Kids

Jeez, kids are tough. I can't imagine what things are going to be like when #3 turns up in May.
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It's Nearly All Over

So the end of 2008 is almost upon us. It's been a good year. Kiddie #3 is nearly with us - well, in May, anyway. I've moved jobs, getting the payrise, and learned more about the new role. Unfortunately, I am now 37, but I got some good presents, and I have yet to experience my birthday facial.
I can't believe it's only two weeks until Christmas...
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Dear Martin Johnson...

Any chance of a win this afternoon?
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Oh Gee, KP

I thought your motto was "bat". And if you were in any doubt, "pause, think, and then bat". And if it looked like a bowling-friendly wicket, "pause, think, pause again, and then bat".
I hope the next six games are better.
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Movember

So, I've agreed to grow a moustache for Movember. It's for a prostate cancer charity. TW isn't too happy - she don't like hairy upper lips. But if I can raise some cash for charidee, I will.
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Brand & Ross

I know I'm late on this, but were resignations appropriate?
Was intervention by the PM necessary?
And how much has Voluptua's career benefitted?
If I were in any way paranoid, I'd be suggesting a conspiracy of some kind.
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Wedding Past

So, The Wedding was excellent. Set off to perfection by my reading, natch.
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Forthcoming Wedding

So, lil Sis is getting married this weekend. I've just had my hair cut in anticipation. I'm also going to read - from the Song of Solomon. Good work.
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Question Time

Dominic Grieve is not coming across very well. In fact, one might label him 'objectionable'. In the vernacular, he might be called a 'c**t'. Is he the new John Redwood?
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Bail-outs

Was watching Newsnight last night, and an interview with Alistair Darling. The interviewer asked, in light of the bail-out for the banks, where were the bail-outs for the individual?
Has she not heard of social security? There's already a system in place to deal with people win lose their jobs. And it already costs billions. D'oh!

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England Post a Win

So, England have won the first ODI vs. South Africa. I watched it in slow motion, thanks to Sky+ (tm), and I had a sense of dread as S.A. set off at a fair gallop in pursuit of 275. Luckily, we strangled them and cut off the runs. As they had 36 to score from the last three overs, I began to feel safe. Funny how a cricket match prompts a post... Camping update will be forthcoming.
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Big Bottoms?

So, yesterday morning I got up, had a shower & went through to the bedroom to get changed. TW was up and in the shower, and Monkey & Tiger were milling about, doing whatever it is that nippers do, when Monkey piped up: "you've got a big bot-bot, Daddy." "Thanks", I muttered. There was a big explosion of laughter from the bathroom as TW heard this exchange. "Your Daddy doesn't have a big bot-bot", she told Monkey.

It's the small things that keep me sane & smiling.

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Easy Like Sunday Morning

So, TW is off at a carboot sale, and I'm left holding the babies. Monkey & Tiger are dressed and fed, so score one for my 'mad' parenting skillz. Ma & Pa will be by in a bit, and we'll go and see TW and MiL. It's a lovely sunny day, but a bit windy.
Was at a party last night, & had a few drinks as per usual. Feeling a bit jaded this morning, but am planning a few days off the booze - at least until Weds. Only trouble is, TW is off to Brizzle on Tuesday, so I expect I will want a drink then. J is coming to decorate the front room, and possibly staying overnight, so we might get a few beers in... Life is a constant challenge, isn't it?
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Reporting Splogs

So, I'm quite pleased today. Back in the day, when I was more circumspect about blogging, I used to have a 'Treb1971' blog account. I moved to this one, and then found out the previous one had been taken over by a splogger promoting alopecia remedies.
I reported the splog on Thursday and find out today it's been taken down. Unfortunately it's not available for new blogs, but I shall be keeping an eye on it.
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Dr Horrible

You've not got long, but if you want to see a web-only superhero-based musical by Joss Whedon for free, check out Dr Horrible.
It may be too late, even now - if so, I apologise...
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Longest Lasagne Evah?!?

So, on Sunday I suggested to Monkey that we might make chocolate crispies. She was given a kids' cookery book by her great-grandmother, and the chocolate crispies recipe looked simple enough that I would be able to make it.

TW persuaded me that as she was going to be busy Sunday afternoon, it might be a good idea to make dinner for that evening, as well as chocolate crispies. I wasn't very open to this, but looked at a lasagne recipe and thought I'd be able to knock it together.

At about 11:30 a.m., Sunday morning, Monkey & I headed off to Tesco, the Great Satan, to line up our ingredients. Cue much dashing to-and-fro, as I did not shop methodically, as I had no idea where anything was. Once that was all done, I decided to get petrol as well - TW had previously obtained a 5p per litre discount, which I put to good use. However, the petrol forecourt was really busy, and we didn't get home until 13:00 - by which time I was starving, and Monkey had tried to get sweets and Cbeebies magazines off me for 1 & 1/2 hours. Luckily, TW had already cooked us pizzas, so we gorged like nation heads at a G8 summit.

I sat and watched a bit of the cricket, which was beginning to fizzle out even then, letting my pizza subside slowly, like a congealed mass of toxic carbs. Which is exactly what it was.

At 14:30, I roused myself and went to look at the recipe more closely, and start my prep. Like all good chefs, I assembled my ingredients, and read through the recipe. I chopped the onion, cut up the bacon (that took a while), crushed the garlic, and was eventually ready to start puttinmg it all together. I think the prep took about 25 minutes.

Then Monkey & I softened the onions, garlic & bacon, and browned the mince and added the tomatoes. Another 20 mins? And then we left it to simmer & reduce - 40 mins.

We didn't start making the bechamel sauce until the ragu was completed, which is where I think we went wrong. Anyway, suffice to say, I spent two hours last Sunday making lasagne.

TW said it was the best she'd ever had. So it wasn't a complete waste of time.
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TFC (Telegraph Fantasy Cricket) - Endgame

So, for the second year, I've enrolled in Telegraph Fantasy Cricket. And, for the second year, I'm languishing at about 16,000. Which is rubbish. So I've picked this week to try to improve my position. It's the start of the Pro-40, and I'm going to change my team daily, to ensure I get double points tomorrow, Weds, & Thursday. It feels a bit 'not quite in the spirit of the game', but sod it. I'm bored with mid-table anonymity. I was up to 301 on Celebdaq the other day, for goodness' sake!
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An Interesting Start - England vs. S.A.

Hmm. I predicted, on Friday, albeit unwillingly, that this would end in a draw. If we found it easy to bat, I reasoned, the Saffas would love a bit of it. I should have had G Smith in my fantasy team, but I think he was too expensive. Instead I plumped for Amla, because that is truly an impressive beard. He's got his 50 up now, but was out for 6 in the first innings - shame.

Still, at least we haven't lost - yet.

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Another Test Series Win

So, England won the second test series of the year against New Zealand. Anderson came good - which was a shame for my Fantasy Cricket side. Even more gutting was Vettori's non-appearance, especially as he was my trump player - d'oh! What are the odds on NZ coming back to win the ODI series?
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London Zoo

So, that was a busy weekend! It started on Friday night with a bottle of wine (I know...). Then, with no rest for the wicked, we were all up at 6.30 on Saturday morning to catch an eight o'clock train to London. Almost like a normal weekday - TW did a good job of marshalling the troops & preparing lunches simultaneously. At Victoria we headed for the zoo, in Regent's Park. We walked, which was pleasant but exhausting. Past Marble Arch, through Hyde Park, over Oxford Street and along Wigmore, turning left on Harley Street. We walked at pace, and got to London Zoo sweaty & blowing hard. Later (when we took a taxi back to Victoria...!), we found out that we'd walked about 3.5 miles. So of course we needed a sit down when we arrived.
I had a coffee that was so hot I had to spit it out, and my tongue still feels burnt, two days later. What is the point in superheating coffee like that? Still, TW's friend said she likes her tea 'piping', and she seemed to drink it okay.
London Zoo is really nicely laid out. A tad expensive on the entry fee (£15.50), but we paid using Tesco vouchers, so it was almost a freebie. And, looking at lions & giraffes, etc., you can forget you're in the middle of London - it was most restful.
We left at about 17:30, and got home almost 12 hrs after we left in the morning. Knackered, of course. But a brilliant day out.
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London

So, was in The Big Smoke yesterday. I do like travelling up there - it reminds me why I don't do it every day. The extra wages wouldn't cover the inconvenience. And, in addition, I'd never see Monkey & Tiger, or spend much time with TW. I'd be exhausted all the time too. Anyway, that's it.

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Come On, the Sussex!

Have booked tickets to see Sussex vs. Somerset at Arundel in the Pro-40 in July. Get in!
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D+1

So, had a whisky last night. Just the one (Mrs. Wembley). I have, after all, got that Jura to finish. I slept quite well, except Tiger woke and cried at 23:15, but apart from that, the night was fine. Feeling good today and looking forward to driving to Oxfordshire to see friends.
What a shame that England are playing cricket all weekend, and it's the He'ineken Cup Final today, as well as the Challenge Cup Final tomorrow. Still, there's no way I can sit in front of the telly all weekend. TW wouldn't allow it.
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General Richard Myers

I was reading this story in The Guardian yesterday, and one thing occurred to me. This general fella had to rely on politicos to tell him what was in the Army Handbook. He was a general, and 'chairman of the joint chiefs of staff'. Could he not have read the Army Handbook? Did he not have his own copy, what with being a general? A quick Wikipedia search shows he was in the USAF, but as the 'U.S. military's highest ranking officer', surely he would have access to such a handbook? Oh well.
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I've Joined the Tech Generation

...with an 80gb iPod Classic. The company I work for were kind enough to give me £300 as a ten year long service award. And since Sky don't accept my credit card, I couldn't buy Sky+ there and then. But I think next month we'll probably order that as well (Credit crunch? What credit crunch?). The only problem is that I can only import CDs at 2.3x for some reason... Which means it is going to take ages to load all my CDs. I'm trying to persuade TW that we need a new laptop in order to keep up. We're currently using my BiL's Armada M300, which is apparently seven years old, a PIII with a 12gb hard drive. So an upgrade to any sort of new PC would be a vast improvement... After three days of loading iTunes, I'm only up to 740mb - still a long way to go!
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Freddie Flintoff

On a happier note, I see Freddie might be returned to fitness. The big lad is hoping to play a part in the test series against NZ in the UK in May, which is promising. I think we have a good bowling line-up anyway, but what price Flintoff & Jones on the attack? Would there still be room for Ryan? If we've dropped Hoggy, I guess there would be...
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English Management

Well, once again I find myself out of touch with "the common man". It looks like Johnno is going to be the next England Rugby manager, despite the fact that Brian Ashton has done a good job to date. Is it because he's not called 'Ashto'? I did read that Mike Catt might be involved, which would be good - Catt is class. I also read that Wilkinson was considering a kicking coach position, but I think that might have been an April Fool. In my humble opinion, the RFU are woefully mistaken to replace Ashto (see? it could catch on...) at this stage. I also recall reading that club rugby is very structured, whereas Ashto would like to play a looser game, and players have a hard time getting that. I don't know. It's all second-hand gubbins to me, but I'd like to see Ashto carry on.
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PMQs

So, I've discovered that I can watch BBC Parliament on the internet at work - which is a bit of a distraction (strangely, the Sun's website is firewalled...?). I watched PMQs on Wednesday and was disappointed at such an unedifying experience.
Cameron asked irrelevant questions which Brown did not answer. As PMQs is one of the highlights of the parliamentary week, you think they'd make more of an effort. If Brown had answered the questions rather than use them as a platform to list Labour's achievements, there might have been an actual discussion.
Cameron asked which other economy was raising taxes going into a recession? Brown could have questioned:

• were we facing a recession?
  
• were taxes being raised (at a macro level)?
• why is it important what other economies are doing? How is that impacting the UK?

I'm not saying Labour or the Tories are right, I'd just like to see a real discussion...
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It's Been a Rollercoaster...

Jaysus. I thought we were goners, and then Sidebottom pulled it out of the bag. On what was supposed to be a batter's pitch, we slumped to 4-3 and then 253 all out. NZ were coasting at 103 for 1, but then slumped to 168 all out. I am now pos. 135 in the Cricinfo fantasy league, which is gratifying. Just thought I'd mention that. England should win from here - but it's another instance where the bowlers have helped out the batsmen. Bring on the return series in the UK.
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The Tension is Almost Unbearable...

So England could possibly win an overseas Test series. The tension is almost unbearable. It looks like Hoggard & Harmison will be left out, which is a shame for Hoggard. But our batsmen (apart from Ambrose) need to step up.
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Six Nations - End of

So, in the end England came second despite two (one and two halves) poor performances. The second half against Wales, the second half against Italy, and the whole match against Scotland. The team performed well against France & Ireland. It's disappointing that we couldn't achieve some consistency. For me, Nick Easter & Jamie Noon were the standout players of the tournament for England (it was funny that Cipriani thought he had been named "Man of the Match" yesterday...!). Ian Balshaw gets the "most room for improvent" award, although he gets that every time - perhaps it should be changed to the "out of my league"award - very fitting for union. Ho ho.
And I hope that now the calls for Ashton's head recede. In the last two competions, (WRC 07 & RBS6 08), England have been runners-up. That's not bad going. Winning would have been nice, but you can't please all the people all the time. It's a bit of an anti-climax really.
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Well, Alright...

Slightly disappointing that Tim Whassisname (Vincent? Naah, too tall...) got out for 102. To me, with my limited knowledge, it seems that English batsmen seem to lose concentration after achieving a milestone (e.g., a century) in a way that other batsmen don't. It's always disappointing when a good innings comes to an end.
It is disappointing that we didn't get 350, but this would have been a "nice to have" rather than a "must".
Especially in light of the fact that the Kiwis are 11-2. Ha-ha!
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Seismic Surprises in Team Selection...

So, I advised TW this morning on the way to work, in tones of disbelief, that Ashton (England rugby coach) was in danger of being fired. In the same incredulous tones, I advised her that they were considering dropping Wilkinson. It seems that Wilko has now been dropped (in favour of Cipriani) - which I find amazing. How long now before Ashton goes? I can only hope he does not go - it is still possible for England to come a respectable 2nd in this Six Nations, after all. It is my opinion, limited and ill-informed though it might be, that the mercurial (in the literal sense) performance of the England rugby team is due to conflicts in the coachinmg team, and I think if these are resolved, the England rugby team could - and SHOULD - perform better on the field.
In my opinion (please note previous caveats above), England rugby does not have the leaders necessary to shape a cohesive side. I recall seeing a mini-rugby tournament, where a nine-year old, playing outside centre, screamed "where's my f***ing line?!?". I think there is not enough of this urgency and reminder of the basics in the international English rugby side.
I believe it will take some time to shape these leaders, or "generals", and as a result I think English rugby could be in for a deep and prolonged funk.

Compare and contrast with the English cricket side. The two 'senior' bowlers, Harmison & Hoggard, did not perform during the first test vs. New Zealand. Hoggard is worth another punt, in my opinion. However, as much respect as I have for Harmison's past achievements, I believe that he is rudderless and lacking direction at the moment. It's almost as though he's there to complete the numbers, but he has no self-belief. The interview he gave to Sky (Nasser Hussain?) was honest and truthful, but showed Harmison to be unaware of his priorities - one minute the most important thing in his life was cricket, & the next it was his family. The guy does not know where to concentrate his efforts. Mike Selvey in the Guardian today recommended ending his test career, as harsh as that sounds, and I agree that Broad should be lined up as his replacement.

If Wilko and Harmo are both retired this week, it will be the end of an era. Two men who have achieved more than was ever expected of them, both of whom have smashed previous impressive records. However, it could be that History is claiming two heroes in one week. I hope their replacements are up to the task.
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DOOM...!

A poor weekend for the English national teams. Drubbed in the rugby & the cricket...
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Can you smell DOOM II?

52-4. That's at least 50% better than before, but still doesn't preclude the "humiliating defeat" option...
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Can you smell DOOM?

32-4. Jesus.
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I'm Holding Ma Breath...

Can England do it? With a required run rate of 3.7, and an actual RR of 9 off the first over, can we see it through to a Win? I'll probably be up until Midnight...
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Shocking

England Rugby. Other words - dismal, shapeless, unplanned, unco-ordinated, chaotic, disappointing.
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Ryan Sidebottom is GOD.

A hat-trick. A bloody hat-trick. And I chose Hoggard as my trump player. What a fool I was. Just goes to show, stay with what you know. The grass is not always greener... So, what odds on England to win the first test, eh?
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Matters Consulting Ltd

So we got a letter the other day, advising we had won a prize from a local business, advising we had to phone a Cheltenham number to confirm/obtain our prize. Absolutely no problem with that, it was a kosher 01242 number (from memory), so phoned them out of interest. Was told that I had won a prize of gym membership, worth £750 - contingent on a weekly payment of £3.81. And, I'd won a second prize of the same, for a friend/partner - which makes for a prize value of £1,500. Went to see the gym, which wasn't at all impressive, and was told that minimum membership was two years. TWO YEARS?!? at £3.81 a week? Times two? That's £800. So, while this is not a con, it isn't worth taking up. Apparently, I've seen written, that even if you move away, you can't cancel - you have to find a gym local to your new locale which is part of the same scheme. As any number of things can change during a two-year period, I'd recommend leaving this offer well alone. You've been warned.
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Diet Blues

So, still going strong on the diet after five weeks. I've gone down from 14st 3lbs (90.3kg) to 13st 5lbs (84.8kg). Mostly due to reducing alcohol intake and giving up mints at work. Apart from last Saturday, where I drank so much alcohol I was sick. That was a bit of an embarrassment, especially as it was in my parents' bathroom. Still, that's one way to get rid of the calories - and I'm sure I was lighter than on Saturday morning. I must have shifted a few hard-to-get bits of food from my intestine. I was going to post a "never drinking again" entry, but as time has lapsed, it doesn't seem so important. Isn't it always the way?
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Whoops

I let go yesterday, on Shrove Tuesday. I had pancakes, fried snacks, and five glasses of wine. Way to smash that calorie barrier! I also ordered a Nokia 6500 Slide, on "3", which I'm quite pleased about. So this week to date my units are 15. With Fri & Saturday to go. And we're going to a wedding Saturday eve. Whoops indeed.
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Mobile Email

So, three glasses of wine and a whisky last night makes six units by my calculations. TTFN.

What a Disappointment...

We went into Brighton yesterday for lunch with the MiL and GiL (Mother-in-law & Grandmother-in-law). It was a nice day, if a bit cold. We went on the pier and had a go on the 2p machines for a while, and Monkey went on a Noddy ride.
We had a very nice lunch at Carluccio's, and afterwards I decided to put a bet on England to win the Six Nations.
That could be a wasted ten pounds. The first half of the game yesterday was good, but for the second half England were running around like headless chickens. Someone needed to step up and control the game for England. Balshaw needs to go. I don't like to criticise, usually, but Balshaw, despite the occasional flash of brilliance, is more of a liability than an asset. He makes the wrong decisions. And that passage where England just shooed the ball back! No leadership...
The only thing I can hope is that the awful second half makes them rethink and play the rest of the games like champions. They made the World Cup Final, for goodness' sake.
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New Year's Resolutions & Diets

So, I'm managing to keep up my prolific posting in 2008 (not)...
One thing I have started doing is counting the calories. TW is on a Rosemary Conley diet, and I am also cutting down on my intake. I reckon, according to the BMI scale of things, I could do with losing a stone and a half. So mostly, apart from not eating crisps at work, this has meant less booze.
Where I would normally have a bottle of wine per night, I now have a measure of malt whisky (35ml, of course), and a bottle of wine at the weekend will last me two nights. In the first week I had 16 and 1/2 units, and this week I'm on course for 18. Which is quite a reduction from the 35 - 40 that I was getting through.
This week I only lost 1lb, but we're staying on the diet until July at least, so if I lose 1lb a week every week, I should hit my target weight. And then TW will have hit her target so we'll be trying for a third child after that.
I have a soft spot for Extra Strong Mints, normally eating a packet a day in work. I didn't realise, until yesterday, that there are 200 calories in a packet! So I'm going to have to find a calorie-free alternative.
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Baby Training

God, Life is tough.

Not only is this my last week in this department, but at home we've decided to potty-train Monkey, as well as cot-train Tiger.
Monkey's two and a half years old now, and she goes to playgroup, so we've decided it's about time she got out of nappies. And to be honest, she's taking to it like a duck to water. She's had a couple of accidents, but TW has taken them in her stride, and she had no accidents at playgroup yesterday - result! She's really changed over the last couple of weeks, and is now a little girl rather than a toddler or a baby.
Tiger, on the other hand, has been mostly sleeping in bed with us for the last nine months. So we've decided that she needs to go into her room - otherwise, what's the point of a three-bedroomed house? Unfortunately, she had other ideas. Although, we only started on Sunday and last night she slept from 22:00 - 00:30 and then from 01:30 - 06:30, which is pretty good for three days' work.
Because I've been working hard closing off items and handing off knowledge, though, it's been quite a tiring week...
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Happy Blogday!!!

So, it was my Blogday on Tuesday. I think I've been doing this, on & off, for three years.

I've decided that this year I am going to reduce my alcohol intake, and started on Monday with one bottle of Corona and a 35ml serving of Famous Grouse. Certainly beats a bottle of rioja!
On Tuesday I had a Corona and 2x35ml serving of Famous Grouse.
Last night, unfortunately, I had five small glasses of red wine, slightly denting my good intentions. However, TW is starting a Rosemary Conley diet tonight, so I will be a (unwilling?) participant in that, which will reduce my alcohol intake further...
I have a litre of Bowmore which I bought in Portugal, which I was looking forward to getting into, so that's a bit of a shame... Might have to wait until March or so before starting it.
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