Reasons to be cheerful

Well 3 actually!

1). Start of the six nations and a victory for England over Scotland. Didn't get to see the game as I was going out to the adult panto but snapped this picture of the build up to the Wales/Ireland game and loved the way this showed solidarity as the team sang the national anthem.

2). Caught the 1st episode of the new Ricky Gervais comedy Derek on catchup tv whilst eating my breakfast. Long story short, it highlighted how important good care homes are to the elderly. A surprisingly touching program and one that makes you stop and think about your own attitudes. Maybe I won't buy the mother in law a one way ticket to Amsterdam when she gets old and crotchety :-)

3). Watched the end of biggest loser USA whilst eating my lunch (I know ....... but there was nothing else on). 10 weeks on and the group had all lost a lot of weight when they were given a challenge. The challenge was to climb a hill in the city either using the stairs (300 steps) or the trolley bus. They got 5 points each time they went up and down on foot but only 1 point if they did it on the trolley bus. First one to 100 points won a brand new 4 wheel drive RV. There was a clear leader, a young woman in her early 30s. She was closely followed by a big guy, possibly little older and then a young guy, Patrick who so desperately wanted (needed) that car. The girl gets to 95 points and starts her final climb. The guy in 2nd place is about half the climb behind her and Patrick in 3rd but well off the pace. It had been that way almost from the outset and they had been going for more than 90 minutes. You had to admire Patrick for not giving up. He was knackered, knew he couldn't win but was determined to finish. Anyway, the young girl goes missing on her final ascent. She is seen to pass one camera but doesn't arrive at the next. They track her down and she looks to have stopped but they don't know why. She is then seen with the guy in 2nd place at the top of the steps where they both wait for Patrick. All 3 descend together and the two of them let Patrick win so that he gets the car - what a totally selfless act. How many of us could have/would have done that?

So there you go - 3 reasons to be cheerful today. The world is a good place 99.9% of the time :-)