9 goals

That is how many Celtic have conceded in 2 games, the first time this has happened in 14 years. Another debacle yesterday, drawing 4-4 with Motherwell after being 3-1 up at half time. It's all very depressing. Oh, and Rangers won today, 3-0 against Livingston.

Turning away from football, the Braves have now won 5 in a row and extended their lead at the top of the NL East to 5 games. The Nationals seem to be starting the slide that everyone has been predicting all season. Mind you, the NL East is very competitive with every team playing .500 or better, unlike the NL West where the Padres lead with a 51-53 (.490) record!! (don't look for Wild Card from there then!).

We had a few of the neighbours in last night, Lynn prepared a lovely buffet spread and the beer, wine and whiskey were flowing (again!). My next door neighbour is a Rangers man so he wouldn't shut up about football all night. He is a "typical" Rangers fan i.e. one who hasn't actually been to see them play for about 15 years.

15 minutes to kick-off

Celtic kick off their attempt to reclaim the title in approximately 15 minutes time at Fir Park, Motherwell. Fir Park, the scene of the horrendous late capitulation last season and the ironic first venue for this new post-O'Neill Celtic era. I am completely underwhelmed by it all I must admit. Usually opening day has the nerves jangling in a nice anticipatory way but not today. I actually fear the worst but then I try and tell myself that, over the years Celtic tend to react positively to bad results in the next game they play.

Just checked the team, Balde is dropped.

The team, as posted by someone on the Celtic message board (and I quote exactly) is as follows:

Marshall
Telfer
McManus
Krusty the Slovak Clown
Mo Slater
Thompson
Mr Woo
Lennon
Petrov
The fat statue
Maloney

Possibly the worst ever!

The sight (left) that I really did not expect to see at the end of Gordon Strachan's first competitive match in charge of Celtic.

Artmedia Bratislava 5 Celtic 0.

Just look at that result and say it to yourself.

5-0!

It beggars belief. This isn't Real Madrid or AC Milan, but Artmedia Bratislava!...... I know, I hadn't heard of them either.

Abject, pathetic, gutless, uninspired, lethagic, disgraceful, embarassing; just some of the words that spring to mind about last night's performance by Celtic. In all my years supporting Celtic, I have seen some bad performances and bad results. I have seen genuinely poor Celtic teams, under bad managers, perform badly and still not lose 5-0. We have had players such as Stuart Slater, Regi Blinker, Wayne Biggins, Paul McGuigan, Carl Muggleton, Martin Hayes. We have had terrible managers such as Liam Brady, Lou Macari and John Barnes. None of those mentioned above ever lost a competitive match 5-0.
I really don't know where we go from here to be honest.

Established stars - stars who took us to Seville in 2003 - were culpable last night. Neil Lennon, Stan Petrov, Alan Thompson, Bobo Balde, Stan Varga and John Hartson - the nucleus of a team that has achieved so much, achieved so little last night. I have no idea how they can lift themselves for Motherwell away on Saturday.

Nothing happened today

Cartoon heroes #2

Well, there is a bit of Charlie Brown in us all I think!

Could not get up this morning

What a struggle, switched the alarm off and just lay for another half-hour!

Also, dozed off on the train tonight (earlier train than usual - couldn't hack work any more) - probably snoring as well!

Quiet day

It was a long day yesterday, having a fairly quiet time today. The wine and beer were flowing so I have been feeling a bit "tired" today.

Kira got really tired about 10 o'clock yesterday, she had had enough I think. I called my dad and he come and picked her up and took her home and she spent the night with gran and grandpa. Joanne wanted to stay to the bitter end, but she has "negotiated" an overnight stay with gran and grandpa some time in the next few weeks (without Kira!).

So we have been up to pick her up and she is now sitting in front of Cee Beebies! (a kid's TV channel on the BBC).

I checked the baseball results and see that the Braves beat the Diamondbacks, so Barry would have enjoyed that.

Wedding today

It's Lynn's cousin's wedding today. The weather at this moment is not too promising, dry but dull but it is forecast to brighten up later. Joanne and Kira are now very excited as they are flower girls.

My brother Barry and family headed of on holiday a couple of days ago, they are in Phoenix, Arizona - also going to New York for a few days.

Bank One Ballpark (left), home of the Arizona Diamonbacks. Barry and family have tickets for tonight's game between the Diamondbacks and the Atlanta Braves (my team - go Braves!!).

Lucky sod!

What a relief!

There is nothing quite like the relief of urinating when you have been desperate to do so for at least half an hour. Went out after work, someone leaving, had three pints.

Thought about going before leaving the pub (having been twice already) - decide, I'm ok.

Approach the station, begin to hope that there is a toilet on the train.

Get on the train - no toilet.

Play with mobile phone on train - sitting and not moving helps.

Approach my stop, consider using the toilet of the pub across the road from my station.

Get off the train, cannot be bothered to cross a busy road to get to the pub, I'll walk, may find somewhere quiet to pee.

Start to walk home, no suitable places, everywhere is either visible to someone or other or has a camera nearby.

It's really pretty desperate now, nowhere to go

Decide that I should give up looking, I'm not going until I get home and I'll be a better man for it anyway!!!

Get home - ahhhhhhh!

38 today

God almighty, I am getting old.

Enough said about that!

More bombs today in London, this is just unreal. For people like Rachel this must be a never ending nightmare and I can only try and imagine the feelings she has on days like today. She was so close to being caught up in it all again.

Don't really feel like saying any more today.

This made me smile today

I am still having the greatest difficulty in motivating myself at work, I have not had this kind of post holiday lethargy in years. Anyway, I undertook a nice easy "non-involving" task for a little while - clearing out some of my old e mails. I came across the following joke on an old e mail (or I may have come across it on the internet as I got bored clearing e mails and surfed for a bit!):

An Italian, a Scotsman and a Chinese man, are hired at a construction site.

The foreman points out a huge pile of sand. He says to the Italian guy,"you're in charge of sweeping." To the Scotsman he says, "You're in charge of shovelling." And to the Chinese guy, "you're in charge of supplies."

He then says, "Now, I have to leave for a little while. I expect you men to make a dent in that pile of sand." So when the foreman returns after being away for a couple of hours, the pile of sand is untouched.

He asks the Italian, "Why didn't you sweep any of it?" The Italian replies, "I no hava no broom. You saida to the Chinesea fella that he a wasa ina charge of supplies, but he hasa disappeared and I coulda finda hima nowhere."

The foreman turns to the Scotsman and says "and you, I thought I told you to shovel this pile?" The Scotsman replies "aye, that ye did laddie, but ah could nae get maself a shuvel. Ye left the Chinese laddie in charge a' supplies, but ah couldna find him neither."

The foreman is really angry now. He storms off toward the pile of sand to look for the Chinese gent. Just then, the Chinese man leaps out from behind the pile of sand and yells, "SUPPLIES!!" *

* Any stereotypical views expressed on this site are not necessarily the views of the author.

In setting up this blog, I have come across a site by Wil Wheaton. He was one of the boys who had a part in the film Stand by Me, based on a Stephen King story. He also played a part in Star Trek: The Next Generation. He is now a writer and plays poker at a fairly competitve level as well as maintaining a pretty amusing blog.

I'm breaking the cardinal rule of....

....reading.

I'm actually reading (wait for it) two books at once!!

I have been reading Noble House by James Clavell for a while - it is excellent but is very long. As it is set in Hong Kong, I love some of the names in it; how about Smallpox Kin, Four Finger Wu and Afternoon Pok? Also reading Pop Goes the Weasel by James Patterson. This is the book I picked up and started reading in the guest house in Filey (and the reason why I went to the library on my return, as I had not finished it and didn't want to steal after such hospitality. Mind you, is it stealing when someone has probably just left it there anyway? - Discuss).

At the moment, I am listening to a wee bit of music. I have just about my whole CD collection saved on Real Player and I like to do a random Auto playlist. The first 10 songs of this evenings sounds are:

1) Starred and Crossed - Big Country
2) Janie Jones - The Clash
3) Swimming Horses - Siouxsie and the Banshees
4) Speedboat - Lloyd Cole and the Commotions
5) If Love is a Red Dress (Hang me in Rags) - Maria McKee
6) Wild Honey - Beach Boys
7) The Ballad of John and Yoko - The Beatles
8) Atomic - Sleeper
9) Burning Sky - The Jam
10) La Mamma Morta - Maria Callas

Wee game

This is a wee game that I like to play from time to time!

Uuuurgghh!

Pretty much the way I have felt all day being back at work. Not "uurgh, I feel ill", just "uuurggh, I don't want to be here!"

Anyway, had a sales workshop this morning, involved a bit of role-playing - great!

Spent most of the rest of the day wading through about 100 e-mails. Best part of a dozen of them were spam, trying to sell me viagra or a new mortgage. I can't help wondering how many people that receive an unsolicited e mail trying to sell a sex enhancement drug say "ah, that's just what I need, I knew that there was something missing in my life but, hang, could I think what it was! Now, how do I order these?" The mortgage ones are pretty hard sell as well; they say such things as "This is absolutely your last opportunity to take advantage of our special rate, we will not remind you again. Take this mortgage or we will come round to your house and set fire to it!" - OK, maybe I exaggerated but you get the picture.

Anyway, I have got the "Uuurrgh" day out of the way, tomorrow brings the "zzzzzz" phase.

I've just read Rachel's diary following the London bombings. She writes with great clarity and expresses very well her thoughts and feelings. Drives home yet again how we all worry about the most trivial things. I have been feeling down the last few days as my fortnight holiday is nearly over. Well, at least I have more holidays to take, a holiday in Majorca in September to look forward to, two weddings to attend in the next couple of months. We live in a world where so many bad things are happening all the time that we are almost immune; we rarely take the time to think how lucky we are that these things are not happening to us.

Anyway, I just felt like posting this - even if no-one ever reads it, it will always be there for me to re-read and remember.

Link to London blog

I came across this blog, started by Rachel, around about the same time as I started mine. It has been dedicated to the victims of the London terrorist attacks on 07/07/05 and Rachel herself was on one of the trains that was targeted. Rachel posts on the Urban forums and I remember reading her early account on 07/07/05.

Not so Magic

Well, here we are, the very last day of my holiday, back to work tomorrow - not so magic.
Celtic drew 0-0 with Fulham yesterday. New signing "Magic" Zurawski missed a late penalty - not so magic.

Girl/Boy diary entries

I like this:

GIRL'S DIARY

SATURDAY 21st OCTOBER 2004

Saw Tony in the evening and he was acting really strangely.

I went shopping in the afternoon with the girls and I did turn up a bit late so I thought it might be that. The bar was really crowded and loud so I suggested we go somewhere quieter to talk. He was still very subdued and distracted so I suggested we go somewhere nice to eat. All through dinner he just didn't seem himself; he hardly laughed, and didn't seem to be paying any attention to me or to what I was saying. I just knew that something was wrong. He dropped me back home and I wondered if he was going to come in; he hesitated, but followed. I asked him again if there was something the matter but he just half shook his head and turned the television on.

After about 10 minutes of silence, I said I was going upstairs to bed. I put my arms around him and told him that I loved him deeply. He just gave a sigh, and a sad sort of smile. He didn't follow me up, but later he did, and I was surprised when we made love. He still seemed distant and a bit cold, and started to think that he was going to leave me, and that he had found someone else.

I cried myself to sleep.


BOY'S DIARY

SATURDAY 21st October 2004.

Celtic lost to Rangers 2-1.

Got a shag though.

Well done Rafael Palmeiro

16/07/2005:

3000th base hit (a scorching double) for Rafael Palmeiro in a 6-3 win over the Mariners. He becomes the 26th player in history to get to this milestone.

Cartoon Heroes #1

Bo Sox slaughter the Yankees

Result from yesterday (15/07):

Boston Red Sox 17 New York Yankees 1

Now that is a drubbing!!

My daughters

Kira - age 4 (left) and Joanne - age 8 (right)

Football grounds I have been at

Football grounds that I have watched games at:

Scotland:

Celtic Park - Celtic (above)
Ibrox Park - Rangers
Fir Park - Motherwell
Rugby Park - Kilmarnock
Douglas Park - Hamilton Academical
New Douglas Park - Hamilton Academical
Tynecastle Park - Hearts
Easter Road - Hibs
Tannadice - Dundee Utd
Hampden Park - Queens Park/National Stadium
Pittodrie - Aberdeen
Firhill - Partick Thistle
Broadwood - Clyde
McDiarmid Park - St Johnstone (the only club in Britain with a J in the name!)
Brockville - Falkirk
Love Street - St Mirren
Somerset Park - Ayr Utd
Cappielow Park - Morton
Kilbowie Park - Clydebank

England:

St James's Park - Newcastle Utd
Roker Park - Sunderland
Elland Road - Leeds Utd
Deepdale - Preston North End
Highfield Road - Coventry City
Kenilworth Road - Luton Town
Highbury - Arsenal
Baseball Ground - Derby County
Ewood Park - Blackburn Rovers

France:

Parc De Princes
Stade Gerland - Lyon

1st pre-season game today

I've just noticed that my team, Celtic are playing Fulham in London today in a pre-season friendly. I knew this was coming up but didn't know it was today; as I am on holiday, I have not bought a newspaper since last Sunday. The season will be here soon then, I cannot get too excited about it yet, think I am still in shock after losing the title in the closing minutes last season.

Lynn and the girls are out at the moment. We are going to a wedding next Saturday and Joanne and Kira need new shoes. It is a lovely day and I need to get out and cut the grass rather than sit here reading other people's blogs etc.

Joanne got her Harry Potter book from the library, no doubt she has it with her, she will probably be reading it as she tries on her shoes! The other book that she ordered has also arrived. Saw a bit of the Edinburgh ceremony last night, JK Rowling came on and read a passage from the book to an entranced audience of kids, still up at 12.01.

Ah well, must go, the grass beckons!

New Harry Potter book

I was at the library this morning and saw a competition form to win the new Harry Potter book which is due out tomorrow. Joanne absolutely loves Harry Potter, she has the new book ordered and it should arrive soon. I picked up a form anyway as I know she just loves answering HP questions so even if she didn't hand it back in she would have a bit of fun. Anyway, she answered the questions in no time at all and her cousin David handed it into the library today as the deadline was 5 pm.

I got a phone call this afternoon to advise that she has won!! She is to go to the library after 9am tomorrow and collect her book. She is thrilled!!........now, what will we do with the other book when it arrives?

Here are a couple of lists I compiled on Amazon.

A couple of days away

We have just returned from couple of days away in Filey. It is near Scarborough in Yorkshire. The weather was superb and we spent some time each day in the sea. We stayed in an excellent Guest House called The Gables. The breakfast was excellent and we had dinner there one night as well. Kim and Linda, the proprietors, make their own butter, ice cream and jam and home cook the meals each day as well. They have a dog called Boots, a big shaggy English Sheepdog (I think) and my two girls loved her.

We had dinner the other evening in a fish and chip restaurant and we all had possibly the best haddock and chips ever. The only downside was that we were the last customers in and they were desperate to get rid of us; this was only about 7pm. When my wife asked for a couple of ice creams for the girls, we heard the cry of "at this time!!" from the kitchen! Well, we skipped ice cream and they did themselves out of a tip!

Hello

Welcome to my Blog page. This is all a bit new to me so I'm still feeling my way. I am an Insurance Underwriter for a major Insurer, based in Glasgow. I am 37 and am married to Lynn with 2 children, Joanne (8) and Kira (4).