So I had decided to run in this 50k race, but when I woke up this morning I still wasn't 100% sure. after eating breakfast and before going to the race, I heard that an old friend had died yesterday. This gave me running the race some purpose, so now I was determined to run it and finish. The race was a nice experience for me and I dedicated it to my friend. The time was not important but I managed to run 6 hrs 36 min's 32 sec for which I am grateful, my friends last name is Love, so it was appropriate I think.

In our local community we have a block watch patrol. 1 night a month we take it in turns to make sure everything is ok in the neighbourhood. Last night was my night I was required to be up from midnight to 5 am. After 3 1/2 hours of sleep I had a light breakfast and then went for my run. I ran on my own out to a local park where I bumped into a running friend of mine. He told me there was an Ultra race going on near by. So I decided to take a look and saw some old running friends I hadn't seen for about 20 years.It was the second in a series of races over 3 days. I kind of got talked into maybe running the race tomorrow, it's 50k so we will see.

Yesterday afternoon I had a problem with my sciatic nerve, which caused a lot pain in my left hip. I was not able to run after just a few steps and was worried I would not be able run the 2 mile race this morning. I did some excercises to try to help it and slept fairly well. I also concentrated on trying to relax the nerve. When I woke this morning there was still some soreness but it didn't seem to bother me when I ran. Not expecting too much I ran relaxed, it was also warm , which may have helped. Anyway I ran 7: 27 for the first mile and 7:55 for the second for a time of 15:27 which is almost 1 minute faster than last week. So you never know. Finally David Beckham has been added to the England squad for the next 2 games, I am really happy he is back.

Maybe summer is finally here. This morning the tamperature was already in the 60's f when I left for work with high humidity. It worked it's way up to 84 f ( 29 c ) by mid afternoon, though it did get dryer. It is memorial day weekend here, which is a long one including monday.

This morning started off with me feeling kind of bouncy. As I was walking to work someone came out of thier house and walked just in front of me, all the time whistling a very cheery tune. So that sort of set the tone for the day.

So I left work 1/2 an hour early and went to my local barber shop, to watch the Uefa Champions league final. It was a repeat of the 2005 final, well the same teams. This time however AC Milan beat Liverpool 2-1. It was no where near as exciting as the last game , but it was worth watching. Especially with a group of similar football ( soccer ) fans.

Let’s have fun
Let us play
And the serious
Of the world
Can come and go
As it may

What is most Important
For us every day
To be always
Moving forward
So let us play.

a poem from my soon to be printed collection called; Found.

Well I got everything planted up yesterday and a couple of hours later we had a thunderstorm pass through. Which was of course great because it watered everything in nicely. I did notice this morning that I was a little sore in a few places, guess I used a few muscles that I hadn't used for a while. Today is washing day and it is bright and sunny.

An overcast morning with me feeling a little sluggish, but managed to get out and run with Utpal. He wasn't feeling so great himself so we jogged our way through about 6 miles.. It looks like the day will improve and I have to plant up my friends mothers flower garden this afternoon, so that should be OK.

Today was the biggest day in the English footballing calender, The FA CUP Final. The first one at the new Wembley Stadium. It involved the 2 top teams in the Premiership, Manchester United and Chelsea, neither of them could score for almost 2 hours. Finally in the 116 th minute Chelsea scored and won 1-0. The last 2 cup finals have gone to penalties. it seems that the excitement of the big occasion is getting too much for the teams to win in regulation. Of course that's just my oppinion.Ran 2 miles this morning slower than last week but faster than I wanted to run last week. So of course I am happy. I need to get race fit and that will take some time after recovering from my injury.

This is Wisteria at the tennis courts nearby. 2 of my co workers and myself have been feeling really tired the last couple of days. We think it has something to do with the change in the weather, the pressure has been changing and the temp's have dropped from the 80's to the 50's. What a strange year.

This is a Clivia, I have about 15 of them, all but 3 I grew from seed. This is the only 1 that has flowered at the moment and this is the second time . I hope that someday more than 1 will flower at the same time so that maybe they will pollinate each other and I can get more seeds.

Oh well. Wolves lost 1-0 to the Albion in the second leg of the playoff semi to lose 4-2 on aggregate.
So they will have to wait another year to make it back into the Prem'. Sevilla retained their uefa cup crown with a 3-1 penalty win after drawing 2-2 in the final. Nice thunderstorms in the late afternoon here in New York.

Now that I am starting to run normally after my injury I am finding that my energy levels are good. As a result my work is going well and the day seems to go faster. It is also nice to go running in just a T shirt and shorts instead of all the extra clothes you need when it's colder. Well Derby made it into the Championship final after a 4-3 penalty win against Southampton. We will see who joins them tomorrow.

after a short working day for me, I went into the city to see some friends. It was a really nice day, and again I had a relaxing and peaceful time.

Mothers Day here in the US, what a beautiful day it was too. Has it happened it was my turn to be the guard at our local Tennis ground, so I got to sit and relax a bit, all day. I lost my mother in 1995 but it doesn't make me appreciate the day any less. I am sure there are many out there that took advantage of the great day. Wolves lost 3-2 to WBA in the 1st leg of thier play-off game, but it sounds like they played really well.

This morning I ran in the 2 mile race, it was the first time I had run a race in 2 months. also the first race since treating my injury. I am very happy, I was not concerned about the time but managed to run 15: 56, which I was delighted with. I was obviously not race fit but for me it was a great time. My first real test that the injury is getting better.

Nice thunderstorms this morning just after I arrived at work. So when I left for home it was nice fresh. Talked with 2 friends, 1 in England the other in Ukraine.

Sometimes the day starts off really well and then in the middle it changes a little. But life has a way of brightening things up just when you need it.

This is a muskrat, it's kinda like a beever without the flat tale. It was sitting on the bank grooming it self, when I tried to take it's picture it decided to go back into the water and swim into some reeds.I guess he was shy.

My nephew sent me an e mail today, regarding the fact that our teams play each other in the semi-finals of the championship playoffs. We have both expressed the sentiment " may the best team win ". So we will see, the first game is on Sunday.

These two guys came by everyday around the same time looking for and getting something to eat. It was something like this that was the start of my Dilly and Dally stories. The weather here in New York is great and the week has started well.

My friend Utpal has been sick with Bronchitis for the last 2 weeks, but this morning we finally got to go out and run together. It was cool and windy so we didn't run too far. I think he was really happy to get out and run.It is lokking like my Wolves will make the playoffs in the Championship, they are winning thier last game 4-1 and will finish in 5th place. Meaning that they will play WBA in the 1st round. So some family rivalry there.

When you hit spring time there is just something about weekends. This morning was so nice cool and bright and I went out for a run around 6:45. I have been running with a backpack for the last 10 days, so it was interesting to run without one for a change. I am still being patient about my injury and decided not to run our local 2 mile race.

It has been a strange week for me, I have been quite busy and here I am on friday and I'm feeling a little tired. Hopefully I will get a chance to rest a little on the weekend, though it is a big weekend for my favourite football team.

Well Man U got slammed 3-0 by Milan yesterday so the Champions League Final is a repeat of 2005, Liverpool v AC Milan. Should be a good game.

Liverpool beat Chelsea in the 2nd leg of the Champions league, the score was tied after both legs and extra time ,but Liverpool won 4-1 on penalties. My niece will be very happy. The Man U v Milan game is going on now with Milan winning 2-0 on the night ( 4-3 agg ) in the second half of the game. It could be a repeat of the 2005 final.

Nothing much to say, so just thought I'd post this.


It's May day!!!!

It's a warm one today, but with a stiff breeze it feels quite pleasant. For some reason it took me a little while to fall of to sleep last night, but I still woke with good energy. maybe it's a combination of the good weahter and my improving injury. I am practicing patience with my running and just trying not to push too much.

My friend Utpal has bronchitis so he 's been home sick all week. It was up to me to run alone today. I have been running for the last few days to a park near where I live, with a backpack. it means that I run with a few extra pounds, which is an interesting way to train. My injury seems to be slowly improving but I must be patient.

I started the day with a lot of energy but ny the middle of the afternoon that was gone.it was an interesting day in english football. In the premiership Man U won and Chelsea drew to once again open the gap for Man U. I the championship Both Wolves and and West Brom won and reamain in the playoff places, with 1 game to go. They must win their remaing game to be sure of the playoffs.

Late post today, I got caught up doing a ton of things. Plus it was a rainy friday, raining on and off till late afternoon. there is an expression," April showers bring May flowers", well we have had about 10" of rain this month so there should be a bumper crop on it's way. There are already so many vivid green colours around.

I just realised that yesterdays post was my 600th. This morning was one of those crisp spring mornings. I had a bit of a light step on my walk to work. Usually at this time of the year I am preparing to run in a 6 day race, but because of my injury I am not doing it this year. I will of course be going out to cheer on many of my friends who will be there.

I was walking to work this morning surrounded by the cacophony of sound known as the dawn chorus, the song of a multitude of birds. As I walked along enjoying the wonders of nature, I noticed 2 people in front of a building up ahead, as I got closer I could see they were wearing bullet proof vests with the letters FBI on them. I realised it was a dawn raid, they looked a little nervous as I walked by, but I remained quiet and walked on. A sudden reality check on life in NYC.

Once again a beautiful spring day well almost summer like. Tomorrow will be spring like. Man U managed to eek out a 3-2 win against Milan in thier Champions League semi-final 1st leg, so they are half way there.

It is wonderful to walk down a tree lined street like the ones in my neighbourhood at this time of the year.We have flowering pears now in full bloom and of course the grass is a bright green. There is a real sense of energy in the air, the nights are still cool but that's what makes them nice. Ah!! Spring!!

What a difference a week makes. Last sunday I was running in a very strong windy rain, this week it is in the 60's f and bright sunshine. It was also a chance for me to see the improvement of my injury, since I did the same run as last week. There is not as much discomfort in my foot so that is encouraging. Wolves lost 3-2 to Birmingham, missing a chance to tie with a penalty miss in injury time. They still have a chance for the playoffs with 2 games left. Finally the London Marathon was run in almost record heat, won by a Chinese woman and a Kenyan man, 2:20 and 2;07 respectively.

What an amazing day the temperature is up to 76 f ( 24 c ) and everything is bursting into bloom. It has been 3 days since I started my treatment and today when I ran i could feel a difference. Just have to be patient and it will all come together. ManU drew 1-1 with Middlesboro today and it means that thier game with Chelsea soon in the league will be very important.

Where does the time go, here it is after 5 in the afternoon and it seems like it was just a short time ago, that I was waking up. Some of it may be to do with the fact that it was such a beautiful day. The mornings are once again becoming light as I walk to work, with the temperature rising to a pleasant height.

A chiropractor friend of mine diagnosed the problem I have had with my foot since last summer. He told me 3 things I have to do to treat it. So now I have started on the road to recovery, it will not be a quick fix, but I am confident it will work. A nice day followed by a cool and windy night.

I ordered a computer part for a friend from a company in Michigan, when I recieved the tracking number for the package it seems it is coming from Hong Kong. So it will take 3 to 4 business days instead of the usual 2 to 3. Not only that, it is free shipping. What an amazing world we live in.

Still some rain but definately warmer, day seemed to go quickly at work. My run when I got home also went well, feels as though things are getting a little better.

That is the Pyramid of the moon I think, well at the moment it is just a hill that claims to be a pyramid, it has to reveal itself to be true. Anyway the rain continued today but nowhere near as bad as yesterday. I have given away about 20 copies of my latest poetry book and I am getting some nice comments, which are always nice to hear.
I kep hearing from friends in Europe that it is like summer there, while here we are having a delayed spring.

We are in the middle of what they call here a Nor'easter, which includes lots of heavy driving rain, with up to 50 mph winds. Wrapped up in my rain gear and went out for a 10 k run with Utpal. Dis -counting the pain I have had for sometime in my left foot, it was the best run I have had for a while. Somehow I enjoy running in the rain. Oh by the way Man U beat Watford 4-1 to reach the FA Cup final yseterday.

Cool but bright sunny morning. We had close to 300 runners in the 2 mile race this morning, so it was quite a task to monitor the race. Everything seemed to go well, later a sat and had breakfast with a friend. The semi-finals of thr FA Cup are this weekend, with Man U playing Watford today, I will give you results tomorrow.

Today a very good friend of mine here in New York is celebrating an anniversary, myself and a few of my friends are helping him to celebrate. So there was no work for me today. Although there is bright sunshine at times, there is a very strong wind and it feels quite cold. It is Friday the 13th but it is also for me a very special day.

A rainy day in old New York. It seemed to go quite quickly at work, however it was one of those days when I decided to take a 1 hour nap. It made me feel a whole lot better. In this photo underneath all that snow is supposed to be the Pyramid of the Sun.

So Liverpool play Chelsea in one Champions league semi-final after beating PSV 1-0 ( 4-0 agg ), Man U will play Milan after they beat B Munich 2-0 ( 4-2 agg ). It's a little warmer but there is rain on the way here in New York.

champions League 1/4 final 2nd legs, Man U beat Roma 7-1 at home to go through 8-3 agg. Chelsea score a last minute goal to beat Valencia 2-1, 3-2 agg to also go through.. It's getting warmer and my cold is getting better, so maybe things are looking up.

Winter once again returned this weekend, but this morning it began to fel a little different. Today feels like a cool spring day. When I went for my run this afternoon I actually felt like I was running for the first time in a few days, instead of struggling to run. Maybe the longer run I did yesterday has got me back on track, or maybe I'm recovering from all that traveling. There were some easter monday football games and in the Championship my Wolves won and moved back into the playoff places. Let us see if they can keep it up for a few more weeks.

Ran early as usual on a sunday morning Utpal and I were joined by a friend of ours from Scotland.The temperature was right around freezing, but didn't feel so bad. It's easter sunday and since I have this cold it just became a recovery day, which involved a lot of sleeping. I am happy that I have managed to run every day so far this month even if it has been a bit of a struggle. My Wolves have dropped out of the playoff spots in the Championship, on goal difference with 5 games to play so we will see what happens in the next few weeks.

The cold weather continues here in New York, with the temperature barely rising above freezing.
It is however heating up in the English Premiership, with Man U losing 2-1 to Pompey and Chelsea beating Spurs 1-0. The gap is only 3 points with 6 games to go. One of those games is against each other. My cough is still annoying but I am living with it.

Last year in March I got a cough that was kind of involuntary, it would just come from nowhere and lasted as long as the weather was cold. well I have it now in April of this year. My energy levels are good but my running is not so great. If it is like last year it will improve as the weather improves.

As I was walking to work this morning under an almost full moon, I had the storng feeling of an autumn morning. Then later I heard that it tried to snow. Today Utpal was not feeling like ha wanted to go for a run and it was my turn to help him out. Spurs lost 2-1 to Sevilla in Spain 1st leg uefa Cup 1/4 final. They have an away goal.

Today in New York was very much like it was in Sarajevo 2 weeks ago, cold and rainy. However in Sarajevo it turned to snow, which will not happen here. In the Champions League Man U lost 2-1 to Roma in Rome, so a vital away goal. Chelsea drew 1-1 with Valencia at home so likewise for Valencia with the away goal. These are 1/4 final first leg games. Yesterday Liverpool beat PSV 3-0 in eindhoven.

first full day at work and it went quite well, though I did feel a little tired when I went for my tonight. I have a really good appetite at the moment and I think it is because of the mild flu that I have. Spoke early this morning with one of my friends in Bulgaria, then this afternoon with one from Sarajevo.. it is so easy when you use Skype. I am thinking to gat myself a wifi phone sometime.

Tis is the old bridge in Mostar ( Stari Most ).
Today it feels like spring there is that feeling in the air. It is though I get to experience it for a second time, since spring had already really sprung while I was in Europe. I still have mild flu symptoms but seem to be fighting them and we will see how things go through the week.

Wasn't feeling so great when I got up this morning, some flu symptoms. Did however go out for a run with my friend Utpal, about 6 miles
( 10 k ). Which was further than I thought I would go. It'sgoing to be a cool overcast maybe rainy day. The photo is of the falls in Jajce, Bosnia. I think it was called Yalta during WWII. I have through there a few times on a bus, but this was the first time I got a chance to take a photo.

This is me in front of Baba Vidi a fortress in the city of Vidin, Bulgaria. I was there a couple of weeks ago. It overlooks the Danube, looking across to romania. Baba Vidi means Grandmother sees. A few hours after this photo was taken I was driven to the border with Serbia about 45 minutes away and walked to the other side where I was greeted by a friend.

So I set my watch to the wrong time when I came home yesterday and it confused the heck out of me this morning when I got up. The last week of my trip started with me taking an overnight bus ride into Serbia, the bus was a really nice one and the trip was good. I stayed with friends in Subotica, which is in the north. A friend of mine who is a vet gave me my 3rd tour of the Zoo in Palic which is near by, it is 1 of only 2 zoo's in Serbia.

I am back in New York. My flight to Milan was cancelled this morning, so I had to come back via Rome. It's nice to be back, I'll try to fill in some of the spaces, starting tomorrow.

I am in Sarajevo and it has been snowing for the last 2 days, though is no real accumulation. I will be traveling tonight by overnight bus, with less than a week to go in my trip things are beginning to wind down.

More rain and even a little snow today, but I had a chance to just relax this morning, which was a welcome change so hopefully I will be more refreshed. Yesterdays and todays rain is the first I have seen on this trip.

For the first time on this trip we had rain today, but it could have been snow. I did all the same go to Mostar which is a really nice place, I got to walk on the famous bridge. You know the one that got blown up during the war. It was a nice day out and I have another one planned for the end of the week.

So I just spent a few days in Banja Luka and the weather was so warm, in fact it rose to 25 c on saturday. I cannot believe that I have been in the Balkans for almost 3 weeks and traveled all over. I was on top of a mountain called Kozara a few days ago and have other trips planned in the next few days.

Well it has been more than a week since my last post and I am now in Bosnia. The trip here was by bus and took me twelve and a half hours. I did see some spring lambs on the journey, which took so long because we were delayed at the border for more than an hour. I enjoyed my trip to Bulgaria and short stop in Serbia. We will see how things go in Bosnia.

The city of Plovdiv is surrounded by hills and yesterday I ran up one of them and got a great view.It was so nice here during the day, I see that it is cold and snowy in New York, so I am happy to be here, though there are many other reasons to be happy to be here.everything seems to be going well and I am enjoying my stay in Bulgaria. Later today I head out to the Black Sea.

I am now in Plovdiv which is about 2 hours from Sofia, I had a very nice meeting with a large group of people last night and staying in a friends apartment, in the middle of the city. I will stay here for a couple of days, but will visit another city this evening. The weather is cool at night but warm during the day.

It is early on a very beautiful morning in Sofia, I have just come back from a run in the Park of Liberty. I had a very nice talk with a big group of people last night, later a great meal and conversation with 10 of my friends, at a vegetarian restuarant called " Th eVeggie House ". I also had a meeting about maybe getting my Poetry books printed here in Bulgaria in the future.

So last night I got an overnight train to Sofia in Bulgaria, the train ride was uneventful but slow. I arrived more than 1 hour later than the scheduled time, but I have learned that this is normal.The weather here is very nice and while walking this afternoon in a park, near to where I am staying I saw primroses. Also many of the trees are just about to burst into leaf. It has only ben a couple of days but I am happy with the trip so far.

So I made it to Belgrade with a short stop in Milan, the weather here is very nice, warm temps and bright sunshine. It was raining when I got here yesterday, but everything is good  now after a good nights sleep.

My last day in New York for a while started really well. The weather is a bit like spring and I got a nice early run in. Took care of paying all the bills that will come up while I'm away, did some last minute washing and packing. I am not sure how easily I will be able to get intenet access since I am travelling a lot, but I will try to post some thing whenever I can. Oh yeah, Happy St Davids day to all Welsh people out there.

So here we are, my last full day in New York for a while and it is a nice warm day. Things went quite well at work and I didn't leave too many loose ends for the other guys. My agent has called an end to phase 2 of trying to find a publisher for my childrens book, it it now time for phase 3. You just have to keep plugging away.

Overcast and rainy today. I did a lot of communicating with europe when I got home from work. Lots of people are checking my schedule with me, I have quite a full plate. Some FA Cup replays,Man U beat Reading 3-2, WBA lost to Middlesborough on penalties after a 1-1 draw. The winners play each other in the 1/4 finals.

So we had about 2 " of snow overnight which was less than they thought, it also stayed quite warm
allowing it to start melting quickly. My friend Utpal came back from his trip and we managed to get a run in this afternoon. I talked with one of my cousins in eastern europe this morning and he says, that they relly did not have a winter and there are flowers everywhere.

A very quiet morning, cool but with sunshine. It may literally be the quiet before the storm, as they say there is a big snow storm coming this evening. The first major trophy in English football has been decided, with Chelsea beating Arsenal 2-1 in the Carling ( League ) Cup. Oh yeah, I talked with my sister yesterday on the phone.

What a difference a day makes, it easily feels about 10 degrees warmer than yesterday. I also feel a lot better after a good nights sleep, that was about 30 minutes longer than usual. I also took a short nap in the middle of the morning. I listened to the Ireland v England six nations game where Ireland crushed England 43-13. In the Championship My Wolves won 1-0 against Leeds and are now only goal difference away from the play-offs, 4 points away from automatic promotion with the last 1/4 of the season at hand.

I will be glad when winter is finally over, It seems as though fighting the weather all week and trying to keep running everyday, takes it's toll. When I get to the end of the week I always seem to be a little tired and weery. Though I know that all the hard work I put in now will pay off in the spring, when I can run freely. Of course the odd nap here and there helps. The strong winds of earlier in the winter have returned, though the temp's are warmer than they were before which makes it a little better.

Not a lot to say, there was heavy rain during my walk home this afternoon, it could have been snow! This time next week I will be on a flight to europe.

It hit 50 degrees f today though very briefly. Liverpool beat Barcelona 2-1 in the Champions League which will make my niece very happy. Chelsea managed a 1-1 draw with Porto in their game. I kind of have a new favourite TV show " Heroes ", well I've watched 2 episodes and it looks pretty good.

OK a big day in football ( soccer ), in the Champions League; Man U 1-0 Lille, PSV 1-0 Arsenal, Celtic 0-0 Milan. In the Championship Wolves 1-0 Ipswich, WBA 1-0 Leeds. Yes it was finally a warm day temp's reaching around 44 f (6 c ), the snow and ice of course is melting.

It's Presidents day here in the US, celebrating the birthdays of Presidents Lincoln and Washington.
So it is a pretty quiet day. I finally sat down and did my taxes, so they are done for another year. It's possible that this is the last cold day this winter for me, the temperatures will be going up into the 40's f from tomorrow. Everyone is saying it's too late now to get really cold.

Kung Hei Fat Choi, yes it's Chinese new year, here in New York it's a very nice day for it. I ran early this morning before 7, about the same as last week, but when I turnd back for home I noticed that I felt a little heavy. So it was a bit of a slog to get back. Afterwards though I did feel quite relaxed.

This is my 550 th post since I started this blog. Things have finally started to warm up and the snow is begining to get a llitlle more manageable. It's Saturday so the was football in the UK. my nephew's team WBA managed a 2-2 draw at Middlesboro' in the FA Cup 5th round. My team Wolves beat Burnley 2-1 in the Championship and moved up to 8th in the table. In about 12 days time I will be going on one of my trips to Eastern Europe, mainly Bulgaria and Bosnia, so I am making lots of plans at the moment.

maybe it's because it's friday but my head was feeling kind of stuffy this morning. Slogging back and forth in my heavy boots, because of the snow and ice is making my legs sore. The 2 guys to the left are Dilly and Dally, the 2 characters in my childrens books, cute aren't they. Have a nice weekend.

It's the day after the snow storm, I could hear the snow crisp beneath my feet as I walked to work this morning. Though the temperature never got higher than 25 f ( -3 c ), there was bright sunshine in the afternoon and so we had some snow melting.

It seems that the weather people got one right, well almost. Yes we did get 2"-3" ( 5-7.5 cm ) of snow, yes freezing rain, but no it did not change to heavy rain, because it didn't get as warm as they said it would. here in New York life pretty much went on, just a little slower than usual. There was even some blue sky as I went for my run after coming home from work.

I do like the odd nap now and then and according to an article I just read it is good for you. A Greek study of 23000 men in their 50's, apparently shows that if you take a 30 minute nap 3 times a week. Itreduces the risk of heart failure by 37%. They say it is helpful if you can find a couch or a sofa and take a nap around mid-day while at work. Well who knew!

The start of the morning was a little gloomy and overcast, but it brightened up by late morning and the temerature has climbed 5 or 6 degrees above freezing. It is that time of year when I have to prepare my taxes, this usually doesn't take me too long. I like to get them in well before the April 15 ( this year 17th ) deadline.

What a beauty this morning was. When I looked out of the window I could see bright sunshine, the sky a beautiful eggshell blue. I pulled on warm running clothes and my shoes and I was out the door. Of course it was cold out there, but that was almost lost in how nice the day was. It's funny because when I first woke up I didn't feel so good, but the day outside inspired me and I had a nice run and then enjoyed my breakfast.

I slept in an extra hour this morning, well it is the weekend. Wolves beat preston 1-0, Preston were 2nd in the Championship. Now WBA ( my nephews team ) have moved into 2nd place. In Rugby Union England just managed to beat Italy and Scotland beat Wales. It is still cold here but the temp' climbed above freezing again, a little bit easier to run .

I can't believe that it's the weekend, still cold though the temperature did get above freezing this afternoon . The whole week has been a stuggle against cold. we have a problem with the heating at work and of course it's been cold outside. Here we are though in the second week of february and hardly any snow at all this winter.

Once again I was feeling pretty tired by the end of the day, the cold weather really takes it out of you. So this time I took a nap first and then went for my run. The run was good I felt very fresh, stopped in at one of local restaurants to get a take away for dinner on the way home.

The England team played a friendly against Spain today and lost 1-0. The game was discribed as being a bit of a lack lustre performance by England. With all the great players in England, they do not seem able to put together a very convincing show of skills these days. I am not sure if it is the cold but as soon as I get home I go for a run, then take a short nap in the early evening.

my sniffles and sneezes have returned after about a week away. The fact that the temperature only climbed up to 26 f ( -4 c ) doesn't really help much. I did however have a nice run this afternoon even if it was cold. A good nights sleep will help.

I have noticed an interesting weather phenomenon the last 3 days. After the sun goes down the temerature rises 1 or 2 degrees and no matter what the temp' is when I wake up, it always goes down 1 or 2 degrees just before the sun comes up. Also I spend part of my evening writing my blog and when I get a chance to read I am reading someone else's diary ( Micheal Palin's book ). Well it's interesting to me!

Another cold morning ( 21 f -6 c ), went out well dressed in layers of clothing for my run. I enjoyed it. You know it is amazing that even when it is so cold you can still work up a sweat. My Ecuadorean friend who lives just around the corner, invited me for breakfast. he had also been out for a run this morning. here in the US it is superbowl weekend , today is the game , but I have decided not to watch it ( too much hype ). I am sure I will hear everything about it tomorrow.

Today was a very crisp day, the temperature ranged from 28 f to 25 f ( 2 c to 3 c ). There was broght sunshine once it came up, but the sky and everything looked sharp. I listened to the England v Scotland Six Nations game on the BBC, on my computer, England won 42-20. My Wolves managed a 2-2 draw with Plymouth and remain in 10th place in the Championship. I had an idea to but a cheap video camera, I had seen in a store that was going out of business. They had sold out by the time a I got there, oh! well.

This post is mainly for my sister. I recieved some messages last night and today about one of my cousins from Serbia. He is about 14 years old and has had kidney problems for some time. He and his mother have now gone to a special Humanitarian hospital in Torina Italy, that offers care to children from Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia. I am told that he will be there maybe for 4 to 6 months waiting for a donor, at which time he will recieve a new kidney. The people of his village and some surounding ones collected money to send him. I wish him luck and hope to see well soon. His name is Vlado.

I had a pretty good day at work and a nice run this afternoon. My agent contacted me to say that 2 publishers passed on my childrens book, I still have 8 more to hear from though so we will see. Oh! the south american climber by the way, I managed to get some tubers,so I'll see how they do in the spring.