Sunday and an unexpected trip to Dream Nails

Today is Sunday May 5^th and it is Cinco De Mayo today, yes this weekend had 2 holidays as Yesterday was Star Wars Day, although I don’t celebrate either. My plan for today was simple spend a couple hours at my Sunday Starbucks in the afternoon to catch up on my blogs but that changed quickly. I got up today and took my shower and then it was tine to start my laundry as I need to wash my bedding, my Sunday Morning ritual. Well as I was getting my bedding off the bed yes I caught that corner of my thumb nail and broke some of the acrylic off, I had the corner of my nail exposed. I wasn’t supposed to go get my nails done till next week as I go every 3 weeks but this needed to be repaired today.

I got home a little after 11:30 am and started getting ready as Susan as Dream Nails is only open till 5pm on Sundays. I did my makeup and got dressed, it was 12:25 when I was ready so I quickly called Dream Nails and Anna asked if I wanted to come now so I told her I would see her in a few minutes. I walked in and Anna was ready for me, there were 3 other ladies here, one getting her nails done and the other two getting pedicures. I sat down and pointed out the broken corner and told her I think I left them too long last time as if you read my blog from two weeks ago when the other lady did my nails she really didn’t want to shorten them. Anna inspected my nails and noticed 4 other nails where the corner of the natural nail was separating from the acrylic so she said we should remove those nails. Well in the end Anna actually removed the acrylic from all my nails, she said she wanted to try something new. Now a few years ago I would have said no as I would have been worried about people noticing but I just said okay and went with what she wanted to do. I was thinking she would shorten them way up and put tips on ad give me a new set of acrylic nails. that is not what happened, she cleaned up my nails and shortened them to about an 1/8 of an inch. She then applied a bonding agent and then something else and had me put my fingers under the UV light. She got out a box with container and I thought it was colored acrylic powder and she showed me some sample color to pick from, she pointed to one that looked pretty rosy-pink so I picked a softer color that looked more natural. She got the color I picked and opened it and it was not acrylic powder. Yes for the first time in over two years I will not have acrylic nails. Anna is going to give me gel nails, she is using ZEN builder gel and the color I picked was #9, turns out it is called Red Dragon.

I have done gel polish and acrylic nails but I have never done actual Gel nails before so this will be a new experience for me. Anna did say they were stronger and lasted longer and yes a little more expensive. She said I could probably go 4 to 5 weeks with them which sounds great but in reality it is the grow out that determines how often I get my nails done, with bright colors it would be every two weeks, neutral colors I can go 3 weeks. I watched as she put it on and it does take longer to do but the filing at the end is easier and quicker. She got all my nails done, shaped and smoothed and them put a clear coat on them which really made the color pop, my nails are a very pale pink color now but they look great and they seem not as thick but stronger but time will tell. It was $65 but that included removing the old nails, normally a fill is $55 compared to the $45 for acrylic so if I can go every 4 weeks it will be less otherwise it will cost me a little more but I am worth it. I paid and left, it was a little before 2pm so I drove over to my normal Sunday Starbucks to spend a couple hours and catch up on my blogs.

I got to Starbucks and went in, they were not busy but the man who was at the other Starbucks yesterday got here just after I did. Maybe one of these days I will say hi to him. I got my drink and sat down and wrote my blog from yesterday and posted it. I am getting better with working in WordPress, but still miss the ease of writing and posting directly from word. It was a relaxing afternoon and a couple tines it rained really hard, the lady next to me commented on it and we ended up talking for a little bit about it as it turns out we both like to watch the rain from inside. I stayed here till a little after 5 before leaving.

I did stop at Fred Meyers and pick a few things up and also Panda Express for some dinner before going home for the night. It was a good day and my nails look beautiful.

Thanks for reading my blog and sharing this part of my life with me.

Saturday and going to Dream Nails to remove the red color from my nails

It is Saturday and my vacation is almost over but for my nails it is. Today I will go to Dream Nails and get my nails done and remove the red from them which is always sad. I do love red nails but on the bright side there is an advantage to having a more neutral color, the grow out is not as noticeable. I usually get my nails done every 3 weeks but looking at my nails today you can really see the grow out now and if I waited another week they would look bad so yes with red nails I would have to get them done every two weeks which would be 8 extra trips to the nail salon a year so I do save a little money. I did have things to do this morning after being gone for a week so it was a little after noon when I started getting ready. I took my time getting ready and did my eye makeup and lipstick the same as I did for my drive home yesterday from Palm Springs. Now I will admit it will be nice to take a break next week from being Susan and doing makeup every day. It was about 1pm when I had my makeup down and was ready to get dressed so I called Dream Nails to see when Anna could get me in. Anna answered the phone and I was a little sad as she was leaving to go to Seattle to visit a friend and wouldn’t be back till Sunday night, but she said she could get me in on Monday but that wouldn’t work for me. I told her I needed to go back to work and I needed them done before then so she said she could get one of the other ladies to do them and asked if I could come in at 4pm so I did get a little more time with my nails, I said that would work although I will miss Anna doing my nails.

I finish getting dressed and decided to go to the Starbucks right by my house as it is across the street form Dream Nails and do some work. I took a few pictures and was on my way. I got there and went in and they were not really busy, the lady at the counter greeted me by name which is always nice. I got my drink and sat down and worked on my blog from Thursday nights dinner at Tropicale. I wrote the blog and caught up on some e-mails and other things. It was a relaxing afternoon. I stayed here till 3:50 before I left and went to Dream Nails.

I parked and went in and the lady was ready for me, I don’t know her name but she has done my nails before but always when I was getting extensions. I sat down and she gave me the colors to pick from but the color Anna uses was not on it so I told her I wanted #866 soft Tulip so she looked for it and couldn’t find it so I wasn’t sure what I would do. I did notice a box set in the corner behind Anna’s desk so I told her that might be it and she went and got it and it was the color I wanted, yes a little more work when Anna doesn’t do my nails. She started to remove the color and yes the first nail is the hardest. Now my nails are 7/8 of an inch right now which is the longest I have ever had my natural nails and by that I mean my own nails with acrylic on them. I have had a little longer but that was when I had extensions put on. As she removed the color she asked me if I wanted them shortened and I said yes as they were way to long at least for my male side. She shortened them a little and got them prepared for the fill. I looked at them and she had only shortened them a little so I asked her to shorten them more and she did. They were too long for my male side so I asked her to shorten them more and she did, it looked like she was shortening them about 1/8 of an inch at a time. I asked her to shorten them again and she did and I thought they were good now so she started my fill.

She used the same acrylic Anna uses with the slight pink tint to it for my fill. She filled my nails and shaped them. Now I love the square tip when my nails are short, longer I like the coffin shape. With my nails shaped she smoothed them but really didn’t thing the acrylic down so my nails were a little thicker then normal as Anna had made them a little thicker because I was growing them out. Now it was time for the gel polish, she put 2 coats of #866 soft Tulip on my nails and then finished it with a topcoat. My nails looked beautiful and she did do a great job. I paid and left. When I got in my car I took a picture of nails and the color is a little more noticeable and I also noticed they are a little more square, Anna usually rounds the corners a little as you can see in my Flickr and Instagram page. They do look great but the more square corners will take a little getting used to.

It was 5pm now so I went to Panda Express to get something to eat to take home as I need to go to the grocery store tomorrow. They were not busy so it was a quick stop and then I went home for the night. I had a nice dinner and watched the movie Star Gate which I recorded last Friday before I left to go to Palm Springs. It was a good day even though my nails are not as pretty. Now I am looking forward to Sunday and my last day of vacation before I go back to work. I also noticed my nails out in the natural light has a definite pink color to them, this I took in my backyard.

Saturday start to my two-week vacation by getting y nails done at Dream Nails

It is Saturday and the start of my two-week vacation and that means going to get my nails done at Dream Nails which is something I have been looking forward to. I did go to the gym this morning but my focus was on getting my nails done as early as possible. I did post I would be at the Escape tonight at 5:30 to see if others might show up. I started getting ready just before noon and yes today I was taking my time to enjoy it. Now I have the next two weeks off and the first week will be local and I plan on getting at least some Susan time each day. The second week I will be spending in Palm Springs with Julie and I am really looking forward to that. My plan is to leave next Friday night between 7pm & 8pm and that should put me in Palm Springs around noon. Now traveling at night by myself I am not planning on being Susan. I will of course have my red nails so I am thinking of doing light eye makeup and mascara and a somewhat neutral lipstick for the drive. I was done with my makeup by 12:45 and I called Dream Nails to see when Anna could get me in and she asked if I could come at 1:30pm which was fine. I got dressed and took some pictures and by now it was 1pm so I just watched TV for a little bit before leaving.

I got to Dream Nails at 1:20pm and went in and they were not busy, as a matter of fact I was the only one there other then the 5 women working. Anna greeted me as I walked in and showed me a gel polish she had bought, actually 2 of the same color. Last time I got my nails done she used a color called bare natural which is a little more of a peachy cream color and a little more noticeable then the Soft Tulip I had been using. Well it turns out the Bare Natural was a seasonal color that DND had discontinued so she bought them for me so I guess I will be using that color going forward, it was nice of her though. I sat down to have Anna do my fill and told her I wanted a nice red color as I was on vacation again. Anna asked if I wanted the same red as last time or a different red and I told her the same as last time as it was a beautiful red color but I couldn’t remember what the name or number was and I forgot to look back at my blog before I came so I was hoping Anna would. Anna started on my nails and asked if I wanted them shortened and I said no just clean up the ends so they will be a little shorter. Anna removed the old gel polish as we talked, she asked if I had plans for my vacation and I told her about going to Palm Springs in a week. We also talked a little about her daughter and how business was and it is still slow, of course we are at Spring break time but also people have to pay federal tax by the 15^th and their property tax by the end of the month so I think people are a little tight with their spending. Anna started doing my fill and I have to admit having someone do your nails for you is very relaxing and makes you feel like a princess. Anna finished my fill and smoothed and shaped my nails and then told me to go was my hands as she got the nail polish. I got back to the table and Anna had the package their and when I saw the name I remembered it and yes Anna remembered it, the color is DND # 068 Lava Red. The package had the gel polish and a regular polish which Anna said we would use on my toenails so they matched. This will be the first time my fingers and toes have had the exact same color. Anna started painting my nails and they looked beautiful, Anna asked me if I wanted a flower on one finger as she said it would look pretty but I just went with the red. Anna finished and my nails looked beautiful, Anna did a fantastic job as always. I really do think a red color on my nails looks the best. By the way the length is 6/8 of an inch long now as you can see in the picture. I was moving over to the pedicure chair as another lady came in with her daughter so I wasn’t the only customer now. She wanted a pedicure and her daughter who was maybe 8 to 10 wanted a manicure.

One of the other ladies was going to do my pedicure which is fine as all the women who work her do a wonderful job. I picked out the deluxe lavender pedicure and yes the cost of a pedicure has gone up again. The other lady was seated 2 chars away. They asked her what she wanted and she wasn’t sure so I just smiled and said I would get the deluxe as it is wonderful, she asked which one I was getting and I said the deluxe lavender so she did the same. It was kind of nice as we chatted a little on and off as we got our pedicure. Pedicures are also so relaxing as you sit in a chair that messages your back as your feet are pampered, if you have never gotten one you really should. The lady removed the old polish and trimmed and shaped the nails and then removed any ruff skin. Then came the cream and hot towel wrap and the paraffin wax for my feet. She removed the hot towel and cream and then came the lavender lotion and a leg message. She removed the paraffin wax and did a foot message with the lotion. This was followed with some oil and a hot stone message as I said so relaxing. The last thing was to paint my toenails. Now I sat for abut 15 minutes to let the polish dry some. At this point another lady came with 2 teenagers for 3 pedicures, I am not sure if it was her daughter and son, daughter and her boyfriend, or son and girlfriend but they were both probably mid to late teens. I was curious if the boy would get a color but I would be gone before they got to that point. It was just after 3:30pm when I was done, I had been here a little over 2 hours, 45 minutes to do my nails and almost an hour for the pedicure and then the drying time. I paid and gave Anna a tip, I really hope business picks up for her and if you are in the Vancouver area I would highly recommend Dream Nails, tell them Susan sent you. Let me know what you think of my nails and if you agree red is a good color for me.

I decided to go across the street to the Starbucks to write my blog from Wednesday nights dinner and give my toenails more time to dry as I do want to go home before going to the Escape Bar & Grill tonight and change, mainly something that covers my feet as last week my feet got cold as they tend to keep it a little cool there in case it gets busy. I went in and ordered my drink and asked them about their boarded-up window. Seems about a week ago and 16-year-old boy thought he was stepping on the break and hit the gas pedal and crashed through the side door and all the way to the wall where the bathrooms are. Luckiy all that was there was their garbage counter with the straws and lids and a hallway to the bathroom so no one was hurt. I finished my blog and posted it and then went home about 5 to change to a dress and heels before leaving for the Escape Bar & Grill.

I got to the Escape Bar & Grill just before 5:30 and there was one spot in the parking lot so I grabbed my computer and went in as no one has posted back they would be here. I ordered y dinner and sat down to play on my computer and yes I did watch a little of the girls college softball game on TV also. I bring my computer as I am not comfortable going to a bar by myself and it has nothing to do with being Susan as I feel the same on my male side also. I don’t drink so going to a bar really is about socializing with my friends. My food came, their burger basket which is really good. I had a nice dinner and watched the softball game as I ate. I then played a little more on my computer. No one else showed up so I stayed till a little after 7pm. I have found if you post to the group you are thinking about going someplace you are less likely to get someone then if you say you are going there or will be there of course the draw back to that is you sometimes end up by yourself but it is worth it when you can get other girls to come out.

I got home about 7:30m and watched TV the rest of the evening. Now I am looking forward to the rest of the week as I will be Susan at least some of every day, I do have some things to take care of and yes I want to wash all my summer clothes that I will be taking to Palm Springs. I was also thinking a week from now I will be in Palm Springs with Juile which I am really looking forward to.

Sorry for the length of this blog but thanks for reading my blog and sharing this part of my life with me.

Sunday the last day of my vacation and the day I have to say goodbye to my pretty red nails.

It is Sunday, St Patrick’s day and the last day of my vacation and the day I say goodbye to my pretty red nails and go back to a more neutral (plain) nail. Now I am sure no one at work would be surprised if I walked in tomorrow with red nails but it is just not something I want to do as I do still have some boundaries between the two sides of me. my plan for the day was to get up early and go to the Starbucks I have been going to in the morning as my male self and see if the young lady who was there earlier in the week and remembered my name was there and if she would recognize me. Dream Nails is open today from 10am to 5pm so my plan was to get to Starbucks about 9am and then called Dream Nails a little after 10 and see when Anna could get me in, I don’t want to wait too long as I have to get the red removed today. I got up at 7:45 and started getting ready. I did a nice daytime look and in the end I decided to wear the same outfit from yesterday so I had green on for St Patrick’s Day, of course I am wearing sandals today instead of heels. It was a little after 9 when I was ready and took the last few pictures I could show my nails off in.

I got to Starbucks just before 9:30am and went in and the young lady who remembered my male name and what I wanted to drink was working but not at the counter. I went and stood in line to order. I did see her look at me several times so I am guessing she figured it out but she never said anything. I sat down with my drink and posted my blog from Fridays shopping trip with Gina and started working on Saturdays blog. I actually finished the blog and will post it either later tonight or tomorrow. Now even with a drive through this Starbucks was busy inside and lots of people coming in to get their orders and leave. Now as I said this week I have gotten very little comments on my nails either in my male or female side. Well that changed today. There was a lady standing near me waiting for her drink and she came over and asked where I got my nails done as they were beautiful. I thanked her of course and told her I got them done at Dream Nails. She asked where it was so I told her and she said she needed to get her nails done and looked at her hands and her nails were bare. She called her daughter over and told her they should go get their nails done and told me her daughter needed to get her nails done also and her daughter who was probably 12 to 15 held her hands out and she had a polish on them that looked like gel polish but had grown out. She then said Dream Nails again to make sure and I said yes and that they do a wonderful job and I had been going there sense 2014. She told me yes she could tell they did a great job as my nails were perfect which of course made me feel good. She asked me if she had to ay sales tax on it as they were from Oregon and I told her that if there was tax it was in the price as they never charge me extra for tax. They got the rest of their order and she thanked ma and said Dream Nails one last time and I said yes think of it as I am dreaming of nails and she looked at her nails again and said she was. I told her again how to get there and she told her daughter to remember Dream Nails so I am thinking they are going to go there.

I stayed here till 11:30 and left and called Dream Nails to see if I could get in figuring they would tell me I could come right now but the lady asked me when I wanted to come in so I said 1pm and I heard her ask I assume Anna and she said that was fine so I still had over an hour. I drove back towards my house and by now it was noon so not much time to do anything so I could go home for a while or stop at the Starbucks by my house across the street from Dream Nails and I bet you guessed what my choice was. I was going to sit outside but all the outside tables were taken so I had to sit inside, which was fins s I would only be here a short time. I played around on my computer till it was time to go to Dream Nails.

I got to Dream Nails and they were not busy, Anna was waiting for me so I sat right down. Anna bought a new digital clock and asked me to help her set it and I got it close. I could get the date and time but the day of the week was off by one as it wasn’t taking leap year in account this year so I told her somewhere there is a year in the clock that needs to be set for 2024 but we gave up. Anna started on my nails and asked if I was going back to work tomorrow which I said yes. I wanted to do the DND #866 soft tulip which is a very sheer color with a pinkish coral color and very natural. As I watched the bright red come off my nails it was sad as my nails really did look awesome that way. Anna got all the red off and smoothed them out and asked me if I wanted them shorter and I said no, lets leave the length. I am looking forward to 3 weeks from now when I will have a 2-week vacation and I want a little length to my nails. with them all smoothed and shaped I went and washed my hands before coming back for the gel polish. I sat down and Anna put the first coat of gel polish on and the second coat. Now it was time for the topcoat but she put another color on my pinky called DND #6565 bare neutral which was a limited addition color for the winter. And had me look at it and asked how I liked it. I looked at it and really couldn’t tell the difference so I said it was fine and she did the rest of the fingers and then the other had and finished it off with a topcoat. With my nails done she put on some cuticle oil and massaged it in. I paid and anna had a touch screen next to the register that she had me put my phone number, name and e-mail address in, it is her check-in station and it tracks your services and not sure if it is like a reward thing or not.

I left and in the car I looked at my nails and having the third coat and also the second color on my nails they were more opaque and my nails were more noticeable. Also not being sheer and the fact I didn’t have my nails shortened they do look longer. As a matter of fact I almost think they look longer without the color, here is a side by side look before and after. I went to my normal Sunday Starbucks and they were busy, all the tables along the window were taken and being a nice day I decided to sit outside for a while and wait for a table to open up along the window. I looked up the DND #6565 bare neutral color to see what it was and they described it as a peach with a hint of pink. Now in the natural light my nails look beautiful but also there is no question I have polish on them but I figure the last 6 weeks at work I had color on the tips so this is probably less noticeable then that. I got a text on my phone from dream nails asking me to rate them and of course I gave them a great rating and then it asked me if I wanted to do a Google review which I did and yes all hi marks and included a picture of my red nails. I looked at my google review and it actually pulled up everyplace I have gone in the last few weeks and gave me the option of doing a review on all of them which in a way is scarry as it just shows how well they track you. The other thing and I should have caught this is when I got my car back from the auto shop they texted me to give the m a review also which I did but without thinking when I clicked on it on my phone it went to Susan google account so I did the review as Susan. I will have to remember that as everything on my phone is tied to Susan, email, Facebook and my pictures.

I sat outside for almost an hour and only 1 big table in the middle opened and as my feet were cold I moved inside to that table and got ma a hot chai tea latte. I worked on todays blog and it was about 3:30 when it started to slow down inside and a couple tables along the window opened where I could plug my computer in so I moved over there. I stayed here till 5pm before going home for dinner and doing a little laundry before bed. I did measure my nails and they are slightly over ¼ inch long.

Now I am looking forward to Wednesday night’s dinner at Mother’s Bistro. Thanks for reading my blog and sharing this part of my life with me.

Saturday and I start my vacation week off with getting my nails done at Dream Nails.

It is Saturday March 9^th and I have the next 9 days off work so I am looking forward to that and it times perfectly with getting my nails done as it has been 3 weeks. I also have a two-week vacation starting April 6^th which is 4 weeks away so I will probably go 4 weeks till my next nail appointment if I can. I did skip the gym today as I still have a slight back pain and I didn’t want to risk it. I did post to the group I would be at the Escape bar & grill tonight in hopes others would show up. I was also really looking forward to todays trip to the nail salon as I am planning on getting a nice red color for the week. I started getting ready a little before noon and yes I took my time. I was ready by 1pm and called Dream nails to see if I could come in. Anna asked if I could come at 1:45 so I had about 45 minutes and did think about going to Starbucks by my house for a ½ hour but right after I hung up my brother called so I talked with him for 30 minutes. I left my house just after 1:30 and was at Dream nails by 1:35 so I went in and Anna had just finished the lady before me so I sat down. Anna asked me if I wanted a color on the tips again and I told her I just wanted a nice red color as I was on vacation for the week. Now they were not busy today again and Anna said it has been really slow, seems she has friends at other nail salons and it is the same thing all over. I guess getting your nails done is not a priority if you are worried about your finances, if you are in the Vancouver area and looking to get your nails done give Dream nails a try.

Anna started on my nails by removing the old gel polish and cleaning them up for the fill. As she worked we talked a little and she asked if I wanted them shortened and I said no as I wanted to let them grow a little, my hope is in 4 weeks when I get them done for that vacations they will be 3/8 of an inch maybe a little longer. With my nails cleaned up and shaped it was time for the acrylic and I think Anna did a little thicker layer probably because I didn’t have them shortened. She still filed the end a little to clean them up though. With the new acrylic on and shaped and filed smooth I went and washed my hands and came back for the polish. Now all I had told Anna was I wanted a nice red, yes she knows I like the red colors so she had picked out a color for me. Anna had picked out DND gel polish 068 Lava Red which really is a beautiful red color. Anna put two coats of red and finished it off with a topcoat and my nails looked beautiful and yes they do look a little longer with the red color on them. I did measure them later and they are ¼ inch long so yes in 4 weeks they will be closer to ½ inch as my nails grow a little more then 1/8 of an inch I 3 weeks. Anna did a fabulous job and my nails and hands look incredible. By the way the experience of getting your nails done is incredible and so relaxing, probably the only thing better is getting a pedicure. Just as Anna was finishing me two women came in, a mother and daughter, the daughter was getting a fill and pedicure and the mom just a pedicure. I paid and thanked Anna and she said she would see me in a couple weeks although she will see me next weekend to get the red removed. Yes as much as I love the color and yes I doubt anyone at work would blink an eye if I showed up with red nails it is just not something I want to do. Let me know what you think of them.

It was 2:30 now so I went to Starbucks in Orchards to work on my blog from Wednesday nights dinner and pass some time till it was time to go to the Escape Bar & Grill. They were not busy ad I got a drink and sat down and wrote my blog which I will post later tonight and caught up on some other things. I was also admiring my nails as I typed away on my keyboard. I also thought about it and I cannot explain why I love having pretty long nails. it is one of those things like trying to explain why I like presenting as female. I just know I like it and yes when I see my nails I do get a wonderful feeling, it just makes me feel good being able to see them. I stayed here till 5:15 before leaving and heading for the Escape.

I got to the Escape at 5:30 and went in, they were a little busier then normal. I ordered my dinner and the lady at the bar commented on my nails, she said she loved the bright red, of course I thanked her. My food came and I had just started to eat when Michelle showed up so she ordered dinner and then sat down and we started talking. That is the nice thing about getting here early as you can talk, once Karaoke starts at 8pm it gets loud and is hard to talk. Kris also showed up about 6:45 so we had 3 of us here tonight. By 8pm it was pretty crowded and Karaoke started and it did get harder to talk but it is nice to listen to the music too especially when they sing songs you know and like. A couple girls at the bar stopped by our table after they sang and introduced themselves and talked to us for a little bit which was nice. Now I didn’t plan on staying out late tonight as we set clocks ahead so we lose an hour of sleep tonight. Michelle left about 9:30 and I was getting ready to leave and Melissa and her husband showed up and of course came and said hi to me. I haven’t seen her in several months, we et here back before COVID and hit it off and have been friends ever sense. Well I decided to stay longer and then Kris asked if I would sing a song with her and I said yes. I have only sang once by myself but I am willing to sing with someone else so she went up and put our song in. the song we were going to sing is “Don’t go breaking my heart by Elton John and Kiki Dee“.

Melissa came over a couple times and we talked a little while, as I have said many times I have met a lot of wonderful people because of this side of me that I never would have met if I had not accepted this part of who I am. She showed me her nails which are a clear nail with a silver line design on them, very classy and I think something I could pull off at work, of course I showed her may nails also. Melissa sang the song “Alone by Heart” which is also one of my favorites. Yes I will date myself as my favorite singer/groups are, Elton John, ABBA, Neil Dimond, Herat, and the Eagles, any song from them is great. Well as I said with the big group here tonight it took a while for Kris and my song to get called, it was a little after 10pm (really 11pm with clocks going forward) when it was our turn. I think we did a great job. It was about 10:45 when I went and paid my bill. It was a wonderful day and my back was a little sore so I may have over done it a little.

I got home about 11:15 and cleaned up and washed away my makeup for bed so it was just before midnight when I laid down and set my clock ahead 1 hour.

Thanks for reading my blog and sharing this part of my life with me.

Saturday and I did make it to Dream Nails to get my nails done.

It is Saturday February 17^th and has been 3 weeks sense I got my nails done so I do need to go and get a fill today but I was not sure I would make it. Wednesday night I started feeling a little stuffy and by Thursday I was all stuffed up and had a bad cough and it was all I could do to finish out the week. Needless to say I did not go to the gym this morning even though a was feeling better as I went to bed at 10pm last night and slept the best I could till almost 9 this morning. I did the test for COVID on Thursday and again today and I am negative so just have a bad cold. By noon I was feeling pretty good and figured a good hot shower would help as the last two days I felt really good for a couple hours after a hot shower as it tends to break things up. I now the ladies at the nail salon all wear masks because of the dust and as I am feeling a lot better then the last coupe day I figured it would be safe to go out so I called Dream Nails to see how busy they were and if they could get me in. Anna said I could come in an hour so that was perfect as I could take a hot shower and still have time to get ready. I did my makeup and got ready and it was a little faster as my plan is to just go get my nails done today. I was all ready by 1:30 and did take a few pictures today and considering how I feel I looked pretty good.

I got to Dream Nails and went in, at the far end was a mother with her young daughter getting their nails done and Anna was almost done with the lady she was working on so I sat down to wait. Anna asked me how I wanted my nails today as she worked on the other lady and I told her my normal color although I did want to do a color on the tips again so she asked me to look at the color swatches as I waited which I did. I looked at all of them and yes there were many one was Red cherry which is a red mahogany, American beauty which is a mauve rose but thought they were a little to bold so I went with yellow maple which is a peachy nude similar to what I have but less pink as I still needed to keep it subtle for my male side although I doubt if anyone at work would bate an eye if I showed up with red. Actually this week I had 3 ladies at work come show me their nails and 1 even said I inspired her. They all had either pink or red nails and they all had a heart on at least one of their nails as the last time I got my nails done I got a red heart on my ring figure so I guess the women I work with are paying attention to my nails. Anna finished the lady she was working on and called me over so I went and sat down.

Anna stared on my nails and I really do enjoy getting my nails done, I don’t know why but it is really relaxing. She filed off the old gel polish and cleaned them up for the fill and as she did we talked, business is still slow as I think with the economy people are cutting back on luxuries and yes I will admit getting your nails done is a luxury s I will give Dream Nails
a plug here. If you are in Vancouver especially the Salmon Creek area and want to get your nails done or a pedicure give Dream Nails a try you wont be disappointed.

Anna started on my nails removing the old gel polish and cleaning up the acrylic for the fill. She asked me if I wanted them shortened and no I didn’t but I told her yes, shorten them as I do need to think about my male life. Anna did the fill by adding the new acrylic and shaping them and them filing them smooth, a few more women came in to get their nails done and they ere getting busy now which was nice, they actually had 2 women waiting now. Anna finished my nails and told me to go wash my hands and asked which color I wanted and I told her 094 and went and washed my hands while Anna got the gel polish.

I came back and sat down and Anna started polishing my nails. she started with my regular color 866 soft tulip which is a natural color with just a hint of pink. Now it was time for the tip and to do this Anna holds my hand in a way I really can’t see as she puts the color on and then uses another brush to take some off to give it the crescent shape for the tip. She finished my left hand and as I switched hands to put the left hand under the light I noticed it wasn’t the color I thought so I looked at the box on the table and I had mixed up the numbers and gave her number 094 American Beauty. I could have stopped and had her redo them but in a moment of weakness I went with it and slid my hand into the dryer and let her do my other hand. Yes I will have noticeable nails for the next 3 weeks. Anna put a second coat on my nails and then the topcoat and my nails looked awesome and the color is close to the color of my top I am wearing. Anna did a fabulous job on my nails. I thanked Anna, paid and left. Let me know what you think of my nails.

It was about 2:30pm and I still felt okay other then a little stuffy and as I had my computer I decided to stop at the Starbucks across the street and work on my blogs and also see if Bree was working. She has worked here for 10 years and the 20^th is her last day as she has finished college and has a new job back east. We always talk when I come in and she is working. I am happy for her but will miss her. I went in and Bree was working the counter so she took my order and we talked a little. She is excited about her future; she is going to stay with her brother and wife back east till she gets settled and she just found out they are going to have a baby so she is also going to be an Aunt and be close to them which is awesome for her. I got my drink and sat down to work on my blogs as I am behind again. I created the photo album in our group for our members who have passed away and posted it, Nicole saw it and actually found a backup of our old web page without pictures so I was able to get the bio’s we had for them, thanks Nicole. I worked on my blog till about 4pm and I started coughing a little more so I decided it was a good time to eave and go home. I said goodbye to Bree and wished her well and left and went home for the day. It wasn’t a long day out but still fun and yes going to the nails salon is always a great day. Male or female if you have never gotten a pedicure or manicure you are missing out.

I made dinner and relaxed the rest of the night working on my computer and watching TV. I am not sure I will go to Starbucks tomorrow as it will depend on how I feel. I do like my Sunday time as Susan but it is more important that I am 100% for Wednesday night’s dinner so I may need to rest a day.

Thanks for reading my bog and sharing this part of my life with me. 

First Saturday of 2024 and I am going to get my nails done and then to the Escape tonight as Nicole will be there.

It is January 6^th, 2024, and for those who don’t know it is also the 12^th day of Christmas so yes the end of the Christmas season. Now I have a few things planned today, get my nails done, time at Starbucks, meeting Nicole at the Escape tonight and also Nicole is going to drop off a couple bags of clothes at my house so it is a busy day which started with going to the gym. Now my plan was to be Susan by the time Nicole got to my house at noon but I was busy and it was almost noon before I knew it so I didn’t have enough time which was okay as we have both seen each other as our male self, besides we will see each other as our female self at the Escape tonight. Nicole dropped off the clothes, thanks Nicole. I started getting ready and took my time getting ready. I was all ready by 1:15pm and it was time to call Dream Nails and see when I could get in. Anna said asked if I could come at 3:30 so I had about 2 hours.

I went to the Starbucks right by my house as t is across the street from Dream Nails to work on my blogs. I got to Starbucks and went in and they were busy so I ordered my drink and talked with the 2 ladies working here, mostly about weather as next weekend they are forecasting snow from Thursday night through Tuesday morning here. I sat down to work. I wrote my blog from New Years Day and posted it. I also caught up on some e-mails as I figured being a new year, it was a good time to reach out to some friends I haven’t heard from for a while. It is a relaxing way to spend a few hours. Breanne one of the ladies I know here came into work about 3pm so I talked with her for a little bit. I stayed here till 3:20pm before leaving and driving over to Dream Nails.

Just as I parked at Dream Nails it started raining and by the time I got inside it was raining really hard. Anna was ready for me so I sat down and she started working on my nails. I told Anna I wanted my nails done just like last time but on my ring finger either just as it is without the snowflake or a red French tip, which ever she thought would look better on just 1 finger so now it was up to her. Anna started on my nails and I always enjoy this time at the nail salon. We talked about the holidays and other things. I asked how business was and it is still slow as getting your nails done is a luxury and I think some people are cutting back. last year a new nail salon opened across the street and now there is a new one going in over by Fred Meyers, right now there are 2 across the street, 2 about ½ mile south and there will now be 2 about ½ mile west of here. I will recommend Dream Nails
through as they do a fabulous job and all the ladies here are awesome especially Anna and Kathy. Anna did my fill and shaped my nails perfectly. Now it was time for the polish and I went with the same color 866 soft tulip. With that color on it was time for my ring finger and I was curious what Anna would do. She picked 430 Ferrari Red which is a bright red color painted from the middle of my finger to the tip and it was bright and very noticeable. After that she put some glitter on it which toned it down and actually looked really cute and not as noticeable. Basically my nails looks just the same as last time without the snowflake covering it up. I briefly thought about asking her to do all my nails that way but just couldn’t do it. Anna did her usual fabulous job and my nails looked great. If you are in the Vancouver area check out Dream Nails. It was 4:20 when I left and as I had a little over an hour I went to the Starbucks in Orchards for a little bit and started on Wednesday nights blog. I stayed here till 5:15 before heading to the Escape to meet Nicole.

I got to the Escape at 5:30 and went in and Nicole had just gotten there a few minutes earlier. It was great to see her again and as it was not busy we had a good chance to sit and talk. We both ordered dinner and sat and talked. Nicole was I town just for the night and there is a chance she will be here next Saturday. No one else had posted they would be here so it was just the two of us. They were setting up a couple tables and decorations for a birthday party ad about 8:30 pm it got busier and Karaoke started but I don’t think the music was as loud tonight as Nicole and I could still talk, which was nice. It was a nice evening and we had fun listening to the singing. We both stayed till almost 10pm before we left. It was a wonderful day.

Now I am looking forward to a little Susan time on Sunday and the week ahead.

Thanks for reading my blog and sharing this part of my life with me.

Saturday and going to Dream nails to get my nails done, the first half of the day.

Today will be a full day and yes I am breaking up my blog into two blogs for the day, getting my nails done at Dream Nails, and the next blog will be about our Christmas dinner tonight. I started my day going to the gym and got home a little after 10am. My hope was to get my nails done early at Dream Nails and then spend a little time at Starbucks by my house catching up on my blogs before going home and completely redoing my makeup for tonight’s Christmas dinner at Brix Tavern so yes today I get to do my makeup twice, how fun is that. I took my shower and cleaned up and started my makeup as I wanted a daytime look for now. I was done with my makeup about 11:15 so before I got dressed I called Dream Nails to see if I could get in and Anna said she could get me in at 12:30 which would work. It was a little after 11:30 when I was ready so I had about an hour and decided to go to the Starbucks right by my house as it is pretty much across the street from Dream Nails. Yes I now go to places right by my house, either of these I could walk to in 5 minutes.

I got to Starbucks and went in and being early on Saturday they were busy but I found a table and as I will only be here a short time I didn’t have to worry about plugging in my computer. I finished my bog from Mondays zoom call and posted it and was also thinking about my nails. If you follow my blog you know I am thinking about getting a snowflake on my ring finger like I did last January but more of a Christmas look which means a little red on the tips of my nail. You can kind of see what I am thinking about from my last blog as I posted a couple pictures of what I am thinking about. Of course now that it is close I am wondering about it. I stayed here till 12:20 before leaving to go to Dream Nails. It only took a coupe minutes to get there.

A couple ladies were walking out as I walked into Dream Nails and Anna was ready for me so I was able to sit right down. Anna asked how I was as always and if I wanted the same color on my nails as last time and I said yes but wanted a Christmas snow flake on my ring finger and didn’t even hesitate to pull out my phone and show her the picture of what I was thinking. Anna looked at it and asked if I wanted it on all my nails as it would look nice and I said no just the ring finger for now as I didn’t want to go to bold. Anna started on my nails and cleaned them up and got them already for the fill, yes I love getting my nails done. She got out the same acrylic she always uses and asked me what the color was and I couldn’t remember as it is a newer one as she ran out of the color I was using so I got out my phone to look back in my blogs as she worked on my nails. I found the color, it is 866 soft tulip and as I was finding it a young girl put something on the table and Anna said, Susan this is my daughter so I looked up and said hi, and then told Anna the color I wanted and as I looked down I noticed Anna had gotten a different acrylic powder that was a little more tinted and I looked at the hand she had already done and it really didn’t look that much different. Anna shaped and smoothed my nails and now it was time for the gel polish.

Anna had several bottles of polish on the table and first came 1 coat of the 866 soft tulip and yes with the different acrylic powder she put on it did look a little more noticeable, she only put one coat on which was probably good. now she took out a bright red and painted the tip of my ring finger about 1/8 of an inch and it was bright but I figures with a white snowflake over it, it would hide some of it. next she pulled out a slightly red translucent red that had red sparkles in it and she put that on and went 3/4^th of the way up my nail which was more then I had wanted but I went with it. Now it was time for the snowflake which she put at the tip end of my nail over the red which looked good. She then did a couple small snowflakes up on the top part of my nail with a few white dots and finished it off with a little silver sparkle in the middle of the snowflake and then top coated it. It really does look beautiful and yes it would look awesome on all my nails but this will be bold enough on just one nail on each hand. My nails do look awesome and Anna did an exceptional job, I would highly recommend Dream Nails for anyone in the Vancouver Area. It was 1:15 when I was all done and I wished Anna a Merry Christmas and left. Let me know what you think of my nails especially the ring finger.

I had about 1 ½ hours so I decided to go to my Sunday Starbucks by Fred Meyers fuel station as it is only a few minutes away. I went in and they were busy but one table open along window between the two couples so I put my computer down and ordered my drink. I sat down and worked on my blog from Wednesday nights dinner. I finished my blog and will post later. The lady next to me leaned over and asked if I was Susan and I said yes I was and she said she thought so, I was a customer of hers. Turns out she managed the Starbucks in Orchards that I go to for 6 years and the last couple years has she has been a regional manager over seeing several Starbucks including this one. We talked for a few minutes and she thanked me for being a regular customer. I left just before 3 pm and went home to change and redo my makeup for tonight’s Christmas dinner.

Thanks for reading my blog and sharing this part of my life.

Saturday and a trip to Dream Nails to get my nails done and then on to the Escape for the evening.

It is the Saturday after Thanksgiving and I hope everyone had a wonderful day. Today my plan is to go and get my nails done and a pedicure at Dream Nails, and then to the Escape bar & grill in the evening. I got up today and of course started my day by going to the gym for about 1 1/2 hours as I needed to work off the wonderful Thanksgiving dinner I had with Jennifer and Mary Ann. I got home about 10:30 am and posted to our group I would be at the Escape tonight to see if others would show up but being a holiday weekend I wasn’t expecting many. Now being clear and cold today I wanted to put up my Christmas decorations outside. Now it doesn’t take long to do as I have an 8 foot snowman and 6 of those laser light projectors so it is pretty easy. Actually it took longer to get them out, test them and untangle them and yes I had to duct tape a small rip in my snowman as he is now 9 years old. Once all that was done it took about 20 minutes to set up in my yard and all that is left is to aim the lights at my house once it is dark, the laser lights had a timer in them so they stay on 10 hours and off for 14 so I do that at 5pm.

It was noon when I started getting ready and had to find that balance between daytime look and going out evening look which for my female side is way more difficult. I did a smokey brown eyeshadow today and a coppery red lipstick and finished it off with leggings and my marron sweater top. I was all ready by a little after 1pm and called Dream Nails to see if I could get in. Anna said I could come right now so I was on my way. I got there at 1:15 and went in and there were just 2 ladies getting their nails done and Anna was waiting for me so I sat down and she started on my nails.

I really like Dream Nails, the first time I came here I think was in 2014 and have been a regular customer pretty much sense 2018 and all the ladies here are awesome and do a wonderful job. Anna asked me if I wanted the same color as last time and I did, it is Soft Tulips #866 – DND Gel USA and it gives my nails just a slight natural color with a hint of pink. Well as Anna filed off the old gel polish I realized it was more of a pink then I thought as I could see it side by side against the acrylic but still a cute neutral color. She also asked me if I wanted them shortened and the answer is no but I told her yes as I do have to think about my male side as well. As she did my nails we talked almost the whole time, which is something I enjoy. Just normal stuff like how our Thanksgiving was plans for Christmas, she asked about Las Vegas and about Sherri and how she was doing and remembered what she did for a living so I guess Sherri made an impression on her also. She even asked about Jennifer as I brought her here once a couple years ago. It was a very pleasant time and very relaxing. I had also told her I wanted a pedicure so she asked me what color I wanted ad I told her a nice bright red for Christmas. She did tell me she would have one of the other ladies do my pedicure as she had a lady coming in at 2pm for an appointment which was fine. She did my fill and shaped my nails perfectly and applied the gel polish and my nails looked beautiful again. She finished up right at 2pm and I moved over for my pedicure.

The lady who did my pedicure has done them before and always does a great job. Really the only reason I needed a pedicure was my toenails were a little long and I could see the grow out but the polish still looked great with no chips which considering I got my last pedicure 8 weeks ago on September 29^th is amazing. I aways do a deluxe pedicure which is awesome. she removed the polish and started on the pedicure as I relaxed in the massaging chair. Well it turns out 10 minutes after 2pm Anna got a call and her 2pm appointment canceled. I think business has been slow for them between the economy and the holidays coming up and lets face it getting your nails done is a luxury but I enjoy it so much. If you are in the Vancouver area I would highly recommend Dream Nails, and tell them Susan sent you. The deluxe pedicure takes about 50 to 55 minutes and it is wonderful, leg massage, with a scrub and then oils and lotions. Hot towel wrap and paraffin foot treatment. Hot stone massage on your legs and feet. More lotion and then finally my nails painted a bright red color called Raspberry #431 which for Christmas is prefect and I so wish I had it on my fingers as well. now here is the funny part, before I went to Las Vegas a month ago I did google DND gel polish to find the color red I wanted and for a week or two DND gel polish adds popped up on my Facebook and e-mail feeds but I haven’t seen them sense early November. Well today while I was getting my pedicure guess what adds popped up on my Facebook and E-mail, yes DND gel polish. I am guessing google realized I was at the nail salon and targeted me. It was just after 3m when I was done, what a wonderful way to spend a couple hours, the fill and gel polish and deluxe pedicure came to $100 + tip.

I drove across the street to Starbucks to give the polish on my toes a little time to dry and I wrote my blog from Wednesday nights dinner and posted it and worked on Thanksgivings blog. I stayed here till just before 5pm as I wanted to go home and put on my ankle boots for the evening as it will be cold out and I didn’t want my feet to get cold. I got home at 5pm and it was dark so I started my Christmas lights and spent about 10 minutes in my front year as Susan adjusting where the lights hot my house. I left home at 5:15 and got to the Escape just a few minutes after 5:30 and went in. They were not busy. I ordered my dinner and was just getting my computer out to work on Thanksgivings Day blog when Claire showed up and joined me. Claire had told me Wednesday night she would be here if I came. We sat and talked and had a great time. They were playing some good music mostly 70’s and 80’s, which we both like. We are close to the same age so we grew up with the same music so we talked about that for a while, we also talked about our Thanksgiving, our group and of course our Christmas Dinner in 3 weeks, Thanks Sherri for setting this up. t was so much fun and the time went by so fast and soon it was 8pm.

A few more people came in including Cynthia who I met a couple years before COVID here and she is really nice. She came over to talk to us as she has a friend who is just trying to come out, her name is Lori and she comes to Portland about every 6 weeks. Claire and I talked to her about our group and I gave her my card with my e-mail address on it to give to her friend so she can contact me. We also told her about our Wednesday night dinners and our weekly zoom call. We invited Cynthia and her friend Laura to join us, which was fun. I do enjoy talking with people when I am out as Susan and interacting with people outside the transgender community is always fun. Cynitha ran into another friend of hers so she joined us as well. By 9pm Claire left as did Laura so it was just the 3 of us and we did get a selfie of us that they said I could post so this is Amber on the left, Cynthia in the middle and me on the right. I only lasted till 9:30 and then I paid my bill and said my goodbyes and told Cynthia to be sure and have her friend Lori reach out to me as I can remember how hard it was when I first started to try to go out. It was just before 10pm when I got home but t had been an awesome day.

Now I am looking forward to a little Susan time on Sunday and my regular Starbucks to work on my blog from today before going back to work on Monday. Sorry this blog was a little long.

Thanks for reading my blog and sharing this part of my life with me.

 

Saturday trip to Dream nails to have my nails shortened and then to the Escape in the evening.

It is Saturday November 4^th and my vacation is fast coming to an end. I love going to the nail salon to get my nails done but not so much today as I will be getting my beautiful long nails shortened and going back to a more neutral color. I really do wish I could have long red nails all the time. My nails were 1/2 long coffin shaped and they were the perfect length for me as I really had no trouble doing anything with them. I got up and went to the gym and worked out and then came home for breakfast. I posted my blog from yesterday and posted to the group I would be at the Escape tonight at 5:30 in case anyone wanted to join me and Claire said she would stop by. I started getting ready at 11:30am and took my time as I need a look that is good for both the afternoon and evening out although if time allows I will change and put a dress on to go to the Escape tonight. I was all ready by 12:30 and it was tine to call Dream nails and see if I could get in. Anna answered the phone and said I could come now so I told her I would be there in a few minutes; in a way I had hoped to have a couple more hours with my long nails but this way I did really have time to think about it.

5 minutes later I was Dream nails and went in and Anna was waiting for me, there were 2 other ladies here getting there nails done. I sat down and asked how she was doing as the reason she wasn’t here 2 weeks ago when I got my nails done was she had some family issues. I told her I needed my nails shortened and the red removed. Anna started on my nails by cutting off the tips and asked me how short I wanted them and if I wanted the same neutral color I had before. I told her yes. As she worked we did talk a little about things in her life and she asked who did my nails last time when she wasn’t here and told her Hanna. It was sad to see her cut the tips off and even more so when she started to remove the red. Once the red was gone I started to enjoy the experience of having my nails done. Anna did the fill and shaped them. I washed my hands and as I came back and sat down she showed me the polish, I am guessing she is out of the wedding dress color now which they discontinued. It was called soft tulip #866 and it looked similar maybe just a little more pinkish. Anna put it on my pinky and asked me what I thought and it was a translucent pinky nude and really natural and not noticeable so I said yes. Anna finished the nails on my eft hand and as I put them under the light to dry they really did look natural. Anna did my right hand and then the second coat on my left hand and the color got a little more opaque. With two coats on Anna did a topcoat and the end result is my nails are a pinky beige color, it is a nice color but yes you can tell I have nail polish on my nails but my nails look great. Anna did a fabulous job as always and my nails looked awesome. It was just after 1:30 when I was done and paid and other then me and the two ladies that were here when I got here that was it. Anna had said business was slow and I think it is because of the economy and the high inflation we have. If you live in Vancouver I would highly recommend Dream nails, all the ladies here do a fantastic job especially Anna and Kathy. I thanked Anna and told her I would see her in a few weeks and next time I will get a pedicure also. Here are pictures of my nails.

I had a few hours so I went across the street to Starbucks and yes they are now open till 6:30pm. I went in and they were busy, other than the small center and the round table in the corner everything was full. This is a small Starbucks with no drive through but there were 15 people sitting, 3 in line to order and 4 waiting for their drinks. I did place my computer on the round table which actually seats 4 but I wanted to make sure I had a seat and then went and ordered my drink. Now normally there is 3 people working here but today there were 5 plus 1 being trained. For a while they were really slow but I think the fact they extended their hours and have more people here now business must be doing better. I got my drink and sat down to work on today blog and just as I figured I made a lot of typos. Yes I find it harder to go from long nails to shorter ones. I stayed here till a little after 4pm before going home to change and freshen up for tonight and Starbucks was busy the whole time.

I went home and changed and watched a little TV, I got to ten Escape at 5:30 and went in. This early they were not that busy. I had only been here a few minutes and Michelle showed up. It was good to see her as it has been a while sense she has been here. It was nice to sit and talk with her. Claire, Poppy and Kea also showed up so we had 5 of us here tonight. We ordered dinner and had a nice time; I got their burger basket. Now there was a little excitement here and the fire department arrived on a medical call and I know one of the firefighters from a few years back. He was busy and didn’t really see me and I doubt if he would have recognized me.

We all sat and talked and we talked about Diva Las Vegas as Kea had questions about it. She had gone to the Esprit and had a blast and wanted to know how Diva compared. I have not been to Esprit but have heard it is really good and fun. I think the biggest difference is that Esprit may be a little better if you are new or have not gone out before. I also think Esprit is more centered around 1 or just a couple places where Diva Las Vegas is more spread over the city and you do have greater exposer as there are a lot more people in Las Vegas. Both have their advantages though and I would encourage you to check both out.

Karaoke started and as always it got loud and was hard to talk. We sat and listened to the people sing and talked between songs. Kea got up and sang once and did great. It was a fun night and Claire showed us an app she had on her phone that uses AI to adjust pictures. You take a picture and type in what you want and it morphs the picture he had me send her a picture of me and used it to turn me into a Cheerleader and Wonder Woman it was a fun app and probably what people use to make their pictures look better. It is kind of fun to play with even though I Know I don’t look that good. I don’t normally post pictures like that but I will include them below with the before and after pictures. We stayed till almost 10pm before we called it a night. Kea had taken an Uber here but as her hotel is on my way home I gave her a ride back to her hotel and we talked on the way it was a nice evening.

Thanks for reading my blog and sharing this part of my life.

Here is the picture Claire did for me from the picture on the left. Below that, is one I tried, yes I downloaded the app to try.