how am I gonna be an optimist about this?

Ms Motivator has been teaching me about 'yoof' music. The title of this post comes from a song she told me to listen to by Bastille. I liked it. I'm like, well down with the kids. Totes. Etc. 

The last week has involved one visit to the gym, a couple of hours lugging computers up and down stairs in our office move and unloading a delivery of 45 heavy boxes of leaflets. Ideally I would have liked to fit in another gym visit, but once again life and circumstance just seemed to get in the way and I'm choosing to count the lifting of stuff at work as an extra workout.

The one thing I did do was go on a walk with the flatmate (let's call her Fi-Fi here from now on) up Leckhampton Hill. I have to be honest, at points I felt like I was going to die and we didn't even walk that far (Fi-Fi thinks maybe 6 miles, max?), but I'm choosing to blame the exhaust fumes I was breathing in. Once we got off the main road I certainly found it a little easier, but I know I have a long way to go to be mountain-fit.

I refuse to lose heart and let myself be beaten down by my doubts and an incredible lack of self esteem. Yesterday I had some moments of panic, because if I can't walk up a hill now then how the hell am I going to survive 3 days trekking? But the thing I have to keep reminding myself is that they are just stupid doubts. If there is one thing you need to know about me, it is this. When I set my mind to something, I don't give up. Some people say I am brave, others think I am stubborn and a few just incredibly stupid. Whichever of those characteristics is closest to the truth (I suspect stupidity), I am a fighter and I am going up this bloody mountain if it kills me.

We have eight months. A lot can be done in that time.

In fundraising news, I met Ms Motivator after work today to discuss our plans. We don't know each other well, but if I didn't already know it before, it was cemented in my mind that she is the right person to do this with because she walked into my flat this evening and got excited by my collection of Russian literature, and she is also a little bit in love with my straight-crush, Benedict Cumberbatch (I have a Sherlock calendar in my kitchen, much to the horror of my flatmate who is convinced everyone will think she is the one who fancies him, what with me being 'a gay' and all. She shouldn't worry though, my love for Benedict is well documented. I even have the t-shirt).

Anyway, as well as being the motivator, she also has a key role in being the organiser and the ideas person, because I am just generally a little bit incompetent. We decided that our first fundraising endeavour should be a cake sale, because she is swanning off to Africa in a couple of weeks and I almost hyperventilated at the thought of trying to organise some other kind of event in the fortnight before she leaves. Cakes are good. Cakes are easy. And if there is one thing I know my colleagues love, it is cake (we work for the NHS, this is fairly standard).

So. I will make some of my flapjack for sure, because I know my lot kind of like it. If any of my colleagues who happen upon this post have any other requests, let me know (within reason - time is a factor and alas there is no way I will have time for millionaire shortbread) and I shall see what I can do.

This is another call-out to my Sanger House/EJC buddies. If anyone else would like to donate a little time and energy to bake cakes for us to sell, please let me or Katie know.

As for the rest of you, watch this space because when Katie returns from Africa we'll be talking wine tasting, auction, quiz night and the ultimate Sanger House vs EJC Ten Pin Bowling match.

It's going to be fun, dudes.

In the mean time... SPONSOR US!!!!