Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy

Going to Las Vegas this weekend to see Bette Midler at Caesars Palace. Can't wait. It was to be the big wedding weekend for my roommate from college, Bradley. The wedding in San Diego ended with Prop 8, however. The tickets were already purchased for Bette, so we are just doing that part for now. A wedding is being planned for later in Mass or Conn. or waiting to see what happens in the NY legislature once they are back in session.

Roam

Well, it has been awhile. I had a lot of catch up work once I returned to work from OZ and also planning a cruise which I took 2 weeks ago to the Bahamas. I have just been roaming the US and International world this year. I have been to 3 countries outside the US, which to some might not be that big of a deal, but for me was, especially considering the locations. I am now in the early, early planning stages of a trip to South America next May. The only stumbling block right now is the visa charge to enter Brazil and it may not be that large of an issue. here is a picture of me on the ship as we are docked in Nassau, Bahamas.

Since You've Been Gone

I have now finished my Australian adventure. Wow; what a wonderful country and they really like Americans there. Every time I was at one of the bars, I would have a handful of men around me asking where I was from in the states and what I was doing in OZ. It was a great time. Beyond some architectural delights like the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House and some natural wonders like Bondi and Manly Beaches and the Blue Mountains, it was very similar to a modern American city. They do drive on the wrong side of the road, though...I had so many fun adventures and discoveries to share, but I will start with a self portait I took in front of the Sydney Opera House on my first day in OZ.

Tie Me Kangaroo Down

Well. The time has not gone by fast enough. But, finally, tomorrow I leave for Sydney. I have my tickets with Qantas. I have my passport. I have my Visa. I confirmed with my hotel and a tour package I bought to go visit the Blue Mountains. I think I have all my bases covered now. Just need to get to LAX tomorrow and then jump on the 14.5 hour flight to SYD. This will be the longest flight I have ever been on and the largest plane (Boeing 747). I will probably feel like a tied down kangaroo by the time I arrive in Australia being a captive soul for so long on a plane. At least there are many amenities on Qantas, even for coach seats, including wine with your meals, in-seat entertainment with over 30 movies, 100's of tv shows, and over 1500 cd's on demand (and ice cream with my movie!!). All this and there probably won't be anything on tv, as usual...

I have found this great site where you can morph yourself into all kinds of crazy characters, so I thought I would share the El Greco and Manga version of myself with you. I had to do something in my free time to keep the hours moving this week...Here is the site if you want to try it, too... Click Here for the Link

Rock The vote

While not really a song title, Rock the Vote has always been well ingrained in music history since MTV incorporated it into elections. And the reason why I mention this now is because this fall in AZ, after being the first state to vote down an amendmant which would have banned same sex marriage, legislators are wasting our time by making us cast our vote agtain on the same issue we voted against once already. As if there were not more important things that needed to be done in PHX and AZ as a whole like feeding families who are pouring their paychecks into their gas tank and to keep their over-extended mortgage paid so they have a roof over their heads and attracting companies to our state that will bring higher paying jobs. That is not to mention that people are still dying of diseases, illegal immigrants are still walking into our state through unprotected borders (including potential terrorists), and a plethora of other issues that have yet to be addressed by our legislature. The time is now to put an end to this craziness and vote no on Prop 102 and kill this issue once and for all. To volunteer or find out more about this issue, click on the link to Stop Prop 102.

Down Under

Well, with airlines closing up shops around me, I am a little nervous about taking my around the world trip. I could end up in a country where I don't know the language (there are some languages I don't know many common phrases) and get stuck if an airline decides to shut their doors. At least the gas prices are dropping, so that should ease that concern up somewhat. Then on top of that, Lufthansa is on strike, and I was flying them (or Air France) from Paris to Cairo...So, I have decided to just go to Australia for a week--where the beer flows and the men chunder. You know, what exactly is chunder and is this something I should experience while in Sydney??? it kind of sounds like it could be kinky fun and I am not one to pass up something like that.

I have my flights on Qantas booked and I have already applied for the visa to enter Australia. I have my hotel booked, also. I love where I am staying; it has a rooftop deck which overlooks the skyline one one side, the Sydney botanical gardens on the other. It is about a 20 minute walk to the Opera House and a 10 minute walk to the Oxford Street area of Darlinghurst (which is the largest gay district in the city and where Mardi Gras is held--one of the biggest gay/lesbian events in the world each year). I can't wait. I am looking at some day trips, possibly to Hobarts/Brisbane/Canberra (I would have to rent a car for that, though, which could be fun driving around in another country in and of itself). I am also looking at a trip out hiking in the Blue Mountains, enjoying wine and cheese in the valley and/or snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef. I don't think I will be able to make it to Alice Springs or to see Ayers Rock, so I will definitely have to go back soon. There are just so many things I want to do and only a week to accomplish them. Well, my visa is good for one year with unlimited trips in and out of the country so I can go back if I can get the time off again. I still have quite a bit of vacation time left which I was holding for the around the world trip, but my mom wanted to plan a family reunion this year and my best friend is getting married, so my days off kept shrinking due to everyone elses demands, so it is probably best that there are so many obstacles to that trip. Besides, I am going to have a blast down under. I will post info on how it is; it is only a few weeks away now.

When I Grow Up

I flew into Louisville to catch up with some friends and to visit my family last month and it brought back all of these feelings from when I was younger in Kentucky. I had all of these plans for my life and I thought I knew who I was and wher I was going in life. So many things changed and along with those changes, I changed, too. I have seen many movies where people go back in time or want to go back in time and I have often wondered what it would be like, what I would be like, if I could do the same. Things that I would have done differently, words that I would have said (or not), and people I would have let in to my life or stopped before I opened my heart to them are often the big things that come to mind. When this nostalgia hits me hard, and I think about what could have been or maybe even what should have been, I can't help but start looking at my life in the present and who I am now. I realize that if I started erasing or changing my past, sure I would be a different person, but, would I be a better person? And the answer is probably not. Have I made any mistakes in my life so far? Absolutely. Have I learned from those mistakes? Well, I guess from some of them. I am still growing up and even though I am 37 now, I don't feel grown up yet because I still have alot to learn and to do and to discover in this great big world. Will I make more mistakes? I hope so. Besides, if I set up a standard of perfection in myself and others, who will ever live up to it...