Clean Up on Aisle 5!!!!!

Yesterday, when all the Christmas dinner shopping was tossed  on my lap, I was reminded of how it is to live in a land of plenty (bordered by the second highest child poverty rate on one side of us (Liz's house) and a rural drug epidemic only a few miles to the east. 

I didn't have much time to ponder the situation yesterday as I had been trusted to prepare and pick up the shopping list...Wow! Power! Fear!

We live off a really busy shopping street so I got an early start and made it to a store where we had a coupon for a very good ham. I was still very much buzzed from my successful name change and felt really good until I stepped up to pay and the cashier said "can I have your phone number sir?" GRRRR- I ignored her. Finally she said "Can I have your phone number?" I just said "What did you call me???" I don't think the little bitch did anything but smirk and there were 20 some people in line behind me, so I paid and when on my way. It turned out, I had bigger fish to fry-disguised as women in upscale Cadillac or BMW SUV's trying to jam them in small spaces. I was lucky, I found a spot six miles (it seemed) from the store.

From there, all bets were off. I was not to be trusted with my steel trap but slightly rusted mind and was given a partial shopping list to build from. The store was so big and so busy, if they were out of something (like eggs), all I had to do was seek out something else I was looking for and come back. The eggs would magically reappear. Wow!

Inside the store, the gender minority (men) took over the insanity and ran with it - really ran with it. Guys with carts determined to cut a half hour shopping trip into 15 minutes. Dangerous and made even more so when the inevitable interaction with an old folk or two occurred. 

Amazingly enough, I made it and for of those of you who want to know -or care if I got called "sir" anymore - no I didn't. The crazy peeps in the store wouldn't haven't cared if I was a Martian, just get the hell out of the way.

I did get out and escaped the pre Christmas shopping fun that cis women have had fun with for years. Gee-I guess like changing diapers, I am now a step closer to reaching some sort of stereotypical transgender nirvana. Wow!

Merry Christmas

First of all Merry Christmas to all you Cyrsti's Condo readers who celebrate the holiday! I hope this post finds you with friends or family today. Although giving is supposed to be the base of the celebration of Jesus's birth, we are conditioned at a very early age to receive. That is another story, try to make this day a haven from a very contentious world!

Cyrsti's Condo "From the Heart"

Suburban Sprawl is like a piece of white bread - it's all the same until you change the topping.

Jess I Am

Well, I can't remember the day I was born the first time, but today was as close as a person could come to being born again- (although some believe a religious experience can get them there.)

If you stop by Cyrsti's Condo much I'm sure you have read this was a huge day for me. At 10 o'clock this morning, Liz and I were meeting in front of a probate court judge to get "Jessie Jeanne" legalized as my new name. Before you have your own idea's of a naming ceremony-the name represents a combination of family names. (Another blog post-as well as name progressions, or regressions during my life.)

Mind you, we had to make the nearly two hour drive to my old home town to do it. Following the "ceremony" we had to keep moving and stopped at my old building for another load of old clothes we are putting together to give to homeless shelters around here and then headed over to Dayton to the VA Center. Very quickly, we were able to interrupt the VA officer handling my gender/name changes and give him the newly "minted"name change papers - to get the gender process completed there.

From there we headed back to Cincinnati. Liz picked up some yarn for a project she was doing and I completed the forms to send over to the state BMV to begin the process to change my drivers's license. 

By this time it was time for dinner.

Afterwards, I was able to beg my way into having her helping me set up the new lap top and- here I am!

Such a day ! Details to come.

Girl Interrupted

More great news yesterday! My estrogen was found not to be the basis of my liver problems this summer...and I am allowed to resume my dosage ASAP. 

Estrogen is like a snowflake, for the most part  the hormone effects each trans person different. 

Yes there is the breast development-which is tied in with your feminine family genetics and normally never up to the expectations of the person on HRT. (Many cis women aren't satisfied with their breasts, so we are in good company.)

Yes there is the emotional aspect-which I think is the biggest part. You do get "weepy"and experience "hot flashes" -which are different animals unto themselves. As close as I can come explaining one is during my first one, I thought I was internally combusting!

The part of Estrogen effects (so far) I have never been able to explain to anyone (man or woman) is how my world softened internally. Somehow I was more perceptive to the world around me. Cis men don't experience it and cis women are born with it-so they don't understand. That's OK!

Finally, I look forward to a couple exterior changes. My hair will thicken again and my skin will soften-bringing out curves.

Poor Liz (my partner) she gets to live through another MtF gender puberty of sorts. She wasn't around for my first. She was with me as I started HRT the first time and a form of transgender menopause when I stopped. 

And now, here we go again!!! YAY!!!

It's in The Stars?

Connie commented on my upcoming legal MtF name change

:Nice Job! Although the resident Wiccan around here (my partner Liz) won't admit it - she may have missed this one!!


"It appears that your name change date falls just about midway between the Winter Solstice and a full moon. I don't know what implications that may have, but Happy Winter Solstice, Recognition, and Full Moon Days to you! There are so many celebrations for people this time of year, depending on their beliefs. No matter what each of us celebrate, though, may we all learn to appreciate and believe in each other as the individual human beings we are. Also, I'd like to add a Happy Chaka Khan, cuz I like the way it sounds. :-)"

I love "Chaka" too!  Especially her hair color!!!! 

Chaka Khan

Cyrsti's Condo "Sunday Morning Edition"

Ker Plunk! Welcome to another Cyrsti's Condo Sunday Edition. Get yourself a hot "Cup o Joe" and lets get started! It's cold here in Cincinnati, Ohio. Which indeed it should be during the Christmas season. Lets get started!

Page One :The Week that Was - or Wasn't:  Much to the chagrin of the anti-transgender movement strides continue to be made in the world from the LGBTQ community: 

Such as this week when Canada’s first transgender judge was been appointed to provincial court in Manitoba.

Kael McKenzie, a Crown attorney from Winnipeg, was designated a judge on Dec. 17 and will begin his new job immediately.With his appointment to provincial court, Mr. McKenzie becomes the third openly trans judge now practicing in North America. The first, Victoria Kolakowski, of Alameda County, Calif., was appointed in 2010.Many are calling Mr. McKenzie’s appointment “a Canadian milestone.” (Thanks Bobbie)

For me, as I have written-this Wednesday is legal name change day!

Page Two: Yesterday's Coffee - Editorial Opinion: One of the blogs I follow is TransGriot which is moderated/written by Monica Roberts. Monica is a transgender woman of color who is never short on opinion - most of which even I agree with. Monica is also from Houston, Texas where the trans- rightist- conservative bigots banded together to shoot down HERO 


Monica wrote: 

"The problem I have with it along with many of our allies is that the taping (of another 'I am Caitlin' show) had no Houston trans representation, and especially Houston trans people of color leaders to discuss on camera an issue that we have been all in about and are the experts at discussing in HERO. In Dee Dee Watters and my cases, we have been fighting to pass our human rights ordinance since January 2014."

Follow the link above for Monica's thoughts on many transgender issues-especially from the point of color!

Page Three: Entertainment: This Holiday Season we have the premier of the "Danish Girl." and the announcement of  Amazon's new kids show co produced by transgender woman Shadi Petosky . The show is called " Danger and Eggs." 

Shadi 

As Variety and Entertainment Weekly reported, Petosky learned Friday that Danger & Eggs, the animated children's show she co-created with animator Mike Owens, has been green lit for 25 episodes by Amazon, along with two other shows aimed at kids. 

Page Four: The Back Page: Doesn't seem possible but this will be the last Sunday Edition before Christmas. I know that so many of you will be traveling to see families and many of you who have families who don't want you in their lives anymore. Either way, take care of yourselves and be safe! You are always loved here and thanks for stopping by Cyrsti's Condo! Merry Christmas and Blessed Yule!!!!

Stay Out of Red Neck Bars if you Ain't a Cow Girl or a Sheep

Over the recent years here in Cyrsti's Condo, many have asked me how I finally began to make a transition into a quality feminine lifestyle. First and foremost, I have been able to balance a lack of movie queen looks with a group of cis women dedicated friends. Normally one balanced the other until I gained confidence to "step out" on my own. Look at it this way, instead of hiding in the back of the line, I became an active partner.

Secondly, I began to be more selective on where I went and quit taking chances so to speak. Here's an example: Today Liz and I along with a few acquaintances toured a working artist gallery in an old factory building in downtown Cincinnati. I am not the biggest art expert in the world but I do admire and respect more than a few of the artists work which I met today. And, DUH!!! I was welcomed and Oh-Gee there weren't any of those pesky gender specific restrooms.

So my advice to the novice cross dresser or transgender woman heading out into the public eye for the first time is - go to someplace percent wise that you can relax and enjoy the world. If you can and I know it is tough. I tripped through malls in heels and short skirts and most definitely found my way into some wrong drinking establishments. I was no angel.

In fact, one of my goals for next year is to finally e-pub my second book which details most of my dumber moments in the world. My first literary effort "Stilettos on Thin Ice" was much more of a personal look of how I survived growing up transgender.

Spoiler alert: I may have lived through my visits to a few red neck bars and I had a real tough time passing as a "cow girl" or a sheep. Depending on who who talked to!!!

Dancing Skeletons and Swerving All Over the Road

We chat around here quite a bit on occasion on when someone protests too loudly about a transgender person and their rights-a LGBTQ skeleton of sorts may be dancing loudly in their closet.

Sadly, an overwhelmingly large amount of us over compensate over our lives for the gender dysphoria we suffer. Certainly, I am not covering new ground. You may have recalled Connie and I discussing a few of the reasons we played sports and/or joined the scouts or-or-or---blah, blah blah.

Last night, Liz and I went to another of our meetup group's get together. During the course of the evening, I was amazed to the point of even being shocked that two people out of a group of approx 12 have trans questioning offspring/relation. Both of course are into the struggles we all went through as we were sorting out who we were.

Amidst all of this comes the news that an ignorant, snake worshiping religious right group is fighting Cincinnati's ban on LGBT conversion therapy. I wonder if those are the ones who go home and pull out the gay porn. Plus, the proponents of the "conversion therapy" are quick to point out they should have the right to choose.

Of course I offered any and all support I could come up with - plus this group provides a natural huge welcoming set of arms. I am so happy to be a role model of any sorts. 

Particularly at this point of time (with the political "bantering/bashing" going on) I wonder how it all affects the younger transgender girls and guys like were talked about last night.

I really believe Trump could give a "rat's arse" since he gets more press going after the Muslims. But for any number of reasons (including basic transgender rights) Cruz and Rubio in particular are very dangerous.

I used to be basically a third party person but this election is shaping up to be a no brainer.. Then again, there is a long way to go. 

Hopefully the right skeletons will dance their way out of the right closets!