Zombie Run

Zombies in London

This evening was a "Zombie Run" at the running club this evening, where everyone was supposed to dress as Zombies for a run around London.  

The day unfortunately was cold and rainy, and as I spent the day e-mailing back-and-forth with Roofie's Brother, he suggested it might be wise to bundle up for the run.  I did enjoy our banter however, as I've found that ever since my conversation with The Blonde, it's much easier to deal with him.  He likes me and enjoys my wit, and it never really goes anywhere, but I can still like the fact that he responds to every e-mail I write.  

Setting off on the run

When I arrived at the pub, completely without adornment, I found that there was an entire make-up crew in the back, so I went and got my face painted.  A white face, black eyes, and as a finishing touch, fake red "blood" spilling down my forehead and from the corners of my mouth.  Roofie's Brother arrived shortly afterwards, having run up and down the embankment a few times, not realising that the pub was actually a dry-docked ship in the river.  He was all sweaty, my face was painted, and we had a few others standing there as an audience, so we couldn't kiss each other hello, but I didn't worry about that.  

I was right near Kellogg Boy's house, so I sent him a text to say that I was nearby, to which he replied that he was still at work.  So I sent him a picture of me in zombie face-paint.  That got him to laugh, but he was still at work.  

Me in my face paint

We set off on the run in the pouring rain, and I fell into step with the Scottish Lawyer Guy, who seemed keen to talk to me as we trotted along.  I have to say, normally I hate it when people run with me, because I always struggle to keep up with their pace.  Admittedly with Scottish Lawyer Guy, we weren't exactly zipping along, but I was pleased to say that all of my running at the gym must be helping, as I was doing okay with keeping up with him.  

With the London Eye in the background

Plus, it was nice to talk to him, something I haven't gotten a chance to do in a while.  At the pub we had just started at, they were doing a talk called "Pint of Science", which Scottish Lawyer Guy told me he'd signed up for at a few other pubs later on in the week.  It seemed like a really cool idea, a science talk over pints at a pub.  Plus, he's exactly the kind of guy who would be into that, he's really an intelligent and interesting guy.  I should talk to him more often.

We ran to Parliament Square, where we stopped and took a photo of the group with Big Ben in the background, and I found myself laughing and bumping into Roofie's Brother, doing our usual little flirtation.  Although as we ran across Waterloo Bridge, one guy had a good laugh at my slow pace, saying, "I know we're Zombies, but you don't need to be shuffling now!"  Oh dear, how I wish I could run faster!

Shuffling zombies

As we ran through a park, the hare of the run let us know that since we were all soaked through to the bone and chilled, that we were instead going to run straight to a park where there was a "drinks" stop (Jello shots!) and then we would be right near the pub to run back.  

So we stood around the park having Jello shots of blood, snapped a few photos of ourselves looking drenched and wet and miserable, and then dashed back to the pub, where our soaking wet selves packed into a small space quickly turned the place into a sauna.  

Soaking wet zombies

They passed out face-wipes so that we could clean our faces, so I did the best I could manage with a dark mirror in a corner, and then when Roofie's Brother came in, I cleaned his face as well.  Strangely intimate, running your hands all over someone else's face.  I guess that's why actors always try to have good relationships with their make-up artists.

Jello shots

I got drinks for both myself and Roofie's Brother, as is becoming our habit, although I did make fun of him for wanting a Coors Light, which is a beer that all Americans mock.  We then went outside for the circle, huddled under a small tent in the rain.  Cold and shivering, when I saw The Cyclist, I wrapped my arms around him, and was quickly rewarded when he pulled me into a more proper embrace, warming me up.  Of course then, he's such a gentleman that he took off his coat and draped it around me, keeping me warm.  Admittedly, it wasn't quite the snuggles that I wanted, but he was just so solicitous of me, I often think that I should pay more attention to him.  Yes, he's young, but he's so sweet.

Can we go back to the pub now?

After the circle, we came back inside, Roofie's Brother got me another drink in return for our round, and then a small group of us decided to break away and go to another pub down the street.  So we went there, I texted Kellogg Boy about the new location (still at work, he replied), and so with Sweetheart, Pork Pie, Roofie's Brother, Kitty, and the Kiwi Girl, we all found a large table in the back of this new pub.  

It was nice to get to spend some time chatting with Pork Pie, to be honest, who I haven't seen in ages, but who is running again because he recently broke his arm and so now can't play football on Tuesday nights.  He amuses me so, I wish I saw more of him, but he's got something going on in that thick head of his that I don't understand.  He's always so excited to see me, but then almost seems weirdly to avoid me once he does see me.  It's baffling, but then sometimes boys just don't make any sense.  Even here, sitting right next to him on a bench, I couldn't avoid the weird "push-pull" dynamics that were going on, as he always seemed to be turning away from me in conversation despite sitting right next to me, yet continually still wanting to sit next to me every time we shifted around.  Weird.

Pork Pie then went around trying to figure out who was hooking up with who.  Sweetheart admitted to having slept with The Blonde in the past (which I could confirm), and then Roofie's Brother acted outraged and disgusted when Pork Pie implied that he was hooking up with Sister Fister.  In truth, as much time as they spend together, I've never suspected anything romantic between the two of them.  A very sibling-like relationship, like with me and the Young Dutchman.  I also then got to hear a bit more about Kitty's relationship with her Kiwi man, which I was surprised to learn that although he's pushing 40, she's having some trouble getting a serious commitment out of him.  But I was surprised and impressed therefore, when she said that she'd very clearly told him that he had another year before they were going to move in together or moving their relationship forwards, or she was out.  She was clear on the point, "I love him, but I can't allow him to waste my time."  So many girls aren't that clear-headed in relationships, so I was really impressed.  

At last however, we decided to head home, and so all went to the Tube.  At the last minute, Roofie's Brother and Sister Fister decided to skip the Tube and just take a cab home, as he was staying at hers that night and it was only a 5-minute cab ride away.  So he rushed down and gave me a quick awkward kiss, and he was off.  

The rest of us went down to the Tube, where as we were sitting there, Sweetheart started to comment on my running face make-up.  (I'd checked in the pub bathrooms, and my best efforts at cleaning my face with those face wipes hadn't amounted to much.  Soap and water and a good scrub didn't do much better, I knew I looked like a freak).  And so he started asking our group, "Who is it that she looks like?  You know, that rocker who was in Wayne's World?  That guy, with the eye make-up, that guy, you know?"

We were all utterly perplexed, and kept throwing out names, to no avail.  "Gene Simmons?  David Lee Roth?  David Bowie?"

He shook his head.  "No no, that's not it.  You know, that rocker guy.  From Wayne's World.  That guy."  

Sitting next to him now was some random guy, listening to music on his "beats" by Dr Dre headphones, off in his own world, as any normal person on the Tube would be.  But Sweetheart just leaned over, picked one of the earphones up off of his head, and asked, "Who is that rocker that she looks like?"

With barely a glance up, the guy didn't miss a beat as he replied, "Alice Cooper", as though people asked him random trivia questions on the Tube all of the time.  Credit to the guy, that was absolutely the right answer!  So who knew that when you don't have access to Google, the answer is just to ask random people sitting next to you on the Tube.  It cracked us all up.

Zombies in the rain

I wrote this story to Roofie's Brother to pass the time on my last unaccompanied bit of journey home, and he wrote back first thing the next morning laughing and apologising for leaving, as it was such a funny story.  Again, proving that all I have to do is be witty and funny and he thinks I'm marvellous.

Our group then had to part ways, as I got off the train with all of the girls, still laughing hysterically, and then even more so when the Kiwi Girl decided to give me raspberry kisses.  Oh my gosh, they tickled, and what weirdo gives their friends raspberry kisses on their cheeks!  We were in a state though, laughing and giggling all over the place, I'm sure the crowds on the platform thought we were nuts.  Great end to a fun night though!