My Day in NYC

If you know me, I can make a long story MUCH longer, so here goes.

I like photography and because I have time on my hands I can indulge in my hobby to attend seminars or events as the one this weekend. I also tend to want to share what I have or can afford to give to someone and the ulterior motive is I like to meet other people if possible. I did offer the ticket to a very close CD friend who is very interested in photography also and it would have been fun for the both of us to go together, but she declined the offer with some excuse, I know if you wanted to she could have, and yes it makes me hurt a little. I even posted the offer in a Yahoo group I belong to but the monitor of the group removed it even though she allows people to post provocative and sexually orientated messages, I met her once and she feels my wife and I are competition to her business even though we're about 4-5 hours travel from her so called business, what a jerk. I finally interested my eye doctor because his father had got him interested in photography years ago and due to his profession he leaned to that direction.

I mentioned to him I would be Louise for the day, I thought that could discourage him, but he knows me both ways and I admire him for his courage in accepting my invitation.

An interesting thing did happen as we were walking down 42 ND and 8 Th, I recognized a married couple who were customers of mine for years, he's a very prominent local attorney and his wife. I stopped them, he didn't recognize me at first but his wife recognized my voice and addressed me by name, she also said I really thought you were a woman. She wanted me to give my wife a message, she said years ago my wife had told her to save her own money and because of my wife's advice she was able to buy her own apartment in Philadelphia.

So my wife drove over to his home and drove us both to the AC bus stop, we were just in time for the 10 AM, which got us into the city about 1 PM. I was in between rain but we walked about 5 blocks to the Javits Center. My friend is about 6'2 and I'm 5'3 I was just about running to keep up with him. When we checked in and got into the Hall I took my sweater off, I was soaked.

The show was much better this year and very well attended, I'm not sure if anyone even noticed me as a CD or even cared. We spent about 4 hours at the show and then went to dinner at an Irish Pub. All in all it was a nice day but not very eventful,

On the way back the bus stopped in Toms River and I was very thirsty from the Pastrami sandwich I had for dinner, my friend tried to buy one out of the machine but you guessed it, it was out. I tend t be a non believer so I went out and tried, I was there about 1-2 minutes and the bus driver was calling me sweety, we have to go.

We were both beat by the time we got home, it was a long day.

Louise Buys a New Bike

Last Wednesday I received my new "Louise Credit Card". Since I had been considering a new bike I decided to give the Bike shop that is about 20 miles from me a shot at the sale because they were always nice to me, I rarely had bought anything more that 20 bucks from them but they were always appreciative and they do know me in both persona's.

I picked out a bike I felt was what I needed the price was 3600.00, pretty much mid level for a race bike, The owner said let me call the factory rep (who I know also) and see what I can do for you. To coin a phrase "I was offered a deal I couldn't refuse". I should have mentioned, I was Louise while making the purchase, I asked for no special treatment but I did expect maybe a 10% adjustment, what I got was $100.00 over cost and that included assembly. My old shop I had been pretty much exclusive with for 25 years may have offered 10% discount if I bartered with them.

I had done a lot of business with the store I raced for, they have lost most of my business and the people who know me, trust and value my opinon of the type bike to ride and where to go for good treatment, you can bet I will not malign my old shops reputation, I will just direct potential costumers to the other shop. The bottom line is that in many cases (unfortunately) we are judged by looks and how we present ourselves or (as in the case of my local old shop) if someone who has their own issues and wants to malign your character, the new shop was not infected by that peer pressure as was the one near me, shame on them.

Situations this week

Friday I decided to get my nails done, it's a new salon for me but I went a couple weeks before because I wanted to see my wife as she was having hers done. I had mine done also and my wife informed the technician I was a cross dresser, he wasn't surprised about cross dressers since he had some in Atlantic City he worked on. I shared a few of my pictures because it's hard to imagine Lou as someone who Cd's, he seemed to be impressed.

My wife called on Friday morning and made my appointment, so it wasn't as if "Louise" was going in cold turkey so to speak. I was a few minuets late, which is fashionable for me and he was taking care of someone else, but he looked up to see who came in. The shop owner said "Oh, you're Millie's husband, he then said with a stunned expression on his face "OMG, I didn't recognize you, you're stunning", I said I did show you my pictures, but I guess in person I look different.

That evening I went to a sort of up scale restaurant/lounge, where they had a 4 piece group with a female vocalist who was singing lounge music. It was the type environment that if you want to act sophisticated you listen and no one speaks, then everyone applauds whether the singer was good or bad. After she was done with her song I went up the stairs and crossed the room where about 5-6 large tables that seat about 10 people were located and into the bar area. I no sooner ordered a drink when a lady came in and addressed me as Louise and asked if I would mind sitting with them when I came into the polar where the music was. I went over to the entrance and another woman I've known for years who is a lesbian stood up and addressed me also, and whispered she was there with her church group, as if she didn't want me to embarrass her by recognizing her, I just6 said, you can introduce me to them (I put her on a spot) so that's what she did. The only male there asked me if my business was in Margate and said he was the person I would talk with when I ordered parts from his shop. A woman introduced me to her husband then asked me to sit next to her, we chatted on and off between the music for about 20+ minuets and she mention she and the singer were vocalists at the church, I said my wife was also at her church. Well her reaction was some what startled, she said "Your wife" I said yes, she said you're married to a woman, I said why not, I'm just a cross dresser, she said I thought you were a woman.

I'll leave the rest for another post, Louise