Ouch!

I had plans for Monday, but I spent a lot of the day in the ER.

I casually slid my left hand on a seldom-used handrail, caught the tip of a sliver of wood and ended up with three inches of oak embedded in the meat of my palm.

The pain was excruciating when the sliver entered my hand and I screamed like a little girl, but after entry, there was no pain nor blood until I tried to extract the wood myself. Just touching the wood shivered my timbers. That convinced me to go to the ER.

I could not drive, so I enlisted my sister to deliver me. She left work, picked me up and we arrived at the ER at 10:40 AM. Physician Assistants got to me about two hours later, shot a drug into my hand to numb it and removed the wood. Then they took X-rays to make sure they got everything out (they did).

They also gave me a tetanus shot and a prescription for an anti-biotic. I arrived back home about 2:30 PM.

That sure put a dent in my day.

Wearing Giulia Massari bag (Source: Beyond the Rack)

Miguel Bose (standing) femulates in the 1991 Spanish film High Heels.

Another Book in Me

I made my living as a technical writer for over 50 years and I had a some success doing it. Two of my books were best sellers and a few years ago, I received one of the most prestigious awards in my field in honor of my writing career.

Writing this blog has been a success, too. It usually gets 5,000 hits per day and is approaching 15 million hits over its 12-year run.

The success of this blog inspired me to write a book on the subject, which I did four years ago. But unlike my technical books, the sales of my trans book were poor despite its good reviews. Sales were so poor that I swore I would never write a trans book again.

Sunday, I received the following e-mail from a woman I met at a workshop we both attended 10 years ago.

I just read your book, Fantasia Fair Diaries, and I want to congratulate you and say thanks for sharing your experiences at Fan Fair. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Your writing seemed as if you were just talking to me as you did when we met at the [workshop] several years ago in New York.

As I was reading, I kept thinking how wonderful it would be if you would write a book about your life. And then, near the end of Diaries, you mentioned you were contemplating doing so.  Have you done so by now? I want to purchase a copy ASAP if you have. Your story is fascinating and I have highest regards for your kindness and friendship.

Wow! Her e-mail made my day and since receiving it, I have been mulling over writing another book.

I am certain I have another book in me, but do I want to put in the effort of writing another book just to be disappointed again?

Wearing Hemant and Nandita (Source: Rue La La)

Filippo Timi femulates in Italian television's Favola.

Someday Funnies

Wearing Venus (Source: Venus)

T.C. Jones (right) femulates in a 1965 episode of television's The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. 

Housekeeping

When I went to look up the dates for the local trans-related conferences, I realized that the "T-Events Calendar" link on this page was for 2018 and needed an update.

After donning my French maid's uniform (Ooh la la!), I proceeded to do some blog housekeeping. As a result, I updated the T-Events Calendar link and deleted about a dozen dead links.

Now the links in the right hand column are up-to-date.

I'd wear this! (Source: Rue La La)

SivaKarthikeyan femulating in the 2016 Indian film Remo.

Office Space

My office space

Rolling Stone celebrated the 20th anniversary of the film Office Space. I love that film, but had not seen it in awhile, so after reading the Rolling Stone article, I watched it on demand.

Office Space "satirizes the everyday work life of a typical mid-to-late-1990s software company, focusing on a handful of individuals fed up with their jobs." (Source: Wikipedia)

I spent most of my professional career working in an engineering environment just like the one depicted in Office Space. The tall gray cubicles in the film are exactly the same as the ones I occupied during my career and some of the people populating the film's cubicles were very familiar — reminding me of some of my co-workers. I also had a couple of idiot bosses like the one depicted in the film and I definitely tangled with a few uncooperative office machines over the years.

The film has something for everyone who has ever worked in a room full of cubicles. It even has a brief crossdressing moment during the closing credits that I caught for the first time last night.

When the main character Peter Gibbons (played by Ron Livingston) faces possible prison time, his next door neighbor Lawrence (played by Diedrich Bader) tells Peter, "Don't come back wearing a dress."

Wearing Ann Taylor (Source: Ann Taylor)

Dietrich Bader (left) femulates in the 2005 film Miss Congeniality 2: Armed & Fabulous.

I became my own role model

Vincent McDoom

My mother was my first role model. Growing up, I wanted to be just like her.

I also modeled myself after a long list of tall, beautiful film and television actresses I wanted to emulate.

Then there were my transgender role models... all those gals who were completely open about being trans. I am referring to the likes of Michael/Miqqi Gilbert and Grayson Perry, who are well-known in their respective fields as guys, but occasionally (or often) present as gals and damn the torpedoes. And Vincent McDoom and Vladimir Luxuria, who present as women full-time, but are open about the fact that their sex is male.

I wanted to be just like them when I grew up.

I will be celebrating my 68th birthday in a couple of weeks, so I guess I grew up.

And like my transgender role models, I am open about being trans, I am well-known in my field and I often present as a gal.

I did not realize it until now, but I guess I succeeded in being just like my transgender role models.

Wearing Bergdorf Goodman (Source: New York magazine)

Vladimir Luxuria

Nothing Good

In case you missed it, Payless is closing all its brick and mortar shoe stores in the USA, as well as its online store. (Thank you everyone who e-mailed me with the bad news.)

Payless was my primary shoe store for girl and boy shoes... not so much its brick and mortar stores, but its online store where I could almost always finds sizes not available in person.

Too bad!

And then there was this e-mail I received on Sunday...

I hope you do not mind a little constructive critism.....

IMHO I think you look better with your blond wigs rather than the redish (?) Shown in the recent pix.  I know you have been dieting and have reportedly lost 20+ lbs but I think that you looked MUCH better when had a little more "meat" on your bones. I know you think you look better, but to me, you appear like you have been sick, with very little color in your face, arms and legs; you look a little gaunt and malnourished. 

Your recent weight loss promoted a new wardrobe but to what extreme. I think you looked so MUCH better when you were wearing a size 14 with all that it entails. You mentioned that because of your weight loss, your high heels have become more comfortable for long term wear.....I can appreciate that fact but is it really been worthwhile?

Recently I've lost about 15+ lbs but the only thing that has transpired (to me) is my flabby lower tummy and muffin top have gotten very soft and "jiggly" which resulted in the need for more controlling shapewear. I still wear the same size.....20W ... skirts, dresses and pants. Acquaintances say I've gotten crabby and preoccupied with weight loss.....saying "... it will make me fat". I hope this has not happened to you.  

Anyway.....just my opinion...

I think I'll go back to bed.

I'd wear this! (Source: Rue La La)

Richard O'Brien

Someday Funnies

Wearing Olivia Culpo (Source: US)

Zoe sent me this link to a Japanese television game show where contestants guess if a young woman is really a young woman or a crossdressed young man. (I do not understand Japanese, so I am assuming that is the premise of the show. If someone knows otherwise or has more information about the show, please let me know. Inqueering minds want to know.)

Infectious Affection

Believe it or not, my previous post ("Affection") was inspired by the Boston Red Sox.

Tuesday evening, the MLB Network showed two documentaries back-to-back. The first was about Alex Cora, the manager of the 2018 World Champion Boston Red Sox. The second was about the 1967 American League Champion Boston Red Sox. Being a diehard Red Sox fan since 1958, I opened a can of 'Gansett and sat back to watch both.

I enjoyed both documentaries; they refreshed my memory about two iconic seasons of my favorite team.

Watching the documentaries, one thing that stood out was the contrast in how the players congratulated each other in 1967 and 2018.

In 1967, a handshake or a slap on the back sufficed. There were no hugs or high fives (high fives had not been invented yet). In 2018, high fives, short hugs, very long hugs and even a few kisses were exchanged.

We've come a long way, baby!

Wearing Botkier (Source: Botkier)

Jared Day femulating in the 2005 film Go For Broke 2. 

Affection

Guys shake hands to signify affection between them. But lately, some guys also hug to signify affection. In my case, I was raised to shake hands — hugging was not an option.

When I began socializing as a transwoman, I discovered that transwomen seldom shake hands.
Just as gals have more options when it comes to fashion, gals have more options when it comes to affection and transwomen follow their lead. Gals shake hands, hug, air kiss or kiss kiss to show affection and so do transwomen.

En femme, I have been hugged, air-kissed, kiss-kissed and even French-kissed by one particular transwoman who wanted to have her way with me. The French kiss was a little disconcerting, but I quickly got used to the other signs of affection and usually hug and occasionally air kiss when greeting gals and transwomen. With guys is something different.

When I came out to my ham radio group, I did so by e-mail because the group was scattered across the globe. However, the group met face-to-face twice a year and my coming out e-mail was sent a few weeks before one of our face-to-face meetings so as to prepare the group for my debut en femme.

When we show up at the face-to-face meetings, we greet each other (long time, no see!) Some shake hands, some do not. I was always a hand-shaker en homme, but not so much en femme.

When I showed up for that first face-to-face en femme, I was early and only one guy was present. I went up to him and without thinking about it, I gave him a hug as was my wont en femme when greeting people.

As I unhugged, he remarked, "So this is the way it's going to be."

Now he was a big supporter when I came out and has continued to be, but I did not know how to take his remark.

I'm probably read more into it than there is in it (I always do), but after that remark, I abandoned  hugging and shook hands when greeting guys who knew me as a guy before they knew me as a girl.

There are exceptions, but that is another story.

By the way, I know that the “boys” in the image at the top of the page are not really boys. Rather, they are female models who look boyish enough, at least for the purpose of the message.

Wearing Sail to Sable (Source: Rue La La)

Femulator street-style, circa 1925

My Grammy's Dead

I watched The Godfather on BBC America, while my wife watched the Grammys on CBS.

I don't watch the Grammys for two reasons.

1.  The music passed me by a long time ago.

2.  Although I like to watch awards shows to see what women are wearing, I skip the Grammys because the outfits are so over the top that a transvestite wouldn't be seen dead wearing them.

My wife alerted me when Diana Ross came on. She looked amazing, but she disappointed me by not singing "Baby Love" or one of the other Supremes' hit singles that I lip-synced to when I was a teenager hoping to become the fourth Supreme.

And so it goes.

Wearing Ann Taylor (Source: Ann Taylor)

Students crossdressing on "gender switch day." Guess which one may not be a civilian.