Pressure!

To quote Queen, I'm under pressure right now. What with impending exams and...well, that's it really, but it's worse than it sounds. Last year I thought was bad, 4 exams! This year that figure doubles. And they're all bound to be within a fortnight of each other, so I'll have about 5 seconds to revise between exams. Typical. To top it all, my maths exam is on the Monday, and the Saturday, yes, that's 2 days before, I'm going to see the Stereophonics. Don't get me wrong, I'm really looking forward to it, but it means that I'll lose one whole day of revision time. Ah well, twice as much revision on Sunday then!

Snow

Time to revisit the blog again after what seems like 3 months. Oh wait, it is 3 months. Great. Sorry about that, been a bit busy. Right, down to business. The snow. I think, as long as you're reading this in the UK, you've had it as well. A few days before Christmas it fell first of all. Brilliant, I haven't seen snow all year! Cue pandemonium. No milk or bread on the shelves. What is this fascination with milk and bread. "Oh, I can have tea and toast." No you can't. You need teabags, water and a kettle for tea, and a toaster and butter for toast. So you are talking utter rubbish. Anyway, after the panic subsided and Christmas came and went, more snow arrived. Gosh, we haven't had two lots of snow in ages! And then another lot came. And another. Each getting deeper until the fall we had last night has given us about 8 inches! The pandemonium continues. I'm staying out of it thanks.

Cricket and Christmas

As the title suggests, this post is about two topics. I'll go in order and start with cricket. What a turnaround. England lost 6 out of 7 ODI's against Australia, then get on a plane, fly to South Africa and beat Sri Lanka and the hosts to qualify for the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy! After the "One-Day Ashes" I thought it was game over for the Champions Trophy. No chance. How wrong was I? OK, they lost the last game against New Zealand, but who cares? We're through. And it wasn't a fluke either. Some very entertaining cricket was played at both games, including Eoin Morgan taking over the gloves from Matt Prior, and doing well while the first choice was ill. I am most certainly looking forward to the semi-final against Australia or Pakistan.

Anyway, on to part 2. Christmas. Yes, it's early, but people are talking about it and you can be sure that after all the Halloween things have been cleared from the shop, they will be replaced by singing reindeers and other rubbish like that. I've already got some items in mind to put on my list. Well, there's no harm in starting early, is there? Merry Christmas!

New Music

Well, it seems to be a good time for my sort of music at the moment. Kiss are releasing a new album soon, that should be good. Also releasing a new one is Joe Perry (for you mere mortals that's the Aerosmith guitarist). This is his 5th solo album, but having not been a fan of that type of music (i.e. Rock) when he released the last one, I don't know what to expect. I do know what to expect though from the Stereophonics, when they release their new one, Keep Calm and Carry On, on November 16th. Their greatest hits are a permanent fixture on my iPod and so will this new album. The first play of their new single from the album, Innocent, was given it's first radio play today, although the single itself won't be released until 8th November, just over a week before the album. I've had a listen (it's on YouTube, if you wanna listen) and it sounds pretty good to me, as the comments underneath it reflect. If the album's anything like that it'll be one to look out for.

Back To School

Three words children all over the country were dreading at the start of this month. Back To School. These words strike fear into the hearts of even the most academic of kids. New uniform for most, new bags for some, unfortunately the same old school. Getting up at 7am was unheard of for 6 weeks, now it's back with a vengeance. Freezing cold, standing on the bus stop, willing the bus to turn up, quickly. But, you can guarantee, the second you step into the school building, it's as if you've never been away. Back into the swing of things within 5 minutes, and after a few timetable hiccups, we're away. I'm already counting down to the October half-term, it can't ocme quick enough. Then again, June can't come slow enough. More exams. The school, being informative, thought it necessary to say at the start of the year, rather than nearer the end. Well, that's something to work towards, I suppose!

Sun, Sea and... Scattered Showers: The Holidays So Far

So, 3 and a bit weeks into the 2009 Summer holidays, and it's been a bit varied for me. Walking, Climbing and Sunbathing, it was all there. Fresh from a hard years work, with included sitting 4 GCSE's, I was raring to relax, so to speak. Straight down the caravan for the first week. How do I describe it? I know. Rain. And some more rain. A fine day was a rarity in that first week, so it was a week with the book and the iPod. The grandparents visited, and after deciding to go out for an hour, we nearly drowned it was so wet! So, not the most successful week weather-wise. Home for a week then, parents to work and me to the grandparents. Oh, and it rained by the way. Depressing stuff for the middle of July. So on the Wednesday it was decided that we would go with some friends to sunnier climes. Portugal to be exact. The following Tuesday, we departed from Cardiff for a holiday until Friday. What a difference a few hours makes. We stepped off the plane into a sheet of hot air. Lovely. The sunglasses were dusted off, as was the sun cream. I should have used the latter a bit more, sunburn on the shoulders isn't nice! 32 degrees celsius isn't to be sniffed at though, and soon the inevitable words came. "Oh, it's too hot isn't it?" I was nearly shouted out of the country by my parents! How dare I suggest it's too warm! Anyway, Friday came, and so did the plane. Landed at 7, down to the caravan straight away for the weekend. We really don't stop in my family. Beach Barbecue to celebrate a birthday on Saturday, which was lovely, then home Sunday for another week visiting the aforementioned grandparents. So, up to date now? Good. 3 weeks to go...

Ashes Agony

Same old England then. Looked dodgy in the first test at Cardiff, but held on by the tips of their fingers for a draw, then improving considerably to win the second at Lord's. The Ashes spirit of 2005 was once again present. We can do it were the calls, 4-0 some people said. The English (and Welsh) supporters of cricket were behind Strauss' men to pull off a remarkable comeback to what was quite frankly, a thrashing Down Under in 2006/7 (remember that? Not many English fans do!) England fans looked forward to 2-0 by the 4th day of Edgbaston. Michael Clarke and Marcus North had other ideas though, but no matter everyone said. Win at Headingley and win the series. As a certain meerkat would say, Simples! But no one expected what was to come. 102 all out on day one? Surely not! Echoes of the 51 all out collapse against the West Indies came. Maybe it's a terrible batting pitch. Erm, no. The Aussies piled on a lead and England found themselves batting to save the test. 57-0. Great start by Cook and Strauss. 87-5. Oh Dear. The middle order again. The don't fire when they need to, and even when the pressures off, 50's don't turn into 100's. Broad and Swann provided some very entertaining fireworks near the end. Possibly the most exciting batting phase of play of the whole series. But it was all in vain. England were never really going to get back in to the match, and Graham Onions' wicket gave the Aussies the equaliser they so dearly wanted. Now England are in a pickle. A misfiring middle order and they have to win the final test at the Oval to regain the Ashes. There's talk of Rob Key coming in, or Warwickshire's Jonathan Trott. Even Mark Ramprakash's name is being thrown into the hat. But one things for sure. Anything's better than what we've got at the moment!