Exporting Presents

Item 76 is also a present related one.

Two good friends emigrated to USA in the autumn of 2010, and I wanted to make sure they both got birthday presents (Nov/Dec) and that Christmas presents arrived in time.

Again, and mostly thanks to the power of the internet, I did achieve this :)

Birthday Present Quest 2010

Item 73 is a simple one, to buy my friend M a birthday present. This shouldn't have needed to be included on my Day Zero Project list, which is essentially a bucket list of experiences you want to do before you die. Or at least in the next 3 years.

However, despite M being one of my closet, nicest and most generous friends, I have spectacularly failed to buy him a birthday present for the last 3 years!

Each year I speak to his wife, find out what he wants, assure her I will purchase the present, and then I don't. I don't know why, I just have a blank spot around his birthday!

So, clearly it was time to rectify this. I was away visiting Dans family when his birthday fell, so I made Dan detour into Exeter on the day before his birthday to pick up the present I promised him a year ago. It was with much pride that we met on my return and I had a present to hand over. He seemed very pleased and his wife has reported that the present has been played with.

I am relieved to finally broken the bad habit. I don't know what will happen next year, lots of friends keep having children and this squeezes my present budget!

Snowboarding A Black Run!

Item 55 was to snowboard a black run.

You'll notice that I didn't specify how well I had to do it :) You might think that to count it, I needed to do it well, but personally I think it took so much guts that my attempts this winter counted!

My first ever black run was at Murren. Dan and I had the choice to turn down a red route or a black route. We noticed the black route was pretty short and thought we'd give it a go. The first bit was simply quite steep and so I simply took it slowly on my heel edge. Then we had to stop to see where the route went. It was off to the left, and it was narrower than my board... I was a little nervous so Dan went first to show me how to do it. And promptly fell over. I figured I could only do better and followed him down. It quickly widened to the most mogully slope ever, clearly a piste basher had never been near it. I edged over bumps, trees and bushes and was quite relieved to reach the red run and civilisation.

The photo above is taken at Birg on the last day where we had another go at an equally short black. It was fab! This time I attempted to do better than just slipping down on my heel edge so I bravely did a bit of falling leaf, until half way down, the slope flattened out and I quickly put two linked turns in before the route went over the edge of cliff and I had to get back under control. I got to the bottom feeling very proud of myself that I turned on a black slope. Wohooooo!

Visiting The Elderly

I won't say much about this one, as the subject probably doesn't want to be written about on the internet.

But I did visit my great aunt every month for six months. And the reason I did this in the first six months is that I'm hoping to keep it up as a habit. She always seems happy to see me and it's not a huge amount of effort, although finding the time is tricky!

Psycho!

I have never (to my knowledge) watched a black and white film, so this is on the list as I feel that its something cultural I should have done by now!

I had to choose carefully as I wanted to watch a "classic" but it couldn't be on top 20 list as I want to avoid overlaps where possible.

I picked Psycho because it is supposed the first and original horror film.

I watched it with my brother last night and we both really enjoyed. We both knew the iconic shower scene, but neither of us had figured there was a whole plot around it! For anyone who has not watched it, I won't give the plot away but go and watch it!

Bearing in mind the film was released in 1960, this film would have been shocking at the time. In this day and age the violence is nothing. I can only imagine it has its 15 rating for the pyschological angle, as you see hardly no blood, and no nudity to speak of. But 50 years ago, women were never in their underwear on screen, and according to wikipedia, this was one of the first films to show a toilet flushing! And some people objected to this!

Personally I found the small cast refreshing. I lose track of the characters in blockbusers these days, and I felt I was following this quite well. I loved the twists and turns of the plot and I'm so pleased this was on the list. Its also made me look forward to watching some more of the classic films on my top 20 list.

Rocking out with Ash

In November we ticked item 68 "Go to a rock gig with Dan" off the list.

It was on the list because I love live music. Its quite a big part of my life, and I usually have a gig lined up to go to, sometimes months away, but I like to know I have something to look forward to. Theres something about hearing the crashing guitars, and thumping bass right in front of you that is so energising... and I needed to know Dan gets this. Mostly because I'm hoping he wont think its a waste of money, I need these gigs in my life!

So we headed up to Shepherds Bush for Ash. We went to dinner first at a fab Thai restaurant and ate a really spicy curry, hence the need for the gigantic ice cream Dan is holding above! Stupidly we got one each and I wasn't able to finish mine, which is totally unheard of! I really like ice cream! But I was mindful I was about to go and jump and up and down for an hour or two!

Ash were excellent. I've seen them several times before, and they have always been great. They played a mix of the A-Z songs and old favourites. The crowd went mental for "Kung-Fu" I zoned out to my own little world for "Girl From Mars" but actually the best song was "Arcadia" which they opened with.

Apart from both feeling like we had eaten too much ice cream, it was the best night, I was so so happy and didn't want to end, and I think that answers my question about whether or not Dan gets it :)

Arcadia

Light up, spark the detonator

Now I'm homeward bound, way to see you later

If you make that step you're the instigator

Got my mind made up, I'll be your navigator

If you want me to travel over moonlit miles

For a precious smile

Following my lonely heart

Call on me, take me...

Far over the seas

I return in my dreams

Sailing home under the stars

To be safe in your arms

Ever near, travel through time

Ever close in my mind

Say you will truly be mine

Say you'll always be mine

We are a winning combination

We're two stars aligned in a constellation

When I get too low you're my inspiration

Never let me down, you're a revelation

One that comes along once in a lifetime

Oh I realise

You give me love free and wild

Oh my child, lead me...

Far over the seas

I return in my dreams

Sailing home under the stars

To be safe in your arms

Ever near, travel through time

Ever close in my mind

Say you will truly be mine

Say you'll always be mine

Our empire stretches from the deserts

To the ice fields

Love and courage can take us anywhere

We dare to go

Far over the seas

I return in my dreams

Sailing home under the stars

To be safe in your arms

Ever near, travel through time

Ever close in my mind

Say you will truly be mine

Say you'll always be mine

Item No 1

In one sense this is a cheating task. Trying to come up 101 things that are fun/interesting/worthwhile/exciting is quite tricky. And expensive. I had already received for my birthday in early 2010 before The Day Zero Project was conceived a voucher from my dad to go rally driving. I'd always fancied a track day of some sort, and so I figured I could stick this on the list, even though I was doing it anyway!

It turned out to be slightly more of a challenge than I anticipated. In August I had a small accident, and my little Puma was out of action for nearly two months, I'd only had it back a few days before the rally driving, and I was a little nervous of driving and scared of another crash. Not only did I drive the 2 and a half hours to Oxfordshire but I was then to throw myself round a deliberateley muddy course where the aim was to be out of control! I was scared!

You started with a safety briefing, which I don't remember much of, except being told that you mustnt worry about the car as its not yours and to "drive it like you stole it". I decided then to sign up to the insurance they offered. Apparently they dont have many proper crashes, but I could all too easily imagine myself driving into a tree, despite Dans encouraging pep talks.

They drove us up to a building by the track, which was a mile long and twisted and turned over a couple of acres. A tractor went round watering the track to make it easy to slide at slow speeds. Somehow I was first in my group of 4 and straight into the Puma! I can't tell you if its the same as driving my Puma on the road, as Rally driving is just so different. You never got out of 3rd gear as they wanted you to concentrate on the steering. And your aim is to slide the car round corners which I would never dream of doing in my precious car. For my first 15 minute go I was rubbish. The instructor must have wondered what I was doing there. I didn't want to go fast, I couldnt seem to turn properly into corners. I didn't get the hang of handbrake turns as I've never been a boy racer so never tried before! I got out the car thinking the time had gone slowly and worried I wasting an expensive day out.

In the wait til my next go I gave myself a bit of a talking to. I'd asked for this birthday present, and then dragged Dan all the way to Oxfordshire, just so he could photograph me, when he'd already driven 5 hours to see me. And he didn't even get a go! I owed to myself, Dan and Dad to make sure I gave it a proper try.

The second 15 minutes went a lot better. Something clicked in my brain and I was lot better at drifting round the corners. I still turned the steering wheel too much on the handbrake turns, forgetting that the point was that I was sliding and not needing to turn the wheel. This session went far too quickly and I wanted to keep going and I was immediately itching to get back behind the wheel.

The third outing was fantastic. I nailed the handbrake turns to the delight of my instructor (who needn't have sounded quite so surprised I got it), and as I threw the car round the corners, sliding sideways at every opportunity I may even have let out a whoop or two of joy! As we went round for the last lap, my instructor asked if I was proud of myself, as I should be. And I finished with a big grin, knowing that there they probably wasn't a career in rally driving awaiting me but I'd made a massive improvement from the start of the day.

I also got taken out for a spin with a rally driver who was a lot faster than me! I wouldn't say it was scary as such, just very impressive now I knew how difficult it was to do!

In all I definitely enjoyed the day. I'd been wanting to do something like this and I feel as though I achieved something even though I wouldn't say I was a better driver because of it. It was a fantastic day out - thanks Dad!