"Lola" in my Rear View Mirror

You "more mature" kids around here in Cyrsti's Condo probably remember the Kinks' classic Lola. If by chance you haven't heard of Lola, here are a few of the lyrics which made the song so interesting to many of us:

"Girls will be boys and boys will be girls It's a mixed up muddled up shook up world except for Lola La-la-la-la Lola Well I left home just a week before And I'd never ever kissed a woman before But Lola smiled and took me by the hand And said dear boy I'm gonna make you a man

 Well I'm not the world's most masculine man But I know what I am and I'm glad I'm a man And so is Lola"

According to Wickopedia:  "The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorized in the United States as a British Invasion band, the Kinks are recognized as one of the most important and influential rock groups of the era."

"Lola" itself , was a song written by Ray Davies. The song details a romantic encounter between a young man and a possible transvestite or transgender person he meets in a club in Soho, London, with the narrator describing his confusion towards a person named Lola who "walked like a woman and talked like a man". Released in June 1970, in the UK on the 12th and in the USA on the 28th, the single was taken from the album Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One and reached #2 in the UK charts and #9 in the US. It was ranked 422nd on the List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time."

In 1970, I was in college and worked a part time job as a DJ on the local radio station where the school was located. Nearly every night there was this guy who called and harassed the living daylights out of me to play anything by the Kinks so of course that night I played the newly released Lola. He called back so confused he could barely talk.  He asked if he had heard the lyrics correctly and of course I said yes and did I think Lola was a man?  I said most certainly to the disappointed kid - while all the while I was thinking how I could meet her!

Unfortunately the crappy "Dude Looks Like a Lady" Arrowsmith song gets most of publicity as a classic from our community.  But every and then, the grand old girl gets an encore performance opportunity on an area AM classic radio station in the area. In my mind she still looks as good as ever under the "electric candlelight" !

Cyrsti's Condo "Quote of the Day"

" Is it equally tragic to be bullied for who you are, versus being internally tormented for who you can't be?"

cyrsti hart

Cyrsti's Condo "Horror Scope!"

As I get ever closer to the "Will you still read me? When I'm 64?" birthday my horror scopes continue to dazzle and entertain me:

Libra (September 23-October 22): There will be a whirlwind of activity around you and to come out of it on top, keep still and take it all in. Patience will matter now, but that doesn’t mean you have to be totally sedentary. Instead, look deeper into the circumstances, the cause and the effect, because in the midst of it all, you’ll see there is a way to step out from the eye of this storm and let it pass without you.

The toughest part of this "scope" is the call for patience! (Hurry up Dammit!)

Go here for your scope from theFrisky !

Fall Fashionista Shopping!

No! I am not a "fashionista."  I just don't have the budget to be one but I learned long ago where there is a will there is a way.

During my married years, I stashed as much small time cash as I could. It was difficult because my wife and I didn't have much spendable income to start with for the longest time and she was a book-keeper by trade and knew how to keep track of spending. I felt real guilty!

As I have written here in Cyrsti's Condo, I learned and made do with thrift store and deep seasonal discount purchases.  Not much has changed today except my wife passed and I semi retired into the infamous never never land of "fixed income."  So when I made a major investment in two pairs of boots this weekend, it was big! 

In the picture to the right you see the two new pairs and a hold over boot in the middle from last year.

Of course, the more you transition into your girl self, your fashion dynamic will change too.  All of the sudden, your wardrobe needs go from one or two days a week to five, six or 24/7.  Over a space of time, I changed my focus to finding cost conscious styles which had the potential of lasting longer, fitting better and matching my overall style.

We can use the boots above as an example. The shorter tan boot will certainly not be a flattering fashion find for my feet in that they will have the tendency to make my feet look bigger and they do not have a smooth fit up my leg. On the other hand, they will be very functional in snowy/icy weather and I will still be able to tuck my jeans into them for a trip to the grocery store or where ever.AND they will be warm with a pair of thick snuggly socks! As I have told you all several times, HRT has ruined my thermostat and I'm not making up some sissy/girly excuse when I tell you I get colder now. I do!

The black boot in the middle is essentially a bit more of a winter fashion upgrade from the shorter tan boots. These boots are really fun to wear with leggings, a big baggy sweater and just the right scarf.

The gray "slouch" boot on the left qualifies as the fashion choice of the three.  It provides a slimming line up the leg and can again be worn with leggings, tights and even hose.  Lot's of potential for me to dress them up or down.

Interestingly, all of these boots are sized different.  The tans are regular 12's, the black suede regular 11's and the gray slouch boots are 12 wide.  I have a difficult time finding a boor which will slide over the top of my foot without a side zipper.  Another consideration I have with boots is finding a pair which will fit my wider calf. All are reason's I have a tough time shopping on line.

The cost?  Under 100 dollars spread over two years.  Believe me, I would have recoiled over such an expenditure as recently as a couple years ago. Now, winter footwear is a needed expense.

One other feature you may have noticed is all of these boots styles have very low heels.  I have four reasons:
1.- safety. I'm very uncoordinated and want to keep all the decidedly unfeminine falls to a minimum!
2.- height (I prefer to stay under the 5'11" mark)
3.- comfort. Let's just say my old bones and joints have seen their better days.
4.-blending.  These three styles give me the flexibility to match my style with what the majority of the other women in my area are wearing.

Hope all these little hints help you girls!

Cassidy Lynn Campbell

Hell hath no fury than a scorned transgender woman may just describe transgender homecoming queen Cassidy Lynn Campbell. Check out Campbell's  NOH8 photo -

Cyrsti's Condo "Quote of the Day"

"Everything worthwhile is perishable" Bryan Cranston from "Breaking Bad"

Bikini Dress

So what if we are looking at cool fall and cold winter weather creeping in on us, Alice is going to model a "Boy to Girl" bikini dress for us on the Cyrsti's Condo big screen:

 

Good Bye Old Friends

Had a big day boot shopping today with girlfriend. As always I was putting way too much thought into what I was going to wear. But then I just stopped and just let nature take it's course.

For some reason, I have had this one bra which I have basically just tossed off to the side.  Today I pulled it from retirement and put it on and discovered I really didn't need my trusty, well used breast forms with it. My own "girls" were holding their own nicely.

I was stunned then ecstatic. All of the sudden, I could put on some minimal makeup, brush out my hair and face the world in my jeans and top. As one good happening beckons another, it turns out we found two pairs of great boots for the fall and winter ahead and better yet I achieved a new level of relaxation today.

Of course it did not take Liz long to notice and comment on the "girls" progression which was great fun.

I'm far from where I would like to be with my breast development, but it looks as if two of my oldest friends who made this transgender trip with me will be going into retirement- along with my wigs.

All power...Momma Karma!!!!!!!!! I am soooo thankful!

Benny Hill Never Looked This Good!

Remember Benny Hill the British Comic who was known to don a frock or two? (left)

For some reason the cross dresser on the Cyrsti's Condo big screen used the same theme music. (Must have been the pig tails!)