FINDING NIKKI and THE LONG OVERDUE SPRING CLEAN

 

I know nothing about the film of a similar name (Nemo). The title just came to me as I realised that soon a new Nikki will be appearing. The eyes are as fixed as they ever will be and, amazingly (as my optometrist said), my severe squint has gone entirely - no double vision! Long may it stay away! So, as soon as I get my new glasses (unnecessary for distance, but after nigh on 70 years, a comfort blanket, and they're varifocal which means I shall be able to read the speedometer in the car while driving!), and as long as my dermatitis also stays away, I’ll get the makeup out, which means throwing out the old and ordering new … something I shall enjoy.

On the Spring Clean theme, Pauline’s apartment now has some family members staying in it for a few months which means I don’t have to think about it, and so I’ve turned towards the accumulations in my house … my own stuff and also things from the apartment that needed more considered appraisal. There has already been one charity shop run with books, dresses and Pauline’s collection of freebie bags/rucksacs from an online retailer she used.

Also, I’ve been looking through old folders of pictures – I rarely deleted photos, just acquired more Tb of memory, but I do now need to sort things out. A few old pics have gone onto flickr while I don't have anything new, and here’s one from earlier today, from 2015, squint and all!

One of the problems I’ve had in down-sizing (I'm not!!! really, I'm not!!!) Spring cleaning is books … Pauline was a linguist and I had an academic background, so I have tons of specialist books (anyone want an Irish language dictionary?!!) that the charity shops really wouldn’t want (they had my Miriam Margoyles and Bob Mortimer autobiographies last week). Amongst those not suitable for the charity shops are several dozen of TG-focused books, including, for starters ...

My Husband Betty, She's Not The Man I Married, Superstar in a Housedress,The Transgender Phenomenon, Conundrum, The Broken Mirror (Body Dysmorphic Disorder), As Nature Made Him (the story of David Reimer and Money's Tabula Rasa approach to gender manipulation), With Respect to Sex (Hjiras in South India), Whipping Girl, All She Wanted (the Brandon/Teena story), Alice in Genderland, For the Love of a Transvestite, Gender an Ethnomethodological (is that a real word?) Approach.

Luckily, while looking around for another shop (for old maps), I found somewhere where I can take them. I don't want money for them, but it'll be good if they can be of use to others.  However, I also have 'Men in Frocks', Christine Jorgensen (a personal autobiography), and 'The Man Who Would be Queen'  but they may go to eBay as asking prices for each vary from ~£25 to ~ £130, i.e. real money!

Now the eyes are healed, I'll also be getting back to the garden soon, although the wet Winter has left it in a messy state with more moss than grass, but I must finish my bookings for trips as well. I found a reduced price booking for Dartmoor in April which will help me get ready for my mid-May to mid-June Ireland trip - I'll be having two weeks as Nikki interspersed by a week's walking in Co. Mayo (Wild Nephin) as long as the midges keep away. I've never suffered from midges in Ireland, but Nephin is a huge expanse of blanket bog ... eek! Then I'm hoping to meet another old friend in Ireland, apart from Pamela, M and Debbie, and I think petticoat dresses will feature, so I don't need to be covered in midge bites!!!

(Oh, and my Christmas blog??? I can't remember several days, so it's in limbo)