Coast to Coast - a challenging ambition?

BBC4 have been showing a series about the Coast to Coast walk. Basically, a man called Alfred Wainwright wrote a series of pictoral guides about the Lake District and Lakeland Fells - his most famous work being a 190 miles walk from the West coast of England to the East coast. 1,000s (or even 100s of 1,000s) of people have made the journey since he wrote the books, and Julia Bradbury - a BBC presenter - has been forefront of the BBC4 series, leading us over the dramatic Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors. She's done it in 6 thirty-minute programmes, while in reality it takes at least 11 days (11 days if you're super-fit!) of almost constant walking - much of it uphill.

So, Episode 4 comes along, and I'm watching Julia striding along (and up, down, round, over...), and something inside me *pings*. I want to walk the Coast to Coast.

I actually surprised myself with this thought. While I have always enjoyed walking, I'm a fat, unfit, almost middle-aged (ARRGH!) desk-jobber, who's arse moulded to the armchair years ago. But I WANT TO DO THAT WALK!!!

This isn't an easy task, I know. The Coast to Coast experience is a huge physical test. But the main challenge lays in actually getting myself fit enough to tackle a 190-mile walk. I have a bad back, no muscles, no leg strength, no stamina. And I'm over 22 stone. I have no idea how I'm going to manage this, I just know that I want to do it. I'd like to do it in September 2010. I managed an 8 minute (go on, laugh) walk today. I'm starting small, but my training has begun.

"Every journey begins with a single step."

Flutes, Food, Friday evening...

Went "up London" today. Yes, I know I actually live in London, but whenever I go to Central London or the West End, I always say I'm going "up London", as that's true London to me....anyway, up I went with husband Andy. The reason for the trip was to look for a flute for him to use on his next album, so we headed for Denmark Street. Unfortunately his fave music shop has now CLOSED DOWN!! Turnkey was all shuttered and had estate agents' boards on the building :o(

We found a shop on Charing Cross Road that sold all types of music gear, and the guy who served us was very helpful. The flute Andy tried was almost £200, and he had trouble getting a sound out of it. Once he got the idea that you blow ACROSS the hole (like when making a 'tune' on beer bottles) and not DOWN into it, he didn't look so confused, and the guy serving us ordered a £99 flute and chucked in a basic starter's flute book with sheet music and tablature. I used to play the flute - about 25 years ago now! - and holding the flute and seeing the music brought something back to me...I MIGHT have a little go myself, and see if anything stirs. I've always wanted to play an instrument (for fun, not money), so maybe this is my chance...

Then we went for a walk around Chinatown, and bought a jar of Hoi Sin sauce. I'm not joking when I say you can't get it ANYWHERE near me, apart from a Chinese restaurant. Then the nearest places are either Chinatown in Soho, or Mitcham (there's a big Chinese supermarket/wholesalers there). And it's one of those MORE-ISH food things that I would keep in the cupboard and eat with almost anything, if only I could buy it regularly. Andy started mumbling about food and being hungry, and after a bit more walking and passing Julian Clary as he went into a shop, we found a pub. There's SO many pretentious food places in that area, with little chairs and tables, designer tablecloths, tiny doorways, and expensive menus, that finding a decent pub serving 'ordinary' food was a relief.

Tonight I'm looking forward to watching the first episode of the new series of "The IT Crowd". I've been a fan pretty much since the first series. Good simple premise, good characters, good actors, good comedy, good episodes, good writers. Graham Linehan (also wrote "Father Ted") just gets better all the time. I envy and admire writers like him. And THEN it's Eddie Izzard, another man I admire... ;o)

"The IT Crowd" is just starting - catch you later! :o)

Obama vs McCain

I can't let the forthcoming American presidential election pass by without commenting. Once.

In no particular order...

A John McCain administration is a scandal waiting to happen.

A Barack Obama administration will be either be the weakest in recent history - as Congress over-rules him 'becoz he iz blak', or the toughest - as "the 1st black president in history" makes his mark 'becoz he iz blak'.

It's a tough call. Both seem passionate about their cause, but it's not exactly "Clash of The Titans". Much has been made about Obama's race, but to me (and I'm sure I'm not the only one) him and McCain are just suits singing from similar hymn sheets.

All IMHO, of course. The only sure things are 1) one candidate will become president of the United States of America, and 2) the Whitehouse will still be the President's official residence. And the United Kingdom will still be in America's pocket. Sorry, I mean the United Kingdom will still be America's allies.

Corned Beef has a <3

I discovered today that corned beef really does have a heart. One of my favourite meals recently has been corned beef hash. I used to make this years ago when I was poor and corned beef was CHEAP. A tin of economy corned beef, couple of spuds, a can of baked beans, optional onion & cheese, you're looking at about 50p (back in the late 80s/early 90s) for a hearty, comfort-food meal that will easily serve 4 people.

As the price of corned beef went up, and my income improved, I started moving away from economy and processed products, gradually adding in more fresh and natural foods. Thus, by the mid-1990s, corned beef hash had been firmly relagated to my past.

On a recent economy-drive, I've been reading the "Old Style" board on Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert site. Picking up some new, cheap recipe ideas, I came across a mention of "corned beef hash", and my taste buds were instantly transported 20 years back in time. So I decided to make it for me and my husband for a change. He LOVED it, so that became a once-fortnightly event.

I made it again today. I had nom-nommed my way through about a quarter of it before I noticed a strange pale pink tube. I poked it a couple of times with my fork, wondering why this 'bit of onion' looked strange and felt rubbery....then it dawned on me. It was an artery. It was a big ol' heart artery thing, and it was on my plate, in MY DINNER.

I poked the tube a couple more times before relagating my dinner to the bin.

Now I KNOW what goes into processed foods, I KNOW what goes into corned beef, sausages, chicken nuggets and the like, I just don't want to SEE it. If I wanted to eat a cow's heart I would BUY one, then cook and eat it. Like when I make liver pate - I buy pigs liver to make my own liver pate. But when a tin says 'corned beef' you don't expect to find un-'corned' artieries in it.

Oh well. It was prolly fattening, anyway.

More moggy madness

This kitty is the most affectionate cat EVER. He kisses, licks and rubs his face on mine, purring purring purring, primping, snuggling into my neck...I've never known anything like it! The only thing is if he's just eaten, it's a bit smelly when he stuffs his nose and tongue up my nostril - Wet meaty cat goo! And he's got such wise button eyes - but he won't sit still long enough for me to photograph them! He's so black that it's like the lights going off when he blinks...

Can you tell I quite like him?!

I can see I'll have a likkle fluffy friend sleeping with me again tonight ;o)

Ooops! I have another cat!

About a year ago, my daughter found a kitten - approx 4 months old - wandering in the road. She brought the cat home and, after a couple of weeks of looking out for "Missing cat" posters and checking the local vets for reports of missing cats (plus getting her scanned for a microchip), the mog adopted me.

And it's happened again.

Walking down the street near me, there was a black male kitten - approx 10 weeks old - sniffing about under a parked car. Well, he was WAY too small to be out by himself, so I grabbed him and took him home. Moggsy hissed and spat at him, but I couldn't let him wander the streets at his age, so I just separated them and gave Moggsy lots of love, attention and food.

Yes I KNOW he's prolly someone's pet, but if his owners CARED about him, they would have been more careful about letting him out (or not). And I will look out for any "lost" posters, and hand him back if there's a loving owner who's missing him. Until then, he's lodging here.

Things I Learned Today

1) Never pick up a cat if a: you're female, and b: you're naked. Claws are sharp and nipples are SENSITIVE.

2) I don't actually LIKE steak.