Halloween 2009 - Part II

In preparation for Halloween, I went to a few nearby salons, trying to line up someone to do my makeup. 

You all know how I plan and replan and overplan.  I had done my own makeup a few times by then, and I was comfortable with the results, but I wanted to have someone else do my makeup.  I had three reasons:
* mistakes were less likely
* it would take less time
* I had cover.  I wasn't ready to admit to the office that I dressed at that time.  If people commented on my makeup I could honestly say "I had a pro do it."

So, as I said, I went to a few nearby salons, trying to line up someone to do my makeup.  There weren't many.  Most opened too late to be useful.  One sounded hopeful but after speaking to her once, the makeup lady stopped being available.  I understand.  We can be a little much for some people.  I don't push myself at anyone.

By the way, there was no scheduled Halloween events at the office.  Other than a silly hat or two, I'd be the only "costume."

I figured there were still two options.

Before the big day, I packed my clothes, shoes, wig, jewelry, and makeup into a small overnight bag and headed to the office.

There are two malls near my office.  I planned to change at the closer, more upscale one.  I didn't expect them to open as early as I wanted to get to the office so I just brought my bag in the car and went to work.

A little while later, N came in.  She said "I thought you were going to dress as a woman!"  I corrected her ~ I said I'd wear women's clothing and I was wearing women's jeans, socks, a polo, sneakers.  I told her she'd have to take my word for it on panties.  (I use that line a lot and everyone agrees to take my word. :) )  She agreed to do that as well, but she also (rightfully) accused me of chickening out.  I told her I'd go change at 10 and be back at 11.  She was good with this.  I also wanted to make sure that she'd be in the office then ~ I wanted cover in case I came in and she decided to take the day off, or be on travel.  N was not the best at letting the team know her plans.

Just before 10, I went to the mall.  I took my bag with me and considered my two options.

One was to have someone at the mall do my makeover.  I walked through Macy's, and there was also a Nieman and another upper-scale store.  I planned to check them all out, but I wasn't crazy about the department store option.  Then I walked past the MAC store.  There were a couple of women working there and one customer.  I walked up to one of the women and she asked if she could help me.  I explained that I'm going to be dressed in drag and would like to know if someone in the store could do my makeup.  Once I convinced her I was serious, she wanted to know when.  I pointed to my bag and said I could change in about ten or fifteen minutes and come back.  She said that would be OK.  I said I may put on foundation and lipstick just so I don't stand out too much.  She said that was fine too, or she could do it all.  I asked her to please wait for me ~ I am serious and I will be returning very soon.  She promised she'd be available.

I went down the mall to the family restroom.  I had shaved as close as I could before leaving the house, and I made sure my arms, legs, and chest were clean as well.  I quickly removed my "male" clothes and put on my bra, pads, hose, camisole, half-slip, and heels.  I put on my wig and then realised I did not bring my favourite, but it wasn't a showstopper.  It was good enough.  I made a mental note to label the bags with my wigs ~ 1, 2, 3, and 4 ~ for my favourite down to the one I'd wear if 1, 2, and 3 were unavailable.  This was number 3.

I put on sunglasses and looked critically in the mirror.

Woman from the neck down, with a man's face.  I removed the dress and put on my liquid foundation.  I put on a coat of lipstick and my (women's, of course) sunglasses.  It wasn't great, but it was better and good enough for the walk down the mall to MAC in a somewhat quiet mall.

I put on my jewelry, packed away my other clothes and shoes, and walked back to MAC, enjoying the sound of my heels on the tile floor.  I avoided being looked at ~ when someone would look my way, or if I was even passing or about to pass someone, I did some "window shopping" and kept my gaze directed at the stores.

Meg at MAC

Back at MAC, I found the makeup lady had kept her promise.

One difference between MAC and the department store counters: the department store makeovers are free.  MAC cost $50 but you can put that towards a purchase.  I was OK with that, and I bought a couple of the products she used on me: powder and lipstick, and I picked up a foundation that matched the powder.  I can't remember; I may have picked up a blush as well.

My quick change wasn't as quick as I expected, and she took her time on the makeover but I didn't leave too much after 11, feeling fine and femme.

One difference between mall makeovers and do-it-yourself: the store employees want to do a female makeover on a female face.  My face needs a bit heavier hand than they use.  I think I didn't look as femme as I would have liked to, but I think I was OK.  I also think my number 1 or 2 wig would have made a difference.

Good enough.  I thanked and (over)tipped the makeup lady and asked for her card.  I also asked her to take a picture or two before I left, which she did.

Most days, I walk to the mall from the office if I want to get lunch there, or maybe shop.  Today I drove, just because the ten minute walk is a two minute drive and I wanted to be out of the office as little as possible.

It was time to face the office.

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Halloween 2009 ~ Part I

I've written about some recent Halloweens:
2008: I surprised my old boss (the story is here and the next few posts)
2010: The rally in DC (that story starts here and goes on for a month or so)
2011: Tucson, sorta Halloween (with Dorothy)
2009: I owe you this one!

My old manager, N, was a nice woman and a good manager.  She worked with the team members to ensure that we weren't travelling too much, that we had the resources to do out jobs, and that everything was going smoothly.  I enjoyed working for her.

One day we were discussing an upcoming job.  She had already booked her travel but another obligation came up and she couldn't make it.  Since it was to be my project, I was asked to go in her place.  Then she said something that was straight out of chapter one of many TV fiction stories:

"It would be great if you could use my ticket.  It's too bad you're not a girl."

I said, "I could be."  She asked what I meant and I said I could "dress up" and maybe get away with it.  She laughed and asked for proof.  We went on to other issues about the upcoming trip.

I went home and printed "proof."  I found a not-bad picture of Meg and printed it out and brought it to the office a couple of days later.

It was probably a week after that that I finally found N alone in her office.  I asked if she had a minute and I reminded her of our earlier discussion.  She grinned and said "yeah...?" and I pulled out the picture.

She said "no way" and insisted it was my sister.  I told her I have a sister, but that's not her.  She kept looking between the picture and me and finally acknowledged that maybe I was telling the truth.  Then she asked "was this for a costume party, or is it something you do, sometimes?"

At the time, I was pretty deeply in the closet and my first impulse was to take her "costume party" line and run with it.  My brain was screaming "ABORT!  BAIL OUT!" but I also thought she phrased what I do perfectly.  I said "it's something I do, sometimes."

She said I had to come into the office like that.  I suggested Halloween, still a few months off.  She insisted I do so.  We agreed I would come in on Halloween wearing women's clothing.

We had little joking passing discussions about this in the following weeks.  I reminded her I was going to wear women's clothing on Halloween (actually, the day before Halloween ~ Oct 31 was a Saturday).

I, of course, wasn't joking.

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More Pickles

I don't like them on my sandwich, but in the funnies I kind of enjoy Pickles.

You Could Have Asked

You might have been surprised.  There might have been a wholly unexpected dialogue there, Opal.

Pickles, By Brian Crane

A Very Special Weekend, Part V

Meg on the Potomac

We said goodbye to Kim and left the swap.  Aeify scored a scarf and a wonderful bracelet which she wore because it went with her dress ~ but she left it for me.  Aeify, by the way, is a big scarf fan.  I have yet to learn to appreciate the attraction of the scarf.

We found our way to Old Town Alexandria without incident.  Old Town is the waterfront part of Alexandria, and is a mix of historic homes and newer shops.  There are a lot of boutiques and few chains.  And there are a lot of restaurants.

We parked about five blocks from the Potomac river and walked up Duke street towards the water.  Duke at that spot is quiet, residential, old, and the streets are a mix of cobblestones and bricks.  I was glad I didn't have stillettos on.  My comfortable slides were not the most glamourous shoes I own, but they were without a doubt the best choice.

A shopping note: I didn't plan to get slides.  I like heel support because I don't want my shoes flapping and slapping as I walk.  I looked at several shoes and picked two pair of open-toed shoes before one of my Arizona trips.  One is the pink wedges that I love, and the other were lower heel with an ankle strap.  I picked up a box in my size, glanced inside to make sure it was the right shoe, and made my purchase.  Except I didn't notice it wasn't the right shoe: it was the slides I've come to love.

The weather wasn't bad.  We walked to the river and turned north.  We walked a few more blocks to some of the local attractions like the Cherry Blossom, a Mississippi River style paddleboat (funny thing to show a woman who lives on the mighty Miss) and we spent a little time in the Torpedo Factory.  That's a WWII factory that's been converted into a artist space.  There are dozens of studios where artist create their paintings, sculptures, and so on.  It's a unique sort of space and worth a little time.

We walked up King Street (yes, there are also Prince and Queen streets) which is pretty much wall-to-wall shops.  We stopped in some clothing and jewelry stores and looked around.  Mostly Old Town is out of my price range but it's fun to look, especially when dressed.

At Dinner

We were welcomed in various stores, got a "hello ladies" when we sat down to an early dinner at a Tapas restaurant and had a rather ordinary "girls' day out."  Yes, I used the ladies' room at the restaurant.

We also stopped in a "Life Is Good" shop and Aeify traded her cute shoes for what she said were the most comfortable flip-flops ever.  I was fine with my slides. :)

As we were walking back to the car, Aeify stopped to take several pictures of the houses and such.  Old Town is a picturesque area, and worthy of a stroll and some memories.  At one point, she took a picture of someone's house and landscaping.  The homeowner was nearby, trying to untangle a garden hose.  She came over to us and said "would you like me to take a picture of the two of you?"  We thanked her and handed her the camera.

We also went past a cupcake shop which Aeify could NOT resist.  She bought three cupcakes and took a picture of Meg and the pink cupcake box.  I didn't realise what a girly experience cupcakes are.  I thought they were just, well, little cakes.

That's pretty much it.  We picked up some groceries on the way back and I had such a great "girlfriend" time I almost feel guilty.  But it felt like my vacation as much as Aeify's.  I was relaxed and felt great afterwards.  I wish my "Meg life" was like this all of the time.  I've mentioned this before ~ the best way to go out dressed is to go with a friend.  I think dressing is such a solitary activity for so many of us that it's almost a drug high to go out with someone else.

Oh... one other thing, not t-related.  Aeify drove her rental back to the airport the next morning and I tagged along, figuring I could take a cab home before going to work.  We dropped off the car, checked her bag and saw a massive line for security.  We were hoping we could grab a bite first, but saw that there wouldn't be time since the security line would only be getting longer.  So I got on line with her and we talked and snaked our way to the front of the line.

Eventually we got to the nice TSA lady who took Aeify's ID and ticket and checked them out.  By this time, we were pretty much in the middle of a maze.  TSALady looked at me and I said "I just came along to keep her company.  How do I get out of here?"  She directly me to cross in front of the lines and go out through an unused aisle.  She didn't seem happy.  I was surprisingly not challenged as I cut across all of the lines.

And I do need to include one more picture:

Aeify's SECOND parallel park EVER :D

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A Very Special Weekend, Part IV

Pre-Swap

(sorry early birds.  I screwed up Tuesday and scheduled my post for 6:30 PM instead of AM).

I had told Aeify about my recent visit to the UU church and we toyed with the idea of going.  We also thought about going to Old Town Alexandria for a bit before the swap.  Once again though, getting some extra sleep took priority and it was 10 (church service start time) when we started getting ready.

Aeify again did my makeup, very differently from Friday, and my eyes looked beautiful.  She said she enjoyed doing it because my lids are larger than hers so she has more area to work with.  I don't care why.  I enjoyed it and I wish I could do my eyes that good!  I think I need to have her come back, even if it's just to do my eyes.  I hope it's because she enjoys my company though.  (I'm sorry, Aeify.  I know you're reading.  I don't want to put you on the spot.  Honest.)



We had coffee but skipped breakfast and went to the swap, even though we were early.  I had a HUGE garbage bag full of clothes and shoes ~ definitely more than the price of admission for the two of us.  I promised Kim I'd bring 40 pounds of ice so we stopped at a supermarket on the way and picked up some bags.


By the way, I think I have the answer to my impromptu experiment.  We were mostly ignored as we shopped.  At the swap and as we walked Alexandria and ate dinner later, we were treated as two women.  I think identical dresses accounted for most if not all of the unexpected attention and Meg is just fine at blending.

We were greeted by Kim's husband as we were about to enter the swap location.  He remembered Meg; I introduced Aeify (the first of several introductions).  He graciously brought in the ice.  I stayed in role and let him. :)

Dianna Li (L) and Kim, our hostesses

When she saw the ice, before she saw me, Kim shouted "Meg's here!"  We hugged, I introduced my out-of-town friend and I gave Kim the Reader's Digest version of what's been going on in my life and caught up on hers.  I love Kim.  She's been through a lot, and always bounces back and never said "I have too much on my plate.  I can't do the clothing swap."  It's for charity and that's important to her.  There are now over a thousand members in her group.  She limited attendence to 150 and it filled almost immediately.

And Kim is another woman who Accepts, not just accepts.  But everyone there was wonderful.  I spoke to several women, I didn't see any clothing I wanted to bring home with me (a good thing), I had a little lunch and girl watched (there was one guy there with what was probably his girl friend).

When we first arrived, there was just a small crowd since the swap wouldn't start for another half-hour.  One woman started helping Aeify unload the clothes while I spoke to Kim and she started talking to both of us, telling Aeify how she wants to take all of Meg's clothes home with her but she'll resist.  There was a deaf woman there (I knew because I saw Kim signing with her) who was trying on a pair of platform pumps I brought in ~ they did not work on my feet.  I was trying to tell her that they were my shoes and looked fabulous on her, but I know one sign and that is only useful in traffic.  (Actually, I was told Meg can use another sign in traffic: look at the guy who's giving you a hard time, smile and hold your thumb and index finger up with about an inch of air between them.)  Anyway, I hope my smile and thumbs up gave her the right idea.

I LOVE that dress!

I also complimented one woman ~ she had a very feminine, very pretty dress and accessories I would love to own.  I told her that I was sad because I knew anything else she brought in was probably beautiful too AND nowhere near my size.  But I was free with my compliments ~ I try to make sure the fashionistas know their effort is enjoyed.

There was one other t-girl there and we chatted a bit.  She remembered me; I didn't remember her name, but I did remember that I should remember her (huh?).  We all chatted a bit and discussed upcoming t-activities that we might attend and meet again.

And did I mention Dianna?  She's the swap co-host and comes with her wife.  So yes, if you're looking for a t-friendly event in the DC area, the swap definitely works.  In fact, a couple of years ago someone in the group complained about "us" being part of the swap and Kim just dropped her.

Near the end of the swap I made a faux pas.  I wasn't thinking and decided to use the ladies' room.  I'm feeling more comfortable with that and I figured these women saw me there and were OK and it should be no problem.

In past swaps, Dianna brought in a couple of screens and they were set up in one corner of the room.  I studiously avoided that corner and never try on clothes at the swap.  This time Dianna forgot the screens.  Now ladies....  You're in a local government centre.  There are piles of clothing sitting out.  There is no changing room/changing area.  So where do you go?

I walked into the ladies room and saw a woman who had clearly just pulled on a pair of pants.  I saw several other women standing in the restroom and I kept my eyes at eye level and made a beeline for a stall.  I did my business and kept my eyes on my own as I washed my hands and left as quickly as I could.  No "HEYs" or "Get Outs".  No comments.  I did notice a smile or two ~ I think they were amused at my discomfiture.  That's OK.  I love to entertain.

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A Very Special Weekend, Part III

Saturday was rainy.  My eyes were tired from wearing my contacts all day.  Sunday was clothing swap day and we spent some time looking at Meg clothes to try to find something to wear and we watched some videos (we have similar tastes but different histories) and we talked and ate and walked around the neighborhood between raindrops and before we knew it Saturday was gone.  There were Meg activities, but it involved looking more than doing and, you know, that was OK.

A Gemini in front of a Gemini

I am still reluctant to part with my girl clothes and such.  I worked hard to get each piece.  It's never easy to find a dress that will cover my back hair or with enough sleeve for me to wear (although that's changing).  It rare to find cute clip earrings or hot shoes in my size.  So I tend to treat the earrings that are like torture devices for my ears or the shoes I can only wear for an hour or the dress that's way too dressy or way too frumpy for me as a trophy, not as a wardrobe item.  Plus, my range changes.  I shaved and waxed to the point that I could wear shorter sleeves and lower backs than I thought possible before.  So should I get rid of that sheath dress just because I can't or won't wear it out today?

I have to remember that as my range expands so do my options.  I can get a new dress that I will wear out today, and it'll be easier to find.  And what I do have will be out-of-date and attract negative attention anyway.  So do I need my trophies?

Aeify had no such issues, at least with my clothes!  When I pulled out a dress she had no problem telling me it was hideous (for me) and that it should go in the swap bag.  More than once I heard something like "that's nice, for 1983."  Into the swap bag.  I think if I had her around for another day or two I'd cut my closet needs in half, and have only things I can and should wear.  I am not complaining, and I never questioned her judgements.  And I enjoyed playing Barbie, and I'm glad I had someone to treat me like her own dress-up doll.  (Notice I did not say "fashion doll".)

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