Transformation

Transformation is a beautiful thing. Fixing what was wrong, making things fit as they should and making improvements, these are a tranny's life. We two trannies are pretty proud of our transformations and would enjoy helping you with yours. Come on, work with us. It's exciting!

Let's say you're the unhappy owner of some monstrosity of a... a "kitchen." It's laid out wrong, the plumbing is definitely all wrong (completely backwards, Hot's on the right, Cold's on the left) and it is so ugly that you don't want anyone to even see it. Furthermore, it just makes you sad that you've had to live with it for so long. You can't really hide it though, can you. Of course not, everyone that comes by sees it and even if they don't say anything about it, you feel embarrassed sometimes.

Well, we know the feeling. We've been there and let me tell you, in all my years of professional experience, I've seen some very non-functional "kitchens" but as long as the "bones of the structure" are there, there is no reason that a complete transformation wouldn't be successful, satisfying and rewarding. And just wait till you see the looks on your friends' faces! You're sure to surprise everyone and stir up some gossip with your new look!

We're going to transform this barely useful, uberly unattractive piece of sh-torage into a very functional, fitted piece of furniture. Actually, we're not. We're going to junk this junk and build a new cabinet.

So if you've run out of storage space, you can create something yourself or hire someone to do it for you. Which ever you choose, the following steps should be taken before any wood gets cut. Sure, it is all common sense but this kind of planning always points out things that you didn't think about at first.





Need assessment -
What do you need to store, what sizes are they, how can they best be accessed?
 We like to cook, so we have plenty of spices and gadgets. That little shelf was enough at first but now there are spices scattered all over the kitchen and the gadgets are taking over the counter space. Darcy is pleasantly short but has a hard time reaching the second shelf and the cabinet is just too small for our stuff. So we need a place for the spices and gadgets, we need more general storage and we need better accessibility.

Conceptual drawing -
How do you want the project to look and perform related to its surroundings? What materials will it be made of? Armed with the general idea of the space and the things to be stored there, you'll have a better handle on what is possible.
 We wanted a contrast with the rest of the cabinets; something fitting the age of this old house. Materials would have to be anything I have left over at the shop. We wanted something different and the material did force some minor design changes.

Scale drawing -
See exactly what the project will look like as you use the measurements of the items you want to store. This may prove the concept has to be changed.
 And here is where I went wrong. My old boss used to say "If you don't have a plan, you can't f*** up!" He was referring to one-offs. Anyway, you can and I did but everything worked. If I'd done the drawing and figured out exactly how it would be put together, shop time could been cut in half.

This is my silly little plan and partial cut list. It was enough to get me started but a scale drawing with a complete list of parts would have made the job a lot easier.

I'll be describing and showing some pretty cool jigs, some custom made for this job, some old standard ones while laughing at my silly mistakes along the way.



Here's the way the cabinet looked when I brought it home. It just needs a few pieces of molding and a finish. Last night it received a dark walnut stain and is dry enough now for a sealer coat. Time for a trip to the store.

Be My Valentine?

It's Valentine's Day
and I have a great big heart on for you.


My Valentine 

Yes, it is plump and red
covered in lace
and as long as my head
Tied with ribbons and bows
waiting for you
knowing anything goes
It's Valentine's day and
time to have fun
Time for flowers and candy
maybe a slap on your bum
I don't know just don't be dumb
Get your mind out the gutter
out of the grind and out of the clutter ;-)


We hope your day is happy and special but mostly we hope that it's filled with love. Here's a big Thank You to all of our brave, silly, crazy, thoughtful and loving Sweethearts!

Music Within, Tilting at Windmills and the "Socially Disabled"

It isn't about how people feel about us, 
it is about how we make them feel about themselves.




Most people would argue that trans people are not disabled. 
True, most of us have no physical (or mental) impairment but consider this. The Americans with Disabilities Act defines disability as a physical or mental impairment that limits a major life activity. If trans people are unable to secure employment (I'd say that is a major life activity) because of the way we look, are we not disabled in that sense?


Have you ever heard of The Ugly Law?
Well, there were such laws in the US until the 1970's. The law prevented people from being in public places if their unsightly or disfiguring disabilities made other people uncomfortable.
What? 
There were laws that kept people "safe" from "ugly people" just so that they wouldn't feel uncomfortable?


There are no such laws these days but discrimination based on the way someone looks is still practised. There are no protections for "ugly" people *explicitly provided by law. Certainly, in some cases, discrimination based on appearance is justified, as in aesthetically based business like the film industry, modeling, publications like Playboy or even Hooter's restaurant. Companies cannot be faulted for choosing "pretty" people as salespeople or representatives.


The fact is, appearances matter in occupations that deal with the general public.But what about the millions of jobs that don't involve employees being in the public eye? It is still perfectly legal for an employer to reject a person's job application because they don't like the way the person looks. 


Click here to read the opinions of several human resources managers about this.


The movie Music Within is based on the true story of Richard Pimentel, an advocate for disability rights and jobs for veterans.
Pimentel, the key figure in developing our Americans with Disability Act, was inspired by Ben Padrow who said "not to focus on getting people to change their minds about people with disabilities, but to change their minds about themselves."


In the following ideas, one could easily substitute "transgender people" for "people with disabilities."


Pimentel:
"We asked “Why are employers reluctant to hire people with disabilities?” Overwhelmingly, we received the answer: “Employers lack confidence in the ability of people with disability to do the job” "Employers are not reluctant to hire people with disabilities because they have a lack of confidence in the ability of people with disabilities. In fact, it is because they have a lack of confidence in their own ability to work effectively with people with disabilities.


Once I realized that, we diverted Windmills away from teaching employers everything they ever wanted to know about being blind, deaf, etc. and we made it an exploration of how people make decisions, why people react in certain ways, why the good skills you already have in working with people are the same skills that will allow you to work effectively with people with disabilities – and why you are afraid to do it. As soon as we shifted away from “We want you to feel better about these people” to “We want you to feel better about yourself” we began building the confidence of employers in themselves. That resulted in interviews, that resulted in hires, and that resulted in retention."

************************

The ADA does not consider trans people disabled.
If we were considered disabled, we would have these protections: job application procedures, hiring, firing, training, pay, promotion, benefits, and leave. You also have a right to be free from harassment because of your disability, and an employer may not fire or discipline you for asserting your rights under the ADA. Most importantly, you have a right to request a reasonable accommodation for the hiring process and on the job. 


Consider this recent survey of trans people:
(source article by Gwendolyn Ann Smith of The Bay Area Reporter)


Out of 6,450 people surveyed, half experienced direct harassment at work due to their gender identity or orientation. Half had their confidentiality violated by their employer. A quarter were fired. A fifth were removed from direct client contact. Nearly half were asked inappropriate questions about their gender identity or orientation, and nearly half had to deal with inappropriate pronoun use.


As a result, transgender and gender nonconforming people are twice as likely to live in poverty compared to the rest of the U.S. population, and those who did lose a job over their transition found it hard to find another. Many also faced a reduction in wages


For those living in poverty who needed to use a homeless shelter, nearly a third were denied access, and a quarter were assaulted and harassed by shelter staff.


Things were no better in schools, either. Two-thirds of all transgender or gender nonconforming elementary school students endure harassment, with nearly a quarter of them facing that harassment not only from other students, but from school staff. In middle school and high school, harassment and assaults crept up to two-thirds, but dropped to one-third for college students.


One in five of those surveyed have some form of health care, and half of all surveyed had to educate their primary care provider about transgender issues.


One other grim statistic: four out of 10 transgender people have attempted suicide.

*************************

I would rather not be considered disabled. At the same time, I can't help seeing the common ground trans people share with disabled people.




*Santa Cruz, California is the only jurisdiction in the US that I am aware of that does have an ordinance against discrimination based on physical characteristics.




Random:

"If the opponents of gay rights seek to restrict the rights to hold a job, to secure housing, to obtain medical care, and to marry the person of their choice to heterosexuals alone, then it is they who are seeking "special rights."
Jim Flechtner

A Special Purpose Tool

I have a "man's tool"
and I know how to use it.


My friends know that's what I call my special tool because of the way it pumps. People want to know "isn't it kind of strange to have one of those and wear a dress?" Not at all. Guys, let me tell you - almost every woman has wanted one of these things for her very own at some point in their lives. Besides, I'm usually not wearing a dress when I'm using it.
I prefer to wear jeans when I'm ah, you know, working. I'm almost always forced to my knees in this line of work so wearing jeans keeps my knees from getting raw while I'm down on all fours.

As you may know, I haven't been working much lately so my "man tool" doesn't get used much any more. Actually it was hardly ever used anyway. I really would get rid of it since it never gets used but when I need it for that special purpose, nothing else will do. It is truly an amazing piece of equipment. Would you believe that I can get it up from zero to 2800 strokes per second?! Now that's fast, I know. Why would you go so fast, you ask?
No, I guess you wouldn't ask...

But anyway, the owners of these tools love them because they understand it's power. I can tell you that mine has gotten me both into and out of some impossible situations. When I was younger and didn't really understand how it worked, I was screwing everything up with it. It was the speed thing, I guess. I kept trying to start at full speed, all 2800 strokes per second at once. You can imagine the damage...I don't want to think about it.

Anyway, I learned to start slow and use a very light touch. Pretty soon, it just slides in the groove and when I finally get up to full speed, the piece is actually resonating. Oh but look out if it gets out of synch. It will grab your tool and shake you violently. You that have been there know what I'm talking about.


If you are a proud owner of a Sawzall or any sort of reciprocating saw, you know how valuable they can be. You also know that they can do some damage when trying to start a plunge cut.

Plunge cuts using a reciprocating saw:
There are really two ways to get this cut started. One method (the one I usually use) is to hold the saw "light in my hands" and apply pressure lightly and slowly until the blade starts to create the kerf. The other way is to plant the shoe of the saw firmly against a solid surface and hold the saw down with all your weight. With either method, concentrate on keeping the saw from moving forward in it's kerf because if it does, even slightly, the blade will knock itself out of the cut.

Lets say that you want to cut a piece of base board that is already attached to the wall. Mark your line of cut with a pencil or score a line with a knife. The knife cut will help guide the blade while it starts it's kerf, especially if you make a V cut.
I've never tried this but the thought occurred to me just now - A block of wood temporarily screwed to the piece you want to cut would guide the blade very well. As an added benefit, the block would protect the "good side" of the piece you're cutting.

Once the blade has made it all the way through the base board, adjust your speed so that the saw isn't "fighting" and trying to push and pull the work. There is almost always a "sweet spot" where the saw and the wood work together. Adjust your speed and pressure, you'll find it. Tip: Do not cut the caulking along the top of the baseboard until you've made the cut. The caulking helps hold the base board to the wall, thus reducing vibration and the possibility of the saw getting in a bind and shaking you up.

When you're cutting down toward the floor, try not to cut all the way through the bottom plate (the 2x4 at the bottom of the wall to which the studs are nailed.) If you feel the blade bumping into it, back out just a little bit but remember that most recip saws have a one inch cutting stroke and most baseboard is 3/4" or less in thickness. This means that if you back out too far, the blade can exit the cut completely and that usually ends up in a nasty gouge in the work piece followed by a curse word or two.

So now you know how to plunge your "man tool" with finesse and with little to no collateral damage. It's good to stay in practice but then, I don't have to tell you guys that.

Until next time, this is Aunt May
reminding you to be good to your tools
and they'll be good to you.

Growing Up

Everybody does, one way or another.
Some grow up as little girls, some grow up as little boys.*

Cisgender kids grow in the relative comfort of "their own skins." That is, for the most part, they are mind/body congruent. They are Okay with their body's gender.

Transgender kids grow up stressed with their body/mind incongruence, the wrong teaching for their gender and the wrong responses to their needs. Transgender kids grow up twice. Once in their conflicted body, once in their "accepted" one.

The second growing is forced into a very small amount of time for "late blooming" trans people. I've noticed that I (and every late blooming trans woman I know) go through a little girl phase, adolescent phase, (sometimes an over the top phase) a young adult phase and finally for most of us, life catches up with life. Sometimes these things don't happen in that particular order and any one these phases could last indefinitely.
Getting stuck in a phase is no different for us than than it is for our gender-ungifted counterparts. You see people not acting their age all the time.

The little girl phase - everything is beautiful, everything is new and exciting with near sensory overload. Friendships are quick and many and the sharing of stories bring comfort and release.

The teenager phase - when we think we know it all, when we're gangly, flirtatious and foolish, when we put ourselves on display.

The young adult phase - when relationships are not fleeting, when responsibility leads, when we've unlearned most our masculine teachings.

We finally reach the congruent state (whether there have been body modifications or not) that almost everyone else has had from their beginning. This is when self acceptance is complete.

Of course, this is all my opinion, take it for what it's worth.

*There is talk about a third sex but this article is written in context with the almost universal idea of a Binary gender. Not that I agree with the idea. I believe in a spectrum of gender

Blogger

The Blogger tools don't do well when adding several copy/pastes. The formatting gets junked up and it is almost impossible to fix. My appologies to subscribers that get an email every time I try to tweak a post to make it look right.
Blogger's "preview" is a (expletive here) joke.

Name Change - Updated

The Two Trannies and a Toolbox moniker was fun while this page was just for fun.


We will be changing it and the photo soon because this isn't just for fun any more. When I write letters to influential people for the good of our community, I'd like to be taken seriously.


The innuendo will remain.


Onward!
May


Here are the responses received from various sources, in no particular order:


Name suggestions -


“From the Inside Out”
You know, as representative of the two of you, but also representative of all the kinds of work you do.)


"It's Not Just About the Tools"


I know it's more than shelves, but makes for good (or not) puns...
Shelf Expressions
Shelf Discovery
Shelf Esteem


"Pro Proponents Of Changing Your Components"


Board Stiff (um, no.)
Hammers and Nails (you know, manicured nails.)
Working With Wood (again, no.)
I'm stumped. Get it, stumped? Like a tree stump? I slay me.


Morty's & Tennan's Fine Woods
Rabbet Hill Woodworking
The Biscuit Sisters
Laps And Butts (okay, maybe not)


Girls With Tools?




Comments -


Why on Earth would you change it?

Makayla: I still think humor is the best ice breaker.
Thanks to every one of you open minded, fearless people for your help.

Anonymous: How about incremental changes? Just start with the photo. I'd love to see a photo of you at work... all goggled up and surrounded by drool-inspiring tools. Let the headline be your humor (you're right about humor).

what's wrong with TT&aTB?


can there be a comprimise on the image, like maybe a graphic or more of an artist rendering type of thing? (to tone that part down)????????
May- think your light years ahead of your time- and believe you've come across something that makes people think.... (that part is awesome!)


I don't know you but I think you do have a good sense of humor about it all...


So, I take it the problem is with the term "trannie". I can see how the word might not be PC but I don't have a problem with it and use it myself, but usually for humor. If I'm trying to be 'pc' I will say "T-girl". It's pretty hard to get offended by t-girl and it's an all inclusive term.
Honestly though I like the name. 


Well...I personally am not offended by the NAME of your "buisness", and you know I am not easily offended by much...nor am I of your page... your "fun, humor filled, positive message" IN MY OPINION is not doing you, or any person trying to live the life of a transsexual an[y] favors. You know me May, I am always the life of the party....but If I was to come across your page and I did not know you, I would not want to do buisness with you. I think from a buisness standpoint, the way you are engaging your readers i[s] gross ...unless of course the person knows you...and in which case, I hope you have enough friends to support your buisness.

Mama, go with your gut and let me just offer this: No one was ever adulated for playing things safe.

I am sure that appeals to some people but I do not that think appeals to many people. I know for a fact that if I was to show that to anyone I work with they would all think it was a bad idea. if you want people to treat transsexuals with equal rights and to take them and their differences seriously, I do not think that is the way to do it. I think people will see your site that have no idea what being a transsexual is about and they will think it is something sexual...which is the main misunderstanding already.
Your isea is not a bad one, and I think you are really well written/spoken, but I just do not that your talents doing that will justify or make most people take seriously what you are trying to accomplish.


Oddly enough this reminds me of the time the Gay Chorus I was singing with wanted to a Broadway review and my suggestion to title the show "Faggots Singing Showtunes" was shot down. I still say keep your name because it makes people talk and think and understand immediately what is going on here. If someone else wants to be more PC, they have their own life and they can go be PC all they want over there.


[I] think its a unique title, right to the point and fearless (despite your fear, apparently). If you think the T-Comm needs to lighten up, then you have to bring your own fire to the table. In other words, I think you are just fine the way you (in all aspects of that phrase) and you should continue to strive towards being the best You that you can manage. Frankly, I think you should try out with Logo and Here! and see if you can get a TV show! 


Ok how about you two tape a couple of YouTube shows, real fast "How To" segments that show some of the tips you have been talking about on your wall. I don't think you will have to worry about offending people because you are doing this in a very good spirit, and very tongue-in-cheek. Some people will always be offended, and there is not much anyone can do about it other than to decide not to attach much importance to the their uniformed opinions.


I personally think (not that i have any valid opinion) the use of the word "Tranny" by Christian Siriano kind of coined it as a semi popular buzz word that took a lot of the negative "stigma" off that some people might have thought of in terms of the phrase .... by making it comical it might be more accepted? If nothing else, he helped a lot of people introduce it into their vocabulary - which might not be a good thing to those who view the word in a derrogatory manner.... just my thoughts. LOL I say if soemone doesn't like your blog, Title included, they don't have to read it! You can't be PC for everyone - there will always be some sort of hater but your friends and supporters are all that matter ;)  


Are all those images of cabinets, desks, and wine racks all your work? If it is, your work should speak for itself.
 (Yes, all of it is my work)


I think that TTAT, made up of real people, leading real lives -the real lives that we want to be granted rights, so let them see who you really are. An opinionated, well-spoken, kind, cool lingerie-clad artisan who happens to be a trannie and a VOTER. 

Makayla: At this point, I want a job. Partly just because of the principal of it. I want someone to take a chance, hire a tranny and end up grateful that they did just to prove a point.

Anonymous: Another option: go public.Try to get your story picked up by Huffpost or Oprah or something. It's a good story, I like your story, especially how you said it here.

Personally May, I think you should be just who you are.

for activism use, DYNAMITE
for having a shop or offering a service- may not be..bottom line- you need work, and are a very creative talented person. I admire you for all this energy and work and making people think.

[I] really don't get the stigma. I'm sorry that anyone has to even take such a thing into consideration! It's good to be reminded that people face that kind of discrimination. And I do see it in the face of some of my Christian Conservative friends... they look queasy if I mention gay people... I should start talking about trans folk and watch them pass out.

Being who you are is the best message of all.

As much as it stings to be forced to 'hide your light under a bushel', I think you're right about dialing back the name to something less controversial. Sadly, there are still many people who feel threatened. It doesn't make a bit of sense but sometimes we have to deal with reality, right?

Go forth with courage.

dont change itttt!

No!

  

  

 

Strokin'

Clarence Carter made it famous.
Two Trannies make it sultry yet seductively silly.


If you know you're gonna be strokin' hard and long, you have to prepare yourself like a prize fighter. Professionals like Two Trannies can stroke all night long because we've trained for years and we have developed our own unique ways of staying hard at work.

Safety first, protect yourself!
Two Trannies wrap our units with masking tape. Although duct tape is a tranny's best friend, we don't use it when we're strokin' because the friction makes it become a hot, sticky mess. Imagine having to use lacquer thinner or a pumice stone to clean up your members. We'd rather not.

Using masking tape to prepare yourself for hours of strokin' may sound sort of stupid but trust me, it lasts a lot longer than your typical Trojan. It's less expensive, too.
Yes, after continuous use, the tape will wear through. Just stop for a second and patch the hole with more tape. Keep checking for holes because just like Trojans, the tape can break and you wouldn't know it until it is too late. This situation leaves your flesh totally unprotected and if you continue vigorously strokin' with your meat exposed, you will rub it raw and possibly even suffer burns from the friction. Be careful not to stroke too fast (see Mr Carter's note about this below) because that can cause burns, too.

We could fill many pages writing about strokin' but we don't want to bore you. Well, not in that particular way...

Here are a few tips (other than wrapping your fingers with masking tape when sanding by hand) to make your sanding job easier.

Sanding works to smooth a surface by scratching it. Sounds kinda silly but that's how it works. Scratches are removed with finer and finer scratches. Eventually all the scratches are removed and the surface becomes polished and/or burnished. That's fine for metal or for wood that will receive a clear finish but wood that has been polished will resist pigmented stains. Fortunately there are dye stains which do not need fine scratches and open pores to gather in as a pigment does.

Sanding takes as long as it takes. You can't really rush it but understanding how sandpaper works will help you avoid wasting time. Sandpaper loses it's aggressive cutting action quickly then cuts moderately well for a long time. The only problem with over using it is that a few sharp grains remain to cut ugly swirls when using an orbital sander.

Loading up - when sandpaper gets wood fibers, dust and pitch stuck between it's grains, even if they are still sharp, they cannot cut effectively. Rather, the combination acts more like a polisher, except that there are always those rogue grains that stick out past the buildup and cut swirls. Tap out or blow off the buildup with compressed air to reveal more cutting grains which will yield a more uniform scratch pattern.

When switching from a coarse grit to a finer one (never skip more than two grit grades) make sure you clean both your work area and the piece you're sanding. Left over grit dulls your fresh sandpaper and may cause an uneven scratch pattern.


Aunt May invented a strokin' machine several years ago but as it is not patented yet, it will have to remain her trade secret. We can tell you that the machine works even better than expected. It is a delight to use and it never gets tired. The machine was used to sand the 'piercings' of this 2" thick mahogany panel.

Clarence Carter - Strokin'

When I start makin' love I don't just make love... I be strokin'
That's what I be doin', huh
I be strokin'
I stroke it to the east
And I stroke it to the west
And I stroke it to the woman that I love the best
I be strokin'
Let me ask you somethin'...
What time of the day do you like to make love
Have you ever made love just before breakfast
Have you ever made love while you watched the late, late show
Well, let me ask you this
Have you ever made love on a couch
Well, let me ask you this
Have you ever made love on the back seat of a car
I remember one time I made love on the back seat of a car
And the police came and shined his light on me, and I said:
I'm strokin', that's what I'm doin', I be strokin'
I stroke it to the east
And I stroke it to the west
And I stroke it to the woman that I love the best
I be strokin'
Let me ask you something...
How long has it been since you made love, huh?
Did you make love yesterday
Did you make love last week
Did you make love last year
Or maybe it might be that you plannin' on makin' love tonight
But just remember, when you start making love
You make it hard, long, soft, short
And be strokin'
I be strokin'
I stroke it to the east
And I stroke it to the west
And I stroke it to the woman that I love the best, huh
I be strokin'
Now when I start making love to my woman
I don't stop until I know she's sas-ified
And I can always tell when she gets sas-ified
'Cause when she gets sas-fied she start calling my name
She'd say: 'Clarence Carter, Clarence Carter, Clarence Carter
Clarence Carter, ooooh shit, Clarence Carter'
The other night I was strokin' my woman
And it got so good to her, you know what she told me
Let me tell you what she told me, she said:
'Stroke it Clarence Carter, but don't stroke so fast
If my stuff ain't tight enough, you can stick it up my...' WOO!
I be strokin' Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
I be strokin'
I stroke it to the east
And I stroke it to the west
And I stroke it to the woman that I love the best, huh
I be strokin'
I be strokin' Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
I be strokin', Yeah!
I be strokin'
I stroke it to the north
I stroke it to the south
I stroke it everywhere
I even stroke it with my... Woo!
I be strokin'
I be strokin' Ha! Ha!
I be strokin'