It's a funny ol' game

I thought I used to understand football. If you win games you go up the league, you lose a few and you go down the league. So it was with great puzzlement that after spending the best part of a run that included just one win in about 12 league games, Leeds United never dropped any lower than second from bottom. Cue a superb 2-1 victory at Hull and, low and behold, Leeds end up bottom of the league. Maybe the Football League have developed a sick sense of humour that docks the mighty whites 3 points for a win. Either way, it could only possibly happen to Leeds but at least we're now just 4 points from safety with a game in hand. It's just a shame the injury list is longer than the extended version of an Orb track.

Just found out the new series of "Life on Mars" starts on February the 13th. If you havn't seen it you must watch it. It sounds silly, but it concerns a detective from the present day who is hit by a car and ends up in 1973. Has he travelled back in time, was he always from 1973 but suffered a psychotic episode or is he in a coma? After the first series we still don't know but in DCI Gene Hunt the BBC have come up with one of the most truly memorable characters.

"It's nearly dinner time, I'm'aving 'oops"

It is must see television and rivals "24" as the best thing on TV at present...WATCH IT!!!

"LIFE ON MARS" GENE HUNT QUOTE OF THE DAY...

"Drop your weapons, you are surrounded by armed bastards."

Guess who we ate with last night!

Jen invited a few friends round last night, it's her birthday on Wednesday so we decided to have a meal out. We went to Pizza Volente on West Street, a very nice italian restaurant, and were amazed to see two members of The Arctic Monkeys sitting on the table just to the right of us. I know it's a cliche, but they look a lot smaller in real life and seemed to blend in very well with the other assortment of students and youngsters (don't class myself as one any more).

Two pizzas and a garlic bread please waiter!

Bought a new car, managed to get a good deal on a brand new Renault Clio Campus for 5 notes short of 6k. Better still they gave me £2,500 for my old Saxo, the only down side being I can't get it for at least a month because it's not been made yet. They even had to explain to me that it may be the middle of March because they're always striking in France. Either way I'm well happy with it and can't wait for my new drive!

£2,500!

THOUGHT OF THE DAY...

When they film those adverts for child abuse charities, how do they get them to cry?

Don't buy one of these...

What we have here is a picture of a green Citroen Saxo, very similar to mine. What sets it apart from my vehicle (for the sake of argument, I shall refer to my motor as "Christine") is that it's 'on the road', a condition Christine never seems to be. I had to take it into the garage yesterday after almost ploughing into the back of a lorry because the brakes failed. On taking it in, I knew it was because the brake pads were knackered so I thought I'd tell them about some of the other problems I was having with it, namely the indicaters worked when they felt like it and whenever I turned left there was a knocking sound. My fears were confirmed, along with something else that I never even knew was a fault. I've had Christine for just 8 months, it's in only it's 4th year and has yet to break the 20,000 mile barrier but here is a list of the things I've had to take it in for so far or have gone wrong...

- Dents and paintwork agreed on purchase
- Cracked windscreen after just 2 weeks
- Knocking sounds from inside the cabin (faulty sunroof!)
- Replacement Catalytic Converter
- Faulty Oxygen sensor (caused engine to intermittently stall)
- Broken wing mirror
- Stolen hubcaps (replaced them and within one sodding day one of them had fallen off)
- Broken drive shaft
- Worn out brake pads and discs
- Faulty indicator stalk
- Boss and ball joints knackered

Needless to say Citroen (may change that first syllable to something more akin to my personal opinion of the car) are not my favourite manufactuers. The only silver lining is that they wouldn't come down on the price when I bought it, instead giving me a £400 warranty for £100 which to date has cost them more than a grand in repairs! In short DO NOT BUY ONE OF THESE CARS - THEY'RE SHIT.

Photographic representation of my car

"THE BIG LEBOWSKI" QUOTE OF THE DAY...

"Obviously you're not a golfer"

Wedding plans

Things are begining to gather momentum on the wedding front. Having already sorted out Jen's dress, the bridesmaid's dresses, venue, marriage certificates and all that stuff, we've not got my suit sorted out. It'll be tails, a pale green waistcoat (to match the bridesmaid's dresses), matching cravatte and ivory shirt. It looks very nice and was very much a no hassle shop we got it from. We've also finally ordered the invite and sorted out the wedding present list (opened an account with Debenhams), so we'll be booking an appointment to attack the store with a scanner in what'll feel like something out of Supermarket Sweep.

Had the future inlaws round for a meal. Jen made a lovely Thai Red curry, prawns for Jen and her mum, chicken for me and Mike and it was very nice indeed. Drinks wise we probably shouldn't have consumed as much as we did, cracking open the Amaretto and pouring it into one of the glasses Jen's mum bought us, she was hell bent on making me take a photo of it to put on my blog, so here it is...

Then I got started on the White Russians as Jen and her mum carried on with the white wine, G and T's, red wine and whatever else they could find as Mike sat there nursing a single red wine because he was driving. Running out of music to put on, my choice of DJ Shadow probablty finished the evening there and then, they left at 2.30am so, still with a full White Russian, me and Jen sat down to watch a Teleported episode of "Spaced" before going to bed.

To coninue with the White Russian theme and conclude my blogging for the day:

"The Big Lebowski" quote of the day...

"Mmmm, nice Marmot"

I need a holiday

It's been a while since I last blogged, mainly because I've not had five minutes to myself. I remember when Christmas used to be relaxing but I suppose that's a sign of growing up. Don't get me wrong, I had a great time and we saw pretty much everyone, including most of my friends, family, Jen's family and some of Jen's friends as well. It would have been nice to have spent more than two days in our own bed though and we're both now knackered.

So, we're only three days into 2007 and already there's been another engagement (congratulations Andy and Anna), been invited to a stag do (cheers Neil, Amsterdam sounds great!), invited to an engagement party (one of Jen's old workmates who I've never met, that's in Rotherham next month), had my dad's birthday, got my gran's birthday tomorrow and will be going wedding suit shopping with Jen on Saturday. No sign of things letting up then!

Also only three days into the transfer window and Leeds have already signed 5 players!!!! Here's my assessment of the newbies...

Matt Heath (defender) - solid, has been on loan since September, good for continuity.
Tresor Kandol (striker) - Unsure, only scored once on loan but has talent and may be an insurance signing because if we do go down he'll get the goals to get us back up
Tore Andre Flo (striker) - a little past it but could be a master stroke, never played lower than this level and knows where the goal is, only signed to the season end so not much to lose.
Robbie Elliot (defender) - excellent signing, a grafter and at this level as good as you'll get with the experience he has
Armando Miguel Correia De Sa (defender) - Mozambique international, never heard of him, lets see the kop try and get a chant out of that name.

Started the year with a good win over Coventry (heard the usual criticism of how Leeds were lucky but I fail to see how hitting the woodwork twice is ever fortunate), lets see if we can carry it on in the FA Cup against West Brom (if you want a hot tip on that game, I had a dream last night we lost 6-4, however I scored two of the goals so it's unlikely...yet strangely possible!)

DANIEL BEDDINGFIELD CRAP LYRIC OF THE DAY...

"If you aren't the one then why do I dream of you as my wife"

Good god...