G'day,

I know it's been about 4 weeks since the last update, but if a day is a long time in politics then the last 4 weeks have been a lifetime.

I had to fly back to Australia for a funeral on the 6th of March. I spent about a week in Alice Springs catching up with friends, which would have been great except for the circumstances. Enough said.

Blowing the froth of a couple is something that I enjoy and have become quite good at. Aussie beer is a country mile ahead of American domestic beer I have had to endure for last several years. Steery packed of his "trouble & strife" Jenny off to the fart sack before bringing out the famous Queensland cane juice (Bundaburg rum). It sort of knocked me for six for a while, luckily I didn't turn into a sipper and struggled on for queen and country before finishing the night off after getting my second wind. Steery, you prick! I owe you big time.

I thought it would be safe hooking up with Pricey, but that was nearly as fatal as a "quite" evening with Steery. I stayed away from the cane juice after learning my lesson about mixing my drinks the hard way....... yet again. We decided to stick to the "Dirty Mutha's" Another huge night was had by all. I felt like six different shades of shit for a couple of days, but it's a bit like riding a scooter or a fat ugly chick, don't let your mates catch you. I think I hid my hang overs fairly convincingly, but jeez I was doing it hard.

I left The Alice more or less in one piece, my kidneys and liver might not agree, and headed for Brisbane on the east coast for a week. I stayed with two of my best mates, Fluxy and Skidders, and not having a beer or three with them is like trying to having quiet intercourse with a chicken. Impossible. Crown Lagers were the tipple of choice and they were going down like kamikaze pilots. Skidders sister Andy was in town so we spent a fair bit of time on walkabout.

We managed to get a great feed of mud crabs, go to a top of the table rugby clash, watch some cricket, watch a movie or two, catch up with my sister, go surfing with Philthy, dine on maggot bags washed down with ice coffee among other things.

I got back to Boise last Monday and only had enough time for 4 days work and a little clothes washing before jumping on the big tin crow. One of my American mates Kent Walton, better known as KW and myself were headed to Las Vegas. The pictures on the Photos page are form that trip which we got back from yesterday.

Vegas has certainly changed since I was last there in February last year. Since then they have opened The New York New York, The Manadalay Bay, The Paris, The Bellagio, The Monte Carlo and The Venetian resorts and casinos. We gambled a little, walked around "The Strip" and "Downtown" for a while, stayed up late and slept in. We managed to catch the comedian Carrot Top on Tuesday and laughed our heads off. We also saw the new Julia Roberts movie "Erin Brokovich". Do yourself a favor and see it, the movie is well worth it.

After 3 days, both KW and myself were all "Vegas'd" out to say the least. We both commented that Vegas has gotten a lot more expensive, to the point of being ridiculous, especially over the last eighteen months. Vegas is still a night town with everything happening when the neon tubes open their "eyes" for another session of attracting human moths. You still have a the sights, sounds and happenings of "THE" place, but it's going to cost you more. We still love the town though.

I've bored you enough for this month!

Hope to hear from you soon.

Stay Happy ;-)

Fitzy