A curious question was posed by McBrad last night as we walked down Cleveland St to the lovely Indian restaurant where we were to have our dinner with our friend Carter. “Are you going to stop blogging?” he asked. “No.” was my reply, “Why do you ask?”.
He told me that he was sitting at a café yesterday morning having breakfast when a guy at the café asked him if his boyfriend wrote a blog. McBrad replied in the affirmative and the person told him that his boyfriend reads my blog and had obviously read my post from a week or so ago about me considering stopping. I assume that this guy also reads the blog occasionally, as he recognized McBrad from the photos I’ve posted. McBrad’s not so good on the details, and can’t really describe the guy that well, and so I’m wondering who it is. I’m not worried or concerned or anything – McBrad knows about the blog and knows that I’ve posted his pic on the blog – I’m just intrigued to find out who it was. So if you want to out yourself, please leave me a message! :-)
Aint it interesting how small a world we live in.
Showing posts with label Bloggers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bloggers. Show all posts
Friday, February 13, 2009
Thursday, June 26, 2008
I'm loving this at the moment...
- Woke up at 6.30am this morning - thanks to my alarm - but really did not want to get out of the lovely warm bed with the deliciously warm McBrad. So we snoozed for another 20 mins or so and then I thought 'I have to get out of bed or I'll be late for work'. So I sat up in bed, tucked the doona ('duvet' for the Kiwis/Poms reading this) around McBrad and tried to motivate myself to actually leave the bed. McBrad rolled over, opened his arms toward me, and I couldn't resist. I slid back beneath the covers and snuggled in his arms for another 10 mins. BLISSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!
- A couple of my formerly-retired bloggers have just started blogging again! Yay! Mike has new adventures to report with his new little puppy Munson, and the author of the most hilarious blog post I have ever read, Tequilla Mockingbird, has also resurrected his blog! Wahooooo!
- The weather at the moment is spectacular - gorgeous duck-egg blue skies, buckets of sunshine, the air so crisp and clear, a lovely 19 - 20 degrees (Celcius) during the day.
- Cake...well, cupcakes to be specific. There's a little cupcake shop just underneath Ivy on George St which makes the BEST cupcakes. We've been popping down and putting a dozen on the corporate card and having them for morning tea at work. YUMMMMO!
Friday, March 07, 2008
Blogging Meme...
Stole this off Tom, who stole it off Yani, who stole it off...well, anyway. . .
1. Which blog has been on your current blogroll the longest? Single in the City - he got me started in the first place!
2. Which blog is the most recent addition? The Green Light at the End of the Dock - only added him this week.
3. Which blog sends you the most traffic? Have no idea - but given the popularity of Tom's, I'd say his.
4. Which blog has the best design? As everyone has said, Muzbot's has the coolest headers - I love the cartoon character of Muzbot. But I also quite like the design of YarravillePaul's as well.
5. Which blog has the best title? They are all good titles, but I think Superchilled's best describes him.
6. Which blog has the best images? Tricky one...for eye candy, it's gotta be Emackinations. General photography, Pedestrian Fair
7. Which blog has the most self pics? Emackinations...usually in the buff too which is highly pleasant!
8. Which blog is most similar to yours? Hmmm, I would say Chris from DC - just in respect of the whole coming out thing...I read what he says about what he's going through or how he's feeling and it very much resonates with me - feels like he's going through what I did about 12 months ago.
9. Which blog is most different? Most of the blogs I read are relatively similar in that they detail day to day life - in some way, shape or form. But Pedestrian Fair is more just a photographic blog and so in that respect, is the most different.
10. Which blog is most political? Single in the City - he was always discussing gay issues which I really enjoyed.
11. Which blogger posts most often? Tom - he's got plenty of time on his hands now so he's going to town of recent times with the blog posts!!!
12. Which blogger do you wish posted more? Guy In London - he seems to have stopped which is a shame as I really enjoyed his blog!
13. Which blogger lives closest to you? Muzbot at the moment, but that sadly is about to change! :-(
14. Which blogger lives the farthest away? The London bloggers - Darth Gateau, Poobaba, Soul Seared Dreamer, Wordage, Gay Banker & Guy In London.
15. Which blogger is most likely to become famous? Mike already is - and it's mostly because of Bondi, his beautiful Alaskan Malamute
16. Have you ever dreamed about someone on your blogroll? Not that I can recall...
17. Do you have a crush on anyone on your blogroll? Maybe...
18. Have you ever kissed anyone on your blogroll? Maybe...
19. Who’s the best kisser? A boy must have some secrets! ;-)
20. Who’s the sexiest on your blogroll? All of the bloggers on my blogroll are sexy in some way!
21. Who’s the most athletic? Muzbot - he's always climbing mountains, or doing adventure races etc. And Tom, who's swimming races left right and centre. And Superchilled - he also is swimming all the time.
22. Who’s the tallest? Tom - easily.
23. Who’s the shortest? Maybe Poobaba?
24. Who’s the strongest? I reckon Muzbot would be
25. Who’s the youngest? Whittle - he's still in college
26. Who’s the oldest? Chris in DC I think...he's 46
27. Who’s the wealthiest? Tom would have to be...he can afford to stop work for 12 months to learn restauranty stuff instead.
28. Who’s the most creative? Yani I reckon
29. Which blogger would be the life of the party? Darth Gateau - he IS the life of the party!
30. Which blogger would you go shopping with? Darth Gateau - love his style!
31. Which blogger would you go hiking/camping with? Muzbot - he's the camping king! or should I say queen? ;-)
32. Which blogger would you have coffee with? I'd love to have coffee with YarravillePaul and Campbell - the Melbourne bloggers!
33. Which blog makes you laugh the most? Tequilla Mockingbird - although he hasn't posted for AGES, some of his posts had me crying, they were hilarious!!! This is my favourite post.
34. Which blog is the most heartwarming? I really like Phil's actually - I just enjoy seeing how happy he is with Rich!
35. Which blogger do you think is the best cook? Tom - he had better be if his restaurant is going to be a success!
36. Which blogger would you most want to meet your family? Well, the only family that is still talking to me is my brother Mark in London, and so I'd like him to meet the London bloggers.
1. Which blog has been on your current blogroll the longest? Single in the City - he got me started in the first place!
2. Which blog is the most recent addition? The Green Light at the End of the Dock - only added him this week.
3. Which blog sends you the most traffic? Have no idea - but given the popularity of Tom's, I'd say his.
4. Which blog has the best design? As everyone has said, Muzbot's has the coolest headers - I love the cartoon character of Muzbot. But I also quite like the design of YarravillePaul's as well.
5. Which blog has the best title? They are all good titles, but I think Superchilled's best describes him.
6. Which blog has the best images? Tricky one...for eye candy, it's gotta be Emackinations. General photography, Pedestrian Fair
7. Which blog has the most self pics? Emackinations...usually in the buff too which is highly pleasant!
8. Which blog is most similar to yours? Hmmm, I would say Chris from DC - just in respect of the whole coming out thing...I read what he says about what he's going through or how he's feeling and it very much resonates with me - feels like he's going through what I did about 12 months ago.
9. Which blog is most different? Most of the blogs I read are relatively similar in that they detail day to day life - in some way, shape or form. But Pedestrian Fair is more just a photographic blog and so in that respect, is the most different.
10. Which blog is most political? Single in the City - he was always discussing gay issues which I really enjoyed.
11. Which blogger posts most often? Tom - he's got plenty of time on his hands now so he's going to town of recent times with the blog posts!!!
12. Which blogger do you wish posted more? Guy In London - he seems to have stopped which is a shame as I really enjoyed his blog!
13. Which blogger lives closest to you? Muzbot at the moment, but that sadly is about to change! :-(
14. Which blogger lives the farthest away? The London bloggers - Darth Gateau, Poobaba, Soul Seared Dreamer, Wordage, Gay Banker & Guy In London.
15. Which blogger is most likely to become famous? Mike already is - and it's mostly because of Bondi, his beautiful Alaskan Malamute
16. Have you ever dreamed about someone on your blogroll? Not that I can recall...
17. Do you have a crush on anyone on your blogroll? Maybe...
18. Have you ever kissed anyone on your blogroll? Maybe...
19. Who’s the best kisser? A boy must have some secrets! ;-)
20. Who’s the sexiest on your blogroll? All of the bloggers on my blogroll are sexy in some way!
21. Who’s the most athletic? Muzbot - he's always climbing mountains, or doing adventure races etc. And Tom, who's swimming races left right and centre. And Superchilled - he also is swimming all the time.
22. Who’s the tallest? Tom - easily.
23. Who’s the shortest? Maybe Poobaba?
24. Who’s the strongest? I reckon Muzbot would be
25. Who’s the youngest? Whittle - he's still in college
26. Who’s the oldest? Chris in DC I think...he's 46
27. Who’s the wealthiest? Tom would have to be...he can afford to stop work for 12 months to learn restauranty stuff instead.
28. Who’s the most creative? Yani I reckon
29. Which blogger would be the life of the party? Darth Gateau - he IS the life of the party!
30. Which blogger would you go shopping with? Darth Gateau - love his style!
31. Which blogger would you go hiking/camping with? Muzbot - he's the camping king! or should I say queen? ;-)
32. Which blogger would you have coffee with? I'd love to have coffee with YarravillePaul and Campbell - the Melbourne bloggers!
33. Which blog makes you laugh the most? Tequilla Mockingbird - although he hasn't posted for AGES, some of his posts had me crying, they were hilarious!!! This is my favourite post.
34. Which blog is the most heartwarming? I really like Phil's actually - I just enjoy seeing how happy he is with Rich!
35. Which blogger do you think is the best cook? Tom - he had better be if his restaurant is going to be a success!
36. Which blogger would you most want to meet your family? Well, the only family that is still talking to me is my brother Mark in London, and so I'd like him to meet the London bloggers.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Monty's Mardi Gras Musings...
Well, it's all done and dusted for 2008! But what a weekend it was!
The Tourist, who I met 2 weeks ago on Fair Day weekend, flew back into Sydney late Friday afternoon and messaged me on the train in from the airport. "Monty, would you like to catch up this evening?". Would I? Hell yeah! "Meet me on the roof of my hotel when you finish work" - he gave me the name of his hotel...a rather pleasant hotel in the Rocks.
I turned up about 6pm, with a 6 pack of beer in my backpack (he'd told me to bring a couple of beers), fully suited out. It turns out, the roof top is where the pool and spa is and he met me there, clad in his swimmers and a towel. He gave me his room card and told me that a pair of swimming trunks was laid out on his bed for me. I left the beers with him, and went down to his room, quickly changed and popped back up to the roof. It was one of those spectacular late summer/early autumn evenings in Sydney...clear blue skies, just a touch of crispness in the air. Thankfully, on the roof, we were in full sun and I was still quite warm from the walk. So we had a quick dip in the pool which was very refreshing! We then jumped into the heated spa which was delightful and opened the first two beers. 2 hrs later, 6 beers finished and dusk well and truly upon us, we were completely relaxed and completely alone! So we indulged in a bit of snogging, and the occasional grope! This man knows how to hit my buttons, that's for sure! Suffice to say, we didn't part company until 10pm Sunday night! I spent the entire weekend with him, stayed with him in his hotel room - it was practically a weekend away for me which was splendid fun!
Anyway, onto the Mardi Gras itself...
Met up with my mates Dan and Ivan, at about 5.30pm Sat arvo at the Columbian for a couple of pre-parade drinks. We then purchased a couple of stools from a streetside vendor and walked up to Flinders St where is was less full on. I must say, the parade was lots of fun. The mood of the people around us was great, everyone was happy and friendly - it was a really nice sense of community there. The floats came by, and they kept coming by, and kept coming by, and we wondered if they were ever going to finish! Some of the gaps were a little long, and some of the floats a little confusing (what the heck is Koala Sutra and what has it to do with being gay?) but some (PUMP - hot boys; Surf Lifesaving - hot boys) were fantastic spectacles. And it was exciting to see friends in the parade - NSSG with the 58/08 float, Simon in the Defense float, and Tad driving the (US) Democrats float truck!
Once it was all over, we joined the mass exodus to The Party! Wow! It was really full this year! I met up with heaps more friends there, but stuck with my little party of Dan and The Tourist all night. It was fun to see the midnight and 2am shows but the music just really didn't do it for me. Is it so wrong to ask for music that hasn't been mixed, remixed and postmixed to within an inch of its life so that you lose all sense of the original song? It all just becomes doof doof after a while and unless you're, ahem, chemically enhanced or drunk off your face, it gets a bit repetitive. We tried a few different pavillions but nothing really grabbed us. And when we went back at 3.30am to the RHI for Olivia's show, the doors were locked and no-one was allowed in...it was already too full. Doh! So we missed out on the highlight of the whole party! It was raining by that stage, and we were all flagging , so we decided to end it and head home.
So the Tourist and I crashed at his hotel...we were in bed by about 5am and ended up not leaving the bed until 6.30pm Sunday night! Bliss. It was simply decadent to spend the entire day in bed with such a hot guy! Took him for dinner at Opera Quays and it was a perfect night for dining al fresco! A nice moonlit stroll around the Opera House followed - some lovely romantic moments to remember! We parted company at 10pm, he to his hotel - he had a 7am flight to Melbourne the following day - and me home.
I had Monday off and so met up for a bloggers brunch with Tom then had a lazy afternoon reading the paper, cleaning up the apartment and some sundry shopping. I then had to cab it into the city for my Monday afternoon torture session with my personal trainer Greg. He's very pleased with my progress thus far and I must say, so am I. I'm actually starting to see results! Yes, that's right folks, Monty is getting muscles!!!
But I must say, it's been an absolutely splendid weekend! One of the best weekends ever! And mostly, it's due to The Tourist. It's amazing to think that we've only met a couple of weeks ago, such is the level of familiarity that we have with each other. We're very comfortable with each other and he's just an easy person to be around. I tell you, if he was in Sydney, I'd be going for him! But true to Monty form, it's destined to be naught but a holiday romance (a FABULOUS holiday romance none-the-less).
One of these days, I will meet a guy who's really nice AND living in Sydney AND intending to stay in Sydney!
I do have a pic of us to post and will add it when I get home tonight.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Mates...
I had dinner (and one or two beers) with my mate Muzbot tonight. We've not caught up since his birthday in January so there was lots of stuff to discuss. And it was great! More than great, it was fan-bloody-tastic!
We actually met at the first Sydney Bloggers Meet on 18th February 2007 so it's been just over a year! But what a year it's been! And over that whole time, Muz has been there, supporting and advising me, and just being a great friend. I remember the first time we met up after the Bloggers Meet, at the Commodore Hotel, how relaxed I felt with him. He's a very sweet guy; a very honest man and someone who's friendship I value very highly!
So thanks Muz! Thanks for the past year! Thanks for the reality checks you give me! Thanks for the gallons and gallons of beer we've consumed! Thanks for the teary moments! Thanks for the laughs! Thanks for the insights you've provided - insights to yourself, and insights into my own self! You are one in a million!
Monty! x
We actually met at the first Sydney Bloggers Meet on 18th February 2007 so it's been just over a year! But what a year it's been! And over that whole time, Muz has been there, supporting and advising me, and just being a great friend. I remember the first time we met up after the Bloggers Meet, at the Commodore Hotel, how relaxed I felt with him. He's a very sweet guy; a very honest man and someone who's friendship I value very highly!
So thanks Muz! Thanks for the past year! Thanks for the reality checks you give me! Thanks for the gallons and gallons of beer we've consumed! Thanks for the teary moments! Thanks for the laughs! Thanks for the insights you've provided - insights to yourself, and insights into my own self! You are one in a million!
Monty! x
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Blogging meme...
Stole this off Yani...with his blessing of course! :-)
Do you promote your blog?
Not at all. It's mainly come from blogs that I've read - ones that have been linked to other blogs that I read. It's a fascinating way that blogging links are made!
How often do you check hits?
All the time...particularly if I've blogged something really personal (like my rant in January) where I am really wanting some feedback.
Do you stick to one topic?
Hello, have you read my blog? It's all over the place! Well, kinda. :-)
Who knows that you have a blog?
There a couple of friends I've told about my blog, but not the address...just the fact that I do blog. Otherwise, it's just the bloggers! (oh, and my brother Mark)
How many blogs do you read?
Well, the ones that are on my blog-roll...haven't actually counted them.
Are you a fast reader?
Yep
Do you customise your blog or do anything technical?
Have you seen my blog? It's the most basic, dull blog in history. I'm constantly jealous of all these tricky things that other bloggers do!
Do you blog anonymously?
Yep! Except for the fact that I've met more than half of my readers, so to that extent, I'm not exactly anonymous anymore. AND I've posted all these pics of myself!
To what extent do you censor yourself?
Not much at all. If you've read it, you'll quickly see that I'm pretty much out there...
That being said, I don't go into details about sexual stuff. Gotta have some limits.
The best thing about blogging?
Two things. My fellow bloggers - it's amazing to read some amazing stories and to compare notes. I've met so many of them as well, and am truly blessed to have made friends through blogging! The other thing...the ability to get stuff off my chest! As I've commented before, it really helps me to move on from issues I may be having etc. I'm a HUGE proponent of blogging as a form of therapy!
Do you promote your blog?
Not at all. It's mainly come from blogs that I've read - ones that have been linked to other blogs that I read. It's a fascinating way that blogging links are made!
How often do you check hits?
All the time...particularly if I've blogged something really personal (like my rant in January) where I am really wanting some feedback.
Do you stick to one topic?
Hello, have you read my blog? It's all over the place! Well, kinda. :-)
Who knows that you have a blog?
There a couple of friends I've told about my blog, but not the address...just the fact that I do blog. Otherwise, it's just the bloggers! (oh, and my brother Mark)
How many blogs do you read?
Well, the ones that are on my blog-roll...haven't actually counted them.
Are you a fast reader?
Yep
Do you customise your blog or do anything technical?
Have you seen my blog? It's the most basic, dull blog in history. I'm constantly jealous of all these tricky things that other bloggers do!
Do you blog anonymously?
Yep! Except for the fact that I've met more than half of my readers, so to that extent, I'm not exactly anonymous anymore. AND I've posted all these pics of myself!
To what extent do you censor yourself?
Not much at all. If you've read it, you'll quickly see that I'm pretty much out there...
That being said, I don't go into details about sexual stuff. Gotta have some limits.
The best thing about blogging?
Two things. My fellow bloggers - it's amazing to read some amazing stories and to compare notes. I've met so many of them as well, and am truly blessed to have made friends through blogging! The other thing...the ability to get stuff off my chest! As I've commented before, it really helps me to move on from issues I may be having etc. I'm a HUGE proponent of blogging as a form of therapy!
Bloggers Meet...
James O'Brien left this message on my blog and I thought it's not a bad idea...so all and sundry, please come along!
Gay? Lesbian? Bisexual? Transgender? Intersex? Maybe you have a blog, are thinking of starting one, or just like reading blogs?Then don’t miss an informal “Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex Bloggers Meetup”, in the lead up to this year’s Mardi Gras. It will be a great chance to catch up with some other people whose blogs you may (or may not) have read, It’s totally non-political and non-pretentious. In the midst of “our season”, let’s just catch up and meet in a life beyond the computer screen.
When: Thursday February 28, 5.30pm
Where: Courthouse Hotel Beer Garden, 202-204 Australia Streets, Newtown 2042. Tel: (02) 9516 4103. The pub is located on the corner of Lennox and Australia Streets, opposite Camperdown Park. It’s just a brief walk (a few hundred metres) from Newtown Station, off King Street. Directions on Google Maps.
There will be a sign on the table indicating the blogger meetup. It’s a great pub with a terrific beer garden out the back. They charge normal prices for beer and food. More info…. http://jamesobrien.id.au/glbti/
Hope you can come, and please pass this on to other bloggers who might be keen.
Gay? Lesbian? Bisexual? Transgender? Intersex? Maybe you have a blog, are thinking of starting one, or just like reading blogs?Then don’t miss an informal “Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex Bloggers Meetup”, in the lead up to this year’s Mardi Gras. It will be a great chance to catch up with some other people whose blogs you may (or may not) have read, It’s totally non-political and non-pretentious. In the midst of “our season”, let’s just catch up and meet in a life beyond the computer screen.
When: Thursday February 28, 5.30pm
Where: Courthouse Hotel Beer Garden, 202-204 Australia Streets, Newtown 2042. Tel: (02) 9516 4103. The pub is located on the corner of Lennox and Australia Streets, opposite Camperdown Park. It’s just a brief walk (a few hundred metres) from Newtown Station, off King Street. Directions on Google Maps.
There will be a sign on the table indicating the blogger meetup. It’s a great pub with a terrific beer garden out the back. They charge normal prices for beer and food. More info…. http://jamesobrien.id.au/glbti/
Hope you can come, and please pass this on to other bloggers who might be keen.
Monday, December 31, 2007
2007...
I'm not really going to do a review of the year that was...if you've been reading my blog, you'll have a fairly good idea as to what was good and bad about 2007. But a situation yesterday kinda represented to me the past year.
Firstly, I met up with the entertaining and ever fabulous London blogger Darth Gateau who's here on holidays with his gorgeous partner TOH! I've been reading DG's blog for around a year now and met up with him (plus many more London bloggers) when I was recently in London. And so when he told me he was coming out to Sydney over Christmas/NY, I was very excited. At last I would be able to repay in some small way the hospitality and welcome that the London bloggers had shown me. In fact, DG is the 2nd London blogger to visit our fair shores this month so it's been great.
Anyway, met up with DG and TOH and of course, Muzbot yesterday afternoon at the Opera Bar - perfect day for the Opera Bar...27 degrees C, buckets of sunshine, a flawless blue sky. The Opera House was glistening in the sun, the harbour was a gorgeous blue, with the Harbour Bridge dominating the scene. Great bar to take tourists! So we had ourselves a couple of shandies but by that stage, we were getting a little hot in the sun and so decided to go to Green Park Hotel.
So we turned up there and watched as the pub progressively got more and more crowded! It was absolutely pumping! But as the evening progressed, a strange (for me anyway) thing started happening. Looked over and saw a guy that I had shagged early this year. Waved hello to him. 20 mins later, saw another prior shag. Waved hello to him too. In total, I saw 5 guys that I'd shagged in the past year! It was my Shagging Ghosts of Christmas Past! Felt quite strange to be in a bar and whichever way I looked, there was a past shag standing there. It's probably not such a strange phenomenon in Sydney, with a relatively small'ish gay community...after all they say there's only 2 degrees of separation in the Sydney gay community. But it had never happened to me before. And so, on the 30th December 2007 - the end of quite a momentous year for me - what a more appropriate thing to happen to me than to see all these guys there.
It's a completely different situation from last year. So much has changed in my circumstances (I know I keep rabbitting on about this, but it never fails to amaze me), I have become so much more confident a person, much more comfortable in my own skin and in my own sexuality. Although I came out in 2006, for me, 2007 has been more of a watershed year because it's been when what I started in 2006 really has impacted on my life.
I just can't wait for 2008 now! I'm starting a new job at work, I've decided to join a gym (gasp, yes, you heard it right, Monty is joining a gym!), and there's maybe one or two other things up my sleeve as well. EIB sent me a Christmas card this year and in it he said "2008 will be your year!", and you know, I really think that is true! Bring it on!!!
I hope everyone has a FABULOUS New Year and I hope that 2008 brings you success and happiness. Lots of hugs to you all.
Monty! xxx
Firstly, I met up with the entertaining and ever fabulous London blogger Darth Gateau who's here on holidays with his gorgeous partner TOH! I've been reading DG's blog for around a year now and met up with him (plus many more London bloggers) when I was recently in London. And so when he told me he was coming out to Sydney over Christmas/NY, I was very excited. At last I would be able to repay in some small way the hospitality and welcome that the London bloggers had shown me. In fact, DG is the 2nd London blogger to visit our fair shores this month so it's been great.
Anyway, met up with DG and TOH and of course, Muzbot yesterday afternoon at the Opera Bar - perfect day for the Opera Bar...27 degrees C, buckets of sunshine, a flawless blue sky. The Opera House was glistening in the sun, the harbour was a gorgeous blue, with the Harbour Bridge dominating the scene. Great bar to take tourists! So we had ourselves a couple of shandies but by that stage, we were getting a little hot in the sun and so decided to go to Green Park Hotel.
So we turned up there and watched as the pub progressively got more and more crowded! It was absolutely pumping! But as the evening progressed, a strange (for me anyway) thing started happening. Looked over and saw a guy that I had shagged early this year. Waved hello to him. 20 mins later, saw another prior shag. Waved hello to him too. In total, I saw 5 guys that I'd shagged in the past year! It was my Shagging Ghosts of Christmas Past! Felt quite strange to be in a bar and whichever way I looked, there was a past shag standing there. It's probably not such a strange phenomenon in Sydney, with a relatively small'ish gay community...after all they say there's only 2 degrees of separation in the Sydney gay community. But it had never happened to me before. And so, on the 30th December 2007 - the end of quite a momentous year for me - what a more appropriate thing to happen to me than to see all these guys there.
It's a completely different situation from last year. So much has changed in my circumstances (I know I keep rabbitting on about this, but it never fails to amaze me), I have become so much more confident a person, much more comfortable in my own skin and in my own sexuality. Although I came out in 2006, for me, 2007 has been more of a watershed year because it's been when what I started in 2006 really has impacted on my life.
I just can't wait for 2008 now! I'm starting a new job at work, I've decided to join a gym (gasp, yes, you heard it right, Monty is joining a gym!), and there's maybe one or two other things up my sleeve as well. EIB sent me a Christmas card this year and in it he said "2008 will be your year!", and you know, I really think that is true! Bring it on!!!
I hope everyone has a FABULOUS New Year and I hope that 2008 brings you success and happiness. Lots of hugs to you all.
Monty! xxx
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Dinner Party...the next day
What a night I had! The dinner party was excellent; I really had a great time. The food - well, the veal was a little, ummm, well cooked shall we say. But the entree and dessert worked perfectly. We managed to consume 6 bottles of wine between the 6 of us, which is impressive considering that three of the party were driving and so the burden of alcohol consumption fell mainly on the remaining three of us.
But I think the best part of the night was simply the enjoyment of friendship! Four of the guests - Evan, McDreamy, DG and Jacqui - have played a significant part in my life in 2007, being there for me, supporting me, laughing with me, providing shoulders to cry on (figuratively and literally), and so it was very special for me to have them over. One of the guests was a new friend (and fellow blogger) Mike and it was great to see that everyone got on very well; there were plenty of laughs throughout the night.
I was exhausted by the end, but also energized and exhilarated. I love spending time with friends, and when you can do it in relaxed surroundings, it's just fantastic. I think last night was a great way to say goodbye to 2007 with those guys, as we're all going our separate ways for Christmas and won't all be together again before next year.
Today was the clean up and was there lots of that!!! But it was very worthwhile!
But I think the best part of the night was simply the enjoyment of friendship! Four of the guests - Evan, McDreamy, DG and Jacqui - have played a significant part in my life in 2007, being there for me, supporting me, laughing with me, providing shoulders to cry on (figuratively and literally), and so it was very special for me to have them over. One of the guests was a new friend (and fellow blogger) Mike and it was great to see that everyone got on very well; there were plenty of laughs throughout the night.
I was exhausted by the end, but also energized and exhilarated. I love spending time with friends, and when you can do it in relaxed surroundings, it's just fantastic. I think last night was a great way to say goodbye to 2007 with those guys, as we're all going our separate ways for Christmas and won't all be together again before next year.
Today was the clean up and was there lots of that!!! But it was very worthwhile!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
A Gay Ol' Time in London Town...
Well, my weekend turned out pretty damn well exactly as I hoped it might! Wahooooo! Monty got his shag...or two...!
My brother and his boyfriend flew over to Berlin for Carter's birthday so I had the place to myself all weekend! And so, I invited last Sunday's date, Ewen, over for dinner and a sleepover. I made a rather delish dinner for him, had the candles going, mood set! And it went off rather well. He's a great snuggler and being a couple of inches shorter than me, he fitted in against me quite nicely when we were spooning. A really sweet guy, with whom I'll definitely be keeping in contact with.
Saturday dawned and once I kicked Ewen out, I cleaned up and then did a quick bus trip to Fulham Broadway for some sundry shopping and then home again...it was a grey ol' day and so not a particularly good day to be a tourist. So, I spent the arvo watching the rest of SATC Series Four. Had a snooze (well, it was a very tiring day) and then after dinner, headed into Soho and met up with Dan from Wordage (formerly known as Dan in Melbourne) and his brand spanking new husband Steven. I had orginally met them at the Sydney Bloggers Meet in July when they were in Australia on holidays so it was great to catch up with them - they were just returned from their honeymoon and it's sooo nice to see gay married couples! The UK is so forward thinking in that respect...unlike Australia at the moment. Anyway, Soul Seared Dreamer turned up a little bit later, and then a few more of Dan and Steven's friends. We ended up at a club called Ghetto which I had never heard of and had a great time! I consumed waaaaaay too many Strongbows that night but I did meet a rather dishy Englishman called Richard with a magnificent furrrry chest and so snogged him at length before inviting him home! God I'm such a slut sometimes! Caught sight of SSD entwined with some blonde giant so I was glad that the two singles out that night (namely us two) managed to find ourselves a man each! Being rather pissed, and rather horny, I left without saying goodbye to any of the guys...which I felt very bad about the next day! Sorry Dan and Steven! But spent the night in Richards arms, my head on his lovely chest so it was a very very very good night! We woke up around 11am when my phone beeped at me (text received) - it was my Sunday lunch date (oh yes, it was a busy weekend I had planned for myself)...CRAP! I texted him back and asked if we could meet for a late lunch...and then remembered that thanks to the ending of Daylight Savings here in the UK, I had a whole extra hour! Thank goodness. Richard left and I went straight back to bed for another 2 hrs! Woke up, bathed and dressed, and into Soho to meet up with Laurent, a Frenchman working in the French embassy here in London. I had been chatting to him on Gaydar since getting back from Cairo and Sunday lunch was about the only time that we could align our schedules. Turns out, he's lovely too! We had lunch and then spent the afternoon wandering the wet streets of London, quite randomly, and then, when the rain got too heavy, we popped into the National Portrait Gallery - a very interesting place...and warm...and dry...and FREE! He had arranged to meet a friend at 5pm, so we parted ways but I'm planning on meeting up with him (I hope) when I return from Paris. If I can squeeze him in somewhere!
I found an Internet cafe nearby and so logged on for the first time in about 4 days, caught up with some blogs, email, Facebook...you know, the usual stuff. And then, it was off to meet yet another London blogger, Nick from Poobaba! And yet another great guy! He married his boyfriend in July and they've just bought themselves a house which is sweet. He is so easy to talk to, and has a very interesting job! So, a couple of shandies later, he had to go...he'd been at work all day so it was actually really nice of him that he was even willing to meet up with me at all. Once he left, I quickly finished my drink and choofed off home, where I needed to tidy up big time!
Today, it dawned just a little bit overcast however quickly cleared and so I caught the train to Windsor and spent the afternoon going through Windsor Castle! What a place! Very cool indeed! Got some fabulous pics too! Really enjoyed my day there!
So, it's been a big weekend...a couple of shags, a bunch of bloggers, a French date, and a castle! A fantastic final weekend in London I must say, and I also have to say a BIG THANK YOU to Dan and Steven, SSD and Nick for their part in making it so! I think I have now met all the London bloggers that I reguarly read which is awesome! And tomorrow night looks like it's going to be another bloggers meet, albeit less alcoholic than last time. Wednesday, I'm off to Paris...ahhhh Gay Paris! Weeeeee!
My brother and his boyfriend flew over to Berlin for Carter's birthday so I had the place to myself all weekend! And so, I invited last Sunday's date, Ewen, over for dinner and a sleepover. I made a rather delish dinner for him, had the candles going, mood set! And it went off rather well. He's a great snuggler and being a couple of inches shorter than me, he fitted in against me quite nicely when we were spooning. A really sweet guy, with whom I'll definitely be keeping in contact with.
Saturday dawned and once I kicked Ewen out, I cleaned up and then did a quick bus trip to Fulham Broadway for some sundry shopping and then home again...it was a grey ol' day and so not a particularly good day to be a tourist. So, I spent the arvo watching the rest of SATC Series Four. Had a snooze (well, it was a very tiring day) and then after dinner, headed into Soho and met up with Dan from Wordage (formerly known as Dan in Melbourne) and his brand spanking new husband Steven. I had orginally met them at the Sydney Bloggers Meet in July when they were in Australia on holidays so it was great to catch up with them - they were just returned from their honeymoon and it's sooo nice to see gay married couples! The UK is so forward thinking in that respect...unlike Australia at the moment. Anyway, Soul Seared Dreamer turned up a little bit later, and then a few more of Dan and Steven's friends. We ended up at a club called Ghetto which I had never heard of and had a great time! I consumed waaaaaay too many Strongbows that night but I did meet a rather dishy Englishman called Richard with a magnificent furrrry chest and so snogged him at length before inviting him home! God I'm such a slut sometimes! Caught sight of SSD entwined with some blonde giant so I was glad that the two singles out that night (namely us two) managed to find ourselves a man each! Being rather pissed, and rather horny, I left without saying goodbye to any of the guys...which I felt very bad about the next day! Sorry Dan and Steven! But spent the night in Richards arms, my head on his lovely chest so it was a very very very good night! We woke up around 11am when my phone beeped at me (text received) - it was my Sunday lunch date (oh yes, it was a busy weekend I had planned for myself)...CRAP! I texted him back and asked if we could meet for a late lunch...and then remembered that thanks to the ending of Daylight Savings here in the UK, I had a whole extra hour! Thank goodness. Richard left and I went straight back to bed for another 2 hrs! Woke up, bathed and dressed, and into Soho to meet up with Laurent, a Frenchman working in the French embassy here in London. I had been chatting to him on Gaydar since getting back from Cairo and Sunday lunch was about the only time that we could align our schedules. Turns out, he's lovely too! We had lunch and then spent the afternoon wandering the wet streets of London, quite randomly, and then, when the rain got too heavy, we popped into the National Portrait Gallery - a very interesting place...and warm...and dry...and FREE! He had arranged to meet a friend at 5pm, so we parted ways but I'm planning on meeting up with him (I hope) when I return from Paris. If I can squeeze him in somewhere!
I found an Internet cafe nearby and so logged on for the first time in about 4 days, caught up with some blogs, email, Facebook...you know, the usual stuff. And then, it was off to meet yet another London blogger, Nick from Poobaba! And yet another great guy! He married his boyfriend in July and they've just bought themselves a house which is sweet. He is so easy to talk to, and has a very interesting job! So, a couple of shandies later, he had to go...he'd been at work all day so it was actually really nice of him that he was even willing to meet up with me at all. Once he left, I quickly finished my drink and choofed off home, where I needed to tidy up big time!
Today, it dawned just a little bit overcast however quickly cleared and so I caught the train to Windsor and spent the afternoon going through Windsor Castle! What a place! Very cool indeed! Got some fabulous pics too! Really enjoyed my day there!
So, it's been a big weekend...a couple of shags, a bunch of bloggers, a French date, and a castle! A fantastic final weekend in London I must say, and I also have to say a BIG THANK YOU to Dan and Steven, SSD and Nick for their part in making it so! I think I have now met all the London bloggers that I reguarly read which is awesome! And tomorrow night looks like it's going to be another bloggers meet, albeit less alcoholic than last time. Wednesday, I'm off to Paris...ahhhh Gay Paris! Weeeeee!
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Monty on Tour 3...
I'm exhausted!!! I was just talking to Darth Gateau and realized that I've not had a night at home since I got here! It's been an absolute whirlwind! And I'm loving it!
Well, as mentioned in my previous post, I had arrange to meet up with all the bloggers. Tuesday night, I met the very charming GayBanker! We met in a bar in the City that used to be a banking chamber (how very appropriate) for a warm'ish beer which was actually quite good! I could get used to it! We went to dinner at a restuarant with some amazing views of London (thankfully the rain that had poured down all day had miraculously cleared up and it was a fine, clear evening) and I must say, he's an exceptional dining companion! Read his post about the night, as he puts it so much better than I - but I just want to say that I had a great night with him! Meeting bloggers can be a challenging thing - some bloggers seem completely different in person to their blogging personality, some you form a picture in your mind and they can turn out nothing like what you imagine. But I must say GayBanker exceeded my expectations!
I then met up with Kev in NZ yesterday - we had lunch at a pub called The Albert - somewhere near'ish Victoria I think - and then went for a nice long walk along the Southbank of the Thames from Westminster down to the Tate and then, back across the Milenium bridge and into the City! It was also great to meet him and enjoy a bit of mutual eye-candy spotting! He agrees with me that London is full of HOT GUYS!!! So it was a great afternoon! I'm now working on persuading him to visit Sydney soon!
And then last night, I attended the inagaural International Bloggers Meet - Darth Gateau, CuteCTGuy and Guy In London were all in attendance and I must say, it was a seriously FUN night! Copious quantities of alcohol were consumed, underwear preferences revealed (quite literally), hairy chests exposed (mmmmmmm...) and nipples tweaked! Just the usual stuff that happens when a bunch of gay boys get together really! LOL We're hoping to repeat the evening at least one more time while I'm here in London!
Today, the weather is looking quite good - the sun is out and it's pleasantly cool. I'm about to choof off to the shops to purchase some groceries - I promised Mark and Simon that I'd make them dinner tonight so it will actually be lovely just to be at home and catch up on what they've been doing in the past few days - I have not actually had a proper conversation with either of them since Saturday night! It's been ships in the night since then!!!!! Crazy!!!!!!
But I do have to say, I'm having the time of my life - this holiday is turning out to be the BEST EVER!!! :-)
Well, as mentioned in my previous post, I had arrange to meet up with all the bloggers. Tuesday night, I met the very charming GayBanker! We met in a bar in the City that used to be a banking chamber (how very appropriate) for a warm'ish beer which was actually quite good! I could get used to it! We went to dinner at a restuarant with some amazing views of London (thankfully the rain that had poured down all day had miraculously cleared up and it was a fine, clear evening) and I must say, he's an exceptional dining companion! Read his post about the night, as he puts it so much better than I - but I just want to say that I had a great night with him! Meeting bloggers can be a challenging thing - some bloggers seem completely different in person to their blogging personality, some you form a picture in your mind and they can turn out nothing like what you imagine. But I must say GayBanker exceeded my expectations!
I then met up with Kev in NZ yesterday - we had lunch at a pub called The Albert - somewhere near'ish Victoria I think - and then went for a nice long walk along the Southbank of the Thames from Westminster down to the Tate and then, back across the Milenium bridge and into the City! It was also great to meet him and enjoy a bit of mutual eye-candy spotting! He agrees with me that London is full of HOT GUYS!!! So it was a great afternoon! I'm now working on persuading him to visit Sydney soon!
And then last night, I attended the inagaural International Bloggers Meet - Darth Gateau, CuteCTGuy and Guy In London were all in attendance and I must say, it was a seriously FUN night! Copious quantities of alcohol were consumed, underwear preferences revealed (quite literally), hairy chests exposed (mmmmmmm...) and nipples tweaked! Just the usual stuff that happens when a bunch of gay boys get together really! LOL We're hoping to repeat the evening at least one more time while I'm here in London!
Today, the weather is looking quite good - the sun is out and it's pleasantly cool. I'm about to choof off to the shops to purchase some groceries - I promised Mark and Simon that I'd make them dinner tonight so it will actually be lovely just to be at home and catch up on what they've been doing in the past few days - I have not actually had a proper conversation with either of them since Saturday night! It's been ships in the night since then!!!!! Crazy!!!!!!
But I do have to say, I'm having the time of my life - this holiday is turning out to be the BEST EVER!!! :-)
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Monty on Tour 2...
OK, it's now Tuesday morning here in cold, rainy London - yes, what a change a couple of days makes! It's been a few good days actually...not a lot in the way of traditional sight-seeing but still lots of fun! Saturday, we headed over to a bar in Paddington that's run by one of my brother Mark's friends, and we watched the Rugby game with a whole bunch of Aussies! (and there were some really HOT Aussies there too) The game was so so...we lost so not a lot to celebrate, but it was fun just spending a Saturday arvo with a bunch of fellow Aussies in a London bar!
Simon, Mark's b/f, decided that I needed to experience some of London's gay scene and so we grabbed the tube into the city and Soho'ed our sox off. We went to about 4 bars that I can recall, but after that, things get a bit hazy! Monty was one rather inebriated chap by night's end! Good fun, but the next day, I was paying the price for my overindulgence!
Sunday, I had organized to meet up with Matt, my friend that I hooked up with last year when I was in London. It was lovely to see him again - it's been 3 months since I last saw him when he spent the weekend with me in Sydney when he was over there on holidays. We toddled off to Covent Garden, had some lunch and had a bit of a walk around the place. I was flagging rather badly (combination of the previous night's alcoholic excess and some residual jetlag) so we caught the bus home and he made dinner and we watched some TV. PERFECT! A nice early night - and well, some, ahem, catching up on old times! He he he!
A Lovely Big Sleep In on Monday was fab - we didn't get up until about 11am! Magnificent! We grabbed some lunch and coffee on the run and hit the Tate Gallery! Interesting...but I must admit, my tastes do tend to run to the traditional. There was some lovely sculptures but some of the other so called art left me rather underinspired. But it was good to do it anyway. We walked across the Millenium Bridge into the middle of the City of London and walked some more! We ended up grabbing some toasted sandwiches around 4pm and then back home! After a quick shower, back into town and we had dinner at a cafe near Leicester Square and then...Avenue Q! I doubt that many Aussies would have heard about it, but it's soooo worth going to see if you come to London! Think The Muppets in an Adults Only musical! HILARIOUS!!! Quite literally laugh-out-loud - one of the funniest things I've seen for a long time! So it was an excellent end to a rather enjoyable day!
We were both smashed this morning - and it was an early rise (grrrrrr) - up at 7am so that he could get to Uni (and before you think I've gone twinky, Matt's a mature age student) and me so that I could get back to Mark and Simon's before they left for work. And here I've been ever since...made myself some breakfast and watched Spice Girls, the Movie! Nothing quite like a highbrow movie! ha ha! As I said, it's a bit of a miserable day out there, and so it's perfect to stay at home and catch up on my blog, my emails, my diary and some reading. Tonight, I'm priviledged to be meeting the very elusive Gay Banker for drinks and supper which is going to be great - good to be able to put a name and face to the very fascinating blog! And tomorrow, I'm meeting up with Kev in NZ for coffee and a chat and then tomorrow night, the International Bloggers Meet, with Darth Gateau, CuteCTGuy and Guy In London! So it's a bit of a blogging fest over the next 36 hours of so...think I'll need all Thursday to recover! Can't wait!!!
Simon, Mark's b/f, decided that I needed to experience some of London's gay scene and so we grabbed the tube into the city and Soho'ed our sox off. We went to about 4 bars that I can recall, but after that, things get a bit hazy! Monty was one rather inebriated chap by night's end! Good fun, but the next day, I was paying the price for my overindulgence!
Sunday, I had organized to meet up with Matt, my friend that I hooked up with last year when I was in London. It was lovely to see him again - it's been 3 months since I last saw him when he spent the weekend with me in Sydney when he was over there on holidays. We toddled off to Covent Garden, had some lunch and had a bit of a walk around the place. I was flagging rather badly (combination of the previous night's alcoholic excess and some residual jetlag) so we caught the bus home and he made dinner and we watched some TV. PERFECT! A nice early night - and well, some, ahem, catching up on old times! He he he!
A Lovely Big Sleep In on Monday was fab - we didn't get up until about 11am! Magnificent! We grabbed some lunch and coffee on the run and hit the Tate Gallery! Interesting...but I must admit, my tastes do tend to run to the traditional. There was some lovely sculptures but some of the other so called art left me rather underinspired. But it was good to do it anyway. We walked across the Millenium Bridge into the middle of the City of London and walked some more! We ended up grabbing some toasted sandwiches around 4pm and then back home! After a quick shower, back into town and we had dinner at a cafe near Leicester Square and then...Avenue Q! I doubt that many Aussies would have heard about it, but it's soooo worth going to see if you come to London! Think The Muppets in an Adults Only musical! HILARIOUS!!! Quite literally laugh-out-loud - one of the funniest things I've seen for a long time! So it was an excellent end to a rather enjoyable day!
We were both smashed this morning - and it was an early rise (grrrrrr) - up at 7am so that he could get to Uni (and before you think I've gone twinky, Matt's a mature age student) and me so that I could get back to Mark and Simon's before they left for work. And here I've been ever since...made myself some breakfast and watched Spice Girls, the Movie! Nothing quite like a highbrow movie! ha ha! As I said, it's a bit of a miserable day out there, and so it's perfect to stay at home and catch up on my blog, my emails, my diary and some reading. Tonight, I'm priviledged to be meeting the very elusive Gay Banker for drinks and supper which is going to be great - good to be able to put a name and face to the very fascinating blog! And tomorrow, I'm meeting up with Kev in NZ for coffee and a chat and then tomorrow night, the International Bloggers Meet, with Darth Gateau, CuteCTGuy and Guy In London! So it's a bit of a blogging fest over the next 36 hours of so...think I'll need all Thursday to recover! Can't wait!!!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Up up and away...part II...
I'm starting to get very excited now! I have less than 3 weeks of work left before I'm on 6 weeks' holiday and just over 4 weeks before I actually fly out of Sydney. I posted a blog a couple of weeks ago about booking my London flights with Virgin Atlantic and over the course of the last couple of days, have booked more flights for the other legs of my journey.
So far...
4 Oct Depart Sydney
5 Oct Arrive London
13 Oct Fly to Cairo
17 Oct Return to London
31 Oct Fly to Paris
4 Nov Return to London
8 Nov Depart London
10 Nov Arrive Sydney
There may be one more side trip to take between the 17th and 31st Oct but I've yet to work that out.
There's so much I am looking forward to - seeing my brother Mark and his B/F Simon again (I'm staying with them whilst in London so I expect to be seeing quite a lot of them), seeing one of my oldest friends (Marie) again, seeing Matt again, meeting Darth Gateau, Guy In London, CuteCTGuy and possibly one or two other London bloggers, seeing more of London, Paris and Cairo and surrounds, and the highlight of course will be spending time in Cairo and Paris with my lovely friend EIB. It will be almost exactly 12 months since we last saw each other and I'm really hanging out to see him again and have some major chats with him! And giving (and receiving) the last 12 months' worth of hugs that we owe each other. Both he and I (esp me) have been through some fairly significant stuff over the past year and our regular Sunday chats have been a great source of advice and reassurance (and lots of laughs) which has really cemented our friendship! Can't wait!!!
So far...
4 Oct Depart Sydney
5 Oct Arrive London
13 Oct Fly to Cairo
17 Oct Return to London
31 Oct Fly to Paris
4 Nov Return to London
8 Nov Depart London
10 Nov Arrive Sydney
There may be one more side trip to take between the 17th and 31st Oct but I've yet to work that out.
There's so much I am looking forward to - seeing my brother Mark and his B/F Simon again (I'm staying with them whilst in London so I expect to be seeing quite a lot of them), seeing one of my oldest friends (Marie) again, seeing Matt again, meeting Darth Gateau, Guy In London, CuteCTGuy and possibly one or two other London bloggers, seeing more of London, Paris and Cairo and surrounds, and the highlight of course will be spending time in Cairo and Paris with my lovely friend EIB. It will be almost exactly 12 months since we last saw each other and I'm really hanging out to see him again and have some major chats with him! And giving (and receiving) the last 12 months' worth of hugs that we owe each other. Both he and I (esp me) have been through some fairly significant stuff over the past year and our regular Sunday chats have been a great source of advice and reassurance (and lots of laughs) which has really cemented our friendship! Can't wait!!!
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Pics...
Pictures are going up on blogs left right and centre at the moment...check out McDreamy's blog and Pedestrian Fair's blog - both have posted recent and 80's pics! I'm a HUGE fan of this.
I must say, now that I've posted a couple of face pics, I'm a lot less nervous about posting more. And seeing as how I've met quite a few bloggers in person now, there seems less reason to hide my face! So, be prepared readers, for more of Monty!
Anyhoo (picked that expression up from Muzbot), met up with fellow blogger Tom last night and we watched The Simpson's Movie - me for the first time, and Tom for the second time. Sensational! I love the Simpsons and this was just 90 minutes of pure Simpsons WITHOUT ads! How good does it get!!! Sensational! And it was great to catch up with Tom as well, as always.
Tonight is C3's birthday dinner. We're going up to The Summit Bar on top of Australia Square for drinks (and I'm meeting 4 of his friends which is kinda scary) and then having dinner in the restaurant there as well. I've not been to the top of Australia Square since 1980 when we came to Sydney on a family holiday. At the time, it was the highest building in Sydney. Not anymore, but I'm still looking forward to going back up! And to the dinner. I'm a bit nervous about meeting his friends. Hope they like me! Hope I like them!
I must say, now that I've posted a couple of face pics, I'm a lot less nervous about posting more. And seeing as how I've met quite a few bloggers in person now, there seems less reason to hide my face! So, be prepared readers, for more of Monty!
Anyhoo (picked that expression up from Muzbot), met up with fellow blogger Tom last night and we watched The Simpson's Movie - me for the first time, and Tom for the second time. Sensational! I love the Simpsons and this was just 90 minutes of pure Simpsons WITHOUT ads! How good does it get!!! Sensational! And it was great to catch up with Tom as well, as always.
Tonight is C3's birthday dinner. We're going up to The Summit Bar on top of Australia Square for drinks (and I'm meeting 4 of his friends which is kinda scary) and then having dinner in the restaurant there as well. I've not been to the top of Australia Square since 1980 when we came to Sydney on a family holiday. At the time, it was the highest building in Sydney. Not anymore, but I'm still looking forward to going back up! And to the dinner. I'm a bit nervous about meeting his friends. Hope they like me! Hope I like them!
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
A Bloggers Meet...
We had our Sydney vs Melbourne Bloggers Meet on Sunday evening at the Tilbury and as has been mentioned in SG's blog, we flogged the pants off Melbourne! tee hee hee! Not that we are gloating or anything of course, but it doesn't come as any surprise that Sydney won pants down! (metaphorically speaking of course).
I must admit, I thoroughly enjoyed this Meet, even more so than the previous one in February. I got to meet lots more bloggers, and I'm in the process of adding more links to my blog roll as a consequence. It was also great that we had an international flavour with Dan and Stephen from London joining our little soiree and I hope to catch up with them in October when I'm in London...they may even attend the International Bloggers Meet that is happening then! It just depends on the timing, as they are getting CP'd on the 6th October which is rather exciting!
This week, my life is ridiculous! By 10pm Sunday, every night this week had been booked apart from last night (Monday) which is sacred - Monday nights are Monty Time! (and just as well, it was the Grand Finale of BB07 - sad as that sounds, I had to watch it) But the rest of this week is full and I'm now having to decline invitations which I hate doing!
I left a comment on Gay Banker's blog the other day in response to one of his comments and an email he had received. And I do think that what he said is quite true - it certainly seems to be happening to me at the moment. He effectively said that projecting a confident attitude will attract guys, and certainly, it seems to be happening to me. Over the past few weeks, I have felt much more confident, feeling less worried about finding Mr Right and instead, just enjoying what life is throwing at me. And I've never been more inundated with guys wanting to see me, whether first timers or repeat offenders! My experience at Stonewall on Friday night is testament to that. AND, now that I've started dating C3 (yes, I admit, I've decided to give it a go with him), I'm not particularly wanting to meet up with these guys.
Why is it the case...when it rains, it pours! Just when it all starts cranking up, I'm winding back! Oh the irony!
Anyway, I'm not complaining; I'm actually really enjoying myself at the moment. I'm going to see what happens with C3 without trying to think things through (like I usually do), without projecting too much into the future (like I usually do), but just take it one day at a time (like I usually don't). Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
I must admit, I thoroughly enjoyed this Meet, even more so than the previous one in February. I got to meet lots more bloggers, and I'm in the process of adding more links to my blog roll as a consequence. It was also great that we had an international flavour with Dan and Stephen from London joining our little soiree and I hope to catch up with them in October when I'm in London...they may even attend the International Bloggers Meet that is happening then! It just depends on the timing, as they are getting CP'd on the 6th October which is rather exciting!
This week, my life is ridiculous! By 10pm Sunday, every night this week had been booked apart from last night (Monday) which is sacred - Monday nights are Monty Time! (and just as well, it was the Grand Finale of BB07 - sad as that sounds, I had to watch it) But the rest of this week is full and I'm now having to decline invitations which I hate doing!
I left a comment on Gay Banker's blog the other day in response to one of his comments and an email he had received. And I do think that what he said is quite true - it certainly seems to be happening to me at the moment. He effectively said that projecting a confident attitude will attract guys, and certainly, it seems to be happening to me. Over the past few weeks, I have felt much more confident, feeling less worried about finding Mr Right and instead, just enjoying what life is throwing at me. And I've never been more inundated with guys wanting to see me, whether first timers or repeat offenders! My experience at Stonewall on Friday night is testament to that. AND, now that I've started dating C3 (yes, I admit, I've decided to give it a go with him), I'm not particularly wanting to meet up with these guys.
Why is it the case...when it rains, it pours! Just when it all starts cranking up, I'm winding back! Oh the irony!
Anyway, I'm not complaining; I'm actually really enjoying myself at the moment. I'm going to see what happens with C3 without trying to think things through (like I usually do), without projecting too much into the future (like I usually do), but just take it one day at a time (like I usually don't). Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
It's good weekend number 6...
In one of my earlier blogs, Campbell left a message saying something to the effect of 'I hope your good weekends exceed the number of wives of Henry VIII' - well, it's now good weekend number 6 (in a row) so I've now equalled Henry's spouses! Thankfully, my weekends haven't turned out as tragically as many of his wives did! In fact, they've all been pretty damn sensational!
Friday 27 July 2007 was a significant day for me as I acheived a significant milestone with my employer and so to celebrate, the Bank threw a cocktail party for me and 30 or so of my nearest and dearest work colleagues in our reception rooms! It was a great night, the alcohol flowed very freely (as it generally does when one's employer is footing the bill), the canapes were delicious and represented most types of dead animal (sorry to all the vego's out there) - pheasant, quail, venison, veal, chicken, prawns, you get my drift. Yummmmo! There was a couple of (thankfully) brief speeches and a presentation to me of some lovely flowers and my present - a new DSLR camera which we had gone shopping for that afternoon. The Bank coughed up $1,000 for whatever I wanted and as the camera cost nearly double that, I coughed up with the rest. So I'm thoroughly chuffed that I've now got a fabulous camera to take overseas with me.
Needless to say, all the stuff stayed at work while we partied on...we went to the Argyle in the Rocks and I must say, it's a great bar! Haven't been there before and I was impressed. Lots of hot guys there too...unfortunately, they were with their girlfriends! Bugger! Anyway, the party kinda broke up around 11.30pm or so - most had significant others to go home to - and I was a bit at a loose end. I was tempted to go home, as I was very tired but one of my friends had texted me earlier in the evening remarking on the number of hot guys he saw at the Flinders. This had got me thinking about heading OUT on the scene rather than going home. And so, as the party was winding up I thought 'Fuck it, I'm going to do it'! I wasn't particularly drunk, I had been drinking fairly steadily over the course of the evening, enough just to keep the buzz happening, and I was over the fear that I have of going alone to a gay bar. If any have read my first ever post on this blog when I went into a gay bar in Berlin, you'll understand what I mean. For crying out loud, I'm 36 years old, surely I can walk into a bar, get a drink and see what happens. And so, I did. I went to the Stonewall, as I've been there twice before and felt reasonably comfortable there. Walked in, got my beer, and stood back and watched. Within a couple of minutes, a young'ish guy (late 20's I suppose) approached me and started chatting, and then suggested going back to his place. He was lovely, but I declined. He wandered off and then a couple, probably late 30's both of them, good looking, came up to me and started chatting. It came out that they also live on the North Shore and we had a lovely chat. They left, and another guy who looked around my age, nicely trimmed beard, started chatting to me. I was blown away by this stage that I had not had to stand there by myself for more than a couple of minutes at any given time. And this was all over the course of me drinking one beer! So, it was a great confidence booster for me - I was pretty damn chuffed with myself just for having done it, having gone to a gay bar in Sydney alone without the support of friends - and here I actually seemed to be reasonably successful in attracting guys without having to really do anything but stand there! So I had a great night!
Last night, I went on date number 2 with C3. We met at Bar 333 on George St and he'd purchased a bottle of champers for us to drink, which of course we did. I had booked tickets to see the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra as they had performing with them a sensational countertenor, Frenchman Philippe Jaroussky. I had heard him on ABC ClassicFM the previous week and they had mentioned that he was performing in Sydney for this week only. On our first date last Saturday, C3 mentioned his love of opera and so I thought this would be the perfect way to spend out second date. It was. Philippe has the voice of an angel, gives you goosebumps, and the Baroque period of music has always been my favourite so it was just AWESOME! C3 loved it too and so the night was off to a great start!
Afterwards, we needed some dinner and so I suggested coming home and ordering some home delivery - my mind was more on snuggling with this hot guy than sitting in some restaurant making conversation. He readily accepted my offer and so we did. I just find it so much more relaxing snuggling on the couch and talking; I think I'm much more open and willing to discuss more personal subjects. We ordered Thai from my favourite restaurant and it was delivered pronto and was delicious! Opened a bottle of Chardy from Silo's, a great vineyard just south of Berry, and the rest of the evening just flew by. C3 is a great snuggler, both on the couch and in bed and I must say, I'm a HUGE fan of snuggling. HUGE!
We had brunch at about 12:30 today and I took him home. Who knows how this will progress - I certainly like him, he definitely likes me, the conversation flows easily and naturally, he's emotionally generous. I think we're both in the same space in terms of expectations - we're both happy to let things happen without projecting forward too much. Whatever the case, it was a wonderful evening spent in the company of a great guy - one of the best dates I've had.
And now, I'm about to get ready and wander in to meet my fellow Sydney bloggers at the Tilbury, so it should be a good evening.
Hope you've all had great weekends too!
Friday 27 July 2007 was a significant day for me as I acheived a significant milestone with my employer and so to celebrate, the Bank threw a cocktail party for me and 30 or so of my nearest and dearest work colleagues in our reception rooms! It was a great night, the alcohol flowed very freely (as it generally does when one's employer is footing the bill), the canapes were delicious and represented most types of dead animal (sorry to all the vego's out there) - pheasant, quail, venison, veal, chicken, prawns, you get my drift. Yummmmo! There was a couple of (thankfully) brief speeches and a presentation to me of some lovely flowers and my present - a new DSLR camera which we had gone shopping for that afternoon. The Bank coughed up $1,000 for whatever I wanted and as the camera cost nearly double that, I coughed up with the rest. So I'm thoroughly chuffed that I've now got a fabulous camera to take overseas with me.
Needless to say, all the stuff stayed at work while we partied on...we went to the Argyle in the Rocks and I must say, it's a great bar! Haven't been there before and I was impressed. Lots of hot guys there too...unfortunately, they were with their girlfriends! Bugger! Anyway, the party kinda broke up around 11.30pm or so - most had significant others to go home to - and I was a bit at a loose end. I was tempted to go home, as I was very tired but one of my friends had texted me earlier in the evening remarking on the number of hot guys he saw at the Flinders. This had got me thinking about heading OUT on the scene rather than going home. And so, as the party was winding up I thought 'Fuck it, I'm going to do it'! I wasn't particularly drunk, I had been drinking fairly steadily over the course of the evening, enough just to keep the buzz happening, and I was over the fear that I have of going alone to a gay bar. If any have read my first ever post on this blog when I went into a gay bar in Berlin, you'll understand what I mean. For crying out loud, I'm 36 years old, surely I can walk into a bar, get a drink and see what happens. And so, I did. I went to the Stonewall, as I've been there twice before and felt reasonably comfortable there. Walked in, got my beer, and stood back and watched. Within a couple of minutes, a young'ish guy (late 20's I suppose) approached me and started chatting, and then suggested going back to his place. He was lovely, but I declined. He wandered off and then a couple, probably late 30's both of them, good looking, came up to me and started chatting. It came out that they also live on the North Shore and we had a lovely chat. They left, and another guy who looked around my age, nicely trimmed beard, started chatting to me. I was blown away by this stage that I had not had to stand there by myself for more than a couple of minutes at any given time. And this was all over the course of me drinking one beer! So, it was a great confidence booster for me - I was pretty damn chuffed with myself just for having done it, having gone to a gay bar in Sydney alone without the support of friends - and here I actually seemed to be reasonably successful in attracting guys without having to really do anything but stand there! So I had a great night!
Last night, I went on date number 2 with C3. We met at Bar 333 on George St and he'd purchased a bottle of champers for us to drink, which of course we did. I had booked tickets to see the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra as they had performing with them a sensational countertenor, Frenchman Philippe Jaroussky. I had heard him on ABC ClassicFM the previous week and they had mentioned that he was performing in Sydney for this week only. On our first date last Saturday, C3 mentioned his love of opera and so I thought this would be the perfect way to spend out second date. It was. Philippe has the voice of an angel, gives you goosebumps, and the Baroque period of music has always been my favourite so it was just AWESOME! C3 loved it too and so the night was off to a great start!
Afterwards, we needed some dinner and so I suggested coming home and ordering some home delivery - my mind was more on snuggling with this hot guy than sitting in some restaurant making conversation. He readily accepted my offer and so we did. I just find it so much more relaxing snuggling on the couch and talking; I think I'm much more open and willing to discuss more personal subjects. We ordered Thai from my favourite restaurant and it was delivered pronto and was delicious! Opened a bottle of Chardy from Silo's, a great vineyard just south of Berry, and the rest of the evening just flew by. C3 is a great snuggler, both on the couch and in bed and I must say, I'm a HUGE fan of snuggling. HUGE!
We had brunch at about 12:30 today and I took him home. Who knows how this will progress - I certainly like him, he definitely likes me, the conversation flows easily and naturally, he's emotionally generous. I think we're both in the same space in terms of expectations - we're both happy to let things happen without projecting forward too much. Whatever the case, it was a wonderful evening spent in the company of a great guy - one of the best dates I've had.
And now, I'm about to get ready and wander in to meet my fellow Sydney bloggers at the Tilbury, so it should be a good evening.
Hope you've all had great weekends too!
Friday, July 20, 2007
Bloggers Meet...
As some of you may not have read the announcement on Not So Single Guy's blog, there is a Sydney Bloggers Meet happening next Sunday, 29 July at the Tilbury Hotel in Woolloomoolloo from 5pm. It's also happening in Melbourne that day, so we Sydneysiders have to turn up in force so that we outnumber the Victorians little meetup.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Romance afoot...
One hears whispers of a budding inter-blogging romance...wonder who it could be? Have the gents in question left any clues in their respective posts? hmmmm...maybe between the lines?
Well, I hope for their sake that all goes well...whatever develops - friendship or romance! They both deserve it! ;-)
Well, I hope for their sake that all goes well...whatever develops - friendship or romance! They both deserve it! ;-)
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Why do I blog...?
Tom tagged me in his post about why he blogs and it's an interesting question. AND because I'm suffering from a patch of bloggers block at the moment, I thought it would be a good topic to comment on.
I know I first started blogging when I was overseas last year on Monty's Shagging Tour of Europe. I had decided to do Berlin and Eastern Europe on my own as a personal challenge and as a way of really being "out" in an environment where no-one knew me, where I could be free from the normal constraints of life. And so I arrived in Berlin full of confidence, and then it hit me...I was in a foreign country all by myself. No-one knew me, I had no-one to talk to, I didn't know where I was going...suddenly I wasn't so confident. Thankfully, NSSG's boyfriend, the late (in a blogging sense) DG was my lifeline and I logged onto MSN and had some long chats with him when I was freaking out! And it was about this time that NSSG got DG onto blogging and DG suggested that I start one as a way of expressing what I was going through in my journey. Not just my physical journey through Europe but also my journey/transition from a formerly straight boy to fully fledged gay boy!
And so I started it, more out of curiosity...a kind of see-how-it-goes experiment. And it was liberating! Particularly whilst overseas, I could express myself about what I was going through via blog even if I couldn't talk to anyone about it. AND for the first time in my life, I was able to express myself openly about subjects that were formerly very taboo...ie gay stuff. And in reading other people's blogs, suddenly I realized that there were lots of people out there in the blogosphere who had their own challenges just like me. Maybe different challenges than mine, but equally difficult or confronting for them in their own personal circumstances.
Suddenly, I discovered a hitherto unknown world of individuals drawn together and interacting with each other despite the fact that they live in different parts of the world and have for the most part, never met....and most likely would never meet. As Tom mentioned (and Campbell has in a previous blog as well), it has become somewhat of a community. In the world in which we live, where physical community has taken on less and less significance, the online community, and in particular, the blogging community has started augmenting it. I wouldn't say it has replaced it, nor would I like to suggest that, because I do feel that it's a fundamental need for humans to interact directly. But it certainly has become an important part of my life...not just the blogging, the ability to express my thoughts on whatever subject I want, but also you, my fellow bloggers, who have become an important part of my life. We all have our own blog styles - some blogs are just eye candy (mmmmmm), some are more a commentary on the gay lifestyle, some are more like an advice column, some are just simple online diaries of what you've done; some are highly amusing, some are sad, all in their own way are inspiring. And it's certainly helped me, a relative newcomer to the gay world. I've got lots of advice and support and I've met some wonderful people because of this.
DG started me on this blogging journey and although he's given me lots of advice in the time we've known each other, the suggestion to start a blog has been the single best piece of advice he's given me. And I certainly appreciate all the comments and suggestions that I've received on my blog and all the fascinating entries that you all do on your blogs! Thanks everyone! ;-)
I know I first started blogging when I was overseas last year on Monty's Shagging Tour of Europe. I had decided to do Berlin and Eastern Europe on my own as a personal challenge and as a way of really being "out" in an environment where no-one knew me, where I could be free from the normal constraints of life. And so I arrived in Berlin full of confidence, and then it hit me...I was in a foreign country all by myself. No-one knew me, I had no-one to talk to, I didn't know where I was going...suddenly I wasn't so confident. Thankfully, NSSG's boyfriend, the late (in a blogging sense) DG was my lifeline and I logged onto MSN and had some long chats with him when I was freaking out! And it was about this time that NSSG got DG onto blogging and DG suggested that I start one as a way of expressing what I was going through in my journey. Not just my physical journey through Europe but also my journey/transition from a formerly straight boy to fully fledged gay boy!
And so I started it, more out of curiosity...a kind of see-how-it-goes experiment. And it was liberating! Particularly whilst overseas, I could express myself about what I was going through via blog even if I couldn't talk to anyone about it. AND for the first time in my life, I was able to express myself openly about subjects that were formerly very taboo...ie gay stuff. And in reading other people's blogs, suddenly I realized that there were lots of people out there in the blogosphere who had their own challenges just like me. Maybe different challenges than mine, but equally difficult or confronting for them in their own personal circumstances.
Suddenly, I discovered a hitherto unknown world of individuals drawn together and interacting with each other despite the fact that they live in different parts of the world and have for the most part, never met....and most likely would never meet. As Tom mentioned (and Campbell has in a previous blog as well), it has become somewhat of a community. In the world in which we live, where physical community has taken on less and less significance, the online community, and in particular, the blogging community has started augmenting it. I wouldn't say it has replaced it, nor would I like to suggest that, because I do feel that it's a fundamental need for humans to interact directly. But it certainly has become an important part of my life...not just the blogging, the ability to express my thoughts on whatever subject I want, but also you, my fellow bloggers, who have become an important part of my life. We all have our own blog styles - some blogs are just eye candy (mmmmmm), some are more a commentary on the gay lifestyle, some are more like an advice column, some are just simple online diaries of what you've done; some are highly amusing, some are sad, all in their own way are inspiring. And it's certainly helped me, a relative newcomer to the gay world. I've got lots of advice and support and I've met some wonderful people because of this.
DG started me on this blogging journey and although he's given me lots of advice in the time we've known each other, the suggestion to start a blog has been the single best piece of advice he's given me. And I certainly appreciate all the comments and suggestions that I've received on my blog and all the fascinating entries that you all do on your blogs! Thanks everyone! ;-)
Monday, April 30, 2007
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!
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!
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