March Madness

Couple of quick recaps from the past couple of weeks for you to read while tearing up your brackets.


Gumtree...And you thought Craigslist was Bad....

So as you know we had put out an ad on Gumtree to meet some new friends in Australia. We've met some great people we are still friends with, and have met some duds. However, every now and then, we come across a reply that leaves us a little speechless, like the below (word for word):

Hi Meredith, 

Just surfing Gumtree and came across your post. I live about 20 min from Manly I am 30 a professional male model. I do find that my peer group gets rather tiresum at times. So it would be good to have other friends, outside of the industry. Look i do not want to waste your time. I have focused on the fact that "you both .......meeting people individually etc. If I was bold, and I probably am. Do I detect that we three may in time and given the right circumstances share a more intimate friendship? Please, no offence meant. Please take the time to let me know I was wrong. Thanks.

Finally, someone who knows exactly what we were looking for in the first place!





Mardi Gras

The first weekend in March we headed into the city for the 35th annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade which is one of the largest festivals in the world with hundreds of thousands of people attending. The parade got its start from gay rights marches held annually starting in 1978. Instead of beads, there were drag queens and lots of asian toursits bumping into us. We lasted a couple of hours in the rain.

Because nothing says Mardi Gras or Gay Pride quite like a monkey with a trumpet up its butt!

 A float from one of the Surf Life Saving Clubs

 A float in the shape of a giant purse. I thought it was the base of one of those old telephones

 Because homework is gay

 Worse than wrestling through the giant crowd and the crappy weather were the giant swells in the harbor which led to all of the ferries smelling like puke. They cleaned up the puke which "improved" the smell to puke mixed with chemical cleaner.


Mere's Job activities

Mere started going snorkeling during the day by herself at Fairlight Beach while I was at work. The first time I received a text that she was going by herself, so if I didn't hear from her again, she was probably eaten by a shark, and she just wanted to say she loved me and to tell Jax she loved him too. (Thanks for the reassuring text). Needless to say, after not hearing from her for a couple of hours and calling her to no answer, I got home to find her napping with her phone off next to her.

Anyways, it was worth it as below are some of her pictures in combination with ones we took when I went with her a few days later.

Tough to see, but he's half white, half orange

 Octopus!

 A sea slug surrounded by some fish

 Two Octopusses, Octupi, Octopeese I'm going with Octo-posse. We stalked them for a while and one must have thought we left as he is reaching out to feel up his partner.

Stripey fish(yes that is the technical name) also known as a footballer

Johhny Marky Utah

So I finally gave in and got a surfboard. Barely used, 7'6" mini mal so I can wipeout any time I want.