The title reflects both the weather today (which came as a shock to me when I left my flat not that long ago) and my general mood of late. (I nearly wrote, for the benefit of non-Scots: ‘if you don’t know what dreich means, Google is your friend’. You can certainly use Google to find… Continue reading A dreich unpost
Two years of shiny new hormones: a brief update
It was 6 October 2017 when I stuck my first Evorel patch on my thigh and estradiol began seeping into my system. Patches, which irritated my skin, gave way to tiny foil sachets of Sandrena gel, and more recently I’ve been using an Oestrogel pump to squirt the cold, clear gel onto my legs every… Continue reading Two years of shiny new hormones: a brief update
A GRS quandary
I haven’t really written about surgery before, except in passing, in a couple of unposts. Early this year, I had appointments with the two psychiatrists who were required to give opinions on my suitability for GRS. Both were happy that I met their criteria. Eventually, a referral was made to the private hospital in Brighton, in England, where all Scottish NHS vaginoplasty patients are currently treated.
The photographer’s error
At the pond I could get my phone out and take a picture. But I realised in that moment that looking at the photograph later would never conjure up the sense of being here. Never again would I feel the same warmth of the sun on my face and body, or the same cooling breeze… Continue reading The photographer’s error
Nothing in mind (an unpost)
I have to write something. But I’ve been finding it so difficult to be interested in anything lately. Do you ever have times like that, when you go through all the things you normally like to do and just think nah! and end up doing nothing but not being happy with doing nothing either because… Continue reading Nothing in mind (an unpost)
Festival unpost
No, I’m not going to write about the Edinburgh International Festival (in which I have sung in two concerts this year, with two remaining). Nor am I going to write about the Fringe (which I’m not going to see anything of, though I would have liked to have seen Harry Josephine Giles’s Drone and Travis… Continue reading Festival unpost
Prospecting for employment
Construction of a temporary venue at Edinburgh University This can be thought of as a companion piece to my earlier post To PhD or not to PhD. I haven’t made a firm decision yet on whether to continue with my doctorate, but I am leaning in the ‘not to PhD’ direction at the moment. However,… Continue reading Prospecting for employment
Unsleep: an early morning unpost
I say ‘early’. I realise that’s a relative term. But I’m starting to write this before getting up and having breakfast or doing anything else. (I’m sure I’ll take a break at some point.) Let me begin with the dream and see where that leads. There was a murder (mystery). There was splitting into twos… Continue reading Unsleep: an early morning unpost
Unpost 10: decimal
Ooh, the ratio! No, I’m not talking about the reply/retweet ratio considered indicative of bad takes on Twitter. Just that this is yet another ‘unpost’, pushing up the ratio of rambling to (I’d like to think) moderately focused posts here on my blog. Alternatively, pushing down the signal/noise ratio. Having typed this first paragraph (well,… Continue reading Unpost 10: decimal
To PhD or not to PhD?
A linguistic overview of the university In 1997, I abandoned a PhD in mathematics, which I had begun in 1993. It had started to go seriously wrong in 1996, if not earlier, but I persisted for a ridiculously long time with the illusion that I could still finish. I was completely unaware at the time… Continue reading To PhD or not to PhD?
