We Wuz Robbed...

Yesterday I played for the Southampton medics against Sheffield in the national semi-final, and to cut a long story short we lost 4-2. It's the third consecutive time that we've lost to Sheffield in the semis and each time we seem to get progressively more unlucky. This time, we scored early, only for me to see a savable shot bounce nicely under my hand-pad during my dive. We scored another nicely worked goal but again, 5 minutes later, during a lengthy goal mouth scrap they squeezed the ball across the line after I couldn't get my feet in the way for a third time. We dominated and were unlucky not to score again, but then in the middle of the second half they whipped a ball upfield into the D and their striker caught it with a badly timed slice and sent it low towards my near post. I got fingers to it, but when it bounced, the backspin sent it in. I couldn't believe it, during training those things happen about once a week and I had 3 in half an hour. They scored again, our defence was tired and disheartened and the goal was well worked. At least one of their midfielders got yellow carded for appealing for decisions too much, every time we got the ball back he looked like a toddler who had just had his sweets nicked. Although the goals in my view weren't largely due to my errors, I think I'll give hockey a miss for a while now, goalkeeping at least. It's not the most rewarding position on the pitch and you never have a chance to redeem yourself if you mess things up. I might try outfield play for the 2nds or 3rds.
My dad came down and we had a curry, I deviated from my usual vindaloo, and it was a nice change to taste something other than searing pain.
And at karate, we got a chance to use some bows (six foot long wooden poles). Let me tell you, have a black belt swing a massive stick at your face for 2 hours will do your cortisol levels no good whatsoever.
As for today, I have a day off everything, for the first time in weeks. I'll lie around in bed for a bit, and play some more poker. I'm up to $240 as we speak, and I haven't even been especially fortunate. I might draw up the final appendix of my essay, but there's no rush, I have 3 weeks. What a boring, work-loving young man I am.