Update

Yep, there may have been a lack of updates recently. With Xmas coming up and needing to put cash away for presents, my experiences have had to take a back seat.

It was definitely the best 9 months I've experienced, many experiences I wouldn't have looked twice at. The main thing is that I threw myself out there and just let fate decide the rest.

If anything, some uncertainty in life can throw you a curveball but it's just about embrassing it and enjoying every moment. With 2011 around the corner, who knows what will happen! :)

I'm in the process of setting up / getting to grips with 'Tumblr'. Wanna check out the page? The link is http://imissmixtapes.tumblr.com/ I'm aiming to update this while I'm out and about. Let's see what interesting things I can think of...

Thanks for reading this blog and enjoying the ride with me.

All the best,

WARREN SMITH

'Eat Pray Love' & moving forward.

As I mentioned in a previous blog, as great as the past eight months have been, I've almost run out of steam on a couple of occasions. I've been questioning if I should continue, then I went to see the new Julia Roberts movie 'Eat Pray Love' which completely changed my point of view and I'm now ready to see what the final months hold in store and complete this amazing journey of experiences. Like the movie, I have tried to break out of my current 'comfortable' state and just enjoy something new. If budget wasn't an issue, maybe I would be skydiving or taking a trip on the Orient Express. What I'm aiming to acheive is to show people that you can enjoy something new on a monthly basis and it doesn't have to break the bank to qualify.

The whole movie was quite an eye opener and an emotional journey - My Mum is proof of that, leaving the Cinema in floods of tears. It's even given me a few ideas for 2011, but I guess you'll just have to wait and see what they might entail...

September: 'Kicking it old skool'

We haven't had much of a Summer this year. Rain, perhaps a week of hot sunshine in June, but that has since departed and left us with so much rain and showers they surely can't have the cheek to say 'hose pipe ban' anytime soon!

With the weather improving and the weekends sunny, yes sunny, it was time to make the most of it instead of spending hourless weekends playing 'Grand Theft Auto'. I take my bike for a spin around the lake and on the way back something catches my eye.

'Oh. My. God. Are those rollerskates????!' When I was 13 (quite a few moons ago now) my Sister and I would go to our local leisure centre every Sunday for 3hrs, and roller skate, play 'bulldog' games and enter competitions to win a mars bar each week. Not quite a golden trophy, but none the less, still a prize to be won! The DJ was comical, a white guy, average height, but with quite an afro. Simply amazing. All those Sunday mornings came flooding back in an instant and I knew that I had to get my hands on some skates again!

As soon as I cycled home, I loaded up my PC and typed 'roller skates milton keynes' in to 'Google'. There has to be a local stockist!! There has to be!! YES! Bingo! I've found one and only 10 min cycle from my house! Before I knew it I was back on my bike and on my way to get some rollerskates! I find the ice rink and head towards the shop, I see the skates on wall - 35 pounds, nice design, nice price and the old school 2 x 2 wheels not the 'inline' style. Perfect for someone who want's to get back into skating!

I wonder across to the counter and ask the shop assistant
'I'd like to purchase those 'quad' boots please'. Yes, I had just looked up the phrase on Google 10 minutes ago and felt quite proud of myself.
I get a weird look and he wonders in to the back room and comes back with the boots:
'These ones yeh?'
I try them on and the fit nice and snug. Brilliant! I also require pads and enquire if I can get any discount as I've just spent 60 pounds on the boots:
'These pads are 25' he says
'25 - thats the standard RRP! No discount?'
'They're 25 pounds'.
Ok, this guy is not going to budge, so E-bay is the next stop once I'm home. I buy the boots, cycle home and find a helmet and pads combo in ebay for 35 pounds. I Click 'Buy it now' and job done! I can't wait to get started!

The pads arrive a few days later and the weather is perfect, sunny and clear. It could have almost been a scene from 'Top Gun', If only I had some cool aviators and written 'Goose' on my helmet.

It takes me 10 minutes to attach all the knee and elbow pads and then the skates are on and it's time to rock!! Well, I was all over the place balance wise! No falls, and only a couple since in the last three weeks so I'm definately getting back in to it again! There's a great industrial estate about 10 min walk from our house and I take a wonder with my gear, I set up and this is a great place to skate! It's almost completely quiet - minus a few cars. Some poor bastards are still working on the weekend! The entire place is tarmac. A nice smooth surface to skate on and away we go! I spent 2hrs that day skating around with my ipod and making the most of the free space and the beautiful weather.

I've been going back there for the past couple of weeks, but now as we're heading towards November, it's been solid raining all week and the chances of me getting outside again soon are next to none. On the other hand, I have found a local 'skaters club' that runs on a Sunday at my local leisure centre - roller disco and tips on how to improve. It'll be like im 13 all over again. Let's hope I'm not the only one over the age of 13! I'm looking to attend an event shortly, update will follow :)

Updates & August.

I know, it has been a while hasn't it? Many internet gremlins have stopped my updates recently, but we're finally back...well for now at least!

I'll admit it, 8 months in and I've covered a variety of experiences but carrying on to the end of the year seemed a harder task than I'd like to admit. It's easy to say "12 tasks, pah! That's easy!" But getting around to doing them is something totally different. I'm not making excuses, but on top of these experiences I have also been busy reviving my online Punk webzine (which is a lot of work for one person) and assisting a local Ska band sell their merch at shows - which has been a busy schedule since August, hence the delay in updates and what leads me on to August's experience...

AUGUST - 'EXPERIENCE A NEW FESTIVAL'

Anyone that knows me would tell you how much I love music. Be it live shows, listening to my ipod or boring my friends by going on and on about how great a recent album I've heard is and why they should have it in their collection - like yesterday! I've done the major UK Festivals a few times now, heavy rock/metal festival 'Download' x 3 & 'Reading Festival' x 3. This year it was time for a change, and with the local Ska band added to a 4 day all punk/ska festival in Blackpool titled 'Rebellion, how could I resist?!

No free entry and backstage passes this time. That's for band members only. But for a 4 day punk riot it was only 70 pounds! On top of that I had booked my accommodation in advance, well I say accommodation it was hardly the 'Hilton' but a local 'B&B' not far from the venue.

The first night we arrived in Blackpool, it was already 10.30pm, so we decided to go and check out the venue - grab a beer and watch some bands. We finally left at 1am, I thought this would be fine to go and grab my room key and crash out after a long day - I almost ended up sleeping in the van with the band...almost. I typed the address in to my phones maps application and started to wonder off in to the night with my hand raised above my head looking like Spock on the search for new life forms. I eventually stumbled on to the 'B&B's street - it looked pretty close to the image I saw on Google Maps - enough for me to go on at 1am!

I walked up the stairs leading to the front door and got a shock when the door was locked. 'Shit, was I meant to come earlier? I'm sure he said "we're open 24/7"' I thought to myself, thinking that any minute I'd be on the phone to the band asking to sleep in the back next to the amps and guitar cases. Apparently the B&B was 24/7 accessable, you just had to collect your key at a reasonable time on the first night. Whoops!

So like the scene from 'Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade' i blow cold air in to my sweaty palms and reach for the door bell. 'I'm sure he won't mind, I surely can't be the first who's done this???....right??' I see a shadow of a huge guy walking towards the front door and think 'shit, i'm dead'.
'Hello' he says wiping his eyes and standing there in his boxer shorts.
'Erm. Hi. I have a room booked tonight?!'
'Aah. You must be Warren!'
'Yep, sorry if it's a little late' I reply, hoping he's not just about to tell me to take a walk.
He grabs the room key and I follow him up the stairs towards my room. Also getting an eye full from behind as his boxers aren't quite that fitting. Not quite the great end to a long day that I was hoping for!

I apologise for waking him and he wonders back downstairs to lock up as I enter my room. Now the UK has been 'no smoking' indoors for sometime now, but maybe the last guest thought the rules didn't apply to him, and my room stinks of cigarettes. Not ideal for an asthmatic! Time to open a window. No, it's not double glazing, but looks like If I go to open the window it's bound to fall out and I think Paul (Boxer shorts host) won't be too happy about that! Anyway, this room needs fresh air so I open the window, push up and realise there isn't any 'latches' to keep the window open - only a small piece of wood - how high tech! Unfort. this doesn't support the window as much as I was hoping and the window soon comes down with a thud, probably waking most of the guests up at 1.30am, and letting them all know I've arrived. Can't wait to meet them all at breakfast tomorrow! :(

I wake up around 9am, head downstairs at 9.30 and it seems a little quiet. I really must of pissed the guests off last night. Not really. It turns out breakfast is between 7-8, not really my ideal time - so I go without and munch on a muffin bar I found squashed at the bottom of my bag. The bathroom wasn't much better. It wasn't until I got out of the shower that I realised Paul had kindly given me a hand towel and not a full size towel. I felt like I was a giant! Once the 'turbo' watering can flow of water called a shower was done, I walked back to my room and got changed. The room had a small basin, TV and a cupboard which felt like it was going to collapse at any minute. More paper based than wood that's for sure!

I decide to go to the toilet before leaving the B&B, which is handy as it's only next to my room. One or the only perks. I try to get back in to my room and have seemed to find myself stuck outside my own room - locked out! Ah great, time to visit Paul again.

I finally get myself together and go and meet the guys in the band at the car park about 10mins from where I'm staying. It looks like most of them have had a rough night. Bleary eyed I feel a bit bad standing there with my bacon roll freshly made from a coffee shop while they tuck into some cereal bars. We make a move back to the venue to catch day 2 of the action and the whole four days was incredible. I checked out a vast mix of bands and genre's within those four days, drank many beers, many pints of water the day after to aid the hangovers and met some fantastic people! No fights broke out, just a huge fun, festival vibe with scenes of old friends catching up and sharing a drink or many together and really just enjoying each others company and embracing the festival with open arms.

Yes the festival was wall to wall mohawks, I'd never seen so many in one place before. It almost felt like being transported back to the `70's again. Ripped jeans, pins on jackets, mohawks - and if you could've seen my face, it would have been like Christmas morning! It was sad to leave on Sunday with every bands 'goodbye's' taking 20-30 mins each, nobody wanted to leave this event - but we've always got next year :)

UPDATE

Dear all,

my blog will be back shortly. My internet (mainly the damn router) is playing up at the moment and my connection is all over the place!

August & September updates will be online asap. In the mean time, I'll use the old 'notepad' method :)

Thanks

Warren Smith

Experience #7 July: "Art" - COMPLETE

Ok, first of all apologies for the delay. This month i've been on a tight budget (more so than usual) and I was struggling to find something low cost or preferably free! And the idea behind these experiences is that anyone can do something new each month, it doesn't have to break the bank! So I was thinking about checking out the local Art gallery as I've yet to go pay a visit but then on Tuesday, everything fell in to place!

TUESDAY AFTERNOON: Typical afternoon at work and a good friend calls and asks if I want to go and catch the Circus tonight. Let's rewind quickly for a minute, My mate was at a bar a couple of nights ago and got chatting to a woman. Turns out she's one of the performers featured in the 'Big Top' as part of the new arts festival in Milton Keynes titled "International Festival". This ha swallowed up Milton Keynes for a week and I've loved every minute of it! The only way I can describe it, would be to say it has been like sunset strip - no, no drugs - (although saying that it would explain some of the artwork I've seen.) But a long strip from the train station right up in to the shopping centre and ending up at campbell park at the other end of the city. Everyday there's been events of some kind, street performances to workshops.

Ok, so getting back to my friend. The woman (who turned out to be Ula) had put my mate's name on the guestlist +1 hence his phone call on Tuesday. I've been to the Circus before and loved it, so without hesistation I was going to head up to the 'Big Top' in a shot! The only thing is...it didn't quite turn out to be a Circus at all.

The two of us approached the box office and my mate began to panic.
"I can't remember her name for starters! What am I supposed to say?"
"Hmmm." I say, follwed with a genuis plan:
"Just say I'm on the guestlist - say your name +1" Genius, they'll never catch on!
So we wonder on up to the box office and we give our names and the tickets are there waiting for us. We take the tickets and look at each other a little conufused by how easy that actually was. We're running a little late, so we pass our tickets to the stewards and head inside the 'Big Top' where the temperature is that of a Sauna. It looks like a simpler version of a circus, there's a few ropes tied back on each side of the arena..but that's about it. There's a white horse at the centre of the ring walking around - looking like he's greeting the audience as he gallops around with bells on his legs, impressive!

We take our seats and the lights go down - my mate still can't remember the woman he met at the bar but it might be the woman who greeted us on the way in, he can't be sure. The show was not of a Circus format, but an interesting blend of storytelling, trapeze artists, gymnastics, dance and Diablo's. You know the ones, everyone had one in school but could never get it right, especially when it came to tricks and being able to through the diablo in to the air without it knocking you out on the way down.







Trying to describe the show won't do it justice, but check out this link to view a trailer for the amazing show titled: InSTALLation:

http://www.ifmiltonkeynes.org/festival-programme/2010/07/17/installation.html

You'd be pleased to know that my friend DID recognise the woman once she was performing and he met her briefly afterwards to thank her for the guestlist and asked her for a drink afterwards - Nothing came of it and it wasn't until our walk back home that we realised her name 'Ula' was actually on the back of the programme!

So that was a great night but it didn't end there. My mate and I were chilling outside the 'Big Top' discussing the perfomance and having a beer when one of his old friends (who was working the event) had two spare tickets for the Comedy Showcase that was taking place next door to the 'Big Top', so another 2hrs of entertainment for free!!

Strangly enough, 'Stand Up' Comedy night was actually on my list for another month, so it seems I was going to cover two experiences in one night! We started off by the bar, bought ourselves a pint each and sat at a table at the back of the room. (Safe from the eagle eyes of the comedian, just looking for his next target to mock and destroy in front of a sold out audience.) Three 'warm up' acts and then the headline. It was during the first act my mates friend approached us and invited to join them. "Sounds great! Thanks" we both said and started to follow him closer and closer to the stage! I was constantly thinking "here's great or here will be fine, no, he's going in even closer! I don't have any protective gear or witty remarks prepared as backup! I'm gonna get ruined if I sit down the front. I've got glasses dammit! They always find a way to get the guy with glasses!"

Tonight would be my lucky night, a couple in their thirties (wait for it!) were just a few seats away from us and the comedian had spotted his ridiculously pointy beard. He had it coming! When the comedian asked the gentlemen "How do you keep the spark in your marriage" he replied "I've no idea". At that moment the air was silent then the bombers dropped from the sky hit after hit destroying their target. Poor bloke, he only wanted a few laughs and a night out with his wife. That'll teach him. Maybe he'll re-shape that beard now?!

The following acts weren't much to watch, mildly entertaining but I did force a few laughs to avoid being seen on their radar as "oh, he didn't find that funny. Are my jokes not good enough for you? Let's get him boys..."

So that was Tuesday night, an unexpected but very entertaining evening! The Festival continued for the rest of the week, closing on Sunday and on Saturday afternoon, I went back for more!

When it comes to Festivals (Music) I HAVE to write a timetable of events. I sometimes enjoy wondering around from tent to tent and stumbling across a new act that takes my ears fancy but this was different. So much to see and only a day to enjoy the best of it! So Saturday morning was spent searching for YouTube videos, performers websites etc. Then done! My schedule was complete and ready to rock! Living in Milton Keynes, it was also the same Saturday that 'The Prodigy' had come to rock our outdoor arena known as 'The Bowl', but this time I was walking in the opposite direction of all these dance fans heading towards a venue I'd normally go and check out. Not this time! This time I was off on a cultural journey!



My first stop is at a place called 'The Hub'. A mixture of restuarants and bars with a swanky fountain right at the centre. Today, "Stopgap" A group of peformers mixed of abled and disabled members where putting on a display of their recent production. The idea of the show was that everything is not as it seemed. Basically before the show began, (we didn't know this at the time) but the performers were already in the crowd, looking like the rest of us, curious of the upcoming performance and enjoying the afternoon sun and then they all burst into action and the show began and was an entertaing mix of comedy and dance.

My next stop was to view the installation titled "Asleep at the wheel". A thought provoking installation of multiple cars lined up as if they were all in three different lanes, you could sit inside each car and you would then hear soundbites of different topics of debate or interest from the war in Iraq to Global warming. Each car had a different theme which was quite bizarre as the entire room was in darkness and all you could see was the bright yellow flicker of the cars blinker lights to guide you. I left there feeling 'educated' i guess, but defintely thought provoking.

Next Stop, to view a carousel in the city car park known as "The Magical Menagerie". Basically a carousel that looked like it could've been designed by Tim Burton.





An incredible design and it seemed the adults were more excited than the children! The ride was accompanied by French themed accordian music which added a new dimension than the usual 'fairground' soundtrack. As you can see from the photos, these creations were something else!





Two more sites to visit! First up "The Dukes Box". That's right, a three piece band that sit inside a converted Caravan. You choose the tracks from their playlist and they'll do their own version for you! It drew in quite a crowd and was a nice mix of banter with the crowd as well as some 'interesting' covers!



Then it came to see my Festival Finale : "Against The Tide"



The easiest way to describe the show is just to type you part of the synopsis. 'Imagine an Island seperated from the world not by an ocean but by a vast desert. The tribe that survives here has almost forgotten what water was and every day they assemble to tell each other their stories and share memories'. The acrobatics were incredible and definately a sight to witness! A great performance to end a fantastic and insightful week!

Experience #6 June: "A NIGHT AT THE THEATRE + 'IN IT TO WIN IT'" - COMPLETE

I've not spent 3 hours in a Cinema since I saw 'Avatar', but tonight would prove to be a refreshing change. It seemed the 'theatrics' would start before the main event, it has been another scorcher of a day and that didn't help the middle aged Woman standing behing me in the queue, shouting at the front desk to "hurry up!! I just want one ticket!!!" Then I made the mistake of turning around to listen to her whining and had to hear the whole story. "I can't stand in a queue for TOO long, especially in THIS heat, my body just can't handle it!! I just want ONE ticket!!" Yes it turned out to be 'London Assurance' - the play I had also came to see, I didn't have her down as a Russell Brand fan.

It seemed like forever, but finally I was called to buy my ticket, so i carefully blocked the woman from behind from hearing what I was saying in to the microphone, so I wouldn't have to be bothered any longer! I got my ticket, £9, a massive £1 reduction with my Cinema pass - what a let down! And with the heat couldn't get away with sneaking my own snacks and drink in as I didn't have pockets large enough or a kind Sister with a 'Mary Poppins' sized handbag so i was forced to pay full price to my dissapointment.

I had no idea what the story was going to be, I just followed the four star reviews from various London magazines and tabloids. As soon as I entered the Cinema I felt out of place. Mainly because I was the only one there with my own hair and teeth and was able to get up past the first four rows without taking a deep breath. I walked proudly up the stairs with my king size popcorn and large coke and sat three rows from the back, not expecting the room to fill out as it did. Surprisingly, by the time the live feed was on screen, the cinema was over half full! The National Theatre would be sharing this live feed with over 22 countries at the same time! 'London Assurance' was the final part of National Theatre Live and is returning later on in the year with Danny Boyle's (Slumdog Millionaire) version of 'Frankenstein', now that would be something to witness!

As with any visit to the cinema, you enter the room and hear the local radio station being played softly in the background. While we were waiting for the live feed, 'Lady GaGa' & 'Journey' entertained us through the surround sound speakers. Finally, the lights dimmed and a shot from outside the National Theatre could be seen. A beautiful sunset in London and a large screen outside the NT where a young crowd were spread out among the open area with picnics and enjoying the last few rays of sunshine. As a 'warm-up' they had, well basically, Jugglers on stage performing for about 15 minutes which was as much as I could take! Then we see inside the NT and it looks like an incredible building. The first scene began and I wasn't sure what to make of it. Eccentric characters, comedy along the lines of 'Blackadder' and a lot of make up. It didn't take long before I felt quite settled and just enjoyed the fantastic acting on offer as well as catching a few stars in the cast. (You might recognise a couple of familiar faces in the above photo.)

After about 1hr 30 mins, there was a short interval for 20 mins. You would have thought the house lights would've come on as majority of the audience were over 50 and it was dark in there. I was expecting to hear them fall down those stairs like dominoes, I just couldn't watch! I'm glad to say they all made it back in one piece for the final part of the show, which is more than I could say about me. I didn't need a toilet break and decided to stay in the Cinema. I'm my own worst enemy - who comes on stage again?? Those BLOODY Jugglers!!

The final part of 'London Assurance' was as witty and sharply acted as the first and before I knew it the cast were taking their final bow and heading off backstage.

It was a great insight in to the world of plays. I'm not sure I would actually make the effort to go in to London to specifically attend a show, but would go and see the live feed again in the Cinema.


2.)IN IT TO WIN IT.

I had entered a load of competitions now, but they won't close until the end of this week. If I have a new 'Mini Cooper' or a 'Henry Hoover', you'll be the first to know!

Experience #6 June: "A NIGHT AT THE THEATRE + 'IN IT TO WIN IT'"

Both my Sister and I were lucky enough to see a lot of the great 'West End' shows with our Grandparents when we were young. We saw 'Cats', 'Starlight Express' - We were down the front and I felt like the actors on skates were constantly too close to the edge of the stage and would end up in my lap at some point! & 'Joseph & His Technicolour Dreamcoat' to name a few. I took Mum to see 'The Lion King' last year for Mother's Day which was another memorable experience, so this time around I'd like to experience watching a play.

I'm not brave enough to head in to London on my own to see a play, so I've taken the next best option. Our local Cinema now shows plays from the 'National Theatre' in London direct in to the Cinema by the miracle of Technology - as it happens on stage that evening. I won't have to dress up or apologise to the (unlucky) person sitting next to me for opening my large bag of Malteser's and distracting him from the most important dialogue of the evening.

It's a different way to encourage Cinema-goers to the theatre, I doubt you'll be able to ask for a 'Baskin Robbins' "Big Boy" Ice Cream at a Theatre without hearing titters from behind you. (Although I've never been able to ask for that at the Cinema, even Mum plays it safe and sticks to the "two scoops please" while smirking at the "Big Boy" banner on the wall.)

Ok, so I guess a lot of my views of people that attend the Theatre might be stereotypical - upper class, snobbish laughs etc, but at least this way I will be able to get a taste for watching plays and experiencing a live show for myself. I think it's a fantastic way to encourage Cinema-goers (Anything beats the usual showings of "Space Chimps" & "Furry Vengeance") and I've noticed our Cinema also shows live 'as it happens' Opera.....but one step at a time!

The showing of "London Assurance" is at the end of June and is a little early (18.45) for my liking, but at least I can enjoy a large bag of popcorn at the same time ;)

A few reviews of the show so far include:

5 STARS
'An absolute corker of a production, one that will be talked about and chuckled over with reminiscent affection for years to come.'
Daily Telegraph

4 STARS
'A treat... stylish, hilarious and unmissable.'
Sunday Times

I could cheat and try and find a few "preview" clips on YouTube, but I think I'm going to wait. Go with an open mind (and a decent selection of snacks) and enjoy!

2.) 'IN IT TO WIN IT'



Aren't you sick of the same old smug competition winner photo (see above), me too, and this time I'm going competition crazy!

As this month's challenge is not a huge as some of the others I have completed, this month I'm going to enter as many competitions as possible. I don't care what the prize is, "someone's got to win, and you've got to be in it to win it!" as my Gradma would say, so fingers crossed!

COMPETITIONS ENTERED SO FAR:
(This will be updated as I enter each competition)

* 2 x tickets to see Aerosmith at O2 Arena, - easy choice. One of America's finest Rock bands - and one of my personal favourites :P

* Tickets to see 'The Baseballs' perform in Germany - They cover Modern Pop songs in a Rock n' Roll style - need I say more??

* 2 x Tickets to see 'Crowded House' in Madrid (+ meet and greet, flights and accommodation.) - I can't even name three Crowded House songs!

*Win tickets to Glastonbury - One Festival that's still on my 'to do' list.

*£800 of 'Next' Vouchers - I could do with some new shirts for work...

*Win £2000 in cash - erm....YES PLEASE!

*A Holiday for 2 in Las Vegas - HELL YEH!

*Win an iPhone - Well, it's cheaper than getting one on contract!

*Win a retro 'Stlyophone' - A chance to make a racket on the last train out from London after a heavy night out?? Go on then.

*Win a Mini Cooper - Could do with a nice (or any) car. That'll do for my first ;P

*£150 worth of gardening goodies - Someone say Ebay??

*Turtlewax duluxe car valeting kit - I don't own a car (yet) but it'll be looking brand new with a little help from that funky Turtle.

*A 5 door Ford Focus 1.8 Zetec - A back up if the Mini Cooper doesn't come through.

*A 5 Door Renault Clio 1.2 16v Dynamique - A back up if the Ford Focus doesn't come through.

*A holiday to the Dominican Republic - A free holiday in the sun anyone??

*An overnight break at Champneys - One for my Sister

*A holiday for 2 to Cyprus - With all these Holidays I hope I can get time off work :P

*A holiday for two to Provence, France - No sunny beaches this time round, but it's still a free holiday!

*£800 of Halfords vouchers - Surely that's a crime to spend that amount in Halfords?

*£375 towards a UK road trip adventure - This could be an interesting 'experience' :)

*The Samsung Jet mobile phone - A backup if I don't win the iPhone

*The Henry HVR200 Vacuum - We could do with a new one. Preferably free.

*Apple Nike and iPod Sport Kit - Just the motivation I need to get back in to the gym.

*Stainless steel fire pit worth £120 - BBQ + Summer + Beer = good times!

*£300 cash - Not quite £2000, but still..it's cash! :)

*X1 Adult England 2010 away shirts - Something to help me get in to the footie mood..

*A Dyson Ball upright vacuum - For when the 'Henry' hoover gives up.

*Wooden bird table and bird food - Doing my bit for nature.

*£2000 of John Lewis vouchers - I'm sure I could find something to spend this on.

*£50 Argos, Next, Debenhams, Amazon or John Lewis gift vouchers - Argos or Amazon will be fine thanks.

*Nivea sun tan protection worth £50 - A little something to go with the holiday in Cyprus.

*2 JVC Picsio cameras & a Toshiba laptop - I won't have time to surf the web and go on all these holidays at the same time :P

Experience #5 May: "GET FIT! + WEB DATING PT.2" - COMPLETE

Apologies for the delay in updates!

Well, not a huge amount to report really. I've come to the conclusion that online dating is a no go for me. It might've taken me three different routes to come to this conclusion, but it's not working for me, and there's got to be a reason for that. I do believe in fate and without getting all 'crazy mystic meg' on everyone, maybe I'll meet someone further down the line, now just isn't the time. I'll def. be keeping my eyes open :)

At least my health has benefited this month. I'm now on week 3 of cycling to and from work, which I'm really enjoying. We've just got paid and I'm buying those 'puncture resistant' tyres this month, then I'll be able to go on long bike rides and really get out there and enjoy the Summer. (That's if the last three days was it and I've now missed it!) It seems while cycling past the Milton Keynes National Bowl (home to many cool concerts from Green Day, Ozzfest & Michael Jackson) over the past few weeks a stage was being erected and I only assumed it was for 'The Prodigy' that are playing there in July. It seemed a bit early, but maybe they're just getting organised...nah! It turns out 'Muse' were secretly rehearsing at the venue for their upcoming European tour and Glastonbury appearance!!!

I did my research (pester a security guard outside the venue) and found out that they weren't only rehearsing Saturday night (which i missed) but also on Sunday too! I met up with a friend and we went for a few pints in the beer garden just across the road from the venue and we could hear the rehearsal perfectly! It was a great way to end the weekend! Just a shame we couldn't see inside!!

So, to sum up, Alicia Keys was an added bonus this month. Muse's secret gig was a blast to catch and online dating can now be crossed off the list. If anything, I'd try speed dating again, but I think I'll be leaving it for a while first!

NEXT UPDATE: FRIDAY 28TH MAY - "EXPERIENCE #6 - JUNE"

"Concrete jungle where dreams are made of..."

This is more of an additional 'experience'. I bought my ticket to see Alicia Keys back in December, and it seems that last night's show was taking forever to come around. This time, it would be a little different. I'm used to being crushed at the front of the barriers, stood half way back at an Arena show or standing at the sides struggling to get a decent view. I paid a little bit extra and I had bought myself a front row seat! This was part of the floored blocked seating, words that normally make me think twice about buying a ticket, for me it's all about being part of the audience - being crushed and singing along with the crowd is standard, not sitting down like it's a theatrical performance!

I entered in to the Arena, I walked straight to the front, and I was directed to my seat by the event steward. I couldn't believe it! Literally a stone's throw away from the stage, perfect view - I could see part of the stage hiding behind the black curtains to what would be a huge production.

Melanie Fiona was her support and she has such a powerful voice. Imagine a slightly younger Alicia Keys, but with the same focused attitude and vocals that filled the arena and that takes some doing! Melanie made great use of the stage and when she walked over to the left hand side (directly in front of me) my jaw hit the floor, she was so close I was expecting a tap on the shoulder from one of the stewards and him saying "err....you're not meant to be down here are you? This is the VIP section". A great start to the evening, and now we waited while the final alterations to the stage took place.

9.15 - The house lights went down and a wave of cheering from the arena surged the stage as three huge screens played a short intro video that looked like someone was trying to tune their TV. Scrambled images of war & groups of soldiers marching then Alicia's image was on the centre screen, talking about how she is a Renegade, and fights for the truth. "Fallin'" & "You Don't Know My Name" were the first two songs on tonight's setlist and I was quite surprised by that. I was expecting those for the encore - not quite the versions I was hoping for, more of a 'jazzed up big band' style than her stripped down album version.




I got chatting to a couple of guys sitting next to me, and they've been to quite a few concerts which have chosen blocked seating over general admission standing - and they prefer it! As expected, a few people from rows further down came up to the front to take photos, which led to a load of people charging to the front with their "I'll just take one photo, then I'll go back to my seat" face, which the stewards weren't buying. There must've been around 20-30 people standing at the front, but nobody seemed to mind. Alicia made full use of the stage, spending time in the centre as well as walking across to the left and right hand parts of the stage so everyone could enjoy her talent close up. By the middle of her set, those in the first few rows were either dancing in their row, or like me, just wanted to be up close against the barrier. I completely forgot about everyone else in the arena, it felt like it was Alicia Keys and the first 5 rows of the audience!

The whole show was amazing! I think it would be unfair to compare her to the Lady GaGa show I saw earlier this year, I'm sure GaGa has a larger budget and it's a different style of show. That said, it felt like Alicia had to come out with a huge 'big band' style show, and I think that rained on her talents a little, as everyone is focused on the busy video displays and dancers. It has completely changed my mind about floored seating concerts, one that I'd definately consider in the future, but to be honest, it'd probably have to be front row or nothing now :P

Experience #5 May: "GET FIT! + WEB DATING PT.2" - Update

Ok, so with two challenges on the go, I'd at least get a result from one! No, sadly it wasn't the online dating, exercise wins this round.

I've been cycling to and from work all week and not only feel better for it, but more alert and ready to go at 9am than relying on my usual cups of tea with two large spoons of sugar to get me going. It used to be a 15 min walk, which was nice. Listen to the ipod, get some fresh air, but now it takes me 5 mins to cycle to work (which is mainly up hill) and 4 coming home (Mostly down hill thank god!) I'm a little hesistant to go on long cycle rides at the minute, not so much to see if my body can handle it after such a relaxed Gym schedule, but the fear of getting a puncture 10 miles + from home, that's a walk I'd rather not do. There are 'puncture resistant' tyres that you can buy, but at £30 a time that will have to wait until next payday. That said, I still have my local circuit that covers 4 miles and crosses two lakes which is something!

On the dating front, I've been receiving 'mail' on my account, but have either had messages of "hi" - direct and to the point I guess, but nothing there to follow up on - add to trash. "I like and if you like, I electronic mail you" - add to trash. While browsing through the profiles earlier on this week there seem to be a number of duplicates, and even accounts that have photos of Lauren Conrad (The Hills) & Anna Kournikova as their profile photo. Hmm...somehow I don't think they would need a dating website do you?!

I've had no reply from the couple I messaged earlier this week, so it's been pretty quiet on this front. I can't say I'm that surprised, after my 'luck' on various other dating sites. Ah well, there's still another couple of weeks before month end, maybe my luck will change next week.

NEXT UPDATE: FRIDAY 21ST MAY

Experience #5 May: "GET FIT! + WEB DATING PT.2" - Update

Ok, so It's Sunday morning and after cycling 12 miles over two days, my legs are starting to feel the burn. It was miserable weatherwise as predicted, but that didn't stop me. I was out there at 11am yesterday battling the elements, (well..a little wind and rain) and felt ready for the day ahead. By 7pm, I was back in Grandpa mode and could've easily dropped off for a little snooze. I have realised that I need to get some ankle bracelets or maybe just duck tape my jeans (i mean around the ankles, not a new Lady Gaga inspired fashion moment) as on one side they're nicely coated in chain oil :( And I always used to laugh at cyclists with ankle bracelets thinking "What idiots! Do you actually know what they look like with those on?"

I was cycling home after a quick visit to Mum's yesterday, and as I was cycling home, thre was a guy on the road (in full 'tour de france' gear) speeding past me and as he reached a speed bump, showed off with a little jump which almost went entirely wrong as he mistimed his landing and almost went flying - which would've been to my amusement.

On the dating side of things, I've searched through all of the profiles and only found two or three that caught my eye. I have messaged them, proud of the fact they're individual messages and not just a copy and paste job, and now waiting to hear (if anthing) back from them. Some of the profiles are questionable, when all they enter as they're opening line is "Nice ass, let's lick it". I wouldn't of thought that's quite the way you want to make a first impression, but I guess there truly is someone for everyone! Now comparing this form of dating with Speed Dating, now that I've experienced both - I'd say that Speed Dating is more fun and atleast everyone goes there with an open mind and a sense of fun. Online sites, such as this one tend to list everyone's "ideal" preferences, which obviously gives you an idea of what that person is looking for, but some profiles do read more like a shopping list. Sometimes it would be easier to simply put "looking for a Megan Fox-alike, if not, don't contact me".

Now, my past experience with Miss Spambot has taught me well and you can pretty much identify the 'fake' accounts instantly. Many just have 1 photo on their profile, and that's not a 'typical Myspace camera pointed at me from an angle' shot, but they've paid for a professional photoshoot and look incredible. Other profiles read more like an interview ad that include "Good communication skills is a must, educated and someone who sets their own goals and can achieve them." Christ! Why not just request 007 to get in touch, he can even 'take care' of your ex's for you.

Well, it's early days yet, but let's see what this week will hold! Next update on FRIDAY 14TH MAY.

Experience #5 May: "GET FIT! + WEB DATING PT.2"

The words motivation and gym are rarely used in the same sentence. I've been "going" to the gym on and off for the past few months, and after a slow start after Christmas, a three week succession of 3 times a week soon faded. So this month I'm getting back in to Cycling. I used to love Cycling when I was in my early teens. Weekly bike rides with my friends, and we 'pimped' up our bikes way before Xzibit came on the scene!

I now have my mountain bike, I bought it second hand off ebay. Not a bad price, but it did need almost as much cash spent on repairs and new parts :( That said, the bike is now ready for the redway and cycle paths around Milton Keynes! I've got the gear, the helmet, the gloves, bike lock & of course a speedometer to log my distance and track my speed when I'm zipping down hills focusing more on the fact I'm trying to beat 20mph without colliding with any pedestrians or dogs that might run out in front of me sending me head first over the handlebars!

Now the bike is ready to go, the weather outlook for the weekend is pretty dismal. Light rain Saturday, but hopefully clearing on Sunday. I couldn't help but take the new and improved bike on a test run that took me around 7 miles to cover. I'm feeling it now and it's barely 7pm and I'm ready for bed! I'm looking to go out as much as possible, take my camera and take some photos along the way. A greay way to see the outdoors and visit parts of Milton Keynes I have never visited before. Let's hope this is more succesful than my gym membership!

2.) WEB DATING - PART TWO.

Not content with unreturned emails from a certain Speed Dating lady, and being rejected by a spambot on a popular online dating site, something new caught my eye this week. Wait for it....a dating website that is run via a Cinema. The idea being that you can meet like minded film fans and see where it goes from there. On one side, it can't be that bad. If they are really that uninteresting you only have to endure them while the adverts are on then the movie starts! But let's see if I can get off the starting blocks on this one first!

So there I was, filling in my details, thinking of a suitable username, standard website procedures and then BOOM! I was confronted with quite a direct question. With a rating from 'low' to 'high' I had to rate myself on how successful I thought I was, fine - no problem, rate how caring you are - fine, no problem. Rate how sexually adventurous you are - WHAT?! Is that something I really want potential women to see? Is it really that necessary? I thought I joined a dating website that was connected to film lovers not applying for a role in the adult enterainment industry! Looking at other member's profiles, it seemed I wasn't the only one who was cautious about what they entered. I barely signed up and added a photo when I had an e-mail alert saying "you've got a new message!" I thought, ah great. Miss Spambot has found me again! Ah well, I double clicked on the message and it was from a girl in Northampton. She seemed quite nice, asking a few introductory questions which I was happy to answer and I replied...still waiting for a reply. Struck by the Spambot again? We'll have to wait and see.

In the meantime, it seems many of the Females on the site don't mess around and simply copy + paste the same text into everyone's message box and send to every Tom, Dick & Harry on the website hoping to get some form of response. All went straight to 'Trash'. Now I have found a few nice looking Women on there, and I'll send some messages over the weekend. I can barely keep my eyes open at the minute!

Until the next update!...

Experience #4 (April) - 'Volunteer Work - Assisting the weekly soup run for the homeless' - COMPLETE

Here I am again. Back in the company of butterflies in my stomach and the unusual loss of appetite. It was like 'Speed Dating' all over again. It could only mean one thing, time to throw myself in to my next Experience.


I had spent the afternoon helping my Sister choose a laptop suitable for college and sorting out her wireless internet access, but kept glancing at the clock on the taskbar as each digit seemed to click over with a slam that only I could hear. It was like someone knew I was getting myself worked up over this next experience, and they wanted to see me squirm a little longer before the deadline struck at 6.20pm.

I was almost in the position of creating excuses to 'miss this week, but i'll be along for sure next week'. As the countdown clock just crossed over 5pm, I knew I had already committed myself to this and given my word that I'd be there, so I would have to take the plunge and just go with an open mind. I was going to be picked up by the organiser and dropped home, so my Sister gave me a lift back shortly after 5.15pm. I have to admit, she didn't fill me with confidence with tips such as "leave your watch, wallet and mobile at home...you never know!" Suddenly it seemed Lincoln Burrows was giving me tips on how to survive prison!

I managed to grab a sandwich and watched the clock as the last 30mins counted down. 6.20pm, I hear a beep outside my house and my ride is here. The organiser greets me, and sets me at ease with his light hearted humour and I make light conversation and ask how he became involved and a rough idea what to expect.

We arrive shortly after at the local Church where the food is prepared. Now I'm not religious, nor are the other volunteers - or atleast not the 'bible bashers' as you may expect to find. I would find out later on, that those guys worked the Wednesday & Friday shifts and they DO attempt to 'spread the word' etc etc. There's 6 of us tonight, including myself. It's not long before I see the well oiled machine in action, as we form the 'assembly line' Our roles as follows:

one - buttering the bread, me - adding 1 x slice of ham and 1 x slice of cheese to each sandwich before I pass it down the line to be cut in two and placed inside sandwich bags. While this is going on flasks of hot water for the tea and coffee's are being prepared while the soup is on the go...Who said men can't multi-task?? ;P

7.05pm - We're off to our first of three locations. The Central train station. There's already 4 guys waiting for our arrival. Between the ages of late 20's to mid 40's. I help set the table up, I don't feel threatened, but I feel I have to censor myself. Would I be in the wrong to ask them 'How are you?' given their current situation? I did feel slightly helpless and jumped at the chance when they asked for a sandwich and I was more than happy to ask them "Cheese or Ham?" There was a selection of chocolate bars and fruit that was on offer, but they seemed to turn their nose up at that. I'm just as bad, not much better with vegetables! Then one of the homeless guys turned to me as I was pouring him a coffee and he said:

"Did you have a good Easter?"

I'm sure if you could have seen it, my chin would have hit through the pavement. Here is this guy who has been sleeping rough for a number of years, and the first thing he asks me is did I have a good Easter? Again, I just smiled and replied "yeh, good thanks". It wasn't quite like I could go on about all the different Eggs I had received and greetings cards from my Grandparents. I was incredibly moved by what he just said, and he took his coffee and sat down in one of the door entrances. There was also tales of what they'd been up to during the day, and even making a fire as proving difficult during the high winds, when one of the guys almost set him and his tent on fire! The 20 minutes passed quickly and before we knew it, we were packing up and getting ready to head to our next location. Not before ALL of the homeless guys shook every volunteer's hand and said 'Thank's very much' = which again I found mindblowing to comprehend. It made sense what the organiser was telling me in the car : "We're the only thing they can rely on. We're here every Monday at the same time, without fail." This apprecation could be heard in their voices and seen in their eyes before they made their way back in to the night.

7.35pm - Our second stop was just outside the Milton Keynes Theatre. It was starting to get dark, and nobody was there to greet us this time. One of the volunteers asked if I would walk with him and try to see if we could find any at their usual spots. I.E. Basically anything with shelter or heat. We didn't find anyone, but I was told a few explanations to some of the homeless people's requests. 'They will as you for empty carrier bags' I didn't really want to know what for, as I had my thoughts...' 'They use the carrier bags to store their food in a dry place and then hide them in bushes. If they sleep with food on them, you can guarantee it won't be there when they wake up'!" "oh right, I said" Just what I was thinking.....well maybe the second thing in my mind!

After ten minutes, four then a fifth turned up and I felt quite at ease and all the volunteers knew each homeless person, not in huge detail, but to ask how their week had been etc. I was to learn that one guy was about to do a week behind bars for not paying his TV Licence, and how one guy busked his way from Milton Keynes to Bath to catch up with some friends. There was also the tragic story of a guy from Isle of Wight who lost his job, his home, everything! But he seemed to be surviving on the streets ok, and knew how to look after himself. Which I'm sure is something you quickly develop sleeeping rough.

Before we make our last stop, we're in search of 'Wolfie' or 'Wolfman'. It's a quick drop off of sandwiches and I got to see where he was sleeping, underneath an underpass with a bin full of crushed lager cans and a few sheets to protect himself from the wind and rain. He wasn't 'home' when we came to see him, but left the sandwiches on his bed.

8.15pm - Our final stop outside of the Library and as we're about to attach the table legs and prepare the last sandwiches and flasks, armed ready to serve tea - we find a load of chips on the floor to which one volunteer remarks with "Chips? We've got no chance of shifiting these sandwiches now!" Like anything, a job for example - it's not always the work but the people you work with that make the difference. And their humours definately helped set me at ease and feel quite welcomed almost instantly!

We only had a few homeless guys at the last stop, but they were more than greatful for the remaining sandwiches and even taking the last few banana's and apple's on offer! At every stop, I was overwhelmed how appreciative they all were and just generally thankful for us being able to give them something they could rely on.


8.40pm - We return back to the church to unload, wash the soup flasks and discuss how they all thought the new 'Dr Who' was terrible, before we're back on the road and heading home as quickly as we arrived!

I could barely sleep last night, trying to take everything on board, what I had seen and heard, then I looked around my bedroom. I have a nice bed, thick duvet, DVD player, Xbox etc. It really makes you appreciate everything you own.

Experience #4 (April) 'Volunteer Work'

I can't believe April is upon me already, but it seems my choice to start this adventure started years ago. I've had such a blast in the past three months, a nervous first month, enyoyable full stomach on the second and enjoyed a whole new concert in the space of three months.

This month, it's not about me. Yes, it's food related again, but this time it will benefit others. For the past two years, especially around Christmas, I've always had an inckling to help the homeless. I'm thankful for what I have, great friends, family and a roof over my head and I've always wanted to give a little back to those less fortunate. Not quite in a Robin Hood "rob from the rich to feed the poor", I mean, me in tights?? Nah. But seriously, It's easy to think about these things but another to put your foot down and do something about it.

Strangly enough I've been following a blog since December that follows 'Soup Runs' in Milton Keynes. Might not sound bizarre, but the owner of the website and who runs the soup nights is a colleague's Dad! She since has put me in touch with him and I'll be assisting the Monday night soup run next Monday visits a number of spots around Milton Keynes.

Now, unlike some of my other activities, I have absolutely no idea what to expect. Apparently the evening runs a little like this:

"Meet at starting point around 6.30 for prep
Set out around 7.15 for the first Stop at the Station CMK
Second Stop is the Theatre MK at around 7.45
A quick stop to drop off the 'Wolfmans' sandwiches - we don't usually deliver but this is an exception
Last stop MK Library at around 8.15 to 8.30 depending on how busy the other stops are.
Anything left dropped off at the YMCA, then back to starting point to clear away and generally leaving for home around 9.00."

Now 2hrs 30 is hardly a lot to ask for once a week. I'm also curious to find out who or what this 'Wolfman' is? Half man/half wolf? I Doubt it but I'd like to see how he'd handle a spoon under those circumstances. I've now registered myself with the website and hoping to get chatting to a few volunteers before I start.

After reading a few blogs, it seems towards the end of last year they had to cancel one of their regular drop off points due to verbal abuse from a certain group of guys. I find this insane to believe, you're only trying to help those less fortunate while getting verbally abused by young thugs who have nothing better to do than criticise. I'm sure it would be a different story if their roles were reversed!

On a positive side, recent visits included requests of:

"Do you have any crayfish?" &

"Haven’t you got any proper sandwiches like we used to get?"

This experience is going to be quite an eye opener, but I'm looking forward to it!

Experience #3: COMPLETE: 'See a concert you normally wouldn't'

Now, anywone who knows me would tell you I love music, doesn't matter on the genre. This month (March) the next item on my list was to see a concert I normally wouldn't. This concert was taking place pretty close to me thinking about what I could go and see, then all the pieces came together....



Yes, for one night, I was one of Lady GaGa's affectionaly known "Little Monsters". Now I have to admit, I do enjoy her music, but I'm also fascinated with all her creations and artistic flair. Just incredible! Plus she's easy on the eye, I guess for this 'experience' I could've seen 'X Factor Live' or 'JLS', but I kept seeing images from the movie 'Wayne's World' where Garth is strapped in to a dentist chair being forced to listen to Kenny G in concert, this was by far a much more enjoyable experience.

Now the week leading up to the concert, I visited Lady GaGa's website, checked out the forum's to see if I could get a sneak peak into what was this 'Monster's Ball' - a tour revamped for the UK! Already, that's damn impressive! I arrived at the venue - LG Arena, Birmingham with an open mind. Now I already assumed majority of the audience might be 13-17, and this was backed by the so called merch guys outside the venue selling pink bunny ears that lit up alternately and glowsticks. The classic sign of any Pop concert! As I got closer to the LG Arena, I could see a huge range of ages queuing up to get into the venue, ranging from 14-late 40's. Walking into the venue (standing floor section) and I'd already missed the support acts, and the whole stage was swallowed up in a white screen hiding what was to be an incredible stage.

45mins late, but the screaming from the audience was intense! A cinema style countdown appeared on the white screen as the cheering got louder and louder while various clips of Lady GaGa were shown in the background. The wait was finally over, and it was one hell of a show! I lost count of the costume changes, but for every costume change, there was a video shown on the screen to keep fans entertained for the 2-3 min duration. The whole story of the 'Monster's Ball' can only be described as The Wizard Of Oz, told in only a way that GaGa could.

The choreography was interesting and how she sang while pulling off some of those dance moves was something else! For me, any artist's true skill is shown acoustically, and when Lady GaGa took to her piano, it was jaw droppingly impressive. Vocal skills that superseed her album and playing a piano that was on fire and occasionally bursting out flames into the air was something else! The walkway that led out in to the crowd was used for the majority of the performance, so fans from the back of the arena could still take in the incredible outfits and dance routines that GaGa had instore for us.

The only dissapointing thing was I had to leave early to get the last train at 11.20pm (to which I had to run the length of the LG Arena, something I won't be doing again!....without some kind of fitness first anyway!) So I missed 'Papparazzi' which from various YouTube clips looked amazing as GaGa battles with 'The Fame Monster'.

Now, Lady GaGa is returning May/June in the UK for a string of additional dates, and I'm sure you're aware of the whole ticket scandal that has flooded various websites - including GaGa's forum over the new 'doubled' prices. Now I paid £80.00 (e-bay ticket) for a ticket face value of £35.00. Now the Promoter is after £75 for seats and £65 for standing. Basing this on the fact the tour is such a huge arena spectacle and not you're average 'arena' show. I feel sorry for GaGa, she's going to get hit hard for this, but I'm sure it's the promoter who's taking the piss here and not her. Now, I would go and see her again, but with talks of a '3D concert DVD' in the works and maybe a tour, let's hope they learn from this and reduce the ticket prices. It's the fans that lose out at the end of the day, especially the younger fans that just want to see their idol live in action, doing what they do best. It's promoters and touts that will destroy this industry and fans love of live music.

Rant over, one awesome night out and another experience completed! Three months in, and I'm having a blast!

That's all for now, more regular updates now - promise!

"RUSSIAN ROULETTE IS NOT THE SAME WITHOUT A GUN" ;)

Experience #2 COMPLETE: 'Try new world cuisine' (February)

Apologies for the serious lack of updates, the house move was two weeks ago, and It's taken me a while to get settled in as well as work being crazy busy! Anyway, enough of the excuses, here's what happened in February:

Well, I did it, not only did I try new cuisine, but I also got the whole (now ex) housemates involved! All of them! Not to sure how I managed to do it, but they all seemed excited and I couldn't believe they were all excited to try something new, just like me! I just hoped it would live up to their expectations. (Not that I tried to sell it like a door to door salesman or anything :P)

The table was booked for 7pm, two Taxi's were booked for 6.30pm, everything was going according to plan. The restaurant was nicely decorated and the cooking smells were more than enough to whet the appetite of 9 hungry people! We all took our seats and it wasn't long before we scoped out the place and couldn't wait to attack the buffet! It seemed we were a little too keen and completely bypassed the starters and dived straight into the main course section without realising! No problem, we went back for the 'starters' after :P

Many drinks were sunk to accompany the meal, which led to one of the housemates curious to find out when the infamous belly dancing was going to commence. While many of the housemates seemed full and got their monies worth, I was still going. Not to my stomach's joy, as 30mins later I thought my stomach was going to burst. A sign of getting your monies worth? Or just being a little greedy? You decide! :P

The belly dancer danced for us at least three times during the course of the evening, with the said housemate unimpressed by her "less than erotic dancing".I can only assume his idea of belly dancing was completely different! It was interesting watching various couples around the restaurant while the dancing was taking place. Many of the females looked interested and even clapped along enthusiastically, while their male partners looked down in embarrasment, or just didn't want a verbal beating from their partners when they got home, with comments such as "you never look at me like that!" etc. etc.

All in all, it was a fantastic night out! We all tried something new, I loved their lamb dishes, rice, spicy chicken wings (and they were damn hot!) and some even said they'd go back in the future! We never did decide if the cake was a desert or not, especially as it tasted more like mint toothpaste. It was a great night that really brought out the best in everyone and showed that we weren't just housemates, we were all really good friends. It was just a shame that had to end with us all having to move out, but we're still in contact now and one ex-housemate is determined to get all of us together under one roof again!

Experience #2: (February) 'Try new world cuisine'

QUICK UPDATE FROM 'SPEED DATING'

So, #8 did reply to my email, I replied back and asked her about joining me for a fun night at the Comedy Club...but no reply yet. Yeh, I know it's been a week, but I'll keep you posted if anything materialises!

EXPERIENCE #2: (February)

Yes I know...FOOD! "It had to be food related" - I can imagine hearing my friends now. "That's not an experience...you do that already!" Well, this time it's going to be a little different. We only have 3 weeks in our current house before all the housemates move on to their new accommodation and I saw this as an opportunity to share this experience with them! And I got a positive result!!

Many of the housemates are in the same boat as me. "Persian food...what the hell does that include??!" Well, after receiving a menu through the door a couple of weeks ago, It has been sitting on my desk since then and now was the time to get the ball rolling on Experience #2! I think I speak for everyone when I say we have no idea what to expect and opted for the buffet option to make the most of the menu which is only £14 compared to the standard main course at £10. Oh, did I mention we're going on a Saturday...which means live Belly Dancing! I saw that as a bonus, but just mentioning this seemed to raise interest in a couple of the guys before I even mentioned about the basmati rice and lamb shanks on offer!!

After passing the menu around it seems the whole house is on board, now I just hope they have a table big enough for all of us, and food to cope with the demand. (Not just me, there's another housemate who also seems to have two stomachs!) We're all going a week Saturday (13th Feb) and I'm already looking forward to it! My appetite shouldn't be a problem this time around! :P

Experience #1: 'Speed Dating' - COMPLETE!

It doesn't seem barely two days ago I signed up for speed dating and before I knew it, Wednesday 27th January soon came around and so did the butterflies and nerves!

I got home from work, attempted to make a chicken sandwich (which I struggled to finish) For anyone that doesn't know me, food is normally no obstacle. (I'm not an overweight guy, but I'm sure this will all catch up with more sooner than later!) Registration for the event started at 7.30PM sharp, and it was already 7.10PM as I checked my watch every minute, just in case time was going to skip a few extra minutes just to keep me on my toes.

I'm walking distance from the train station and got a taxi from there. It gave me time to get my thoughts together, mainly those filled with nerves and attempting to remind myself of the positives - that either way it was all about the experience!

The taxi journey (which normally takes no longer than 5mins) seemed to take an eternity! Every traffic light purposely halting on red just to make me sweat it out a little bit longer. I arrived at the venue - a nightclub, which I've been to a number of times, so I already knew the layout which was a bonus! I walked upstairs, expecting to see red balloons with their company logo all over them attached to chairs and some form of cheesy American greeting, but instead it was..pretty basic!

A nice welcome greeting from both of the hosts, I received my sticker with my name and number '6' written on it, then it was time to kill 20mins at the bar before the 'Speed Dating' began at 8PM. I'm not being big headed here, but I like to think I can speak to most people without the harm of being embarrsed or feeling like an idiot - but the other guys there didn't appreciate me trying to make small talk at the bar with them, when they wanted to clearly point out that they were there solely for the Women. I was too, but I was trying to break the ice a bit. After all, we were all there for the same reason!

8PM soon rolled around, and after the Women were seated the Men were told to sit at the same table number as what's on your stickers. I was opposite my first date, now the age group for tonight's event was 23-39, I'm 27. Majority of the people there were late 20's early 30's so an ideal mix! I managed to feel at ease almost instantly and 3mins passed so quick, I barely had time to make a note of the ladies number and if I wanted to tick 'yes' 'no' or 'friend' before being moved on to the next date.

The night was going well, I was at ease, took a break off the beer and went with water. First impressions are everything, especially at these events - so cutting down the beer intake was essential. As you 'date' 13 Women in an hour! That's some going! It wasn't many dates before I came across a Woman I was instantly intrigued about. We didn't even wait for the buzzer to go before we started chatting and 3mins barely seemed like 3secs. We discussed music, she loves Paramore, 30 Seconds To Mars & Frank Turner for starters! Now that's quite a mix straight away and took a sip of water as I didn't want her to see my chin hit the floor. She told me how she loves duvet days and just chilling out watching DVD's back to back. Now that's an ideal weekend right there!

We took a break for 15mins once we were about half way around the room. Time to get a breather and refill before facing 'Round 2'. Some of the guys were still quite nervous as we swapped stories / observations at the bar. Once we had 'dated' everyone, It was encouraged that we stayed for a while, caught up with our potential matches before heading home.

It was like being back at a high school disco. The guys one side, the ladies on the other. I was feeling quite confident after having a fun night meeting everyone and decided to seek out #8 and see if we could continue our conversation from earlier. It seemed I waited a little bit too long and she left with her mates shortly after, but did ask for my name again and scribbled something on to her scorecard.

A few of tonight's crowd remained after the hosts left and it strangly felt like we'd known each other for ages. Swapping stories, job roles and generally enjoying each others company! I got a taxi home and rather keenly clicked on my Internet browser and logged on to the dating website to update my results from the night. I clicked 'yes' for #8 and now the waiting game begins....


THURSDAY 28TH JANUARY: ( 8 P.M.)

I check my e-mail and find out that i have a 'match'. It won't tell me who, as they direct me to the weblink at the bottom of the e-mail to find out more! I immediately click the link and anxiously await for the page to load. A huge grin is on my face because #8 also ticked me as a 'yes'. This now means we can view each others profile and only our e-mail addresses are given out. I decide to e-mail her straight away, not to ask her out, but just a follow up e-mail from last night and commenting on a few topics of discussion. I click send and wonder if I'll get a reply....

FRIDAY 29TH JANUARY: (11.58 PM)

I'm out tonight with some work colleagues when my phone vibrates, I've got a new e-mail and it's not another newsletter from 'Play.com' telling me about their amazing deals on blu ray discs. Instead #8 has replied to my e-mail telling me she also had a great time, even though it was short and 3mins wasn't enough! Now the problem with Blackberry's is that you can e-mail straight from your phone. To avoid sounding like an idiot (I have had a few beers by now) I result in turning the phone off to avoid sending any awkward e-mails I might regret later and opt to wait until the morning.

SATURDAY 30TH JANUARY: (10.00AM)

After breakfast, I load up my 'hotmail' account and re-read her email. I respond with a few things I'm doing this weekend, starting with a duvet morning, watching a few films and enjoying a Saturday morning lay-in! I also ask her if she is free to meet up during the week and instead of suggesting the usual 'let's go for coffee / movie' approach, ask her if she'd like to go to a local comedy club night. There's nobody famous, but you get 3 comedians per event and I've heard great feedback from friends.

No reply yet, but I'm not going to be my usual paranoid self. If she'd like to meet then great, if not, the whole experience has been plesant!. I've experienced something I'd never do normally, and I'd def. sign up for another - but I'd leave it for a couple of months first.

January has already been a crazy filled month:

*Speed Dating,
*Tried 'Haggis' for the first time! (Not as bad as I was expecting!)
*Found not 1 but 2 suitable rooms to move in to as our current landlord has given us a months notice. A lot of stress, but after we all realised we couldn't all share a house together - finding an empty 7 bed was never going to happen, but the whole experience was an eye opener, and I'm all set to move out at the end of February.

That's all for now, Experience #2 will be revealed shortly...

"All change!"

It seemed that after a rubbish start to 2010 & with a whole load of new experiences to enjoy this year, my first experience would come earlier than expected...and not one that's on my list!!

Date: Wednesday 20th January 2010

I'm at work and my Blackberry alerts me that I've received a new text message, nothing new there, until I open the message and a whole load of chaos was about to follow. It was a mispelt text from my Landlord saying that we have one month to move out, and if we want to rent any of his other rooms we need to let him know by Saturday....SATURDAY!?!?!? Are you insane?? It's only Wednesday today! To make matters worse, I arrived home that night to the other housemates gathered in the kitchen discussing our shared problem, and a few of them didn't even receive text messages..which would explain the shocked faces around the kitchen.

That night, the whole house was crammed into the lounge. Laptops all around like we were about to start a multiplayer online game, I think we know who the target would be...bloody landlord! We discussed how we were to move forward and we began our search for 6 or 7 bedroom houses. I know, it sounds insane, but we've all got along perfectly (which is quite unusual for a house this size!) and we weren't about to let this end. So I call the letting agent and arrange a viewing for us all at a 5 bed (we could easily modify a couple of the rooms to become bedrooms.) We check the place out and as nice as it was, a couple of the bathrooms linked to 2 bedrooms which caused concern for privacy etc. So that was #1 off the list.

Since then we decided we all couldn't fit in to a 5 bed and begin a revised search on 4 beds - now the difficult bit starts. I have to become the 'bad guy' and choose which housemates I'd prefer to live with and forward text messages to the relevant 'golden ticket' winners. Lucikly those that received texts where happy with the people I chose and it looked like we had found a great 4 bed in the same area as we live now, and even closer for me to walk to work. (Which would literally take me 1 min! - Hey! everyone else has cars!!)

Date: Saturday 23rd January 2010

We've seen two 4 beds today. The first one (1 min walk from work) was a no go! The bedrooms were tiny, so another house crossed off the list. Then the letting agent mentioned another house with 4 double bedrooms - ideal for everyone, as we've been quite spoilt in our 7 bed. We could've seen this house earlier in the afternoon, but one of our housemates was quite adament that watching the Chelsea football match was priority over finding a roof over his and our heads!!! What can I say, the house was incredible! All rooms a nice size, decent bedrooms, but unfurnished. No goodies, nada!! When we all left the house with smiles on our faces, it wasn't long before reality shook them straight off our faces. After calculating council tax, utility bills, affording to buy new furniture, beds etc. this was not going to work! Especially as one couple (that have barely been in the house for a month - but they clicked with everyone instantly!) are saving up to get married and couldn't stretch their budget past what they are currently paying, which could only lead to one thing - back to the drawing board!

We then looked at each other, and one of us had to say it: "Sorry guys, but it looks like we're going to have to split up even more and start looking at 2 bed houses." We all nodded our heads, realizing the reality that faced us and after dinner, I loaded my laptop and was back searching for 2 bed house-shares that myself and 1 other housemate could afford.

After an hour of searching, I came across two that looked suitable. Once again I started to tally up the council tax, utility bills, TV licence etc. and it could be covered - but that would be no broadband, no TV, and you could pretty much cancel any gigs / concerts I was interested in going to. It seemed my path was leading me back in one direction - back to the landlord!

Now, I'd never go back to my current landlord - he's not really fit to be called a landlord for a start after all the shortcuts he has taken over the past year - and that's just those we know about! Luckily I've come across a website that specialises in advertising single rooms, and it seems there's 2 in my current street! So I might be going back in to the 7 bed environment quicker than expected, but with a whole load of new housemates. Nothing is set yet, but I have e-mailed both landlords, and hope to hear from them in the next couple of days. I will miss my current housemates terribly, they're like extended family, but at the end of the day, it's what I can afford and having to face council tax, utility bills etc. on top of my old rent (which always was included with my cost) would have to be put off for a while atleast.

So it seems Experience #1 was the shock of moving in to the real world and seeing my monthly pay get swallowed up in one go from bills etc. with no fun on the side. That's something I can't leave with...there's plenty of time for that! On the positive side, it will be a whole new experience, meeting new housemates and hopefully share more great memories over the coming months!

Experience #1 (January): "Speed Dating"

Ok, so here we are. It's almost mid-January and time to get the ball rolling! After looking up and down my screwed up piece of notebook paper that holds the bible of activities lined up for 2010 and taking the weather situation at the minute in to consideration, it seemed like a wise choice to start with an indoor activity. That said, I do feel I've just thrown myself in to something I'd thought I'd never do, which is a good thing...even if I've bricking it already!

Now, I did take a stab at online dating about a year ago. I thought I'd give it a try, nothing to lose and potentially everything to gain. So I signed up and was feeling quite positive that I'd meet someone within my first three months. (This was also the minimum sign-up period.) I would update my profile, constantly adding or modifying the information to 'jazz' my profile up, try and find a decent image to use as my main profile picture without it having that "classic myspace - raise camera up and point at myself pic." Most days I'd log on and find the usual "You have 0 new messages" image on the menu beaming at me with a cheeky grin as if they knew three months would not be long enough to find your 'soulmate'.

I began to cut down my search criteria, keeping it local and within a decent age range and actually found a few profiles that looked interesting. So I clicked on a few, added them to my 'favourites' and would read more at a later date. This routine progressed for two months, a few messages were exchanged but no dates set or lack of interest would block the way forward. Then I came across an interesting profile which belonged to user "Zoo_Girl09". Already I seemed interested, an occupation completely different to my own, we'd definately have interesting discussion topics, and we'll....she was pretty fine. Let's be honest, we do go by the picture first before we find out more!

I was liking more and more about her as my eyes continued to read her profile, so it was time to make a move and send a cheeky 'wink'. Yes, I know what you're thinking! "Could'nt you just have messaged her?" well...the 'wink' is your basic introduction. Consider it your best mate putting in a good word for you, just without the embarassment of you having to ask your best mate in the first place. So a few days passed...nothing. I then sent a message to make a more formal introduction, maybe she wasn't a 'cheeky wink' kind of girl?! Three more days passed and nothing.

It wasn't until I logged on a week after that I should've realised what was happening. It turned out my online interest of "Zoo_Girl09" would be short lived. Why? Because her account was terminted due to 'spam'. I'd not been struck by cupid's arrow, but the kick in the crouch form a bloody Computer Bot program....rejected by a damn machine! That pretty much brought me up to my three month minimum sign-up period, and when I was prompted "Would you like to renew?" I put as much force in to my finger as possible, clicking "No thanks" & thinking that was enough for me!

Now that might be a negative way to look at online dating, it doesn't work for everyone, there are successful stories out there and if you have I'm happy for you...But howe many 'bots' turned you down before you found your partner?? Exactly!

Now I've heard 'Speed Dating' is meant to be a great laugh. (As long as you're not the one being laughed at!) I've searched the web and looked for the next 'event' in my area and have paid for my place in a few weeks time. Me being me (being a little over organised)I've already downloaded an audiobook giving you tips and what to expect when you arrive. One thing they do stress is not to drink too much alcohol on the night, and I've got a feeling those two hours could be the best or worst night of my life, but sometimes you've just got to go in with an open mind and dive in at the deep end.....Plus I'll meet more women in one night than I would've done over the past two years, (note to self: do not repeat this during the session.) now that's going to be one positive of the evening if anything!

So now the clock is ticking, just under two weeks and I'll be there, and it's the experience that counts, so bring it on!

Quick update

I currently have a folded bit of Notebook paper that has a list of activities for the year. So far, I've come up with eight different activities for 2010, the first I shall reveal shortly.

I've also setup a 'YouTube' Channel, so I'll record some clips to go with a few of the challenges to 'spice' the blog up a bit and make this a little more interesting to follow.

As I mentioned, I haven't quite got a full year planned yet, so if anyone has any suggestions, please leave your comments below.