Hi everyone - your eyes do not deceive you; two posts from Cassidy in a single week! Who woulda thunk it?
I originally intended to write about this subject several weeks ago, but came up with other topics that were a bit more timely. And I have two others in the pipeline as well; hopefully I can finish and post them shortly as well.
I'm writing this on Sunday evening; with my manager L's permission (and have I mentioned lately how much she rocks?) I'm taking tomorrow off. I've been dragging a bit lately, partly because the weather here has been unusually hot and humid for an extended period, and partly because I've only taken a few days off so far this year. So it will be nice to sleep in a bit later than usual tomorrow. :c)
This actually makes a nice segue to the main topic of this post. Follow along below the jump for more. :c)
So, I have a handful of partially-written posts, with varying degrees of completeness, but I thought I would share a funny story from Saturday evening. Thank you to my electrologist M, who suggested this would make a cute blog post. :-p
It's been unusually hot and humid here in the Boston area for the past two weeks; we just had our sixth straight day with temperatures well above 90F (33C) and dew points in the mid-60s, with at least two more days to follow.
We had an incredible microburst late Saturday afternoon, the likes of which I have never seen. We had torrential rain, 65 mph/104kph winds, and quarter-sized hail. The rain and hail were literally horizontal. It was surreal - and even more so when it ended barely five minutes after it started. Amazing.
We lost power in my neighborhood for nearly 10 hours, which made for a stiflingly hot sleepless evening. (We lost it again Sunday night/early Monday morning, but I'd had my air conditioner on for several hours already, which helped my bedroom stay reasonably comfortable until the power came back on at 3:00 AM.)
But I digress. :c) The story takes place early Saturday evening, shortly after the power went out. It was a limited outage; the other side of my block never lost power, nor did downtown.
I decided to simultaneously run an errand and reward myself for managing to exercise in this heat by picking up my favorite, toffee nut iced coffee. I took a quick shower and threw on a dress I'd had for several years but had never actually worn before. I grabbed a pair of flip-flops and headed out to my car.
There was an outdoor concert taking place near downtown, so I decided to park a few blocks away and walk over, rather than hunt for a parking spot.
As I was making my way downtown, a car was passing the other way. I wasn't really paying attention until it slowed down and the driver side window lowered.
I glanced over and saw a middle-aged gent (and rather nice-looking, actually) whistled appreciatively.
"Damn... those legs must go all the way to heaven!" he said with a wink.
(For the record, here's what I was wearing:)
Somehow he avoided coming off as a leering jackass lol, so I felt comfortable replying.
"Thank you," I said with a smile. "But actually they're just going to CVS."
(CVS is a drugstore, for anyone outside the States who may not be familiar with the name.)
After a split-second he laughed out loud, then replied "Touche!"
I grinned, thanked him again for the compliment, and wished him a good night. He bowed theatrically behind the wheel, raided his window, then beeped twice as he drove off.
The grin never left my face the rest of my walk, needless to say. :c)
***
Here's a bonus photo, in case you were wondering just how humid it's been here. This was taken Sunday evening:
Yes, somehow my hair was even bigger than the previous post. :) I did nothing to get it this way, incidentally - no gel, mousse, hairspray, etc. This is Mother Nature's doing entirely. Any bigger and I could be a Southern Belle the way I used to dream about! lol
***
As you can imagine, I had no choice but to post this tune:
That is one hell of a great song, even if you don't like Rod Stewart. I do, incidentally, as you probably guessed. :-) His first five solo albums, and his tenure in The Faces atone for nearly all sins committed since.
Here's one more to demonstrate what an incredible live band The Faces were. Be sure your seat belt is fastened and your tray tables are in the upright and locked position before watching this one:
This isn't the post I mentioned previously (I actually have *another* one I need to write before that one, in fact). But a photo I snapped yesterday (Monday) amused me greatly, so I thought I would share it.
It was VERY hot and humid here over the weekend, and particularly on Monday. Think Southern Florida hot and humid.
I had a fascinating chat with TDMM (The Divine Miss M - hey hon! :-p) at work about some of the differences I've noticed between "him" and myself. My perspiration certainly differs, which we both found intriguing.
I still perspire quite a bit, but its feel, and taste, are totally different from "his." I mention this because after work on Monday I went for a long walk. (I'd run both Saturday and Sunday.) I'd had my hair up all day, as I typically do at work, mostly so it isn't in my way. When I came in from my walk in the steam bath we call a New England summer, I took my hair out of its bun, sat for a few minutes to cool off a bit, then got dressed and headed home.
I'didn't think anything of how I looked until I stopped at Starbucks for my toffee nut iced coffee, my daily post-exercise reward. A fellow customer glanced at me and said, "Pretty humid out there today, huh?" I smiled and nodded while she stared at me, apparently in wonder, for a moment more. I filed it a way after a moment as one of those odd moments.
No sooner had I done so than one of my barista friends came over and said, "So... just a bit muggy, huh, Cass?"
I must have looked baffled, because she laughed and suggested I go look in the mirror.
So I did.
And when I saw this I burst out laughing:
Oh. My. God.
This is hair you measure by its wingspan.
We are talking Southern-Belle-Closer-To-Heaven hair.
This is the only salvageable photo of the lot; I was giggling so much the others are all useless. lol
I think my dear friend Alice summed it up best when I sent her this shot via text:
"Wow."
Just so. :c)
Anyway, I know many of my posts have been fairly somber. The past 8-9 months have been difficult. So when a moment of much-needed levity arrives, it should be treasured. And this one was. :c)
***
A quick shout-out to a special someone (let's call her... oh, I don't know, Miss SBS) for a most memorable evening late last week. Hope you enjoy the little memento I left and file it away for future reference. ;c) Thank you again, hon!!! xoxoxo
***
Here's some Otis Redding to help celebrate Hump Day (a/k/a Wednesday):
And here's Peter Gabriel's stunning cover version of Lou Reed's gorgeous "The Power of the Heart."
It's from an covers album (which is excellent) that he recorded in 2010... although I can't quite nail down the title... :c)
Hello all - hope everyone had a lovely weekend. Just a brief post about the past week in my corner of the world. As it turns out, my face was the center of quite a bit of activity, albeit somewhat unplanned. :c)
Hi everyone. This post evolved quite a bit as I worked on it today. I've had a lot on my mind the past few months, and that came out as I was writing this today. It began as a brief post on my recent visit to the salon, but it soon evolved into something much more involved.
Upon reading it now, I think the two pieces of the post - the original, somewhat light-hearted idea, and the more intensive, soul-searching conclusion - share a common thread: self-worth, and self-awareness. I hope you find it worthwhile.
Hi everyone. Lots to write about, but for now I'll just share a few photos taken today (and some musings at the end, which basically showed up, unbidden, as I wrote this just now).
I had my hair done last Friday, which basically means I haven't had time to mess up my stylist's handiwork too badly yet. (Only half-joking...) Anyway, she gets full credit for any compliments. :)
Follow below the fold for a few more photos, and some ponderings as well...
Happy Friday all! Hope your weekend is off to a rousing start.
As the title indicates, my weekend began with a trip to the hairdresser to get my 'do done. :) It's been two months, and the color definitely was in need of a serious tune-up.
Last time we went with a really, really dark red, which was a lot of fun. But this time we opted to go back to the strawberry blonde look we'd been using previously.
I'm really pleased with the results, as usual. J, my stylist, is a true artist, as I tell her every time I see her. She is wonderful. She was amazed at how long my hair is getting, as were the other stylists, none of whom have seen me for two months.
It has to be the hormones; I've read that hair growth is a potential side effect, and that is the only reasonable explanation for both how fast it's growing and how much thicker it's become. I am not complaining, believe me!
We dug out a photo of me from my first visit 18 months ago, well before I was full-time. As J noted, "you're a totally different person now." Even I can sense that, although I clearly don't see all of the changes they seem to see. (More on that another time.)
Anyway, the reason I wrote this post is alluded to in my perfectly innocent, not-at-all-a-double-entendre title. ;) After the color was done, J got to work trimming the split ends so my hair continues to grow "like weeds," as she put it.
Suddenly she became very animated, stepping back with widened eyes.
"You know what we should try, hon?" she said. "Bangs! I'll bet it would look super-cute!"
S, another stylist, immediately chimed in, saying she thought it was a great idea.
I said what the heck? You only live once, after all. :D And as J pointed out, I can always just pull them to the side if I decide I don't like the look.
Well, that turns out to be a moot point. :) Once I put on my glasses to see the finished product, I gasped. I look *so* much like my sister, who also wears bangs, that it was uncanny. (As April sagely noted, "It's almost as if you two are related!")
J straightened my hair, something I usually don't do, mostly because I like my hair wavy. But I like this enough to want to replicate the look fairly frequently.
In any case, you can judge for yourself right now. :c)
Next up is getting my eyebrows shaped. Several of the other photos I took convinced me that it is past time to get 'em done. My electrologist did a very good job, but several friends whose opinion I respect a great deal all have told me separately over the past 7-10 days that there is still room for improvement. So I will get it done. And soon.
Hope everyone has a nice Saturday! Stay tuned for more posts in the days to come!
***
I celebrated my new look by stopping off at Starbucks across from the mall where my salon is located for some baseball chat and iced coffee with my barista friends. R was in charge of the soundtrack for the evening, and happily he decided it was a Who kind of evening. Far be it for me to buck that trend!
I've always linked these two songs together in my mind - as does Townshend, apparently, since they close Side 1 and open Side 2, respectively, on the original LP:
I always marvel at the contrast between Daltrey and Townshend's singing styles. It's remarkable how well Daltrey's gruff, blunt tone contrasts so beautifully with Townshend's more fragile, vulnerable voice. It renders them capable of capturing a range of emotions neither of them could reach alone, which is what makes them such a great team.
One last track, this time Pete's original version of "Pure & Easy," which Daltrey quotes so memorably in the vocal tag at the conclusion of "The Song Is Over":
Hello all. Just a mid-week post to apologize for not responding to some of the comments and email I've received the past few days. OK, the past week. Few weeks. Oops. It's worse than I thought.
I have been insanely busy for over a month now, with another month to go before it slows down. I had an epiphany over the weekend about why I am in this situation - again. This is not the first time I have been to this rodeo, shall we say.
I have heard it said that life keeps presenting you with the same situation over and over until you choose to pay attention *and* learn from it. Well, I was, and I have.
The bad news? I have another month to go before I can start to do anything about it. The good news? I know what I want to do. And I will do all of them. Bet on it. :c)
Apologies for seeming a bit cryptic; more will come in the fullness of time, as my friend B always says! For now I am worn out but OK. I will be fine. I know who I am now. And who I want to be. And I will get there.
***
A quick photo to show you what I am up against now that the humidity is returning with the warmer weather.
This is me after my gym session on Monday:
Halle's reaction was priceless: "Oh dear... your hair really does go a bit squirrelly in the summer, doesn't it?"? lol Just so. :D
***
And I can think of no better soundtrack that this classic from The Lovin' Spoonful:
It is SO evocative of how summer feels... you can practically see the steam rising from the street and the sweat beading on a glass of lemonade, no matter what time of year you listen to it...
As I mentioned in my previous post, I got my hair done last night. They only see me every two months, so it's always interesting to hear their reactions.
One thing I learned, or had reinforced, last night: hormones are mighty powerful. :D
Hello all! Very quick post to let everyone know I am alive and well (or as close as I get) - and busy. Very, very busy. (I was up until nearly 2:00 AM on Wednesday night working on a project with my sister.)
Unfortunately, my schedule will not let up for another month or so, after which things should calm down substantially (she said hopefully).
Quite honestly, I need a break. It has been an intense two-and-a-half years since deciding to start HRT, and I am bone tired. Even my vacations of the past two years haven't been relaxing. I was dealing with the fallout from my transition each time, and with depression on several of them.
Things are better, even on less-than-great days. As I told my sister earlier tonight, experiencing a bad day as a girl - as myself - is infinitely better than a good day trying to pretend to be someone I was not. It is no contest. That being said, some downtime is clearly in order, and I hope to have some within the next 8-10 weeks.
***
On a light note, I had to mention that I have noticed that the impending arrival of summer seems to have all sorts of things blossoming - including, apparently, my hair:
I find that amazing. It really does seem to be growing like weeds, as the stylists at my salon say each time I come in.
I'm thrilled, needless to say :D - and hope that it keeps growing like this! I cannot wait until I can put it up. I am very much looking forward to that.
I'm getting my hair done tomorrow, btw - just the color, not a cut. We were thinking of going lighter for the summer, but I lovelovelove this shade of red.
I have literally had total strangers come up to me on the street, unbidden, and tell me how striking this color is, and how it suits me. That would be flattering anywhere, but in Boston? It beggars disbelief. (Boston is consistently near the top of the list for rudest/unfriendliest US cities - and with good reason.)
As my manager L (who is from Texas) noted today after I told her, "Wait - people in New England are stopping to compliment you?!? You're sure they weren't tourists?" lol
Anyway, here's another pic, which also better shows off
my new glasses. And note the crazy hair; summertime is coming when it
starts to get out of control like this.
And on that note, may you all have a lovely, and hopefully summer-like - Friday! I am glad the weekend is almost here. :D
***
Sarah McLachlan, a long-time favorite of mine, just released her latest album, Shine On. It's being hailed as one of her best, and I am inclined to agree. Here she is performing the leadoff single, "In Your Shoes."
P.S. I love her hair! :D
One more song, from the album that put her on the map, 1991's Solace. This is "Into The Fire," performed on Late Night with David Letterman in early 1992:
Hello all! Hope everyone survived the week and is enjoying their weekend! :c)
I haven't written much lately, so I want to get back to it as time permits. So I'll write a bit about the past week, including the not-so-good (a migraine) and the good (my latest trip to the salon). Happily, the good easily trumps the not-so-good!
Greetings, folks! Hope everyone had a lovely weekend. :c)
I have a few longer posts in the works (yes, still), but I wanted to share a brief story with you from this past weekend.
I was near the end of a lengthy walk when two friends called to ask if I wanted to meet them for dinner. I was only about 15 minutes away by foot, and it's a casual (albeit very nice) restaurant, so I simply went straight there and had a cup of coffee to warm up while waiting for them.
I was checking my messages when I noticed a mother and her young daughter, probably about seven or eight years old, looking in my direction. A minute or two later I glanced their way again, and, once again, they were looking my way.
They weren't staring, nor were they being rude, so I assumed they read me and shrugged it off, as I do when that happens. (It's usually on a day like yesterday, when I haven't shaved to get ready for my next electrolysis appointment.) I know who I am, I like who I am, and I'm still changing, both physically and emotionally, and that is all that really matters.
Just as I saw my friends drive past and head for the parking lot about a block away, I noticed that the little girl and her mother put on their coats and head towards my table on their way to the door. I had gone back to reading my text messages, when I realized they were standing next to me. I looked up and smiled at them.
"I'm sorry if we were being impolite, miss," the mother said. "But my daughter and I were both admiring your hair."
:#)
I laughed (and blushed), thanked them, and rightfully gave the credit to my stylist.
The little girl then spoke.
"Miss, I told my mom that your hair looks like red velvet cupcakes - and those are my *favorite* ones in the world!" lol
I laughed again and thanked her, adding that I was flattered to hear that.
"You're welcome," she said.
She then eyed me critically for a moment.
"It's a good look for you, you know."
lol
I immediately offered to hire her as my fashion adviser. She was game, but her mother gently suggested to both of us that she needed to finish third grade first. :c)
And thus went that part of my weekend!
***
Postscript: As you would imagine, I promptly texted April with the entire story.
Her immediate reply?
"Great! Red Velvet can be your porn name. :D"
While that certainly is an option, I noted that I think I preferred "Cupcake." Not as my porn name, of course, just in general. For some reason it appealed to me; maybe it fits my personality?
In any event, I hope your week is filled with culinary delights of whatever sort you most enjoy. Have a lovely week, everyone!
***
Nothing to do with the theme of this post; just a performance from Hurray for the Riff-Raff, one of my favorite new bands. Their new album is wonderfully addictive. Hope you like this!
We here in the frigid Northeast are simply grateful we are not being subjected to yet another snowstorm this winter. We had 14 inches (35.56 cm) here on Wednesday, with more predicted for Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Sigh. At least baseball's spring training camps open in Florida and Arizona next week...
On to some ponderings about the last two or so months, and what I am doing as a result of surviving that dark stretch. Hint: it's all good. :D
As anyone reading this blog knows via my endless selfies the past few weeks :c), I had my hair done several weeks ago.
However, I did *not* mention (other than a brief mention in a reply to Becca's comment) my visit's other highlight (no pun intended) - the person sitting next to me.
I have had an interesting week - in a good way - on both the work and personal fronts.
In fact, it would be fair to say I had an epiphany of sorts, courtesy of two unwitting catalysts.
I will write a post about this over the weekend. In fact, I have started it twice already and had to scrap it because of ongoing developments/realizations.
All I will say for now is that I have changed markedly - and for the better - since I came out to my parents less than two weeks ago.
Or perhaps it is more accurate to say that since that milestone day am I slowly realizing that these changes have been taking place under the surface for some time.
In either circumstance it is quite gratifying, as you can imagine.
Stay tuned for more... but in the meantime, on to the matter at hand!
Follow me for details of seven days that started off less than perfectly and ended up with me having yet another goofy smile on my face for what felt like hours. :c)
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