Looking back over the last six entries, I realised that they are spaced quite evenly about a week apart. Maybe it could be because it takes me a whole week to come up with something vaguely interesting to say. Actually, what normally what happens is that I suddenly say to myself 'Hmmm, I havn't written anything for a while, what can I write about?'. If an event worth mentioning has happened then it is easy, if not I have to dredge out some fake philosophical deliberation or something else just as pointless. Today is one of those times, which explains why this is a meaningless drivel. Sorry, let me put a stop to this.

Let me introduce you to another type of wave. The type of wave one normally thinks of, to salute someone or something. To save you from any more jibberish like this I am going to introducing a new section for times when nothing worth writing about happens. Please welcome, ladies and gentlemen, the Bits and Bobs (I seriously need a better name). Coming first: The Ultimate Maths Challenge [WARNING: dead link!].

It may only be one point but it's taken us long enough!

Our losing streak started two seasons ago when our football club joined the Derby league. We didn't win a single match. In fact, our manager, Dave, was so sure that we never would, he promised to buy us all a free hamburger if we did. No points there then and no hamburgers either.

Last season we decided to do what any normal team with results like that would do: sack the manager (we didn't exactly but never mind). We avoided leagues for a while, just to give us a chance to get to know our new team and new manager. The year passed fairly uneventfully, no league matches so still no points.

Finally it was crunch time, September came and we joined the Nottingham league. We were ready for whatever was thrown at us. The first game wasn't too good (8-0 or something) and we thought that maybe nothing had changed. But our second game of the season was different. We were playing a team called Burton Joyce and the score by half time was 3-1 to us! We could hardly believe it! But our manager, who also happened to be called Dave, warned us that the match wasn't over yet and that we still might lose - we did.

We played quite a lot of games after that but our results did not really improve. Half way through the season and we were still without a win or a draw, still without any points. This continued for a while until up came our next opponent: Burton Joyce. Our team had improved a lot since the start of the season and this time we would beat them. This was war (ok - I didn't take it that seriously, it's just to make it sound dramatic).

Saturday came and we were ready, ready to win. Dave gave us a sound piece of advice: "It's determination that will win this match. If you go out there and give your all then you will be counted as winners, whatever the result". We had determination and we were straight in there the moment the starting whistle blew:

Wow! We scored in the first few minutes! We were winning 1-0! Oh no, they scored! 1-1. Another goal to us! We're winning again! The first few goals flew in. Half time was lost in the excitement and we were back on the pitch in a flash. Up, down, up, down it was so exciting! But the inevitable happened, our concentration waned and we let in a string of silly goals. 6-3 to Burton Joyce. Only 10 minutes left and 3 goals behind, it was a lost cause. But we had determination, we wern't giving up, we wanted to win. Another goal! A fantastic lob from right next to the corner flag. We were still in this game, it was only 6-4. We kept fighting and fighting and then we had it! We had scored two more goals and we were even. 6-6. Unbelievable! Could we win this? It was almost too much to bear.

Disaster! We gave away a free kick very near to our goal. Fortunately they went for a shot and missed, scare over, what a relief. Back up to the other end of the pitch... oooh! A scuffle in their penalty box had almost slipped us into the lead. Suddenly the referee's whistle blew. We had done it! We hadn't lost! Our determination had kept us in the game and almost won it for us! It was only a draw but as Dave said, we had given our all and so we were winners. Man of the match to everybody! And what a nice present for Dave on his birthday: our first ever point!

To the tune of the 12 Days of Christmas – kind of:

On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, my relatives gave to me: 60 jaffa cakes, 20 jelly beans, 10 jaffa bars, 3 packs of love hearts, 2 tangerines, a big bar of chocolate, a small pack of mints and some travel sweets in a metal tin (that's roughly correct).

Anyway, my progress report is that they are all gone! I did give some away but I have to confess that I did stuff myself and enjoyed doing it. Surprisingly though, I'm not sick of sweets and chocolate, or even of jaffa cakes.

Lesson learnt: increase self-control.

New Year's Eve is the perfect excuse for staying up late. My sister went to a party, my Mum (being the most sensible) went to bed and Dad and I watch a film. About half way through there were some fireworks. How stupid, I thought, to have them early and not just wait an hour or two until midnight. Anyway, the film was good and when we had finished it we watched the extras. After all the extras I realised that it was 1:45am and that the fireworks were actually at midnight - I had missed the New Year! Oh well, I haven't actually, there's still 365 days of it left! Happy New Year!