#Soccer jersey Australia

[sportscentreau]

Design Your Own Sportswear: Is it Worth It? 

Creating custom sportswear in Australia allows you to tailor every aspect of your team's look, from fit to design. Custom polo shirts in Australia are perfect for a unified appearance, whether for casual events or on the field. Designing your own soccer jersey in Australia ensures your team stands out with unique colors and logos, boosting team spirit and identity. While the process may require more time and investment, the ability to choose quality fabrics and features tailored to your needs makes it worth it. Custom sportswear offers the advantage of personalization and quality, enhancing both performance and team unity. For more information, visit: https://sportscentreau.wordpress.com/2024/08/14/design-your-own-sportswear-is-it-worth-it/ 

[bright-and-burning]

@.chelseafcw: SK20 🤝 OP81

From Aussie to Aussie! 🇦🇺

[footballjerseysonline]

Football jerseys online are easily accessible, with a wide variety of designs and sizes to choose from. Shopping online is convenient, saves time and offers competitive pricing, making it a preferred choice for football enthusiasts. Additionally, online stores offer easy returns and hassle-free exchanges. Read this blog to know why buy football jerseys from online stores rather than physical stores.

[13uswntimagines]

3 More Days (Alessia X Leah X Child!R)

part of the Big Emotions Universe. Set before Big Emotions and Cookies for Luck

Summary: It's your first World Cup. Your first time in Australia, and the first time you ever had to be away from your Mama thanks to the stupid FIFA rules. The truth is that neither of you are dealing with the separation well. You just need to make it 3 more days.

warnings: none. soft angst if you squint, otherwise it's just a cute kidfic.

You decided you did not like Australia. 

You didn’t care if they had cute koalas, and a super cool aquarium, and people with cooler accents. 

You didn’t care that Uncle Luca had taken you to meet a turtle named Irwin, or that he let you and Squirt pick out a new stuffed octopus friend (you and Squirt hadn’t decided on a name yet). 

Australia was mean. Your mama was mean. 

The stupid soccer rules that said you couldn’t stay in the shiny hotel with her were mean. 

All of her teammates were mean. 

You did not like Australia. 

You frowned at the field, wiggling in your seat as the keepers jogged out of the tunnel for warmups. 

You decided you did not like the World Cup either. 

“Why the long face Tiny?” Uncle Luca asked you, adjusting your turtle jacket. 

Your shoulders lifted and fell, and a little crinkle appeared between your eyebrows as Mary took her place in the goal in front of you. “No wike it,”

He hugged you, lifting you from your seat into his lap. “What don’t you like?” 

You leaned back into his chest. Your little shoulders shrugged again. “No wike it,” 

“Ok,” He sighed. “Do you want a cookie? So Mama has good luck against Australia?”

He pulled a small chocolate-covered cookie out of your turtle backpack, offering it to you. 

Your nose scrunched as you pushed it away. “No wan it,”

You didn’t care that it was your favorite, the one with oranges in the middle. You didn’t want your mama to have good luck. 

You just wanted to not be in Australia. 

You wanted to be back in your apartment that Leah sometimes visited. 

You wanted to not have to say bye to your Mama after the game. 

“Alright tiny,” He said, slipping the cookie back into your backpack, and pulling you closer to him. “Hey look, Mama is coming,”

He hoped that seeing Alessia would pull you out of your funk. 

You had been… moody, even for a 2-year-old, ever since you landed in Australia. You hadn’t been able to fly with the team, but Alessia and Luca ensured you got to see your Mama daily. And the days you couldn’t, Uncle Luca and Nona did their best to distract you with trips to places like the Aquarium, the Zoo, and the beach. 

It seemed to work at first, but with each passing day, your smile dimmed, and your interest in their planned activities dwindled. 

Even your favorite pastime, watching your mama play soccer, didn’t pique your interest. 

Your eyes followed his hand, watching with halfhearted care as your mama finally emerged from the tunnel, chatting with your Aunt Ella and Lucy. 

You waited for her to look up. 

To wave to you like she always did. 

But she didn’t. 

You sunk back into Luca, your gaze drifting away from your mama, and towards Mary just as she dove for a save. 

She caught the ball easily, rolling her shoulders as she stood, and glancing back towards the crowd who cheered behind her. She smiled when she saw your tiny form bundled in Luca’s lap, sending a wave your way. 

You brightened considerably, lifting your hand in response, and nudging Luca. 

“Mazza,” You mumbled, pointing towards the keeper. 

“She’s pretty good, isn’t she?”

You blinked toward the new voice, taking in the sight of your second favorite person. 

“Leah!”

You launched yourself towards the defender, uncaring of the fact that she was still on crutches. The force would have knocked her over had she not been standing against the guardrail. 

“Hey Bug,” She said as you buried yourself in her neck, clutching her England jersey like you thought she would disappear. 

Things had been difficult since she had torn her ACL and hadn’t been able to visit you and your Mama as much as she liked.

Her rehab was difficult and consumed her. It was why Alesia’s brother and mother had been tasked with caring for you during the tournament. 

“Hey,” You mumbled back, keeping yourself tucked into her neck. “No go? Stay now?”

“Yeah Bug, I’m going to stay and watch the game with you,” She promised, rubbing your back. “We’re going to watch your Mama win,” 

She shifted, settling into the chair next to your Uncle, and pulling you into her lap. You didn’t look up, ignoring when she waved towards your Mama and received a wave back in return. 

You missed how Alessia stared at the two of you, and the unspoken conversation that passed between them. 

The continuation of the conversations they had been having since before you left for Australia, and Fifa had announced the rules that banned children from the team hotels. Since Serina had reached out to make sure that You would be taken care of during the tournament. 

A conversation that both women knew wasn’t over yet. 

But warmups were not the time to continue it. 

********

Leah was worried. 

More than worried. 

You were normally like a ray of sunshine. You followed a game with rapt attention, cheering, and booing like it was in your blood. You waved at the players you knew and got excited when they waved back, especially if it was mid-match. 

Today, you just… didn't. 

You seemed wilted. Tired. 

You barely peeked out of her chest, even after the game had started. 

“Hey look, they’re getting ready for a corner,”  Leah said, bouncing you a bit as the teams set up in front of you. 

You glanced up at her, both eyebrows raised. “Flying header?” 

“Maybe,” Leah hummed, running a hand through your wild curls. “You’d have to watch to see,” 

Your nose scrunched immediately. 

“No wike it,” You grumbled, pressing yourself impossibly closer to Leah’s chest. 

“What don’t you like bug?” She asked you, trying to coax you out of your hiding place. 

“Elle is going to take the kick,” Luca added, nudging your arm, trying to get you to look. 

You didn’t.

You whined loudly, clutching Leah’s jersey impossibly tighter in your little fingers. 

They shared a look. 

You were not a winy child. 

You didn’t generally get fussy unless you were tired or sick. 

“Ok bug,” Leah sighed as Elle lined up for the kick, raising her hand as the rest of the team jockeyed for position in front of goal. “It’s all ok,” 

Elle’s foot hit the ball with a low thump, sending it flying in a perfect arch towards your Mama’s waiting head. 

All it took was a perfect flick, and it was in the back of the net. 

Alessia’s eyes immediately found the two of you as the stadium erupted. 

She expected you and Leah to be cheering too. For you to be clapping and happy like you normally were any time she scored. 

Instead, your face was buried in Leah’s neck, Lucas's hand rubbing your back. 

She frowned, raising her eyebrow towards the pair. 

Leah shrugged, rocking you gently. 

Neither of them knew exactly what had upset you. Only that you apparently didn’t want or like whatever it was. 

“Mama scored!” Luca cheered, rubbing your back more insistently. 

You turned your head to blink at him. 

“No want it,” You mumbled miserably, a contrast to the excitement still buzzing around you. 

Leah sighed, gently scratching the back of your head. “I know bug. It’s ok,”

“Nooo!” You screeched, shaking your head, because she didn’t know. No one knew, and no one was doing anything about it. 

They just kept telling you that it was ok. 

It wasn’t ok. 

“Ok, let’s take a walk tiny,” Luca scooped you out of Leah’s arms easily, already sensing the impending meltdown. “I think I saw a cool turtle shirt and a snack,” 

It was becoming a twisted routine of sorts. You becoming frustrated and overstimulated, and Luca would take you for a walk to try and distract you from the big feelings you didn’t have words to explain. 

Your hands twisted in his shirt and you tucked yourself into him, quieting more quickly than Leah thought you would. 

“Nack,” You repeated. 

“Yeah, let’s go get a snack,” Luca said, bouncing you gently. “We’ll bring one back for Leah too,”

He winked at the defender, as he headed up the stairs towards the concessions, and you peeked over his shoulder at her as he carried you away. 

She sent you a little wave, smiling slightly when you waved back. 

She hoped that things would look up for you now that she was here. She was by no means Alessia, but she had integrated nicely into your life since they had started dating (and she hoped the upcoming move to London would only strengthen the relationship you shared). 

Hopefully, the familiarity and the plan her and Alessia had made would help to pull you out of your funk.

*******

“Hey love,”  Leah sent Alessia a wide smile as she approached the Friends and Family section.

The game had ended in a neat 3-1 victory and Alessia had completed her mandatory lap around the field with the team. 

Normally you liked to join her, holding her hand and playing with your aunts, but you hadn’t been waiting at the rail behind the bench with Luca like usual. She noticed that you hadn’t even been in the friends and family section. 

Leah wrapped her in her arms as soon as Alessia helped her down onto the field. “Your goal was fantastic,”

“Thanks,” Alessia’s smile was half-hearted, exhaustion clear in her blue eyes as she supported the blonde who was still mom weight-bearing on her leg. “Where’s Bug?”

“Your brother disappeared with her to find a snack before halftime, and they haven’t come back yet,” Leah said, glancing in the direction the two of you had gone. “She’s having a hard time,” 

Alessia followed her eyes with a sigh. “Beyond,” 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so sullen,”

“It’s only getting worse, I think,” Alessia ran a frustrated hand through her hair, tugging lightly on her ponytail. “I don’t know how to fix it,”

Alessia had always been an incredibly involved parent. She had raised you herself, with a little help from Luca and her parents. She wasn’t used to being away from you for the night, much less days on end. 

It broke her heart each time you cried when she had to say goodbye. And it killed her how you had retreated back into yourself with each passing day. 

You had even started refusing phone calls with her so she could read you your bedtime stories. 

It was clear that the Fifa restrictions were taking their toll on both of you, but she felt powerless to stop it. 

Even Serina hadn’t been able to get her an exception. 

Leah caught her hand, pulling it to her chest and drawing all of Alessia's attention back to her. The striker met the defender’s eyes, and warmth leached into her chest. It was something bright and safe. 

It was the thing that had made Alessia fall in love with her to begin with. The thing that had allowed your mama to feel comfortable enough with Leah to introduce her to you. 

“We’ll figure it out together,” Leah said,  her voice sure and soothing. It made Alessia believe her. “I’m here to help,”

Alessia let out a shaky breath. “I don’t like being away from her,”

Leah pulled her closer, and she buried her face in Leah’s neck much like you did. “I know. We’ve only got one more game, and then we will be bringing the World Cup home,”

“Three more days, and then the FIFA rules don’t apply,” Alessia agreed, letting Leah’s words calm her. “We can make it 3 more days,” 

“We can make it 3 more days,” Leah said, kissing Alessia’s forehead, just as Luca appeared with you at the top of the stairs. “Between Me, you, and Luca, she’ll make it 3 more days too,” 

Alessia pulled away, glancing up the stairs. Her breath caught again when she saw you, clutching Squirt, a dark blue stuffed octopus and her brother for dear life at the top of the stairs. 

You didn’t look out from your hiding place in his chest as she carefully made his way towards them. 

She pulled away from Leah when he got to the rail, making sure she was stable on her crutches before reaching for you. 

“Hey cuddle bug,” She sent you a blinding smile, reaching out for you. “Do you want to come down to the field?”

You peeked out at her as if you were contemplating the decision. You had never not willingly gone to her before. 

It took you a long second before you shook your head and tucked yourself back into Luca’s chest. “No like it,”

Her shoulders drooped, and she had to fight to keep the corners of her lips from turning down. “Alright,” 

It was like a dagger in her chest, deflating her and sending a sinking feeling through her stomach. It was a feeling of total failure. 

She had failed you, and you didn’t want to go to her. 

It was like an invisible wall of glass had erupted between you. Like there was a barrier she didn’t know how to pass keeping you from her. It was like she was the polar bear in the zoo that you had been too terrified to look at. 

Leah rubbed her back, and Luca bounced you lightly, sending her a sympathetic look. 

They just had to make it 3 more days. 

She just hoped you could both hold on that long. 

[jenjen4280]

Had a bunch of friends over to watch all three of today’s Olympics women’s soccer matches. It necessitated three jersey changes for me: NZ, Australia, & US. The Hot Wife rocked her US jersey all day.

[xotrashratxo]

Hey, here’s a bunch of things I watched recently that you should too

Bottoms (Lesbian fight club, absurd asf, hilarious AND had my pookie bear Ruby Cruz)

Willow TV series (continuation of the movie, fantasy, magic, lesbian princess/knight 😱, canonically gay Disney princess 😱)

Lisa Frankenstein (I have enough posts and reblogs about it.)

Yellowjackets (New Jersey!, cannibalism, plane disaster, lgbt+ representation, soccer team = queer coded)

Renegade Nell (colonial England, evil (but not really) gingers, silly con artists, magic 😱)

The Artful Dodger (Oliver Twist continuation, Victorian Medicine, Victorian Australia, Peter Pan and Remus Lupin are Dodger and Fagin)

Last two can be found on Disney+ but I recommend using Movierr for any of these cause Disney supports Israel (BOOO)

sooo… I recommend it.

[alotofpockets]

In the stands | Jackie Groenen

Pairing: Jackie Groenen x Reader

Summary: Watching your girlfriend play against Belgium.

A/n: A short Jackie fic, to celebrate that they're playing their first world cup game tomorrow!

Masterlist | WOSO masterlist | Words: 510

You were sitting next to Vivianne and Sari in the stands, proudly watching your girlfriend play, amongst thousands of fans cheering on the girls on the field. The team was playing a friendly against Belgium, their last game before heading over to Australia and New Zealand for the World Cup. Jackie was so excited that you would be able to attend her last game before traveling to the other side of the world for the tournament.

The game had only just started and Lieke had already scored the first goal, with an amazing assist by Daniëlle. The crowd erupts in cheer. You could already tell this was going to be a great game. The team could really show just how good they were. Daniëlle, Jackie and Jill kept sending balls forward, creating many opportunities for the team, opportunities that were taken time and time again. The goals kept coming, two more even in the first half. 

Belgium was fighting hard, they were strong in their defense, but not strong enough for tonight. With two more goals scored in the second half the team celebrates their win. The celebrations on the field are short lived as they head to the dressing room for a short break before heading back onto the field sharing the last moments before the World Cup with their fans. In groups the team walks around the field, waving to the fans in the stands, signing jerseys, soccer balls, and posters. When Jackie walks towards your section and spots you she waves your way and blows you a kiss. You smile wide and blow her a kiss back. “Stop being so adorable you two.” Viv says as you roll your eyes at her jokingly. 

After the game you join Jackie and the rest of the team on their going away party back at the hotel. Jackie leans into you, putting her head on your shoulder, while you’re talking with Daniëlle, Lieke, Kerstin, and Daphne, “I’m going to miss you so much.” She says to you. “I’m going to miss you too. But we’re going to be reunited before you know it.” You share a mischievous look with Daniëlle, without Jackie knowing. Jackie thinks you’re going to stay behind because of your work and not being able to get time off the weeks of training in Australia and the first few games. When in fact you were going to be able to be there at the first game they played, so instead of joining her there in five weeks, you were going to be there in two. Daan has been helping you with logistics and of course keeping it a secret from Jackie, to be able to actually surprise her by showing up before the first game. Supporting your girlfriend was so important to you, you tried to be at every game. The World Cup games were even more important of course, so you didn’t want to miss the chance to support her in person. You were already so excited to surprise her before the team training. 

💗If you enjoyed this fic, please consider buying me a coffee💗 

[hockeyandhrsepwr]

World Cup Bound

Two Canadian kids attend the University of Michigan for athletics. What happens next?

Owen Power x soccer player!reader

Face claim: Jayde Rivière (Canadian national team & Man United womens team player, graduated from Michigan)

Ynkicksballs

Liked by owenpower_, canadasoccer & more

Ynkicksballs who wore it better? Excited to wear the leaf for the WWC and having a blast here in Aus!🇦🇺 #itsgotime #teamcanada #gdaymate 

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C_sinc12 you

Janinebeckie4 you! Miss you

Ynkicksballs we’re missing you😢 get better soon 🫶

Poulin you

CanadaSoccer you! You rock the red & white!

Stephlabbe you

Lhughes_06 you

Umichwsoccer you

Umichhockey sorry big dog but y/n

Brendanbrisson you

Nblanks you

Owenpower_ gee thanks guys

Owenpower_ also babe you cut off 90% of my jersey that don't seem fair

Kentjohnson13 Owen

Ynkicksballs coughs *liar* 

Kentjohnson13 😑

Manutdwomen That’s our forward!!

Owenpower_

Liked by Ynkicksballs, fan45 & more

Owenpower_ you may have won an Olympic Gold, but you said yes when I asked you out so I think I won the better prize. Happy birthday my love and good luck today! 

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Ynkicksballs Ow🥹 l love you so much

Owenpower_ I wish I was able to describe how much I love you ❤️ 

Ynkicksballs Next year you'll be adding a World Cup to that sentence

juliagrosso Thats right baby!!

Fan26 good luck today y/n!!

Jimmylambert Kick Americas ass!! 

Nolan_moyle that’s not nice?

Fan93 isn’t her birthday tomorrow?

Fan88 not in Australia 

Umichwsoccer go y/n go y/n!

Sabres we’re cheering you on from buffalo!!

Ynkicksballs

Liked by mackie.samo, lhughes_06 & more

Ynkicksballs ‘date night’ he says. Let’s play basketball he says at over 6 feet when I’m 5’4. Oh look who’s at the door randomly he says

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Owenpower_ wasn’t it still a fun night thought?

Ynkicksballs would’ve preferred it without the third wheel but yes

Kentjohnson he invited me!

Ynkicksballs to pick something up! Not to stay

Mackie.samo but who won the basketball game?

Ynkicksballs me duh. I may be short but I’m still the superior athlete 

Owenpower_ you kept kicking me in the shins until I gave in

Ynkicksballs so?

Ynkicksballs

Liked by Kentjohnson13, umichhockey & more

Ynkicksballs second day of sophomore year, some guy ran into me in the athletics building and needed help finding a room. We kept bumping into each other until he finally asked me out and 3 years later we're both living out our childhood dreams. Happy anniversary O, love you big (🐶)

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Owenpower_ I love doing life with you❤️

Ynkicksballs no one I’d rather do this shit with

Brendanbrisson he talked about nothing but you for weeks

Owenpower_ you were just jealous I’d met her before you (she wouldn’t go for you anyway)

C_sinc12 ah to be young & in love

Fan46 so cute!!

Umichhockey soccer 🤝 hockey

Umichwsoccer power couple right there. Happy to have contributed

Jacobtruscott his sewer game got infinitely better because of you

Owenpower_ lots of keepy uppies were practiced

Kentjohnson keepy uppies is a fun word

Ynkicksballs you’re a very simple man Kent

HockeyCanada Mr & mrs canada

Canadasoccer the Canadian sports couple

Xx

[futfemfantasies]

Aussie love - Hayley Raso x reader

Request: For hayley raso one say reader travels from Australia too Manchester to watch haykey play maybe she could be just a fan at first and hayley sees reader in the crowd with a australia top with raso on it so hayley goes and introduce her self  and asks reader out and on there dare she kisses reader obviously reader is Australian 

I kind of went a little bit over board with this one so bare with me 😅

Today is the day you finally get to see your favourite soccer team play. Your best friend and you have travelled from Australia for a soccer tour, as you both like to call it. You have bought many tickets to various WSL and premier league games over the month you are there. You and your best friend head out early in the freezing cold to grab breakfast and do a bit of sightseeing before the game. You both decide to eat the local cafe you have grown to love. When you walk in you tell your friend that you’ll get a table. As you sit down, you didn’t notice a familiar ribbon wearing soccer player in the corner. Throughout your breakfast, you didn’t recognise the brunette but you caught her eye several times. Later on, it was getting close to game time so your friend and you decided to head to the field.

After getting through the long lines, you get to your seats and are satisfied with the seat selection your friend chose. You hear the announcer call out the Man City team and you cheer along with the rest of the crowd as they come onto the field. You start taking pictures of the team, focussing on one player in particular. Next the Everton team come out and a small amount of cheers is heard. The two captains shake hands and they pick where their team is starting from. The ref blows the whistle and the game begins. Everton is putting up a good fight but Manchester City are just too good. First Mary Fowler scores a goal then 15 minutes later, your favourite player scores. You scream a tad louder than everyone else and she looked over with a smile.

The end of the game comes around and the Manchester players come around the sign shirts and posters. You get some selfies with other players before your favourite comes in front of you. Hayley greets you and smiles wide when she recognises your accent. Hayley’s signs the back of your jersey and writes something extra on there. You pull down your hoodie and turn back around to see Hayley get told to move onto the people around you. After all the players leave, you and your friend walk out and back to the hotel a block away.

Back in the hotel room, you take off your hoodie and you hear your best friend gasp. You ask her what’s wrong and she said to look at the back of your jersey. You take off your shirt since you have another underneath and turn the jersey around to see the short message written in the most beautiful handwriting.

(Phone number) text me gorgeous xx

Your mouth goes wide and you race to grab your phone. You text Hayley and send a photo of your jersey so she doesn’t think you’re a stalker. Over the next couple of days you two text and call each other, until Hayley asks you out. You immediately say yes and you realise you have no date worthy clothes with you. You go shopping for the next few hours and race back to the hotel to get ready. Your friend does your makeup and hair and as you slip on your shoes, you get a text that says…

Hey gorgeous, I’m in the lobby xx

You squeal like a little girl and your friend rushes you out the door. The whole way down to the lobby you are freaking out. You wipe you hands on your dress pants and take a deep breath. The elevator doors open and you walk out looking around to find Hayley. You spot her looking down at her phone so you send her a text and she looks up with the biggest grin on her face. We give each other a hug then we walk out to her car. A few hours later and you being very over dressed for laser tag and bowling, you arrive back to your hotel. Hayley offers to take you back to your room because she claims “it’s late at night and I don’t want anything bad to happen to you”. You reach your door and Hayley holds your waist and pulls you towards her slightly. She holds your cheek and starts to lean in. You two share what will be your first kiss of many.

After that first date, you went to the next few City games over the coming weeks and surprised Hayley each time. Unfortunately, it was the last game you could go to until you had to fly back home. Hayley knew this and promised to make this game a showstopper. Throughout both halves of the game, Hayley scored two goals and both times pointed to you and made a heart with her hands. This little gesture made you blush and you friend nudged and teased you to no end. The game ended with City winning 4-0 and Hayley makes a beeline to you after shaking the players hands. 

“You played amazing” You say as you give Hayley a tight hug. 

“Only for you” Hayley replies as you both pull away with both of your faces centimetres from each others.

“Can I kiss you?” Hayley asks. 

“You don’t ever have to ask”

You both share a quick yet loving kiss, causing some fans around you to cheer. You pull back and you’re smiling like a kid with ice cream.  

“Where’s your friend?” You look beside you and realise your friend isn’t next to you. You look around and notices she’s talking to Alanna. 

“She’s occupied” Hayley follows where you’re looking and laughs when Alanna is flirting with your friend. 

A few days later, it’s time for you to fly back to Australia but little does Hayley know you’ll be back very soon and permanently. Your friend extended her holiday and you and Hayley think it’s because of Alanna. Hayley pulls up to the airport parking area and you don’t move. You feel a squeeze on your thigh and look at Hayley as she gives you a sad smile.

“Come on babe, I’ll come in with you” You try to hide your smile at the pet name but fail terribly.

You grab your bags and you two walk in hand in hand into the airport. You know Hayley can’t go passed security without a ticket but she stays with you for as long as she can. You walk up to the check in line and wait with the other 20 or so people there. Hayley brings up the dreaded conversation of what you two are going to do with the distance and all. 

“Well actually, we don’t have to worry about that” 

Hayley gives you a confused look and you explain that the company you work for is expanding to London and need some people to help set it up. Hayley smiles widely and hugs you tight. 

“Congratulations! That’s amazing news. When are you coming back?”

“In a month or so”

As you both inch forward in the line, you stand behind Hayley with your arms around her waist. She leans back into you and your chin rests on her head. You have an idea in your head but are tossing up whether right now is the best time to do it. 

“I can’t go on this flight without knowing that you’re mine. Will you be my girlfriend?” You whisper in Hayley’s ear and she immediately turns around and kisses you.

“I thought you’d never ask” 

[daenystheedreamer]

I hope this isn't offensive but Aussies watch NFL? <3

yes but its definitely a younger thing and not at all as much as other sports and i checked and there IS a minor gridiron (what we call american football) governing body here but they're pretty small and id never heard of them till now 💀

its cos we have AFL (australian football league) that plays aussie rules football. we're kinda like the usa in that we have our own kind of football and therefore call 'football' soccer. also honestly your football is SOOO pussy omg you guys wear pads and helmets? look at our glorious boys climbing all over each other sling tackling shoving each other in short shorts and jerseys and nothing else REAL MEN!!!

and our beautiful ball with the maccas logo on it. in terms of sports popularity in australia it goes AFL, cricket, rugby, soccer, tennis as the top 5, then basketball netball and maybe formula one. the MCG (melbourne cricket ground) is where all the big sports stuff is held and traffic and public transport is an absolute nightmare when there are games (i lived in melbourne which is THE home of the afl, since the afl used to be just for the state of victoria (vfl) which is where melbourne is)

HOWEVER. we are probably comparitavely one of the bigger non-american fans of american football, i checked and the superbowl had ~a million viewers. australians love sports and tv and ESPECIALLY gambling lol

[sportscentreau]

Essential Maintenance Tips for Keeping Your Sports Clothing in Top Condition

Sports apparel is not just a piece of garment, as a sports person it signifies your identity. A soccer jersey of Australia that has your name and jersey number has a lot of sentiments attached to it. You will love to maintain it in its top condition, but playing on a rough field and strong training can be tough for your clothes.

Make time and space and whenever possible, air-dry your Australia sportswear. Protect the elastic fibres and shrink the factory from the high heat of the dryer.

Cricket shirts in Australia or any other sportswear, must be attached to you sentimentally. Follow these steps at all three stages and keep your sportswear shining the same for the longest time possible. To know more, read the full blog: https://medium.com/@sportscentreau01/essential-maintenance-tips-for-keeping-your-sports-clothing-in-top-condition-362e8ef19316 

[aus-wnt]

Alanna Kennedy: ‘It was the hardest day of my footballing career’

As a female soccer player on a national team, there is no bigger stage than on a pitch at the FIFA Women’s World Cup. But after being sidelined by a concussion, Matildas star defender Alanna Kennedy could only watch last month’s semi-final from her hotel room. As she reflects on the team’s history-making run and looks ahead to charting the way forward for women’s sport in Australia, Kennedy tells Stellar, “For a lot of people, the Matildas are just arriving on the scene. It feels like the start of our journey”

The Matildas had two goals they wanted to achieve at last month’s FIFA Women’s World Cup. The first was to win the whole thing. The second was to inspire a generation.

The first one didn’t quite come off, even if they did manage an epic run to become the first Australian soccer team in history to make a World Cup semi-final. Once there, they couldn’t get past the might of England. As for the second? Regardless of claiming any silverware, they certainly managed that.

Matildas jerseys have outsold Socceroos jerseys, thousands of fans swarmed the team’s hotels and airports to show support and a record 11.15 million Australians tuned into the broadcast of that semi-final, making it the most-watched television program since the TV ratings system started in 2001.

In a cruel twist of fate, star defender Alanna Kennedy was one of them. Just hours before the game, Kennedy – who made her Matildas debut at 17 and has played more than 100 games for Australia – was ruled out of playing in the biggest game of her career because of a concussion she’d sustained in a head clash with French striker Eugénie Le Sommer days earlier. Her symptoms were so heightened that she couldn’t even make it to the game to watch from the sidelines.

“I’ve never watched the Matildas play on TV,” Kennedy tells Stellar, the emotion evident in her voice. “We saw from a distance the impact we were having and the amount of people who were getting behind us. As a player you want to be involved in those big games. If I’m being honest with you, it was the hardest day of my footballing career. I watched from the hotel room. I didn’t even make it to the stadium.”

Her disappointment aside, the 28-year-old – who also plays for Manchester City in England and had already overcome a horror year of injuries to make it into the World Cup squad – says she came away with a unique understanding of how thoroughly the team had managed to transform its standing with the Australian public.

“It was an interesting one, to watch the pre-game and see all the people flooding into fan zones to support us. To watch it through the lens of an Australian supporter was really cool. Outside of my hotel window I could see the fan zone. And watching the fans watch the game was surreal.”

A month on from the team’s fourth place finish at the tournament, Kennedy believes it’s still too soon to fully comprehend all the team has achieved. “I look back on it with a lot of happy memories but then you revisit the moments where we lost certain games or we came so close but just fell short. Right when the nation was getting behind us and we were creating history and ready to create more, we lost the last two games,” she says. “But I also feel relieved. It’s a long time to be in such a high-pressure environment, and there are just so many emotions that you go through from here on a day-to-day basis.”

As an experienced player, Kennedy is already well-known in soccer circles, but there has been a dramatic shift in those who now recognise her in the street. Walking through an airport recently, she was spotted by a woman with three children in tow who approached to ask for a photo. “I thought, OK, she’s going to ask for the kids to get in – but it was for her,” Kennedy says, laughing at the memory.

“It has been a real change in people wanting photos more regularly. It’s little boys as well, and I love that. The demographic is so broad. That’s what football is about. It’s the world game. It’s a very inclusive space.

A lot of players are a part of the LGBTQIA+ community and I think this tournament has also brought attention to that. There are so many things that are bigger than football.

So to be a part of that moment is something that I’ll be grateful for. I’ll never forget the experience that we had at this World Cup.”

However, alongside the added attention came some uncomfortable intrusions into the players’ personal lives. A fan’s “WoSo Chart” that detailed the hundreds of queer relationships in the pro soccer world went viral during the tournament. Some criticised it as an unnecessary invasion of privacy.

As for Kennedy, she just wants the attention to stay on her playing ability.

“It’s slightly different for someone who wants to share those things and that’s how they create their profile,” she points out. “But I think at the core for us is that we’re footballers first. That’s my passion. I like to express myself through fashion and my tattoos and jewellery, but for me, I have my circle of close friends and family and that’s so important to me. It’s hard when people delve into things that you’re not particularly willing to share. It’s important to protect our space so that we can focus on what’s really important, which is our football.”

Kennedy is doing just that, having spent a mere week in Australia post-tournament before flying to the UK to start training with Manchester City, where she plays alongside fellow Matildas star Mary Fowler. And she has nearly recovered from her concussion.

“My game heavily revolved around using my head. It’s probably one of my biggest strengths, my aerial ability. I’ve never experienced a concussion before [the World Cup] and for a couple of days I was unsure exactly what I was feeling. I was nauseous. I wasn’t myself,” she tells Stellar. “I’m pretty close to [feeling] normal now, if not back to normal, which I’m really grateful for because it’s not a nice feeling. No-one likes to feel distant from their normal selves.”

Kennedy is also eager to reunite with her teammates – or, as she calls them, “my best mates” – in October in Perth, where they hope to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. But they’re also looking beyond next year.

“For a lot of people, the Matildas are just arriving on the scene and it feels like the start of our journey; we’ve gained a lot of traction and fans and support, and hopefully that can continue moving forward for the Matildas and women’s sport. [But] our goal hasn’t changed from wanting to win a World Cup, wanting to win an Olympics,” she says, adding that the players have been working towards those goals for their entire careers. “We have so many goals and ambitions that we’re yet to fulfil and I think we have the potential to. Now we just have more people supporting us and on the journey with us.

“You can’t look past how much of an impact the team has had across the nation,” she adds. “I was disappointed with how my World Cup ended, but then I look back, and at one point I was working really hard to even be in the squad. It’s all about perspective. I’m just super proud.”

[magdasabs]

Nathalie Björn about the football World Cup, the girlfriend and the dream of becoming a pathologist

As a warm-up for the soccer World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, we meet national team star Nathalie Björn, who talks about the blue-yellow golden chances, everyday life in Liverpool with teammate and life partner Aurora Galli - as well as the secret dream of becoming obducent.

It's a homecoming hero settling down with a cappuccino in the flourishing Josef Frank armchair. We'll meet at Soho House in Stockholm, the international members' club housed in a top-renovated old Methodist church on a discreet back street in Östermalm. Nathalie Björn is on a temporary visit to Sweden to forge golden plans with the rest of the Swedish national team squad.

- I want a gold medal. That's just the way it is, says the 26-year-old defender with a smile.

Nathalie Björn in a jacket from Tiger of Sweden. Necklace, Enamel Copenhagen

Nathalie has just been named Player of the Year after her second season at Everton, an award that feels extra honorable as it is her teammates who have voted for her. The big club finished in sixth place in the English Women's Super League, but instead of a long well-deserved holiday, it was just a matter of changing the Everton jersey for the blue-yellow national team uniform and heading home to Sweden for the preparations for the World Cup in New Zealand and Australia.

- It still feels good to get a short breather at home before we go on to the WC. I have a few days now where I can disconnect from football and feel normal before I recharge mentally for New Zealand and Australia.

Easy to forget that I'm actually living the dream

The Swedish national team has been among the top in the world since the end of the 90s and continues to be at the forefront even when the general development in women's football has caught up and more national teams have become increasingly better. In last year's European Championships, Nathalie and the rest of Blågult made it to the semi-finals where they went out against the host nation England. In this summer's world championships, they are hungry for revenge and have great chances for a medal.

- You are so strict with yourself and just want to move on all the time. It's easy to forget that I'm actually living the dream. I represent Sweden in front of packed stadiums, which I dreamed of when I was little. Stepping out of the players' tunnel in front of all the blue and yellow supporters and singing the national anthem together with the best players in Sweden is the best feeling in the world. Nothing beats the pride you feel then.

Playing against the roommate in the football World Cup

The fact that the football World Cup is played down under means that we in Sweden get to follow many of the matches for breakfast, sometimes with kick-off as early as seven o'clock Swedish time. The fact that Sweden ended up in the same group as Italy also means that Nathalie is face to face with her partner Aurora Galli , the Italian midfielder with whom she plays everyday at Everton.

Nathalie Björn and partner Aurora Galli. "It was love at first sight."

Photo: Nathalie Björn/Private

- She signed for Everton at the same time as me, but came to the club earlier because I played in the Olympics in Tokyo. It sounds so corny, but it was love at first sight. I had never had a girlfriend before. I knew I was drawn to personalities whether they were boys or girls, but I had only had boyfriends before. When I came to England I had just broken up with a guy and suddenly I met Aurora and felt it was more than just friendship. It was just such a strong feeling and so it became us. Now we have been together for a year and a half.

Everton FC is based in Liverpool, the classic working-class city in the north of England that gave us both The Beatles and the latest Eurovision Song Contest with Loreen as the winner.

- I like Liverpool. It is an old harbor town, so it is always close to the water, which creates a nice atmosphere. It is a nice town with many good restaurants and shops.

Nathalie and Aurora live in the Liverpool suburb of Huyton in a typical British two-storey red brick house.

- It looks exactly as you imagine. A British terraced house with carpet everywhere except in the bathroom, and a small scrub under the stairs like in Harry Potter where we threw in shoes and bags and all sorts of crap. Outside there is a small garden with artificial grass and a fence.

Nathalie Björn in a dress from Dagmar. Earrings, Pilgrim. Photo: Sanna Dahlén

British suburban life is set in stone, not least for an elite level footballer.

- I won't say it's boring, but it's the same thing all the time. The alarm clock rings just after eight, then we register the day's form via an app on the phones. There you enter how much you have slept or if you have calf pain. When it's finished and sent to the club, we fall asleep again and sleep for another hour or so. At ten o'clock there is breakfast at the training facility, which is ten minutes from home. Classic English breakfast with white beans in tomato sauce, toast, eggs, fried tomato and mushrooms. Afterwards, we warm up with various exercises before going out and practicing football for an hour and a half. Then we shower, eat lunch, work out in the gym, shower again and go home at two. We have a match on Sundays, then it could be the bus down to London and stay there one night in a hotel. We are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. That's what life looks like.

Dreaming of a big house in Sweden

Nathalie and Aurora are, to say the least, a high-achieving couple who represent their respective home countries in football when they are not playing side by side in one of England's most storied clubs. Despite that, or maybe because of that, they talk about everything but football when they get home.

- It happens that we discuss football in the car on the way home from training, but when we get home we want to talk about other things. It's really nice.

In addition to the house in Liverpool, which the couple rents from the football club, Nathalie has just bought an apartment in her childhood city of Uppsala.

- I want to have my own home in Sweden. A fixed point. I'm so tired of living in a suitcase or in a guest room with mom or dad, especially when you're used to living on your own.

Nathalie grew up in the district of Årsta in Uppsala. Mother worked in elderly care and father was a plumber. The parents divorced early and Nathalie was an only child for a long time, but today she has younger siblings on both her mother's and father's side. It was her father who got her to start playing football at the age of four.

Nathalie Björn in a sweater from Adnym Atelier. Trousers, Baum und Pferdgarten. Earrings, Pilgrim and Glitter. Loafers, Vagabond. Photo: Sanna Dahlén

- He was an old footballer himself and made me invest in football instead of dancing, even though I still love to dance. Dad often visits England and has been to all the championships, except the Olympics in Tokyo when we played without an audience due to the pandemic. Mother doesn't have time to come as often, but she is there as often as she can. Both mum and dad are very proud of me. I really feel that.

In the future, Nathalie dreams of a big house in Sweden and another one in Italy.

- I'm not so much in favor of burning money on sports cars, but I want to save up and build my own house near my family and friends. The dream is to have a house in Uppsala and a house in Italy. Maybe in Tromello where the girl is from, it's a small village in northern Italy, an hour outside of Milan. The girl says you can't have two houses because it costs too much money, but we'll see.

Any plans for children lie further ahead and are not as straightforward as for the colleagues on the men's side who can let wives, girlfriends and nannies do the grunt work. Nathalie glances at how her older national team mates solve that part.

- Right now I don't want children, but one day. I have no idea how long I will play football. Caroline Seger is 38 and Hedvig Lindahl 40, so there is a lot of time left. It can be difficult to start a family during your career. If you could do like Elin Rubensson and have children and then come back to the national team, it would be awesome. Also, I'm with a girl, which can also prolong the process, so I have no idea. Regardless, it's marriage that counts first and foremost, my girl jokes. She is Italian and traditional. But there is no stress.

Nathalie Björn lives in a terraced house in Liverpool with her girlfriend and teammate Aurora Galli. Photo: Sanna Dahlén / Sanna Dahlén

Expected to have an opinion like a football player

The football world is more politically charged than ever. Last year's controversial men's World Cup in Qatar was more about politics than football and was marred by protests, boycotts and wild debates. When it became clear earlier this year that rainbow colored captain's armbands will also be banned during the women's soccer World Cup this summer, just like for the men in Qatar, the debate flared up again. Although the discussions make sense and it's never wrong to use your platform to highlight important issues, the idea of ​​football as a non-political arena can feel more attractive than ever. As a player, it is not enough to spend all your waking hours pushing your body and psyche to the limit in order to be the best, but you also have to have an opinion about rainbow bandages and the gender pay gap, and be fully educated about how small desert nations stand on human rights.

Nathalie Björn in the national team jersey. Photo: FREDRIK JONASSON / STELLA PICTURES

- You are always expected to have an opinion, especially as a female footballer, but sometimes you don't. Most recently, it was the rainbow ties and the prize money in the World Cup that people were talking about. Often you haven't even reflected on these political things and try to answer as best you can. Then it looks as if you are whining in the media.

Managing the media is difficult. British tabloid press is notorious and Nathalie steeled herself before moving to a country as football-crazy as England, but today she feels that British media are far more stimulating than the Swedish ones.

- You always hear that the British press is so terrible, but I feel that they are much nicer than the Swedish media. Even if we win, there will often be complaints afterwards, critical questions asked and negative views. Perhaps it is typically Swedish. We are celebrated in a completely different way in England.

Nathalie Björn in top from Viktoria Chan. Pants, Teurn Studios. Jewelry, Nootka. Slippers, Birkenstock.

Nathalie Björn in top from Viktoria Chan. Pants, Teurn Studios. Jewelry, Nootka. Slippers, Birkenstock. Photo: Sanna Dahlén

When Nathalie is not playing soccer, she wallows in blood and murder. Crime series such as Criminal minds , True detective and Mindhunter replace each other in front of the TV sofa at home in Liverpool and the interest in murder mysteries does not stop there.

- I studied forensic psychology to learn how the brain of a serial killer works. It was part of the course to attend a trial, so I brought Caroline Seger with me when we both played in Rosengård. It was a drug case where a guy had been smoking weed and we happened to be late. All eyes turned to us as we stepped into the minimal courtroom. The perpetrator and the prosecutors understood nothing: What the hell is the Swedish national team doing here? It was so stiff.

Dreaming of becoming a pathologist

The 26-year-old has a secret plan B for the day it's time to put the football boots on the shelf.

- I have a strange dream and it is to become a pathologist. I want to be able to say: Okay, this is the cause of death. I don't know if I want to be a pathologist, but I definitely could have been a nurse and then an assistant medical examiner. I've looked that up a bit, and it's only a three-year degree.

Nathalie Björn looks out over the grand hall at Soho House, bathed in the kaleidoscopic summer light of the church windows.

- But first I have to win the WC.

The Swedish national soccer team showed its support for Iran's women at an international match against France last fall. Back row from left: Nathalie Björn, Amanda Ilestedt, Zećira Mušović, Stina Blackstenius, Lina Hurtig and Magdalena Eriksson. Front row from left: Filippa Angeldahl, Elin Rubensson, Kosovare Asllani, Olivia Schough and Jonna Andersson. Photo: BJÖRN LARSSON ROSVALL/TT / TT NEWS AGENCY

[goalhofer]

2024 olympians representing non country of residence part 1

USA: Jaime Czarkowski, swimming (Calgary, Alberta); Catalina Gnoriega, archery (Mexicali, Mexico); Colin Heathcock, fencing (Beijing, China) & Jennifer Mucino-Fernandez (Ciudad Mexico, Mexico) Afghanistan: Kamia Yousufi, athletics (Mashhad, Iran) Albania: Chermen Valiev, wrestling (Moscow, Russia) Algeria: Saoussen Boudiaf, fencing (Roubaix, France); Mehdi Bouloussa, table tennis (Saint-Denis, France); Carole Bouzidi, canoeing (Paris, France); Messaoud Dris, judo (Paris, France); Zohra Kehli, fencing (Bagnolet, France); Koceila Mammeri, badminton (Lyon, France); Tanina Mammeri, badminton (Lyon, France) & Kaylia Nemour (Saint-Benoît-La-Forêt, France) Antigua & Barbuda: Ellie Shaw, swimming (Fairfax County, Virginia) & Tiger Tyson, sailing (Auckland, New Zealand) Argentina: Pascual Di Tella, fencing (Brooklyn, New York); Emiliano Grillo, golf (San Diego, California); Nadia Podoroska, tennis (Alicante, Spain); Alejandro Tosti, golf (Gainesville, Florida) & Rocco Ríos-Novo, soccer (Los Angeles, California) Aruba: Philip Elhage, shooting (Willemstad, Curaçao) & Just Van Aanholt, sailing (Willemstad, Curaçao) Australia: Alex De Minaur, tennis (Alicante, Spain); Thaisa Erwin, equestrian (Middleburg, Virginia); Raphaelle Gauthier, swimming (Montreal, Quebec); Daniel Golubovic, athletics (Manhattan Beach, California); Min Jee, table tennis (Seoul, South Korea); Miloš Maksimović, water polo (Novi Sad, Serbia); Jacob Merčep, water polo (Dubrovnik, Croatia); Kathryn Mitchell, athletics (Monte Carlo, Monaco); Georgii Okorokov, wrestling (Yakutsk, Russia); Hilary Scott, equestrian (Valkenswaard, The Netherlands); Ajla Tomljanović, tennis (Boca Raton, Florida); Josh Turner, rugby (Hamilton, New Zealand); Samantha Whitcomb, basketball (Ventura, California) & Joshua Yong; swimming (Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei) Austria: Lorena Abicht, sailing (Hamburg, Germany); Valentin Bontus, sailing (Poetto, Italy); Alina Kornelli, sailing (Munich, Germany); Lukas Mähr, sailing (Eichenzell, Germany); Elisabeth Straka, archery (Hamburg, Germany) & Josef Straka, golf (Vestavia Hills, Alabama) Azerbaijan: Tiffany Hayes, basketball (Winter Haven, Florida); Uşangi Kokauri, judo (Gori, Georgia); Zelym Kotsoiev, judo (Vladikavkaz, Russia); Magomedkhan Magomedov, wrestling (Aleksandriskaya, Russia); Georgi Meshvildishvili, wrestling (Tbilisi, Georgia); Alexandra Mollenhauer, basketball (Lindale, Texas); Mariya Stadnyk, wrestling (Lviv, Ukraine) & Marcedes Walker, basketball (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Bahrain: Amani Al-Obaidli, swimming (Brisbane, Australia); Tigist Gashaw-Beday, athletics (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia); Askerbii Gerbekov, judo (Roscha, Russia); Gor Minasyan, weightlifting (Gyumri, Armenia); Lesman Paredes (Buenaventura, Colombia) & Akhmed Tazhudinov (Gergebil, Russia) Belgium: Thomas Detry, golf (Dubai, U.A.E.); Adrien Dumont-De Chassart, golf (St. Johns County, Florida) & Delphine Nkansa, athletics (Paris, France) Benin: Valentin Houinato, judo (Sainte-Geneviève-Des-Bois, France) & Alex Kpade, swimming (Le Havre, France) Bermuda: Dara Alizadeh, rowing (Brookline, Massachusetts) & Erica Hawley, triathlon (Boulder, Colorado) Bolivia: Esteban Núñez, swimming (Antibes, France) Brazil: Nicolas Albiero, swimming (Louisville, Kentucky); Angelina Costantino, soccer (Jersey City, New Jersey); Laura De Andrade, tennis (Barcelona, Spain); Tatiana Dos Santos, surfing (Kauai County, Hawaii); Camilla Gluckstein, gymnastics (Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey); Nathalie Mollhausen, fencing (Milan, Italy); Thiago Monteiro, tennis (Buenos Aires, Argentina); Rodrigo Pessoa, equestrian (Wilton, Connecticut); Luana Silva, surfing (Honolulu County, Hawaii); Felipe Toledo, surfing (San Clemente, California) & Thiago Wild, tennis (Buenos Aires, Argentina) British Virgin Islands: Adaejah Hodge, athletics (Douglasville, Georgia) Brunei: Hayley Wong, swimming (Pudong, China) Bulgaria: Aik Mnatsakarian, wrestling (Akhalkalaki, Georgia); Kevin Penev, gymnastics (Penfield, New York) & Magomed Ramazanov, wrestling (Khasavyurtovsky, Russia)

[dylan-duke]

jj absolutley gets caught in australia wearing a jersey of adam’s

she wears this Michigan shirt literally all the time and for the longest time the gals just think it’s her shirt that she obsessed with

but then they notice that it says hockey instead of soccer and the number 19 instead of 10

and they’re all like ??? And JJ just gets flushed and has this little smile on her face

[dragonstepp]

Miscellaneous

How many of you have ever heard of the Irish singer Tommy Fleming? I love a good tenor, and Tommy is one of the best Irish tenors I have ever heard. I am sitting here listening to one of his CDs named Voice of Home II, a CD I have listened to quite a lot. Among songs he has the Halleluja by Leonard Cohen, which he shares with Mark Vincent, a great operatic/religious singer from Australia, and while he sings the first verse in English, Mark sings the second verse in Latin, Tommy sings the third verse in Irish Gaelic, and they duet the fourth verse together. Other songs on this double CD include World in Unison, a song for the Irish soccer team, and You're the Voice from another singer from Australia, about we the people getting out and fighting for the right rather than just leave it to someone else. I also have heard Celine Dion sing that song in duet with the original singer, also from Australia and damned if I can think of his name, on UTube. Tommy also sings the song Hard Times which is a song he is famous for, though it has been covered by many Irish singers. I was fascinated to note that in the many remembrances on TV yesterday for September 11 (2001) that the pipe band in NYC were wearing kilts and playing Hard Times in the ceremony.

Have any of you ever read Funny Times, a publication from Cleveland OH? It is a very liberal newsletter and full of funny comics and blogs. Andy Borowitz is one of the regular writers, and it is full of funny stuff, especially against "our" Republican politicians. This latest edition, in News of the Weird, has a blurb about hawks attacking folks in South Austin. This is where I live, and just lately I have been hearing about Austin, especially about Sam on this site. Seems he has a new girlfriend (or does he) who lives in Austin (and there sure a lot of people who like to speculate about Sam's love life here. I did not go and see him when he was here on the 10th of Austin. First of all, I was not interested in standing (or sitting on my 3-wheel scooter) in the heat here. Frankly, I did not think my sitting on a scooter would go over well inside a liquor store, nor did I want him to see me in my 82-yo body and face among all the many ladies who were waiting to see him for a few seconds, but I was aware he was here.

Today I watched a couple of Humphrey Bogart movies I have on DVD, then Jersey Boys, I really did like The Four Seasons and the movie about them is good. I also earliers watched movie called Hollywood Canteen, a true story about actors in Hollywood during WW II, and was rather nostalgic with all the movie stars, and remembering I should have been among them, if both my parents hadn't refused to pay for my tuition to the Pasadena Playhouse of Performing Arts. I often think how life might have different if I had gotten my wish to be a movie star - better? maybe. But maybe not, just different sins.

And now I am finishing off my day with the Tommy Fleming double CD. So I have not been bored today.

One other laugh I just had. One of the cartoons in Funny Times shows an airplane flying downward, and then upside down, and then straightening up, and a person telling someone else to turn on the Airplane Mode on their cell phone. You have heard me talk about technology going just a bit too far, especially with cell phones, and I just burst out laughing and am cutting it out and putting it on my fridge.

Love to you all,

Be happy,

Carol in Austin