A woke on Saturday with such big plans; there was loads that needed to be done. Upon waking I realised that most wouldn’t get done since it was far too hot. I was feeling surprisingly chipper considering I’d been racing the night before; I guess I’m used to it by now. Phil was coming to pick me up at 12.45 and before he came I needed to wash my car, go to the football stadium to sort out next year’s season ticket and gather together all the things I’d need for the Glasgow trip.

All tasks were completed and at 12.45 I was ready to leave. We headed to the Green Dragon for the football; it’s changed a bit since we last watched a football match there. Gone has the large screen and rather grotty decor, its now much more swanky. We managed to get a table in front of one of the TVs and under and AC unit, it couldn’t have been much better really. The game wasn’t bad, we got a win which was important, and I got a little tipsy.

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So its been a bit of a busy weekend, so like all good stories I shall begin at the beginning. Friday saw me taking part in the Blaydon race, and it was hot hot hot. I was slightly worried about this race because I’d not really done as much training as I should have, I was just thinking that I’d be able to run at the same speed that I’d done Manchester in. This may have been possible if it weren’t for the stupid weather. Also the race didn’t begin until 7.15, so after a full days work I wasn’t really much in the mood, I’m much more of a morning person.

We left the car in Blaydon and got the bus through to Newcastle, arriving with lot of time to spare. While some people were warning up, myself and Kev were keeping cool by watching the football in an air conditioned pub.

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I went to Blaydon races
Twas on the 9th of June
Eighteen Hundred and Sixty Two
On a summer’s afternoon
I took the bus from Balmbras
And she was heavy laden
Away we went along Collingwood Street
To see the race at Blaydon

Chorus:
Oh me lads, you should’ve seen us gannin
Passing the folks along the road
And all of them were starin’
All the lads and lasses there
They all had smilin’ faces
Gannin along the Scotswood Road
To see the Blaydon races

We flew past Armstrong’s factory
And up by the Robin Adair
But gannin ower the Railway Bridge
The bus wheel flew off there
The lasses lost their crinolenes
And veils that hide their faces
I got two black eyes and a broken nose
In gannin to Blaydon races

Chorus

Now when we got the wheel back on
Away we went again
But them that had their noses broke
They went back ower hyem
Some went to the dispensary
And some to Doctor Gibbs
And some to the infirmary
To mend their broken ribs

Chorus

We flew across the Chain Bridge
Reet into Blaydon Toon
The barman he was calling then
They called him Jackie Broon
I saw him talking to some chaps
And them he was persuadin’
To gan and see Geordie Ridley’s show
At the Mechanics’ Hall in Blaydon

Chorus

Now when we got to Paradise
There were bonny games begun
There were four and twenty on the bus
And how we danced and sung
They called on me to sing a song
So I sang ‘em ‘Paddy Fagan’
I danced a jig and I swung me twig
The day I went to Blaydon

Chorus

The rain it poured down all the day
And made the ground quite muddy
Coffee Johnny had a white hat on
The old wife stole a cuddy
There were spice stalls and monkey shows
And old wives selling ciders
And the chap on the ha’penny roundabout
Saying ‘Any more lads for riders?

Chorus

Just got a new cookbook, so here have a recipe:

Rich Chocolate Brownies

These brownies are packed with both milk and plain chocolate instead of adding sugar to the mixture. Serve them in small squares as they are very rich. When buying plain chocolate, bare in mind that the higher the percentage of cocoa solids, the higher the quality of the chocolate, and the less sugar it contains. The best quality has 70% cocoa solids.

Ingredients

1. 300g/11oz each plain (semisweet) and milk chocolate
2. 75g/3z self-raising flower
3. 3 large eggs
4. 175g/6oz unsalted butter

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°c/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Line the base and sides of a 20cm/8in square cake tin with baking paper.
2. Break the plain chocolate and 90g/3.5oz of the milk chocolate into pieces and put in a heatproof bowl with the butter. Melt over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring frequently.
3. Chop the remaining milk chocolate into chunky pieces. Stir the flour and eggs into the melted chocolate until combined. Stir in half the chopped milk chocolate and turn the mixture into the prepared tin, spreading in into the corners. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped chocolate.
4. Bake the brownies for 30-35 minutes, until risen and just firm to the touch. Leave to cool in the tin, then cut the mixture into squares. Store the brownies in an airtight container.

Not much that can be said about these, if you’re squeamish then I wouldn’t recommend clicking the links.

I feel as though I’ve missed out on something since I’ve never seen Prison Break, and its all over. Think I’ll just have to buy the DVD box set when it comes out since I’ve heard such good things about it.

I really need to go for a run tonight, its Blaydon on Friday and its quite some time since I was last at the gym. I shouldn’t really be worrying because I’ll be able to do the distance quite easily, but I’ve got it into my head that I want to do it in 40 mins. This is based on my time for the Manchester 10km so technically is possible, but its a night race after a full day at work so am thinking that I just won’t have the energy, I’m more of a morning person really. Although not at the moment because I’ve not been getting as much sleep as maybe I should have. What makes it worse is that I’m gonna try and get as close as the front as I can and run with some people I work with, they should do it in less than 40 mins so at the moment I’m undecided whether to go all out for it in a blaze of glory and try and keep up (and possible fail) or take it easy and go at a pace I’m comfortable with.

One things for certain, I’m certainly going to drink a lot of beers on Saturday night on my trip to King Tuts in Glasgow.

Well as I thought I went out and drank last night. Not too many, but enough. The result being that myself and Andy F ended up in a take-away making more random MySpace friends (oh yeah and having pieces of my Parmo stolen!) It was a good night though, another band notched up. I finally feel just about normal again, and now its time to do it all over again. Tonight is The Howling Bells and The Cooper Temple Clause at the Empire, should be another great night.

I’m going out tonight, tomorrow, Sunday and on Monday. Now I’m supposed to be off the booze, but on each of these outings beer will be available. What should I do, I don’t want to drink but am weak. Saturday and Monday will be fine because I will have my car, but tonight and Sunday could go so badly wrong.