Much Ado About Monty...

MG 2011...

2011-03-09T20:28:00.005+11:00

Well, Mardi Gras is over for another year! And here's me as a tradie - a painter! It was the only trade I could think of that I had a hope of pulling off without being laughed at! Had an awesome time, but I have to say, dancing the whole way up Oxford St completely wore me out - I was exhausted by the end! Well, it comes with almost being 40!!! (yes, can you believe it...in just over a month!)

Just when you thought I was gone...

2011-03-02T21:18:00.003+11:00

I'm back! But only for a short post...if you're going to watch Mardi Gras on Saturday, look for the Gay Tradies float - I'll be the guy, in the white overalls (and nothing else), fake tan, pretending to be a painter! Yes, that's right folks, Monty is back for a second go at marching in Mardi Gras! Had so much fun last year that I couldn't say no! One very exciting thing this year is that our lovely lavender fellow former blogger Darth Gateau is here in Sydney on holidays so I get to catch up with him again! Very exciting!

That's it...just a quick post! :-)

Mardi Gras 2010...

2010-03-03T20:39:00.010+11:00

I know that I said that I was done with the blog, but this was a pretty momentous occasion for me - I marched in Mardi Gras this year! I never dreamed that I would do something like this, but you know, it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life!!! I was in the Cycle NSW float, so we weren't technically marching, but riding our bikes which was fun. But you know, the BEST moment of the day for me was a text I received from McBrad shortly before the parade began..."Good luck honey. I'm very PROUD. Love U" And then seeing him, with my friends, waving at me from a balcony overlooking Oxford St unbelievably exciting and totally awesome! What a FANTASTIC night!!!

Happy New Year...

2010-01-01T16:09:00.002+11:00

A final word...

2009-12-22T16:37:00.003+11:00

I think that I would like to leave one last thing...one of my favourite songs, of course, it's Pet Shop Boys - they continue to write the soundtrack to my life. This song sums up perfectly the last 3 years of my life since coming out. It's soooo been worth it!

Was it worth it?

Well I don't know why
I was dreaming about you
but I do know that
I was dancing without you
Then you smiled
and I was lost
You fall in love
Why count the cost?
All I gave to you
All you made me do
I react when I hear people ask

Was it worth it?
Yes it's worth living for
Was it worth it?
Yes it's worth giving more

If I'd had my way
this would have happened much sooner
but until that day
it was only a rumour
All at once
you changed my life
and led me into paradise
where I had to do
what I wanted to
I react when I hear people ask

Was it worth it?
Yes it's worth living for
Was it worth it?
Yes it's worth giving more

I reserve the right to live
my life this way and I don't give
a damn when I hear people say
I'll pay the price that others pay

'cause it's worth it
Yes it's worth living for
'cause it's worth it
Yes it's worth living for

All I gave to you
All you made me do
I reactwhen I hear people ask

Was it worth it?
Yes it's worth living for
Was it worth it?
Yes it's worth giving more

And I reserve (What?)
the right to live (Where?)
my life this way (How?)
I couldn't give a damn when I (What?)
hear people say (Who?)
I'll pay the price that others pay

'cause it's worth it
Yes it's worth living for
'cause it's worth it
Yes it's worth giving more
AND IT'S WORTH IT!

x

The end...

2009-12-22T15:55:00.004+11:00

Well, my dear readers (all one or two of you left), I'm going to sign off here for the year. And possibly more permantly as well. As you've no doubt noted, I'm not exactly a regular blogger by anyone's standards and so it doesn't feel right to keep this blog ticking along, barely gasping for life with my irregular posts.

The thing is, I just don't feel the need to blog anymore. I don't feel like I've got anything interesting to add to the blog. It started off as a bit of an experiment, on the suggestion of one of my friends who maintained a blog of his own. He thought it would be a good thing for me to do - documenting my coming out experience. And it was. And then it converted into the story of Monty's Hunt for Mr Right, which was a long and winding road, to say the least. Along the way, I met some lovely guys, some very HOT guys, some boring guys and one or two guys who I prefer not to think about. And then, out of the blue, McBrad! My gorgeous man. And so the blog changed again, following the changes in my life as "Monty and McBrad", dealing with being in a relationship. But now, over 3 years down the track, and 21 months into our relationship, with things going along swimmingly well, I feel like I've just come to the end of my blogging career. There just doesn't seem like anything worth saying that's relevant and interesting.

I've been blessed with a loyal little readership who've encouraged me along the way, given me hints and suggestions when I was at a loss, cheered me through my slutty summers, and given me virtual hugs when I've been feeling bruised and lost. Thank you most sincerely. You will probably never know how much it meant to me to have your support! In particular, I'd like to say thanks to all the bloggers who I've been lucky enough to meet in person, both here in Sydney and in London!

But now, it's onwards and upwards with McBrad. We're about to celebrate our second Christmas together, then head down to the beach house for a few days, and then back to Sydney in time for New Year's! I love Sydney in summer and it's a great time to be with the man you love.

I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas and a fabulous New Year! Never fear, I shall still be in the background, reading your blogs and making the odd comment, but I don't think I'll be back here in MAAM...but I shan't say never. Thanks again.

Monty! xxx

Moved...

2009-11-13T16:04:00.004+11:00

Sorry it's been a few weeks since my last post but it's been rather busy! The worst aspect is that my Unwired broadband service is failing to pick up a signal and so I have no internet at home!

But the move went well which I was very relieved about. My gorgeous guy McBrad of course helped me immensely - on the Friday before the move, he helped me paint my apartment which was a big thing for him...thus far in his life, he's managed to avoid having to paint by simply employing other people to do it for him. So I regard it as a mark of his love for me that he cast aside his aversion to manual labour and did a marvellous job of it!!! My friends Mack, Andy, Jacqui and Dan, as well as McBrad's friend Ted all helped on the day and although it took much much longer than we expected, we did accomplish it all. It has taken me a few big days/nights since then getting the apartment all sorted out, but it's mostly done now! I've still got all my books in boxes, however tomorrow I'm going to buy a couple of bookcases and that will the last thing! I will post some pictures soon, but that will have to wait until I've got myself a new internet account with a fixed line operator. So it's all very exciting. I do love just coming home after work to MY apartment...how good is that! And I'm getting up earlier each morning and actually having breakfast for the first time in several years! And my personal trainer Daz weighed me last night (after a two week absense from gym) and I've LOST 1.5 kgs (or 3.3 pounds) since we got back from holidays so I was very excited by that!

But the best thing has been my new bed. With the move being a little bit more extended than I had originally planned, I ended up staying at McBrad's for a few days. But with my new fridge and bed delivered, and me finally in the apartment, we got to break in my gorgeous new sheets, on my very comfortable new mattress on my very stylish new bed in my lovely new aparment. Nothing like a good ol' shag on new stuff! :-)

So now, it's a matter of getting used to living there, paying off a mortgage, catching a different bus to work, and adapting to my new local supermarket. And being only 8 minutes drive from McBrad's!!! It's all good!!!

Moving...

2009-10-23T15:42:00.002+11:00

Well, it's on for young and old at the moment. I settle on my apartment next Tuesday and move in on the following weekend, so I'm currently up to my ears in boxes, packing all my worldly goods in anticipation. It's very exciting as well as very stressful, but at the moment, the excitement is winning. I'm taking the opportunity to update my interiors as well, so I'm giving about half of my furniture away to a charity and buying new stuff. Last weekend, I bought me a lovely new bed and mattress and this week, I popped into David Jones and got a new set of sheets...lovely 525 thread count cotton "Sanderson" sheets. Apparently, they're so marvellous the Queen uses them (well, she officially endorses them anyway)! They do feel so wonderfully smooth - almost satin-like. Bliss. I can't wait to try out my new sheets, on my new mattress, on my new bed, in my new apartment with my very hot boyfriend!!! Wahooo!

This weekend is going to be mostly about packing...and a quiet BBQ with some friends at McBrad's, followed by a bit of a dance at Palms!

It's funny, as I've been going through my stuff at home, sorting out what to keep and what to flick, I've had to reflect on my "old" life. There's so much stuff that I've not used/worn since I came out for one reason or another and so a lot of it has gone into the "flick" pile, but everything has a memory attached, mostly good. It's not that I want to forget that life - I don't! I really liked my life up until I came out, with that one small exception of my struggle about my sexuality. Otherwise, it was all good. But it's a matter of moving on now. This is my opportunity to leave those last few vestiges of that life behind and start looking forward.

As always, my gorgeous McBrad has been a pillar of support and kindness and I can never get over how lucky I am. After all those ups and downs of dating, to have found someone as wonderful as McBrad is just fan-bloody-tastic!

Not that I'm counting...

2009-09-27T16:34:00.002+10:00

...but on the 29th of September, I'll be celebrating two interlinked things...it will be the 3rd anniversary of my coming out and exactly 18 months together for McBrad and I. It's funny, 18 months doesn't really sound like much, but it feels like we've compacted a lot of stuff into it. We actually had a BBQ last night and it was a great feeling to see my friends and his friends mixing so well - the first time we did this, it did feel like my friends stayed together and his friends stayed together, but last night, it seemed like everyone was mingling. So despite the rather blustery conditions (or maybe in spite of the blustery conditions) it was a great night.

This morning, we cleaned up, went out for brekkie with Noodle and then we hit the SupaCentre for some furniture shopping. I'm planning on updating a few bits and pieces when I move into my new apartment and needed some inspiration and also a bit of an idea as to what it was going to cost me. I'm now busy re-writing budgets!!! I love that McBrad is just as excited (if not a bit more) as me about my new apartment - I feel so lucky to have such a supportive man!

It's funny, I have been rather haphazard at best of recent times in my blogging, and I'm finding it increasingly challenging to be motivated to continue the blog, but the other night, I re-read some of my first few posts and I was reminded why this blog has been a great thing for me. It's amazing to look back and remember how I was in those first few weeks and months after coming out. The same Monty is still here, but it's a much more confident, more relaxed Monty. After years of not really feeling comfortable in my skin (much of which had to do with my struggle coming to terms with my sexuality), I'm feel like I'm actually living the life I want and the life I'm comfortable with. So, although I do feel that this blog is fast running out of steam, I think there's still a few posts left in it.

Anyway, I hope everyone has had a great weekend.

Changing Rooms...

2009-09-20T12:07:00.003+10:00

Well, for those of you who aren't Facebook friends (and so have not seen my status updates over the past week), it's official. We exchanged contracts on Tuesday just gone which means I now am the pround owner of both a large hole in my bank account AND a contract obliging me to cough up with a substantial bucket of cash in just over 5 weeks. In exchange, I'll receive title to a rather small, but cute apartment over on the "other side" of the harbour. Much to the disgust of Tom, our late lamented aspiring-chef/blogger, I shall be departing the leafy North Shore for the somewhat seedy streets of the inner south - in fact, I'm almost moving into the "Ghetto" (the gay variety) which is something I promised myself I would never do.

That being said, once I got over the stress of actually making the decision to buy over there, and the whole to'ing and fro'ing between me, the agent, the solicitors and the vendor, I'm really looking forward to the move. I was only thinking about it the other day, when I caught up with Tom for a cup cake and coffee, that this is the final break from my former life. You see, over the past 3 years since coming out, my life has been one of gradual changes. Friends dropped me when I came out, and so I had to make new ones. Most of my family cut me off and so I've had to adopt a new "family". Even my previously very conservative wardrobe has become a little bit more flamboyant as I've become accustomed to my new "skin". I've even put on weight (something I was never able to do previously), most of which is more muscle. I've got me a wonderful partner now. I have a new car. And now, I'm leaving my lovely North shore apartment - it has so many memories of my former life, lovely memories of course, but now just memories. It was a constant in my life when everything was turned on its head, a safe harbour as it were, but now, it represents a past that is no longer relevant to me. It's the right time to move on, to get on with my new life with McBrad and my new friends and family. I'm planning on throwing out (or donating to charities) lots of stuff - furniture, clothes, etc - and so it's really going to be quite a new start for me. Scary, but exciting at the same time.

It was funny, I was woken this morning by someone starting their lawn mower - a sound I love but a sound that I will definitely not be hearing at my new apartment. And as I lay there in bed, I started compiling a list of things I would miss about this place, as well as things I'm looking forward to in the new apartment.

Things I'll miss...

The lovely tree lined streets, with their lovely gardens and lawns
The absolute quiet of my suburb
My local Grumpy Baker - I love popping down on a Sat/Sun morning for a long black coffee and ham and cheese croissant
Crossing the Harbour Bridge on the way to/from work. It's an experience that never gets stale, no matter how many times I've done it.
The distinction of being a North Shore Gay - there are so few of us over here that it's always a talking point when I meet people

Things I'm looking forward to...

Being closer to McBrad (only about 7 minutes drive) and 95% of my friends
The nice French cafe literally around the corner from my new apartment. Hopefully, their ham and cheese croissants are better than the Grumpy Baker's! (their coffee is very good, I've tried it already)
All the savings I'll have from not having to pay Harbour Bridge/Tunnell tolls (seriously, I spend a small fortune each month driving back and forth)
Closeness to the puppy park and puppy shop - Noodle will LOVE it! And to Dan Murphy's and Victoria's Basement!
Easier access to the Eastern Beaches

There's lots more pros and cons but that's some of the ones that came to mind. All in all, it's a big decision but it's one that I'm happy with.

Housing...

2009-09-13T18:51:00.004+10:00

Just an update re: my plans for purchasing an apartment. Well, my offer was accepted however under NSW laws, nothing is guaranteed until we exchange contracts and I pay my 10% deposit. That will be happening tomorrow, all things being equal. But, because it's still available, there was another viewing yesterday. McBrad and I couldn't resist - we had to go along. I wanted to have another final look at the place, to make sure that it's really the right one for me. It is. Unfortunately, it seemed that every man and his dog also thought this was a great apartment. Thankfully, the agent appeared to be very positive about my offer and advised me to exchange tomorrow to make sure I get the property.

So, I'm feeling pretty good about it...I meet with my solicitor tomorrow at 1pm and hopefully, it will all go good and we'll exchange. Cross your fingers guys!

On a completely unrelated topic, I just watched the Qantas ad on TV - I don't know what it is, but every time I hear the children's choir singing "I Still Call Australia Home", I get goose bumps! I love the Qantas ads!!!

I was just reading some of my September posts from last year - we were celebrating 6 months together and I was still pinching myself that it was real. And here we are, about to celebrate 18 months. The thing is, the time just flies and the necessity of celebrating every milestone just isn't there. I'm not terrified that it's all going to be over, I am soooo much more relaxed about our relationship. I love McBrad so much and I know that he loves me. What more do you need? I'm excited that I'll be moving closer to him and to all of my friends actually. Although I love the North Shore, it has been somewhat of a barrier - my friends can't just pop by on their way home, they can't just drop by on a Sunday arvo for a drink and a chat. Whereas, if all goes well, this will be possible. AND I'll save a fortune in Bridge/Tunnel tolls!!!

Well, now I'm sitting down to Idol...to watch Scottie the Hottie and the yummilicious Toby!!!!!

September...

2009-09-06T19:02:00.002+10:00

This is going to be a dot point type post...

. Currently looking for an apartment to buy (to live in). McBrad and I saw one yesterday which we both love and is just a little bit closer to his place than my current place. And yes Tom, it means moving over to the "other side" and leaving the beautiful leafy North Shore. So I'll be putting an offer in tomorrow! Wish me luck!

. Watching Idol at the moment - two guys to watch. Scottie the Hottie and Toby the Teacher! I'm in lust with both of them!!! Two completely different guys, but both sooooo yummy! (oh, and they can both sing...like I care!)

. I'm totally into salads now! I think it's the whole spring thing that's got me back into them, as well as an attempt to start eating a bit more wisely. I'm working my arse off with my Personal Trainer each week and so to then go home and chow down on KFC just doesn't make sense. Hence, the salads. In fact, I'm just about to sit down to an EPIC salad for dinner (with a nice piece of rump steak - I do like my rump) in front of the TV, watching the two HOTTIES sing! ;-)

. Spent a lovely Father's Day with McBrad and Noodle today! Noodle, clever girl that she is, bought him some stripey socks (he loves wearing stripey socks, and she loves chewing them up) and a bottle of YSL EDT - something like Nuit de Homme...or something. Anyway, he loved both of his gifts. Had breakfast in the sun with them and a couple of friends - just a really great way to spend a Sunday morning.

Pics...

2009-08-17T22:01:00.012+10:00

Ahhh, the lovely tropics...

Me on a rock...

The view from our room

Getting dragged behind the boat...

The pink car we hired...

and the lovely red moke we got the next day...

The hottest man, my gorgeous McBrad...

Holiday...

2009-08-17T13:31:00.002+10:00

Well, it's been way too long since my last post, for which I do apologise. I'm sitting here at work on my first day back from 2 weeks leave...two lovely relaxing weeks. We've really seemed to have hit a sweet spot weather-wise in Sydney and it's just marvellous. The first week of my holidays, I was at home. Did the usual types of things that one does when at home for a week...spring cleaning, my tax return, bit of shopping, cooking, and bugger all. It was lazy and wonderful. And the best thing, temps were hovering around the 20 degree C level which meant I spent the week in shorts and t-shirt. In the middle of WINTER! Just perfect sun kissed days!

And then, McBrad and I headed off to even sunnier North Queensland. Thankfully, we passed through the airport in Townsville without me seeing anyone from my past life there and cabbed it straight to the ferry terminal, and then off across the azure sea to Magnetic Island. I've got to say, Magnetic Island has vastly improved in the past 9 years since I was there. We stayed at the Peppers Resort there which was lovely - our room overlooked the marina. We did very little the week we were there - McBrad went to gym each morning while I sat in the sun, drinking my coffee and reading the paper, then we'd head to the beach and lie in the sun, have lunch at some local establishment, lie in the sun, head back to our room for a shower and snoozette, go out and have dinner. It was WONDERFUL!!! So relaxing. We did a sailing cruise around the island on our last day there which was fantastic - just one other couple and ourselves. We snorkelled around the reef which is just amazing itself, but as an added bonus, there were a couple of turtles swimming there too. So we followed them until they got sick of us and chooffed off. It was a highlight!!!

So now, I'm back at work, staring longingly out of the window at the glorious sunny day outside. I shall post a few pics soon - possibly even tonight!

June...part II

2009-06-29T16:12:00.002+10:00

Well how about this...another post within days of the previous one! Will wonders never cease!!!

Just a couple of things...I was reading some of the back catalogue of one of my favourite bloggers - the blogging world's answer to MasterChef - Tom when I realized that it was his birthday recently and nothing had been mentioned. And so, I took it upon myself to rectify this travesty! Happy belated Birthday mate! Hope that the next year ahead will bring you lots of success with both your personal life and your gourmet life!!!

Also forgot to mention that my very talented boyfriend is performing at the Opera House (again) this week - on Thursday and Saturday nights - as part of the Sydney Philharmonia Choir. They are performing Carmina Burana and I'm very much looking forward to going! He's been rehearsing like mad and I'll not get to see much of him at all this week, but it will all be worthwhile! If you're in Sydney, and feeling like a bit of "culcha", come along - there's bound to be one or two spare seats available on the night.

And, just to make the weekend even busier, we're hosting a Christmas in July dinner on Sunday night. Being a Scotsman who lived in London for 10 yrs prior to moving to Sydney, McBrad's group of friends are mostly from the UK and they all seem to miss having a big Christmas dinner when it's cold! And so, we decided to do one this year. Needless to say, I'm going to be doing my best MasterChef impression and attempting to feed the hordes. I'm doing an old favourite, Beer Up the Bum Chicken, which is easy, though not strictly very Christmassy! Ahhh, who cares - it's yummy! :-)

We saw the new Transformers movie last night - wow!!! Story line is somewhat light on, and the movie is geographically challenged (somehow, Petra is within spitting distance of the pyramids, which are apparently quite close to the coast line) but holy heck, the movie is HUGE! A full on explosion of non-stop action! Totally awesome in a very shallow way!

OK, that's it - I'm exhausted from so much blogging! :-)

June...

2009-06-28T14:58:00.003+10:00

After a small'ish prompt (thanks DG), I realized that it's nearly the end of June and I've yet to blog. To be honest, not really that much to say. It's been a lovely month in general, with a couple of highlights.

The BEST one - my gorgeous McBrad sent me long stemmed red roses at work! Huge box of the things, with chocolate love hearts as well. I got sooooo many comments from people at work and was the envy of all the girls! I didn't take them home, as I'm rarely there, so I put them in a vase on my desk and there they stayed. They lasted for a week so it was just marvellous. Although McBrad has given me flowers before, he's always given them to me at home - he's never sent them to my work before! And even better, the note just said that he wanted to tell me that he loved me. Everyone was highly impressed that there was no anniversary (they were all very familiar with our monthly anniversary celebrations that we did for our first 12 months), no birthday, nothing. It was just a lovely gesture from the love of my life. What a sweet heart!

I received some really exciting news from my brother Mark - he proposed to his boyfriend Sim on the top of Mt Pilatus (in Switzerland)! So they're now getting married - plans are at the moment to have a registry affair in the UK and then everyone head to either France or Italy for a long weekend celebration - they'll hire a villa for the celebrations. Should be awesome. We're still waiting for them to decide when this is going to happen but it's a GREAT excuse to head back to London and have a nice little European sojourn as well. :-)

And just last week, I booked us a little winter break in Nth Queensland - 5 nights on Magnetic Island. I'm really quite excited by this - Magnetic Island is just off the coast of Townsville where I grew up, so I've been there more times than I can remember. It was always a sleepy, backpacker style island, with a really relaxed low key vibe. But over the past few years, there's been some very nice resorts built and it's gone a lot upmarket, whilst still retaining its original feel. (well, that's what the locals are saying). So it should be great not only to spend 5 days and nights in warm Nth Qld, but also to show McBrad a bit of my hometown. Can't wait...we leave on August 10.

And that's about it...it's busy at work as it's end of financial year, but that's all over on Tuesday so can't wait for that. My life proceeds very nicely, with my wonderful man by my side, and our gorgeous puppy running ahead! I feel very blessed.

May...

2009-05-29T12:47:00.003+10:00

Profuse apologies to the one or two readers who haven't given up on me! It's nearly the end of May and I have not written one word all month! My longest blogging absense ever!

There's not a lot to say really. May has been quite a busy month, but nothing that is really outstanding or blogworthy. I suppose the biggest event was my purchase (very unexpectedly I might add) of a new car! I made the mistake of mentioning to McBrad that I was thinking about updating my poor tired (but mechanically very sound) Corolla and before I could say 'overhead gasket' (or whatever), we were driving around to different car yards, checking out what was available. McBrad is a very decisive person - if he thinks about updating his car, he goes and buys a new car! Me, I think about a new car, have a look at what's available, compare prices on the internet, research the pros and cons of each car, look at colours, peruse my finances, do cash flow spreadsheets and work out a repayment plan. That's all before I even decide whether or not I'm going to proceed. So, Sunday morning, we're at the car dealer's and lo and behold, I drive out of there with my new Nissan Tiida Q! I got home, still in shock at having spent so much money in such a quick time, without much thinking about it! McBrad was excited out of his mind, I was nearly throwing up in the sink (quite literally). BUT, once we went for a drive and I settled down, I started to get excited. It's a lovely car, and driving it is a dream! Noodle LOVES her back seat - I think it's the leather that does it for her! So that was quite a momentous incident in the past month.

McBrad also extended my 6 sessions with my new Personal Trainer Daz by another 10 sessions, because he was impressed with my progress and was feeling generous. I've gotta say, despite him being a total NAZI who takes particular delight in inflicting pain on me, Daz is very good and it is producing results. I now have a 2pack, and hope that the remain 4pack will emerge from long banishment in the near future, to give me a nice hard flat abdomen! I don't know what it is, but you hear about how people who exercise regularly get this rush after they have exercised. I'm yet to experience that. I just feel smashed after each session.

We've had less than satisfactory weather here in the Emerald City for the past week or so - very autumnal, with cool mornings, cloudy days and the occasional torrential downpour of rain. Fantastic for snuggling with McBrad, but it would be nice to have a lovely sunny weekend. According to the forecast, it's not going to happen this weekend. :-(

I was just thinking the other night about comfort movies (the cinematic version of comfort food I suppose) - that movie or those movies that you always go back to when you just want to feel good about the world. No matter how many times you watch it, you always end up with that warm fuzzy feeling in your heart! For me, Pretty Woman used to be high on the list, but of recent years, it has fallen somewhat. My new no. 1 comfort movie is Love Actually. Yes, it has its critics, but I just feel so good after watching that movie. McBrad and I watched it last night, and of course, watching Love Actually whilst snugged with my very hot boyfriend when it's cold and rainy outside is just the BEST thing in the world.

So that's my May. I will try to update my blog a bit more frequently, but I can't guarantee it. Whilst I'm still reading blogs, I find that I'm just unmotivated to put digit to QWERTY anymore.

Anyway, hope you all have a lovely weekend whereever you are!

Monty's Miscellaneous Musings...

2009-04-15T18:36:00.002+10:00

1. PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) seriously need to get a grip...they have requested the Pet Shop Boys change their name to something more ethical and acceptable...like the Rescue Shelter Boys. What are those people on? Have they nothing better to do (like save whales or something) than make such ridiculous suggestions? PSB have of course, dismissed such a stupid idea.

2. Walking into North Sydney yesterday morning, on my way to the bus, a few of the Navy Seals who are based nearby jogged past me. Shirtless. Man candy - the perfect way to ease back into work after a long weekend.

3. I had my first training session with my new personal trainer yesterday after work. I've got 6 sessions with him as one of my birthday presents from McBrad and after last night's session, I'm not looking forward to the next 5. He absolutely smashed me!!! I'm sore all over today. He's very good, I've gotta say, but he's relentless. Next session is tomorrow night. Eek!

4. Got home today and had two lovely birthday cards in the mail - one from my brother Mark and his boyfriend Sim, and one from my gorgeous friend EIB, who's now living and working back in London. It was so nice to have my birthday experience extended for another couple of days.

Pet Shop Boys...

2009-04-13T16:44:00.003+10:00

McBrad got me the new PSB album "Yes" (plus it's accompanying remix album "etc") as one of his anniversary presents to me a couple of weeks ago. OK, so I've professed my deep and abiding love for PSB before but this album is just awesome! Some of the tracks are totally hands-in-the-air dance songs - thoroughly infectious pop music that elevates your mood 1000%! They just get me with their music. Admittedly, they're not everyone's cup of tea, but they are soooo mine! It was two years ago that I saw them perform in Sydney (over Easter as well) and I can't get enough of them. So do yourself a favour and buy the new CD!!! They certainly get the BIG TICK from me! :-)

Easter weekend...

2009-04-13T14:54:00.004+10:00

It's been a rather relaxing long weekend I must say. It started off with a bit of a bang and then mellowed from there. It was my birthday - my 38th for those who are counting - on Good Friday so I decided that it would be better to celebrate on Thursday night after work, just in case people were going away for the weekend. So McBrad and I rocked up to the Dolphin Hotel, the scene of last year's birthday actually, and over the course of the evening, friends turned up. It was lovely actually, because at any given time, there was a different set of friends there...some stayed for a drink before heading out for dinner, some came after dinner, some stayed all night and kept rocking on well after we had gone home. So it was the perfect chilled out evening that I was hoping for.

Friday necessitated a sleep in, whilst the exceptionally snuggly McBrad quietly slipped out of bed and fed and walked Noodle before returning home to take me to breakfast at our favourite cafe, Cafe Ism in Newtown. And then, we spent the arvo at home, me reading the paper and tidying the garden, McBrad working on one of two assignments that are due tomorrow. Poor McBrad had phoned around many of our favourite restaurants, trying to find one that was going to be opened on Good Friday...and none were! So he was quite despairing of us even eating on my birthday night. Thankfully, Mack rang me up on his way home from the city on Friday arvo, wanting to meet up for a drink. So I wandered down and met him on Crown St and we went into Trinity Bar and had a couple of shandies and a catch up! It's great having him back in Sydney after his year in Canada. But he mentioned to me that riding up Crown St, he had noticed lots of the pubs and bars were opened, and even down our end, I could see quite a few opened too.

So McBrad and I showered and dressed and decided to wander down Crown St and find somewhere that was opened and that appealled. We ended up at our old regular, Paua, which was suprisingly open. I think that a lot more places appeared to be opened this year...I'm thinking that maybe the credit crunch has encouraged more places to trade, even on public holidays in an attempt to make more $$$. Whatever the case, it was a lovely evening with my favourite man. The perfect way to spend my birthday.

Saturday was more of the same, however I did come home Saturday night and have a nice quiet evening watching dvd's. McBrad had given me a bag of my favourite lollies as one of my birthday presents (he knows how much I love my lollies) and sitting there Saturday night, I just felt like having a couple of the lollies. 30 mins later, bag empty, and me feeling less than healthy, I started regretting opening them. And then the sugar hit! The late movie came and went and it was 2am before I knew it!!! Needless to say, I won't be doing that again soon! The good thing was that it was a long weekend, so it didn't matter if I had a couple of late nights.

Sunday, after another nice sleep in, I wandered down to the Grumpy Baker and had me a long black, a Ham and Cheese Croissant and the Sunday paper...just the perfect thing for a Sunday. And then it was back to McBrad's, and off to the gym! He sure knows how to make me sweat (from exercise that is). The lovely DG had invited us over to his place for dinner, and so that was a delightful evening of great food and great company.

Today, we were back at Cafe Ism for brekkie with Con, one of our friends. And that's about it...a wonderfully relaxed Easter weekend. In fact, I don't think I've done so little in four days as I have this weekend past.

Oh, and the ever gorgeous McBrad bought me a lovely plaited leather bracelet, with a gold clasp thingy - it looks a lot better than I've described, trust me. And 6 sessions with a personal trainer! At first, I was somewhat taken aback - wasn't sure whether it was a present or punishment, but it's actually exactly what I need! I must confess to having lost enthusiasm for the gym of recent times and I think these sessions will get me back on the straight and narrow. If the trainer is good, I'll see if I can have maybe one session a week, just to keep me motivated. The Trainer rang me on Saturday to arrange our first session (Tuesday after work) and he's British! What a bonus!!! He's 41, gay, single, and reportedly quite good looking, so that should help with the motivation too! LOL But McBrad doesn't have anything to worry about, I still think he's the sexiest man alive!!!

So that's about it. Hope you have all had a marvellous long weekend!!!

McBrad...

2009-04-06T00:25:00.002+10:00

It's rather late, but I've been sitting up re-reading all of my past posts about McBrad...all 81 of them. Just as an aside, I've written about 105 posts since meeting McBrad and 81 involve him...I seriously don't know how you, my lovely readers, have put up with it.

Anyway, I just can't believe all the stuff that's happened in the past 12 months! All the stuff we've done, all the anniversaries, the holidays...just reading my reactions to the "first time" things - holding hands, saying the "L" word etc. It's been quite a year, a wonderful year. And things continue smashingly well. We spent Friday and Sat down at the beach house and it was a lovely, relaxing break. We've had a wonderful month celebrating many things, and this week, it's my birthday. But you know what hit me as I sat reading all the past posts? I remembered my doubt, my insecurity in those first few months. The constant questions that I had about whether this would last (questions to myself anyway), my worry about if he would fall out of love with me. But you know, I don't think about that stuff anymore. I feel the most secure in our relationship and it's a wonderful thing. But sometimes, you need to revisit how it was in those first few months to realize how good things are now!

I can't begin to explain the changes in my life over the past year but 99% of them have been great changes. It's amazing how everything really just flows when you're happy within yourself, when you're secure with who you are and where you are in life. It took a lot of heart ache and pain and stress and worry and doubt to get to where I am now, but by golly it was all worth it. And I think that's what I really want to say...sometimes, things don't look good. Sometimes, it does feel like all the stuff you're going through isn't worth while. But it is! I've been there, and it's all paid off. I love my life!

Anniversary...

2009-03-29T10:29:00.002+11:00

Well folks, we made it...yes that's right...Monty and McBrad are officially celebrating our First Anniversary today! Well, we actually started celebrating last week, but the date is actually today. We had our official celebration last night with a lovely dinner at Rambutan (which doubled as an Earth Hour celebration as well) and tonight, McBrad's bought a lovely bottle of vintage champers for us to down!

I'm thrilled to have made it this far, but acknowledge that it's only one year. But it's a huge thing for me and I'm delighted! I feel very very lucky to have found my gorgeous guy and every day, I love him more!

Well, it's only a very quick post today. Sorry about my lack of posts of recent times. Will try to improve.

Have a fantastic weekend everyone! :-)

Mondays...

2009-03-16T20:19:00.004+11:00

Well, it's been my longest absence from blogging...but I'm back.

I'm at home tonight - Monday is normally our night off - McBrad and I spend the night at our respective homes alone. And it's good to have time alone. But thinking about it tonight, I've realized that Mondays have become my least favourite night. And the reason is...I've generally spent a lovely weekend with my gorgeous guy and now I'm not with him.

It was a lovely weekend...nothing outstanding, but it's just wonderful to spend time with him during the day doing those normal little things. Last weekend, it was Mardi Gras and it was awesome watching it with McBrad - last year, I spent it with The Tourist but the thing is, I knew that was just a short term thing. This year, I was with the man that I'm deeply in love with and it was such a different feel. I was also with some friends (our favourite chef-in-training Tom included) and it was just a fun time.

Anyway, this week, I'm back studying for my next DFP unit - this is a killer! I'm mentally fatigued and it's only day 1. Last year, when I first met McBrad, I was doing my first DFP unit and so it feels like a bit of a step back in time.

This Friday, we've got our Anniversary party to celebrate with our friends. But the real anniversary is on the 29th...and I can't wait.

Bliss...

2009-02-26T18:57:00.000+11:00

There’s not a lot to say really, the last couple of weeks have been lovely but otherwise non-eventful. We celebrated McBrad’s birthday with suitable fervour and I took him out on his actual birthday to Bird Cow Fish for a lovely dinner. We went shopping at Tiffany’s for his present (which he LOVES) and had a delightful Valentines Day/Night. It’s just been a couple of really pleasant weeks. I’m loving my life at the moment because it is just a normal life that’s shared with the most wonderful man around!!! We have dinners out, nights in, DVD’s to watch, dancing with friends at Palms, brunches on Sunday mornings, shopping for groceries and hardware, just the usual sorts of things.

Last weekend was a bit of a DIY one for us – water was leaking from the shower screen onto the bathroom floor so we bought some sealant and I applied it and lo and behold, all good! McBrad had been given some outdoor lamps as a birthday present, along with an electric drill. So we purchased some appropriate drill bits and some hooks and I drilled and screwed and hung the lamps in the back courtyard. Looks smashing…particularly at night! I love that I’m able to make a contribution to his house as I do sleep there more nights than my place! My poor apartment, on the other hand, is sadly neglected and gets a quick dust once a week if its lucky! I always thought of my apartment as a refuge – it was my home, with all my books, my CD’s, my photos, my furniture, my artwork, my clothes etc etc. But it doesn’t really feel like that anymore…it’s somewhere I sleep occasionally. I’ve realised that possessions, whilst important, don’t really make a home. Don’t get me wrong, I still love my place, but McBrad’s feels much more like home now.

Anyway, McBrad suggested to me the other night that we celebrate our 1^st official anniversary with a party with our friends. I was delighted and touched that he wanted to make a big thing of it. For me, it’s a HUGE thing as it’s my first real long term relationship and I think that he wanted to do this for that reason. It is our first anniversary, but for me, it’s my first “first anniversary”. McBrad’s had a few LTR’s before, so he’s been there, done that. So I think he’s making a fuss because it does mean so much to me. Whatever the case, I’m excited to be sharing it with my friends.

Yes my dear readers, Monty has gone from International Tart of the Year to domesticated boyfriend and come 29^th March 2009, it’ll be one year of monogamy for me! Although I’ve documented very well my desire for a LTR, always in the back of my mind, I questioned whether, after having had such a smorgasbord of men, I’d be able to cope with the same man all the time. And you know, I don’t even think about it much now that I’m in the situation. I still can’t keep my hands to myself when I’m around him (and to his credit, he’s very tolerant of me molesting him constantly) and always find myself responding to him at the drop of a hat. I am thoroughly attracted to him and can’t get enough of him physically! He says I wear him out! He he he! I just think he’s hotter than hot!

So I’m a happy little camper! (but you knew that, didn’t you)

The Mysterious Man...

2009-02-13T19:36:00.000+11:00

A curious question was posed by McBrad last night as we walked down Cleveland St to the lovely Indian restaurant where we were to have our dinner with our friend Carter. “Are you going to stop blogging?” he asked. “No.” was my reply, “Why do you ask?”.

He told me that he was sitting at a café yesterday morning having breakfast when a guy at the café asked him if his boyfriend wrote a blog. McBrad replied in the affirmative and the person told him that his boyfriend reads my blog and had obviously read my post from a week or so ago about me considering stopping. I assume that this guy also reads the blog occasionally, as he recognized McBrad from the photos I’ve posted. McBrad’s not so good on the details, and can’t really describe the guy that well, and so I’m wondering who it is. I’m not worried or concerned or anything – McBrad knows about the blog and knows that I’ve posted his pic on the blog – I’m just intrigued to find out who it was. So if you want to out yourself, please leave me a message! :-)

Aint it interesting how small a world we live in.

Brithday boy...

2009-02-10T18:49:00.003+11:00

Not half bad for 41 don't you think? Me personally, I reckon he's HOT STUFF!!!

Happy Birthday honey!

Bits and Pieces...

2009-02-04T20:19:00.003+11:00

This post is going to be in the style of Tom's...a multi subject one!

Firstly (and the non-Australian readers won't know what I'm talking about), I'm LOVING The Biggest Loser at the moment. I watched the "weigh in" on Monday night and found myself getting really emotional as I heard the contestants' stories. Of all the "reality" TV shows on air, I love this one as it's a show that actually changes people's lives for the better. It's such a positive show! And this season, there's two brothers who I think will be absolutely HOT once they've lost a few dozen kilos or so! Can't wait!

McBrad and I have been talking over the past couple of weeks about a month long trial of living together! There's a few issues that we've had to work through but I think it's going to happen. I'm very excited as well as being a little scared. Although we're spending most of each week together, it's still not the same as 24/7. The good thing is that most of the potential problems that we can see have been discussed and workshopped, so hopefully they won't be problems. It's still not a done deal, I've still got to make my final decision, but I think it will happen.

I'm at home tonight, it's a nice easy night and it's nice just to watch some tv, eat some dinner, play Scrabble on Facebook, and chill.

It's also McBrad's birthday in a week's time - we're celebrating with a dinner out on Saturday night for a bunch of friends and on Tuesday, his actual birthday, with a dinner for two. And it's when he'll get his birthday present from me. I met him last year 6 weeks after his 40th birthday, which means of course, that our first anniversary is fast approaching! Can you believe it??? Monty and McBrad about to celebrate the first REAL anniversary!

January...

2009-02-01T17:14:00.003+11:00

It's the last day of January 2009 and I've barely written anything in my blog! I've been lacking the desire/will to do so for the last few weeks...whether it's just the summer slackness or something more fundamental I'm not sure. It's kinda feeling like my blog has served its purpose and now updating seems to be more like updating my diary than anything else. I originally started blogging at the suggestion of a friend who himself was a blogger (and who has since stopped)...he thought it would be a good outlet for me to be able to express myself, having recently come out and trying to deal with the ramifications. And it was a great suggestion! Apart from the therapeutic benefits of being able to get stuff off my chest, thanks to many of you, my dear readers, I came to realize that lots of people out there had similar issues to deal with. So my blog became part of my coming out, with all my experiences dutifully recorded for posterity. All the new stuff that I had to deal with became a lot easier with the feedback that I received. And of course, the friends I've made through blogging has been a very unexpected blessing.

But what am I saying? Well, lately, it just seems like I'm simply updating what I've been doing, where I've been going etc, which really isn't that interesting. I feel like I'm in a settled place in my life, with my wonderful McBrad a major factor in that. Obviously we have our issues to deal with but I'm not going to blog those, because while I'm quite comfortable blogging about my own issues, I don't think it's fair to discuss stuff about McBrad - I would only be stating my side of the story and as I'm convince, there's always 3 sides to every story - mine, McBrad's and the truth. Each of us has a different perspective on things and so our respective stories would be influenced by that. That being said, there's not been anything significant to write about...I feel like I've been very lucky to find someone like him and so am happy as Larry!

Anyway, it's a bit of a ramble, but I'm seriously questioning the necessity of this blog, and my desire to continue. I've not yet decided, but just thought I should give you some advance warning about what I'm thinking.

It's a lovely warm weekend here in Sydney, beatiful sunny skies. We took Noodle to the beach today and it was wonderful! Hope all of you are having great weekends too!!!!

Wedding pics...

2009-01-26T16:41:00.007+11:00

Before you get too excited...these are not our wedding pics...but we attended a wedding in the Hunter Valley over the long weekend and these are a couple of nice pics of us.

I LOVE a man in a kilt! Doesn't McBrad look simply smashing! A Very Handsome man indeed!!!

Holidays...

2009-01-20T11:38:00.008+11:00

Firstly, let me just apologize for the pics - sometimes I really hate Blogger - I'll put the pics and the comments in and then when I click on publish, it just rearranges them!

Anyway, I'm now back in Sydney after phase 2 of our holiday - Perth. But I just wanted to fill you in on Fraser Island firstly as I was very remiss last week.

We went to Fraser Island with Paul, one of McBrad's friends who lives in London and who was out here on holidays. We stayed at Kingfisher Bay Resort which is an eco-resort on the western side of the island. Lovely place, some very nice pools, great restaurants, a little pricey. We booked ourselves a self contained 2 bedroom apartment which was set up in the bushland up the hill overlooking the Great Sandy Strait and we were very impressed with it. Nice little jacuzzi on the balcony was a lovely way of concluding each day. Anyway, the highlight of Fraser Island for me was Lake MacKenzie. Fraser Island is the world's largest sand island and it's seriously big! But Lake MacKenzie is a fresh water lake in the middle of the island and is absolutely magnificent!!! The beach is the whitest sand I have ever seen...literally blindingly white! The water was delightful - cool and refreshing without being cold. I could have stayed there all day except for the fact that we had the rest of the island to explore. Because Fraser is a sand island, only 4WD vehicles are allowed and so we hired ourselves one and went driving over the very rough tracks. Hit the eastern beach and wow! Now, I've grown up on the east coast of Australia and have seen some very long beaches but it's just an incredible experience to drive for an hour and a half along a long, straight and seemingly endless beach! So cool! All along the beach, little fresh water creeks flowed into the ocean which provided lots of fun crossing. It's just such a wild, untamed place! And halfway along, there's a wreck of ship (the Moheno) which has been there for about 80 years - it's pretty awesome as it's gradually being covered with sand - there's apparently 5 levels beneath the sand already, with just two above.

And thankfully, it attracts lots of young people - young, hot backpackers which made for some very pleasant sightseeing! he he he!

Anyway, it was a lovely relaxing holiday - although only there for 6 days, it felt like a couple of weeks - we were just sooooo disconnected from life. Marvellous!

We then flew back to Sydney, were here for a day and then on the next plane to Perth! What a change!!! It was 42 degrees Celcius when we arrived and I could barely breathe. So needless to say, we spent the afternoon by the pool! We stayed with McBrad's niece and her husband (I had met them several months ago when they visited Sydney) and McBrad's older brother was there visiting as well. So I got to meet one of his immediate family which was kinda nerve wracking but he was fine, if a little difficult to understand, with his very strong, very regional Scottish accent. I never realized how lucky I am that McBrad's accent is quite mild after spending 10 years in London! Anyway, we spent a long weekend in Perth and didn't really do anything touristy - it was more about McBrad catching up with his family and that was nice. We caught the red eye back to Sydney which is a killer! For those who are wondering, the red eye left at midnight Sunday night, arrived at 6am Monday in Sydney. As we travelled east, we lost 2 hours, so it meant that very little real sleep was experienced on the plane and so we were totally smashed when we got home...we just had a shower and crashed big time! McBrad, the trouper that he is, got up at lunchtime and went to work! I had a very very very lazy afternoon! That's why I love holidays so much!

Anyway, this week is a chance to catch up on a few things that need doing around my place! I have tax to put into a man to do, my car to clean, my wardrobes to clear of excess clothes, maybe a trip or two to the beach, a little bit of sleeping in, a doctor to see about a nagging cough I have...just the usual stuff that you never seem to get time to do normally. And then, Saturday, we're driving to the Hunter Valley for a wedding. We're spending the weekend there so hopefully there'll be opportunity for some wine tasting! Yummmmmo!

Fraser pics...

2009-01-19T17:13:00.010+11:00

The endless beach, the crystal clear water - Fraser is just an incredible place!!!

My new favourite photo!

Me on the beach...

In the gloriously refreshing fresh waters of Lake MacKenzie!

A very WHITE me and a very tanned Paul (a friend of McBrad's) - you can see the torquoise colour of the water and the white sand! Magnificent place!

Fraser Island...

2009-01-13T14:09:00.003+11:00

Hello from the amazing, stunning, gloriously hot and sunny Fraser Island!!! Just a quick update to let you all know that I'm alive and kicking and we're having a sensational time. I'll post more details whence I return to Sydney but suffice to say that it's been a lovely holiday. I've got buckets of pics to process and will post a couple of them for your viewing pleasure of course. It's just sooooo relaxing here - it feels like we've been gone for weeks instead of just merely 5 days but that's the effect of the island. Lots of langorous mornings in bed, some very energetic evenings in bed (he he he) and lots of eating the food, drinking the wine, and laying like brocoli on the sandy beaches! Perfect.

Pics...

2009-01-07T18:20:00.005+11:00

Here's the latest couple of pics...we were out with my brother Mark and his boyfriend Sim on Saturday night when this pic was taken. McBrad is such a handsome man!

And here's a great pic of Noodle and her friend JJ on the beach on Sunday. Who's a good girl!!! :-)

7th January...

2009-01-07T17:50:00.003+11:00

Well, it's Wednesday afternoon and I've just got home from work. I have to say, I am totally exhausted. This week has just dragged and I can't wait for tomorrow to come and go. I had lunch with McBrad today and he agreed with me, this holiday just can't come soon enough. The past month's social activities have left us both needing some chill out time. And Fraser Island should provide that perfectly.

It's been hot and dry for the past couple of weeks which has been a perfect start to summer - so we are very much in the mood for a nice Queensland holiday, sitting in the sun, strolling on the beach, swimming in the pool, sleeping, eating and generally doing very little. Granted, the resort we are staying at is an eco-resort and there are all sorts of walks and tours that we can take to explore the natural wonders of the island, but with the way I'm feeling, I'm not sure just how much we'll see.

Anyway, I probably will be offline until I get back next Thursday. Hopefully, I'll have some good pics to upload. :-)

Pics...

2009-01-03T13:32:00.005+11:00

Here's a pic of the Gorgeous McBrad and I - this was taken down the coast at the beach house on Boxing Day. The pic is slightly blurry, but still, you can see how handsome he is! :-)

And McBrad with the newly shorn Noodle! Isn't she so cute! :-)

And us at New Year's...we're a little less than sober at this stage. :-)

The Garden Revealed...

2009-01-03T12:50:00.006+11:00

OK, here's the pics of the completed garden. It's a shame that I didn't take any pics of the pre-renovation garden, but you'll just have to use your imagination - basically, it was just all covered in 8 foot tall hedges, very dark and closed in.

And here it is, being used - having pre-dinner drinks and presents a Christmas...before sitting down to eat our Turkey dinner.

2008...

2008-12-31T18:19:00.001+11:00

It’s 3.19pm, 31 December 2008. I’m sitting here at work and I have not done anything (in a work sense) since about 9am. But I wanted to post this as my final post for the year.

I remember my lovely friend Englishman Abroad posting a comment on my last New years Eve post – in it he said, Monty, 2008 is going to be your year! And you know, it has been! I started a fabulous new job which is still great fun, and of course, I met my gorgeous boyfriend McBrad. I know that you, my long suffering readers, are no doubt sick to death about hearing of McBrad, but words can’t express how lucky I feel to have him. It has been a wonderful year overall for me, starting with my little holiday romance with Mick, followed by my Mardi Gras affair with The Tourist, after which, I met McBrad. Who’d have thought that Monty, the tart that I was, would be able to stick to just one guy for 9 whole months!!! But I have and there are no regrets.

I have had a great holiday in Thailand with my brother and friends, a lovely holiday in Port Douglas with my gorgeous McBrad, and a FANTASTIC Christmas with my man as well. Next week, we depart for Fraser Island, followed by a long weekend in Perth and than a weekend in the Hunter Valley.

I remember thinking a couple of years ago, that 1988 was my best ever year! In that year, everything was going well…it was just a sensational year! I was 17 and nothing was going to stop me. Well, 20 years on, I’m 37 and finally I’m feeling like I am LIVING my life!!! I am ME, I have no regrets, and I am deeply in love with the most wonderful man alive.

Thank you to all of you, my lovely readers, who’ve been there for me…in your comments on my blog, in your emails to me, and for a few of you, in person. I hope you all have had a great year, but I hope that 2009 brings you Love, Happiness and lots more blogging!

Talk to you all Next Year!

Monty! xxx

Christmas card...

2008-12-25T16:01:00.003+11:00

"Hi handsome, What a lovely year knowing you and having you in my life - I'm a lucky man I know...

Thank you for all your love and kindness. Looking forward to growing together more in 2009.

Love McBrad x"

What a gorgeous man. No wonder why I love him so much!

Hope you are all having as wonderful Christmas as I am.

Monty! xxx

Bling...

2008-12-25T14:29:00.003+11:00

Well, here it is, me in all my bling glory! (and a pair of Dame Edna specs).

:-)

Christmas...

2008-12-23T19:50:00.003+11:00

Christmas is upon us and I have been very neglectful of my poor blog. In my defence, it's been BUSY!

Kylie was last Tuesday and it was a fantastic concert! She did an awesome version of Slow, and the audience went off for Better The Devil You Know and I Should Be So Lucky! But you know what, the best aspect of the whole thing for me was the fact that I got to see it with my gorgeous McBrad. He actually was studying hard for an exam the following day, and in fact, was going over his notes while I drove to the concert. He was a bit stressed about going, but still came along because he knew it meant a lot to me...and it did! Just a sweetheart!

We had our work Christmas party on Friday night...it was themed Bling. I went a little OTT (bet you're suprised by that) and hope to post a pic of my outfit soon. It was lots of fun, and despite my earnest endeavours to avoid drinking too much, I did! I hadn't planned on spending the night at McBrad's because he's not keen on me turning up at some ungodly hour, pissed as a newt. But, bless his heart, after the 26th sms to him, he relented. I left the part at 12:30am so it wasn't that late, but could I find a bloody taxi? NO! So I ended up walking back to his place (Surry Hills) which actually was quite good - gave me a chance to sober up a bit. Of course, I was still fully kitted up in my bling and so got quite a few comments on the way home.

Saturday, we hosted our first "Our Party" which was pretty exciting for me. It was a mix of his and my friends so it made for an interesting bunch - I think there was about 30 of so in total. Fellow blogger Mike made an appearance, as did my lovely friends Evan (though, McDreamy was unable to come along sadly), Dan and Jacqui. A couple of ghosts of Christmases past were also there - namely my first boyfriend Dane and PC - just to keep it interesting. And from what one hears, some of the guests got on better than expected! :-) It was a great night and McBrad and I both thoroughly enjoyed it and I think everyone else did too!

This week, it's been all about last minute shopping - wee giftettes (as McBrad likes to call them) to purchase and wrap and I have to tell you, I'M OVER SHOPPING! Bring on Christmas I say!

We're here for Christmas day and so I'm cooking my first ever Turkey - it's an orphan's Christmas dinner. Thankfully, Tom, our resident culinary king has come to the rescue with some cooking instructions and stuffing recipes! so cross your fingers that it turns out ok.

Boxing Day, my brother Mark and his boyfriend Sim, fly in from London for 3 weeks. So we're all heading down to his beach house on the south coast so I am hoping for some decent sunny hot weather! It will be lovely just to relax and chill out, eat, drink, chat, read and go to the beach. I can't wait! I've got a half day tomorrow so I finish at lunchtime. McBrad is collecting me and we'll be doing all the grocery shopping for Xmas dinner and for down at the beach house so that will be one last chore to get out of the way! But then, 4 days of bliss!!!

McBrad also asked me today if I would like to go to Perth in January to meet his brother! His immediate family all live in Scotland however his niece and her husband moved to Perth a few years ago, so McBrad's brother (her father) is out for a visit. So looks like we'll be going to Perth for a long weekend. I'm just a bit chuffed that he's wanting to take me along to meet his brother - it's like a bit of formal acknowledgement to his family of me being his partner.

Well, I suspect that this may be my last post before Christmas so I just want to say that I hope you all have a great Christmas! This is my first one with my gorgeous man and I feel so very lucky to be experiencing it with him. I hope you all have your loved ones around you for Christmas too! Big hugs to you all.

Monty! xxx

Eventful...

2008-12-15T22:36:00.003+11:00

Eventful was indeed the word that most accurately describes the weekend just gone!

After celebrating an early christmas with McBrad's god-daughters (who'll be overseas for christmas) on Friday night, Saturday dawned HOT and windy. Given that our party is this Saturday coming, I only had the weekend to finish off McBrad's garden. I had thought that I had left the easiest part to last - I just had a clear up a few rocks and then plant the lawn! Well, I spent most of Saturday afternoon removing stones...many of them had been concreted in by previous owners and so it took way longer and was way harder than I expected. But, by the end of the day, I'd got rid of all the rocks - I was knackered though. But no rest for the wicked - I'd booked tickets for McBrad and I to see Priscilla for one last time. I hadn't thought I'd see it again, having only seen it a few weeks ago with Tom and Dan, however a two-for-one offer was just too good to resist! The Scotsman in me (and no, I'm not referring to McBrad you perverts, I'm talking about my Scottish heritage) just couldn't say no to a two-for-one offer! So we saw it again, excellent seats and McBrad enjoyed it more this time than he had the first time. So it was a great evening. I did sleep like the dead however! I was soooo tired.

Sunday, it was the day to finish up. And finish it I did...by 5:30pm! I have to say it's a very very satisfying feeling to look at the backyard and see it now! McBrad likes it and that's the really important thing!

McBrad also bought a new car on Thursday - Noodle was outgrowing his old car so it was time to upgrade to a larger vehicle. It was a really sweet thing of him - although this was his car and it was his cash, he wanted me to be involved in the decision making process. I had to go and look at all the various cars with him, go through all the pros and cons of the various cars, work out his finances with him and help him come to a decision. He even put me on the insurance and calls it "our car".

It's just one of those things I've kinda not noticed, but more and more, there's less doubt in my mind, less concern about our relationship. Included in all of our conversations is the assumption that we're going to be together, that we share a future and that's a really nice feeling. I just feel so secure in our relationship and the direction in which it is heading!

anyway, this week it's full on preparation for our party on Saturday night, but there's one thing we must do first...KYLIE!!! yes, that's right, after months and months of waiting, she's finally here and tomorrow night, we're going! Wahooo! I'm very excited!

Anyway, I did have a stack of other stuff to say, but I can't remember! Hopeless I know!

Wednesday...

2008-12-10T21:41:00.001+11:00

Well, it's Wednesday nigght and it's over a week since my last post! Lots to update. First major update - I'm at home on my new laptop...and before you all ask (as Scotty has already), NO it's not a Mac! But it is an early Christmas gift from my gorgeous McBrad which I am totally chuffed with! He was thinking about waiting until Christmas before giving it to me, but decided not to, due to my previously blogged home PC issues! What a sweetheart! I am the LUCKIEST man alive! :-)

Anyway, what I did want to mention was an episode last week. Last Thursday, I met up with my friend Jacqui and her sister and mum who were visiting her from the UK. We met at Opera Bar, had a couple of drinks and then, it was off to the Opera House. Why, I hear you asking. Because my gorgeous McBrad is not only the hottest man in my life, but he's also very talented. He was performing Handel's Messiah in the Concert Hall as part of the Sydney Philharmonia Choir! It was an extraordinary moment, when I took my seat, my eyes scanning the 500 member choir, looking for him. And when we locked eyes, and he smiled at me, a mix of emotions overwhelmed me! It's very difficult to describe - I was very proud of him, I was excited to see him on the stage, I couldn't help but admire how very handsome he was in his tux, and I could feel just how much I loved him. I was like a love struck teenager the whole concert - everytime he stood up to sing, I couldn't stop grinning and when he'd look at me, I had to struggle not to wave at him. It was an excellent evening!

It was a full on week for both of us - we are both very busy at work at the moment and he was either rehearsing or performing every night last week and so Sunday night after the final performance, we just wanted to have a quiet night in. Which we did. We also had our hands full over the weekend, as Noodle had a friend sleeping over. Archie, another Groodle too, but he's white, was there for four days and nights, as his owners had their daughter's wedding to attend. So it was quite a busy weekend, trying to manage two increasingly large dogs whilst trying to keep all the new gardens puppy free. . . unsuccessfully as it turns out, but no lasting damage done. Anyway, so it was a tiring weekend.

I was out at lunch today trying to get some small presents for McBrad's two god-daughters and I noticed that there were lots of kids out. I don't want to offend any parents here, but seriously, children should be banned from the city! Clogging up the streets, running all over the place, screaming and yelling - just drives me insane!!! Let them go to the Westfields or something, anywhere that I am not! Grrr... Anyway, I managed to get a couple of small gifts for each of them, so that is one less thing to worry about.

I also went to Myer and did something very sappy...I ordered a couple of baubles to hang off his Christmas tree...one with my name on and one with his on! I know I know...it's horrifically sad, but it's our first christmas together and I wanted to commemorate it somehow.

Anyway, there's about 34 more posts still in my head and I really don't want to make this a 5000 word thing. It's a challenge not being able to post at work as I often will think of something to post there. In times past, I'd just put it straight down but now, having to go home and post is much more difficult. I'm tired after work, need to cook and eat and after that, I just want to chill. So it will require more discipline on my part.

Well, that's it. I will post more soon. Promise.

Thaw...

2008-12-02T19:09:00.003+11:00

I didn't blog about this when it happened, as it was quite an emotional incident which took me a while to digest. Most of you, my dear readers, would be aware that my parents didn't take my coming out very well and so cut off communication. Well, on the day of my last birthday, back in April, my dad rang me. This took me by complete surprise! It was a somewhat stilted conversation, quite awkward in fact, but I was touched that he had rung. It was more of a "just checking you're alive and you're well" kinda conversation with the inevitable "so have you changed your mind about living 'this lifestyle'?" question at the end. Of course, I told him that nothing had changed in that respect. And so at the end of the conversation, it was a "we'll call you" type sign off. It wasn't an ideal ending but I was heartened by the fact that they had made an attempt to contact me. I still knew however, that I wasn't welcome in the "bosom" of the family.

Today, dad rang me again. But this time it felt a lot different. We had more of a fluent conversation - yes, we did deal with the weather, my health, work, housing market and fairly generic stuff. But it actually felt a bit more like a normal conversation that I used to have with him (pre-outing). And more importantly, there was no Big Question at the end. It kinda felt like they were going with the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy. Even though the pink elephant was still in the room, it was like they were coming to accept that the pink elephant was here to stay. It's not ideal, but it does feel a bit more like a thaw in our relationship which is really really great! I don't know how things will progress, but at least it seems like progress has been made...it'll be slow, but...! :-)

On a completely unrelated topic, I mentioned how I was unable to view or write my blog at work now due to new filters. Well, it's all very strange. You see, I can log on and read Tom's blog, Muzbot's blog; in fact, most of my regular reads I can still read. I just can't read mine. When I do attempt, the filter provides a reason why I have been blocked...in the case of this blog, it's because it's a "Personal Blog" and "GLBT content". So, apparently my blog is overtly gay whereas most of you, my dear readers, are NOT! How interesting! And annoying! Anyway, so my blogging is still somewhat hit and miss, even though my commenting on your blogs may still continue.

On the weekend, I made Stage 2 and Stage 3 of my garden project at McBrad's. It's very exciting...there's only Stage 4 before it's finished. Already, he's very impressed with how things are looking and I'm quite thrilled. It's been such fun to get my hands dirty and very fulfilling to see the end result. I do promise I'll post some pics when it's done!

Anyway, that's it for the moment. Hope you are all having a good week!

Catching up...

2008-11-25T21:20:00.004+11:00

Ok, it's been ages and I do sincerely apologize for my lack of posting of recent times. I do have a very valid excuse...well, a mildly valid excuse anyway. My PC is stuffed up (as I've already mentioned in a previous post) and I've been sick! Yes, I left work early on Thursday with a cold and had Friday off sick too! Thankfully, my gorgeous McBrad wasn't working on Friday and so took very good care of me. Such a wonderful man. Anyway, I digress.

The challenge is, when I'm at McBrad's, I'm far too distracted to actually focus on writing a blog post. And particularly last weekend as McBrad had a man come in on Friday and remove all the overgrown bushes in the back yard. Unfortunately, the man wasn't that good looking or even well built (I'd had visions of a hot tradie, sweating in the hot sun, needing to take of his shirt whilst digging...you get the drift), but still, he got the job done. And so, with an empty garden, I had no other option but to pop down to the local nursery and buy some plants and begin Monty's Marvellous Metamorphosis of the garden! It's only about 30% done but already it's looking a treat. Once it's all done, I'll take some pics and post 'em. It's quite exciting as we are having a Christmas party the weekend before christmas and I'll have the garden completed and looking just smashing!

Anyway, point is that I didn't have a chance to blog. And so I thought, I'll get to work on Monday and do a quick update. Problem was, no-one told me that work was upgrading our web browsers with new filters that filter out, yes, you guessed it, personal blogs!!! ARGHHHHHH!!!!! How the hell am I going to make it through the day without my fix of posts from you, my lovely blogger mates??? I have to say, the past two days at work have DRAGGED!!! So I'm sorry, but my blogging is going to be less than regular until I get my PC fixed or make some time at McBrad's for posting (as I am doing tonight).

Anyway, it's been a lovely weekend, with a party at my friend Jacqui's on Sat night and a restful day on Sunday with my hot man! It was funny, I had a couple of drinks with my old boss this arvo and he asked me about how things were going with McBrad and how long it's been. It's 8 months this coming weekend and I told him and he commented about how that was quite long. It was funny, but to me, 8 months doesn't sound long at all, but it feels like so long (in a good way, I hasten to add). It feels like a lifetime away when I was single and in my slutty summer/s and dating on Gaydar and all that stuff! It's only been a year since my UK trip but feels like a couple of years ago. It just amazes me that we've only been 8 months together...and that you, my dear readers, have still stuck with me and all my mushy updates about how hot and gorgeous and wonderful he is. Thank you! :-)

Anyway, that's about it for now. Just over 4 weeks until Christmas and there's so much still to do. Hope you are all having a good week!

Social...

2008-11-19T12:26:00.003+11:00

As mentioned by Tom in his blog, we saw Priscilla The Musical on Saturday night. It's the 3rd time for me but the first for Tom. It's had a few minor changes since I last saw it (June 2007) - some tweaking which has improved it and provided a few more laughs for the audience. It was another excellent night's entertainment from my perspective. As with Tom, I do wonder how it's going to translate to UK audiences with its very Australian jokes. I think the Poms will LOVE it, but maybe they'll need to adjust some of the jokes. Can I suggest that any residents of the UK that do read my blog do themselves a favour and go and see it - I think it starts up early 2009 in the West End.

My mate Dan and I tried to persuade Tom to come out for a drink or two on Oxford St afterward, but alas, he declined. Didn't stop us however and we ended up dancing our socks off at Palms. "We love the nightlife, we love to boogie" indeed!!!

We also had a Private Client Event on Monday night - my Bank sponsors the Australian Chamber Orchestra and so they are very accommodating. Once a year, the Private Bank invites our very best clients to a meet and greet type thing, cocktails and canapes and of course, the ACO. It's a great opportunity for the Bank's CEO and Excutive Team to meet our top clients and vice versa. This was the first one that I've been to, and it was quite interesting seeing the members of some of Australia's leading families, politicians, entertainers and well known business people all in the same room. It was actually a really fun night and it was great to experience the ACO up close and personal.

Last night, one of McBrad's friends had a small gathering at his house so it was nice to just sit and chat to them and get to know them a bit better.

So that's been about it.

Meme...

2008-11-18T14:32:00.003+11:00

Scottiejt actually stole this meme off me and adapted it rather well, so I'm stealing it back!

1) What does next year have in store for me? Well, hopefully, moving in with McBrad, a couple of nice holidays, our first real anniversary! Just more of the same fabulous times that I've experienced this year!
2) What's my love life like? Do you really need to ask? Bloody marvellous!!!
3) What do I say when life gets hard? Faaaaaaaark!
4) What do I think of when I wake up? I'm not usually capable of thinking - not a very good morning person. If I am with McBrad, I'll normally just snuggle closer! He's just so HOT!!!
5) What song will I dance to at my wedding/civil union :) ? This Is It - by Ms Dannii Minogue! It's camp as tits, utterly bubble-gum pop, and really great to dance to!
6) What do I want as a career? I'm pretty damn happy with my current job - Private Banker
7) My Favourite Saying?" God helps those who help themselves!
8) Favourite Place? Lying in McBrad's arms! Otherwise, Sydney, London, Budapest and Tuscany!
9) What Do I Think Of my Parents? I love them both and respect the fact that they stand by their principles.
10) What's my porn star name? Fluffy Williams!
11) Where would I go on a first date? I'd love to go to the Opera House and see (and hear) the Australian Chamber Orchestra perform with Teddy Tahu Rhodes! But, as I've got me a gorgeous man already (and our first date is looooong finished), it's kinda a moot point. But I would still love to take McBrad there - it's just that TTR isn't performing with the ACO anytime in the forseeable future.
12) Drug Of choice? Alcohol! My ONLY drug!
13) Describe myself? How do you describe yourself objectively? Dunno. I'm a glass half full kinda guy. I was talking to The Tourist this morning (he's in London), and he commented on the fact that all my Facebook profile updates are always happy and positive. When he mentioned that, I thought about it and realized that it's true. But how can't I be happy, my life is pretty damn good!
14) What is the thing I like doing most? Snuggling with McBrad. Entertaining with friends. Weekends away at the beach house.
15) What is my state of mind like at the moment? See 13
16) How will I die? With a smile on my face

Australia...

2008-11-13T15:51:00.002+11:00

To celebrate the upcoming spectacular spectacular movie by Baz Luhrman, Australia, I thought I'd post this little map of our fair country. It's a tourist map, so it's got all the great stuff about this wide brown land. :-) Come over and visit us...!

Update...

2008-11-12T16:33:00.003+11:00

No, I haven't fallen off the planet - I'm still here. Busy busy busy at work and otherwise, nothing really significant to report. My bloody PC is having issues at the moment too (and don't you say anything about PC V Macs Tom) which means I can't log on at home. Thankfully, have been spending most of my time at McBrad's and so he's been letting me use his.

On the good side, I'm off with our ocean-swimming, surf-lifesaving and wannabe-restauranteur Tom and another mate, Dan, to see Priscilla, Queen of the Desert - The Musical on Saturday night. I've seen it twice already but it's in its last few weeks in Australia before it moves on to London's West End in January, and so it's my last opportunity. It's such a fun evening and neither Tom nor Dan have seen it so it'll be good to see what they think.

That's about it. How boring!

Horses...

2008-11-04T15:46:00.002+11:00

Stupid animals...the lot of them! As you may guess, none of the flipping horses I picked won or even placed, so my first ever attempt at betting is destined to be my last attempt. I'm not really into spending money on something that may or may not pay off - I'd much prefer to spend it on a couple of drinks and have myself a hazy afternoon, or a t-shirt or something tangible. Anyway, I'm off soon - making dinner for my hot man and a couple of friends tonight AND THEN, snuggling! I'm soooo happy he's back! :-)

Today...

2008-11-04T14:18:00.002+11:00

A couple of things...firstly, we've got a couple of little breaks coming up which have all been sorted out in the last week or so since my gorgeous McBrad returned. Firstly, the Christmas details have been sorted out - should be a lovely long weekend down at the beach house with my brother Mark and his b/f Sim and the rest of his gang! Can't wait.

Following that, I've just booked (as in this morning), 5 nights at Kingfisher Bay Resort on Fraser Island in early January for McBrad, his friend Phil and myself. Phil's a long term friend of McBrad's who lives in London and so really wanted to get out of Sydney while he's here. I've not been to Fraser before so I am really looking forward to it! And spending 5 steamy summer nights on an island with my hot boyfriend.

Following that, we've got the Australia Day weekend sorted out - a friend of McBrad's is getting married (I blogged a couple weeks ago about receiving the joint invitation) in the Hunter Valley at Peppers Convent and so that will be excellent - nothing like lots of wine tasting and a wedding to put one (by that we mean McBrad) in the mood for romance and maybe more!!! ;-)

And of course, today is Melbourne Cup. I'm not a gambling man - in fact, until today, I've never placed a bet in my life. And so today, I rocked up to the TAB and I've now got bets on Septimus, Moatize and a trifecta with Nom du Jeu, Mad Rush and Profound Beauty. I'm also in the office sweeps for Moatize (twice) and Ice Chariot. So I reckon I've got at least half a chance of winning something. Cross your fingers!

Anyway, I'm in a marvellous mood with all these holdidays/short breaks booked with the love of my life. And I was just thinking in bed last night, that you all probably think that 7 months with McBrad is not such a long time. I've been alive for approx. 450 months and so it only represents 1.56% of my life so in that respect, it is only a very short amount of time. But, this is my longest romantic relationship and so every month we pass is very exciting for me! I'm sorry if I do bore you with my monthly reminder - but every month that goes by, things just seem to get better and better. Why I am so lucky, I don't know...but I'm loving it!!! :-)

Anniversary...

2008-11-03T16:18:00.003+11:00

There's a couple of anniversaries to mention, both of which I missed!!!

Firstly, it was my 2nd blogging anniversary on the 23rd October! Yes folks, Monty has been dishing up this frivilous floss for over 2 years now!!! Can you believe it!!! So, a big thanks to all of you who've contributed to my blog, simply by reading it and commenting as well. My life has certainly turned around in the past 2 years and even in the past 12 months since my last anniversary post...all for the better! Of course, my gorgeous McBrad is a large part of my change circumstances!

And speaking of McBrad, we achieved 7 months together last week. It actually passed us by without noticing - granted, we were somewhat in the midst of a joyful and blissful reunion and so completely forgot about everything else. I realized the next day and sent an email to him. But we already agreed not to formally celebrate any more milestones until we hit the REAL anniversary (next March) but still, thought it was worth mentioning.

We caught up with fellow blogger Tom on the weekend - we went out to dinner at Rubyos on King St, Newtown and spent a pleasant couple of hours grazing the variety of foods and drinking some rather splendid wine. I actually dusted off a bottle of '98 Cab Shiraz and it was just perfect (and Tom brought a lovely Aussie Marsanne too)!!!

That's about it. Just a quick post. Have a good week!

Smug...

2008-10-29T16:41:00.004+11:00

Yes, that's right folks, your correspondent has been walking around today smugly smiling, happy as Larry! McBrad arrived back safe and sound yesterday morning, with all limbs intact, and so was more than taken advantage of! Three weeks of abstinence has been a killer but it was all worthwhile, let me say!

And after three weeks sleeping in a cold lonely bed, it was wonderful to have my man next to me. He pulled me into him, spooning, and it was like a bolt of lightning - it just felt soooooooo good and it had been sooooo long. I love that I fit just perfectly in against him.

Monty is one chirpy chap at work today!

Temptation...

2008-10-25T22:09:00.003+11:00

It's 10pm on Saturday night. I'm lying on the couch watching a dvd when I receive an sms from Howard the Pom. HTP was an occasional FB of mine, who lived in Kirribilli, which is about 10 mins drive from my place. He'd message me in former days if he felt like a shag and if I was up for it, he'd pop over, we'd do the business and he'd be off again. He was the absolute true definition of an FB - there was no meaningful conversation, I don't even know his last name. I do know that he works for the same firm that fellow blogger Tom used to work for (Tom, however, does not know him). Anyway, it's been over a year since I last saw HTP, before my last UK holiday and obviously, since then I've moved on.

Anyway, HTP is seeking a liason tonight. I've told him I'm in a monogamous relationship with my boyfriend and in fact, I'm staying at my boyfriend's place tonight. He's countered with the suggestion of a threesome. You have to give him points for persistence. He is quite a nice guy, and does fit the bill physically for me and I've got to say, I always enjoyed our encounters. But, although fate has put temptation in my path tonight, there's just no way I'm going there.
I advised him to grab a cab into Oxford St, go to a bar and pick up a boy and take him home. He says he only wants me. Well, he's only human after all. I can't help that I'm the best shag he's ever had!

Anyway, it was just an interesting and somewhat different aspect to an otherwise fairly quiet Saturday night in the life of Monty!

Dot Points...

2008-10-25T16:13:00.002+11:00

. I passed my exam - received the confirmation on Friday! Yay! One subject down, 7 to go! UG!

. Collected the mail on Thursday night and there was an envelope addressed to: McBrad and Monty! Yes, that's right, our first ever jointly addressed mail. I was very excited. It was a wedding invitation from a couple of McBrad's friends who are getting married in January.

. There's about 6 large hedge-type bushes in the back yard at McBrad's. Before he left, we talked about removing them as they've kinda outgrown themselves, they're blocking all the nice sunshine and they also serve to make the backyard look smaller. McBrad sent me an email last week asking if I could get some quotes from some nice tradesmen types to remove them. I thought, in my enthusiasm of having done that little garden the other week, that I would try to dig them up myself. I dug one up this afternoon. I'm now ringing up tradesmen types to remove the rest. It's a killer - I've got blisters on my soft white office worker's hands and I'm exhausted!

. It's been really busy at work this week too!

. Had dinner with my mate Evan on Thursday night. We haven't had dinner for ages - between our respective schedules, work, holidays, other halves, it's been challenging to meet up! But we did and it was great to see him again. He and McDreamy are still going strong - 18 months and counting.

. McBrad is back on Tuesday at 7.10am! I've taken the day off! I'll let you imagine what you will about what I plan to do with/to him for the day! ;-)

. I like my job and my clients generally, but it's starting to irritate me when they ring up about the Government Guarantee of their deposits. The government initially provided an unlimited guarantee however is now changing that to limit the guarantee to $1M. Anything over that, they'll have to pay a fee to have the guarantee extended. I have had a couple of clients ring me and complain about how exposed they feel, with "only" $1M guaranteed and how dare the government make them pay a fee to extend the guarantee. I mean, seriously guys, be thankful you have a million dollars in the bank in the first place - the vast majority of people are lucky to have a few thousand in their accounts. In any case, there is very little chance that any of the banks in Australia are going to go belly up - the Australian financial system is quite robust and the banks are still very profitable.

. This post is a lot bigger than I initially thought it would be.

. That's it. Nothing more to say. :-)

Tuesday night...

2008-10-21T20:03:00.003+11:00

...and I'm here at home (well, McBrad's home, but it feels pretty much like home to me), Poison (Alice Cooper) is on and dinner is in the oven. Oh, and now Haddaway (is that how you spell it?) has come on. Glass of chardy is being consumed rather quickly.

Anyway, I sat my exam yesterday and think I did ok. To be honest, as long as I get a Pass, I'll be happy. It's exceedingly dull stuff. But it's good that it's all over...for this year anyway. Not going to start the next one until 2009 so I have a few months off which is bloody marvellous!

I've come to realize over the last couple of weeks just what a commitment having a pet is. Noodle consumes my time at home. Being a Groodle (which is a Golden Retriever/Poodle cross), she's got the insatiable desire to retrieve stuff and so is always dropping (very subtle this one) her favourite toy at my feet, so that I can throw it and she can run and retrieve it. It's very endearing but after a while, I just want to concentrate on what I'm doing. I've got to wake up earlier than normal so that I can take her for a run before I go to work. I've got to come home after work and feed her and walk/run/play with her. It's normally well after 7:30pm before I can get to making my dinner etc. And she has an burning curiosity about everything I do - particularly if it has anything to do with food. She is such a sweet tempered thing and is the most social puppy I know, but she is a big responsibility. It's not something I would've thought possible even 12 months ago but she's a responsibility that I have willingly taken on as a surrogate father whilst my gorgeous McBrad is away. It's one less thing he has to worry about and is one thing that I can do to support him.

Anyway, the official count down has begun - only 6 1/2 days until I see McBrad again! So it's only around 150 hrs to go!!! I've missed him so much!

Pet Shop Boys is on now. I was talking to my brother Mark yesterday and he mentioned to me that it's only 9 weeks until Christmas which blew me away! It's come around so quickly. It's also quite exciting as Mark and Sim are flying over from the UK and will be staying for 3 weeks! They fly in the morning of Boxing Day and so we'll meet at the beach house and have a slightly delayed Christmas! (McBrad and I will be here in Sydney for Christmas Day itself and will probably just have a lunch or dinner with some friends) So it will be great to catch up with them (and the rest of the boys - there'll be 8 of us down the coast) and spend some time in the sun and at the beach and eating, drinking and relaxing. It will also be good because McBrad will be able to spend a bit more time with Mark and Sim and get to know them better. After all, Mark's my only family member that McBrad is likely to get to know in the forseeable future anyway.

And now Tina Turner has come on. And on that note, I think I shall leave you. Ciao!

Conflict...

2008-10-19T19:09:00.004+11:00

I had to deal with conflict this weekend...on the one hand, I had some serious study to do, for my exam on Monday. On the other hand, it was a totally magnificent weekend in Sydney, with temps in the mid to high 20's (degrees Celcius) and perfect blue skies! It was very hard, let me say. But I did manage to get some study in and will be doing more this evening. Thankfully, my exam is at noon Monday which means that I can study some more in the morning, do my exam and then go to work. Work is very understanding in this respect.

Anyway, I went to the Noodle markets on Friday night, and met up with the very charming and thoroughly modern Colin. I had originally arranged to meet up with him straight after work on Friday and we were going to walk up to Hyde Park from there, however I realized that now I'm a step-father, I did have to go home first, feed and walk my Noodle, and then I could go to the Noodle Markets. So it was a somewhat late appearance by yours truly, and by that time, the queues for food were miles long! So, I thought 'stuff it' and just had a couple of glasses of wine instead! hic! It was a relaxing evening and after a few more drinks at one of his friend's birthday party in the Cross, I headed home via a less than salubrious fast food establishment! It always tastes soooo good at 10pm after a few drinks!

Anyway, Saturday was a more relaxed day, just Noodle and I really. I took her to a beach suggested by fellow blogger Mike. The beach is right next to the main runway at the airport so it was somewhat noisy, but Noodle loved it! She was a bit tentative at first, but once she had a small paddle in the shallows, she really got into it!

Today, I was determined to study study study however a friend messaged me with an invitation to the beach at 2:30pm and my resolved weakened seriously! It was so lovely and warm and the words were beginning to dissolve into one another and so I thought maybe a break was called for. And so a very pleasant couple of hours was spent soaking up the sun and chatting. Now, it's back to the grindstone. Noodle's been fed and walked and I'm about to get myself fed too and then, more delights of the Australian financial system, superannuation, post-retirement income streams and estate planning!

I certainly hope everyone has had a marvellous weekend!

Busy busy busy...

2008-10-17T12:31:00.002+11:00

Yes, dear friends and readers, I've been flat out this week! Work has been full on (nice for a change) and so I've been exhausted when I get home every day! Not that it's the end of it for me...I'm a step-father now (to Noodle) and so once I get home, she needs to be fed and then walked so it's around 7:30pm by the time I can start making dinner etc. But we're beginning to settle down to a routine which is good.

I also agreed to go with my friend Jacqui to the movies on Wed night - we had free tickets to see "Brideshead Revisited" - a lush, beautiful movie, but thoroughly depressing. The musical score is excellent. Don't see it if you need a pick-me-up!

McBrad and I have talked a few times, despite the awful time difference, and whilst it's lovely to hear his voice, it also makes me miss him more!!! Only 10 days until he gets back however and I'm counting down every day!!! One thing I have noticed is that his Scottish accent has become much stronger since being there...I'm back to asking him to repeat every second word he says!

I did originally plan to take McBrad down to the beach house this weekend but of course, he's not here. I did think about taking Noodle down myself and having a quiet weekend, just chilling out, reading, eating, sleeping and gardening, however realized that I have an exam on Monday, and so it's head down, bum up studying all weekend! Grrrrroooan!

I was only thinking about McBrad the other night (now that's something unusual...ha ha) and how comfortable I feel in this relationship; more importantly, how secure I feel. I know that for the first couple of months, I was paranoid that it would end, that McBrad would turn up one day and dump me...it all just seemed too perfect and easy. But now, it really feels like it's a real relationship, one that will last. I still keep pinching myself that I've snagged me such a gorgeous man of course. It was funny, the other night (Sat) when I met up with my mate Dan for a few beers, we were standing there making commentary on every guy that walked past - there were some serious shockers out there, some fairly average ones, and a few hotties. The hotties were hot, but there was NIL interest from me - I admired them, checked out their nice pecs, perky arses etc, but it felt more like artistic appreciation rather than the lustful looks that I would've had in the past, pre-McBrad. I think he's HOT HOT HOT, even though I know he doesn't have the best body on the block. But it doesn't matter to me, he soooo turns me on it's not funny. It's that absolutely fatal combination of physical lust AND emotional connection that makes what we have just magnificent!!!

Anyway, you knew I'd have to have include a McBrad commentary - I can't avoid it.

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend!!!

The week...

2008-10-12T15:19:00.006+11:00

Well, what a week it's been! Not only a massively turbulent week for the global financial system (and the global economy) but also a very turbulent week for McBrad and myself. Obviously, as I've already posted, it's been a shocking week for my gorgeous man but thankfully, he's had so much support from his friends, both here and in the UK, (and I've gotta say, it was really lovely of you all to pass on your condolences and good wishes, via my blog, Facebook and sms) and so he's managed to get through the worst of it. The funeral was yesterday and he messaged me late last night to say that he was feeling better, albeit still very sad. So it's as good as can be expected.

As for my week, well, apart from the upheaval on Tuesday/Wednesday, it's been up and down. Thursday night I had a client event to attend. The Bank is the Principal Sponsor for Opera Australia and so the Bank and the Opera co-hosted the Opening Night of OA's production of My Fair Lady, starring the mighty fine British actor Richard E Grant. I took a couple of clients along and they loved it. I had a great time too. The production was fantastic and despite his lack of musical experience, Richard E Grant did a terrific job of Professor Henry Higgins. At half-time, it was a bit of rubber necking at the assorted celebrities which was rather fun, if a little juvenile! :-) Met up with fellow blogger James as well, which was an unexpected (and pleasant) surprise - the second time in less than a week - he certainly does get around! ;-) And the after-party with the cast at the Hilton was buckets of fun (and buckets of champagne too - hic). Didn't end up leaving until 1am which is probably not the best idea on a school night. Thankfully, we were officially sanctioned to be a little late and hungover, given that we spent the night with clients. I must say, the evening was a pleasant distraction after the previous couple of days events.

I've gotta say, I'm finding it really strange to be living at McBrad's without him actually being there. Poor Noodle still walks around, looking in vain for her daddy - she's missing him too. I think the worst thing is sleeping by myself in his bed...no gorgeous guy to snugggle up to at night, no good morning cuddle, no late night pillow chats. I miss his smile, I miss his conversation, I miss doing the mundane things with him. I just miss him.

One thing that I did do yesterday, to keep myself entertained, was to build a new garden for him. We talked about it last weekend as the back gardens have been ever so slightly neglected for the past 6 months. And so I had already decided to surprise him by doing a garden makeover on the smaller of his two gardens out in the back courtyard...originally he was going to be working yesterday (Saturday) and I was going to have it all done before he got home. Obviously, he's not here at all so the timeframe was a bit more relaxed. But I surprised myself by having it all done in a few hours. It looks sensational if I do say so myself. I do hope he likes it when he gets home.

Anyway, that's about it. A reasonably quiet weekend on the homefront - I went out for a few shandies last night with my mate Dan, and had brekkie with another friend Con this morning. My friend Jacqui is coming over tonight and we're going to have dinner and I'm going to show her a Pam Ann DVD which I've been raving about. So that's it. It's gorgeous weather at the moment, clear skies, buckets of sunshine and a light breeze. Perfect Sydney weather really! Hope everyone has had a great weekend!

McSad...

2008-10-08T17:01:00.002+11:00

My gorgeous man McBrad received some dreadful news yesterday lunch - his mum (in Scotland) passed away quite suddenly. Naturally, he was devastated and when he rang me to tell me, he was sobbing which just broke my heart. I rushed up to his work to see him, but all I could do was hold him. I took him home, but thankfully, the afternoon was full of activity as we had to get him booked on the next flight home, and get him prepared for that and to deal with his stuff here in Australia for the next couple of weeks, so there wasn't time for him to dwell on the news. I'm going to stay at his place and house sit, and puppy-sit as well so it's going to be a fairly busy time for me. Anyway, I put him on his plane this afternoon and bade a very sad farewell to him.

It's just such a hard thing - I feel so helpless in the face of his grief - but I was glad at least that I was there for him. It's going to be a long, lonely couple of weeks for me whilst he's over there so expect lots of folorn type posts to come.

:-(

Long weekend...

2008-10-03T17:52:00.002+10:00

Well, it's Friday and it's a long weekend ahead...Monday being, ummm, Labour Day I think. Not sure what it is really, but frankly, who cares! It's a public holiday and that's all that matters.

It's been a lovely week - I feel even more in love with McBrad than ever. I seriously thought that the honeymoon would be over by now, but it isn't. :-) He's such a gorgeous human being, as well as being thoroughly HOT!

Anyway, this weekend, the Sleaze Ball is on (as well as a plethora of other man-friendly parties). I've always been fairly ambivalent to Sleaze, though I do confess to a certain degree of curiosity about it. It's always been a "I'll do it one day" kinda thing for me and I'm sure one of these days, I will actually attend. But until that time, I'll let everyone else enjoy it.

It was apparently 35 degrees Celcius today...fan-flaming-tastic if you ask me!!! Though unfortunately, the forecast is for it to be overcast and 25 degrees tomorrow and Sunday! Terrible! But still, we've got Monday off and I'm really looking forward to that. It's just going to be a lazy weekend with my gorgeous man and to be honest, that's all I need!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

6 Months...

2008-09-29T13:27:00.004+10:00

Today is our official 6 month milestone and so, to celebrate, I thought I'd do 6 things that I love about McBrad...prepare yourself for sappy, mushy, lovey-dovey stuff...

1. I love that despite him being quite a big, muscular guy (he's 6'2" and gyms on a daily basis), he's surprisingly gentle and tender. Of course, he's a big growly bear at other times, but that's just for fun! :-)

2. I love snuggling with him - I could do it 24/7. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, wrapped in his arms is my favourite place in the world.

3. I love his sense of humour! He's got a very dry, and very quick, wit - it took me a while to be able to sense when he was being serious and when he wasn't but I think I've got the hang of it now! When we watch dvd's like Cath & Kim, or Still Game (a Scottish comedy) and he laughs, I feel it all through him. He also has an absolute KILLER smile - photos don't do him justice!

4. I love that he has such a great relationship with his godchildren. He really takes his responsibility as godfather very seriously which is a very sweet trait.

5. I love that he has lots of good friends who he cares about. He's a very social person and includes me in his social circle - I really feel a sense of being one half of a partnership.

6. I love walking down the street, holding his hand. I feel proud to have such a HOT boyfriend and can't stop talking about him. Close friends now just roll their eyes when I start rambling on about him!

Last week, I was reading some of my older posts, from when I first started blogging (which, by the way, is almost 2 years ago) and it's been fascinating to read about me then and me now. The same Monty is there, but there's certainly differences. Anyway, McBrad loved the flowers I got him on Saturday - thank goodness, as I was up at 5:45am purchasing them from the markets - and we had a lovely weekend together. Tonight, I'm going over after work and we'll celebrate with a bottle of Moet and some dinner (and maybe some other shenanigans but I'm not going to give you any details about that).

Through the years...

2008-09-24T09:11:00.005+10:00

Stole this off Muzbot...it's fantastic! You can do it too...just click here...

Monty in 1978...

And with my 1990 Jason Donovan mullet! Eeek!

Salad days...

2008-09-22T21:08:00.003+10:00

Well, the weather has been sensational over the past few days. The weekend was spectacular, with gorgeous blue skies, light breezes and around 30 degrees Celcius. And it's at this time of year that I start getting serious cravings for salad! I have always loved salads...a love engendered as a child growing up in hot North Queensland where salad tasted much better than hot vegetables. And so, over the past week, I've been dosing up big time. Caesar salad is always a great choice, particularly with chicken. But my favourite is actually just a mix of green leaf, lots of corn, carrot, eshallots, tasty cheese (or occasionally feta), capsicum and boiled egg, with just a nice drizzle of home made dressing (my mum's recipe). I can eat a plate piled high with this kind of salad. And then some! Yummmmmmo!

Which is also quite good, going into summer, as I figure it's not so fattening. You may not think that this is such a problem for me, given my well documented battle to put on weight. Well, the battle is over I reckon, as I'm now developing a little spare tyre around my middle. It's a new thing for me, and the exercise regime that I'm following is pretty much just a weights only thing, no cardio. And so while I'm still building muscle mass, with my arms and legs and chest developing nicely, my gut has made its debut appearance! Eeek! So last week, now that the weather is warming up and the days are lengthening, I started walking home after gym. It's actually quite a pleasant time to walk home...there's still light in the sky, but the lights of the city are beginning to twinkle on the harbour. It's balmy and so I don't get too hot, even though I'm powering my way home. So hopefully, that will start making a difference to my little gut! I think I shall also have a chat to Muzbot as he seems to have been highly successful in developing a very nice flat tummy indeed!

Anyway, that's about it. This weekend, McBrad and I will celebrate 6 months together! How cool is that! Still amazes me that IT has actually happened - that which I'd been hoping for and dating what seems like hundreds of guys for - and things are settling down really well. I still find it amazing that after an ever changing diet of men for 18 months, I'm thoroughly enjoying my McBrad-only diet! I still think he's the sexiest man alive and can't keep my hands off him and just snogging him is enough to make me "shwing". He's just sooooo HOT!!! Anyway, I'm getting all hot and bothered here and it's probably not the right forum! Just believe me when I say, this is one very satisfied (smuggly so) Monty! But better still, he makes me happy, and I think I make him so as well (well, I do my best anyway). Saturday, he's working and I'm going to get up early (5:30am in fact) and go to the markets and buy up buckets of Oriental Lillies. He loves their fragrance and I'm going to put them all over his house so that when he comes home, it'll be rich with their hot heavy scent! But that's just the start of festivities. More about that to come.

Enjoy your week everyone! :-)

More Monty's Miscellaneous Musings...

2008-09-19T13:58:00.003+10:00

I knew, it's been over a week since I last posted. And it's not like I've not been doing anything, I've been doing heaps. But, I think it's getting all rather repetitive...McBrad and I going to dinner, me in love with McBrad, life going along smashingly well blah blah blah. There's only so much mush that I can take, let alone you, my dear readers.

Anyway, it was a lovely weekend last - the temperature hit around 29 degrees Celcius on Saturday, and as McBrad was working, Noodle and I had the day together...bonding. It was a lovely day, playing in the park, taking her for a drive etc. Saturday night, we (McBrad and I) went to the Brandenburg Orchestra who were performing Handel's Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks (complete with pyrotechnics). FANTASTIC evening!

It's been quite splendid weather this week, albeit slightly cooler. But today is back to 27 degrees, flawless blue skies, buckets of sunshine and tomorrow is predicted to hit 31 degrees! Very Very Exciting!

Last night, McBrad had choir practice (he's in the Sydney Philharmonia Choir) and so I met up with him after that at 9.30pm. They rehearse at the STC Wharf in the Rocks and I actually turned up about 15 mins early. So I wondered down to the end of the street to harbour's edge, directly opposite Lunar Park. It was a glorious balmy evening and the moon was a warm golden colour, very low in the sky, just above the horizon. I've never really contemplated the Harbour Bridge from that aspect (normally from the city/Circular Quay side) and I've got to say, it's even nicer - the curve of the Bradfield Highway off the bridge is very apparent and would photograph quite well. I must remember to go down there one evening with my camera. Anyway, I just stood there for about 10 minutes and it was so calming, the dull roar of the vehicles way above me on the bridge, the moon rising above the apartments, the dark water of the harbour, the ferries chugging past me...delightful.

Anyway, that's about it. I told you, nothing that spectacular. Oh, apart from the fact that I received my Kylie tickets on Tuesday!!! Wahoooo! Very excited about that!

It has been flat out at work...good flat out by the way. Unless you've been under a rock, you'll be aware of the turbulence in the financial markets recently. Here in Oz, it's not had as significant an impact as it has in the US and UK. But even so, people are skittish and nervous, which has worked very much in the favour of my employer - one of the Big 4 banks in Australia. I've had clients transferring megabucks from other institutions over to us, because we are perceived as being a solid, safe, conservative institution. So it's been quite a successful week for me, and next week promises to be the same. So, as in all situations, there's winners (us) and losers (everyone else).

Well, hope everyone has a great, sunny, warm weekend!

Monty's Miscellaneous Musings...

2008-09-11T15:08:00.003+10:00

Firstly, it seems to be International-Meander-Slowly-Down-The-Street-Day today. Walking around at lunchtime was highly irritating, with everyone seemingly intent on wandering all over the footpaths, stopping at random occasions and just generally being as slow as possible. Drove me INSANE! Can't these people move over to one side to allow those of us who actually have somewhere to go, get there in the most time efficient manner possible???

Anyway, I purchased a couple of lovely shirts and a gorgeous tie from DJ's today...part of my little bonus splurge...the bulk of it I've been sensible and saved, but I did allow me a small amount to blow on whatever I felt like (plus an allowance to blow on my gorgeous McBrad).

I've also read that it's going to be 24 degrees Celcius and sunny on the weekend - it's almost summer weather! How fabulous is that going to be! I can't wait - it's practically beach weather. It's rather exciting actually...I was just thinking that I've not enjoyed an entire spring in Sydney for several years, having been in the UK/Europe for Sept/Oct of the last couple of years...in 2006 for "Monty's Shagging Tour of Europe" and 2007 which was basically "Monty's International Bloggers Meets" (and a few shags thrown in for fun - errr, not with the bloggers...just some random British boys). Anyway, it will be lovely to enjoy the change from the bare trees to the first buds (already happening) to the full blown bright zesty green leaves. I can't wait.

My brother Mark rang me from London yesterday...he and Sim are flying out Christmas day and will arrive Boxing Day morning and so we'll be having a slightly delayed Christmas down at the beach house which will be fantastic. But what he was ringing about was NYE. He wanted to know what we were doing, if we were going to one of the big dance parties, where we'll watch the fireworks from etc. The thing is, I couldn't really tell him what I was going to do as I need to talk to McBrad first. It was the first time that I couldn't just commit to something as I would've done 6 months ago. I don't mind, let me hasten to add, it's just different now that I'm one half of a couple. I'll have to chat to McBrad and see if he has thought about it, and we'll need to come to a decision as a couple. It's kinda nice actually.

So there's the few things that have been on my mind.

Veging...

2008-09-07T15:34:00.002+10:00

Well, it's Sunday afternoon and I'm here at McBrad's place. We had a dinner party last night with a few friends - nothing new there. But one of them is a vegetarian and so this was something new for me...having to cook WITHOUT meat!!! Now for a Nth Queensland bred carnivore, it's just not an option to have a meat free diet. So it was going to be a challenge to make an entire dinner without any animals being killed and cooked. But, thankfully, McBrad used to be a vege and so still had quite a few vege cookbooks. So, a desperate scramble through their pages resulted in an Orange and Carrot Soup for starter (which McBrad cooked), a Pumpkin, Spinach and Walnut Pie with steamed brocolli and Cauliflower Cheese for mains (which I cooked). We bought a Mango and Cocunut torte for dessert. I've gotta say, despite deeply missing my meat, it was a rather pleasant dinner. All the guests seemed well sated at the end, 5 bottles of wine were consumed (this may have helped) between the 5 of us, and no-one was violently ill. So a successful evening from all accounts.

McBrad had to work today so he left me in bed at 6am (which is terrible - it's that time of morning when you really feel like snuggling with the very hot man next to you) and so I had a bit of a lie in, then got up, fed Noodle the leftovers (we weren't sure if she'd be up for a vege breakfast but she thoroughly cleaned her bowl so obviously she's not fussy), took her for a walk, did all the washing up and then grabbed some lunch and read the paper. So it's been a fairly busy day really. And thankfully, it's been sunny and quite mild today - a nice change from the downpours of the past 36 hours. Tonight, McBrad's taking me out for dinner - not sure where yet. It's been another lovely weekend really. I'm eating a slice of the Mango and Coconut torte as I type this and I've gotta say, it's better the next day! Yummmo!

I've also discovered Scrabble on Facebook, thanks to Martin at TGLATEOTD and so stayed up until 1:30am Saturday morning playing. I LOVE Scrabble! So I'm excited about that!

Otherwise, it's all good here in my life. McBrad will be home in about 30 mins time and that's something to be excited about! Hope everyone else has had good weekends!

I'm loving this at the moment...

2008-09-05T12:57:00.003+10:00

OK, this probably seems very crass but I actually listened (for the first time) to the lyrics of Danni's first really big hit "This Is It" the other day and at the risk of sounding shallow, it's exactly how it was with McBrad and I.

This is it
This time I know it's the real thing
I can't explain what I'm feeling
I'm lost for words
I'm in a daze
Stunned and amazed
By your open ways

You smiled at me
And suddenly
The wheels of love began to turn inside of me
Hey, you said hello
Oh, I felt aglow
Right then and there I knew I'd never let you go
'Cos I know...I know

Oh, the touch of you
Is something new
Nobody ever made me feel the way you do
Whoo, it's heavenly
Oh it's ecstasy
The way you make me feel when you make love to me
Oh yeah...Can't you see

This is it
This time I know it's the real thing
and I can't explain what I'm feeling
I'm lost for words
I'm in a daze
Stunned and amazed
By your open ways
This is it
Oh yeah yeah yeah

The prose aint Tolstoy, but you get the drift. I love the upbeat feel of the song - I always feel like dancing to it - and because it says how I feel about McBrad, it's rocketed up the list of faves on my iPod.

Anyway, that's about it for this week. Having a fairly quiet weekend - dinner party on Sat is about the wildest it will get. Otherwise, it's sleeping in both days, coffee and bruch with the puppy and me staring blissfully into McBrad's eyes. Y'know, the usual.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Rant...

2008-09-04T10:03:00.002+10:00

It's been a while since I've had a rant, and I know how much you enjoy me standing on my soap box, railing against some injustice (real or imagined). So here it is...

I actually read this comment on Gay Banker's blog which really annoyed me...

"Simple old truth: if you go out looking for love you'll never find it. The number of times I've seen people go out to 'find a boyfriend'... (almost) always ends in disaster. That kind of search is basically egocentric and selfish. You're out there looking because it's something *you* want to have or because you have so much love that *you* want to give to someone. It's rarely about the other person. It's all about you.Most of the time true love comes about when you accidentally find someone that you're compatible with, ie when you're not *looking*, you're just *doing* what you usually do, day in, day out and *bam* there he is. You start off travelling in parallel. The trick to longevity is figuring out how to keep travelling in parallel without losing too much of yourself."

What is it with these people who seem to have a problem with guys going out looking for a boyfriend??? Seriously, get over it! "Simple old truth: if you go out looking for love, you'll never find it." Bollocks!!! What a load of crap! Maybe you were a lucky one who was just toddling along, "not looking" and then Mr Right just turned up on your door. BUT that doesn't mean that it happens to everyone! It really cheeses me off when these kind of guys seem to act like they have some moral superiority because they were "not looking". What's wrong with looking for Mr Right? And what's with the assumption that all guys who are out there looking for Mr Right are automatically desperate? Just because a guy would like a partner in life and has got the balls to go out there and try and find him, is it a given that he's some kind of stalker-in-waiting? NO!

I know when I was looking, and when I did my rant back in January, there were comments about the fact that I shouldn't be actively looking but to just "let it happen". Well, I didn't stop looking and see what happened...McBrad! I'm very happy that I didn't let the condescending attitude of some put me off my search. There were also comments cautioning me not to come across as desperate...well, I don't think I did but there you have it, the assumption was there.

I'm reading a couple of blogs from lovely guys who are looking for a boyfriend, but when I read their posts (and the comments), you can't help but get the impression that they feel a little bit embarassed or ashamed of the fact that they're out there looking. Well guys, don't be! It takes guts to put yourself out there and openly admit that you're looking for a boyfriend. If you're lucky, you might stumble across the path of Mr Right and that's fantastic. But if you don't, good on you for going out looking. More power to you for actually getting off your arses and searching instead of just moaning about wanting a boyfriend.

I also have an issue with the idea that looking for a boyfriend is selfish. Why is it selfish to want a partner in life? Again, it's the condescension that "looking for love" is somehow inherently inferior to just "accidentally finding" it. It really annoys me! As far as I'm concerned, those guys who confess to "looking for love" are just being honest. Granted, there are guys who are genuinely not wanting a relationship, for a whole host of reasons and you have to respect that, but the ones who are ostensibly NOT looking for love but jump at it the second they find it are, from my perspective, being hypocritical when they decry others for looking for it.

OK, that's it, rant over.

Gods of Football...

2008-09-03T16:17:00.004+10:00

Seriously, go to this website and vote for the hottest man in football - either NRL or AFL. They're all hot hot hot - it's rather pleasant eye candy, let me say!

And the hottest of them all is the guy on the left - his name is David Shillington. Yummmmmo!!!

Spring part II...

2008-09-03T15:36:00.001+10:00

Forgot to mention in the previous post...

I went to David Jones yesterday at lunchtime (their Castlereagh St store). It's their Spring Flower Festival and seriously, go and have a look (if you live in Sydney). It is gorgeous! The theme this year is "A riot of colour" and it is - magnificent arrangements of orchids and oriental lillies, with parrots perched on the branches! Exotic and amazing. When the florists were given the job, they must have wet themselves with delight at the sheer scale of it, let alone the theme. Wonderful.

Spring in my step...

2008-09-02T23:13:00.002+10:00

I do have to apologise - my blogging has been somewhat hit and miss of recent weeks. I will try and be more regular going forward.

Anyway, it's just going to be more of the usual romantic mush from me, so consider yourself warned.

I spent the entire weekend at McBrad's which was splendid. There was a moment part way through the weekend when I stopped and thought...'this is as good as it gets!' But the funny thing is, I've had a few moments like that over the last few months but it just continues to get better! Everything just seems to be going fantastically well. It never fails to surprise me that McBrad continues to be his gorgeous self, continues to profess his love for me and continues to want me around! And this is completely reciprocated, trust me!!!

Now, Friday was officially 5 months for us! That in itself is great! But after celebrating 1, 2 and 3 months together, we made a mutual decision not to make a big deal of 4 and 5 months, but rather wait for 6 months. Despite that, waiting for me when I arrived at his place on Friday evening was an array of presents. It was very sweet of him and I was very touched. I had only brought a bunch of flowers for him so I purchased a really nice bottle of champers for dinner. It was a lovely dinner and a wonderful evening and it just reinforced to me how lucky I am! I am sorry to go on and on about this, but I can't stop grinning.

Anyway, suffice to say that Monty continues to be a happy chap!

On a different note, as has been mentioned in other blogs, it's Spring here in the Antipodes and we've had some glorious weather - beautiful big blue skies, buckets of sunshine and daytime temperatures in the low 20's (degrees Celcius). Just perfect. The trees are starting to sprout leaves, flowers are starting to bloom, the days are slowly getting longer and longer. It's magnificent.

AND I got my results from my recent DFP assignment - I passed so I'm happy (17.75 out of 20 - not my most splendid result but a pass is a pass and that's all I need). It was a stress to get it done (particularly after I lost half the assignment 2 days before it was due) and so passing it has been a relief! Now, next step is the exam - I have 2 months. But I think I've broken the back of it so the worst is over.

I was reading a couple of my posts I made about dating over the past couple of years and it was interesting to see where I was at back then. To see the issues I was dealing with, and how I was dealing with them - it was a good reminder about how good I have it now. I'm reading a couple of blogs that appear to be somewhat similar to mine 12 - 18 months ago and it's fascinating to read them. I've added them to my blog roll and I hope that I can be as encouraging and supportive to those guys as many of my readers were to me in those dark days of my single sluthood!

Anyway, all good in the life of Monty at the moment. Hope all is good in your world too!

Kylie's coming...

2008-08-28T16:48:00.002+10:00

14th December, here in Sydney!!! Am I excited? You betcha baby!!! Am I going? You betcha baby!!! Am I gay? Hell yeah!!! Wahoooooooo!!!!!!

Monty's Miscellaneous Musings...

2008-08-27T12:46:00.002+10:00

Lots of small stuff to say today.

Firstly, and this is quite late, I just want to say how cool it is that Matthew Mitcham won gold for Australia in the Diving at the Olympics. We were out at the Oxford Hotel on Saturday night and when we walked in, it was strange that the whole bar was watching TV. When we looked at what was on TV, we understood...it was the diving and all the guys were ogling all the diving boys. But then Matthew Mitcham came on and did his fabulous Olympic record dive and the whole place errupted in cheers and clapping. It was great to see that this guy had the courage to out himself - the only male Olympian to do so - and to win gold, with an almost perfect dive, was outstanding! Well done Matty! I'm sure we can expect that he'll have a whole float dedicated to him next Mardi Gras.

I was home Saturday morning, just doing some cleaning up around the apartment. I must say, I'm barely there anymore and so just doing the chores etc is becoming increasingly challenging, from a time perspective. Granted, I'm not there to mess the place up, but still, dust accumulates. Anyway, I washed my sheets and put a new set on the bed, but of course, I spent the weekend at McBrad's so it wasn't until Monday night, when I dragged my weary body to bed, that I remembered. It was soooo delightful to slide between lovely fresh sheets. One of life's little pleasures and even better when it's unexpected.

Despite Muzbot's warning, we saw The Strangers last night...grrrrr. I was scared half witless and poor McBrad must have my handprints inbedded in his legs from me squeezing them so tightly! I squealed like a girl at all the right moments, but was also annoyed beyond buggery by the illogical actions of the characters. I mean, you are being terrorised by 3 crazies wearing masks, who are outside your house, so what does the male character do? Why of course, leave the female behind in the house, while he goes outside to the shed to try and use the phone there! Hello! Does anyone not think it's better to stay together??? Strength in numbers and all that??? Seriously, I'm getting the living daylights scared out of me whilst I can't help but get more and more annoyed by the minute. Very frustrating. It was, however, lovely to snuggle up in McBrad's warm comforting arms as I drifted off to sleep!

Oh, and here's a lovely picture for the day...it was emailed to me by one of my trusty band of gay colleagues. Very nice indeed...

Speaking of which...check out this website - and vote for the hottest guy in football - either rugby league or AFL. There are some prime specimens there!!!

Anyway, that's about it for the moment...nothing momentous. Have a great week!

A photo...

2008-08-23T15:12:00.002+10:00

I was just looking through a few pics that friends took of our holiday in Phuket in April and this one caught my eye. I really like it. I'm not posing for it. It's just me but a very different me from my usual life. My legs aren't stick-like as they once were - they look like normal legs with flesh and muscles (albeit small muscles). They're still blindingly white but nothing (except fake tan) is going to change that. I'm relaxed, I've got a bit of a goatee happening, my little Aussiebum togs, and a really comfortable white shirt. And I'm on the yacht! It was a lovely day, spent with friends and family. Fond memories.

Melting moment...

2008-08-20T12:30:00.003+10:00

Last night, we had a client seminar which was OK. After these things, the Bank always puts on drinks and canapes so that the clients can mingle with the Bankers/Advisors and the speakers. The client that I had invited had dinner to go to so he left straight after the presentation so that left me to be free and easy with the drinks! So I had about 3 glasses of wine and a few nibbles. I really felt like slamming some serious alcohol down as I'd just completed my DFP assignment (which was a complete nightmare - damn computer lost half of it and I had to re-type it yesterday afternoon) which is due today. Anyway, it seemed like a few of my team felt similarly, and so once we were booted out of the Bank drinks, we headed down to GPO for another round of drinks. We all had a couple of glasses and then that bar closed. So we toddled off to a new little wine bar that's opened behind Ivy for another couple of glasses. I was, by this stage, rather merry and so decided that a visit to McBrad's would be in order - normally, he's not keen on a tipsy me turning up at his door late at night but for some reason, I thought that he'd be fine with it and so grabbed a taxi and hightailed it over to his. I let myself in, had a quick shower and then crept up to his room and slipped into bed next to him - not a protest in sight. It was lovely.

But, I was thinking of just dropping him a quick sms or email this morning, just to say sorry for waking him up etc, when lo and behold, he emails me! "If I am really honest, I did enjoy the snuggle last night, you were all smooth and snuggley ". Talk about making me melt, I turned all gooey when I read that. What a sweetheart!!! Is there any wonder why I love him so much!!!

Speaking of lovely moments...we had planned for me to spend last Sunday night at his (as I do pretty much every week). Normally, I've been driving over to his and driving home in the morning as you can't park in the street all day (it's a one hour limit). But my car has been broken into twice now while parked outside his place and so it's a bit of a concern. Anyway, on Sunday, he drove over to my place (a very scary thing for a gay guy...driving over the bridge to the "dark side") and collected me which was a very sweet thing to do. We went to dinner in Newtown and then drove back to his place and watched a DVD, me snuggled in his arms. It has actually been several weeks since we've done that - we've been out lots with friends, or to the cinema etc and so Sunday night was just wonderful. You know those nights where you do nothing special, but the night is just special anyway? It was one of those nights!

I've turned into a drooling idiot haven't I? Can't help it I'm afraid. Sorry. :-)

Gratuitous Eye Candy...

2008-08-15T15:00:00.005+10:00

Just some Friday eye candy - thanks to my little posse of

gay colleagues throughout the Bank who keep me updated with all the good emails with the hot guys. I have no idea who this dude is...but he's a mighty fine specimen!!! It's obviously a calendar so it any of you out there have this rather delicious dish hanging on your wall, please let me know who he is. :-)

What kind of wine are you?...

2008-08-15T09:21:00.004+10:00

For my 300th post (yes, I can barely believe it but I've clocked up 300 posts), I've decided to steal a meme off Tom, who stole it off James...

You Are Merlot (this I am not happy about. I find Merlot very blaahhhhh - it's so insipid and smooth and bland. There's no spice, no kick, no earthy robustness - it's like easy listening music. Shiraz, on the other hand...)

Smooth, confident, and popular - you're the type most likely to order wine for the whole group.You seem to breeze through life on your intuition and wit. And no one seems to mind! (OK, this is getting better)

You're comfortable in any social situation you find yourself in, and you never feel outclassed. (well, I'm a classy guy, what can I say!)

And while you live a charmed life, you never let it go to your head. (Charmed life? Well, I've got McBrad so yes, I think I'm living a pretty damned charmed life!)

You are truly down to earth and a great friend.

Deep down you are: Balanced and mature

Your partying style: Surprisingly wild... when you let loose, you really let loose (very true actually)

Your company is enjoyed best with: Some greasy pizza (disagree deeply with this one...would have greasy pizza maybe once a year! And when I'm having it, I'm not good company)

City2Surf (part II)...

2008-08-13T10:58:00.002+10:00

"Congratulations [Monty]!
In 2008 you were 51,930th over the line with a time of 155:51"

This was the message that I received from the organizers of the race! I was about 30 mins quicker than I thought, so I'm impressed. AND I beat about 20,000 people! And here's a picture of me going over the finish line...

Crest...

2008-08-12T15:16:00.003+10:00

What a cool idea...Kezza's blog led me to this website in which you create your own crest...so I did. Here's the result...it aint perfect, but there's limitations on the site as to what elements you can put in. Anyway...

City2Surf...

2008-08-11T11:48:00.003+10:00

Well, I finally allowed myself to be pursuaded to go into this year's City2Surf - a 14 km "fun" run between Hyde Park in the city to Bondi Beach. Thankfully, the Bank paid our entry fee and gave us a free singlet and provided hot food, copious amounts of alcohol and massages at the end otherwise I wouldn't have done it. As it was, I walked it...I'm not that silly to attempt to run it! Instead, it was a lovely meandering Sunday stroll - and it was quite a pleasant day I must say. For the most part, sunshine and a light breeze, some fabulous views of the city and harbour, and this group of about 8 hot boys dressed only in their Budgie Smugglers kept me entertained. Unlike Tom, who's practically a professional, we started in the "Back of the Pack" and so it wasn't until 10am (ie a full hour after the start) that we actually ran over the starting line! This was about 20 mins AFTER the winner had crossed the finish line! Anyway, I must confess to having enjoyed the day much more than I had expected.

Really Hot...

2008-08-07T12:07:00.003+10:00

We went to one of McBrad's friend's birthday party on Friday night - just a gathering of friends at a local pub. It was a lovely night, we had a few glasses of chardy and chatted and departed by about 11.30pm. Anyway, Monday afternoon, McBrad receives an email from said birthday boy thanking him for coming to the party and for bringing me along as well. And to quote: "I was hearing lots of comments along the lines of: "[McBrad's] boyfriend is really hot!".

You can imagine that I was chuffed as chips and I've not let McBrad forget about it all week! he he he! He's now regretting forwarding the email to me!

McBrad was booked up on Tuesday night - he was seeing an Sydney Dance Company production at the Carriageworks - one of his friends had booked him a ticket to see it for his 40th birthday present (which was in Feb). This was fine, normally we spend Tuesday nights together but this had been booked for more than 6 months (before I was on the scene) and it was a present for McBrad so I didn't mind at all. Anyway, Monday afternoon, he rang me and asked me if I would like to come along. Obviously I did, but didn't want to come between him and his friend as it had been a couple of months since they had last caught up. And, I didn't want to go if I was going to be sitting by myself in another part of the theatre for the show. Anyway, he rang his friend and an hour later, phoned me back and confirmed he had an extra ticket next to them! And we had a lovely night out on Tuesday! It was soooo sweet of him, going to all that effort to include me when he really didn't need to. How lucky am I to have found such a gorgeous boyfriend!

And as I said to him later that night, I may be "really hot" but I reckon I've got me the HOTTEST boyfriend around!!!

Working...

2008-08-04T15:46:00.003+10:00

Well, it's a Bank Holiday here in NSW and in a a move highly unMontylike, I decided to work! Yes, can you believe it!?! Our boss asked if anyone wanted to work today, just to man the phones and make sure everything continued ticking over. - those who volunteered would get a day in lieu.

Now I've NEVER done this before, but seeing as how I have just come back from two weeks annual leave (one of which was spent soaking up the heat in FNQ and the other at home, getting my car and tax stuff done), I thought I'd receive more benefit if I had my day off next month. It'll work out very well, because McBrad usually works Mon - Thurs and so I'll have my day in lieu on a Friday and we can have a nice long weekend down at the beach house. September down there is always lovely - it's still cool, but the weather is normally quite mild.

And to be honest, it's been dead quiet today - I've done a couple of emails and rang a client or two (and they were most impressed that I was being so diligent in working today) and not much else - caught up on all the blogs, all the news websites, shopping websites etc. Wandering around at lunch time, the streets seemed a bit quieter - I'm down near Martin Place which is the epicentre of the finance industry in Sydney - and our building is almost deserted.

At Tom's suggestion, I even went and bought myself a couple of cupcakes and had them for afternoon tea, accompanied by a cup of Lady Grey. Perfect. It's nearly 4pm and I'm about to log off and go to the gym. So it's actually worked out rather well...what could've been just a wasted day off will be converted to being a very useful and quite fun day off. How good is that!

On a different subject, thanks for all the questions that have been thrown at me (see my last post). Feel free to keep firing away if you have any more - it's been rather fun!

Questions...

2008-08-02T16:58:00.003+10:00

Ok, I've decided to something a little bit risky. Muzbot did this a while ago, and at the time, I thought he was very brave. But I think the time is right for me to do it now, so here goes.

Feel free to ask me any question you want to - I will endeavour to answer as truthfully as possible.

Now, it's over to you...

Back at work...

2008-07-31T13:00:00.002+10:00

Well, it's now Thursday and I've been back at work 4 days now. UG! It's terribly hard to get out of bed at 6.30am, particularly given how cold it's been! But I've been doing it. Good stuff this week...

McBrad and I celebrated 4 months on Tuesday and I just love him more and more and more.
We had our annual performance reviews done this week and my boss has told me how much bonus I'll be receiving! YAY! Very excited about that - in fact, I was so excited, I went out and bought McBrad a shirt!
Not sure what it was, but McBrad was particularly snuggly last night.
Life is just mighty fine at the moment

On a completely unrelated topic, my mate (and fellow blogger) Tom suggested seeing Priscilla when it returns for a 3 month season in October and I think it's a smashing idea! I've seen it twice already, but it's just sooooo good that a third time will be just as fun! So, if any fellow bloggers are interested in going, let either Tom or me know.

Oh the Shame...

2008-07-24T16:21:00.002+10:00

Be prepared to be appalled by the following.

A flurry of late night texts last night led to me tearing across the city at 10pm enroute to McBrad's. Nothing new there. But you know that kinda zone you get into when driving somewhere familiar - you can kinda switch off and the car will just drive itself. Well, I had the radio on and I was in that zone. The station I was listening to was Mix 106.5 (wait, I haven't got to the REALLY appalling bit yet) and on comes Shania Twain singing "From This Moment On". Now I'm sure Shania is a lovely lady and yes, back in the early 90's, we all flirted with the pop/country thing (I even purchased "Man, I Feel Like a Woman" on CD) but "From This Moment On" always made me want to puke...it was such a pappy shmappy smarmy made-for-Westie/Bogan-wedding song, with all these lyrics about being "right beside you" and "you and I will never be apart" and "I give my hand to you" blah blah blah. Well anyway, it comes on and I find myself listening to the lyrics absentmindedly and I'm thinking how much I can relate to them and how they are expressing exactly how I feel about McBrad and then my mind wanders to thoughts of a wedding and...what the hell! I pull myself up, shocked and appalled that I'm actually relating to THAT song and that I'm even thinking about weddings! (and yes, you can now all gasp with dismay - we've now covered the really appalling aspects) I know I know, I had it coming, listening to Mix in the first place. And it was late at night, it had been about 14 hrs since I'd last seen McBrad and I was very excited to be on my way back to his place, with the promise of cuddles and snuggles...but it's still no excuse. I'm so ashamed! I mean, I've previously confessed to downloading Jason Donovan to my iPod but even that doesn't rank anywhere nearly as appalling as this.

Speaking of which (and our friend Tom will be delighted that I'm mentioning an Apple product), I did some more downloading today from iTunes - some more PSB, Shirley Bassey (love her version of Get This Party Started) and Justin Timberlake.

My car is now all mechanically done and, with the new tyres and brakes and stuff, is just marvellous! So my little holiday has been quite productive! :-)

Life on Holidays...

2008-07-23T15:16:00.003+10:00

I've gotta tell you, I'm loving having this week off work at home! Holidays to other locations are great, don't get me wrong, but it's just fantastic to be at home, with all my stuff, but without the neccessity to get up at 6.30am each morning to go to work.

This morning, McBrad arose at the aforesaid 6.30am to go to work. He toddled off downstairs, trying ever so carefully not to make any noise and wake me (such a sweetheart - I did wake up, but I didn't mind - it's great to open one's eyes in the morning and have one's vision filled with the very hot, very naked McBrad trying to put some shorts on), and had a shower and dressed. He came back upstairs to the bedroom with a glass of orange juice for me (again, such a sweetheart) and because I did indicate that I was awake, he nuzzled my neck for about 20 seconds. YUMMMMMMMMMO! That man soooo knows how to push my buttons! And then he was off to work. I simply turned over and revisited the land of Nod! Eventually, I dragged myself out of bed at about 8.45am and went downstairs to let Noodle in. She was sooo excited to see me, she nearly wagged her tail off! Bless. I made her breakfast (dry doggie biscuits with some leftover lemon and basil chicked that I had made for last night's dinner) and left her to it whilst I had a shower. Hot Hot Hot shower...delightful. Anyway, she'd licked the bowl clean (methinks she likes my cooking) and 'cos she was so cute, I gave her a little treat - I'd bought these doggie treats from David Jones Foodhall just before we left for Port Douglas; never even realized that DJ's did pet food, but apparently they do. It's all very gourmet and the packet I purchased was called "Minty Cocomutt" - I couldn't resist! Anyway, took her for a stroll in the park, we played with the ball and she did lots of rolling about on the grass. Dropped her back at McBrad's and then I was off - took my car into the people who do brakes and new tyres and stuff for them to check my car's brakes and tyres and stuff, which they did. 3 new tyres later, all is done. I had two magnificent sausage rolls from the Grumpy Baker at Waverton for lunch, absolutely smothered in tomato sauce (ketchup for those readers not from Australia), accompanied by a short black (espresso for the aforementioned non-Australian readers) - just the perfect beverage with sausage rolls. And that's about it...I've read the Telegraph and the Financial Review and not much else. How marvellous is that!!!

I've also got to say, I have been productive - yesterday I finally sorted out all my paperwork from the past couple of years and now have everything ready to give to the tax person to do my tax return. Tomorrow, I'll put my car into the mechanic man for him to do whatever it is to make my car keep working for another year and to give it a Roadworthy certificate.

And I must also add (this is turning into a very rambly kinda post isn't it), I'm loving this weather! It's very cold (by Sydney standards) and mostly very sunny and the best thing is...I've spent the last two very cold nights with the very warm McBrad. I have to say, as most of you, my dear readers, would readily acknowledge, I've slept with one or two gentlemen in the past couple of years and McBrad is by far the warmest! He just radiates heat in bed, he's like one big, man-sized hot water bottle...albeit a furry one which is soooo much nicer! Very pleasant indeed! Just another of his many many attractive qualities! :-)

Oh, and we saw The Dark Knight last night! Wow! I do agree that Heath Ledger does steal the show somewhat - he does totally inhabit Joker's persona, I could hardly "see" Heath beneath the character. It's a very involved storyline, which requires lots of concentration, so you can't just sit back and be entertained by the effects - you do need to focus! But it's well and truly worth it and I can see why it's been so successful at the box office.

Well, that's about it for me for today. Hope everyone is having a dandy week!

McBrad Revealed...

2008-07-22T10:28:00.004+10:00

We had arranged to have last night off - one of McBrad's friends had asked him to dinner as they hadn't caught up in ages, and I thought I needed an easy night at home, eat some dinner and watch TV. 10 o'clock comes and I'm desperately missing him! I'm fidgetting, can't watch whatever TV show it was, kept changing channels in the hope of some inspiration...all to no avail. Sent McBrad a text with words to the effect of "I'm missing you muchly, would love to come over for a cuddle and snuggle". This is not a new thing - I'll often send a text like that when I'm facing a night alone in my cold lonely bed. He normally responds with good humour but a firm "Good night, sleep well". But last night, he messaged me "If you want to come over, no probs. Home in 20 mins. x". You could've knocked me over with a feather!

Faster than you could say "knock me over with a feather", pj's were flung off, jeans/t-shirt/jumper flung on and I was out the door and driving with decidedly frantic haste over to his place. He opened the door, drew me inside and gave me a long hard snog! Magnificent! I was melting in his arms and Noodle, I think, saw how good it was and started jumping up, seeking the same! Bless. It was rather late - maybe 11.30pm or so - and so we had a quick cuddle on the sofa, discussing our respective days before it was off to bed with my gorgeous, hot man.

A most unexpected, but totally delightful way to finish the day off!

AND he gave the OK for me to post his pic on the blog. So, here it is...my very handsome boyfriend McBrad...this was taken by yours truly on day 2 of our Port Douglas holiday!

And this one was taken on our last day there...

I'm back...

2008-07-21T13:12:00.008+10:00

Hey there everyone! Yes, I'm back from holidays! How quickly time flies when you're doing nothing but relaxing on the beach, by the pool, on the lawn etc. We had a marvellous time up there - the resort itself was a little less than what we had hoped - the website photos don't appear to have been updated for some time as the resort itself was a little run-down. But still, that aside, it was wonderful to get away and spend some serious time with my gorgeous man McBrad.

Highlights include...

...An unexpected upgrade of rental vehicle at the airport resulted in a silver convertible Astra! OK, so it wasn't a BMW Roadster or Porsche but still, it was a new convertible vehicle which was just the perfect method of transportation along the coast road betwix Cairns and Port Douglas. The only time the canopy was up was when it was parked!

...Wearing t-shirts and shorts the entire time...how good is it to be enjoying summer weather in the middle of winter! We had overnight temps around 20 degrees C and during the day it was about 26 - 28 degrees C. Marvellous!

...An early afternoon siesta cuddled in McBrad's arms. PERFECT BLISS!

...Our morning routine - McBrad would arise at some ungodly hour, have breakfast at the resort restaurant, come back about 9:30, snuggle with me for 30 mins before kicking me out of bed. I'd then drive him into Port Douglas, he'd go to the gym for an hour while I read the paper in a cafe with a long black.

...Fresh fish, straight off the reef, for dinner! Food was of a very good standard - just a little pricey when compared with Sydney.

...Walking down the beach holding McBrad's hand; snogging him in the surf; his infectious delight with diving into the waves; lying next to him on the beach, in the sun, with just our fingers touching.

And as threatened, he went "clothing optional" on the beach - very difficult to keep my eyes off his gorgeous arse to be honest - and on the last day there, I bit the bullet and indulged in a small skinny dip myself! It was lots of fun actually, but I was still very very shy about it!

We also got to meet some nice people at the resort - we befriended an Irishman who was there for a couple of days by himself and he really appreciated that. He sent us a nice email after he left and invited us to visit him next time we're in Ireland - not sure when that will be but it was very kind of him. We also met two gay couples who also live in Sydney and hung out with them on a couple of nights, so we exchanged details and plan to get together in the next couple of weeks for dinner somewhere. So it was a very good mix of time together and a bit of social stuff.

I have come home from the holiday even more in love with him than ever!

I took this week off as well, just to stay home and get a few mundane things done - get the car serviced and re-registered, get an annual physical from the doctor, work on my DFP assignment, a bit of a "spring" clean of my apartment. And of course, just to relax. So it will be lovely.

Northern Exposure...

2008-07-12T12:03:00.002+10:00

Well, we're off for a week - Port Douglas is calling to give us a bit of "northern exposure" (and trust me, the use of "exposure" is deliberate - McBrad's threatening to make me go "au naturel" on a beach somewhere up there...eek!).

Will try and post whilst up there however have no idea if I'll get a chance...will be quite busy relaxing on the beach, sipping cocktails, lolling by the pool, swimming in the tepid waters of the Coral Sea et al. So, hope everyone has a great week ahead...will be back next Saturday! Ciao!

Monty! x

Catching up...

2008-07-09T10:01:00.005+10:00

I realised that I haven't posted anything for nearly a week! Eek! So this is going to be a bit of a mish mash of items.

Firstly, met up with the personable and very chatty ThoroughlyModernColin on Friday afternoon for coffee. A lawyer with the gift of the gab...now there's a suprise! :-) We had a lovely chat - it was great to meet with a fellow Queenslander and the fact that he's as witty and amusing in person as he is on his blog was a relief! Methinks there will have to be further coffees (or actually drinks) to get more stories out of him!

Friday night was our End-of-Financial-Year party at work. It was a Mexican theme and so I cajoled John, the Risk Executive, to go along with me as two gay Zorros! Hilarious fun and I've got to say, everyone else (with the rare exception) was highly uninspired...there were lots of ponchos and sombreros...how original. Anyway, John and I were beaten in the "Best Dressed" comp by a psychopathic cactus. How very dare they! Despite this, we managed to have ourselves a dandy old time, downing sangria like it was lemonade.

Saturday, toddled over to McBrad's and we had some retail therapy and then a nice quiet dinner at Rubyos, followed by a DVD and snuggle at his place. Perfect. Sunday was much the same so it was a lovely quiet weekend.

I was highly annoyed however, on Monday morning when I got to my car (to drive home)...some little bastard had smashed my window and stolen my CD's (about 30 of them) and a handful of loose change that I had in the car! Bloody nuisance! Hope they choke on the cheap drugs they buy with the proceeds! It's sooooo typical Surry Hills to smash a window to get into the car. At least, here on the North Shore, the criminals are much more skilled - they actually break into the car via the lock. So, replacing the window has cost me $265! Outrageous!

Only two more working days before I'm on holidays so I'm very excited! Mark, my brother, flies in from London tomorrow afternoon so we'll catch up tomorrow night! Can't wait to introduce him to McBrad! And then, on Sunday, off we fly to warm, sunny, tropical Far North Queensland! Particularly now that the weather has turned brass monkey on us, I am really looking forward to wearing shorts and t-shirts and laying on the beach in the sun! Lurvely!!!!

So that's about it...nothing really exciting to report. Well, nothing exciting for me anyway, though apparently something akin to the Coming of the Messiah happens tomorrow - yes that's right folks, iPhone is unleashed on the Australian market and no doubt, there will be salivating crazies lining up around the block at the Apple shop across the street from work.

State of Origin...

2008-07-03T12:28:00.003+10:00

What a great night it was last night! Not only did the Mighty Queensland Maroons whip NSW's arses to kingdom come, but we won the series for the THIRD year running! It was great too, because we watched it from the Private Suite, and we had two former Origin greats (Billy Moore and Greg Florimo) entertain us in the suite. Billy even signed my Qld cap for me which was pretty cool. And I ran into one of the biggest Queensland Origin legends, Shane Webke, in the corridor and he very obligingly agreed to a photo with me - very exciting for me!

So a great night all round. Tonight, I'm having dinner and a sleep over with my gorgeous McBrad and then tomorrow night, it's our End-of-Financial-Year party - a Mexican themed shindig! It promises to be very rowdy and very drunken! Wahooooo!

3 Month Anniversary...

2008-06-30T16:33:00.004+10:00

Well, we've made it officially to 3 months folks. That's right, Monty is continuing to outperform even my mild expectations and all things considered, going strong! BUT, I hasten to add, you are not going to be regaled at the end of every month with an anniversary post. Yes, we've had 1 Month, 2 Month and now 3 Month posts, but that will be it...until 6 months, and then the big one, 1 Year - the actual first real anniversary! That is, of course, assuming we make it that far...I'm desperately trying not to count my chickens before they hatch with this relationship! BUT, so far, so good...so very very good!

McBrad and I celebrated in a fairly low key way (well, as low key as a bottle Veuve Cliquot will allow), which was lovely. He even relented to a nice long sleep in on Sunday morning - delightful. Can't wait until Port Douglas where I'm going to insist on long mornings spent in bed!

So, my dear readers, that's about it. I'm more in love with my gorgeous McBrad than ever, I continue to find him more attractive and sexy by the day (and man, he is HOT HOT HOT) and relish each and every opportunity to spend time with him.

Happy happy happy happy happy Monty indeed! :-)

Gratuitous Eye Candy...

2008-06-27T20:42:00.006+10:00

Apparently his name is Rusty Joiner...whatever. One of the girls at work emailed me his pics...and in my humble opinion, he's HOT! Not as hot, of course, as McBrad, but still, quite pleasant on the eyes...

I'm loving this at the moment...

2008-06-26T12:34:00.004+10:00

Woke up at 6.30am this morning - thanks to my alarm - but really did not want to get out of the lovely warm bed with the deliciously warm McBrad. So we snoozed for another 20 mins or so and then I thought 'I have to get out of bed or I'll be late for work'. So I sat up in bed, tucked the doona ('duvet' for the Kiwis/Poms reading this) around McBrad and tried to motivate myself to actually leave the bed. McBrad rolled over, opened his arms toward me, and I couldn't resist. I slid back beneath the covers and snuggled in his arms for another 10 mins. BLISSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!
A couple of my formerly-retired bloggers have just started blogging again! Yay! Mike has new adventures to report with his new little puppy Munson, and the author of the most hilarious blog post I have ever read, Tequilla Mockingbird, has also resurrected his blog! Wahooooo!
The weather at the moment is spectacular - gorgeous duck-egg blue skies, buckets of sunshine, the air so crisp and clear, a lovely 19 - 20 degrees (Celcius) during the day.
Cake...well, cupcakes to be specific. There's a little cupcake shop just underneath Ivy on George St which makes the BEST cupcakes. We've been popping down and putting a dozen on the corporate card and having them for morning tea at work. YUMMMMO!

Weekend...

2008-06-24T14:28:00.003+10:00

Well, despite the cause of Global Warming being significantly set back thanks to the hot air released late last week at the opening of the Apple Store here in Sydney, the weather has actually cooled down nicely. Bright sunny days, cool and crisp at night - as one of my English clients said, a perfect English summer!

And it was lovley over the weekend too. McBrad and I went out for a quiet dinner on Friday night at "Strangers With Candy" and it was very good. (and yes, that IS the name of a restaurant, believe it or not) We walked home afterward, popped a DVD on and snuggled on the couch. And I promptly fell asleep in his arms. How blissful is that!!!

Saturday night, we had arranged for a bunch of friends to go out for dinner - I had 4 of mine, he had 4 of his so it was a meeting of the friends to a degree as well. Great food, good company...and we ended up at Palms dancing the night away! Haven't been to Palms (or indeed out on Oxford St) for about 2 months so it was great to get out and have a boogie! But I do have to say, it's very different going out dancing when you're single to when you're in a relationship. My mate Dan, with whom I spent many a night at Palms dancing up a storm, asked me if I had seen George, a guy who he has the hots for, there that night. And you know what, I hardly even registered any other guys faces...I was there with my extremely HOT boyfriend and my friends and so didn't look at any other guys. Whereas, normally, I'd have checked out every single guy there!!! Ahhhh, aint love grand!

And can you believe, we hit the 3 month anniversary (though, technically speaking, it can't be called an "anniversary" because the word itself necessitates a yearly calculation) this coming Sunday! How crazy is that! It feels like it's been 3 years in some ways, and 3 weeks in others! The one thing I know is that I'm in love with the most gorgeous guy on the planet, notwithstanding the fact that all you married guys out there think that your guy owns that title.

And I know, you're all thinking, 'Oh god, we're back to more sappy happy pap about McBrad' BUT I think I did quite well last week in posting several articles that didn't include him at all!!! :-)

What a hullaballoo...

2008-06-20T10:57:00.002+10:00

(Blog title thanks to Darth Gateau) I'm sorry, but I can't help but be amused at how defensive Apple people get when they detect even the slightest negativity about their enthusiasm for all things Mac! Poor Tom is copping a hiding at the moment and he's valiantly trying to defend himself but alas, methinks my predominantly PC-using readers are not so understanding! LOL

I walked past the computer shop this morning and lo and behold, you can now just walk in without queuing for 30 hours! What a suprise! The quote of the day for me came from a newpaper editorial online which said "The new Apple Store in Sydney is full of hot air — and it isn't coming from the sun."

Apple...

2008-06-19T17:04:00.003+10:00

OK OK OK, I know that I will get HOWLS of protest and condemnation at this, but I just don't understand the crazies that have queued since lunchtime YESTERDAY to be the first people to get into the new Apple store that opened about 10 minutes ago. I mean, there is nothing in the store that they can't buy elsewhere. These people have queued for 30 odd hours, overnight, in the middle of winter, to get a free T-Shirt. Some even flew in from California to attend. I mean, seriously people, get a life!

My friend, and fellow esteemed blogger Tom, joined the queue this afternoon and I went down a couple of times to say hello and keep him company. Now Tom is an Apple fan - I've worked that out quite easily from his blog - AND our Tom has a bit of time on his hands, given that he's on a sabattical, for want of a better expression. And in his words, "I've got the time, so why not!". And I can kinda understand that. I still think I'd be able to find more fun things to do than sit in a queue for a couple of hours but hey, each to their own.

Me? I'll pop into the store in a couple of weeks time when the frenzy has died down. If I feel like it. If I have nothing better to do. It's a shop for goodness sake, it's not that exciting.

PS Just saw Channel 9 news and for the eagle eyed among us, you would have noticed our Tom's 8 foot tall self made an appearance...twice!!! :-)

iPod Meme...

2008-06-14T18:37:00.002+10:00

Nicked this off Muzbot...

Simple rules: Open iTunes, turn on shuffle, press forward for each question and use the song title as the answer.

What does next year have in store for me? "I Can't Decide" Scissor Sisters
What’s my love life like? "The 80's" Robbie Williams
What do I say when life gets hard? "Stiff Upper Lip" (from Crazy For You)
What do I think of on waking up? "Since When" Robbie Nevil
What song will I dance to at my wedding? "The Lonely Goatherd" (from Sound of Music)
What do I want as a career? "Heart of Stone" Cher
My favorite saying? "Feeling Good" Michael Buble
Favorite place? "Forest Hymn" Deep Forest
What do I think of my parents? "Sweetest Goodbye" Maroon 5
What’s my porn star name? "Koocachoo" Kylie Minogue
Where would I go on a first date? "I Need a Lover Tonight" Ken Doh
Drug of choice? "Like a Prayer" Madonna
Describe myself. "Fallen" Lauren Wood
What is the thing I like doing most? "Let's Go All the Way" Sly Fox
What is my state of mind like at the moment? "All I Know of Love" Barbra Streisand/Josh Groban
How will I die? "Hooked on Radiation" Atomizer (Pet Shop Boys Orange Alert Mix)

Interesting...

Port Douglas bound...

2008-06-14T16:57:00.003+10:00

Well, it's all now locked in. McBrad just booked the flights and I've booked the resort! I'm very excited - our first holiday together! AND now that it's freezing cold outside at the moment, the thought of a week in the tropics just sounds perrrrrfect! We leave 13 July and return 19 July - so it's just a quick 7 days/6 nights trip. And only 4 weeks away!!! We may do a rainforest trip or maybe a reef cruise, or we might just lay on the beach sipping cocktails for the whole time! Don't really care - it'll be warm, sunny and I'll be there with my very GORGEOUS man...all the other details we can work out later on!

Hope everyone is having a dandy weekend! :-)

Metamorphosis...

2008-06-13T15:19:00.003+10:00

I was playing my favourite band Pet Shop Boys' album Bilingual the other night in my car on the way to McBrad's place and I heard the following words in "Metamorphosis" and they resonated with me big time!!!

Dreaming is easy life is tough I got the picture
The most important thing is not to end up bitter
'cause when you start to feel increasingly forlorner
woomph! love comes right around the corner
It may not last but here am I
once a caterpillar now a butterfly
It can seem strange but when you reminisce
It's all about change It's a metamorphosis

Obviously, my life over the past couple of years (since coming out) has certainly been about change, a metamorphosis if you will. But the thing that really clicked with me was the first bit - particularly given the events of 2008. Early January, I was ranting quite a bit - I was just a touch "bitter" and getting "increasingly forlorner" about my single status. But yes, "woomph! Love came, right around the corner" for me in the form of my gorgeous McBrad. Dunno what it is, but PSB once again, provide the soundtrack to my life.

In other topics, Wednesday night was just a marvellous night! I was sick with a cold, but it was State of Origin game II (Rugby League) and nothing was going to stop me from enjoying it. McBrad isn't the biggest fan of sport and the thought of sitting in a pub, watching two teams that he doesn't have any allegiance to, play a game that he has no interest in, really didn't float his boat. But, (and this is why I love him so much) knowing how much it meant to me, he came along. And saw a different side to me - the butch, footy watching, yelling-at-the-TV Monty! (yes, seriously) It was a SENSATIONAL win for Queensland - 30 to NIL - and so I was one extremely happy chap! I'm actually going to the decider here in Sydney in 3 weeks time - will be watching in the lap of luxury from our Private Suite - and now cannot wait!!!

But what really made my night was the fact that McBrad was willing to put himself out for me like that. He's just a gorgeous man, and I still can't believe how lucky I am!