text:
Wednesday, May 28, 2014

And the answer is...

"All of the above."  I'd like to thank those of you who participated in the little poll from the previous post.  I was honestly just messing around with it to see if it would even work.  If anyone has other suggestions about a free and easy to use poll thing-y (yes, I'm very technical here), please let me know!  I have some ideas for its use in the future especially if I ever have time to sit down and let the creative juices flow (no, not that other kind).

Anyway, we had some relatives over on Memorial Day, and before everyone left, we decided to play a dart game called Killers (I know, what a great name for a game!).  I guess I should note that of those of us who were playing, I'm the one who has played darts the least amount of time; therefore, my life expectancy in the game wasn't very high.  We continued to play rounds knocking/striking each other off the board until it was just my fiancé and myself.  We were at the point where he could win with a single dart and I could win with two.  He would throw his three darts and miss, then I would throw my three darts and also miss.  It was honestly starting to get quite boring...that is until he decided to whisper something in my ear as he passed.  "You'll get 25 per strike."  (Yikes! We all know what that means.)  Well, I already had one strike on him and still had to get two more to win the game, but he only needed one.  I have to hand it to him - he certainly knew how to make the game more interesting!

During my next turn, I nailed the second strike. LOL, "So, that's 50," I thought as I passed him with a smile.  He returned the smile but didn't make any headway in winning.  A few rounds later, I did it (75)!  He couldn't beat me (at least not yet ;-) hehe)! I knew he wouldn't do anything that drastic in front of relatives, so I just smiled sweetly at him.  After we walked everyone out to the driveway and bid our farewells, my Love and I went back in to take showers.

By this time, it was actually getting pretty late and we were both definitely tired, so we relaxed and snuggled a little.  Then, I turned to look at him and asked, "Does that mean I get a raincheck?"

He replied, "Nope!" and hopped out of bed looking for the new wooden paddle.

I couldn't help but laugh as I rolled over exposing my backside.  He started first with both cheeks and then he would alternate either side or both randomly.  I knew he couldn't be hitting very hard, but I could definitely feel the burn and the building deeper ache.  It didn't take long before he decided to stop and move on to other activities.  I was certainly more than ready when he entered me roughly from behind and set a hard, fast pace.  Believe me, I could tell the paddle had been back there, but everything just felt so good!

After the fireworks, I went to the bathroom and glanced in the mirror.  I was a lovely shade of dark red splashed with some minor bruising.  I rubbed a little and could definitely feel the deeper ache that reminds you what just happened was real.  My fiancé looked up from the bed and I gave him a goofy, embarrassed smiled since he caught me looking. Then, I went back to bed where we cuddled until we drifted off to sleep.  It was a good end to a long day.

As a follow-up note - the next day, I learned how not to plop down onto my chair at work. ;-P

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

New Paddle meet Bare Bottom. Bare Bottom meet New Paddle.

Why, it's to personally meet you, New Paddle.  Now that we have been properly introduced, I'd like to thank you from the bottom of my bottom for the achy-ness I've been feeling today!

:-) Yep, on Monday night, I received my first real spanking with the new paddle from Cane-iac and now I have all the lovely after effects to prove it.  So, the big question...

Why was I paddled? free polls

Please tune in next time to find out!

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Me = Excited!

Wow, my last post made it onto Chross's "Spankings of the Week" List!  I'm almost at 2,000 views in less than 2 days which is pretty big for me since I only just started blogging again.  Pretty exciting!  My thanks go out to Chross and to everyone who has taken the time to stop by!  Hope to see you all again!

Want to know what else is exciting?  My fiancé is in the process of making our very first handmade paddle (3/4" thk. x 3 1/2" wide x 20" long)!  He still has to sand it down some more, stain it, and seal it.  I'm pretty sure I'll want to tone down the sassiness when he's holding that in his hand!  I'll post a photo of it when he's finished.

In the mean time and to add to the weekend's excitement, I also received two new implements (one wooden and one leather) from Cane-iac in the mail! Needless to say, I am currently sitting on a slightly sore bottom today, but I'm definitely game for more playtime with our new toys!

Enjoy the rest of your Memorial Day weekend, Everyone!

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Oh, the irony!

Last night, my fiancé decided to have a frank discussion about the possibility of the police being called so that if it ever happened we wouldn't be caught completely off guard.  We live on private lane and our closest neighbor is about 100 ft away, so I assumed it would be pretty unlikely that it would ever happen while we were at home.  I mean definitely more likely at a hotel or if we ever had to live in an apartment, but almost certainly not at our brick, single-family home. …Well, ironically, the sheriff department showed up on our street at 10:45pm!

We had just finished seriously discussing what could happen should any officers of the law ever get called to investigate our personal activities.  After that riveting discussion, I wasn’t really in the mood to play, so we went to take quick showers and get ready for bed.  I slipped into bed just before he came into the bedroom with the intent to drift off to sleep.

Then, the love of my life walked in and had apparently decided that I needed a long and hard spanking with the faux leather side of a paddle. Did I deserve it? Yes, I definitely had to admit it that I did.  I had been moping around all evening because we didn't get a chance to play the previous night and then we had that stressful, mood-killing discussion only half an hour ago.  So, yes, I deserved it and I was willing to accept that I needed it to relieve some tension.

He told me turn over so that I was facedown, bottom up on the bed.  For the first time ever, he started pretty hard and fast.  It wasn't long before I was wiggling, shutting my eyes, and squeezing the stuffing out of the nearest pillow.  It felt like he was a man on a mission and the only objective involved was to see how fast my rear end could feel the burn. At some point, he whispered in my ear, “It’s ok to say, ‘ouch,’ honey.” I've never been very verbal before but the whispered sound, "Ah," and some strained groaning definitely escaped my lips several times before it was over.

The experience was certainly intense, but I wasn't regretting any of it - the pain, the acceptance, the letting go.  It was exactly what I needed.  He was in complete control and I didn’t have a care in the world.  I could focus on being in the moment. Once he decided it was over, we moved on to more feel-good activities and I was more than ready.  The reconnection we had and relief I felt was amazing.

Just as we were finishing up, my cell phone went off.  I got up to answer it.  My mom was on the other end.  Apparently, there were a few officers parked along the street by our house.  She and my dad had just finished speaking with them, and they said that they were responding to a domestic violence call.  Uh-oh!  My parents told the numbers on the four houses down the street and sent them to the dead end where they assumed was the source of the disturbance.  At that point, I hung up the phone and we got dressed in case the officers decided came back to ask us any questions since we still weren’t sure who called them and which house they were actually looking for.

Sure enough, we walked outside to a couple more deputies wandering back to their vehicles across our front yard.  Apparently, they were just taking a look around the wooded area on my land in case the there was someone lurking around.  That’s when we found out that there was a domestic dispute at the end of the road…something about too much to drink and the woman’s boyfriend slapped her.  Now, I am in no way condoning any non-consensual activity like the situation for which the sheriff’s department was called and I do believe they should be called, but I was and am still definitely relieved they were not called out here because some neighbors somehow managed to hear our very consensual activities.

After breathing a sigh of relief, neither of us could believe the irony!  We just had a discussion about the possibility of officers showing up, and then just as we are finishing up the spanking activities, the sheriff’s department appears on our street for a domestic violence call.  What kind of coincidence is that?!

Saturday, May 17, 2014

At Peace

Wednesday night after one of those long days, my lover and I wandered into our bedroom deciding that we no longer wanted to spend time doing normal evening activities.  Upon entering, I stripped out of my clothes and went to the bottom of the bed.  I got on my knees on the long pleather-top bench we have there and leaned over the end of the bed.  My lover came up beside me and asked, “Have you been naughty today?”  My answer to his question would usually tell him if I want to be spanked or not, regardless if I was actually naughty or not.

Instead of saying, “Yes,” and pretending that I had done something to warrant a spanking, I whispered, “No, I just want a spanking.”  He bent down to retrieve my soft leather belt from my jeans…oh, I love the sound the belt makes when he pulls it through the belt loops.  I turned my head towards him and smiled.  He doubled up the belt and landed the first strike.  It wasn’t that hard, but I really didn’t need hard just yet.  He let it fly a few more times - each time varying his technique and where it landed.  We are both new to this and he doesn’t want to hurt me, but does want to give me what I need.  So when he hit a particular spot or put the right amount of power behind it, I would just nod and smile to assure him that he was definitely going in the right direction.

After a couple of minutes with the belt, he decided to switch to a smooth pingpong paddle (yes, this paddle was an impulse buy from a couple of weeks before).  With this, he tried out different combinations of strength and speed.  I had told him that I like harder hits when they are a little spaced out to produce more of an ache, or I like lighter, rapid fire swats which produce more of a stinging burn - I don’t like extremely hard and rapid fire.  He was doing wonderfully.  I found myself presenting my bottom and enjoying every minute.  He would occasionally ask if something was too hard and check-in with me.  Of course he didn't have to but his concern let's me know how much he cares about me.

At some point, he put the pingpong paddle down and started to use his hand.  The combination of sting and thud that his hand can produce was absolutely perfect.  After a particularly hard spank, he decided to change his question from “is that too hard?” to something along the lines of “can I keep going?”  For me, the questions have different implications and lead me to different mindsets.  “Is that too hard?” implies that the next swat will either be softer or harder based on what I say which is topping from the bottom, therefore I am somewhat in control.  I like giving him control so that I don’t have to think and can just enjoy the submissive feelings. His other question allows me to say, “Yes, keep going,” and he will decide how hard or soft and vary all aspects of play on his own.

For us, spanking almost always comes before lovemaking.  So far, our way of switching from spanking to sex is that he will ask if I’m ready or I will just grab a condom which is usually within reach.  The only problem I have with these scenarios is again - I am mostly in control. I really don’t care for being in control at this point because honestly, I never really know when I want to stop playing and move on…I just usually figure it’s getting late, we have to work tomorrow, maybe he’s getting tired, etc., so my own mental distractions tend to cause me to want to stop.  On this night, I grabbed the condom like normal, but instead of him taking it from me and moving on, he kept spanking!  In fact, what’s this? He was also spanking harder!  Oh my! He’s giving me what I wanted - what I needed!  I was no longer in control, he was.  I could let go and just feel.  I could get lost in the sensations and that’s exactly what was happening and it felt absolutely wonderful.  He stopped when my mind and body relaxed.  He slid the condom from my hand and passionately entered me from behind.  His rough carpenter’s hands grabbed my backside and everything just mixed so well with the pain and pleasure.  I felt him reach his peak and slide out of me.  He told me to get my Hitachi wand and proceeded to bring me to my own climax with the combination of well-placed vibrations and his well-tuned-to-me fingers.

After cleaning up, we climbed back into bed and he held me in his arms. I felt at peace.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

What do you do for a living?

I took Friday off from work and I’ve been pretty out of it the last few days because I’m trying to fight off this cold or sinus infection.  Since I was starting to feel better, I was back at work yesterday and today but still couldn’t concentrate for more than a couple of hours at a time.  I would end up getting coffee or checking my phone a lot and then I’d sit back down and try to get something done.  Well, today it was much of the same (honestly, when is it not?), so I decided to entertain myself for a few minutes and think of every word that we use regularly at work that would under normal (not work) circumstances cause fits of laughter, elicit dirty jokes, and allow the ever imaginative mind to wander to more interesting activities (anything can be more interesting than sitting at a damn desk all day).

So without further ado, here’s my list of work-related buzzwords.  I’ll remind you that I am a mechanical engineer. :-)
  1. Lubrication (Usually too much friction is not a good thing.)
  2. Friction (Use lubrication.)
  3. Penetration (Oh yeah? Where are you going to put that?)
  4. Balls
  5. Nuts and Bolts
  6. Studs (No, you aren’t a muffin, so quit looking at me like that.)
  7. Screw (Screw who?)
  8. Erection (Yep, that was pretty hard to get up.)
  9. Nipple (Imagine a male engineer explaining what a nipple is to a female engineer.  LMAO)
  10. Rod (Spare the rod? Nah…)
  11. Coupling
  12. Clamp
  13. Pressure (Just put a little more pressure right here.)
  14. Male/Female Fittings (Yes, the male end fits into the female end.)
  15. Vibration (Hmmmm….)
  16. Heat Transfer (Boy, it’s getting hot in here!)
  17. Impact Stress (For me, impact relieves stress.)
  18. Shaft
  19. Plug (Yes, I’d lube that up too before putting it in there.)
  20. Holes (We have holes for screws, bolts, shafts, and rods.  Just insert yours here.)
  21. Ruler (You can use it to measure but I can think of other uses for it.)
  22. Bottom (Oh, where’d that ruler go?)
  23. Bending Moment (Be careful where you choose to have that moment!  Especially since he just found that ruler!)
  24. Pump Suction Head (Right…need I explain?)
  25. Drive Shaft
  26. Strap it down (Sure)
  27. Tie it down (Sounds like fun!)
  28. Spreader Bar (What? Did you say just say spreader bar? Damn, I’ve been wanting to try one, but I’m definitely not that limber!)

Let’s just say it’s a good thing we can’t read each other’s minds at work.  Some days I don’t know how we ever getting any thing done at all!  Feel free to add what comes to your mind when reading my list, or post your own workday buzzword list!  It certainly made my workday more entertaining.

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Communication, Communication, Communication

So I thought I would open with a couple of what men think versus what women think dialogues that I came across recently on the Internet.

Here's the first one found @
He said, she said: A dialogue (in stereotype)
by Dave Barry, slightly modified by the Car Talk guys

A guy named Roger is driving his girlfriend, Gloria, home from dinner one night, when Gloria says, "Do you realize that, as of tonight, we've been seeing each other for exactly six months?" There is silence in the car. To Gloria, it seems like a very loud silence.
Gloria (thinking): Geez, I wonder if it bothers him that I said that. Maybe he's been feeling confined by our relationship; maybe he thinks I'm trying to push him into some kind of obligation that he doesn't want, or isn't sure of.
Roger (thinking): Gosh. Six months.
Gloria (thinking): But, hey, I'm not so sure I want this kind of relationship, either. Sometimes I wish I had a little more space, so I'd have time to think about whether I really want us to keep going the way we are...I mean, where are we going? Are we just going to keep seeing each other at this level of intimacy? Are we heading toward marriage? Toward children? Toward a lifetime together? Am I ready for that level of commitment? Do I really even know this person?
Roger (thinking): So that means it was...let's see...February when we started going out, which was right after I had the car at the dealer's, which means...lemme check the odometer...Whoa, I am way overdue for an oil change here.
Gloria (thinking): He's upset. I can see it on his face. Maybe I'm reading this completely wrong. Maybe he wants more from our relationship, more intimacy, more commitment; maybe he has sensed, even before I sensed it, that I was feeling some reservations. Yes, I bet that's it. That's why he's so reluctant to say anything about his own feelings. He's afraid of being rejected.
Roger (thinking): And I'm gonna have them look at the transmission again. I don't care what those morons say, it's still not shifting right. And they better not try to blame it on the cold weather this time. What cold weather? It's 87 degrees out, and this thing is shifting like a garbage truck, and I paid those incompetent thieves $600!
Gloria (thinking): He's angry. And I don't blame him. I'd be angry too. God, I feel so guilty, putting him through this, but I can't help the way I feel. I'm just not sure.
Roger (thinking): They'll probably say it's only a 90-day warranty. That's exactly what they're gonna say, the scumballs.
Gloria (thinking): Maybe I'm just too idealistic, waiting for a knight to come riding up on his white horse, when I'm sitting right next to a perfectly good person, a person I truly do care about, a person who is in pain because of my self-centered schoolgirl romantic fantasy.
Roger (thinking): Warranty? They want a warranty? I'll give them a warranty. I'll take their warranty and stick it right up their...
Gloria (aloud): Roger?
Roger (startled): What?
Gloria (her eyes filling with tears): Please don't torture yourself like this. Maybe I should never have...Oh God, I feel so...
Roger: What?
Gloria (sobbing): I'm such a fool. I mean, I know there's no knight. I really know that. It's silly. There's no knight, and there's no horse.
Roger: There's no horse?
Gloria: You think I'm a fool, don't you?
Roger (relieved finally to know the right answer): No.
Gloria: It's just that...It's that I...I need some time.
Roger (after a 15-second pause during which he is thinking as fast as he can, trying to come up with a safe response. Finally he comes up with one that he thinks might work.): Yes.
Gloria (deeply moved, touching his hand): Oh, Roger, do you really feel that way?
Roger: What way?
Gloria: That way about time.
Roger: Oh. Yes.
Gloria (gazing deeply into Roger's eyes, causing him to become very nervous about what she might say next, especially if it involves a horse. At last she speaks.): Thank you, Roger.
Roger: Thank you
Then he takes her home, and she lies on her bed and cries until dawn. Roger goes back to his place, opens a bag of Doritos, turns on the TV, and immediately becomes deeply involved in a rerun of a tennis match between two Czechoslovakians he never heard of. A tiny voice in the far recesses of his mind tells him that something major was going on back there in the car, but he is pretty sure there is no way he could ever understand what. He figures it's better if he doesn't think about it.
The next day Gloria calls all her best friends and talks about this situation for six straight hours. In painstaking detail they analyze everything she said and everything he said, considering every possible ramification. They continue to discuss this subject off and on, for weeks, maybe months, never reaching any definite conclusions.
Meanwhile, Roger, while playing racquetball one day with a mutual friend of his and Gloria's, pauses just before serving, frowns, and says, "Norm, did Gloria ever own a horse?"
The second one I found @

While these stereotypical men's versus women's reactions/responses/assumptions seem hilarious to those from afar, they do convey two very important messages.

1) Communication is a major part of any relationship.
2) Try not to assume anything.  If in doubt, ask.

Because we are all individuals and we all think differently, it is very important to keep open lines of communication.  Whether you are discussing this month’s bills or debating on which sexual fantasy you would like to try next, being willing and able to openly discuss and adjust is all part of keeping a healthy relationship going.

Prior to my current relationship, true communication had always been difficult for me particularly when it involved discussing my wants and desires or even talking about something that bothered me.  It's not that I can't communicate - I can and have always been able to converse well into the night about any other subject, give a speech in front of a ton of people, and even talk about someone else’s fantasies, but at any point when the conversation turned to my personal desires, I would tend to get embarrassed and clam up.  It’s not that I had nothing to say or didn’t have my own fantasies, on the contrary, my mind would be racing through several scenarios that would turn me on, but none of those thoughts ever actually made it out of my mouth.  Instead, I would just shrug my shoulders and say nothing.

Nowadays, I have become much more open and honest in my relationship and a lot of that is because of my fiancé.  The fact that he didn’t go running for the hills when I first mentioned spanking was certainly a big help. :-) All the communication thereafter has been helping us build a stronger and more trusting relationship.  It also opens the door to explore new things.  That’s not to say we aren’t still working on communicating, after all it is an on-going thing, but it is getting easier.

It’s probably worth noting (especially for others who have trouble communicating) that before I started blogging, I actually used a notebook to write down journal-like entries addressed directly to my fiancé.  The purpose of the notebook was to let him know how I felt about what we were trying.  For me, it was easier to write it down later and hand him the notebook rather than have a spur of the moment conversation.  Then, he could ask questions and it would be a way for us to open an easy dialogue.

Since trying this method of communication, I’ve noticed an improvement with communicating verbally so that now I feel more confident about expressing my wants/desires/fantasies.  LOL, I’ll probably always feel a little embarrassed but it is certainly a marked improvement.  :-)  After all, if I don't tell him what I want, how on earth is he supposed to know?  Now the only problem is figuring out what it is that I actually want!

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Acceptance - "It's ok, I've got you."

When you think of acceptance, usually what comes to mind is the act of either being accepted by others or you accepting others who may or may not be different from yourself.

As kids, many of us went through an adolescent period of trying to fit in...of being accepted by our peers.  Now, if your peers didn't like who you were, then you would feel judged and hurt.  In order to make life easier on yourself, you would start to adjust to what everyone would consider the "norm" even if that meant hiding or changing something about yourself.   The desire to simply be accepted overran being true to who you were.

As adults who now have adult desires, many of us have gone through similar circumstances again, especially if you are into something considered a little different or kinky, e.g. having the desire to spank or be spanked.  But, even as grown men and women who understand the importance of tolerance and acceptance, why are so many of us still afraid or embarrassed to express that kinky want, desire, and/or need?  Sometimes I think it's because of the other part of acceptance that isn't always thought about.

Acceptance isn't only about being accepted by someone else or you accepting someone else.  It is also about you accepting who you are.  This simple act of acceptance is what I love about this community.  Here, we can accept others for who they are and allow people to be open about what they want without judging.  This empowers others to accept themselves which in turn builds self-confidence and leads to better communication in all surrounding relationships.

I came across the following story and thought it applied well with this topic.  I enjoyed it because it focuses more on the inner turmoil from the range of emotions (fear, doubt, resistance) and the emotional release thereafter that one can experience around that first (or any) spanking. The story is called "Her First Spanking" by darkenhorse .

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

"Why do any of us blog anymore?"

This post is in response to Erica Scott's post "Rant: Yes, I'm frustrated."  At first, I had planned on just commenting, but then my comment turned into ~500 words so instead of taking up a ton of room in her comment section, I decided to just post and link back to it instead. :-)

First, let's answer the question, "Why did you start blogging?"

I tried for years to keep a private journal, but it never failed to fail - I would write for maybe a week and then abruptly stop. Why? Because in my mind, why on earth would I need to write down my own thoughts as if I wasn’t the one having them? I know what I think so why would I need to write it down?  It isn't doing me any good.  Now granted, I really do understand that it really does help some people.  To those people, journaling is a way to get out negative feelings and document important things in one's life.  For me, it just never worked.  When I started my first very vanilla, every-day-life blog, all of my friends at the time new about it and had his or her own so we had our own private online community where we could talk, complain, ask questions, and gain perspective by offering opinions.  We could share our experiences which allowed us to learn and grow by opening our minds to other ideas.  It allowed us to gain perspective.  But in the end, comments started to dwindle, life started happening (for me, college was kicking into high gear and the beginning of a career was on the horizon), and slowly posts/updates started to fade.  That blog lasted eight years.

So, back to Erica’s question, “Why do any of us blog anymore?”  I just started my non-vanilla blog a couple of days ago.  I blog for the exact same reasons I started blogging ten years ago - to share experiences, hear other opinions, and gain perspective.  Sure, some will join us and some will bid us farewell.  The world will keep spinning and life goes on with a heavy heart on some days and skip in our steps the next.  C’est la vie!

As for comments, I could definitely imagine new posts getting lost very easily if one is following a ton of blogs, especially if everyone decides to update in one day - that could be a very happy nightmare (YAY, people are posting!  OMG, I have more than a hundred to read before work tomorrow!?).  I’ve been lurking around four blogs in particular since about March.  At first, I didn’t want to comment because I was spending a ton of time catching up so it seemed pointless to comment on non-current posts (though I definitely thought about it).  Now, that I have 1) more or less caught up and 2) a blog and a [nick]name of my own I feel more comfortable delurking.  I did notice it was mentioned that some lurkers seem to get the feeling that they aren’t welcome to add thoughts because everyone seems to know each other already…well, I read through a ton of posts and through the ton-of-posts’ comments, but I personally never felt excluded or offended in any way.  Had I happened upon these posts when they were being posted, I feel I would have delurked a lot sooner.  Alas, I cannot change the past, so moving forward, I intend to comment as the urge arises.

I don’t think I’ve ever felt more welcomed and accepted by a group of people I haven’t even chatted with/e-mailed/met/etc. :-)

"Tell me what you're thinking..."

I pulled the following excerpt from a story called "First Punishment" by verogenous which was posted on  In this excerpt, we never actually get to the "first punishment" that is mentioned in the title, but this introduction really spoke volumes to me when I first came across it, so I just thought I'd share it...

Since I was about 18 or so I have known I am sexually turned on by spanking and dominance. I accidentally ran across a "spanking magazine" and read a story about a young woman being spanked and made love to by her "Dom". It turned me on so much I read that story over and over again until I almost had it memorized. By the time I met my husband and married him I had done as much reading as I could at that time (1982) on the subject and found many other forms of spanking and dominance had also turned me on. Somehow I just knew this little kink of mine was not a good thing and most people would never understand, so I had decided very early on, I would just have to keep this little dirty secret to myself. And I did until…
One night about 6 months after we were married we were lying in bed talking after spending a long time making love and he pulled me close to him, looked me in the eye "Tell me what you're thinking"
This was a normal routine for us, since we were young and still learning I guess he had insecurities too that needed to be addressed, thus asking me on a regular basis my thoughts. As usual with me I was afraid to actually admit that I had been thinking sex would have been a whole lot better had he of taken me over his lap and spanked me slowly and sensually until my bottom was red all over and hot to the touch. Instead I answered that question as I always had
"Nothing, just enjoying the afterglow."
At this point he would smile and hug me close to him and we would usually go to sleep, me lying on his chest and his body wrapped around mine.
This night however; was not going to be the same for either of us again. He sighs heavily
"Are you sure that's what's on your mind "little one"?
Those words made my stomach flutter and my sex starting twitching and began to get really hot. I looked at him, studying his expression, his deep blue eyes staring a hole through me, yet he was slightly grinning at me. I looked at him for a long time before finally asking,
"What would make you ask me that again?"
He sighed again and pulled me even closer to him and whispered in my ear.
"I think I know a naughty little girl who may need her ass spanked for not being honest with me."
I was so stunned at his words, I actually jumped off the bed and stood there, literally shaking and starring at him, I couldn't talk, my mouth was dry and my throat was totally constricted. His eyes began to sparkle and he broke out into a huge smile as he reached under the bed and pulled out my "collection" of books, magazines and pictures I had cut out of magazines of different spanking implements. I was so totally shocked, I felt my knees knocking and my legs become too weak to hold me up, I fell to the floor onto my knees, leaning back on my heels, I can feel the embarrassment flood throughout my body as my whole body to the top of my head blushed profusely. The whole time asking myself how in the hell he found the box, it had been hidden back in our guest room closet where I keep the extra blankets and junk I don't want anyone to see. My hubby had been quite busy it seems and had actually taken the time to read my material and do a little research of his own. He had decided when the time was right he would let me know, as always with this man, he took his time and made sure whatever it is he's involving himself in he needs to be sure he understands and knows what he's doing. He reached over and wiped the stray lock of hair that had fallen over my eye, wrapped it around my ear and moved to the floor where I was kneeling and sat beside me, holding me tightly to his chest and then begins to speak. He turned my face so that I was looking into his eyes.
"Baby doll" (That's my nickname he has always used for me) "Why didn't you tell me you were into spanking and D/s?"
I was still unable to speak and leaned my head on his shoulder. He pulls me back and makes me look directly into his eyes; I see nothing but love and a whole lot of lust. Anyway, to make a long story short, I finally did open up and told him how turned on I get from spanking and dominance. He in turn opened up to me, letting me know he had never given it any thought until he stumbled across my "secret box". He expressed a sincere desire to indulge both of us in this little kink of mine and had come up with all sorts of ideas he would like to try as well. We began our little journey that night as he pulled us both up off the floor together and sat down on the bed, slowly turned me over his lap and ever so lovingly spanked me until I was begging him to make love to me again. Needless to say, that night we slept maybe two hours and nine months later our first beautiful little boy came into this world.
Verogenous. "First Punishment." Literotica, 15 Nov. 2005. Web. 06 May 2014. <>.

Before I started being more open with my fiancé, we would have moments in bed just after making love where the dialogue for the beginning of this story could have been ours verbatim.  Why didn't I ever say anything?  Because I was embarrassed!  Because I hadn't accepted that part of me.  Because I wasn't really sure of what I wanted, though spanking was certainly the predominating item on a very short list.  How could I say "I want you to spank, not those silly love pats.  I mean really spank me."  Or, maybe I was wrong? Maybe I just thought I wanted it.  Maybe it should just stay a fantasy.

Eventually, we did talk about it after I casually brought it up a few times.  My fiancé has been a big help in getting me to be more open.  He even realizes that spanking is a part of me - it is more than just a fantasy.  He accepts me for who I am and now our communication is improving and our lovemaking has increased greatly.  Even though this did take him by surprise and he was a little hesitant, we are helping each other work through our reservations and becoming stronger as a couple.

Sunday, May 4, 2014

A Bit of Background Info

With some encouragement, I decided to take the plunge and start my own spanking-related blog. First, I decided a bit of background information was necessary to put my toes in the water, so here goes!

I knew I was always interested in everything to do with spanking.  As a child, I was rarely spanked because I was always a good girl, but I remember playing silly spanking games where one of us would pretend to be a parent and the others pretended to be naughty kids.  Of course being naughty would result in a quick spanking where we would use a foam hand-shaped flyswatter over the seat of our jeans.  No, a foam flyswatter does not hurt but it was all in good, silly fun and we only ever played once or twice.

Then in an upper elementary school, the teacher began reading a book called Boy by Roald Dalh.  If anyone else has read it, you’ll remember there were at least a couple of school scenes where corporal punishment was used on the main character.  I remember being glued to every word as the teacher read aloud and described each scene.  I never really thought anything of it – just that I found it a very interesting book.

A few years later, I came across The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman.  This time I read the book on my own and kept going back to the scenes where the young boy was whipped on behalf of the purposely naughty prince.  I never knew why I liked it.  I only knew that I found it incredibly interesting.

When I was a teenager, we watched the Dead Poet’s Society in one of my English classes.  It had yet another scene where one of the students is paddled.  I really enjoyed the entire movie, but for me what stood out was that one specific scene.

Inevitably sometime during high school when I was browsing the Internet, the temptation to search the term “spanking” became too much and there began my first online research of the subject.  For years when I had time a couple nights here or there I would find romance stories where spanking (male-spanking-female) was the main theme.  I would print out a few of them and hide them in my room to read at night before falling asleep.  As a late teen quickly heading for adulthood, I began to realize my excitement was sexual in nature and that spanking turned me on but that was always my secret.

I only had my first ex-boyfriend and my best friend ever get close to figuring it out.  We were in high school and all on our way to a Friday or Saturday night movie and those two were having a conversation in the front seats about D/s.  They were joking around and trying to peg which of us girls in the group would most likely be submissive.  Some how my name got on the list to which I just rolled my eyes and said, “Yeah, right…” (I wasn’t embarrassed yet, more intrigued, but I was still thinking, “Deny, deny, deny.”)  Glancing back at me, my friend said, “You know it is always the quiet ones.”  Then, we all started laughing and I can’t remember where the conversation went after that.
Eventually I tried to share short stories from webpages like to gauge my ex-boyfriend’s (long term boyfriend at the time) reaction.  But, his interest really stopped at just giving me a hard smack as he passed and never progressed to anything further.  After almost 5 years of a long distance relationship, I broke up with him mostly because I felt we had grown too far apart physically and emotionally, and mutual respect had become a major issue.

After the breakup, I pushed any desire for a new relationship and any strong feelings toward spanking aside and instead focused on finishing college and getting a job.  Honestly, that ended up working great because now I hold a degree in Mechanical Engineering, a minor in math and I own my own house!  LOL, talk about a young woman figuring out what she wants and getting it done – no wonder so many never suspected that I was a closet submissive who was into spanking.   To the world, I am a strong, levelheaded, independent woman who likes to play video games and work with my hands.

A little over a year ago, I started dating a guy who is quite different than any guy I had tried dating before.  He is rugged, yet kind-hearted; strong, yet gentle; opinionated, yet respectful.  We communicate more than almost any relationship I’ve ever been in.  Over the last year, I have very casually brought up spanking by just mentioning the word and reacting if he grabbed my backside or popped it playfully.

Close to the beginning of this year, I decided I really did want to talk about spanking.  I just wasn’t sure what to say and I also wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted, so what we did was have a casual talk about fantasies.  He didn’t criticize when I mentioned that spanking really turns me on when I read about it.   I’m sure at the time he assumed I just meant the playful spank here and there during sex, but at least he didn’t reject the idea.

So, that brings us to a couple of months ago, when we got engaged at the beginning of March.   Right after he proposed, he had me bend over the bed and he started to spank me!  He started very gently and eventually I pulled down my panties.  He never really spanked very hard or long that night, but we did end up making passionate love.

We hadn’t really brought up spanking again in any detail.  I honestly wasn’t really sure what I wanted, so how on earth could I explain it to him.  I know I wanted something more, but what exactly?  Sometime in mid-March, I thought of a question that I couldn’t believe that I had never considered asking myself before.

“Why do I like spanking?”

I didn’t have an answer.  I had no idea why just that I had always been fascinated by it for as long as I can remember.  I decided to do what everyone does these days when they have a question … I asked the almighty Google search engine because suddenly I had to know why?

That’s when I wandered on to Bonnie’s blog My Bottom Smarts.  I spent the next month and a half reading through her ENTIRE archive.  Was it tedious reading through eight years worth of posts?  Yes, most definitely, but it was inexplicably worth it!  I couldn’t believe how open, how honest, and how real she was in every post.  Up until this point, everything I read I believed to be fiction – mostly just a fantasy that many people had but didn’t really live out.  I became even more intrigued and tried to absorb everything I could.

So, what did I find?

Suffice it to say, I learned a ton of information and gained a lot perspective.  I’m sure I still have questions and will eventually start “delurking” (LOL, yes, I have been wandering on Hermione’s, Erica Scott's, and PK’s blogs).  But, back to the question at hand - what did I find?  I found out that I am not alone, that there isn’t anything wrong with how I feel, and that we are all normal people living perfectly normal lives.   I also came to the realization that at least for me this is more than just a mere flight-of-fancy that’ll go away.  It is a part of who I am, and what is amazing is that now I can share all of who I am with my soon-to-be husband.

I want to openly thank Bonnie for everything she put into MBS for eight years.  Thank you for not deleting your archives and leaving up links to others!


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Chalky on tour

Chalky was guest at Tinta, a comic arts festival in Lubljana.

Al the content came from local comic artists. Chalky has been plotting their stuff all over town.

Drop is an artpiece, which can be categorized as an installation. It is based on the optical effect of drops “floating” in free space. This effect is made by synchronizing falling waterdrops with a flashing light.

This piece is a one-off and specially developed and built for Germaine Kruip

Brussels Art Fair

Sublima Table Top Gantry

Since the end of 2012 I have been working for Delft Technical University. I am working as a design-engineer for research groups. Currently I finished a project for or a research group in proton-beam-therapy and Positron-emission-tomography (PET) at the physics faculty.

I designed and built a rotation-gantry, with motion-control for 7 drives. The setup simulates hospital PET ring detectors, by moving through positions of a pre-defined geometry. The motioncontrol is controlled through a CNC protocol and acquisition of data through Labview.

The mechnical setup without detectors.

Chalky at Kroller Muller museum

From the 29th of july until the 3rd of august I will be at the Kröller-Müller Museum with my latest project PaintR. The project is initiated by Daan Brinkmann. We have developed, designed and built the machine together. Daniel Berio is responsible for programming.

In practical terms, the machine can be described as an "80s style pen-plotter on wheels", using paintbrushes instead of pens.

In artistic terms, the machine is an attempt to blend digital and analog imaging techniques, using public space as a canvas.

Gradually my musical sireninstruments are evolving into versatile and well playable instruments. Simple to set up, simple controls and complete control in tune / volume / oscillation and more.

Test setup with Daan:

Ton playing the first tunes:

Portrait Landscape Machine

Since the beginning of 2011 I am working with artist collective The User, based in Montreal, Canada.

I am engineering the mechanical structure of a new piece of art called: "Portrait Landscape Machine"

The goal of this piece of art is to print sculpted faces, only using sand and water.
In December 2011 we delivered proof of concept by finishing a working prototype.

Check the first succesfull print:

And some pictures:

Bill, printed in sand.

I developed a tool fo Letman last year, the Rainbowgun, allowing the user to paint with 7 spray-cans simultaneously.

Check it out in this remarkable performance, made for: If you could collaborate

Res Sapiens II

For Lustlab and Pieke Bergmans I engineered and built two robotic lights. They express 80 different emotions with their body, based on Twitterfeeds and breaking news...

While they were showed at the Centre Pompidou from May to August 2012, Lamp 014 sensed feelings in the vicinity of Paris while Lamp 015 detected worldwide opinions about current significant wikipedia topics.

They were also shown at Transnatural festivalTransnatural festival in Nemo, Amsterdam september / oktober 2012.

Ideofoon 1

I rebuilt Ideofoon 1 by Dick Raaijmakers . The project is commissioned by the Witteveen+Bos Prijs.

The artwork was created by Dick Raaijmakers in 1970 and is considered lost. Hence the build of this replica.

Ideofoon 1 is an installation with 36 speaker which produce their own sound. Caused by shortcircuits, gravity, bouncing chrome balls and more. Materials are: various types of metal, wood, electronics and mechanics.

@Bergkerk, Deventer, The Netherlands

Light objects for Asko|Schönberg

In collaboration with Theun Mosk I built 5 identical light objects. They are triangular, having 3 panels with different textures. The lights are moved and turned on stage by the musicians. The first appearance was December 16th: "Dutch Design” by Asko|Schönberg in Muziekgebouw aan ‘t Ij in Amsterdam… It was a great night.

Helmholtz Doppelsiren

As part of a research in the origin in electronic music, I developed and built a variety of instruments based upon historical information and patents by scientists and musicians. Among them are Hermann Helmholtz, Luigio Russolo and Henri Naber.

The most advanced instrument is my interpretation of the Helmholtz Doppelsiren.
An instrument he used extensively to prove sound theories.

I prototyped a working instrument and then redesigned parts, based on the prototype. For production I seeked collaboration with a CNC-machining company; Rijfers Metaalbewerking in Alphen a/d Rijn.
High precision is critical. For musical variables, like pitch, timbre, volume, harmonics, interference and more. But precision is also important for the ability to reproduce the same sounds with the siren-instrument, over and over again; studying the instrument.

The instruments are used in a variety of concerts, theaterpieces and workshops. They are a part of the Siren Orchestra of theater ensemble Veenfabriek.

Recordings by Kees Tazelaar

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About Marc Steyn

Type O Negative, unabashed contrarian, media vagabond. Season ticket holder to the theatre of the absurd. Follow me on Twitter @MarcSteyn or Google+

South African blues-rock outfit The Lyzyrd Kyngs released their second full-length album, A Few Grains of Sand, at the end of 2014. An event that has been somewhat under-reported in the mainstream media, which is a crying shame, because it is a damn fine collection of songs, showcasing the collective talents of some of South Africa’s most enduring blues-rock musicians. » Read more »

Recently a quote, erroneously attributed to actress Meryl Streep, went viral on the interwebs. As good an example as any, of the obtuse platitudes, reeking of moral entitlement and deliberate obfuscation, that have become so prevalent on social media. We take a well-deserved swipe at the passive-aggressive nitwits who compensate by sharing these trite quotes. » Read more »

The past month has seen another round of vitriolic and unsubstantiated attacks against white South African men, especially those of the Afrikaans speaking persuasion. I blame the Oscar Pistorius trial for igniting what seems like a very one sided conversation. Damned if you raise your voice for a more balanced conversation, damned if you don’t. You’re either a silent conspirator against the truth or an overt supporter of misogyny and bigotry. » Read more »

Our attitudes towards immigrants say more about ourselves and our national character than we probably realise. Rapidly increasing human migration is a reality of the modern global economy. Countries that figure out how to utilise the phenomenon to their advantage will be the economies of the future. » Read more »

This is not an article about Nelson Mandela. It is a warning about the dangerous and dishonest attempts by many white South Africans to establish their democratic and human rights credentials in the eyes of the world. For them and many Western ‘liberals’ Mandela was not a man with many great qualities and a number of major flaws. For them he was a brand, to use as a smokescreen for their apathy towards the social ills that haunt this country and indeed many others across the world. » Read more »

The western black rhino is no more according to headlines, tweets, shares and other modes of eco agony, invariably perpetrated by that most spineless of Moloch’s children, the hipster and its incestuous cousin, the yuppie. Don’t get me wrong. I loved the western black rhino, as much as everyone else who had never heard of its existence. I will however bet my last Oreo, that all those cyber tears were shed more in aid of social awareness brownie points than actual knowledge of, or love for the animal concerned. » Read more »

Pop culture personalities and their associated memes are generally pretty banal and fleeting, but the latest Russell Brand polemic deserves a mention, if not for its ludicrousness, then Brand’s accidental position as the obtuse canary in the coal mine of modern politics.
Recently, in a rambling 4,700 word essay for the New Statesman, the British stand-up comic and actor conjured up his own notion of what is wrong with the world and launched a fervent plea for a Spiritual Revolution. Marc gives his take on la revolución de Russell. » Read more »

I smoked for over 20 years, and I enjoyed it for most of those two decades. Neither potential health issues nor the increasing cost of cigarettes could budge me from my god given right to screw myself up. That was before I admitted to myself that all my addiction was accomplishing was the enrichment of a few immoral bastards. Consumed with righteous anger I went cold turkey earlier this year, going from a 40 a day habit to jogging five kilometres per day without vomiting. This is my story … » Read more »


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Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Missouri Real Estate Commission Wins First Battle with Kansas City Premier Apartments

Over two years after it first filed suit, Kansas City Premier Apartments, Inc. finally had its day in court earlier this year with the Missouri Real Estate Commission (here's my last pre-trial post).  During the trial, the MREC failed to prove that any of the property advertisements on the KCPA website were false or misleading, or that KCPA's rental advisors conveyed any false or misleading information about specific rental units.

However, in a six page judgment remarkably short on reasoning, Missouri Circuit Judge Abe Shafer held that KCPA is not exempt from the restrictions and requirements of Missouri's real estate broker statute.  Specifically, the court ruled that KCPA is not exempt from the statutory definition of a real estate broker, and that the statutory provisions challenged by KCPA were not unconstitutional under the U.S. or Missouri constitutions.

In response to MREC's request for injunctive relief, the court directed that "until KCPA complies with the requirements of Chapter 339 applicable to KCPA operations," it is enjoined from:
Contracting with property owners to receive compensation in return for referring prospective tenants who rent from property owners, which is not an enforceable contract under the terms of Section 339.160, RSMo.

Any act requiring real estate licensure pursuant to the terms of [Chapter] 339 RSMo.
KCPA was also enjoined from "paying a reward or incentive to tenants who notify property owners that they were directed to the property through KCPA's services, which would violate Section 339.00.2(13) if performed by a licensed real estate broker."

KCPA's attorneys have appealed the ruling to the Missouri Supreme Court.  Stay tuned.


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Rescue Mission of Roanoke

Anniversary Gratitude Campaign

Anniversary Gratitude Campaign

On June 30th, Rescue Mission guests and staff enjoyed a cookout and expressed appreciation for donors like you. Over hot dogs, baked beans, and ice cream, they created a banner and recorded video messages of thanks. The Rescue Mission would not have been able to help hurting people in Jesus’ name for the past 69 years without your generous support. Thank you for giving from your heart and wallet. Thank you for giving your time and talents to serve. Thank you for making Mission possible!

Well, we’ll let the video do the talking…

We enter our 7th decade of service with gratitude and an Anniversary challenge. For every dollar donated to the Rescue Mission in July, the Skolrood Law Firm will match it, up to $50,000! What will you do next to change a life?

To have your gift DOUBLED during the month of July, click HERE and select the Anniversary Gratitude Campaign

The July Newsletter is here! We are excited to kick off our 69th Anniversary with a Gratitude Campaign–learn how you can change a life this summer.

July Newsletter

Every donation made to the Anniversary Gratitude Campaign during the month of July will be matched by the Skolrood Law Firm, up to $50,000! Click here to make your donation today.

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Hotels | Vacation Packages | Flights | Car
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Tesoro Los Cabos

Tesoro Los Cabos

Boulevard Marina S N
Cabo San Lucas, MX 23410 Map It
Los Cabos Area :Cabo San Lucas

Magical, mesmerizing Los Cabos, where the Pacific crashes into the Sea of Cortez and the party never ends .
Guests at the newly renovated Tesoro Los Cabos have easy access to excellent dining and shopping, as well as famous nightspots like No Worrys, The Squid Roe, Hard Rock Cafe, Cabo Wabo Cantina and Giggling Marlin . If you like, relax by the oversized pool and sip a tasty beverage as you watch the boats come into the Cabo San Lucas marina, or experience the new Lobby bar while surfing the internet .

After a full day in the Pacific Sun, unwind and relax in one of the many comfortable rooms and junior suites that Tesoro Los Cabos has to offer .

Tesoro Los Cabos features a picturesque Santa Fe-style architecture and boasts 286 newly renovated deluxe rooms and junior suites, each decorated in a warm southwestern style with traditional Mexican colors .

The town has a variety of excellent dining options but you don't have to stray far from the Tesoro Los Cabos to indulge in gastronomic delights . We invite all guests to experience the delicious cuisine at the Tesoro Los Cabos . Dress is casual in all the resort's restaurants .

Tesoro Los Cabos Features

  • Tour Desk
  • Elevators
  • Conference Facilities
  • Spa
  • Currency Exchange
  • Swimming pool
  • Laundry Service
  • Restaurant
  • Free parking
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Meeting/Banquet Facilities
  • Safe Deposit Box
  • Wheelchair accessible

Tesoro Los Cabos Reservation Policies:

  • Check-In: 1500
  • Check-Out: 1200


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Growing Up and Giving Back: Taulia Computers and Resources for Education (CARE) Program

May 14, 2014 Richard Mah

As a Taulian since October of 2011, I’m fortunate to have been a part of the progress and evolution of the company. Taulia is growing and getting bigger by the day and I have trouble remembering names of new faces around the office. But, age could be a factor!

With that said, growing up also means more responsibility. The ability and propensity to give are key ingredients for continued growth. And what better way to give back than a community-based program for smart and ambitious students? After collecting extra laptops and keyboards around the office, the Taulia Computers and Resources for Education (CARE) was born.

Taulia CARE started in early 2013 as a small program, giving a package that includes a refurbished laptop, software, laptop bag and accessories to deserving students in need. So far, the Taulia CARE program has assisted two lower income migrant college-bound students from San Francisco International High School who did not have access to computers and essential resources for academic success.

When I met the first recipient, Edith Melendez Lopez, she was so eager to start her very first quarter at UC Davis, her excitement was palpable. Edith is from El Salvador and her drive to succeed comes as no surprise. She is a recipient of multiple scholarships and while she was raised by a supportive, hard-working family, Edith still had limited educational resources. She wanted to be fully prepared for college and she knew a laptop would be a great tool for success.

The second recipient, Alina Aguilar, hails from Guatemala and is a high school senior pursuing her dream of attending college, and eventually law school. Because her parents and five siblings live in Guatemala, she is supporting herself by juggling two part-time jobs while finishing high school. Before we equipped Alina with a laptop, she conducted all of her academic research on her cell phone and wrote her essays with and pencil, on paper. By giving Alina her very own laptop, she took better class notes and completed research papers faster and more efficiently.

Almost a year later, Taulia CARE expanded to providing assistance to an orphanage in Cambodia. The Little Angels Orphanage is located in Ovlouk Village, Bakong District in Siem Reap and is run by Sery Rathana, an orphan himself. The orphanage supplies 70 children between 4-18 years with food, shelter, education and vocational training in the craft of leather carving.

In my recent visit to the The Little Angels Orphanage, I brought with me stationery and toys on behalf of Taulia CARE. The highlight of my visit was spending a couple hours playing with the children and seeing their faces instantly light up when we brought them balloons to play with.

With support of the Taulia family, the CARE program has collected enough money for the orphanage to provide 300 meals to orphans and will continue assisting students and children in need.

Stay tuned for more updates on our sponsored students and orphanage!

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Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Enjoying Reston's Tastiest Tradition

By RCA President Colin Mills

In the middle of a rainy and dreary week like this, it’s only natural to think ahead toward the weekend.  I’m very excited about this weekend.  Not just because warmth and sunshine are scheduled to make a reappearance, but also because one of my favorite Reston traditions is getting started again: the Lake Anne Farmers Market opens for the season on Saturday, and I can’t wait to go.  There’s not a lot that can get me out of the house on Saturday morning, but this is well worth the trip.

It’s hard to believe that the Farmers Market has been around for 16 years; it doesn’t seem like that long.  But the market, under the able supervision of my good friend John Lovaas, has grown into a Reston institution, a place for the community to come together and enjoy local produce, meats, and more.

Farmer’s markets and Reston go way back.  I remember the Reston Farmer’s Market on Baron Cameron when I was a kid, across from the Pet-A-Pet Farm (today’s Reston Zoo).  My family used to stop in there from time to time to pick up fresh fruits and vegetables; the sweet summer corn was especially delicious.

The best time of year to visit the Farmer’s Market, hands down, was Halloween.  We always picked out our pumpkins there, trundling the little red wagons among the rows of beautiful gourds.  We went into the back of the store to fill our gallon jug with apple cider (so sweet and delicious; we drank it in the fall and I dreamed about it the rest of the year).

And best of all, my sister and I got to climb Fort Pumpkin!  This was a contraption constructed out of hay bales and decorated with pumpkins, perfect for kids to burn off some energy running and climbing while Mom was finishing up the shopping.  When I reached the top of the fort and looked out toward the horizon, even though I couldn’t have been more than 20 feet off the ground, I felt like I could see forever.  Fort Pumpkin was my favorite thing about Halloween, even more than the candy.  (Okay, maybe tied with the candy.)

What the Lake Anne Farmers Market lacks in whimsical hay-bale forts, it makes up for in diverse, delicious food offerings.  Sometimes, I’ll walk through and pick up everything I need for lunch or dinner right there at the market.

Maybe we’ll have Gunpowder bison steaks, fresh green beans, and a salad with juicy tomatoes and goat cheese from Cherry Glen, dressed with a vinaigrette from Wisteria Gardens.  Or perhaps we’ll have sandwiches, sausage from Valentine’s on artisan bread from Baguette Republic.  If I’ve got a sweet tooth, maybe pick up something from A Bit More or Grace’s Pastries for dessert.  I love one-stop shopping for my meals.

Another thing I love about farmer’s market shopping is being introduced to something I haven’t tried before.  For instance, last year I tried ramps for the first time after picking them up at the market.  Ramps are wild leeks; they look kind of like scallions with big leaves on top.  I tried them raw and cooked, and I loved their earthy, pungent, peppery flavor.  I can’t wait to see what new discoveries I might run across this year.

I’m not the only one in my family who’s looking forward to the market’s opening.  My wife loves to shop there, and we’re both hoping that the selection will inspire us to add more fresh fruits and vegetables to out diet.  My daughter, meanwhile, is particularly fond of the Cherry Glen goat cheese (she loves to eat it on Ritz crackers for a snack) and the black bean dip from Wisteria Gardens.  If I go to the market without her and forget to pick up the black-bean dip, I know she won’t forgive me.

The market is more than just a chance to pick up tasty locally-grown food; it’s also a great social opportunity.  You never know who you might run into at the market.  Prominent Restonians like Bob Simon and Ken Plum often stop by, and if you’re hoping to run into your neighbor on Saturday morning, the market is a good place to look.

The Saturday Farmers Market serves a function a lot like the plazas in Bob’s original vision of Reston; it gets people out of their cars and interacting with each other.  I’m always in favor of anything that foster community conversations, and the market definitely does that.

I also love the fact that the market is held at Lake Anne.  It’s our oldest village center, and it’s still my favorite place in Reston.  The Farmers Market has done a great job drawing people over to Lake Anne who might not have gone otherwise.  I think it’s no coincidence that Lake Anne has been on an upward swing since the market got started in 1998.  And I’m also really glad to know that the market will still have a home in the revitalized and expanded Lake Anne Village Center that’s coming soon.

While you’re at the Farmers Market, it’s also worth stopping by the craft market that takes place on the plaza itself.  That market features local arts and crafts.  Walking through there makes me think of a Middle Eastern bazaar.  It’s well worth a stroll to see what you might find.

I hope you’ll be headed out to the Lake Anne Farmers Market on Saturday morning.  And if you see me there, checking out the produce or sampling the goat cheese offerings, stop by and say hello.  We’re neighbors, after all.  Bob would approve.

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Monday, October 1, 2012

A Year in Transition

A Year in Transition

A little over one year ago my family and I moved from our home in San Antonio to a suburb of Dallas called Rockwall. Just a quick five hour drive north on I-35 and we find ourselves at home in the country, near cows and lots and lots of country critters. It has been an adjustment for all of us, and has presented us each with our own set of challenges but, we are finding our way. In fact, it’s more than that, this move is a gift.

Don’t get me wrong, we loved living in San Antonio, loved our friends, our church, our home and Zach and Kayla enjoyed their school and sports activities. And yet, there was an itch, for lack of a better description, a pull towards something but I couldn’t put my finger on it, except to just ask God to help each one of us to be open. After everything we had been through with Grant’s illness and his recovery, it made sense to me that we had entered a season of renewal, but it hadn’t occurred to me that this would include a move.

We found out we were moving the end of April 2011. We took a few weeks to put our house in order, which included painting, purging, lots of yard work and yes much prayer.

We sold our house in one day. One day…ONE DAY! My head still spins thinking about it. We had one showing, and one offer. And here’s the kicker, we had one week to find a house here in Rockwall, and the one we now call home we found on the very last day of looking and the price was perfect!

We had a 30 day close, which meant that from the time we put the sign in the yard to the day we left San Antonio only four short weeks had passed. Enough time to pack, have a yard sale, say quick goodbyes to friends and try our hardest to help Zach and Kayla to see this as an adventure, which it most definitely has been.

Over the course of the summer and into the school months last fall I watched our new life unfold. I decided to take the year off from writing and found myself immersed in making our hew house a home. I volunteered on the PTA board again and started taking tennis lessons. We found a great church and slowly began making friends. Zach started club soccer and Kayla swimming, and they both tell me weekly that they love it here. That this feels like a little piece of heaven, and they are happy.

Now, fifteen months later I can look back and see how this was our year in transition. A year of in between, a year to establish ourselves in a new place that goes right along with our season of renewal. This move is so much more than just about geography. It’s about a new life for Grant as he is healthy and thriving. A new life for me as a mom, wife, writer and life coach (and tennis playerJ). And a new life for Zach and Kayla who never cease to amaze me with their firm grasp on the things that are most important.

 I find myself dusting off my manuscript, and am actively seeking new coaching clients. I’m excited to be here and look forward to seeing what comes next. You can be sure that I’m staying open, the adventure is just beginning.


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Windsor 180˚

Designed & Developed By: Brad and Carlo

Windsor 180 was a weeklong series of formal and informal events hosted by WeTech Alliance and YKnot Windsor / Essex to promote and discuss the issue of attracting and retaining youth to the region. Working as part of the marketing team for the event we were responsible for the creation of the digital and print media leading up to the conference.

Though initially a bit of a design challenge working strictly with two colors and fonts, we had a lot of freedom to experiment with different techniques including the SVG path animations used throughout the 180 Week page. Ultimately, we successfully executed a simple, unique and well received website and style.

You can see the page at:

website creation

Poster Campaign


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How To Take More Stunning Photographs Easily!

Many people take pictures. However, most do not know the proper techniques needed to go from just taking pictures to making stunning photographs. However, the key to photography is to simply research every topic you plan on touching upon. This article will give you a few tips and hints to improve your photography skills.

Use digital techniques to create photographs that resemble oil paintings, watercolors, graphic pencil sketches and more. While there are a variety of software products available for purchase, Adobe Photoshop is listed as one of the best. With image editing software, transforming your photograph into a painting is sometimes as easy as applying a simple filter or mask.

Pick what you want in the picture. Great pictures are like tiny windows highlighting specific things about your subject. Try not to show too much. In fact, sometimes it’s better altogether if you take multiple photos of a subject instead of struggling to get that one illusive shot of perfection. This works especially well when you’re trying to capture the essence of something.

Take unique pictures that are interesting to you and that you think would be highly interesting to others. The best photos you take are the ones that reinforce your personal style and reflect the world as you see it. Avoid classic pictures that you have seen a thousand times. Lay on the ground to capture something above you, or shoot down from a balcony. Express your creativity through your photographs.

When you are taking photos of landscapes, create an appearance of depth. When you place familiar objects in the foreground of the image, you can help viewers to perceive the size and scope of the subject. To gain sharper images, adjust your aperture to a smaller setting; try f/16 for full-frame single lens reflex cameras and f/8 for the more standard digital ones.

When preparing to shoot, you should hold your camera close to your trunk and grip it firmly on the sides and bottom. This minimizes shaking, resulting on clearer pictures. Cradling your hands underneath your camera and lens also prevents you from clumsily dropping it.

You shouldn’t neglect the foreground as many novice photographers do. You can increase the depth appearance of your photo when you shoot the foreground in a way that makes a great striking frame.

If you keep your batteries charged, it will prevent you from missing the once-in-a-lifetime shot. Digital cameras using an LCD screen require lots of power, so check the batteries before you need to take pictures. If you are really serious about photography, then you might even want to carry extra batteries in your camera bag, so you never miss anything good.

Keep your camera handy when you are on a trip. Use it often. Small unique details are often what makes a particular item, location or face interesting. You can also take photographs of everyday items from a variety of perspectives.

Don’t restrict yourself to taking pictures of your subject from only one angle. Be creative and reposition your shots so that you can experiment with different angles. Find different, interesting angles to make the subject more interesting.

The first step to creating stunning photographs is to find the correct subject. A good subject is needed no matter the level of your equipment or your skills at picture composition. Look for inspirational people, places and things, or enlist the help of a model who will pose for you.

Use your new found information to start taking wonderful pictures that you can cherish forever. You’ll only get better if you try out new tools and tips, so practice often.


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Just Plain Good Cherry Cobbler

Just Plain Good Cherry Cobbler

There's no way to describe this other then "just plain good"!

Serves 6

1 (20-ounce) can Lucky Leaf No Sugar Added Cherry Pie Filling
1 cup + 2 tablespoons Reduced Fat Baking Mix
3/4 cup granular Splenda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup fat-free milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light Margarine, melted
1/4 cup (1 ounce) chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray and 8-by-8 inch baking dish with butter-flavored cooking spray. Evenly spoon cherry pie filling into prepared baking dish. In a large bowl, combine baking mix, Splenda, and cinnamon. Add milk, vanilla, and melted margarine. Mix well to combine. Carefully spread batter over pie filling. Evenly sprinkle walnuts over top. bake for 45 minutes or until top is golden brown. Place baking dish on a wire rack and let set for at least 5 minutes. Divide into 6 servings.

Each serving equals:
HE: 1 Bread, 1 Fruit, 1/2 Slider, 5 Optional Calories
168 Calories, 4gm Fat, 3gm Protien,
30gm Carbohydrate, 309mg Sodium,
72mg Calcium, 2gm Fiber
DIABETIC: 1 1/2 Starch, 1 Fruit, 1/2 Fat

"Healthy Exchanges Food Newsletter, April 2002, pg. 8"

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Psychedelic Drugs

Lysergic acid diethylamide abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide (INN) and colloquially as acid, is a psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects, which can include altered thinking processes, closed- and open-eye visuals, synesthesia, an altered sense of time and spiritual experiences, as well as for its key role in 1960s counterculture. It is used mainly as an entheogen, recreational drug, and as an agent in psychedelic therapy. LSD is non-addictive, is not known to cause brain damage, and has extremely low toxicity relative to dose. However, acute adverse psychiatric reactions such as anxiety, paranoia, and delusions are possible.

LSD was first synthesized by Albert Hofmann in 1938 from ergotamine, a chemical derived by Arthur Stoll from ergot, a grain fungus that typically grows on rye. The short form “LSD” comes from its early code name LSD-25, which is an abbreviation for the German “Lysergsäure-diethylamid” followed by a sequential number. LSD is sensitive to oxygen, ultraviolet light, and chlorine, especially in solution, though its potency may last for years if it is stored away from light and moisture at low temperature. In pure form it is a colorless, odorless, tasteless solid. LSD is typically delivered orally, usually on a substrate such as absorbent blotter paper, a sugar cube, or gelatin. In its liquid form, it can also be administered by intramuscular or intravenous injection. LSD is very potent, with 20–30 µg (micrograms) being the threshold dose.

Hofmann discovered the psychedelic properties of LSD in 1943. It was introduced commercially in 1947 by Sandoz Laboratories under the trade-name Delysid as a drug with various psychiatric uses, and it quickly became a therapeutic agent that appeared to show great promise. In the 1950s, officials at the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) thought the drug might be applicable to mind control and chemical warfare; the agency’s MKULTRA research program propagated the drug among young servicemen and students. The subsequent recreational use of the drug by youth culture in the Western world during the 1960s led to a political firestorm that resulted in its prohibition. Currently, a number of organizations—including the Beckley Foundation, MAPS, Heffter Research Institute and the Albert Hofmann Foundation—exist to fund, encourage and coordinate research into the medicinal and spiritual uses of LSD and related psychedelics. New clinical LSD experiments in humans started in 2009 for the first time in 35 years.


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July 1, 2011 – Silverton, OR (continued)

Friday was a nice, warm sunshiny day – yeah!  We decided to get some laundry done in the morning and after lunch we took the kayaks to Silverton Reservoir.  This is a really nice, small reservoir completely surrounded by large pine trees.  We kayaked all around the reservoir and upstream in Silver Creek a short distance until it got to shallow for the kayaks.  It was a really nice, relaxing afternoon.

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July 20-24, 2012 – Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, Utah


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Friday, August 31, 2012

Lefty Journalism And the Failed Denial

The great James Taranto led me to discover a piece by former NYT editor and now merely an Op-Ed columnist there Bill Keller (he's still riding that burning plane all the way down to the deck, but at least he's no longer in a pilot's chair). I had back in July posted about how stupid it is to deny that President Obama said "You didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen" and then quote him in a slightly longer version in which he says precisely that. To deny the President said exactly what he said in the quote they provide makes the deniers just look stupid. I had though the Democrats had wised up and had moved on to calling falsely other accurate quotes and paraphrases (by Republicans) lies. How wrong was I.

Keller starts with a headline twisting a famous quip attributed to Mark Twain: Lies, Damned Lies and G.O.P. Video. Oh, I get it, the GOP video is worse than a damned lie. Gotcha.

He appears to be in take-no-prisoners mode:

“We did build that,” has already been established as one of the more dishonest political memes in a campaign season undisturbed by shame. [...] The fact that this slogan has been thoroughly debunked has not kept it from being the defining theme in Tampa.

Wow. I couldn't wait to hear how it's been so thoroughly debunked and why it's so shockingly dishonest. Unfortunately, Mr. Keller does not provide any debunking and only the most meager of explanations for why it is shocking to quote the President accurately and not accept his message as Truth and Wisdom. Keller says, in explanation, that "the president pointed out that most American business successes have been assisted by infrastructure, education or incentives underwritten by the government." Except the President didn't say that; he said this:
Look, if you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own. You didn’t get there on your own. I’m always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart. There are a lot of smart people out there. It must be because I worked harder than everybody else. Let me tell you something — there are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there. If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business — you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen. The Internet didn’t get invented on its own. Government research created the Internet so that all the companies could make money off the Internet. (Emphasis added.)
Mr Keller complains that the full quote above, which appears in his opinion piece, is completely different from the "doctored" version shown in Republican ads riffing on the President's diminishing the individual effort and success of others. Here is the version Keller finds so completely dishonest:

If you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own. You, you didn’t get there on your own. I’m always struck by people who think: ‘Wow, it must be because I was just so smart.’ There are a lot of smart people out there. ‘It must be because I worked harder than everyone else. ‘Let me tell you something, if you’ve got a business, that … you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.

Well, it is shorter and that's because it's missing the stuff about a lot of people are hardworking (so you're not so special if you succeed), and about your success depended on Government help along the way (in, for examples, a helpful teacher or American infrastructure that "allowed" you to thrive)--so much for individual effort--it's government spending of what the taxpayers earned that "allows" some people to be successful--who knew? Oh, and it also leaves out the half-truth that the internet was created by the government and not by thousands of entrepreneurs who have made it the huge success and important part of our lives it is today.

But is the short version a distortion of what the President said?

I say no. It's precisely what the President said, and the longer quote just makes his warped view of capitalism and the American ideal of rugged individualism all the clearer. The context actually makes the shorter quote worse.

Here's Keller's big finish:

In another campaign season, the fact that the opposition edited the president’s voice to say something he didn’t say would be regarded as audacious. This year it’s almost unremarkable.
Each of the videos, by the way, continues with the lament of a hard-working businessman – a Colorado farmer, the owner of a Nevada candy company, and the president of an Ohio electric company – each profoundly insulted by what Obama … um, never actually said.

Sorry, Mr. Keller, he did say that, just what the ad quoted, and the proof is in the very words of the President and the quote you thoughtfully provided in order to prove he didn't say what the Republicans claim he said when, er, actually you prove just the opposite. And you look dumb doing it, like you suffer from a hyperactive form of denial.

I have little to add to this from Taranto:

Obama's journalistic supporters live in a bizarre alternate reality in which a politician's actual words mean nothing. When the president says something foolish and offensive, he didn't say that. Meanwhile every comment from a Republican can be translated, through a process of free association, to: "We don't like black people."
So true. And so sad. The whole of the left wing dominated media (I know, wordy) is on fire and losing altitude and the journalists seem hell bent to put it in a powerdive.

1) Taranto is a daily read for me. I learn a lot from him. He had a BOTWT the other day in which he nicely differentiated between "deficit hawk" and "small government conservative.' 'Twas well done.
2) I really do wonder if we will ever learn what grades Obama obtained in his Harvard Law classes. The confusion of his thoughts and his messed up speaking lead me to question what he learned there. I have never met a lawyer (and I've worked for, with, and around any number of lawyers) who failed to think an issue through before he spoke, and who was not extraordinarily careful in his words. Only Obama himself is to blame for any erroneous inferences taken from his words. (And I don't believe they're in error: I believe that it's in Obama's extemporaneous speaking that we see him truly.)
3) Book recommendation: I just pulled my copy of "Touching History" off the shelf to re-read, and find it even more enthralling than the first time through. It's a chronological narrative of everything that happened in the skies on 9/11. The FAA, Defense, ATC, NORAD, airline dispatchers, airline pilots, everyone. Clearly and cleanly written. Author is Lynn Spencer. Five stars.
Thanks for the comment and recommendation. Taranto is a daily (week-daily) read for me as well. I have to disagree about lawyers always thinking things through. We say stupid stuff all the time. Witness this blog.
Your self-deprecation, while admirable in its modesty, is undeserved. I have yet to read a poor post here. Although I must confess that I generally skip the climate posts -- I have worn out my patience with the we-caused-it-we-can-cure-it-global-climate-change bunch whose claims are primarily founded on computer models, the accuracy of whose data points is doubtful at best, and deliberately fudged, at worst.
OTOH, where do you find all the WWII photos? Those, I find fascinating; esp. that you can identify equipment and weapons.
I see some on Good Sh*t, some on the German Army's history website and some I just Google. Thanks for the compliment. I am an avid fan of the history of military equipment. Soldiers are pretty much the same throughout history, the real change is what they carry and what carries them.
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Event Details

Walk Through the Science Fair
Audience: Homepage
Posted by: Linda Wu
Location: Multi-use Room Contact:
Start Time: 8:30 AM End Time: 12:00 PM


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On August 11th, 2012 The Rockford High School Class of 2002 will be holding their Ten-year reunion. We would like to offer local businesses the opportunity to not only advertise your business to many alumni, but also to show support of your community.

The RHS Class of 2002 Committee is asking local businesses to show support in any way possible. There will be gift bags to give away, door prizes, raffles, and awards to various categories the attendees will vote on at the reunion.

In addition to the class of 2002 reunion on August 11th at The B.O.B., the committee is also sponsoring an alumni picnic open to all Rockford High School Alumni on August 12th, 2012 from Noon to Dusk at Townsend Park.

If your business would like to be acknowledged as a sponsor on the class website, in our gift bag handouts, and at the alumni picnic, please call Ashley Brauer at 616-617-8693 or email

We appreciate any discount coupons, gift cards, door prizes, raffle prizes, products, or services your business can donate.

  • Free design and banner ad on the class website
  • Logo display at the reunion and alumni picnic entrance and head table
  • Distribution of business cards, brochures, or other promotional materials in the gift bags

The RHS Class of 2002 will show our appreciation by designing and displaying a banner ad with a link to your company website on our class website, which is frequently visited by alumni to stay in touch, read alumni news and biographies of class mates.

We will also have a volunteer stop by your business to pick up any donations as well as business cards, brochures or other promotional material to distribute in the gift bags and we will display your logo at the reunion and the alumni picnic entrance. Approximately 200 people are expected at the reunion and 300 people are expected at the alumni picnic. We look forward to hearing from you soon! Thanks!

Ashley Brauer
Rockford High School Class of 2002


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An Excerpt from Inked Memories

Every memory leaves its mark.

All Sophie wants is a tattoo to commemorate her battle with cancer. What she gets is celebrity tattoo artist Declan Ross, the same sexy bad-boy who, once-upon-a-time, used to rock her world.

With his hit television show on hiatus, Declan is back in the Big Easy. A charity event at Midnight Ink, the shop where he got his start, seems like the perfect opportunity to use his celebrity status to publicize a good cause…and just maybe improve his own image in the process. The last thing he’s expecting, or thinks he needs, is a chance meeting with the girl he left behind.

Last time they were together, Declan was the one who was damaged. This time, they’ve both got scars; and those you can’t see are the hardest to cover.

Available in digital format at AmazonAll Romance eBooksBarnes & Noble, and Kobo
And in paperback at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

* * * *

“Okay. You’re all set.” Declan smoothed a final piece of tape into place, securing a layer of plastic wrap over the tattoo he’d just finished—his last of the day.
The pretty blonde who was his latest client slowly sat up on the padded table, her T-shirt clasped against her chest. “Thank you,” she said as she gingerly slipped the shirt over her head and then tugged her clothes back into place. “It’s beautiful.”
Declan nodded. “I told you it would be.” He’d designed the tattoo—an abstract, deconstructed peacock—to follow the lines of her body. It flowed along her curves, from shoulder to hip, in a sinuous cascade of perfect, paisley-shaped feathers. “I’m glad you like it.”
It bore only the slightest resemblance to the tattoo she’d thought she was getting when she’d come in today—and a damn good thing too. The pictures she’d sent in as examples of what she was looking to get had been boring and uninteresting and didn’t really work with his style. They were too simple, too small, and would have required entirely too much line work. Plus, she wanted it across her lower back, which was totally the wrong placement for something like this.
Declan took his craft seriously. The watercolor-style tattoos for which he was becoming well known always looked better on a larger canvas. It hadn’t taken much to convince her of that and to make her see the wisdom of letting him give her what he wanted.
Plenty of artists would have been all too happy to give her just another, generic-looking tattoo, but she’d come to him. It would be nice to think she’d come for his eye, his talent, his artistry, for all the experience he brought to the table. In all likelihood, however, what she’d come for the Declan Ross she thought she knew from TV.
Luckily for him, that Declan didn’t do run-of-the-mill ho tags either.
“Now be sure and read over this sheet,” Declan instructed as he handed her the page he’d had printed detailing his personal aftercare suggestions. “It’s got a lot of important information. You’ll want to keep it covered for the first couple of hours, but that’s all.  After that, you’ll want to rinse it off, pat it dry and leave it uncovered as much as possible while it’s healing. You’ll also want to stop on your way home and pick up some calendula cream. I know you’ll hear otherwise, but trust me; you really want to steer clear of petroleum-based products, scented-lotions and especially sunscreen.”
“Calendula cream,” she repeated dutifully, as though she had no idea what he was talking about. She probably didn’t.
“Or coconut oil. That’s good too, but I don’t know if you can find organic around here. If not, you’re really better off sticking with the calendula.”
“Okay.” She nodded for a moment, still seated on the edge of the table, gazing at him expectantly, making no move to leave.
Declan clapped his hands together. “Okay. Good. So. Any last questions for me?”
“Yes.” Immediately, she thrust the paper back at him. “Can I get your autograph?”
Declan pretended not to notice the rolled eyes, the faked coughs, the snorts of derisive laughter the other artists tried to muffle. Bastards. They were just jealous because no one was asking for theirs. “Sure thing,” he said as he forced a smile. He grabbed a marker off the closest counter and then paused. “Who should I make it out to?”
“Oh, it’s for me.”
Declan waited.
“Make it out to Chrissy.”
“Chrissy. Right.” He hurriedly scrawled his name, added a couple of platitudes, and then handed the paper back to her. “But, seriously, Chrissy, I need you to follow the instructions on this. All right? They’re important.” It really annoyed him when clients failed to care for their tattoos. He did good work, but once someone left his chair, he had no control over what happened. He hated when a good tat got messed up because some dumbass didn’t follow directions. “C’mon.” He held out his hand to help the girl down from the table. “Let me walk you out.”
He hadn’t taken more than a few steps before Shep Montgomery looked up from the sleeve he was working on and called out to him, “Hey, Ross.”
“Yeah?” Declan turned his head and warily eyed his former mentor. It’s not like he wasn’t used to it by now, but it was rarely a good sign when someone addressed him by his last name.
 “I don’t know what you’ve gotten used to out there in Hollywood, but around here, we still have to clean up after ourselves.”
“Really?” The words were out before Declan could stop himself. “’Cause that’s not how I remember it.”
He cast an involuntary glance around the shop, taking it all in; the brick walls, the stainless steel, the sinks, the counters, the padded black vinyl, the red and black paint, the gaudy gold trim. He loved tattoo shops. He loved everything about them—the smells, the sounds, the artwork on the walls, the funky, edgy vibe they invariably gave off. But he did not especially love cleaning them. And, the way he recalled it, back when he’d first come to work at Midnight Ink—back when the legendary Henry Lee Cairn still owned the shop and Declan was just a fiery-eyed, tattoo artist wannabe and Shep’s lowly apprentice—that’s mostly what he’d done.
Even after he’d progressed to the point where he was allowed to set up his own station and tattoo on his own, without supervision, as low man on the totem pole, he’d still had to clean up after himself and everyone else. Not to mention cover for the receptionist on her days off. Good times—not.
One thing he had absolutely not come back to New Orleans to do was to pick up where he’d left off. He was here to help publicize a good cause. One of the charities that would benefit from the New Year’s Eve tattoo-a-palooza was his own pet cause, the Wounded Warriors Project. His father had been in the military. He’d come back from the first Gulf War with PTSD and killed himself when Declan was just a kid. Whatever Declan could do to help other kids from having to go through what he’d gone through, he’d do it. No questions. Not even when it meant having to put up with a certain amount of crap from his co-workers. His former co-workers.
“Anyway, it’s Oakland, all right? Not Hollywood. And relax. I’m not gone for the day. I’ll take care of it before I leave.”
Shep nodded. “A’ight. See that you do. And don’t leave it too long either.”
On the other hand, there was a limit to how much crap Declan was willing to take. “Oh, yes, sir, Mr. Montgomery. I will jump on that right away.” He flipped him off with a muttered, “And you can jump on this.”
An excited giggle at his shoulder recalled Declan’s attention.
Chrissy looked fascinated. No. Worse. She looked freaking turned on. So this was what she’d come here for, bratty Declan, the artist everyone loved to hate—especially the other artists. Fan-fucking-tastic. He could just imagine her hauling out her cell phone the minute she hit the banquette, getting her girlfriends on the line so she could tell them all how, it was so awesome! Omigod, you guys, it was just like being on an episode of Inked in O-Town!
All the thoughts he’d been entertaining while he’d tattooed her, of asking her if she wanted to meet up with him later for a drink, of inviting her back to his hotel room after that, were forgotten. There was no way he was tapping that.
Still, as his agent never tired of reminding him, giving the audience what they wanted was as big a part of his job now as the actual tattoos. So he flashed her a wink and his trademark smirk, then guided her as quickly as possible toward the front of the shop. Celebrity Declan would just have to suck it up; he’d have to live with not getting laid for one more night.
He supposed he shouldn’t really resent all the crap that came along with his success. He’d known what he was letting himself in for when he signed on to play a jerkified version of himself on television. Or, as his last girlfriend had preferred to put it, someone who was maybe just a little bit more of a jerk on camera than he was in real life. But who cared what she thought? He made good money doing what he did and she sure hadn’t complained when he was spending most of it on her.
Last he heard, Tonya had moved to LA and was dating some kind of football player. So how much sensitivity and self-awareness could she really have been looking for in a guy anyway?
As long as it continued to bring in the Benjamins, he guessed he’d just keep playing himself for as many seasons as they’d let him. Being loud, rude, and obnoxious sure hadn’t hurt his reputation as an artist any—or his bank account, for that matter. These days, he was busier than he’d ever been.

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