A bit to report.

I don't seem to have much time for blogging lately partly because I've been busy & partlt that I've been spending some of my computor time doing Youtube slideshows (Now I know how). I'm actually going back over my vacation trip photos & making slideshows from each of them, still a lot to do though.

Update on my parents is that my Dad is much better & is getting to where he can look after my Mum. The plan is for her to come out of the Nursing home next tuesday, she is pleased about that.

Last weekend I played in the area Table Tennis Championships & did ok.

I was in 7 different events and managed to reach 4 finals winning two & losing two. I was a winner in the Mens doubles with my team mate & also won the Hard Bat Doubles in which partners are drawn but the best players are kept apart.
My Runners up trophys came in the veteran doubles but we were pleased to reach the final because I was with a new partner and we weren't seeded, we put out the top seeds in the semi & 4th seeds the round before before going down to the 2nd seeds in the final. I reached the final of the Divisional event but lost to my team mate in the final, took it all the way before succumbing 11-8 in the deciding set.
In the main event (Mens Singles) I had a great run to the Semi-final but lost to the defending champion albeit by the narrowest of margins, I actually took the first two sets but ran out of steam as he fought back to pip me in the 5th.
Another Semi I reached was in the Hard Bat singles but to be honest I was well beat by the eventual winner.
The only real dissapointment was in the Veterans singles where I crashed out in the 2nd round, I was hoping to have a good crack at that event.

I'm playing again this weekend but I'm away in Swindon, its the Veterans National League and my team is hoping for promotion, we are third in the league at present & have five team matches over the weekend.
The other highlight is been down south its given me the chance to hook up with Jane again (for another cosy weekend).We are meeting up on Friday & she is staying with me and coming to watch me play for the first time (hope she isn't bored) although we should get plenty of time together. I'm really looking forward to been together again, it seems ages since the last meeting although we communicate daily, we seem to get on just great.
Got to mention Leeds United seem to be getting their act together at last this season, new manager Simon Grayson seems to have sorted out the inconsistency's and we are looking more solid.
Back to Youtube slideshows here is a Leeds United one I did using photos from the "Flickr" Leeds utd group I'm a member of :-

Random Speed Blog

1. I'll start with me & I'm happy to report my Cold seems to have cleared up.

2. My Dads injuries are getting better he is walking around without the aid of sticks, was on two a few days ago.

3. Looking forward to competing in the York Championships this weekend.

4. Only 10 days to go before I meet up with Jane again for another cozy weekend.

5. Despite all the hype I don't think Obama is the answer to Americas problems, time will prove me right or wrong.

6. Impressed with Leeds Uniteds new manager SG so far and we can get automatic promotion.

7. My Pool team won last night in the cup semi, yes we are in the final.

8. Don't think I've lost or gained weight in the last couple of weeks.

9. I agree with the campaign to get everyone buying British is the best way out of the recession. All countries should help themselves, now is a good time to be patriotic.

10. P****d off at the value of the £, naffing up planning any holidays abroad.

11. Happy Petrol has come down in price (not before time).

12. Think the protestors objecting to a third runway at Heathrow of Environment grounds are complete numptys, the extra flights (& pollution) will just go elsewhere taking many potential jobs to other countries.

And finally for those of you that wonder what a Yorkshire accent sounds like here is a dubbed episode of Star Wars.

Famous at Last

Well I was just searching around a few Youtube videos and found this one, bet you've guessed it, I'm on it.
Its from the British league Table Tennis played at Widnes last Sunday.


Ok its not really of my match (& I'm only just in site), the match shown is from Grantham versus Ormesby but I'm playing two tables down. I come into shot at the right hand end of the screen just over 2 minutes into the video. I'm in a Blue shirt (similar colour to the umpires). We are playing a team from Nottingham but I lost the particular singles concerned, I did win my later match & our team won 6-2 so we was pleased.
For the record our 1st team are playing in the other match on the 1st table down from the featured match, they are in Yellow.

Things not getting better yet

My Dad is still struggling, things got complecated he got a bit of infection in his operation wound so the Doc put him on anti-biotics which he had a adverse effect to (made him sick). He's had to come off them and I'm talking to the Doc tomorrow to sort an alternative.
Progress is slow with his mobility but there are small signs of improvement, think he's lost a bit of confidence but sure that will improve in time.

Myself I'm still full of cold, a bit bunged up and feel crappy but I'll get over it.

I'm a bit pissed off with a certain ex blog friend (lets just call him "Little Insect"), I just noted this person under an anonymous name has left a very abussive comment obviously referring to me on Cactus blog. Apparently this keyboard warrior who gets his pleasure from abusing people (online not to their face) accuses me of making my blog "Private" which I have never done.
Yes sure I changed my blog from World of Mick just over a year ago but I never left any of my blog friends out, I informed everyone at the time that I had emails for.
In fact I don't know what this idiot is on about because he has commented on the earlier Posts of my current blog, but I remember earlier last year he started writing abusive things saying I was ignoring him (on various blogs) so I basically thought I can well do without such fake friends the bloke is a complete muppet, why would I try to be friends with an abusive person.
Why he as suddenly raised the subject again I can't tell you but the fact he makes his comment anonymous about say's it all about him a absolute coward.
Personally I blog on here and MySpace to make friends and not abuse anyone, in fact I consider I've made some great friends but idiots like this I can do with out and it makes you wonder if its worthwhile.
Love to meet him face to face to tell him what I thought but I doubt he'd have the guts. He certainly needs to get that great big chip off his shoulder.

And to finish on a happier note, less than 3 weeks before I hook up with my friend Jane for (as Cactus would say) another cosy weekend. Its been far too long a gap between this and the last meeting think we are both quite excited about it. I'll probably take my new camera so have a few photos to post.

Bad Start to the Year

Well the new year hasn't started good at all, first I didn't go out New Years Eve because I was ill so just spent the night at home feeling sorry for myself.

Anyway thats not all, think I said in an earlier post that my Dad went into hospital for a Gall Bladder operation NYE & with it been keyhole I was suppsed to pick him up New Years Day. Well the actual operation went well however on the night he spent in hospital he had a bad fall. It happend when he got up during the night to go to the toilet, he felt dizzy (still effected by the anaestetic I think) reached for a table to steady himself. The table was on wheels so he crashed to the ground hurting himself on his left side mainly his shoulder & hip. The hip was a concern because he only had a new joint 7 months ago.

Luckily the x-rays have revealed nothing broken however he is badly bruised & still in hospital. He can't lift his arm very far & struggles to get up out of the chair, he is a bit of pain.

So I've been spreading my time visiting him on a afternoon & my Mum in a morning. My Mum as gone in a Nursing home as she is disabled & my Dad is her main carer. She was only supposed to be there for a week or so but its looking like it could be a bit longer.

My Dad was in York hospital which is a bit of a trek as its at the other side of the City so a bit of a pain with the traffic during the day. They have now move him to Selby to recover & have physio but they forgot to let me know so I drove to York to find out, wasn't pleased particuraly as Selby is only 400 yards from my home.