Aaaaaand I'm back in the room

Hi you guys!


Huge apologies for my absolute blogging fail over the festive period. Although I'm sure you didn't even notice, no one should be spending time reading blogs when there is champagne to be drunk and mince pies to be munched.


If I were to tell you everything I got up to over the festive period this blog would be ridonculous. So, instead, here is a quick run down of my Christmas. It involved: Carols, champagne, bucks fizz, copious amounts of presents, Christmas dinner, cocktails, leftover Christmas dinner, gym, running, gym (this is the point that I got the guilt!), shopping, New Year's dinner with friends, wine, wine, wine, vom, vom, vom *ashamed face*.


It was lovely in the main. Apart from that last bit. I hated myself for being such a hung over cliché on New Year's Day, so I discounted it and 2nd Jan became my 1st Jan! I was mega constructive. There was an awesome 10 mile run through Northamptonshire's countryside with the trainer, a trip into town to stock up on essentials (clothes), deconstruction of the Christmas tree, hoovering, cooking and a bit of cleaning. I feel I redeemed myself as a human being after my complete fail at being alive the previous day.


Today's plans include seeing the mother and father-ship as I fear they are feeling abandoned having had a full nest over Christmas, taking the policeman to town so he can meet some friends for drinks (he had to work Christmas Day and New Year's Eve so I think he would like to make up for it!), running off the heavy legs I have gained after yesterday's run, toning class at the gymmage and then bathing and pampering before the return to work in the 'morrow - which I am actually quite looking forward to. I loved the new job when I started just before Christmas but it was a strange week to start with people being off and the snow interfering etc. So I'm excited to see how it will be now the festivities are over and everything is back to normal. 

The running bug

I've been a gym-goer for a while, but I didn't discover running, I mean really running, until about 8 months ago. Yeah, I messed about on the treadmill a bit, 15 minute warm up runs here and there and interval training with the trainer, but it wasn't until the beginning of the summer that I discovered running for the love of it.


I started challenging myself to run 5k on the treadmill trying to improve how quickly I did it each week. Then, once I realised that actually I didn't hate it, the trainer encouraged me to start running outside. My thoughts on outdoor running prior to this had been: "Yeah, but people see you..."

Anywho, the trainer persevered and she began dragging me off the treadmill to the great outdoors. The turning point I guess was the week she suggested we run Pitsford Reservoir. After telling me it was 10k (it's not. It is 11.6k. She calls it stretching the truth, I call it lying) I conceded and agreed to give it a go. I was scared. Actually scared.


But we made it round. And I didn't die or vom. Bonus! I was buzzing for the rest of the day, high off endorphins and a smug sense of achievement! It felt so good that I did the same run every Saturday morning for the next few weeks. And this was when it happened - I became an addict.


In October I ran my first competitive 10k and completed it in 47 minutes which I was stupefied by! Now I run outside whenever I can and always fit in a long run on Saturdays. I save the treadmill (or deadmill as it has now become known) for interval training and short warm up runs (unless the snow sprinkles...).  

So, the next goal is to run a half marathon with the trainer in the first half of next year... Yep, scared again!

In other news ... day two at work went really well. The brain mush eased and I think the fog started to clear a little. Huzzah! Have pounded the stress out at the gym the past two evenings and that has helped muchly. Although trying to sleep after day one was impossible. My mind was going at one hundred miles an hour, think I probably managed about 3 hours sleep. Very bad times. Coffee has been the only way!

Image from acceleratingyoursuccess.com

Auld Lang *sigh*

Is it just me or does New Year seem a tad... well... overrated?


I might just be saying this because at the moment my New Year plans are non-existent (the policeman is working and apparently my friends have family and stuff. I know. Selfish.), but now I'm a big girl I stay up past midnight quite a lot. Actually that is an out and out lie. I'm normally in bed by 10pm, but that's not the point, if I wanted to, I could!


I guess for people who have had a bad year it is a good way to see the back of it, and for those who have a had a good year it's a way to celebrate, but what about the rest of us? Is it just an excuse to try to out do each other on party plans?

Don't get me wrong, I feel the New Year pressure like everyone else. All I'm saying is I don't really want to throw huge amounts of cash at a night out which I probably won't be able to remember the next morning and will result in me feeling like this:

Image from Colorado Wine Company

All I really want to do is go to bed at a decent hour and wake up on 1st January fresh and perky.  Maybe this will be the year I finally do that ... maybe. It won't be of course, because the thought of telling people I have no plans for New Year fills me with dread and embarrassment despite everything I've said. *sigh*

So now to give in to the pressure of finding something fun to do, that I can actually afford, to see in 2011. Ideas (and offers) welcome...

In other news... first day at the new job went well (despite the snow ruining my outfit plans). I'm afriad I have mush for brains at the moment so I will blog about it later in the week when I am more coherant and a bit more settled!

Vino, falling down and an angry Chinese lady

So, the snow didn't listen to then. We had about four inches in Northampton on Saturday evening and, because the airports were closed Naomi didn't make it home. In fact, she is still not home. As I write this she is stuck in Zurich, where she did manage to get to, trying to find a flight home to an airport that is open. Y'see? What did I tell ya? Snow sucks.

Those of us that were in Northampton braved the arctic conditions and hit up Northampton town centre. There was vino and dancing a-plenty. There was also falling down from Loz and an angry Chinese woman wielding a knife. Really. We went into a Chinese take away to get some food but she thought we had just gone in to get warm which, to be honest I think we could have been forgiven for. So she banged her knife on the counter and shrieked "Are you going to order?" at us. Needless to say we told her we would not be spoken to in such a fashion (or something less coherent and more drunken but with the same sentiment) and stormed out on our high horse! Anywho, a lot of fun was had and I think I have just about thawed out. It was freakin' freezing.

First day in new job today. Frick. Will let you know how that pans out...

Leaving presents and fashion porn ...

So, yesterday was my last day at The Words Workshop. *sad face* I loved working there, but more for the people and the atmosphere than the actual work. Y'see I was writing about things that I really have no passion for which tends to make your brain numb after a while. Still, I love the folks there so I'm really going to miss them.


They bought me lovely 'goodbye' presents which included a gorgeous Paperchase notepad (I love the Paperchase), Next vouchers and two of these lovely Christmas baubles:

 

I become the 'new girl' again on Monday. You can see my feelings on that here. However, since I have written that post something else has dawned on me...What the frick am I going to wear? This is not a rhetorical question by the way.

Ideally I'd like to wear this gorgeous piece of fashion porn:

 Marc Jacobs Python-effect camouflage blouse from theoutnet.com

However the bank balance says no. So, help. What do you wear for the first day at your dream job?

In other news... I'm off for long run this morning and I might drop in to the gym for Body Pump if my motivation doesn't wane. I shall then be primping and preening for tonight's 'Christmas do' with the girls before partaking in some vodka-ing - that's what they mean when they sing "'Tis the season to be jolly", right?

Dear Snow...

I've seen you around a lot recently. I know, I know, I always look away as though I haven't seen you in my bid to deny your existence but you always manage to make yourself known by ruining my leather shoes.

It has been a long time since we have been on talking terms and I really do want to rectify this. So, dear snow, I am hoping we can come to some arrangement...

Y'see, here's the thing. You always seem to show your face when I have arrangements that may be hampered by your appearance (I won't mention my 18th birthday again. You know my feelings on that). Take this weekend, for example. The girls and I have a big night out planned. We rarely manage to get all of us together but this weekend everyone will finally be in one place at one time. But then Tomasz (Y'know the BBC weatherman? The one who got caught flicking the finger to one of the other presenters live on air?) told me that you were planning on turning up in  Northampton on Saturday as well.

Considering our nights out normally involve high heels, no coats and a plethora of vodka you can see how you might cause us a problem here.

So, here is my suggestion. I hear you are pretty keen to bestow upon us a white Christmas. I'm totally down with that. In my view you get a three day window - Christmas Eve, Christams Day and Boxing Day - when I acutually quite like you.  So how about you save it all up and do your worst then and skip this weekend? Give yourself a few days off and come back in full force next Friday instead. Whad'ya say? Yeah? Yeah? Yeah!

I await your response.

Lottie

Being a policeman's 'wife'

The Policeman and I have been together for just over 7 years now, since we were 17. I know. 'Tis long time. (To clarify he wasn't a policeman at 17, that would be crazy. He was just a regular boy.)

Once he was done being mischievious and getting scalded by the policemen of Brixworth (nothing terrible you understand, just young scallywag stuff.) he decided that actually fighting crime actually looked pretty fun. He joined the force just over a year ago. *Proud face*

To me, this is him:

Image from watchingamerica.com

So, obviously I am very proud of him, but being a policeman's 'wife' is a puzzler (Note to the Policeman if you are reading this: Please don't freak out at this reference to lifelong commitment. I know we are not married, nor engaged. It is simply a word I am using to emphasise the fact that we do in fact live together. No pressure... although it is sinful and all that.). The pressure they come under in is the kind that most of us mere mortals really can't really relate to, yet I rarely see the Policeman stressed. They seem to have this camaraderie between them where they pick each other up and carry on, even if they have just had to inform a family that one of their loved ones has died, or deal with a schizophrenic heroin addict all day.

The hours they work are all kinds of crazy. Yeah, they have set shifts but unlike the rest of us who can drop what we are doing at 5:30pm and make the mad dash home, if a murder or missing person (Misper as they are called in the force. That's right. I'm down with the lingo) is reported 15 minutes before they are meant to finish they could be working long after their set finish time. It means, as a policeman's other half, you can't plan anything. You might book to see friends or to go out for dinner but you never know whether you are actually going to make it. It's kind of a state of limbo.

At the moment he is working night shifts - they're a puzzler. What? You mean I'm going to bed... and your going to work? And then, I'll be getting up and you'll be coming in...? *Confused face.*

The main thing for me is, the chuffing criminals never take a freakin' day off! That means that this year the Policeman will be working Christmas Day and New Year's Eve. Bad times. Crims, if you're reading this why not get in on the 'peace and goodwill to all men' thing and make a pact to be reeeeeaaally good over the festive period this year? Y'know that Santa doesn't come if you've been naughty, right? Yeah, that's right. Get on it.

In other news ...This morning saw me rolling out of bed in the dark and the cold (although it still appears to be both these things) for an early morning workout because tonight's activities mainly revolve around eating. Y'see the big sis is home from the US of A for Christmas today and due to the lack of good Indian food in America she is demanding a curry tonight. Hard life. 'Tis also the day before my last day at work ...feeling very strange.