With so many of the events of the London Olympics starting in the early hours, local time, it’s just as well I had the foresight to stock up the SSG Manor tea shelf with enough British teabags to see me through the early starts of the next couple of weeks.  Though technically, the Twinings I have was packed in China or Poland, according to the box.

I was a bit slow off the mark waking up for the 6.30am start of the opening ceremony  on account of being up way past my bed time last night having dinner and watching Magic Mike with some lovely ladies who twitter.

Mr SSG didn’t really need that elaborate an explanation about the movie to be honest.  When Friday Night Footy is on the cards, I think he was just relieved he didn’t have to go and see it with me. Interestingly there were quite a few men in the audience in a rather full cinema. In case you were wondering, the loudest people in the audience were the older ladies in the back rows.  And they were most vocal during the ‘male revue’ scenes.  Which weren’t as cringe worthy as I thought they would be. I’m one of those people who finds plenty to do in the kitchen at hens’ involving men in G-strings but the sequences in Magic Mike were actually quite witty, cleverly choreographed and well… fun to watch.

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Magic Mike was good fun.  Aside from seeing the very, very, very toned cast in the previews, I really didn’t know what to expect of the film.  In essence, Magic Mike explores the world of male revue and the impact of the easy money / hard partying lifestyle on young men who drift into the job without thinking too hard about the future.  At the centre of the plot are two young and hunky men who enter the industry to get what they can out of it but find themselves falling victim to the drug scene that is as much a part of the lifestyle as alcohol and random sex.

Channing Tatum’s character, Mike has ambitions beyond being a stripper for the rest of his life and saves the considerable amount of cash he finds in his G-string at the end of his performances towards starting his own business.  In contrast, Adam (Alex Pettyfer), doesn’t have much expectation beyond living for the moment and partying hard with the cash he makes.

Being of a certain vintage myself (a bit younger than the back row ladies), my favourite cast member was Dallas (Matthew McConaughey), the manager/boss of the group.  McConaughey was obviously having great fun in his role as he slithered around in leather chaps, gyrated in tight lycra and generally played the antithesis of his rom-com persona in the Kate Hudson movies.  He just nailed the outwardly charming / inwardly cold and calculating persona of Dallas and it was an enjoyable performance to watch.

Washing up in the kitchen the morning after Magic Mike, I found myself craving the kind of greasy fry up breakfast I’m sure Dallas and the crew would also be in need of after a hard night’s entertaining – a bacon and egg roll.  Made with orangic eggs and smoked bacon, of course.

Nothing cuts through a cold winter’s morning like the smell of frying bacon, the sizzling of eggs or those pops in the pool of oil that invariably accompanies a fry up.

Orange juice is the only thing to drink with a bacon and egg roll, as far as I’m concerned.

Thanks to the wonder that is Foxtel iQ, I had the Opening Ceremony recorded and ready to roll over breakfast.  Danny Boyle did an amazing job of referencing so many disparate elements of British history in his vision for London 2012.  The challenges of trying to appeal to and engage an audience of millions would be overwhelming and I think there will always be parts of the entertainment that appeal more to some and less to others.  But I appreciate that Boyle just didn’t focus on the easy and ‘fun’ themes of music, theatre and popular culture and included segments dedicated to the NHS, the bombings and the industrial revolution.

That being said, my favourite moments were definitely from the cinematic elements of the presentation.

Daniel Craig as James Bond escorting the Queen to her helicopter.

The Royal Corgis trotting in the wake of Craig and the Queen almost stole the show.

And Rowan Atkinson as Mr Bean providing some virtuoso keyboard skills as he was accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra.

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The Duchess wore a fitted suit to the Opening Ceremony which means I’ll be pulling out of my original plan of channelling her for wardrobe inspiration for the time being.  Baby bump SSG doesn’t seem to be feeling the fitted waist look at the moment.

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I took full advantage of my early start with the television (and the remote) and finally got around to watching Edwina and Patsy’s Olympic special.  I think that if even Patsy herself had a near death experience with Spanx type under garments then the rest of us should take heed and not bother wearing them.

Still on the Olympics.  Stephanie Rice is competing early tomorrow morning (5am!?!?!) so I’d best get myself organised now with programming it all on Foxtel iQ.

Bye for now,