As you might expect, I really had to work to butch it up for my family's Thanksgiving feast.
I knew full well how my physical transition was going to work.  With just a little extra effort I was able to pick two of my remaining ex-large guy shirts which were loose enough to disguise my breast area.  Tying my hair back and shoving it up under a hat was a little more of an effort.

So off I went, knowing full well this will be my last Thanksgiving dinner with the family as my old self. (The patriarch)  A fact which was not lost on my Son-in Law.  We were able to slide off into a deserted corner for a quick discussion. He is a man of a few words and said "well this is about it" right? Of course I replied this is it and proceeded to move on in the conversation. Next he remarked how much he was behind me in my transition and we quickly speculated how other family members would react on both sides. Probably, the ones we project as possible "problems" won't be and others lurking in the shadows will be. But I told him they won't have a choice anyhow so who cares?

Sure I'm confident about the situation because I already have the most important people in my life behind me already. On the other hand, leaving yesterday as a male (as I can still be) was a chance to reflect on what I was walking away from and into.  The final chapter will be written on Christmas Day when I go to my final family get together.

The best part of an era ending is the opportunity to begin a new one- which I will discuss in my next post!

Quote of the Day

Cyrsti's Condo Quote of the Day:

"We haven't located us yet!"

From the movie  The Darjeeling Express 2007.

Shopping with the Stars

First off, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.
Hopefully you have friends and family you can share thanks with. Please take it from me - never take it for granted. Of course there are the usual football games on Thanksgiving Day but the real competition begins the next day. Black Friday!
It's the biggest shopping day of the year and is primarily associated with the feminine part of the population. To many women, it's a rite of passage and a prime opportunity to bond with their "sisters" without male intervention.

While I haven't (yet) experienced the group estrogen shopping binge, I have explored the waters of Black Friday on my own. Like anything else in the transgender culture it wasn't easy.

I worked my way up to the super shopping day in my formative cross dressing years. Quickly, shopping became a wonderful combination of discovery and interaction for me with the world. I learned most sales clerks were mostly interested in selling me something, giving me tips and some were even intrigued by meeting "a person like me." As time passed I learned to "pass" to and couldn't wait to add Black Friday to my list of achievements. As luck would have it, my work schedule made that very difficult but finally the big day came.

"Reasonably" early, I put on my best jeans, softest sweater and flats to conquer the masses of the shopping world. With my 'toned down' makeup and hair I was fairly sure I wouldn't have many problems. What I didn't understand was not many other shoppers would have noticed anyhow! The malls and stores I went to were so full of women doing their version of competitive shopping, they probably wouldn't have cared if a Martian was shopping with them. As long the Martian woman didn't beat them to a deal.

Didn't buy much that day. Just walked, watched and enjoyed being a girl in the world.
Looking into the future, I'm not so sure I will ever experience (or desire) the estrogen shopping bond with any of my genetic women friends. They aren't really into the shopping binges and I really have an aversion to pushy crowds. But if you have never been to Black Friday as a girl, be sure to put it on your trans bucket list**!

**Bucket List is a list of things you want to do be you "kick the bucket" (die).

The Cult of Narcissus

For the record Narcissus was a product of Greek mythology
Essentially, here is how the story went:

He was exceptionally proud, in that he disdained those who loved him. Nemesis saw this and attracted Narcissus to a pool where he saw his own reflection in the water and fell in love with it, not realizing it was merely an image. Unable to leave the beauty of his reflection, Narcissus died. Narcissus is the origin of the term narcissism, a fixation with oneself.

Certainly it's not a reach to tie Narcissus to many in the cross dressing community and even farther up the transgender ladder. I just felt I have reached a point where I should stop and examine my relationship with our buddy Narcissus. Or just why I don't go to great lengths here in Cyrsti's Condo describing in detail my style and make up regimens to name a few.


Well, at times I indeed have felt guilty about not going into detailed dissertations of my style, clothes fashion etc.
I have not done it for basically two reasons: Style is highly personal and I don't feel qualified to pass along hints. My friends know my style, expect it and it has simply become a part of me.  It's not that it's not hugely important and I don't give my style consideration-I just don't have the time anymore to live in the mirror, plus I simply am not much of a girly girl.

At one point of time I was. . But all of the sudden  I have reached the point genetic women told me I would get to eventually-day to day girl. (And who would she be?)
Well,  as early as six months ago I would have told you the end of my mirror worship and style obsession would come at the hands of the HRT.  But they didn't.  The head of hair I was genetically blessed with marked the end. E.-N.-D.

Example? Now before I go out, I still feel a huge part of my getting ready process is missing. Now I put on my makeup and try my best to brush out and comb my hair. I'm done and the final part of my getting ready regimen has been suddenly taken away. No more do I have a choice between a couple wigs.
Even more interesting is when I come home and I'm still trying to take a wig off.

Look, I know a great majority of us live in the closet, the mirror or even the camera. So the last thing I want to do is throw rocks at your mirror or put myself up on some Greek pedestal. I'm really good on trying to climb up on pedestals and falling off.

Very simply my goal is to write at least three posts reflection. Exactly how do I feel at this point of my life. New Years Eve will mark a very exciting and wonderful year and good Karma willing just the beginning.
Bringing up Narcissus seemed like a good place to start.

Walk a Mile in her Shoes

Or at least a short distance as Jared Leto recently did. Jared is one of Hollywood's hottest heartthrobs and   was completely transformed as he stepped out on set dressed as a woman for his role in the Dallas Buyers Club. The 30 Seconds to Mars singer looked in pensive mood as he strolled down the pavement with his co-star Jennifer Garner in New Orleans on Monday.
I'm not so sure "pensive" is the right term to use. If indeed this Jared's first time out in "heels and hose", he is somewhere between nervous and terror stricken!
He plays a HIV positive transgender woman.