Jog On!

So how's the jogging going? I'm going to go out for another training session today and we're exactly 7 days away from the big day... Yikes!
To everyone who has sponosored me big thank you! You've helped me raise over £200 for Leukaemia CARE!
Here's a last chance for everyone to sponsor me although don't worry if you can't. And a huge thank you to the lovely Teresa for dragging my sorry behind around the street and Kings Heath Park each week, and to Leon for cooking each time! Teresa is running the Great North Run in October so anyone who wants to can sponsor her at her justgiving page online justgiving.com/teresaannegray.

Visit to Bristol and the wedding

A few weeks ago we went to see our lovely friends Milly and Rob and Dave in Bristol and it was a super cool trip.
We had to go out on the friday night for a couple of sort of work do's - BioCare had an unofficial work night out that I sort of invited myself to before catching up with Al and the OCR guys for Sam's leaving do. It was really great to see everyone from BioCare, for the first time since leaving a year ago with many of them, but I was really looking forward to our trip to Bristol too.

We have traditionally been quite rubbish at visiting M, R & D but only because of the cat/wedding/diy and othe stupid reasons. Now however we're a bit more free'd up and making the most of our summer.
Firstly we got there without getting lost -Al drove which was his first proper long journey on motorways and I navigated; what a team! (I'm loving being driven places...)
Then after settling in the 5 of us went to see the sights of Bristol, and it was a BEAUTIFUL day - bright, sunny. Gorgeous.
Rob drove us through the hilly, winding Bristol streets and we got out to walk across Clifton Suspension Bridge and climbed up to look down from the cliff-sides of the ravine

Then we walked around the Clifton area and enjoyed the view from a bar with a sun drenched terrace that sits halway up one side of the ravine. On one side there was a wedding and a band played swing music; the perfect accompanyment!

Then Rob drove us to the downs - one of the only flat parts of Bristol and a massive parkland area that was teeming with people enjoying the sun, ice cream and kites. Strangely for Britain there wasn't any wind so our attempts at flying the kite weren't very successful! Still, it was good fun.

When we got back to Milly and Rob's neck of the woods we visited Dave's flat - we'd never been before so it was great to see his home and we all had a cuppa and a sit down. Then we headed back to Milly and Rob's for dinner. Milly's sister Amy and her boyfriend and little girl came to visit, it was lovely to see them. Last time we bumped into them was in birmingham when we were at a tapas bar with Nathan and Laura and Emma, Em and Holly made friends and were playing before we'd even figured out who they were!

Now we're pretty lucky because Dave has really got into his cooking and Rob's always been a bit of a maestro in the kitchen and luckily the two combined their efforts for this dinner party and put together a real feast. There was a combination of culinary styles, fish and meat, curries and salads and it was truly yummy. Don't ask me for the ingredients because I haven't a clue! But in short it was a delicious evening in every sense; really fun!

The next morning we headed off for a gentle journey home and an afternoon reading in the extension while Al played football with Nathan. The cat was loving the break in dodgy weather and all was well with the world!

The next weekend was Hez and Becky's wedding, our first where we didn't have to be the centre of attention and behave ourselves, and it was great! Becky looked beautiful and excited, she giggled and kissed Hez after saying his name in full Hereward Morton Proops, it was so sweet! It was a nice ceremony, a civil one followed by a blessing and the food and party to follow were great fun. It did truly reflect the personalities of the couple and it was a happy, loved up kind of day; just great!

The bride and groom after signing on the dotted line

Emma in the sun (the last day of her arm in plaster - she's out of her cast now)

Dave and Rob enjoying a drink

The fun table!

The boys

The running

The last few weeks have seen me progress from having a dread fear of running machines (I always felt that I'd get suck up like some people are scared of escalators) to jogging, even running on them for 20 minutes at a time, so I'm really quite proud of myself. And I even have gone jogging. I started by jogging to church or the shops but I've now gone on 3 official jogs for the sheer sake of exhausting myself and sweating profusely. I seem to not be able to jog for more than 2 minutes without having a brief walk but, encouragingly, I can break into a job again and repeat the whole process for the next 50 minutes or until I get bored. Getting bored is a major problem. If I can find a new area to jog around and get lost in I'm happy, otherwise if I'm at the gym I have to talk to people which knackers me out. I proved that I could do 5km the other day however by just getting my jog buddy Lee up to date on the last episodes of Dr Who (WHAT will I do til the next series???)

Other news is we have finally managed to order our wedding photos and, on saturday, I get to pick up my dress from Pollyanna's shop. Lovely Tessa asked if I had gone cross country in it?! Fortunately, no, if my present fitness levels are anything to go by...

The boys had lots of fun at Hez's stag do and it's now only 2 weeks til their wedding. It was Hez's brainwave to go and learn about bushcraft, make shelters, gut fish, light fires etc. Their trainer was ex military and Al's hair smelt of log fires for days. They painted Hez up with chamouflage paint, poor love, I hope it got it off... How much more fun in some ways to prepare for a wedding that you're not the centre of attention in! I shall enjoy it... Anyway pictures below of the boys doing macho things, gawd love em.

Nathan and Alex firelighting

Pay attention boys, you are gutting a trout next!

The lads on their woodland adventure

My 5k run challenge

I am taking part in the Adidas Women's Challenge and taking on a 5k run for Leukaemia CARE! Me, the girl who can't run for toffee. Barely manage walking in a straight line sometimes... Here I go! It's in September and I am training a bit so if you'd like to sponsor use the link below. The event is on Sunday 7th September, and it's in Birmingham. Wish me luck!