Friday, September 5, 2014

Quickie: Summer in September, and The Handshake.

Only time for a quickie today:

The Labor Day weekend was very hot out here on the Delmarva...  Temperatures on Arthur (translation: "Our Thur" Mometer) are typically 4 degrees warmer than the official reading in winter, and 4 degrees cooler in summer.  It showed 89 - and 93 was shown as official.  The latter also coincided with the car thermometer.   Where was the heat when we wanted it, during the summer???  And how long will it stay around???  Now, almost a week later, it's still hot, though not quite as much. Does this burst of heat presage a cold, snowy winter in the Northeast?

According to the Farmer's Almanac, it very well may....  Time will tell.

At the nail salon, where I got my fingernails filled Wednesday, they put Travel Channel (with Samantha Brown and her world travels) on the telly, to keep customers entertained while the girls work on us.  And the program was Samantha in Japan.   Included in the show was a makeover, where she was put into full Geisha dress, hair and makeup.  Follow this link,  to see the finished product:           

http://www.travelchannel.com/tv-shows/samantha-brown/photos/japan

The show had quite a few scenes of  Samantha's transformation, and - wow - she was very pretty as a Geisha girl.  That entire process really looked like a lot of fun!  I'm not of Oriental extraction, but someday, if the opportunity ever presents itself, that's something I'd love to try....even though I'd be "one very big girl."  The overall look is superbly feminine...and undeniably pretty!  (Love those dresses, they're simply a work of art by themselves!)

An interesting happenstance occurred Thursday at the local full-service tire shop, where "neither side of me" is known.  I walked in, dressed in my usual androgynous style, and was greeted by the middle-aged male clerk,  who appropriately enough, saw me (and addressed me) as a woman.  He not only noticed that I was driving a modern car when I drove in, but listened as I explained what I was there to see - 2 tires for my antique (and trust me,  a decent selection of radials for old style 14" wheels are getting tough to find.)

They didn't stock any 14" tires at all, and could only order one private-branded line of tires in the required size.  I asked about, and he showed me, the tread pattern they would have (ugh - not good at all - they would be very prone to slippage with a big V-8), and he continued to address me as "Ma'am."   I had not led him astray thinking I was buying (further, couldn't buy, since they didn't have any).  As we were about to part ways, he extended his hand, and we shook hands.  (It's seemingly a dying gesture nowadays...a mere formality which doesn't mean what it used to "back in the day.")

Since I wasn't truly en femme, my male habit stepped in, and I gave my typical handshake.   Oooopppsss.... Women typically give softer handshakes.  Guess that "blew my cover."   Or at least it might have...  But the good news is:  I didn't hear the dreaded "S-word" at all...he was very tactfful!

This really relates well to Meg's recent post titled "Oops".  While I always check my emails to be sure who's signing which emails, I guess I need to be more attentive as to how others are perceiving me in daily activities, particularly during personal interactions when I'm out and about "solo" (as opposed to with my wife.)  I'm so used to living (and being myself) in my androgynous outfits, that I'm not always as attentive as I should be.  Others don't necessarily see me as a guy.  Presentation is only partly physical appearance/gender cues.  My outfit, hair, eyebrows, nails and purse seem to generally cover that spectrum...  It's the little feminine mannerisms that really count!

Soooo...note to self:  In the future, I've got to remember to always respond appropriately in whatever gender the parties I'm interacting with "may" think I am...even if it means giving a soft, feminine handshake or other girly mannerisms!  (Of course, that has its downside, if they don't think I'm a gal...so we won't contemplate it too much.)

The next week is going to be busy, so I may not be posting again for a while...but I'll be back.

Mandy

2 comments:

  1. All predictions indicate that we are in for a cold hard winter in the north east.

    It is interesting that in your typical day to day attire that you present in a fashion that could be either male of female. I suspect that with the purse, nails, hair and clothes that most would pick up female signals.

    Have fun with the car show.
    Pat

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  2. Sorry for the delay in responding...just got home late yesterday after a long, but fun, week of car activities.

    My attire varied due to the weather, but was mostly capris and a pair of ballerina flats. The folks in attendance mostly knew us, so I was seen mostly as a guy.

    But more on that in a later post...which will take some time due catching up with the many things needing done, which include a huge stack of mail...

    Mandy

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