I'm a bit of history fan, always have loved looking at the past, loved a trip to a museum or a castle, I can spend hours reading about famous historical events or listening to podcasts, for all those who love British history I fully recommend the British History Podcast, it covers our beautiful little islands history from the very beginning to at the time of writing this, the Norman conquest.

It's kind of hard to put into words some of the feelings I've had in the past. I've touched on my struggles with my self confidence in previous posts, it's always been there in the back of my head like an itch that can't be scratched.

Another year older, definitely a bit wiser. A lot more focused on getting out of Boston, the old CV has been updated and made to look as sparkly and appealing as possible and will be submitted to anywhere I think would be a good fit for me. I'm not sure if I want to carry on in the hospitality industry, after all I've been doing it for over 20 years maybe it's time for a change? I'm not going to rush into anything, it's got to be the right move for me but that's enough serious stuff for the minute, after the last entry I need to lighten the mood around here!

Now I've said some of these challenges are silly but personal to me....this is one of those. Now for people who don't know three of my most prized possessions are Pingu, or to give him his full name, Sir Pingu of Pinguington I, and my two penguin stones. Pingu has been with me since birth and has gone with me from place to place, always proudly on display, he's been a confident, a source of comfort in the worse times of my life, a study partner and most importantly my assistant manager when it comes to Football manager. 

Memories can be a funny thing can't they, for example I remember the smallest details from a night out that I had over twenty years ago but ask me what I had for dinner yesterday and I hate to admit I struggle to remember. With everything that's gone in my life this year I've been on what I've dubbed my 'reconnection tour'. I've reconnected with so many people from my past, Emma, Rhi, Dave, Kev, Sott, Nayf, Ash, the list goes on and in the new year I've got more lined up.  I'm a different person to what I was all those years ago, I've got older, I no longer feel the need to steal every bus stop poster that I come across, I don't feel the need to get drunk every day ending in a 'Y', I still quote movies and TV shows with alarming regularity and it's still a dream that I perform a swanton bomb onto Edge in front of a live WWE crowd, maybe I haven't grown up quite as much as I thought.....

Facing my fears is what some of these challenges is all about, this was a dual one. Anyone who knows me knows that I don't like needles or blood.....so what better way to face both in one go than to donate blood. 

'Tis the season to be jolly, that's how the saying goes isn't? I think I can honestly say I've never felt this un-christmassy in my life, not even watching the greatest Christmas film of all time, A Muppets Christmas Carol has helped me get into the spirit of things. I know the main reason is that this year is going to be vastly different to what I've done in the last few years, I don't have that excitement of finding presents for alot of people and to top it all off I'm working New Years Eve, as anyone in the hospitality industry knows is one of the most stress filled nights to work. 

During my little trip down to London town I had a great catch up with Kev and Christina, and over a great meal at Savci (I fully recommend the slow cooked lamb shank!) and a few games of pool several stories of my past were told. Memories of the Taliban water fighters, the attack of the giant pigeon, stealing a pic-nic table and then having a romantic candlelit dinner with Kev, Scott and Dave, the immortal poster raiders to name but a few.  It's led me down a nostalgic path of things that have occurred in my life that I feel need to be immortalised in this blog, so here is the first of a series (depending on if I can be bothered to keep it going!) Ladies and gentlemen I give you the tale of the cursed sambuca shot.

 FIRST ONE COMPLETED!!!!!

.I've been told that to get my feelings out in the open is better for me as in the past I've had a habit of bottling it all up inside of me and then it explodes in some not very nice ways.