Day 18

Two days in a row, not bad.
First session since last Friday on the mats, but this time I definitely needed to resist the temptation to roll. In the end my resolve was not tested. During the technique I was discussing the Euros with a fellow Blue, also competing, when he asked, 'Why are blue belts fighting on Thursday and Friday?'
At this point the cold sweat started on my back. You see in my infinite wisdom I had seen blue belts Friday on the schedule and a direct flight Thursday night at a reasonable price before Christmas and bulldozed straight ahead with the booking. It was perfect, finally a benefit to being blue belt. I usually find blue belt categories are after lunch at tournaments and what is timetabled for 2:30pm will inevitably start at 4:09pm. Also I would only need to take Friday off work, holiday being difficult for engineering interns in Germany due to the Germans lack of legislation related to workers rights, such as minimum wage and vacation... but that's another story. Right now in this story I'm booked on a Thursday afternoon flight that will probably get me to the Euros 6 hours after I've been disqualified.
So now I'm frantically rushing home to try and book a flight for Wednesday night so I don't miss out. There's a KLM flight going to Holland and connection to Lisbon.... It's £600. Now I know people say 'It's only money' and I am one of those people, but only to a certain extent. £600 to fly one way from Germany to Portugal makes this statement redundant. After much searching I managed to get a route which means I get to get back the good old United Kingdom on Wednesday morning and catch a flight out of Heathrow in the evening and all for a lot less than £600.

Bring on the EUROS!!! (This is of course bravado, and I am incredibly nervous. I will probably do a post about pre-tournament jitters. I am a massive sufferer of these.)