Daily Dilemma Number Ten- Am i finally getting itchy?

I had a shit day at work today. Nothing bad happened in particular... it was just a bad day. But for some reason i feel different about things today. All i've thought about is getting away. Seeing new places, and having new experiences. I want to go back to Paris, and i want to see Venice and Prague and Florence. I want to learn how to snowboard and i want to fly down pistes again.

But i don't want to go alone.

I want to share all these things with someone special you know? And it's not such an easy thing to ask. Steve and so many of my friends have travelled, and i act so 'yeah and?' around them. Truth is, i'm insanely jealous. I hate Steve talking about Australia because it's a big part of him that i'll never know and can never relate to, short of me dragging him back to show me how he felt, what he saw and what it all meant to him. I want to see a truly beautiful sight, and be able to share it with someone stood right next to me, holding my hand. I want to go so much it hurts, but i want to share all those moments with someone else. Which is easier said than done.

Daily Dilemma Number Nine- Ocean's Twelve is keeping me sane

Ever since i had a horrible experience (don't ask) at work a few months ago i've developed a rather weird sleeping habit when i'm faced with having to sleep by myself. It's when i'minthe dark that i don't feel very safe, and for some reason it helps.

I can only sleep when i have Oceans Twelve on my PC on a reeeeeeely low volume. Not just any old film though- it has to be that specific film. At first i thought it was just the hum of the computer that was helping me sleep... but it's not. I can't fall asleep unless i hear the starting credits and George Clooney's voice.

I'm worried i may be slightly unwell...

I'm back!

Oh yes!

Ray is kind of/sort of back on line....

New house, new house mates.... and of course... new dilemmas. But before i get started with stuff... it might be nice to start with a little visual catch-up of what i've been up to..

For starters... there's the house. I'd write where it is, but as i've proved to my housemates on many occasions i haven't got to grips with the actual address yet.. we moved in back in august and on the whole it's been quite fun. Me and Michaela get on like a house on fire... which is great because she always cheers me up when i feel crap- whether she means to or not. Gaz and Jonny are total angels to the both of us, and as a foursome we get along like a fucking family. It's just what i needed. I've had so many stresses with houses/housemates in the past (like in the second year of uni wheni had to three times because of random shit). We stay in and watch films, eat out, go drinking and shopping and have developed a rather unsavoury group obsession to Smallville.

Here's a small but hilarious collection of photos summing up what we've been up to since then..

So... Sunday August 19th... Turkey Cafe Birthday

August 19th was the Turkey Cafe's third birthday... and being true turkeys were were all there to celebrate.... looking gorgeous as usual. There's been a lot of staff changes since then... so i kind of like looking through the photos. Kylie has gone back to uni, Lewis has started uni and Tom left to go chase the ladies in Sheffield (i think he's just about chased all the ones here- only joking Barry!)

After a few hours of punch, fairy cakes and Red Headed Sluts (no connection to me i am told) all of un drunkenly headed over to Quebec for some gay danicng. I am sad to say that 1) yes, i pole danced for everyone.. 2) yes, everyone saw my bright white french knickers and 3) yes, i drank way to many blue wkd's... but that's our little secret. Everytime i end up in that place i can't help it.... i see the pole and think "hmm.... do i fancy a good ego-boosting show-off session?". Sober me says "Rach, come on don't make a show of yourself", but drunk me says "fuck it.. look at that greasy haired chav trying to get some burberry-clad cock by badly attempting to swing off the pole. You've had lessons, you've been a dancer.... show them what you've got.". Then all it takes is for one of my friends to push me in the right direction and then i'm off. Thank god Steve didn't see the dance that night.

Moving on... 31st August- Michaela's Birthday

Since it was Michaela's 21st it was only right that we celebrated in style, and since we'd not long moved in we thought that a birthday/housewarming would be a great idea. Loads of people came, including a long-anticipated late arrival from the turkeys that'sbeen working that night, and many of us got wankered. I say many of us....but i think me and Michaela were the worst. We were definately both showing our trademark drunk behaviour (Michaela: mad-dancing mixed with laughing and slurping from a can of beer... me: passed out on my bed after falling on the floor in the toilet with a few concerned friends looking in on me to make sure i was okay)

Morning after, and hangovers were nursed with a shedloads of bacons sandwiches and the leftover beer from last night. Which was nice.

16th September- Turkey Cafe day out/ Sunday Lunch

I'm beginning to think my next dilemma i write abut should be about how much i drink/get drunk/make a fool of myself... but frankly i wasn't THAT bad on this night. The whole bar went down to Colourworks for a nice sunday lunch (you should go- service isn't that bad... kind of) and then embarked on a mini bar crawl up Narborough Road. I was still getting to grips with some of the bars around Braunstone Gate, so it was good to learn my way around the place. Let's not forget, i'm from the other side of Leicester, where the streets are full of Wetherspoons pubs full of men that drink through the day to pass the time, dodgy kebab shops and nursing homes. Fun. I love staff days/nights out, because it's a great chance to chill out and be ourselves without having to worry about whether people are being served or whether we have enough ice... blah blah blah. I love those crazy kids so much, and it's great that we're all so close. It makes things much easier and work never really feels like work to me anymore.. which is exactly what i needed when i decided to take some time out after uni. I know i've made the right decision everytime one of the turkeys make laugh or we all get to catch up

29th September- Dad's Birthday/Bonobo @ Esko

Sadly, there isn't much to comment on here, on account that a certain naughty redheaded lady accidentally-on-purpose decided to drink too much alcohol and can't remember much of the night. Apart from:

- knocking loads of glasses over while trying to drunkenly glass collect at the turkey

-laughing hilariously with Becca with a £20 note stuck to my head

-throwing napkins and straws at Vaq and Josh in an attempt to make them serve me quicker

- cutting my leg on glass on the dancefloor.. and letting it bleed down my leg until a girl noticed it when i was in the toilet.

- threatening to glass Steve when i saw him chatting to a girl at the bar.

Not quite sure why i got so drunk that night really. I didn't mean to. I hear that Bonobo was great. The worst thing was, i pciked up these details over the next few days after the gig when friends explained why they were angry at me/being so distant. Never ever again.

So that's about it for photos- have a gander at my facebook pages for millions of more photos. Back with the blog!

Much Love,

Ray xx