Reprise

Another weekend gone.  Mostly cloudy, some sun, highs in the 40s.  A little warm for this time of year in south eastern PA, but I'm not complaining.

This weekend I was out and about, but it wasn't typical.  No far from it.

This weekend was the monthly Renaissance meeting and the biweekly Laptop Lounge. 

I worked Saturday morning, and from there went to True Colors for a makeover by Amanda Richards.  (oh, I stopped to get a room at a motel first.)

I arrived early for my pre-paid 4 PM appointment... to find Amanda in a middle of a photo session.  She's double booked.  Oops!  Amanda was horrified and very apologetic.  Yes, even the Legend makes mistakes sometimes.  ;)

So, options were weighed.  I could:
1) Go back to the motel room ( a 90 minute drive) and do my own makeup.
2) Wait until the end of the photo session at Six and then bump her 6 o clock appointment back.
3) Do my own makeup there.

In any case, she said I could be refunded, as any choice was free (her mistake after all.)  I told her that no refund would be needed, but I found it very generous (and honest) of her to offer.

Hmmm.  I didn't bring my makeup.  Amanda said she had everything I would need.  So, I would get to play with her professional palliate and brushes...

I said I'd do so if at six she would do my eyelashes for me.  She agreed.

So.  There I was with a professional makeup palliate and professional brushes.  Only thing that was less than awesome was the lighting.  No brainer!  I was like a kid in a candy store with mom's credit card!  So I dressed and started applying.

The person having the photoshoot was someone going out for the first time: Alexis.  She'd been dressing for years, but this would be her first time out.  The photoshoot was a Christmas gift from her wife, who not only knows about Alexis, but approves and participates.

Yes, Alexis is aware how blessed she is.

I was all but ready at 5:45.  I was wearing a new dress I found on ebay.  This was the second dress I bought from Funfash.  Their stuff tends to be a bit daring, and they ship quickly.  And I LOVE this dress!  I was going to wear a white cami underneath it to cover the cleavage, but... NAH!

I'll wear this again at Keystone.  THERE I'll wear the cami.

At six on the nose, I sat in Amanda's chair.  I asked her to critique my makeup as she apologized again.  She said she really liked the job I did on my eyes, and made some helpful suggestions here and there.  She did my lashes, lips, and eyeliner.  She also combed out my wig.  By 6:15, I was ready.

I was supposed to go to dinner with my dear friends Jen, Katie and Suzanne.  However due to the scheduling mishap, I called off.  I went directly to Renaissance. 

When I arrived, there were maybe twenty girls attending, including five I'd never seen before.  One was a member from way back- she transitioned in the late nineties.  The other four were first timers.  Four in the same meeting!  I was thrilled!  Four more of us starting the journey out of the shadows. Two told me that they heard of us through our group on Meetup.com.  As I am the host of that group, I was glad to hear it.

I didn't stay too long, as I'd missed dinner, and I was hungry.

For the first time in a while (and only for this one night) Laptop Lounge was at Shangrila.  Some readers may remember that I went to Shangrila alone back in November.  At the bar, I found Dr. Michelle Angello, who was kind enough to invite me to join her.  Dr. Angello is one of the leading therapists specializing in LGBT issues, and has appeared on many talk shows, including a memorable appearance on Larry King.  I had a wonderful time talking with her over appetizers and wine.

Soon enough, the party started.  The bar was soon packed.  My "Big Sis" Mel arrived, and we talked for a while.  I saw my friend Tina from Allentown for the first time in a while.  There were many new faces, including Alexis.  Turns out she is a fellow Penn Stater, several years after my time there. 

With Alexis

Also there was another "new"girl, Nikki.  She also had been dressing for years, and it showed.  Beautiful presentation!  Far better than I was my first time out!

As always there was music and fun times.  I made sure to limit my drinking, ending very early.  Many, many pictures were taken.  Apparently my dress was a hit!  It was the dress, right?

I left at about 1 AM.  back to the motel, where I changed back to drab and showered.  Then to Wawa for a quick snack.  By 2:15, I was on my way home. 

I'd just cleared Valley Forge Park when I was stuck behind a slow moving SUV.  It was swerving a little bit.  We passed the Valley Forge post office, where a police car was waiting- from the same station that pulled me over back in the summer.  And this officer pulled in behind me.  I wasn't worried about my sobriety as my last drink was more than four hours prior, so it was out of my system.  That said, no one likes being tailed by a police car!

I drove for almost a mile, watching the SUV swerve over the white line and wondering if the police officer behind me saw it as well.  I really didn't like the situation, but didn't want to turn off for fear that the officer would follow me, wondering where I was going.  I was fairly sure that the officer had already run my license plate by that time, and knew where I lived.  As we entered town, I pulled into a gas station, as I kind of needed gas and it provided a plausible reason to pull off. 

The officer nearly tore off my rear bumper blasting past me!  His lights turned on, and he was in pursuit.

I finished pumping gas, turned back onto the road, and there was the officer, maybe three hundred yards down the road.  As I drove past, I saw it was the same officer who caught me, and he was administering "the Test" to the driver of the SUV.

Hopefully, this guy will learn from his mistake.

Soon enough, I was home.  I uploaded the pictures from my camera into my computer, and went to bed.

Happy to be out again.  Happy to have reconnected with friends. 

Happy to be a Woman.




PS:  I will be presenting at the Keystone Conference on Thursday morning at 10:30 AM.  My topic is Writing Transgender Fiction: Releasing Your Inner Person.  And yes, it will be different from last year's presentation.  Want to know how?  Sign up!

PPS:  Speaking of TG fiction, I recently posted my fourth story to Fictionmania.  Find it HERE.  Comments appreciated!