Out with the Old , In with the New...

Year that is... Well it's finally here and I for one could not be any happier to see the end of 2006. As you will remember it has been one heck of a year, especially the last six months. All in all we have much to be grateful for and most of all that James and I have each other, and for that alone I am eternally grateful.

So, what do we have to look forward too? Well, starting with the New Year weekend we will be going to TASTE today, which is one of the best food and wine festivals I've ever been to. We will be able to pick up a bit of wine, for the house, from local vineyards here in Tassie and have some of the locally produced foods. I know I sound like I am tooting the proverbial horn but I really believe that we have some of the best fresh foods and wines in the world. All because we have such clean air and water down here. Maybe I'm prejudiced or just plain deluded but that's how I see it.

Next, we will head over to Constitution Dock to have a look at the boats that have finished the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Some of the boats are huge and others are not so huge. Either way you wouldn't catch me dead trying to cross the Bass Strait in any of them. It was bad enough having to take the Spirit over when we first moved here.

To end the year we will be meeting friends at our favourite local Greek Restaurant for some good food and plate smashing.; then we will end up walking over to the harbour to watch a bit of fireworks.

As for the beginning of the New Year, we will be celebrating James' B-day with friends on the 5th and then he and I will head up to Melbourne for a couple of days. When we come back we have a few things to tend to around the house like painting the bathroom and other odds and ends. All leading up to a visit from friends in February, and that is as far as we have planned for now.

So, I'll let you know if we come up with anything more exciting but until then keep watching this space.

I wish for all of you a very Happy New Year!

The next US President

I found this straw poll about who people think will be the next President of the United States in 2008. Go here and cast your vote. It's not scientific or anything but it will be interesting to see what the results will be. And yes, the holidays are over so we will resume regular postings in the not to distant future, but first we have to get past New Year and James' B-day (includes a trip to Melbourne to see Dame Edna).

Happy Holidays!

Well it's the day before our Christmas party and I have tons of baking and cooking to do so I'll be pretty busy for the next two days. After the party tomorrow we head to Sydney to spend a few days with James' parents. I won't have much time, if any, to post a lot and I just wanted to tell all of you I hope you have a wonderful Holiday Season and I wish you all the best for the coming New Year!

Some people just piss me off!!!

Over 40 million people infected with HIV with over 25 million dead and there is this fool in Perth Australia who claims to be a scientist and she says this:

Expert witness says HIV does not exist

A Perth medical researcher has told an Adelaide court that Africa does not have an AIDS crisis because HIV does not exist.

Eleni Papadopulos-Eleopulos has told the South Australian Court of Criminal Appeal that no one had proven that HIV exists.

Ms Papadopulos-Eleopulos is a witness in the appeal case of Andre Chad Parenzee, 35, who was convicted on January 31 this year of endangering the lives of three women.

Parenzee had unprotected sex with the women, knowing he was HIV-positive.

One of the women, a mother of two, became infected with HIV while the other two tested negative to the virus.

Parenzee's lawyer, Kevin Borick, QC, argues Parenzee could not have committed the crimes because HIV does not exist.

Under cross examination from Prosecutor Sandi McDonald, Ms Papadopulos-Eleopulos, a medical engineer from Royal Perth Hospital, dismissed recent World Health Organisation and United Nations reports that outline the world AIDS epidemic.

Ms Papadopulos-Eleopulos said there was no published reports that conclude HIV exists or could be linked to AIDS.

The 5,000 people who signed the Durban Declaration in 2000, which says AIDS was an epidemic in Africa, linked to HIV and spread by sexual contact, were backed by politicians, not scientists, she said.

"I am a scientist, I look for science - I do not look for consensus," she told the court.

"There is no massive epidemic of HIV infections because no one has proven it."

Ms Papadopulos-Eleopulos denied she was appearing at the case to gain publicity for her theories and her research organisation, the Perth Group.

The Perth Group, which Ms Papadopulos-Eleopulos heads, believes there is no link between HIV and AIDS.

Parenzee's appeal application continues on Wednesday before Justice John Sulan.

Sourced: here

I understand everyone has the right to their own opinion but this kind of rhetoric is ridiculous considering that after 25 years and still counting this epidemic is still going strong and people continue to be infected and die every day! Also how does she want to explain what I have been dealing with personally for the past 21 years? These pundits are all around and have been for years and all they do is spout this disillusioned theroy when there is more scientific evidence then you can shake a stick at and even if there wasn't it doesn't matter as people are still living with HIV and many are still dying. End of statement! So this kind of rhetoric is for a lack of better words Bull Shit!

Anyway, I'm emotional and I should breathe deep. I just don't know what to say but if you want to read more about this group, this woman and their deranged ideology; you can write to them and you can find them here

P.S. If someone wants to disagree with me. DON"T. I have the right to my opinion too and besdies I'm not in the mood!

P.P.S. I've learned that this woman and her group have claimed since 1988 that HIV has never been fully isolated; as such she is among the best-known AIDS dissidents. I've also learned that she has no academic appointment and newspaper accounts have also indicated that she does not hold a doctorate even though she claims the title of Doctor; her highest academic degree is in fact a Bachelor of Science. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleni_Papadopulos-Eleopulos

Just desserts

I like to bake especially desserts and I like to cook in general with Xmas on it's way there are lots of things I want to make or attempt to make. One of the best things about this house had/has going for it when we were looking to buy was the fact that is has a big kitchen. The apartment we own in Sydney and that we lived in for six years before we moved here had what is called a galley kitchen. Let me tell you it was just that; a galley. It was like trying to cook on a small sail boat, which is why we almost always had some type of takeaway (Thai, Indian, Vietnamese, you get the idea...).

I could never make a big meal in the apartment kitchen because it was so small. The stove/oven combo which was also tiny to be accommodated in the kitchen was also very old. So old that it did not regulate temperatures right if at all and only three of the burners worked. Needless to say about the only time I turned that thing on was in the winter so I could pretend to cook something but I was really only hoping to warm up the apartment. Mind you we really only got really cold days about two times during the winter. We were living in Sydney after all.... Funnily enough we replaced that stove with a brand new one just before we left to move to Tasmania, because we were going to rent that apartment out for some extra income and we had to provide them with a working stove. I don't know if the tenants use it or not as they would still have to deal with the size restraints of the kitchen in general but that's not my problem.

Anyhoo, when we found our new home we/I loved the new kitchen. It was huge (it runs the width of our house in the back) and best of all it has a separate gas cook top and a separate oven which is an electric fan forced type. I had not used a fan forced oven before but it had to be a hell of a lot better that what we had. We also gained a dining room for which we ended up buying a real life dining table. The need for one in the previous apartment was non-point as there was no dining room. We used to eat or takeaway on our laps. If we had guest or a party I made sure the food was either something cold and finger food size or once again shipped in. I was looking forward to all sorts of dinner parties.

I have been cooking dinner now on a regular basis since we moved in two years ago, no more takeaways. (OK, we have takeaway once a week. I need a break too). I mean I've been making real meals with things like, roasts, spaghetti bolognase, stroganoff, fresh steamed fish and real vegetables sliced, diced, boiled and mashed. You name it I'm making it. Best of all I love to bake and was thrilled at the thought of being able to make things like chocolate decadence cake or my grandmother's buttermilk pie. I have this big beautiful oven that actually works. WRONG!

As I mentioned earlier the new oven is and electric fan forced type, top of the line even. The previous owners had expensive taste. A fan forced oven is very different from a regular electric oven and you have to bake things at temperatures at least ten degrees less then normal. Well let me tell you this thing burns things like there's no tomorrow. I mean I have to actually turn down the heat by twenty degrees and also back down the cooking time by 10-15 minutes. I do keep trying but it's really bad.

I tried once again to bake something yesterday, a key lime pie and as usual it burnt that baby as if had been bad all it's life and it had been sent to hell. Xmas is a week away and we have friends coming over next weekend for a small get together and I am really concerned about what to make for food. I have purposely picked a menu that does not use the oven except for one item and I will just have to keep my fingers crossed. So, why am I telling you all of this? Well, I think it just seems like just desserts that I was so happy to get away from that kitchen in Sydney and to move to this big wonderful kitchen only to be reminded that the grass is not always greener on the other side (or at least when it comes to kitchens). Who knows maybe Santa will bring me a new oven???

The week before Christmas...

Well, it's the week before Christmas and I'm as ready as I'll ever be. All of my shopping is done including the food shopping for a little soiree we are having next Saturday night before we leave for Sydney on Sunday, Christmas Eve. The weather is holding out so once again we will have moderate temperatures, which is one of the reasons we moved down here. I just couldn't put up with the heat and humidity in Sydney. The little soiree is just a few close friends that we had over last year with some drinks and lovely nibbly bits. I am making lots of my old favorites including, deviled eggs, vegetable dip and prawn and crab dip. I'm also going to attempt to make a few new surprises. We shall see...

It's also only two more weeks until the end of 2006 and I have never been so ready to see the back side of a year as I am this one. I'm sure that if you've been keeping up you are aware of what a crappy year it has been for us both and at this point enough is enough. We just want to move forward and get on with it!

So what is in store for the new year?

1. I am taking James to Melbourne for his birthday to see one of his favourite comedian/variety acts Dame Edna.
2. Some friends are coming out for a visit starting in February and will be staying through the end of March. We will be going up to Cradle Mountain and also making a short trip to Sydney with them.
3. James goes to Sydney for a week to do the residential part of his college distance course. He has been working on this course which is an add-on to his degree for over a year and will finish it in June this year.
4. After James finishes his course we plan to start our travelling around Australia. So many people live in a country and only travel outside of their own country, never seeing any of where they live. So, we are going to do just that and head up to Darwin, Perth, and Uluru to name a few. We are going to rent a camper van and take our time to see what there is to see. I'll be taking our laptop so I can post pictures and updates

That's about all we have planned for the moment but a week before Christmas and all through the house all is calm and it is starting to look like a good year ahead!

A Christmas list...

This was fun. I stole it from here and he stole it from someone else. If you're brave enough or just plain bored give it a try and let me know how you went so I can have a read. I could tag some one (Mark) but I won't.

Happy Holidays!

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Hot chocolate all the way. Egg nog tastes bad besides it's hard to find here in the land down under.

2. Did you ever do anything for Santa?
Yes, but he had me promise not to tell anyone... I'm just kidding, we put out milk and cookies.

3. Coloured lights on tree/house or white?
Coloured lights on tree, and I used to put both on the house but we don't put them outside anymore because it stays light outside until almost 9:30 here in Tasmania so it seems senseless to put out lights that most people won't see.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No.. never bought into that one.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
December 1st or weekend closest.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Cranberry sauce

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child:
Not being able to sleep on Christmas Eve and always trying to get my parents to get up to open presents at about 5:00am, but they always made us wait until at least 7:00.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I think I was about 8 when I found the box for my GI Joe jeep; hidden down in the basement behind the hot water heater.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
We open one gift.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
I don't like one theme or just one colour. I use different coloured lights and all different ornaments that I collected over the years. (As seen previously)

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it.
I love it but we don't get snow at Christmas time here because we live in the southern hemisphere where it is summer so I have to wait until June to see snow.

12. Can you ice skate?
Yes, but not very well and it has been a long time since I have been skating so I would probably fall straight on my ass.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
All gifts are wonderful because people go through the trouble of buying/making them so I think they are all great.

14. What's the most exciting thing about the holidays for you?
The tree, I love watching the coloured lights twinkle.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
My mum's rum cake which I will have to try to make myself this year seeing that we live on the other side of the world.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Staying up to midnight with James so we can open presents on the very beginning of Christmas Day.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree...

Well it's that time of the year again and I love it. We bought a new tree this year as the old one has done yeoman's service over the past 7 years but I finally told James that it had to go as it was looking a bit pathetic. So the new tree is great it's real bushy but so bushy I can't get any presents underneath it. I'll figure something out. Our tree is not your typical all one theme tree that seems so popular nowadays. I like a variety of ornaments. I have been collecting ornaments since about 1990 adding at least one new one a year. Some are from friends and many of them with dates which remind James and I of different Xmas' of past and where we were and what was happening in our life at the time. I love Xmas although it is also a sad time for me because it also is the anniversary of my late partners passing. He died on December 21st which has always put a damper on this time of year from that point forward. I have moved on from that day and since then found love and happiness with James. We have finally settled and we have made a home and in that home I try to bring back a little bit of Xmas. so I share it with you even though it's not the best picture...



...and another

The human pillow...

I love our cat Molly even if she is a right royal pain in the ass. All she does is eat and sleep, eat and sleep. When she's not here in the house she usually is sleeping in one of the big cushioned chairs out on the veranda. Or she is at one of the neighbors begging for food or sleeping on their bed. (I know that's where she sleeps because they told me). What I find to be the most brazen of acts is not that she goes into other peoples houses and sleeps on their beds but that she eventually comes home at night and thinks that I'm as good as a bed and uses me as a human pillow. Of course she waits until I've fallen asleep which I inevitably do every night while watching TV. I love her but really...




Anyway, I want to come back as a cat after I die because life is so easy for them especially her.

Remember...

On December 1 buy a red ribbon to support the fight against HIV. Thank you...

Nuclear mutation

I know I've written about the flowers down here around our house and I've shown you tons of photos. I have to share the latest photo from our garden. I swear there must be something in the soil here. I mean the roses grow like they have been exposed to radiation. They are huge!!!

ABC according to me...

I saw this over at CityWoof, who got it from here. I thought I would give it a go and I think I did okay but after looking at it I may have taken it a bit serious. Anyway, here is my list:

A is for Anthony, which is my full name
B is for Books, I never have enough time to read
C is for Cat, our Molly-Brown
D is for Dad, I miss him
E is for Erin, my daughter
F is for Friends and Family, which I'm thankfully for
G is for Gifts, I like giving and receiving
H is for Hobart, our home
I is for Intuition, I wish I listened to mine more
J is for James, my husband whom I adore
K is for Kylie, my granddaughter
L is for Love, which I'm grateful to be in
M is for Mum, for whom I worry about
N is for Neuropathy, which cause me grief
O is for Oxycontin, which provides me relief
P is for Pain, which I deal with
Q is for Quitting, for thinking about it and finding another way
R is for Real, deciding what is and what isn't and keeping it that way
S is for Surviving, all that I have/will go through
T is for Travel, which I/we plan to do more of...
U is for Understanding, which I try to do
V is for Virus, which I can never forget
W is for Wine, it does a heart good
X is for Xanax, happy I don't need it anymore
Y is for Youth, been there done that
Z is for Zippers, which always get stuck

Give it a try and and let me know how you go...

Thanksgiving...

I just wanted to wish all of my friends and family in the US a Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all have/had a great day full of good food and laughter.

Before and after...

Once again time is my enemy so until that is no longer the case which I will talk about in a few days. I wanted to share some before and after pictures of our lounge (living) room since we got our new furniture and had the room painted. No I know the furniture looks a bit old fashioned but you must remember we live in a house that is over 115 years old so having some new sleek modern design just would have looked way out of place and to be honest modern is not me. Anyway, here are a couple before and after pictures mainly in association with the room colour.

Before:

After:



Before:



After:

I know this is as boring as watching paint dry but I needed to write something until I can find time to be a bit more creative. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the pictures and I look forward to being able to write more in the next few days/weeks.

Another year older and a tad wiser...

Happy birthday to Me! Happy birthday to Me! Happy birthday to Me!

Well, I made it through another year and at this time of year I always think back to 1986 when I found out I was HIV-positive and at that time we were told we only had a short time to live and here I am 20 years later still alive and kickin'. I couldn't be happier to be getting older. I know lots of people hate getting old but I cherish getting older and I except every creak of my bones, wrinkle in my face, sag of my tummy and every white hair because I damn well earned them and I never thought I would every get the chance to but I did!

So here's to how many ever more years are in store for me. All I know is that I will continue to enjoy everyday of my life and not piss it away because as they say "Life is to damn short"

Have a great day everyone I know I will....

I'm here....

I'm still here. We got home a week ago last Thursday after an exhausting 48 hour flight (including a few lay-overs LA, Hong Kong, Melbourne). I will write more soon as I've got a lot of things to talk about and plenty of pictures to share. So bear with me and I'll be back to it very soon.

Product(Red)

Find out what you can do to help here...

We have to hope

It's not so much about coming out for me as it is the comments made in this video...



We have to hope... and for more information about the Human Rights Campaign go here

I'm still standing...

Well we're still here at mum's but we will be leaving in a few days (6 to be exact). I've done all I could to help her, now I have to hope that she will get on with her life after we leave. She is still very worried about having enough money to live on by herself and that is something I can not fix, only time will tell...

We are going to take her out for a nice dinner next weekend before we leave as her birthday is on the 21st. She had a good time in Galveston but she is still in a huge vacuum with dad being gone which is to be expected as it was only three weeks yesterday that he passed away.

Anyway, we will spend the last few days just trying to be happy and then James and I head for home. I will be both happy and sad for that to happen, happy because I will be going home but sad because I am going to worry so much about my mum. As it has been said before what does not kill us makes us stronger and as of yet I'm still standing.

Picking up the pieces....

Well, we made it to SF and spent the night there before heading to Dallas the next day. It was an emotional moment when I finally got to see my mum but that was to be expected. We have had a few roller coaster days but we keep moving forward. I have called all of the appropriate insurance people and all of the forms are on there way for my mother to sign so she will get some money rolling her way which she will need as she is going to have to have my dad's will probated and that will freeze all assets that are in joint names.

We went to the cemetery a few days ago and I finally got to say good bye to my dad. It's beautiful site and I know he would have been pleased with where he has ended up. My little brother is also going to take part of my dad's ashes and spread them at the farm which he grew up at and that the family still owns. Dad would have loved that and it is where his heart is.

We are taking my mum to Galveston this Friday for the weekend so she can get out of the house and try to do some normal things. We made reservations at the Hotel Galvez which is a historic hotel that James and I stayed at during one of his visits to Texas early in our relationship eight years ago when we used to fly back and forth across the Pacific before I moved to Australia for good!

Well that's all for now. James and I are going to boy's town today for some us time, have lunch and maybe some shopping.

First stop...

Arrived in Hong Kong and have a 2 hour lay-over at which time we will get on another plane for San Fran for 12 hours. Cathay Pacific has been exceptional in their service. I suppose that's why they have a five-star rating. I would recommend them to any one. Oh well got to run. I'll write more from San Fran.

We're off...

We are sitting in the business class lounge of Cathay Pacific in Melbourne. We will be boarding in about 30 minutes for the first leg of our flight which takes us to Hong Kong. Then we get on another plane for an additional 13 hours over to San Francisco. We are going to stopover for the night in San Fran and then take the flight to Dallas in the morning. I will write more when we get to Dallas.

The penny has dropped...

Well as they say the penny has finally dropped and it's all coming to an end. Remember a couple of posts ago when I told you all the crap that was going on in our lives? Well, let's recap and see how we faired.

1) James' mum has just gone through surgery for bowel cancer and is about to start a 12 week course of Chemotherapy.

James' mum is doing better although she hasn't started the chemo because she needs to build up a bit more strength we think she will be just fine. James has been going up to see her and just came back so again she'll be okay.


2) We had to put our cat Max down a week ago because he had feline perotonitis, which he apparently had for some time and we failed to see the signs.

We grieved and then we got a new cat. I posted pictures of her and her name is Molly-Brown. There is a catch. It seems that when we took her in to have here spaying stitches taken out we find out that Molly is one in a 1000 as she is actually a hermaphrodite. She has boy and girl bits. She is a start and has had her photo taken and all sorts of lab tests done. What can I say, see what happens when homosexuals breed.

3) I started a new medication that is supposed to help offset the pain in my feet related to peripheral neuropathy. It took my 8 weeks two get up to the full dose of 8 pills a day added to my already 8 pills a day so I now am taking 16 pills and the damn new pills aren't working sufficiently enough for me to stop taking the pain medication (oxycontin it's like percodan) that I had to start taking, So now I have to go on therapeutic pain management and it will probably be for life. Great! (not really because I hate walking around in a haze)

I'm still in a haze

4) As I said my dad is very sick and could die at any moment and because I'm on the other side of the world I'm in a quandary as to what I will do when the phone call comes...And it will. You see I've just gotten my Australian citizenship approved and I have to go to a swearing in ceremony on the 17th September. I HAVE to attend the ceremony or I don't get my citizenship. I don't know what I am going to do!

I got my Australian citizenship early thanks to the department. They were nice enough to do a private ceremony just for me. I am grateful to them for their efforts. I also am now the holder of an Australian passport so I can come and go as I please.


5) James went to Sydney last week to visit with his mum before she starts her chemo and while he was there he did his taxes. Come to find out we now have a $140,000 tax bill because we sold one of the houses we owned in Sydney. BTW we don't have that kind of money sitting in the bank. Just kill me now!

Lets just say we are about to pay this bill and don't how!

6) I find out that some bright, intelligent astronomy types have decide to take Planet status away from Pluto just because it's to far away for them to bother..What the hell is up with that? (Ok this last one is not such a big deal but for some reason it just gets to me)

I've totally forgotten about this.....

7) And last but very not least...My dad has been in ICU for over four weeks and is basically on the brink of death and because I live on the other side of the world I feel helpless.

My dad passed away yesterday morning after a very long battle with emphysema. James and I will be flying to the states in a few days to spend time with my mum.

So I'm hoping that this vicious cycle we/I have been in is now at it's end because I need to have a small emotional breakdown now so that I can get on with our life and try to restart to enjoy what is good in our life!

I'm flat....

I'm flat and don't feel like posting and to be honest I don't feel much like doing anything period! I know this will pass but I'm not sure when. So all I can say is please keep checking back and I'll be back to normal soon. Until then enjoy a tree from our back yard...

It's official!!!

This was the cake that was bought for my celebration on Saturday. I actually got my citizenship on Tuesday but we had friends over for a BBQ today. I am getting my passport on Monday so then I'm good to go. I know many of my friends and relatives in the states won't understand why I took out Australian citizenship. Mainly I did because I could and I still got to keep my American citizenship. Most importantly this was the last step of an eight year process that James and I have gone through making it possible for us to be together.

Introducing Molly Brown

We have not replaced Max as that would not be possible but the hole he left in our heart and home was to big so we have a new edition to the family. With out further adieu I present to you and the world our newest edition to the family.

Molly Brown.....





She is a year and a half old. She's about 1/3 bigger than Max. We also think she has a bit of Maine Coon (it's a breed of cat) in her background like Max.

How does our garden grow...

Our garden grows very well thank you very much! No matter what time of year it is we always seem to have something blooming in our garden. We have just headed into spring here in the land down under and the had blossom trees have been going mad a few weeks all over town and they are about finished. The daffodils and jonquils are now going mad. Next up it will be our flowering plum and of course our pride and joy the Japanese Maple that graces our back yard which has just started to pop new green leaves all over the place. This is a good sign! Anyway, here are a couple of pictures of flowers from our garden. I will say one thing I vary rarely have to buy flowers for the house now and I usually have enough from the garden to put flowers in every room.

I bought these orange lilacs from the markets and planted them last year...



More jonquils and daffodils...



Another one which also includes a picture of the two hand-blown glass spinning tops we bought, also by local artist. We had the orange and blue one for a while and recently added the purple and white one after the artist made it up just for us.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

We have lived in our new home for over a year and a half now and we have been slowly adding bits and pieces of furniture and artwork to make it truly "our" home. So, I thought I would share with you our three newest acquisitions. All of this artwork is by local Tasmanian artists. I'm sure some of you will like our choices and others will say "What were they thinking". I say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We like them and that's all that counts.

First up one we like to call "The spirit of Max" because we bought it the weekend before we had to put Max to sleep and of course we did not know we were going to loose him. We now feel that there was a reason that we bought the painting besides the fact that we like it...



Next up is a painting that James found and fell in love with. After seeing it I agreed and it now sits on the wall in our lounge room. My photo doesn't really do it justice but you get the idea...



And last but not least we also picked this small one up to compliment the one James liked. I picked this one out and I would love to get something else by this artist. I can't explain what it is that I like about this artist's style, I just like it...



Well, that's the end of the art show. I just thought I would share and I hope you enjoyed the paintings as much as we do. And if not well as I said we like them and we paid for them end of story. Later......

Labor day...

Happy Labor Day to everyone in the States. I hope you have a pleasant long weekend. We don't celebrate Labor day here in Australia like they do in the states so for me it's just another weekend, but I'll live. What a lame post...

Universal flux...

It seems the world, or at least my world is in total flux. Let's take a look shall we...

1) James mum has just gone through surgery for bowel cancer and is about to start a 12 week course of Chemotherapy.

2) My dad has been in ICU for two weeks and is basically on the brink of death and because I live on the other side of the world I feel helpless.

3) We had to put our cat Max down a week ago because he had feline perotonitis, which he apparently had for some time and we failed to see the signs.

4) I started a new medication that is supposed to help offset the pain in my feet related to peripheral neuropathy. It took my 8 weeks two get up to the full dose of 8 pills a day added to my already 8 pills a day so I now am taking 16 pills and the damn new pills aren't working sufficiently enough for me to stop taking the pain medication (oxycontin it's like percodan) that I had to start taking, So now I have to go on therapeutic pain management and it will probably be for life. Great! (not really because I hate walking around in a haze)

5) As I said my dad is very sick and could die at any moment and because I'm on the other side of the world I'm in a quandary as to what I will do when the phone call comes...and it will. You see I've just gotten my Australian citizenship approved and I have to go to a swearing in ceremony on the 17th September. I HAVE to attend the ceremony or I don't get my citizenship. I don't know what Im going to do!

7) James went to Sydney last week to visit with his mum before she starts her chemo and while he was there he did his taxes. Come to find out we now have a $140,000 tax bill because we sold one of the houses we owned in Sydney. BTW we don't have that kind of money sitting in the bank. Just kill me now!

6) And last but not least...I find out that some bright, intelligent astronomy types have decide to take Planet status away from Pluto just because it's to far away for them to bother..What the hell is up with that? (Ok this last one is not such a big deal but for some reason it just gets to me)

So lets look at the positive.

1) I got my citizenship approved (it only took 8 years and a lot of mental angst on James's and my part)

2) I just found out two of our best friends in the world are planning a trip to visit us in February and that makes me feel good.

HMMM??? 2 against 6, I guess it's a 30% percent trade off and if you factor in that Jimmie loves me well it's not too bad. However..... Well lets just say life is way out of focus at the moment.

I feel a bit better... Thanks for listening.

Thirty things about me...

I saw these questions on another blog and actually the list was longer so I cut it down. I know it's a self indulgent look into my person but it fills up space when I am not really up to writing anything else at the moment. So enjoy...

1. Am I named after somebody?

No

2. Have you ever written a poem?

Yes, several...

3. Can you make change for a dollar right now?

Yes

4. Do you like catsup on or beside your fries?

On the side that way it gives me control, not that I have control issues

5. Do you drink Pepsi or Coke?

Pepsi,… I loathe Coke!

6. Are you superstitious?

No

7. What's your favorite number?

The number seven and considering the number of the question...coincidence? I think not.

8. Have you ever gone skinny-dipping?

Yes and a little bit of night time streaking in high school

9. Would you ever parachute out of a plane?

No, I'’m just happy that they are able to get several tons of metal airborne. I'’m quite happy staying in business class my seat.

10. Have you ever tried to cut your own hair?

Yes and still do. I use clippers. It'’s so much easier

11. What is your dream car?

I really don't like to drive that much but if I had to choose I'’d say a Volkswagen Bora

12. Have you ever ridden in an ambulance?

No

13. How many remote controls do you have in your house?

Six and that's just for the television

14. How many times have you flown in an airplane in the last year?

Nine and all within a three week period

15. How many foreign countries have you visited?

2 = Australia, New Zealand

16. Would you rather be rich and unhappy, or poor and happy?

Comfortable and safe

17. Do you ask for directions when you are lost?

Sure I do but I'’m actually pretty handy with a map

18. Have you ever played in the rain?

Yes and it's okay until you get wet.

19. Have you ever broken a bone?

No, closest I came was spraining my ankle

20. Have you ever had surgery?

Yes, I had neck surgery to fix two herniated discuss

21. Which of the five senses is most important to you?

Sight as I always want to be able to see all the wonderful things around me like the flowers and my partner.

22. What do you think is your best feature?

My eyes but some people say my backside which I can't verify as it is too hard for me to see back there.

23. Have you ever taken something from a hotel?

Just the little soaps and shampoos.

24. Have you ever locked yourself out of the house?

Not that I can remember, but my car is another matter

25. Have you ever returned a gift?

Yes but usually for a different size or colour or because I already owned what was given to me.

26. Do you sing in the car?

Yes and with the windows up so I don't want to scare small children.

27. What is your favorite fruit?

Apples and preferably in a Waldorf salad

28. If you won a $5,000 shopping spree to any store, which store would you pick?

Rodd & Gunn (a local retailer based out of New Zealand or Ralph Lauren

29. What is your favorite season?

Autumn is great with all of the colours and it also means that winter is around the corner with fires in our fireplace.

30. What do you like to collect?

Teddy Bears, they are just so cute!

Well, there you go more things then you ever wanted to know about me.

RIP... Max

He was a good boy....

Signed, sealed and almost delivered...

I had my citizenship interview this morning and it went well. It took thirty minutes and at the end of that thirty minutes I got approved. I will have to get an official letter of approval which should come in the next few days. The next and final step is that I will need to attend a swearing in ceremony which is scheduled for the 17 September, which also happens to be Australian Citizenship Day. Once I attend that ceremony I'll get my official paperwork and then I can apply for my passport. As I have said before it has taken James and I a long eight years but it is finally with in sight and it has been so worth it....

Oh one thing, when I was asked to recite the rights and responsibilities for an Australian citizen I did fine except I forgot one responsibility. Which one is that you might ask???

Responsibility to
1)obey all the laws

That was probably a bad one for me to forget but the woman doing the interview promoted me by saying it's something we should all do in every country which then I remembered. Oh well no one's perfect.

It's all happening...

Well, I called about my citizenship interview and I thought it would be in a month or so but I was wrong. I called last Monday and the woman asked if I wanted to do the interview on the Wednesday. I said I had a previous appointment so what was next available time and she said anytime after that. So I said how about Tuesday the 15th August and she said no problem. I am scheduled for tomorrow morning at 9:30 and as far as we can tell this is really a formality in which, as I stated below, I need to recite the rights and responsibilities of being an Australian citizen and as long as I understand those then all I have to do next is attend a swearing in ceremony.

On another note they have put my dad in ICU which does not surprise me. I find it fascinating that just when I start something in my life on this side of the world, something else happens around on the other side that could have implications for what I am planning. Oh well time will tell...

Step one...

Ok, so I filled in my application for citizenship yesterday and paid my $120.00. Now I have to get our friend to come over today, which he is, and fill out a form that says I am who I say I am. Then once that is signed sealed and delivered, I will call the regional immigration office here in Hobart on Monday to make a interview time where I will have to recite the rights and responsibilities of being an Australian citizen. They are:

Privileges of Australian Citizens

It entitles you to privileges of Australian citizenship giving you the right to:

* live in Australia
* apply for an Australian passport and to leave and re-enter Australia without applying for a resident return visa
* seek assistance from Australian diplomatic representatives while overseas
* vote to help elect Australia's governments
* stand for Parliament
* work in the public service
* serve in the armed forces
* register as Australian citizens by descent any of your children born overseas after you become an Australian citizen.

Responsibilities of Australian Citizens

Citizenship also brings with it responsibilities. For example, citizens are required to:

* obey Australian laws
* enrol on Federal and state/territory electoral registers
* vote in elections
* defend Australia should the need arise
* serve on a jury if called to do so.

I can do that... After the interview if I don't forget one of the things above I will then be told when the next swearing in ceremony will be and all I have to do is wait and show up un the day. I can also do that... So on the step two the interview...

Advance Australia Fair

Well it's finally here, as of tomorrow Saturday August 4 2006 I will be able to officially lodge my application for Australian citizenship. It's been two years and one month since I won the right to live here as a permanent resident in Australia. James and I spent two more years before that going through the long drawn out process of convincing the Australia immigration department that we were an actual couple and that we kind of "liked each other". (If they only knew that we actually loved each other). Anyway, it's been a very long road but in some ways it seems like only yesterday and in others time has flown by and here we are.

I will lodge the application online and pay my $120.00 tomorrow but of course since it is a weekend no one will look at the paperwork until Monday but I will feel better once it's done. Then all I have to do is wait for a little interview in which they ask me if I understand the rights and responsibilities of being an Australian citizen, which I do and then once I pass that little hurdle I just have to wait for the swearing in ceremony or as a frind of our calls it my sterilisation ceremony. All up most people I've talked to say it should happen in about thirty days. I say what's a few more days compared to the past four. Oh, I almost forgot we also had to spend an additional two years together here in Australia even before we could start the whole process four years ago so all up it has taken us 6 years. We of course had the additional two years before all of that flying back and forth overseas to be with one another but apparently that didn't count as proof that we "liked each other". Eight years altogether...

Probably the most amazing and funny thing during the process was when James and I were asked to have a psychological assessment to make sure we were sane and also that we're not trying to pull a fast one. I am pleased to announce that according to the assessment not only are we sane but we apparently are soul mates and our relationship could be seen as a model for heterosexual couples. It really said that! Oh well what do we know about relationships were gay right. All of this work just because I'm HIV positive but in the end it has been so worth it to be with the person I love and see myself growing old with (which I'm doing well at right now as 50 is only a year away).

Anyway, I just thought I would share this with you. Everything I've been through in my life and I never thought I would end up here. Hell I never thought I would live this long. Life is good and the winter here in Tassie will soon be over. Spring is on it's way and the next chapter of our life is about to begin. I say Advance Australia Fair (it's their national anthem)...

Time to check in...

Well I think it's time for me to check in. First James is still in Sydney with his mum. Her surgery went ok but there will still probably be some follow up chemo. James has been gone all week but comes home in the morning. I have missed him and it will be good to have him back in our home and even better to have someone to sleep next too. Max (the cat) has been trying to keep me company at night but he's just not the same.

Speaking of Max I'm surprised he still likes me at all. He recently got a scratch on one of his eyes from the next door neighbors cat whom he usually gets along with (lovers quarrel). Anyway, we've been giving him oral antibiotics everyday and then we have to put some ointment in his eye. By the time I'm finished shoving stuff down his throat and poking him in the eye he is pretty pissed at me. His eye is getting better but I think it's still a bit cloudy. The vet says it's doing just fine. I'm sure he'll live.

The only other thing still going on is the weather as usual. Winter has one more month to go and it has been pretty mild, but never sell it short as it was just a year ago that we actually had snow at the house. Both the camellia and rhododendron bush are blooming like mad and we also have jonquils and daffodils coming up. Once again I love this place because no matter the weather or time of year we always have something blooming in the backyard.

Well that's about it and that has to be one of the most boring post but it's all that is going on at the moment. I have found as I get older it's little things in life that excite me. So from our garden two pictures of the jonquils. Enjoy...

A close up...

Sherman...the evil step-brother

What will the religious right do next?



Click here to find out more about Norman's evil step-brother...

A bump in the road...

I know things have been quiet around here. So what's new with that? Anyway, I have been spending some quality time with James because I want to and can, but also because we recently found out his mum has bowel cancer. She is going to have her operation this coming Tuesday and James is flying to Sydney to be with her. I will stay behind and take care of Max (the cat) and the house. If all goes well James should be home in a week. If not then and if need be I will fly up to Sydney to support him there. We will just have to wait and see. I will try to write an update later. So please forgive my laziness in posting.

In the mean time enjoy these pictures of a couple of camellia blooms from our garden...

Born different...

Norman says...We're born the way we're born

32% of the population is born blue-eyed

25% of the population is born with attached ear lobes

15% of the population is born left handed

4% of the population is born with red hair

3% of the population is born gay *

No one chooses to be gay and if this was true ask yourself this one simple question... "When did you choose to be straight?" Source: borndifferent.org

Let's talk about sex...

Not really...Just kidding, but I got your attention. Why did I make such an effort to get your attention I'm not so sure as I really don't have much to talk about. It's winter down here in Tassie so everything is a bit bleak and drab looking. Although this is the time of year that both the camellia bush and rhododendron bush in our backyard come into bloom so it's something to look forward to... They have both just started to bloom so it won't be long before our backyard is full of pink and white flowers. I know that isn't very exciting but once again to get a bit of colour in the middle of winter it's bound to bring a smile to your face. I know it does to mine. As soon as both bushes are in full bloom I'll take some pictures.

To be honest winter this year has not been that bad. I have read in the local paper that it has been the coldest winter in 100 years. I don't think it has been as cold as it was last year but maybe we were just acclimating to our first winter down here last year. We have only had a few days with snow on the mountain but it was the first week in August last year that we had snow at the house. So who knows it may still happen and if it does I will welcome it.

As I said there's not much to talk about and I'm sure your thrilled with my rabbitting on about winter down here. We moved here to get away from the fast pace of Sydney and that's exactly what we got. As soon as the weather starts to warm up and the plants start to green back up we have plans to start exploring the north and northwest of the island which is supposed to hold some great treasures.

Ok, I'm going to put myself out of misery and also let you out of this mundane post (if you haven't stopped reading before now) and maybe next time I can come up with some thing new. Maybe I'll talk about sex next time. Hmm????

Going blind...

Well at least not at the moment. As I mentioned a few post ago I went to the eye surgeon recently to have him look at a growth on my eye lid which turns out to be a cyst and not a bit of skin cancer which is a good thing. While he was having a good look around he also did a check of the pressure on my eyes which turned out to be 25 and it should be around 15. Usually that type of pressure points to possible beginning of glaucoma. I went back today for a re-check and the pressure has gone down to 19 which is much more acceptable. So I won't be going blind any time soon unless I stare at the sun which i had not made any recent plans to do but I could get bored...

Anyway, I don't think I could have handled something like the beginnings of loosing my sight. I know I will turn 50 next year but it just seems that everything is rushing to break down in my body. Maybe it's my imagination. Maybe it's not either way I shall soldier on as I've had worse things thrown at me and I've survived. Besides this time it was just a fluke so some one is watching over me or maybe it's time for a bit of good luck for a change.

Oh brother I'm gay...

A new interesting report out of Canada says that the more older you brothers you have the greater likelihood one might be gay. So is that all it takes? I had a good think about all of the gay men I knew and also tried to remeber if they had older brothers or not and it was interesting. What do you think? Anyway, you can read the article here...

The glasses...

Not the best picture of me but I promised I would post them and you get the idea. Maybe I'll take some later in the daytime with better lighting...

Old glasses

New glasses

So what do you think???

I can see clearly now...

It's Friday morning here in the land down under and I promise I will write something over the weekend a bit more substantial. I promised to post a picture of my new glasses when I got them well I did so I will. I went to the eye surgeon yesterday to check out the growth under my eye and it seems it is a cyst so the skin cancer scare is over. Yeah! However, while at the eye surgeons he tested the pressure in my eyes and it turned out to be 24 where normal is 15. So I have to go back in two weeks to have the pressure re-tested and at that point we will look at what I might have to do or not do. For those of you not sure what the pressure build up might mean it could be early signs of glaucoma although when he looked into the back of my eyes (that almost sounded like a romantic moment believe me it's not he's not that cute) ...Anyway, when he checked the back of the eyes out themselves he said he did not see any signs of glaucoma. We shall see...Literally...

Coming soon...

Change of plans...

London is now a no go. We've had a change of plans. Our home is over 100 years old so it takes a lot of work to maintain it and we have decide that instead of spending $20,000 on business class we should have the windows in the back of the house redone and while we're at it maybe we will think about having the bathroom refitted. I'm thinking something in a enameled claw foot tub. Hmmm???

I'm being tested

So I went in to get my eyes checked yesterday and ordered a new set of glasses. That all went well and I like they new frames I have picked out. I should get them in about two weeks. I promise to post a new picture when I get them. Now while I was having my eyes checked the doctor asks me "How long have you had that growth on the bottom of your eyelid?" I said funny you should ask seeing that I only recently noticed the growth about two weeks ago. Well it seems that upon investigation by the doctor he says that the growth is full of blood vessels and he thinks I should have an eye surgeon have a look. Bottom line is it may be a tiny skin cancer.

I am being tested. I have been tested before and I always seem to come out the other side albeit not totally unscathed but I do survive. So I will go see the surgeon on the 15 June and if it is a bit of cancer then we will do what we need to do to get rid if it. So many times before in my life it's just something else to deal with and deal with it I will.

This makes up for the last post...

This little video is cute and brings a little levity after my last post. Enjoy...

Take my feet...Please...

I have had trouble with peripheral neuropathy in my feet for some time thanks to that little virus called HIV. I also took a medication to fight the HIV back in the early 90's which also made the neuropathy worse. I finally stopped that medication and moved on to something a bit better and not so damaging. Unfortunately the damage has already been done.

Recently around this past Christmas and up to and continuing through now the neuropathy has been acting up and been almost completely out of control. The pain is sometime unbearable and has brought me to tears. I am extremely frustrated because after 20 years of being positive I have been through so much and miraculously I have survived some really bad times, I mean really bad! Here and now at this stage, I have found a regime (my regular medications after four different tries) that seems to be holding the virus at bay so I'm happy to take the 6 pills. My base immune system is in decent order and better than it has been in 20 years. Actually it has been better than it is now but I won't complain with a count of 700 when I used to be able not to get above 300.

We have tried three different additional treatments for the neuropathy. Including: Neurotin, Lyrica, and amytriptyline. Unfortunately none of these medications worked. They were never intended to cure the problem and as I understand it now from my recent visit to a specialist in Sydney, this is not a problem that can be fixed merely something that we will attempt to manage pain wise and something I will have to live with for the rest of my life. I can do that as long as the pain is managed. We are actually trying one more new medication called Lamictal which is an anti-convulsant. All of the medications that I tried previously were of the same ilk. They interrupt the nerve messages which at this point are being sent and received incorrectly, hence the pain, numbness and burning sensation all at various times or at once. I also apparently have lost some feeling in my feet as I am hitting my feet hard enough on things like furniture to cause bruising. The problem being is I'm not feeling it when I hit my feet. So I'm going to have to be a bit more careful and aware.

So where is this long and self-loathing post heading? Well I guess I just wanted to vent some frustration and by putting this on paper as it may make me feel a tiny bit better. It's just really a huge kick in the head after this many years but I will get past this as I have done before. The only other kicker is I have had to start on pain management again which involves the use of Oxycontin (percodan). Because it is so strong and not to mention highly addictive I'm not really pleased with this part. I have given up driving temporarily because of the pain medication. I know in my heart and realistically this will all come into line but at the end of the day I sometime wonder just how much I can take before I say enough already!

I'll be fine I have before and I will again. I have the best and most wonderful partner in the world and he is always there for me (love you Jimmy)... Ok, enough of this whining lets move on and thank you for listening....

London calling...

I've never been to Europe and to be honest I never really had any desire to go. A recent discussion with my husband reference his impending 40th birthday in January elicited a conversation as to what he wants to do to celebrate. We originally discussed going to Banff in Canada but we don't ski and spending two weeks watching the snow fall, albeit pretty, could get boring. We also don't want to tackle the states again right now considering the experience we had on our recent last trip. Neither of us are interested in visiting Asia or Africa. James wants to go to South America but I don't. So we were basically stuck with Europe.

We have pretty well decided to go to the UK for two weeks at the end of the year. It looks like we will be leaving on the 29th December and will be in London for New Years and then will spend the next few days there until James birthday on the 2nd. We are having the travel agent look into the flights and accommodations. The trip looks to include Scotland and Wales and possibly a stop over in Bangkok or Hong Kong depending what airline we take as we won't be flying United again after the last disaster we experienced with them.

Anyway, this is all in the preliminary stages of planning but I needed something to write about and this is it. I'll keep you posted as the plans become more solid.

Four things...

Four jobs I’ve had in my life:

• busboy
• retail manager
• restaurant manager
• Health promotion officer

Four films I could watch over and over:

• Auntie Mame
• National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
• Happy Texas
• Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Four Places I have lived:

• New Orleans, Louisiana
• Dallas, Texas
• Sydney, Australia
• Hobart, Tasmania

Four TV shows I LOVE to watch:

• The Golden Girls
• Friends
• Will and Grace
• Discovery Channel (Travel)
  

Four places I have been on vacation:

• New Zealand
• Boston
• Las Vegas
• San Francisco

Four places I’d like to go on vacation

• UK
• Denmark
• Canada (Rockies)
• Amsterdam

Four websites I visit often:

• Towelroad
• Zeitzeuge
• Proceed at your own risk
• Buggery.org

Four of my favourite foods:

• Meat loaf
• Enchiladas
• Peanut butter pie
• Chicken Caesar Salad

Four places I would rather be right now:

• In bed
• Shopping
• With my husband
• On vacation

Who would have thought???

One of the blogs I read regularly had this to say:

For better or worse, it's the 25th Anniversary of AIDS. Not that it wasn't around longer than that obviously, but in 1981 AIDS was first officially recognized when the Centers for Disease Control called a press conference and reported the first cases of a rare pneumonia and a skin cancer among gay men. Neither disease was unknown, but the combination of the two implied a new syndrome. Read more at Proceed at your own risk‚…

God I'm slow...

Finally a week later I have the pictures of our trip to Cradle Mountain posted to flickr. So take a look. They are over in the side panel. Just click on any picture and it will take you to the other 94. I hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoyed taking them.

What can I say?

Well we made it back from our trip to Cradle Mountain. I will post some pictures hopefully tonight and probably to Flickr. I will have to first say Cradle Mountain was absolutely awesome! However, if I had known that it was going to take us 7 hours to walk/hike over sometimes almost impassable terrain and that we would walk a total of 12.5 kilometers, not to mention that my peripheral neuropathy went beserk and James almost plummeted to his death falling through a snow covered crevasse; I would have to say we had a wonderful time all up. I mean what can I say? Anyway, as mentioned pictures are on there way.

We're going to Cradle Mountain

One of the key destinations here in Tasmania is Cradle Mountain and after visiting the island several times and of course now living here for over a year we are finally going to visit this renowned place.

We've booked a two bedroom cabin for a 3 day weekend and we are traveling up there with our friends Wayne and Lee. It's good to take a couple of bears along when you are heading up to the mountains and woods.



This time of year can be very unpredictable as we can get snow just about anytime. We have had a bit of snow on Mt Wellington twice already this year. I've been told that Cradle Mountain was covered just recently. We all like the snow and cold weather so it wouldn't be such a bad thing for there to be a bit of snow. Fingers crossed and we will see a bit of this...

...But even if we don't we will enjoy the rest and the time with friends. We plan to take lots of pictures drink lots of good Tassie wine and eat wonderful Tassie food that we are going to stock up on before we leave. I'll post some pictures when we get back but until then here is one more for the road.

It was 20 years ago today...

It's my anniversary! Twenty years ago today I received news that would change my life. It was on this day all those years ago that I was told that I was HIV positive. So much has happened since that day. I never thought I would be here today having lived to see and do the things that I have done and watched other people suffer through but I have and my life has come almost full circle. I've seen death and even at times wished for death itself. I've seen amazing strength in so many people. I've said it before "I don't know why I'm still here, but there must be a reason" That reason is beyond me and I've slowly begun to accept that fact and just tried to get on with what life deals out for me. I'm very content at where I stand now twenty years on and I believe now that I will get to see the future that was a one point 20 years ago ripped out of my hands. So to me I say "Happy Anniversary!" and here's to 20 more...

To one and all...

Just maybe???

Autumn is finally here in the land down under and it is getting a bit chilly outside. This past week we have had a bit of rain which has put snow on the mountain. It just maybe a cold winter this year. We went shopping over the weekend and bought a few things for the house. We are slowly making this place into a home (one year later). We were actually looking for ceiling fixtures for the dining and lounge rooms. We may have found the one for the lounge but I think we will look a bit further for the one in the dining room. We had friends over for dinner on Saturday night and saw "March of the Penguins". It was a brilliant documentary. The actual movie is still in theatres here but I bought a copy on DVD from Amazon and our player is multi-zoned. Yeah for us.

Anyway, we are looking forward to a long four day weekend over Easter. Our friend Moys is flying in from New Zealand and it will be good to see her. I guess that's all for the moment, maybe just maybe I'll have more to report when the weekend comes...

News, news, news...

As you can see I'm posting a few news items. That's for two reasons; 1. I'm to busy/lazy to write something about what is going on in our life at the moment. 2. It's just easier and I find the topics interesting. Anyway, Hope you get something out of the news. I know I do... Ciao

Same-sex discrimination down under?

Australia’s Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission will start a national inquiry into workplace and financial discrimination against same-sex couples today. The research will conduct an audit of Commonwealth, State and Territory laws to develop a full list of circumstances in which same-sex couples and their children may be denied financial and/or work-related benefits and entitlements that heterosexual couples enjoy. Read the rest here...

Worlwide HIV rates peak...

Worldwide HIV infections have reached a peak but gay men in Western worlds should not rely so heavily on antiretroviral drugs, according to research. A report in The Lancet suggests a decline in the number of infections in India, areas of Africa and America. Read more here

ITMFA...

I think everyone should support this site. Although the damage has already been done so I don't know what good it will do if this site can actually make this happen. At least the people at this site have the right idea.

All quiet on the western front...

I went to see the doctor yesterday for my regular 3 month check up and I'm glad to say all is well and everything is going as it should. It's always a bit of a toss up when I go because you never know when something might go wrong., but the pills are doing there job. I just have to remember to take them. I had a viral infection over the weekend with fevers and chills but it came and went so my system is well enough to fight things off unlike it used to be a few years ago. Anyway, I still need to sort out why my peripheral neuropathy is on heightened alert and will do that in the next few weeks with a nerve test to see what damage is done and then we can treat accordingly. Oh well that is life and I'm not even sure why I felt like telling you this.

It passed my desk...

10 Most Anti-gay Nations
The State Department report on human rights details anti-gay abuses around the world. The nations with the most egregious records are highlighted here. Some critics said the United States should improve its own record regarding anti-gay discrimination. In the U.S., it is legal under federal law to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in employment. Sodomy was criminalized in some states until 2003. President Bush has repeatedly called for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and similar bans have already passed in numerous states.

1.) Uganda: Last July, the government of Uganda approved a constitutional amendment banning equal marriage rights for gays. Consensual homosexual sex can be punished by life in prison.

2.) Iran: People with HIV face discrimination in employment and at school. Intercourse between two men is punishable by death and homosexual acts that do not involve intercourse are punishable by 100 lashes. Two young men, at least one a minor, were executed in Mashad in July, some claim, for being gay. Two more men were executed for being gay last November.

3.) Egypt: While Egyptian officials claims that homosexuality is not illegal, Human Rights Watch says that it is. Egyptian law prohibits fujur, which courts have interpreted to mean "homosexual relations between men." Rights groups have documented hundreds of cases in which gay men were arrested and tortured. Men are subjected to abusive anal examinations.

4.) Saudi Arabia: Some gays who are convicted of homosexuality are flogged with 2,000 lashings, according to Ariel Herrera of Amnesty International’s OUTFront program. Gay men have been beheaded in public squares for the crime of consensual homosexual sex.

5.) Nigeria: Homosexuality is outlawed in the Nigerian penal code and Muslim law. However, in northern states under Muslim law the punishment can be death; in the civil penal code homosexuality can carry up to a 14-year prison sentence. The numbers of people arrested and sentenced for sodomy are unknown. A new law forbids same-sex marriage and prohibits gays from assembling and petitioning the government. It also allows prosecution of newspapers that publish information about same-sex relationships and religious groups that allow same-sex unions. Those who violate the law can be sentenced to five years in prison.

6.) United Arab Emirates: Civil and Muslim law criminalize homosexuality in the UAE. Last November, 26 gay men were arrested and reportedly given hormone treatments and therapy.

7.) Cameroon: Last May, 17 men were arrested for homosexuality. Twelve were charged and detained. The suspects were given a "medical examination" to find evidence of homosexual conduct, the State Department reported, citing IGLHRC as the source of the information.

8.) Poland: "Right wing groups attempted on several occasions to disrupt Gay Pride marches," states the report. In 2005 Warsaw Mayor Lech Kaczynski, who is now Poland’s president, denied Gay Pride groups the right to march because he "would not allow the promotion of gay culture," the report states. However the marchers assembled anyway and spoke about discrimination they faced.

9.) Nepal: While homosexuality is not criminalized, government authorities harass and abuse gays and transgender people. In April, police attacked 18 transgender women who were on their way to a festival.

10.) India: Violation of India’s sodomy law is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The sodomy law is often used to harass and detain AIDS prevention workers and gays.

Source: 429news

New photos....

Well I did it. The new photos are connected to this web page. Just scroll down and you will see the Flickr photos click on one and it will take you to the photos. Enjoy!

Hello world...

We'll we're back from or long trip to the states. We've actually been back for two weeks but have been playing catch up ever since. We have a long weekend this next three days and I plan on enjoying ever bit of it. Funny how you end up coming home to relax from going on holidays??? We had a lot of fun in the states and if all goes well after this post I should have the picture uploaded to the flicker account. Anyway, we are off to the big Saturday markets for some fresh lowers and produce. Maybe we will see a trinket or two while we're there. I will let you know I hope I'll also be a bit better at posting. I'm off to Sydney next week for a meeting. (Oh joy...not) I'll let you know how that all goes and as for the weather down here autumn is upon us and the trees are just starting to change. I'd say that in about two weeks or so we will be in full technicolour with pictures to follow. I'll let you not about the holidays pictures as soon as they are up. Fingers crossed...

Rising from beyond...

No I haven't died and to prove it here is a picture of one of the most special parts of our trip to the states so far. That is my granddaughter Kylie whom I've just met for the first time. We have been busy jetting around the US visiting friends and family as you know and access to the internet has been sparse at best. As I don't own a laptop I have not been able to make on going post. Even if I owned one I would not have lugged it around during this trip. I will have lots to tell when we get settled back in Hobart. I will say that we have had some great times along with a few bumps. I'll explain all later...

Presently we are in New York state and we leave for our second visit to San Fran tomorrow before heading back to Australia on Friday late. We don't arrive back in Tassie until Sunday afternoon due to the time difference. Holidays are great but towards the end it's time to go home.....