Wild winter warming: final report!

WEST COAST RUBBERMEN WINTER WARMUP @ HELIOS RESORT, PALM SPRINGS, CA FEB 20-22, 2009
I normally start writing these travel logs while still in the airport on the way home, but yesterday I was pretty tired and just felt like sleeping on the flights instead of writing. I was grouchy, cramped and hot on the flights, not boding well for creative writing success. I was getting in very late and knew that I needed to hit the ground running at work today...I really gotta stop this get home, go to work thing without a recuperation day. I'm getting too old for this!

Palm Springs was a blast. I finished off the San Diego leg of the trip riding in the afternoon on Thursday and dropping the bike off in La Jolla after riding as far as Encinitas and back. I would've liked to have gone farther but the lunch at my friends' place went longer than I expected and I showed up there late initially because of a flat tire on the route north. After the ride, my friends picked me up and I spent the evening at their place in the pool and hottub...seemed like the right way to finish off this leg of the trip California-style.

I hopped the Pacific Surfliner from San Diego to L.A. Union Station early Friday morning and got in around noon. The Sunset Limited (eastbound to New Orleans) didn't leave until 2:30pm so I had a few hours to kill milling around the station. The track from San Diego to L.A. runs right along the ocean through all the seaside towns. It is very picturesque until you get into Orange County and everything becomes pretty urbanized track-side again. Getting out of L.A. to the east on the rail is not a picturesque seaside jaunt.

From Calgary Rubberman

The train left on time, but had to run slow east of Los Angeles due to track repairs. We got into Palm Springs around 5:30 at a little speck of a train platform. There were probably 20 or so people that got off the train there but for some reason there were only 2 cabs who wouldn't fare-share anyone and who promised to come back for the others, but never did. I waited there for almost an hour before I called Aqualaboy and Rubberbuck, who came out from Palm Springs to rescue me. In the future? Get some cab numbers prior to getting on the train so you can ensure someone will be there to get you! I don't know what I was thinking, that there might be enough cabs at the platform to pick up everyone??!?!!

Anyways, we got to the hotel. Aqualaboy immediately went to work repairing my white suit, god bless him. He had it completely fixed by the time I was into my blue sleeveless catsuit. After the very quick change into latex we were all off to Hamburger Mary's for dinner. There were approximately 12 of us for dinner and I got to meet everyone I hadn't met before. Immediately after dinner we headed to the Barracks, where L8xdad and L8xboy set up their WCR ticket table and things started getting set up for vac-rack demos on the pool table (eep! ;-D)

Rubberchris32 and I had a discussion with Rubberbuck about trying new things this weekend. We decided since we were relatively new to the scene that we were going to try five new things. Looking back on it I had to include the things I had tried earlier in the week as well to make my five! I was a little shy at the event to start but warmed up to the thought of trying new things by the end of the weekend.

Many people were interested in watching the vac-rack and body-painting demos by the pool table area. L8xboy was only partially painted by the end!

We were there until 1:30 or so; most guys had already headed back to the resort. Pup Zigzag and I got back and hit the hottub. There was a bit of action going on there, but mostly everyone was tired and went to bed, knowing full well that Saturday was going to be a long, energy-intensive day.

From Calgary Rubberman

First thing in the morning, Aqualaboy donned fresh rubber, I jumped into some lycra and met Rubberfiend and Atrusicon for brunch poolside. Zigzag decided to sleep in. Very soon several of us hit the pool, Rubberfiend was into his latest latex outfit and doing some fantastic condom breathplay, and the rest of the gang showed up from the nearby resorts where they were staying.

From Calgary Rubberman

Most of the afternoon was spent socializing on the pool deck in the nice weather, taking lots of photos and videos, massaging, polishing, trying out Bill's vac-cube with help from Squadbay, wrestling in the slime pit and running off to the play room when necessary. The pups had a great time playing with the owners' dogs; the canines were quite confused with what they were seeing. Yipe! Men that looked like dogs!

From Calgary Rubberman

I think I did about four polishing jobs that afternoon. It's something I really like to do and it's something I think all rubberists like to receive!

From Calgary Rubberman

I think the only victim of the day was another of my suits -- I was wearing the transparent catsuit all afternoon and decided to get into the slimepit with Rubberchris32 and L8xboy, and later Rubberfiend was yanked into the mix. The pit was built in the grass by the pool that was on a bit of an angle so eventually you were sliding onto the edge of the pool deck and had to launch yourself back onto the mat of the pit by pushing off of the cement with your legs. There was a small bush at one end of the mat and at one point I came sliding across backward at full velocity and slammed into the bush. The impact tore a hole in the shoulder of my suit. I carefully moved over to the pool and removed the suit and luckily didn't tear the hole any further so it will be easily repairable. Whew!

From Calgary Rubberman

After that I changed into my red tri-suit for the remainder of the afternoon, went to the playroom with Rubberchris32 until close to dinnertime, then we went and cleaned up for the 'formal' rubber dinner. There were 16 of us for dinner at Boscoso. We got lots of stares and compliments from patrons of the restaurant, and things were going swimmingly until the other table did not receive their meals at the same time as ours. Our table was practically done eating and had sucked down our second martinis by the time the food came out for the other table. After cooler heads prevailed and everyone was satiated, we all headed back to the resort for the play party.

One of my big issues of the weekend was the choice of outfits I brought with me. I had this idea in my head that since it was Palm Springs and the weather was going to be all warm, bright and shiny, that that should be reflected in the suits that I brought with me. There was only so much room so I left most of the black at home, which was a mistake. Of course I didn't leave all the black at home, no good rubberist would leave home without at least some black latex. I forgot to factor in the reality that Californians consider this time of year winter, even though I was perfectly happy with skin exposed all weekend. Because of that, I felt out of place since black was the color-of-choice for the weekend. It also affected what I wore when, and looking back on that I could've and should've made some different gear decisions than I did too. And for a play party? ALWAYS BLACK. I should've known better, but things worked out okay anyways.

From Calgary Rubberman

But I digress. Latxdad and Latxboy started up some electro demos in the play area. I became the second participant, trying both CB and anal electro. Both were crazy to try, and I came out of the session liking the anal electro better. Of course it is something else I will have to try again in a different environment which will have different results.

I played around with Rubberchris32 and Aqualaboy in the slings for awhile and then went over to the hotel room where we convinced Aqualaboy to get out the hogsack so we could put Pup Zigzag into it. This fun went on for awhile, and once he was out of the sack, the play party was practically over. Most headed back to their respective resorts and rooms, the remaining ones hit the hottub. After several great pear martinis and Rubberbuck-mixed drinks, a few minutes in the hottub was all I needed to go for lights out until Sunday morning.

From Calgary Rubberman

In the morning, we got up and dressed up. Instead of wearing the white catsuit on Saturday night I put it on this morning, ate brunch and then got geared up in Aqualaboy's red straightjacket. This got a lot of attention from the guys as they were showing up to say their goodbyes. A few had to make the trip home, others had to make it into L.A. in time for their Oscar Parties so most left early. Aqualaboy, Pup Zigzag, Rubberfiend and I spent the morning and afternoon playing around poolside and in the pool, then got ready, packed and departed to our respective destinations.

From Calgary Rubberman

From Calgary Rubberman

The weekend went by SO fast. I had such a great time and think that L8xdad and L8xboy should be commended for putting on these events on behalf of West Coast Rubber. They are great guys and very hot! Everyone had a really great time. As testament to our pledge from Saturday night, everyone also got to try a lot of new things! Especially for the newbies like Rubberchris32 and I who haven't really got into the bondage and discipline aspects of things yet, it was a great introduction. I am motivated now to try so much more!

From Calgary Rubberman

To my roomie Aqualaboy, I think we did pretty well considering the circumstances. Next time, a bigger bed and more bondage gear! I can't wait to get to Houston and try out the rubber room.

Thank you West Coast Rubber; thank you Palm Springs!