Did I mention finally getting a car?

Okay - it's Ford, 2008 version, European with the wipers and indicators on the wrong side.
Day 3 and the engine light is on - external temp sensor showing -17 degrees C, which is about 40 degrees wrong, also a coil on a manifold vacuum controller has open circuited. Hoping to get to the wreckers soon for replacements, good job I enjoy playing with engines.

Having a car (station wagon) has ignited my dream of having a kayak and touring.
It's also meant less interest in having girl time.

BUT I did get out for 6 hours today 😃

First, early morning coffee at 7 am.

 

Coffee took a while as the grinder died and staff had to grab and set up the spare grinder. I wasn't in any hurry.
I visited Mitre 10 hardware, checked out their light fittings for youngest daughter before posing for you in the kitchen area. Found a bathroom mirror I would like to talk the wife into getting.

 

Had brunch with my girlfriend Josie. We have both been too busy to meet up over the last 4 months so it was great to see her again. After brunch we had a meander along one of our lovely beaches, got some sun rays 😀

 

Been one of those weeks

I did manage to buy a car - 2008 Ford Mondeo station wagon.
I still need to add a tow bar and roof rack.
The engine light came on, during my 3rd drive, think I'll be stripping and rebuilding a vacuum pump next weekend if my WD40 hasn't cured it.

But this week, the station wagon has allowed me to purchase some decent sized furniture for my youngest daughters bedroom. So it's been bedroom renovations / update for her room.

I did manage two, 1 hour dress sessions, one on the way to the wreckers to see if they had the correct tow bar for my car.
It was nice at Wild Bean Café at the gas station (after I got petrol) as they called out my name when my coffee was ready.

The second time, wearing what I hoped was my sluttiest skirt - that's my daughters name for it as it's tight, thin and short. The girls working, thought it funny I was taking selfies, but how else would you know I was out relaxing.

Exhausted

Been car hunting.
It's difficult as wife wants $30,000 car, but my budget is $5,000
It's not like my budget can't get a decent sedan or station wagon, but she wants a 4x4.
So after a couple of hours, I think it's time for coffee before I re-start my search.

Walk in the park.....

Friends invited me for a walk in the park...... Tongariro National park

I'm not out to them and even if I was I doubt anyone will have noticed, not like cross dressing is much fun in a 1 person tent in a -10 sleeping bag.

Monday
Found an hour of girl time before work due to rain waking me early.
Sorry - no make up as I have to see clients at 8 am.

 

Been photographed while out

Today I decided it would be nice to have brunch again with Josie.
She's had a busy year and luckily found a few hours spare to meet up. Not that my life hasn't been busy, wife always has something planned for me to do (keeps me out of trouble - apparently).

Next weekend, I'll be in boy mode, out in the wild with a 12 Kg backpack strapped to me as I do a 4 day walk that would probably take an 1 hour in a car - I'm taking a short cut between a couple of mountains.

Anyway, back to this morning.
First stop, MacDonald's for a coffee and a read of today's newspaper.
I had started out in one of my skirts that 2 of my daughters call my "slut" skirt, I mean it's not like it didn't cover my butt, besides, it used to be one of theirs when they were teenagers. Anyway, MacDonald's was busier than expected so I swapped to a more mature looking stripy skirt.

 

I also needed a battery pack and selfie stick for my hike, as well as scroggin and a few other tramping supplies, so a bit of shopping after coffee #1.

Eventually I meet up with Josie at "Sequel", a newly branded cafe in Botany.
The owner recognized me and we had a brief chat, apparently it was their "opening day".
What that means, is that while they still have my favourite breakfast, they also had their web designer running around taking photos and crowd shots for their web page.
So don't be surprised if I'm slightly famous on the Sequel cafe web page with a photo that looks a bit like this one the staff took of Josie and I.

Now wishing I spent more than 3 minutes on makeup and a bit miffed I totally forgot mascara this morning.

Long Weekend

At last, a 3 day weekend.
Although waking up at 5 am on Friday, it didn't stop me from my normal 8 hours of work, followed by a 10 hour drive (okay really a 9 hour drive but I stopped for a 1 hour sleep). But it did mean I arrived in beautiful vineyard region of Martinborough just as dawn broke Saturday morning.
Wife and I were visiting our daughter.
While I might occasionally appear a bit girly (like wearing pretty yoga tights while relaxing with wife and daughter), I'm also the only person (man or woman) who can walk her dogs. Not only am I tough enough for her dogs, I actually had fun walking them.

During our stay, I managed to knock off 1 of my light house visits - it's an excuse I use to force wife and I out on road trips. I think there's about 13 scattered around the country.

Cape Palliser also has a fishing village and a seal colony near by.

But your probably not here to read how cool my weekend was, but to see photos of my outing today.
So I wore the dress the same daughter as above, gifted me, foundation, mascara and lip stick and I was out the house - twice.
First I had to drop second oldest daughter off at her work, then return, pick up the youngest daughter and take her to school - only then did I have time for a coffee stop.

Wife was still at home, waiting for a council man to visit and inspect our building works. I didn't want to be there as we had approved, engineered solution which he ignored and forced us to go 200% over budget. The inspection failed as there wasn't any silicon around the shower - basically I don't like silicon as it gets moldy very quickly, but a breathable junctions between the tiles and glass walls dries easily.

Anyway - shopping more fun than fighting.
I tried a lot of stuff on over the next few hours but nothing gave me the WOW feeling, so I'm still in the same clothes

One thing on my agenda soon is a 4 day mountain hike and my old boots looks like they are about to fall apart so while at Sylvia Park, I decided to check the boots at MacPac. I ended up buying this pair and signed up for their members discount as I still need a few things like water bladder, socks, food etc. Signing up also means I don't have to keep receipts if the boots fall apart.

Night away

I know, a night away is an opportunity to dress up, in a hotel miles from home.
Anonymity is great
So I dressed up (as you do when away)

Unfortunately, just getting dressed and sticking on a wig, doesn't always release our inner girl.

I mean, sure I felt pretty, but my female personality was not wanting the freedom (she'll probably pick a more inconvenient time - it's what girls do).

So a change back to male clothing and off to an amazing dinner - Eye fillet medium rare followed by stick date pudding.

 
 

At last FREEDOM !!!

So as you know I've been busting my A with the home renovations every minute I've been home.
Well yesterday (Saturday) was a 13 hour work day, installing kitchen benches and completing the fence to the yard and I was totally burned out and told the wife I needed a few hours this morning to relax.

So first it was a McDonalds coffee stop around 7 am, then to Kmart for a browse, I decided to purchase some much needed printer paper.

8.30 in the shopping mall, time for another coffee and read of the paper

9 am and the nail shop in the mall next to me opens - well why not?

I feel like I'm walking on clouds, so happy...

I posted these two photos to my 21 year old daughter who had her nails done yesterday.
she says "nice... but isn't that my dress?"
To which I replied, "it's not about the dress, which is also very nice :)"

I checked out a few more shops, chatted to some really nice and helpful sales staff.
I decided, while in East Auckland, I might as well check out the Howick Historic Village.

After getting home, wife had me get changed asap to get to the shops for more shelving units and to return the surplus flooring.
While she was surprised by my nails, after removing the color she was happy for both of us and our youngest daughter to have lunch out at a cafe. Once we got back home, I cut down my nails to a more manly length.

After such an outing, I can only say, I feel absolutely fantastic.

Busy every minute of the day

My only relax time is so short and infrequent, I have to relax in semi-girl mode (no make up or wig)

 

I don't really mind, everyone's treat me nicely, even though they probably thought I was weird.
I was hoping to get fully dressed and out to the pub with my girlfriend tonight, but found my email to her still in my "draft" folder and she leaves on holiday tomorrow morning.

Tonight though, another rare thing has happened
- It's just the wife and I at home alone for the first time since I can remember. Probably fish and chips on the beach watching the sunset (wonder if I can get a bottle of wine to go with that?)

What a night - NOT!

So me and one of my girls spent yesterday assembling furniture as well as me having to sort out one of the vehicles repairs after failing it's annual safety check (fog lights that have never failed before, or been used, were pointing too high).
I assisted wife in painting a bedroom until 11.00 pm, showered and in bed by 11.30.

1 hour later, 12.30, the neighbours started fighting in the street after a day of drinking. Thinking it would be over soon, we tried to get back to sleep, eventually around 4 am, the police arrived and sent the overly drunk and agro brother away, back to his house.

Who knew I would be awake at 6 am after that - total of 3 hours sleep.
I decided to dress in a way I thought was edgy, total dressing and make up time - a full 25 minutes.

Tight undies for tucking, corset, 2 layers of body shaping undies, bra, another layer of body shaping under dress, stocking top and dress.
I felt as snug as a bug in a rug, god knows how I was still able to breath.

For make up, I decided to actually add eyeliner above and below my eyes for once as I saw and chatted to a beautiful woman on Friday who did her eyeliner that way (I was at the Indian takeaways, in jeggings, boots with 2 inch heels, bra and low top - no wig or make up at the time).

 

 

After coffee and reading the newspaper, I had to pick up peanut butter, as I would get in trouble if my youngest doesn't have any for breakfast when she wakes up

Eventually climbed back into bed with the wife and had a 60 minute snooze.
On waking up wife comments that I hadn't successfully removed all my lipstick.

Still, it's great to get out occasionally.