Bye Bye Business Management

Sorry for those waiting on tenterhooks for my exam result but as most people are now aware, I passed. Luck does not come into such things and it's quite annoying when I tell people I got 56% (needed 55%) and before saying "well done" they feel it's more appropriate to say something like "lucky git!" Anyway I'm very happy and in a perverse way looking forward to Business Finance in June. Also, well done to Eppy, Sarah B and Emily for passing Professional Stage.

In other news, I qualified for a big poker tournament on Friday (first prize about £2300) but was an ass and lost after 5 hands. Not to worry, the balance is still rising. My new wireless connection works with my brother's computer but not with laptops yet. It hasn't quite got to calling Ed stage though. The connection does not like the PS2 however so I fear my Pro Evolution Soccer 5 online career may be over. On a positive note I've just beaten my brother in our 18 match league for the first time since records began. This is good after 33 months of consecutive (usually heavy) defeats.

Dream Team is still close with my team now down to 72nd in the country but Jan Kromkamp has somewhat ruined my transfer plans so last minute tweaking was needed as Steve Finnan can no longer be assured of first team football.

No Sleep

Wow no posts for nine days and then 3 come along at once. Better to keep them short I find as rumour has it that people don't get to the end of long posts as they stop reading when it gets boring.

I've not done much interesting really apart from work hard and not sleep. I'm very busy at work with 31st January deadline day looming. It's also transfer deadline day where I make my potentially big money making decisions in Dream Team. I've been going to bed at reasonable hours most of the week but in the last 7 days I haven't got to sleep before 2 o'clock so i'm currently very tired and looking forward to the weekend.

I think this is mainly due to me worrying about my exam result but there's nothing I can do now about it. I still worry due to bad happenings last time but as I was told it would - everything worked out fine in the end. Hopefully it'll be 3rd time lucky on the old Business Management and a score of 55% or greater will be achieved. I now eagerly await my text at 5pm tomorrow.

On the weekend nights I watched a bit of Quizmania again which is rubbish late night tv viewing but it's one of those shows that is so bad, it's good! They have a Dingbats game and it showed the word BRAIN with a wave underneath. The wave wasn't easy to make out so the host gave a clue as to what the answer was by saying, "So you've got the brain with a wave underneath it. Brain. Wave. You get it?" At that point they take the caller who guesses the answer as, "Brainwash!" "Ooh close but we can't accept that answer!" says Greggles patronisingly. Another Dingbat came on later. The word NOT above what was obviously a cup of tea. The host then gives the clue, "It's a cup of tea, and it's not mine." A tough one. They take a caller who gives the answer, "Not coffee, tea!" While this is a common phrase about twice a day at work (only jesting) it's not really used as much as "Not my cup of tea" The 3rd and final one was a list of soups where callers had to name types of soup. Tomato and chicken were already there and then someone guesses "Supermarket." Not surprisingly they didn't win Always good for a laugh after a heavy night out.

Oh dear it seems to have turned into one of those long boring posts so I could just right anything about certain people here as they'll have stopped reading long ago. But I won't - nothing bad to say and maybe the end of the post has been reached!

Fingers crossed for tomorrow and no doubt the result will appear here over the weekend.

New Motoring Low

Many people will be aware that I am a careful and safe driver (usually anyway)who doesn't often tet the speed limits however I have hit a new low even for me. It's just over 6 years since I passed my test (wow that makes me feel quite old) and driving down from Bradley Bar Roundabout towards Huddersfield I overtook a cyclist. Overtaking - something I don't get up to very often but cyclists are an exception to the rule.

I then slowed down for Asda Roundabout but carried on still in 3rd gear however I saw in my mirrors the aforementioned cyclist not bother with slowing down. He then continued to accelerate down the hill and pulled as I slowed to 38 down past the speed camera next to Clegg Wools he pulled out and overtook me on the inside. I was sorely tempted to veer into him to teach him a lesson. I don't think the camera flashed, hopefully not for his sake or next time I see him I'll have words.

Anyway after being caught up in Fartown traffic I eventually overtook him again on the ring road. Haha not so fast up hills are you mate?! This beats my previous worst feat of being overtaken by a Smart car on a motorway which I'm sure Ed mentions on his blog somewhere but I can't find it.

I did find lots of pictures in Ed's Gallery which brought back some nice memories and also reminded me of people I haven't thought about for a while. Maybe looking in the gallery was the reason I was unlikely to find the text I was looking for! Oops.

Wikky Wikky Wi-Fi

We've moved onto wireless broadband now at home so my parents can use their laptops on the interenet and my brother can use his own computer and give me more time on old faithful I guess. 7 years old and heavily upgraded she's still going strong. I'm hoping i've remembered correctly that the signal can only travel downwards and not upwards otherwise the computer will be moving from it's current position on the landing to somewhere downstairs. Hmmm second thoughts, it might go in my room then ;-) I feel if this were the case Ed may get a call but even super Ed (without Spotty that is) I feel cannot change direction of signal.

Anyway I'm getting out of my depth with this topic so more posts soon if it keeps working.

Weekend TV, Transfer Request

After finishing playing poker on Friday night after discovering this was a bad idea (made a lot more than I lost to make up for it over the weekend by the way) I decided to tune in to Quizmania which is a silly late night quiz show yet strangely addictive when it comes to a choice between watching that or going to bed. There was a question where you had to name ball games and hope they were on the "prize ladder". Snooker and tennis were there then there was a slow period when no-one won. This period included someone ringing in and suggesting "quoits" which got a very strange look from the presenter and someone else who didn't know why she was ringing up or what to do. Once the instructions had been relayed to her she opted for "badminton" as her answer. It's a funny show to watch after a late night out and I'll probably do it again.

This was more watched than Celebrity Big Brother Live which consisted of Michael Barrymore snoring very loudly and everyone else lying awake no doubt wanting to kill him! Other TV included the Manchester derby which City won for a pleasant change, Chelsea beating Sunderland therefore mathematically ending Sunderland's hopes of winning the Premiership, and the BDO (British arts Organisation) darts final. This was won by Jelle Klaasen of Holland. But as stated many times before Eric Bristow backed me up by saying it was a good evening of "amateur darts".

I'm currently lying 34th in Sun Dream Team and would like to take all advice possible on transfers in the quickly approaching 2nd transfer window. My team is currently, Jaaskelainen, Terry, Del (Derek) Horno, Mullins, A Ferdinand, Gerrard, MG Pedersen, Bullard, Henry, McBride and D Bent. Hope you can help.

Record And Scientific Experiment!

A record 28 visitors yesterday mainly due to a couple of new readers I imagine although i'm not sure who one of them is! I've just come back from a night in Huddersfield with Rob and Ann. It was the first night of Rob's teetotalness. This was spoilt only by two mouthfuls of VK Blue which is yellow in a glass. Anyway, now I seem to be a poker God at medium levels I'll see if I can win a 9 seater tournament when quite drunk at low levels ($5)...

...Well after a promising start I managed to throw my lead away and come 5th after 45 minutes. I'd say it was quite tough but I'm not sure it was. I think overall I was just too weak due to Smirnoff Ice consumption. I've also learnt from a poker colleague of mine that playing when drunk is bad after $500 or so went just by clicking the wrong button. So the overall conclusion has to be not to play poker after alcohol. Enough science for one day - Bedtime now methinks!

Work Related Social Events

It was the work Christmas party on Saturday (7th January). This totally against everything I posted just under a week ago and it just felt like a meal and a cheesy disco afterwards and not Christmassy. The DJ was trying very hard though and offered to play Christmas songs but I didn't hear one all night. The food was good as was the wine which there was plenty of as there were only 2 on my table drinking the fine red stuff. This was a good thing as drinks cost a lot. I felt nicely tipsy at the end to finish my 19 day run over Christmas without alcohol.

On the alcohol subject, Baileys After Eight Mints stink worse that the nastiest smell ever so don't buy them.

I've been been to Patrick's house for a little Pro Evolution Soccer 5 tournament. Tom won even though he was the worst player. I guess he was like Blackburn when they beat up Chelsea last year to get a draw. You just can't play well against that sort of play. Anyway 2nd wasn't bad and maybe I'll win another time!

Favourite Football Weekend

This weekend was FA Cup 3rd round weekend again which, for the 2nd year running I believe saw no Premiership clubs drawn against each other paving the way for many a giantkilling act. No lower league teams won on Saturday but at one stage Scunthorpe were leading Man City and Millwall led Everton. Luton also led European Champions Liverpool 3-1 but Liverpool pulled back to win 5-3 including a spectacular 60 yard effort from Xabi Alonso. Nuneaton Borough of the division below the conference grabbed a deserved draw against Premiership Middlesborough and Torquay drew with Steve Bruce's (boo) poor Birmingham team.

Sunday however was a day of shocks. To begin with Clyde beat Celtic but that's in Scotland so no-one's really bothered. Fulham then lost to League 2 Leyton Orient. That'll teach them to drop Brian McBride. In another shock Sunderland beat Northwich 3-0 to record their first win ever! Only joking Sunderland fans maybe you're saving it for a big cup run (remember 1992?). Burton Albion then drew 0-0 with the mighty Manchester United not unlike last year at this stage when Exeter City held them to a draw. Leicester City then came from 2-0 down to beat Spurs 3-2 thanks to a very offside looking last minute winner.

West Ham beat Norwich again for the 2nd year running but they have swapped divisions since they last played each other. Maybe the replays will bring more upsets.

Finally a word to the brave and mighty Huddersfield Town who went to the best team in the world hoping to earn respect. After dominating the first three minutes we were out played for much of the rest of the first half and let in a sloppy goal. However with great defending from the Clarke brothers we got back into it with a goal from Gary Taylor Fletcher and a shock looked on the cards. Then just eight minutes from time Robben ran down the wing and Gudjohnsen scored. So unlucky but so not disgraced. Well done lads. One paper even said that Jose Mourinho said he wouldn't be worried about a trip to the Galpharm for the replay as he could bring back Terry and Lampard but he was obviously forgeting that town would have captain Worthington and legend Booth back in the team! Boothy Boothy Boothy!

When To Take Down Christmas Decorations

A hotly disputed subject in at least one household and workplace all over the country, hopefully this will give the definitive answer.

"Twelfth Night is when all Christmas Decorations should be removed so as not to bring bad luck upon the home. If decorations are not removed on Twelfth Night, they should stay up all year." link

"6th January - According to a very old tradition, you should take down Christmas decorations on the Twelfth Day...it's unlucky to leave them up even a day longer!" link

So after googling for 2 minutes it seems it is also unclear on the internet when they should be taken down and what to do if you are late to do so. I dig further...

"Remember to take down every last Christmas decoration before the end of the evening of January 5th. It's seen as bad luck to keep trimmings up after Twelfth Night."
Link

"Epiphany, 6th January, is the traditional end of the Christmas holiday and is the date on which we take down the tree and decorations. To do so earlier is thought to bring bad luck for the rest of the year." Link

I'm really not getting anywhere here! But alas, finally after 25 minutes:-

"Today, the Twelfth Night after Christmas means the day(!) we take down the decorations. Twelfth Night is the evening of the 5th January and all day of 6th January."

A Kent junior school clears things up once and for all. Hopefully this is correct. If not please tell me the correct answer to my little poser.

The correct answer to my last little poser of "what is the lowest number you can't finish on with 3 darts" is 159.

Darts Final

Phil "The Power" Taylor won his 13th world darts title tonight after thrashing Peter "One Dart" Manley 7-0 again as he did in 2002. He averaged over 100 in every set with 3 darts and set a new record for a final with 106.74 and looked more like an exhibition match than a world final.

There's a link on Manley's website to Bulleye online which is an attempt to bring Bullseye back to our screens. Personally I think it is best left in TV history and watched occasionally on Challenge which I did today with Jim Bowen in his pink suit and two guys won the star prize - a C reg Ford Fiesta. Bowen then ended the show with "And you know what - neither of them can drive! Goodnight."

On the subject of darts there was a quiz question last year which went something like this:- "What is the lowest number that you can't finish on with 3 darts?" Taylor did the highest possible of 170 tonight. Hopefully someone will comment with the answer. If not, I'll work it out and put it in the next post.

The Start of 2006

Woo it's 2006 so everyone wished each other happy new year! I was then confronted by a woman, "Who haven't I kissed yet?" as she planted me one on the lips. Pah who needs mistletoe eh?! I got a few more of them before the night was out which was certainly different to last year but I guess this was due to the location. Not that last year was bad in any way of course.

I then took on Ed at darts. He gave up after many failed attempts at a double. I carried on and eventually fired in the double 1 after about an hour of throwing. I now see why it's important for darts players to keep fit. Phil "The Power" Taylor has just beaten Wayne "Hawaii 501" Mardle 6-5 in his semi at the PDC (proper darts champions)* world championships and is going for his 13th world title tomorrow.

I also played Space Invaders and Pinball which was fun and we left the pub just before 3am (as last week oddly enough). I got home to find one of my brothers mates (from his house party) quite ill. They walked him home though and were quiet about it so that was ok. I'd just got to sleep then I received a couple of texts at 4:20 wishing me a happy new year that were sent at midnight. I got to sleep again aroud 5am.

I had a bit of a lie in but it didn't seem like new years day because there was no football, in the same way Christmas Eve didn't seem like a Saturday as there was none then. I didn't bother with a new year walk today as I felt I'd had enough exercise collecting darts last night!

So it's 2006. The World Cup seems ever closer!

* I believe PDC actually stands for Professional Darts Council but feel free to correct me if you disagree.

The End Of 2005

It was decided that a night in the Big 6 would be where we would spend the turning of the year. I arrived with Bill around 9:30 soon to be joined by Ed and then we waited for about 45 minutes for JJ, Lucy, Dave, and Kate to turn up as it was JJ's round due to his lack of funds at the Murg the previous week!

This was my second trip of the day to Halifax as I had already been out for lunch with JJ, Lucy, Dave, Kate, Amanda, Luke, and Shelley to Bar Eleven where I had a steak and mushroom "pie". It wasn't served as a pie. The steak and mushrooms came in a bowl with pastry on top. Still, it was a nice meal and left me full for the rest of the day.

Anyway, back in the 6 and after moving stools from one side of the pub to the other (not easy when it is packed and difficult to squeeze through people anyway) we settled in the games room for the night. I was driving as I really couldn't be arsed with a taxi at New Year as stated in my previous post and so completes my festive period without alcohol (if you don't include the parties beforehand that is (hmmm maybe that's a flaw)).

I topped up with J2O at about 11:50 and then 2005 was no more...