SITS XXV: Family, Tradition, and ‘Fuck that Shit!’

Last weekend was A.S.S.’s annual Spring in the South event.  Shdwkitten and I were invited to teach a couple of classes, and our pack was also doing the puppy play class, so I’ve really been looking forward to this weekend.  Unfortunately, for varying reasons (which I won’t entirely detail here), most of my family members were frustrated or disappointed or just grumpy.  I kind of felt like my role was to keep everybody as buoyant as possible and help my family have a good time – even if that meant some of them simply had to take-off early to go get some “space.”

As for the event itself, there were some cool things worth praise:  One that I spotted as soon as we arrived was the memorabilia collection.  This was the 25^th annual SITS, and they collected booklets, pins, and posters going back to the beginning.  That was pretty cool to browse through.

Another good thing: cocktail hour (which stretched into 2 hours I think).  Drinks were provided by the TN Griffons.  Thank you, guys!

The food was also great.  One thing I like about SITS is that they feed you well.  Continental breakfast, subs for lunch, and the banquette which featured grilled chicken or roast beef… followed by Champaign and anniversary cake.  The formal leather dinner turned into one of the high points of the event for me.  My pack, in case you’d never guessed, isn’t exactly “formal” – and for that matter, I think we’re “leather” but only by some of the looser definitions.  Besides which, the theme of this year’s SITS was “Tradition” – which lead to our ongoing joke: “That’s not an Old Guard Tradition!”  Yes, as you might expect, the puppies were cutting-up a lot during dinner.  I, for one, had a shit-load of fun.  And we were mostly non-disruptive.  (Only once did Sir have to temporarily evict two pups from the dinning room.)  But, yeah, we were cutting-up a lot, and being silly and… well, being puppies. 

The truth is, while we all respect the history of our culture and respect what the gay leathermen of the past had to go through, we don’t feel ourselves hidebound by tradition, nor do we feel the need to romanticize the “golden age.”  (Newsflash: there was never an f-ing golden age!)

Another highlight of the dinner was Tebow in a dress.  The kid has mentioned a few times that he wants to do some humiliation play based on wearing skimpy women’s clothing.  This is a major turn-OFF for Sir… but Loki indulged the beagle at least this once.  Personally, I hope it’s not just this once b/c I though he looked great.  I mean, I’d go down on him.  LOL.  (I’d post a picture, but I don’t have one.  Sorry.)

Another good point:  Ma’am and I really enjoyed teaching our classes.  We had a great discussion in “Surviving Real Life in a 24/7.”  The class is about the gap between D/s M/s fantasy and trying to make a relationship work in the real world.  That’s always a great venue for folks to share their relationship stories (sometimes horror stories) and advice on what works and what failed to work.  I heard one of the best one’s we’ve heard yet: a submissive who was her master’s supervisor at work… and had to fire him.  Seriously.  That never happens in internet erotica.  One thing we discussed a lot was how much of that high protocol stuff can be fun play for a weekend or a vacation, but you can’t live like that all the time and have a healthy relationship.  I wish Hunter could have been in on our class – he later made the fantastically awesome observation: “I just came out of an ‘Old Guard’ household, and fuck that shit!”  LOL.

(I mentioned we can be occasionally a bit irreverent didn’t I?)

Hunter is back!  *wags*  After a brief exile to the Virginia Beach gulag, our Dalmatian has returned to Atlanta an re-joined the pack.  I really want everyone to follow this link and READ HIS POST about how it ended.  There are, unfortunately, some genuine predators in our community.  Abusive assholes who hide behind the pretense of being “Master” or “Dominant” or “Old Leather” when in fact they are just predators sorely in need of an ass-kicking.  Subs, boys, pups, slaves – protect yourselves!  Be alert.  Be careful who you get involved with.  There are warning signs to watch out for: know them, and always check-out reputations.  I’ve heard some rather dodgy stuff about that guy in Virginia before, but had no idea they’d go that far…

Anyway – we were really happy to have Hunter back w/ us, and I greatly enjoyed romping w/ him during’ Sir’s puppy play class.  That was another weekend positive for me – any chance to pup-out and romp!

I also got to play briefly but intensely during our “Primal Play” class.  This class started when one of the owners of Frolicon asked me to work-up a class on werewolf-play, but it evolved into primal play.  We touch-on shamanism, animal totems, channeling animal spirits, the psychology of mental shape-shifting… and then we get down on all fours and Shdwkitten and I try to rip one-another apart.

Finally, one more good moment came early Sunday morning when I got to sit and talk w/ my “little brother” for a while.  Sir had to go do something and Ma’am hadn’t arrived yet, so Tebow and I had like 45 minutes alone to just chill and chat.  It was really nice.  In some ways my little brother is in much the same place as my Owner: both are trying to find their place in the community and often feel like they don’t quite fit in.

I wish I could have done more for my family to make everyone happy and feel less frustrated, depressed, disappointed, left-out, taken-advantage-of, burnt-out, and jaded…  I don’t know – I guess we all just have to focus on the fact that, even when “the community” doesn’t feel quite right, even when we work our asses off for ingrates, even when we fall under the spell of abusive predators, even when we feel like we don’t fit in or can’t find what we want… the fact is: if it weren’t for the community I wouldn’t have Shdwkitten or my pack-mates in my life… and I wouldn’t give-up my family for the world!

(Well, I don’t know… maybe for the whole world.  But not for half the world!  Well… maybe depending on which half.  Like, I certainly wouldn’t give-up my family in exchange for the Southern Hemisphere – no offense Australia – but, like you know… if somebody offered me the whole Northern Hemisphere in exchange for my family, maybe I’d think about it…  I don’t know.  I might trade the beagle if I can get Europe for him.)

And to end on a final note of good news, you should read Hunter’s next blog post.

Take care, all.

How many times can you jerk-off in a week w/o cuming?

My Owner has had a little “challenge” going for me.  For the last week I’ve been allowed to jerk-off as much as I want – but not cum.  Usually I have to get her permission to play w/ myself or get else her to play w/ me, so needless to say for the last week I’ve been taking advantage of this – a lot!  Basically I’ve been jerking-off like an addict day after day.  *pants*  I've stayed hard and semi-hard so much I've been leaking pre-cum in my pants like a drippy faucet.  It's been Hell... and really wonderful at the same time!

The catch was: at the end of one week Ma’am would fuck me w/ her strap-on – BUT for every time I came during that week she added a day delaying when I get fucked and I get, as punishment, an ice cube on that day instead, either down the pants or up the ass, neither of which is very pleasant.  I came twice and got an ice cube last night and will be getting another one tonight… but tomorrow, it’s fuck puppy time!  *wags*

In other news:  I’m looking forward to this weekend.  Ma’am is taking her hound to one of our favorite annual events: our favorite Highland Games & Scottish Clan Gathering.  We’re going to go listen to some Celtic music, drink beer, watch some cabers get tossed, watch the sheep-dog demo, maybe go to the whiskey tasting...

 Next weekend is Spring in the South at 1763 in Atlanta.  If you can make it, you should.  Last year this was a great event; I really enjoyed it, and this year is looking just as good if not better.  There’s a great line-up of classes (including Loki doing his puppy play class, and Shdwkitten and I are doing two classes together: Surviving Real Life in a 24/7, and Primal Play), and Saturday night there’s a formal leather dinner (were I will be sporting my shinny, new vest!) followed by a play party.  We’d love to see you there.

“New Blood in an Old Guard World”

There was a must-read article in Letherati that deserves a lot of cross-posting.  “New Blood in an Old Guard World” by Papa Tony.  Essentially he argues that the crusty old farts need to loosen-up and be more welcoming the younger kids (oops – we’re not supposed to call them “kids”).

 

I tend to think of myself as part of that demographic segment that floats in-between TNG and the Old(er) Guard.  I base this on two things: (1)  The single biggest thing to change the community (to change everything) has obviously been the internet and digital communications revolution; Google, blogs, twitter, Fet, Recon, etc.  Entering the community around the time I did (late 90’s – early 2000’s) that stuff was just emerging.  So I’ve been able to see the changes that have come in the last 13 years.  (2)  Being in my late 30’s, I’m about equidistant from the 20-somethings on my right and the 50+ guys on my left.  It’s not uncommon for me to go to an event and be one of the youngest guys there… and then turn around and go to a TNG event and be one of the oldest guys there.  So I see it on both sides.  (Even in terms of community leadership I guess I’m the BDSM world’s equivalent of middle-management.  LOL.)

 Let the kids take the lead!

 Now, one of the myths that Papa Tony attacks is that “kids” these days don’t care about tradition.  I really agree with him that most of the younger crowd are interested in the older leather traditions – at the very least they are curious about the history… they just don’t want to be bound by them or held to out-dated standards and expectations.  It’s like my Alpha Pup recently said in a post – something along the lines of taking traditions lightly w/o being disrespectful.  I think that’s good stance.

I like to take things light and have fun w/ it all.  If your idea of “leather” is some kind of high-protocol, stick-up-you-butt, offended-at-the-drop-of-a-hat, psudo-military thing… then I’m happy to be kept out of it.  I mean, I’m not going to run that down; if that’s really your thing, go for it.  But I’m a puppy; I like to have fun, be silly, laugh, and sniff people in inappropriate places.  Are you going to judge me b/c my boots aren’t polished or my leather jacket is dirty?  Well, don’t judge me! (LOL)  I actually ride a motorcycle.  I’ve logged god-knows how many miles in that jacket in sun and rain and added a pound of encrusted bug-splatter to it.  I like it!  When I was a child my mom used to call me “Pigpen” b/c I spent so much time playing in the dirt.  When Ma’am and Sir gave me my leather vest, the joke was about how long it would be before I went out and rolled around in the dirt in it.  (Have I mentioned that I’m a puppy?  I’m a bootblack’s worst nightmare.  LOL) 

(And, also, it so happens that I don’t think we need to be choosing our community leaders based on how they rate in a formal-ware fashion show, but that’s another rant.)

Anyway… read the article by Papa Tony at: http://www.leatherati.com/2013/03/new-blood-in-an-old-guard-world/ and share it w/ your friends.

(And, no, I haven’t rolled around in the dirt in my new vest.  Yet.)

Two Puppies Interviewed

G-pup Alpha (of Sirius Pups) was interviewed recently about human-pup play.  It’s a very good, brief introduction to the topic found at:

http://thehappypup.com/gpup-alpha-human-pup-play-interview/

Atlanta's own Pup Nitro was a guest on the NoSafeWord podcast.  You can find that at:

http://nosafeword.com/posts/ep10-pup-nitro/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=nosafeword

The conversation mostly revolves around Community Building Vs. Community Destruction (those who contribute in a positive way vs. those assholes who only badmouth and tear-down), as Nitro recently wrote about in his blog at:

http://ilb2011nitro.blogspot.com/2013/03/community-building-vs-community.html

One other topic that came-up was the point that “submissive” doesn’t mean doormat for everybody to walk on.  This is something I’ve also had to deal with… and bloged about as well at:  http://pupemrys.blogspot.com/2012/04/submitting-vs-submissive.html

My take is a little bit different from Nitro’s, but we’re still much of a like mind on this subject.

FroliCon 2013, Saturday

Last year, a lot of my FroliCon was a “the quest to cum.”  Ma’am had kept me chaste for a week (maybe two?) and then said Loki would be the only one allowed to give me permission to shoot… which he spent the whole con teasing me about.  This year, to the contrary, turned into a three-orgasm con!  LOL.  Starting Friday night when Sir rewarded me for enduing the living hell of the smokers deck by letting me get-off in the shower… then Ma’am let me shoot back in our room later that same night (while she fucked another guy in our bed… b/c that’s how we roll).

I was up well before anyone else Saturday morning… but I knew Sir would be as well (we’re both “morning puppies”), and it wasn’t hard to track him to a rope class.  The most fun there involved Tebow, Sir, and I stealing/taking one-another’s booty.  (That’s a FroliCon thing.  Everybody gets one coin – “booty” – which they can trade to others for favors, and the one w/ the most booty at the end of the Con wins.) 

Our next event (after Boy Andy was kind enough to black my shinny, new vest) was the men-only dungeon party… where our Beagle almost earned my booty coin (or, actually, earned back the booty I stole from him) just by showing up dressed as Robin, the Boy Wonder.  Yummy!  This party wasn’t bad, but Loki was busy playing w/ others (including tying-up said Boy Wonder)… so, making my own fun, I just took an opportunity to pup-out – not very deep into headspace, but I got to romp a little and got some scritches.

My Owner was waiting for us when the party let out.  I know Sir wanted to take me up to his room for a “nap” (I learned at last year’s con that when Loki says “nap” it means being in bed in the middle of the day but it does not imply that anything restful will be happening in that bed), but Ma’am wanted her hound at her side for a while, so she leashed me, and I happily trotted off w/ her.  Leashes are probably my biggest gear fetish.  I’m into some other stuff like hoods, etc., but nothing makes me hard right away like leading me about by a leash… as my lovely Owner knows.  We ended-up back in our room for lunch and down-time…

Sir, Ma'am, and I gathered outside the main dungeon party at 7:30.  My sensational Owner got the main party started quick and intense w/ a play-date she arranged w/ a lovely girl from New York she’s played w/ a couple of times over the years.  They took the wrestling mat and had a very primal, girl-pounced-by-weretiger scene.  It was really, freaking hot!

We followed that by returning to Sir’s hotel room… b/c he had arranged to Top Shdwkitten, and they wanted to play in private.  Thus I found myself watching my two Doms go at it.  This scene started off very, very hot.  It started a touch primal (Ma’am still had that energy going after her primal scene downstairs)… but then it just got silly.  Sir and Ma’am kept verbally baiting one-another… somehow I got drug (verbally) into the middle of it.  At one point in the middle of the scene we found ourselves debating whether Sir was a Kinsey 3 or 4.  And the more Ma’am’s face-paint ended-up on Sir’s face the more we laughed.  (Sir: “I have face-paint on my teeth!”)  There are some really funny pictures on FetLife.  The scene ended before Sir got to half his toys b/c we were all just laughing too hard.  It was probably the most fun scene any of us have had in a while; I was just watching, and I had a blast.

Ma’am headed back downstairs to socialize some more, and Sir took the Wolfhound for a walk though the room parties.  We drank enough to get sufficiently buzzed.  One of the parties involved eating food off of a mostly-naked woman for a prize; fortunately for Sir he brought his “straight stunt bottom” w/ him.  LOL.  After an hour or two of doing the party crawl we went back to Sir’s room to make up for the “nap” he missed out on earlier.

Sex came in two rounds.  Round 1, Sir was in a very primal headspace… which was awesome to see.  Very hot!  I love rough, primal sex w/ lots of growling, biting, and scratching… and Sir got so deep into headspace that he went non-verbal – temporarily lost the ability to use words.  Round 2 was different… but just as hot.  This time Sir was pretty verbal, and he kept pushing all the right buttons – calling me his “little fuck puppy” and his “pretty wolfhound.”  Turned me on!  (Only thing that might have been hotter… is if he leashed me before fucking me.  Hmm… maybe next time.)  I was so into a subby-puppy headspace!  It’s a fantastically hot thing to, just for that space in time, to be totally devoted to serving another’s desire – living, breathing, moving, thinking, and feeling for HIM, aching to follow HIS every command.  That’s where Sir took me Saturday night.  After we finished, it took me while to pull my head together enough to be able to make the trip back to my room for a shower and curling-up in bed w/ my awesome Owner.

So that was my FroliCon 2013.  One Kitten, lots of pups, three orgasms, and a leather vest.  All good.  :)

Frolicon 2013: Good Friday, Leather Vest

Friday morning we arrived early at the Con hotel, checked in, registered, etc. in time for me to go to the "Women who like to watch male-on-male action" play party.  It was funny b/c I walked in and there were like 30+ people all sitting in a big circle watching, in the middle, Sir Loki tying-up Tebow to try out a suspension tie... which is about the least interesting scene there is to watch, but there wasn't much else going on.  (Or they were all just mesmerized by the inherent hotness of my pack-mates...)

After that slightly uninspiring party, Sir went up to the masturbation party (to each his own) while Tebow, Samo, and I ended-up at the Little's pirate-themed party w/ several other pup's in the extended Atlanta pack.  Pup-ing out w/ littles is actually lots of fun... but we actually just ended-up standing around shooting the breeze.  However, this party did provide one of my absolutely favorite moments of the con, when She-who-must-not-be-named walked in, started to come over to our pack to socialize, saw me standing protectively among the pups not-quite growling at her, thought better of it, turned around and left.  Yay!  There are very few people that I absolutely don't get along with, but trust me when I say that this woman is simply a predator in our community, so I was not about to let her get anywhere around my pack.  *snarl*

After that the pups wanted to watch the wrestling demo.  Not too excited about that, I tracked-down my Owner at Boy Meat's Thug Play class.  We've both seen this one before a couple of times, but it's a great class.  He's one of the better presenters out there, I think.  Entertaining and informative.  But Ma'am wanted to prowl, so we ended-up hooking back up w/ the pack (sans-Loki) at the wrestling mat... where the Kitten ended-up throwing a cup of water on the Husky, who retaliated by pouring water on the Beagle.  *sigh*  Children.

Next stop was the whiskey and cigar class w/ Ma'am, Sir, and Shdwkitten's girlfriend who was acting as a lovely assistant for the class.  Sir was wearing his Saint Bernard collar-cask (full of Scotch).

After that, we slipped into a panel discussion on adult babies and dipper fetishists.  Not my thing, but our German Shepherd was on the panel... and it's sometimes fun to go learn about something even if it's not your thing.  So I learned more than I ever needed to know about how to avoid dipper rash while we wolfed-down cheeseburgers that Soma had gone out to fetch for us.

Next, Ma'am had commanded all the pups to assemble so she could give me my birthday present from her and Sir.  Getting all the pups to gather and stay in one place is a near-impossible task, and the Alpha Pup, who was doing the herding, was verging on killing all of us.  It was not at all a surprise to me that the Kitten was the one who kept disappearing, but she was trying to gather-up as many of our friends as she could find... and she managed to round-up a handful.  I was told to kneel and that's when...  Ma'am and Sir presented me w/ a leather vest as my "birthday present."  :)

The "earned leather" tradition is usually traced to the Old Guard... but they actually adapted a practice from the het biker gangs of the late 40's and early 50's.  One would first enter a biker gang (het or gay) as a "probie" and not allowed to wear leather.  Only after earning one's way in would one be allowed to wear leather (or wear the club patch).  The gay biker clubs are largely gone, but the tradition has sort of survived: giving a leather vest is a sign of having mastered certain skills, earned respect, or "paid one's dues."

The vest Ma'am and Sir gave me is quite nice, w/ a doggy name tag like Sir’s, and Sir says he’s ordered a leather patch for the back that will also match his -- I can’t wait.  As way-cool as the vest itself is, what means the most to me is who it came from.  Thank you, Ma’am and Sir for being such incredibly wonderful people, for allowing me to be my kooky, perverted, puppy self, and for being the absolutely BEST Dominants that a pup could ever ask for.  Hugs and kisses and licks and nipps to you both!

So Sir put my shinny, new vest on me... and then the pups were ordered to puppy pile!  I got buried under a handful of pups and my Owner's fantastic girlfriend.  After that, the pups scattered to the winds.  Ma'am, Sir, and I ended out on the smoking deck.  I HATE smoking.  I HATE second hand smoke.  YUCK!!!!  Nonetheless, I endured almost an hour on the smoke deck (a new record!) before Sir at last took pity on me and took me upstairs to his room for a shower (and a blowjob).  Sir fell asleep after that... so I wandered a bit... hung out... before finally ending up back in our room, snuggling up in bed w/ my super-hot Owner and a guy she brought "home" for the night.  Yeah!  :)

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