Saturday 17 January 2009

Abstinence makes the heart grow fonder

I'm such a creature of habit. For instance, have you noticed how often I blog on a Saturday morning? Its becoming part of my weekend ritual (and far more pleasurable than many other mundanitites - is that a word? if not it should be - of my Saturday mornings, like doing the washing, cleaning etc.) I seem to need the framework of routine in order to get things done.

One of my 'habits' is to give up booze for the month of January. There are some sound reasons for this :-

1. The need to dry out after the excess of the festive season
2. To prove that I can
3. To save cash as a result of number 1
4. To break the habit of looking at the football scores and immediately reaching for the Merlot/Lager/Southern Comfort/Bleach (delete as appropriate according to the atrociousness of the result)

Normally this isn't too much of a problem - however I never quite make it to the end of the month, as some party or event crops up where you are expected to toast the happy couple/new offspring/divorcee (again, delete as appropriate).

The downside of this is that I always have to 'cope' with the demise of another year of Newcastle United's hopes of winning something stone cold sober. I had to suffer the game against Hull via t'inteweb Radio Newcastle - and even the partisan commentators couldn't put anything much positive on the game. There seemed to be such an air of inevitability about the game, it was only ever going to get settled by one goal - and it was unlikely that Newcastle would score it. Hull are a poor team - but they were better than Newcastle on Wednesday. Depressingly true and I can't even seek solace in the bottom of a pint pot at the moment.

Oh well, another day, another game. Blackburn this afternoon, a chance to put one over Allardyce. As ever travelling more in hope than anticipation. Just had the phone call confirming that their are tickets for me and the Favourite Nephew - looking forward to catching up with everyone. Meeting in Blackburn at 2.00pm.... in the pub. Doh!

Howay the lads

8 comments:

MaryKwizMiz said...

Totally understand your predicament. I frequently make the decision to only drink one night a week (that normally being quiz night when I can't cope with all the smartarses and pronounce 5-syllable words sober). The general exception tho are televised Toon fixtures. I tried it once, and it wasn't even a bad game, but it sure was an experience I wouldn't want to repeat. I need something to cling to over 90 minutes. And the steadiest thing is a pint. Or two. Or as many as it takes depending on the display. I predict 8 for the derby. None needed today tho as I've come to terms with the fact that we'll get FA.
Be strong.

MaryKwizMiz said...

oh, and it is a word

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mundanities

in my world they're Mondaynities because that's the only day of the week I have enough enthusiasm...

Michael said...

Putting one over on Fat Sam would surely merit a pint of two.
Mind, there's more chance of seeing his stupid, grinning mug on MOTD tonight. Sometimes I'm glad I live abroad...

MaryKwizMiz said...

Come on then, admit it. You had one or two.
I know I will.

Karen Toon said...

To you both... I can see the advantages of living abroad...Gonna stick a pin in a map tomorrow and wherever it lands I'm gonna support that team. Because I'm sure that any other team would play with more heart than the 13 that disgraced the pitch today would.

Needless to say it was much grimmer today - as I'm still sober... If JFK can be obstinate then so can I.

MaryKwizMiz said...

hat off to you, I embraced every drop of dark liquid to match my dark thoughts.
Before the Makems do us in I might try abstinence in order to fit in more pints on that black Sunday.
You're lucky we don't play on Saturday :)

Michael said...

Tell you what I'm starting to get really sick of, hearing Kinnear blame everyone but himself.
He must've known the score when he took the job. If we hadn't been in the shit he wouldn't have got near the place. And if he wants to point the finger about the deficiencies of his squad, he just be looking at Wise and Ashley.

MaryKwizMiz said...

he's quickly running out of things/people to blame ..we've had Lady Luck, referees, injuries, now we have previous managers... but you don't really expect him to bite the hand that feeds him/hands him a permanent contract.
line that nearly made me spit out my drink "... they are not my players..." - well, where TF are your players then?!?!?