Right Here Is Where You Start Paying In Sweat....

My work colleagues are having an abundance of being famous for 15 minutes scenarios.

Sarah is in the May edition of Marie Claire and has just spent the weekend in Regents Park with Nell McAndrew, getting her baps out for Cancer Research.

Emma is in the April edition of Rosemary Conleys Health & Fitness magazine in a three page spread.

Lee is being interviewed by Channel 4 for a parenting documentary.

I'm hoping for a Vogue photo shoot and a spot on Richard and Judy.

I think I will be waiting a long time....!

Fundraising and Training - oh my!

I've entered week two of my training schedule for the Ben Nevis Mountain Challenge this week. I'd love to say it's been easy, but I would be lying somewhat if I did! I'm still a long way off what I need to be, to do the trek comfortably, but hey, Rome wasn't built in a day and I still have a few months yet! I've also been busy fundraising at work and have managed to raised £170 so far. My aim is to raise £500 and then I can get work to cash match it and hopefully raise £1000 in total. I've uploaded my fundraising page, so please, please, sponsor me, just press the link below and it couldn't be easier!

Ben Nevis Mountain Challenge

I'm filling out the forms for my Ben Nevis mountain challenge, which I have chosen to do for my 'sponsored hike for charity' section on my list. I'm feeling a little meloncholy as I chose this challenge to help raise money for the Marie Curie Cancer Care, a charity which helped support my cousin in his last days, before he died of cancer in October 2007. The sad thing is that I never really knew my cousin as an adult. Like most families we saw alot of each other as children, but then drifted apart as we got older. I'm so determined to complete this for him, just to say thanks for the wonderful memories I have of us growing up together.

Radio Nottingham Part 2

So, I made my second appearance on Radio Nottingham today and was interviewed by the lovely Frances Finn. I ran through a few things on my list and what I'd already achieved and the stuff I had planned for this year. Kind of kicked my butt somewhat and made me realise that I've got to start getting my finger out if I'm ever going to complete this list. Here's to the next item that I complete!

Go To The Ballet

As a child, I loved to dance. I even went to modern, ballroom and disco classes, but for some reason I was never allowed to go to ballet. I can remember begging for ballet shoes, one birthday, of which my Mother refused to purchase (no doubt as she wisely knew it was just a passing phase and in another month's time they would be discarded as many of my toys were). I even took out ballet books from the library and learnt all the proper steps (worringly I can still remember some of them!)

So for nostalgia purposes, the ballet was added to my list of things to do and for my birthday this year, my darling husband bought me tickets to see The Nutcracker. He also took me to a restaurant that resembled Fawlty Towers, but that story is for another time and place and not for this particular part of my blog!

The Nutcracker tells the story of a young girl called Clara, who's uncle gives her a toy soldier that magically comes to life whilst she sleeps and turns into a Prince who successfully defeats the Mouse King. The nature of the story and time of year, perhaps attracted a younger audience then I would expect at a ballet performance, therefore we spent most of the first couple of acts repeatingly getting kicked in the back from a bored child behind us - not really what you need for quite an expensive night out!

When I have a relatively easy task on my list to do, I like to gain as much as I can from the experience and decided to emmerse myself into the performance. Not too sure about the first couple of acts, as it tended to be more on the modern side, almost as if someone had said 'express yourself in the freedom of dance', but when the 'real' ballet began it was amazing to watch. The dancers were so agile and the costumes so exquisite. In a Katherine Tate sort of way 'I could do that' I told myself, of course forgetting that I instead of growing upwards, I grew outwards.

My favourite part was in the third act when the ballerinas danced in front of a snow topped tree background and the dance of the sugar plum fairy, after the defeat of the Mouse King. I'm sure every young girl aspired to be the super plum fairy at one stage in their life!

There is a real talent in dancing ballet, of which I don't think you appreciate until you actually watch a performance live. When you imagine the hours of practice it must take to get half as good as the dancers we saw, it exhausts me just thinking about it! I don't feel ballet as a whole is something that I could get totally into, but I would at least like to see another performance, to make a final decision. Swan Lake, here I come!

Read All Of The BBC Top 100 Reads - Part 1

From an early age, I've always been quite content to just curl up in a chair with a good book, so apart from the quantity matter, this may be one of my easiest tasks to complete on my list.

Reading to me has always been a sanctuary, a means of escape from the pressures of everyday life and somewhere to go to for a little peace and quiet. From the very first book that I read, I've been hooked and will read almost anything minus anything that resembles a Mills & Boon.

The best thing about doing something like this, is that you get to read books that you wouldn't have normally chosen to read and get to discover new authors that you have never thought of considering previously.

Harry Potter - J K Rowling - with 4 books on the list, I decided to see what all the fuss was about and bite the bullet and read the whole of the series (I don't usually like to read any books that receive as much hype as these). Loved the first book - thought it was on par with Roald Dahl and quite liked the others, except for when she obviously clicked that adults had started to read her books and suddenly from a good childrens author she sold out to a wider market. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald/The Catcher In The Rye - J D Salinger - classic American literature. The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy - Douglas Adams - don't like reading Sci Fi as a rule but enjoyable enough. The Hobbit - J R R Tolkien - first read this as an eleven year old - wonderful story, can't wait to see what the film turns out like. Goodnight Mister Tom - Michelle Magorian - I'm a big fan of childrens books and this was a wonderful story that didn't disappoint. Anne Of Green Gables - L M Montgomery - in danger of losing out to a very good TV series in the late eighties - the book was not quite as good but can relate to Anne quite easily. Bridget Jones Diary - Helen Fielding - another character I can relate to and classic chic lit! Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres - if you ever pick up this book, please, please, bear with it. The first third is a real challenge, but once you are through that, the book is a wonderful tale of love and conflict and definitely, defintely better than the dire film! Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte - I love the older, classic books. The plots are so much better and this is a classic tale of a young orphan's life and the man she falls in love with. The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe - C S Lewis - wonderful children's tale that remains timeless but reading the book as an adult, the religion hidden between the lines is alot more evident. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott - found this dreary and much prefer the original film version. Lord Of The Flies - William Golding - one of those books that is still relevant to todays society. Place a bunch of individuals together and watch the survival of the fittest. One Hundred Years Of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez - couldn't get into this at all and didn't see what all the fuss was about! Ditto Persuasion - Jane Austen. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier - Loved it, loved it, loved it! From the opening paragraph you are hooked on this and doesn't disappoint it at all - can't quite believe that when I was re-reading this to complete the list, someone actually stopped me and asked what it was about as they had never read it! The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - classic children's tale - why do we have to rely on wizards and magic in order for our children to start reading again, when there are so many other wonderful stories out there? Swallows & Amazons - Arthur Ransome - one of my magical finds from reading this list. Wonderful tale that brought back so many memories of the adventures that I used to get upto on my school holidays. The Thorn Birds - Colleen McCollough - I was a little too young to appreciate the classic mini series but the book didn't disappoint at all. A wonderful through the generations tale of a family and the love that grows between a young girl and a priest. To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee - another classic tale that I first read as a 15 year old - one of those wonderful tales that never disappoints no matter how many times you pick it up. Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson - classic tale but didn't do anything for me. The Wind In The Willows - Kenneth Grahame - another classic children's book that doesn't disappoint as an adult.

Pphew! 25 books read, digested and crossed off my list - here's to the next 25!

Go To An Ice Hockey Match

In a city that is more famous for it's gun crime, hooded outlaw and it's once footballing European champions, ice hockey is almost like the forgotten sport of Nottingham.

What's more surprising is that the Nottingham Panthers team, was first formed in 1946, yet it's only now in 2007 that I came to be at the Ice Stadium for my first ever ice hockey match.

'To watch an ice hockey match' is no. 31 on my list of 40 things to do before I'm 40 and was also the 6th item on my list to be completed. What better match to choose from then against the Sheffield Steelers (the footballing equivalent of Forest v Derby local derby).

From the moment I stepped into the ice stadium the scene was set for an incredible night. Our seats were positioned on the front row adjacent to the ice and the Sheffield Steelers fans were positioned to our left, which created an awesome atmosphere. The fan base was just incredible. The stadium itself was full to capacity and the passion for the sport was evident throughout both sets of supporters. The passion was certainly something I didn't expect. After going to the football for many seasons and feeling very passionate about that, I don't think ice hockey would be something I would personally get passionate over but people did and especially the women! There was some excellent examples of scary women there, non more scary than the girl who was obviously a girlfriend of one of the players, that rushed to the front and started banging on the glass, shouting "get off him you b*****d" when she saw her other half being beaten up by the apposing player.

One other good thing about the position of our seats was that it gave you a true indication of the velocity and speed, the players moved along the ice at and also made you aware of how physical the game was, bordering on the lines of being agressive. It certainly is not a game for wimps!

Although we came out the losers (2:1 to the Steelers), I thoroughly enjoyed my first ever ice hockey match and it would be certainly something that I would do again in the near future.

Visit All Fifty States Of America - California

After being taken, kicking and screaming out of Hawaii, even the lure of a limo to take us to our hotel in San Francisco didn't seem appealing. I loved Hawaii and didn't want to leave, so this city that was foggy and cold, just didn't seem to fit into our schedule somehow.

It took me most of the next day and a trip to Alcatraz for me to begin to settle into this strange city. People had said that it rates higher than New York, but personally I have to say I prefer the Big Apple. Alcatraz was amazing, though a little over crowded with tourists - if I ever go back I would definitely do the night tour, as I would imagine it gets really eerie once dark.

Over the next couple of days we spent our time visiting Fisherman's Wharf, watching the seals wrestle each other on Pier 39, riding the trams and general hanging around Union Square. We also did the standard tourist bus tour, which enabled us to go over the Golden Gate Bridge. Just the sight of the bridge was amazing (I rate it alongside seeing the Statue Of Liberty) and to also see many of the streets that hosted many an infamous car chase was surreal.

Only the climate seemed to let us down - part of the city tour was obscured by the fact that there was a heavy blanket of fog settling over the city. I think if San Francisco had been warmer, than I would have looked at it more favourably, but it's certainly a city that I would revisit at some point and I certainly would like to see more of California, so this may be Part 1 of the California trip, who knows.

Visit All Fifty States Of America - Hawaii

There are certain images you tend to conjure up in your mind, when you think of Hawaii. Sun kissed beaches with palms trees swaying, mesmerizing sunsets and hula dancers a plenty, to name but a few. You won't be short changed by any of these when you go.

Hawaii was the second destination on our honeymoon and as we took out of Vegas as fast as we possibly could and boarded the 5 hr flight to Oahu, we were a little hesitant to what to expect. As we drove through the back streets of Oahu, the approach appeared to be similar to that of Vegas and my heart started to sink somewhat - I just couldn't cope with another hotel like the one in Vegas! But fear not! The Hotel was wonderful, the room was great and we even had a sea view, what more could you wish for!

I had been warned that the island was very built up and not as remote as it may seem, of which it was, but somehow it doesn't take away the magic of the island - it's just so beautiful. One thing that struck me about the native people was the laid back attitude that they all had. It was so soothing after being in a pressure cooker of a place like Vegas. They have a saying 'just hang loose' and they do literally that! The only frustrating part is when you are waiting for a taxi or coach to take you there and then it arrives 45 minutes after the pre booked time - they are just so relaxed it's untrue!

Places of interest that we visited; Pearl Harbour - personally did nothing for me, found it very over rated and not worth queuing at 7:15am just to get in. I do feel compassion for all of those who died, but just didn't appeal to me! Paradise Cove - a traditional Luau, complete with tour guide that keep saying 'cheerio old chap' every time someone mentioned England? No, I wasn't quite sure what century he was living in as well! This was a wonderful experience where you got to witness at first hand the traditional games and crafts and also watch a traditional island style show. Of course we had to be sitting next to the most annoying woman ever, that reminded me of the old lady from There's Something About Mary - you know the one that looks like a wrinkled prune! Sea Life Park - probably one of the best sea life parks I've visited and gives you the opportunity to view all the sea life in close proximity. Also gave me chance to check the honesty of the people around me, as I decided to leave my brand new digital camera on a bench, of which a kind Japanese tourist handed it in to the lost & found. Hawaii Volcano Adventure - sometimes you just have to do the traditional tourist thing and this tour of the big island gave you the opportunity to view volcanoes and the terrain that NASA used to train astronauts. Oahu Island Tour - for a film/TV geek like me this was superb! Not only did this give us a tour of the beautiful island, you also got to see places that were used to film Fantasy Island, Magnum (we knew it was for this show, due to the huge moustache over the gate post), Jurassic Park and Lost. At one point we actually got to see the plane that is used to film the scenes in Lost. Wow, I hear you saying, but it made my day!

As I was dragged, kicking and screaming from Oahu, I would definitely go back . It was just an amazing place, the stuff that dreams are made of!

Visit All Fifty States Of America - Nevada

Ah Nevada, the seventh biggest state in America and home of the most famous gambling city in the world. You know sometimes, when you have an instinct about something, you should really act on it? Well from booking our package holiday for our honeymoon, I had decided that Las Vegas was the least place out of the three that I wanted to go to, but as it was a package deal and the only other option was LA (I had watched a TV programme about the 200+ gangs in LA, which put me off just a tad), then Las Vegas it had to be!

Arriving at the strip early evening after a 10 hr flight from the UK, we saw the Mirage and the Treasure Island and started to get quite excited. Okay, it looked like Disney Land on acid, but hey it was better that what I had anticipated. Then we started to pull out of the main strip and away from all of the expensive hotels and into the seedier district, past the massage parlours, sex shops and hey presto there was our Hotel - I was not a happy bunny! Inside was like something out of the 1970's and our room was very basic, no drink making facilities or anything fancy to say, hey this is your honeymoon, have a good time in Vegas on us. We ordered room service that night and 2 days later the remains still stayed outside our room in 94 degrees heat. It wasn't until we went to our welcome meeting next day that we realised all the rooms were like this, designed for you to constantly stay out of your room and gamble in these glorious casinos. Ha! Well the plan failed, let me tell you! Not once did we part with our well earned dosh, not even to slip the odd quarter in a smoke infested slot machine! We did however, part with our cash in the wonderful shopping malls of Caesars Palace, so I guess they got it back from us in some shape or form, but hey, Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo - who cares?

I have to say at this point, that there were certain aspects of Las Vegas that were enjoyable. The shopping obviously, the fact that we took a gondolier ride at The Venetian in downtown Las Vegas was just surreal! The helicopter ride that we took over the strip at twilight was amazing and the trip to the Grand Canyon was breathtaking.

Las Vegas, I believe, should be taken as it is, with a pinch of salt and definitely just be used for a base to travel to areas around. Glad I saw everything at first hand, but probably wouldn't go back!