OUT OF NEVADA, BACK IN OZ

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Tuesday November 30, 2004 · 5:48 PM PST

2004/11/30 · 17:48

Well, it is now nearly a month after the election although for some reason it seems like an eternity. Somehow in a few minutes, I went from thinking we won the election plus a nice Senate seat in Kentucky to thinking Oh My God, this is a complete disaster, and then the ship tipped upsidedown and all the lights went out!!! Then in the mist somebody started singing, There's Got to Be a Morning After. But the Morning After never came!!!

The surreal nature of the situation was only complicated by my return trip to Australia which was broken in Africa to visit some of Foundation's Projects in Zimbabwe and Malawi. In Zimbabwe Mugabe was still President as he has been for the last 10,000 years and probably always will be, and I participated in my first and only Aardvark rescue and relocation. Geez the claws on those babies.

In Malawi, where our new project's opening was usurped by the weather. A small rain-swept tornado lifted the tent where all the Ministers and Permanent Secretaries, dancing children, the marching band, dignataries, guests, villagers, plus assorted dogs, chickens, goats and other livestock plus myself had gathered and in "Dorothy-like Kansas fashion" deposited us all in a jumble some yards away. I landed hard on the guest speaker and someone from the band landed on me with the only trombone in country trying hard to violate my inner sanctum and a goat on my head with its hoof in my ear.

But aside from the surreal festivities, I finally made it back to Australia in one piece minus the goat and the trombone.

Despite the tragic election losses of the US and Australia, I must confess I had a great time in Nevada. I loved all the cammeraderie with one focused goal. I loved being part of the group who helped break open the Nevada voter fraud story and everything that came out of that. I enjoyed the long hours and all the nervous tension, and endless surprises and challenges every day. While you get all this in an Overseas Aid Agency, it is not quite so frenetic as the campaign.

It was a total disempowering feeling to lose like we did especially ontop of the major loss in the Australian elections as well. But we live on to fight another day.

So my thanks to everyone in Nevada and all the great Kossacks for all the spirit, fun and hope. I am starting to get engaged in the post-election issues, so will hopefully be a bit more vocal now that I have come out of shock and back at home.

Tous pour un et un pour tous!

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