The August Edition

Frank's Cafe, Peckham

Guys, it’s under 20C, we are blessed.

What I did 

I had a SICK DAY at the beginning of the month, and not once did I feel guilty about it. I hate taking sick days. I’m bad at looking after myself. If I have a day off, I think I’m letting people down, that I’m faking it, that I’m not that bad, that it’ll give me bad karma. It’s silly. But I woke up one morning feeling super coldy and it was the first day of my period, so I announced to Ryan that I was staying in bed. I don’t think he’s ever been so proud of me in our five years together.

I made up for being out of the office by staying at the office until 8pm drinking gin. We nearly got locked in the office when the security guy came around and didn’t notice us giggling like teenagers.  This was organised drinking, for full disclosure. Don’t try and get me sacked just as I…

…PASSED MY PROBATION. I’m a fully-fledged Anthony Nolan-er now, bitches.

What I thought

I feel so settled. I’m the happiest and most chill I’ve been in years. I’m settled, I feel strong, I know who I am, I’m perfectly happy with who I am, things are going swell. It’s a great feeling and I didn’t know I was capable of it.

It’s weird going back for ex-colleagues’ leaving drinks, but also the best thing. They tell you how much you’ve changed for the better, how happier you seem, and you get to celebrate their success and new ‘chapter’ for want of a less gross cliché.

EVERYONE IS ENGAGED. 10 friends got engaged within about two weeks this month. I say ‘friends’. Some actual friends and some used-to-be-proper-friends-but-now-we-just-like-each-others’-shit-every-now-and-then-but-still-care-about-their-wellbeing-etc. 

It’s my birthday next week and for the first time in 25 years, I don’t care if people don’t come to my birthday Thing. I’m very known for throwing massive strops if people drop out or can’t come, even for incredibly legit reasons, but I’ve been so chill this year. I’VE GROWN. I actually don’t want people to come. I want all the pizza to myself. I want to make minimal effort and I want there to be minimal noise… but I also want masses of attention, please.

WHY HAVE MY PARENTS GOT A NEW FRONT DOOR WITHOUT TELLING ME.

Where I went

WALES. We had the BEST long weekend in Eglwysbach with our friends, Amy and Emma. It was blissfully quiet in that little Welsh village and they planned the best days for us. We faffed about in stream and waterfalls at Betwys-y-Coed, ate a picnic in the rain at Bodelwyddan Castle, did Conwy parkrun, went to the Eglwysbach Show, and drank a lot of gin. It was just perfect.

 Bodelwyddan Castle

 Betwys-y-Coed

  Betwys-y-Coed

We did four new parkruns. I marshalled at Catford and we ran Conwy, Bushy, and South Woodham Ferrers. Bushy, the pilgrimage, was our 50th different parkrun course. NERDS.

 Conwy parkrun

Ryan and my dad, South Woodham Ferrers parkrun 

We went back to my family’s in Essex a lot. My whole family’s birthdays are, quite very literally, all within two months of each other, so we get that shit out the way. Exhaustedly, admittedly. We sat in the garden on my nan’s 81st birthday and got drenched in Walton-on-the-Naze for my brother’s 20th. Ryan’s dad also stayed with us one weekend and we took him to meet my grandparents, which was cute.

 I bought my brother tickets to his first ever gig

Walton-on-the-Naze

Our best pals, Ash and Ben, were introduced to Frank’s in Peckham. Glorious food, glorious drinks, glorious rooftop sunset.

We went to SCOOP, the pop-up ice cream museum in King’s Cross. It was cool! We made ice cream, ate ice cream, looked at glow in the dark ice cream, and saw what our brains look like when we eat ice cream. It was incredibly Instagrammable.

What I read

I read three books this month, all borrowed from colleagues:

It’s Okay to Laugh: (Crying Is Cool Too) by Nora McInerny Purmort. Utterly beautiful book about losing her husband and father within weeks of each other, and having a miscarriage at the same time. Funny, heartwarming, and devastating. Read it.

Life After Life and God In Ruins, both by Kate Atkinson. These two were admittedly books that I’d never usually pick up, but someone at work insisted I read them as they’re her favourite. And I enjoyed them! They were very clever and very well written.

What I watched

This Is Us, season 2. FINALLY. I adore This Is Us. I think it’s the best written TV show I’ve ever seen.

Orange Is The New Black, season 6. It was good. Better than I thought it’d be. It was a fun season.

Kath & Kim. Oh man. My Year 9 English teacher was Australian and used to let us watch Kath & Kim in class. She somehow made it relevant. And re-watching it on Netflix 10 years later is making those memories come flooding back. I LOVE IT.

You Me Her. I want a threesome. Specifically with those three. A foursome, I want a foursome.

We went to see the final night of the Improvised Shakespeare Company at The Soho Theatre with Ryan’s dad. Both him and Ryan are in amateur dramatics groups and love the theatre, so this was perfect. The six guys in the ISC come out on stage at the start of the night and ask the audience to shout out a made up name for a play. They pick one, then they perform it. Made up. On the spot. In the style of Shakespeare. It was absolutely fucking hilarious and bloody brilliant. If they’re ever back in the UK, I implore you to see them.

Like everyone else on Twitter, I watched To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. It was very cute.

For my monthly cinema trip, I saw Christopher Robin with my mum. It was lovely, but it was no Paddington.

What I was thankful for

Time. I’m impatient and I catastrophise, but I’ve truly learnt that time will help you settle. Never a few months ago did I think I’d feel how I do now. Trust time. 

I’m sure I’ve said it before, but I’m so thankful to still be so close to my old colleagues. I love them. They’re passionate and smart and funny and caring, and I’m so glad they were a part of my first ever Big Girl job. 

Cherry Bakewells. I got really emotional about them. Might have been PMT.

Ryan. He’s just got more and more fit this last month and I really fancy him. Idk.

Getting to the toilet in time. I got the shits during a speed session (running, not drugs) and made the smart decision to actually abort the sesh and leg it home, instead of force my overachieving self to finish. It was a mess, but it would have been more of a mess in the middle of the park, so. I really am growing.

See you when I’m a whole year older, pals.