Where to start or end as this will be my last post on this blog!
He asked and I said yes: enter massive life changes! I own a
matching plate set, I have an engagement ring, I now drink real coffee and have
one of those posh things that you put said real coffee in! Oh and I have
resigned from my job at the Royal Society of Chemistry, put my house up for
rent, I have a new garden fence, accepted a wonderful new job in Oxford, moving
in with my super cool Auntie who is from South American iso n my head by the
time I move into the Fit one’s and my house in December I will be fluent in
Spanish (clearly!) I have some hunter wellies ready for the Cotswolds and I
have cried many a tears at leaving my lovely friend’s, colleague’s and family
but also snotty happy tears at the amazing new adventure I am about to begin!
Now R&R – that’s right everyone he came home! But in the lead up to that:
So you say you want a Rugby ball in Afghan because you miss
touching balls (RUGBY balls!) and could I get you one…..from this I tweeted a
few clubs and then before I knew it ABF Soldiers charity had pulled some strings
with the super cool London Irish and we had an invite to go and collect a rugby
ball from them on the pitch… at half time…..of a real rugby match! Q Pappa
Peace hovering around me with puppy dog eyes…..YES YES I have a ticket for you to
(secretly needed him to take me as I was pretty confident my driving ability
would not have got me there!) Pops turned up looking like a football manager – “alright
Harry Rednap!” When we arrived we parked outside the stadium by the director’s
space??? Not illegally we were directed there by the people in high vis jackets
and clip boards! “Don’t get out the car yet Dad no one’s looking!” In fact when
we get out lets act like we are super important, for some reason I adopted a Russian
accent!
We then meet the lovely Bernadette from ABF and two of the
lads from your Rugby team and headed to our seats….IN A BOX!!!!!! This is
amazing! Watched the first half, drank alcohol (In my head I should have
stopped drinking but it just kept getting topped up and I didn’t want to be
rude, I do have manners!) We then got called to go “pitch side” and walked
right passed the players dressing room which I had to be dragged past.... Turns
out a Rugby pitch is actually massive!!!!!! I started to panic that they may
want to involve Rugby in the presentation of the ball and I would be asked to
run and then maybe they would rugby tackle me to the ground....but no we just stood with the
mascot and smiled lots and collected said ball!
A few weeks later I went to meet Lewis Moody….. It was the
day when it was sunny and a little bit hot! I decided I should wear heals to
try and look sophisticated: Arrived at Wimbledon on the train and asked for
directions to which I was told “oh JUST up there” I repeat JUST was used! So I
took my leather folder and headed JUST up there…….ARE YOU KIDDING ME this is
like climbing Everest! I have to stop half way up on a bench along with a
lovely tramp called Jack to try and remove my vest (or as my good friend called
it the other day…a slip!!???? OLD SCHOOL) Jack holds my leather folder whilst
sipping his scrumpy jack and once I have removed said vest through the sleeve
of my dress (felt smug about that – skilful!) Said goodbye to Jack and continued
my climb, this was like a personal challenge and this hill goes on for ever! I
arrive to meet Lewis looking anything but sophisticated – sweating, my feet
hurt and I can’t stand up straight and I have a vest in my hands! Lewis is so
super lovely and he really is THAT tall! I often feel like a transvestite in heals
due to my height but I totally didn’t next to Lewis. We chatted and some
exciting things are planned for Military Smiles. At the end of the meeting I ask
for a photo and I notice his book on a stand in the office and
say “oh I totes read your book!” he asks did you like it? “Yes loved it – it was
even better than 50 shades of gray…” OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOOD WHAT IS WRONG WITH
ME, why would I say that *style it out style it out!
Mother’s day, my sister and I plan an extravaganza for mamma
bear. It’s not widely publicised but I think I want to share how incredible my
mum really is. My biological, birth mother whatever you want to call it left
when I was a baby and then my Pops was left with me (poor man, went gray early because
of that I think!) A few years later he met mamma bear, fell in love and they
got married! Some people think “step” parents aren’t the same but I actually
have the best mother in the world. She has been there for my first day
of school, shit days at school, throwing up after discovering the adult alcohol
cupboard with my best friend, first jobs, bad hair styles, gave me a right
awesome sister (I will only say that once Nicola) saved me from many a house
disaster and even when I don’t listen to her advice and she turns out to be
right she never says “I told you so” We have had some awesome arguments and we
are both quite feisty, as I get older I realise I am more like my Mum than I
ever thought possible. If I can be half the women she is, strong, independent and loving
I will be happy! I believe it shows nurture wins over nature.
So to show her just how much we love her we took her to Browns in Cambridge for afternoon tea and cocktails to get her royally pissed!!!! Cheers to you mamma bear!
After applying for a super cool job in Oxford I get offered
an interview….OH CRAP there is so much pressure on this for me! Nervous Zoey is
not a good look, it’s like a hyperactive caged animal! Stayed at my Aunties
house the night before and she has bought me every type of "traditional" English
food she could think of, I actually adore her! In the morning she even laid out
breakfast for me! Went to the interview well fed indeed:
Interview was going well until I was asked “why should we
hire you” to which I reply “because I will no longer support Cambridge in the
boat race and will instead totally cheer Oxford on??” *I have totally messed
this up, I’m sure of it! Two ours later “Hi Zoey we would like to offer you the job!” OH MY
GOD YES YES YES YES so excited to work here and to start this new chapter
of my life!
So..."GO OXFORD"The next day through many a tears I hand my notice in at the RSC, here I have made some incredible friends, been given amazing opportunities, dressed up as Jonny Rotten, competed in the office Olympics and totally smashed “synchronised chair spinning” pub sessions after work, laughter, tears – just basically the best three years and a job I will always look back on and smile……. I better get a good leaving present!
Some of the ace people I will be saying so long for now to:
And then 4 days later…………You came home!!!!
Arrived at Brize Norton and went to get my pass to get me on
site, when asked the car registration I proudly used the phonetic alphabet and
then asked if Sam had landed….The bemused man looked at me and said “Sam?”
Right ok clearly you need more information! Waiting patiently at the arrivals in Brize Norton I could
barely contain my excitement, nerves, tears, smiles! Luckily there was a three
hour delay for me to get a grip with said emotions….! THEN IT HAPPENED the man I
had been annoying for three hours came over and said the words “he’s landed and
he is in there just getting his bags, will be two minutes”
To think I had nerves wondering if everything could/would be the same – it was better, it was like you had never been away! What followed in the best two weeks ever:
Lay ins
Cuddles a plenty
Cooking immense food creations
Drinking – plenty of it
Hotels
Dinner party’s
Good friends
Birthday extravaganza with some awesome friends and incredible dancing especially Mr Peacock, at one point he resembled a mash up of MC hammer can’t touch this and Kris Kross in the Jump video. Basically we smashed it with the 90’s dancing! All hail the 90’s!
So I leave Cambridge in three weeks, we get married in 6
months and move into our home at the same time. Until February has been my way
of coping and sharing my first 6 month tour and it’s been the most incredible
journey, when I started writing I could never have predicted the craziness that’s
followed but that seems to be the way with our life. Someone once said to me grab life by the balls
– hang right on in there and enjoy every second! So here’s to the next project:
Project Cotswolds, getting married and moving in together…. What
could possibly happen?
To everyone that has supported me, us and read the blog –
THANK YOU
Until next time: dream as if you will live forever and live
as if you will die today
In other words grab life by the balls! Worked well for me J
Zoey xxxxxxxxxxx