Boscombe Albion 2 : Bransgore 0
From one famous David footballer to another soon-to-be-famous David footballer......
David played his best game for Boscombe Albion today vs Bransgore. He was playing right midfield and for once they started passing the ball around instead of trying to beat the whole team themselves.
He was involved in a lot of their best moves and I was proud of him today. What he needs to do is to build on this because his biggest problem is in his own head! And get his great tackling legs back!!
Seagulls Farewell - One Last Surprise
Michael is only 14 ( almost 15 though ) but he seems to have been swimming all his life! Well he has decided to give it all up and concentrate on school and anything else he wants to get into. He has learnt that he has a great talent and I don't think he will ever lose it in his life. It has also taught him comitment and given him a great social life that a lot of kids don't get a chance to share. He started off with Dolphins but had a great 6 months with Barry at Christchurch Seagulls. It is a lovely club with good people behind it, great sponsors, and the kids are the best. Here are all the winners at the Presentation Evening on Saturday.
We went to the Presentation Night just to say goodbye really and we were all gobsmacked when Michael got a trophy and were even more surprised when it was awarded to him for a CLUB RECORD ! He is now the proud holder of the Boys 14 years 100m Freestyle club record.
Here is Michael with Stacey and Taylor Priest. I hope he keeps in touch with Stacey because they got on really well.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - Not!
Scarlett has been in Southampton for most of the weekend. She and 3 of her friends from ANTS ( Act Now Theatre School ) drama group went as part of an Open Audition for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Although she was not successful this time she had a great time and has learnt a lot for next time... because there will be a next time Scarlett!
Everton Friendly
David and I got tickets to see AFC Bournemouth take on the mighty Everton in a friendly on Saturday while everyone else was taking part in the FA Cup 4th round. I think David Moyes took this game on because he has the Merseyside Derby coming up and he wanted to test out his players, some of them new, some of them old. Cahill was there, Beattie was there ( much booing ensued because he used to be a Southampton player ), Stubbs, Hibbert, Arteta etc, etc.
It was a good game to watch and was 0-0 at half time. Bournemouth brought Steve Fletcher on for second half and he showed Beattie how a centre forward should play football! Bournemouth scored a great goal made by James Hayter beating 2 players in the box before pulling it back to Setev who just had to slot it in.
As it was a friendly there were a lot of substitutions on both sides and Bournemouth ended up almost with their youth side on the pitch. Everton got a lucky equaliser when they shot, the keeper saved but as he was faling he chucked the ball back behind him and into the goal ....NNNNNNOOOOOO!
Everton ( sorry Ju ) do not look like a side that should be 6th in the Permiership and pushing for a EUFA cup slot. They are playingLiverpool next weekend and I am going to put a fiver on the Pool to beat them convincingly.
Biker Sunday
There should be a picture of me in very trendy Hein Gericke yellow and black leathers here but I forgot to ask David to take the photo while I was pulling away from home today. Maybe I will post a picture next week.
I was going to go to the Library on Saturday and got all kitted and ... very embarassing got on the bike only for it to splutter and die on me. I had left it 2 weeks with the alarm connected and had drained the battery! So my bike mentor Alex came around with his charger and we spent the next hour taking the seats off to get to the battery and charged it up.
Now it is Sunday and Alex has offered to take me on a bike ride. 10:30 comes and I am all togged up and looking like Barry Sheen before his metals bits. David was there to wave me away and I am glad that the bike sounded really good. We went through the back way to Ringwood and then sped off towards Salisbury. We ended up looking at a Karting track over Blandford way that I had been trying to find before for the boys. We stopped there for a coffee and I thought that had taken us about 1/2 hour. But it was 12:00 ! And I was late for football !!
So we legged it back home, stopping to get petrol for me on teh way. Yes, the low petrol wwarning came on and I am sure it would have lasted about 30 miles but I didn't want the chance of running out of petrol on my first biker journey.
I had a few mini-scary moments but that was just down to inexperience and I am totally hooked. We got home with about 5 minutes to spare and no time for lunch.
Saturday 8 - Work and Romance
1. a high-paying job (with great benefits and minimal actual effort) at krappe hours ... take it or leave it?
I already have it. I took it so that I can leave work earlier than most people. On track for retirement at 55 unless kids all go to University!2. do you have a "one that got away" in your past romantic life?
---3. what is one job you would never take, no matter how much they paid you?
a job which entailed physical or mental pain to others.4. what behaviour is completely unacceptable in someone you're dating?
a lack of emotion.5. have you ever dated a co-worker? how did that work out?
Yes, 5 times. Maybe I was just too lazy to get a proper social life! I married 2 of them.6. have you ever been sexually harrassed, witnessed someone get sexually harrassed, or had a friend be sexually harrassed in the workplace?
Mental harrasment yes. I was the person's boss. So I dealt with it and took him to one side and suggested he stopped it immediately and get counselling otherwise I would have to take serious action. He emigrated to New Zealand.7. the opposite of #3 ... aside from being paid to loaf around and relax on a beach somewhere (or your lazy activity of choice), what's your dream job?
I have always loved kids ( OK I feel still like one ) so a job with kids would be a dream, especially teaching kids who want to be taught. Unfortunately the schools where my 2 boys go to have a lot of teachers who don't have teaching as a vocation, more a job.8. my new boss was totally shitty to me this week "on principle," and even snapped at me quite bitchily; my colleagues were horrified. you have the support of your colleagues, but not your boss ... you love your job - what do you do?
Face it out with your boss. His / her actions are untenable unless there is just cause, especially if your colleagues are prepared to stand up for you. Don't forget, it could be them rather than you. Would you stand up for them? If this is not good enough, then the boss's line management should then be made aware. Whatever happens keep an account of it. Write it down as evidence if needed. Good luck.
Saturday 8 - Charity Begins At Home
1. the millionaire "secret santa" has passed. do you contribute to charity?
Yes, but not discriminately.2. if you had a million dollars to donate to any charity or group, where would you give it?
I have started to lend money through an organisation called Kiva and I would probably contribute a lot of teh money this way. Instead of just giving the money away it could go to third world entrepreneurs who could otherwise not get loans from normal banks. Then the money would be repaid and start all over again.3. do you think that the tax deduction benefit is worth giving?
Not absolutely sure how it works but if is means getting more money off the government for a worthwhile cause then it has to be worth it.4. do you patronise goodwill or any other community charity store?
We have frequent clear-outs ( I hate clutter and I spend endless amounts of my time clearing and tidying in the hope that the idea will eventually rub off on the kids ) and clother, toys, books etc all go to a charity store, normally for cancer relief.5. do you give money to people who are begging?
Never. This has been quite prevalent almost right outside where I work and with most of them they either spend it on booze and drugs or live quite a nice life as professional spongers. I even saw one get up and get into his Porsche at the end of the day!6.
many cities are starting ordinances that bar or limit charities from giving out free food/clothing to homeless people in municipal areas. do you agree or disagree with this limitation, and why?
Why???? Surely this is another example of bureaucracy gone mad.7. many homeless are mentally ill and it is difficult to locate them, diagnose them, and monitor their medication/intake. do you think that the federal government does enough for the mentally-ill homeless in your country, and why?
No, I think we are only just waking up to trying to deal with the issue properly. It isn't many decades ago that these people were locked up in sanatoriums or workhouses. But it is hard ( not impossible ) to deal with them with their noadic lifestyle, bit like education and the gypsy community.8. how "giving" are you with friends? have you been burned in the past lending money/time to someone who either does not pay you back or is ungrateful/expectant of your time/money, or have you had relatively good experiences with giving/lending?
Now that I earn good money from a job that I enjoy I have started thinking more about what I can do with what is left after all the bills have been paid, hence the motorbiking ( for those who know me ). I haven't had anyone I know ( apart from the immediate family where it is fairly constant! )asking for money yet and I am not sure how I would cope with that.
Ladies and Gentlemen......The Motorbike !!!!!!!!
OK this is such an exciting day I can't hold it in any more. I was interested in 2 bikes in a place near to home called
Motorbiking.
There was a cheap Suzuki Bandit 600 and this Suzuki SV 650. So I left work early ( not as early as I wanted to because I was on conference calls longer than I expected ) and dashed along to the shop.
"Sorry the red bandit has been sold" said the shopkeeper. Didn't want it anyway! So the short story is I ended up putting a reserve on the other bike and I get to pick it up on Monday! Wow!!!!!!
So I dashed along the road to Smart Riders to get 2 Nolan helmets with intercom between the 2 and a lead for an MP3 / Iopd / whatever for music into both helmets.
I need to come off Cloud 9 soon but hey I am enjoying it while it lasts.
Photo to come with bike at home and me in leathers.
Saturday 8 - Noses and Doggie Tails
1. i have a nasty head cold. when was the last time you were sick, and what ailed you?
I had an absolutely massive headache last night ( I know men always exaggerate! ) but I think that was after being in a really hot swimming pool shouting my head off for 3 hours at a swimming gala without taking any kind of refreshment. Then we went around friedns for a meal. So all I had from about 12:00 was 2 glasses of wine and a coffee. Very healthy...NOT!2. i left my contacts out last night by accident, and they dried out. ugh. do you wear glasses or contacts to correct your vision? if so, for how long?
I wear glasses now but not as often as I should. I had to wear them for my bike test otherwise I would have fialed the eyesight test.3. a stray dog was found wandering in our neighbourhood, which is rare. he was so thin you can see his ribs, spine, and hipbones. we took him in and are searching for the owner, although i really don't want to give him back due to his condition. what would you do if you found the owner of this dog after taking him in?
I think I would have already reported the dog's state of health to the RSPCA and the if the owner was found they could deal with it legally.4. i have two friends who are interested in taking the dog. after putting up "found dog" posters all over, how long would you wait to hear from the old owners before giving him to a new home?
With a dog in that state about 5 minutes!5. i am bringing the dog into the vet on monday to rule out a weird parasitic-worm thing for his weight loss, as i don't see the owners contacting me. my husband says that i've done more than i should for this pup, but i want to make sure he's OK health-wise. would you take the dog to the vet and spend your own money, or would you take him/her to the animal shelter first?
I would have taken him to the RSPCA but would have given them my name and no. to keep in touch.6. at this point in your life, if someone offered you a free young dog/cat of a breed/mix that you wanted, would you take it?
I have had enough of pets and animal grief for a while. I have a hard enough job playing husband and father. If I was pushed I would prefer 2 cats than anything else. If I had to take a dog it would have to be a husky type.7. switching gears...
a 10-yr. old boy in texas asked his uncle why saddam had a noose around his neck after seeing a news feed loop on a spanish-speaking news channel. the uncle explained they were going kill him by hanging, and the boy asked if that's how you kill "bad people." the uncle answered 'yes' and the boy was found later with a bedsheet around his neck hanging from his top bunk. people are saying that he 'mimicked' the hanging; i think he killed himself purposefully. do you think his death was a suicide or an accident?
Accident - he was play acting.8. a
bride in austria jokingly answered "no" to the question of "do you take this man," causing the official to call off the wedding immediately. not even the sobbing pleadings of the bride could prompt the official to continue with the wedding, and the couple will have to wait 2.5 months before they can marry again. do you think this was too harsh, that the woman got what she deserved for larking about during such a serious ceremony ... or perhaps she should thank her lucky stars and run for the hills with some hot czech nationals?
Oh my God that is bureaucracy going mad again. Princess Diane got Prince Charles name wrong when they married so does that mean that it was null and void?
Top 10 List 2007 - Rossi Eat Your Heart Out !
What a start to theNew Year ! I am so incredibly happy to have passed my motorbike test at the second attempt. I know, from the picture you couldn't tell could you.
Bill, my instructor from A2B, was tremendous and he got me through it. There were no nasty surprises today. The U-turn was a bit j-j-jittery but I got around. I also left the bike in gear when he asked me to push it over to the other side of the street. In the end i got 4 minor fails ( you are allowed upto 15 ) so the test ride was pretty comfortable.
I also bought a neck warmer this morning as it was bitterly cold. I guess this may not be the last of the bike purchases. Yes, I went to
Motorbiking this afternoon just to....have a look!
I told him I had just passed my test and asked whether he had anything suitable. He asked me what I wanted and I said I didn't want a sports bike but one that I could take people easily pillion but not too big that I couldn't get my leg over ( ooh-er Mrs! ). He also asked me how much I was prepared to spend and I said £4K.
So he showed me an "X" reg Suzuki Bandit for £2.4K !! He said it was a really good starter bike until I was ready to move on. Very tempting.
I said can I road test it? "My insurance doesn't cover someone who has just passed their test today!" So I have come home to mull it over.
But it is definitely a "hooray for me" day. MORE MORE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Third World Lending
OK I was going to tell you more about a company I have found that is involved in lending to poorer countries. It is called
Kiva.
What happens is that you are asked to lend money to people in third world countries in order to improve their businesses. These are people who cannot normally borrow money from banks and the amounts of money that they need for their businesses are comparatively small. These amounts start from as little as $25.
Once the amounts promised add up to the desired loan amount the transaction is completed. They then have a period of time where they can repay the loans. Then it can all start over again.
This seems so much more useful than just giving to a charity. This hopefully helps them build their business, helps their families and hopefully the people they may employ as their businesses grow.
I have talked Scarlett through the idea and told her that I will also lend to the person she believes deserves it the most. Small steps but in the right direction.
And the picture?............ this is
Agnes Lawrence. She is the first person I have lent to. She won't be the last.
