The Final Countdown

Grab a party popper, pop a noise blower in your mouth for 2014 is upon us. Yes, I can finally declare that this year I will turn 40. The big 4-0. Two Score years. From September people will start saying horrific things such as "Not long til you're 50 now!". I can barely contain myself.

I'm actually ok about turning 40 though, I think this merry dance of challenges is preparing me well for the event. It's like a 2 year prelude. If you tell yourself enough times that it's on its way then eventually you get used to it I suppose. 

I'm not ready to hear the jokes about being 50 yet though.

And so the final countdown begins. The last 8 and a bit months of my 40b440 journey. Obviously by now I should be 2/3 of the way through the list and yet a simple glance will show a lot more black than red still meaning that I'm a fair way off that target. So it means it's time to up my game and get focused. I need to get dates in the diary and plan some of the biggies still on the list... and do a whole lot of walking of the Cheshire Ring.  

So today I cross off not one but two more from the 40. Firstly a couple of months ago I wrote some content for TV which was broadcast in the Autumn. Here are a couple of screengrab highlights:

I have a fun job!

Secondly I have been giving a lot of thought lately into how I could "Leave my mark". I love the vagueness of this challenge as it provides a lot of scope however the more I thought about it the more I was concerned that I could end up with a night in the cells. I'm fundamentally opposed to graffiti and despite asking a couple of people to tattoo my face on their bodies no one was buying into that option either. I considered seeing whether I might be able to persuade someone to dedicate a book or an album to me but that seemed unlikely and let's face it I don't have the time to write my own tome of wisdom as I'm too busy with my challenges. I've had people suggest that this blog is a way of leaving my mark but I fancy being a bit more literal (and silly). But today I had a mini brainwave about how to leave my mark... in a small way at least.

Throughout the offices that I work in are many funkily decorated walls. Some are donned with giant maps which feature the very road that I live on... so I may just have made an addition to one of these walls:

It's pretty subtle and in theory could be peeled off again but hopefully this will stand the test of time and I will leave my mark on my workplace. Ok, so it's no grand political gesture or great work of literature but face it... if you saw it, when you were in a dull meeting, it would make you smile wouldn't it? And what better way to leave your mark than through laughter?