UPDATE: Since the "prior" posts links were getting a bit long, there is now a page with links to all of the posts: My Transgender Experiences. Additionally, I've went back and added more links and made some updates to some of the individual entries below since over time some things have changed.
Restaurants:
- Olive Garden (Wentzville, Missouri) - I had to run out with M recently to T-Mobile (a story in and of itself), and we decided to grab some lunch. It was a last minute thing both to run out and to get lunch and since I had just had a laser session my face wasn't up for makeup anyway so I went out more or less "as-is". I used to say androgynous - but that's not really a fair statement anymore - I may not always wear (full) makeup and/or my wig, but I dress feminine and even without being shaved the laser has done enough that unless someone gets really up close and looks their isn't much visible hair/shadow. I'm not a fan of Italian food for the most part, but M is and they were running their never ending pasta bowl promotion so I acquiesced. We were greeted as "ladies" when we walked in, and the server did the same as she walked up. Now, since I wasn't "done up" I wasn't thinking and didn't make a concerted effort to speak in a feminine voice (and I mentally kicked myself for that afterwards) - so as soon as I ordered my drink I could see the realization on her face. I think it made it a bit awkward for her the rest of our meal as she had greeted us as ladies, but I was actually happy as without having made much effort I was reasonably passable - at least up until I opened my mouth. I really think that made me feel better about myself and my transition then about any other interaction I've had the last couple of years. I'm by no means as "happy" with my appearance as I'd like to be - although I believe a great many women - both cis and trans - probably feel the same way; but to be at least reasonable passable in the state that I was in really did make me feel good. And don't get me wrong, despite me feeling that the server felt a bit awkward - she was professional and polite and we could not have asked for a better experience.
Retailers:
- Wehrenberg Theaters ("Mid Rivers Mall" St. Peters, Missouri) - J, M and I were out for a girls night out, shopping, dinner, and what ended up being two movies - the first one here and the second one at the theater below. In this case we saw the new Liam Neeson movie, A Walk Among The Tombstones. The movie itself was "good" I suppose, not great like I felt Taken was, but good enough to see. As I mention below, it was "$5 Tuesday" so that helped as well. Everyone here was very polite, although there were a total of six of us in the theater for this showing, which was a bit surprising for a 6:15pm show - even if it was a Tuesday. The young lady who sold us our tickets, the gentleman who took them, and a helpful employee at the snack bar were all very polite. The bathrooms were clean and nice enough, although the lock on the first stall I went into was broken. I would definitely go back again, although I prefer the theater below since it's closer - we just happened to be near the mall as M wanted to visit that Goodwill and we ended up killing some time at Deb Shops and got several tops among the three of us for $7 each. Here's a picture of what we looked like that day.
- Wehrenberg Theaters ("Town Square" Dardenne Prarie, Missouri) - J, M and I recently saw Guardians of the Galaxy here. Actually J and I had seen it previously, but we were out with M and had done some shopping, had dinner, and saw a different movie at another theater earlier. I'm not sure if M really wanted to see this one or not, but it's what we settled on. It was a 10:15pm showing on a Tuesday and we were the only three in the theater. The couple of people we interacted with were very nice - a young woman who handled buying our tickets, a young man who took them, and what I'm assuming was the manager when we left as we were the last show playing and he appeared to be the only one left. The theater itself is nice enough, the bathrooms were in good shape, and all in all I'd happily visit here again. The fact that it was "$5 Tuesday" didn't hurt either. :)
- MERS Goodwill (St. Peters, Missouri) - I'm not a big Goodwill person, but M is and she was looking for some cheap work clothes for their new dress code. Normally I'd not be a fan of that, but considering the job she does it is a bit silly to spend a lot on clothes that she will ruin fairly quickly. This location is always busy, but everyone was polite and I managed to run across a Galileo thermometer I grabbed. One of my junior high school science teachers had one and I always wanted one. I wish it was bigger with more bulbs - it only has 5 bulbs at 4 degree increments, but it's still neat. I've actually found another slightly larger one (8 bulbs with 4 degree increments) at another Goodwill and I ended up ordering a large one from Amazon (10 bulbs with 2 degree increments) - I'm starting to develop a collection of them . :)
- *UPDATE* - Schnuck's (Dardenne Prairie, Missouri) - I've tried to avoid updates unless something as changed at a place I've previously mentioned, but J and I had a similar experience here the other day as I did at Olive Garden. Again it was sort of a spur of the moment thing and with my face being tender from a recent laser appointment I was dressed "as-is". Again, we were repeatedly identified as "ladies" and as I said above, I often tend to think that's just people being polite, but just as with Olive Garden - I was in a position to have to speak and again without thinking I neglected to use a feminine voice which gave me a way. However, just like at Olive Garden, the look on the deli associates face told me that I had been passing right up until that point which again made me feel good. And even with the realization, she was still as polite and courteous as she was before I had given myself away.
It's late (well now early), so I think I'll wrap things up now.
- M
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