The DonnaBlog

I can’t imagine days being nicer than they  have been around here this week.  Highs have been in the upper 70’s and nightime lows in the low 50’s (GREAT sleeping weather).  Skies have been clear and bright – it has been absolute heaven.

I ran along the Canal in Pittsford last night and it was like a scene out of a Norman Rockwell painting.  There were kids feeding ducks, and fluffy little baby ducklings scrambing for the attention of their mom.   There were people on bikes, in canoes eating ice cream, walking together – sometimes holding hands, sitting on benches along the path, playing musical instruments or reading.  There were large pleasure boats moored near the restaurant, and an old-time Packet Boat filling up with people for the next tour.  I need to take photos of some of this stuff – it’s a world unto itself (see for yourself).

Speaking of photos – I can’t wait to get my camera gear here.  I’ve been itching to use it.   Starting now through the beginning of December is prime photolicious time around here: fall colors, beautiful sunsets, autumn scenes.  I need to be sure to save time for myself to slow things down – I’ve already got several significant obligations over these next few months.  But I’m actively taking steps to lighten my load and reclaim a little of my life.  It’s that balance thing again.

On the politcal front people are anxious to hear who Barack Obama has chosen as his running mate.  There are all kinds of predictions – we should know who it is by this time tomorrow.  Speaking of this time tomorrow – I’ll be back in Denver for the Stonewall Dem convention.  It’s been going on since yesterday but I’ll only be able to catch the tail end.  Then I’m off on my next adventure on Sunday.

ABC News ran a story today about Isis as one of the contestants on America’s Next Top Model (read it here).    The most “interesting” part of the article might be the comment section.  There are 54 of them as I write this.

The Transgender American Veterans Association (TAVA) released a survey today.  Rather than review the findings here you can read it for yourself.  It’s certainly not a surprise to most of us, but this is the first time we’ve had the hard data to back it up.  Autumn Sandeen provides an overview over on PHB (read it here).  HRC posted an article on their blog today, as well: Where is the Compassion for Transgender Veterans? It’s incredibly sad to realize that people who risked their lives for their country get treated this way in return.  Congratulations to TAVA for all their hard work and dedication to putting this together. 

Keith Olbermann talked about the Diane Schroer case on his show Wednesday – it’s well worth a watch:

 

Someone once asked me if being transgender has had an impact on my “patriotism” for this country.  Absolutely, it has.  That’s probably a good topic for a longer discussion, but I’d be lying if I admitted otherwise.  The question, though, isn’t necessarily how any of us is feeling about the inequities and shortcomings of the country in which we live so much as what we plan to do about it.  I suppose the easiest response would be to simply accept it as “just the way it is”.  However, I’m not a “Love it or leave it” type of person – there are other options as well.  I hope more of us have a much more passionate reaction to it and feel compelled to action; to do something to change it.  That’s happening, a little bit at a time.

Speaking of change – read this: Transgender Journalist Caught in Wikipedia Edit War.   Yesterday’s snippet about gender being more than any one thing is appropriate here.  Oy.  Anyways, reading through the comments I learned a new word: Wikipetard.  I don’t know exactly what it means yet, but I’ve learned that anything ending in the suffix “tard” generally can’t be good.

Transgender model Isis is all over the news.  Diane Schroer has her day in court.  TAVA survey is released.  Even Oprah is on the transgender train this week.  Her her show is a rerun of “Transgender Families“ - it originally aired last October.

Being back here has been good for me.  I’m enjoying my job.  The weather has beeen wonderful.  I’m relieved to have found a place to live.  I enjoyed some downtime this week: real Buffalo Wings at the Distillery (thanks, Angie!), an evening out with my sister’s family to celebrate the fact that my neice got a “B” in summer school math, playing with my still physically impaired neice Kyrie, running along the canal, photography near Honeoye Falls. 

My mom arrives next week for her annual birthday pilgrimage.  It’s the one time of the year when the entire family can get together so I’m already looking forward to seeing her when I get back here with the pups.  These are times we tend to not appreciate enough when they happen.  I very much appreciate them, and in fact am planning on wearing a dress she gave me to the Stonewall Dem dinner tomorrow.

People sometimes write to ask me how I deal with all the ignorance and keep a positive attitude.  It’s simple.  I try to keep things in perspective.  At the end of the day the idiots will still be idiots, but as hard as they might try they have no impact on my day to day life.  At some point each of us just needs to be able to let all that go, and I do.  As long as my mom, my brother and sister and their families, my son, and my pups are good – that’s what really matters.  I have great friends, life is full and exciting, I don’t have trouble falling asleep at night, and I actually like who I am.  In the grander scheme of things, I can’t imagine wanting or needing more.