Janvier, Février

I've seen some boring football matches in my time. I've been to games with very little atmosphere. I've been to see games on playing fields and in horrible stadiums. But I've never seen a game quite as bad as Rotherham vs Macclesfield Town at the Don Valley Stadium (last month). It was dire. No soul, no excitement, not even any good football. And it cost me £20 to get in, too.

◊ Last month was a really busy time at work, so I managed to build up quite a bit of flexitime, even after a couple of afternoons off to see the dentist. Unfortunately, it's been all but wiped-out by the snow; it's taken longer to get into the office, and we usually closed earlier than usual during the worst of the wintry snap in the first week of February. C'est la vie.

◊ Dartford have had a few games postponed due to the weather, but we've been unbeaten in the last seven we've managed to play, which has shot us into sixth place in the league. It's a fantastic run, and just the sort of boost we needed to show those around us that we're getting back where we belong.

◊ I've bought a copy of Mario Kart Wii, which – considering it's a children's game – has provoked some extremely bad-languaged tirades. On the plus side, it means I can use my (terrible) high-pitched Italian accent more often (first Gianfranco Zola, now Mario et al)...