Gutted (or “As Sick As A Parrot” as they say)

Most of you will know of my love of Rugby Union (the Americans out there can look it up !) and the more intimate with me will know that that love extends to the Northampton Saints through roughly 40 years association, through thick and (sometimes very) thin, through glory and disappointment, through winning and losing, and through Guinness (and sometimes red wine – and bizarrely, once, neat gin…..but that was Jon Phillip’s fault and it didn’t seem right to refuse…..).

Well, the glory days are back……almost.  Yesterday they put their battered backs into winning the Heineken Cup, Europe’s premier club rugby competition, having last week narrowly failed to clinch place in the final of England’s domestic competition, and despite everything they came up short….just.  I am gutted for the boys, and everyone associated with the club, and I know that it’s not easy to pull yourself together after a defeat like that but we can and we will – it’s just rock and roll !

Right, got that out of the way we can get back to reality.  I was going to call today’s offering “Other Peoples Problems Part Two” but I went with my initial idea.  However, having re-read the last blog I posted it could easily have been any one of several different titles – including “Ouch”, “Interesting Concept” and “Chinese for Lunch May Not Be Such A Good Idea” amongst others !

“Ouch” comes from my visit to the dentist.  I was supposed to be having a filing replaced but it turned into root canal work as I had to have 3 nerves removed.  I still have to go back this Thursday to get the last of the work done – really looking forward to that…… NOT !

“Interesting Concept” is derived from the two meetings that I had on Thursday.  IT turns out that I could very well be in line for some work as this job finishes (fingers, toes, legs……everything crossed !)  There’s a lot that could go wrong between now and then but essentially I am now talking to two of the three bidders for a massive job in Abu Dhabi which should be coming to appointment in the next two weeks !  We can only wait and see !

I’ll let you make your own minds up concerning “Chinese for Lunch May Not Be Such A Good Idea” but fingers crossed that it’s just that and playing golf yesterday with too much sun…………..

I thought you might like to see a couple of recent early morning photos…….

This one was at about 0530ish and the one under is another invasion of bloody camels !

This one was this morning at about 0730hrs…….God only knows where they are going and what for !

The last couple of days inventory reads very simply really – to much alcohol, chilli and Chinese virtually every day (apart from poached salmon last night), a work out at a Dubai gym on Friday, back for a circuits session last night and cross trainer this morning before a scrambled egg and smoked salmon breakfast.

I dread to think how much money I’ve spent…….not much Darling, honestly.

I’m keeping quiet about cigars as I may, just may, have fallen off the wagon for a few minutes over the weekend………firmly back on it now though, until the next time at least !

I suppose I should do some work now……….but before I go, just a quick picture to put aside the myth that all British Ambassadors are chinless wonders……..

This one (who was very nice by the way), definitely has more than none……..