OK, it really has been a while since my last post, many monts by the looks on it.

Various things have happened and also my goals seem to have changed.
I still want to complete my list, though certain things I will probably not be able to do for various reasons.

Firstly: the donating blood, some of this is due to the amount of vacinations that I must have for my jungle adventure, and the grading for tae kwon do: due to internal politics gradings are on hold for the near future.

As for the rest...... I read an article about a woman wo gave up teaching to see if it was possible to turn herself into an olympic champion within 4 years by devoting herself to training for the pentathlon.
Its a good idea, and so a little spark has started to form.

At the moment I am racing annd heading towards the ultra style races, soooooo I wondered if it was possible to become a decent untra-runner within 4 years.

Ok folks have been away for quite a while....had a real shock when looking at the countdown date with just over 800 days to go!!! Must get a move on.

Seem to be getting there ( possibly, maybe)
26) Serious champagne: done. As soon as I had my divoice papers in my hand I went and bought a bottle.
91) Divorce:done

As for the ongoing ones: think I really out to start posting pictures as well.

19) Charity: ongoing. I volunteer 3 times a week at the local childrens centre and have been now for 4 months.

8) Race per month: ongoing. So far for Oct have done the Burnham beeches 10K, and for November hope to run Hayling Island, December will be the Grim.

2) Get to Blue belt.......have next grading on 5th Dec which should take me to green tag....theoretically I should reach Green in March and then Bluetag June and finally Blue in Oct 2010...........what this space.

95) Have had all the details for The UnderRound: all I have to do now is set a date!

Ahhhh long time no write.

I have been away, mainly due to the unseasonal workload of the OU degree and the OU Astronomy summer school........what a laugh, very very hard work but learnt lots........also managed to break so much stuff!! Not just me I might add but the small group I was in.

Track record of breakages for the week: 2 astronomical domes, 2 telescopes, 1 CCD camera, 1 table, 1 chair, 4 computers and......a bus. Will they ever have anohter summer school back?

So how am I doing on this list? and how do I know how much time I have on my countdown? This might be something that I add as soon as I find out ( possibly from the dayzeroproject).

76) DONE
send a favourite book to a freind with a note inside: can't remember if I did update this, but I bought the Timetraveller's wife for a friend.

100) DONE
Make a non exploding spounge cake: why did I pick this? well the last one I made was rising nicely in the oven, I opened the door and it exploded!
This time I used a kids recipe and, hey, it worked!

28) Ongoing
Re read all the Jane Autin novels: am currently reading persusion, also am still not convinced. But we shall see.
I have Emma and North hanger abby lined up

92) Ongoing
Am still budgeting and sticking to it, this is something that I hope to keep doing even when the time is up.

And how am I feeling about all of this?
Not too bad, it helps me focus and we shall see............

53) did try and call in to see my friend but NO ANSWER......i really wish she wouldn't keep changing her phone numbers....oh well will have to try again.
93) there are words for this.....time for race 3:11...which is 2 mins faster than last time but means that for next year I have to knock 20 mins off. This can be done as I managed 15 off last year.

Only reason I haven't managed is recovering from injury.

Am getting there I think.

43) DONE:Little sis came down on Sunday and this morning we had a photo shoot with us and the kids-pics to follow ( they're not bad but have realsied just how thin i look!) not good at all

53) (i think) will be making the trip back to do 93) and will call in to see some friends ...its a good 3 hrs journey but haven't seen them since March this year so will make the effort to call in

93) watch this space............race is on Saturday as am not grading for Tae kwon do have decided to run Roman run so hope to get in at 2:45...................................to be continued!

99) started with the cake and children bit.......word of advice for anyone trying this...pick the ages and the kids very very carefully!!!!
Had 4 pre teenagers in the kitchen making fairy cakes-ok-they were edible, they might not have looked much cop but they were edible. Now all I have to do is make another 4 types,but the mess!!!!!!!!!! good god the mess!!!! may I have my nervous breakdown now folks.
The mix was everywhere, the sides, the floor, the door of the oven, the window and the cat!

I have my race for September, a nice short 10km one, hope to do this in 45min or under.This will give me a benchmark for the rest of the races ( methinks). The gym sessions are going well and hope this will up my race time. Am not really looking at distance when training, I know I can run a Marathon ( the Comrades would be good as would the Canadian Death race....but more of that later).
My foot doesn't hurt and I can do anything from a short 30mins through to 1 1/2 hrs depending on my mood.

Maybe I should have put down not to allow children sleepovers lol

Anyway thing are going quite well, the yoga is still a struggle, the service of the car will come as I have just had her brakes done poor little thing.
The flowers are good, nice to be able to treat myself ( and the cat seems to like the taste/the fact they are a toy).

my first foray into the world of cakes (though not decorating) will be merange when my sister comes down.........hang on one cotton picking minute.......fairy cakes are sponge and they don't explode!!!! Right ( said with a steeley determination) I am off to make a very large sponge/fairy cake.
Theoretically, if i just increase the quantity and put it in a different tin as opposed to a cake case it will be a sponge.......wouldn't it?

Races.....looks like my foot isn't healing, the anti inflamatories seem to be great for weight loss ( IF I had an extra weight to loose), but don't seem to be helping the foot. Soooooo, the Jungle is definately out.
I don't want to be the idiot medi lifted out for a minor injury through sheer stupidity when someone who really needs it might not get it. Looks like a race for Sep is going to be out as well.....ho hum, never mind.
Why am I not too bothered? well, I have 2 races booked for October and the one in December ( still struggling for Novemebr though) and have found race from January through till July next year!!!! And some that the sprogs can do as well.

The yoga is starting to get there, not really sure if it is doing me any good but then again I don't know how long it will take before you start to see any results and what those results should be....the things I decide to try without knowing why! Anyway, thought I'd try yoga for flexibility and core strength.

Baking fresh bread is nice and simple and smells so good.
Washing the car........ struggling to do it, but the poor little rust bucket really does need it, I do feel really sorry for my vehicles sometimes ( actually, make that all of the time). I buy them for a maximum of £500 and then proceed to run them into the ground.

What else am I making progress on.....the divorce for a start. No real problems wiht this, the soon to be EX seem to be leaving me well alone after bordering on the Stalking earlier this year. Have had papers from the solicitor stating my NICI will be due 28th August, then 6 weeks and 1 day later my EX can apply for the Absolute.

Mind you folks, am getting a suspicious feeling that things might not be so smooth once he gets his letter from his solicitor, I have a feeling that he might decide to stop the whole thing as he did say that this was to 'teach you a lesson that there are consequences to your actions'......honestly, with my track record with blokes I might as well start a psycho check list before dating anyone!!!.

Let's see, mmmm, magazines.....I seem to be holding out on buying them, as long as my Runners World comes through the door I am happy, though I might change my Zest for one of the Triathalon mags as this is something that looks like great fun.

Maybe I ought to start posting pictures on here so that people can see that I am making progress. I don't own a digital camera.......now what, ah, maybe learning to use the camera on my mobile mihgt be an option ( then all I have to do is learn to transfer from phone to here dum dum dum!!!)
Am I really that technologically incompetent-YES.
I can take things apart and rebuild them ('we can rebuild him'- now, what was that from, it'll come back to me), I can fix cars and most machines but computers,, ewwww no chance.

Right, off to try and use this camera thingy. This should mean that hopefully I will be able to post pictures of the Tae kwon do grading.
For anyone interested I am currently Yellow belt, and hopefully in Sep will grade to become Green with yellow tag....watch this space.