In case I don’t blog again this year…

The final week of my Christmas/New Year break has been a rather uneventful one.

With no football, thanks to the weather, I spent my Monday in the company of Sky Sports’ Jeff Stelling. I made the afternoon interesting by placing a huge £2.00 (yes, 200 pence) bet on a massive accumulator, which if correct, would have seen me win almost £2,000. Alas my gamble did not come into fruition and I was left two quid out of pocket (slightly untrue though, as I ensured I won £2 by betting on Leeds to win earlier in the day). With all this money wasted on stupid bets, I am starting to worry if I have a gambling problem!

I have spent quite some time this week playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. As I have mentioned in the past, I don’t play lots of video games. In fact hardcore gamers like Dan believe I devote all my gaming time to the likes of Fifa. Partly true, although along with Grand Theft Auto, COD is one title I will play all the way through.

Like its predecessor, COD4, from 2 years ago, this is a fantastic war simulator that takes you on a real adventure. Anyone who has seen that show on Sky One with Grant Mitchell in Afghanistan, will notice many similarities in the video game (although there is no fat bald bloke). It is all very scary stuff, although not as frightening as the episode where Grant went to meet those gangs in Liverpool – they were some mean scouse chavs, who wouldn’t think twice about nicking your car stereo or happy slapping you. The episode where he hit Peggy was nasty too. Anyway, I digress…

Not in COD

When not shooting people, I have been working my way through the Benidorm DVD boxset. Somehow I have totally missed the popular ITV sitcom and only discovered it after buying it for my sister as a Christmas present and watching it with her. It is a brilliantly funny comedy and I had no second thoughts in buying myself a copy. However, I am starting to wonder if watching over 9 hours of it in less than 3 days was too much.

This New Years Eve, I should be going out. The plan is to try and get a table in Nandos, with John, before meeting Simon in the Dolphin later in the evening – hopefully before they start charging drinkers to get in!

I am sure Alex Ferguson’s reaction was pretty much the same when his little club, Manchester United, were drawn against the mighty Leeds in the FA Cup (this Sunday).

I wonder if owner Malcolm Glazer bought Alex and his son Darren curry to celebrate too… almost certanly is the answer.

I was heart warmed today when I received a letter from Marcus Trescothick.

Despite only attending one Somerset CC game last season, I have been thanked by the England and Somerset cricket legend for my “tremendous support during 2009”. Isn’t that nice!

Cynics may claim Mr. Trescothick did not personally write to me and, in fact, the letter may as well have come from the club’s mascot, Stumpy the Dragon. What nonsense! Marco obviously noticed the efforts I made to attend the game at The Rec back in May and wanted to thank me himself.

The letter also has nothing to do with an enclosed request for £179, asking me to become a member in 2010.

Last night, I joined Simon and his friend Tim for a post-Christmas Day drink. We went to The Boathouse, which was virtually deserted apart from the barman and his mate.

Having started their drinking hours before me in town, Simon and Tim entered into a ferocious football debate about what constitutes a ‘great’ football manager. It turns our Rafa Benitez is one (but only for his work at Valencia). José Mourinho is not (despite various league titles and a Champions League winner’s medal) and Arsène Wenger is not great, however is better than Rafa, who is great…

Confused? I certainly was, but took amusement from watching some slightly intoxicated football fans argue. However, being the peacemaker I am, I managed to diffuse to situation and get everyone to agree that, should he win the World Cup, Fabio Capello is the greatest living manager – better than Rafa, José, Arsène and the bloke who manages Accrington Stanley.

Due to their earlier alcohol intake, the two glasses of wine my fellow drinkers consumed was enough for them to call time on the pub; stumbling home to the warmth of their beds. Having not drank earlier, I was slightly disappointed at only being permitted two pints of beer; although awaking this morning, feeling as fresh as a newly bloomed daisy was nice.

The walk home seemed to take forever, mainly as Tim found the conditions freezing cold. Despite having ice all over the pavement, I surprisingly didn’t suffer the same reaction to the subzero temperatures and was able to tolerate the winters night. I guess it proves alcohol does lower your blood temperature. Either that or the extra layers I was wearing or Christmas weight I may have gained help to insulate me from the elements.

A photo from the walk home (yes, really)

Hopefully this winter won’t be a repeat of this, this and this.

‘Christmas the Second’ took place on Boxing Day. I had a really nice day spent with Claire. We went to the “romantic” seaside town of Weston Super Mare to watch Bath City take play their Boxing Day fixture.

Weston have a terrible record against City and have also had a dire season so far, looking certanties for relegation. A win for City was inevitable and pre-match, even the most pessimistic of fans were predicting a comfortable victory against the ‘Shame of Somerset’.

Indeed, we were not disappointed. City brought us all a late Crimbo present, ‘battering’ Weston to a 2-0 victory. In all honesty, and I know this sounds cliché, but it could have been 10-0 – Weston were absolutely TERRIBLE.

One of the main culprits for Weston’s poor display was defender, Clayton Fortune. Unbelievably, Mr. Fortune had spent many years in the football league. When playing Fifa 09 on the PlayStation last year, I even bought him from Darlington for £500k… he superb!

I guess this proves video games are only fictional and not based on any factual evidence whatsoever. The only PlayStation game Clayton Fortune will be appearing in from now on is John McCririck’s Donkey Derby 2010 (currently still in production).

After football, we made the short coach journey back to Bath where Claire and I exchanged gifts. I was bought some lovely things, which were well worth waiting the extra day for.

While the Christmas gifts, telly and food are all over with for the year; the festive football schedule continues tomorrow with Bath City playing hosts to Havant & Waterlooville – another 3 points please.

I must have been a relatively well-behaved little boy this year as Santa was kind enough to bring me lots of nice things. Thank you to all those who sent me gifts via Father Christmas.

Blogworthy pressies included two PlayStation 3 games (DJ Hero and the latest addition to the Call of Duty series), which I will no doubt write about at a later date when I have had chance to play them.

Slightly embarrassing was a Leeds United bedcover I received. Even more embarrassing as I had actually asked for it! I am trying to convince myself that it is OK to own a football-related duvet, despite not being five years old. My argument being, if they were only designed for kids, they wouldn’t make them in a double bed size.

Christmas Day was spent, like millions of people in Britain; eating, drinking and watching rubbish on the television. The only notable TV offerings being The Royle Family and an animated adaptation of the kid’s book, The Gruffalo.

Christmas dinner was very nice – the highlight of the meal being pigs in blankets. It was a pity so few were on my plate, as those delicious bacon-coated sausages are the food of kings and miles better than turkey, goose or whatever fowl people eat at Christmas. Next year I think I will just have a whole plate of pigs in blankets – that would make me very happy indeed.

Believe it or not, there isn’t much else to say on the events of Christmas Day. Unlike some families, we didn’t go for an afternoon walk in the country, we didn’t all sing and dance around the tree and we certainly did not play charades.

Part 2 of my Christmas blog, which took place on Boxing Day and included a trip to the seaside and an evening with Claire, will follow soon.

Happy Christmas to all those who read my blog.

That is all.

What were you expecting? I’m not the Queen…

An email from Cash4Gold managed to evade spam filters and find its way into my inbox.

However, upon reading what I initially believed to be junk, I was intrigued by their requests for jewellery in exchange for money.

How much do you think they’ll pay for this ring I won in a Christmas cracker?

Not actual size