East Coast Sturgis

August 9-11, 2013 -- This was an experiment by one of my bootblack "babies" which did not go as anticipated.  Trigger wanted to bring the bootblack experience to the biker community and, as he is one of my Leather children, I was happy to support him by being there and joining in the event.  Life, as usual, has a way of testing one's resolve and I was proud of the way Trigger handled the situations that arose.  Sir, Raquel and I drove up to Little Orleans, Maryland on Friday and it began to rain (again that week!) after we got our tents set up and had started looking around the event grounds.  It had been raining every day that week and the dirt roads were a sea of mud enhanced by the bikers performing daily runs to show off their motorcycles.  Raquel had never been camping in tents before and was a bit stunned by the lack of amenities that she was used to in the city.  Since it was so muddy, no one wanted to have their boots cleaned and polished since the shine would be gone within steps from the stand.  Saturday, there was no rain but it takes time for so much mud to dry out and, since most of the bikers were there to show off their wonderful machines and not to have their leather gear worked on, the few who did sit in the stands found out what a bootblack could do for them and their leathers.  Ah, well, life goes on and so does my journey.  *giggles*

The lace top was a halter that did not last.

At the campground

Mid-Atlantic Women's Motorcyle Rally

Rocking some sexy hose as a newbie at MAWMR

Temporary tattoo by a facepainter at MAWMR

June 21-23, 2013 - Sir and I drove up to Gettysburg PA for the Mid-Atlantic Women's Motorcycle Rally (MAWMR), which has been held yearly as a fundraiser for local charities involved in breast cancer support.  This year was the first year that Tracey Black, Mid-Atlantic Bootblack 1999, asked another bootblack to help her out with working the event and raising funds.  I asked if it would be okay for me to raise funds for B.A.C.A., as well as the other charities, and she was okay with that.  We ended up raising $419 for HOPE and PinkOut and $145 for B.A.C.A.  The entire weekend resulted in the event raising over $37,000 for breast cancer support, while having a lot of fun.

Tracy and me, ready for Friday dinner

Parade of Lighted Bikes Friday Night.

Many of the bikers included stuffed animals as riders!

It was awesome to be amongst approximately 200 women and their bikes.  I even got to ride as "bitch on back" for the Parade of Chrome.  I brought a pair of black boxers I had snagged from Derrick at the Triple L and wore them with my new leather chaps and a tank top.  We rode about 10 miles and it felt so wonderful to be riding a motorcycle again.  I have missed riding with Sir Tatsujin Paris on his bike.

Trip and I before the Parade of Chrome

I loved being on Trip's bike!

Spike, a very butch veteran, was fun to flirt with and she liked my work on her New Rock boots that she came back with the other two pairs of boots to have me work on them as well.  I also worked on some purple Ariat cowboy boots, which was my first time working on this brand of boot.  I had some Meltonian shoe cream that matched the color exactly!  Then there were the flame boots that needed a lot of love and a bit of repair.  The owner was not ready to give them up.

Final result on the flame boots.

Cbecking the damage

Conditioning the boots

Cleaning some pretty brown cowboy boots.

Cleaning one pair of Spike's New Rock boots

Spike's boots match her name!

The charity I will raise funds for during my title year.

I have thought long and hard about what charity I should devote the funds I raise during my title year.  There are so many charities out there but I found one that touches my soul deeply and that needs help more than most - Bikers Against Child Abuse (B.A.C.A.) .  As it says on their website, they are bikers first but their goal is to break the chains of abuse and fear for the children who are assigned to their care as protectors. If you want to check out the website, it is www.bacaworld.org  These bikers do amazing work and it is all voluntary (and sometimes paid for by them!) to make sure that children who have been abused are no longer afraid of their abusers.  An in-depth article about what the Arizona chapter is doing can be found at http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/articles/2012/07/13/20120713bikers-against-child-abuse-make-abuse-victims-feel-safe.html?nclick_check=1   If you can read this article without tears, you have a small heart.  I personally used up an entire box of tissues while reading it.  I hope that everyone who comes to a fundraiser I hold will open their hearts and their wallets for B.A.C.A.  They need financial help to continue to do what they do.  Since it is a Section 501(c)(3) organization, any donation is tax deductible.

Bears, Bikers and Mayhem

March 29-30, 2013 (Gettysburg, PA)

This is the first year that this event had a vendor room and I was a "vendor" so I could bootblack as the only female at the event.  It was a weekend long event (Thursday through Sunday) but I was there (with Sir Tatsujin Paris) Friday and Saturday.  They had never had a bootblack at this event and it was in its fourth year.  I was so happy to see all of the bears and Leathermen and they made me feel very welcome and wanted.  Charles King, one of the producers, went out of his way to make sure I was having a good time and getting a lot of work .  Friday was at the host hotel and we shifted the "bear" stand from the vendor area to the ballroom for the dance that night.  Saturday was split between the host hotel and an Amish "wilding" party at Altlands Ranch in Spring Grove PA.

Friday night dance!

Close up on the cowboy boots.

He wore a black halo and black wings as he delivered drunken bear shots.

On Saturday, after the vendor room closed up, we moved the "bear" stand to Altlands  Ranch in Spring Grove PA.  We were treated to a bear style dinner and "protesters" outside of the building (Amish "folk" with signs). A version of Family Feud pitted the Bears against the Leathermen, and there were boys wearing jockstraps for sale by raffle.  I worked the party and donated half of my tips to the 7 county charity involved in HIV/AIDS support.

Me and the "protesters"