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As the Plymouth fans were toasting their win at Sixfields on Saturday afternoon, their Cobblers counterparts responded with a chant of their own that is becoming depressingly regular: "You're nothing special, we lose every week."
Both of those facts were true at the weekend, just as they have been on countless occasions this season.
Losses to good teams, while not exactly acceptable, are at least palatable; Chesterfield, for example, looked like a strong side and one that fully deserved their three points.
Not that Plymouth didn't deserve to win - they did.
They mastered the conditions better than Northampton and took the chances that came their way.
It would be easy to portray this match as a tale of two goalkeepers - Matt Duke continued his poor recent form by letting a shot that he could have thrown his proverbial hat on squirm under him for Argyle's first.
Their second was more of a catalogue of errors with the gale playing a key part to sweep Lewis Alessandra's cross in at the back post.
When the teams turned around it was clear Northampton, with the wind at their backs, would have more of the attacking possession and the vast majority of the game was concentrated into the end of the field in front of the Dave Bowen Stand.
But they did not capitalise on the conditions in the way Plymouth did and goalkeeper Jake Cole was steady and assured where Duke had been uncertain and inconsistent, which proved pivotal on the scoresheet and in the match outcome.
The defeat is a substantial setback.
The team, reinforced by six new signings in the past fortnight and with four of them making their debuts, is now as strong as it is likely to be at any point this season.
To get the best out of all those new players will require a period of games to build up some chemistry and understanding, but the Cobblers do not have the luxury of time.
They need to start getting results before they are cut too far adrift - for some seven points and a woeful goal difference is already enough to make relegation a foregone conclusion.
It is not, of course, but things need to get better and they need to get better as a matter of extreme urgency.
Because, all season, the teams that aren't special have been lording it over this Northampton team, regardless of who is wearing the jerseys.
The names on the team sheet have changed but as the song says, they still lose every week.
Player ratings
A really bad day at the office - goal kicking was a struggle and the first goal was an error. While the wind played a part, it was not the sole factor ...4
LEON McSWEENEY
Did little wrong and was only able to play his natural attacking game when the conditions were in Town's favour in the second half ...6
Perhaps should have cut off the pass into Reid for the first goal but was solid enough before sustaining a toe injury ...6
Competed strongly with Boco and one sliding challenge in the first half prevented Plymouth from getting into a goalscoring area ...6
A sloppy but maybe unfortunate booking for a player who is badly struggling to recapture his form of last season ...5
A couple of bright moments but seems to be feeling his way back to full sharpness after a stop-start season of injuries ...5
Typically combative and often found himself in areas where he was the attacking midfielder, which does not suit his game ...5
Had one of those games where everything he tried to do went wrong. Difficult to know what his role will be going forward ...4
The loanee was the best player in a team that has taken the emphasis off signing loan players. Performed with pace and purpose throughout ...6 - STAR MAN
Should have cleared Plymouth's second goal and will probably benefit from playing a run of games to shake off the cobwebs ...5
A decent performance in which he looked threatening around the box but failed to connect with a good headed chance midway through the first half ...6
ANTONIO GERMAN (for Collins, 68 mins)
Provided a bit of a spark as the Cobblers switched to a 3-4-3 system to chase the game ...6
Not used: Morris, O'Donovan, Tozer, Snedker, Deegan, Robertson


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What Are the Financial Downsides of Being a Single Mom?
Being a single mom is a financially unpleasant task. There is no way around that fact. However, savvy moms quickly find that the rewards greatly outweigh the trials. As trying as the financial situation can be, there are plenty of programs that can offer assistance in various forms. You just have to get passed the mindset that the only help you can get comes in the form of SNAP.
Costs of Housing
Housing is the biggest cost, but you would have to have a home even if you didn't have a child. Having a child can actually be a benefit here because the fact that you have a dependent changes the amount of money you can make in order to qualify for certain programs, like the housing programs funded through the Housing Authority.
Costs of Food
Food is another expense that you would have whether you were a mother or not, but the dynamics change because you have a child. For instance, you have special considerations depending on health issues, allergies, and age. Programs like SNAP and WIC can help you out and you can even use them to live a healthier lifestyle of you understand all of the elements involved. For instance, you might set aside part of your SNAP budget to buy seeds or plants that produce food. Keep the seeds from the food produced to grow more during the next season. In this way you not only reduce your food costs, but also eat healthier.
Some Tips & Tricks for Your Finances
Your priorities are going to change…or at least they should. You are going to buy more clothes and worry less about brand names or where you obtain brand name clothing. The interests of your child are going to need funding as well. While you should put some money into your own hobbies simply for the sake of stress reduction and sanity, your children have budding interests that need to be encouraged. You may have to put aside some of your own interests to take care of theirs, but do it wisely. Visit resale shops for items like clothing and toys. For high end educational items, frequent college groups that often offer sales of items like microscopes and other educational materials.
When it comes to schooling, apply for reduced or free meals and book rental. If you are in a low income bracket and meet the requirements, these are a few more costs that you won't have to worry about. You might also consider enrolling in school yourself so that you can move forward with your own career goals and get financial assistance that an help with the cost of living.

subset: commoncrawl


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12 Days of Christmas Cookies: Traditional Butter
by Amy Johnson, Managing Editor, HockeyPub.com
PHILADELPHIA, PA — Sometimes the best recipes are the ones that have the simplest set of ingredients. For many, butter cookies evoke memories of childhood baking sessions with family members, cutting out different shapes and decorating them with bright colors and designs. But these basic bites can sometimes be very time consuming to make. The dough is typically chilled for a couple of hours to make cutouts easier, or alternatively is put into a variety of cookie presses to make intricate shapes.
But what if you just want to taste that buttery, sweet flavor without all the work? It's easy – make drop cookies!
Butter Cookies
Recipe courtesy of AllRecipes.com
Prep Time: 20 minutes
(Makes 3 dozen cookies)
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in the egg, then stir in the vanilla.
3. Combine the flour and salt and slowly beat that into the butter/sugar mixture. (If you'd prefer to make cutouts or use a cookie press, chill the dough and cookie sheets for at least an hour before baking.)
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto cookie sheets (line the cookie sheets with parchment paper for easy cleanup).
5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly golden at the edges. Transfer cookies to a wire rack immediately and sprinkle with colored sugar while they're still hot!
Be sure to check back tomorrow for our next holiday cookie recipe: Devil's Food Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies! And if you missed any of our previous recipes in this series, be sure to check them out below:
Day 1 – Golden Chocolate-Chunk Nutty Bars
Day 2 – Inception Brownies
Photo Credit: Amy Johnson