Day 2 - even better than the first...

The second day day dawned cloudy and warm.  Perfect for wearing a denim skirt!  I added my blue top, and jewelry/makeup.   Once again, I wore my bra, and filled it with the thin silicone inserts, not real breast forms.  

The hotel didn’t provide breakfast, so it was off to Mickey D’s by car (a half mile down the road) for a McMuffin.  When I went downstairs to the car (using the back door to the parking lot), a housekeeper (conveniently the one assigned to my room) was standing outside, near the door, smoking a cigarette.  She struck up a conversation with me, on various topics, and we chatted for ten minutes or so, like we were girlfriends from away back, though she never needed to use any gendered pronouns.   And I made her aware of the issues with my reservation (confusion about me being a stay-over.)  So I had an ally in the deal…and everything worked out fine.

At Mickey D’s,  the staff did not use any gender-related greetings…and I got my sandwich without fanfare.

I waited for - and boarded - the tourist train, with no gendered forms of address being used.     My presence was simply that of “another female passenger.”  I talked with people, and there were no issues – at least to my face.    I casually used the women's room on board, with no repercussions.  (And yes, I sat…)   The following pic happened on board the train...under difficult circumstances at best, given the fact that there was nobody to take it. and the train was moving, keeping the camera in more-or-less constant motion on a nearby bench.   But it was the only way to get a pic.

Next stop for the train was Cooperstown Dreams Park.  This is a "training camp for little league" and home of the American Youth Baseball Hall of Fame.  About four little league baseball teams boarded train, many young boys and their supporting families (including sisters of various ages.)  No issues, no stares - I stood next to some of them and didn't get so much as a glance, even from young girls.   I think they might have been more concerned with checking out her veritable smorgasbord of young boys, than whether the old woman in a blue skirt really is a woman.  

While on the train, I spoke at some length with the people selling food.  One male, one female server.  Both carried on a regular conversation with me, and there was no sign of any issue, whether they clocked me or not.   The female complimented my pearl earrings, and we discussed pierced ears (I mentioned the fact that mine aren't) for a bit...she highly recommended it.  And I agree with her, though most likely I won't be able to proceed in that direction.

Speaking of clip-on earrings: this was my first day of wearing them for 12 hours.  After about 8 hours I was ready to take them off.   But I didn't.   I just put up with the ache...what girls do to look nice!

Part of my afternoon's sightseeing resulted in driving through this town...no, the name itself is not "unusual" - but  naming a town after a different state isn't exactly common, either...

I've driven through two other towns with the name of a state...both in Pennsylvania (Indiana and California, both with state universities and restored railroad stations.)    And we all know the Big Apple - New York, NY.   There probably are more (but I'm discounting towns named Washington, as most probably were named for George, not the state.)   Now I'll have to add those to the unusual types of names I'm on the lookout for...

And finally, I headed for dinner at the local barbecue restaurant, where gendered greetings were in short supply and the food smelled heavenly.  After I finished, I even brought home a bottle of their BBQ sauce for my wife to sample.

Yes, it was another wonderful day...

More later!

Mandy