Melancholy Mood

Shortly after 4.30 pm today I arrived at Goodhandy's where the monthly TNT Men's Naked Dances are held. As Mr. TNT, attending these dances is part of my function as representative of this organisation. For the first two hours or so I smoozed with the crowd. During that time I struck up a conversation with three guys standing by the downstairs bar, two of whom were wearing Prince Alberts and the other guy who was a professional piercer. I introduced myself. Eventually, the conversation drifted toward piercings, specifically Prince Alberts. We had a lengthy chat about them from which I gleaned lots of good personal information and ancedotes.

Around midway through the dance I ventured upstairs and found a spot overlooking the dance floor. After several beers and a change in music, my mood became melancholy and I needed some space. Amid some 140 naked men, I felt very alone. Tears welled up in my eyes on a few occasions as I thought of Blair, how much I missed him, and reminisced of happier times with him. But I managed to compose myself in short order because I didn't want to show a weak face in public. Even so, a couple of guys noticed my isolation and asked me what was wrong. I explained that I had recently broken up with someone very dear to me.

After sometime had passed, that melancholy mood subsided and I resumed my walk around the bar and smoozed some more.

Just before 8.45 pm I decided to leave, but that melancholy mood had returned. I went to the coat check, got dressed, and left.

When I got home, I grabbed a bite to eat. Just after 10 pm, feeling very tired, I went to bed.

Nipple Soakings

Since getting the nipple piercings yesterday, I have now added a new routine to my day. Starting this morning I began the ritual of soaking both nipples in a saline solution, which is basically 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt mixed into 1 cup of gently warmed water. For 10 minutes twice daily for the next four weeks I must perform this exercise religiously. The purpose of the daily exercises is to help sterilise the pierced areas and accelerate the healing process.

Nipple Piercings

A while back I received a gift certificate as part of my winnings for coming in first place in the Mr TNT Contest 2009. This gift certificate entitled me to $100 worth of piercings at Exotix, a local establishment well-known for their fine work in piercing and tatooing. Finally after much deliberation and delay, I took the plunge today and visited Exotix to have both nipples pierced.

Once I got there, I was most surprised at how calm and cool I was. I discussed the procedure with the guy who was going to be doing the work. Afterwards, I had to sign a special waiver before any of the work could begin.

When he was ready, he lead me into a small room, which was very much like a doctor's examination room. Here he presented me with the jewelry options. Since my eyes are blue, I decided to go with the teal-coloured titanium bars. He explained that this was a better choice because the bars allow for faster healing - on the order of two months, as opposed to six months for nipple rings.

The initial preparations involved me standing up while he sterilized my nipples, took some measurements and did some marking. Afterwards he instructed me to lie down in one direction on the table. Then he got a pair of clamps and applied them to one of my nipples. Once sufficiently tight, a sterilized needle would pushed through with the bar at the appropriate moment. Just before the needle went through, he told me to take a deep breath. Upon exhaling, the needle was pushed through my right nipple. Once the bar was in place, tiny spheres were attached to each end of the bar to keep it in place and to accent it. Then the same thing was done to my left nipple, but I was instructed to lie down in the opposite direction.

Overall, I was amazed at how quickly the whole procedure went. Granted, it was not without pain. But that pain was fleeting. After it was all done, there was this wonderful rushing sensation and this tingling feeling in and around my nipples.

Before I left the room, he explained exactly how to take care of the piercings as they heal.

We went back out front where I paid for the work. He handed me a small pamphlet which reviewed all the steps necessary to take care of my piercings as they heal.

I must say that I left Exotix in a most wonderful frame of mind.

Getting My Nipples Pierced

The history of body piercing is long and has been practised by many cultures. This year I become part of that long history.

When I won the Mr TNT contest in May 2009, one of my winnings included a gift certificate from Exotix, which specialises in tatooing and piercing. The gift certificate covers up to $100 for the cost of piercing (jewelry is extra). For many years I have been toying with the idea of getting my nipples pierced, but it has never ventured beyond the concept stage. Since receiving this certificate, however, this week will see this concept translated into a reality. Tomorrow I will be visiting Exotix to examine some of the jewelry options with which I can adorn my nipples, as well as booking an appointment for the procedure.

The Day at Hanlan's Point

At 9 am on Tuesday morning, I arrived at Blair's apartment on my bike. Shortly thereafter, Blair assumed the role of hairstylist and proceeded to cut my hair. After giving me a fantastic trim, I hopped into the shower and rinsed myself off. Then we ate a healthy breakfast to get ourselves energized for the big day ahead.

Once breakfast was done, we embarked on our big adventure. With gym gear in hand and I with my bike, we walked at a leisurely pace down to the YMCA on Grosvenor for our workout. We spent about an hour-and-an-half at the gym and it was a good workout for us both. I felt fantastic afterwards.

After we got showered and dressed, we parted ways for a short while. Blair had to run an errand and I had to run back home to get a couple of things done. Before going our separate ways, we said that we would meet at Java Jive for a quick bite and then venture down to the Island from there.

Blair and I arrived at Java Jive within minutes of each other. We chilled a bit and had our lunch. I also took the opportunity to introduce Blair to a couple of my friends, Gary and Bob, both of whom I had glowingly related about this beautiful human being who had recently entered my life.

We left the cafe and walked down to Wellesley Station to catch the train down to Union Station. From Union Station, we walked down Bay Street to the Ferry Terminal. Within moments of our arrival, the ferry docked and we were on our way to the Island.



We couldn't have chosen a more perfect day for this adventure. The ferry crossing was wonderful.



As soon as we encountered the first signs of sand, we took off our shoes and let our bare feet experience its wonderful sensations. But that was a short-lived experience. As we continued our walk toward the water, the sand became hotter and hotter until we were forced to put our shoes back on. Once we hit the water though, we slipped off our shoes and let our bare feet experience the cool sensation of wet sand and water. Despite the day being beautiful, the water still had a pronounced chill.

Finally we found a spot on the beach, rolled out our towels and stripped off our clothes. The simple act of removing our clothing was a small celebration in and of itself and very liberating. Feeling the warmth of the sun that day on our exposed skin was simply magical.



As soon as we undressed, we both applied liberal amounts of suntan lotion to prevent ourselves turning into lobsters.



Blair was the first one to take the plunge into the chilly waters. The water closest to the beach wasn't that bad, but as one ventured out from shore there was a marked drop in temperature. The image below tells the tale of Blair's encounter with that cold water firsthand.



When I finally decided to take the plunge in these chilly waters, I took my camera with me. Among the images I captured that day are a couple of my favourites, which appear below.

The first image is of Blair in the water. To me, it is such a beautiful and relaxed moment.



The second image is of a couple of ducks leisurely swimming by. I moved slowly through the water so I wouldn't scare them. When I got close enough, I snapped a couple of photos. This one with the sailboat in the background is perfect.


Even at the beach the creative mind was at work. Mother Nature provided the raw materials and the canvas for artistic expression. Below, Blair transformed something as simple as small stones into a work of art.

Mr TNT 2009

A couple of posts ago I revealed the sash which I will now wear for the entire year whenever I attend TNT Men functions. In the photo above you not only see me actually wearing the sash in all my naked glory, but also the plaque with which I have just been presented.