Author: Stephanie

Having sadly had two deaths since Christmas, one family one friend, i think i could be forgiven for feeling a bit below par as it was. Then throw into the equation a thyroid which feels like its on the verge of misbehaving at any moment, a lymph gland drainage system which is definitely on a go-slow and a suspicion that i may have an infection and i think you should be getting the picture. A picture which did not improve when i called the medical centre this morning and sadly got a receptionist who was having a bad day and it was only just after 8.30! She was unhelpful, unprofessional and unsympathetic to the point of being rude and actually made me feel very uncomfortable. It sadly reminded me of the very reason i defected 3km down the road almost seven years ago.

It is very  disappointing really as up to now since moving back to them i have been treated wonderfully. Needless to say it was not one of the people I usually speak to who answered the phone. She might as well have said “go somewhere else with your problems, she certainly wasn’t going to offer me an appointment with anyone or at any time.  Thankfully i had H, my psychologist at 9am who as usual gave me strategies to work with and was the voice of reason as she has been so many times over the last two and a half years. The only problem i have with this is an underlying worry that i can’t keep relying on her to bring me back when things get tough. As usual Denise has been her wonderfully supportive self with all of this and been by my side with an encouraging word or useful suggestion. I know how lucky i am to have all the beautiful people around me to care for me in all sorts of ways but sometimes it all seems to be ganging up on me. Thankfully tomorrow is another day so I’m hoping i feel bettter and more positive. I’m a big believer in the saying “a positive attitude doesn’t always work but a negative one never works” so here’s to a positive day!

Those who know me well will be well aware of my feelings about the whole CZ/UZ thing and my beliefs. These come from way back when i first started in the motor trade in 1982 or to be more accurate, at my very first selling skills training course which was around May of 1983. The guy who was taking the course was called Phil, he stood in front of us on the first morning, a room full of twenty somethings all eager to make their mark on the trade and told us what he considered to be the most important rule in selling anything. I remember it like it was yesterday, he told us that we each had two ears and one mouth and we should use them in that proportion. I did and it works, i still shake my head and smile to myself when someone tries to sell me something but doesn’t know when to shut up. I have listened to sales people miss the buying signals and talk themselves out of a deal so many times over the years and had to intervene to resurrect it. There are no secrets about selling anything, just basic rules and if followed it’s a very enjoyable job.

One of the other things he talked about was the comfort zone thing. It was all quite new to me at that time and I wasn’t alone, i think most of the people in the room had little idea what he was talking about. He was a very clever guy and to get our attention he told us in no uncertain terms that all the best sex was definitely in the “uncomfortable zone”. I think most of it went way over my head at the time but some of it must have sunk in or I wouldn’t remember it as well as i do and he was definitely correct! Turn the clock on 36 years and the vast majority of my UZ experiences come from my work or during building the house at Nannup and this weekend has been a perfect example. There have been a number of tasks which i wanted to do which have taken me so far into the UZ that I’m amazed to have got through them. Plumb in a vanity unit which to be honest didn’t fit the space but looks really good now it’s in there but I had to dig deep into my improvisation resources before i even got to the plumbing part of it but i got there eventually. Tile a couple of splashbacks, i mean, how hard can it be? Well it has absolutely needed all of my thinking-outside-the-box skills and some, cutting holes for power points, negotiating my way around a curved top vanity unit and round another power point to name just a few of the challenges but i got there in the end and although if you look really carefully one of them is not quite straight i think its a good effort. I now need to learn how to grout them to complete the job.

Despite the challenges, some of which have really tried my patience, learning new skills is always a bonus even if they push you a long way out of your comfort zone. Keeps the grey matter on the ball!

 

On Saturday night we held our first dinner party at our new house in Nannup and I can report that it was a very enjoyable experience. We entertained the neighbours from number 65 (next door – a 150m walk if you climb the fence, 500m if you visit via driveways).   Although there were lots of things which you take for granted will just be there in the drawer where you expect them to be (improvisation needed when not) we got through without too much difficulty. Eventually we will have a duplicate set of everything but for the moment we will have to make do bringing things from Shelduck.

We knew back in 2016 when we first got to know Paul and Emma that they would become good friends and it’s such a comfort knowing they are keeping an eye on our property when we aren’t there. Bella also seems to get on ok with their dog which is a bonus. It’s nice to finally be able to return the hospitality that they have shown us over the last two years.

On a completely different subject, I’ve never been one to make New Years resolutions but this year i have made one very big one and I’ve actually started already making the changes. My resolution is to rid myself of anything which brings me frustration and the Amarok is one of them. As my business has expanded over the last six months it just isn’t doing the job anymore and thus is the first thing to be replaced. Having a Ute is great for many things but even a dual cab doesn’t have enough room inside to securely house all of my necessary tools and in reality I only use the tray occasionally and have a very good trailer which will get some TLC and become a regular part of my day to day life. I’ve loved having the Amarok, it certainly drives the best of any Ute on the road but it simply doesn’t work for my business so it will be going as soon as I can find the time to detail it and get it on Carsales.com

Finding a car to do the job was much easier than I expected and for that matter cheaper too. I’ve spent some time looking at Ute based wagons recently for some very good friends who are looking to buy one later this year so I already had in mind a couple of strong contenders but in the end went with my first inclination and have bought a Mitsubishi Pajero Sport. I don’t have any need for seven seats or leather trim so the GLX fits the bill perfectly and our experience doing the transaction couldn’t have been easier.

My usual starting place when buying or selling a car is Carsales.com to find out what sort of deals and offers are out there and was not disappointed. It was the end of the month, the end of the year and every manufacturer is hell bent on selling every possible car they can to make their figures look as good as possible or in many cases to reduce the deficit from last year and Mitsubishi who are on a high at the moment didn’t disappoint. There was a demo car advertised at a very attractive price in Perth so I sent an online enquiry. I got the customary email response from the sales manager within five minutes saying that someone would be in touch shortly as was the case. A salesman called me and proceeded to tell me that the text attached to the advert was wrong and that this particular car didn’t qualify for any of the current offers so it wasn’t such a good deal after all. I thanked him for his time and said i would leave it. Some seven or eight days later the car was still for sale so I enquired again. The same happened so I decided to leave it until after new year to see what the offers are then but decided to call Busselton Mitsubishi just to see if they had one in stock as I hadn’t actually driven one. Both Denise and I have had previous dealings with Josh, one of the sales staff so I asked to speak to him. I knew it was going to be a bit complicated as the last time I dealt with him I was Robin but after a short explanation all was good and a time was arranged later that day.

When we arrived at the dealership I could see a car ready for testdriving and went into the showroom where Josh was waiting for us. I got a lovely hug from him which was a bonus and after a short exchange we headed for the car. Josh knows my history so didn’t waste too much time with the instructions and we were off. I immediately liked the feel of the car and the roominess inside it, the drive didn’t disappoint either. Denise had a drive too to make sure she could get comfortable and after a good long drive we arrived back at the dealership. Josh explained the various offers and gave us a drive away price. It was more than we wanted to pay but after a little negotiating we arrived at a price and the deal was done. All in all a very enjoyable experience.  I loved the way everything was transparent, he talked about the various offers, benefits and features in a way which was straight forward and understandable. He asked when we would like to take delivery and the following day was agreed. The car was ready on time, we did the necessary paperwork and after a short instruction on the controls were on our way. A huge thanks to Josh and David for a great experience, when David came out to thank us after approving the deal I mentioned that I’d made a few changes since we last met and his comments that I looked really good and that the changes suited me are all I need to hear!

After spending a very enjoyable Christmas in our new house we received some very sad news on Thursday. My closest blood relative in Australia had been involved in a road accident on the way back home from their daughter’s home in Esperance and very sadly died from his injuries. His wife, Margaret, who was traveling with him suffered several injuries but thankfully they are not life threatening.

Joe Burdass was a true gentleman – he and Margaret always made the effort to keep in touch with me and call in at the dealership whenever they were over from their home town of Albany.  Denise and I would also call in and see them if ever we were visiting Denmark, Albany or on one of our road trips.  We were honoured to be invited to Joe and Margaret’s diamond wedding anniversary celebration in June this year.  It was a lovely occasion and Joe went round each and every person with the microphone introducing each person and explaining their connection with him and Margaret – all without notes!   He was a great story-teller and always had some lovely memories to share about his and Margaret’s time in Australia since they emigrated in the sixties and before that on the farm in Yorkshire.

When I made the decision to transition we traveled down to Albany and met them at the usual place for lunch, after we had eaten the main course of lunch I told them that I had a story to tell them and they listened while I explained what i was doing and the reasons why. After a some contemplation Joe came out with a classic as usual, he said “it’s a bit drastic but we’ll get used to it”.  Margaret said “It will take some time to remember not to call you Robin” but they were both absolutely fine with my plans and we had many more catch-ups after that.  He will be greatly missed.

Sending love and condolences to Margaret, Jill, Keith, Joe and Lewis for the loss of their beloved husband, father, father-in-law and Grandfather.

Today’s job was to build a fox proof chook pen for some lovely people in Abbey. I wasn’t expected until ten am so had time to call in for some supplies at Bunnings and visit the carpet shop to order the carpets for Nannup.  When I arrived surveyed the site, I had a good idea of what the pen was going to look like and how I was going to construct it. I had taken with me several lengths of wood and plenty of brackets etc to do the job. There was also lots of oddments of timber plus the wire netting to do the job already there. I got to work setting out my tools and laying the timber in place when the owner came and asked me if he would be a help or a hindrance if he we to stay around as he had lots to do if I didn’t need his help. Now there are lots of times when an extra pair of hands would be an advantage but in general I work better on my own so I thanked him for the offer but said I would manage. I explained what I planned to do and he seemed happy.

About an hour later he came and asked me if I would like a cup of coffee, I said I would and off he went after asking how I took it. A few minutes later I heard them both talking over the fence about where I should drink my coffee and the answer was to join them in the shade of their patio. Now the man knows quite a lot of my story but his wife was keen to hear it so as usual I was happy to tell her. I gave her a brief outline of it, she was very interested and at the end commented on how open I am to tell my story which made me think for a while. I replied by saying how proud I am of what I have achieved with the help and support of the many people who care and look after my various needs which reminded me of a post on one of the various transgender forums I belong to. The question in the post was “when does transitioning end and do I always class myself as transgender?” I made me think of how I have progressed through the last almost three years since the bombshell was dropped about me being born intersex and how I thought of myself before that. In reality my brain always thought I was female, for many years I just felt I was different and didn’t really think I would ever do anything about it so as was expected of me I played the part of being male even though my head was at war with that situation from a very early age. Then came Denise, Ana my GP and the rest is history. As for answering the question or questions, for me the transitioning is done, my journey pretty much complete although there are still a few lose ends which need tidying up. I don’t really think of myself as transgender now, I just present as a female and live my life as a female so indeed I am female not transgender in my eyes.

The job didn’t quite get finished as I ran out of wire netting and need a bolt for the door so will finish it off tomorrow. This evening though we we meeting friends in town for a bite to eat then heading for the cinema to watch Bohemian Rhapsody. I’m not massively keen on going to the cinema but despite what the critics said about this movie everyone I have spoken to who has seen it raves about it so was happy to go. When we arrived at the cinema we joined a queue to get the tickets. The lady who served us seemed familiar but I didn’t know where from until I remembered walking from town to the cinema and passing a car in the cinema car park which I remembered selling back in 2014. It wasn’t anything particularly special but the number plate was one that I recognised, I put 2 and 2 together and matched the lady with the car. We headed upstairs but half way up I decided I should probably visit the bathroom before the movie started. I went back down stairs to the toilet which is near the entrance so had to walk past the tills where the lady stood talking to another woman behind the counter. As I walked up to them the other lady asked if she could help so I said I just wanted a word with the lady I recognised. She looked at me quizzically so I said to her “you know that feeling you get when you feel you have met someone before?” She asked where she would know me from, I told her that I had sold her the car which obviously confused her even more so I explained who I was then and who I am now, the look on her face was a picture and she replied, you’ve certainly changed, you look amazing and that is all I ever need to hear! The film certainly lived up to expectations, I’m not sure what the critics were talking about but we both thoroughly enjoyed it.

It being me!

This week has had it’s ups and downs. Wednesday was a particularly tough day in many ways, partly due to the way I push myself to the limits and partly because of some test results which were not as I’d hoped and brought back lots of very unpleasant memories.

Late in 2008 as we had been in Australia for two of the four years on my 457 visa we applied for permanent residency. My job was going well, we had made lots of friends and in general life was as good as it was ever going to be while I was not the person my heart knew I should have been. Unfortunately as part of the medical needed for the visa I had to have a chest X-ray, nothing difficult about that until the guy doing takes it too high and it revealed a mass of something in my throat. The doctor handling the medical was seemingly convinced that it was serious and needed surgery to remove what he surmised was a cancerous thyroid. He sent me to a surgeon who was rude, flippant and down right unpleasant, he too told me that my thyroid needed removing straight away before it spread. My then wife was having none of it and told me when we got back into the car that he was not touching me and she would find someone else. To her credit she did exactly that, a lady in Perth who specialised in thyroid surgery but was adamant that it was a last resort and that lots of surgeons remove thyroids unnecessarily as there are lots of other ways to deal with the issue. She asked us to go the the hospital where she operated from and have some tests, I enquired what the tests were and she mentioned a CT scan and possibly a biopsy. She wanted me there at 7.30 am and allocated a room on site so we didn’t have to travel up very early in the morning. I was concerned about what lay ahead for me but nothing could have possibly prepared me for that day. The CT scan was bad enough, for some reason I had to be at a very strange angle, almost upside down while they filled me full of contrast die, I thought it would never end but it got worse, a lot worse! I was informed I would need a biopsy, I am petrified of needles at the best of times but as my wife kept telling me it was necessary if we wanted to stay in Australia. I was taken into a small room where there were several people and lots of machinery. I took off my shirt and a guy who was seemingly in charge explained that the needle would be guided by ultrasound to the correct place for the biopsies to be taken. I questioned the biopsies word to which he replied that he would need to do several to make sure he got samples of every part of my thyroid. I panicked and burst into tears, I knew it wasn’t going to be fun. He then spent the next three hours taking thirty six biopsies from every possible angle. It was the worst day of my life to date without any exception. Three hours being told don’t swallow for the next five minutes and keep very still. Tears rolled down my face most of the time, the nurse at the side of me held my hand, I bet she wished she hadn’t as I squeezed it very hard at times.

The reason for telling this story is that on Wednesday it looked like it was all starting again, my thyroid is misbehaving despite having radioactive iodine treatment in 2012 and a biopsy was recommended. I thought of nothing else all day, it didn’t matter that I worked flat out all day to do a considerable job which I had quoted for in less time than I had allowed. Having these thoughts filling my head was probably not ideal while wielding a chainsaw! Consequently I didn’t sleep at all on Wednesday night, I even resorted to Tamazepam to try and get off but it didn’t help so I took another. When Denise got up for her walk I did manage a couple of hours but felt absolutely crap when I got up. This is where the caring people come in for which I am so thankful. First off I had an appointment with the crystal guy, immediately made a fool of myself and burst into tears, he was amazing, truly amazing. We talked for a while about what was going on in my life and how stress creates problems with the thyroid, he then got me to lie down while he proceeded to clear some blockages in the area of my throat and slowly draw them out of my body. It was unbelievable, he held a crystal above my throat for a while then I could have sworn he must have been touching my abdomen as it was a really strange feeling but his other hand was nowhere near me, something was moving for sure. He then went further down my body in order to get what ever it was out of my feet and I immediately felt a release. He then taped a piece of amazonite to me and said he wanted to see me in a week. Weird but remarkable, he was so kind to me, we talked about the stresses going on in my life and gave me some suggestions to help deal with them.

Next port of call was a massage appointment at our next but one neighbour. She could immediately see that I was not myself and rather than get straight on with the massage we had a cup of coffee and talked for a while. She held my hand as I told her the story of the surgeon lady in 2008/9 and we talked at length about a particular stress which has been ongoing for almost two years. When she did start the massage it was wonderful, she dealt with the knots in my shoulder which have been troubling me for some time and really got the blood flowing. A very pleasurable treatment indeed!

In the afternoon I had an appointment with my osteopath in Bunbury. It doesn’t matter how bad I feel when I see her I always leave feeling much better. Like the crystal guy you need to have some belief in the methods she uses but with me it just works, not only do I feel better physically but somehow she always helps with the emotional side as well. I left her clinic with a clarity which I didn’t have when I went it (and a very heartfelt hug as usual) and some instructions on how to help myself improve the thyroid function on a day to day basis. This lady has made such a difference to me on so many occasions and was indeed pivotal in setting the ball rolling all those years ago which got me to where I am now.

To complete my day when I arrived back from Bunbury Denise was at home waiting for me. We talked for a long time about my day and how lucky I am to have all these wonderful people caring for me. Having such a beautiful person as Denise to tell about the day was the perfect ending, needless to say I slept much better last night, my head was clearer, my body less aching and ready for a big day today preparing for a busy weekend at Nannup.

In August this year I wrote a post about my ticking off by both my GP and H, my psychologist for coming off Tamazepam without first consultating the GP. During the following appointment with H she talked to me about the differences I would experience once the drug in Tamazepam had completely gone from my system. One of them concerned dreaming and how I was likely to experience much deeper dreams and much more frequent ones and she has been proved right. I now dream almost every night, mostly pleasant dreams but somehow things went very astray last night.

We went to bed at around 10.30 as usual and I very soon fell asleep. We are both waking early in the mornings as it’s light at around 5am but this morning I didn’t stir much when Denise went for her walk, I must have gone back to sleep pretty quickly and somehow resumed the dream I was in, or more to the point the nightmare. I woke up in a hospital bed with tubes and wires connected to me, it was all very strange but my ex wife was sat at the bedside, she was overjoyed to see me awake but for me it was a nightmare I had woken up to. I asked where Denise was? She was confused and asked who Denise was and kept calling me Robin. I could hardly lift my head but I asked to look in a mirror, I was still Robin, I couldn’t believe it, I hardly recognised myself. All I saw was a very much older version of the photo I keep in my handbag which I look at when things aren’t going as well as planned so I can see how far I’ve come in the last two years. How could it all have been a dream? My ex wife told me I’d been in a coma for several years after an accident and although I was ok physically she said the doctors were unsure if I would remember anything. I told her that was the problem, I remembered it all including all the ups and downs of my transition to Stephanie. She asked me who Stephanie was and that was when I woke up, trust me the first thing I did was to jump out of bed and look at myself in the mirror to make sure it had all been a dream and my blissfully happy life as Stephanie was the reality. Thankfully it was all as I expected and I breathed a huge sigh of relief. What a nightmare!

 

Yesterday as I touched upon in my last post, a very good friend (Gary) brought his tractor equipped with a back hoe to Nannup to dig a 600 mm deep trench from the shed to the house in order to get the power across. The distance was probably not much more than twenty meters but it would have been a long and tough job to dig it by hand as the top had a very hard crust on it. Unfortunately we had a bit of a mishap with a rainwater pipe which we didn’t know was there but thankfully it was easily fixed. It was a long day as there were several other jobs which needed doing while he was there including burying some concrete which the man who did the slab left in I heap next to the wood pile. All in all it was a very satisfying day which allowed the electrician to come today to connect the power.

As my Amarok is heavier and more powerful than Gary’s Ute I offered to pick  him up and tow the car trailer with the tractor on behind my car. The journey there and back gave us plenty of time to put the world to rights and talk about a number of things which are dear to us as we have very similar views on a lot of subjects. Not long after we set off home Gary came up with a very apt comment, he said to me “you really have got the best of both worlds haven’t you, when you want to you can dress up in lovely clothes, have your hair and makeup done and do girly things but you can also spend time playing with (and for want of a better word) boys toys and do all the things you used to enjoy before transitioning” he was right on the money, I certainly do have the best of both worlds in so many ways and I class myself as a bit of a hybrid because I still have most of my strength, my “think outside the box” mentality and the ability/opportunity to do lots of things that most ladies don’t. Indeed my psychologist thinks I have an unhealthy relationship with my chainsaw but for me it’s just natural. If you look up the definition of the word hybrid in a dictionary it says taking the best of two or more technologies and combining them, it’s exactly how I feel and for me it’s perfect. It makes me realise just what a lucky girl I am!

Over the last few months a number of things have combined to make a considerable improvement in my wellbeing. Two new GPs, a naturopath who I must confess I didn’t really take on my first visit but has risen incredibly in my estimations since then, the physio and his crystals and the start of a relationship with one of the local realestate companies which is working very well have all combined to make a big difference to my positivity. My psychologist has also had a good effect as in the last couple of visits we have used a slightly different method in making sure we talk about things pertinent on that day instead of getting sidetracked as often happens. Each element has made a contribution and while they might all have given a small percentage, combined they have made a big difference. It started with the first of the GPs who suggested I see the naturopath, then second GP who I went to because she has a small amount of experience with transgender patients. She has certainly looked at things in a different way to my original GP including sending me for a perineal ultrasound. This did a fantastic job of putting my mind at rest over a number of issues. Then someone else suggested I see the crystal guru and although you need a massive leap of faith I’m sure he has made an improvement in the pain I was in. The icing on the cake has been the relationship with the realestate people, I am now getting regular jobs from them which has certainly improved my self esteem and confidence. All of this has massively improved my PMA. While I have always been very much a half full girl this has boosted my mental attitude immensely. When I was in the car trade I was always the one who would find a reason to do a deal rather than a reason not to do (believe it or not I’ve worked with several people over the 32 years in the trade who would search high and low for a reason not to do a deal rather than a reason to do it which I always found bizarre!) and that attitude has helped a great deal in working through the problems I have faced over the last 18 months. The benefit of a positive mental attitude cannot be underestimated, at the moment I’m spending most of my time on the hypothetical cloud nine, very thankful for being where I am but most of all, and this is massive, thankful to all the people who have got me to this stage. My angels if you like! Most of all I am incredibly thankful to Denise, without her none of this would have been possible as I would still be Robin on the outside but with Stephanie stuck inside trying to break free of my male status. A very lucky girl indeed!

 

 

As the festive season is approaching fast we are under pressure to make the house at Nannup habitable so we can at least spend some time there over the holiday. With that in mind we have made good progress this week. On Thursday the tiler came and screeded the floors in all the wet areas and showed me how to do the waterproofing once the screeding had dried. Our task for the weekend was to complete the said waterproofing and prime the rest of the walls which are to be tiled in order for him to return this week to make a start with the tiling itself. The job of doing the waterproofing is not difficult but quite hard on the back and knees. All the edges which join the screeding with the walls which are lined with villaboard need to have a special mesh applied then three coats of the waterproofing paint which is very thick and not the easiest thing to apply. Special care needs to be taken around the drains and in the corners but I’m happy that the job has been done well and that it won’t leak.

Next weekend a very good friend is going to bring his tractor which has a back hoe on it and dig the trench for the electricity cable so we can be connected up and have light, heat and cooling once the aircon units have been fitted. As a matter of urgency I need to get on with the skirtings and door frames so we can choose carpets and other floor coverings and get on with the kitchen benches. Almost all the kitchen units are built and most are fitted onto the wall but as yet we have no bench tops organised so there is much to do!

I have now owned property in Nannup for over ten years. The first property was a three acre block further along the Valley development which my partner and I bought with a view to building something on but somehow it never progressed and we decided to sell it and buy something with some sort of house on it so we could at least use it as a weekender if we wanted so we bought a property on Walter street with a very old and dilapidated timber house on it which in reality was too far gone for my skills in renovations but it gave me many happy hours tending to it and making it the best possible for its condition. While we still owned the first property we met an English couple who had built just up the road from the block we owned. I think the English thing meant we had a connection and we met them several times. Their property is now fully planted up and you can see the massive amount of work which has gone into it, it looks a picture and we comment on it every time we go to our block. I have thought ever since I transitioned that I should simply drive up to the house and reacquaint myself with them but in all honesty I didn’t really have the courage to do that so every time I drive past I look to see if either of them is working in the garden and lo-and-behold, today it happened. I had already driven past so turned the car around and parked just outside the gate. As I walked up the drive I felt quite nervous, partly because in all honesty I couldn’t remember either of their names. I was soon confronted by the man who asked if he could help me. I had rehearsed what I was going to say but in the moment forgot most of it. After some searching questions I revealed who I used to be and he said he thought he recognised me but hadn’t quite got there. We were then joined by his wife, I pretty much came right out with it to her so as not to repeat myself. They were both pleased to see me and asked if I had time for a drink. I had Bella in the car so initially I declined but it was soon agreed that I would drive the car round the back and leave it in the shade with the windows down so she didn’t get too hot. We sat on the veranda and I told my story, it was a lovely reunion which I hadn’t expected today but just another example of how supportive people are of me. I’m sure it won’t be as long before we meet again and I know they will get on well with Denise. Lovely people and a lovely end to the weekend!

 

Over the last couple of weeks I have through both my work and the house build come into contact with lots of new people. For some the whole concept of a female Handy person takes a little getting to grips with but through explaining even a small part of my story all of them have had similar reactions. The first reaction is usually a “oh wow, what a story” and the more I tell them the more “oh wows” I get. Many seem surprised how open I am and how willing I am the reveal my transgender status for some reason, I am very proud of what I’ve done, what I’ve achieved and who I am and it’s as simple as that.  I also love telling my story to new people, I love to watch their reactions especially when I get to the difficult part of it when I learn that I was born intersex and modified at birth, a small matter that my parents opted not to share with me at any point. There are often tears and I am regularly asked if I’m happy now, I think the answer to that is pretty obvious but I always reiterate it with a huge smile on my face.

Much of my work at the moment is coming from one of the realestate offices in town. It started a bit by accident when I was asked to do some repairs for a very good friend of mine who has his house managed by them. I wasn’t overly impressed at the start as getting hold of one of the tenants seemed like very hard work indeed but as I have now got to know the system a little better and the the girls who run it very professionally the work is coming in thick and fast so long may it continue.

The house at Nannup is coming on as well, there’s lots still to do but at least things are happening. It’s nice to see the kitchen taking shape and the bathrooms and wet areas will hopefully be tiled within the next few weeks. We would love to spend even part of Christmas there as it will be magical so it’s all hands on deck to get it to a position where we can spend time there. I have gone to a great deal of hard work getting the block to a standard where if the worst happens and there is a bush fire then hopefully the fire will go either side of the block and the house will remain unaffected, well that’s the plan anyway. Continue reading “Concepts, explanations and reactions”