Gay Marriage Now in the ACT

[From the ABC] The Federal Government has agreed to allow gay couples in the ACT (Australian Capital Territory) to hold legally binding civil partnership ceremonies.
The ACT Legislative Assembly passed a Greens bill earlier this month allowing same-sex couples to recognise their relationships with a legally binding ceremony.
The Commonwealth had indicated it was uncomfortable with the new legislation and asked the ACT to amend it. It blocked a similar bill last year when the Territory introduced its Civil Partnerships Act.
But the two governments have now reached a compromise that will allow gay couples to continue holding ceremonies in front of a civil partnership notary.
However they will also have to notify the registrar-general of their intention to hold a ceremony.
ACT Attorney-General Simon Corbell says it is a big win for equality in the Territory and a step forward for gay rights in general.
"This locks in the role of ceremonies for same-sex couples," he said.
"We have legal ceremonies and we have legal ceremony celebrants and that is a very important reform.
"This now opens the door for other states and territories to follow the ACT's lead knowing the Commonwealth accepts ceremonies are now a legal part of the equation."

My! Is it that date already?

I am currently freaking out over just what plan and phone I should move to when my contract ends on December 10. I have been totally bamboozled by the plethora of plans available which I am sure are designed to confuse and corrupt any decision making ability I have left. It also makes me feel very old and a bit of a troglodyte, which I'm sure I'm not (quite)! The old Sandgate Road bridge near to us is being widened to something like seven lanes wide with extra width left for the future, so we have had a little night noise to contend with - thus the decision to sleep with the vent from the a/c on and the windows tightly shut. The tunnel will start beneath this road. Joy of joys! News this week that the TBM (that's tunnel tech talk for tunnel boring machine) starts arriving next week in dribs and drabs. It's 200m long and will take four months to assemble. The whole project was one year old this week and $1 billion of the $3.9b has already been spent. In March when the TBM starts operating underground the surface noise will (according to the developers) be gone for the next two years - then of course all the stuff placed in the park will have to be dug up and removed. Can't wait!

Not sure if I mentioned the Subaru car factory in Lafayette that I visited in September in Indiana? The day before we got there they had produced their 3 millionth vehicle after first turning out an American built Japanese car 20 years before.. It was stunning to see the whole car building process from beginning to end. By the end of the tour I'd have bought a Subaru on the spot. Great PR for the company and a terrific employer of some 3000 people.

On the subject of Indiana, I should mention just how fascinating I found the architecture. Quite varied designs but not much variance in materials used. The climate is pretty rough on these buildings. I think in general we have it quite lucky here in Australia with the general absence of severe cold and tornadoes.

These happy folk below are the people I travelled with in the Mid West. We had a great time and got along like a house on fire. I was my usual, happy, smiling self in the picture - I just can't take a good picture, I always look pained.

Just on the subject of Chicago, my favourite US city, this is the entrance to the Chicago Tribune building. The whole design of the building is evocative of another era, where newspapers and their owners were God. The walls have building materials from every significant building of the time from around the world included in the lower sections with a plaque describing its source. Amazing!

Finally, I come back to Vegas and its extremes. The newer buildings have a size and grace that is hard to condemn. Yes, they are huge. Yes, they are a bit kitsch. Yes, they are over the top in detail. Having said all that, they are impressive structures. Only in Vegas!

We head off in less than a month. Where has the time gone? It is only two weeks before school ends and the social calendar is packed. I have been out five of the past seven nights. Last Sunday we saw Allan Cummin perform a one man show (with a pianist and cellist) at the Powerhouse. He has a lot of theatre and film under his belt. A charming Scotsman who sings, dances, writes, plays piano too and of course acts - whether it's with Helen Mirren or Hugh Jackman in the X Men films - he's done it all and continues to impress. I attended a book club meeting in New Farm on the following night where he was the guest. Terrific to meet and chat with a man who has a social conscience, works with well known people and above all in totally unaffected. He has been a campaigner for Gay Rights in both Britain and America, was married to his partner in Britain (met him, very handsome) and lives in New York now. He entered the library meeting room very dramatically, pushing a pram with a beautiful baby girl in it. The two gay dads followed behind, and after much cooing and ahhhing they took over the caring whilst Alan began his part of the meeting.

Tuesday saw our trivia team come third (yeayy!!) and then Wednesday and Thursday saw us at home (ye Gods!). Friday we went out to the Sound of Music sing-a-long at the Lyric. It began at 7:30 and finished at 11:15. Rene died several times during the night (he really didn't want to go). He did laugh, and we enjoyed seeing him squirm in his seat. We booed the Nazis, barked at Rolf, many brought along torches for the search scene in the abbey, and we all had a bag of things we flashed or waved or exploded at the appropriate times. We had invitations to the ball from the baroness (more hissing), we lifted our arms whenever 'hills' were mentioned, we also exploded poppers when they kissed for the first time (there was the odd premature popper - they can't help it poor sods). Anyway, loads of people dressed up (no, we didn't) and all in all it was a great night - we even took extra beer into the theatre (something they normally never allow).

Last night Rene took me out to the pub for dinner. Ahhh! Love that man.

This coming week we have Tuesday trivia, a dinner at friends on the Wednesday, going out with friends from the trip to America on Friday and so far that's about all. I did buy eight tickets for Eurobeat - the send up of the Eurovision Song Contest. My gorgeous cousin Rachel in London loves the whole Eurovision thing like I do. Here in Brisbane the show (from London) has been set in Sarajevo with two very camp Balkan hosts played by Glynn Nicholas and Rhonda Burchmore - love these two. Alas, Rene REFUSES to attend so I have other friends I'll go with instead. That night he'll go to our friend Di's birthday dinner and I'll call in on the way home.

In a couple of weeks time I'm trialling PM shifts at the international airport (4-8pm) to see how they go. I'm still enjoying the role of ambassador at the airport. Each shift brings an enormous sense of satisfaction (and tiredness - four hours standing around looking useful haha!).

Britain has had terribly destructive rain, Adelaide has just endured two weeks of above 40C temperatures, the other night it remained 24 all night here in Brisbane. We have had just the vent system blowing cool air throughout the house at night, but today we put the chilled air on around noon when it was already 29 at 10am.

NEWSFLASH - I have finally decided on what to wear at the wedding. It has been a running joke where almost every woman asked immediately they heard the wedding news 'what are you going to wear?' and I couldn't answer. Well, now I've gone out and bought the suitable attire for the informal family wedding in Holland. There is a jacket, but no tie. That's all I'm saying. What's Rene wearing, I hear you say? Blowed if I know. I've asked and asked, so I've gone alone and done the deed. He'll look fabulous in anything at all, whereas I'm more your Welsh pit pony and need a little extra care in choosing the right look. Whatever I wear, I'll still look like a short, rotund chap - but totally gorgeous!