Top Trumps: What were you thinking?!?!

Posted on

A few last minute things to get today at the local shopping mall. We were there fairly early, but by the time we left, it did have those first signs of desperation and lunacy. I was glad to get out of the car park in one piece.

We did ok though, everything went to plan and I even had time to wonder WTF was going on with popular card game brand Top Trumps while we were in a toy shop. It always used to be cars and planes when I was a kid. Now you can get them for just about anything:

And when I say anything… I really mean it.

Honestly, this seems rather unnecessary to me. Who wants to know that sort of thing anyway? Let alone have them compete with one another for the purposes of a kids’ game. Wholly inappropriate.

Eww.

Tables

Posted on

After this weekend, the two tables that matter the most to me are both looking very pleasant.

This Championship one:

Yep. That’s my team at the top.

And then the Fantasy Football one:

Yep. That’s my team at the top.

Lots of talk of goal difference etc. on the fantasy football group, but I’ve been doing some rudimentary calculations, and apparently it’s points that matter when calculating whoever is higher than whoever else.

And right now, I’ve got the most of those.

I’m not sure how much longer either of these situations will last, but I’m going to enjoy the moment while I can. As Konkan told us back in ’88:

Come along and share the good times while we can.

Because after last season in the Premier League, and my perennial underachieving in our long-standing Fantasy Football league, those two tables make a very welcome change from the norm.

So right now, it’s party time (until Saturday, at least).

Barley Sharks

Posted on

I’ve dealt with a lot of baboons in orchards before. They’re not great in that context: eating fruit, damaging fences and waterlines, injuring trees. But I’d never seen them in a field of barley before.

This was on the way back from a wander around the area, with some superb views over the Breede Valley.

We christened the baboons “Barley Sharks”, with their dark shapes swimming through the field, occasionally popping a head up to check they were safe from any predators. The barley had been left – probably because the floods here earlier in the year at damaged the yield to the point where it wasn’t worth harvesting.

But the barley sharks were enjoying what was left as a free, easy snack.

How many times have you woken up and prayed for the rain?

Posted on

Many of you will recognise that line from The Stranglers’ 1986 hit Always The Sun. That also contains one of the most ridiculous lines ever written:

And who gets the job of pushing the knob?
That’s the sort of responsibility you draw straws for if you’re mad enough.

But that’s not relevant right now.

Yesterday was too hot for me. But today was meant to be cooler. And there was meant to be some rain. I was looking forward to a nice, cool run. And then we were going to go to the Bush Pub up the road. We popped in there yesterday to get some ice and it was rude not to try their Soup of the Day.

But:

How many times have the weathermen told you stories
That made you laugh?

It hasn’t started that way. It’s already rather warm and it’s only early morning. There is a bit of cloud, but there’s nothing even vaguely threatening at the moment.

I’m not sure I can face another stinkingly hot, humid day. I’ll have to resort to having some more of my matching beer.

Oh well.