It's because we're British...

We moan when it's cold, we moan when it's hot; basically, we're always going to moan.

I have to say though, it has been absolutely boiling hot today - not that my choice of clothing affected anything! I decided to walk to the shops, which are two and a half miles away, and I didn't even give the weather a thought. I put my full length skinny jeans, a top, my blazer and some pumps on and by the time I had reached the end of my driveway I felt like I'd done a four mile sprint. I marched on like a trooper anyway because I was getting a lift back later on, until I wasn't... I ended up walking back aswell! But my return journey must have been about half the usual time because in my rage, I stormed through the woods and down the road as if I was trying to escape from a stalker.

The point is, when it goes cold again, I'll still be complaining.

When I finally got to civilisation I looked like I'd just travelled from the North Pole because I had more clothes on than the whole of Ambleside put together. That's another British thing though isn't it, we see a bit of sun and we strip off; we dig out our sandals and white t-shirts and we act like we're in the Bahamas. And the best bit is, we do that for one day a year and they aren't then seen for another year.

That's because we're British though; the American's wear sweatpants, the Mexican's wear big hats and according to the apprentice, we're still unsure whether the French love their children!

I finally got the results, and another visit to the Doctor's Surgery. At least I know I'm getting my money's worth of this National Insurance I'm paying over summer - or whatever it is!

The results were useless but they suggested there was some bacteria in my body, somehow. She explained three times and I still didn't understand; not because I'm thick but because the thought of the white blood cells she was banging on about made me feel sick so I tried not to listen!

I should slowly start getting better with rest apparently but my tonsils still look and feel something similar to the size of the tennis balls I'm currently watching on Wimbledon! Speaking of which, I'm really enjoying watching the tennis, despite ignoring it now to write this! It's really occupying my time at the moment, well, the time I have aside from working and trying to socialise. I've never really been in to watching sport, if anything I'd rather be playing it than sat on my sofa watching somebody else.

When you get to my age (oh god I'm starting to sound like my 70year-old grandma) it gets difficult to play a sport; hard to find the players to play with, space to play and of course the time! It was easy a few years ago when I was still at school where the teachers would arrange teams and matches and we were forced to play sport for an hour a week. Now, it's all about the treadmill, the cross-trainer and the exercise bike. And it's expensive!

To stay fit and healthy it costs; it's much cheaper to buy a pizza than cook a proper meal and it'd be much cheaper without having a direct debit out of  my suffering bank account from the local gym.

Call me at 3am, I'll still be awake

I spent the best part of my morning in the doctors today, ew! They're horrible things; the bland walls, aroma of ill people and posters to spark hypochondria in the best of people. But the worst part is the silence.

Personally, I'm not one known to be quiet - more the opposite.

I know it's called a 'waiting room' but today we had to take a bit too much advantage of it. We sat in the depressingly silent room for over an hour before I got called in for my appointment, an hour late. Although, today was a little different because across the room sat a woman; she was blonde, getting on quite a bit and spoke more than those stupid Furby's from a few years ago. Her accent was posh and she was about four stone wet through. I'd say she was knocking on seventy, but it was extremely hard to put an age on her because her hands and legs were those of a pretty ancient woman while her face looked more plastic and molded than the water bottle in the bin next to me.

For the majority of the time I sat in the waiting room, she complained about how empty the lifeless the Lake District is, while she sat in a room full of locals. She spoke how she was originally from Chelsea and misses the culture and theatre from back there. Of course she covered herself by pointing out the beauty of this area. Obviously, today's waiting room experience was a little different because I sat mesmerized with the, I guess, once-stunning lady sat across the room. You could tell by the way she was dressed, the way she spoke and her drooping face that she was once model material.

Eventually, after all the excitement of the waiting room, I was called in to the doctors room where she did nothing but extract blood from my arm and make me feel faint and sick. That meant we spent another half an hour in there where she lay me down to get some colour back in my cheeks and some blood back in my head. I've decided I have some not-yet-diagnosed illness which'll put me on a channel 4 dispatches programme next year! But that's unlikely.

I'm still nervously awaiting the results from all my tests so tonight will be another sleepless night!
xxx

The Unexpected

I've had my first night of training at Hospital Radio tonight. I loved it! The thing is, hospitals make me feel queezy, really queezy, so it was totally unexpected that I didn't faint, feel sick or need to take a five-minute break outside in the car park! I'm quite proud of myself really and it's all for a great cause - helping lift the sick people's spirits.

I sat in with one of the presenters while he did his voice tracking and before I knew it, half way through his first link, he announced me as his co-host and it was like the Fearne and Reggie chart show - without the chart run-through and without the southern accents!

I really enjoyed it. I don't know what's gotten in to me recently, I'm fearless. I keep throwing myself in to these weird and exciting situations which usually I'd have run a mile from. I feel like I've really come out of myself, it's only a few years ago when I wouldn't go anywhere alone and now I feel untouchable! I think I have university to thank for that; the best thing I've ever done. I think it was the best decision of my life, and so far, every situation I have thrown myself in to has put me one step closer to my dream of working in the media whether it's through skills I have learnt, contacts I've made or simply just my new-found confidence.

All in all, a really good night and to brighten up my night even more, ah I may self-combust with happiness soon, it's the longest day of the year tomorrow!! xxx

A mile of GOOD DEED - we can't all say we've done that today

I’ve been down at the Great North Swim today, reporting for Lakeland Radio. I was on my own so it was a little nerve racking at first if I’m honest but it wasn’t long before I got in to it.

It’s amazing to see how people will run three mile to get away from a microphone when you ask if you can speak to them, yet they’ll jump in the lake and swim a mile in open water. Not just open water, may I add, it looked freezing and half of those who had just taken part looked close to acquiring frost bite! I take my hat off to them though because it’s all for such a great cause.

There was loads going on down at the Lake, across from the Low Wood at the Watersports centre. There was a hamster-wheel type attraction where people got inside and had to run as fast as they could and a woman on a mic was screaming and supporting whoever was inside but I didn’t get chance to figure out exactly what was going on. There were talking about times and speed so there must have been some contraption which measured the speed or turns of the wheel which made it in to a competition! The kids really seemed to enjoy it anyway!

There was also free face painting, free powerade for the swimmers and various stalls and food stands. All in all it seemed a great day out whether you were taking part, supporting somebody who was swimming or just looking around to see what was going on.

The thing that got me most was the showers which were provided, with a large, in-your-face sign warning that no showergel or shampoo should be taken in. I don’t really know how to describe it, or where to start really! There were metal bars creating an arch and there was a waterproof cover over the top, so it was like a mini doorless barn and you could just walk straight through from one end to the other. The water was pretty feeble, you could get more power squeezing one of the free bottles of water on yourself! Cold water seemed to trickle from a small pipe which was wrapped around one of the top metal bars and didn’t look use for anybody!

I found it quite emotional because people were taking part for such great causes and charities. Each wave which went in to the water had to do a warm up and then ‘We are the Champions’ was played as they entered the murky lake to do their mile of good deed.

Well done to all who took part today, yesterday and Friday! 

Kacee xxx

Find another way to carry me

My day started with a 3 mile walk – a pointless three mile walk. It was one of those things where, for the sake of saving a couple of quid, you go for the hard option. It wasn’t hard or strenuous, but the rain was totally unnecessary.

Minding my own business and power walking through the torrential rain, I passed a young couple. The man was carrying his daughter in one of those strange child-carriers which are worn like a rucksack on one of the parents’ backs. I’ve never really understood them, nor agreed with them. Imagine if the parent/guardian slipped and fell over! The child would either go flying on to the floor, be squashed or go head first as a consequence. In fact, I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I saw it.

Saying this, I’ve no better idea of how to carry your young child up a mountain because I can’t imagine seeing a young couple pushing a pram over the peaks!