Hi!
It’s a slow Saturday, and I’m sitting in my bed writing this. To be honest, I’m feeling a bit down – which is likely due to the fact that I am currently idle and isolated at home. Didn’t do anything social last night, either, so it was a quiet Friday spent in. Not my ideal, even if I have been (over)tired recently. But as a huge extrovert, you already know that I recharge and re-energize with other people, not solo. So spending my Friday night all alone is not the way to make me feel better. Fortunately, I have plans to look forward to tonight and tomorrow – so I just have to get through the next couple hours, and why not be productive in that time? I should probably go outside and get some fresh air / sunlight – but it’s cloudy and it’ll be dark by 4:30 (in 2 hours), so what’s the point?
Last night, I left work, went to the gym, got groceries, cooked a homemade delicious pizza, and finished Big Brother 17 while looking for plans. Nothing came through, so I also finished the book I was reading (Fierce Kingdom) and started watching Dragula Season 1. BB17 was good, though the winner didn’t really deserve it. I enjoyed the novel too, but as Odessa said – it was a page-turner but not really a good book. Nothing much happened and the writing wasn’t amazing or anything. Dragula is great so far – I love spooky Halloween drag (like the performance to My Immortal on Halloween Saturday at Lookout) – but definitely lower production value than RPDR. Although, I suppose I haven’t watched the first season of that, so maybe it’s on par with each other. Either way, I’m liking Dragula. I saw Loris perform at Montreal Pride and she was great – so it’s cool to see more of her.
As for the gym, well – I’ve cut my workouts in half. My right thigh/glute/hip flexor/IT band has been sore and tight and stiff constantly since May. Which is when I started biking everywhere and when I re-became a gymgoer, so I’m not really sure which is the root of the problem. But I am sure that continuing to squat and deadlift lots of weight is not going to ameliorate anything, so I’m laying off those. Simultaneously, I’ve somehow strained both front deltoids (probably because I had started to do shoulder press again, but since my gym doesn’t have a cable machine for that, I was just using a barbell) – so I’m also not doing any chest or shoulder press anymore. Even doing push-ups at yoga this past Thursday made them twinge. SO, that only leaves triceps, biceps, back, and core- half my original workout. So now I do them in 3 supersets, going from one to the next to the next without rest. And I threw in some pull-ups at the end, just because I don’t feel I’m doing enough. Although I can only do them with my fingers facing me, as the other way involves the shoulders too much, I think.
Ugh! It’s so frustrating! It makes me feel guilty because I don’t think I’m doing enough to better myself/my fitness. I want to push myself… But I guess that’s likely the reason I’m in this situation in the first place. Another piece of the puzzle is how I pay $50+ per month for this gym, and if I skip a session, then that’s just money down the drain. Guh.
But anyway, it’s not like I’m a couch potato otherwise. Volleyball continues to be amazing – I’m improving each week (currently learning how to spike hard) and meeting new people and having a great time. Still do yoga every Thursday, but to be honest, I’m falling out of love with that. Same with the gym. They often feel like a chore more than something I look forward to. But I’ll keep them up until the holidays, and then will see how I feel in the new year, after two weeks off. And hopefully that will have given my muscles sufficient time to rest and heal – otherwise I really need to see a sports therapist. I’m not trying to give myself permanent damage!! That’s something I need to figure out at work: my benefits, and when they kick in.
…
So now it’s 1:30 on Sunday. I did go out for a walk and to do some errands yesterday. It was surprisingly mild out, if wet, and it definitely helped my mood. I got some tingz from Dollarama (salsa con queso, yum, #treatyoself) and some adult beverages for last night and a great pair of slippers from Winners! They were only $13 and will certainly come in handy over the holidays, in the cold Nova Scotia house. I also ran into Dave Greener, the sweetheart from my volleyball team, and was generally productive.
Then came home, heated up my leftovers, watched more Dragula, drew a winged eyeliner, and biked down to the market to celebrate Eric’s birthday!! We went to Jigsaw Escape Rooms to start, with Yves, Nick, and Kaeli. It was my first escape room, if you can believe that! Seems right up my alley, and I don’t really know what took me so long to go for the first time! But I had a lot of fun, so I expect I’ll do another in the near future.
We did the one called “The Study,” and as soon as the worker started the timer, I was thinking, “…that’s it?” We were left in one room and given almost no instructions and left to our own devices. But I guess that’s the point of an escape room, right? You look everywhere through it and try to figure out the mystery! There were puzzles and padlocks keeping various drawers closed, which held clues and evidence and other stuff! So fun. We did succeed at solving the murder, although it was right down to the literal last minute. Still a W in my book – so now my success rate is 100%! Get @ me.
Then we went to Eric’s apartment for some games. Predominately Werewolves (which I didn’t love as much as normal, but I attribute that to the voting/hanging method that he and Mark favoured, in contrast to what I’m accustomed to), but also this fun “high-stakes” version of Charades! I only knew two people there (the host + Hris), but I still had a great time – and met a bunch of new people! Maybe I could even say I made a bunch of new friends, but perhaps only time will tell about that! But really, it was a fantastic night, infinitely better than my Friday.
And today should also be wonderful! In an hour, Christian + Elena are coming over for board games, and possibly Colum too. Dominion is likely on the menu (as I now have access to Base + Intrigue + Dark Ages + Empires), but there’s also Scrabble, Serenissima, Cranium, Betrayal at House on the Hill… I haven’t written about this yet, but Mum and Dad came to visit en route to Ontario/Ohio, and they magnanimously brought a bunch of my stuff from Nova Scotia! Clothing and decorations and books and board games! What amazing people they are ❤
I’ll also gym and cook lunches for the week and do some work for Lambda today. Gotta get all that stuff done before Monday comes and I’m super busy again! Might hang out with Jason & Chris later too, or catch up with Jess/Vic. Lots of options! And what’s on the roster for this week? The same old – trivia and volleyball and yoga and the gym and the office – but ALSO, Dean, Colum, Luke, & I are starting Pandemic Legacy Season 2!! On Tuesday. I’m so damn excited for this, and to see them all again. Should be phenomenal! (But I suppose I should manage my expectations, because they are my kryptonite)
So! Since I wrote last, a lot has changed. Of course, like always. I sometimes wonder if I should stop this blog altogether, since I only find/make time to update so infrequently – which means the posts are so damn long. For now, I’ll stick with it – and possibly (but not probably) update more often, so it’s more manageable and not as daunting – but anyway.
If you only follow my life on here, and not on social media / IRL, then you must be dying to hear all about how Guatemala and El Salvador were! Well, I’m here to tell you that… They didn’t happen. I know, devastating. I booked the flights on a Monday, after double-checking with my supervisor that the start date for my next contract would not get any earlier. She said it wouldn’t, so I pulled the trigger and did my research and got all excited for it. And then I go into the office the next day, and lo and behold… It moved up. Somehow.
So I was stuck in a real bind, needing to decide what to do. The start date was still not nailed down, and I didn’t want to cancel my trip on a maybe, thereby screwing myself in the process… But I also didn’t want to miss out on any opportunities or let my team down. Career is my priority, and I know there’s so much work to be done. I do want to help my colleagues out, share the load, and not leave them out to dry as I’m gallivanting away in Central America. But if I didn’t take the trip now, then when could I take it? I’d totally be within my rights to go anyway, since I did my due diligence, checking and confirming before purchasing the tickets.
It was a lot to think about, and you know how tough it is for me to make big decisions sometimes. My supervisor did assure me it wouldn’t change anything or upset anyone if I did end up boarding that plane, but I didn’t want to invite bad karma or give them/anyone any reason not to think the best of me. I talked it over with Dad on the phone, but even before that – I had the deep sense that the decision was already made. I can travel whenever in the future, whereas this opportunity (which includes a promotion and becoming a full public servant, which numerous people have told me is quite the accomplishment) doesn’t come along every day.
So I called United Airlines and managed to get a full refund on the tickets, fortunately. It had to be done. Like CT said to Diem on Duel 2, “Career first, remember?”
…but how it all shook out is that, if I did go through with the trip, I would have only missed one day of work (for which I could’ve used my accrued time in lieu). Things move slowly in government. I finished my casual on November 1st, and before I booked the flights, the start date would’ve been the 15th (or maybe even later). And then I found out the day after I bought the tickets that the commencement moved up to the 8th or 9th. So I cancelled Guatemala out of good faith… And then I only began my new contract on November 14th, as the 13th was the statutory holiday for Remembrance Day. Mmmmf. And there’s nothing I can do about it. Frustrating.
Regardless, no sense in being upset about it anymore. It’s nobody’s fault but bureaucracy, and I know there was no malice. It’s just annoying because I missed out on a great trip because I wanted to do the right thing and help people out… And it was all essentially for naught. But it’s fine, no big deal.
So that’s that. Guatemala didn’t happen. Instead, I did the same old, same old. Of course, I enjoyed trivia and volleyball (and hanging out at the Lieutenant’s Pump afterward!) and relaxing / resting up / watching Big Brother / hanging with friends / reading. There was an opportunity for me to ride with Mum & Dad and spend a couple days in Toronto, but I opted not to do that, either. I wanted to sleep in my bed and redecorate my apartment (with all the things my parents so graciously brought up to Ottawa) and clean up before Jared got back.
So my roughly two weeks off were not anything spectacular, but that’s legit okay. I still enjoyed myself, and I’ll have my vacation in less than a month’s time – back in NS with Mum, Dad, Roz, and the extended family ❤ Again, no use getting upset over something that was out of my control. I can also rest assured that I did the right thing, and maybe I’ll get my karmic recompense for that in the future sometime.
Gotta dash for now – friends are almost here and I have to put clothes on! (And don’t be scandalized – my apartment is always hot, as I have no control over the heat here, and I’m sitting in bed with my door closed anyway)
Now it’s a quiet, snowy, Sunday night. Just in from the gym, which actually went well this time! Still managed 7 pull-ups, and the time there passed pretty quickly. Three supersets and no warming up cuts down on time! It’s so much more manageable that way. Maybe, after I see that sports/physiotherapist, I’ll start dividing my workouts into different days for different muscle groups. Then it wouldn’t be such a chore. We’ll see.
I also started doing each arm individually with the bicep curl machine, and it’s stark how much stronger my right side is! Damn you, volleyball, for this strength disparity!
Now I’m just sitting on the couch, tip-tapping away at this. Had my protein shake and don’t feel like making dinner or meal prepping for the week just yet, so some relaxation will do.
Games with Christian and Elena went great. We played two rounds of Dominion (one Base + Dark Ages, the other Intrigue + Dark Ages) and then Scrabble. I somehow pulled out all 3 wins, so that’s cool. More importantly, though, it was a lovely way to spend an afternoon! Yay!
What to talk about now? Last weekend, I competed in the Mr. Leather Ottawa competition, and got First Runner-Up. It was a relatively last-minute decision to participate, but I’m very glad I did. It was a lot of fun, I performed well, and I met a bunch of new people. The competition lasted 2-ish days: Friday night, all day Saturday, and Sunday morning. I spent the entire week and a half prior, preparing and researching and planning. I learned so much about leather history and the community, to make sure I was informed if any questions about it came up in the interview or Q&A section. I practiced my talent portion and put together my outfits and recruited somebody to be my scene partner and invited friends to the competition. It took a lot of time, but I really enjoyed having something to work towards and aspire to. You know how competitive I am, so I was getting into that headspace.
Then Friday came around, and it was all systems go. I rushed home from work and started getting ready. The first event was a cocktail hour with Spearhead, the leather group in Toronto – but I was told not to go until my contact (Thierry, the show producer) arrived there. But then I got impatient and was just going to go over myself – gotta fake it ‘til you make it, right? – and then I heard there was a power outage. So clearly that wasn’t meant to be, but I wish it would’ve been.
So my first event was at the Legion, where the competition took place all weekend. There was a mixer, a dinner, and then a “Meet the Meat” – where the judges and competitors were introduced to everybody, and we did a silly little activity (reach into a bag and tell the audience how we would use it on the judges). I got to meet my co-contestants (Andre, Mario, and Christian) and the judges (Dean, Jeremy, Robert, Beth, and Adam). I had met Andre at volleyball the previous week, and I know Dean and Adam too. Off to an auspicious start, right? There was the Bootblack Ottawa (BBO) competition going on that weekend, so I met the two people running for that – Shelli and Mike – and some of their judges too (Keven and Henry).
We ate dinner and I was schmoozing. Though I was a bit reserved, because I didn’t want it to come off as disingenuous or brown-nose too much. The cold shoulder technique works sometimes, you know? Lots of cool people to meet, though, and I enjoyed my night. Didn’t stay too much after the event finished, though, since Saturday was gonna be a long day. So I headed out, hung out at Jayme’s for a bit, popped in T’s (but didn’t see any of the judges or competitors), then went home to crash.
The Meet the Meat accounted for 10% of our score, and the next component, the private interview, for 30%. I went to the cute B&B they were staying in the next morning and made small talk with the others in the front room as I awaited my turn to sit with the judges. I was definitely nervous, but I couldn’t really let that on… So I did some diaphragmatic breathing exercises and reviewed the notes I had taken and tried to put myself in a positive, self-assured, happy headspace. And it worked out!
I think I did very well at the interview. It was supposed to be a half hour, but I was chatting with them for 40 minutes. I made them laugh and gave some learned answers, to demonstrate how knowledgeable I am. I discussed how I believe in harm reduction strategies and how, while we have significantly liberated our community, it’s still important to have various social groups and establishments for people to feel the most comfortable. I might be totally at ease being myself in a straight bar, but that’s not the case for everybody. They asked me about RuPaul’s Drag Race and who I think should have won All-Stars 2 (Alaska), and they asked how I would integrate trans people into the leather community. I had to tell them about myself and explain why I decided to compete in MLO, and what I would do if I earned the title. I discussed the networks I could capitalize on (Lambda, GOV, GayZone, Start Proud, Queers and Beers, my job) as a titleholder, and I laid out my weekly routine. And given how busy I am / how I’m always “on,” am I ever “off,” and/or what do I do in my spare time? So I talked about how, as a huge extrovert, I recharge with other people – but I also have a lot of solitude in my life, because not everybody is as social as I am, and we all have our own things going on.
There were other questions too, but I don’t remember them all. Oh! Of course. The stereotypical interview question. “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” So I said how humility is definitely not my strength, and a lot of people think I’m overconfident. But I explained how I’ve struggled with self-consciousness a lot in my life, but I’ve reached a point (after starting over when I moved to Montreal, and Glasgow, and Ottawa) that I am very aware of my strengths (and am self-assured in them), but also cognizant of my weaknesses – which are impatience, timeliness, and how my humour is often (mis)interpreted as mean-spirited, when in fact it’s sarcastic and dry and deadpan. As for my pluses, I told them how I was always known for my intelligence growing up, and I think I’m clever and funny and friendly.
Et cetera, et cetera. Like I said, it was a 40-minute interview, but it went well. I enjoyed it. Then I swung back home to change outfits (as I had twelve damn looks over the weekend), then headed back to the Legion for rehearsal. And as I waited for my time to come, I checked out the leather swap (which is more of a leather sale, not sure why they call it a “swap,” but I digress) and found some great things! A pair of leather shorts, a leather armband, a nipple ring, and a rubber harness and armband! Most of it for really cheap, too! It was amazing.
I practiced my talent portion/fantasy scene with Garry, as Tim was not available, and that also went swimmingly. Much better than I expected! Then we learned how the entire show would go, and did a dry run, then I got my boots shined by Shelli, and finally went on home. I hadn’t eaten since before the interview, and with all the nerves and biking through the winter storm, I was hungry. I had some leftover teriyaki stirfry and caught all up with the darling Torchic, who came to visit Ottawa and attend the show over the weekend! What a sweetheart!
We kiki’d and I inhaled my food and I told her about how the weekend was going so far. I showed her all my looks for that night and practiced my speech with her and drank some wine, and then, pretty soon, I had to dash back to the Legion for dinner! And to report back to Dean and Beth for the homework they both gave me during the interview! (About Unholy Harvest and how many MLO winners placed in the top 10 at International Mr. Leather)
After dinner it was the show. We got changed into our Full/Formal Leather look, were brought up on stage, and gave our speech. I had practiced this with Torch numerous times and had written it and videotaped myself doing it the night prior… And still, I didn’t feel ready. We only had two minutes to make it, and I had so much to say! I wanted to make sure I mentioned all the right things and didn’t exceed the time limit and still spoke slowly and enunciated everything. Lots riding on it, considering how high the stakes were! As a new person to Ottawa and the community, I was definitely the underdog. I was the youngest competitor by several years (nobody else was in their twenties), and definitely the greenest – and also the fittest. But I have experience with public speaking (from hosting trivia etc) and am competitive and with more charm, charisma, and stage presence than the average person, so I thought my chances were good. Regardless, I wanted to make sure I did my absolute best in every portion of the competition – leave it all on the field so I have nothing to regret.
All four of us were on stage during the speeches, so we got to hear what everybody else said. Could definitely be easy to get psyched out. And I was arbitrarily assigned to be the fourth in the order, so I got to listen to everybody’s speech before it was my turn. But I wasn’t cowed. I put on a smile and exuded confidence and was my expressive, emphatic self. I talked about a bunch of things – my extensive social networks, my experience with education and community-building, the niche I fill and how I want to contribute to the destigmatization of leather/fetish and help mainstream it, and also broaden the idea/aesthetic of what a “Leatherman” is – and made an effort not to repeat myself. Because of my nerves, I spoke fast, but I do believe I was still intelligible. And when all was said and done – I didn’t even use the entire two minutes! Aarghh! But I did hear from some audience members that my speech was the best.
Then, we were taken off the stage to change into our next look – and while we were doing this, there was an erotic/acrobatic performance by Manuel Sky, Skyy Knox, and his boyfriend. Wish I could’ve seen it, but it was a mad rush to take off the Full/Formal look and get into the next ensemble: the Minimal look. But I managed.
We went back on stage, and it was the Q&A portion. Again, we could hear what all the others said, which made things more nerve-racking. However! It was entertaining to do so. The questions we had were of a hilariously large range. Mario was asked if he were a tree, which tree would he be (“A mighty oak”); and Christian had to describe his perfect date (and he didn’t make the April 25th joke! what!). But both Mario’s and my questions were more in-depth. I forget his, but I was asked what I would do if I were selected as Mr. Leather Ottawa. Definitely a quality question, and it allowed more to go into more detail and explain my aspirations. We had two minutes for our response (like the speech). I’m happy that’s what I was asked, as it allowed me to showcase more of myself than a relatively gay-forward question.
Also heard from various people that my response was one of the best, if not the best one of the four of us. Maybe they were biased (as it was friends telling me this), but I do think I did well too. Andre made the audience laugh and was still sincere, so he also knocked it out of the park. The entire weekend, I knew it was between him and me. We were neck-and-neck the whole time. He had competed in MLO 22 years ago, against 6 other competitors, and earned first runner-up then. As compared to me, who had never attended an event like this, let alone competed for the title. So it was a great battle the entire time.
The speech and the Q&A portion each accounted for 20% of the overall score, with the final component being the fantasy scene, also for 20%. Which was up next. Fortunately, we were not on stage to witness everyone else’s performance, because that definitely would have psyched me out. I went back and changed into all the layers I used for my talent portion (a burlesque scene to the 30 Seconds to Mars cover of “Bad Romance”), made sure Tim was ready, and then worked hard to get in the smouldering, totally self-assured headspace – so I could convey that during my act.
And then before you know it, it was time for my fantasy scene! It was all a rush and I don’t think it was the best run-through, but considering I was in front of a whole crowd of strangers (standing room only!) and definitely nervous, I’m not upset about it. It still went well and people did enjoy it, and it’s not like I catastrophically messed it up or anything. I didn’t rush through it or really struggle with any of the moves or tricks, so I’m pleased.
And then, when that was all finished, there was nothing else for me to do. I gave it my all, and now it was up to the judges to decide. They took an half hour to deliberate, I changed into my next look (for the announcement of the winners), and then I went around and said hello the wonderful people who came to see me – Torch, her friend Jamie, Jean-Paul, Bryan, George, and Matt. Jason + Phillip + Anthony + Mike were there too, and Tim, of course. Plus, I got to chat with the new friends I had made, and generally mill about, on tenterhooks, awaiting the judges’ decision. It was so hot in the room, and I had been so sweaty and nervous and busy all day – so by the time my performances were done and I didn’t have to worry anymore, I just felt exhausted. Still anxious to find out who took the title, but all the fatigue caught up to me fast.
But pretty soon, it was time to return to the stage for the coronation (not that we won a crown, but still, I’m trying to use that #vernacular). As I was lined up in the hallway, waiting for our cue, Thierry walked by, tapped me on the shoulder, and gave me a huge smile. So, a clue to say that I won?! What!!
Then we went on stage, and I had a huge smile on my face, self-assured and proud. First, the MCs announced the first runner-up, and Dominique met my eyes… And that’s when I knew I actually didn’t win 😦
However! I am not upset. Of course, I was a bit disappointed, since I fully expected to go in and Violet Chachki my way all the way to the top (that is, being young and cocky but still winning), and I had nothing but confidence in myself and my strengths… But the actual Mr. Leather Ottawa 2018, Andre, fully deserves it. He’s been in Ottawa and the community here much longer than I; he competed before; he fulfills the leather aesthetic/archetype more than I do; his fantasy scene was better (and more salacious) than mine; and he’s still a great, sweet, warm guy. Totally happy that he won, because he’s a good person. I really enjoyed getting to know him over the weekend.
And although I am slightly disappointed, it’s not like I let myself down. I know I couldn’t really have done any better in any section of the competition. I served twelve lewks, killed the interview/speech/Q&A, and performed great in my fantasy scene (even if it wasn’t all that prurient). But I’m new to the scene and to the city, I’m young and less experienced, and I would even admit myself that I don’t look exactly like what most people would consider a Leatherman. So I’m not pissed or anything. There was just some dissonance between my expectations and the reality – my kryptonite.
Anyhow! By the time we found out the results is when the exhaustion really hit me. I still hung out at the Legion for a while afterward, kept Tim company down by the VIP Lounge, and hugged and thanked all the judges I could find. Everybody wanted to congratulate me, and I was more than happy to oblige them all 🙂 Felt great. (Except this is when people told me I came across as too cocky during my spoken portions, which may have been my downfall. I like to think that wasn’t the issue, though, since I did explain that to the judges earlier, and I did showcase some vulnerability.)
But then I was beat like a well-made-up face, so I walked through the ice storm back home, relaxed with Torch a little, and then had an amazing and much-deserved slumber.
The next morning was the community brunch. I sat with Shelli / Mike / Keven (MLO 2015) / Mario / Jeremy Feist and enjoyed myself. We also received our prizes at this event, which I didn’t expect but was so happy about! My gift bag was ridiculously big and therefore exciting 😛 The winners and the first runner-ups (Andre, Shelli, Mike, and I) all gave a lil speech, and hopefully mine wasn’t braggacious… Although I did say something like, “It’s been great showing you all what I have to offer, and you can catch me here again next year!” Whoops.
But really, it was a lovely morning and a wonderful way to send off all the competitors, visitors, volunteers, and everybody who made the weekend a scintillating success.
…And that’s that! I’m First Runner-Up for Mr. Leather Ottawa 2018! And will likely run again next year, and/or for Mr. Leather with NCLP (National Capital Leather Pride) before that. Time will tell, but I had a great experience with it – so pourquoi pas?
And now I’m over 5300 words and, despite having more to discuss, will wrap it up here. Gotta get ready for trivia anyhow (it is now Monday evening at 6pm).
Hope y’all are well ❤
– Jefe