I keep my phone on my nightstand but the ringer is turned off. I have the alarm volume up because I use it for an alarm clock--I sometimes need to get up at 5:15 to be at a merchandising job by 7 so it comes in handy. But, I don't generally have trouble sleeping unless I am worried about something.

I am listing many things on the local Freecycle site. Getting rid of more "stuff" makes me feel better.

I finally got the wife off on her trip. She requires the world to come to a stop around her until she gets behind the wheel. It's exhausting but endearing LOL. Now I'm checking my job boards without any real intention of taking anything since I have to be here until she gets back and Tuesday, workmen will descend on us and we will both be needed to manage things. A friend of mine wants to try shopping so I"m putting the links into an email. I know there's a list but as long as I'm doing it, why make her wade through that huge list with no idea what she's doing.She will know soon enough if she is cut out for shopping and at that point she can decide how she wants to approach it. The dogs are on the couch watching some island shows on HGTV.

Driving!

Safe travels, griff. Stay off your darned phone and the forum while you are driving!

Coffee, I could stay glued to HGTV for hours when they have the island house shows, I think it's called Island Life, right? OMG this couple last night were buying property in the Bahamas last night and the places were so beautiful.

Today, I have decided to express that I am slightly fascinated by the concept of transitioning. I will not do that. I like my version of myself as a female. And I will not encourage or discourage anyone regarding transitioning.

But I want to now how trans people in their new lives/new identities compare statistically with people who were born in and stay in genders. And, I want to know to what extent any have been influenced by media representations of their former and new genders. This last question could cover many subjects, but I will choose a starting point.

The first subject is beauty culture. It interfaces with other subjects to varying degrees. It was chosen because it is so... visible. It may or may not reflect inner conditions. We assume so much about other people...

I want to know how many men-to-women prefer a natural look and will not bother about the so-called beauty culture. How many came to new woman self-hood with experience in female beauty culture and will embrace it forever? Are there intermediate numbers for new/now women who will glam up once in awhile but will prefer their newly natural looks? Do any continue with male beauty culture even when they are female? Is the last question even possible?

What did they think and what do they now think of Naomi Wolf and others who have lambasted aspects of the beauty culture? Did their opinions change when they transitioned and found different sets of possibilities more readily available to them within the beauty culture?

What about women to men? Do they miss any former involvement with female beauty culture? Do they seek involvement with male beauty culture? Do they become interested in beauty culture now that they are male, assuming that they were not interested in beauty culture when they were female?

Does their involvement with beauty culture begin, continue, end, and/or change due to the addition of new relationships and/or changes in current relationships?

How did they and how do they now define beauty? Of self? Of others? Of life? Do the definitions extend into activities? Are these affected by surgeries, hormones, and/or passage of time? Can a former male hunter now be a female hunter? What about jobs? Can a former male prostitute be a current female prostitute? What about life roles? Can a former female parent now be a male parent-- whatever that may entail? Is there any connection, however close or remote, between beauty and life role? If so, is there any connection between how they perform their life role life role as one gender and as another gender? Was Mom a different parent with a different style than Dad is now? What about the parental appearance? Did erstwhile beautiful Mom choose to remain good-looking when they transitioned and became Dad? Did Dad choose to add or detract handsomeness when becoming Mom? Do parents retain these monikers? Can there be too many Moms or Dads? Do the parent-child relationships change substantially when parents change genders? Do any offspring become more or less interested in the beauty culture because of how their trans-parents are involved with the beauty culture? Do offspring of trans-parents have stories that they would like to share? If we measured the intensity of their responses to parental changes, would these be greater than, the same as, or less than the intensity of offspring responses to divorce, parental death, parental separation, sibling issues, marital and re-marital issues, extended family, or other issues involving parents and children? Do any offspring see themselves as more or less beautiful depending upon their parents' involvement in the beauty culture? Do offspring see their parents as more or less beautiful-- internally and/or externally-- when parents change genders? What about multiple generations? How do older and younger relatives respond? Does age of transition involve different changes and adjustments for different relatives who are in different life stages? Does a family become more or less functional, enjoyable, or beautiful (whatever that might mean) when one or more members transition?

As trans-persons age, do they become more comfortable with themselves and seek other paths besides beauty? Do they retain interest in the beauty culture even if they they give up the beauty efforts due to changes such as diminished vision, arthritis, decreased mobility, or other difficulties that humans sometimes experience as they grow older? How many are able to perform their desired beauty actions when they are old and old-old?



There are endless other questions and wee wonderments. But I have to start somewhere...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/03/2017 03:07PM by Shop-et-al.

Good luck in your search. You are fortunate that there are now so many more books and studies on these subjects than there were even just 12 years ago when a friend of mine began, in his 50s, to question the whole matter of gender identity and the whole continuum of gender/orientation matters.

Today I am having a lazy morning on the Web and then off to the local Ikea to meet another local shopper at the restaurant there. I also need to shop for a couple of household items there and it is near a meeting that she needs to attend, so it seems like a good place to have a nice shop-talk gab. Thence home to reorganize my kitchen storage with the aid of my housemate Kathryn.

I'm about to leave to do some grocery shopping, then later we have some friends coming over for dinner.

Doing a Costo Solar shop, getting a hot dog there, home and pool, still hot and fires don't help.

@walesmaven wrote:

Good luck in your search. You are fortunate that there are now so many more books and studies on these subjects than there were even just 12 years ago when a friend of mine began, in his 50s, to question the whole matter of gender identity and the whole continuum of gender/orientation matters.

So far, so good. The first University level Transgender degree program is happening in Arizona. Apparently, they have attracted interest from around the world and have secured some outside funding. I read a brief interview with the trans academic who is in charge. This trans person knows from experience and knowledge and can convey to multiple audiences. Transgender is studied elsewhere, but Arizona is the first to offer the degrees and certificates.

My questions were not answered directly, but the answers will be found directly or indirectly in the interdisciplinary nature of the faculty's fields. There will be faculty in Public Health, Family Studies, Anthropology, and Gender/Women's Studies.

This is a moment in history. But having distinct programs titled for Trans and Women's while having nothing for Men's is... well... just an oversight. Where is at least a mention for Hermaphrodites and others? Non-trans males are experiencing something, but are denied expression in the titles and names of degrees and certificates. I feel certain that as soon as someone has a free moment, they will adjust the degree program names and bring them under the inclusive heading of 'Gender Studies'. I would like them to make it large: 'Gender/Sex/Expression Studies'. But they will do what they want to do. This is important, because humans can now legally self-identify as male, female, trans, or gender neutral. How the !**&% can Hermaphrodites and Asexual persons answer demographic questions truthfully, honestly, or accurately? I hope that soon, there will be an array of options for sex/gender/expression in official forms including but not limited to "MYOB" because that best reflects my view of the matter, regardless of my or anyone else's gender/sex/expression.

The question that is most difficult to answer is the extent to which trans and other persons have been and/or are influenced by media representations of male, female, trans, and neutral. Are any of us conditioned or pressured to look a certain way? [Workplace laws/rules/regs are clear that trans employees cannot be forced to dress in ways that deny their sex/gender unless the employer can demonstrate a business necessity for a particular manner or style of apparel on the job. But we still have a dilemma. Do all born and trans males and all born and trans females dress the same way? Who taught us or is pressuring us to present ourselves as a certain type of male or female? What if we want to be our gender and dress in some other way? That part is not so clear.]

The second most difficult question regards the interplay of aging and beauty. Time and life itself will express in our future beauty (whatever that may be).

Now, it is time to clean the car and organize everything for the morning job.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/03/2017 11:20PM by Shop-et-al.

I'm shopping online for doggy seat belts or booster seats. We have small dogs so seats that hold them up to look out the window would be ideal. There are a lot of choices, it's hard to know which ones would be best. I am leaning towards the ones available at the local Wal mart so that if they are not good i can easily return them and have a better idea what I need from them. What I know for sure is that if I don't restrain them, they will be under my feet. In my Honda I was able to put them in the back seat and keep them from jumping into the front. I don't think that's going to be the case in the van.
Then I'm going to wander over to the housewares and pick out some Pioneer woman dishes. I just love her flowery colorful stuff. I think it's overpriced but, oh well.
My wife is going to have a heart attack when all these bills come in LOL.

Went to a Greek festival and had an amazing pork kebob dinner. Bought some baklava to bring home.

No galaktoboureko? That's my favorite

Happy Labor Day to the US members! Happy Whatever Day to all!

Coffee Queen - hey i can relate to the housework boredom. Google or You Tube look for FLY Lady (acronym for Finally Loving Yourself) - totally free and she helps keep you on track with developing routines. This week i made a deal with myself to follow her cleaning routines as the house right now is messier than normal. Just came back from a weekend getaway to a National Park. The packing the trailer before and unpacking after can make for a Mount Washmore situation. Going for a coffee with my mom today to treat myself for all the unpacking/cleaning. Balance - try to strive for that work/fun connection.

Thanks Maizy, I'll check it out.
Today I'm off to Wal Mart to buy floor mats for the new van, and possibly a seat cover, and the doggie seats. Then to Lowe's to choose the stain color for my kitchen cabinets, and then to Kroger to buy salad fixin's. I finally cracked the code on making salad without a kitchen. Yay for pre-bagged salad greens, cherry tomatoes and deli roasted chickens. Then later this afternoon I'll mow the back yard.

BBQ today, pork steaks, baked beans and summer squash. My brother told me how a lot of BBQ joints put their beans on the smoker under the meat. It seemed like a fun idea. I am also making my own baked beans from scratch which is a first. Here's hoping they turn out okay.

Weather cooled a bit, humidity still high, but bought patio plants, mine all died in heat..so, re-planting and praying for fall weather. Deciding what to do for dinner, time to cook or salad time, market, straighten out house. another day in paradise...

No...maybe next time :-)

@LisaSTL wrote:

No galaktoboureko? That's my favorite

Today Hubby and I bought a new mattress set for a spare bedroom...then tied it to the roof of my vehicle and drove home slowly. It was interesting :-)

That was you?!

The morning job. Reviewing the large area of study that includes the "controversial" XO or AB or someone's website (which might be a public or shared IP) and other tests & measurements, haha. Trying to decide which of many new-to-me authors I should read next.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/05/2017 12:45PM by Shop-et-al.

Merchandising today, shops after, then going to bed early. Didn't sleep well due to husband's gastric reactions to beer and very garlicky wings at the restaurant on the lake, LOL.

Unless things change I'm doing very little shopping this week. Instead, I will be tied to my computer putting finishing touches on four projects for three different volunteer organizations that are all due this week. And I will be kicking myself for waiting to the last minute on all of them.

Today is C day. Construction day. Framers should arrive this afternoon to get the walls ready for dry wall and frame out a doorway that we are going to close up in order to get more cabinet space. What I'm most interested in is a new sub floor, as that will change our reality in a big way, when we can just leave the doggy door open and let the girls come and go as they please. After they leave we are going to haul stuff out of the garage while we still have a truck, as that is going on sale ASAP. I have errands still undone but will have to wait on them until an opportunity presents itself. Maybe tonight after dinner.

My uncle is in town and it's my mom's birthday. I will make Navajo tacos for her birthday dinner. Both my uncle and my mom will come over for dinner and America's Got Talent. My husband will be baking the cake while I perform a shop.

Navajo tacos. Yummmmmm

@sensei wrote:

My uncle is in town and it's my mom's birthday. I will make Navajo tacos for her birthday dinner. Both my uncle and my mom will come over for dinner and America's Got Talent. My husband will be baking the cake while I perform a shop.

I don't know what Navajo tacos are but I think I want to.

I'm not sure my version is the same as sensei's, but here goes.

Take a flour tortilla and put some seasoned ground beef (taco meat) in it, a spoonful of refried beans, some cheese, a spoonful of chopped diced green chilies, a spoonful of salsa, and some chopped onion if you like it. Fold it over taco style. lightly sautee it in a large skillet with a tablespoon of vegetable oil until golden brown. Flip over and do the other side. Serve with guac and salsa.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/05/2017 10:59PM by CoffeeQueen.