BSR

I’m trying to think of a situation anywhere else in my day to day where I’m “grandfathered in” and able to stay at a previous fee when it’s raised. Doctor? Housekeeper? Movie theatre? Grocery store?
Nope can’t think of one ?

In class in Salamanca (Spain, not Mexico) just to kill time while waiting for the teacher one day, I asked a German classmate how to say "I don't speak German" in German. He said it a few times, and I tried to repeat what I heard, but I must have been way off because he just held up his hand and sternly told me, "Just say it in English; they'll understand you." The beginning and the end of my German education.
 
Back on topic, another option is to not even bother mentioning your preference to speak Spanish, just respond or start talking in Spanish. I dealt with the situation a fair amount in Spain. Perhaps because of my appearance (I'm Filipino), occasionally Spaniards would initially speak to me in English. Forget asking or stating my preference to speak Spanish, I just responded in Spanish. Everyone caught on without missing a beat.

In class in Salamanca (Spain, not Mexico) just to kill time while waiting for the teacher one day, I asked a German classmate how to say "I don't speak German" in German. He said it a few times, and I tried to repeat what I heard, but I must have been way off because he just held up his hand and sternly told me, "Just say it in English; they'll understand you." The beginning and the end of my German education.
 
Back on topic, another option is to not even bother mentioning your preference to speak Spanish, just respond or start talking in Spanish. I dealt with the situation a fair amount in Spain. Perhaps because of my appearance (I'm Filipino), occasionally Spaniards would initially speak to me in English. Forget asking or stating my preference to speak Spanish, I just responded in Spanish. Everyone caught on without missing a beat.

The English half of his ad is a word-for-word translation of the Spanish ad copy, with two exceptions. The "up to 50 years old" line appears nowhere in the Spanish write-up. He also omits the paragraph about "write when you are sure ... "
 
I guess you could always ask about the age limit, although I myself would hesitate to because he seems awfully touchy about asking questions ("do not write to ask what is already said here!").

This is brilliant. I used to be a die-hard country fan until the genre changed into something I don't even recognize any more. How I miss the old days of Brooks & Dunn and Willie Nelson. Country music nowadays is just garbage. Florida Georgia Line? Kacey Musgrave? You couldn't pay me enough to attend one of their concerts.
 
Country music had three primary themes: a corny sense of humor, traditional bedrock values, and the white man's blues. This rather unconventional, 21st century country song is actually a throwback to the old school, that corny sense of humor - like "She Got The Gold Mine, I Got The Shaft," "Lord, It's Hard To Be Humble (When You're Perfect In Every Which Way)," and "I Got Friends In Low Places." I love it!
 
On a related yet completely unrelated note, here is a guy from Mongolia who doesn't speak English yet somehow learned to sing the George Strait classic "Amarillo By Morning"
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXkoY4-HmZs

The main advantage to living in Vancouver is that Washington has no income tax and Oregon has no sales tax, so the key is to live in the former and shop across the river in the latter.

Well, a loo-oong hiatus in this thread, but in my saga of the boys' lives I mentioned I'd been seeing someone on and off. We met doing volunteer work at Walter Reed Military Hospital, bringing meals to those staying at the Fisher Houses, home-like places where families of people in the hospital for a long time can stay, and those doing rehab for a long time as well. So lots of wounded veterans with their spouses, and sometimes with their children, along with retirees being treated for cancer and such things. About 20 of us go once a month. There was a very friendly guy, great at talking with the vets and their families, and I liked him, but as I've said, I have zero gaydar, I had no idea he was gay. Mid-30s, I thought, although I later learned he was closer to my age, about my height, very much a "guy next door" type. nice-looking and fit but not model-handsome. We talked about work a couple of times, he heard a lot about the boys, and he said he'd never been married but came close once.
 
After a few months, we were the last ones to leave one time, and he suggested going for a beer. Sure. So we each drove down into Bethesda and went to a way-too-hip for us pub and shot the breeze. And eventually the light dawned even on me that he was flirting a bit, holding eye contact and smiling and sometimes just looking at me without saying anything. I, yes, blushed, I think, but I responded in kind. By now I thought of him as a friend and didn't want to make it awkward, but clearly we were both thinking the same thing-- this could work. Finally he said he had an early day the next day, but when can we do this again? I gulped and said, I'm flexible, and he said, "That's good to know." GULP! So we made a date-- a date!-- for the next weekend, went to a play downtown (George Bernard Shaw's Candida, a play about marriage and love...), held hands walking back to the car (I had picked him up) and when we got to his place, a condo in Columbia Heights, there was an open parking space in front. He invited me in. I said yes.
 
This was late September, and we've been seeing each other ever since, not every week, but now and then. It's odd in a way that I'm not feeling "love" so much as comfort. He's a good, good guy, he works at a great non-profit, and at this point I'd say we're close friends with benefits taking our time. Before you ask, we are very compatible sexually, he's a total top and I'm happy on the bottom so that works. One thing that may be TMI-- he's bigger than I'm used to. My first couple of hires were very hung guys because that fascinated me in porn, but since then I've generally been with more average-sized men. He is not average and it has taken some getting used to. But he knows he's big and he's sensitive and patient so it's been good, and as I say, I'm getting used to it!

A few thoughts....college towns often are relatively isolated and you will be neither town nor gown which may be isolating. Also, if you want to socialize with gay people, it will be a small world of people who are happy to live in a rather isolated place. You also have decide what there is to do there...if you're not interested in sports and the school doesn't have much in the way of music or theater programs, there isn't going to be much to do/see. Some college towns like Boulder are quite expensive. Eugene seems to have had its day and passed. Austin is a sprawlburg well past its prime.
 
Are you going to try to get involved in the community? What kinds of things do you want to be doing? I have several neighbors and acquaintances who live in Rehoboth where there's enough of a gay community to have gay activities. It also means interacting with the same people all the time and it's also in a place miles from specialty care for health problems. One of my former neighbors regularly makes trips to DC for health care--3 tedious hours each way in low traffic.
 
Have been to Asheville several times....twice this year. One time, it was filled with traffic and tourists and the other time it was dead...neither seemed very attractive. You're also a long way from anywhere else. Again small social circles and I'd think twice about health care. My friends who are retiring there have had a weekend place for years there and one of them has a mother in a nursing home with a sister nearby--in other words they are integrated into the pace. Another friend considered it but health care needs nixed it. Other than outdoor stuff there isn't a lot to do in terms of easy weekend stuff---it's a pain to go to Atlanta which is...Atlanta, after all and the other side of the Smokies is Knoxville and tourist traps. I've generally tried live some place where I can take some varied weekend trips and have a change of scenery.
 
Sante Fe is expensive. I know people who've retired to Taos, as an alternative but it sounds like a place with small social circles which are initially interesting and varied but later a bit constricting.
 
Cheap places can be a natter of you get what you pay for. My former brother in law lasted a year in Columbia, SC which made some 10 best places to retire list. It has a state capital and a flagship university, but it also doesn't have much to do.
 
Foreign places raise a number of questions---some countries make it difficult to be year round residents (Brazil comes to mind), health care is a consideration although places like Thailand have people boarded in the US and UK. A lot of people like Coats Rica. The problem with foreign places is that the expat communities, even in big places like Bangkok, are small and can be cliqueish. I considered doing at least part of my retirement in thailand but as time has passed, I know fewer and fewer people and it seems less and less attractive.
 
You really need to spend time in a place and spend it like a local, not a tourist. You also really need to walk through how you would establish yourself and spend your time. I have relatives in DC who have had a cabin in Pennsylvania near State College for ages. They considered State College for retirement until they realized that some place that's ok in the summer when the students aren't there for a Home Depot or Wegman's trip isn't the same as State College during the school year the world there was going to seem small in ways they could do without. They retired in place in DC and seem very happy with the choice.

I've lived alone (well, I've had roommates on & off all my life) for going on 40 years now, so it's not a big deal to me. My sister hosts a big Thanksgiving and it's been getting bigger. The year her sister-in-law stole (her words) the dinner from her, I skipped and spent Thanksgiving alone. If my sister ups the headcount again I may start skipping, we'll see how the 17-person event goes this year.
 
Besides, I have my dog, and this year I am dog-sitting her best dog friend, so I'm not really alone :-D

Yes, I have had escorts that will not charge me for time spent together, but typically after several paid hours together. However, there is one escort I met about 10 years ago that changed my life. We met online one Saturday night and he invited me up to his place. We hit it off right away and had awesome sex. I saw him 3 more times and on the 4th date, an overnighter, he didn't take the envelope I left for him on the dining room table. I thought he had forgotten it, so i ran after him. When I caught up with him I discreetly hand the envelope to him. He said he didn't forget it, but he could no longer take my money when he was having more fun than I was (I assure you I was having just as much fun as he was). That was the beginning of our relationship and we are still together.

And these are pics I took of Adam when he was shredded a few days before a competition. If he's not shredded he'll look like the photos in his ad. He wants to come to DC. (btw -His real name is Richard)
 

 

 

Does anyone actually pay attention to "travel indexes" like this one?

My response to this relative would be "Starve, Bitch!", but maybe that's just me.
 
Back to Palm Springs ...

My response to this relative would be "Starve, Bitch!", but maybe that's just me.
 
Back to Palm Springs ...

My response to this relative would be "Starve, Bitch!", but maybe that's just me.
 
Back to Palm Springs ...

My response to this relative would be "Starve, Bitch!", but maybe that's just me.
 
Back to Palm Springs ...

You actually piqued my interest so I took at look at my ATM withdrawals (only took a couple minutes with MINT, yay!!!!) and I spent about $10K on escorts over the past 12 months, and I'm fine with that number. I tend to hire more when I'm really busy at work and hiring an escort actually EARNS me money! I could easily spend a couple hours on GRINDR trying to hookup and finding what I'm looking for and someone who's into me and what I'm looking for and who is available when I want and isn't a flake.... If instead I focused on work for those two hours and billed $400/hr, I'm up $800. I might only spend 15 mins picking out an Escort on RM or zero if I just text one of my regulars and just schedule with which type I'm in the mood for. I'm then less stressed at work and have something nice to look forward to after a stressful day. After paying $300 to the provider, I'm still up $500 vs the "free" route.
 
Financially I do whatever I want, travel, have fun and also save more than 30% of what I earn, and hiring hasn't forced me to cut back on any of that. So 100% worth it.

You would not deal with a serious medical problem without professional help; likewise, you should not deal with a serious legal problem without professional legal help. Consult a lawyer before even talking with your ex.

I had a good time there early this week. It was a Tuesday, so the place was pretty dead. there was actually a time when they were calling a dancer up to the stage, and he never came. Seems like a guy checked in, and then bailed when the crowd wasn't showing up. So things were a little awkward for a few minutes.
 
But overall, it was a still a hot mix of dancers and they are doing half price VIP rooms for hour blocks on and off. I will say, that some/most of the guys weren't getting fully nude on stage, because they weren't being tipped, due to crowd size. some were though.
 
For the private dances, there was a sheet that specifically posted the prices for 15, 30, 60 mins, etc. Which I thought was nice. I grabbed a 15 minute dance with a guy I liked and had tipped on stage and it was great.
 
The bartender was pouring stiff drinks, and he was really hot himself. One mixed table of men and women, who were sort of hooting and hollering, which was annoying (I don't want to start that whole debate!), but given the small crowd size and the fact that they were tipping the dancers, it was fine.
 
Overall, good time, even for a Tuesday night!

I'm probably not the target clientele for such places

Living in the SF Bay puts me in an environment where gay is passé; I don't need a safe gay place
I find nudity entirely unintriguing.
Unlike many my age and a little older, I have never fantasized about gay resorts with blowjobs on the pool deck, or random knocks on the door. Its just not how I'm wired.

I stayed there to try something different, because the people I was visiting live 1/2 mile away, and because I hoped for some level of comfortable, platonic companionship when alone. I achieved the latter. It was great to chat with guys at breakfast, at the bar in the afternoons, and go out for a drink with one at night.

Two aunts live in an active adult community in FL. You have to be 55+ to buy or rent a home there, but don't ever call it a retirement community because the residents (almost all of whom are indeed retired) get all upset.
 
It's way far away from what I would call "civilization," an hour south of Orlando, with not much in the area outside the gates except a good hospital. Otherwise it's all big box stores & fast food restaurants. But within the community, they have every activity imaginable. The health club is enormous & state of the art. They have multiple lap pools, jogging paths, tennis courts, and 36 holes of golf. At the community center, you'll find a club for everything under the sun: ballroom dancing, photography, pottery, bridge, mahjong, travel, sea kayaking, spelunking, you name it.
 
Both aunts have picked up terrific new hobbies (salsa dancing for one, Texas hold 'em for the other) and made so many close friends. They both say that the community is paradise for them.
 
For me? I'd rather live under a bridge. You have to drive at least an hour into Orlando to get to a gourmet restaurant. French pastry shops or Italian gelato? Maybe Orlando, but Ft. Lauderdale would be a better bet. Culture, like the ballet? Drive to Miami. Strippers, sugar babies & escorts? Make sure to fill up before heading out.
 
The worst of it is that I would feel like the Only Gay Man On Earth, at least within the gates of the community. I asked if any gays live there (out of ~12,000 residents), and the gossipy one said she didn't know a single one. Not that they discriminate, of course, it's just not the kind of place a gay person or couple would choose to retire in. I'm glad my aunts are so happy, but I'd rather shoot my toe off than live there.

Two aunts live in an active adult community in FL. You have to be 55+ to buy or rent a home there, but don't ever call it a retirement community because the residents (almost all of whom are indeed retired) get all upset.
 
It's way far away from what I would call "civilization," an hour south of Orlando, with not much in the area outside the gates except a good hospital. Otherwise it's all big box stores & fast food restaurants. But within the community, they have every activity imaginable. The health club is enormous & state of the art. They have multiple lap pools, jogging paths, tennis courts, and 36 holes of golf. At the community center, you'll find a club for everything under the sun: ballroom dancing, photography, pottery, bridge, mahjong, travel, sea kayaking, spelunking, you name it.
 
Both aunts have picked up terrific new hobbies (salsa dancing for one, Texas hold 'em for the other) and made so many close friends. They both say that the community is paradise for them.
 
For me? I'd rather live under a bridge. You have to drive at least an hour into Orlando to get to a gourmet restaurant. French pastry shops or Italian gelato? Maybe Orlando, but Ft. Lauderdale would be a better bet. Culture, like the ballet? Drive to Miami. Strippers, sugar babies & escorts? Make sure to fill up before heading out.
 
The worst of it is that I would feel like the Only Gay Man On Earth, at least within the gates of the community. I asked if any gays live there (out of ~12,000 residents), and the gossipy one said she didn't know a single one. Not that they discriminate, of course, it's just not the kind of place a gay person or couple would choose to retire in. I'm glad my aunts are so happy, but I'd rather shoot my toe off than live there.

Nowadays I can't imagine a senior would need to move into assisted living just because they could no longer cook for themselves. With so many meal delivery options (services that deliver frozen meals to your door or UberEats, etc.), a senior doesn't have to cook as long as they can afford those services (and manage a microwave). Yes, they can get expensive, but so is assisted living.

Hmm, you have to wonder about the guys writing those reviews. A $15 cover charge is a pittance compared to what you'll spend on drinks, tips, and lap dances. Anyone grousing about a $15 cover is probably not the kind of customer either dancers or management want in the first place.
 
I don't know what drinks cost, but if the reviewers are complaining about a $15 cover, then I'm guessing drink prices aren't that outrageous.
 
So I have to fill out a form before I can see hot guys shoving their goody package in my face? Uh ... where do I sign?!