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I resolved to be optimistic and press on with my task. After all, this is Burnley's debut season in the Premier League and I had vowed to enjoy it no matter how it spanned out. We've never been in the top flight in my lifetime and days out to Villa Park, Old Trafford, Anfield and the Emirates should be an enjoyable experience.
I say should because we all know by now how frustrating our away days have been this season. In terms of results, they couldn't be that much worse.
However, I was determined not to be pessimistic about anything to do with watching Burnley in the Premier League. I've waiting all my life to see it and I've been scathing about the football fans of Birmingham in the past for their collective dourness.
So I pressed on, the snow stopped, the sun came out and I made it to Birmingham in plenty of time. Perhaps everything would turn out rosy?
Burnley started with a very youthful side as Jack Cork made his first senior start for us and Eagles returned to the starting line up. Looking down the names on the sheet I can honestly say that I can't remember us having such a young side in my lifetime. Not only are we a young side, we have more talent amongst our ranks than at any time since John Bond worked his unique brand of magic back in the 80s.
Jack Cork deserves special praise for his performance against Villa. To come into a side so low on confidence as a supposedly 'inexperienced youngster' and then spend the game as our most incisive, determined and positionally astute midfielder says more about his ability and potential than it does about Andre Bikey's literally mis-placed performance or Kevin McDonald's hit-and-miss inexperience.
When McCann and Alexander return we will have a midfield that potentially contains all the right ingredients to keep us the right side of the relegation zone.
The first half was as good as we have played away from the Turf this season. Although Villa looked slightly distracted by their oncoming League Cup final, our midfield battled hard and should take credit for dictating the pace of the game.
Our attack of Nugent and Fletcher were busy and purposeful and caused plenty of trouble at the Villa end. Not just whilst we had the ball but by harrying the Villa defenders as they drew back their legs and tried to employ their distinctive brand of direct football.
Villa's attacking play was limited to the lively Ashley Young running at our defence. Fox coped well with Young's pace in the first half and with the support of Eagles the England international was left running into corners.
At the other end, we defended sternly. The aerial bombardment when it did come was fended off professionally by Carlisle and Cort who held their nerve and kept their back line deep enough to nullify Villa's tactic. With Cork bossing the midfield like a wily old pro they could afford to.
For 20 glorious minutes it looked as though everything was going to plan. The impressive Cork engineered space for Nugent with a cutting pass for the striker to burst into the Villa box with intent. He could have taken on a shot himself but he choose wisely and played the ball across for Fletcher to tap home. A cracking team goal and the Clarets were a one nil up away from home.
I'd like to end my report there but unfortunately I can't. Villa offered little in the rest of the first half. Heskey could have done better than glance his header wide when he did slip his marker but then again, the phrase 'Heskey could have done better' is a bit of a cliché for the big man's career. I wasn't particularly worried.
It was a combination of defending ineptitude, luck and silly refereeing that allowed Villa back into the game. The free kick given against Cork was a poor decision. It led to a corner, which in turn led to a lucky goal for Villa. We've let in plenty of these unlucky goals away from Turf Moor this season.
The less said about the second half the better. I thought the second half was where Martin O'Neill earned his salary and showed why he has earned a reputation for being one of the best managers in the country; why a good manager is truly worth his salt. Conversely, Burnley lost the focus that drove our first half performance, got sucked in and hit with the sucker punch. Three times.
Villa stopped trying to out play us in the midfield, they dropped back slightly, drew us in and thumped the ball forward a lot earlier than they'd managed in the first half. We were caught far too far upfield and in the space of a few minutes we were 4-1 down. By the time the farcical fifth went in we were visibly downbeat and crestfallen.
The travelling fans kept singing and were magnificent - a real beacon for the players. Much to my own discredit I left before the final whistle, fearful of bumping into my old Villa supporting class mates in the throng back to Birmingham, and I missed Paterson's last minute consolation.
I feel ashamed because there are plenty of consolations out there. Paterson's goal and the fact that Paterson is a Claret are only two of them.
I've seen Burnley lose by more than this in the third tier of English football against clubs as majestic as Gillingham and Bournemouth. Even if we haven't yet witnessed our first top flight away win this season there are plenty of reasons to be cheerful. And if we play like we did in the first half of this game we'll see that time come sooner rather than later, whether it be this season or next.