The Perfect Match

Hello Again

Just a quick blog today, because it's Saturday morning and I've got a busy day ahead of me. I'm in a fever of excitement and a bit of apprehension, as I'm going to my first football match of the season: Chelsea vs Everton at Stamford Bridge.

Yes, I'm being allowed out on my own for the trip down to Parsons Green, where I will meet my good friends Barney and Richard in the excellent White Horse pub, for a couple of pre-match pints. That is to say that they will have a couple of pre-match pints. I may take a chance on half a shandy.

Although I've been experimenting at home with various alcoholic libations, I'm just not up to it yet. I'm not sure whether this is because my mouth is still raw from the radiotherapy, or that my taste buds have changed, with the result that I just don't like it. What a confession, and how the mighty have fallen!

Anyway, after an afternoon of sitting in the cold watching my team being thoroughly humiliated, expending my energies shouting incoherent abuse at the ref, players and rival supporters, I expect to be pretty exhausted, but I'm looking forward to it.

Of course, the practicalities for a day out when one is fed by tube can get a bit complicated. I can't just get a bag of chips on the way to the match, and I can hardly inject my feed into my stomach in the middle of the pub. Ever resourceful, Catherine has been in touch with the hotel at Stamford Bridge, and arranged for them to have a room for me to feed myself after the game, at no cost. What nice people.

She Who Must Be Obeyed is herself off on her own excursion today, with her girlie friends, for a pampering, drinking and who knows what else overnighter at a hotel in Essex. Lucy is going to something called the Jingle Bell Ball at the O2, so this evening I'll be on my own with Molly the dog. Still, it gives me the opportunity to enjoy Everton's glorious victory on Match of the Day in peace.

On another matter, I sort of returned to work this week. I've commenced the limited working from home as prescribed by the doctor. I've reinstated my access to the office network, to find 2,500 emails waiting for me. As there was an out-of-office message returned to any senders, and most people who worked with me regularly knew about my situation, there was a high proportion of Spam, I've still spent my first couple of days back wading through that lot.

Here are ten songs which could be about football.

1. Can I Kick It? - A Tribe Called Quest
2. God's Footballer - Billy Bragg
3. All I Want For Christmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit - Half Man Half Biscuit
4. I Don't Want To Go To Chelsea - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
5. Kickabout - Teenage Fanclub
6. Park Life - Blur
7. You Win Again - Hank Williams
8. Keep On Movin' - Soul II Soul
9. Born To Lose - Ray Charles
10. The Beautiful Game - Acoustic Alchemy