Alan Ross Pride Parade 2009, Dallas, TX

Yesterday was my first time attending a LGBT Pride event. I'd never lived in a place that had one before.

I supported the National Leather Association by being part of their float (walking a thin moral line for me, as a vegan who supports the Leather Lifestyle but not the fabric leather).

It was a good turn out and a lot of time out in the not-as-bad-as-it-could-be (by a long shot) Dallas heat.

The crowd was great: many, many people (thousands?) and all in pretty good cheer. And about 8-9 protesters lol. The ratio was heartwarming.

We tossed out candy and beads while walkers passed out cups and flyers.

All in all it was a good day with NLA.

The only minor unpleasantries were:

Having to hear some of the cattiness and meanness of some of the members talking, to include some focused on veg*ns. But they were folks who were being catty about other people different from them, in general.

Being a dumbass and overdoing the standing and walking. I can't do that much of those two things, and this was one of the days that I totally screwed myself on them. I *did* think ahead and brought prescription ibuprofen and took some after a while. I think it's the only reason I got home okay and can walk today so well. As hard as walking was by the time I went home yesterday (I had to stop for groceries and little-old-ladied my way around Whole Foods at .5/mph), the swelling today is not horrible and I'm getting around okay. Still feel it, but it looks like just taking it easy for a couple days will be all I need.

After yesterdays's experience at the grocery (almost didn't make it from my car to the store at first) and how bad I know today could've been, I think I'm going to talk to the VA some more about my feet and knees. I will Not let them operate again, especially not starting operations on my knees (5 ops on my feet were enough, thanks), but I would like to discuss other options and possibly getting an assistive device for the days I need one. They are rare, but they are random (They aren't always caused by over-doing... sometimes I just take a few steps and Bam!) and when I need one I need one. As much as I cringe at the word and thought, a walker would've been heaven sent at the end of yesterday to help me walk to do my shopping. Ugh.

In other news, the potential slave hasn't been good about keeping up on his daily updates... I'm at the point now of "giving him enough rope to hang himself with".

I'm in a pretty good mood today.

Bike, woohoo!

I bought my first non-department store bike today and brought it home. I had to make it in two payments, one last week and one today.

I'd wondered why the bikes were so much more expensive, and when I got to test ride it last weekend I finally knew... it is so light and gliding, so much smoother shifting and fits so much better. Worth every penny.

I ended up getting a Giant Rapid 2010 model... a "commuter" road bike style, 24 speed and I also bought a cushier seat. :D Perfect for riding around White Rock Lake and running to the store and such locally.

I also bought, of course, the odds and ends I needed with it: new helmet, bike lock, car carrier.

Took it out for my first real ride on it around the lake, went about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way and back. I need to adjust the seat a little more for using my regular biking shoes (I was in different shoes when I bought it), and want to buy a rear rack for it so I can use my panniers later (but that's for next month or so).

It was really nice to be back out bicycling.

On other news, I've lost about 4 pounds this week and met a potential tpe slave.

Good start of the month.

Packers arrived

Am waiting on Chael's deployment date. He'll be leaving soon for a year. In the meantime, we're spending oodles of time together and making plans for after he's back.

I have a meditation weekend coming up for Kriya yoga. I need the reminder of the asana sequence as I've forgotten due to falling out of the habit.

The two packers I ordered arrived today. I like the smaller one better... the 6" one is too long and flopsy, feels and looks silly to me. The 3.5-4" one I'm wearing right now seems right for a "limp dick". Not something I'll wear often, but great for genderfucking fun. Next month I think I'll order that STP from djknowsdick.com. These two are made out of cyberskin material and feel fairly correct in texture and squish (especially the shorter one, the longer is a bit floppy and squishy, as mentioned), but are a little too light in weight for realism. Not bad for fun, though.

I'm so tired today, ugh.

Poly-snobbery

"Polyamory" is not only "polyfidelity". "Sex" is only rarely "just sex".

I'm becoming sick to death of the mono-normist poly-snobbery where polyamory is solely defined as polyfidelity, tied almost always with the statement that X example isn't poly because poly is about LOVE not "just sex".

Example X is almost always any form of poly relationship that is not multi-person-monogamous, aka "polyfidelic".

One (or more) person in the group wants to date/sleep with others, in any way or arrangement? "That's not POLY!! POLY is about love. Poly = many!!!! Amory = love!!!! That's a (giving a dirty tone) swinging/open."

Of course, always avoiding that the definition of amor/love includes both the meanings of non-sexual and sexual caring/attraction. Of course, always avoiding that example X rarely, rarely, rarely, is about one (or more) parties wanting/having "just sex"... 99.9% of the time it's about them wanting to have other relationships, including the sexual aspects of them. And, of course, always avoiding that even when "sex is just sex" it's rarely "just sex".

It's really about a knee-jerk, sex-is-bad/dirty, we're-really-just-the-same-as-mono-people act of snobbery and insecurity.

Now, don't misunderstand me. I don't have any problem at all with those who prefer and choose polyfidelic relationships. Not in the slightest, I'm not running down that relationship choice.

My issue is taking a valid relationship choice of a TYPE of polyamory and holding it up as the standard and definer for ALL types of poly relationships.

Get over your mono-normist mindset and your snobbery. Poly isn't just closed poly, that's just one form of loving many.

Birthday bash

Just got back late last night from my trip to Florida. I went out to visit my friends MsKitty and BoiJen for MsKitty's birthday party. (Names of those I don't know want mentioned are going to be left out)

I was a bit nervous but excited to be spending a weekend with them as Jen and I knew one another from in-common web forums and I'd had the joy of meeting them both last year at SouthEast LeatherFest. So we'd spent time and I knew I liked them loads but this was the first time we'd be hanging out so much at once (they let me stay at their home).

By the end of the weekend I was lamenting that we lived so very far way... it felt like I should just be living a few blocks over or something, it was so comfortable to hang out with them. Old friends feeling.

The weekend was so fun between the outings and the quiet home times spent chatting or watching silly videos. I got to meet some of their local friends and a couple in particular were very sweet people.

As to outings, we went grocery shopping together on the way back to their place and chatted then later went out to a local dungeon and ended up staying late sitting around drinking a little and exchanging stories and jokes with the group. Then, coming home we did something I love: they introduced me to their habit of listening to Possum Kingdom as they drove home around the lake way and we all sang along together.

Saturday evening was Kitty's birthday celebration and we stayed up forever. There was a yummy dinner out with a bunch of galfriends, a women's leather meeting with a discussion on service (and I found myself thinking longingly of the domestic I had to leave behind in Georgia and also fondly of how I wish my spouse could hear the talk because it would've touched him so well). After gifts were exchanged Kitty and Jen began to play for MsKitty's birthday beating and I ended up co-topping... it'd been so long since I'd gotten to pull a girl's hair, growr.

We then spent some talking time back at their house with another friend and did a little "pre-drinking" before going out to the bar for the night. That friend decided to go home but another chose to join us at the bar and spent the rest of the evening with us. We were a rowdy group of 4 out on the town lol.

People watching at the bar was entertaining and there was live music. We all kept cracking up at the other patrons, each other, and some bizarre television shows on the bigscreen. One guy came up to me and kissed my hand while kneeling in front of me, then stood and told me I had great energy and that he was a wizard. As said, the crowd was great entertainment, that's one example only.

As it got on towards 4 or 5am we went back to the friend's place on the beach and talked til sunrise got close... then we all padded down to the beach in the dark and she, Kitty and I skinny-dipped while Jen chilled on the beach. Personal talk in salty water, the waves colored by the sunrise, against naked skin as we paddled and floated... a calm and lovely time to start the end of our night.

We one by one got out of the water and the four of us sat close on two towels and watched the sunrise further -and were thrilled to see the black shapes of dolphins jumping and splashing in the near distance. It was a perfect end to the night... close to friends, the sky and water changing colors and dolphins playing.

We said our goodbyes shortly after to the friend and made our way back to MsKitty's and BoiJen's and I kept falling asleep in the car lol.

After some sleep we had a tastey brunch made by the boi and some more visiting, then it was time for me to head home.

I'm so glad they invited me and welcomed me into their home. I had a very fun and relaxing time, both. I just wish we all lived closer.

I got to watch Jen make a nylon whip as she talked to me about the whys and hows. She's selling them and I plan to buy one shortly off them. Once she has her website up I'll pimp it some for her if she's fine by that.

Such a good time...