Ruth's Sports Desk - Mountain Climbing in flip flops.

This weekend heralded the final moto gp race at Donnington Park for the near future. And boy did it go out with a bang.

It was half raining which meant the track was slippy but not wet enough for wet tyres. However that didn't deter Ducati who went for full wet tyres meaning that a few laps in Nicky and Casey were circulating on shredded tyres. Dani, Valentino, Jorge and Andrea Dovizioso (this cutie on the left) all had excellent starts. Toni Elias aka Mr Toothpaste had a stonking start and led briefly before touching the white line at the edge of the course and flying off. A few laps on Jorge stormed into the lead only to suffer an almost identical crash. Which left Dani, Valentino and Andrea to fight it out. Andrea and Valentino began to pull away and Dani began to struggle mostly I think due to the ridiculously sketchy conditions and the fact that Toni Elias had crashed literally inches from him making him super super cautious. Then a few laps on Valentino lost the front end of his bike and fell but managed to get it upright and running again. He rejoined the race in 11th position by which time Dani began storming backwards on the grid (hmmm what a 'strange' coincidence.) Andrea on the other hand consolidated his lead and flew home 1st ahead of Colin Edwards who cae form nowhere in a quite frankly stonking performance and Randy de Puniet who put it a really courageous and strong race. Valentino somehow managed to make up a huge gap and finish 5th while Dani ended up 9th. So massive massive congratulations to lovely, sweet, ditzy Andrea who thoroughly deserves his moment after all his determination and positivity.

Ruth's Sports Desk- A Welcome Return.

It is with great delight that I can finally say the words I have been waiting over a year to say "Tomas Rosicky is back." Oh yes. He has actually officially played football again. Hurrah!

He's been injured with an uber complicated knee complaint since January 2008. He returned to training at the end of the season and has been training intensively in Prague. He played the first half of Arsenal's first pre-season friendly against Barnet during which he was captain. I'm so pleased he's back, he's one of my favourite footballers ever and both myself and the Arsenal team have missed him badly (not that I know them or anything, its just obvious.) So I am now very very excited and hopeful for the new season. In other Arsenal related news our new signing Thomas Vermaelen played the entirety of the Barnet match and seemed to be looking good.

Now to Moto GP. Last week's race was at the Sachsenring (spelt right oh yes) in Germany. It was very exciting. Valentino and Jorge were once again fighting it out for the lead and exchanged positions several times, Valentino overtook Jorge with two laps left and came over the line 0.9 of a second ahead of him. Casey Stoner was third for a long time but begaan flagging towards the end which allowed Dani to reel him in and overtake him and even make up some ground on the leaders. It was great. Dani is now right back in the fight for a top three finish.

And finally some sports related news that I found out this very morning. Roger Federer's wife Mirka has had twins. Both girls, named Charlene and Myla. Aaah sweet. How very very nice. Congrats.

Update- uni,etc

Well my uni results are also in. I also got a 2:1 for the year which I was very very pleased about. I'm happy to know I'm heading in the right direction and doing something right somewhere. I was also disappointed with my modernism results as it was somewhere around 52 (I think) although frankly I expected it because I spent a large part of the modernism module yelling in frustration and attempting to bang my head off the desk. I really struggled with modernism as it all seemed rather pretentious and ridiculous to me. However I did do very well on my mini dissertation which I was absolutely delighted about because I did actually put a lot of work into it and thoroughly enjoyed writing about Dracula and Interview with the Vampire. Both Nicola and I got onto the modules we picked for next year which is good but I still can't work the stupid uni timetable system which doesn't seem to work ever.
I've been sitting down a lot over my holidays. I've realised how long this holiday really is. I had a job last year so my summer flew by but this year I've been chilling out and watching LOTs of TV. I've just started watching 'Desperate Romantics' on BBC 2 which I really like. Its about the pre-Raphaelite brotherhood and has a fantastic cast. Its about art in the victorian era but don't let that put you off its very vibrant and fast paced with plenty of beautiful and witty boys (and girls) and romance, fame, drama and of course pretty pictures. I've also been reminding myself how much I love Friends. Its so ridiculous now that almost every episode I see makes me cry. I also started watching True Blood on FX which was weird but good. It was dark and broody with lots of sex and weird southern accents.
Ruth.

RIP Michael Jackson

Also, I know this is very delayed... but I was so sad when I heard about Michael Jackson. I never believed he did anything he was accused of - he was just a boy trapped in a man's body because of the way he was brought up and from becoming famous so young, he never had a real childhood. I don't even think he knew what he had done wrong. But it is a real tragedy - even if you don't like his music, or him as a person, you can appreciate the influence his sound, his dancing and his music videos have had on so many other artists. He really was the King of Pop. I hope he's at peace now, since he never seemed to find much happiness here.
Nicola

University Results

Well the marks are back - the result of another year of blood, sweat, tears and general stress. And I am sad to say that for the last exam I got ......56!! 56 for the hell of modernism, they should give you a 2:1 just for turning up to the lectures/seminars, we went a lot more than most people! Other than that though, mostly good news, a mid-range 2:1 overall I think, will have to pull my finger out next year though and do some work.
In other news... I'm loving Gossip Girl at the minute although I think next week is the last episode of the series :(. I want to BE Blair Waldorf, and I cried at Wednesday's episode, how embarassing, but I was having an emotional day in my defence. Also there was the last episode of Katie and Peter - forever! - and I'm just gutted! Can't wait to watch her with Piers Morgan on Saturday, sure she'll be her normal reserved, secretive self. I know everyone's Team Andre at the minute, but everybody deals with breakups in different ways - I've seen plenty of friends act the way Katie has when they've split up with someone. And it's not like she abandoned her kids in a hotel or something, they were with Pete. I love Peter too though - I just want them to work things out! You know so much about them through the media and their shows it's almost as if you know them personally!
Anyway, Ugly Betty is really heating up, just when it seemed as if they'd gone full circle - Daniel back at Mode, Wilhemina back to plotting, they threw in a couple more twists! Glad to see they're more on the ball than the Desperate Housewives writers, I'm hoping that that was the last series of DH to be honest, I think they've totally lost it!
Think that's all for TV at the moment... I'm desperate to watch that Four Weddings program, especially because I love Come Dine with Me and as I'll probably be becoming a Bridezilla myself soon, but I can't get Living TV on my Freeview :(. Never mind!
Nicola

Ruth's Sports Desk - California Dreaming

This week's Moto GP at Laguna Seca in California was nothing less than STONKING. It provided the scenario I've been waiting for all year. In fact waiting is an understatement, desparate is more accurate. Anyway finally, finally I got what I wanted; Dani Pedrosa won!!!!! Not just that though Valentino Rossi came second and Jorge Lorenzo third meaning that my three favourites were on the podium in the right order. Plus Dani and Valentino are amazing together on the podium and provide me with many moments of fangirling and squeeing. Dani's victory was an absolute epic he rocketed off the start and established an impressive 3 second lead pretty early on. He was absolutely bang on form and showed what he can do, hopefully putting behind him the nightmare in a bubblecar run of injuries and crashes he's had lately.

Valentino almost caught Dani on the last corner but he held on like the little hero that he is. Plus special mention for Jorge who came in third (nearly second if it wasn't for some bad luck with steering) despite riding with a partially dislocated shoulder.

Valentino and Dani got all matey on the podium, with Valentino seeming very very pleased for Dani patting him on the head, hugging him and waving his hand in the air like a boxing victory thing. Even Jorge shook Dani's hand without being forced which was super sweet.

So in conclusion an absolutley stonking race and I'm very very proud of all three boys.

Random Musings.

Funny old day today.
Isn't it weird how doing nothing can actually feel like having a full day?
Also eating spaghetti hoops while listening to songs from eurovision is weirdly satisfying.
I've actually been writing today which makes a change given how lazy i've been feeling. I typed up some bits of my gangster novel and added to them which felt good. Also I read back over the ending scenes I'd written for it which was motivating. Feeling pretty positive about the quality of stuff I have its just quantity needs upping now.
Also watching rain fall always puts me in a pensive mood. So a bit of a quiet, introspective day all round.
Watching Stevie Wonder in concert. Its very calming.

Ruth