Heart of America part 2

Saturday brought us back to Missie B's for a very different view. No day-glo to be seen, but there was leather. This year's Judging Panel featured Stan Dibble, Jeremy Morris, boy Tony, Pup Luckey, and me. The judges had interview time with the contestants while classes ran in the upstairs bar. The two contestants were both running for LeatherMan; unfortunately there was no Leatherboy contestant this year. These men are very new in the leather community, and they have a great future of learning and fun ahead of them. Both men were intelligent, presented themselves well, and faced the questions with grace. We didn't even make them cry! Then it was lunchtime (delicious buffet) and time for more classes. Luckey and I tried out a new class presentation we call Digging Deeper, which is more of a Puppy 201 class. No floor time, all talk time. It was our first time to present this, and there were some bumps, but we were well-received. There was good feedback, and I know where we'll be making some edits and changes for the next time.

When classes were done, we had enough time to grab a shower and head back for All You Can Eat Sushi (eating again) before the contest started. The wonderful Karen Ultra returned as M.C., and Luckey brought her the rocket fuel she consumes from Starbucks. Of course, she was dressed beautifully. The contest ran smoothly; the contestants performed well; the audience was entertained and respectful. In the end, there was a victor. Dom J will carry the title for a year and represent at American Brotherhood Weekend this Fall. In reality, both men won. They shared their hearts and their lives in a very public way, and that is SCARY. I had a good visit with both of them afterwards, and I'm convinced that they will both be involved in the leather community for years to come. With the contest wrapped up, it was time to relax. We headed off to finish the night relaxing with our local pack of friends and family, and eventually fell asleep before heading back to the hotel. Did I mention there was a "Christian Women's Conference" in the hotel? We got some funny looks when we walked through in our leathers, lol.

Sunday morning arrived way too early, and we headed back to Missie B's for brunch. Wow, what a spread! (yes, eating again) Plus we got a surprise - International Leatherboy BammBamm and his pup, Pup Tugger, drove out to join the festivities. It was great to see them and hang out for a while. There was more socializing and flirting, and good visits with both contestants again. Finally, it was time to drive home. It was a bit harder this time - probably because we were so tired from the non-stop weekend of fun. There was an early dinner stop at Braum's near Salina, KS, because it's really hard to drive past one, and both Chris and Hayes had never eaten there. Once again, the February weather was gracious to us and we arrived home safely that night.

Many thanks to boy Elena and the entire Heart of America crew for producing a wonderful weekend. Thanks to Missie B's for hosting, and thank you to our friends, family, and the local community of Kansas City for showing us such a great time. Great job everyone!

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!

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?

• 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.

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!

MAL 2013 part 4

Monday brought us back to reality with gathering all of our things and packing the suitcases for the trip home. In the spare minutes, I was able to set up lunch with our friend Ivory Mistress Jae, who lives in Frederick. She lived in Denver years ago, and we always love to see her, so she met us at Union Central Station for lunch. Two hours later, we headed back to the Smithsonian to the National Art Gallery to see one of Michaelangelo's unfinished sculptures of David. Of course, it is housed in a wing dedicated to Italian renaissance art, so I tormented Luckey with a discourse of why these portraits are so important to historical costumers. He was less than thrilled until we found a cluster of paintings focusing on St George and the Dragon.
When it was time to head back to grab our bags, we found out that his friends Kelev and Joshua offered us a ride to the airport - OK! That was very kind and saved us quite a bit of time on the Metro. Plus I finally got to meet them - super nice guys!
Reality kicked in on the long plane ride home. Usually it feels like going home is shorter than leaving for an event, but not this trip. The plane was packed and it just felt ...slow...in the air. Chris picked us up at the airport and we met Hayes for a quick dinner before parting ways.
Overall, the weekend was so many things - busy, crazy, fun, sexy, relaxing, exhausting, refreshing, inspiring, and so much more. Thank you to everyone we met, everyone we saw, everyone in the Centaurs for producing a successful weekend. Thank you to Chris and Hayes, for sharing us with the community this year - I know it's not always easy. And than you to Luckey, for taking this journey with me.

MAL 2013 part 3

Eastern Standard time, you are not my friend. Getting up at 7am in DC means it's 5am for my Mountain Standard time body. But we did it so we could shower and make it to breakfast with the other International Titleholders at 8am. Nick was there, and so was Axel; Luckey and I made four. This was a fantastic time to visit and get better acquainted. In the busyness of the PR job that is titleholding, you may share an honor with several others, but not really know them. That's why this meal was important. So we started off Sunday with a couple of fantastic men, just getting to know each other and building the bonds of friendship.
Then it was naptime - these long days were catching up with me and Luckey. Robert had to leave and catch a plane when we got up, so the two of us crashed for an hour until it was my time to head back to CJ's to help out at 11. The Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather title contest started at 1,so Luckey got a longer nap than I did. We headed into the ballroom for the contest and settled in for the next few hours. The Centaur Motorcycle Club hosts the weekend, and this is the annual installation of new officers. They are a dedicated group of men, working hard to put on a large annual event. They have my thanks for all their efforts. There were only three contestants this year for the title, and I was a little surprised at the number - in the past there have been eight or more contestants. But that didn't mean the judges had an easy job. All three men had an excellent stage presence and handled themselves well. Ultimately, the title was awarded to Bryce Caine, and then it was time for lots of pictures.
The vendor mart closed at 5, and it was time to get back to work. A small team of dedicated workers disassembled the CJ's Leather booth and packed it for load-out. We were the first ones out to the loading dock. Ultimately, the truck was loaded and locked at 6:15 and we all breathed a sigh of relief. In the meantime, while we were waiting for Carlos to bring the truck from the parking lot, we pitched in and helped pack up the neighboring shop, Le Chateau Exotique, in record time as well.
8pm brought us to the DC Coast with friends. We enjoyed the evening's meal, but the richness upset Luckey's stomach a bit, so he headed back to the hotel early. We closed out the restaurant, chatting with the staff and celebrating friendships old and new. While the host hotel was emptying out, there was still a lot of cruising to be found. I found my bed and crashed with Luckey and that was a night.

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.