Friday morning I depart for my annual antique show. Thus, the rest of the afternoon today is going to be spent packing up the sale items and loading the car, so I can leave first thing in the morning.
This morning I visited my mother at the nursing home. I had actually forgotten that it was Halloween, since we don't get trick-or-treaters at our place and thus don't need to stock up on candy. There were tons of people around, many in costume. Including a couple of staff girls dressed as men. I was invited to come back for the Halloween party at 2. My first comment was that I don't have a costume. One of the girls said "we have two girls dressed as guys, why don't you dress as a girl?" "That sounds great, but due to my schedule - darn it anyway - my afternoon is already spoken for. Can I take a raincheck for next year?" "Sure, honey...and if you need to, we have a place where you can change." My response was..."that's a deal!"
When I got home and discussed it with the better half, it met with a completely negative response...as I figured it might. (I could go into details, but I won't bore you - you've heard it all before, from others.) So, next year I might actually have to be a "bag lady" for the day, take my things in a plastic bag, and change there. It's entirely do-able.
But, I looked at a 2014 calendar. The problem will be that I have to give up a Friday of sales to make it happen. Fortunately, Friday typically has been my weakest of the three sale days. So next year, I may just load the car Friday morning, do the party Friday afternoon, and get up at zero dark 30 Saturday (for me about 4:30 AM) to drive to the sale. Not incurring one night's motel expenses could help offset some of the lost sales. I'll know more about business conditions after this show.
But the better half's major resistance indicates for now, "Mandy in a dress" will have to appear only when away from home... Even though it's a disappointing situation, it's not unexpected. Major resistance has waxed and waned many times over the past couple of decades, and probably will again in the future. Our recent vacation has taught me that with proper makeup (and my clothes, hair, nails and purse) I can often be accepted as a girl, even in my androgynous form. (More vacation posts coming soon.)
So, Mandy really is perpetually present.,..and skirts or dresses can be added whenever the time is right. Press on, MacDuff...or is it "Ms. MacDuff?"
Cheers,
Mandy
I am sure that going the full femme rather than the androgynous route would have been very well received at the nursing home. I fully understand the ebb and flow or wax and wane better half resistance routine. After 4 decades of marriage my wonderful bride knows that I am a CD who likes to dress and get out and about while dressed. She just does not understand why and while I have tried to explain it I find that if you have to explain why a happily married, totally hetero, regular guy likes to go out wearing a dress, hose, heels and makeup that I can't.
ReplyDeleteLast night my wife was away and I told her that I wanted to go out while dressed for Halloween. She had her regular concerns about being seen by neighbors but was otherwise cool. We recently moved from a house in a rural area to a condo. I got home last night about 6:30 and was deluged with trick or treaters. I gave out more candy in 20 minutes last night than 20 years at the old place. I ran out of candy and had to make a run to Walgreens to replenish.
I went down to shower and change but up until 9:15 the bell kept ringing and getting dressed and made up in short intervals was a challenge. At 9:15 I ran out of the replacement candy and shut the lights and hurried to finish the transformation.
One thought that I had for the night would have been to go to the old recently restored movie theater which was having an 8 PM showing or Rocky Horror preceeded by an hour pre-show party of "Frank-en-furters and beer" but my wife did not want be out while dressed so close to home where people may know me. Plus, by the time I got out of the house the movie was more than half over.
I had a good night out and about as Pat.
Good luck at the car show. What do you sell?
Pat
Hi Pat,
DeleteThanks! And glad you had a nice Halloween!
FYI, it's not a car show, it's a transportation show, and I mostly sell my old train stuff that I no longer use or need. I've also been known to sell my dad's old tools, some of our son's toys, train-related reference books and articles I've accumulated over the years. some antique cameras, car parts from my inventory, and other detritus from years of collecting. But it's also a social event - a lot of folks I know usually come by and say hi.
Last fall, if you recall, the better half repacked my bags for me and made it very tough to avoid wearing my stirrup leggings and ballerinas to the show. I managed, but barely. Back then I would have been self-conscious if I had to wear them.
This year, after all the recent angst, she did nothing.
But I did. The only pants and shoes I'll be able to wear all weekend are my stirrups and ballerinas - that's all I packed - well, except my skirts and dresses! I wore stirrups and ballerinas when I left this morning, and I'll be wearing them when I get home late Sunday night. I think the past year has helped me conquer most of the "being self-conscious" issue.
And though the guys from last year "who wanted me to wear short dresses and high heels to the show" aren't here this year, I'm managing to get some girl time....felt very comfortable having dinner out tonight en femme, and spent a few minutes talking with the female desk clerk, who had commented "I love your gorgeous nails" when I checked in.
Will eventually make a post about the weekend, with some pictures... Stay tuned!
Mandy