...there are rallies, and meetings, and open mic events, and trans* folk in trouble.
then...
my boy plays music for me in the middle of the night, typically it's guitar, but tonight it's trumpet.
and, kinky butches and genderqueer femmes invite me to hang out with them in Vancouver and Seattle.
and, there are potlucks, speeches, media to disrupt and poilitcal debates to be had, olymipcs to protest/debate/destabilize.
and, incredible trans* and gender-variant communities to fight with and for to make the space we should have had a long-fucking-time-ago.

there are an ever mounting number of house tasks to deal with, be it painting, cleaning, learning how to drywall and plaster or the so called 'fireplace expedition' (whereby we must remove the one piece of drywall covering the furnace and behold the treasures inside, replace what we find with insulation and find a suitable way to cover it up again).

but, more important than any house task
...there are beautiful queers, trans* folks, genderqueers, fags, dykes, andro folks, pups, bears, elves, unicorns, kinky folks, ninjas, femmes, butches, chosen brothers/chosen family and simply fabulous folks who fill my life.

and, there are jobs to apply for, beurocracy to deal with, and bills to... avoid.
and, then there are things like... a funeral. on November 13th a beautiful, young, ally. avid knitter, photographer, scuba diver. well known for her love and for always being willing to listen or offer support.
Robyn. I love you.

in one week. one. for serious. shit.

November 20th is Trans Day of Remembrance. this year we remembered and celebrated the lives of over 120 trans* and gender-variant people, partners, allies and activists who were lost in the past year because of transphobic, queerphobic, sexist violence and discrimination.

spent part of this afternoon at a beautiful beach, last night and yesterday afternoon too. We collected a bunch of cool looking rocks for a friend, were chased up the beach by the tide and searched for ocean life.
hermit crabs and snails and sea sponges.

I appreciate that such simple things can bring such joy.
and that I have such an amazing chosen family with whom to spend my life.


I'm dating the most lovely boy. and, him and my husband are becoming great friends. we're taking things slow, it's awkward and lovely, and making me giddy.
we're going to have kid dates and reclaim our childhoods.


and, next week I'll be starting a job at a restaurant that employs several of my lovely friends and pays better than the cafe. I'm excited to work with rad queers.

which will allow me to move forward within the next few months to figure out how/when I can get chest surgery.

life is grand.
but, there is much work to be done, so I shall be off.

On November 20th the Transgender day of Remembrance was marked with a vigil in Victoria’s Centennial Square. The Transgender Day of Remembrance was created to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. The event is held in November to honor Rita Hester, whose murder on November 28th, 1998 was marked by a candlelight vigil and a pledge of action.

For more information on the Transgender day of Rememberance, visit http://www.transgenderdor.org. For more information on TransAction check out TransActionVictoria-Announce@gmail.

I haven't decided whether or not to post my entire speech.
And, on a really dorky note.... It's cool to actually hear my voice.

We have lost many this year, 30 people who have lost their lives to transphobic or genderphobic violence. This does not count those lost to suicide or addiction, HIV/AIDS or those who's deaths were not reported.

Please take a moment today to remember those who have fallen and challenge yourself and others to make the world a safer place for all of us.

so... earlier this week i pulled a muscle in my back. which lead to lots of pain and a general inability to lift the heavy things at work.
i did this getting out of my not-very-good bed. not a cool story.

this evening i broke my foot. i get a permanent cast on monday... well, some number of weeks permanent. you know, after the swelling goes down a bit.
i did this leaving a TransAction meeting at my friends, on an uneven bottom stair in the dark. not a cool story.


fuck. ow.

I think this may in fact be the most beautiful place I've ever been. and I'm so glad to share it with my husband, pups, bears, nomadic lesbians, rad queers, tonnes of trans folk and my awesome co-workers over play dates, wrestling, slumber parties, matching childhood teddy bears, too much coffee, radical activism and so much more.


i should be off, as there's work to do, food to cook and friends to have adventures with.

earlier today i pulled together a last minute 80's rock outfit for work because fridays are theme days and now i'm hanging out at home, drinking [close to] local beer, making a last minute raccoon costume for an animal themed party that i was invited to last night over beer after a meeting to plan trans awareness events in Victoria.

[reasoning for raccoon costume: i own lots of black and grey and found black eyeliner, socks can easily be made into ears and a tail]


point of my story: things are shaping up and it's pretty great here. west coasters also have a seeming love of theme days and theme parties.

- i'm so glad to now have fuzzy slippers, i think they will improve my quality of life
- bitch magazine going under would be a serious loss to pop culture
- toothpaste should not seem like an exorbitant purchase, neither should laundry soap. but now i have both!
- i miss my friends, there are a few in particular that i think about a tonne
- i'm sorry for sucking, really really sorry
- full time work will be a very good thing for me.
- i wish i could go to Van with a certain boy in a couple weeks, but i know we'll have another chance soon
- my heart hurts alot right now.


...i had more when i started. but my brain seems to have gone to sleep or something. sorry for making so little sense.

ice cream and cheesy movies with my husband are in order.

i'm getting sick and feeling kind of miserable.
It might be best to nap and read until I have to go to work... but that doesn't help get the work done that I need to deal with.


I just want lots of hugs and to be with my favourite girl, especially while she needs support.

sometimes I worry about the fact that we don't sleep
most of the time I don't and I just go with it.


wheeeeee.