I have been there on other Thursdays, but since I get up at an ungodly early hour to go to work I always leave as the DQs are arriving and have never stayed for the drag show. I often do my part to try to clear the place out by singing a few songs.
Last night was proceeding as planned. I had hoped to stay to see a part of the drag show or perhaps talk with one or two of the DQs before I left, so I put a little extra effort into my dress and makeup. I applied the foundation and blended on a top coat... a little extra blush, eye liner and shadow and I had a new tube of mascara so that it went on extra thick, followed by lipliner and lipstick.
I had on my black bra with breast forms, black slip, nude pantyhose and a silky nylon black and white print wrap dress with a light thin white jacket. The blonde wig seemed to work well and with my 3-inch black pumps, the dangly clip-on earrings, my double strand of pearls around my neck and small pearl strands on my wrist (costume jewelry). I was ready to launch.
My typical M.O. is to open the garage door and wait the 3-5 minutes for the interior garage light to go out and then get into the car and drive away from the condo. I figure that once in the car, even if the garage light goes back on when the car bumper breaks the electric eye at the garage entrance, I will be out quickly enough to avoid detection.
The part of the condo development where I live are double units. Each building has two units with adjoining garages facing the street. Our adjoining neighbors are a nice Italian heritage couple in their 70s, so I figure that they are in for the night when I head out dressed.
While waiting for the garage light to go out, I loaded my purse, checked my hair and makeup, grabbed a large travel cup of coffee and a bag with my nicer 3.5-inch peep-toe pumps for changing into when I got to my destination.
With the coffee in one hand, my purse over one arm, my bag with the spare shoes in the other hand and my car keys ready to go, I opened the door to the garage, stepped down the two steps to the garage floor, heard my heels clack on the garage floor for the 3 to 4 steps to the car door when the garage light came on as my neighbor entered the garage and broke the electic eye beam at the garage entrance. The phrase "a deer caught in the headlights" comes close to describing my reaction.
I fled back into the condo and quickly stripped off the dress, wig and heels and stuck my head out the door when my neighbor said he wanted to show me something in the driveway.
Back into the house to throw on slacks, get rid of the bra, slip and breast forms and toss on a polo shirt and then splash some water on my face and wipe off as much makeup as I could. I figured it was dark out and with my neighbor in his 70s, perhaps his eyesight would not detect the traces of makeup, mostly my eyeliner and mascara.
With slip-on shoes covering my stockinged feet, I went out to talk to the neighbor. He had some rubberized squares that he was planning to bring to his summer house where he had built an arbor and he wanted to show me the squares as well as photos of the arbor trellis and the plans he had followed to build it.
Every encounter with this neighbor includes an update on his and his wife's current physical ailments, his exercise routine and the seasonal sports team. He is a big Yankee fan and I had figured he would have been in his condo unit watching the Yankee game and this had been the case until he heard my garage door go up and he came out to show me the floor squares, arbor, etc. After going through the current Yankee situation I quipped, "How about those Mets" and that finally brought the conversation to an end.
It was now an hour later than I had planned to get out and I just did not have the energy to re-dress and re-apply my makeup, so my plans for an evening out ended with a huge scare.
During our conversation in the driveways and our garages, neither of us mentioned the way I was attired when the garage light went on and there were no comments about any makeup dregs on my face. I have no clue as to what elements of my attire and presentation he may have seen or more importantly, what may have registered in his mind. This neighbor is a very nice guy, very friendly, but a big time yenta. I guess we just go forward living one day to the next now that my heartbeat is back closer to normal.
I thought that you may have found this incident of passing interest.
Let's be careful out there.
Pat
Calling all girls! My open invitation to post your favorite photo along with the story behind it and the reason it is your favorite photo still stands, so don't be shy, send me your fave foto. ― Stana
Wearing Eva Franco. |
Little Archie, Reggie and Jughead en femme. |
Good on you Pat and never mind what the neighbors think. Mine all know and could care less. Its your life so live it...
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel, I was there once and still am to an extent but some time ago (a long time) I came to the point that if I wanted to "dress", I would have to take risks. Getting out in my city or any place, you will come face to face with some one you know. I met my wife one day, whilst dressed, kissing my ladyfriend!
ReplyDeleteIt's surprising how, after such traumas, one just goes on, the sky didn't fall in, things are OK, one is still dressing, still wanting to do it!
Git oot and aboot, you know you want to,
Caro.
Even as inspiring as you are, it is interesting to read about your real-world constraints -- and neighbors. Thanks, and good luck there! sara elise
ReplyDeletePat - you mentioned baseball - so this had to be at least a few weeks ago - anything change with the neighbors?
DeleteThe event described above happened in August of 2015. Two weeks later the oppportunity presented itself to get out and about again so I put on the same clothes and when I got to my destination I had someone take a photo with my phone. There are not a lot of photos of me while dressed and what you see above is what my neighbor would have seen that fateful evening.
DeleteSince that event I have had plenty of 'driveway' enconters with my neighbor and not a word has been mentioned of my attire that night. Perhaps he simply did not believe his own eyes.
Pat
Pat- Thanks for the additional details and update. Wow, quite the heart-beating moment. Sounds good on the additional "encounters" (lol), and maybe that's it! sara
Delete