tulips - a certain sign of spring!

In early April I had this vase of tulips on the dining room table to brighten up the apartment. They're a sure sign of spring as are others. What do you like best about springtime? - V

another hot dude, more hot muscles

Its a cool, dreary wet day outside with all the rain falling out of the sky. This seems to describe our week, so lets take our minds off all that and focus for a moment on something hot and muscular. Hope you have an awesome week! - V

hot dude - hot muscles

Well, the holidays are over and its back to work. Lets start off the workweek with something good to look at (Seth) to carry us through until the weekend. Have a good week, guys! - V

flowers

I bought three of these plants last autumn and kept them going through the winter after I had cut them back. These mums are flowering in the dining room window despite it being spring and not at all time for mums! - V

Burnaby and more

Late Friday afternoon I had hoped to find the group of longboarders in practice but because of it being Good Friday and Easter in general I wasn't too surprised when I saw no sign of them. I'll catch them again next Friday. Then I'll be coming from work to do the photoshoot.

All was not wasted since I did take some photos just the same. The one above is one of them. There is a hedge in full bloom in the foreground.

I ended up walking to Metrotown SkyTrain station from there rather than take another bus. It was so nice weather-wise but I'm paying the price today with passing blood in my urine. A leaky kidney is the cause and this takes about 24 to 48 hours for all to go back as it was. Its a condition that's left over from 2006 when I developed severely high blood pressure after coming west from Ontario. Its a long story but to make it short a microscopic parasite was at the root of it. Once that was found the matter was resolved rather quickly. A leaky kidney is but one of those things I have to live with for the rest of my life. It doesn't stop me from getting out and enjoying the great outdoors and nature in general. Why should it?

I hope you're having a great Easter weekend!!! Make the most of it! - V

longboarders

Patrick Switzer and his crew of longboarders was in one of the local newspapers here in New Westminster (The Record) last weekend. I'm heading out to the venue where they practice in Burnaby to get some of my own photos of these awesome longboarders in action. They all look like lean-muscled guys with great longboarding skills. The above photo is from PunkStudio with Patrick on the right. Look for more images, including a story along with them! - V

hot dude - hot muscles

So here's another image to provide you with inspiration for developing your muscles. If he can do it, so can you! Good luck! - V

butt

Its been nearly a week since the last post, so here's a hot guy showing off some butt for starters. We can develop the rest of our physique but let's not forget the butt and give it our attention as well. - V

hot dude - hot muscles

Lets end the evening with Jacob to give us some ideas on how we can improve our physique, even something to dream about during the night. - V

hot twin

This is one of the Clippinger Twins. I believe its Allen. Enjoy and have a good night! I'm off to bed soon. - V

hot dude - hot muscles

Well, as a nightcap, and obvious distraction, here's Allen to show us what is possible. Gives use something to dream about, something to motivate us into perfecting our own physique. Have a good night, guys! - V

gout II

With my recent gout attack I've decided to do some more research on the subject, including the causes of this serious ailment and what starts the dominoes falling. So far I know that the kidney(or kidneys) are affected and cause a build-up of uric acid in the blood which in turn causes crystals to form in the feet and elsewhere (the damage is not confined to the feet only and affects organs like the heart, lungs and kidneys!). Stress is just one of the catalysts in getting all this going.

Once you have gout, there are ways to minimize the symptoms. Reducing or eliminating sources of purine, such as red meat for an example, eating lots of red and blue fruits which have plenty of natural anti-inflammatory agents (blue berries have zinc as well which helps with the effects of stress), and otherwise restricting one's diet to fish and poultry, vegetables and fruit (with obvious exceptions - asparagus is a no-no).

Our sleep patterns and daily activities could play a part in all this, such as working rotating shifts which puts the body in continuous stress (not a good thing in the long run). A straight shift without variations might be a lot better, and if you're a night person as opposed to a morning one, getting up early in the day for a long period might not be good either, well, in my opinion anyway.

My father's younger brother had gout for many years through the latter part of his life and in the end he was also on kidney dialysis it was so bad. Medications may be necessary in some cases. I use them only when the attacks are so serious that adjustments to my diet alone will not help improve the situation but finding the source of the problem and making the necessary changes there that will eliminate the problem seems to be the best solution. That is better said than done and not as easy as it sounds. Meantime, researchers keep plugging away in trying to find a solution.

This is what I've learned over the last ten years in order to help in my own situation. Meantime, check with you medical professional if you feel you have symptoms or are concerned and just want to know more. I'll post more news later. - V

Anthony

Or perhaps you'd rather dream of Anthony Green. We all have our favourites, or someone we look up to, that inspire us to be better than what we are today in body, soul and spirit. Why not have them in our dreams? Night! - V

Seth

Here's Seth Kuhlmann reclining to keep our dreams positive during our night's sleep. Good night, guys! - V

more of Kris

I know you guys would rather see more of Kris Evans than have me talk about my recent gout attack but things are getting better. I'm back to work tomorrow (Thursday). Meantime, here's a shot of Kris. If you're over 18 or legal age in your area, not offended by seeing guys in the nude and would like to see more of him, check out os meus garotos where Yorsh has a lot more hot shots of Kris. Otherwise, go no further by not clicking on the link. Many of the rest are too hot to post here! Now I'm going to call it an early night. Good night, guys! - V

gout

I'm in the midst of another gout attack (left ankle). Luckily they're infrequent! I can barely walk across the apartment, so don't see myself being able to make it to the bus stop. With that said, I had to book off work. Its getting to and from that is the issue. Last night I read the papers, had a light supper and went to bed. I couldn't focus on anything else. I hope your day is better! - V

Vancouver's Queen Elizabeth Park - January 1979

Here's another photo I took from Queen Elizabeth Park, this one in January 1979 during my first visit here. It rained on the first day I was here and then cleared up. It was cold but the skies were mostly clear, except for the low hanging mist. The view you see has been obscured but the growth of the trees since the 1970s. I'll find that out soon enough when I return there during the summer. The children loved the ponds because they were frozen over because of the temperature. Believe it or not, I walked all the way up to the park from Vancouver's West End where I was staying at the YMCA, which has since been renovated. Then I walked all the way back stopping to get a bite to eat on the way. - V

Lukas and Kris

I've been buying the odd issue of DNA magazine from time to time. Lukas Ridgestone is on the cover of issue 133. Issue 130 is the last one I purchased. We've yet to see it on the shelves here but its certainly something to look forward to. So is Kris Evans, another hottie. What do you think? - V

blond dude

So, guys, have you been working on your fitness training. Well, let this hot dude give you some further inspiration! So, what are you waiting for? There's no time like the present! - V

mice

A few weeks ago I found that mice were visiting my apartment. The landlord has had a pest control person come in and set up traps to catch the critters. That as Friday of last week. Its not the first time since its happened before but likely not the end of it unless the landlord makes attempts to plug the entry point that allow mice to enter the building in the first place. All this has been an issue since the boiler on the main floor was upgraded to make it more efficient. I have my doubt on that but that's a totally different problem.

When we first came to Canada in 1957 and settled in southwestern Ontario, we were living in an old farmhouse outside the village of Hensall, near Zurich, northwest of London. I remember getting up one morning and seeing the kitchen full of mice. They were everywhere, on the counters, on the floor and so on. I vaguely remember bring this to everyone's attention.

I don't recall this but my mother told me about my pointing out some lizards in the yard. They were yellow with black spots. Did I say we lived in the country? Its perfectly normal to see such critters when living in the country as opposed to the city.

My mother was a city person born and raised in Berlin, Germany. What finally made her decide that we needed to move was the encounter she and my older half-brother had with a bull while taking a shortcut through a farmer's field after shopping in the village. They ran and jumped over the fence, groceries and all, with the bull in pursuit. I don't know what possessed them to make such a decision of taking a shortcut but the end result was we ended up in London, Ontario.

Anyway, back to the mice. The last home I lived in back in London, Ontario never had mice or any other rodent in the house and that was since it was new in 1968. When I sold the home in 2005, it still hadn't had any rodent issue, so when I have someone tell me that its hard to have a building completely rodent free, its total nonsense. I know otherwise. There's a lot to be said in having windows screened and screens on the chimney flue to prevent animals and birds from getting in the house through falling in the chimney! What are your thoughts? - V

Vancouver 125th anniversary

A couple of days ago the city of Vancouver, British Columbia turned 125 years old. The photo above is dated the 5th of January 1979. I took the photo during a 2 and a half week stay in the city in late 1978 and early 1979. Note the smog in the air! Well, the air has cleared a lot since the last time I was in the city after returning here to stay in early 2006. The many pulp and paper mills are gone (and with them the jobs) which accounts for the air being clearer this time around. I'll have more photos later. Have an awesome day! - V

love

Some time ago I presented a post entitled "define boyfriends", so I managed to find a Corbin Fisher photo that "defines" that post in the form of a t-shirt with those very words on it. There are a couple more CF images to put us in the mood. Take the time to show your appreciation for your significant other, whether male or female, regardless of the sexual orientation. We all deserve to be loved! And while you're at it, enjoy the awesome bodies on these guys. Something worth getting excited about alone, don't you think? - V

Tyler

I've spent most of the weekend indoors to get things done there. Just as well since it was raining sporadically Saturday, though the morning looked promising with the sunshine but cloud moved in toward the afternoon. Today its been mostly rain all day, heavier toward evening, but then the laundry had to be done. Just as well.

So all afternoon was spent getting the laundry out of the way and then getting some work done at the computer. Evening got me in the kitchen to get a late supper on the stove, nothing fancy, just duck legs seared on diced onions and then slow cooked with diced red cabbage. I'll add some honey and vinegar to the cabbage once its done. Left overs tomorrow will be served with boiled potatoes!

There's more to be done, so tomorrow is another day for that.

In other news, the apartment has mice again, so I've set some old fashioned kinds to get them. I'll send the photographic evidence to the landlord later. Now that the traps have been set the critters seem to be scarce. Its just one of those things.

Keep Tyler in your dreams and I'm sure you'll have a restful sleep! Have a good night, guys! More news later. - V