I’ve been having a nice time in L.A. and saw a lot of friends last night at the Femme Fatale Party at the Threshold Clubhouse. The Club Fantasy TG Party will be held in the same location next Friday, on April 1st. My friend Barbara is bringing several items to give away on the exchange table, so I packed several wigs to give away, still in excellent shape, that just didn’t quite work with my face. Hope to see you there on April Fool’s Day!
Category Archives: los angeles
Back in the Denver Airport
After a sleep-deprived night I’m sitting here again in DIA, waiting on my flight to L.A. It’ll be nice to see old friends again though I wish it were under happier circumstances.
Been listening to: Since I’m heading back again it seemed appropriate last night to listen to The Thrills’ excellent album “So Much for the City.” I remember back in 2003 when it came out and there was all kinds of talk on the radio about these Irish guys who sang songs about California and had the jangly-guitar sounds and harmonies of surf music. They were gonna be huge! And then they released a couple more albums, which were good but never really re-captured the excitement of their first effort, and they’ve since been pretty quiet since 2007. Big Sur was one of their best songs. Ah, so young and full of promise. I miss those days…
Memorial for Paul Logan, March 27th / Club Fantasy, April 1st
I just learned that the memorial service for Paul Logan (aka Chainguy) will be held on Sunday, March 27th, from 1 PM to 3 PM at the Threshold clubhouse in North Hollywood, California. I’m going to go out there a couple days before so that I can also go to the Femme Fatale party at Threshold on Friday, March 25th and hang out with friends who knew Paul. And then I decided I may as well stay that week and go to the Club Fantasy party on April 1st. That’s always my favorite party but it’ll probably be tough this time, since Paul was a regular there every month. He was the kind of friend where everything felt better once he showed up. It was always, “Oh cool, Paul’s here, now I can relax.” There will be a lot of people there who knew him, though, so I suspect we’ll probably all hang out in the back room and have a good time.
If you’re on Fetlife, here’s more information on the Memorial Service for Paul.
And the Threshold website here.
Some Recent California Pics
Well, it’s taken me a while here but I finally have some preview pictures from the last California trip, which was a lot of fun. Here are some nice shots with Kaitlynn Nguyen (some more of them will be going up Friday on the site). Also my cute friend Vicky whom I’ve known for several years from the Club Fantasy parties, where we’ve spent many fun evenings hanging out, and a few more of yours truly in distress.
That strappado in particular was tough! Oh, and that steel hogtie out on the patio was equally so. It’s bittersweet for me looking at many of these pictures since more than half of them were shot by Paul (Chainguy) who just suddenly passed away. There will be no replacing such a good friend, of course, but I know he’d want his pictures to be seen and enjoyed. I’m still waiting on word on his memorial service, which will likely be later this month. I’ll post more here when I hear the final date and also in the Yahoo Group for those who knew Paul and want to attend. I’m sure it will be packed.
Sad News About Paul Logan
Some readers here I’m sure have already heard the news that my good friend Paul (aka Chainguy) recently had a major health crisis and passed away in the hospital on Saturday, February 26th. He was 51. These last few days have been tough and I’ve been having a hard time believing that he’s really gone. He was a very good friend with a dry and clever sense of humor, and he also had a huge impact on Trannies In Trouble, shooting many of the galleries on the site.
I’m just waiting on news of the upcoming memorial to be held for him, most likely at the Threshold Clubhouse in L.A., where he was very active and where I often hung out with him at the Club Fantasy parties and at other events, and where we did quite a few shoots over the years. Flying back to California under these circumstances will be heartbreaking but I would regret it forever if I didn’t make it to the memorial service. He was loved and appreciated by many and I’m sure there will be a huge turnout. I don’t know yet when I’ll be leaving but it’ll probably be in a week or two. I’m going to keep this short but will write more about Paul later when I feel more confident about things. The shock is wearing off but I’m left with that empty feeling of disbelief as I go about my day.
Heading Back to Denver
Well, here I am sitting in the Sacramento airport listening to the bland smooth jazz muzak. My flight was cancelled so they routed me up here before heading back to Denver later tonight. I don’t know what it is about travelling that makes me so, well, horny, but I’ve got it bad tonight. I did buy a few old Harmony reprints of John Willie and Irving Klaw photos at the My Kinky Valentine event the other day, so maybe I’ll have to check those out later in the wee hours ;-)
It was a nice visit in L.A. this past week or so, and I got to do several fun photoshoots including one with Chainguy, where I did a very strict self-hogtie in steel restraints, crawling on my stomach to get to the keys at the other end of the patio. I’ll try to post a few preview pics in a couple days once I’m home and back to normal. And then will have to make an effort to go out this weekend – I think to Hamburger Mary’s most likely – to try to minimize any post-L.A. crash, which has been known to happen.
Busy in L.A.
It’s been a whirlwind of busy-ness here in L.A. After the Club Fantasy party and the corset tea I’ve been able to do several photoshoots, go back to Theshold for another party on Saturday, see some friends and even get in a little shopping. Just taking it easy today and trying to re-group before the next weekend. I’ll be checking out Threshold’s My Kinky Valentine this Saturday and probably shooting at least once more before I head back to Denver (I hear it’s really cold!) next week.
Terrific Party at Club Fantasy
We had a wonderful turnout at the Club Fantasy party last night – well over 30 people with a lot of play going on. It was really nice to see so many friends and meet some nice new people too. Then today I went with a good friend to a “corset tea” salon at the Hollywood and Highland Center and met some more nice people, including a charming lady whom I had the pleasure of sitting next to. The great thing about being in Hollywood and walking around crossdressed is that no one bats an eye, except for maybe the tourists, in which case I’m just playing my role in the ongoing freak show. That’s certainly one thing I miss about L.A.
Been listening to: I recently heard “Ghost of Love” again, from David Lynch’s super-bizarre “Inland Empire,” back in 2006. The hypnotic thing’s been going through my mind since. David Lynch even does the singing (what can’t he do?), though his voice is so heavily processed that I wasn’t sure if it was a man or a woman when I first heard it.
The Bieber: Is it wrong that I kind of want to see the upcoming Justin Bieber movie?
Jay Bakker on Huffington Post
I just read a very interesting article from Jay Bakker, the son of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, about his visit with his wife to an L.A. drag show. At the time he was moving towards becoming a “gay-affirming pastor” but was still uncertain about whether he really wanted to be seen at the club. The night however turned out to be a turning point for him, with the drag queens welcoming him warmly and talking about Jesus’s love. It’s a terrific story and he seems like a really cool guy. There’s also another good blog post about him from Cathleen Falsani on his views on gays and the church that’s also very interesting (and check out those tattoos!) Apparently they had to close the comments on that particular post because things got so heated.
His basic argument is that homosexuality really is not a sin. He points out that the Bible contains so many laws against things that we now treat as no big deal (eating shellfish, for example) and all kinds of calls for actions that are illegal (killing this or that sinner or non-believer), and that the three references in the New Testament that do appear to deal with homosexuality may be using words that aren’t even translated correctly. He makes a very good and passionate argument and the article suggests a growing movement of some evangelical churches to fully embrace gays and lesbians, and not in that creepy “we love you but you can’t do any of that gay stuff” kind of way.
Both blog posts are very good, and the whole Bible and gays question is always fascinating, even for a heathen like me.
I’ll be at Club Fantasy, Feb. 4th, in N. Hollywood, CA
I just wanted to mention that I’ll once again be at the Club Fantasy party on Friday, February 4th, in N. Hollywood, California. I used to co-sponsor this event when I lived in L.A. and it was one of the few parties where I almost always felt comfortable and at home. I miss it terribly now that I’m away so it’s always a delight to visit again. I’ve already heard from several friends who’ll be there, so I’m looking forward to a good turnout and a fun evening. There’s always play going on in the front rooms, and almost always some good bondage, and nice people to visit with in the break room. If you’re in the area I hope you’ll stop by if you haven’t been there before and say hi. And if you’re new to going out and dressing, this event is always a very safe place to go, as it’s friendly and inviting and low stress. You can even dress there if you’d prefer, or just come in guy mode. And of course, you don’t have to be transgendered to attend. Friends and admirers are welcome too. Hope to see you there!
Pics from L.A. Visit
I had several fun photoshoots during my recent visit to L.A., including a few with my friend Chainguy. Here are a few preview images of things that will be showing up on the site in the future (sometimes it takes a while, since I’ve been shooting so much lately!) There are also a couple shots of two cute new girls on the site – my friends Nina being handgagged and Kaitlynn in a frame from some HD video that we shot. I had a great time shooting with both of them and hope we’ll have a chance to do it again on a future visit. Enjoy!
Back to Denver
I had a delightful time in L.A. and hope to be back in the springtime, if not before. I had several photoshoots and even shot with two cute new girls, Nina and Kaitlynn, who’ll be appearing on the site in the weeks ahead. Last night I went to the Threshold Munch and had a really nice time dining with friends from the club. It’s funny, now that I no longer live in L.A. I sure do appreciate it a lot more, though the place can still be a hassle at times. I could almost picture living here again someday though it’s really the kind of big city where you’d want to be making a six figure income to really make it work. All in all though the visit was a total success and far more enjoyable than I expected. My friend has a pleasant house in the Valley in a good neighborhood, which made it very comfortable and easy. I tend to spend most of my time in the San Fernando Valley, where the clubs I like are located, and although some parts of the Valley can be pretty tired and sketchy it’s generally a bit nicer than where I used to live in L.A. proper.
So I’m just hanging out at the airport, and when I get home it’s back to the computer and editing some new pictures and videos, and a real winter coming up just around the corner.
Last Weekend in L.A.
It turned out that Skid Row wasn’t so bad after all. I met Heather down at a friend’s loft, which turned out to be a super-cool place with a white leather sofa and we got some really nice pictures. It was weird that down below on the street there were probably two hundred people on the nearby sidewalks camping out in tents and boxes and sleeping bags. They estimate about 8000 to 10,000 homeless people in the area. Not to get into a political rant but I always wonder what’s so offensive about public housing in this country. We just have that cruel “You’re on your own, suckah!” mentality here. Wish we were more like the Scandanavian countries but it ain’t never gonna happen. But not to get into that, the shoot was lots of fun and afterwards we went up to the roof and enjoyed the fabulous view of the downtown L.A. skyline which was right there before our eyes. It was really a memorable moment all lit up like that.
I’ve got the Club Fantasy party tomorrow night and probably three more shoots over the weekend and then it’s back to Denver on Tuesday. It’s probably getting to be time to leave but it’ll be hard saying goodbye to friends again. I’ll have to come back again maybe in the spring.
More Shooting in L.A.
I’ve been having a really nice time here visiting in L.A. and did another fun shoot with Chainguy and a couple friends yesterday lounging out by a friend’s swimming pool. I’ll try to post a few preview shots when I get back to my desktop computer in Denver next week.
I also got to go back to The Oxwood Inn for Club Shine last Saturday, and it was really nice to see so many familiar faces. We got boxed in with parking though so had to stay much longer past when it was fun anymore. As I’ve written before I have the kind of personality where I get overly stimulated very easily, so after an hour and a half at a club I’ve usually had enough. When I have to stay till closing time it can get pretty miserable.
This evening I’m off to shoot some pictures of another CD girl, Heather Cross, whom I’ve known for years. It looks like we have access to an office in downtown L.A. to shoot in, and I just looked it up on Mapquest and apparently it’s right in the heart of Skid Row, also known as The Nickel. Yikes – wish me luck! This sure ain’t Colorado anymore…
Busy in L.A.
Well, things are going busy busy while I’m here in L.A. I just had a fun shoot today with my friend Chainguy and a friend of his, A., who’s one of the main photographer for Bizarre Video. He helped us shoot a couple videos today that I’m really looking forward to seeing. They were shot with this incredibly expensive video camera so the quality should be very nice. If you check out the Bizarre Video site you’ll see lots of cocksucking and down and dirty sex. Let’s just say that we didn’t go there – not that there’s anything wrong with that ;-) Anyway, going to try to take it easy tomorrow and recover a little, and do some laundry, before the next one.
Back In L.A.
I made it into the Burbank airport yesterday with no problem and had a nice lunch with my friend Chainguy. It’s nice to be back in L.A. but I’ll never get used to the congestion of this city. Last night I had a delightful time at the Femme Fatale party at the Threshold clubhouse – it’s so nice to walk into a party where you know a bunch of people! Off to Palm Springs for a couple days to see friends and hike Mt. San Jacinto, then hoping to shoot some pictures later this week.
Femme Fatale Party and Club Fantasy Party in Los Angeles
Just a quick note that I’ll be visiting Los Angeles this Friday, Oct. 22nd, and am planning to go to the Femme Fatale FemDom Party that evening at Threshold (they have a calendar link over on the left side on their homepage.) I’m really looking forward to being back there again and seeing some good friends. Then of course I’ll also be at the Club Fantasy Party on Friday, Nov. 5th, also at the Threshold clubhouse – wouldn’t miss that for anything! Now that I’ve been gone from L.A. for about seven months I miss that party every time it rolls around. I hope I won’t get teary eyed when it wraps up. If you’re in the area and plan to attend, do say hi! Hope to see you there!
Visiting Los Angeles late October / early November
One nice bit of news is that I will be visiting Los Angeles again at the end of October and into early November, and I’ll be at the Club Fantasy party on November 5th! I’ve really missed those parties and it’ll be great to see everyone again. I’ll be without a car, which is tough in L.A., so it’ll be public transportation, occasional rental cars, and bumming rides off of friends. I’ll be doing a few photoshoots while I’m there, hiking my favorite mountain – San Jacinto, and generally enjoying the L.A. ambience, which I do miss, even though I complained a lot about it when I lived there. I’m really looking forward to seeing all my friends again – and palm trees!
L.A. Without Cars
A photographer named Tom Baker used Photoshop to do this set of pictures of Los Angeles streets without cars. Very cool. I can’t believe I’m saying it, but geez, I miss L.A. Sure hope I can visit again later in the fall.
Muzak
I was in the grocery store today and was wandering around and realized I was hearing Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid” on the muzak – not some watered down version but the real thing with Ozzy, and fairly loud. “Happiness I cannot feel and love to me is so unreal.” Interesting.