Mardi Gras Weekend

OK, where do I start? At the airport ticket disaster? Here's what happened.

The Friday of the Mardi Gras weekend Ange picked me up from work and we went straight to the airport. We had our costumes in our hand luggage...the group organisers had reminded us over and over again not to forget our costumes, and to make sure we took them on as hand luggage so that they didn't get lost on the way to Sydney. We'd been over all our costume parts again and again and were sure we had everything we needed.

About half an hour before the plane was boarding, Ange suddenly turned to me and said "Babe, you did remember to put in the Mardi Gras After-Party Tickets didn't you?" OH MY GOD! I didn't! They were still sitting on my desk at home. Panic set in. We didn't have time to get back home to get them before the plane was due to leave. The real estate agency which had my spare keys was closed for the weekend. I tried to call the ticket agency to see whether they could reissue them in Sydney if I presented the same credit card I paid for them with (together they cost over $250) but I couldn't get through. I was beside myself. I couldn't believe it.

Then Ange had a brainwave. I had recently found out that my landlord lived in the block next door to me, and I thought he might still have a set of keys for the apartment. I rang directory assistance and asked if they had a listing at that address in his name. THEY DID! I rang and got his answering machine and hung up without leaving a message - "He's not home" I said to Ange in despair. "Try again", she said, "and this time leave a message". I called back and started relaying my problem into the answering machine. Paul then picked up the phone - he WAS home, and better still, he had a set of keys! We then rang Mark, Ange's flatmate, who was flying down to Sydney the next morning. He was out on his bike, quite near my apartment and went straight over, got the keys from Paul, got the tickets, and all was resolved moments before we boarded the plane! Thank goodness for a set of coincidences that all fell into place! The flight to Sydney was much more relaxed after that was sorted out!

We got to Sydney and met up with Ange's friend David and his partner. They were on their way to a party in a high rise apartment near Kings Cross and invited us to come along. It was an interesting evening! The apartment had a doorman and an amazing view! The party was all gay boys and Ange and I were the only females there. The barman made us some drinks and we chatted to a few of the guys. There were bankers turned novelists, journalists, film makers, all sorts of interesting people. We spent a lot of time talking to these two really fascinating guys from Latin America and Russia, who had both immigrated to Australia. They had amazing stories to tell about their histories and the projects that they were now working on. One was a film maker and was making a very interesting movie about family secrets and adoption. Anyway, we asked them if they were together, and they said yes, for about five years, and then noted that one of them had been also with this other guy across the room for eight years. We were a bit confused but assumed they meant before their relationship, although it was kind of a weird thing to say. Later in the conversation it became clearer, when they were talking about how they wanted to adopt a child, and although it was hard enough for two gay guys to adopt, it was even harder for three gay guys to adopt. OK, now we got it, they were a threesome! Can't say I've ever met one of those before, but it obviously worked for them, as the three of them have been together for five years now. Sometimes I feel like I have lived such a sheltered life!