Million Dollar Quiz

You're thrown into Heathrow Airport with $1 million that you have to spend in the next 48hours (plus air travel times, if you choose to fly - up to 24 hours' worth).

What are you going to do?

update: nobody wants to spend $1million?
I'm happy to double the money - $2million - half of which you have to spend for yourself and half on anything that's for anyone else.

What will you do NOW?

update 2: it seems it's only me, so this is what I'm going to do:

1. With my million I'm going to hire a private jet to take me places with a select group of people close to me - it will depend on the weather on those places so I'll decide where at the time at my whim. I'll have my preferred architect flown to me where I end up and have him or her design my beachside home, or at least get started on the project that will use up my remaining pennies.

2. With the million I have to give away, I'll find someone with inside knowledge of scholarship programmes for students in developing nations and direct all of the money at funding scholarships where there are applicants but no current funds for same.

Race Day

So on Saturday night I get some good sleep - though my dreams are vivid, in one a bunch of guys from a big ute are attacking The Frenchman, in another I'm supposed to jump from this insanely high waterfall off a mountain basically and glide to the river at the base in some raft. Both are disturbing and both wake me up. But I get back to sleep and wake in time to prepare for THE SWIM. Today's focus. Well, one of them.

I have a bit of a routine for pre-race mornings, and I follow the plan. Butterflies have started and I'm visiting the mens' room more than I'd like - but this is normal, so I go with it, no choice really. We arrive in Cronulla ahead of schedule and find our way to the beach past scores of cute fit men, (I'm sure there were others too, but I don't recall them so well.) They give us these new Powerade pre-race drinks - complete with added caffeine as we register. The sun is out in force and the day sparkling. We're surrounded by cuteness, and the world is a beautiful place.

I test the water - there is a lot of shallow water here today so I figure I'm going to have to use that running practice I've been doing at the beginning and the end of the race. I'm braced and ready - and bang we're off and running... and running... and finally swimming, and I manage to keep in the front pack - but some of them do slip by - I'm doing my best, any faster and I'm going to be too lactic for the guts of the race - so I settle into race mode and gradually pick up pace through the 2.3km. In the final - and longest leg - there are 2 competitors right behind me and I have to pick up my pace progressively right through to the finish - I'm actually sprinting by the time I get to the beach and then I have to run to the finish line, and run and run... beating them both and managing to take out 3rd place in my age category.

I can't breathe and take a minute or two before I can move again- I'm stoked - although not as stoked as when I was told I was 2nd, but they later found out there was a technical glitch... So I manage my aim - a podium finish - and get a prize to boot. The Frenchman has a great swim - his first for the season - and I manage to photograph him (kind of) as he finishes... as you can see below...

I've obviously used all my reflexes for the race... but he still looks cute.

In the afternoon we head to the everpopular diggies to catch up with good friends. It feels like home there and cocktails / food / more is accompanied by a most excellend DJ on the deck watching the waves (and men) roll in on North Beach. I envisage the DJ at the launch of their new CD series Cafe Del Diggies, but figure they'll have to find a better name.

I can't think of a better way to spend the afternoon quite frankly - heaven- so we stay a while longer. We all decide to buy the house across the road and then we leave to go and sell our houses and prepare for the move.

Saturday 15-3-08

So The Frenchman and I head up to Sydney on Saturday afternoon. It's a fantastic day, a delayed summer, and I have no complaints. Heading away for Easter next weekend we make our way to Kent Street in the city which has all the outdoors stores you can think of (for the camping gear we need), and manage a park on the street right in the middle of them all (not an easy feat). Looking at the signs everywhere it seems it's sale time at ALL of these store, and the sales started yesterday! We've not done any research and had no idea, so there's more than a little bit of lucky floating around today. By the time we've looked in 3 stores we know what we want and know that at Kathmandu, everything we want is 50% off - think thermarest / sleeping bags and the like, and so we load everything into the car parked out front, while eating the party food they had at the counters for this event. The staff were working well in adversity (it was a jungle of people in there.)

Next stop the tennis where a friend is competing in a doubles final. They're down when we arrive, but as soon as we get there they win the 5 next games straight and then the match, and we're regarded as lucky charms. I think we might be asked to come again.

The day is too good to be hanging around the tennis court so we take off to the victor's favourite beach - which is Freshwater (and no the water's not fresh). Despite the waves being quite small, they're emminently catchable and we body surf until the sun goes home, spotting a stingray in the so so clear water along the way. Of course in doing all this we've canned dining out before the theatre we have tickets for and instead eat fish and chips sitting by the Opera House watching the world go by. The night is so balmy that I think we've chosen the better option, the fish was superb.

Vertical Hour is the play and I quite enjoy it - political , emotional, insightful, and despite one fake american accent is worth catching.

Home now - and a few butterflies for Sunday's race...

Need rest.

My Olympic Trial

Sunday is the next stage of my plan for world domination in ocean swimming... The Shark Island Swim in Cronulla, in the south of Sydney. Its name is enough to scare most people off, but what a better way to get you to swim faster!? It's a 2.3km race, and The Frenchman will be joining in the action too.

I was going to have a quiet swim this morning as the triathletes had gone off running while I was still at work at 7am, in lieu of swimming... but alas when I arrived at the water's edge this am, there were some of the guys hitting the water for a swim session as well. Coach Jamie convinced me to join in and it was good! I'm feeling (over?) confident for the swim on Sunday. I've tackled 4m swells, raced after herculean lap times, cross trained, tailored a gym program and even paid attention to my diet... Maybe (if I can keep my composure) I'll make it to the end of the race with a time to make it all worthwhile... but it isn't the ultimate goal... that comes in 2 weeks time with my local ocean race the Stanwell Park Ocean Challenge... this Sunday is my Olympic trial...

Weather prediction for Sunday:

Mostly Sunny Min: 19°C Max: 25°C

It's been a problem all of its own

As particular as I am with grammar and spelling, I've always had problems geting my head around the whole it's or its word usage. So I googled it - and here's the site that I found that hopefully will ensure I don't make too many more mistakes... it seems I've made a tonne of them so far...

Wild Art Wednesday

Today's the day to do something arty. The Archibald prize (and it's comic alter ego the Bald Archies) have recently had their awards here in Oz, and I thought it was as good a time as any to make it our wild wednesday challenge. But you don't have to restrict it to portrait painting. A photograph or two, a drawing sketched on your note pad, or even just the simple act of going to see some art - whether it's a gallery, an opera, or the theatre. It can be a whole lot of fun, and sometimes a bit challenging... what will YOU choose to do?

QUIZ: Favourite Things

What are your favourite NON SEXUAL things that you like to do in bed?

The possibilities are (almost) endless. I'm going to leave it wide open today and post my preferences last.
I'm sure though, that if this man were in my bed I'd have trouble focussing on the answer to this question...
Your time starts now.

A SUPERCHILLED Weekend

Can you be exhausted and still full of energy? That's how I was Friday night. Eventually got to bed and slept like a baby, waking to the perfect summer weekend. Despite it being autumn.

The beach was a definite theme and we never got more than about 1km away from it. March is a great time at the beach - warm water, still warm air, and loads of guys at their physical peaks after months of outdoor activities, sigh... and with a Cuban themed cocktail party for the birthday of my favourite cafe, the theme was set in stone. Great and gregarious people, food and drinks aplenty, we were sad to leave. They sure know how to throw a party.

Sunday saw me out of my depth. It was fantastic. I was swimming in a sparkling ocean with schools of fish, armed with my camera to steal some images. I was in the water so long I was hypothermic when I got out, laying in the hot sun for 20 min before I stopped shivering. Sensational! Here are a few pics.It looks like I'm in a fish tank - apart from the waves...

Norten got into the action with a swim with us here in Coalcliff. While there we ran into some local friends who were having a BBQ on the rock platform by the beach (exposed in the low tide). It's kinda like seeing a dinner party in the dessert - I love the eccentricities of this place.

Anyone else have a beach themed weekend?

Random Questions

1. What does one wear to a Cuban themed cocktail party?
2. Is there any scientific evidence that there is a god?
3. If an obscenely wealthy person buys the house next door - do you get worried or be happy?
4. Is there any proof that religious people lead happier or sadder lives than non religious people?
5. What is the perfect menu for a brunch?
6. Does anyone who reads the blog swim 1km or more most days?

Thursday Morning

It's my morning off, and I awake to a day they say is going to be 27 degrees and sunny. I look outside, I feel outside, and I think they're right. After downing breakfast - a mix of cereals and some peach slices on top, I head to the national park beach where I strip naked and jump into the surf that looks like this:

to float around a while. I eventually get out and rinse off in the freshwater creek that trickles down from the mountain and then in the shade I read "The Swimming Machine" which, contrary to popular opinion is not autobiographical. There's not a lot of people around, which is surprising for such a fantastic day, but I'm enjoying my solitude and I when I get hot again I dive back into the water and wonder what would happen if I swim too far from shore.

I treck back up the mountain and pass 8 people heading down, one guy swears at how steep it is... but he's going down, and I don't mention that he has to go back up some time, and it's getting hotter.

I get home and Norten, who looks like this:

has dug a few holes in the lawn, so he gets solitary confinement for a while. Once I think he understands what it's all about I take him for a walk to my nearby beach which is also looking pretty brilliant, and as I stand there watching the waves roll in (with Norten dragging me too and fro like a buoy in the swell), a surfer, who looks like this:

(only cuter and blonder) walks up from the beach and stands right next to me where he proceeds to takes off his full body wetsuit. I can't say he's the cutest thing since Brad Pitt was a young adult, but in fact, he is. It confirms another reason I like living near the beach, and while I could easily hang around a bit longer I take Norten back home because I have to go to work. And then I post this, making myself even later to work than I really should be. But the story had to be told.

Wild Hot Sex Wednesday

What better way to punctuate the week than with Wild Hot Sex on Wednesday? Life's too short to live for the weekend, today's the day to get jiggy with it.

It's not in your diary? Seriously? You need to book youself a 60 minute meeting entitled "wild hot sex with X" or "lunch - out of office - take towel" if someone else reads your diary and they're not X. Perhaps its a morning thing - surprise your other half this morning by waking them up to this week's wild wednesday theme (if you've read this and morning is long gone - then Thursday will do). An evening under the stars - starkers - could also go down a treat... pun definitely intended.

Do you need me to go on? I think you can think of a few possibilities - I certainly have.

Have a wild, hot, sexed up Wednesday. It's on the house!

I like this theme - I might continue with it next week as well...

Gods of Sport

The guys from Naked for a Cause have asked me to post some details of their upcoming book, which promises a lot more than you'll find in the calendar.

"Gods of Sport is the first photography book dedicated to the hot Aussie sportsmen and comprises a huge, 224 page collection of previously unseen images of 24 leading Rugby League and Australian Rules Football stars who stripped off to raise funds for a great cause. Proceeds from sales of Gods of Sport benefit The McGrath Foundation œ a charity which funds breast care nurses and campaigns to raise awareness of the importance of early detection of cancer among young women."

You can find more details here: at the naked for a cause website , and I believe pre-order an advance copy for a significant savings.

Out with the Old. In with the New

I guess I'm not a history buff. I like things that are newer and better than before. Sometimes you have to look to history to see where things have worked and not worked before, but for the most part - onwards and upwards I say. I guess this shows a little in the wild wednesdays I post here which are a challenge to do things a little differently and step outside one's comfort zone. Because only when we are challenged do we really grow. Change for change's sake is somewhat ignorant, but there are almost always things we can do to make our future brighter, more richly rewarding and more fun, and that's when change is good.

This year's Mardi Gras has taught me that while the past is to be respected, it's not a blueprint for me to follow. Life is what I make of it, and there is no well trodden path ahead of me that I want to take. But there are people around me who I want to take with me, to explore new paths and find the beauty in the future that is ahead.

I'm looking forward to the new.

The Parade

So I did actually head up to watch the parade last night.
Mardi Gras' 30th Year...

Upon first arriving on Oxford Street we were greeted by a physical biff between two very gay men... so we moved off Oxford St to Flinders St which was a little less testy and met up with our team, later joined by our Canadian to make 3 guys and 3 gals, so very balanced! Finally we had a reason to pay attention to the bare breasted women in the parade "hey girls - have a look over there" ... as we looked for more palatable options. The parade continued in it's usual style - with a mix of well organised and all-over-the-place floats, some very sexy moments, some big pauses between groups and some true moments of pride , especially with groups representing the police, fire brigades, surf life savers and armed forces being represented in force. Of course there was more, and despite feeling early in the evening that I really wanted to go home, I was glad I didn't.

Oh and despite a slightly cool breeze, it was a perfect evening weather wise!

I can't tell you about the pary - but perhaps a few of you revellers out there can fill us in?

The Finale of Summer and Mardi Gras

It's on everyone's lips: "What happened to summer?"

It's been a very wet summer. Rather coolish too. Right now I'm in a jumper and jeans when I'd normally be in just shorts... Officially today it's all over and this is Autumn. The reality is, the weather is usually quite warm right through until April, and the ocean warmest now. I swam this morning in the surf and despite the winter air it was definitely summer water. The surf a mere ripple compared to last week, but a pleasant contrast. Just one stingray sighting, and another great Friday breakfast at diggies sitting in the sun peaking through clouds. I'm not convinced it's going to get warm again though - I'm praying to whatever god will listen for a few more little rays of sunshine, but I'm braced for a continuing chill. I've been searching for sunsational photographic weather for more underwater shots, but they've been elusive ( should have taken the camera for the divine ocean race last week) . So I've really had no great additions to my photo archive for the past month.

I could take my camera to the Mardi Gras parade tomorrow - if we go... I have mixed feelings about going though. We've been asked to join some lesbian friends at the parade, and I'm actually more looking forward to catching up with them than anything else. We're not headed to any parties of the dance kind, despite me being probably the fittest I've ever been. I'm feeling more for a quiet night in with friends. The weather people predict a daytime top of 21C (70F) and low of 15C which is positively chilly for this time of year - and especially not good for the parade, with the potential of rain sure to cool things down even further...

But I do hope it all goes well, the weather is surprisingly warm and dry, the parade a huge hit and Kylie, Madonna, Bette and Barbara all join Olivia to entertain the masses. Maybe there'll even be a change in political climate, but I think in this case it's called preaching to the converted.

Despite the adversities I've had a great summer. Hopefully despite the weather it will be a great Mardi Gras. What ever kind of celebrating you're engaging in today, I hope it exceeds expectations (in the best possible way, of course).

Wild, Visible & Proud Wednesday

Is being gay a small part of your world? Is it pretty much everything in your life? Or is it somewhere in between?

In Mardi Gras season we tend to see a lot of the icons of gayness, the perfectly buffed and preened bodies, varying levels of lavish and minimalist party costumes, leather S&M wear, drag and more. Its certainly what the crowds come to see, and sometimes experience. And with any big festival there's a great hype in the lead up to it all that excites and enthuses everyone to be a part of it all.

But not everyone fits the icons that Mardi Gras illuminates. I certainly remember as a teenager feeling incredibly detached from the whole idea of being gay because I certainly didn't feel I had anything in common with those icons I had come to know. Maybe I wasn't gay, I would think, despite the fact that I was attracted to men. Being gay though is not about being an iconic figure, it's about loving someone of the same sex. The rest is irrelevant really.

A parade with just normal looking people doing normal every day things isn't exactly going to get hearts racing though. But it's nice to know they're there and if I knew more people who were gay when I was still questioning where I was at in my own world, I think it might have made life considerably different.

In time, I've learned to appreciate the various aspects of the gay community and the significant diversity of it all. It doesn't mean I'm always comfortable with it all, and while I don't walk the other way when a drag queen approaches me these days, I still think about doing it... Some things I think are fantastic, like seeing people finally being able to be themselves, not having to hide sexuality or personal preferences. Other things I still find distressing, like friends suffering from substance abuse problems.

While Mardi Gras has evolved from a civil rights protest into more of a celebration of sexuality, it's still important to continue with the quest for civil rights. And probably the biggest thing people can do is to be openly gay in their own world, and be positive role models in those places.

This is all a long winded way to introduce today's Wild Wednesday - which is a challenge to look at your world and be who you are - without facades, without barriers - not who people want you to be - and to be proud of who you are. Let the world see it, and come to appreciate it, and ultimately people will demand change.

Visible and Proud, and comfortable in your own skin.

It is a challenge for more than just today.

Sunday Swimday

This was the view that greeted us as we arrived in Manly, Sunday for my 2nd ocean swim this season. Absolutely stunning. The camera was tucked away as I was in competition mode, so these are comprehensively stolen from the brilliant oceanswims.com website . As you can appreciate, there was some awesome talent in and out of the water... It wasn't just the views that were breathtaking.
This is my wave (above) starting off in the race... I'm pretty sure I was farther ahead on the right of the woman in this photo. A competitive lot!
The water was crystal clear - I got distracted by loads of fish - maybe that's why I only managed to come 4th in my category (28th out of 452 overall). But I felt good - strong and was very happy with my 28minutes 33seconds for the 2km. But damn it, I didn't make it into the top 3!! We swam again a few times after the race and after lunching with friends - it was too nice a day to stay out of the water. It has been the best weekend of the summer here this year so far. I'm looking forward to more of the same! I have some training to do to get up with the leaders though.

Much Ado about Wild Wednesday

Monty has posted his response to the Wild Wednesday self portrait challenge from a few weeks back and I'm impressed!
Click Here for his full post.

Thanks for taking part Monty!

That was Friday

I arrive at the beach this morning, it's sunny and warm, a perfect summer day like we've rarely had this summer. I look at the ocean and OH MY GOD!! The waves are HUGE. My first thought is, Surely we're not training here today?, followed rapidly by, I'm going to die! But I realise that for a change I'm not the only one who can perform CPR here so I might make it out alive after all. (And I could think of worse people to bring me back). So I dive on in and come face to face with waves that seem 3 or 4 times my height, and a lot more violent. At times I'm dragged, pummelled and sand blasted by waves in rapid succession, but I maintain my calm, if not my breath, and make it out to the buoy beyond the breakers (and feel like staying there a while as the others slowly make it out). Some of us haven't made it - and I see them retreating from the beach as we bob up and down contemplating the return journey, but the surf life savers have easily made it out - and I'm happy about that. We head back to shore and then do it all over again and I realise I've managed a surf I'd never previously have contemplated. The ocean race this weekend will be a breeze after this morning's swim I'm thinking as I shower off the sand that's by now quite literally everywhere.

The day gets more chaotic as I head to work and everyone it seems wants me to see more and more patients in all parts of the region, and I'm on the phone half the day triaging and sorting and managing on the hop. At last it's all done and I'm headed to Sydney where we're seeing "Pam Ann" at the Lyric theatre with friends. It's brilliant, she's brilliant and I'm laughing so much it hurts. The audience is almost all gay - a few strays have made it in too, but this girl is a definite gay hit, and she certainly knows her audience! Her last show is on Sat 23rd Feb. If you can get tickets - I'd highly recommend you go see her.

Your Rights at Home

If you think it's time our government changed the laws to recognise that same sex couples and their families have equal humans rights to heterosexual couples, then now it couldn't be easier to make yourself heard...

The Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby have created a easy to complete form which sends an automated letter to support the equal treatment of same-sex couples and their children under federal law in all the 58 areas of discrimination highlighted by the Human Rights and Equal OpportunityCommission.

Click here for the site and electronic form

Then encourage your friends and family to fill it in too.