Thunder In The Mountains

Our amazing local weekend - Thunder in the Mountains! - was July 12-14. This was the first big event that Chris and I attended, and it was the first event that Chris and Luckey and I attended together. It marks a special place in our hearts. Packing for Thunder is an adventure. We like to stay at the host hotel for the weekend and save a 45+ minute drive each way for the three days of the event, so we just load up the car with all the things we think we'll need. No weight restrictions means LOTS of toys. Do they all get used? No. Are they available if we want them? You bet! Somehow, during Registration, Luckey wound up wearing a PINK Leather Tiara, bedazzled and bejeweled, custom made just for him by Shazzy. I need pics!
Friday night starts with a meet and greet, introduction of the presenters and staff, and a quick review of the rules. Thunder is amazingly low on rules for an event this size. Practically anything goes in the dungeon (with a few notable exceptions) and the classes are always an amazing lineup. After a quick dinner, we joined the meet & greet time, and then socialized for a while afterwards.

This year, Friday night in the dungeon hosted HOWL AT THE MOON! - a two hour puppy mosh pit sponsored/staffed by the Puppies In The Mountains organizers and friends. Ten pm rolled around and we were given free reign of the mats set up in one end of the dungeon space. Last year was our first year, and it was very well attended. This year there were fewer puppies, but they moshed long and hard. One of our local pups, Pup Loki, was there when it started and played until we shut down at midnight. I started calling him The Iron Puppy for his endurance. We had some first timers join us on the mat - one willingly and the other was encouraged/dragged in by the first and Loki. Overall, there was much fun and puppy frolic. When it was done, we collected our toys, water bottles, and gummi snacks and loaded them back to our hotel room. Luckey took the time to have a light and fluffy rope scene with Ruin Awaits. (Next day, she started calling him Cujo. I wonder why?)
I wasn't tired yet, so I wandered back to the dungeon to watch things unfold as scenes continues into the late hours. As it turns out, I spent almost two hours talking with one of our local guys that I really had never visited with before. We commented on one of the hot and sexy young men wearing a pony tail, and that conversation became an exploration of our histories and opinions on many topics until we realized it was getting late (bedtime). We both attended many of the same classes through the weekend, and continued visiting each time. Thanks, Doctor Bob! It was a great to finally get to spend time getting to know each other better.

Saturday's classes started about 9am and continued on until 5ish. We enjoyed a range of lighthearted presentations to very serious and focused scenes presented. You have to choose carefully at Thunder - there are so many classes that we often end up splitting up to attend more. Saturday night's playtime started at nine pm, so we grabbed dinner with the International Titleholders Dinner Club and got dressed for the evening. Yes, I said Dinner Club - not Breakfast Club. Too many schedule conflicts in the mornings.
Saturday night was the 7th Annual Game Night at Thunder, sponsored by the Denver boys of Leather. It's a fun time in the Hospitality Suite with lots of friends, cheesy poofs, and games. There were two separate games of Cards Against Humanity going on, and maybe a little Trouble too. The newly formed Denver girls of Leather announced their presence that night as well, and were welcomed into the community with open arms.
Saturday night I enjoyed delivering an impact scene to Chris and a caning scene to Pup Tugger  - thumpy and stingy - all in one night! Added some bastinado into the caning scene for fun. <Evil laugh> Boy Bamm Bamm watched the caning scene, and joined in to deliver some good whacks of his own before we were done.

Sunday morning came all too early. Breakfast, load the car, classes, and a visit to the vendor mart. There's some great shopping at this event. A casual conversation outside the Truly Sin-Cyr corset booth turned into a line of men all waiting to try on a corset for the first time. Pup David (aka Wiggles or Bacon) went first, and it provided the support he needed for his sore back...and it looked HOT. Corset discussions continued, and the line formed. Luckey, Mark, Tugger, me, Loki, BammBamm - we all got laced in and spent a few minutes in them. It was interesting. I didn't hate it - but I don't know when I would wear it. Yes, they provide amazing back support. And some breath control too. Plus posture reminders - you shall not slouch.

We finished out the day and went to the Eagle to decompress and relax. Nick Elliott showed up and he spent a good long while talking with my boy. Later we fed Nick and returned him to the hotel. Time to go home, unpack the car, put away the toys, and go to bed.

To Rich and Brian - GREAT JOB! Thank you for all your hard work through the year. Thank you for letting the Denver boys of Leather host Game Night, and Thank you for supporting HOWL AT THE MOON! Aroooo!
To all the presenters - Thank you! We learn so much every year and come away inspired.
To all the vendors - Thank you for tempting us with your wares. My credit card fears this event.
To all the volunteers - Thank you for contributing and donating your time to make this event great.
To all our friends and family - Thank you for making this an amazing weekend for us all.
Much love to you all!

MAL 2013 part 2

Saturday was going to be exciting - puppy mosh day! We got up and moving around 9am, a little more slowly after two very full and busy days, and started on our third. After breakfast, Luckey and Robert went roaming aroud the hotel and socializing and I spent a few hours working in CJ's Leather. Time flew, and it was off to the pit! We'd contacted the Mid Atlantic Kennel Klub earlier to alert them to Luckey's honey allergy and offer to bring gummy bears, so there was very low concern about treats. At the mosh area, we met Slavepup Axel, and decided to talk about title stuff later after the playtime! And away they went - mosh mosh mosh sniff push wiggle scratch rub bark howl mosh mosh mosh. Luckey met his match in Pup Tank, the first pup to square off with Luckey and flip him in a puppy bulldozing match. Luckey's eyes went HUGE. All the hard playing pups wore themselves out in the first hour, and dragged themselves off to the edges of the moshpit area to chat and get acquainted. All the smaller, less rowdy pups kept playing for the full two and a half hours, and I stayed busy throwing balls, rubbing bellies, and scritching ears. This was a blast! Post mosh, Luckey went to get cleaned up and patch up his knees and elbows, and I went back to work for a few more hours at CJ's until it was time to get changed and dress up.
Leather Cocktails is where you put on your shiny best dressy leathers and socialize, drink, and snack in the company of your shiny dressed up friends for a few hours. There's always some beautiful leathers on display, and lots of hot men as well. Good discussions, networking, and hanging with the extended family is a great way to spend a few hours anywhere you go. They wrapped up with a Parade of Colors to pay respect to the various clubs that traveled to support the event. Then it was back to the market, the lobby, the bar to shop, cruise, and drink. I sat in the restaurant at dinner with some long-time friends catching up on our lives while Luckey and Robert made several forays out into the crowd and hotel, always coming back to check in every hour or so. We also made plans to visit the DC Coast for dinner on Sunday night after things slowed down. This is a favorite dinner spot for several of us, and while the food is stunning, the service is stellar, so I was excited to take Luckey to one of my favorite spots in DC. Bedtime came early (sort of) because we had Titleholder Breakfast at 8am on Sunday.

MAL 2013 part 1

4:30 am is not my favorite time of day, but boarding at 6:40 was our smartest time to fly if we wanted to see as much of DC as possible on Thursday. Luckey hasn't been before, and we're going to play tourist. Our friends Kinkster Kell and Kinkster Adam were sitting directly behind us on the flight. I would say Kell kicked my seat for the whole first half of the flight, but it was really just turbulence. It's the first event of the new year, and MAL weekend is going to be a blast!
Luckey used the airtime to work on artwork for the next Puppies In The Mountains poster and I worked on my blog. Puppies! We confirmed a date for the event - October 4 & 5, 2013. Woo Hoo!

Touring was fun, but a little taxing on my feet in 17" harness boots. My hiking shoes were still in transit. After walking my legs off, we made our way back to the hotel and got checked in. Our friend Robert arrived at the room, and we met friends for dinner. That night we helped our friends at CJ's Leather unload their vendor shop into the market and got busy socializing. I was reconnecting with people I've known for years, and Luckey was meeting people he's been talking to online or just introducing himself to new people. He's kinda fearless at that.

Friday morning found us up and moving early again for a day at the National Zoo! We were hunting penguins, pandas, and cows. Our friend Jessie joined us, and he's an amazing and wonderful man (even if he does feed the tree rats). The pups were tasked with finding the zoo and the proper visiting hours, so Jessie and I just followed along. We learned that cheetahs chirp. I thought it was a bird somewhere, but no. We watched their mouths move and this strange chirping sound came out. No penguins in the national zoo, but there were lions and tigers and panda bears! And two cows - I guess city kids need to see where milk and hamburgers come from. After the zoo we found the Natual History Museum and checked out the dinosaur bones and paid a visit to the Hope Diamond.
Fantastic dinner in a Kelly's Irish Times Pub - fish &chips, corned beef & veggies, mac & cheese with chunks of corned beef...mmmmm. Now it was time to pack up and change clothes to head off to Bear Happy Hour at Town. The original plan was for Luckey to do a rope suspension demo, but that did not work out. He did some standing bondage on Robert instead and we enjoyed the vibe for a few hours. Great dance music and lots of hot guys everywhere! Back to the host hotel for the DC boys of Leather party and more social time. Jessie spent the whole day running around with us, and he brought so much joy and fun to the day - if you ever get the chance to spend the day with Mr San Francisco Leather 2012 - Do it!

MIR 2012

The contest for the next Mr. International Rubber followed close on the heels of American Brotherhood Weekend, and we were back in Chicago once again.
I always enjoy Chicago, and try to get out and explore a little more each time I go. This trip was a bit odd, though. I spent the weekend feeling...disconnected. It wasn't the wonderful people we saw and spent time with, and it wasn't the fun event and vendor market. It was something in me that just wouldn't "click" and let me relax and enjoy myself.
Yes, I had fun. The annual date with my fisting friend was a rocking good time. (I do not have beginner-sized hands.) The meals, the friends, the atmosphere - all were good. But....meh.
I know that I enjoy rubber, but at the same time, I am not a "rubber man". I enjoy the feel of my surf suit from E7, and I love the gloves, boots, gas masks, skin tight fun. But not that weekend. Most often, it felt like I'd rather be home and in my own space and away from everyone. I do not enjoy that feeling. Was I getting sick, or getting over being sick? nope. My body was there, my goal was to be present and have fun, and my head/emotions were completely against it. I've been back over the emotional landscape of the weekend many times, but I have no answers. Sometimes, you just don't click. Here's to hoping that doesn't happen again soon.

So what do YOU do?

Not long after the "He's my puppy" discussion, conversations tend to either stop because the person is overloaded or confused or thinking this is all too wierd. Some people continue, though, and then comes "How do you interact with him?" or "What's your role in this relationship?". I'm his Trainer. "oh" <processing>
"So what do you do?"
Ah, this is where it gets interesting again. 

There are two words floating around, and some people use them interchangeably. They are not the only two words to describe the interaction of another with a pup, but they are fairly common. Those words are "Handler" and "Trainer", and depending on how you look at them, they help you define the role you take when you interact with a pup. Please know, I am speaking from my own experience and my viewpoint - others can, and do, disagree with the definitions I'm about to discuss. That is their view based on their experience, and we will agree that we have different definitions for those words in this context.

First: Handler
This is a person who facilitates the puppy experience. Pups can play on their own, if they choose, but many like the interaction with someone else. Someone who will throw the ball, give treats, scratch between the ears and that happy spot right above the tail. A handler can interact from a distance, much like a Dungeon Monitor in a play space, and keep an eye on things to ensure general safety, or a handler can interact up close with either a group of pups or a single pup.
When I help run a mosh pit, I function as a handler. I keep an eye out for safety in the environment, watch for kneepads and mitts, check water stations, keep the toys in the play area, check in on any pup that's not participating, keep my eye on the energy level of the pups that are moshing, interact with observers to educate them if time permits, and generally stay very busy without getting into the middle of things. I also will throw the ball, squeak the toys, give scritches, and look for pups who can do simple tricks for gummy bears. While these are not MY pups, I love their energy and the fun we can have together.

Second: Trainer
This is a person who has a specific relationship with one or more pups. This is the relationship I have with MY pup. Yes, we worked out the basic "sit, stay, down, roll over, speak" commands, and it goes far beyond that.
We know each other. We are on a wavelength. Sometimes, it seems we share a brain. When we are interacting, he works to follow my directions and I work to bring out the best in him. We share a relationship that makes us both better. It is intimate, and it is ours.  He wears collars and tags I bought for him. It is like no other relationship, and that is a magical thing.
Training doesn't just happen in pup space, it is an ongoing life experience.
He is younger, so I share my life experience. He's also perfectly able to teach me new things as well, and I welcome those times. We are a team, in silliness and utter seriousness.

For context, I can talk about a Daddy/boy relationship, because my boy and I are in our 9th year together. It's like that, but different. I know many boys, and I enjoy their company and energy and the time I spend with them. But they are not MY boy, and our relationship is special.

I cannot speak about the Master/slave dynamic, because I do not fully understand that energy. I will go out on a limb and say .. It's like that, but different.

Anybody that wants to interact can be a Handler for the puppy community. It makes things go easier and lets you share the fun. And if, by chance, you and a pup actually hit it off on a deeper level, you might find out what makes the Trainer relationship so special.

First Mosh Pit

There are pivotal moments in the development of a pup, and it's important to remember those and see how they affect the pup-that-is-now and how he grows into the pup-that-he-becomes. For us, that moment was a weekend full of moments in Dallas when we attended the International Puppy and Trainer Conference in Spetember 2009.
Luckey was learning and growing and playing, and we were adapting to a new person/pup in our lives. Playtime was between me and Luckey. Playing fetch, romping around the house, snuggles, scritchies, lots of lovey time. IPTC provided an opportunity to meet new pups, get some education, and MOSH. He was nervous, but I knew he would adapt. We arrived in Dallas after a frustrating flight and then argued with the hotel desk about our room, so the startup was a challenge. Chris and I went out to the bar for the welcome party, and Luckey had to stay at the hotel since he was still 20. We bought him a leather dog bone that night, and it travels with us everywhere now. (When we're not traveling, he hides it in my house to keep it safe.) The classes were great. The presenters knew their material. The people were fun and open and it felt like family. But then we hit the mosh pit. It took Luckey about 2 whole minutes to absorb the scene, decide what he wanted, and jump in with all four paws. This was before lunch on Saturday, and after an hour of play, we went to grab a bite to eat. He sat at the table, trying hard to eat and rebuild his strength, but he kept tipping to one side, falling asleep sitting up. He napped during the next class and was ready for the next mosh pit, even though his knees were a mess of blisters rubbed and blisters popped. Once the pup hit the floor, the knees didn't hurt anymore until he was out of headspace. After three mosh pits that weekend, his knees suffered greatly. We found new way to wrap and protect them, and we found that gummi bears are one of the safest treats for pups when allergies are present.
One moment, though, stands out. First mosh pit, the pup is just about ready to venture out on his own. I'm sitting with him on the mats, giving him love and encouragement, knowing that things are about to change. He's about to become a social pup, and I won't be the only play buddy he's got. His eyes told me he knew something big was coming. He nuzzled me, and then one long look full of love, some scritchies, and encouragement to "go play" launched him into a new chapter of puppyhood.