FOOTBALLER CELEBRATES GOAL!!!

As a footnote to a couple of my previous blogs, and as I appear to be on a bit of a run in updating this at the moment, I woulds like to touch upon the antics of a certain David Nugent.

Mr Nugent currently plays for Burnley, and was a substitute in their recent game at Eastlands. Throughout his warm up in front of the corner of the South Stand where I sit he was continually jeered and abused.

Nothing to serious, or say to the Cantona level of abuse, but every time he jogged back toward us he woulds have a big grin on his face ands maybe even a wink for us.

Needless to say he was subbed on and set up the equaliser with 4 minutes to go.

As all his team mates rushed to the Burnley fans, Mr Nugent made a slight detour in our direction to again smile and wave to those who had been mocking him all game.

Adebayor it wasn't...but it was nice he remembereds us before going to join his team mates.

In defence of our wayward striker - that is what football is all about. It's about passion, it's about putting one over on the other team, its about talking points.

Bring on Arsenal in the Carling Cup!

I Really am an Old man. Part 35

As mentioned in my previous blog (Yesterday - I know - amazing!) I am currently on a two week break from work to settle in to the new house, get some jobs done and spend a bit of quality time with the family.

With this in mind I decided to take the chaps from work up on an invite to a night out in Manchester, leaving the wife, one grouchy and one poorly child at home(!)

What a strange and disturbing experience it was.

It was a good crowd I was out with, about 10 of us, of which one female, 4 gay, 3 over 30 (No I wasn't the oldest!) the rest in their twenties, and we started in a bar cum restaurant in the Printworks in Manchester. We all caught up on what had been happening in work and my holiday so far in a nice atmosphere, even if the music was a little loud.

As the beers slowly went down for every one relaxed and a couple of the younger guys got all excited when the song "Since You've been gone" came on - an old, somewhat upbeat AOR track I remember from my youth. After some head scratching the mobile phones came out as people hooked up to the internet to find out who the band singing.

We'd clearly be no good cheating at a pub quiz, as about half way through the next song we finally found out / realised / remembered it was Rainbow, Ritchie Blackmores band from the late seventies/early eighties. Half the guys rocking out to it weren't even born when it was released.

Oh well. I guess around then it was decided that as we could all still hear each others conversations and we had been there for more than two drinks, we'd better move on somewhere else. I've noticed this as a feature of the odd nightout I've been on in the last few years, no one stays put any more! It's like a constant view or feeling that the grass is always greener, and the next bar will be that little bit more exciting.

Why can't people just stay put? Whatever happened to finding yourself a corner in a friendly pub or bar and settling in for the night?

We all trooped out of the bar and around the corner and stood about in the cold trying to decide where to next. So many of these nights seem to revolve around standing about outside wondering what to do next.

I managed to show myself up again in front of a couple of the young guys (even one of the gay chaps) by not standing with my tongue hanging out as two young ladies, in two very short glittery dresses. All I could think was - "Where's their coats? They'll catch a cold dressed like that in November!"

Now that was either the Dad in me coming out, or I've just been exposed to too much porn and don't feel the urge to oogle girls in the street.

Anyway, into "Norwegian Blue" where you really couldn't hear yourself think for the loud music. This again is a bar cum restaurant. Why oh why would you want o have your ears bleed with it?

There was a group of 10-15 middle aged women all wearing matching pink top hats which, believe it or not, didn't need the legend "Hen party" written on them - we could tell.

After a drink or two a song came on, a cover of the intro song out of the film Pulp Fiction. Although recognisable as the song, every bit of it had some singing or rapping or something else going on over the top of it. a couple of songs later and I discovered that all teh music was like this. Every second of every song had to have lots going on, like everyones attention span is that short if you just pause people will wander off.

On my way into town earlier that evening I'd been listening to "Loveless" by My Bloody Valentine, an eighties/nineties indie band. There are 5 minute tracks of just distortion on a single note with slight tonal changes every so often. You can just let it wash over you as you sink deeper and deeper in.

I'm guessing it's no good for bars in the Printworks.

Oh well. Half past nine my ears could take little more, I said my goodbyes and left.. to drive home listening to noise and feedback at maximum volume in the comfort of my car!

Reason 36 coming soon.

We're finally in...and the DIY begins

Well after what felt like an age crawling through the house buying mire we are finally in and the real work begins!

Having moved in just over a month ago now (See I'm not just slow doing this blog you know!) I've finally managed to get some time off work to actually spend some time here, help look after the boys, and do a few of those little jobs to make the house a home.

Several days in and I can tell you what deep down I really already knew.

I hate DIY and - hand on heart - I'm not very good at it.

I really think with the time and the right tools I could probably make a good fist of things... but these things just snowball don't they?

Anyone who saw the front door at our old house will know what I mean.

I'm currently busy re-hanging doors. Yep. A disaster just waiting to happen.

Having bought a house which is on a bit of a slant doesn't really help...

When I'm not breaking stuff with paint and tools I've been spending quite a lot of time handing money over to IKEA. I'm not sure how we've managed to spend over £1000 without buying anyone big piece of furniture!

On our latest visit we fell for the classic "Eye's bigger than" trap of thinking my Honda Civic is a Ford Transit van.

After stacking the trolley high with bookcases and cupboards and all sorts of other assorted tat, we got to the car and started the jigsaw job of fitting it all in, along with the wife and a baby (we managed to "Leave" Wilf with the grand parents) I set about putting seats down, and seats forward, and baby chairs in, and baby chairs out, all in the pouring rain I'd like to point out. (Why does it always rain in situations like this?)

At one point it was agreed that Beth and Eddy would have to stay behind (in the cafe of course) whilst I drove home, emptied the car and drove back to collect them.

With this in mind, we still couldn't actually fit everything in.

A good 45 minutes in, we conceded defeat and tail tucked firmly between our legs we sheepishly made our way to the home delivery office, conveniently located just yards from the area in which we'd been struggling. I wonder how many people they film and submit the videos to you've been framed.

My wallet another £40 lighter we left to await delivery at the weekend! and then the fun can really begin!

As a footnote to this story, whilst picking up random stuff at the Swedish supermarket I saw a nice 6 pick of wine glasses for £2.99 - a bargain - and as we've only got 3 left from the previous set - and I do hate mis matched glasses - I chucked them into the trolley.

They make it through the car loading scenario, all the way home, just ready for me to drop them on the way in.

3 broken, 3 survivors - so now we've got 6 mismatching glasses!

Doh! - where did I put that bottle opener.. .