Reflections With A Twist Of Lime

Heavyweight NRL Clubs Hope To Match The Souths' Membership Numbers in '12

2012-02-05T19:34:00.000-08:00

Original Link Below:

Battle of the Heavyweights is ON!
04 Feb 2012

Sixteen NRL clubs are battling it out in the 2012 Membership Premiership. The club in each group that signs the most members by February 24th wins $10,000!
_____________________

If I know our faithful, tried and true Rabbitohs fans, we'll win the comp hands down, and by a landslide to boot! Watch out other clubs, you're in RABBITOHS COUNTRY HERE!

Up the Rabbitohs in '12 & FOREVER!

Reynolds Shines; Souths Fall to Wolves at RTR '12

2012-01-28T06:29:00.000-08:00

Original Article From www.rabbitohs.com.au

The Return to Redfern 2012 match was a quality hit out for a young Rabbitohs outfit against one of the world’s best Rugby League teams, with the Warrington Wolves narrowly winning 34 points 28 at the Australian Technology Park Performance Centre at Redfern Oval tonight (Saturday).

A sell out crowd of 5,000 Members and supporters saw the brave Rabbitohs fight back from a 24-nil deficit after 30 minutes to level the scores at 28-all with about 13 minutes left on the clock.
Two tries to centre Shaune Corrigan was not enough for the Rabbitohs to get over the top of one of the leading English Super League Clubs, who were lead by strong performances from front-rower Garreth Carvell, five-eighth Lee Briers, back rower Ben Westwood and new recruit Trent Waterhouse.

The Wolves got away to a cracking start, finding holes in behind the ruck in the Rabbitohs’ defence. A second minute try to Rhys Evans, eighth minute try to Simon Grix, 14^th minute try to Rhys Williams, and 29^th minute try to Ryan Atkins gave the Wolves a 24-nil lead, all of which were fairly soft tries. The Rabbitohs were on the back foot for most of the opening 30 minutes, with the only chance of scoring coming off the back of an Adam Reynolds 40/20 touch finder which lead to prop forward Josh Starling being held up adjacent to the posts. A charge from Scott Geddes towards the line left Warrington captain Adrian Morley seeing stars, but the Wolves definitely had the upper hand in the first half.

Corrigan scored his first four-pointer in the 31^st minute when quick hands from Reynolds opened up the opportunity for Corrigan to fight his way over for the try. Reynolds converted to take the scores to 24-6. Six minutes later, replacement hooker Brendan McKinnon sighted the smallest gap in the Wolves’ defence, burrowing over for the Rabbitohs’ second try. Reynolds converted again to reduce the deficit to 12 at the half time break. The Rabbitohs continued to build their momentum after the major break, with Reynolds kicking another booming 40/20 touch finder to put the Rabbitohs in an attacking position. From the ensuing set of six the ball went left and found five-eighth Ryan Carr who dummied and broke the line to score. Six minutes later and the Rabbitohs struck again, this time through back rower Nathan Peats. The shift from his initial stint at hooker in the first quarter out to the back row proved fruitful for Peats, who showed enormous power in his legs and upper body to fight off and drag over the line four Warrington defenders to score the Rabbitohs’ fourth try. Reynolds converted to reduce the deficit to two points, 24-22 with about 30 minutes left on the clock.

McKinnon nearly crossed for his second try four minutes later only to be held up, but the sides would go into the three-quarter time break evenly poised with an exciting final 20 minutes on its way. International centre Chris Bridge entered the game and struck immediately, scoring in the 61^st minute to establish a six-point buffer for the visitors. The Rabbitohs struck back straight away when Corrigan leapt high for one of Carr’s cross field bombs, coming down with the ball to score his second. Reynolds nailed a pressure shot at goal to level the scores at 28-all.

Both sides then dished out some heavy defence with Garreth Carvell of the Wolves and Dave Tyrrell of the Rabbitohs trading shoulders on a number of occasions. It was Carvell that would make the difference in the end, charging towards the line and popping a brilliant short ball to Gareth O’Brien who raced 45 metres to score under the posts. Richie Myler converted to take the lead to six with seven minutes to play. The Rabbitohs were able to fight their way into Warrington territory but were unable to breach their line one more time, with the Rabbitohs going down 34-28 after 80 minutes.

The Rabbitohs forwards fought hard all evening against a star-studded Warrington pack. Early on the Rabbitohs were overwhelmed by the Wolves, but they pulled themselves together and battled their way back into the game. Jason Clark, Nathan Peats, George Burgess, Dave Tyrrell, Josh Starling and veteran front rower Scott Geddes were the Rabbitohs best forwards, with Adam Reynolds remaining calm under pressure to help guide the Rabbitohs around the park in good field position. His strong kicking performance was one of the highlights of the night for Rabbitohs fans. Chris McQueen had the Rabbitohs’ faithful on their feet on a few occasions, and Corrigan’s two tries were well deserved.

Warrington raced out to a handy lead and were able to get offloads away throughout the match, but all-in-all it was an impressive performance from both teams, giving both sets of fans an enjoyable night out in Redfern.
The Rabbitohs will play the New Zealand Warriors in two weeks time at BCU International Stadium in Coffs Harbour.
Warrington Wolves 34 (Rhys Evans, Simon Grix, Rhys Williams, Ryan Atkins, Chris Bridge, Gareth O’Brien tries; Lee Briers 4, Richie Myler goals)
defeated South Sydney Rabbitohs 28 (Shaune Corrigan 2, Brendan McKinnon, Ryan Carr, Nathan Peats tries; Adam Reynolds 4 goals)

Les Mis Movie Musical Will Be Highly Anticpated in January 2013 Release

2012-01-23T12:39:00.000-08:00

This is a website article I found on Broadway.com and thought I'd share it with everyone.

Broadway.com Article Original Link

...and here's my nickel's worth (Inflation, yo!)

Russell Crowe, a prior Les Mis poster, and Hugh Jackman

I did not know anything at all about Les Miserables before it was announced that Russell Crowe would be involved in the movie musical, which has apparently been in the works for some 25+ years now. I plan on reading anything I can to catch up on the story and plot, (just as I did after watching Master & Commander -- I've started the process of reading all 21 books in the series.) I might possibly see anything that's out there on DVD/BluRay, shy of seeing the musical itself to get a feel for the production. I think my oldest sister Barbara will even see this one! I'm excited for the whole planet to hear Russell's fantastic voice; not many know he's a quite a talented and accomplished musician, and that has toured with his own band Russell Crowe and The Ordinary Fear of God (formerly Thirty Odd Foot of Grunts) since their inception. Hiis newest release, "The Crowe/Doyle Songbook, Vol. III," was released at summer's end, 2011. (You can find it on iTunes, as well as a number of other sites. A hard copy was discussed earlier this month for release, but unknown when/if that will come to fruition. I hope it does, so I can add it to my collection.)

Russell's Inspector Javert will be hot on the trail of the talented Hugh Jackman's Jean Valjean. I was surprised that Sacha Baron Cohen (known widely as title character in BORAT) was getting involved as well. This movie is going to be a blockbuster, and I'm counting down it's release with all the press trimmings being served. Hope you're as excited about it as I am!

RZA with TMWTIF's producers Quentin Tarantino and Eli Roth

In the meantime, we can look forward to the release of The Man With The Iron Fists by year's end (IMDB Film's Website). Russell was kind enough to appear in his mate RZA's first forray into simultaneously directing as well as starring in it, too. RZA (of Wu-Tang Clan) has always had a passion for martial arts, and anything he touches is usually pretty interesting, to say the least. He previously appeared with Russell in American Gangster and The Next Three Days, and did a superb job on both, if I do say so myself. Russell said he had a fun time working on the project. I'm expecting TMWTIF to be a really fun movie, too.

Virtuosity: A Movie I Missed Back In 1995 But Fell In Love With!

2011-11-07T19:38:00.000-08:00

The character of SID 6.7 in the movie "Virtuosity" is described as sadistic, intelligent, and dangerous.

To say the least! SID comes from the Law Enforcement Technology Advancement Center (LETAC), originally conceived as a virtual reality (VR) character, created for training the future officers of the LAPD in a plethora of VR scenarios. To design the ultimate criminal and a worthy opponent to the police officers of the future, Daryl Lindemeyer, a brilliant yet amoral programmer, cherry-picked over 200 of the most devious criminals, terrorists, outlaws, and murderers from all over the world and from different historical eras. With the help of genetic algorithms, all of these baddies were merged into SID's personality.

In SID's head, or character module to be exact, are bits and pieces of Attila the Hun, Al Capone, John Wayne Gacy, Adolf Hitler, Charles Manson, Josef Mengele, Benito Mussolini, Rasputin, Erzsebet Bathory, Ted Bundy, Ivan the Terrible, Jesse James, Baby Face Nelson, Lucky Luciano, Donald Harvey, to mention just a few. There are some fictional baddies which appear in the movie also, like the fictional political criminal Matthew Grimes.

Check out this video!

Once faced with the grim prospect of being shut down due to a malfunction of the software in the program, a matter of life and death for him (no pun intended), SID 6.7 does what every self-sufficient, highly-evolved, and fast-thinking android would do: he concocts a devious plan with the assistance of Lindemeyer which will free him from the VR world. Apparently Clyde Reilly, another young scientist in a different department of LETAC, has devised a way of "growing" a character module into a nano-tech android via a very sophisticated process. Reilly also has a soft spot for another VR character, the sexy virtual babe Sheila 3.2, whom he would just love to meet in the flesh. Lindemeyer easily persuades Reilly to test this nanotechnology and create Sheila, but deliberately gives him SID's character module. Reilly, unaware of deceit, drops the character module into a thick pale blue gel substance which initiates the incubation process.

After quite a few hours, SID 6.7 is born as a nano-tech synthetic organism, brilliantly played by Russell Crowe early in his career. SID 6.7 begins his rampage on the citizenry of Los Angeles, with recently released ex-cop turned con Parker Barnes (Denzel Washington), the only guy qualified to catch SID. Barnes sets out to find SID, and SID proceeds to continually taunt Barnes during the chase. SID delivers some pretty clever yet sinister lines, which reveal his penchant for classical music, among other things. Oddly enough, this unexpected touch of sophistication makes SID much scarier than your basic rough-and-ready slasher.

"SID" should stand for sexy, irresistible, and dashing, in my opinion. He is just so darned delicious! You might end up purchasing this movie just for the fun it brings!

Things for true Crowe fans to look for in the movie: the reference to his heritage during the bartender scene, the music playing on the radio in the van. When you're done watching the movie, watch this VIDEO, and see if anything in it looks familiar. (For the record, I didn't have a chance to see it then because I was very busy attending the police academy and didn't have much free time.) Cheers, Mates & Enjoy!

Souths Coach Searching For New Sandow

2011-10-31T04:00:00.000-07:00

Original Link Here

Joe Barton for the Sydney Morning- Herald

October 31, 2011 - 5:29PM

AAP


SSFC Rabbitohs Coach Michael McGuire

South Sydney officially welcomed coach Michael Maguire into the fold on Monday, with the rookie NRL coach handed the onerous task of removing the Bunnies 'underachievers' tag.

With internationals Sam Burgess, Roy Asotasi, Dave Taylor and Issac Luke on their books, Souths certainly have the forward pack. Add Greg Inglis, Nathan Merritt, John Sutton and new signing Matt King to the team and you've got a backline that can score plenty of points. In Maguire, the Rabbitohs believe they've found a coach that can bring them success. But one giant question mark remains over South Sydney's chances for a successful 2012 - just how do they replace the mercurial talents of halfback Chris Sandow?

Parramatta-bound Sandow was a shining light for the Rabbitohs this year, nearly guiding them to the finals despite manning a roster savaged by injuries. Maguire, who learned his trade under Craig Bellamy at Melbourne before a successful two-year stint in the English Super League with Wigan, ran his first training session with the club on Monday before turning his attention towards who will fill the No.7 jersey next season. "I'll soon find out," Maguire told reporters when asked how tough it will be to replace Sandow. "At the moment I haven't got any names. I'm just looking forward to seeing what I've got in the squad. "I'm aware of the depth but haven't seen a lot of it. At the end of the day there's a number of players here that are going to have an opportunity. So we'll assess things here as soon as we start training."

Maguire may have been tight-lipped on the early favourite for the job, but he refused to rule out recruiting a halfback before the season starts. "I'm always looking at certain things," Maguire said. "We'll wait and see what's available but at the moment I'm happy with what we've got." Backrower Jason Clark, who captained Adam Reynolds in the Toyota Cup team, says the youngster has the qualities to develop into a first-grade footballer. "He's a great player. He's got a great football brain (and) if he gets the opportunity I'm sure he'll take it with both hands," Clark explained. Skipper Roy Asotasi said the players would spend the next few weeks getting to understand Maguire's coaching mantra, but admitted they had a fair idea of what to expect based on his stints at Wigan and as an assistant at the Storm. "We're just getting to learn about him and what he expects from us for this off-season," Asotasi explained. "And all he wants from us is 100 per cent effort and to constantly improve in the off-season and not worry about what's going to happen at the start of the season. He's really big on the off-season and how everyone's going."

Danielle Spencer and Russell Crowe - How They Stay Grounded And Normal in Sydney, ustralia

2011-10-22T12:33:00.000-07:00

CLICK HERE FOR THE STORY, courtesy of The Daily Telegraph, Australia


Danielle Spencer at home in their beautiful home

HE demonstrated his prowess with a sword in Gladiator, but it turns out Aussie actor Russell Crowe is equally adept when it comes to wielding a pair of barbecue tongs - after all, he gets plenty of practice.

Tennyson and Charlie: ADORABLE!

Inviting The Sunday Telegraph into their home, wife Danielle said that sharing a few snags together as a family was one of the ways the couple, who married in 2003, managed to stay grounded and provide a normal, down-to-earth upbringing for sons Charlie, 7, and , 5. We are very Aussie, very normal. We love a barbie - Russell is very good at those," , 40, said. "It's great getting the family together." ar from being the hard MAN shown on the big screen, Spencer said her husband was actually a big softie and that the 47-year-old Oscar-winner - who is working on Superman in Chicago - struggled with spending time away from home.

"It is a big wrench for him. He loves what he does and his work but he really does miss the boys," she said. "He gets unhappy being away and can't wait to see them." Spencer, who has released an acoustic EP of songs from her album Calling All Magicians, co-produced with Steve Balbi, revealed she isn't afraid to say what she thinks to her husband - and expected him to do the same: "I am certainly not a shrinking violet." But in his absence, she has enlisted her lads' help ahead of her November 10 concert at The Vanguard in Sydney. "If I am trying to decide on a mix I play it in the car and they tell me what they think," she said.

Weight Loss Progress

2011-10-12T22:12:00.000-07:00

Here's my little scale of achievement. Hoping to lose a total of about 50 lbs. by Christmas and be down to 130 by spring of '12. Wanna know how I'm doing it? Sure, I'll tell ya! Go to www.thetree4life.com/a/T4LSheri .html and take a look around! I've lost 28 lbs. so far, and will continue until I reach my goal!

The Tree For Life HCG Diet

New Crowe/Doyle Tracks To Be Released August 2, 2011

2011-07-22T22:12:00.000-07:00

This is a note that Russell sent Murph on her site (that I borrowed to share), that can be accessed from the link below.

http://crowenews.blogspot.com/2011/07/more-from-russell-on-newfoundland-songs.html

More from Russell on Newfoundland Songs

Hey, A little more info.

There will be 9 songs, but 2 versions of each. The original acoustic demo's and the same 9 songs Mixed by Carl Falk.

These are really only demo's, but songs need to be heard and we've been working on them for so long now, we need to get the kids out of the house so to speak.

There won't be any fancy cover art, and there is no plan for a physical release at this stage.

Four of these songs are related to DIRT MUSIC and directly influenced by the writing of Tim Winton.

In fact the way these songs are performed on the acoustic demo's is our version of what we think the Fox Family would sound like.

It isn't really a release by any standards, we are just putting the songs up for those that are interested.

I will send you the lyrics around the time the songs become available.

Please don't post any assumed versions, you know I'm particular about the written word.

Love,
RC.
_______________________

I am highly anticipating hearing these fresh cuts. It's been way too long since we've heard anything fresh from Russell's musical side. And of course, any collaboration with Alan Doyle is sure to be awesome! Look for the songs to be released via the internet on August 2, 2011. As always, you might hear about it by reading it on Russell's Twitter account right about the same time.

In the meantime, check out Russell's 2006 release "My Hand My Heart" by clicking below, or go to iTunes for an ever bigger selection of RC & TOFOG releases. Cheers!

On the field one day with Souths...

2011-07-12T18:47:00.000-07:00

I decided to create a new avatar for my Twitter account. I did a little "Paint" to the back of a Souths jersey, and it turned out pretty good I think. So I was thinking how cool it would be to proudly wear a Souths jersey and be on the field for a game in some capacity with the boys one day. I would be so honored to assist my team with a small task, or just sit there on the sidelines and watch. I Tweeted Mr. Crowe and asked him if he liked the jersey rendition I did. We'll see if I get a reply...

Gettin' Fit: Inspired by Russell

2011-07-11T17:31:00.000-07:00

After reading many of Russell's Tweets on getting back into shape, I have to say he inspired me to do the same. On June 20, 2011 I Tweeted him to tell him so, and asked him if just for fun, we could challenge each other to who could lose the most weight/inches by a certain date. I wasn't expecting him to reply, honestly, but he did! I included a dated photo of what I looked like on my trip to Sydney, Australia with my challenge to him also.

He replied that on 6/18/11 he weighed 236.4 pounds. Earlier this month, he said the regimen was for 105 days, which would have him ending on 9/20/2011. Mine will end on 9/23/11. Even though both of us will come out as winners in this challenge, both Russell and I are competitive, and of course, we'd both like to win. So wish us luck!

Update: 9/13/11 Russell's 105 day mark arrived, and he said he lost 40 lbs. Unfortunately for me, I had only lost 14 by that point, so he won. After dealing with a medical issue, I'm back on track and have lost 25 lbs. since September 10, 2011. Only 25 lb.s to go by Christmas, and down to 130 by summer of '12!

Today is Independence Day...Happy Fourth of July, Everyone!

2011-07-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

Today is Independence Day. It marks the day in 1776 when the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. The document was approved and signed on July 2, and was formally adopted on July 4; John Adams always felt that the Second of July was America's true birthday, and wrote to his wife, Abigail, that the date "will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival." He envisioned "Pomp and Parade ... Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other." He reportedly refused to appear at annual Fourth of July celebrations for the rest of his life, in protest. He died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration's adoption — as did Thomas Jefferson, who had written most of the document.
It was traditional in the British Colonies to celebrate the king's birthday every summer, with bonfires, parades, and speeches. During the summer of 1776, they held mock funerals for King George instead — with bonfires, parades, and speeches. They also read the Declaration of Independence aloud as soon as it was adopted. Philadelphia held the first formal Independence Day celebration in 1777, with bells and fireworks; in 1778, General George Washington called for double rations of rum for the troops, and in 1781, Massachusetts was the first to name July 4 an official state holiday. Congress declared it a national holiday in 1870.

The Declaration of Independence

Jefferson turned down a request to appear at the 50th anniversary celebration in Washington, D.C.; it was the last letter he ever wrote, and in it he expressed his hope for the Declaration of Independence:
"May it be to the world, what I believe it will be ... the signal of arousing men to burst the chains ... and to assume the blessings and security of self-government. [...] All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man. ... For ourselves, let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights, and an undiminished devotion to them." From the Writer's Almanac .

Support Murphsplace - The Best Russell Crowe Information Site on the 'Net

2011-07-03T19:42:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

It's pretty rare that Mrs. Murphy asks for outside assistance to keep Murphsplace up. With the economic times that we're having, all good things are costing more. The business of keeping up a very detailed, multi-faceted internet site is no exception. Please support Murphsplace by clicking on the link below, and let's ensure the best Russell Crowe information related site on the 'net (as well as many other interesting topics) keeps rollin' along. Any and all donations will be most appreciated! Thank you very much for your continued support!

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Movie Network bio on Russell

2011-03-21T05:19:00.001-07:00

Red Rock Canyon

2010-12-29T18:11:00.000-08:00

Ever get in those moods when you just wanna go for a drive? Well, I was in that mood today. So I set out to Red Rock Canyon, just a few minutes west of Las Vegas (about 25 minutes from my house). The hues of the sky were cool blues and pinks driving in. Once actually in the conservation area on the scenic loop drive, it started to rain. About half way through my 13 mile drive, it started hailing. It was cool. I was jammin' to the Pet Shop Boys in the car. Enjoy the pics!

My Love For Souths, a.k.a. New Bunnies Ink!

2010-12-23T19:05:00.000-08:00

I started to watch the South Sydney Rabbitohs rugby games in the summer of 2010, after I discovered Russell Crowe owned them. Let's face it, Souths have gotten a LOT of attention after he and Peter Holmes a Court came on board in 2006, and for good reason. They have reached for the stars and provided excellent results. I watched a bit of rugby when I was stationed in the UK, and really liked it then. Hadn't watched in over 20 years. The Bunnies' games come at at all hours in the States (usually 2130 or 0230 PST), which is actually at a decent time in Australia. I've even taken days/nights off work to watch the Bunnies and learn the game. I watch the games on omnisport.tv. My mates and I would also be logged into a chat room and discuss the game as we watched, from all over the world. I enjoy rugby much more than American Football: no time outs, replays, challenges, etc. And NO pads. Yes, a real MAN'S game that I don't have to waste a whole day watching. Since Russell Crowe is a REAL man, I thought I ought to hop on board and follow his team. Little did I know how passionate I'd become for a team about 8,000 miles across the pond on another continent. Love comes quickly, they say.

When I was in Sydney on my first trip in 2010, everyone was pretty impressed that I had a Bunnies tattoo and was from the States. We sported our Bunnies gear, even though it was the off season there. We didn't care, we were Souths Proud! I even had some Nike Shox designed in Souths colors. They loved my tattoo, and several people took photos of it, one of which ended up on a Facebook page of Rabbitohs Tattoos. We met a lot of cool people due to our love for the Bunnies on our trip. My admiration for Souths in the off season has grown very strong. Just about everyone at my local Starbucks understands who the Bunnies are now. I've done a bit of reading about them, and watched "South Side Story", a documentary aired in 2007 of Souths after Holmes a Court and Crowe purchased 75% interest in the team in 2006. I also joined a board called "The Pride" (on proboards.com, see link at bottom of the blog). I've met some fierce Bunnies fans there, and was welcomed with open arms by all of them. They were even kind enough to link my blog to their front page. (Thanks again, Moda!) I'm becoming a more passionate fan with each passing day, highly anticipating the 2011 season.

I have been a Pittsburgh Steelers fan since I was six years old. I picked the team because I thought the colors of black and gold were cool. Posters and stickers all over the room as a kid, drawings on my folder in high school, photos up in the lockers. Never anything on my cars, or tattoos of the famous Steel City logo. I have been fond of Winnie the Pooh my whole life, sort of nickname given to me by my big sister Debbie when I was little. Pooh won out, and was my first tat in 1999. Well, like the old saying goes "Lays potato chips: you can't have just one." The same is true with tattoos, at least for me. My second tat was a Harley-Davidson design, as that's how my husband and I met. My third one, in 2009, was the Suzuki Hayabusa Kanji symbol, for the love and passion of my motorcycle that I used to drag race. My hard crashing love for the South Sydney Rabbitohs won out over the Steelers, and in October of 2010, I got my first Bunnies tattoo and fourth total, at Black Wolf Tattoo Parlour, here in Las Vegas.

Well, yes, it's only December, but yesterday I counted and in just over a month, my friend Danielle (from the Netherlands) and I head back to Oz for a week, to see the Rabbitohs take on the Newtown Jets on Saturday, 2/5/11. It will be my first Bunnies/rugby game in person, and PROUD member #51815 will be attending RETURN TO REDFERN '11 in style! So I looked at some of the new 2011 gear for sale in the online Bunnies store, and am deciding on what I want to get. Then, I came up with the idea to get another Bunnies tattoo. I asked for ideas from friends. So after about a week, I collected my ideas of a black Bunnie and some grafitti font, and I took my idea to Black Wolf Tattoo Parlour. Owner and tattoo artist Jason Roofe got to work and meticulously made the Bunnie look just right. After about three hours, voila, I had new Bunnies ink, and it looks AWESOME! Thanks, Jason! If you're ever in Vegas and want to get a tattoo, go see "Roofe", he is most excellent at his craft, will hook you up and make your design come true perfectly!

So now I have another Rabbitohs accessory uniquely all mine. And my love for them continues to grow. Up the Rabbitohs in 2011!

My "Next Three Days" in Los Angeles in November, 2010

2010-11-16T23:16:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago I decided to take a short little jaunt to Los Angeles, California from November 15 through the 18^th. I was pretty excited about it. One of the things on my to do agenda was to see “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”, as my favorite actor (THE most brilliant and sexiest actor that has ever existed in the history of man, for that matter), Mr. Russell Crowe, was to be the guest. I was also going to see “The Late Show with Craig Ferguson,” as Mr. Crowe was also appearing on his show as well.

So here’s the details.

Pre-Departure, Sunday, November 14th

My work shift could not have gone by any slower. Although it was busy, for me, time dragged. And as sure as God made little green apples, I got stuck on a call that made me late. Very late. Story of my life.

Departure Day, Monday, November 15th

After getting home at around 2:30 am, I was dog arse tired! My plan of getting up at 6 am to leave for LA was in the crapper. So I set the alarm for 8 am. Oddly enough, I awoke on my own around 7:10 am, albeit in a ridiculous tired daze, and stumbled into the shower. At least that helped. After

fueling up the ‘Stang, and me with a couple donuts and a Rockstar, I was off. Time: 8:22 am. Good enough.

The drive across the Mojave was boring as usual. I swear every time I drive it the boring factor increase ten fold. Good old “Highway 98 and 99” radio stations and some TOFOG on the iPod to keep me cruisin’ just above the speed limit and just below the radar guns.

I pulled up to the NBC Studios in Burbank to wait in line for the show at about 12:45 pm. I met my friends Allison and Gayle there. Not too many peeps were in line just yet. My friend Pat joined us shortly thereafter. And, we waited. And waited. And waited some more. Mr. Crowe was kind enough to Tweet that due to an appointment right afterwards, he could not stop at the gate for the meet and greet he usually does, and apologized. Bummer! :( Then at about 2:30 pm, the staff brought us to a security line before we entered Studio 11 where “The Tonight Show” was taped. We get through that, are assigned numbers, and we waited. Then we waited some more. Show business must be all about waiting. At least they let us sit down while we waited this time. Finally at about 3:15 pm, we got to go into the studio. I was number “6”, and we had great seats, right next to the band, just to the right of center stage. We were given instructions to clap and laugh loudly. They also said that the folks sitting on the chairs just in front of the stage (that was us) could go up to the stage as soon as Jay hit the door to shake hands with him. Jay came out and did a pre-show warm up in his regular clothes. A bunch of older folks wanted hugs and photos with him, so he didn’t take but one question. I was going to ask him “Out of all your motorcycles, which one is your favorite and why?” I didn’t get the chance to ask. But, when the show started… Well, I did what I was told! When Jay came out, I sprung out of my chair and ran up right up there, and was the first one he gave a high five to! He was really cool! Then Jay did the “Headlines” segment. It was pretty funny. All I cared about was breezing through all the nonsense until Russell came out. It all seemed to take so long after all the hurry up and wait I’d been doing all day! Finally, Jay introduced Russell, and the studio went wild! I know, shocker! And there he was! Looking oh-so-dapper, in a black suit, with a black shirt and black tie. WOW! I was literally feet away from him. But, yet so far. He talked about the Rabbitohs, Charlie and Tenny upon Dani’s return home, TN3D, and Rocky Horror. When he spoke, the entire audience was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop in there. To die for! When it was over, we waited outside by the gate to see if we could see him leave. Sure enough, here came his black Suburban, and he had the window down. I had a Rabbitohs hat with me and I yelled “Go the Bunnies!” and waved my hat. He heard me, looked, and nodded. SWEET! The girls and I ate dinner at El Torito and said good night to each other. I hit the rack at the hotel, as I was dead tired.

Day 2, November 16^th

Wake-up time: I dunno, somewhere between 10:45 & 11:15 am. I was tired and needed to sleep in. I finally got my arse in gear and grabbed some Starbucks and a danish, turned on some TOFOG, and hit the freeway to Hollywood Blvd. to find our boy's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Found it! Right in front of the Kodak Theatre!

After I found it and snapped some photos, I was feeling pretty good!

It was off to Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum now! (NOTE: No RC wax figure here. Not good. Suggestion made at end of tour.) Saw some of my all time faves: Jimmy Stewart, James Dean, and Clint Eastwood. Also got snaps of Tony Hawk, Michael Jackson, and LAAAAAANCE ARMSTRONNNNNNNG. LOL. Even got a wax setting of my own hand in red and green! THAT was cool. Outside at the legendary Graumann's Chinese Theatre, I found Gregory Peck's hand and foot prints, and snapped a pic of them. He's my all-time old school favorite actor. If you've never read "To Kill a Mockingbird", or not seen the movie, do yourself a huge favor and read the book and see the movie.

Gregory Peck's hand and footprints

Laaaaaaaaaance Armstronnnnnnng!

After a bit of shopping, I was walking by this building and it had “Jimmy Kimmel LIVE!” signs on it. They were filming and still had tickets. So I figured, what the heck, I’m not doing anything. I went to high school with Jimmy, and thought it would be pretty cool to see his show. So I’m standing in line, and I hear my phone go off at 5:46 pm. I look, and it’s a Tweet from Russ:

I’m like “Hmmm, wonder where this place is?” I look on my phone and it was only minutes away. So I said to hell with Jimmy Kimmel, I’m going there so see if I can get a glimpse of Russ on the way in! So I parked right across the street. Oh crap! What am I gonna have him sign if I see him? And right there, on the floorboard of my car was my “Ben Hur” program from Australia, that I brought for Pat to see yesterday! So I grab it and off I went. There’s like seven or eight guys standing on the sidewalk with photos and pens in their hands. Obviously a line for something. I soon find out it’s where I want to be, and I’m like the seventh person in line of not many. The guy behind me was really cool, his name was Rich. We were chatting when I heard this from other guys in the line: “Oh no…” “What, dude?” “Here comes ‘Red Bull’ again.” “Are you serious?” “Yep.” Well, apparently Mr. Red Bull was a guy that no one liked and always seems to finagle his way to the front and cut in front of everyone else at these events. Well, I’ll be damned if that was gonna happen this time. He tried to pretend to talk to a guy he knew at the front of the line. Everyone told him to get to the back of the line, but he didn’t budge. I marched right up to him and told him “Look, dude, I didn’t drive all the way from Vegas to have you cut in front of me, so don’t let it happen.” He got the point. Everyone told him to get to the back of the line. D-bag, he didn’t. It was cold and 7:15 pm and still no Russ. We all figured that due to the event starting at 7:30pm, that he would probably just go right in and skip the autograph seekers. I hoped not.

Paul Haggis arrived, and some folks got his autograph. Finally, a black Cadillac Escalade pulled up, and it was HIM! He wore sunglasses and said nothing as he started signing. I patiently waited in line. He was signing people’s stuff, but he never looked up. He got to me and started to sign my program. There he was! Standing RIGHT in front of me! I could have died! At least I didn’t say anything stupid! I said “I really enjoyed your narration of ‘Ben Hur’ in Australia, sir.” After he signed my program, he stopped, looked up, and without saying a word, and gave me a big smile! Then, poof, he moved on! But not without making me the happiest girl on that block in front of the Directors Guild of America first! Later I wondered if he put 2+2 together and maybe realized I was one of the Twitter girls that went to see “Ben Hur.” I’ll never know...

My "Ben Hur" program from Australia

I was in shock! I just stood there for a few seconds, mesmerized, with this giant smile on my face, and I’m sure my eyes were glazed over like I just smoked a big old doob. No time for photos with Russ, his publicist was already telling everyone he had to go. I then moved back and tried to get a photo of him, which didn’t turn out the greatest but I will include it here. He looked so handsome: he had on a dark grey suit, and a light blue shirt and blue tie.

So after he went inside, all the press took photos of him and the cast in front of all the “The Next Three Days” posters. I can see why he wears the sunglasses. Flashes popping constantly, I’m guessing it would get annoying. He answered many questions, from one photographer in particular. I stood and watched from right outside the window. Security left me alone as I stood there with a smile on my face. They knew what I was looking at.

Seeing Mr. Crowe for the first time up close was really cool. And that smile he gave me was just unforgettable! It might have only been an instant in his world, but thank you, Mr. Crowe for making that one moment in time stop for me, and I assure you it will last my entire life!

Tomorrow, more touristy sh*t and off to see Craigy Ferg!

Day 3, November 17^th

To be continued…

Click "PLAY" below to hear Moby's "Mistake" from the soundtrack of TN3D

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Wow! What A Day! Our Tour of the SSFC Rabbitohs' Training Facilities

2010-11-12T04:00:00.000-08:00

Sheri, Danielle, Gayle-Lynne, and Susi

The day started like any other. Oh who am I kidding? We were on holiday in Australia, and we hopped the train from Museum Station, and off we went! To say the least, we were very excited about going to the South Sydney Football Club (SSFC) Rabbitohs' practice facility in Redfern for a tour of their facilities. As instructed by the Rabbitohs' wonderful representative Mr. Luke Byrne, we waited patiently at the Park Cafe on Chalmers, adjacent to Redfern Oval. My mates Danielle, Susi, Gayle and I had refreshments while we waited (aka, I had a couple "Pure Blonde" beers, as did Dani, to calm ourselves, as we were VERY excited). Little did we know we would be met by (the VERY handsome) former First Grade player Mr. Mark Hughes (retired, 1991) and Rabbitohs' assistant Jessica for our meeting. Both were just a delight to meet and talk to! Mark, noting my Nike Shox in Bunnies colors, said "Russell needs to see your shoes!" So I replied "Well, why don't you ring him up and have him come over for a look then!? Everyone laughed. "I was serious," I said. We all laughed again. (It's always "no" unless you ask, my Dad always said.)

We finished the introductions, and off to the training facility we went. The Club played all home games here between 1948 and 1987. Although most home games are played at ANZ Stadium, the Oval was refurbished in 2009 to its present condition, and is a treat to visit for Rabbitohs fans and also serves the surrounding community alike. This inside area we toured is not accessible to the public, so we can not share our photos of it here. But I will tell you, that what we saw was nothing short of amazing to us! To be in the same facility that our beloved favorite players like Nathan Merritt, Chris Sandow, and Sam Burgess train, get dressed for games, and get pre-game words of wisdom from Coach John Lang and co-owner Russell Crowe in, was just awe inspiring, to say the least! I got a photo in a chaise lounge in front of Chris Sandow's locker, which had a gold bejeweled "crown" hanging in it. Mark said Chris got it for something or another, perhaps as a joke. I was asked if I wanted to put the crown on, but declined, as I didn't have enough nerve to touch anything belonging to any of the players. This was sacred Rabbitoh territory! And we got to go in there! There were so many interesting photos, plaques, and quotes on the walls depicting the Rabbitohs history from their inception from 1908 to the present. I, for one, was just astonished that I was right there, in person, standing in the hallowed halls of such a historical NRL team as the Rabbitohs. I had to pinch myself. I couldn't snap enough photos of the facility. Mark had an appointment, so we had to finish our tour of the inside of the top notch training facility. We said our thank yous and goodbyes to Mark, and Jessica proceeded to show us the outside of the facility and the beautiful practice oval, referred to by us Bunnies fans as "The Holy Land." We were shown the players' entrance/tunnel, the field, the terraced hill seating around the field, and the grandstands. Absolutely beautiful, especially on this perfect sunny Sydney day!

Jessica then interviewed each of us separately, and asked us a bit about ourselves, where we were from, how we came to be fans of the Rabbitohs, and who our favorite players were. Jessica said they would do a story on us and put it on the Rabbitohs website, sometime soon. Well! It appeared on November 5, 2010, much to our surprise, so quickly! Jessica took us back to the Rabbitohs Headquarters on George Street, a very short walk from the Redfern Oval. Susi and Danielle renewed their International Memberships, while I joined as a new member, as did Gayle-Lynne. I also purchased a "Return to Redfern 2011" ticket, so I'll be going back to Australia in February 2011 with my awesome friend and fellow Bunnies fan, Danielle. I am so excited to see my first live NRL game , and our beloved Bunnies play in person for an exciting 80 minutes (against the Newtown Jets), for the first time ever! The Rabbitohs are in the process of packing up and moving to a brand new headquarters nearby in Redfern, and were pretty excited about it. They were also very generous with their time in meeting us, giving us a dream come true tour and experience, and having us be a part of their business day, which we most certainly appreciated! Afterwards, we went downstairs to the Official South Sydney Rabbitohs Store, and loaded up with a bunch of cool stuff! Many, many thanks to all that made our day possible: Mr. Luke Byrne, Mr. Mark Hughes, Jessica (sorry, I didn't get your last name), Kate (for going to get the footy ball for me to take a photo with), "Richard" down in the SSFC Official Store, and the entire SSFC Rabbitohs Staff!

So, in short, we had an A W E S O M E day, to say the least! We couldn't have capped off a "dream come true" day like this any better, but we did! We went and saw Danielle Spencer in concert at "Raval" in Surry Hills. She was outstanding and put on a most wonderful show!

Interested in becoming a South Sydney Rabbitohs member? Just go to http://www.rabbitohs.com.au/ and click on "Membership".

Stand tall together with us, become a true "Red & Green" supporter, and help us Up the Mighty Rabbitohs in 2011!

Click here to see the SSFC Rabbitohs in person for their first game of 2011!

So There I Was...

2010-11-08T02:13:00.000-08:00

The Domain, view from the Bay

The Woolloomooloo Wharf shops, view from Cowper Wharf St.

The Wharf and the many slips, view from the Botanical Gardens

So there I was.

Laying on a wall on the east side of Domain Park, adjacent to the Botanical Gardens.
Daydreaming, almost asleep, but not quite.
Relaxed and enjoying the beautiful Sydney day near the charming, small, and peaceful Woolloomooloo Wharf.

I had my iPod on and listening to some TOFOG tunes.
Several people came and went up and down the old rock-like stairs built into the side of the hill, that led from the park to the wharf, and I paid them no mind and likewise.

In an instant, for some unknown reason I arose and awoke to someone coming down the steps.
I had dozed off but had to quickly adjust my eyesight to figure out who this was.
Same stature, same build, dresses the same…and I wondered.
Then suddenly, he turned his head and I realized it WAS Russell Crowe.

By the time I realized it, he was already about thirty feet away, walking quickly, perhaps cooling down from a run .
I was sitting on the wall, and I sure wasn’t going to run after him or yell his name out.
I mean, this is his community, and he’s enjoying his day.

So there I was, and my dream of my daydream on October 26, 2010 was as close I got to seeing Russell while I was in Australia. And so is life. ♥

International Members visit Rabbitohs Headquarters to Renew Their Memberships - The OFFICIAL website of the South Sydney Rabbitohs

2010-11-04T23:26:00.000-07:00

CLICK HERE FOR STORY

Reflecting on Sydney 2010

2010-10-29T06:25:00.000-07:00

The flicker of the moon

On the harbour's sparkling tide

Brings an end to this journey

But not the memories I keep inside

Botanical Gardens and Mountains Blue

Manly Cove and Woolloomooloo

The Rabbitohs' Redfern Oval,

and "Ben Hur" at ANZ

Are but a few of the sights

I was so blessed to see

Sydney rain, fog, and beautiful sun

A peaceful sunrise or two

And a meeting left undone...

"Return to Redfern '11"

Will come none too soon for the wary

To Cheer on the Bunnies

Come this February

Next time at Redfern Oval

Will be as good as it gets

And we'll watch the Souths
Smash the Newtown Jets!