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.

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.

Regularly use mine, it does take some experimentation. As you say, cooking quicker on top is one problem, I'm thinking of trying to find a rack to raise up the item, so air gets underneath.

Temperature needs to be much lower than the recipe, at least 20C.

I've given up on fries and chips- too uneven- and much easier in the chip pan.

I like the mini part-cooked baguettes and Greggs stuff from Iceland but even that you need to turn over after half the cooking time.

Cook a 9" pizza once a week by squaring it off before cooking. Settle for the base not cooking well.

Well the chucking it down with rain all day forecast for Sunday I looked at Saturday was completely wrong, dry all day with broken cloud and nice sunny bits. Still caught up on jobs at home, looks okay at the moment but very breezy. Might go into town and get a sheet of ply for the roof lining on the Austin.

function

toe tow

As mentioned everything went swimmingly with my wife's family. We had lunch today with her oldest sister (who wasn't able to make dinner the night before) and that was really nice. She teared up at one point, just starting to say how sorry she was for what I'd been through... and I cut her off and told her that I'm really happy right here and now, so there's really no reason for anyone to be sorry about anything.

I could tell she was also a bit anxious about names, pronouns and the likes, so for the second time in two days (and, I imagine, what will became old hat in short order) my little speech about how I don't want anyone ever to be on pins and needles, and language from those who love and support me will never bother me in the slightest. I could tell that registered and was appreciated. So my wife and I agreed that is definitely going on my "Greatest Hits" album. 

On our ride home we finalized the roster for the round #1 group of friends for this week. We debated if there would be a round 2 and 3, or just a round 2 and then deal with things on a case-by-case basis.

But we also thought why not just send those letters out tonight and get the ball rolling?

Well, after a wonderful dinner and catch-up chat with the boy... as we sat watching TV, I turned to my wife and just said "first of all, I am sorry - we have tried very hard not to make all this the focus of our lives, and for the last two weeks it's been like the circus is in town. And they've been extended at least one more week.  And secondly... I do not want to send out the letters tonight. I need a night off."

She was fully on board with "and on the eighth day, they rested" theory as well... so I'll work on the letters tomorrow.

Ok, cluster headache time (or maybe not?) - gotta go assume the position.

Love,
Allie

15 years is such a deal, in Gaza they would throw you off the roof of a building.  Well back a few months ago when they had buildings to throw you off of.

In 2022 a 22-year-old woman in Iran was beaten by the morality police (and died) over the hijab law. Where were the young collage protested back then?

Iran is such a wonderful place, if you're a straight Iranian male.