Here's to 2013

Twas the night before New Years Eve . . . .

. . . . and all my planets are lining up nicely!

There are certain rituals that have to be observed as we hurtle towards the New Year, at some point between Christmas and the New Year I have to watch two films, the first is The Holiday, just because I love it and I wish I was Cameron Diaz. I also like to watch Mama Mia, unless you have discovered a discarded pair of thigh length boots in your loft and performed your own rendition of 'dancing queen' in your kitchen then this film may leave you cold - but I guarantee without any doubt that there will come a day in every parents lives when the words to 'slipping through my fingers' will make you weep and you will believe it was written for you.

I also need a new book and I have that and this one will answer every question I have ever had, after all it has worked for the likes of Bradley Wiggins, Victoria Pendleton and Sir Chris Hoy so I'm sure it will work for me. It's called The Chimp Paradox and I'm learning to control my chimp fast!.

We have also taken our running to the next level and been out twice this weekend in our tights! a sure sign things are getting serious.

I'm itching now to get the tree down and get on. 2012 hasn't been a bad year for us, we have got a lot sorted and life is a lot calmer now, it was also the first year that I completed a marathon. I'm just hoping the momentum will continue into the New Year.

Happy New Year to Everyone

Please, your help is needed!

Ok folks, I've been having a kind of 'brainstorming' session - with myself.

The wing walking idea appears to be a non-starter - shame!. My mum has refused to allow us to remove the last of my dads hair - spoil sport, and I'm afraid I just couldn't face being bald. I was traumatised enough by my last visit to the hairdressers.

I have considered a parachute jump or that dangling off a tall building on a bit of string thing but I think both of those are quite expensive before you make a penny for the charity. I need something a bit different that will propel us beyond my little group of friends and family who must by now be so sick of my **!?* mountain!. It seems it takes a lot more than running a little over 26 miles these days to do that?.

I've asked before and never had a single response but if anyone has any idea's I would be so grateful. I don't want to make a complete idiot of myself but I'm willing to consider most things. For the record, I don't sing, swim or play any instruments, so that could be somewhere to start.

So, lets get serious . . .

On Sunday there will be 16 weeks until the marathon - that really isn't long enough. We haven't managed to get out over the last few days and my anxiety is increasing with the arrival of each guest because I can guarantee their opening line these days is always to tell me how many runners they saw on the way to our house. I've not been out for days but it appears the streets are crammed full of runners!.

My other worry is the huge amount we need to raise in a little more than the 16 weeks. It's a full time job in itself and I already have one of those. I was a bit concerned because I vaguely remember on Christmas day striking a 'wine induced' deal with my sister which involved 'wing walking' but after a quick browse of the internet it seems you can't raise money for charity by wing walking because it is deemed to be a 'display activity' and not a 'sport' . . . . . . thank the lord!!!!

My dad, bless his heart has offered to have his head shaved but my mum has put her foot down - but it gives you some idea of the level of my desperation.

My e-book is still not selling, I just don't know how to get it out there, it's so hard when you don't have friends in influential places . . . well, you don't have that many friends influential or otherwise!!!!.

It's half passed 4 now and dark but I have a sudden urge to get on with something, I won't run in the dark, the machine is in the shed and the fires alight so lounge loping is out of the question - maybe I'll just have one more glass of wine and get out tomorrow.

For all that's good

Well that's Christmas done for another year, oh there were the same deflating airbeds, the same chaos, the same culinary disasters, the same food and wine, we quite possibly laughed at many of the same jokes and I know tears were shed over the same voids that become part of all of our lives with time.

Once again though there was the same sense that we have been somehow blessed. Christmas is such a huge line in the sand, a marker that we all use to take stock, to count up what we have against the things we don't and whilst I, along with most of us complain about all the things that I feel I could or should have I know that I have far more of what is really important than most people. Sometimes we are so busy mourning a life we once thought was ours for the taking that we don't see what is truly important, a home - however small or tatty can only really be called a home when it's filled with love. Food in our cupboards, whether it's Waitrose finest or Tesco everyday, so long as you have someone to share it with it makes no difference. Furry slippers will always ace designer clothes when they are bought and wrapped by your child and all the diamonds in all the world would mean nothing if you didn't know that he would walk through fire for you.

I have no religious faith so I'm not too sure quite who I am directing this at but, once again, to whoever or whatever is up there looking down at little old me - thank you for all that's good in my life x

Training Plan sorted

Just thought I would have a browse for a training plan, guess what? . . . running, lots and lots of running!, making me feel quite sick just looking at it but I guess it needs to be done and fast. I think we'll go with the intermediate one from the Running Bug - as good as any I think!

Need a bit of professional help too I think so in the new year we are going to look to join a gym, I'm hoping it might help just a bit. Anyway, on tick over now until 1st January when we will be off.

Wide awake!

Well it's gone 1am and I'm wide awake and I have to work in the morning - don't think I shall be starting too early!.

The reason I'm wide awake? well on 24th December - I'm so hot!, it's crazy . . . that's not all, I have so much buzzing around in my head, so much to get done when I finish at 2 o'clock tomorrow afternoon so that we are ready for everyone to arrive on Christmas day.

And then, there's after Christmas, there's the question of a rather huge sum of money that needs to be raised and then the rather huge distance that my little feet need to start to cover. Sometimes, usually around the early hours it all seems incredibly daunting and I do start to question why I start these things. Wouldn't life just be so much easier if I started a patchwork quilt or knitted a scarf or something, or at least got sponsored for something I do anyway?. Maybe next year that's what I'll do.

Anyway, the panetonne pudding went well today, the laundry is winding down and I have very nearly found the bottom of the ironing basket. The house is reasonably tidy (although it will need another go through later today) and all but the drink is bought. All that remains later on is a bit more ironing to finish off, a triffle to make, veg to peel, house to go through quickly, a run, beds to inflate and bedding to sort then I think I'll be just about there . . . simples!

Just incase I don't manage to fit in another blog before tomorrow

I would like to wish anyone who visit's this blog,

the people who have supported me over the past year and all my friends and family a very, very Happy Christmas x

Just don't get it?

never quite understand why some posts seem to send my stats through the roof (well,by my standards) and others don't?. Also, why nearly every other blog I read has 'thousands' of followers, how does that happen, or am I really that boring. Anyway, incase my new Russian readers have returned today:

Please take a look at my ebook on amazon, it's priced at 1 pound 96 and of the profits I receive 50p will go to Shelter and 50p to the association for international cancer research. I would be so grateful if you could buy my book and support 2 great charities. It's called, surprisingly, Viv's Mountain.
Thank you