I know ....

Ice hockey and friends

Last night I went straight from work to West Kensington to watch the ice hockey game. Finnish turn out was reasonable and the other half of the pub was was full of rugby fans for Wales - France game.

We were in a good voice and we emptied the beer fridge of Finnish beer in no time but that did not help the poor Finnish team as we got trashed 6-1 by team USA. Well, we did not dwell on it had couple of more beers. Fun night, I met a few new people and it was nice to see some old acquaintances I had not seen for years. Good times!

Friday excitement

Friday afternoon in London town is going swimmingly so far. Not a drop of rain all day, but there is an evil wind blowing straight to your bones.

Tonight I will wet my whistle with few fellow Finn's and shout for Finland. The magic happens in the pub called the Famous 3 Kings in West Kensington when the Finnish Lions take on USA in men's ice hockey semi-final in the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

So far the Olympics have been a bit of a non event for me, but I was most pleased to hear that the Finnish Lion Ladies ice hockey team beat the old enemy Sweden yesterday 3 -2 thus taking the bronce medal home. President Tarja Halonen was watching in her custom ladies ice hockey team no. 10 shirt with her name in the back and gave the whole team a hug in the dressing room for a job well done. Finnish ladies rule!



Tomorrow I will probably nurse a king size hangover (either happy or a sad one) and for the rest of the weekend not much will happen. Have good weekend!

Wednesday

Damp but relatively warm and grey morning in London town. There is almost a promise of spring in the air and I actually got to work dry this morning. The heavens did not open until after 09.00.

Talking about work, an "awkward client" has finally moved out the building thus removing any lingering unpleasantness of their way of doing business and their dodgy clientele. Good riddance and I have enjoyed my working days this week better than I have in a long time. Good stuff!

Ed and Larry look happy enough in the photo shop accross the street and the Big Issue lady is in good voice in the corner, as I can hear her sales pitch over the drilling noise which is happening accross the junction.

In the news the bully boy unelected leader Mr Brown is defending himself against all wrong doing. Unfortunately he just ends up looking even more of a despot than if he had kept his gob shut and got on with the alleged governing of this shambles of a country called Britain.

In the other end of the news spectrum X-Factor judge Cheryl seems to have found her self respect and finally gotten rid of that devious rat of a husband of hers. Breaking up is hard to do but this poor lass has to do it in public. I don't envy her and I hope she comes out it as unscathed as possible.

Benefits of alcohol

A woman walks into a bar and asks for a cocktail. She chugs it down on one, looks into her handbag and asks for another cocktail. She chugs that cocktail down on one, looks into her handbag and asks for another.

The woman does this a few more times until the bartender asks, "How come you ask for a cocktail, chug it down on one, then look into your handbag?"

The woman says, "Because there is a picture of my husband in my hanbag and I'm gonna keep drinking till he looks good enough for me to go home."

New camera

The trusty camera that has served me brilliantly on my travels since I bought it just over two years ago, has now almost given up the ghost due to some unintended beer damage on the last holiday to Corfu. It still works but the lens has suffered somewhat and it was time to retire this appliance to the electronic graveyard that is called recycling.

The shiny new Arty Red coloured camera is Samsung IT100 12.2 and it does a lot of wonderful things that I do not understand. I got it for a nice price from Play.com and I am looking forward to testing it in Finland in 5 weeks time. Good stuff!

Typical conclusion

As a reference to my previous post, the Tall One and I agreed to meet up Saturday. I did inquire about where and what time to which he replied that he will confirm Saturday. I knew from that the game was forfeited there and then and I have not heard a peep from him since. I proceeded to spend the weekend the best way possible, DVD's my own bed and cold white wine with snacks without interruptions.

The carrier of the Y-chromosome never changes and I realised that nothing will change my mind about it and I will happily continue my lovely single existence with my good friends and no stupid complications.

How ever, I would like to dedicate this B-side of the 1986 Spitting Image Chicken Song called I've Never Met a Nice South African to the Tall One as he is from Pretoria. It was...err....not a lot so can't even say nice.

Dating game

Last weekend when I went with my friend Ms B for a couple of beers, we met few people (mainly blokes) in the pub and had a bit of a giggle. Then we got talking on Tuesday about what had happened and a tall handsome man was mentioned. Ms B then confessed that she had exchanged numbers with him as he could not attract my attention long enough during my beer goggled merriment in the pub to give it to me himself. He then had texted her the next day and asked her to pass his number to me.

Ms B knows my aversion to romantic liaisons and thought wisely that she will not pass his message to me unless I mention him again. Well, I did mention that I remembered the tall bloke and he wasn’t too bad looking at all (that I remembered!). After Ms B had spilled the beans and after I had stopped laughing and had wiped the tears off my face, I took his number.

I have never actually properly dated and you can count the times in the past 40 years with one hand. Then I thought: "It’s actually about bloody time!" So I bit the proverbial bullet and texted the Tall One and we are actually going on a date this weekend (but we are yet to agree on the actual day of the date!).

It might end up being one disastrous drink, he might be a pig or boring or both, but I will give it a go. Watch this space and let the games begin ;)

"Never mind a holiday in Greece.."

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'Never mind a holiday in Greece - I've just bought Greece!'

Do you remember...?

Music is a powerful memory provoker. Sunday the sad news came that Doug Fieger of The Knack had passed on to perform on the big stage on the sky.

Their hit My Sharona is one of THE songs that brings the early 80's memories flooding back. Stupid hopeless crushes on boys, mischievous semi anarchic existence, learning about life too fast and getting drunk on cheap bad wine. I don't have any pictures from those days (luckily!) but below is me back in 1986 riding the London Underground.

Pic by Min

Misery gene indentified

The scientist in Cambridge University have identified a gene that causes Fronto Temporal Denmentia. This story explains the what, but annoyingly it does not tell me how do I get tested for the gene? As my old mother keeps deteriorating, I am eager to know if I might be heading that way.

If (???) I do have the dreaded gene it would be good to know when to go infront of the Sir Terry Pratchett brilliantly proposed committee, to argue my case of dignity of my own death.

Failing that, I will book a one way ticket to a certain Swiss clinic.

Puppy Love

It is the time for the annual declaration of love from my sponsor canine. It used to come from Monica, alas she is no longer here.

But darling Phil send me a card with the news of how he is doing. Unconditional love, which is the best kind :)

Quick bug

Yesterday I had to leave work as I felt rather "off". I came home via shop armed with all sorts of cold/flu remedies. After swallowing the bitter medicines I succumbed happily to my bed and the temperature kept rising. The little fever I had luckily broke in the evening and I felt a lot better. Just to be on the safe side, I am still staying home today and taking it easy.

Funny :)

Go Tillman!

The marvellous Tillman the skateboarding dog also snowboards. And his doggy mates too Rose and Lyle and not forgetting the little puppy called Sully. I simply love watching these dogs and they are having some serious fun. Thank you Mr Rockhill for posting the video :)

When Dogs Snowboard from Mountain High Resort on Vimeo.

I feel good!

I woke up feeling really happy this morning for no apparent reason. On top of that I also feel very lucky and there is no factual basis for that feeling either. It is almost giddy like love at first sight kind of feeling and it has not subsided since 05.45 this morning. Well, what ever the reason, I really don’t mind at all feeling like this.

Happy Friday everyone!

Parents, take heed...

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'Okay. I'll go and tidy my room. But you'll regret this - in 40 years' time be afraid. Be very afraid!'

You must be joking?!

This news today once again enforced my opinion about any organized religion: just ridiclious (yes, it is spelled like that because it is thoroughly and utterly ridiclious!).

How is it possible that anyone in this day and age believes in abstinence, no contraception and grosse inequality? Mr Pope and few other so called religious leaders; you should try living in a real world... *shaking my head*

Monday in the news

Today in the news...I am applauding this new scanning procedure at Heathrow and Manchester airports. If you don’t allow yourself to be scanned, you are not getting on the plane, simple. This is the same in my book as CC-TV cameras, I have nothing to hide so go ahead and film and scan away.

Also in the news we have been “keeping up with the Jones’s” this week after "surprise" revelations that our national football team captain can’t keep it in his pants or practise safe sex for that matter. Once again… did he really think that he can get away with it and in private? HA!

But who I really feel sorry for is The Bendictine monks at the Devon Buckfast Abbey who are amazed that their wine produce is being blamed for "trouble and strife" in Scotland. Surely not all the alcohol related crime can be attributed to these quiet fellows who go about their business in peace. If there is a Facebook group to defened the monks, I will join!