How much fun can you have in one weekend? We were pushing all the barriers to find out.
The last weekend of June found us back in Minneapolis with friends to celebrate Twin Cities Pride Weekend. Once again, we stayed with friends and were welcomed in as family. They enfolded us into their pack and off we went for a wild ride. Friday lunch was all-you-can-eat sushi, and that night was Flog-A-Palooza and a visit to the eagleBOLT bar. Saturday we walked around Loring Park and enjoyed the festival as spectators (fried cheese curds) and then visited the eagleBOLT bar again for more time with friends.
Sunday came and we were on the parade route bright and early. Minneapolis leads their parade with two giant flags - the first one is the Gay Pride rainbow flag and it is followed by the Leather Pride flag. We joined local titleholders and community leaders and community members to carry the giant Leather Pride flag. These flags are huge. They are heavy. They are beautiful. And the mood that day was jubilant. You see, the Supreme Court ruled on Proposition 8 in California and on DOMA the prior week. And there we were, carrying one of the largest Leather Pride flags in the country, right up at the front of the parade. Several times when we stopped on the route, I turned around and looked up and down the lines of people carrying that flag. So many faces, so many backgrounds, so much diversity and history among the kinky locals - it brought tears to my eyes and a bigger smile to my face. As we walked the parade route, people threw money onto the flag - it was donations towards their fundraising goals for the year. Children threw handfuls of change, adults wadded up bills, and two people scampered out to collect the cash each time we stopped along the route. When we were done (all too soon for me) we navigated onto a grassy area with the flag and took pictures, folded the flag, and stored it. Then we joined Ryan Brown and quickly walked back to the parade route start point to jump on the eagleBOLT truck and do it all over again! This time we sat in the back of a truck with waterguns and a huge tub of water and Ryan sat/danced on the hood through the parade route. By the end of it, my face hurt from so much smiling. Seriously hurt. But I couldn't help it.
Back to Loring Park and the bondage booth! Yes, they had a booth set up with information and a partitioned off area for light bondage demos. What was the catch? You couldn't hit anyone. That means you can put someone over the spanking bench and pretend to spank them, but not actually hit them. Flogging could happen, but really not happen because you were flogging the air behind someone. Amazing thing about rope bondage - getting tied up doesn't HIT anyone. Luckey did four demos (three in the cage, one under the tent) and kept the crowd entertained.
When we were ready to collapse from exhaustion and heat, it was back to the house for a quick shower and GAME NIGHT! We ordered in pizza and relaxed with our family. Oh, the shenanigans. There is far too much evidence of that night on Bud's facebook page, and most things went undocumented. That's probably for the best, though.
Monday came too soon, and we headed back to Denver - happy and exhausted.
I am thankful for all of our friends and extended family in Minnesota - you guys rock my world!
Showing posts with label rope. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rope. Show all posts
Friday, August 2, 2013
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Kink U - Cincinnati Road Trip!
What's a title year without an epic road trip?! We were invited to present a Puppy Obedience Training class at Kink U in Cincinnati and to present rope suspension demos at the bar during the social times. How could we say no? Flights were prohibitively expensive, and we almost did. But we looked at the calendar and a map and decided to make the drive.
We started out on this ever-changing road trip on Wednesday morning. Before we left to head east, we had to detour north to Boulder to pick up Luckey's phone that he left in his friend's car the night before. This set the tone for the entire trip - be flexible and have fun! Our original plan was Denver to Kansas City, MO, then Indianapolis, IN, then Cincinnati, OH, Kink U, and reverse the directions. Needless to say, that changed about two hours into the trip. We decided to swing over to Columbus after Kink U was done and visit our friend Pup Dino. Then take the northern route to the west and drive to Des Moines in one day, and finish up with a quick jaunt to Cabelas in Nebraska on our way back to Denver.
The roads were easy and the weather was great. We got to Kansas City with no issues and stayed with Chad and Richie for the night. Next morning we were driving and thinking about lunch and realized we'd be close to St. Louis. Luckey contacted Auntie Karen (Karen Ultra) and we met her for lunch before finishing up the drive into Indianapolis and staying with our friend Kyle. The next day was a short drive, so we went out to the 501 Eagle for a visit after dinner. Met some great people out for the pool tournament - Pup Spaz showed us around the bar, and the Falcons made us feel at home. After breakfast (amazing red velvet pancakes with chocolate chips and cream cheese frosting) we made the quick drive into Cincinnati.
Now, I'm going to say this, and I may take some grief for it. But if you ever visit Cincinnati and they offer to take you to eat Cincinnati Style Chili - DON'T DO IT. We ate Skyline Chili, a local institution. It is the stuff of legends. Legendary gas and legendary gastric distress. I enjoyed the taste, but I could not live with the results. I was terrified that I would accidentally sneeze and totally explode for the next three days - and I have a strong system. Just don't eat it.
Friday night continued at On Broadway bar, where our friends brought in a portable sling stand. Luckey tied and tied and hung several people up in rope that night.
We kicked off Saturday at Kink U with our Puppy Obedience Training class at the Below Zero Lounge. That was a lot of fun! We had a good sized room and several pups and handlers right up front. After talking through the class part, we had demo time and put the ideas into practice. Classes continued through the day on dungeon furniture, rope bondage, flogging, shackles and handcuffs and restraints, relationship dynamics - three bootblacks worked the entire day and night - there was much fun for everyone. Le Chateau brought their store so there was shopping available and Alexis to squeeze. Once we got everything loaded out from the education area, it was time for dinner.
Second food warning - if the locals take you to Kentucky for Mexican food, listen to your hosts about portion size! Luckey and I decided to split an order of fajitas for dinner, so we ordered it for two. They warned us that we could not finish the giant order for one, but we were silly and didn't listen. Oh my. We got the most enormous plate of food ever! We ate and ate and ate, and maybe put down a quarter of it. It didn't look like we ate anything! Leftovers for days!
After eating more than we should, it was time to get dressed in tight leather for the Black & Blue Ball. The locals at the Below Zero Lounge were a bit surprised by the leather invasion, but good natured about it. When it was time to wind down and cool off, the temperature cranked up at The Serpent. We wrapped up the night at this sexy men's hot spot. Brunch on Sunday was back at Below Zero, and then it was time to hit the road. Congratulations to Matt and John and all the local team that pulled together Kink U in Cincinnati! You guys did a great job!
Pup Dino was excited that we were coming to visit, and we decided to go to the zoo! There was a dinosaur exhibit, lots of hot and sexy men, and a stingray petting exhibit! You could even feed them! That was a blast! Then we headed back to his place in the Short North for dinner and some bar time. Turns out, it was Columbus Pride weekend. Luckey grabbed some rope, and soon Dino was tied up and paraded around Exile, shirtless and helpless to resist. I suspect he loved it. The bar was crowded and friendly and I had some great conversations with people. Fun times!
Early on Monday, it was time to leave. Far too soon for my taste, but we had a long day ahead of us. This day brought us some weather as we approached Iowa. There was some serious rain. The kind where we were white knuckle driving slowly with both of us looking for the white lines to make sure we stayed on the road kind of rain. But we made it through safe, and enjoyed grilled kabobs and an amazing baked cauliflower dish with Jeremy and Aaron and friends while watching True Blood and relaxing.
Tuesday put us on the road to Denver, but we had a quick side trip to Sidney, Nebraska to visit Cabelas. It was fun to see such a huge outdoor sport store and stretch our legs for an hour. It seemed that the last leg took far too long, as my bed was calling me. Safely home, we unloaded the car and had a quick dinner, and crashed into sleep.
It was great to spend the week with Luckey on the road. It was awesome to spend time with Chad, Richie, Jay, Kyle, Demarius, Nuzz, Vidhra, Dylan, Hercules, Matt, John, Bella, Gabriel, Zech, Rocky, Bryce, Dino, Jeremy, Aaron, and Evie. I'm sure I've missed some, but please know we love you all. Thank you for making this such a wonderful trip.
We started out on this ever-changing road trip on Wednesday morning. Before we left to head east, we had to detour north to Boulder to pick up Luckey's phone that he left in his friend's car the night before. This set the tone for the entire trip - be flexible and have fun! Our original plan was Denver to Kansas City, MO, then Indianapolis, IN, then Cincinnati, OH, Kink U, and reverse the directions. Needless to say, that changed about two hours into the trip. We decided to swing over to Columbus after Kink U was done and visit our friend Pup Dino. Then take the northern route to the west and drive to Des Moines in one day, and finish up with a quick jaunt to Cabelas in Nebraska on our way back to Denver.
The roads were easy and the weather was great. We got to Kansas City with no issues and stayed with Chad and Richie for the night. Next morning we were driving and thinking about lunch and realized we'd be close to St. Louis. Luckey contacted Auntie Karen (Karen Ultra) and we met her for lunch before finishing up the drive into Indianapolis and staying with our friend Kyle. The next day was a short drive, so we went out to the 501 Eagle for a visit after dinner. Met some great people out for the pool tournament - Pup Spaz showed us around the bar, and the Falcons made us feel at home. After breakfast (amazing red velvet pancakes with chocolate chips and cream cheese frosting) we made the quick drive into Cincinnati.
Now, I'm going to say this, and I may take some grief for it. But if you ever visit Cincinnati and they offer to take you to eat Cincinnati Style Chili - DON'T DO IT. We ate Skyline Chili, a local institution. It is the stuff of legends. Legendary gas and legendary gastric distress. I enjoyed the taste, but I could not live with the results. I was terrified that I would accidentally sneeze and totally explode for the next three days - and I have a strong system. Just don't eat it.
Friday night continued at On Broadway bar, where our friends brought in a portable sling stand. Luckey tied and tied and hung several people up in rope that night.
We kicked off Saturday at Kink U with our Puppy Obedience Training class at the Below Zero Lounge. That was a lot of fun! We had a good sized room and several pups and handlers right up front. After talking through the class part, we had demo time and put the ideas into practice. Classes continued through the day on dungeon furniture, rope bondage, flogging, shackles and handcuffs and restraints, relationship dynamics - three bootblacks worked the entire day and night - there was much fun for everyone. Le Chateau brought their store so there was shopping available and Alexis to squeeze. Once we got everything loaded out from the education area, it was time for dinner.
Second food warning - if the locals take you to Kentucky for Mexican food, listen to your hosts about portion size! Luckey and I decided to split an order of fajitas for dinner, so we ordered it for two. They warned us that we could not finish the giant order for one, but we were silly and didn't listen. Oh my. We got the most enormous plate of food ever! We ate and ate and ate, and maybe put down a quarter of it. It didn't look like we ate anything! Leftovers for days!
After eating more than we should, it was time to get dressed in tight leather for the Black & Blue Ball. The locals at the Below Zero Lounge were a bit surprised by the leather invasion, but good natured about it. When it was time to wind down and cool off, the temperature cranked up at The Serpent. We wrapped up the night at this sexy men's hot spot. Brunch on Sunday was back at Below Zero, and then it was time to hit the road. Congratulations to Matt and John and all the local team that pulled together Kink U in Cincinnati! You guys did a great job!
Pup Dino was excited that we were coming to visit, and we decided to go to the zoo! There was a dinosaur exhibit, lots of hot and sexy men, and a stingray petting exhibit! You could even feed them! That was a blast! Then we headed back to his place in the Short North for dinner and some bar time. Turns out, it was Columbus Pride weekend. Luckey grabbed some rope, and soon Dino was tied up and paraded around Exile, shirtless and helpless to resist. I suspect he loved it. The bar was crowded and friendly and I had some great conversations with people. Fun times!
Early on Monday, it was time to leave. Far too soon for my taste, but we had a long day ahead of us. This day brought us some weather as we approached Iowa. There was some serious rain. The kind where we were white knuckle driving slowly with both of us looking for the white lines to make sure we stayed on the road kind of rain. But we made it through safe, and enjoyed grilled kabobs and an amazing baked cauliflower dish with Jeremy and Aaron and friends while watching True Blood and relaxing.
Tuesday put us on the road to Denver, but we had a quick side trip to Sidney, Nebraska to visit Cabelas. It was fun to see such a huge outdoor sport store and stretch our legs for an hour. It seemed that the last leg took far too long, as my bed was calling me. Safely home, we unloaded the car and had a quick dinner, and crashed into sleep.
It was great to spend the week with Luckey on the road. It was awesome to spend time with Chad, Richie, Jay, Kyle, Demarius, Nuzz, Vidhra, Dylan, Hercules, Matt, John, Bella, Gabriel, Zech, Rocky, Bryce, Dino, Jeremy, Aaron, and Evie. I'm sure I've missed some, but please know we love you all. Thank you for making this such a wonderful trip.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Minneapolis Getaway
Who goes to Minnesota in the cold of Springtime? We do!
Pup Luckey and I made some fantastic connections while we are at MAL, and our friends invited us to visit Minneapolis if we could find the time in our schedule. So we found a weekend that worked and confirmed with them - then booked it. Feb 22-25! Our excitement grew as we looked forward to reuniting with our friends and meeting new ones. In the meantime, the amazing Ryan Brown worked with the eagleBOLT bar to secure some time for a hands-on rope class. We sent him some photos and he put together a flyer the Monday before we left, so they had 5 days to publicize the fun.
Once we landed, the wonderful Puppy JP picked us up at the airport and swept us away to the Mall of America. Holy crap, this place is big. Commerce everywhere. More stores than you can shake many sticks at. And hot men with their wives, children, or friends galore - we are talking some serious eye candy here, people. We grabbed lunch and then wandered for a bit. After we unpacked and got in a quick wardrobe change, it was time to visit the eagleBOLT bar for buy-1-get-3 drinks and start meeting the good people of Minneapolis. We had a great night, and then walked up the street for some food (a recurring theme in this blog). Finally it was time to crash and head home to Bud&Randy's (our gracious hosts) for the night. Surprise! Our friend Robbie drove in for the weekend and popped out of the basement to surprise me. He's so sweet! (and he snuggles good too!)
We tried not to stay up too late because Luckey and I had a photo shoot the next morning.
Robbie cooked us all breakfast on Saturday morning, and then it was time for us to head out for pictures. Richard Yates is an amazing photographer. He has a fantastic eye, and loves to shoot leather, rubber, neoprene, fetish, and hot men. Well, I had neoprene and leather, so I got to play. We've seen some preliminary shots, and he has blown me away. Then it was time to grab a quick bite and get back to the eagleBOLT for rope class. 55 people showed up. holy crap. 45 people were actively grabbing rope, losing their shirts, getting tied up or tying someone up. Luckey had his debut as the main teaching voice in this presentation, and he did a great job. I circulated in the crowd, helping and pointing out things they were doing right. Such a great group of guys - they had fun and so did we.
As the hands-on portion finished up, Luckey demonstrated a rope suspension and hung up one of our friends. During the lift, I pulled the slack unevenly and we got a little snarl in one rope. Once tension was on it, it locked in and wasn't going anywhere, but it meant we were going to have fun taking him down. Once the demo was done, we worked our way back through the ropes to release him, but the main line was tightly snarled. Two options - physically lift him up to release the tension and try to untangle the rope (which may or may not be successful) or cut him down. It only took a few moments to decide, and we got to try out our handy belt knife we each carry for any kind of rope play. Two people supported the suspended individual, and a third cut the problem rope quickly and simply. Then we set him down on the ground and finished untying him. Afterwards, Luckey and I discussed what happened to cause the snarl and we'll be watching out for that scenario in the future. We always state in class that the person is more important than the rope. While he was in no danger, it was best and smartest just to cut the rope and move forward.
After a wonderful dinner, we returned to the eagleBOLT for the Bear Dance. The president of the local club invited us to come and do more suspensions during the event, with one caveat - he was the first to get strung up. So we did! Luckey tied and suspended people from about 11 until 2. Such fun! (I really need to work on my speed so I can contribute more.) While he tied, I was fielding questions and chatting up the crowd.
Sunday morning we broke our fast at Fat Nat's with some really tasty food. Robbie hit the road after that and we were sorry to see him go. Soon we were guests at the Atons spring rush party. Again, we met so many nice folks and had great conversations, ate tasty food, and really enjoyed ourselves. Then it was time to unwind at Bud&Randy's place. Off went the boots and we kicked back for sandwiches, margaritas, and board games. Ryan joined JP, Luckey, and me for a simple evening of fun with Bud&Randy. I was a big time geek in my teens, loved Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - I'm totally hooked on Munchkin now. And Say Anything is very interesting too. (Have another drink!) All good things must end, and some people had to work in the morning, so it was bedtime all too soon.
Randy shuttled us to the airport the next day, and we passed the time before flying with bacon wrapped tater tots and delicious burgers. (yes, eating again) One of our new friends met us for a while in the airport, and was kind enough to bump our seats up to Exit Row for the flight home - more legroom - THANK YOU!
Minneapolis was beautiful and sunny the entire weekend, and it snowed a lot in Denver while we were gone. I'm ok with that. It was sunny in Denver when we got home. I'm ok with that too. We had such a great time in Minneapolis, we'd love to return. Our hosts were kind and generous, their home warm and friendly, and even their cats were sweet! (like Piewacket, who snuck in a nap on my chest while I was napping.) The community was so welcoming, open, friendly, and nice! Again, we came home tired but recharged, encouraged, and excited to be part of this community. Thank you to everyone in Minneapolis for a wonderful trip.
Pup Luckey and I made some fantastic connections while we are at MAL, and our friends invited us to visit Minneapolis if we could find the time in our schedule. So we found a weekend that worked and confirmed with them - then booked it. Feb 22-25! Our excitement grew as we looked forward to reuniting with our friends and meeting new ones. In the meantime, the amazing Ryan Brown worked with the eagleBOLT bar to secure some time for a hands-on rope class. We sent him some photos and he put together a flyer the Monday before we left, so they had 5 days to publicize the fun.
Once we landed, the wonderful Puppy JP picked us up at the airport and swept us away to the Mall of America. Holy crap, this place is big. Commerce everywhere. More stores than you can shake many sticks at. And hot men with their wives, children, or friends galore - we are talking some serious eye candy here, people. We grabbed lunch and then wandered for a bit. After we unpacked and got in a quick wardrobe change, it was time to visit the eagleBOLT bar for buy-1-get-3 drinks and start meeting the good people of Minneapolis. We had a great night, and then walked up the street for some food (a recurring theme in this blog). Finally it was time to crash and head home to Bud&Randy's (our gracious hosts) for the night. Surprise! Our friend Robbie drove in for the weekend and popped out of the basement to surprise me. He's so sweet! (and he snuggles good too!)
We tried not to stay up too late because Luckey and I had a photo shoot the next morning.
Robbie cooked us all breakfast on Saturday morning, and then it was time for us to head out for pictures. Richard Yates is an amazing photographer. He has a fantastic eye, and loves to shoot leather, rubber, neoprene, fetish, and hot men. Well, I had neoprene and leather, so I got to play. We've seen some preliminary shots, and he has blown me away. Then it was time to grab a quick bite and get back to the eagleBOLT for rope class. 55 people showed up. holy crap. 45 people were actively grabbing rope, losing their shirts, getting tied up or tying someone up. Luckey had his debut as the main teaching voice in this presentation, and he did a great job. I circulated in the crowd, helping and pointing out things they were doing right. Such a great group of guys - they had fun and so did we.
As the hands-on portion finished up, Luckey demonstrated a rope suspension and hung up one of our friends. During the lift, I pulled the slack unevenly and we got a little snarl in one rope. Once tension was on it, it locked in and wasn't going anywhere, but it meant we were going to have fun taking him down. Once the demo was done, we worked our way back through the ropes to release him, but the main line was tightly snarled. Two options - physically lift him up to release the tension and try to untangle the rope (which may or may not be successful) or cut him down. It only took a few moments to decide, and we got to try out our handy belt knife we each carry for any kind of rope play. Two people supported the suspended individual, and a third cut the problem rope quickly and simply. Then we set him down on the ground and finished untying him. Afterwards, Luckey and I discussed what happened to cause the snarl and we'll be watching out for that scenario in the future. We always state in class that the person is more important than the rope. While he was in no danger, it was best and smartest just to cut the rope and move forward.
After a wonderful dinner, we returned to the eagleBOLT for the Bear Dance. The president of the local club invited us to come and do more suspensions during the event, with one caveat - he was the first to get strung up. So we did! Luckey tied and suspended people from about 11 until 2. Such fun! (I really need to work on my speed so I can contribute more.) While he tied, I was fielding questions and chatting up the crowd.
Sunday morning we broke our fast at Fat Nat's with some really tasty food. Robbie hit the road after that and we were sorry to see him go. Soon we were guests at the Atons spring rush party. Again, we met so many nice folks and had great conversations, ate tasty food, and really enjoyed ourselves. Then it was time to unwind at Bud&Randy's place. Off went the boots and we kicked back for sandwiches, margaritas, and board games. Ryan joined JP, Luckey, and me for a simple evening of fun with Bud&Randy. I was a big time geek in my teens, loved Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - I'm totally hooked on Munchkin now. And Say Anything is very interesting too. (Have another drink!) All good things must end, and some people had to work in the morning, so it was bedtime all too soon.
Randy shuttled us to the airport the next day, and we passed the time before flying with bacon wrapped tater tots and delicious burgers. (yes, eating again) One of our new friends met us for a while in the airport, and was kind enough to bump our seats up to Exit Row for the flight home - more legroom - THANK YOU!
Minneapolis was beautiful and sunny the entire weekend, and it snowed a lot in Denver while we were gone. I'm ok with that. It was sunny in Denver when we got home. I'm ok with that too. We had such a great time in Minneapolis, we'd love to return. Our hosts were kind and generous, their home warm and friendly, and even their cats were sweet! (like Piewacket, who snuck in a nap on my chest while I was napping.) The community was so welcoming, open, friendly, and nice! Again, we came home tired but recharged, encouraged, and excited to be part of this community. Thank you to everyone in Minneapolis for a wonderful trip.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Heart of America part 1
Since 2009, boy chris and I have been doing our best to visit Kansas City every February for the 2013 Heart of America LeatherMan/boy contest. Last year we took Luckey for the first time, and he quickly found out why we love this weekend. It's the people - the community - the friends. They take us into their pack and we go go go and spend the time with friends. They treat us like family, and it's an amazing time.
Boy Elena asked Luckey and I to serve on this year's Judging Panel, and asked Chris to serve as Talleymaster. We were happy to help and contribute to their weekend. So when Friday the 8th rolled around, we began our great adventure.
See, this was the first time we were all traveling together. And by all, I mean me, Chris, Luckey, and his partner Hayes. Did I worry? A little. I did NOT expect any problems, but adding a new person to the mix for a trip when we're essentially going to be together for three days all the time - it has potential. Gladly, my little bit of worry was in vain.
Eight hours of road time from Denver to Kansas City with four drivers means lots of naptime, unless you want to read the billboards about stating "abortion is wrong" and "jesus loves you" all across Kansas. Leaving at 6am also contributes to plenty of naptime, but dealing with 4 appetites and 4 bladders means that 8 hours drive time became 10 hours of travel time, with an hour time zone shift in there too. No complaints here. It was one of the easiest drives I've ever done, and the weather was perfect. I am thankful.
Elena emailed on Thursday night asking if we wanted to do any kind of demo. We talked and got started texting friends and found a portable sling stand we could borrow for the night, and asked the ever sexy boy Tony if he would like to be airborne. We also texted our friend Travis as we passed Ft Riley to say we were passing by, and convinced him to meet us in KC that night. Once we arrived in KC, it was time to settle in to the hotel room, freshen up, and head off to Hamburger Mary's for a bite to eat before the Meet & Greet Social + Demo Time started for the night.There were introductions and raffle sales, socialization and flirting, drinking and flirting. As the night progressed, the room filled up with kinky folk, and everyone was friendly and welcoming. After we watched a punching/caning demo (ow!), we set up the sling stand and Luckey pulled out the rope. Soon, Tony was hanging around in a face-down horizontal suspension, and catching quite a bit of attention. Flying sheepie! It was a good night. After things wound down, we dropped Luckey and Hayes off at the room and Chris and I went to Missie B's. We met up with Travis and his friend there, and enjoyed the incredibly diverse crowd of people in the bar. There was a neon/day-glo themed event somewhere that night, and it looked like the early 80's had mugged most of the patrons - which was cool because there was apparantly a BUNCH of people at the event. Community support!
Boy Elena asked Luckey and I to serve on this year's Judging Panel, and asked Chris to serve as Talleymaster. We were happy to help and contribute to their weekend. So when Friday the 8th rolled around, we began our great adventure.
See, this was the first time we were all traveling together. And by all, I mean me, Chris, Luckey, and his partner Hayes. Did I worry? A little. I did NOT expect any problems, but adding a new person to the mix for a trip when we're essentially going to be together for three days all the time - it has potential. Gladly, my little bit of worry was in vain.
Eight hours of road time from Denver to Kansas City with four drivers means lots of naptime, unless you want to read the billboards about stating "abortion is wrong" and "jesus loves you" all across Kansas. Leaving at 6am also contributes to plenty of naptime, but dealing with 4 appetites and 4 bladders means that 8 hours drive time became 10 hours of travel time, with an hour time zone shift in there too. No complaints here. It was one of the easiest drives I've ever done, and the weather was perfect. I am thankful.
Elena emailed on Thursday night asking if we wanted to do any kind of demo. We talked and got started texting friends and found a portable sling stand we could borrow for the night, and asked the ever sexy boy Tony if he would like to be airborne. We also texted our friend Travis as we passed Ft Riley to say we were passing by, and convinced him to meet us in KC that night. Once we arrived in KC, it was time to settle in to the hotel room, freshen up, and head off to Hamburger Mary's for a bite to eat before the Meet & Greet Social + Demo Time started for the night.There were introductions and raffle sales, socialization and flirting, drinking and flirting. As the night progressed, the room filled up with kinky folk, and everyone was friendly and welcoming. After we watched a punching/caning demo (ow!), we set up the sling stand and Luckey pulled out the rope. Soon, Tony was hanging around in a face-down horizontal suspension, and catching quite a bit of attention. Flying sheepie! It was a good night. After things wound down, we dropped Luckey and Hayes off at the room and Chris and I went to Missie B's. We met up with Travis and his friend there, and enjoyed the incredibly diverse crowd of people in the bar. There was a neon/day-glo themed event somewhere that night, and it looked like the early 80's had mugged most of the patrons - which was cool because there was apparantly a BUNCH of people at the event. Community support!
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Kink U
Our friend Jeremy Morris invited us to come visit Des Moines during the first week of February to kick off a month of kinky and educational weekends. We packed hemp rope and puppy gear and flew in around noon on Friday the 1st. Jeremy picked us up at the airport and it was off to lunch then time to get settled into our hotel room for a nap (and visit to the hot tub) before heading out for the bar crawl that night. The Blazing Saddle was our host bar for the weekend, and their motto is "Never a cover and always a double!" The hospitality in this city reminds me of my hometown - friendly, open, genuine, generous, and warm. It makes the 12 degree weather much easier to handle when your heart is warmed by friendship. There were five bars to visit that night, and a crowd of forty+ leatherpeople migrated around the circuit, finishing up at the Blazing Saddle to close the night. Luckey, Jeremy, and I took a few minutes to toast the memory of our friend George Wong. It would have been his birthday, and in his own way, he touched my life. We remember him with stories, with great affection, and with shots of Jager.
Saturday afternoon found us back at the Blazing Saddle for Kink U. Luckey started the afternoon with a rope suspension demo, hanging Ryan Brown up for display while I handled the talking points and some of the questions. Next came a very smart joint presentation combining flogging and caning & paddling. Two presenters, two bottoms, and they fastened them facing one another across a portable sling stand. The presenters took turns talking and applying their art. The crowd was educated and entertained. Next up was a Puppy 101 class with me and Luckey. He was lively and we had a lot of fun sharing the basics of safe puppy play and handling. We finished up the afternoon with the four presenters up front for a Dom/sub lifestyle discussion panel with Q&A. Then came dinner and we were back to the Blazing Saddle for gear night. Hot men, hot gear, strong drinks, and great fun! We ended up hanging out with Alexis from Le Chateau Exotique quite a bit this weekend, and she held her own in a crowd of gay leathermen.
Sunday was brunch and back to the Blazing Saddle for another beer bust and jock auction. Finally, after all our goodbyes were said and everybody hugged, we went back to Jeremy's house for pizza and some tv. There was football, singing, more football, and I napped through a good portion of it. Monday came and it was time to head to the airport, and then homeward.
My big impressions from the weekend?
Thank you again, Jeremy, for inviting us up and thank you to the Blazing Saddle for hosting us for such a great weekend.
Saturday afternoon found us back at the Blazing Saddle for Kink U. Luckey started the afternoon with a rope suspension demo, hanging Ryan Brown up for display while I handled the talking points and some of the questions. Next came a very smart joint presentation combining flogging and caning & paddling. Two presenters, two bottoms, and they fastened them facing one another across a portable sling stand. The presenters took turns talking and applying their art. The crowd was educated and entertained. Next up was a Puppy 101 class with me and Luckey. He was lively and we had a lot of fun sharing the basics of safe puppy play and handling. We finished up the afternoon with the four presenters up front for a Dom/sub lifestyle discussion panel with Q&A. Then came dinner and we were back to the Blazing Saddle for gear night. Hot men, hot gear, strong drinks, and great fun! We ended up hanging out with Alexis from Le Chateau Exotique quite a bit this weekend, and she held her own in a crowd of gay leathermen.
Sunday was brunch and back to the Blazing Saddle for another beer bust and jock auction. Finally, after all our goodbyes were said and everybody hugged, we went back to Jeremy's house for pizza and some tv. There was football, singing, more football, and I napped through a good portion of it. Monday came and it was time to head to the airport, and then homeward.
My big impressions from the weekend?
- The community is amazing in Des Moines. I met so many wonderful people and had so many great conversations - I am touched and warmed from the time spent there.
- Those people know how to have a good time! oh my...yes.
- Those people know how to EAT. omg. I'll be eating salads for two weeks as penance for all the wonderful things we ate. Zombie Burger late in the night - Walking Ched, Fried Brussels Sprouts; Dim Sum - so many great flavors (chicken feet - they're ok, but the texture is a little gummy for me); Quentin's; All you can eat brunch. oh yes, it was good.
Thank you again, Jeremy, for inviting us up and thank you to the Blazing Saddle for hosting us for such a great weekend.
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