Happy New Year

So Christmas came and went so quickly, if you blinked you may have missed it. I was a very lucky girl and received an I-Pod Touch from Mr M, which has been loaded with all manner of things including a chess game, that I will be using to complete one of my tasks very shortly.

As 2009 brings itself to a close, it also gives me chance to say thanks to each and everyone of you that have travelled along with me, through this journey. Believe me when I tell you that 2010 is going to be a very productive year, task wise, so I hope that you will all continue with me and enjoy what I have planned.

I hope 2010 brings you everything that you wish for - Happy new year!

It's Beginning To Look Alot Like Christmas...

On this very cold but very festive Sunday afternoon I plan to:-

• Finish off The Magus - one of my BBC Top 100 Reads
• Plan what others I'm going to read in the New Year
• See if the Learning French kit I bought from Oxfam does actually work on my PC
• And put up my Christmas tree whilst watching Elf (a tradition!)

I hope whatever you plan to do keeps you safe and happy!

Life

Regular readers of my blog, will note that I'm struggling at the moment to get motivated and complete any new tasks this side of Christmas. Well, although new tasks may be out of the question, there are certain tasks that are ongoing at the moment, the BBC Top 100 reads, being one of them. I'm constantly trying to complete at least another book off the 100 reads, which can be quite tedious, especially when it's a book I don't particularly like. I'm currently reading The Magus by John Fowles, which in fairness is not as bad as some of the books I've had to complete in the past, but I think I've got into a rut and had a long list of equally boring books that has almost suffocated my love of reading and made me resent picking up a book.

It hasn't helped that I've kicked my exercise routine into touch at the moment. I used to spend at least half an hour a day on my exercise bike, complete with book in hand to help me through it and I'm struggling at the moment to find any other time of the day to read. But I'm trying to push myself through this bleak period and I have promised myself a rest after I've completed The Magus. One of my work colleagues has given me all the Twilight books to read and as I'm a huge fan of the films then I can't wait to get my paws on them as well as the other books that I've purchased along the way. So no better time than the present to get another book ticked off the list - I'm off to watch the X Factor Final complete with a copy of The Magus to read between breaks.

Reflections

Ah, another week has flown by and I would love to tell you that I've spent it doing my latest task (looks very sheepish). Unfortunately I haven't. Christmas shopping/work/tidying our house for the influx of viewers yes, but no new tasks to report I'm afraid! That's not to say I haven't been thinking about it and the whole year in general. This year has been a funny old year what with one thing and another. One of those years that you really can't wait to see the back of. In my past, especially when I lived on my own, I always looked forward to the thought of New Years Day; it was a chance to start afresh and reinvent myself for the forthcoming year.

So for me, New Years Day can't come quicker. I have lists galore and plans you wouldn't believe - 16 of my tasks to complete and hopefully a new house will beckon, as well as my writing of course, I've got great plans for that as well and you never know I may just manage to squeeze in another task before January 1st!

High Flyer

Judging by the reaction I got from my friends when I posted a comment on Facebook, the next task that I've organised to do, may just provoke the same from yourselves. I've booked trapeze lessons! Not the most easiest thing to book on the Internet it has to be said. It took me a good hour of googling to find somewhere that was not based in London and didn't cost a small fortune to do. I eventually came across Yorkshire Dance, a company based in Leeds, approx. 1 hour car journey away from the land of the Nottingham and a very reasonable £18 for a 2 hour session. I don't go until March, which gives me plenty of time to get rid of the Christmas stomachs and get fit to do the session properly.

Which leaves me with the question ... now what else can I complete from now until March..?

I'm Back!

Well it seems forever since I last wrote a proper blog post and even longer since I actually completed a blog task! I've had a few distractions in the past couple of weeks. Firstly NaNoWriMo, which is the write 50,000 words in a month task. This started off oh so well, but then I had the added complication of getting our house ready to sell and as my priority was on house things, I got slightly behind on the writing and then as the days went past, even further behind, to a point where I thought, oh bugger it and so I did!

The break away from my blog has done me some good though. I'm feeling all refreshed and raring to go again, to the point where I've even made a list of all tasks I'm hoping to do in 2010 and the ones I'm going to have a stab at doing as well.

Planned tasks are:-

1) Learn a foreign language

2) Go to an international football match at Wembley

3) Read all the BBC Top 100 reads

4) Make a film to go onto You Tube

5) Learn chess

Other tasks to have a go at are:-

1) Surfing

2) Watch Forest in an Executive box

3) Fly a trapeze

4) Go to the Grand Prix

5) Cook with a celebrity chef

6) Skinny dipping

7) Get my novel published

8) Save an animal from captivity

Plus there will also be my scheduled appearances on BBC Radio Nottingham - recent appearance on Friday went very well.

I've a feeling 2010 is going to be a good year, but a very busy one!

Return

Sorry, it's been a while I know. I will reveal all very shortly, but in the meantime, I'm on Radio Nottingham tomorrow if you care to join me.

NaNoWriMo

Things may be a little quiet on the old blog task list for a little while, whilst I get to grips with this http://www.nanowrimo.org/ I've just finished my first day at 2039 words, so I'm pretty chuffed that I'm ahead of my target and you never know, this may be the one that I get published. So in around about way, I may well be working on a blog task. I think I may be doing myself an injustice here!

Mission Accomplished!

I was overjoyed when an email popped into my in box from my fellow blogger and very good friend Frenchy Phil asking if I wanted to catch 'Welcome To The Sticks' at the Broadway cinema on Sunday pm, but I confess, when I agreed, I did have ulterior motives. The last time we went to the cinema together was to see Le Donk, the Shane Meadows movie and I came away with the inspiration to make my own film, which fitted quite nicely into making a short film to go on You Tube task. Then an idea began to form, slow but sure at first, until I had the basis of a structure for a 10 minute short film. The subject matter? My friend Frenchy Phil. Phil is an ex actor and has had the most fascinating life that I think truly warrants capturing on film. So today at the Broadway, after plying him with lager and tempting him with a bag of minstrels, I plucked up courage to ask him and he has said yes. Now I just need to get grips with my camcorder and learn how to edit. I wonder if Shane is available for a master class?

Me & James

I have a confession to make, one that my husband won't be too pleased about. I have a secret crush. Not just any old crush you understand but one that's been there for a few years now, growing in strength, sometimes also dipping, but quite strong at this present moment in time. It's James Martin the celebrity chef. I have to admit I like to indulge whenever I can. There's the cook books, a couple of appearances at the Good Food show, Saturday morning kitchen (of course) and also his column in the Sunday Mail. There's just some thing about this straight talking Yorkshire man with the cheeky smile that I find hard to resist.

Now when I first put my list together nearly two and half years ago, I wasn't aware of the great man. The only chef that seemed to be at the top of everyone's list was Mr Ramsey. I have to say that I'm not a great fan of Mr Ramsey's at late. There's the consistent foul language, which has become too over powering and of course the headlines, which if you are made to believe are that things are not too rosy in the house of Ramsey. Needless to say, he is still one of the top chefs, for that you cannot take it away from him.

Now if Gordon were to offer me a few cookery lessons I definitely wouldn't say no, but since the emergence of James then I've decided to amend one of my tasks to 'cook with a celebrity chef', which will give me the chance to either cook with Gordon or James, should the opportunity arise.

I'm off now to buy a copy of the Sunday Mail and to write a letter to Saturday Kitchen, explaining why I would like to appear at the Chef's table - talk about stating the obvious! Have fun what ever you choose to do this Sunday!