Sad fact - last night I had one of those nights were I could not sleep. I mean, I normally only get 3-4 hours of sleep per night (sometimes I touch 5!) but last night I think I got 1 hour and 2 minutes.

Sadder fact - when I don't sleep, does my mind think about the future? Try to solve the Gaza problem? No. When I can't sleep, for some reason I create recipes in my head. Like I said... so very sad.

So this is the result of last night's non-sleep session:

Strawberry Shortcake Muffins:



Despite the fact that the topping is made from crushed up Golden Oreos (and freeze dried strawberries), these are STILL just 104 calories per muffin.. and only 2 g of fat, 5 g of sugar and hits with 6 g of protein.  Plus, they kinda rock. They get the stamp of approval from my wife who enjoyed the "test" muffin.

For the longest time, I've made all my muffin recipes make 19 muffins. That's how I calculate every recipe. That way, if I ever need to try one, I still always have an even number to present. And that, my friends, is a little window into the "adorable OCD" I deal with (self-diagnosed and named).

Must be ACD ?

Quote from: davina61 on June 30, 2024, 05:59:26 AMMust be ACD ?

😘

Had a nice moment this morning, thanks to, of all things, a black plum.

As all of my fellow fruit devotees know -- all fruit is a gamble, but plums are a particularly nefarious little rapscallion. Does a soft plum mean it's sweet and ripe? No, not necessarily. Some of the most delicious plums seem hard as a rock.  Dark purple skin (aka a Black Plum) would lead you to believe it will always be a red interior... but no.. sometimes you get that yellow interior which is never as good.

It's infuriating.

And yet, if you get a really good plum, they keep you coming back for more. It's insidious.

But back to the story..

So the wife and I were at Whole Foods and I was doing most of the fruit selecting for the week, and the plums LOOKED particularly tantalizing. Even so, I had all of the above rattling around in my brain. However, it was my great fortune that at that moment one of the WF fruit guys was actually putting out some plums and arranging them.

"Are you the plum whisperer?" I said.

He laughed and smiled.

"Do YOU know how tell which ones of these are red inside and or ripe? Because I give up."

He told me that these that he were just putting out, being newer, were very likely NOT quite ripe... and I should pick a few from towards the side of the bin. I nodded.

Then he picked up one those and said "no real way to tell which ones are red other than this.." and he pulled out a knife and cut one open, to reveal it was red.

"You're good to go with any in that batch."

I thanked him, grabbed some plums and was on my way.

"Well, how'd you like THAT?" my wife said, smiling like the Cheshire Cat when I caught up to her.

"What?" I said. "I asked him if he was the plum whisperer and..."

She stared at me.

"Oh," I said.

She nodded

"OH!," I said. "Really? REALLY?"

She tugged on my hair, laughed, and said "Yes, really, welcome to the team" and we laughed and went on with our shopping.

BTW, they say NOTHING about gaining an edge in plum picking-out in the trans brochure. They really should. It's quite a perk. If we are all the groomers that they say we are, we 100% should be using that.

Just sayin'

Love,
Allie   

Allie, the Plum Whisperer Padawan. 

Quote from: LoriDee on June 30, 2024, 09:44:27 PMAllie, the Plum Whisperer Padawan. 

Oh damn... is that how Anakin turned to the dark side? He shook his long blond hair at some scruffy looking nerf herder in exchange for learning how to tell when Blue Milk expires?

Wow... that is DEFINITELY the geekiest sentence I have ever written. Apologies to all.

Oh my. That cracked me up. My sides hurt from laughing and I've got tears rolling down my face. Made my night. Thanks!

QuoteShe tugged on my hair, laughed, and said "Yes, really, welcome to the team" and we laughed and went on with our shopping.

Your wife is right. He was treating you with TLC 'cause you're on Team Girl. I get it all the time and whereas some believe that makeup or a pretty frock triggers it, that's wrong. I'm plain as the winter prairie and men are ever so kind to me.

Quote from: Oldandcreaky on July 01, 2024, 01:02:42 PMYour wife is right. He was treating you with TLC 'cause you're on Team Girl. I get it all the time and whereas some believe that makeup or a pretty frock triggers it, that's wrong. I'm plain as the winter prairie and men are ever so kind to me.

I've showed you pics.. I think I aspire to "plain"... so I think it was just the hair. 😂

But also, you radiate kindness. Sometimes I think that gets reflected back on us, as an automatic response. Like getting your knee tapped with the little hammer.

Quote from: imallie on July 01, 2024, 04:26:47 PMI've showed you pics.. I think I aspire to "plain"... so I think it was just the hair. 😂

But also, you radiate kindness. Sometimes I think that gets reflected back on us, as an automatic response. Like getting your knee tapped with the little hammer.

That's so kind of you, Allie. I think my white hair also helps. The guys still want their merit badges for helping an old lady cross the street.

Had a nice catchup session with my therapist this morning. Normally if something big happens I do text her to keep her in the loop, so its more about temperature taking, future planning, and honestly just making sure I continue to have my judgement appropriately calibrated.

She definitely helped me put the FFS issue to bed. As mentioned, I've been completely humbled both by the effusive praise of those who know me and the immediate acceptance by strangers. I do not take that for granted. Prior to going public I was, of course, concerned with how I'd look -- so I found myself even shockingly surprised. I had assumed I would seek to address my forehead surgically, and maybe my nose.. but because of everything I mentioned above, and how I just see "me" now... I've been leaning strongly against it.

The one lone voice against this was one friend who told me that 50% of the people with whom I've been in contact are just being nice, and that they can clearly tell I am trans. That has continued to scratch at all my pre-existing doubts and fears. But after finally listing to my wife, friends.. and my own eyes in the way I am treated.. and hearing the unvarnished opinions of my therapist, I know consider that friend's opinion an outlier. A well-meaning outlier, but an outlier nonetheless.

So what my therapist and I agreed (and obviously my wife is on board with this as well) is it is time to go forward with bottom surgery. Especially because of how long the steps can take, and being a bit worried about what could happen in the Fall, I really do think this is a priority now. Just as she was glad I have gotten the name change ball rolling.

So hopefully in the next few days I can confirm the two docs in whom I am most interested are in my insurance network (I believe they are), and begin the process of setting up consultations.

That is great news. You just keep going and going, like Energizer Allie!

If you are going the bottom surgery route, it is good to start looking now. There could be a long waiting list for just a consultation, then who knows how long to an actual date. Hopefully, it won't be too far off in the future.

Just stopping by to give you a giant cosmic hug. Like the space whales of old... I'll be on my way to the great beyond.

Nice little moment this morning -

A few weeks back when we were at the beach, we did a "girls night" dinner with me, my wife, her sister, and a sister-in-law. It was a lot of fun.

Well the sister-in-law reached out and asked if we could do it again when we are down in a few weeks. My wife replied we're just in for the one night and we thought we were doing a whole family thing, but the next morning when we get up to leave we could still do an early lunch... and she said she had plans but she cancelled them so we could do it.

Feels nice to be both wanted and included like that.

That's it.

Love,
Allie

One of the girls, Allie. Such a small thing, like a Faberge egg.

Quote from: Oldandcreaky on July 04, 2024, 09:06:05 AMOne of the girls, Allie. Such a small thing, like a Faberge egg.

Yes, exactly. The little things really are so valuable. In fact, when I look back at the last month or so, it's a collection of the little moments that I most cherish.

Even today, we went out to lunch. At one point I got up to use the restroom. When I got back we realized it was the first time I'd done that "solo." I hadn't even thought about it. But it wasn't that big "event" (if we can call using a restroom an event? Sheesh) that I'll remember. It was two little things:

When I was washing my hands, another woman joined me at the sink. We just didn't say anything but we just exchanged friendly smiles. And her smile was not the "good for you, using the bathroom of the gender you feel like!" kinda smile. It was just the plain ol "howdy neighbor" smile.

Similarly, as I was leaving the restroom, and older woman was walking in, and she said "good afternoon" and smiled warmly and I returned the greeting.

After all the hulabaloo over me not trusting that people are really seeing me as a woman, despite my wife and friends, etc etc etc telling me such... it was THOSE tiny moments which really landed for me.

Allie walks up to the Faberge counter.

"I'd like a dozen eggs, please. Oh, at the rate I've been enjoying them, better make that two dozen."

Quote from: Oldandcreaky on July 04, 2024, 02:09:10 PMAllie walks up to the Faberge counter.

"I'd like a dozen eggs, please. Oh, at the rate I've been enjoying them, better make that two dozen."

😂

Need a lot of eggs for my transition frittata!

A Faberge frittata!

A Fabulous Faberge Frittata!