Sports Injury

I, my friends, have a sports injury. Yep, you heard it. A sports injury.
At first I pitied myself:

"Gosh darn it, I must be super unfit if I'm getting a crummy sports injury. Who the heck gets a sprained ankle after running only 4 miles 4 times a week!?"

But, then I realised. I'm not crummy. I'm legit. This makes me a legit sportswoman. Heck, I'm right up there with Paula Radcliffe and Usian Bolt.

Yep, that's me.

So that's settled. Don't pity the fact that my half-marathon training won't be going anywhere for the next week (at least) and the fact that I now hobble along like an OAP. Oh no, don't fear, I'm legit and basically like Paula Radcliffe. 

- B

xxx

Undercover Cop

I am so grateful for the police force in England, I really am. They get a lot of bad press, but really they are pretty amazing and I don't think that they get enough recognition for what they do.

Why this sudden outpouring of police love? Well, let me explain....

I was travelling on train yesterday, as you do, when a man came through to the carriage that I was sitting in. Now, I have to explain that it was about 1pm at the time, so there were a few lunchtime passengers, but it was by no means as busy as rush hour. This man goes to the top of the carriage and beginning to shout out:

'Sorry Ladies and Gents, I hate to do this and I know it annoys a lot of people, but I'm looking for any change people have got going spare. I'm really sorry. But my friend is ill, he has got emphysema and we are so hungry. My friend hasn't got long left ladies and gents. We've sold all our copies of the Big Issue, but they don't give us any credit.....etc. etc.'

As such, I'm in my seat dreading this man approaching me and asking me for my money. I definitely think that this form of begging is completely unfair, its intimidating and a bit scary.

Anyway, a man from behind me gets up and approaches this man in the carriage. At which point i'm getting a little nervous, I don't want the situation to escalate into anything dreadful, so I begin to peer out of the window, assessing when I can make a swift exit from the train.

Well, then, quite by surprise this other passenger pulls out a badge and says,

'Transport police. Sorry mate you're going to have to get off the train at the next stop.'

To which the other guy argues.

'Listen, i'm really sorry, i don't want to do this. It is my friend. He's ill. People think he is drunk, but its the valium for his emphysema, he's only got a few months left. We're hungry. I'm really sorry.'

At which point we pull into the next station, and both the man and his friend with emphysema, who is apparently on the train too, are booted off.

Now, I don't want to get into whether I believed this man's story was true or not. It might have been, it might not have been. But to be honest, the way they were going about their begging was completely wrong.

However, more to the point, I'm so glad that the transport policeman was there. Luckily I don't think that this particular man was any threat at all. He was quite polite and obliged when the policeman told him to get off the train. However, regardless, it could have been much worse and it is comforting to know that policemen are there protecting public safety.

What was particularly cool was that I would have had NO idea that this particular policeman was a police officer at all. He was dressed casually with a satchel and his headphones in, he easily passed as commuter.

In my summer job last year I worked alongside some policemen and really got to know about them and their work. I am really and truly proud and grateful for what they do. They work long hours, have to do a lot of paperwork (which they'd rather be without), but they do a great job.

Anyway, Policeman Pride!

-B
xxxx

Let's try this again...

Ok, ok, I got all excitable about my third post that I never made it back for a fourth. I'm sorry!!
Time to start again. It's a new year, so this blog is getting dusted off and is going to be used and abused to full capacity.

Talking of it being a New Year, I think that it is time that I made myself some New Year's resolutions. I know that it is now the 8th January, but i'm late for everything, I pretty sure i'll be late for my own funeral. So I beg your forgiveness.

So........

2011 New Year's Resolutions

1. Write in this blog more frequently - Now, I can't necessarily promise daily blogs, I am far too behind on my dissertation to promise that level of commitment, but I do intend on doing a plural number of posts a week (i.e. more than 1) and you never know, if I get really into it you might get more out of me. 
2. Take more pictures - This goes hand-in-hand with my new blogging hobby. Blogs need pictures, life needs pictures, I need more pictures in my blog and life. I need to sort this out. Pronto. 
3. Graduate - Yep, it has finally hit me, i'm graduating this year. How the heck did this happen!? I don't really know. I don't feel old enough and I definitely do not feel ready. I, of course, will be graduating come July, however, I want to graduate with a grade that I am proud of. This doesn't necessarily mean a first (although that would be nice), but I do want to obtain that proves that I tried my absolute best. 
4. Run a half-marathon - This is a pretty big one for me. I definitely am not naturally athletic. But my Dad has always run a few full marathons and i've always said that i'll get around to doing it some day. Though I don't think I have the time this year for a full marathon commitment, I hope to have completed a half marathon come October. 
5. Be a better friend - Right, this is your typical resolution, but a goody nonetheless. I simply want to be a better friend. I can get so wrapped up in uni work that i'm not always so swift with replying to facebook messages or sending text replies. This is an easy thing to improve. I also need to make more time for my friends. It is easy to make accuses, but I truly believe that if you want to do something enough you'll make time for it. I want my friendships enough, I WILL make time for them. 

Well, there you go. There are my New Year's Resolutions for 2011. This year is going to be a big year for me. This is the year of graduation and this is the year that all my yet-made life plans come to an end. I always knew that I would go to school and university, but what next??

That, my friends is a BIG question and one that I have been constantly worrying about. But that is something for another blog post. 

-B 

xxxx

Three is a Magic Number: A Landmark

Well, would you look at this!!! A third post! I officially made it everyone.

And to mark the occasion, now that I can officially call myself 'a blogger', I thought I'd show you all my ugly mug. Now that is showing commitment to the blog, none of my previous blogs were so scarred privileged!

So here is the girl behind the blog:

Now don't be fooled by my baby face, I am officially 20 years old, 21 in February. I just happen to look about 14. But that's cool, I can work with it. 

First things first, I must apologise for how long it has taken me to get around to this third blog entry. I started off so well, 2 posts on 2 consecutive days. But then Uni got in the way, with a big essay due for Friday. But that is all done and dusted now, so i'm back in the game!! 

I will start 'proper' blog posts soon. I just need to sort my camera out. But, to tide you over until then, I thought I'd reveal my current 'Gym Jams'. At the moment 'All Day' by Girl Talk is my current album of choice. 

It looks kinda scary...

It is a mashup of loads of songs, old and new and it definitely keeps boredom at bay as evolves from song to song. And guess what!? You too could have this in your life!! (I definitely sound like a cheesy teleshopping commercial) For FREE!! Just download it here. Now, I'm aware that it is called 'Illegal-Art' but, as far as i'm aware, it is, in fact, all kosher and above board. So download away my friends!! 

Speak to you soon!! 

Thanksgiving Envy

Hello!!!
Well look at this, two posts in two days. I definitely think that I am starting off on the right foot with this blog!!

Now there is something you need to know about me, I am a complete Yankophile. I am pretty much obsessed with everything American. I love to go into Selfridges and look at all the heavily marked up American foods, my guilty pleasure is watching the host chats of Regis and Kelly each day and I definitely feel as though New York is my spiritual home. My love for all things American is ridiculous and, quite frankly, a little bit creepy.

Of late, however, reading through some of my favourite blogs, I've contracted an extreme case of Thanksgiving envy. Now, I've always had a creepy obsession with thanksgiving, in my formative years I would scour the internet looking for ways to watch the Macy's thanksgiving day parade. Failing to find any decent stream of the event, I would watch the grainy images on Earth Cam (I think we can all tell that I am the epitome of cool).

But I just love the whole idea of the holiday. A day dedicated to being thankful and eating. Maybe I have a romanticised view of it all, but it sounds pretty much amazing. Turkey, potatoes, stuffing and, most fascinatingly (for me at least), pumpkin pie....



Definitely intriguing to me. Pumpkin pie isn't readily available here, definitely not in the supermarkets anyway. The only places that I have seen it is in some of my favourite bakeries, Konditor and Cook and the Hummingbird Bakery. Pumpkin isn't really readily eaten over here and the only time you'll really see is in the fortnight leading up to Halloween, after that it is quickly whipped off of the shelves again. And, to be honest, from my pumpkin carving experience, i've always considered the humble pumpkin to be a bit of a stinky vegetable.

Have a judged the sweet little squash too harshly? I think it is about time I tried to get my hands on some famed American Pumpkin Pie.

If anyone is out there reading this, I hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving. Consider yourself  lucky, this girl wants in on that holiday.

Speak to you later (hopefully for my FIRST EVER third blog post!!)

A Warm Welcome.

Ok, here it is. My Blog. Welcome.

I'd like to give you a bit of background. I've had three blogs and one livejournal in my recent past. All of which didn't get past their first 2 postings. Then I had a youtube channel, which didn't get past its first video. This time I really hope that it works out. In fact I am willing it to work out.

The thing is, i've now got a little bit of a blog addiction. I recently found the 'healthy living' blog community and I was instantly hooked, I just can't get enough (particularly peanut butter fingers' blog - you should all definitely check it out!).

So where does that leave me? And where do I fit into the blogosphere?

Well, first let me introduce myself...

My name is Bethany, I'm British and I am currently in my third and final year of university in the England. At the moment I am battling my way through essays, dissertation preparation and trying to figure out what I want to do with my life next year (and beyond). At the moment i'm hoping to get an internship next summer and get on a masters programme for the next academic year, but we'll have to see how that all pans out.

Most of my time is spent sitting at my computer writing essays, researching/applying for internships/degree programmes or sitting at my desk with my head buried in a book, furiously reading and making notes. This being the case, I made a decision at the beginning of this year to make sure that I remained healthy. I'm a little eager beaver when it comes to the academics and I didn't want to find myself glued to my chair without any activity 24 hours a day. So now, my friends, I am a gym frequenter and I've been keeping on an eye on my eating habits, making sure I eat healthily too.

Now, let's get something straight, I am by NO means as hardcore as some girls that blog. They are awesome, but I am a mere small fry compared to those ladies. I hope this blog encourages me to keep active and keep healthy and I hope to learn new ways of doing that through this blog.

Of course, though I have a wee obsession with 'healthy living' blogs, I'm going to Bethany-ise my blog :)   I have an insatiable sweet tooth and a huge love for baking, so expect to see that documented here too. I'm going through orthodontics soon too (at the age of 20 - eeek!) so they'll probably make an appearance here. Also, seeing as Uni is a pretty big part of my life, there will probably be a big dollop of that around here as well.

Basically it will be about my life as I try to remain healthy, happy and sane as I make the transition from education to the real world. Basically its about Bethany (<--- Obligatory cheesy line)

Ok, well I hope you consider yourself warmly welcomed. Let's hope this blog gets past its second post. I'm definitely hoping it will. I've got a good feeling about this blog :)