Catch up...

Ok, here goes. The mammoth update I promised. Blimey, it really is a long time since I put anything proper on here. I think I'll break it down into various categories, each more tedious than the last...

Sport...

Indoor cricket - well, we've certainly improved, results wise, since we dropped down to the simpletons grade. Only 1 defeat and mainly wins by big margins. We have had one close game where it came down to the last few balls with me and Will batting. We needed 5 off the last 4 overs but each time we got the scores level we'd lose a wicket. With 2 balls to go we were all square, I threw the bat at a wide one and should have been caught out. I wasn't and Will kept out the final delivery to see us home in a thriller.

Football - today is our 6th match of the season. I still haven't scored. In fact, me and Rob haven't exactly carried over the form of last season. Between us we got about half the teams goals after we joined the side, but between us we have only 1 this season - a screamer from Rob against Chinese Star Sports. Shame it was in a 9-3 home defeat. Fortunately for us, the opposition fielded an ineligable player (the keeper who is apparently now playing professionally in Hong Kong) turning the result to a 2-0 win for us. I'm sure though, without that keeper we would have won 10-9, no problem. We've had normal scores including a 1-1 draw against a very good Internationale side (not the real one), a 2-2 draw away at the tricky Celtic Supporters and a narrow 2-1 defeat away at the reigning champions Bohemians. We have a victory, at home against Pakuranga, another asian team. It was a surprising one though. We started similarly to the game against Star Sports, we were 1-0 down after 3 passes (about 8 seconds), 2-0 down after 3 minutes and 5-2 down at half time. We kept believing though and took a 7-5 lead. A late consolation meant it ended 7-6. God knows what the score would have been had I put away any of my 5 chances (KPMG all over again). Airforce away today, where me and Rob made our debuts for the team and I scored my first goal. I'll probably be on the left wing though, I was shifted there last week.

Bowling - nah, this probably comes under going out.

Going out...

I'll try and work backwards on this one. That's probably the easiest way of remembering things. Last night me and Jo went to see Mark Watson, a British comedian. We saw him on an Aussie chat show a few weeks ago so I got us some tickets. Hilarious. I've no idea if he's big at all in the UK but I recommend his show.

Friday night was a double whammy - Casey Eden is off to the States to play softball for a couple of months so he had a work leaving do. Me, Rob and Mia went along to see him off. The free food and booze was an unexpected bonus. In so far as it was totally expected. Then we hot footed (one word? hyphonated? is that how you spell hyphonated?) over to Newmarket for the 30th birthday of one of the cricket team, Hamish McKegg. I didn't have my camera so no pictures unfortunately.

Wednesday night was a bit of an off the cuff night out. Casey and Dave (Rob's brother) came over. Actually, I'm going to stop describing people in brackets. You really should know who's who by now. Anyway, the 3 of us went for a beer at the Cock & Bull followed by some bowling of the 10 pin variety. It was excitement all the way with the first game going to Dave (you know who he is) and the 2nd and 3rd going to me (me). Here's a question for you - does anyone, anywhere round the world, know of a 10 pin bowling alley that doesn't break down every other bowl? We had to use that reset button repeatedly and change lanes 3 times.

On Tuesday night myself, Jo and her sister Maree went to the Kingslander quiz for the first time in months. It has gone downhill, summed up by the question: "What is usually found in a colostomy bag?" Nice.

And that's about as far back as my memory takes me I'm afraid.

Adventures of a lawn mower man...

Nope, sorry to mislead, my job hasn't been like a bawdy 1970s British sex comedy. In fact the only 'perks' of the job I've had so far are a can of coke, an Anzac biscuit and a chocolate bar. I'd prefer cash payment really. I've completed 2 weeks training and 2 weeks out by myself. It's hard work but I'm enjoying it. With the exception of being covered in bites. I've been out and bought "tropical strength" insect repellent which, by the looks of the can, keeps away mozzies as big as your fist so hopefully that will help.

Back in the U-K-K-K...

Tickets are booked and Jo and I land in Manchester on December 19th. We leave for europe early January so keep some time free for many a reunion night out. Or night in, it might pay to stock the beer fridges, you get about 3p for a NZ$ these days.

Sundries...

There has been a new addition to our household... an N64. We resisted the temptation of the Nintendo Wii prefering actual outdoor physical activity (he says, looking down his nose) and that of the Playstation 3 (preferring the $1500 to stay in our bank accounts). We went back to the good old days. Now it's mario kart marathons and Goldeneye when I get a moment alone with the thing.

I didn't realise that it's probably around 10 years since I last had one of these. Scary.

And that's my life in dull text for the last month or so. I'll post more frequently from now on, I promise. Boz, I wouldn't want you to have to spend too much time working during the day.

Post script...

Happy birthdays to Mike and Breeny who got another year older on May 13th. Hairline receeding a bit fellas? Mine's on its way. We'll all be as bad as James before we know it.

Right, gotta go, there's a football somewhere that's not going to sky itself over the bar.