What's Up Chuck

So I haven't written anything for a week.  There's been no particular reason for this, beyond normal laziness.

It's been a terrible past couple of weeks, for all kinds of reasons.  Last week we had a game that would determine whether we were to be promoted or not (this is for Lion).  We absolutely sucked.  I pulled my hamstring after thirty minutes (it had been bad all game, but it tweaked when I went in for a tackle).  This put me out of the match and I have never been so annoyed.  We lost in the last minute to a try scored on the wing I would have occupied.  So yeah.

In a kind of twist of fate, it wouldn't have mattered.  The other team we needed to win lost, so we actually ended up fourth in the league.  From second to fourth on the last day of the competition.  The league is nothing if not competitive.

So that was my last game for Lion for a long time (the season is incredibly short) which left the ambassadors cup this past weekend.  Me and Nik had been selected despite only playing in one of the selection matches (of which there were three) and even then it was against the select team.  Then, a handful of minutes into the game (with my leg taped up like the mummy, protecting against my sore knee and pulled hamstring) someone pushed me (miles off the ball) and I twisted my ankle.  Un-be-frickin'-lievable.  I carried on for fifteen or so minutes, but it hurt too much and I couldn't run, so the coach took me off.

Every separate part of my right leg now has problems.  Knees, ankles, toes, muscles.  My luck for these past two weeks has been woeful.

I guess I've used up all my bad luck for this month, so I'm due some brilliant luck in the future.

I have a few months off until Lion start training again, and a couple until the Gaijin start their second season of the year (they compete in two separate competitions).  This will be a perfect time for some serious rehabilitation, I'm going to do all kinds of light-footed activities (swimming, cycling) and a lot of weights on the hamstrings (to stop injuries next year, such is the theory).  I'll give my ankle a couple of weeks to calm down:

A terrible picture, but you can still see it's swollen... a bit

In other news, dad is coming over to Japan soon.  I've got a few things lined up but I'm already getting nervous.  A few things went okay when mum came over, but a lot of stuff ended up being godawful.  Luckily dad loves skiing and wouldn't you know it, it's Winter right now.  The slopes open up this weekend and I have a friend heading up some mountains, so I'll get a snow report from him.

I finally got written confirmation that I passed my first module for my Masters.  I can go full-steam ahead with my second module now (I haven't felt this lack of confidence in a result since I sat a first year French test, some twelve years ago).  I've been waiting for this for ages, and now that I know I can do this thing, I'll start putting nose to grindstone.

And finally, whoever told me to stop wasting time playing video games on this post:  Would you rather I waste time reading dumb internet blogs?  Or watching TV?  Ass.

(But don't stop reading)



See you later!