December 2006

Theatresports used to be somewhat of a tradition around these here parts. Well, around these here parts twenty years ago anyway. We used to be regulars at the Belvoir Street Theatre to watch people like a young Andrew Denton pit his wits against the audience in the then new impro competition.

Greig and I popped along to the Enmore Theatre earlier this month to have a peek at the Cranston Cup Final, the culmination of a years competition in Theatresports. (The sad thing is that I can remember the origins of the Lamont Cranston character, created by Dennis Watkins all those years ago in "Pearls Before Swine"!) It certainly hasn't lost any of it's edge although, and probably only because of the larger venue, it does seem a little more "mainstream".

We had a very nice brunch with Sam and his new "interest", Chris. It was a very pleasant morning and a pleasure to meet another gay boy who is willing to allow himself to be interested in technical things despite being gay. It's always amazed me how so many guys come out as gay and instantly seem to forget how to use anything like a screwdriver.

Rocky and Sam are not trashed! (Jimi's BBQ)

These things are important. I am particularly mindful of the technical mindlessness of so many because we are now in the early throes of putting together yet another Mardi Gras float. Greig and I have agreed to do this one final float for Ma and his usual crowd of cronies. Up until now, I was starting to think that we were the only gays in the village that actually know how to calculate and balance the load on a three phase diesel generator!

Jimi held his usual Christmas BBQ. Unfortunately, Sam and I had just had a very late night so I was happier just sitting quietly in a corner. It was a nice way to spend an afternoon though.

Work has been a little flat out over the past few months now that we are moving into New Zealand. I ended up doing another quick trip this month to set up another couple of stores. The New Zealand telecommunications infrastructure (or lack of) has been giving me no end of headaches.

Work has also (kind of) paid off though. At the work Christmas party (which once again I've managed to get out of helping to organize) I won four tickets to see "Titanic - The Musical". What the fuck? Anyway, Greig and I invited Paul and Rishi along to see a huge cast sing their ways to their deaths live on stage at the Theatre Royal. The staging was pretty amazing. Everything else about it seemed to make me cringe a little. I'm not even sure why.

This year of course, is the year of the Big Family Christmas. The whole of Greig's clan converge on his parents house in beautiful downtown Wellington, NSW.

We drove to Wello (as it's know to it's friends) on the 23rd and checked into our motel with the granite beds and special gravel filled pillows. This allowed us to spend all of Christmas Eve with the family.

Oh joy. The whole day with the kids.

It seems the threat of "Santa will know if you've been naughty or nice" doesn't cut it this close to Christmas. They know damn well that logistically it's a nightmare for Santa to change his plans for them at such late notice and he's probably way too busy loading up to be able to make a tick in the "naughty" column for any of them for next year.

The Christmas family photo. I am looking very red thanks to a
couple of days at the beach beforehand.

Christmas Day:

Now, I don't know a lot about kids, but I'm pretty sure that you don't give them things that are designed to hit each other with nor do you give them things that will result in you getting wet. Once again Santa has failed me. I seemed to spend most of Christmas day (and every day afterwards) fighting off at least one kid with a genuine Star Wars Light Sabre^TM while trying to keep half an eye on the others for fear of a super-soaker attack from behind.

Fark! the herald angels sing.

Boxing Day - more of the same, except this time some of it happened on a farm.

We drove back to Sydney on the 27th and had a quiet few days at home before jumping onto a twin prop Saab 340 to fly to Lismore on New Years Eve.

More news at it comes to hand.