POD - Fall in My Neighborhood - A Photo Walk

Random things from the last few days....

• I met a parent on Friday who spent 9 months going to the same high school as I did. She is a year younger than I am. Why is this freaky? I grew up in a town of 12,000 people in Iowa.  The school that my kids and G go to each day has about 300 kids. Let' talk about the odds of that happening??  To be able to discuss that the school, her experience there, etc.  The funny part? She was there maybe 9 months and totally hated the place like I did.  Just shows you that it doesn't take someone years to develop the hate.  This is where the music must be que'd...you know, it's a small world.

• DJ is exactly like me when she naps. I pain-in-the-ass after she gets up. She's grumpy. She's moody. She's not a joy to be around. It is why, regardless of how tired I am, I will not nap.  No good can come to it.

• We ran into the parent of a kid that was in DJ's pre-K class.  This was when DJ attended our neighborhood school. This mom is amazing. Her girls were the same ages as DJ and Indigo. She was DJ's first soccer coach. She is one of those people who volunteers everywhere, but soccer is her life. She played for a nationally ranked team while in college. Seeing DJ play, 5 years later, was fun for her. She taught DJ to be physical. She taught her some of the basic skills she still has today. I realized how much I had missed this mom. She is one of those parents who is the absolute opposite of a helicopter parent. Let kids be kids is her philosophy as is ours, which is why we got along so well together.  The funniest part of our time with her? When she corrected DJ's coach as to the rules.  I had commented that our girls were off-sides during a kick.  Her coach responded with " there is no offsides during a kick or a throw in".  Our friend chuckled and said there was.  The only non-off-side situation is during a penalty kick.  The exchange made me miss her. Later, I commented that this was exactly why I did not coach. I cant' pretend to know all of the nuances of the game. 

• G and I had a great night celebrating his return from camp. The play was....well....perfect. And not our usual fashion. Neither of us cared as it was exactly what we wanted. The new normal has definitely been discovered.  

• G discovered a new use for his Wartenberg Wheel.  Marking his cut marks on a pumpkin.  Yeah, not what I would have expected for it either.  When I laughed him using it, DJ asked if this was one of those "adult jokes". Yes, DJ, it is.

• I will have to say that I am sad that we cannot go out for Halloween and have an adult night in celebration. I would love to have fun that way - playing - enjoying the night and the people of it.  Maybe next year.  This year, it is more family oriented, again.

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

POD - Uhauls, Fall and Pumpkins

LOVE this sign. Made G drive around the block so I could get it.  For those who don't understand the joke, it has to do with what is the lesbian's second date - moving in together.

My pumpkins. The upside down one was top heavy and wouldn't stay right-side up. I liked it better that way.

Indigo's pumpkin - she was into shapes this year.

DJ's pumpkin. We gave her a sharp knife and said have fun. No visits to the ER, so it was all good.

e[lust] #21

Photo courtesy of Evocative Abyss

Welcome to e[lust] - Your source for sexual intelligence and inspirations of lust from the smartest & sexiest bloggers! Whether you’re looking for hot steamy smut, thought-provoking opinions or expert information, you’re going to find it here. Want to be included in e[lust] #22? Start with the rules, check out the schedule and subscribe to the RSS feed for updates!

Important e[lust] update: e[lust] will be going on hiatus for the holidays. The editions for November and December would both occur around the holidays and I know I'll be short on both submissions and judges as well as personal time. e[lust] #22 will return in January, with ample advance warning, so please make sure you're subscribed for updates!



~ Featured Post (Lilly’s Pick) ~

D/s Without the D/s? - This is one of those situations in a real time D/s relationship where much of the “fun” aspects of the D/s needs to be stuffed in the closet for a bit. And for us, it’s not a great time to be either a masochist or a sadist. We can deal with that.

~ e[lust] Editress ~

Yes, Jelly Sex Toys Can be Dangerous - Even if a jelly rubber toy says “phthalate-free”, it still can contain toxic chemicals that can cause skin reactions in some people. These toys are still non-porous and can harbor dirt and bacteria because they cannot be sanitized.

~ This Week’s Top Three Posts ~

Unfortunately, this edition has no Top Three picks as I didn't have enough volunteer judges. If you'd like to volunteer to help, visit this page to find out more info and ensure that the Top Three picks continue.

See also: Pleasurists #101 and #100 for all your sex toy review needs.



All blogs that have a submission in this edition must re-post this digest from tip-to-toe on their blogs within 7 days. Re-posting the photo is optional and the use of the “read more…” tag is allowable after this point. Thank you, and enjoy!

Sex News, Interviews, Politics & Humor

All Painted Up...

A Modest Proposal: Should Ginger & Cooper Fuck?

Happy Sexual Freedom Day

How Do You Explain

Life in spanking after 30: part 2



Erotic Writing

blindfold

Fantasy: Movie Night

Feeling Helpless

Gabrielle, Guest Star

Happy Anniversary...

History Lesson

I Still Don't Know How You Taste

Monday Morning 2am

Metallic Seduction

Need

New Erotic Story For The Holidays - Tinsel Temptation

Putting the car into park

The Ordeal (Part Four)

The Sweetest Violation

The Young Mom

The Moment

The Soccer Mom

Timeless in a Window's Light

Kink & Fetish

A space to hate and rage and be angry (photo story)

Beyond the Bedroom

Does liking Helmut Newton equal a fetish?

Happy Halloween: Light Me Up

I am all pins and needles

Kink and Fibromyalgia

Ownership and Monogamy

Punishing the servants

Pi

Switching It Up

The Cage

The Sacred Swinger Holiday: Halloween!

the most amazing night with HIM

The Pedicure

The Right Question

Wax on, wax off!

Thoughts & Advice on Sex & Relationships

All Roads Lead to Acceptance... I hope!

Crisis Averted

Dear boyfriend, I love you. And your cock.

Having Great Goddamned Expectations

If You Google it, I will Answer #9

I Don't Know If I've Ever Been Really Loved By a Hand That's Touched Me

How to Massage Man’s G-spot

My Coming Out Story

National Coming Out Day

Recovering From Anorexia

Role Reversal

Sadie's Condom PSA

POD - Owls

I love owls. A bird that can turn its head almost all the way around. A bird that is silent as it flies. Nocturnal - which several people I know would agree I fall into that category as well.

Owls stand for different things. Wisdom. Death. Insight.  In ancient Greece, an owl was associated with Athena and stood for wisdom. In many cultures around the world, it is associated with magic and helps guide clarity. In some cultures, it is the guardian between life and death - a caretaker of sorts to the underworld.

I read something that said if you are drawn to owls. you see though facades. You can see the truth. When I read it, I was surprised. I can often see behind what people are saying and into what they mean.

I want an owl tattoo on my shoulder. I just can't find one I like. I have a few idea of how I want it to be - now to find a design I can live with. It'll be soon.

Week in Review

• I have spent more time driving this week than I have in the past 9 months.  To school in the morning, to taekwondo and home in the afternoon.  It's been crazy. But it has been fun.  I have gotten to see DJ play soccer at practice. Their coach is the head coach on the boys and girls' teams, so their practices are coed. Seeing her going after the boys on the field was pretty funny to see. She told me the other day on the way home that she wants to keep playing soccer.  This is the first year I can honestly see her continuing to play. Her coach, as I've said before, has been a great influence.

• I also got to see DJ at taekwondo too.  She is definitely nearly ready for black belt testing. I do feel bad for her. Because of her age, she is stuck with the younger kids.  She has the maturity of the older kids though, so you can see her rolling her eyes at the others during the class.  I was also happy because I was there when she got her invite to be part of the elite taekwondo team, an honor that only a few kids in the school received.  I have to hand it to her. She is taking this invite very seriously in terms of whether or not she wants to do it. It's every Saturday for 2hrs between now and April.  I suspect she'll be doing it. She love sparring. 

• Ask me if I can reschedule an all day meeting because of pumpkin carving? That has been the last two days at work - fucking pumpkin carving is supposedly more important than training for the new software the company has purchased. Pumpkin carving.  Holy Fuck!  Yesterday, I actually exploited the fact that the executive would overreact if he heard it - so I bated him.  He reacted perfectly - but it didn't set in with his team.  An hour into the day Thursday, and I needed a drink. I literally was ready to kill one of the managers. We have an 8 week project. An 8 week project that should be a 16-24 week project. But we need to do it in 8 weeks. Pumpkin carving is the LAST thing we should be talking about right now.  I spent 2 days getting people to vacate conference rooms for us including scaring a passive aggressive neighbor by showing up in her cube when she refused to acknowledge my email requests.  It's happening tomorrow regardless.  A friend did supply me with a couple of pacifiers in case people needed them.  I'm sure I will be using them.

• Indigo has had to do a behavior class at school now for two years. Basically she and about 10 other girls are way too high-drama, so the guidance counselor has been working with them. The other day she was ranting after soccer practice. One of her friends was not being nice or something. I'm doing the whole "uh-huh, uh-huh" thing when she finally says " and I told her she was popping my personal bubble!!"  I started laughing a bit too hard.  She was not happy with me, but it was just hilarious hearing her use a phrase that was so not a kid-phrase.  

• I received a Facebook message from SG's wife the other day. "My husband loves the time he gets with you. I know G is out of town. I can make it so he can get away for a late night visit these two nights. Pick one, so I can send him to see you."  It is funny how life can counterbalance itself sometimes. 

• Tomorrow, G will be home. I think we will go to the school pumpkin carving thing with Indigo (since DJ is at a friend's house for the night), come home, and enjoy each other after she goes to bed.  The bed feels too empty when he isn't there. 

I leave you with this thought for a Friday....

Happy Friday!

POD - BUBBLES!

The girls loaded the dishwasher tonight.  Apparently, they decided to use regular dish soap. We came back to the store - to see this.  It was like something out of a sitcom. After we all laughed, they cleaned it up.  I'm not going to freak out about it - they did the dishes willingly.  Gotta savor those moments.

HNT - Sex Appeal

click the pic, please.

Sex appeal is fifty percent what you've got and fifty percent what people think you've got. 

~Sophia Loren

I like these boots. I think I'll definitely have to wear these out in a couple weeks.

Check out who else is playing this week by visiting the Fabulous Os.

Or OHNT for some more fun.

Happy Sigh....

....I miss playing with grrls.
And realized how much I missed it last night.
Especially the sexy, kinky ones.....

happy sigh......

source

Happy Hump Day to you!

POD - Classroom Pet

This is our chinchilla. In her hand is a banana chip. It's funny listening to her eat it because of the crunching it makes as she eats it one tiny bite at a time.

She has been spending time at school lately - being DJ's classroom pet.  She has been handled so much now that she is pretty calm when you pet her or go to bring her out of the cage. Tonight, she spent time in DJ's arms - walking around the house looking at stuff.  Chinchillas are funny little creatures. I like having one - and am glad the other two are gone.

Parenting Lessons from a Coach

The head softball coach in college was a hard-ass. She was a butch lesbian who put up with no shit from us college age women. She talked softly but carried a big stick. We were all afraid of her. And when we were being goofy about something, she would usually turn around and walk away shaking her head. We were all afraid of her. For good reason. She knew how to make our lives hell. We respected her for it. So if she turned around and walked away from us mid-conversation, we knew we were in trouble.

This was reinforced by the assistant coach - a middle school teacher who graduated from the college about 10 years before. She was the complete opposite of the head coach. She was goofy. She joked around. She was our buddy.  As a result, when she was being a hard ass, she came across as being bitchy and petty. She and I got into a quite a bit. I was never disrespectful, but I would call her on the bullshit.  As a result of this relationship, she actually stood up for me. There was a game senior year where the home plate ump got pissed at me while I was catching and threatened to throw me out of the game. No, I did not call him a cock sucker (name that movie).  He was having a crappy game, a pitch got away from me, and found him square in the face mask. He blamed me. I blamed the sun in my face and a wild pitch. Regardless, she took him to task to keep me in the game.  Then she told me to resist my urge to let the next one hit him too. She knew me too well.

So that was the dichotomy of our coaching staff.  It worked well....until we learned the truth.

Our head coach thought we were hilarious. And when she turned around and walked away, she was doing it to keep from laughing in front of us.  After learning this at the end of junior year, we had a really fun senior year.  As a result, she did call me a bad influence especially after I suggested our slogan for team t-shirts should be 'our balls are bigger than theirs'.  The baseball team had pissed us off. And we had bigger balls - and we were also better players too. She veto'd it despite the team's love of it. And I was told to stop being a bad influence. She actually found it funny, but couldn't let us use it.  Later, she would shake her head at me for asking for dirty jokes to tell my pitcher during games. My usual techniques worked - but dirty jokes - good ones - worked better. A good dirty joke could keep her in the game - and turn balls into strikes.  

I find as a mom that I use the head coach's technique with my own kids. Just yesterday after breaking up a fight between the girls, Indigo answered me in such a way that I had to turn around and walk away so she wouldn't see me laughing at her. Once I got back my composure, I turned around and started chewing her out for causing the issues.  Inside, I'm laughing hysterically and applauding her smart ass response to my question. I appreciated it. But like my head coach, it is too soon to let her know this fact.

I mean, you can't let your kids know you think they are funny when they are in trouble.  

Then they win.

POD - Fall Day

A view from the kids' school. In between rain storms.

The moon this morning just as the sun was rising. In between rain storms.

POD - Gnomes

I'm not sure why G started getting me gnomes. I think it is because of our anniversary one year when he was going to be gone. He was playing rugby out of town and was pretty much going to be out of town the whole day. For whatever reason, I couldn't go with him.  The state of Oregon would sell stuff in lots on eBay and inspiration clearly struck as he was perusing one day.  On there, one of the police departments was selling evidence - 18 garden gnomes. He bought them, sent a friend to get them from Salem, and made signs for them. When I walked outside, I found the gnomes lined up in the front yard wishing me a happy anniversary.

Since that day, I periodically get gnomes added to the group of criminal gnomes living in our yard.  Before he left on his trip, a new one showed up on the mantle.  He says this is the G-nome. He's punny, isn't he?

Five Day Flying Solo

Yesterday afternoon, G left for his week long school trip. Every sixth grader takes the same trip their sixth grade year - and he, as middle school teacher, gets to be the teacher-in-charge.  And, if there is going to be a monsoon in Oregon, this is the week it will happen.  The week he is stuck outside with his kids.

Last year was probably the easiest year for this to occur as I had been laid off for a few weeks.  Not having to run between school and work (which was at least a 45 minute drive from the school) was a refreshing change from previous years.  And our roommate was still living with us, so I had adult conversation at the end of the day which was very nice.  

This year, it should be better in some respects, but more costly on the wallet.  I don't drive - but will need to drive all week. And, that means downtown parking in addition to gas. Cha-ching.  I also don't have my friend living with us, so I'll likely be going stir crazy this week. 

But, the upsides are nice too. I'll get to see DJ do TKD which is something I don't get to do anymore. I haven't seen her do it since the spring - maybe. And I'll get to hear how things went at school which is something that is done via the ride home. By the time they get home, they won't talk about it.  

And, from G, I'll get weird text messages. Pictures of weird things they found in the forest. Weird things his kids will say. Rants about the other teachers.  Those are always fun.  

I did do one thing before he left - made sure there were no surprise late starts or days off of school this time. Last time, he neglected to tell me that there was a 2hr late opening, so we showed up to school 2hrs early. That was embarrassing.  

Overall, I do feel lucky though. Each year, the kids get older - and things get easier than they were the year before. I know what to have them do the night before to make sure things run smoothly - and we have it down pat. 

Now, just to keep my fingers crossed that no one gets sick.  Pets included.

POD - BRAAINS!!!

Today was Portland's Zombie Walk. I took over 300 pics of it.  My oldest walked away declaring she was no longer going to be a zombie for Halloween - but a zombie hunter. Then she came home and gathered together the various Nerf guns for her costume. She's got plans.

The funniest part of the whole walk? A person who shouted "what do we want?" to which the zombies replied "Braaaiiiiinnsss!" "When do we want it?" was asked in response.  To which the zombies replied " Braaaainnnsss!"

Ho's and Condoms

"What's a 'ho'?" DJ had heard the word being used on TV.

"It is what people may call others they think are having too much sex with too many people, with anybody"

"Even hobos??" Indigo asked.

"Even hobos."

"Oh."

I'm still trying to think about why or where she got hobos from all of that.

This came a few hours after I was told by G that he had bought condoms while DJ was in taekwondo class.

"You had Indigo with you?"

"Yeah, she helped me choose."

"You have got to be kidding me."

He laughed, "I'm serious. She did think Fire & Ice was for those times when it is too hot or too cold."

"OMG, I can't believe you bought them with Indigo with you!"

"When else was I going to buy them? Plus, teach 'em early, right?"

Why do I foresee having to explain to Indigo what they are for.  And knowing her, she WILL go and explain it to all of her friends.

POD - Fall in the City

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. 

~George Eliot

Location: South Park Blocks in Portland, OR.

First off, go over and wish the beautiful and sexy Veronica a happy 29th birthday!
Let's hope that Hubman was able to find her the birthday gift she's been wanting: that female playmate. :)

This week has been a great week.

Work has had its weird moments. But, I've pretty much taken the last day and a half off. I think that my body exhaled with all of the crap going on there.  Layer into it the political storm going on, and it has been best that I am out of the middle of it.

Okay, I guess I should be honest, I did start that storm. It was on the verge of happening, but everyone was ignoring it. I simply tossed the bomb into the middle of it by simply saying that if this is going to be successful - a 9-month project occurring in less than 3-months - then something has got to change.  So, I put forth a project structure that they would not let me implement in February - and I drove home the point by citing example after example of how this would have prevented this project from going off its rails if done in the beginning.  For a group that is huge on "how did we get here" conversations, they aren't huge on honesty during that process.  I just don't think anyone counted on the fact I'm blunt and right.  And that is what they are now dealing with.  I will be honest - with a few exceptions - it is fun sitting back and watching.

And outside of work, it has been a great week. G has had lots of errands after school, so I had a play date one day which I'm sure I'll write about later. Then a fun happy hour with a friend the next day. I can only hope his motorcycle doesn't want to go home again another day, and it finds its way to the bar again.

The only weird part of my week was getting to write an email of concern to the principal of my kid's school. DJ mentioned a conversation she had with one of the teachers that left me wondering what that teacher was thinking.  She was asking DJ questions that she, as a student, would never have answers for - it was really something her teacher should have been asked.  There is some teacher drama with the grade level - and this just really felt like a situation where a student was getting caught in it.  The more I thought about it - the more I thought I needed to say something.  It's weird because I interact with the principal rarely as the principal of the school.  I take that back - last time, I just wanted to make sure he would keep DJ out of the middle of the teacher drama that was going on and had somehow involved G.  It was one of those "it goes without saying" situations - but I wanted to make sure he and I were on the same page. We were.  We'll see what he says. Like I told him in email, I don't expect him to do anything about this situation - just want him to be aware of it more than anything.

Oh, I saw this the other day and laughed hysterically. Why? I think I had this same thought either in Calculus 3 or Linear Algebra in college.  Yeah, I've taken WAY too many math classes.  I can say with pride that I doubt this equation would have made me feel this way:

Oh, and well, this is simply funny:

Hope everyone has a great Friday!

POD - Catching up

Gotta try a beer that is an IPA, a monkey on it, wearing a fez. It wasn't bad. 

Liked how the candles glowed on the mantle.

The last sunny day.....before the rains come. Which happens tomorrow. Fall/Winter in the Pacific NW.

HNT - Light

To love beauty is to see light. 

~Victor Hugo

Check out Os for a list of the other HNT players this week.
Or OHNT for some more fun.

Bullets over Wednesday

• The upside of my project getting cancelled, and a new one being restarted next week is the fact I have nothing to do this week. Tuesday, I took advantage of that and had a play date. 
• His wife is always baffled how he and I can spend so much time together and not talk.  So, Tuesday, we talked a bit more than usual. We both laughed that he now had things he could tell her.  Even if it only occupied maybe 20 minutes of our 3hrs together.
• I discovered that bruises from others inspire him to leave his own.
• We had our first sex related injury. He loves to use cord on my nipples. A more torturous way to play with them compared to clamps.  He uses his knife to cut them to length. Doing this as he is inside me proved to be dangerously as he shoved the knife back into his bag without closing it all of the way. He cut his finger when he went to grab something out of his bag. A timeout had to be called until a bandaid could be located and blood could be cleaned up.  
• One of the dogs snuck into the bedroom during round two, and we had to pause things to make sure he didn't sneak off with one of his socks. Yes, this has happened before. 
• He is at the end of a cold. After a round of sex, he observed that when he was laying on top of me was enabling him to breath for the first time in a week. He speculated he could actually sleep if could lay exactly like that. I told him I doubted his wife would believe he needed me in bed for medicinal purposes. 
• Taking a picture-of-the-day needs to happen before play dates as I am not usually in the creative space after.

Happy Wednesday!

And remember today is the Day of Remembrance show support for stopping the bullying of gay teens.  To quote HRC.org: 

"Too many young lives have been lost because of anti-gay bullying. LGBT youth need to know they're not alone, and that things do get better. Wear purple on October 20 to remember those we've lost and reiterate your support for a world where diversity is embraced, not ridiculed."

A Hook and Some Rope

"Nice hook," I observed as I was laying on his bed.

It was hidden in such a way that you had to be laying on the bed the right way to see it.  A hook - anchored into the ceiling.

He simply smiled at me after I looked over at him.

"I'm assuming you have plans for that," I asked.

He never answered directly. Instead, he chose to pull me from the bed and to my knees in front of him.  I took his cock into my mouth sucking him, getting him hard for our next round of play.  Once erect, he put his hands into my hair and forced me to take his cock deep into my mouth.  I cupped my tongue under the head of his cock as I took it deep.  His moan broke the silence.

He pulled back from me and helped me to my feet before he made his way to the other side of the bed.  He started digging through the pile of stuff he had dumped out earlier, then tossed a few coils of white rope onto the bed.

"Wonder what you have planned for me?" I said aloud with a laugh.  He came back to where he left me standing, sat on the edge of the bed, then grabbed a coil of rope.  After uncoiling the largest coil, he found the middle and started tying me into a chest harness - a snug one.  When he was finished, he took both breasts - one in each hand, and squeezed my nipples before taking one into his mouth.  He started out sucking them gently at first, then sucked them hard into his mouth causing me to gasp.  He did it several time more before switching and repeating the process with the other one.

"Get on the bed" was his instruction after he broke away.  I moved to the middle of the bed where he followed, picking up another coil of rope as he went.  He tied one end to the center of the chest harness, between my breasts, then put the rope over the hook - and pulled me so I was as upright as I could be and still be on my knees.  Then he pulled a bit more before he grabbed my wrists with his free hand and tied them behind my back with the free end.

"I think that works," he said as he admired his handy work.

His pause was short lived as he started to take advantage of my immobilized state.  Teasing and pulling on my nipples. Spanking my ass.  When he was satisfied, he slid between my legs and started assaulting my pussy biting and tugging on my lips - then focusing in on my clit.

He discovered a while ago that he can make me cum if he holds me down. He had immobilized me to see if he could do it while I was upright.  He worked on me until I was right on the verge of cumming - then he stopped.

He moved from where he was at, then started to untie me.

"I love how wet you are - you can't cum yet until I've had enough of you.  For now, I'm done with that hook.  Now, I want your ass."

POD - Lamp post

I loved how the leaves were hanging off of this lamp post. Made me conjure up thoughts of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.   I liked how it turned out.

Frustration and a Rough Age

DJ on Saturday got frustrated while playing soccer - incredibly frustrated.  I could tell from halfway across the field that she was ready to walk off of the field, but was sticking it out because it was the right thing to do.

She was playing goalie. She enjoys it. She got up early and asked for us to help her fix her drop kick the ball - a skill she was learning, and wanted to use this game.  We did. She was very excited.  She had a great warm-up.  Her coach was excited at how she was drop kicking the soccer ball.  It was shaping up to be a great game for her.

But she forgot the important lesson of team athletics. She is only able to do so much as an individual. A lesson she became acutely aware of by the half.  Her defense kept collapsing - they kept getting so far out of position that she was, three times in a row, faced with a three-on-one situation.  One she kept losing.

Then, because her teammates are on that tween verge, they kept yelling at her for not doing her job.

I hate girls when they are this age.  They sense weakness and attack.

Thankfully, the coach decided to give her the floor when they got back in the huddle. The head coach is a great soccer coach. Hell, she coaches 4 teams right now  - and most are undefeated.  She tries to teach the kids the skills - but also teaches them the mental game.  So, she decided to use this as a teachable moment.  She asked DJ how she was feeling about the first half.  And DJ told them why she was frustrated - how teamwork was lacking - how she can't do it alone.  She didn't make it personal. She didn't attack anyway. She just told it like it was.

The coach used it as a opportunity to get the team reset. And it worked.  It didn't stop the yelling at each other - but they at least played better.

I hate the yelling at each other.  When I coached 12-14 year old girls, I had a rule. You yell at your teammates in a non-constructive way, you sit.  I hate that sort of thing.  As the coach, I got to yell at them like that.  Encourage your teammates - don't discourage them. That was my rule - especially for the girls.

And maybe, for me, that is because of the old school coaches I always had. I swear a few did a great job creating team cohesiveness through being a hard-ass coach.  You mouthed off to your teammate - didn't follow directions of your coach? You'll be running laps.  You keep doing it? You sit.  When I coached the softball team, the first baseman learned that lesson quick when I told her she wasn't going back out on the field. I didn't have a problem with any of them after that.

This coach that DJ has started yanking people towards the end of the game. She'd yank them, make it clear they were there because of their mouth, and then rotate them back in for the next one being a brat.  She mentioned to me as we were leaving that this would be a discussion point this week during practice. She is fed up with it.

I hope it works ..... because I know if it doesn't at practice, she makes them run. I like that.
I guess if they are sucking air, they can't be too mouthy.
At least that was my philosophy - a philosophy I was taught.

POD - Rolls

Last night while the girls were enjoying the movie and the sleepover company they had, I made cinnamon rolls.  They were supposed to be gigantic. But, they never rose like they should have.  They tasted pretty good - at least I think they did.  Wish they would have risen a bit more.  Oh well, maybe next weekend, I'll have to try again. I know the girls were looking forward to giant cinnamon rolls like they would have seen on Food Network.

Dear 3am,

It's been a while since we've seen each other. Sure, we did see each other the other night, but it really was passing compared to tonight....or this morning, rather.  Tonight, something awoke me which triggered my brain to turn on.  Hate it when that happens. I read which usually works, but not tonight - tonight was a night for us to see each other.

I would love to say I have a lot going through my mind. That there are worries or fears keeping me up. But it is not the case.  Seeing you has just made me think about how great the past week has been.  How the last few days in particular, G and I have really been more ourselves than we have been in a long time.  The idea of normal returning is less idea and more reality with each passing day.  Nice seems too weak of a word to use to describe this feeling, yet everything else seems too much.  Nice it is then.

I could go on about other things that have been going right, but none are really keeping me awake. Quite the contrary, they are settling down - helping me feel more even keeled.  And maybe that is the true issue. I'm feeling less stressed than I have in months.  Who knows.

All I do know is that my day has potential of being long. I mean, I went to be at almost midnight, got 2hrs of sleep before I was up again.  Oh well, it is Sunday, the day of rest, right?

Or maybe I just need a chance to get fucked really hard - and fucked with. That always helps me sleep. :)

Here's hoping this doesn't become a habit!
~Emmy

POD - Autumn Day

Soccer on a early Saturday morning. And a bright one too. Cup of coffee in my hand - child who stole my jacket because she was "too cold" and forgot her own - and getting all of the parental gossip.

Love how everything is changing now.

A Typical Saturday

I'll be drinking lots of coffee as I go between soccer games. It is the status quo. The only thing I am happiest about is the fact I won't get the 20 questions from the dads asking if I am hung over as I try to watch my daughter's soccer game.  No sex tonight. Give me a few days, and then it may be different.  If I'm lucky. :)

Happy Saturday!

POD - Soup Weather

Tonight, I came home and made soup. It was brisk, autumn weather - and just screamed soup. This is the starts of the lentil soup. 1 onion, 3 carrots, 3 stalks of lettuce, 3 cloves of garlic, 3 fresh tomatoes chopped, fresh basil, fresh oregano, about 6 cups of water, 3 cups of dried lentils, salt, and pepper.  It didn't turn out too bad.  It was good with crusty bread and a nice beer.

Random Post Friday

Thanks for all of your comment yesterday on my HNT. I guess I should mention that I'm not someone who hurts easily. While it may look bad, it wasn't that painful.  But then again, I am someone who used to take foul balls off of my body while catching on the softball team. I guess I'm a bit skewed in terms of pain.  Add into it the fact that I'm fair complexed, thus making bruises show up even more than they would on a normal person.  Also, I don't mind bruises. A former coach referred bruises as badges of honor.  If I didn't have any bruises when catching, I wasn't doing my job. One year, I had so many bruises on my legs that G was worried that people would wonder if I was being beaten. I guess that should have been a sign of things to come

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Because I had a talk with a friend yesterday about these stats, I thought I would post them.  Consider it my herpes PSA for today.

Out of 100 herpes infected men having regular sex with 100 uninfected women, only 10 women will be infected by the end of the year.

If those 100 couples used condoms and avoided sex during outbreaks, only 5 women would be infected by the end of the year.

If those 100 couples used condoms, avoided sex during outbreaks, and the men took suppression drugs, only maybe 2 women will be infected by the end of the year.

So, to recap:

Do nothing, you have a 10% risk of getting it.

Do something, you have a 5% risk of getting it.

Do everything you can (drugs and condoms), you have maybe a 2% risk of getting it.

Condoms if use properly only protect 98% of the time. So these stats fall into line with that.  

Oh, a few more facts, women are more likely to get it from men. 1 in 5 chance.  While men are less likely to get it from women, a 1 in 7 chance.  

Odds are, well, odd.

So, to summarizing, use condoms but still get tested.

And most important, if you are having sex with multiple people, please go have a blood test for HIV, Herpes, and hepatitis.  Okay?

While herpes has less complications risk than the common cold, it can still ruin fun, so know your status.

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Work has been funny this week. I evaluated 30 - yes, 30 - large enterprise-level software companies!  It is amazing really - and no wonder why work has been driving me a bit batty.  I presented my boss with this huge matrix of software vendors.  You could tell he was a bit deer-in-headlights about it, so I came up with an idea.  A quick sketch, photo with my cell phone, and email later resulted in a phone call when I was on the train.  He was thrilled with my idea. He loved it.  He was gushing about it.  For me, this is just what was expected from my last company.  I love how amazed they are with it at this small company.  It is times like these I can see possibly being a CIO.  I don't really want the BS though.

But I did wow them with my SOX knowledge this week -wow'd them and the government auditor. SOX is the legislation that is supposed to "prevent another Enron". Everyone keeps waving the "government audit" flag. If we fail any part of it, we all are in trouble. Problem is that is not how it works. I know that because I have been doing SOX audits since they were implemented.  So, I started asking the audit firm questions - questions I used to ask for the SOX audits.  And, they started answering in a way that started getting people's attention.  In short, there are bigger issues than just the software. And that became quite clear. What also become clear? I know the most compared to everyone - even the senior directors. It's weird. I guess because I know very little about their industry, it is unexpected to think I know so much about an area of their industry they know so little about.  Might secure my job opportunity at this company. We'll see.

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I got news this week that both my bro and my parents got notice that they will lose their houses if they don't fix it by the end of this month. My parents are doing something - they are doing the right thing which makes me happy.  The one thing that makes me unhappy? My parents named me as a creditor.  They do, technically, owe me money. But, to be honest, I never expected it from them.  They are family. If I got it, great. If not, that's fine too.  It's my attitude when I loan money to family.  So, in a few weeks, I get to go to the hearing to help my parents. Except I'll be sitting at the opposite end of the table. I guess the only upside? I'm be near SG. Maybe I can arrange for a playdate after I am done.  How sick is that? I'm going to ditch my parents afterward to go play? 

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I have been having a great week overall. Maybe it was getting laid in a kinky way I had been craving - maybe it has been the great conversations I've been having with my friends this week. I don't know. I don't care. I have been having a great, fun week.  I guess, overall, I feel I am happy with everyone in my life right now. I am happy with how they add to my life.  I think this stands out for me because it is the first time in many years that I can actually say that.  I am happy I can.  Adds a new dimension I haven't had in a long time. A dimension I have been missing.  I feel thankful for it.  The number of people that make me smile is high these days. I love that.

Happy Friday!!

POD - Art & New Gadget

Is the teacher sucking the ideas out of the kids' heads, or putting ideas into their heads? This his an age old question in our house.

I love this painting that is on a hidden door at a pub we got to that has a movie theater. Reminded me of the witch in Snow White.

I liked the lanterns hanging over the patio. Loved how they were hanging among the foliage. 

This is my new white balance lens cap. The idea is that you shoot against the grey card to more accurately set the white balance on the DSLR. So far, it works well. Just getting used to using it now. I hope it works as promised as white balance drive me nuts.

HNT - Marked

My limits will be better marked. Both the limits I will set, and my own limits. 

~Isabelle Adjani

Check out to see who else is playing this week, by visiting Os.

Or for other fun, check out OHNT.

Weird Emmy Fact Wednesday

1. I love eating chocolate frosting on saltine crackers. Salty. Chocolaty. Perfect.

2. Pepper on cantaloupe is the best. 

3. I love Dick Dale music. And not just because of his name. Nothing like some great guitar beach music to make me think of summer. Or those cheesy beach movies from the 1965.

4. And yes, I have seen Beach Blanket Bingo. Beach Blanket Bingo. Beach Blanket Bingo. That's the name of the game.  Actually there is something quite sexy about those movies. I mean, you should see those women shake their hips in those movies.

5. I couldn't watch Monster Inc while I was pregnant with Indigo. I found little humor in it. The fact the little girl was gone son long and no one in her world noticed made me cry. Yeah, explain to a 2 year old why she can't watch that movie. Because mommy get close to hysterical did not work. Damn pregnancy hormones!

6. I love pomegranates. There is something sexy about eating them. Maybe it's all of the juice and finger licking.

7. I lose lens caps to the point where I almost should buy 2-3 just to have for when, not if, I lose one.

8. I'm a huge Joss Whedon fan. I have seen every episode of Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Dr Horrible, and Serenity.  Oh, and we go to the annual Serenity showing for the Equality Now fundraiser.

9. I have an African fertility doll called an akua'ba. I found it after taking an African art class. Everyone who has had fertility problems and have borrowed it has gotten pregnant despite the fact they aren't using it right. I guess it proves it is all in belief.  

10. I rarely, if ever, dream. Or I should say, remember my dreams. If I do, it usually means I didn't sleep very well. Isn't that odd? I mean, if you dream you are supposed to be sleeping better than if you don't. Or at least that's what I thought they said.

If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it. —Margaret Fuller

POD - October Sunset

I had great visions of taking fall pictures today after work. The sun was shining. The sky was blue.  Hell, I even got out of work on time.

Just in time to find my battery was dead in my camera.

I tossed it into the charger, went to the store, and came back to grab my camera to hopefully grab sunset pictures. Or pseudo sunset pictures. It was technically an hour from sunset, but where were live, it sets over the west hills sooner.  

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science." - Albert Einstein

Feeling Helpless

"Where can I leave marks?" he asked as he started shuffling through his bags of tricks. I hadn't thought about the fact being at his place would mean he would have access to everything he could possibly want - not limited by what he thought to bring.

"Standard rules apply - if I can't easily cover it up, you can't leave a mark there."

He chuckled as he recalled out loud my problem with some neck biting that left me with huge bruises.  Huge bruises I spent a week covering up with make-up and leaving my hair down.

He came up to me, kissed me hard and deep, then turned me around to push me over the corner of the bed. He hid from me what he had in his hand.

"Stay right there. Do not move."

I could only catch glimpses of him in the mirror, and hear the nylon straps he likes to use being unsnapped from one another.  He placed one on the back of my neck, putting each end under my arms, then connected another one sliding that one around my thigh - then setting the end on my back.  He connected the third in a similar manner, then connected it to the second one forming a loop.  In doing so, he immobilized me - with my legs spread open how he wanted them, and keeping me from standing up.

"Feeling helpless?"

"Just a bit" was my reply.  He laughed as he slide straight into my pussy - filling me deep.  He started out hard and fast - a rhythm that played out loud as our bodies slapped together.

I felt his hand leave one of my hips.  My hair had fallen over my face, so I could not see him pick up his leather slapper.  But I felt it as it landed on my ass....once, twice, then a third time before he resumed fucking me again.

He paused, tightened down the strap, thus forcing me to be more bent forward. Doing so allowed him to penetrated me even deeper than he had been - his cock brushing my cervix as he filled me completely - deeply.

Then he suddenly withdrew.

"I want this ass red before you leave tomorrow," he declared as he alternately struck my ass with the slapper, then his hand, then the slapper again.  With each strike, a moan would escape my lips.   I normally like to be built up - having each strike increase with intensity, but he rarely does it preferring instead to see if he can make me flinch, make me say "uncle".

He reached between my legs and chuckled.

"Emmy likes this, huh?"

"Just a bit" was my reply.

He resumed fucking me in that position until he decided to resume his assault on my ass.  Then, he un-clicked the straps.  I stayed where I was figuring he was just re-adjusting things - putting me in a new position or restraining me in a different way.  Instead, I felt him lift my hair from my face, his hand was on my neck and chin as he stood me up, sliding his cock back into my pussy. His other hand joined the first as he held me in the right position - the position he wanted to fuck me in.

source

Later, after we were on the bed with his cock buried back into my pussy, he asked what I had missed.  What I wanted him to do to me, I said, he had already done it.  He looked skeptically down at me as he lazily rocked back and forth into me.

I took his hand and placed it where he had on my neck earlier.  His eyes got glassy as that act of having his hand on my neck, that trust I was giving him to do that, is the ultimate aphrodisiac for him.  His rhythmic thrusts went from lazy to more meaningful as I could feel his cock swell more than it had - and his intention become clearer.

"Why do you like it? Because of what it does to me?"

"No, what it does to me.  You always tie me up and ask if I feel helpless.  This, this makes me feel more helpless than anything else you could do to me. The fact I trust you, and that turns you on so much makes me like it that much more."

His sudden inhale told me he liked the answer.
And with a few more thrusts, he came.

I guess I wasn't that helpless.

POD - Enlightenment

I'm sure with enough coffee, Buddha would have claimed to have found enlightenment. But I doubt he could have meditated with a cell phone to his ear. I do like the way the lighting was on this picture. Click it big to get the right view of it as it is distorting it a bit in blogger..

Tolerance

G played for a few years on a gay rugby team.  He didn't have to pretend he was gay or anything - they were all inclusive - it was just open and public about the fact many of its members were gay.  As a result of his years on the team, many of the team members are also my friends in real life so we are all pretty well connected on Facebook.

Daily, it seems, one of them will post an article talking about the latest gay teen who has committed suicide because of the harassment or bullying they have endured.  Or, like last night, the news about the 9 gang members in New York who were charged with attacking, torturing and sodomizing two gay teens and a gay adult.  This came, according to one article, on the heels of a beating near a gay club that is considered a symbol of the gay rights movement.  Which comes the heels of the multitude of youth suicides.

I read something recently that implied it was the gay community making a big deal out of an issues - making it appear a larger issue than it is by bring into light an issue that has always existed.  There is no epidemic; there is just an attempt at using media attention to further an agenda.

What amazed me about that statement - by all of the people who are closing their blinds to an issue instead of being appalled - is that regardless of your beliefs,  this is an issues that needs to be addressed.  This isn't about gay marriage. This isn't about whether or not being gay is right or wrong.  This is about how we treat people in this world - how we treat people different than we are.  And what we are teaching our children in terms of understanding and accepting there are people who are different than they are.

These pockets of intolerance - these silently endured and often stealthy attempts to bully people into what is considered by a group to be "normal" - is unacceptable, yet it continues to happen.

And yes, it has always happened.

And yes, it may be the same sized problem as it was 10 years ago or 20 years ago.

But neither of those things mean it is right that it continues to happen.

And it means we need to change our thinking - change our kids' thinking if necessary - watch for signs - and stop kids from killing themselves for any reason.


Today is National Coming Out Day.

You don't need to come out as gay today if you are not. But come out in support of the gay community struggling with these death.

Come out in support of those struggling with their own coming out.

Come out in support of love and tolerance, instead of bullying and hate.

Come out from behind those curtains and make it known this is NOT acceptable in this day and age.
Make it known that this has to stop.