Picture Perfect Walk

The Winner Takes It All

Now some people have rightly commented that some of these challenges I have done before. It is true, for example, that I once made a costume for one of the witches from Macbeth. However, this isn't about doing all new things: it's about having fun!

Most of my my challenges are definitely new to me but one that is an old friend is Number 12: "win a competition". I am one of those annoying people who wins things. So far in life (amongst other things) I've won two holidays, a lovely Parker pen and pencil set, a Guildford flames hoodie, a voucher for Macdonalds, a record token, several boxes of chocs/bottle of wine and 48 packets of crisps. I'm sorry, I know it seems unfair that I seem to take the prize home more often than you but answer yourself this honestly: Do you enter many competitions? I enter loads. Really I do. For example this morning I have entered 62 online competitions. Can you say the same is true for you? So is it any wonder then that I win more competitions than you?!

Now it's not to say that I am lucky in all the competitions I enter. I doubt very much I'll win any of the 62 but you can't win if you don't take part. Plus my luck is clearly directional. I am freakishly lucky at raffles...in fact if you see me buying a raffle ticket you probably shouldn't bother getting one yourself as I'll be winning that. But if you ask me to cut the pack in cards I will always lose there. I am good at cards however so lady luck serves me well there....but you know the old saying "lucky in cards: unlucky in love"? Well trust me it's a saying and in my case it seems to be spot on. 

I'll confess that it's not every day that I enter 62 competitions (and I dread to think how much junk mail I'm going to get as a result of it) but as it's cold out and pay day isn't until tomorrow this was the only one of my challenges I could think of attempting today. Plus a lot of the prize draws I took part in were for things that could help me with other challenges should I win the prize. I entered to win a trip to a French vineyard; money to spend at HMV/Amazon (need to get those DVDs after all); a couple of camcorders (fitness video). I also entered anything I could see that would help me get a vacuum cleaner after mine wasn't working very well so I took it apart and now it's worse/smells funny/ and I have a leftover screw! 

So will I win any of these? Almost certainly not. But someone has to win and why shouldn't it be me? This is just the first attack. If this doesn't work I'll try again and then I'll start on the local radio competitions too. Of course the big worry is whether this particular challenge will become a "watched kettle never boils" type of challenge. When I'm not worried about winning I win loads but when I'm trying to win will I suddenly become as successful as the UK in Eurovision (post Katrina and the Waves)? 

Watch this space to see if the winner takes it all. 

Vierzig vor vierzig

This week I decided to have a fairly impromptu trip to Berlin to cheer on a friend who was running in the marathon. Berlin is a surprisingly delightful city and much cheering was accomplished. But this was not the only thing that was achieved. For I am pleased to declare that...

I have completed my first challenge!

After my practice at Bury Market when I spotted a little street market I decided to check it out. With my haggling head on I scanned the stalls eager to find something I wouldn't hate to have in my home. I finally settled on some cute little prints of animals. Sadly nothing to do with Berlin but I could at least picture it in my home. I asked how much...she said 10 Euros. Taking a breath and being brave I said "Would you take 8?". She paused. The fierce negotiation battle had begun. What number would she come back with I wondered? I held firm remembering Martin Lewis' instructions for haggling "Don't fill the silences"...I braced myself for her counter offer. "Ok" she replied! OK?! Well that was unexpected. I left with my purchase in hand and a mixed feeling of achievement and frustration I hadn't gone in lower still. But mostly feeling pleased that after almost a month I had finally achieved my first challenge.

Here's a little pic of my purchase:

But that's not all...I also managed to do my first dance in a capital city:

Not the most flattering pic but I'm salsa-ing away happily near the Marathon finish line here. And as if that wasn't enough I thought you'd like to know how my plants are coming along (get ready to be impressed!):

On the far left is my now dying heather (we'll pretend that doesn't exist for a moment) Then from L to R I believe we have Marigolds, Morning Glory and Nasturtiums. Now I'm a little concerned that I may just have planted these at a very silly time of year as frosts will be upon us soon enough so any tips for helping them survive would be appreciated. My theory is that I cannot cross the challenge off until one of them flowers. 

And lastly as you may have noticed I have learned the German for 40 before 40 - 1 down, 9 to go! (So glad I didn't go for 40!)

So what next? I honestly have no idea. I still haven't begun my Cheshire Ring walk but assuming it's not too damp this weekend I may try and do some of that. 

Don't forget to keep your comments coming and I've now added a followers gadget on the right so go ahead and sign up to read more. 

Market Economy

This week I was determined to complete my first proper challenge so I figured I'd pick one that could be easily achieved in an afternoon: Haggle for something in a market.

There are just 2 aspects to haggling. First find something you want to buy and then try to get a lower price for it than advertised. Simple enough concept so last Saturday I headed off to the World Famous Bury Market ready to complete challenge number 8! 


Yes, it's news to me that it's world famous too! I had a good look round, searching for the perfect item to buy. I was nervous at the prospect of haggling - I don't mind admitting that I'm horrifically English at times and so the idea of behaving out of character was filling me with trepidation as I rehearsed over and over in my head phrases such as "How about you give me 5 of those for the price of 3" or "I don't really want to pay more than a fiver for that". I'd even read Martin Lewis' top tips on haggling. I was taking it seriously. I'd done my research, rehearsed my lines. I couldn't fail.

Unfortunately I wasn't feeling too well on the day in question so the fish and meat hall wasn't really a good option. Instead I browsed the many market stalls in the market hall and outside in the larger market area. But herein lay the fundamental problem. Whilst I was psyching myself up for the second part of the haggling task I hadn't anticipated the fact that even after half an hour of searching every stall in Bury's World Famous Market...there was nothing I wanted to buy!

To be fair my first clue that I don't have similar tastes to the good folk of Bury was when I walked past 2 bridal shops which looked like they could have been featured in "My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding". Now I'm not being snobbish here - there's nothing wrong with wanting to look like one of those flouncy-lady toilet roll covers it's just that it's very much not my style and I frankly don't want to waste my money on tat! (OK maybe a little snobbish then!). I couldn't even bring myself to buy anything as a gift for someone else it was so bad. 

Now I know you're probably judging me but until you've walked a mile in my shoes (which unlike the ones in Bury market are not neon coloured leopard skin stilettos) and seen the selection on offer then you'll just have to trust me on this one. 

I went home disappointed with myself for bailing on my first task, disappointed with Bury's World Famous Market and disappointed with the coach loads of tourists who apparently buy that rubbish. Shame on you coach loads of tourists! 

So I failed. My first proper failure...I doubt it will be my last but my week didn't end there and I'm pleased to announce that there is a silver lining to my poor challenge week. This morning I glanced at my window box - assuming that it had become waterlogged after the downpours this week. But what did I find?...

My Marigold's are growing! I know they're a long way from being flowers still but this was a truly exciting moment for me. Perhaps I won't fail all my challenges after all. 

It's all in the preparation

So this week is the first full week of my 40b440 so you're probably wondering by now how many of my 40 I've completed....well that would still be zero, zilch, nada, nil!

However, that's not to say I've forgotten all about my list. No, siree! This week has largely been about research and development. For research I have, after extensive googling. ordered a book and a map about walking the Cheshire Ring (all 97 miles of it...not in one go...what do you think I am? Fit?!) and for development I have now drilled the holes in my window box, filled it with compost and planted some seeds (and an already grown plant that I was recently given). Photos will follow for this little venture but I can't actually find the wire for my camera at the moment so will get back to you on that one!

I've also taken my first photo of the Blue Peter garden so I've not been slacking!

One of the other exciting things I have done (and I confess I did this a few weeks ago in preparation) is that I have bought a plane ticket to Copenhagen. "Copenhagen?" I hear you cry. "But that's not on the list" (well unless you count dancing there for one of my capital cities). Well no, going to Denmark is not technically on the list but going to the Eurovision Song Contest is! Now the Eurotastics amongst you are probably scoffing at me now saying "You silly girl, next year's Eurovision is in Sweden not Denmark." But here's the thing, it's not happening in the capital Stockholm (which is a pity as I have a friend there so could have stayed for free). No, next year's Eurovision is in Malmo, Sweden's third largest city which is right next to the 5 mile long (yes I did say 5 miles!) Oresund Bridge which links to Copenhagen. It was £150 cheaper to fly to Copenhagen than direct to Malmo. Now you see my cunning plan. (Bet you didn't think you'd learn stuff from my blog did you?!)

(It's long I tell you!)

One (or technically 2) of the other list items I've attempted is that I spotted a competition to win a chance to meet Ben Ainslie! Not sure when the draw date was but pretty soon I think so may have already failed on that one!

I've also had a few volunteers to help me with certain challenges - thank you so much all of you who've offered so far - I will try and accept as many of these as I can so expect a call/email in due course. The response to my blog so far has been amazing. Please keep reading and routing for me.

I currently have next Saturday free so my plan is to tackle something then - it may be starting my walk (if you'd like to join me on a short leg of this... especially if you have a car let me know on the comments) or I might tackle one of the others - suggestions welcome. With so many to choose from it's hard to know where to start. Logically I need to be completing one of these every 2 weeks so perhaps I need to do one of the ones I can finish in one go. But which one do you think I should go for first?

No, Woe, Woo: Which one are you?

Welcome to my blog and Happy Birthday to me! There are three different approaches to getting older. There are the No-ers: People in denial of their aging, these are the ones who lie about their age or just avoid telling you how old they are. Then there are the woe-ers: These are the people who get miserable about their birthdays; lamenting and moaning. They refuse to let you throw parties for them and are generally miserable bods. I however fall in to category 3…the Woo-ers. We are the annoying ones who get excited by our birthdays; we throw ourselves parties; happily announce to everyone how old we are (yes, I will be that old lady who says “I’m 89 you know!”) and clearly we like to set ourselves ridiculous challenges that centre around our special day!

So today is day 1 of my 40b440 challenge and I feel I should start it by tackling something on the list straight away. As I’m not in Rome the Trevi fountain is out straight away and as I have birthday plans it needs to be something small today. One of my birthday gifts was a window box so number 21 looks like a good place to start. Now, some people have green fingers and are naturally good with all things botanical: I am not that person! Plants tend to die within weeks of me owning them. The idea of growing one from scratch is not as simple as one would expect (with my black fingers involved) but hey where’s the fun without the challenge eh?!

Obviously I’ll bring you some updates and photos along the way but if you have any suggestions or questions for me on this or any of my fabulous 40 then fire away. I’m hoping this blog will be a pretty interactive thing so all comments welcome. Now go get your party hat and let’s celebrate! 


Here's a little photo update: