After my whacky fun visit at the lawyer's office, the rest of the week has been downright calm. I managed to get my full 10,000 steps in Wednesday and Thursday, walking around downtown. Wednesday was a very calm day for me, just a little grocery shopping in the morning, and after lunch, a few hours of window shopping and strolling through some adjoining residential neighborhoods in search of likely looking condo developments. I plan to move from renter to owner later in 2017.
Thursday I did a good bit of walking early in the day, discovering that the 'condos' on the west side are mostly nasty old converted apartments. That doesn't explain the price tags. They are closer to the BART (regional transit rail system) station, but YUCK! Overpriced and under insulated. I'll pass.
I treated myself to lunch Thursday, the local Panera Breads for my spicy Thai salad and hazelnut coffee. (The coffee purists have just left the thread...) After lunch, I caught the afternoon showing of "The Arrival." Interesting SF film, not the usual stuff, but a thoughtful exploration of language and how it defines our world view. (I liked the short story, and the film was a very nice adaptation.)
I headed home for dinner, and after dinner put on a warm coat and went out to take a peek at the official Christmas Tree Lighting Event (sponsored by the local high end chain store mall...). It was fun, actually. Lots of parents towing small kids around, streets closed to cars, crazy amounts of foot traffic. It was fun to see all of that and just be part of the crowd.
Friday, today, was fun on a smaller, more intimate basis. I spent the morning playing with financial simulations and the past month's bank and credit card statements for my wife-departing. I think she's going to be financially OK. I'll mail her my findings and suggestions in the morning. Who knows, if she reads them she might be reassured.
The afternoon and evening was spent with my mother-in-law. I took care of some fairly daunting tasks for her, dealing with the cable company and a long-outstanding but tedious financial task. We also chatted for a couple hours straight, as I think she might get lonely on her own in that huge old house. She loves company as an excuse to cook dinner, which she did very well. Yes, she sent me home with food again.
Friday night, nothing to do but post on the Intertubes, so of course I washed my hair. It's on the stands over a kitchen towel. I'm wearing my emergency backup hair, an ancient cosplay wig. (Motoko! Someone else with body dysphoria...) Saturday will be a quiet day, I think, just some cleaning and maybe read a book or watch a movie. Sunday I'll go hang out at the UU church for a while, wander about town to get my steps in. Monday I've got electrolysis, and Wednesday my last group therapy session before the therapist retires.
My tweaks to my electrolysis prep, using the skin surgical cleaning agent before the numbing gel and afterward avoiding a close shave and applying witch hazel seems to have helped. Fewer irritatied spots, only one tiny pustule, and a faster overall skin recovery seem to be the results. I'll try again next week and see how it goes.
I'm a bit ambivalent about losing my therapist. It's almost an hour drive to get to therapy from my current location, but the therapist has been helpful, and was an 'insider' with the Kaiser trans-care team, the Multi-Specialty Transitions department (MST). This leaves me with no connection to MST, as well as no trans-friendly primary care physician, just an endocrinologist who hasn't had many trans patients. I think I'll push for a referral while I can.
Life continues to happen. I'm enjoying the ride more these days. Sure beats how I felt 7-8 months ago, anyway.
