Grumpy Old Man...

It was time for my wife and I to vacation down south, with some friends.

We left home with me wearing jean capris, a polo top, and ballet flats, carrying a purse, and we headed for Lorton, VA to ride the Auto Train.  Those unfamiliar with the service may not know it exists...Amtrak will take you and your automobile from a DC suburb to Sanford, Florida on an overnight train trip.  You thus do not spend the majority of two days on that crazy road which is officially known as Interstate 95, and you either sleep in your reclining coach seat or sleeping car accommodations.   The train bills itself as the longest in the world - that day, 3/4 of a mile long, consisting of (that day) 7 sleepers, 4 coaches, 2 lounge cars, 2 diners and 31 auto rack cars.   And in the peak of the southern winter rush it can have as many as 50 cars, making it even longer.

We, and the friends we were traveling with, found this to be a comfortable and convenient way to get there, but noted the average age of the passengers was "elderly" and found only two babies amongst the other 400+ passengers.  That's unusual in train travel.

I made no pretense of femininity, other than the fact that everything I was wearing was from the  women's department.  And for most of the train trip, I was interpreted as male.  However, not so much at breakfast on the second day - fortunately alone, not with my spouse or friends, as we were in sleeper and they were in coach - the male dining car host seated me with what I would describe as a "grumpy old man."  He was not at at all friendly, and even though I spoke to him in a male voice, was not receptive to conversation.   Deaf?  A hater?  I'll never know.  He never looked up at me.  Others around us were not overly talkative either, so maybe it was simply a train full of old codgers, who resented having wake up that early.   Fortunately, the train was not running too late, so it was a quick breakfast and back to the room.

If you have a chance to go to Florida, this is a great way to get there...I recommend it highly.  But beware of grumpy old men...

End-loaded auto rack cars, in commercial use for Amtrak's Auto Train.

Once in FL, with temps in the 80's and 90's, I was always wearing shorts or capris with pantyhose, ballet flats and polo top.  Having lunch at the food joint in Sarasota's Ringling Museum.  I asked about a restroom, and the twentysomething cashier promptly pointed me to the women's room.   Wife and friends were with me, but she/they didn't hear, or ignored "the women's room is around the corner" comment (and more notably, lack of mention of a men's room.  One of our female friends figured it out, when she went to the restroom, and discovered only the women's room - the men's was elsewhere.  Of course, nothing was said - and as we were with friends, I found - and used - the men's room.  That DID get some looks from the patrons sitting near the door, who to that point hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary about me.

In the course of some sightseeing, in Sarasota, my wife and I came across this statue of the soldier kissing a woman upon his return home after World War II.  You've probably seen the newsworthy actual pictures: 

"Unconditional Surrender"

My wife chose to remain in the car while I got a few pictures... and the self-timer enabled me to get a picture of myself standing next to it, to show you the size of the statue.

At the Museum at the former Tampa Bay Hotel in Tampa and at a museum in Ybor City (Florida's former Cuban cigar capital), my wife addressed me as her husband upon first entering, both times under appropriate circumstances.  But the result: I was still addressed as "Ma'am" by staff in both places.  Very interesting...and my wife said nothing about the "miss-identifications."  Thus we were "ladies' at both places.

But at the restaurant that evening - the dreaded "S" word came back to life!   (As I knew it eventually would.)

Mandy

A Quickie...

Time to get my nails done again.  After the comments about them from my wife when we were traveling, I figured they might be a subject again...  And I was right.  Finally, the day before my appointment, at dinner she wanted me to "lose the shine and the pink."  I told her that they would be shortened some and the pink can be toned down, but they still will be shiny.

Not sure if she knows they're acrylic...and that might be TMI for her.

So at my appointment, the nail tech shortened them a bit (they're still 3/16 beyond the ends of my fingers, though).  And she used a bit lighter shade of pink than usual at my request.   But they came away as shiny as ever...   There haven't been any comments from my wife.  But IMHO it's only toleration, and there may yet again be comments...

Weather here has been fairly agreeable since Joaquin left...if a bit cool...except for one evening, when heavy storms occurred.  The following picture is as close to how it looked one evening last week as the line of storms went through.  Fortunately the worst of the storms went around us, and all we got was about a half inch of rain and some lightning.   (You can see a bit of distant lightning in the low sky on this pic.)

It really was about as dark as shown, though...and I was standing out front in one of my house dresses to get this picture...

And I'll end this with something from the archives...in our western sojourn to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park in 2012,  I was able to snap this magical picture.  One vista leads to another, and visitors have scenery all around them

If you haven''t been there and you get a chance, I recommend that you go!

Mandy

Not much happening, but androgyny makes it more fun...

Hi everyone,

This was seen on a restaurant signboard along US 50 southbound on the Delmarva, and it echoed the sentiments of just about everyone last week.  And the sign worked.  We had rain for a couple of days, a bit of coastal flooding at high tide, and some wind (maybe 40 MPH) but in general, the storm wasn't bad here.   Not even a power failure to complain about...and we needed the rain.

Unfortunately for our neighbors down south in the Carolinas, they have been hit relentlessly for many days with heavy rain and floods (the 200-year or 1000-year variety, depending on the person you ask).  And as of today, flooding continues in some areas.  Our prayers, and our hearts, go out to them...for safety, relief and a speedy recovery.

With the next storm, everyone here hopes that the restaurant manager puts that sign up again...

And accommodatingly, it did...to the happiness of many.

Is there an arborist in the midst of the audience?  What exactly is going on with this cherry tree? It looks like some snow remaining on the shady side of the tree.  But only one problem...it's too warm for snow.  Reminds me of a type of sap running out of the tree.   If anyone knows the answer, please advise.

What's going on here?

We'd hate to lose the tree...it's so young!

I won't be dressing for Halloween this year, nor will I even be attending the annual show at which I am usually a vendor.  Our son and his wife are expecting a baby, and we'll be down there visiting over Halloween weekend...   I've made arrangements with my table-mate to hold the extra table I use (he has lots of things to sell, so it will be put to good use.)  And this will preserve our premium spot in the show venue, because I plan to go back next year.   But new posts are likely to be scarce for a while, particularly if we decide to go a little earlier to meet with car friends or stay longer than originally planned.  (Very likely.) However, there's another part to that disappointment...I won't be able to dress for a visit to Mother's nursing home on Halloween.  Very sad...hopefully next year!

No dressing opportunities will be forthcoming in the near future, however, my androgynous self still gets to have fun on occasion...   Such as:  at the pharmacy recently, I used my wife's frequent buyer card, and was addressed by her name...that's always enjoyable.  Wonder what will happen when my wife shows up, and the same clerk is there?  (LOL)    And at the nursing home, a new male resident who was sitting in the lobby "people-watching" commented as I walked in "that's a beautiful red car, Ma'am."  My reply:  "Thank you, sir, have a wonderful day....""  

And the crowning comment:  An elderly female resident (one I don't recognize) commented to me (with Mother sitting within earshot, (and bad hearing) just around the corner in her wheelchair) "High there pretty young lady."  I blushed but regained my composure enough to say "Thanks, Ma'am, you too!" And then ducked into Mom's room before she had a chance to re-think the gender of her remark.  Fortunately Mom didn't hear the compliment.  It would seem that whatever the lady's reasons for being in the nursing home, failing eyesight is probably also one of them...I wasn't trying to "pass" at all.   Makes my day, and week!

Guess I'm just easy to please...

Mandy

Moon Shot...and Joaquin

Last week there was a well-published Supermoon eclipse.  You've probably seen wonderful pictures on line.  This particular type of eclipse hasn't been seen in a number of years, and it was the last one for the next 18 years.   Having been an amateur astronomer in my youth, the topic interests me.  Thus I went out on our deck in my nightdress that night, surprised that the cloudy weather had cleared.  And though my camera is not a professional model, at least I was able to take a reasonably decent picture of the spectacle.

This shot was taken just a few minutes before totality...

I wish I could tell you that I stayed up to watch the moon emerge from totality, but I can't.  It was a relatively long wait, way past my usual bedtime.  As I was falling asleep, I just gave up and hit the sack.

Segue to the current day...  Out here on the Delmarva, it's been raining, since sometime in the wee hours of the morning.

At this point, we've received over 2-1/2 inches this morning, with another two in the forecast.  And it's still raining hard.  There has been very little wind so far, though that probably will change tonight and tomorrow.  Joaquin's track was recently revised favorably for us, and it looks like it should turn right (east) and head out to sea.   If it does, a lot of folks have "dodged a bullet" - even with extreme rains still in the forecast for wide areas.

It could have been much worse.   Those of us inland, away from the ocean and bay, are just now beginning to breathe a sigh of relief.  Many prayers will have been answered....thanks to those who have joined in with prayers!  (And please continue them for those still in harm's way)

Mandy

An interesting shopping day...

My wife and I were across the bay one day late last week, dealing with her dentist and some other issues. 

When I dropped her off at the dentist's, she ran inside first and checked to see that they had wi-fi. They did...so she told me to be sure come in when I get back, and wait for her inside, so she'd know I'm back (never done that before...even in hot weather.)   Dressed as I was, this surprised me, particularly after the incident on our trip - see prior post, and what I wore on this cross-bay venture (picture below.)

While she was "in the chair" I had some run-of-the-mill errands to take care of.  When I got back, the waiting room was quite crowded, with mostly elderly folks.  But there were no issues with my attire, and no strange looks or conversations, as I played around with my computer.  (No, I still refuse to get a smartphone.  My vision isn't what it used to be, and they don't yet provide magnifying glasses to be able to see the tiny screens.  Plus, why pay twice for internet service - once at the house and once for the phone.  ISP's are paid far too much money anyway...)

Last stop after picking her up at the dentist, was to go shopping for some clothes for our soon-to-be-born first grandchild.  I delivered my wife to the store, and was planning to park and wait for her.  She told me to come in with her, which surprised the bejabbers out of me, again given the way I was dressed, and knowing the store would be full of women of all ages.   When we got inside the store, there were only two men present: one customer and one staffer - and I was NOT the male customer.   For all intents and purposes, I was a girl.

The following is a picture of my outfit for the day  (I stopped to take this on the way from my errands back to the dentist).  It also included my purse, of course - and black ballet flats - which you can't see due to the deep grass.  You also can't see Mom's necklace, but it was there.

The male staffer at the store greeted us "Welcome, ladies!"  My wife took off for the racks, but I lagged behind a bit.  So, he came up to me and asked me if I needed any help, since I looked lost in their sea of baby clothes.  Of course I thanked him, and told him "no, I'm really just looking."   From that point on, I retreated to the "relative safety" of my wife, as we looked at newborn girl clothes.

She asked me to give my opinion on different outfits (including the cutest frilly little summer dress - which we agreed the baby girl would outgrow by next summer, before being able to wear).  This thoroughly surprised me, after last week's issue on the trip.  And we picked out some cute outfits to send down for the baby (so we don't have to carry them.)  Nobody gave me so much as a second glance...including the younger girls.  I was just another woman doing retail therapy for "her kid".  Now that's the way it should be!

When my wife took the tiny clothes to the checkout line, I stood nearby, waiting for her.  And at least two female clerks asked "Have you been helped, Ma'am?"  To which I replied "Yes, thanks so much!  I'm waiting for her." And pointed to my wife.  They said,  "If you need anything, Ma'am, just let me know."

Quite an experience, and definitely a fun and successful feminine day...   There should be more like it!

Mandy

"The elephant in the room."

Sorry for the delay in getting this posted, and unfortunately, no pictures today.  

While we were out of town, I'd been noticing that men with our group (particularly those who didn't know me) were holding the door for me (or both of us) on occasion.   I'm not sure if my wife noticed, but she didn't say anything.  And women were more friendly than usual...   That's become more frequent, so I didn't give it much thought!

Little did I know what was brewing.

One evening, about 40 folks (mostly couples) were sitting around on the motel patio after dinner, talking.  Since there were folks present who were not known to everyone, it was decided that we'd all introduce ourselves.   Our turn came and I introduced us (including my wife, by both name and her wifely status. )  So far, so good, no issue. 

After I finished and we sat back down, I noticed several folks glancing my way.   For the record, at the get-together I was wearing fisherman sandals with women's shorts, a men's logo touring shirt, and Mom's necklace, with my purse.   Anyone looking at me could plainly see my hairless legs and arms, long hair and long, shiny fingernails (my sandals mostly covered my pink toe nails), and arched eyebrows...no makeup, though.

When the get-together concluded, one of the ladies who had spoken with us both several times in the preceding days came over as we were getting ready to leave, and put one arm around each of us.  I wasn't sure what was going on, and I'm guessing neither was my wife...though she refused to talk about the event afterward.  The woman guided us away from other attendees, and said something to me (us) in a low voice, to the effect of "You can tell me to go away if you want, once you hear what I have to ask, but a few of us, myself included, would like to know how you prefer to be addressed - as a boy or girl??  We've noticed your feminine name on your name tag, your outfits, necklace, hairstyle, and that pretty necklace,  and we want to make sure we address you properly." 

That hit like an earthquake of 9.9 on the Richter scale, and was good for a flashback to the trans lady at the antique show last fall.  The big difference this time was that my wife was with me - it was bound to happen eventually.  After thinking about it for a split-second, I quickly realized I had to reply, and there was no way my wife could - or would - say anything to her.  The floor was mine, and mine alone. 

Now, I'm not prepared (either emotionally or financially) to transition and deal with its many oft-dire consequences at this ripe old age (65+).   So, I knew how to respond.  "Oh, that name issue again...it's not the first time, you know.   Actually, you'd have no way to know, but it was my father's and grandfather's name...and women have sort of stolen it over the last 30 years.   As for my outfits, I wear whatever's comfortable for me, regardless of it's "gender" or the label inside.  Feel free to tell anyone who needs to know that I'll respond to Mr., as well as Ms., Miss or Ma'am.  However, male pronouns are the correct ones."   She seemed satisfied with that, and thanked us for our kindness and understanding.  We all hugged, and everyone went their own way. 

Needless to say, there was an "elephant in the hotel room" that night - this issue.  My wife wouldn't talk about the issue, even when I inquired  "You don't want my comments" was all I heard.   And then she changed the subject.   Come morning, the topic had evaporated because of our activities.   It simply never came up again, even on the ride home.  (Or even afterward.)

The next day, when I ran into the nosy lady I asked if she had been able to "set any of the other wonderers" straight about my gender.  Much to my surprise, she said there were only three who were wondering, herself and two other ladies, but they had left the event while we were talking and she hadn't run into them again.  (Attendees were staying in two hotels...)   So, I guess it really wasn't that big of a deal for anyone.   Well,  except perhaps for my wife.

For the rest of our stay, men occasionally held the door, and women were friendly with me (and my wife when we were together.)  In the elevator next morning (fortunately I was alone) a woman from the group put her pretty hand right next to mine and gave me compliments on my fingernails!  Her nails were pink-and-white acrylics, and she thought they'd also look good on me.  I agreed...and confided that I used to wear them that way.  We reached the ground floor and the door opened, ending that discussion. :-(

None of the folks apparently asked the right person (our nosy lady friend) about me/us.   And, even though our "new acquaintance" approached the issue to me directly, in a non-offensive, appropriate manner, the end result fell a bit flat, particularly with her admission of how few women were involved.  I guess the rest of the folks were accepting me as female???

In the future, I'll take anything she says "with a grain of salt."

Happy Friday!

Mandy

Euro-Metric? P-Metric?

Grabbed the camera for a very pretty sunrise this morning!  Though it doesn't quite compare to western sunsets...

 A Delmarva Morning!

Time to get new tires for the antique...I've been checking local dealers for the proper tires.

Did you know that there are two types of metric radials?  The oldest (and the only type that would have been available on my car in 1967) are Euro-Metric.  These are sized like this:  205-75R14.   In the mid-to-late 70's a standardized size was devised for all passenger cars -  represented with a P as a prefix...P205-75R14.   For antiques which may be shown in national shows, one needs to pay attention to this little difference  in relation to your model year (and the need to have all 5 tires matching in size and tread pattern), as it can mean a large point deduction if your car has the wrong tires.

And mine did - matching P-metric radials.  But Euro-Metrics were the correct ones for it.  Since one of my 5 tires had a broken belt (not replaceable under warranty) and was relegated to the trunk as a spare, and another one seems to be developing the same issue,  I had all the tires changed out for a complete set of 5 new Euro-Metrics.

When I showed up at the garage at 7AM, I was dressed androgynously:  ballet flats, pantyhose, gray capris, and luxuriously silky black blouse, with Mom's necklace but only light makeup and no lipstick.  The shop was very responsive - "Right away, Ma'am."   And they were good...got the job done in a little over an hour.  As I paid the bill by credit card, the clerk saw my name and said "Thanks for shopping with us, Ma'am."   I'm sure glad my wife didn't come along...

On the way home, I needed to get gasoline.  As I stood there pumping gas, I noticed a soda pop delivery truck drive into the parking lot.  No big deal...happens occasionally.  Shortly, the route man appeared out of nowhere, to look over my car and chat.    We talked while I finished pumping gas, and he was very polite - every other word seemingly was "Ma'am."  And he really appreciated seeing the car...when he left, he wished me well at the next show, again ending his sentence with "Ma'am."   Very affirming.

And as I headed back to the house from the gas station, a local younger guy in an old Camaro (decent car but not show quality) waved at me.  I'm not sure if he was flirting, but I didn't recognize him at all.  Maybe he remembered me from one of the local shows.   Being in a happy mode, I waved back.

It was a wonderful day...

Mandy