Speechless

Periwinkle and copper, obv.

Happy birthday to my favorite Paragon of Awesomeness! I believe strongly in the tradition of birthday spankings, so I just sent in a session request so that you can give me one. <g> - Speechless

The body parts wind up as off-menu specials at several of the most exclusive Chinatown restaurants. Welcome, Mistress Yao! You are a delectable little morsel, and I look forward to meeting you! I wish you happiness, adventure and fulfillment at the Fortress - all of which I'm sure you'll find. Speechless

A thousand pardons, Mademoiselle. Floating World is coming up shortly, July 29-31 in NJ (last year it was in August). A new event, FetFest (originating in the FetLife community) will be held Sept 2–5 in Maryland. I will endeavor to keep you informed of any and all other events that come to my attention. Speechless

I just finished my own laundry this evening and realized: I would find myself trying to persuade you of the advantages of neatly rolled clothing, as opposed to folded. And would probably wind up talking myself into a caning despite my best intentions. I will add that I am very competent at washing dishes and keeping the kitchen and bathroom(s) immaculate.

Edgar, there are some very friendly people at TES. You would not feel alone by the end of the weekend. I like the Saturday evening "Top/Bottom Auction". Not sure whether it will be more fun to put my ass up for auction as a bottom, or bid for a top... or a third option, let out my inner switch and bid for a bottom. Three great ways to play!

Anyone going to TES Fest 2011 this coming weekend? It's their 40th anniversary and promises to be quite an event. Online registration ends today. You can still register at the door, just costs more.

So... anyone going to SMack! tomorrow night? (Besides me.) Or any other Fetish Marathon events?

Borrowing the language of our economist brethren, I consider Asian appreciation to be a secular trend, rather than cyclical. Or in plain English, y'all ain't gotta worry about going out of style.

Not only is this a topic I can relate to, but it is coincidentally timely. Beyond aesthetics, comfort and price, I have two additional criteria for a bedframe. First, is it up to the demands of vanilla intercourse? Is it going to walk across the room during a vigorous "workout"? Are its joints going to squeak and complain? I'm not trying to portray myself as some sort of sexual superman, but so many beds fail in this regard that I often wonder about other people's sex lives - is there a lack of thrust? And second, attachment points. I don't care who gets tied up - I can get off on both dom and sub roles - but one of us must find ourselves in restraints if it's going to be a memorable experience. So the bedframe should offer lots of convenient attachment points, yet be able to fly under the radar if my conservative relatives visit. (Not my mom - she's cool.) My friend (and noted NYC prodomme) Troy Orleans designed her own custom-fabricated bedframe, which meets all of these requirements. I was just reading about it and enjoying her photos earlier this evening, which is why I felt it was a "coincidentally timely" topic. Her description: "The tall headboard and foot board are fashioned to echo a bramble of frosted winter tree branches. The intersections of the branches are, shall we say, convenient. Additional tie points were added on the underside perimeter. There's plenty of room underneath to stash a body, too. It's a terrific bed: tall, comfortable, cozy, great for reading. One might call it "furniture you'd get attached to." Guests always compliment it. I always smile graciously." As for myself, I am currently making do with an IKEA bedframe whose headboard is bolted to the wall, and I've discretely added some attachment points. It's not ideal, but it works. For now. Philip (aka Speechless)

I'll second both of the stores that leatherwings mentioned. Purple Passion (211 West 20th Street) carries high quality products, and the owner Hilton is a longtime supporter of the NYC fetish community. He was one of the first people I met at TES many years ago. Staff member Lolita is another TES veteran who has been very helpful to me during my shopping excursions. And you'll notice some Fortress fliers near the front door which will make you feel right at home. It's been many years since I last visited The Leather Man (111 Christopher Street) but this is an excellent destination for the kind of S/M gear you are looking for. Primarily a gay male store but you'll feel comfortable there. Babeland (two Manhattan locations and one in Park Slope, Brooklyn) is a very woman-friendly environment. I bought my first pair of leather cuffs from them. There are many good online stores but I'll mention one of my favorite small vendors: Leather by Danny, in Boston. He makes some unique bondage gear and is a strong supporter of the community. I've been very happy with the items I've purchased from him and try to direct business his way. I look forward to reading other people's recommendations.

Six miles into last weekend's Brooklyn Half Marathon, I knew I was in trouble. Not only too little training, but I had started the race at too fast a pace. Muscles were cramping up and my left knee was already in agony. The remaining seven miles loomed on my horizon like a dark cloud. I had never dropped out of a race before... but there's a first time for everything. And it was then that I had a vision. A dream. I saw mZ walking along the Coney Island boardwalk - the finish line for this race - dressed as a mermaid. Intellect and desire waged a brief battle in my oxygen-deprived brain. I knew the mermaid parade wasn't for another six weeks - heck, I didn't think mZ would even be awake at 9 am on a Saturday - but I was all too willing to suspend disbelief. Giving up was no longer an option. This was the time to suck it up, draw my sword, put on my game face and sally forth. Helen of Troy awaited! I crossed the finish line in 2:12:30. Damn slow, but I didn't drop out. Had to ask the medics to ice my knee, but I didn't drop out. mZ wasn't parading along the boardwalk, but it no longer mattered. Thank you, little mermaid. Without you I would not have finished this race. Philip (aka Speechless)

The dunce caps are an interesting idea. I had been thinking more along these lines: I imagine the tags would read - "I ♡ Team Fortress!"

Gentlemen: a few personal responses, some overdue: Joey: you're not too old. These parties span a wide age range. I'm younger than you but not by much. It's all about attitude and how you carry it off. Lashee: I look forward to meeting you too. And thanks for your comments about my scene name; I've often had second thoughts about it. I quite like yours. It is I that should use you as a role model; I've enjoyed reading about your experiences at the Fortress. I feel that there's a nucleus of a "Team of Extraordinary Fortress Submissive Gentlemen" in the making, but we need a snappier name. Shermie: we may have rubbed shoulders this evening but neither of us would have known. As I mentioned in my previous post, we need a way of identifying ourselves.

I enjoyed the Stimulate party tonight. It would have been wonderful to see Team Fortress again but there would have been little opportunity to interact. The place was packed and the music was loud, with too few quiet corners to cozy into. Nonetheless enjoyable, just a different type of party. Lots of good people-watching, lots of eye candy. And what a revelation it was to attend in full fetish gear, as opposed to the basic all-black clothes I've always worn to these things. Attractive women making eye contact and smiling, checking me out... I am never dressing as a Muggle for these events again! (Yes, that's for you Ms Ree.) Gentlemen, were any of you there? I am thinking that we need a way of identifying ourselves. Looking forward to SMack!