CuriousByNature

You took the high road and showed him more respect than he had shown others - something to be proud of ?

Whose tongue and whose cheek?

I tend to run cold, like most creatures with very slow metabolisms - like tortoises. And by 'run', I do not mean exercise - perish the thought. ?

Didn't really have any bullies... they were around, and I was the nerdy, geeky, socially inept kid - but for some reason I was never targeted. ?‍♂️ Those who were bullies in my schools seemed to be very misunderstood individuals - often pretty bright, but often clearly broken in some way. This is not to excuse them in any way whatsoever - and I often stood up to them when I saw them bully others - but my experience has been that bullies aren't usually born that way.

OMG... just when I thought you were such a nice guy for admiring my PM's butt, you go and insult those of who are follicly challenged! I'm as bald as a pool ball... LOL ? (laughter mixed with real tears) hahaha.

I'm glad that you are still well, and hopefully you were never asymptomatic and inadvertently passing covid to others. Part of the reason why infection rates are so high is because some people do not take social distancing very seriously, and I can't imagine a way for massage to be done in a socially distant manner. Nor would it be comfortable with masks and PPE. I don't think the OP was trying to scare people, but just remind people of the very real risks involved. It's great that many masseurs follow proper protocols, but nobody is perfect and mistakes can happen. Stay well.

Be well and stay strong. Things will get better... we are closer to that day than we were yesterday. It's worrying when people seem to drop off the radar, but hopefully each is healthy and doing alright.

I've found that sometimes 'random' events aren't random at all, and that 'coincidences' can have a deeper root than simply chance.

Entertains... absolutely! ? Impresses... completely! ? Making me envious of your talent at painting a picture with words... definitely! ? Making me realize how many things I have missed out on during the first half of my life... sadly, that too. ? Not trying to sound melancholy - it's just my reality. And hopefully nobody else's. ?

I imagine some parts have grass, others concrete or asphalt, and lots of sand at the beaches... sorry, I couldn't help myself. I'll try harder to resist next time ?

British Museum, Victoria and Albert, British Library Special Collections, and Natural History Museum all in London. Hermitage in St. Petersburg. Field Museum in Chicago. All of the Smithsonian Museums in Washington DC. So many good ones out there...

I guess that must have been hot.

Would you mind explaining why? Happy to receive a PM if you prefer and are willing

Yes, that's who I was thinking of. I hope his mom is doing better. If I recall correctly, he was her care giver. ?

Hmmm... thinking back more than a year now, wasn't there someone with ginger hair and very similar build who was escorting and massaging to help support his very ill mother? I recall people posting that he was a very friendly guy, but there is not enough face showing in this add to know if he is the one. Does anyone else remember him, or have I finally gone over the edge?

My list is probably different than most, as I dont know what a gay town should include, but my ideal town would be a place that has: Excellent architecture spanning many styles and eras, As many cuisines as possible represented within walking/bus distance from home, A weekly market for fresh produce, fish and meat, and a variety of international food stores and cook shops, Antique stores and auction houses, Vibrant churches that welcome everyone, and lovingly support those less fortunate in society both locally and abroad, A collection of interesting gymns and spas that are priced according to income level, A breeding program and centre for endangered animals, Proximity to both ocean and forest, Quality health care and staggered levels of seniors care depending on level of care needed, Efficient and clean public transportation, Free but time-limited public parking, Annual community fairs and festivals, Good and reliable wifi, Movie theaters with reclining seats, including a theater for Silent Film with a Wurlitzer organ to accompany. Four climate seasons, none of which are exteme. Lots of public plantings and gardens, Big box stores outside of town but within commuter distance, A cemetary that allows standing headstones, An international airport within a one hour commute, Public vegetable gardens and acces to heirloom seeds, Ample coffee shops that sell delicious tortes like Cafe Demel in Vienna, Quality all-you-can eat sushi and dim sum, Roads, paths and buildings that accomodate those with special needs, A facility where elderly parents and their aging disabled children can live together and not have to be separated at the ends of their lives, A place where the town motto is to love your neightbour as yourself, and wanting the very best for your neighbour at all times. We could call it 'Agapeville'.

Very impressive profile picture.

I'm concerned about losing weight and the effect on skin sag. I am trying to lose slowly and steadily to allow my aged skin to contract slowly, but I expect i will have a lot that wont snap back to shape. I have no problem taking the risk for surgery but also dont want to be taken for a ride. Im expecting it will only be needed in my abdomen, because my face, arms and legs dont tend to be where my fat settles in. I really want to see if I can find at least one ab again.

I wish I could go back a few years to 35... there is a lot I would have done differently. Even better if I could go back to 15. @Merboy - hopefully you have many more years in front of you than you do behind you. Its never too late to make positive changes - even one step forward is still a step forward from where you are at. Break things up into manageable goals to reduce the pressure on yourself and make sure you celebrate each success. This is very much a 'do as I say and not as I do' post, because I have rarely taken my own advice. And that may be why I often wish my father had worn a condom the night I was conceived!

While I have not met with any providers myself, I believe your post raises a very important consideration that often gets overlooked. The transaction that takes place is for the provider's time, and it need not result in a sexual encounter.

And how many others will you inadvertently infect and possibly kill when you get covid, versus taking the vaccine?

(I'm very exclusive and not for everyone) Perhaps he meant to write, 'I'm very exclusive and not for anyone'. ?‍♂️

I would be wary of advocating the Swedish approach. Even their lead epidemiologist has now admitted that trying for herd immunity by encouraging exposure has been a failure. A failure that cost thousands of lives, many of them elderly. Many, many more deaths than other Scandinavian countries. It was a big and very risky gamble that ultimately backfired, and now Sweden has been having to institute restrictions after all. Mask wearing and lockdowns do not eliminate the risk entirely, but they make the trajectory of infection and rate of hospitalization easier to manage if people comply, allowing those who need treatment to receive it effectively. And even more, it buys additional time for herd immunity to be achieved via vaccinations. No one wants to be limited in their life choices, but sometimes we need to consider the long game, and which actions we can support to bring the majority of people through this pandemic succesfully - with the least possible number of casualties. But that requires us to lay our personal selfishness aside for the benefit of the larger community - and there are those who refuse to do that.

I don't think this is a fair comparison. Driving a car has a much lower risk attached to it compared to disregarding health orders with respect to covid. And no amount of health orders can absolutely prevent covid transmission, but its about harm reduction and risk mitigation. Just like the laws against drunk driving and driving without a seatbelt.

Exactly. While the new variant may not be any more likely to cause death than the previous, the fact that it is 50-70% more transmissible means 50-70% more infections, 50-70% more hospitalizations, and 50-70% more deaths. Possibly even more than that if hospitals and ICUs hit their limit. In the summer some provinces in Canada were down to single digits for hospitalizations, while now the numbers are in the hundreds, if not thousands, depending on the province. Now is not the time for complacency. @big dale I appreciate your post and hope others heed your advice.