Thanks for stopping by!!

PART THREE.... Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, July 16th, 17th & 18th, 1997. From the Brooklyn Bridge to the Rainbow Bridge to the Blue Water Bridge to the Ambassador Bridge: New York. Niagara Falls. Toronto. Sarnia, Ontario. Port Huron Michigan. Detroit Wednesday, July 16th, 1997 It’s mid-afternoon, driving Northwest across New York State from The City to Buffalo and Niagara Falls, Canada. It’s a leisurely Trip, because the state speed limit is a mere 55mph. The scenery is rolling hills covered with trees and farmland below. Just a few small towns. The next one on the map is Elmira. In the cab of the truck it’s boi rodtney’s turn at the wheel. Dad is playing with all the gadgets.. There is a power strip hooked to our 110 volt inverter so that the CD player, the video camera and the computer can all be on at once. So we’ve got music, words and pictures. We just tried some taping with selected music in the background. Looking out at fisherman fly casting in the river below. The temperature is still close to 100 outside; but the sun is shining and there are beautiful puffy clouds across the sky creating shadows on the hillsides. This is a wonderful way to come down after three days in D.C. and another three in NYC. As is the custom we’ve been heading out into the streets about lunch time and staying out until three or in the morning. The heat was stifling in the apartment last night with no air conditioning or even a draft. Just a fan. So we got up early (for us), packed up and hit the road by nine. We successfully negotiated New York without using public transportation. We drove everywhere and had no trouble finding parking - even in front of the apartment. But it did help to be driving a truck with handicap plates we’ll admit. We did get a parking ticket last night because we were late getting back and missed the sign.. Everything is great, just great - all the time - as we say together.. We decide to drive up Park Avenue and down 5th Avenue past Central Park. The route takes us up and around Penn Station and the Waldorf. On the way down rodtney spots Harry Winstons and Cartier. We also pass Museum Mile where the Museum of Modern Art is. This trip will not include this type of sight seeing. But Leonard and Michelle have invite us to come back and stay with them. Perhaps next summer on our way to or from Europe. We head over to the East River and down to the Williamsburg Bridge, over to Brooklyn and into bed. It’s a little cooler but super hot in the apartment. The day is done, the visit is complete, everything’s perfect. I fall asleep with my hand under my boi’s braided head Thursday, July 17th, 1997 - Toronto to Ortonville, Michigan We’ve traveled 5,600 miles now. Staying with Mother tonight. Actually it’s brother’s house. He just left for Petoskey in Northern Michigan where he has another home. Mom has her attached apartment here so we’re able to visit in private. The big event of the day was finding gay/Leather Toronto. This was kind of a bonus city for us. We went because it was near to Niagara - even a little out of the way. Sure glad we did. Of all the cities so far we liked this one best. The people are just wonderful and super friendly. Friday, July 18th, 1997 Slept in until we heard mom ringing a bell at the foot of the stairs. Suddenly we smelled breakfast. Yep, mom’s do cook everywhere it seems. We talk about family history, the weather, and what everyone’s up to. Afterwards Dad and his boi walk the estate and up and down the gravel tree lined road in front. It’s two and a half acres. Across the road the corn is growing more than knee high - looks real healthy. It’s hot but there’s a breeze and there are the usual sky full of clouds which shield the sun off and on all day long. Dad decides to check out his mom’s Pontiac. The A/C isn’t working too well and the whitewalls are stained. rodtney falls back asleep upstairs. The way we knew we’d been accepted here is that last night there was no mention about two beds. We slept in the same bed my uncles slept in at the turn of the century in Oho. It’s a big solid oak four poster bed with matching dresser and commode The latter two have marble tops. We slept wonderfully. Almost immediately, it’s lunch time. Dad makes lunch with his mother while rodtney sleeps. It’s all very leisurely. The only sounds are an occasional car passing on the gravel and the birds outside. We putter around all afternoon. Ross looks after his mother’s car and rodtney naps. Finally, about six we’re ready to leave. Mom is cooking soup and salad for us before we take off for Detroit. A big glttch strikes: The video camera tape gets messed up and jams in the magazine. Can’t get the door open - no way. We’re out of commission and back to still shots until we can get to a Sony Service Center. But we’re off and running. We stop off in Pontiac to see the lake house where Dad lived when he was in high school. It’s just the same and very very inviting. All those years in L.A. and he still misses the lakeside living. We pledge to recreate this as soon as possible…. but not here and we don’t know where yet. That, in part, is what this trip is all about. We get to Buck’s in Detroit around eight and talk for three hours before going out to Chili’s for dinner. Buck is the founder of Detroit ICON and he is taking us to the Detroit Eagle to meet the gang tonight. When we arrive it’s like we are celebrities. Many of the men have seen our web site or heard about us already. Ross & ross move in close to one another to fend off the onslaught which is one of the friendliest welcomes we’ve experienced anywhere. This is a high energy and very caring group. Actually, we feel pretty much like celebrities! Trident Detroit is having a jock strap night and everyone’s bare butt in the club. There’s a new patio outside and it’s full. We decide to dance the night away. The music is good and the crowd is friendly. Afterwards we’re invited out to Numbers for After Hours but we decide to hit the sheets. It’s cooled off for the first time since we hit Memphis and the sweet breeze will give us good dreams. Buck’s apartment is elegant and he gives us his bed because he has to go to work in the morning. It’s late and we’re exhausted. Saturday, July 19th, 1997 Up about eight but we lay in bed giving one another massages for a hour. It’s so nice to chill and regroup. We’re preparing for the third phase of our journey - Family in Western Michigan - and Chicago. It takes some time to call everyone and set everything up. Thank’s Buck ever so much for your hospitality as well as The Men of Icon! We find a Sony Service on our route and finally head out about noon. When we get there, there a not technicians on duty. We’ll have to wait until Monday. So we buy some film, eat Giro’s and hit I-96 for Grand Rapids. An hour or so later we drop off a chest at Master’s sister’s home that we’ve carried all the way from California. She lives in Ada and there’s a real covered bridge at the end of her street. She works at AMWAY across the road in the Marketing Department. Next we decide to take a little side trip over to Holland on Lake Michigan before dropping down into Kalamazoo where we are now at Lisa’s, Dad’s niece who is in school at Western Michigan University where Dad went and his mother before him. As we drive into town all the buildings look the same - almost like nothing’s changed in 35 years… kind of like a time warp to see the city again after so long. Time to chat and eat and get a good night’s sleep. And hopefully get some of this on-line Sunday, July 20th, 1997 Up before eight. The sun is shining but the heat is gone - about 75 degrees. Perfect. Got a list of things to do to prepare for the trip west: Oil change, ice, re-pack (the load is getting smaller as we eat the food, give gifts, etc.), call the bank for the balances, buy more film- and write some more here. A week from today we’ll be home unpacking and getting ready for Dori Alley and Mr. Ebony in Leather. For awhile we totally forgot about life in The City By The Bay. We wonder if it’ll feel/be any different when we return. It must. But for now we’ve still got a quarter of our experience ahead of us - the grand finale of Chicago and traveling across some of the northern states. Later this morning we will drive down into the top of Indiana and visit a cemetary in a corn field where my grand father and great grandfather are buried. There has always been a vision of returning there one day to rest. We’ll see. Actually, my thought is to ask rodtney if he would like to be burried together one day - somewhere. We’ll see how it feels. The prospect of living in Chicago is coming into vision. We’re within access now- 100 - 150 miles away. Distances are much shorter here than in California and the West; but the psychological ones are much greater for most people. The leather family is comfortable moving greater distances here: East to Toronto, south to Cincinatte, Cleveland - Detroit - Lake Michigan. And on the other side of Chicago, up into Wisconsin or Minnesota; down towards Kentucky or St. Louis. Everyone here is asleep. Ross is always up first - a morning person. There are huge trees. It’s totally quiet. And there are bugs. We’re staying in a small two story old victorian house on a side street near the campus - shared by four or five young people - inclding a young lady from Brazil who is pregant. Last night we all shared our lifestyle stories. No conflict with all the diversity. My neice is getting her RN. She plans to live in Africa as soon as she graduates. Cultural diversity runs in our family. Just learned through the e-mail that we’ll have to go to L.A. as soon as we get home to pick up some stuff that’s in storage there. Truthfully: Can’t find any other reason to go there. Weird, after living there for 35 years. The first thing that comes to mind is church at Agape. Yes, we’ll do that for sure. We spent the afternoon on the backroads of Northern Indiana looking for the Jackson Prarie Cemetary south of Orland. After searching through the one three miles south of town and the one three miles north of town we finally found it three miles east of town (Mongo). We found not one, not two, but three big plot markets with the family name… great grandtather born 1840 - died 1911 … and all the generations thereafter except for the present one. There is room for two more inscriptions on the principal stone so the decision came to add my father and myself since we are first born sons. Then if the next generation wants to continue the tradition there is room for another family stone for the next generation. It also became clear that it’s not necessary to be buried here to add the names. This offers the option to honor the name and follow modern custom of cremation. Personally, I’d like to be with my boy when the time comes. We’ll work this out. Meanwhile I’ll take care of the engravings to update the family lineage. It’s evening now. We’re on the Indiana Turnpike an hour East of Chicago. We’re headed direct to the ONYX Club meeting at the Cell Block. Chicago, Chicago…. It’s 19:30 hours Central Time - we just gained an hour… headed for the Skyline Bridge and the Loop. We just pulled off to find and ATM machine and experienced Gary, Indiana. Such blight! Looked like a war zone just like parts of Detroit. Amazing change from the corn and wheat fields a couple of hours ago. There’s a toll booth every few miles - just like New York. Man are we spoiled in California. But we pay for it in gas taxes. Called our hosts at the last Service area where we filled up with gas. The new doorman at the Cell Block didn’t know if ONYX was going to be there tonight or not. So we called the Voice Mail and there’s a message from jeb (Metropolitan slave) who is offering us his dungeon use for the duration of our visit! Whoa,, what an opportunity. The fantasy wheels are already turning… Welcome to Chicago! We just entered our 18th state: Exactly 6,000 miles o arrive. That’s actually the distance from L.A./S.F. three times! There’s the lake - Lake Michigan! There’s the skyline and Sears Tower! It’s 90 miles across the lake East to West. Cars pay toll: $2.oo for the skyway into the Loop. Sunday night traffic is backed up a mile or so…. About the same as getting off the Indiana toll road which cost another $3.15. Oh, but the radio is playing jazz again. It’s been tape time between all the major cities.. The temperature is cooling off from 85 degrees today. It’s raining hard in the South. We’ve not seen a drop since the shower in North Carolina. Time to start following the directions to our destinations. Boi is driving. Dad has the maps at this point. It’s 20:00 hours. We’re stuck in traffic as the sun balls up orange behind wispy clouds…. Post card stuff. An Am-Track train passes beside us. It’s the longest one I’ve ever seen with sleepers and extra baggage cars. 59th Street. We’re moving now looking ahead at the tallest building in the world! Diseree is singing on the radio. Lake Shore drive coming up. There’s a Martin L. King Drive in every city. Let’s go North to Belmont and turn left to Halstead. Oh,, the lake and Marina is on the right. Passing Soldier Field, the ball park. Window open. It’s Hot! City lights coming on now. Oh, look at the lighted Ferris wheel. Wow! More lakeshore on the right. High rises on the left. Boats sailing in from a day on the inland sea. There’s a beach - right in the center of the city. Good thing we gas’d up. Damn, look at the boats! We’re past downtown and no sign… there it is…Belmont. We are in Chicago fag land. Guys walking arm in arm - hand in hand. It’s the Castro of Chicago This is it. The joint is jumpin’ - Sunday night. Drag queen hefty! Checkers Burgers, Twin Drive Through. There it is. Let’s park. It’s still a little light. Time out for now Tuesday, Monday, Sunday, July 22nd, 21st, 20th, 1997 - Full Moon over Chicago… Tuesday early; it’s been overcast and raining since last evening but we’re hoping for clearing. It’s the tail end of the hurricane in the Gulf the other day. It’s also the first time of no sun on our entire trip. Guess we’re being prepared for return to The City By The Bay. Hopefully we’ll be able to take a boat ride later today. We’re also going to the Leather Arcihves; back to see jeb, and moving out to Jack’s lover’s in the burbs so we can make an early start back tomorrow morning. Everything’s working out great. This is inspite of the lack of hospitality we received from ONYX and it’s president, Mufassa who had promised to host us. When we got to the Cell Block on Sunday night for their monthly Beer Bust, he wasn’t even there - and he hasn’t returned any of our calls even though we left him our 800#. This is sad; and frankly, I’m a bit hurt after all the effort put in over the last year in support of the group… Worse still, I’m an associate member. We’ve had better treatment from perfect strangers on this trip. We’ve been given keys to homes in other cities without even knowing the people…. Southern hospitality win’s again. But like I said; it’s all ok. We stay’d Sunday night and most of Monday in the dungeon of Metropolitan Slave downtown in the loop at 209 W. Lake Street. It’s called Metro Towers and it’s a perfect place to stay and play. We made very good use of the facilities almost non-stop the whole time we were there. jeb has opened a LeatherFetish Bar on the ground floor. It’s called Lether Neck. And in the back it’s non-stop fantasy time with plenty of equipment for use by the patrons. Eventually the dungeon is moving down from the tiird floor (70 steps up) to the mezzine. This makes sense. But the upper 2,000 foot space is great too. Wait till you see our piectures here soon. We’ll write some special stores about this for you when we get back. Too much going on now to concentrate. Today we’ll visit the Leather Archives with Jack Rinella who’se home we’ve been slept in last night. It’s a condo on the North Side about a block from the Lake. It’s on the top floor with vaulted ceilings and a roof deck off the second floor looking towards the Sears Tower. His slave Patrick cooked a fantastic dinner and the Master’s talked shop while the slaves did the chores and carried on… all very congeniel. It’s just like we hoped would happen when we became a comitted team - spending quality time with other Leather couples behind closed doors. Heard all about the I.M.s.L. contest and after parties Congratulations to the winner, Genelle Moore, and read our story as soon as we can get it posted. This is sure the year for Leather in San Diego. The Creating Change’ conference will be held there in November this year also. We plan to attend. Butchmann’s Training Academy in Palm Springs had another successful training over the weekend with fifteen in attendance. Guest Masters were Jack Rinella and SlaveMaster McDade. Great going Master Steve (Sampson). Word is that everyone was in sync. Jack had a book signing as well and Steve’s ‘staff’ did a teriffic job feeding the Men and boys. We’ll be there when the weather cools off. It was about 115. This Master has gain’d all the weight back that he lost for the contest. Ya don’t get a lot of exiercise driving. But my boi rodtney looks great! Sittin’ here looking at him sleep as this is written. Oh yes, we’re very much in love. Took the Video Camera to the Service Center yesterday. The tape was stuck. But now the recorder won’t run so guess we’re doing stills for the rest of the trip. Too bad. We will buy a less complicated unit when we return perhaps. Thursday, July 24th, 1997 Minneapolis: Up at 07:30hrs. If Chicago was the finale; Minneapolis has been the encore! We’re at the apartment of David Oluwoule who has gone to spend the night with his lover Jim Hamm. We met them at the B.W.M.T. Convention in Charlotte and they invited us here. David is from Nigeria and he was so curious about rodtney’s relationship that he invited us here. Last night hour hosts took us out to a block sized complex called "The Gay 90’s". We’ve never experienced anything like it - anywhere. Ever. It’s hundreds of miles from here to the next major cities: Winepeg, Ontario, Canada to the north. Denver and Seattle to the West; Kansas City & St. Louis to the South, Milwaukee and Chicago to the South East. We’re talking day long drives or more here.j Yesterday we drove from Arlington, just west of Chicago where we had spent the night with the lover of Jack Rinella. It took about eight hours to cross Wisconsin. The dary farms were closer together than the farms we’ve seen elsewhere. And they all looked prosperous. Green. Green takes on new deminsions here. We’re in the North now where wilderness is the word of the day. We stopped to climb up a 1,100 foot high bluff called a ‘Mound’ to survey the countryside and the open pit iron mines which supply the mills at Gary, Indiana to the South. The sky was the depressing Mid-West grey overcast most of the day, but the sun did come through from time to time. We were pretty tired most of the day. Both of us have colds; but rodtney’s is worse. This was because of all the indulging of the wonderful dungeon the night before. We coulddn’t pass it up in the evening or the morning. More on this soon. Today we button down the hatches and prepare for re-entry. We’ve got just under 2,000 miles to drive in the next three days. We’ll sleep tonight in Rapid City and see the Black Hills and the Badlands tomorrow morning on our way to Salt Lake City. Then on Saturday we’ll be on our last leg back into California. We’ve spent time with over twenty wonderful people on this trip. Some we knew and some we knew of. Others we’ve met along the way. We could have easily spent a week or more with each of them and we hope to see them all again. That’s likely. When we get settled at home, we’ll be in touch with each of them. We have had no real bad experiences and we didn’t expect to. America is a wonderful place full of wonderful people as diverse as we ourselves are. Our host comes home and cooks us breakfast. He’s gets a call from his family in Nigeria. After we chat and eat he leads us out of town with his Mercedes. We’re on the way home. Friday, July 23rd, 1997 09:00 hrs., Mountain Time. We’re on the road from Rapid City, South Dakota to Cheyenne, Whoming. Got a good start for a change - up at daylight and out through the Black Hills Wel slept in the truck in the parking lot of an Ace Hardware. They had picnic tables on display so we made use of them to re-pack for the dash West in the morning. Went to the grocery and picnick’d for dinner. We have to economize now to stay on budget. Yesterday was gloomy most of the way across Minnesota. It drizzeled for awhile. Towards afternoon it cleared. Stopped to look at a 51 Hudson Pacemaker for sale for $7,500. Second owner - 69.000 miles. It was in good condition but it’s the ‘plain Jane’ model so didn’t get too excited. Eventually we crossed the border into Sough Dakota. The beautiful, lush diniphorours forrests have given way to crossing the prarie. We stopped beside the Missori River where Lewis and Clark made their way up and down between 1804 and 1806. The temperature is back up in the 90’s again - so hot the air conditioner in the truck is acting weak. The corn is tassled - almost ready for harvest. There are rail cars already waiting at the grainery for loading. It’s going to be a bumper crop all across the land this year. The fields are as far as theeye can see in every direction. Actually almost all the way from Canada to Texas save the wheat in Nebraska. The farms are closer together in Minnesota and all very prosperous looking. Minnesota is very robust economically - plenty of jobs and housing - runnning at peak capacity. So if you like or can stand the winters, this is worth consideration. Over 75% of families here own their own homes. But it'’ a long long drive Late in the afternoon the sky’s begin to darken. We poise to catch pictues of the lightening show. The the wind and the rains come - just exacty like they did on the way East across Kansas exactly four weeks ago. We almost lose it when the car hydroplanes across a rough spot in the highway. When the hail started everyone on the road had to pull off under the overpass for protection. The wait wasn’t long; but the rain was so fierce it somehow got into our gear in the back. We hit Rapid City before dark and went to sleep early - exhausted. Today we’re projecting 250miles by noon and another 450 to Salt Lake by dinner time. Then it’s another 700 miles home across Rt. 80 a little North of route 50 when we went across to Denver. So we’re more than half way back across America. Milage so far is 7,250. It’s hard to describe the scenery… Miles and miles of space - cattle grazing - tall hountains on the horizon. We just passed a town sign with a population of four (4). This is racnh country. The last town of Musk had it’s own Rodeo Grounds as most do in these parts. There’s a railroad running next to the road just now. A huge train of coal passes by and minutes later an empty one returns headed West. We just turned South on Interstate 25. This will connect with 80 which runs right into San Francisco. Been talking about the land because that’s what’s happening. People are few and far between. We don’t expect to connect with anyone else out here. Looking forward to Sunday’s activities in the City and L.A. next weekend. We’re expecting company for the weekend from the Southland. The speed limit is 75 now so we can make some good time. The sun is out. No clouds. Hot. Just crossed Elhkorn creek running down into Glendo Resevoir on the left. Phil loves the water and rodtney likes rocks, gems nd minerals Saturday, July 24th, 1997 Newcastle, CA (On Rt. 80 W, between Reno, NV and Sacramento.) We’ll be home by noon - ahead of schedule actually. This is because we decided to drive straight through from Souix Falls, SD (Mt. Rushmore & The Black Hills) Oh my: Just looking ahead and there’s a fog cover over The Bay Area. So much for the Sunshine which we’ve had everyday save one or two on our trip (Virginia, Chicago & Minneapolis). Anyway, On Wednesday we drove from Chicago to Minneapolis. On Thursday we continued to South Dakota. Friday we watched the sun go down over The Great Salt Lake. When we started the car up after getting gas, the A/C fan no longer worked. After checking out the system it was determined that the fan is bad. So the message was: "Drive At Night" and avoid the 90 degree heat. (Actually we have cool air when the car is moving - but no fan). Made it to Elko before we bot got tired. Slept in a truck stop from about 01:30 hours until 05:30. Back on the road at daylight we hit Reno by 08:30 hours (It’s 530 miles from Salt Lake City to Reno!). So we’re three and a half days out of Chicago by way of Minneapolis - about 2,500 miles. We’re feeling good, looking forward to unpacking, resting and getting ready for Leather Sunday - including early church. But the trip ain’t over. We’re extending it to L.A. next weekend. So we’ll keep this going just a while longer until we come down from all this. We invite you to read our News items at LeatherWeb.com and our WORD section on our Home Page: [www.LeatherWeb.com/Rossrss.htm]. PS: The sun did come out after all which made for a pleasant unpacking experience which was followed by washing the truck and one of our cars before falling out on the bed together. Later we found out that we had missed the Daddy’s boy contest on Wednesday which was won by none other than Bob Fifields boy joe. Bob ran for San Francisco Leather Daddy on Friday but unfortunately did not join his boy with the title. Actually we don’t know who did win yet. There is usually so much going on that we have to keep very active with our contacts who do report in. This is now true nation wide. We’ve made some great connections to bring more news faster to you at LeatherWeb. Good Night