Hi. I'm here, I guess?

Good Saturday to everyone,

There are so many things to unpack since I last wrote in this space.

I'm not going to dive "in depth" regarding the elephant in the space. To quote my youngest kid, we'll make it through this.

On November 5th, I had the preliminary visit for a planned surgery on my deviated septum. It was supposed to happen on 11/13/24. This is a surgery I was supposed to have done in May but I had a bad result from an EKG leading to a visit to a cardiologist and a stress test. The cardiologist took five months to get the results back to my doctors so I could be released for surgery. The results finally arrive, my GP clears me, the ENT contacts me to get an updated chest xray and bloodwork and schedules me. So, 11/5 I go to the ENT who is now concerned that my EKG is outdated since it was read back in May... The ENT is the first medical practitioner I had visited in any form of female presentation. I had gone for my bloodwork before heading to work, in a blouse and jeans. For the xray, I wore a tank dress. It was also the day I'd gotten my flu and COVID shots through my employer's sponsored shot clinic.

I had never visited my GP while presenting as Heather. In fact I still have my acrylic nails from that were done on October 25! But, Doctor ENT needed the EKG asap! Her office is about 20 minutes from my GP and both are about 70 miles, each way from my home. I'm trying to figure out how to mentally deal with this turn of events. Doctor GP isn't exactly openminded, I have heard her comment on some social issues in the past and believed it may be better to remain in the closet with her. There was no hiding my red hair, the bright red acrylic nails on my fingers or lovely v cut blouse I was wearing.

So, I get there... The nurse sees me and my wife. Looks at me and... asks why I look as I do. I hadn't thought of a story. On the spot, I say that it's a continuation of Halloween? The GP and her staff are all immigrants from Asia. I don't know how long they've been here in the US. The nurse seems more openminded and wasn't really listening when I said that he never sees me in everyday mode but today it was exactly that. I wait my standard forever until he calls me into the exam room.  I disrobe, removing everything but my jeans and red wig. He takes my EKG and it is okay, takes a second run to be sure. Okay again. I get off the exam table and he says he needs to take my vitals: Blood Pressure, Pulse ox... Remember, this is about 3:00 pm on 11/5/24! My blood pressure is ridiculous. (Gee, I wonder what happened on that day?)  190 over 120. OMG. WTF. Have I had any symptoms? No. Any headaches? No. No signs at all. The Doc comes in and asks the same questions. We agree to monitor my vitals at home. If, within a couple of days things change then I can proceed with surgery. I get myself put back together; the Doc wants to see how I look. She said I looked natural. Well, thank god for small wins? Doctor ENT had never seen me with my red wig. Usually, I just wore my pink ball cap and a blouse with jeans, leggings or a skort. She said that she really loved the color of my hair. It really worked for me. I take that as a huge win!

I have a follow-up scheduled for this coming Thursday with Doctor GP. I really don't want to un-do my nails but don't know if I want to come to terms with her knowing the full story.

Here I am, again waiting to be able to breathe freely for the first time.

My Mom would be happy that I'm trying to take care of myself but I think she'd be upset that it's taking so long to get everything settled. She was a tough person who pushed through adversity and pain so I try to do the same.

I'll do my best to remain vocal in this space. If I go to Doctor GP presenting as Heather, I'll let you know how it goes.  

Heather

November 2024. Hope for the future? Or is it a fever dream?

Hi!

Disclaimer, if you don't want to read strong political opinion... click away now! It's a deep departure from my regular blog posts. Screenshots, quotes, weblinks... this blog post has it all!

For the first time in many elections, I didn't "vote in person." The leaders of my county took the advice of the majority of my neighbors by pursuing only "secure" paper ballots this year. I dropped my completed ballot into the secure box at the polling place and I'm glad that I did. Looking at the polling place, I didn't see any privacy screens, just a big empty room with a Disney park series of switchbacks leading and a long table with chairs. My wife and I went Wednesday after work. I was still in my blouse and jeans from work. When we dropped our ballots into the secure box, the woman wished us a blessed day. Um... thanks?

For the first time since I moved to this weird town, I have seen more political signs for the Democratic candidate than for the convicted felon who also has a judgement against him for rape. I see more signs for the Democrat running for US Senate than her anti-choice GOP challenger. Heck, there's even a Nevada Assembly candidate who is a Democrat! It'll be a cold day in He11 when we see Democrats running for Nye County or local races, though. Quoting Blazing Saddles here, 

• "Jim: [consoling Bart, who is upset that his attempts to be cordial with the citizens of Rock Ridge led to him being racially insulted] What did you expect? "Welcome, sonny"? "Make yourself at home"? "Marry my daughter"? You've got to remember that these are just simple farmers. These are people of the land. The common clay of the new West. You know... morons."

 

Blazing Saddles (1974) - Quotes - IMDb  

No offense meant to the minority of intelligent folks here. But...my town has made the list!

"Why does 24/7 Wall St. say Pahrump is the worst city in Nevada?

The factors included how many residents experience poverty, lack of access to affordable housing and rates of substance abuse disorders and crime. 24/7 Wall St., which authored the article, pulled data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

https://www.rgj.com/story/news/data/2024/11/01/what-makes-this-city-the-worst-place-to-live-in-nevada-find-out-here/75987434007/  

Crime here, nah! Only the best people live here!  

https://pvtimes.com/news/four-suspects-face-drug-gun-child-abuse-charges-137170/ 

https://pvtimes.com/news/pahrump-man-suspected-of-attempted-murder-located-in-mtn-falls-137138/

But... I'll bet that most of these folks are stereotypes. Two of the surnames in the drug story are influential "families" in this town. Whether they are related to THE families, I don't know. And I'll bet I dollars to doughnuts that the families don't support candidate Kamala Harris.

I've actually lived in TWO of the listed "worst places!"

My town's local TV station is owned by a trump fanatic.  Here's the Facebook page of the station.

https://www.facebook.com/KPVM25 

This is what was posted four days ago. 

I'd be very concerned if I were associated with this PAC giving money to ensure political support. I wouldn't cash that gigantic fake check or the normal sized one that she probably will get in the mail. My wife received an unsolicited check for $47 from that PAC earlier this week. I hope that the Federal Election Commission does a thorough investigation into this issue and I also hope that the current administration looks into the immigrant behind the financial campaign's potential immigration problems and foreign operative status.

The station owner has the comments off for most of the political videos they post on their Youtube channel.  You know that they cannot handle criticism or others calling them out for misinformation. 

KPVM 25 TV - YouTube 

It's hard to be a blue dot in a red town. It's hard to exist publicly when you know that your neighbors openly mock everyone who is different or thinks independently.  

People ask why I stay here. I have been here for 12 years. My cost of living relatively low. My taxes are low. It's just that the culture here is SO screwed up. Foolishness breeds foolishness. Forty-thousand people living here and it's not even an incorporated place. There's no town government, just a Republican led County Commission. The citizens dissolved the town board before I moved here.

Because.... I don't know why.

Okay, you've lived through my incessant rant about life in Pahrump, NV. 

Yes, there are some good things about being here. We don't have much traffic. Smog isn't an issue. Cost of living is relatively low. Gas is cheaper than Vegas. We have a dark sky at night and the stars can be magnificent, well they were until all my neighbors all decided to put spotlights around their houses ruining my dark sky. We occasionally see wild horses and burros in town. The weather is mostly tolerable and it rarely snows. 

Have a good weekend. I hope our nation does the right thing and we have our first woman of color elected to our nation's highest office.

Thanks for sticking around.

Heather.

https://kamalaharris.com/