about a friend

This post was long overdue (about 9 months) for if there is one person LMJ owes this blog to, that person is Nicky. 

I created Little Miss Joey the blog because of him and I guess it's fair to say largely for him. It has evolved since then, and I grew to appreciate and enjoy having readers and people who comment and share bits of their day and silliness with me, but that came after. 

Nicky is one of my best friends. He encourages me to be the best I can be and the sensibility to do that for others is something I find rare. He was the one to first call me Joey. He motivates me to go out and photograph and gives me feedback and words of incentive. He pushes me to run and it was very much thanks to him that I was able to complete the Oxford 10K Town & Gown so smoothly (Jamie has now joined us in our running adventures, my boys!). When I said I couldn't do the half marathon we've been training for this September, he found one we could run in March to give my body some time to learn a few things. He bakes for me when I'm very upset and baked my first ever proper homemade apple muffins (an all-time favourite). He teaches me English grammar and vocabulary and only once was he not that patient with my constant questions. We sit next to each other in work; if we both stretch our arms our hands touch. I see him almost everyday and it feels weird when I don't. He has no telephone manners and I find that funny. He teaches me about cricket and although he moans I never learn he still tells me the rules pretty much every time I ask and actually makes me want to watch cricket by myself to see if I can catch up. He explained all the Tour de France tactics to me until I enjoyed it, for the first time ever. Thanks to him I was able to do the most hideous impression of a Scouse accent and that was priceless for as long as I cared to do it. He makes the best impressions ever and makes me laugh every single time. He has a short temper on certain things because he cares too much and that is endearing. He mocks and teases me and that's fine too. 

He will probably dislike this photograph, but I love it. We clearly don't agree on all things and that's just perfect!