Early in 2014 I got an email from a journalist. It came out of the blue and was a bit of a surprise if I’m honest. She wanted to write an article about me for Good Housekeeping Magazine. At first there was an element of suspicion, after all there are so many scams going on in the world today, but I Googled her and she really was a journalist so I emailed her back. Continue reading Imagine me an inspiration – first published 9 September 2014
The primary reason I started doing long walks was to lose weight and I did lose a lot, more than four and a half stone. Unfortunately being at home for three months in 2014 along with Christmas meant I’d put on mumble, mumble, mumble despite masses of walking when I was unemployed. This just went to show walking alone is not the magic cure for weight loss. It is a great big tool in the weight loss bag of tricks though and I was on the case of getting those extra pounds back off again. Continue reading The enchanted park – first published 21 April 2014
The last few of days of January 2014 were a whirl of activity, most of it centred around trying to find a job. There was a meeting at Office Angels which turned out to be far shorter than I’d expected. The person I was supposed to see hadn’t turned up, never a good start, and the one I did see wanted me to completely change my CV. Frantically working away to make the changes, I got so involved I almost made myself late for my afternoon dentist appointment and had to march it out for the three miles or so to get there. Thankfully the old choppers were fine. Pete, my dentist told me, “you really need to eat more toffees and brush your teeth less often to give me something to do.” Continue reading Aiming for Hamble and trying to beat the wind, rain and tide – first published 31 January 2014
January 2014 was all about walking off the unemployment blues as much as the weather would let me. My penultimate January walk. took me to some of my childhood haunts. Some surprised me by being very different to how I remembered them, others surprised me by being much the same, if a little older. One in particular had me thinking about how weight goes on without us noticing and, more importantly, how it stays there. Continue reading Weight loss and the giant boat in the garden – first published 28 January 2014
The penultimate day of November 2013 was Black Friday in more ways than one. It began with a hint of pink that turned to grey and a depressing weigh in. By the time I got to work the mood was black with a hint of blue. There were tears, some bruises and wine. Continue reading Black Friday – first published 29 November 2013
Towards the end of July 2013 I was still in single digits in terms of rhinos found but the rhino hunting malarkey was turning out to be a rather enlightening exercise. Not only had I been led to parts of the city I’d never seen before, I’d been seeing parts I did know with new eyes. Alongside getting a bit of extra exercise I’d discovered the work of some fantastic local artists and I was just about to have a reminder of the power of perseverance in the face of difficulties and learn about a truly wonderful charity I’d had no idea about before. Continue reading Mirrors, rhinos and achieving the impossible – first published 25 July 2013
In early June 2013 CJ accidentally got a taste of homelessness and almost frightened me out of my wits. There was a worrying development on the river path and I seemed to have chocolate on the brain. The latter is probably quite normal. I also discovered that irritating survival expert and TV personality, Bear Grylls, has his uses. Continue reading Bear Grylls as a new diet tool – first published 10 June 2013
After months and months of training for the Moonwalk, aching muscles, blistered feet and more getting wet than I ever bargained for when I started out, it was almost upon me. There was just one more thing I had to do and it was something I’d been putting off for a long time. This was the weekend I had to decorate my bra. Sewing has never been my strong point and, although I’m quite creative, I couldn’t seem to come up with a plan to fit the theme of outer space. Why do they have to have themes anyway. If they didn’t I could have just stuck some plastic flowers on and had done with it. Even knowing it was now or never I still managed to procrastinate. Continue reading bank holiday bark chip and the Moonwalk outfit is unveiled – first published 5 May 2013
At any given point in a long walk there is an internal battle against the voice inside my head telling me I must be mad and to turn for home immediately and check myself into a clinic to get help for my obvious mental health issues. Mostly I ignore it and keep walking but, when the walk in question is twenty-six or more miles, the voices get very loud. From the outset Winchester had been the aim of all these walks, the holy grail that I’d been walking towards for months. It was within touching distance but the voice in my head told me it might be a step too far. Did I listen? Continue reading Winchester and the long walk home – first published 26 April 2013
Mid March 2013 and the office was all geared up for a visit from the President of the United States. Obviously not the President of the United States, just the president of our parent company but, from the fuss and tidying, he might as well have been. It was also the day of Gigi and Gail’s redundancy meetings so the mood was fairly sombre and nervous. Continue reading The president of the USA , bad news and coffee – first published 14 March 2013