It's 3:41 AM on Sunday morning as I write this. I gave up trying to sleep several hours ago. I spent nearly two hours working on a post to summarize how I am feeling right now.
But I just read it, and it does not come remotely close to getting across how low I feel. As I usually do, I try to distance myself from how I feel through the words I use.
Well, I can't do that. Not this time.
I don't think I can get across the intensity of the pain I feel now. But I need to try.
It's been an awful week, the latest in a string of them. There are various reasons, which I may go into at some point. But for now, suffice it to say that I have been feeling as low as I have felt in a long, long time.
I was meeting a friend for dinner tonight, and at the last possible second I noticed this dress in my closet and decided to try it on.
I'd bought it a year ago, but frankly I was too fat to wear it, thanks to the Biblical run of calamities the past two-plus years. But after three months of intensive running it fits... well, better than it did. (But not as well as it is going to fit with another three-six months of running.)
I was glad I tried it on. I still don't feel great, but I forced myself to go out and get relatively dressed up to do so. Just like I've forced myself to keep running during this tough stretch. More on that in another post.
Anyway, a few shots of my first Little Black Dress. And also my messy living room, provided at no additional cost to you, the reader.
Hi all, and happy Thursday evening. Hope everyone is having a good week so far.
I've been meaning to post this for over a week, but just now had the opportunity to finish it up.
Several months ago my friend Nadine, over at Unordinary Style (and you should all check out her blog if you don't already do so :-p), wrote a post about an interview she did with a graduate student, Petta-Gay Hannah, who is writing her dissertation on transgendered/non-traditional individuals.
As you can see from her post, Nadine genuinely enjoyed taking part in Petta-Gay's project, and encouraged anyone who was interested to contact Petta-Gay to chat with her. Like Nadine (and like many of us), I welcomed a chance to do something for our little community.
Accordingly, I contacted Petta-Gay, who turned out to be just as nice as Nadine had indicated. I've included the details below, so I will cut to the chase by saying...
I thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience. :c)
Petta-Gay is very nice, and clearly very smart. We spoke for about two-and-a-half hours. It was quite casual, and not at all academic or stuffy. Essentially, we had a long conversation. Her questions were thoughtful and well-considered, and not at all intrusive. She stressed repeatedly that I could simply decline to answer any question I might have found uncomfortable, but that was not even remotely a concern.
Once we finished, Petta-Gay asked if she could follow up if necessary to clarify an answer (I suspect that was a polite way of saying "if I can't decipher Cass's weird semi-Boston accent" lol), and of course I agreed. We've touched base several times since I've done the interview, and each of those has been as enjoyable as our intial chats.
I would encourage anyone remotely interested to contact Petta-Gay. I think her dissertation will be a valuable tool in helping others understand our community. And you will also be helping a really, really nice person. It's a win-win, in other words! I hope as many readers as possible are able to do so.
I've included Petta-Gay's information here, below the jump. (you can also find it at Nadine's post). Thanks everyone!
This will be brief, as it's late (nearly 2:40 AM - blame extra-inning playoff baseball games).
That said, I *do* have something to share: a bit of news, and...
Something else; now, what was it again?
Oh, that's right...
My very first video! :D
Yes, that's right; in my ongoing quest to conquer all media platforms, I've expanded my realm to include poorly filmed, shakily edited, semi-coherent videos. Lord help us all. (Community Access Cable... you're next!!!)
This is the first in what I hope will be a series of videos, depending on whether or not this one crashes the Internet and/or leads to one too many libel suits.
This is basically an introduction about myself, and what I hope those theoretical future videos will cover.
And that leads me to the second item mentioned above: my news. What is it, you ask?
Well, guess who went from not being able to run more than 60 seconds at the beginning of August to running for 35 minutes (and approximately 5k, or 3.1 miles) as of last Friday, October 3?
This girl, that's who!!! :D
Stay tuned for more on why I've become a runner (I love being able to say that!), why I decided to start making videos, and what is coming up in the weeks and months ahead on Cass's calendar. Hope you enjoy the video!!!
***
A few run-themed songs to round out the post. First, the great Del Shannon, playing Late Night with David Letterman in 1986:
Next, Jackson Browne's 1977 ode to being on the road:
And finally, this stunner from what is arguably Kate Bush's masterpiece, 1985's Hounds of Love album:
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":
Hi everyone! Hope you are enjoying the weekend! I have several posts nearly ready to go, but I wanted to start with this one - because I, of all people, was given an award!
Yup, it's true, and it came courtesy of my Canadian friend Ashley, from beautiful Edmonton AB, who included me in her list of bloggers to receive this honor:
Thank you so much, hon - that was so sweet of you!
Nothing in life is free, however, including this award. :D Happily, though, the strings attached to this honor are a pleasure:
Thank and link back to the person who nominated you. (Done!)
List the rules and display the award.
Include seven facts about yourself.
Nominate 15 other bloggers and let them know about the award. (OK, I punted on this one, but I did my best!)
Display the award and follow the blogger who nominated you (if not already!). (I am no Cass-come-lately lol, since I was smart enough to begin following Ashley months ago!)
Happy Tuesday, everyone! I'm hard at work on what is turning into several lengthy posts, but in the interim I had to share something.
I watched a stellar documentary over the weekend: Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me. Big Star was one of the best bands to emerge in the Seventies - and one of the unluckiest bands of all time. To say they were snakebitten would be putting it mildly.
They recorded three albums: #1 Record (1972), Radio City (1974), and Third/Sister Lovers (recorded in late 1974/early 1975, but not released until 1978). All three are masterpieces - and all three were utterly ignored when they were released, for reasons the documentary covers. They were touched with tragedy as well, in particular Chris Bell, one of the co-founders (along with Alex Chilton).
But...
Their music is timeless, in the best way. Great art endures, and finds its audience. Their influence can be heard in hundreds and hundreds of bands who followed in their footsteps (R.E.M., to name one, has always been forthright about the enormous debt they owe Big Star).
So... with that in mind, I thought I would share one of their very best songs here, in part because the title is appropriate for the time of year, but also because it is an utterly transcendent song. "September Gurls" was written by Alex Chilton, and appears on Radio City. It really does not get any better than this:
Here's another masterpiece, "Thirteen," written by Chris Bell, from their first album, #1 Record:
I could go on and on... but instead I will invite you to explore them on your own. You won't regret it - promise. :D
Oh, and here's a picture of this September Gurl...
This was taken earlier today, pre-electrolysis (and yes, this is my favorite blouse, as you can tell from how many pictures show me wearing it! :D). I'm a bit less chipper at the moment, needless to say! lol
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