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Running behind schedule again...

Well, another busy week, with lots happening, mostly on the soccer front. Still the sessions on Wednesday and Thursday are running, although it's finishing earlier due to it getting dark. We're down to 1930, and it'll have to be cut back more yet.

The biggest news is that we actually had some rain this week. It started on Thursday, and went off and on through Saturday. Great to see some rain after the continuous sunshine for the past 2 months. I was reading in the Electronic Herald that the weather has been better in Scotland with the best temperatures of the summer. I laughed when I read 70 and 80, however, as we've had 107. Boy, is that a touch warm!

Both Graham and Colin played on Saturday. Graham's team had fairly easy wins over the team they played. Graham scored 5, including one from halfway, and Kelton, Timmy and Ben scored at least the same. It was just like back in Scotland, playing in the rain.

Colin's game was also exciting, although for all the wrong reasons. They got cuffed again, and to add insult got a yellow card and even a red card. One kid decided to have a wee swearie after missing his kick, and promptly got his marching orders. Didn't surprise me as he's a foul-mouthed vratch who won't be on the team for much longer.

I was hanging around after the game, talking to the referee, as the next game was forming. Their referee hadn't turned up so I volunteered to do a half. My first time refereeing for almost a year, but it all went smoothly.

Sunday saw Colin's Rec+ game, and would you believe, another referee no- show. So, I did the honors again and got someone else to control the substitutes. The boys won 1-0 again, so are undefeated. A closer game this time, although they never really looked like losing a goal, apart from one near miss. Then again, they didn't really look much like scoring apart from that one. More superlative refereeing again, of course...

My own game in the evening was fun. We won 5-1, and I even managed to bag one myself, rounding the keeper and slotting home from a narrow angle. I even had a go from about 25 yards, just going over the crossbar. I may try that again. I also had assists in 2 of the other goals, so a success all round. We had the same referee as last week, so we had a good chat, and we were discussing refereeing. I tried another 25 yarder later in the game, but didn't catch it right and it just ran right along the ground to the keeper. The referee runs past and comments "More dead worms..."

This week I also had my first breakfast meeting, this to discuss the upcoming classes for CPI. The Oracle class I'm doing is due to start on Tuesday - yikes! I had been expecting nearer the end of November. So, it's all busy this weekend puting it together. It will last for 6 weeks and should cover all the major aspects of developing an Oracle system. It seemed a good idea at the time...

This past week I also got the SBU stuff sorted. The tapes had arrived from Scotland and I had the tape drive from someone at work, it was just a case of putting it all together. In the end it was one of those cases where everything just worked as it should. The tape drive connected easily; Win95 reconized it and installed the correct software; the files I needed were there on the tape; they restored to this PC easily. Unbelievable! The only fly was that the contact at Buchanan's (who are doing the changes for the SBU) had changed their e-mail address, so all my mails got bounced. All should be fine now, though.

This week I finally bit the bullet and ordered some books on Java. This is a new(ish) programming language that is becoming quit popular. It is usefule not only for integrating into web pages but also for general programming. It is going to be the next big language (I hope!) so I want to get into it now. So watch for some snazzy effects and things on the web- site. If I ever get time to do anything with it.

The Clinton affair grinds on and on. I haven't seen the tape of his Grand Jury evidence, but that's through lack of opportunity not desire. I certainly believe that the release of the tape was through political motives, not any point of law or the good of the country. I heard on the radio that in all the years of Grand Juries this is the first evidence to be made public. A shameful decision if ever there was.

It doesn't seem to have made much difference to Clinton's popularity, however. If anything I think it's firmed up his support, as the common view is that it shouldn't have been released. The decision may yet backfire on all the Republicans who pushed it through. I think he'll end up with a censure, as there really isn't enough there for impeachment.

Well, that's enough for this week. I'll catch you all next week.