Wow. Well, today sure was a roller coaster. Had my 4th laser, and again was hitching a ride with my dad about an hour and a half north to it, and after dropping him off I was going to take the car and spend some time in the area. So we get up there around 9. I head off and grab some breakfast at a place called the Omelette Cafe, small chain that was really, really good. Never eaten there before, but I ordered chicken and waffles. Never actually ordered chicken and waffles before. I'm not sure the usual procedure eating them, but I just ate them entirely separate, but both were delicious.
Seriously, top of the line waffle. Next door was a thrift shop that I was curious about, so went in. It was really, really nice. Like they don't accept low quality items at all, it was more like a vintage/antique store than a thrift shop. I knew I couldn't really return clothes that didn't fit there, so I went ahead and came out to the lady and asked if it would be okay if I tried on women's clothes. She was totally cool with it, so YAY! I actually tried some stuff on, and got two button ups that actually fit for a change that I really liked that one at least was actually brand new, the other might as well have been. From there I went over to a coin shop I had looked up before coming to try to sell a texas bicentennial half dollar I found in my random stuff. Price is usually around 290-390 at auction. (This was graded and everything.) I was expecting to get like 100 for it tops, stores have to make money, but the reviews said the guy is known for his generous buying prices and they weren't kidding, he gave me a full 275 for it! So that was just a huge plus. On the way out I grabbed some absolutely gorgeous earrings, gold and silver with... uhhh, wasn't zirconia but something similar, I forget. But they look so nice, only $20.
This is where the bad kicks in. So on the way to the shop, it had started to rain. Well, someone basically pulled into the road right into the side of my car, like he was going to ram me from the side like in a movie and wasn't showing any sign of stopping (and did not). I had to swerve into the other lane, thank god it was clear, to avoid him. Traffic was not moving fast, visibility was not bad, this person was just 100% careless. That did not make me happy.
The worse came when I left the coin shop to go to TJ Maxx. So it's that type of area where everything connects via the highway, so you have to get on and off it constantly. Well, at one point I was surrounded on the left, front, and back by huge semis. like literally no room to breathe. And the rain comes. A downpour like I've never seen outside of a hurricane. It was so thick and heavy, visibility was virtually zero. It was like driving through a perpetual waterfall. I have never seen anything like it. I was absolutely terrified. So my exit was coming up, and while I really couldn't see it at all I knew I was not fit for those driving conditions surrounded by trucks like that. Unfortunately, I started to miss the turn because it was so bad, and had to cut across the dividing lines, and almost went straight into the concrete divider with trucks bearing down on me. Even off the highway it was terrifying, but luckily TJ Maxx was right there and I pulled into it. I just sat in my car trying to calm down, as terrified in that moment as I have ever been. When I say there was no visibility, I mean there was
no visibility.
But then, the most wonderful thing happened. I went into TJ Maxx, because I still had time to kill before laser. I found a few good tops I liked, including some really good ones that are like 90 normally but were there for 20. After previous experiences I knew: I had to try them on before buying. So I nervously walk over to the dressing room. Now, at the local TJ Maxx, the dressing room is unmanned. I assumed would be the same way here. Nope, it's tightly controlled. I tried to sneak by sort of while the attendant isn't really paying attention just to avoid scrutiny, but I didn't realize they do the counting garments before hand thing. So. I know shes about to see I'm buying women's clothes so I just straight up ask what their transgender policy is. She looks at me in this way like "Are you really asking me that?" and just says simply: "Honey, what color do you bleed? Red or green?" Me: "Most of the time red." Her: "What color do I bleed?" Me: "I'm guessing red." Her: "We are all the same, that doesn't matter at all. Also, if I gave you any problems I'd be in huge trouble, our manager is transgender." We started talking a bit, but I realized I need to go try on clothes because I was getting close to appointment. So I start down to the men's dressing room... she says "The women's dressing rooms are the other way." I was just so floored I wanted to cry. I said something to the effect of "Oh god bless you for that, but I don't think I'm ready for that yet." Anyway, I went in and tried some clothes. Two were big successes, and I'm super happy with them. Went back out and just started talking to her again, and we just sort of kept talking even though I had originally intended to do a bit more shopping. She asked "What time is your appointment?" (I had told her what I was in town for) and I said "Noon.". She pointed out it was a quarter til, and I was shocked so much time had passed. So I said good bye and headed over to the register. The manager was in the back behind the register (but not manning one) and I would have never guess she was trans. She was a big woman, but had such a sweet voice, but trans would never have entered my mind. But the big thing was the woman at the register was on the line with the dressing room attendant and I heard her tell her "Oh, your girl's here now!". It was just... oh my god it was one of the best experiences of my life.
So fast forward a bit. Well, actually rewind a bit. A while back when I started selling comics I was keeping some cash in my step mother's safe for obvious reasons. Well, today I needed to add to it, so she went to get it and... it was gone. We searched all over, nothing. The weird thing was there was obviously stuff different in there from last time she used it, meaning my dad had went in it. Including an envelope with his name on it. We are both freaking out, it was a ton of money. Digging through places it might have fallen, counting out extra loose cash, trying to think who had been around and might have gotten into it (but nothing else was really missing). Well, turns out apparently my dad can't read and doesn't pay attention. We had roofing work done recently, and my dad just reached in, grabbed an envelope and ripped it open to pay the roofer. ... And he took mine, not his. The bad thing is I don't know exactly how much was in there, and he did something with the envelope that had the amount written on it too. Soooooo..... irritating. My step mother is just furious at him. ;x
So yeah. I sold a coin. Made some new friends. Got four nice tops. Almost died twice. Also got a beautiful pair of earrings. Have to sort out the fallout of my dad's carelessness. And had two great meals.
OH! And while it was shipped so doesn't really count: I also got in my first purse and women's pajamas today!
