Catching Up Part 1

I haven't posted in a while, so I thought I would dig around in some email and some paper notebooks for some stuff I'd like to share about my recent travels and such. Here you go...

BoyJake's Slightly Less Than Gay Experience in Portland

I found this in an email I sent to a friend. I don't think she'll mind if I use it here...

I am in Portland now and it’s okay. Today was the first day I really had to work. I’ve been bumming around downtown Portland, mostly eating at restaurants and sitting the Black Rooster café reading, writing and doing sudoku puzzles. I ate at a gay bar and grill the other night. I didn’t know it was a gay place until I sat down – I just thought the techno was a little loud. Then I noticed that everybody else in the place was young, male, fit, fashionable and very well groomed. I was the chubbiest, most unkempt person in the place. The kid behind the bar shook his ass the whole time he was pouring my shot and beer.

I wasn’t positive the place was gay until I saw following three things:

1) Rainbow Bud Light beer tap handle

2) Chalkboard that said “COME BLOW your WAD on cheap booze!”

3) Video monitors with constant running loop of commercials for gaydarguys.com featuring scantily-glad boys dancing in clubs.

Everybody was really nice to me and the chicken strips weren’t bad. I felt a little guilty feeling uncomfortable – mostly hating the idea that anybody might hit on me and having to explain that I’m straight, yet am hanging out in a gay place – I don’t want to seem deceptive. Then again, after I left, I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get hit on. I guess I’m just impossible to please.

The photo is some public art that I saw in Portland and liked. That is all for now. Thanks for playing.