I'm glad you added Takeabreakday to the rotation, making it an eight-day week.

Did the cluster headache wallop you?

You are so wise and have invested so much energy in your social transition and it has clearly been a resounding success that I'm reluctant to tweak your approach, but five or ten years down the road, you might want to tighten your expectations around your name and pronouns.

For me, to spend 99% of my life in the company of local friends and strangers who see me as female and then to connect with old friends and family who keep reminding me with the wrong pronouns that they remember me as male, well, it's a jolt every time because they've stayed behind. They don't see me, they don't know me, and we all want to be seen.

Hi Jessica-- I am trying to catch up a little and see the updates about your Dad. I am saddened, altho relieved that you seem to have the situation under as much control as is possible.

Count me in the never-quite-reconciled with dad club. He passed a decade ago now, well before me being me. We tried to get to something approaching detente. We never got there.

~Jenn

Sunday I ate three pork egg rolls and some fried rice.

Saturday I ate several oranges and a banana.

Happy birthday to each of you!

Chrissy

Happy birthday Jessica!


Chrissy

Roe row

The pace of life here is ummm wonderfully chaotic. My weekend was full. My week is looking just as full. I feel energized by the pace.

I've been working with my local bike shop to get my bike ready for the gran fondo ny. Eighty five gloriously uphill ish miles, on May 19th. The couple that run it are super nice, very good at what they do, and queer. The run the kind of business that is about doing right, not cranking out business. My bike is down to a last few set of tweaks. I am going to upgrade pedals and shoes. We've mutually decided the brakes need to be bled again. It happens. The course has a 2 mile downhill I am going to need brakes for. Serious brakes.

Low-key the race prep is a kind of metaphor for transition. I started with a huge problem-- what do I need to know, learn, do, experience, and be to complete the race. Little by little, the race details are clearer. I have a nutrition plan, for example. In-race nutrition is a must. I've learned to eat and drink at-speed, ish. Yeah, training. The size of the problem of getting to the finish is smaller. I can't control everything or even plan for every scenario. I can lose my race by someone else's carelessness. I am gonna be fairly ready though.  Oh.. ready but learning. There is a lot I don't know and I am learning on the fly.

hmmm

Saturday I went to training and joined "Speak Out Boston", the oldest LGBTQ+ speaking bureau in the country. I am developing my initial "story"-- "the twelve words my manager said to me that changed my life". I was impressed by the training, the stories I heard, the people. I need to shadow some engagements and then I can 'go live'. I am energized thinking of it.  After training I scooted to cousin's birthday party. A few hadn't seen me yet.  Seeing me was a non-event for me and for them. 

Sunday? 55 miles. I am a little amazed-- I had a little leg fatigue last night. Shoot, I got my 50 in then did laundry and cleaned the apartment. I feel fine today. Hoping to get an hour or so to ride the "quick hill" loop late in the day. I am trying to get more fluid standing, and the quick hill loop is a good vehicle for that.

The week? I have the pre op support group tonight, followed by a call for the non profit board. Tuesday is electro day. Weds there is an NB group a shy friend wants to go to, so I told them I'd go. I am going to need to figure out when to get my Weds ride in. Thursday the over 50 group... Friday more electro and a the queer cycling groups "friday 20". Next weekend? on the hook for a 60-65 mile prep ride.

shhh. I love it.

Happy Monday!

~Jenn

Math

My first voice coach it was all about pitch. There is so much more to the female voice than pitch. My new coach started with pitch and we have moved on to less breathiness, softer, and more emphasis on each word spoken more clearly.(Males then to be lazy and run thier words together.) Projecting the sound out from being in my chest or throat to a more forward sound. Also adding more loudness without loosing the rest of it. My wife is of little help she says it sounds phony. I have reverted to not practicing in the same room whenever possible.