Wednesday 31 December 2008

Last Of The Year


Have a great New Year's eve people, no matter how you intend to spend it.

Sunday 28 December 2008

Something New

Tried something new today, all the way from the shores of Australia via my local Tesco.

Not quite up there with the Bucket List of things I should do before I die but nevertheless not so bad LOL. Now the question is, will I give up the UK's older cousin in favour of this young upstart of a Yeast Extract? Answers on a postcard or back of a sealed down envelope to the usual competition address.






Southampton 1 - 1 Reading.

Saturday 27 December 2008

Money For Nothing

Just how nice is it to receive money at Christmas? Chocolate money that is LOL.















Mmmm.

Friday 26 December 2008

Boxing Day Sport

Reading played host to Cardiff today at the Madejski Stadium and for the most part had run of play. Points were even until the 89th minute when Chopra scored for the visitors and looked to have secured only their fourth win of the season. In the fifth minute of added- on time for injuries, Reading Goalkeeper Adam Federici left his position for a corner and leveled the scores. Phew!

The Royals took a deserved point and remain second in the league above Birmingham on goal difference and in line for automatic promotion back to the Premiership.

The Coca-Cola Football League Championship : Table
Friday, 26 December 2008




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Team P W D L F A W D L F A GD PTS
1 Wolverhampton 25 10 2 1 28 10 8 1 3 24 18 24 57
2 Reading 25 10 2 1 32 8 5 3 4 20 15 29 50

3 Birmingham 25 9 0 3 18 11 6 5 2 16 12 11 50
4 Burnley 25 7 4 2 21 13 5 3 4 18 20 6 43
5 Cardiff 25 7 3 2 20 11 3 8 2 15 14 10 41
6 Crystal Palace 25 7 4 2 21 9 4 3 5 17 18 11 40

7 Preston 25 10 0 3 21 12 2 4 6 14 19 4 40

Wednesday 24 December 2008

Season's Greetings



Happy Christmas everyone.

Peace and Goodwill to all.

Sunday 21 December 2008

For Lockerbie

270 people lost their lives, 20 years ago today. We remember you.

Saturday 20 December 2008

Bombs R Us

So it's been announced today that the government has sold it's remaining shares in the AWE (Atomic Weapons Establishment) based down the road at Aldermaston to an American company. Can't have got a particularly good price in the current financial climate can they? So despite having a so-called "independent nuclear weapons" policy, control of designing and building these things is now in foreign hands. I'm not going into whether the UK should have nuclear weapons but since we do, shouldn't we at least have control of the things from start to finish?

Our nuclear energy generation is now controlled effectively by the French government (see previous posts) but now our weapons are to be run by an American firm. Just look what a cock-up a private company made of our school exams this year...

Elsewhere, despite having a terrible cold and feeling really miserable Little Lad was pleased to meet perhaps the most important man in his life (at least for the next week or so). Yes you got it the man in red himself. Queue was awful at over an hour and a half and nothing to keep the kids spirits up (some dancing Elves would have been nice LOL). But he was happy by the end of the experience. Please excuse the camera phone image.

Reading travelled to second placed Birmingham today for an early kick off match and came away with the full three points. Final score Birmingham 1 - 3 Reading. Nice.

Friday 19 December 2008

To Raise A Smile

Thought I'd share an image of the Headington Shark in Oxfordshire, not far from me. Anyone not prepared for it as bound to say "WT..." as they drive past LOL. It's been there 22 years now.
















Have a good weekend everyone.

Thursday 18 December 2008


Bus stop guy was back today. Welcome back fella, missed you.



I've also noticed a sign on my way to work: "Slow Troops Crossing." Methinks conflicts might be over a bit quicker if we used brighter troops..?

Tuesday 16 December 2008

New Doctor Named!


OK Maybe not. Just me aged about 10 and my youngest cousin LOL.

Sunday 14 December 2008

Football

From yesterday, Reading 2 - 0 Norwich.

Friday 12 December 2008

Not So Exciting Quiz Result

The answer to last Sunday's question is Acer palmatum or Japanese Maple.


Same family as the great big trees famed in New England for producing the syrup (yum) and closely related to the Sycamore, dontchaknow. In fact often you'll find a Maple grafted on to the root stock of a Sycamore, fact fans.

Now you know LOL.

Tuesday's Result

For anyone vaguely interested, Reading 1 - 0 Blackpool.

Sunday 7 December 2008

Four C's Sunday



Cake
- Carrot and Walnut, mmm.

Coffee- Monsooned Malabar medium dark roast.

Chat- Witty, lively and intelligent.

Cinema- Angelina Jolie in Changeling, gripping stuff.










Points will be awarded for correctly identifying the frost-covered sticks above LOL.

Saturday 6 December 2008

Who Needs A Full Team?

Barnsley 0 - 1 Reading

The Royals traveled to Barnsley today. On the way the team coach broke down so the game had to kick off 15 minutes late. Reading were reduced to 10 men early on when Jimmy Kebe was sent off over an off the ball incident.

Reading held on to the interval but in the second half came out fighting, seemingly not noticing Barnsley had 11 men to their 10. At around the 65 minute mark, Brynjar Gunnarsson scored the first and only goal, via a pass from Kevin Doyle.

Friday 5 December 2008

The Fantastic Mr (& Mrs) Fox

We have a pair of foxes living nearby. You would not believe the noise they make at 4.30 in the morning (ungood). Oh and they'd found the remains of a leg of lamb in our rubbish last night, so proceeded to scatter all our rubbish up and down the street (plus ungood).

At that hour of the morning, on very little sleep, they certainly don't seem like the cuddley, cute fellows you may have read about as a child (double plus ungood).

Thursday 4 December 2008

Musings

In no particular order:

Apparently I am an Ancestor. Haven't been referred to as one of those before but I guess from the point of view of someone living in a former British colony, I suppose on one level it is an appropriate description. However I AM NOT ANCIENT no matter what anyone says to the contrary LOL.

I'm worried about Dad.

Little Lad had to have a second filling today, the poor boy. Apparently he was "big and brave" and the Dentist was very gentle, I am told. Yesterday he went to big school for the first time for a look-see. He told me he enjoyed it, the teacher was nice and some of his Pre-School friends who went up in September were there. He starts properly in January, just as he turns five. Quite a busy week for him so far.

I'm having trouble sleeping again. Not too sure why because I feel so tired, just can't settle. The woman down the road doesn't help. She clearly likes to be up and out every day well before it is decent to do so. Even if I get off to sleep I get woken at stupid O'Clock by the sound of her burglar alarm being set.

I've been enjoying reading the blog from a most unusual (for me) source. Many will probably have heard of it. The author can certainly tell a good story and their observations are always well thought out. I have found it entertaining and informative for the most part, although it's not necessarily for the faint-hearted LOL.

One unusual tradition I have at Christmas is that I meet with a friend and go out for a festive curry at a local Indian. Not long to wait now...

Every morning on my way to work I tend to see the same cars and vans on the same stretch of road or the same people going about their business. There's one guy I see waiting for a bus every day who may have certain problems- he always appears to be shouting at the traffic but anyway, he's a marker on my route. When he's not there it's most likely because I am late and his bus has picked him up. Haven't seen him for over a week now, hope he's OK. I worry.

Jools Holland's new cd is brilliant, from what I have heard of it. Remarkably I have also found myself ordering Seal's new one.

My employer has just been awarded the master license for a number of high profile toys and merchandise. Thanks to the credit crunch a number of well known brands and companies are really struggling and we've been fortunate enough to pick up a good amount of the spoils. We're not gloating over other people's misfortune but thankful that we continue to trade and could well go from strength to strength as a result of this news. Come July things could be very interesting.

The BBC has commissioned another series of the excellent Spooks, to be on screen this time next year. Thankfully, I don't think Spooks: Code 9 will back LOL.

Tuesday 2 December 2008

Can You Believe It?

For the third day in a row it's been near freezing all day but our Postman is still wearing shorts*!

Mad? Hardy? Or doing it for a bet?

*Short trousers.

Monday 1 December 2008

Moving On Up..?


Reading 3 - 1 Coventry

Eyesight Test




















More to the point, did you see anyone you recognise LOL?