Donna G & Mrs. "C" Visit Winnipeg.....
Several
months ago one of my very best on-line girlfriends, Pamela Ann, had passed
on my e-mail address to Donna G who was looking for some help converting
their Crossroads newsletter into a PDF file. And of course I was happy
to help out as best I could. So when Donna wrote of her plans to travel
through Winnipeg I couldn't wait to arrange a "Girls Night Out". After
all my years of traveling, spending fem evenings alone, I know just how
special it is to have girlfriends to get together with for a fun evening
out!
Donna and her wife, Mrs. "C", would be in Winnipeg on June 15 and 16 so we made plans to have a dinner out on the Thursday evening. Donna called my cell phone on the Wednesday which gave us a chance to chat and make plans for Thursday evening.
I had the day off which gave me time to relax before hand and take my time getting ready. I chose to wear a black leather mini skirt, pumps and a nice clingy red top. After walking through the lobby and past the front desk of the Comfort Inn hotel I met Donna and her wife in their suite around 3:30 PM. DOnna was wearing a nice white blouse, red skirt and white pumps:-) I know it sounds strange, feeling like you've known people for years when you are meeting what are really strangers to you. Perhaps that is because we've all grown up with similar life situations and can relate to each other so well.
Anxious to get going we headed for the parking lot, past the front desk of course and made out way to my van. Our first stop was to Lady Godiva Boutique to meet Mary. Turns out Donna and Mary had a lot to talk about since they both grew up in the same town! I'm sure this made Donna and her wife feel so much like they were among friends. Of course we just had to get a few pictures before heading out for the afternoon.
Our first stop was to check out the polar bears that have been set out, all decorated, alone Broadway and Memorial Boulevard. It was a beautiful sunny day, with little wind making it a "good hair day"! People walking about, pushing babies in strollers, and there was us in our skirts and heels, just part of the crowd enjoying the afternoon.
As we made out way toward the Forks Market the rush hour traffic was very heavy. While stuck in it I got a call from my daughter who was wanting to know if I could stop at a Subway, buy her a sub, and deliver it to the Tim Hortons where she works. Of course I said YES, mentioning to her that "Aunt Sabrina" would be doing the delivering! And of course she was just as excited as me. We stopped at the Subway on Main Street and Donna and her wife stayed in the van while I went in and ordered. There were a few patrons in the restaurant and a few lined up behind me as I ordered the 12 inch sub with all the trimmings my daughter had asked for! With my purchase in hand I proudly walked back to my van, loving the sound of my heels clicking away on the concrete:-) At Tim Hortons Donna and her wife waited in the van again while I went in and met my daughter! She was all smiles as she walked out from behind the counter and gave me a big HUG! With other staff there who know me as her DAD and also a few patrons sitting at the tables. It just feels so ...normal, to be out doing real, everyday things, and wearing a mini skirt and heels!
Mrs. "C" & Donna on the tower at the Forks Market
On our way back downtown we took a nice slow drive through Kildonan Park and I showed Donna and her wife where Shandi had her wedding pictures taken, near the foot bridge.We arrived at the Forks Market around 6:00 PM! Some tour guide, I didn't know the shops all closed at 6! We did enjoy just being there though. We took the elevator to the top of the tower which overlooks the junction of the Red & Assiniboine Rivers. Of course...More Pictures!
As it neared time for dinner we stopped to pick up Liz and arrived at Lady Godiva to meet Mary. She was going to be able to join us and as a group we walked the block east down Corydon Avenue to Kristina's On Corydon where I had reserved a table for 7:30 PM! We had just sat down and ordered our drinks when Ardra arrived to join us. The atmosphere was great, the staff were terrific and the meals were delicious! Being out en fem to mainstream venues is such a wonderful experience. Experiences that for so many years many of us though would never be possible. You've heard it said that "we are our own worst enemies" and that is so true. Yet when you do walk in the door we are met with acceptance and a very polite "How may I help you today?".
After dinner we walked back to Mary's store since she had more work to do. Then Donna and her wife, Liz and Ardra all got into my van and we headed for downtown Winnipeg. Parking on Smith Street we walked a half a block to the Sheraton Hotel and walked into the Windows Sports & Entertainment Lounge on the main floor. The few guys sitting at the corner table, who had checked us out through the window, now got a good look. Nothing strange, just those "Hey! Check them out" looks. We found a table near the bar and met with Holly, who was to be our waitress. She was all smiles and very pleasant, taking our drink orders and treating us like royalty!
Liz, Shandi, Sabrina, Donna, Mrs. "C" & Ardra
Windows Sports & Entertainment Lounge
It is going out to mainstream venues like the Windows Sports & Entertainment Lounge, which is located in a upscale hotel, to show society and to get the feedback from society about just where to crossdressers belong. Where they are accepted. And we are finding we are being accepted everywhere which simply shows we indeed are very much a part of the society that we may have feared for so long.
What made meeting and talking with Donna so special is due to her connection with my friend Pamela Ann through the Detroit support group Crossroads. I've wanted so much to get the chance to meet Pamela Ann in person and now having met someone who knows Pamela Ann, I feel I'm that much closer to her. I know it may sound wishy washy. But so what. That's how girls get about these things :-)
Shandi, who had been at the hairdressers, joined us a short while later and finally Mary arrived with Andrea! So there was quite the crowd of us there, enjoying an evening of girl-talk in a very nice atmosphere! And yes, even a few of the girls had to run off and use the "Lady's Room"! As it neared midnight it was time for our wonderful evening out with the girls to end. Shandi and Liz went their way, Mary and Andrea took Ardra home and I drove Donna and her wife back to their hotel. Not really wanting the evening to end we spend several minute chatting away in the parking lot and of course there were lots of HUGS!
For more pics of our evening out check out my Photo Album page!
Thanks for reading my story,
Sabrina
E-mail me at sabrina_markes@masquerade.ca
Member of the Winnipeg support group - "Masquerade"