Well it's been a long time. I'm officially back from my longest hiatus since I began blogging, though who knows how long for. It's not even going to be a particularly long entry either. I have been aware of my lack of posting over the last seven months and the guilt has indeed got to me at times, though I just couldn't come up with anything convincing to blog about. And don't get excited, as this post definitely isn't about anything convincing. Rather, I'll just feel a bit better about myself if I finally write something.
Looking back at the last few entries before I disappeared, I can see that once again the media's prediction of a boiling summer (see my post on 1st April) cursed us all and gave us yet another miserable July and August. Every year without fail. And for the record, whilst I'm blogging, I might as well state my prediction that we'll have another brutal winter - lots of snow over late December, Jan and Feb. Mark me on this in a few months time.
I'm nearly done I think. I'll include one mildly entertaining tidbit before I go. I added a girl from work on Facebook months ago and she never accepted my friend request. I'd met her and flirted with her quite a bit and was gagging to look at all her holiday snaps (read: bikini shots). I was reliably informed that she was single too, but it was a lost cause when she never accepted me. So I logged on to FB today and, for once, had a new notification. She had accepted my request, woohoo! My eyes drifted a couple of inches further down the screen so I could catch up on all the goss on my mini-feed... the very first line was an announcement that this girl was now in a relationship. AARGH! Why accept my friend request now you slut!!
Until next time.
Wednesday, 3 November 2010
Saturday, 10 April 2010
Beautiful Day
It's a beautiful day here in London and I'm delighted to say that I'm off work. I'm not suffering from last night's festivities, which included six pints of lager and a large kebab. So my tennis with Loz will hopefully be better than previously anticipated. After that we're meeting a few of the others for a civilised coffee like the yuppies we are, and who knows what after that.
I woke up this morning to find that I've been bitten... on my face. Not good. No scratching this one, no touching whatsoever in case it ends up scarring me and I look like Carlos Tevez for good. I'm hoping it will die down a bit, but at the moment it's pretty red and fresh. Ugh.
I woke up this morning to find that I've been bitten... on my face. Not good. No scratching this one, no touching whatsoever in case it ends up scarring me and I look like Carlos Tevez for good. I'm hoping it will die down a bit, but at the moment it's pretty red and fresh. Ugh.
Friday, 9 April 2010
Quick entry
I'm going to Watford with the boys tonight and right now I'm waiting for Simon to pick me up. I'm up for copious amounts of drink, but if we end up drifting anywhere near that Oceana shithole I'm off to get the tube home. I'm playing tennis with Lawrence at 12 tomorrow so it might be one of those occasions where I have to grind out a couple of sets, reeking of last night's hooch and struggling to swing the racket let alone get the ball in court. I can't wait.
Friday, 2 April 2010
Double shift tomorrow
I've just got in from work, where the heavens opened upon me just as I the staff bus dropped me off in the car park. I was exposed to the rain for about 1 minute as I ran across the monstrously big car park towards my car, and got duly DRENCHED.
To cheer me up, I have a double shift tomorrow, 0530 to 2230, which should be fun. Especially in a damp uniform.
I guess I should be going to bed about now, but I'm not remotely tired. Alarm set for 0400.
Night folks.
To cheer me up, I have a double shift tomorrow, 0530 to 2230, which should be fun. Especially in a damp uniform.
I guess I should be going to bed about now, but I'm not remotely tired. Alarm set for 0400.
Night folks.
Thursday, 1 April 2010
Dominated, but somehow drew
We all know what happened in the match last night so I won't bother writing about Barcelona's breathtaking display in the first 20 minutes. At 60 minutes and we were 2-0 down, I had that all-too-familiar sinking feeling that I'd experienced at the United game last year. Somehow the Arsenal managed to get themselves back into it though, and miraculously we're still in with a chance of qualifying next week.
Why is it so cold at the moment? I thought the weather had turned a corner. Over the last fortnight I've played tennis a number of times in shorts and t-shirt and was looking forward to April, the month which always has a heatwave and makes everyone start predicting the 'hottest summer ever'. Yesterday and today however have been bloody freezing. How is this? What is wrong with this place? And just to cap things off, yesterday I heard the first mention of a record-breakingly hot summer on the cards. Do the weather forecasters honestly think anyone is going to believe this? Three years on the trot they have said this, and all three years have been spectacularly wet, dark and depressing. I'd be more excited if I heard them predict a cold, miserable summer because in all probability it would turn out to be a scorching, unbearably hot August where the very old and the very young all perish and civil war erupts on the streets as the survivors fight for the remaining drops of water.
Until tomorrow.
Why is it so cold at the moment? I thought the weather had turned a corner. Over the last fortnight I've played tennis a number of times in shorts and t-shirt and was looking forward to April, the month which always has a heatwave and makes everyone start predicting the 'hottest summer ever'. Yesterday and today however have been bloody freezing. How is this? What is wrong with this place? And just to cap things off, yesterday I heard the first mention of a record-breakingly hot summer on the cards. Do the weather forecasters honestly think anyone is going to believe this? Three years on the trot they have said this, and all three years have been spectacularly wet, dark and depressing. I'd be more excited if I heard them predict a cold, miserable summer because in all probability it would turn out to be a scorching, unbearably hot August where the very old and the very young all perish and civil war erupts on the streets as the survivors fight for the remaining drops of water.
Until tomorrow.
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Arsenal v Barcelona tonight
It's the big day; Arsenal v Barcelona. I'm going to the Emirates with Alex (big thanks for the ticket mate) and Carl, and I think Daz and Loz are going to watch the match in a pub near the ground so we can meet up with them before and after. We're heading down a bit early so we can drain a couple of pints in a Gooner pub in Finsbury Park before ambling down to the ground - the weather is looking absolutely gash however so a soaking could well be on the cards for us. If the club wasn't encouraging people to wear red I'd definitely be wearing a waterproof jacket, though on this special occasion I'm going to have to wear the shirt... but if it's really chucking it down when I leave I might have to reconsider. Weatherwise it's a sobering comparison to last year where I remember going to the Emirates to watch the Villareal game in glorious sunshine donning jeans and t-shirt.
I'll have to let my 'no beer' diet slip today as it's just not the same going to the footy and not drinking pints of lager out of plastic cups in a packed boozer full of people you've never met before but feel like you're best mates with simply because they're in Arsenal shirts. The real challenge for me will be resisting the kebab or fried chicken later in the evening. Be strong J, and come on you Gunners.
I'll have to let my 'no beer' diet slip today as it's just not the same going to the footy and not drinking pints of lager out of plastic cups in a packed boozer full of people you've never met before but feel like you're best mates with simply because they're in Arsenal shirts. The real challenge for me will be resisting the kebab or fried chicken later in the evening. Be strong J, and come on you Gunners.
Monday, 29 March 2010
Sober night
Damn, I forgot to write an entry yesterday so failed in my ambition to provide daily material after only a couple of days! Not good enough. I have no excuse, it was just sheer laziness so apologies for that.
I just got back from the tennis club where I didn't drink alcohol. It was tough. The temptation was there, goading me every second to ignore my diet and just have one cheeky Magners. Which in all probability would have led to a second, and a third and so on and so on. Vodka and coke simply isn't in the same league as beer and cider in terms of refreshment so I didn't bother with that either. I was also tired from my early shift today and still feeling a bit jaded for some reason. It's been a pretty sobering week since I got back from Malaga and the annoying thing is I can't even put my finger on what it is that's actually hanging over me. Anyway, life goes on.
I just got back from the tennis club where I didn't drink alcohol. It was tough. The temptation was there, goading me every second to ignore my diet and just have one cheeky Magners. Which in all probability would have led to a second, and a third and so on and so on. Vodka and coke simply isn't in the same league as beer and cider in terms of refreshment so I didn't bother with that either. I was also tired from my early shift today and still feeling a bit jaded for some reason. It's been a pretty sobering week since I got back from Malaga and the annoying thing is I can't even put my finger on what it is that's actually hanging over me. Anyway, life goes on.
Saturday, 27 March 2010
Disappointing day of sport
A hugely disappointing result for Arsenal tonight, which I think finally puts an end to a spirited bash at the title. Twice we were written off earlier in the season and we clawed back an amazing amount of points. After we'd been beaten handsomely by United and Chelsea a few weeks back it was clear that if the Gooners were going to stand any chance of winning the league they'd have to win every remaining game. They got a nice winning streak going and even topped the table last week but after this latest setback you just can't see them pulling any more rabbits out of the hat. Of course, United and Chelsea could still drop points but I can't see them letting us back into it for a third time.
It's also a disappointing day because my bet on the Emirates Stadium having the most premiership goals of the season seems to have all but turned to dust now. The Emirates had been top of the goals list for near enough the whole season, but today's pathetic performance by Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge where they conceded SEVEN bloody goals would seem to have put some pretty big nails in the coffin on that wager.
I've also just seen that Andy Murray has lost to Mardy Fish at Key Biscayne (where he won the championship last year). Great work Andy. The year I back you to win at least seven titles, you pull out of Doha which you won last year, then capitulate to Federer in the Aussie Open (fair enough, Federer was playing incredible tennis), then bottle it in Dubai, then roll over in Indian Wells (finalist last year), now this shit. The only time I ever supported you!
It's also a disappointing day because my bet on the Emirates Stadium having the most premiership goals of the season seems to have all but turned to dust now. The Emirates had been top of the goals list for near enough the whole season, but today's pathetic performance by Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge where they conceded SEVEN bloody goals would seem to have put some pretty big nails in the coffin on that wager.
I've also just seen that Andy Murray has lost to Mardy Fish at Key Biscayne (where he won the championship last year). Great work Andy. The year I back you to win at least seven titles, you pull out of Doha which you won last year, then capitulate to Federer in the Aussie Open (fair enough, Federer was playing incredible tennis), then bottle it in Dubai, then roll over in Indian Wells (finalist last year), now this shit. The only time I ever supported you!
Friday, 26 March 2010
Back at work
A quiet day to report on in the life of this Twentysomething. Yesterday I was back at work for the first time in two weeks, and duly developed a sore throat / tickly cough towards the end of the shift. This morning this has developed into one of those really annoying throaty splutters that means you can't utter more than two words without having to clear your throat. Which should be a lot of fun later on for me and for the passengers who come across me at work.
I had a quick look at the odds for the Arsenal/Barca tie and was pretty shocked to see Barca as low as 1.39 to qualify. I'm still tempted to put on a large(ish) bet on that, just as insurance against the Gooners bowing out of the competition. However I swear if I was a normal, unbiased punter then I'd be laying the shit out of that 1.39. I just hate backing Arsenal in games like these (or any game for that matter) as it doubles the pain of a loss.
Tomorrow the cabin crew strike at work recommences, leaving us ground staff with a quieter and much easier four days ahead. I wasn't at work for the first three days of the strike and thought that T5 might have been a bit like Hell on Earth, but by all accounts it was very peaceful due to the reduced schedule. The vending machines for hot drinks in the staff rooms are also put on free vend during the strike, which means I'll be having about 30 cups of tea, coffee and soup per day. During the snow disruption over winter the same thing happened and I was incapable of walking past a coffee machine without taking a free drink. I was drinking cups of black coffee and lemon tea that I didn't even want. So I'm actually, dare I say it, excited at the prospect of having an easy four days at the office. Of course, now that I've mentioned this, there will probably be biblical carnage at Heathrow. Who cares, at least I'll get a free litre of tomato soup out of it.
I had a quick look at the odds for the Arsenal/Barca tie and was pretty shocked to see Barca as low as 1.39 to qualify. I'm still tempted to put on a large(ish) bet on that, just as insurance against the Gooners bowing out of the competition. However I swear if I was a normal, unbiased punter then I'd be laying the shit out of that 1.39. I just hate backing Arsenal in games like these (or any game for that matter) as it doubles the pain of a loss.
Tomorrow the cabin crew strike at work recommences, leaving us ground staff with a quieter and much easier four days ahead. I wasn't at work for the first three days of the strike and thought that T5 might have been a bit like Hell on Earth, but by all accounts it was very peaceful due to the reduced schedule. The vending machines for hot drinks in the staff rooms are also put on free vend during the strike, which means I'll be having about 30 cups of tea, coffee and soup per day. During the snow disruption over winter the same thing happened and I was incapable of walking past a coffee machine without taking a free drink. I was drinking cups of black coffee and lemon tea that I didn't even want. So I'm actually, dare I say it, excited at the prospect of having an easy four days at the office. Of course, now that I've mentioned this, there will probably be biblical carnage at Heathrow. Who cares, at least I'll get a free litre of tomato soup out of it.
Thursday, 25 March 2010
Doing a Gibaut
I just visited the drinkaware website to use their useful calorie counter for alcoholic drinks and it would seem that clear spirits have about 50% less calories in them than beer. Thus swapping beer for spirits seems a reasonable direction for me to head in on my quest to lose weight, so I'll be taking a leaf out of Gibaut's book and drinking a few more of those vodka diet cokes rather than God knows how many Magners / snakebites / you name it. I remember trying a similar tactic two years ago where I vowed to drink white wine instead of beer, which had some pretty amusing consequences.
Alex managed to grab some tickets to the Arsenal v Barcelona game next week and luckily for me I'm one of the chosen ones selected to accompany him. Last time I went to the Emirates was the Champions League semi-final last year where Manchester United pissed all over us. So at least I know it can't be any worse than that. I think Sol will score against them like he did in the 2006 final, and this time there's no Eto'o or Ronaldinho to ruin things. I like the sound of that script.
Until next time.
Alex managed to grab some tickets to the Arsenal v Barcelona game next week and luckily for me I'm one of the chosen ones selected to accompany him. Last time I went to the Emirates was the Champions League semi-final last year where Manchester United pissed all over us. So at least I know it can't be any worse than that. I think Sol will score against them like he did in the 2006 final, and this time there's no Eto'o or Ronaldinho to ruin things. I like the sound of that script.
Until next time.
Wednesday, 24 March 2010
Unfit
It's been a while, I know. What's been happening? Not much. I still haven't found that million dollar idea but I'll sure as hell keep trying - God knows I don't have much else to do. I got back at the weekend from a week in Malaga with a few of the boys and the truth is, I feel like shit. Not in the hungover sense but just the disillusioned, low kind of feeling that comes after every trip away with the lads. It wasn't even a particularly heavy-going holiday but I've had two weeks off work now with alcohol involved pretty much every day and it's got to the stage where I actually want to get back to work rather than sitting around on the internet all day every day followed by drinks in the evening.
I played tennis yesterday with Alex and I felt so unfit. I've put on weight and had no energy whatsoever. Couple this with the jaded feelings and I think it's time I gave my body a little breather over the spring. For the next few weeks I'll be making an effort to eat relatively healthily and I'll definitely be cutting down on the booze.
Apologies for letting my blog down over the last few months, I don't know what's happened! For those of you with twitter you can follow me using the link on the right, I certainly tweet more than I blog though I'll try to make an effort to update this more regularly. Thanks for reading
I played tennis yesterday with Alex and I felt so unfit. I've put on weight and had no energy whatsoever. Couple this with the jaded feelings and I think it's time I gave my body a little breather over the spring. For the next few weeks I'll be making an effort to eat relatively healthily and I'll definitely be cutting down on the booze.
Apologies for letting my blog down over the last few months, I don't know what's happened! For those of you with twitter you can follow me using the link on the right, I certainly tweet more than I blog though I'll try to make an effort to update this more regularly. Thanks for reading
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
To nod or not to nod
A random blog entry. This happened to me earlier today.
I was on an early shift at work, had finished my first job of the day and was going for a well-earned coffee. I was going to a particular coffee shop in T5 which was right down the other end of the building to where I was, just because their drinks are always hot rather than the tepid stuff that you normally get anywhere else plus the fact that it has a nice quiet area to sit down in. So I got there, ordered, and waited at the end of the counter whilst the drink was being made. As I waited, I had a look towards the seating area to survey the scene. I vaguely noticed some guy sat down, and he made some kind of nodding movement to someone behind me. I looked back at the counter to collect my coffee, but then realised that the guy might have actually been nodding at me. I looked back and saw that the guy was a colleage of mine but not one I'm particularly friendly with or anything, just an acquaintace. However, if he had indeed been nodding at me as a polite hello then I had just completely blanked him. Thus, he probably thought I was an arsehole.
As I looked back, his gaze kind of drifted back in my direction and this time he was definitely looking at me. Did he nod at me the first time? Or didn't he? Do I nod at him now? What if I nod at him but he didn't nod at me first? What if he did nod at me first and now I'm blanking him yet again? Did he not nod at me the first time and is now blanking me (in which case he's being an arsehole, but I'm doing the same thing so he thinks the same about me?)
I decided to nod. Just as I nodded, he started to look away again and raised his coffee to his lips. What an arsehole!! But at the last second he must have seen my nod, because he suddenly looked back at me and lowered his coffee, and nodded, and gave a kind of awkward smile, then quickly sipped his coffee and looked away.
I still don't know what actually happened. In any case, I could no longer sit down in the nice chairs as planned, so I had to take my coffee and walk all the way back to the other end of the terminal and drink it in the noisy restroom.
I was on an early shift at work, had finished my first job of the day and was going for a well-earned coffee. I was going to a particular coffee shop in T5 which was right down the other end of the building to where I was, just because their drinks are always hot rather than the tepid stuff that you normally get anywhere else plus the fact that it has a nice quiet area to sit down in. So I got there, ordered, and waited at the end of the counter whilst the drink was being made. As I waited, I had a look towards the seating area to survey the scene. I vaguely noticed some guy sat down, and he made some kind of nodding movement to someone behind me. I looked back at the counter to collect my coffee, but then realised that the guy might have actually been nodding at me. I looked back and saw that the guy was a colleage of mine but not one I'm particularly friendly with or anything, just an acquaintace. However, if he had indeed been nodding at me as a polite hello then I had just completely blanked him. Thus, he probably thought I was an arsehole.
As I looked back, his gaze kind of drifted back in my direction and this time he was definitely looking at me. Did he nod at me the first time? Or didn't he? Do I nod at him now? What if I nod at him but he didn't nod at me first? What if he did nod at me first and now I'm blanking him yet again? Did he not nod at me the first time and is now blanking me (in which case he's being an arsehole, but I'm doing the same thing so he thinks the same about me?)
I decided to nod. Just as I nodded, he started to look away again and raised his coffee to his lips. What an arsehole!! But at the last second he must have seen my nod, because he suddenly looked back at me and lowered his coffee, and nodded, and gave a kind of awkward smile, then quickly sipped his coffee and looked away.
I still don't know what actually happened. In any case, I could no longer sit down in the nice chairs as planned, so I had to take my coffee and walk all the way back to the other end of the terminal and drink it in the noisy restroom.
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
Adventures in Europe over (for now)
Hello to you all from a very gloomy North London. Just when I thought all the snow had finished, I see that more is scheduled to arrive tonight or tomorrow. The forecasters here have been ludicrously bad lately however, so I don't know if that means it is more likely to be clear than snowy. I certainly hope so because I'm at work tomorrow in one of the worst zones I could be allocated during disruption. Fingers crossed that the Met Office have screwed up the forecast yet again.
I got back from Berlin yesterday after an enjoyable weekend with Daz. Last week I went to Madrid with my uni buddy Sam, experiencing the more civilised aspects of Spanish culture as opposed to the dumps I'm accustomed to in the Canaries. Both cities were colder than I expected, with Daz and I having to dive into a cab to escape freezing to death, similar to an episode in Toronto last year with Gareth where we hailed a cab to take us the remaining 100m to the hotel.
Some of you will know that I always like to get to the airport nice and early before my flight. Yesterday we were due to depart at 1920hrs, so Daz and I got to Tegel shortly after midday. That was a bit early even by my standards, but the fact that we had to check out of the hotel at 11 and then carry our bags around in snowy conditions meant we had few other options. Of course, one consolation was that we could spend all day in the business class lounge, which we did sure enough. It actually went quite quickly in the end, and the alcoholic intake of our extended lounge stay was added to when a friendly member of cabin crew decided to ply us with champagne we didn't even ask for. Looking back on the Berlin trip my mind keeps skipping to a poignant but entertaining conversation I had with Daz in a 'tropical' cocktail bar with real sand all over the floor (!) where we had a pretty candid discussion about (a) the chances of me getting a wife and (b) the type of woman it would be if I did. The line that's been making me laugh repeatedly to myself since we got back was Daz saying something along the lines of... "My God, I would bloody love to meet your girlfriend. I'd say, 'Hi, I'm Darren, nice to meet you. What the FUCK are you doing with James?'" Undoubtedly that won't sound funny on the blog but it's got me chuckling just writing it. It stemmed from Daz telling me how I'm too selfish to have a relationship and that any girlfriend of mine would have to be "thick-skinned" to say the least. It sounds pretty harsh writing it down but it had me laughing at the time and it still does now; Dazzy you're a star!
Before I started writing this post I was in a bit of a morbid mood because I had to get the exhaust fixed on my car and I was expecting to be handed a bill of a few hundred quid. Thus I was also going to turn this entry into a dark, emo post about my previous experiences with girls. However, I was plesantly surprised by the size of the bill and I'm no longer in such a mood, so onto other things...
So far my non-drinking quest has been going with moderate success. I say moderate because I've flouted my rule about not drinking on UK soil (with the exception of airports) twice; I had one beer with my Dad when we went for a curry and I had a few drinks with Sam when he arrived at my house the night before we left for Madrid. Tonight it looks like I'll be going out with Daz, Loz and whoever else wants to come along and this will definitely be my biggest test to stay sober yet.
Ok, my fingers are aching. Until next time.
I got back from Berlin yesterday after an enjoyable weekend with Daz. Last week I went to Madrid with my uni buddy Sam, experiencing the more civilised aspects of Spanish culture as opposed to the dumps I'm accustomed to in the Canaries. Both cities were colder than I expected, with Daz and I having to dive into a cab to escape freezing to death, similar to an episode in Toronto last year with Gareth where we hailed a cab to take us the remaining 100m to the hotel.
Some of you will know that I always like to get to the airport nice and early before my flight. Yesterday we were due to depart at 1920hrs, so Daz and I got to Tegel shortly after midday. That was a bit early even by my standards, but the fact that we had to check out of the hotel at 11 and then carry our bags around in snowy conditions meant we had few other options. Of course, one consolation was that we could spend all day in the business class lounge, which we did sure enough. It actually went quite quickly in the end, and the alcoholic intake of our extended lounge stay was added to when a friendly member of cabin crew decided to ply us with champagne we didn't even ask for. Looking back on the Berlin trip my mind keeps skipping to a poignant but entertaining conversation I had with Daz in a 'tropical' cocktail bar with real sand all over the floor (!) where we had a pretty candid discussion about (a) the chances of me getting a wife and (b) the type of woman it would be if I did. The line that's been making me laugh repeatedly to myself since we got back was Daz saying something along the lines of... "My God, I would bloody love to meet your girlfriend. I'd say, 'Hi, I'm Darren, nice to meet you. What the FUCK are you doing with James?'" Undoubtedly that won't sound funny on the blog but it's got me chuckling just writing it. It stemmed from Daz telling me how I'm too selfish to have a relationship and that any girlfriend of mine would have to be "thick-skinned" to say the least. It sounds pretty harsh writing it down but it had me laughing at the time and it still does now; Dazzy you're a star!
Before I started writing this post I was in a bit of a morbid mood because I had to get the exhaust fixed on my car and I was expecting to be handed a bill of a few hundred quid. Thus I was also going to turn this entry into a dark, emo post about my previous experiences with girls. However, I was plesantly surprised by the size of the bill and I'm no longer in such a mood, so onto other things...
So far my non-drinking quest has been going with moderate success. I say moderate because I've flouted my rule about not drinking on UK soil (with the exception of airports) twice; I had one beer with my Dad when we went for a curry and I had a few drinks with Sam when he arrived at my house the night before we left for Madrid. Tonight it looks like I'll be going out with Daz, Loz and whoever else wants to come along and this will definitely be my biggest test to stay sober yet.
Ok, my fingers are aching. Until next time.
Wednesday, 30 December 2009
2009 end of year post
Here is an excerpt from my 2008 end of year post:
"I remember writing a New Year's post this time last year on my old blog. It said something like 'maybe by the end of the year I'll be a policeman and will have developed things with Marie-Claire'. Lol, no success whatsoever on those goals then!Setting goals for this year.... it's a shame because I can't actually think of anything big. Of course I'd like to develop things with Marie-Claire so that's one. But other than that, I suppose the major goal will be to move on work-wise in one way or another. Another thing is to travel to a few more new places in 2009, that will be exciting. Gareth and I are currently on the cusp of organising a trip for February but no announcements yet."
So, I had zero success with Marie and zero success with my career. I did manage to visit a few more places though so there is some degree of accomplishment there. What goals can I set myself for 2010? I really don't know. I'm going to write a separate post soon on my job as part of the 'Issues' series of posts I'll be doing so I won't write too much about that here, other than I can't see much changing. As far as girls are concerned we all know about my luck / attitude, and similarly I'll be doing a post on this topic too. If I set myself a woman-related 'target', it will almost certainly be an epic fail so there is no point going down that road!
However, I think there are a couple of things I can set out to do. Firstly is the standard New Year health kick. Everyone has some kind of healthier lifestyle in mind when a new year begins so here's my token resolution... with the exceptions of my weekends in Madrid and Berlin, I am aiming to keep January an alcohol-free month. My group of friends and drinking buddies, which was once large and out every night in the golden year(s), has been becoming gradually smaller and less prolific over the last six months. This was one factor which led me to start doing late shifts only at work since October, as I wasn't missing out on much banter by doing the early shifts and keeping the evenings free. What with more friends now working / moving on / dating / ill / still studying / you name it, I still haven't really been missing out on much doing only the lates. So sod it, I'll try taking January off the booze and see what happens then. I have to confess I'm not really doing this with a healthy ending in mind, rather I'm doing to with an expectation that February will be big and messy with me returning to the fun, if there's anyone left that is. Anyway, for the time being it's a step in the right direction.
Secondly is the thing I've mentioned previously on this blog many times, that elusive moneymaking idea. Come on 2010, be the year in which I get some ideas together and lay the foundations for my own business.
Finally, I want to re-commit myself to tennis. I used to be good and with some consistent court time maybe I can become an accomplished (relatively) player again. I managed to get a lot of practice in over summer and the beginning of autumn, but November and December have been so bad weatherwise it's been impossible to get out there. In December I haven't managed to play once, what with the courts being snowed under and it pissing down with rain the rest of the time.
There we go. Have a good one everybody.
"I remember writing a New Year's post this time last year on my old blog. It said something like 'maybe by the end of the year I'll be a policeman and will have developed things with Marie-Claire'. Lol, no success whatsoever on those goals then!Setting goals for this year.... it's a shame because I can't actually think of anything big. Of course I'd like to develop things with Marie-Claire so that's one. But other than that, I suppose the major goal will be to move on work-wise in one way or another. Another thing is to travel to a few more new places in 2009, that will be exciting. Gareth and I are currently on the cusp of organising a trip for February but no announcements yet."
So, I had zero success with Marie and zero success with my career. I did manage to visit a few more places though so there is some degree of accomplishment there. What goals can I set myself for 2010? I really don't know. I'm going to write a separate post soon on my job as part of the 'Issues' series of posts I'll be doing so I won't write too much about that here, other than I can't see much changing. As far as girls are concerned we all know about my luck / attitude, and similarly I'll be doing a post on this topic too. If I set myself a woman-related 'target', it will almost certainly be an epic fail so there is no point going down that road!
However, I think there are a couple of things I can set out to do. Firstly is the standard New Year health kick. Everyone has some kind of healthier lifestyle in mind when a new year begins so here's my token resolution... with the exceptions of my weekends in Madrid and Berlin, I am aiming to keep January an alcohol-free month. My group of friends and drinking buddies, which was once large and out every night in the golden year(s), has been becoming gradually smaller and less prolific over the last six months. This was one factor which led me to start doing late shifts only at work since October, as I wasn't missing out on much banter by doing the early shifts and keeping the evenings free. What with more friends now working / moving on / dating / ill / still studying / you name it, I still haven't really been missing out on much doing only the lates. So sod it, I'll try taking January off the booze and see what happens then. I have to confess I'm not really doing this with a healthy ending in mind, rather I'm doing to with an expectation that February will be big and messy with me returning to the fun, if there's anyone left that is. Anyway, for the time being it's a step in the right direction.
Secondly is the thing I've mentioned previously on this blog many times, that elusive moneymaking idea. Come on 2010, be the year in which I get some ideas together and lay the foundations for my own business.
Finally, I want to re-commit myself to tennis. I used to be good and with some consistent court time maybe I can become an accomplished (relatively) player again. I managed to get a lot of practice in over summer and the beginning of autumn, but November and December have been so bad weatherwise it's been impossible to get out there. In December I haven't managed to play once, what with the courts being snowed under and it pissing down with rain the rest of the time.
There we go. Have a good one everybody.
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
Issues
This is part one of what will probably be a series of posts. There's nothing 'wrong' with my life at the moment per se, though there is a grey cloud that seems to constantly lurk at the back of my mind. The cloud isn't about one thing in particular I don't think, rather it envolopes a number of issues that are consistently bugging me even though on the surface things are ultimately ok. I think the cloud is essentially the fact that I am treading water in life; I'm not going down, but with the the lack of other job opportunities at BA at the moment I'm certainly not moving up. I'm not even moving sideways. Anyhow, my job is a story for a later post in this series.
This post is going to concern the first issue that niggles me, which is the one of living at home. I live at home and there is no end in sight. I do not want to move out and pay rent, and I don't have the funds yet to take out a mortgage. The idea of a mortgage was always something I hated - I hate owing money, no matter how small the sum, let alone having to shoulder a sizeable debt for 25 years. Lately I've been coming round to the idea though; it certainly beats renting. I can imagine if/when I do get a mortgage I will go into super repayment mode, with the aim being to pay the thing off as quickly as possible. I'd pay as much of it back per month as I possibly could; living frugally for years until this objective was completed.
However, I think to myself, why struggle? Despite earning a poor salary, life is good whilst I live at home. My living costs are limited, I get on well with my parents and things are fine. Of course, at the back of mind my mind I know that the longer I leave it to move out then the more I will be regarded in life as a loser. Chances of getting a girlfriend diminish even further as my image in society as a cool, young eligible bachelor gradually disappears with every day I remain here. The clock is ticking, and with every second that goes by I am becoming less cool. This is the sacrifice I make in order to be not skint and to have a relatively disposable income. In the last twelve months I have been on seven holidays and have trips to Madrid and Berlin coming up in January. If I didn't live at home, this would not have been a remote possibility.
To move forward in life, I need to get my foot on the property ladder. The sooner I own my own place, the better. By living at home I am treading water but living comfortably at the expense of being viewed favourably in society. But I suppose I should be thankful I am not sinking.
This post is going to concern the first issue that niggles me, which is the one of living at home. I live at home and there is no end in sight. I do not want to move out and pay rent, and I don't have the funds yet to take out a mortgage. The idea of a mortgage was always something I hated - I hate owing money, no matter how small the sum, let alone having to shoulder a sizeable debt for 25 years. Lately I've been coming round to the idea though; it certainly beats renting. I can imagine if/when I do get a mortgage I will go into super repayment mode, with the aim being to pay the thing off as quickly as possible. I'd pay as much of it back per month as I possibly could; living frugally for years until this objective was completed.
However, I think to myself, why struggle? Despite earning a poor salary, life is good whilst I live at home. My living costs are limited, I get on well with my parents and things are fine. Of course, at the back of mind my mind I know that the longer I leave it to move out then the more I will be regarded in life as a loser. Chances of getting a girlfriend diminish even further as my image in society as a cool, young eligible bachelor gradually disappears with every day I remain here. The clock is ticking, and with every second that goes by I am becoming less cool. This is the sacrifice I make in order to be not skint and to have a relatively disposable income. In the last twelve months I have been on seven holidays and have trips to Madrid and Berlin coming up in January. If I didn't live at home, this would not have been a remote possibility.
To move forward in life, I need to get my foot on the property ladder. The sooner I own my own place, the better. By living at home I am treading water but living comfortably at the expense of being viewed favourably in society. But I suppose I should be thankful I am not sinking.
Monday, 14 December 2009
Gunners back in the title race + BA strikes
After beating Liverpool at Anfiled yesterday courtesy of a cracking strike from Andrey Arshavin, Arsenal are now right back in the title race after everyone had written them off two weeks ago after getting destroyed by Chelsea the Emirates. I just hope the Gunners can build a good run of form and give the title a good crack of the whip. I'm not saying I think they'll win the league but I'd be delighted if we just gave Chelsea and United a run for their money. If we beat Burnley on Wednesday then we're only three points behind Chelsea at the top, with over half the season to go. Come on you Gooners.
What else has been happening.... I broke my run of losing bets by backing over 2.5 goals in the Liverpool v Arsenal game and I'm itching to back South Africa to beat England in the First Test coming up so we'll see what happens. Tonight is my last night out before heading back into work for seven late shifts on the trot but there aren't many people about so it will probably be a drab evening.
Speaking of work, it was revealed this afternoon that BA cabin crew have plans to strike for twelve days from 22nd Decemeber to 2nd January. I'm in work for six of the those days but not for the first two, so hopefully if the strikes actually go ahead then there'll be some kind of contingency plan in action by the time I turn up on the third day. Even better, the crew will destroy the whole operation and I actually won't have any work to do at all whilst I'm there. I shouldn't really say things like that because ultimately if BA go down the toilet then I'll be out of a job, but the prospect of turning up at work and there being no flights is still appealing to me.
What else has been happening.... I broke my run of losing bets by backing over 2.5 goals in the Liverpool v Arsenal game and I'm itching to back South Africa to beat England in the First Test coming up so we'll see what happens. Tonight is my last night out before heading back into work for seven late shifts on the trot but there aren't many people about so it will probably be a drab evening.
Speaking of work, it was revealed this afternoon that BA cabin crew have plans to strike for twelve days from 22nd Decemeber to 2nd January. I'm in work for six of the those days but not for the first two, so hopefully if the strikes actually go ahead then there'll be some kind of contingency plan in action by the time I turn up on the third day. Even better, the crew will destroy the whole operation and I actually won't have any work to do at all whilst I'm there. I shouldn't really say things like that because ultimately if BA go down the toilet then I'll be out of a job, but the prospect of turning up at work and there being no flights is still appealing to me.
Friday, 4 December 2009
Barnet time
Today's blog entry will be all I can squeeze into the last few minutes before my mum serves dinner. I'm starving and I'm about to go out on the town in Barnet so I need the food. I've never been to Barnet before so anything could happen, perhaps it could even be my lucky night, Lord knows how long I've been waiting for that night to come. I don't know what 'my night' actually means but whatever it is, I don't think it's happened yet, or hasn't for a long time. I know I'm babbling; I'm out of touch with blogging but I'm eager to rekindle the love affair. I've been more active on Twitter lately. I didn't like it too much when I first joined a few months ago but it's been growing on me.
Yeah, so, tonight I'm going to Barnet with Alex and Gibaut and tomorrow all of us (fingers crossed) will be heading into Covent Garden for the the 2009 Pointless night. For those of you unfamiliar with what a Pointless night is, it's where we all meet up, have a few drinks and then separate for two hours and go drinking by ourselves. During that 2 hour window you are not allowed to speak with anyone else in the group nor drink in the same establishment as them - if you bump into someone you must immediately leave the place or change direction. It's a bit of a strange idea, hence the name 'Pointless', but the times we've done it in the past it has been hugely successful with some high levels of drunkeness and general debauchery.
I can smell dinner so I'm going to go now.
Yeah, so, tonight I'm going to Barnet with Alex and Gibaut and tomorrow all of us (fingers crossed) will be heading into Covent Garden for the the 2009 Pointless night. For those of you unfamiliar with what a Pointless night is, it's where we all meet up, have a few drinks and then separate for two hours and go drinking by ourselves. During that 2 hour window you are not allowed to speak with anyone else in the group nor drink in the same establishment as them - if you bump into someone you must immediately leave the place or change direction. It's a bit of a strange idea, hence the name 'Pointless', but the times we've done it in the past it has been hugely successful with some high levels of drunkeness and general debauchery.
I can smell dinner so I'm going to go now.
Thursday, 3 December 2009
The 'not shaking hands' debacle
I want to try to get this blog back into proper action again but I haven't had anything interesting to write about lately and I don't want to blog just for the sake of it. Anyway, I got back from Miami yesterday after a good trip and went out to watch Arsenal lose to Man City in the Carling Cup. Arsene Wenger refused to shake Mark Hughes's hand at the end of the game so I can blog about that today.
I know I'm an Arsenal fan but I back Wenger on this. Firstly, Mark Hughes is a tosser and I can fully understand Arsene not shaking his hand after the abuse the Welshman was dishing out all game on the touchline, even coming out of his technical area at one point to get closer to the Gunners boss. Secondly though, there's too much 'fair play' bollocks in sport these days. Let's face it, sport is so much more fun and interesting to watch when people are fighting / loads of fouls / loads of disagreements and so on. Wenger not shaking hands is good! It adds a nice little subplot to everything and will make future Wenger v Hughes confrontations all the more spicy. I'd really love it if a trend started where managers didn't shake hands with each other unless the game actually was played in good spirit / there weren't any disagreements or anything like that. So if managers DID shake hands it was actually a rarity.
That's all for now, hopefully I can think of something to blog about again soon. By the way I'm still racking my brains for ideas to start up a business / moneymaking schemes; this has been dominating my thoughts for several weeks now and although I haven't thought of anything I'm still pleased that this is happening as it increases the chances of me having a eureka moment... any million-dollar ideas feel free to comment.
I know I'm an Arsenal fan but I back Wenger on this. Firstly, Mark Hughes is a tosser and I can fully understand Arsene not shaking his hand after the abuse the Welshman was dishing out all game on the touchline, even coming out of his technical area at one point to get closer to the Gunners boss. Secondly though, there's too much 'fair play' bollocks in sport these days. Let's face it, sport is so much more fun and interesting to watch when people are fighting / loads of fouls / loads of disagreements and so on. Wenger not shaking hands is good! It adds a nice little subplot to everything and will make future Wenger v Hughes confrontations all the more spicy. I'd really love it if a trend started where managers didn't shake hands with each other unless the game actually was played in good spirit / there weren't any disagreements or anything like that. So if managers DID shake hands it was actually a rarity.
That's all for now, hopefully I can think of something to blog about again soon. By the way I'm still racking my brains for ideas to start up a business / moneymaking schemes; this has been dominating my thoughts for several weeks now and although I haven't thought of anything I'm still pleased that this is happening as it increases the chances of me having a eureka moment... any million-dollar ideas feel free to comment.
Saturday, 14 November 2009
England win by 1 run + biased media + wind + Miami
Yesterday I put a big bet on South Africa to beat England in the first Twenty20 game. The Saffers were well on their way to reaching England's total when the rain came and the match had to be decided by Duckworth-Lewis. Of course, England won by one run. ONE RUN. The loss would be easier to take if it was by twenty or thirty runs, but one run... for God's sake, why me? Why do I lose every time I put a big bet on? Why can't I WIN by one run? Every single time I put some proper money on something it goes tits-up, against the odds. Jesus Christ.
Anyway that's enough of that, what's next on the agenda.... oh yeah, pro-British bias in tennis media. I've been having some exchanges on Twitter with David Law, who is 5 Live's tennis commentator. Some of his tweets are just ridiculous. A while ago he made a huge song and dance that some 17-year-old British girl had been beaten by the world number 65 in three close sets. I asked him if he should really be making such a fuss about this seeing as Maria Sharapova had already won Wimbledon at age 17, just to put the whole thing in perspective. He replied that no, she's not the same talent as Sharapova but still worth being optimistic about. What's to be optimistic about - she just lost to the number 65 in the world?! Great achievement. Anyhow, the other day he posted a bitter remark about Radek Stepanek being the 'over-achiever of the decade' after he beat Andy Murray. Absolute bullshit. I won't bore you with the whole exchange but you can access my Twitter on the right-hand side of this page. It really sickens me how biased the British media is towards its own athletes, it's just crazy. I'd kill for a bit of neutral commentary at Wimbledon but I doubt we're ever going to get it. It went to a new low last year when Sue Barker started banging on about Laura Robson, who was 15 at the time - yes, 15. That's how bad British tennis is, that we have to start getting excited over juniors. Give me strength.
On top of this, it's 80mph winds outside which might make for a really shitty day at work if flight start being affected.
Lastly, on a more positive note, I'm off to Miami in a couple of weeks with Gibaut to hook up with Gareth who's no doubt been having the time of his life in Raleigh the last few weeks.
That's all for now.
Anyway that's enough of that, what's next on the agenda.... oh yeah, pro-British bias in tennis media. I've been having some exchanges on Twitter with David Law, who is 5 Live's tennis commentator. Some of his tweets are just ridiculous. A while ago he made a huge song and dance that some 17-year-old British girl had been beaten by the world number 65 in three close sets. I asked him if he should really be making such a fuss about this seeing as Maria Sharapova had already won Wimbledon at age 17, just to put the whole thing in perspective. He replied that no, she's not the same talent as Sharapova but still worth being optimistic about. What's to be optimistic about - she just lost to the number 65 in the world?! Great achievement. Anyhow, the other day he posted a bitter remark about Radek Stepanek being the 'over-achiever of the decade' after he beat Andy Murray. Absolute bullshit. I won't bore you with the whole exchange but you can access my Twitter on the right-hand side of this page. It really sickens me how biased the British media is towards its own athletes, it's just crazy. I'd kill for a bit of neutral commentary at Wimbledon but I doubt we're ever going to get it. It went to a new low last year when Sue Barker started banging on about Laura Robson, who was 15 at the time - yes, 15. That's how bad British tennis is, that we have to start getting excited over juniors. Give me strength.
On top of this, it's 80mph winds outside which might make for a really shitty day at work if flight start being affected.
Lastly, on a more positive note, I'm off to Miami in a couple of weeks with Gibaut to hook up with Gareth who's no doubt been having the time of his life in Raleigh the last few weeks.
That's all for now.
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
Agassi - even more of a legend
Today I read some excerpts from Andre Agassi's new autobiography. The thing about him taking meths was an eye-opener but doesn't reduce my admiration of Agassi at all, in fact it probably makes me like him more for showing his human side. The drugs aside, there was some pretty inspirational stuff he wrote about when his father trained him as a child, making him hit 2500 balls a day (the required rate for him to hit a million balls a year). The funniest thing is that Agassi hates tennis! As a tennis player myself I can empathise with him; it is definitely a hatable game. It sounds weird but I guess you have to play tennis to understand it. Although maybe with Agassi's father forcing him to play there is a bit more of a logical explanation for him hating the game, but it's still amusing how someone who hates a sport and takes meths halfway during his career still came out as one of the all-time best players and with over $30m of prize money.
On a separate note, I've been booking some trips away lately. At the end of November I'll be going to Miami with Gareth and Simon and in January I'm going to Berlin for a short trip with Daz. It's nice to have some trips planned to look forward to; it gives me something to work towards.
Until next time.
On a separate note, I've been booking some trips away lately. At the end of November I'll be going to Miami with Gareth and Simon and in January I'm going to Berlin for a short trip with Daz. It's nice to have some trips planned to look forward to; it gives me something to work towards.
Until next time.
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