Jan2011~Hello again!

Wednesday’s adventures actually started the day before.  I had been planning to visit my friend Barbara in Folkestone for several months, but unfortunately I tend to make these decisions rather late on and on the previous occasions she had been unavailable.

But on Monday when I rang to suggest a visit, I was in luck.  Subject to me avoiding a doctor’s appointment I could go visit and we could have a good catch-up.  Some readers may know that Barbara is a gg (I’ll use it this time as genuine girl) in more than one respect.  Actually the main point is she is very genuine.   I don’t see her often but it always good to catch up with her about her family, and she always has a story or two about someone I know.

Her doctor’s appointment was at 10:30 and despite it being a two-hour drive, I decided to aim for 9:30 and give her a lift to the doctor’s, so that would mean leaving between 7 and 7:30 and taking on the M25.  A-M then helped out by suggesting I dress the evening before, leave out the clothes I was going to wear and go to bed ‘towel-over-pillow’ in my make-up, pink nails and all.  Of course they say a girl should never do this, so it was quite strange.  And I was well aware that I would need to shave in the morning and re-do parts of my face.  It’s a bit messy, but it did work quite well and saved me half an hour.

The weather has been so cold over here in the UK and although it has warmed up these last few days, the rain has come with it.  Sure enough, I woke to an ugly grey mess of cloud cover and persistent heavy drizzle.  I was very glad I had chosen my jeans, stripey jumper and relatively comfortable boots.  Oh and in deference to the wind, and the possibility of shopping I was wearing my ‘old’ shorter wig.  There is no way you can pull clothes on and off over a long wig without ruining your hair and your mood and before you know it you would be feeling like a man in a dress!!

The drive was thankfully uneventful.  I arrived in good time and had a cup of coffee and a sit-down with Barbara for an hour.  I then drove her to the doctors and had planned on waiting a phone call to return to pick her up, but she invited me in to wait with her.  It did feel quite strange sitting in a doctor’s surgery for half an hour waiting for her to be called and then sitting alone while was in with the doctor.  But I was pleased she had the confidence in me to ask.

I’ve only been outside with her a couple of times previously.  She had shown me a bar on the Folkestone sea front once, many years ago.  And another time, we drove into the countryside and stopped and ate at a garden centre cafe.  It’s a little bit little and large as I doubt she is much above 5ft and I must be 6ft 2 in my heels. But I always say that if you smile and exude confidence then no-one will worry.

We had another coffee when I took her back and took the photo you can see above.  While I have plenty of photos at Barbara’s I don’t have too many with her, so it was good to have nice memento of the visit.  She has a daughter Lisa, that is expecting at the same time as my daughter at end of April and the wool you can see in the front of picture Barbie is knitting something for the baby.  It’s lovely to see that someone still knits and crochets!!

I’d planned on mixing the visit with some shopping and decided to visit the designer outlet centre in Ashford.  Shopping is much more fun if you have something specific in mind and my main target was some stretchy tight jeans, preferably in the sale.  And I was also on the look-out for some long tops that I could wear over jeans or leggings.  Well I went to many shops including Next clearance and M&S and Gap and Levi but failed abysmally in my search.  My best bet was were the premium skinny jeans in Gap but while they had a 12 long and a 16 long, not a pair of 14 long in sight. And anyway not in the sale and at £40 quite pricey.  Still I tried them on and many others too.  I found a lovely long designer cardy in M&S outlet at £36 down to £24.  It felt gorgeous on, but I decided I didn’t need it.  heh, ho!

I tried shoes on, coats on, jeans on, but came away with nothing.  Sometimes it is just nice to try a few things on to get your feel for the different sizes there are in shops.  The jeans vary so much but there didn’t seem much in a long leg.  I was looking for a 34″ bootcut, same length as the one I am wearing.  I like the ones I have but the back pockets fly out and ruin my line…….  or so I am told.

A-M had suggested TKmaxx or Matalan but no success.   I was quite proud about how I got to Matalan with “use of technology, lol”.  I’d asked a girl if there was a Matalan in Ashford, then googled it on my phone, then put the post-code into the SAT-NAV and straight there. Nothing special for most people, but I think it the first time I had used internet on my phone on for anything useful!!

Well Matalan had huge numbers of different types of jeans and I did try a few on.  But nothing longer than 31″ so that was a no-no.

I turned to flats (flat shoes) for the drive home as after 2-3 hours shopping I was feeling it (just a bit, lol) in my heels, and anyway I’d an evening out when I got home.  Yes, I’d managed to arrange my day out on the day FABULISS was re-starting.  I expect I have mentioned that Linda, the gg who with Natasha runs Fabuliss, had not been well.  November and December meets were cancelled while she had treatment, but this was to be the first monthly meet of the 2011. We usually have 2 chill-out evenings in the Bar to one bigger event in the large staged hall.  This was going to be one of those chill-out where we just have a catch up and a natter.

After a quick snack and change at home (change of top, long wig for short, freshen up), I was one of the first there at around 7:30.  I saw Linda from a distance and her beaming smile left me in no doubt that she was feeling a lot more comfortable than the last time.  She looked good too, in a nice airy dress, blue and white, very nautical.  Natasha always looks good, very slim, often wears  waist cincher, high heels, great legs.  Anyway I was so pleased for the two of them that there was a good turn-out, certainly 40 if not more.  Mostly regulars but always a few new girls.

I gather we have another chill-out night to look forward to in Feb and April, a spring ball in  March, a trade fair in May, Miss Fabuliss in June ~ more info here….. http://www.fabuliss.co.uk/events.html

Well I enjoyed a good chat with Dee and Chelle and many others, even won a bottle of Fragrance in the raffle, but by 10pm I was flagging having been up since 6, so I called it a day and headed for home.

It had been a long day but another very enjoyable day out and about as Tina.

Happy New Year everyone

Hugs TinaCortina x