Reading choices, and travel
And no, nothing to do with towns in Berkshire, Pennsylvania, or whatever lol!
My reading preferences are pretty much twofold, travel literature and science fiction. Well, I might see the Racing Post at work sometimes, and sometimes pick up a newspaper oin the train, but you get my drift. Oh, and travel guides to where I’m going, just maybe. So if anyone has any spare travel books to Boston… 😉
Basically my travel lierature tends to fit into 2 groupings, that with a sense of dry humour (Bryson, Thubron, Hawks) or books about long distance train journeys in various, generally remote parts of the world (too many to mention), quite often Siberia! I have travelled across America by train from Seattle to Atlantic City, though the last chunk from Philadelphia was 6 years after the rest of it! Dream journeys still to do incude the Trans Siberian (fairly obvious I guess?), and Winnipeg to Churchill in Canada (maybe less so?), and would be trans Alaska as well, if there was one! Yes, I like northern climes, and have done the Bergen – Kirkenes – Bergen journey by boat as winter was setting in, quite something. I could joke about a dream journey where Trans Pennine Express run on time, but maybe thats just a shade harsh?
Science fiction tastes are more Metropolis than Dune, robots definitely interest me shall we say? Have read some Asimov, but not as much as I probably should have. Also read a lot of transformation type stuff, not just robots, but they are probably my big kick. Also love all the outer space and alien stuff to be honest. A lot of what I read is actually internet stuff, though I do have a book collection of sorts, mainly the travel stuff. And yes, I’ve written some sf type shorts on the net too.
Travel, yes 3 weeks from now, if you’re lucky, you’ll be getting the odd blog from Boston, looking forward to the trip, I must admit. Plans for next year are very much TBA at present, will probably think about that on my return.
Whats that, where’s the video? Well this posting doesnt really fit into that! Oh, alright, including footage of one place I’d love to visit if it wasnt for travel time, and cost.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEZG7FoBHk0
So if Alaska Airlines are feeling really generous…
The Winner Takes It All
Some here might suspect that I might be an Abba fan, and they’d be right!
The funny thing is, in a sense, this fits in with my job in the betting industry quite nicely. The winner does take it all, and I suspect more often than not, its my employers! I dont mind, they pay my wages after all, and as I dont gamble (other than the Grand National), bookies are never going to make a fortune out of me. But enough of the tenuous link to the song title, and the video.
I suspect we all have good days, and bad days, especially at work, and for me today, it was one of the latter. And as someone who gets annoyed and frustrated with people and places when things gang up on them when its not my fault, well I havent been a ‘good girl’ today lol!
Normally Monday’s are one of the quieter days (as such, at least!), and we are staffed up accordingly. All fine and dandy, but then they forget to change staffing levels when the Monday is a Bank Holiday! Yes, it was manic today, we had nowhere near enough staff in, and though I’m sure they wouldnt own up to it, management messed up yet again. I didnt stop all day, neither did many others, but because of everything, the abandonment call rate was frighteningly high. They talk of us providing best customer service, and then hamstring us by not providing enough staff to even get close to that!
On top of this, one guy who I have to deal with (non management), who has all the tact, charm and diplomacy of Attila the Hun annoyed me again today, and I snapped. Not in a major way, not enough to have got through his thick shell any way, dont think that would be possible. I know others have complained about him, I havent formally, thats not my style, I just snarl lol! But no one seems to want to say anything, so…good old management lol! Probably uses all his Irish charm on them, he certainly doesnt use it on anyone else!
OK, rant over.
So yes, its been one of those sort of days for me, luckily I’m off tomorrow. Only good news, something went wrong, Trans Pennine Express ran an efficient service, but suspect that wont last!
Right, video time, and yes, I always wanted to be Agnetha when I was a child, and now I know why. Hope you enjoy, probably wont be the last Abba video I ever post!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92cwKCU8Z5c&feature=relmfu
Perfect 10
PS Any sizes mentioned here are UK ones, people in other countries may need to translate lol!
And no, I’m not, generally I’m a 14, though in some places, and especially with clingy stuff, I tend to be a 16. Dont think I could be a 10 if I starved myself, even with all the changes to my figure, but thats not the point. Oh, and one last comment about shop sizing, what on earth is a 12-14, it either fits someone who is a size 14, or it doesnt! Me, I tend to get a 16-18 in things like that, because one things for certain, that other size really wont fit on a ‘big’ 14, thats for sure.
To be honest, I’m quite happy to be a 14, though alright, verging towards 12, not 16 would be the nicer way to go. Actually the beauty of this song is the fact that Paul Heaton actually makes the point that he prefers bigger girls, and so generally do I. To be blunt, size 8 looks tiny to me, and as for anything less than that…yuck! So yes, this blog is about size issues, but I suspect you’d guessed that already!
You might also gather that I’m not a fan of ‘matchstick’ models, it sets all the wrong image to young girls, and look at all the problems with anorexia thats given us! Even more so if you think that some of those models are probably airbrushed to look slimmer in pictures anyway.
So if anyone wants to send me any clothes (budget stuff is brilliant), then you know my size! Bra size (38B, or C, depending on if I’m using inserts or not), and a shoe size 8, though high heels are definitely out! And no, I’m not expecting any offers lol!
The other perfect 10 I want to slip into this, is cricket related, a bowler taking all 10 wickets in an innings. And no, beyond ancient black and white film of Jim Laker, I’ve never seen it done. I think I’ve seen a 9 for, on 3 occasions, once on TV, and I think twice while scoring club cricket, though I might well be wrong on the latter, its about 30 years ago or so I was doing that!
OK, its video time, you’ve worked out the song, and worked out the group, so not much more to say. This isnt the original video, though I’m sure you can find that through the You Tube link if you prefer. Sadly this version doesnt have Jacqui Abbott either, its a more recent live version than that, though Alison Wheeler does a good job herself. The setting is quite nice too. So settle back and enjoy…
Go west!
Double blogging tonight, I can blame You Tube for that, but found a couple of good songs for things. Mind, unless you’ve found my other blog, or vice versa, then you wont know both!
Yorkshire, where I am now, only ranks as the county I’ve lived in for the 3rd longest period in my life, even more so if you count the Somerset/Dorset border area as one, as my stay down there was spent on both sides of the border, though never more than 3 miles from the other, and indeed worked in Somerset all that time. Kent is the longest btw, and now will be for a few more years yet, given I lived there about 21 years, and still only approaching 10 in Yorkshire even now.
Somerset was my first taste of independence from home, I knew I needed to get away from home for several reasons, one of which I’ve now got round to living of course. Though back then I was still trying to be a man, even if I was making a very lousy job of it, again I now know why!
But Somerset (and Dorset) did me good, I got that freedom that I needed, and life was fun. Life down there is definitely lived at a relaxed pace, even if the fallacy that everyone drinks cider is totally false lol! I made a few good friends down there, but had no contact with any of them once I left in ’99, and do regret not knowing what happened to a few of them.
Dont get me wrong, I’m Yorkshire through and through, and glad that after all these years, that I’m living up here once again, and in all likelihood, unlikely to move on. I guess I might move to Ireland when I retire, even though I have no relatives or anything over there I know, theres something in my heart, my Irishness if you like that calls to me, even if it is more than a few generations back. Dont ask me why, but there is?
But I’m glad I lived in and around Yeovil for 16 years, I had a great time down there, I must admit.
Sorry, you might be hoping for Pet Shop Boys, or even the Village People, but you’re getting neither of them. Instead you’re getting a group whose very heart is Somerset, even if one of their legendary line up was born nearer Edinburgh than Taunton. And yes, I love them even now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcaiUVbT1I4&feature=related
Hope you can enjoy lol!
One Big Day
Rather apt title after the last one, dont you think?
No prizes for working out what this very brief posting is about, its the cricket match against the ‘old enemy’ tomorrow, a ripe comment coming from me, born in Yorkshire, but anyway, my heart is still very Irish!
The Irish are guaranteed one win tomorrow, the toss lol! Some might need to think about that one, but…Hopefully they will also get a very much bigger win of course, but suspect that wont be so easy.
Sorry Eoin, I hope you’re the only Irishman not celebrating a win tomorrow night, nothing personal, but…well alright, maybe it is lol? Good luck guys, make us all even more proud of you than we are already.
Me, sorry, Sky Sports will have to suffice due to work, and a trip abroad next month, but I’ll be there in spirit
One Small Day
Yes, you will get the video of this fantastic Ultravox song at the end, but this blog is more about the lyrics, I must admit, especially the words of the chorus.
How many times has it turned against you
How many times will they walk away
One day where I didn’t die a thousand times
Where I could satisfy this life of mine
One day where every hour could be a joy to me
And live a life the way it’s meant to be
One day where I wouldn’t feel my senses die
Where nothing made me hang my head and cry
One day where I could see myself as others do
Where I could feel the strength of love at hand
One day where I didn’t die a thousand times
Where I could satisfy this life of mine
One day where every hour could by a joy to me
And live a life the way it’s meant to be
(Copyright Ultravox, of course.)
Just think how relevant some of those words are to a Transgendered person, to have days when life would be a joy, because you would be living it in the correctly gendered body. And unfortunately, the nature of being transgendered does mean that some people will turn against you, just for that reason. And yes, there have been times in the past when I have felt like crying over it, and indeed have even done so, but hopefully I’m beyond that now. Life isnt perfect, without the right physical body, its never likely to be so! But at the same time, maturity, and hypnosis have certainly calmed the worst of woes. I doubt anyone will be surprised to hear I’ve suffered with depression before in my life, but again that seems to have been salved by hypnosis, the best thing I ever did.
One small day, I might be able to live life as its always meant to have been, but for now I’m doing my own thing, and thats far better than the strange life I lived for so many years without knowing what was really wrong.
Sorry if this has been a bit whiny, but had a few issues the last few days (work, travel and things mainly), so just using this as a vent.
Alright, the video link,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yo6n75DxQS4&ob=av2e
For those who like to know these sort of things, the stones are Callanish, on the Isle of Lewis, and Billy Currie, the keyboard player is from Huddersfield, where I live.
The Irish cricket season…
Is just about to get slightly lively!
Yes, the big match against England is now only a few days away, and a desk at work with Sky Sports TV has already been ‘grabbed’ for Thursday lol! Will miss the start of the match commuting to the start of my shift, but will get to see most of it, albeit without the benefit of sound.
The Irish squad was named a few days ago, no surprises there, but didnt really expect anything else to be honest. The development squad (or A team?) was also picked for a game against a Sussex side, and an Under 19 squad named too. The ladies team have been playing in Holland this week, mixed results, just have to mention that they have an amazing 13 year old in the squad, and she’s there on merit! Had a decent week too, it should be noted with the ball. England ladies, keep your eyes off her, though maybe they arent like their male counterparts lol!
The England squad was named today, they seem to be taking a chance by resting a lot of big names, and assuming they can still beat us. Hopefully they will be proved very wrong! Funny, you’d think they’d want their revenge after the World Cup, but ah well… we need the ranking points anyway, lol!
Then September brings 2 Associate Cup (4 day matches) to Ireland, the one against Namibia cancelled at the start of my blogging career will be played in Belfast, then Canada in Dublin, plus 2 one day games as well. That should keep them busy lol!
Yes, I will be wearing green to work next Thursday, cant possibly think why, lol!
Oh, and last but not least, a totally different sport, and showing support to one side of my Irish ancestry at least, Kerry play Mayo in the All Ireland senior gaelic football semi finals tomorrow. Good luck to them, hopefully they would win with, or without it anyway. The other side of my family, Offaly. Need to go back a fair few generations, but it seems those of us with an Irish background (especially Americans) dont seem to worry about things like that!
May the rest of your weekend be a sweet one, as they say.
…talking Italian
So alright, lets have a lighter entry into the weekend, and still got 2 working days ahead of me to look forward to, lol!
Actually, I dont speak Italian, cant even remember learning any for my holiday in Italy many years ago. Some would say thats why I go the US and Canada nowadays, no languages to learn!
I have learnt a few languages in my life on a serious basis, a few more for holidays, which unsurprisingly I cant now remember any of. Apart from the obvious one, English, and dare I say it, American English, the languages I’ve dabbled in more seriously are French (school), Gaelic (my Irish ancestry for you) and, wait for it, Estonian! In case anyone wonders, or cares, I loved Tallinn so much that I thought about going out there to work for a while, and studied accordingly. As with so many things in my life, it never happened in the end, but anyway…just be warned, its not the easiest language to learn lol!
Nowadays I might scrape a few words of basic French together, but that would really be it for foreign languages. I can still scrape a few words of Gaelic, but without a translator like Google, it would be risky trying it in public! Estonian, sadly all forgotten now, but at least I tried.
Alright, so fans of 80’s pop may have worked out the video tonight already. Its not a ‘classic’ song, but a good piece of three (and a half) minute pop, it does work, so…
.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDXtM8XaSKw
Just wishing my readers a good weekend, whatever you’re doing, and just think of me working hard. Best wishes, speak to you again soon.
Changes in sports
A while back I did a piece about how cricket has changed over the years since I was a child, and tonight, while typing this, another sport is on TV thats trying to change its style, just a matter of whether this is a good, or a bad thing? Yes, the Brits at least will know I’m talking about snooker.
According to Wikipedia, snooker came to TV in 1969, in the form of Pot Black on the BBC. This was the first days of colour TV, and of course snooker was something that only really worked in colour, so suddenly it came to people’s attention. Whether I watched it at the start, I cant remember, but somewhere in the early days it was switched on at home, even if I was then watching it only in black and white! These were all 1 frame matches, in a 30 minute programme, once a week. Though again according to Wiki, they were all recorded in one go, not one match a week, as an innocent child assumed.
Snooker is one of those sports I’ve sort of followed over the years, the high point probably being that Davis v Taylor world chapionship final in the mid 80’s. What a difference, that was live, and the last frame lasted nearly an hour! Since then the fortunes of snooker has risen and fallen, and is possibly now on the rise again? Possibly due to the bout of gimmicks bought into the game, possibly not?
So, Premier League snooker, is it good or bad? My view, not sure. The fact that people can go to one night of snooker, see 3 matches, and get a ‘winner’ to the night is possibly a good thing, though as the winner thing still only counts towards a league, thats a matter of judgement. Ironically I like the idea of the shot clock, it speeds up the game, and some players (principally Ebdon) take far too long over basic shots, let alone tricky ones. Snag is, there are times you see awful shots played, because of said clock.
Generally I think whats happened in cricket has been good, even if I’m still not a 100% fan of the 20 over stuff, but coloured clothing I do like. Snooker I’m more old fashioned over, I havent really being grabbed by all the trendification here, but that might be my age?
I wonder if in time other sports will need to change, soccer tends to be popular in many countries, though you wonder in the future, as attention spans shrink, if people will really stay excited about the umpteenth 0-0 draw of the season? Rugby league has seen this change, I remember when a team scoring points totals in the teens would not only win, but often win easily. Nowadays more than 50 points in a game is the norm, not the exception! Darts is another sport where however much you admire the skills of the players, variety of targets (most of a leg at least) is pretty limited.
What other sports could try something new? Athletes running the ‘wrong way’ round the track might prove interesting I guess? A one day golf tournament maybe?
Just food for thought really. Any views?
Non surgical enhancements for t-girls of all types
Lets face it, for those of us that want a more feminine curve to our figures, there is plenty we can do to help with these matters. Make up is an obvious start point, though far too many t’s dont seem to think subtle will do, and plaster it on, only trouble is, that makes them stand out a mile, especially if wobbling in a mini skirt and high heels, as some like to do. Subtle might be too subtle for some to notice, but at least it keeps the idiots off your back. Me, I’m just lazy on that front lol!
Keeping yourself clean shaven is obviously a good starting point too, though some crossdressers and transvestites seem to think that stubble is part of the look, but cant see why! But transexuals seem to want to be very clean shaven, I probably want to do the impossible on that front lol! My top lip annoys me, the hairs are more or less gone, but the shadow created by years of growth takes a bit more shifting. But anyway…
Yes, I do use breast enhancers at home, but settle for the natural look when out. It does mean owning 2 sets of bras, but I can happily live with that. I’d love to be able to (without fuss) be a busty lady all of the time, but there are too many idiots about for that, for safety sake. And being honest, I pretty well fill a B cup bra nowadays, so all in all I should go ‘natural’ at all times now, but just love the feel, and weight of them too much for that.
I do own a corset, and could use it more to change the hips/waist ratio, especially as I am somewhere inbetween, but just find it uncomfortable for long term wear at work, and even more so for fighting on to commuter trains lol! And besides, like the enhancers, I couldnt easily wear either through security at airports anyway! Besides which, I wouldnt want to wear a corset on a Transatlantic flight anyway!
So whats the purpose of this you’re probably asking? The purpose is the one thing that isnt a simple thing to change, well not at a sensible price anyway. The one object I’d love to ‘have’ without surgery, is the right genitals. In other words, some form of enhancement that envelops the penis, so you look like you have a vagina, with just the end lips showing (labia) so that you could even go to toilet just like a woman does. Any inventors/designers out there with any bright ideas? I know there are pants you can get, but they are at inflated prices (because only t’s want to buy them), and short of buying multiple pairs, you cant wear them every day, whereas breast enhancers, with a little cleaning…
So if any reader, or friend of a reader out there is saying, “I can do that.”, then let me know, and we can discuss matters.
stevielounicks 
Recent Comments