Cyrsti's Condo "Sunday Edition"

Ker Plunk! Listen closely and you will hear another Sunday Edition has hit your virtual front porch! Another chilly fall day here in Southwestern Ohio as we shed the remnants of hurricane rain. Let's go fetch a hot "Cup o Joe" and get started.

Page One-The Week that Was or Wasn't: Again last week, there was nothing which "lit me up" on the transgender media stage. Most of my concerns still revolve around my evolving medical "condition" which is improving. It's definitely true, you have nothing without your health. Plus there were other massive situations going on like the "Pope's" visit and yet another shameful tragic mass shooting-which as a nation we seem to be powerless to do anything about. in.

Page Two-Opinion: In a sense, it was "girl's night out" last night. Liz and I were invited to a "Jamberry Nail Wrap Party" If you don't know, which I didn't, "nail wraps" provide yet another way for women to have in certain occasions - spectacular nails. But, they do take a certain amount of expertise and care of course. You can follow the link above for a look, but in the meantime for me there was the concept of the "party" itself.

Page Three-Party Time! Of course I always knew if you were invited to a party the hosts kind of wanted to see you but really liked you if you spent money. As luck would have it, the "Hostess" of the party is the one a couple months ago called me "Chris". I went on the site and explained in no uncertain terms I was not-nor had ever been a Chris and I consider it a real insult when someone calls me Chris. As it turns out she did it to me last night twice-before I confronted her. She was trying to get my attention on some sort of a prize I won and she said "Chris" and I didn't even look at her. She then came over to me and said something to the effect of you won this "Chris." I just said it's Cyrsti and no, I have NEVER been Chris. (My boy name wasn't even Chris) It must of worked because, she correctly called me Cyrsti the rest of the night.

Page Four-The Back Page: Well kids, it's time to go enjoy the day. I was wrong about my Cincinnati Bengal kitties rolling over in Baltimore last week and somehow my The Ohio State Buckeyes keep on stumbling to stay undefeated. You all have a wonderful week! Stay positive and I luv ya!!! (Just don't call me Chris.) 

Cyrsti's Condo Coming Attractions

Halloween make up model

Today in one of our "Meet Up" groups I saw an intriguing and almost scary Halloween party invitation.
It's for a private "gay couples" party.
Just thinking of a costume is a fun process though! This year I am leaning towards going a little "Sugar Skull" and away from my "Voo Doo" theme last year.
It's still a way away!

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!