#050 - Graduated college, can't find a job, and broke. (Three years, two months HRT).

Monday, September 26, 2016

So it's been a while. I'd be lying if I said I've been busy these last few months. I finally graduated college and am now sitting at home most of the time. I submit about twenty applications a week and I get just as many rejection emails back. I've had the door slammed in my face so many times, I'm surprised that my nose isn't flat yet. I'm currently unable to pay my roommate/landlord rent, but she's pretty cool about it. I'll just have to pay her back when I can and I fully intend to. I've cut all of my monthly expenses down to almost nothing. I still have phone and car insurance to pay, but it just comes to about $80 a month.

Anyways, there's really not much going on. As I continue to wait for employers to call, I'm spending the vast majority of my time at home playing video games. I never thought I'd see the day where I'd get sick of it. I'm playing a lot of Guild Wars 2 and Space Engineers just to kill time. I really should be working out and going to the gym instead. I certainly have the time for it, just not the drive. Plus I don't want to waste the gas getting there and back every day.

I need to lose weight. All this sitting around doing nothing all day is starting to make me fat and I want to be ready for summer next year. Right now I'm sitting at 225lbs and have been eating junk food all the time. This needs to change, but I'm so very much addicted to energy drinks. I think it's an actual serious addiction because when I go without, it's all I think about. I feel tired, nervous, and a mess without it. Working out always feels awful and yucky.

Everyone says you get a runners high when you run for a long time, but I think they're nuts. I've never experienced a runners high, not even when I was once fit. I also don't like going to the gym because I feel like everyone is staring and judging me. My usual workout is walking and occasionally elliptical. Working out is just an awful feeling of social awkwardness and physical discomfort, but it needs to be done. I would like to get down to 160lbs one day. It's a lofty goal and I don't think I'll make it by summer next year. My food options right now are highly limited. I can't afford to eat healthy.

Other than that, there's really not much to report on. Life goes on, I'm still single, and everything seems like it's been put on standby until I can get a job.

#049 - A month away from graduating, writers block, and possibly a failed class. (Two years, ten months HRT)

Friday, May 13th 2016.

So right now I'm supposed to be writing a paper for a six sigma assignment, but I'm experiencing writers block. I just received a new airsoft rifle plus gear in the mail and it keeps distracting me. This is what my new airsoft gun looks like, except I added a small scope to it. It's essentially a sniper pistol rather than a sniper rifle. Airsoft sniper rifles are really heavy and are too much for me.

I'm currently taking three classes right now. One of which I'm intently focused on, the other two I wasn't even aware existed until yesterday. Apparently I was enrolled into these classes and nobody bothered to tell me. I'm almost two weeks behind on homework and desperately trying to keep up. There's a strong possibility that I'll get dropped from the classes due to non-attendance, something that's simply not my fault.

Other students are also experiencing the same problem. It's a new form of online classes and we're the first to experience it. Many other students were also considered absent due to not even knowing they were enrolled in the class. It's a serious problem and one that could be costly if they kick us out. I've been working to catch up since I found out, but have run into a writers block, hence this blog entry.

Lots of other things have happened since my last post. I received a student loan for living expenses that I'll have to pay back after graduating. I quit my job at the porn shop. Graduation ceremony is this June. My mom is flying down to attend. I've gained a bit of weight. Got really good at eyeliner. There's a lot going on.

The student loan for living expenses really helped out. I'm paying off all my bills which I desperately need to do. My medical bills need to be paid off ASAP because I owe them to the largest medical organization in the region who is also the biggest employer in the region. I can't exactly apply for one of their job openings while I owe them money. It would be weird. I also paid off my car loan. There wasn't much left, only a little over a thousand dollars. But now that the car loan is paid off, my car is officially mine and my vehicle insurance payments drop significantly. Two major monthly bills nearly gone in one stroke. The rest of the money I'm saving for emergencies and to live off of after I graduate.

Some may say that this is an irresponsible and inappropriate use of student loans, however in my application for the loan I specifically spelled out exactly what I intend to use it for. Since it was approved, I think it's safe to use it in the way I specifically said I would.

Graduation ceremony is at the beginning of June, despite my actual graduation date being in mid July, possibly August if I get dropped from my classes. This is where we all walk the stage in cap and gown. I'm excited but at the same time also nervous. I've gotten so used to the idea of being in school, now that it's coming to an end, it can be a bit scary.

My mom is flying down here for graduation. She's only seen me in Facebook pictures and a couple of times when I video skyped home. This is the first time we're going to meet in person and hang out. I don't know how I feel about that. I'm not nervous, I'm just expecting a fight and arguing. I expect she's going to throw jesus at me, and I'm going to throw logic and science at her. I hope it doesn't come to that, but I find myself constructing responses in my head.

Graduation is around the corner and I still have no idea what I want to do, specifically. Most of my classmates have a huge advantage as they all came from medical fields in their backgrounds. Many of them worked in the medical field in some capacity or another and have a far better understanding than I do. For me, I just jumped into this field of study because I knew nothing about it. I also need to work on my resume, it's hideous and out of date.

#048 - A lot has happened. (Two years, seven months HRT).

I'll freely admit I've been gone since August of 2015 and now it's February of 2016. That's almost half a year absence and I apologize. A lot has been going on and this blog took a back seat to greater priorities. The reason why it took so long to get back is that I'm finally in the home stretch for college graduation. Graduation date is in early June, just a few months away and I'm emotionally overwhelmed.

All the sacrifices I had to make, all the sleepless nights working on homework, the neglect of friends & social life, the stress & anxiety, the severe financial struggles, my family abandoning me, and the journey of transitioning while going through school. No amount of words can adequately describe just how rough it was.

Surprisingly I barely drank throughout my college years. It just didn't interest me and I don't particularly enjoy being intoxicated. I've gained quite a bit of weight due to stress eating. I'm about 215lbs now and it really sucks. Tummy tuckers, waistbands, corsets, or anything of that nature are now ineffective to deal with the spare tire I'm carrying around. It embarrasses me daily and the chubbiness can be seen in my face and chins. I think for the last few months I'm going to go on a diet. I certainly don't have the time to get to the gym and exercise, but cutting the sodas and sugary foods should be sufficient to look great in graduation photos.

This graduation ceremony, unfortunately, will be an unhappy one. My parents weren't interested in talking to me last Christmas and it left me heartbroken. No explanation, no apologies, nothing of the sort. They simply said in a text message that they're busy and I haven't heard from them since. I'm now officially without a family. I'll be walking the stage in cap and gown alone on this. It really sucks, but that's unfortunately just how it is. Maybe a classmate's family will fill the role my family isn't interested in fulfilling. No guarantee there will be any pictures or videos of the graduation ceremony.

Transition is going well. I appear almost entirely female with the exception of my voice and some other features. Getting the voice surgery is still high on my surgery-wants list. My hair has gotten pretty long and at it's longest was down to the middle of my back. I had to get it trimmed today to get rid of split ends and clean up around the neckline area. Lost about two inches, but that's OK. I can now brush it easily without tangles and knots. I'm still recovering from a failed attempt at bangs. Now that the bangs are longer, it actually looks kinda cute this way.

I've also learned that a well kept set of eyebrows goes a LOOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGG way of making the face appear more feminine. Life lesson, never neglect the eyebrows. They're made of magic. I don't even have to pencil mine in, they're fairly thin and well groomed to the point where I can get away with the all-natural look.

I'm still not really into makeup. I've dabbled with concealer, foundation, and mascara and that's about it. I've purchased several eyeliner pencils and markers, but I simply don't have the time to practice with them. I don't really have anyone to teach me, and the people who I know will help want to charge me an arm and a leg. I'm barely scraping by on a shoestring budget.

I'm currently working on homework for an Accounting class that I sorely hate and loath. The class is all online and the website did not work for the first week of class. The IT department finally got it fixed and I had two days of access before I was kicked out of the class due to inactivity. Totally unfair. I fought and fought, then eventually won. The downside is that I started the class two weeks late in a five week class. I'm currently in week four and still behind on homework. My instructor assures me that late assignments will not be a problem, but I don't trust him.

I have no idea what I'm doing in this class. I don't have the time to read and comprehend the book. I need to knock out assignments by certain days or else I'll get dropped again. I'm so focused on this that I'm not actually learning anything. I'm just pushing buttons until the assignment says it's all correct. Accounting class is a whole new definition of hell and it's just awful. Perhaps if I had the proper amount of time to actually study the material and course, it wouldn't be so bad. My first accounting class had the same problems as this time around and I didn't learn anything from that either.

Hopefully this will be the last accounting class that I have to take before graduation and I plan to get through it by any means necessary. Any. Means. Necessary.

Oh, I completely forgot. I got a part time job at night in an adult toy and movie store. A porn shop! The shop has two parts to it, the lingerie and regular DVD side, and the adult toys and adult DVD side. I work in the latter. Honestly I really love working there when the store owner isn't around. He's a party pooper. I love interacting with customers, making them laugh, taking them on a store tour.

The picture meme above is funny but surprisingly accurate. I don't really care about the DVD section as very few customers ever actually buy them. The toys are where the store makes all of its money and I love to push products like a sales woman. Sometimes I'll just make up fake stories that the customer would find entertaining to hear. My coworkers know the stories aren't true, but they're entertaining and I figure since nothing else in this store is accurate or truthful in regards to porn, I see no reason to be accurate and truthful either. And it's just a bit of fun too. Customers love to hear fictitious stories about the lady who bought the massive dildo, or the weird customers who play with themselves in the store. Our customers are actually well behaved, but people like to hear these sorts of stories.

Anyways, I've finally mustered the courage to use the women's restroom. My first time was actually in a bank on the top floor with the executives. I was working with them as part of my internship and I had to use the bathroom there. I guess if you're going to transition to a new bathroom, you might as well do it in style.

I pretty much pass as female anyways, plus wearing a business suit really completes the picture. I love love love wearing a business suit. I only have three sets, one of which doesn't fit very well. Two are all black and one is pinstripe grey. One long sleeve black jacket and one short sleeve black jacket. I don't have any skirts or dresses for business wear, all I have are pant suits. Business suits command an air of respect that I thoroughly enjoy. It shows a little cleavage and looks stunning and fierce.

And that about wraps it up for now. I'm still really busy with homework and spent valuable time writing this instead of working on it. Right now I need to complete at least one homework assignment before going to bed and I so desperately need sleep as it is.

Until next time.

#047 - Way overdue with a post. Lots of cooking. Two years of HRT.

August 03, 2015 -  Monday

Wow, it's been about five months since last I posted here. I haven't abandoned this blog and I haven't given up on the videos either. Life gets hectic and things come up. I do plan on making a number of videos in the near future, and I know I've promised that in the past and failed to deliver, but I mean it this time. I'm no longer employed and going to school full time in night classes. My roommate works during the day so I have an entire morning to make a video. Some weekends as well.

I asked around on Reddit to see if anyone would be interested in a cooking channel by a trans woman, and the responses were overwhelmingly positive. I just made sushi last night and it came out pretty well. Starting up a few cooking videos along with trans specific videos might work out really well. Cooking for myself is turning out to be a bit cheaper than buying premade meals or eating out.

I'm not sure if I mentioned this in a previous blog post, but I also have a website now that lists all the scientific facts, journals, and research regarding sexuality, gender identity, and intersex. The website is here:

www.justachoice.org

It's very bare-bone basic and still needs a bit of work, but it turned out OK. I was hoping it would catch on and go viral, but it seems not to be. That's OK though. And to be honest, I've been kinda neglecting the sight like I've been neglecting this blog and YouTube series. My interest in anything video games and electronics in general is starting to wane. They just don't hold my interest like they used to. I can't sit down and play a video game for more than an hour without getting fidgety and bored.

Anyways, I've really started to get into cooking. I'm loving it, it's my new go-to relaxation hobby. Runners get their high from running, I get my high from cooking. Here's a few pictures of my latest creations:

Homemade sushi filled with sticky rice, carrots, cucumbers, apple slices, wasabi sauce, teriyaki tofu, and wrapped in seaweed sheets.

Grilled pineapple wedges covered in spiced caramel glaze.

Homemade peanut brittle. I tied and glued the ribbon on the jar myself too.

Flaky garlic bread rolls.

I love love love to cook. But anyways, I'm no longer employed at the machine shop. I left on good terms and the military is paying me to go to college. The downside to this is that I no longer have health insurance. It wasn't worth a damn to begin with, but it did cover my medications and most doctor visits. Now I have no coverage at all and am trying to figure out what to do. I'll have to look at the affordable care act website for possible health insurance options.

I'm still going to school and I may be switching to day classes soon. The program director despises the night classes as they're full of problems and issues. Night classes have the worst instructors and are full of students who are already exhausted from the day and are struggling just to get through the night. Day class students are very on the ball and enthusiastic about the classes. I think it would be far more beneficial to join them than to stay in the drudgery of the night classes.

Laser hair removal is still progressing at a decent pace. I just had my fifth session a few days ago and my face is still red and nasty. I've been avoiding social interactions in these past few days. I want to make a video about lessons learned in the past two years sometime soon. Definitely not until my face heals up though.

And that should be it for updates. I have a lot of homework that I've been neglecting.

#046 - Finally found and started laser, tons of homework, and my landlord/roommate has returned.

Sunday, March 21, 2015

So a lot has happened since last time I wrote. I've been super busy with school and I've been procrastinating on homework. I'm even procrastinating right now as I write this because it's a really awful paper to write. I need to write a twelve to fifteen page APA paper on nursing home statistics in a US state of choice. It's very long and it's very boring and I don't want to do it. But like always, I put it off until the last minute which is today, Sunday. The paper is due this Thursday and I definitely will not have time to write it during the weekdays.

Anyways, I finally found a laser hair removal place that's affordable. They're charging $1,500 for six laser hair treatments for the entire face, jaw, and neck region. That's quite a difference from Ideal Image who wanted to charge me up to $8,400 for nine treatments. The type of laser this place uses seems to check out and be an acceptable effective form for trans women. My first treatment was yesterday morning and wow did it sting. It hurt a bit more than electrolysis, but it was much much faster. It was all over within fifteen minutes. My face is still a bit red and tender, and there are already a few hairs that are starting to jut out which is a good sign. The paperwork I received that I should expect results within two weeks maximum.

I'm hopeful but am already looking at alternatives in case it doesn't work. In the meantime, my face still stings when touched so I'm not sure how I'm going to shave tomorrow morning. I'm not going to be making a video anytime within the next few weeks.

Finally, my landlord finally returned. She is still enlisted in the Navy and was assigned to a station in Japan for the past few years. My other two roommates have moved out and I've had the house to myself for the past couple of months. I've made a sort of mess of the house, not a disgusting mess but a mess of miscellaneous stuff left around the house in excess. Now that she's home, I've been scrambling to clean up and fit it all back into my tiny bedroom, but so far it's made my bedroom difficult to live in. I need time to really clean it up and organize, but that's time I don't have. My landlord/roommate has moved back in and wants to repaint and rip up the carpet, my messy room is a roadblock to that.

That cleaning definitely won't get done this weekend and probably not next weekend either. I have yet another large paper that's due the next week after. This sucks and my roommate makes no effort to hide her annoyance. It turns out I'm a bad roommate and I feel awful.

#045 - Part 2 - Persuasive letter to my health insurance.

 So this is part two of my previous blog post. I've been disputing with my health insurance for almost a year now and although I've convinced my HR representative that it would be foolish to deny coverage and she asked me to put my argument in the form of a letter. That way she can present the points to the policy makers that are also employed in the same company.

Below is a copy/paste of the letter I wrote. If you'd like to borrow the whole or part of the letter, feel free to do so. I am the original author of this, and I hold nobody to plagiarism charges if someone were to use any part of the letter or the whole thing. In short, feel free to use if you need to. Just remember to proof read what you plan on presenting first to check for spelling and grammar errors.

Anyways, here's the letter:
 ____________________________________________________________

Hello. This is Kris, you asked me to send you an email regarding the confusion with [company name] healthcare policies. I'm going to try to refrain from using inflammatory language if possible. This whole year long ordeal has left me quite upset with [company name] healthcare policies and those who write said policies.

So to start, I am transgender (male to female) and I'm having difficulty with receiving equal coverage under [company name] health plan. I understand that not all companies have experience or knowledge in working with transgender employees, but I think we can reach an acceptable solution.

Transgender definition, information, and terminology clarification can be found here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgender

There is another term that needs to be clarified at that is Intersex (or Klinefelter syndrome for a more accurate name). People who are intersex are born with physical and/or mental characteristics that aren't exclusively male nor female, but somewhere in between and to varying degrees.

Intersex definition, information, and terminology clarification can be found here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intersex

Though it is still unknown at this time if the intersex condition is what causes the transgender condition, there is strong correlation between the two. Many intersex people go through gender transition, but not all who go through gender transition are intersex to any measurable degree. The field of medical science is still actively working on these issues.

The current issue I'm having with [company name] health plan is that it fails to include policies that address specific healthcare needs of transgender and intersex clients. I attribute that to two causes.

The first is that the population of transgender and intersex people is rather small. Not many people have encountered us nor understand our situations and issues. It's just not common knowledge to hear about or even meet someone who does not fit into the standard male/female gender binary.

The second is that persistent misinformation and social bias surround the issue. It is a common myth that LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) people are the way they are because it is their "lifestyle" or choice. It's repeated so often in media that it almost sounds to be true. However, doctors and psychologists agree that it is in fact not a lifestyle nor a choice. To claim that is a lifestyle choice is demonstrably false based on all the evidence at hand.

The issue we ran into today is one of sex discrimination. What I mean by that is some medically necessary preventative treatments are exclusively for either males or females, and crossover is denied. This is especially problematic when a patient has the physical anatomy of both sexes.

What is a transgender or intersex person supposed to do with a healthcare policy that discriminates away half of their body? It doesn't make a lot of sense to only cover half of a human being and leave the other half of that same person to fend for themselves.

Currently, I am legally classified as male, but by tomorrow that should be changing to female. Sometime in the future, I will need prostate exams, mammograms, and once I can afford the surgery I will need gynecological exams.  I will need preventative treatment for all aspects of my body, not just the ones that [company name] healthcare policy feels like covering.

If I ever receive an illness or injury to the half of my body that's not covered, it won't be an isolated thing. That illness or injury affects my whole body and that preventative treatment that would have saved the company money would end up costing the company far more in general health treatment. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and by denying parts of my body preventative treatment, the company runs the risk of having to pay for expensive illnesses or injuries down the road.

To put it in metaphor, it doesn't make sense to maintain the wheels on the left side of a car and neglect the wheels on the right side of the same car. Any catastrophe the neglected wheels suffer, the entire car suffers the catastrophe and the cost to repair the car is dramatically higher than if both sets of wheels were maintained.

By denying me coverage because half of me is one gender and the other half is another gender, [company name] opens itself to potentially paying for much higher medical expenses than it would have cost if preventative treatments were not sex exclusionary.

I would even argue that all the time, energy, lost man/hours, effort, and resources that have gone into this dispute have ended up costing [company name] more than what the bill would have cost on its own.

Having the main issue addressed, I would like to shed some light on other issues, specifically transgender exclusionary language in the healthcare policy and related care.

SRS (otherwise known as Sex Reassignment Surgery) is widely considered to be, in the field of medical science, a medical necessity. Few doctors and psychologists would disagree with the necessity of the procedure:

http://jurist.org/paperchase/2012/09/federal-judge-rules-sex-reassignment-medically-necessary-for-inmate.php

http://www.wpath.org/site_page.cfm?pk_association_webpage_menu=1352&pk_association_webpage=3947

http://www.lambdalegal.org/know-your-rights/transgender/transition-related-care-faq

http://www.aetna.com/cpb/medical/data/600_699/0615.html

Anthem BC/BS even agrees that it is medically necessary in other states where they offer their services:

http://www.anthem.com/medicalpolicies/guidelines/gl_pw_a051166.htm

There are also many instances of healthcare coverage denying medically necessary treatment and being taken to court over it:

http://transgenderlawcenter.org/archives/11285

http://lexiecannes.com/2013/01/30/lawsuit-prompts-state-of-oregon-to-provide-sex-reassignment-surgery-insurance-coverage-for-state-employees/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/ban-lifted-on-medicare-coverage-for-sex-change-surgery/2014/05/30/28bcd122-e818-11e3-a86b-362fd5443d19_story.html

http://kaiserhealthnews.org/news/transgender-lgbt-health-care-michelle-andrews-090412/

I bring these examples up because there is strong legal precedent for overturning these bans on medically necessary treatments. I don't mean to imply any sort of threat of any kind, that isn't my goal here. My intent on presenting this information is to highlight an opportunity.

There is an organization called Human Rights Campaign, I'm sure you've seen their bumper sticker on the road. It's the square blue background with a yellow equal sign. Here is their website:

http://www.hrc.org/

They have what's called Corporate Equality Index, where businesses and companies are given a score based on equal treatment and equally administered benefits for all employees.

http://www.hrc.org/campaigns/corporate-equality-index

Many of the corporations on the list are major fortune 500 companies, as well as others who wish to boast their CEI score to customers and clients. [company name] could easily make the grade if it weren't for its arbitrary and exclusionary healthcare policies.

Healthcare equality is starting to sweep across the country, often either voluntarily or through the judges gavel. It doesn't make any sense to have doctors and psychiatrists say a treatment is medically necessary, yet the health insurance claims it's not medically necessary. One has got to give, and the current legal trend is going in the right direction towards equality.

In conclusion, I hope that this email will help with future policy writing, and that hopefully [company name] will be able to one day claim they are an equal opportunity employer with equal benefits for all employees. Currently we're not there, but it would be nice to be there.

#045 - Need laser hair removal, official name change, business class, and persuasive letter to insurance. (HRT 1 year, 6 months)

Saturday, January 24, 2015

 A late post by about two months, but I finally have time to sit down and write this. So it's been just under a year and a half that I've been on HRT and I think the effects are starting to slow down. I don't want to say reverting, but I think a leveling out is more accurate. The shape I now have I think is the one I'm going to get through HRT and any further changes would require surgery. I definitely want to get breast augmentation, trachea shave, and SRS, but my biggest priority is laser hair removal.

I used to get electrolysis done every Friday, but my electrologist fired me. How a business fires a customer I don't know, but she claims I missed too many appointments. I missed three and they were all called in weeks in advance, so I'm not really sure why that's an issue for her, but whatever I guess. Now I'm looking for another permanent hair removal method. I'm looking into real laser hair removal, but it's insanely expensive. Ideal Image wants to charge me $8,400 for a package treatment. No way can I afford that. I'll have to keep looking and in the meantime I'm stuck using a standard razor.

Anyways, my legal name and gender has officially changed. Yay! I'm no longer Christopher Blair [last name]. I'm now Kristen Joanne [same last name]. I received the name change letter in the mail on December 24th, Christmas Eve, and I received the gender change sometime earlier this January.

Aside from that, both of my roommates moved away and I have the entire house to myself. My male roommate was an OK guy, but he never left the house. He went to work and came straight home to drink and watch wrestling. He was annoying at times, but it was the kind of annoying that's easily avoidable.

My other roommate was a 65 year old lady who was an absolutely horrid monster. Bitter, angry, and utterly spiteful. She stole things, she sabotaged parts of the house to break down, and every word that came out of her mouth was angry and nasty. When she moved out, she stole a LOT of stuff. She stole light bulbs, toilet paper, utensils, and all the lids on my coffee mugs.

I had to spend most of my savings replacing everything that she stole. There's really no point in filing a police report because the stuff she took is cheap insignificant stuff. It's really not worth the effort, but damn am I angry about it. I was trying to save up for laser and this knocked out my savings. But they're gone and that's all that really matters. I have the whole house to myself which is awesome. I can finally practice my voice lessons without being interrupted.

I also recently finished a major part of my bachelors degree and it's the business capstone. It's an accumulation of everything I've learned in the past year. The class was such a big deal that it broke my fear of going full time. The final project of this class is to draw up a new product, the business model behind it, and pitch it to a classroom full of venture capitalists. I had to go full time and dressed in a business suit. Here's the pictures:

I had to throw in a picture of my cute boots that I wore. They're a little muddy due to all the rain that day, but they look super cute and I absolutely love them. My bedroom mirror is also a little dirty, please excuse the mess :-P

But anyways, I'm still fighting with my health insurance which, it turns out, is owned and paid for by my employer. Anthem is simply the company my employer pays to run it, but the company pays for everything. They've been rejecting my medical claims and making all sorts of excuses. Their latest excuse is that some medical treatments are gender specific and aren't allowed to be used by the opposite gender. I seemed to have convinced my HR representative, but she asked me to write her a letter the argument I was making for her to present to the company policy writers. I'll include the letter in another post.

Aside from all of that, it's been fairly quiet, so that will do it for this blog post I guess.