007-008 : Reprise - Review

There have been several good number plays on the theme of the year. I like the fact that ITV flooded their channels with 007 movies in a last ditch attempt to confuse us as Big Ben chimed the first dong of the year 2008. On the first day I had fully intended to blog along the lines of 'hey check this out - 01/01/08' - '118 118' - but failed miserably to blog anything of note on either occasion, New Years Eve or Day.

So then New Year's Eve. Please don't be fooled by the picture.. I did take the picture and send it straight here (oddly that went through in super fast time - yet any attempt to send a text message to anyone took until 10am 118) but I did so from the comfort on my lounge. It was on TV see. And well New Year 007 my TV exploded. So it seemed fitting to include the new one in a 1st b-d celebration picture. Good fireworks. Still not overly fussed that yet again I failed to haul my backside into town to see them 'LIVE'. The paradox to all this is that on New Years Eve there was naff all on TV. So I turned on my PC and decided to give BBC iPlayer a twirl. So yes on NYE I spent the evening with the Mitchells', the Brannings', the Beales' and the Wicks' catching up with their Christmas Day gossip. Moderately entertaining. I then dipped to my lowest and watched 'Casualty' - nowt better than gun shots and death to to remind you that new year, new number actually changes very little. That said I did feel vaguely detached from the whole 'party on' notion. I was warm, safe and secure in my own little world. Candles, glass of red and the new tv-pc for company.
Such a late night may explain the semi bad mood of New Year's Day - or maybe that was the last vestiges of my most recent 3 day detox from ciggies. Yes I fell off the wagon spectacularly on the night of the Christmas party and for the days between the 7th Dec and the 29th Dec I was to all intents and purposes a smoker again. Buying them and smoking them as I walked to and fro work. No-one noticed. Or at least said anything. Its terrifying how devious you can be if needs be. Trouble is I tend to fess up at some point and spending Christmas at home I did just that and smoked my way through what will hopefully be the last instance of me in the parents garage puffing and getting cold feet. I set myself the gauntlet so by the day of my b-d I would be over the worst and feeling much more positive.

New Year's Day though was hard work. I woke up late. It was cold, grey, damp and truly miserable. Welcome to the New one. Quite rightly before match kick off there was a minutes silence to acknowledge the shocking death of Scottish footballer - Phil O'Donnell, who at the age of 35 collapsed and died before the final whistle. The ref blew his whistle at the O's and the rowdy Gills fans hushed - it was a proper respectful minute. It was shattered only by the hospitality boxes whose loud TV music was at the time engaged in the full A Team theme tune. I can though report that despite that the silence remained true. Weird thing football fans, on the one hand so aggressive and yet at other times completely and utter humble and willing to show humility.
Tube home. Soup. Back to student rations! The positive note - my upper neighs were away for the whole time Sat 29th to Jan 3rd. I thank you!

NB: I have though failed to mention that when I returned from deepest Kent on the 27th Dec I came back to flat to find a wardrobe and several other items of furniture material all stacked up outside my bedroom window. There was also the largest pile of dog shit ever known to man at the end of the front path. Oh and on the weekend of my departure both Sat 22nd and Sun 23rd I had opened my front door to find the house front door wide open. Leaving the upper Muppet's alone with my little flat below to fend for itself was hard to do. Did I also mention the abysmal Virgin Mobile phone delivery service? No - well I will save it for its own splendid entry - needless to say my Pop had one less present to open on the 25th and he of all the people I know loves Christmas the best.

NNB: The wardrobe and other rubbish were miraculously gone when I got home Thurs 3rd from my afternoon of prosecco and fine dining. The dog shit had also been scraped further across the pavement and in many splendid directions. Which was nice.

NBB: If you were expecting me to moan about why 007 was so awful and why 008 is gonna be so great then I am sorry - I haven't blogged all year to then provide a nice neat summary at the end of the year for you. You've read it so you already know. Read on to find out if and how it gets better...