The big countdown.....

Well, only a couple of days till I set off for Rome. Cannot wait at this stage. Weather looks great as well, in or around 30 degrees from Tuesday to Thursday. Have everything sorted including a match ticket. I'm on a 0620 flight to Paris on Tues morning and should be in Rome around 3pm. Will then head to the hotel to hopefully meet up with my mate Dave (thats if he's sorted his flights out!!).

Plotting a trip to New York with a possible stop off in Toronto in September, hope to take in a game or two at the new Yankee Stadium (thats if I can afford a ticket!). Never tire of New York, possibly my favourite place on the entire planet. I always have a list as long as my arm of things to do each time I go back, its that packed full of sights, museums, bars, etc. If I won the lottery tomorrow, one of the first things I'd do is buy an apartment in Manhattan. I live in eternal hope!

Music wise I am currently listening to some vintage hip hop (Big L) and Ian Brown (Solarized, Music of the Spheres). Manchester music seems to be quite fitting with such a monumental week on the horizon.

Now to get back to reading my Rome Lonely Planet Guide.........FORZA UNITED!

Congrats to the Phillies and Pat Gillick

A belated congratulations to the Philadelphia Phillies who were crowned 2008 World Series Champions last week. My eternal memory of the Phillies will always be from 1993 when Joe Carter drilled a 3 run home run in the bottom of the 9th inning of game 6 of that year's World Series to win it all for the Toronto Blue Jays. I still sort of feel sorry for the Phillies, there is no worse way to lose a game of baseball than the fate that befell them that night so I was glad to see them finally bag the title after a 25 year wait. Congrats also to former Blue Jay GM Pat Gillick, who guided the Phillies to their title this year. He's off to retirement now, a very astute individual who has a ton of respect throughout MLB and especially in Toronto where he guided us to back to back World Series titles in 1992 and 1993.

Here's to Spring Training in March 2009....