Italy done

It's over. Oh well. I wore my jersey and kissed my cat Gigi Buffon for luck, but to no avail. Not one goal from Toni. Sigh. Pirlo and Gattuso sitting out. Sigh. Cannavaro injured. Sigh. It wasn't in the cards.

I know I said that Spain was my second choice...well...after today I don't know. I expected Spain to play a little better. Russia has been pretty exciting to watch. They seem to have lots of talent and endurance. However, I'll stick with my second choice Spain to advance. Maybe for once they can get it right.

Italy through

db and I are watching the euro 2008 soccer in the evenings on tape since we're both at work in the day when it airs at 11 am. We don't want to know the results before watching either. Fortunately, we both work in environments that keep us in the dark until we sit down in the evening. Living where we do there is little chance we'll see any kind of celebration. This is a huge difference from where we use to live when every goal and tackle was heard coming from the reactions of the entire Portuguese neighbourhood. We also use to live and work bordering on Italian neighbourhoods so trying not to know the result of a game was pretty much impossible.

So last night I was home earlier than db and started the pasta (with zucchini, lemon & basil). I wanted something quick to make so we could watch the game right away when db got home. The meal was delicious and so was the game. Italy is through (thank you to the Netherlands for winning as well). Everything seemed to be working in their favor: the Dutch win their game, a penalty kick was given and Pirlo scored, Abidal from France gets a red card and is sent off, one of France's better players is taken out of the game with what looks like a serious injury. Of course an injured player isn't good news, but it did mean that France subbed in a young more inexperienced player. Anywho...it all came together in the end and Italy won 2-0.

Now...this does mean that Italy will play Spain (my second choice team. Torres is just warming up I think) in the quarterfinals and this does concern me. Plus, Italy will be without Pirlo because of his yellow card carry forward, but there is so much talent on the Italian team with players like Grosso, Camoranesi, Toni and of course Gigi Buffon so the team should do just fine.

News update

Time is flying by. I just haven't had time to blog or visit my favorite blogs. I'll hopefully get to it later this week.

Recent news here in whoville:

• the gardening continues with the removal of a juniper. We now have a bare patch that's in desperate need of greenery. Back to the nursery we go.
  
• my sister's visit was a success. She did great on the pitch and we had a great time together. Also, Gigi finally started to accept her just when my sister had to leave.
  
• I won the postcard challenge! mister anchovy sent me a book of poetry with prints by he and candy minx. It's an incredible prize . I want to take time to sit down and really go through the book. Hopefully I can do this in the back yard, under the canopy beneath a sunny sky.
  
• Bears in whoville. Midday this past Friday, a bear popped the lid on our garbage can, took out a bag and left with another bear that was waiting across the street.
  
• No half marathon this coming weekend. I'm not prepared nor do I want to spend the money on the registration. The detox has slowed me a bit, but I'm still running and am now focusing on the marathon. I'll probably still do the trail river half marathon in September if they have it again.
  
• We have sunshine! The weather has finally turned into beautiful sunny, warm and summery. It's been heaven.
  
• The Turkey/Czech Republic game! Very exciting. Turkey's through!
  

This was a bad sports weekend. Newcastle, who are without a manager right now, played Manchester United and were defeated 6-0. Ouch! Of course the score could have been slightly different if Michael Owen's goal had been permitted, but he was called offside. He was not offside. It was very unfortunate.

Then today the Blues played Vancouver in St. Louis and lost in a shootout after coming back and tying the game in the third period. I hope that means that St. Louis will win when they come to Vancouver in 10 days. db and I will be at that game. Very exciting.

Oh well there's always another game. As for Newcastle, I hate to say it but I don't think things could get worse at this point.

Christmas (cat themed) photos

Some people say that Christmas is for the kids, but here in whoville it is for the cats.

We had a little snow Christmas day. db and I went for a walk around dusk and headed further up the hill so we'd have a little more snow. The higher elevation makes just a little difference and up higher the snow was less slushy. We have several cat decorations on the tree. I like this one in particular because Gigi has a very similar basket that she sleeps in.

Svetlana marked the top of the tree. We've done this in the past, but this year it seemed all the more appropriate that she should be with us at Christmas in this way.
Prima amongst the snowflake garland.
Gigi attacks the snowflake garland. She's been doing this since I pulled it out of the box. I picked her up and she brought the garland with her, continuing her attack.

I taped the Newcastle/Derby game. Gigi watched some of it with me.
Then she got involved in the game.