I've only ever called one person 'Dad' before. It's a name that, to me, refers to just one person in the entire World.
The gravitas of that title being bestowed upon me has yet to really hit me. The responsibility that goes with it, the care and love. I am setting myself up to be somebody's idol, someone to directly look up to. I have also helped create something that will directly reflect Jackeline and I, and our abilities to be a Mum & Dad. Our ability to work as a team. This is real.
What's gone through my head today? SO much. I'm not worried what he/she looks like. I'm more worried about how we can creatively break this news to the world. Do we do a video? A clever picture? Or do we simply just keep it classy? Are there people we should tell immediately, or do we go through the first stages of this as just the two of us? How will Jackeline keep it a secret if she has sickness? We need to get a car. What weird stuff is Jackeline going to crave? Is she going to turn into a monster? Should I just spend the next 9 months sleeping as much as I can to make up for the fact I'll not sleep properly for ages after? What shall we call it?! Do we find out the gender? Does it really matter? I should probably cut down on my alcohol intake.. What is safe for Jackeline to eat?
I was walking towards a nearby village earlier, and I had a tough time keeping my emotions in check. I felt my perspective change. I walked differently, I felt taller. It was as though I could see myself from above, evolving into the next stage of adulthood. I've already got a pretty questionable sense of humour and my dancing at weddings can be fairly embarrassing, so that's at least two things ticked off the Dad list already.. I suppose there's a little more to it than that though.
I went to pick up a Valentine's Day card for Jackeline, and considered telling the shopkeeper our huge secret. I resisted, but the urge to shout it out from the tallest mountain is there. But no, Jackeline and I are keeping a secret from the entire world. This is OUR moment. We celebrated with a home cooked meal and a Disney film containing the song we had for our first dance.
I've never felt so in love with someone as I am with her right now. I'm SO full of pride. I know that she's going to be an incredible Mum, and that this little poppy seed is going to be loved by the vast array of incredible and unique people we have in our lives. We are so lucky.
But we must keep perspective. It is literally Day 1 for us, she's roughly 4 weeks pregnant. We can't really relax until around weeks 10-12. We must stay sensible, and take care of this delicate little package.
Overall I'm immensely proud, happy and excited. Terrified too, but that's normal. We've been sensible, and although our finances could be better and a car would be lovely, we're ready for this.
I won't be updating this daily, but I'll look to fill you in next week.
Much love x
Friday, 30 June 2017
Day 1 - Finding Out
Monday 13th February 2017. A day that never held any significance to me before, but will now forever be the day that my role in this World changed.
We had been trying to get pregnant since our first wedding anniversary in November. Something I never thought would cause any difficulties really, I thought the process was simple enough and that everything would go to plan.
The first pregnancy test we tried came back negative. We'd gone away to Iceland for a few days and I was so convinced we'd returned with a baby on board. I felt protective over Jackeline's every move. Everything she did, I ensured she took extra care and everything she consumed, I gave a quick risk assessment to.
It was disappointing, admittedly. We kept our brave faces on, but in reality I was gutted. What had we done wrong? Had I not taken enough care of myself? Was I simply not healthy enough? What if years of casual alcohol consumption had deemed my little swimmers unfit for purpose..?
Jackeline reassured me that it was perfectly normal, and that some people wait up to a year before getting pregnant. A quick google search backed up those claims, although it didn't make me feel much more at ease. We were just going to have to be patient, and I was going to have to accept that.
December was our second disappointment. We'd made the plan to check on Christmas Day, hoping for an extra special Christmas miracle - but again, it wasn't to be. We took the positives from this, at least Jackeline could relax and drink/eat whatever she wanted... We were gutted though, and I found it hard to take a second rejection.
December was our second disappointment. We'd made the plan to check on Christmas Day, hoping for an extra special Christmas miracle - but again, it wasn't to be. We took the positives from this, at least Jackeline could relax and drink/eat whatever she wanted... We were gutted though, and I found it hard to take a second rejection.
January came around pretty quickly, and once more we were due to take a test - I was approaching this date with pessimism, and rightly so. Jackeline's body told us quite firmly that there was no need for a test, this wasn't our month either. I took this one harder than I did the last and I'd essentially convinced myself that I couldn't get her naturally pregnant. I felt dejected and a bit useless, which got me down in the dumps. I was starting to genuinely think that we weren't going to make this happen, that it wasn't possible. I was starting to consider the fact that we might have to adopt one day, which is something we are both open to but only if we couldn't make it work ourselves.
As with any married couple, the question of kids always pops up. I was finding myself getting more and more sensitive to these questions. It was no longer a matter of choice, but it was something that wasn't happening anyway - I felt defensive. There could be a million reasons why a married couple don't have children, and most of them aren't because of a decision that has been made. It has certainly made me more aware of questions I ask long term couples.. It simply is none of my business, and if they want to confide in me then so be it.
Trying for a baby the fourth time after three failed attempts was tough. I had been taking care of my body, training for a half marathon and eating much healthier, but I just didn't think I was capable of making this work. My mood took a bit of a dip, and it had a negative affect on our relationship. I'm quite a sensitive chap, really. If I take something to heart, I really feel it and this was one of those things. I found it difficult particularly as I had nobody to talk to about this. It was our secret, but we were both trying our best and still failing. What can you do but keep trying?
Today, before I woke up, Jackeline took a pregnancy test. 4 months after we'd started trying.
She had told me she was due to take it on Valentine's Day, so I had absolutely no idea she was going to have a sneaky check a day early. It was barely on my mind, to be honest. I assumed we'd fail again, so I wasn't really counting down the days. It was more a matter of bracing myself before taking another blow of bad news.
That wasn't the case at all.
I heard her get up for work. I rolled over and continued to snooze. Just another normal morning.
The next thing I knew, she'd burst into the room, turned on the light and given me a Valentine's Day card. 'Fair enough', I thought. She's in a rush to get to work, and we had a little plan to celebrate Valentine's Day a day early. I open the card, half asleep.
I'm aware that she's picked up her phone and is filming my reaction.
The first line in the card read "This has to be one of the best days in my life".. 'Ok' I thought 'I mean, we got married and everything but some people do really like Valentine's Day' so I carried on reading. She'd drawn a little picture near the bottom but I had no idea what it was..
She continued to stare at me, camera phone pointing at me..
"One of the best days in your life?" I asked.
"YES!" she said as she whipped forward a positive pregnancy test from behind her back.
Utter shock. I froze. I didn't know what to say.
"PINGY!!" I said, my nickname for her... "It worked!!"
Emotions? Somewhere between shock, excitement, relief and disbelief followed by an overwhelming surge of pride and love. It's hard to describe, really. Shit just got real... I was now wide awake, and I grabbed her tight, giving her showers of hugs and kisses. I couldn't believe it.
The smile hasn't left my face all day.
The smile hasn't left my face all day.
Friday, 25 November 2016
Iceland
My wife and I have just returned from a 5 day trip to Iceland.
I'm blogging about this because quite a few people have told me they're considering a trip out there, and would like advice or suggestions on what to do.. Hopefully this will come in handy!
We have quite a lot of things to say about this beautiful country, so this almost certainly won't cover all of it but I'll give it a go - and if you can't be bothered to read all of it, skip to the end where I've bullet pointed the main things.
1. The People
As English speaking people, we were very lucky. It seems everybody in Iceland speaks English, and not one person misunderstood a word we were saying. There was no language barrier whatsoever, to the extent where we started to wonder whether English was actually their first language. It almost felt a bit like cheating, but there was simply no opportunity to test out our Icelandic - and even when we said 'Takk' as thank you, it was met with no response.
We were given the impression that Iceland is full of lovely, polite and happy people. Whilst this isn't entirely inaccurate, we also discovered a different type of person whilst on our trip.
Customer service, in general, is pretty poor. They make little conversation, don't say please or thank you and essentially do the very basics of the job without so much of a smile. Though this isn't the case in all places (the restaurants we went to were full of exceptional staff), a majority of our transactions felt like we were being served by a grumpy teenager. I recall one particular girl who was initially chatting to someone else at the till, took the item we were buying, scanned it, took payment, pushed it back towards us with no eye contact, no smile, nothing. It felt rude, but I think this is just the way some of them are..
2. The Prices
It is no lie that Iceland is very expensive. 1,000 Icelandic Krona is essentially £7.00. If you're looking to treat yourself in a restaurant, a starter may be 3,000KR, main course 6,000KR - so before you've even had a drink or dessert, you're looking at over £60.00 per person. The food and drink is particularly expensive as farming in Iceland is very difficult, yet there is a ban on imported goods. Sea food is usually well priced (lobster included), but anything else may feel like a rip off. The same is the case in supermarkets, especially if you're looking for bacon!
That said, there is one supermarket that offers reasonable value. Bonus! is the go-to place if you need to stock up.. Unless you're loaded, you'll need to rely on eating at home and Bonus is the ideal place to get some supplies. We managed to cover food for the trip for less than 5,000KR which really isn't all that bad at all.
If I were to go again, I'd take very little cash with me. People in Iceland use credit cards for just about everything, and it's very difficult to get rid of any change you get. The exchange rate is probably more expensive than the small charge you'd receive for using your card abroad, so I wouldn't worry too much about changing over those pounds.
3. The Temperature
We visited Iceland in November, and the temperature was constantly around 0 or -1. The morning we left it was as low as -7, so wear plenty of layers and make sure you have some decent gloves. It's not actually too bad, but when the wind picks up it can get pretty unpleasant so be prepared for that.
4. The Smell
There is a bit of a smell that can't be ignored. Iceland is very good at using renewable energy sources, and so any hot water used comes from the geothermal power stations that pop up around the country. The drawback of this is the high levels of sulphur in the water, which creates a rotten egg smell.. It's still perfectly clean, but it comes along with any use of hot water.
5. Transport
We hired a car in Iceland, so I don't have any advice regarding public transport - but I will say that I was delighted to hire a car for the freedom is gives.
The first surprise, however, was that the company we used (Greenmotion) are not actually based at the airport but a short shuttle bus journey away. Though this isn't a major issue, it left us feeling a little lost when we landed. They had Europcar and Hertz at the airport, and in future I would probably book through one of those.
The service at Greenmotion was slow, but the staff were at least informative.
I've hired cars many times before, and know that you need to leave a deposit. In England it's usually around £200, which I thought would be manageable - but apparently I missed some small print somewhere (which I still can't find, though the lady assured me I would've known) that told me the deposit would be more like £2000! This absolutely caught me by surprise, and meant that I simply couldn't afford it. This forced my hand into purchasing the full insurance cover at £130 with no deposit. At the time I felt a bit conned as I wouldn't be getting that money back, but in hindsight I feel it was the right decision anyway.
The law in Iceland states that you and passengers must wear a seat belt at all times, and you must always drive with your lights on. That's because even in daylight, the sun can be pretty low in the sky and so visibility can be compromised.
The roads in Iceland are mostly in good condition, the majority of people drive safely and the speed limits are sensible. The weather is the main reason that I think full insurance is a good idea. We drove out in the dark to a national park in an attempt to get a view of the northern lights, and it was windy! It had also snowed and at times visibility was non existent. It took a lot of focus, and though it was exciting it could've been rather dangerous. The main roads are not icy, but if you turn into a quieter road it can be very slippery. Iceland is prone to the occasional snow storm, and with the strength of the wind it could be easy to bend the doors back when opening them, or the snow can even cause damage to the side of the car if you sit still.
The main benefit of having a car, as mentioned, was the freedom it gave. A tour to go on a boat to view the northern lights, if they come out at all, is just shy of 10,000KR per person. That's £70, and you might not even see them. At £130 for insurance, we got to drive out every night to a nice quiet spot, at whatever time we wanted... and that brings me nicely on to my next section;
6. The Sights
Iceland is BEAUTIFUL. Seriously. I've never been anywhere so stunning. If you can handle the cold weather, you can be treated to some seriously amazing scenery. I'll run down a list of things we saw...
I'm blogging about this because quite a few people have told me they're considering a trip out there, and would like advice or suggestions on what to do.. Hopefully this will come in handy!
We have quite a lot of things to say about this beautiful country, so this almost certainly won't cover all of it but I'll give it a go - and if you can't be bothered to read all of it, skip to the end where I've bullet pointed the main things.
1. The People
As English speaking people, we were very lucky. It seems everybody in Iceland speaks English, and not one person misunderstood a word we were saying. There was no language barrier whatsoever, to the extent where we started to wonder whether English was actually their first language. It almost felt a bit like cheating, but there was simply no opportunity to test out our Icelandic - and even when we said 'Takk' as thank you, it was met with no response.
We were given the impression that Iceland is full of lovely, polite and happy people. Whilst this isn't entirely inaccurate, we also discovered a different type of person whilst on our trip.
Customer service, in general, is pretty poor. They make little conversation, don't say please or thank you and essentially do the very basics of the job without so much of a smile. Though this isn't the case in all places (the restaurants we went to were full of exceptional staff), a majority of our transactions felt like we were being served by a grumpy teenager. I recall one particular girl who was initially chatting to someone else at the till, took the item we were buying, scanned it, took payment, pushed it back towards us with no eye contact, no smile, nothing. It felt rude, but I think this is just the way some of them are..
2. The Prices
It is no lie that Iceland is very expensive. 1,000 Icelandic Krona is essentially £7.00. If you're looking to treat yourself in a restaurant, a starter may be 3,000KR, main course 6,000KR - so before you've even had a drink or dessert, you're looking at over £60.00 per person. The food and drink is particularly expensive as farming in Iceland is very difficult, yet there is a ban on imported goods. Sea food is usually well priced (lobster included), but anything else may feel like a rip off. The same is the case in supermarkets, especially if you're looking for bacon!
That said, there is one supermarket that offers reasonable value. Bonus! is the go-to place if you need to stock up.. Unless you're loaded, you'll need to rely on eating at home and Bonus is the ideal place to get some supplies. We managed to cover food for the trip for less than 5,000KR which really isn't all that bad at all.
If I were to go again, I'd take very little cash with me. People in Iceland use credit cards for just about everything, and it's very difficult to get rid of any change you get. The exchange rate is probably more expensive than the small charge you'd receive for using your card abroad, so I wouldn't worry too much about changing over those pounds.
3. The Temperature
We visited Iceland in November, and the temperature was constantly around 0 or -1. The morning we left it was as low as -7, so wear plenty of layers and make sure you have some decent gloves. It's not actually too bad, but when the wind picks up it can get pretty unpleasant so be prepared for that.
4. The Smell
There is a bit of a smell that can't be ignored. Iceland is very good at using renewable energy sources, and so any hot water used comes from the geothermal power stations that pop up around the country. The drawback of this is the high levels of sulphur in the water, which creates a rotten egg smell.. It's still perfectly clean, but it comes along with any use of hot water.
5. Transport
We hired a car in Iceland, so I don't have any advice regarding public transport - but I will say that I was delighted to hire a car for the freedom is gives.
The first surprise, however, was that the company we used (Greenmotion) are not actually based at the airport but a short shuttle bus journey away. Though this isn't a major issue, it left us feeling a little lost when we landed. They had Europcar and Hertz at the airport, and in future I would probably book through one of those.
The service at Greenmotion was slow, but the staff were at least informative.
I've hired cars many times before, and know that you need to leave a deposit. In England it's usually around £200, which I thought would be manageable - but apparently I missed some small print somewhere (which I still can't find, though the lady assured me I would've known) that told me the deposit would be more like £2000! This absolutely caught me by surprise, and meant that I simply couldn't afford it. This forced my hand into purchasing the full insurance cover at £130 with no deposit. At the time I felt a bit conned as I wouldn't be getting that money back, but in hindsight I feel it was the right decision anyway.
The law in Iceland states that you and passengers must wear a seat belt at all times, and you must always drive with your lights on. That's because even in daylight, the sun can be pretty low in the sky and so visibility can be compromised.
The roads in Iceland are mostly in good condition, the majority of people drive safely and the speed limits are sensible. The weather is the main reason that I think full insurance is a good idea. We drove out in the dark to a national park in an attempt to get a view of the northern lights, and it was windy! It had also snowed and at times visibility was non existent. It took a lot of focus, and though it was exciting it could've been rather dangerous. The main roads are not icy, but if you turn into a quieter road it can be very slippery. Iceland is prone to the occasional snow storm, and with the strength of the wind it could be easy to bend the doors back when opening them, or the snow can even cause damage to the side of the car if you sit still.
The main benefit of having a car, as mentioned, was the freedom it gave. A tour to go on a boat to view the northern lights, if they come out at all, is just shy of 10,000KR per person. That's £70, and you might not even see them. At £130 for insurance, we got to drive out every night to a nice quiet spot, at whatever time we wanted... and that brings me nicely on to my next section;
6. The Sights
Iceland is BEAUTIFUL. Seriously. I've never been anywhere so stunning. If you can handle the cold weather, you can be treated to some seriously amazing scenery. I'll run down a list of things we saw...
- The Northern Lights.
- Everyone wants to see the Northern Lights when they go to Iceland, and we got the pleasure of seeing them twice. You need a certain amount of things to fall into place for this to happen, but essentially we broke it down to being a clear sky, pitch black, and limited light from the city. When we were there, the ideal time for the northern lights to appear was between 8pm and 2am.
- I will admit that the lights themselves were a little underwhelming. The excitement of them appearing and sitting in the sky was thrilling, but once they were there I couldn't help but wish they were brighter! There's a scale that goes from 1-9, and our first night seeing them was rated a 3, the second night being a 5. The 3 was exciting at first, but our camera didn't really pick it up. The 5 was incredible, but the best parts of it were appearing whilst I was driving out to a quiet spot. By the time we'd parked up, they'd faded and we felt like we'd missed out a little bit.
- We were told that they can be in the sky from anything between 10 minutes and all night. This is true, so if you get the chance to see them, take it in while it lasts. You might never get the opportunity again.
- As for viewing spots, we used two. There's a lighthouse in Reykjavik that is secluded from the main city. It was pretty popular, though, and quite a few cars had pulled up where we were. With ideal conditions, you could potentially get a view of the lighthouse and the Northern Lights beaming over the top of the city. The main spot we used, however, was Þingvellir National Park - there are many places to stop here, and we found a great spot (coming in from Reykjavik, drive for about 40 mins, when you go past an Information Centre look for a space about 7-10 minutes up the road on your right hand side, and there's a little parking area with a bench on the top of a hill).
- The Golden Circle
- The Golden Circle is essentially a ring road of amazing natural sights, and we got to see most of it before daylight came in. Here's how we found it;
- Hveragerði - There's a little geothermal area in this town that costs 300KR to enter (£2) where there are natural hot springs, pools and streams which is nice enough but in hindsight, it took time out of our day a bit unnecessarily and we could've skipped this stop.
- Kerið - Potentially my highlight of the entire trip. For 400KR, you can go and see this volcanic crater lake, and you can walk down right next to it. It's beautiful, and with the sun quite low in the sky is a great area to get some good snaps. I loved this stop, but we had to move on whilst there was still sunlight. Definitely something worth viewing.
- Geysir/Strokkur - This is the reason why the first stop was a bit of a waste of time. These natural springs are far more impressive, and the very first Geysir ever named is here (called Geysir, the one all others are named after). Strokkur is actually a geysir that is more impressive, shooting water up to 20ft! We didn't spend long here as daylight was fading, but it was exciting and a fantastic piece of nature to witness.
- Gullfoss Waterfall - As waterfalls go, this one is pretty impressive. It's essentially two waterfalls, the first of which is 17m high, the second being 20m. The views around this place are incredible, and this is another great stop. There's also a little cafe here if you need a little break before turning around.
- Þingvellir National Park - Despite coming here on three occasions, we never got to see the national park in the daylight. I'm sure we missed out on some awesome sights, and wish we'd have got here earlier in the day.. That said, still a great place for a Northern Lights viewing session.
- The end of daylight ended our Golden Circle tour, and it was a truly amazing day. The volcano was just immense, and the other sights were pretty special too. If you're gonna do this, give yourself enough time to fit it in, because although it can be done quickly, to really take in the sights you need a good 5-6 hours, and whilst we were there, daylight hours were between 10.30-16:30.
- The Blue Lagoon
- On the Monday it was our anniversary, and I'd booked us in at the Blue Lagoon from 14:00, with a table reserved at the restaurant there for 19:00. I actually thought that we'd have loads of time to spare, but knowing we had a few hours to relax just made it more enjoyable. We upgraded our tickets when we arrived, mostly because the upgrade included free sparkling wine at the restaurant - knowing how much food a drinks cost, this seemed a sensible idea.
- The Blue Lagoon itself is a geothermal spa, using natural heated waters from nearby. There's a pool bar and a face-mask bar, as well as a sauna and multiple areas for simply wandering around in the warm water.
- We had read beforehand that some tourists find it awkward as it is a rule for a person to shower thoroughly before entering the pool. This means getting naked in front of other people whilst there is a shower guard to ensure you do clean yourself properly.. In our experience though, this wasn't the case. There was a chap in the gents, but there were also shower cubicles with doors for privacy if need be and he didn't seem particularly strict. Personally, I'm quite used to showering in front of other people at the gym or swimming pool anyway, so this didn't phase me either way. The one thing I will say though, is to take your towel/bath robe with you to the pool as you can't go back to the changing rooms whilst you're still wet. The bathrobe came with the upgrade we purchased, but towels are given out to everyone
- On the subject of towels and bathrobes - ours got taken. There are numbered pegs for you to leave your stuff, but with all robes and towels looking the same, and people having a poor memory, I had my robe taken and Jackeline had her towel swiped. It was annoying, but there's a cafe who will give you a fresh towel or robe if need be - I think it's a pretty common issue.
- Other things
- There were a couple of things we missed out on that we wish we'd have seen or done. Firstly, whale spotting was something certainly on our list - however, at around £65 per person, and it being the low season for it, we didn't want to waste our money. We were told there'd be around a 60% chance of seeing anything, and that just didn't feel certain enough to part with £130.
- Glaciers. On our final day we had time to kill and I found a book in a shop about glaciers in Iceland. There's one that looks to be about a 60 minute drive away from the capital where you can go inside, have a glass of champagne and get information on how nature works. It looks very impressive, but we simply didn't consider this as an option until it was too late.
- Snowmobiling - again, something that didn't cross our minds at all. Looks like fun, though is probably expensive!
An Overview
- Hire a car (ideally with Hertz or Europcar)
- Be prepared to go over your budget, and don't make any promises to anyone about bringing back souvenirs
- Stock up on food at Bonus!
- If you get the chance to see the Northern Lights, don't pass it up
- Drive the Golden Circle (ensure you see Kerið, Geysir/Strokkur & Gullfoss Waterfall)
- Visit the Blue Lagoon
- Wrap up warm!
Overall, Iceland is a beautiful country and well worth a visit - but if you want to keep to a budget, you do have to plan carefully.
Thank for reading.
Joe :)
Tuesday, 18 November 2014
The Three Year Itch
...This post is going to be something a little different to the usual F1/Football kind of posts that I put up. This one is a little more personal, a little more 'real' and somewhat more candid.
I am in love with my fiancée. It seems like a straightforward enough concept. It makes sense, it is simple. It doesn't, however, reflect the entire story.
We have been unofficially seeing eachother for more or less three years. In June it will be officially 3 years, but I started loving her way before then.
The three year itch is thought to be the feeling you get after three years together. The feeling that either you have to commit to your relationship, or accept that it isn't going anywhere and drift apart. It isn't by any means a 'we must have the itch' but it is something I, and many other people, can relate to.
The following paragraphs are my thoughts on the concept.
There comes a point in almost every relationship where you start to take your partner for granted. No longer do you feel the butterflies you once felt, you don't have them on your mind for every second of the day and you don't feel the pure need and desire to be at their side for every waking breath. This isn't a matter of falling 'out of love', but merely a matter of getting used to your current life and accepting things the way they are.
At this point, you could go down one of a few routes;
The Pessimist
Desperately you try to force your partner to love you again. You question everything, you question your partner's motives and you worry about what the future may bring. You don't know how to 'fix' the issue, and it gets you down. You're sure that the relationship is going to end, and for every good week, 5 minutes of doubt sets you back to the beginning. You're in a true slump, and you feel like you have no control over anything.
The Optimist
You find yourself saying things like 'Ahhh it'll be fine' all the time, and you refuse to accept that anything is wrong. You're happy with the way things are, you've no reason to change anything and you're convinced it'll all blow over and figure itself out in the end.
The Butterfly Catcher
The most naive. The one for dreamers. You don't know where the butterflies have gone, but you fear you'll never get them again and so you start to seek someone else who will bring them back. You could ultimately be chasing butterflies every three years for the rest of your life, or until you learn that it just doesn't work like that.
The Thinker
You understand and accept that realistically you won't have the feelings you had at the start of the relationship. You have a deeper, more emotional connection than that. You are aware that you have found someone special, you happily accept your partner the way they are. You now follow your head more than your heart, but you are happy to do so. You possibly refer to your partner as your soul-mate.
The Wimp
You never really wanted a long term thing, but have found yourself stumbling along for three years without having any better options. and never having found a way out. You might take this opportunity to cut ties, but you start to feel bad about the years you have wasted. You probably worry a lot about how others perceive you, so you brace yourself for the next year in the hope that an opportunity comes along to jump ship without taking the blame for heartache, or in the hope that some how you will actually want to be in the relationship.
I don't consider myself a relationship expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I can't help but try to offer some advice.
If you decide to commit to your partner, I think it's important to ultimately ignore your instincts. It is quite normal to go through this phase and fear for your future. It's easy to think that your partner doesn't love you as much because they don't make the effort that they used to, but you need to push that mindset aside and work at what you do have.
Don't place the blame anywhere, don't expect them to come up with a magical plan to make you feel wonderful, don't have any expectations at all. Find reasons to continuously appreciate each other. Be sure to thank each other, do the little things and have a cuddle once in a while. Enjoy the simple things that you might overlook or take for granted. We are all human, and all have feelings. Nurse the feelings, but don't worry if the butterflies don't reappear too often. Be content with happiness and comfort, and understand that your partner has your best interests at heart.
I've stolen this quote from an article I just read;
Love isn't a feeling that should be triggered or instilled by someone else; it should be drawn from an intimate, deep gratitude for finally finding someone who understands you, will always be there for you and reciprocates all of this on the same level.
So there it is. I committed to Jackeline a long time ago, and she did me. We are due to wed next June, and although it may seem very simple and straightforward, relationships are difficult. I could probably see a bit of myself in most of the descriptions I've given - though I'd like to consider myself more of a thinker than anything else. I appreciate her. She makes me happy, but not because of anything special - but because of who she is, what she believes in and how she is always there to turn to when I need some care or advice. She is my soulmate, and I love her very dearly.
I am in love with my fiancée. It seems like a straightforward enough concept. It makes sense, it is simple. It doesn't, however, reflect the entire story.
We have been unofficially seeing eachother for more or less three years. In June it will be officially 3 years, but I started loving her way before then.
The three year itch is thought to be the feeling you get after three years together. The feeling that either you have to commit to your relationship, or accept that it isn't going anywhere and drift apart. It isn't by any means a 'we must have the itch' but it is something I, and many other people, can relate to.
The following paragraphs are my thoughts on the concept.
There comes a point in almost every relationship where you start to take your partner for granted. No longer do you feel the butterflies you once felt, you don't have them on your mind for every second of the day and you don't feel the pure need and desire to be at their side for every waking breath. This isn't a matter of falling 'out of love', but merely a matter of getting used to your current life and accepting things the way they are.
At this point, you could go down one of a few routes;
The Pessimist
Desperately you try to force your partner to love you again. You question everything, you question your partner's motives and you worry about what the future may bring. You don't know how to 'fix' the issue, and it gets you down. You're sure that the relationship is going to end, and for every good week, 5 minutes of doubt sets you back to the beginning. You're in a true slump, and you feel like you have no control over anything.
The Optimist
You find yourself saying things like 'Ahhh it'll be fine' all the time, and you refuse to accept that anything is wrong. You're happy with the way things are, you've no reason to change anything and you're convinced it'll all blow over and figure itself out in the end.
The Butterfly Catcher
The most naive. The one for dreamers. You don't know where the butterflies have gone, but you fear you'll never get them again and so you start to seek someone else who will bring them back. You could ultimately be chasing butterflies every three years for the rest of your life, or until you learn that it just doesn't work like that.
The Thinker
You understand and accept that realistically you won't have the feelings you had at the start of the relationship. You have a deeper, more emotional connection than that. You are aware that you have found someone special, you happily accept your partner the way they are. You now follow your head more than your heart, but you are happy to do so. You possibly refer to your partner as your soul-mate.
The Wimp
You never really wanted a long term thing, but have found yourself stumbling along for three years without having any better options. and never having found a way out. You might take this opportunity to cut ties, but you start to feel bad about the years you have wasted. You probably worry a lot about how others perceive you, so you brace yourself for the next year in the hope that an opportunity comes along to jump ship without taking the blame for heartache, or in the hope that some how you will actually want to be in the relationship.
I don't consider myself a relationship expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I can't help but try to offer some advice.
If you decide to commit to your partner, I think it's important to ultimately ignore your instincts. It is quite normal to go through this phase and fear for your future. It's easy to think that your partner doesn't love you as much because they don't make the effort that they used to, but you need to push that mindset aside and work at what you do have.
Don't place the blame anywhere, don't expect them to come up with a magical plan to make you feel wonderful, don't have any expectations at all. Find reasons to continuously appreciate each other. Be sure to thank each other, do the little things and have a cuddle once in a while. Enjoy the simple things that you might overlook or take for granted. We are all human, and all have feelings. Nurse the feelings, but don't worry if the butterflies don't reappear too often. Be content with happiness and comfort, and understand that your partner has your best interests at heart.
I've stolen this quote from an article I just read;
Love isn't a feeling that should be triggered or instilled by someone else; it should be drawn from an intimate, deep gratitude for finally finding someone who understands you, will always be there for you and reciprocates all of this on the same level.
So there it is. I committed to Jackeline a long time ago, and she did me. We are due to wed next June, and although it may seem very simple and straightforward, relationships are difficult. I could probably see a bit of myself in most of the descriptions I've given - though I'd like to consider myself more of a thinker than anything else. I appreciate her. She makes me happy, but not because of anything special - but because of who she is, what she believes in and how she is always there to turn to when I need some care or advice. She is my soulmate, and I love her very dearly.
Monday, 10 November 2014
Potential Abu Double Results
With double points being agreed for the final race of the season, Abu Dhabi has never been so important. Hamilton has been arguably the best driver this year, he has won most of the races and would be a popular World Champion. Rosberg has been consistent, has been strong in qualifying, and should he win the title then I hope that it isn't down to the double points rule.
As things stand, 17 points separate the two drivers meaning that with regular points being scored, Rosberg would either need to win with Hamilton finishing 7th or below, or Rosberg to come second and Hamilton not score any points.
Alas, we do have double points and so the situation changes and the race in Abu Dhabi becomes more important than ever.
If Hamilton finishes 1st or 2nd, he wins the Championship.
Rosberg must finish in the Top 5 to stand any chance of winning the title.
If Rosberg is to win in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton must finish second to win the Championship.
If Rosberg finishes 2nd, Hamilton must finish 6th or higher to win the Championship.
If Rosberg finishes 3rd, Hamilton must finish 7th or better.
If Rosberg finishes 4th or 5th, Hamilton must finish 9th or better.
If Rosberg finishes 6th or below, the title belongs to Hamilton.
Below them, Ricciardo has guaranteed himself 3rd place already but there is quite a battle for the 4th spot - with only 3 points currently separating Alonso, Vettel and Bottas.
At the bottom end of the table, Sauber remain pointless and have also confirmed that their driver lineup will change entirely for next season, with Marcus Ericsson moving across from Caterham and Filipe Nasr coming in from his current position as reserve driver for Williams. This means that currently, Adrian Sutil is without a drive which is something that makes me very happy.
Daniil Kvyat will be looking to Abu Dhabi to really push himself up the table. The Red Bull bound Russian is on a lowly 8 points and sits in 15th place, 14 points behind his teammate Jean-Eric Verge, who will argue that he probably should've been given the seat ahead of his rookie pal. For Kvyat to bump ahead of his teammate, he'll need a finish of 6th or better which seems a bit of a long shot. With normal points in place, he'd need to be on the podium to stand any chance.
So here are my hopes for Abu Dhabi;
I hope that the title isn't decided on because of the double points rule. If Rosberg wins it, I'd like him to do so by finishing 1st or 2nd with Hamilton in 6th or below.
I hope that the title isn't decided by technical faults. If Hamilton or Rosberg retire due to something that is not their fault, it really wouldn't sit right - unless Hamilton finishes 1st anyway.
I hope JEV has a good race and gets a seat for next season.
I hope Caterham return.
I hope that Sauber remain pointless, as Bianchi's hard fought points for Marussia sit there as a legacy of sorts to the French driver, who remains in a critical but stable condition following his crash in Japan.
As things stand, 17 points separate the two drivers meaning that with regular points being scored, Rosberg would either need to win with Hamilton finishing 7th or below, or Rosberg to come second and Hamilton not score any points.
Alas, we do have double points and so the situation changes and the race in Abu Dhabi becomes more important than ever.
If Hamilton finishes 1st or 2nd, he wins the Championship.
Rosberg must finish in the Top 5 to stand any chance of winning the title.
If Rosberg is to win in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton must finish second to win the Championship.
If Rosberg finishes 2nd, Hamilton must finish 6th or higher to win the Championship.
If Rosberg finishes 3rd, Hamilton must finish 7th or better.
If Rosberg finishes 4th or 5th, Hamilton must finish 9th or better.
If Rosberg finishes 6th or below, the title belongs to Hamilton.
Below them, Ricciardo has guaranteed himself 3rd place already but there is quite a battle for the 4th spot - with only 3 points currently separating Alonso, Vettel and Bottas.
At the bottom end of the table, Sauber remain pointless and have also confirmed that their driver lineup will change entirely for next season, with Marcus Ericsson moving across from Caterham and Filipe Nasr coming in from his current position as reserve driver for Williams. This means that currently, Adrian Sutil is without a drive which is something that makes me very happy.
Daniil Kvyat will be looking to Abu Dhabi to really push himself up the table. The Red Bull bound Russian is on a lowly 8 points and sits in 15th place, 14 points behind his teammate Jean-Eric Verge, who will argue that he probably should've been given the seat ahead of his rookie pal. For Kvyat to bump ahead of his teammate, he'll need a finish of 6th or better which seems a bit of a long shot. With normal points in place, he'd need to be on the podium to stand any chance.
So here are my hopes for Abu Dhabi;
I hope that the title isn't decided on because of the double points rule. If Rosberg wins it, I'd like him to do so by finishing 1st or 2nd with Hamilton in 6th or below.
I hope that the title isn't decided by technical faults. If Hamilton or Rosberg retire due to something that is not their fault, it really wouldn't sit right - unless Hamilton finishes 1st anyway.
I hope JEV has a good race and gets a seat for next season.
I hope Caterham return.
I hope that Sauber remain pointless, as Bianchi's hard fought points for Marussia sit there as a legacy of sorts to the French driver, who remains in a critical but stable condition following his crash in Japan.
Friday, 24 October 2014
F1 Catch Up
With only three races to go in this F1 season, eyes are already looking ahead to the joys that next year may bring.
So far we have had a Mercedes dominant year, with a few bright sparks from the Red Bull of Ricciardo and the re-emergence of Williams as a bit of a force. It has also been a season of underachievement on a number of fronts, from McLaren and Ferrari to Lotus and Sauber, and even the reigning World Champion has had a season to forget. There was also a particularly dark point in Japan where one of my favourite drivers, Jules Bianchi, had a crash and remains 'critical but stable' in a Japanese hospital having obtained injuries to his brain.
For Marussia overall, it is Jules Bianchi's 2 points from Monaco that has put them ahead of Caterham and Sauber is the Constructor's Championship. The Frenchman drove a solid race to bring his car home in 9th place and score Marussia's first ever points in Formula 1.
The two drivers I dislike the most continue to underachieve. Sutil and Maldonado remain pointless for Sauber and Lotus respectively, putting themselves on par with the Caterham team, Max Chilton and Esteban Gutierrez.
At the other end of the field, Rosberg and Hamilton have shared most of the victories thus far and are seperated by just 17 points at the top with three races to go. Nearly 100 points off of the lead, Ricciardo has had an impressive season in his first with Red Bull and Bottas sits in 4th as Williams continue to improve and impress. Vettel and Alonso find themselves in 5th and 6th, and Raikkonen on his return to Ferrari is sitting in a lowly 11th place.
Alas, the silly season is now upon us. Some driver changes for next year have already been announced, and speculation is hotting up on who will fill the remaining seats...
Mercedes are sticking with Rosberg and Hamilton for next year. Williams are the only other team to confirm that they are sticking with the same pairing, as Massa and Bottas have had a solid season together.
Other drivers to stay put include Ricciardo (Red Bull), Hulkenberg (Force India) and Maldonado (Lotus).
The biggest surprise thus far is in the Red Bull garage, where Vettel has announced his intention to leave the team that he has been with since the age of 11. Now at 27 years old, he feels the need to try things out at a different team - with Ferrari being his preferred destination. Red Bull responded quickly, announcing that Kvyat will take his place in the team, which in turn leaves the Torro Rosso team with a new pairing for next year. They announced early on that Vergne will be departing them, and he will be replaced by a 17 year old chap by the name of Max Verstappen. JEV claims to be too old now for the Torro Rosso team, and I imagine he's correct. It'd be a shame to lose him as I think he's a decent driver and would do a good job with anyone, but I fear he'll be joining Buemi and Alguesuari on the Red Bull scrap heap.
It is reported that Alonso wants to leave Ferrari. It seems McLaren will be his likely destination, but with Button and Magnussen currently at the team, I'm not sure who will make way. Perez at Force India was thought to have signed a 'Multi year deal' last year, so we can assume he'll not be changed. This would help build on a decent year for the Force India team, who have found themselves battling it out with McLaren for 5th spot in the Constructor's Championship.
With all this in mind - here is how the teams currently look for next season;
Mercedes
Hamilton
Rosberg
Red Bull
Ricciardo
Kvyat
Williams
Bottas
Massa
Ferrari
Raikkonen
Vettel (TBC)
Force India
Hulkenberg
Perez (TBC)
Torro Rosso
Verstappen
(TBC)
Lotus
Maldonado
(TBC)
McLaren, Marussia, Sauber & Caterham
(TBC)
(TBC)
Current drivers unassigned
Alonso, Grosjean, Button, Magnussen, Vergne, Bianchi, Chilton, Sutil, Gutierrez, Kobayashi, Ericsson
As you can see, there are currently many unknowns so I'm going to have a stab at filling the gaps for you...
I imagine Vettel will soon be confirmed at Ferrari, with Alonso returning to McLaren. I think either of the current McLaren drivers could make way, but I'm going to assume it'll be Magnussen who has had a quiet season. Jenson Button may be getting on a bit, but he has outperformed his younger teammate and is keen to work with the Honda engines coming in for them next year.
Perez, I'm sure, will be confirmed at Force India before too long.
The second seat at Torro Rosso is anybody's guess. Carlos Sainz Jr was expected to make the step up last year, but Kvyat came out of nowhere and has impressed in his first season. I'd quite like to see the Brit, Alex Lynn, given the seat but I think Sainz Jr will take it in the end.
Teaming up with Maldonado for next year? I don't think it'll be Grosjean. Maybe it's a decent destination for his fellow countryman, Jean-Eric Vergne. It'd be a shame to lose JEV as he has done nothing wrong, so perhaps Lotus makes sense for him. Failing that, I think our GP2 champion Jolyon Palmer deserves a shot in F1 so maybe this could be the team for him.
Marussia, I imagine, will keep faith in Chilton. Unfortunatley I don't see a way back for Jules Bianchi following his accident, and I reckon his seat will be taken by Alexander Rossi who is currently their reserve driver. He has been in and around F1 teams for a couple of years now and I think it's about time he got a seat.
Sauber could do with a complete change of personnel. Sutil was always a bad choice, and Gutierrez unfortunately hasn't stepped up. Van der Garde looks likely to be getting a seat back in F1, and I think he'll be put together with Sergei Sirotkin. He didn't particularly impress when doing a test drive for the team recently, but he brings with him a bunch of financial assistance and I think that is what Sauber need right now.
Caterham - will they even be in it next year? I don't know. It's impossible to know what is going on there, but it is clear that they have financial problems. If they do make it onto the grid for 2015, I wouldn't be surprised if they keep Ericsson on board. He hasn't had a good season, but he's still fresh. I can't imagine their second seat going to Kobayashi though. They'll need someone with a good amount of sponsorship to keep them afloat, or somebody that doesn't cost a lot. Merhi is currently looking good for a seat, or Lotterer who was their named driver in Belgium - though his race didn't last long at all. Jolyon Palmer is another potential candidate, and someone I would really like to see get a race seat for 2015.
Forza Rossa
Back in June it was announced that a new team based in Romania have been given the green light to start up in 2015. Not much has been said since, so whether they make it there in time is yet to be confirmed, but if they do I believe they'll pick a lineup with a mix of youth and experience.
The 'Romanian Ferrari' team will no doubt have aspirations to be on par with Torro Rosso, though as the team is apparently led by Colin Kolles I can't imagine they'll last too long - his CV includes HRT, Jordan, Midland and Spyker. He is also currently an advisor for Caterham..!
Being based in Romania, it'd make sense for them to pick out a Romanian youngster to be part of their team and 18 year old Robert Visoiu is doing a half decent job in GP3. The second seat is anybody's guess - so I'm going to have a stab in the dark and go for Kovalainen.
To be honest though, I doubt they'll make it as far as Melbourne.
So far we have had a Mercedes dominant year, with a few bright sparks from the Red Bull of Ricciardo and the re-emergence of Williams as a bit of a force. It has also been a season of underachievement on a number of fronts, from McLaren and Ferrari to Lotus and Sauber, and even the reigning World Champion has had a season to forget. There was also a particularly dark point in Japan where one of my favourite drivers, Jules Bianchi, had a crash and remains 'critical but stable' in a Japanese hospital having obtained injuries to his brain.
For Marussia overall, it is Jules Bianchi's 2 points from Monaco that has put them ahead of Caterham and Sauber is the Constructor's Championship. The Frenchman drove a solid race to bring his car home in 9th place and score Marussia's first ever points in Formula 1.
The two drivers I dislike the most continue to underachieve. Sutil and Maldonado remain pointless for Sauber and Lotus respectively, putting themselves on par with the Caterham team, Max Chilton and Esteban Gutierrez.
At the other end of the field, Rosberg and Hamilton have shared most of the victories thus far and are seperated by just 17 points at the top with three races to go. Nearly 100 points off of the lead, Ricciardo has had an impressive season in his first with Red Bull and Bottas sits in 4th as Williams continue to improve and impress. Vettel and Alonso find themselves in 5th and 6th, and Raikkonen on his return to Ferrari is sitting in a lowly 11th place.
Alas, the silly season is now upon us. Some driver changes for next year have already been announced, and speculation is hotting up on who will fill the remaining seats...
Mercedes are sticking with Rosberg and Hamilton for next year. Williams are the only other team to confirm that they are sticking with the same pairing, as Massa and Bottas have had a solid season together.
Other drivers to stay put include Ricciardo (Red Bull), Hulkenberg (Force India) and Maldonado (Lotus).
The biggest surprise thus far is in the Red Bull garage, where Vettel has announced his intention to leave the team that he has been with since the age of 11. Now at 27 years old, he feels the need to try things out at a different team - with Ferrari being his preferred destination. Red Bull responded quickly, announcing that Kvyat will take his place in the team, which in turn leaves the Torro Rosso team with a new pairing for next year. They announced early on that Vergne will be departing them, and he will be replaced by a 17 year old chap by the name of Max Verstappen. JEV claims to be too old now for the Torro Rosso team, and I imagine he's correct. It'd be a shame to lose him as I think he's a decent driver and would do a good job with anyone, but I fear he'll be joining Buemi and Alguesuari on the Red Bull scrap heap.
It is reported that Alonso wants to leave Ferrari. It seems McLaren will be his likely destination, but with Button and Magnussen currently at the team, I'm not sure who will make way. Perez at Force India was thought to have signed a 'Multi year deal' last year, so we can assume he'll not be changed. This would help build on a decent year for the Force India team, who have found themselves battling it out with McLaren for 5th spot in the Constructor's Championship.
With all this in mind - here is how the teams currently look for next season;
Mercedes
Hamilton
Rosberg
Red Bull
Ricciardo
Kvyat
Williams
Bottas
Massa
Ferrari
Raikkonen
Vettel (TBC)
Force India
Hulkenberg
Perez (TBC)
Torro Rosso
Verstappen
(TBC)
Lotus
Maldonado
(TBC)
McLaren, Marussia, Sauber & Caterham
(TBC)
(TBC)
Current drivers unassigned
Alonso, Grosjean, Button, Magnussen, Vergne, Bianchi, Chilton, Sutil, Gutierrez, Kobayashi, Ericsson
As you can see, there are currently many unknowns so I'm going to have a stab at filling the gaps for you...
I imagine Vettel will soon be confirmed at Ferrari, with Alonso returning to McLaren. I think either of the current McLaren drivers could make way, but I'm going to assume it'll be Magnussen who has had a quiet season. Jenson Button may be getting on a bit, but he has outperformed his younger teammate and is keen to work with the Honda engines coming in for them next year.
Perez, I'm sure, will be confirmed at Force India before too long.
The second seat at Torro Rosso is anybody's guess. Carlos Sainz Jr was expected to make the step up last year, but Kvyat came out of nowhere and has impressed in his first season. I'd quite like to see the Brit, Alex Lynn, given the seat but I think Sainz Jr will take it in the end.
Teaming up with Maldonado for next year? I don't think it'll be Grosjean. Maybe it's a decent destination for his fellow countryman, Jean-Eric Vergne. It'd be a shame to lose JEV as he has done nothing wrong, so perhaps Lotus makes sense for him. Failing that, I think our GP2 champion Jolyon Palmer deserves a shot in F1 so maybe this could be the team for him.
Marussia, I imagine, will keep faith in Chilton. Unfortunatley I don't see a way back for Jules Bianchi following his accident, and I reckon his seat will be taken by Alexander Rossi who is currently their reserve driver. He has been in and around F1 teams for a couple of years now and I think it's about time he got a seat.
Sauber could do with a complete change of personnel. Sutil was always a bad choice, and Gutierrez unfortunately hasn't stepped up. Van der Garde looks likely to be getting a seat back in F1, and I think he'll be put together with Sergei Sirotkin. He didn't particularly impress when doing a test drive for the team recently, but he brings with him a bunch of financial assistance and I think that is what Sauber need right now.
Caterham - will they even be in it next year? I don't know. It's impossible to know what is going on there, but it is clear that they have financial problems. If they do make it onto the grid for 2015, I wouldn't be surprised if they keep Ericsson on board. He hasn't had a good season, but he's still fresh. I can't imagine their second seat going to Kobayashi though. They'll need someone with a good amount of sponsorship to keep them afloat, or somebody that doesn't cost a lot. Merhi is currently looking good for a seat, or Lotterer who was their named driver in Belgium - though his race didn't last long at all. Jolyon Palmer is another potential candidate, and someone I would really like to see get a race seat for 2015.
Forza Rossa
Back in June it was announced that a new team based in Romania have been given the green light to start up in 2015. Not much has been said since, so whether they make it there in time is yet to be confirmed, but if they do I believe they'll pick a lineup with a mix of youth and experience.
The 'Romanian Ferrari' team will no doubt have aspirations to be on par with Torro Rosso, though as the team is apparently led by Colin Kolles I can't imagine they'll last too long - his CV includes HRT, Jordan, Midland and Spyker. He is also currently an advisor for Caterham..!
Being based in Romania, it'd make sense for them to pick out a Romanian youngster to be part of their team and 18 year old Robert Visoiu is doing a half decent job in GP3. The second seat is anybody's guess - so I'm going to have a stab in the dark and go for Kovalainen.
To be honest though, I doubt they'll make it as far as Melbourne.
Monday, 18 August 2014
PL Predictions 11th-15th
I was tempted to reevaluate this as Tony Pulis was a major part in my prediction for Crystal Palace - but I suppose that's the joy with football - at any moment in time, a random unexpected event can occur and suddenly things look a whole lot different. For what it's worth, if rumous of Sherwood taking over a true, I reckon they'll go down.
Alas - I shall continue with positions 11th through to 15th.
In 11th place I have put Southampton. A lot of people are expecting them to struggle having lost the likes of Shaw, Chambers, Lallana, Lambert and Lovren - but Koeman has bought well. He has brought in players that he knows, and players that will directly replace those that have left (Shaw - Bertrand, Lallana - Tadic, Lambert - Pelle). They could do with a new central defender though, as Yoshida doesn't appear to have what it takes.
My prediction for 12th place is Newcastle United. Again, I think they'll be relatively safe - though they have a habit of making it hard for themselves. They have brought in players on long term contracts which is a bit of a risk, and they still have a pretty hefty French contingent. Cabella looks a handy signing, as does de Jong. Provided Pardew keeps his cool, The Magpies should be pretty comfortable.
In 13th I have placed Sunderland. After a huge shake up when Di Canio came in, Poyet has worked miracles in order to steady the ship and he appears to have a very clear idea of what he's doing. They still lack a top quality goal scorer, but they have a decent enough team overall with a good amount of experience. They seem to have faith in their manager, and with Poyet at the helm they could actually push towards the top half of the table.
Leicester City are the next on my list, finding themselves in 14th place. After a hugely impressive Championship campaign last season, The Foxes decided against making wholesale changes to their squad. They brought in a few players early, and Ulloa coming in from Brighton will take the goalscoring burden away from Nugent and Vardy. They have been away from the Premiership for too long and it'd be a real shame if they were to head back down.
I think exploits in Europe will be detrimental to Hull City's season, which is why I have them down in 15th. I actually think Steve Bruce has put together a brilliant squad, full of young British talent - but I worry that they'll burn out towards the end of the season. Beating Inter Milan to the signing of Ince is quite a coup, as was bringing in Livermore on a permanent basis. I like Hull and I hope they do well, but if they go on a decent run in Europe they may struggle.
1. Chelsea
2. Manchester United
3. Manchester City
4. Arsenal
5. Liverpool
6. Tottenham Hotspur
7. Everton
8. Crystal Palace
9. Queens Park Rangers
10. Stoke City
11. Southampton
12. Newcastle United
13. Sunderland
14. Leicester City
15. Hull City
Alas - I shall continue with positions 11th through to 15th.
In 11th place I have put Southampton. A lot of people are expecting them to struggle having lost the likes of Shaw, Chambers, Lallana, Lambert and Lovren - but Koeman has bought well. He has brought in players that he knows, and players that will directly replace those that have left (Shaw - Bertrand, Lallana - Tadic, Lambert - Pelle). They could do with a new central defender though, as Yoshida doesn't appear to have what it takes.
My prediction for 12th place is Newcastle United. Again, I think they'll be relatively safe - though they have a habit of making it hard for themselves. They have brought in players on long term contracts which is a bit of a risk, and they still have a pretty hefty French contingent. Cabella looks a handy signing, as does de Jong. Provided Pardew keeps his cool, The Magpies should be pretty comfortable.
In 13th I have placed Sunderland. After a huge shake up when Di Canio came in, Poyet has worked miracles in order to steady the ship and he appears to have a very clear idea of what he's doing. They still lack a top quality goal scorer, but they have a decent enough team overall with a good amount of experience. They seem to have faith in their manager, and with Poyet at the helm they could actually push towards the top half of the table.
Leicester City are the next on my list, finding themselves in 14th place. After a hugely impressive Championship campaign last season, The Foxes decided against making wholesale changes to their squad. They brought in a few players early, and Ulloa coming in from Brighton will take the goalscoring burden away from Nugent and Vardy. They have been away from the Premiership for too long and it'd be a real shame if they were to head back down.
I think exploits in Europe will be detrimental to Hull City's season, which is why I have them down in 15th. I actually think Steve Bruce has put together a brilliant squad, full of young British talent - but I worry that they'll burn out towards the end of the season. Beating Inter Milan to the signing of Ince is quite a coup, as was bringing in Livermore on a permanent basis. I like Hull and I hope they do well, but if they go on a decent run in Europe they may struggle.
1. Chelsea
2. Manchester United
3. Manchester City
4. Arsenal
5. Liverpool
6. Tottenham Hotspur
7. Everton
8. Crystal Palace
9. Queens Park Rangers
10. Stoke City
11. Southampton
12. Newcastle United
13. Sunderland
14. Leicester City
15. Hull City
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