Three quick entries in a row, then silence. Sorry guys, Blogger decided they didn't recognize my computer and blocked me until I gave them a phone number. I didn't, and it appears after a month of stonewalling they're letting me back in. I don't really have an agenda for this post, but wanted to pop something up to try to recapture the momentum I lost while locked out. (Before the lockout I got 100 or more hits a day, and today it's 46. Damn.) This last month has been pretty uneventful as far as health and sexuality are concerned, with the notable exception of a dramatic weight loss - by design, no need to worry. More about that in a minute. I also celebrated my 61st birthday, and in far better health than I was at 40 and 50. A week ago I had a one year+ follow up with my new/old urologist. To catch newbies up, I struggled with some pain in my lower left groin and testicle for around 13 years. Saw numerous urologists and had a half-dozen inguinal ultrasounds (that...

Last week my wife and I decided to take a short vacation out of town. One of the things we like to do when on a trip is pamper ourselves, usually with massages. I'm a huge fan of bodywork of all kinds, and there's little I find more indulgent and restful than a good massage. We found a local place that had great reviews online, and wasn't too expensive. Thai massage being the featured special, among other modalities.  The salon itself was a very modest affair, as these sort of places usually are. We knocked at the locked front door, and were politely let in by a young Asian gentleman.  The lobby, to be generous, had a small desk, stark white walls and pretty cheesy decor. The host, as a he called himself, handed us laminated "menus" of the treatment options. I went with what they called a therapeutic massage, essentially a Thai massage but using Tiger balm, followed by a soak in what was described as "hot tub."  We finished our paperwork, which also in...

Masculinity . This means different things to different people.  In this 21st century world of gender fluidity and gender identity I am going to pause for a moment to describe the attributes I I consider to be key points of masculinity.  This does not mean I regard anyone with a penis as less than male, nor is it to denigrate women in any way - women may be described as masculine, but need not lose their femininity in order to be strong. That’s a misperception. Nor do men need to be lurking hulks to be masculine. (Think George Clooney as the masculine and Gal Gadot as the feminine in this example.) Men can be soft and gentle without being unmasculine, while women can be powerful and assertive and entirely feminine. This isn’t about labels, it’s about traits. There’s nothing in my eyes that is wrong with either of those two perspectives, or in the vast rainbow of degrees between those points and elsewhere. Being masculine means carry traits of the traditionally feminine side...

I am on a short vacation with my wife. Nothing too extensive in these COVID-ravaged times. Just a hundred or so miles away in a nearby city, taking  time far enough away from home to escape, without the need to hop on an airliner or cruise ship. I’m taking the opportunity to course correct on some things that have kind gotten away from me in the daily hustle. I’ve cut back on drinking and slowly added a few carbs back in - my wife and I have been Keto since January 1st. My morning exercise routine has been sporadic lately, so that too has been revived.  (I’m having a bit of a challenge working out here in the hotel because the suite, with a separate bedroom and really nice bathroom, features the questionable design decision of frosted glass window panels in all the interior doors. Looks great, but even a hint of light is accented, meaning if anyone’s trying to get some sleep the lights of anyone who is awake in the rest of the suite are a distraction.)   My morning exerci...

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...