Beauty in Montreal

[CJ]

Hi all,

Well, the "big day" is coming; in just over a week, I'll get to meet Beauty face to face! (Uh, for that person over there, in the back row, who doesn't know who Beauty is, she was the Top Mod (and eventual Co-Administrator) here, on this forum, for the first two and a half years of its existence; she came out as a transsexual in March of last year and, sadly, left the forum several months later in order to explore her own "life-story" more fully. She was a seminal influence here, a person many of us looked up to and loved. She was, and is, like a "big sister" to me in so many ways. It'll be the first time ever that I meet an online friend in the flesh, so to speak. I'm really excited.

I've always kept in contact with Beauty. Sometimes more frequently, sometimes less so, but the link has always remained strong. Two months ago, during one of our phone conversations, I (again) tried to convince her to come up for a visit. "I'm sitting in front of my computer as we speak," she said. "Are you daring me to make reservations right now, on the spot?" "Yes! Yes, I am!" I replied. She did so. And that's that, folks. She's coming in Thursday next week and she'll be staying in our humble abode for four days (she tried to do the hotel thing but I would have none of it!).

I spoke with her tonight and I asked her if she was okay with the idea of my relating the ins and outs of our hanging out together here, on the forum, and she said that was totally cool with her (she says "Hi!" by the way).

So, I'll try to keep you all posted, in this thread, and let you all know what we've been up to. I say "try" because methinks the lady will keep us busy for a spell. My friends--Marie, Carole (who've both spoken with Beauty on occasion), and Rina--are helping me plan our little "outings" (quite possibly, in all senses of the word... we'll see).

Wish us fun!

Love,
CJ

[Darth_Wolfenbarg]

Wow. That's great!! You are a lucky lucky my friend.

[DonnaT]

Very cool CJ.

Still calling her Beauty instead of Gracie are you? Not that she cares

I enjoyed meeting her earlier this year, and even though she mentioned how tall she is, it was hard to picture in view of her pictures.

Ya'll have a real good time now, hear!?

[CJ]

Hi all,

Donna,

Yep. I still call her Beauty. Oh, she's Gracie alright (and that's who I ask for when I phone her) but she'll also always be Beauty to me.

You know, it ought to be interesting... I'm picking her up at the airport but, aside from her Jamie Austin shots, I have no real idea what Beauty even looks like. Plus, apparently she's been, uh, changing a little since she started taking hormones four months ago. She's also let her hair grow long. She's at that point, she says, where many people are as apt to think she's a woman as that she's a man--despite her height. (I asked her last night if she felt comfortable being in that "gray zone." She does.)

I told her I'd be easy to recognize; I'll be the one with the ponytail, wearing a beautiful pair of (women's) jeans with flame patterns emblazoned from cuff to knee (what I've come to think of as my "Beauty jeans") and I'll be holding up a cardboard sign that reads "LOOKING FOR BEAUTY." It'll be fun.

So, you met her earlier this year, Donna? What did you do? Did you get a chance to go out? or just hang out? You two sort of live in the same area so I'm thinking that maybe the "tourist" aspect wasn't as predominant as it might be when she comes here. Although she's told me that she doesn't necessarily want to be too "touristy," I still plan to spend half a day here or half a day there showing her around--the Main, the Latin Quarter, the Mountain, the Gay Village (and she'll be here during the week-long Divers-Cité GLBT Pride Festival and First Annual Outgames, where more than 16,000 registered participants and almost 250,000 visitors from more than 120 countries will be flooding the city--it'll be a colourful week to be sure). I want her to go back home carrying excellent memories of her time here. I know one thing for sure: my friends and I are going to have fun helping Beauty bone up on some of her French. While she's here we might even call her "Beauté," pronounced 'bow-TAY' in French.

She's in for a treat!

Love,
CJ

[Absaroka]

I always liked Gracie's posts and thought she was a great forum administrator. Never went past the electronic means of communicating with her. Please tell her I said hello and miss her presence here.

Absaroka

[Jessie]

Well wish her the best from all of us ok.

[Lydia]

Beauty was so cordial in welcoming me to this forum. She made me feel instantly part of the family, as it were. Maybe she will remember me as "Willy."

My best wshes to her, and have a great time. Quebec is a delight - almost like being in Paris.

Hugs,

Lydia

[DonnaT]

So, you met her earlier this year, Donna? What did you do?

A couple of girls from MHB were coming into town, so a few of from MHB got together at a local dinner/bar, which is apparently the only gay bar in Northern Virginia, for dinner and drinks.

Since it was local, my wife wouldn't let me go enfemme.

There's a picture on MHB. I'll PM you the link.

[Virginia]

CJ - you know that you and Beauty/Gracie were the two biggest influences on Virginia in her young life and I will be forever in your debt! I don't know if she has kept up with the saga of Brandi, but if you all run short of things to talk about, you might ask her if she has been in contact with Brandi and if not would she like me to bring her up to date? If she does, just pm me and you and I can work out the details.
Please tell her that Virginia said hello and that I wish her only the most success in her "Magical Mystery Tour!"
Love you all more than you will ever know!
Virginia

[Lorna]

Hey CJ,

This is so wonderful, sweetie!! I've spoken to Gracie over the phone a couple of times, but that's about it. Definitely keep us posted! I miss her so much...

[SilverLady(SO)]

Hey, CJ -

I hope you have a wonderful visit with Gracie - I do miss seeing her Beauty-ful face here at the forum, and her intelligence and wit, too!

Well, you and I are due for another phone call, how about if we try to work something out for when Gracie is visiting? My SO and I would love to chat with her for a few minutes, too!! Just think about it and let me know - if our schedules work out for this, that would be fantastic, if not - that's okay too!!

Send me a PM or email - - and don't forget to check your email, either!!!



- SL (and her SO!)

[Anita]

My, that sounds like a lot of fun for both of you, CJ. The festival ought to be quite a highlight. Say hello for me, too.

[CJ]

Hi all,

I'll be sure to say hello to Beauty from all of you.

Silver Lady,

I'll see what I can do but I somehow suspect, as I said above, that we won't be at home much of the time. Beauty finally accepted (and it took a lot of prodding, trust me) to stay with me and Marie rather than go to a hotel. However, she did so on the condition that she could take us out to dinner a couple of times. I accepted (while thinking, "Well, there go my barbecue plans!" ).

Here's a brief list of some of the things I'd like to do while she's here (as to whether or not these will happen, well, we'll see):

Divers/Cité (Check out the 3-minute video of last year's festivities in Montreal by clicking on the link near the bottom of this site's English page.)

Latin Quarter

Mount-Royal Park

Old Montreal

The Gay Village

Maybe we'll do a little shopping, too, who knows? But, like Beauty says, she mostly just wants to hang out. I'm very curious to see how the conversation will go between her and Marie and Carole (Yay! I finally have a gender ally! ).

Love,
CJ

[Loy B(SO)]

Wow sounds like alot of fun CJ. What a great experience to be able to get together in person with someone from the forum. Hope yall have a great time together!Im sure you will

[Gaven McLaren]

Tell Beauty that we all wish her well and that she is still remembered and loved here.