I have almost completed the second draft of the first part of a three part story, and I already have the draft of part two finished and three outlined. The only major question now is what to call it? Its your typical Reluctant Cheerleader type story, and suggestions are welcome, with more information provided if requested. Also, for the one person who may still be waiting, Echoes 5 is still on hold until I have a computer again. On a related note, anyone wanna give away a laptop with wireless?

Melanie

Someone tried to bring this column to my attention several days ago, but I only just found it myself. It's Dan Savage's eloquent eulogy of his mother.

Many stories here have dealt with the family dynamics of "coming out" as transgendered. A frequent theme that appears is "oh, we thought you were gay," or hateful homophobic epithets while the beating occurs.

It saddens me a little that I've had more people interested since I've cancelled the Outsidey Awards than when I was awaiting nominations.

Apparently not going to happen.

So. The naysayers that wanted the project killed are going to be happy, at least. I received a total of 7 nominees. I wanted at least 1 nominee per category -- I didn't think it was too much to ask.

Ah well. Was probably a dumb idea anyway.

I have gained permission to use names by those who are mentioned in my posting.

I want to thank those who posted comments to my 'blog'. As stated, the events are true because my husband, Grover, and I have and are still coming to terms with what is going on between us.

I am sitting here feeling very confused and disillusioned. I am no longer sure that any of this transgender stuff is anything but a delusional fantasy. The thing that makes it really bitter is that I believed it all. I'd had these drives for 57 of my 61 years and my siblings say it was evident even before that. I'd been led to believe that the solution for the problem was the surgery that I had.

Author's forward:

{It has taken me ten long years to get to the point where I could talk about this without crying. I hope you will all forgive me for taking time and space here, to remember the best man I ever knew.}

I just checked and was able to access the site. Thank you Piper for the repairs.

on BBC Radio 4, 'Out of season' by Anne-Marie O'Connor, deals with four people visiting a cafe in Blackpool and the thoughts they have about what is going on in their lives. One of whom is a M2F transsexual, meeting her father for the first time.

The whole thing was quite well done.

If you go to Yahoo! you will see that they have an article on him.

A nearly empty nightclub, a tall, skinny man with no expression at all stands in a pool of light....

From Yahoo News:

A transgender man who kept his female reproductive organs despite his transformation is now five months pregnant and will appear on Oprah Winfrey's television show, the talk show said on Tuesday.

"I'm a person and I have the right to have my own biological child," Thomas Beatie, of Bend, Oregon, said in excerpts from the show, which airs on Thursday.

Someone recently created an account here for the sole purpose of posting a blog to complain that a BC author with a similar name got a higher Google rating than he. After thinking about it and deciding it wasn't really an April Fowl Joke, I unpubbed the blog and blocked the account. Essentially a whiny troll who didn't even know how to provide a usable link to his site, he got me to thinking:

I'm Sorry about the long wait and apparent death of my story. For the longest time I could not see where I wanted to go with it and I finally found my muse again.
I sould have chapter 3 up by next week (hopefully)

Remember I am still sort of new at writing for others to read so I am looking for any way to improve.

A warm Thank you to everyone who has commented or voted for my stories.

I was looking around for a icon or picture I could use in creating a title page in more than one book

Since my last blog entry I've been immersed in the world of English porcelain patterns (or at least the eBay window on it), and have started placing bids. There's a bit of a divide between what I'd love, and what I can afford; I've been very taken with Edwardian Crown Derby Imari, but at around  £25 a setting it'll have to wait, so I've plumped for a slightly later, more common deco-ish imari that's easier to find, and match.

For clarity's sake, no, I haven't gotten "lazy" lately. I've been having issues with life. The last time I shared something personal here, I said I'd not do it again because of the reaction I received -- which very nearly made me leave and not come back.

I am unsure of the best way to spread the word, so I chose to blog it.

I was just the recipient of two viruses that were very costly to get rid of. SpyBot@MXt and NetWorm-Ivirus@fp took over about 75% of the function of my machine. That, in spite of my having Norton 360 and updated regularly.

Having it both ways? The following turned up on MSN website about a pregnant man. It isn't really.

http://news.uk.msn.com/what-we-learned-this-week.aspx?cp-doc...

I have noticed that I became a member here a year and a week ago, which for some is probably 53 weeks too long. I have frequented this site for a few years but previously as a reader, particularly attracted by Wanda's 'Kelly Girl', which I still consider one of the best stories here. In those days I was just an occasional reader.

Last night, after I got through reading the latest "Bike" chapter, I went to bed early. But for some reason, sleep was hard to come by.

I was sleepy, but as soon as I lay down, I began to have chills and I felt like I had just run a marathon. I finally went to sleep after a bit, but I still feel weak.

Oh well, this happens every now and then, but I wish that it did not.

I just wanted to congratulate and salute the sterling performances put in by the British cycling team last night, winning three golds.

Well, It's been a while since I posted an update... I've done some updates on a person 2 person basis, or to small groups in the GabyZone chat-room, but it's time to get everyon caught up...

Kim left Deborah Heart and lung center, 2 or 3 weeks ago now.... I'm not sure exact dates because my schedule is all turned around...

If you've not heard of them, the Spiral Scouts are an inclusive organization.

An answer to those that Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts won't let in.

Once again the Mythbusters answer the big questions!

Mythbusters: Elephants are Afraid of Mice

I was very rude and cruel to you last night on skype. I didn't mean to be, but I've been very emotional the past few days. Still, I shouldn't have taken it out on you, and I apologize. I haven't seen you online since then, and I hope it's not because of me. You've always been there for me, and you're a friend, and I love you.

Please forgive me?

Cathy

One of the consequences of restoring the database is I may have lost any new user signups for Mar 24, 2008 to Mar 26, 2008. If you signed up for a new account during that time period and your password no longer works, you'll probably just have to sign-up all over again. I'm sorry.

- Erin

Database got corrupted during power flux at ISP. Spent almost 3 hours repairing it. Going to bed. Some data (node counters, history, logs) rolled back to previous week. Sorry about that.

- Erin

A spammer whose IP address showed up as being located in Beijing has been permanently banned from the site and his user logon blocked.

- Erin

Well everyone, I'm just posting this to say that Chrissie is finally finished. The chapters that are posted here, have been edited, and gone over with a mine sweeper. So they are just a tad different.

The book will be ready for sale in about 2 months, or shorter, because I am editing it right now.

Renewal and love are in the air in spring.

Call or visit someone you haven't seen or heard from in a long time.

Forgive an old injury.

Remember the sweetness of life, for all its frustration and pain.

Joy to you and all of yours on Easter Morning.

Hugs,
Joyce

The AT&T Repairman came by today and fixed the lose connection. Now I am no longer in danger of losing connection. I had DSL at times, but since the phone and DSL came through the same line.

My current work, 'MY NAME IS UGLY' forces what I consider a stereotype, transition, in the opening half. I am most sorry. I should have the new chapter done by Sunday.

Poly

Hot news for Good Friday in UK is of a nurse who nearly died from anaphylactic shock caused by a new pair of panties. For more details see: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article945007.ece

Could be scary. How many other people could be affected?

Gabi

I hope I'm not being tiresome in reposting interesting tidbits I find elsewhere on the 'net every once in awhile.

This story is about an FTM man, legally married to a woman, who opted to carry their child when she couldn't.

For me, the most interesting part is the behavior of the medical staff where they live, putting their own petty attitudes above the health and welfare of their patient.

Andrea James is a young transwoman whose career I have followed for a few years. My first impression of her was that she was another man struggling to make a new life, and at first it seemed somehow flawed. My heart went out to her; and my wishes for her to succeed.

A few weeks ago, I saw a clip with her in it. Her voice was flawless, and she was pretty; no trace of "Frank" there.

I find that I am very lucky in that the Church that I attend truly accepts everybody for who and what they are. I hope that all of us here at Big Closet Top Shelf can find a Church Home where they are accepted.

Sad news, another great gone. Feels like a little bit of the future has gone with him.

The town where I live was expanded from a small market town during the nineteen sixties, spreading out into the surrounding countryside. As the newly developed areas were built on greenfield sites finding street names has been something of a problem - one area has streets named for composers, another for islands and another for Roman emperors!

My installments will be late this week, and probably next week as well. I knew that having guests over for Easter would be throwing my schedule off, but I hadn't taken a serious look around the house to see how much cleaning I needed to do before I'd be comfortable with company.

So if you don't see me around here in the next week or so, nothing serious has happened.

A friend of mine told me this little snippet:

Pick up a mirror, lie on your back and look at the reflection of your face; this is what you looked like ten years ago.

Sit up and look at your face in the mirror; this is obviously what you look like now.

Put the mirror on your bed/ floor and look down at your reflection; this is what you will look like in ten years time.

I keep stating that I can't believe this is still running, and now after 236 episodes, I feel a need to check that you as readers want me to continue churning out this stuff.

Angharad.

PS thanks for the support you've shown throughout this story.

Yeah well I'm like that. I get these random thoughts and they wander all over the shop and end up a million miles from the starting point so you sit and go… huh, how'd I get here.

I recently went through a bout of depression that knocked me about just a bit. Well, I did look in every now and then but I didn't comment and I didn't add anything anywhere. Just couldn't see…

I bought a fence for my doggelle and put it up today. Now I'm in pain, hope to be feeling better after taking pain meds but need to flake out for a few hours at least.

The doggette had a good time in the yard though, she caught a three inch long grasshopper. :) It was almost worth kranging my back to watch her. She didn't know whether to attack or run and hide. :)

... by some strange quirk of fate, I was born.

In my cruising about the internet, I have noticed a few things that may or may not signal a trend.

I'm disappointed in the resignation of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer.