A Saturday shopping post, skip if you're just looking for kinky stuff...

So, I'm wanting a longer David Yurman chain, and by longer I mean: longer than 20 inches. 24 inches at least, 26 or 28 inches would be cool. It's actually surprisingly hard to find any high-quality chains that length. (I want a long one because I've got necklaces in shorter lengths, although this heavy chain is very pretty. And I mean a fairly plain chain, although I am also really lusting for this as well.)

I keep looking around on eBay - but I think that much of the jewelry sold there as "David Yurman" is fake. I mean, when you see stuff like this advertised, and then you see the David Yurman merchandise bags being sold on eBay, well, it's hard not to imagine that there's a high probability of getting counterfeit goods.

Has anyone actually bought good jewelry on eBay, and do you have any people you recommend dealing with? Maybe I'm being too paranoid, but even with good eBay feedback, I'm just not willing to spend a chunk of money on something without some strong assurance of it being bona fide.

Alternately: it doesn't absolutely have to be Yurman, although I always like his stuff. Any have any experiences buying a high-quality chain by a different designer?

Books On The Bedside Table

What am I reading? Well…

The Art of Seduction by Robert Greene and Joost Elffers
And The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
I was gifted with these two books yesterday by a client who is new to me, but quite delightful. I’ve dipped into The 48 Laws of Power before, but I hadn’t seen the one on seduction before, and it’s very interesting. It’s not about candlelight and mood music, it’s about the psychology of seduction. All kinds of seduction: sexual, emotional, political. I remarked to Monk that it was a bit like reading The Gift Of Fear: I found myself nodding my head and saying to myself, Yes, yes, that’s true, I’ve seen that happen…Yes, I’ve done that… and yes, someone did that to me once, and it worked!

Women & Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny
by Suze Orman
I’m sorry, was there someone on the planet who didn’t realize Suze was a lesbian? But it’s nice that she’s coming out about it. Regardless of that, it’s an interesting investment book that talks about how women relate to money. Some of it tabs with me and my relationship with money, and some - not so much. But then I think professional sex workers have a whole different attitude about money than other women. We're more comfortable with cash, and yet less practical about it. Spending money as fast as you make it isn't the end of the world when you're a single girl in her twenties, but as time goes on, it's not such a smart choice anymore. I myself am working to get very practical about money while I'm still making it.

Heyday: A Novel by Kurt Andersen
This was also a gift from someone who knows I like historical novels. I haven’t started it yet, but it looks great, and the author’s previous novel – though quite different from this one - was widely praised.

Pickpockets, Beggars and Ratcatchers: Life in the Victorian Underworld, by Kellow Chesney. Monk got me this and it’s great. It’s extremely dense, written in a rather academic style, but well researched. I love reading about the social subcultures of other times - probably because I would be considered by many to be something of an underworld character myself. But in a hundred years, I'll simply be quaint, like Eliza Dolittle in My Fair Lady.

Lost Painting : Quest for a Caravaggio Masterpiece by Jonathan Harr
“The mysterious fate of a lost masterpiece, an art restorer's obsession, and Caravaggio's troubled life are the focus of this riveting work of history.” I haven’t started it yet, but it seems as if it will blend art history and biography in a way that I love.

This week's new column...

And a note, in case you didn't know. I do indeed compile the Kink Calendar each week. But the little "joke" listing that appears there? I don't write or submit that. Someone else does. (I'm not sure who anymore, frankly. Except that no, it's not Dan Savage, either.) I don't even see it until the paper runs, so I have no idea what it's going to be. If you hate it, send your complaints to The Stranger, who will deal with them as they see fit. It's not in my power to change or delete those listings.
I might also suggest that you try to keep a sense of humor about the matter. The Stranger treats pretty much everything and everyone with irreverence. (At the very least.) Sexual matters are not going to be exempt from that. But I doubt that their attitude is going to truly cripple the flowering of sexual expression in Seattle.

My very silly appearance on The Stranger's Justify Your Pod is up.... Dave was great and fun, but it's always so weird to hear yourself talking - I think it's even odder than video, with the disembodied voice thing. However, I should get over that if I'm going to do podcasts...

Some other notes...

Scheduling! I've got a big trip coming up. I’m going to be gone from March 17^th until March 27^th!

The first half of that ten days I’ll be in San Francisco, getting my picture taken by Craig Morey! I fly home Weds and then Thursday Max and I leave for Kinkfest.

We’re coming home Monday the 26^th, so the 27^th is the first day I’ll be available for appointments. The 16^th would be the last, and I’m already booked up a good portion of that day. So carpe diem, gentlemen.

While I’m on the subject of my boys, let me just give a shout-out to the great guys who brought me various gifts last week, as their Valentines Day tokens. I was gifted with a cool custom-burned CD of rock and roll tunes, an interesting-looking book about dominatrixes, and the new CD by Pet Shop Boys.

Blue Eyes was doubly thoughtful: he brought Jae and I both lovely rings. Mine is a delicate ruby, and Jae’s a sapphire. So sweet!

(As an aside: I’m going to have to have mine sized down, as it’s a bit loose. This happened with the ring Armani gave me too. I’m puzzled, because I went to Nordstrom and had my fingers sized in the fine jewelry department. Nordies told me I’m a seven on my right middle finger, but both size seven rings are too big for me. What gives? Has vanity sizing hit the jewelry industry?)

Speaking of Armani, he also gave me something cool last week: these sunglasses. He said, “If you’re going to call me Armani, you have to have something by Armani.” (Hmmn, maybe I should have named him Cartier.)

These are quite the most expensive-looking sunglasses I have ever owned. I love the bling on the logo, it makes me feel deliciously LA-porn-star-like. And because someone was complaining that I don’t post pictures of myself in my pretty gifts, I stepped into my bathroom and took a snapshot in the mirror.

I can see why people like these big shades – I’m not wearing the first bit of makeup, my hair is all rumpled, and that’s my oldest comfy t-shirt, but with the glasses on, I still look reasonably presentable, don’t I? Too bad I live in a gray and cloudy climate, I'd wear them everyday.

The other set of previously mentioned new nipple-torment devices…. They look like bells, don’t they? And I call them nipple toys, but in fact I put Jae’s girl bits in one of them and it worked just fine…For me, anyway.

Now I'm off into my day. Bye!

Edit: A note to gentlemen of my acquaintance: I have some time available this week, so if you've been trying to get to see me, call me soon before it's all booked!