Playing Gay-mes

OK, I'm behind.

Before going out

I went to the GLBT gamers meetup over a week ago.  When I arrived, the organiser was there and he directed me to a table where a game was just starting and they had room for a third player.  The guy at the table was teaching the game to a woman at the table and I introduced myself, sat down, and we started playing something called "Global Thermonuclear War."

No, not really, but I bet most of you know where that one came from.  We played a game called "Manhattan Project" which was interesting but I made a tactical error and chose to keep the teacher off-balance while the other player succeeded in her goal. 

While I was playing a couple of adults and some kids sat down at the next table, playing Risk.  A third table was formed by three guys playing "Ticket to Ride," which had something to do with Beatles trivia. 

Showing Charity's artwork (eyes)

Again, no, not really.  It had something to do with building railroads and it looked a lot simpler than building atomic bombs (which is what we were trying to do).  I would have stayed for another game of something but I had to change and get my son later that afternoon.

What was missing was any attention or comments because I was dressed.  Not even a look from the kids.  Not even a comment on how cute my outfit was.  Ah well.

I wanted to get pictures of Meg playing, but I wanted to respect the privacy of the other players.  I don't know if they all fit under the GLBT umbrella, or if some came because, well, it's hard to find people who want to play Manhattan Project.  But anyone in that room might have been uncomfortable with being associated with a GLBT group, to outsiders who might stumble upon my blog.

The big picture

As t-girls, I think most of us can be confident that if our photograph was published it might be identified as a guy, it most likely wouldn't be recognised.  But the men and women there are not "in disguise," as I was.

Next time, I'll ask.  But that's for next time.


The fact that they joined a specifically GLBT group instead of a generic gaming group implied that part of the goal was to play, part was to be with community members.  And, of course, the gender community is different from the orientation community, but I wasn't treated as an intruder.  I was treated as a gamer.

But this time, Meg was out with a group she has never been out with before ~ always hard for me, whether male or Meg.  I interacted freely, which is something I'm still becoming comfortable with.  There was zero discussion (at least while I was there) of anything but games, which was cool.

Every outing, every interaction boosts confidence.  Right now, I'm not sure what I'm looking for, as Meg.  I can't be sure if I'm looking for new experiences, or to do Things I'd Enjoy as Meg.  There could be a problem here: there is a limit to the number of new experiences I can have.  If I decide gaming is something I'd like to do regularly, I can go again and again ~ every time out is different anyway.

Style note: Charity picked up the sweater and skirt for me.  She wanted to check out a new Goodwill that opened along her work/home route.  I was looking for a winter/casual look and I think this worked pretty well ~ well enough that I considered it for my next outing but changed my mind at the last minute.  Charity also did my makeup.  For my next outing, Charity had to work late so I did my own face, which is good.  I need practice, but it's hard to pass up an offer from Charity to work her magic.  She didn't attend this meetup though.

See?  I really did go out!

The outdoor picture was taken by me, with my camera sitting on my car, after the meet.

Last weekend, I met with a "civilian" game group and a trans group, both meeting people for the first time. 

My relative nervous levels:
Civilians: high.   People I don't know, and I don't know how they'll react to someone they're really not expecting.  But I had an ally there.

GLBT: medium-high.  People I don't know, going solo, people who might have an agenda I do not share.

Trans: medium.  People I don't know, and may have formed cliques that I won't be able to break in to.  (Not their fault; I've mentioned that I'm a classic introvert before).

Stories to come.

I Better Be Ready

I walked over to KMart during the day Wednesday and I picked up one of these.  They had that camo finish, or dark blue.  Neither was my first choice, but I picked a blue one up anyway.  It folds flat, weighs little, and if I can make a little room in my regular bag I can carry it on my trip, empty.  I bought it now so I could bring home my extra skirts.  I may also buy something in Tucson (if I find anything interesting or unusual) and I STILL might try the ballet flat idea.  If I do, I'll need to carry my male shoes, which are bulky and will never fit in my bag without other considerations.

I also spent five on a pack of three trouser socks.  If I wear the flats, I'll need thin socks.  Not that I'm saying I'll do it yet.  But I'm ready.

One disappointment here: I cannot wear my cami or cinch under two of my shirts.  One shows every strap; the other is a nicer material and a bit clingy.  Under either, I can see the straps (and one of my camis is shaped for my bust so even though the cup material is thin it still bunches and shows a bit.  A bit too much.  If I leave off the cami, there's a bit of a "muffin top" above my cinch.  I'll wear my denim shirt again today so I can wear my cinch and that nice cami.

The plan for today is to meet Dorothy for dinner in Tucson.  If I can get there early, Meg will meet her.  If not, well, at least I'll be wearing all women's clothing.  It's not much but it's better than nothing.

Before I left for work I got rid of as much hair as I could, except for a close facial shave.  The dress I'll probably wear has 3/4 sleeves and my top has long sleeves, but for some reason I decided to completely shave my arms and underarms.

While here, I made a list of everything I brought so I can use this as a serious starting point.  I'm going to make three lists from that one: Things I Must Bring, Things I'd Like To Have, Things I Can Replace.  I must bring my contacts.  I'd like to have my wig (because it's tricky to replace), and most makeup is easy to replace.

Wednesday night, I did a dry run, trying on my padding and shoes and top and each skirt.  And, even with all my planning, I still messed up.  I am certain I took out a white plain Flexee cami.  I remember noticing that it was very stretchy and was shaped for my bust.  But it didn't make it to Arizona.  I hope I put it away!  My top is a scoop neck and almost too low.  I wanted to wear a higher neck cami underneath so I'd get a kind of "crescent moon" shape.  I think if I'm careful it'll be fine, but I'd rather have the extra layer.

Sometimes, I amaze myself.

Oh....  One of the skirts I picked up at Goodwill had the original tags from Macy's.  It's lined, multi-gored, very swingy and I like it alot, except for the length (just below knee; I'd prefer just above).  And the original price on this $7 skirt was $59.

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Prep (Continued)

Sometimes, dressing takes precedence over common sense. If you've been reading this blog for a bit, you know that's true for me. It may be true for you as well.

Tuesday, after I wrote my Wednesday morning post, I did a couple of things.

I Took a Little Risk

No need for lawyers, guns, and money though. I took a little break from work and went to the Goodwill store. The Goodwill store is about a hundred paces from my office. Remember I said I maybe wanted to find a skirt that would fit better than the black one and would go with the purple top? I picked up three for about $12.  Believe it or not, there are three more I wanted to buy but I left them on the rack.  If I was smart, I would have bought a brown or black top instead.

So I not only had to hope I wouldn't run into one of my coworkers either in or near the store, since I had parked right in front of the office I had to walk the length of the parking lot with a bag that said "Goodwill" on it. Mission accomplished though.

I Broke the Bank

In a manner of speaking. My luggage is full to bursting. I overpacked, and now I have that panty and three more skirts. I went to the mall after work to see if I can get something light, foldable, nylon, and zippered to put my overflow in and, in the future, bring with me to handle overflow. A strap like a shoulder bag would be fine. I can put clothes in it and bring it on the plane without wondering if my suitcase will explode.

Part of the problem is my forms. My old ones are failing rapidly, and I think it's because of my taking them to see the country. I put them in plastic bags, but they're soft silicone and the thin plastic shell is separating from said silicone and they're not the wonderful boobs they used to be.

I mentioned a few months ago that I bought replacements. They each come in a cardboard box with a hard plastic insert to hold them in place. These take up a lot of room in my suitcase, so I haven't brought the boxes before. This time, I had a brilliant idea so I brought them, in their boxes.

I took out the plastic insert and put the form into the insert. I packed some panties around the concave side of the form so they wouldn't collapse if placed upside down. Then I placed the box over the plastic insert, so it's held into the "bottom" of the box. Then I put more undies and other soft small items around the convex part of the form. So now, I can use the box to store not only the form but some clothes as well!

They travelled well, but I hadn't thought it through. I have less clean clothes to pack around the forms on my way home. Hence, the search for a little extra bag, for the clothes I can no longer pack into the forms box.

I looked in the small mall on Tuesday after work, but found nothing. Next up: Walmart, Target, Kmart, all near the office.

I Overdid It

My "waist training" became too much too soon. Around 1030, I moved the belt another notch tighter.  In the evening, I measured: my normally 34" belt was notched down to 31". By 1230, I realised I had overdone it and I had to back off. This sort of influenced my decision to head for Goodwill and another skirt.

Also

Tuesday, I felt crappy.  For some reason, after getting only four hours of sleep Sunday night, I decided to make up for it by only sleeping for four hours Monday night.  After 300 I just could not fall back asleep.  I'll feel better by the weekend!

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