False Start

I’ve blown my bank!!

Ok, just wanted a good first line. The facts are slightly duller, and highlight the pitfalls of self-employment. I removed most of my bank before I went to Cambridge last week, to cover some direct debits due over the weekend, with the intention of putting it back in yesterday. This assumed payment of a June invoice at the end of July. No payment received, no betting bank, and no bloody money in my bank account. I’m promised ‘tomorrow, definitely’.

The blown bank was therefore the princely sum of £55. Just the one bet last night, the safest tennis back I could find – world number fifteen Marin Cilic against 153-ranked Somdev Devvarman. That’ll be thirty pounds gone then. Tonight’s ‘interim’ strategy was to lay my full bank on the evening’s racing ( I’ve abandoned my ‘sensible’ strategy detailed in the last post pending having a bank to play with ). I survived three races, the fourth got me!

The most frustrating element – no bet on my ‘Nap of the week’ – Yanina Wickmayer to beat Jill Craybas tonight in Los Angeles. As I write, it’s 7-6, 4-0. Bah.

So, a false start to my August aims. Fingers crossed, I can start properly tomorrow evening. I’m concerned August may not be as productive as I first intended, based on the following :
· I’m on family duties in Yorkshire this weekend (2 days lost).
· I have both V and Leeds Festivals in the last two weekends of the month (6 days lost).
· I’m very wary of minor tennis tournaments at the moment. I’ll be happier when the big guns come out for Montreal and Cincinatti.

Like many, I’m looking forward to the football season. Just a note of caution, I’ve always found the opening couple of weeks throw up plenty of strange results. I’ll keep my transactions modest until the season settles down a little.