Grasp the Nettles

Thursday/Friday of this week, as you will know if you read my last blog, I was away at Army Camp. It’s a compulsory trip for our year. We basically have to dress in camouflage greens and learn about/practise Army things.

Thursday was fair enough. I enjoyed it a little. It was quite sunny at the start, so playing hide and seek in the bushes was okay. It became night and it was so dark. We would always ask each other “Who’s this?” “Who’s that?” and could only recognize on height and voice. We watched some of the Sixth Form do an ambush with proper guns as well, but to be honest, it was unexciting. I was expecting to sleep in some hut that would keep the rain out, but instead we slept in practically an abandoned warehouse with holes in the roof and rock-solid concrete floor.

Don’t get me started on Friday. It rained ALL day. And I mean all. We were drenched. Still, marching on, we had to do these exercises where we’d run 5 metres and then get down on one knee, for about a 50 metre stretch. They said we were soft because we weren’t running through the thistles blocking the way, so ordered us to do so saying, “they won’t hurt you”. Well, I’ll give them bloomin’ won’t hurt you! I was crouching, I lost my balance, and put my left hand straight into a thistle bush. I got over 16 thistle prickles in that hand and it swelled up in yellow boil-like shape. Now, over the weekend it’s completely red and itches like heck.

So that’s my lovely time at army camp. Not to mention doing an on-stomach crawl through a giant mud puddle. Before I didn’t mind it so much, but now… oh, now… we’ll just say things have changed.

Quickly before I go, thanks very much to all who voted for me in SOTM competitions. I came 3rd in Atomic Affliction’s and, though it hasn’t finished yet, I probably won’t place in EE’s as I haven’t got past 4 votes. Haha. Remember, you’re welcome to join the Demented Year Awards at any time! More updates soon!

Soph x