Working Through the Weekend

I mean, no cartoon break this weekend.  I have to catch up before my next trip, which will be to Colorado Springs, CO.  The tentative date is 4 April.

So back to Spotsylvania....

The mall has the usual mix of shops that you find in every mall.  It has a Sears, JC Penneys, Macy's, and Belk department stores.  I knew I'm not going to find a makeover at the first two, but I wanted to get through my shopping list, go back to the Deb Shop and look at shoes, and the order didn't really matter now.  My number one priority, my nails, was done.

I walked into Macy's, glanced at some dresses and headed for Intimate Apparel.  The nightgowns were either short and sexy or hideous old lady gowns and pjs.  I didn't want to just buy hose, and, of course, there were no pants liners.  If it wasn't for Vanity Fair, there wouldn't even be slips in the department stores anymore.  The cosmetics department was mostly vacant and I didn't see anyone I felt like approaching so I moved on.

I also struck out at Sears and Penneys.  I decided Belk was my last chance at a makeover so I took a last walk around the mall.

I didn't think I'd be comfortable for the next two hours or so before I got to my hotel so I headed towards the restrooms, resigned to using the ladies' if necessary.  There was a wide-open door beckoning me to the family restroom and so the mysteries of the ladies' room remain, well, a mystery.  I used the family one, as I have in the past.

I skipped New York and Company, and Express, and Hot Topic and Coldwater Creek and American Eagle and all the stores that are the same in every mall in every town.

I did go to a store called The Shoe Dept.  It had a huge front window and a very inviting selection of shoes luring me in.  I tried on a couple of pair but I didn't see anything I was in love with (like, this was in my size, but it just isn't me).  They had several pairs I coveted (like this and this), but they did not come in my size.  Payless was equally bleak.

I walked through Victoria's Secret, browsing and thinking, if anyone asked if she could help me, I'd say I was looking for a bra but wasn't sure about size and see if I could get a fitting.  But I was a bit nervous about that and decided, if no-one approached me I was not going to approach someone there.

No-one did.

I walked to the opposite end of the mall to the Deb shop.  The shoes were wonderful.  Some were in 11, but none in a style I wanted.  I tried on a few pair but didn't find anything I really liked.

I walked back to Belk and was similarly disappointed by the selection in Intimate Apparel.  I headed to the makeup counter and only saw a couple of people there.  One older woman asked if she could help me.  I didn't think her makeup was in my style, and I wasn't sure what she could do, but I said "yes.  I'd like to know if someone could maybe redo my eyes."  She said "I think H is available" and she beckoned over a pretty college-age woman with blonde hair tied back and the ubiquitous black dress and white coat.  She led me to the Clinique counter.

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The Spotsylvania Creeper

First, a quick shout out to Linda.  Linda caught the Who reference in yesterday's post title.  The cello chorus from that song is my ringtone for a special friend (and reader).  Nobody is going to catch today's reference!

I parked near the entrance to Belk at the mall.  I changed into my pumps, picked up my purse, did a quick check in the mirror and opened the door.

In case you haven't made that first step out the door yet, or if you're at the driving at night stage (and you will move on) or sneaking out when no-one's around, here's what I've learned: it gets easier.

I remember the first time ~ the first few times ~ I was alone and going somewhere.  I sat in my car for what seemed like forever while my inner voice said "now!  You can do it!  C'mon ~ open the door.  Put Your Hand On The Door Handle And Pull NOW."

And I'd sit there.  I'd check and double check and triple check how I look, convinced everyone will know who I am, or someone I know will recognise my car, or I'll drop my car keys on the ground instead of into my purse, or....

A thousand things can go wrong.  A thousand things can go wrong any minute of any day.  That is the path to agoraphobia.

It gets easier.  I never turned the car back on an went home.  I never sat in the car for long; maybe ten minutes, probably less.  It seemed like the sun went down and came back up several times before I moved, that first trip to Fair Oaks mall.

I stepped out, touched the door handle, and the car locked with it's firm beep.  I headed towards the mall.

I always look at people.  There were several walking to or from their cars.  I don't recall anyone in particular looking back.  As I got to Belk, a woman in her 40s was walking out.  She smiled and nodded.  I did the same.

I walked through Belk, noticing where the makeup counter was.  I wanted to get my nails done first, maybe get my makeup redone at one of the department stores, and I had a short shopping list:

* pants liner.  I'm still looking for a pair.
* hose.  The first thing I did getting dressed that day was to snag my big toenail on my hose, leaving a hole on the inside of my left foot, just at the ball.  It wasn't really noticeable so I didn't change at home.  I had a couple of extra pair with me, but I wanted to have an extra extra pair.  It wasn't urgent, but as long as I was going to be in lingerie....  Yes, technically, I've been in lingerie all day, but you know what I mean!
* a nightgown.  I have purchased exactly one nightgown.  I picked up a few from freecycle, others I inherited from my wife when she outgrew them, the rest... I'm not sure.  I remember ordering one from Macy's many years ago.  It's a long nightie, very pretty.  I wanted something above or about knee length; not floor length, not babydoll.  I had a couple of short nighties with me, but I wanted to buy one I liked.

But first on my list was nails.  I walked into the mall and started looking for nail places.  It seemed there were three.

I headed to the right towards Maxus Nails and Skin Care.  It seemed crowded, and I saw a couple of men working among the women.  I prefer women to work on my nails.  The first time I went for a manicure alone, a male manicurist (I think he was the owner) with what I can only describe as a leer sat down to do my nails.  I said "I prefer a female technician."  He looked crestfallen, got up, and a young Asian lady sat down.  I don't care how I'm dressed.  I don't want to be holding hands with a man for a half-hour.

Right next door was a Deb Shop!  I've been wanting to go to one for a long time, and now I had my chance.

But I was on a mission.  I walked around the mall until I found Nails Pizazz.  It looked better, but there was one more shop: Konad Nail Art.  I found it ~ it looked kind of trendy for an older woman such as myself.  They had a banner on the door telling us commoners what's in and what's out.  I was afraid whatever I wanted would be "out."  I know I'm not 18, but I don't need to be reminded.  I headed back to Pizazz.

It was busy, but there didn't seem to be a wait.  A man (again, I think he was the owner) came up and asked what I wanted.  I told him I'd like a manicure and he steered me towards "station 9."

My manicurist was a Vietnamese woman of maybe 25.  Her English was heavily accented and I could not understand a lot of what she said, when she tried to make small talk (or even to tell me to wash my hands), or when I asked her a question.

In spite of the lack of conversation, it was still nice.  I enjoy manicures and pedicures.  She did a nice job on my nails, offered a pleasant hand massage, and my nails dried cleanly.  The first couple of manicures I ruined almost immediately even though I thought the nails were dried well.  These stayed nice until I took off the polish.

She offered to paint flowers on my nails ~ I declined, but I'm not sure why.

She treated me as she would any other customer.

I've said it before: if you've never had a manicure or pedicure, go for it!  Sit down, let your technician do her magic, relax, and enjoy the procedure and the results.

Before I left, I asked if she would take a picture of me with my new manicure.  She gave a pleading look to the man who I saw when I first came in, and he came over.  She told him what I wanted.  He took the camera, and my picture.  Maybe you can see his reflection in the photo.

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Stafford Marketplace and Spotsylvania Mall

I like the look of the Spotsylvania Mall.  The Stafford Marketplace is about 13 miles further north and looks to be an open shopping center, as opposed to an enclosed mall.  I've never been to either.  An open shopping center is unlikely to have family restrooms.  The mall might but I haven't found direct evidence yet.

I prefer open centers; I may stop to look around if I change at Potomac Mills, since this is on the way.

The Spotsylvania Mall looks like it has a good selection of shops.  There is a DEB shop, which I've been trying to get to since Kansas when I was standing outside but didn't get through the door.  I still haven't gone to the one about 30 miles from my house, and I got sidetracked in El Paso.  I know, DEB is more for teenagers, but I like the look of their shoes and I want to look around.  And I don't have to worry about fitting new shoes into my carry-on luggage this time!

Check out the Spotsylvania directory.  They have a couple of dozen shops listed under "Women's Fashion" another dozen shoe stores, and about two dozen more under the "Beauty and Health" banner.  It's anchored by a Belk, Macy's, Penneys, and Sears.  There is an adjunct that seems to be mostly unpopulated but has a Coldwater Creek, Salon and Spa, a shoe store, and some restaurants.

What I'm saying is, I can probably shop until my feet can't take it anymore.  But I don't know if they have family restrooms.

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Deb Shop Eludes Me Again!

I did go to the outlet shops about twelve miles from here, although my GPS (aka "the woman who is trying to kill me") sent me off in the wrong direction and it was more like fifteen miles.
Oddly enough, the shops are not in a closed mall. There is a kind of roof over much of it, but it's definitely outdoors. When it's 103 degrees, you notice little details like that.

There are basically eight buildings, each is very long and not too wide. There are three rows of two, and one on each side perpendicular to the others. Since there are no shops on the "outside" of the buildings, that's basically two long rows of shops with more shops on each end. It's hard to describe and I'm not doing a great job.

It's like this:

The boxes are buildings. The red lines are where the storefronts are.

I went into a LOT of stores. Remember I was in drab today.

I stuck to stores that might have something I wanted to buy and skipped stores like Hot Topic which have nice clothes but not really for me. I usually listen to the music in the store for a moment and decide to stay or go based on what I hear.

The mall was not crowded. Many stores just had a couple of shoppers, or one shopper, or maybe just me in there. I was always the only male shopper.

One of my first stops was Liz Claiborne. I found some nice tops and passable black pants. If I remember, I'll do an entry on what makes women's clothes suitable for drab wear. The pants had everything right ~ length, not too hippy, decent pockets, belt loops... it was all good.

So I asked if I could try them on. The woman at the desk said "sure".

Keep in mind, I'm in drab. Liz only sells women's clothing.

This goes back to the comfort zone thing. I don't know why I felt OK doing that today. In the past, I've taken women's clothing into the men's dressing room. Here I was, telling this stranger that I'm looking for women's pants to wear.

She was fine with that. They fit quite well. I asked her to put them aside for me, and I'd come back when I was ready to leave the shopping area. Frankly, they were a bit pricey so I wasn't sure I'd get them.

I went directly across from Liz and there was Ann Taylor. I looked around, I spoke to the sales assistants. I did that in every store, I think. I said I was just looking, in general.

Further down, there was a Soma Intimates next door to a Maidenform store. I went into both. In one, when she asked if she could help I said "I don't know. I can never find anything that fits right in this store." In the other, I said "yes, I see something I like but I'd need a bra fitting first." In both cases, I got a laugh.

I stopped at a Gold Toe store (socks) and admitted that I was looking for socks. I think that the ones I have for the flight home (white with blue flowers) have a hole, so I wanted an extra pair. I got two. I was looking for white and these are a light beige. Each has a flower/plant theme. If I have to take off my shoes at the airport, I want to have nice socks underneath (my to-El-Paso socks had large gold snowflakes on them).

I also saw a Hanes/Bali/Playtex store, so I stopped in to look at panties. They weren't a great bargain, but I picked up two ($7 each, normally $24 for 3). I should have waited. Although the directory listed it as "VF Outlet", it was a Vanity Fair outlet. I really like Vanity Fair panties. They fit well and are very comfortable. I looked. They had panties for $3.50 or so. I was tempted to return the others but walking was becoming more painful so I soldiered on.

I looked around in a Rack Room Shoes store. They had some really nice shoes ~ heels are getting higher ~ but not in my size. The one or two I saw in 11, I didn't like much.

I also went into a store called "Brown Shoe Closet" which sold handbags and, not surprisingly, shoes. The sales assistant, in response to my "I'm just going to look around" said "there are additional sizes available in the back". Clearly, I'm not the first guy who came in looking for shoes. And they came up with a way to say "I know you want shoes for yourself" without saying "I know you wear women's shoes."

I don't know who runs this store, but they should clone her. I did see a couple of pair I loved, but my luggage and budget are bursting, so I didn't ask if she had them in my size. I felt if I asked and she did, I'd be obligated to buy. Much later, it occurred to me I could simply say "no, they just don't fit right but Thank You!"

So now I have to figure out how to fit all this into my bursting suitcase. Meg takes up a lot of room.

And no Meg on Monday. I just wanted to take a shower and go to bed (OK, wearing a nightie). And I realise I HAVE to shower before changing here. It's impossible to be outside and not be a mess!

Anyway, I spent way too much time at the outlet stores and never did get to Las Cruses where the Deb store is.

But I did go back and buy those pants.

Thinking About Texas

Being joined by my manager, G, changes things somewhat.

I've decided Meg will join me, even if she's just in the hotel room. G will be staying in the same hotel, and she'll be on the same flight back to Virginia.

She'll also be coming to El Paso later in the day than I am, so Meg may roam freely on Monday. I haven't decided if she will. As I said, I like to scope out the area before I go out and I don't know if I'll have time. It also depends on whether I can get early check-in, and I can pre-shave arms and legs and all. It's hard to spend a half-hour in the bathroom with the electric shaver, and the razor doesn't do a neat job on my non-facial hair and I don't know why.

I may just do some shopping in the El Paso area. If I can, I'll go to New Mexico to that Deb store and see if they have the pumps I want in my size. I may pack an oversized suitcase light, and have room to bring back some clothing if I shop. I may even take advantage of being 2000 miles from and try on some girl clothes, even if I'm in drab. Or shop for cowboy (cowgirl) boots.

I was considering packing so everything could be carried on, but I'd be embarrassed if they had to go through my luggage and G was standing there. When my former manager hinted to G (with my tacit approval) that dressing up was something I do on occasion, G reacted not so much with denial as with incomprehension.

I know it won't be a non-Meg week. I doubt I'll bring my netbook, so I won't be able to video chat if I'm dressed up and stuck inside, unless readers want to.... Let me know before I pack!

I know I'll have an entry or two from the trip. I'm just not sure what they'll be about yet! And I'll try to post from the road.

Priorities + Some Sources

When I left this morning, I had the address of the Manassas Mall (where the Deb store is, where those shoes I love are) in my gps. I spent the day at the company "summerfest" and planned on heading over afterwards.

Instead, I spoke to my youngest who wanted to know when I'd be coming home because he wanted to do some things with me today.

So I came home. The shoes, I hope, will wait. And if I really really wanted them, I can order on-line. My wife doesn't like to see that I'm bringing More Meg Stuff into the house. Even when I get it for free.

OK, that source: I belong to the local freecycle group. For the uninitiated, freecycle is a yahoo group where you can post offers of stuff you don't want. People who are interested send you an e-mail, you arrange to hand it off. No money changes hands. Sometimes, you see a wanted post ~ someone asking for something they need. These aren't very common.

After you get rid of your item, you post a taken. If the item you requested comes your way, you post a received. Someday, I'm going to post

WANTED: Porshe Carrera GT in Perfect Condition

A few days later, I'll post a RECEIVED. :)

I also thought if I posted an OFFER: of that same car, I'd find out the e-mail address of everyone on freecycle.

I've uncluttered a lot on freecycle. Books, my old grill, miscellaneous items. One woman's trash and all that.

I never request items. With one exception of course. I've scored dresses, tops, shoes, even slips. Some I can use, some I can't. What I can't use goes to the clothing swap. My most recent pickup was a half-dozen skirts. Four fit and are a style I will wear.

The six-inch sandals pictured here came from freecycle:



In the past few days, someone offered a wedding dress, size 14. It's a bit big, but I was very tempted. I decided to leave it for someone who might actually use it for, say, a wedding. I never freecycle clothing myself. People who know me and my wife are on this list. If I offer, say, some size 10 skirts, and they know my wife is a 1X, red flags will be raised.

I know I should keep my mouth shut. There Will Be Local Ladies who will now be competing with me, but this blog is about sharing. So join, post, clean up your house, and maybe get a special item of clothing. And look for clothing swaps on meetup. You might find some other treasures.