Hey y’all – it’s a current adventure!

This was a solo trip over halfway across the country, for a traditional January convention.   I traveled in “sort of androgynous” mode.  Because they are folks who only know me as a guy, I couldn’t afford to be wearing skirts, unless I was prepared for the consequences of being “outed completely.”   Turtlenecks and polo shirts with stirrup pants and ballet flats were the order of the day, with necklace and bracelet.  Of course, with all “permanent” feminine cues: hair, nails and purse as well.

Needless to say, my mode of transportation was by train.  A long journey, to be sure.  One to which I was looking forward!   The only personal interactions at the Baltimore Airport station were casual and quick.  As I was moving my two suitcases into the station, a man who had been standing nearby came running to hold the door for me…”Let me get those for you, Ma’am.”  And very much appreciated for sure.  “Thanks,  sir!”   And on the way to the tracks as the train was ready for boarding, a twentysomething female did…and said…the same thing.  Nice!

Enroute to Washington DC on Amtrak, I realized how much in a positive direction urban renewal in DC had moved since the last time I made the journey.  The Uline Arena renovations are finished…now a commercial tenant can “be a part of history” as the big exterior sign says.  And other entire blocks in the area are being rebuilt…should be a well-gentrified area when complete.

Urban renewal in full swing in Washington DC:

In DC’s Union Station, there were many changes since last time.  New shops, a few empty storefronts (particularly in the area entitled “shops” – which has only two remaining shops.  Best of all, the restaurant someone added in the middle of the great hall years ago, was completely gone.  Now the huge room really resembles its name – the “Great Hall.”

When I entered the lounge for sleeping car and first class travelers, the fortysomething male host interpreted me as female.  But wait, there’s more!  A grandfather traveling with a 3 year old granddaughter, sat down nearby.  The little girl kept looking at me.  I smiled pleasantly – and waited for her to get tired of staring.  Which she eventually did. 

Then for some reason, the girl caught the hiccups.  Grandpa didn’t do anything.  For about ten minutes, the poor little girl hiccup’ed about every 15 seconds.  Finally I walked over and suggested (in a softer, more feminine voice) to the grandpa (and little girl) that my own granddaughter had the same problem at times.  And “holding her breath” for a minute or so, often stopped it.  He told the girl to do it, and she did.  A minute later, no more hiccups.  You would have thought there might have been a thank you or other kind gesture from grandpa.  But no such luck.   The little girl just looked at me with that “thanks for your help” look, and didn’t stare at me any more.  I guess I “passed.”  Fortunately they were not on my train.

Time to board my train…and the redcap who hauled my baggage out to the sleeper addressed me as “Sir.”  But not the car attendant – no gender marker was spoken.  (Of course, he wasn’t one of the best car attendant I’ve ever traveled with!)  Guess you win some, you lose some. 

Sunset seemed to come early along the Potomac, just east of Harpers Ferry, WV:

The next day, our car attendant failed to remove bags from the upper level rooms and lower level baggage rack to place them outside the car and on the platform, as attendants have done for years.  A thirtysomething woman offered to help me by carrying mine down .  I declined her generous offer,  but thanked her sincerely.

After yesterday, with folks holding the door for me, do they think I’m female, or just OLD???   LOL!

More to follow,

Mandy

Several years ago, I arranged a much anticipated makeover with Beth at Makeovers With Elizabeth Taylor.  (Though I haven’t been back since, it’s for valid financial reasons.) But take it from me – she’s fabulous! I recommend her highly if you’re in the area. The first two thirds of my makeover was spent with wig and clothing selection, and makeup.  The balance was the actual photography.  Beth has a nice selection of clothes – (even some for us more-substantial gals!)  But you certainly can use your own if you wish! 

In my case, I used one of her wigs (she put my natural hair in a french braid underneath, to keep it out of the way), and the sleeveless top and skirts shown are from her wardrobe.  But as an experiment, at the end she un-braided my natural hair, added some products, and took a few pictures of me in one of my own outfits, as well.

 This long skirt is quite comfortable, and it helps one feel rather elegant…

I was very comfortable in it…probably because I have a long tan skirt, which I enjoy.

However, Beth wanted to put me in something a bit more daring, so she handed me a shorter skirt… above. Once on, I realized how much “on display” I was! Definitely a WOW factor here.

While I was still contemplating that “almost naked feeling” – very visible pantyhosed legs, and bare arms, (ultimately deciding that I liked it – a lot), she put out some pumps for me…with quite a bit higher heels than my own.  Being curious, I picked the cute pair of peep-toes and put them on (above).  They looked fabulous, but I seriously wobbled if I tried to move.  Maybe it was the fit, or just lack of practice in skyscraper heels themselves.  If someone made me wear these heels every day, I’d most likely fall over! (At least till I got used to them…)

Then came the realization that: I wasn’t going anywhere, and they were very sexy-looking.   So they absolutely had to be my shoes of choice for that part of the photo shoot.   I didn’t move around much…didn’t fall over (below was actually posed and slightly risque), and loved the way the skirt and heels made me look!

 It’s amazing how much this shorter wig actually changes my appearance!

Others have told me that a short wig would separate my androgynous appearance from my feminine side , and I can see from these pictures that it’s true.  It really does give the “two of us” distinctly different “looks.”  That would be a big plus. 

However…

Given my own circumstances, a wig would be a lot of trouble to store, and from what Marian has said, they’re very hot to wear outside in the summertime.  That’s a big downside, since most of my activities en femme are in the warmer months. Even if I could overcome the storage issue, I can’t picture myself wearing a wig to a car show in 90-plus degree weather….the perspiration dripping down my face would ruin my makeup.  And I wouldn’t want to smell that wig the next day!  I’d have to get my stylist to wash it after every use.  There’s already more than enough expense keeping the gray hidden in my own natural hair, something I can’t give up – I’m just not prepared to add 5 years – or more –  to my apparent age by going gray.

Just before I published this, I visited the wig shop my stylist had suggested.  It was not a successful visit – see my “Quickie – the wig shop” post, dated the 16th.  Absent an unexpected miracle, that visit pretty much ended consideration of a short wig that could be styled in a more-or-less male style.  Whether it’s age-appropriate or not,  I like my feminine long hair too much!

Back to my own outfit, and my own hair –  I still truly enjoy having long hair!

Beth is a wonderful hostess, and she helped me realize the potential to look my best.  I’d recommend her makeovers to anyone, trans or otherwise.  And for those who might want to come in from afar, a  hotel is very convenient to her location.   You can’t go wrong!

After finishing up at Beth’s it was late, and I’m not a night owl.   So, I went back to the hotel to remove makeup, shower and hit the sack. Sometimes I wish I were a night owl…hitting the clubs sounds like fun.  But I’d probably be asleep at the table, not enjoying the sights!  C’est la vie! (Did I spell that right?)

What a weekend!

Mandy

From Mandy to all her readers and followers, have a very Happy Valentines Day!

A while back, one of my readers mentioned the Finger Lakes of New York.  Having lived in the Finger Lakes region nearly thirty years ago, I can confirm that the area is visually spectacular, with its hills and lakes.   But one of those lakes has something special in its memories…

Keuka Lake (the one shaped like a “Y,” pronounced “Kee-you-ca” and translated, means “Canoe Landing” in the Iroquois Language or “lake with an elbow” in Seneca) had a little railroad which ran from Bath to Hammondsport (right on the lake.)  This railroad served the wine industry, and appropriately connected with the DL&W/Erie at Bath.  The wineries/warehouses were just outside of Hammondsport, and there was a small station there, named Rheims (as in the European town and cathedral). 

Over the years its fortunes waxed and waned, and it took over operations of the old DL&W line which used to run to Buffalo (but was cut off at a town called Wayland.)   Reportedly in the mid-’60’s it was taken over and operated by none other than an investor group and headed by Tony Hannold, operator of many Alco-only railroads.

Along came a Hanmondsport entrepreneur (Stan Clark) who in ’93 was involved with the local Industrial Development folks in buying and keeping the railroad running.  In addition, he added an excursion train over not only the original 9 miles from Bath to Hammondsport, but also the extension from Bath to Cohocton.

Below is a picture of the Alco engine (reportedly ex-NYC 852) which was operating cab forward heading west in the mid 90’s, shown pulling freight at Avoca NY in about 1993.

Stan Clark obtained a number of well-used former circus passenger cars, and did a quick repaint/rehab of them on railroad property near Hammondsport.   Then in about 1995, he put them in tourist service on a train called the “Champagne Trail Excursion” which ran from Bath to Hammondsport, and from Bath to Cohocton, the terminus of the active railroad even though tracks remained in place to Wayland.  Below are the cars, as they were being worked on.  When I took this picture, I did not have permission to enter railroad property, thus I stayed on public property and used a telephoto lens.

On two separate occasions, I rode the trains as a paying passenger.  Once from Bath to Hammondsport with a tour of the winery at the layover, and once from Bath to Cohocton and back.  The restored station in Cohocton was very nice.

Following: The inside of one of the coaches.

Memory fails me on whether my wife and I rode the “dinner train” part of it.  I suspect we did, but can’t find any pictures.  These trains were slow and fun (in a few places you could keep up with it by walking fast for a short distance) but unfortunately they didn’t last long.  By the spring of 1996 Mr. Clark had passed, the passenger trains quit running and the line from Bath to Hammondsport was quiet again. 

I’m sure glad I took those pictures.

Segue to the present: the Livonia Avon and Lakeville has taken over operation of the Bath & Hammondsport, and part of the line to Hammondsport has been revived, at least as far as the business park.  The line to Wayland/Cohocton is active and hauls a lot of farm products, plus I believe some sand for the oil industry.

Following is the old station at Rheims – on the property of Taylor Winery, in 2013.   Taken with permission, though I was not allowed inside.  Tracks were behind the station, still in place, though unused.  And when I rode the excursion “back in the day”, we deboarded from the train on the spur leading to the warehouse behind me.

Following is the trackless downtown Hammondsport train station, now a part of Depot Park.  A beautiful setting.  I was inside “back in the day,”  I spoke at some length with the manager, in his office on the second floor.  These days, it’s a police station.  How the mighty have fallen…

And lastly, the old, disused engine house.  Though still behind a locked fence, it appeared to be in pretty good shape.  All equipment maintenance is done in Cohocton now.  Not sure if it is trackless, or if there is an engine marooned inside, but the tracks did remain mostly “in place” through town as of 2013 (though grade crossings were paved over.)  They are gone between the engine house and the old depot, shown above.

Needless to say, I’ve been a railfan since way back…

Enjoy…

Mandy

Another current event…makes it today’s second post!

I stopped in the pharmacy in a neighboring town to pick up a Valentine for my mother,who is in the nursing home. When I got in the checkout line, there were two other ladies ahead of me (who knew each other.) The first one forgot her store discount card, while the second one had hers. So the twentysomething male cashier was able to use the second lady’s card for the first lady’s purchase, so she could get the discount.

After ringing her purchase up, the first lady paid, and waited while the second lady had her purchase “rung up.” And in the process, he forgot to ring up one of her items. When she realized he forgot, she mentioned it to the cashier, who started to ring it up, then noticed I was waiting patiently. He suggested that “we need to let this nice lady go ahead of you since she’s been waiting! And the women both apologized to me (using feminine forms of address).

Of course I wasn’t upset about the delay, and it was sort of comical watching their antics. But I thanked them sincerely for letting me go ahead. It was a very nice incident, and there was no hint that they had so much as an inkling that I was anything other than another woman in line.

Just the way it should be!

Made my day…

Mandy

I present the following as my third Europe entry.

There are many more pictures, and I will follow up with some of them (Parts 4, 5 .and so on), as time permits. Heads up: this (and and similarly-titled additional entries) do not present any gender-related material…but should appeal to any folks who enjoy traveling.

Of course, at the time of these tours, “Mandy” didn’t exist. And, it was possible to travel around European countries in a dedicated group tour bus emblazoned with USA flags, along with 40 other American students. Very sadly, that would not be a wise or safe thing to attempt, in today’s terror-filled world. Gone are the days…

As info, these pictures were taken with Kodak Ektachrome color slide film in a 1970’s-era Mamiya-Sekor 1000DTL SLR, and in the early 2000’s, transferred to electronic images from those previously-developed Ektachrome slides. I have some notes labeled with the locations, however there seems to be discrepancies in the locations. Plus, some simply aren’t identified. I invite anyone with knowledge to provide accurate location, as well as, whether the subject still exists!

Enjoy!

We had a good day traveling to Stonehenge…a site which everyone recognizes but relatively few ever get to visit.

Stonehenge is perhaps the world’s most famous prehistoric monument. It was built in several stages: the first monument was an early henge monument, built about 5,000 years ago, and the unique stone circle was erected in the late Neolithic period about 2500 BC. In the early Bronze Age many burial mounds were built nearby.

Today, together with Avebury, Stonehenge forms the heart of a World Heritage Site, with a unique concentration of prehistoric monuments. In my travels, we did not visit any of those other UK prehistoric sites 😦

Following is a view of Stonehenge “from the other side.

We also visited the Royal Crescent at Bath…a gorgeous sight, shown in a moment of relatively rare English sunlight!

Per Wikipedia, The Royal Crescent is a row of 30 terraced houses laid out in a sweeping crescent shape in the city of Bath, England. Designed by the architect John Wood the Younger, and built between 1767 and 1774, it is among the greatest examples of Georgian arcihtecture to be found in the United Kingdom. Although some changes have been made to the various interiors over the years, the Georgian stone façade remains much as it was when first built.

The 500-foot-long (150 m) crescent has 114 Ionic columns on the first floor with an entablature in a Palladian style above. It was the first crescent of terraced houses to be built and an example of “rus in urbe” (the country in the city) with its views over the parkland opposite.

Many notable people have either lived or stayed in the Royal Crescent since it was built over 240 years ago, and some are commemorated on special plaques attached to the relevant buildings. Of the crescent’s 30 townhouses, 10 are still full-size townhouses; 18 have been split into flats of various sizes; one is the No. 1 Royal Crescent museum and the large central house at number 16 is the Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa.

Above are street performers seen in Bath at the time.

Following are the Royal Baths (in Bath, of course!)

Judging from the green water and debris, they obviously weren’t in use, but at least they are preserved for posterity!

You can bet the traditional British telephone booths seen below (my notes don’t show where these were located but a good bet would be “Bath”) are not so plentiful these days, with the explosive growth of the cell phone industry!

Following is a real antique – the Hoverspeed Hovercraft. At the time of our visit, there was no rail tunnel under the English Channel. Travelers were limited to ferry boats, airplanes or the hovercraft.

Our tour was set up to use the hovercraft…a wonderful choice, since that option no longer exists. And those of us who rode it, may still have the Seaspeed Hovercraft decals on our luggage to show for it! One of my old style hard side suitcases does…

Inside the passenger cabin!

And yes, they did have “sick sacks” in the pouch on the seat backs for any who might need them. A number of folks did!

A bit of hovercraft history from Wikipedia:

The SR.N4 (Saunders-Roe Nautical 4) hovercraft (also known as the Mountbatten class hovercraft) was a combined passenger and vehicle-carrying class of hovercraft. The type has the distinction of being the largest civil hovercraft to have ever been put into service.

Work on the SR.N4 was initiated in 1965 by Saunders-Roe. By the time that the vehicle’s first trials took place in early 1968, Saunders-Roe had merged with Vickers Supermarine to form the British Hovercraft Corporation, who continued development. Power was provided by four Rolls Royce marine turboshaft engines each driving its own lift fan and pylon-mounted steerable propulsion propeller. The SR.N4 was the largest hovercraft then built, designed to carry 254 passengers in two cabins besides a four-lane automobile bay which held up to 30 cars. Cars were driven from a bow ramp just forward of the wheelhouse. The first design was 40 metres (131 ft) long, weighed 193 tons, was capable of 83 bnknots (154 km/h) and could cruise at over 60 knots (111 km/h).

The SR.N4s operated regular services across the English Channel between 1968 and 2000. In response to operator demands, stretched versions of the SR.N4 were developed, cumulating in the Mk.III variant, which had almost double the capacity for carrying both cars and passengers as the Mk.I. While interest was expressed in military applications for the type, no vehicles were ultimately used for such purposes. Following the fleet’s withdrawal from cross-channel services, a single remaining Mk.III example, GH-2007 Princess Anne, has been preserved; it is currently on static display at the Hovercraft Museum at Lee-on-Solent. (That’s the hovercraft I rode!)

More to follow (France) in Part 4!

Mandy

This happened in 2015, but it was a first, and thankfully, hasn’t happened since (particularly at an inopportune time like below0:

We were traveling on Amtrak, and were sitting in the first class lounge in Chicago.  My outfit was typical – one of my typical androgynous stirrup pants outfit and my suitcase and purse. I was with with my wife,  a close friend and his wife, plus another person we know from the group, all going to the same meeting this year.  A fortysomething man was sitting there near us with his twentysomething daughter….at a nearby round table.  They were out on a father-daughter rail trip.  Both were very friendly, and were interested in our journey, talking with us about our trip, our group and a little bit about its activities.

Our train was soon to board, just as we started to eat our “carry-in” lunches.  I was having trouble with a salad. Eating it quickly, with it on my lap, a plastic fork, and out of a flimsy plastic container was not an easy task..  So I asked the two of them if I could join them, and they said “of course.”  We chatted for a few minutes, as I chowed down.  At this point, my memory gets a bit hazy as I was busy trying to finish lunch and not make a mess, instead of trying to remember the discussion.

The man said quietly (out of earshot of his daughter and our other friends) something like “I read your online blog.”  Well, I only have one blog, and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.  So unless it was a case of mistaken identity, he could be right.  To myself, I thought, “OMG here we go again…”   Temporarily speechless was the situation…LOL!   So I quietly asked if he was interested in “that sort of thing.”  As I recall, he said something to the effect of “Yes, trains and old cars, and ‘that sort of thing’.  But my daughter doesn’t know – or at least I don’t think so.”

I was shocked beyond belief to meet someone out of the blue who follows my blog….he must have recognized me from my pictures.  But with so many folks (and their ears) nearby,  I couldn’t explore more.  He truly made my day…and probably my month.  (If you happen to read this, thanks!  I’m glad you spoke up.)

Has this happened to anyone else, particularly when attending an event not related to our activities? Or is it a real rarity out there in the world?  Fortunately, it hasn’t happened since…LOL!

Mandy

This was a very good experience…even though it took place two-plus years ago…  

In general, on this joint excursion (for a wedding in the mountains of New Hampshire), there were mostly no references to gender in addressing me.  Of course as always, I noted some exceptions to that rule!

Enroute:  Days 1 & 2.    I dressed in capris, top and flats, and went inside at a PA rest stop, to use the men’s room  (there was no “family room.”)  The female attendant stopped me, pointed out the the men’s room sign by my shoulder, and said ” the women’s room is over there.” 

In my male voice, I told her that the men’s room was appropriate, and she appeared to be totally shocked.  That made my day, week and month.   Even better was the look on two womens’ faces as I came out of the men’s room and they started to go in – until they read the sign.  I guess I must have been “passing” a bit better than I thought.  No makeup, either…

Maybe next time I’m invited – I should just do it??!!

Traveling in Vermont, on US 5 in Bellows Falls, I was “Ma’am” at a restaurant.   There was an information booth in town, and when I got there (after taking pictures around the Amtrak and Green Mountain railroad stations), my wife was already talking with the lady attendant.  I heard “my husband” mentioned as I browsed.  So, I didn’t do any talking, and when we left, the clerk said ” thanks for stopping by, ladies.”

During our walk around town after lunch, we came across this cute old diner.  Wish we had noticed it earlier.   Would have been fun to try it for lunch, instead of the restaurant we visited.

We stopped at the Vermont Country Store, just outside of Bellows Falls. In case you’re not familiar with them, look them up on the web.  Fascinating place to visit – if you need it, they probably have it. They have an interesting old covered bridge…

In White River Junction, a bit further up Route 5, I noticed a pair of abandoned phone booths…see below.  Don’t you wonder how many teens are oblivious to their former place in “everyday life?”   Need to call home?  Find a pay phone…there’s one on every corner.  Car acting up?  Look for a place with a pay phone.

But no more. 

By dinnertime that night, at the wedding venue, we had checked into our lodging of choice, and I had changed into the best casual male I could muster (women’s slacks and a turtleneck) for the rehearsal dinner, with my hair pulled up and pinned into a pony tail.  (My wife wants it that way, and I’m agreeable…as long as it’s only for weddings and funerals.  In return, she seems to pretty much overlook my femininity the rest of the time.) 

 The bride and groom knew me as male, as did several others, so there were no issues.  However, it was a good thing I was wearing my pair of women’s dressy ankle boots with my outfit…and not my dressy black flats.  The bride’s mother was wearing a pair of Clarks flats, exactly like mine…including the same color!  Given the bunch of 30-something women there, it surely would have been noticed.   (Apparently she and I both have the same taste…I would have loved to have been wearing the heels that she wore to the wedding.  About 4” high.  Peep toe.  Nice.  Pretty red toe nails. (Even though she had trouble walking in them.   I would have, too!)

Throughout the evening, I kept hearing girls talking about “Miss (insert my male given name – which is now given to females).  Come to find out one of the bride’s best friends is a female by that name.   She’s very attractive, just like the bride!  If I had instinctively responded, it would have not been particularly good, especially since I was presenting as male!

Day 3: the wedding itself.   Other than hearing my name (when people were actually calling to the bride’s best friend), I was not mistaken for female – my hair was pulled into a ponytail/pinned up, and I was wearing my “Weddings and Funerals Only” men’s suit.  It must have made my wife happy that she heard “Sir” being appropriately used a number of times that day.

Days 4 and 5:  Enroute home.  There were no notable issues, even though once again I was back in feminine clothes.    And in Port Jervis, NY we managed to find the former Erie RR turntable and storage siding (with turntable and visible footers for the roundhouse walls) for the defunct short line New York and Greenwood Lake passenger train and engines.  It was behind a pharmacy and next to a substantially-abandoned strip mall.   Not the best of neighborhoods, to say the least, but we survived!  

And I even managed to get some pictures…above and below:

Once again, response to my androgynous style of  dressing was much better than I figured it would be.  Let’s hope that trend continues.

Mandy

Yay! Another current event!

While driving on US 50 Southbound (in a short period of bright sunshine after a rain shower) near Easton, MD recently, I looked in my rearview mirror and spotted a rainbow. So I pulled over in an auto dealership parking lot and got out to take a picture. What I saw in the viewfinder appeared to be a rainbow in the sky and one through the leafless trees.

Upon further investigation, it was truly a double rainbow. I had noticed the one higher in the sky, but below it was a magnificent and much bigger/brighter lower rainbow. The sun was low in the sky, thus the other rainbow had been hidden in trees.

It was absolutely awesome…as old as I am, I’ve never seen a set of rainbows of this size or brightness. Enjoy!

The next day it was time for my pedicure…

A while back, I severely damaged my left big toe nail, and got the doctor’s blessing to have a nail salon try to hold it together with acrylic, since the issue was a crack, rather than have the nail removed and hope it grows back. So I did, and am still having the nail treated with acrylic as it grows out. – a very slow process. The acrylic doesn’t look good without polish, and as a result, I’ve been wearing light pink polish over the acrylic.

However, two months ago I dropped something on that same foot. Since then, two smaller toe nails have slowly been turning dark due to bruising. I had them checked out and the doctor believes they will eventually recover, but will be discolored for a while. And light pink polish simply didn’t cover the dark at all. My wife was OK with trying a different polish that is not so translucent for a while – “since it isn’t sandal season.” I mentioned that the tech can find me a color which will work best, and she was OK with that.

Since it was time for a pedicure, I got an appointment at the nail salon and showed up at the appointed time. While waiting for my appointment, a woman walked in, smiled and said “Hi” to me. Naturally, I reciprocated She sat down next to me after the tech gave her the tray of acrylic color samples to choose from. As she was sifting through the colors, she looked over at me and said “Wow, too many choices! What are you having done today, dearie?” I replied: “A pedicure, how about you?” Her response: “Both a mani and a pedi. Here’s the color for my pedi since it’s just polish.”

In for a penny, in for a pound. I asked her what color she’s seeking for her fingers, and she launched a soliloquy about bright colors accentuating the wrinkles in her hands. Thus, she wants something less bright, that she can wear with lots of outfits and lots of jewelry. I held out both my hands for her to see, and pointed out my neutral gel color, which meets her requirements. She grabbed my hands, felt my nails, asked how long since my last fill, and I told her “a week.” She said she loved it, and asked what color it is. I truthfully replied that I don’t know, but my tech does, since I get the same thing every time. We discussed how long my fills last and I told her typically 3 weeks…she was going on two weeks of vacation and wanted it to last…so she asked her tech about the “color that lady is wearing.”

By then, my tech was ready for me at the pedicure chair, so I lost track of what was happening with my newfound lady friend. But I figured I’d find out when she got to the pedicure area.

My tech pointed out my dark nails and said “the color you’ve been wearing won’t cover them up any more.” “I know…what color would you suggest?” She disappeared for a few minutes and came back with several candidates…orange, lipstick red, dark green and turquoise blue. We tried each color on the dark nails, and found the red and the turquoise blue worked best. She liked the red, but I asked for the blue, figuring that it’s more “spring-y” AND it might beget less of a reaction at home.

Needless to say, I love the color! And so did the lady sitting next to me – it was the same color her tech had put on her fingers and toes. She obviously loved the color, and pointed out how nice I’ll look with the same color on fingers and toes. The tech confirmed that “when spring sandal season arrives…this same color is available in gel for your fingers.”

Then the lady who liked my finger nails came back for her pedicure, as my tech was putting my sandals on me. She showed me her fingers (done in my neutral color) and said she loved the feminine tuquoise color on my toes. “You really should try it on your fingers…it’s perfect for spring!”

Well, there I was, with pretty turquoise blue nail color hiding my damaged nails, and ready to go out in public in my sandals, then home, for the wife to see – and hopefully tolerate.

A quick trip to the post office produced no encounters and no comments. As cool as the weather was, sandals were distinctly out of place, but I had no choice – didn’t want to smudge my fresh polish. And getting home was uneventful. The wife had no comment till after I had changed into a house dress…then she said “that polish covers those damaged nails well, and looks nice with your dress.” (Pic above.)

I’ll take that as “toleration” – for now. We’ll see how things go when warmer weather arrives, and I try to leave the house in capris with sandals…

Mandy

After spending some time touring Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ back in 2014:

with friends from our antique car group, a few of us went on to other destinations, while we stuck around town for a while, and took a walk on the Boardwalk.  It was a fabulous day – those who stayed got to enjoy the sun…salt air…and the lack of crowds!

One thing that surprised us about the scenery, and had changed since our last visit there, was that there are now dunes between the ocean and the boardwalk.   Most likely they’re man-made, to act as a protective barrier against storms.  In any case, we missed the chance to see the ocean from the boardwalk, not really wanting to cross the dunes to reach the beach.  (Getting sand out of my pantyhose without removing them, would be too big a challenge!)   Lastly, from where we stood at least, you couldn’t go “under the boardwalk…” as in the song. Oh, well!

Following is what’s left of the Trump Plaza.  They were taking down the signs as we drove by…so much for the unemployment rate in Atlantic City.  I wish the best for anyone affected by these casino closings…

And then there was Lucy, the Margate Elephant.  From Wikipedia,

Lucy the Elephant is a six-story elephant-shaped example of novelty architecture, constructed of wood and tin sheeting in 1881  in Margate, NJ, two miles (3.2 km) south of Atlantic City, in an effort to sell real estate and attract tourists

Today, Lucy is a tourist attraction. Guided tours take visitors into the building through the spiral staircase in the left rear leg up into the interior, then up again into the howdah to see views of Margate, the Atlantic City skyline, and the Atlantic Ocean.

My car (the one with hood scoops) from the Howdah…

From there we headed “back to the barn” for a nice dinner with some of our friends…and look forward to next year’s get-together.

On the way home the next day, along US Rt 40 in New Jersey, were two notable examples: one of novelty architecture, one of antiquity. Most notable was the Muffler Man at a ranch supply and farm auction. He’s in quite good condition, despite the fact he hasn’t been specifically purposed for their needs.  

And in the same area, was the following:

Can’t tell you a thing about it, and though I found it on a computer mapping program immediately after returning home, that same program can’t find it now.  It’s obviously a disused train station, on a long-removed railroad.  But which one?  Lost to history?  Were we on some old rail route? For some reason, I can’t find it again…

There was a big building immediately to its right (note shadow). Perhaps the parking lot in the lower right corner was expanded and the shell of the station was removed. Maybe a New Jersey reader can provide the name and exact location, and whether it truly is gone. 

You never know what you will find…or where!

Safe travels.

Mandy