Today was IML.OH the flesh, the smell of leather, the perfume of sweat and excitement. It appears as though I’ve broken L.A. Witt’s cherry yet again…as she’s never been to a leather event.  Dr. Frantz and I had great fun showing her the sights, explaining various gadgets and guiding her to live demonstrations of vacuum bondage cubes, fucking harnesses and suspension rigs. 

It’s a large venue, the conference takes over the Chicago Hyatt completely — reserved for that event only. Some poor couple apparently parked in the garage, unaware of the partial nudity, bondage gear and fetish wear parading around the hotel and had to escort their child through with hands firmly clamped over her eyes. There’s no junk hanging out unless you’re at an event or in the vendor room (they card), but there is a great deal of sweaty man chest and butt crack on display.

Any way, we had great fun looking at all the pretties to be had. Paddles, whips, Tom of Finland Art. I got a t-shirt and patch and such…souvenirs as it were. Sarah kept going for bracelets and wrist bands. I did buy a leather cuff for myself, one that is actually a two layer affair, so that the inner part can act as a cash wallet…b/c when you’re in chaps and a jock strap, WTF do you do with your cash. Problem now solved.

I bought two treasures to use on my guy. A hard rubber Sjambok, the traditional “whip” of South Africa. I have Sarah Frantz to thank for pointing it out to me…she move to the states from South Africa as a teen.  Think of it as a slightly more flexible riot baton — which is what the hard-rubber and plastic versions are used for in S.A.  The other fun toy was a vibrating sound. Yeah, we’re going to have fun when I get home.

We went to the Purple Pig for dinner. Their slogan is Cheese, Wine and Swine. I had fried chorizo stuffed olives and milk braise pork shoulder for dinner. It was very good.

Tomorrow I head home. It’s been loads of fun, but I’m ready to be back in So.Cal.

My haul:

Well we didn’t have any firm plans for the day.  I wrote for a while in the morning, finishing another chapter of the third Joe & Kabe book.  Around lunch time Sarah Frantz and I met to go do a little sight seeing. Our first stop was the Leather Archives & Museum. this is one of their videos from YouTube. Various ones play throughout the museum.

My favorite item was the statute of Anubis from this collection. Various male figures with mythical overtones in metal.  It’s a nice, but rather small museum.  We had a nice chat with the guy at the desk and what they expected to happen this IML weekend.

Then we headed over to the Art Institute of Chicago for the Roy Lichtenstein exhibit. You’ve seen his work, but there is no way to really appreciate it until you’re standing in front of these huge canvases and taking in the detail. the guy at the Leather Archives suggested it. My favorite piece wasn’t in the Lichtenstein exhibit, it was this one:
It’s called the Black Monk and you’re viewing the statute in front of a window of sunlight so that he’s indistinct and very evocative.

Then, for the evening, we grabbed L.A. Witt and headed over to Touche (the local bear wateringhole) for a Shibari Demonstration by Michael Sol. He’d invited us the previous day at CARAS. We’d actually got there way early and so, on a recommendation by Daddy Sky, went over to Portal for a drink. Very nice knot work. Talked with a lot of great guys and had fun.  No, no pictures, this was not the venue for that folks.

Now I’m heading out to IML with L.A. Witt and Sarah Frantz.