The November Edition

I have a cold. I’m so snotty that I can feel it in my eyes. Happy Winter.

What I did 

Bought a hoover in the Black Friday sale. Shirley the Shark is an absolute beauty and I am in love. 

Went to the In-House Awards where my team at work won an award! 

Cuddled Pearl, the tiny furry baby of Ash and Ben.

Organised an I’m a Celeb sweepstake at work as part of our Brentwood Half fundraising for Anthony Nolan. This is the first time I’ve gone all out with fundraising, and I’m LOVING it. I’m so bloody inspired by our fundraising team, and the work we do every day to save the lives of people with blood cancer, that I’m desperate to raise as much money as possible. It costs £40 to add each new potential donor to the stem cell register, and we’re very close to raising £400 - 10 new lifesavers!

Had four sambuca shots at Ryan's leaving drinks and took this selfie, apparently.

Did, like, no running. A few parkruns and a PWR run, that’s it. 

I've volunteered a couple of times at events with Anthony Nolan. When I started back in February, my line manager (hi Anya) suggested a few volunteering roles I should try out, and I was a big NOPE at the thought. Talking to people? Responsibility? Strangers? The public? Confidence? Absolutely not. Long story short, reader, I’m the biggest feckin’ keeno going at the moment. I love going to donor recruitment events in schools, I’ve signed myself up to volunteer at our Christmas Carols, and I stood freezing for six hours in Paddington station bucket shaking last weekend. WHO AM I.

What I thought

I lost my Oyster card this month. I’ve had it since I was 18 and it might seem very inconsequential, but that guy I wrote about here bought me that Oyster card. It always felt dirty. Seven years later, a few days after I went back to where that guy lived, (I hadn't been back since, and our friends have just moved there), I lost the card. I’m not one for losing things. But it disappeared, and I had to get a new one. And forgive me for being a spiritual wanker, but I’m taking that as a ‘coming full circle’ sign. It was closure, kind of. I felt sick at the thought of returning to that place, but I did it, and then the one thing tying me to that guy was lost. It’s weird. Anyway, my new Oyster card is strong and shiny. Just like me.

I can’t do my job as well as I can without volunteering. Meeting people affected by blood cancer, and talking to young people about the stem cell register, is just the most motivational and inspiring thing. It’s not just good for my confidence and helpful to volunteer, it’s those few hours outside of the office that really make you realise why you do what you do. I’ve no idea if that makes sense.

Usually when I ask for advice online, I hate it and it makes me aggy. My biggest pet hate is unsolicited advice, but I don’t even do well with solicited. Anyway, I asked Instagram if anyone had any wise words because I was struggling with not beating myself up for not running, and people were NICE?! They said stuff like:

I put them all as a highlight on my Instagram, if you ever feel like you need to be reminded that it's ok to chill out!

Where I went

We went to Portsmouth to see the Highbury Players play, and did Portsmouth Lakeside parkrun for Dave’s 250th. We met Dave and his partner Michelle at Catford parkrun, and then Foots Cray Meadows parkrun, and they’re from Portsmouth. Dave’s 250th happened to be when we were down, and we can’t say no to free cake.

We did Richmond parkrun with Mum, Jake and Luke, and tested out our Anthony Nolan vests.

Ash and Ben moved to Walthamstow so we did Walthamstow parkrun then visited them for the day, and their flatwarming. Walthamstow is nice. We did the classic God’s Own Junkyard and Mother’s Ruin Gin Palace, and commented on all the young white couples with newborns.

It was Petts Wood Runners’ Winter Party, but I’d been bucket shaking all day so lasted about two hours… took a selfie to prove we went though.

What I read

I finished To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. It was good.

I read A Girl’s Guide to Summer by Sarah Mlynowski, about two teen girls going travelling around Europe. My heckin’ JAM. Loved it.

Following my classics streak, I read The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Bloody good.

What I watched

Heathers again. That was the last time, I promise.

Gals at work do Heathers

I watched Mum clean the flat when she stayed for the weekend. She couldn’t stop, she was a woman obsessed.

We took a last minute cinema trip to see Bohemian Rhapsody and it was BRILLIANT. I didn’t expect to like it so much. 

Sunday nights were full of Dynasties and Louis Theroux’s Altered States, now we’ve finally finished Making a Murderer and second season of The Sinner (much better than the first).

We saw Sigrid be the foetal goddess she is at the O2 Academy Brixton. 

What I was thankful for

My brother for continuing to have an epiphany and getting his FIRST EVER JOB. It’s been emotional.

Sigrid. She’s just great, and full of youthful wisdom and confidence. 

Time off. There was actually a week this month where we did NOTHING after work ALL WEEK. It felt very uncomfortable but I was into it.

*enter some meaningful shit about seeing a perfect rainbow here*

This weird confidence I have to sign up to volunteering stuff and just DO IT and actually BE confident.

I’m on a roll with great customer service. I have a subscription with Freda, a natural, organic, plastic-free-as-much-as-they-can-be, period poverty pummelling period product service. They’re only small and their technology is, understandably, not great, and I’ve had a lot of trouble with my subscription. But they’re so great and now Laura, the faceless woman I email, has my period dates in her calendar until December 2019. 

Right, where's my advent calendar?