Ice Age, McDonalds and 'putting my foot down'

This is my second blog post of today - grand total of 3 blog posts in 2 days. Good work considering I previously hadn't been on here in well over a year, then was so disgruntled with what I'd put all that time ago that I hastily deleted those posts and essentially started this blog afresh. That's a resolution of mine now; to not delete anymore blog posts I put up - so essentially, not put up any blog posts that I know I'd look back on and be like 'Just what even Sarah what'

So Sam and Curtis came round today. Rewind. I should probably explain who Sam and Curtis are. Well, I've been friends with Sam since we were plonked next to each other in History in Year 11 (this seating arrangement we agreed to continue with when we were put in the same History class for Year 12), though we became close over Summer 2012 after last day of Year 11 where me, Sam, Rob and 2 other friends called Jenny and Ollie spent the majority of the leaving party together and then trying to get a drunken Jen and Rob down the hill home. We spent a lot of the summer attempting to matchmake our friends... I should point out that none of our matchmaking plans ever actually worked; those people did not get together, though me and Sam were utterly convinced they would. Looking back on it, it's really quite funny. We became friends over conversations about owls, herons in saunas (don't even ask), Sam's history textbook which became more of a filing cabinet (handing it back to the teachers after exams, our History teacher extracted 74 sheets from it), similar opinions in couples-to-be-who-never-actually-were, and then actually discovered we had a great deal in common to the point now where Sam knows me better than basically anyone else on the planet - except possibly Joel, but that's just because Joel's known me so long. I will explain who Joel is another time. Curtis I hadn't actually ever spoken to until around late September/early October 2012, but our friendship is one that has really come out of Rob. Rob's 17th birthday party, Curtis was invited and I got talking to him then, thinking he was genuinely a really lovely person, but I didn't really

Sam (left) and Curtis (right) on a visit to Rob's Hospice

think I'd talk to him in school. Not out of spite, not out of thinking I was better or anything like that, but I just didn't think it would be a lasting friendship; more someone I got on with when I met. Rob falling ill though, that changed things; because Rob describes his core group as Sam, Jenny, Laura, then me and Curtis, and to be there for Rob and to get through this we have all become very close of late - and Curtis, someone I never would have thought I'd become friends with, is now one of those I value most. I need him just as much as I need Sam, Laura, Jen and Joel right now (Joel is also a friend of Rob's, just not as close, but still a friend) because we can only get through this is we're together. My friendship with Sam has become 10x closer through all of this, leaning on each other, and my friendship with Curtis has appeared because of this - I suppose I'm desperately searching for positives coming out of this hideous thing. But that's who Sam and Curtis are. Utter nutters and technically speaking quite recent friends, but friends I trust and love completely.

Ice Age 4 crew 

Anyway, they came round today (wow that description was very rambly) for an Ice Age day. They were meant to come round earlier, but Sam was lumbered with looking after his little sister Jenny, and I was on Skype call to him whilst watching him get slaughtered by her at Monopoly - might I add, Jenny is seven. She's also beaten him at Fifa on the Xbox 9-6. Because they were later than planned, we met at the local McDonalds, where me and Sam had proper meals and Curtis had a chocolate milkshake - I don't understand how he had so little but oh well! We then came back to mine and watched Ice Age 4, crying with laughter at the part Sid becomes paralysed and is basically a floppy idiotic useless mess. We're 16 going on 17, but you're never too old for Ice Age. NEVER. We also had some, um, 'interesting conversations' (I'm not harsh enough to put them here, and I also don't want to face the wrath of Sam and Curtis, particularly Sam...) and my toy owl, angry bird (as in the game, and yes it squawks when you squeeze it) and toy Manny the mammoth from Ice Age were flung out the window - there was mission 'rescue the toys' once they were gone. T'was a fun afternoon!

So yeah, had a good afternoon with Sam and Curt :) This evening though, whilst babysitting and procrastinating doing work and getting paid to do so, I'm 'putting my foot down' so to speak. It's part of my whole resolution made recently to make the most of my life - and I'm not in the sense of working hard. In the sense of actually putting effort into things, I work at about 25% motivated at the most, and at this rate I am going to fail my AS-Levels. I have an Art Coursework deadline next week which I am utterly screwed for unless I work, a fair few essays to write for English and History, and Biology work to do. It's time to actually start working, and although it does suck, if I don't I won't do well and then won't be making the most of my life which is a great education I'm privileged to have, the possibility of Higher Education, good job prospects etc etc... So this is Sarah, turning over a new leaf, oh dear we'll see how long this resolution lasts...