Love Dances In: Dec. 10, 2000
I wrote the blog post below on December 10, 2010. I’m revising and reposting it on Dec. 8, 2019, as I near the 19-year anniversary of my first meeting with Robert. I find myself sad and contemplative — but also grateful that I had the honor of loving Robert and being loved by him. So much has changed in my life in the past 19 years that never would have happened if Robert hadn’t been looking for a new place to dance and found my line dance class. Ageless fitness works for everyone!
December 10, 2000 turned out to change my life in every way: my emotions, my personal growth, my sexuality, my view of aging, even my career. That was the evening that Robert’s life journey landed him in my line dance class. He had recently moved to Santa Rosa and was looking for a place to dance.
Here’s how I tell it in Better Than I Ever Expected: Straight Talk about Sex After Sixty (the book that never would have been written without that eventful evening):
Love Dances In
The day that Robert Rice walked into my line dance class, my hormones thought they were twenty years old again. His smile, fit body, and grace of movement caught my eye immediately.
Then, when he started to dance, his years of tap, modern dance, and ballet training were revealed in every movement, and I was lost at sea. His nimble feet, muscled thighs, and sensually mobile hips commanded my attention. I wanted to touch the inviting curl of chest hair that peeked through the open top buttons of his shirt. I met his dazzling blue eyes and pretended to breathe. For the rest of the evening, I kept losing my place in the dance I was teaching because I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
Robert kept coming to class and danced into my heart. I tried to engage him in conversation after class occasionally, and he responded almost warily, answering me but not giving me any signals that my attentions were welcomed or reciprocated. I wondered: Is he gay? Attached? Or simply not interested in me?
I started inviting him for walks after class, which he accepted. We talked, but never very personally. I told him about the Internet health book I was writing, and he told me about his art and the English gardens of his travels. There was no touching, no eyes locking, no double entendres, no intimate details revealed.
We choreographed a line dance together, which felt extraordinarily intimate to me. We were using our bodies to communicate and showing each other movements, which was very sexy. But the harder I tried to push to the next stage, the faster he retreated.
December 8, 2019 update:
I Melt with the We-Vibe Melt
Oh, oh, oh, the We-Vibe Melt! This “Pleasure Air™ stimulator” surrounds the clitoris with vibrating pulses of air that feel to me like gentle, rhythmic sucking — the best kind of gentle, rhythmic sucking: the fast-to-orgasm kind of gentle, rhythmic sucking.
But when I say “gentle,” I don’t mean mild or wimpy. The 12 — count ’em, 12! — intensity levels are powerful enough for those of us with aging bodies that require extra sensation.
I’ve enjoyed other Womanizer “air pulse” vibrators immensely (read my reviews here), and those came with two removable heads for optimal fit and easy cleaning. The We-Vibe Melt is all one piece. Can one size fit all?
I don’t know the answer to that — but yes, it worked for me, and I’ve read only positive reviews from others. Positioning it took a bit of effort the first time, and when it slid off-course, the vibrating lube noise made me laugh. Once I got it situated correctly and knew how much pressure to apply to keep it from sliding, it was pure pleasure.
The Melt’s shape is ergonomic. It’s smooth and easy to hold without crooking an arthritic wrist. It’s slim enough to use between two bodies during partnered sex, and delightful to use solo.
The controls are clear and easy to feel and see without any need for reading glasses. Turn it on and increase intensity with the “+” button; turn it down and off with the “-” button. Charge it easily via a magnetized USB connector.
Although I didn’t test this, preferring to control my own vibrator, the Melt also has the “We-Connect” app that lets a partner control the intensity and patterns from a Bluetooth-paired smart phone.
At age 76 now, I’ve been around the block. This pleasure tool takes me around the world. How lucky that we’re getting old during a time of high-tech vibrators like the We-Vibe Melt! Get one for yourself!
Sex Toy Sightings Contest: Prizes, Hilarity!
Photograph a favorite sex toy in a public place where you have no expectation of privacy — and win a prize!
Fun Factory Manta among the flowers at Trader Joe’s
12/29/19 update: I know I said “Winners announced by December 27,” but I need another few days to match winners with prizes and compile the best stories. Stay tuned!
Photograph your vibrator in a public place where sex toys ordinarily do not belong — e.g. grocery store, coffee shop, park, public building, on a public street, at a public event – the possibilities are endless. Bonus points for library, museum, or police station!
The best, strangest, and funniest photos in several categories will win prizes, which include sex toys, lubricant, condoms, Joan’s books and webinars.
Just do what you do anyway: take photos with your phone. But this time, carry a favorite sex toy and pose it in surprising surroundings.
Rules, yes, we have rules:
Atom Plus from Hot Octopuss does its banking
- The location must be public with no expectation of privacy.
- No human faces visible. (Animal faces and art renditions of faces are OK.)
- Submit your photo(s) by December 21, 2019
- Follow all instructions under “How to submit: follow ALL instructions” below.
Prizes! We’ll award prizes in several different categories, such as:
- Riskiest photo
- Strangest place to see a sex toy
- Most unusual positioning of sex toy in its surroundings
- Biggest sex toy photographed (Sybian, anyone?)
- Best sex toy costume
- Best story of what happened when the photo was taken
- Photo that made the judges laugh the hardest
More categories may be added after we see what you submit. Your photo might be so unusual that we make up a new category so that you win.
No fires, dogs, fishing, but Fun Factory’s Cobra Libre permitted
Most important:
Be original, take risks, and make it clear that a sex toy is being photographed where it doesn’t belong.
The prizes will be donated by some of our favorite sex toy companies and retailers. Winners will receive prizes donated by sex-positive companies, such as sex toys from Hot Octopuss, We-Vibe, Good Vibrations, Smitten Kitten, and Fun Factory; luxury lubricants from Wicked Sensual; sex-themed gifts from Lucky Bloke; and my own books and webinars.
How to submit: follow ALL instructions:
You may enter as many times as you wish. For each submission, email this info:
- Title the photo with the sex toy name, place, and your name, e.g. “Atom Plus at Exchange Bank_Shamus MacDuff.”
- Email the photo as a .jpg attachment to Joan with the subject header, “Sex Toy Sightings.”
- Describe in your email what happened when you took this photo, including any conversation with a stranger.
- Include your name, email, mailing address, and phone number, so that we can contact you if you win. Include your age (you don’t have to be a senior).
- Specify if we may publish your full name with your photo, or first name only, or give yourself a code name.
- Include this statement: “I give Joan Price permission to publish my Sex Toy Sightings photo on her blog, https://joanprice.com/blog, and on other social media.”
- Optional: is there a sex toy on your wish list that you hope you’ll win?
Take a risk! That’s the fun part.
What’s the worst that can happen? You might be asked one of these questions?
- “What are you doing?” (Answer: “Photo shoot.”)
- “What’s that thing?” (Answer: name and describe the sex toy.)
Deadline: December 21, 2019. Winners announced by December 27, 2019.
Note: Photos may be published on social media ahead of deadline to motivate others to participate.
Tryst from Good Vibrations startles a fisherman at a Bodega Bay restaurant
Thank you, Shamus MacDuff, for your sample photos. I hope you and your sex toys had a great time!
12/16/19 update: See some of the entries so far here — are you inspired to enter?
12/19/19: I’m getting so many entries today (the deadline I originally announced) that I’m extending the deadline until 12/21! Keep ’em coming!
Raising Your Pulse Rate: Pulse Solo Lux reviewed by Shamus MacDuff
Hot Octopuss
has done it again! Already the standard setter for penis vibrators, the new Pulse Solo Lux pushes the bar even higher. Even if you already own an earlier version of the Pulse, your penis (or your lover’s penis) will thank you for this orgasmic gift.
The difference between the former Pulse models and the Pulse Solo Lux is like a Prius and a Ferrari turbo. Both are great feats of engineering, and both give you a fine ride to your destination. But the Pulse Solo Lux gets you there a whole lot faster, has more gears, and is much more fun to drive. Once you try it, I predict that it’ll become your new com-Pulse-sion.
What makes it so compelling? It has a wristwatch-like separate remote with four icons, and more intensity than any Pulse in history.
- The “+” and “-” icons control nine speeds up and down.
- The “0” icon produces five distinct sexy patterns, along with a sixth powerful steady buzz.
- The crown icon is the Turbo button, 4,450 rpm of power, shifting the speed and your libido into overdrive.
Find your favorite pattern and rock it, shifting speed and intensity. You can also have your partner “take your Pulse” while you do so.
For penises with erectile difficulties, it delivers pleasure whether erect or flaccid or in between, like all Pulse models. The penis rests in the Pulse, ready for sensation. You can stroke with it, hold it steady, or even use it hands-free.
Used on my own, the Pulse Solo Lux quickly brings me to a full erection. On some occasions, my semi-erect penis is so stimulated that I orgasm in that state. Pulse Solo Lux works well with or without lube. It is completely waterproof, so it can be enjoyed in the shower or tub. Like all Hot Octopuss toys, it is made of safe silicone and is easy to clean. It charges magnetically.
After several delightful solo play sessions with this new gem, I invited my partner to enjoy it with me. With a gleam in her eye and a 
wicked smile, she happily took control of the wrist remote. As she moved through the various combinations, she asked me what felt best. It was highly erotic to lie back and have her at the controls. My favorite pattern, a dash of lube, and my partner’s targeted ministrations led me to a spectacular orgasm.
In 2013, Hot Octopuss released its renowned “guybrator,” the original Pulse. Over the last few years, Pulse II, Pulse III, and the Pocket Pulse (my favorite until last week) followed, each one better than the one before. Now, in late 2019, Hot Octopuss has outdone itself with the wonderful Pulse Solo Lux. Even if you already own an earlier Pulse product, follow your im-Pulse to acquire this marvelous new toy. You won’t regret it!
On a budget? Hot Octopuss has also released the Pulse Solo Essential, with more power than earlier Pulse models, but not as much as the Lux, and without the wrist remote.
JETT by Hot Octopuss
See recent reviews of earlier Hot Octopuss penis vibrators:
- JETT, March 2019
- Pocket Pulse, March 2018
— Shamus MacDuff, age 76, was oblivious to the delights of sex toys for penises until about two years ago. He’s been making up for lost time! Read his other posts here.