All Inked Up

Once upon a time I was fascinated by tattoos. I still am, to a certain degree. Like the guy who sold me the roof...he had awesome "card" tattoos, each containing the name of a sibling. I secretly hoped the "Alex" one was for his husband but to no avail. He said he had a phoenix that covered a shoulder and crept over to his back.

As you all know, my tastes run the gamut. Take the guy above...at first I see beautiful artwork on a hot body. But then I think it's a bit overdone and what will it look like when he's much older...or fatter...and those muscled pecs sag to the middle of his chest? Don't get me started on the pain he had to endure to have these images permanently applied to his skin. And I wonder what motivated him to have it done...what's the "story" behind it all.

And then there's someone like this guy, whose tattoos seem so random. The stars are symmetrical and I suppose whatever is tattooed across his mid-section is as well....but the colored detailed ink on his right arm/shoulder seems very offset by the left arm tattoo.

Or am I comparing apples to oranges?

And for the record...that second guy could do whatever he wants to me.

BEHR HUGS

Hello November

October is over and we are now into November. I love autumn: the colors, the weather, the holidays. I've a new reason for loving autumn: my new job.

It's only been a week but that one week has nearly erased the previous 18 years. I am so happy to be where I am. The people are the best. Everyone is friendly, welcoming, accommodating, understanding of being new...and yes there are quite a few not unattractive men. Here's a quick rundown of my first week.

Monday: Orientation day. Not only did we complete the usual first day paperwork, we watched videos about the company, the manufacturing process, and took a 2-hour tour of the plant. I was fascinated by the whole thing. The company provided coupons for lunch at the on site cafe, which is run by Bon Apetit. 

Tuesday: I participated in my coworker's class. A Continental breakfast and lunch were provided. Again, the food was delicious. My coworker has a great relaxed training style. I enjoyed the interaction and meeting some new ladies (I was the only male).

Wednesday: I started my online certification to be able to train a particular class. Attended meetings with my coworker and met more people. I'm understanding a bit more the scope of the company. My North Carolina boss was in LA for a few days for meetings so I got to meet him in person. He and I met at a restaurant in Pasadena for dinner at a swanky spot, Smitty's Grill. I was a little anxious about it but once we were both there it was fine. He ordered a bottle of wine and that really broke the ice.

Thursday: A meeting and a couple of projects received. I continued my online certification program and met more people. After work was a Halloween Happy Hour, complete with hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad, pasta salad, beer, wine, soda, water, cupcakes, cookies....and a costume contest. No I didn't dress up. Here's our Payroll department:

Unfortunately they didn't win but I voted for them. I thought they rocked! Plus I wanted to be sure I got on their good side!

Friday: Halloween proper. I probably shouldn't talk about this day but I will...so I got to work REALLY early. And started my thing. My coworker took me and another newish employee to lunch. Then I left work at 2pm. Because that's how we roll.

So basically I did nothing this week but eat! It's been fabulous. A way to a man's heart truly is through his stomach. *wink* 

So I had a nice time last night. I had bought candy and thought I'd pass it out but no one came to the door. I don't know if it was because I haven't passed out candy in the past, the fact my porch light is on a motion sensor, or because I didn't have a pumpkin or any indication of Halloween participation. It might have been the RAIN we got! Yes! It rained last night! Woo Hoo! It was so fucking awesome, like God just turned on the shower full blast.

Another nice thing was O came over and we had dinner (pizza, salad) and watched a movie and some Buffy episodes. I haven't seen him in four months. Pretty much since I got laid off. He looks better now I think, he's let his hair grow and his beard. He has a boyfriend now but I didn't quiz him. It was nice to see him and spend time with him. I have a feeling that it will be a while before I see him again. Not sure what's going on but life happens. 

Tomorrow is the Kidney Walk. Mom and I plan to go. We registered but didn't donate/raise money because I've been unemployed and she doesn't have the extra money. And we don't like asking people for money. Next year hopefully we'll be able to fund raise.

It's about 8am and it's raining again. We desperately need it but I had errands to run. Guess I'll wait and see if it moves on this afternoon.

Welcome November!

BEHR HUGS

Day Three of the New Job

Just another quick note to say that I'm loving my new job. Sure it's kind of easy right now but consider these facts:

• Monday the company provided my lunch because it was my first day and I was in Orientation.

• Tuesday my breakfast and lunch were provided because I was in an all day  class facilitated by my coworker.

• Tonight my dinner was provided by my East Coast boss because he happened to be visiting. He took me to a swanky restaurant in Pasadena (CA) where we shared a bottle of wine, had crab cakes for starter, and I had a petite filet as my entree. Delicious! And he picked up the tab (as he should).

Unfortunately there are no free meals tomorrow. Unless I count the Halloween Happy Hour after work!

BEHR HUGS

First Day Down

I survived my first day on the new job!

Details will have to wait until I have more time...I'm exhausted! But overall it was a very good day and I learned a lot. It's a fascinating company with a rich, interesting history. I do think I'll be happy there and it'll be a great place to work.

BEHR HUGS 

Behr Movie: Gone Girl

One of the nice things about being home has been the freedom to go see movies on a weekday - during the day. Our local independent cinema has a $5 day for all movies all day on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It's wonderful since I always think movies are usually overpriced elsewhere. And we're talking first run movies!

Today I went to see Gone Girl. I'm not a big Ben Affleck fan. Oh sure, he's cute enough and when he sports a beard, I sport a hardon but I don't go out of my way to see his movies because of his involvement. I don't remember how long ago I saw the trailer for this film but it intrigued me. And I adore Rosamund Pike. I finally went to see it today.

Don't worry, I won't include any spoilers. Let me say - for those who don't know anything about the movie - it is the story of a man accused of killing his wife. There are, of course, many plot twists and turns and quite a few incredible performances. It falls into the "thriller" genre and it does not disappoint. There are a few "moments" but not the "make the audience jump" moments, but more "make the audience gasp because it didn't see that coming" moments. 

My only complaint is the Neil Patrick Harris character is just a creepier Barney Stinson. Don't get me wrong, I don't for a moment doubt his character wants the Rosamund Pike character (and there's a brief glimpse of little NPH). But it seemed a bit too close to his HIMYM character, imo. 

Speaking of glimpses of male genitalia, there's a brief flash of Ben Affleck cock and ass. NICE.

I really thought this was a well-paced mystery. Going in I knew there were some twists (I'd heard of one) and yet there were some nice surprises. The supporting actors are very good and believable too. No one recognizable to me, I still need to do an IMDB look to see what other movies some of these people have done.

I truly think - and hope - that when award season is upon us that this movie and Rosamund Pike in particular are remembered.

If you like thrillers, Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, NPH, or just a good mystery movie, go see Gone Girl.

BEHR HUGS

Start Date and Tear Off

It's official...I will start my new job on October 27. Turns out my new boss won't be in the office when I wanted to start so I get an extra week to relax. Yesterday I went to the lab for my drug screening. I have no worries about the results.

The roof tear off went well. Meaning none of the six guys fell through the ceiling! It was a bit disconcerting, a bit more than when I had the foundation retrofitted. Winston cowered under the bed for a good part of the day. Now we're waiting for the city inspector (I guess, the ladder is still leaning against the garage). The crew that did the tear off was able to do it in about 4 hours, including cleanup. They had me open the garage so they could sweep out the debris. I appreciated that. 

It dawned on me that some of you may not know that Winston is my cat.

I need some advice...I haven't updated my iPhone 5S to iOS 8 yet. Should I? Why or why not? Discuss, please.

That's about all for today - BEHR HUGS!

Sunday Favorite: 97

For obvious reasons, this is my Sunday Favorite. In case you don't get it, let me spell it out: 

B-E-A-R

I'm starting to get nervous about the roof tear off tomorrow. I know I've already committed but it seems that once they do begin the work it really will happen. I'm nervous for Winston and how he'll react to the noise. My parents offered for me to take him to their house but that would freak him out too!

I'm also starting to get nervous about the new job. It's still a couple weeks away but I'm starting to worry that I won't be as smart as they may expect. Yes I really said that. I've been reading up on organization development just so I can get some terminology under my belt. I don't want to appear inexperienced or uninformed. I also worry Winston will miss me during the day! Silly I know since all he does is sleep anyway.

Oh wait...I think all this nervousness was just gas. My bad.

BEHR HUGS

October 10 Behr Update

I'm happy to report that things are looking up!

I've been concerned with the condition of my home's roof and when I was offered the chance for a free inspection/estimate I jumped at the opportunity. I won't lie: the guy who did the inspection was drop dead hot. Bearded, tatted, but more otter than bear. AND NICE. He was completely understanding of my financial situation but he didn't hold back; basically the entire roof needs to come off and be replaced. I'm not surprised, to be honest. He gave me a week or so to think about whether I wanted to move on to the actual estimate. When he came back he gave me a presentation that explained exactly what the new roof would consist of, how they approach the job, the warranties, etc. Oh and the cost. YIKES! But I bit the bullet and signed on the dotted line and the tear-off of the existing roof begins Monday.

And for those of you who are wondering, yes I had other companies look at the roof and promise an estimate. Unfortunately, no one followed-up or submitted a written estimate. Besides, the company I am having do the work have a 50-year, transferable warranty. 

I obviously am having to finance the job. SO that plus the financing for the foundation retrofit I had done in August means I will be a lot more in debt, something that drives me bonkers. The mortgage itself is a necessary evil but I dislike having other obligations. I'm the type who pays off the credit cards every month. So taking on this extra debt - especially with my unemployment - is frightening. My reason for going ahead with the work is that a) I really need to be better about taking care of this home; b) there's talk we here in SoCal will be having El Nino next year. That last part may not happen but I don't want to take my chances. 

And that brings me to this announcement: I've been offered a job! The company called yesterday to officially make me an offer (I'll get the offer letter today via email, hopefully). I am so excited. I don't want to share too much prematurely but since I've already shared with my folks (and will share with my sister later today) I had to spill the news. I hope to start Oct 20. 

That's my news and update for now; I'll post more next week while the work is going on and am more comfortable sharing about the job. Things really are looking up! 

BEHR HUGS

Behr Recommendation

Tonight while rooting through the refrigerator to find something for dinner, I saw my nearly empty bottle of wine. While I cooked my dinner (nothing fancy - I won't bore you with that), I had the half glass that remained. It's so scrumptious that I thought I would share.

It's a delicious Sauvignon Blanc by Geyser Peak, a Sonoma winery. When chilled, it has a crisp bite to it, perfect for hot weather consumption. You can taste the lime, grapefruit, honeydew melon and lemongrass. I purchase it at Trader Joe's. It runs about $9.99 a bottle; a bit pricey but not bad as it will impress your guests. I'm no wine expert but this is one of my favorite summer white wines from one of my favorite wineries. I highly recommend it.

Check out Geyser Peak for more information on the winery and their products.

BEHR HUGS

Random Beards

It's not easy to pick just one....they're all gorgeous.

BEHR HUGS

Aquaman on the Big Screen

So evidently it's not been exactly confirmed that Jason Momoa will play Aquaman in the upcoming Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice movie...but Jason has been spotted in the Michigan filming area so chances are...he'll make an appearance.

Speculation is that Momoa will play the King of Atlantis as a surfer dude with tattoos...WTF?! I hope this does not demean or fuck up the character of Aquaman. Yes I know he's a joke to many comic fans and he got "kicked out" of the Justice League (or rather unceremoniously replaced by Cyborg) but Aquaman is awesome. Always has been always will be. I'm loving the New 52 comic books.

Sorry - I digressed. Read more about the speculation here: Aquaman.

BEHR HUGS

Friday Feelings

That Rush Feeling

Today I went to pick up the suit I bought last week. The cute hipster bear cub called me on Saturday to say he'd finished the alterations. Unfortunately, it was late in the afternoon and I had to be at the theater so I wasn't able to go then or on Sunday because of the OCSPCA Walk for the Animals in the morning and the theater in the afternoon. I was planning on going yesterday but opted not to after having lunch with a former train friend. So I went today. 

The salesman who helped me wasn't there but another not unattractive mixed race man helped me. I saw the cute hipster bear cub but he had earphones on and so I didn't get to speak to him. 

After trying on the suit (I clean up well!) and purchasing a new belt, I started for home. I suddenly realized I was near Metropolis Comics and decided to head over there, hoping they were open at 11. I got there a bit early and waited until they opened. I was hoping to look through their back issues and find an elusive issue I've been searching for. And...I found it! I got that rush feeling when I pulled it out and realized THIS was the last issue I've needing. Okay...wanting.

This now makes my collection up-to-date. The comic book guy (ha-ha-ha) was as excited as I was that I found it. I didn't even look at anything else; I just paid and went.  It really made my day and believe it or not - brightened my mood.

BEHR HUGS

Hipster Bear Cub Encounter

This past week I've been suit shopping. During my last 18 years at my former employer, I went from wearing suits to business casual back to professional dress. During those wardrobe transitions, my body changed from plump, to hunky (someone else's words) to chubby. I haven't had a suit or jacket that has fit for a while. Last year I bought a sport jacket to wear to a funeral. Unfortunately it doesn't quite fit properly and is too heavy for the heat wave we've been experiencing. So I decided that I should have a proper suit in case I get an interview.

I've tried department stores and men's shops but really hadn't found anything that appealed or was within my price range. Yesterday, after looking at another department store (nice selection except their sizes didn't go up as far as I needed) I decided it was time to go to the "fat man" shop. I went into a new store called DXL that is a rebranded Casual Male. VERY nice store with extremely nice merchandise. The salesman who assisted me was friendly, knowledgeable, but not pushy or overwhelming. I found a suit and it needs altering so the guy who does the alterations came out to check and do the pinning.

I tried my best to not drool. He was so handsome. A hipster bear cub. He looked very much like the guy in the above picture except his beard was the same color as his hair and it wasn't quite so full plus he was younger. He was friendly, making small talk and explaining what they would do to the suit to make it fit better. He had a gentle touch, too. When he said that it fit well across the shoulders he ran his hand across my shoulders then touched the center of my back and said "We'll let out the back seam to give you more room around the middle."  I chalked it up to he being into his job and not that he likes chubby white guys. I'm hoping he'll be there next week when I go to pick up the finished suit. 

I don't see many hipster bears and cubs out in the real world. I see pictures of them on Tumblr mostly. I think they're hot. The beard, the hair style, the glasses, the tats, the piercings, the fur....SWOON. Here are some samples:

Like the term "bear," hipster has many definitions and iterations. So my selection here may not be what you consider a hipster bear. But I bet there are some similarities. For me the one consistent is the beard. Grrrr.

BEHR HUGS!

RAIN!!

It's raining here in So Cal! YAY! I know it's not going to be enough to even bring a dent to the water deficit but at least I don't have to worry about not watering the yards now. As you may know, So Cal is in the middle of a drought and we're conserving water as much as possible.

The rain will make it very humid later on but for now I'm going to enjoy the sound of rain and the smell of the wet grass and pavement.

BEHR HUGS

Big Bears of Friday

It's Friday! And to celebrate, I decided to share some big bears. Enjoy!

BEHR HUGS

Behr Update: Opening Night

Tonight is opening night of the local community theatre's production of "The Pajama Game." It's been one weird Hell Week...I think a lot of it has to do with despite the exertion required on my part for the show (working backstage - more on that in a moment), I'm not that tired because I'm not having to get up and go to work each morning. I've been sleeping in until 6:30 or 7. I'm also able to take a short nap in the afternoon, which helps too.

So I'm on the rails for this show. Our theatre is old fashioned, with a pulley system for the various curtains, backdrops, set pieces, etc that are "flown in." We had one particular piece - dubbed the shop/office wall. It's a heavy framed window, to be honest. Attached to it were two doors that swung out on hinges once on the stage floor. This thing weighed a ton! We had at least 240 pounds of counterweight which, if you know about how this all works, must be moved by the use of the pulley system to fly in the piece. We had difficulty with the shop/office wall because it kept getting hung up on the third legs (black curtains that run floor to ceiling). We finally convinced the director that this wasn't working well - I actually said I wasn't comfortable with it. So we removed the doors and lightened the counterweights and voila! It works much better. There's still some "guiding" required and I wish my "spotter" would not take it upon herself to move the damn thing but I'm tired of having to correct her all the time.

Overall the show is cute. I think the male lead could be a little stronger vocally but for community theater it's a nice production. My responsibilities, as I mentioned, is to raise and lower all of the curtains, flats, etc. It's physically demanding because in some instances I bring down one curtain, raise another flat, then lower a third one. All within the space of a couple minutes. It doesn't sound bad but when one has to wait for other set pieces to be moved and people to get out of the way, it becomes a bit hectic. I'm having a good time though.

One of the reasons I'm doing this is because I'm friends with the director and producer. Also - since I'm still not working, it gives me something to do. The first time I went to watch a run through of the show, several people hugged me and told me how good it was to see me. I really needed that lift.

So tonight is Opening Night. Wish us luck!

BEHR HUGS

Greased Lightening: Swedish Bear Style

Found this clip on the bear social networking site's main page. It's a lip synced version of "Greased Lightening" from Grease by the Swedish Marines. Be sure to pay attention to the "backup" singers...many are bearded bears. WOOF!

Enjoy!

BEHR HUGS

Beards and Kitties

It's been awhile since I've posted anything - not for a want of time, believe me - so here is a series of pictures depicting hot, bearded bears and their kitty cats. All pics were obtained from Tumblr.

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BEHR HUGS

Arizona State Offensive Lineman Comes Out

Edward "Chip" Sarafin, offensive lineman at Arizona State University, has publicly come out as gay. He is believed to be the first openly gay major division college football player. 

Read more here especially a word from the Sun Devils' coach, Todd Graham.

Can I just say that I'd jump this bear's bones in a heartbeat. WOOF! And congratulations Chip. You're my hero today.

BEHR HUGS

RIP Lauren Bacall

Sad news in Hollywood. Lauren Bacall has passed away at the age of 89. Known to audiences as Humphrey Bogart's on and off screen lady, she was known for her sultriness. Bacall starred in such movies as To Have and Have Not, Key Largo, How to Marry a Millionaire, and The Mirror Has Two Faces. It was the latter movie for which she received her only Academy Award nomination.

For more information, click here.

Rest In Peace.

Profile Bears

For this morning I thought I'd feature some bears in profile. Just check out those strong noses and chins down below.

The weekend was good. On Friday afternoon/evening I went to Disneyland with my new friend C. We had gone in early July and he wanted to get an annual pass; he had some difficulty - long story that only supports the "Disney as evil corporation" conspiracy - but he was able to finally get a pass this past Friday. I'm happy for him because he was really excited about it. I'm happy for me because I have a new Disney partner! 

On Saturday I spent the afternoon/evening with O. We went for boba, hit three comic book stores (I made a killing in finding back issues), had a pizza, and just browsed through a couple of stores for the fun of it. We went to Beard Papa in Cerritos for dessert. It had been about three weeks since I last saw him and I was missing him something awful. I hate to admit it...but I do really love the guy. 

A different worker is here today working underneath the house. Winston - as usual - is a little unnerved. I know I should be doing something productive but it's already very warm and humid. I'm sweating as I sit here and it's only a little after 10:30am. I've done dishes and a load of laundry (bought some new sheets on Sunday) so it's not like I've been completely lazy. I may go out into the garage and start tossing stuff. I'm in a purging mood.

So that's about all that's going on with me. 

BEHR HUGS