Obstacle Racing Updates
So last month I posted
THIS the beginning of my obstacle racing adventures. Well here is the next installment . . .
Every year I try to do a new years resolution and really stick to it. In 2009 I chose to visit a new country in Europe once a month for less than $100 - I managed 13 in total (India being the only non European one). In 2010 it was to travel around the world, check out
this blog for details on that 6 month adventure in the southern hemisphere. Sadly in 2011 I didn't make a resolution, but thanks to experiences during that year it was obvious to me what my 2012 resolution would be . . . run as many
Spartan Races as possible. My obsession with
Spartan racing started last winter. My best friend had signed up to do the New England Spartan Sprint (5K) race while I was in Rwanda. I was bummed to miss it, but looking forward to hearing all about it upon my return. Well to everyone's surprise hurricane Irene was threatening to hit the course on Sunday morning, so Spartan Race had their first ever
Hurricane Heat race and it turned out to be a huge success. My best friend spoke about it for weeks on end and also about all the wonderful people she'd met while participating. Next thing I knew she was travelling all the way to Chicago with "total strangers" to run in yet another Hurricane Heat with lots of the same people she'd met at her first Spartan Race. About a month later, she told me this same group, Storm Chasers, were getting together for a dinner in New Hampshire and would I like to join them. I was dying to meet these people, so I took her up on the offer. What an interesting group of people - all different background, all walks of life, all different ages, genders, shapes and sizes, but all with one common love, obstacle racing and more specifically Spartan Races! I vividly recall one member of the group's comment to me as we were leaving, "So we'll see you in Texas, Sara." I smiled and said, "we shall see" thinking in my head, this kid is crazy. I've only just started racing and the race a few weeks later in Texas was a Super (8+ miles).
The next morning while at work I found myself constantly wondering, could I manage 8 miles? Was in worth all the money to fly from MA to TX to run 8 miles in mud and potentially die? Obviously slightly delusional from the late night out, I sent an email to the "crazy kid" to find out more details, what time was their flight, where were they staying, did they have room for me in the hotel and rental car, etc. By 2pm that afternoon I had registered for the race, booked a flight, confirmed hotel and rental car.
In the coming weeks I attempted to train for the race, but never ran more than 2 miles and did not do anything differently at the gym - cause to be honest, I was still in denial of the fact that I'd just signed up for such a LONG race!
I will not regale you with the details of all 8+ miles of hills, mud, sandbags, walls, water, mud, water, hills, hay bales, and mud, but I will share these photos again, cause I do love them! Here are all of us who ran together on Saturday morning:
And here I am just before mile 3, swimming across 75 meters of 52degree water:
What started out as a dare a year ago - April 2011 "you could never do a race like this" turned into a minor obsession! Here we are again in Arizona - yet again another Super (8+ miles) this past February about to crawl up the soapy wall:
And then again in March in Georgia - loving the bared wire crawl:
happy to have finally done a Spartan Sprint (5K)!
So my family always asks which races have you done so far and what's your next race, here is the run down:
Spartan Super in Arizona - Saturday February 11th (DONE!)
Spartan Sprint in Georgia - Saturday March 10th (DONE!)
Tortoise & Hare 10K road race in MA with some other Spartan Chicks - Saturday April 7th
Spartan Sprint in Colorado - Saturday May 5th
Spartan Sprint in New York - Saturday June 2nd (with Team in Training!)
Spartan Super in Montreal, Canada - Saturday June 9th
Spartan Sprint in Pennsylvania - Saturday July 14th
Spartan Sprint in New England - Saturday August 11th
Spartan Super in Mid Atlantic - Saturday August 25th (hopefully)
Spartan Super in New Jersey - Saturday September 8th
Spartan Beast (12+ miles on Killington Mountain) in Vermont - Saturday September 22nd
and if I don't die at the VT Beast, I'm going to make a valiant effort to make it to Glen Rose, Texas yet again this year to end my 2012 new years resolution with a Spartan Beast race!
Now I know many of you are thinking what is wrong with her? As I've said before and I'll probably end up saying it again and again - it's addicting - as Spartan Race says, "
you'll know at the finish line" and honestly, until you've crossed a finish line at any one of these races wether it is 3 miles or 12 miles, you will never fully understand until you're at the finish line! My other favorite motto which I learned at the Hurricane Heat race (more of a team work effort than race per say) when heading to the finish line, "
If you can't run, walk. If you can't walk, crawl. If you can't crawl, we will carry you."
It is hard for me to express in words what obstacle racing, specifically Spartan Race has done for me - I am every thankful to them for making such an obsession possible :)
Labels: best friends, friends, obstacle racing, spartan race
If you’d told me a year ago this was going to change my life I’d have laughed at you!
I am out with friends one night in April 2011; Matt is trying to convince me to join him for the Warrior Dash race that is coming up in a few months. I am hesitant, as I have never run in my life. I can count on my fingers and toes the number of times I’ve run for a bus, let alone run for a race. A person at the table pipes up, “Matt, Sara would never make it, she’s not the athletic type.” I can feel my blood pressure rising as I’m not about to be told by this marathoner girl that I can’t run a mere 5K over a few obstacles – who does she think she is telling Matt I can’t make it?
I go home that night, sign up for the Warrior Dash race and then advertise on Facebook, that I’ve signed up and want people to run with me. Within days, I have a small team assembled. Team consists of a seasoned female 10K runner (Amanda), an outdoorsy male athlete (Brian), a coworker who seems reasonably fit (Greg), the coworker’s girlfriend who I’ve met only once (Mies), and myself. I am still thinking I’m the least fit, least prepared for this, but we girls make a pact to stay together.
The day of the race arrives; the weather is cooler than anticipated with lots of thunder, lightening, and raining to beat the bands! It has actually been raining for about 3 days.
My housemate & I have spent the night prior to the race in a Holiday Inn near the course so we don’t have to drive as far the morning of the race. My friend Brian had driven down from NY and slept in his car the night before, so he came into the Holiday Inn to have breakfast with us. He was dressed & ready to go, but was just as confused as I was about if the race would actually go on with this type of weather. A few minutes later my dad arrives, we all have breakfast & then it was time to go.
We head out in the torrential downpour, GPS saying it’s 15 minutes away, we’re doing fine till we get off the exit and suddenly the traffic comes to a DEAD stop. My phone begins to blow up with texts from Amanda and Greg about how they’re being shuttled in from random lots, worried where will we meet and how will they get the shirts? Did I mention my housemate had made us all team shirts; girls got neon pink “Grizzly Girl” shirts and for the boys got blue ones with “Grizzly Girl’s Guy” on them.
After goodness knows how long of being directed every which way, we eventually pulled into a parking lot and were told to wait for a shuttle bus. We did as told, while watching my heat time come and go. Being my first race EVER, I was of course beside’s myself at the thought of missing it, but Brian calmed me down saying there would be a chance to run later.
We all pilled into the muddy bus and headed to the Amesbury Sports Park. Luckily once we arrive there were not many people probably since the weather is still heavy rain. I immediately saw Amanda, Dom (Amanda’s boyfriend), Greg and Mies. Caylin (housemate) handed out our shirts; we all changed, collected our race bibs, pinned them on, and attached our timing chips to our shoes. We got a few pre race photos, and next thing I knew we were headed over to the start line. At this point the rain had actually stopped but it was still rather cloudy, so we were a bit chilly in our shorts and t-shirt, but not for long! Dom, Caylin and my dad stood in a large puddle of water in order to get photos and cheer for us. At this point I am totally unaware of what is going on – I’m so nervous as I look up this hill I’m going to be starting my run with!
The gun sounds, the mass of people begin to move, Greg and Brian are about halfway up the hill when Amanda, Mies and I begin to run. The boys has told us ahead of time that they would not be waiting for us and we were okay with that. By the time we hit the top of the hill, the large mass from the bottom of the hill is rather spread out! Soon I realize that Amanda has even taken off without Mies and me. There goes the “girls will stay together no matter what” pact out the window. I start to panic as I’ve only met Mies once or twice before and so I was sort of banking on Amanda sticking with me.
Over roots and through thick mud, Mies and I giggle, mostly I think out of fear of what we’ve gotten ourselves into, but I kept hearing that voice in my head, “Sara would never make it, she’s not the athletic type” and I was going to be damned if she turned out to be correct. I’ve never been one to turn down a challenge! The mud, hills, slipping and sliding is the theme for the day, but Mies and I are now chatting about this and that. To be honest I have no clue what we talked about, but also don’t remember it being awkward – we seemed to get alone really well.
About half way through, as we were walk/jogging through a muddy track, we saw Amanda, but she was in competitive mode and was not about to wait up for us. At this point, Mies & I are fine with that; we’re having a blast. We’re not necessarily fully prepared for what we’re doing, but we just keep chatting and climbing over the obstacles like it’s our job.
As we jump over the fire, the smiles on our faces are priceless!
A few minutes later we were crossing the finish line . . . 1 hour and 6 minutes DONE! Not the greatest time, but considering it was our first race ever, let alone race with obstacles, we were just ecstatic to have completed it.
We were greeted at the finish line with finisher metals, water, bananas, Monster drinks, beer, turkey legs, music and of course our awesome “fans”. Who would have thought that seven months after this day Mies and I would be flying to Arizona for the first of many races in 2012? Who would have thought that we’d become best friends? I can tell you, not either of us! At every race we drive or fly to (Warrior Dash, Rugged Maniac, Rock Eater Adventure, Monster Mud, Spartan) the conversation of “who’d have imagined . . . “ comes up at some point.
Not only have these races introduced me to my best friend, but also opened up a whole new family of fellow races across the country to me. I am so thankful to each and every one of them. I am still not the fastest obstacle racer and may never be, but I’m okay with that. I’m not in it to win it, in the sense of speed or cash prizes. I’m in it for personal satisfaction, finishing the race, and having fun with my friends in the process; whether I’m a part of a large group who fly from New England to Texas to race together or if it’s just Mies & me running in a smaller local run – it’s all about having fun while we do it!
For those of you who have never seen a run or been a spectator, I highly recommend it!! If you would like to see what the course in Arizona which we just ran in looks like here is a video. Obviously that is not us in it, but we ran the same course, just at 6am with headlamps:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ymNFdrPc-w&feature=youtu.beLabels: best friends, family, obstacle racing, spartan race
Dallas Texas Super Spartan Race December 3, 2011
A Super Spartan race means approximately 8 miles with 25 obstacles . . . turns out ours was 8.5 miles with 36 obstacles. Here we are pre-race!
One of those obstacles was a 75 yard wide lake we had to swim across, the water temperature was 55F and the water was muddy with lots of
braches and very deep in the middle. This lake was at mile 3 so after this we still had to run 5.5 miles in water logged sneakers & wet clothes - it was so much fun! Here I am crossing the lake:
For those of you not familiar with these type of races, the thing I like most about them is the friendships I have made - yes, they are called races, but they are not necessarily for the fastest time (unless you're my friend Lynn who came in 3rd place with a time of 1.5 hours) but they are about personal accomplishments, about being able to say you finished.
It's hard for me to explain unless you've ever been out on the course, but imagine Mies & I arriving at a 10 foot wall which we cannot jump up & over alone, within seconds there are total strangers offering to give you a boost or pull you up from the top, you may never see that person again, but they did it without even a second though. And when Mies & I get to the top of a 6 foot hay bale we return the favour to others who are behind us or sit and cheer on those who don't need our help. Everyone is super friendly - it's amazing.
Here we are just before the finish line, just have to jump the fire & pass the Spartan:
So on Saturday morning as I was having breakfast in the hotel, a guy we'd met on Friday at the airport named Tim (from IL) was talking about how he was just going to volunteer for the day as he couldn't keep up with the group (34 of us from New England) and I explained that the group stays together for 3 miles & poses for group photos, but after that we break into smaller groups of similar speed. Mies & I always run together! I told him that we wouldn't be running that often and when we did we wouldn't be running fast. I offered that if he came with us, we wouldn't run fast if he would help get us over the walls - he smiled and said deal!
So at
10:15am, the Storm Chasers crossed the start line, we know the founder of Spartan races so we didn't start with an official race heat - ha ha! Three hours and 23 minutes later Mies, Tim and I crossed the finish line together - all still smiling and having had so much fun!!
Here we are just after crossing the finish line covered in mud and the second from later that night after a shower & some food!
Mies, Tim & I have already signed up for the Spartan race in IL and also here in MA next year so team three can run together again :) Team Three as we call ourselves are gonna try to put this on our next shirt:
Here is Lynn (who came in 3rd overall for woman) and me - we're birthday twins!!
Here are a few other photos from the weekend - Friday night we ran about 12 miles in the dark/rain/mist:
Here we are enjoying dinner on Saturday night!
Labels: best friends, friends, obstacle racing, spartan race, texas
Just one of those days
Ever have one of those days where no matter how much you do & how ahead of schedule you think you are, someone has to stop you & point out how far behind the eight ball you really are? Well that was one of my days this week . . . my solution? Ignoring them, until I couldn't stand it anymore & then ranting to a mate of mine, who probably couldn't care less, but thankfully never expressed his feelings, but instead listened intently & at the end even had a few suggestions to make it better. Of course since he's an IronMan in training his solutions of running 20K (about 10 miles) or swimming a mile were not exactly doable, but I did go to the gym & ran 2 miles, which I felt was sort like the 20 he suggested & probably done in the same amount of time he does his 20K, so it's even right?
After going to the gym I felt so much better, it's amazing how a bit of adrenaline & lots of sweat can make you feel :-) I guess the point of this post is just to say how lucky I am to have friends who listen & are able to push me in the right direction to get me back on track.
Labels: best friends
North America trip update part 2
After an uneventful flight from Vancouver to Montreal on Wednesday morning, where the donut made it all the way through security but not onto the plane :) I only had to wait around for my luggage for an hour and then picked up dad's car in the parking lot. Everything was going fine till I couldn't figure out how to use the satellite navigation system. After driving around the parking lot thinking I needed to "orient" it I finally caved & called mum to find out if she knew anything . . . 3 minutes later it was all sorted, not thanks to our brains so much as me just pressing every button I could find & it finally working. I followed Betty's directions and after a rather long (45
mins) stop at the border, where they searched the car & told me "anyone can get a work permit, so do you have a business card?" to which I literally bit my tongue to explain anyone can get a business card made up but getting a work permit was much more difficult. I then continued down to
Pottersville in the thick fog with mix of rain & snow.
Thursday I drove to Albany to meet up with my mate Tom who I'd studied biology with at Norwich,but who I'd not seen since graduation in May 2001. We had a great catch up at PF
Changs before I continued my drive to Connecticut through rather heavy winds & snow (in the Berkshires, not the Pocono
mtns). I arrived safely at Matt's house around half 6. We went and got Chili's take away for dinner, watched part of The Dark Knight and went to bed.
Friday I woke up around 9am, showered, watched the rest of The Dark Knight, had lunch with Matt and then we spent the afternoon reading in his living room. It was really nice to be so relaxed after a rather hectic week in meetings. That night we met up with Anne & John for a lovely dinner and catch up with them. When we got home we watched Rudy, one of Matt & my favourite movies until we both fell asleep.
Saturday we got up, had breakfast, showered & then went our separate ways, him to the gym and me to Vernon, CT for another great catch up
convo with my adopted Dad, Rog & his wife Patty. After an hour or so I then headed east to
Plainfield, CT (on the RI border almost) for lunch with Karen & Ben, who I studied biology with at Norwich and again like Tom had not seen since our graduation in 2001! I was with them for about 3.5 hours, reminiscing about old times & gossipping about who we've seen since leaving the wick 8 years ago. Once home at Matt's we made plans not to go out since it was Valentine's Day and probably expensive & crowded everywhere, so instead we had chicken & biscuits followed by chocolate chip cookies. I also got to meet the neighbours (his tenants) who were super nice and then we watched
Braveheart, again until falling asleep on the couch. Thank goodness Matt doesn't mind watching movies "alone" after I've conched out!
Sunday was Matt's 33rd birthday & we were going to go out for breakfast, but we both slept in too long, so instead I showered, packed, said goodbye & drove to Kev &
Sylwia's house to visit with the family (Owen 6, Maya 4, Grace 19 months). We read some stories, eat chicken & broccoli pizza, took some photos and then I got back on the road headed to New York for my next visit.
Around 4.45pm I met Dave, Brenda & Freddy at
Dunkin Donuts for about an hour. I just love visiting friends with children cause kids say the funniest thing. For example, no matter what you letters you say, when you ask "what does that spell?" Freddy replies his name. Another great story is Freddy's culinary expertise . . . apparently Catalina dressing, maple syrup & pancakes makes for a good combo - who knew???
Arriving back at mum's house just in time for breaded chicken dinner with veggies. And probably to nobodies surprise if you've been following my schedule, I then fell asleep watching a movie.
Monday, mum & I left for Montreal, which was easy minus the 45min queue at the border crossing. We had a great lunch with dad at a french place just round the corner from his new condo. Then we checked into our room and spent the afternoon going down memory lane, trying to sort our which years we lived placed or went places or did things, which might not seem so hard for "normal" people, but our family travels & moves houses A LOT. We then went on a walk around the city, before going to dinner at Ella's Greek Restaurant, which had FABULOUS food and excellent service. After dinner we went over to dad's condo for the full tour. It's not only a great location, but a neat layout with wonderful views! Then to bed.
Tuesday we were up early and took a city tour of Montreal getting to see all the highlights of the city, which is nice in winter so I imagine even nicer in summer when it's warmer & more green than grey. Lunch at
Eggceptional on St Catherine's Street opposite a museum of modern art (I think) and then we made our way to the airport.
Flight back to the UK was uneventful & lots of spare seats so I was able to get a row of 3 to myself & even take a nap. Arrived at
Heathrow on time & luggage came out
quickly, so I was able to get home, showered & take a nap quickly.
Labels: best friends, canada, mates, travel
the truth, the whole truth & nothing but the truth
Ever really wanted to say something to someone but worry about how they'd react or how it might change your relationship? I've been thinking about this a lot recently! I think I've said this before on my blog, but it's worth repeating.
Not to brag or sound high on myself, but I have lots of friends, around the world! I have never sat down & listed them from top to bottom in order of importance, but I know who the important ones are. But I still wonder where I stand in their eyes. I say this because when I know I'm going to be near them, we start to make plans, then as the time gets closer I get this impending feeling like the meeting we've set up just isn't going to happen, then when the time comes as I worried the meeting falls through. They always apologise for not being able to make it to see me, but what I really want to say is, "I've just flown over 3,000 miles, hired a car, driven another 200 miles, and all you can say is sorry? Really if you were a true friend who really cared, you make more of an effort! I'm okay if you don't want to be friends with me anymore, I've got lots, just don't bother with all the lip service in the first place." This is also true of all those friends who swore up and down that they would come and visit me whilst I've been living over in London - a place to say and a tour guide to help you get around London for FREE, how can you pass that up?
I can list on one hand the number of people (dad, mom, Patty & Matt (they count as one), my cousin Tim, and my "brother" Mike) who have come to visit. This really makes me sad, actually it really pisses me off! To add more salt to this wound, my "brother" Mike introduced me to his best mate's family (Neala & Ben - who I spent Easter with this year) who all live in Germany. Neala in turn introduced me to her best mate Melissa & her family. This August Neala & Melissa are coming to visit me - ya know cause that's what friends do. I understand it's easier for them to fly over from Germany, but hello if you keep an eye on the airlines there are always good deals popping up for direct flights from Montreal, NYC (JFK or Newark), Boston, DC, etc. Corinne (my mate since 5
th grade) is coming to visit in August & if she can't get cheap flights here I'm going to meet up with her somewhere else in Europe. Again if you don't want to fly to London let me know - I'm willing to travel to Europe to see you - that's what my sis & I keep talking about. So what is
every one's excuse for not coming to visit?
MORE SO, what is their excuse for not seeing me when I'm home? No, wait, I get it, you just don't care enough! Don't give me some half arse reply like, "we didn't have time" YOU MAKE TIME for the things you want to do & the people you want to see! My
real friends have done it for the past 3 years I've lived abroad, how come you can't?
"If you could say one thing to me without any consequences what would you say? Think about it . . . and say everything you feel, think and want cause life is short!" - unknown quote I really think fits in with this post!
Feel free to leave an
anonymous comment especially if you think you have any insight into what I'm talking about.
Labels: best friends, feelings, hurt, living abroad, mates, truth
Personal Reference
Dear Sir or Ma'am,
Don't give her another visa, she's a f*cking idiot, send her back and don't ever let her in the UK again, she smells
Yours sincerely,
PC BJS NI532
For those of you who know Jim you can probably hear him saying that when I read it out. As I stood there in the reception at Islington's nick (police station) my mouth hit the floor whilst he could barely keep a staright face. Everyone in the room was watching us (probably wondering what the heck was going on). When I was done reading he handed me an enevlope with another copy which was this:
Dear Sir ro Ma'am,
I am writing this in reference to the further extension of the working visa for Miss SVO. My name is PC BJS NI532; I am a serving police officer within the MET service. I have known Miss O since Sept 2005. We first met while she was stuying in the UK at LSHTM. We were initally in a relationship, but due to my work commitments and Miss O's dedication to achieving her degree, the relationship finished. We have remained very close friends and I have even travelled to the sates with her on holiday this past fall. I am a friend of her family in America also, with some of them attending the UK later this year for my wedding.
Miss O should have her visa extended in the UK for several reasons. Not only is she an honest and trustworthy person, she is dedicated to her work & studies. She is a vital person in the office she works at and this is obvious with the level of her responsibility and authroity she holds there. She does vital study into the effects of diseases. Her remaining in the UK to continue this work can only benefit the UK.
A visa was granted to Miss O to work in the UK last year, since that was granted Miss O has been committed to her work and has shown that she is a valubale commodity in the UK. She has never been in trouble with the authorities and has enver tried to claim from the state or benefit systems, she is self-sufficient, has the money & emplyment to remain that way. She has not been a burden to the UK in any shape or form and this can only continue. There is no reason for her visa to be denied. I am happy to be contacted regarind this matter should you feel the need to. I can be contacted at the above office number, via e-mail, or mobile, 07#9##13##7
Your sincerly,
PC BJS NI532
Now that's what best mates are for, no?
Labels: best friends, jim, reference
my bff in the uk
So as most of you already know my mate Jim is my bff (best friend forever), which over here would probably be called a bmf (mate) - lol. Not that you want all the details of my Friday night/Saturday morning, but I'm waiting for my washing to finish so I figured this would be a productive thing to do instead of sleeping :)
Friday night I had a LONG day at work, 10 hours to be exact, but I was able to keep going for 2 reasons, 1) I knew I was meeting up with some mates after work so that gave me something to look forward to and 2) I was having an email conversation with Jim's girlfriend, Rebekah (aka Becks). Now Becks & I haven't met yet, but J's been talking about her a lot so I sorta feel like I know her and I know she knows who I am & a bit about me. She's coming to London on the 31st and J's told me she's a bit nervous about meeting all of our mates - which is totally understandable!! I told him if I can do anything to make it easier on her just let me know - being a guy he said no.
But the other night I got a "friend's request" from her on my myspace account, so I added her and sent her a quick comment to say hi, looking forward to meeting you etc. Friday morning she sent a message saying she was bored at home with nothing to do for the day, so during one of my first incubation periods of the afternoon I sent her a quick message saying I wished I were at home!! She happened to be online at the same time so we just sent messages back & forth until I was done for the day.
Off to the pub I went to meet Rob, Jaiden, Tim, Logan, John, Nim, Andy and Magna. We were all chit-chatting about what we've all been up to since the last time we were together (3 weeks ago b/c J & I were in NY, Rob was at rehab for his foot). To my surprise Jim came bouncing in as well, so then came ALL the holiday stories. Then as usual we all go our own ways & chat in smaller groups, smokers go outside & chat etc. This left Jaiden, Rob, Jim & me inside at the bar. So I told J how Becks & I had been chatting all afternoon & he was so happy. Then I handed him my phone since I knew his phone was buggered (& figured he was going to be out late) & said go call her. A few minutes later he handed me the phone to chat with her, so we said a quick hello & I promised I'd look into tickets for Lion King.
Time passes as we all mingle around. Jim & I get talking about whatever and some how end up talking about his best mate who he lost in Iraq this past January. They'd trained for the Royal Marines together & been stationed together all of J's time in. J was given a medical discharge a few years back, but they'd been together for 9.5 years all around the world. J was the best man at the wedding, the god-father of his kids, etc. And some how I said well no worries you've got Rob should you ever get married & need a best man. He looked at me funny & said no way . . . if I ever get married I don't have a best man, my grandfather & best man are both gone . . . long pause while he starts to smile . . . "I'd have to have a 'best Sara'"
"WHAT????" I say
"Only makes sense, your my best mate, I'll just have a 'best Ra'"
smiling back I reply, "yeah I guess that works"
At which point John says he's closing the pub & we need to leave, so off to Nim & Andy's house to play with Clayton - they're robosapian. To make a really really long story slightly shorter (lol) we were there till 3am when Jim finally said, "Let's go Ra, we're going home" much to my relief as I was finding myself falling asleep on the couch.
Outside he hailed a cab & off to Friend Barnet we went. So that I didn't have to walk home at that hour I just crashed on their couch and was awoken by Rob at 10am who wanted me to go to Tescos with him, WTF was he thinking?!?!?! Oh yeah he left the pub at 11pm so he'd had a full night's sleep. Lucky for me, he went alone & upon return made us toasted bagels with mozzarella cheese, onions, fresh spinach, parma ham, and sun dried tomatoes - YUM!!!! (don't worry we tried to offer Jim one, but he was dead to the world sleeping in his room)
In return I did the washing up, put away the dishes in the dishwasher, cleaned the counters, scrubbed the hob (oven top), washed the front of the oven, cleaned out the microwave, and cleaned the sink. After all that I was exhausted again & decided I should come home to get ready to go see Bourne Ultimatum at 6, which was very good btw.
So that's my bff story from Friday/Saturday. Oh there's the washer bell, laters . . .
Labels: best friends
Friday night lights
I know I mentioned that I might go to a gig with Lou on Friday night but the tickets were £20/pp, so I opted not to go.
Friday after work I was rather knackered, but just before leaving the office I checked my phone & there was a txt message from Rob saying he was just round the corner & did I fancy meeting up for some dinner. To be honest I thought about it for awhile before I decided, well I have to eat, so I may as well grab a bit to eat before going home. We found a Thai place (Thail Metro) a few blocks away & had a great meal. Of course when that was done he wanted to go to the pub for a few drinks - not being super keen on the idea, I thought I'd go for one, just to be social, but then I'd slip away & head home. So we walked up to Camden Town (30 minutes) and headed into the Camden Tup (his local). He ordered our usual, Corona for him & lemonade (aka Sprite) for me. While we were chit-chatting with the staff (as we know them all pretty well) I was sitting on the bar stool with my back to the door & felt this sudden jolt as if someone was trying to push me off the stool, at the same time I heard, "
jeez you let anyone in these days, even the damn yanks" followed by hysterical laughter from all around us. It was Jim who has just popped in after a long day of watching the telly (rough life huh?!?!?!)
As I'm sure I've explained before drinks are bought in rounds so as more people show up it's harder & harder to leave b/c either drinks are being bough for you or you have to buy for the new comers . . . so I didn't leave after that first half pint of lemonade like I had planned. But ya know how those nights when we planned bugger all always turned out to be the best, well this was a good example - it was just like the "old days" when we all got on & could just talk about anything & everything.
I'm not exactly sure how it was that Jim & I started talking somewhat privately, but it just sorted ended up that way at one point & we started off speaking about Rob & his recent inability to filter his mouth & how he'd been pissing off some people, including both of us b/c it's embarrassing when he says something really off colour in mixed company! From there Jim got sight of this "
beautiful blond American girl at the end of the bar" & we started talking about how it was so great that we're in a place now that we can openly talk about each others relationships & yet still remain such good friends. Now understand a few hours has passed I'm about to turn into a lemonade & Jim's had a few pints of San Miguel. He went over to try to chat up the Californian & I turned back to speak with Rob & the others. After about 20 minutes I was trapped in a bear hug & felt someone breathing in my ear - for fear I might get a tongue in my ear I struggled a bit, until I heard what was being said, "
how's my angel doing?"
HUH??
"
you're my angel, don't you know that sweetheart"
NO, what do you mean?
Releasing me I turned to face him so we could talk more easily. I can't say verbatim what he said, but this is along the lines, "
Sara the hardest part about breaking up with you was that you're such a wonderful person & we were getting to be really good friends, our schedules just didn't work & you deserved more than I was going to be able or willing to give you. I've never known someone who could be so honest, friendly & loyal - those are the most important things to me ever since being a booty (that's what the marines call themselves during basic training)
we were that way when we dated & amazingly we were able to keep it up after. I can honestly say, if you hadn't come back I don't know what I would have done without you." I guess at this point my face sorta made some contorted look - not in a bad way just more confused - I sorta thought he felt this way, but he'd never said it outright & to hear it was almost weird. He continued on,
Yeah I know I never say this stuff, but you are truly important in my life, I have never had an ex girlfriend remain friends with me & don't even know of a girl who I've been this close with. I was speechless & just gave him a huge smile, he blushed a bit & then immediately changed subjects to the movie JackAss2. Looking at my mobile it was about 11pm at this point & I was starting to feel like I should go home. Jim started to try to convince me to come back to his place, have a glass of wine & watch JackAss2 with them. I sorta thought about it & felt the best choice was to say yes so as not to argue but then when we get on the bus they'd forget & I could just get off at my stop (5 before theirs).
Pub closed at midnight, we stayed till 12.30 (knowing the owner has it's benefits) then headed toward the bus, along the way Jim grabbed my hand & said,
promise you'll come over - I just sorta smiled & got onto the bus. It was absolutely heaving full of people & so in typical Jim & Rob style they chatted with those around us.
The trip home is about 45 minutes, but after about 25 mins most people get off & we were able to get some seats. My stop came & I tried to make my way to the door to get off but the boys were not keen to this, so I was held on the bus - to the horror of a little old couple watching it all go down & probably thought I was going to be gang-raped or something horrible like that.
We walked back to their place, all got into the living room - Rob stared to wash the dishes by hand & Jim grabbed the DVD - we just chatted for a bit & then in my typical style fell asleep before the movie actually started. When I got up at 11.00 the next morning, he started the DVD again so I could actaually watch the movie, before going to get breakfast with Rob.
We went for breakfast & then I went back to mine for a shower & to get on with the rest of my day. So that's the BIG story - I guess it's not super exciting for others really, but I've been back over a month now & this was the first time that he & I had really sat down & chatted totally uninhibited & just like old times. It's just always nice to hear that someone feels your friendship is just as important as you do, ya know? Okay I MUST get back to work now . . .
Labels: best friends
Connecticut
Warning, this was written more stream of consciousness, hope it all makes sense & doesn't jump around too too much. I PROMISE to have photos from the party later this week!!
So Saturday Heather & I finally left around 1.20pm after a little rock & rolling we made it over the snowy ice bank & onto 15th street, up to Florida, over to New York & out onto the Baltimore-Washington Pkwy.
About 2 hours later we were in Philly at her friend Davis' restaurant. He recommended a few places to eat in
Wayne, PA, we ended up at The FreeHouse, a British wanna be pub with fantastic food, should any of you ever end up lost in Wayne, check it out!! After our fish & chips I dropped H back with Davis & off I went to NY, or so I thought. Turned out the directions I'd been given where not exactly correct & after driving in a few circles I finally found my way to I-95 north. I arrived at Kris & PJs around 7.15pm, about 1.5 hours later than I had expected, but safely non the less!!
I slept in till 11.15am, of course we didn't get to bed till 2.30am last night b/c Kim, Bill & Corinne where all over at Kris & PJ's house when I arrived. Yes that might seem rather late but after getting uber lost on I-676N, I-76E, I-295N and I-95 south & north - no I won't go into the details b/c I'm still bitter about the lack of good directions I received from my friends.
I arrived back in CT safely around 4.45pm today with Ted, Lela, & Matt arriving around 6.15pm. It was weird at first as none of us knew what to say, but after T&L got ready to head back to Vermont to see their puppy & 3 feet of fresh snow which nobody had plowed for them, we all hugged & things were cool.
Matt & I watched the end of the
Daytona 500 race where
Harvick passed Martin to win the race by hundredths of a second. I'm not a
Nascar fan per say but after semi dating a guy in Rouses Point, NY who was really into Nascar & now living here in Connecticut with HUGE sports fans I've had to learn about this "sport" which in my opinion is still not really a sport. Sorta like horse racing, where the talent is more in the animal/machine than in the jockey/driver, but to each their own.
In
fantastic news, my work permit arrived here at the house, but without directions as to the next step, so I have emailed LSHTM asking for the next step in the process. I will definitely keep you posted.
I spoke to Patty earlier & I'm going to "girls night" at Jill's house in Hamden tomorrow evening - I'm in charge of desserts, being that's it's "girls" I think chocolate is required!! I'll find something good at the store I'm sure, I also have to look for
Drano - apparently Matt's shower is clean
(wonder who did that - lol) but not draining properly, aka very slowly. He & I had a few rather good talks tonight. Melissa is coming into town tonight for an unknown period of time so we chatted about that & have even reached the point where after they had spoken he came in & "vented" about her not wanting to visit. (we are trying to "building new habits"
(good AA expression someone taught me) in our friendship) I reiterated the fact that I want him to be happy
(even if it's not with me & he totally understood/agreed) and that I'm sorry he feels crappy that she didn't want to come to his place here in CT).
He had called me on Tuesday as I was driving down to DC to tell me how happy he was that my work permit had finally been granted & that it was great that I was going to have a chance to "start over" after all that we've been through
(and other crap that has occurred during my 6 months back in the states). As I think I have said before, this has all been very surreal but as many smart people have told me, it makes the fact that I'm leaving that much easier!! I'm 90% sure we'll remain best of friends - I mean we were able to do it for this past year with all this "crap" that we've both been through, so in theory it can only get better, especially now that we both understand that honesty is the
BEST policy - I guess I know it will be better, we just have to try to focus on the light at the end of the tunnel - which has been hard for me these past few months when living in such a limbo!! Again I thank my friends & family who have helped pull me through these past few months
(AM, HC, SC, MJO, PMO, PSO, PL, BJS, RG, MMW, AWW, JW, MW, RW, JT, MT, MET, SW, EE, DB, KD, & BH)
In other exciting news, I just called to order my "new"
Sonicare toothbrush charger. As some of you know (& some of you probably don't really care but I'm going to tell you anyways), Matt & I bought a Sonicare Essence 5300 toothbrush with two battery handles about 2 years ago for the price of one at the
Sam's Club in Plattsburgh (score!!) This past year I left both with him in CT & used a battery operated Oral B toothbrush which I was okay, but nothing like my lovely 5300 series!! Now that I'm leaving for real (yeah!) I wanted to try to get a proper UK plug charger. I looked online to no avail & finally after about 20 minutes decided to call the 800 number, worried I would have to play the "press 1 for English, etc" game, but after just one ring a nice woman answered. I explained the situation & she said "hold on let me look . . . a few seconds later . . . yes, we have 9 left, would you like to order one?" Interestingly I was spelling out the town I'm staying at in CT when she pipped up that she was in Cheshire - how weird is that??? I always think of these operators as really far away or in India, but no she's just about 20 minutes down the road - we had a good giggle about it while she processed my order. It should arrive in 7-10 business days.
Tuesday I might go to NY to visit Pete & help him put in his floor - yeah I know ya'll are jealous about that!! It will be good to see him, Kris & Mo before I head over the pond.
my two lil patrol puppies (Henry above & Quid below), watching over mom's house in OR
what would you give for lashes like these???
Okay off to sleepy time now, I mean it is 12.08am!!
Labels: best friends, photos, sports, work permits
slowly on the mend
Ankle update first: bruising is fading & pain is less. My friend who's a PA said it could be another 4-6 weeks before it starts to feel "normal".
About the personal stuff:
I've come to a realization that I think I have issues with losing people - I have a fear of being alone - I have no clue where this has come from, but while I thinking in the shower this morning that was what popped into my head. So I think while I'm in this weird limbo period without a job, without a home, with no clue when or where I will be moving etc, I really needed someone strong to lean on & I found that person, but they were the one who hurt me recently. That of course doesn't mean our friendship is totally over, just something I have to ponder & know that I'm not totally over it, but I think it did help me to start to put this all in perspective.
Another helpful part of my day today was that my friend Amanda (from London) had a similar situation just before she left for uni. Even though the detail are not the same, she pointed out that she felt that she turned a "distraction" into a stronger "relationship" in her head & I think that I have allowed myself to confuse these two as well. She also wrote, "I have gotten to the point where I now can see the negative aspects of our relationship. I had never let myself think those because I had assumed the "I broke up with him so it is all my fault and nothing was really wrong with the relationship, I was just selfish" role that everyone wanted me in." really hit home & made me feel a lot better.
Now thinking about it again after talking with some of my best friends, I wonder why I was (and probably will be again) so upset, I mean I have some of the greatest friends in the world & everything is not always going to be perfect, but these friends will never let me slip and fall too far. As I told one of them earlier, I really there was a better way than just to say "thank you" I wish I could repay them with something more substantial, though in another way I would never hope moments like these on them just to be able to prove that I would be there 100% like they have done for me.
At times I just wish I was 5 years old - to have no worries or responsibilities, where our greatest concern was if we were going to get mac & cheese or chicken nuggets for dinner - what I life we all took for granted.
Labels: best friends, injuries, thoughts
My Bestest Friend since 3rd Grade
So
here is some great news from my bestest friend who I've known since I was only a wee lass - LOL.
Sorry for the lack of posting recently, but as I think I'd told you I was headed up to the Adirondacks for the weekend to find my diploma from Norwich (check), scan & email to London (after a bit of work, check), dinner & sleep over at Maureen & Bob's house (check), fall down stairs at M&B's house & sprain my ankle (check, oh right that wasn't
on the list of things to do, but I added it in).
Catch up (for those who care). Arrived on Friday night, had dinner with dad, watched Footloose on DVD. Woke up Saturday morning, had some breakfast & up into the attic I went, found the box of mom's shoes which we wanted to mail to her & after bumping my head into an overhead beam I hadn't noticed I suddenly saw no, not stars, but a box with a diploma sticking out - YEAH!!!! I grabbed it & climbed back down to the main room. Dad & I looked at the diploma & realized we'd have to get it reduced in size in order to send to LSHTM, so we made the day's plan. Lunch at 1pm with my friends Bob & Jane from Paradox Lake at an awesome place in Schroon Lake (name I cannot recall right now), then continue on up to Plattsburgh to Staples & Best Buy, then to Loon Lake for dinner at Maureen & Bob's house.
When we got to Plattsburgh, we discovered that the diploma was too big for them to scan & reduce, we would need a blue print place, which was not open until Monday. BUT we were able to get a few other errands done, like buying an electric heating pad and buying a digital camera battery charger.
We had a fantastic dinner of beef stew, beer bread & corn bread. Then we chatted till around 11pm before heading to bed. Sunday morning we woke up, had Bob's breakfast of over easy eggs, sausage, and the famous home fries (best I've ever had!) I ran out to start my car since it was -2F, after a few minutes Dad & I got our stuff together, said our goodbye's & started down the stairs. I thought I was done with the steps when I suddenly realized I had another 2 to go, so I tried to stop myself from falling but it was too late, down I went & felt a weird feeling with lots of burning in my ankle. Luckily Dad was with me so he was drove me to Saranac Lake Adirondack Medical Center's ER, where I changed all of my contact info, filled out the form to say I didn't have any medical coverage/insurance. I was in & out of there in about an hour I think, luckily for me there were not too many others in the ER so I was in & out of the xray room in no time at all - "nothing broken, just a bad sprain, stay out of work for 3 days (no problemo as I'm unemployed!!), crutches for 2 weeks, ice, Motrin, elevate etc. We headed back to Patty's house in Adk (where Dad is living right now) and I've been hanging out there ever since. Well actually I went on a mini road trip yesterday to Glens Falls to get my diploma scanned & reduced, which we were able to do, YEAH! While down in GF we also got some stuff at Staples, had lunch at Red Lobster, visited our friend Shirley (who turns 89 on Monday), mailed a box of shoes to Mom at the UPS Store, and went food shopping. For most of these events I sat in the car, but it was nice to get some fresh air & not be stuck on the couch for 3 days straight!!
Last night my friend Jim called from London to tell me that he had been able to pay my storage unit (ya know since my credit card was buggered I couldn't pay it) we had a great hour long catch up chat and today I managed to call a good friend in SL & talk with him for an hour, he's been having a rough few days so I was glad that I could speak with him & get a chance to catch up.
So aside from all that excitement the only other really important news to remind you all about is that
Thursday is my 29th birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!! I accept cash, checks, money orders, donations of any sort, just leave a comment & I'll let you know where to send them :)Well my feet are starting to get really cold & I still have to help dad install his digital camera software, so I'm gonna get going, tarra xx
Labels: best friends, birthday, injuries, work permits
