ILSb-ICBB - Day Two

Personal Interview outfit

August 30, 2013 - The day began with a trip to IHOP for breakfast.  It was good and hearty with Eggs Benedict and tea for me, and the Breakfast Sampler for Sir Tatsujin Paris.  Then back to the hotel to update my blog and dress for the personal interview.  All of the contestants were gathering in the same waiting room across the hall from my own hotel room, so I got to see some of my friends, as well as the other bootblacks.  We talked and laughed while waiting and, a few times, had to be shushed by the Den Daddy.  *giggles*  I brought over my chocolate/bacon muffins for people to munch on while they were waiting for their own interviews.  Mine went well and I kept my handshakes of the judges firm.  In fact, Queen Cougar mentioned the strength of my handshake.  I hope it was not TOO strong; I was not trying to crush anyone's hand.  I guess it was my nervousness showing through.

Technical boot outfit

Next, was technical boots at the bootblack stand.  THIS was more like it!  All of us bootblacks relaxed into what we knew so well - working on boots that needed some loving.  I concentrated on my boot and, before I knew it, Sir Greg was calling it down on the five minutes.  I finished up with a minute to spare and felt like I had done a good job.

Outfit for the Technical Interview

Writing down on the "tech form" what I had done was very different.  I had never done this before and I had to mentally repeat the steps I had just taken while working on the boot, and then explain why I did it that way.  This was a good preparation for the next event - Tech Interview.  In this interview, I had to explain verbally to the judges what I had done to my technical boot and why I had done it that way.  There were also some questions about my philosophy on being a bootblack and the differences between various regions in the United States.  I made the judges laugh a couple of times and that has to be a good thing, right?

There was another rehearsal for the night's contest.  For us bootblacks, it was going to be easy: walk through the regional family introductions, then watch the contest.  I can do this!  I am glad we went through the change in outfits at home. It made it so much easier to do when the time actually came.  I love it when a plan comes together.  I loved getting to see some friends between my own contest parts.  I have some awesome Leather friends in this community.

Mama Vi kissing her legal counsel

Sir Khiki in her "happy place"!

During the first night of the actual contest, it was half of the Sirs and boys doing their fantasies, speeches and the jock presentation.  Tomorrow night, the bootblacks enter into the mix with our speeches.  We sat together with Sir Greg and watched, enjoying this part of the contest where we could just observe and be entertained by our fellow contestants. 

Outfit for the first part of the contest.

Sir Tatsujin Paris looking yummy.

ILSb-ICBB - The First Day

ICBB 2013 class, with Ruin (ICBB 2012) and Sir Greg (IMBB 2009)

August 29, 2013 -  The first item on the agenda was the Bootblack Brunch in the hotel restaurant.  I got to meet all of the other bootblack contestants (Kyle, Paul, Philthy Pup, Brooklyn, girl Dale, and Scout), as well as the ICBB handler and helpers (Sir Greg, Lady Minx and Syr Evan).  The joke of the day was when Sir Greg could not recall that Syr Evan was ICBB 2009, which was the same year HE was IMBB.  *grins*  I gave out my gift bags and Paul gave out leather bootblack flags for us to flag bootblack if we wished.  Philthy Pup and Brooklyn immediately ate their chocolate/bacon muffins and said they were good.

Brunch outfit (can't rotate it!)

Sir Greg emphasized that we should be early for each scheduled item on the agenda for the contest to make sure that we were not disqualified.  Where is the White Rabbit and his watch? *giggles*  This is really not a problem for me since I tend to be early to everything.

At the joint meeting of producers, judges and contestants, Jeffrey Payne and others went through what was expected of the contestants (be on time, please!) and it was noted that the Rocky Mountain Leather Sir was withdrawing because of illness.  To support his title Sir, the Rocky Mountain Leather boy also withdrew but they were both remaining for the contest to support the rest of us.  I wanted to cry because it would be so hard to have come so far and not be able to finish the journey.  I hope he is able to recover and continue his Leather life.  We received our event badges and programs.  I was excited and humbled to see all of the ads of support from the Mid-Atlantic Region (THANK YOU SO MUCH!)  Since I had already put in my basket for the silent auction, Sir and I went to the Leather Library to look around and see Mama Vi Johnson. 

We had a rehearsal of the introduction/meet and greet function in the afternoon, which turned out to be just the contestants listening to how things would go smoothly and simply (we all hoped!).  Because it was early, a second rehearsal was cancelled and we just had to show up for the actual event.  I took a nap before the evening events so I would be fresh for my duties as a contestant. 

The Mid-Atlantic Title Family - ready for introductions

Behind the curtain at the stage was so dark I just asked my fellow contestants and contest wranglers to push me in the direction I needed to go.  I was happy to get on the stage and off of it without falling on my face; that would have made keeping my dignity a bit difficult.  *giggles*  We received the No. 8 as Mid-Atlantic Title Family and I received my contestant medallion from Ruin.  Sir Tatsujin Paris said he was not able to take still pictures because of the lack of light but he was able to get a video.  At  the Meet and Greet, I spoke with my judges and even got to spend some time with Sir Khiki.

The last event was the roasting of the 2012 titleholders.  WOW!  It was harsh at times and I wonder if Sir Jack Duke will ever have another date after all of the comments.

My outfit for the Dallas Eagle Roasting

Dallas Experience - Part 2

August 28: One more day before the contest starts.  Sir and I are settling into the hotel, getting last minute things to ensure the stay is smooth and comfortable.  We got to meet some of the other contestants, including Brooklyn Davenport, Paul Grosart, Scout, and Philthy Pup.  The Leather folk were arriving in batches and the lobby of the hotel was crowded with people in leather.  LOTS of cow in the house!  *giggles*  Dallas, are you ready for this?

Dallas Experience

In our room in Dallas TX

August 28, 2013 - Sir and I arrived in Dallas TX last evening.  We drove down and started our trip Monday morning (very early in the morning!) and spent Monday night at a hotel in Dickson, Tennessee.  There was an interesting homey restaurant called "Farmers Marketplace" which served only buffet style meals for a set price.  It was home cooked food at a reasonable price.  The only issue I had with it was the country music that played over the sound system.  However, the food was good and I managed not to fall face first into my plate during the meal from fatigue.  After all, we had been on the road for about 14 hours when we finally stopped in Dickson.

When we arrived at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Dallas, we were both tired but happy to be here safely and without too much trouble. The clerks at the check in desk were a bit confused by our arrival since most folks for the ILSb-ICBB event were not due to arrive until August 28th.  They were extremely helpful and a bit stunned at the amount of "stuff" that we hauled out of the car to take up to the room.  Sir decided they deserved one of my chocolate-bacon muffins as a reward for their encounter with a Leatherwoman competing in a contest about which they had no clue.  One of the staff was so curious about my Mid-Atlantic Community Bootblack title vest that she had to come and ask me what it all meant.  I gave her a condensed version of what a bootblack was and she wished me good luck in my competition for ICBB.  I organized our outfits for the week in the room and discovered that the closet was really not big enough to handle the amount of clothes a contestant needs for this event.  *giggles*

I noticed late last week that Sir John Krikorian had posted about a sushi restaurant here in Dallas that he recalled with fondness.  Sir and I went there for dinner and it was a wonderful experience.  The Sushi on McKinney is a bit far from the hotel but worth the drive (about 20 minutes away by car).  We had the black cod bento box, which included fish, shrimp tempura, and sushi, as well as miso soup.  In spite of the heat, I also had hot green tea, which was perfect to clean my palate between bites of wonderful food.  My soul, as well as my tummy, was very happy and we went to bed last night content.

Bento Box Dinner - Yummy!

The Floating World

August 16-18, 2013 -  This was my first time at The Floating World and I went there to present three classes, one of which was on leather care.  I did very little bootblacking and that was a different experience for me.  Generally speaking, I spend most of my time at an event working at the stand and spreading the love for leather to those who sit in my chair.  However, it was my skills as a presenter that were on display this weekend.  AND, I got to attend some of the workshops!  Whee!  I attended a class called "Sacred Touch Experience" and it was interactive.  Very interesting class and one of the participants revealed that he found me to be an "old soul" who was a "healer in a past life."  The experience of touching someone that I did not know and opening myself to see beyond the outer shell was very informative and I enjoyed it a lot.

I got to attend part of Laura Antoniou's class and bought her latest two books AND she signed them for me.  That was a good time and the participants in her class were lively in their interactions with her. *smiles*

I found that two of my classes were well received - Leather care 101 and Legal Issues for LGBT relationships.  Both classes were small but the participants asked a lot of questions and I believe that they came away from the classes with new information and a need to follow up on what they learned.  I am a happy teacher!

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 Family Send Off Party

The Mid-Atlantic Leather Family 2013 (with send-off cake!)

August 3, 2013- Hooker & Boys hosted the Send Off Party at Hooker Hilton in Baltimore MD for the Mid-Atlantic Leather Family 2013.  It was a cookout and fundraiser for the travel fund to Dallas TX for Sir Robert Bowden (Leather Sir), boy quinton (Leather boy) and me (Community Bootblack) for the International Leather Sir/boy - International Community Bootblack contest at the end of the month.  Our supporters came out en masse to donate what they could and to cheer us on with their encouragement and the hope that we will come home to the Mid-Atlantic Region with the international titles. Cowboi Jen and Tina came down from Philadelphia PA to add their voices and area to the happiness of the party.  Boy Darren (who drove down for a visit to Baltimore MD from the Midwest area) joined us with Sir John Krikorian, Boy John and Boy David.  boy quinton came with his Daddy and his partner from Delaware.  I cannot name all who attended but they included friends and extended Leather family.  Before we got down to the serious (!) tradition of the send off cake, Sir Hooker took a moment to wish David Pug Spellman a Happy Birthday with a special cake just for him.  Everyone at the party cheered and wished him a better year.

Happy Birthday, dear Pug!

Sir Hooker started the introductions and send off speech and then handed the microphone to Sir John Krikorian to finish up.  And then the fun of "sharing" the cupcakes that comprised the send off cake began -- ending with the regional titleholders decorated with icing!  Fun and silly times.  *giggles*

Belton Moore makes wonderful send off cakes!

Sir Hooker

A hug from my Title Sir!

Let the icing of titleholders commence!

Is there enough sugar?

Nina Love, Mid-Atlantic Leatherwoman, iced!