I HATE Twelfth Night. Always have and always will. No, not Bill Shakespeare's drama which I don't know at all; no the 12th and final Day of Christmas.
The reason being I just love the month of December, despite all the chaos, and especially the time from about the 18th onwards. That's when I really begin to get excited about the Christmas season with exactly a week to go before the Big Day. Indeed, I love Christmas Eve more than my own birthday!
Yes, my work colleagues know fine well how much I love the whole of the calendar's final month as the festive ties and socks get an airing - lucky they don't have to see my festive boxies too (but that's for another occasion, perhaps!). Oh, and of course, they all have to put up with my mobile phone's ringtone which from December 1 until January 6 is 'Fairytale Of New York'.
But all that's done with now until it begins once more from Sunday, December 1, 2013.
So all the deccies have come down today. Fortunately I was in work in Liverpool today so I missed the tree and all the other festive bits 'n' bobs coming down in our house. You sure notice the difference when you're walking home and those warm and welcoming lights have all disappeared from neighbours' windows. January is a truly soulless month with not a lot going for it and the disappearance of those comforting glows only adds to its misery.
This particular Twelfth Night was full of ups and downs, much of them sporting connected.
For me, though, it actually began with a non-sporting bit of news with a great picture of a very good friend of mine who has found someone special in their life. A great image to warm the cockles of the heart on a chilly January morning.
And it certainly was chilly at Buckley Hill where Matthew's Netherton Boys football team drew their game 2-2 with Town Green Pumas. Matthew played well but was forced out of the match in the second-half with a recurrence of a nasty strain to his left calf. He's a really gutsy kid, my eldest, never afraid to tackle and give his all for the good of the team. I just hope this injury doesn't keep him sidelined for as long as the last time it happened back in November.
And from there it was onto work for a nine-hour stint helping to put the sports pages together for Monday's Liverpool Echo. Of course, Liverpool's FA Cup clash was on in the office and like right-thinking sports fans - not just football fans - I was very disappointed with the manner of Luis Suarez's goal. I guess he'll be hammered by the national Press (again) but in many ways it's up to the lawmakers to make changes. For instance, in big televised games such as this, give each manager one chance in each half to question a key decision by the officials. This was a perfect example as the instant TV replay would have chalked off the goal for handball against the Reds' Uruguayan striker. And the game has stopped at that point anyway as a goal has been awarded. But I guess the lawmakers will find an excuse not to introduce something as simple as that. It took until 1966 to allow substitutes FFS and the game had been going since 1872 when the first FA Cup final took place!
There was also the awful sports story that some of you might not have seen - British tennis player Ross Hutchins is battling cancer at the age of just 27. Just a dreadful situation. I hope and pray he wins his fight. It was nice of Andy Murray to dedicate his triumph at the Brisbane International tournament to his pal.
And sport concluded my long day as I got home in time to see my favourite NFL team, the Washington Redskins, take on the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Wild Card clash at FedEx Field in DC. Sadly for me and the countless number of 'Skins followers - many in the UK - their hopes of adding to the Super Bowls won in 1982, 1988 and 1992 will have to wait for another 12 months as they fell to a 24-14 defeat. Robert Griffin III is the Redskins' rookie quarterback whose debut season has been nothing short of sensational. But he was playing hurt for much of the game and it told in the end. But he, like the 'Skins, will be back.
As I will too with another meandering line or two that I hope you'll enjoy reading.
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