Weekend

...And quite a nice one too thankyouverymuch.

Work released us in the early afternoon on Friday meaning I got a nice head-start on the usual rush-hour traffic. Arrived back at the parents' for tea, followed by my brother and his partner arriving a few hours later. The gang was all there, essentially.

I hadn't seen my brother for a good three months or so, as he'd been out in sunny Helmand Province in Afghanistan for a good while with the Royal Air Force. Great to catch up with him and hear some suitably weird & wonderful stories from that volatile part of the world. Nice also that he had his partner in tow as well. She's a lovely lass and I really hope it works out between them now that he's moving in with her. Wasn't sure about his last girlfriend, but this one I've decided has the sibling-seal-of-approval.

Saw Hull City along with 16,000 others at the KC succumb to two weak goals from an otherwise unimpressive Stoke City team. The BBC Match report is bullshit, they were must have been watching another match entirely. City dominated, the Stoke goalmouth was under constant fire - they were just lucky they converted their two shots on goal whilst City couldn't quite.

Come the evening we saw Casino Royale at the flicks, which was actually rather good. Gone is the techno-overdrive of Die Another Day. Casino introduces a leaner, meaner bond and explains the true genesis of his character. Ladies, you'll love his now infamous emerging-from-the-water scene, whilst I was mesmerised by the lovely, lovely Eva Green. *purr*

On an aside, I'm thrilled that both Craig and Green have been cast in the first film adaptation of Philip Pullman's Dark Materials Trilogy. I can now, after some thought, kinda' picture him as Lord Asriel, and she'll make a suitably enigmatic Serafina Pekkala. What, you haven't read the books? Do yourself a favour on these dark winter nights...

Sunday was equally chilled out; lazy Sunday morning coffees with family, then lazy afternoon coffees with friends.

Which probably explained why I had trouble sleeping last night, following a swift 90-minute return journey. Well, all the caffeine, the fact the house was freezing and the absolute roaring gale outside, the sound of which was magnified further by the large wood at the rear of the house.

Waking up and dangling my limbs out from underneath the oh-so-cozy covers was torture this morning.

And so began another week.