'Tis The Season...

I know that watching the football games on Thanksgiving afternoon is a traditional part of the day's festivities, but after 13 years of being here I still don't get the obsession with this particular sport. I've even spent Thanksgiving Day at Texas Stadium watching the Dallas Cowboys woop the Washington Redskins ass (and yes I had a phenominal time, lots of beer, foam hand et al.).

I've come to the conclusion that the reasons I, and the rest of the world, haven't embraced "American" Football is because: a) it's just way too complicated; b) how possibly can a game scheduled to last an hour, actually take three hours to play out; and c) although there are hunks like the Jets' Wayne Chrebet, the Giant's Jason Sehorn and USC's Brandon Hancock, let's face it we seldom see these boys in the states of undress that we can really appreciate (I had to hunt high and low for the accompanying pics).

Next season "Monday Night Football" moves to cable, and ratings have been steadily slipping for the regular season Sunday afternoon games. Maybe even Americans are getting bored with their national sport. Maybe they should just show more skin!

Three White Hairs!!!

I know I've been really slacking on the posts of late... The new job is taking it's toll!

Now that I can't lift during the 10am-2pm "Actors, Models & Escorts" hour, my workout schedule is all messed up. I've lifted only 5 times in the past week or so: sometimes in the morning (the cutest crowd yet); sometimes in the evening (more of the big hardcore guys). I've got to get on a steady routine and keep it, otherwise I'll be wasting away to nothing, and having finally hit the seemingly illusive 190 lbs (192.4 lbs actually with keys, shoes and gym towel), well, I just can't let that happen!

Bentley's walk schedule has also become rather iffy. Since I don't leave work until after 6pm, it's already pitch black and no one's at the puppy park at that time. We end up going a similar route to our morning walk, which itself is sometimes hampered by to the gym first thing. The boy needs to let off steam playing with other puppies... only then does he can really sleep like a baby!

But the most outrageous outcome so far... I found three white hairs!!! Only three? Isn't three way more than enough at my (still) tender young age of 32? Surely it's three more than I should have? It's certainly three more than I want! Luckily all three were in my goatee, so it was easy to get out my trusty tweezers and pluck out came those damn white (yes, they definitely not blonde) hairs!

... Hello Spago

While Sunday was my last day at The Farm, yesterday was my first day at Spago - Beverly Hills, probably one of the most prestigious and well known restaurants in the country, if not the world. If for no other reason, you may well have heard talk of Spago at Oscar time, since anyone who's anyone attends the Wolfgang Puck-run Governors Ball after the ceremony.

My role will be that of Special Events Manager in the restaurant's Special Events Department (duh!). Spago has one of the largest private dining room facilities in LA (the city is unlike DC which has ample events spaces to hold your bar mitzvah, corporate retreat or holiday party), which combined with the restaurant's reputation should make for a very busy but interesting time, and certainly be a great resume builder!

Mike Ergas Robbed at Nationals!

2005 NATIONALS UPDATE:

"Mike Ergas Robbed at Nationals!" So reads one of the forum posts on the Muscle Mayhem board.

Mike got 2nd in the Heavy Weight class (so does not recieve his pro card), but there seems to be some dissention in the ranks. Having seen the pics (he was as hard as nails) and read the discussion, fans are rightly outraged at the decision. Clearly there was some politicking going on, and as one fans writes, "I'll tell you right now that if he didn't win his sexuality may have been a factor." What was I saying in my previous post? Hmmm!

Anyway, here are some pics of the the clear winner!!!

2005 Bodybuilding Nationals

For the uninitiated, the 2005 NPC National Bodybuilding Championships are being held this weekend in Atlanta. This is the top amateur show in the US, where all the guys who win their weight classes receive their pro cards and go on to "play" with the big boys in the IFBB.

From perusing my blog you may have noticed I'm a little bit fascinated by big guys. On my numerous trips down to The Firehouse with Cary I've spotted a number of these lads, and I've mentioned the gay-for-pay and soft porn aspect of the sport, but when it comes to being simply an Out & Proud gay man, save for the legendary Bob Paris, it just doesn't seem to be an option in bodybuilding.

Now, I have it on good authority that one of this year's top contenders is a big homo (plus I saw him out at the Avalon one very gay night). It would be amazing to see him win his pro card and then officially come out... But it just won't happen! A man with big muscles in a thong, is a man with big muscles in a thong no matter what his sexual preference, but the sport's "straight" fans can't get passed the notion that they could possibly admire a gay man's physique. Professional bodybuilders rely heavily on the sponsorship deals they can secure from leading supplement companies (like Twinlab and MuscleTech); sadly an openly gay pro would be dropped (or just never picked up) like a slippery dumbbell. And yet, how many gay boys do you see working out at your gym? And aren’t they all on something or other?

Anyways, some of my personal favourites going into the weekend are DC's own Rob Kreider, upstart Vlad Kogan, Greg Jones, Jeff Schwartzer and Mike Ergas.

The following vid-link takes you to Graphic Muscle's predications for the show, and towards the end of said clip you'll see Mike Ergas is all his carb-depleted glory!

Good Bye Farm...

After three long and exhausting months I've made the difficult decision to leave The Farm. As I draw to the end of my final week, I know I made the right decision to move on (the job was just not fulfilling enough; most of my staff had more to do than I did; and the catering arm of the venture was never really going to come to anything, mainly because I was not the point person at the Beverly Hills location). But leaving "my guys" is going to be really difficult!

I've mentioned in previous posts how many of the waiters are actually working actors, but they are still some of the best waiters I've ever worked with (and trust me in my day, I was good!). They've explained what it's like to be struggling actors in LA, so I've gotten a totally different, psuedo-insiders perspective of "the industry." It's a whole lot different than the stuff you read in Entertainment Weekly I can tell you!

Working at The Farm has also been incredibly good for my ego. The coffee bar guys have nicknamed me "Buffy" (and not because of my Sarah Michelle incident), and to the kitchen boys I'm "Rambito" or "Little Rambo." For a gay boy with self-image, Adonis complex-esq issues, this consistent positive feedback that I look built and beefy has been revelatory!

On the whole, I don't think I have ever worked with such a good group of people. People who take pride in their work, who seldom bitch, complain or mess up, who are honest and trustworthy and hardworking, and yet, in my opinion, so undervalued and so under appreciated.

If it weren't for Vic, Nat, Kristen, Miguel, Manuel, Paul, Damien, Julio, Jaclyn, Liv, Mia, Mike P., Leah, Martin, Lilas, Shortie (and everyone else) the last few months would have been truly impossible!!!

CELEBFLASH ULTRA II: Swellin!!!

Somewhere in my head I've got this list of people I'd like to see or meet or whatever (James Marsters, Carrie Fisher and Sheryl Lee are all currently at the top)... But then there are those celebs that you've forgotten about, they're not currently hot or in vogue or the like, but then you meet them, and it's like WOW!

So Friday night at The Farm I had one of those WOW! experiences. In walks the original queen of shoulders pads and the gin bottle, the oil baroness herself Sue Ellen Ewing! Although I'm totally bowled over to be standing right next to Dallas royalty, none of my guys know who the hell Linda Gray is. Yes my friends, it's a sad fact that the kids of today cannot appreciate the true genius of the primetime super soaps of the 80's!

Anyways, this is another one of those moments where I have to say something, but unlike the Sarah Michelle incident, this time I'm pretty coherent and composed. I simply tell Linda how many hours of pleasure she gave to my family and I as we sat enthralled by her Dallas going-ons, the way she chewed the scenery and how I loved that particular episode where she emerged drunk-as-a-skunk from the dumpster.

On top of still looking damn hot, Linda was so sweet, accepting my adoration, asking my name and introducing me to her husband. Because she was so gracious, I naturally, comped her brownie sundae (it's my last week after all). Well this lead to hugs and kisses on the cheek, oh and did I forget to say that she thought I was just a kid myself. Anyways, safe to say, we're new best friends!!!

Little Known Fact: On the famous poster for The Graduate, Dustin Hoffman is seen behind Mrs. Robinson's shapely leg. However this leg was not Anne Bancroft's, but instead belonged to the then unknown model, Linda Gray. Linda went on to play Mrs. Robinson herself in the West End, in London, in 2001.