Decidedly Obscure Human Complaints.

In Arcade Fire's new music video, "We Exist" with Andrew Garfield. Makes me teary eyed every time.

My parents visited me here in Maryland last Wednesday for mother's day, my dad's birthday (May 11), and for my birthday (May 15)! This was the first time my mom had ever been on a commercial airline and the furthest she's ever traveled from Utah. She was all anxious about potential motion sickness, the cabin pressure, and so on, but ended up sleeping the entire way. All went well and they arrived safe n' sound! This past week has been so.much.refreshing.fun. Vacation time with my parents is a rarity, and I almost didn't think it would be possible to get them out here. But it was, and it happened. We have been on a few road trips near Utah together, but never further than California. And right now I have this incredibly unique opportunity to live in Maryland, which makes it the most affordable time for my cute parents to experience DC and this humid, foresty wonderland. Seriously. The trip took my parents from the usual arid world we're used to in Utah:

Doctor Visit Fail Epic doctor visit fail today. I'll start at the beginning - where I engaged in my usual Evilbunny (my adorable elderly feline companion) morning routine, which consists of oatmeal, latte, morning news, Evil's breakfast (with arthritis pills) and lap purrs. I then printed the following four articles to bring in to the clinic with me: Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy for Female-to-Male Transsexuals (2007) Endocrine Treatment of Transsexual Persons: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline (2009) Endocrine Treatment of Transsexual People: A Review of Treatment Regimens, Outcomes, and Adverse Effects (2003) The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Committee Opinion: Health Care for Transgender Individuals (2011) With these gems stashed neatly in my pack, I ventured forth toward the clinic, ~45 minutes away. Along the way I came across a Whole Foods and couldn't resist popping in for a vegan blueberry muffin.  I arrived a

Be forewarned: I am about to launch into a whiny spiel about how stressful it has been meeting with trans-unaware OB-GYNs while I'm insured in hopes that they won't a) refer to me as a "post-menopausal woman" and b) will, at the very least, listen to me about my preventative interest in an oophorectomy (removal of ovaries) and a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus). But before said spiel, a brief update is in order. As a reminder since it's been a minute, I am presently living in Maryland to complete my federal service "payback" as an NIH (National Institutes of Health) Undergraduate Scholarship post-baccalaureate (i.e. 4-year college graduate) research fellow. Throughout the duration of my payback I have been nervous about blogging after I signed a gazillion + 1 forms about not representing myself as the NIH or a federal employee. So, quick disclaimer before I proceed: I am not blogging on behalf of the NIH or as a federal employee. Alright, now w