Just me and Alex

I let myself down on the project of blogging every day, but I was seriously lacking inspiration the last couple of days so thought it'd be better just to take a short breather. I am still short of inspiration but I'll grind out an entry anyhow.

Alex is back in town and last night I went to the Manor with him and Loz. It was a good night and I had a bit of a headache this morning, though I'm pleased to report I dealt with it fine and I'm ready for more action tonight. However, it doesn't look like anyone else is. I've been at the drawing board for what Al and I can do and I have a couple of ideas, though I'm still disappointed there won't be any other faces around and this is a feeling I'm having to suffer rather too often. I'm going to stop before I get too emo.

The power of blogging

Reading Alex's blog yesterday rekindled some fond memories. It's always nice to read someone's blog, especially when it's apparent that a little extra effort has gone into it. It's also nice to read someone's writing on a subject rather than hear them speak about it. To write about something requires more thorough thought and Alex's post I found most entertaining. It's also funny because I know that it was a result of Al experiencing extreme boredom; funny things happen when you're alone for too long!

So, to one and all, keep up the blogging.

Champions League is back

Three more days at work before I'm off, and there should be some pretty good banter when I'm finished. More darts and drinks on Thursday, then Alex is back for a week so that should be good fun.

The Champions League is back, and with Arsenal doing so poorly in the Premiership this year this could well be their last Champions League tie for at least 18 months. Last time the Gunners were in danger of not finishing in the top four they were inspired to go all the way to the final in Europe, all with a makeshift back four led by Philippe Senderos. I can only hope for something similar this year...

I was going to say that I hope they spank Roma tonight, but thinking about it it would be nice just to score a goal for a change. Come on Arsenal.

I've put on another Kickingbet too, on Real Madrid to win the Champs League (13/1 on Betfair)

Another cool song

This week's song that I can't get out of my head is 'Take Me Back' by Tinchy Stryder and Taio Cruz, it's been in the charts and it's very catchy. Listen to it twice and you won't be able to stop singing it, guaranteed! That's twice I've plugged a song of Taio Cruz's on this blog; a weird artist for me to like but he obviously strikes the right chord with me or something!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4d1xFqsPagc

Arsenal to finish top four?

I did a post on January 10th discussing Arsenal's chances of winning the title. Let's avoid how stupid that looks in retrospect. I listed their next twelve games and argued that they were all 'winnable'. Well the Gunners haven't actually lost a game for a while but they've suddenly developed a crisis with scoring goals, which is a rare problem for them! So, five weeks after that post I'm going to do another Arsenal-related entry, this time posing the question: will they finish in the top four?

Aston Villa have somehow kept winning all this time, though I'm hoping that their defeat to Chelsea yesterday will somewhat burst their bubble and they will embark on a nasty swing of losses and frustrating draws. An injury or five would also be nice. Looking at their next six games, they have a tough run coming up:

1 March v Stoke (h)
4 March v Man City (a)
15 March v Spurs (h)
22 March v Liverpool (a)
5 April v Man Utd (a)
12 April v Everton (h)

Compare this fixture list to Arsenal's, and the Gunners have a considerably less daunting set of matches:

28 Feb v Fulham (h)
3 March v West Brom (a)
14 March v Blackburn (h)
21 March v Newcastle (a)
4 April v Man City (h)
11 April v Wigan (a)

I think it is fair to say that if Arsenal haven't caught up by the end of that game against Wigan then that's it. The game after that is against Liverpool at Anfield which will be HUGE if Arsenal have managed to scrape into fourth because I think Villa will still be right on their heels.

Football aside, I went after work to the RE Bar with Carl, Daz and Loz last night. Two fat girls started chatting up Daz and moved on to the rest of us. I told them I was a pilot, Daz that he was a doctor, Loz that he was a teacher and Carl that he worked for the MoD (and couldn't say any more than that otherwise he'd have to kill them). They kept trying to drag us up to dance and were loitering around the doorway so we couldn't leave without going past them. By this time it was pretty late and there weren't many people left in the bar and it was clear the girls were waiting for us to make a move so they could pounce on us. Always having one last trick up our sleeve though, we acted like we were going out the back into the smoking area for a cigarette but instead vacated the premises via the back gate outside, haha!

Until next time, ciao.

Great weather (but don't hold your breath)

Looking out the window this morning it is a fine, fine day. The scene I'm looking at right now is better than what the whole of the last two summers provided. Unfortunately I'm on a late shift today so I won't have enough opportunity to fully savour the weather, which is a shame as there's a good chance this is the best it's going to get in 2009. The temperature in summer might be higher, but I'd gladly accept every day in the summer ahead to be like today at the expense of a few degrees but with guaranteed sunshine over miserable rain.

Sadly my speculations and frustrations won't affect the weather gods. But please, please... if there's anyone out there, please can we have a decent / normal (whatever that means) summer this year.

Well I'm definitely a mug

So we didn't even get past the first game on the accumulator yesterday. Phil Taylor, winner of God-knows-how-many World Championships and who'd been in scintillating form of late, suddenly decides to draw with the deadbeat Terry Jenkins.

Today. Don't know what I'm going to do. Again, there is no one to play with. Loz and Bot doing something with workmates. Gareth working. Daz not drinking. Alex away. Covey ill. It is Friday night before I go back to work tomorrow and I'm stuck. Not good.

Nice weather outside and no one to do anything with. I'm very tempted to go on holiday by myself in the next month or so. I just have to have the bottle to actually go ahead and book it. I probably won't but I'm still flirting with the prospect.