Unremarkable

I'm finally mostly caught up from my weekend.  I don't know if it's that the weekends are THAT crazy or it's just taking me longer to recover due to age.  Yesterday I was a dragging puppy...I think I yawned more between 8am and 8pm yesterday than I have over any 12 hour period I can remember.  Ever.

It's worth it, though.  Over the weekend I did my usual crazy trip to Charleston and back.  It pays dividends beyond what I can explain, but there is a price that I'm willing to pay.

I haven't been back home in several weeks - too long.  The weekend was a unique blend of my life...I got my hair done, I did a number of errands, I got a pedicure, I spent some time at the shooting range, I had a delightful dinner with some dear friends, I did some lawn work, I went to church, blah blah blah.  All things considered - wonderful balance.  And, although none of it may sound like magic - it all was.

My luggage on the way home contained a cornucopia of interesting things.  I brought my favorite waffle iron back with me.  My "main" tripod was in it.  I had some purchases from the latest MAC collection.  There was a couple of nice Victoria Secret bras.  I had a couple of dilators.  And there was a handgun.

There are some very specific "rules" to follow when putting a handgun in your luggage to fly on a plane; I was well aware of them and followed them to the letter.  Part of the process involves declaring the handgun at the luggage counter and showing the people at ticketing that the gun isn't loaded.

It's a little unnerving to pull out a large, full-sized .45 handgun in an airport where there is a big sign on the door saying "No Dangerous Weapons".  Thankfully, there weren't too many people in line to watch.  I will say that one of the guys behind the counter spent a moment appreciating it - I did a lot of research before getting it.

After showing them it wasn't loaded I put it back in the case, locked it, and they put a bright orange sign indicating that they had inspected it and that it was unloaded into the luggage.  Someone else further down the line checked the luggage, too, based on the little TSA flyer that they gave me.  I allotted an extra half hour for this process, and was glad it didn't take nearly that long.

Here are a couple of photos from the weekend:

The Marina

Broad Street evening

If you ever want to do something humbling, try on wet suits.  They're tight, and clingy, and they accentuate every curve (both the good ones, and the not-so-good ones).  I stopped at the Scuba store while I was home and tried on 8 of them.  It's amazing that I didn't dislocate a shoulder trying to pull some of those things on.  It reminded me of the early days, when pulling on a pair of panty hose with long nails was a significant feat.  Honestly, I can't remember the last time I wore a pair of panty hose.  I hope to be wearing my wet suit quite often....

The news has been full of trans stories lately above and beyond the Pfc. Manning mess.  Two brutal murders - one in NY (story here) and one in LA (story here). A trans nursing student in Florida was denied access to the bathroom (story here).  There are dozens of huge life events happening in the lives of friends that will never make the news.  I sometimes feel fortunate that my life has become so....unremarkable.  At least, as far as most are concerned.  Truth be told - I know otherwise.

I don't usually ask for favors here, but I'll ask one now.  I've said before how important a person my electrologist, Maria, has been in my life.  She has truly helped me through the darkest of times, and she has been a blessing.  I'd do anything I can to help her, just as she has done for me.  That's what friends do.

She has been working with the trans community for over 25 years, and deserves angel wings for the hundreds of lives she has touched, and changed.  She is a gift, a gem, a true hero to many of us.

Her spa, Senza Pelo Med Spa, is one of the Top 5 Med Spa's in the annual Phoenix New Times "Best of Phoenix" voting.  She needs votes to help her achieve the top spot.  So, I ask a personal favor.  Please go the the voting ballot and vote for her (link here).  If she wins - that'd be huge.  And I thank everyone in advance for taking the time to help.  As I say - that's what friends do....

My rest will be short-lived.  This weekend I face Labor Day traffic to drive 1,000 miles to visit family in upstate NY.  Then I turn right around and do it again - in reverse.

I'll have 3 days to recover from that before heading to Atlanta for SCC.  

I'll be homesick again by then.....

As I said at the outset, it take me longer to recover from these kinds of things than it used to.  The key right now is to NOT get sick, and to pace myself.  The rest will unfold itself, as it always does.