Page background images... opinions?

I'm curious if the background image in a new template that I am tweaking a bit looks OK.  Not so much the image itself, but the behavior of it.

I am using a jquery function to resize an inline image in the page body, so that it always fills the screen, regardless of the screen resolution, or zoom level of the browser.  The main thing I like about it, is that it works in just about any browser.  One thing I have noticed, is that while browsing from one page to another, the image 'jumps' a bit as the page is loading.  It bugs me a bit, when things aren't perfect, but I'd really like others opinions on exactly how annoying the image jumping is when browsing pages.  It doesn't happen all the time... I've noticed it most when navigating from the join page to the home page.

If anyone has the time to browse around, and give me an opinion as to whether this is annoying, or whether I am just being too picky, I'd appreciate it.  You can have a look here: http://houstonlively.com/index.php?skin=rox

In the future, this can be done with CSS3, with some background properties.  It can actually be done now with Firefox, Chrome, and Safari.  The css method in Opera is a little flaky, and per-usual, the css3 method is not currently supported in IE.  When the new css3 background properties work properly in all browsers, I'll use them, but for now the jquery solution was the only way I could get cross browser compatibility.

It looks Great HL!

I checked multiple pages, and i didnt see it jump, I was using firefox.

The color scheme was great! wasn't to busy, and wasn't just plain!

And the Chalkboard chalk for the font fit perfect!

Thanks for sharing!

Derrick

its a touch jerky, but not horribly annoying. is your cache on by chance? and if you are cached does it make a difference?

yeah i would find it annoying, but not near as annoying as the admin page menu bouncing all over the place. LOL

No.. I keep all caching turned off.  Once in a while I turn it back on just to remind myself why I keep it off.... it breaks css and js all over the place.

I might try preloading the image in the header, to see if it helps.

Update: Preloading image did nothing.

I think it's the image finishing the resizing request after the page is already visible. It's not terribly annoying but you're right, it could grate on you after a while. If you could find a way to force the image re-size to complete before the page displays, I think you could solve it

Thanks for the opinions... and confirming that is was annoying as all hell.  I changed it to the css3 method, which will work in most browsers, and the upcoming IE9.  I am noticing that even the css3 method behaves a little badly sometimes.