to the 100,000+ souls broken in asia, may you rest in peace.
to the poor and suffering in the world, may you be kept in peace.
to the rest of us, may we think of these people and give out our kindness and not think of selves but others first, and second.
--
in my world, lots of rellos visited today, played footie with uncle and cusins in park, games with even more rellos here tonight. Nice food, great wine. Now listening to the radioactive [Here]. England drew with S.A. in cricket, we had them with 2 wickets remaining but bad light drew the game, 1-0 in the series.

another nice ride to the lookout. started with an ice-skid to wake-up and then to a friends house to make a party of two for the ride. Not stretching out into the distance too much was quite difficult but we had a good chat, styro of hot chocolate and then back, again good to get out of the house.
yesterday the cusins went to weybridge rellos (they fly today back to Shetland) and I went on a short (5 mile) walk around Odiham with the parents, gorgeous weather, very biting wind but wearing about 5 layers above waist kept me warm, I'll need some thicker walking trousers for the future as these were thinner than a biting wind's tooth.
More rellos arriving this afternoon, and more tomorrow, more on Sunday and I am off Monday back to Cambridge to sort my life out!!!

holiday monday, went cycling in cold with Dad, a short but brisk ride to the Look Out and back, tried my new windproof cycling top (yellow to keep me bright and cheery) v.good kept out all of wind and me warm too. Boxing Day, went walking in Vaginia Water bout 5 miles but great to get out of the house! Christmas Day, lots of people in House didn't eat too (!) much Grandrents, uncle, and also Auntie and Cousins as mentioned before. For Christmas I got nice presents including Jimi Hendrix CD, The Backpackers Handbook, windproof top, and some books and clothes.

woo, back from finishing the Christmas present shopping in reading. This morning helped the mother with the enormous food shop (10 people on Christmas day) which was relatively simple, we started early and by the time we were checking out the supermarket was way beyond rammed.
My cousins and auntie from Shetland arrived last night, haven't seen them in awhile. I am thinking of going to Shetland in 2005, because my cousin Joe is getting married, and also because I haven't been there in something like 10 years and it would be good to see it all again!

arrived at parents' monday lunchtime, made christmas food and helped round house. Tuesday I went on a bitter cold damp morning ride on a mountain bike with my SPD peddles and almost destroyed myself. I was riding at road pace, or a lot faster than should have and payed big style as there are hills round these parts and fuckloads of mud too. So up the very muddy hill I stopped heart rate super fast and me feeling blown I clamber of bike and rest a while allowing HR and lungs to get back towards normality and then walk most of the hill (mud almost as dense as tar and lots of it) and complete the rest of the circuit (god, I cannot spell any more, but I think that's spelt right) which is much easier being on roads and my lungs have warmed up now and not aching like before, before the last hill up to home which is much more steeper than I remember but that's what happens when you've been away from hills for such a long while and have not been on the bike 2 months.
I've been juggling lots, learning 53, and improving on other 4ball SS. I got a 107 with 5 ball this afternoon. Been filming my juggling too, although I don't know how much of this is any good, its good to get it on the PC and then select the best. It's definitely true that working on 4ball moves helps with 5. Thomas Dietz's new video is online, it is the best fucking slice of shit ever, and thats taking some (if you've seen any of his earlier vids, you know what I mean!) in comparison with the history of Dietz's vids. Catch them all here and number 10 is here (>100mb)

juggling

yeah, juggling club tonight. I felt that my five ball cascade has improved a lot and while not counting catches I reccon that I beat my record. I did beat my 531 record with 24 rounds, and got a lot better with 53 (i tried it first time this afternoon!) but this doesn't feel right yet, my record is 4 rounds (5=rights). also 441 with clubs first ever try 2 rounds. 2in1 (right) singles:69 doubles:50; 2in1 (left) singles:14 doubles:10. 2in1 doubles in the left hand is very difficult at the moment, I did some in the blue sky garden chilly earlier but not hitting the groove yet. 4club is hindered by the poor first throw of the left hand and also the dubs in the left too......... A good day all in all!

watched oceans 11 on dvd. made chicken in the hole (not as skrummy as toad in the hole). better get packing, off to the parents tomorrow am early.

[Juggling]

531: 13 rounds NR;
5ball reverse cascade: 7 catches NR;

installed my MD into the lounge system and grooved out a juggling session. then I had some chilli. then I watched Stage Beauty (an excellent brilliant film if ever there were one), did more juggling and then crawled upstairs on my feet no-handed.
5cascade: slowing it down as much as possible seems to be working, also had a go at reverse and got 7 catches clean, also trying under-arm throws whilst 5casading which is not easy, i can start with one under the left throw and carry on in 5cascade. but going from reg to throw one under aint happening.

PC rebuild

having finally really got incredibly pissed off with the shit that was my PC, I had to rebuild it again. I have done this once before (earlier this year, in the summer I think) so I knew what to backup and which information to write down and have at hand for the process. My printer is now functioning again and my PC is now very active again, Im just finishing reinstalling programs (including w.bloggar) etc.
things to remember next time (cos there will be a next time!!!): keep a copy of winzip handy, only thing I didnt have this time so I had to use the old version of my WLAN driver and then access the internet to get winzip, then unzip the new driver.

Champions League Draw

==> Real Madrid vs. Juventus <==
==> Porto vs. Inter Milan <==
==> Barcelona vs. Chelsea <==
Werder Bremen vs. Lyon
Liverpool vs. Bayer Leverkusen
PSV Eindhoven vs. Monaco
==> Manchester United vs. AC Milan <==
==> Bayern Munich vs. Arsenal <==

First Leg: 22/23 February
Second Leg: 8/9 March except Inter vs. Porto: 15^th March.

is this too blocky>>??

i think that this blog is way too blocky, it also is fucking wrongly colour-schemed. Check back for changes, folks, as I am fucking stuffed with this shit design at the moment...

k-blunket

Blunkett finally resignes Meanwhile, I am making good use of my now lots of free-time - I was making too much mess at my job (my work was excellent but I was making too much mess, hrmmm) so they didn't renew the short-term contract, which also means I am going to the parents for Christmas earlier (next Monday) and thus have more holiday (if one can call unemploy holiday!).
I went to badminton last night, 50 mins walking there 3 hours badminton and 70 mins walking back (I had to take a long detour as the police blocked off the railway bridge just before I was going to walk over it) make me a very tired lad last night.

favorite 3 tunes

willy mason - oxygen
mogwai - hunted by a freak
frou frou - let go

Favorite words

"Limey mouthed cocksucker" (Deadwood, HBO)
Hooplehead (Deadwood, HBO)

RIP Dimebag Darrell

Pantera, extra-fucking extra fucking extreme grovel thump dark metal satans, lose their guitarist Dimebag Darrell to four headshots of slug metal psychosis. Pantera = damn fine rage metal, great for psyching one up for stuff, killing and the like, and playing badminton and juggling. Napalm Death also induce same as.

The company havent asked me back for another week, the work was monotanous and boring but it was work so I am a little annoyed with this. Still on the +ve side I got paid Friday and again next friday and got me out of the house for two weeks!!! What to do next? I want to go travelling, sort somethings a kind of what I really want to do and who I am kind of thing type of trek, but this requires money, more than I have. Finally getting the green out of my skin and off my hair although my shoes are stained and my watch coated with green. No hard feelings from leaving the job, it wasn't for me and I wasnt for them. Oh well!

Played badminton for the first time last week, was very good. I was aching like a bitch for the rest of the week, esp the legs diff to walk up and down stairs. Watched two films this week: Garden State (very good in most with a few cringworthy scenes cancelling its excellent potential. Nataley Portman is soo hot its amazing) and I Heart Huckabees (Damn weird, but good too, mainstream indy).

crash!!!

this morning walking to work an accident happened right in front of me: car going onto East Road hit bicycle, I go check see if girl is "okay" (what more can you do?) and once established that she's gonna live I head on my way. FUcking cars, don't even see bikes OR they don't look for them which is more likely. I had my own experience of hitting metal car earlier in the year, again I was okay. Shaken yes and bike written off but I was alive and okay. Not a nice wake-up for a Monday morning for her, for me I was wide awake long before with the cold-hot-cold shower... oh the joy! Now I am caked in green after a very long day at work.
I went to see I heart Huckabee at the Picturehouse after work tonight. The film was suprisingly weird but a nice change of scene from normality. Jude Law in this "indy" picture. I cannot wait for "Garden State" out this Friday.

surprise et duo

chelsea vs Manchester United in Semis of League Cup; Liverpool vs Watford in other semi. who could have predicted that///...\\\ zzzz

min bomb

man u beat arsenal in the League Cup 1-0!!! Our Reserves versus their "yoof team", listened to it on the radio man I am so tired. Left a little late this morning didnt have time to get ticket on platform as long queue and me = late. Fortunately I bought a 7day season ticket on train so no hastle for another week, just leave home a little earlier!!! Nice and very crisp this morning. On the train it was a total white out in places as mist decended around us all - quality, I love that kind of mystisism. I am the green visible man... nighto...