backrubman

Wow, well I've never experienced that but I did have a lady come visit my hotel suite once and something distracted me only a moment after her arrival, so when I looked back in her direction I have no idea what she might have been wearing as she wasn't wearing anything any longer... That was shockingly pleasant :)

Don't take it personal as I think you were one of the first to send me a friend request... probably people that haven't posted and therefore if they remove all other trace of themselves the account can actually be deleted as opposed marked inactive with the asterisks in the name.

That's most unfortunate Angela but that goes more to the morals of the gentleman which no lady can really attest to. By providing a reference she can only tell you that the client treated her well enough that she would book with him again, obviously she can't tell you if his moral standards are such he would make good on a promise to make it up to you if he has to cancel at the last minute. That's why I used to prefer to provide the lady an advance deposit and then when I became more trusting full payment in advance so I don't have to deal with cash at all. Eventually I realized that with someone of your obvious stature and good reputation, why bother with a partial payment at all when if you were the one that had to cancel I am certain you would provide a refund. So these days I just send the full amount in advance (if the lady agrees) and then that is one less thing I have to worry about. My opinion that ladies who require references is a positive is an opinion, but a client's possible future need for a reference is a fact. If I know you will never provide a reference for me (particularly to a lady in another city I might not travel to as often) then one of the normally expected services is that for a certain period of time a lady you recently saw will take a few minutes of her day to provide a reference because I might be seeing a lady that requires one and therefore need one, in fact many ladies ask for two references. Much less important to me today then it was when I was new to CERB and I had no post history or reputation it was of great importance to me. I don't get asked for references very often anymore so it is obvious some ladies do review your history here, that and the fact that I much prefer to see a lady I've already seen before whenever possible.

Oddly there is a loose relationship between the level of screening a lady requires and the quality of service she provides. I say "loose" because nothing is ever a completely hard and fast rule and there are always exceptions. Just the same I have seen enough ladies to recognize that there is a relationship between her attention to careful screening processes and her attention other aspects of the service she provides. When a lady pays that much attention to detail that she requires the opportunity to screen her clients very carefully, it is almost always the case (has always been the case in my experience) that she will also pay just as much attention to detail when it comes to making your appointment with her the very best that she can also. In short, if she is OCD about screening, she is probably OCD about the overall quality of her services.

It's never been a real show stopper. There have been lots of times when I am in one city or another and a meeting that I thought would go late into the evening is finished really early or even cancelled, leaving me with the the rest of the evening free very suddenly and unexpectedly. Of course I always try to contact a ladies I have seen before on the off chance they are available on short notice but this is the circumstance were I sometimes find myself seeing someone I haven't before and usually within the next hour or two - no time for her to check references so none asked for and then I even have a new reference (if I needed one). So in this circumstance, I try my favorites first and if I strike out there I always have a list in the back of my mind of interesting ladies and chances are one of them is available on short notice. They will want your real name and to call you back at your hotel suite (asking for you by name) and then the answer is see you in half a hour :) In particular if you are from out of town (or the country) like this, willing to produce ID and don't want to play secret agent -- being forthcoming with all the requested information most ladies love to hear from you. I'm sure you can set up an appointment well in advance with one of the ladies that usually requires more extensive reference checks given where you are coming from you wouldn't really be expected to have any. Just tell truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. A partial advance payment by Interac email is pretty safe if the lady has a good reputation and is well recommended it certainly takes away any concern about you being a no show. I don't know if you can do that from a US bank account by email, but there is always Western Union or a similar method available and if you are trying to set up an appointment well enough in advance then lots of time for her to swing by WU office at her convenience in the next week or two and pick up the advance. Every lady is a little different with her requirements, so you write to her and express interest and then follow any instructions she gives you to get past her verification procedures to the letter and offering an advance to be applied against the appointment fee will help as it proves you are serious. There is almost always a way in if you can follow instructions and have nothing to hide.

I been just a little embarrassed (very little) a few times by more than one lady that are very loud screamers. It's a dilemma, in one sense she is giving me a complement, isn't she? And at the same time she is letting everyone in the hotel and for several blocks in all directions know :) Of course I've never "complained" to a lady about it.

Yeah I do it all the time. I'm not really talking to myself, rather the voices in my head... but are they really coming from the bluetooth headset? I'll never tell :)

You did. The caption for the supermodel reads "There's no way to look cool with a Bluetooth headset" and I have to agree. They are a big help to people that talk to themselves a lot though as it can help them hide that :) And yeah, the existing BlackBerry line (although it still has a loyal following) is pretty primitive compared to the capabilities of an Android or iPhone.

Coming home to a clogged sewer and some pretty nasty stuff bubbling up in the bathtubs on the first floor. So I put on the old clothes, got a pair rubber gloves and a sewer tape and well who said "you don't have to take the cap off a sewer to know that it stinks". Off course all my clothes ended up in a garbage bag and I ended up in the shower on the second floor. Just finished cleaning the tubs on the first floor. Ooo yucky poo.

Oddly I own a piece of property in a small town that is surely hundreds of miles or more from the nearest street worker (or even inside escort) yet I end up having to clean up used condoms and needles all the time. To me it's just a more icky form of littering.

It's not so new to me as the pesos in República Dominicana have been going plastic with the see though windows for some time now. They do hold up really well in the washing machine :) I remember the days of spending a paper $1000 DOP note (equivalent of $25 Canadian) at the grocery store and the clerk would spend a lot of time holding each one up to the light and carefully inspecting it to ensure it wasn't counterfeit, those days are now gone, hurray!

I really like making loans on Kiva, in fact I'm almost addicted to it. Not only does it help people in developing counties that don't have access to mainstream financing it actually doesn't cost anything to do this in the long run as they eventually pay you back. Of course there is the risk of default, but I haven't had that happen to me and it's only $25, $50 or $100 at a time. I also like giving to charities when I can actually see the results of my donations (e.g. touring a school I helped build, etc.) of course that does get very expensive but it's worth it to me. Anytime I'm able to do something to make the world a better place it makes me feel good.

You have us worried Mr. Green, hope all is well and best wishes your way. Can I quit? I have, I want absolutely nothing more to to do with this industry... until my next appointment which is already booked :)

I'm not surprised by this at all. In fact when I was involved in spending taxpayer dollars it was quite common to have these services offered by an over zealous bidder hoping to get awarded a given contract. I can honestly say that neither I or any of my colleagues ever accepted such an offer (that I know of), however I always felt it had to have happened and I just didn't know about it. In fact we would see it as dishonest to attempt to bribe us in this way and hold it against them having the exact opposite effect than what they were hoping for :)

There is also a "Foreign Affairs" social group but activity is low, still the advice and info always comes along and of good quality but just not quickly (i.e. no point asking there a day or two before you fly). There is much more activity and information on "other" boards with regards to over seas and perhaps rightly so as the C in CERB does stand for Canadian :)

Interesting indeed. To think I used to find it annoying that some third world hotels and resorts I stay at the housekeeper spends an hour or more cleaning the room every day, washing everything which I used to think was a waste of time and effort as it was just all done the day before (of course everything sparkles when they are finally done), but now I have reconsidered :) The Canadian standard of a 10 minute boogie job of make the bed, empty the waste baskets and maybe a 2 minute vacuum cleaner job (while less inconvenient) if you are trying to get some work done now seems a lot more dangerous. Of course they only work so long and hard and make everything sparkle to get a good tip. One place I frequent I know the housekeepers get $2/day so the $5 tip I leave them everyday means a lot.

Good post Notch and just as pleasurable for me to take care of a lady that appreciates it. That's important also.

I have to agree with Nicolette. This is one vaccine that (at least for me) has absolutely consistent positive results and can make a major difference in your vacation. It's only good for three months and has to be taken a couple of weeks before departure but it works. I know this as I have also suffered the consequences of skipping it :)

Good point JoyFulC. We're really lucky in Canada that we have such wonderful, professional ladies that don't have to worry about this. I grew up with a girl (the girl next door) who ended up doing 2 whole years in prison in the US because she asked a nice undercover policeman if he wanted a date - while that would be illegal in Canada also (communicating for the purpose) seems pretty harsh (even cruel and unusual punishment, IMO). Of course in República Dominicana, no condom will cost you an extra $5 for service without. I have always stayed away from these ladies in any intimate capacity to spite the compelling temptation, their totally captivating beauty and all day rates that basically amount to pocket change even for someone of modest income in Canada (and been ridiculed for being too cautious) but at least I get to live to tell about it.

The professionals always insist on them being the supplier as they can't otherwise be sure that any you have were stored properly or heaven forbid tampered with (things we don't like to have to think about but do have to in this strange world of crazy people). However, most lady's have no problem with your preference as long as they are aware of it ahead of time and the box is clearly still sealed with a recent receipt from where you purchased them. Some will even pick up some to your preference if you let them know. Once in a while a lady may simply forget them and then is happy to use my supply.

The simply you (Summer) being yourself is already over qualified :)

I can't and won't disagree with you there. I think it is the E. coli component of Dukoral that really makes a difference (not the alleged protection from Cholera). Making the transition between Canada and the Caribbean at least twice a year, I find a Dukoral booster always produces very positive results and the lack of one has always produced illness. That's just me, I'm sure (in fact I know) lots don't bother with this vaccine and get along just fine. I think if you eat away from the touristy areas and mingle with the locals as I do, you are more likely to be exposed to E. coli and suffer from montezuma's revenge :) While this would almost always get me it has always failed to do so since I started taking Dukoral as a matter of routine, but I do tend to wander a bit and not stick to food for tourists that is more carefully prepared.

My understanding is that if you specifically block someone (as opposed to just un-friend them) then it is as if you never existed or have completely removed your profile (they can't find you). Someone that "thought" I should have attended their wedding blocked me for a while (I was in hospital fighting for my life but they did not know that, nor did they bother to ask why I didn't attend), I couldn't even find them to block them so as soon as they unblocked me, I took the opportunity to block them -- The reason being that they could block me again, then momentarily unblock me and see what I was up to and then block me again. Things like that lead me to question the value of Face Book entirely and now I have just pretty much given up on it. While I still have a minimal profile and security settings are such that only a very small circle of friends has access to anything, I only maintain this as it is a way of keeping in touch with people I really want to and those that insist on using Face Book. I also never use the Facebook app from my smartphone anymore as it silently harvests your contacts, recent calls, etc. and then starts suggesting anyone you called as a friend. If it weren't for the highly organized and commented photo albums of my world travels I have there and the fact that there is a secret public URL for each that I can give to someone that doesn't give them access to anything else I'm sure I would delete my profile entirely. In fact I plan to recreate these elsewhere and do just that very soon.

Well I don't know about the value of the flue vaccine, already known to make some people sick. But depending on what part of the South you are going to, and how soon along with what is endemic to that region your Doctor might recommend something like Twinrix (for Hep. A & B - and after enough booster shots is good for 15 years) or even Dukoral (for E.coli and Cholera). There are also treatments that can prevent Malaria and Dengue Fever but not often prescribed due to the side effects and low risk of contracting the disease.

A new laptop of course given all the tablets, smart phones that border on being a computer it might well be the last I ever buy but alas there are still some things you need an actual computer for.