OCCUPIED COUNTRY

Big Wheels Turning......

A great evening at Manchester's big wheel on Friday, followed by the usual alcoholic shenanigans round the European markets in the squares of St Anne and Albert. Friday was Dearest's 50th birthday and we celebrated in style with selections of German, French, Spanish and even English food - all washed down with beers and wines from the Continent. The big wheel was in Birmingham last year I believe and was as much of a success there as it is here. It provides some great views of the city centre and - during daylight hours - the moors beyond. I might just nip down again and try it out during the day. £5 well spent I reckon.

Sadly the celebratory vibe did not transfer to Eastlands yesterday as, once again, Manchester City failed dismally to see off a very average Tottenham Hotspur. Quite simply we were crap. We go all through November losing only one match and then throw all the good work away with losses against average outfits like Middlesborough and Spurs. On top of that Anelka has indicated he wants away. Opinions such as that will always result in boos echoing round the stadium when the perpetrator takes the field and that's exactly what happened yesterday. Oddly a journalist from the Observer interpreted this as "By the time he finally came on, [he was] afforded a hero's welcome by the desperate City fans". God knows what match he was attending but from where I was sat boos emanated from every corner of the ground. It's time to piss off Nic.

Dearest had a phone call on Friday afternoon. It seems the Guide Dog people have finally found a perfect match in an 18 month old Retriever called...Zest. A bloody odd name for a dog I'm sure you'll agree so there has been some debate about whether we change it or not. Pest seems to me to be a reasonable alternative although Dearest is yet to be convinced. Jess might just be compromise but it also happens to be the name of Eldest's recently discarded Darlin's daughter. Anyway whatever it ends up being called it'll be arriving a week on Monday.

Christmas looks like being a bit flat this year, what with the aforementioned split between Eldest and his Darlin', Dad's various illnesses and other irritants I'm looking forward to it even less than usual. How did the entire thing suddenly become so IN YOUR FACE? One minute it still seemed to rooted in a ramshackle kind of 1950s approach to celebration, the next we've got houses burning enough electricity to power a small third-world country in order to outdo next door in the gaudiest, tackiest decoration competition. How did we allow ourselves to be so comprehensively hoodwinked into believing the hype?

Bah! And indeed, humbug!

The good news this week is that Youngest and his Darlin' have become engaged. It's about time really - after nine and a half years of coupledom and 3 years or so of living together. I just hope the act of tying up the legal loose ends doesn't create tensions that don't exist at present. I've seen it before, couples breeze along in cohabitation. The next thing they decide to legalise the situation and before long divorce is mentioned and it's all over.

I must try to stop looking on the downside of everything mustn't I?

Well must dash now and go and see my parents. My Dad will be sat there watching the History channel and rattling with the 30,000 separate pills he has to take each day to regulate his blood pressure, hemoglobin, diabetes and heaven knows what else. My Mam will be giving us all a running commentary on everything that enters her head and they'll both be bickering with each other. Thus the final years of a lifetime's marriage arrive.

I really must get round to reorganising all that stuff to the right. Blogroll, iPod latest and the rest. It's starting resemble one of those shop window displays that lie sun-faded and littered with dead flies untouched for years.

It'll just have to wait until I can be arsed though.