November 23, 2024
Chicago 12, Melborne City, USA
Dear Diary

This Week I……

Late last night, while I was actually enjoying Pride and Prejudice and Zombies on Netflix, news of another terror attack in London started to come in. The reports were confused to start with, as they often are, then there were scenes of people leaving Borough Market with their hands on their heads and reports of gunfire.

I don’t deal with these kinds of things too well, and sometimes go into a bit of a “La La La, I can’t hear you” state. It’s easy to dwell on the terrible things that can, or have happened in the world and spiral into a pit of sadness and anxiety, so I try not to. I don’t often talk about them when they happen on Social Media, or on the blog. But that doesn’t mean I don’t care, that I’m not anxious and scared. But I have never seen those feelings translate into hate in myself, and it makes me even sadder when I see that happen in others.

So today, I’m going to carry on like normal. I’m going to book my train tickets to an event in London next week and I’m going to tell you what I got up to this week. But before I do I just want to say that I hope you’re all safe, that your loved ones are safe, and that we can all look after each other.

This Week I…..

Had a drink with some Derby heroes

Well, actually for most of the evening I was too nervous to talk to them, but it’s amazing how a few beers help.

Sunday was the last day of our Norfolk Roller Derby Bootcamp, and seeing as it was a bank holiday we went to the pub that night for a few drinks. I was quite dehydrated, the beer went to my head.

At the end of the night we took this photo that includes Smarty Pants of Texas Roller Derby and Master Blaster of Bear City Roller Derby. It was very exciting.

Bought new stationary

Because all the other notebooks I had weren’t good enough.  I desperately needed a new black and gold one and one with leopards on it.

The black and gold notebook comes from TK Maxx. I haven’t quite decided what is important enough to write in it yet. The leopard one Mr Chick bought me from Ikea.

Went to the Library

I always forget how bloody amazing libraries are. You can just walk in, and then come with loads of books. FOR FREE!

FREE!

Astonishing.

I joined the library in Norwich years ago, then forgot about it. This week I went and renewed my library card and walked out with a big stack of books on Sports Nutrition and Psychology, which are my current learning obsessions.

Libraries are amazing.

Had a cliche blogger breakfast

My Mum & Dad came up to Norwich on Wednesday to drop off their dog to stay with us while they were on holiday. So we went out for breakfast. I opted for the vegetarian breakfast which included avocado, poached eggs and halloumi, because I am a blogger and therefore these are obviously key parts of my diet.

Then I instagrammed it. I am such a cliche.

Acquired a temporary dog

He’s so cute and he’s living with us for 3 weeks.

He’s also very, very old now and very, very small, which means we have to carry him up the stairs so he can sleep on the floor of the bedroom. If we don’t do that he makes it up 5 steps and then sits and cries till we come and get him.

We now also have an elaborate selection of steps around the house to allow him to get on the sofa and the window sill. I think we probably shouldn’t get a dog of our own because he may end up running the house.

Hit my head on a display case.

Last week we went to Strangers Hall. This week we finally made it up to the Castle to see the Small Stories Exhibition. The exhibition has dolls house from the very earliest, right up to the present day and is beautifully laid out.

My absolute favourite is a huge art deco mansion. I got a little carried away trying to peer inside all the rooms and enjoy my miniature dream house and smashed my head on the glass. I was right in front of a security guard at the time and he kindly refrained from laughing.

It clearly made a hell of a racket though as my friend who was in the next room asked me if I’d hit my head on a display case.

It’s not a unique story, many years ago Mr Chick and an estate agent enjoyed a bonding moment by laughing at me when I tried to look through a window that had that stupid glazing with a sliding window on the inside and smacked my head on it.

Anyway, the Small Stories exhibition is open till the 25th June, and I really recommend paying it a visit.

Threw away perfectly good food

Just in case the display cabinet head bashing story wasn’t evidence enough of my stupidity. On Saturday morning I started making a smoothie. I got out my smoothie cup, picked up a banana, went to the bin to peel it, and then carefully dropped the banana in the bin and left myself holding just the peel.

Mmm, what a tasty breakfast. We’ll file that one alongside the time I put the milk in the cupboard and the cereal in the fridge on a hot July day and came home to a house that stank of rancid milk.

Got completely ignored

On Saturday afternoon we went into Norwich after Roller Derby practice to flyer for our next game on the 18th June (Come, it’s going to be awesome). I was planning to wear skates, but I’d taken a pair of disco skates that I used to use for outdoor skating and the toe stops were so much higher than I was used to that I kept nearly planting myself on my face, which wasn’t impressing anyone.

So, I tried to hand out a few flyers off skates.

You know when people you don’t know walk past you on the street and don’t pay any attention to you at all? I have now discovered there is a level above that where people can actively totally ignore you. People did not want my lovely flyers.

About 4pm another couple of skaters arrived on skates and suddenly the whole world wanted to chat. There’s some kind of lesson there I’m sure, but I have no idea what it is. Possibly it’s that I should have had a shower after practice before I tried to talk to members of the public.

And that was another week in my life.

I hope you had a good week. Take care xx

    • 7 years ago

    That 1930s doll’s house is ace.

    Animals do end up rearranging the house, but they don’t know any better. And it’s more fun their way.