Fortunate errors.
Back at home after Floating World. It was a rollercoastery experience.
Midtown Manhattan Diner Love, bitches!
The event itself was HUGE.
HUGE dungeon space.
HUGE class schedule.
HUGE hustle and bustle.
The fact that the convention center was taken over by the event was great, and it meant that there were no restrictions in terms of dress codes, etc. It gave people plenty of room to do big scenes, and pony shows.
But the remoteness of the hotels, coupled with the baffling “NO Cell Phones IN The Entire Convention Center” rule made connecting with people difficult to impossible. I’ve never scene a BDSM convention bar cell phones from anywhere except the dungeon. And I’ve never heard of a BDSM event where there were negative repercussions from cell phones in the rest of the space.
When a con is on one hotel, it is easier to have the benefit of a centralized hang-out / networking / neutral space. There wasn’t that feeling of cohesiveness. I found it difficult to catch up with people, and given the size of the event those electronic leashes sure would have come in handy!
Kudos to the staff and the organizers for pulling it off. But I would reconsider the cell-phone rule. It makes an already sprawling, overwhelming event that much more difficult to navigate.
From my viewpoint, my classes went well I think. I received some AMAZING feedback from folks and the level of honesty and divulgence form people who attended my class on Taboo Play was something of which I am very proud. It isn’t often you get people to open up on VERY TABOO subjects. But i think the fact that I’m over self-censoring lets people feel relaxed, and not judged.
I had a great time as the demo botto for Miss Luna‘s class on Erotic Bootblacking, providing a twist by not being in boots at all, but my favourite leather skirt that I bought earler this year at Portland Kinkfest.
I did manage to be in the right head-space and the right place and time and all that shit to permit myself the DELIGHT of having the awesome Wendy Blackheart do her level best to insinuate her hand into a rather…intimate region of my body. And I did very well for a first timer, she said! And I’m also unusually ticklish. In an unusual place. I’ll write about that later. It remains on the simmer place for now.
Thank you, Madame Blackheart, for a most amazing experience…you are truly fucking awesome.
The Magic Moment Awards of the weekend goes to the lifesaving power of Twitter. From my initial realization that I’d fucked up my plane ticket(s), and therefore had no ride from the airport to the hotel, Twitter kicked in. Within minutes I’d been offered a ride and a place to rest my head until I could check into the hotel.
And then, at the convention, at every turn I saw avatars and icons come to life. People with whom I’d chatted online were all over the place! It was SO amazing to be able to have that moment of recognition over and over again. I am so lucky to have so many cool people who I am fortunate to see in real time!
And then, again, at the end of the trip, I realize that I not only had fucked up and double booked my flights, I ADDITIONALLY realize that I had the wrong return day for the flight.
Yes, though I had planned on being back in the West Coast Monday night, I had booked the return for Tuesday. My late night wailing festival was soon assuaged by a fellow night-owl who convinced me I wasn’t a total idiot, and that left me a second to breathe and formulate a plan.
Once I discovered that there is indeed a baggage check for Continental Airlines passengers in EWR, I decided to dump my suitcase and leave myself free to “Walk The Earth…you know, like Caine in Kung Fu.”
Like any insane leap I take, I landed on my feet. My wonderful and generous and AWESOME friends Kate and Barbara saw my free-floating state and invited me into their home. I am so profoundly honored to have these people in my life.
This landing place paved the way for me to run errands around Manhattan and develop a rather violent crush on my home town. I’m not sure what to make of this, but truly, I was blown away with my emotional reaction to loving New York, and this was the first time in 11 years I have had this depth of feeling for that crazy fucking town. It may have been the Yonah Schimmel knishes and full-sour Kosher garlic pickles.
And so, I’m back in my adopted home. Cooler, foggier, and beautiful.
I’m blessed. When even your mistakes lead to warmth and home and discovery and love…you’re doing something right.
^_^ I’m so glad you had a good time! It was totally fun. We need to play/hangout/bond/talk about crazy shit again soon!
Dude, I totally agree about the cell phone thing. And I was pissed off, because people kept flipping out at me when I brought it up. I mean, TESFest let us have phones – and they were all ‘This isn’t TESFest’ and they’re right. Its harder to communicate. If I could at the very leave have my phone in my pocket, I could have had much better contact with my friends. I spent more time than I would have liked wandering around confused and alone.
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mollena Reply:
August 29th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
I posted about it to FetLife where feedback was being solicited. Everybody was falling over themselves to praise how awesome the event was but I was the only person to do so up to that point.
http://fetlife.com/groups/1232/group_posts/278668
I think it made it a shitty event at which to be single.
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Comment by Wendy Blackheart — August 26, 2009 @ 9:07 pm
so….. are we back in the Apple….. or is our heart still in San Francisco…..
lamesabassman…… can’t wait to hear about the tickle part, love……
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mollena Reply:
August 29th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
I have an increasing urge to be bi AGAIN….not just in bed but across the country…
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Comment by lamesabassman — August 26, 2009 @ 11:03 pm
Hey this is my 300th Post!!
CONFETTI!!
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Comment by mollena — August 27, 2009 @ 4:45 pm