Thursday, December 9, 2010

Rally Report IX: Meanwhile, Back at the Office

A few days after the rally, I printed five "Christine" pictures and brought them to work.  One woman here, S, knows.  Most of the people I showed the pictures to saw me last year, when Meg came to the office on Halloween.  Yes, I'll get to that story soon.  Yes, I've been saying that for a while.

I'll mention it if someone didn't see me last year.

I started with F.  I found her at her desk and I said "do you want to see something really scary?" I then showed her a picture.  I said "Christine O'Donnell came to the rally."  She stared in silence for a good five seconds before saying "is this for real?"  I assured her it was.  She wanted to know if I was really at the rally.  She said I looked better than last year.  I said "I should.  I had a year to practice."  F is an ideological opposite.  She'd think Senator O'Donnell, or President Palin, sounds just fine.  We still enjoy each others company.

F wanted to know if the same person did my makeup.  I said, no, I did it.  She seemed amazed.  She also said that I was the "talk of the office" last year.  I didn't know that.  I was off on my side of the office and most of the people are in the other wing.

I then talked to W who was at the rally.  I told her I wore a costume ~ I dressed as the scariest thing I could think of, and told her who.  The immediate reaction was an "oh god!" from the cubicle behind her.  That didn't sound promising, so I didn't show him the pictures.

I came by later to show W my photos.  She first asked who it was, then said "oh my god!  It's you" and started laughing.

I saw B.  I rarely have reason to speak with her, but a few months ago when we ran into each other, out of the blue, she made a favourable comment about last year.  So when I saw her, I said "you liked my costume last year, didn't you?"  She said "I LOVED your costume."  I showed her the pictures and said "this is this year."  She said I looked "better than last year" and I used the same I-had-a-year-to-practice line.  So far, no-one's questioned that.  If I knew her better, I might tell B about Meg, but my gut says not to.

A couple of days after last year's halloween costume, E came up to me and said, very ernestly, "you looked really really good."  I think if he wasn't married he would have asked me out.  So I dropped by his office and said "you seemed to appreciate last year's costume so I did a repeat."  He laughed a "wow" as he looked at the pictures.  No leering this time though. :(  He recognised that the pictures were of the rally.  He didn't ask about who did makeup or anything along those lines.  Darn civilians!

A note of explanation about the :( .  If it's safe, leering is OK.  It's another new experience I don't get to have as a guy, although I wouldn't mind that either (if it's from the ladies!).

I showed A the pictures.  A works for F, who suggested I show them to her.  She looked at them.  I said they were taken at the rally in DC last weekend.  She looked at the last then looked at me, then at the picture, then at me again.  I said "I was Christine O'Donnell ~ the scariest person I could think of."  She laughed and said "you make a very pretty woman."  I said "thank you.  I made her myself from a kit."  A doesn't know, and wasn't here last year so she didn't see Meg then.

I dropped by R's desk.  I don't know her well at all.  We chatted briefly once or twice.  S, who is R's boss, wanted to see the pictures but we haven't connected yet.  S sits next to R.  I told R I wanted to show S my rally pictures.  R said "you can show them to me."  She looked at the first one and said "who's that?"  I said "Christine O'Donnell.  She was a senate candidate in Delaware."  She looked at the second and I said "it's also me."  She looked at the third and said "no way.  That's not you."  She also said "you're very good at this."  I said "I've been doing it all my life."  She said "why?" and laughed and we didn't pursue that further.  I didn't remember if she was here last year.  She was.  She said she saw me and knew who I was but didn't believe it.

I had been trying to catch up with S, who I told a couple of months ago.   It took about two weeks before I finally did.  I showed her a few pictures and told her I had my hands and eyebrows waxed, and had shaved my arms and legs ~ all stuff she didn't really notice.  She remembered seeing the suit from the previous pictures I had shown her.  She then looked at me and said "I expected more.  These are too tame."  I said "like what?  Pole dancing?" and she said "fishnets at least."  I told her my friend (I showed her a picture of the two of us) was kind of uncomfortable and he would've freaked if I did more.  I want to say to her "if you want to dress me up to go out, let me know ~ I'll do whatever you want."  I doubt I will.

I wanted to show C my pictures, but she's hard to get hold of.  She only works in the office a couple of days a week and is often in meetings.  She's always out on Friday so she missed me last year.  I remember her saying she had "heard all about" what I did, and then said "you dressed like a chick or something," which meant she didn't hear all about it.  She just overheard something about it.  I finally caught up with her and showed her one of the pictures.  She stared at it, did the now-familiar "Oh.  My.  God." and I told her who I was supposed to be.  She said "you look like a girl" and I said "well, she looks like a girl."  She said, "no, you REALLY look like a girl."

I have a couple of more "victims" tomorrow, then I'm done.



2 comments:

  1. You lucky, lucky lady, I wish someone told me what 'C' told you. I bet you feel good, and so you should
    Louise

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  2. This was one of your best posts, ever. I have been struggling for a while with your definition of 'civilian'. Are you limiting that class only to men who have never cross dressed or had the inclination to do so. I think that there are large numbers of men who may have never cross dressed or given the subject much thought but who admire, fear and do not understand women and who are intimidated by the mysticism of feminity.

    The only male 'civilian' you noted was 'E' and you seemed disappointed that he did not allow the discussion to go into the technical details of your well applied makeup or how you pulled the rest of your look together. Many men are clueless of the efforts and talent and experience that is necessary to get a good makeup job. They think that it comes naturally to all women and more often than not they cannot tell a good makeup job from a bad one. GGs on the other hand know how hard it is to get the makeup right. They appreciate the time and effort involved and they know that a lot of trial and error is involved to get it 'right'. I would take the comments about your makeup and the rest of your look from the GGs as supreme compliments and a strong affirmation of the not yet disclosed 'Meg'.

    GGs can spot bad makeup or a wardrobe faux pas from a mile away. They know that good makeup and wardrobe is not accidental or incidental.

    Therefore, if you include GGs as 'civilians' I would say you got great civilian feedback.

    It is not a surprise that 'F', your ideological opposite, would be comfortable with your dress and expressed admiration and appreciation for the effort that you went to in order to look as good and convincingly female as you did for the rally. It was also affirming that she shared her opinion that you looked better and did a better job on your makeup and presentation than the prior year. Your quip "I had a year to practice" may not have brought a response but I am sure that it registered and was duly noted and accepted in the good grace and humor in which it was offered.

    Good job,
    Pat

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