New Phone
Well, new to me. I lost my phone a couple of months ago, a pay-as-you-go sim that had seen a succession of friends' hand-me-down phones since 1999.
Managed OK without it really. My friends all know each other, so messages got passed on through my mates about parties and pubs and barbecues and stuff. It was like being twenty-two again.
Anyway, I've scrounged another hand-me-down, a Sony Ericsson Super Estelle Deluxe with 2 pixel camera and (brilliant this) mini golf game. Bought a dodgy sim card from the corner shop and landed a phone number with 007 in it. Result!
Football
Very disparaging report on yesterday's match in the Guardian here. I'm a bit more positive than they are (though not much more). Things really seemed to come together after the substitutions were made in the second half. Rooney wasn't quite sharp but he was sharper than Owen, and Lennon was a revelation (LEEDS! LEEDS! LEEDS!).
I'm hoping to see Walcott and Lennon get a decent period of play against Sweden. I think the real problem (apart from Sven) is Owen. He just can't cut it, and he's had a lot of chances to prove himself. It's harsh, but I think he needs to be dropped. Shame - I've always liked him.
Anyway, enjoy the match next Tuesday, because barring a string of good decisions from Sven, I think we'll be out in the second round. We haven't been very good at all.
Watched the match in a ropey pub in Streatham Hill. Tucked ourselves away in a corner with one of the smaller tellies because of the gnarly atmosphere around the big screen. It actually got pretty scary before we scored. Going for a piss I realised why - big queue for the cubicles and everyone coming out sniffing and wiping their noses (and handing wraps to their mates). I wonder if trouble nowadays is more coke-fuelled than lager-fuelled?
Me
It's all been a bit tentative and still might not happen, but I've been asked to conduct an email interview with Will Self for the ballardian.com website, which will probably go ahead next week. I'm staying in this weekend to get my questions together. The questioning is exclusively about JG Ballard, and although I'm a bit of a Ballard obsessive it's still going to be pretty tough.
I'm a bit nervous about it - strangely, I would have preferred to meet up with him in person, I think I deal with things a bit better face-to-face.
Was actually meant to get the questions together last Sunday, but considering I was still up gurning at midday after eating pills all night it didn't come to pass. I think Will would have approved though.
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