We had a nice Club Fantasy party last night in North Hollywood and it was my birthday so a couple friends brought a terrific chocolate cake (thanks Jessica and Steve!) Of course I had some birthday spankings so my butt is still a little sore today but all in all a very fun time. Delilah was there in her Domina Delilah mode and she brought a few crops along to dole out the punishment. Fun times, and the next one will be on Friday, June 1st. The next big event here in SoCal will be DomConLA coming up in a couple weeks. I’ll be shooting a few sets of pictures, I’m sure, and it should be a fun time!
Diva Las Vegas, Baby!
I had a fun and somewhat reflective time at Diva Las Vegas. Sin City was having an early heat wave with temperatures in the high 90s, but the only real unpleasantness was waiting for the valet guy to get my car and trying not to sweat through my panties. It’s a good event geared towards crossdressers who want to spend time dressed out and about – restaurants, bars, shopping, even a morning golfing and hiking excursion (yeah, I passed on those two!)
I stayed at the Imperial Palace, after first driving out from L.A. while dressed. There was a huge line to check into the hotel so I had the pleasure of standing for 45 minutes in my heels while we slowly moved forward. I got some looks but everything went fine. Finally I got my key and headed off on the long walk to the elevators. Foolishly I didn’t even notice I was being followed till I was on my floor and realized, hey, this young dude with his iPhone was still with me. I hurried along and gave him the slip for a moment but sure enough, after getting in my door and looking out the peephole, there he was looking around and trying to figure out which door I’d gone in. I didn’t feel in any real danger; he was just a young horny guy following a tranny. But like an idiot I actually answered when he called out and asked, “Uh, do you wanna chill?” I said, “No, thanks,” through the still-closed door and immediately grimaced, realizing: Wow, now I just told him which room I’m in! He wandered off but it made for a nerve-wracking moment and will definitely inspire a future story on the site. Hey, if he’d been into bondage and I’d somehow known maybe I would have invited him in after all…
Later at the actual event, I didn’t know many people but I didn’t want it to be a bummer, so I made the effort to just go up and talk to a bunch of people, and I met some really nice girls. One of the highlights was going to Drink and Drag, a gay bar that has drag queens, a dance floor, pool tables, and…wait for it…bowling alleys with disco lights! It’s a really cool place, on Fremont Street, and apparently just opened days ago. I hope it’ll last as it’s very odd indeed and has some stunning drag queens.
There were a lot of other activities and some, well, excruciatingly long dinners with slow service, but all in all it was a fun time and worth a visit if you like to go out dressed in public. The one realization I had, though, is that I much prefer going to “alternative” places rather than mainstream outings. Drink and Drag was great, but some of the restaurants and other venues, and walking through the casinos, with lots of “regular” people and even some families (and that Midwestern feel that you get in Vegas) – well, a lot of it felt kind of weird and a little uncomfortable, to be honest.
I have friends who absolutely love to dress and just go out anywhere, and I kind of envy them for finding it so easy to do so. But I really don’t think that’s me. I can do it, but I much prefer going to gay bars, BDSM clubs and kink events and that’s about it. It just really hit me that this mainstream stuff just ain’t that much fun. Of course it’s my hang up, and if I kept going out again and again it would get more comfortable, but as my friend Kim says, “why push the river?” On the other hand I do think it’s great for people in the gender community to go out and be seen, but I may not be the one to carry the banner. Of course if I had a strong transsexual dynamic, where I really felt like a woman inside, it would probably feel a lot more natural and fitting to just go out anywhere and be myself. But I’m basically a crossdresser who has some persistent transgender feelings but is still a guy inside. It was interesting to have this insight and also a little discouraging but there you go.
I was originally planning to stay a little longer but had to get back; I did get a good taste of the event over two days, though, and it’s still going on through this Friday. I’ll miss the big limo tour, which many were raving about and looking forward to, but to be honest being trapped in a limo with lots of booze and loud partying going on is really my idea of hell ;-)
Heading back, I always love the L.A. to Vegas drive through the Mojave desert, as it gives one plenty of time to think. I am really glad I finally made it to DLV, and I don’t want to sound like I didn’t enjoy it; it was just kind of mixed, some fun times and some less so. It is a good event, though, with nice people and I’d certainly consider going back again, especially if other good friends were attending.
Of course, here’s the obligatory ain’t-we-having-a-great-time picture. Party on!
DLV
I’ve never been to the CD get-together Diva Las Vegas before but this year I’m finally doing it. I’m planning to get dressed tomorrow morning in a more casual manner than normal and hit the road as early as I can to make good time across the desert and get to Las Vegas sometime in the afternoon. I’ll probably only stay a couple days but it’ll be nice to take a little break and hang out in sin city. Unfortunately a couple of the Denver friends whom I thought might be there can’t make it after all and – a big shock – one of the girls from the Gender Identity Center in Denver, Mardi, passed away a few weeks ago. I was really hoping to see her again, as she was a regular at DLV, and was the kind of person who was always upbeat and accepting of others; I never heard her say anything bad about anyone. I’m just thankful now that I was able to say goodbye to her before moving away from Denver. Dang, you never know when you’re really saying goodbye…
Not to end on a downer note, but it should be a fun time in Vegas and then it’ll be back to L.A. in a few days and back to work. No rest for the wicked. Oh, wait, I’ll be in Vegas, guess there is some rest…
Quick Update
Wow, not much blogging lately, but I wanted to post a quick update so it doesn’t look like I’ve totally disappeared. I’ve still been really busy (never enough hours in the day) and am looking forward to shooting some more later this week and next. Last Friday’s Club Fantasy party was another good one, perhaps a little smaller because of the holiday weekend, but it had a nice energy and I was able to do a quick “speed bondage” on Delilah, getting her tied up in just a few minutes. Sometimes the ropes just fall into place and you go, “Hey, that’s working,” and other times it’s all fumbling and nothing seems to work right. So it’s always a fun time when it all comes together effortlessly. There were a lot of regulars at the party and we did another fun raffle for a couple makeovers at Transformations by Gina (special thanks to our generous friend who’s made it all happen!)
The last few days I’ve just been at the computer a lot but I’m hoping to get away to the Oxwood Inn again on Thursday for karaoke night. So I apologize for the long break here, but things are still good in L.A. and I’m hoping I’ll have another update later next week with maybe a couple new sample pictures to share…
Still Busy
Things have continued to be busy here but it’s all good (as the young people used to say). Over the weekend I was at Threshold’s FemDom party, which was a lot of fun and had a real nice energy. I usually don’t do a lot of playing in public but I “let” a good friend do some flogging and paddling on me and found it quite relaxing. I’m really not into heavy pain – obviously, bondage and the damsel in distress fantasy are my major interests – but when it’s done by someone who knows what they’re doing, being spanked and beaten a little can actually be quite nice and not nearly as painful as people imagine it to be – at least it doesn’t have to be painful and can really alter one’s mood in a good way. So it was a fun break for the weekend.
Since then I’ve mostly been doing the usual picture and video editing and have been trying to set up some more photoshoots, which can actually take a lot of time. I’m hoping to work with some more interesting models in the months ahead, both CDs and females. And I’ll also be attending DomCon LA in May and plan to do some shooting there during the days. Let me know if you’re going to be there so we can say hi.
So it’s just been the usual busy with that feeling of always wishing I had a few more days to get caught up. I’ve fallen pretty behind on email too and am trying to answer a few every day but the queue’s again getting pretty long. Hopefully I can have a quiet Sunday fairly soon and get more caught up again.
Nine Years of Trannies In Trouble
Here we are at the end of another March, which marks the nine-year anniversary of Trannies In Trouble being online. It amazes me that it’s gone on this long, and I’m really looking forward to the ten-year mark which will arrive in no time. I’ll have to do a giveaway or something special next year. If anyone has any suggestions, leave me a comment or email me directly and let me know your thoughts. As always, thanks so much to everyone who has supported the site over the years – I truly could not do it without you! Here’s to many more years of getting tied up and into trouble!
With Ms. Jewell Marceau
Yesterday I had the amazing experience of getting to work with the gorgeous Jewell Marceau, a really wonderful lady whom I’d met a couple times before and had the chance to photograph a few years ago for a mutual friend. But being tied up and gagged by her, bossed around, suffocated a little, and generally dominated was definitely an afternoon to remember. I really owe one to CD Cindy who helped arrange the shoot and who’s good friends with Jewell. Jewell and I are sharing these pictures so it might be a while before these sets go up on Ts in Trouble but I’m really looking forward to it. She’s a very busy lady but I’m hoping we’ll have the chance to shoot again sometime. Thanks so much, Jewell!
Busy Busy Busy
Wow, things have really picked up since being back in L.A. I’ve been having one of those weeks where you keep looking at the clock and figuring out how many hours you have left till the next thing on the schedule. Had three shoots over the weekend, another one coming up tonight in downtown L.A. and maybe another one this weekend. So along with all the day-to-day picture editing and updating and running around, things have been crazy! Hopefully tomorrow night I can relax and get away to hang out at the Oxwood Inn with friends and maybe belt out “Mother’s Little Helper” at karaoke (love that song!) I keep saying it, but it is great to be back in SoCal. I never had weeks like this in Denver!
Photos By Mr. K.
On this week’s update on Ts in Trouble I posted a few pictures posing with a favorite bondage magazine from many years ago. Later I emailed my good friend Mr. K. on the east coast and verified that he had shot many of the pictures in the magazine, including all of those visible in these two Ts in Trouble pictures. He shot many bondage magazines back in the day and this magazine was one of my favorites that I bought in the late 80s. It’s gotten pretty dog-eared over the years but it’s one of the few magazines that I’ve made a point to hold onto. Nice work, Mr. K!
Fun Weekend in L.A.
It’s been a couple fun days here with more Thursday karaoke at The Oxwood Inn, where my friends Annie and Beth showed up (Annie sang a great “Hot Legs” by Rod Stewart). Always a nice time hanging out there. And then last night’s Club Fantasy party was terrific, with a nice group with great energy. Later around midnight we had a fun raffle, giving away two makeovers from Transformations by Gina, and two very nice girls won – Mz. TigerLilly and Nina Allison. I’m sure they’ll both look fantastic when they get all made up. We’re doing another raffle next month for more makeovers with Gina, so if you live in the area come on out Friday, April 6th, and hang out with us in the very-nice Threshold dungeon and enter to win a makeover. Love that party!
Tree Tied Girls
My friend Mr. K. recently sent me these two pics, a classic Irving Klaw shot and of course one of my own shot by Paul Logan (Chainguy, 1959-2011). “Everything old is new again,” he commented. It’s nice to be compared to such classic work – Thanks Mr. K!
Karaoke at the Oxwood Inn
I had a blast at Thursday night karaoke at the Oxwood Inn, inflicting some ACDC on the crowd (“Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”). The Ox’ is a terrific neighborhood lesbian bar that also has a lot of trans girls, especially on Saturday nights. But every Thursday it’s karaoke with a really nice group of regulars and a very receptive and enthusiastic crowd, which always helps a lot. Even if you suck you usually get a nice response. I almost always enjoy going there and thankfully it’s not that far away so there’s no freeway driving. A great place and worth a visit! And here’s a picture from another night a couple weeks ago. The nice thing about still pictures of karaoke is that it looks like you can really sing!
Mosh on L.A. Weekly
I went to the Threshold Munch in North Hollywood last night and had a delightful time hanging out with friends; then as I was leaving I saw that the amazing fetish model and burlesque performer Mosh was on the cover of the L.A. Weekly in a nice red latex dress. She’s a unique and extremely talented model and I was lucky enough to very briefly meet her at last year’s FetishCon in Tampa (of course I had that deer-in-the-headlights look). She’s also on Deviant Art and has a Tumblr blog and a cool cartoon on the L.A. Weekly website. She doesn’t do any bondage unfortunately, but she still really stands out among models and has that unknowable quality that you often find in extremely beautiful people – but still a nice girl in person. Nice to see her on one of my favorite free papers.
Bondage Miss Adventures
Last weekend at the Club Fantasy party someone brought a stack of old bondage magazines to give away and I found this copy of a terrific magazine that I remember buying a very long time ago. The drawings in the “Miss Adventure” story are really simple and even crude but I find them incredibly sexy (the cover drawing looks like it was done by someone else). I always wondered if there were any other issues in this series (this one is issue number one published by Centurion in 1984.) The artist on the black and white pages only signs his frames with the initials C.W. If anyone knows if he’s done any other work or has any other magazines out there, please leave a comment below or email me directly. There are a few other good artists in the magazine, but his comic strip really stands out for me. Great stuff!
Club Fantasy Friday Night
We had a real nice turnout and a fun time at the Club Fantasy party Friday night, with some new faces and quite a few regulars whom it was great to see again. Here are a few pictures hanging out on the patio with my friend Delilah Knotty – always great when she’s able to get away and make it out for the night. The Threshold clubhouse, where the parties are held, is looking fantastic, and I’m planning to be there all day this Saturday the 11th for the My Kinky Valentine event and party. Hope to see you there and at next month’s Club Fantasy. (Oh, and yes, I’m a non-smoker. I just love holding a lighted cigarette.)
Back in SoCal – It’s been a good week and a half back in L.A. I sometimes have those “Whoa-I’m-really-living-here-again” moments, but it’s been good and I think being in the Valley will be easier than the time before when I lived right in Hollywood (not a neighborhood I’d want to live in again). So all in all, I’m slowly getting back into a daily routine and starting to set up some new photoshoots in among all those little tasks you have to take care of when you first move. And my visit to the DMV surprisingly enough went pretty smoothly, so maybe that’s a good omen (unlike the poor guy at a nearby counter who kept repeating loudly, “This is going to ruin my life!” I hope he got off that counter eventually.) Hope to have more to report soon…
Welcome to California!
It turned out to be a fun, if sometimes lonely, three-day drive back to L.A. I usually enjoy being on long road trips like that and having that feeling of being “between” places, as though life is on hold for a time. My only bad judgment was in waiting to get gas in Needles, CA, right before crossing the Mojave desert. The gas prices were Yikes! Should have fueled up in Arizona, but so it goes. The rest of the trip was fine and I got in early to my friend’s place in L.A. yesterday. It’ll just be a few days here getting unpacked and settled in and then back to work – and back to some good parties! I’m sure I’ll be going to Threshold quite a bit, probably the Femme Fatale party this Friday, and definitely the next Club Fantasy party next week. It’s good to be back in SoCal!
“Up Here, I’m Already Gone”
What a week it’s been getting ready for the move. My place has been a mess with boxes scattered around, and although I’ve gotten rid of a lot of stuff there still seems to be way more than I would have liked. Oh, well, it takes a lot of stuff to be a crossdresser…I’m picking up the truck on Saturday, loading up, and then hitting the road on Sunday. I’m planning to take it slow and be in Los Angeles in about three days and hopefully it’ll be dry when I get there. (It is the rainy season this time of year, so we shall see.) I’m hoping I can tweet a couple times while on the road, but it’ll all depend on whether I can get online with my laptop.
Although the last week and a half has been very stressful, it’s also been nice in that I’ve been able to see all my friends and family here one more time before leaving. I’m sure I’ll be back to visit though.
It’s funny – I really didn’t expect to live in L.A. again after my last move. I’ll just quote a guy named Evan Nass who said, “Remember that no one comes back from LA, she’s a seductress, she’s a who-ore.”
See you on the west coast…
More from Tiffany’s Trapped Tranvestite Caps
Tiffany over at Tiffany’s Trapped TV Caps recently sent me some more pictures from Ts in Trouble that she added her cute captions to, doing one of her trademark males-tricked-into-crossdressing-and-forced-to-become-transvestite-brides stories. Her storylines are always cute and sexy and her website is definitely worth checking out. Enjoy!
Packing Up
I’ve been packing and slowly getting rid of some of my furniture and things before heading out to L.A. at the end of the month. While going through my stuff I came across some old calendars from the late 90s / early 00s (my calendars are something I do always hold onto, as I have a bit of a sometimes-bad habit of reflecting on the past). Looking through them I could really get a sense of how lost and adrift I often felt back in those days. At that time I still didn’t really know what to do about being a crossdresser and had only made some tentative steps to start dressing more seriously. For work I was doing a lot of set construction for TV commercials and conventions (in Colorado). Life really wasn’t awful but it felt aimless and unfocused and I was pretty unhappy. And I really had no idea what I’d be up against when I finally made my first move to Los Angeles in 2001. Those first few years in L.A., in comparison, made drifting along in Colorado Springs seem like a good time.
I can’t believe it’s been eleven years now since that first move. Although moving always requires a period of adjustment, this upcoming one shouldn’t be anywhere near as difficult as that first one, especially since I now know so many people in L.A. and will be staying with a good friend. It’s going to be an interesting year, in any case, whatever happens. I’d better get back to work here for now but I’ll try to post something else before I hit the road in about ten days (barring any big snowstorms!)
Email – Oh, and I apologize to anyone to whom I owe an email. I’ve been really bad keeping on top of things while dealing with the move and I’m sure things will remain the same for a while…
Back in Denver
I’ve been back in Denver for several days now and am starting to pack for my upcoming move back to Los Angeles. Wow, packing is never fun but I am planning to travel light and get rid of some of my stuff since I’ll be staying in a nicely furnished house. The emotions of moving can be tricky too. I feel very excited about this move but sometimes the sadness of leaving Colorado, which really does feel like home, will just hit me and I have to take some deep breaths. I know I’ll be back many more times, and like I said earlier, I could even see living in Colorado again. But still, anytime you pick up and go somewhere, even when it’s a very positive move, there’s always a certain loss that goes with it. We choose one path, which closes off other paths that could be just as promising. I suppose I’m having a touch of the post-holiday blues today too. December is one of my favorite times of the year and I almost always droop a little when January hits. But on we go until we’re back here at the next end-of-the-year once again!