JoAnnDallas
11-15-2006, 01:36 PM
Well the Tri-Ess Holiday Enfem 2006 has come and gone. This was my very first time meeting others like ourselves and going to a public place while dressed. I arrived at the hotel Saturday morning. Found a parking place that was close to the entrance but also gave private place to change. Once I had changed into JoAnn, I then checked and double-checked my appearance, and the contents of my purse. Made sure I had my car keys, cell phone, camera, makeup, billfold, tissues and etc. God, I need a bigger purse. Then I took a deep breath, got out of the SUV, looked straight ahead, held my head high, put a wiggle in my walk, walked to the entrance, passing three gentlemen guests who were leaving with their bags. No stares, but then too once I was pass them I did not look back. As I approached the entrance, a gentleman guest came out and in passing, said “Morning Mam”, which put a big smile on my face. Into the entrance and followed the signs to where registration was. The weird thing was I was not at all nervous. Not like the first time I went out in the daylight last year. I was calm, confident, felt really great. I proceeded to find Tootsye. Tootsye is the Tri-ess officer I had been emailing with for about 5 months. I got my packet and went to general assembly, where the day’s events were outlined according to the info in the packet. At this time I was starting to introduce myself to the other ladies there. This Tri-Ess event is a national event. We had ladies from all over the country. From Oklahoma, Nevada, Texas, as well as both the East and West Coast. All total there were around 60-70 CDer’s, So’s, and wives. The event started the previous Thursday, with seminar for the Cder, wife’s, and SO’s. There were shopping trips, salon trips, and nightly entertainment too. I got to meet a local sister that I first meet via email, while she was still serving in Iraq. She is home now and does not have to go back. It was great to be able to put faces to emails. Almost everyone used his or her normal voices, but none of us cared at all. LOL. The forums were outstanding; some were the type that the speaker requested questions and/or comments from those attending. I learned a few things and had the chance to reflect on questions put to us. One of the forums was about voice training to make your voice more fem. This was from a local college clinic. Found out that training your voice to be more fem was not as easy as it may sound. The clinic does not help CDer’s. They do help those that are transitioning. The reason was because it is very hard to be able to switch back and forth between a male voice and a female voice and because it takes many hours of practice to get it the goal of be recognized as female on the telephone. It was interesting that you may sound totally fem in public, but the same voice will come over as male on the telephone. Before I knew it, it was lunchtime. The hotel had reserved the ladies room near the banquet hall just for us. I went in and while using the facilities; I discovered the person in the next stall was a wife of one of the ladies. Then we stood side by side at the mirror checking our makeup. It doesn’t get any better than that. J After lunch, there were more forums and then from around 3:30PM till 5:00PM, we had a break time, in which some of us went to the hospitality room, where I was able to meet more of the ladies. Got a few very nice comments on my outfit and shoes. One of the wife’s asked where I gotten my 2” open toe pumps, as she had not seen a pair like them before. Then around 4:30PM, I walked back to my SVU to change into my LBD and 3.5” slingbacks. Once back into the Hotel and we all gathered in the dinning room, it was time for a group picture session. I did manage to get a few pictures of the event, along with one of Tootsye and myself. The photographer could not get all of us into the same frame, so she took three or four frames and said she would stitch them together before sending them out. Isn’t digital photos great? Then it was time for dinner and a few awards given out to the various Tri-Ess Chapters around the country. After dinner, most of the ladies were then going to a concert. By this time, I was getting tired and decided not to go. They were going to be getting back late and I needed to be at the local airport early the next morning for a training excurse. I said my goodbyes and promised to keep in touch with Tootsye, as there will be other local Tri-Ess events coming next year, as well as getting together for lunches or dinners.
If you have not attended an event like this, you have to go. I had the most wonderful time, meet a whole bunch of the nicest ladies I have ever meet, had one of the best times since I started going out in the daylight last year. My confidence level has gone up a hundred fold. I would walk pass other guests and not a word said. There was even a schoolteacher’s event going on at the same time and got some stares but no OMG or comments, at least not within earshot. LOL The hotel staff was outstanding, very professional, eager to help with any problems that arose, and each and every one of them called us “Ladies” and “Mam”. There was only one incident and that was at the bar. A couple of us went in to buy a drink before dinner and a male guest made a loud rude remark. Before any of us could say or do anything, the bartender went over to the man and loudly told him that he was being rude and if he continued, she would have him escorted out of the hotel. Then the bartender apologized to us; we thanked her, and left. When we were outside of the bar entrance, the three of us started laughing. Everyone got a good laugh out of it too. By the time I made my goodbyes and walked out to the SUV, I was on cloud nine.
If you have not attended an event like this, you have to go. I had the most wonderful time, meet a whole bunch of the nicest ladies I have ever meet, had one of the best times since I started going out in the daylight last year. My confidence level has gone up a hundred fold. I would walk pass other guests and not a word said. There was even a schoolteacher’s event going on at the same time and got some stares but no OMG or comments, at least not within earshot. LOL The hotel staff was outstanding, very professional, eager to help with any problems that arose, and each and every one of them called us “Ladies” and “Mam”. There was only one incident and that was at the bar. A couple of us went in to buy a drink before dinner and a male guest made a loud rude remark. Before any of us could say or do anything, the bartender went over to the man and loudly told him that he was being rude and if he continued, she would have him escorted out of the hotel. Then the bartender apologized to us; we thanked her, and left. When we were outside of the bar entrance, the three of us started laughing. Everyone got a good laugh out of it too. By the time I made my goodbyes and walked out to the SUV, I was on cloud nine.