goodbye 2008

It's the end of 2008 and once again I look back on what was quite a good year for me. I managed to shed 2 stone (28lbs) in weight something that I will continue to improve upon as the new year progresses. I got two very awesome tattoos and even now they make me smile when I look over my shoulder in the morning. My job which I had spent nearly 3 years on a temporary contract of a few months each time was made permanent which was a huge relief to me. I joined a gym and shook the belief that gyms are only full of incredibly buff guys lifting huge triangular weights with 2 tonne written on then whilst wearing leopardskin leotards and bicycle mustaches.

There are other things I'm pleased about but those are the highlights.

For the new year there are lots more I want to do but I don't want to have them written down in case I don't meet them.

Happy New Year Everyone....I hope it's a good one :)

The Gripes Of A Goalkeeper

So I play in goal, a *lot* I would say more that more often than anyone else in our group.

The problem is I hate it.

Being a goalkeeper requires excellent reactions, the ability to spot a weakness in your own teams formation and nerves of steel because when you mess up it *will* result in failure for your team. Don't get me wrong when things go well as a keeper its a great feeling but unfortunately for me those times are few and far between. Instead I have extended periods of being stood around with nothing to do and then quickly having jump back into the game because its now 1 on 1 with an opposing forward.

I end up goal nearly every game because...well no one else will do it and out of the people who do play I have the most experience of being a keeper, which is a bit depressing to think I've had more experience at failure as a keeper than any other position I would rather be playing. Other people are worse at me in the position but only because they have never ever stepped into my shoes/boots/gloves for more than a short time. Instead have to suffer until we're so far behind that it wouldn't make a difference what position I played. This is all because when I'm in goal there is no defense because that is where I would rather be playing, in defense doing something I'm much better at but also have the added bonus of *enjoying* it.

I'm no footballer, I've never even watched a full football game and I don't support a team either. So for me I play football pretty much for the sole reason of added exercise. Unfortunately like I said earlier there are 3 things that I end up doing:

1) Stand still for incredibly long periods of time and in the rain its even more depressing.

2) Have to run a-l-l the way back to pick up the ball because no one can shoot straight

3) Someone scores and I have to listen to keeper advice from people who would never and have never been in net for more than 10 minutes at a time.

I actually worked out that if I stood at the end of my garden and occasionally ran down to the bottom and finish off by calling myself a "tit" and walk back inside feeling cold and cheesed off. I could perfectly simulate football on a Sunday (but save on petrol).

We have finished for the year now but I dread having to start up again next year with their "are you going to go in net if not we're not going to pick you" attitude.

Bleached Death Notes

Recently I've been reading two mangas during my breaks and lunch at work alternating between the two.

Bleach & Death Note

I'm late to both (up to book 14 in Bleach and book 6 in Death Note) as I've known about their existence for years but I'm put off by popular mainstream anime and manga usually. (things like Dragonball and Naruto neither of which I've watched/read)

It's been a good balance, while Bleach concentrates on a more action orientated storyline Death Note balances by having a sort of strange detective/crime novel going on with more twists than there are pages in the book (none of which seem cheap)