New Jersey Pride Parade/Festival

The Mid-Atlantic Leather Family 2013

June 2, 2013 - What a way to spend a Sunday!  I caught a ride with Nina Love (Mid-Atlantic Leatherwoman 2013) and her Daddy, Sir Diesel.  I spent the time in the car working on a Leather Sir/boy Pride pillow and talking about various things with them.  Once we got to Asbury Park, we found the location of the beginning of the parade and found a good place to recover at Johnny Mac's bar.  It was amazing because of the huge pride flag surrounding two sides of the building and the fact that on Sundays, purchase of a drink gets you a ticket for a free, freshly-made omelet.  YUM!

Nina and I inside of Johnny Mac's

The huge Pride flag at Johnny Mac's

We met up with the other titleholders from up and down the East Coast, and I was so happy to be among Leatherfolk.  I met Phil, Northeast Community Bootblack 2013; KJ Nichol, Mr. Connecticut 2013, and Tank Teachworth, Mr. Atlanta Eagle 2013.  Oh, yeah, I also met Kevin Samson, who squirted into my water bottle and turned it pink!  *giggles*

Phil, boy quinton, and me

 I rode in the back of a pick-up truck and, at the beginning of the parade, Phil made sure I did not fall out by grabbing me around the chest when the truck jerked into place in the parade.   I tried to grab onto KJ's forearm to keep him from falling off the back, only to discover that this particular Bear had an arm too large for me to really grab. *grins*  I do love me some Bears!

The parade stopped by the Pride Festival and Nina, Sir Diesel and I walked around, enjoying the sights and sounds of the LGBT folk in New Jersey.  I bought a pair of deep purple feather earrings.

Repairing Boots at Bears, Bikers & Mayhem

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Saturday in the host hotel, I worked on a pair of boots that were burned badly on the tongue.  The owner was one of the vendors (Wolfstryker Leathers) and he was upset because the boots are Dr. Martens that he purchased in London UK about 10 years ago.  After a lot of work, he said they felt much better on his feet - almost as good as new.  *smiles*

First Look

Burns on the tongue of the right boot

Cleaning the boots.

Conditioning and polishing

Burned tongue looks better!

Brighten up the laces.

Lacing up the finished boots.

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"