This is my second year at Brimstone. Love, LOVE, LOVE it!

Because

this is where I see PonyBixy and DebbieDancer and I train these two beautiful Ponies.

We all met up at the Thanksgiving Feast, and I have to say, it was brilliant. We enjoyed an excellent dinner of turkey, gravy, stuffing, cranberries, sweet potatoes and vegetables. It was fabulous to be in the company of PonyBixy and her fiancee, DebbieDancer and the others at our table.

The official opening of Brimstone is at Noon on Friday. I had the ponies up at 9:30 am to do gaits for an hour. My first class was 3 PM, BDSM Pony Play (or rainy day Pony Play, as I like to call it). PonyBixy was my demo Pony. We explored bondage, veterinary play, accepting a butt plug horse tail while receiving forced pleasure and being tied down, it was an extreme class for me, and PonyBixy truly gave to me and I went away with an incredible trainer high that lasted all weekend.

The next day was more gaits practice in the morning, grooming class and pony training techniques. I loved the Pony workshop time to train PonyBixy and DebbieDancer for their Pony show performance. At 11 am on Sunday was a class on “why bio Ponies do what they do” by Andalusia. Just me and Artemis Pony and Andalusia for an insightful and learning class for me. Huzzah!

The Pony show was great fun. DebbieDancer won “Most Improved Pony” and PonyBixy won “Grand Championship”. I am so proud of both of them.

We all went for a fabulous cart ride on the boardwalk after the Pony Show. We got PonyBixy’s fiancee to take her reins driving the cart. I think that is all it took to hook him on why this Pony Play stuff is so much fun.

because it is, you know, just sayin’ ;-D

There is always a moment of anxiety as I watch the carousel deliver my bags off the airline from my travel. I wait for two bags, my toy bag and my work clothes. I would be hurt financially if I had to replace either, they represent time and money to collect just the right item for work.

Returning from Detroit, only my clothes made the entire journey.

I went to the Southwest Luggage Office and filed a claim. there is really nothing more you can do and the people there aren’t the people that lost your luggage, they are the people trying to find your luggage for you.

I had my daughter and grandchildren waiting for me at home. Life is rather perfect that way because when you are with your grandchildren, they demand all of your attention. I had an amazing time with them.

When I awoke on Thursday,Thanksgiving Day, I had this thought trail through my mind about how several weeks ago the side handle had been broken off my luggage traveling into Philadelphia by the airline. The airline doesn’t consider that damage, by the by. It is only damage if they put a hole in the main compartment of your suitcase, the zipper and handles don’t count. My thought was that if they had broken the top handle, the label they stuck around it would have fallen off and my luggage would be sitting unmarked and unclaimed somewhere.

I was traveling to Newark airport that day for a conference, Brimstone, that is in Asbury Park. It took a bit of time to wait for my luggage to be delivered and I noticed that the Luggage Claim Office there was open and there was no line in the office. I stepped in to chat with them. I told them my thoughts I had had that morning, that I had traveled from Detroit to Denver to LA. One of the women asked what the bag looked like and what was in it. Upon hearing what was in it, the woman at the computer turned into her monitor and started focusing on the screen while she typed. No, there was no unmarked bag in Detroit. I thanked them for looking and went back to the carousel to look for my conference luggage.

The woman who had asked me the questions came up and asked if she and the others could have my card. They wanted to know more, and they had never met someone so open, so they thought they could ask me. I was happy to give out my card.

A bit more time went by, and finally, my bag was there to claim on the carousel. again, I was tapped on the shoulder, it was the same woman from the Luggage Claim Office, she was smiling while telling me her comrade in the off ice had found my luggage. It was in the unmarked/unclaimed store room in Denver. The description I gave of the bag matched perfectly.

They offered to deliver it to me (not a good option, I would then have 3 bags and be paying for extra bags on my return to LA), deliver it to my home (not a good option, I wasn’t there) or deliver it to the claim office in Los Angeles for me to pick up upon my return there (perfect).

Southwest Airlines gave me a $50.00 voucher for my inconvenience. I am blessed that my things return to me.

And kudos to the Ladies in the Southwest Baggage Claim Office in Newark for being truly service oriented. I am *SO* grateful. Thank you.

My first time in Detroit, and I was welcomed by the gents here. That is always awesome. I stayed at the Westin Book Cadillac. Westin has put a lot of money into restoring this fabulous hotel. The rooms are incredible:

My room at the Westin Book Cadillac

The bathroom was bigger than some hotel rooms I used to get while staying in Manhattan.

I did get out to the Hard Rock Cafe, as it was only a few blocks away. No luck finding a local market with soy milk here, I ordered it from the hotel. There is a breakfast restaurant at the Westin Book Cadillac and the bar menu here is good.

Gotta love facebook. When I arrived in town, I saw that a couple I met at the Great Lakes Leather Alliance was visiting Detroit at the same time. We met for lunch. I wasn’t able to attend the event they came to town to participate in , as I had work, but I am not complaining. I was in Detroit to work. Thank you, Detroit, you made my November sing.

I stayed at the Hotel Felix again. I like it, despite the lack of a real closet. they had some new art outside:

The dog on a leash is an addition to the Blue Robotman that was there the last time I stayed here.

I love the different architecture thrown together in Chicago. Here is a capture walking back to my hotel one evening:

During my stay in Chicago I read “Memoirs of a buccaneer”

http://www.amazon.com/Memoirs-buccaneer-unrepentant-prodigious-Borgnefesse/dp/B0007DZC3K

This is a fabulous read. It really doesn’t matter if it is true, or made up, it isn’t a wank porn book about being a pirate, yet it isn’t the Disney version either, just enough to give color and reality and a good look at what it was truly like for the leading character.

I had the good fortune to read this book at the Starbuck’s closest to the hotel during the mornings. I met a fascinating woman, Michelle, whom I talked with and greatly enjoyed her company. She invited me to dinner, one that she made at her home on my final evening in town. I was blessed to have accepted. My night included a delicious meal and hours of conversation with her, her husband and her sister-in-law. It was a fabulous evening. I hope to see her again when I return to Chicago.

Who knew that Target sells soy milk? I didn’t, until I was in downtown Minneapolis and two blocks away from Target. Cool beans.

I stayed at one of the coolest hotels I have ever been to, Le Meridien Chambers.

Some of the art:

You don’t see art like this at other hotels in their Lobby. just sayin’

They serve LaVazza Coffee downstairs at the restaurant from 5 am – 11 am complimentary. Huzzah!

It was snowing as I was leaving Minneapolis. So, I was getting out of Dodge just in time.

Snowing just as I am leaving, not enough to delay my plane though. 😉

I just found this:

Start at 10 seconds, 50 seconds, 1:11 minutes. 😉