23 Years young

Well i guess it is time i should update you on the adventurous happenings of my 23rd birthday.

It isn't that long a story, and to really appreciate it, i think you need to have seen the videos which i am part way through hosting on Facebook as we speak. 

Basically i had nothing planned, really didn't think i wanted to go out or anything, so Rich phoned/txt a few friends to come round later, as it happens most people were busy or ill, but anyways, a few hours later me, Rich, Abiy and Serena, have birthday Pizza, and Anoop and Filipe joined us in the Kitchen soon after. Wen joined us for a short while, but decided she needed to go study.

We quickly made our way through a couple of beers each, just laughing and talking, and it was really nice, And then Anoop started drinking Vodka, and Rich Swiftly followed him, not long after i joined in with a bottle of wine for myself. (did offer others some, but they all seemed to think me having the whole bottle was a much better idea)

Filipe decided he didn't really want to drink (later he told me he would have if we had done games....if only i had known sooner...hehe), And both Serena and Abiy decided to not have any more after the couple of beers they had already had.

About 30 mins later Anoop says that he could probably drink more than Rich, to which Rich laughs and the challenge began. Rich already being either 1 or 2 beers ahead of anoop, seemed to show very little sign of being drunk (typical Rich) and Anoop was a little less than steady, (see videos). As time went on it became more and more clear how drunk he was getting. Rich was sluring his words a little and was not so steady any more, which is really about as drunk as he gets, And Anoop, well was talking crap. Serena took a video and then disappeared off to bed.

Deciding he had really had enough, he put his coat on and stood up, and we realised he was about to try and walk home. This was NOT going to happen, he could barely stand, and when he tried to put his gloves on, nearly fell over, almost taking a chair with him. 

The guys decided that they were going to walk him home, and not wanting to be left at home on my own, i decided to join them. By this point Anoop could no longer stand on his own at all, and he actually fell face down on the floor in the hall, making enough noise that Serena heard it from her room upstairs. So Abiy and Filipe more or less carried/dragged Anoop out of the Halls, and along the road, before we realised he was basically unconious and they couldn't carry him any further. We decided to take him to the hospital, which to our annoyance, was back the way we had just come...Haha. 

So after about 5/10 mins, during which Anoop was sitting propt up against a fence, Filipe's Girlfriend Cecy brought their car, which we managed to lift him into, just in time for him to hurl all over himself and the front of the car. 

So Filipe and Rich drive Anoop to the hospital, and Me Cecy and Abiy all walk the 5 min walk there and we meet up in the A and E waiting room. 

After an hour or so Anoop is taken through, and Rich goes with him, and about an hour later Abiy and Cecy walk home, leaving me and Filipe to spend another 2 hours waiting around, (we did go home for half an hour or so to get food) and eventually, having taken Anoop back home, and Filipe and Rich having put him to bed, we all got to go home and go to bed, and about 4am.

And while yes it was not quite how i had thought i would spend my evening, at least i won't forget it.

12 days of Christmas, a new year and 18 hours of sleep

I ended last school term, on somewhat uneven ground, just about holding it together, i was depressed, and having mood swings, that would make your average pregnant woman seem calm and together. So anyways, the point being i was glad to go home (which in itself was an unusual feeling). 

It was fairly stress free and relaxing (apart from the usual mother drama) for a week or so, after which i took the train to exeter to go stay with my grandparents in the run up to christmas (this also meant we would have less time with all 6 of us in the house as Haddon came home the day i went to Devon). 

I felt it was important that my grandparents weren't alone in the lead up to Christmas given all they had been through last year, so we met in exeter after my grandad went for his most recent check up following his cancer, when he was given the all clear. We had a great day in town followed by a lovely few days filled with friends of my grandparents and a great deal of cooking. Including a night of Carol singing in the Local pub, and a carol concert in the church, which if i am honest i would have rather not sat through, but as my Gran is in the choir i had to show support for, tho i still feel somewhat like i am tresspassing whenever i am in a church. It was however an oportunity to put some flowers on Uncle Richards grave, and then (and again now as i even think about it) cry a few tears.

We headed back to my parents house all together on the 23rd Dec, and the house became what it should be in the Christmas season, and for the first time in a few years i felt truley Christmasy; The house was busy, and crowded, always something going on, we put up the Tree and the decorations, which some how seemed to have been mulitplying in the roof over the last 12 months...Tehe. and there was Christmas decorations everywhere. (I will try and see if i have some Christmas Pics i can put on Flickr later). We did also spend about 4 hours preparing various foods for Christmas day, tho i think this is something we will indeed try to repeat next year as it did make Christmas day a lot less panicy

Come Christmas eve, max eagerly went to bed, having helped me put out the usual Mince pie, Carrot and Sherry; although we all know he doesn't believe it is still great that he will play along.

And we promtly filled under the tree with mountains of presents. (again i will try and find pics)

So Christmas day, my Uncle Mick, and his partner Hayde, and there gorgeous 2 year old daugher, Lola, arrive about 10.30am. It was strange cos my Uncle hadn't spent christmas with his mother since he was about 16, but actually it was brilliant, we had a breakfast of coissant, brioche and Bucks fizz, which is the only way to start Christmas day.

Afterwhich my brothers and Lola handed out the presents to each person and we spent a great day opening them and playing with Lola, before we had the full british Christmas dinner, and lola just wanted to eat Marmite...hahaha.

We even had crackers with bells inside them, so we could play little tunes with them. We spent a few hours eating dinner, finished opening presents and then spent another half an hour eating a really good Christmas pudding, before going back to playing with the new stuff we all had.

Anyways, they left that evening, but it was a great day.

The next few days we just spent time at home, playing games, drinking, talking and such, it was just really relaxing. Decided to spend new years with Haddon and Toby in reading with my housemates, so on the evening of the 31st we drove to Reading, it was a great evening, filled with Alcohol, and drunken laughs, Including popping a bottle of bubbly outside the house at midnight, and singing Auld Lang Syne. Followed later by playing gears of war 2 with Haddon and Toby until 5 in the morning, and laughing for hours, was a really good evening.

We stayed in reading for a few days before going home on the evening of the 2nd, as we were going to London on the 3rd. And so it was, we woke up early(ish) on the 3rd, and all got into the car and drove into central london to see my uncle Rob, which doesn't sound that unnerving or anything i know, but this is a guy i haven't seen in about 3/4 years, and whose son (my cousin Luke) i haven't seen for even longer; he also got married nearly 2 years ago, to a lovely Woman named Lisa, who also has a son (George). Anyways, the point being this was a totally unknown place for me, with almost unknown members of my family, and those who i kinda knew i never had much time for, but surprisingly it was great, we got along well, and it was a really good day, spent lots of time talking with and getting to know my cousin and step-cousin,  and i actually managed to stop hating my uncle, and his wife is great.

The next week or so were sort of not that interesting or eventful, but it was just nice to have a relaxed period of time. and then i came back to uni, and it all starts again.

I am not going to go into it all in this post but the term didn't get off to the best start, but it is all getting better now, I will write another post in a few days and update you on all happenings Since coming back to uni in a few days.