what? that's my St. Andrew's Cross?

Yesterday afternoon Serafina and I traveled to see our friends Master Dream and precious treasure, another BDSM lifestyle couple who live about a 30 minute drive from our home.  They are always very good company to share, as it's nice to be able to discuss BDSM with like minded folks, and no matter the subject, there's always lively conversation when we're together.  We met because of our BDSM related websites, but I'm sure we'd all be friends regardless . . .

I knew it was going to be a special day, as Master Dream's BBQ skills were going to be on display, and there are very few things in this world I like more than slow cooked smoked meat.  I had no idea there was a very special surprise awaiting me.  The only clue I might have had was when Serafina told me on the way there that precious treasure had told her that Master Dream had something he wanted to show me.  I didn't figure it was his rubbed and seasoned meat!

Our get together had already been delayed twice, as the heat has been truly oppressive here over the last few weeks.  Our friends deal with the heat much better than Serafina and myself, but it's also been a particularly bad year for my asthma/emphysema.  So, I'm just not able to spend much time outside in hot hot weather than leaves me especially short of breath, feeling a bit like I'm trapped inside an oven.

They had graciously offered to host our dinner indoors, inside air-conditioning, but there's something absolutely primal in my masculine psyche about cooking meat over hot coals.   I knew the grilling process would take time and attention, and I'll be damned if I'd make my friend do the cooking outside by himself while I hid indoors with the slavegirls to keep me company.

Now, there's nothing wrong with the company of slavegirls.  No sirree.  But, I wanted to join in that full primal "fire-meat-cook-eat" experience.  Fortunately, our friends were patient with my health, and as soon as a break was forecast in the temps, we set a day for our get-together.  

Yesterday was a beautiful day, a big deep blue prairie sky overhead with nary a cloud for most of the day.  It's July, so while the temperatures were a full 15 degrees cooler than what we'd been experiencing with our oppressive heat wave the last two weeks, it was still pretty warm, 85 degrees (that's about 30 degrees Celsius for our friends in the rest of the world.)

We arrived with minimal fanfare, and after hugs and greetings were exchanged, the coals were ready to be spread about, it was nearly time for the meat to start cooking.  Walking thru their garage, I was completely clueless about the large object sitting under wraps just outside of my path.  I always try to encourage Serafina towards mindfulness in her service, and here I am walking by a 8 foot high mystery, but being totally oblivious.  Doh!

After the heat had been regulated inside the cooker, and some wet pieces of cherrywood placed appropriately to make sweet smokey goodness, the ribs made it to the grill.  Yes, boys and girls, Master Dream had been rubbing his meat with his special rub recipe, and it was ready to go.  All goofy innuendos aside, the ribs smelled good from the first moment they started to cook.  


Then Master Dream said he had something to show me in the garage.  It was like going to a statue's unveiling, there in the middle of their garage was a large object, draped in cloth.  Ever the smart mouth, I facetiously guessed from looking at it's height and shape, "It's a guillotine!"


Well my dear reader, I've already given away the surprise in the post's title.  I'll tell you once again that it's not for nothing that a psychiatrist friend calls me "master of the obvious".  Sitting there before me was a beautiful St Andrew's Cross, gleaming black, leaning and looming overhead.  Wow, it was beautiful, more than the equal of many I've seen and considered while doing my regular google search for "dungeon furniture".  


I knew immediately that it was Master Dream's work.  He's a wonderful craftsman, having built his own version of a DungeonBed out of wood, a beautiful piece of furniture that I'd seen during our last visit to our friend's home. Master Dream then showed me some of the innovative features of the piece he created, the whole assembly can be rolled around rather easily, and the angle of the cross is beautifully adjustable.   


I really wanted to tell my Serafina to jump up on the platform and try it on for size, but I held back for a moment, as the piece was obviously freshly finished, and I didn't want to detract anything from his own enjoyment of the wonderful BDSM furniture piece he'd so obviously put a lot of time, effort, and love into creating.  There was also a part of my brain that was trying to figure out how to ask my friend if he was willing to create a replica for me.  


Exactly how does a person make such a request without sounding like they are short on appreciation and long on greed?  Thankfully, I never had to answer that question . . .


What I hadn't noticed up until that moment, was that there was still one portion of the cross that still had not been unveiled.  Up just above the "X" portion of the cross where the main boards cross each other, a part of the piece was still under cover.  Perhaps my subconscious noticed, because there was a voice inside my head saying, "There's something odd here.  Remember when he told you he didn't really want a St Andrew's cross for his own dungeon decor?"


About that time, Master Dream said that he'd been waiting to see if I'd ask him to make another one for me, because that was the real surprise, he was planning on only making one.  With a flourish, my friend revealed the final hidden portion of his creation:  SAMADHI spelled out in block letters, placed a foot or so above the meeting place of the crossbars.


Oh my dear reader, the moment was priceless.  When Master Dream and his slave said, "Michael this one is yours, we built it for you!" I almost cried.  


Even now, I'm still a little overwhelmed.  I'm more than a little bit speechless.  That's the real reason this post was composed, it's my way of trying to find an appropriate way to thank my friends for their wonderful gift.  


No words I know can fully express my joy and gratitude, so for now, a simple "Thank you!" must suffice.


Thank you my friends, for a most wonderful gift!