photo album - 1999
With 1999 a new phase of my life started. During the preceding two years I had learnt a lot about myself and gained a clearer understanding of what is important to me. They had not however been happy years. With brought some peace and happiness again. Its good to laugh and mean it and I can say with some certainty that there are not many people who are better, for me, to laugh with than James.
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5 hours in the kitchen an two frantic trips to the super market later and up was served Vietnamese spring rolls, Baked lamb cutlets with lentils and a dangerously alcoholic creation known only as the "not to be trifled with". All went smoothly including a charming gift from George that I treasure to this day. He is going to kill me for that.
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This was the first time that I had met any of his work colleague's and to be honest it was more than a little intimidating but given that even at that early stage in the relationship I felt myself falling for this bold, happy man I screwed my courage to the sticking place (or at least put it on the table beside it) and went along. We had a marvelous time and I met some of the really nice people that he works with. I must say that the experience renewed my conviction that, by and large peoples, prejudices will be set by your own behavior. If you behave like there is something to be ashamed of, they will treat you with scorn - if however you are bold and proud and happy they will treat you with respect and laugh with you. I had experienced this at Microsoft and made my own resolution never to live in a closet but now meeting a man whose resolution seemed so similar to mine made it clear to me that this was how I wanted to live. This photo has been referred to by friends as the recruiting poster - Two men in the early flush of their prime very happy and very in love. Images like this go a long way to dispel the myths of an unhappy, lonely end for any man or woman who dare follow their heart. Are we really that much in love? The truth is that NO is in love like the make out in the movies, but that reality check aside I love James and probably more importantly trust him immensely. We disagree from time to time and occasionally get on each others nerves but when it comes down to it, life if MUCH better with him than without him and I hope to be looking at sunsets together a long time from now. |
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 Before
we met, James had made the decision to do the full on "Sum of Us"
thing and go to Mardi Gras. In fact he decided to go in the parade as a
member of the Melbourne Marching Boys. This is a sot of him at the final
rehearsal in Melbourne before the big day. |
 A
sunny day at Prahran pool just before Mardi Gras. I surprised James with
the camera - normally he looks more on the ball than that. |
 Not
a picture I took, but a photo of someone James and I met at Mardi Gras 99.
Richard is one of the biggest people I have ever seen. Fortunately he is
also a sweetheart. And calm down boys - he has a wonderful partner is San
Francisco. |
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This was part of a huge rebuilding program started by the Kennett government before it lost power. I had never been to the gallery so after a false start (ie trying to visit on Easter Sunday) James took me there to show me around. This was taken by us in the sculpture garden behind the gallery. |
Gav is a great guy and has one of the most active minds I have ever met. He and I got on pretty well and have remained friends despite the distance. |
This is not the thing that keeps me with him, its the way he makes me feel and the way we get on together. I love talking to him - I guess its just about my favorite thing. This is him at Sleaze 1999, looking fabulous. |
This was taken by our friend Andrew Koche who was the Executive officer for Satellite Media, a now defunct conglomerate of Gay focused publications. |
At
long last my 30th birthday rolled around and it would not have been the
same without my best friend there. Cath and I have known each other since
1991 when I moved to Sydney.
For
no easily explained reason I decided to cook dinner for my friends on
the night of my 30th birthday. 8 people (including my new boyfriend)
for dinner in a new kitchen is not necessarily the recipe for a relaxing
evening, but the last two birthdays had been disasters so I guess I
wanted to take control.
Having
been together only a month, James invited me to a work do - the annual
St Vincent's Anesthetic Department dinner as his partner. He kicked up
something of a fuss (for him) insisting that we be treated the same as
any other couple down to making sure that our names were arranged on the
place setting as a pair.
Each
year the 
Simon,
Rebecca and I at one of my favorite restaurants in Sydney - Yippee Yi
Yo. I worked with Simon and Beck at Poppe Tyson and the two of them are
fantastic people
One
of the things that I worked on for Show Ads was a pitch to digitize the
entire collection at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV).
In
June 1999 I left 
Every
time I look at this picture my breath is taken away by how handsome my
partner is. Seeing him everyday means that I get used to him, but he really
is an amazing looking man.
J
and I went to the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras "Sleaze"
party in 1999 - Homosutra. We had a blast!!