After a week down in Key West- having met with a group of friends who flew in from all over the place- I need a vacation from my vacation. Just excess in all forms… Too much food, too much gin, too much sun, too much rain and far too many reruns of Real Housewives of New Jersey. All in all, life was good: I was able to fit in a workout everyday and caught enough shut-eye to not look like a total burnout the next day. Amazing what miracles a strong cup of coffee can do for a semi-hangover. Miracle elixir, I tell you.
My days in the Keys tend to run like clockwork, allowing me to wake up when the sun hits the fence line in just the right way, stumble out to the kitchen to grind & brew and then immediately turn on CNN HD to see what I missed over the last 8 hours of sleep. I then head out to the pool deck to skim the pool (usually still clad in whatever I slept in, or didn’t sleep in as the case may be) while waiting for the coffee. I get just enough sun doing that everyday to give me some color, otherwise I’d look completely anemic and have people at my gym offering me iron supplements.
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The great thing about KW is that normal city clothing is basically optional everywhere on the island. My uniform during my time there is always the same: American Apparel corduroy shorts (3” inseam), Sanuk slip-ons (or barefoot if it’s not too hot) and a tank top (or less, if I can get away with it). Gym clothing is usually just running tights and shoes, as it’s an open-air weight room with very little etiquette other than don’t drop a plate on yourself. You’re covered in sweat within the first ten minutes of your workout. It’s hell and it’s awesome, all at the same time.
The reminder of my day is spent in search of the perfect Key West pinks (shrimp), avoiding throngs of day tripping cruise passengers, catching up with friends I’ve made on the island and figuring out what kind of trouble I’m getting into later that night. While KW might not be as debauched as it was in the ‘80s, it’s still a gay destination that attracts a gigantic variety of guys from all over the world. There’s simply no way you won’t find SOME aspect of Key West inviting and highly enjoyable.
I’m loving the current line of questioning I’ve been getting on Formspring. A nice mix of sex tales, personality and a window into my daily life. I’m having a blast answering and encourage anyone who hasn’t submitted a query to take a second and do it. It’s totally anonymous, so no worries about asking things that might be considered a little less than ladylike.
In addition to heading back to KW in just a couple weeks, I’ve got a full plate of travel over the next few months. Las Vegas is back on the regular radar and I foresee myself being there as often as I was years ago- almost weekly. I’ll be spending some time in the Seychelles, followed by a stop in Hong Kong. I’m on the cusp of putting together a trip to Mykonos before season ends in late September, but nothing’s final yet. Would love to get back there, as I’ve spent some really great times on that little island. Mykonos carries good memories: It was my first time wearing Speedo-cut swimwear in public. Looking back, it was amazing how buttoned-up I was at one point in my life. Times have certainly changed.
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Been working like a madman on my body this summer and I’m really stoked with the results. It’s been tough, as I’m one to constantly compare my own muscle with others and I always have to remember than very few guys are as tall as I am. When you’re 5’10”, it’s much easier to build muscle than it is on someone who is 6’3”. Getting to my 195 lb mark (with only 6% body fat) has been a challenge, but one that I’ve enjoyed and welcomed. What’s best is that I’ve done it all through hard work, diet and no steroids. Sure, it’s been tempting at times to take the easy way out, but the side-effects of steroids are immediately noticeable (acne, anger, hair loss, premature aging) and it’s just not worth it to me. I’m healthy. Always have been, always will be.
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I’m posting a lot more on Twitter lately (@BNicholas) and have been uploading real-time travel shots and muscle progression pics to the BN Photoblog. As I mentioned on the Q&A, a new redesign of EVERYTHING is on the way and as soon as I have some solid design schemes, I’ll post them up as a preview of things to come. As with the original BN.com, you can count on it being a trendsetting website while always keeping things calm, classy and collected. For me, there’s nothing worse than a website that’s too slick, too loud and makes you look behind you before loading it up. People deserve something interesting to look at, but if you assault them with automatic video, loud dance music and flash (which can really slow things down), you leave them with a bad taste in their mouth.
Ever since cutting off the mainline gossip on this blog, it’s funny how I’m still getting email tipsters and queries from other gossip blogs for content. While I’m not ruling out switching back to that format in the future, for now I’m content just keeping this a light, fluffy, fun travelogue. My life is pretty damned great, so why spend time on the negative or complaining about things that don’t really make a difference one way or the other. Most important, I’m here to entertain and make my readers smile awhile. For me, it’s a basic goal that seems to work well.
I invited you to stay tuned,
