So I watched the football last night. A big game, Wales v Portugal in the Euro16 semi-finals. It's the best the Welsh football has ever done (I believe) and the excitement has been steadily mounting as the team has progressed.
I should have watched the quarter-finals. Then Wales played Belgium, the second-ranked team in the world - is that right? It sounds unlikely - and came back from one down to win 3-1. I began to watch it but got bored after about 5 minutes. Which is a shame as it was reputedly an excellent and exciting game. Which is more than can be said for last night's.
Wales never really looked like scoring - in my lack-of-football-knowledge opinion - and according to Husband, Portugal wasn't very good either.
Still, the country has been united behind the team and now the world knows, for a short while at least until it forgets, that Wales is a country in its own right, not part of England. The team and its fans have been acclaimed for their good behaviour and spirit. It's not really surprising: Wales, with the exception of a few Swansea and Cardiff thugs, is basically a country of rugby fans and they know how to behave.
Delilah and I watched the game, although I was a little worried, rightly so as it turned out, that we might jinx it and we even posted a photo with some words of encouragement from Delilah on Facebook. Something about other teams being bigger and shinier but without the heart.
We watched the DVD of Cars on Friday. The first 20 minutes were a bit slow but it improved after that. At the end I said to husband, 'I really cared what happened to those cars!'Husband said, 'Not only are they cars, they're cartoon cars! You can't care about them.''I can.'Doctor Who was better this week too. And I've just noticed that Swansea football team have clinched (as they do in football commentator parlance) promotion to the Championship League. This apparently is what the Second Division is now called, with the first being the Premiership. Raking my memory I remember once in my life that the Swans went top of Division 1. That was when there was no higher division and John Toshack was manager and slim. I think they only stayed there for 1 week but it's one of those things that will no doubt be recalled at a time such as this. And this afternoon Arsenal are playing Manchester United 'to keep their premier league title hopes alive.' It's been a bad fortnight for Arsenal and their fans but from what I recall from reading Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch, that's the way it is if you're an Arsenal supporter.I think I'm all blurbed out. No, actually, I have an award to pass on and a serious post to write but they'd better wait for a bit. George wants to go walkies.
So the morning in church went well and I got home and found an email telling me an article I'd written had won me $100! And the article was about ... football!!!!For goodness sake, I know nothing about football! The site, for which I write about rugby, was asking for articles about the weekend's big game between Manchester United and Arsenal. This was on Thursday. I quizzed Younger Son who happens to be an Arsenal supporter then sat down and scribbled out a piece. I finished it off on Friday afternoon, read it back and umm-ed and aah-ed about whether to submit it as my lack of real knowledge was going to look pretty obvious. 'Hey, what the heck?' I thought and sent it off.Arsenal and Man U helped my case as they didn't play well - apparently - and the result was a draw, which was what I'd sort of anticipated in my article. So go me! Although Younger Son thinks he deserves a share of my prize. (Fat chance!)* * * * * * * * * *Then this afternoon Husband booked a London hotel to take me away next weekend as a birthday treat. And he booked tickets for Spamalot. What a lucky girl I am.The only disappointment is that we couldn't go and see a puppy this weekend but we might be able to on my birthday. Life is good.xx
So Manchester United play Chelsea today at the new Wembley Stadium for the FA Cup. These aren't details that would normally enter my brain but Husband has said that perhaps, this year for the first time in years, he will watch it - as it's the new stadium - and Younger Son has strong views.Husband is going to support Man U while I will cheer on Chelsea. Younger Son, an Arsenal fan, is also supporting Chelsea - as the lesser of two evils - for complicated footballing reasons. My reason is simple: Sir Alex Ferguson chews gum with his mouth open. And he wasn't nice to David Beckham. It's quite possible that Mourinho chews open-mouthed as well - it is a football manager cliché - but I haven't seen him so that is justification enough for me.Of course, I might just fall asleep.
