Andee's Millenium
Halloween
Andee had a chance to
go out and play for Halloween day this year. Needless to say it
was yet another adventure, but one in which at least some of the
people who saw me last year were not quite as surprised. In some
ways it was much like last year, but in other ways things were
mightily different.
I
got my son to school a little early and headed back home to change.
I had laid out all that I would wear or take with me earlier.
It took me only about an extra 15 minutes to get ready (there
must be something wrong when I can do my makeup and get dressed
that quickly...like when I forgot to put on my bra last summer
in LA). I wore a black sheath with a long over jacket and my low
heels and understated gold jewelry. I was trying for the "smart
professional" look that any other woman in her 40s would
wear to work. Into the garage, down the street, and in 20 minutes
I was at work.
One of our departments was having
a big conference with people from all over in our building that
day and all of the parking spots I usually get were taken, and
so I had a walk of about 1/4 mile from our overflow lot to get
in. Luckily I had on my sneakers and ankle socks over my dark
hose (the Washington women's commuter uniform) and so it wasn't
so bad a walk. Other folks were streaming in from the distant
parking lot and I didn't get a second glance...they probably assumed
it was a Mommy who was running a little late. After last year
I really didn't expect to be recognized immediately, and so as
I walked in the main entrance on my way to my office I was surprised
to see a boss I had worked for nearly 10 years ago heading straight
for me. I just kept walking, kind of glanced his way and smiled,
and passed him by. Not even a faint hint of recognition (or close
scrutiny) on his face. Of course he was always kind of into himself
(and his own self-importance) when I worked for him so I guess
I shouldn't have been surprised.
Anyway, I had the same "walk"
as last year by three of our secretaries before I got to my office.
Two of them just looked up from their work and then looked back
down without giving me a second glance. The third one looked me
over doubly hard and so I said, "Good morning Sue. How do
you like the new me?" Well, she was flabbergasted, and said
"...I knew I should know who it is because I kind of recognized
the face but I never would have placed it with your name."
She added, "...you look fantastic!" As I changed into
my heels I was already getting ready for a good day.
My staff was not nearly as surprised
as last year. In fact, except for my new secretary, after the
initial shock everyone just kind of treated me normally. I had
a couple of errands to run, dropping off my travel accounting
and getting a check cashed at the credit union, all within an
easy walk of my office. Our travel office just loved my look,
and for the new people there who had never seen me that way (but
who had dealt with Andy) there were looks of shock and the exclamation
"...oh...my...God!" The assistant manager of the credit
union had seen me last year, but the new manager and the tellers
were just as surprised. Afterwards one of the tellers would say
to me "...I saw this tall woman over talking to the manager
and I thought her hair and dress looked so good...very professional...I
never would have guessed it wasn't a woman...you looked so relaxed
and comfortable."
I actually did have work to do
in the morning before the party, although it was mainly on the
computer and the phone. I had a déjà vu from last
year looking down at my manicured nails typing on the computer...almost
like seeing another person's hands (a woman's) typing at the end
of my arms. I consciously tried to speak very softly and maybe
with just a little higher timbre in my voice, and people did not
seem to react negatively. One woman actually seemed much warmer
(and closer) than she usually does in our interchanges. My secretary
was another story. She could not look me in the face, actually
averting her eyes when she had to talk with me. She would warm
up to Andee as the day went on but it was unsettling in the extreme
at first.
Our office has about 400 employees,
and over 200 were signed up for the party. Many people were dressed
for the party, but I was the only one who cross-dressed. We had
a light lunch planned for noon, with the entertainment starting
at 1, and so I just mingled and
ate a few bites. I was a bit nervous in anticipation of the super-hero(ine)'s
arrival.
I
disappeared into my office and quickly changed into the Wonder
Woman costume. As I looked down at all the leg I was going to
be showing I stared to feel apprehensive. It was one thing to
be a fully dressed 40s-ish woman with a brief outfit getting up
in front of a large crowd. The thought of," ...wow, she must
be in good shape to pull off that look," might cross their
minds. But this was a whole other thing to be dressed as a woman
in something with only a little more coverage than a swimsuit.
Would the crowd be pleased or repulsed? It was too late to chicken
out, as I could hear the karoke starting, and that was my cue
to get ready.
The women from our front office
(five of "us" normally staid, mahogany-row types) were
in on the planned arrival and were performing the first song,
a country number from a famous vocalist. As it came to the line
"...that man of mine..." I made my entrance and joined
the group on the stage. Well the house roared. I found out later
that some of the audience didn't really get it at first...they
just assumed that it was a real woman joining the group...and
then it dawned on them that it was "really" someone else.
Next came the costume contest
and I was certainly in the running for the best. I was "done
in" by a group from our personnel department, who were literally
all the characters from Austin Powers. Their costumes were not
party-store off- the-shelf, but honest to you-know-who real "Hollywood-quality"
outfits. As we mingled at the front of the stage one of the fem-bots
began to talk with me and offered to trade costumes next year.
The "AP" group won the "best theme" prize.
I won the "most original and creative prize." And we
had other prizes for "scariest (bloody-skull guy...totally
gross)" and "most in character (Cat in the Hat)."
Then the time came for the "overall" winner and the
crowd voted with their applause: they liked "groovy-baby"
better, even if only by a little, and so I got second place. Well,
two out of the past three years, as overall winner, wasn't so
bad.
The party went on for about another
hour (I got to dance with the fem-bot, and reprise last year and
do a karoke to Shania Twain's song "That Don't Impress Me
Much") and then things started to wind down. I hated to change
out of my costume, but for me at least I was changing back into
my dress so it wasn't so bad. I was able to stay dressed all the
rest of the day. My sore toes were the only down side.
Later, I talked with my secretary
and she said the reason why she was unsettled was that as she
looked at me and talked with me she started to "think"
of me as a woman. She knew "...that was just totally weird
because you looked so convincing with your makeup and hair and
clothes that I forgot that you were really my boss and normally
a guy, and what I thought of as a normal guy, and now I'm thinking
of you as a normal woman and...I'm just weirded out!" Hey,
can she imagine how I feel!
I changed into my "normal"
clothes for the trip home. Later I played the part of the suburban
Dad (golf shirt and Dockers) and passed out candy to all the spooks,
goblins, princesses, and witches that rang my door that night.
But my mind was filled with the memories of what was another great
Halloween and certainly not your typical day at the office.
Copyright 2000 Andee W
DC Comics 
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