Drills Dresses and Delays

This morning (I wrote this last night Saturday) I had to go out and pick up a cordless drill and batteries I had bought on E-Bay, this meant a drive up into Hertfordshire, the other side of London to me, but with the M11 and M25 it shouldn't have taken me much over an hour, as it happens with a major hold up on the South Circular (broken down bus) and road works on the M25 it actually took more like 2 hours to get to Hemel Hempstead.   Since I am trying to occupy the 21st century I down loaded directions from Google, so after getting thoroughly lost in some country lanes, buying a map and working it out myself I eventually arrived at my destination a further hour later.

Since all my communications with the seller had been in the name of Paula, and since it was far too hot for trousers I got out one of my favourite summer dresses.   This is the dress I think of as my Marilyn dress, as in my mind it resembles the dress Marilyn Monroe wears in Seven Year Itch. Of course I am not the great MM but it is a nice bit of fantasy.   Interestingly I remember being told that she was a UK size 16, the same as me.  

Last year was so miserable that I don't remember having a chance to wear this dress, it is very light weight and ideal for hot summer days like today, it was so hot that trousers would have been intolerable, but somehow the light cotton of the skirt in this dress almost seems to cool the wearer, perfect.   I mostly take a size 16, however this dress is a size 18 but last time I wore it, it was a perfect fit so I wasn't worried.   I must have lost more weight than I realised as when I put it on I found that it is now a little on the large side, especially in the bodice, this leads to a bit of gapping, which could lead to a bit a gapeing!

I am now pretty used to going out, and the reactions I get, I am now used to being called Madam, Love, Dear but today I had a first, I stopped in a petrol station to buy a map, getting back in the van I was a couple of minutes pulling away the impatient ape behind hooted and shouted "Move that pile of junk you old bat" ~ I think I'll take that as a compliment.  
I have already said how hot it was today, as well as being too hot for trousers it was too hot for make up, so I just used some eye make up, lip gloss and a little concealer in the beard area.   I am under no illusions as to whether I passed or not, but I was very pleased that everyone I interacted with accepted me as the woman I was presenting as.   It is things like this that make think that maybe I live in a civilised country after all, on the other hand it could be that it was so hot no one could be arsed bothered to be rude (apart from the incontinent orangutan in the petrol station).

I had hoped to find a nice place to take a few photos while I was out in the country, but didn't find an opportunity, however getting back to London we have such great parks I couldn't help but get out my camera.