Showing posts with label Costa Rica. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Costa Rica. Show all posts

Thursday 27 July 2023

Late Delivery

 


No rain this morning.  Cloudy sky yes, rain no.  So I prepared for a haircut!
Shoes on, not the slipper things I tried to go out with the other day, jacket on, glance out the window and off I go downstairs.
I open the door and the rain is thundering down!
One huge dark grey cloud hovers above me, drenching the park opposite and all who were dwelling therein.  To my right heavy drops crashed onto the road, the cars, the people sheltering ineffectively under the brolly.  To my left bright blue sky beckoned, a white cotton wool cloud reared up to the heavens, speaking of warmer climes.
I waited inside the door.
Eventually life moved on.  My hair was cut by a lovely young lassie who, when I remarked on all the grey stuff lying around, informed that this was 'Very fashionable today.'  What a clever lass.


While she was being a clever lass I was not being so clever.  I went off to find something interesting to post and having failed, completely forgot about this post.  This will disappoint few.  
The new day is already half over, the sun is shining now I am indoors, and once again nothing has happened.  The media crow over their defeat of the woman in charge of 'Coutts Bank,' as she resigns her position, after Government threats.  Even the burning tourists are pushed aside for this one.  What else are the press ignoring/covering up?  The question as to why a wee girl, known to Boris, gets into the Lords perhaps?


Thursday morning.
Dreich.  
Once again I forgot about this.  I was so busy doing nothing that I forgot until late at night.  Too late to finish of a meaningless post.
So I will take up the meaninglessness this morning.


Good news at last.  Kenneth Vargas, the highly thought of SC Herediano player, has agreed to join the Heart of Midlothian to 'progress his career,' and get sold on to one of the big clubs around Europe.  This is good business for the Heart of Midlothian, at least, as long as he turns out to be worth having!  The Scottish game is not like those in Central America, as he will soon find out.  
The usual international clearances are required, but as always it is the Visa that is a problem.  This as you will know, is controlled by the English Colonial office in Westminster, and they may decide he is not wanted, him being foreign and all that.   So we wait and see.

David Roberts - The Aqueduct of the Nile

Friday 28 April 2023

Costa Rica Coffee and Eon Inflation


I am Mr Lucky!  There can be no other person as lucky as I.  
Just last night, as I tidied up in the kitchen, I lifted my cafetierie thingy from the washing up and smashed it against the bunker!  
How lucky am I?
Luck was in again as I am hooked on Costa Rica coffee at the moment and without this coffee maker I was going to start seeing spiders up the wall.  At least, apart from the actual spiders that now inhabit my wall.  
Lucky me had intended to remain indoors this morning, stretching my weary limbs and doing nothing beyond my mental abilities.  So, you will realise, nothing was to be done today.  However, the Costa Rica coffee, which I had run out off, called very strongly to me, and by 8:15 I was in Sainburys painfully looking for a new, unbroken cafetiere thingy.  Good grief!  They had one, at an amazing cheap price of only £7:50!  'Only,' is a word used by shops to lie to the customer!  I packed my bag with all the required goodies, including the coffee cafiterie (You spell it your way, I will spell it mine), the bag was overfull as I was buying for the weekend also, and stumbled slowly back up the road, watching the workers heading into town to pretend they are earning a living.  
Back home, having remembered to purchase the Costa Rica coffee also, I packed away my treasures, mostly with 'reduced' labels upon them, sat down at my laptop and swallowed Costa Rica coffee, with double cream obviously.  
Wonderful.  
I cogitated on doing nothing but sitting here with my feet up all day watching the Gala at the West Somerset Railway.  Old Great Western Steam engines plied their way back and forth over the aged rails.  What fun! Several visiting large engines on show here today.  Jolly good show I say!


It was then I remembered I must take the electric meter reading.  
This, as you know, means stumbling downstairs, wandering round the back, lifting the large wooden, filthy lid, and descending down into the bowels of the building to where the meters tick away day and night, never feeling any guilt as they do so.  
What fun!
So, this I did and found going down to be harder than coming back up, somewhat surprisingly.  I also noticed the rubbish lying about down there, no idea where it comes from or who dumped it.  It remains a mystery as to how things find their way into the cellar.
Note taken of the meter, in spite of the dog downstairs barking as he did not recognise me, back upstairs, enter number, ('It's so easy' say EON, forgetting that making £3 billion a year is easy for them, not us.) and send it off.  Within 24 hours the EON AI will tell me I owe them £10,000 and must increase the monthly payment to £500 a week!  Or something similar.  
If only we had an election?  If only we had an opposition? Something could then be done about all this. The future is bleak, and will not improve much for the UK.

Thursday 1 December 2022

World Cup Post Strikes


In spite of the postmen striking for the second day in a row I hobbled down to the Post Office and sent off two last packets, though that word does not cover the cheapness of the gifts.  The young lass smiled at me as always, though she was surrounded by two days worth of mail sacks full of items awaiting collection.  This was not helped by the man in the shop unloading a van's worth of items some of which were being dumped upon her.  
The strike continues, it appears to be having no effect on the Tory led privatised top bosses, the top man on £750,000 a year, who wish to amend the pensions, change the rota's, and altar every rule they can to save money and increase shareholders payout.  I doubt the workers, or indeed the railway workers and nurses also on strike for similar reasons will succeed.  The press is Tory controlled, the Labour Party (should it not change the name?) has distanced itself from the strikes in order to get the 'Middle England' vote, and it appears not a word about this was mentioned at PMQs!
Anyway, trudging back in the chilly sunshine I ate and slept.  Having cleaned some of the place today I was in danger of doing too much for my fat bulk.  With so much football taking time I have lots to do, and tomorrow will be another day of housework, possibly.          


Being the 1st day of December, the day I usually post my Christmas cards and parcels, I am a bit annoyed about the strikes.  Two items and one magazine are out there somewhere, no doubt being delivered soon, but I am becoming fretful regarding things sent and when they will arrive.  I support the workers, I understand how difficult life is for them at the moment, but it is a nuisance.   
So, I sit here writing cards, though all the posted ones are already awaiting posting, and these are mostly for the church people.  If I give these out early that forces them to present me with one!  No fool I!  


I know await the Costa Rica showdown.. In 45 minutes they will be playing their last game at the World Cup, against a desperate German side that are close to going out!  Costa will give their all, they may even score a goal, but can they possibly beat, and eliminate a German side?  We live in hope.


Sunday 27 November 2022

World Cup and Anglicans!


I wanted to get out this morning but the rain was teeming down.  I searched the weather men to find out what they were saying and found 'Light rain and gentle breeze.'  Lies!  All lies!  The rain teemed down, the breeze was wind, from the south and not so breezy, and so I remained indoors searching for second hand cars at cheap prices.  None were found, another dream shattered!  
Not going out I noticed a church stream on facebook from St James, Garlickhythe.  It would be easy to imagine this a made up name!   St James is just of the busy Upper Thames Street in the City of London, a 'Wren Church,' and one that claims to have made use of the Prayer Book of 1662 from then until now.  Hmmm...  Still, any port in a storm.   
I put up with this until 10 am when I switched on to the Japan v Costa Rica game.  This we all expected to be a rout, but happily instead Costa played well, especially under pressure in the second half, and even stole a goal towards the end and won the game one nil!  Naturally i missed the goal as I looked away at the time!  
This mean they are third in the table, Spain, Japan and now Costa have 3 point each, Germany in 4th place have 0 points.  Tonight Spain play Germany, a win for Spain, which is likely, will see Germany go out!   Costa have one more game, v Germany, if they lose tonight Costa are in a good position to embarrass them.  No need to open the brandy as yet Costa.
The recorded Advent service, the preparation for Christmas begins here, comprised the vicar, the verger, and a choir of four singing the service in a manner not likely to encourage vast numbers to attend.  Some of course prefer a religion that they can see.  In days of old there were idols to worship, some find it important to 'see' an object before they can pray, an invisible God who demands faith in him without such items is hard for many to accept.  I suspect this is also part of 'being English.'  This is what they expect church to be, a relaxed non obvious item church can be hard to understand.  In fact I was surprised when I first entered a Baptist Church and found no Black robed minister, no Beadle to lead him in, just a man in a second hand suit (it looked like) come from the back door and walk on and begin the service.  Nothing else makes sense now.  
Watching such a service, the elaborate Church, the singers, the young folks reading, I mentally compare this to the settings in which the bible originated.  A man dressed in fancy purple robes (no women will lead in this church I guess), candles for Christmas, middle class and excellent singers, I just wonder about the robed Abraham, David and Jesus and his mates, and this lot.  
Breaking off once again I return to watch Belgium v Morocco.  Again I find plenty to mumble about.  The close up of individuals faces, especially in the crowd, female referees!  Have they no pie stalls in Qatar?  Commentators and their mates exaggerating and talking baloney throughout.  There is always a lot to complain about in this house.  It's fun being a miserable old git!
The old git fell asleep and missed the only goal in the Morocco game also!  This is becoming a pattern.  
Maybe instead of watching more football I ought just to plan the week ahead, shop, spend, Post Office, spend, Parcelforce, spend, and maybe sort the Christmas cards out this time?  Maybe...

Wednesday 23 November 2022

Supreme Thrashing!


During the year 1707 the Scottish Lord's accepted many large bribes, retained their lands in England, and happily sold Scotland to English dominance without asking the people what they themselves wished.  The riots following indicated their position quite well I think.
Today the descendants of such Lord's have once again gone against the will of many Scots and bound Scotland to domination 'until England allows this.'   Any nation that has pride in itself will naturally be up in arms at this, not unexpected ruling, however, there appears to be online social outcry but little effective noise from the powers that be.  I wonder why?
The Scots government, led by the SNP, could as I understand it,
call an election based entirely on independence.  It would be good if those sitting as MPs in Westminster were also to resign their seats and force a by-election in each one.  Has Nicola got the desire for such things?  I do not believe she, her MSPs or her MPs have such willing.  Nicola enjoys being queen of the state, she cares little re independence, her power is more important, her MPs do not wish to lose £84,000 a year plus pension either. 
Once again Scotland is treated as a colony.  
Once again the Scots government will do nothing, while being well cared for thank you.
Once again England dominates a colony from which she dare not be free as she cannot pay her own way.
Once again Scotland loses out.
It is time for change.


I tried, honest I tried, but I could not watch Spain toying with Costa Rica.
As the thrusting, young, eager Spanish players warmed all over the unfortunate opponents I feared the worst.  Clearly this is not yet a Spanish side destined to win the World Cup, however, it is one with every chance this time.  
When the third goal went in and all over Costa Rica lunch was spoiled by the rioting natives I decided to join them, not in rioting but in looking away.  I returned to my Christmas shop.  Here I wished to make use of a voucher, from an unusual organisation.  I decided 'Waterstones' was the place to go online.  I searched, glanced back at the football to see the fourth goal go in, and looked away.  I sought books of solace, well anything really.  Every so often I glanced at the game, 5-0 now, I looked away.  I went through the rigmarole to pay and naturally the new voucher they say works is not represented here!  I paid anyway as well, I might as well.  With the post again on strike for two days they may be another Christmas present for me.
What?  Oh, 7-0 huh?  
OK, Costa were not going to win, this is the toughest group, and lots of goals will be sought at the Costa end.  Two more long games ahead for the goalkeeper...

Friday 23 March 2018

Football...


Sitting here drinking my honey filled light Horlicks I am enjoying watching Scotland play Costa Rica.  Asalways with Scotland the word 'enjoy' is notto be taken seriously.  
For a start I have to seek out a stream to watch this game.  While England fans have the dubious option of watching their losers on ITV Scots cannot do this, I expect however STV will be showing the England game to rub this in.  So folks like me who canny afford 'SKY' have to seek out one of those horrid streams that convey the game to us poor folks, this I have found on malware full 'First Row' and a blessing to go with this is the lack of commentary!  No blethering numpty to fill the screen with needless words and talk about a different game from the one I watch.
Of course with another of the 'Old Firm' Glasgow Mafia leading the team it is no surprise to find many of his 'friends' in the side, including a goalkeeper who is second choise at his own team to a better Scots goalie who has not been brought into the squad!  We need not mention Charlie Mulgrew who has only one left foot and keptputting the ball onto hisright in the first half.  Overall this was nothing special as a game, Costa Rica are preparing for the World Cup in Russia while we are rebuilding once again and the result does not matter but individual performances do.  McBurnie at centre looked OK as did McTimanay or whatever his name is in midfield.  Both have lots to learn but did no bad.  McGinn of Hibs appeared and committed more fouls in ten minutes than most do in 90! 
We did make some chances and miss them, they only made one in the second half and hit the bar so in the end I am not to unhappy with this mishmash of a side mainly because theyoung lads did OK.
This is not the first time we have met Costa Rica, during Italia 90 we managed to laugh at this small nation far away and rejoiced at meeeting them.  We lost one nil.  This however has not led some, especially the hacks, to continue regarding such sides as 'small teams' while we are a big one.  That attitude has failed us so often in qualifying for tournaments that you might think it had gone, it hasn't and tonight will not see an end of such arrogance.