Site News and Information => Introductions => Topic started by: Lady Smith on March 21, 2015, 10:56:40 PM Return to Full Version
Title: Hello from New Zealand
Post by: Lady Smith on March 21, 2015, 10:56:40 PM
Post by: Lady Smith on March 21, 2015, 10:56:40 PM
Hello everyone, I'm 60 years of age and have been living as ME for twenty two years now. I was married which was a disaster and I have two grown up children which is just plain wonderful. My only regret is that I didn't have the right body to be their birth mother (sigh). You see I knew I always wanted to have children and back when I was a teenager I used to daydream about being pregnant. Amazingly I didn't manage to connect the dots and it wasn't until I was 38 that one day I looked in the mirror and suddenly knew why I'd been feeling so out of place and confused for so many years (another sigh).
Back when I was still struggling to force myself into a male role I worked in the metal and motor trades, mostly working on trucks and buses. I even had a beard and smoked a pipe that's how hard I was trying. Looking back on it I thought that one day somehow I'd stop feeling like I'd been given the wrong script for the play and everything would be fine.
The reason why I choose the forum name 'Lady Smith' is that I still have an interest in metalwork and tinkering about and repairing things though it's mostly old bicycles these days. I did used to ride motorcycles and I belonged to a womens' touring group for a while, but I'm not medically able to ride a motorcycle anymore which is a pity.
When I was making my transition I made the big mistake of selling off all my tools because I thought that my spannering and metalworking days were over along with any pretense that I was a male. I might not be trying to be macho by working on trucks anymore, but my interest in tinkering about with machinery and making things has stayed with me and I still get a kick out of doing that.
I'm retired now, but around year four of being ME I went back to school and studied to become a social worker. For a while I worked in disability employment, but shifted over to working for the adult mental health service where I stayed until I retired. I loved my job with the mental health service and I guess it will come as no surprise when I tell you I was never worried about the clients/patients I worked with, it was always 'normal' people who were the most dangerous ones.
So that's me I guess ;D
Back when I was still struggling to force myself into a male role I worked in the metal and motor trades, mostly working on trucks and buses. I even had a beard and smoked a pipe that's how hard I was trying. Looking back on it I thought that one day somehow I'd stop feeling like I'd been given the wrong script for the play and everything would be fine.
The reason why I choose the forum name 'Lady Smith' is that I still have an interest in metalwork and tinkering about and repairing things though it's mostly old bicycles these days. I did used to ride motorcycles and I belonged to a womens' touring group for a while, but I'm not medically able to ride a motorcycle anymore which is a pity.
When I was making my transition I made the big mistake of selling off all my tools because I thought that my spannering and metalworking days were over along with any pretense that I was a male. I might not be trying to be macho by working on trucks anymore, but my interest in tinkering about with machinery and making things has stayed with me and I still get a kick out of doing that.
I'm retired now, but around year four of being ME I went back to school and studied to become a social worker. For a while I worked in disability employment, but shifted over to working for the adult mental health service where I stayed until I retired. I loved my job with the mental health service and I guess it will come as no surprise when I tell you I was never worried about the clients/patients I worked with, it was always 'normal' people who were the most dangerous ones.
So that's me I guess ;D
Title: Re: Hello from New Zealand
Post by: mrs izzy on March 21, 2015, 11:37:43 PM
Post by: mrs izzy on March 21, 2015, 11:37:43 PM
Lady Smith
Welcome to Susan's family.
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Hugs
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Hugs
Title: Re: Hello from New Zealand
Post by: V M on March 22, 2015, 03:14:13 AM
Post by: V M on March 22, 2015, 03:14:13 AM
Hi Lady Smith :icon_wave:
Welcome to Susan's :) Glad to have you here, join on in the fun
Hugs
V M
Welcome to Susan's :) Glad to have you here, join on in the fun
Hugs
V M
Title: Re: Hello from New Zealand
Post by: Ms Grace on March 22, 2015, 04:51:36 AM
Post by: Ms Grace on March 22, 2015, 04:51:36 AM
Hi Lady Smith! Welcome to the forum from across the ditch here in Australia!
Title: Re: Hello from New Zealand
Post by: Lady Smith on March 22, 2015, 05:35:52 AM
Post by: Lady Smith on March 22, 2015, 05:35:52 AM
Thank you for the welcome, it's good to be here :) I found Susan's Place almost by accident today while doing a Google search for HRT and I'm really glad that I did.
Title: Re: Hello from New Zealand
Post by: Athena on March 22, 2015, 08:52:14 AM
Post by: Athena on March 22, 2015, 08:52:14 AM
Hi Lady Smith welcome to Susan's
Title: Re: Hello from New Zealand
Post by: Devlyn on March 22, 2015, 01:39:41 PM
Post by: Devlyn on March 22, 2015, 01:39:41 PM
Hi Lady Smith, welcome to Susan's Place! I'm from Boston. What sort of metalwork do you tinker in? I worked in a stainless steel foundry for awhile, and I play with solder pots and a drag solder machine and the like at work now. Molten metal is a seductive mistress. See you around the site!
Hugs, Devlyn
Hugs, Devlyn
Title: Re: Hello from New Zealand
Post by: Lady Smith on March 22, 2015, 01:51:10 PM
Post by: Lady Smith on March 22, 2015, 01:51:10 PM
Hi Devlyn, thanks for the welcome. Metal casting is something that I've always wanted to try, only I suppose I've been a bit nervous about giving it a go. These days most of what I do is with bicycles and human powered vehicles so it's mostly fabrication and some sheet metalwork. While I can arc weld I much prefer brazing with a torch when it comes to joining metal together. When I retired my big present to myself was a lathe, - an English Myford, - which is something I'd always wanted.
Title: Re: Hello from New Zealand
Post by: Devlyn on March 22, 2015, 01:59:26 PM
Post by: Devlyn on March 22, 2015, 01:59:26 PM
Look what you can do with old drink cans: http://www.anthillart.com/ I really want to do this!
Hugs, Devlyn
Hugs, Devlyn
Title: Re: Hello from New Zealand
Post by: Lady Smith on March 22, 2015, 02:10:18 PM
Post by: Lady Smith on March 22, 2015, 02:10:18 PM
Wow that's amazing Devlyn. Is there any problem with the moisture content in the soil causing steam blow backs or anything?
Title: Re: Hello from New Zealand
Post by: Devlyn on March 22, 2015, 02:19:37 PM
Post by: Devlyn on March 22, 2015, 02:19:37 PM
I'll bet there is! We had an induction furnace fail one day, the metal got to the cooling water and the steam explosions were throwing 3100º F steel everywhere.
Title: Re: Hello from New Zealand
Post by: Myarkstir on March 23, 2015, 06:43:29 AM
Post by: Myarkstir on March 23, 2015, 06:43:29 AM
Hey!
Welcome to Susan's
Welcome to Susan's
Title: Re: Hello from New Zealand
Post by: katrinaw on March 23, 2015, 07:23:53 AM
Post by: katrinaw on March 23, 2015, 07:23:53 AM
Hi Lady Smith :icon_wave: Welcome to Susan's, nice to have you join us and share your thoughts. I am a very similar age, started HRT around 50'ish but still have not transitioned or broken the family.. ???
This year maybe... I'm across the "ditch" in Aussie, Western Sydney to be a little more accurate, but love NZ 8)
Hope to see you around a bit
L Katy :-*
This year maybe... I'm across the "ditch" in Aussie, Western Sydney to be a little more accurate, but love NZ 8)
Hope to see you around a bit
L Katy :-*