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/

I'm back, again.

 Hello friends,

I know I've been away for too long.

COVID seems to have killed the entirety of 2020. But...I have been prepping for this past week. I didn't want to post another series of promises which I fail to fulfill. This woman had a plan. This woman was going to get things done. This woman was going to succeed and I didn't want to over-promise only to under-deliver!

Among the things which have occurred in the past few weeks, I think I've revealed myself to my ex-wife.

My daughters know and support my choice and the ex was aware of things when we were married but after the split, I NEVER mentioned my trans ness again to her. Ever. Yeah, she saw the photos of my Halloween outfits but I never said anything more.  

Over the summer I was telling the Kids (they're adults but will always be my kids) that I needed to come up with a theme for Halloween. I had stated that a woman at work offered to play along if we would do a James Bond theme with me as the femme fatale.  Another option was the "I always wanted to be a bride" outfit. Youngest kid suggested a 50's theme with a poodle inspired skirt but since I volunteer with a group that offers spay/neuter services for cats and also TNR (Trap Neuter Return) services for feral or stray cats, a kitty skirt. We looked at ideas online, she found a Disney "Aristocats" inspired skirt and we all knew that the plan was in place.  

I let my Mom know what we'd settled on. (I know... never end a sentence on a preposition...) My Mom suggested a white top with a sweater.  We figured out the skirt's fabric color, pink. I have a bra that gives me the perfect "bullet" shape for my breasts. My wife found a pair of white leather Keds and lace ankle socks.  For the last few weeks, I'd drive to the city to offer help in making the skirt.  Youngest Kid had a yellow skirt that we'd use as a rough plan for mine. The two Kids are proficient seamstresses and have created many garments for themselves.  The yellow skirt was made to have a petticoat under.  When one spins while wearing that skirt, it looks amazing. So "foofy!"

For the second to last visit, I brought one of my favorite skirts. Youngest Kid realizes that my skirt "HAS POCKETS!" and uses it to create a pattern to add pockets to my future skirt.

It was on this visit that we did some shopping, picking up a white tee shirt and the cutest pink purse shaped like a Bustier.  After we returned from our shopping trip, ex was there with her beau. I was in semi girl mode, bra, large breast forms, white button up blouse over a floral top. Youngest loved the white blouse so I left it with her. I was in and out of my skirt, the yellow skirt, the blouse, the tee shirt and so on.  I also asked to have an appointment made to get my nails done.  When I left, I was in full girl mode, wearing my skirt and floral top.

Wednesday, 10/28, I returned to the city so we could finish the skirt and do some other prep work.  We got our nails done, Oldest chose black, Youngest took a metallic glitter red and I took a pastel pink to match my skirt. My nails have never looked so good! Usually I do my own nails and after doing home chores, the color is nicked and chipped. These gel colors are amazing, four days in and they still look fantastic!  We all ( Oldest, Youngest, Ex and I) worked on the skirt being the eleventh hour, literally. I think I left that house around midnight. 

I wore the new skirt to work, there wasn't a contest but the consensus I was the in best outfit. I had intended to do other things that day but my body decided it needed to have an allergy day.  After work, I took another round of allergy pills and plopped on the couch and slept through to 7:15 Friday morning. I got up drank a cup of water, took more allergy stuff and resumed my slumber until about 9:30 am.  I guess I was tired.

Friday morning I had an agenda! For Thursday, I had intended to work, cast my ballot in the 2020 general election and get my flu shot... cue Friday. Yes, I pulled up my big girl panties, bullet bra, poodle skirt and white top and went to the polling place. I don't think I got a second look until the polling place volunteer looked at my ID and didn't immediately put 2 +2 together.  Next, I went to the supermarket pharmacy to get my flu shot and bought a week's worth of food. On the way home, I stopped at the volunteer location and said hi to everyone. More rave reviews. At 5:30 I returned to the office, met my wife so I could bring her to the polling place so she could drop off her pre filled ballot.

So, today's Saturday.  We needed more stuff from the store and had to pay for a Costco pumpkin pie a friend picked up. I went back to the supermarket in full girl mode. It was glorious.  I picked up a burger and nuggets for our lunch and stopped off at the friend's home to repay her.  She said I looked divine! Her husband arrived a short time after I got there, D told B that someone stopped by and look who it is. B had absolutely no clue until I lowered my face mask. We're going to see friends tonight, what ever shall I wear? I'm leaving in 20 minutes. I don't know how comfortable I'll be...

ps

I had never gotten a professional manicure and color done before and I'll tell you one thing. I have newfound respect for the people working in nail salons.  The shop smelled like an auto paint facility.  I worked in a factory that closed because the company wished to do wood finishing work and couldn't get the permits to spray lacquers.  But how many nail shops are there in the city? 

Thanks for spending the time to read my story.

Have a great Halloween. If you haven't voted yet, please vote. 

Heather.

Voting and feet.

I've been wearing my sandals (the heel is a couple inches high, rubber soles) to the office for about three weeks. I had to wear them because a month ago I fell while helping someone move furniture onto a flat trailer.  We had placed something on the trailer and I was coming down the slatted ramp.  My foot slipped through the slats and every limb went in a different direction with me falling flat on my back.  I haven't a clue how I didn't break something but am thankful.  The result of my fall was initial swelling leading to a huge bump on my left shin. Also my left foot turned a spectacular color purple. But only along the inner sole and three of my toes.  I chose to wear sandals when we were called back to the office because slippers were not an option.  

Last week, my coworker noticed last week that they're women's sandals. I told her that they were the only footwear I could wear and are incredibly comfortable.  There was no way I could wear my male sandals or shoes.  She's the one who said that I should just wear women's clothing when I dress for Halloween.

I didn’t go to the doctor at the time I fell. Everything worked and really there was no pain.  Tenderness, yes. Pain, no.  After a month, I still have a sizable knot and what looks like a burn on my shin but all the bruising seems to be gone from my foot but there is still swelling.  I didn’t go initially because I’d discussed it with my wife.  She agreed that if it seemed like nothing was broken, they probably wouldn’t do anything but since I still have swelling, we made an appointment for tomorrow.

One more thing.  Where ever you live, please register to vote.  I fully support the #BlackLivesMatter movement.  It isn't that other lives are not important.   It isn't that other groups are not important.  It is that blacks are dying at the hands of police after a minor interaction.  I support candidates who don't promote racism.  I support candidates who don't hide from people who are different.  I support candidates who don't behave as a racist.  This is 2020.  There is no excuse for hatred in our modern world.  As a person who identifies as a trans-female, I stand with my brothers and sisters.  While I may not be able to live 24/7 as Heather, I am confident that there are people in government who are actively working to make the lives of people like me harder.  

I ask you to Vote Blue, No Matter Who.

Thank you

Heather

ps, Don't spam!