Top 10 List 2014

As promised here is my list of things I want to do or get done this year.  I am sure I will come along in another 5 years and go...yeh right!!  But one can dream :-)

No.	DESCRIPTION
1	Charity / Volunteering / Work of Global Importance To get involved with charity work and volunteering through work and other means.  To identify a topic which I can support in a more vocal manner e.g. children.
2	Finances – to finally get control of regular financial in / out traffic.  To indoctrinate in my children the absolute need for budgeting for a successful life. Manage pensions successfully for a 1.5% per month return.
3	Hobbies – learn to play the guitar.  Purchase a piano when we have identified where we can put it.  Kick off my art again.  Explore more sailing options.
4	Health and fitness – Avoid illness at all costs.  Exercise regularly ( including the gym ) at least 3 times per week.  Get weight back down to 11 stone.  Continue regular walking.  Consider participation in special events to give me a target.
5	Kids – Give as much support as possible and whenever requested or required for ALL my kids’ lives but not to interfere in their journey for adult independent living.
6	Transport and travel – review need for car, motorbike, bicycle and identify where repairs or replacements need to happen
7	House – identify key jobs around the new house that will make it more fun and comforting for us all this year.
8	Allotment – build on my first year in 2013, identify what worked well and what didn’t.  Read up on how best to use my new greenhouse as part of the plan.
9	Eating, drinking and socialising – cook a special meal at least once a month for family / friends and experiment more with my cooking.  Encourage David and Scarlett to cook normal meals.  Identify more healthy lifestyle options.  Get out and socialise more often.
10	Special events – continue exploring arts, music cultural, sporting events to broaden mine and my family’s interests

New Years Day 2014

Happy New Year!  Not sure who I am talking to but never mind!  I am here at Hengistbury Head near Christchurch and decided to get up and go for a brisk walk followed by a yummy breakfast bap in the Hungry Hiker but without the brisk walk ( tee hee ).  I spent the striking of Big Ben overnight watching Susanna Reid on the telly with a Lemsip in hand and David's kitten Rolo on my lap.  What a stupendous start to the New Year!!

Oh well it only gets better.....yes?

I have decided that this year is the "Year Of ME". I get to do what I want, when I want and how I want.  Very enervating and wonderfully cathartic.

So this blog is a bit of that and the start of me branching out into the world of social media.  I am now on Email, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Blogger.  Now all I need is a captive audience.  Mmmm now how does that happen for everyone else?

I get the feeling I am writing this for myself so why bother?  I need to be either famous for some reason, infamous for a completely different reason or have something really important to say.

I think it is going to have to be the latter.

Now to decide the important things to say and do!  ( Pregnant pause )

Oh I don't know and if I had that captive audience I could ask you all for advice and ideas. Boohoo.  All on my own again.

Well I have 364 days to decide then 2015 can be my comeback year or sequel or prequel or admission to the Priory.  Whatever!

OK I have decided to try and get a new follower friend each day, to follow an interesting blog and not just like Instagram when it is completely random.  So 365 followers / blog friends / interesting blogs would be my target.

2014 and beyond

This has been a long time coming!  I last blogged in 2008.  Where has life gone?  Good things have happened and bad things have happened.  Some people have come into the world and others have departed.

Back then I made a Top 10 List of things that I wanted to happen in my life.  Seems like a perfect time to review ( see how far my life strayed ) and then get cracking with the next list and the next 5 years.  Read on.

My 2007 Top 10 List. ( and the results in a lovely blue )

1. Working with Deborah on our relationship, acknowledging that we are both independent people but that we need to still spend quality time together. 7 years on we are both definitely independent people. In fact we are so independent we are spending quality time with completely different people in different house and living different lives.  Divorce is a wonderful thing :-/  But to be honest I think we like each other better now than we ever did!
2. Learn how to ride a motorcycle, pass the test and buy a bike. Get some miles under my belt and start to become more adventurous with my journeys.  #2 was the most successful one I suppose.  Past my test 2nd time round.  Bought a Suzuki SV 650 run-around which was lovely and loud and then a couple of years later swapped it in for a Honda Vtech 800.  Vroom vroom!!  I still have that bike and it still makes me smile.  Best times are when have the kids on the back and they scream in my ear loudly :-)
3. Go to live events - 2007 might include a major athletics meet, live concerts ( Zutons, Scissor Sisters ), premiership football, possibly Speedway Grand Prix in Cardiff, England rugby game at Twickenham, London theatre ( I know Scarlett thinks that this means Sound of Music! )  This has been achieved every year since.  Mainly sporting events at Twickenham and Wembley when I can afford it.  Most recently it included the NFL games.  Great fun!
4. Sort my personal pension out and look forward to retirement ( fingers crossed at 55 )  Sad to say Divorce does have its downsides as well.  I lost my JPMorgan pension and have not really been financially sound since.  So pension day has now moved to 60+.
5. Go ski-ing again and also try out snowboarding.  At the moment my back tells me that it is very glad that this didn't happen.  Still pine for the slopes though.
6. Start exercising again, maybe with Michael at Littledown ( we have already done the gym induction )  The exercise has happened in different sorts of ways.  Michael does his own thing.  I get most of my exercise by cycling to work but have also enjoyed the gym with family and friends and training for special events like the London-Brighton cycle ride and the Bournemouth Pier-to-Pier swim.
7. Puchase golf clubs, start playing again, get lessons. Got my clubs, started playing again, no lessons though.  Started with the works society as well which was fun but I need to play better next year ( ooh that will be on my 2014 list )
8. Look into purchasing property abroad ( this one probably requires premium bonds to hit gold )  sadly deluded at the time.  I had looked into buying a property in Orlando called Floridays at one time.
9. Learn how to ballroom dancing and possibly get back into scottish dancing.  I tried ballroom dancing as one way of saving my marriage but that didn't really work out.  Then did a bit of Mojive but wasn't very good.  Dancing ain't my thang!
10. Do swimming judges exam, learn how to be a chief timekeeper, starter and possibly look to do referee exams.  Started this one off but then when the 3 kids decided not to swim ay more it seemed a bit pointless!

Next post has gotta be my 2014 list!!