Well, the manuscript has gone, winging its way towards the offices of HarperCollins by carrier pigeon. (they’re speedy these days!) Two books down, one to go. (and, not entirely coincidentally, I have figured out titles for the first few Nancy Napoleon novels, which is almost as good as having the books themselves written) March can officially begin, one day early!

I should be jubilant, but I’m too busy being sad about the result of the last Arsenal game – we beat Stoke 3-1, but it was poor compensation for the horrific injury that Aaron Ramsey received. He’s a nineteen year old Welsh player who has been doing so well for the first half of our season, and had (hopefully still has) a brilliant football career ahead of him, and one nasty tackle has left him with a leg so badly broken that it could be a year or longer before he’s back. Devastating for him, for the players, and for the fans.

I wasn’t around for the Eduardo smash, which happened before I became a rabid Gooner, but I’ve seen how important his return and recovery was to the other fans and players. Having this happen again, and to the adorable baby-faced Welsh one, is gutting. I feel particularly bad that I’ve been joking too much lately about the Arsenal tendency towards injuries. Really not funny this morning. Here’s hoping it’s not as bad as it looked (it um, looked pretty bad, apparently… I couldn’t bear to watch the video, but apparently there were no replays on the feeds because it was so awful). The poor kid has a long road of recovery ahead.

For less depressing sports news, how awesome is Kelly Kulick? This is the first woman to win a men’s Professional Bowlers Association Tour title in the US. Women making it at the pro men’s level of sports is a rare and wonderful thing, and Kelly has been all but ignored in the sporting media. Is it because she’s female? Is it because bowling isn’t regarded as a legitimate sport?

It’s worth reading the whole article, because these questions are asked and some answers are found, particularly when it comes to gender bias. Particularly charming is the sportswriter who says: “Rule No. 1 in determining whether an activity is a sport: If the best female in the world can beat the best male in the world, it doesn’t qualify.”

Niiiiice. So Kelly Kulick is singlehandedly responsible for ensuring bowling doesn’t count as a sport? Or maybe, just maybe, there’s something else going on there.

In other news, I am totally buying my daughter soccer boots this week. She’s 21 days too young to be allowed to play school soccer, damn it, damn it, but we’re going to do the best we can to keep up her interest until she is allowed to play. One long year away. Hopefully the soccer boot shop has pink ones – if it’s good enough for Nicky Bendtner, it’s good enough for Raeli!

Tags: aaron ramsey, arsenal, cabaret of monsters, creature court, raeli, soccer, sportswomen