Snowy, Windy Monday in Trans Land

After a fairly decent day Sunday, which saw temperatures rising to near 60, this morning, winter reality set back in. We have a wintry mix of rain and snow blasted by up to 40 mile per hour winds.

So, due to the conditions, I rescheduled my hour and half one way trip to my endocrinologist. I have enough estrogen patches to get me by, I should be fine.

Tonight though, is one of the bi-monthly meetings of the transgender-cross dresser support groups I attend.

I like to go among, other reasons,  because I normally find some sort of blog material to write about. Although I don't mean that negatively. I have found a few decent acquaintances there.

Tomorrow,  the weather is supposed to be just cold and sunny, so I should be able to just bundle up and make both of m appointments. One with my therapist and one with my psychiatrist.

Busy Weekend

First of all, I hope all of you who happened to travel for Thanksgiving this weekend, a safe journey to and from your destination.

We stayed close to home as I wrote about before and enjoyed a real decadent feast, which I gave blessings for. Knowing full well, so many others aren't so fortunate. For once, Liz's often standoffish brother was even semi nice to me.

Friday night we met up with some old friends we hadn't seen forever. Ironically (or maybe not so much so) I spent most of my time talking girl talk with two of the youngest women at the table...both millennial. It all was very satisfying and pleasant.

Yesterday (Saturday) was football day with The Ohio State Buckeyes crushing their arch rivals, who I can't mention by name, despite being under dogs in their own stadium. Due to a serious brain cyst, I still believe the team's famous coach will retire this year. But I digress.

Saturday night we were invited to go back to an oft visited up-scale Italian restaurant we go to. I wore a cream colored sweater (which I promptly spattered with sauce) with my long black embroidered skirt with flats. Surprisingly, the lead cross dresser who normally comes dressed, this time came as his male self and was less obnoxious. I don't know why the female attire makes him try so hard for social acceptance. Maybe it is because  he feels more secure when he has his male privilege.

Coming up this week on Monday and Tuesday, it's time for my endocrinologist appointment to see if maybe I can increase my estrogen dosage a little bit.

Finally, Tuesday I have an appointment with my therapist and the psychiatrist who fills all my other meds. So it's starting off to be a busy week!

Bucket List Friday

Well, it's the most anticipated shopping day of the year...Black Friday.

"Back in the day" when I had a cross dressing feminine bucket list, one of the items on my list was to brave the crowds as a woman on Black Friday.

After many years of watching my wife head out with several of her girl pals to shop, I finally got my chance to go out when she got a new job in retail and I was left unattended.

When the much awaited day finally made it, I bundled myself in my best fuzzy sweater and tight jeans with boots then headed to the closest/biggest mall.

I don't know what my expectations were but I might as well have been a gorilla in a dress for all the attention I didn't get. Everyone was moving fast and in their own world and predictably, mostly women. I did manage to get into a few stores and shop for a couple of small Christmas items for my wife.

All too soon, the morning was over meaning I had to head home and be back to my old boring male self before my wife finished work and came home. Time has eroded my memory and I don't quite remember what excuse I told my wife how I spent the day. Chances are, with my restaurant job, I had to be at work around three.

Some items on a bucket list are harder to accomplish than others. 

Thanksgiving

It's a day to overfeed myself, watch football and enjoy the company of my adopted family. Of course I have a standing invitation to my daughters. So I have an embarrassment of riches to be thankful for.

As I always write though, I am well aware so many of us under the transgender and LGBT umbrella don't have the benefit of joining their original families for the holidays.

Hopefully, most will have found some sort of support in their local LGBT local organizations, Not the same, to be sure but every little bit helps!

However this Thanksgiving finds you, I hope you are healthy and well fed.

Bunny Transgender Support

Forgive the use of the "transgendered" word in this cartoon...but it is old. Like me!

Thanks to Bobbie for sending it in.

Transgender Day of Remembrance

Here in Cincinnati, Ohio we are having two events to mark Transgender Day of Remembrance and the Trans Day of Visibility today.

As I have written many times here in Cyrsti's Condo, many of us can help each vigil along. Often in small ways from deep within our own closets. An example would simply to vote against the local and national bigoted candidates clogging the political system.

These days too, are a good time to remember all the trans women who have been murdered, for just trying to live as their authentic selves. From the top down in this country, people are trying to erase our very existence. It's always a good time to think about being careful.

But, proud and visible we are! The transgender tribe is getting stronger and stronger all the time. Even the younger generation is becoming more and more gender blind and accepting. Plus, finally, we are becoming a vibrant "T" in the LGBT coalition..

There is still a ton of work to do and we all must stay vigilant of those seeking to take our rights away or worse yet, even harm us. 

Now is a good time to pause for a second and remember all those we have lost and remember all the work yet to be done.

I'm Not Complaining

As we enter this holiday season, I know it is always a very sad time for many in the LGBT community. Although, at least where I live, there are several LGBT groups who host holiday "potlucks" where you are asked to bring a side dish. So at the least everyone has some place to go.

That is why I am writing this.  During my last post I was whining about the amount of cleaning we had to do for an approaching Thanksgiving dinner.  When I began to think about it, I started to realize what a blessing it was to be able to participate in a holiday family get together at all.

In my own family, I remain close to a very accepting daughter but I am equally far apart from my brother.

I know being totally accepted by an outside family is extremely rare and I am happy to participate. Plus, it is easy to take for granted having the money to go out and buy all the needed provisions to be able to be able to put on a holiday feast.

So a little bit of cleaning won't hurt me!

Sunday Thanksgiving March

I know it is the Sunday before Thanksgiving but already,we are staring major procrastinated cleaning projects around the house.

Yesterday was almost a wasted day for cleaning because of a trip to the store, karate practice for Liz and yet another heart stopping win by The Ohio State Buckeyes.

To keep it simple (stupid), I started the day in a pair of my leggings, thigh high boots and a nice sweater. Then, as the day progressed, I just down graded into a more comfortable older sweater. One fun part of the day was when I had a chance to search through some of Liz's older clothes she can't wear anymore because of her dynamic one hundred pound plus weight loss. I think I found a couple of nice outfits. One in particular is a silk like deep purple and blue top paired with a pair of silky black pants. It makes a very dressy outfit which perhaps I can wear to the transgender - cross dresser support group Christmas party we are planning to go to. Or even Liz's semi formal dinner we attend every year.

Well, now it is back to cleaning! Hope you all are doing well.

Winter is Here

Somehow, the fall of 2018 never really happened around here. As it turned out, no one bothered to tell the trees and our recent ice storm brought down many of them due to extra weight. Fortunately, I didn't have anywhere in particular to go yesterday, so I could stay snuggled in, in my warm "jammies."

Of course we had snow after the ice and I went the extra mile to pull out an extra warm sweater or two out of my wardrobe to wear this weekend. Again, I am fortunate in that my partner Liz is quite the knitter so I have plenty of warm scarves and even a pair of wrist warmers which I wore on my walk this morning.

Next week, as we approach Thanksgiving, we are having two events Tuesday here in Cincinnati marking Transgender Awareness and the Transgender Day of Remembrance. I should be able to blog more about them later.

I know for sure we have a meeting to go to tomorrow and for now Saturday night looks to be clear, unless we get any last minute invitations.

It is certain, my leggings, boots and sweaters will get a workout.