Monday October 17, 2016 - My weekend out in the Year 2000

My friend Max/Maxine had her 30th birthday in March 2000. She asked me to celebrate it with her by going to Orlando for the weekend. My parents lived in Orlando, so it was a good idea to hang out with my friend and visit my parents.

Max/Maxine was a gay male who loved to dress as Maxine. I would say in today's terms, I would label her a feminine male. I will use female pronouns for the rest of this story.

I met her at a nightclub one of my former students opened. He invited my to the opening, since I was his Entrepreneurship Professor and we always stayed in contact. I was proud at his success. That night, I met one of his friends, Maxine. I loved the way she presented herself. So we exchanged phone numbers because I wanted to hire her to help me with Susan's presentation. This was in the 1990's.

We became good friends because she helped me and kept my secret, while I hired her to work in my expanding computer training business. I ended up helping her open her own business as a computer trainer for senior citizens. During the time she worked for me, I learned how anti-LGBT some of my consultants were. I would correct them and say its about money and I will work with any competent person who can do the job. Once they got to know her, they agreed with me.

She passed away, at her father's house in 2014 under mysterious circumstances. I think it was health, due to her diabetes and lack of following a good diet. She took insulin, but eat anything. I did not know she had died until I noticed that I had not heard from her and when I tried to contact her, her phone was off. I google her name and found a TV story about her death.

During our friendship we went on several overnight road trips. This trip is the only one in which I have pictures. Sometime I forget that back in the "old days" taking pictures was a more predetermined activity. You did not keep a 35MM or 110 camera in your pocket.

We drove to Orlando Friday night and stayed in a hotel along International Drive, near the convention center. On Saturday, I visited my parents, while Maxine hung out shopping and setting up her birthday party at the local club. Later, I joined her for dinner. The picture above was my dinner outfit. I loved that dress. I still have those black heels and loved wearing stockings. I miss stocking days. I wear tights during the winter, to try and make up for it.

Later that night, I changed into a more causal outfit and we went to a nightclub to celebrate her birthday. That night she pickup a guy for a birthday present. Lol. I teased her about that all the way back to Atlanta.

With her passing before my Femboy and blogging days, I often think about how much fun it would have been if I had my "wing" mate during this phase of my transition.