So, what does Stand Free mean?

Perhaps I should explain a bit more about the name for this blog. You see, I was born and bred in Aberdeen in the frozen north east of Scotland. It's a great wee place, full of granite, rain, drizzle, snow and occasional sunshine. It was home for many years until work pulled me away to the bright lights of Scotlands capital. Actually, the wish to Auld Reekie was more than that, but more on that later no doubt. Anyway, there is a football team in Aberdeeen who, for rather obvious reasons, are called Aberdeen Football Club. Original, eh? While I lived in Aberdeen I was a season ticket holder there and would routinely shout and scream and sing along. One of songs that was sung is called Stand Free. This song is now sung at other teams, however it started up in Aberdeen. It's a cheery little dittie and goes along the lines of....

Stand Free, wherever you may be
We are the famous Aberdeen
And we don't give a f***, whoever you may be,
Because we are the famous Aberdeen.

Repeat, until you get bored, lose your voice, or something more interesting happens on the pitch (not all that often in the late 90's while watching Aberdeen).

So there you are. However, this blog won't be about football, so don't worry too much about the name, it just reminds me of home :-)

Just while we are on the subject though, Aberdeen were a superb side in the 80's. I recently watched some DVD's of the team playing in Europe in the 80's under Sir Alex Ferguson (now a Man Utd legend as well) and we played Real Madrid off the park. Unbelievable to think it really.

Still playing...

OK, so I'm still playing with this thing and have changed my user name. Should a certain other blogger about find this blog, the user name will make a lot of sense to him....Hello there, GF.

madness

While enjoying lunch, I put on the Winter Olympics. While I don't enjoy the ice dance stuff, the fast stuff is great. So, the luge, tea tray, bobsleigh, ski-ing and snowboarding are all well supported here. However, having thought for a while that the luge was the best possible winter sport, I've come across Snowboard Cross.

Snowboard cross is like moto cross, only on snowboards. There do appear to be some rules, which are just about adhered to. The 4 nutters, as surely you have to be a cast off from the luge to complete, start at the top of a hill and race to the bottom going round a variety of twists, turns and jumps. It's fast, and very mad.

The site of 4 woman bombing down a track was quite appealing....however the final was one of the best pieces of sporting action I've seen in years (well, since last summer when Liverpool pulled back being 3 goals down at halftime to win the european cup). All 4 are evenly skilled. All 4 are giving it stick down this hill. 2 wipe each other out, with one ending up leaving the track and going through the safety fence. The leader pulls out an enormous lead - she would win her 3rd gold. She decides on the last jump, in front of all the fans in the grandstand at the finish to pull a wee trick by grabbing the board as she is in mid-air. But she drops it....crashes within 100m of the finish. The girl in second comes ploughing straight in to win the gold. Gutted.....

How stupid would you feel doing that? It's sown up, it's yours, you've won Olympic Gold, and then you show off and blow it when it's all yours. I don't even like to think about it....

An Introduction

Well, thought it was about time I started one of these things....Having spent many happy hours reading some other people it was about time I started one.

First up, an explanation of what this will or won't be about. By the name, do not interprete that this is about free speech, political standpoints, whatever. It's not. Nor will it ever be. The name, well that will become obvious over time. Or maybe not. Let's wait and see.

What this will be is a simple way of explaining and getting things off my chest. It won't be a tirade (well, not all the time - if it does, somebody tell me!) but will be a simple tale of everyday life.

Enough for now, lunch is calling....