As most who has been following BCTS’s Girl on the spot, Catherine Linda Michel know, she, Holly Happy Hart, Khadja, and I attended SSC last week.

I won’t go into the horrors of driving in a big city like Atlanta or the challenges of navigating by maps printed off of Google. Nor will I talk about the rather upscale mall, stores, and restaurants about the area that were friendly and helped make the overall experience quite pleasant.

I am going to write a bit about my own real honest-injun ‘transformation’ that was right out of many of the stories here online.

First, I have to set the scene. Rough estimates of attendees were about a 1000. Trans girls and guys in all sizes and shapes were everywhere. Some were beautiful, while others dressed to nines. What you didn’t see or hear were a single mean or derogatory word about any that didn‘t fit those previous descriptions. Helpful advice was there for the asking, but the entire time I was there I never heard any hurtful remarks. In short it was a positive environment.

My own experience in dressing prior to this was very rudimentary. My wardrobe was very primitive because of financial restraints and terminal shyness. Since Understanding Spouse and I live in an apartment with our dog Tinka, I got use to simply wearing pieces that I could change out of quickly to answer the door or go walk the dog. Makeup or other more time intensive activities were just too much trouble as well as risking outing myself.

My basic idea was to take advantage of one of the makeovers offered in the conference’s marketplace, and try to absorb all I could about the colors and tones best for a balding redhead like myself.

The plan for dressing was just as simple; a t-shirt and a pair of my guy jeans because both are about as unisex as you can go. I did have a wig as well as a bra and forms, so I figured good enough, right?

Wrong! My fellow authors and roommates for the week weren’t at all impressed. Ariel and Cathy gave each other one of those looks and I knew I was in trouble.

We all know our Ariel, the author of Sugar and Spice, as a very sweet and nice person. I soon learned the other side of her. A vicious, take no prisoners, shopper. Yes girls, I got taken on the most cliché part of all TG stories, the shopping trip.

Having worked retail, Ariel knew just where to go to find all the best prices and deals. Since I was in guy drab, she cleverly devised a subterfuge. She asked me if I thought Jacqui would like this or Jacqui would that while remarking that I was about the same size as they hanged the prospective piece of clothing up to me for a rough check of sizes.

While this was going on, I observed one of the store’s employee’s watching us curiously. Humorously, I gave a long suffering sigh as I was at the mercy of these two ruthless shoppers. If only I had a camera of the said employee’s face as she almost lost it in laughter.

Not leaving any stone unturned, I was dragged to the makeup counter, but I managed to explain in time that I was waiting for more information on the proper shades and colors from my upcoming makeover. Whew! Safe!

The bottom line was for about 35 bucks, I ended up with 3 skirts, and 4 tops in addition to the two I brought with me. Like I said, Ariel knows how to make a dollar scream for mercy!

The next morning it was show time! After defoliating and defoliating again, (3 bottles worth of Nair!) I followed the instructions I’d been given; shave as close as humanly possible. Everything was going well all the way up to and including getting dressed. The Snafu showed up, when I tried to put on my ankle boots. Wearing hose for the first time, the boots slipped and slid all over my foot. I’d also lost a bit of weight that probably didn’t help matters.

Okay, Plan “B”, my tennis shoes worked just as well since they were androgynous. A little tacky but you do see women wearing tennis shoes with dresses these days. Back on track, it was time to leave the relative safety of our hotel room.

Okay I wholly confess that the only danger was between my ears. I had never completely, from head to toe, dressed before. I had also never presented myself in front of anyone before much less before hundreds of others in public. I knew that the odds were no one would ever notice little ole me, in the colorful crowd of the conference. However, that didn’t stop that not so little voice of doubt from making herself known.

Resolutely, I dealt with the problem. A pair of Tums later, I was on my way. It was rather anticlimactic. Like I thought I was completely lost in the mob of conference goers. Reaching my destination, I did have a small wait while the artist in residence, Amanda, did a little emergency makeup repair on a previous customer, but no big deal.

Slipping into the chair, she was very careful to explain what she was doing and why. Mostly it was just like getting a haircut as a guy; Turn your head this way; close your eyes; turn that way, ect.

What was definitely different was the reveal. OMG! I simply didn’t recognize myself and neither did several others. Like I said, Amanda is a true artist and miracle worker!

I will admit I had on nearly as much paint and powder as Tammy Fay, but unlike her, mine was skillfully applied to hide 48 years of maleness. There was no way I would ever be able to duplicate Amanda’s efforts but at least I have a better idea of where to begin.

Many pictures were taken and compliments given. I however spent much of the rest of the day floating. More, I spent the next day too, drifting like I had a triple shot of the good stuff and hadn’t come back down to Mother Earth yet.

I know that there are bigger conventions where the gender line gets blurred such as the big Cosplay events and other such. The biggest difference I think between those and SSC are that at those others they are putting on costumes. At SSC we were taking them off if just for a while.

As I heard one of the girls remark, “Unlike Cheers, here no one knows you or your name. You can just be you.”

I could see the truth of that because to everyone I met last week, they all know me as Jacqui and haven’t the slightest idea of who this Grover is.

Another issue that popped up was how completely overwhelming the entire thing could be at times. I’d spent my whole life trying to keep my feminine side from slipping into view. There it simply didn’t matter. Everyone remarked how more relaxed and unstressed I was, up to and including Understanding Spouse during our long nightly phone calls.

On the other hand, the crowd was a bit much at times. Out back of the hotel was a large nicely landscaped wooded area with paths winding along the fountains and brooks. Think peaceful. I spent quite a bit of time back there scribbling on this story or that as the ideas came to me.

For many this is the only time they can meet and greet their true peer group: the other T-girls and guys. So tears and hugs were in abundance as it wind down. It was time for this small island in the sea of normal reality to fade away for another year. Like John de Lancie said, “All good things must come to an end.”

Then it was the madcap packing, finding and losing things as well as other not so fun activities. Finally we did get everything sorted and more or less ready to leave.

Speaking of not-so-fun, the traffic leading out of Atlanta was fortunately somewhat lighter because it was Sunday. Then we had a rather nice ride back home to Columbia SC.

I would highly recommend the conference to anyone who swings this way. It was informative and as my age group would say Kool and a Blast. It is rather expensive, but Scholarships are available. I attended on a Scholarship and enjoyed every moment. Like others reported the meals were a little on the fancy side. (Expensive) I found they were mostly excuses to really dress up, however having simple tastes I usually preferred the food court at the nearby Perimeter Mall. (About 5 minutes away by foot) A sandwich and a chocolate shake (Nectar of the Gods!) were just as satisfying for me, and I had plenty of time to get back and mingle with the after dinner crowd.

With a bit of luck and fair winds, I hope to be able to return. See Ya’!

-Grover