My List

So, as usual, it's been a while since I last blogged, but hey, that's life.  Not necessarily too busy to blog, just can't be arsed sometimes!  So, think I'll do a couple of blogs on a couple of things!

Russell Howard


I went to see him perform last Friday (the 4th) at the MEN in Manchester on his "Right Here, Right Now" tour.  I had seen him previously on his "Big Room and Belly Laughs" tour in December '09, when I thought he was absolutely hilarious.  This time round he was very funny, and I spent the entire 2 and a quarter hours laughing, but I couldn't help but think that it wasn't quite as funny as his previous show.  Whether it was just me or not, I don't know, but I couldn't help but think that there was something missing, some spark maybe, that would have just given it that extra pow!  Then again, pretty much all the material was fresh to me this time around, where as his previous show I had a lot of the jokes on Mock The Week or other shows he'd done, which kind of spoilt how much I enjoyed it.  Overall, it was a good show, and I would definitely go and see him again, and maybe next time I'll think he's even funnier.

Sports


There's only a couple of sports I really, truly love.  Those are rugby league and ice hockey.  Yesterday marked the day that the Leeds Rhinos 2011 started.  It was a shaky game, and a terrible first 55 minutes in terms of productivity.  We were throwing wild passes, the play wasn't flowing, and we weren't making any yards.  Combine that with getting NO calls from the referee, Steve Ganson, and that includes any potential 50/50 calls.  Now, we've never had much luck with the referees, because for some reason, none of them seem to like us.  Now probably every fan says that about the referees attitude towards their team, but for Leeds it really is true.  I have overhead people who aren't even big rugby fans say that certain referees will never give anything our way and that we are not liked.  Now, it doesn't bother me that we are not liked, I just wish that we got the same treatment as every other team in the league.  In yesterday's game, Brett Delaney got sin-binned for holding down after only ten minutes of play, yet not one of the Bradford team did, despite repeated warnings from Ganson, and then Patrick Ah Van nearly took Rob Burrow's head off with what can pretty much be summed up as a clothesline to the neck, and I couldn't even tell you if he was placed on report (I have since discovered it hasn't!), let alone sin-binned or sent off.  He then went on to score a try and a couple of conversions, despite the fact he should have gone for an early shower.  I just hope something is done, disciplinary wise, despite the fact he wasn't placed on report.  Despite the issues with performance and the officiating, we still went on to win the game 32-28 thanks to a penalty try in the dying minutes of the game after a strong fight back in the final 15-20 minutes.  I am so happy to have rugby back, it's just a shame that I have to wait until the 25th of this month until they're at home!

The New York Rangers played a depleted Pittsburgh Penguins team last night and they won, at last. It seems like so long ago that they won a game, but hopefully this is the start of something good!  They're maybe starting next season in Europe, and I hope they do, just so I can see them over here (I will be going to see them when I'm in New York as well). I love this sport and I love this team!  Some may think that it's crazy staying up until all hours to watch a team who play at least 3000+ miles away, but I think it's worth it.  I could watch the games at a later, more convenient, time, but I find that it's not quite the same as watching it live, even if it does mean I get more sleep!  Luckily last night's game was an afternoon one, meaning that it was on at 8pm here - perfect!

Leeds Town Hall/Aqua Preena


I went to a vintage fashion fair at Leeds Town Hall with Emma yesterday, and I had forgotten how beautiful it was inside. Naturally, I took a few pictures to demonstrate!

After we'd been around the vintage fashion fair (I didn't buy anything, Emma got a gorgeous compact mirror), we had brunch and then made our way towards Aqua Preena for a 'fish foot massage'.  The sensation when you first put your feet in the water is ridiculous.  As soon as your feet are in, the fish swarm them and they tickle!  After you get used to the sensation, it becomes relaxing and enjoyable, and after 15 minutes, when you take your feet out of the water and dry them, they're soft and smooth! I hate my feet (all feet, I just don't get the fascination with them), but I would definitely do this again!