Week 13

So find out how Pippa and Flash are getting on.  What I have been getting on with Merlin this week.  How I handled a relationship issue and what has been going on with the whole James Blunt thing. 

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Hi everyone and welcome to this week's edition of Catherine Lorema's Guide to Life Podcast. How are you guys all doing? You okay? You all good? Yep. So yeah, week 13. I know. I'm really professional and I've checked. No, that's not what happened at all. What actually happened was um uh this is the second attempt at recording it because I forgot to press a record button on the first occasion. Right? So yeah, I've been inundated this week with people um sending me emails wanting me to um yeah to interview them on the podcast, which is great. Um I'm not gonna give you any more details because I've done that before and then people have let me down. So I'm not gonna do that again. I'm not gonna say who I'm interviewing or why until the podcasts go out. But there's some really awesome stuff to listen to. Um so we'll see how we go. I'm having to be a bit careful as well. There's a few things coming through, and I'm just like, no, that's I'm not really sure about that. It doesn't really fit in. But um, you know, so anything that kind of really fits in, and then feel free to send me an email about it and I'll try and get you guys in. Now uh, okay, so what have I been doing with Murling Pony? Well, he's had shoes on, front shoes on. Um, I took them off about three or four months ago to try and get him to go barefoot, which is fine. It's okay if you are not riding much and are riding um on sort of like grass, which is what I was planning to do. But since I've moved to this new yard, then I have we've been doing 10 mile hacks, and he has had like boots on and stuff, but he's just not been walking out as far as fast as or as well. And I think he's just been a little bit foot sore. So um, and also he's really worn down one toe. So I think it's like, no, you're gonna have to have shoes on. And in fact, the uh farrier who came to do him did say, Um, do you know what you might even have to have backs on him if you're riding him as much as you are, which is great, you know, at the end of the day, because I'm having lots of fun on my pony, razzing around everywhere, doing lots of stuff. Um, went for a lovely hack in the sunshine today. You know, it's just it's just a great place to be. Uh, I did uh 50 centimetre cross-country hunter trials uh this week. So that's my first ever hunter trials that this weekend. Uh right, so you'll have seen the picture um on Instagram. So you can see my legs were in the wrong angle. Okay, I look like I'm flying like Superman, don't I? Or Wonder Woman or something like that, some kind of superhero. Uh right. So um basically the issue was that it was quite a big jump. It was near the end, and he was getting it was maybe a little bit tired, no, and he wasn't really going forwards as much as I wanted to, because he was a bit hesitant. So it's his first sort of time, and you know, anyway. So I kind of went rah to get him over this jump. And I must have rad a little bit too loud because it was quite a big jump. And he kind of went, oh my god, I'm gonna have to really jump this really, really super high mummy. And he must have jumped over a meter. Um, so consequently, I was like, whoa, my little legs went into the air, and I was like flying. Um, the judges were going from the car. Unfortunately, it was caught on on uh photographs, so that was quite good. They continued taking it as well. I think they thought I was gonna fall off and they'd capture that, but no, um, unfortunately, I have managed to stay on, which is quite good. Um, but what an awesome little pony! He's been absolutely fantastic. So he's had a couple of days off after that just to because it's a big, big thing, you know. It's um when you kind of do anything like that, it's a mental thing as well, more than anything else. I mean, it only takes what, I don't know, 10 minutes. I don't know, I couldn't even tell you how long it took us to get round. Um, and we were only trotting, we took it really, really easily. Um, but we were kind of like trotting round. Um, and uh, you know, it so and I think I'd forgotten to breathe for the entire time. Yeah, honestly, I stopped and was like, why is my chest hurting so much? And I was thinking, I hate you that you've forgotten to breathe, right? So I need to make sure that I breathe next time we're doing it. But it was a good experience, it was a fantastic experience. So um I'm off um do something else on on Sunday because it looks as long as I haven't checked the weather. Hopefully, as long as the weather's okay, I'll go and do this other thing as well. Um, it's it's something different because I like getting out and doing different things. Um, but uh say one thing as well, um, I did make sure that he was quite full before I competed him. He'd had like a Hana in the morning, um, mainly because if you take them out for the first time and they can be quite fizzy um and quite bouncy, then I would have had, you know, he probably would have been a bit stupid. Um, but actually he was um no, he was really, really good. One thing to say as well that we were in the kind of warm-up arena, um, he's really, really wary of any horses coming up behind us after our accident. Um, so he's just super, super wary uh of anything like that, which is great. I mean, he was awesome. I mean, realistically, when it when we came over that jump and when we kind of landed, um, I wasn't balanced at all, you know, and I was I could have easily fallen off. And uh a less honest horse would have had me off at that point, they'd have seized the opportunity to offload me and gone, yeah, go on, get her off now. Um, but because he is my pony and we have got such a strong bond, he went, Oh dear, mummy's not very balanced, I'll just go into trot. You know, I mean, what an absolute legend, you know, and he might have even stopped. I can't I can't really remember. But anyway, he was an absolute superstar. He's just, I'm just so proud. He's such an amazing pony. Uh, so uh let's have a little look. Um, what else has been going on? Uh so it was something as well, yeah, if her pony's a little bit green still, what they call is they're still learning. Um then quite often they will over jump things, which is again what happened there because he doesn't know how high to jump, but you know, it's all a learning curve for both of us. Uh so Pippa's a lot better. Um, the incontinence issue seems to be under control now, which is absolutely fantastic. Um, and Flash is no longer lame, and he's now allowed um, so he's back on lead walks going the full hour. Um, and I'm slowly letting him off the lead for about five minutes at a time, um, which is really, really good. So, what else is going on? So, you've probably seen the James Blunt stuff been difficult to miss, really. Um, one thing I want to say as well is because obviously my job, I work for the NHS, and we're all about looking after people and safeguarding. Um, and obviously, you know, I you've got you've got to kind of like consider people's kind of like family and stuff around this whole thing. So, about three years ago, um, I actually sent an anonymous letter to his wife saying, Look, um, this is happening. Okay, I don't expect you to believe me, but could you help me look for some evidence? And if you can find something, then can you please help me with it, you know, or help to stop him or something, because you know, it's like she's a lawyer, she's got a moral and legal responsibility to help somebody if she thinks that a crime's been committed, which it is. He doesn't seem to understand that watching people through secret cameras and listening to their conversations because he's had that in the as a reconnaissance officer, is actually not what you're supposed to do in real life. Okay, you can't do that, it's not allowed, okay? It's it's breaking a few laws. Um, obviously, you don't have any evidence of this, but you may have seen it on social media this week. He's he's secretly filming somebody on a laptop. Well, you know what I'm gonna say next, don't you? Um, there have been times when I have been on my laptop and the cameras come on, the lights come on. I'm thinking, well, I'm not damn on words, what's going on here? Um, all I did was I got a piece of tape, um, blackened it out, um, and shoved it over the camera bit. That seems to have worked. Um, car as well. Um, so this week in my car, I'm having a conversation. So I pulled up outside um partner's house and um and kind of we're we're sat there and um and just as the and the phone rang, so and it was um consultant lady, I think she was consultant, I'm not sure, um, to talk about my hearing loss. Uh it's a telephone appointment and it went on for about three quarters of an hour. It started about half past ten. So um so what kind of like happened about that time was we were chatting away, um so I I said that's like I said, I've just pulled up outside the house and she said, Oh, um, you know, do you want to go in? And I was like, No, it's all right, we'll just do it in the car because she was already on hands-free, and I thought, I couldn't, I'm I'm not sure how to take off hands-free, okay, and um and stop it. So I'll just thought, no, I'll just I'll just speak to her now. So in the car having a conversation, right? And we're chatting for about half an hour, and then we're chatting about dates, okay, um, for follow-up appointments, because she needs to talk to me about Matinitas because she said, um, but so she was actually really lovely. She said, You've kind of been managing this all on your own for so long, um, and really you haven't had any support. So you need to kind of like get some support um over it. So um I kind of thought, right, okay, yeah, she's right. No, that's fine. So I've had that, and then I've also got my hearing aid appointment as well. And um, and and so uh she kind of um she was we were discussing dates, okay, and we were discussing the 12th of November. So um you may or may not have seen that there's an a small acoustic gig on the 11th of November. Okay, so I'd actually tweeted out to Blunty and said, Oh, you know, I didn't expect the tickets to sell out too fast. I haven't got one, right? So then it comes, so this and this actually happens, and I'm gonna I've I've done some social media around it. I've popped in a screenshot because it's things like this that happen all the time. Um, but I'm just starting to record them a bit more now. So it's like bear in mind his his um his um social media this week is how he's secretly filming somebody in the car to just to get a reaction, see what their reaction is for for the song. So I'm kind of like right, okay. I'm sat there and all of a sudden this I'm discussing the appointment dates, okay, for the consultant, and a message pops through, okay, from Blunty's Instagram account. Okay, and it's I've taken a screenshot, it's 11 o'clock, right? My appointment started at half 10, right? Um, so and just as a reminder that his tickets are going on sale for his for his extra gig. He's no saying that he's having an extra gig um on the 11th, and and tickets are on sale tomorrow, and it's at five o'clock, so he's doing two sessions in one. And I'm just like, is this like for real? I mean, you just and it's little things like that. And I'm thinking, well, that is a really, really bizarre coincidence, isn't it? You know, huh? Anyway, um, so so I know, um, like one thing I would like to say is though, before you do anything like this whole thing, you have to get yourself to a point of real mental strength to take on something like this. Um, I actually had to write my partner a 20,000-word okay, whatever, story, letter, whatever, um, uh, just to kind of like explain to him the entire situation that has been going on. Um, it's just, you know, so that when it got to this stage where I knew it would do, um when I'd had enough, really, I was like, I do know what I've had enough of this, right? You've got to stop. Leave me alone. You know, contact me normally, stop following me, which is exactly what his social and the guy in his social media, right? That's me, okay? That's what I mean, like, it's like, you know, his new music, I'm like, I'm working. Do you mind? Will you just leave me alone? That's exactly what I've said to him. And uh they're kind of like, then no, will you just leave me alone? Stop following me. I've actually had this can't, I've just I've said this to him. Um, so it's just it's I've it's funny, but it's not funny, you know. It's just like I've had enough now. Um, anyway, how have I got through this? Well, I've read quite a lot of self-help books. Um, Ant Middleton, Mental Strength, Ben Smith, 401 Marathons, um, and The Wild Welshman, uh, James McCawkingdale. Right, and you, you know, you have to remember that you I haven't done anything wrong, okay? Um, I am not to blame. I am the victim, right? Um, I didn't ask for this situation, okay. And it, you know, it can affect like friendships and relationships. It has. Um, this whole thing, people haven't believed me. I haven't spoken to my best friend for a couple of years. Um, I am now speaking to, I've spoken to a brother quite a bit. I see him quite a bit, but you know, because she thinks I'm completely crazy. And that's what narcissists do to you, okay. That's narcissistic behavior type. They will come across as some fantastic person that everyone thinks is amazing, and then it's not until you actually kind of like get involved in the whole situation that you realize that they're not like that at all. Um, and it's just, you know, it's I just find it so frustrating, and it's the whole control thing. Um, anyway, so my friend is a bit worried that I'm gonna get trolls. And I've said to her, Look, I said, just don't look at the comments. I said, I'm not gonna bother. And I think I've got to that stage now where I don't care about looking at the comments. You know, people could say what they want because at the end of the day they've got their opinion, they're entitled to it, but they don't actually know what's going on in your life, do they? Okay, so why should you really worry about what some random stranger says about you on the internet? Because at the end of the day, it's some random stranger. And and if they've got, if that's all they've got in their life is to start commenting your things um and saying unpleasant things about you, then you know, you just actually have to, you know, think, well, I feel a bit sorry for them, really. So your life must be a bit sad if that if that's the only thing that you've got. Um, and we shouldn't be like that to people, we should be being nice to people and being kind to people. Um, so did anyone see the pranky thing? There was a there was this guy, um, prank my friend. I did I went and did it. I went um so it was the American guy, and it started a while ago, and I heard it on Virgin Radio, and uh you know it was great. So it was this they this they sort of what they said was that you wanted everybody randomly as a random strangers to wish his friend happy birthday on his birthday. So I I heard about it the day it was about to do it, and I thought, right, I'm gonna be involved in that. So I actually wish this guy a happy birthday, but I just thought what a lovely thing to do, actually. And that's actually one of the good things about social media because we hear so many bad things about social media, don't we? But actually, there are some really good things as well, and it is a good way of connecting people, um, but it has to be used in the right way. But just going back to my friend, I just said she said, I'll keep an eye on the comments, and I was like, No, I said don't. I said, Don't put yourself through it. I said it's not worth it. Um, just don't look at what people are saying, you know, because at the end of the day, it's just like you know, it's just one of those things, it's not worth it. Um, so what happened when I posted it on YouTube? Well, actually, they stopped my podcast for a bit. Okay, it stopped completely, which is what they did last time, and they check it all out, and and then you know, they've realized they've not heard anything back from from anybody, and and then they they can they continue and it's up there now and it's it's um it's not set to public. Um again, because obviously they give somebody the chance to uh come back and say that's not true, you know. And it's had a week now, it's been out there for a week, nothing, nothing whatsoever. Um, I've had no letter from the solicitor or anything like that. Strange that, isn't it? Yeah, but because I'm not famous, okay? So my voice doesn't get heard um because I'm not famous. No, but um I you know, I carry on like this. I've I've had about 2,000. I've only just started a TikTok account. I thought, right, I'm gonna take the TikTok account last week. I've had 2,000 views on one of my some of my posts already, which is it's pretty good. It's that's increasing. Um, but and and it's annoying that I should actually have to be doing this. This is the only way to actually get heard. Um, because you know, it's you know, and to be fair, if it wasn't for Virgin Radio, who have now started, um, I don't know if you heard uh Chris um promoting the Kiss Cat Kiss Cam thing. And so I I kind of like right, right, okay, I've got a podcast on that, so let's promote that, and tagged in Virgin Radio. And if it wasn't for Virgin Radio doing that, um that sort of thing, then I wouldn't be getting anywhere, okay? You know, nothing would be happening. Um, but also, you know, Chris is an absolutely fantastically amazing person, and he um he's really inspired me, you know, to do to do this podcast as well, um, because he has like lots of people on to help other people. Um, and we're I think we're like-minded people. I've always listened to his radio station and always got a lot out of it. You know, the day isn't a normal day if it doesn't start with for me in our house for Chris Evans Radio. Um, I've I've yet to convert John. I've had to put my headphones on and listen to Chris. Um, but you know, because he just is great and he and it's great that they do allow him to do that. Um, because you know, it is important that we do try and help other people because wouldn't the world be a much, much nicer place if everybody was trying to help each other and help each other to get along, okay, um, rather than being horrible to each other. I mean, what I just don't understand it really. Um so how did it go down at work? Well, I've had a that's uh in corridors this week. Yeah, it's fine. I just I I don't care anymore, okay, because I know what's what's it's all about. Um, and if you go and listen to Chris Evans Breakfast Show, I think I promoted it, was it not? What's today? Today's Thursday. I think it was Wednesday morning. He's talking about graveyards in uh West Norwood. So I know what it's all about, okay? Right, and so do they. So, but we'll just have to kind of we'll go along for a bit and we'll see what happens. Um, because it's gonna take a bit to get the story out. And what you guys don't know, okay, um, is I didn't really want well, I told you I didn't really want to be famous, but um, so what the guys behind the scenes in the communication industry, what's been happening is information that I put out on my podcast or on social media is being picked up, and then I was like, I it was it was really bizarre to start off with, okay. I was watching, you know, programs that I like thinking that's something I've said or that's relative to my life, or and it's happened, you know, all the time. Like I talked about um Lord of the Flies and the BBC have done like a production on it, um, and and lots of little things like that. So, because that's what happens when you're famous, isn't it? You get so much influence so quickly and so much power that it goes to people's head a little bit and they can't cope with it and they go a little bit crazy. Um, because I did say to Blount, you know, I said, I can't I can't be this famous this quickly. It's just I can't do it, it's just not gonna be possible. I can't go from nobody to being like, uh, and overnight. It would just, you know, so that's what's been happening. So the communication, but there's also there's the communication messaging has been put out there so about what this is about because also you can't just we couldn't just sort of go right about this, um, because people wouldn't be ready for it. Um, I know I've tested it a few times, um, told a few people, and they've gone really, they haven't spoken to me or like if my best friend had all fallen out with me, don't believe you. And if your best friend doesn't believe you, then you know, but people I'm telling now, because they've had the messaging already from the communication industry, then it means that actually when I'm telling them, they're right, oh right, what oh yeah, yeah. And and so we're getting there, okay. But you know, people have to be ready for anything that's absolutely massive, okay. People have to be ready to hear it. Um, otherwise they won't accept it, they won't believe it. Um, and also it'll affect people's mental health, which is also a part of the whole self self-safeguarding thing, isn't it? Um as I say, it is difficult to be heard if you're a victim um of a celebrity or famous person, as I've mentioned before. It's also in the algorithms, okay? You know, so I've so um on traitors this week. I had I've watched a couple of them. So that was an interesting conversation as well. A colleague um from work came up and saying, Oh, you're a big James Blunt fan. What do you think of him on traitors? Well, sorry, she said, Are you watching traitors? I said, Yeah, I've seen it. I thought I know where this is going. So she said, Have you I said, Have you have you seen it? She said, You're a big James Blunt fan. What do you make of him? I thought I can't give you a direct answer to that. Because I do know what I don't actually know, I'm not entirely sure, okay, who he is or what he is, or you know. Um, so you know, it's like, and I kind of like looked to her as if she had three heads. I gave her up the hard Paddington stare. That's what I did. I was like, have you not seriously seen my social media that says he's been stalking me or following me? And it and that's what he's saying in his in his social media, okay, that's come out this week. Um, he's making jokes about him following somebody, trying to get him to listen to the song, which is actually in effect probably what's been happening. Um, and I'm thinking, are you for real? So, and he said, So I didn't answer, I I deflected. I just went, I haven't seen the first because I haven't seen the first episode. First series, first series, that was it. I haven't seen the first series. And then she went on, she said, I said, Yeah, I said, I'm I'm a really big um Richard Grant, um Richard E. Grant fan, and I'm also a massive Michael Sheen fan because I've read Richard E. Grant's book about his wife's death, and I actually sent him a lovely message on social media about it, which he he liked. And then I also um I went to see Michael Sheen in Our Town recently, and he's a fantastic actor, isn't he? He's just amazing, it's one of my favourites. Um, you know, and I can't remember what it was called, um, but it was the thing with him and David Tennant. That got us through COVID, didn't it? You know, that was just absolutely brilliant. It was so funny. It was just hilarious. It was just absolutely genius. Staged, that was it. If you haven't seen it, you need to go and fun it because it's absolutely go and see it, because it's absolutely hilarious, and that really got me through uh lockdown. Just that whole thing was just absolutely brilliant. Um and I kind of like left it there, really. Um, because I just thought I can't answer that question because I don't know who he is, you know. Um and it's you know, because at the end of the day, he's a star, but people have like you know, different lives, you know, just because someone's famous and in them doesn't mean they're necessarily a good Person, does it you know? So it's all about getting to the and I thought to myself, I thought that would make a really good podcast actually. Um, because I've done a lot of research when I work this all out. I've kind of gone back through old previous emails and videos and stuff like that. I thought I'm gonna revisit that again at some point um in the near sort of future. Because I thought, who is he as a person? And and um, because there's various things that I've kind of found and I've gone, mmm, that's a bit interesting. Um, like for example, you know, on interviews he'll like joke that he should be locked up for other people's safety. And I'm like, why is that? Okay, there's a really weird social media post about him that came out um this week where he's opening a fridge and he looks like he's in somebody's house completely naked, um, and he's eating some mayonnaise like mayonnaise will do, and you're kind of thinking, yeah, that's a bit serial killer-ish, really, isn't it? Um also on traitors, did you kind of notice that um he's you know, he was like running around excitedly saying who we gonna kill? And someone said, No, we're not gonna kill anyone, James. And I'm like thinking, yeah, that's interesting. It's like incidentally, just going back to the whole kind of graveyard thing, um, one thing that I did think to myself, actually, this was a lot, this was a obscure thought that I had a long, long time ago. Right, okay, and if you were a serial killer, which actually he's kept that tweet in his book, he said uh it's in his tweet book and it says um James Blunt's a serial killer. I'm like, why would you have that in your book? You know, I mean if someone said that about me, I'd probably I wouldn't even acknowledge the fact. And I'm just like, that's a bit of a weird thing. Um, but if you were a serial killer, okay, wouldn't the best place to hide a dead body be in a graveyard? Yeah? In like a graveyard, a shallow grave, okay, in a graveyard that's already dug. I'm just putting that out there. I'm not saying anything, but I'm just putting that out there as a thing. Uh right, so how did I how have I dealt with this whole situation? How has it not sent me absolutely crazy? Um, if I'm honest, it's all down to Chris Evans, right? Okay. Um, the the man is absolute legend getting to me to read like self-help books and stuff like that. And yeah, he's just been phenomenal. Um, so if you are in a not a great place, um, then I would suggest you need to go and you know, go and listen to Chris because you'll have some book that you can read and do and things that you can do to get yourself out of this situation because he's been there himself, okay? He has been there, which is why he knows. Um, how did I do with the blunty thing? Well, I started stalking him back on Instagram, sent him loads of messages, okay, which narcissists hate. But then that's now made me look like I'm stalking him. So, you know, it's it's kind of like, well, so I'm trying to be really, really good now and not put too much on social media. Um, I'm literally just doing like two words, which is great. I'm I'm I'm proud of myself this week. It's been really, really good. Um, someone had put a little comment on saying, you know, saying um about the when he's following around the car that he can't get rid of him, and I just went tell me about it, right? And then um the the whole kind of creepy weird thing. I just went, yeah, that's the tad creepy. Okay, so we'll just you know, that's where it is. Now it's in the you know, open, like people will be watching his every move. Um, you know, and he's not gonna be able to keep trying to get my attention through social media anymore, which he has been. Um it's gonna be a lot, you know, well, a lot healthier for me anyway, right? Which is and it's a relief to get it all out there to start talking about it. Um partner, you know, he's been away um this week, he's been away golfing in Spain. Um, and we did have a little bit of an issue, okay. We had a bit of a drama um because his phone hadn't charged up properly, and so and then he he he forgot to send me a little night message um and I couldn't get onto live 360 to make sure he was okay. So, of course, when I woke up at three o'clock in the morning and it was still showing that his phone was in some you know, road in in wherever it was, I kind of I did get a little bit freaked out by this because you know there's a lot going on, you know, and it so that really did stress me out. I didn't sleep very well after that. So, you know, ordinarily previously in a previous life, I probably would have um just let that slide, but not this time. So I kicked a bit of ass and said, right, this is causing an issue, okay? It's starting to affect, you know, who we are. Um, I mean, I mean, you know, and I I was really, really worried. So you have to have these conversations with people, but before I'd be like, and I don't think I can, I don't want to upset them. I'm really worried about having that conversation with somebody because you know, what if they dump me up? But actually, no, you need to kind of like set some rules up and some boundaries. So we need to set some rules, right? That's acceptable, that isn't, okay. And that has to happen in relationships, and women need to be stronger. We need to be not afraid to sort of like, yeah, have these conversations with people. Um, uh, but it's great, you know. Um, he he didn't throw a strop, which is great because I've had that before where you just throw a strop and um the partner throws a strop and you're kind of thinking, well, you know, uh that's fine and everything, throw a strop, then it just don't bother saying anything because it's just too much hassle and you can't be bothered with it. Um, so that's where we are um this week. It's been uh it's been a I've done some really good social media. Just wait until you see tomorrow's social media. Today's social media might seem a little bit crazy, okay. But when you see tomorrow's social media, you'll understand it'll make more sense. Um it'll be like, but you know, it'll it'll just yeah, we'll we'll see. We'll see what happens. It'll be it's quite funny, actually. It you know, um, and I'm looking forward to it. So one thing that I I do need to be because realistically, we're on the road to becoming famous, aren't we? I am, I've accepted this, okay. Um, and so I need to um I need to maybe start upping my wardrobe a little bit, um, wearing some slightly more kind of like things, because you know, if you've seen all the celebs, they all wear the all these strange outfits and stuff like that. And I think when you get to the stage where you can start wearing strange outfits um and you're quite happy to shove it out there on social media, that shows you've got rid of all of your inhibitions. Um, so that's the next step. I'm kind of off to the charity shop this weekend and to have a rummage around to see what I can find to shove on. All right, okay then. Thanks for enjoying my weird little strange little word as wilders. We're kind of going on at the moment, um, and I will catch you next time.