Birthday Boys – Part 2

Last Sunday in Part One I wrote about getting out before meeting my friend (and his daughter and daughter-in-law) for dinner. My first stops were a mall near my house, and then Nordstrom Rack, where I bought a halter dress.

I still had time so I moved on to Nordstrom. These days department stores tend to be ghost towns, more or less, caused by some combination of online shopping and the pandemic. There appeared to be no customers nor any staff. The clothing choices seem to be limited too.

I did find a black full length gown and I liked the look and feel, but at this point I don’t really need a formal gown, so I passed on it.

I walked out into the mall and found a seating area and figured out I could put my phone down and shoot some candid photos. The lighting was right and I liked how they turned out. I also figured out I really liked my strappy backless dress, and being happy I did expand my comfort zone, as my GG friend Renee had suggested when I bought the dress.

I got my boy clothes out of the Nordstrom shopping bag and headed to the unisex bathroom to change. Before I got there, I stopped for the photo in front of the Nordstrom backdrop (they use the backdrop to film product videos for their Anniversary sale). For fun, I changed into my boy clothes, but left my makeup and wig on, and took the picture and texted it to Renee.

After removing the makeup and wig, I departed in boy mode. Before meeting my friend, I had an errand to run. Ten days prior, I won my age group at a triathlon (wrote about it in Personal Day, Parts One & Two), and my first place prize was a $10 gift certificate at a triathlon store–which I promptly used to buy another pair of bike shorts.

I’ll let my texts to Renee tell the next part of the story.

<<And to complete the day… next to Swim Bike Run is a Goodwill. Why not, I say? Find a decent size 12P sundress, take to restroom, try on. It fits. It’s got a yellow tag, and it’s yellow tag day, 50% off. Gotta buy it, right?>>

<<Take to counter. Clerk, middle aged woman, says something like “obviously, not for you” and then something like “it might look cute on you.” I wish I had a witty response. $2.50. Done deal.>>

Another addition to my sundress collection. I didn’t confess it was for me.

Sometimes I am tempted to tell the truth. One time at a Ted Baker outlet in Las Vegas, dressed in boy mode, I showed the SA a picture of me in a Ted Baker dress and asked if they had it. The SA asked when my wife tried it on (there is a time delay between being in stores and in the outlet). I did tell the SA it was me.

I made it to the golf course, found my friend on the 7th hole, and walked the last two holes with my friend and his daughter, who was also playing. After golf, my friend, his daughter and daughter-in-law (they’re married), and I went to a nearby sports bar for a nice dinner, and a good end to a good day.