Lifting the load, and raising the game

The Rugby League started for me again today. Arriving with Sonja to pick up our pre-ordered tickets, we spotted the ever-lovely Jack and the usually-lovely John getting their tickets too. It was good to see Jack seems to have survived the Bird Flu from last week with enough energy to make it to the game.

We like both those guys, don't we my precious.

Eriksson Stadium had a goodly 10,000 Faithful Fans (lets face it, i can't tell the difference between 8K and 16K in the stadium - it always looks like a big crowd to me but then I'm quite short sighted) cheering their 2006 (mighty) Vodafone Warriors to a 16-22 defeat at the hands of the Melbourne Storm.

We hate those Melbourne Stormers, my precious.

As a rule of thumb, we here at thejamjar.com hate all Australian Rugby League teams - except for maybe the Tigers (go Benji Marshall), and maybe, somedays: if you're lucky - we can kinda like the Brisbane Broncos (Karmichael Hunt, you little legend / coddled brat) but that's about as far as we're prepared to bend in that direction.

Best line of the day - amongst so many great lines - from a guy bellowing behind me as the kicker (who cares who he was) for the Storm was teeing up his conversion "YOU SUCK, YOU'VE ALWAYS SUCKED, YOU'VE MISSED ALL BUT ONE, AND THE ONE YOU GOT: IT WASN'T EVEN YOU"

All and all it was a good day though - sunny and warm and sitting in the West Stand for a change - which has some very obvious perks as Wairangi jogged back and forth warming up to go on the field.

A moment's silence in respect for Koopu's thighs please: thank you, my precious.

Then, of course, our favourites out on the field in their 2006 strip (jury is still out regarding the high-gloss shorts): the aforementioned Wairangi "I look soooo good in a ribbed jumper" Koopu, and the scrumptious Brent "go spidey" Webb, Clinton "who cut your hair" Toopi and of course Awen "my name's not steve" Guttenbiel.

We love them all, yes we do my precious.

Speaking of precious things, I have decided I need Reece Witherspoon's eyes - to be noted: as a transplant, not just to have in a jar like a crazy person. But as a replacement for my far-too-small eyes in the sockets in my skull, okay?

That didn't sound demented at.all. my precious.

So yes: that brings us to Walk the Line. Long movie - running over 2 hours I'm not sure it needed to really, wasn't exactly deep, you know? or particularly passionate - and considering their attraction, I am thinking there was quite a bit of passion goin' on. Phoenix and Witherspoon didn't have much of a connection on screen so Cash's outbursts when he couldn't get Carter's attention / affection seemed disjointed and over the top. Ahh well, it will do well on the Sunday 8:30pm tv movie slot - but it was most attractive in many ways and the music was fabulous.

We're hillbillies from way back, my precious.

I was thinking about how Reese Witherspoon portrayed June Carter in the film, or more to the point, how June Carter's character was written for the film - she was written as almost perfect, strong, very good n' godly, patient, dependable, loyal - and I'm sure she was all those things but she was such a characterisation of those things she didn't seem real at all. The screenplay was based, in part, on Johnny Cash's autobiography. Seeing as he adored that girl from day dot, I spose he saw her through those love coloured glasses and that's how it came across in the movie.

Not that the movie was exactly complicated, precious.

I wonder if that's the way we see those we adore all our lives (i haven't adored anyone my whole life yet). I certainly know we can categorise those we are no longer in love with as one of the most detailed lists of faults, flaws and failings ever likely to be compiled - but it wasn't always like that. Remember the beginning? Wasn't there a time when we thought them leaving the toothpaste cap open to ooze it's contents onto the laminate vanity top was cute? or the way we could see what our beloved had for lunch hours before by the left-opened cupboards and drawers was charming? Or they way he has to hum / whistle every piece of incidental music during any given movie or show whether he knows it or not was so adorable?

Yeh, when does the cuteness fade and end up as items on a detailed list?

No list for you, I will always love you my precious.