RIP Peter Christopherson

New Bike

Have just ordered my new bike. After 20 years of using nothing but mountain bikes, I've gone back to a road bike. A Specialized Secteur Sport 2011.

Now, when I did the 50 mile run a few months back I was very pleased with my 4 hrs 45 min time. But I want to do a few more 50 mile runs next year, including the pedal for Scotland run again. I would like to get my time below 4 hrs and using a mountain bike is not going to help. Hence the road bike.

So, as soon as this damn cold starts to shift, it's back to the gym. Maybe I'll even look seriously at my diet this time.

But fear not. Just in case you think I've gone all MAMIL (Middle Aged Men in Lycra), straight after buying the bike Mrs J and I went out to the shops and bought dresses and tops.

Was a fun day.

Remembrance Day Parade

Woke up to find our first snow of the year this morning (if you don't count last winter that ended round about May). The family are still loaded with this horrid cold but at least last night we all slept better. I put an oil burner in each of the bedrooms with some tea-tree and eucalyptus and I think this helped a bit. We've run out of lavender.


Despite being Sunday we were up early though as our son had a remembrance day parade to go to. It was cold, wet with snow still on the ground, as all the local groups met at the local cemetery and then paraded down to the village.

Now I've never been that involved in this kind of thing but with the simple setting and atmosphere it helped to create something quite touching. The weather seemed to go with the lone piper playing a lament.

When I saw my son helping to lay one of the wreaths it was hard to keep a tear away. Thankfully, having the cold meant it just looked as if I was blowing my nose.

I grew up in Glasgow. Anything like this was always bigger and very organised. This wasn't any less well organised and I'd say there were about 100 people there. But somehow it felt quite intimate and for the first time, rather than just going through the motions, it brought it home to me a little of what it means.

The Kids Party

This cold is doing a fine job at making sure I can't sleep. But enough of that...

I've done something I promised myself I'd never, ever do as a DJ. I DJ'd a kids party!

This does somewhat spoil the image of super cool, alternative music DJ. But since no one thinks of me as a super cool, alternative music DJ I don't think much harm has been done.

Mrs J volunteered me for a fund raising night at our sons school. I've got to admit to being nervous. This was quite a step outside of my comfort zone.

Once it got going though I ended up quite enjoying myself. I just DJ'd - no suddenly turning into a children's entertainer. The kids seemed to enjoy themselves and they just had request after request. They didn't stop dancing, even when some of them were starting to fall asleep next to the dance floor.

In the end it was a good night.

Will I volunteer to do it again? No! No! No! Will Mrs J volunteer me to do it again? Without a doubt!

Not the man flu

The joys. I have a cold today and so I'm off. Being off though is more to do with my son, who has a cold a lot worse than me. He was up most of the night because of said cold. So he's off and I'm really tired.

I know when I've got a cold as, on top of everything else, I get really hungry. Now, I'm not going to go mad but I think there may be a day of comfort food ahead. Plus lemon and ginger tea. Love that when I have a cold.

As long as no one accuses me of having man flu I'll be quite happy.

Growing up

There was another little milestone last Saturday that I forgot to mention... boobs.

For a good few months now I have been wearing vests with hidden support. Comfy and I've got to say quite cosy as well. However, on Saturday I thought I'd have another go with a bra.

Now I've never really liked padding bras. I just felt it never suited me. So I have avoided wearing bras. But as I was getting dressed to go out I thought I'd try one of the bras I've had for a few months, for a bit of a change. To my surprise (not to mention Mrs J's delight) I seemed to fit it at last. Nothing bulging and buxom but it was me filling that bra.

So out I proudly went and apart from the odd moment when I saw my reflection, or when an old friend whose trans and becoming fascinated by my burgeoning bosom mentioned them, I promptly forgot all about them.

At the end of the night I think I was as happy forgetting about them (because they'd just become part of me) as I was for having them.

DJing as a woman

I was out Dj'ing last night and what a good night it was. A really good turn out for the club in general and, armed with a new laptop, a relatively stress free gig from the technical side for me.

Outside of the day job I have a few jobs and businesses and over the last few months I been trying to present as a woman in these. The DJ'ing and regular club work being a major area for this.

Now it's still not quite there yet, as there are so many people who have known me for years and I might only see them once or twice a year. So, they are finding out that I am transitioning at quite a slow rate.

But last night felt like a break through. Just about every one referred to me with the correct pronouns. My favourite was when I was at the bar and was asked if I was the DJ. I said yes and that I would be starting at about 10. The women turned to her partner and said, 'See, I told you it was the DJ. She normally wears her hair up'.

It was then that I realised that there were people that I don't really know but who think of me as female. I think I might have reached a wee milestone.

Manchester

We've been away for a few days in Manchester. Now it might not seem the first choice for a break in November but it was handy for family and child minding.

During the weekend we'd renewed our vows in front of family and a few close friends. This was really nice and we did it in a wee church, close to where Mrs J grew up in the Lancashire countryside. It was a great day and a great mix of guests.

After this we headed for Manchester for a few days by ourselves.

Now we've been to Manchester a few times but it's always been for something specific. If truth be told, mostly Club Lash or years ago we even had a stall at a fetish market. However, I've never actually been to the Village. So on this time we decided it was time to do the tourist thing and visit Canal Street.

We got into Manchester at about lunch time, Monday and once we got settled into our hotel we decided to find Canal Street. Now I didn't expect to find a party, after all it was a rainy, November day in Manchester. However, I've got to admit, when we got there it looked a bit on the wrong side of a let down.

Dirty pavements and stinking drains and all more than a bit drab. As I said though Monday, raining and November. None of this helps.

Back at our hotel and never ones to be put off by first impressions, I looked up a few places to visit. We wanted a meal and somewhere good for a relaxed drink.

Now, I know neither of the choices we went for are exactly ground breaking but as newbies to the area we were more than happy.

First of we went to Taurus for something to eat. It was great. Very friendly, good food and very reasonably priced. After Taurus we went for a short walk and stopped for a drink in Churchill's, which was, as they say, a bit of a punt. Now maybe we picked the wrong time but it was everything I don't want from a bar. Not exactly friendly and awaiting a different atmosphere, which would probably come later at night as the alcohol flowed.

We drank up quickly and headed back up the road to Velvet, another venue that I'd read good reports about.

I've got to say I wasn't disappointed. We went to the bar and it is lovely inside. Music at a nice level for talking, really comfy and again very friendly staff. we spent a bit of time in Velvet and then headed back to our own hotel for a final drink and bed.

We liked it so much that on our second night we just went to velvet and had a meal as well as staying for a drink. Well, it was especially wet and horrid outside that night!

Now, I'll admit to being nervous beforehand about the trip to Manchester. It was outside my comfort zone and certainly the first time I'd travelled and been any serious distance away from home, whilst presenting female. As I stepped out from the hotel door, into a very busy street, for a few seconds, it was as if it was one of the first times I'd ever worn women's clothes in public.

It was as if anonymity, rather than allowing me the ability to blend into the background had somehow made me stick out like a sore thumb.

However, 5 seconds of standing, waiting for the green man, made me realise that people were far more interested in getting home or going out for the evening. After that I was back to normal. I was more nervous of going into a restaurant I'd never been to after that.

Now I go through life thinking that everyone thinks I am a man but are just too polite to say anything. However, on this trip, the amount of times I got greeted with the word 'ladies' got me to thinking that I'm doing something right. Even on our last morning, when I was tired and had only pulled a pair of jeans and t-shirt on we still got greeted with 'ladies'.

At the end of this trip I am much more comfortable with myself. It was outside of my usual comfort zone. I dressed the way I normally do during the day and I was still, for the most part, greeted as a woman.

I am not the typical, svelte, slim person who I'd normally associate with that kind of reception but for some reason, whatever it is I'm doing seems to be working.

Most of all we had a great weekend. Renewing our vows was a special thing and a fantastic day. The trip to Manchester was a really nice break too, and we are planning a return trip next year.