Cruising Along

By Norah Blucher

I feel so behind in sharing all that has occurred to me, but I must say it has been quite a summer. Much has happened, some without me realizing it, but it has all been right positive, starting with a little cruise!

Earlier this summer, I found myself in Burlington, Vermont, sitting at a dockside restaurant, waiting for my workmates to arrive. I noted a large boat at the neighboring dock and discovered it was a tour boat that did sightseeing and dinner cruises along Lake Champlain. I told my workmates about it and was surprised to hear that they had known about it for sometime, but for one reason or another, they had never been on it, but hoped to one day.

This actually made me sad a bit. I’ve learned that life is too short to let things pass you by and with me, I do not always know when I will return to a place, so I decided to see if I could have a go at it. No one else was staying over with me, but undeterred, I made a dinner reservation for the sunset cruise later that evening!

The Epiphany

I returned to my hotel in the afternoon and began the process of getting ready. I had already traveled to Vermont en femme and had planned to go out in the evenings, but had not packed a lot of nice things. Northern Vermont, even Burlington, is not a fancy dress up place at all and I had largely packed casual clothing. I did however pack a nice sleeveless top and a denim skirt, so being the nicest things I had, that is what I went with.

Reservations confirmed and attire selected, I stepped into the shower to begin preparing for the evening. I was in there but a few minutes and the water pressure began to drop. I fiddled with the water knobs and nothing. I waited a few minutes and still nothing. I got out and waited about 10 minutes, and when there was still no pressure, I called the front desk only to discover there was a water issue and it would be at least several hours before we were to have water back

Without a moment to lose, I quickly went into the kitchenette and grabbed a few pots and began to fill them at the faucets, desperately trying to get what I could from the remaining water pressure. I ended up with a gallon or two of water and began to try and shave and wash up as best I could. And it was not easy for sure! 

I have an electric shaver for daily use, but it does not shave quite close enough for a good makeup application. Wet shaving in a pot of water was proving to be less than ideal though. I checked my reservation and I still had time to cancel and get a refund, but I pressed on trying to do as good a job as I could.

I spent the next half hour or so doing the best I could and kept checking the time to see if I should just abandon the plan for another day. I waffled back and forth a few times wondering if this would work out or end up a miserable failure, when it finally hit me. Just because I could not shave and do my makeup, I could still keep my plans and go as male if I wanted and it was in that moment that I realized I had crossed a milestone somewhere without me realizing it.

I’m not sure where. It was a gradual, though not slow process for me, but somewhere I had hit a point where anything to do with things aside from work or mundane aspects of life, just defaulted to doing them en femme. I looked back and also found moving forward, that so many things in life; travel, a dinner out, attending a mate’s party or just a weekend shopping trip, all defaulted to female life. So strange, but also so exciting to realize that things had gotten here.

Anyway, I ended up with a good enough shave and also discovered the electric shaver did an adequate job on my legs as well, so a bit of deodorant and an extra spritz of perfume and I considered myself good to go. It was thankfully going to be an open air affair. I mean really, what’s a girl supposed to do?

All Aboard!

I drove the short distance and arrived again at the dock to retrieve my boarding ticket and looked about waiting for the boat to return and unload from the earlier sightseeing cruise so we could board for dinner. It was such a brutally hot day, but the temperature was so much cooler near the water with a nice breeze, so it was fun to walk around the dockside park and enjoy the time.

As I waited, I noted a lot of other women waiting for the boat, all with name tags around their necks. It looked like some sort of group was going to be occupying most of the boat, as they all seemed chatty with each other. I’d no idea where they were from, but I assumed perhaps the local university. I noted many of them were dressed up a right bit more than me, though some less so and I did not feel out of place at all. I know this is a frequent topic of discussion here, but female attire for certain occasions can be much harder to predict and plan for than males, but that said, packing some more dressy items along with more casual things can let you mix and match to meet any circumstances and feel put together and presentable, without looking over-the-top or like a vagabond.

I did finally ask someone what their group was and came to find I was sharing the boat with a large group from the Ninety Nines, an all-female pilot club! How fun! This explained the lack of males in their group, though I did note quite a few couples waiting to board as well.

Did I Make a Mistake?

Boarding the boat, I showed my ticket and was told to proceed up the stairs to the top deck. Once up there, a host took me through a semi-enclosed dining area with large tables, then all the way toward the stern where I was seated at a small table on the corner of the rear balcony. I must say it was truly the best seat on the boat being so elevated and able to get views off the side and back! I wondered if others would be seated with me, but eventually discovered I was to be sitting alone like any other restaurant I would go to.

And it was a right bit lonely I must say. As we pulled out of the dock and got underway, I noted everyone else was a group. The ladies from the Ninety Nine club were all seated in groups, as were whole families and a bunch of other couples. The views of the lake were smashing for sure and it was a similar situation to any other time I travel and dine mostly, but it felt a bit different and I began to wonder if I stood out attending this alone.

I did not let it get me down though and before long they were calling us up to the buffet line. The food was good, not fine dining for sure, but on par with decent wedding food and I enjoyed my meal as the world passed by with a nice breeze to ward off the stifling inland heat of the day.

The Photographer!

As dessert was served and cleared, I noted that with no further need to remain at one’s table, people began to get up and mill about and any misgivings I had about being alone dissolved. I took some more pictures from my corner perch and before long a few others came over and asked if I minded them taking some pictures from the corner balcony. I actually offered to take group photos for them and almost all happily agreed.

I think word soon got out that the blonde in the corner was doing photography as I soon had a small stream of people asking me to take their pictures! I actually joked with a few that I was going to be sending a bill for my services, LOL. In reality though, I greatly enjoy photography and also saw this as a very affirming sign that even if others did read me, no one seemed put off or bothered by my presence. I also enjoyed a few lovely chats with different people about where we were all from and also with an amateur artist lady who also shared with me some work her more professional mate had been up to and encouraged me to go visit the gallery where her art was being displayed currently.

Deciding to let others enjoy the corner balcony awhile, I made my way around the top deck and noted quite a few couples of various ages apparently celebrating different things, engagements, anniversaries or just enjoying a special date night or whatnot. A few of the girls had fabulous dresses on and truly looked amazing. Not what I had expected at all that evening, but it was nice to see.

Moving toward the bow, I noted a couple taking selfies of themselves and smiled to myself noting the dress the girl had on. It was a long cream and black linen dress to the floor with spaghetti straps and I instantly recognized it as the same one I had purchased a few weeks before at Marshalls. Had I known I was going to be doing this, I probably would have packed it and worn it that night. It made me smile and laugh a bit to think of us running into each other dressed identically, but also made me feel good that though she looked more smashing than I would have pulled off the look, at least my fashion taste was matching what other stylish women were choosing and wearing. I offered to take a few pictures for them and they readily agreed, then turned the tables and asked if I would like a few of me!

As we milled about the boat, a small seaplane buzzed by rather close and at a low altitude a few times. Each time it passed by a roar of cheers erupted from the Ninety Nines, so I assumed this was one of their mates who decided not to take the boat trip. Either that or she arrived too late for the party, LOL.

Dancing the Night Away

Part of this cruise included dancing and a DJ as well. A few kids and some couples had made use of the dance floor, but as we wound down to the last hour of the ride, the poor DJ was making a great effort to get people up and dancing. He had some success, but I must admit it was not a crowded dance floor. I was not among them out their either though. I cannot dance to save my life and have never really been into it, but I’m a bit less inhibited en femme.

I eventually got up and did a few fast dances and had a most enjoyable time. I think it made it easier that their was such an uneven number of women to men, so it did not seem awkward. The Ninety Nine girls were having fun out there so I joined in for a short spell.

Calling It a Night

Things began to wind down and at about 9 PM we pulled back up to the dock and began to get off. It had been a fun night and it was such a beautiful evening that I had half a mind to take a stroll and then remembered there was a lively little pub district right up the hill that I could check out. As I made my way out of the dock area and toward my parking lot I noted a few that I recognized from the boat heading up there, when suddenly I stopped. I’m not usually one to hold myself back, but something hit me as different.

Monica recently wrote about different standards for males and females going out at night and though I’m usually cautious about where I go, I guess I had never thought about the fact that I had first started going out in the fall. So I usually was roaming around outside in the daylight and never really roamed around at night since it was colder and I usually drove somewhere and walked in. It never really took much thought.

I took stock of my situation and the conversation I had with myself was pulling me back for good reason. The boat had been a rather safe place, full of people, was well-staffed, and if anyone had meant me harm, there were rather limited chances to try anything and nowhere to run either. 

Now, looking up at the dark walk to the pubs, I noted that the little pub district had looked safe enough when I passed it that afternoon, but night time is a different story. I also recalled a lot of street people all over as well as some sort of large frat houses not far away on the other side of the pub district. I was also dressed rather nicely and knew I would stand out as an easy target. Had I been presenting as male, out with a bloke or even another girl or two, things might have been different, but that was not the case tonight.

I decided to play it safe and went back to my car and drove back to the hotel. I was a bit disappointed, but not as much as I had thought and in the end I knew I made the safe and correct decision. Back at my hotel, we still had no water (and would not till the following evening) so I used the last of my water to wash up and went to bed, quite content that it had been a great evening.

So Loves, I hope you enjoyed all this and this was just the start of what would prove to be a very fun and eventful summer, so I promise more to come! For now, questions and comments are welcome below or you may email me at nblucher at-sign proton dot me.

Wearing Celestine Sei dress, Givenchy bag and AllSaints jacket.

Frederick Ko Vert femulating in the 1924 film The Reel Virginian.

Stuff 91: Wigs Redux

By J.J. Atwell

More Wig Stuff

I’ve mentioned wigs several times in my writings here on Femulate. For most of us a good wig is a necessity for our femme expression. Yes, some of us can get by with their own hair and they are the lucky ones. For the rest of us though, it’s a challenge to find the right wig. 

You may remember that one of my New Year’s resolutions was to get a new wig. So far, all I’ve done is quite a bit of looking, but no buying. It’s hard to pick the right color and style in a new wig.

Come to think of it, even GGs have challenges when deciding about their own hair in terms of length, cut and color. Perhaps as CDs we have it easier than them because we can change ours on a whim. Not happy with your look? Just pull off the wig and slap on a different one. 

Looking

Yes, I’ve been looking. Most often by checking various online sites. You know there are many of them. Obviously, Amazon is the biggest but some of the wig specialty shops offer a really good selection. There are so many choices, it’s hard to focus.

One of the members of my local CD group is a bit of a wig aficionado and suggested a YouTube channel “Crazy Wig Lady.” I’ve watched a few installments and agree that it is a really good resource for looking at different wigs. About once a month the Crazy Wig Lady puts on a show where she includes brief snippets of a dozen or so wigs she’s tried recently. For each wig, she lists the manufacturer, style and color – all very important criteria when you are buying a new wig. 

My friend suggests using this resource to narrow down your search. When you see a wig that you like, make a note of its specifications so you can search for a vendor that carries it when it’s time to buy. 

Buying

My friend suggests using these resources to narrow down your search and then go to an actual wig shop when you are ready to buy. Yes, that’s right, buy from a real shop, not online. Why you ask? Because what looks good on a model might not look as good on your head. 

Everybody’s head is different in terms of facial shape and complexion which all have a bearing on how the wig will look on you. You really, really need to see the wig on you to know if it’s right. Going to a wig shop allows you to try on several variations in cut and color. In a reputable shop, you’ll also get good feedback from them. Bonus: if you can get a trusted friend to go with you who will give an honest opinion.

Wearing

So you found the perfect wig. Yay! But maybe it could be even better? Put it on and look at it critically in the mirror. Does the wig frame your face appropriately? Or could some judicious trimming make it better? I’ve had several wigs trimmed and they do make them look better. 

The picture at the top of this Stuff is my current favorite and I was fortunate enough to have the wife of one of our members trim it from the original out of the box wig. It is so much better for my overall presentation than the uncut version ever was. 

I’ll Be Back

There will be more Stuff. As always comments are welcome either here on the blog or by email to Jenn6nov at-sign gmail dot com. JJ is always looking for more stuff, so if there is something you would like to read about please let me know!

Wearing Theia

Sean Hayes femulating on television’s Lazy Susan.

The Undecided