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So, I'd been out today to get glasses but my appointment isn't for a month. Being Lenscrafters, I thought I would walk right in and get them. Well, for one reason or another; choose any of three, it wasn't that way. It could have been my Hijab, but I doubt that they tumbled to the idea that I was one of those pervert trannies.

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OOP'S, I did it again.

That's right. I did it again. What did I do, you ask? Well I fell asleep at the wheel again today. I Sleept yesturday morning after getting home from working a double shift. I sleep from a little after 8am untill 1pm. Then I fell asleep a little after midnight and woke up at 4 am today so that I could go to work. To day was a very rough day and There was no chance for lunch. On my way home I was having trouble staying awake. I turned off the heat and cracked a window hopeing the cold air would wake me up.

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One Million

Edeyn My right hand is achy, and my left hand is back up to about 90%, and I have made it! One Million Words is a lot of typing.

Please, drop a few bucks in the bucket for NaNoWriMo at Edeyn Hannah Blackeney's Fundraising Page if you wanna support this kind of effort for the future.

The Wordcount Widget from National Novel Writing Month's website only goes to six-digits, and won't compensate for my seven-digit score... so here's the graphic:
But my actual word count is just a bit higher. It'll keep growing for a few days while I wrap up the story and the subplot loose ends. Keep an eye out on this blog to see the final wordcount as the month finishes out.
1 , 2 5 0 , 3 3 3

Edeyn Hannah Blackeney
Wasn't it Jim Henson who said, "Without faith, I am nothing," after all? No, wait, that was God... Sorry, common mistake to make...

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Season of mists and melancholy

In this season of mists and melancholic musing I find myself looking inwardly and questioning my Inner Girl. Snuffling home from my daily Metropolitan slog I am met by my wife and soulmate who, peering into my red-rimmed eyes, sighs and declares "Oh, Dear -
Man Flu!"
I thought I was just being a little needy.
Huh!

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Site Down

The site was down temporarily here because I needed to cool off from a temper tantrum. In the last two weeks, I have put in more than forty hours a week in running BC to the neglect of many other aspects of my life. Count in Bob's time during that span and we're talking more than 130 hours that in a just world could be billed at $115 an hour to someone (yes, that's what I used to bill). About $15,000.

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My frustration with Lulu

I have loaded down two different works from Lulu and while most of it went well, I have actually gotten both of them free. It was not my intent, but they never did actually charge me for either work.

I will likely go download some of Nancy's work off Lulu but I worry that the problem will come up again.

I just want this to be part of the pubic record. I have never intended to defraud them, it is their fault.

Gwen Brown

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Discussions off Topic

A recent thread got off topic, the topic being a story. Things were beginning to heat up with first a few mild general insults and then some that were more pointed. It really hadn't got out of hand and many people seemed to be enjoying things but I finally felt that it had gone on long enough since the topic was continuing four and five levels deep without reference to the story.

So ...

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Starting Bike

I am astonished - well all right then, surprised, that there are some hardy souls who are prepared to start with episode one of bike. I read it through just under a year ago, which means there's about three hundred more episodes than there was then. It took me a couple of days or more. To read 463 episodes, is a major undertaking. I wish them luck, when I was last informed it was about 600,000 words and longer than Tolkien or Tolstoy.

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Thoughts on my short story Brandy

I was reading over my short story Brandy again, because some of the comments I had gotten, said that the SRU wizard never changes his M.O. Hmmm, yet he is a wizard with a sense of humor, sardonic as it is, and does do good for people with genuine hearts.

Okay so, the interaction of the wizard is what makes him loveable, and his attire is a conversation starter, and he always does buisness in his little shop that crops up here and there every now and then. BUT.....

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I Nearly Died Tonight...

Another heart attack victim. Yep. At about 5 minutes to 10pm (US Eastern) tonight, I had a heart attack. I was rushed to the Emergency Room by my roommate and rushed through triage and they had the doctor in to see me posthaste. The Triage Nurse, the ER Nurse, the X-Ray Tech, The EKG Tech, and the Doctor were all splendid.

The Admissions Clerk, however, decided my fate when she found out I was without insurance. Now, I'm not going to make the assumption that I was discharged less than 21/2 hours after the heart attack itself because I'm transgender. It was quite obvious that it was due to something -- and my guess is lack of health insurance.

That's right. I was discharged and on my way out the doors at 12:23am (just after midnight) US Eastern time.

American Health Care sucks donkey balls through a straw clogged with horse shit.

How many people out there have heard of a heart attack patient NOT being kept at least overnight for observation? Especially if that patient has a history like mine? Past heart attack, congestive heart failure, chronic angina, chronic pleurisy, a right-branch-bundle blockage (the adult equivalent of a murmur), erratic heart beat, history of clotting -- five times pulmonary embolism (clots in the lungs), 8 times deep vein thrombosis (clots in the legs) -- dizzy spells, fainting spells, and a Greenfield Filter. A Greenfield Filter is a metal contraption inserted surgically into the vena cava, which is the major giant vein going from your legs to your heart and lungs, in order to "catch" clots before they can REALLY hurt you.

So. If I'm not around any more, it's because after writing this blog and going to sleep tonight, I didn't wake up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9qmHXVnrdw

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I'm sick or something

It's the only excuse I can think of for why I haven't got the voting widget up for the All Souls Day Contest. The software is so crotchety it takes an enormous concentration to get it up and working right or you have to start all over. I'm not worthy.

Anyway, I will get it up and it will be up for a week and it's just unlikely to be this weekend like I wanted it to be. I used up a couple weeks allotment of concentration on fixing some website problems Friday and Saturday and all I want to do today is sleep and eat nachos.

Forgive me.

Hugs,
Erin

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How many of ...

How many of ME are there? I ask this question because I've read several stories and comments of 'us girls' that separate our male and female selves. The most recent that comes to mind as an example is Nancy's excellent "A Different Kind of Courage." There Amanda is coming to terms with Lance Corporal Newly her alpha male protector.

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Power Outages?

Fires in Los Angeles and Orange County may interrupt power to our downtown LA server for BCTS. If so, we'll be down and no knowing for how long. A less serious consequence might be rolling blackouts with intermittent outages lasting hours unless the server farm has to just shut down to protect equipment from surges. More news as it becomes available.

I'm 50 miles east of the fires, so don't worry about me, personally.

Hugs,
Erin

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Late-Night Muse

Well, my late night muse has struck again. I was just kicked in the head to write the third story in the series of Sissy stories. However, it's 2 in the morning, and I was up at 6 AM this morning.

I'm taking a sleeping pill and going to bed. I'm freaking tired. I'll probably have it up at some point this weekend. This one is going to be a bit more thoughtful, a bit more realistic and a bit more meaty.

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it's the time of the season

Well that was a bit of a dark patch. Just about all the way through this latest relapse, though it does seem that my left leg isn't going to get back all its function and I will need to carry a cane from now on (I can walk, but if I stay on my feet for more than 15 minutes my leg gets very tired and difficult to move).

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Persistent Login Problems

There have been continuing problems for many people with the persistent login function. I hope that Bob and I have now fixed this by uninstalling and then reinstalling the module. Unfortunately, that wiped out everyone's pre-existing persistent login so we all have to do that over but it appears to be working now. :)

Hugs,
Erin

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Sarcasm can hurt

Many times in my life I have taken crap from other people. I did not have the good comebacks or the will power to stand up to them. When I started at my present job it was much the same. However, I soon learned to use my sarcasm and humor to defend myself and get what I needed. I learned to use my size to my advantage. Now that I’m dealing with my problems I don’t know how to turn these responses off. It’s difficult. I’m trying to change who I am and the smart ass remarks come out with out me even thinking about them. Now I’ve been suspended from work.

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600,000 Words

Edeyn My right hand is achy, and my left hand it beginning to twinge, but I shall persevere! One Million Words is a lot of typing. Heck, 600,000 is a lot of typing!

Edeyn Hannah Blackeney's Fundraising Page

Oh, my current wordcount?

Edeyn Hannah Blackeney
Wasn't it Jim Henson who said, "Without faith, I am nothing," after all? No, wait, that was God... Sorry, common mistake to make...

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Berdache

I want to apologize to any one that I may have unintentionally insulted when I wrote my story 'Berdache'. I used the internet to research the subject and to help select the best word to describe my character. I have since found out that the word I chose is not as accepted as I first thought. I am sorry for any insult. I do thank you for reading my stories, though.

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Nebraska's Safe Haven Law Has Me Wondering......

I have been very upset over the open ended Safe Haven law in Nebraska. For those who are unfamiliar with it, it allows for parents to legally abandon children in a hospital up to age 18. The governor of Nebraska has called a Special Session of the legislature to fix the loophole and limit it to newborns up to three days old. Parents have been coming to Nebraska from other states and dropping off their kids before this loophole is closed. There have been twenty three kids dropped in Nebraska since July. Half are teenagers.

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The tone of this blog

I think I want to share just a bit more here. I have several blogs around the Internet, one for my religious stuff, one for my personal stuff, one for memes and so on, one for me as Joy and this one. But here I think I can open up some.

See, there's a lot of pain in here. I don't know how I as Joy came out as well adjusted as I did, mainly because of some of what has happened. Just like the character in my stories, I worked my backside off to fit into the world of maleness. Just like that character, I now feel trapped with no way out.

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While Websense is away

Thank you all for your comments. They're very generous and I love reading them.

I'm in the local library. This is the first time since I posted that Websense isn't running. TopShelf and the other main TG sites have always been blocked, but lately there has been a random dropping of the guard. The odd thing is Stardust, Beverly's Balcony, Tuck, TG Comics and Stories and various other sites are always available.

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Thank You

I wish to thank Stanman for his excellent editing prowess on the remaining stories from Mellissa (prairie_girl_64. The time and patience upon which Stan dedicated his time to do a wonderful job is gratefully appreciated. In the jouney these past few moths since her passing, I have become accutely aware of her strong devotion to sharing her story. I am also aware of her ability to describe in detail her struggles and pain. Mellissa has noted in her journal(s) that she was/is not the best editor in the world.

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Hello again

Hello all! I'm finally getting back to the Mia novel. I had some paid writing work to get done over the summer (Boring technical junk) but now, things are back to normal and I can squeeze in some writing I actually enjoy. :) Anyway, I have posted a new chapter of Mia, I hope you like it.

I was thinking while I was writing that I should include some links to some of the things I mention in the story. Mainly, so you can see what I'm talking about, and to give you insight into Mia's world.

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The real meaning of sacrifice.

90 years ago today the Armistice was signed, ending the Great War. It was carnage on a scale not known before, where over a million British Servicemen and women perished, many in the mud of the Somme. It is perhaps beyond our imaginations to realise how awful this must have been, dealing with daily shelling, the cold or heat, constant sniper fire, poor food, lice, disease and boredom. Then if you cracked under the stress of it all, your own side would shoot you as a coward.

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The Road to One Million

Edeyn I'm developing a slight twinge in the back of my right hand -- the onset of carpal tunnel. So, this quest for a million words in November is going to be literally painful, as well as literarily painful. My wordcount as of 5:30am US Eastern time, 11 November 2008, is 408,600. So, I'm at a landmark, but still got a LOOONG way to go! If you want to drop some cash toward a worthy cause, The Office of Letters and Light qualifies, and you can do it at my fundraising page here:

Edeyn Hannah Blackeney's Fundraising Page


Edeyn Hannah Blackeney
Wasn't it Jim Henson who said, "Without faith, I am nothing," after all? No, wait, that was God... Sorry, common mistake to make...

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Cache Clearing for Login Problems

A security change in the BC software on Sunday has caused login problems for a few members. The solution is to make sure your cache is clear. Browser caches can be cleared by holding down shift (or control or alt, depending on browser) and hitting the reload button on the browser. ISP cache's are more problematical but this will also clear those in many cases. Some browsers have a cache-clear button in the preferences pane or edit menu. It may be called clear history. You might also need to discard cookies, though waiting a day or so will usually expire any stale cookies.

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Fact versus Fiction

I am a fan of all sorts of fiction. I have found several other TG sites and do enjoy the prose. I marvel at the descriptions of the characters though. When I was 19 years old I was 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed less than 120 pounds. I thought about that and I downloaded a BMI calculator. According to what I can find, I was in the lower 15 percentile of my growth group. It gets worse as I go back to when I was 14 years old. I was in the low 5 percent range. And as far as shaving, I did not start shaving till I was well in my 20's and then not every day.

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About my story

I wrote that and used it to get a lot of crap off my chest. Yes, most of it is true. I do come from a broken home, my father did leave at 15, I was considered the man of the family (raised Mormon, so any male is automatically better than mere girls), so on.

I was in home ec. I could sew and cook, and I loved the gingham apron. I was one of three boys in there.

I did have to conform. I was in Scouts, I did play things like Army with them. I had Action Figures and cars.

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Re-evaluating Priorities

An incident which occurred tonite has made me realize that my priorities are way out of whack. My best pal, my housemate, the one person on this planet who knows me better than I know myself, called me, crying, feeling deserted and alone, and unloved. She was out driving at the time because she felt the need to be alone by choice, instead of an enforced aloneness caused by someone dumping her...again. I begged her to pull over and stop, and she complied, thus removing some of my sudden anxiety. But.

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Shades of Gaby

This Saturday, I embark on an epic quest. More horrifying than a term paper, more thrilling than gator wrestling, more geeky than converting your entire D&D campaign from v. 3.5 to v. 4! (Though I'm doing that, too.)

That's right, people- this weekend, I attend my first Anime convention.

Before setting out on this most dangerous endeavor, I feel it is necessary to set my affairs in order. Therefore, Friday shall see the posting of Boys of Summer 16-20, as well as the submission of Echoes 5 to John!
Ras

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Geraldine: an animated t.g. tale

GERALDINE: AN ANIMATED T.G. TALE

Maybe you've seen this, but if you haven't---and you can run Youtube on your 'puter---here's a fun story
very much like one you would read here at BCTS, in the form of a colorful fast-paced cartoon.
It's from France, but there are no intelligible words to it. The intro has been translated as:

"One morning Gerald woke up to find himself transformed into a woman..."

Anyway, here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vErJFmUF7DM
~~~hugs, Laika

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Girl's night in

Friday was a great day. I went and did some shopping. I was looking for shoes but I did not find any in my size that I liked. I ended up at Kmart and I was walking by the Intimates department when I got up the courage to browse. I ended up buying my first nightgown. I went through the plus size women's dept. I was looking for a skirt but they only had winter clothes out. That's okay though. I bought a new brush and nail polish gift box. I stopped on the way home and got my hair trimmed. I'm letting it grow out so I just neatened it up.

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