Gearing up...gearing up...

A few people have been enquiring about when the next post is going to be on here? Well, here it is and I am going to commit to at least one post a week. At this stage though, while I haven't made much progress on actually clocking off any more of the list, I have been getting a lot of things in order to do just that. For example, my bread making equipement has arrived and is waiting for me when I get back to the UK (I'm in Ireland at the moment - more of that later). I did a short bread baking course with Maria's baking lab this time last year and loved it - I did a lovely white loaf and rolls - and am planning to use this experience to fulfil #29. Carb-heaven ahoy....

As more progress or lack thereof goes, this time last week, I foolishly missed the chance to hit #7 AND #8 all in one. that's meeting someone famous and an international sports star, for those who arent as up to speed as I am in the numbers. Despite the best efforts of Tinni, Amanda, Debra and PD, I chickened out of a chance to meet Danny Cipriani and Kelly Brook when they were out on a night out at Disco Bistro. He is very handsome indeed but even more so, she was absolutely gorgeous. Great hair - might even have a rival for Beyonce hair. Anyway, grow a pair, Brendan, grow a pair. I will never tick these few off my list until I do find some balls. Either that or I am drunk.

As well as the bread making gear, also on its way is the DVD of 'Gone With the Wind' (#34), for my viewing. Anyone who wants to come along to this, please let me know... Speaking of Gone With the Wind and Tara, I am currently staying at my own version of Tara, 16 Blackrock Park and have been finding lots of pictures of my family, my relations and Dad's Tara, Walsh Island (#38). Walsh Island, Co. Offaly is where my Dad grew up and spent many a happy day. It was as beloved to him as Blackrock Park is to me and I am sure as Tara was to Scarlett. I'm spending my last few days in Blackrock Park as its going up for sale and this along with my Dad's passing last year has made me think a bit more about my Dad's homeland and where he came from. I haven't been back to Walsh Island in at least 10 years, but its an important place to my family and so am hoping to make it back this year at some point to check it out and see again where he came from. 

Ok, back to viewing another 1939 film, The Wizard Of Oz, in front of the fire in Blackrock Park with a wet and grey day outside. Bliss, pure bliss...

So - the list is here...

Ok - so here it is, "The List". Not Schindler's, coz that would be just wrong and I am clearly not that much of a hero. I have spent the past month or so thinking about these things to do before I hit my milestone birthday next year and I have gone back and forth and back again and finally decided all the below. I've tried to make them as realistic and achievable as possible - Kirsty Mallows and her lessons on SMART objectives have clearly stood me in good stead - and focussed on a mixture of things that I have been meaning to do, things I would like to do and a couple of things that I don't really want to do have crept in here and one or two may not even be possible. I issue a caveat that this is not definitive. I exercise my right to veto two items throughout the year. In return for your indulgence, I offer you all the chance to suggest the last and final thing that I do. Suggestions gratefully received and considered. I appoint my sister Noelle as my co-judge. We are like Simon and Danni reunited. I won't say who is who...

I have 364 days to go, 39 things to do (I'm now blogging) of 1 I have no idea what.

Let the fun begin!!!

1. 1.     Buy and drink very expensive (>£80 per bottle) wine (with my sister, Noelle)
   2.     Cook something I've never cooked before
   3.     Eat something I've never eaten before
   4.     Eat something I've never eaten before - and won't eat again
   5.     Go to the top of the Shard
   6.     Meet Nigella Lawson
   7.     Meet someone (else) famous
   8.     Meet an international sports star
   9.     Do some kind of cooking course
   10. Go somewhere in the UK I've never been before
   11. Go somewhere abroad I've never been before
   12. Get my teeth whitened
   13. Have a mani-pedi
   14. Go (back) to Chez Bruce
   15. Apply for my driving license
   16. Learn to drive
   17. Read a modern classic
   18. Read a classic
   19. Take a photography course
   20. Run a race - minimum 10k
   21. Complete my series of Dynasty
   22. Play tennis again
   23. Lose a stone (in weight, not out of my pocket)
   24. Blog?
   25. Go back to Poros
   26. Plan my 40th birthday
   27. Take swimming lessons
   28. Don't change my job
   29. Bake more bread
   30. Meet a relative I haven't met before
   31. Go to Wimbledon for tennis
   32. Do something for charity
   33. Decide what's my 'Pine Cone' - and tell everyone.
   34. Have a 'Gone with the wind' viewing
   35. Go to the National Portrait Gallery every weekend out of three.
   36. Put 'more' of my photos online
   37. Learn to knit
   38. Go to Walsh Island again
   39. Visit Josephine Baker (the cat)
   40. TBD by suggestions by people here

OOOO - so I've done it. I don't have my list to hand just now but with less than 24 hours to go before I enter my fortieth year, I think I might just have ticked off one of the items on my list.

Granted, it has a question mark after it. That's simply because I am not sure if I am the type of person to blog enough to warrant the 'blogger' moniker - though I will try my damned hardest to give it a serious go. I have so many friends who do an amazing job of doing outstanding blogs (Amanda - she knows, Katie - bitch can cook, and John - the mad dog) that I bow in reverence. I hope I can learn from them and their ways. Please be patient with me and walk with me over this next year. I have no idea where my completely random list is going to take me and as a result, I am looking forward to the ride... I hope you are too.