I bet 90% of the men out there are screaming “NOOOOO, don’t do it!” to this title, but what can I say?

My sister is very good at getting her own way! When she was learning to drive, she ensured it was me (and my Astra sport) rather than my Dad (and his 10 year old Volvo) that was to do the teaching.

Now, initially, we figured that this was to do with me being more available so she could get through the lessons quickly – we sound realised it was because my car was the better looking,a nd would impress the boys in her year more! and here was me thinking that she knew nothing about cars! But, to give credit where credit is due, she knows enough to know Dad’s vs Brother’s car, the brother’s was the right one to go for.

Well, not in our house!My Dad and I have a specific duty and that is to look after Mum and Sister – but not to the point they realise they are being helped or looked after… it is a fine line to walk!

They say us modern blokes don’t do enough – but we do a lot more than we’re given credit for! Take my sister for example – having just moved out of home to live at uni, she is living the independent life. So when she popped home with a car load of washing, we wondered why. “Oh, the washing machine has broken and we’re waiting for a replacement” was the answer – quite reasonable really. But I popped over that week and took a look “whilst I was there” and it was a pretty quick fix – just needed to have the water turned on! Having hooked the pipes up and pushed it under the unit, my sister hadn’t switched the water taps on!

Needless to say I didn’t tell her this, as she’d have felt quite daft – but I gave her a reassuring hug and said explained there was a “loose connection at the back”.

We’re pretty good to have around really, aren’t we?

This is the tragic period when I totally loose control over my body and live like an hermit for weeks. The World Cup is what the football god gave us to make sure we would have a goal in our life (see the pun ?)

I know that all this is wrong, that I shouldn’t drink those 10 pints every match but when get into it that’s it you body goes back the primitive reflex: get drunk.

And once you have drank a few liters of beer the vuvuzela come and mess with your mind. Seriously, these things are surely forgotten magic used by shamans.

Ok, so as you may have gathered, I am on a bit of a health kick at the moment and what I have identified as one of my weaknesses is my ability to consume alcohol.  Now I’m not saying its a problem, but I do think that I tend to do what many young people do on a weekend, and that is to binge drink.

There has been a lot of talk about this, suggesting that there are many contributing factors.  For example, some say that it is merely people working hard during the week and wanting to let their hair down, whilst others say that the pubs and clubs have a lot to answer for with drinks promotions.

Personally I think that, within reason, people should be allowed to make their own decisions on when enough is enough, so long as they are not putting themselves or others in danger.

So as part of my on-going commitment to a healthier lifestyle, I have been out and purchased some fitness equipment to help with my attempts to save money on a gym membership that may become useless when I get bored of it.

I did some research and seeing as I already have a weights bench, I decided that there were various apparatus that I could use to help me with my bid for weight loss.

The first things that I have bought were a medicine ball, a resistance cord and a skipping rope.  Having watch many a fitness programme on tv and also having done a bit of googling on the internet, I concluded that these would be more than adequate to help me get in shape.

The medicine ball came with a little manual with some suggested exercises for me to do, which I have been partaking in each morning before work.  Already so far, i am starting to see the benefits which is great.  So watch out kids, next stop London 2012.

Thought it would be useful to let everyone know about what is going on in my little world this week.  Yes, its finally happening, my long overdue conversion of the 2 bathrooms and 1 downstairs toilet have started.

Its something that has been planned for ages, but now I am in a position where the money has been saved up and quotes were tendered by a few different builders.

This week they have arrived and started on the main bathroom, which includes the removal of the bath, toilet and wash basin.  They are then going to replace the wooden floor with some travertine tiles, followed by the installation of a new bath, basin and standalone shower which will be great.

They have told me that I am looking at about another 2-3 weeks before the lot is finished, so will try and update when I have the finished article.

I have recently decided, foolishly or wisely, that I am going to enter the Manchester 10k.  Now it is ok on one side, as I will be raising money for charity.  However the other way of looking at it is that this means a bit of fitness training prior to the big event.

This leads me to the question of whether I really go and try to train hard for it with a dedicated programme, or do I just aim to get around without actually dying.

My current problem is that I am really enjoying my weekends out and if I am to take it seriously, then something will have to give, in order for me to give it some effort.

Also there is the issue of cost, as I will have to invest in some new running trainers and some kit.  Actually the more I think about this, the more I realise that this is going to not only be hard work, but cost me a bit of money !!!

It was announced this morning that the manager of Macclesfield Town, Keith Alexander, had passed away during the night. One of only two black managers in the football league, he had took charge of his team against high flying Notts County, had apparently been in high spirits despite defeat as he drove one of his players back to their home town of Lincoln.

Mike Rance, the chairman of his club, commented on how he had spoken to Keith on the evening of the match at around 11pm regarding an upcoming FA hearing where the manager would be representing himself against a charge due to a row with an official during the game at Bournemouth earlier in the season.

It seems and rightly so that the tributes pouring in show that Keith Alexander wasn’t just a football manager, but a man that was trying to change perceptions of black players within a profession where racism seems an massive issue.  He was a regular speaker on the ‘Kick It Out’ tour which aimed to try and eradicate racism from the game.  He was well respected and gave something that little bit different to the many people he spoke to.

He will be greatly missed and will be long remembered for the good he brought to the game.

This year is coming to an end and we all are trying to finish everything that have been put on our shoulders before Christmas time. But in this moment of overload we should not forget about our friends and families who deserve a bit of time. For some people Christmas dinner might be the only time during the year when they see their relatives, so sending out few Christmas cards to those we love is a really good way to tell them that you care about them.

Today we can choose from thousands of ready-made cards, not only for Christmas, but also for the New Year’s Eve. Using online editors we can customise and develop our own unique design, embed a photo, or just throw few fancy words. Choosing one from thousands may be a problem, but if you know what you are looking for you can narrow the search by browsing for a specific category, or maybe look for tags that could help you describe the perfect card.

Once you have chosen one be creative. A nice cover does not mean anything unless you have some good content. Skip the standard greeting and wishes line, write something from yourself, anybody can do it, don’t leave it until last minute, as the more effort you put into it, the more happiness you will deliver.

Even though their last album Dark Horse came out November 2008, the Canadian quartet is still touring the world. Yesterday few new dates were announced proving that the boys are still in play and are enjoying themselves travelling around the globe. Also few special guests have been mentioned, featuring Shinedown and Breaking Benjamin as opening acts.

First date was scheduled for April 6 next year in London (all those of you who missed Nickelback playing at Manchester MEN Arena this year can now start preparing for the trip to London), but then the band will concentrate on the eastern side of the US: Washington, DC (13th April), Orlando (19th April) and Atlanta (21th April). The current version states that the tour will finish in Tulsa, OK (24th April), but according to the press release more dates will be added so I suggest you to book some time in your calendar.

The latest album follows 2005’s release “All The Right Reasons”. The newest single “Never Gonna Be Alone” is currently hitting airwaves and its video is available to view from the bands official website.

Just to mention: “Dark Horse” is the sixth studio album, which has started as number two on US Billboard 200.

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