A Sobering Experience

Today is Derby’s big FA Cup 3^rd Round tie against Chelsea. A total sell out of course, mainly because the locals have been enjoy the current Derby revival. I fully expect a Derby victory.

Sadly Chelsea bring their entire first team and play rather well, although their shooting is somewhat wayward during the first half. In the end though they win though 2-0 without Derby giving them too much trouble.

I go to gym afterwards much to L’s shock. L is at home watching the Sound of Music, for the first time apparently. Her choice of how to spend her afternoon does not influence my decision to go to the gym at all. Honest.

I partake in a 15k bike, a leg weights session and a 1k row. The row takes place next to a champion rower - female, it is a sobering experience. If I was rowing on water I would have sank, in shame. I finish my 1k and head off to get changed. When I leave the centre 15 minutes or so later, she’s till rowing. Crikey. Overall though, not a bad session, in fact I nearly enjoyed it.

(Sunday 5^th January) 

Age Of Austerity

L gets up a 9am for a haircut. Sacrilege. Not just getting up so early on a Saturday without a dog show in the offering but the haircut... In these recession hit times I did try to persuade her that in the interests of austerity she should postpone her trip to the hairdressers to save money but it wasn’t to be. The boys and I lay in.

In the evening we’re at Broadway, where we have to renew our membership. This doesn’t come cheap but is usually worth it.

The director David O Russell has produced two of the best films of recent times in the 'The Fighter' and 'Silver Linings Playbook'. He must have been happy with the performances he got from his cast in those films because for his latest ‘American Hustle’ he seems to have merged his lead actors and actresses from those two films.

American Hustle is set in the late 70's or perhaps the early 80's and features seasoned con man Irving Rosenfeld (an unrecognisable Christian Bale), a man with a really bad comb-over. Along with his con lady and lover Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams), he cons the desperate men who come to him for loans.

 

Unfortunately they get caught out by FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper). DiMaso offers them a choice of jail or collaboration. He wants their assistance in taking down a host corrupt congressmen and casino barons. They agree, reluctantly.

Their way in is though the mayor Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner), although ‘Irv’ feels uneasy about conning a man he soon develops a good friendship with. He has another problem as well, namely his loose cannon of a wife Rosalyn (the delightful Jennifer Lawrence). There’s not much love between them but they stay together, loosely speaking, for the sake of their son. She appears highly likely to blow their cover at any point and eventually does.

The plot is loosely based on the Abscam scandal and is great fun through although possibly hard to follow at times basically because there’s an awful lot going on. There are plethora of plot twists and turns amongst the back stabbing, double dealing etc but even if you can’t follow the story, sit back and enjoy the characters. The film delivers a wonderful array of personalities delivered with some very fine acting.

A lot of the audience seemed to find the whole film LOL funny. I didn't think that, a few smiles maybe and Amy Adams’ dress raised a chuckle or two, in a neckline plunging to the floor sort of way.

Not a perfect film but impressive enough I’m sure to bag a few awards this year.

(Saturday 4^th January) 

The Beer Pile

It’s still jolly windy, even I didn’t fancy cycling, so I take the bus to work and get a later one. Most people still seem to be slacking off work and it only took me 20 minutes to get to work yesterday in the car. Of course today it takes 80 minutes... no idea why, just sheer weight of traffic.

At least that meant I got a very brisk walk out of it as I rushed from the bus station to work, so my doctor will be pleased.

A change of pub day this week. We go today and get service with a smile as there’s different bar staff on. Perhaps we should stick to Fridays.

Tonight is Friday night in of course and L vows to have a break from the alcohol. Unfortunately my beer pile is almost as deep as her book pile, so I don’t feel a night off would be productive. I have a couple.

We also belatedly start ‘The Bridge’ which I’m sure everyone else has been into for ages. 

 (Friday 3^rd January)

The Year Of Self Control

L vows that 2014 is going to be the year of self control. I ask whether the means they’ll be no more arguing with her inner self about gym sessions etc but she was a bit non-committal on that.

Talking of self control, perhaps I need the same resolution. I’ve had my health check results. I seem to have failed on cholesterol, blood pressure and BMI. Yes folks I’m officially fat. I’m hoping that having these done the day after Boxing Day was a bad idea with a few Christmas excesses in there and also my current downtime from training due to injury and the bloody weather. Perhaps, that was a good time to have them done, as they really can’t get any worse.

All the same I have been summoned in for a chat...

(Thursday 2^nd January)

The Perfect Hangover Cure

The perfect hangover cure. Rain, winds and ball chucking on the park. Some may disagree.

Then there’s the New Year’s Day football and Derby lose. How dare they?

Wigan actually totally muscled them off the park. Oh well, you can’t win them all. First defeat in nine.

(Wednesday 1^st January)