london1967 | Entries tagged with ymca

Today I've been working from home as I had some minor surgery at my GP. They (doctor and nurse) removed a cyst from my back. I was quite surprised that it looked bigger than I imagined: a ball roughly an inch in diameter.
Stitch are coming out in 10 days' time.

*

Yesterday I got slightly worked up reading an article on the Central YMCA blog. (They e-mailed me the link as I am a member).
The article is about "four good reasons why you should train your legs at least once a week."
Reason 4 was: "People notice bad geometry: If you want to attract the opposite sex, don’t skip leg day. Leonardo Da Vinci, inspired by the architect Marcus Vitruvius, created his famous Vitruvian Man to illustrate the “golden ratio” – the mathematical determination of what is objectively attractive."

So I replied on Twitter saying:" 'If you want to attract the opposite sex, don’t skip leg day'. Doesn't it work on the same sex? #casualhomophobia"

It made me laugh that Leonardo was also mentioned in the same paragraph! Hello!! LOL!
And it's rather obvious that probably about 50% of the men at the gym are gay.

Anyway I got a reply "Hi, we're sorry if that sounded homophobic. That wasn't our intention at all and we've now changed it in the post. Thank you". And indeed they did: "If you want to look more attractive, don’t skip leg day."

I know a storm in a tea cup, and some - would say - political correctness gone mad. But that's how I felt.

*

Hopefully this post won't cause any more de-friending. Someone removed me from their friends' list on Sunday after my last post.
I don't know if it was the 'temptation of the cauliflower' or my criticism of sunbathers in flower beds. Or perhaps he was just bored with me.

Frankly, I don't really care (he was always too clever for me). I am just curious!

EDIT: well I was wrong someone else has now removed me. Oh well!

Current Mood: calm
Current Location: London, SE20

It has been snowing all day today!

At first very fine snow (you could even see some of the ice crystals )

and then heavier.

We didn't get up until 10:30 am, which is very very unusual for me.
I blame a) the icy bedroom (no heating) b) the warm duvet and the 2 blankets on top c) my poor back d)

london1952!

After brunch I took some photos in the garden

and a bit later we walked to our local garden centre/cafe' where we had hot chocolate and cake sitting by the fire

We came home smelling of smoke and with some purchases of course!

I have signed up for another swimming class at the YMCA (first lesson today) but since the trains are all delayed/cancelled, I decided to ring them up, before setting off, to see if the class was still on. I tried for about half an hour but no-one answered. I wondered if it is closed? The website has no information. So I decided not to go.

The snow makes everything look rather pretty

I bet that this new orchid is very happy to be indoors!

Current Mood: calm
Current Location: London, SE20

It's the last Bank Holiday week-end before Christmas and we're going to spend it mainly at home.

I'm writing a Panto for the residents' association which will be performed in early January, and I'm finding it rather hard work this time round.
My heart's not quite in it but it's coming along slowly. It's much less risqué than the last one and with many more songs: after all, it's what the couple of negative comments I had last year were about. "Think of the children!!" LOL!
It's definitely going to be my last effort at writing for a while, if not ever.

Today the weather's quite lovely with those big, fluffy white clouds racing in the sky.

After brunch

I've been carrying on with the panto while Adrian was pottering in the garden

In a couple of hours' time, I'll go swimming at the central YMCA.

When I went last Sunday, the road outside was partially closed to traffic. After swimming I walked past the TUC (Trade Union Congress) building nearby and I saw that some filming has just finished. There was a wheelchair with a drip and other medical equipment. The name on the clapboard said "Caught in flight" - an online search reveals that it's the Princess Diana's movie with Naomi Watts and that the TUC building is going to appear as a hospital in the film.

Current Mood: calm
Current Location: London, SE20

I went to the YMCA to do some practice in the pool earlier today.
Afterwards, as I was walking down the stairs back to the changing room, I noticed that the fire alarm was ringing.

The changing room was almost empty but there wasn't anyone in charge to tell people to get out.
So, I thought I bet it's just one of those false alarms and decided to have a quick shower.

As I got out of the shower, a janitor told me I had to get out.
"Like THIS?", I asked, looking 'down below' as I was stark naked.

He just shrugged. Then said "Just put something on".

I should have really gone out naked, pretending that I was on the beach in Sitges but I didn't have any footwear and I didn't want to walk barefoot on the pavement.
I also discounted the idea of putting my Gibson shoes on - not a good look.

He said "Go on, it's not cold outside". I am sure that the look I gave him communicated the fact that I wasn't amused. At all.

So, I stayed and got dressed as quick as I could (well almost) while he was waiting a few feet away.

When I got out of the changing rooms, I headed straight for the emergency exit next to it but I was stopped by another YMCA employee who said I had to go to the emergency exit at the opposite end of the main hall.
At that point, I thought 'Emergency, my foot!"

Oh I took my time walking up those stairs. Not even a plume of smoke or a fireman in sight. Just another bloody drill!

As I was walking back to the office, part of me was still cross, part was reproaching myself for giving that young man a (moderately) hard time, and part was scared by the glimpse at my huge reservoir of anger.

Current Mood: annoyed
Current Location: London, WC2H

As always before going away on holiday, I am having a very stressful week at work.

With being so busy at work, I almost don't have the time to think that this is the last week I'm spending at Centre Point.
When we come back from our trip, I'll be working in another office, saying goodbye forever to the lovely views of London.
No more daydreaming for me, looking at the clouds racing in the sky or at the rain moving in from the west.
It's going to be hard after 6 and a half years there.

Going to the YMCA and cycling in the rush hour traffic seem to be quite a good outlet for my stress.
At the Y, it's always a mix of a few new faces and of many old ones.
One of the regulars is a chap with a very trim physique that shows off all his muscles: it's almost like looking at an anatomical model, as you can see muscles I never knew existed!

Michael (I have decided that he looks like a Michael) has been going to the Y for years but I've never seen him talk to anyone or smile once.
He is about 55 with a white beard and... nipples so elongated that could be small penises. (Last week I noticed that he was wearing very thin gold rings wrapped around their base).
Maybe it's all the pumping that makes him so miserable-looking? lol

Staying on the subject of nipples,

london1952 reported last week about the breast milk ice cream on sale in Covent Garden.
Well I've read today that "Baby Gaga breast milk ice cream seized for safety tests".. not that I was tempted to try it!

But hoping that the weather will improve in Calabria (there are landslides and some flooding at the moment), next week I may try the local red onion ice-cream (the famous cipolle from Tropea are uniquely sweet). But I'll draw the line at the squid ink and spicy salami ones. Yuck!

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: London, SE20

(I apologise for bringing the conversation back to the nether regions for the second day running, but it's not my fault).

Yesterday at the gym as I was drying myself after the shower, a Scotsman whom I have chatted to before, gave me an envelope with some postcards and said "If you ever need a jockstrap made, just let me know".

It turns out that they are photos from his 2009 exhibition "STRAPPED: The Art of the Decorated Jockstrap".

I have scanned the pictures - I'm sure that Colin won't mind, after all, all publicity is always good, isn't it? (If you google the name of the exhibition, you can read more about it).

( No genitals on display but the pictures may not be safe for work )

On his website, he says that some of the pieces are inspired by other cultures and traditions, such as the last one with the Turkish amulets that protect from the 'evil eye'.

I wonder whether I should accept his offer... I am just a bit concerned that I may end up with a jockstrap made of gingham tablecloth and mini-pizzas stuck to it! lol!
Or perhaps he has something else in mind?

Current Mood: calm
Current Location: London, SE20

I have signed up to an evening class starting on Thu 16th Sep for 12 weeks which is going to be quite a challenge for me as it is out of my comfort zone and I'm all thumbs!

The Art of Conjuring and Magic

Learn the tricks, principles and history of magic for fun and profit. Close-up tricks and magic to show children will be taught using everyday household items for props such as cards, coins, rope, bottle-tops and handkerchiefs. Some commercial props are available from the tutor at cost price.

Course description

What can students expect?
1. Knowledge of the history of magic.
2. Knowledge of the theory of magic.
3. To be able to perform many close-up magic tricks.
4. To be able to perform many cabaret, stage or large audience tricks.
5. To be able to perform and entertain children of all ages.
6. To be of such a standard that they could join, as an associate, the Magic Circle.
7. To gain confidence performing in front of others.

But it should be fun I hope!

*
Today at the YMCA as I was drying myself after the shower, a guy looked at my nether regions and said "That's a big ring".
I replied "It's a 9 mm". He added "You need a big one for that size of ring".
He was in his swimming trunks and decided to take them off there and then, outside the cubicle.
So, without missing a beat, I declared, casting a glance, 'down there': "You could wear one as well!". He modestly replied that he wasn't as big.

I guess I don't need lessons in flirting!

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Location: London, SE20

Yesterday evening I went to the 4^th nutrition seminar at the YMCA.

It was very interesting (the subject for the night was fat loss and toning).

The approach of linking nutrition to exercise and of thinking about burning fat instead than losing weight in itself, is, in my opinion, very sound.

I won't make big changes to what I eat but I will ~~try to~~:

- cut the amount of sugar (I have a very sweet tooth!)

- distribute it as suggested (smaller dinner with few carbs, and one mid-morning and one mid-afternoon snacks)

- eat more protein (my breakfast consists mainly of fruit and we were reminded that we should always have protein with carbs)
- eat more slowly

As in previous seminars, we were told that we should set measurable and realistic targets, within a chosen timeframe.

I think that tonight I may just measure my waistline, as it makes more sense than the weight itself.

The timeframe will be 2 months, in time for the nudist beach in Sitges! (Considering that it will be bear week, probably it's not the best target audience but I came to the conclusion a long time ago that I'll never be a real bear anyway).

I just hope that this new eating regime won't drive poor Adrian insane! Who knows, he might even want to try it out himself.

*

In other news, we have decided on the spur of the moment, to recycle our "vintage" 2005 Pride floral costumes for the parade this Saturday.

Lovely Lynne should also join us, all in black with flowers on her Stetson!

Jim (and Ross) will come round on Sunday to judge the front gardens around the estate.

And then we'll have afternoon tea at home: I'm looking forward to the baking! (And the eating! of course in moderation... well maybe).

Current Mood: determined ?
Current Location: London, WC1A

As I was about to undress, I noticed two men in the middle of an animated discussion, but I couldn't quite hear what it was about. I am not even sure if they were in agreement or not.

One of them suddenly left, and a young guy butted in.
The other man (middle-aged) said in a rather loud voice "People are leaving because of gay men staring at cocks all day".
The young man confronted him with a "How do you know that? Are you gay?"
"I'm just saying what I heard. People complained"

I just thought it extraordinary that a straight man would notice such things.
I can guarantee that nobody does anything more than casting a passing glance these days.

It is as if with the refurbishment of the YMCA (now almost complete - at long last!) somebody expelled the joie de vivre from the place. *sigh*

Current Mood: nostalgic
Current Location: London, SE20

As you probably know, I’ve been a member of the Central YMCA (the first in the world - every visitor is reminded of that by a large plaque by the entrance) for a number of years.

The gym has been undergoing refurbishment for a number of months and the sound of drilling has been a companion to many work-outs.

Yesterday they opened the new male changing room.
Hit or miss? The old one was smaller and dirty. Many of the lockers were broken.

The new room is clean, spacious; the new lockers now have wooden doors with rounded edges instead of the treacherous metal sharp edges.

What I find rather impractical is the fact the most lockers are now around the walls and the benches in the middle of the room; in order to change you have to make a number of trips from bench to locker and vice-versa (the locker doors don’t stay open and it’s a struggle to push all your stuff in in one go).

I wonder what’s the rationale behind this design. More visibility, less chances to ‘misbehave’?

That could be indeed the case as the communal showers have now been replaced by cubicles with doors. Ah, the days of shared nakedness are almost gone!

Where was the harm in looking at ‘things’ as nature intended? (though I have to say that in some cases, people didn’t quite limit themselves to that! LOL!)

Yesterday I was rather disappointed and wondered where I should continue to be a member (no pun intended); today I am calmer: after all, one can get used to almost anything.

Current Mood: calm
Current Location: London, WC1A

I had a 'wardrobe malfunction' today at the gym.

I was jumping up and down on one of the spinning bikes when I realised that the jockstrap wasn't holding its contents firmly in place.
At one point the metal ring was visibly out of my shorts!

I had to manoeuver it back in discreetly and, after a few attempts, succeeded to keep everything more or less in place. I don't think that anyone in the class noticed.

Moral: do not wear jockstraps at the gym that have been used to go clubbing, and got stretched to buggery.

Current Mood: amused
Current Location: London, WC1A

The Central YMCA runs an extensive programme of “lifestyle courses” every few months, and every so often a new course crops up.

Last night I had my first class of “Hypnosis for change”, run for the first time.

I enrolled mainly out of curiosity (though of course I could do with improvements in some areas of my life).

The tutor is a qualified hypnotherapist who has been practising for many years; she is a calm and rather charming lady.

She started the class debunking some of the myths that surrounds hypnosis and, at the same time, re-assuring us that it is not possible for any person that is being hypnotised to do something that they do want to, or that goes against their morals/principles.

The course is about self-hypnosis and she explained (by making us do it!) a couple of techniques to reach a state of trance. Well I was surprised to see that it worked, and even more so when, after a short break, we went back to the room to try again without her talking us through it: we were supposed to be “in trance" for 5 minutes but after what it felt like 20 seconds, I already heard her voice “calling us back”!

The class carried on with the topic of how to “instruct” our subconscious and the type of instructions it can understand, and another practical exercise.

I’m looking forward to doing some practice this week-end. Hopefully I’ll manage to achieve the trance state again… no, let's rephrase that in a positive way: I shall succeed!

It was a very different type of course from the ones I usually attend; and I thoroughly enjoyed the first class. Thank you, Adeline!

Current Mood: calm
Current Location: London, SE20

It's hard to be back at work, but it's hardly surprising as it's the same every single January.

I don't make NY resolutions as I never stick to them. I briefly considered "less snacking at work" but I'd have broken it already. And the other one "I will not feel depressed in January" didn't stand a chance!

I am toying with the idea of signing up to one - or both - of the following "lifestyle" courses at the Central YMCA.
"Hypnosis for Change" (it should help "increase confidence and self-esteem, and being a happier and more fulfilled person") and "Self Defence" (always useful, especially for a homo).

Current Mood: lethargic
Current Location: London, WC1A

My dear fellow YMCA member: not much point in pointedly turning round and demurely hide your pudenda, when you have tattooed down your thigh a pair of leather boots with the words "Boot Slave".

Current Mood: amused
Current Location: London, WC1A

Slightly shorter working week as I'm off work this afternoon (flying to Turin to visit my parents for the week-end).

*-*-*-*-*

On Monday we were told that our managers would take us out to lunch during the week.
No they haven't seen the light! It's just that after making a few people redundant in January and freezing our pension contributions (they blackmailed us: it was either you agree or will fire more people), some of my colleagues have found other jobs and resigned, and the management got scared (after all, they do need somebody to do the job at least until the office in India is up and running).

Anyway I said no to lunch (there is no such thing as a free lunch) and just had a chat with my manager over an Orangina instead. He just repeated the company mantra: your job is safe for the next 6 month. He even said that should I have an offer for another job, they would happy to match it! (Now somehow I don't quite believe that).
I'm sure that all this exercise in being nice to us is just a façade, dictated by pure necessity...

*-*-*-*-*

Poor Adrian is ill again. He seemed to be over the worst of his stomach bug/diarrhea when we got back from Florida but on Monday it started again.
I've tried to convince him to go the doctor's but he said that his GP just wouldn't do anything about it... I replied "Well you'll just have to defecate on his desk then" and he thought he was hilarious.

I hope that he'll at least go to the NHS walk-in centre either today or at the week-end. I'm quite worried as he's really under the weather and very tired. He says he's OK but I know he isn't... :-(

*-*-*-*-*

Yesterday at the gym I saw a nice guy I bumped into at Backstreet a few weeks ago.
We never passed the time of the day before our chance meeting... but it was a different story now. We were all niceties and (knowing) smiles.
Quite sweet really!

*-*-*-*-*

I had planned to work from home this morning as it's a shorter journey to Gatwick but "evil" Janet decided to arrange a meeting which I had to attend.
Oh well, no big problem really.

It is just that I wanted to spend some time with Adrian and take a couple of pictures of some white camelias that are opening up...

*-*-*-*-*

If you've got this far, have a great week-end!

Current Mood: worried
Current Location: London, WC1A

After work this evening I went to the Central YMCA for the spinning class.
Roger - the instructor - is such a laugh and makes the 45 minutes quite enjoyable.

Later, in the busy communal showers I realised that everybody there was gay! (of course, I cannot be totally certain but I trust my gaydar).
It's always been rather a good gym (and not only for that reason) but getting a 100% mark doesn't happen every day.

And there were some very handsome bears too!

The work-out did wonders for my stress!

Current Mood: flirty

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london1967

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Page Summary

#casualhomophobia and cyst
More snow (and laziness)
Bank Holiday week-end
When did I become such a grumpy, old man?
The man with three penises and other tales from central London
Encounters at the Y
Evening classes
Food and Pride
Changing room talk
"And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked"
Wardrobe malfunction
Self-hypnosis
Another January
Degrees of embarrassment
My week (so far)
YMCA

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From 'La Mole' to Penge

Not always a smooth journey

Entries tagged with ymca

#casualhomophobia and cyst

More snow (and laziness)

Bank Holiday week-end

When did I become such a grumpy, old man?

The man with three penises and other tales from central London

Encounters at the Y

Evening classes

Food and Pride

Changing room talk

"And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked"

Wardrobe malfunction

Self-hypnosis

Another January

Degrees of embarrassment

My week (so far)

YMCA