Mardi Gras 2010

Sydney Mardi Gras organisers have sent a promo for this year's Mardi Gras, below. If you're tired of the northern chill maybe you should think about heading down for bit of southern hemisphere warmth and hospitality. You know you want to.

4min 3 sec

Rough Looks

There's something about the unshaven look coupled with sparkling visual clarity that just takes your breath away, as these photos demonstrate. Of course if you're still breathing you may decline to vote - otherwise you may like to pick the man who takes your breath most away.

Michael Fitt

Michael Brent

Luke Guldan

Rodrigo Guiaro Diaz

Rough Look 5

This one's for you Geoff.

Small strokes, big steps and Bondi.

As a kid I grew up in a seaside suburb, but I never really spent a lot of time at the beach. Sure there'd be days we'd head down for a swim, but not as a regular thing. I was more inactive, a little overweight, and more introverted really. I could swim, but I never competed save for the yearly school swimming carnival and now and again the next level if I freaked a good lap time there. Training? Did people really do that? I certainly didn't feel at home at the beach or wherever there were swim squads or other sporting pursuits.

So today is a life far removed from my childhood. Above and below are photos of Bondi beach today (somewhat modified as you can see) after the ocean swim that was today's competition. I started swimming in senior high school when I realised I was a bit overweight and needed to do something about it. Training on my own I started cycling to school (it wasn't all that close to home) and then after school to the 25m pool which had me gasping at the end of each lap. It gradually grew from there, still without any formal training, occasionally with friends but no real physical challenge. Then in preparation for the gay games in 2002 in Sydney I agreed with a friend to train for it - actually go the whole hog, squads, gym, the works. He didn't continue but I kept on and ultimately competed successfully (it was a lot of fun but some seriously hard work too). I had broken my own self created mould. I'd become a competitive athlete. With time my love for things aquatic continues to grow, I live by the water, swim daily whether it be in the waves with crowds, on my own with the sharks, in the pool with fellow trainers or with with 7 month old Amélie who just this weekend got to try on her new goggles (and loved them). And on days like today compete with people who used to be completely foreign to me. I'm still that other guy too, but I do more things now and I love it.

Life is a series of small steps. Sometimes though we need to take bigger steps and see where we land. The start of the year is a great chance to take some new steps, then see where we are come December.

2010

Will we be saying twenty ten, two thousand and ten or perhaps two oh one oh?

I think I like twenty ten best, easy, fast and kinda cool.

I'm starting back at work this week after some time off but I'm not too stressed about the idea of it yet. That may all change as I walk in the door Monday morning... I certainly will be looking forward to more time away from work though over summer, with time at the beach, surfing and swimming a distinct priority.

Over the break I headed to Byron Bay which has to be one piece of heaven. It's certainly the place to go to people watch - if you like watching gorgeous men (think washboard abs and board shorts barely holding on) - but has a fair share of eateries, beaches and surrounding points of interest as well. I'm going back, definitely. Can I go now?

For those following young Amélie, she is now 7 1/2 months and developing at rapid pace. She's been to the beach a few times, even got dumped in a freak wave but didn't miss a beat and has been ever keen to return (arms and legs go wild whenever we talk about going there or when walking there). It seems she's caught my love of the water, which is perfect. She may well be swimming before she's walking, but time will tell.

I have no specific plans for the blog this year, but am happy for any input as to likes and preferences for the year ahead. I'm going to busy this year outside blogging with a host of events focussing significantly on Amélie as one might expect, but life goes on outside of parenthood and I'm keen to continue being active in all spheres.

Right now I'm updating my music collection and scanning in old cd's to add finally a little diversity to my iTunes collection. Any new and interesting music suggestions are welcomed while I'm at it.

Happy New Year. Let's see what we can all make of it.

Small footprints, big impacts.

I wish you all a fantastic year