Freed from the Shackles of Fifa!

So, Germany has won the World Cup and it is all over. 

It was an amazing, hugely enjoyable tournament but I cannot say I am devastated to see it end. It was the first World Cup finals that I watched pretty well in its entirety and I could not have taken a second more.

For one thing, too many of the games went into extra time.

The pundits were always talking about how tired the players get, but what about the exhausted viewers?

For the Final, I was not sure who to support but as it drew on I started to dislike Argentina's dirty tackling and their surprising inability to put away sitters. I reverted to my genes and started backing Deutschland.

That said, I was very glad Germany won with a single brilliant goal, rather than on penalties, which would have left one feeling that the World Cup Final was really a draw.

I have also finally completed my "Ultimate Football Walllplanner" which came free with the Brighton Friday Ad.

The groups are surrounded by small advertisements for local shops and artisans, whom I can highly recommend.

The Ultimate Wallplanner has proved invaluable, guiding me on teams' form in the later stages of the competition and giving me a reason to live.

I have really enjoyed filling it out. Every result, how ever insignificant, felt like a job done well.

Maybe, a tiny piece of me will miss the World Cup. But I am delighted to have my life back, having seen the best team triumph.

I am, after all, half-German, so ein halb of me is celebrating with a bratwurst and ein stein of Becks, the beer of my mother's home town, Bremen.

P.S. And Liverpool sold Jaws in double-quick time - just as I predicted. You read it here first!

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We went to a superb musical performance a couple of weeks back - compered by our upstairs neighbour, singing tutor Dionne Slater.

A capacity crowd at the Brunswick venue in Hove enjoyed a couple of hours of brilliant performances by Dionne's students.

I had listened to the rehearsals for weeks (or months) coming down through our living room ceiling (in exchange, Dionne had to put up with hearing my guitar practice and croaking of my inaugural song Mr Cheeky rising up through her floor!)

I knew the show was going to be good.

We were both totally knocked out by the high standard of the performances and how Dionne's students had put their heart and soul into their work.

Here are some images of that glorious afternoon:

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Naturally, you are all interested in how Mr Cheeky is doing.

Pretty good, thanks for asking.

The Cheek-ster always likes to be near the action.

For instance, this is where he is as I write this posting, wrapping his furry body around the keyboard, making it as hard as possible to complete this blog.

This is what Mr Cheeky calls helping out.

He is still on antibiotics after his latest health scare, not that you would know it.

He eats like a wolf and constantly tries to get out. I do allow him to go into the hall where he is a hit with passing neighbours.

However, he wants to hit the street again.

One day at a time, Mr Cheeky. One day at a time.