|
My ex-boyfriend and one of my best friends, Patrick McAuliffe. His home page is here. He has a PhD in materials engineering from the University of Queensland, and currently works as product development engineer at ResMed, a medical technology firm specialising in respirators. Being a technohead, he's into cars, but also loves 'extreme' sports such as skiing, whitewater rafting, rollerblading, blowing things up, eating superhot chilli, etc. (Note: never eat a chilli cooked by someone who uses the words "scoville units".) |
|
Moving onto my family, my parents (see the pic left), brother, sister-in-law, and nieces all live in Melbourne. My mother Maria, who is Italian, and my father Jan, who's Polish, met in Sheffield in the UK, and got married there in 1966. They had me in 1967, and my brother Bruno in 1969. Mum was one of eight children, so I have a lot of aunts, uncles and cousins, mostly in Italy, but some in the UK. Dad's retired now, but was a fitter and turner. Mum's a keen gardener and great cook, loves watching sport on TV, and is slaving away writing various novels. Dad loves a good book, classic war films, the odd sf film or TV show, a good bit of smut, and his car. They both love nature documentaries, international-level soccer, and their grandkids. The photo, by the way, is of Mum and Dad in the rainforest near Maleny, in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, Queensland - click on it to see how big the tree is! |
|
This is my brother, Bruno, and his first daughter, Emma, when she was about a year old. No, he doesn't smile, at least not in my photos! Bruno works as a sub-contracted graphic artist/industrial designer for Ford, the car company (not the HHGG reporter). He's also a mad Carlton Football Club fan, an indoor cricketer (which is why he's had a knee replacement), owner of two rottweilers, and a pretty good artist. He also loves sf, though mostly just the warlike stuff, and lets not forget the beer. And he has an evil sense of humour. |
|
This is Debbie, my brother's fiancee and defacto of many years, and mother of Emma and Elizabeth. Having lived with my brother for many years, Debbie has a great deal of tolerance and patience, and an even more evil sense of humour.. |
|
This is Emma, with her sister Elizabeth, just before Christmas 1999. Emma is now four, and is amazingly gorgeous, photogenic, and smart - a precocious bundle. Of course she wants her own way in everything and suffers from sibling rivalry now there's someone else to rival her in her parents' affections. She loves fruit, trees, snails, riding around on her trike, playing 'bat and ball' (she's a born hockey player, methinks), cars, Pingu, Popeye, Winnie the Pooh, the Teletubbies, Bananas in Pyjamas, the Wiggles, and dancing to the Jungle Book soundtrack. Emma has more energy than the rest of the family put together, so playing with her is hard work - but worth it. I have the honour of having suggested her name, as well as her sister's - both after Jane Austen heroines, though Bruno groaned when he found out! |
|
Elizabeth was born in November 1999, and is more fragile in build than Emma. She wants to do everything her older sister does, but of course is too little for it! She's now a fair bit bigger than her bunny (which has its own little teddy in its hand - awww.) |
For more photos of my family, go to the Gallery. Photos of some of my friends are also in my Gallery.