April 30, 1998Barbie Tells
April 30, 1998
I ordered my new GPS and received it Tuesday last week, just in time for a try out in the plane Wednesday. The new one sure is a fun toy, going to mount it in my car also, for the drive up to Esprit in Port Angeles in 2 1/2 weeks. But you probably have had it with me and GPS's; so I'll get on to more interesting tales.
My niece was getting married Saturday, my folks had driven up from the desert for the wedding and we were going to take a week off to visit with them and attend the wedding. As I have mentioned, my dad knew Barbie's email address, but not about Barbie's home page or Barbie for that matter. When I gave them the email address, I had also mentioned to them that I had a home page, but that they might not approve of it and that I wanted it private. Having told my best friend about Barbie a month ago, I had toyed with the idea of bringing it out with my dad. My experience with my friend suggested that bringing my photo albums along, was a good idea, to back up the little business cards I have.
We were sitting in the living room and my folks brought up the subject of my writing. Well this was the opening I was looking for. I mentioned that I already wrote quite a bit; and that what I wrote was on my home page. I also said that if they were interested I'd tell them about my home page and give them the URL. I asked them to come and sit at the dining table for a more intimate atmosphere.
So with all of us sitting around the table Wednesday afternoon, I got the business cards out and handed one each of the three styles to my mom and dad. I told them the picture was of Barbie Lanai, which it is. And that I was Barbie Lanai. They took the news really well. They had worried that my home page was for some gun running or drug dealing or maybe even swinging singles or to over throw the government. They were quite relieved to find that I only dressed up; compared to all the ideas they had dreamed I might be involved with. So next came the photo albums. Since the Las Vegas trip in January, I have been using a 35mm camera and a scanner instead of the camcorder and have about 300 4x6 photos. Most the photos are rejects from the selection on the home page. I still take lots of pics and try to only show the best, but have kept even the worst in the albums. My dad and mom sat there looking through the photos, and just couldn't get over how I looked enfemme. I asked if they had any idea. I mean pierced ears, and the female cowboy jacket, and the long hair, and the lack of hair on the hands and all the other little signs like the necklace, ladies watch and wedding ring I wear all the time any more. I had mentioned how I was always worried that I might have a hole in a sock and they would see my pantyhose through the hole or even a painted toenail. They said I could have worn no socks at all and that they probalby wouldn't have noticed either pantyhose or toenail polish for as observant that they were..
Next my dad said something that floored me and KT to. He asked to see me dressed in person! I had not even thought this was a possibility. I hadn't brought anything down except some nightgowns, pantyhose, panties, bras, and my D's. No dresses, wigs, makeup, shoes, jewelry; nothing to wear as they say. But my dad really wanted to see me dressed, I talked it over with KT, who as luck would have it, brought one of her wigs and one of mine to choose from to wear to the wedding. Well with a wig I could dress, if I went shopping for the rest. So hooray, a shopping trip was needed for most everything. KT and I headed over to the nearest WalMart and I start picking out a coming out wardrobe. A lavender skirt, a white, blue, lavender and black knit top. I like the way WalMart's men's dressing rooms are in the middle of the women's department. I tried everything on and confirmed the fit in the store. My first choice on sizes was correct as well, this is getting easy. I found a pair of pearl white pumps and KT found a matching handbag on clearance. Also found a blue and lavender beaded necklace and matching pierced earrings. But I had no makeup and needed to pick up one each of everything. KT isn't into makeup and only uses lipstick and eyebrow pencil; so I couldn't use hers. I already have one complete set for home, one complete set for travel; now a third set for this. A girl could just drown in powder and lipstick! I picked out some nail polish, but decided I wanted to get nail polish similar in color to what I bought in Las Vegas and put the first bottle back. About this time KT asked me about polish remover and I put some in the cart, but managed to get distracted and got the remover, but no polish of any color.
Also I hadn't brought my Gillette Sensor razor, I figured for a wedding a cheap throw away razor would give a close enough shave. Now buying extra lipsticks is one thing, but yet another Sensor razor was too much. I already have two of those and didn't see a reason for the third one. In hind sight I wished I had gone ahead and bought the third. Those cheap throw aways just don't cut close enough without butchering the face in the process.
So through the check out stand and back home. My dad must have thought changing was merely putting on clothes, because I could hear him ask KT when I was going to be out; while I was in the shower removing the stubble on my legs and elsewhere. But eventually I was done and the bleeding on my face had stopped so I could put on makeup and get dressed. I made my grand entrance and we sat back at the table to talk. My dad just keep looking at me and looking through the photo albums over and over. They asked questions and KT and I explained crossdressing and went on to describe the trip to Las Vegas, the trip the Sacramento, the trip to Santa Rosa and the planned trip to Port Angeles and the coming trip to Atlanta this fall. We stopped long enough to snap a few pictures of me and my folks. You can see in the pic, my dad is still looking me over. One of the things they commented on was my smile and that my personality as Barbie seemed more pleasant than their son ever was. Eventually dinner time came and I needed to cook dinner. So I cooked dinner and afterwards my dad was still looking at the pictures in the albums.
By the close of the evening, I had decided that Thursday should be enfemme as well. But that meant another shopping trip and more clothes and a chance to get nail polish. So Thursday and we are back to WalMart. I picked up a tan skirt and lavender long sleeve blouse to go with the jewelry. The plan for the day had been to go to lunch with some friends of my folks. We were meeting them at 1, so we still had time to kill and proceeded to hit the mall. That was where I had planned to try and find an evening dress for Esprit. I must admit having my folks know what I'm up to sure makes things easier. No need to hide that I was looking for an evening dress, just told them and looked. But no luck on that front. So the little black one I found a couple weeks ago at the outlet mall will be the one for Esprit. But I did manage to find a couple more short day dresses for the time enfemme with my folks. And I have to get some pics, and might as well try on that wig of KT's; its short and blonde. KT says it makes me look like an air head. But with only the one wig I needed a change. Besides my folks liked the blonde-want-to-be wig in my pics better than the straight brunette one KT had brought along.
After lunch and back home I changed into one of the outfits and again had a wonderful time. My dad was still looking through the albums. I asked if he wanted a picture. Naturally!! So I decided that I'd get five of them enlarged and he could have them. With all the pics of me in short skirts, his favorite was the one with a green top and black pants. Must be a breast man. About this time, my dad is thinking my cousin would never recognize me in the pics; and wants to show the pics to him on the way back down to the desert next month. My dad concocts a tale about his long lost daughter knocking on the door and saying "Daddy". He even gets KT to autograph one of the pics in her feminine penmanship. So next month should be interesting as well, but I won't be there to see it.
Remember one of the things Barbie does; is dance to the oldies but goodies? Well I never danced at home as a kid and my dad has never seen me dance. Later that evening I tuned the stereo to a local oldies station and started to dance. This was more of a jolt to my dad than crossdressing had been. He just couldn't get over the fact I even knew how to dance. KT joined in with me and we had quite an evening in heels & hose. My mom & dad were even calling me Barbie by this time.
Friday my mom is scheduled to have acrylic nails applied and her hair done for the wedding, so they are gone for the morning. Since my dad didn't want to hang out at the beauty parlor, we head off for another shopping trip. By now I know I should have mentioned this years ago. It just seems so much more relaxed and natural. To be off shopping for dresses and everyone knows and wishes me luck. Friday afternoon was spent enfemme as well with the new outfit. My mom's finger nails look wonderful and she even thinks I could have mine done in a similar style, flesh pink with white tips, and that no one would notice. Maybe she's right. I'll be in San Jose in a week or so and if time permits, maybe a trip to Carla's and new nails as well.
Saturday arrived and the wedding, which was the real cause for the week was finally at hand. With all the cosmetics I had just purchased, I decided KT should wear some to the wedding and I made her up. It seems strange to apply your makeup to someone else, particularly the wife. She ended up with my eyes, checks and lips. Except for size it was like seeing myself in the mirror. My neice's wedding gown was just beautiful, white satin with a train 20 feet long or so. And pearls. Must have been thousands of little pearls stitched into the fabric. Later I asked her if they were going to have a raffle to guess the number of pearls and if she knew the number. She said 500 pounds worth, and pulled the top over at the shoulder to expose how the gown had indented her skin. Well regardless how heavy she thought the dress was; it looked beautiful on her and her in it. KT and I managed to dance nearly every dance at the reception with someone else or with each other. Again, none of my relatives knew I could dance, and were amazed. With enough champagne, no one really noticed I wasn't in step. By the conclusion of the reception I told my folks I would have only had more fun if I had been in a dress myself. They seemed to understand what I meant.
Sunday was in drab. This terms ( in drab/enfemme) needed to be explained to my folks as well. They were learning fast. And KT kept calling me "her" or "she". With my folks taking Barbie in as well as they had; I decided to tell my brother as well. I discussed this with my folks and they said go for it. So the four of us headed over to my brother's place late Sunday afternoon. After the wedding I knew they had a lot to do. The newlyweds had to be driven to San Francisco airport that morning and seen off for the honeymoon. But telling my brother was more difficult than telling my folks. I wanted to be with just them and bring it up. The problem is my brother and sister in law are so friendly and outgoing (unlike me) that they had a continuous flow of friends and relatives in and out of the house. Everytime the house would empty and I thought I could bring it up, the phone would ring, or the door bell chime. But I figured if we stayed late enough the house guests would finally vanish. My brother is in the air reserves and talked about using maps and compass to find his way during a recent exercise. I had to mention my new GPS and that he could have my old unit if he wanted. Naturally he wanted to see the new one and have the old one. But that's not what I had brought over. I had brought the photo albums, now including new pics taken with my folks, plus the second set of enlargements I had made for my dad.
At last the guests departed, without new ones replacing them and I bent over and pulled the 5 enlargements out and set them on the table. Now when someone pulls out a bunch of photos of a strange woman and sets the photos on the table without saying anything; there must be a catch. My brother immediately started looking at the photos and me and asking if it was me. The fact that my dad was sitting there laughing didn't help the secret either. I said it was a girl called Barbie. But my brother knew something was afoot and insisted it was me?? He finally recognized the rings on my fingers and didn't believe it. I finally said yes it was me. All this time he kept the photos to himself and away from my sister in law, who wanted to know what WAS going on. He then handed the pictures over to her and she howled. What a riot. The fact that KT and I had kept this secret from them for decades. They wanted to know what other secrets we had up our sleeves (skirts?). We said nothing else, only this one big secret. So back to looking at the photo albums. He liked my legs as well. But more friends appeared and the photos went back into the bag. But he was taking Monday off and I suggested he stop by the place my folks and I were staying at; to see the features of the new GPS and we could arrange to drop the old GPS off the next time we were down.
So Monday I had just planned to show off the GPS in drab; when KT said my brother should also get to see Barbie's GPS. My folks had to do laundry at the nearby Laundromat and so didn't see Barbie meets brother. I met him at the door and he backed up a step and said no kisses. LOL. The idea a dress would make want to kiss my brother; no way! He really didn't understand crossdressing, but he was there to see the GPS. So we stepped into the backyard and turned the GPS on, a few seconds later and it knew right where we were. Walked together to the back alleyway and the gadget is displaying how fast we are walking. A turn to the left and the breadcrumb trail turns left on the display. He's impressed with the GPS and my walking in heels and short skirt. We posed for a few pics near the rose bushes in the backyard and then headed inside to play with the different modes on the GPS. Back Home
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