Sunday 28th - my actual Birthday two very very lovely things happened - firstly I got a hand with clearing up my house from my great friends who had stayed over but also from Mum and Dad who arrived for dinner... how lovely of them to visit and help - no seriously it was added the cherry on top of the icing on the cake to see them!
But then the really really really special moment was that Sophie became an Ironman/ironwoman/ironmummy.... in a FANTASTIC time of 13hours and 32 minutes Sophie at 2.30am ish my time completed this incredible moment. I was awake texting her husband and when I got the news I cried... what an amazing achievement by someone with such guts and determination and amazing organization skills too because she had to train around being a full time worker and a mum and a wife! Well done Sophie - you are an inspiration!
December was gonna have to go some to beat it....
It started with a quiet week following the party..... much needed and I had a lovely time chilling and generally feeling very very loved! Although yes you know me well so you know I had a low and wondered if maybe possibly there will be someone special in my life sharing my sofa and fabulous life with me when I turn 37! Where hey are going to appear from who knows but it would be very nice if they did!
The first weekend in December saw me going back to Twickenham! The Barbarians were playing South Africa so Ailsa, Franco and I went and I took my SA friend Pete!
It was a really fun day and The Barbarians won! Shame there was only 1 GB player in the team!! It was a sober match and I was home by 8pm on my sofa watching The X Factor!! Sunday was a lovely day and I was uber efficient! I put my Christmas tree up (its gorgeous!) I did all my Christmas shopping and wrapped it and I made 2 cakes! Brilliant day, really fun and lovely to have the house super Christmassy!!
The following week it was busy at work but luckily we got Friday afternoon off to get ready for the work party!! Typically the work 'do' and the 'Evo' do fell on the same night so I decided to 'do' both! The work party was fun - RIC is known for it's Christmas party and the efforts that people go to for the fancy dress theme! The theme was 'something from the year you were born!' given that my outfit had to travel from one party to another I wore a black and white dress that very vaguely looked like a barcode - barcodes were invented in 1974!! Its fair to say that vs the girl who paper mached herself into a 10pence piece my outfit was tame!! Next year I have to do better!! So that party done it was off to the Evo party! It was a party with an award ceremony.... Kev seemed very happy to see me arrive and the reason was that I won an award and they didn't want to start without me! Very sweet of them! I won 'Best Newcomer' and there were some very sweet comments made! I just about made it through the award without crying!! The evening was really fun until there was a point when the 5 Gin and Tonics kicked in....... tidal wave came my way and i went home and just had a moment!!
Moment over and it was off to a lunchtime drinks event on Saturday - this time not drinking Gin and Tonics but Champagne instead - much better for my sanity!! It was a very fun lunch and super silly! But by 7pm we were done and it was back for sofa time and X factor! Oh and lots and lots of water to rehydrate for tomorrow's run!
Sunday morning came and we went off to The Christmas Pudding Race.... there was a team of us and it all seemed very fun until we started running! OMG it was a brutal run...... so hilly... to the point where we walked up most of the hills!! It was a long long 12km run... luckily we had lunch afterwards which was a nice treat! Mind you given that we all felt like we had run a marathon the next day maybe sitting down for lunch wasn't such a great idea!!
Back home and we had family Christmas dinner together well French style.... we had a cheese fest instead of a turkey fest! Yum yum!! Lovely family time and only 5 days til we head to France!!!!! Bring on the snow.... in France not the UK!!
I am very touched that you saw fit to give me and my Ironman a write-up. It made me cry.
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is: the greater the challenge and the path to get there; the greater the prize. And I, for one, cannot wait until you get to hear the words 'you are an ironman' too which we all know is inevitable ; )
Gutted I missed the party though...Ironman wasn't THAT good!
xx