Tuesday morning started with me very upset. I phoned Ally and had a chat, she suggested it might be the change in medication and that I should make a point of seeing the doctor as soon as I got back home. I agreed, but was a little more skeptical as I knew the events of the previous day.
The day was uneventful, and at around 15:35 I decided to go shopping for the evening in Pacific Fair. Still down, I was not really in the mood for shopping but was determined that I was going to get something for the evening so that I could enjoy myself. It worked, I came away with a very soft and fluffy Pink top, some extras if needed and a new bra (one that will hide what is growing and stop the discomfort when running).
Having arrived back at the hotel at about 17:00 I recruited the help of Tanya and Sue to get ready. Sue had already told me that she has been a professional makeup artist and offered to help me with the make up. I had a hard job getting ready as I was still not happy, but I did and when Sue was finished I looked in the mirror and couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I almost didn’t recognise myself, no longer was I a man in womans clothes but a confident young(ish) woman. I felt ready to take on the world.
The evening started with drinks by the pool where I was greeted by friends who commented about the outfit and the make up. I was accosted by a few people who wanted nothing but to ask lots of questions and talk to me. It seems that my decision to be conservative on the first night may have not been the best way to go as going the whole hog seemed to encourage many to come and talk to me or to offer complements.
The pre drinks finished as we all migrated to the ballroom for the Gala Dinner.
I won’t go into the details of the dinner or what was said or who said it, but everyone watching me there has to agree I was the happiest girl on the planet, thanks to those around our table, particularly as a certain young(ish) man was quite insistent that I sit next to him for the dinner.
After the evening’s entertainment “Tripod” had finished, some of the delegates got creative with the glow sticks that were given out at the beginning of the evening. For example Tanya put them in her hair as a new style. Other delegates used them as necklaces, or bangles (as I did), and one young man decided to create little chains and put them around his wrists, ankles and neck as shackles. I couldn’t resist and the result was that I paraded him around the ballroom in his shackles with more chains attached as a leash, whilst offering him as a slave for the day. I didn’t get any takers, but I did get a lot of laughs and the number of people wanting to take photos was phenomenal. My favourite photos were taken slightly later in the bar with Tanya and are here and here, the scary (in a very good way) thing is looking at the photos afterwards I actually think I look more like my sisters that I do the old me.
All in all, that night, I couldn’t be a happier person ever (well with the possible exception of when I married Ally and when Aaron was born).