HAPPY NEW YEAR for 2011

Happy New Year to everyone.

I'll be skiing in Hakuba in Japan - where they just had 1 metre of fresh powder snow in the last few days.

Toodle-pip !

CHRISTMAS DAY

Brady & Nicola brought their puppy Hugo round in the morning.

Madeleine, Paula & Nicola were very pleased to discover 'Tiffany's' blue boxes

Lunar Eclipse.

Went up to Mt. Cootha last night to watch the moon rise over Brisbane.

Unfortunately there was low cloud on the horizon so we didn't get a view of the eclipse until the moon was quite high in the sky.

This was the only shot I got that was reasonable and showed the dull red glow.

RESULT !

Younger son Jake, finished school and turned 18 within the last couple of weeks - got his results today.

He scored an 'OP 1' which puts him in the top 4% of school-leavers in Queensland.

He's hoping to do Medicine at the University of Queensland next year. Offers come out in January.

L'Affaire Assange

The Friends of Voltaire publicised the principle that “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”.

Even though Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson strongly agreed with this principle it would seem that current American politicians seek only retribution on Assange.

A pity also to see that our very own Julia Gillard has cast an Australian citizen to the wolves.

It remains to be seen whether or not 'Girl With a Dragon Tattoo' is a true reflection of the Swedish legal system.

We live in interesting times!

December already!

So all downhill until Christmas.

The weather in the UK has been all snow & ice but here in Queensland we've had unrelenting rain for a couple of weeks. There has been severe flooding out west and in NSW but we still have our heads above water in Brisbane.

Weekend before last we had dinner at Baguette restaurant for Jake's 18th birthday. Splendid evening.


Then last Friday, the Wesley Anaesthetic Group's annual Secretary's Lunch hosted by the board.
This was at Drift restaurant on the river.

Here I am with colleagues Liz & Kay.


And here, some of our lovely secretaries, Jaime, Monique & Mel.


MUCH Veuve Cliquot was drunk this day!