so this is what the excitement is all about...

well i have to say that i am impressed already even though there are still a few finishing touches to be made. what a bonus it will be for the river precinct and some golden opportunities for the astute in business no doubt.

     i had the opportunity to get a sneak peek at adelaide oval last friday before the big game. i parked at the market and made it my fitness regime by walking to the oval via the new footbridge. the stadium from a distance looks impressive but when you get a close up view it is pretty awesome. by the time i had got there they had unveiled the statue of the great barrie robran. i just made my way inside and went for a wander. and yes trust me (hee,hee) to sneak into the out of bounds western stand but a gal has to do what a gal has to do. my mission was to get a clearer idea of where would be the best entry point and where we would sit ( thanks to helpful adelaide oval staff and some bystanders) so the northern end was going to be it.

     i got up close while the press conference was going on and managed a few snaps of the rival coaches with my fancier camera. saw johnny butcher looking rather hip in his threads. my first thought was he better pay that much attention to his goal kicking as he does to his wardrobe...

lol! i was expecting to see the POWER players come out onto the oval for their training run but no it was the crows first and so i left and wandered back into the city to spend some me time and to do a little shopping. no shoes...really? yes really, believe it or not but i did have a look in my fave store and earmarked a pair and then bought some new items to add to my wardrobe. and now one more sleep. i am trying not to think about it but the universe knows how significant the date of march 29th is for me. they say that it comes in threes so i am counting on a showdown win to seal that deal.

have a pleasant day viewers and enjoy the glorious sunshine.

love FFFandF XXX

let round two roll on...

how did we go with our footy tipping viewers? well moi did rather respectably with seven from nine and closest to the winning margin so guess what??? i win the first round and the prize...a 6 pack, lol. yes viewers this year i am gonna try really hard with my footy tipping. i am in two comps. one with port adelaide and the other which has developed into a lucrative comp, my brother in laws work one which i have my eye on. lovie (which incidentally is my mum) has won this prestigious competition and has come close again on two occassions. me, well one year i started off well and then completely bombed out so gave up the chase...shame on me or as we croats say srum te bilo, same thing, hee,hee.

    any surprises folks? well i have to say didn't see the GWS one, well not yet. indeed it is only a matter of time with all those draft picks that this team can perhaps develop into a formidable side but i wasn't thinking round one for goodness sakes. damn you giants as far as tipping goes but you know what? they might just pull it off this week as well. and collingwood, hee,hee, dare i add those little chuckles or will i be punshed this week for my cheekiness? i hope not. first quarter i thought mm but then after half time pretty much the freo dominance kicked in. all that space, freo attacking as well as defending they certainly sunk the boot in to claim top spot after round one and the pies? well did you check out this weeks ladder? you are going to have to go all the way to the bottom...OUCH! and mr. buckley well i love those phone slams. i don't know about you folks but my sixth sense tells me that perhaps the pies are on the demise but gotta hand it to their young ruckman he is a genuine talent. the suns i picked them and expect that they will improve this season. the crows, well what can i say about them? good three quarters. have to admit a good game to watch but over run and leaves some of us wondering about fitness again...just a thought.

     so now to round two and the biggest showdown in a long, long time. i am putting in a request that we repeat the very first showdown and claim victory. so much on the line and such significance march 29th. did you know viewers that it is the wedding anniversary of wills and kate? it also happens to be a special anniversary for me but all i will say is that a little dose of justice was served fair and square. i recall this date fondly. celebrating with one best gal pal from lincoln, hanging out with some lovely ladies and the infamous disney at his abode. we were wearing plastic tiaras and drinking french champagne while we watched the royal wedding..so there you have it, that little story.

     so back to this week and round two. i have to say i am fortunate enough to be employed in a workplace that has an abundance of port supporters. i take my port power lunch box to school with pride. but do you know what viewers? i was sitting in staff meeting next to a colleague who happened to have a crows lunch box, can you believe that? she also had the audacity to look at mine and say, so you barrack for that team? how very dare she but my response was... yes indeed...take that you pesky crows supporter.

     my plan viewers is this, seeing that i barely read the paper anyway i will still ban myself from reading any articles. i need to get a plan organised for the lady army plus one. unfortunately this time we were unable to purchase any guest tickets but am proud to say two members of the lady army have now made it official and have become paying members. the army may be slightly diminished in size but we will not be in passion, voices or pride...i am not going to say much more about the game with the exception that i am just taking the tack of focusing on being in the present and not getting too far ahead of myself with predicting what will happen. i expect it shall be a tough contest but home ground advantange and a return of support for a club that is on track to going places will make a difference.
     this week my guest tipster is none other than son number two. he is WA born and a passionate freo and port supporter which i can cope with. he has tipped the same as me and we both agreed on putting it out here for a few which could go either way. perhaps it is too early in the season to do that but here it goes...BLUES, ESSENDON, GWS, PORT OF COURSE, SYDNEY, FREO, CATS, WEST COAST AND ROOS.
     and so viewers the only preparation i intend to do for the big showdown is to check out open training this friday so i can get a sneak peak at the new adelaide oval and take note of logistics so we get there comfortably, get in early, over and out.
love FFFandF XXX

to fox or not to foxtel?...that is the question

greeting viewers. just wondering how many of you have foxtel for footy season? moi does not but has access to some places of residence where i can invite myself over and make myself at home. i have been debating about whether to fox or not and recently i received something in the mail which may seal the deal. 

     OMG this is sooooo funny that i reckon i just might subscribe so that i have my own personal vest. but the question is do i really need it? and what were they thinking when they came up with this idea? seriously what if viewers are not responsible enough? what if someone falls asleep and another person in the household increases the intensity to out of control limits (coz they are being a sooky la la) because their team is losing. and what on earth am i talking about you may wonder???
     well if you haven't got yours in the mail then i will tell you...it is the "ALERT SHIRT," yep you heard right, the alert shirt. the marvels of modern technology, the tentacles of marketing. personally i found it hilarious. personally i have to say it definitely had my curiosity peaked...revolutionary wearable technology...who would have thought? while they are at it i wonder if they have designed one for sumo wresting or bob sledging? how about ice-skating or synchronised swimming? why not one for brazillian waxing? hee,hee can't help myself viewers i just find this idea completely hysterical and it has driven my imagination into devious mode...ah ha ha ha ha.
     after closer scrutiny of the brochure i see they have advised it is not for everyone and to see who is eligible go to the foxtel safety link. ( well thank goodness for that!) well if you are intrigued to what exactly this alert shirt is supposed to do well then i will reveal all...for starters there are only 2100 available so first come, first serve. i was considering the foxtel deal but this has certainly captured my imagination. (imagine one falling into the wrong hands?) so if you happen to acquire one and download the app you too viewers can experience in real time ( only for live games) the feeling of exhaustion, pressure, impact, frustration and adrenalin...there you have it in a nutshell so are you game enough to wear it? 
      as far as i am concerned viewers i can see this definitely leading elsewhere. yep my idea is a friggin winner. how about the birthing vest? so that one may experience the intensity of childbirth... personally i think it should be mandatory for all partners and maybe as a precautionary measure...hee,hee. and from there it could go on and on, the possibilities are endless. but i will leave there viewers. (don't want anyone pinching my ideas!!!) time to jump online to see if any are still left!!!
Love FFFandF XXX. 

from the couch...post game wrap

well viewers the big day arrived. i spent most of the day keeping myself busy...basketball duties, slow cooked sticky asian lamb  (compliments of a facebook share...allelujah for social media!!!) which incidentally was a huge win in the culinary stakes. had my nieces and sister come over before bounce down (they only stayed for the first quarter). sister was complaining i was too loud...true, my voice could shatter glass and it is a well known fact that i don't have to try too hard with my naturally loud volume...see i was born with it for a reason... to communicate my footy passion!!!

     first quarter the blues came out of the blocks and i could hear with my extra sensory perception rumblings far and wide...OMG slow start, such a problem, a weakness that they haven't yet fixed...blah,blah,blah. but actually folks i wasn't too fazed, yes they got off to a good start but in the back of my mind i knew they would not be able to sustain that for four quarters. son number two was in his guersney, scarf and hat. and yes he was beginning to show the signs of a meltdown and i had to remind him to relax. sister and nieces left and we were staring at a first quarter deficit of twenty two points. have to say that ollie wines was amazing, such strength and determination for one still in his teen years. polec showed us why he was such a good pick up. i watched him in the trial game against the crows and was impressed with his kicking accuracy, left footer, yes thanks.

     second quarter i changed into my customary tracky dacks and slipped on the pink uggies coz they are my official from the couch threads. just like some players like to wear their lucky jocks or secretly dance to kylie minogue before they get their boots on there is no accounting for superstition or the rituals that go hand in hand with it. feeling more comfortable and quite at ease i shouted at the screen while son number two was feeling rather concerned about our neighbours next door. (well yes they are new) have to admit  i miss my old one coz dave was a fellow power supporter. sometimes he and i would chat over the back fence and analyse the game and give each other our 20 cents worth. wherever you are dave, keep on cheering.

     and then our saviour arrived to put us back in the game. wolfman as i have affectionately dubbed him. what a valuable, skilfull player he has developed into. arms that no longer resemble toothpicks wolfman has truly come into his own. he possesses such versatility and is bloody awesome as far as i am concerned. incidentally he happens to be son number two's favourite player and i think i am gonna have to say that now he is mine. since wilbur wilson and roger james i have not really claimed a new favourite but i reckon wolfman you have sealed the deal. strong, courageous, versatile.

     the third quarter began to be the one where i was on the verge of showing signs of stress but not for the reasons you may think. yes we had a power surge and yes the blues came back and yes son number two finally cracked and spat the dummy. the fact that he is ten years old probably gives him a get out of jail footy card but seriously folks it is not much fun when he begins losing the plot. yes i am loud, yes i am passionate and yes i get frustrated with the umpiring at times and perhaps he had reason. did you see the free kick count? sorry but some were just down right pathetic. i had to threaten to send him to his room after some unsavoury language spewed forth from his mouth when another free that he argued was not there tipped him over the edge. 

     then came the fourth quarter. OK OK we were within touch. i then promised to pay my boys 20 bucks each if we won...happy to part with my cash viewers because that quarter was phenomenal. it makes me wonder what will happen when everyone is in sync and firing coz to be honest we had a few that seemed to be missing in action at times. broadbent on, great move. i had been wondering where he was and when ken was going to give the word. checking the game thread on FB with my fellow PA community there certainly seemed to be a consensus regarding broady and we were right. locked into turbo gear we ran out the game  and even though this will be raised countless times...dare i say it again? slow start. i loved what ken hinkley had to say about his running team...you better be prepared to run for four quarters...hell yeah, thankyou burgo and thankyou guys for making the weekend doubly pleasant as far as footy goes. i sent my request out to the footy gods and they answered. let the showdown begin!!!

LET THE GAMES BEGIN...and THE PASSION SPILL FORTH!!!

hello viewers it is moi....FFFandF among other things. come tell me who isn't excited about tonight? who isn't hoping that the pies get their wings clipped and come crashing down to the ground with a thud? who doesn't just love to stick it to the pies?...hee,hee...LOL.

 OMG it is back FINALLY...footy is here and i for one will be enjoying it in the comfort of my own home from my infamous position, none other than.... from the couch. however, let me go back one step. i hope to be enjoying this game coz sitting right next to me will be my emotional supporter, bless him, 50% FREO and 50% PORT, honestly that is the best i could do folks. i failed with my first born (sigh) even though i dressed him in a PORT beanie and bib, trapped him in his jolly jumper in front of the TV while i watched the game in comfort, played the POWER club song to him while he slept but alas...number one son couldn't care two hoots about the footy, a big BOO HOO to that, it just breaks my heart. 

     well number two came along and i thought why bother but he seemed to be a different story. he took to his mamas supporting with enthusiam. his first complete sentence was GO POWER!!! hee,hee...(well maybe a slight exaggeration) but he has definitely got footy fever like his mamma. but and there is a but which may disappoint some of you PORT purists, he does also barrack for FREO. how can this be so you may wonder? well he was born in WA and his dad supports FREO. it is just a dad thing for him which i am happy to support considering he is no longer part of our family.

     so FREO i am expecting, well no make that demanding that you win. if you don't i am gonna have to console one young fan who will be spitting the dummy and turning on the tears. personally i would much rather have a pleasant start to the weekend. so FOOTY GODS i am putting in a request for a FREO win so that my house may be peaceful and harmonious, add PORT too and we will be doubly happy.

     indeed viewers it is back to footy season and footy writing. i for one continue to be excited by the prospect of our club. a young, talented side who are at the beginning of building the new PORT dynasty...OMG am i allowed to say that? i don't care, i just will because what excited me about last season was the feeling that things were going to change and that a transformation was indeed taking place. have faith fellow supporters and add a dose of reality to that too while i am at it. i am definitely passionate but i am also a realist. this is a team in the making folks. last season was a huge leap forward. this season the weight of expectation will be heavy but only will become a burden if the team and supporters let it. and who isn't excited about adelaide oval ?OMG i will leave that one for round two...

     so here is to the 2014 season!!! may your team do well but finish below mine, hee,hee. i will watch with interest to see how FREO have pulled up from their lack lustre (OUCH) grandfinal appearance but hope for a win to bring a smile to number two's face and of course to my WA mates. i will also be interested to see what kind of shape the pies are in, apparently it is a young side but i cannot attest to that...so i better start doing some homework.

love FFFFXXX

PS i am also re-launching the weekly guest tipster...so if you are keen, drop me a line in the comments section and i will get back to you. for round one i will kick off with FREO by 29, SWANS, SUNS, PORT, CATS, ROOS, HAWTHORN, SAINTS and WEST COAST.