Trip to the U.S.

G'day Boys,

I just got to spend a fortnight in the U.S., predominantly in Florida at a conference. I was fortunate enough to be able to spend most of the time right on the beach. The conference hotel was in Clearwater, and backed onto the Gulf of Mexico. Each evening we had some amazing sunsets, and this shot captures one of them.

On the weekend I was free from the constraints of work, I ventured down Route 75 to visit my sister and her family, who live on Sanibel Island. It took about 3 hours to get there, but I managed to do it without getting lost too much. It was great to catch up with everyone, and although the heat of the day was more or less unbearable. Tania and Mark are doing well, and Mark is winning lots of awards for his TV commercial work. He even got one in the Superbowl last year. His web site Trademark Films shows a lot of his work.


We also took a drive up to Captiva Island, where I couldn't resist the urge to behave like the great white whale, and get my kit off for a swim. Well, actually, in an effort not to shock the retirees that live there, I did display a modicum of decency by keeping my pants on. I could here the shock of some of the old folks saying "Oh My God, Look at Whitey and the glare coming off his body. Heaven save us." whilst other's quietly murmured "Should we call the coast guard to shift the beached whale?" I was able to ignore this and float around with Mark and the kids.

I also spent a day up in St Louis, where I was hoping to try to come close to matching Detto by getting a flight in an F-18 Super Hornet simulator. Not quite the real thing, but fun anyway. But it didn't happen, so I can say I saw one, but that's about on the par of watching an SS Commodore pass you at the lights. I'm still not in the Detto league yet!

Cheers, Whiz.