Happy (Belated) 14th Blogaversary

Posted on by Roshan Leave a comment

Happy 14th birthday to my blog Awake & Dreaming & a happy 14th Blogaversary to me! I can’t believe that it’s been 14 years already. This entry is 11 days late as I completely forgot.

It was on the 1st of January that I setup this blog in a day with the help of my cousin (over the phone), who guided me through the process and by night I had the thing setup. Then I installed WordPress and started blogging. I then spent many days trying out various themes; I think this one here is the 30th or so theme that I have tried out.

This isn’t my first blog though; I first started blogging in 2002, through blogger.com, when I lived in Calicut and continued with it when I moved back to Cochin. I was an inconsistent blogger, nothing having an internet connection at home & from 2003 till 2006, not having a computer at home. By 2005 I started getting more & more into blogging and I created a new one in blogger.com and called it Count Roshculla : Awake & Dreaming. I started spending more time in internet cafes and hence could blog a lot more consistently. But I always wanted my very own website & domain and I wanted to install WordPress. That was achieved on January 1st, 2007.

I have made quite a bit of money with this blog. Especially since November of 2018. I’ve since been able to get myself off to a little holiday in a nice hotel, bought a heck ton of dvds and boxsets that I have craved for so long and even been able to take a date to nice meals. I am so proud of what I have done, especially in the last couple of years. This blog is a big part of me and I want to continue through for several more years to come.

Holding Signs Long-term Contract

Posted on by Roshan Leave a comment

Arsenal defender Rob Holding signs new, long-term contract at the Emirates after battling his way back into Mikel Arteta’s plans following serious knee injury. Sportsmail revealed on January 1 that Holding was set to avoid Mikel Arteta’s squad cull after forcing his way back into the Spaniard’s plans this season. The defender almost joined Newcastle United on loan in August but the move was blocked by Arteta. Holding has since made 18 appearances in all competitions and has started the last 11 Premier League games.

The 25-year-old, who joined Arsenal from Bolton in 2016, has had to battle back from a serious knee injury which he picked up in 2018. The defender ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and spent nine months on the sidelines. Holding was a regular starter during Project Restart last season and helped the Gunners lift their 14th FA Cup. His deal was set to expire in 2023 and the summer arrivals of Gabriel and Pablo Mari threatened to push the centre back down the pecking order. A loan move to the Magpies was close to being completed before Arteta stepped in. The Spaniard wants to trim his bloated squad but sees Holding as a key part of his long-term plans, even rewarding him with the captain’s armband for the game against Everton in December.

The defender has stood out in recent victories over Chelsea, Brighton and West Brom, with Arsenal conceding just one goal across the last three games. The Gunners are now just six points off fourth place and booked their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday with an extra-time victory over Newcastle.