Sunday morning came too early, and drizzly. I’m from Seattle, but totally not my fault.
International LeatherSIR 2010 Hugh had advised me to go to the Folsom brunch hosted by Empress XXX Donna Sachet and International Mr. Leather 1992 Lenny Broberg, so Graves and I caught the MUNI to the Castro, got coffee and cash, and traipsed up the hill to 21st and Castro. (And we’re talking HILL here. Ugh.) We ran into International Community Bootblack 2011 Luna on the way, who was trying to find the brunch.
Lenny’s note to Hugh had said we would know the house when we got there, and yes, the leather flag-colored streamers did cue us in. It was a great little brunch, met a number of the titleholders who were present, not to mention a number of guys whom I lightly remembered from when I lived in the Bay Area.
We needed to be at the 12th Street Stage by 12:40, so Graves and I left with Mr. Bullet Leather Joey (cutie!) and his photographer buddy Jay. Stopped for more coffee (hey, I’m from Seattle, bow toward SODO five times a day!) for me and 5-Hour Energy drinks for them, then hopped the F Line to Van Ness. Got to the staging area with just a few minutes to spare.
Our Northwest Community Bootblack 2012 titleholder Ruin was also there, with her partner. She was relieved to see me, to have someone else she knew there. Curiously, Ruin, Luna, and I were the only LeatherSIR (et al) people there for the titleholders presentation. But Ruin and I weren’t the baby titleholders on the block any more, as Mr. Connecticut Leather was there, having stepped up just last week.
I also got to meet the Alameda County Leather Corps titleholders, Kate and Curren. I’m an auxiliary member of ACLC. It was my first club, back in 1999; I joined at the same time as past International Bootblack Andrew “Bootdog” Johnson and past American Leatherwoman Joan Nory, so there was something in the Hayward water that year.
An hour later was the Mama’s Family photo at the Powerhouse. (I am “Mama’s Rubber Cowboy”.) After that, I headed back to the hotel for a costume change, to get rid of the sash and the leather pants and shirt, into something lighter and cruisier (chaps, jock, vest with no shirt). The sun came out solidly by about 3 pm, which was a relief, making for a nice, warmer afternoon. I lost track of Joey and Graves and Ruin after the titleholder presentation, but I got to have some short chats later in the day with both Donna Sachet and Lenny Broberg, separately. Lenny said he may be coming up to Seattle for the WSMLO contest in March; this is his IML 20th anniversary year. I also saw Mitch and Brian again, and Paul and Cole, and bootblack Paul and past Northwest Community Bootblack Scout, among a handful of other people I know. Also: my ex, John; Arami and Washington State Mr. Leather James; Tony Buff at the Raging Stallion booth; Element and Kyle again, with Element in those killer silver boots. Relatively few of the Seattle crew, surprisingly; I know a lot were down, but I hardly saw any of them. Different circles, maybe.
I succumbed to some jambalaya at about 5 pm, and the Fair shut down at 6 pm. I headed back to the hotel for a brief nap, and later wen back to the Castro for Tom’s fisting party. He has a very nice set up, although the step ladder to the attic space was a bit rickety for my tastes, so I played mostly downstairs. Thanks to Janeer, Tony, Eric, Raj, Nigel, and a couple other guys for some good play, and especially thanks to Tom for opening up his home for us!
No comments:
Post a Comment