What's been going on

Not as much as I'd hoped, I'm afraid. Busy with life, but not really getting out lately. I went to the GEAR mixer a couple of weeks ago; it's their monthly meeting and I had not been there in a while. It's at The Bronx in the gayborhood, which is always a nice place to go to. Unfortunately the turnout was a bit light-about ten people, and there really wasn't a meeting as such. I did get to chat with some people I didn't know, and afterward was introduced to Red Mango yogurt. It's like Pinkberry but I think it tastes better. A very short evening...

The Dallas Fetish Ball at The Church was a week ago. And as always, it's a mixed bag. I did find out that if you show up early-like when the doors open-you have a few hours before the place gets so crowded you can't see anything or move around. Between 10:30 PM-12:30 AM it's so packed you just kind of flow with the traffic inside. You'll be able to talk to people, see the outfits and enjoy things. I hate the fact that the "dress code" is very loosely interpreted. They don't bother to enforce it, so the crowd ends up with a mix of people who actually make an effort and the jeans/trainers/polo shirt crowd who look out of place. And to me it affects the whole mood.

I did meet some new people, which was great. But a friend had a bad experience at a nearby hotel. She'd parked in the garage and came back late Friday night-and was harassed by some homophobes. Fortunately she wasn't alone, but it was her first experience with being in real physical danger. I can totally understand how she felt, but I also think that you have to remember that when you are dressed en femme you need to think like a woman and take the same kinds of precautions.

Time Machine: Smoke

Yahoo has decided to shut down their 360 pages. Not that this is a surprise-they have not done a thing with it in ages. So I am going to repost some of my entries here, to preserve them.

This was a post from October 25, 2005.

Someone else posted an entry to their blog about smoking...

I'm not a smoker. I don't feel any cravings for it, and it never bothers me. Just the smell, which I hate.

So, why is it that when I'm doing the girl thang that I like to smoke? I know it's an affectation, but why that one?

I'm particular about what I'll smoke. It's got to be a long, thin cigarette, like More 120's or Sampoerna Xtra cloves. They're both dark, and they look very dramatic. I like the smell of cloves, too. I don't inhale deeply, just enough to keep them going. I try to look aloof when I smoke, like I am not really thinking about it...

When I'm going out in the French Quarter, I always have to park a few blocks from where I am going. I'll light a cigarette and smoke while I'm walking; it seems to get me into the mood. If I'm in a nightclub I'll smoke. It's a natural thing to do for me.

I don't feel a compulsion to smoke after a meal, or other things. I'll do it driving sometimes, even though I forbid people from smoking in my car. But Zelda can, of course...

I wanted a cigarette holder for a long time, but never got one. That's too much of an affectation even for me.

At SCC, I brought one pack of Sampoerna's with me. I didn't even finish it by the end of the week. Of course, you can't smoke in the bars in Atlanta anymore, either...

And I can dress and not smoke, too. So the only reason I do it is for effect. Now if I could only develop an eastern European accent...

I have not seen a pack of More 120's in years. Sampoernas are not imported into the US anymore; I switched to Djarm Blacks. After my spouse's health issues in '07 I stopped smoking for the most. My last time was at SCC '08, and I have not since. But I think I'll grab a pack of Blacks for SCC '09, just in case...