Lucky, lucky England!

They drew with Sweden 2-2, so finish top of the group and avoid Germany in the next round. (Germany strolled past Ecuador 3-0 this afternoon). Lucky, lucky England to draw with Sweden even - as I thought the Swedes did enough to win. Lucky, lucky England to be in a relatively easy group!! Because, actually, they played poorly again - they have no strikers (Michael Owen did in his knee - I feel sorry for him); Rooney was poor and acted like the spoilt brat he is, when he was subbed. Crouch is Crouch. Here's a possible replacement!? He has knock-knees and little coordination, so should be ideal!



Also, today, Poland beat Costa Rica 2-1 and Paraguay beat Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 - but I saw neither game, which meant I didn't get any glimpses of Santa Cruz ...

No response from Leo to my email yet. :) But I have a new hat!!

Never any doubt .... ahem

Togo 0 Switzerland 2 - didn't watch this game; just caught the end and the Swiss second goal. Didn't look like I'd missed much.

Saudi Arabia 0 Ukraine 4 - again, didn't really watch this game - though I heard most of it. A walkover, I suppose.

Spain 3 Tunisia 1 - nobody was expecting Tunisia to take the lead, very early in the first half. Certainly flummoxed the Spanish players - they were panting, panicking, rushing and getting absolutely nowhere. Second half was a different story - Raul scoring Spain's first - and Torres the other two (one a pen) to make him leader in the Golden Boot campaign. Nice football again, but, at times, rather naive.


Aragones apparently had a nervous breakdown, when managing Barcelona (according to Gary L) - one day he was chalking up the team line-ups, when he suddenly burst into tears and spent 2 weeks in a clinic. Perfect to manage Espana!!! Roger The Mare has a new jacket - with a hood.



Today I sent an email to Leo. Well, you have to, don't you?

Mon dieu!!

Japan 0 Croatia 0 - didn't really watch this game, but I saw Croatia miss their penalty (or was it a good save?) Croatia are not the team of old - Boban, Suker et al. Pity.

Brazil 2 Australia 0 - Brazil were little better than in their first game. The Aussies squandered good chances. Ronaldo blobbed around until he was finally subbed. Fred scored Brazil's second. (Fred?!)

France 1 S Korea 1 - Finalement, after huit ans, the Frenchies scored un WC goal. Mais, then they decided to seulement stroll around et the Koreans got 'em!! Maintenant, they might ne qualify pas! Hilarious!

Kaiserslaughter!

Portugal 2 Iran 0 - didn't see this game - just caught Leo's comments at the end - he said it was boring, so it must've been! :)

Czech Republic 0 Ghana 2 - how disappointing the Czechs were! Certainly they have no forwards - and those they have won't be playing the next game, due to yellow cards - but where was their heart?

Italy 1 USA 1 - 1 off for the Azure (terrible elbow on McBride) - 2 off for the US! You'd have thought the Italians would've finished them off, wouldn't you? Nope - the US were the best team on the pitch and deserved their draw! A great Saturday evening drama! Still no Pips.

It's unbearably warm today - and the forecast for next weekend, London - is very warm indeed - might have to rethink my flying clothes! The forecast for Seattle is very good (though I don't trust weather.com) - just hope we might catch a glimpse of The Mountain!

Amazing!

Argentina 6 Serbia & Montenegro 0 - what a truly stunning footballing performance! I watched this on my own, drooling, clapping and wowing. I read somewhere 'perfect' football - can't be far off that. Maybe they were right not to bring Potchettino after all!

Holland 2 Ivory Coast 1 - after watching Argentina this was just plain boring.

Mexico 0 Angola 0 - delighted that the Angolans have got themselves a point! Their life expectancy is, apparently (and staggeringly), only 38 - so these were really old men! Where were Mexico?

Yawn ....

Ecuador 3 Costa Rica 0 - didn't see this game, as I went out. As did Costa Rica.

England 2 Trinidad and Tobago 0 - atrocious. What I find the most disturbing is that they keep saying that "England must play better". I don't think they can! So are people so really that patriotic that they don't care about how their team plays - or do they just not like football?

Sweden 1 Paraguay 0 - the game, which was played in what looked like a bowl of custard, was marginally better than the England tripe - but not much. Sweden could even top the group now if they beat England (surely not too difficult). Has somebody been reading my blog? There were many close-ups of Santa Cruz this evening...

The poppy's out!

Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole!

Spain 4 Ukraine 0 - SUBLIME!

Tunisia 2 Saudi Arabia 2 - both teams missed an opportunity to possibly progress. Roger the Mare looked on pensively - goals were something he just didn't see with France ...

Germany 1 Poland 0 - it was only a matter of time before they scored, but they left it until very late! Looks like Germany qualify nearly already, while Poland go home very soon. Ballack is one helluva player.

Frazil!

South Korea 2 Togo 1 - embarrassingly, the Germans played the South Korean anthem twice ... A Togo got sent off. And Suzie Wong (Ahn) scored the winner for the Koreans. I don't like the Togos - they're fighting over money - they should feel privileged to play. I don't like the S Koreans - they cheated over Spain the last time.

France 0 Switzerland 0 - ah, les bleues - chronic as they've always been! This was completely dire. The Swiss should've won - it was the best chance of winning they'll probably get! Allez 'ome 'enri!

Brazil 1 Croatia 0 - completely overrated (imho) the Brazilians - and they proved that tonight. Ronaldo was shocking - and it was fitting that he entered the pitch accompanied by a pudding-shaped little German mascot!! Leo told it how it was "very, very, very bad", he said! The Croats deserved a draw at least. It's a pity they don't appear to have brought strikers, alas.

Is it sad to take a photo of your TV?


Leo was the only one on the panel who talked any sense! When asked by Gary, who had impressed most so far (remembering that we haven't seen the Spanish yet!), Hanson and Wright came up with the predictable "England" (ha!), while Leo picked Czech Republic - of course, I agree!

It's a hard life

Another busy day kicking a ball about ...

Australia 3 Japan 1 - Japan (sporting their usual assortment of red hair and blond stripes, with the addition, this time, of kind of poking out fringes at the back) went ahead with a cheaty goal (one of theirs pushed over the others goalie). Then Cahill (EVERTON) came on and scored a beauty. Then he should've been sent off for giving away a penalty up the other end - but the ref didn't spot it, so no pen and no sending off - then he scored again. Then another Aussie scored the third. OK game - nothing wonderful though.

USA 0 Czech Republic 3 - how I love the Czechs. The anthem is full of pain and brings back memories of poor Patrik crying on the grass after the Euro '96 defeat by Germany. They were great today. Nedved and that bloke Arsenal have just bought. Sorry USA - you've lost your touch.

Ghana 0 Italy 2 - strange with no Maldini - and Fabio doesn't really exude the same 'I'm the boss' spirit. I prefer Buffon in pink. The Ghaneans (sp?) were rough. Why didn't Lippi put on Pips?


D'oh!

Leo's a pundit!!

Great joy to discover the lovely Leonardo working as a panellist for the BBC!!

Serbia and Montenegro 0 Holland 1 - missed all but the last few minutes of this game, although listened to snips on the car radio as we went into town to spend more money. I don't like Holland.

Mexico 3 Iran 1 the Iranians presented a small carpet, rather than a pennant!! This game was a bit of a run-around - not exactly good football; certainly not edge of the seat. The Mexicans were happy enough though.

Angola 0 Portugal 1 I thought Figo had retired - and very pleased that he's not - a pleasure to watch! The Angolan 'officials' all look a bit like Idi Amin, while the players wore shorts which clung to their buttocks. Portugal were a little disappointing.

Rule Britannia? I think not!

England 1 Paraguay 0. Dire game - two very poor teams. England strolled around like they only had to turn up; Paraguay strolled around not bothering. And there were too few close-ups of Santa Cruz!

Trinidad and Tobago 0 Sweden 0. This was more like it! But the Swedes left the pitch red-faced after T&T put up a valiant struggle!

Argentina 2 Ivory Coast 1. Even more like it! Argentina are CLASS. Ivory Coast are certainly not walk-overs. Nice football.

Two more postcards this morning! One from Finland and one from Wisconsin. I've now put scans of my Postcrossing cards on here.

Big shock of the day - the return of S330 TMA02 - so quick - I hadn't expected it yet. And 70%. I'm pleased with that! It means I only need to scrape up another 27% from somewhere, to pass the coursework! Tutor thinks I should aim 'beyond a bare pass', as I've shown I can do that by this TMA. He hasn't seen my so far efforts at TMA03 ....

WC kicks off!

Germany 4 Costa Rica 2. Goals, but like watching paint dry.

Poland 0 Ecuador 2. Poland have changed slightly since last time - the baggy shorts have gone. They're still big, though are pale and weak and have legs like logs. Ecuador, on the other hand, were stylish.

The Budweisser ads are hilarious - I wish more games were on ITV!

Looking forward to tomorrow's game with Paraguay. Roque Santa Cruz! :)

The world's gone mad!

Well, 6-6-6 passed well enough - in fact, it was a wonderful day and I spent it mainly grinning to myself and very much in love with the sage in flower. And I got my (Geohazards) TMA back, filled with superlatives, like SUPER STUFF! AND I managed to finish off TMA03 - worked like blazes, but was happy that, at last, I could sit back and relax a little. Perhaps read a *proper* book in the sunshine or something. Then I did my roots. And I got a rash. So now I don't know whether to ever use that dye again or not! Would everybody still love me if I turned into the old crone I actually am underneath that colouring????? This is a real NUISANCE when going away in only 2 weeks time! And, this morning - I woke up to find that my PC wasn't playing with me! Couldn't find SYSTEM32 or something. Anyway, I found the remedy - but I MESSED IT UP and ended up having to reinstall darned WINDOWS - so lost everything! I don't even have an FTP client right now!

But, we went out this afternoon, because it was a glorious day!


And we went to Cockington, Torquay, for cream teas!



Spent some time in the stocks!


And then we spent some time on the beach!

I've sent loads more postcards - to all over the place - the latest one is to be sent to Croatia! I've also received 4 more. 2 from Finland, one from Australia and one from Brazil! I'll scan them when I have time - don't have any right now.

HEATHER - if you read this - please send me an email - as I've lost your address!!

And the winner is ....

New York, New York!

I thought it would be Finland - but, nope, my first Postcrossing postie, arrived yesterday morning, from 'J'in NY. A great one too - home-made, with subway tickets stuck on the card!


And my second one arrived this morning - from Barbara, in beautiful Venezia!



I've sent 12 (!) postcards now! The ones to Finland, Arizona, Brazil and Australia have all been received - and others have gone to Italy, New Zealand, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Portugal.

Good game! :)

My map looks like a spider!!

Heart to heart!

This morning (having had mild chest pains for 2 days), I took me a taxi to the A&E department. I took my ticket, sat down and then read a notice on the wall saying that if you had chest pains you were to see the receptionist. So I did that and was immediately whisked in for an ECG! That (and my BP) was fine, so I thought that was it - but, no, next stop was a small cubicle, a glam paper gown and a student nurse. "Do you know where you are?" "Who is the prime-minister?" And she then proceeded to write down that 'valuables' on my person were 3 rings, 2 necklaces and a pair of earrings. Then I had to count the money in my purse, and the number of credit cards! Did I have diarrhoea? Did any of my family have diarrhoea?? After she'd gone (she did my pulse and BP again and I *nearly* had another ECG), I laid there and wondered what I was doing there! Finally, a very nice Indian doctor examined my heart and lungs (oh please not an X-ray - I don't want to know!), palpated my buddha stomach, felt my ankles for swelling and my neck for bumps - and then sent me on my way! It seems that it is, as I had thought (and rather hoped!), a muscular thing -probably caused by exercising arm muscles with a can of beans and a tin of veggie soup!! They didn't mind in the least though that I had wasted their time. God bless our NHS! Not perfect - but wonderful, none-the-less!