Breaking News...

We interrupt the nail biting, on the edge of your seat, and holding your breathe for the next episode of "Hospital World" to bring you this breaking news:

Someone very special is having a birthday. It has come to our attention that one of our staff writers will be celebrating his birthday today. Now for those of you in the Northern Hemisphere this breaking news will not actually happen until tomorrow so please disregard this news bulletin until we prepare an appropriate news flash to interrupt your reading of "Hospital World" tomorrow. We apologise for the inconvenience of having to make you wait but he wasn't technically born until tomorrow where you are so the rules are the rules. On the other hand, for those of you in the Southern Hemisphere please join us in wishing our senior staff writer all the best today and also wishing hm a very Happy Birthday.

This ends our news flash and we now return to your regular scheduled reading.

It's over...

Well, the big day has come and gone. I am now officially 50 and as usual I don't feel any different much less any older. I have always gone with the thought process that age is only a state of mind and you are only as old as you feel and I feel like I'm still in my twenties mentally. Anyway, we had a fantastic time in Melbourne and here's a quick run down. I have a little over a hundred pictures that I took with my new camera and I will have them posted shortly. I'll let you know as soon as they are up on flickr.

We met our friend Moys on Wednesday afternoon at the airport as she flew in from New Zealand. We head straight to the hotel and then straight out for the first of many walks (the only down side with the walks is that the longer I walk the more my neuropathy acts up but that's another topic). After having a bite to eat, which turned out to be the worst meal and part of the whole trip, (If you are ever in Melbourne never eat here) we headed over to the casino to loose a few dollars. I actually walked out with $150.00, so all was not lost.

Thursday was officially b-day for both myself and Moys so it was started with a nice breakfast and then shopping. Moys bought a few blouses and odds and ends. James and I bought some new cologne we also almost bought one of the private blends from this same group but it was a bit pricey and I told James that it could wait. However, Christmas is coming so just maybe??? Oh and I got another pair of underwear because you can never have enough good underwear and because we can't get that brand here in Hobart. Then it was back to the hotel for a rest pre-dinner and show. We ate dinner at Box on Collins and it was excellent and SO much better than the night previous. As for the show all I can say was FANTABULOUS!!! I mean seriously if this show goes to the West End or better yet makes it to Broadway like Mamma Mia did. You will have to go see it. The costumes alone were worth the price. I would be willing to see the show again in a heart beat.

Friday was spent on a little more shopping and more good food. That afternoon we headed to the botanical gardens so I could take some pictures with my new camera. (you'll see my first efforts soon). Friday night found us back at the casino for dinner and again a bit of a gamble on the pokies. I again came out ahead unfortunately for James and Moys Lady luck was not on their side. Saturday we headed out to St. Kilda for a look around. We had breakfast by the beach and of course a bit of more shopping, what else. After we were all shopped out we headed back into town and made reservations at the restaurant we ate the night of the show. Once again the dinner was exceptional and even a bit better because we didn't feel rushed like we did the night we ate there before the show even if the theatre is right next door.

We had and early start on Sunday. Our flight was at 8:25 in the morning and Moys flew out at 11:30 so we packed Saturday night after dinner and then headed to the airport bright and early we said our goodbyes and a wonderful, loving, happy time was had by all! We arrived back home around 10:00 and life goes on. As I said I'll have the pictures up shortly, as soon as they are up I'll let you know. Enjoy...

50 I hardly knew ya....

Well it's almost here. Tomorrow November 8th I officially turn 50. My God that sounds old. I know it's not that old but it sounds like it. The last fifty years have been quite the ride. There have been many good times and some really bad times but all in all I wouldn't trade it. I think I've grown over the years and I've always tried to learn from my mistakes. I live life to the best of my ability and I try to make sure that I have no regrets. As I've talked about before, I never thought I would make it to see 50 and here I am. Most people are not happy about turning 50 because they think that makes them old and ancient. I'm here to tell you that turning 50 doesn't turn you old, only you can turn yourself old. Age is merely a place in time but how you approach that age and how you deal with it is entirely up to you. I've decide the way I'm going to deal with is is the same as I have before. I'm going to live like there's no tomorrow and not take anything for granted. I'm going to continue to be thankful and grateful for the time I have here and know how lucky I am.

We're going to Melbourne for a few days to shop and have a good time. We are meeting a good friend there who also shares the same b-day as me. Life is good and I intend to keep it that way. See you when we get back.

Oh BTW, I got this a few days early for my B-day so I could take it with me to Melbourne... look here

Fourth of July...

I just wanted to wish all of my friends and family back in the states a very Happy Fourth of July. I know some of you are disheartened by certain things that are happening due to choices being made by the current leaders of your country, but remember it is you that can fix what you believe is not right. I say stand up for what you believe and take back your right to be free and who you are in a country that is so beautiful and has so much to offer. I did not leave the states because of the goings on of the current administration; I simply moved for love and I'm very happy with that decision. However, I am alarmed at what I see going on in the country I grew up in and believed in with all I held as true. I say to all of you be proud again and take back what has been lost and restore the faith of the world and yourselves.

Celebrate diversity...

I first found out about this next item here and I wanted to show my support for this initiative. Even though I now live half way across the world. I will always support the cause of celebrating diversity. So here is the picture and an excerpt from the originating blog.

"It is that time of the year again where I post a photo that shows the rainbow and ask everyone to pass it around in hopes of spreading the idea of diversity. It may not be as pretty as last years, but it is more of the point I am trying to make. This is a rainbow created by different forces in nature (a little sunshine, water and wind). Last year there were over 100 of you who participated in my challenge and this year I want more. As I find the picture on sites, I will link to that site here in this post. I will try and keep this post at the top of the page all month long with links to the other sites. This challenge is not just about being accepted as a gay man, but it is about societies around the world learning to accept people for being themselves... diversity. Gay, straight, Christian, Muslim, skinny or fat... we need to be a little more accepting these days. The world is a mean place, let's work to make it a little nicer by showing this colorful rainbow that formed thanks to the right angle of the sun and a slight breeze across the pond. Mother natures way of saying she approves of this challenge... shouldn't we all."

I'm pathetic...

Why you ask? Well I'm going to tell you even if you didn't ask. I'm sure you remember my recent post about the upcoming arrival of our new oven and cook top Well it arrived last Tuesday and this past Monday it was installed. I was, and still am, as giddy as a school girl going on her first date ya'll! Now getting this excited over a new oven and cook top is pretty pathetic in my view, but then again what the hell do I care if someone thinks I'm pathetic. I got a new oven!

As I said it was installed on Monday and the first thing I said I was going to cook was a cheesecake. Well, I lied. I thought better of it and decided we should eat dinner first so I made a meatloaf. The whole experience was surreal. It's not like I've never used an oven before but I've not been able to use an oven properly for the past eight years and I was not sure what to expect. The most recent, and now late, oven burned everything to a crisp within the first 30 minutes no matter how much time I took off the overall cooking time or even how many degrees I cut back off the required temperature. I love too bake and cook and it was so frustrating to spend so much time trying to make something and to have that oven turn it into something so disgusting the the cat would hiss at.

So anyway, I popped the meatloaf into the new oven and watched it bake. Seriously, I sat there for the whole hour and watched it bake and to be honest if the pan it was in had not come out of the oven blistering hot I would have sworn the meat was still cold in the middle. But alas, the new oven did not let me down and the meatloaf was not only hot in the middle but it was PERFECT!

I thought well lets give my most prized recipe a go and I decided to make a cheesecake. Now my cheesecakes are almost legend among my family and friends and as I said I had not been able to make one in over eight years so all of my new friends and family here in Australia have never had the luxury of eating any of these gastronomic delights. I chose to make the milk chocolate version and like all of my cheesecakes they take three and a half hours to bake because you can't hurry perfection. I went to bed Monday night at 12:30 after placing what looked to be a perfectly cooked cheesecake in the fridge to cool. I did not dream of cheesecake as that would have not been so pathetic as it would have been just weird.

The next day we had invited two of our favourite people over for after dinner dessert. So at 7:30 that night the truth was known and all I can say is "IT'S A MIRACLE" I can bake again. I have been healed. The cheesecake was as smooth, creamy and evenly baked as any I have made in the past if not better. I feel redeemed after all the past two years of burnt and mutilated baked goods seem like a bad dream.

Now if that story isn't pathetic I don't know what is. Aren't you glad you stop by everyday to see what I may have written and the best I can do is talk about an oven and a cheesecake. Well what can I say I never promised you stories filled with debauchery, drugs, alcohol and naked escapades. You get what you get. HMMM... debauchery, drugs, alcohol and naked escapades there could be a story or two in that....NAH!!!

Happy Australia Day...

Australia Day is a national holiday here in the land of Oz. On this day Australians celebrate the arrival of the First Fleet, under Captain Arthur Phillip at Sydney Cove and set up the Colony of New South Wales. I've celebrated many Australia Days but this was my first one as a true blue Ozzie. We didn't do anything special as James had to work but at least he got paid extra. The weekend is upon us starting tomorrow and we are/were planing on working in the garden but if the weather forecast holds true we're in for a wet few days and even though it's summer we are expecting temperatures as low as 7c (44F). Let's hope not. Anyway, have a good weekend....