Monday night we had a snowstorm...with apologies to those buried in the heavy snow areas of the northeast US, it was "only" about 5" deep. I had gone outside early in the morning, in my women's jogging suit and a turtleneck, to move the cars around and put the iced-up, snowy one inside the garage to begin to melt off. And while I was busily doing that, a guy and his 3 boys pulled up in front of our place and piled out of their 4WD stretch pickup, with their shovels.
Since they were fresh-looking (translation not cold-soaked and covered in snow), I asked how it was that they chose to stop at my place..."Well, Ma'am, I saw that you were moving cars around and might need the help." "Thanks, gentlemen, I really appreciate your stopping. But first I want to make sure you're sent by the homeowners association, as I don't want to pay extra for a service I've already paid for." They waffled a bit, but gave a believable answer, so I said "as long as I don't pay twice, go ahead. And I really appreciate it."
One man and 3 boys made short work of the snow, even the stuff the plow pushed up from the street. They got into their truck and drove away. If they weren't from the homeowners' association, they were simply helping a damsel in distress. And we didn't have to pay. (But I have their license number just in case it becomes an issue!) Fun part is - as of lunchtime, nobody else had their sidewalks or driveways shoveled...unless they had done it themselves.
I mentioned the "Ma'am" part to my wife. Surprisingly, she didn't take exception to it - "as long as they did our shoveling for us. It's like getting help with our luggage when we're on trips." Maybe this is a good sign?
When I came back inside, I changed into my long black jumper dress, black tights and gray turtleneck. Later, I plan to shuffle cars again...this time I won't change... and see if she objects!
Since they were fresh-looking (translation not cold-soaked and covered in snow), I asked how it was that they chose to stop at my place..."Well, Ma'am, I saw that you were moving cars around and might need the help." "Thanks, gentlemen, I really appreciate your stopping. But first I want to make sure you're sent by the homeowners association, as I don't want to pay extra for a service I've already paid for." They waffled a bit, but gave a believable answer, so I said "as long as I don't pay twice, go ahead. And I really appreciate it."
One man and 3 boys made short work of the snow, even the stuff the plow pushed up from the street. They got into their truck and drove away. If they weren't from the homeowners' association, they were simply helping a damsel in distress. And we didn't have to pay. (But I have their license number just in case it becomes an issue!) Fun part is - as of lunchtime, nobody else had their sidewalks or driveways shoveled...unless they had done it themselves.
I mentioned the "Ma'am" part to my wife. Surprisingly, she didn't take exception to it - "as long as they did our shoveling for us. It's like getting help with our luggage when we're on trips." Maybe this is a good sign?
When I came back inside, I changed into my long black jumper dress, black tights and gray turtleneck. Later, I plan to shuffle cars again...this time I won't change... and see if she objects!
So a while after lunch, I went into the garage again, to move the snow-covered car (which was slowly melting clean in the garage) out to the driveway, to let it get rid of the rest of the snow outside...because the sun was warm. And I did it in my jumper dress and turtleneck, with black tights, but the top half was covered by a light jacket... In the process I knocked whatever snow was still on the car roof, off into the snow piles by the driveway. There were no comments from my wife about my attire, and no "stink eye."
Later, about 4 pm, I pulled on my jacket again, as we went out to put the cars back in their original positions. I was still wearing my dress, and spent a few minutes shoveling some missed spots on the driveway and front sidewalk...with no comments on my attire from my wife.
Is
this a positive thing? I think so, though I've been out in the garage
in a dress before. And even out to the front yard.
But this was my longest foray by far. She probably was banking on the
fact that nobody was around to see me in a dress, even though I was in plain view.
Some neighbors drove by and waved...I waved back. She saw. There may
be fallout at the next neighborhood gathering...if so I'll deal with it
at that time. But for now, no problems - the topic is silent.
And I'll try to push that envelope again with the next snow.
For now I'll leave you with a couple of pictures. First is the view from the Bridge of the NS Savannah, which I visited last October.
And I'll try to push that envelope again with the next snow.
For now I'll leave you with a couple of pictures. First is the view from the Bridge of the NS Savannah, which I visited last October.
And second is yours truly at the helm of the Savannah. I blurred the faces of others around me, to protect their identity.
It definitely was a fun day, both then - and now!
Mandy
I can really understand the slow process of expanding the envelope. Every time you or I take our dressing to the next level and our wives find out that the sky does not fall and the oceans do not rise and whisk us out to sea is a step in the right direction. It seems that by now your being miss-identified as a 'Maam' is fairlly commonplace and that your wife is neither surprised nor embarassed. I seems like she has now accepted it as a routine fact of life. It also seems that she understands that regardless of your attire and how you are perceived by strangers that you are the same good and decent person that she has shared her life with and who she will share her life with until the finish line.
ReplyDeleteThis was a bit of a slow weekend. We were snowed in on Saturday but yesterday the weather was nice but we are back in the freezer today. We did a bit of cooking over the weekend and, as usual I was dressed to one degree or another. Saturday my dressing was partially aborted. She was out and I was in the kitchen starting to prepare dinner when she got home. The kitchen is in front of the condo next to the garage and as the garage door opened I heard her chatting with our unit adjoining neighbor. Fearing that she may come in with him I dashed to change out of the dress and into slacks and a sweat shirt. It was not necessary but she does concern herself with this neighbor since he is always in his garage or in front of our units.
Yesterday I got fully dressed in a blue denim skirt and a ladies turtleneck top. I did full day grade makeup, heels, hose and wig. When we were in florida we had gone to a seafood festival and one of the vendors was selling costume jewelry that she made and my wife picked out a nice necklace for herself. The vendor then said that with the purchase of the necklace we could also have a 'free' pair of her crafted earings. My wife has worn the same pair double gold hoop earings day in and day out for 40+ years. The only time they are out of her ears are if she needs surgery or an MRI. She has other earings for her pierced ears that she wears only for the once in a blue moon occasion. While most of the vendor's earings were for pierced ears my wife found a nice pair of clip-ons that she took for me since they were free and yestderday I wore them for the first time.
It is always nice to see the envelop grow even if it is in small increments.
Pat
You are right, my wife seems unfazed when we are addressed as "ladies" and no longer seems to be embarrassed at the instances when I'm seen as a woman around strangers. And she has seen practical benefits from it...when men help both of us with our luggage, or hold doors for us. "Pushing the envelope" takes time..but back in the early nineties I'd never have dreamed that I'd be accepted as a woman as often as it happens now.
DeleteI can understand your quick change on Saturday. A similar situation happened here last week, but if things had been a little different, the know-it-all neighbor would have met me in a black sleeveless housedress over a turtleneck, and black tights. (Which finally could have been a good thing, even if embarrassing for my wife..)
Our door bell rang. We were having lunch, so she answered the door, while I kept eating. The UPS man often rings the bell and leaves...no need for both of our lunches to get cold. (FYI when seated at the kitchen table, I can't be seen, but with the layout of the house, there is no way to escape to change.) It was the neighbor who came to pick up the mail we had been collecting while he was out of town. If he had asked for me or needed to see me about anything, there would be no hiding the fact I was wearing womens' clothes.
But it didn't happen, and the bright side was - I wasn't instructed to always go to the bedroom when the doorbell rings. That envelope may be getting bigger, millimeter by millimeter.
You always have such nice sounding outfits...and it's wonderful that your wife buys girl things for you. So sweet!
Be safe (and warm)!
Mandy
SLow and stead wins the race. These clip on earings are the first item that she got specifically for me and that was because they were free with the necklace that she purchased and she never changes out of the earings that she wears all the time except for the once in a blue moon occasion.
ReplyDeleteI have had that blue denim skirt for a while but there is a nice story about the top which was from the now defunct Coldwater Creek. When my wife sees something that likes that is on sale she may get several similar items in different colors. She liked this style of Coldwater Creek knit mock turtleneck long sleeve sweater and bought them in four separate colors. They were all fine for the first wearing but after one washing she said that they never felt right and that the shrunk a bit and just felt off for her to wear them. She was lucky to have me around as a volunteer to 'stretch the sweaters' back to form. She still did not like the post washing feel so she gave me one of the sweaters for my own use and she knows that if she wants to wear any of the others that I am available as a sweater stretcher.
Pat
While my wife isn't quite as liberal as yours, to enlist "help" with sweater stretching, we are both fortunate that they are doing OK with "sort of" accepting our sartorial style.
DeleteThat envelope keeps getting just a bit bigger...
Mandy
Female privilege!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIf so, I like it!
DeleteBut with our son's wedding forthcoming in May, we'll see how much "girly" I get to display around D-I-L's family. I already have been told to shorten my nails. That's probably just the beginning....
Mandy