1 June 2016

I've come home. I'm so cold!

Halfway through our last week of having Mycroft 'home' from School. Next time, he's left school and is about to go to work for the summer! After that, Uni...

We are entering an entirely foreign world to me, and mainly foreign to John (And stupid, if you ask Sherlock). Because Oxford University- where, I'm not sure if we've ever mentioned it or not, he is going (barring him sticking pencils up his nose, underpants on his head and sitting under his exam desk and not even writing his name) - demand rather more in the way of tradition than most, so Mycroft has to have all the right clothes and gowns and ties and whatnot ready and visit again to see his digs once he does get in to the college he wants to, and it's all completely baffling but he seems thoroughly happy about it all, and what more could we ever want than that?

He also has to take various sworn oaths and all sorts, and we've even been told we might get to visit! For formal dinners, no less.

I hope everyone understand how hard it is to behave when confronted with John in a posh suit. It'll be my only defence when questioned!


We also talked about some summer holidays - even though the big lad is working for the cyber spies for most of his 'holiday'. And Mycroft is very sure that he wants to go back to the Moors...where all of this started, for me and the boys.... and sort of where most of it started for John, although not the bloggy bit.

So that's where we're going. Hopefully this time without assassins, hell hounds (normal ones, or rehabilitated hell ones, both fine), no being rescued by helicopters (Unless required for entirely different reasons). We are not only going to camp, but we are going to Wild Camp. We will take bivis and bashas, we will rely on John's military expertise (and my expertise at finding places to sleep when in no fit state to find home), take a tiny amount of gear and live off the land (and pubs. And small cosy tea houses). It will be a proper, genuine, adventure. We will bike around, find cosy spots and bed down under the stars. I'm kind of excited already. (Provided the above rules are obeyed.)


Currently, the allotment is growing like a jungle - mainly weeds - Sherlock's pond is full to bursting with newts, the coffee machine at the office has broken, (reminds me, must find way of making good coffee in the wild...), my work laptop keeps freezing (must get Mycroft to look at it) and Anthea hasn't yet killed me (at time of writing this). Must also warn Dartmoor plod of potential for rustling figures to go through the roof this summer. And warn Dartmoor prison of chance of small boy trying to break IN....

166 comments:

pandabob said...

Oxford sounds like the perfect choice Mycroft :-) I hope you aren't driven to pencil and underpants insanity before then ;-)

Your holiday plans sound amazing, you lot living wild, what could possibly go wrong ;-)

Greg Lestrade said...

I'm frequently driven tot hat sort of insanity - but only in the privacy of my own office ;)

And I know....tempting fate, eh?

REReader said...

Aha! It seems my newt link was more relevant than I thought (although I daresay it didn't have much--if anything--that Sherlock didn't already know about :) )!

Oxford! That's an exciting choice, Mycroft, and very glamorous. (At least it is from an American point of view!)

And that sounds like a very cool summer holiday you are planning there. Adventure of some sort practically guaranteed, even if it comes in the form of untimely precipitation... ;)

Kestrel337 said...

Regarding camping coffee: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/11/26/mini-espresso-maker-allows-you-to-remain-civilized-even-while-backpacking/

(I've never tried one of these; I usually make do with crappy flavored powdered stuff)

Oxford sounds like a good fit for Mycroft, and what a fun adventure to go on before the next stage begins.

Small Hobbit said...

L - does this mean you and John get to act out Brideshead Revisited?

Anonymous said...

I don't usually comment, but couldn't resist - Brideshead Revisited! I had such a thing for the young Anthony Andrews! Mycroft - I'm sure Oxford will be an amazing experience. Vacation plans sound wonderful as well!
LyricalSinger

REReader said...

Heh, LyricalSinger--me too! (One of the reasons Oxford seems so glamorous to me. ;) )

Desert Wanderer said...

What is there to rustle in Dartmoor, Doc? I ask you under the assumption you've already cased the joint.

Joolz said...

That sounds very exciting, Mycroft, I'm sure you'll have an amazing time.

I love Brideshead too and if there's any re-enactment going on then we need all the gory details. ;)

Wild camping sounds like great fun. It'll be nice to go back to where you all met, let's hope it's not quite so dangerous this time. :)

John H. D. Watson said...

DW - maybe I can handle some more suspicious salmon...

Desert Wanderer said...

Yet another exercise that requires good hand coordination. There you go, Doc, your specialties, the 4 S's: Shooting, surgery, salmon. Now if only we could think of a fourth thing that you're good at that requires expert handling. Hmm...

Greg Lestrade said...

you're right, DW, he is excellent at sewing.

And I'm fairly sure he's casting the salmon in a bad light here - they are not suspicious, it's his handling of them which is!

Desert Wanderer said...

True. "I wasn't rustling these salmon, M'Lord. They just...jumped into my boat is all." Better make sure you've £2,500 on you, cash, Doc, for when you're found in violation of Section 32 of the Salmon Act of 1986 ("Handling salmon in suspicious circumstances.").

Greg Lestrade said...

personally I feel amazed we got to 1986 before the law was made....oh, hang on, what year were you born, Danger?? ..let me do the maths.....yesssss, just about of age to start a bit of fish fondling, hmm?

Desert Wanderer said...

To be fair, the 1986 act replaced the 1975 act, so... It's like they knew a seamy salmon swindler should swoop in, surreptitiously swiping salmon from streams and stealthily secreting said salmon somewhere secret to sell to suspicious sportsmen or something.

Greg Lestrade said...

A little 4 yr old John... probably started by harassing hamsters and rounding up rabbits, as a pre-cursor to his grown-up rustling addiction. No wonder the government were worried.

Anonymous said...

I'd say the best part of Oxford, after the fact it's where Mycroft wants to go, is the proximity to London! Distance won't ever be the reason he'll have to miss any important family event, though work and schedule will no doubt interfere.

Plus Sherlock will continue to get a good view of one of his future possible choices.

Summer plans sound wonderful. I am curious to hear if their former home turns out to be of any current importance - good or bad - to the boys when they're back in that terrain.

To spare poor Mycroft, you'd best practice being around John in a posh suit before any forays to Oxford. A kind of de-sensitization exercise . . .

-fA

Anonymous said...

P.s. I don't really think a trip with the enthusiastic Sherlock is the best setting in which to renew a rustling hobby. I hope he saves that for an adults only outing. (Though I suppose a D.I. from Scotland Yard isn't the best companion for it either . . . )

-fA

Greg Lestrade said...

excellent point...John, get your best suit on and parade around in front of me, eh?

And yes, I am, of course, an upstanding pillar of the community, and in no way encouraging or associated with the Rampant Rustler - otherwise known as Danger Watson.

Desert Wanderer said...

I had heard that about you. That as pillars go, you were upstanding. I'm sure that's especially true when you're standing near Doc in his best suit.

REReader said...

Ah, DW, we've missed you so....

Joolz said...

Thanks for the updated predictions for Tiny and Shorty, Anonybob, I've altered those on the forms for them so they are good to go.

Thanks to KT for your entry as well. We currently have 16 players but there are still 5 days left if anyone else wants to join in for our Euro 2016 footy competition, we'd be happy to welcome anyone. :)
http://www.carryon.org.uk/worldcup2014/index.php/468253/lang-en

Anonymous said...

Well we most certainly need DW for . . . commentary . . . should the Upstanding Pillar & Rampant Rustler embark on adventures. I'm thinking of it as the blog equivalent of David Attenborough . . .

-fA

Desert Wanderer said...

"Here you see the semi-domesticated Bobby, marshmallowis totalicus in a non-natural habitat. Note that the discomfort of being slightly cold and wet does nothing to hinder his traditional mating gestures towards his mate, the respectibulus medicus, or Uncommon Sawbones. See how he makes coffee and offers massages, typical courting behaviour in such happy pairs. It's also worth mentioning that the Sawbones, much like a border collie without any sheep to herd, will turn his attention towards any likely candidate within reach and attempt to wrangle it. Some varieties have been known to wrangle camels, fish, pigs, even badgers."

Anonymous said...

I will beguile any tedious minutes at work today by thinking of Danger Watson in his guise of "a border collie without any sheep to herd!"

(Though I suspect Sherlock might stand in for any number of sheep.)

DW, you do not disappoint!

-fA

REReader said...

Heeheeheeheeheeheeheehee!

Greg Lestrade said...

Oi, how come I get 'marshmallowis' and he gets 'respectibulus'? I demand David Attenborough check those names as I don't believe they're entirely correct.

Desert Wanderer said...

Because you are 100% tough copper on the outside, but inside, you're soft-hearted and lovely. Like a toasted marshmallow. (Also, that's only like the third time in my life I've heard a cop shout "Oi!" I thought it was just a stereotype, but no...)

Greg Lestrade said...

As a copper I note you have failed entirely to explain how the Dangerous Doc ever got to be called 'respectibulus' though....

'Oi' is possibly the most useful word a copper has in their arsenal. Miscreants always react to an 'oi' in a way quite different to law-abiding folk, thereby identifying themselves. (Danger reacts to an 'oi'. I've noted that in my file of evidence against the 'respectibulus' tag.)

Desert Wanderer said...

...You have a file of evidence? The Scientific Board of Wanderus is open for debate on the subject.

When he shouted "Oi" in my direction, I ran. Was that the right answer?

Greg Lestrade said...

That entirely depends on what you thought the question was ;)

I have a bulging evidence file. Including all arrest records, animals which have been rustled, or otherwise handled in suspicious circumstances (I also submit that marshmallowis totalicus has been handled by the so called 'respectibulus' medicus in the most suspicious of circumstances, and have a separate file on that issue, marked for my eyes only). The evidence spans at least 3 continents.

Desert Wanderer said...

I've heard about your...evidence file. Perhaps we need some independent verification on its size. I've heard that people sometimes claim to have a whole binder of 'evidence,' and instead have only a sheet or two of crumpled notepaper.

In any case, your testimony has been considered, and the board moves to stroke 'respectibulus' from the record and replace it with 'miscreantus.'

Greg Lestrade said...

I assure you that each time I see Miscreantus Medicus it only causes my evidence file to bulge a little more.

I thank the board for its swift adjudication and correction.

Greg Lestrade said...

mmmm it's hot and all I can smell is warm leather and hot tarmac and occasionally lovely fresh grass or flowers as I ride through the city.

Anonymous said...

Olfactory memories are so deeply rooted! My favorite summer smell since childhood is rain when it first hits hot asphalt.

-fA

Greg Lestrade said...

I may change sides, folks. I came very close to tracking someone down and killing them today.... (not really, obviously...but giving them a jolly good talking to....)

REReader said...

They must have done something unusually horrendous. :(

Anonymous said...

Hope today is going better, L.

-fA

Greg Lestrade said...

Today is better. Sun, so far no thunderstorm, progress on a case, all good.

REReader said...

*searching fruitlessly for the [LIKE] button*

Joolz said...

Glad today has gone better, Greg, long may it continue. :)

The European Championship starts tomorrow and so begins our football competition. We have 16 competitors but anyone is welcome to join at any time if they wish.

The predictions for the first game are as follows:
Joolz 2-0, Greg 2-1, John 2-0, Sherlock 2-1, REReader 1-2, Piplover 2-2, Kestrel337 2-0, Small Hobbit 2-2, Nameless 2-1, Lancs Anon 2-1, Anonybob 2-1, Tiny Panda 3-0, Shorty Panda 2-0, Mini Panda 0-1, Desert Wanderer 2-1, KT 1-2.

Good luck everyone. :)

Small Hobbit said...

Thanks Joolz. Good luck everybody, especially Panda Cubs.

I appear to have predicated a draw - wish I could remember who was playing :D

Joolz said...

Oops, that would help if I'd included the teams, wouldn't it! ;)
The first game is France v Romania at 8 pm tonight GMT.

Kestrel337 said...

wait...what sport am I predicting again? :)

Desert Wanderer said...

Curling.

Small Hobbit said...

Bother, I thought it was caber tossing.

Desert Wanderer said...

Relevant to our interests? Euro Bingo

Greg Lestrade said...

Don't get DW started on caber tossing, SH.

I didn't get home until three am. Am now drinking my entire body capacity in coffee

Desert Wanderer said...

Hey now. I'm not the one around here whose blood rises at the thought of tossing long tapered poles!

Anonymous said...

DW: I watch very little British sport yet that Euro Bingo thing made me chuckle. :-)

Hang in there L. One of the things I most resent as I get older is how much harder it seems to function with insufficient sleep. Hope you're not feeling it as hard as I do.

I refuse to look up caber tossing till at least one more reference to it is made. I have a vague idea that people do it wearing kilts, though. Is that correct?

-fA

Desert Wanderer said...

Depends, fA. People do it wearing kilts, wearing things besides kilts, and I'm sure, in some places, they do it wearing nothing at all. It's done all around the planet, in every environment, and for the most part, people take great joy in doing it.

REReader said...

...Are we all talking about the same thing?

Desert Wanderer said...

As much as we ever are, RR. (That sentence went wonky in my ear)

Greg Lestrade said...

I feel certain that wearing a kilt allows a certain freedom of movement which lends itself to some gentle tossing

I'll ask John about it.

Small Hobbit said...

Since I presume the Euro Bingo card is one for have a drink everytime you spot something, none of us will be sober for the next few weeks.

pandabob said...

I'll be happy to give the bingo a go if thems the rules SH ;-)

REReader said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
REReader said...

That's what I though, DW. ;)

I want to wish you all a Happy Shavu'ot (Sunday and Monday), when Jews celebrate getting the 10 Commandments (and the rest of the Torah). Traditional food is cheesecake! (Well, dairy food generally but cheesecake is the thing everyone wants, of course.) (Dairy because...because reasons.)

Desert Wanderer said...

Perhaps, Lestrade, but from what I've heard, it's quite rigorous tossing. Takes a lot to get the pole up and into position, and the actual thrust looks to be hell on the thighs and knees.

Small Hobbit said...

I don't think it's so bad for those who've had plenty of practice.

Greg Lestrade said...

I think you can start gently and ease into it, DW. Possibly start with a smaller pole and work up?

Desert Wanderer said...

Anyone else feeling the awkwardness of cheering for France right now?

pandabob said...

Yup! I think there's going to be a lot of that feeling over the next few weeks DW ;-)

Greg Lestrade said...

Well, I did want Romania to do well, despite my prediction...but that was a stunning goal. And the correct scoreline ;)

Joolz said...

And we're off... with 6 perfect scores straight off the bat. A brilliant start to the competition for Greg, Sherlock, Nameless, Lancs, Anonybob and DW.

The first table looks like this:
2 - Greg, Sherlock, Nameless, Lancs Anon, Anonybob, Desert Wanderer
1 - Joolz, John, Kestrel337, Tiny Panda, Shorty Panda
0 - REReader, Piplover, Small Hobbit, Mini Panda, KT

The fixtures for tomorrow are as follows:
Albania v Switzerland
Joolz 2-2, Greg 1-1, John 0-3, Sherlock 1-2, REReader 0-1, Piplover 1-2, Kestrel337 1-2, Small Hobbit 3-3, Nameless 1-1, Lancs Anon 1-1, Anonybob 0-1, Tiny Panda 0-1, Shorty Panda 0-2, Mini Panda 0-1, Desert Wanderer 1-1, KT 1-1.

Wales v Slovakia
Joolz 1-1, Greg 2-1, John 1-1, Sherlock 2-1, REReader 2-1, Piplover 2-1, Kestrel337 3-1, Small Hobbit 0-2, Nameless 1-0, Lancs Anon 1-0, Anonybob 0-0, Tiny Panda 1-2, Shorty Panda 2-0, Mini Panda 0-1, Desert Wanderer 3-2, KT 2-0.

England v Russia
Joolz 2-1, Greg 3-1, John 1-2, Sherlock 1-2, REReader 2-1, Piplover 3-2, Kestrel337 2-2, Small Hobbit 1-2, Nameless 2-1, Lancs Anon 2-1, Anonybob 2-1, Tiny Panda 3-1, Shorty Panda 2-0, Mini Panda 1-0, Desert Wanderer 2-1, KT 4-2.

Good luck :)

Greg Lestrade said...

You're a star, Joolz, for doing all this. Looks like tomorrow might split the field a bit!

Joolz said...

Thanks :) It's all good fun and you're right about the table, it's going to be a good spread after tomorrow I think.

Lancs. Anon said...

Seriously diving beetles all the way, ditiscus are very cool

Joolz said...

Unlucky for England there, robbed at the last minute. Lucky for the 7 people who got perfect scores today, though - Greg, Sherlock, Piplover, Anonybob, Tiny Panda, Mini Panda and REReader who managed to get 2 of them, so well done all of you and congratulations to Sherlock who moves to the top of the table.

The table today is as follows:
5 - Sherlock
4 - Greg, REReader, Kestrel337, Anonybob
3 - Piplover, Nameless, Lancs Anon, Tiny Panda, Shorty Panda, Desert Wanderer
2 - John, Mini Panda
1 - Joolz, KT
0 - Small Hobbit

Here are the fixtures for tomorrow:
Turkey v Croatia
Joolz 0-1, Greg 0-2, John 0-1, Sherlock 1-2, REReader 2-2, Piplover 3-2, Kestrel337 1-0, Small Hobbit 1-3, Nameless 0-1, Lancs Anon 3-0, Anonybob 0-0, Tiny Panda 1-3, Shorty Panda 0-2, Mini Panda 1-0, Desert Wanderer 2-1, KT 0-0.

Poland v Northern Ireland
Joolz 2-0, Greg 1-1, John 3-1, Sherlock 2-1, REReader 2-3, Piplover 2-1, Kestrel337 2-1, Small Hobbit 2-0, Nameless 0-0, Lancs Anon 2-0, Anonybob 3-1, Tiny Panda 0-2, Shorty Panda 0-2, Mini Panda 0-1, Desert Wanderer 1-3, KT 2-3.

Germany v Ukraine
Joolz 3-1, Greg 3-0, John 2-0, Sherlock 2-1, REReader 2-0, Piplover 2-1, Kestrel337 2-2, Small Hobbit 2-1, Nameless 2-0, Lancs Anon 4-2, Anonybob 1-0, Tiny Panda 2-0, Shorty Panda 0-2, Mini Panda 1-0, Desert Wanderer 3-2, KT 0-0.

Good luck everyone :)

Greg Lestrade said...

How does Sherlock do it? He barely glances at the footy. Yet there he is. And I ask him how he always beats me and he just shrugs and says 'You're just not very good at it I suppose'.

Kids, eh? The only thing I have left is my ability to put things on very high shelves out of his reach. And he's soon going to have me stitched up on that too!!

Anonymous said...

Yay Team Small Pandas!

Looking at Mycroft & Mrs. H, it's hard to see how Sherlock wouldn't be extraordinary, especially as the raising he's gotten has supported & nurtured him. But maybe you'll get lucky - my kids are smarter, cooler and (in one case) hugely more competent than am I, & they still seem to like hanging out with me occasionally. ;-)

-fA

Small Hobbit said...

This is clearly a game played with the wrong shape ball.

Greg Lestrade said...

My heart goes out to those in any way caught up with the Orlando attack.

When I heard about the Admiral Duncan being bombed here I remember feeling like all my blood turned to ice. I kind of felt the same this morning, when I heard about this attack.

I don't know what to say or do, except hope that one day, soon, all this hate is replaced by love.

Anonymous said...

I'm tired of people. The Orlando attack is horrible, but it's the way it's already being used as no more than a playing piece in the unending and ubiquitous wrangling over politics here is just more than I can take. Our politics were dreadful enough to start with.
-fA

Joolz said...

The table looks like this:
8 - Sherlock
7 - John, Nameless
6 - Greg, REReader, Anonybob, Tiny Panda
5 - Joolz, Piplover, Kestrel337, Lancs Anon
4 - Shorty Panda, Desert Wanderer
3 - Small Hobbit, Mini Panda
1 - KT

The fixtures for today are:
Spain v Czech Republic
Joolz 3-2, Greg 2-1, John 2-0, Sherlock 1-1, REReader 1-0, Piplover 0-2, Kestrel337 1-1, Small Hobbit 2-2, Nameless 1-1, Lancs Anon 2-0, Anonybob 1-2, Tiny Panda 1-3, Shorty Panda 2-0, Mini Panda 0-1, Desert Wanderer 3-0, KT 1-2.

Republic of Ireland v Sweden
Joolz 1-2, Greg 1-1, John 1-1, Sherlock 1-2, REReader 2-1, Piplover 1-2, Kestrel337 2-2, Small Hobbit 2-0, Nameless 1-0, Lancs Anon 1-3, Anonybob 1-1, Tiny Panda 3-2, Shorty Panda 2-0, Mini Panda 0-1, Desert Wanderer 3-1, KT 2-0.

Belgium v Italy
Joolz 1-1, Greg 1-2, John 2-2, Sherlock 1-2, REReader 1-3, Piplover 2-1, Kestrel337 3-1, Small Hobbit 1-2, Nameless 0-2, Lancs Anon 2-2, Anonybob 0-1, Tiny Panda 1-2, Shorty Panda 0-2, Mini Panda 0-1, Desert Wanderer 1-4, KT 3-3.

Good luck.

Desert Wanderer said...

Was the World Cup particularly high scoring last time? All my scores seem way off the mark.

Greg Lestrade said...

Yeah, there were a few high ones in the World Cup, DW.

Stopped in at Old Compton Street on the way home. Had a bit of a cry, on my own, surrounded by thousands of people. Felt completely useless. Then felt a very strong urge to get home to John and Sherlock.

Lancs. Anon said...

It's hard to know what to say about Orlando. No one should have to get text messages like that poor mother, it's hard to imagine what that must have been like. And then you combine that with the fact that some arses then use it to make political points (on both sides of the Atlantic). I could rant more but I'm actually too fed up.

Greg Lestrade said...

Yeah. It's so senseless, I just feel so defeated. Nothing changes. And every time you hope it will, but there's still people out there who want to do these things to other groups and it all just seems hopeless and helpless and just too fucking much to cope with.

Lancs. Anon said...

Yep, that about sums it up. It does feel like nothing's getting any better and perhaps the human race would be better off wiped out by a meteor. I hate the religious rhetoric, I hate the political rhetoric, I really hate the second amendment rhetoric - the framers did not have in mind sub-machine guns, they had in mind muskets that took 30 seconds to re-load.

But we carry on, I guess, and try and make our little corners of the world better even when it seems like such a drop in the ocean.

Piplover said...

Recently, I've felt completely fed up with humanity. Fed up with the hatred, with the violence, with all the stupid politics. And then something like this happens and I thought I would feel even worse.

But there were lines today, lines that went blocks, of people waiting to donate blood. People have held vigils all over the world.

There is a lot of hatred in the world, but I have to believe there is a lot of good, as well. Fred Rogers once said, "Look to the helpers." That's what I'm trying to do. Trying to ignore the asshats that are the politicians.

We have to look to the good if we want to find it, and good God it's hard right now. But I'm still hopeful.

Anonymous said...

I dunno if things seem worse. They seem dreadful. But some of the crap is (I hope, I believe) ignorant people pushing back against the positive change that's happened in my lifetime but that makes them uncomfortable. Across most arenas: racial equality, equal rights & acceptance for different sexual preferences & gender identities, women's rights, I don't think people under 30 understand how much many of today's issues were just barely coming into existence as issues - at least not in the lives of the privileged - when I was a very young kid (I was born in the late '50s) simply because they Weren't Acknowledged. You can't have backlash against rights that weren't even on the table.

But people are people, we're easily scared and we're shitty to each other and we love to blame somebody else when we feel powerless or threatened.

I am weary to death of the political posturing over human misery, and I don't have the energy to fight on all the fronts the legislative backlash that's happening (in my state especially) against some of the rights that have been won in the last 40 years. I mean, I'm going to slog forward and do what I can at leaast on the state level because I can, but I find it hard to really invest on all the fronts. There's such wholesale idiocy and pandering to the "wah wah everything was better back when no one challenged my personal privileged way of thinking" demographic.

Blurgh. Individuals usually surprise me by being better than I expect (politicians excepted). Humans in large groups, just the opposite.

tl;dr: I'm with you Piplover. All I can do is to just try to be the person Mr. Rogers knew I could be, and focus on the helpers. The big picture is too overwhelming. (god help our mindsets if we really looked at all the world's problems on a global basis, beyond our personal focus on our own countries and the most important of our neighbors.)

- fA

Joolz said...

The current table:
10 - Greg, John
9 - Sherlock, REReader, Nameless, Anonybob
7 - Tiny Panda, Shorty Panda
6 - Joolz, Kestrel337, Lancs Anon, Desert Wanderer
5 - Piplover
4 - Small Hobbit, Mini Panda
1 - KT

The fixtures for today:
Austria v Hungary
Joolz 2-0, Greg 2-2, John 1-1, Sherlock 2-1, REReader 2-0, Piplover 3-2, Kestrel337 1-1, Small Hobbit 0-1, Nameless 1-1, Lancs Anon 0-1, Anonybob 0-0, Tiny Panda 0-2, Shorty Panda 0-2, Mini Panda 0-1, Desert Wanderer 1-1, KT 3-1.

Portugal v Iceland
Joolz 3-1, Greg 2-0, John 3-1, Sherlock 2-1, REReader 1-1, Piplover 1-2, Kestrel337 2-3, Small Hobbit 3-0, Nameless 2-0, Lancs Anon 3-1, Anonybob 2-1, Tiny Panda 0-1, Shorty Panda 2-0, Mini Panda 1-0, Desert Wanderer 3-2, KT 1-4.

Good luck.

Greg Lestrade said...

I think I'm far too caught up in a whole lot of negative feelings to do with this, my history and all sorts of things to even begin to find anything positive. But I won't bore you with it all, because if you can find that good then all power to you.

REReader said...

I hear you, L. We have such a stew of hate and greed and I don't even know what. It makes me want to retreat, only to where?

Lancs. Anon said...

I'm sorry, but I'm with you Greg. I do know that not everyone is an arse, that there are far more good people than bad, but really how many vigils and similar can we have? I don't want to show solidarity, I want to not have to in the first place, I don't want to have to wince every time I look at/hear the news, it's just all getting a little too much.

Joolz said...

Today's table:
11 - REReader
10 - Greg, John
9 - Sherlock, Nameless, Anonybob, Tiny Panda, Shorty Panda
7 - Lancs Anon
6 - Joolz, Kestrel337, Desert Wanderer
5 - Piplover, Small Hobbit, Mini Panda
1 - KT

The fixtures for tomorrow:
Russia v Slovakia
Joolz 2-2, Greg 2-0, John 2-0, Sherlock 2-1, REReader 2-1, Piplover 3-3, Kestrel337 1-3, Small Hobbit 2-3, Nameless 1-0, Lancs Anon 0-1, Anonybob 1-1, Tiny Panda 1-2, Shorty Panda 2-0, Mini Panda 0-1, Desert Wanderer 1-0, KT 3-1.

Romania v Switzerland
Joolz 1-2, Greg 1-1, John 2-1, Sherlock 2-1, REReader 1-2, Piplover 2-1, Kestrel337 2-3, Small Hobbit 2-0, Nameless 1-0, Lancs Anon 1-1, Anonybob 0-1, Tiny Panda 2-3, Shorty Panda 0-2, Mini Panda 1-0, Desert Wanderer 2-2, KT 0-3.

France v Albania
Joolz 2-0, Greg 3-0, John 3-0, Sherlock 2-1, REReader 1-0, Piplover 1-2, Kestrel337 2-0, Small Hobbit 2-0, Nameless 2-0, Lancs Anon 2-0, Anonybob 2-0, Tiny Panda 0-1, Shorty Panda 2-0, Mini Panda 1-0, Desert Wanderer 4-0, KT 3-1.

Good luck.

REReader said...

...Heeheeheeheehee!

Anonymous said...

RR - how'd that happen!!?? Good for you!

But I'm rooting for the smaller Pandas. Go Pandas!

I was working away from media/the news for 14 hours, then went straight to heard slam poets, many of whom had new work based on the recent tragedy. (Several of whom would likely have been in the analogous club or lost loved ones from their chosen families had the massacre happened in my city.) 14 hours of news blackout and then live, newly written, anger and sorrow and processing and Pride and fucking heartbreak.

Everybody's responsible for their own mental health, & shouldn't risk it just to be "up on the latest," but it is sobering how pleasant ignorance - even just a day of ignorance - is. It's *disturbingly easy* to see why people cling to it.

Onwards all,

-fA

Joolz said...

Though I selfishly wanted France to win for my scores, I was sorry for Albania there after they lost their chance at getting their first tournament point at the last minute. Well done to REReader for taking the lead yesterday, but Greg's 3 points have snatched it back again today. Two of the baby pandas have brilliantly worked their way up to joint third and Lancs Anon has shot up to joint second with an almost perfect trifecta, scoring 5 out of the possible 6 points.
The table stands like this:
13 - Greg
12 - REReader, Lancs Anon
11 - John, Nameless, Anonybob, Tiny Panda, Shorty Panda
10 - Sherlock
9 - Kestrel337
8 - Joolz, Small Hobbit, Desert Wanderer
7 - Mini Panda
5 - Piplover
2 - KT

Here are the fixtures for tomorrow:
England v Wales
Joolz 2-1, Greg 2-2, John 1-2, Sherlock 1-2, REReader 1-2, Piplover 2-2, Kestrel337 0-1, Small Hobbit 2-1, Nameless 2-1, Lancs Anon 4-1, Anonybob 3-1, Tiny Panda 2-3, Shorty Panda 2-0, Mini Panda 0-1, Desert Wanderer 2-1, KT 2-2.

Ukraine v Northern Ireland
Joolz 2-1, Greg 1-1, John 2-1, Sherlock 2-1, REReader 2-3, Piplover 2-1, Kestrel337 0-2, Small Hobbit 1-0, Nameless 0-0, Lancs Anon 3-1, Anonybob 2-1, Tiny Panda 0-3, Shorty Panda 0-2, Mini Panda 0-1, Desert Wanderer 1-3, KT 4-1.

Germany v Poland
Joolz 3-1, Greg 3-1, John 2-2, Sherlock 2-1, REReader 1-0, Piplover 1-3, Kestrel337 3-1, Small Hobbit 2-1, Nameless 1-0, Lancs Anon 2-2, Anonybob 2-1, Tiny Panda 3-1, Shorty Panda 0-2, Mini Panda 0-1, Desert Wanderer 4-2, KT 3-2.

Good luck everyone.

Greg Lestrade said...

Youre doing a wonderful job, as always, Joolz. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Yay for the small Pandas! You do your mama proud.

-fA

Kestrel337 said...

Yay Pandas! Interesting where I'm sitting with my completely random picks. I'm sure there's something mathy (or mathsy) in that.

Anonymous said...

I'm back! I must get caught up on the last year or so of comments. How is everyone? Anyone remember me?

-Ella

Greg Lestrade said...

Hi Ella, how are you doing?

And yes, we have no chance against the Panda gang really, do we??

Anonymous said...

Hey Lestrade! I'm pretty good. Extremely saddened by everything in Orlando.

I see you have been invaded by pandas. I'm a little disappointed that I wasn't at the forefront of that brigade (my user icon on other sites has been a panda for awhile now).

-Ella

Joolz said...

Another last minute goal in an England game, but this time in our favour, and I think deserved as we had most of the play. A surprising draw for Germany too which only John & Lancs Anon guessed, though they both thought goals would be scored. It did help to take Lancs Anon right to the top of the table though, which is shared with a baby panda so well done Shorty and Lancs.

The table looks like this:
14 - Shorty Panda, Lancs Anon
13 - Greg, REReader, Nameless
12 - John, Anonybob, Tiny Panda
11 - Kestrel337, Desert Wanderer
10 - Sherlock, Joolz, Small Hobbit
8 - Mini Panda
5 - Piplover
2 - KT

The fixtures for tomorrow are as follows:
Italy v Sweden
Joolz 3-0, Greg 1-1, John 2-0, Sherlock 2-1, REReader 2-1, Piplover 0-2, Kestrel337 2-1, Small Hobbit 3-1, Nameless 2-1, Lancs Anon 1-0, Anonybob 0-0, Tiny Panda 2-1, Shorty Panda 2-0, Mini Panda 1-0, Desert Wanderer 4-1, KT 1-0.

Czech Republic v Croatia
Joolz 2-2, Greg 1-2, John 1-1, Sherlock 1-2, REReader 2-0, Piplover 1-2, Kestrel337 1-1, Small Hobbit 2-1, Nameless 1-0, Lancs Anon 0-1, Anonybob 1-2, Tiny Panda 2-3, Shorty Panda 0-2, Mini Panda 0-1, Desert Wanderer 2-2, KT 1-2.

Spain v Turkey
Joolz 2-0, Greg 1-1, John 2-1, Sherlock 2-1, REReader 1-2, Piplover 2-3, Kestrel337 2-2, Small Hobbit 3-1, Nameless 2-1, Lancs Anon 3-0, Anonybob 1-0, Tiny Panda 1-0, Shorty Panda 2-0, Mini Panda 0-1, Desert Wanderer 3-1, KT 3-2.

Good luck everyone. :)

pandabob said...

Team baby pandas are putting their mummy to shame!!

Thanks for doing all this joolz :-).

Lancs. Anon said...

Having some issues with commenting but just wanted to say I think this is the first time I've ever been at the top of anything like this and in such good company as well!

Thanks for running this Joolz

Anon Without A Name said...

Thanks Joolz, for this! I'm boggled I'm not last :-)

REReader said...

Likewise--awesome job, Joolz! And I know exactly what you mean, Nameless! (I mean, I don't even know what countries play or anything!)

Joolz said...

Thanks everyone, it's as much fun for me to do as I hope it is for you to play; and to see how strongly it makes you hope that someone you've never heard of will kick a ball in a net to make your prediction work. ;)
You're on fire today, Lancs Anon, you got two perfects and have jumped into the lead, closely followed by two baby pandas now and everyone else bunching up together a bit more behind.

Here is today's table:
18 - Lancs Anon
16 - Shorty Panda
15 - John, Nameless, Desert Wanderer
14 - Tiny Panda, Joolz, REReader
13 - Greg, Kestrel337, Anonybob
12 - Sherlock, Small Hobbit
10 - Mini Panda
5 - Piplover, KT

The predictions for tomorrow:
Belgium v Republic of Ireland
Joolz 2-0, Greg 2-1, John 3-0, Sherlock 2-1, REReader 1-3, Piplover 2-3, Kestrel337 1-2, Small Hobbit 1-1, Nameless 0-1, Lancs Anon 1-0, Anonybob 1-1, Tiny Panda 2-1, Shorty Panda 2-0, Mini Panda 0-1, Desert Wanderer 3-2, KT 3-3.

Iceland v Hungary
Joolz 2-1, Greg 1-1, John 0-0, Sherlock 2-1, REReader 2-1, Piplover 3-2, Kestrel337 1-0, Small Hobbit 0-2, Nameless 0-1, Lancs Anon 0-3, Anonybob 0-1, Tiny Panda 2-1, Shorty Panda 2-0, Mini Panda 1-0, Desert Wanderer 1-1, KT 2-0.

Portugal v Austria
Joolz 1-1, Greg 3-1, John 3-1, Sherlock 2-1, REReader 1-1, Piplover 1-2, Kestrel337 0-2, Small Hobbit 2-0, Nameless 2-0, Lancs Anon 3-1, Anonybob 2-2, Tiny Panda 0-1, Shorty Panda 2-0, Mini Panda 1-0, Desert Wanderer 4-1, KT 1-2.

Good luck. :)

Greg Lestrade said...

well, that was a swift fall from grace!

We watched Tim Peake return from space this morning - Sherlock was fascinated. Welcome home, Major Tim!

Greg Lestrade said...

...someone should probably tell me I don't need another motorbike. Probably quite sternly. And quite soon.

pandabob said...

I seem to recall that telling you what to do is not really a productive thing Greg so instead I say think of your bank balance while also wanting to know what pretty thing has brought the thought about ;-)

Greg Lestrade said...

it's decidedly not pretty things.

It's old unloved things in pieces that need someone to get their hands dirty and rebuild them.... (describing motorbikes there, not my husband or myself)

pandabob said...

things that will become pretty with a bit of love and attention are even harder to resist than already pretty things!

Failing at the telling you not too sorry ;-)

Greg Lestrade said...

Don't worry, you may have failed to tell me not to, but you've given me someone to share the blame ;)

pandabob said...

It's always nice to be useful :-D

Kestrel337 said...

Do you have a place where you could do such a thing? It's so cool to bring something back from the bits, but it does require work space.

REReader said...

Perhaps Sherlock would enjoy helping you put an old bike back together? I'm sure it would be fun and something good to learn how to do...

Desert Wanderer said...

Someone has introduced me to a singer I think you might be familiar with, Lestrade. Billy Bragg? I've been listening to him all day, and I'm hooked.

Greg Lestrade said...

Great, DW! I am indeed familiar with him - or rather, his music. Isn't it great finding something new to enjoy?

Desert Wanderer said...

Definitely. That's why I'm joining those who are decidedly not discouraging you from getting a fixer-upper. :)

Joolz said...

Three perfect scores yesterday for Greg, John and DW so that's brought some of the scores back up again, so only a partial fall from grace, Greg, you'll soon claw it back I'm sure. ;)

The scores on the doors are as follows:
19 - Lancs Anon
18 - John, Desert Wanderer
17 - Shorty Panda
16 - Greg, Joolz
15 - REReader, Nameless, Tiny Panda
14 - Anonybob
13 - Sherlock, Kestrel337
12 - Small Hobbit
10 - Mini Panda
5 - Piplover, KT

The predictions for today are:
Romania v Albania
Joolz 2-1, Greg 2-2, John 1-1, Sherlock 2-2, REReader 2-1, Piplover 3-2, Kestrel337 0-1, Small Hobbit 2-0, Nameless 1-1, Lancs Anon 2-2, Anonybob 0-0, Tiny Panda 1-3, Shorty Panda 2-0, Mini Panda 1-0, Desert Wanderer 2-2, KT 4-0.

Switzerland v France
Joolz 1-2, Greg 1-3, John 1-1, Sherlock 1-2, REReader 2-2, Piplover 2-0, Kestrel337 2-2, Small Hobbit 0-3, Nameless 0-1, Lancs Anon 0-0, Anonybob 1-2, Tiny Panda 0-2, Shorty Panda 0-2, Mini Panda 0-1, Desert Wanderer 0-1, KT 3-1.

As this is the start of the final games for each group, would everyone like to see the lists of which teams they have picked to go through before the points are added on Wednesday or are you not bothered?

Good luck everyone. :)

Small Hobbit said...

Haha, I'm not all that bothered - considering my inability to predict match results I somehow doubt I've chosen the right teams. On the other hand I might have chosen teams I predicted to lose matches. Did I say this was a game with a wrong shaped ball?

But thank you very much for doing this, Joolz.

Anonymous said...

Go Pandas! And congrats to those who've pulled ahead.

I'm feeling in strong favor of older, less lovely things at the moment, L. Went to an event for a local health care foundation for low-income working musicians last night. Old local bands & musicians and a way-over-venue-capacity crowd that was 80% folks between 45 and 70. Not dressed up and high dollar, but casual, sweaty and dancing like it was 1979. Except with bad knees, backs, extra weight and an awareness of those no longer with us or no longer able to stand for hours on concrete.

It was celebrating a beloved local club that started out as a roofless former lumberyard & had local bands and the greatest, most eclectic touring acts (before they reached huge-venue status) for 20-some years starting in the late '70s. It was a blissful evening, and for some of my friends who've lived here since the '70s it was like a family reunion where the distant cousins you were close to but haven't seen in years show up.

Where are you going to keep the old bike & work on it? Is there room at the flat?

-fA

Greg Lestrade said...

You are all being very bad influences.

I'd have to rent a garage...or work on it in the basement, if security have space for me...

Joolz said...

Restoring a bike sounds like a great idea, Greg. I'm sure Mrs H could find some space nearby for you.

Yes, I think you need to have a word with them, SH, they obviously haven't realised they're playing with the wrong balls. ;) It was certainly a very low scoring day on the footy today. John, REReader and Tiny Panda got one, Lancs Anon got two and Kestrel 337 got three.

Here's how the table stands:
21 - Lancs Anon
19 - John
18 - Desert Wanderer
17 - Shorty Panda
16 - Tiny Panda, Greg, Joolz, REReader, Kestrel337
15 - Nameless
14 - Anonybob
13 - Sherlock
12 - Small Hobbit
10 - Mini Panda
5 - Piplover, KT

Here are the predictions for tomorrow.
Russia v Wales
Joolz 1-1, Greg 3-1, John 1-1, Sherlock 2-1, REReader 1-3, Piplover 2-0, Kestrel337 1-2, Small Hobbit 1-1, Nameless 0-0, Lancs Anon 4-2, Anonybob 3-1, Tiny Panda 2-0, Shorty Panda 0-2, Mini Panda 1-0, Desert Wanderer 3-0, KT 1-3.

Slovakia v England
Joolz 1-2, Greg 1-2, John 1-2, Sherlock 1-1, REReader 1-2, Piplover 1-3, Kestrel337 1-0, Small Hobbit 2-1, Nameless 0-2, Lancs Anon 1-2, Anonybob 1-1, Tiny Panda 0-1, Shorty Panda 0-2, Mini Panda 0-1, Desert Wanderer 0-3, KT 1-4.

Good luck :)

Anonymous said...

Strong work from Team Panda! Lancs Anon, John & DW are also showing pretty impressive results.

We're all gonna be dead a long time, Greg. If it feels like the right time to rebuild an old bike, maybe it is. At the very least the time to look into the practical aspects of fitting the project into your life.

-fA

Kestrel337 said...

fA makes a good point. When all is said and sifted, the stories people tell will be of our joys.

You've said 'two wheels feeds the soul'. If restoring an old bike would be food for the soul, and the logistics can be worked out, then I say DO IT. Engage joyfully in the universe; we could all use more of that.

Anonymous said...

"Engage joyfully in the universe" - I like that phrase, Kestrel!

-fA

Anonymous said...

Speaking of feeding the soul, is John planning/doing any training for some grueling long-distance athletic feat? That kind of thing seems to engage his soul. Though that's even harder to fit in than rebuilding a bike, since you can't just abandon that kind of training and then pick it back up where you were if life gets overly busy for a few weeks or a month.

Wishing everyone a good day and week.

-fA

Small Hobbit said...

I may be the lone voice in saying leave the bike alone. Although possibly I'm biased: I was very glad when son moved out and the box of bits of "bike rebuild" moved out with him.

Greg Lestrade said...

To be honest, there is no bike yet. I'm still waiting to fall in love with one. Or stop looking.

Yesterday was one of those days where I felt guilty because someone else's misfortune meant that a great thing happened to me. Sherlock bought us flowers. For father's day (or, as he shrugged, 'nearly' father's day). And I would give anything in the world for their dad to be here to see these two extraordinary young men growing up. But I am also incredibly glad that I'm here to witness and be a part of it. I know John feels the same.

Joolz said...

I understand what you mean, Greg, it is sad their dad is not here to see them grow but what an honour for you & John to be acknowledged as 'nearly' and to be there to see what wonderful men they will grow up to be under your tutelage. :)

REReader said...

Yes, it's sad that their father isn't there--but there can never be too many loving, nuturing relationships in a person's life, and it's lovely that Sherlock (both of them, really) recognizes and returns that.

Desert Wanderer said...

Clearly, I meant 3-0 Wales. ;)

Small Hobbit said...

I don't care I got the score wrong: Wales! Wales! Wales!

Wales won the WALRUS match :D

Joolz said...

Well done Wales, what a great match for them, shame England couldn't do the same, but at least both teams are through to the next round so that's good going. Another low scoring round though, only six single points for people today.

The table stands thus:
21 - Lancs Anon
19 - John
18 - Shorty Panda, Desert Wanderer
17 - REReader, Kestrel337
16 - Tiny Panda, Greg, Joolz
15 - Nameless, Anonybob
14 - Sherlock
12 - Small Hobbit
10 - Mini Panda
6 - KT
5 - Piplover

The predictions for tomorrow:
Northern Ireland v Germany
Joolz 0-3, Greg 1-3, John 0-4, Sherlock 1-3, REReader 2-1, Piplover 2-2, Kestrel337 0-2, Small Hobbit 0-3, Nameless 0-2, Lancs Anon 0-3, Anonybob 1-3, Tiny Panda 1-0, Shorty Panda 2-0, Mini Panda 1-0, Desert Wanderer 0-1, KT 3-2.

Ukraine v Poland
Joolz 2-2, Greg 2-1, John 2-2, Sherlock 1-2, REReader 3-2, Piplover 1-1, Kestrel337 1-1, Small Hobbit 1-2, Nameless 0-0, Lancs Anon 2-2, Anonybob 1-1, Tiny Panda 2-0, Shorty Panda 0-2, Mini Panda 0-1, Desert Wanderer 2-1, KT 1-2.

Croatia v Spain
Joolz 2-3, Greg 2-2, John 1-3, Sherlock 2-1, REReader 1-2, Piplover 2-2, Kestrel337 2-3, Small Hobbit 1-2, Nameless 0-1, Lancs Anon 1-2, Anonybob 0-2, Tiny Panda 3-2, Shorty Panda 0-2, Mini Panda 0-1, Desert Wanderer 2-4, KT 3-1.

Czech Republic v Turkey
Joolz 2-1, Greg 0-0, John 1-1, Sherlock 2-1, REReader 2-1, Piplover 1-1, Kestrel337 3-1, Small Hobbit 2-0, Nameless 1-0, Lancs Anon 0-0, Anonybob 2-1, Tiny Panda 0-1, Shorty Panda 2-0, Mini Panda 1-0, Desert Wanderer 1-0, KT 0-0.

Good luck everybody :)

Anonymous said...

I am very impressed that Sherlock took the initiative to recognize you on Father's Day. It's obvious that you & John are important to the boys and that you have cared for them and all come to love each other as any family would - but it's special to have it recognized. (If indulging in melancholy, I don't know who I'm sadder for - Mycroft who has real memories of his dad, or Sherlock who must have little memory of him.)

-fA

Greg Lestrade said...

So...Wales seem to have an easier run in now - can they go all the way, SH?? ;)

Joolz said...

Three perfect scores today, one for Sherlock who had the most points with four, one for Mini Panda and one for DW. Tomorrow I'll also add in the points everyone will get for their team predictions so there could be some big changes and I'll put up the entry page for everyone to enter their predictions for the next stage.

The table today is like this:
22 - Lancs Anon
20 - John, Desert Wanderer
19 - Shorty Panda
18 - Sherlock, Tiny Panda, Kestrel337
17 - Greg, Joolz, REReader
16 - Nameless, Anonybob
14 - Small Hobbit
12 - Mini Panda
8 - KT
5 - Piplover

The predictions for tomorrow:
Hungary v Portugal
Joolz 1-3, Greg 0-2, John 1-1, Sherlock 1-3, REReader 2-2, Piplover 1-0, Kestrel337 2-1, Small Hobbit 1-2, Nameless 0-1, Lancs Anon 0-2, Anonybob 0-2, Tiny Panda 2-1, Shorty Panda 2-0, Mini Panda 0-1, Desert Wanderer 0-3, KT 4-1.

Iceland v Austria
Joolz 2-2, Greg 1-1, John 1-0, Sherlock 1-2, REReader 1-0, Piplover 2-2, Kestrel337 1-2, Small Hobbit 0-0, Nameless 0-0, Lancs Anon 1-2, Anonybob 0-0, Tiny Panda 1-3, Shorty Panda 0-2, Mini Panda 1-0, Desert Wanderer 1-2, KT 1-3.

Italy v Republic of Ireland
Joolz 3-0, Greg 2-1, John 3-0, Sherlock 2-1, REReader 2-3, Piplover 1-0, Kestrel337 2-2, Small Hobbit 3-1, Nameless 2-0, Lancs Anon 3-1, Anonybob 2-1, Tiny Panda 0-1, Shorty Panda 2-0, Mini Panda 1-0, Desert Wanderer 4-3, KT 1-3.

Sweden v Belgium
Joolz 1-2, Greg 2-1, John 1-2, Sherlock 2-2, REReader 2-1, Piplover 2-0, Kestrel337 1-2, Small Hobbit 1-1, Nameless 0-0, Lancs Anon 1-1, Anonybob 1-1, Tiny Panda 1-2, Shorty Panda 0-2, Mini Panda 0-1, Desert Wanderer 2-1, KT 2-2.

Good luck :)

Piplover said...

Can you tell I know absolutely nothing about this game? LOL! Thanks for being so amazing, Joolz.

Small Hobbit said...

L - Much as I'd love Wales to be the victors, I can't see them lifting the trophy.

Joolz said...

Another low scoring round. I think we need to tell these teams that they aren't doing what we predicted and it just isn't good enough. ;) We had two perfect Pandas with Tiny and Mini both getting one completely correct and John & RR both getting three singles but most others only picked up a point or nothing at all which meant the table gives us a new leader so congratulations John.

Table (before teams scores were added):
23 - John
22 - Lancs Anon
21 - Tiny Panda
20 - Shorty Panda, REReader, Desert Wanderer
19 - Kestrel337
18 - Sherlock, Joolz
17 - Greg
16 - Nameless, Anonybob
15 - Mini Panda
14 - Small Hobbit
9 - KT
5 - Piplover

When we tot up the scores for guessing which teams go through we had three groups as follows:
12 points - John, Mini Panda, Anonybob
11 points - Sherlock, Tiny Panda, Shorty Panda, Joolz, REReader, Kestrel337, Small Hobbit, Desert Wanderer
10 points - Greg, Piplover, Nameless, Lancs Anon, KT
(if anyone wants to know who exactly they picked then let me know)

So this gives us a final table for the first round of the competition as follows:
35 - John
32 - Tiny Panda, Lancs Anon
31 - Shorty Panda, REReader, Desert Wanderer
30 - Kestrel337
29 - Sherlock, Joolz
28 - Anonybob
27 - Mini Panda, Greg
26 - Nameless
25 - Small Hobbit
19 - KT
15 - Piplover

The next round of the competition is up so there is a new entry form to fill in please which you can find at the link below. This is now a knockout competition so someone must win each game so if you predict a draw (you can still have a draw, it just means they have to have penalties to see which team will go through) can you please say which team you think will go through to the next round - eg, so if you think Switzerland v Poland will be 0-0 but Poland will win on penalties then type in 0-0 Poland. Thanks. :)
http://www.carryon.org.uk/worldcup2014/index.php/589483/lang-en

Greg Lestrade said...

So, today's the day, UK dwellers. Whatever your view on the EU, get out and vote. It's the biggest decision we will ever get to make, probably, and every single vote counts, which is unusual.

pandabob said...

It's a very weird day when all votes count that's for sure Greg.

My panda cubs are really putting me to shame with the football! I might 'forget' to get them to enter the next round to give me a chance of beating them ;-) (awfully bad mummy me you know!)

Anonymous said...

No messing with Team Panda! You should just quietly join yourself to them, pandabob, & I'll root for you too! (Not sure if that's much of an incentive, but it's all I've got!)

I sure hope your electorate makes an educated, informed choice & votes. Failing that, I hope they vote! Either way it goes, there's sure to be plenty of complaining later on, at least everyone will have earned their right to do so.

Meanwhile we've been having political theater over here in our House of Representatives. Which I stayed up way too late watching.

onwards all!

-fA

Lancs. Anon said...

So, I've put my predictions down, pretty much as random as before a mixture of bias and horribly out of date football knowledge!

REReader said...

I too have put down my guesses--and they are based on absolutely nothing at all! :D

Greg Lestrade said...

Anonybob - I'm thinking of getting Mycroft to write some code that means my husbands entry is permanently lost in cyberspace...

Lancs. Anon said...

Well, that's depressing. All because the leader of the Tories couldn't stand up to his backbenchers

Greg Lestrade said...

Well... from my point of view this is a dark day for our country, for our futures, for the futures of the next generations. I'm shocked, to be honest. I know it'll be slow, but I don't think anything good will come of this. I stared at the news open-mouthed when I saw it when I woke up.

Lancs. Anon said...

And you Americans out there, heed the warning, don't be complacent about Trump

REReader said...

Believe me, I have NEVER been complacent about Trump and his hate-mongering. The world has seen that before, and I'm not likely to forget where it leads.

Anonymous said...

Well, I do hope the transition is easier on the British public than I imagine it will be.

Having worked in government under federal and international regulations and standards, my mind absolutely boggles at the years of work it's going to take to sort everything out. The glitches in things that have dovetailed smoothly for decades. The devil is always in the details.

And yeah, at the macro level, I continue to be shocked at the people who don't seem to be horrified at what is passing for legitimate political rhetoric here. This isn't the place to expand that thought.

I wish y'all well over there. And I wish the same for us. I do wish we'd step up and make a better thing of our countries on a national level. So many individuals are working so hard on their personal level to do so.

-fA

Anon Without A Name said...

It's just awful. Nigel bloody Farage had the sheer brass neck to talk about "winning without a shot being fired", just a week after Jo Cox was shot and killed. Gloaty outers, numb remainers, the PM's resigned and the pound and the markets nosediving. What a bloody awful mess.

Becca said...

I'm so sorry to all the Brits out there.

Greg Lestrade said...

Don't get me started on Farage.

Lancs. Anon said...

I wouldn't want to get at any one but if the oldies who seem to have massively voted for exit start whinging about their pensions after the hit the markets have just taken then that will be the bitter end. I spoke to my sister, we are living in the two regions who most voted exit in our area, hers because she lives in OAP central and me because I live in racism central. It's so thoroughly dispiriting that I intend to avoid the news for a while and just read something comforting.

Greg Lestrade said...

Well, we are going to go to pride tomorrow and have fun, despite all the recent reasons to be sad.

Lancs. Anon said...

Damn fine idea! Hope you have a brilliant time!

REReader said...

Best idea ever! Have a blast!

Anonymous said...

Yes. It's always important to celebrate the good things!

-fA

Anon Without A Name said...

Have a great time at Pride, guys! :-)

Joolz said...

Hope you have fun today at Pride. We certainly need something to cheer us up and it will be nice to see everyone coming together and celebrating good things about themselves. Are you getting dressed up this year, Sherlock?

Joolz said...

Thanks for all the forms for the footy, everyone filled in in plenty of time. Sorry I haven't put the predictions up yet, I'm still catching up with myself after being up for 41 hours doing the election and the count and then going straight out again for a 12 hour's day work - let's not do that again, unless they sensibly decide to do a second referendum and we get a better result, then I'd be happy to go through with it all again.

Here are the predictions for today:
Switzerland v Poland
Joolz 0-0 Poland, Greg 1-0, John 0-0 Poland, Sherlock 1-2, REReader 1-2, Piplover 2-1, Kestrel337 2-1, Small Hobbit 0-1, Nameless 0-2, Lancs Anon 1-2, Anonybob 1-2, Tiny Panda 1-0, Shorty Panda 2-1, Mini Panda 0-1, Desert Wanderer 2-1, KT 2-0.

Wales v Northern Ireland
Joolz 1-1 Wales, Greg 2-2 Wales, John 3-1, Sherlock 2-1, REReader 1-0, Piplover 3-2, Kestrel337 1-2, Small Hobbit 2-1, Nameless 1-2, Lancs Anon 2-0, Anonybob 3-2, Tiny Panda 4-0, Shorty Panda 1-2, Mini Panda 0-1, Desert Wanderer 2-2 Wales, KT 0-3.

Croatia v Portugal
Joolz 1-1 Portugal, Greg 2-1, John 1-2, Sherlock 2-1, REReader 1-2, Piplover 1-2, Kestrel337 2-0, Small Hobbit 1-1 Portugal, Nameless 0-2, Lancs Anon 0-1, Anonybob 0-2, Tiny Panda 3-1, Shorty Panda 1-2, Mini Panda 0-1, Desert Wanderer 3-1, KT 1-0.

Good luck everyone. :)

Sherlock said...

I had my face done in a rainbow and glitter and collected lots of stickers

Anon Without A Name said...

Sounds like fun, Sherlock :-) The photos I saw online of the day were great - lots of people, including the Army, Navy and RAF - having a really good time. I even saw photos of two different on-duty police officers proposing (successfully!) to their partners.

I hope you all had a good time. Some much-needed cheer and sanity and defiant celebration at what is a difficult (and, following Orlando, very scary) time for many people.

Greg Lestrade said...

Yeah - how far we've come, eh? From never admitting homosexuality to breaking ranks on parade and proposing! I saw one clip on the news - brilliant. Makes me need to hug John with the joy.

Anonymous said...

Glad you guys had a good day and you got to feel good about things for a while, Greg. I do so want to believe in the power of people of good will trying their best to do good in the world!

And if you will forgive a short aside: if anyone reading this is a U.S. citizen but not registered to vote, do it NOW. Take five minutes (less, probably) and it'll be taken care of. Vote411.org will take care of you.

-fA

Joolz said...

It's 3 points per game from now on as we need to allow leeway for games which are a draw and go to penalties and we had 3 perfects in this first group of games so that was great predicting from REReader, Lancs Anon and Mini Panda. Out of a possible 9 points the players with the most points today were John, REReader and Lancs Anon who all got 6 points so well done for that. :)

Here is the table for today:
41 - John
38 - Lancs Anon
37 - REReader
34 - Tiny Panda
33 - Shorty Panda, Joolz, Anonybob
32 - Sherlock, Desert Wanderer
31 - Mini Panda,
30 - Kestrel337
29 - Small Hobbit, Nameless
28 - Greg
19 - Piplover, KT

The predictions for tomorrow are:
France v Republic of Ireland
Joolz 2-0, Greg 2-1, John 1-1 Ireland, Sherlock 2-1, REReader 0-2, Piplover 1-2, Kestrel337 1-2, Small Hobbit 2-0, Nameless 2-1, Lancs Anon 1-1 France, Anonybob 1-1 France, Tiny Panda 4-3, Shorty Panda 1-2, Mini Panda 1-0, Desert Wanderer 2-1, KT 1-1 Ireland.

Germany v Slovakia
Joolz 2-0, Greg 2-1, John 2-0, Sherlock 2-1, REReader 1-2, Piplover 3-1, Kestrel337 3-2, Small Hobbit 2-0, Nameless 2-1, Lancs Anon 2-1, Anonybob 1-0, Tiny Panda 1-0, Shorty Panda 1-2, Mini Panda 1-0, Desert Wanderer 1-2, KT 0-0 Slovakia.

Hungary v Belgium
Joolz 0-1, Greg 1-2, John 2-1, Sherlock 1-2, REReader 1-2, Piplover 1-2, Kestrel337 1-0, Small Hobbit 1-1 Hungary, Nameless 1-1 Hungary, Lancs Anon 1-0, Anonybob 2-1, Tiny Panda 3-1, Shorty Panda 2-1, Mini Panda 1-0, Desert Wanderer 2-2 Belgium, KT 1-0.

Good luck everyone. :)

REReader said...

Sounds like Pride was a very good day all around!


Joolz, all I can say is hahahahahahaha!

Anonymous said...

John's clearly got some insight into the game, ReReader you must have the football/soccer spirits guiding your choices!

Go Team Panda!

-fA

Joolz said...

We had 4 perfect scores today from Greg, Sherlock, Nameless and Desert Wanderer and our highest scorers were Greg and Sherlock who both got 7 points which is brilliant.

43 - John
41 - Lancs Anon
39 - Sherlock, Joolz, REReader
38 - Tiny Panda
36 - Anonybob, Desert Wanderer
35 - Mini Panda, Greg
34 - Nameless
33 - Shorty Panda, Small Hobbit
32 - Kestrel337
23 - Piplover
19 - KT

The fixtures for tomorrow are:
Italy v Spain
Joolz 0-0 Spain, Greg 1-1 Italy, John 1-2, Sherlock 1-2, REReader 2-1, Piplover 2-1, Kestrel337 0-2, Small Hobbit 2-2 Spain, Nameless 2-2 Italy, Lancs Anon 0-0 Spain, Anonybob 2-2 Spain, Tiny Panda 2-1, Shorty Panda 2-1, Mini Panda 0-1, Desert Wanderer 1-0, KT 3-2.

England v Iceland
Joolz 1-1 England, Greg 1-0, John 2-1, Sherlock 2-1, REReader 2-0, Piplover 3-2, Kestrel337 2-1, Small Hobbit 1-2, Nameless 2-1, Lancs Anon 1-0, Anonybob 0-0 England, Tiny Panda 2-1, Shorty Panda 2-1, Mini Panda 1-0, Desert Wanderer 3-2, KT 2-2 England.

Good luck. :)

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