SO!
Spent the day in Memphis today and boy are my feet tired (not that I regret one second in my heels!!)
Last week i called the UofM Psychological Services Department and found that there "sliding scale" fee for the unemployed was only $9. The bad news is it takes me a good $25 worth of gas to drive there and back so I can't really afford to go every week as is proper BUT...hold that thought...
I set up an appointment for today anyway - I'd been planing a "girl's day out" today so i anted to kill a few birds with my stone.
Well the girl I had my session with (master's and working on her doctorate under the supervision of a licensed psychiatrist) is a DOLL! I know they are supposed to be friendly and courteous but I feel like I've made a friend for life.
She said she wanted to know "where you are now" and then a timeline sort of how I got from him to her....but being the chatty cathy I am i never got to the second part.
Still, she proposed a workaround on the travel issue in which we'd do some things via phone and e-mail and I'm terribly excited. So looks like the travel cost think will be a minimal issue for now.
She said they had written HRT letters before too so I'm on track there.
The only dark lining here is that my wife had rather be set on fire as go to memphis and it's too bad i can't get her included in ant least a few sessions.
In other news of the day - I visited one (recommended) laser center for a window-shopping/daydreaming consult and got most all my questions answered. looks like at this place they charge by the time and not by the area - $175 for 20 minutes (which she said most times she could do a whole face in that time)- $500 for an hour.
She said they advised at least 8 sessions for a face which works out to $1400 so I at least know what I'm looking forward to here and have a point of reference to price compare at other places.
Sadly, the longer I have to wait the more hairs turn gray....*sigh*
Luckily, the receptionist failed to tell me the consult was supposed to cost me $50 (which I wouldn't have been willing or able to pay) and she let it slide (yay!) but I'm not supposed to tell you that.
Also dropped into a LGBT bar for a few minutes (just to have a look around) during happy hour (which was pretty empty. And spent all day being - as far as i could tell - totally accepted as just another woman out shopping. Several "ma'am" and "hun" greetings. Used the ladies room several times...
(by the end of the day I was looking for excuses to stop and find one just because i could! How goofy is it to go to the bathroom when you don't have to just for the satisfaction of being in the ladies room unchallenged?)
On the whole, it was a marvelous day. the only real downside is that the whole event seems to have even more depressed my wife - we had a pretty serious discussion last night (which ended in tears but also in reconfirmation that we do love each other still) and I came home to find her still gloomy tonight.
A small part of me wants to just cave in and surrender and give her what I know she wants....but I know I'm too far gone and too addicted to being Laura to do that.
One of the best points I made to her last night, though, was this - whatever i look like a year from now...she knows. she can't put that genie back in the bottle. Even if I cut my hair and purge the wardrobe and "act like a man" - she won't ever not know that it's a facade and that behind the mask is still a person who'd rather be in a skirt.
That really cuts into the advantage (from her point of view) of me going back.
But hey, dang it, I'm supposed to be reporting on my great day!
Think happy thoughts!
