On my way to the golden boot

Thankfully subbed after 80 minutes, my work done, I display a thumb for each goal.

Half time team talk. My scowl is probably me trying to fight off the sickness

Green is the colour

Having pumped so much poison into my body it was probably a good idea to sweat some out.

Although after 80 minutes on the football pitch I didn't really think that. Inspired by last weeks victory the mighty Greenhithe romped to another 3-1 win. I got 2 and set up the other, so maybe a stinker of a hangover is the way forward. I might suggest it to Sven.

Nice action shot of me and Rob here...

Impromptu party

After getting in at 7am, getting up at 3pm we all headed off to Rob's parents place for a bit of a knees up as his parents were out of town. They live about 45 minutes south of Auckland in a nice part of the countryside and here is a picture of the view. ..

Very nice.

So me, Robin, Rob, Mia, Rob's brother Dave, a couple of his mates, his sister and one of her mates drank our way through some kiwi beers and the majority of a bottle of Jim Beam whilst watching Max and Paddy's and Bo Selecta. A typical pommie night in. I tried to stay up for the Germany game but fell asleep at half time. I did manage to wake up for the 2nd half of the Argentina Mexico....the sombrero wearers were a bit unlucky.

If your name's not down...

We met up with Hamish and a couple of his friends in O'Hagans in the viaduct. From there we went to Spy Bar - a place notorious for being members only. Or at least, very difficult to get in to. Despite there being a big group of us and several being rather heavily under the influence of the booze we all had no problems getting in. This is everyone trying to do my arm rotating/leg swinging move....

Hamish, Kat, my head, Will and Rob in Spy Bar

Beer O'Clock

Another action packed weekend. Rob's mate Robin is visiting from England so after a kick about in the park on Friday afternoon we got into our drinking stride. Here is the official sponsor of the 2006 World Cup.... Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooorrrrrranjebooomies

Match report

2nd Sunday league game this week. The simple fact of the matter is that I need to get some fitness back. Running up the slope, into the wind in the second half left me struggling. I was cynically tapped for a penalty, but more importantly the team romped to its first win of the season.....a 3-1 away win.

Greenhithe are starting that long climb up the Premier League

Everyone enjoying the World Cup?

Park Life

Me and Rob made our Sunday League debuts on, well, Sunday obviously. After Rob posted our availability on the Auckland Sunday Football Association, we were quickly snapped up by Greenhithe in the Premier League.

Unfortunately we couldn't turn around their poor start to the season as we lost 2-1, but I did manage to score our goal.

Having had a pretty heavy night and getting home at about 5am it was no surprise our fitness wasn't up to much. Rob was subbed at half time from his midfield role, but I managed to last the 90 minutes - however, this was entirely the result of playing up front in a bottom of the table side...lots of time to stand around and recover.

We got invited back though, so expect to see me topping the golden boot charts within a few weeks.

Out like a light...

Power was out for about 6 hours in NZ's biggest city today. Here is the story, although, in summary a cable snapped. That's all. Some bad weather, a cable snapped and the whole city was drenched in darkness for most of the day.

This was my first day off work and I was enjoying Portugal vs. Angola, with the Serbia Holland and Mexico Iran replays to follow. Only for the day to be scuppered.

Bugger.

Seoul revisited

A few weeks ago I met up with friends of my parents, Helen and Toby. After a couple of whiskies (extremely large ones courtesy of Toby), we headed to the nearby Korean restaurant.

James, you would have been proud of me...we had the bbq and I led the way with the creating of the parcels, including the spicy kimchi. Of course, all washed down with some Makoli. It was a really fun evening and you wouldn't have known I hadn't seen them since I was a youngster. Last week I also met up with their son, Andrew, who was on his own round the world trip.

The World Cup has started...

The Germany game kicked off at 4am on Saturday morning, so me and Rob got in the beers, the pizza and limped through Friday night telly to the big game. Very entertaining too.

Saturday night was my birthday night out. We went for a meal in a nice Italian in Parnell then on to a bar or two in town before ending up at Fox's for the England game. Loads of big screens and absolutely packed with English....it was almost like being at home.

Great atmosphere, big chorus of God Save the Queen, Three Lions, Arctic Monkeys, World in Motion.....ahhhhhhhhhh it was fantastic. Pity the England team didn't inspire much. Still, a win's a win.

Me and Rob celebrate England's win by singing along to the Arctic Monkeys

Si, Rob and girlfriend Mia, Leanne, me and Kat

Me, Liz and Matt.

Floyd was left home alone. Did he defend the home against bumbling intruders with a series of cunning booby traps? Nope, he simply ripped everything in Liz's room to pieces before doing his business on the carpet.

All hail Princess Caroline...

Caz has found the full version of the Boots ad I did extra work for. And it turns out they didn't use any of the stuff from the day I was there.

There are a few park scenes. I turned down the park day because I had something else on. Good choice.

Here's the link to the Boots Summer Rush advert in full in case you haven't seen it already.

Birthday boy...

It's a day of worldwide celebration, sorry I can't be in the UK to share in the joy with you lot.

Another year older, another year wiser, another year of increasing popularity.

Happy birthday Prince...

Read, then peruse the pics below...

This weekend is being spent nursing my body and my wallet. That's why I stayed in on Friday night and watched America's Next Top Model followed by the morning session of the 3rd England Test. It's also why I'm spending my Saturday afternoon in an internet place updating you all.

There is a valid reason for this soft-arsedness, and that reason is last weekend.

Well, it started on Wednesday really. We decided on a bit of a flat night out, to celebrate Kat getting back from her work trip, Rob moving in and the fact that it's a cheap student night in Parnell. After a few drinks at home we got a taxi to Parnell at about 11.30pm (this doesn't sound good already, seeing as I get up for work at 6.15). We went to an Irish pub called the Bog and watched the end of a rugby game, then moved on to George where the ladies danced and the lads discussed the merits of Sambucca.

We got back home at about 3, me and Rob had a couple more beers, and I finally went to bed some time after 4. Unsurprisingly I ignored my 6.15 alarm, although I did wake up at 8 and made it into work for 8.45. Productivity that day was fairly low.

After a quite 36 hours, I met up with Si after work on Friday and we set off on a mini road trip to Rotorua... the town of geyesers (in the non-cockney sense), and hot pools. And, it stinks of rotten eggs. We went out for a couple (turned in to 7) drinks on Friday, generally mooched around all day Saturday then went out for a big night. Drink of choice...Long Island Iced Teas.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this but over here drinks are served in double measures (30ml) and you have to request singles (15ml). The first LIIT we had was served using singles, so it was effectively an English treble. The second one we had used doubles....so 6 English shots in one glass. It wasn't long before I was up on a table in the middle of a crowded dancefloor, shaking my booty to the Pussycat Dolls whilst the locals looked on. In awe, no doubt. Although I don't remember, we got back to the hostel at about 5am. Fortunately, there are no pictures of this night...I unusually didn't take my camera with me.

So this brings us, dazed, nauseous and shaking to Sunday. We're not done yet. Sunday night was the Lewisham awards. These are the Auckland hospitality industry's Oscars and Leanne's brother, Shane, was up for most innovative Chef. We went along for the ceremony in the Sky City conference centre, where unfortunately Shane missed out on the award. I'm convinced these people would make the Ukrainian political system look good.

After the ceremony (spit), we went on to Float, a fancy place in the Viaduct, and the magnificent free bar. It was $60 a ticket (£20), but this was recouped in about 20 minutes and it was profit all the way after that.

There was a great band on, and a great (Funkademia style) DJ, but surprisingly most people seemed to have left by about 1. Undeterred, a few of us stayed on until being kicked out around 4.30. Hard core. After this I remember Shane giving me and one of his mates (Liv) a piggy back at the same time...strong get. I also remember eating a mince and cheese pie (could be the national dish here) and waking up at about noon the next day feeling shocking. I'd cleverly booked the day off work.

So here I am, 4 working days, 1 (triumphant) indoor cricket game, 200 gallons of water and about 3 meals later....just starting to feel vaguely human again.

Only a few days until my birthday night out and England's first game - it's a race against time to be 100% for that.

Now see below for a small selection of pictures from last weeks excessses...

MUM...I PROMISE I'M NOT AN ALCOHOLIC

Lewisham's...3

Liv (Leanne and Shane's mate) and me. Despite the impression my eyes give, I didn't fall over after she let me go...

Lewisham's...2

Si, Shane and me...

Lewisham's...1

Me and Leanne tear up the dancefloor as per usual...

Wednesday...2

Liz and me. I was a nanosecond away from posing normally for this picture. But I just couldn't help myself.

Wednesday

Hamish, new flatmate Rob, and old flatmate Kat

Lost in translation...

For those of you who occasionally have problems deciphering Yorkshire speak, help is at hand courtesy of my home town NHS...

Only in Donny...