He Don't Even Know - Halloween Hunk

Make-up by Glen Alen

Meet "Duke"

It's a treat just to hang out with him

the trick is not letting him find out he's my boyfriend!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Gay of A Certain Age - The Big Five Oh! - Sydney 2

The day I was most looking forward to finally came.  This day, I was going to conquer my fear of heights and climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge.  ...That is, if I didn't chicken out.  That bridge is pretty high up!  This was also the day I would get my biggest steps count.  I started out on foot from my hotel to the bridge.  I enjoyed the buildings... old and new

and I enjoyed the citizenry.

I stopped to rest a spell on a lovely street bench

Then, I finally made it to the Bridge Climb Sydney.  There, I prepared for the climb with a group of 10 others by getting safety information and putting on a blue jump suit.  We were instructed to remove anything that could fall from a pocket including camera, cell phone, fitbit, keys, coins... just to be safe, I just removed my pants and enjoyed the breeziness of the oversized suit.  Then, there was more instruction.    Finally, we started our ascent.  Even at the base of the bridge, we were pretty high up.

As we started climbing up the ladders and  ducking under and over beams, I distracted myself with the idea that this bridge climb would be a great setting for a zombie movie.  I also realized that I had to fight my desire to hug the ladder because at its slight angle, I kept banging my elbows and shins.  I found I wasn't nearly as nervous as I thought I would be.  The fact that there was a safety line that attached me to the guide railings at all times really helped me feel secure.  (I think I've mentioned that I attribute some of my fear of heights to watching Irwin Allen movies like The Towering Inferno and The Poseidon Adventure at a young age, so along with the zombie movie scenario, my mind was working on all kinds of scenarios of how things could go wrong while I was vulnerably tethered to a doomed bridge...)  The climb was peppered with stops for photos and information, like the fact that the bridge is exactly twice the height of the Opera House.

At the top, I was very pleased that I had achieved my goal.

I conquered fear my fear of heights and climbed very high up and did it all without the drama I worried would plague me as I did.  I also did it without my FitBit, so I have no idea how many steps didn't get counted.  We returned to the base and I was reunited with my stuff.  I continued my journey of the day.

With steps being counted again, I walked across the bridge

and made my way to the other end and my next goal.

Ever since I had first seen a picture of the huge face that greets park goers, I had always wanted a photo of myself at the entrance of Luna Park.  But first lunch and a cocktail...

Sated and rested I set upon the task of amusing myself at a little amusement park with a big face.

Once inside, I enjoyed the rides and the colorful and slightly twisted atmosphere.

I enjoyed some fellow park goers

and more fun

This BJ ride confused, as did this one

There were games with fabulous prizes and I tried my darndest to win one of these!

Alas, I didn't win a KISS doll, so I enjoyed a Campari & Soda

...while trying to figure out what was going on in this bit of decor..

With the sun beginning to set, I was happy that this day I learned that I could fight my fears and have a fun time!  I also learned a great deal of patience.  I wanted that shot of myself at the Luna Park entrance all alone, so I waited until the park closed at 6:00 and everyone was gone.  So, there I sat, waiting for a clear shot.  It took a long time, because people lingered and spilled out in spurts.  Finally, after what was easily an hour, I finally got a peopleless shot!

It surely was a test of patience, as almost every time I thought I was clear, someone would appear before the timer on my camera went off.  For those of you who think, "Gosh, So & So is such a patient person..." don't think that it just happens, patience takes work.

I started my trek back to my hotel across the bridge as the sun was setting.  I waited 'til it was dark, so that I could get a nice night shot of the Opera House

and walked to a spot to get me with the bridge.

I continued home, admiring more buildings

and citizenery

At my hotel, I was pleasantly pooped and ready for bed.  I checked my FitBit and saw that I had over 30,000 steps counted for the day - that's not even including the Bridge climbing steps!

It really was a great day of goal reaching and jumping!

Gay of A Certain Age - The Big Five Oh! - Sydney

After my splendid birthday celebration in New Zealand, I hopped a Qantas airline to Sydney- grateful that the airline had accepted my $200 bid to fly business class, until I noticed that there were several empty seats in the fancy area, which means I probably could have gotten my spacious seat with a $5 bid! I hate this new system of bidding for upgrades, just gimme a price, Ass!  ANYWAY, I landed in Sydney a few hours before check-in time, so I checked my luggage and popped out onto the street, where I commenced walking in a random direction.

 I enjoyed the interesting architecture around me.

Something caught my eye, so I turned left and in a few minutes found myself at Darling Harbour

and again, enjoying the fabulous architecture

and the amusements at hand

as well as the hot mens hanging about!

I got the idea to grab a water taxi and tour the other areas of the harbour.

It was a good idea because it helped me orient myself and get a great look at my planned destinations.

I saw the bridge I would be climbing the next day

and the amusement park I'd be amusing myself at after!

I saw the famous opera house that I was content with only seeing from this distance!

Once I enjoyed the water taxi up to the last stop before heading back to Darling Harbour, I decided I'd walk over to famous Bondi Beach!  

While I did get to enjoy a few more sites, I got the feeling I wasn't nearly as close to the beach as I thought.  So, hopped a train and got off at the Bondi Station!

I thought I was so clever!  That is until I stepped out of the station and had no idea which way to go.  I imagined that I'd step out of the station and onto the sandy beach, but that was not the case.  Even with a map (partial map, really, because only the huge streets were listed) I had a hard time figuring out exactly where I was or which way to go.  So, I hopped a cab!  It's a good thing I did because I would have been walking for another hour if I had figured out which way to go, thinking the entire time, "I'm almost there, right?"  

Once at the beach, I was taken by the street furniture.

I don't know what it is about this bench, but I liked it and really wanted to sit on it!  

I made my way to the sands and took in the sites.  There was water everywhere!

There was street art everywhere!

There were hot mens everywhere

and of course, hot mens running everywhere!

My favorite hot mens, were these guys, who picked a platform right smack dab in the middle of the beach to work out...

Seriously, I almost didn't need to work my camera, it was snapping pics all by itself!

Who could blame it?

I was happy to be there.

After enjoying the beach, I walked a few steps to a fun little food place and enjoyed a chocolate/hazelnut dessert and cocktail, while watching more beach action.

Seeing that it was time to check in, I grabbed a cab back to the hotel.  Whilst en route, I took note of the gay area and picked a landmark called the Colombian Hotel.

A few hours later, freshly showered and ready for a gay night on the town, I walked over to the gay area.  I'm not sure what I expected a Wednesday night at 8:00 PM would be like, but the streets were practically empty and the Colombian was not happening.  I walked in, saw a couple of guys at two tables and maybe three at the bar, so kept walking.  The further I got the more I realized my hopes to meet and fall in love with the man who would change the name of my blog were not going to come to fruition.  I headed back to the Colombian, ordered a Negroni and took a table next to one with guys at it.  My luck, they were finishing their visit and left me with my Negroni, too shy to move to the other table next to the one with the other set of guys.  I explored the bar a little, went to the restroom and took a selfie.  I liked the red hanging lamps that served to remind me of the nice time I had hanging with Nate, back in Aukland.

(I just checked their site and it seems I was definitely there the wrong night!

...Stupid Wednesdays!)

I decided that there absolutely would be no hanky panky for me that night (I couldn't stay out too late, I had a bridge to climb the next day), so I went to get a burger.  That's when I fell in love with this guy...

 We had wild and fulfilling romance in my head while I ate my healthy burger on a gluten-free bun at Grill'd Darlinghurst.  Then, I decided to take a walk a little further than my first attempt.  I found the Stonewall Hotel was really hopping so I stepped in.  MALEBOX was in full swing: you are  assigned a number, if someone wants to write you a note (or vice-versa), they may and put it in the mail box, then your missive is delivered to you, based on your number.  I was all in and got my number. Then I ordered a drink.  By the time I was done with my drink, the colorful decor, crowd and drag queen made me feel right at home.  Too much at home.  It seems West Hollywood is everywhere- not a bad thing, but I was tired and realized that I was looking for a quieter, more neighborhood-type bar.  I retired my number and left.  I considered hunting for a quieter place with a few friendly blokes who might like to hug strangers, but then I got this look from the street.

and decided it was time to go home and rest up for my big day of bridge climbing and amusement parking.  I'd just have to accept the fact that I wasn't going to have that whirlwind romance I'd seen in the movies... or just get laid.

I walked back to my hotel, with only the memory (and photos) of my favorite Bondi beach stud in my head. S I G H...

(winky face thing) hey stud, i enjoyed watching u work out

& taking ur picture a few 100 times

i'm going to pretend ur my boyfriend for a while

i hope u dont mind (tongue sticking out face thingy)

heart thing  heart thing  heart thing

lips