Bumpy Reentry

I went to San Francisco last weekend for the Folsom Street Fair, which was big huge fun. It was right on the heels of a long weekend in Vancouver B.C. with my best girlfriends, and my mother was in town for the few intervening days. So I had a fabulous time, but now I'm working hard to catch up with my day job and the rest of my life, and coping with a heavy case of top/bottom/travel drop (otherwise known as a "had-too-much-fun hangover").

We've also officially reached the end of Birthday Month, which was a riot of celebration. My friends and family are awfully good to me.

In the meantime, while I get my brains together enough to write something cohesive, check out Matisse's photos from the street fair.

Or, consider taking a workshop!

Sophia and Russell are teaching Head Play Saturday October 5th. (That is, BDSM involving the head, neck and face, not mental play.)

Max is teaching Fundamentals of Rope Bondage this Sunday 10/6, and a Two-Day Bondage Intensive on November 14-15. We plan to be at the Bondage party this Sunday after the workshop, so come say hi and tie people up!

Birthday Resolutions

Yep, it's that time of the year again. Thanks and hugs to all the wonderful people who have called, emailed, texted, and posted shout-outs today. It's made me feel warm and special right down to my toes. I am profoundly grateful to have so many wonderful people in my life.

I find my birthday a better season for reinvention and renewal than the arbitrary January 1st. So, by my next birthday I would like to achieve the following (or something better!):

1. Make my apartment a home. Even after almost a year, parts of the space feel very temporary, and I don't like to spend time there. That means finishing unpacking, getting the right furniture for the space, getting rid of the stuff that doesn't work, and hanging my art, among other things.

2. Continue with aerials classes, and develop a training and conditioning routine (including making training dates with the several friends who have already offered) - and stick to it.

3. Become proficient with my brand new single-tail whip. It might take a whole year to get good enough to use it on a person, and I am determined to add it to my repertoire.

4. Blog more here. My life has become even more insanely busy, but I often think of things I'd like to write about, or ideas I'd like to explore through writing. Besides, several friends have been prodding me to post more often. So I suppose my resolution is to get more of those words onto the virtual page.

5. And on a related note, keep a tighter rein on my scheduling, and make sure to schedule more recharge time for myself. I'd like to reach a point where I don't feel frantically busy and drained all the time.

And now, I'm off to celebrate with my nearest and dearest!

Slippery smooth

I'm about to embark upon a night of sadistic debauchery, but first, I thought this was worth mentioning: I got my first bikini wax last night!

There were definitely strong sensations involved - this is a very sensitive area, after all - but it was not as excruciating as I expected. My lovely esthetician neglected to apply numbing agent beforehand, so I got the full sensory experience. She claims not to be a sadist herself, but she is certainly a masochist, so perhaps she was just trying to share the wealth. She did a fantastic and professional job.

Now I am smooth, smooth, smooth, save for a token tuft on my mound (Max's request, as he likes to tug on it). I don't really mind shaving, but I could get used to this kind of long-lasting smoothness. Happily, a few other people will also get to appreciate the results in the next couple of days. And on that note, my evening begins!

Happy May Day!

This is my very favorite day of the year. In celebration, here are my top 3 songs about May Day (which reveal my bizarrely eclectic musical tastes). Pretend I have just rung your doorbell and run away, leaving a basket of flowers on the doorstep.



(Language on this one NSFW. Download the mP3 here.)


This video is of questionable quality - although probably safe for work. Here's higher-quality audio of the song.

Mark Yu - Coming Soon!

Don't forget, Mark Yu will be in town next weekend presenting several wonderful workshops, as well as sharing an Intimate Dinner with a small group on Thursday. He has an incredible breadth of knowledge about rope bondage, SM play, healing arts, and bodywork, and this is a unique opportunity to ask the detailed questions he won't have time to answer during his workshops. If you're curious about Mark and the work he does, either professionally or in the dungeon, I highly recommend this event. Pre-registration is required and closes Tuesday, so get registered ASAP!

(Also, wow! This is my 100th post!)

Not tonight, I have a headache

I realized yesterday that I have, for the past couple of weeks, been too tired to masturbate. It actually wouldn't take that much effort - due to the backlog (and some other influences) I have been walking around in a perpetual state of arousal, such that I have been tempted to duck into my office bathroom for a quickie during the day. But by the time I'm at home and settled in, it has seemed like a much better idea to just roll over and fall asleep.

So, official new rule: Too tired to masturbate is too tired, and signals that it's time to re-prioritize.

Luckily I just completed my Huge Work Project, so I will be returning to my usual level of crazy busy instead of frantic. The other draws on my time have been much more interesting. The Seattle Fetish & Fantasy Festival turned out to be big fun. I assisted Max with 8 hours of nearly nonstop education, which included some physically rigorous rope demos, and after dinner, we did another intense suspension demonstration. By the time all that was finished, I was pretty fried, and not really capable of anything more exciting than a soak in the hot tub. We met a bunch of friendly folks (and tied some of them up), and despite a little culture-clash, I look forward to returning to New Horizons sometime with a less demanding schedule. I'm not sure swinging is really my thing, but hey, I'm willing to give it a chance and see. I hear the event producer is planning a similar event in October, so if you missed this one, keep an eye out for it. New Horizons is an amazing facility - just getting to spend some time there might be worth the cost of admission.

There are other exciting things happening in my life, but you'll have to wait to hear about them. Right now I'm getting caught up on things, and indulging in some well-deserved post-project pampering.

Quick Event Notice

I have been too freakin' busy to blog, but here are some event announcements.

It's last-minute, but today is Max's Fundamentals of Rope Bondage workshop at CSPC. A great class for beginners or to brush up your technique!

Early registration for the Two-Day Intensive ends today, and there are still a few seats open. If you were thinking of registering, this is the last day of early-bird pricing, although you can still register until April 20th if space allows. (ETA: This event is now sold out!)

Next weekend I will be assisting Max at the Seattle Fetish and Fantasy Festival at New Horizons. He'll be teaching three rope workshops, plus one bondage exhibition, on Saturday, and we'll be at the evening party that night. This will be a new experience for me, as I have never been to a swing club/event before. Check it out!

Demanding Footwear

I'm scurrying around frantically, getting ready to leave for Kinkfest in a matter of moments. Last night found me throwing lingerie all over the room, and shimmying in and out of a number of skimpy outfits, trying to decide what to pack. One ensemble, in which I'll be topping on Friday night, makes me look like the Mistress of Black Shiny. I have never felt so much like a stereotypical fem-domme, all tall patent boots and painted-on PVC dress. Normally I tend more toward the softer side of sadism - lingerie sets, flowing feminine frocks, matte heels, or as often as not, bare feet. But Armani was kind enough to present me with the oh-so-fabulous boots I was lusting after, and these boots are demanding. They demand submission, they demand attention - and they demand a dress with the same attitude.

So, off I go to be demanding - at least, for one night. The rest of the time I expect to be submitting to the demands of my darling top. I wouldn't put it past Max to require service from me while I'm wearing the boots, for that matter, so the boots will just have to follow my lead and learn to switch gracefully.

A Study in Contrasts

I'm back from my whirlwind tour of distant lands. I had a good time in all locations, though in completely different ways. I had meant to blog along the way, but ended up with a crammed schedule. My hometown trip was busy and intense, as I had some "coming out" discussions and reconnected with old friends and lovers. It was divine to take a mini-vacation upon my return, especially as I was indulged beyond belief by my companion, for which I am profoundly grateful. Unfortunately, now I'm paying for my days of fun, as my day job had an upswing in business while I was gone, and I am swamped with work, and will be for the next month.

A week ago I was in the boondocks visiting with my parents and catching up with old friends. A day ago I was sitting in a gorgeous hotel being treated like a queen and doing things that would make the Marquis de Sade blush. Today I spent 12 hours at my desk, crunching data and wading through resumes. Talk about a study in contrasts. As different as those chapters are, however, they are all examples of me doing what I do best. I have a very eclectic range of talents, which this week included: healing via touch and conversation, building intimacy, sharing food, enhancing connections, being incredibly sadistic, massaging data and spreadsheets, and driving in snow. (Regarding the last, my drive back to Seattle on Sunday ended up taking 9 hours instead of 6, the last 3 with chains. I felt very bad-ass doing that all by myself.)

Big thanks to all the people I saw in my hometown for a lovely (if tiring) visit, and welcome to a few new blog readers! I'm incredibly thankful that I could share so much of myself with you, and be received so lovingly.

Due to all the upcoming work, I'm officially abandoning the idea of going to Norwescon. It will take place during the penultimate week of my project, and I just don't see myself having the time or energy. Max and I also decided to skip Shibaricon this year - sorry, out-of-town rope friends! You'll just have to come visit us in Seattle!

A Counterpoint

Most of this week has been devoted to running around like a crazy person. I’m leaving tomorrow to visit family for a few days, and will be off the radar in Seattle for another couple of days as soon as I return. In the meantime, there is a hell of a lot to do to prepare for my absence. I am the sort of person who, when packing, suddenly finds it vitally important to get my bathroom and kitchen spotlessly clean. Even without that kind of diversion, I have a lot of moving parts in my life, and they all need to be ready to do without me for a short time.

Before I leap back into the fray, however, I want to do a little follow-up to my retail extravaganza from last week. Obviously I’ve had shopping on the brain lately. That theme was big fun to write about and to share with all of you. Luckily the window-shopping is at least half the fun, because I’m sure not buying everything I featured.

This recession is affecting just about everybody, and I am not immune to it. I know a lot of people are struggling to make ends meet. I am incredibly fortunate to be relatively untouched. I have steady sources of income, a nice place to live, everything I need and many of the things I want. I have supportive family and friends, who not only indulge me in my material desires from time to time, but would take good care of me if I lost my job. Nevertheless, I am well aware that this could all change overnight in this economic climate. I am being much more careful with my pennies, questioning luxuries, putting more in savings, and investing for the future.

So as a counterpoint to all the retail lust, let’s take a break from our busy day, and focus for a moment on the priceless experiences that give meaning to the material.

The breath of a lover on my skin, the scent of longing and lust and fulfillment, kissing, touching, sliding across one another

Moonlight across my bed, the blue light of dark-o’clock when I’ve stayed up with you all night, the wonderment of connection

Love letters from years ago, the words that reignite the intensity and remind me of the beauty shared

Your moans of pain and pleasure as I dig my fingers into your skin and squeeze

Rope gliding across my skin, cinching tight, binding and freeing me, commanding my body in words it can’t ignore, releasing me from gravity for a few moments

Hands pulling my hair, dragging me to my knees, slapping my face, cradling my head, telling me in a thousand ways that I am cherished