The playoffs

Miraculously, I made it to PB's apartment before 8.30am, when the opening NFL playoff began screening on ESPN. We both wanted the Washington Redskins to win - he as a lifelong supporter, me 'cos of the Sean Taylor tragedy. Our hopes were dashed, momentarily raised, then double dashed. Behind 13-0 going into the fourth quarter, the 'Skins fought their way to 13-14. But the Seattle Seahawks - at their mega-noisy Qwest Field - replied with a further 22 points and that was that.

The second game - during which mine host prepared Scotch fillet steaks on his balcony barbecue and Extra Dry was guzzled - was between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Jacksonville Jaguars. PB was cheering for the Jags, reasoning that they'd have a better chance of upsetting the all-conquering New England Patriots. I was barracking for the other side, who I saw as the underdogs. It was a 31-29 thriller and Jacksonville became the first team ever to defeat the Steelers in Pittsburgh twice in a season. A beaut day's entertainment!


Reading: "Gyo" (2002) by Junji Ito. Horror manga that's bizarre (land dwellers attacked by fish on legs) and truly original (did I mention the fish on legs?).