Weekend wrap up

Well, this weekend was less frenzied than they've been of late.

Saturday was our game against Lansdowne. While the final score (50-0) was disappointing, especially to some of our team members who expected us to win, it still is 30 some-odd points lower than our last loss to them. So even in defeat, we are getting better.

Once again, Jess came to the game and took pictures. You can see them here. They are pretty amazing. There is even one of me that he was able to take without cracking his lens.

The drink-up was subdued, which was fine by me. I was tired and not really in the mood for anything too raucous. I hung out with Jess and Marc most of the time. After the drink up, we went out to dinner with their friend Matt, who also attended the game, Stuff, MAK, PatCH, Michael and Wayne (not this Wayne, but another one). It was a great time. A chance to catch up with old friends, make new ones, be silly, have fun.

After dinner, we headed over to Barracuda, where we lasted like 30 minutes or so. I think everyone was really tired by that time.

It was a great day.

Sunday was interesting. First, I had my writing date with Frank. I was in a creative funk, so I couldn't focus on my writing. Instead, I started making lists of the things I needed to research in order to write this current play. Then I started to briefly sketch out the scene directly before and after the scene I wrote last week. One thing led to another and by the end of our session, I'd sketched out the entire play. Now all I have to do is write it. Still, it's really nice to be working off a blueprint of sorts from here. This will keep me focused.

After the writing session (and catch up session, since Frank and I always wind up talking and visiting while we write), I met up with my friend Will to work on a fundraiser that's coming up for the other not-for-profit I work with. We were planning an event, so consider this an early warning.

Save the date: Out of Bounds will be having a wet underwear contest fundraiser at SBNY on Sunday, Nov. 14, from 1-5 p.m. There will be a $10 cover charge. Anyone can enter the contest (every contestant gets a free pair of underwear from one of the local undergear stores). The grand prize is (probably) $500. Winner is chosen by audience applause. In addition, there will be raffles, underwear models and all sorts of other good things. It should be a lot of fun and it's for a good cause.

After Will and I worked on the plans for a while, we hooked up with Stuff and went to the Gay Erotic Expo (something I've always been curious about, but never got up the nerve to attend). It was interesting to say the least. First, I ran into several former rugby teammates, a blogger, my bodybuilding next-door neighbors (a guy and his girlfriend . . . the guy was wearing a posing strap and letting people take his photo), and a guy from my office (d'oh!). One of the more amusing moments was when we'd just entered Webster Hall. There was an amateur erotic art class sponsored by the Leslie-Lohman Gay Art Foundation. One of the models, wearing nothing but a red jock, was the spitting image of one of my teammates. I said to Stuff and Will, 'Check it, that guy looks just like X.' I turned back around to see that Mr. Red Jock was trying to smile at us, discreetly since he wasn't supposed to move or alter his expression. Turns out Mr. Red Jock was indeed our teammate X. We chatted with him about it later. Some friends of his were participating and asked him to come along and model with them. Good times.

About the Expo. Pretty much what you would expect. Porn, leather, funny t-shirts, toys, 'working boys', Robin Byrd (who looks so much better in person), several Falcon 'actors', several Latino Fan Club 'actors', and lots of other things. There were also legit groups there (Leslie-Lohman, Gay Men's Chorus, several AIDS charities), but clearly that's not what this was about.

It was more of a goof than anything else, though there were some really intense people there. Ones who were way too serious as the watched the dancers onstage. Predatory. Creepy.

That's the bad part about events like this.

I got an autographed picture from one of the Falcon guys. His name was Maxx Diesel. Wow. That's all I can say. Wow. Tall (6'5"), shaved head, great body. Man. And he commented on my shirt (I was wearing one of my English rugby t-shirts). He actually knew about rugby and we chatted about it and soccer for a few minutes. Surprising.

Funny porn star aside. I've met a few of the Falcon models in the past. This is the first one I met who was taller than me. Most of them are a good five or six inches shorter. When I met Matthew Rush, I swear he was only as tall as my shoulder. And don't even get me started on Jeff Stryker. I think he's part Oompa Loompa.

Anyway, fun, odd, amusing time.

After the Expo, Will, Stuff and I went out for dinner at a great Thai place on Second Ave. Yum.

So that was the weekend. Now if only this day would end so I can go home. The office is empty. I took a few minutes to watch some of the parade; it was so lovely outside that I didn't want to come back.