This was my first music purchase ever, $1 from the Columbia Record club, 13 eight tracks for a buck. Money spent from my Plain Dealer paper route (another story for another time). Technically, this album was part of my first purchase, but I distinctly remember that being my first selection. I know there was a Guess Who eight track in there as well, don’t remember the others.
The Guess Who eight-track had a song called “Glamour Boy” which memorized me. While I later came to find out it was a song lashing out at David Bowie and the rise of glam rock, repeated phrases like “For $25,000 you can look like a woman tonight, for $25,000 I think it’ll work out right” spoke to me (gee, and now we know why).
The record club sparked my lifelong love of music. One of the greatest pleasures of my life was going to Peaches. I might have had the money for one purchase. I would go there and literally could not decide between many, many (then) recent options. My tastes skewed toward the back half of the Top 40, more so than the tops of the charts. I could get lost in that store reading the back of albums and then stupidly buying the eight-track version. Nothing pissed me off more than the best song on an eight-track fading out only to be continued by that loud click to the next track and being faded back in.
I was always one technology off. Built an eight-track collection, had to rebuild. Bought vinyl, had to replace with CDs. Stupidly beyond words to have gotten rid of all my albums. Once Napster came around, I finally moved to MP3s and built what is now an approximately 14,000 song iTunes library, my literal most prized possession.
(Tick tock tick) Doo doo doo-doo
I nailed down an IDGAF day, Sunday, February 15, 2026. No real agenda. Day three of three: the Tebow event; the bridal show; and now down to Earth. Stringing things together makes the logistics easier. My nails were pretty for three consecutive days. The shaving was done once (except face), rendering me completely femininized. If only…
I headed down to Akron and walked a very LGBTish space, with multiple vendors called Northside Marketplace. I came up with bubkes…nothing. I continue on my quest to find little meaningful pictures for my Cleveland (Akron works as well) wall. I moved from the marketplace to the Akron Art Museum and picked up two cool postcards, which were framed and hung on the wall.
Then to kill a bit more time, I hit a local JC Penney. I walked in with no expectation, hoping to find a shoe clearance BOGO (how my shoe collection is what it is). Then, nirvana!! Okay, a backstory. I LOVE satin panties. Love them. My very favorite lingerie brand had been Ambrielle, sold at Penneys. I killed it coming out of the pandemic, with the need to sell off inventory and many store closings. They then morphed into more of a cotton panty (may as well wear boy undies…).
This day, $4.99 per panty, satin (among other) panties, but I had to buy 7 pair. Okey dokey! This girl was all in! Short story long, finding seven pair, in styles and colors and sizes (I am a small), was difficult. That lead me to the tremendous cashier, Christina. I went back and forth and there is NOTHING better than casually talking panties with another woman. NOTHING! Some panties I selected did not scan up as part of the sale. She was delightful as I went back and forth until this girl was happier than happy!
See those smiles below? That was me this day. I ache to be female every day, all day. But that won’t., can’t happen. The bits and pieces I get are my crack. Put on a pair after I wrote this….🎉 😊 ‼️
Brief update: This was the last day off I had, followed by 13 consecutive days of work (two of which are fun, but I committed to be there), and that may stretch to 17 days (once I get my schedule). Oh yeah, also while shitcanning my truck (tow involved, not cheap), replacing it, liquidating another precious chunk of our retirement (Uncle Sam took a big chunk of this felon’s lifeline last year), dealing with a rental and on one of the jobs (for which I am thankful) not knowing what time I have to report until midafternoon, anywhere from 11:00PM to 3:00AM (messes with one’s body clock and sleep schedule not knowing if your work day is two hours or 14 in a 16,000 lbs. truck) and how long I will be working with Bezos’s in-cab cameras (hate them) and rigid time schedules at rural post offices that are literally over 100 years old, with doors and docks of that vintage. (Yes, the world’s longest run on sentence). I have had many see my pictures as Kandi and say, “You are so lucky!”. Really? Want to trade situations? Not many have the balls to survive like I have. Most would just curl into the fetal position. Just the truth. And you wonder why Jim Beam is my bestie.
You might think, she’s being hyperbolic. I f’n wish! Sorry, had to vent.
Yet I can pull this off (see below)!
Seek Joy!
Kinda proud…
On a recent Facebook post for new members for Plexus, Cleveland’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce (which I have been a member for years), this candid photo of yours truly was used. I didn’t know of it prior and am THRILLED they honored me by using it.
Not sure if that will attract new members or repel them. And I have zero clue who the gentleman in the picture with me is.
4 Responses
KR,
When pushed to the limit something snaps. For you, after your federal housing stint, out came Kandi. I spend months in hospitals, the first week living in 15 seconds intervals, not sure I would survive and not knowing how life would be afterwards. Out came Cali.
Cali, Same thing in a different way and all ends up getting us where we need to be. Thanks, my friend!
Oh yes I remember hunting for 8 tracks when a senior in HS. I’m definitely not the music aficionado that you are but still only the old 70s and 80s tunes
You look so put together as always
It’s funny when you mention your love of the satin panties, I too loved them for years but I’ve gone to almost all cotton, not sure why
Rach, our panty choices are an acquired taste! 😘😘