MB Latest - November 646.70

Bumper month in November, passing all expectations:

PP provided me with a big chunk of this - £400 of fb last month alone! This is an account I've managed to keep for about 4 years and has served me well.. With careful management I intend to keep it for a bit longer.

Other goodies include regular specials from SkiB3t and a five team acca bet which I planned to lay. I didnt and it came in for a 50 quid profit!

So onto December; the bookies have been known to spread the xmas spirit about. Hopefully I can get some of their love in the festive season.

Stay Lucky,

A.

A blood curdling shriek from up in the woods...

We spent a delightful evening in Shorwell this week. Fish and chip supper followed by a tour of the village's haunted highlights.. Nice!

You might not know this, but the Island is jam packed with tales of ghosts, unworldly creatures and creepy occurrences. Gary Baldwin (google him) takes parties around the spooky spots of the Island and recounts the tales whilst his assistants leap out from behind trees, reach over walls and shriek for added effect. It's all great fun and I'd recommend it.

I went running yesterday and heard a loud cry. I thought it was someone messing round. Then another. It sounded like someone in pain and distress. So I warily made my way up the footpath from the beach to find an older lady wrapped round a wooden fence post at the bottom of a flight of stairs. She had slipped and bounced down most of them with only a cut finger for her troubles luckily. To be honest, I was thoroughly spooked after the previous night. Hearing the wail of misery I'd been expecting a pool of blood but she was remarkably unscathed. I dusted her down, helped her down the slope a ways before continuing on my journey.

It's funny how imagination can play tricks on you. I heard a lady screaming and expected to find a bigfoot eating her or something!

A.

MB Latest - Oct 2015 - £220(?)

Well I finally got my money out of that bookmaker which offered me a nice freebee which I had to turnover a grand to unlock.

They're demanding mucho ID which is frustrating. However I wouldn't be surprised if they kept hold of my funds for some reason - they're a Latvian bookmaker after all!

I've been the recipient of a smattering of freebet offers from an Irish bookie. Some tasty enhancement from a generous bald man too. I've been looking at my commitment for Nov/Dec and see I need to increase my targets from 300 to 400 quid per month. November has started well but I'll keep you posted on how the rest of the year pans out.

A.

Man Cave-on-Sea.. Behold!!

It's been a long time coming, but Man Cave 2 is now fully operational. Here I can drink tea, listen to the rain fall and watch the buzzards perched in a tree outside the door.

I sh*t you not with that last point by the way..

Today is Friday. The second day of one of my extra long weekends which should be dedicated to doing something productive. So far not very much has been accomplished. I had an operation to remove a lump from my forearm and now sport a tidy scar and bandage which disappointingly does not revolt the children in any way. Sadly though, strenuous exercise is a no-no, so my thrice weekly runs are verboten for a while. 

This is Not A Good Thing. Exercise is something I need to retain my sanity so I'm feeling particularly twitchy today. This is the first day of me trying the 5:2 diet again, something I did with some success a little while back. Perky moobs and a tidy potbelly are not an appealing sight as far as I'm concerned... despite E's sweet words to the contrary.

Besides I kinda like a bit of hunger, it keeps you focused. It makes me realise how much I eat throughout the day... just because it's there. If I can get through to bed time on a handful of bananas and one of E's foil packed diet meals [pasta bol at 180 calories, yummy!] a fry up will be my prize tomorrow morning.

A.

MB Latest - YTD about £1,500

Figure has been adjusted downwards..

I thought I'd been making money like it was going out of fashion lately. After a bit of thinking and adding up I've proved it not to be the case. October has been good so far, I'm £200ish up but with money tied into a bookie which gives you £100 free.. if you bet 10x that amount in 60 days. Normally you bust out pretty quick, I had about £40 left to get out then won bets at 4.9/4.2/3.5 and 2.0 to be well up with said bookie. I will bet at low odds next week and clear out from the bookie or be quids in at the exchange. Its tied alot of cash out of my float over the last few weeks but I'll chalk that one up to experience.

This weekend I attempted the 'extra place' in golf offer for the first time for a small loss. My golfer needs to finish sixth (or in a share thereof) and with a round to go is tied 27th on seven under par. Once again, chalk that bet up to experience - Ive tied money if for several days I could have deployed elsewhere. Will stick to extra places on the horse racing methinks...

A.

When you pump the breaks and...

..nothing happens...

I did something stupid this week. I'm very lucky to come out of it unscathed, as is my car...

I was rushing back to work for a parent meeting lunchtime Wednesday. It was chucking it down.

I took a hairpin bend in the road a little faster than I should've. Not overly fast, but I hit the break and the wheels lost traction. 'Sh*t.' I thought, 'Thats not good'. I turned the wheel sharply to the right as the roadside bank was now approaching me faster than you'd like.

I then span across the road in what felt like slow motion: 'You stupid idiot!' I thought, foot now jammed onto the break for dear life (for what good it would've done'. Thankfully I clipped no one in the oncoming lane (traffic or pedestrians) and landed in a ditch with a resounding 'Thwack!'

I was pulled out by a passing tow truck and eventually the Old Bill turned up to escort me home. Thank God I escaped with only shock and sore neck for a few days. It could've been alot worse, I was alarmed when the car started creaking slightly like at the end of the Great Escape.

Anyway I've learn my lesson. My lunchtime commute which I normally take on autopilot has gained my respect alot more. What good will saving a few extra minutes on the road if you end up dead??

Stay Safe.

A.

.."Where will we be? When the summer's gone?'...

I taught X about The Doors last month. He was telling me about his heavy heart due to school starting again. No more all day Netflix and dairy marathons for the boy till Christmas I guess. I can understand his sadness..

Well it feels more Autumn today. The shade is cooler. The sunshine is hazier. The crowds of families have returned to the Big Island leaving bemused pensioners and fishermen in their place.

We've been exploring our patch of coast from Shanklin down to Bonchurch. The cliffs overlooking the sea are home to buzzards, peregrines and the like which are a joy to see. If you're feeling adventurous, one can don walking boots and clamber over boulder fields for the final stretch. Few people in their right mind do the final hour so it has a desolate prehistoric beauty to it.

Talking about dinosaurs, long dead trees litter the route like ancient sauropod skeletons.

Its a striking sight for the adventurous (and well shod). Next time you visit come check it out. 

A.

MB August - £338 - £2,113.68 YTD

Hit my target this month.

Lots of football offers at the start of the season (an Irish bookmaker was very generous). I tried in play betting to my cost with B3tfred but was saved by a high street bookmaker who threw wedges of money my way. (no goals=plenty of money).

International break this weekend so I'll have to cast my net broader than usual. May dip my toes in tennis offers due to action at Flushing Meadow this month.

A.

Electric 6 - Dirty Dick had it goin' on!

Along with 'Gay Bar' this track ran through my mind alot when it came out..

Was it really 2002/3? Disappointing that a band could produce something so catchy yet so saucy, then disappear from view. Their output since has been.. mediocre.

I love the fact Dick Valentine looks so seedy in this video - the fact their bits light up is an added bonus.

A.

Electric Six - Naughty. They've been really bland since.

'The force is strong in this one'

X wields his sword from Ventnor Carnival. The poxy glow in the dark swords WE had as a kid seem disappointing in comparison.

A. 

MB July - £150 ish

A thororoughly disastrous start to the month saw me at barely double figures mid month (misreading Ts and Cs, being very unlucky with refunds etc cost me big bucks). However this picked up somewhat towards the end of the month with Glorious Goodwood courtesy of a very generous Irishman who has served me well these last four years. Football season starts this month, the bookies tend to throw a few juicy bones out this month so I hope I can take advantage.

A.

MB June 2015 - £232.81

Some tasty offers around CL final time, (eg B 3 6 5 in play)

Lost a few £s by betting in play and expecting the lay odds to go the right way.

They didnt...

I also punted on Djokovic to win after going 1-0 up at odds of 1.1... he lost!

July looks like a quiet month. Role on the football in August...

A. 

My Chromebook's been shot!!

Little feet stepped on it a couple of weeks ago so a big black crack is now spidering its way across the screen. I'll be  blogging from it for as long as possible but I fear it's only a matter of time before it dies. I'll miss you, old friend :( 

Diz on the potty.

She's getting good at this, my girl is no longer the baby she once was. Sure I'll blink and she'll be wearing school uniform.

My new leisurely ways

This week I've gone (gasp!) part time. A four day weekend leaves my with time to enjoy the sunshine and my latest hobby: 

The puzzle. NOT the beer. That's been a hobby for longer than I'd like to admit.

Hope you're enjoying the sunshine. 

A.

The Rise of the Machines???

Get the Rerminator sniffing dogs at the ready. Judgement Day is on its' way.

Like Cthulhu's beard trimmings..

X was playing with one of the kids next door today. I saw his head bopping up and down in the garden watching someone digging. He looked intrigued...

Very soon after he approached me in the kitchen. 'They're digging up rhubarb next door. How many pieces do you want?' I had to rein in my natural response of 'What the hell would I want rhubarb for?' because:

a) It was Xander asking me. He was excited and trying to be helpful.

b) I didn't want to appear ungrateful to our neighbours as I'd like to stay on good terms with them.

'Erm, five please'. I replied. Xander nodded and scurried off to bring me my booty. Which is fresh but odd smelling and cumbersome (how would I know how big it would be??) It now resides in the guest room and startles the cat whilst I decide what to do with it. 

Any suggestions, let me know..

A.

The Beards - Got Me a Beard (Film Clip - 2012)

MB - May 2015 £475.96

Best month to date. Lots of PP in play offers to enjoy. Have been learning how to underlay when odds fluctuate in the horse racing. Amazing things did rob me of profit though - a goal in 2mins in the Div 1 playoff before I could lay off my 0-0 free bet cost me as did a 50-1 outsider beating my underlayed favourite in a race this month (no profit there!).

No football in June after CL final so will have to exploit something else.

A.

Late May 2015 - out comes the sunshine..

Crazy and Cute.

May 24th - D gets soaked on the beach. Major drama. Dad has to give up his T-Shirt and freeze. Well thats his problem, isnt it? ;)

X goes to great lengths to perfect his drinking experience. Most kids are happy with just ONE straw.

MB - April 2015 £177.24

Well of my target in April. A few lazy mistakes and a few mug punts that didn't go as expected. For instance, Atletico Madrid/ Real was about 16.0 to be 0-0.. it was and this cost me a payout with B3 6 5. Looking for a good match on a horse racing offer left me with a tenner loss as the bloody horse won! If I had just backed and not laid I would've been £225 up. Also letting a snooker bet run cost me a couple of quid - (O'Sullivan to win the Worlds at 3.6) - I should've claimed a profit when he started taking his shoes off and putting chalk in the table, Ronnie's mind was clearly not in it.

Still it's all free money, right? Better luck this month...

A.

Days which make me love The Island even more.

E and X on the cliffs (top). D on her tree stump 'table' (below).

If anyone offered me a fat pile of cash to move back to London, I would have to say 'no'. Its' days of sea and sunshine like today which make me adore this place.

A.

Diz selfie and outdoor snap

May 3

May 4. Out on the decking in between the showers.

A.

Homebrew v 2.0 - introducing Old Gutbreaker

Cristal it aint..

The fermentation tub used to be for clean sock storage. I hope I sterilised it enough.

UPDATE - first pint was a decent tipple. The colour of run off from a Ukrainian nuclear power plan but with a warm malty flavour...

Haven't gone blind as yet!

A.

Quids in with the Grand National

Normally MB involves an incremental, drip feed of money into your pocket. It's rare that a pile of cash lands in your account in one go, normally it's enough to buy you a pint at a pub instead.

Today was different. I don't normally touch the horses as there's something called Rule 4 which seasoned bettors talk about. Scares the bejesus out of me, so it does. Still, with the Grand National today I thought Id try my hand at B3t 365's offer 'should net me a good £40 quid' I reckoned. I cocked it up (won't bother with the tedious story) so it didn't. It was only as I was taking Diz to the beach this afternoon I realised that Shergar had finished fifth so I won both the bets I made which usually cancel each other out! Result was me being £234 better off - approaching my usual MB take over a whole month!

E and I shared a veritable feast from the Indian tonight but the rest of the spoils will go on paying the bills this month. Its rare that good fortune can be so lucrative, but you gotta celebrate it when it is!

A.

MB - March 2015 £256.28

3 months in already! Would've hit my target but for a lazy bet on Real Madrid which lost (at 1.08!). March is Cheltenham month so the bookies threw some tasty offers. Refunds if the favourite won, regular enhancements - I need to get my head round horse racing to unlock bigger profits if I can.

A.

The Devil's Chimneystack

Cool, ominous and tumbledown, it still retains a desolate charm. Closed to the public now sadly, it will probably become overgrown and lost within a few years. 

MB - Feb 2015 £178.08

Below target for the month. Not much time to devote to MB as other commitments. Juicy refunds from Paddy's and 3 6 5. A mug punt on Real Madrid at 1.2 cost me a few quid though!

Her Ladyship at 3...

The kiddies on the Wishing Stone 14.3.15

Dizzy has turned 3. She has inherited her mothers' warmth and engaging nature, but also the iron will and stubbornness on my family's side too. It's a heady mix..

One day she can charm the birds of the trees. The next she can knock those same birds out cold with an indignant shriek when things aren't going her way! Case in point? Trying to extricate her from the soft play today when it was time to go:

I tried to put her boots on. She screamed and wrenched them off.
I tried to put them on again. Same response.
'Fine' I said 'No boots then, Dizzy'. 'I WANT MY BOOOOOTS!!!' was her banshee-like wail.
'You want to wear you coat, Diz?' I asked, carefully trying to guide her arm into a sleeve.
She wrenched it off her arm and hurled it to the ground with a gesture of disgust.

I followed this with a mixture of shock and amusement. Watching my little pocket rocket throw a paddy is still kinda cute. When will it make me want to throttle her? At 5? At 7?

Xander turns 10 end of this month. Being the unique little man he is, we approach him with a similar mix of love and patience. For Comic Relief he coloured in his nose red with a pen.... it looked like he had a new one grafted onto his face which was in the process of being rejected! He doesn't deal well with tiredness either, as I was reminded of today. Whereas most children will get morose and unresponsive, X barks at passing animals and drapes himself over street furniture. Such things simply remind me how unique my boy is. Infuriating but very unique and wonderful.

A.

Dinner on the bed. 12/3/15

Patch a year on...

Can't believe it's nearly a year since I wrote this. Life and its' distractions continue to fly at me apace since I did so. New experiences. Things to enjoy. Things to plan for. Things to worry about. 

We're all the same, I guess. Running on our private hamster wheels and trying to the Right Thing by the world. When kids come into your life, their priorities become your own. You can view their future needs in the years to come before they arrive. Girlfriends? (I hope my advice to X will be of use, not that I had much luck in the day?) Boyfriends? (I hope I can resist the temptation of seeing all D's male callers as spotty little hornbags.. much as I was). I have a roadmap of cultural titbits I would like to feed my children in the next decade which I hope will enrich their lives as much as they did my own...

Watership Down and the Annotated Alphabet for X next, if you're interested. 

Nonetheless I still get reminders of simpler times: a thought or a memory that will freeze me back in another time when the future was still undefined. Patch features prominently in these thoughts, like all my dearest friends. He's been gone a year now and the little things he enjoyed or was passionate about still stir me. I would've have loved to have shared my new life with him, to deluge him with the charms that my family and my Island have to offer. Despite the complexity of life and its' strains I know how lucky I am and wish I could've shared that fortune with him too...

Wherever you are, buddy. I'm thinking of you. I look forward to sharing a pint and a chat next time we meet..    

A.
 

MB - January 2015 £305.31

Profits for first month of the year. Mostly from the football, horse racing is a sideline I need to investigate more in order to unlock further £s. This will be my target per month for future planning - £10 per day.

Scraping Out Cat Poo Day... and 2012 revisted..

Lucky Maeve...

I bet she thought her little tray was like a regular Turd Mountain till this morning.

Looked at it this morning and felt better after scooping the poo. She should find her toilet much more agreeable now..

Anyway. January 30th. Today I finally feel like I can draw breath. Birthdays, weddings etc  and general kiddie chaos has taken up all of my time. There is nothing on the immediate horizon, except D's regular (often strident and shrill) demands. 

She turns 3 next month. The little Zen baby we had has turned into someone much more animated and formidable. With the ladies on my side of the family and the one's on her Mum's, Diz will be quite the lady as she grows bigger -  she's a regular social butterfly already. Whereas I just want to curl up and rest after my days activities, D is still full of life. 

Thinking of other times, I got my old Man Cave computer refurbed this week.. I'm writing upon it right now. My rock star haired tween boy and feisty preschooler looked alot different just a few years back:

The kids have matured wonderfully since 2012. Sadly the years have not been so kind on their Dad. 

Cheers,

A. 

Diz's latest stash

We've been to the arcade this afternoon. Normally exchanging banknotes for change to waste on tat is not my thing. It usually makes me cringe.

However today the 2p machine was appealing, and generous too. We found one that was dispensing rubber duckies (a D favourite)  on the drab sea of tuppences and promptly emptied the cabinet.

Dizzy's new 'fleet' for the bath

I booked my first child's birthday too. To celebrate her third we're off to 'Jungle Jims' for two hours of soft play mayhem. New ground as X lost interest in parties at the same time as he discovered Legoland. I'm looking forward to meeting the parents of Dizzy's little buddies and maybe discovering some kindred spirits on this lovely island. 

So come end of Feb we'll be tooled up with all things Peppa and Hello Kitty to celebrate the birthday of a Very Special Girl. 

A.

Logical Progression 2 - One for Patch..

I'm going to do something Insane today

My New Years resolution came through the post this week..

... ever since Diz arrived in the world my exercise routine has just dried up. Lets face it, a sporadic 30 minute jog will make you feel good but does little else.

I've been mindful of what inactivity does to the way i look and feel. Middle Age is a fickle mistress who slowly leaves you feeling flaccid and feeble if you don't do something about it. The perky pecs of your 20s become marshmallow moobs in later years unless something drastic is done.

Therefore I'm starting my Insanity workout tomorrow. 60 days of harrowing exercise with the a very nice looking bloke called Shaun T. My DVD set came through the post in a plain cardboard box, 'INSANITY' printed in a military font on the front. 'Looks serious.' I thought. Decide. Commit. Succeed' was the motto emblazoned on the side. Reminiscent of the fine motivational slogans the likes of Adidas have thrown at us in the past. Or even the funnier and more effective ones from elsewhere.

My current moto right would be  Sleep. Clear up after the children. Drink a beer. So it's all uphill from here.

Day 1 coming. Stay tuned.

A.