Last night's surprise for me was how many, many men are into boots and who seriously crave being able to show them off.  Like anybody else, I know what _I_ like, but there aren't a lot of discussions where the topic of boots come up, in daily conversation.  These guys were SERIOUS boot-freaks, and they were flying the freak flag, way up high for all to see.

This gives me great hope for future themed events.

So, last night, everybody was on the exact same contact-high.  Roars of happy laughter, hugging everywhere, and some serious male-bonding.  I did my damnedest to "mix it up" if I saw some new arrival being shy, but honestly, there wasn't a lot of that.  Everybody just kind of slid into the right groove with very little delay.  The same new guy that I'd observe at first arrival to be stoic and unsure, would be grinning and chatting within a short time.  It was just that kind of night.

An aside about boot-blacking:

Cobi did a magnificent job of assembling the team. They were busy the entire event, with folks lining up to get pampered.  I've had decades of experience with bootblacks at fetish events, and I've seen them this dedicated before, but never beaten in terms of sheer expertise. 

Spike did a job on my favorite boots that astonished me, whitening the seams, burning off the loose threads (that had been there since 1998), gluing shut a slash in the toe that had been bothering me for years, and applying exactly the right finish. The guy next to me had his humble work boots transformed into serious fetishwear after Cobi got his hands on them.

I'm being dead serious here - If you have boots (or chaps, or other leathers) that you love, bring some cash for heavy tipping, because you will seriously want to get in line and show gratitude for the finest possible care.  EVERY FetishMenSanDiego event from now on will include bootblacks. In the old days, they were an honored part of the Tribe, and they are in 2010, too.