The best laid plans of mice and men

Hi friends,

Welcome back. It's been an interesting week this week and I hope you enjoy hearing about goings on from my perspective. This week I have tried to put across my opinion on some fairly hard-hitting stuff, but also tried to keep it fun as always. It's pretty much a one off, but let me know what you think.

Status Update

Best laid plans
This week has been all about making plans that one day might come into fruition. Well maybe not making a plan, but trying to create an environment where when an opportunity for change presents itself I am ready to react so as not to let life pass me by. There are a couple of things I hope to be able to do over the next few weeks/months that will help me on various levels: financially, socially and at work. Doing this has involved a couple of extremely late night telephone calls. Quite why the calls had to take place at that hour eludes me though. I have also been knee deep in researching the housing market and looking critically at my own abilities.

Unfortunately at this time I need to remain very mysterious about what I have been up to, but all being well you will know about it in the coming weeks/months. I mean you can probably guess one of the changes  I am looking to make, but the other will likely come right out of the blue to most. I am mindful to not put all my eggs in one basket at this stage though because as they say the best laid plans oft go awry. All I can say is it is going to have to take a certain element of luck and timing to be able to achieve what I would like to happen.

Man flu
I don't quite know what has happened, but I have been flanked by a serious bout of man flu. On Friday morning I felt a bit groggy and I just put it down to sleep deprivation or even a mild dose of hayfever, but as the weekend approached I began to feel worse. I am like a walking medicine advert with a tickly cough, headaches and stuffy nose. Bank Holidays are meant to be spent enjoying yourself and making the most of an additional day off with friends and loved ones. Instead, I have spent it lying in bed switching between hours of restless sleep and eating my body weight in porridge (I count 3 mega bowls today alone). Knowing my luck I will wake up for work feeling fine and dandy, but this weekend has been a bit of write off unfortunately. Never mind!

Haggy's hols

The countdown to my summer holiday extravaganza is on. It is now less than 5 weeks until we climb aboard our Virgin Atlantic flight and set a course for L.A. It seems like like this week I have done a lot of finalising of activities for our stay. This week I have booked our Napa Valley bike tour and explored helicopter tours of the Grand Canyon. It is all falling nicely into place and I am almost all spent up. Now it is the small matter of raiding my savings to find some gambling money!

Amongst some of my friends I am getting a bit of a reputation for being able to find a deal. I don't quite know why really though. I like to make sure I am getting value for money and so am registered to a couple of deal sites and not the ones like Groupon who do a good job of harassing you with rubbish deals. Instead I like those that actually give you stuff you want. Travelzoo, Money Saving Expert and Secret Escapes are just a few of my top choices if you were interested. This week I came across a deal that could not be passed up on Travelzoo's U.S. version. Las Vegas is known for its buffet meals and I could not resist buying passes to the Cravings Buffet at The Mirage hotel for $39. I have since researched it more and I am very pleased with the purchase as the buffet is renowned for its sushi, dim sum and crabs legs. I plan on only eating one meal that day and eating until I am fit to burst and washing it all down with the promise of unlimited wine and beer. Excited does not sum it up!

Food Glorious Food

With asparagus coming into season it has unofficially become asparagus week in my house. That means I am going to be dealing with green odd smelling wee all week yes, but it will only have been because I have chowed down on some seriously tasty Springtime meals. In particular I am looking forward to a Smoked Trout and Asparagus Nicoise. Nice and easy to make, but using my favourite type of fish I can only imagine this is going to rock my socks. I mean come on trout, eggs, potatoes and asparagus what could be better?! Find the recipe and such over on the BBC Good Food page here

I know I have told you about Epic Meal Time before, but I saw this week's episode and thought it was quite relevant to my blog. Last week I brought you my thoughts of next-gen consoles, this week I bring you a next-gen console made of cake. You know it makes sense!

Haggy's Hockey Corner

Ice, Ice, Baby
This week saw something very special happen in the hockey world of Adam Hagg - I got back on the ice! After a hiatus of over 3 years I have been persuaded to join up with some of my Ball Hockey crew and put our skills to the test on the ice. I had initially asked about when I first came to Newcastle, but was totally put off by training times and more so by Whitley Bay ice rink and its declining standards. Three years down the line something has been awoken inside me and I was yearning to get back on the cold stuff. Our goalie and a couple of other guys have been playing with the Nomads for a little while and have suggested it would be a good idea if we came down to make numbers up and have some fun. It didn't take much persuasion, just finding the funds and dusting off my kit, and as they say the rest is history.

Like I say it has been years since I have been on the ice so I was a little bit apprehensive if I would be able to skate let alone combine skating and stick handling. Not to mention that I have lost my jock strap so my sensitive areas felt incredibly exposed. The good news was it all came flooding back (and I didn't get hit in the nuts); I was soon gliding about the rink taking away passing lanes in defence, giving killer breakouts passes and generally enjoying myself. Apparently ice skating is more like riding a bike than they may out! Either that or skating since the age of 10 (or something like that) had drilled it into my subconscious. Anywho, I am really looking forward to getting back in to the swing of things and finding my form again. Hopefully in due course I can get registered with the Nomads and play some recreational games for them.

Whitley Bay continues to disappoint as an ice rink. How it is actually called an ice rink I will never know because the surface is more like a dusting of frost on a cold Winter's morning. Yeah, they have made improvements to the benches and you no longer have to leap the boards to get of the ice because doors have been installed, but the ice really lets the place down. Not only is the surface uneven, but along the left wing boards the ice just stops and you can see a pile of sawdust and concrete. All I have to say is I will be avoiding that wing to reduce and chance of potential injury! If there is anyone in the North East that has come into a wedge of money please invest in Whitley Bay or build a new ice rink, pretty please!

I hope that playing more ice will have a positive impact on my abilities in the Ball Hockey world too. Ball Hockey is too often a bit scrappy and I find that when the game settles into a real rhythm it is difficult to start a breakout or play a style of play that allows us to transition from defence to attack quickly. Ice hockey is all about being able to this with skill and confidence; there may be some who disagree with this though because they play different systems like the neutral zone trap bore-a-thon. Ice hockey training will make this kind of play second nature again and mean that I know when to force the pace and when not to. By the sounds of it my entire line from Ball Hockey are planning to play ice hockey in the coming season too so it will be more time together to work on plays and develop a psychic link with each other.I hope that by training on a larger rink will also boost my fitness and awareness for the kinds of rinks we play on in national tournaments.

My only potential concern about playing ice hockey is that I will once again fall in love with the pace and intensity of the sport and will fall into the trap my brother and other non-Ball Hockey players often throw my way and start to draw real comparisons between Ball Hockey and Ice Hockey. Doing so may have a serious impact on my enjoyment of Ball Hockey because it is a bit slower and as I say a bit more frenetic at times. I am very conscious that whilst both sports have similarities they are in actuality very different and I will try to remain mindful of this as I continue to play both. To any team mates reading this feel free to give me a kick if I start looking like I am not enjoying it. But, as Natasha Bedingfield once said, be gentle because I bruise easily!!!

Run Haggy Run

Back on the streets
With the Great North Run a few months away I don't quite need to start into full training mode just yet and so have been trying to remind myself about controlling my pace and breathing during runs this week. On Saturday morning I met up with 3 friends to enjoy a light jog through Jesmond Dene and Armstrong Park. The weather was great and it was nice to be out the house and getting the legs going. It was nowhere near full pace, but a great loosener that reminded me I am capable of running mid-range distances. We ended up doing about 5 miles with a nice hill sprint in the middle. It felt like I was in a genuine running club and it was great. I hope that the guys continue to want to do it because it would be great to make it a regular training session and hopefully we will all benefit from it by pushing each other that little bit more as the weeks go on.

This week I plan on upping my mileage a bit and getting out there or in the gym 3 or 4 times. I am not going to let this man flu ruin things for me! Hardcore!

Fundraising Page
In other news I have set up my fundraising page. I will be tweaking it over the weeks to come to make it jazzier and so on, but if you want to have a look at the page in its infancy head on over to www.justgiving.com/runhaggyrun for a sneaky peek. It even has a couple of pictures of me dressed as a lion and tiger for some previous runs.

Shout out to my brother
This week my brother ran the Manchester 10k race. I know a lot of other people did it too and well done to all those that completed it, but I just want to say a specific well done Patch! Coming back from a broken leg a couple of years ago was never going to be easy, but he has done it and continues to not look back. He trains hard and makes me feel guilty for my lack of commitment to training almost each and every day. He just ran a PB for 45.04 and raised money and awareness for Cystic Fibrosis along the way. So congratulations to you brother you have done us all proud, especially Leah.

Keep on running Patch!

Have You Heard What Haggy's Heard

Band of Brothers
A bank holiday weekend of man flu has not ruined my life. In fact it has done me a favour and all those hours indoors allowed me to rediscover some of the hidden gems of my DVD collection. In particular Band of Brothers.

The Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg produced 11 hour drama retells the lives and in some cases deaths of the U.S. 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment and more specifically "Easy" company. Following the trials and tribulations of a group of soldiers it tells the tale of some of the company's greatest victories and focuses on the friendships forged during the times in the trenches. Rammed full of stars and incredible actors and priding itself on its historical accuracy it is not surprising that you get lost in the drama. From the start of episode one to the end of episode ten it is a gripping, emotionally enthralling and action packed programme. More than anything you never get the sense that the writers, directors or producers are trying to create an American propaganda film, instead it is a real depiction that honours all those that fought in World War II.

If you haven't seen it you should because quite literally you are missing out. It is cheap in pretty much any DVD shop or online retailer and an essential to any collection.

Fellow bloggers
After last week's post I got some very kind words of a Uni friend Kerry. It made me feel great to know that people actually read what I write and even enjoy it! Thanks Kerry! Anyway it got me thinking, what if I could create that same feeling for other bloggers that I know. So, I want to introduce you to some of the active bloggers I know and tell you a bit about what they do so you go and check them out and give them some encouraging feedback.

• Josh aka The Warrior is a man who loves his music. He writes a blog about his musical escapades and uses big words too! In all seriousness it is a good read and may just open your eyes to a whole new world of music. Check his blog out at http://eurghiamthewarrior.wordpress.com/
• Leigh is a fellow foodie. Cooking up a storm on a regular basis Leigh is an amazing cook whose blog is full of tips, techniques and most of all pictures! Being Canadian she is also prone to making amazing treats like S'Mores or even Oreo stuffed cookies (I am being serious)! Check her blog out at http://onthebrightsideoftheroad.blogspot.co.uk/
• James aka Leafy is my fellow North East Dekstar player and due to represent Team GB in the Ball Hockey World Championships next week. He has been blogging in the run up to the worlds and has promised to continue to blog throughout. Read all about it and encourage him as he goes at http://thegeordiegeek.wordpress.com/
•  Paul Lynch takes very cool pictures and is far more dedicated to blogging than most people I know because he blogs every single day. Each day is accompanied by a new picture and well worth a look for some great pictures of the North East. Check him out at http://lynchography.blogspot.co.uk/

Political Rant
This week Drummer Lee Rigby was tragically murdered in Woolwich. First and foremost my thoughts are with his friends and family at this time. It cannot be easy for them to have dealt with the news and even more so with it being reported in the news everyday since.

I don't quite understand how a cruel, murderous act suddenly became a reason to scapegoat a peaceful religious community and encourage the kind of short-sighted thinking that has given rise to the BNP and EDL. I have several Muslim friends (wow that sounds very patronising of me) and to see them feel the need to defend their religion on social media just strikes me as wrong. Why have people been so quick to judge an entire community because of the actions of a few?

I think the media have a lot to answer for too. Yes they report the news, but they choose which stories get the headlines and the nature of this story justifies it, but you don't hear other religions being ostracised in the media when a believer commits a heinous act do you. I seem to recall the Anders Brevik fall out was more about mental stability than his far right associations let alone an entire movement. The media sensationalise everything and yes they do this to sell papers, but they have a certain amount of responsibility because they shape so much of people's political beliefs. I think at times this is often seems to be forgotten.

Here in the UK people are happy to emigrate to warmer climes in their later years or go in search of work in foreign countries, but are increasingly intolerant of people coming to the UK to look for work and contribute to society. It seems like it is a case of do as I say not as I do at times. Immigration is often seen by many as the root cause of many social problems we face in modern society. To me, it is not. Yes, we need to be mindful of levels of immigration and closely manage it so as not to create problems of overcrowding or unemployment and this in itself is a political and statistical tightrope at times, but it does not mean that we should just shut the gates to the world. Too often people are quick to judge everyone by the acts of one individual and make knee-jerk actions that can have a lasting impact on the communities we live in. I actually think the reaction here would be to find and imprison the offenders, but also increase education and awareness in our communities so that people would know that these extremists act independently of the wider Muslim community. I strongly believe that we should be encourage tolerance and community cohesion at this time rather than fuelling divisive rhetoric. This may be naive of me, but I don't think I am alone in this thought if only our voices were the ones being heard rather than those of the BNP and the EDL and to a lesser extent UKIP and conversely those of extremist religious groups. Instead let's start a clear and visible dialogue between those capable of tolerance, caring for others and understanding. The less we hear of and ill-informed and downright idiotic videos like the one below the better.

I know I have just acted hypocritically in writing this, but I am worried about the way society is headed and it seems that division is the word of the moment rather than cohesion. If you decide that you disagree with my point of view that is up to you, but at no stage does it ever become tolerable to use violence, aggression or words of hate to make a point.

Rant over.

Fake Psy at Cannes
On a lighter note I was told about a funny story this week. Now I am sure you all know the YouTube sensation by the name of Psy and his modern day crowd pleasers Gangnam Style and Gentleman. If you don't crawl out from under your rock because this guy has become a global superstar overnight!

It is his global celebrity that amazes me about this story because whilst Psy was in Shanghai performing his infamous tracks an impersonator by the name of Denis Carre was living the highlife purely because he bore some resemblance to the 'musician'. Appearing on the red carpet, crashing parties and talking to the media fake Psy really had everyone going. That was until the real Psy picked up on it and made a joke of it on Twitter. Fair play to Denis Carre because it is an audacious stunt that worked, but more fool anyone who believed it because the resemblance is not all that; he just wears the same clothes! Read the full story here

If this guy can get away with it I may start trying to crash parties dressed as Matt Dawson!

Music
And finally...it's music time. This week is a nod to towards the musicians of yesteryear as Bruno Mars serves up a track filled with old school style and a catchy hook. It got me through a long journey to Aberdeen over Christmas and is a guaranteed sing-along track from now on. Enjoy Bruno Mars - Treasure.

See you next week friends, love.
Haggy

Totally addicted

Hello!

This blog comes direct to you from Sanlucar la Mayor near Sevilla in the southern Spain. Rather than putting off writing this week's edition of The World Of Hagg until I return to the UK I thought I would use some downtime to write up this week's news.

Status Update

As my summer vacation to the USA approaches and the impending excitement of gambling in Las Vegas mounts I am reminded just how careful I need to be otherwise I may come back totally broke! In advance of my trip I have been tipped off about a rewards scheme called M-Life.

M-Life is essentially a free scheme where you earn points by gambling that can be redeemed for experiences at a number of participating hotels on the Vegas strip. If you are so inclined you can buy reward points to be reclaimed at a later date, but for all those who just want to save a bit of money there is an online game where you can earn rewards. The game itself is linked through a Facebook app, so super handy, and takes very little effort; just press a button, watch the colours spin and hope for a big win!

So, for the past couple of weeks I have been spending my free time clicking 'BET' and watching as my money shoots up only to be gone a few spins later whilst my reward points mount. I can already reclaim some free drinks, but if I keep going I can get enough points for free meals, tickets to shows and if someone was truly dedicated they could get enough points to pick the music they play during the world-famous Bellagio fountain music.

With only 6 weeks to go I am going to be devoting a large part of my evenings and free time to racking up the reward points and getting some extremely cool free stuff to help make some memories that will last a lifetime. If you are going to Vegas or even if you think that one day you would like to go my advice to you is sign up to M-Life now. Not only is it fun, but when you finally visit you could save a tonne of money. My only concern is that my addiction turns very real when I touchdown in Vegas and start betting actual money.

Haggy's Hols

Megabus
After spending endless amounts of hard-earned money on travelling up and down the country to Stansted Airport on previous holidays I thought I would give public transport a go. Somewhat nervously and with a great deal of trepidation I pre-booked megabus tickets to London to catch a train at the other end.

My previous experiences of megabus would be well described as cramped and uncomfortable. Some may even say the Ryanair of the road (the same colours help the comparison too). The buses are too often old, stinky and loud so to arrive at the newly designated bus stop in Newcastle and be greeted by a double decker bus was a huge relief. I found myself a table and settled in for the long haul. I sat down to overhear some random conversations about conspiracy theories but there is only so much one man can take and in went the earphones!

The journey itself was smooth and quiet so I had a bit of time (6 hours) to pass sleeping and listening to music. All told the bus/train worked well and if flight times are reasonable it may well be something I do again. Time will tell, but for now my wallet can breathe a sigh of relief as I don't need to make this journey again for a couple of months!

The Mushrooms
It seems that each time I visit Seville I discover something new and I am yet to venture into the truly touristy destinations of the Catedral de Sevilla or the Real Alcazar. There is just so much to see and so much to do! One day I will have done it all and may be able to create some kind of tour guide for beginners, but I wouldn't inflict the world with that, after all my blog will suffice!

This time out we wandered up the main street and headed towards Metropol Parasol aka Incarnacion's Mushrooms. The Mushrooms Seville is a city full of tradition so to find huge modern structure is totally unexpected, but that is exactly what The Mushrooms is. Claiming to be the world's largest wooden structure it stands tall amongst traditional buildings and casts an impressive shadow on the surrounding area. The foundations of the building sit atop some old Roman ruins that are backlit by mood lighting that changes colour to create varying atmospheres below ground level. As contradictory as it sounds the marriage between old and new seems to work somehow. The building seems to fit effortlessly and without fuss into central Seville and brings a new modern edge to the place, creating a cooler and trendier vibe in the immediate area.

(fake as this may look this is genuinely my picture)

We paid a minimal fee (1.35euros) and took a lift to the viewing level. From here you get great views of the city and really get to explore the structure via a snaking and sloping pathway that meanders around the top of the building. I don't think I can really do it just by describing it, so I will let some pictures do the talking. My advice though is to definitely check it out if you are in Seville, as it is great for those on a budget and you can still pretend to be all kinds of cultural and brag to your friends about being so intellectual! I can't because I am not...

Just to make you jealous there is a really cool little cocktail place at the base where you can sup on a classic or watermelon mojito for 3euro. You didn't here me complaining!

Food Glorious Food

Any holiday to Spain demands that you must eat tapas. I mean it is like visiting coastal France and not eating moule frites, Germany and not eating Bratwurst, Italy and not eating Calzone or coming to Newcastle and not drinking Brown Ale - I mean straight up, no holds barred, wrong!

DIY Tapas
This week I have eaten some fabulous food as always, but instead of telling you about all my foodie goodness I thought I would use some culinary know how to recreate a dish I had and share it with you. Filled with flavours you wouldn't normally associate with Spain I was taken aback when I saw 'ternero a la mostaza' (veal in mustard sauce) on the menu, so of course had to try it! I was not disappointed. So without further ado ladies and gentlemen here is how to make your very own simply but delicious tapa.

Ingredients

Thin beef steak 

White Onion

Cream

Wholegrain mustard

Method

Finely slice the onion

Sautee in oil over a medium heating until the onion softens

Add the steak and brown on all sides

Stir in a heaped teaspoon of mustard

Drizzle over some cream

Warmth through

Enjoy with some crusty bread. 

Nom!

I Scream, You Scream...
One last thing. Whilst in Sevilla I came across a fantastic ice cream parlour called La Abuela (www.heladoslaabuela.com). This is no ordinary ice cream as whilst you can choose standard vanilla or strawberry goodness you can also sample some more abstract flavours. Ranging from Ferrero Rocher to lollipop and cheesecake to a Spanish classic tarta nata (cream cake). Personally I went for a combo of one scoop White Nutella and one scoop caramelised pine nut ice cream. Both rocked my socks, but the Nutella was particularly spectacular.

Hagg's Hockey Corner

Last week, as you know, the Ball Hockey season came to a climactic end. My Dekstars team came so close to taking home the national champions title, but we didn't and we move on but it still hurts and I am still kicking myself for not having the guts to take a penalty shot - never again! Anyway...having devoted a lot of time to Ball Hockey over the past couple of months I am taking a bit of a rest and a weekend away from the game. I will be back to it next week, but over this time off I have been able take stock of the season and have set myself some fairly hefty challenges for the coming year.

In the off-season I aim to keep fit and learn more about Ball Hockey seeing as I only started playing in October last year. However, my biggest personal target for the year is to attend Team GB trials and not totally embarrass myself and hopefully get a look in on the team. I feel I have played well in the Open tournaments and at nationals and have the potential to continue to develop in the sport, but you can never tell what a coach is looking for. Hopefully whatever it is I can bring it!

I cannot describe how jealous I am of my friends and team mates who made this year's squad and it is a mere matters of days before they fly out to Newfoundland, Canada. They have been training hard for months now, working on strategies and team fitness. Obviously not being a part of the squad I can't give you a great insight, but I know one man that can - James 'Leafy' Dixon. He has been blogging on his exploits and I wholeheartedly encourage you to read more about it here on this newly designed site - The Geordie Geek

For those of you who are interested I hear a rumour that some of the games may be televised at some point and if I can I will be finding a link and posting it so that you can find out more what Ball Hockey all about. Good luck to Team GB, we are all proud of you, give them hell!

Run Haggy Run

What's Run Haggy Run I hear you say?! A new element of the blog I cry! A little while ago I mentioned that I had been lucky enough to be given a ballot place in the Great North Run. I haven't exactly done much training to date, but not that the off-season of the Ball Hockey season is upon us I can start to focus a bit on running. To help me along with it and to keep you updated I thought I would add this section to my blog.

A couple of years back I set myself the challenge to run 5 half marathons in the course of a year. It was a year filled with training, injury setbacks and fancy dress, but ultimately very rewarding. I got the opportunity to run in some great cities and even managed to make the local news dressed in a skin-tight tiger onesie! I also set my personal best half marathon time of sub 1 hour 39 minutes in Dublin and got to celebrate with a Guiness...perfect!

I think I am still fit enough to run the distance, but I need to get out there on the streets and put the miles in. I know the Great North Run is not ideal for setting a personal best because of the amount of runners, but I would still like to achieve a modest time of perhaps 1 hour 45 minutes. One thing I know for sure if before actually doing the Great North Run itself I need to get myself some new running shoes. As much as I love my current pair of Asics I have run them into the ground and they know offer less cushioning than the retro Green Flash I wear out and about! I have found this out to my detriment after completing an easy 6 miler and bit more up tempo 3 miler over the weekend because I am now sporting a fetching in-step blister. Thanks for the sympathy in advance.

Before I run I will be asking for you all to donate to a charity very dear to me - the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. Having lost someone close to me to Cystic Fibrosis I always run for the Trust because they put in some great work to raise awareness of the disease and undertake research to tackle it. Breathe easy for now because I haven't set up my fundraising page yet, but it will be coming so be warned!

For the time being though please keep yourself updated by following me on Twitter @adzhagg or using my super special hashtag #runhaggyrun

Have You Heard What Haggy's Heard?!?

To me, HYHWHH is what my blog is all about, but for the past couple of weeks I feel it has lost its spark. Whilst the main body of my blog needs structure I think this part really benefits from being off the wall and random. It is a section designed to bring new things to your life, make you smile, inspire you or at least give you something to distract you from the day-to-day grind called life. So, with all this in mind I am going to stop doing set things each week and just share random parts of my life with you, much as before!

Technology
This week the bods at Microsoft launched their next step in attempted world domination: the Xbox One. I swear it is all one big rouse because I had only just updated the software on my console and then the dreaded Ring of Fire means I am now sans console and yearning for gaming related fun. So it has been with heightened interest that I have watched both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 be announced over the past couple of months.

To be honest with you both Xbox One and the PS4 have left me feeling a little bit underwhelmed and disappointed. They promise much in regards to developing new technology and syncing up our ever increasing technological lifestyles, but I just don't get what they want to be any more; are they a gaming platform or something else? Call me old fashioned, but I have a laptop to go on social networking sites, Sky to watch TV and I want my console to plat games with and I don't want to mess with that. Gone are the days when a console could sell itself by merely announcing exclusive rights to upcoming games and instead we are now heading into the murky waters of social networking and web browsing. My fear is that combining everything could result in a reduced gaming experience as designers are asked to be able to include ways to 'share' progress on Grand Theft Auto or Call of Duty rather than develop some killer levels.

Don't get me wrong I will no doubt crumble to peer pressure and by one of these consoles when they are released, which will depend on who can give me the best gaming experience and hasn't totally lost its way in the ever confused market. If you are considering buying one please let me know which so it may steer my choice and I can compete against you in some kind of online death match at some stage!

Argh just show me games!!!

Grammatical correctness
In light of the recent SAT tests where children are tested on their ability to identify and use grammar I have become a bit self-critical of my own writing style. I know I use the exclamation mark far too much but I think it is because I am so excitable and I just want to put that across. However I do like that we are continuing to teach grammar in schools because too often I see spelling mistakes or the wrong use of a Don't get me wrong grammar has always been taught in schools I just find it slightly amusing that it has made it to the news recently. What I don't get it that instead of people seeing the English language changing and evolving we are being forced to learn archaic language. What next, Latin again? Thank God I missed that period of schooling!

Whilst we are on funny grammar things check out this video from the one and only Lonely Island - Semicolon; part of the YouTube Comedy week and their impending new album Wack Wednesday.

Crazy story
This week well known musician (even though recent records make this debatable) George Michael fell out of  a car doing 70mph on the M1 and walked off with a few cuts and bruises. Looking at the pictures of the aftermath I am sure a fair few people are cursing this latest stunt because it closed the M1 down whilst emergency services attended the scene. I am not quite sure what he is trying to prove by doing this, but all I know is I would sign him up to be a stunt man in the next Die Hard movie! Check out the the full story and the cracking headline "Scrape me up before you go slow" from The Sun here

Music
So I am not going to let you down and not give you some music, but I haven't heard much new stuff this week given that I have been in Spain where today's hits are yesterday's hits over here. I am however looking forward to the release of Drake's third studio album called 'Nothing Was The Same'. There is not a lot known about the album, but having heard "Started From The Bottom" I am hoping for more of the same.

See y'all later! Love.
Haggy

Hockey nationals and more

Hi everyone,

Welcome back and thanks for taking the time to read. It is always a pleasure to write my blog, but this week it has been especially enjoyable because of the content. This is a BIG blog so be warned and don't go into reading it lightly, but equally make sure you read it. It is crammed full of stories and hopefully a gripping report on the biggest week in the UK Ball Hockey Calendar. Take your time to read it, comment and share with your friends.

Status Update

This week I am mostly tired and forgetful. It has been a busy week of work as we are undergoing an accreditation process so I have been putting in some longer hours to get stuff done whilst its quiet. Not only that, but as the NHL playoffs continue to enthral me I have been unable to get to sleep at an acceptable hour. I am definitely looking forward to some upcoming leave when I will be able to get some sleep and relax my tired and aching muscles.

This weekend hasn't exactly helped me catch up on sleep because the national hockey tournament dictated that I would have to wake up early on Sunday (3.45 am) to catch the team bus to Sheffield and then crawl back into bed a whole 23 hours later at 2.30am on Monday morning. Put it this way I have been on auto-pilot since then so you should count yourself lucky that I am managing to form a sentence let alone write an entire blog!

This week I also started a new fitness regime. I am going to be giving the workout that has been getting a lot of praise and recognition for its outcomes a try, Insanity. So far I have done the fitness test, but progression was rudely interrupted by hockey. I can, however, tell you that if the fitness test is anything to go by this is going to be some hardcore workout that will improve my cardio output and hopefully build my strength too. I am looking forward to giving it a shot and feeling the deep burn each time I turn on the DVD player. I am sure as weeks progress I will be reporting back, but the aim is to get fitter before I go to America so I can eat all the burgers I want without feeling guilty. Not that I would anyway!

Haggy's Hols

This week I finally got around to applying for my visa waiver so that my entry to USA would be smoother. I have to say that it had slipped my mind for a while and I was very happy to find that the process has been streamlined in comparison to other visa traditional processes. Ordinarily my understanding of visas is that you have to make a written application and then wait weeks whilst it is processed and your passport is updated. For this reason I was fearful that I may have left it a bit late and this would lead to impending panic stations, but reassured by recent travellers I logged on to a website to apply for my visa.

Well done to Homeland Security for creating such a simple process for applying for a visa. It removes a lot of complications for the customer and must allow them to complete all their necessary checks. The online application was simple and asked a few standard security questions, nothing too daunting though thankfully. I was also required to make a nominal credit card payment to complete the process. All in all though it was relatively painless and a mere 72 short hours later the visas were approved and we are cleared to travel! My advice don't leave it too late, but don't let concerns about complex visa processes put you off travel.

Let the countdown begin! There is still one stage left of our West Coast tour to tell you about - San Francisco. That can wait though because like they say good things come to those who wait. Before all that I have one final trip to make to Seville that I will tell you about next week and then real preparations will commence.

Food Glorious Food

Given that I am tired this week it was a nice coincidence that one of my favourite websites www.bbcgoodfood.com was running an article about how food can help you sleep better and reduce stress. Obviously I had a read of the article (found here) and it actually turns out that I do a lot of this stuff already. Maybe I just need to be strict and make myself go to bed at a reasonable hour. If you are having sleeping issues consider a change in your diet.

Based on what I read I would like to share with you the recipe for Zingy Chicken Stir-Fry because it looks tasty. It is literally a stir fry, but click here for the ingredients list.

Haggy's Hockey Corner

It has been the biggest hockey week of the year and I have a fair few stories to regale this week filled with real highs and some difficult times. I wouldn't say lows because they really aren't negative, but instead something that could have produced a slightly better outcome. Read on and I hope you catch my drift.

Comets collect the trophy with a final victory
Quick acknowledgement - the pictures of the Comets game and trophy come courtesy of Paul Lynch. Check out his 365 blog because he creates some stunning images.

After sealing the title as champions last week against Northumbria Sharks the North East Dekstars Comets were back in action this week. The team took to the court to face off against a fellow Dekstars team - the Supernovas. You would think that being a fellow Dekstars team and just a week out from the big national tournament this game may be a docile affair. It was not. Instead this game would turn out to be one of the hardest fought of the season and was interspersed with some aggressive play, sometimes overly so.

The game had been ticking over nicely for a while. It was feisty and committed, but being played in good spirits. That was until a jostle in the corner where two players gave as good as they got boiled over later on in the play. Whilst the Comet player James Dixon was running towards the boards he received a cross check to the back sending him head first towards the boards. This led to a lot of pushing and shoving between the teams and in all honesty a lot of people getting involved when they really didn't need to be involved. The referees did a good job of handling it and got the game going again relatively quickly. In my eyes it was totally unnecessary and could have caused serious injury to someone who is a very important piece of the Dekstars 1 national team and someone due to go and represent his country in a matter of weeks. That kind of thing does not belong in the game and hopefully the league look at it again, but if not the offending player should count himself lucky and learn from what happened in the aftermath.

Ultimately the Comets won 6-5 (I am not sure, but I may have the game winner) and completed the season undefeated. On reflection the incident gave the Comets the kick they needed to go on and win the game and it certainly made victory that little bit sweeter. The only blemish on the season was the draw last week and it would have perhaps been nice to have recorded a shutout at some point in the season. Beggars can't be choosers though! It was a great privilege to play alongside every single Comet and they are all superstars in my eyes contributing in many ways over the season. It is a shame that the team will probably be broken down and reformed in a draft style next season, but we can all be proud to be the first team to win the inaugural Northern Conference League. Thanks for the ride Comets, it's been an honour!

Dekstars 1 come a very close second
Sunday saw the entire Dekstars club take 3 teams to the season finale national tournament. I was honoured to be asked to captain the first team in the absence of our broken toed captain Becky Farren (get well soon Bec). It added a bit of additional pressure to the tournament, but it was a level of pressure I actually enjoy having and it drives me on to give more and really try to lead by example. That and it gives me the permission to be more vocal too!

The format of the tournament would be a group of sorts with the 3 other competing teams before a semi-final and a final. We would avoid the semi-final if we topped the group so there was added importance to winning  every game in the group stage. Forgive me for not remembering the ins and outs of games, but it was a long day!

First game was up against Shaw Millionaires. Shaw are a team we have historically had difficulty against because they are well drilled and play a hard game. This game followed tradition and to be honest I don't think the 4am start and a 3 hour coach trip had helped any of us as we were sluggish for the majority of the game. We clicked in flashes and just enough to start the day with a confidence building 2-0 victory.

Game two would be a different story against a team who were possibly the favourites just ahead of us Dekstars, Nottingham Wolves 1. A team filled with talent and pace and playing a forechecking style very similar to our own it would be a game decided by who could control the neutral zone the best. Unfortunately that accolade went to Wolves who dominated from start to end. We had a few good chances on goal, but the pace and precision of Wolves' passing saw us collapse deep in front of our net and encourage them to attack. It was only some sterling work in goal from Darren Elliott that kept the score to a respectable 1-0 loss.

Game three and the final game of the group was against a talented Wolves 2 team. It was do or die because a loss would very likely see our day end there and then and get dumped out of the nationals without showing anywhere near the performance that saw us capture the Southern Open tournament a matter of weeks ago. The game started out as a tactical affair on few clear cut chances, but a game that I think we had control of for long swathes. However, we would go behind thanks to a quick break that caught us napping and allowed  Wolves to sneak a goal in at the near post. Again, falling behind gave us the kick we needed to turn on our game and we went back down the other end and bagged an equaliser a couple of shifts later. As the game went on Coach Cree called us in and game us a ticking off and told us to up our game, we did. As the game drew on space did start to develop and a superb pass from Jonna Galloway found me on the left wing. I made my way up the wing unchallenged and I don't know what came over me, but I decide to take a slap shot from just inside the offensive zone. I don't think I have scored a slapshot since my first year of University ice hockey in 2005, but this one found itself nestling in the back of the net. That would be the game winner and we saw out a 2-1 victory to progress to the semi finals.

The semi-final would see us face off against that pesky Shaw Millionaires team filled with old team mates and good friends Katy and Jeff Holliday. Again the game was close and actually all turned on the penalty awarded to my line mate Justin Presseau. After taking a penalty the Millionaires would quickly convert a powerplay to take a 1-0 lead and see a usually calm Justin flip his lid and try and snap his stick coming out of the bench. I found this slightly funny as it was such a break from normality. Anyway, on the very next shift David 'JC' Hirst would convert a chance created by some hard board work from James Dixon. The momentum was truly with us and when Terry Simons scored on a semi spin-o-rama goal we took a lead that we would not relinquish. I would go on to add a goal that I will try to remain modest about, but am in fact very proud of. Picking up the ball on the halfway I chipped the ball over one defenders stick, volleyed it over the next and after settling the ball down snapped a shot into the top corner. The game was over by that point, but it still felt good to score a goal like that on the national stage. Final score 3-1 to Dekstars.

For some reason the video won't show, but here is a link - vs. Shaw video

Ahead of the final I sat and had a think about the Wolves breakout and how we could combat it. We had a few small chats beforehand. I am not going to say what about because there will come a time when we play them again, but put it this way I noticed one system they play. It seemed to work because the game was much more even than our first meeting earlier in the day. Chances were limited as both team nullified the others' attacks but both goaltender was called upon to make important saves. At one stage I hit the bar and would later be told by the opposing goalie that had it been on target it would have gone in because he was unsighted. That makes what happened next all the more unbearable. The game would end 0-0 and owing to time constraints would go straight to penalty shots. It takes a brave man to step forward and take a shot in this type of game and confidence is key. Even though I had a great day I was not confident as I tend to overthink one-on-one scenarios and end up missing, so looked and hoped for others to be braver than I. Luckily there were some brave enough to step forward: Arto Polus, Terry Simons and James Dixon. It was a tense affair as is to be expected, but luck was not on our side as we lost narrowly 2-1. Even though we lost I need to give a big shout out to our penalty takers. It takes guts and courage to do what you did so regardless of the result be proud in your mental fortitude and you will forever have my admiration.

Again here is another link to a video - Penalty video

After the final we all got together for a bit of a team talk as normal and the loss was still very raw for everyone. I could see in everyone's eyes that they had given much more than a physical effort but also an emotional effort. It was at that time that all you can do is congratulate the team for giving it their all and try to remind them of all the positives. There are a lot from a team who is still getting to used to using new line combinations, playing new systems and dealing with injuries and absences. I mean 2 trophies, a semi-final defeat to eventual champions and a tight penalty shot loss in a final is something to be very proud of. If any Dekstars 1 players are reading really do take great pride in what we have accomplished together this season. Next season we carry on upwards and build on each and every success we have earned this year. Well done you heroes!

Before I leave off from the nationals I want to give a shout out to the Dekstars 2 and 3 teams. Both teams gave excellent performances all day and hopefully learnt a lot about themselves and their team mates. From my perspective they played some excellent hockey and deserved to go deeper into the tournament than narrowly missing out at the group stage. I was lucky enough to bench coach Team 2 during their tournament and every player gave their all and impressed me in the passion and drive to achieve. There are elements of the team that Team 1 would do well to learn from and hopefully we can continue to give them something to aspire to and even one day usurp us! It was a great day for everyone involved in the club and a big thanks goes to Darren, Alison, Ali and Becky for organising the day and being so amazing!

Have You Heard What Haggy's Heard?

Story of the week  - I am not usually a fan of celebrity because unfortunately too many people are given this status despite being talentless. I mean programs like Geordie Shore and The Valleys symbolise just how dire things have become. Today though I want to praise Angelina Jolie for using her status to raise awareness in world issues. She has worked on behalf of the UN previously but today she is raising awareness in breast cancer through her own tribulations and a double mastectomy. In what must be a difficult personal time she is creating a media focus and discussion around the topic. If it can increase screening then hopefully people can make informed decisions before they are forced to take action. For once someone acting as a proper role model - click here for full story

Quote of the week - This week is less so a quote but more of a comment I saw on Facebook. It doesn't need much introduction, but it really gets you thinking why the world's superpowers couldn't just agree to get along for once and instead make a real positive difference to future generations.

Song of the week - This week's song of the week goes to Naughty Boy with the new track LaLaLa featuring Sam Smith. It's a catchy track for sure but it is song of the week on the back of the innovative video. I am loving the South American Wizard of Oz references in the oddly endearing story of a runaway and the people he meets on his journey. Check it out, it's cool. Another video link fail sorry so please click here

Film of the week - I love a dystopia and tonight I saw a trailer for a film that may just feed my just satisfy that craving. The Purge starring Ethan Hawke is about a society where once a year all crime goes. An interesting concept indeed an if not worth going to the cinema to watch it is a definite addition to my rental list.

Thanks for persisting and I hope you enjoyed this week's bumper edition. See you next week!

Love

Haggy

Bank Holiday delights

Hi there friends,

Welcome back to The World Of Hagg. It feels like it has been a long week. Possibly because there was a bank holiday and I had to work less or possibly because I am having difficulty remembering what happened when. Either way I have some stories that need to be told and some things in my life that need to be shared. I hope you enjoy them and as ever please comment and share my blog with those like minded people out there.

Status Update

This week saw the country 'celebrate' a bank holiday. I say celebrate because for some reason bank holidays are seen as an excuse to go drinking on a Sunday instead of (or possibly even as well as) a Saturday. I am a real creature of habit because ordinarily I would be visiting Snoozeville (Population: me) following an egg mayonnaise sandwich, so the concept of this just confuses me! I bought into it this time though and had a good weekend as a result.

After a fairly intensive pre-nationals training session on Sunday morning I made my way to the supermarket and bought myself a few beers. I was invited to a barbecue with some friends from hockey and for the first time in a long time I was going to be joined by 2 long time friends from my Uni days. It had the potential to be a great night and it turned out to be just that. Firstly, the food was incredible and I will most certainly be trying to get my hands on the recipes for the Dixon family chilli and crab cakes. Big love as always goes to them for their hospitality! After enjoying the chilled drinking atmosphere of the barbecue and warming up around the fire pit my Uni friends thought it was about time to sample the delights of Newcastle. As much fun as I was having I couldn't say no because one of them had never even been before. I may have had a few too many tequila shots before leaving the barbecue because the night becomes a little bit hazier from there on in, but we went to a couple of bars near the station and I generally danced like no-one was watching! By the time we came to leave my senses were returning, but my judgement was cloudy enough to demand greasy food and order my first ever Parmo!

Put it this way the reunion was so good that we are already talking about meeting up for a more sober affair next bank holiday. We shall see because I can't promise it will be sober, just maybe not as drunk!!!

Haggy's Hols

Apparently I go on holiday a lot. I am even starting to get sarky comments from the customers at work, but I think it is just a case of jealousy. To be honest I can't really help that my girlfriend lives in another country and I have to go abroad to see her and it is less like a holiday these days. That being said I am going back again in a couple of weeks to see her for the last time before we embark on our magnificent tour of America's West Coast. This time I will be travelling by all modes of transport in the value category in the vain attempt to save pennies for the summer. First up I will going Megabus to London and then flying Ryanair to Seville. Really, wish me and my cramped legs luck and hopefully it will all go smoothly. I guess I might appreciate other carriers more after this experience. I will most certainly be reporting back and perhaps warning you of such foolish journeys in the future.

Talking of our tour I can't really go one week without giving you an insight into our plans. Next up after Yosemite is 2 nights in Napa Valley. After making our way up from Yosemite with a potential pit stop in Sacramento we will staying in Napa itself. Renowned for its perfect wine growing conditions you can guess what we will be doing during our stay there...that's right...visiting the Jelly Belly factory in Bakersfield. I am so excited about this because not only is it free, but they also sell of reject jelly beans called Belly Flops - pure genius.

Of course during our time in Napa we will be sampling some of the local grape juice too!We are definitely going to be hiring some pedal bikes and taking in the wonder of the vineyards as we cycle. After the excess of the holiday so far it may be necessary to do some exercise anyway. By all accounts this is a great way to see the wineries and get involved in some sampling. I am looking forward to learning a thing or two and maybe becoming a wine connoisseur (it is hard enough to spell it)! At the moment we are undecided about whether to get a guide or do it ourselves. If you have any suggestions or recommendations then please do tell because it would really be useful right now!

Food Glorious Food

In honour of the fabulous barbecue food I was given I am going to bring you a couple of BBQ delights. Hopefully the nice weather will hold out long enough in the UK for you to try a few of them. If not try it next time the sun appears in a sky near you!

Beer Butt Chicken

This is pretty straight forward but gives you an awesome chicken dish. Essentially the beer will steam off in the cooking process and infuse the meat with its flavours so don't skimp on the beer because you will end up with a chicken that tastes foul. Yes the pun was intended!

Ingredients

Whole chicken (innards removed)

Beer (in a can)

Seasoning

Method

Season your chicken
Crack open your beer and drink half
Place the can in the chicken's cavity and stand upright on a baking tray
Cover with foil and cook low and slow until the juices run clear
Eat!

Second one isn't from me, but is from the guys at Tasted's Burger Lab. Basically these guys make gourmet burgers and I love it! This edition has some things after my own heart, spice and Spain. It's the Chorizo Burger! Oh, and go check out their other fine works and drool away.

Hagg's Hockey Corner

Last week I brought you news that the North East Dekstars Comets team was on the verge of winning the league and it all rested on one big game. This week I bring you good news because we are the champions, my friends! In a game where a draw would sufficient to win the league we did just enough and tied the game 5-5. Our opponents, Northumbria Sharks, played a really strong game playing a very solid defensive game and forechecking with both speed and aggression. This really caught us cold and at one stage we found ourselves in a 4-1 hole. I am not sure whether there was any complacency or whether the Sharks really wanted to stop our run and halt our title charge, but something just wasn't quite clicking. As ever though the Comet spirit drove us on and with the help of a couple of controversial goal line decisions (one disallowed against us and one given when it wasn't in) we dragged ourselves back into the game. It was all very nervy at the end, but when the final whistle blew a feeling of relief took over.

We can go into the final game of the season against Supernovas knowing that the league is in the bag, but we are all really keen to ensure we go through the season unbeaten. It will be our final game of the season and as well as the standard team with trophy pictures I am told there may potentially be local news reporters there to interview my line mate James Dixon as he prepares himself for the Ball Hockey international.

Next week is nationals week so I hope to bring you more good news from a hockey stand point. A quick prelude is that I have been named captain. Following the Southern Open tournament we found out that our captain broke her toe and has been out of duty since. It has come a bit out of the blue, because there are others who have been with the team longer, are very well respected by the team and would deserve the title, but I am honoured and hopefully I can represent the entire club by leading from the front and put in some good performances. I will sure as hell be trying to make them proud!

Have You Heard What Haggy's Heard

Story of the week - This week the North East Dekstars made the national media unexpectedly! After winning the Ball Hockey Southern Open hockey tournament a couple of weeks ago the majority of the team were making their way home on a private hire coach. At this point I will add I was driving so missed all this, but anyway the driveshaft fell off the coach and caused some damage to other cars as well as abruptly cutting short the victorious journey home. Apparently much hilarity ensued, but as the sun had long set it was starting to get cold. The team were however quickly joined by Highways Officers supplying those snazzy tin foil jackets to keep them warm and staying with them until alternative transport arrived to get them home. The incident has received a full write up thanks to those hard working guys at the Highways Agency. Well any publicity is good publicity I suppose! Full story

Song of the week - I heard this track a little while ago but never caught who it was by, but thanks to my awesome little app Jango it came across my path again and this time I was being told the artist. With a catchy  hook it feels like a summer tune all over and I am also a big fan of Rick Ross' beard! There is also a pretty good remix with J.Cole and Wale doing the rounds so find that too.

Special edition song of the week - After Lauryn Hill achieved the heights of stardom in 1998 with the critically acclaimed ablum 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill' she took the controversial decision to leave the music business and focus on family life. This sent shockwaves through the industry as she was touted to be one of the generations best. In my eyes there are only a few albums that have stood the test of time as well as The Miseducation. Well, this week she is back in the news, but for the wrong reasons following a conviction for tax evasion (story here) and it has got me listening to the album again. So, I want to share 'To Zion' with you because it is song writing at its finest.

Quote of the week - "May your neighbours respect you, trouble neglect you, angels protect you and heaven accept you" - Drake

TV of the week - This week a new thriller/drama started on Sky Living, Hannibal. After watching the first in the series I have very high hopes for this gripping series. It has an all-star cast and looks at the criminal profiling of Dr Lecter from a psychological perspective. A tormented psychologist is recruited by the FBI to capture a killer with a taste for human flesh. A serious twist in affairs is that Dr Lecter is also recruited to work alongside them in capturing the murderer. It is beautifully dark and perfectly twisted in every way. Really really do watch it!

Film of the week - No new film this week, but I did watch the apocalyptic offering that is The Day After Tomorrow. Apocalyptic is probably a bit of a strong word for this film given its it will kind of be OK-ish in the end message following the second ice age. With blockbuster special effects and an unnecessary love story this film hits all the Hollywood clichés, but somehow it entertains me. Perfect late night viewing whilst you doze off!

See you next week when hopefully I can tell you all about captaining the Ball Hockey team to nationals victory and some other generally fun stuff.

Love
Haggy