Well OK it's taken quite some time (mark me down as a slow learner) but finally, finally I got out in to the real world.
So with a depth of gratitude to Amanda, Donna and Tess ..
My God!!!! What a feeling. What a weekend!
It starts with Amanda, Donna and their friend, Geena, popping in to the winery on Saturday for a little tasting. Dressed of course. A few curious looks but nothing else really. People are so polite, as they should be.
Sunday night I had invited Amanda and Donna to my place. I'm going crazy hoping to ready by the time they arrived, I worked that day. All goes well, I feel good. The new hair works. I'm feeling cute in a cropped sweater over slim back 7/8 pants and ballet flats. And we have a wonderful night, chatting, drinking (A special vintage sparkling was popped), eating. Great night, good to do I think before the Monday night debut.
Monday I have a schedule to work to that will get me to the pub where the dinner is being held by six o'clock. I have to leave at 5 to make sure I've got plenty of time. I had decided well before what I was wearing, grey pencil skirt, black long sleeve top, opaque tights (still too warm to shave the legs), black suede heels and a new scarf. What could go wrong? Well just about everything apparently.
Why does it take four goes to get fingernail polish right? Why did I even attempt false eyelashes that day? Why can't foundation cope with nervous sweat? How do you get mascara off without stuffing everything else up? So in the end it's, "Well that will just have to do!" and I flew out the door, 20 minutes late. Not so brilliant.
Well I found it takes exactly 40 minutes to drive from where I live to the venue. All the time I'm driving I'm keeping an eye out for the look, you know the 'I don't think that's a woman driving that car' look. Did not happen. Why weren't they looking! Didn't they realise the effort I'd gone to?
I arrived perfectly on time to realise that no-one else was there.
Too hot to sit in the car, so a deep breath and Stuff it, get out of the car and walk over to the pub. As I get to the footpath I see someone walking towards me. A special friend, Tess has arrived at exactly the same time. We've only met in person once before and that was both of us in guy mode. We walked in together, not many other people there. A group of three older couples having dinner and another table of two women. The six gave us a bit of a look, but everyone was quite cool. The two women did not blink, even once. Soon more of the girls arrive and it's just one rather brilliant night.
I felt soooo good. I got so many compliments I was taken aback. Most didn't believe I hadn't been out before (well once, but I was fifteen), I got, I love your outfit, I love your hair, you look great and I just lapped it up. We left the pub at about ten. Tess had already left, she had a big drive home. But I went back to Mandy and Donna's motel and we had a few nightcaps. Then it was time to drive home. I think the cars tires didn't touch the ground, I was that happy.
So I've gotten out, I've made contact with the locals and it's fantastic. I feel so good about myself, it's weird.
Now I can't wait until the next dinner in about four weeks.
And the funniest thing was that all Monday night I just felt so, so .. normal.
Sorry there's no pictures, on the other hand I'm probably glad there aren't.
Christen xx
. . . just kidding. I am glad you had such a great night and I think many of us here can sympathize with when things just don't go right when you are in a hurry and want to make an impression. However, you weathered the storm and came out ahead. Here is to many more Christen days out and about.
