The Stephanie Chronicles

[steph2.0]

Hi, Stephanie!  It is great to see you out having fun at the concert with your lovely wife and neighbours.

To show how cool they are, between sets J got up and started out the aisle past me. On the way by, she asked if I needed to use the little girl's room. Good idea!

On the way into the venue, G, being the only guy in the group, had his wife on one arm and me on the other, with Sue grinning like a fool behind us. What fun!

When we went through security (they look in your purse and walk you through a metal detector), Sue tripped the alarm. I waited while they "wanded" her, and the guy told me, "you'll have to step back, ma'am."

"New normal" or not, I'm not sure I'll ever shed that little frisson of joy I feel whenever I hear that.

Oh, yeah, my musically themed outfit for the night:



You can't see my dangly treble clef earrings...

Interesting to get more details on that surgery option.  It does sound like you would be better off going elsewhere.

I sent a consultation request off to Dr. Sidhbh Gallagher's office yesterday. Indianapolis would be sooo much easier and cheaper than NYC. And... she no longer requires hair removal. That, along with the fact that they are able to schedule surgeries two to three months out, could move the timeline up significantly. Besides, her Irish accent is irresistible. [emoji16]

Stephanie

[steph2.0]

Watching @Jayne01 find her feet over in her own thread prompted me to write about what's been on my mind for the last couple of weeks.

Despite building and flying ultralights and light planes for the last 35 years, I, in my previous persona, lived a pretty repressed, too-careful life. Hiding in the shop or wrapped up inside a little plane kept me isolated from the outside world, and not even my very small circle of trusted friends ever got a glimpse of who was really inside the costume.

Now, though...

I want to do it all! I want to skydive. I want to dance in the aisles. I want to hang glide. I want to sing karaoke. I want to visit the Brick and hear @Kendra wow us with her fiddle while I dance to "Two Tickets for the Road."  I want to play guitar for a crowd. I want to visit @KathyLauren and look through her telescope at Eta Carinae. I want @sassycassie to take me to a Goth club.

Suddenly life is worth embracing, and I want to live out loud!

Stephanie

[sarah1972]

Amazing what a few hormones can do to people! So glad you found new joy and fun in live. - oh and sign me up for hearing @Kendra play the fiddle. Maybe Laurie can snoop her up on her next road trip and we can all enjoy Kendra on Tour...

One thing I was wondering about your last trip to New York: Could you have flown one of your planes instead of taking the train?

Hugs! Sarah

Watching @Jayne01 find her feet over in her own thread prompted me to write about what's been on my mind for the last couple of weeks.

Despite building and flying ultralights and light planes for the last 35 years, I, in my previous persona, lived a pretty repressed, too-careful life. Hiding in the shop or wrapped up inside a little plane kept me isolated from the outside world, and not even my very small circle of trusted friends ever got a glimpse of who was really inside the costume.

Now, though...

I want to do it all! I want to skydive. I want to dance in the aisles. I want to hang glide. I want to sing karaoke. I want to visit the Brick and hear @Kendra wow us with her fiddle while I dance to "Two Tickets for the Road."  I want to play guitar for a crowd. I want to visit @KathyLauren and look through her telescope at Eta Carinae. I want @SassyCassie to take me to a Goth club.

Suddenly life is worth embracing, and I want to live out loud!

Stephanie

[steph2.0]

One thing I was wondering about your last trip to New York: Could you have flown one of your planes instead of taking the train?

Hi Sarah!

We did fly in, but I let somebody else do the piloting. My plane can take off in half the wingspan of the one we flew in.

The airspace around New York is a bit complicated for the class license I have and the simplicity of my planes. Weather would have been a serious issue, too, causing lots of delays. The saying for traveling in small planes is, "If you've got time to spare, go by air." [emoji16]

Stephanie

[steph2.0]

I've mentioned before that I often participate in a Trivia contest with Sue and some of her friends on Tuesdays in a gi-huge-ic retirement community (The Villages) not far from home.

Last Tuesday @sassycassie was able to join me, but since the team I usually play on is closed to those outside their group, Cassie and I formed our own team.

Galaxy Girl (me) and The Electric Diva (Cassie) - our SuperHero names - took second place, handily besting the team from which we were excluded. So in true SuperHero diplomacy, I say unto them, "Pthththth, Nyah Nyah, looooosers!"



Stephanie and Cassie

PS: Now you all know our secret identities. You have been all sworn to silence under penalty of being ridiculed as above.

[Jayne01]

Watching @Jayne01 find her feet over in her own thread prompted me to write about what's been on my mind for the last couple of weeks.

Despite building and flying ultralights and light planes for the last 35 years, I, in my previous persona, lived a pretty repressed, too-careful life. Hiding in the shop or wrapped up inside a little plane kept me isolated from the outside world, and not even my very small circle of trusted friends ever got a glimpse of who was really inside the costume.

Now, though...

I want to do it all! I want to skydive. I want to dance in the aisles. I want to hang glide. I want to sing karaoke. I want to visit the Brick and hear @Kendra wow us with her fiddle while I dance to "Two Tickets for the Road."  I want to play guitar for a crowd. I want to visit @KathyLauren and look through her telescope at Eta Carinae. I want @sassycassie to take me to a Goth club.

Suddenly life is worth embracing, and I want to live out loud!

Stephanie

Steph, it is so nice to see you enjoying your life and wanting to live it to the fullest. Life is such a beautiful gift to be cherished. In my lifetime, I have only ever met very few people that knew how to enjoy life and get the most out of it. I never understood how they could always be so enthusiastic about everything they did. Now I do understand, it appears that you also understand.

However, there is one thing I must disagree with you. There is never any good reason to jump out of a perfectly working aircraft. What are you thinking girl?? [emoji12]

Jayne

[steph2.0]

However, there is one thing I must disagree with you. There is never any good reason to jump out of a perfectly working aircraft. What are you thinking girl?? [emoji12]

Ummm... practice for if it stops working perfectly?

That's the best I've got.

(I used to use that line, too, but something's happened to my thought process. Did I mention visiting a certain girl In Australia and petting a brown snake and cuddling a redback spider? Theyre so cuuute!)

Stephanie

[Jayne01]

Ummm... practice for if it stops working perfectly?

That's the best I've got.

(I used to use that line, too, but something's happened to my thought process. Did I mention visiting a certain girl In Australia and petting a brown snake and cuddling a redback spider? Theyre so cuuute!)

Stephanie

You're crazy girl! Nobody around here pets brown snakes, we wrap them around our neck as a scarf. It's the crocs that we pet. They love to be scratched under their chin. Dah!

Now what's this you are saying about visiting a certain girl in Australia? Details please!

Jayne

[steph2.0]

You're crazy girl! Nobody around here pets brown snakes, we wrap them around our neck as a scarf. It's the crocs that we pet. They love to be scratched under their chin. Dah!

Well that's disappointing. I'm returning that travel guide.

Now what's this you are saying about visiting a certain girl in Australia? Details please!

I've finally gotten my passport! I just don't have the money. I can't even afford to visit Kathy until I spend everything needed for a certain transition. Priorities!

[Jayne01]

I've finally gotten my passport! I just don't have the money. I can't even afford to visit Kathy until I spend everything needed for a certain transition. Priorities!

Well o......kay...... as far as excuses go, that's a pretty good one.

Jayne

[steph2.0]

Well o......kay...... as far as excuses go, that's a pretty good one.

I figured that was a pretty iron-clad excuse!

[Jayne01]

I figured that was a pretty iron-clad excuse!

But afterwards, I expect details on how you plan on getting that Aussie stamp in that shiny new passport of yours.

[steph2.0]

But afterwards, I expect details on how you plan on getting that Aussie stamp in that shiny new passport of yours.

That I'll do, mate. I'm fair dinkum, not a bludger. I'll visit your station if I don't have to eat Vegemite on walkabout in the outback. I much prefer shrimp on the barbie. G'day.

[KathyLauren]

There is never any good reason to jump out of a perfectly working aircraft.

I'm with you there, Jayne!  I spent over 1500 hours with a parachute on my back and never once used it.  I aim to keep it that way, as any sensible person would!

I want to visit @KathyLauren and look through her telescope at Eta Carinae.

I am looking forward to your visit, whenever you can make it.  But we'll have to save Eta Carinae for when you and I head down under to visit Jayne.  Or possibly for when I visit you.  I'm too far north to see it.

Seriously, though, I love your attitude!

[Jayne01]

But we'll have to save Eta Carinae for when you and I head down under to visit Jayne.

Oh goodie goodie goodie! I get Steph and Kathy visiting me together. How exciting!!! I promise not to make you eat Vegemite. Only tourists eat that stuff, we use it as axle grease!

[Laurie]

Oh goodie goodie goodie! I get Steph and Kathy visiting me together. How exciting!!! I promise not to make you eat Vegemite. Only tourists eat that stuff, we use it as axle grease!

"Only tourists eat that stuff"  I'm going to tel Liz you called her a tourist and then you will be in trouble...

[steph2.0]

Oh goodie goodie goodie! I get Steph and Kathy visiting me together. How exciting!!! I promise not to make you eat Vegemite. Only tourists eat that stuff, we use it as axle grease!

Ah ha!! I thought so. Excellent scam, Aussie!

[Laurie]

Ah ha!! I thought so. Excellent scam, Aussie!

Ausie's do eat that awful stuff. I have seen Liz eat it on toast. eewwwww

[Jayne01]

Ausie's do eat that awful stuff. I have seen Liz eat it on toast. eewwwww

Yeah, but Liz originally cane from the other side of the ditch. They do things differently over there.

Laurie, I encourage you to try that stuff sometime. I will be happy to send some over to you. [emoji16]

Jayne

[steph2.0]

Laurie, I encourage you to try that stuff sometime. I will be happy to send some over to you. [emoji16]

No need to send any over. It's easily found anywhere they're tarring a road.


- Stephanie