See what I mean? It's just not there!
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Saturday, November 19, 2005
All Blacks on top at Twickenham
Yesterday was one of those magic days when everything goes swimmingly from the start. We went for a run early (with music) and it was sunny and crisp and there was frost on all the logs in the park...so pretty. Listening to J complain I thought: finally the massive investment in sports bras pays off - MY chest feels quite toasty, thanks!
Then we had a delicious breakfast at home with sun pouring into the kitchen and moseyed down to the train station. Stopped for a hot chocolate and got on the train to Richmond at 1.23. You would think this was plenty early enough for a 2.45 kick-off but we ended up running up flights and flights of stairs while some unknown woman sung the NZ national anthem. Got to our seats in time for the new haka though - not sure about it, to be honest. I knew the words to the old one - maybe that's the problem.
It was a little weird from where we were sitting, behind the goal line, because the opposite end of the ground was just not there. After the goal posts, there was dirt and bull-dozers and all the little matching houses of Twickenham. It's like someone stole a whole stand - or like in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, when Mr Wonka Sr. says 'If you go, I won't be here when you get back' and then there's just a gaping hole in the row of terraced houses.
Anyway, back to my point. The noise was incredible, the atmostphere electric. My throat hurts a bit today!
The actual game - well, we weren't too bad, I thought. The defense was pretty good, anyway. Would have liked to see someone streak down the field towards our end and score but other than that, can't complain. You do feel a bit smug when your team spent most of the second half with fourteen men and still won.
At full time I got a little, resigned text from Matt: come on then. I'm not very good at texting and walking down stairs at the same time so I was not nearly as cutting as I wanted to be in reply but it was still fun. And then he was silent. Ha!
Met up with D & J in the Costa coffee place at Waitrose (everywhere around the station was packed) and we sat there for an hour or so and then made our way to a pub called The Fox. Huddled in the courtyard outside under one of those outdoor heaters - weird to have cold feet and feel like your hair might catch fire!
Later we went to a little French restaurant - confit de canard et mousse au chocolat, ou peutetre une demi-mousse au chocolat, par le temps Jules a fini avec elle! I went to the bathroom and got back to discover that the half that was covered by my chocolate wafer was just a gaping hole! The cheek of it!
Afterwards, we took the train to Richmond and went to a different bar with disco lights and all the works but D was starting to fade, having just flown back from Oz this week so we only stayed briefly and were home around midnight.
All in all a good day and the luck of the All Blacks jersey continues. I've never worn it to a game that we've lost.
Now it's Sunday and I have a little task to do in Islington. The return of the second left boot!
Then we had a delicious breakfast at home with sun pouring into the kitchen and moseyed down to the train station. Stopped for a hot chocolate and got on the train to Richmond at 1.23. You would think this was plenty early enough for a 2.45 kick-off but we ended up running up flights and flights of stairs while some unknown woman sung the NZ national anthem. Got to our seats in time for the new haka though - not sure about it, to be honest. I knew the words to the old one - maybe that's the problem.
It was a little weird from where we were sitting, behind the goal line, because the opposite end of the ground was just not there. After the goal posts, there was dirt and bull-dozers and all the little matching houses of Twickenham. It's like someone stole a whole stand - or like in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, when Mr Wonka Sr. says 'If you go, I won't be here when you get back' and then there's just a gaping hole in the row of terraced houses.
Anyway, back to my point. The noise was incredible, the atmostphere electric. My throat hurts a bit today!
The actual game - well, we weren't too bad, I thought. The defense was pretty good, anyway. Would have liked to see someone streak down the field towards our end and score but other than that, can't complain. You do feel a bit smug when your team spent most of the second half with fourteen men and still won.
At full time I got a little, resigned text from Matt: come on then. I'm not very good at texting and walking down stairs at the same time so I was not nearly as cutting as I wanted to be in reply but it was still fun. And then he was silent. Ha!
Met up with D & J in the Costa coffee place at Waitrose (everywhere around the station was packed) and we sat there for an hour or so and then made our way to a pub called The Fox. Huddled in the courtyard outside under one of those outdoor heaters - weird to have cold feet and feel like your hair might catch fire!
Later we went to a little French restaurant - confit de canard et mousse au chocolat, ou peutetre une demi-mousse au chocolat, par le temps Jules a fini avec elle! I went to the bathroom and got back to discover that the half that was covered by my chocolate wafer was just a gaping hole! The cheek of it!
Afterwards, we took the train to Richmond and went to a different bar with disco lights and all the works but D was starting to fade, having just flown back from Oz this week so we only stayed briefly and were home around midnight.
All in all a good day and the luck of the All Blacks jersey continues. I've never worn it to a game that we've lost.
Now it's Sunday and I have a little task to do in Islington. The return of the second left boot!
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Sunday, November 13, 2005
St Petersburg boots
...or one of them. It turns out I only have one left foot so I'll be going back to Islington next weekend to return the second left boot! If only they'd let me buy the pair I tried on...
The one boot I have IS definitely waterproof and has a ridged sole for walking in the snow. Plus a funky pink stripe to match the turn-downs down the back.
Had a nice lazy day having lunch in Islington (disappointing overcooked NZ lamb roast) and doing a spot of shopping with Manz. A perfect sunny, crisp Sunday for once.
All Blacks v. Ireland
Courtesy of Jules and his flash new phone, who seem to have enjoyed their 24 hours in Dublin. Luckily their seats were not in the burnt-out North stand!
Sundown at the Llanelli Wetlands Centre
See, we did have some nice weather in Wales. Apart from the complete lack of interesting wildlife and the scary birdwatchers camped out for the day with anoraks and binoculars on tripods, the Wetlands Centre was a nice spot for an afternoon walk. Followed by some hot refreshments :-D
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Heavy rain warning for Wales
It's been raining all week, off and on. So today I thought perhaps I should check the 5-day forecast for Wales.
When we arrive in Cardiff on Saturday it will be raining lightly. By the next morning, the rain will have become heavy. We will then proceed to Carmarthenshire, where heavy rain will continue to fall throughout Sunday and Monday. Perhaps it's time to admit defeat and abandon my planned visit to the National Wetlands Centre at Llanelli!
Prediction: hot chips will prove irresistible on more than one occasion.
Do I even bother to take my camera?
In other news, there was a very cute cartoon in the Independent today of David Blunkett being led along a corridor by his dog with tears streaming down his face. They were just passing a sign saying 'Cabinet exit' and the dog was saying: 'It's all right - I know the way!'
Endless official emails went around work yesterday with the 'latest' news on the Minister for Pensions (or lack of one). As Matt squashingly said: Why are they cluttering up my inbox? If I want to know what happened, I'll consult the BBC, not the intranet!
When we arrive in Cardiff on Saturday it will be raining lightly. By the next morning, the rain will have become heavy. We will then proceed to Carmarthenshire, where heavy rain will continue to fall throughout Sunday and Monday. Perhaps it's time to admit defeat and abandon my planned visit to the National Wetlands Centre at Llanelli!
Prediction: hot chips will prove irresistible on more than one occasion.
Do I even bother to take my camera?
In other news, there was a very cute cartoon in the Independent today of David Blunkett being led along a corridor by his dog with tears streaming down his face. They were just passing a sign saying 'Cabinet exit' and the dog was saying: 'It's all right - I know the way!'
Endless official emails went around work yesterday with the 'latest' news on the Minister for Pensions (or lack of one). As Matt squashingly said: Why are they cluttering up my inbox? If I want to know what happened, I'll consult the BBC, not the intranet!
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