In a little under a month I'll be celebrating my 63rd birthday, which pretty much puts me squarely in the "old" category. Not old enough to retire, but that eventuality is within sight. Over the last few years I've been posting about my aging, physicality, and sexuality, and how each of them impacts the others. It's been a journey, along which I seem to have touched at least a handful of people along the way. According to the blog stats my little essays have received more than 110,000 hits. Whether that means a hundred thousand people have read each and every one of the essays is debatable, as I'm sure there are more than a few who come for the pictures. "I see. And how long have you felt like this?" But for me it's been rewarding because, as I've noted a few times, this has proven to be good therapy for me. And it costs a heckuva lot less than paying an analyst for help. (Though I'll grant you, I probably would've gotten a lot more u...

In my last entry I described how bodywork and getting back into shape are a deep focus for me right now. But sometimes, when you get older, the universe has a different plan. Last Saturday my body decided to double down on this, and I was rushed to the Emergency Room at a nearby hospital.  Spending two days in the hospital, the first twelve hours of which was spent in the ER trying to get the old ticker to decide on some sort of - any sort of - regular rhythm. Turns out I have this thing, previously undiagnosed, called atrial-fibrillation. Fans of medical tv shows will recognize the term "a-fib," meaning the atria, the top smaller parts of the heart, are out of sequence with the lower, larger ventricles. Wake up call. I've already been focussed on trying to get back into shape, but this forces me to give up what are perhaps my last two real vices: caffeine and alcohol. And to add insult to injury, eat healthier and healthier foods.  (To be honest, I had already started t...

The blog has just crested 61,000 hits, and with 105 entries so far the average number of hits per entry is 580 (hey, look, those high school math skills were useful!).  Since beginning this little adventure in 2016, with the newer blog site starting in 2017 (long story involving an errant email), I've explored my sexuality, health, misadventures, pornography, naturism/nudism, CFNM, massage, and a half dozen other topics. It's attracted an audience, and much of the feedback I've gotten suggests the discussion is a useful one.  But that doesn't tell the true story. So far, and by far, the most popular entries are those that are based on relationships. In order, the five most read blogs have been  INTIMATE FRIENDS with 1225 hits. A discussion of intimate friendships. Not sexual intimacy, emotional and conversational intimacy. LOST HORIZONS  with 1242 hits. Recovering after a long bout of obesity. It's been a years-long effort which I've discussed repeatedly. This ...

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My wife and I started the new year with new medical insurance and a new plan. We're under an HMO now, as opposed to our previous PPO. One of the parts of an HMO is the requirement for a referral to specialist doctors, which includes urologists. So today's appointment, referred to as a physical, is a necessary step to getting back to seeing a urologist on a regular basis. With the types of issues over the last decade plus I've seen urologists more frequently than any other type of practitioner. By far. My previous primary urologist is not on the new plan, but the other one - the doctor who diagnosed and surgically removed my left vas deferens a year ago - is on the new plan. So I'm hoping today is a relatively straightforward strip-and-search which lets me move on. I'm not sure, to be honest, how much stripping will be involved. Despite my frequent laments regarding my reproductive and urinary systems which requires specialists, today's appointment is with a grou...

(Trigger Alert: This entry is a discussion about erections from a mechanical standpoint.) HAPPY NEW YEAR!! So... Part of my experience with medical issues has been doing my own in-depth study of the male reproductive system. Essentially anything a urologist would examine, I've researched. Out of self-defense in many cases, to make sure I both know what is going on, as well as being able to make educated decisions when it comes to my own care. My penis has had - excuse the pun - its share of ups and downs over the years. To recap for someone just reading the blog for the first time: over the last thirty years I've experienced several surgeries and surgical procedures focused on my groin and related systems. (Using the search words doctor or medical with the search tool above and right of my header you can read about a few of them.) First, I've had three inguinal - pubic - hernia surgeries, the most recent of which was pretty extensive, leaving a two inch scar, and causing a ...

As I write this, it's about 4am on a Tuesday morning. I've been up since 2 with insomnia. Ugh. At least it's productive writing time. A few odds and ends and random thoughts. Approaching the end of a second completely chaotic and health-challenged year, a few things have floated through my consciousness.  For almost everyone the reality of COVID-19 meant a near total disruption of our regular lives. A few people have refused to knuckle down and get vaccinated or wear masks, and I honestly think COVID will be a Darwinian event for those folks. I'm vaccinated and boosted at this point and have no severe side effects other than this third arm I seem to be growing from my forehead. 😜 ___________________________ Despite these things I'm soldiering forward and working on my health. I've been relatively lax about my morning exercise routine for the last three months and need to get back on it. We've got a friend staying with us and I've been reluctant to dance...