Run Forrest run!

Hola Blogworld!

Moi? Slacking already? Never! Just been a manic few weeks promise! Just had a check through the day zero list and I've not made as much headway as I would've like.... quick update for you:

So No 1 on the list: Run a half marathon..... I've of late been getting back into the habit of regular pavement pounding and so the thought of enduring a half marathon later on this year isnt quite as horrendous as first consider. Although when I attempted 5 miles on Sunday some sort of thing pinged in my foot, which led to shin pain and altogether uncomfortableness which ultimately meant 1 mile in and I was done for. But, not one to give in, new trainers have been ordered (think the 6 year old ones I was plodding may have been slightly past their run by date) so will hope to regain some miles next week. I am also considering something a bit mad for charity close to my friends heart along the half marathon vein..... will post more if I dont come to my senses soon. I blame that Eddie Izzard.

Another dream for 940 days time is to have safely fallen in love. If not with a member of the opposite sex I have a fall back in the guise of my BF baby Toby, whats not to love. But in the hope that there might be a member of the opposite sex out there who isnt repulsed by me I've relogged on for a free trial to online dating. Dare I say there appears to be a slightly better calibre of fellow singletons out there, either that or my standards have dropped since crimbo. More than possible. Anyway. am considering being a fully paid up member again so watch this space......

No 81 get my toenails sorted out, won't elaborate on this as theres never a good time to discuss feet but have been to the doctors and am on the tablets to hopefully sort it out. If I could just fast forward to 6 months time please...... great timing as ever by me, the flip flop season will have come and gone before I can show off my swanky new and improved feet.

Still comping daily, have won something else...... a cuddly koala. That had better not be my third lucky thing, I would have preferred the £10,000 GMTV giveaway if I had the choice??

Right, think thats me dayzero accomplishments up to date, busy weekend coming up where I am hoping to give the drink more cocktails a good going over when in London!

x x x

Week 3: Spring is here = cleaning time!

God what a boring title - I might as well say switch off now..... don't though, I'll fill this with fun, promise!

So how has the last week been with the Day Zero? Well as the title suggests, as the sunshine broke out I decided that its officially Spring and therefore naturally time to spring clean the gaff! Well, when I say Gaff, I mean 1 and a bit rooms, but hey, Rome wasn't built in a day, TC's house wasn't cleaned in a day. True story. But I did achieve another tick this week 'clean the undersink cupboard out'. Now, bearing in mind I hadn't actually removed everything since I moved in 4 years ago (sssssssssssshhhhh I dont want Kim & Aggy after me!) it was traumatic but I found out that I had enough dishcloths & wire wool thingys to last me a lifetime. If I could find a spare 5 mins (well 5 hours) in my week I do intend to pursue this cleaning burst before the dust settles on what I've just cleaned.

Improving my Excel knowledge is also a work in progress that is going well. I have been impressing myself at work and have been making a spreadsheet at every opportunity, formulas and all, with a bit of shading thrown in for good measure (thanks dummies guide to...... ) Next stop Powerpoint!

After the lucky streak thats been following me around, the third thing has yet to materialise - still been plugging away at the comps & the lottery.

Saying Si instead of Nada is always a toughie with me - set in my ways & sometimes lazy. I may have not said yes instead of No but I have definitely kept to plans this weekend where maybe in the past it would have been easier to say sorry I can't make it anymore & made up a rubbish excuse. As a result of this, I've had one of the best weekends I've had in a while.... not straying further than 5 miles from home..... hadn't actually thought of it like that. hmmmmmm.

Anyway, this coming week is going to hopefully involve lots more cleaning, cocktail drinking, cake baking, laughing & who knows, I might even leave a post it note in a random place! No, I'm not telling you where.... that'll spoil the surprise!

God, it didnt really get much better did it - apologies for a sleep inducing blog. Must try harder! x

Week 2: Am I going against fate?

Week two of the day zero project and already I am experiencing the 'wall'. Its actually proving harder than I thought, maybe its been one of those weeks where time slips by & before you know it its Sunday. I think I'm also on the back foot, because I've either failed at achieving a challenge or I've gone against what fate may have sent my way....

Item 57 on the list was go to Wimbledon and watch a tennis match. I'm a huge tennis fan, especially of the mens games (it has nothing to do with the Roddicks legs or Nadals 'guns' I promise!) & every year whe wimbledon is on, I'm swearing that next year i'm going to be there, fanning myself on centre court - cos obviously the sun gods would be shining. So last October, I entered the ballot and low and behold I had notifcation that I had been allocated tickets for the semi finals on centre court......... but the only hitch is that they are for the ladies semis. Now not to be ungrateful but it does seem to be money I don't have being blown on tennis I don't actually follow. So, I've made the brave decision to go against fate and let them go. Part of my Wimbledon experience will now be more than likely spent queuing up from silly o clock next year.... hope its not a tick I fail to achieve due to my meddling with fate.... time will tell I'm sure.

I went away for the weekend to Bristol & had a super time. Laughed, drank, ate & danced (repeat to fade) my little socks off so I managed to slurp a few cocktails, another work in progress tick. Need to add a small something though....... I had given up chasing boys for lent in the hope it would kickstart me for the rest of this project, but due to the influence of aforementioned cocktails, I fell off the lent wagon in spectacular style. RUBBISH! Do I feel I learnt from my slip up, honestly? No. One thing I've probably learnt already in the early stages of this journey is that you can't alter human make-up. That may be a work in progress for a long time to come.

Before I go, one bit of exciting news resulting from my project, remember last week I told you in order to make my appreciation known more I had written to my favourite author? Well he only replied didnt he! Albeit a short a sweet oneliner, but he called me ace so thats more than fed my little ego. Being nice pays kids.

So.... short and sweet from little old me this week. Have decided that in order to tackle the items on the list I need to make another smaller sublist (told you I had an addiction) each week to make some progress otherwise this blog is going to make for pretty dull reading (if its not already!)

Have a great week! x

101 things in 1001 days...... pfffffttttt no problem!

So, its been on my personal to do list for some time - the to do lists to top all to do lists....... The Day Zero Project. Now for those that aren't aware of what this is (shame on you) its a to do list of 101 things that you have a 1001 days to complete it in. No sweat. No pressure. The idea is to have items on the to do list of things you have wanted to achieve for some time, be it minor or major which you the have 3 years to complete.

I finally managed to come up with the 101 items, which in itself is harder than it sounds,if you are interested in the things that float my boat and that are going to make me complete then check it out here.......

http://dayzeroproject.com/user/teecee1979

I decided it might (or might not) make interesting reading to blog about my weekly achievements so that when I finally get to the end of the project on somewhen in 2012, (I did try and work it out bit it was too much for my little cold filled brain on a Sunday morning) I can look back over the blood, sweat, tears and sore fingers (see item 14) and reflect on my achievements whilst stroking my new mulberry handbag (see item 44)

So here goes week one..... bear in mind there is alot of work in progress at this stage:

Enter more competitions: After my astonishing win of BRIT tickets a few weeks ago and my attendance this week wishing I could look as good as Cheryl Cole & Lady Gaga (I just want her body not her mind I promise) I decided that maybe, just maybe, this was the start of my winning streak. So this week I have been entering competitions online on a daily basis.... watch this space to see if I win a 32inch LCD TV or a holiday to Oz.... I've decided to aim big, if there is anything such as a winning streak I might as well win the best things eh?

Contact old friends: Sometimes its nice to take stock and realise that you don't need a special occasion to make contact with old friends. With the convenience of social networking websites, you can see what friends are up to without having to ever make contact. You can see where they spent their holidays, how their children are growing up and what 'they are doing' in the big brother world of facebook. So I set about emailing an old friend to catch up on all their news & to fill them in on my less than interesting start to the year.....although after I hit send I did wonder whether they would think it slightly strange to find an over enthusiastic email from me asking for all their news. No fear, 2 days later I had a lovely reply and it made me realise that is definitely worth taking the 20 mins to catch up with people on a personal level - definitely gave me feel good fuzzy factor.

The start of Lent has co-incided well with another to do item, let me explain:

Don't chase boys: Now, I am a typical female. I like a boy, I chase him. For reasons I cannot work out, the boys don't like this, they want to chase me.... but only if they want to. So therefore, I want to free myself from the horrendous cycle of 'i've contacted him, why hasn't he replied' I decided that I need to STOP CHASING BOYS. To kick start this compaign, I decided I would give this up for Lent (Jesus would be proud) if I can get through the 46 days then I am hopeful that I will be free of this dreadful disease. One can hope.

Express my gratitude more: The reading of Mike Gayles To Do List was part of the reason behind my finally getting off my backside and doing the dayzero so I decided he would be the target of my first expression of gratitude (read arse lick) I have written a lovely email to Mr Gayle....... am still hopeful he might reply.

I will end the weekly update with results of the full ticks I have achieved, end on a high as they say. This week, to wean myself in, I went for an easy one, sort out car insurance. Well, I say easy, the dark, mystical confusing world of car insurance renewal is not a place I want to return to anytime soon. Confused.com was supposed to be for like minded peeps who too, struggled with this process and was going to take the confusing part out of it all. It didnt. In the end, after much note scribbing and calculating I found a policy which should hopefully save me £1.64 a month. RESULT and so worth it.

So thats it, over and out list fans.

You know that small low key music awards ceremony? Well I got to go!

So yesterday was the day when I, ‘Tracey ‘I never win anything’ Cooper collected my tickets to the hottest show in town that I had won in conjunction with my lovely local station Midwest Radio. Understandably this was very exciting for an extreme fan of all things music. I am an avid Brits follower, every year I watch from the sofa, not always in agreement with the industry’s decisions but equally keen to see who they feel deserves the silver statuette to sit pride of place on their mantelpiece. So, after many wardrobe changes and with crucial killer heel decisions made (a girl never knows who she might meet in a strange town) we were whisked away, chauffeur driven no less, to Earls Court, home for the night of the Brit awards 2010.

For once, the pouring rain didn’t phase me (okay okay I might have complained once or twice but this is at least 122 times less than I would’ve normally done so) & once inside we loitered in the foyer to do some celeb spotting as they arrived coming in off the red carpet, all looking ultra glamorous and making my hours of deciding what to wear seem slightly insignificant - although I spied Alicia Keys has a make up lady in her shadow to touch her up every 30 seconds it seems, don’t worry Alicia your secret’s safe!

Now to the good bit, the reason you’ve all stuck with me and my ramblings so far, my review of the show…. and my alternative awards:

'Underwhelming opening of the show' award goes to…… Lily Allen. Not convinced, it certainly wasn’t showstopping. She had also clearly been on the grape juice so I’ll mark her down for that, how unprofessional ;) and not because I had wine slurping envy obviously). And Best British Female….. hmmm me thinks Florence & the Machine was robbed.

The ‘I thought this show was sponsored by Mastercard but clearly not’ award goes to –The Spice Girls well the ginger & scary one, I was beginning to panic that they were the only guests booked for the evening, phew they weren’t.

The ‘I wish they had put fewer clothes on’ award goes to …..JLS who put on a great performance. It was fantastic to see them be accepted at the Brits only some 18 months after winning a rather contrived reality show and even though their two awards (best British single & British breakthrough act) were public voted rather than industry awarded, you cannot take that away from them and I am sure that won’t take any of the shine off of winning at all.

Brings me nicely on to the ‘I wish they had put more clothes on but only because I am jealous of the body’ award which goes to…. Lady Gaga. Now, this creature can do no wrong in my eyes. I am in the ‘yes she may be slightly bonkers but heck she is fantastic at what she does’ camp and I was thrilled to see her pick up three hugely deserved awards (international female, international album & international breakthrough) My only criticism, and I use the term loosely because its only a small flaw, is that she should have sung one of her hits, but hey that’s why she is so successful, she does her own thing and is proud of it.

Award for ‘Most courageous performance I’ll even let you off the lip synching’ goes to Cheryl Cole. I was excited about seeing her perform, she is one of my guilty pleasures. The irony of singing ‘fight for this love’ to 10 million people it even brought a lump to my throat. Enough said.

The ‘I’m so far up my own **** even though I wasn’t the real talent in the band’ award goes to Mr Gallagher. Whilst I am in total agreement with the award going to Oasis for best album of last 30 years, I am not in agreement with Liam. That Brit award will be on eBay before the day is out I am sure……..

All joking aside, my personal highlights of the evening were Florence & the Machine picking up the best British album award. For those that don’t know, I am a MASSIVE fan and this was most deserved of the night. If you don’t own a copy of Lungs, firstly get your head read and then go and purchase a copy, you won’t regret it. Also, aside from Robbie, my favourite performance was Alicia Keys and Jay Z – she looked gorgeous & has the best voice I have heard live in a long time, whilst he is so cool it’s unreal. Everyone was out of their seats, even the industry big wigs were indulging in a spot of dad dancing.

Now, Robbie Williams. Ironically, the last time I was in that very arena was in 1994 watching Take That minus 1 as Robbie had decided to jump ship 4 weeks earlier leaving me a heartbroken 15 year old. Forgetting all about my 16 year grudge, I let myself be truly entertained by this born to do it performer. He flawlessly jumped from one Robbie classic to another, (even throwing a Take That song in for good measure) which I hope will silence any critics still unsure over his live performing ability of late, there were certainly no sign of nerves on his part, it was a well polished, humbled performance. Not surprisingly he welled up at the whole of Earls Court singing Angels back at him – it was a real special moment and one I am so glad I was there to see.

So that’s a wrap, I was thrilled to be at the Brits during a time when British music seems genuinely exciting. This is a happy if a little hoarse Tracey Cooper signing off. Thank you Midwest!

That little word 'Yes'

YES. A small three letter word. Would you like another cuppa? yes please. Isn't it cold today? Yes it bloody well is. My question is do we use it enough to enhance our lives? The reasoning for my deep & meaningful question time is because I have just finished reading the very talented Danny Wallace's book also subsequently made into a big Hollywood blockbuster, Yes Man.


For those who havent had their nose in the book or watched Jim Carey portray the tale, the basis of the real life story follows Danny, who feels he has got stuck in a rut with his everyday life. He meets a man on the bus ride home (which he wouldnt have been on had it not been for the tube not running) who simply recommends he says yes more. So what starts as simply accepting invitations to the pub with mates turns into spectacular chain of yes's that change his life.

I think we all relate with that burned out feeling where we turned down simple invites with friends because often we just cant be bothered. We're tired, its the same old same old & by not doing it seems we're changing the habitual life patterns we're stuck in. Or, maybe on the other hand, it is the fear of where saying yes will lead. One of my traits that I always view as a doubled edged sword is the fact that I fear the unknown, great that I'm a stable, loyal little bugger but equally sad that change doesnt sit well with me. What am I afraid of? It comes down the lack of control. I hold my hands up to being a control freak and the fear of anyone or anything, especially chance, taking that away from me is something I cant imagine.

But reading Danny's tale, which I assume to all have happened near enough as documented, made me think about how quickly I say no to invites... which are opportunities..... which could lead to all sorts of new experiences. I was struck cold that I could be missing out on all sorts of things that I only dared might happen to me. Whats the worse that could happen? Lots of really good things happened to Danny & the chain of random events also meant his 'yes saying' had a massive effect on other people as well. Some might say a coincidence but I think Danny's actions meant that life changed for other people - and that coming from a stalwart believer in 'if its meant to be it wont pass you by' is pretty, well mega. Maybe we do get a chance to create our own fate/destiny/path in life and that is a whole other avenue to be explored.

To bring this blog to an end and show how much Danny's book is already having an effect on me, I was sat on a train waiting to depart Waterloo just this very weekend when a lovely man (who I later learned was Tom, the illustrator from Basingstoke) asked if he could take the empty seat next to me. 'Of course' I say and he sits down and takes his book out (bear with me this does get more interesting). You've guessed it, he's only bloody reading Yes Man. Cue much excitement from me - dont worry I didnt spoil it for him - but it lead to a lengthy discussion on saying yes and how we both wished we could be a bit more spontaneous. I think theres probably a good chance I bored the tits off him telling him my life story, my regrets, my wishes but I wanted to take this opportunity to thank him for listening to me, it was strangely liberating telling a complete stranger things I dont always want to admit to myself. So Danny Wallace had his bearded Maitreya figure, I had Tom the Illustrator from Basingstoke but after saying our polite goodbyes/have a nice life chat I felt a weird feeling of ease.

So this is me...... from now on saying yep, yaha, yeah. YES. I fully pledge to be committed to the programme (providing it doesnt get me into too much more debt, trouble with the police or dates with complete morons) thats the small print. For my friends & loved ones, if you have made it to the end of this blog then you fully deserve to take full advantage of my new good nature.

To be continued.............

The film that got me thinking.....

Morning!

We'll skip over the lack of bloggyness of late, life has been getting in the way :) But I am back today mainly because I feel quite reflective.

I went and checked out that (500) days of Summer last night at the cinema and it really touched me. I wasnt sure what to expect, a tale of unrequited love from a guys perspective..... being the 'men are unemotional robots' cynic that I am, but it actually left me feeling quite emotional. The lead Tom, potrayed the sentiment so well and I am sure everyone left the cinema feeling an empathy with him.... mainly because we've all been there at some stage in our lives. Something struck a nerve with me, a line in the film where Tom & Summer have met up after he knows she has moved on and he tells her he doesnt understand how she suddenly wanted commitment and she says 'I woke up one morning and just knew' he replies 'knew what?' and she confirms 'What I was never sure of with you'. ouch.

That then lead me on to think about my own past relationships and relationships in general.... to question is there ever a time where both people feel equally as strong about each other or is there always one side who wants it more and does this cycle swing backwards & forwards depending on each others circumstances and needs?

Looking back over my own experiences, I felt quite sad knowing that I felt in the majority of them that I was 'Tom' I was the one who put in the effort, I was the one who felt that my life was more complete with that other person in it.... I needed to be wanted in many cases and would do whatever that meant to hold on to that person. It also made me realise that the one time I do think I had an equilibrium in feelings with my other half was the relationship in which I was solely me. It flowed because I didnt force anything and ended because it had run its course, my heart didnt break and it felt like it was meant to be.

It also made me question the whole 'soul mate debate'. I am usually one for pronouncing my believe in the opinion that if its meant for us it wont pass us by and the whole we are under the control of fate theory but on reflection this may not be so true. Maybe we are just so fickle that we get caught up in the moment and think this is what life had destined for us..... maybe, as the film suggest, life is all just a bunch of coincidences? Maybe we do look too hard at trying to make each experience 'The One' when perhaps we should enjoy it as being time spent with 'the one for now'.

A serious blog post from me for a change. Will update on my life soon! x

Thank Crunchie its Friday!

Hola - Its Fridaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

Well I am back in blog land again, two days running, can she keep it up that is the question! Its another beautiful day today, loving these indian summer days, keep em coming!

Went round to dinner at friends last night as her husband was away and so she had free reign to have a good whinge and I could whinge in equal measures about the lost cause. It was fun for a number of reasons namely good old belly laughing, copius amounts of wine & no washing up at the end - RESULT! Also, with any drinking on a school night, the hideous hangover bypasses you. Its a fact.

So another Friday in work, lots to do but little motivation to do it with. Really must make a note to give myself a shake come Monday *goes off to add it to my do list*

Have started taking Sea Kelp tablets for my hair loss - they are supposed to speed up metabolism and therefore increase growth of hair. Apparently it can have effects with all body hair so nows the time to take out shares in BIC and Immac, dont say I didnt give you the heads up!

So weekend plans........ Am off to the gorgeous city of Bath tomorrow with my bessie mate who is now 30 weeks pregnant. Hugely exciting! Have promised not to take her boating in the canal, although quite fancy it myself! Instead we are going for a mooch around in the sunshine and hopefully grab a bite to eat at that pukka Jamie O's Italian gaff. Mustnt spend any unncessary money. Need to look up the meaning of that phrase to check my limits :)

Apart from that it will hopefully be an extremely quiet one - Sunday is a day of decorating frenzy, lots to do and fast running out of time! Will report back on how well I get on. Need to also continue to ignore dead wood / lost cause. Have actually been doing a brilliant job, he called round to see me last night but obviously I was busy bad mouthing him round friends, ears burning anyone?? And he contacted me today to see if I was available tonight, sorry I have a date with Mike Teevee. Check me out being all cool, the Rules ladies would be dead proud!

Over and out - have a good one! x

Im bloody good at this blogging!

OMG its been over a month since I last blogged, shameful shameful shameful. Not going to get a band of merry followers if I can be arsed to record my memoirs am I?

So in a month you'd expect big life changing cosmic happenings - hmmmmmmm i'll just have a think. Not sure anything that momentous happened, although I have finally got rid of some dead wood which has been dragging me down for some time. Big achievement for me to finally upgrade those rose tinted spectacles, the thing that made me the most sad was that I had wasted over 2 years of my life and couldnt look back on any of it with any particular fond memories. Just several regrets......... buying him those BOSE ipod speakers being high up there on the list ;) But in all seriousness, life and learn I suppose. So, am having a bit of time to focus on me and find out what I want from life.

Which brings me nicely onto my next topic to discuss......... am thinking about going back to school eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!! Not literal school as I am not sure even me - a semi cool with it 30 year old - could cope with university, nothing like being surrounded by beautiful cool, funny, talented teenagers to make a girl feel inadeqate eh? But I have been seriously considering OU courses and thinking about working towards a degree. It is expensive though and will be hugely time consuming and after looking at some of the course note tasters looks extremely challenging but maybe thats what I need. I have reached a plateaux in my working life and I have this irrational fear of becoming brain dead. Theres enough of me thats packing up without my brain jumping ship. So am currently weighing up my options....... part of me thinks bugger it and bite the bullet and the other half thinks do I really want to do a degree for the next 5 years?? One to deeply consider but hopefully not talk myself out of......

Ooh hair update hair update - hugely boring!! Still losing lots :( Not actually sure why it wont stop am having blood tests to try and get to the bottom of it. Am about to try the latest miracle cure, sea kelp tablets - lovely seaweedy affair. Supposed to turn to me into Rapunzel, I'll keep you posted on that one.

RIght thats enough for one lunchtime, i'll bid anyone reading this a fond farewell, until tomorrow when I will be back! x

Friday!! Woop! And I started my day with a bit of Tina Turner blaring out ' we dont need another hero, we dont need to know the way home' gotta love the power ballads!! Am feeling semi motivated at work today, ha probably cos the day starts with a Fri and ends in a day!

Another reason I am in a spiffing mood is because I have absolutely nothing planned all weekend. I intend to clean (my kitchen floor is shameful) bake, swim and catch up with friends with a sneaky lie in or two thrown in for good measure! This should also encourage me to have a 'weekend on budget' I feel sooooooo determined at the moment to sort out my finances, I think its cos owing money doesnt sit well with me (ha if anyone could see the state of my affairs they would say I do a good job of covering that up)

Went out last nite down to the local for some vino, live music and some sneaky indian delicacies. was nice to catch up with my sis and my best mate (they are two seperate entities, although obviously I class my sister as one of my best mates ) my bezzie mate is pregnant with her first so its a very exciting time and we have lots to talk about, although im not sure how reassuring childless me and childless sis are when she asks for advice on matters of the breast during pregnancy. Im sure our reassuring nods did the trick tho :) So ended the night with a peshwari naan and some poppadoms, im sure my digestive system appreciated them at half 11 at night. Disgustingly good :)

but.... I did go for a 3.4 mile run though before the pub visit so I am thinking that may have limited the damage slightly. Although, disappointed with the time, in my defence it was warm. Oh warm you say? How unusual, it is only July.

And an update on the hair loss, its still coming out but having researched it, its a phase that my body is going through and that it wont last (there were other more technical terms used) So the thin look will have to be in for a while... am trying to limit the use of the irons, wean myself off them as im not sure the 200 deg heat is helping. Love how I updated on the hair loss, updating myself clearly as I dont have any followers........ :(

Happy Fridays to one and all, will report over the weekend of any interesting going ons! x