Thursday, January 24, 2019
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
No Surprise
After all, rump and his minions have had the chance to appoint different conservative leaning judges recently.
Not to be too negative with this last circumstance, the whole matter seems to open up a whole new fight for transgender rights in this country.
Of course, also, the whole matter is still being mulled around in the lower courts but the fact remains this ruling could open the flood gates at the Supreme Court which goes against LGBT rights in this country. Wait till the courts come after all those smug cis gay men.
Probably, what is most disconcerting to me are the number of transgender women I know (some of which are even vets) who still support rump. Perhaps I can understand the number of cross dressers who are, because they probably figure they don't have a dog in the hunt anyhow.
Finally, I feel sorry for the transgender troops who are serving our country now in these times of uncertainty. They have been sold out by their country.
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
TGIF?
In yesterday's Cyrsti's Condo post concerning what was coming up socially this week, I totally forgot about Friday.
It is Liz's semi-formal martial arts banquet. Basically, I plan on wearing the same outfit I wore to the transgender-cross dresser Christmas party. My red sequined sleeveless top and a pair of silky/slinky black slacks. It should work well with my black flats.
The banquet itself is a mixed bag of good and less than good for me. Nearly everyone who goes gets an award of some sort (which is fine) except quite a few spouses like me.
As we roll through the names, I plan on having a cup of coffee or two to stay in the game!
The best thing about this year is, I am much more confident of myself and really love my new hair which combines to make the whole evening more pleasurable
The picture is from the Christmas Party. This time I plan wearing a "restraining" garment underneath the top to smooth out the whole look. Or, hide the fact I have not lost the "holiday" weight I gained. Of course the hair will be different and the breasts are all mine. Thanks HRT!
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It is Liz's semi-formal martial arts banquet. Basically, I plan on wearing the same outfit I wore to the transgender-cross dresser Christmas party. My red sequined sleeveless top and a pair of silky/slinky black slacks. It should work well with my black flats.
As we roll through the names, I plan on having a cup of coffee or two to stay in the game!
The best thing about this year is, I am much more confident of myself and really love my new hair which combines to make the whole evening more pleasurable
The picture is from the Christmas Party. This time I plan wearing a "restraining" garment underneath the top to smooth out the whole look. Or, hide the fact I have not lost the "holiday" weight I gained. Of course the hair will be different and the breasts are all mine. Thanks HRT!
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Monday, January 21, 2019
Damn it's Cold!
We have been experiencing wind chill temperatures down around minus twenty degrees Fahrenheit. A great time to be retired and not have to do much of anything at all.
It is also Martin Luther King Day, so all the federal offices (and some business) will be closed today too.
As far as a blog post goes, nothing much is happening either. It's a quiet week until we get to Saturday and a trip to celebrate my eldest grandson's birthday. He will be sixteen this year. It's always a fun event as my daughter's immediate and extended family are very supportive of me.
At some point in time, I have to decide what I am going to wear, although it shouldn't be that big of a deal.
This time of year too, our totally unpredictable Ohio weather comes into play. The weather peeps are predicting temperatures will rebound into the forties by tomorrow with a chance of flurries again Wednesday and Saturday. So we shall see what happens.
And, by the way, thanks to all who sent along kind comments on my new hair!
It is also Martin Luther King Day, so all the federal offices (and some business) will be closed today too.
As far as a blog post goes, nothing much is happening either. It's a quiet week until we get to Saturday and a trip to celebrate my eldest grandson's birthday. He will be sixteen this year. It's always a fun event as my daughter's immediate and extended family are very supportive of me.
At some point in time, I have to decide what I am going to wear, although it shouldn't be that big of a deal.
This time of year too, our totally unpredictable Ohio weather comes into play. The weather peeps are predicting temperatures will rebound into the forties by tomorrow with a chance of flurries again Wednesday and Saturday. So we shall see what happens.
And, by the way, thanks to all who sent along kind comments on my new hair!
Sunday, January 20, 2019
Hair...Part II
Saturday morning dawned gray, cold and very rainy. In fact, we are supposed to get two inches of rain during the day today before the temperatures drop and we get freezing rain and snow.
My dilemma this morning was trying to keep my new hair-do dry. The solution turned out to be a wide scarf Liz has which made a great way to shield myself from the rain. Or, more correctly, my hair.
We made it to her martial arts class fairly dry and then in and out of another store we stopped at with no problems. Then we came home for the day. We have decided not to accept the invitation to join some friends tonight for dinner out. Due to the weather.
Before we settled in too far though, I persuaded Liz to take the time to take a picture or two of my new hair.
My dilemma this morning was trying to keep my new hair-do dry. The solution turned out to be a wide scarf Liz has which made a great way to shield myself from the rain. Or, more correctly, my hair.
We made it to her martial arts class fairly dry and then in and out of another store we stopped at with no problems. Then we came home for the day. We have decided not to accept the invitation to join some friends tonight for dinner out. Due to the weather.
Before we settled in too far though, I persuaded Liz to take the time to take a picture or two of my new hair.Saturday, January 19, 2019
Give me a Head of Hair
With all respect to the "Aquarius" hippie musical, little did I know the challenges I would face as I transitioned and grew into my own hair.
The first problem I faced was not being able to see the back of my head. All of the sudden I had to learn to use a mirror to see all of my hair on my noggin. Then you have to figure out how to style it and color it to optimize your skin color. An example is, the colors of red or auburn I colored my hair were all wrong when compared with my ruddy skin color.
The second problem for me was being able to afford the process of having my hair cared for in a salon. The highlighted hair I first had done ended up costing me about 150 dollars per month, which I couldn't afford for years.
Finally, I ended up investing in my hair. I got it cut and trimmed into a new more flattering style (I hope.) And, today, I took a giant and expensive step into getting the color redone. So now. my naturally gray roots can slowly grow into and take over the rest of my hair. My appointment today cost 175 dollars (with tip) but I don't have to come back for two months for a sixty dollar appointment to get my hair trimmed up again.
Just more thing to consider, if you are thinking of transitioning and you can wear your own hair. I am fortunate I can and I never take it for granted. In fact, I look at the whole process as more than a little Karma payback for the time I spent in the Army with really short hair in an era of long hair on men.
That was then though and this is now and as my stylist and Liz were pointed out today, being a woman is not cheap! (Or easy...Connie)
The first problem I faced was not being able to see the back of my head. All of the sudden I had to learn to use a mirror to see all of my hair on my noggin. Then you have to figure out how to style it and color it to optimize your skin color. An example is, the colors of red or auburn I colored my hair were all wrong when compared with my ruddy skin color.
The second problem for me was being able to afford the process of having my hair cared for in a salon. The highlighted hair I first had done ended up costing me about 150 dollars per month, which I couldn't afford for years.
Finally, I ended up investing in my hair. I got it cut and trimmed into a new more flattering style (I hope.) And, today, I took a giant and expensive step into getting the color redone. So now. my naturally gray roots can slowly grow into and take over the rest of my hair. My appointment today cost 175 dollars (with tip) but I don't have to come back for two months for a sixty dollar appointment to get my hair trimmed up again.
Just more thing to consider, if you are thinking of transitioning and you can wear your own hair. I am fortunate I can and I never take it for granted. In fact, I look at the whole process as more than a little Karma payback for the time I spent in the Army with really short hair in an era of long hair on men.
That was then though and this is now and as my stylist and Liz were pointed out today, being a woman is not cheap! (Or easy...Connie)
Friday, January 18, 2019
It's a Process
Last night was an overall fun evening for Liz and I. The transgender-cross dresser "social club" dinner was well attended with 24 attendees. All of them dressed for the occasion and very few over did it. Also there were four new members, including one young trans guy. We were having such a good time (and Liz had today off) that we decided to make a night of it and go to a nearby small LGBTQ bar for a couple more drinks. Unfortunately for me, there weren't any lesbians to speak of in the bar. I always love me some lesbians!
Outside of Liz's cross dressing admirer trying to move in on me when I was in the bathroom at the first restaurant, we had a great time.
For all you fashionista's, I have nothing really exciting to report. I do my best to "under-dress" the cross dressers in the group. Reflecting the fact I live in a feminine mode full time. So, I just wore my paisley patterned leggings, black boots, black sweater and a nice necklace Liz made me. I also paired the outfit up with my one of a kind weathered retro canvas bag I bought about six months ago at a arts fair. Finally, I threw on my black leather jacket and we were on our way.
The most rewarding part of the evening was when I was referred to as "she." It happened so fast, I am sure the server and bartender didn't have a chance to think about it. It was incredibly natural.
Speaking of incredibly natural, I think I achieved new heights as far as my never ending worries about my hair goes. My hairdresser did an incredible job today...which I will get into in my next post.
Outside of Liz's cross dressing admirer trying to move in on me when I was in the bathroom at the first restaurant, we had a great time.
For all you fashionista's, I have nothing really exciting to report. I do my best to "under-dress" the cross dressers in the group. Reflecting the fact I live in a feminine mode full time. So, I just wore my paisley patterned leggings, black boots, black sweater and a nice necklace Liz made me. I also paired the outfit up with my one of a kind weathered retro canvas bag I bought about six months ago at a arts fair. Finally, I threw on my black leather jacket and we were on our way.
The most rewarding part of the evening was when I was referred to as "she." It happened so fast, I am sure the server and bartender didn't have a chance to think about it. It was incredibly natural.
Speaking of incredibly natural, I think I achieved new heights as far as my never ending worries about my hair goes. My hairdresser did an incredible job today...which I will get into in my next post.
Thursday, January 17, 2019
New Acquaintances?
Both support group meetings this week resulted in meeting new transgender folks with an occasional cross dresser mixed in.
Most were very shy and uncommunicative, but others were outgoing too. One in particular reminded me of a trans girl I used to hang out with years ago. Another was a delightful more mature pan-sexual cis woman who shared her recent experiences coming out in the LGBTQ community.
At both meetings, I shared experiences about Liz and how she helped kick me totally out of the closet. Of course (being me), I did things backwards. Friends had to convince me finally to accept myself as a feminine being. I was torturing myself living three or four days as a guy, then three or four as a woman. It ultimately led to me trying to kill myself.
It must have been a powerful message in one group, since my therapist made a special phone call to thank me for participating.
Switching topics now (slightly), we will have a chance to meet a few other new transgender and/or cross dressers tonight. We have decided to go to the group Thursday social for the first time. It also gives us a chance to try out a new restaurant.
Of course tomorrow (Friday) is hair day for both Liz and I and a chance to decide if I want it colored or not. It will be a "game time" decision depending on if Liz is going to have her's colored or not. If she doesn't, it leaves a coloring spot I could possibly have.
Finally, Saturday we have an invitation to go out and meet a couple friends. However, we are expecting another big weekend storm before record cold temperatures set in, so it is doubtful we will be able to go.
The "joys" of an Ohio winter!
Most were very shy and uncommunicative, but others were outgoing too. One in particular reminded me of a trans girl I used to hang out with years ago. Another was a delightful more mature pan-sexual cis woman who shared her recent experiences coming out in the LGBTQ community.
At both meetings, I shared experiences about Liz and how she helped kick me totally out of the closet. Of course (being me), I did things backwards. Friends had to convince me finally to accept myself as a feminine being. I was torturing myself living three or four days as a guy, then three or four as a woman. It ultimately led to me trying to kill myself.
It must have been a powerful message in one group, since my therapist made a special phone call to thank me for participating.
Switching topics now (slightly), we will have a chance to meet a few other new transgender and/or cross dressers tonight. We have decided to go to the group Thursday social for the first time. It also gives us a chance to try out a new restaurant.
Of course tomorrow (Friday) is hair day for both Liz and I and a chance to decide if I want it colored or not. It will be a "game time" decision depending on if Liz is going to have her's colored or not. If she doesn't, it leaves a coloring spot I could possibly have.
Finally, Saturday we have an invitation to go out and meet a couple friends. However, we are expecting another big weekend storm before record cold temperatures set in, so it is doubtful we will be able to go.
The "joys" of an Ohio winter!
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Narcissism?
Perhaps narcissism in reverse as I finally posted a picture of me on Facebook from 2007...goatee and all.
At last night's cross dresser-transgender support group meeting, one of the attendee's said the picture (of me) represented one of the more remarkable Mtf gender transitions she had seen so far in the wave of before and afters which have been appearing.
I used to have it among other timeline transition pictures on a separate Cyrsti's Condo page, which I recently put back up. It's on the lower right hand side of the blog under a section called "Cyrsti's Condo Rooms".
Never being a big fan of my pictures, I took it down.
So, collapsing to peer pressure of sorts, here is an attempt at a before and after picture. As I wrote, the top one is from 2007 when I weighed in at close to 280 pounds and was very unhappy. Since that time, I have managed to shed and keep off, close to fifty pounds.
To coin a tern, what a long strange trip it's been!
At last night's cross dresser-transgender support group meeting, one of the attendee's said the picture (of me) represented one of the more remarkable Mtf gender transitions she had seen so far in the wave of before and afters which have been appearing.
I used to have it among other timeline transition pictures on a separate Cyrsti's Condo page, which I recently put back up. It's on the lower right hand side of the blog under a section called "Cyrsti's Condo Rooms".
Never being a big fan of my pictures, I took it down.
To coin a tern, what a long strange trip it's been!
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Doing the Work
Image from UnSplash. In my case, I spent decades doing the work to be able to express my true self as a transgender woman. Perhaps you no...
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Amateur, by my definition means a person who does not seriously pursue a certain interest, job or hobby. Ever sense Cyrsti's Condo ...
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I don't find many new womanless pageant pictures floating around the web anymore. I think it's primarily due to the fact that th...
Instead of living with only the shame and guilt that was my gender dysphoria, though, I added to it a guilt that I had escaped the draft for any reason. Years later, when I spoke of my guilt for not "doing my duty" to my infantry veteran brother-in-law, he told me that there was nothing for me to feel guilty about. This is the same man who did a 180 in his attitude after I came out, by the way. He died, a few years ago, of a cancer that the doctors suspected to be a result of his exposure to agent orange.
I have removed myself from any guilt for both my gender identity and escaping the draft. It has been replaced with an admiration for all those who are living their authentic (gender) lives, and those who have served our military. A special blessing for those who do both!
Whether or not my gender dysphoria would have dismissed me in 1970, it's interesting that the military, in 2019, definitely would. Of course, "don't ask/don't tell" works just as it did before."