Out and About - November 2008

Above: My friend Michael Douglas’ “Obamarama Drama Party” – November 4, 2008.

For more images and commentary on Barack Obama’s historic White House win, see the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Thoughts on Tomorrow’s Presidential Election
• “Change Has Come to America”
• A Night of Celebration
• A Message of Heartfelt Gratitude
• The Challenge for Progressive with an Obama Presidency
• A Young Person’s Perspective on the Election of Barack Obama



Above and below: On Saturday, November 15, 2008, hundreds of thousands of people around the nation and the world protested, in the words of Jim Burroway, “the unprecedented stripping of rights from gays and lesbians with the passage of California’s Proposition 8, as well as the passage of anti-marriage amendments in Arizona and Florida.”

For more images and commentary, see the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Catholics Join in Nationwide Protests of Prop 8
• Keith Olbermann on Proposition 8
• The Real Sodomites: The Proponents of Proposition 8
• Unrest in California Over Passing of Proposition 8
• Reflections on the Passage of Proposition 8
• Fr. Geoff Farrow on Proposition 8




Above: Bowling with my friends (from left) Joey, Kathleen, and Tom – November 22, 2008.

For young Joey’s thoughts on the election of Barack Obama, click here.

For photos and commentary on the road trip to St. Louis that Kathleen, Joey, and I took in August, click here.



Above: Friends (from left) Roman, Coleen, Dawn, and Clarence at a fundraising event for Friends for a NonViolent World – Friday, November 21, 2008.



Above: Celebrating Thanksgiving with my friends (from left) Kathleen, Ken, Carol, Paul, Cass, Carrie, and Sue Ann – Thursday, November 27, 2008.



Above: With my friend Susan – Wednesday, November 26, 2008.



Above: Since I knew I wouldn’t be in the U.S. for Christmas, I decided to put my Christmas Tree up early this year. And what a colorful little tree it is!



Above: Australia bound (and somewhere over the South Pacific) on QANTAS Flight 74 - Sunday, November 30, 2008.

I left the U.S. on Friday, November 28 and arrived in Sydney, Australia on Sunday, November 30 - not long after the above photo was taken. Due to crossing the International Date Line I never saw November 29! I’ll be in Australia visiting family and friends for the next two months.

Despite being 13 hours long, the flight wasn’t as arduous as I thought it would be. I slept for about eight hours, and later watched a great little French film called The Grocer’s Son.



Above and below: My first few days in Australia were spent at my younger brother’s property outside of Port Macquarie, New South Wales (an hour’s flight north of Sydney), with him, his wife, and their two daughters.

As you can see it's an absolutely beautiful spot - one made all the more special by the constant (and unique) sound of Australian birdsong, something of which I was happily very conscious.





Above: My brother Tim and my niece Layne. Tim is sporting a moustache as part of an international campaign to raise money for prostate cancer research.



Above: My niece Sami – November 30, 2008.



Above: For much of my time in Australia I’ll be staying with my parents at their beachside condo in Port Macquarie. How lucky am I?


See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
Back in the USA (from my last trip to Australia!)
Out and About - April 2007
Out and About - May 2007
Out and About - June 2007
Out and About - July 2007
Out and About - August 2007
Out and About - September 2007
Out and About - October 2007
Out and About - November 2007
Out and About - December 2007
Out and About - January 2008
Out and About - February 2008
Out and About - March 2008
Out and About: April 2008
Out and About - May 2008
Out and About - June 2008
Out and About - July 2008
Out and About - August 2008
Out and About - September 2008