I was starving, and suggested burritos, but Nicky suggested this Indian place in Berkeley called Vik’s Chaat Corner, which is down by the Steamworks.  It’s a large, friendly place filled with all sorts of patron, and I agreed.  We ordered Masala Dosa, veggie dosa, pakoras, tender coconut (juice served in the shell).  All was delicious and if you get the chance to go there, I totally recommend it.

After dinner, we drove to El Cerrito to walk the dogs and do the last minute touch-ups for the open house.  I plopped down and was playing Civilization on the PS3 while he did the touch-ups.  Next thing I know, I’m waking up at 1:50am with the game controller in my hands while he’s curled up on the bed next to me.  Crap, I thought.  So, I gently wake him up and go down to the car, only to find that Nick’s father’s girlfriend’s BMW has boxed us in.

Back upstairs, I tell him that we may as well sleep here since waking her up at 2am would be drama-filled, and he was still essentially asleep anyway, so I get undressed and into bed with him and off we go to a quiet sleep.

The next morning, I need to get back to San Francisco, so we do the car shuffle and head back home to SF, where I make a quick call to the FCD Secretary, Steve, to ask him if he’d pick me up on his way to the Presidio Club Cafe, out at the Presidio Golf Course, for our Spring recruiting drive meeting.  He was agreeable to that, so I got Nicky set up with his own login on my computer to he could look for a new job, and I schlepped off to the meeting.

Said meeting was very productive, with lots of good ideas, and the ball is rolling for our big fund raising gala in June.  Sunday evening, Nicky went to the ashram in San Ramon for some volunteer work, but he left his phone here!

Nicky had never been to the baths before and was nervous a bit, but I reassured him that he’d be just fine, and that we wouldn’t be the biggest guys there – and we were right.  There were bears and big guys a-plenty, including a couple of guys I had gone out with a few times.  I normally stay in the waters for a few hours, but after the acupuncture, my energy was a bit disrupted, and I only stayed for 90 minutes, then retired to the lounge area in the locker room to read Organic Spa Magazine while I waited for Nicky to finish taking the waters.

About an hour later, Nicky emerged from the baths, feeling relaxed and better.  We dressed and headed over to Chilli Cha Cha for dinner.  Another place he’d never been, so I ordered for us, and ordered Crispy Tofu w/peanut sauce, Mun Tod (fried sweet potatoes) w/sweet chili sauce, Green Papaya Salad w/Prawns (spicy), Combination Seafood Hot and Sour Soup (extra spicy), and Woo Sen Pad Thai.  I really wanted spicy food to complete the sweating process and help cleanse our systems.  And boy, when I said spicy, they took that to heart.  I love spicy food, but the soup was almost too spicy – I had to ask for extra napkins in order to wipe my nose!  We ordered fresh coconut juice halfway through the meal to help with the heat of the food, and it definitely helped.  Yet, we ate it all, and were satisfied.

Finally, we came home and watched the Olympic figure skating ice dance competition.  I wished the Americans had taken the gold, but the Canadians performance was beautiful and graceful (although not as technically difficult) and I am glad they won, too.

We returned home and it was time to get ready for Square Dancing.  Nicky came over after work and he and I went over to Foggy City for the evening, even though I knew that we didn’t have enough dancers for a full square.  Harlan did move the dancers through two couples choreography, and even had them doing some dancing with phantoms!

John brought a chocolate cake to celebrate my birthday, and the group sang Happy Birthday to me, which was very sweet and touching.  One of the students showed up with a passel of friends as we were finishing for the evening.  I think I may have convinced two of them to come check out our next New Dancer Sessions in a few weeks. Hooray!

But Nicky, Jason, and his two friends, Larry and comic book author/editor, Dale Lazarov,  and I went to Sparky’s for a late supper.  Dale is out here for IBR and last night he had a reading of his new book, Nightlife.  He’s a charming fellow with a somewhat bawdy sense of humor, we got along famously!  Dinner was fun, but Nicky was starting to fade, so we bade them goodnight and got him home and tucked into bed.

Meanwhile, I am loving my new monitor!

bearginner

labeartorycub

Green eyes
stare at me
through
the rising steam
of morning coffee

why so early?
they seem to ask
it’s cold outside
and the bed’s still warm

We retreat
To snuggling
and let the coffee steam
Dissipate

After we finished the gutters, it was time to get Nicky to work, so I drove him to downtown Oakland and the restaurant. I had to go to Berkeley to Bodywork Central to pick up some massage lubricants. The store is going out of business after 15 years, and they were fairly steeply discounting their remaining stock, so I got a nice price on the various lotions and gels and creams I purchased. Score!

I gassed up the vehicle and still had a few hours to kill before Nicky got off work, so after making a visit to Sacred Rose Tattoo to see my tattooist and make an appointment for mid-May, I headed over to the restaurant and hung out with the customers and staff there. There was fun and lively conversation, and they make such yummy oysters!

Nicholas closed the restaurant down and we headed back to UGH for our evening’s activities.

Sunday morning, I headed over to my friend P. A. Cooley’s place to be photographed for the upcoming Facebook | Bearlesque Talent Search this coming Saturday at Edge Bar in the Castro. It’s a fundraiser for the Lemonade Fund, which raises money for critically ill theater workers.  Also Sunday, I did some work on the membership renewal letter for Foggy City Dancers.

Later that evening, bigjohnsf and I met albadger at the Emery Bay Public Market for supper, then headed to the Trader Joe’s nearby for a bit of grocery shopping.  Nicky came by after he got off work and we played video games and cuddled, finally falling asleep on the giant couch together.

When he arrived, I ordered Chinese food from Bamboo on Polk near Sacramento, and we had a huge pescetarian feast of walnut prawns, general’s “chicken,” bok choi and mushrooms, and crab rangoon (with real crab), all with brown rice. While we were waiting for the food to show up, I was texting with our buddy, Bruin, who was having dinner at some friends’ place. We three were to meet up later that night and ring in the new year. Bruin’s husband, Will, was working at the hotel, so we were sad that he wouldn’t be with us to celebrate.

But the dinner at Bruin’s was being cooked a course at a time so it seemed. We started to get the idea that Bruin was going to miss out on hanging with us, and he confirmed that a short time later. So, we got in the car and headed down to SOMA, found a parking space, and headed to Chaps for their celebration. Unfortunately, the crowd at Chaps was tired and tiresome, so after our one drink, we walked over to the Lone Star, where we found a jovial crowd much more to our liking.

This was Nicky’s first time in public collared, as well as wearing his tail, and he seemed a little subdued. He stayed very close to me all night, like a shy lil puppy, and I kept a protective arm around him much of the time. The tail created a deep awareness in him of his puppy nature, and he seemed happy and content.

Meanwhile, I was socializing with the bears and cubs, talking with friends old and new. Mark Katzenberger and Bob Thurman, as well as urbear, among others.

But people started to move on toward their next destinations, and I wanted to get Nicky home, so I whipped out the 12-foot coil of rope I had in my pocket and bound his wrists behind his back on the patio of the Lone Star, which caused a minor stir, then led him out. I overheard Mark and Bob discussing sharing a taxi, so I offered them rides home. The four of us wandered back to the car, and after a minor rearrangement of the back seat, we drove off, first to the Castro to drop off Mark, then to the (outer) Castro to drop off Bob. Finally, I found us a good parking spot near home, and we headed upstairs.

Untying Nicky can be as much fun as tying him up!

But, while I was waiting for Olin not to show up, sitting at the bar drinking a Bass Ale, my eyes chanced to look at the entry curtain as this beautiful young man walked into the place: around 5′10″, with chestnut hair, blue eyes, fair skin, and a sweet shy smile that made me get all melty inside.  We met eyes for just a moment – a moment that seemed to last for an hour – and he ordered his beer and headed out to the patio.  My loyalty to the idea that Olin might show up kept me from on the spot introducing myself to him.

That wasted hour was spent sitting on that stool, intuiting that Olin wasn’t going to show, but taking the effort to be ready, just in case he did.  It would have been bad manners to do otherwise.  When I finished my beer, I grabbed a second and walked out to the patio, hoping to get the chance to talk to that beautiful man.   There he was standing in a circle of guys, including my friend, Evan the Taxi-driver/Esthetician. Such luck!

So, with that in, I greeted Evan, he greeted me, and the young man gave me a smile which I returned, walking down the deck steps to join the group.  Introductions were made, and I learned his name is Nicholas.  Over the course of the conversation, I learn that he’s 28, single, a pescetarian like me, and other interesting things.  I’m growing intrigued by this man, and I can see that he’s interested in me, too.  So, I start telling the story of the Long, Long RV and make him laugh a few times.

Finally, I use my mental powers to bring him closer to me, and we have another introduction, with last names this time, and I get closer to him and we kiss, just a simple kiss, but one so full of promise.  I can feel his energy like a blue-purple snowflower, with a calm rhythm that draws me in.

But the bar was issuing its last call, and so we got in my rental car and drove to the top of Twin Peaks so we could talk more.  And we did, exploring our lives and interests, and feeling that connection that we felt when we first met eyes.  Sadly, he had to work early the next morning, so I took him back to his car down near the Lone Star, and we parted company, but not before we exchanged phone numbers.

That was seven weeks ago, and we have been seeing each other ever since.   So, I have to thank the soldier for flaking on me, and letting me have the chance to meet Nicholas, my sweet little hobbit.

Ginger and spice make
Warm Gingerbread Men Baking
The house fills with scent

Wizened old woman
Warm Gingerbread Men Baking
Fancy one, Hansel?

Needs and desires
Warm gingerbread men baking
Satisfy my mouth

Spent like a jack o’lantern,
sitting too long on the porch,
collapsing.

remembering remnants of times,
not so long past;
and of loves fading away.

I once had a candle,
And gold macrame,
But now I’m an exquisite corpse,
By the way.