Lack of spine?

'Lack of spine' is a criticism being levied at Arsenal at the moment (by Thomas Sorensen, Stoke - among others) and with a little change (to 'lack of resolve') is a charge I would levy it at me...

I have failed my traffic light system. As a reminder to myself on October I came up with a traffic light system to govern / try and influence my behaviour. Lights were:

• RED: Not to work past 5pm (unless imperative to do so)


• GREEN: Blog at least 3 x week (makes me feel better - exercising creative muscle!
  
• GREEN: Swim at least once during week - Thursday? Need to sort membership of pool.
  
• AMBER: Sell Endowment? Look into
  
• GREEN: Keep track of money spent/ log all expenditure AND make expense claims
  
• AMBER: Research costs etc for Norseman (to conclude by 27/10)
  
• RED: Coffee + cake during the week
  
• RED: Stop personal emails to work address etc
  
• AMBER: Friendships, start by returning emails, reading Blogs etc (Monday nights?)
  
• GREEN: Out with Simon M for bike ride on Saturday morning

So far I have kept to one green! I should find out about Norseman entry tomorrow and it is time to find new resolve. A positive outlook from now on (in recognition of how lucky I am - Julie is watching a programme which includes references to Aids, selling daughters and forced prostitution).

On a lighter (and a less self consumed) note I have been researching Richard I and to add to my existing knowledge ('I would sell London if I could find someone rich enough to buy it') I have discovered three unlucky omens shadowed his reign:

1. His father's corpse bled at the nose when he neared it. It was said that a corpse bled only in the presence of its murderer.
   
2. A bat flew around him in daylight at his coronation.
   
3. His sacred crusader's staff broke when he leaned upon it.

Still not sure why his statue is outside Westminster Abbey.

(P.S. Arsenal appear to have played ok tonight wasting 'a host of chances' in 0-0 draw).