Anniversary Antics

So, after spending the morning being locked out in the yard by the deadly canine duo of Taybor and LiLu, Master and i hustled around trying to get ready in time to head out to Leatherfest at the Center....
We made it out right on time and breezed in to NYC. Leatherfest was hoppin'. i scored a pair of long, tweezer type nipple clamps and a gear shaped piece of jewelry. The nipple clamps will end up being used for holding things while i solder them, and the connecting chain i think will become the watch fob for my pocket watch. The gear jewelry will end up being a base for another creation - it was exactly what i was looking for. i'm sure the Leather Gods will be angry that i'm using BDSM tools for Art but i'm sure whatever Art i make will still have a perverse bent to it.

It was awesome to get to see the NYboL guys again, as well as seeing all my other Leathery friends. Although, once again - too many people that i expected to see there were MIA. Perhaps i just missed them? Who knows..... Oh, yes, and i got 25 punches and one to grow on while we were at the Fest...

Off to dinner with Jake, where we discussed important things, like Flan. :-) Then to the 9th ave Saloon for the NYboL bar night. Rubber was the theme - and once again, i am amazed that the scent of rubber is so hot to me. Hmmmmm. i have no interest in actually wearing rubber but jeez, it sure does smell great.

After that, we buzzed over to the Eagle for about an hour. We had a beer, i had 2 annoying guys say some somewhat crappy stuff to me. One was just flirting with me and had some boundary issues... the other one was all in my face like "what are YOU doing here? what are YOU doing in my bar?" This while he's in his white sneakers and cologne. BAH! Not to mention he was interrupting a conversation i was having. BAH again. At least, the gentleman i was conversing with handled the annoying dolt with style and shut him down cold. Very nice! i do so love kinky gentlemen....We finished our conversation and then it was time for Master and i to head home.

Home, anniversary sex. Yes, bliss. i am a very lucky girl.

Lassie! Come on girl!

i must now point out that neither of our dogs are very useful.... Master decided that this morning we should go out and rake up leaves, we were going to do that tomorrow but it's supposed to rain, so: let's get it done while the weather is good.

Well, we needed to use the leaf blower for part of the job, since we're still not supposed to walk on the new lawn. Dogs are, of course, afraid of the noise and are barking their heads off. So, i - brilliant slave that i am, put the dogs in the house. They leap around and somehow hit the latch on the back door. No problem, except the front door is also locked. As are all the windows.

Neither of us had keys or cell phone, so Master went to a neighbor's, got the dog sitter's number and called her. (Meanwhile, i was trying to reason with the dogs, trying to get them to understand that we're very busy today and i really needed to use the bathroom, so they should open the door. i came to the understanding that neither dog is as useful as Lassie.) The dog sitter scooted over with the key. We gave her a big tip for being so helpful.

We'll be making spare keys and hiding them around later today.

25 Years

Tomorrow, November 17th is our 25th Anniversary.
i am so blessed.
Here's a link to last years post about our anniversary.
i think it says it all, the only thing i can add is, as we've continued our journey as International Master & slave.... it's been a Hell of a ride for us. It seems that not many people grow together, or allow each other to grow in their own ways and still remain committed to each others happiness.
my life, what a blast!

i heart Virginia!

This weekend Master and i drove down to Charlottesville VA to present for C.U.F.F., i love taking long drives with Master. He's learned in the past couple of years to be a traveler and He really enjoys the experience. Rather than just seeing the journey as something to endure, He likes the whole "get to the airport early and watch the sunrise" experience or the "let's see how many cows we see per mile". It's a vast difference between the drives of old, when we were with The Band and everyone just hated the drives. We all loved getting to the shows but, man - 5 guys stinking up the van with their Man Gas and all the inner-band-politics-and-turmoil... oy. Not pleasant.

So, Charlottesville. What can i say about the town? um, i love it! It's just small enough to be cute and funky enough to be fun without being like big city madness. Tons of funky shops and good restaurants. i even managed to snag some art supplies (Literally, pounds of paper for $3.00, such a deal!) Nice, i would definitely be in to going there again and making more time to explore.

The group we presented for was amazing. They have a fantastic space (a private, members only Gay owned club/bar) which was warm and friendly and very well laid out. (i always love a bar that has a few cages on stage to do lock-down fund raisers...) Our host took such great care of us, dropping off a cooler of water and iced tea to our hotel room, taking us out for lunch, giving us a mini-tour and some college football lessons! The group themselves were equally warm and friendly, fun and asked *really* engaging questions. If anyone has the opportunity to present for them, i give a hearty "thumbs up" to them. Awesome! i SO want to go back down for their Holiday party next month - they are going to have a blast! :-)

Master and i had a party of our own and made the best of dirtying up Charlottesville ourselves by having a ton of hotel sex. Nothing like soiling some one else's sheets, i always say.

In which i discuss my ass cramp...

Gah! i wish my body felt better! i've spent the week hooked up to a TENS unit and last night was spent huddled on the couch while Master iced my hip. There's nothing like feeling unable to do things for your self to make you realize that you are normally a fairly strong and independent person. i miss going to the gym and doing my 320 lb shrugs. i just started to be able to bench press 70 lbs.... i feel like all my gains at the gym are going right down the toilet right now.

On the bright side, i am strong enough and healthy enough to create through my discomfort. i was able to get a little work done in the studio, even if i did have to stand up to do it. It was good, angry, uncomfortable art. Good release! i needed a good release: for both my physical pain-in-the-ass and the figurative one that's manifesting in my life right now.

i also had to say good bye to a client and friend who is retiring/moving away. The great part is he got the send off party that he deserved, it was amazing to see how loved he is. And i have a place to stay for free, should i ever get the chance to visit Puerto Rico. (The title is International, no? *grin*)

Let's hope my body feels better as we get ready to head off the teach in VA. It's a long drive on a sore ass! i am really looking forward to presenting - we've had a few weeks off and i'm getting itchy to do it again. (oh, gosh, did i just say that? me? i don't like doing presentations!) My, how things change!

what's that noise?

Master loaded the washing machine with all the dark clothes....
an hour later, i put the clothes in the dryer.... i sat down at my laptop and was answering email.....
*clunk* clunk* clunk* Hmmmm, what's that noise coming from the dryer?
Master?
Master runs from other room, cursing slightly. It's the work cell phone, washed and partially fluff dried.
i stand up and go to walk over to help Him dry it off. my foot tangles in the cord, my laptop does a very comical pratfall to the floor. Now it's broken too.
Yes, it was technological bumper cars last night and we lost.
Master got me an extended warranty which actually ends next month - so i'll drop it off at Best Buy tonight and pray that the Geek Squad can work it's magic. Grrrr......

Blessed Samhain!

Happy New Year!
We're entering the dark season, time to nest and snuggle... time to start work on introspective projects, time to work on ourselves. It's time to remember and honor our beloved dead, time to cast runes and divine the future, to plot our course for the upcoming year.

November and December this year, we'll be busy writing new classes for the upcoming year. Not to mention writing our step down speeches for South Plains. i also need to begin my biscuit recipe testing soon so i am ready to meet NYboL Jake's expectations on Thanksgiving! Oh, my poor Master, subjected to a dozen recipes.....

A co-worker of Master's (and formerly a co-worker of mine) unexpectedly passed away overnight. She was a wacky, fun, little old lady. Really daft, but in a fun "I Love Lucy" kind of way. Great sense of humor. Always mothering people. She sat next to Master in His office, and they helped each other out a lot at work, so He's saddened and shocked by the whole thing. As i said, it's time to remember our beloved dead, so i'll light a candle for her on my ancestor altar tonight.

Remember to tell hold the ones you love and tell them what they mean to you.

i'm back and i'm rockin' October!

OK, ok... yes - i apologize for not writing more (or at all) for the past few months. i guess i have a habit of either writing when i am giddy with happiness or absolutely dancing with gloom and depression. i think perhaps when things are going well - in a "wow, i-am- enjoying- my- life- right- now- with- no- trauma- and- no- drama- llamas- and- isn't- it- nice- to- be -off- the- road- and- at- home- with- my- beloved- Asbury- Park- Leather- Family- and- my- NYboL- Brothers- and- at- home,- sitting- at- my- Master's- feet" kind of way - so that i really feel like i have nothing to write about. Then i feel guilty for not writing and i'm not sure how to jump back in again.....

So, i'll just start back up by saying "THANK YOU!" to who ever suggested my story "bootblack dreams" to the Eros Blog. What an honor! (For the record, the story is fiction... some people have questioned who the guy is and why he was so afraid. LOL, He's a real person all right, with visually delicious boots, but the story never happened. And probably never will. Sometimes fantasies should remain that way. Or maybe not.)

All these busy months, i've been looking forward to October contest season, since it meant that i would get to be with my friends in NYboL and Asbury Park. Being on the road so much, i felt awful - like the friendships i was starting to build were torn apart. Knowing that we are welcome to the boy's Thanksgiving again this year means more to me than words can express. i am so glad to be home.

Our NY/NJ contest season was a blast - shame on you to anyone who didn't make at least ONE of the contests. Starting with the Mr. Eagle NYC 2008 contest on Oct 6th, The title went to Peter Schwartz. Peter is an associate member of NYboL, as am i, so i look forward to getting to know him better and supporting him in his title year. i am sure he'll represent the title in a classy and outstanding manner. Some highlights of the evening: Meeting Daddy George from CA. A friend of pug's and now a friend of mine. (Yes, Victoria. Yes.) i also got to see my friend James, who i haven't seen in ages and who i really want to spend some time with. What else.... OH, yes, Please - someone, anyone: please tell me about that Luscious barback at the Eagle. The one with the goggles. That man makes my gears go round and round! Giddy!

October 13th we were again at the Eagle to feast our eyes on some luscious rubber. Yes, folks - Mr East Coast Rubber. Daddy George was there again, i think i am in love with that man. Anyone who understands the Beckham Conundrum is a friend of mine. What a wicked sense of humor that man has.... OK, enough drooling over DG, before i launch in to a description of the hotness that was him in his bleacher style rubber. Skinhead indeed! There were contestants from overseas, so i became confused as to which East Coast, but still - a fantastic evening with about a million contestants. i always forget how much i enjoy looking at rubber until i am at this contest. Then i start smelling that delicious rubbery goodness and imagining a rubber clad hand covering my nose and mouth and.... Oh, my.
Master and i needed to leave before the winners were announced, because we are old and so get sleepy early. No, really, there really were a million contestants and we simply could not stay until 4 a.m. But i found out the next day that the winner was: John Weis. If you live here on the East Coast and you don't know who John is, well - i'll say it again: Shame on you. i met John at my first LPN. He was dressed like a cop. He made me swoon. His partner Larry also makes me swoon. But more that that, they are First Class, Classy Gentlemen of the Scene. Active in the community, for the community. Delightful! i am sure the title with be represented with all the style and energy that John is known for!
Once again, my eyes were drawn to that barback at the Eagle. Gosh..... wow. So. Nice. To. Look. At. (she makes strangling noises and shuffles her feet around)

October 19th -20th: Folks, Master Larry and i are HOME, with our Asbury Park Leather Family. Sal, Dion, Tom, Hillary, Amanda & Amy, Storm & Lisa, every one of those sexy past NJ title holders and their hot partners ( DANNY!) (*grin!*), the Argonauts (who keep us well fed!) .... the bartenders and the staff at the club. This is the event that i look forward to each year. And i'll say it again: anyone from the NJ area that wasn't there - SHAME ON YOU! There was a fantastic and intimate presentation of the Carter-Johnson Library. You say you want a chance to talk to Vi Johnson about Leather History? You had a chance to do so, one on one. And if you weren't there.... well... it's your loss. Funds were raised to help out with the library's expenses and you weren't there to contribute. (Think on that. It's your history. Or maybe it's not because you don't really consider yourself part of the leather scene.)
i was so proud of Chuck, Mr NJ Leather 2007 & boi robi, Ms. NJ Leather 2007. What a great year you had. Chuck got to step down/aside, but since there was no female contestant this year, robi graciously agreed to continue to represent the title for another year. Go robi! (and even thought Chuck stepped down/aside, we still expect him to continue to be a community leader, as he has proven himself to be!)
There were 2 male contestants, Rob and spanky. Both did a fantastic job and both of them seemed to have fun through out the weekend. The contest is serious, to me anyway, but if you're not having a blast competing.... what's the point? By the end of the evening spanky was given the title of Mr. NJ Leather 2008. i hope Rob continues to participate in the scene, he's got great heart and has a lot to offer to us all.
i finally got to see the band, Nekked and talk to the guys - wow, they blew me away with their music and their sincere questions about M/s and what our dynamic is. i think we need to take them out to lunch and give a mini seminar! (thanks for the cd's!) i also go to drool over Will Clark, our fabulous MC. That man.... is .... Yummy.

That's it in a nut shell: 3 contests, 3 worthy people chosen, 1 incredible boi robi carrying on for us, 1 hot barback, 1 new incredible friend from CA, lot of NYboL's, and... where were YOU?

sense of humor

my tattooist has a great sense of humor and likes to make people yell and hop out of the chair when he's working. Funny guy, huh?

Seriously, the tattoo hurt as much as i remembered them hurting (it's been almost 10 years since i've gotten new ink) but it was so worth it! i can't wait until the next step down when i get nautical star #2!

July Photos

i've been trying really hard to take my camera with me every where i go this month, but the nicest pics i've gotten so far have been around the house. i am so in love with the garden this year! There was even a hummingbird this afternoon, but he was too quick for my camera. Here's my July so far:

Bootblack Dreams....

“You are not going to the show wearing those boots are you?”
I teased.

“Why not? What’s wrong with them?” he looked down, turning his foot from side to side.

“They’re filthy and they look like hell. You should let me clean them up for you.”

He stared hard at me. “Look, I know you’re in to all that kinky submission stuff, but I am not. And I am not interested.”

“I offered to clean and shine your boots for you, I didn’t offer to be your slave or for you to spank me. Piss off!”

“Hey, I’m sorry. It’s just that I don’t understand all the stuff you’ve been getting in to. It’s…weird.”

“Weird? Have you ever seen me as happy and well adjusted as I have been in the past year? No? Well then, I guess I’m just weird.”

“Do my boots really look shitty?” Ahhh, appealing to his fashion sense is the way to his heart.

“Yes, you look like a perfectly disheveled crack addict, not the dashing punk you’re trying to look like.” I smirked at him. “Let me get myboot kit and work on them real quick. You like how shiny MY boots look, right?”

He glanced down at my feet. “You can make mine look like yours?”

“Well, yours won’t grow a high heel, but yes, I can make them look shiny and pretty.”

“Ok. But no kinky stuff”

“Oh, shut up and sit down and pour yourself some wine”

I hustled over to the cabinet and got out my boot kit. Crap, why did I push him so hard? I mean,

yeah, I’ve had a crush on him forever – he’s had a crush on me forever too, but… I swung by the kitchen to fill up a little bowl of water to go with the saddle soap.

He was sitting on the couch and was fidgeting with the cork screw.

I hiked up me skirt as I knelt down on the rug at his feet.

“What are you doing?” He asked, dropping the cork screw and backing up as far as the back of the couch would allow.

“I’m pulling up my skirt so it doesn’t get dirty – would you prefer that I take it off?” I asked wickedly, with a grin.

"N-n-no.” he replied.

“Good. Because I wasn’t intending on doing this nude.” He smiled back.

I picked up his boot. Well, I tried to pick it up. “Look, relax – I’m going to black your boots, not cut your foot off.”

“Sorry.” He let me pick up his boot this time.

I pulled his foot towards me and settled it on my thigh as I knelt. “Hmmm….”

“Hmm, What?”

“I was thinking ‘hmmm… what a mess’….”

"Oh.”

“Yeah. Oh.”

I picked up the lighter.

“What’s that for?” He started pulling away.

"Oh, for Pete’s sake! Sit still, drink your Shiraz and be quiet. Obviously you’re not interested in what I’m doing or your boots wouldn’t look like this.”

I looked over his boots and ah-ha! A loose thread. I lit that Zippo and melted it off.

“Oh!” He exclaimed.

“Yeah. Oh.” He grinned down sheepishly.

I checked out his other boot and burned off another 2 threads.

Back to the first boot… I opened my tin of saddle soap. “Want to smell?, I asked as I lifted the tin to his face.

"Mmmm, nice. Much nicer that I thought it would be.”

I picked up my little brush, dipped it in that little bowl of water and lathered up the saddle soap.
I spread it over his right boot, working it into all the crevices around the sole, the harness and up the shaft. I put down the brush and started rubbing the lather in with my moist hands. I looked up surreptitiously thru my bangs to see the expression on his face. Bingo! A lovely cross between ecstasy and bewilderment. What have we here? I laughed to myself – a Boot Top in the making?

I grabbed my towel and started drying off his boot. Slowly, with a firm, massaging grip. He was totally relaxing in to the couch, glass of wine tilting precariously.

I snapped the towel and barked, “Next!” He sat straight up in his seat.

“Just kidding. Sit back.”

I picked his left boot up in my hands and gave it another going over. I was having a hard time now not grinning up in to in his face. I was getting hot and I could tell he was too.

I lathered up the left boot and as I started working in the soap with my hands. I took a chance and leaned my head against his knee. I hope he does what comes naturally to most Boot Tops, I hope, I hope…. Ahhh, tentatively at first, then with more confidence he touched my hair then started to rub my head.

“Is this ok?”

“ That is all I ever ask as my payment, of course it’s ok.”

I grabbed the towel and started cleaning off his boot. When I was done I took a deep breath before I looked up. I was amused by what I saw, his normally pale face was flushed and…he was sweating!

“More wine?” I asked proffering the bottle. He nodded and held out his glass.

I refilled him and he offered, “Sip?”, tilting the glass towards me. I nodded and smiled and took a sip. Nice. I took another sip and handed it back.

I picked his right boot back up and settled it back on my thigh. Now that it was dry I could start polishing. I picked up the tin of polish and my lighter,“More threads?” He asked.

“Hush” I said as I lit the polish in a narrow strip top to bottom in the can – as I’d been taught by my mentor. I tried so hard not to let my hand shake. I was always afraid of this part. Afraid I‘d burn my hand, spilling molten polish on the floor or my wrist. “Steady girl”, I thought to myself.

I set the can down and put the lid on it to snuff the flame. A little puff of smoke and the fire in the tin was out. I surveyed his boot again as I waited a moment for the polish to cool to a working temperature.

I dipped my fingers in the cooling puddle of wax I rubbed my hands together to get it evenly distributed and then, as I would if I was massaging his neck, I started rubbing in the polish in the toe of his boot. I dipped back in for a little more and repeated the process until the whole surface was covered with polish. It was really quiet in the room now. Oh, god, I hope I didn’t screw this up by doing this. I hope I didn’t screw us up. I was really nervous. Did I push him too hard? I mean, it’s my kink, not his. I’m only fooling myself if I keep saying “it’s not sexual, it’s just bootblacking.” Ugh.

I picked up my big brush with out looking at him. I took a deep breath and put my worries aside – whether I pushed too hard or not, his boots needed to be finished and I might never have another chance to do this with him. I started buffing: toe, instep, back of the heel, the tops where they caressed his calves….focus girl!

Then I grabbed my shine rag and started buffing again.

Should I spit on the boots as I would do on any other pair of boots? Or would that be too much? I decided against it, they’d get shiny with out me freaking him out any more. I finished up and picked his boot up off my thigh, setting it down gently and went to lift the next one.

“More wine?” he offered me his glass. His face was now an unreadable mask. I took the glass and sipped.

“Next?” I patted my thigh and he put the other boot on me slowly. Still an unreadable face. Ugh.

I flamed the polish again and got to work. All the playful banter was gone. Oh, shit. What if I’ve totally freaked him out? Crap.

Brush. Brush. Grab the rag. Buff. Buff. I was really starting to panic. Breathe girl.

“ok, finished. How do they look?” I asked without meeting his eyes.

Silence.

“They look amazing. That…that was amazing.” He wouldn’t look me in the eye either.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. Let me wash my hands and we’ll getgoing, ok. I don’t want to be blamed for making you late for your own show”

"I’m always late anyway, no one will notice!” He finally met my eyes and he was grinning that crooked, deadly grin now, but looked away quickly. Nervous.

I quickly packed up my stuff and scooted off to wash my hands.

“Ready to go?”

“Yeah”

He went out the door first and waited as I locked up. We went down the hall without speaking. As we went down the stairs, not turning to face me, he said “You know, I have 5 other pairs of boots….”

The End.

Or to be continued…..

The Milk of Human Kindness

i am trying to figure out what i did to piss someone off. Every time i try to reach out to this person, i get cut off or rejected. 9 times out of 10, any email i send goes unanswered. Now, i know: email goes awry and sometimes people are just busy and they forget to reply and then a week goes by, and by then the email is lost. i understand that.
 
Whenever there's a get together for anything and i know this person is organizing it, i am excluded. i find out about it after the fact and people will either say : "hey, why weren't you at the________party?" and i'd taken aback that i didn't know the party was happening and of course, the person who asks me about it is terribly embarrassed that they didn't know that i'm in the "out-crowd". Or i hear people talking about a gathering and they hush up as soon as i walk in the room.

i just found out about another incident of exclusion (actually this is more than exclusion, this seems to actually be a back-handed dis-invitation) and i am really hurt by it. In my travels, i had actually been talking this event up, so i am really perturbed that it seems that i will not be a part of it and now people will say "hey, i thought you were a part of this?" and i get to say what? "i was dis-invited." or "they decided i wasn't good enough." or "i think, perhaps, they just don't like me."

You know, i'm not so different than they are. Yeah, ok, my hair is different and i like loud music and Master's Household is structured differently than theirs. But we're still traveling the same path. Or maybe they think their path is Higher or more elevated or mo' better than mine?

In certain circles, i am know as the "quiet one". In those very same circles, i've been burned by opening my mouth, so, yeah - i AM the quiet one. Why on earth would i open my heart and share my stories when my words have been thrown back in my face? And why on earth would i want to share if i'm rejected again and again?

i can not force someone to like me or to be my friend. It just hurts to be so rejected by someone who i looked up to and respected so much. Someone, who through their actions and the way they APPEARED to live their life, was actually a Hero of mine.

*************************************************************************

i see now that i was mistaken in my Hero selection. i am grateful to this person for teaching me an inadvertent lesson in thinking that other people would have fewer human frailties than i do, i am grateful for the friends that i do have and i am so grateful to have a Master that loves me and orders me not to worry about the pettiness of others.

limp

i am positively limp from relaxation right now. i've actually been up since 7:30, working on Master's new website while in the backyard, drinking coffee and chilling out. It is SO beautiful out here in the renovated back yard. It's not even 1 p.m. and the dogs are passed out on the lawn because they've been chasing bumblebees since 7:30!

i'm taking a quick break from the website work, dying my hair back to a proper shade of magenta while Master is out at the dentist getting His first filling ever! *grin* It's not nice to be mean but it sure is fun teasing Him about getting needles in His mouth!

OK, back to work with me! i really want to get this new site launched by the end of the weekend.....

Busy

How the heck did it get to be the 22nd? It's been a busy month here, getting ready to do a flurry of presentations, getting the yard finished, presenting at MAsT Central NJ's retreat, then running down to Amanda & amy's wedding this past Saturday. (Which was FABULOUS, by the way...)

i'm still recovering from ARTiscape. i feel a bit sad that i can't do as much ART as i would like. OK, i feel bad that i haven't done any ART at all. But, i did finally get that big, honkin' ass bondage bed out of my studio (Thanks Jim!) so i can get in to the closet. This lead to a major clean out/excavation/throw away of a ton of crap in there. If the studio is clean, then i can work in there with any free moment that i have. If it's a sty/junk room - then i have to spend 15 minutes clearing a spot to work and by then my passion is gone, as is the 15 minutes that i had to work. All that's left is 2 small-ish piles of fabric that need to be sorted thru and put away. But now, now my space is workable. Good. That's a feeling of satisfaction! Another layer of past that i was holding on to let go and released from my spirit!

But really, who cares about my junk! Let's talk about the orgasm contest. Individually and with Master, i'm up to 22. i'm not sure what His solo total is. i'm pleased that i'm averaging one per day, although they've been coming in bunches, so to speak. :-) Anyone else posting their running totals?

event drop

Wow, who knew? Who knew that there'd be "event drop" after an art retreat, the same as there is after a Leather event? i totally have the blues. i miss the people that i met, so many fabulous creative ladies, so many supportive and wonderful men - all of whom, and i mean ALL, had that aura of support and "hey, go for it! you're great!" for every one that they met.

i miss being in that supportive space, where every meal was talk of making, every conversation was a festival of ideas shared. i stepped out side of my self and i liked it, a lot. Hrrumph, i sit at my office desk, no view of the outside, making lists of projects that i want to work on, when i'm home.

i keep looking at the ATC's (artist trading cards) that people gave me, even though i had nothing to trade. Just because. Or the beautiful necklace with a Japanese lady on it, that a Lady from Tennessee gave me, because she said she made it and it belonged to me. Or i think about the teacher who dubbed me "The Queen" in my first class there and how the name stuck all weekend and his invite to check out his studio when i go to Indianapolis for GLLA. Such an out pouring of goodness from good people.

This is the same sadness that i feel when i come back from a leather event. Why? Because the mundane work is not fitting me. Or i don't fit it. So, what does that say? Something's got to give.
*she wanders away muttering to go clear more paperwork off her desk*

PS Master's taking me out to dinner to try to cheer me up! my Master ROCKS! :-)

WOW!

It almost always seems that i get excited about an event and then am disappointed when it's over. Not this time. my trip to ARTiscape exceeded my expectations. i was teary eyed by the time i was leaving the hotel, partly because i am going back to the every day mundane work day world and partly because i was leaving all my new found friends! i will expand on this entry when i get home tonight, i just wanted everyone to know that i got home safe, later than expected but safe and happy, tired but worn out with good work and exciting new possibilities for my work. New tools, new directions, new techniques.

So happy to see my Master waiting for me by the baggage carousel. Goddess, i missed that Man while i was away! :-)

'Nake

Master Larry's snake, named 'Nake died today. Very sad. Yes, i know it's weird to say that a snake was good guy, but he was. Very friendly and handle-able. Very well tempered. And one of the most beautiful reptiles i've ever had the honor of sharing my life with. He was a glowing golden sherbet orange and cream and had beautiful ruby coloured eyes. We buried him in the front yard, next to the front door, so his spirit can guard the household's entrance. my Master is very sad today.

Packing

Packing
i both love and loathe packing for a trip. Usually, it;s making sure that my boots are not rubbing against Master's boot in the suitcase, resulting in hours of work for me when we reach our destination. Or making sure our uniforms aren't getting super wrinkled. Or how to get ALL the leather we own in to the carry-on bags. (because we don't trust the baggage handlers...)

This trip is different. First of all, it's the first time i'm traveling alone. (well, ok, i did do the Avon 3 day walk, but i was traveling with 1,500 other women for a common cause) So, it's a bit weird, planning my days according to how i want them, but still thinking what would make Master happy, even if He's not with me. i'm the kind of person who won't eat in a restaurant if i'm alone because i don't want to be seen as an outcast. So, travel alone is a stretch for me.
Secondly, i'm trying to figure out how to take all my required materials and supplies with me in one suitcase and be able to pack my clothes and one nice outfit for the dinner/Cinco De Mayo party on Saturday night. Soldering irons, tin snips, collage items, bone folder (gross name, no? sounds like a surgical tool to me.)
Thirdly, i am totally pushing myself to learn new techniques, putting my art out there where people might be able to see it! (EEK!) i don;t necessarily think the stuff i make if excellent. i do however think that i am an excellent artist - because i try, because i love the process, because i must do this stuff. i tried to not do it, because i was told (by my dad) that my stuff was weird or bad or ugly or made no sense. But let me tell you this thing i've learned. If you were meant to do something and you shove it away from you, it'll never really go away. It'll keep coming back and sneaking up on you. And it'll bite you in the ass, and you'll regret it. There's no hiding from what you are. Ever!

Happy Beltane!

May 1st, Beltane, one of my Pagan favorite holidays! Celebrating the beginning of the summer season, encouraging fertility - not just the creation of children but the fertility of the mind, the spirit, the creation of new ideas and art. And of course, Sex. (What else would a good Pagan celebrate?)

A few years back, Master Blair hosted a contest on her blog to celebrate Beltane. Yes, that's right, the infamous Count-Your-Orgasms-for-a-Month Contest. Master Larry and i won that year. Our collective total was 38. Yes, that's right, 38 orgasms in 31 days. Do the math, we were very busy. (not to mention sore!)

So Here's the rules if you'd like to join in:
Each orgasm counts.
If you are having solo sex, have one orgasm - that counts as one.
If you are having sex with another person and you BOTH cum - that counts as one each. (not 2 for you no matter how skilled you are!)
(and so on, if you're in a triad or whatever your relationships are...)
And, yes, phone sex counts - as long as there's an orgasm.
Yes, ok - so people in a household together probably have an advantage because we can pool our results.
i suppose in the interest of fairness, we could also tally how many times we make another person cum? That would mean forming teams, i guess.... Now that's an idea. Let's discuss...

The rules basically boil down to: It's a free for all. i suppose i get to make the final determination on who the winner is. Yes, a prize will be awarded. A mere token, but really - you should be happy to just experience the challenge! :-0

Get busy people! i expect occasional progress reports, either via email in private or if you're willing, post your results here.

Have a very blessed Beltane!

AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

It looks like Master's website host went belly up this weekend - If anyone's trying to get a hold of us, please email us at internationalmasterslave2007 at gmail.com.

Oy, we're trying to get the domain transfered to a new host, but they told us "Yes, ok, as soon as we get permission from you old host, you'll be good to go." Umm, their phone's disconnected and they're not answering email. So now what?

Thanks to everyone we contacted for helpful suggestions, y'all were right on target! (Ray, you rock!)

Stay tuned here for updates and info in the mean time!

Wow!

my Master rocks! He kicks ass! i am SO PROUD of Him! He just got some great news at work, which i am not allowed to divulge in any detail, yet. Suffice it to say there will be a lot of celebrating and dancing and both hooting and hollering at HSL this evening! All this and really amazing sex last night? The stars must be a good alignment.....

Neglecting you?

Yes, my faithful readers..... i am sorry that i've been neglecting y'all. Something popped up in my life that made me really angry and... well, to be perfectly honest - there was no way that i could write about it here and no way that i could NOT write about it, if i was writing anything at all. So, i just let if fester until it has slunk away. Back in to it's... well, where ever it goes back to roost.

Amazing how we don't learn from past mistakes. (And by we, i mean they, because i am perfect. i always get an "A+". *snort* ) {That's meant as a joke. Please.}

That's all i'm going to say on the matter, which is no longer at hand.

i will instead ease myself back into writing here by talking about dead old Soviets. Master and i were talking about Boris Yeltsin's passing and how we've seen a lot of history: the Berlin Wall, etc, etc. i mentioned that i remembered when Leonid Brezhnev died. "i remember it clearly because the boy i was semi-dating at the time brought his combat boots over to my house because i offered to clean them for him." That bit of long forgotten info fell out of my mouth, i looked horrified and Master just chuckled. Yeah, i guess i was a boot whore, even in '82. Good grief!

Crack Boom AAIIEEEE!

Down comforter, 2 bully dogs & Master snoring softly, sun shining on snow-beaming thru the window, slow morning, intertwined and hot... nice way to wake up. i love my Master's hands on me.

Then, dig out cars, scrape off ice, beautiful out side. i finish. i back away from my car, i love my new car. Step on a block of ice. Crack, Boom, AAIIEEEE... i sprain my ankle. Inside, Master gets me an ice pack.

Hobbling around, cleaning and reclaiming the house, later-i'll smudge the house with sage, reclaiming this space as ours and sacred. Getting ready for the Equinox, getting ready for the next steps in our life. It's a nice day. It's a beautiful day!

Hugs

Big hugs to Master Taino. You and Your Family are in my thoughts today. Blessed Be!

Snow again?!

Home safe, i am really done with winter. Glad to hear the pugster landed safely! i had a great conversation with her on the phone last night. i think i've spoken to her one the phone more than i've spoken to anyone in the past year, with the exception of Jack, when i had to call Him from the M/s conference in July to calm myself down! (thanks Jack!) i don't know if i'm phone phobic or if i just have this whole "i don't want to call and bother anyone, no one would want to talk to me anyway" Eyore, sad sack kind of thing. i guess it's not really a phobia, because i talk on the phone all the time at work.

Master and i had a great conversation yesterday, about the bad times we went thru last year and how much better things are now. i respect my Master so much more because He's NOT ashamed to cry. Dang, that is one strong man! i am a lucky girl.

i dented the toe of my brand new engineer boots, so they are no longer new. Pristine for less than a week. i guess i can start gnawing on the edges now....

Vests, Brunch and boys!

Master and i met up with some our NYboL brothers at the Leatherman while we were picking up our new vests. Then off to brunch at the Slaughtered Lamb. Fun place, the waitress was a bit haggard but she hung in there and there were unlimited bloody marys, so that made up for the bad coffee. i LOVE hangin out with these guys. (and, no, not just because there were bloody marys either!) Next, to Purple Passion to replenish the lube supply. Damn, no Liquid Silk.. settled on some ID Lube, my 2nd favorite. No handy pump top but i can manage somehow! :-) i do not understand how the lube gets used up so fast around here. Oh, wait. Yes, i do.

We just finished doing a podcast for Lady Catherine for the Southeast Leather Fest site. Fun! i am looking so forward to getting to Atlanta for this event. i'm sure it's going to be AMAZING!

And, here are the beautiful vests:

Different place

i was looking at my post from last year, this date. Man, am i in a different place than i was last year! And that's a good great thing. As i said back then, some years March is better for me than others and i think the deadly combination of dog surgery and relationship stress was a real doozy for me.

Master and i are both in good space right now, i think we're both building some relationships which could prove to very... fruitful? Maybe that's the wrong word. Productive? Nah, perhaps emotionally satisfying and nurturing for all parties might be a better way to phrase it. Oh, screw it - let's not define it. :-) All i know is - i am having good, safe, healthy, mentally stimulating fun - so much fun i've even finished writing some boot erotica porn that i started last year. Yummy! i like the way my mind works when it's turned on.

We've been busy getting some bookings together, we have another podcast to do this coming weekend, we get to pick up our new vests this weekend at the Leatherman and maybe hook up with a friend for lunch.

And now, after a busy day of visiting clients pursuing a cute boy, i am off to collapse at my Master's feet. A very nice day indeed!

Stuck

Well, Master Larry and i are stuck here in Dallas. Our flight was canceled. We're supposed to take off tomorrow morning, looks like out flight is on schedule. We'll be up at 3 am. Oy!

It was a nice, quiet day here. Like a day out of time, no where to be, no pressure and really - once we gave a few tries to re-book, there was nothing we could do. So we hung out, napped, had sex, relaxed. Made some plans for where we want to go in our travels....

What a beautiful day!

i'll stop teasing y'all now!

And... drum roll... for those who have been waiting with baited breath..... Master Larry and i have been blessed with the honor, privilege and responsibility of being your International Master & slave 2007.Now, i go to pack and then collapse in to a nice nappy nap!

Saturday

Lots to write about.... i promise my faithful readers that i will fill in the blanks as soon as possible! All i can say for now is that this has been an amazing journey!

OK, where do i start?

Up super early. Our friend, Lexi, who was in service this weekend - was there with coffee in hand and a smile on her face. What a gracious and calming influence on our demeanor this weekend. That woman is an example of grace and beauty, let me tell you. A bit of breakfast, a bit of coffee, got dressed and then a last minute going over to make sure we weren't covered with lint and dog hair and had no toilet paper stuck to our shoes (yes, i worry about a lot of stuff...) and we were off to the questioning. i'm not going to say a whole lot about the questioning process or the questions that were asked. What i will say is that i was deeply moved by how detailed the judges were and really honored by the time that they all put in to reading the applications we submitted. Their questions were spot on and really geared to the heart of our relationship, community involvement and direction. Really an excellent process.

Later - we headed stuck around to cheer on the other couples going and coming out of the questioning, then headed back up to the room to unwind. Shortly before we were going to head down for round 2 (the 10 minute presentation) there was a power surge that knocked out the elevators. i was blown away by my tribe rallying around us - every phone in that room went off with Lexi and Lord Brick's family calling us to tell us to head for the stairs (17 flights down!) so we'd get to the presentation on time. Oy! Luckily, the elevators started working and we were spared the impromptu work out.

i think the 10 minute went really well, the handouts were well received, good questions from the audience, laughter in the parts where there was supposed to be laughter... Pshew!

Dinner in the room... lots of "high hair" preparation for me.... then we headed down for rehersal and for me to walk the stage stairs. (yes, i have a fear of falling up the stairs on to the stage!) Master Z drilled the 6 of us in our parts for the Ceremony to honor the Masters and slaves that have gone before us. we slaves were all tearing up during rehersal, and there were at least a couple of moist eyes on the Masters side too!

OK, time to start.... the Ceremony... solemn music.. we start down the aisle... what do i see? a clear way for us to walk? No, one hot, hunky dyke in a great pair of pants with her leg in the aisle.... i leap over... next, a wheel chair.... swerve around.... and then! Oh, no! a lady in a hoop skirt... i leap over that too, never losing grasp of the candle i was carrying and somehow i didn't fall down either. Good. Up the stage stairs, i step on my skirt and almost fall but the podium covered it, i think.
*************************************************************************************
There's a lot more to cover but i don't have time to do it now. i promise to add more later!

Friday

Up early and man, was i tired! Coffee was provided by some dear friends and i tried to get my day started when Sir said "oh, look an accident" i looked out the window of the hotel and was horrified to see that some one hit a dog on the highway. The police came and they loaded the dog in to a car. The way they moved it,carefully in to the back seat - i think the dog was still alive. i was bawling my eyes out. All i could think was how awful it was, how bad it'd feel if one of my pups died like that.... Ugh. i miss my puppies.

So far today was very... busy (with catching up with old friends and contest meeting) but yet slow and mellow, with a lot of down time. We've resigned ourselves to not being able to go to any classes this year - so that's a bit weird. Not that we don't have anything else to think about! :-)

Master's taking a nap then we're off to shower, change and head off to the stepdown reception for Mistress Suzan and slave ziggy. What a great year you guys! Thanks for all your hard work! Then off to the Dallas Eagle for the contestant introductions and the basket auction. Fun!

The reception was beautifuly catered by Dallas boys of Leather. What an amazing spread of food. Master and i played tag with some of the judges, trying to make sure that we've met everyone before the judging starts. It's good manners AND it helps take a bit of the fear factor out of the inquisition! :-) (but just a little...)

The auction at the Eagle went very well. A good time was had by all. Big Thank You to Master Z for putting His birthday spanks on the line for the travel fund! :-) Brave Man!

Back to the hotel as early as was polite to get some sleep - we drew contestant #1, so we're on the hot seat EARLY! *groan!*

i got an email from a dear friend - exactly what i needed to hear, at exactly the right time! You Rock!

Thursday

Woke up to the Texas sunrise streaming in thru the window. What a beautiful day. 80 degrees, sunny. Bliss! Breakfast in the room, another short workout. (the gym equipment is dubious at best) Some rehersal while working out, which always leads to a lot of laughter. We did a lot of wandering outside in the parking lot today - it's just so darn nice outside! Oh, and the Gay Pride flag is flying over the hotel. So nice to see that. It's nice that the hotel actually owns their own pride flag! i love the staff here!

Master is freshening up and then we're off to Pappas BBQ for the annual Family dinner. Hurray! Now i really feel like i'm at SPLF!

i want to send out some quick THANKS to everyone for their support as the contest is about to start. You all not only make it possible for us to run, but you make it WORTH running. It's awesome to have such a great bunch of folks lending us support, love, shoulders and financial support through out the year. Big, huge hugs to all of you!

Wednesday

Traveling day - everything went super smooth. We were at the airport early, had to park in the crummy outdoor lot but we did get to enjoy 2 passes to the Continental President's club. Nice to lounge in there and have a nice breakfast. Plus i loaded up on free granola bars to eat at the hotel.

At the airport, Master bought me a super nice pair of headphones for the flight! But then, Master somehow lost His headphones as we got off the plane, bummer!

Check in went smoothly, We met up with a bunch of people that we know, (slave caroline, Master Jim, Master Z and part of His tribe and... gosh, so many people) had a short work out at the hotel gym, had a quick dinner at Jack in the Box and then did some work stuffing (600!) bags for event attendees. A few quick rehersals and then off to bed!

2 faces only a dog mother could love.

For me, the hardest part of traveling is these guys. They've been extra cuddley and cute since the luggage came out in to the living room. They've been giving me these kinds of looks all week. Oy, it's tough to be a dog mother!

But, the dog sitter will take great care of these pups & Master and i are ready to leave for South Plains. Ready to rock? i am!

Tivo and a jelly dong, perfect together.....

OK, so the TIVO installers finally came today. Master and i did a quick sweep of porn/toys/etc right in the general vicinity of the t.v. - we have a shelf full of dildos and toys on display over the t.v. and while i am not ashamed of my sexuality:

A - why freak out visitors to the house?

B - why risk damage to toys? (especially the pyrex)

C - as a woman alone in the house, why give the wrong impression?

So, the installers are nice when they get here but are kind of weird as they are leaving. i thought maybe the Tom of Finland pictures freaked them out. Nope, on top of the t.v. is sitting a dusty purple jelly dong that must have fallen behind the dresser. Crap! i am suddenly seized by a fit of the giggles. i'm glad i tipped them when they were leaving. Can you imagine their face as they picked it up and went "what the...? eeewwww!"

It's a start....

NJ's Civil Unions begin today!

i know it's not perfect but it's a start. i think full equality is such a basic right, i can't even get my head around why people would be against it. It's incomprehensible to me. Must be the way that i'm wired... It sure wasn't the way i was raised by my parents. Perhaps it just comes from figuring out that i should always do the direct opposite that they did and then i'd be morally and spiritually ok?
(**edit: i am editing to add - since this is going to be such an uphill fight, we also need to have the step of "civil unions" in order to proceed with any other court filings. We, unfortunately need to have that first case of discrimination at work or a hospital where being in a civil union DOESN'T afford the same rights as marriage. Then the next legal step of proving that separate-but-equal is anything but. Master and i are married. Yes, we got married because 15 years ago, it was the next logical step in our relationship. Plus it afforded me health insurance and all the other benefits that come with marriage. However, we were married in a civil ceremony. No church, no temple, no sacred grove. Town Hall, by a judge, during night court on a Wednesday evening in August. How was that different than this type of civil union? Why do i get to have more, better rights than my gay friends? It's just so screwed up to me. **)

Today's a good day. i got some great emails today, full of exciting possibilities. i answered a bunch of emails that i put aside to do later when i got sick. Oy, procrastination does NOT become me. i think i have a lead on that cute boy i've been flirting with.... we'll see where this goes. If nothing else, i'm having fun trying to find out more about him. He's not "in the scene" as far as i can tell, so i have to not scare him off. :-) Hey, he's inspired me to finish writing some porn, so as far as i'm concerned - this is good for me!

i think i'll go make some toast and then finish packing.....

Happy Lunar New Year

As we move in to the Year of the Pig, i wish all my readers good cheer, bounty and all good things! Have a blessed New Year!



Today, Master and i will be waiting for the new tivo to be installed (although, He's on the phone now fighting with customer service to get the install done....OY!) and catching up on domestic duties and we'll be starting to pack for SPLF. i'm off on Monday so i'll have a whole extra day to get things done before we leave. (pshew! thank goddess for that!)

Icy!

Well, i tried to go in to work today and ended up turning around and going back home. Travel was just not in the cards today with this crazy ice storm. Master dragged His butt in to work at 5:30 AM. i'm either not as dedicated or just not willing to risk my life for my job! :-) Of course, He's the only person who showed up in His office today... Which is actually good because He can enjoy the Valentine's Day baked goods that i slipped in to His briefcase and no one will harass Him or steal them off His desk.

Now, i'm home and i wanted to get some work done around here but the power keeps winking off... so i will wait a while to start the laundry. (good thing my laptop is charged!) i think i'll go make some chai, light some candles, chill out and enjoy the snow day...

Whoops, power is out again.. where did i put those candles?

More busy!

Round 2 of antibiotics for Master. i am just finished with round 1 and i think i'm going to be ok (*knocks on her head for luck*) Very busy weekend.
Friday was catching up on all the domestic things that fell apart while we were both ill. While we were at Wegman's , i jokingly started doing our 10 minute presentation... before we knew it, we had done the whole presentation for our cashier. LOL, she was a good sport about it and wished us luck in Dallas. (one should never miss an opportunity to educate someone about healthy relationships!) *grin* We then each did our 2 minute's on the way to the car. By the time we were done, we were breathless with laughter (and perhaps lingering bronchitis!) but it was good fun and nice to prove to ourselves that we really know our presentations! Perhaps we should try doing them standing on our heads? :-)

It's been a 2 year journey for me since Master decided we were going to run and then He gave me the time to enjoy a year of remission before we plunged in to the contest process. (YAY me!) It was really important for me to be able to enjoy my health, enjoy and test the strength that i learned i had while i was sick, as well as mourn/heal from the surgery.

i debated writing about "laughing while rehearsing" or "rehearsing in the grocery store". i mean, that's not very serious is it? i take this contest VERY seriously. But if i can't laugh or enjoy the whole process, what's the point? There's enough grim crap in life without being miserable about Leather! Right? Right!

The rest of the weekend was spent taping up some loose ends, a bit more sewing and cooking some delicious dinners. Lots of good quality time with Master and the puppies.... BLISS!

LiLu is limping AGAIN! i'm getting her another 'scrip for anti-inflammatories, but i have a feeling that after SPLF she's going to have to go back in for a touch-up surgery on her knee. *grrrrr* (i can't believe we've had her for a year! i got word that her adoption went thru while we were at SPLF last year, that's why her name is LiLu Dallas!)

Off to go buy bread milk and eggs so we can survive the impending blizzard they're threatening us with!

crawling out

Finally crawling out from under this coughing, hacking, mucous filled week! Blech!

We somehow got a lot of stuff accomplished. i got a ton of sewing done, lots of packing up, some writing, some reading.... No gym time for me, at all. Usually that makes me feel like such a bum but i know i can't go until i feel better. (wheezing while lifting 400 lbs is just dumb!Not to mention sneezing with weights over your head.... *crack boom aaiieee!!!*) And since i got so much else done and didn't have to just sit and sweat & fester - i feel ok about it.

The dogs were throughly enjoying having us home. Master was home sick Monday & Tuesday, i was home Thursday, Friday.. the weekend and then Monday. By Tuesday the dogs were both like "Look, you humans - get out of here! Put us in our crates so we can take a nap, ok? Yeesh!"

OK, back to work. So much to do! So little time! :-)

*cough*

sniff..cough..sniff..gag..sniff...HONK....moan....cough.cough.cough.

Yes, i have been stricken with The Creeping Death. Antibiotics have been administered. i am awash with tea and soup, ginger ale and water. Afrin is my best friend. Kleenex is my 2nd best friend.

i hate being sick.

*cough* sniff....

Now back to my regularly scheduled prone position.

fever, chills and bar night update!

Well, i didn’t get to do the update that i wanted to over the weekend. Friday was catching up on domestic duties, Saturday was more of the same and the off to our send off party – throw for us by New York boys of Leather and MAsT Metro NY. The party was awesome – so many people – old friends, some of our newest MAsT members, tons of the NYboL guys. Great stuff for the bake sale, awesome deviled eggs by Dame Amanda and Dame Edna (thank You!) The 9th Ave saloon even donated 2 $25.00 drink coupons for the raffle we had. That was an unexpected and MUCH appreciated donation. Our raffle sales people kicked major butt and coerced even the “vanilla” ladies out of their money! The bootblacks did a brisk business, thank you all for sharing the proceeds with us. The Handsome boys on coat check also were amazing! Great job! Big thank you to every one who helped organize this. You guys not only make it possible to run for a title but you make it worth while to do so! i am a very, very lucky girl!

By the end of the evening, Master was not feeling so hot. By Sunday morning He was in full-blown fever, sore throat, evil upset stomach mode. Oy! Rather than spend the day doing some preparations for SPLF, i was making soup and hot and cold compresses and also plying The Grumpy Patient with liquids. It’s hard to order your Master to drink tea when He’s cranky!

So, SWLC…. Amazing! What a treat to go there and get to spend time with old friends and make some new ones. i met an amazing woman, Roberta, who i want to be my leather Grandmother! This was her first national event and she had a blast. Judging from the line of people who were waiting to say goodbye to her on Monday morning, i think she made a huge impression on everyone that she met. When it was time for us to leave on Monday morning, i was just bawling my eyes out! Amazing woman, real and true.

i also got to spend some time with US Daddy & boy Eric & Earl. Great people, so welcoming, so sweet! i do so love a good bear! (not to mention a hot boy!) We actually ran in to them at the airport, so got to spend a few more minutes with some quality peoples! *big grin!*

Master & i got to spend some time with pug, who we’ve met several times before but never got to really talk to before. They ended up being the “main” drummers for the Dance of Souls. WOW! What a powerful event! i got to release some anger and sorrow, a lot of catharsis for me. There’s been so much loss for me, that went un-mourned and so, at the Dance i was able to release a lot of it.

One of the last conversations we had was with Master Steve, who has apparently passed us The Golden Paintbrush. Master Larry & i are going to have to think hard and gather our resources together, but the project Master Steve suggested (Does Master Steve ‘suggest’ anything? ) is do-able. i am not discussing it here on the blog, i believe in keeping ideas quiet while they ferment but if anyone wants to know – email me or leave a comment and i'll discuss it with you. (See, that’ll get y’all to leave me a comment, won’t it?)

OK, back to work for me and a few doses of Pine Tincture to help prevent me from getting whatever it is that my Master is infested with.
Namaste!

The Drum, the Bear and the Grandmother... oh, and a Golden Paint Brush...

Ok, i'm still too tired and have way too much catch up to do today to give a full report on Southwest Leather Conference (not to mention that blogger wasn't working for most of the day! grrr!) - i will say for now, cliched as it sounds - this was a life changing event for me.

i am still processing the whole event - starting with getting to hang with Master Blair and ending with bawling my eyes out in the lobby as we were leaving.... Wow!

i promise - full update by the end of the weekend!

for me?

Yes, for me. From Mistress Suzan and slave ziggy! They did another fabulous and very timely (for me) presentation for MAsT Metro NY. Good turn out. Lots of information to think about.

We all (another huge crowd) headed over to the Chelsea Diner and Lo and Behold a bouquet arrived for me. *grin* a leather girl just *LOVES* flowers!

i also received a very special gift from a dear friend. i am truly touched to be surrounded by such loving and lovely people.

It's going to be a really good year.

Cake #2

Cake number two! But Number 1 with me, this one was from my Master. Just the two of us at home. Great end to a super day. Any day my Master sings to me is a good day! :-)

Happy Birthday to me!

Happy birthday to me! We spent the day with Mistress Suzan & slave ziggy as they presented for MAsT Central NJ. Lots of fun, i really like those guys alot. We all (25 of us!) piled in to Shogun 18 and chowed on sushi. Lots of great conversation, i got to know Mistress Mia and Her property a bit better. Good folks all around. Strong representaton from our friends from Philly too. Then.... the lights dim, loud music blares and a cake arrives for me! Whoot! Delish! so much fun and so humiliating. We are a LOUD bunch of people! Excellent day over all, thanks EVERYONE!

last post ever.....

HA! i gotcha didn't i?
It's my last post ever at 39, tomorrow i'll be 40. Mixed feelings? Nope, not really. i am ready to leave my 30's behind. Aside from winning the Northeast title this year, 39 basically sucked for me. In fact, over all - it was a worse year than when i was diagnosed with ITP. How's that for bad?

OK, maybe it wasn't all bad. i found my back bone and it was surprisingly buried under debris in my art studio. i found a lot of lost "stuff" this year, things i didn't even know were missing from my life. i made some good friends along the way and met a lot of people that i'd like to know better.
39, i lost my best dog, Basil. He'll never be replaced and i still miss him so much. But i do now have 2 rotten dogs to share my life with. (Not totally rotten, just very... muddy)

i am still on my Black Crowes kick, so i will leave ya'll with the lyrics to Wiser time. And a toast to the people who helped shape me for another year!


Wiser Time - The Black Crowes
No time left now for shame
Horizon behind me, no more pain
Windswept stars blink and smile
Another song, another mile
You read the line every time
Ask me about crime in my mind
Ask me why another read song
Funny but I bet you never left home
Chorus:
On a good day, its not every day
We can part the sea
And on a bad day, its not every day
Glory beyond our reach
Seconds until sunrise
Tired but wiser for the time
Lightning 30 miles away
Three thousand more in two days

Quiet, busy.....

Personally, i think the Holidays have been very quiet here. i mean, we did all the usual - The Aunt, The Other Relatives, etc but somehow i didn't get frenzied this year - which was a very nice change of pace. my Solstice was quiet also, but very, very nice. Master and His Aunt got me some nice kitchen equipment -Knives! Calphalon pots! i feel the urge to chop and saute....

We took both pups over to The Aunt's house and they were... well behaved! By the time we got home, they were unable to keep their eyes open and were like two over tired children at the end of Christmas day... right to bed with them. Master and i got to have a quiet night with cups of tea to settle our over-fed bellies and then we hit the sack also. Nice.

No holiday bonus this year...Wah! Very sad, but a bonus is a gift and not to be expected. However, i did get a nice, very nice raise and a teriffic review. i did get a very unexpected gift from my clients - some of the Ladies there chipped in a got me a lovely business card holder. In the 25 years my company has been taking care of them, no one there has ever given a gift to us. my bosses feel this is a direct reflection of the relationship i've built with them and acknowledge that i saved that part of our business! That, my friends, is better than a bonus! Now, if things go as anticipated and i end up going on the road as part of my job duties this year.... :-)

Some One had a half day today and so He baked some cookies all by Himself {first time solo baking, i might add!} DELICIOUS!

Recap

A recap of the week:
Very busy at work. i spent most of the week getting ready to visit my clients next week. This is my favorite client visit of the year - i get to deliver presents and gift cards and since i really like about 90% of the people i get to visit, i have a blast!
Wednesday was Jury Duty. Blarg! i enjoy doing my civic duty as a Good American, i just wish the process was so awful. my company doesn't pay for jury duty, i am out of vacation days after going to Black Rose and the Court system pays $5.00 per day to serve. i'm sorry, but that amount of money is more of an insult than a help. It's not enough for gas or parking or lunch. Grr... but i wasn't selected for jury and ended up getting out at noon. FREE day!

i ended up going to Target, buying a big shelf unit for the Master's bedroom and re-organizing all His boots and toys. Now easily accessed, neat looking rows of boots (my eye beholds!) and somehow the bedroom seems brighter.
It's a continuation of the decluttering going on here. i also got rid of another bag of clothes and a bag of papers we don't need and a lot of stuff that i ended up looking at and wondering "now, why did i save this?" i was reading a blog on being spiritually stifled by your stuff. It's true. So very true. Whether you go the Feng shui thing or what ever your spiritual practices are, all that "stuff" is just so much spiritual goo that's got to be removed before you can move ahead. Interesting food for thought.

Last night i took Master out to a new restaurant in town. Pretty good food. i would eat there again. Then off to toy shopping for the Argonauts toys for tots drive in Asbury Park tonight. We don't have any kids to buy for so any excuse to shop for toys is always fun.

Listening to Master's old band Sticks and Stones. First off, it was just weird downloading all His music from I-Tunes, Secondly - wow, such good memories about traveling with the band in that big ugly ORANGE VW van. i realized that just about every band the Man has been in has sampled stuff from the movie Blade Runner. Weird.
Waking up each morning to the Black Crowes sing "then she said my name" It just sets the whole tone of my day and makes me feel good. Great song...

hat - check. coat - check

OK, i'm all ready to go outside and watch the shuttle. Nope, launch is scrubbed! Safety first and foremost! Maybe they'll try again tomorrow, maybe Saturday....

Shuttle

For those of you, my faithful readers, on the East Coast of the U.S. - you can view a rare night launch of the Shuttle (assuming the weather cooperates and she gets off the ground!)

Here are the instructions. i don't know if i can see it from where i am, there are a lot of trees and it's only going to be about 10 degrees off the horizon (roughly the width of a clenched fist) But give it a whirl anyway. Thos of you by NY Harbor may have a great view!

Amazing that it only takes 8 minutes from launch (9:35 pm) to get over NYC! Cool! *space nut* that's me!

to Black Rose and back again....

Wow, what a busy weekend! BR was a blast, Master and i had pretty good turn outs for both classes (considering having the first session and the last session) Amazing people in both classes, with great questions. A surprising (to me anyway) amount of people from NJ - hopefully we'll get them out to the NJ or MAsT Metro NY meetings. i was surprised and happy to see a Gentleman in the Sunday class who has been to several of our classes at other events. i really enjoy his questions and feedback and just his energy in general. *Super!*

We got to spend some time with Quality People who we don't get to see often enough. Very nice! Excellent time in the dungeon, i was a bloody mess when all was said and done. That just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. There was some cool/funky/weird energy stuff going on between Master and i. i've done energetic healing before and i'm also "Reiki I" initiated, so that feeling of energy flow is familiar to me. To feel it flowing out from the needles was amazing! Master felt it flowing OUT of me and i felt it flowing IN from Him. Lots to think about after that scene...

Home to the puppies and MUD everywhere! They were frantic to get hugs and puppy love. i spent all day Monday comforting them, tripping over them and feeding them. Between the 2 of them they've eaten 12 cups of food and are still going!! i also spent the day doing 4 loads of laundry. How we wore so many clothes in 4 days i have NO idea! :-)


i'm going to wrap up my evening, finish folding Mount Laundry and go root for Master's fantasy football team! (and beg for a few puffs on His relazation cigar....) G'night.....

Thanksgiving

What a great weekend! So much to be thankful for this year, so many wonderful new experiences, so many good old friends, so many new friends! Even the rotten and uncomfortable parts of the year have lead me to be a stronger woman and have helped me to grow.

Master and i spent the Holiday with NYbOL, it was great to get to know the guys a bit better and the food! OMG! Good Goddess, can those boys cook! What an excellent group of people - good looking, good cooking...how can you go wrong?

Friday, Saturday and Sunday were spent doing some major cleaning, revamping and redecorating in the Household. Master was a huge help and over all great co-ordinator. This is a continuation of all the decluttering going on in our lives. It started in the studio and it's spreading though out the house and in to other parts of my life. It's a nice, lighter feeling for me. i wasn't a big believer in Feng Shui, but i'm starting to see that a lot of it's principals apply to my life. Either way, the holiday tree and lights are up, most of the house is decorated, most of the house is clean and shiney again. i feel great about that, YAY!

We even fit in a great time at Paddles on Friday. An awsome thigh caning, hung Kyle & friends :-) PLUS we got to meet up with the Pride Household - it was great to see those guys. i miss seeing the old gang regularly.

We had a 2nd Thanksgiving meal today. i usually cook a rack of lamb for Master for Thanksgiving so we had that today along with some turkey and butternut squash & apples, Pommes Anna.... now i'm stuffed!

Master gave me permission to register for ARTiscape, which is a 4 day artist's retreat. It's in May, shouldn't conflict with any leather events. So, i picked out my classes and booked my room. The host hotel is the only hotel in the U.S. that's a Botanic Garden - BEAUTIFUL! i left some space in my schedule to walk the grounds and relax. i am so excited to go there! i signed up for all the banquets and parties - very unlike the old me to go anywhere by myself, much less to a dinner or party alone. i am getting to like the stronger me.



i'm headed off to clean up the kitchen and take a much needed bath. But i will leave you all with my favorite Tanksgiving picture this year - Wild Turkeys, caught on security camera, trying to board a NJ Transit Train!

BUSTED!

Exhaustion

my poor Master has been absolutely brutalized at work. The powers that be keep demanding more and more work from fewer and fewer people - all in the name of the all-mighty dollar. Watching Him get up to leave at 4:30 am, to fill in for people who have been down-sized is really breaking my heart.

He works so hard: because He's got that amazing work ethic, because He is an amazing provider, because He wants to be sure that He can provide medical insurance for me in case i have a relapse.
And this Man still goes to the gym every day after work and puts most people to shame with the energy that He gives to His workout. Yes, His workout - the one that He does to make sure that He's in the best shape ever so He can take care of business and take care of me.

Then He comes home and has to do yet more work from home. Then i get snappy at Him that He fell asleep on the couch instead of having conversation with me.... Oy, what a rotten slave i feel like!

All i can do is say "Thank You" and try to do as well at my own job and in the service that i give to Him. Sometimes, and this week is one of those times, what i give to Him just doesn't feel like enough.

So, this has been a rotten 2 weeks for us and i blame the down-sizing of corporate America.

11/17

On 11/17, when i was 15 - i went to see the Circle Jerks, False Prophets and A.O.D. at the Reggae Lounge. (i'd run away from home, for the last time, about a month earlier - escaping from an abusive situation and beginning a cascade of legal events which ended in me having my own apartment by the time i was 16. Which was much less fun than you'd imagine it was!)

i went to the show with a bunch of friends (Sir Larry included) Some how, thru much finagling, i got another friend of mine to hold on to my glasses, asked Sir if He could hold my hand and take me up front to be in the mosh pit... since of course, i could see with out my glasses, i needed an escort.

The rest is history. He stuck with me thru all those freakin' HORRIBLE days in court, while i had to testify against my glaring, threatening family. We've been together ever since. It's been 24 years. We've gone from those crazy punk kids with the crazy hair, to those crazy Metal heads, with the crazy hair, involved with many, many bands along the way, to the crazy Master slave couple - still with the crazy hair.

i couldn't have asked for a better life. i am a damn lucky woman!

MAsT D.C. joint meeting

Tuesday Sir and i presented for MAsT DC, a joint meeting of the Men's & the Pan groups. An uneventful, quick trip to Master Taino's. (great directions!) What a beautiful home, such a gracious host. We were so well taken care of by Master Taino and slave david. What a great dungeon, i wish we'd had the time to play down there. Maybe next time! :-)

A great bunch of people at the meeting, Awesome to see Master J, Master Tallen, Master Wes, slave andew, and many, many others. Excellent questions from them all - the presention hinges on audience participation (as most do!) and the quality of the audience's questions makes the presentation sing. It's interesting that, like life, you get out of a presentation exactly what you put in to it.

Sir and i stayed overnight and then up at 5:30 am to return home to our angry dogs. Taybor and LiLu were happy to see us, i ended up giving them an empty box to tear apart so they could vent their frustrations. Between cardboard destruction, some new toys and a lot of wrestling they were asleep by 10:30 as were Sir and i. i love traveling but nothing beats coming home to my own little bed on the floor, next to Sir's bed where i can hear Him snore.

GMSMA Leather Fest

NYbOL logo In M&M'S! GMSMA leather fest was a blast, we got to spend more quality time with NYbOL - what an awesome bunch of guys. Sir Larry & i ran off to the Leather Man so He could get fitted for some new pants, which we'll pick up on 11/18.

Some how i ended up getting hugged and flung up in the air by one of the NYbOL's..... wel, that made me feel like i was just a tiny girl! :-) Funny!

organized Chaos

So, i've gotten my studio space fairly organized... enough so that if i have a free 15 minutes i can dash in there and do some art or sewing. It's very nice.
i have had 2 problems.... the first one is that my work table is low enough or my dog is tall enough that he can reach my work in progress. Which has resulted in: paint on nose, glue on nose, paper glued to dogs head, various pieces of assemblage art (i.e. anything that has any organic pieces in it) being picked apart & eaten, etc, etc.

The other problem is that things still go missing. It used to be that they were simply buried under the rubble of untamed art supplies and piles of things that had no businesss being in the studio. Now however, things are gone and.. well, i don't know what happened. The most annoying missing thing is my Artist's journal, which had some watercolors and collage in it. Gone. Missing. Doh. It's not that the work was so astonishingly great, it really isn't. And i don't care that it was bad, or not so good (or a sign of my progression, i suppose i should say!) It's the fact that it was a mostly unused Moleskine notebook. Yes, i have a Moleskine fetish. (tribute givers, please keep that in mind..) i really was being good about keeping it with in easy reach so i could just throw it down and do some work immediately.

It's frustrating when things like this hamper my progress. i feel like i can't get out of my own way. Sigh.

blogging guilt....

i hate it when i get behind in my blogging and then... Well, i get overwhelmed. Do i go back and blog all the stuff i missed writing about? Just pick up from where i am now? Then i procrastinate and don't blog at all, a vicious cycle!

Between my last entry and now i served as the Judge's girl for Mr & Ms NJ Leather. That was fun. i got to spend some time with a few of the Judges that i already knew, which was great and also met some new people who were awesome! All the contestants made a great showing and the Winners were Chuck for Mr NJ Leather and boy robi for Ms NJ Leather. i am really proud of both of them. Chuck's had a heck of a year and i am just so proud of him stepping up and entering the contest. boy robi kick butt also and looks damn good in formal wear! :-) i'm sure they'll represent NJ well and do a lot of good work this year.

i set up an ancestor altar this year at Samhain to celebrate the lives of my dearly departed. Samhain wasn't as festive (it is my new year, after all!) as it usually has been for me in the past but instead was more introspective and quiet.

i've spent an unusual amount of time on the road for my clients, things are looking good business wise and i may end up having to travel out of state a few times a month. i'm looking forward to more money because of that but i'd really rather be here in NJ serving at home! Seriously, i try to live simply, more money just adds up to more gadgets and somehow the money, no matter how much there is, finds a way to get spent. i'd rather have more time than have more money.

Master and i presented for DSF on Friday, that went pretty well. Lots of people had questions afterwards. i am starting not to judge the response to the presentation until it's done and we're wandering around... then i count how many people come up to ask questions that they didn't want to air in front of the crowd. Which is fine by me, i know that sometimes i have stuff that's either too personal or perhaps doesn't fit the "theme" of the presentation exactly and i'd rather ask later. Or ask via email It's all fine to me!

In keeping with my big "search and destroy" anti-clutter mission in the studio, Master and i have embarked on either starting or finishing a ton of Household projects that needed doing but have been neglected for quite some time. We installed closet organizers in His bedroom, whihc resulted in a major purge of old crap. There's now plenty of room to actually walk in to the walk in closet AND all Master's leathers are hung in one place.

We finally figured out how to display the fabulous pillows we were given at the M/s conference. With the unruly canines in the house, they couldn't be displayed on the couch or on Master's bed, so i sewed some chain on to the corners and we hung them from the ceiling. Yup, pillow bondage! i love the way they look like that. They make me smile.

That's my update for now, signing off before this becomes tooooo long.

CBGB'S

This weekend CBGB's is finally closing.
i am really very saddened by this, for both the NY music scene and for personal nostalic reasons. When i was a kid, i got 5 bux allowance. That was enough cash to take the bus to the S.I. ferry, get to NYC, walk to the Village, $3.00 to get in to CB's to see the show, with 25 cents left over for the return trip on the ferry.
There would be at least 3 bands on the bill - usually more. i saw some of the most amazing punk and hardcore bands play, from all over the world. i was there every weekend for about 10 years.
It was on the stage there, at my VERY first concert ever that i saw my Master for the first time. Who knew we'd still be together? He played there many, many times with a number of different bands. We made friends with some of the sound men and used to get them to tape concerts off the sound board for us. (where are those tapes now???)
i got my first black eye there, in the mosh pit. (because Sir jumped off the stage and kicked me in the eye.... ahh, the early S.M. blossoming of youth!) i carried Sir and a bunch of friends in the pit on my shoulders (chicken slam!)
i, myself, sang on that stage with one of Sir's bands. So, yeah - CBGB's closing is a very personal thing.
i read that Hilly is going to take everything, including the urinals with him and re-open in Las Vegas. i hope he does it, i really do. It won't be the same (nothing in life ever is, i've discovered) but let it become a huge entity with financial backing and pray that the powers that be stick to the spirit of feeding new music, discovering new bands and keeping some dreams alive.

GMSMA

Tomorrow Sir and i are presenting for GMSMA in NYC. i am pretty excited about this. Some people on the board seemed to have really done a lot of lobbying to get me accepted to the panel. i am blown away by their acceptance of me.

Also, the New York boys of Leather are sending a hoard of boys down to support us! Whoo Hooo! i love those guys! It'll be nice to have those friendly faces in the crowd.

Off to do Sir's boots. Hopefully i'll have enough time to give mine the once over. Why are the slaves boots always lacking a fine shine? (don't answer that, i know the answer... LOL)

Philly & flowers, perfect together

Few things are as gratifying as getting a beautiful array of flowers after doing a presentation for a GREAT and responsive group of people. Man, i love Philly!

(Did i mention i love blogging with my camera phone also?)

**just to flesh out the post: Our hosts were amazing! Great job promoting the presentation, the Darkside was amazing and very accommodating, (i wanna go back there to play!) the table of baked goods and home-made candies were astounding. Dinner at Lord Brick's - delish! i *love* a Master who can cook! :-)
Over all, the day was just perfect. A+

Faithful Readers

To all my faithful readers:

my apologies for not writing for quite some time. i am going through a lot of emotional difficulty and this is not the forum to discuss it in. It's too public a space and the M/s world is just too small. 

my main focus right now is myself and other than that, there's just not a lot to write about. i've concurrently demolished my studio - i figure that throwing out the un-necessary was a good way to make me feel better. It's helped greatly and now having easy access to my materials is making it easier for me to work. Unfortunately, i feel all dried up and uninspired! Ah, well - i'm sure my bliss will come back to me soon. Maybe i'll put up some "Reward: Lost Bliss" signs in the neighborhood. That seems to work well for the return of cats and dogs.

Life is change, is it not?