So, about that beer . . .

The new profile pic is one of a number of promo shots for OctRoperFest 2. In its second year, this local rope conference promises to be great fun -- national presenters, excellent rope, while maintaining a down-to-earth Austin vibe.

I like the pic, but it's hilarious for a couple of reasons. First reason is that I'm fairly clean living these days, so that's probably the closest I'd been to a beer in a long while. (It could have been worse. As you'll see on the site, last year's pics involve tons of sausage; as a long term vegetarian, I'd have needed to call red on that!)

The other is that I seem to be demo girl lately, not only for these pics but helping friends with their rope homework, being a demo girl for a live performance at last year's Extravagasm, etc.

I haven't quite figured out what I think about that. I think there are moments for it, and . . . I'm rapidly realizing that I am a strongly top-leaning switch (much as I am a strongly dyke-leaning bi girl). And, the presumption default around switches still tends to be that most are either tops who are trying to gain experience as a bottom, or dilettante bottoms playing around at the top side -- neither of which fits me at all. (Nor, I suspect, any but a small number of actual switches.)

The fact is, that I do want substantive, deep experiences on the rare occasions I bottom. And I am most likely to get those in the context of strong play relationships. Given that I am unlikely to form long-term relationships as a sub, this generally has meant bottoming to close friends who are tops, or bottoming to my own submissives. I joke that I'm most likely to order my girl to beat me, and that's not exactly untrue.

It's an interesting place to explore. I'm still unpacking it.