Saturday was the second day at the Hudson Valley Trans Forum, and I planned to make it for the one topic I was interested in: Medical Options for Binary/Non-Binary Transition and Health Maintenance, presented by Robbins Gottlock, MD of Phelps Hospital Northwell Health This is the kind of information that I would need for medical transition, and I figured that I'd attend and develop the kinds of questions I'd need to ask when the time comes.
As usual, I needed the alarm clock to get me up and moving in time to attend the above session - and I arrived just before the day's keynote address was given. (I may discuss Trans activism in another entry. But right now, I'm more concerned about what I can do to make my body more feminine.) The morning breakout session was the event I came for - and the speaker delivered. Most of his presentation covered the effect of female hormones on Male to Female transgenders. But he also covered information for the Female to Male transgenders for the smaller population of that category in the audience. I've filed his name away, as I may want to consult with him in the future. (This assumes that I am not in a relationship that requires me to retain male physical characteristics. If I am with someone like GFJ, I will not go any further with physical transition, as I do not suffer severe dysphoria.)
Once this session broke up, it was lunch time. I was seated with three people, and was in the middle of an interesting conversation when they started their lunch presentation to announce a new service being provided to Trans folk of color in the Hudson Valley. As one would expect from ineffective people, they focused more on the name of the collective and none of the specifics of what the collective would do for the people they are supposed to serve. This reminded me of a group of women that Pat once associated with. They spent much of their time discussing what to call the group, and then did absolutely nothing together ever again. Sadly, they have identified a group of vulnerable people who need help. But they have made the common leftist mistake of going "Ready, Fire, Aim" when going into battle....
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Later on in the evening, I was the Arts Westchester representative doing a review of this theater and the 3 short plays being performed this weekend. I wasn't sure of what to expect, nor was I absolutely sure of where the theater was. Unlike many towns, Ossining's Water Street is not immediately adjacent to the river. This could mean any of two things: (1) The road once ran down to the river, or (2) the land West of Water Street is made from landfill. Either way, once I was on Water Street, the GPS led me to the wrong location. Luckily, I realized that GPS systems don't always provide correct directions, and that I'd have to drive along Water Street to find the theater.
The Westchester Collaborative Theater is a small 50 seat operation sited near the Ossining train station. To find it, one can not rely on a GPS. Instead, one has to drive along Water street towards the train station and look for standing signs pointing to a theater building at the end of a short alley. Luckily, I saw those signs and parked my car about 100 feet away from the alleyway. Then I went in and was warmly greeted by the staff. What I wasn't expecting was a small theater packed to capacity with good actors performing 3 very well written plays. If I had known about this place before, I might have gone to see some of their performances without Arts Westchester's free ticket. Hopefully, I'll get the chance to review another one of their performances. Until then, I'll be sure to monitor my email for notices from this place, as I'd pay to see things this good in a small setting.
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Sunday was a rainy day. So I made it a Jammie Day. Not much to say about it, save that I woke up early enough to go to church and did not do so. Instead, the comfort of my bed was much more enticing to me. Recently, I've noted the most important reason for me to go back to work. No, it's not money (though I could use it). Instead, it's having a routine that forces me to get up in the morning to do something constructive. And I know that all of the volunteer work I could do won't cut it for me. It's that extra incentive of receiving a paycheck that will help me get up in the mornings, and keep me from having excuses to have more Jammie Days than I really need to have....
