Hey ck_nj, thanks for organizing the informal GT.
There was a good turnout of about ten guys. It was great getting together again with people who I've met before and have gradually come to respect greatly and consider my friends, including Hojo, Rook, Champs, Roland and shijak. It stuck me last night what a fine group of gentlemen I was sitting among. Like most of us perhaps, they struggle with finding a balance between enjoying life to the fullest and at the same time treating their loved ones with respect.
As an example of this, Roland insisted on us saying grace before we drank our beers or heading to the booths. "Oh Lord, we thank you for the grinding we are about to receive....."
What most characterized my night however was the number of unique people I met. Ck-nj was full of life and exuded friendliness. He held us together as a group throughout the night. It was a pleasure to meet Begbie also, who, alas, I only got to talk to for a minute or so. Algol, who I'd met once previously but had never really talked to, I found last night to be a very interesting character. He is quiet, but I got the feeling when talking to him that he has a curious senstitive mind and a good sense of humor. It was perhaps Eastender, for me, that was the big discovery of the night. He is truly a unique character and, I strongly suspect, a gold mine of information. In the short time we spoke, he told me what St. Catherines Street was like when he was young, what clubs can be good in the east end (most which I've never heard of) and after-hours clubs in Montreal. If I am ever looking to find a new adventure, he is the man I am going to contact for information. Also, I look forward to getting together with him for a beer sometime.
Like any GT, however, it had to end. Roland, citing a obligation to wash dishes at home, was one of the first to leave. Champs remained behind at Cleo's while others followed ck_nj to HDLM. My friend Yong and I went on foot, parting with Eastender who headed back to the east end. When we got to HDLM, the rest were already there. Rook and shijak were consoling ck_nj who was devastated by the lack of MILFs in the bar. The poor boy, he really had his heart set on getting his nose buried in some sixty-year-old noogie. Once we were all assembled, we left there and went to some "Electric..." bar, but the music was deafening and even if conversation had been possible, there weren't a lot of women. When we stepped outside however, the eye candy on Crescent Street was in abundance.
It was here, however, that Rook said that he had to head home to sleep because otherwise he would get wrinkles. The other guys headed off to Thursdays.
Not really into cruising however, I set off on my own for an Ontario Street crawl. An abundance of eye candy drew me into a hockey bar with a live band. While downing a quick beer there, I made a mental note of its location for further study. If the gang had gone there, I thought, the whole night might have taken a completely different direction. The only thing was that the crowd was quite young, maybe 23-28.
Next, I continued my way down Ontario until I came to Citibar, which I learned about some months back thanks to Oliver Kloseoff's reports. A lot of transgender people hang out there, so it is not for the squeemish, but for anybody looking for a colourful friendly crowd, it is a good place to go. It's kind of a mix between the television show Cheers and the bar scene in Star Wars. I go there once or twice a month and always meet somebody interesting to talk to. In addition, all the compliments I receive from the "special ladies" keep my self-esteem batteries fully charged.
Last night there was this Peruvian guy who had just arrived in Canada for the first time a couple days before and had wandered into the bar by accident. He didn't speak French or English, so was very happy when he found out I could speak Spanish. "You know," he says to me, "in my country, men must be men." He was stunned when I told him that the special clientele he saw in the bar belonged to an elite branch of Canadian military. "Yes, yes," I insisted, "they specialize in infiltrating behind enemy lines."
I ended my evening chatting with a really great Asian/Quebecois husband-and-wife team who have made a visit to Citibar a weekly tradition.
So, holy f**k, did I meet a lot of great people last night. Thanks for the idea, ck-nj. I'm looking forward to your next visit to Montreal.