Now that I have turned 40 and the warranty has definitely expired, I figured it was time for the boy to become a man. Since I’m hairy chested and I hang out in leather bars, I changed the “boy” to “bear”, with the kind assistance of TubaDiva.
Well…uh…welcome, Gobear, to the SDMB. 
[sub]You’re not from Chicago, are you? I see your name becoming very popular in the coming months.[/sub]
Oh, and Happy Birthday!
<sigh> I suppose it was inevitable. We all have to grow up sometime.
[sub]so, a guy who is above a certain size and has body hair is a “bear?”
Nope, I’m DC-based. (well, Virginia suburbs, actually)I thought you knew that, Thinksnow
Shit! I missed that, too! Happy birthday!
Generally in the gay world, “bears” are hairy, overweight men. I have body hair, but I’m a gym guy, so I’m what’s called a musclebear.
Thanks for the B-day greetings, too, y’all. Would you believe my own mother forgot?
Happy New Appelation, gobear. Birthday, too. I’m closin’ in on forty myself. I guess I’ll hafta change my moniker to GreatUncleBeer, or somethin’. No kids, so I can’t use GrandpaBeer.
So, I’d be a bear except for that other qualifier. Sorry, fellas!
For a chuckle, go back and find the post exchanges in which PapaBear, an individual not fitting the sexual pref description, was informed of the above 
Oh, and Happy Birthday.
Happy birthday, Gobear. You know I’ll always be your hag, no matter what the name.
“Go bare?” “Birthday suit?” Hmmmm . . .
Eve, haven’t you had enough of fantasizing over guys, only to find out they’re gay?
From boy to bear, that must’ve been a hell of a puberty
This confused me earlier today.
I saw goboy’s post in the Walkies! thread, and then shortly thereafter I reloaded the page and saw that it was gobear.
“That’s odd,” I thought. “Maybe I’m just skimming names and mentally completing the ones that are familiar. But how come this new guy has 1600 posts?”
Thank you for showing me that I’m not hallucinating. Yet.
Hehe…considering that my full online nick (in other places) is jayjaybear, welcome to the club!
And…um…how YOU doin’?
jayjay
Congrats, gobear! Like the new name. Happy birthday!
Happy birthday, Gobear! And hey, I drove through Hanover last weekend.
I’m just disappointed there was no “Teen Wolf” phase between boy and bear. Because that would have been funny.
Happy Birthday and bear hugs, gobear.
Thanks for all the kind b-day wishes, y’all. I left my 30s in the rearview mirror on 8/18, and now I’m officially middle-aged. 