nate_sf

Just a theory, but I think people have become accustomed to having their car windows up all the time, since pretty much every car now has filtered a/c. When I was younger I used to drive around with windows rolled down on a nice day, but now like everyone else I keep them rolled up with a/c on all the time. The thought of rolling down windows to sit in a parked car maybe just doesn’t come to mind. But I think the explanations offered by @sniper and @craigville beach are probably the more likely explanations. Or if there is a pet in the car.

Thanks for providing the link to the whole book. It's very entertaining, particularly the quotes of the various individuals. "Why should I work for a pittance and be the mug for a fool of a boss when I can earn as much in an evening, meet interesting and facinating people and go to parties where everyone wants to dance with me?" Quite!

I just had a massage with Damon last night and highly recommend it. Yes handsome guy, super friendly, and great massage. He can bring his table to your hotel room.

Hey @Sammmmm anything to report since you first posted this? I'd suggest asking the guy out to lunch, then at lunch tell him you're trying to figure out how/whether to come out at work. Which from as far as I can tell, is the truth of your situation. Then from there things will go whichever way they go, but at the very least you might have an ally during this next phase of your life. But I would definitely not mention you'd seen him on Grindr, particularly if he shows his face in his profile but you don't. For some people the hookup sites are no big deal, but for others it's more personal and he might feel you're being intrusive.

I prefer the Beyond Meat burger to the Impossible burger, but like @FreshFluff I am also a fan of the original veggie variety (especially black bean burgers). With Impossible burgers, I think you're right the benefit is not health or nutrition, it's being able to have something that is not meat for either environmental or animal welfare reasons. I had initially thought the cholesterol comes from the coconut and sunflower oil, but that’s not correct. Impossible burgers are available at Burger King and other restaurants, but not the grocery store yet. I'm guessing the price differential is from the smaller scale of production compared to the larger scale of beef production, since they're still trying to scale up to meet demand. Maybe the cost of the ingredients is more too, but that's just a guess. Beyond Meat burgers are in the grocery store and at Carl's Jrs. Unlike the Impossible burger, the Beyond Meat burger does not have soy; the protein is from pea protein, canola oil, and coconut oil. I find both the Impossible and Beyond burgers to be really convincing, almost creepily so. So for someone wanting to reduce or eliminate meat from their diet they're compelling.

There's a discount for having recurring billing, compared to just paying for a single month. As Victor mentions, the prompt comes when setting up the account, and from there it bills monthly until you turn off recurring billing. But no multi-month options, at least from the escort's side.

This article on onlyfans/justfor.fans appeared in the most recent issue of Wired: https://www.wired.com/story/culture-fan-tastic-planet-influencer-porn/ It takes a bit of a different angle, focused more on the blurring between social media "influencers" and porn, but makes some interesting points. Social media stars/porn stars/escorts... a Venn diagram of sorts?

I've noticed some of the younger folk refer to "the Bay Area" simply as "The Bay." Also references to area codes as a place or cultural indentifyer, like "the 415" or "the 510" or even "the five and dime." But I'm guessing that happens all over the place.

A while back a friend was in town and suggested we have a drink at the Twin Peaks. And at that point I acknowledged I'm in the demographic for that bar! We had a great time, and I really liked the bar. Very comfortable seating, great view and friendly crowd. And Lion Pub, that brings back memories... very first gay bar I ever went to. Very much of another era!

I travel with a mini french press made of metal so it doesn't break in the luggage. If there's a microwave water can be heated up in a coffee cup and poured in. Otherwise running the tap water hot can work, though not ideal. But for that first infusion of caffeine in the morning I'll take a lukewarm cup of good coffee rather than a hot cup of lousy coffee, given the choice.

I live in SF, work on the Peninsula.

Stop in anytime! :)

When I was growing up we had a Hornet Sportabout wagon, which was a close relation to the Gremlin. It was the first new car my parents ever bought, and the choice came down to either the Hornet or a Gran Torino wagon. My mom thought the Gran Torino was too big, so they chose the more compact Hornet, which I suppose was a kind of counter-culture move for the time. Light blue with a brown striped vinyl interior. I drove it a few times once I got my drivers license and was surprised how fast it was, and that it was pretty fun to drive.

Why is it that when this question was asked, I immediately thought of @Ace ? The guy knows how to travel right, I’m just sayin...

Really looking forward to this next weekend. I've lost count of how many I've been to, but never regretted it. With so much of life in the virtual realm these days, it's great to have the opportunity for real face-to-face and in-the-flesh connections (with all that entails...). Many thanks in advance to the organizers for keeping this tradition going strong.

My flight gets in at about the same time, so you're in good company. We're thinking the happy hour will start around 6:00 thereabouts. I recall from last year it extended into the early evening, so no hurry... we'll be there !

I'll be there too, helping with some of the activities. If there is interest in the gay sports bar Saturday afternoon again I'm happy to put that together.

I'm glad you've found a therapist you like. As others have mentioned, it can take some trial and error to find the right fit. I've been seeing a great therapist off and on for many years... after the initial work with him, I took breaks and returned whenever there was a life change going on that I needed help with. It can be great to talk with someone who knows how to talk about all this kind of stuff! Beyond the past trauma stuff, there is the matter that you've had some big changes in life, and there probably needs to be some time of figuring out what's next. Maybe call it "mid-life crisis" or what have you, but I'm guessing there are a lot of us here on the forum who have had some version of reinventing after a divorce, job change, coming out, or what have you. In my years as an escort I saw many variations of this, and it was great to see guys over time discover a new version of themselves and start to really enjoy life. Other thing you mentioned is the need for validation from others, and that's a tough one. Social networking apps like Facebook and IG can be really detrimental in this regard, and can make people feel lousy. For myself I try to be cognizant of how much time I spend on these things, and be aware of whether they are putting me in a bad mood. At least for me I'm finding reading a good book keeps me in a better space than spending an hour on Facebook!

Hey @haring222 thanks for sharing your experiences! I stayed at the Century this year and overall really liked it. They've put a lot of thought into the design and it's well maintained, and the price was not bad. I think the rate was about the same as InnDulge across the street. As you mention the location is really good, close to lots of things. The clothing-optional aspect was inconsistent... for the most part the guys all wore swimwear, to the point that I went back in my room to review the hotel's website to confirm it really was clothing-optional. Saturday afternoon a number of guys went naked, but by Sunday morning the swimsuits were all back on. Maybe it's the afternoon heat that gets folks to release their inhibitions? In any case, I'd stay there again. A couple of years ago I went with a friend who had a day pass (I'm not sure they usually have these, he may have known somebody). We spent a few hours by the pool and watched the scene. And it is quite a scene. Overall hetero, though I think there may have been a few gays here and there, and all very much beautiful-people. Also lots of dogs, as the hotel allows dogs. The dogs are allowed to hang out by the pool with their owners, usually sitting in the shade under umbrellas or deck chairs, and as would be expected the dogs were as beautiful as their owners, if not more so. The cocktails and food are great, and there's poolside service, so we had fun sitting and ordering food and drinks the entire time. Fun for a few hours by the pool, but I wouldn't want to stay there. Too many men wearing board shorts, which is just a shame.

It was an honest misunderstanding. When he asked to take my photo, @latbear4blk did indeed mention that it was for his blog. At the time I did not think much of it, or think it through. When I saw the blog post with my photo I had second thoughts, and my request to have it removed was honored. I agree it should not tarnish a wonderful weekend... or my fondness for @latbear4blk for that matter!

Happy Birthday compadre!

Keep a nondecript appearing "trick bag" packed with various essentials you think you might need. Mine has water-based and synthetic lubes, condoms of various sizes, and dildos of various sizes. Plus a paddle and mini flogger just in case. Often the bag is never opened if the host has his own stuff but it's good to know it's all there. If that's all too much for traveling light just bring a couple of little bottles of lube in your carry-on. TSA has seen everything, no need to be shy.

I was wondering the same thing...

Perhaps there is hope for The Townhouse after all. (I'm only half joking...) Today I picked up a copy of the Bay Area Reporter and checked to see if it still runs escort ads. It does indeed, though it's only a very modest quarter page of ads, compared to several pages years ago: http://www.natebeck.us/20180407_161010_resized.jpg When I first started escorting in the late 90s, the BAR was still very viable. The web-based sites were only just starting. I ran line ads, which were much less expensive than display ads with photos. Then I had discreet business cards that I'd leave at the end of each appointment so they could find me again. All very old-school. I don't know how or if FOSTA applies to print, but it does seem like a back-to-the-future moment.

The reference to $500 rates confused me too. I expect it refers to female escort rates, and the template for the letter may have been written with that market in mind, just guessing. I'd think the version of the letter focused on men should mention $300, or maybe $350 as having been the top end from a year or so ago. Before Rentmen removed rates from their app, I'd been tracking rates and had been noticing things dropping a bit over this past year so I think the overall point still applies, just the number is wrong in this case.