If you were sat at school and a classmate called you Little Pea, would you be offended? How about Semtex? Now that is a bit more like it. Nicknames were not always great fun back in my day at school and I suspect it is the same now, but there are some pretty cool nicknames in the world of sport.
Boxing and UFC are full of nicknames, and usually they are pretty darn cool. After all, whoever is coming up with the name dare not risk the wrath of the guy who will likely punch you if you say something offensive. The Haymaker, the Ice Man, Rampage and El Terrible are just some of the great nicknames knocking about right now which offer pretty fair reflections of what is likely to happen to the chap standing opposite him when the bell sounds.
There are of course some nicknames not exactly designed to strike fear into their opponents but are still cool nevertheless. I am particularly fond of Sid The Kid, The Professor, The Golden Boy, heck even Golden Balls is pretty cool. Those can be a touch misleading at times, but as with many nicknames, there are those that fall into the category of reflecting the personality or the looks of the sport star….none of which I would be too offended if I had been labelled any of those.
Another category and probably the most popular in most sports, are those that derive from the actual name of the athlete. It may bear no relevance to what they do on the pitch, rink or in the cage, but it is just a natural given their name. Manny Pacquiao’s nickname of Pacman is pretty cool and a good example of this. Visualising the game of Pacman does not really give much of a clue about what he actually does, but the guy is just cool and his nickname fits well.
Some are however not so lucky. Audley Harrison was nicknamed A-Force early in his career until several knockouts and embarrassing performances led to Fraudley and Audrey. Pretty unfortunate, but pretty accurate. Many others are just abbreviations which often come from teammates in training.
When I was a kid, we usually just added a ‘y’ on the end of a one-syllable name and that was about it. We were young and innocent in those days so there were no innuendos or anything, just plain and simple. The classroom was slightly different however and I was not always so fortunate. I often embraced my Spanish roots and surname, but it caused me no end of grief at times. The fact there was a popular Hispanic singer called Gloria with a similar surname at the time was simply a recipe for disaster. You can fill the gaps in yourself, but how I prayed for her record sales to plummet and peace and a normal nickname like Bobby would return.
Nowadays, I have a pretty solid set of names. Rob is the usual name and I get a combination of Bob, Bobby and Robby, and when I am really in trouble, I get Robert Christian. I am usually behind the couch or hiding under the table if anybody mentions that one. I have a couple of random ones – Ginger (I have no clue), Lobster and Bobinho, all of which I respond to. Nicknames are funny old things and fighting them never helped anybody. Like it or lump, most of them stick so just embrace them even if it is Bobby Estefan or Gloria.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Strawberry Fields
There are a number of negatives to living away from home, but the hardest and saddest thing about coming back to Leeds is forcing myself to walk past Greggs Bakery and their sausage rolls. They are immense, and anybody reading this who has yet to have one, has not lived.
Our wedding is a big motivator for me to lose weight. I was motivated last summer to do so, and I am focused on doing the same and getting in even better shape this summer. That Lockhart Boss suit has to look good. Looking in the mirror is another one. I don’t quite have that sideways view of a pregnant lady, but it could be better and after a couple of weeks training, I can see the improvements and that is a huge motivator to keep going.
Forcing myself to walk past Greggs is brutal though. Cutting out the alcohol for a few months is fine, sure I’ll treat myself occasionally, but there are some foods like these infamous sausage rolls that tempt me.
I have always enjoyed my food, but I guess unless you have those perfect genes, you have to watch what you eat more the older you get. It may be hard to believe but I was like a stick until I hit twenty years old. I would go to the gym when I was 15-16 years old and trying to lift weights, and it was so demoralising to see my little arms gain nothing. It was only when I was introduced to alcohol did I show signs of putting weight on, and then when I started cooking for myself at university did I start putting weight on. It was only a few years later did I actually learn that the ratio between the effort required for putting weight on and losing it was not equal.
Thankfully I have always liked fruit. Virtually every fruit and vegetable so that is a bonus. HJ and I have eaten a ridiculous number of mangos and strawberries in the past month. I have yet to meet somebody who has told me that they do not like strawberries….i am not even sure that person exists, but I would like to talk to them if so. Sprouts are fair enough, but strawberries? I just feel there is something clinically wrong if you do not like them.
HJ and I have committed to doing a marathon this year. The thought of that is as brutal as not eating a sausage roll from Greggs in 2011, but we will give it a shot. There are a number of fun marathons, but I’ve got my eye on Las Vegas in December – hint hint Burns. It is my birthday after all. The challenge of a marathon is huge but I am determined to do one…another motivating factor alongside the wedding to get in great shape. Then, I’ll fly back to the UK, buy 4 sausage rolls for £2 and fly back to wherever we are living.
Our wedding is a big motivator for me to lose weight. I was motivated last summer to do so, and I am focused on doing the same and getting in even better shape this summer. That Lockhart Boss suit has to look good. Looking in the mirror is another one. I don’t quite have that sideways view of a pregnant lady, but it could be better and after a couple of weeks training, I can see the improvements and that is a huge motivator to keep going.
Forcing myself to walk past Greggs is brutal though. Cutting out the alcohol for a few months is fine, sure I’ll treat myself occasionally, but there are some foods like these infamous sausage rolls that tempt me.
I have always enjoyed my food, but I guess unless you have those perfect genes, you have to watch what you eat more the older you get. It may be hard to believe but I was like a stick until I hit twenty years old. I would go to the gym when I was 15-16 years old and trying to lift weights, and it was so demoralising to see my little arms gain nothing. It was only when I was introduced to alcohol did I show signs of putting weight on, and then when I started cooking for myself at university did I start putting weight on. It was only a few years later did I actually learn that the ratio between the effort required for putting weight on and losing it was not equal.
Thankfully I have always liked fruit. Virtually every fruit and vegetable so that is a bonus. HJ and I have eaten a ridiculous number of mangos and strawberries in the past month. I have yet to meet somebody who has told me that they do not like strawberries….i am not even sure that person exists, but I would like to talk to them if so. Sprouts are fair enough, but strawberries? I just feel there is something clinically wrong if you do not like them.
HJ and I have committed to doing a marathon this year. The thought of that is as brutal as not eating a sausage roll from Greggs in 2011, but we will give it a shot. There are a number of fun marathons, but I’ve got my eye on Las Vegas in December – hint hint Burns. It is my birthday after all. The challenge of a marathon is huge but I am determined to do one…another motivating factor alongside the wedding to get in great shape. Then, I’ll fly back to the UK, buy 4 sausage rolls for £2 and fly back to wherever we are living.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Concussive Questions
Many people would say that I need some sense knocking in to me at times, and I have been feeling recently as if I have actually had something knocked into me, albeit the traces of sense are thin on the ground. Whether it was the ice skating incident or some other random thing, I’ve had concussion-like symptoms the last week to ten days and it is not pleasant.
I had concussion once before when I was about 20 years old. I was working at UPS sorting mail during the university summer break and we played football at lunchtime. I collided with a guy and smashed the back of my head on the grass, and I was left seeing double for several days afterwards. It has been similar this time around but over a longer period of time. Whether it is a concussion I am not sure, but it coincides with another similarly talented hockey player suffering from concussion right now.
Sidney Crosby has been out of action for something like thirty games due to a concussion and that has to be pretty worrying for everybody concerned. First and foremost, it must be a major concern to him and his family. Secondly, he is a massive loss to the Penguins. And in the bigger picture, the NHL must have serious concerns about it. The calls for greater protection for players have increased over the years, but I cannot help but feel that it will take such an injury to a major star like Crosby to force their hands.
I read a fascinating story about the NFL and the potential lockout. It supported the players and their demands for greater support and protection from the league. Life expectancy among the players is ridiculously low with so many early deaths coming from long term damage to the brain. Drugs are another issue but let’s focus on the innocent stuff. A former hockey player also recently died in his forties with similar issues – the kind of head injuries found in former boxers.
It got me randomly thinking. Would you do the thing you love and adore for big money but risking that you may live for 15-20 years less than average? Tough tough question and I do not know how I would answer that. It does not have to be NFL or Hockey, it could be any sport or job with the big money and the low life expectancy. If I could be an Everton legend for twenty years, earning big money, but the likelihood of that activity resulting in me corking it a good twenty years earlier, would I do it? That is a tough call and I do not know.
So many folks go to work every day being pretty unhappy and not looking forward to what they do. The first thought when you get to the office is what you are going to do tonight, and that feeling on a Monday morning when the weekend seems oh so far away is brutal. Would you swap it for big money and doing something you love, but with the serious health risks that go with it?
I had concussion once before when I was about 20 years old. I was working at UPS sorting mail during the university summer break and we played football at lunchtime. I collided with a guy and smashed the back of my head on the grass, and I was left seeing double for several days afterwards. It has been similar this time around but over a longer period of time. Whether it is a concussion I am not sure, but it coincides with another similarly talented hockey player suffering from concussion right now.
Sidney Crosby has been out of action for something like thirty games due to a concussion and that has to be pretty worrying for everybody concerned. First and foremost, it must be a major concern to him and his family. Secondly, he is a massive loss to the Penguins. And in the bigger picture, the NHL must have serious concerns about it. The calls for greater protection for players have increased over the years, but I cannot help but feel that it will take such an injury to a major star like Crosby to force their hands.
I read a fascinating story about the NFL and the potential lockout. It supported the players and their demands for greater support and protection from the league. Life expectancy among the players is ridiculously low with so many early deaths coming from long term damage to the brain. Drugs are another issue but let’s focus on the innocent stuff. A former hockey player also recently died in his forties with similar issues – the kind of head injuries found in former boxers.
It got me randomly thinking. Would you do the thing you love and adore for big money but risking that you may live for 15-20 years less than average? Tough tough question and I do not know how I would answer that. It does not have to be NFL or Hockey, it could be any sport or job with the big money and the low life expectancy. If I could be an Everton legend for twenty years, earning big money, but the likelihood of that activity resulting in me corking it a good twenty years earlier, would I do it? That is a tough call and I do not know.
So many folks go to work every day being pretty unhappy and not looking forward to what they do. The first thought when you get to the office is what you are going to do tonight, and that feeling on a Monday morning when the weekend seems oh so far away is brutal. Would you swap it for big money and doing something you love, but with the serious health risks that go with it?
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
A Bug's Life
This week I seem to have had more random thoughts then ever. There’s no particular reason for it, it just happens I guess. Anyhow…I’m going to share them, so here goes.
Receiving a personal letter or card in the post is an amazing feeling. They are so rare these days, you know that when you do get one, somebody has taken time, care and effort out of their day to post that little treat for you. We have received a couple recently and it made our day, and it is something we should do more often. Unfortunately, most of the mail we receive these days are bills. I guess that is what happens when you grow up.
Weddings are expensive. I cannot deny that. It has crossed my mind more than once to change the industry I work in based on that alone. Making decisions on colours, styles, and meals is not easy at all. I am actually enjoying it though and while this may be the most daft and naïve comment I have ever made, I do not think it will be too difficult to organise. Don’t get me wrong, I know there is plenty of work to be done, but I’m just excited and enjoying it so far. We’re still waiting for some major hiccup, but we’ll deal with it and move on!
I have decided that the only reason people mock my musical taste is because they are envious – it is the only conclusion I can reach given how common it is discussed here in Lausanne and potential further afield.
Coming from a recent trip to Ikea, I have to admit that I cannot think of a similar kind of store where you can, spend time and money, and come home wondering why you ever picked up that piece of junk in the first place. It’s not expensive so you think you have a bargain, but it is never going to work in your home. There is probably 95% of the stuff they sell that I do not really like, but my blue Ikea bag seems to be full every time. They must be doing something right.
Speaking of Ikea and all things household, I can recall my mum saying to me when I was at university that I would have to get a good job just to pay for all the builders, plumbers, plasterers, electricians to come and do work in my home when I eventually got my own place....so useless was I at anything DIY. Well mum, times are changing….I’ve been doing all kinds of DIY things recently and I’ll show you when you come to visit. Just don’t touch any sockets, or anything electrical for that matter.
I was contacted this week by a journalist from the Wall Street Journal – I posted the article on my wall. It was an interesting read having been part of both the betting industry and Brentford myself. I did not actually speak to the lady, but I thought it was well written. I do have a hard time trusting some journalists and I would have refused to speak about the matter regardless. That said, I thought the article was well written by Hannah Karp and I suspect that would not have been the case if it had been a story in England where a huge slant would have been put on it no doubt.
Receiving a personal letter or card in the post is an amazing feeling. They are so rare these days, you know that when you do get one, somebody has taken time, care and effort out of their day to post that little treat for you. We have received a couple recently and it made our day, and it is something we should do more often. Unfortunately, most of the mail we receive these days are bills. I guess that is what happens when you grow up.
Weddings are expensive. I cannot deny that. It has crossed my mind more than once to change the industry I work in based on that alone. Making decisions on colours, styles, and meals is not easy at all. I am actually enjoying it though and while this may be the most daft and naïve comment I have ever made, I do not think it will be too difficult to organise. Don’t get me wrong, I know there is plenty of work to be done, but I’m just excited and enjoying it so far. We’re still waiting for some major hiccup, but we’ll deal with it and move on!
I have decided that the only reason people mock my musical taste is because they are envious – it is the only conclusion I can reach given how common it is discussed here in Lausanne and potential further afield.
Coming from a recent trip to Ikea, I have to admit that I cannot think of a similar kind of store where you can, spend time and money, and come home wondering why you ever picked up that piece of junk in the first place. It’s not expensive so you think you have a bargain, but it is never going to work in your home. There is probably 95% of the stuff they sell that I do not really like, but my blue Ikea bag seems to be full every time. They must be doing something right.
Speaking of Ikea and all things household, I can recall my mum saying to me when I was at university that I would have to get a good job just to pay for all the builders, plumbers, plasterers, electricians to come and do work in my home when I eventually got my own place....so useless was I at anything DIY. Well mum, times are changing….I’ve been doing all kinds of DIY things recently and I’ll show you when you come to visit. Just don’t touch any sockets, or anything electrical for that matter.
I was contacted this week by a journalist from the Wall Street Journal – I posted the article on my wall. It was an interesting read having been part of both the betting industry and Brentford myself. I did not actually speak to the lady, but I thought it was well written. I do have a hard time trusting some journalists and I would have refused to speak about the matter regardless. That said, I thought the article was well written by Hannah Karp and I suspect that would not have been the case if it had been a story in England where a huge slant would have been put on it no doubt.
Monday, March 7, 2011
La Vida Loca
My favourite fiancée and I were in Madrid this last weekend. We spent some time with a couple of great friends of ours, Megha and Erika, and while it was far too short, it still ranks as a great weekend with some good fun, good food, good weather and some great company. I will not ramble on too much about Madrid, as you can read all about it in this lady’s great blog (we want more Burns!).
However, I will share my random ramblings and thoughts on good old Spain. I spent my year abroad at University in Barcelona. My decision on choosing a university came down to the same criteria I used when selecting Liverpool Uni for my degree – somewhere I could watch a decent football team (no jokes!), somewhere I could have fun, and somewhere I could travel to Leeds easy enough if I wanted or needed to. I narrowed it to Barcelona or Madrid, and I was accepted at Barcelona Uni.
It was a great year. Plenty of ups and downs, but I thoroughly enjoyed the year. By the end of the year, my Spanish had developed well despite a virtually entire group of ex-pat friends. What’s new? I guess it makes most sense that we make friends easier with fellow foreigners who are share similar experiences to ourselves, and I am no different.
I came away from Barcelona at the end of 2001 wondering if I could live and work in Spain. I had one year left of university and I was ready to plunge into the world of real work and life. I had the same doubts as I have now to be honest, and our weekend in Madrid emphasised that more than ever. I love the thought of the lifestyle – generally quite relaxed, good weather, working hours that suit my style and a strong social and family ethic. Opportunities in sport and salaries even more so are pretty major negatives however. I also wonder whether the lifestyle would be counter productive to me professionally – I can see myself lacking motivation and drive with such great distractions. That is not to say that I want us to live in a miserable or boring place, we would go to Edmonton (so I am told!) if that was the case, but I feel that I may well struggle in a number of Spanish cities. That said, both HJ and I have considered a short spell in Barcelona again – you never know!
Spain is a charming place and having been there so many times for family reasons, it will always have a place in my heart. Many of the people lack manners and the customer service is not great, but for some reason, it never bothers me like it does here in Switzerland as they seem to have a certain charm at the same time. We had a comedy taxi driver this last weekend – he was smoking, while being on the phone three times in a 15 minute journey, and was chatting away to us. A total character.
I recall a particular Spanish-ism from my days back in Barcelona and I was reminded of it this weekend gone when I stumbled across a shop called a ‘Guitarreria’. No prizes for guessing what they sold there. It is common in Spain that they add ‘eria’ to a noun and it basically means a shop for whatever precedes it….cafeteria, pizzeria etc. It took me back to my Barca days when I childishly chuckled to myself every time I walked past the Ferreteria. I glanced in the window every day searching for a little Ferret to be sat in the window only to be disappointed with it actually being a hardware store.
There are still plenty of places in Spain we have yet to visit. Everybody I speak to raves about Granada and Seville to name a couple, and my lady has plenty of good stuff to tell me about San Sebastien. Annual or twice-yearly trips to Barcelona are a given, as is a return to Mallorca where I have not been for years, but there are plenty of gems in Spain that we have yet to see. It’s just a matter of time.
However, I will share my random ramblings and thoughts on good old Spain. I spent my year abroad at University in Barcelona. My decision on choosing a university came down to the same criteria I used when selecting Liverpool Uni for my degree – somewhere I could watch a decent football team (no jokes!), somewhere I could have fun, and somewhere I could travel to Leeds easy enough if I wanted or needed to. I narrowed it to Barcelona or Madrid, and I was accepted at Barcelona Uni.
It was a great year. Plenty of ups and downs, but I thoroughly enjoyed the year. By the end of the year, my Spanish had developed well despite a virtually entire group of ex-pat friends. What’s new? I guess it makes most sense that we make friends easier with fellow foreigners who are share similar experiences to ourselves, and I am no different.
I came away from Barcelona at the end of 2001 wondering if I could live and work in Spain. I had one year left of university and I was ready to plunge into the world of real work and life. I had the same doubts as I have now to be honest, and our weekend in Madrid emphasised that more than ever. I love the thought of the lifestyle – generally quite relaxed, good weather, working hours that suit my style and a strong social and family ethic. Opportunities in sport and salaries even more so are pretty major negatives however. I also wonder whether the lifestyle would be counter productive to me professionally – I can see myself lacking motivation and drive with such great distractions. That is not to say that I want us to live in a miserable or boring place, we would go to Edmonton (so I am told!) if that was the case, but I feel that I may well struggle in a number of Spanish cities. That said, both HJ and I have considered a short spell in Barcelona again – you never know!
Spain is a charming place and having been there so many times for family reasons, it will always have a place in my heart. Many of the people lack manners and the customer service is not great, but for some reason, it never bothers me like it does here in Switzerland as they seem to have a certain charm at the same time. We had a comedy taxi driver this last weekend – he was smoking, while being on the phone three times in a 15 minute journey, and was chatting away to us. A total character.
I recall a particular Spanish-ism from my days back in Barcelona and I was reminded of it this weekend gone when I stumbled across a shop called a ‘Guitarreria’. No prizes for guessing what they sold there. It is common in Spain that they add ‘eria’ to a noun and it basically means a shop for whatever precedes it….cafeteria, pizzeria etc. It took me back to my Barca days when I childishly chuckled to myself every time I walked past the Ferreteria. I glanced in the window every day searching for a little Ferret to be sat in the window only to be disappointed with it actually being a hardware store.
There are still plenty of places in Spain we have yet to visit. Everybody I speak to raves about Granada and Seville to name a couple, and my lady has plenty of good stuff to tell me about San Sebastien. Annual or twice-yearly trips to Barcelona are a given, as is a return to Mallorca where I have not been for years, but there are plenty of gems in Spain that we have yet to see. It’s just a matter of time.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Ring of Truth
Many sport stars are given an unfair reputation for being slightly thick at times. There are actually plenty of bright and intelligent athletes and players but make no mistake, there are loads of muppets. A classic example today. Florent Malouda took around three minutes to remove his wedding ring in the first half of the game and had to stay off the pitch until he could get it off. Had Everton scored during that period and I was Carlo Ancelotti, I would have been absolutely furious with Malouda. Rules prohibiting jewellery on the football pitch are hardly new – heck I remember it being one of the first things I was told when I was a junior. As you can see in the picture, front row second from the left, no sign of any rings or necklaces on junior Bobby….just a goofy Everton sweatband.
It also reminded me of one of the funniest comments I have heard while working on a Champions League game. On the morning of all matches in UEFA competitions, an organisational meeting is held between officials and team representatives. One of the instructions from the referee is to ask the representatives to remind their players that jewellery on the pitch is forbidden. The referee at one particular game asked the club representatives to tell the players to just think of it as going to a nightclub and that should help them remember to take their rings off!
I have mentioned in a previous blog that I would hate to be a referee and I have absolute respect for those that do it. I have met a fair few referees and I have yet to come across a bad guy. Seeing them after the games is a real eye opener in that they are physically and mentally more drained than the players. I love having a degree of intensity and pressure in my daily life, but every decision they make is under huge scrutiny and they are only human after all….despite what people say. Knowing you are going to have a coach hammering you after the match, fans screaming obscenities at you during the game, and if you read the newspapers or the internet, you may well be the headline act….that cannot be easy. What does not help is players blatantly trying to cheat, being disrespectful and vehemently complaining about things when so many times they are in the wrong. I would have loved to have seen what would have happened had Everton scored when Malouda was off the pitch and he would have had nobody to blame other than himself.
It also reminded me of one of the funniest comments I have heard while working on a Champions League game. On the morning of all matches in UEFA competitions, an organisational meeting is held between officials and team representatives. One of the instructions from the referee is to ask the representatives to remind their players that jewellery on the pitch is forbidden. The referee at one particular game asked the club representatives to tell the players to just think of it as going to a nightclub and that should help them remember to take their rings off!
I have mentioned in a previous blog that I would hate to be a referee and I have absolute respect for those that do it. I have met a fair few referees and I have yet to come across a bad guy. Seeing them after the games is a real eye opener in that they are physically and mentally more drained than the players. I love having a degree of intensity and pressure in my daily life, but every decision they make is under huge scrutiny and they are only human after all….despite what people say. Knowing you are going to have a coach hammering you after the match, fans screaming obscenities at you during the game, and if you read the newspapers or the internet, you may well be the headline act….that cannot be easy. What does not help is players blatantly trying to cheat, being disrespectful and vehemently complaining about things when so many times they are in the wrong. I would have loved to have seen what would have happened had Everton scored when Malouda was off the pitch and he would have had nobody to blame other than himself.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic
Laying there on the cold hard surface looking at the stars in the sky. My young hockey career may be over before it has even started. This was not the way it was supposed to end. The silence was deafening, the sensation was numbness. Bobby Ovechkin had gotten a little excitable and over-confident and one slip and crack of the head brought me right back to reality – the local Leeds headlines read Bambi Ovechkin.
I think many of us are bad losers and hate to admit failure. I do my very best to try and hide it, but it is true enough. I skated once at Bradford ice rink when I was 14 – somebody told me it was a cool thing to do and a great place to take the girls. Nobody told me that if you have the balance and coordination of one-legged baboon, that would not be so cool if you invited your first girlfriend. I said to myself that day that I would never skate again. It was something that I was bad at and I could not accept it.
Well, fast forward around 15 years or so and Bambi received a set of ice skates for my 30th birthday from one of my favourite couples. A great gesture and it spurred me to get back on the ice. I skated once last year but this year I have been on the ice several times and it is gradually getting easier. Apart from the one severe crack on the head which clearly did not knock enough sense into me, I will continue to practise to hopefully get to a level where I can hold a stick and shoot a puck.
I am actually determined to master it now or at least be able to skate properly. NHL is unlikely now I guess, but I’m further on than 15 years ago. I guess failure or a lack of understanding and knowledge of something makes many of us avoid confronting a situation – whether it is eating a new food, trying to speak a foreign language in public, wearing a V-neck sweater or learning to skate. When I was younger I never had the confidence or the cojones to try some things. Folks often say kids will try anything and throw themselves into things. That is not always the case, and it wasn’t much for me. I was hardly a choir boy, and I got into plenty of mischief, but I always had reluctance with certain stuff. Ice Skating and Ice Hockey is a challenge for me now.
For my 31st birthday, I received a pair of skis from an equally generous couple! I am making my debut next week in Zermatt – hard to believe given that I have spent four years in Canada and Switzerland. So basically, the moral of the story is if you have any friends who have birthdays coming up, buy them some equipment or book an activity for something they have never done before and you should shame them into trying it. The fact is, I would do neither of the two if I was left to my own devices, and I am glad I am giving both of them a go. This may of course be my last blog, so wait until the end of next weekend to see if you should recommend skiing.
I think many of us are bad losers and hate to admit failure. I do my very best to try and hide it, but it is true enough. I skated once at Bradford ice rink when I was 14 – somebody told me it was a cool thing to do and a great place to take the girls. Nobody told me that if you have the balance and coordination of one-legged baboon, that would not be so cool if you invited your first girlfriend. I said to myself that day that I would never skate again. It was something that I was bad at and I could not accept it.
Well, fast forward around 15 years or so and Bambi received a set of ice skates for my 30th birthday from one of my favourite couples. A great gesture and it spurred me to get back on the ice. I skated once last year but this year I have been on the ice several times and it is gradually getting easier. Apart from the one severe crack on the head which clearly did not knock enough sense into me, I will continue to practise to hopefully get to a level where I can hold a stick and shoot a puck.
I am actually determined to master it now or at least be able to skate properly. NHL is unlikely now I guess, but I’m further on than 15 years ago. I guess failure or a lack of understanding and knowledge of something makes many of us avoid confronting a situation – whether it is eating a new food, trying to speak a foreign language in public, wearing a V-neck sweater or learning to skate. When I was younger I never had the confidence or the cojones to try some things. Folks often say kids will try anything and throw themselves into things. That is not always the case, and it wasn’t much for me. I was hardly a choir boy, and I got into plenty of mischief, but I always had reluctance with certain stuff. Ice Skating and Ice Hockey is a challenge for me now.
For my 31st birthday, I received a pair of skis from an equally generous couple! I am making my debut next week in Zermatt – hard to believe given that I have spent four years in Canada and Switzerland. So basically, the moral of the story is if you have any friends who have birthdays coming up, buy them some equipment or book an activity for something they have never done before and you should shame them into trying it. The fact is, I would do neither of the two if I was left to my own devices, and I am glad I am giving both of them a go. This may of course be my last blog, so wait until the end of next weekend to see if you should recommend skiing.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Eyes Wide Shut
Football is great and I love it. I am talking about real football, not the egg-shaped football that some claim to be the real football. I love NFL, but football edges it just. It has been an interesting week or so in football. Despite Everton’s poor result against West Ham taking the gloss off an otherwise fascinating week of football, there have been some great developments in football and the next week is another hugely anticipated week.
What am I talking about? The transfer window! This time of year, along with the summer, is when every football fan wakes up in the morning, and scours his newspaper and the internet to see which players are being linked with their team. First port of call – the BBC Gossip Column. I would love to know the number of hits they receive on this one page, and I’ll bet it is up there with their most popular pages at this time of year. Then I’ll put Sky Sports News on – if my boys have signed somebody, I will hear about it there first.
I am an Everton fan in case you were not aware. They are skint. They have less than zero money. That is not a good situation to be during the transfer window. There is a far greater chance of one of our players being signed by another team, than us signing somebody and that is not a nice situation to be in. Yet, I still for some unknown reason check the Gossip column and all the fan websites wanting to get a sniff of who we might be signing. We have lost Pienaar and Yakubu this transfer window, yet for some inexplicable reason, I hold out hope that we are going to make a signing of the century and it will propel us up the league.
There is no logic to that at all, but how many people do the same? My guess is a huge percentage of fans in England especially. The media sell transfer stories and speculation to us to sell their newspapers or boost their viewers. This was more common in Spain and Italy historically with teams like Real Madrid deliberately feeding information to Marca to keep their profile at the forefront, unsettle players they are interested in, and to claim an interest in another player when they are bargaining with one club for a different one and trying to force the asking price down.
England and the Premier League has gone one step ahead now. The transfer window was hardly greeted with delight when it first came into action as newspapers had months in which to make up ludicrous transfer stories when general news was quiet. That has all changed now and the media have clearly seen a niche and they put huge resources into promoting it now. Wait until transfer Deadline Day and see what I mean. It is actually pretty enticing stuff – watching SSN or surfing the internet to get all the latest rumours and gossip. Sadly for me, that is what they will likely remain, rumours and gossip. But I will hold out hope until the door shuts. Somehow, hopes and dreams across the world have been raised artificially, and then that big door just slams shut. For most fans, it will close with disappointment after a month of hope and optimism, all of which has magically been generated by the media.
I am not criticising it, I enjoy it as much as anybody. It is just an amazing phenomenon which has developed in the last few years. I shall be tuning in on Transfer Deadline Day waiting to see who my boys will be ‘close’ to signing, who they just missed out on, and who they wanted but could not agree a deal for.
What am I talking about? The transfer window! This time of year, along with the summer, is when every football fan wakes up in the morning, and scours his newspaper and the internet to see which players are being linked with their team. First port of call – the BBC Gossip Column. I would love to know the number of hits they receive on this one page, and I’ll bet it is up there with their most popular pages at this time of year. Then I’ll put Sky Sports News on – if my boys have signed somebody, I will hear about it there first.
I am an Everton fan in case you were not aware. They are skint. They have less than zero money. That is not a good situation to be during the transfer window. There is a far greater chance of one of our players being signed by another team, than us signing somebody and that is not a nice situation to be in. Yet, I still for some unknown reason check the Gossip column and all the fan websites wanting to get a sniff of who we might be signing. We have lost Pienaar and Yakubu this transfer window, yet for some inexplicable reason, I hold out hope that we are going to make a signing of the century and it will propel us up the league.
There is no logic to that at all, but how many people do the same? My guess is a huge percentage of fans in England especially. The media sell transfer stories and speculation to us to sell their newspapers or boost their viewers. This was more common in Spain and Italy historically with teams like Real Madrid deliberately feeding information to Marca to keep their profile at the forefront, unsettle players they are interested in, and to claim an interest in another player when they are bargaining with one club for a different one and trying to force the asking price down.
England and the Premier League has gone one step ahead now. The transfer window was hardly greeted with delight when it first came into action as newspapers had months in which to make up ludicrous transfer stories when general news was quiet. That has all changed now and the media have clearly seen a niche and they put huge resources into promoting it now. Wait until transfer Deadline Day and see what I mean. It is actually pretty enticing stuff – watching SSN or surfing the internet to get all the latest rumours and gossip. Sadly for me, that is what they will likely remain, rumours and gossip. But I will hold out hope until the door shuts. Somehow, hopes and dreams across the world have been raised artificially, and then that big door just slams shut. For most fans, it will close with disappointment after a month of hope and optimism, all of which has magically been generated by the media.
I am not criticising it, I enjoy it as much as anybody. It is just an amazing phenomenon which has developed in the last few years. I shall be tuning in on Transfer Deadline Day waiting to see who my boys will be ‘close’ to signing, who they just missed out on, and who they wanted but could not agree a deal for.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Airplanes
I don’t often have time to sit and watch people. It is actually great fun to do when I do manage to forget everything else in the world and just sit, watch and observe other folks. Humans are random, very random, and if it is not something you do often, I would recommend trying it occasionally.
Today I am people watching. I am sat on a plane and watching people. Most folks don’t really realise I am watching them, but I am. Today, I am Big Brother. People act randomly all the time, but especially on aeroplanes and in airports and you can find all breeds. Today, I am watching the couple with four kids and how effortlessly they manage to deal with the kids and enjoy the journey. How many times have you been on a plane where there is just the one kid and parents and he is causing absolute havoc and upsetting everybody? I have seen plenty. These guys have four and they are all stars.
Airports and planes bring out a nervousness in people, and that is understandable I guess. We are thousands of feet in the air and as much as I learned about how aeroplanes fly and how boats float at school, I think I will always have a degree of awe about how they actually do what they do. You can scour the plane and look around and you will always find one or two people nervously watching out the window or clinging on to the arm rest or their partner when there is turbulence or when landing. I guess over a period of time it becomes normal. I have flown a ridiculous amount in the last four to five years and it is second nature to me now. If you fly once a year or less, it will surely be a bigger deal. I find take off incredibly relaxing and often drift off to sleep. Others are clinging on for dear life. I want to reassure them and tell them that I fly all the time, they have nothing to worry about, and the percentage of me one day meeting my end on a plane is far greater than theirs and I am not worried about it. I then hold myself back as I suspect they will wonder if today is the day.
Coming through security today, one chap realised he had left his passport at home. Quite how he got that far, I am not so sure, but he managed it as he had hand luggage only and went straight through. Luckily for him, he didn’t live far from the airport. The panic which ensued was spectacular. Rather than just bolting and getting it sorted, they preferred to hysterically scamper around and waste precious time. He is now sat next to me on the plane so it turned out well but only now after an hour have they visibly calmed down.
Some folks decide to get well and truly hammered to deal with their nerves or to have fun with their friends. I have been known to have a beer or two myself. In fact, every time I fly to Canada, it is my ritual to have a Molson Canadian on the way over without fail just to get in the mood. The worst situation I have encountered was on a flight with my parents to New York – the first trans-atlantic flight ever from Leeds & Bradford airport. One Canadian chap was with a few mates, and he was quite a big boy and quite a big drinker. The guy sat next to him was with the party but they obviously did not know each other that well. So, big boy ordered another wine to go with his food and he could not squeeze his table tray past his belly. The chap next time called him a name in jest, and the big boy responded by elbowing him in the face and getting him in a headlock and punching his head. Pretty horrific given this guy was some 25 stone, and was literally sat on the same row as me and my folks. To make it worse, he had a beast of a perm. The other issue was that we were about two hours from any land – if big boy went on the rampage, it would be tough to stop him. Thankfully the air hostess, who looked like she would bite, sorted him out swiftly and calmed things down. I would not like to have been him when I saw the armed police get on the plane in New York to escort him off. Brutal and it did not help any of the nervous folks on there.
Today we have no such shenanigans. Everybody is in pretty good spirits and everybody is looking forward to a great holiday. I’m going home, and I am just as excited to see my girl. I feel as if over the last five years I have had loads of places that I call home. I even called the hotel I used to stay in when I worked in London home. Mum didn’t like that. Those flights are always easier when you have something to look forward to at the other end and as long as there is no meathead causing troubling, they can be quite enjoyable. No need to stress over the kids, nor the lost passport, or the guy next to you cracking rude jokes, just sit back and enjoy the flight.
Today I am people watching. I am sat on a plane and watching people. Most folks don’t really realise I am watching them, but I am. Today, I am Big Brother. People act randomly all the time, but especially on aeroplanes and in airports and you can find all breeds. Today, I am watching the couple with four kids and how effortlessly they manage to deal with the kids and enjoy the journey. How many times have you been on a plane where there is just the one kid and parents and he is causing absolute havoc and upsetting everybody? I have seen plenty. These guys have four and they are all stars.
Airports and planes bring out a nervousness in people, and that is understandable I guess. We are thousands of feet in the air and as much as I learned about how aeroplanes fly and how boats float at school, I think I will always have a degree of awe about how they actually do what they do. You can scour the plane and look around and you will always find one or two people nervously watching out the window or clinging on to the arm rest or their partner when there is turbulence or when landing. I guess over a period of time it becomes normal. I have flown a ridiculous amount in the last four to five years and it is second nature to me now. If you fly once a year or less, it will surely be a bigger deal. I find take off incredibly relaxing and often drift off to sleep. Others are clinging on for dear life. I want to reassure them and tell them that I fly all the time, they have nothing to worry about, and the percentage of me one day meeting my end on a plane is far greater than theirs and I am not worried about it. I then hold myself back as I suspect they will wonder if today is the day.
Coming through security today, one chap realised he had left his passport at home. Quite how he got that far, I am not so sure, but he managed it as he had hand luggage only and went straight through. Luckily for him, he didn’t live far from the airport. The panic which ensued was spectacular. Rather than just bolting and getting it sorted, they preferred to hysterically scamper around and waste precious time. He is now sat next to me on the plane so it turned out well but only now after an hour have they visibly calmed down.
Some folks decide to get well and truly hammered to deal with their nerves or to have fun with their friends. I have been known to have a beer or two myself. In fact, every time I fly to Canada, it is my ritual to have a Molson Canadian on the way over without fail just to get in the mood. The worst situation I have encountered was on a flight with my parents to New York – the first trans-atlantic flight ever from Leeds & Bradford airport. One Canadian chap was with a few mates, and he was quite a big boy and quite a big drinker. The guy sat next to him was with the party but they obviously did not know each other that well. So, big boy ordered another wine to go with his food and he could not squeeze his table tray past his belly. The chap next time called him a name in jest, and the big boy responded by elbowing him in the face and getting him in a headlock and punching his head. Pretty horrific given this guy was some 25 stone, and was literally sat on the same row as me and my folks. To make it worse, he had a beast of a perm. The other issue was that we were about two hours from any land – if big boy went on the rampage, it would be tough to stop him. Thankfully the air hostess, who looked like she would bite, sorted him out swiftly and calmed things down. I would not like to have been him when I saw the armed police get on the plane in New York to escort him off. Brutal and it did not help any of the nervous folks on there.
Today we have no such shenanigans. Everybody is in pretty good spirits and everybody is looking forward to a great holiday. I’m going home, and I am just as excited to see my girl. I feel as if over the last five years I have had loads of places that I call home. I even called the hotel I used to stay in when I worked in London home. Mum didn’t like that. Those flights are always easier when you have something to look forward to at the other end and as long as there is no meathead causing troubling, they can be quite enjoyable. No need to stress over the kids, nor the lost passport, or the guy next to you cracking rude jokes, just sit back and enjoy the flight.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Don't Put Off Until Tomorrow....
You are sat at work. You are thinking about dinner tonight. You are thinking about your next holiday. You are thinking about the big game on Saturday. You are thinking about anything but what you are supposed to be doing which in most circles is called work. It may be work, it may be making a decision. I get the feeling that humans are amazing procrastinators and dawdlers when we want to be. I wonder if animals are – does the cat give serious thought to whether he is going to climb the curtains today, or does the bird analyse the scene ahead and deliberate which unsuspecting human he is going to swoop over and poop on? I am not so sure.
We either delay the inevitable, or often take the long route rather than just ploughing ahead and just doing something or making a decision. I remember writing about this subject when I first started my blog and it randomly came back into my head recently. Unquestionably, most folks are at work and spending time surfing facebook and spying on what Little Jimmy has been up to today. They actually have 27 emails sat in the inbox waiting to be dealt with, but learning about what Little Jimmy had for dinner seems far more appealing than replying to them. I suspect many folks are reading this rather than doing something they should be doing – you’ve made the right decision – those emails can wait. Promise!
I have gone down the route recently of setting up a company and working independently. The pitfalls of good old procrastination are more evident than ever when you work for yourself. There is nobody keeping track of what I am doing, there is nobody to report to, there is nobody dangling a bonus at the end of the year if I perform well, and there is nobody to sack my butt when they want to. There are positives and negatives. I can sleep in if I want to. If it is cold outside, I don’t have to go outside. If I am sulking one day, I don’t have to talk to anybody. All of which are positives and negatives – if you work in an office, you will think they are massive positives, but I can assure you it is not as glamorous as one may think. The overriding factor is that for all the time I spend on Facebook, wasting time on decisions I have already really made in my head but have not followed through on, I am not earning money. Effectively, if I don’t get busy, I am not going to eat.
Well that sounded dramatic and is obviously not the case, but the reality is that nobody is going to motivate me other than myself and I have to produce. Some folks would struggle with it. It is certainly not easy, I have to admit, but thankfully I am generally quite motivated to do well and succeed so I have never found it a major problem. Of course I have days where I waste too much time and productivity levels are lower than usual, but more often than not, I know I have to produce and I do. I do not have to worry about what anybody else is doing, Little Jimmy is whingeing about Big Bertha, Judy leaves early every day and I am left having to do her work. I do not have to deal with any of that. I just have to produce.
As I have said, there are good elements and not so good elements to it and so much depends on your personality. I think I was back in high school when one teacher threw out a saying which always stuck with me – ‘Don’t put off until tomorrow, what can be done today.’ It is so true and something that I have always found to be worth remembering. Easier said that done I know, but if you are reading this, and you have a few items on your things to do list that you have been putting off, get your teeth into one of them, and ban yourself from facebook until you do. Don’t be so hasty and stop reading my blog, but give it a try!
We either delay the inevitable, or often take the long route rather than just ploughing ahead and just doing something or making a decision. I remember writing about this subject when I first started my blog and it randomly came back into my head recently. Unquestionably, most folks are at work and spending time surfing facebook and spying on what Little Jimmy has been up to today. They actually have 27 emails sat in the inbox waiting to be dealt with, but learning about what Little Jimmy had for dinner seems far more appealing than replying to them. I suspect many folks are reading this rather than doing something they should be doing – you’ve made the right decision – those emails can wait. Promise!
I have gone down the route recently of setting up a company and working independently. The pitfalls of good old procrastination are more evident than ever when you work for yourself. There is nobody keeping track of what I am doing, there is nobody to report to, there is nobody dangling a bonus at the end of the year if I perform well, and there is nobody to sack my butt when they want to. There are positives and negatives. I can sleep in if I want to. If it is cold outside, I don’t have to go outside. If I am sulking one day, I don’t have to talk to anybody. All of which are positives and negatives – if you work in an office, you will think they are massive positives, but I can assure you it is not as glamorous as one may think. The overriding factor is that for all the time I spend on Facebook, wasting time on decisions I have already really made in my head but have not followed through on, I am not earning money. Effectively, if I don’t get busy, I am not going to eat.
Well that sounded dramatic and is obviously not the case, but the reality is that nobody is going to motivate me other than myself and I have to produce. Some folks would struggle with it. It is certainly not easy, I have to admit, but thankfully I am generally quite motivated to do well and succeed so I have never found it a major problem. Of course I have days where I waste too much time and productivity levels are lower than usual, but more often than not, I know I have to produce and I do. I do not have to worry about what anybody else is doing, Little Jimmy is whingeing about Big Bertha, Judy leaves early every day and I am left having to do her work. I do not have to deal with any of that. I just have to produce.
As I have said, there are good elements and not so good elements to it and so much depends on your personality. I think I was back in high school when one teacher threw out a saying which always stuck with me – ‘Don’t put off until tomorrow, what can be done today.’ It is so true and something that I have always found to be worth remembering. Easier said that done I know, but if you are reading this, and you have a few items on your things to do list that you have been putting off, get your teeth into one of them, and ban yourself from facebook until you do. Don’t be so hasty and stop reading my blog, but give it a try!
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