Friday, January 15, 2016

Everything Starts With a Dream

Those of you who have been around business management training programs, or even sports to an extent, perhaps you have ran across the idea of visualizing a goal before you can achieve it.

For the briefest moment last night I was swept off to what if land when a commercial for a breast augmentation group of Doc's came on the "Boob Tube" (couldn't help it.) I began to wonder if all my excuses against having the procedure was hurting my dream.

My dream is to have a realistic size of breasts to fill out my fashions. Excuse #1-my HRT "interruptus" has also interrupted my breast growth again. I am nothing if not impatient! Who said that? Dick Nixon??? Sincerely, I don't really know where my breast journey will end up.
Excuse #2-Finances. An upgrade to "the girls" around here is about $4,000 - exactly four grand more than I have to spend. I didn't hit the lottery as you can tell.

Answers to the excuses are actually easy to explain. If the estrogen takes me to a full "c" cup-that's cool and I will be satisfied with no additions to my body. Plus, as far as finances go, if Obama and/or the Pentagon ever does the right thing and formally approves active transgender military service-the approval could filter over to the Veteran's Administration (where I get my health care). At that point, the VA might approve transgender plastic surgery as the natural next step from the HRT they approve now.

Until that time, my dreams are in a fertile setting. One never knows when one will hatch!!!

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Meeting of The Minds

Gee, it's quiet between my ears today. The trans meeting was good last night except for I couldn't make the 'after meeting' at a near by coffee shop. If you know meetings, the after meeting is where the  "heavy lifting" takes place and peeps begin to form bonds.

I will the next time around!

Other than the meeting, on the way out, one of the building administrators stopped me and commented on my hair. She fibbed and said she liked the color and I said gray? But then I asked her had she ever tried the "Vibrant Violet" I have been addicted to recently and she said yes. Then I asked if she had tried any of the "power reds" I was considering next, the answer was yes again.

Hair color is heavily on my mind-no pun intended.  I need to DIY before the bar mitzfah in a week and have two picture ID's to update...

 Plus I have to keep up with my 14 year old granddaughter, who (if she can come up with half the money) is pushing her Mom hard for a blue "ombre" color job before the evening. The quote was "well, J.J. (me) has violet hair so what's the problem? That is NOT my granddaughter in the picture but you all know what I think!



What else is going on? I'm still between genders with the VA today, but I was able to hand deliver the latest documents they needed to get the job done. Of course, new forms were needed after the first of the year-of course. The man in charge of all of it said if he can make contact with the right peeps, we may 'git-r-done' yet this week. 

I'm sure the whole process will move faster when someone in the system figures out they almost got it right by changing my gender to female. 

What I'm really waiting for though is an almost immediate trip to get my VA photo I.D changed.

Several of my friends are requesting a "rite of passage" ritual-maybe I could start by burning the old ID's?

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Trans Flap?

With all the "flap" going on about the "Danish Girl" movin picture show- it's hard not to miss the glam and glitz of the fashion in the Roaring 20'!!! 

Check out one of the original SRS pioneers- Lili Elbe. From the shoes to her hat Lilli is working it! I love the fashion.
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The Future is Now?

Hey, I'm as good as the next person at procrastination.  In fact, my therapist who has this pesky habit of listening to me, asked what was coming up next (in my grand scheme) after the gender marker boogey is over?

The question came back to me from something I said to her - a (true) comment about my fondness for procrastinating forever  I told her I need to get a project done while I'm thinking about the next one and I struggle to finish or start either.

Like I said, I figured she (the therapist) was not listening to all my babble. Hell, I don't listen to me (except when I talk to myself.).

She is an excellent therapist though and did ask me what was next? I have a circle of friends, a daughter and partner to die for. And now, I'm journeying down the winding road of a legal name/gender marker change. 

So, what is next? If I was to meet my maker tomorrow and- after I was polite and asked her what the hell was she thinking-what would we chat about?

I'm fairly sure she would slap me up the side of my noggin and say "How many times have you talked about paying forward?" 'Do it Dummy!'

So, Finally tonight I am looking forward to meeting a group "of the sisters and brothers" in a transgender only get together which happens once a month here in Cincinnati. Plus, in a week or so, I will be heading back to the LGBTQ safe haven group "Love Must Win Inc" group in Northern Kentucky.

I know it's just a start, but every little bit I can do may help. About everytime I get secure on my rickety pedestal, I meet a person like we met at the Leelah Alcorn remembrance recently. Her name was 'V" and she was in shock by being outed on FaceBook the day before. She lives in a super redneck town a little farther into the Kentucky hills where I sure you will see a Confederate flag or two on the back of pickups.

So yes, the future is now for me. I am in a unique situation to do something-anything.and I must! What will my grandkids think of me if I don't?

   

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

"The Mousse Is Loose?"










As I have mentioned before here in Cyrsti's Condo- taking estrogen again is having it's expected affect on my hair. It's filling back in quickly.
L'Oreal Paris Feria Permanent Haircolor Intense Medium Auburn/Cherry Crush (R57)

That's the good news, now the 'other news'. Well- it's not really bad. It's the reality part of where I am now as a transgender woman. Plus,in the spirit of doing this blog at all, I wouldn't be doing what I set out to do if I didn't pass along any of my insights I could.


First of all, I have a natural wave to my hair. Essentially I can try to flat iron it into submission - or mousse it into remission. What we like to call around here :the mousse is loose! 

In the DIY girl world I have found myself (Do it yourself) I have found how easy it was to grow a head of hair my daughter wondered why she didn't inherit, all the way to nearly destroying it.

Plus, the all important bar mitzfah is coming up and I need to attempt to put my best hair forward, The pesky gray hair I have just doesn't want to go away for long!  

I love the softness and overall results I get with the Loreal brand and this time I am thinking about one of the "Feria" Power Reds for the next cycle. I should too try to exercise restraint and wait a little longer to get my drivers license updated with the fresh hair color. Color two birds with one color?

On top of that (literally) I think I have my outfit picked out for the evening and I am sure we will be discussing that later!

Monday, January 11, 2016

Freedom!!!!

I sincerely try every day for a brief moment or so to write in my journal (new age diary?) Light some incense (old hippie) and thank my **Goddess for a new day. Sure, you can accuse me of being a "rah-rah" type but health, life and so many other distractions come along, I have to be positive.

As life comes down to pushing and shoving me though, just being able to lead my life as I see fit is the ultimate freedom. 

Of course you all know where I'm going with this- if I can't live as a transgender woman-what's the point?

I did my 60 plus years of playing society's games to get here, so yes, I can be selfish and enjoy times like the last couple of days. As I have written about here in Cyrsti's Condo, Liz and I went out to a packed sports bar to watch football Saturday night, then Sunday afternoon we went to an art gallery to look at a mutual friends work.

My point is, I didn't have to worry about anything else in the world - but the world. No stares, no whispers etc. 

"Mama Freedom" is pretty fickle though, and I know that. She needs to be nourished and even fought for when needed. She is also good for giving you a gift - then taking it away. That's why I pause my life for a second everyday to add my appreciation.

**I believe deeply in a deity, I just don't believe for a second the deity has a specific gender, but I prefer mine to be feminine in nature. However, not a shy retiring femininity.

If you research the Hindu Goddess Kali  you will find her to be the black one and the force of time. Therefore Kali is called the Goddess of Time, Change, Power, Creation, Preservation, and Destruction.
Loosely based- I chose her because of my gender expressions-destroying the male and creating the female. 

For more radical images just Google "Kali Hindu Goddess"

R.I.P. David Bowie

As you have undoubtedly heard by now, David Bowie passed this Sunday. Many of us in and out of the LGBTQ community thought of him as a glam rocker-gender fluid music pioneer-which he was.

To others though, Bowie meant so much more. It was too easy to dismiss him as crossdressing glam rocker to explain my feelings.

For me though Bowie was soooo much more. He was a beacon of "gender fluid" hope for us (not unlike Andy Warhol.) in an age devoid of it.

And then, there was the music!



I will leave you with this: (My own take on Bowie's  Space Oddity Cut'  "Ground Control to Major David, take your place in the heavens and thanks!!!

Sunday, January 10, 2016

Cyrsti's Condo "From the Hart"

"I've had 40 year old cars with less work than her!" 
After watching one of the "Real Housewives" shows.

Cyrsti's Condo "Sunday Edition"

KerPlunk!!! Another "fantabulous" Sunday edition is hitting your virtual front porch. Winter has finally arrived here in the Cincinnati, Ohio area with a snowy blast of snow. As always 'Momma Nature' rules, so lets grab a hot 'cup o joe' (coffee) and get started.

Page One-the Week that Was or Wasn't: On the personal front, strides were made on the gender marker front as well. I received my 'permission' (hate that) to change my drivers license from male to female permanently which is huge in Ohio. Why? There is such a thing as a temporary change if your therapist does not check the proper box. Enough of that, I am going early this week for my new license!  And, no you don't have to throw the "women's driver" stereotype at me. Maybe my noggin has known more about me than I did. I have been a crummy driver for years.
Otherwise, I was doing the "bureaucratic boogie" in getting my male name to fit my female gender marker (of course.) I guess a committee of someone (or ones) has to sit down and figure out I am not a terrorist. Actually, the biggest deal is getting called by my male name at the clinic/hospital. 

Page Two-Yesterday's Coffee-Opinion: It is not uncommon for Momma Karma to pile on similar life experiences on me. This time it was my lifetime of loving sports. Earlier this week I wrote of the long time woman friend I came out to who wanted to know if I was "still a sports person?" Then, last night was the completely UGLY NFL game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Squeelers. Pittsburgh won, but the display of non sportsmanship in the stadium and on the field was past terrible. The whole game reinforced in my mind a new relationship with sports; a girl can like sports but just not as passionately.

Page Three- Ooopps! : Liz and I did go out to watch the game last night in a large/very popular sports bar down the street. Of course not long into the game I had to potty. The "toilet clientele" turned out to be a mainly  20 something crowd-some of which were gossiping about kids and jailed fathers.  (Truly more important than football) But, I still had to wait for my chance to pee and as I leaned on the wall, I hit the switch and accidentally turned off the rest room lights. THE easiest way to get everyone's attention to be sure. Being the center of attention, I just said "Last Call Girls!" It worked and I got out alive!

Page Four-The Back Page: Last week I also got together with my daughter to discuss life as a whole and my oldest Grandson's Bar Mtzfah which is coming up soon (I will have a separate post.)
My problem is an almost a complete lack of knowledge concerning the Jewish religion. My daughter converted.
All in all though, the Bar Mitzfah is a prime time example for me to give back to my Grandson what he has given to me - acceptance.

That's it kids!!!! Time to go out and play in the snow-or not!!!! Luv ya all thanks for stopping by and be safe.

Finding your Happy Place as a Trans Girl

Image from Trans Outreach, JJ Hart As I negotiated my way through the gender wilderness I was in, I needed to reach out at times to find mom...