When four blogs collide...

Well, the Sydney bloggers' network continues to expand. Yours truly was favoured with an invitation to the exclusive BSB bloggers' Sunday forum and what a meet it was! The charming and ever so personable Patient Man was there, together with Aussielicious (and his controversial buns), the debonair SuperChilled and his wonderfully accented partner The Frenchman! The witty repartee sparkled in the late afternoon sun, however unfortunately, Monty was still recovering from an overindulgence in alcoholic substances the previous evening and was feeling decidedly seedy and completely lacking in his normal social skills. Fortunately, the others were most forgiving and very welcoming!

Once Aussielicious had taken his buns off to Bondi, the remainder of us toddled off to the movies and saw the Oscar winning (Best Foreign Film) The Lives of Others (Das Leben Der Anderen) - a nostalgic, tragic and winsome tale set in East Berlin in the mid 1980's. I would definitely recommend it, however as The Patient Man was quick to point out, it's not a very smiley film.

AND Monty's secret identity has been exposed to the world, thanks to our friend The Patient Man! Yes, my day time mild mannered Banker's alter ego has been partially revealed in his blog, which, together with the quickly flicking pics on SuperChilled's blog, looks set to wreak havoc on any chance of anonymity!

Unconscious mutterings

Order :: Law and-
Mortician :: Morticia
Determine :: the order
Ignore :: Me
Guy :: -s and Dolls
Train :: of thought
Crush :: on a Hot guy
Garlic :: Tuscany
Wacky :: Denise Drysdale
Parent :: -al rights
Burning :: Cross

Expanding my horizons...

It's a cold drizzly day here in Sydney...perfect for staying in and snuggling. But, I'm not going to do that! Too much wishing for a snuggler and not enough going out and getting him!

I'm feeling rather pleased with things at the moment...so far this week, I'm on track to achieve my New Dating Paradigm goal of one newbie for the week. Did that on Wed arvo - met a lovely guy for hot chocolate in Paddington and then we went for a walk through Centennial Gardens. Met him via Gaydar as per usual. Well, as per usual up until now...

I've started expanding my horizons and it's pretty good. I'm starting to meet guys through media other than Gaydar. Mind you, Gaydar still has its place and I'm not about to cancel my profile just yet! But, as I mentioned in a previous blog, I met fellow blogger Tom about 10 days ago and I'm meeting up with another blogger (or two) tomorow. I met up with Muzbot on Thursday night for a drink after work and ended up staying and drinking more, having dinner and chatting to him until about 11pm - it was an excellent evening!

I think the thing with the bloggers I have met/am about to meet is that I've read about them already and am liking what I'm reading, so there's a reasonable chance that I'll like them in person. A Gaydar profile is somewhat limited and can be very subjective (to put it politely). I am finding that Blogs tend to be a more honest representation of the individual. So bring on the next Blogger's Meet (NSSG - this is a HINT).

Tonight, I'm going to a friend's flat-warming party which will be filled with gay men (ahhh, nothing quite like a buffet) all drinking and partying! Yee haa! So, another opportunity to expand my horizons in directions unexplored! Wahoooooo...!

Monty's Miscellaneous Musings...

It's the 26th of April and I don't really have a lot of stuff to say. Just a whole bunch of little things...so, it's a bit of a ramble today.

Firstly, I'm excited as my friend Matt from London has emailed me to let me know he's coming over for a holiday in June! He's an Australian living in London and is coming back to visit the family who all live in Perth, however he's also going to pop over to Sydney for a long weekend to see me! I met Matt last year when I travelled to London and Eastern Europe for "Monty's Shagging Tour". I met him via Gaydar and chatted to him for about a month before going to London and meeting him in the flesh. Matt holds a special place in my heart (awwwww) as he was my first ever gay sleep over - before him, I had never spent the entire night with a guy. I ended up spending a couple of nights at his place which was very conveniently situated about 10 mins walk away from my brother's place. Mark (my brother) was a little disconcerted at the time, as he was still adjusting to the fact that his little brother was gay, let alone sleeping with a strange man in London. Matt's a very sweet (and sexy) guy however, and we've been in touch ever since so it's exciting that he's flying all the way from Perth just to see me again! Yay!

I also received my first non-blogger fan mail the other day! There is someone out there who actually reads my blog and enjoys it and was motivated enough to let me know! I was very excited by that fact. I mean, it's certainly very gratifying to have all you fellow bloggers commenting on my blog - never dreamed that I would develop, dare I say, a readership - but when a non-blogger is reading me too, well, that made me feel quite chuffed indeed!

This week I am so so unmotivated at work...it's busy, but I couldn't give a damn! Terrible attitude I know. Hence, why I am writing this in the middle of the day! It's also achingly painful to look out of the windows here at work at magnificent blue skies when yesterday, when we had a day off (Anzac Day for all you non-Aussies), it was pouring rain, grey skies and cold!

It's also Pink Shirt Thursday! I was very pleased to see that my friend James who I work with turned up in a pink shirt. Unfortunately CGWG didn't! But I am wearing one of my pink shirts and am about to go out for some lunch so hopefully I'll see lots more! I must say, walking around on Tuesday, it was gratifying to see that the Tuesday Rebel Alliance has obviously given up because it was all just the standard white and blue shirts. As C Montgomery Burns (of Simpsons fame) is want to say..."Excellent!"...

Gratuitous eye candy...

I could soooooo do with a bath right now!!!

Rain...feel it on my fingertips...

At the risk of being accused of being anally retentive, I confess to owning three umbrellas. One normal umbrella which is at home, one large Golf umbrella which is at work, and one small foldup umbrella which stays in my work bag. That way, where-ever I am, I'm covered. Tonight, as I was leaving work, I had a look out at the night...it had been such a weird day, with glimpses of sky, clouds, very dark clouds, showers, very heavy showers...the whole gamut! And so I was considering taking the large golf umbrella as it is, well, quite big and so more likely to keep me dry. But when I looked out at the city, it seemed like it was only a soft drizzle at best, something my small foldup umbrella would cope with. Good plan! Got out and walked about half a block and it came down in TORRENTS! Absolutely bucketed down! And my little foldup umbrella struggled to cope! Needless to say, I was a little damp by the time I got home!

But despite that, I must say it is rather pleasant to have this kind of weather...much more typically autumnal! Rain always puts me to sleep, and I was out like a light last night! And tonight will be just the same! It's fabulous!

The only thing that could improve it would be a nice warm man in bed next to me! I was even thinking that watching TV or a DVD on a night like this, snuggled with a nice guy would be a most pleasant way of spending an evening. Well, I shall keep looking! He's gotta be out there somewhere!

Unconsious mutterings...

Found :: Intact
Male :: Body
Spoken :: Word
Life :: Such is-
Tonight :: -'s the Night
Fingernail :: Black-board
True :: or false
Give up :: never!
Shining :: Brilliantly
Everywhere :: Everybody

Pink Shirts update...

Despite the lack lustre showing in the general population, it's heartening to see the reaction to Pink Shirt Thursday in the blogosphere! It may be starting small, but I am sure we can prevail.

I was excited that the Cute Gay Work Guy that I work with wore one on Thursday. And on Friday night, I had The Californian over for dinner and I mentioned it to him, and so he's going to start wearing one on Thursdays now too! I've also persuaded my friend James to do it too, though he's worried that people will assume he's gay (which he is so not). And I received a message from another blogger Craig who I've only started reading and he's going to give it a go too! Yay!

The comments (and pictures - particularly Muzbot and CuteCTGuy) that I've received have certainly shown that there is lots of interest in keeping this up, which is great! It's lots of fun! What I'm worried (and excited) about is how Muzbot is going to up the ante with his next pink shirt picture! Can't wait for this Thursday, let me say! he he he!

On a different topic, I was talking to my good friend EIB this evening and we chatted briefly about my New Dating Paradigm. I'm quite excited because I actually achieved my goal this week - IE one newbie for the week! Yay for me! I must confess, I've done some creative accounting to achieve this result because I did actually meet two newbies this week HOWEVER one of them was fellow blogger Tom, and so this doesn't officially count as a Gaydar date, but rather as a blogger's meet! And so I've only met one Gaydar newbie this week so all is good.

I'm really enjoying things at the moment - this weekend was the perfect example of how good the NDP is...as mentioned above, I had The Californian over for dinner on Friday night - this is probably the 6th or 7th time (not counting Mardi Gras where we didn't actually do much talking - just snogging) and so it was just so relaxing. We watched a DVD after dinner and snuggled a bit which was lovely.

Saturday night, my friends James and Jacqui took me out to The Basement for dinner and a jazz show with Australian jazz legend James Morrison. I left there around 11.30pm and grabbed a cab to Oxford St and met up with my friend Evan (the 3.30am guy from Mardi Gras). Us two Oxford St scene novices decided that we needed to get onto the scene and try and pick up and so thought that Saturday night would be a good opportunity. So, we trawled the gay bars/pubs on Oxford St, saw some "interesting" sights, we even checked out an adult book shop! OMG, that was an eye-opener! Some of the dildos and butt plugs were, well, MASSIVE! The mind boggles! Needless to say, neither of us picked up, but to be honest, for me it was a matter of me enjoying Evan's company so much that the idea of a quick shag with some anonymous guy didn't seem so appealing. The pleasures of friendship seemed more important and so we had a great night, ending up in Kings Cross at an all night cafe, 3:30am drinking hot chocolate. (hmmm, what is it with us and 3.30am chats?) Another excellent night! And another reason why my Consolidation phase is working out a treat for me!

I'm loving this at the moment...

I've borrowed this Title off Muzbot as it perfectly sums up my day today...

All those Sydneysiders who read this blog will understand what I am talking about as today has just got to be one of the most ideal of days...it's around 25 degrees C, sun-drenched and a flawless blue sky! There's nary a breeze to be had, which admittedly means it's a touch hazy, but otherwise PERFECT weather! This is why I love Sydney in April!

I wandered down to my local park with a book (The Kings and Queens of England) and my camera and read up on the Tudors for an hour in the sun. 'twas tres magnifique! There were some couples sunning themselves and indulging in some PDA's, some parents with their kids playing on the swings and the odd single like myself who was just enjoying the day! But it's such a large park that it feels like you have lots of space to yourself.

I then walked home via my favourite street which really hits its straps twice a year - in Autumn and Spring. In spring, the trees are a verdant green, a lively, zingy, brilliant lime colour which just invigorates the soul. In Autumn, all the leaves are dying and the colours are warm and rich. So, I took a some pics of the street too!

...and people ask me why I love living on the North Shore! Hello!

Pink Shirt Thursday...

Well, I must admit to seeing fewer Pink Shirts today than I did last Thursday! But still, it was on a more international scale this week...with Londoners Darth Gateau and CuteCTGuy joining us Sydneysiders in the pink! Here in Sydney, Muzbot has proven himself the hottest pinkster by posing in his shirt, without his trousers - a true flirt!

NSSG, Tom (of course) and yours truly also flew the pink flag! And, I've decided to expose myself with a pic too...nothing quite up to the standards established by Muz mind you...it's a very tame picture indeed!

The 10 Commandments of Gaydar...

Received this in an email from my mate EIB, and it was too good to keep to myself...

The 10 Commandments of GAYDAR

1. Thou shall ONLY be friends with guys you fancy
2. Thou shalt still look for casual shags despite the "Partner" link in the profile
3. Thou shalt have an age range of 18 - 99 but snub anyone over 30
4. Thou shalt show thy penis but not thy face
5. Thou shalt repeat thyself in chat rooms every five seconds
6. Thou shalt not bother reading profiles
7. Thou shalt pretend to look for a boyfriend but only look for shags
8. Thou shalt lie about thine age
9. Thou shall not really tell thy wife about thy liking of cock
10.Thou shalt be as camp as tits and state "straight acting"

My New Dating Paradigm...

OK, I've been rabbiting on about my New Dating Paradigm over the last couple of weeks and as everyone is aware, I've not been so successful in sticking to it.

We'll all recall the fact that the Sydney CityRail network was having problems having their trains run on time. Rather than actually trying to make the trains run on time, they simply amended their definition of what "on time" meant! And it worked! The trains are now running "on time" 92% of the time or whatever! So, in the spirit of CityRail, I'm making a slight amendment to my New Dating Paradigm. So here it is...

The original NDP was to date ONE newbie per week instead of the scattergun approach of booking multiple new dates each week. To date, I've been an abject failure! So, now, instead of a hard and fast rule of ONE newbie per week, it shall simply be my goal to date only one newbie per week. That way, if I do end up with two or even three newbies in a week, I'll be simply exceeding my goal, rather than failing the NDP.

I must say however, that I have succeeded in slowing down the dating merry-go-round and so the NDP is achieving its purpose. I'm having more 2nd, 3rd, 4th dates etc which is much more fun! And I'm getting to know these guys better and becoming friends with them. Life is so much less stressful and I'm definitely not feeling as fatigued as I was when on the merry-go-round. Yay!

A killer meme...

A HUGE meme courtesy of Stuart who commented on Tom's blog...

Are your parents married or divorced?Married - they're about to celebrate their 44th Wedding Anniversary!
Are you a vegetarian? No flippin' way! An essential part of my diet is dead animals!
Do you believe in Heaven? Yes
Have you ever come close to dying? No actually...I haven't even been in hospital (apart from visiting that is)
What jewellery do you wear 24/7? My Gold Chain that my parents gave me when I was 16, and three rings.
Are you eating?chewing gum at the moment...Extra Sugar Free in the new 14 piece pack!
Do you eat the stems of broccoli? Nope...just the green leafy bits!
Do you wear makeup? Only moisturiser and lip balm.
Would you ever have plastic surgery? I doubt it. I'm too good looking already! LOL
What do you wear to bed? a pair of boxers
Have you ever done anything illegal? Ummm, no, unless you count the occasional speeding in my car...?
Can you roll your tongue? yep...among other things...
Do You have a boyfriend or girlfriend? Nope...so all boys out there, drop me a line! ;-)
Do you believe in Abortions? I do believe in abortions, they are a fact of life. If you mean, do I approve of them, then that's a whole different question.
What is your Hair colour? dark blonde
Future child’s name, boy and girl? Umm, I'm gay - doubt I will be having any children. BUT I do love Javan as a boys name.
Do you smoke? No way!
If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be? Italy
Do you sleep with stuffed animals? Never have, never will.
If you won the lottery, what would you do first? Book a ticket to Europe leaving tomorrow to see my brother Mark, and my good mate EIB and celebrate with them!
Gold or Silver? Gold
Hamburger or hot dog? Hot dog
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? Icecream
City, beach or country? Hmmm, city
What was the last thing you touched? This keyboard
Where did you eat last? At my desk here at work
When’s the last time you cried? When I came out to my parents
Do you read blogs? Hell yeah!
What colour are your pants? Charcoal
Would you ever go out dressed like the opposite sex? No
Ever been involved with the police? I'd like to be involved with a policeman, but No, haven't been involved with the police (apart from the last time we were held up)
What’s your favourite shampoo/conditioner and soap? Dove
Do you talk in your sleep? I don’t think so
Ocean or pool? Ocean
What’s your favourite song at the moment: It's an oldie...Flamboyant - Pet Shop Boys
Have you ever had a cavity? Yes...for my regular readers, they would assume that, having had my tooth extracted last week.
Window seat or aisle seats? Window
Ever met anyone famous? Would hardly call her famous, but Johanna Griggs is about it. Not that exciting really. BUT my friend Steve's best friend just met Kylie!
Do you feel that you’ve had a truly successful life? Yes, I'm pretty happy with things so far.
Do you twirl your spaghetti or cut it? Twirl of course!
What is your favourite sport to play? Touch football
Basketball or football? Football (as in Rugby League Football)
When was the last time you went to the bathroom? About an hour ago
Do you drive a with a gear stick? Nope...auto.
Are you self-conscious? I have been known to be...
Have you ever given money to a bum? Yes
Have you been in love? No, not yet
Where do you wish you were? On holidays...anywhere!
Have you ever ridden in an ambulance? No
Can you tango? No, but I can salsa!
Last gift you received? A choc Easter Bunny
What occasion did you receive your gift? Umm, Easter
Last thing you spent lots of money on? I purchased a lovely jacket today at lunch. Depends on how much "lots of money" is defined as...
Where do you live? North Shore
Last wedding attended? My ex-flat mate (and best friend)'s wedding which is almost exactly a year ago...21 April 2006
Favourite restaurant? Cafe Sydney
What is your favourite kind of car? Jaguar
Most hated food(s): Seafood
Most loved food(s)? Roasts (except pork)
Can you sing? Yeah, kinda
Person on your mind? hmmm, the guy I am meeting tomorrow (on Pink Shirt Thursday)
What’s your least favourite chore(s): cleaning the bathroom
Favourite drink? Shiraz
How long was your longest drive in a car? In one go...Townsville to Brisbane
What are your siblings MIDDLE names? Duane and Julian
How often do you smile? All the time
What was the last thing you said? No, I'm OK.
What is something you’ve learned about yourself recently? That I'm hopeless at sticking to my New Dating Paradigm
What colour is your watch? Silver with Gold accents and a dark blue face
What do you think of when you think of Australia? Home
When was the last time you squatted to pee? Last year in Singapore
Who is the last person you liked? He reads my blog, so I'm not saying
Are you close to your mom? I used to be...
Where does your best friend work? At a school
What is your least attractive feature? My slim frame
Do you have a roommate? No, I live alone
Do you prefer paper or plastic? Paper
What colour is your bedroom flooring? Beige
Do you have a chair in your room? Yep
What time of day were you born? about 9am
Do you know anyone engaged? Yes
What’s your favourite number? 33
Do you know anyone named Laurie? No
What colour is your mom’s hair? Mid-brown, with grey streaks
Do you have a dog? No, I live in a unit
Where did you live in 1987? Townsville, Qld
What happened to you in 1993? I found out my brother Mark was gay
Does your first memory involve your dad? No, it involves my great grandmother actually
Do you remember singing any songs as kids? All the time...
When was the last time you went swimming? February this year
Has your luggage ever got lost? It's been stolen...in Malta!
When was the last time you talked to one of your siblings? About a week ago.
Did you ever go to camp as a kid? Nah...think it's more an American thing.
Do you play an instrument?! Violin
Have you ever thought it would be cool to smash a guitar? No
Do you like fire? When I'm camping!
Are you allergic to anything? No
Have you ever been to a spa? No
Were you popular in high school? Not really
Did you take science all four years of high school? Yeah
Do you like butterflies? Yes
What is the last book you read? A Garden in Lucca
Do you like Coke or Pepsi more? Coke absolutely!!!!
What is one thing you miss about your past? How carefree it was
Did you ever see the school nurse? Never had one
Have you ever wanted to be a teacher? No
What is one thing you’ve learned about life? Life is a journey and happiness in life depends on being happy within yourself, not achieving certain things, or attaining certain material possesions.
Are you jealous of anyone? Of all those people who are happily partnered/married. *sigh*
Is anyone jealous of you? Don't think so...
When was the last time you were in an elevator? I work on the 16th floor of my building...I use the elevator many times each day!

Pink Shirt Tuesday...?

I was out walking up Martin Place today at lunch time and I couldn't help but notice the plethora of pink shirted guys walking around! And I couldn't help thinking...is there some kind of rebel group out there advocating a Pink Shirt Tuesday, instead of the established (by our friend Tom) Pink Shirt THURSDAY??? If so, the rebellion must be stopped! And ruthlessly CRUSHED! We can't have TWO pink shirt days...granted, it's a great colour and I have plenty of pink shirts that I could wear. However, the fact remains that as white collar workers, the primary colour our shirts must be is, well, white (and yes, I realize that white is technically NOT a colour)! And the odd blue shirt is allowed as well! Pink can only be a once a week kind of thing surely!

Unconsious mutterings...

Freeze :: Frame
Naturally :: Occurring
Painting :: Mural
Merits :: Consideration
Ironic :: Alanis Morriset
Survival :: -of the fittest
Cow :: Bell
Anchor :: Offshore
Sisters :: Scissor
70 :: -6 trombones at the big parade...

tut tut tut...

I'm hopeless! I was very proud of myself as I had only organized the one Newbie this week (the Teacher on Friday night) and so I was really really looking forward to this date. Friday night was a pleasant night - the guy is lovely, interesting, pretty damn sexy and a good conversationalist! We had dinner in Surry Hills and then walked to the Hopetoun Hotel as there were some live bands that he wanted to see.

We had shared a bottle of wine at dinner...not a problem. But once we got to the pub, he bought a round, I bought a round, he bought a round...you get my drift! You're standing there for a couple of hours listening to bands with widely differing abilities and slowly getting quite pissed without actually realizing it! NOT a good thing to do on a first date!

I ended up completely hammered, but thankfully he was reasonably tanked as well. But I think I made a complete arse of myself (as you do when inebriated). He put me on the train back home which was very kind of him and went home himself.

I woke up Saturday morning with a HUGE hangover and the vague realization of how huge an arse I had made of myself...rang him and apologised, but thankfully, he was feeling the same way so we've decided we'll forget about Friday night - it's now a clean slate! Phew!

So that was my one newbie for the week...or so I thought! Had a great night on Sat night, had a friend over for dinner (the 3am guy from Mardi Gras) and then we saw "Sunshine" at the movies! Great movie actually...a little bit 2001 - A Space Odessy, mixed with a bit of Alienesque tension and some great FX! We both thoroughly enjoyed it so that was good. A great night all round.

This morning, dragged my sorry arse out of bed and logged on to check messages. Up pops a message on MSN from a guy I've been chatting to on GD for a couple of weeks...we chat and he ends up asking me out for lunch today in Manly! Well, him being a bit of a hottie, me having the day clear and it being such a magnificent day outside, I thought, well, why not! So much for the new dating paradigm! I'm so hopeless sometimes! BUT still, I console myself with the thought that it wasn't something instigated by me! He did the inviting! I had full intentions of sticking with the one newbie per week thing! So it's all his fault really! lol It was a great date actually, perfect day to be lunching in Manly overlooking the harbour, pleasant (and very hot) company and a couple of beers.

So, feel free to tut tut tut me! I've put myself in this position by trumpeting my new dating paradigm and so far, I've been useless at sticking to it! I'm such a hypocrite! lol

More gratuitous eye candy...

Ben Ross - and people wonder why I like Rugby League!!!

TGIF...

It's Friday and thank goodness to that! It's been an up and down week so I'm glad that there's only 3 or 4 hrs to go and it's all over! Thankfully, my gums have settled down nicely...though silly me decided to celebrate (and I was also just being plain lazy) by purchasing KFC last night for dinner! OUCH! Note to self: Stick with the softer foods for another couple of days.

Tonight, I have my one-per-week allocated date-with-a-new-guy so I'm excited! I like this new dating paradigm! After my slutty weekend, I'm back on track...he he he!

Yesterday, I decided to wander down to David Jones', my favourite store. You know, DJ's to me is like Tiffany's to Holly Golightly - if I could, I'd grab a takeaway coffee and croissant and window shop there every morning! It's just a lovely place to be! I actually was there last Thursday - extremely stressful day, needed to punch something really hard, so instead hit DJ's - what a way to work off stress! And work up some serious credit card points! LOL. Anyway, I did have a purpose in going to DJ's yesterday...I had in mind tracking down a certain hot young Kiwi that I met on my trashy Saturday night out...he mentioned that he worked there. Another note to self: Next time, ask which department he works in! Trawled up and down the escalators, but there's so many sales assistants there, it's impossible! Hmmmm, will have to attack this another way! Now, just to work out how precisely I'm going to attack this another way! ???

Anyway, a minor glitch. Tonight should be good fun - this one is a teacher so the conversation should be interesting and varied at least! Anything more than that will be just a bonus! ha ha!

Have a great weekend everyone!

It's Pink Shirt Thursday...

As suggested by Tom, our all-running, all-swimming triathlon-competing fellow blogger, I'm wearing my pink shirt today! But it was funny, as I was walking through Nth Sydney to my bus stop, and in the city on my way to the office, I saw a couple of guys wearing pink shirts and it was like...'hmmm, I wonder if...or is it just a random act?'. Who knows! But hey, Tom has started it off, and if we all spread the word, it could catch on!

On a different note, I've bounced back! Feeling pretty good today - thanks in no small way to the messages I received via this blog, and the texts, emails and phone calls I received over the past couple of days! It's lovely to know that you do have friends out there! And a very very very pleasant massage last night - I practically floated home, watched my fave TV shows on ABC while eating dinner with a lovely glass of Shiraz Viognier, and then crashed at 10pm!

So now I'm revitalized, in my pink shirt (and looking rather smashing I must say), and ready to attack the day! :-)

It's my birthday and I'll cry if I want to...

Well, I'm now officially 36 yrs old. It's one of those in between years, it's not a big one like 30, 35 or 40 - the next major milestone! It's been a rather ordinary day really...work this morning, at lunch had my tooth ripped out, and this afternoon, I've spent it miserable at home watching DVD's.

Birthdays were never big things in our family and so I'm not particularly down because of today's relatively low key nature. Although we didn't really celebrate birthdays in my family, mum and dad would always ring me on my birthday, just to say hello and to let me know they were thinking of me. I always liked receiving those calls but of course, today it didn't happen.

I know they would've been thinking of me, but instead of being proud of me, they would be saddened by my actions. They sincerely believe that the course I've chosen - ie coming out - is religiously and morally wrong and that it can only lead to negative consequences. And that is difficult to deal with, knowing that you've disappointed your parents.

I tend not to think about it generally - does no good living one's life with regret, and I don't regret coming out and being myself, being honest with myself and my family and friends. But on days like this, I can't help but miss talking to my parents and my oldest brother.

So Monty is a bit of a miserable sort this evening - pain in his head, and in his heart! But, before I get too melancholy, I do have to reinforce the fact that I don't regret the stand that I have made. It was a weight lifted off my shoulders, being able to come clean and I did fully understand the consequences of my actions, both the good and the bad. I was prepared to deal with this stuff, and so far, it's been mostly good. It's only on days like today that it's a bit harder to deal with.

So please don't feel sorry for me...I'll bounce back tomorrow! :-) I invariably do! I've been blessed with a quite optomistic outlook on life and that keeps me in good stead.

Unconsious mutterings...

Freak :: show
Open :: sesame
Important :: Decision
Magnetism :: Animal
Lap :: Dog
Anything :: Goes
Match :: Made in Heaven
Father :: Figure
Idea :: Good
Mirror :: has two faces

Breakfast and other miscellaneous ramblings...

Woke up this morning (a first for me this weekend but that's another story) feeling refreshed and determined to enjoy today in its entirety! Jumped out of bed around 10.30am, had a shower and dressed myself. I really felt like some breakfast - unusual for me as I'm not really a brekkie kinda guy. And more specifically, felt like a ham and cheese croissant with an espresso. Not that difficult. Popped up to Crows Nest - the closest cafe area to me - to my fave cafe Crowzone. It was closed! Doh! So I wandered up Willoughby Rd trying to find 1. a cafe that was open and 2. one that served ham and cheese croissants. Not a difficult task in my mind, but apparently rather too tricky for the cafes that were open! I could get buckwheat pancakes or fennel and corn frittatas, but not a simple ham and cheese croissant! What the...?

So, drove to Artarmon, Chatswood and back to Wollstonecraft and still no luck! I ended up going to the supermarket to purchase the individual components and they didn't have any croissants so I ended up buying a loaf of bread instead. Came home and made myself ham and cheese melts and ate them, reading the paper and drinking an espresso. This all took around about 90 mins to do (from the initial leaving home to sitting down to eat), so it actually became LUNCH! Crazy! Anyway, that's my rant for the day.

Saturday night - yes, the trashy night did indeed happen! Met my friends Baz and Waz at 8.30pm at the Columbian - pretty quiet. Had a couple of G&T's there and a good chat. Left around 10pm and Baz went home - poor boy has been down with the flu and only dragged himself out of bed because he'd promised me the trashy night. So Waz and I were left, so Waz decided to take me to the Stonewall. I have heard that the Stonewall was a bit of a twink pub/club and it was true! Lots of younger guys, and a few older ones (not sure which I fit into, definitely not the "younger guys" but also don't feel like an "older guy" either)...lots of eye candy that's for sure! We had a couple of drinks and enjoyed the scenery, but then Waz decided it was time for me to meet some of the cute guys I was admiring! I'm not very good at just walking up to a strange guy and starting a conversation (nothwithstanding my adventures in Berlin and Prague) and was reluctant to do so on Saturday night. So Waz just walked up to to this reaaly good looking guy and introduced himself, introduced me and then turned away! And so I was left talking to this guy...actually a very friendly guy, from the country (Wagga Wagga), in for the long weekend with his friends. They had spent all day at the races and had ended up at Stonewall - unfortunately he was straight (which just added to the appeal) which gives rise the question as to what he was doing in a gay pub - I didn't have the wits about me to question that! We chatted for about 20 mins and then he left with his friends. Waz left shortly thereafter, but not before introducing himself and me to another guy who was standing next to me at the bar. 26 yrs old, lives just around the corner from me, works at my favourite store (David Jones') and his name is the same as mine! He's only been in Sydney for about a month and so didn't know many people. And cute as!!! So we chatted for about an hour before he too, decided to leave. By that stage, I was feeling a bit more confident and so started chatting to another guy; his friends met him later on and so chatted to them as well. The place was cranking by this stage and eventually, one of his friends said he was leaving, and asked me to leave with him! Not being the sort to say no to a good looking guy, I accepted his invitation. And so, found myself at 4 in the morning, going for it with this rather gorgeous English guy at his place in Alexandria. Ahhh, yes, the slutty stage did emerge again! Well and truly! But hey, it was a long weekend!

Last night, my friends James and Jacqui took me out for a quiet chardy and dinner at one of our local pubs, the Commodore. A most pleasant and chilled out way to spend an evening. I couldn't have handled anything too hardcore anyway, so this suited me to a T!

So the weekend has been almost exactly what I expected, in fact better in some ways! The PSB's were sensational, the Trashy Night was, well, trashy...but FUN! I can see the appeal that the Oxford St strip has to many guys, but I still don't think it's my scene. I'm too much of a dinner partying, cafe latte sipping and chardonnay swilling North Shore type to get into the club scene in any major way. Once in a while (very long while) it's fine and fun but that's it.

I certainly hope everyone else had themselves a grand ol' time over the long weekend! Look forward to reading all the reports over the course of the next few days!

The Sodom and Gommorah Show...

Well, last night I attended the Pet Shop Boys concert at the Hordern Pavillion at Fox. With friends! Yes, that's right, I did find some people to go with. It was most unexpected to be honest, I had decided to go solo when I recieved a call from a client who is also gay and has become a friend (as much as a client can be a friend...it's a fine line). He and his partner have been shopping for a new house and were going to an auction on Thurs morning, so I asked him to let me know how they went. He rang (they were unsuccessful) but we got chatting about the weekend and I mentioned that I was going to PSB. He said that he really wanted to go, but didn't think there'd be tix left. Having only just purchased my ticket about an hour previous to our conversation, I assured him that there were. He wanted to check with his partner first but 15 mins later, it was all sorted.

So, 6pm last night I fronted up to their house, they made me dinner, and we had a couple of drinks and off to the concert we went.

ABSO-FUCKING-LUTELY FAB-U-LOUS!!!!!! How good are these guys, mid-40's and still pumping out great music! I read a review recently that said that their latest album, Fundamental, is their best album in a decade, pure vintage PSB, and it is a great album. The fact that they headlined the V Festival last weekend speaks volumes about their ongoing influence and relevance!

The demographic of the audience also spoke volumes about their influence and relevance...to the 30+ market. Hardly any youngsters there...lots of my age bracket up to the mid 50's - mostly gay (naturally) but still there were straight middle-aged couples there too! And the oldd 30something girl with her somewhat reluctant and uncomfortable boyfriend (and that speaks volumes about how much he obviously likes her). There was one couple like that just in front of us...he did look uncomfortable but I can hardly blame him - he was HOT and we were all checking him out! Poor boy! Daniel in the lions den and all that!

So I had a great time - danced and sang along to all their classics as well as the material from Fundamental - the encore was brilliant, culminating in "Go West", which if my memory serves me correct, was HUGE at the time of their last visit here in the early 90's. It's so anthemic and the crowd LOVED it! It's amazing to be in a crowd that is 95% male who are all singing along at the top of their voices...incredible! We came very close to drowning out the Boys - fantastic! They eventually came back on stage to take their final bows and were pursuaded to sing one last song..."Being Boring". Which just took the cake in my books - it's a song which has lots of meaning for me, for all sorts of reasons - it is a melancholy kinda song, but also very reassuring. It was a wonderful way to conclude the concert!

So night one of my long weekend in Sydney has been AWESOME! My friend Baz just sms'ed me with the time and location to meet up tonight for our trashy night out and I'm excited!

A long weekend...

It seems like EVERYONE is going away for the Easter long weekend...with the exception of poor ol' me! I've basically invited every person I know to attend the Pet Shop Boys concert with me, and they're all not going to be here! It's so depressing! I may have to go all by myself, and that's always a risky thing...Monty, in a crowd of men, couple of drinks, dancing to PSB...I'm seriously worried that the "slutty phase" will re-emerge!

Notwithstanding that fact, it should be a good weekend! Two of the friends that I went to MG with, Baz and Waz, have decided that I don't get out enough in "the scene", and so are taking me on a trashy night out on Oxford St on Saturday night! I've not really had a night out in the clubs so it should prove to be interesting at worst, and heaps of fun at best. I'm not really a clubber, however now and then, I don't mind the odd boogey on the dance floor! And having Baz and Waz looking after me should ensure that I don't mis-behave...too much!

Sunday, my friends James and Jacqui have booked me for I don't know what! My birthday is next Tuesday, so it's an early celebration of that...I'm just not sure how we are celebrating - they are not saying! Not sure if I should be worried or not!

And Monday, I'm sleeeeeeeping! Recovery! It will be bliss!

Despite Tuesday being my birthday (I shall be turning, ahem, 31...and some months), I'm not looking forward to it at all. I've had a painful tooth over the last few weeks, which has been kept at bay with the assistance of sweet drugs! (prescription drugs of course) But come Tuesday, I'm going to the Dentist, where they shall knock me out and rip out the offending molar! So methinks Monty will be a rather miserable chap on Tuesday evening! 'twill be soup for dinner I fear!

I'm rewarding myself with a post-birthday massage with my hunky masseur on Wednesday evening...ahhhhhh, massage! mmmmmmm...

Have a great long weekend everyone...particularly all you who are heading out of the city!

Changing tactics...

As intimated in previous posts, I've decided that I need to change tactics in respect of dating guys. Instead of the Scattergun approach, I think I need a more targeted approach, to continue the firearm analogy. And so I have implemented it...Monty's new dating paradigm! It's been a couple of weeks in the making actually, and so far it's working fine! And I'm enjoying myself much more. What, you may wonder, is he doing differently? Well, I've decided to stop dating a bunch of new guys each week and instead, focus on the guys I've already met. AND as my wise friend EIB suggested, I am not dating-with-relationship as the goal, but rather it's more about making friends with the guys I have met. If a relationship is going to happen, it will happen in its own time (and most likely when I least expect it). No use trying to force it - I just need to relax and enjoy the company of these guys! And there are so many benefits to meeting up with guys I've already met...let me enumerate:

1. Much less of that awkward first-time-meet type conversation. You already have an idea about his likes/dislikes/interests - there's an existing basis for conversation.
2. I've already enjoyed the previous date, so there's reasonable odds that the next date (though I can't really call it a date, just the next time we're out) will be just as enjoyable, if not more so!
3. I've already checked him out and think he's not half bad in the looks department, so again, it's all good!
4. By his agreeing to meet up again, there's a reasonable chance that he likewise enjoyed my conversation, doesn't think I look like a troll and so is willing to get to know me a bit better.
5. The more times I meet up with a guy, the more chance of a shag! LOL (just kidding)

Naturally, Monty can't completely change his spots and so to keep things interesting, I'm allowing myself one new guy per week. So, whilst I haven't jumped off the Gaydar merry-go-round completely, I'm at least slowing it down to a more manageable pace. And I'm liking this!

Unconsious mutterings...

Trembling :: Fear and-
Shut up :: -and listen
Heights :: Wuthering
Monica :: Lewinsky (is there any other response to this one?)
Delicious :: -and nutritious
Joint :: pain
Ferry :: Sydney Harbour
Bliss :: sleeping in
Rejection :: A fact of life
Satisfying :: A job well done!

Autumn....Part II...

I was reading today in the Sunday Telegraph, an article by Jacinta Tynan and it kind of resonated with me - particularly in view of my last couple of blog entries. The article was entitled "Now is the winter of the single man's discontent". The interesting thing she said was about the behaviour of men once the seasons start to change from summer to winter.

She said "Summer is the season for distraction, idleness and eternal options, hardly conducive to forging long-term commitments or making decisions of any sort. But the shift in the weather has induced a last-minute scamble as men begin to panic at the prospect of a long, lonely winter." And she identified a trend that has been noticed - the "scattergun approach." What, you may enquire, is the scattergun approach?

"The phenomenon isn't documented, but is well known. With mere weeks until winter, men aren't being discerning in their pursuit, but are firing indiscriminately, with several girls (or guys) lined up on any given weekend."

I read this article and saw me!!! This is what I have been doing up until a few weeks ago! Certainly the "scattergun approach" has been my modis operandi - lining up a plethora of dates in any given week. And summer was certainly the season for frolicking, fun, and fucking! My so-called "slutty phase". But in the last few weeks I've been feeling the urge to calm down somewhat, to actually think about something a bit more long-term, more stable and lasting. I thought it was simply a manifestation of me moving on to the next stage of my life...moving past the "slutty phase" and into "relationship phase". But perhaps I'm wrong...perhaps, as Jacinta suggests, I'm just responding to the changing seasons - feeling a need for someone to snuggle with when it gets cold. Hmmmmm...something to think about!