Hi Folks, 17 December 2019
This post was originally posted 17 December 2019 on the TransRefuge site.
08 May 2020 - First day TransHaven.org open to the public.
In April 2020, Dena and I started this site, TransHaven.org for you the members. Dena and I both are from two other transgender Websites: Susan's Place and TransRefuge.
We chose to build this site because we believe we can provide a more welcoming environment where the Members and their Opinions are Welcome and not subject to the whims of moderators and/or staff. We only ask that there be no bashing of each other. We all have opinions and ideas; we can respectfully agree to disagree if and when the need arises.
Dena and I are here to provide help for those needing help, to keep the lights burning, the WELCOME sign in the window lit and the Welcome mat out in front of our Door, which is always open. By the way, Dena and I are a couple, we are partners here and in real life; Dena, is the Love of My life.
Christine's Bio:
I am 79 years young, born in Ohio, Akron to be specific, reared in Cuyahoga Falls from 1946 until 1960 when my family moved to Munroe Falls. What's with all the Falls? There were man made water falls in both towns and Cuyahoga Falls had a couple natural falls and still has one man made falls awaiting demolition. Cuyahoga Falls took its name from the Cuyahoga River that flows through the middle of the town. Cuyahoga is believed to mean "Crooked River" from the Mohawk Indian name Cayagaga.
Cuyahoga Falls was a great place to grow up in back in the 40's through early 60's. What happened? Long story not for here. Short story, Greed and Government mismanagement. A number of people became quite wealthy and the Downtown disintegrated. If you know anything about "Urban Renewal" you will understand.
In January 1963 I joined the US NAVY as my way of avoiding the Draft, where you have little in the way of choices. In so doing I traded a 2 year US Army draft obligation for a 4 year US Navy volunteer commitment. At that time all males over 18.5 years of age, had a 6 year military obligation. When I was released from Active Duty, I still had two years remaining of my 6 year Naval Service obligation. Since I completed 4 years active duty, my last 2 years were as a "Ready Reservist" subject to recall at the discretion of the US Navy. I received my Honorable Discharge 23 January 1969; my 6 year Military obligation ended that day. I was still registered with the Draft Board and had a Draft Classification of 4A; in those days it kind of meant: "Woman and Children First."
When I left the Navy I was hired by General Instrument Corporation in Hicksville NY as an Engineer. After two months in Hicksville, my security clearance came through so off to Yokosuka, Japan and the US Naval Base where I was assigned back to my first ship, the USNS Michelson T-AGS 23, an Oceanographic Research vessel manned mostly by civilians, which I now was, and still am.
I arrived there 17 March 1967 and remained until mid April 1968. Returned to CONUS (Continental United States) and Ohio where I remained until 15 September 1969. I returned to General Instrument Corp as a Senior Engineer. I remained in Hicksville until mid November when my security clearance was reinstated. I then headed back to Yokosuka and the USNS Michelson for my third time aboard her 19 November 1969. This time I stayed until 22 June 1972. I will say I did enjoy going to sea, especially as a civilian; I was paid well for my services.
Went back to Ohio 22 June 1972. I didn't much care for the Akron area, the weather is not to my liking, average annual sunshine is about 67 days.
In November 1978 I started working in Texas; moved here officially 09 April 1979. Bought a house in Southlake and have been here off and on since. Now Phoenix Arizona is my real home. I lived in Mexico City for two years, and three months in Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. Yes, I have bounced around a good bit.
I was in Mexico City from 1990 to 1992, then spent two more years going back and forth, two weeks in Mexico City and two weeks home. Liked doing that as I wasn't away from my pups but a couple weeks each month.
Two years of that and it was time to do something else. Went freelancing for a couple years then picked up a contact in Boston in 1996. That lasted until 1997 then went to Singapore and KL Did more freelance consulting until 1998.
Next I subcontracted writing software for ANB-AMRO of the Netherlands; they owned several large banks in the US so I wrote software for them. In 1999 the company I was subcontracting with decided I was too expensive so they sent me a letter terminating my services. I called the bank I was doing the work for and let them know I had been terminated by company "O." They said they decided who worked on their project so they sent me a contract that started the first Sunday after my contract ended, which was a Friday. I was without a contract one day. It took company "O" six months to figure they no longer had a contract with ABN. They got greedy; what they didn't realize is that 100% of nothing is nothing.
I worked for ABN for 6 years. In all that time I spent two weeks working at the bank. After that I worked from my own office and didn't have to travel again. In 2004 I decided to look into a job in Law Enforcement. Checked with a couple Cops I knew. They said I needed to go to a police academy, pass the course and then pass the state exam.
Here I was, 64 and in good physical shape. Went to the academy and inquired about getting into the next class. I knew they were skeptical about my chances of making it through. They danced around the age issue by asking dumb questions, an example: "What about your health?" "It's going to be a tough 18 weeks, What about your physical abilities?" I told them if I had any concern about not making it I would not have applied.
About a month prior to the class starting, I received my acceptance letter. That made my day. Class started in early August 2004, a few weeks before my 64th birthday. Class was physically tough due to the extreme PT, which I was able to handle quite well. I was the oldest in the class, even older than the folks running it. The closest person to my age was 44, next 42 then the rest of the class was 40 years my junior. There were only three classmates that could out perform me physically, they were young men recently out of the service and 40 years younger.
During the first official day of class they had us running and doing strenuous physical activity. About 1/3 of the class were heaving their guts out and unable to complete the days exercises. The youngest recruit in the class was a 21 year old whose brother was already a police Officer.
The second day of class started out much the same as the previous day. At that time of year it was hot here in Texas, temps nearing 100 degrees. As the day progressed they decided we needed to run one of the courses they had on the academy grounds. When my turn came up I took off with the 21 year old behind me waiting for the word to start his run, I had already gone around the academy building before he started. After I came around the last turn I could see a commotion up near the first turn of the track. Long story short, the 21 year old man was dead from a heart attack.
The autopsy report found that his heart was of a normal size but the veins and arteries connected to it were too small. He had been treated for asthma all his life when in fact he was not asthmatic. From that day on, all academy sanctioned PT was canceled until further notice. Most academy students took advantage of the halt and rested. There was a small group of us that continued and went beyond the academy requirements.
About 6 weeks after the incident PT resumed. Talk about a sore bunch of muscles owned by the lazy ones. One of the things my age allowed me was the ability to have candid conversations with the academy staff. About 2 weeks before graduation I was talking with the Class Coordinator, a retired police officer 15 years my junior. While we were talking, I said the irony of ironies is the person you least expected to die did, and the person you expected to didn't. He said: "You're right."
I graduated, became a cop. Did that for a year then resigned to look after my father. He was 94 and in failing health. He needed 24 X 7 care so that's what I did until 07 October 2006, 4 days shy of my father's 95th birthday.
While I was in the academy class I decided to give up my consulting business and concentrate on becoming a good cop. I did and had a lot of fun. There were aspects that were heartbreaking. I did a lot of work with CPS (Child Protective Services); they would call me at all hours of the day or night to help them with a case; I went along as protection for the case worker and the children. In my short time there I was instrumental in 11 children being removed from their abusive and or drug abusing parents.
My father passed away in 2006 so I just retired. Spent time flying, and visiting friends. I always had a love for trees so in 2010 I decided to become an arborist. Looked around the net and found one of the best schools in the country, which happened to be in my home town of Akron, Ohio. I called and signed up for a class in July 2010. I was again the oldest student in the class; as it turned out, I was also the oldest that had ever attended their training. At the time, I was 70.
From 2010 I did tree work, pruning, wrecking them out and whatever else they needed. I did the climbing, rigging and sawing. The day after Thanksgiving, 23 Nov 2018, I had to give up tree work due to the Medication I am on for the DVT I developed that day.
I will be on Xarelto for the rest of my life; it's an anticoagulant which makes it difficult for my blood to clot, thus preventing further DVTs and other clots. If I were to injure myself via a nasty cut from a chainsaw, I could bleed to death before anyone could get to me with an antidote. There's also the chance that if they did arrive in time, they wouldn't have the antidote as it is extremely expensive. Just how expensive? How does $50,000.00 per treatment sound?
Sounds like the antidote will be hard to come by. Xarelto keeps me alive so I take precautions; no longer climb trees, use chainsaws or work on rooftops. I do miss the tree climbing.
In my main thread I have chronicled my transition so there's no point in reposting it here. Now you know me better than most as this is the first time I have written this extensive of a BIO and posted it on the net. I'll probably come back and add a few things I may have missed.
My real home is in Phoenix Arizona. I am here in Texas preparing to head home after selling what needs to be sold before returning.
Thanks for stopping in and hopefully joining this site and the wonderful group of members here; we are small, just starting out. Today, 08 May 2020 is our first day open to the public.
You the members are the most important element of this site; Dena and I, are here to facilitate the site and to help those needing help. We are open to suggestions and we will follow the same rules as all members.
Thank You for reading this post and visiting your site. Yes, it is your site, Dena and I are just the caretakers.
Best Always, Love
Christine
