Topic: One New Life to Live

[Laura1951]

looks like kcbs has an fm station too, 106.9.  and you can always stream it on your phone!

Thank you, @Another Nikki. 106.9, being FM, doesn't work until you get into the outer Bay Area. The app, though, is perfect. It's now a favorite.

Laura

[Laura1951]

January 2, 2021

Thank you  @EllenW, @Danielle, @Davina61 and @SarahC for stopping by and reading about my adventures.

Driving Tesla

This is part two of what is turning out to be a three part series. i promise the next and final post will be about the driving experience.

Regenerative Braking
If you've ever gone to Disneyland and ridden on the little cars in Tomorrowland,  you'll remember that the cars only had a gas pedal. You pressed it to go and when you lifted your foot off, the car slowed to a stop.  The  same happens in a Tesla. While we do have a brake pedal, when you lift your foot off the accelerator, regenerative braking allows the car to recapture some of the energy as you slow to a stop. i've rarely used my brake. Once you get used to slowly lifting your foot off the gas so the car will stop at the right place, it's fairly easy. In fact it really rewards more responsible driving so you'll get the maximum miles out of each charge.

i've never been a fan of automatic transmissions. All the cars i've owned in my life have been manual transmissions and what irked me about auto transmissions was that at intersections, you had to keep your foot on the brake so the car wouldn't creep forward. Now Tesla can be set to do the same thing, but most us choose the option of Hold, which keeps the car in place when you're at a stop, even on a hill.

Maintenance
Unlike gas cars, there's very little maintenance needed with a Tesla. Yes, i still have to replace the windshield wipers, the tires, and the 12 volt battery (i'm still confused why a car that has a GIANT battery needs a battery.) The only problem, though, is that the installed base of Teslas is still small enough that service centers aren't close to me. For my Honda, i can take my Civic to the Honda dealer in town (which i do) or to any of a variety of shops that cater to Japanese cars. Teslas, being entirely different, really requires mechanics who know the specifics of our cars.

That may/should change as more cars are sold, but for now, i'll have to drive nearly an hour to the closest shop (which is the same place where i picked up my car.) Oh, the price we pay for being on the bleeding edge.

Headlights
While i'm past the days where i change the oil and filter on my cars, simple maintenance, like changing a burned out headlight, is relatively quick and cheap if you do it yourself.

NOT ON a TESLA.

Tesla headlamps are self-enclosed units and to replace them requires you to disassemble quite a bit of the car's frunk  and front bumper. I've seen the video and it's not for the light of heart. Headlight replacement by Tesla will set me back around $1K, far more than what it cost me to replace the lights on my Civic. Let's hope my headlights last for many many years.

Onward.

Laura

[davina61]

RE the brakes the Toyota hybrids suffer from rusty brake discs due to lack of use, when I was still at work we had to change a few not due to wear (still like new spec) but corrosion on rear discs and pads stuck in carriers . Might be a good idea to use the brakes hard once every time you go out.

[Laura1951]

RE the brakes the Toyota hybrids suffer from rusty brake discs due to lack of use, when I was still at work we had to change a few not due to wear (still like new spec) but corrosion on rear discs and pads stuck in carriers . Might be a good idea to use the brakes hard once every time you go out.

That certainly makes sense, @Davina61. I'm looking forward to seeing how the car behind me reacts. LOL.

Laura

[Laura1951]

Several times a day, I search for news stories relevant for our community and post them on Susan's. During this morning's search, I discovered Wrabel's, The Village, a song he wrote for his trans supporters. I would normally have posted this to the What Are You Listening To thread, but because this feels intensely personal, I'm putting it here. Below is the official video.

[Jessica_Rose]

Thanks for posting that Laura. Society has come a long way over the last decade, but we still have a long way to go. Maybe one day people will recognize the beauty in our differences and accept everyone for who they are, instead of attempting to force us into neat little boxes society readily understands and accepts. It is society's differences which make us strong. Monocultures are doomed to fail.

Love always -- Jessica Rose

[Northern Star Girl]

@Laura1951
Dear Laura:

I absolutely love your newest Avatar profile photo!!!   

HUGS, and more HUGS,
Danielle

[Laura1951]

@Laura1951
Dear Laura:

I absolutely love your newest Avatar profile photo!!!   

HUGS, and more HUGS,
Danielle

Thank you, @Danielle . That's sweet of you to say.

I had planed for this avatar to be me in front of my plane. I'd gone to the airport to do some New Year's practice, but when I opened the hangar door, the plane wasn't there. oh, it wasn't stolen. In late December, it was our turn for an annual inspection, something all planes are required to have. Think of it as an oil change and tune-up on steroids. Aircraft Mechanics (APs) have specific tasks they have to cover to make sure the plane is airworthy. Normally, this process only takes a few days. However, this year we've decided to upgrade the seatbelts to also be over the shoulder.

It turned out that the AP was missing a part and is waiting for it to arrive before installing our new belts. Hopefully, I'll be back up in the air next week.

So, I came home, took this picture, and washed my Civic which I'm putting up for sale. Not a bad day, but the sky was finally blue and it would have been a beautiful day to fly.

Next time.

Thank you again.

Laura

[Rachel Montgomery]

I am still waiting to hear back from the FAA regarding my medical class III student license.  I understand your wanting to get back into the air.

What sort of plane do you have?  If I am permitted to get a license, I think I'd like a Dakota or a Cherokee 6.  The local flight school uses mostly Cessna's and 172's are all I have flown.  I hear the Pipers handle a little "heavy" by comparison.  I would want to fly some before I decide for sure.  But, with Piper you seem to get more for your money compared to Cessna (which is sort of pricey for a comparable plane).  I guess a Dakota is similar to a 182, and a Cherokke 6 is close to a Stationair?

[Laura1951]

Hi @Rachel Montgomery,

Such very good questions. I was raised on Cessna 150s at KCCR in Concord and while I also flew tail draggers and sailplanes, I liked the cheaper expense of renting the 150. When I came back to flying six years ago, having taken 40 years off for work and life, the only planes available were Cessna 172s, which while being similar in characteristics, have faster landing speeds than the 150.

Before I began lessons at 16, I tried out a two-seater Piper and the 150, since KCCR had several flight schools. I settled on the 150, although I've always felt low wing planes looked cooler. They land a little differently because of the low wing and the additional "ground effect" it causes. Still, what ever you choose will be perfect, once you get used to it.

I'm part owner of a 1959 Cessna 150, which I didn't want to buy initially. I really wanted a larger plane, along with its bigger tanks, longer range, and higher payload. My field, KMOD, isn't as active as it was 50 years ago, the remaining flight schools have closed, and no other partnerships were available. Airplane ownership doesn't come cheap, so dividing the costs by five helps. The 150 is fun for day trips, but traveling with a friend long distance, along with luggage, is out of the question.

Hoping your Third Class clears soon so you can return to the skies.

Laura

[Rachel Montgomery]

I called the FAA today, and got a PIC number.  They couldn’t give any idea how long it may be to get a response, but Covid has clearly slowed their operations.

I think it would be great fun to fly around the SEC for sporting events.  If the weather is bad, I just wouldn’t go, and I would watch the game on TV.  If the weather coming home is surprisingly bad, I can just stay in a hotel until the weather clears.  So, basically I am looking for 600 mile range.  I think landing once every 90-150 minutes would break up the trip nicely, and allow for rest room breaks and extra fuel (I really like the idea of having plenty of that. 

I am not sure who would be flying with me.  At first it would be me and a pilot friend, or just me.  If I can build up a few hundred hours, I would feel good taking my family.  I think of a Dakota as a 2-3 person plane (plus luggage), and a Cherokee 6 as a 4 seater.  So, I think either would do for quite a while.  And, I am in my 50’s.  Not sure how many flying years I have left, but probably 20 or less. 

[Laura1951]

January 16, 2021


My Electrolysis Dilemma


Back Story
I first began electrolysis more than four years ago, shortly after i began HRT for the first time. For about eight weeks, i'd lather up my face with lidocaine, wrap my face in plastic wrap, and make the 20 minute drive to a local electrologist. It wasn't fun and i found the lidocaine wearing off sooner than i'd like. It didn't help that my pain threshold wasn't as high as others. I quit electrolysis when, after six weeks on HRT, i stopped HRT out of fear, something that would dog me for the next three years until i came out to my best friend. That really was the turning point in my transition.

During each of the many times the first three years i attempted to  to stay on HRT, never lasting more than six weeks, electrolysis didn't cross my mind.

Staring HRT in Earnest
i began my current journey on October 7, 2019. At that time, i began planning to erase my beard growth through mass electrolysis at Precision in Chicago. I'd done the research between them and T2000 in Texas, but was impressed by the great reviews i was hearing from Precision's customers. While mass electrolysis is more expensive, i liked the idea of two technicians completing about 15 hours of work in one day, while wonderfully sedated. While the downside might be the additional cost of the flight to Chicago and two nights at a hotel, the convenience of only growing my beard once every six weeks was highly attractive. Plus, i really wanted to get most of the work done before going full time.

Then came COVID.

There just wasn't a chance i was about to fly commercial with COVID raging until i had access to the vaccine. While i have hopes of getting it this March,i was hoping to begin traveling to Chicago once I'm vaccinated.

Today
Now that i've been full time for nearly two months, i feel my electrolysis options are more limited. If i choose the Precision route, i only have to be <deadname> four days every six weeks in order to prepare for electrolysis. If i were to return to weekly sessions, Laura would be out of commission for three-plus days every week. I could shave Saturday morning, play tennis, and then not shave until my Precision appointment on Wednesday. Laura wouldn't be able to go outside Sunday through Tuesday due to a growing beard. 

Because i'm full time, all my tennis friends now have been playing with Laura since last October. Precision preparation would cancel tennis for me on Sunday-Tuesday, limiting that week to playing only on Friday and the weekend, but that would be a small price. There's just NO way <deadname> is going to play tennis again, not after my friends have gotten used to being around Laura. Some of them still accidentally dead name me, not out of disrespect but because muscle memory can be difficult to change. I just don't want to confuse them, appearing as <deadname> on some days and Laura on other days.

GCS Preparation
A few weeks ago, after jumping through a variety of hoops with Kaiser, i received a referral for genital electrolysis at a shop in the Bay Area, about a 70 minute drive from my home. After this work has been completed, which should take about one year, my GCS can take place. 

The other day, i called them to set up an appointment and ended up having an interesting chat with the owner, who is also MTF. She came highly recommended by Kaiser and uses the Galvanic method. My first appointment is next Wednesday. As  we talked, she asked about facial clearing and i shared my desire to complete this at Precision, which didn't go over well. This owner/technician has strong feelings against mass electrolysis and mentioned T-2000 (in Texas) as problematic, mentioning scaring that can occur. She was fairly convinced and suggested i also get a referral from Kaiser for facial electrolysis which could be combined with my genital work each week, effectively driving once to get two things done.

Which sounds like a good idea, BUT...

.....I have asked Kaiser for a referral, but i'm fairly (ok, completely) cautious. As i shared above, i'm full-time now and if i choose weekly facial sessions, Laura will be cancelled Sunday through Wednesday each week since there's just NO way Laura wants go be outside or around friends with a 1-4 day beard. It's a little disconcerting because I'm getting the hang of being Laura while continuing to work on my voice. Being <deadname> half the week feels like a major set-back.

So, I have a dilemma. I'm certainly open to your thoughts since I now feel somewhat worried.

Laura

[sarahc]

Now having completed about 20 months of facial electrolysis, probably about 125-150 hours total, I somewhat regret not doing the bulk clearing method. That being said, I can't speak to the scarring issue - it could be a meaningful risk.

Also keep in mind that as long as we wear masks, the beard is easier to hide. And even vaccinated people should be wearing masks after they get inoculated (because they can still infect other people...I wish there was more public education about this point).

Sarah