...and haven't posted for ages.
Anyway.
Books read:
Notes from an Exhibition - Patrick Gale
Slam - Nick Hornby
The Savage Garden - Mark Mills
The Death and Life of Charlie St Cloud - Ben Sherwood
Pretty certain I've read another one as well but can't remember what it was. Must have made an impression! I fancy joining a book group to make me a bit more committed to reading. Hmm. Currently reading: Homage to Barcelona by Colm Toibin.
Can't even begin to list the films I've seen as it has been the ¡Viva! Spanish film festival recently but I think I saw 9 films during that time, the highlights of which were Aperecidos, El Hombre de Arena and La Mujer del anarquista. I've also seen Rachel Getting Married, Anvil! The Story of Anvil, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, I Love You, Man and Wendy and Lucy - phew! This is why I need to update more...
I have finished my first assessment on my Understanding Children course, got a very good mark. Just doing the second piece of work now and then will move on to Starting With Psychology in June. Am also doing a free course in Health and Nutrition through www.vision2learn.com
Final piece of blog news - I AM NOW DEBT FREE! I can cross that one off my list - hooray!
Monday 20 April 2009
Wednesday 11 February 2009
Short blog post:
Films watched since blog started, Doubt (6/10, some great acting but not an absorbing enough plot or group of characters), Revolutionary Road (7/10, ditto but with a better plot) and Hotel for Dogs (8/10, very very funny!).
Have added £1 for each film to my savings pot and £1 for finishing reading The Reader (slight adjustment to previous rule of £2 for each challenge completed, I will now also add £1 for bit part challenges).
Films watched since blog started, Doubt (6/10, some great acting but not an absorbing enough plot or group of characters), Revolutionary Road (7/10, ditto but with a better plot) and Hotel for Dogs (8/10, very very funny!).
Have added £1 for each film to my savings pot and £1 for finishing reading The Reader (slight adjustment to previous rule of £2 for each challenge completed, I will now also add £1 for bit part challenges).
Friday 6 February 2009
Things that have happened today and yesterday
Found out today that both Mike and I have won free return flights with Jet2 - however I haven't had a confirmation email so we can't send off our booking request yet. Jet2 have said there will be a letter in the post so fingers crossed I get that through soon and we can book a holiday - hopefully to Dubrovnik as I will be able to scrub #26 off my list!
Yesterday I spoke to O2 about my cashback for staying with them (£150). They had BACS transferred it into a very old bank account that I no longer use! Stupid people. So now I have to wait for that to bounce and then they will send me a cheque. So they have until 19th February to send me that or I will be writing a very firm complaint letter. When I receive it it will go against my loan, in order to achieve #9 sooner.
Going to see a play tonight, True Love Lies at the Royal Exchange. Free tickets, won a competition. Going for 2 for 1 food at Gourmet Burger Kitchen first so it should be a very cheap night out :)
Yesterday I spoke to O2 about my cashback for staying with them (£150). They had BACS transferred it into a very old bank account that I no longer use! Stupid people. So now I have to wait for that to bounce and then they will send me a cheque. So they have until 19th February to send me that or I will be writing a very firm complaint letter. When I receive it it will go against my loan, in order to achieve #9 sooner.
Going to see a play tonight, True Love Lies at the Royal Exchange. Free tickets, won a competition. Going for 2 for 1 food at Gourmet Burger Kitchen first so it should be a very cheap night out :)
Thursday 5 February 2009
#9
#9 Become debt free (bar mortgage!)
Just worked out that if I carry on making the overpayments at the rate I have been, I will definitely be debt free by Christmas this year! The overpayments are fine, not a struggle at all, so it's great to know I will definitely have this sorted before next year :)
Just worked out that if I carry on making the overpayments at the rate I have been, I will definitely be debt free by Christmas this year! The overpayments are fine, not a struggle at all, so it's great to know I will definitely have this sorted before next year :)
#3
#3 Take Understanding Children course with open.ac.uk
Just signed up to the "Understanding Children" course at the Open Universtity. Only 10 credits but will be a nice reintroduction to studying. I eventually want to build an open degree in Psychology and Childhood Studies which should hopefully give me a good grounding for when I want to take my PGCE somewhere down the line.
Just signed up to the "Understanding Children" course at the Open Universtity. Only 10 credits but will be a nice reintroduction to studying. I eventually want to build an open degree in Psychology and Childhood Studies which should hopefully give me a good grounding for when I want to take my PGCE somewhere down the line.
Wednesday 4 February 2009
#46, #91
#46 Learn basic sign language
#91 Become first aid qualified
Have just emailed my HR Manager to ask whether my name can be added to the list of people wanting to be trained next time the opportunity comes up. Fingers crossed :)
#91 Become first aid qualified
Have just emailed my HR Manager to ask whether my name can be added to the list of people wanting to be trained next time the opportunity comes up. Fingers crossed :)
The Reader
Finished my first book yesterday (1/101): The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
You might know this from the recent film starring Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes.
Amazon review here.
You might know this from the recent film starring Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes.
Amazon review here.
Promises
So, having published my list, here are my promises.
1. Get married. That's a big one and depends on the house purchase. If getting married doesn't actually happen, I promise to have at least started planning the wedding - and set a date!
2. The books and films challenges - I will write an Amazon review for each one and post the link up here.
3. All photos will be posted on here.
I'll add more promises when I think of them. For now, challenge 1 is complete :)
1. Get married. That's a big one and depends on the house purchase. If getting married doesn't actually happen, I promise to have at least started planning the wedding - and set a date!
2. The books and films challenges - I will write an Amazon review for each one and post the link up here.
3. All photos will be posted on here.
I'll add more promises when I think of them. For now, challenge 1 is complete :)
The list!
Create blog to track progress
Maintain blog at least once a week
Take Understanding Children course with open.ac.uk
Learn Spanish to conversational level
Go to a gallery once a month
Start jogging at least once a week
Get allotment presentable and producing
Save mortgage deposit and buy house
Become debt free (bar mortgage!)
Get a hamster
Get a rescue dog
Visit Mr Magoo again
Send 10 cards (not for birthdays or christmas)
Visit 3 UK cities that I have never been to
Learn to knit
Take more photos, including ones of each challenge when completed
Read and note down 101 books (including challenge 27)
Watch and note down 101 films (including challenges 20 and 58)
Learn how to make at least one curry well
Watch 10 “classic” films – TBD
Be properly fitted for a bra
Volunteer with children
Perform breast check weekly
Watch/read and understand the news
Do the Camino de Santiago – or at least part of it
Go to Dubrovnik
Read 10 “classic books” - TBD
Complete Introduction to Social Sciences course
Donate at least one box every Christmas to http://www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk/
Have a “date” with Mike once a week
Give 101 things to charity
Make £1001 on Ebay
Have one night a week with no TV
Take a monthly picture of Mike and I
Visit parents twice during the year, not including Christmas
Share a bottle of sparkling wine/cava with Mike every 27th of the month to celebrate the day we got together
Learn a new word every week
Research family tree
Get a new job
Learn to drive
Get married
Make a will
Have breakfast “out” once a month
Make some jam
Send and receive 5 postcards through http://www.postcrossing.com/
Learn basic sign language
Make a cheesecake from scratch
Find a dentist and go for a check up
Buy and use a bread maker
Buy and use a sewing machine
Save £2 for every challenge completed
Do 10 random acts of kindness
Donate 1,000,000 grains of rice on www.freerice.com
Lend to someone on http://kiva.org/
Take biscuits or cakes into work once a month
Complete Child Development course on open.ac.uk
Learn jewellery making skills
Watch a Bollywood movie
Reacquaint myself with a lost friend
Do something special to celebrate Mike's 35th birthday
Sell something I have made
Go to a wine tasting
Have a review or article published
Watch every episode of Heroes, Lost and One Tree Hill broadcast
See another play at the RSC that doesn't have David Tennant in
Fill in address book
Sponsor a child
Get a bike
Go to Alton Towers
Go to the Zoo
Plant a tree
Make some cushions
Carve a halloween pumpkin
Paint a painting
Go to the top of a mountain
Watch an open-air film with a picnic
Once a month go for a drink and think on my own
Book a holiday paid for entirely with Tesco Clubcard vouchers
Go for a walk in Chorlton Water Park once a month
Visit 10 local places of interest
Give blood again
Buy a Scrabble board and play once a month
Donate a blanket to http://projectlinusuk.org.uk/
Organise a charity drive at work (charity TBD)
Go camping
Have 3 months of living expenses saved
Get a bird table (when I have a garden)
Put together a recipe book
Take a sleeper train to Scotland
Learn how to cross stitch
Become first aid qualified
Watch the whole of The Wire
Watch the whole of Prison Break
Go back to Paris
Give away 10 books through bookcrossing.com
Do sit ups twice a week (Wednesdays and Saturdays)
Buy some Tom and Jerry DVDs
Swim in the Mediterranean
Go to a Salsa class
Make a new list
Open champagne and celebrate
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