Martin Luther King, Jr Day

Turns out going to the gym is next weeks challenge...
Probs.

This week, I'm proud I have my crap in order.

By this week, I mean last week, but I like the phrase and I'm thinking of keeping it. Plus, I spent the weekend upstate and didn't bring my laptop. Small price to pay though, we get a 3 day weekend because of Martin Luther King, Jr Day and we spent all weekend playing Monopoly, trying to complete an Escher puzzle. Escher. Listening to old records, and reading. I loved it.
We also saw Les Mis' and when I didn't cry at Fantine's death I thought my heartlessness knew no bounds but I then proceeded to weep at the rest of it.
Fave performance? I am torn between Eddie Redmayne and Sacha Baron Cohen...We all know Eddie is fab but no matter what Sacha is doing, I love him for it. So there.

I don't really know if I actually do have my shit together, or that I ever will but i'm about to move house so I feel a new chapter is about to begin and my waters tell me I'll have a smooth transition.
(Heads up, if you're on tenter hooks about what this coming weeks moment of pride will be, chances are it's going to be the moving to Manhattan thing. It's going to be emotional but we all knew this day would come, even if it is bittersweet. Luckily, my alt fam know that my excitement for the new does not detract from the gratitude I feel towards them and the fabby fab time I've had so far. And, they are mine now. Whether they like it or not, forever my Alt Fam.)

So it's weird to say that I have my crap together, but the point of this New Years resolution was to effectively stay busy, and so far I have done just that.

DISCALIMER

After receiving a hilarious text, I feel I must let you know that I did not have chlamydia at any point ever in my life ever.
For you few that either did not read my previous posts or did not get the joke, I shall explain myself.
Way back when, I was in the doctor's office feeling lack luster and she was spewing words at me about my illness. The one word I picked up on was 'chlamydia', but after a concerned face and titter, Dr Pytlak explained to me that the bacteria responsable for causing my sickness was called "chlamydia PNEUMONAI". Meaning I had the virus pneumonia. NOT the STI.

See? The joke was worth it.
Right?

ALSO, I did not get up thrice in my flight to 'be' but I didn't change it because I like the idea of having to stand up and walk around to just 'be'. I wonder what that would look like...
I hope I 'am' all the time, regardless of stance.
I in fact needed to pee.

I'm in a history lesson as I write this... I'm not entirely sure what I am supposed to be doing, but writing this looks official and I'm being quiet so I think he's just rather not disturb me.
HURGH HURGH HURGH THE POWER.
(One day the faeces will hit the air circulator I'm sure and I'll be expelled. It should not be this easy to slip through the net)
BUT more on that later. My bum has gone numb.

BE PROUD

What did I do, that I am proud of this week?
WELL.
Last week, I actually came back to the US of A WITHOUT a hitch and I didn't get too drunk on the plane. I did watch a whole bunch of lame films, but I didn't mind annoying the fat, loud, snoring dickbutt face man next to me by getting up to be thrice during the flight- for reasons I believe are apparent.

So. This week, I'm proud I stayed busy.

I haven't been to the gym yet, but I believe that is next weeks challenge.
I wrote an essay BEFORE the deadline, and I actually really enjoyed writing it for a lovely change. Is THIS what My Lady Mother was talking about when she was chatting about learning for the sake of self improvement or someshit...? Dammit. THE THRILL OF KNOWLEDGE.
Urgh.
I also went up to Litchfield Connecticut for the weekend (shouts to the Azi) and saw some snow:

It was thrilling.

Also, I thought about posting some of the pics from my NewYears Eve but if you are reading this you were probably there. So, no need. Plus, facebook exists.

OH GOLLY HECK I NEARLY FORGOT,
I WENT TO MY FIRST BASKET BALL GAME.
It was a school game, Boys Varsity Vs St Annes (big deal apparently) and I had so much fun, sweetened only by the fact we won.
Here are the pics:

Nora and Ellie came too. We took creeper photos of Bowen which he secretly loved but never said so, only with his eyes. 

ahhhhh they are warmingg uppppp

Thats our mascot thing, Magellan the Pelican. 

Sexy boys. hashtagnoshame.

TENSE CROWD.

The golden globes just finished and I need to shower so hard. So I'll leave the rest of the things I was going to show you till later.
OKEYBYE.

I have no idea what's with the post below...

I know it looks weird and is kinda distracting but I have no idea how to fix it... but maybe we should just accept it for what it is. Just let it go through its phase, and learn from it's mistakes later in life. Like when Rachel from Friends had that ghastly haircut in season one. Or when Ashton Kutcher dated that old sexy prune.

GUESS WHOS BACK

Me. It's me, I'm back.

I had the most electric time at home seeing the famalam, friends and that. 

SHOUTS TO THE GANG. 

As I mentioned on Facebook, my body rejected being home. I left NY in tip top shape, but 2 weeks in England, and I gained about 5 stone, didn't go one day without a drink, sat on my glasses, smashed a windo, sliced open my hand, hurt my knee, dropped my camera and scratched my phone. And ALL ON THE SAME DAY. Not really, but whats a christmas holiday without a little bit of bleeding your own blood eh? I had an incredible time, didn't get to see everybody I wanted to, but 2 weeks didn't seem long enough and everybody has grown up now and have lives to live or someshit. 

My super secrety plan of bringing the gang up to New Years didn't go as I originally planned, but I think it worked out for the best (for me anyhow) because I got to see all the bestest people all in one place. 

New Years eve entertainment was created and re-worked all on the 31st but I thought it turned out to be manic but hilarious as always. Job done. 

Being home gave me a wake up call of some description though. I was asked again and again about my NY adventures and every time found myself dumber than I would have liked. The realisation that I had lived in the city that never sleeps for approx 4 whole months and had achieved relatively little rattled me. It took me by the proverbial shoulders and shook me, slapped my metaphorical face and looked me right in the figurative eyes. 

I must allow myself a little credit, doing schooly things, like the play and suchwhich and having mono/pneumonia/chlamydia didn't help because I just lay in bed for weeks BUT excuses excuses. I still feel like I need to achieve more. My first 4 months went by in a sexy flash, so I really have to grab the next 5 by the short and curleys and twist, so all that cultural goodness oozes out. How exiting.

SO, my new years resolution is to do something i'm proud of every week.

At first it was "take more chances" to get myself out of my comfort zone but that doesn't sound right. I'm already out of my comfort zone being here, and doing this so that makes no sense. Plus, I actually want New York to become more of a comfort zone fore me... if you know what I mean. 

I've never been to central park. The Guggenheim, the Brooklyn Museum, the Frick etc. I've only been to broadway once and it was a bit crap, I still don't know how the subway system works, I couldn't recommend you a lovely bistro on the corner that your mother would love because although she swears its foreign and therefore untrustworthy- she actually enjoys a well made but reasonably priced pasta dish after a game of tennis at the club. Plus, she thinks the way the waiters talk is funny and exotic. Maybe a nice spaghetti. Everybody likes spaghetti. 

I'VE FAILED YOU AND YOUR MOTHER. 

Even if i'm just helping a friend, or visiting a museum I want to be able to say I used my time in some way. Knowing me (knowingg yooouuuuu), soon enough the tempting swaths of procrastination and sheer, grotesque laziness may swallow me up and divert me from my path of self improvement. But I care not to entertain this fancy. I am a realistic woman-girl, I know how possible this is but a wise woman-lady once said "its better to start with a plan. Have something to divert from, if you know what I mean" and then she repeated herself a lot, rephrasing and embellishing a bit differently each time. (mum, please don't take me to court for mis-quoting you). 
There it is. My New Years resolution plan idea thing. To make sure I can be proud of the time I spent in NY, and have some actual stories to tell instead of just making up a more exciting version of events like I did with Sandy. Cheeky woman. 
Hamish made me promise to blog about the thing I do each week so I'll keep y'all updated if you care enough to check this page of nonsense from time to time. 
I was going to upload a whole load of pictures with this instalment, but I cant be bothered. 
I blame jet lag. 
I'm like a mini heroine of my own adventure by staying up this late. 
It's 8.07pm. 
If I was a heroine, I'd have a unicorn and a light sabre.