:: The Wendy House ::

‘Big Ben’ pub on ProvidenceOriginally uploaded by :: Wendy ::.
A good match, the USA were the more aggressive team if demonstrating less strategic skill. Holding the Italians to a draw is defintely a substantial achievement, even if both goals were scored by the Italian side…..

A good match, the USA were the more aggressive team if demonstrating less strategic skill. Holding the Italians to a draw is defintely a substantial achievement, even if both goals were scored by the Italian side…..I stumbled upon a ‘British Pub’ just before the match started and sat outside under a blue umbrella wathcing the match. During the Italian National anthem the team stood with their arms draped over each others shoulders and sang. During the USA national anthem the American team stood with about a foot between them, hands on heart, many didn’t even bother to mouth the words to the anthem.

A good match, the USA were the more aggressive team if demonstrating less strategic skill. Holding the Italians to a draw is defintely a substantial achievement, even if both goals were scored by the Italian side…..I stumbled upon a ‘British Pub’ just before the match started and sat outside under a blue umbrella wathcing the match. During the Italian National anthem the team stood with their arms draped over each others shoulders and sang. During the USA national anthem the stood with about a foot between them, hands on heart, many didn’t even bother to mouth the words to the anthem.The game was generally well referreed with some seemingly harsh decisions. The worst foul was when Daniele De Rossi (Italy) flagrantly threw an elbow right into the face of McBride (USA) in the 28th minute. He was sent off with a red card while McBride, with blood running down his face, left the field to change his shirt and try to stem the blood flow.

America weren’t one man up for long, just before the end of the first half Mastroeni was sent off for a late foul on Pirlo. It really wasn’t clear that this was actually a deliberately late tackle, looked reasonable to me.

Both goals were scored mid way through the first half.

Pope (USA) is sent of for a second yellow-card at the beginning of the second half. The USA managed to maintain the 1:1 score with only 9 men on the pitch. Nice job.

The cheering and chanting from the crowded pub really added to the ambience.

Wendy:  hug?

Blonde in car:  (smiles and blushes)

Wendy: leant into the driver-side car window and wrapped my left arm around her ‘thankyou so much’

I had just finnished driving 100 miles along Blue Ridge Parkway in the Appalachain mountains between Blowing Rock and Asheville.  There are no gas stations on the route or signposted from the route.  

No prizes for guessing what happened to me in my rented car…. 

I discovered that:

• A Chevy Cobra can go about 40 miles (20 of them coasting downhill) on an ‘empty’ fuel tank,  while flashing all sorts of lights at the driver.
• I can tolerate an empty tank without panicking for about 20 miles.
• 0 out of 10 American SUV drivers surveyed carry a spare couple of gallons in a container in their boot ‘just incase’. 
• the Park Rangers don’t all have either a cell or radio-phone. 
• people love to help a gal in trouble but aren’t too sharp on varied innovative solution routes.
• I feel like I need to ask people permission to hug them in the US,  unlike the UK where a good dose of hugging all round happens at the drop of a hat and especially on soccer pitches.

pictures gradually being posted on flick-r