Dustbowl Ballads

Are a collection of songs by Woody Guthrie. These heartfelt ballads depict a time in Middle America when things were tough. The 30's. A dearth of rain across many of the mid-western states. People starved and died.

It's HL tonight BTW. GB has been catching up on paperwork.

In our house, we're well-fed fortunately. The only sense of emptiness felt, at the loss of English representatives in the Champions League. Tonight, only Lyon and Bayern Munich to keep our hearts lifted.

Hey ho, better things on the horizon.

HL

Cymru Am Byth

Gareth Bale, it would seem, has the makings of a Spurs legend.

Although he has only scored 2 goals in 15 starts, he has shown increasing poise and flair in recent matches.

Sadly he is not in the running to form part of the 'dream team' I have to come up with who will be playing Brazil in the final of the World Cup.

A challenge set by My Lover a few minutes ago.

So here's my team.

Rob Green in goal.

Glyn Johnson, Wes Brown, Matthew Upson and Ashley Cole at the back from right to left.

David Bentley, Steven Gerrard and Joe Cole in the midfield.

Shaun Wright-Philips, Wayne Rooney and Bobby Zamora up front.

On the bench, Crouch, Walcott, Lampard, J. Hart, James, Terry, Bent, Ferdinand, Baines, King, Neville and Barry.

Like I say - shame we can't find a way to slip Mr Bale into that line-up.

Cymru am byth.

A Moment Of Passion With Luton Andy

"I'll look at the blog to see what Georgina thought of it", said Luton Andy, in his email to My Lover today.

So I'll tell you.

Firstly, it was a radically different experience to the one I was anticipating.

In many ways.

For one thing the crowd was completely different to one you would see at a football match.

I am struggling to put my finger on quite what the different features of the two demographics are, but my new environment reminded me of my days doing this.

And then there was the pitch. There was so much extra turf around it. And whilst the game was going on, people are playing on the sides, doing warm ups and I don't know what.

There were people loafing at the edges. People running about in daps. Cameramen (or camera operators as the PC police would have it) here, there and everywhere.

They even had people running on with drinks bottles whilst play was going on.

I half expected one of the players to answer a mobile phonecall at some point.

The other thing that astonished me, having only ever seen rugby on the television, with screenshots usually no more than a few men wide, I had not appreciated that for much of the time, most of the pitch is empty, and all the play is happening in a line.

My highlights?

• Soldiers abseiling from the top of the stands with Cross of St George flags
• Meeting up with Luton Andy, family and friends beforehand for sausage and mash, arranged to resemble a rugby goalpost, complete with chocolate egg
• Pre-match and half time entertainment (a step up from The Walkers where people trying to kick a ball through the window of a Wicks shed passed for half-time entertainment)
• The lush pizza I had on the way home.
• Seeing Gareth Malone crossing the street

But the weirdest thing of all, the thing I really couldn't get my head around, was that lots of the crowd spent much of the match chatting. About all sorts.

That is what shocked me most.

And when I was talking to Luton Andy at the end, we agreed that Rugby was nice to watch.

But Football is where our passion burns.

A poingnant moment.

We both understood without having to explain.

It's Life Jim, But Not As We Know It!

Tonight sees the old bear starting off as the warm up act but GB following quickly up the rear.

Turns out, whilst we're trolling through our newish media system this evening, on a channel called CBS Action, old re-runs of Star Trek are being run. GB to my (very recent) knowledge, is (it seems) a huge fan. So much so, she recognised Spock's Mum in a heartbeat, and then proceeded to tell me the plot of the episode that was on the screen.

GB then let it slip she was in love with Cap't James T Kirk. Groovy huh?

Suddenly then, I'm in love with a fan of serious telly.

Anyway, She's here now.

.....................................

He's getting far to fond of posting on here that old bear.

Anyway, I've a surprise for you.

Well more of a shock really.

Tomorrow, when my boys are playing Preston North End, I will be at Twickenham.

Watching this lot and this lot chase the egg shaped ball.

It's Luton Andy's birthday.

It's a ball game Jim - but not as we know it.

Life In The Fast Lane

Is a song by the Eagles. And a very under-stated description of my day.

Its the bear again tonight. I asked GB (because I have a short story to tell) if I could have a go and she said yes (somewhat reluctantly I felt)

Anyway....... we're all here at home........Athletico Madrid on the telly V's the reds. Most of you will know I'm a fan. With the lads one nil down in the first 10 minutes, things aren't going well.

Despite having recently retired from mainstream work, today found me learning more about the Government's new initiative in trying to make sense of the nightmare that has become England's regulated Child Maintenance Payments system.

It's dry stuff readers. The guy doing the training did really well to make arid subject matter light and bright.

This northern guy from Sheffield turns out to be a bang at it Utd supporter. A serious season ticket holder. I asked him what he thought of Kevin Blackwell?

He took the view, and I quote " it's all lump it....and hope. The through-ball, the big centre- forward, elbows in the box"

Kick-Run-Fight. Classic English Footy.

I'm sat here watching GB fall asleep in front of LFC (my team) and thinking much the same thing about Raffa's army.

We'll see ......................... £600 Million indeed !

HL

The Fooball Loving Girl's Guide To The Art Of Conversation

Sitting next to me on the settee, watching Inter Milan vs Barcelona, My Lover said;

"Course, you know that Fergie and Mourhino are like that. It's in Fergie's gift to choose who should follow him. They are close friends. Everyone's talking about it"

"That would be everyone on Talk Sport would it?", I asked, raising an eyebrow. "That would be Mike Parry and the gang - The Sun on the radio".

"Not just them - I heard some dude pundit say it", retorted My Lover.

Then quickly changing the subject, he started a discussion about the scandal that is our national stadium.

We talked about how the business model was flawed, not taking sufficient account of the quality issues in relation to the pitch. We agreed that it is an embarrassment that may seriously threaten our reputation as a footballing nation capable of hosting a World Cup.

And all within a 10 minute window.

Who said the art of conversation is dead?

Blowing His Top

Every now and then, life gives you a little reminder of how small and inconsequential we are.

A dramatic act of nature, thousands of miles away, has touched our lives.

And once again we are rendered helpless - like the floods, and the snow.

Even the mightiest are having to make other arrangements.

Talking of volcanoes ..................

Shame he couldn't find a way to stoke the fire in the bellies of his players.

Wordsworth knew a thing or two.

This is HL.

Today was another time out with GB and I, juggling football with the other life. In this case, snaffling wood for the stove and prettifying the Patio. Whilst out wooding, we followed a track road in the car, going back along the route where we saw a large hare yesterday. We went under a narrow bridge (an A road above) full of holiday cars and bikes. As we cleared the bridge, we saw an embankment full of wild flowers fully in bloom. Reds, Pinks, Yellows. A rash of radiance in bright sunlight. We stopped and just looked. Brilliant pickings in a wood followed. (we always argue over which bits to cut with saws, bought from Aldi) Today, a broad mix of various fallen wood. Dry mostly, and easily cut to size in our shed. Back home, GB, a model of sexual modesty played Charlie Dymock on the patio, potting up marigolds for our own, home grown, bit of nature.

In our living room, I watched Arsenal lose any hope they had of winning the Prem this year.

Horses for Courses so to speak. Anyway, another lovely day in the Cotswold's today although I do feel for the girl. So close, and yet so far in getting to play-off success.

A Proper Lovely Day

Tonight readers, HL and GB are posting together. HL (Her Lover) is going first and GB (Georgina Best) will respond.

HL's bit

Today saw GB and I, having a time here. GB played glamour model outside new corporate premises whilst I took snaps for the local newspaper. We live on the edge, I can tell you. Anyway, with the radio on in the car, a shared personal device whilst walking around, we kept up to date with, probably, the most remarkable day's football I've witnessed this season. The only thing missing for me, a Liverpool win to make the moment perfect. Our chance on Monday v's The Hammers though.

It's been a proper lovely day.

GB's Bit

It's been a proper lovely day.

I nearly had some new shoes. They were a lush dark pink with a wedge heel. They proved to be faulty, though, so, leaving my lover in the car, I returned them.

When I returned to the car my lover asked me if I wanted the good news or the bad news first.

My disappointment over the shoes did not leave me at my most gracious.

I told him neither.

Characteristically, he told me anyway.

He said Leicester City played a large proportion of their match against Watford with 10 men.

I hoped that was the bad news.

He said the good news was they were 4-1 up.

One more win and we are in the playoffs.

We're going to Wemberley!!

Like we said - it's been a proper lovely day!

You're Never Far From A Foxes Fan

Being something of a very, very minor local celebrity, I was invited to particpate in a panel debate on the radio today.

We were there to discuss last night's television debate between the three main party leaders.

It was a new presenter.

As I entered the studio with my two fellow panelists (a man of the cloth and a hynotherpist), I found myself behind a yellow microphone.

Our host introduced himself and mentioned he had come from BBC Leicester.

My ears pricked up as you can imagine.

"Are you a Leicester City fan?", I asked.

He reached to his right and lifted a...................Leicester City mug.

Lovely !