Wendy, you've inspired me to update my site!!! (Craig says he loves your coat, by the way!)

7 THINGS TO DO BEFORE I DIE
Tandem skydive (I'd be scared, but maybe I could take photos to distract myself, like I did in the helicopter!)
Have children (Craig wants 4, but never mind!!)
Have a photo taken of me that I love!!
Have a book published
Write something people want to read (other than blog!)
Retire wealthy!!


7 THINGS I CANNOT DO
Ballroom dancing
cook scones (although I've made 3 batches today....rock cakes anyone??!!)
sing acapello (??)
Keep rubber plants
Paint (pictures)
Go scuba diving
Throw in a straight line (Craig will testify to that!)

7 THINGS THAT ATTRACT ME TO LONDON
Theatres
Near my home & family
Reminds me of Christmas (we always went to see the lights and go carol singing)
Architecture
Cheap hotel rooms (lastminute.com...kensington Thistle (£56 for 2 people with breakfast!!))
Camden Market (not been for a while!)
How could you not be..it's a great city!

THINGS I OFTEN SAY
you Know (that's what 3 weeks in Australia does for you!)
It wasn't me! (or Shaggy, maybe!)
Give Mummy a cuddle (to the cat!!....she never does though!)
I'm tired!! (well, I'm a busy girl!)
I love you( to my lovely husband.....newly weds are allowed to be slushy!)


7 BOOKS THAT I LOVE
Memoirs of a Geisha (until the end)
A Woman of Substance (made me cry..sad I know!)
The Kid (also made me cry...i see a trend here!)
One about the building of a cathedral, but I can't remember what it is called...Rachel will know!
Ellen Macarthurs book....didn't understand teh boat stuff, but you have to admire her determination!)
Paula Radcliffes book (how can you not admire her....marathons hurt!)


7 MOVIES I WATCH OVER AND OVER AGAIN
Don't watch any over and over, but
4 weddings
An Affair to Remember
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Titanic
Wonderful Life (should have put that further up!)
My Favourite Wife (Cary Grant is fab!)
Our wedding! (Not available at any outlets!!!)

7 PEOPLE I WANT TO JOIN IN TOO
Craig........'bout time he got a blog...he spends more time near the computer than me!!!!

Well, Hello world! Yep, I know, the comments section is still not working, but I'm just too darned busy to change anything!!

I haven't blogged since Feb........hmmmmmmmmmmmm.......... not alot has happened. The wedding in March was brilliant, fantastic day and the weather was amazing. Couldn't have gone better. The weekend after was Easter, and Craig whisked me off for a surprise weekend in Paris, travelling 1st class on Eurostar...........see, romance isn't dead!!

As if that wasn't enough, on Easter Sunday, our year anniversary, he got down on one knee and presented me with a gorgeous ring, asking if I'd marry him. You could have knocked me down with a feather!

Anyway, surficed to say, the day is now booked for Oct this year, church, reception all sorted. I've even got my dress and just today ordered my bridesmaids dresses.

The invitations are on their way to my parents, as they are going to finish them and send them off (we're making them ourselves....well, when you've got talent!). There are still a few things to sort, but we're getting there.

Planning to honeymoon in Oz, so that is taking a bit of time to decide where we really want to go, and how much we can physically fit in, but all in all, we are really excited!!

It may be really cheesy and all that, but I can't get over how things have changed for me so quickly. Craig makes me so happy. WE can be stupid together, laugh together, work and cry together. 14 months ago I was single, and certainly couldn't envisage the prospect that within 2 years I'd be married!!

Just goes to show, you never know what is round the corner I guess.

On the other side of the coin is a couple who have been together years, young baby, and now he decides he wants to be with someone else. Now that I could never have seen coming. She is facing the prospect of brining up a baby on her own, and being a single mum, not a place she would have seen herself a year or so ago either.

Crazy world.

Still no comments left. Either no-one is reading this (which is possible as I have been rather sporadic, and lets face it, I'm not writing anything that exciting!!), or the comments aren't working properly...........?

Moving on. Even more excited about the wedding stuff now as I've been asked to do a reading!! How fantastic. I'm reading a poem.....need to practice.........could do with west counry accent, but don't want to offend the locals!!

Work is OK right now, suprisingly. Still silly nonsense from upper management, but today I've been put forward to help produce a newsletter for the team, so a bit of journalistic practice, which is good. Also going to San Antonio in May, accompanying some Docs to a conference. Obviously pleased about this, although I'm rubbish now when I have to leave Craig behind...... I know, I'm crap and sentimental, but I don't care!!!

The 'detox' is going quite well. Still not succumbed apart from a cup of tea at Craig's Mums on Saturday as she didn't have anything decaf. Even managed to resist pudding last night when I was out with some docs. How I didn't order the banana toffee waffle I'll never know!!

Got another reminder of marathon today when the official magasine with photos & the full time listing came through the post. Still gets me a bit emotional when I read about it. Thinking about the crowds shouting your name and cheering you on, incredible. Don't think I can expect same support for Tamworth 10k in 10 days time! Mind you, that is more about getting Craig round. Know he'll do it, but I'll be there to ensure he paces himself and doesn't run off to quick at the start!

Flat is coming on. Mainly painting jobs and then the finishing touches, like changing the light switches, fitting the lampshades, getting a carpet for the hallway! We'll both be so glad when its' on the market!

Hmmmm...can smell my jacket spuds......must be dinner time!

Well, it is a momentous day, and I don't care what anyone else says, Ellen Macarthur is a star! I've been listening to the radio today getting increasingly irritated by people saying "What's the point?" "She's not brave, she chose to do it" "She's a whinger" whatever. Well, I reckon they should try to emulate her achievment and most of them would not even make it to the start line.

Yes, it is her past time, just like running is a past time for Kelly Homes, and not everyone likes sailing...don't think there are many people who like sprinting round a track either! Maybe it's because in an age where the public attention span is too short, the fact it has taken Ellen 71 days to complete her challange is just too long. The public want instantaneous satisfaction of winning or losing. Other say it is because sailing is eliteist. Well, so is rowing when most of our good ones are Oxford or Cambridge graduates, but we all applauded Matthew Pinsent and his crew didn't we? Makes me mad.

Can't we just accept that as individuals we may never achieve something of this significance, but that we admire those who do? She is a British woman, lets embrace her achievment!!

I've been reading her book (for some time now, as I don't seem to have much time to read!) and it is a fab read, even though I don't know one end of a boat from another, and as for the different types of sails, well that is beyond me. But just seeing the effort that goes in to her getting to the race, never mind completing it, is remarkable. Of course she has a team of people around her for their expertise and advise, but we all know other sportsmen & women have nutritionalists, coaches, physios etc working with them to reach their optimum performance.

So, for Ellen, raise a glass, a pancake, whatever, in salute of her achievment and put a sock in the mouth of any decenting voices around you!

End of rant.

Well, just got a few minutes before Craig gets back from the flat. Would have been there too, but we had wedding stuff to attend to again today. Final fitting for the dresses, and then the search was on for headwear. Jo had an idea of what sort of tiara she wanted. For us bridesmaids, we didn't really have any idea!!

Anyway, got them sorted after a trip to Pronuptia (or something like that....I'm a new comer to this wedding lark!!). Got little tiaras for us too. Well, they are on order. Doesn't seem they let you walk out of any of these wedding shops with any of the items you have paid for!!! You have to wait!!

While in the wedding shop, we had a go at walking in these stupid shoes we bought the other week. They are a nightmare! Can just imagine how practical they will be if we end up with a snow in mid March!

Don't worry, I won't shirk my duties this weekend, on the decorating front. I'll have to prepare the bedroom walls and hopefully start painting, if we can decide on a colour! Craig will probably want white or cream like the rest of the flat. Probably best I suppose. It's only small and anything else would make it shrink further!

We're still on the 'feel good Feb (FGF)' campaign. Craig suffered with bad headache for a couple of days and was certainly a bit crabby, but he seems to be improving! Not sure how easy a weekend without alcohol will be! And with England playing rugby too???!!

I know, my blog has changed, and you can't leave comments and it just looks rough, but after deciding on a template I forgot to save the other settings and need to crib from Haigh jnr's to get the settings back. Be patient!

Madness of work has settled as I'm now back in old (pre-Christmas) role which is great. Have a new boss who seems lovely, and might make it a bit more palatable to stay. however, the financial press are musing about take-overs and if that happens, it will almost cetainly mean job cuts. It always does in this industry. There are definitely too many of us!

Life is still manic. Craig is on a real push to get the flat finished and on the market. Seen another (almost identical to his) for £80k which would be brilliant. fingers crossed.He's made a great job of the kitchen, which I think will sell the flat easily, and he is now working on the bathroom. He bought some gorgeous tiles for the walls, and then found he couldn't cut them. They are thick terracotta ones and he had to hire a cutter in the end! I learnt a few new swear words!!

In the meantime, I have given the hall a couple of coats of paint. it will need another though. I've also varnished the paintwork, and spent Sunday stripping the paper in the bedroom. Life is Rock and Roll!!!


Today we have embarked on Feel Good February. With holiday and my mates wedding looming, we have decided to go on a healthy living kick. We already do a bit of running, but it's more the eating that's the problem. So, for Feb we are cutting out alcolhol, caffiene and chocolate, replacing them with fruit drinks and fruit snacks. We're going to really try to eat as healthily as we can. Hopefully we'll feel better for it, but I wouldn't drop round for dinner this month!

It's now 12.25 and I still haven't left the house today! Some may call it laziness...I call it craziness!!

After the debarcle my company call a restructure, last October, there have been some leavers, and some movers. I was a mover, not out of choice, to new territory, new products. Now, just 8 days into the new job (2 of which I've been off sick for!), I find that my old job has become available again.

Pros and cons weighed up, and although I don't see myslef being here long term, in the short term, returning to my old job would be preferable to trying to get to grips with this new one, and would also mean I wouldn't have to attend a further 2 weeks training already in the diary for Jan & Feb.

So, I'm hanging on for a call from my new boss, to see if she will grant my transfer request. Who knows??!!

Great excitement this morning for other reasons, as some posters arrived. I've had 2 of my studio flower pics and an outdoor flower pic printed 20x30 inches, and they look fantastic. The quality is amazing. All down to my briliance and my wonderful camera purchased last autumn (8 mega pixel Nikon Coolpix for the techies out there!). I also had a scyscraper shot, taken in NewYork, blown up to 24x36 (unfortunate terminology there....apologies to anyone I offended...seems you have to apologise publically for everything these days, so I offer that immediately to save The Sun editorial space!), and printed onto canvas. I have to say that it looks magnificent!! I know, I am bias, but I am also quite critical of my own work, so if I thought the shot was rubbish, I'd say so! The print quality is also great, so I recommend FujiFilm poster printing to anyone with nice shots they'd like printed up.

Craig is quite keen, and I agree, that it would be brilliant to be able to have a web site to sell some of the pics I've taken. I'd also like to take more, especially the studio flower shots, really close up shots of the flower centres. When I get a bunch of flowers now, the first thing I do is pick out the flowers and take their photos....sad really, but it keeps me off the streets!

I'm also sitting here next to my dresser which previously contained lots of nik naks. Craig hated most of them, but with a memory as crap as mine, I needed the trinkets to remind me of my travels and of my friends. Anyway, after new year, I decided it was about time we had a bit of a sort out. Afterall, this is Craigs house now too, and there is obviously lots more of me in it, than there is of him. The balance won't be struck properly until we have a place we've bought together, but I thought we should redress the balance a bit. Therefore, appreciation needs now to be given to a more uncluttered and neater looking dresser.

Guess we'll be doing another boot fare when the better weather comes along!

Well, folks I'm going to try to write more often, but don't hold me to it!
Where do I start though? Last 6 months. Craig moved in, we went to New York. I ran the marathon. That just about covers it!

Wednesday is Craigs football night, so I get a bit of time to myself. Today I'm trying to put all the New York pictures into a folder. I couldn't find a photo album that would hold the pictures and our memorabelia.

I'm also sitting by the phone waiting for a call from my mate who has asked me to be a bridesmaid for her. Going to be a bit of a rush. Engagement on NY eve and wedding on March 19th!!! She's coming up this Saturday to go dress shopping...I'm like a little kid waiting for Christmas. I've not been a bridesmaid since I was 7. Hope the old story of 3 times a bridesmaid never a bride isn't true!!

Luckily we've kept up our running since the marathon, so I should look OK in a dress, and we'll have just got back from a week in Lanzarote by the time of the wedding, so I might even have a few extra freckles to show off!!

We've entered a 10k run in Tamworth in Feb. Craig is very determined to keep fit, which is great, cause he's more motivated than me. I need goals and there isn't much more of a goal than a marathon, so after that I need other little races to keep my interest up!

The rest of the freetime (of which there seems precious little!) we spend at the flat. Last weekend, Craig removed the old sink, put up the brushed steel splachbacks, and then put the new sink in. It isn't plumbed in yet, but the kitchen is almost completed now. I finished stripping the wallpaper in the hallway and prepared the the walls ready for painting. I hope to put the first coat on this weekend if I have time. I like to feel I'm doing my bit!!

On the work front, things are not too good. I've signed up with an agency again. It would be lovely to be settled in a job I liked! Maybe one day!

I wouldn't like to give you all hope that I might actually make an effort to keep a blog this year, but it is only the 4th Jan and here I am. We'll see how it goes. Going out in a minute, so it will be short. Off to the flat again to try and do a bit of work there. Craig has set his heart on finishing it int eh next 3 months or so. We'll see!!!

I know, its' been ages!! Seem to start my Blog with this phrase or similar alot!

Anyway, after receiving a complaint for not having anything up to date, I felt compeled to write.

I can't believe where the year is going. When I sent of my application for the NY marathon in April, November seemed so far away. Now it is just 11 weeks away!!! So, the training has had to be upped and taken a bit mroe seriously. I have no doubt at all I will complete the course, although the first mile or 2 on my runs seem to be most difficult and I briefly curse myslef for this stupid idea!! My training is all about the recovery, hopefully allowing me not to feel too knackered after it, and maybe being able to walk the following day!

The training has allowed me to find my pace, which for those who are interested, is about 10 minute miles, so if maintained would mean a time of 4 hours 20. We'll see! I was well chuffed last Saturday to run just over 10 miles, making use of the fairly flat Rea Valley Cycle route and the Birmingham Canal. Tomorrow I'm aiming for 15 miles. The thought of it is painful, but once you get into a rhythm it doesnt' seem to feel too bad!!

Fundraising isn't going too bad either, with my Cancer Research UK almost on target. Arthritis Care needs a bit more of a boost, but OK. Hopefully I'll raise about £11-£1200 for charity in total. Not a bad amount to show for this act of stupidity!!!


Not much other news, as everything is taking a back seat to the training schedule. Everything that is, apart from Craig, who is trying his hardest to train with me when he can, but his poor old joints are suffering!! The news there is that he has now moved in here. Seems incredible to me, that having only met him at the end of March, that we are already sharing this house. It is lovely, and in general I've managed to adapt from my single life well. Thankfully my parents are happy too, although talk of where we will spend Christmas is a little scary!!!

I know that the weather is shocking but it is still supposed to be summer...is anyone else having the Christmas pressure yet??!

Gosh, weeks since writing! Been a busy bee!!

First, running update: Been upping the regular runs to 5 or 6 miles, with shorter ones (2.5 miles) in between. Only managing to run about 3 times a week though, so need to increase this, although Craig is very keen and has joined me twice now. Think he regretted the 6 miles we did last Tuesday and his knee hasn't been the same since!

Craig update: well, as you can see from above, all is well there. Went into city centre last night to watch footy in Centenary Square..no it wasn't me who vandalised a bus!! Was a lot of unhappy people at the end, but the atmosphere had been quite good and I'd like to go in again on Thursday.

Job: It's 11.43 and still at home, although need to leave now. Got meeting this afternoon so didn't want to overdo it!! Also, early start tomorrow - Wolverhapmton for 8.15!! Yuk!

Off now. "the sun has got his hat on..."

Well, you'd be proud of me today. Maybe it was the pasta I had for tea last night, but I felt particulrly energetic tonight so started out on a run and then thought, hey, lets try a new route! Managed to run up to the Bunbary Road, along Middleton Hall Road to Cotteridge then past the Green to home - 8km (almost 5 miles!). Middleton Hall Rd is suprisingly flat and I felt as though I could have run forever..just the blasted hill up to the Green and beyond that home that kills!!! :-)

Also updated fundraising of £331.79....I have a fantastic group of generous friends...god bless you all!!

So, I've officially launched my websites for the New York Marathon..the countdown starts here!!

Fundraising has had an amazing start with £254.87 (which includes almost £55 of gift aid), so thanks to anyone reading who has pledged so far...and if you haven't...why not??!!

Training is slow but the true marathon training starts about 3 months before the event, so August then. Currently the furthest I've run is 6 miles, but that was hard and I did start to get some blisters, even with my super duper trainers from Hall Green running shop..so some adaptions may need to be made...spare feet might be good!

On Friday last week I did my usual 3 mile circuit, and I felt dead...great motivation!! As I'm in a positive mind frame, I decided not to be put off and that I would be more determined, and managed a 4 mile run on Saturday, although I did have to stop for 2 reasons.

a/ the view was great (I was running on part of the North Worcestershire Way and could see the lovely rolling hills of Worcestershire to my right and the gorgeous city skyline on my left...well I think its a lovely view, people's opinions differ on that!!)

b/ I got lost! Well, I expected the path to be well sign posted, but it wasnsn't. My trainers got quite wet and muddy too, which wasn't great.

I really need to gradually increase my distance (a mile at a time my coach reckons...thanks Ms Haigh for that advice!!) and I need to vary my routes, but running over uneven ground is a recipie for disaster I think and likely to end in me with a sprained ankle or twisted knee, so care is needed!! I don't mind running on the roads though, but buses tend to get annoyed if I us the bus lane!!!

From now on, this is an official NY marathon Blog (but might digress from time to time!!)

Ok, I know I've been rubbish at putting a new post on, but I've got a highly motivational job and hectic social life........well, one out of 2 aint bad!!

Work - suprisingly easy of course. But that is OK. There are still the odd challange and my old team are keeping me feeling useful in terms of coaching. I'm probably better now than when I was their boss as I'm far less stressed!!

In fact, I do tend to pocess rather an inane grin most of the time at the moment, but this is probably not due to work. ;-)

So, been a while...dont' seem to get much time to write at the moment..can't think why!!!
Not that I'm complaining. Is weird, being part of a couple again, having, and wanting to consider someone else. Compromise is the watch word I guess!

Anyway, Barcelona last weekend was great, with the ginger one! We even found a restaurant called 'Ginger'! Taxi drivers wre very chatty, even if the one taking us tot he airport at the end of it was trying to talk in Spanish, teach us Spanish when clearly we knew very little. our interpretation was something like this:" Blah blah blah blah blah blah then you gracias blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah (animated with hand gestures!) blah blah yes si blah blah blah" ....you get the picture. We were totally drained by the time the airport came into view!!

Weekend was capped by the mad twins we found ourselves next to on the airport bus going to the plane. Within seconds they were grilling this poor Spanish guy about hi wife and wether they had kids, why he was going to the UK, fo houw long and basically a life history. Amazing!

Lucky for us, we were sat directly behind them on the plane, so had their life story as they told the stewardess it was their 50th birthday and they had gone to Barcelona to celebrate. All I can say is that I'm sure their husbands had a fantastically quiet weekend with a beer in front of the telly, every now and then, turning off the sound and going 'hear that? That's peace and quiet that is!'

The stewardess was supposed to have been serving us tea but they talked for so long, the ones working their way forward from the back reached us eventually and they'd still trapped this poor woman! Ii have to say, we were in bits by this point and dreading eeting them at the baggage hall. WE imagined the inquesition. 'So, did your husbands mind you going away without them? What? You're not married? But wouldn't you like to have children? Do you thnk you will get married one day? How many bridesmaids would you like.................' AHHHHHH!!!

Luckily for us, they were no where to be seen, so we grabbed our luggage and ran!

Wow, been a while and I momentarily forgot my password!! Shock horror.
Anyway, settling into new job now..making the most of the weather to dry clothes and browse internet for journo stuff, oh and seeing docs from time to time too! Amazing how easily one slips back into the pace of life!

Ok, big news is that I am dating, proper dating..this must be the first time in years when I think about it. I mean, sure, I was seeing the laid back Irish one for a while, but one weekend in 3 doesn't really count as dating does it?? Since then, Mr non-commitment and Mr no txt...useless bunch!

So now, a real live proper man, who can txt, who does call, who will respond to e-mails, who comes up with ideas of where to go (Warwick races, meals out) and has even cooked me dinner...........................I have a suspicion it is all going to go wrong somewhere!!

What is it about us girls that we actually like the bastards of the world? They are exciting, maybe we have to work a little harder for them, whatever, I don't get it!!

So, effort required to hold on to the guy who can cook, has his own teeth, doesn't have any hang ups or sexual deviancs that are obvious at this stage, doesn't require huge amounts of fan like adoration, and has good standards of personal hygiene!!!! Go forth and buy hats!!!!


Only kidding folks!!!!

:-)

Well, I have to say I have a certain contentment this afternoon. I've finally finished my training course and passed (would have been a shock after 10 years in the job to be told I was crap!!), and am free from Monday to do as I wish!

Also, I've had a lovely weekend, doing exactly what one should do at weekends, buy a paper (which I haven't read!), go shopping (for nothing in particular, just to look and impulse buy!), and see friends. Bliss.

Only low point really was visiting my neighbours grave yesterday as it was a year since she passed away. Where does the time go? Good to remember and at least smile now. Funny, no relative of mine has ever been buried, so never done the whole grave visiting thing. Can understand now why people chose burial, as there is a focal point, somewhere to go to be near to them. Strange though, as maybe there are more places we can be close to someone we loved, just by thinking about them, but I guess that isn't always easy. For me, being someone who likes to be warm, I'd rather be cooked and scattered on field a daisies!

Sorry, didn't mean to get morbid! Anyway, the ironing calls!

How funny is that...after almost 3 weeks of no message, suddenly man gets use of his thumb back and sent txt. Honestly.

Have checked out the intracacies of the New York marathon and am definitely on for that! So, get your arms ready for reaching deep into your pockets to give me some dough!

If global warming is not to blame for the bizarre weather over the past 10 days, I don't know what is. We've gone from snow, to warm summer sun, and then yesterday the most amazing hail shower I've ever seen!! Felt particularly sorry for some joggers who were clearly in some pain a they failed to shelter from the marble sized ice drops, but not sorry enough to offer them a space in the car, and I have to admit to laughing at them! Sorry!

I'm much happier today. Promise! The sun has been shining and I've had another day at home to do more journo stuff,some work and been tot he gym again! My, I will be fit. I have finally decided (well, probably!) that I'm going to do the New York Marathon in November. I know I will probably regret it and may die in the process, but what a way to go. And anyway, I've never been to NY!!

Spoke to Debs about engagement. She is over the moon. Guess that's what 3 months in Iraq does to a bloke! Lovely news.

Been chatting with nice guy called Craig on DD today. We've even had to send 2 messages at a time because we've been running out of space. Time for next stage....personal e-mail address!!

Actually going out to work tomorrow. I know, it's a shame. How will I cope??!!