Happiness

This is just a brief post to tell you about something that made me exceptionally happy; two weeks ago I went back to the nursery to visit my former work mates and have a nice catchup on each others lives, and it was lovely! Nathan actually ran into the room, arms open, shouting 'YAY' and nearly strangled me with a hug (yes, I'm talking about a grown boy here, not one of the children) - which I have to admit; made me smile lots.  

After a good old catch up - and promises of nights out - I went into the nursery to say hello to some of the children who I used to work with and couldn't believe the amount of cuddles I got off the those that remembered me. One little girl flung her arms round my neck with the biggest smile on her face, a little boy wouldn't leave me alone and instead chose to lie on me (and then stand infront of me so others couldn't have me: awwwh!). Another little girl was pretending to be shy; standing next to me until I turned around and offered her a cuddle and then running away... after a while she decided she wanted to play and I was in the kitchen being served dinner; 'Juice and water for you!' 

I stayed a played some games with them for a while before I had to force myself to say goodbye, give them all another great big cuddle, and leave. Before I left I got to see one little boy that I hold very dear to my heart and received two lovely cuddles. I was absolutely overjoyed that he remembered me! I felt my heart swell in my chest, and I may have cried a little after I left. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that working at the nursery was the best job I've ever had; I adored working with the children and I made some great friends.

It is things and moments like these that make me realise that I've let my goals and dreams slip out of my main line of focus. I keep telling myself that I don't know what I want to do with my life, because I am confused; just say I take the wrong path and end up hating whatever I do a few years down the line and have to start all over again from scratch? Or just say that I try and I never succeed? But then a voice inside me says that none of that matters as long as you're doing something along one of the paths and it makes you happy. 

Time to get things in some kind of order.

Movember

As we greet December; our heads buried in scarves, our eyes barely visable under our hats, with a brisk nod we also bid farewell (I picture this as an equally quick wave) to November.

November has always been a take it or leave it kind of month for me (and I'm sure many others feel the same), nothing much happens in November to make it all that exciting! The leaves have already fallen off the trees, and there is no snow to make being numb from head to toe worth any outdoor adventures - I say 'adventures', what I actually mean is: work. Honestly? November is a rather bleak month. When I was a child I remember how excited I used to get for Guy Fawkes Day - more commonly known as - Bonfire Night; fireworks are lovely, but good god they get annoying; especially when the scummiest children throw them at you on your walk home from university one day, but I digress... Sparklers are, and will always be, the best things ever! However, there are a shocking amount of people who don't seem to remember that Bonfire Night (and Halloween!!) even exists anymore, so all-in-all November slowly became another tedious month of inevitable boredom.

UNTIL! MOvember was born! An all round hilarious way of raising vital funds for men's health, more specifically; prostate and testicular cancer. The main objective of Movember is to get ,more people discussing the issues of men's health, that normally go ignored; by growing, or shaving in, a moustache specifically for the month.

I love it. Absolutely love it. As a huge fan of moustaches I derive great joy in seeing the vast majority of my friends, and random men in the city - basically anyone -  sporting those fanTASHtic (I'm sorry, I had to) clumps of hair along their upper lip (in fact; not too long ago I was playing Moustache Snap in a pub with my pals, tears streaming down my face I was laughing that much). I've had many conversation with sheepish guys with patchy moustaches at the till point at work by merely asking; 'Movember?' Que enormous amounts of relief and laughter. 

Admittedly I've yet to meet another girl who enjoys Movember - and just moustaches in general - as much as I do, most cringe at the sight of their partners as they slowly start looking creepier as the month progresses (another part of Movember that I never tire of). For me it just means that I can talk about moustaches (of all shapes and sizes) and it be deemed a little less weird because it's all for a good cause. 

Nothing makes me sadder than when December the first rolls around and everyone taking part instantly shaves! So, goodbye for another year Movember! You will be dearly missed.

(Possibly my favourite moustache related photo ever.)

Leeds Festival

I am way too late in writing this; I could slap myself (I won't) but it's better late than never as the old saying goes. So two months ago (yikes, I am a procrastinating pup!) I went to the almighty Leeds Festival for my ninth year in a row! Ever since I was 15, standing, for my first time, in the middle of Bramham Park surrounded by thousands of other extremely lairy music lovers I decided that I wanted to go to Leeds Fest every year. Forever! - No. Just for 10 consecutive years. Seeing as I was so close to completing my objective I was mortified when I had to face facts that I was just too dirt broke to afford the festival this year... (Not to mention that there was only one stage I wanted to go for... worth it? I was unsure.) So instead I decided I'd volunteer to work there; I applied with Oxfam and a few months later attended training, met a lovely (though if you're reading this; you're a muppet really, hehe) guy and was a fully trained steward! YAY!!!

Wednesday 
After arriving; getting my ID card, tabbard (I looked incredible in my hi-vis), and my shifts (I got the day off that I had been praying for: hooray!) I went and bought some beer, returned and went to our briefing in the marquee (can in hand. Classy bird). Anyway, after all the briefings had finished there was a fancy dress 'animal themed' Meet & Greet, (I was a cat!) but a gang of us had already been drinking for hours and I was already fairly intoxicated before we even got to the party. TOO many funny things happened; mainly me being unable to use a chair/stool, falling off it a lot, and lying on the floor laughing my head off! Upon arriving at the party I was overjoyed to bump into a very familiar face indeed; only a boy (Matt!) I met FIVE years ago at the very same festival!! The rest of the night is a blur; apparently it was spent with Matt trying to recreate a myspace photo from Leeds 2007 and laughing too much! I don't remember meeting any one else. Damn you Matt!

Me and Matt! Reunited after five years! Mental! Thursday
Awoke the next day ready for my first shift feeling... horrible! I wandered over to the main gate ready to walk to Lord Bingley Gate and Ellie and Meike came and met me, said I'd organised a big meet up with people I'd met who were working the same shift so we could all walk together! Memory fail! They were awesome! Our shift consisted of scanning tickets, checking wristbands, drinking cans of Relentless we found on the floor, and hugging any festival arrivals who were excited for Me First & The Gimme Gimmes or Less Than Jake! After shift we got back on the drinking, played games around our campsite, before going to watch Little Comets, dancing like loons and meeting a 6ft7 17 year old. Ridiculous! Then James - the legend that he is - puts on his tabbard and shouts 'FOLLOW ME!' and absolutely sprints up the Silent Disco queue! Pretty sure we all nearly fell over as we ran excitedly around the barriers into the huge tent. It was INCREDIBLE! Too many photos later, a ridiculous amount of dancing, and I am on the Waltzers with Dan laughing my head off. 


One of my favourite photos of the weekend.

STAGS! Friday
My day off! YES! I awoke; hungover to the max but still ridiculously excited for the lovely gents tht are Apologies, I Have None! I've known these guys for about three years now and I kid you not; they are a collection of the loveliest people I've ever met, and they're music is fantastic! (Go and give them a listen IMMEDIATELY!!) Dan and I had a good old sing; although I had already lost my voice (pathetic) so really I just squeaked the words and threw my arms around. The rest of my day was spent drinking, meeting up with various pals - Zock, Beth, Danny, Matt, etc... - and then playing the postit game with Dan back at the campsite because we both started feeling sick as hell. Boo! We recovered and continued drinking in time for the mighty Me First & The Gimme Gimmes, and good lord, they were BRILLIANT! 'We're going to play a cover now.' Hehehehe! Jumped around like mad to 'Leaving on a Jet Plane', 'I Believe I Can Fly' and multiple others that I just can't remember anymore. After leaving us with big, stupid smiles on our faces we got some more beers in and waited for Less Than Jake! Ooooh my! Honestly; the best set they've EVER PLAYED!! It was hit after hit! I ran in the circle pit with my friend, nearly fell over (what a fool), lost everyone and spent the remainder of the set wedged between peoples shoulders. 

Saturday
I spent the majority of my day wandering between the festival and my campsite - drinking and dossing - before my 4.30 - 12.30 shift at good old Lord Bingley Gate somewhere inbetween Orange and Purple campsite. Holy hell; what a shift! I was freezing from the moment I got on my shift, but I met some awesome people wandering back and forth between the campsite and car park; one guy showed me his wristband and then tripped over his own intoxicated legs moments later (cue relentless laughter), but without any doubt the BEST people I met were a couple carrying ALL of their stuff (tent, rucksacks, etc):

Me: Not leaving already are you guys?
Guy: Yeah. SHE dumped me.
Stunned silence. 

WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THAT?! The girl shot him a look of 'I swear to lucifer; I will FUCKING MURDER YOU before the day is over' and I just starred after them, wishing I could be a fly on the wall in their car. Ooh soothe.

I spent the rest of my evening shivering, drinking tea with eighteen sugars in them (I don't like tea) and shouting jokes to a boy named Dexter via a megaphone (he was my 'Megaphone Buddy for Life' as he put it). My best joke being:
'If I said 'Omelette Au Fromage' would you get it?' I'm such a nerd. (Proud). 

Eventually (after HOURS of fun on the megaphone) I got off my shift and met my pals for some fairground fun. I wasn't nearly drunk enough, so we proceeded to get shitfaced as we headed back to the marquee.

Sunday
The final day. It was possibly one of my favourites. I spent the morning bitching about a particular band and their morbid set ('You'd think they were playing a funeral, not opening the  festival!') then wandering back to the marquee and getting as drunk as I possibly could before my shift started and one of my personal highlights of the weekend happened; I was sat around the Marquee with Matt and multiple others when a girl came over to me and offered me a bag of alcohol (several cans of Carling and a massive bag of Wine) because her and her friends were leaving a few hours later. I thanked her, and offered her money as I felt way rude, but she refused. As she left Matt leaned over and asked me who she was... I had absolutely NO idea. Hahaha! I recognised her face and she knew who I was but I honestly could not even take a guess at her name. (If you somehow see this; I'm so sorry! But thank you for the bag of wine. I had SO much fun drinking out of that.) Anyway, several cans and a bag of wine later and I was getting a moustache painted on my face and was almost late for my shift... then had a pretty awkward time with a particular supervisor. FAST FORWARD! I ended up spending my entire shift on the buggy (I was SO stoked! I'd been longing for a ride on one of the buggy's all weekend!) with Sarah delivering tea to the cold stewards in various places across the festival, getting lost in the scariest woods ever, meeting a beauty who I traded sweets with for his glowstick (no, that isn't an innuendo, tsk) and generally spent my entire shift smiling. Ended my evening with more alcohol, Phil being an absolute sweetheart ('You're the funnest person I've met at this festival'), lots of laughter, and wrestling in the cold, wet grass with Matt. (You absolute git! I'll get you next year!)

I won't lie though; I was a tad nervous about going to the festival, essentially, on my own but I met some absolutely fantastic people and made a tonne of new friends. To name but a few; James, Phil, Tom (Jeffro - haaa), Emily, Kate, Ruby, Jess, Ellie, Meike, Anton, Liam, Clare, Jack - the list goes on and on but my memory is the worst!

I had the best time! I will definitely be opting to Steward agan next year! Hopefully with a lot of the same people and some new ones, only if they're as awesome as this years lot though. Completing my ten year run is going to be mega.