Baldwin Medicine

More "Cornered" by Mike Baldwin, this time with a medical theme.

LOVE this one!

Brassieres!

Here are a few cartoons with a common theme.  Most of them aren't T per se, but I think most of us have a fondness for bras.  I've done Between Friends (Sandra Bell-Lundy) before and Preteena (Allison Barrows).  Preteena is a tomboy and I think the comics where her mom is trying to get her to be more feminine can resonate with us T's....  Why didn't our moms do that?

Between Friends is another cartoon I lost track of.

There are more Preteena bra cartoons.  I think I posted some already

The rough pencil drawings in C'est La Vie equals flashback

On the padding theme....

Sunday Evening at OBX

OBX is the local abbreviation for the Outer Banks.  If you see a car with a "country" sticker (you know, the ovals with three letters) that says OBX, it ain't a country.

It was past check-in time now and we went to the hotel.  I had to show my (male) ID and credit card to the woman at the desk who greeted us warmly and explained everything we needed to know about the hotel in pretty much the same tone and words as the other woman behind the counter used on the other checker-inner to our right.  And she ignored the ID mismatch.

I asked her what was available for breakfast, and what restaurants were nearby, and we went up to our rooms.

My room, by the way, was NOT t-friendly.  Or girly-girl friendly.  The lighting was poor, the bathroom had a pedestal sink with a curved top so it was hard to keep anything on it.  The only useable surface in the bathroom was on top of the toilet tank.  Even just brushing teeth required bringing in the brush and paste, doing the task, and bringing both out again.  For a beachfront hotel, there was no place to lay wet things flat, or hang them up.  There were a couple of wooden Adirondack chairs outside the room, on the common walkway between rooms, and some people laid their wet towels there but I wouldn't want to lay a wet bathing suit there, especially one that had the addition of expensive breasts!
For dinner, we went to a crowded (and not very good) barbecue joint.  This was the type where you order and pay at a window, then sit down and wait for your food.

As I've said before, I people-watch and the only person I saw even remotely interested in us was the older woman I mentioned previously who seemed to be unhappy with the presence of someone not like her.  I don't care.  I'll outlive her.

This was Meg's first big public event of the trip and it went smoothly.

It wasn't that late, so we went for a walk on the beach.  I didn't change into my suit; I just wanted to

See?  Post mani-pedi

spend a few minutes on the sand before the sun went down.  We walked maybe a mile up the beach and back down.  We edged past fishermen and other couples or groups or families walking and playing on the sand and in the surf.

We also went to an even more crowded place to grab some frozen custard.  It was like the kind of place you'd find on the beach in many cities, although this shop was a couple of blocks off it.  There was a window where you order, and another where you pick up.  There were a few places to sit down (more benches than tables) and a long line of families and high school/college age kids.  Kids of that age make me a bit nervous but again, everything was fine and they were all more interested in themselves than an older woman in their midst.

---

"Relax Your Hand"

As I said, it was a five hour drive from Annandale to Kitty Hawk, where we were staying.  We made one stop at a gas station in Southeast Virginia.  I went inside to use the ladies', and a woman behind the counter was doing some bookkeeping.  She looked up and said "I'll be with you in a moment."  I decided that I didn't really need her full attention since I wasn't making a purchase at the moment so I said "where is the restroom?"  She pointed and said "I'm sorry.  It's over there, through that door, then second door on the left."  The first door had a sign on it reading "closed for maintenance," but it wasn't and the ladies' (yes, second door ~ even though I asked for the restroom [deliberately] she pointed me at the ladies' room) was a single-stall affair, functional but filthy and previously inhabited by a hoverer.  I took advantage of my privileged status and privacy level and stood but cleaned the seat for the next victim anyway.

sandy, yes, but they STILL look good, 10 days later!

Our next stop was on the Outer Banks.  It was getting late for Sunday shops, so we went to a nail salon that had good reviews on Yelp AND was open on Sunday.  It wasn't there; a different salon was, and it was closed.  We hunted for another salon and found it a couple of miles up the beach, open and available.

Before entering, I swapped out my wedges for my new flip-flops.

When we went in, there were a couple of men and one woman visible, clearly employees.  I said to Charity "I'd rather not have a male technician" and she said "you may not have a choice."

For my first or second manicure, a male technician came over to do my nails.  I was dressed, and as he sat down he leered at me.  I remember that look, and could never think of another name for it.  I said in my (then very soft and a bit shaky) girl voice "I'd rather have a female manicurist" and he looked crestfallen, got up, and sent someone more to my liking over.

We were seated for our mani-pedis in adjacent chairs.  A young lady sat down in front of Charity; a man sat down in front of me.  Charity was nice enough to ask if we could switch; they switched with no questions or issues.  A few minutes in, I remember the massage chair and turned mine on.

The male technician was very chatty; the woman doing my toes was not.  We spoke a bit but mostly she addressed other employees in Chinese, I think.  Most of our conversation involved her asking me if I wanted my nails cut short, and pushing "shellac," which she said would last longer.  I just said no, although I was considering saying it would have to come off in a few days, when I return to work.  I couldn't think of a good answer to the obvious question ("why?") at the time.  Later I did: "because I can't wear nail polish at work."  That might have inspired more questions.  It would have started a conversation at least.  I should have said it.  At one point she said that the polish would start to chip in a couple of days and I said "then maybe I'll be back before leaving the island" and she stopped asking.

I can see Meg in my car!

After the pedicure she very carefully slid my flip-flops back on so as to not damage her artwork.  I wanted to ask about nail art, but I didn't know how or when to bring that up so I didn't.  A little painting on my big toes would be nice.

She did my manicure as well; a different girl did Charity's and she sat at a different pair of tables.  A female customer with copious tattoos and gauged ears (are y'all surprised I knew the name for this and didn't say "grommets in her earlobes?") was seated next to her.  The seat next to me was empty.

As she was doing her pre-paint washing and filing the technician twice told me to relax my hand.  The second time, I replied by lying.  I said, very softly, "I'm sorry.  This is my first time in a nail salon."  Softly, both because it would seem confessional and because I didn't want Charity to call out "it is not!"

Ladies, this is a Good Lie.  You're now the little sister, leaning on your big sister's experience and expertise.  Yes, it's a bit manipulative but I believe it's harmless and helpful.

Until that point the technician seemed almost bored and distracted.  She looked past me, out the front window and again chatted with other employees in her native tongue.  But now, she became talkative, and we had a nice chat, two girls at the salon.  The mani-pedi wasn't expensive ($35) and I left a $10 tip in cash, which I think was generous.

While our nails were drying, we sat opposite the tattooed lady.

I kid around a LOT.  It's my normal condition.  I do a lot of what I call hit-and-run humour.  I will do a one-liner, or force a straight line, make my joke and scoot.  I couldn't leave in this situation but I joked around with Charity, about the area, about the manicure, and about whatever came to mind.  I kept glancing at Tattoo, who smiled a few times so I brought her into the conversation (she called the ear thing gauging and said it hurt more than the tattoos).  I think I made it less boring for all of us ~ she told us a lot about herself and we shared too (not EVERYTHING though!).  Again, a little girltalk... my favourite (public) interaction.

---

I Give Up

Before going to the beach, I was up for hours trying to figure out how women in one-piece bathing

It's all got to go!

suits use the bathroom without basically stripping completely.  And if you're wearing a dress over that, you'd have to take off the dress so you can remove enough bathing suit (ie, basically all of it) to do your business.

I finally figured it out.

You can't.  That's what the ocean is for. :)

Planning and Such

For parents with pre-school-age children, or adults without kids at home, the week after Labour Day is the best time to visit the Outer Banks area of North Carolina.

The Outer Banks is a long strip of barrier beach, best known for Kitty Hawk, where Columbus landed in 1776.

Ready to head to the beach!

No, my knowledge of history is bad but not that bad.  Honest.

There's a Wright Memorial and you can trace their first four flights and see the house where they stayed and built their flyers and gliders.  You can see a replica of their first powered flyer, because the real one is in DC.  You can visit their many and varied gift shops, which I'm pretty sure were added after the Wrights were gone.

Others may have heard about the wild horses in Corolla, further north.  Or Roanoke Island, home of the first child to be born to Europeans in the New World and the "lost colony."

I haven't been in many years.  Lying on beaches is not my idea of a holiday.  I've tried it.  I've tried bringing a book or magazine and beach chair or blanket and sitting on the sand under an umbrella.

I can do that for about twenty minutes before I have to get up and walk or visit the nearest town or do SOMETHING.

Charity has never been to the Outer Banks, and when I've gone in the past I couldn't stop and look at shoes and dresses and jewelry At All.  So I thought a little visit might be in order.

Four days over Labour Day seemed good.  Charity has limited vacation days and this way she would only need two.  The Saturday before Labour Day would be pricey in terms of room rental, and busy in terms of traffic, so going down Sunday and returning Wednesday seemed like a plan.

And I wanted to try four days of Meg.

I've never done more than a bit over 24 hours before.  I've always worried about shaving multiple days in a row; most effective for facial hair has been to skip a day but that wouldn't keep me Meg-smooth.

Body hair too starts to spring up a couple of days after a thorough shave.

I didn't know if it would get to be too much after a couple of days.  I might just say "too much work" or "too hot for this" and revert to my boring clothing.

I brought along a sort-of escape hatch.  I brought a t-shirt and pair of (girl) Burmuda-style shorts.

If I decided to ditch Meg, I'd kind of stand out though: I planned to get a mani-pedi on the first day.  I only had open-toed shoes; tan flip-flops would have to work for malemode.  I brought my contacts but only my girl glasses. 

Mostly, "male" would be the absense of Meg: no wig, no makeup, no boobs.

As I wrote last week, before the trip, I ordered a mastectomy swim suit.  One reader suggested using medical adhesive to keep forms in place under the suit; maybe next time (why not?).

I also ordered flip-flops and two swimsuit cover-ups, one a long dress with an open lacy back; one short and kind of mesh.  The long one could easily be worn as a dress; the short one really needed something else underneath.

I packed way too many outfits, both dresses, and skirts and tops.  I brought camis in case a top was unexpectedly too low in front.  I brought wedges and flats and flip-flops.  I brought five or six pair of earrings, and necklaces, and bracelets.  I wore two rings, as Meg often does.  I brought an extra wig in case one did not enjoy the salt and sand much.

For the drive, I wore a dress I hadn't worn in over a year, and my wedges.

It was a five hour trip, and it was fine.

---

"Any exciting things happen?"

"Don't ask, can't tell" rears its ugly head once again.  At our weekly staff meeting on Thursday, the
big boss asked "how was Labour Day?  Did any exciting things happen?"

Nobody had anything really interesting.  I think "I went to the beach and spent four days exclusively dressed as a girl" would have won.

SPOILER ALERT:

Espresso Chip.
I whispered to  the girl "I think I need rainbow sprinkles."

During the four day visit, there was not a single misused pronoun, not a bad comment or even a frown from the people I dealt with.  I did make one little girl cry, but that's because I didn't see her and I bumped into her and she fell onto her tush (you know how toddlers do that when they lose their balance... plop!).  But another preschooler gave me a big wave and a "HI" when we unwittingly walked past her official greeting station.  At a restaurant, one older woman was glaring at me from several tables away.  She seemed to be trying to rouse the rest of her clan to whatever indignity she imagined she saw.  They were unimpressed to the point of not even looking up.