 So here we are, the final update - and I made it - albeit with a hybrid list! Just the Alanis concert to go at the end of this month...
1. Fly First Class long haul from anywhere to anywhere COMPLETED JANUARY 2012 2. Take a photography course COMPLETED JUNE 2012 3. Experience the Caledonian sleeper train to Scotland & ride around Edinburgh in a funky Billy Connolly trike COMPLETED MAY 2012 4. Visit 1 of the countries in my Top 3 “before it changes forever” list - Cuba COMPLETED MAY 2012 5. See more of the UK COMPLETED AUGUST 2012 6. Try 3 new variations of foods COMPLETED JANUARY 2012 7. Mega eBaying COMPLETED AUGUST 2012 8. Complete a family tree with at least 50 people on it COMPLETED APRIL 2012 9. Fun family photo shoot COMPLETED APRIL 2012 10. Fly in a Tiger Moth COMPLETED JULY 2012 11. Tandem sky dive COMPLETED AUGUST 2012 12. Bake a marble cake just like my mum’s COMPLETED MARCH 2012 13. Make a decent curry COMPLETED MARCH 2012 14. Clear out office COMPLETED OCTOBER 2012 15. Garden re-design COMPLETED JULY 2012 16. Make an iMovie COMPLETED SEPTEMBER 2012 17. Get some real life interview practice COMPLETED JULY 2012 18. Experience an England Wembley International footie match COMPLETED JUNE 2012 19. Lose 14 lbs COMPLETED OCTOBER 2012 20. Climb the Rainforest Lookout at The Eden Project COMPLETED JUNE 2012 21. Visit the British Music Experience COMPLETED AUGUST 2012 22. Do 1 presentation to an audience COMPLETED JULY 2012 23. Ride the London Eye COMPLETED JUNE 2012 24. Take a trip to New York COMPLETED OCTOBER 2012 25. Climb Up at The O2 COMPLETED AUGUST 2012 26. Take the new Emirates Thames cable car COMPLETED AUGUST 2012 27. Achieve 3000 unique visitor hits on my website in a month (Feb 2012 was 2816) COMPLETED MARCH 2012 28. Work on my photography COMPLETED JULY 2012 29. Go to a long awaited concert – Alanis Morissette BOOKED FOR NOVEMBER 2012 30. Walk parts of the Thames Trail COMPLETED SEPTEMBER 2012
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 This is a poem I wrote to capture the AWESOME 4 days Wendy and I had in New York. Every line hides a story (mostly funny) and I've included some pics as well. Our trip of a lifetime was a late edition to the 30 Things project coming in at number 24. ALL I CAN SAY IS... WHAT A CITY !!!!! You always hope a destination like this will live up to the hype - and it certainly delivered. NYC has an energy like I've never felt before. So in 39 stanzas, here's "Toiner & Stronge do New York" Toiner & Stronge do New York  Cocktails in T5’s Giraffe Chatting and having a laugh Boris look-a-likey behind us NYC planning with minimal fuss  Toiner mixing it up G&T in a cup What! No inflight stuff! This has got to be a bluff… Reset x7 not cool BA you are so cruel 8 hours transatlantic drag This flight ain’t got no swag Circling round and round Captain makes a sound A “VIP moment” at JFK has occurred Almost diverted to Boston… that’s absurd!  Yellow cab This is fab! To the Metro Wow, so retro  “Paris” across the street Beads and beads, ha what a treat! Macy’s round the corner Brilliant for a foreigner  Feels like our Capital People, vibrancy, noise an’ all Home from home Tomorrow we shall roam  Waking up to rain This is such a pain Muffins take the edge off Mmmmmm scoff scoff scoff  Watching Good Morning A-mer-i-ca Tom Hanks accidentally swore on there Yankees lost the base-ball No game for us, no game at all  Walk and walk the streets of Manhattan Up and down the easy, grid pattern Booking the things we want to see and do And suddenly woo hoo the sky turns to blue!  Our concierge Jeff came in handy Introducing Duane Reade for candy He also booked us a show Chicago wow wee here we go  Cocktails and Asian fusion Times Square and Broadway inclusion New York New York we love you You are definitely an awesome de-but  Eating pretzels and hot dogs from the street deli New Yorkers are the same as on tele Watching Friends in actual NYC Is pretty darn cool to me  Toiner starts a t-shirt mission It’s always been her ambition To see how many she can buy Deary deary me, I sigh  Mind you, I’m just as bad Pointing my foam finger in public makes me look mad Buying the PJ “pants” we see a man wearing Would you believe me if I said I’m beyond caring?  Hyped up for the next few days NBC studio tour is well amaze Random photo taken Toiner’s American mum if we’re not much mistaken…! Standing in Dr Oz’s studio Still not sure why it’s called the Big Apple tho’ Must look up this reference to fruit… Now back to the map and the route  Racing to our next stop Pink people all over the shop Race for Life is most definitely on From dawn to dusk… and be-yond  Jump on the subway No one to ask Rather impersonal Just like a mask  Finally get to the meat packing joint So hungry, “beef” dogs do not disappoint Time for the 911 museum work-shop Where the tears won’t be able to stop  Holding parts of the World Trade One man and his meticulous crusade An emotional rollercoaster ride A journey with headset to guide    Almost catch the path train to New Jersey This subway system is cra-zy! Mad rickshaw dash across town As the sun begins to set down  We make it in time  Sailing down the Hudson is sublime  Cookie Monster in Times Square  Empire State at midnight on a wing and a prayer…          Mega insanely wonderful play As we plop into bed in the wee hours of Sun-day American diner for brekky awaits We’ll keep eating until hunger abates  TV and movie tour through Central Park A glorious afternoon gives it a spark Families and couples spending time together A peaceful setting that could last forever            Racing across town once more To get to the Manhattan shore Catching our cruise is most amusing The ticket handlers almost came in for a bruisin’  No matter, we’re headed to the Statue of Liberty The sights along the way are things of beau-ty She’s awesome up close And that skyline and coast !!!      Oreo cookie ice cream Late night shopping a scream Times Square and flashing bright light A nice restaurant to spend our last night  Pumpkin cheesecake is divine We could make ourselves sick in next to no time And with more cocktails to try The fact we’re flying tomorrow is by the by  Finally we stumble back to pack Macy’s shopping we still need to crack Next morning we do And the 911 memorial too Our first American Maccy Ds A little more Friends just to tease And some According to Jim Just on a whim Wow, what a trip it has been! We came. We conquered. We’ve seen All of the sights and the sounds Defo get more to the dollar than the pounds Help from unexpected quarters The subway engineer and the porters The random lady on the plat-form The NYPD cop amongst the swarm Skyscrapers every-where The wind whistles through there Recycling in evidence A healthy eating precedence Morgan Freeman set in wax A healthy eating shop called PAX Wendy found her own diner Plus a flashy Maccy Ds, a right shiner!    But, what’s up with the loos? You always see lots of shoes And the sides don’t quite fit No good for a ….  Limp biscuit jokes Where’s Wendy? Our funny hoax Pumpkin beers And my 30 “Cheers” Oh what fun we had
Saying goodbye was mighty sad Mesmerising skyline whatever time of day We don’t want to leave this city, no way So here it is, the “Other side of New York” ONY tour code for short With meat packing optional extra And the bead extension etc etc So here we go then... I wanted to make an iMovie for one of my 30 Things and it seemed fitting to use this opportunity to celebrate my incredible year thus far. With so much still to look forward to, there will be a longer video coming soon, but for now, enjoy some of my highlights written into a poem called "My Conversation With Life" and using the musical accompaniment of Such Good Luck. MY CONVERSATION WITH LIFE Thanks for the fun we’ve had this year Doing the things I always wanted to do Running and skipping through the seasons Wasting no seconds Living in your moment Have I finally embraced you at last? The expectation was still there The rules I didn’t want to follow All the things that needed to be done People never see the pressure I see But you and I, we grasped the rope And held on tight to make it happen You know I love the city in you But I enjoy the country too So together we mixed it up Racing, walking, soaring or simply passing through Pushing the boundaries To enhance my experience with you Searching out my ancestors And spending time with loved ones Indulging to my heart’s content You would never judge Smoking, drinking and partying And calmer moments of writing too Only you know whether I’ll be famous or thin You allow me to wallow, to dream and scheme They are your little pleasures And sometimes you throw in a shock Or a blast from the past To keep me on my feet I thought I was going to lose you As I hurtled down to earth Crazy and miraculous in one breath And then there was the open top cruising Flying through my worries and concerns Seeing the beauty of you You untied my tongue And helped me face my darkest fears Testing and teasing Pushing me on At one point I felt like the most important person You’d ever know The Champagne at altitude Was wonderfully indulgent and delicious Letting me delight Simply in you That was you at your finest And I promise never to forget I wanted to take the time To sort us out Some of the jobs were just too big But I crammed in so much more Designing, climbing, exploring And photographing your many faces It wasn’t without trial and tribulation Moments of guilt and worry Depressing weather And my first grey hair One day I will understand your need To mix the pleasure with the pain Passing through more Shires than a Hobbit Sticking to the roots you gave me Giving something back Slowing you right down Taking notice of the simple things And treasuring your time I tried to run away from you once I will try not to do it again I hope you come back to me You know, some day It won’t always be easy I will stumble a lot Falter on your map, on your journey Because you and I, we’re up and down Sometimes carefree Sometimes alone Sometimes overwhelmed Laughing our way through the pain I won’t forget what you did I’ll reflect and ponder and relive in my mind’s eye Now it’s time to leave and let me be I’ll be all right now it’s finally over You can let me be Until we get to talk again |
AuthorBlogging is an amazing concept so here I am giving it a whirl. You'll get words. You'll get pics. Sometimes a vid or two. You'll get tongue in cheek, the odd humble opinion and an honest insight into my travels and writing life. Maybe even a few gems along the way. I'll be musing on home turf as I see more and more of the UK and sharing my experiences further afield on holidays and adventurous trips across the globe. Archives
July 2021
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