nate_sf

My experience is mixed. I go to three different branches of the same gym chain; two are in SF, the third is in the suburbs. Smart phones are ubiquitous, but I would not go as far to say that people are avoiding talking or eye contact. I have my workout programs on my cell phone so have my nose in my phone as much as the rest of them, plus I use it as a chance to catch up on texts and emails between sets. Each of the branches has its own vibe. There is one branch that is particularly gay, and guys talk to each other all the time. There are a lot of regulars, and they seem to know each other and it's quite sociable. But there are also guys who keep to themselves. In particular, if someone is wearing ear buds, that seems to indicate they want to be left alone. There is cruising at all three, with the cruising at the suburban gym a bit more discreet but it happens. This includes both the gym floor as well as the steam room. The steam room in the suburban gym can be social, with guys talking about all kinds of things... fortunately I rarely get drawn into conversations about sports. It can also be cruisy when the stars align, and then there is less talking and more visual cues. At the gay branch, I don't recall anybody having a regular conversation in the steam room ever. I don't go out of my way to talk to people at the gym, but whenever I've said something to someone they've been receptive and friendly. There are a few guys I see regularly enough so we nod to each other but don't necessarily talk. I notice a fair amount of guys checking each other out at all of the locations. They don't make a big thing of it, but aren't trying too hard to hide it either.

Got it. Yes, I misread.

At least here in SF, my understanding is that if someone is showing symptoms, they are possibly eligible for treatment but are no longer eligible for vaccination. The thinking is that if someone is already symptomatic, it's too late. They'll need to endure the infection, but will conclude with a degree of immunity. Therefore, vaccines are being offered to those who do not have symptoms, whereas those who have symptoms may be eligible for medication to help with the infection. When I went to SF General for my shot, there were a number of screening questions, including whether or not symptoms are present. I didn't check any of the symptoms boxes so not sure what would have happened if I had. There were the other usual boxes to check about MSM, exposure to known or suspected infected individuals, sex work, etc. This may be a shift in policy from earlier. I'd messaged another escort through Rentmen who indicated he'd received his vaccination in July, so I asked him where and how. He said he had gone to the local clinic last month for his regular 3-month STD checkup, and they asked if he wanted the monkeypox vaccine since he was already there. He was not symptomatic, but may have disclosed that he is a sex worker.

I like the flower socks, but not at that price!

Just got my first vaccine at SF General. The line was not too long, and the whole operation was very well run. I arrived at 11 am and was out of there in about 40 minutes total. I'd expected it to be a shit-show, but I gotta hand it to them they've got the process down.

Hey, the little link thing is back! I'm not sure what happened, but it has returned.

I've tried Zooming out but no luck 😐 At least the emojis are still here!

Yeah, I used to have the chain icon but this is all I see now:

I'm sure I'm missing something, but I can't find the option for highlighting text and inserting a hyperlink. I thought it used to be among the options at the top of the post window. Did it move, or is there another way to insert a hyperlink? I'm using Firefox on a MacBook if that makes any difference. Thanks!

I agree with the others, do not pursue the firm for your legal needs. Cancel the appointment... it doesn't matter if it's 9 am tomorrow, just call at 8 and say you need to cancel because you have become aware of a conflict. You do not need to elaborate, and can decline to explain if asked. But then you are no longer wasting your time or their time. Most likely they're busy and will be grateful that they will be able to use the time productively for something else. I had a potential job interview a few weeks ago. All through the day leading up to the interview I began having second thoughts, and ultimately came to the conclusion that I didn't want the job. So I canceled the interview two hours before it was scheduled. Short notice, yes, but better than wasting everyone's time. As for whether to let on to your provider that you know about his day job, I'd keep it to yourself if I were you. This hobby involves discretion, which can involve not disclosing everything we may know, whether we are providers or clients. Allow him to take the lead on disclosing anything personal about himself.

When I set up my Rentmen profile back in 2015, I seem to recall there were fields for entering rates. Since that time those fields have disappeared, at least from the settings in my profile logging in within the U.S. My guess is those rates from all those years ago may still be in there somewhere, and might get picked up in a filtered search even though they are not visible in the profile. It might also explain why a search is picking up lower rate ranges for providers, given they may have been entered by the provider years ago and there is not a way for the provider to change them.

It kinda reminds me of when Linda Richman would introduce a topic to talk among yourselves... ... and indeed he has managed to get folks here to discuss!

Those male/male bottlenose dolphins... having "frequent and acrobatic sex, an average of 2.38 times an hour." Oh my!

The cliquishness and materialism that @Coolwave35 and @MscleLovr mention are real for sure. The A-Gays are very well represented there. On many occasions we'd be out and one of my companions would point to someone and mention that they had an impressive job and/or was very wealthy, and that could be intimidating. And all the more so if they were sexy as well. House-sharing by its nature would lead to cliquishness, but it would also probably occur regardless. I was lucky that my house was a fairly down-to-earth collection of bears, and guys were generally friendly. One memorable time there was a small hurricane, and all of us just huddled in the house and watched it pass through. I exchanged a lot of Facebook friend requests, and if I lived on the East Coast I'd probably pursue some of those friendships. But also I did not let on that I did escort work... I got the feeling that it would be taboo. I'd definitely be interested in checking out Cherry Grove. The more time I spent at The Pines, the more I felt like Cherry Grove might be more my style. But I haven't been there so that's just a guess.

On the provider's side a Basic listing is $29.95. Gold is $79.95 if monthly recurring, or $99.95 for a one-time one month listing that does not renew. So if the gift membership is for one month, it's comparable to what the provider would pay if not recurring. I've tried the Basic listing, but in a crowded market like SF it relegates you to the last of many, many pages of listings. Almost nobody will see you. So you pretty much have to get the Gold membership just to have a fighting chance.

For those who like the current layout, it sounds like the rentmen.eu site may remain the same. Here's an excerpt from a message they sent to my RM inbox: In 90 days, the rent.men version will be replaced with the beta version currently available on app.rent.men. At the same time, the version of rentmen.eu will remain unchanged. Of course never say never, but at least this is what they're saying right now.

About a decade ago I visited the Pines a few times. I haven't been back in recent years, but I got the feeling that things seemed to stay pretty much the same year after year. If anything, that seemed to be the appeal. The friend who invited me would go over all the various traditions (including the tea dance) and I got the impression that those were part of the appeal. It's an unusual place since there are no hotels to speak of, so everyone is in some sort of house share and it seems like everyone is one or two degrees of separation from everyone else. I was in a house with five other guys, and we had most of our meals together with guys taking turns cooking. Our house had a pool, so there was always the decision whether to go to the beach or hang out at the pool. One time I went for July 4th and wore a dress, per tradition. One of the other housemates also wore a dress, but then went back to change because he wasn't getting any action. I have great memories and would love to go back sometime. I wrote a blog post of my experience (way back in 2013... where does the time go!). Check it out if you'd like: https://natebeck.us/blog/camraderie/

From time to time I'll get a request through rentmen to do a 1-on-1 cam show through Skype, Facetime etc. Does anyone here offer that service? If so, any pointers? Pay ranges? Or signs of scams to look out for?

I'll agree with this too. Older clients usually know what they like, and what they want, and will be able to say so. That helps me engage more fully and have more fun. Younger guys may be less experienced and/or hesitant to ask for what they really want, so it can be harder to connect and have what feels like a mutually engaging time. Of course these are generalizations, but it's to contrast with what people might assume that escorts would prefer younger clients. I've had plenty of clients in their 70s and 80s, and we have lots of fun. Climaxing may or may not be on the table, and we're able to approach that with maturity. There are so many fun things to do together that don't focus on climaxing, so we'll do all that. Plus I like the conversations with older clients, they often have a lot of interesting things to talk about and I enjoy that. So if a guy like @The Big Guy gets in touch and gives his age, I'm grateful and look forward to the appointment. And I'm not just saying all this to tell people what they might want to hear... I really mean it!

You go girl! I’ve never been to my college reunions but I’ve enjoyed my high school reunions. At the last one I met some cool people who I don’t even remember going to school with. One came to visit last month and we had a lot of fun hitting the town, now as 50-somethings.

Ah, well if that's the case, no need to go anywhere near the Tenderloin. If you make it up to SF, just go to the Castro and maybe some of the other neighborhoods. They are all fine. And from SJ, take I-280 rather than US 101, as the scenery along 280 is wonderful. There is also a cruisy vista point if that appeals. If you're in SJ, Santa Cruz is just over the hill (though it's a lot of twists and turns up Hwy 17). Or check out the gorgeous redwoods along Skyline Blvd (Hwy 35) in the coastal range in San Mateo County. The San Mateo County coast along Hwy 1 is also nice, particularly if time is limited and you can't make it to somewhere like Big Sur or Point Reyes. Also my favorite nude beach is on the San Mateo coast, near San Gregorio if that appeals and time permits.

The Mess You Leave Behind on Netflix is another sexy Spanish series, with the hunky Arón Piper (who is also in Elite). Not directly gay, but instead a gay crush on a straight guy.

San Francisco, as well as California, has become a convenient punching bag for the media, and it's becoming really annoying. It has its urban problems, like most big cities, and it suffered badly during the covid lockdowns, like most big cities. And yet it attracts a disproportionate amount of scorn from the media, which often has a different bone to pick and uses SF to illustrate whatever point it wants to make. So cranky rant aside, I'm glad the OP has thought to ask, rather than just rely on what the media reports. Yes there are indeed homeless, but I've never had a problem with them and I've lived here 25 years. The Tenderloin is gritty and depressing, but also has those cool things that the rosy summary @azdr0710 cited. Great American is one of my favorite places to see shows. But also add 6th Street between Market and Howard to the list, that place is grim and is classic skid row. I used to live a half-block away from there, and though I never had any safety problems, it was a bit much to take in. Things got quiet and miserable during the covid lockdowns, but now the city's neighborhoods have bounced back. The Castro is vibrant, and the "parklets" (sidewalk dining) that were introduced during covid have mostly remained so there are a lot of people out and about. There are still too many vacant storefonts in the Castro, but that predates the pandemic and doesn't take away from things. Recently I've been to a couple of restaurants on Union Street and in the Marina, and while I have tended to not considered those areas my scene, I was impressed how vibrant the areas are and how much fun it was. SF is a city of neighborhoods, but unfortunately so many of the hotels are located downtown so not everyone gets to experience that. A friend just visited and stayed at Parker Guest House, near Dolores Park, and had a great time. We went to a cafe next to Duboce Park, ate at my favorite breakfast place in Dogpatch, and had fun dancing at a club on 11th Street. I've lived here since 1998, and had been coming to the City for years before that. It has indeed changed, and I still think my favorite time here was the 90s. But I was younger then, and like any dynamic city things keep changing. There are things I miss from years gone by, but other cool new things appear as well. I'll admit I'm biased and like it here despite its flaws.

… and eventually, the tech support is discontinued when the product is older. “No longer supported” in corporate-speak.

It was a great weekend, and I extend appreciation to @Oliver and @Epigonos for all the hard work getting it put together. I know a lot of work goes into it all. And also @sam.fitzpatrick for the accounting behind the scenes! And I'm glad I could make it to @David-SF's pool party. So much fun with men and swimming pools... This was also the first time I took up @azdr0710's offer to go on the morning hikes. We went on a couple of different hikes, one with great views and the other featuring groves of native palms. It was a real highlight of the weekend. Here are some pics: