If you're going to have a mid life crisis - have a bloody huge one!

I've done it.

I've booked myself onto the Trans-Siberian express classic rail tour for 2011. It leaves a few days after my 40th birthday. What a present!

Oh.

My.

God.

Birmingham to Vladivostok in 18 days via 5 trains. Including twelve days on Russia's version of the Orient Express, the Golden Eagle. One third of the way round the earth, on luxury trains! Via Warsaw and Moscow.

:::speechless with excitement:::

Now all I have to do is save up for it!

44%!

Well...the Rainy Day fund's looking rather good. I'm up to 44% of six month's wages now. Hopefully I'll never need it in anger, but it's a nice thing to know that if it all goes pear-shaped I can survive 'til something comes along.

The no-alcohol-for-Lent thing has failed miserably. Ho hum, I'll pick something more realistic next time... :)

I've spent today moving furniture and going to the tip with bags of rubbish. My landlord has got around to ordering the new laminate flooring for the two bedrooms. He did the rest of the flat well over a year ago. So, I'm taking advantage of this to redecorate the spare room - which is currently a fetching shade of lime green.

I've chopped six inches off the edge of the carpet all round the room so that I can gloss the woodwork - which is now done and tomorrow evening I will be tackling the once white ceiling. I've got some "magic paint" left over from redoing the lounge. Amazing stuff - goes on pink (!!?!*?!) but dries white - I assume through reacting with the oxygen in the air. It's brill - you can see exactly where you've painted and you don't end up doing the same area 4 times...it *is* something of a shock though, when you paint the first pink stripe. I was better once it had dried and had indeed gone white :)

Listy thing updated over there ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>

Time for an update!

Life's been....frantic!

Work is approaching the end-of-year frenzy when I try to get all the things done I said I would (as well as all the others things that have been dumped upon me from a great height). It's better than being bored. Marginally.

Finances are going well - up to 39% of my rainy day fund (6 month's net wages) and I have £158 in £2 coins in the terramundi.

Not read a book recently, and hardly taken a photo - bad me!

Lent starts on Wednesday so I'm giving up booze until Good Friday. Bit of self denial is good for the soul. Or summat.

Baking - inspired by a colleague's new kitchen (put in by her OH during eight months of evenings and weekends' work) I dug out my old battered bread machine. First loaf was delicious and lasted well. I seem to recall losing faith in the machine the best part of four years ago when the resulting product went stale faster than I could eat it. Maybe I'm making smaller loaves now? Anyway - Allison's strong wholewheat and added seeds flour makes marvellous bread. Nom nom nom.

Getting back from work tonight I decided to try an old packet of cheese'n'onion bread mix that had been sitting in the cupboard for a while. When I say "a while"....is twelve months past its Use By Date shameful? Meh! Anyway...12 month out of date yeast is apparently unrevivable. There is now a warm, cheese flavoured brick sitting in my bin...it honestly wasn't good enough even to give to the birds. Unless we've got a local woodpecker with an industrial drill for a beak and the stomach of a cast iron elephant...

So, another loaf is now waiting to be made - but I've been adventurous and put it on overnight timer. Last time I tried this I lived in a different flat and the whirrings, rumblings and occasional beepings kept me up all night. This time there are two rooms and three doors between us, so I'm hoping for a peaceful night and an aromatic awakening :)

Hmm..so much for refocusing...!

Never mind, eh? I've still got another two and a half years to go :)

Work is starting to get ever so slightly frantic now. There's a long running issue I've been involved in for a while which is just starting to kick off again. When it gets going properly it'll be 18 hour days for the best part of six months so I'm really looking forward to that. Honest.

This week, for instance - I'm in Derby Monday and Tuesday, Buxton on Wednesday and London on Thursday. Sheesh...

I have updated the couple of things I've done on the list over there ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>

Read another book - Elizabeth's women. I really enjoyed it - it describes the lives of the women who interacted with Elizabeth I. Lots of them are quite well known (e.g. Kat Ashley, Elizabeth's nurse) but there are many more lesser known figures.

I got my first £2 coin since mid-December the other day - I thought they'd taken the blinkin' things out of circulation it had been so long since I'd seen one! Thank goodness I got to £150 before the dry spell. I'd have been frantic had I been stuck at £148 for a month!

Must start thinking about the photo sets I've listed - numbers, A-Z of Birmingham and 7 deadly sins set.

But right now, I'm off to bed - need to be up early to get to Derby for 8am tomorrow.

Refocus required...

Christmas and its disrupted routine has left me a bit *fluffy* on the list-front. I know I've been keeping up to date with the ongoing things - but some things have been a trifle contrived. For instance - for the "Bake something once a month" - December's was twice-baked potatoes. Hardly going to make cordon bleu status with that, am I?

So. This week I need to refocus and start thinking :)

I was intending to make January "Shiny sink" month. I lasted 'til January 7th....not v.g.! I love the effect when it does happen, I just don't always want to put in the effort required. Maybe next month - but if that's only got 28 days that might be considered cheating...? Mind you, 28 would be a huge improvement on this month.

Some slightly more positive notes :

Rainy Day Fund is growing well - up to almost 33% now. In about May/June it will start shooting up as one financial commitment comes to an end. In an effort to get a bit more "free money" I've transferred my ISA to an account paying some interest - the old one seemed to be actually costing me. (Not really, but it might as well have been, the interest was so low!).

I'm halfway through the "Walk 101 miles" thing - over 101,000 steps now. Still nowhere near doing 10,000 steps a day and I intend to keep the pedometer challenge up when I've reached that target.

Read another book - Lacey Baldwin Smith's "Catherine Howard" which was interesting. Everyone has different views on whether she was a corrupted innocent used by her family or an out and out gold-digger after anything she could get. I certainly think she was supremely naive to think she could get away with loving anyone other than the King - but then she was (depending on who you believe) only a teenager when she was executed.

Back to London tomorrow - I was there on Friday and it took me four hours to get there and three to get back so hopefully it'll be a little smoother.

Hope you're all surviving the snow - we still have a lot lying about but the anticipated blizzards today haven't materialised. Yet. (Oh heck, I hope I don't open the curtains tomorrow morning and have to eat those badly chosen words....!)

(Note to self : take some photos, woman - you're slacking!)

New Year, same list :)

I'm actually looking forward to going back to work tomorrow. How sad is that? :)

Not much to report - the ongoing tasks are ticking along nicely - and I'm obssessed with my new spreadsheet that tracks spending and saving. It adds up, transfers, subtotals and almost makes the tea.

Better updates to follow when I've actually *done* something!

Happy New Year

101 in 1001 : 63 Coming in to land

I'm back from Dublin, none the worse for the weather (although it was blinkin' freezing there was no snow until I got back over here. The NW looked especially white as we flew back over it.)

Had a fab time being a tourist. The hotel was exceedingly posh - but about a mile outside the city centre which did my pedometer step count no end of good. (That is, until I discovered the local bus services...).

The economic recession has really hit home in Dublin. It's always been an expensive place but it's obvious now that people are struggling. Everywhere you look in the tourist areas there are people begging and hustling just to stay alive. Lots of homeless people, too. Instead of feeling guilty about it, it's prodded me into making a donation to the Salvation Army who do such a good job helping people whose only place is out on the streets. I've paid for a soup run - I hope it helps just a bit.

So - for an update on the listy thing:

4. Had a brief swim at the hotel (6 lengths, I said it was brief!) but I was really only there for the sauna :)

7. Step count is now 91,644/202,000

14. Done! I happened to get to Christchurch Cathedral just at the start of a service so I crept in and sat at the back.

24. £150 now in the terramundi!

25-28 and 44-45. Steady progress on all these. The budget is looking really good considering it's Christmas and considering I've just been to one of the most overpriced places in Europe! Mind you, I haven't had to buy any food as I'm only back here until lunchtime today when I go off to my parents for the rest of Christmas.

35. I can highly recommend Fan's Cantonese resturant, Dame Street Dublin. I had their "Early Bird" set special and it was delicious :)

63. Done!

77. Done!

96. So that's another three things complete.

Packing's done - off to Ireland!

It's always the way, huh? First day of the holidays and I was wide awake at 5am...I never do that when I'm at work!

All the packing's done and I'm off for a long weekend in Dublin. Looking forward to being a tourist and having my meals cooked for me. I'll get a couple of list items ticked off with this trip and probably start a few more.

Back on Wednesday, then off to my parents for Christmas.

Season's Greetings to you all - thank you for reading!

Red nosed reindeer!

It's only a week 'til I break up from work. A whole fortnight off!

This week has been steady - nothing major achieved but lots of things ticking nicely along.

Almost £150 rattling around in the terramundi pot - apparently it holds about £400 so a way to go yet. £2 coins seem to be rarer than hen's teeth at the moment...

I've sorted next year's budget spreadsheet out - made lots of alterations to the one I used this year to make it much more relevant to me. Is it sad to be looking forward to using it? ::nods...probably::

Looking forward to this time next week when I'll be drinking something stout-y in a pub in Dublin.

Happy Christmas folks!

Is it nearly Christmas yet?!

I get stupidly excited about Christmas :)

Unfortunately, this year I don't see much point in festooning the place in decorations as I won't be at home from the 19th onwards - I shall instead leave my curtains open in the evenings so I can appreciate the neighbours'! The people in the flat opposite mine have a small child and they seem to have bought an entire store's worth of lights. They look good from over here :)

All the presents are bought - except, you know how it is - you've bought one thing then you see something else that would actually be much better for the recipient and it's a battle between returning the first gift, giving that to someone else, or getting them both....! Anyway - MOST of the presents are bought.

List!

3. A few hours donated to my best mate who needed some help with furniture moving. She also had me taking her rubbish to the local tip AND cooking lunch for us. Good job I love her ;)

6. - Another item ticked off - I've got my pedometer and have started counting steps. I'm woefully short of the recommended 10,000 a day but hoping to work up to that.

57 - Catch 101 fish - despite nearly coming down with hypothermia on Friday, I managed eleven fish on board AlyKat out of Minehead. Go me!

Progress!

I've had quite a productive week list-wise :)

I volunteered an hour to help a mate - driving to meet her halfway and loaning her my sat nav (as well as teaching her how to use it!) in order for her to go over to Belfast and collect her daughter whose relationship had gone a bit sour. As it turns out, she didn't need to - but I may well be volunteering some more time to help move her house round to accommodate said daughter when she eventually does come home for good. (Mums are like that - always there when you really need them!).

I've been researching retreat sites and I think I've found one I'd like to attend. It's basically a Buddhist place (although there's no emphasis on religion) and it's a week long silent retreat. With today's consumer emphasis a week of silence is equally attractive and terrifying.

I have ordered my pedometer so I can start counting steps. 10,000 a day is supposed to be healthy - I suspect I do less than half of that - so more walking is in order.

Note to self : Get back to the gym and start swimming again!

I've been forecasting next year's budget in order to work out what I can save for. I reckon I'll have reached the "Rainy Day Fund" target (6 month's wages) by next December, after which I want to save for a really special holiday for my 40th birthday (May 2011). I could do the Banff Rocky Mountaineer train journey (first class all the way!) for about £4,000 so that will be the next target.

(Looking back on that, I feel the need to add that I really do know how lucky I am to have a job that pays well and that I love. There are an awful lot of folks who struggle to make ends meet - I used to be one of them and I am eternally greatful to not be there anymore.)

All the regular tasks are ticking along nicely and I've updated the list over there ~~~~~~~~~~>

101 in 1001 - 12. Give someone flowers "just because"

Sunday lunch at the folks.

I did all Mum's Christmas wrapping (and co-incidentally, got an extraordinarily good exchange rate on some Euros for my Dublin trip) and got fed.

Bargain!

(Not a bad shot for the camera phone, either!)

Another couple of books read - lighter stuff this time. Adrian Mole and the Prostate Years and Unseen Academicals. Both very good, the second one surprisingly so as it was all about football which I hate :)

93. Write a letter praising a company's service - Done (if you count an email!) - I emailed the company who sorted my new TV aeriel last week. The chap that came round was very professional - he rang me to say he was stuck in traffic and when to expect him, he fitted the aeriel splitter, tidied up after himself and was gone inside an hour. Marvellous. Now I have a TV in the bedroom I may never get up again!

List updated over there ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>

Same old, same old

Nowt's changed :)

Weekly tasks have been done.

I baked a new thing this week - from "Economy Gastronomy" - a chickpea loaf thing. It's gone in the freezer in slices, so a review is yet to come....

I bought a new TV - *so* not on the list but after tomorrow (when aerial man comes to see me) I will be able to lie in bed and watch DVDs. I may never move again....(apart from fishing trips)

So - a few things done this week.

I saw the sun rise at the seaside (see previous entry) and it was spectacular! Unfortunately, by the time the sun set it was pouring with rain, so I couldn't kill two items with one stone :) Only caught one fish, too -but it's more about the company, to be honest.

I've read another book "The White Queen" by Phillipa Gregory. I didn't enjoy it as much as her Tudor series - the language and style were very different and I found it harder to follow who was related to who - probably because I know so little about that era.

Financials ticking along nicely.

I've made a few alterations to the original list. After a while, you get to know what's achievable and what isn't - and it's my list so I'll change it if I like. Hehehe.

Thanks for all the messages and views on my Flickr account - keeps me motivated :)

101 in 1001 : 54. Sunrise in the Bristol Channel

I caught one solitary fish but with a sunrise like this and the mad boys for company it really didn't matter!

The rest of the set (and the mad boys) are here.

Excited, me?

We're off to Wales tomorrow to go fishing.

The skipper says there's been a few early winter cod about and lots of these big blonde rays.

Woo hoo....

Only 96 fish to go to hit my target :)

OK, so what have I done this week?

• Work was pretty busy – travelling takes up quite a lot of my time as my patch stretches from Aberdeen to Penzance. Luckily, I don’t have to go to either end of the country all that often, but still…!

• On payday I transferred the remaining cash to my savings accounts so I’m up to 24% of my target (6 month’s wages). That way, if the sky falls in I’ll be ok while I’m picking the pieces up J I’m lucky – I have a well paid job, but it’s really only in the last year or so I’ve had enough of a surplus to be able to save. And I spent most of last year’s on a new car when my old one went to the scrapyard in the sky. Hey ho – almost a quarter of the way on that one!

• All the financial items are ticking along nicely – I actually update things way more than twice a week but this just makes sure I do keep an eye on things.

• Baking – I found a recipe for raspberry flapjacks and made some. NOT a rip roaring success. I’ve never been any good at flapjack. Won’t be making those again.

• New comedy DVDs – series 15/16 of Last of the Summer Wine arrived last week and has been keeping me entertained. The vast majority of my DVDs are comedy – I think I own about five feature films. I find horror films too scary (I’m such a wuss!) and thrillers too boring. I like my DVDs in half hour bursts that make me laugh J

• I still haven’t finished the spreadsheet for organising this – maybe I don’t need one and I should change that item for something else? I also still haven’t sent off my passport renewal. Procrastination rules!

• Looking forward to going to Dublin for five days before Christmas (can I say that word now it’s November?!) and then to my parents for Christmas itself. That should mean two weeks off work and no need to go shopping for food in the supermarket mayhem. Result J

58. Catch 101 fish

I belong to a local sea fishing club (yes, I know that's odd living in the middle of the UK, don't start!) and we go out once a month.

On Friday we went to Weymouth to fish with one of our favourite skippers, Chris Caines on his boat Tiger Lily. Apart from the 4am start (!) it was a lovely day, weather held out and the sea got progressively calmer after a choppy start.

We'd decided to stay overnight on this trip so an excellent evening in a local pub was had. The B+B was a little *limited*... though I love these lads dearly, being the only girl in the club has its advantages (not having to share rooms with any of them is a big plus!). I was put in what the landlady optimistically described as a standard room. Yeah. Given another six square feet of space it would have been a standard wardrobe. What there was of it was comfortable though. And I'd had enough beer not to care :)

So - that's progress on another list item. I caught five fish. 96 to go :)

That's Pete in the photo above - not having one of his better days!

One month down - only 32 to go...

It's been a very quiet week list-wise.

Work is pretty frantic at the moment. I'm having to do my day job and also a seconded post that has been dormant for a while but is now getting quite lively again. I suppose it's better than being bored!

I've updated the list - it's over there ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>

Flat smells lovely, there's a chicken roasting in the oven :)

Three weeks in...

Quick update on the neverending list (or does it just seem that way...?)

25. Up to £120 in the terramundi now

26-8. All up to date (6/286)

31. Get a wok - have asked for a really good one for Christmas :)

35. Lay the dining table and eat at it once a week - (3/143)

37 & 8. New recipe - already blogged (1/50 and 1/33)

43. Packed lunch in the office (5/5)

45. Spam blasting (3/143)

47. Cross stitch for someone else - Done! It's a Christmas present though, so the photo will have to wait.

64. I've booked a long weekend in Dublin for just before Christmas. Guiness here I come :)

85. See previous blog - done!

96 - 8. Updated