Happy winter cuties! Hopefully, you have all been able to enjoy the season in your favorite ways. Some of mine are the simple pleasures of a weekend away, snuggling up under a warm blanket with a mug of hot cocoa while the snow drifts outside. There is such joy in languidly exploring another person’s mind and body with no care for the goings on in the rest of the world. Of course, it can’t all be lazing about! I have been enjoying as much biking as I can to stay in shape for those soon-to-come delightful summer rides with the warm breeze in my face. Too, I’ve been doing a bit more ice climbing than in years past. It is all my favorite things about being outdoors—travel, exploration, and camaraderie. There is nothing quite like hanging off a waterfall a hundred feet above Lake Superior to remind me of my smallness. Plus, soon, the opera will be back.
I love sharing all of these experiences that take more time. I love the rewards in long, slow encounters that allow a build to a more powerful climax. I love the intimacy of truly getting to know people outside of the tight, scripted constraints of short dates. The way you can get to know someone when a date has time to breathe is truly incredible. My Star Trek friends have probably heard me describe “replicator scenes” like when Jean-Luc orders tea, Earl Grey, hot. There’s no action, just characters getting to know each other, musing philosophically, or building their personality. Similarly, sometimes the best parts of a date are the diner breakfast after an overnight, taking a walk arm in arm to nowhere in particular, or a deep Mario Kart rivalry. Three hours at a baseball game has taught me more about some of my friends than anything else.
Five years ago, I restructured my rates for life during the worst of COVID. They reflected the times, the uncertainty, and the way everything was changing. They reflected where I was in life and what I needed to feel safe in my person. The times, though, they keep changing. What I prioritized then is not what I want to prioritize now. Now, more than ever, I want to focus on those “replicator scenes” when it’s just you and me taking it slow enjoying long hours with no clock ticking in the background. I want to have the time both to dive into your passion and to lounge with you after, and then I want to do it all again. I want to see your favorite sights and play your favorite games, and I don’t want to feel rushed about any of it.
As my life and my desires change, so too should my rates. They’re getting shuffled a bit, rearranged. Some offerings are being added—notably my favorite entrant for new guests, the 90 minute—and some are getting delisted. It’s a bit of a mishmash, but the real takeaway is more approachable longer dates for the guest truly trying to sweep me off my feet. I’m tired of watching the clock. Aren’t you?
your favorite firecracker
~Addy