All exercised out

Should be just getting in from Aikido about now but after Aikido on Sunday, then a curry and the marketing football match last night and then another curry. I sat in traffic on the way home and thought, not another night of exercise I need a rest.

I sat in and watched Man Utd vs. Reading, great game, Man Utd 3-0 up in 6 minutes and Reading pulling it back to 3-2 then hitting the bar in 90 minutes. I also packed up the pots and pans and contents of the draws inthe kitchen.

Last night's match was a bit of a busier and high scoring as usual. We played on a half pitch rather than a 5-a-side court. Running the wing twice left me knackered. I played quite deep and didn't score this time. Steve Kemish and Rob hunter played, they were truly the difference between the teams.

6 days left at RM now and it's Simon's last day tomorrow.

Ben Armstrong BA (Hon) PDip MCIM

After 2 years 6 exams and lots and lots of hard work, I just got the results from my CIM case study exam on line about 15 minutes ago. I passed!!! With a B (No one gets more than a C on the Case Study)!

This means that I am now officially post-graduate and can stick the letters MCIM after my name. I am a chartered marketer.

What to do next?

Very happy, more Spanish Brandy!

Sitting on my own

Joy, what a lucky guy I am. Everyone else has gone to a team meeting but I get to sit here and get as much work as I can done before I leave my job on the 9th March. I could also be on a very interesting communication and influencing course this afternoon but the powers that be have decided that even though they have paid for it and I have completed the pre-course questionnaire I would be better to sit here doing menial tasks. I think I'm going to Didcot, driving past the cooling towers with their grey plumes of steam may cheer me up. Oh well 11 RM days till I leave.

Golden Wedding

On Saturday I went to Lincoln for Ellie's grandparents 50th Wedding Anniversary and met loads of Ellie's Dad's relatives, his brothers Tony and Bob and his sister Wendy along with Ellie's many cousins and of course her Grandparents.

Another Long Post

Last Week I have been away, Last Saturday we flew out of Luton to Barcelona with our friends Laura and Ed.

Flew with easyjet which wasn't great but it was cheap.

We stopped in an apartment just of La Ramblas, ideally situated for exploring the city. After a shower and a freshen up we went out to find Tapas and Sangria, found a little restaurant not far from the hotel and stuffed our faces with chorizo sausage, calamari and patatas bravas before swigging it down with a good helping of sangria.

After dinner we went on to a bar next to a mural of cats on the wall where Ellie had a vodka with a shot of fresh orange juice in it and I discovered good quality Spanish Brandy.

The next morning was a bit difficult and once I had managed to drag myself out of bed I did a little Tai Chi in the courtyard out the back and we went off down La Ramblas towards the marina. We made the mistake of buying coffee at a cafe on La Ramblas (very expensive).

After a large helping of caffeine we strolled to the bottom of the road to the Christopher Columbus Statue and over to the cable car station by the beach. Ellie was a little scared by the height at the top but we got some great photos.

We sat for a while in the park at the other end of cable car route before walking back into town and finding a brilliant juice bar where we had some spicy stuff and a mango, pear and pineapple juice.

After dinner we got a taxi to the Sagrada Familia which is massive.

The next day we went off to the airport to pick up our hire car and drove up to Andorra. Andorra is great, very little tax so it is possible to get 1ltr of brandy for £5. Our hotel room in Soldeu was massive, twice the size of Laura and Ed's.

The First night we had a quiet one, drinking brandy and showing Lara and Ed how to play cards.

The next morning we took to the slopes. All was going well until some crazy Italian woman went straight through Ellie and knocked her flying. From then on Ellie couldn’t stand up and lost all her confidence. She sat out the rest of the day at the restaurant by the gondola station, whilst Laura, Ed and I slid up and down the mountain.

The following day was overcast so we had a morning on the piste and in the afternoon we popped over the border to France; where we ate crapes and bought a baguette.

Our final day skiing Ellie stayed in the hotel in the morning whilst Laura Ed and I did some serious skiing from the top of the mountain. In the afternoon Ellie joined us and we took to the nursery slopes again. Ellie soon got her confidence back but it was too late we had to go home. Ellie caught the gondola back down the mountain whilst I managed to bomb it down on skis in only 9 minutes.

Friday we drove back to Barcelona to meet with the Queasyjet that was to take us on a twisting and turning turbulent ride back to Luton.

Oh what a perfect day (well week)

Not only did we get a completion date on our house this week but last night I was offered a new job, with a £6.5k pay rise. I have already written my resignation letter. Just need to post it now.

I will be a marketing programmes executive for OPP, they sell psychometric tests and are based at the end of Bandbury road in Oxford. Working hours are better too. I don't have to be in until 9. I am supposed to be in at 8:30 at the moment and this job is closer too. An extra half an hour in bed. :o)

Went out last night to Martyn's leaving do, little did the people know when I got there that it was sort of my leaving do too.

To add to that excitement, this morning I finished off my 4th season on champ man 00/01 by winning the league cup and the premiership. Lost in the FA cup final to Bolton. Their last match of the season was against Southampton. I was 2-0 up at half time only for them to pull 2 back up leaving it at 2-2 on 89 min. Only for Kennedy Bakarou to score a wonder goal in the 92nd minute to snatch the title from Glenn Hoddle's crazy mitts at the last moment.

Must go now I've got a plane to catch. Wooooooooooooooooooo. Yay.

* Snowed Again *

Snowed again this morning. Had to grit the hill onto Green Ridges to get to work. Traffic wasn't too bad but Ellie's school is closed for the day. So she is going to go and sort things out with the Solicitor for the house. Apparently we could be in in 2 weeks time. I hope Ellie wears her Wellies coz she said she was going to walk.

Fabric (Not So Live)

Haven't posted in ages, so here is two.

Firstly I had an average birthday, which I guess is what happens when you get to 25.

Saturday before my birthday we drove up to Wolves, went out for a meal with parents and then I was too knackered to go out so watched Jar head.

Tuesday of my birthday was supposed to go out to lunch at work but a major meeting was rescheduled over lunch and most people dropped out. Went out with Ellie on the evening to La Tasca.

Following Friday we went down to London, was supposed to go to Fabric with a bunch of mates. Tom missed the Train, Dom went Skiing, Kareem and Dan went on tour with their band in the Baltic and when we finally joined the queue we waited for an hour without getting anywhere near the front. We gave up and went to a bar called the charter house, round the corner. Drank Cocktails before geting a doddgy taxi and the X90 back to Oxford.

Spent the Saturday watching Crown Green bowls and Swedish films.