Well, I’ve moved, and I’m back online after a few days without internet. It was actually quite nice to have a break, considering that I generally spend my life online. I’ve been settling into my new flat and am totally in love with it. It’s the first time I’ve had a place of my own, and it’s tiny and charming.

In general, this has been a move of joy – it’s wonderful to have my own space (and much more convenient for shooting my own spanking material at home!) and it’s all gone smoothly. In fact this move has blessed me with more things than a beautiful new home. While I was packing up all my possessions at my old house, I found several precious things which have been missing for months and which I thought were lost forever. Including … can you guess?

Yep, the gods saw fit to return my Mason & Pearson to me My photographer friend will be pleased, and it just goes to show that the punishment had a positive effect after all! Why else would it have turned up again mere days after I was spanked for losing it?

So yes, everything’s good in my world – and I was delighted (or scared; take your pick) to come back online and discover that you lot are exactly as sadistic as I thought you were! I was a bit anxious that going offline right when I was encouraging you to spend your hard-earned cash on a deserving cause (and great porn) would doom my blogiversary plan. I thought that without me reminding you every day, interest would wane. How wrong I was!

Thanks so much (I think …) to everyone who’s promoted this on their own blogs – Ludwig, Adele Haze, Niki Flynn, Prefectdt, the man behind the whole crazy idea, and even Paul and Lucy themselves. My inner exhibitionist loves the attention, my soppy side is glad that NSI are doing so well out of this, and at this rate my bottom will be sorry for days

Which brings us to the count so far. I haven’t got Paul to confirm these numbers yet, but it looks like we’re up to eight cane strokes and ten not-cane strokes, although there’s apparently some dispute over the latter (yes, I’m looking at you, Ludwig and Indiana!). Which is perfectly respectable, particularly given Mr C’s determination to make them count. Since he’s made noises about delivering them with his Master’s dragon cane, I’m torn: eight is already enough to make me nervous, but I wouldn’t be playing by the rules if I didn’t continue to encourage you to support NSI until the last possible moment.

One important question still needs to be answered. Which implement should I receive the first half of my punishment with? (And why do I have a sinking feeling that this isn’t going to be a “warm up” at all … ?)

The candidates, based on your suggestions are as follows:

The tawse on the hands was requested by James M, which I’ve never received and am incredibly nervous about, having received very little hand punishment before, and all of it with the cane. I’m really not sure ten strokes would be a fair starter, and beg you very, very sincerely not to choose this option. The tawse in question would probably be the vicious little pocket-sized one in this photo.

To make the alternatives more tempting, there’s a choice of two bigger tawses which could be applied to my behind. (No, given my inexperience with hand punishment, I’m not offering you the option of either of these on my hands.) The medium one is one of my favourite implements; stingy and sensual. The senior one is a heavier, thicker, longer, brown leather two-tailed prefect’s tawse from Academy Incorporated. It’s very stiff with a rough finish, giving a general impression of horror and brutality. I don’t know what it feels like because when it arrived I freaked out and hid it away, so I can’t tell you exactly how nasty it is. But I know how savage it looks.

Smallhanded requested a cat o’nine tails. We have a few implements which could be said to fit that description. One is a leather martinet with square-cut thongs similar to this one, very sharp, very heavy. Historically, it’s a French implement of domestic discipline, and it’s one of Mr C’s favourites so I expect it’ll get his vote There’s also a selection of floggers available, so I’ve picked out two.

I’m afraid that having offered it as an option, none of us, out of the three, own a strap – which is shocking, I know, and worthy of punishment in itself. The senior tawse is pretty close, I reckon, and the next best thing is a leather belt. (D. even has one without the buckle, which is handy.) So I’ve thrown that in as well.

There you have it – voting is open until midnight on Sunday. (Please don’t pick the first option. Please, please, please. I’ll cry and it’ll be horrible. I’ll take extra strokes if you don’t pick the first option…) And don’t forget, you can still add to the total numbers by joining NSI and posting your username here in a a comment.

Okay. I’m going to post this before I lose my nerve!