Odds and Ends

Last Part of My Hamvention Story

This is the final installment of my adventures en femme at Hamvention and it contains random bits and pieces that did not fit in with the themes I covered in the previous installments of my story.

Perfect Check In

Since I have a credit card that has only my first name initial (S) and my full last name, I always make my hotel reservation using my female name when I plan to be en femme during a hotel stay. When I arrived at the hotel on Thursday and checked in at the front desk, the woman working the desk pronounced my first and last name perfectly.

Many people pronounce my first name as if it rhymes with "Nana," when it actually rhymes with "Donna" and I lost count how many ways people have botched my last name (it rhymes with Mxyzptlk)!

(The accompanying photo shows me in my hotel suite shortly after check-in.)

Grand Entrance

Saturday evening, I attended a banquet I had never attended before. The schedule stated that the hours of the banquet were 7:30 to 10 PM. I assumed that the 7:30 start time was the time that the banquet room opened for the attendees.

I was dressed to kill.

I drove a half hour through a thunderstorm to the hotel hosting the banquet and arrived at 7:30 sharp.

The hotel lobby was suspiciously empty. At most banquets, groups of people are hanging back before entering the banquet room, but not this time.

I entered the banquet room and realized 7:30 was the time that dinner was served. Every table was full of seated diners waiting for their table to be called for the buffet.

As this six-foot-two women in five-inch platform pumps entered the room, 250 heads turned to look at me! And they continued looking at me as I tried to find the table where my reserved seat was located.

I was not embarrassed, but I was a bit flustered trying to find my seat. Finally, the fellow who had invited me to sit at his table, saw my predicament and escorted me to my seat.

Eyelashed

I mentioned awhile back that I began wearing false eyelashes whenever I am en femme: not big drag queen eyelashes, but conservative eyelashes that give my eyes just a little extra oomph.

I pretty much have the hang of putting on the eyelashes unless I am in a hurry, as I found out during Hamvention.

Thursday morning, I had plenty of time to do my makeup and I put on my eyelashes without an issue.

Friday and Saturday mornings were rushed. I had to shave, shower, makeup, dress, and eat breakfast by 7 AM when my ride departed for the Hamvention site.

I botched up my eyelashes on Friday, but I was able to camouflage the botch with eyeliner.

Saturday was worse. I finally ripped off the lashes in disgust and threw them in the trash! I applied extra mascara to compensate.

Ham Radio in this Day and Age

Peter Lappin of  Male Pattern Boldness fame asked, "Would you mind mentioning at some point what ham radio operators actually DO in this age of the text message? -- or don't I understand what ham radio is; perhaps I don't!"

Basically, ham radio operators communicate with other ham radio operators around the world and around town using voice, text, or Morse code. In emergency situations (like floods, hurricanes, tornados, etc.), ham radio provides a valuable public service because it still functions when all other forms of communications (including cell phones) fail. As a result, emergency responders go to hams for reliable communications when everything else becomes unreliable.

This link describes ham radio in more detail.

 

Actor Chris Williams (in white) femulating on television’s Ugly Betty in 2010.

 

Wearing Donna Morgan.