Vocalizing?

Recently, we received a couple comments to a Cyrsti's Condo post called "Voice Police" which I have been meaning to pass along and just couldn't find the time (sorry!)

Here they are:

1. 
   MarianJuly 9, 2018 at 5:37 PM

   "Cyrsti -
   
   I found that one of the local colleges near where I live helps Trans folk learn to speak in the Androgynous vocal range with appropriate speech mannerisms. Maybe something like this can be found where you live. Hearing and Speech labs in many colleges like to use TGs as their guinea pigs in exchange for low cost therapy.
   
   In the NYC area where I live, each session from one professional costs $150. At the local college, the same basic therapy (under the supervision of a board certified supervisor) costs $60. Yes, it may not be as good as the $150 sessions, but you get 80-90% of what you're looking for for about 40% of the cost.
   
   M"
2. 
   Michelle HartJuly 10, 2018 at 8:13 AM

   "You may find that after you find your female voice, it will be hard to use the vocal patterns that youve been using for years."
3. Marian, thanks for the reminder! I have heard the educational voice connection idea a couple times. Since I can go through the Veteran's Administration for free, I forget on occasion to mention other options!
4. Michelle, I can't wait for that to happen! :)

Too Much Information?

My transgender - cross dresser support group meeting the other night, turned out to be less than exciting.

We had two new attendees, who, unlike most new people in a group weren't shy about letting us all in on their life stories. I guess I am the bitch in this situation, because I am fairly sure the so called moderators of the group should have called time out on both of them. Then again, one of the moderators should call time out on herself after telling the same stories every two weeks.

She is fond of telling everyone of her new found success in the world as a woman, which is fine, except for two people in the group who have been fired from their jobs for being trans in the last year.

I did get to see the person known as the "ultimate cross dresser" in guy dress and he is right that he is very gender fluid.

I suppose too, the people who talk the most, don't normally have anyone to talk to. I am fortunate to have a partner who encourages me to talk when I get quiet.

So, I should be more understanding and I am working on it.

Maybe, just maybe, the moderators could bring an egg timer, to pass along a gentle hint when another abusive father story goes a little long?

And oh...by the way, I can get very agitated when someone calls me a "gurl." I just don't want to know what that means.

Therapist Revisited

Often, my therapist visits are mainly very vanilla in nature, with the occasional "aha" moment sneaking in.

We had one of those yesterday when I brought up the relative lack of response to me getting about half my hair cut off. I wondered why out loud and she brought up a couple points.

First and foremost, she said maybe it's because men normally don't mention, or notice things like hair on women. So, perhaps these cross dressers or transgender women haven't advanced that far into womanhood. I am sure you have noticed it is a far different world than the male one. When dealing with another woman, any sort of compliment is a nice way to open communication on a good level.

She also said, to be fair, many novice cross dressers and/or trans woman are still too wrapped up in how they look to notice others. Naturally they suffer from extreme insecurities.

One way or another, I left with a better understanding of the gender world.

Maxi Dress?

Connie wrote in to Cyrsti's Condo to comment on a recent blog post which included a picture of me in my new "maxi dress'" Included in the post was my reference to a self proclaimed cross dresser who made a point of saying all transgender women on hormones were "bitches." Even though, the comment could have included me (I have been on HRT for years), I kept my mouth shut and listened to all the petty gossip. I guess if you don't have anything good to say...go ahead and say it anyway!

At any rate, here is what Connie had to say:

FABULOUSCONNIEDEEJuly 8, 2018 at 3:02 PM

"Well, I'm not on HRT, but I can still be a bitch sometimes. Right now, though, I'm in a pretty good mood, and I just have to compliment you on your dress. You look great! There's nothing so cool(ing) to wear on a hot day or evening as a long, sleeveless dress or maxi. The air conditioning is built-in. :-) I've often wondered, when you've described your outfits for different summer occasions, why you weren't wearing a long dress, instead. Jeggings or leggings always sound so hot (or not so hot) a choice when the temperature gets high.

Having hung out, in the past, with a cross dresser group, I can attest to the bias many of them have on female presentation. I think it's because they relish the dichotomy of living two distinct lives, as far as their gender is concerned. Most of us have gone through the overcompensation at some point. For one to think there is no other way to be, though, and then to voice that opinion, is pretty much the definition of "bitch" in itself. On the other hand, I have also attended trans functions with mostly "HRT transitioners" who made me feel uncomfortable for being too "dressed up." I've even been told that I can't be truly transitioning just because I wear wigs - when, if I didn't wear them, I feel I would look pretty ridiculous with my male-pattern baldness showing itself! But, if someone else with the same condition didn't care how she looked, I surely wouldn't say anything about their presentation - although, I'd be thinking it. :-)"

Great point on the dress and thanks for the compliment! I truly didn't think it would look that good on me and yes it is much cooler and comfortable than the "jeggings." Since I wasn't wearing much of anything at all under it, I was able to feel all the sensuality of the dress.  All in all, I felt like I deserved the feelings because of all the work I have been through to get here.

If I can find another dress similar to it, I am sure I will wear one again! I just don't want to wear the same one for the same people.

Travel Days?

Well, today really isn't. Tonight is another support group meeting and.if I happen to get there in one piece without hitting a curb or worse, I won't be traveling far today. Before the last transgender - cross dresser meeting I went to. I was so busy trying to navigate a turn off a very busy street, I hit a curb so hard, I blew a tire. Which meant yet another get together with a tow truck driver. As it turned out again, my fears were unfounded, because he treated me with respect and got me on my way, without incident. Plus, there is some sort of poetic justice in just standing there and having a guy take care of things.

Tonight I plan on not hitting the curb and making my way into my fave coffee shop for some sort of cooling coffee blend. Not in my diet but tasty none the less!

Tomorrow is the real travel day. It's time again to make the three hour round trip to see my long time therapist up north at the Dayton, Ohio Veterans Administration campus. Hopefully, she will be glad to hear my referral for voice therapy has gone through for July 18th. Since she was instrumental in setting it up.

Plus I have sold an item in one of my Etsy shoppes, so it will take me an hour or two or so, to find a box and get the proper documentation together to get it shipped.

Should be a busy couple of days!

Out and About?

For some reason, Liz and I had Friday and Saturday night invitations this week.

Friday, we went to the usual karaoke we attend once a month. We even stayed way past our bedtime, all the way till midnight.

The longer we stayed, the worse the music got with people thinking they were drunk enough to sing. Fortunately for everyone, I was not among them.

Saturday, we finally collapsed to the pressure of a self professed proud NOT to be on hormones cross dresser who comes every time to karaoke. She always seems to be unnecessarily edgy and I always wondered why. It turns out she thinks all of us on HRT are just bitches. It could expelling why she/he is always nicer to Liz than I. However, I just don't play their little stupid high school girl games they play.

At any rate, she/he was always on our back to wear "something nice" to the restaurant we went to. So, I thought it was time to break out a first...a long flowing, slinky dress. I loved it! It was perfect for a nice summer Ohio evening.

Kind of hurt my feelings, she/he didn't even mention my dress or my new hair cut. But then again, I am one of those evil transgender bitches on hormones.

Better luck next time. 

Voice Police

Yesterday, the "voice police" called. Yes, I finally set up an appointment with the speech department at my veterans administration hospital.

After setting up the visit, I immediately thought, what did I just do? You see, my voice is very horse most of the time, so I hope there is nothing majorly wrong which would require surgery.

One way or another, it's time to hitch up my big girl panties on the 18th and get it looked at.

Of course my end game is having a more feminine voice and I am willing to put whatever work needed to insure it happens. My major issue now is keeping my voice in what I consider a feminine mode all the time.

I have set my first goal. It is to try to not get mis gendered on the phone.

It would be a huge success!

Where to go From Here

Independence Day has now come and gone, so now we have a fairly long stretch of summer coming up with very little happening. Plus, this run of brutal heat is continuing for at least another day before we have a respite this weekend.

Next week though, I have a transgender-crossdresser meeting on Monday, which should be fun because one of the trans moderators just got engaged this weekend. Then on Tuesday, I make the journey North to see my therapist at the Dayton, Ohio Veterans Administration campus. 

As far as summer fashion goes, I am pretty well set, so I should start looking ahead to the fall and it's new fashion trends. Perhaps I can find a deal or two on the racks where I shop.

Also, Liz and I want to take another "mini" vacation sometime in August. Most likely, back up to Columbus, Ohio. We might want to work it in before The Ohio State University gets back for it's fall session towards the end of the month. (August)

It's tough to wish time away at my age, so this time I will call it...advanced planning!

Fourth of July

I wish I could write a flowery post about what the Fourth of July, or Independence Day should mean to all of us Americans.

I am proud to have a distant relative who fought in the Revolutionary War. I often wonder what he would think of all the contortions our country is going through now.

Under the guise of "fake news" and a worn out amendment, special interests and crooked politicos have managed to take over our country. Over the years too, we have managed to neglect our educational institutions so much, it has "dumbed" down our country so far, that in breeding seems like a real possibility in some groups.

For some reason, I still know a few transgender people who support a president hell bent on taking away what rights they still have. Plus, just wait, as soon as the leader appoints another conservative to the Supreme Court, and LGBT rights come under fire, just wait and see how fast the gays and lesbians come looking for our trans support again.

I also don't know what to say about all the mass shootings which take place, almost all at the hands of white males. Even still, we blame immigrants for the violence. As we consider immigration too, who would have ever thought our country would be the one caging children. Just consider for a moment what the desperate people looking for asylum on our borders were running from.

It seems our country has taken it's lead from a leader who has no compassion or morals and is under indictment at the highest levels.

This Independence Day, it's time to seriously consider what we have to do to reclaim what made the US the country it was. And, not the one known for slavery and genocide of it's native citizens.