Journal Entries
My greatest mistake
Posted Mar 2, 2005
... was not getting a ticket for the Sheffield Unitd versus Arsenal, 5th round FA Cup replay played at Bramall Lane on the evening of Tuesday 1st March.
I had decided not to go for two reasons.
First, as you all know, I lost my job a couple of weeks back. So the cost of £20 for a ticket, plus about £40 for the petrol (or more if I drive faster), £4 on a programme, plus at least a tenner on pies and ale is quite a chunk of finance to lash out when your weekly income is in the region of £55 per week.
The second, and to be honest more important, reason that I didn't go was that I didn't believe that we had a hope in hell of winning. I thoroughly enjoyed my time two weeks ago at the first attempt of the fixture at Arsenal's Highbury ground. The 1-1 draw was a wonderful performance and sent all Blades away from North London with melon-slice wide grins on our faces.
Frankly I believed that that was going to be that. I didn't think that Arsene Wenger would field a weakened team again, and that as a result they would roll over us and crush us flat in the replay. I didn't fancy the idea of 500 mile round trip, much of it in the company, down the M1, of gloating Arsenal fans.
How wrong my decision turned out to be.
For 90 minutes plus 30 minutes of extra time, we battled the London team into the ground. It wasn't pretty football, but then we can't afford to play pretty football against a team who are that much better than us in every position on the pitch. It was tough defending football, stopping Arsenal playing as much as possible and then grabbing our chances wherever and whenever they cropped up.
At the end of the whole thing, the score stood at nil-nil. Not the most interesting of scorelines I know, but it was one of *those* nil-nil's rather than one of the more mundane and boring version.
The game was settled on penalties. Arsenal won 4-2 in the shoot out. This didn't come as any great surprise given that our goalkeeper, Paddy Kenny, played the game injured. But we didn't really care about the result. We'd played with great courage and fortitude for a total of 3 and half hours against the current League Champions and one of the best teams in the World, and had not been found wanting.
I leave it all busting with pride for my team and my city.
I just wish that I had been there, that's all.
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Latest reply: Mar 2, 2005
A day trip to London
Posted Feb 24, 2005
Lunch was taken at the Shakespeare's Head. Then I spent a happy afternoon visiting Tate Modern - The Bruce Nauman soundscape work in the main turbine hall is wonderful and a little spooky. I also wandered along both banks of the Thames on the Thames Pathway, and across the 'wobbly' bridge - not that it is wobbling much these days.
Those of you in the know will know what I'm talking about, and those of you who aren't will just have to wait 
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Latest reply: Feb 24, 2005
'Big' Learner Driver
Posted Feb 23, 2005
I was pootling through Hove this afternoon when I spotted a rather strange car for a learner driver.
They weren't going around in a Nissan Micra, or a Ford Fiesta like every other driving school in the land. Oh no, they were in an Audi A4 1.9TDi 
I've driven one of these beasts. LHG had (and possibly still does have) one of these Audis as her company car. The thing compared to your average small car is like a barge, it's enormous. It also and goes off like rocket - 120mph is a piece of piss, and I would have gone much faster if I hadn't run out of road.
So my question is: what is that driving school thinking of in sticking a 17 year old novice in charge of such a large and powerful, not to mention expensive, car 
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Latest reply: Feb 23, 2005
Loose change
Posted Feb 22, 2005
Given my current distressed financial situation, what with not having a job 'n all. I decided that it was time that I cashed up my loose change collection in preparation for paying it into the bank.
In typical male behaviour I don't carry loose change around with me in a purse or the like, to be spent as one goes along. No, I chuck it to one side at the end of the day. In my case I put it into an empty brass 110mm shell casing that's standing in one corner of bedroom.
Well after spending a happy couple of hours counting out and bagging up, I now have the not inconsiderable sum of £372 
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Latest reply: Feb 22, 2005
Snowing!
Posted Feb 21, 2005
In the last couple of minutes it has just started snowing.
So what you all ask. Snow is a regular part of winter.
Well not around here it ain't. There is a very specific micro-climate effect in Brighton. The town is squeezed up between the hills of the South Downs and the sea, which is nice and warm. Therefore when it is frost and ice and stuff around the rest of Southern England, here it is usually just a bit damp. This being becuase the local temperature is few degrees higher than inland.
In the nearly 9 years that I have lived in this part of the world. It has snowed properly - ie settled on the ground sort of snowing - precisely once, where it lay for one day.
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Latest reply: Feb 21, 2005
GreyDesk
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