I Am Paula
08-03-2013, 09:32 AM
My good friend, a career landlord, asked me to help building a rental unit in a house he had bought. A few days work, sure. He warned me that the house would be full of tradesmen, in case I was coming in girl mode (I was).
I showed up in my pink workboots, jeans with a little derriere padding, small forms under a tank top, and a pink baseball hat. Minimum makeup.
The house was full of T driven sweaty guys, who did nothing more than look up from their tasks, and mumble 'Mornin'.
Here's where the post goes two-pronged.
First. In fourteen weeks on E and AA's, I have lost SO MUCH strength! I didn't notice, till I tried to pick up five 2x4's at once (formerly easy). No way. Three was a struggle, and I felt like I'd done a full days work after unloading 145 of them. By lunch time my 8 lb. nailgun was like a boat anchor. Slept very well, and woke up sore.
Now the good part. I never consider myself 'passing'. I'm a very feminine looking 'guy in women's clothes'. I'm working on it, but that's still how I see myself.
The plumber and electrician, who were working around me, connecting the old part of the house to the new part I was framing, never looked at me as anything more than the framer, doing her job. I asked the homeowner if he had forewarned these guys that I was trans. Nope, not a peep. Lunch time, crunch time. Sitting at a picnic table with all these T based lifeforms. The only comment was a matter of fact "Better watch the boob jokes guys, we have a lady among us." We shared some stories, and had a few laughs, and got back to work.
Was I obviously trans, but among the most polite tradesmen in the universe?
Did I just fit in, so nobody questioned or cared, we were here to do a job?
Are there a lot of really ugly, big, GG's in the trades?
I not looking for an answer. Three days working a tough crowd, and I walked out with a new level of confidence. And some REALLY sore muscles.
P.S. The forms were a good idea. Whacked myself in the very sore boobs about a dozen times.
I showed up in my pink workboots, jeans with a little derriere padding, small forms under a tank top, and a pink baseball hat. Minimum makeup.
The house was full of T driven sweaty guys, who did nothing more than look up from their tasks, and mumble 'Mornin'.
Here's where the post goes two-pronged.
First. In fourteen weeks on E and AA's, I have lost SO MUCH strength! I didn't notice, till I tried to pick up five 2x4's at once (formerly easy). No way. Three was a struggle, and I felt like I'd done a full days work after unloading 145 of them. By lunch time my 8 lb. nailgun was like a boat anchor. Slept very well, and woke up sore.
Now the good part. I never consider myself 'passing'. I'm a very feminine looking 'guy in women's clothes'. I'm working on it, but that's still how I see myself.
The plumber and electrician, who were working around me, connecting the old part of the house to the new part I was framing, never looked at me as anything more than the framer, doing her job. I asked the homeowner if he had forewarned these guys that I was trans. Nope, not a peep. Lunch time, crunch time. Sitting at a picnic table with all these T based lifeforms. The only comment was a matter of fact "Better watch the boob jokes guys, we have a lady among us." We shared some stories, and had a few laughs, and got back to work.
Was I obviously trans, but among the most polite tradesmen in the universe?
Did I just fit in, so nobody questioned or cared, we were here to do a job?
Are there a lot of really ugly, big, GG's in the trades?
I not looking for an answer. Three days working a tough crowd, and I walked out with a new level of confidence. And some REALLY sore muscles.
P.S. The forms were a good idea. Whacked myself in the very sore boobs about a dozen times.