This has been a memorable year, thus far. I know, its a bit early for that ‘week after Christmas summary of the year past’ but that’s where I am. David Bowie died, then Brexit happened, well, Brexit started and we’re watching that space, next came Trump and then finally, the biggest tragedy of all, the one that’s had millions of pilgrims beating their chests from the Ganges to Camden Lock, from Ayers Rock to Seven Sisters; Spurs are out of Europe.

Last time we went to Europe to play, and I mean proper, Champions League Europe, not ‘that other thing’, we were simply magnificent. Bale, Modric, Van der Vaart, everyone ticking, every match spectacular. Even when we lost 4-3 in Milan it felt like a massive win. Such is the power of delusion so essential when supporting my football club. “If that match had gone on for another 72 minutes we’d have won 6-4!!” But it didn’t. Didn’t even need to really. From 4-0 down at half time Bale’s hat-trick was not just a thing of magnificent beauty but probably accounted for an instant 50 million Euro hike in his asking price.

And every match was fantastic. Spurs were awesome, teams were very wary of playing us. Except, eventually, Real Madrid, but heh, the ride was amazing. Unlike this year. Never mind, now we can concentrate on the League!!! So that we can… errr… hopefully… errrr… make it to the Champions League next year. That wonderful circular irony that is the plague of the modern ‘big’ football club.

Never mind, to cheer everyone up new Chancellor, Phillip Hammond (and I never thought ANY Chancellor could EVER be as creepy as George Osborne; how wrong I was) has made his announcement. Basic tory stuff. Take food from the table of the needy, tax the cardboard boxes and plastic bags of the homeless and use the extra funds to fill the Bentleys of the rich. Ok, in reality he was much more depressing than that. More debt, more austerity, more bleuhhh, for decades to come. I can live with that.

I have more trouble living with the dodgy shoulder. In Tai Chi we love a ‘wrist lock’. Its the basic first line of self-defense. But in fact a ‘wrist lock’ doesn’t hurt the wrist. It hurts the shoulder. And, when you reach the point that even sleeping hurts the shoulder, something’s gotta give.

No tennis, no Europe, no Bowie (other than on vinyl, cd and downloads, posters, pictures and my face make-up), no future for America and now my favourite martial art is becoming a problem.

(Not very) Happy Thursday

A xxxx