The regular end of the month social meeting of ETVC was scheduled for 8 p.m. on the last Thursday of the month at the same restaurant where recent meetings had been held. I had recently purchased a long banana-colored dress with floral prints, in a style that I had seen many women wearing recently.
On the day of the meeting I performed my now-usual preparation proceedure, putting on my undergarments and dress, shaving, applying my makeup, putting on my new blonde wig, and applying plum-colored nail polish to my fingernails. My toenails were still painted a bright, metallic red from my previous pedicure. I would be wearing the same open-toed shoes that I had worn the previous Sunday, because they were the closest that I had to matching my outfit and would show off my toes!
After I was ready, I was delayed from leaving by about an hour. Some neighborhood children were playing across the street, and I was not prepared to have them see me. I retreated to my computer, and shared my dilema with some friends in a chat room. Finally, when the coast was clear, I left my house and walked in the opposite direction from the BART station. When I reached the next corner, I saw more children playing in the path that I would take to the station, so I decided to keep walking in the same direction toward a bus line which would take me to a downtown BART station. I arrived there just ahead of the bus, rode it downtown, then rode BART into San Francisco.
Since I had plenty of time before the meeting, I boarded a streetcar in the subway, and rode it under Market Street, through the Twin Peaks Tunnel, and to the West Portal district. I stopped at a coffee shop, and had a cup of coffee and a pastry, seated at a stool by the table by the window. When I had finished, I walked around the area, and stopped into a Goodwill Industries store to shop. I looked at a lot of dresses there, but ended up not buying anything. I then walked to the entrance of the Twin Peaks Tunnel, entered, and boarded a streetcar which would stop near the restaurant where the meeting was to be held.
When I got there, I was surprised to see a large "Grand Opening" banner in the window! In the few days since I had last been there, apparently the restaurant had been sold. We were presented with a new menu, and ordered from it. As with any new operation, the service was slower than usual, and I had to leave the serving area before the bill had been presented to go into the back room for the meeting. I did eventually manage to pay.
We were treated to a fashion show, sponsored by a
lady who owns an consignment shop for women's clothes. The models
were some members of our group. I watched with considerable
interest at the clothes, many of which had tops and other
accessories to give them different looks. I took a number of
pictures of the models, little realizing that I would be wearing
one of the outfits home later myself!
After the show, the club's photographer took a few pictures of me in my new dress. I talked with the owner of the shop, and she showed me a one-piece"one size" outfit with stretch pants that had been worn in the show by a slimmer model. I tried it on in the very small women's restroom, and to my surprise it fit! Although I didn't have accessories to match it, I ended up wearing it home, since it was approaching the time for the last BART train home. I resolved to go to her shop, which unfortunately is some distance from where I live, the following week.
As has become my custom, I stopped for coffee and a pastry before finally returning home.
This page last updated: April 05, 2000
