IML

Memorial Day, end of May. This trip was a lesson in patience; a walking meditation in keeping your eyes and heart open.

The universe set out a special set of lessons for us that weekend - many dealt with stress and patience. We had airline issues, baggage issues, hotel issues, relationship issues, time management issues, and more. What was the point? I believe it was to simply stay calm and keep working to move forward. This is not going to be a post to complain about everything that happened to give us stress, but I'm going to acknowledge that things happened, and ultimately, we made it through due to the kindness of our friends and strangers. Was it easy? No. There were moments that truly taxed my hypertension medication. And yet here I am, alive and healthy, a little wiser, and certainly grateful for general human kindness and helpfulness.

International Mr Leather weekend in Chicago is an experience like no other - you can make the weekend anything you want.
We wanted to have fun, reconnect with our friends and family from around the world, meet new people to add to our family, romp with the puppies at Woof Camp!, and enjoy the great opportunities Chicago has to offer. We got to do all those things.

So many of our friends that we've met this year are local or state or regional titleholders on their way to join the brotherhood of the IML competitors. It was wonderful to see them all and encourage them on their journey all year, and it was fantastic to watch them all through the weekend. It takes a special kind of courage to put yourself out there in one of the biggest competitions around. You should all be proud. Congratulations to Andy Cross, Mr. San Francisco Leather, for taking the International Mr. Leather title back home to the city by the bay and to Oil Tan Sam who took the International Mr Bootblack title home to Portland.

Many other friends are vendors at the various shows and events - it's been great to meet them and see how they pour their hearts into their wares. Support your local vendors, my friends. It may be cheaper to order merchandise from overseas, but the quality is superior here. You will get what you pay for. And if you have a problem, it's easier to deal with a human on the spot instead of a machine or service overseas. Support your local businesses!

Many of our friends do not fall under these categories. They are significant others, best friends, or community kinksters. They are wonderful supportive and loving people who make us feel at home no matter where the road takes us. They love puppies and all things puppy. We love them because they always welcome us into their lives and families anywhere we see them, and that makes our family bigger too.

There were so many conversations, so many hugs, meals shared, friendships formed, kindness shared, hot boys tied up, and good times - I could not begin to list them or even give highlights.

If you haven't figured out by now, let me make it clear - IML for me is all about my great big kinky leather family. I love them all, and I am honored to call them my friends and family. Hugs to you all!

CLAW

It's the third weekend of April and we're heading east again, but northward to Cleveland for the ever-growing Cleveland Leather Awareness Weekend (CLAW). There was no contest during the weekend, but it was a puppy bonanza! Classes for an amazing variety of interests (including puppy) held in multiple locations, silent auctions rocked the nights, the vendor mart was large and the selections were wide. It takes an army of volunteers to keep this event running smoothly, and they did an amazing job.
One night offered a puppy obstacle course, complete with an MC to keep the crowd involved and the action moving. I volunteered to handle any pups without handlers so they could participate, because it was a team event. I was paired with a wonderful young pup whose handler/partner was busy volunteering and could not make the event. We had a chat about things and I learned that this was his first time as a puppy outside their house - big step for him! We talked about things and got comfortable with each other, and then he eased into headspace. Once we hit the floor of the agility course, he was ready and romping. He did a great job and we had a fun couple of minutes out in the middle of the room with a whole crowd watching. Later, his partner joined us and we had a friendly visit about how well he did. They were both proud, and they should be.
I was fortunate to spend some time with Boy Matt from New Jersey. This sexy man really helped me balance the needs of my introvert against the stress of the third weekend in a row traveling to larger events. I was worn a bit thin, and sharing time with him helped me recharge my batteries. Thank you Matt!
The second night offered a puppy mosh pit for the pups at CLAW. The attendance vastly outgrew the allocated space, long before it could begin. Wow. They were incredibly under-spaced. The mosh crew did their very best with what they had, and I was pleased that they were able to run and control the pit, but it was super crowded. Hopefully the event organizers will take note and triple or quadruple the space allocated before next year's event. Luckey did not join the mosh - it was impossible to control the snacks with such a large attendance, and his honey allergy makes him vulnerable to far too many things. So he stays alive for now, and we're ok with that.
We saw so many people, so many puppies, talked, visited, took photos, laughed, ate, and bonded. This really is an event that can be about anything you want it to be - so round up a group of your best dozen traveling friends and start planning to attend in 2014!

Take Your Clothes Off!

I'm an introvert - I like my quiet time. I don't do well with small talk - the concept eludes me. And I still manage to have fun and enjoy the crazy busy noisy chaos that is International Mr Leather (and sometimes Mid-Atlantic Leather). How? By having a purpose, a reason, and a direction for conversation. Most of the year, I sit in an office with a computer, doing non-social activities to fund the adventure that is my life. But once or twice a year, I leave the computer behind and become a retail salesperson for one of my dearest friends. Carlos is the designer and tailor of CJ's Leather. He creates the designs and patterns, orders the hides, and makes the garments. What you see in his shop is the work of his hands. It is quality, made in America by a local business that supports his community in more ways than I can count. And when I'm in his shop, the crowds disappear into a dull roar in the background and the only thing that matters is the customers that come in to shop. Here is where I feel safe. I am with my friends. I care about what I'm doing. I want people to look good, to feel sexy, and to enjoy their purchase. In this shop, I have a reason to talk to people, to connect, to ask what they're looking for and help them find the right fit. Every year at IML, I get to dress someone in leather for the first time. They find themselves looking in a mirror and seeing, for the first time, a new sexy image that fills them with confidence. That's an amazing experience to share.
The crowds ebb and flow, there are times we cannot slow down to eat lunch, and there are strange moments of stillness in the middle of the afternoon where we check the racks and try to clean up the shop area, and in those moments, I find the peace that keeps me sane.
And then there are the perks...in order to put the leather on, their clothes must come off. Some men are shy, others are NOT so shy. Some will use the dressing room, and others just shuck their clothes right there. Do I appreciate a beautiful body? Oh yes. Can I remain professional and deal with finding them the right garment? Yes. But I do enjoy it? Oh hell yes.
Customer: I'd like to try on this armband.
Staff: Take your clothes off!
Customer: But it's just an armband...
Staff: Yes it is, but you're going to want to try on everything in the shop, and this just makes it easier for everyone.
Customer: If you say so....
And they do it. And, in most cases, they do want to try on a shirt, a pair of pants, a vest, chaps, a harness, and we help them find the right fit and design for their body. Then everybody's happy. But I am in Denver for 51 weeks out of the year. When I say "Take your clothes off!" they just look at me and walk away. That's the magic of IML - for four days out of the year, they do it!