Today, I've a hospital appointment in Newcastle which I shall follow up with the reward of some nice wine and nibbles to have with me mam and sister this evening. Tomorrow, Hen night. Sunday, Wimbledon

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

Answers

Hope things go well at the hospital Dougal

I've got 2 football matches on Saturday and 1 on Sunday so no beer for me this w/e. I'm hoping it will be cooler than the 36 degrees it's been this week!

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

Aye, hope you're ok, Dougs

Finishing packing - moving home Monday

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

Last day of my week off today so I'll watch some tennis, watch some cricket, have a bit of lunch, return my company car to my old employer after thrashing it one last time!

Saturday, watch the Lions dampen more Aussie enthusiasm then go shopping. Night out in Northampton.

Sunday chill.

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

I'm on a fact finding mission to Talin in Estonia over the weekend. All expences paid trip courtesy of the Northumbrian Beever protection society. Hopefully back on Sunday for a shooting trip in the cairgorms with Guy Ritchie.

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

Whereabouts in the cairgorms, Rik ? :-|

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

Bit of golf and ripping the skirting boards off to prepare for wood floor laying.

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

Dinner at a posh spanish restaurant tonight, clothes shopping and chilling tomorrow, nowt on sunday....

Might pop up and see Rik's missus while he's away....

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

I had to get out of Stockholm when I heard MacB was coming here so I'm going up north for the weekend. Going to some meetings and stuff, maybe I can attend some nice BBQ Saturday evening.

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

Good Luck Dougal.

I'm spending my weekend chauffeuring my daughter from one birthday party to another.....again !

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

Waiting in the BT queing system, apparrently I am led to believe that my phones were zapped by lightening over a week ago while away, Saturday morning will by-pass Oftel , will attend Alex Salmonds surgery in the village and go for the BT jugular, I do not mind paying bill to T.V.T.E but object to reporting to a call center in Brighton , I am fizzing ,

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

Oh nothing much, just flying out to St Pete's beach, Florida via Washington DC for a holiday :o)

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

I've been away in the states and the caribbean for 5 out of the last 6 weeks working so I am going to spend some time with the kids, watch the lions, eat, drink, chill and generally worry about next season....

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

Gettin' Screacher lit up like a christmas tree. Gently guide him to the wrong plane. He's gonna thank me when he ends up in california.

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

Homework for my class, MLS double-header on Saturday which includes the Revs(!!), cat-sitting

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

Ciara, what's happening in the MLS? Are DC United having another poor season? I'd be grateful for any updates as I have a client in DC who supports DC United and I like to appear knowledgeable...;))

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

DCU are having a very inconsistent season. Most of their senior players have been traded away for younger players, plus they've been hit by injuries and players away on international duty so very difficult for the team to gel. Also this season, MLS has insisted on squads being limited to 18 players. It's hurting all the teams, and seems to have made for even more of a transfer whirlwind this year. Not sure why such a strict limit, financial reasons I guess? The only top seniors left in the DC squad are Etcheverry and Moreno. They do have a good crop of kids though.

Unfortunately DCU is one point above the Revs(in last place as usual) in the Eastern division. (I will not be happy unless DC finish below the Revs!;-) ) Naturally living in this area, I've seen more televised DCU matches than any other team, so it's been interesting watching them. They seem to fall apart against teams they should be able to beat, but thrash those who are expected to give them a fight. A notable match took place a few weeks ago, where weather had delayed the team's flight to an away game for over 24hrs. They arrived(Kansas City, I think??) literally an hour before kick off, but made it to the stadium and onto the pitch with only a 10min delay of kick off. Nobody expected them to win (stretching at the airport, team talk done on the bus), yet they made KC look like clowns. Won 3-0, I think.

Miami and San Jose seem to be this season's surprise successes in the league.

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

you forget the fire tonked KC 7-0 the other night.

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

Toon tonight then for the weekend - work perhaps involving a long lunch.

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

Didn't hear that. Go Fire!! Did Wynalda score? Love him and very upset the Revs traded him away.

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

The Calgary Stampede (billed here as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth") got underway this morning. Ten days of Cowboys and Cowgirls, Rodeo competitions, Chuckwagon races and anything "Country and Western". In short, a ten day drunk where everyone dresses up like Tom Mix or Calamity Jane, drinks way too much and act way too stupid. Yee Haaa. Anyway I wil be staying in the hoose cos after 20 years, the Greatest Outdoor Show on earth gets a bit tedious.

More info here

http://www.calgarystampede.com/stampede/

and sorry, This little cowboy can't make those blue linky thingies

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

Divvent knaa who scored ciara, sorry. Unfortunatly footy doesn't get much coverage in chicago, espically when the cubs are doing well. It's normally found between high school sports and amusing outtakes, which is alright becuase when it does take off all the commentators will look even more stupid.

Amongst kids in school right now, enrollment for baseball is down 28%....the reason, more kids are playing soccer. Go figure, a truly global game.

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

I'll catch a flight down to Melbourne and watch the Lions kick some Aussie pansies around the field. Strange that (if you listen to the news) it seems as if the game in Brisbane never took place - oh yeah, did that Hewitt kid play at Wimbledon? The news in Sydney never even reported he had been knocked out!! Bloody Aussies.

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

Surprisingly, I"m finding it very similar in this area, Syme. While the Revs got little to no coverage on local news-casts, every single match was aired, and even repeated once or twice, locally.

The DC area is supposed to be one of the biggest soccer markets in the country, yet the matches shown locally are never repeated and there have been a handful not shown at all. Same with the Freedom(women's team). Yet the women's team is averaging 10,000+ gates and DC United around 15-20,000+. There's actually more coverage of high school and college soccer in the local papers, than of the pro teams. If it weren't for the summer Extra Time series on ESPN, I'd have no idea what was going on in the league.

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

This place is turning into the Australasian/American international sports forum.

-- Anonymous, July 07, 2001