Even at this late stage of my cologne obsession, there are still surprises to be had, and I’m constantly amused by how little I know my own likes and preferences. If you’d told me I’d choose a floral over a woody scent, I’d have laughed richly. If you said I’d select something fruity over something spicy, I’d have called you nuts. Yet the nose knows what it wants, and will choose accords accordingly, despite what the mind and the educated guesswork might surmise. A case in point was my recent run-in with the Bond No. 9 line.

I’d just visited one of their stores in New York, and left impressed but not enraptured, and definitely not in love enough to justify the exorbitant price tags. Yet while waiting for Kira to deal with her shoe complex at the Harvard Square Tannery, I perused the small selection of Bond fragrances and fell in absolute love with the New York Oud.

It opened with a fruity blast of plum (two of my favorite frags – Plum Japonais and Pomegranate Noir – employ a fruity sweetness) and then something I never thought I’d like: rose. The classic floral note, so rich and redolent of history and grandmotherly overuse, was never on my radar, but that changed with Tom Ford’s ‘Oud Fleur’ – and the revolutionary turn-around is complete with ‘New York Oud.’ I find the namesake – the actual oud itself – is downplayed, but an integral component for keeping the floral aspect from blooming uncontrollably. It’s a delightful combination that on paper reads like a copy of the ‘Oud Fleur’ but in reality emanates an entirely different story – a story that needs to be part of my life. After spraying some on in the store, it haunted me for the rest of the day. I think I may have annoyed Kira with all my exclamations of adoration, but that’s what a good cologne does to me. Obsession and passion – two sides of the same sweetly-scented coin.

Of course, this puts a wrench in my holiday wish list, which has already been posted here. The good thing is, there’s always Valentine’s Day, and a rose fragrance may be more apt for that anyway.

Testing out winter garb for upcoming condo stays, I had to crop my bed-head out of these shots because it was simply unacceptable. The outfit, admittedly, isn’t much better, but for winter nights in Boston it’s perfect. Fuzzy long underwear and a soft (and Delusionally-Grand and bunny-like) t-shirt are all I need to bundle up and hunker down in one of the few spaces on this earth where I’ve always felt completely safe.

There are a number of situations where fashion takes a backseat to function and circumstance, and winter nights constitute just such a condition. I’ll pardon all sorts of otherwise-criminal fashion choices when it gets frigid. I usually don’t share such moments, but since turning 40 I’m a little more open to revealing the ugly (and silly) truth about things, including what I wear to bed. And it doesn’t get much uglier than this.

Hey, when you know the rules you can break them.

How did we make it to December already? November went by in a blink, and now we are really in the holiday groove, and you’ve got to prove your love to me. Before we march toward the end of the month, and the end of the calendar year, however, I offer this quick look back at the Decembers that came before. Though it is our darkest month, there are glimmers of light, and glimmers of hope, to be found in family and friends.

Evidence in support of hope: this holiday card from 2011, wherein I share billing for only the second time ever.

The little drummer boy.

Red suspenders.

Babes & sundaes.

Brothers & Christmas trees.

Holiday portals.

Snow rose.

Snow kale.

This holiday tradition began in 2011…

And we’ve managed to do it every year since then.

Like a Victorian virgin.

Naked Christmas caroling.

A simple holiday votive.

Porny gay Santas.

Oh Christmas tree.

The madness of men at this time of the year.

The real reason for the season.

Pom explosion.

Once upon a time, I was this wee little thing.

Family fun on Christmas Eve.

Walking in a winter… you know the rest.

And if this still isn’t enough to put you in the Christmas spirit, here’s a naked Ryan Reynolds pic for you. There. Scrooge be gone!

Here we go! Let the holiday hijinks begin! Tis the season to be jolly! It’s also the season to be busy, so to that end, let’s get going with the traditional Monday morning recap. I’ve just returned from a weekend in Boston, so I need a day or two to regroup. On with the look-back…

It began with this miraculous Monday moon shot of Simon Dunn naked.

Even Justin Clynes had a tough time topping that, though he did his very best.

My Holiday Wish List 2015 was finally published, and all two people who will even remotely entertain buying anything off of it have been notified.

A new parade of Holiday memories has begun, with more on the way.

The old parade of Hunks of the Day continued with Aaron Diaz, Gregg Sulkin, Andrew Morrill, Dennis Nathanael van den Eijk, Aaron Lazar, and Sean Yeary.

Happy Thanksgiving!

One of my very favorite parts of the season.

The most important outfit of the season, in RED.

Sit on this!

You’re gonna hear me roar.

Do it until your hand hurts. (And then be prepared to do it some more.)

It’s almost time… and even though this may be more apropos for Christmas, you’re getting it today. Cause, you know, Turkey.

It’s not something I put up here often, but in my daily life I give thanks quite a bit, and I am very much aware of how lucky I am. Gratitude has been ever-present in my life, and when you live as charmed a life as I do, that’s how it should be. This particular post is my small way of showing how grateful I am for my online family (I’ll be with my real family all day).

Thanks to everyone who visits this site, even if it’s just to see the Hunk of the Day or what silliness I may have slapped on my back this week. Whatever your reason for taking a moment to stop by, thank you. Now go and give thanks to someone else who needs to hear it. We’ll rendezvous later with tales of holiday fun…

In this period of relative ennui with worldly possessions, there’s not much that I’ve been hankering for of late, which makes a Christmas wish list, as requested by family, a bit of a dilemma. Not that I’ve ever been that hard-pressed to come up with things that I want. With that in mind, and for the ease of those wonderful people who are good enough to grant me gifts, here are a few items I wouldn’t kick out of bed.

I remain enraptured by the elusive  Jeremy Scott Adidas Wings 3.0 “Gold”, Size 10. This is one that would require an extensive eBay search, and since I’ve been asking for it for over a year it looks unlikely to happen now, but it will remain on the top of my list until it becomes available. (These are not to be mistaken for similar wing-tips that Mr. Scott has produced – these are the ADIDAS JEREMY SCOTT WINGS 3.0 GOLD SNEAKERS.)

Fragrance is always a welcome addition to my accessory roster, and while there is no new Tom Ford Private Blend available right now, there are several by Byredo Parfums that are worth a spritz. First up is the spicy Bal D’Afrique, which carries an incense-like accent that would keep things smoky and warm through the winter.

I also fell in love with Perfume 11 by BLK DNM the last time I was in New York. It’s a lighter, fresher scent than those I usually favor at this time of the year, but come January it will be a welcome change. It’s also proving difficult to find online, and may only be available in some New York City stores. (I found it in the gift shop at the Standard High Line.)

{Gift certificates to Barneys or Neiman Marcus would cover additional cologne desires.}

These Alexander McQueen floral loafers  – in Size 43 (US 10) – are dream-shoes that would take me to Oz and back.

Florals are big in my life right now, as evidenced by my infatuation with these floral sweatpants for lounging (and more) by Bonobos. Officially christened ‘Nomad French Terry Sweatpants’, their rose motif is a gorgeous twist for a pair of sweatpants. Size Medium, please.

When the rains come back in the spring, this beautiful blue Brooks Brothers Black Fleece raincoat would be ideal, in size BB1. (It’s on a big sale right now to boot.)

As for more practical concerns, the condo needs a new air conditioner,  a new set of bedding (Queen), and a new pillow or two (20 x 20 or 26 x 26).

{And if all else fails, there’s always Amazon.}