How Soon We Forget

Today was a quick trip to the grocery store to pick up "vittles" for Liz's 17 year old son, whose visit was this weekend.  It's quite the process in a huge busy store-just to feed the kid. I/we encounter many different kinds of peeps but mostly slightly upscale which I think makes a real difference in "passing" or not. (For a trans woman or cross dresser)

At any rate, I didn't think about any of it until check out. Then I briefly thought how long it took me to get to this point. The time it took me to attempt to present the best I could. Can't give you all many inspiring points of wisdom.

What worked for me was when I did stop dressing for myself and started dressing for the world. And, let's face it, for me and where I live, heels and hose are not the best choice for an outfit. My new tennis shoes, jeans and sweater today seemed to do just fine. 

The harder part (but maybe more important) came when I became able to wear my own hair-and when I began to develop a "go to hell" attitude.

Sort of like the attitude I developed today when I saw what the kid wanted to buy to eat! 

Called in to Transgender Counsel?

Yesterday when I went to my endocrinologist appt at the VA, it was no surprise when he had yet another resident "doctor in training" tagging along.

I sort of felt sorry for the resident in that my Doc was traveling about 200 miles an hour. It was obvious he was trying to catch up a bit when he said "Cyrsti, this is my resident today, Nate." Then said "Nate" had never seen a transgender patient before, so here was a chance to ask questions. 

Well. both of us were taken back immediately. Poor Nate didn't know how to start and for once neither did I. About that time though, my Doc turned around and called me a "he" and I told Nate "mis-pronouning" a trans patient was a major way to screw up. In all fairness to my Doc, he normally does really well. 

I went on to relate the extremely ugly time when a resident at another of my doctors was all too interested in my sexuality - rather than why I was on HRT.

Finally, Nate asked if I had ever been asked to speak to a medical class. Interestingly, no, but two or three 20 something residents I have encountered have asked me the same question. Since Laverne Cox spoke at the medical school they attend (last winter) I'm sure my credentials don't match up.

But with me (at the least) you can't beat the price! (Free)

Such a Day?

"Back in the day" just thinking about getting up at five in the morning was pretty much like this: either I was getting in at five from working or partying. We called it the "Butt Crack" of dawn.

I have had two "Butt Cracks" in a row the last couple days- I guess you could come up with some sort of an side name for me as a super "Butt Crack." Connie will fill in the blanks I'm sure.

This morning I left the house about "7 ish" for the hour or so trip to my clinic. As today was my second of two back to back "visit with the vampires."

My first stop is always to get my regular "lab blood tests" taken. Then, I head over to Hematology to have another of my "pints" removed(for my body to replace.)

When I arrived this morning, I got started with a "bang" as I sat in my first waiting room when a guy walked through and started hollering "Hi!" at me. I knew it was me he was referring to because there were only three of us in the room.

I thought, well either I look really good-or really bad. Or, I wanted the medication he was on. 

From there I always have to walk nearly the distance of the hospital for my other appointment. Going early does make this part of my visit much easier because the VA hospital I go to is much quieter at that hour and I can relax a bit more before more of my blood is taken and I don't have to encounter more peeps.

Before I knew it though, My "Butt Crack Date With the Vampires" was over-with good news.

It turns out my nasty blood levels have dropped dramatically and I don't have to go back for a couple weeks.

Maybe my "friend" will still be there to greet me!!!

A Life Changing Experience?

Bobbie sent me this:

She got it from Facebook:


"Back on January 9th, a group of Wadesboro, North Carolina bikers were riding east on Hwy.74 when they saw a girl about to jump off the Pee Dee River Bridge. So they stopped.

George, their leader, a big burly man of 53, gets off his Harley, walks through a group of gawkers, past the State Trooper who was trying to talk her down off the railing, and says,
"Hey Baby . . . whatcha doin' up there on that railin'?"

She says tearfully, "I'm going to commit suicide!!"

While he didn't want to appear "sensitive," George also didn't want to miss this "be-a-legend" opportunity either so he asked . . . "Well, before you jump, Honey-Babe . . .
why don't you give ol' George here your best last kiss?"

So, with no hesitation at all, she leaned back over the railing and did just that . . .
and it was a long, deep, lingering kiss followed immediately by another even better one.

After they breathlessly finished, George gets a big thumbs-up approval from his biker-buddies, the onlookers, and even the State Trooper, and then says, "Wow! That was the best kiss I have ever had! That's a real talent you're wasting there, Sugar Shorts. You could be famous if you rode with me. Why are you committing suicide?"

"My parents don't like me dressing up like a girl."

It's still unclear whether she jumped or was pushed."

Or-if the transgender girl was last seen riding on the back of a Harley down the highway with her arms tightly clutching the "burly" biker.

Wasssup???

Here we go, another round of medical fun and games the next couple days, intermingled with spiritual get togethers.

Tomorrow is my endocrinologist visit which ties in closely with my next "blood letting" on Thursday. If you recall, the Doc (I have four now) took me off my estrogen about a week or so ago. Plus, if you are that interested, I have PCT, which is hereditary (among other things.) You can Google it. If you do, the cure is/are Phlebotomies (which you can Google too.)

At any rate, by Thursday afternoon, after all the regular blood labs which will be taken, I will feel like a pin cushion again. The good news? I can flat out give blood-fast and this week will be the mid way point of my treatment.

Plus, when my treatment does work, I will have the chance to restart my HRT.

Also on the bright side is Liz and I heard of another highly spiritual Native American story telling event tonight we can attend. The speaker is from the Shawnee tribe. You may ask why since I am not Native American to my knowledge, so here you go:

You regulars here in Cyrsti's Condo know I have a strong belief in the "Twin or Duel" gender spirit beliefs of many of the ancient peoples believed in. In fact I am taking my research on the subject a step further back. To when the ancient "matriarchal" beliefs were replaced (often by the hard way) by "patriarchal" beliefs. The worst of which of course came from the Catholics.




I am currently reading a book called Awakening Your Goddess.  I am just getting into the book and already I'm finding how difficult it is for genetic women to do this too. And, how it all relates to transgender women.

I will have posts coming!  

What Would YOU Do?

Carmen Carrera

Have you ever seen the ABC Television Show "What Would You Do?"  basically, the show features the public in sensitive (potentially really controversial situations.) In fact, years ago, Carmen Carrera was featured as a transgender server working the counter in a diner. All of the sudden one of the counter customers recognized her from her high school days as a boy and started loudly to go nuts to her. Of course, he was an actor and it was nice to see how many of the other patrons came to her aid.


Actually though, none of that has much to do with this post.this- except this also revolves around the true experience of a transgender server.

Now,  I know many of you follow Stana and her "gold standard" Femulate Blog and I found her daily post today to be quite interesting and thought provoking. Cutting to the chase, she (Stana) did not agree with the parent in Minnesota who came up and asked a transgender server to explain her "gender status" to his young daughter. Her , Stana's point was (I paraphrase) - it's none of your business. Get out of my life. 

Now Available on Amazon

My point is, in my "neck of the woods" I don't trust the greatest majority of parents to have any knowledge at all of what a trans person is. I would rather try to explain myself. But-

Having said that, my daughter would agree totally with Stana. Let her (my daughter) do her own parenting.

Either way, it is yet another highly thought provoking topic you can comment on here, or on Femulate. (Follow the link.)

By the way, Stana's book "Fantasia Fair Dairies" is out now! Available on Amazon.

Just a Cross Dresser?

I love it when I am running behind and Connie steps up (on her walker) with a comment which serves as an entire post for me. Basically, it comes from a recent Cyrsti's Condo post I wrote on "tipping" the gender scale from cross dresser to transgender. An answer which often is not easily answered and on occasion is - with passion:

" Funny you should use the word 'experience'. I think that when we go about living our daily lives without the forethought of each event being an experience, we then get to that point where we have tipped the scale. This doesn't mean that we've fallen into a hum-drum existence, necessarily, but the difference is in our mindset. For those of us who started our journeys by cross dressing, it was all about the experience - whether closeted or "out". I know cross dressers who still, after decades, are looking forward to their next 'experience'. For me, as exciting as it was to do things (in attempting to validate myself), I soon grew tired of what I had come to realize was merely a game I was playing. I had been using extraordinary means in order to find an extraordinary experience (of trans womanhood). As I began to just live my life without expectation of experience, I found that the ordinary was more comforting and validating than the experiences I had "set up" for myself before. Thus, I I find the extraordinary by ordinary means."

Thanks Connie!

Cyrsti's Condo "Sunday Edition"

Sharla and Cynthia. Photo: Brigitte Lacombe

Ker Plunk! Another virtual edition is hitting your front porch! All in all, another glorious day here in Southwestern Ohio and time for a hot "cup o joe!" Let's get started.

Page One: The Week That Was-or Wasn't: On the very pinnacle of transgender news and opinion, everything seemed to settle down a bit since we didn't have anything new from Caitlin Jenner to kick around. (Didn't really care she got her gender markers changed.)

 Over in the UK though, a new television series is featuring a transgender woman character (played by a trans woman, Rebecca Root.) had a successful debut.

From The Guardian: Last month, BBC2 launched a new sitcom that’s looking quietly revolutionary. Boy Meets Girl centres on the awkward love affair between early twenty something Leo (Harry Hepple) and Judy (Rebecca Root), a trans woman who is pushing 40. And it’s already shaping up to be the breakout comedy of the year.

Page Two Opinion: One way or another, age washes away memories, good and bad. Plus, too many of the gender transitioning experiences we see today seemingly want to only center on the transgender person and (if married) not the spouse. I ran across one such article from the "New York Magazine" and I thought I should share. But, first of all, my thoughts: 

1. 1  Any Gender transition is extremely selfish. After all you are shedding years of guilt from hiding your true self.But, your spouse (or girlfriend) is all of the sudden left holding the relationship bag.
2. Betrayal and Trust issues. Often the fact your loved one feels worse about this than the knowledge of your gender issues themselves
3. Going through puberty is not fun. Think about when you begged a spouse to help with clothes and/or make up. Or, worse yet, did it on your own. 

1. ..

I could go on and on with these and each of us who has gone through the painful process of transitioning with a spouse- has your own story. If you don't remember, my wife of 25 years was OK  with me cross dressing but going down the HRT route was a total no-no. She took the easy way outt and passed on nearly eight years ago. Others I know are able to enter into a "marriage of convenience." .Follow the link above for more.
Page Three- The Back Page: Times up kids! Big day ahead. My Bengals are overdue to turnover and get their kitty bellies rubbed by the Ravens in a couple hours and tonight I'm heading to a full moon ritual. Interestingly, it is the brightest in 32 years-if the clouds stay away.
In the meantime, I hope all of you don't stay away from Cyrsti's Condo. Luv ya!!!

The Deepest Cut of All

How many of us haven't suffered through the "that's a man!" slur? In fact, I rank it up there with the "earning the right to be a woman" process. 

As transgender women or cross dressers in world, we are experts in how out and out rude people can be - and not just with us. If you have ever seen the show "My Giant Life", the show features several women- all over 6'6" tall. The camera's follow them around and document all the rude peeps going nuts staring, whispering and even asking for selfies.

My latest "skirmish" came a couple weeks ago at a local movie theater when a couple pre teen boys looked at me around a corner and ran away laughing. I couldn't blame them as much as their parents.

Then, I read this story from Scotland:  A trans woman was left in tears after visiting a branch of "Specsavers" when a group of workers began laughing at her. Jess, on the left above began her full time transition nearly 10 months was with her wife, who called them on it.

The good ending to this ugly experience came when Jess posted her experience with the company to Twitter and got an apology and a pledge to diversify and sensitize it's employee's.



I will always wonder though how people can be so damn rude-and oh yes-here is your link.