Damn I'm Confused!

This morning I decided (for once) to get ahead of the game and go to my VA clinic for my required hormone level blood tests.
Just to confuse you, going to my local VA clinic is not going to the closest center where I have to go most of the time. It's much smaller , normally has one busy check in person and about 20 seats or so. You can't get lost in a crowd there!
Of course you need an ID to check in and at this point of my transition I still have a very male VA identification card. This morning I simply tied my hair back in a pony tail and went in.
I was fairly certain I would not have to answer any potentially embarrassing questions about why was I getting an estrogen as well as an testosterone test done. I was totally relaxed as I waited in line to get checked in until the receptionist glanced up and said "can I help you Mam?". Then he looked at my I.D and started with Mam I'm sorry Sir. Well I went from relaxed, to amused to elated!
Then it was time to "hurry up and wait" which is something all you veterans knew our military was famous for.
The remainder of the visit was surprisingly routine. The last time I did it, the process was a little tricky because I was getting blood work requested by a non Veterans Administration Doctor. Today, nobody said a word and I didn't have to say the transgender word once. Furthermore,  they are even letting me "hand carry" my results to my "endo-doctor". (Never trust a doctor to doctor fax machine!)
My reasoning is either the clinic workers know I'm the token transgender patient or my outside doc has been approved by the VA.
Whatever it was, hopefully today was a good sign for the future!

"Horror Scope"

It's time again kids for your Cyrsti's Condo "Horror Scope"  from theFrisky.

Libra (September 23 - October 22) All the glory you dream of is on its way, but you have to keep weathering the storm and do your homework. This is no sprint you’re in now, so pace yourself and accept that the challenges you overcome now will ultimately make you worthy of reaping the rewards you’re after. No, it’s not the prettiest time in your life, but a meaningful one. ''

I just hope the stars and I have the same idea of what the definition of "glory" is! Of course if today's activity was any indication, the stars may be spot on again! (Details in the next post!)

The Horror Scope title is an invention of my own devious mind!

Worth Another Look!

Awhile ago ABC's What Would You Do? television series ran a feature which centered around transsexual Carmen Carrera. She was working as a server in a diner and this is what happened:


From YouTube of course.

Don't Let Struggle Become Your Identity

This video is compelling enough but the phrase at the end says it all: "Don't let struggle become your identity"!
from YouTube:

Down Under Drag

Divanna Lorrette

I found this site by sheer accident "A Pictorial History of Melbourne Drag" by Jamie Lee Skye. Just for kicks and giggles I also threw in a classic picture of Barry Kay.

Barry Kay

Follow the link above for more classic female impersonation pictures!

Pieces of the Puzzle

Every once in  while here in Cyrsti's Condo I get excited and do a little housekeeping. I was going through a few of the old posts which described my first visit to a hair stylist and the resulting benefits.
As I said at the time, being able to go natural with my own hair was huge!
The whole experience was similar to finding a huge piece of my transgender puzzle. I was to discover quickly the benefits and drawbacks of finally being able to wear my own hair. Of course there was the sensuality. Whether or not women know the effect a simple twist of their hair has on some men is up for speculation but at the least the simple twist has an effect on them.
The other end of the spectrum is the time and effort hair requires. A part of me didn't believe I would have to schedule monthly salon visits to hide my gray, cut the split ends and trim my bangs. All of the sudden, I'm shopping for different shampoos, combs, brushes and hair dryers.
As all my genetic female friends say "welcome to our world"!
I can only say, thanks for the welcome and I love it here!
Ironically, the funniest part of all of this is when I try to take my hair off!

Transgender Stars

"Laura Calvo, a transgender activist from Portland, Ore.has become the first transgender woman elected to the Democratic National Committee, according to the Statesman Journal. Laura Calvo, the twice-elected treasurer of the Democratic Party of Oregon, has worked closely with Basic Rights Oregon in helping to pass Oregon’s Equality Act and Family Fairness Act. She's held a number of positions on local, state, and national levels. She was a regional director on the board of National Stonewall Democrats, served as treasurer of the party's LGBT caucus, served on the Hillary Clinton National LGBT Steering Committee and then went directly to work as a member of the Obama National Policy and Finance Committee once Obama won the nomination. Just Out named her as one of the top 25 LGBT community leaders of the past quarter century."

Many times I think all of us get too involved with the "glitzier" members of the transgender - transsexual community who are very public. We have a tendency to forget trans women such as Laura who are making a huge grass roots difference! She is an impressive role model for us all!
For more, go here!

Transgender Basics

All too often I read of beginning cross dressers all the way to transsexuals who dwell on the smallest points of fashion, shoes and makeup- there is nothing wrong with that! On the other hand, if you are not practicing the beauty basics in essence you could be wasting a lot of time before you slide into those heels!

My first example is weight. Similar to most of us, I have a thick torso so any weight I gain still goes to my upper body. (I think the hormones are finally shifting some "padding" to my hips, thighs and butt.) Excluding my breasts, the last thing I want to do is gain weight. My thought is, if you want to enter the feminine world, you may want to get obsessive about your weight like most genetic women. Be forewarned such as I was. Hormones will not help your weight issue! Pounds are as easy to put on but much harder to take off!

My second example is skin care.  Of course your skin is a canvas. The better the base-the better the finished product. One area of my appearance I do get a lot of compliments on is in the age category. Most don't even come close to thinking I'm 63. Genetics of course do have big impact but I believe nearly 20 years of moisturizers and skin creams have helped too.  "Back in the day" it was always easy for me to "stash" away some sort of skin care product to apply everyday after I shaved. There are hundreds to chose from. They include cleansers, defoliants, wrinkle cream at all different price ranges. Today it is even easier to use a skin care product because they are on the market for men. So, in reality you should have no excuse to not take care of your skin!

Finally, I believe so many in our community spend so much time jumping in and out of the culture they lose sight of tomorrow. Purging today for a week, month or year (of all your female belongings) usually doesn't mean you won't be back.  Following the two common sense basics above will certainly help you in which ever gender you ultimately chose to live.

Enigma?

If enigma sounds like a mysterious word, it is supposed to!
By definition an enigma is an inscrutable or mysterious person. Just think about it this way. If the average male can not decipher the average female,  just what do they think about us?
Plus, let me take this a step further and ask what the average genetic female thinks about a transgender woman?
The easy answer is most of the public doesn't know what to think.  The best part is most know we are here to stay.  It's part of our allure to stay an enigma!