2004 Be-All Report - Ladies of the Realm - The Trilogy

[Julie M.]

For the complete story, Ladies of the Realm - The Trilogy follow this link: https://home.comcast.net/~julimarie/welcome/beall.htm

It's getting late and I have to get up early tomorrow so I won't have time to tell you the whole story now. I'm pretty exhausted as Jacki and I took full advantage of the opportunity and in the process slept very little.

I arrived at the hotel at 3PM Friday. It took me almost an hour to get all my stuff upstairs to the room and get checked in for Be-All. I came straight from work and looked like your typical construction worker. When I approached the check-in table I was greeted warmly by the ladies there and received my package.

I was back in the room by about 4PM and had to stop and think, "Where do I start?" Oh yeah! Hair removal! So I got my Noreclo hair trimmer and started leveling the forest. Stroke after stroke the trees fell to the floor with a thud. I was standing on a towel in front of the TV sort of multi-tasking as I shaved and watched the tube at the same time. The battery died once from all the work it had been doing but was back in service in about 10 minutes. Once all the foliage had been trimmed away I hopped in the shower and let the blade take care of the stubble. When I emerged everything south of the cheekbones was gone.

I lotioned the body (and BTW, finishing shaving with a good cold water soak does wonders!) and then preceeded to do my makeup. Once done it was what to wear. I opted for a white wrap around skirt, white/print puckerd short sleeved top and white platforms. At about 6:20 I called Jacki to come and rescue me from the tower (I was a bit scared to leave the room alone). She arrived at the door minutes later where we met face to face for the first time.

We headed downstairs and the place was really hopping. Being worried about leaving the room was silly. There's a bar on the lower level, Rickenbocker's, where we had our first cocktail together. I talked to some of the other girls as did Jacki. Then later went back to my room and changed skirts and shoes. I now had a very cool short black pleated skirt and black platforms with wrap around ankle straps. I then went back down to the bar.

We went into the dining room and had dinner. Afterwards they has a TG Idol Show where they mimicked American Idol. I was in and out a lot splitting my time between the bar and the show. Marge Simpson made an attempt to be this year's Idol. I wasn't there when they announced the winner.

Jacki and I were working the bar meeting some of the other ladies. Later we went back to her room where she showed me the meaning of bringing a lot of clothes! I mean this was like walking into my daughter's room! Mountains of clothes, shoes, lingerie, you name it! And I thought I brought a lot! Time flew by and it was now 2:30AM. We looked at each other and said let's go back down to the bar. When we got there it already had last call and the place was closing.

Jacki knew of a TG friendly bar, Escapades, about 30 minutes away and we got in her car and left. We arrived and when entering were carded! I jokingly said. "Do you want to see my AARP card?" But it was the owner's policy. "But I didn't bring it", I told him. I took my wallet out of my purse because it was too bulky. "Just show me something", he said. So I took out my room key-card. He pretended to be reading it and handed it back, "Next time bring your real ID please", he kindly said and smiled.

We sat down and immediately Rudy, the barender and one of the owners, greeted Jacki. She introduced me to him. Rudy is one of those special people. He made me feel so welcomed and treated me like a lady the whole time. It made me feel so good inside. We stayed until closing. They shooed out almost everyone but made a point to extend a special courtesy to us ladies and waited until the place was empty before letting us know it was time to go. I left knowing I would want to come back.

On the way back I was thirsty and so Jacki and I stopped at a mini-mart gas station. We went inside and got something to quench our thirst (no they had no alcohol). When we went to the register to pay there was a 60 something Egyptian emigree whe scoped out his customers with a raised eyebrow. You could tell he was wierded out. Jacki then proceeded to be herself and like any foul mouthed truck driver used every expletive in the world and soon I saw the old guy begin to laugh. "Which one of you is on top?" he asked. Jacki replied, "We both take bottom." What started as him looking at us like lepers soon turned to compliments. "You are really cute" he told me. I looked at him and said, "I'm a guy and you're flirting with me!" He had this starry eyed look like he wanted to hook up. Then some redneck walked in to use the cash machine. Jacki said something to him when he complained it didn't work. He almost broke his neck when he turned to see we weren't women. But true to form Jacki loosened up him too. He came up to the counter and we kept up the banter. I told him a Liberace joke and he cracked up, "That was great! I never heard that one before." he said. The old man continued to flirt with us and then I said to Jacki, "C'mon, let's go. This place is filled with perverts. The redneck almost split a gut laughing (with us not at us) and we said goodbye. Two more people converted.

We got back at the hotel around 5AM and Jacki came back to my room. We talked until 6 til I could no longer keep my eyes open. Jacki has boundless energy. And me being up 25 hours straight didn't help much either!

Later that morining I just couldn't sleep thinking about what I was going to wear today. About 10:30AM I finally got out of bed and showered. I put on black print skorts, red tank top with red short sleeved blouse on top and heels then went downstairs for a sandwich around 11:30. Jacki and I had a 2PM appointment to have our makeup done at the Hilton in downtown Chicago. After the sandwich was done I caught a little cat nap. Then Jacki called the room and said we'd better get going. Here's a link to the website that has some pictures and an account of our makeup experience: https://home.comcast.net/~julimarie/welcome/basia.htm

Tomorrow I'll report the rest and hopefullly have some more pictures.

Love you all,
Julie

[Beauty]

Oh my God!

Julie, you are the absolute coolest for posting about your Be-All outing!!!

I loved it!!! I can't wait to hear more about it. I'm very proud of you and admire you for going. Jacki sounds like a wonderful person!!

It sounded like you loosened up the more you went out. Your outfits sounded great too.

If I can critique your post I would add that you shouldn't change a thing because it was perfect! Sorry decided to tease you there. :insert angel halo:

Wow.. this is incredible. Thank you so much for posting this here. I know you're very busy as the Moderator of crossdressers.com and I really appreciate you posting this in your other internet home too. (By the way folks Julie has turned a site that was becoming a pickup site into a GREAT forum that gives support to CD'rs everywhere.)

Thanks again Julie. I can't wait to read more!!!

Beauty

[SharonRose]

Julie,

I enjoyed reading your post. and look forward to reading more about your trip to the Be-All convention.

I especially enjoyed the humorous conversations at the mini-mart. That had me in stitches. I hope to someday be just as relaxed so I can exchange witty banter with ordinary folks while en femme.


Sharon Rose.

[Virginia]

HI JULIE!!!!!
I Love it!!! What a wonderful tribute. I know you had a ball!! I hope that a lot of our sisters out there will read this a follow in your footsteps. The saga at the mini mart - we are concerned about folks out at that time of night - most are just hard working folks and are probalbly more interested in knowing why rather than causing a scene. I think you girls handled it very well!! Confidence, smile and just do your thing, its great!!
Damn, I get so excited about it for you! I can't wait until I can schedule a trip like that to be with other of my sisters out there having fun. Keep us informed as your story continues.
Lve ya,
Deborah

[Julie M.]

Well let's see where did I leave off? Oh yeah, the mini mart.

Got to sleep at 6AM was awake at 8:30, tried to sleep but couldn't so showered, etc, etc and if you read the makeover account on the website that bings us to about 5PM on Saturday.

Jacki and I drove back to the hotel and headed for Rickenbocker's for cocktails. Prime rib dinner was scheduled for 7:30. We met a few other girls there and tolg them about the prior evening's experience. Before we knew it the place was filling up and I asked Jacki what time it was. We then found out dinner was over and they stopped serving. We missed it! (Now do you see why I didn't do any updates while there? I couldn't even get to dinner!) No use thinking about it so we continued partying.

Later two guys walk in. They were staying there on business and decided to catch the local action. I told them they should stay away from anything involving luck for the rest of the day. "You see dresses, heels and long hair by the truckload and then walk in here to be greeted by this. Yeah, today's not your lucky day." One guy was pretty cool about it but the other was noticibly uncomfortable. Enter Julie the Turnerarounder! I mentioned that I was married and he just looked so surprised. "Oh, you think we're all gay?" I asked. "Well that's the only reason I can figure why you'd want to dress like that." So I proceeded to enlighten him. Before you knew it he was telling me he gets it (I did the explain why ___ is your favorite color routine which he couldn't) and he's cool about it. Then I told a few jokes and moved on.

The night was getting on and Jacki and I still had dragons to slay. We went back to our rooms and changed into some more night on the town attire. I met her in room and asked what she thought of my outfit. "I think I have a better top for you" and took out this black short-sleeved silk top with white polka dots. I tried it on and it was perfect. We freshned up our makeup and headed back to Escapades.

When we arrived I was prepared and had my ID ready. Rudy again greeted us warmly but forgot Jacki's name. "How come you can remember her name when you just met her but you can't remember mine when I've been her so many times before?" Jacki asked Rudy. "It's her eyes" he said "When I look into her eyes I see Julie" WOW! That was really cool! So we talked and laughed the rest of the night. We were introduced to Alicia Stone, a girl who wasn't a girl but ould have fooled me or anyone. And she was very hot! Later a rather large man came up and was obviously trying yo hit on us. I had learned to be polite but distant and they will take the hint. It had worked before so why not now? But he just stood there. Finally he understood we were'nt interested and left.

We stayed til closing which was 5AM then went to White Castle for a late night (early morning?) snack. I was hungry so I ordered 4 burgers and a Coke. Jacki wasn't and ordered the 8 double cheeseburger meal with fries and Coke and ate it all. What a dimunitive girl she is and she eats like a bird! There was some old blue collar guys we put on a show for. I started talking loudly about clothes and heels and how I love this or that. They just looked sidelong at us and shook their heads. Okay, no converts but at least they got to see us in real life.

We got back at the hotel around 6AM and I crashed. I'll do part 3 later. I have to get to the dentist.

Love ya,
Julie

[Beauty]

Hi Julie!

The second part was just as good as the first!!!

BRAVO!!!

That was super polite and true, what the bouncer said, about what he said about when he looks into your eyes.

I want to know what it's like to go out to a club like that, but I'm not sure what to do OR how to do it.

I hope you don't mind if I live through you for now. It's so awesome what you did and are doing.

Thank you so much again Julie!!!

Beauty

[Virginia]

Hi Julie,
Bet it will be hard to say "saved the best for last!?"
HOpe you get some sleep
Love,
Deborah

[Julie M.]

Part 3 - The Return to Reality

You've heard the saying many times, "What goes up must come down". I got to bed around 6 AM and was awake at 10. I just couldn't take off my clothes because it was part of what was making me so happy so I slept in them, wig and all. When I awoke I saw I was still dressed from the night before and this surge of happiness welled up inside me. This had been such a glorious weekend but it was now over. I laid in bed thinking about having to change back and check out and return to the life I had left less than 48 hours ago. I had changed and experienced a rite of passage so to speak. I would never be the same... and I didn't want to go back to the life I had left. This doesn't mean I didn't want to return home and be with my family, it just means I didn't want to go back to all the secrecy, hiding and fear I had left behind.

Suddenly tears welled up in my eyes and I began to cry. I am one of those people who cries at funerals, sometimes. This was new to me. The more I thought about it the harder I cried. "I don't want to go back to that life" I said over and over all the while wiping the streams of sorrow from my face. "I can't go back to that life." At times I cried so hard I collapsed to the floor. I wondered if I would have the strength to leave. Would I find myself being confronted with doctors brought in by the hotel because they couldn't get me to stop crying and come out of my room? Hour after hour I cried my heart out. I had never in my life lost self control like this and I didn't know if I was having a breakdown or I was just so terribly sad and needed to get this out of me. I asked my dad and two aunts (all passed) for help. I needed some outer strength. I even talked to Oprah (just quietly as if she were in the room). I remembered the story she did on a transsexual and how kind and understanding she was in that episode. I needed that. I needed someone strong to take me and hold me and tell me everything would be okay. I see Oprah as a strong, kind and caring woman and at that moment I needed her. I needed someone. I couldn't make the move on my own.

Finally, after three hours of crying my eyes out I knew I needed to talk to my wife. I just wanted her so say, "I love you. Come home so I can hold you in my arms." So I called her. She has only seen me cry twice in our 22 year marriage, when my aunt died and when my dad died.
I knew where my head was. I knew what I was thinking but I was crying and this was strange to her. The thought of keeping all the secrets from those I loved hurt me to no end. The thought of telling them, especially my 18 year old son, and burdening them with what I had carried all my life hurt just as much. I was being ripped apart. I didn't know which way to turn.

My wife was probably shocked I called crying. I'm sure she thought something was terribly wrong. Add to that the fact that women tend to look past what's in front of them and start worrying about the what ifs and I can understand her response. "You need help" Well that was the wrong thing to say because I knew I didn't need help, the rest of the world did in coming to a true understanding about what crossdressing is. They needed help in accepting the differences of others. But I hung on hoping to hear those words I longed to hear, "Honey, I love you, come home". But they never came. Sorrow turned to anger and I hung up. I then continued packing knowing I would be going home to the same thing I left but vowing to change it. She called back but I didn't answer. I was too mad. "You need help" ran through my head. That's what those people who know nothing about this say. "You need help, buddy. You're obviously a little off kilter" That is exactly what I didn't want to return to.
My daughter called and I answered. She told me my wife was scared to death I was never coming home. I later found out she has worried about this for almost our entire marriage although I never once even hinted at it. That's the woman worrying thing I was talking about. My daughter has been great in all this and has such a level head. As we talked I packed up the car and she said when I get home we should all go out to eat. I arrived about 1/2 hour later.

Epilogue - The Final Outcome
It's now been only two days since I left the Be-All Convention. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life thus far. All day Monday and today at work I thought about it and just got goose bumps thinking about it. I have changed forever. I am more resolved now to be open and honest in presenting who I am. I know discretion is important and I won't just throw this in everyone's face but I can't go back to where I was. I need to move forward and enjoy life. It's more than half over. I have carried this cross alone for over 50 years and now it's time to set it down and live life to the fullest. Exactly how I will do that I don't know but I will figure it out. Maybe I will call Oprah and maybe someday you'll see me on her show telling the world all about us. Maybe I'll just keep doing what I have been doing, converting one person at a time. It doesn't matter as long as I'm moving forward, as long as I'm helping educate people in a way where they become more accepting of not just us but everyone. I've always loved helping others. Maybe through this effort I can help myself to.
All my love,
Julie

[Virginia]

Julie, Where to start?, first thanks for sharing, it was definitely heart-felt and evidently life altering and that is good!!! You and I have a least two things in common, one is a great daughter! The other appears to be that we think a like to some degree. I recently posted under the thread about our agenda that the conversion of the "great unwashed masses" will have to take place one at a time. You evidently really let Julie out in the hotel and she let you know that she is part of you and will be forever, now you know what you have to do and that is continue to learn from her, cherish her, and take her knowledge and share it with everyone you come in to contact with. They don't have to know your graciousness and kindness is all or part Julie just that they appreciate you for your caring. There is an old saying, "There is no end to the good one can do if they don't care who gets the credit." You or Julie.
Goodl luck with your family and your wife and you know your sisters are here to support you.
Love you, my sister,
Deborah

[Loretta Ann]

Hi Julie,

Interesting isn't it how we can sometimes walk through one door and have another one closed behind us. I too have had this happen to me, and it can be some what scary, but that is what pushes us on to be the person we were meant to be.

Thanks for sharing this part of your life with us, and I too wish you and you family well.

[Beauty]

Hi Julie,

Wow. What an incredible post and incredible journey.

I don't even know if I can begin to thank you enough for writing about your entire experience. I know it has forever changed me.

I wish I could have been there for you. I'm glad you were able to think of Oprah.

Thanks again, but thanks isn't big enough. You are awesome! All you have to do is look at your wonderful daughter to realize it.

Love,
Beauty

[Julie M.]

Dear Beauty and Deborah,

It's funny, all through the weekend I thought of the two of you and how you'd enjoy what I was experiencing. One time I looked up across the bar and saw two girls who made me think it was the two of you. I imagined it was and saw myself running over and getting a group hug and saying, "Isn't this wonderful?" So many times certain incidents would trigger thoughts of one or both of you. You were with me in spirit. Someday I hope it will be in the flesh. I'd love so much to meet you both.

While there I was talking to the organizer of the event and asked which convention was the best. Her comment was Southern Comfort but she added it was getting too big. Not sure what that meant but I'm going to be looking into it. Maybe I won't have to wait til next year to have another weekend or more where I can just be me again.

Thank you all for kind and warm replies. It really means a lot to me.

Julie

[Beauty]

Morning Julie,

Awwww.. I'm glad you thought of us.

You are welcome. I hope you know how odd it feels saying you're welcome though when you are the one who has given so much.

Love,
Beauty

[SharonRose]

Julie,

I just wanted to let you know that i was extremely touched by your heartfelt story.

I agree that life is too short to worry and we should try to live it to the fullest.

Thanks again for sharing this with us.

Sharon Rose

[Virginia]

Linda,
Honey, that was so well said, Julie is a wonderful representative for us!
I am so proud of her and glad she had such a good time.
Julie, I am lookng at the Southern Comfort but can't find the time of the next one, perhaps it has not been logged yet?
Love you girls!
Deborah