tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43212531308024604302024-03-19T10:18:24.663+00:00Project 30Trying to cram in all the things I need to achieve before I'm three decades old...Sarah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11813694076431038136noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321253130802460430.post-88181588480897550342013-10-12T16:32:00.004+01:002013-10-12T16:32:55.625+01:00Now baking and burning stuff at...<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://ssorharas.blogspot.co.uk/" style="background-color: #f3f3f3;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Kitchen of Disorder</span></a> </span></div>
Sarah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11813694076431038136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321253130802460430.post-24702306305092228772013-09-15T17:25:00.002+01:002013-09-15T17:25:45.215+01:00Sarah vs 30After weeping uncontrollably over the loss of my youth for the last six months, I finally feel able to talk about the trauma of turning 30.<br />
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I am, of course, talking shit. I haven't blogged about it sooner because a) I've been busy baking a lot of cakes, b) I was so worn out from having to document my life that I couldn't be arsed and c) there wasn't really a lot to say.<br />
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That's right, there was no horrific meltdown, I haven't suddenly started pissing myself when I sneeze and gravity hasn't pulled my arse cheeks any closer to the back of my knees. In fact, turning 30 was pretty much like every other birthday. Sorry to be such a let down, but there was no big drama.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">30 challenges before 30</span></span><br />
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Speaking of let downs... I guess it's confession time. I didn't complete my 30 challenges before 30. I gave it a good shot though, I worked hard and I tried new things, but sadly I didn't quite get there. C'mon, 27 out of 30 ain't bad!<br />
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I actually thought I'd be really disappointed with myself if I didn't complete everything, but I'm not at all. My 29th year was awesome fun, I've laughed a lot and I've discovered talents I didn't know I had. In fact, I got a lot out of this little project of mine: I have a new found love of baking, I've started sewing again, I've realised I can do (some) sporty things and I can give anything a go when I really put my mind to it.<br />
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It would've been great to have completed everything on my list, but I'm sure I'll get round to ticking them off at some point.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Best moments</span></span><br />
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There have been so many awesome moments during the last year that it is so difficult to choose one.<br />
<br />
If I had to pick one stand out challenge it would be <a href="http://countdowntothebig30.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/challenge-15-sarah-vs-snowboarding.html" style="background-color: #f3f3f3;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #4c1130;">learning to snowboard</span></a> as this was something I'd always wanted to do and it was so much fun. The fact I did it and did it well was also quite a triumph since I'm not the sporty kind at all.<br />
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<a href="http://countdowntothebig30.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/challenge-12-sarah-vs-blood-donation.html" style="background-color: #f3f3f3;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Giving blood</span></a> was also a very rewarding experience and really worthwhile, I just wish I'd got round to doing it sooner. I have to admit I haven't been back since, as my plans to donate this summer were scrapped due to the heatwave. If I faint after giving blood in normal conditions then that's just asking for trouble. Jeez, I'm such a flaker.<br />
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<a href="http://countdowntothebig30.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/challenge-4-sarah-vs-rollerskating.html" style="background-color: #f3f3f3;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Rollerskating</span></a> with my friends was also awesome fun - thanks Laura, Mandeep and Lucy for such a great day!<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Worst moments</span></span><br />
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There were no challenges that I absolutely hated. I think the only bad times I had during this whole thing were when I was in pain. Like after I learnt to snowboard, which hurt like hell and left me battered, bruised and struggling walk for days afterwards. I'd never had a swollen arse before and I don't really want another one. Similarly, I suffered a lot after <a href="http://countdowntothebig30.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/challenge-19-sarah-vs-bmxing.html" style="background-color: #f3f3f3;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #4c1130;">BMX-ing</span></a> too as my legs were really badly bruised and stayed various shades of black and purple for weeks afterwards.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Thank you</span></span><br />
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The best thing about doing this whole thing was having the opportunity to do cool stuff with my lovely friends. Without them many of these challenges wouldn't have been possible and I'm very lucky that they've been kind enough to support me when I've insisted on dragging them along to something they probably don't want to do.<br />
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On that note, a special thank you goes to the long-suffering Dan, who has put up with the most during the last year and never once complained. <br />
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I'd also like to say a big thank you to everyone who visited my blog, read a post, commented or said something encouraging. There have been way more of you than I ever imagined.<br />
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Thanks also to those who Googled some really weird stuff and found your way here as a result. My personal favourites were 'shitting in wellies' and 'she shat herself horse riding'. You have some bizarre interests, but thanks for making me smile.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Life after 30</span></span><br />
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One thing that has pissed me off since turning 30 is that people ask about marriage and children a lot more. It doesn't matter how many times you tell people that you don't want children, those who are already parents will tell you that you are missing out and you will either change your mind or regret not having children in later life. Please don't be so patronising, I don't envy your life and mine certainly isn't less fulfilling for choosing not to spawn. So please shut the fuck up.<br />
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That's the only downside really. Other than that, life is ok as a 30-something. Instead of thinking my best days are behind me, I'm focussing on the positives. I'm a lot smarter than I was in my youth, I find myself caring (even) less about what I look like and I've been asked for ID on numerous occasions, which is nice.<br />
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Plus, I have way bigger things to worry about now. What's going to happen when I'm on the cusp of turning 40...?<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Verdict: Turns out turning 30 isn't so shit after all</span></span> </div>
Sarah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11813694076431038136noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321253130802460430.post-20290503289947058322013-09-08T16:22:00.000+01:002013-09-08T16:22:08.026+01:00Other 30th birthday stuffMy 30th birthday celebrations didn't centre entirely around <a href="http://countdowntothebig30.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/challenge-27-sarah-vs-record-shop.html" style="background-color: #f3f3f3;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #4c1130;">buying records</span></a>. I managed to fit in some other cool stuff too while I was in London...<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Breakfast at Ed's Diner</span></span><br />
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I'll be honest with you, waking up as a 30-year-old sucked. Completely. But I discovered the fastest way to cheer yourself up on a milestone birthday is by consuming a large amount of sugar for breakfast. That's the only reason I'm smiling in the photo below, because I'm off my face.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpZn8EhVnqLk4PXrZrRPyr50YsGcS9awIlmhWVpoBWZDPmv6QpR2qohS6cgIlQDlji7GzxoxxBLd3dL3rV5v5nVxwhPcX_YcOZvTBc96LvEBO0McA9-cB0RFZ1cDjZzwmj7rZtWe3zk9H/s1600/image%5B7%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpZn8EhVnqLk4PXrZrRPyr50YsGcS9awIlmhWVpoBWZDPmv6QpR2qohS6cgIlQDlji7GzxoxxBLd3dL3rV5v5nVxwhPcX_YcOZvTBc96LvEBO0McA9-cB0RFZ1cDjZzwmj7rZtWe3zk9H/s1600/image%5B7%5D.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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The cornerstone of any nutritious breakfast:</div>
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Pancakes, sausages and strawberries with maple syrup.</div>
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Washed down with a peanut butter milkshake. </div>
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Nom nom nom nom nom nom nom</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyWea2v1Rytx9Yvri-EA94DygsCw71NnLec2-dxOMYzYzmDMAgUTkP1R5CEYIsiRY2mZzaut6fmapakMHmyn_ABI3THhPCT27sDjbIYxjfFMbdpcYfxewtLzFdSukWQczQ_GnKMDL1f_-U/s1600/image%5B4%5D.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyWea2v1Rytx9Yvri-EA94DygsCw71NnLec2-dxOMYzYzmDMAgUTkP1R5CEYIsiRY2mZzaut6fmapakMHmyn_ABI3THhPCT27sDjbIYxjfFMbdpcYfxewtLzFdSukWQczQ_GnKMDL1f_-U/s1600/image%5B4%5D.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Ed's Diner<br />
I love 50's shit</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Trocadero Arcade </span></span><br />
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In between a bit of record buying there was time to visit the Trocadero arcade, which used to be awesome, but isn't so much these days as they got rid of a load of games. Still, I did find some to keep me entertained. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLPqDdeyVer_kRxVR8H92A-b0hO3-6-ukcvofYFkZLM4O4fzimdpOU3ktMbnLzGe6pAPk1EWAmhyphenhyphenF6keXrKq_rozzeyKeIFPCT9c5lGUTqOOkbt1A91sYBCKUBdqAm1NGzTfYwy0Na9xF/s1600/image%5B13%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLPqDdeyVer_kRxVR8H92A-b0hO3-6-ukcvofYFkZLM4O4fzimdpOU3ktMbnLzGe6pAPk1EWAmhyphenhyphenF6keXrKq_rozzeyKeIFPCT9c5lGUTqOOkbt1A91sYBCKUBdqAm1NGzTfYwy0Na9xF/s1600/image%5B13%5D.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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There's always time to fight some<br />
zombie pirates on your birthday...</div>
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... And enjoy a bit of Whack-a-Shark</div>
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Although my reactions are obviously a lot </div>
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slower now I'm an old bastard</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Hard Rock Cafe</span></span><br />
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I'm partial to a bit of gawping where rock memorabilia is concerned, so <a href="http://www.hardrock.com/locations/cafes3/cafe.aspx?LocationID=91&MIBEnumID=3" style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;" target="_blank">Hard Rock Cafe</a> was the obvious choice for tea.<br />
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Here's a little fact for you. Hard Rock London was actually the one that started the whole chain, after Eric Clapton gave them a guitar in order to reserve a place at the bar. And it's still there today.<br />
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My giant slab of a cheese burger was amazing, as were the onion rings that were big enough to wear as bangles on my scrawny lady wrists. Oh and I highly recommend the mojitos as a way of numbing the pain of becoming a 30-something.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdgXA3ZQ7etS8UAxTj4WhvrhQeLyPWPYc6fZPdSBJYY9dfBg_OQ0dnwyQi9TGzT9YDmwm08rUJdmEqRyrfP7A2d2RBtPPN22xsB7mEg2n7H0kGR-SXgoYV3znQUqkj2se2H_o7mAjkoiSo/s1600/image.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdgXA3ZQ7etS8UAxTj4WhvrhQeLyPWPYc6fZPdSBJYY9dfBg_OQ0dnwyQi9TGzT9YDmwm08rUJdmEqRyrfP7A2d2RBtPPN22xsB7mEg2n7H0kGR-SXgoYV3znQUqkj2se2H_o7mAjkoiSo/s1600/image.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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This was the best cheese burger I've ever had.</div>
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Thanks to my best friend Steven for pointing out my photobombing boobs</div>
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View from the table: Cool shit that you want to take home but aren't allowed to.</div>
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The drumkit you can just see on the left was John Bonham's</div>
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of Led Zeppelin and the black coat belonged to Queen's </div>
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Brian May. Not sure who the bald guy belonged to.</div>
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The walls of the place are jam packed with stuff, so there's a lot to take in. The only problem is that you can only really look at what you can see from your seat as the tables are crammed in so tightly it's hard to have a wander round and look at everything. But I guess that just gives me an excuse to go back sometime to see the rest.<br />
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Post-burger: Approximately 14lbs heavier and<br />
about to burst out of my jeans at any second</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">We Will Rock You </span></span><br />
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I have a little confession to make. I've never been that keen on musicals. Apart from Grease, which I will happily watch anytime due to its killer songs, awesome dresses and hot looking John Travolta, I have always struggled to sit through musicals. I promise you I have tried. I even watched a bit of Moulin Rouge once, but that probably ranks among the dullest 30 minutes of my life. Either that or the bit of Dirty Dancing I watched once. They were equally as shit, so it's a close tie.<br />
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Anyway, as this musical is based entirely around Queen songs I thought there was a chance I might like it. And it's written by Ben Elton, so I was confident it would have some good laughs. But if it did end up being shit I figured I could just sit in the theatre doing this...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/VzUU7SRRsGo" width="420"></iframe>
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<a href="http://www.wewillrockyou.co.uk/" style="background-color: #f3f3f3;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #4c1130;">We Will Rock You</span></a> is basically a piss take of manufactured music and is set on iPlanet, where everyone dresses the same and thinks the same, and where all music sounds the same. I've spent my entire life feeling trapped in that world, so I could instantly relate.<br />
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The story follows a group of rebels who are trying to bring back real bands and proper music. It's very cleverly written with little references to Queen lyrics everywhere and lots of laughs. And of course, lots of singing! But it worked and I absolutely loved it. I may not be a complete convert to musicals, but if the soundtrack kicks ass then I'll happily give it a go.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Famous people I share my birthday with</span><br />
<ul>
<li>Justin Bieber (I know, but it gets worse...)</li>
<li>Nick Griffin (Urgh, told yer)</li>
<li>Kesha (a singer apparently)</li>
<li>Dafydd Ieuan (drummer with the Super Furry Animals)</li>
</ul>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Other stuff that shares my birthday</span><br />
<br />
Ok, so according to the weird world of Wiki, 1st March is also...<br />
<ul>
<li>National Pig Day in America (errrr to celebrate pigs, I guess?)</li>
<li>Self-Injury Awareness Day</li>
<li>Beer Day in Iceland (the date prohibition ended in 1989)</li>
</ul>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Verdict: Awesome birthday fun</span></span> </div>
Sarah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11813694076431038136noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321253130802460430.post-47042824765694824492013-08-26T16:05:00.000+01:002013-08-26T16:05:11.732+01:00Challenge #27: Sarah vs the Record Shop PilgrimageI've always wanted to go on a massive music buying splurge, visit loads of indie record shops and buy what the hell I want. Since I don't earn a lot I never really have any spare cash to do anything reckless - or anything much at all really - but with it being a special birthday I thought what the fuck, let's have some fun.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">The plan</span></span><br />
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So, I came up with a plan. Visit as many record shops as I could during my birthday weekend in London. I gave myself no limits on spending, but I had to buy at least one thing from each shop I visited. I knew that part wouldn't be difficult since I usually want to buy shit loads of stuff.<br />
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Since there are only 274 record shops left in the UK - compared to over 2,200 in the 1980s - London was the obvious choice for accessing as many as possible. I did a lot of Googling, made a map (see below), saved some cash and off I went...<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Camden (Tube station: Camden Town)</span></span><br />
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First stop was Camden and Out on the Floor Records (Inverness Street), a shop which I must have passed a thousand times and never noticed. It's pokey little shop, but it's got a ok punk section, which is always the first thing I have to check. Unfortunately, they keep all the second-hand punk and metal downstairs, which is only open at weekends, so there wasn't a great deal of trawling to be done.<br />
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I opted for 'Let's Get a Bit A Rockin' by the 101ers and that was it - first purchase in the bag. Oh and I also got a comment on my Amoeba tote bag, which was nice.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0RdTxVb0I-cTdXl9S0hfbX9XLpoRqCoW9dLnI43xF9HwAZ6iQCZeGbEEcuAkbcnkKYyouvCoERqykQpBYdij9cqca6p03dtCwpJY4A_m_TxKUC0SS-JxVAF6s_UDxmktvAvBsS8gflsc/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0RdTxVb0I-cTdXl9S0hfbX9XLpoRqCoW9dLnI43xF9HwAZ6iQCZeGbEEcuAkbcnkKYyouvCoERqykQpBYdij9cqca6p03dtCwpJY4A_m_TxKUC0SS-JxVAF6s_UDxmktvAvBsS8gflsc/s1600/photo.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Here I am getting a little bit a rockin' </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
at Out on the Floor</div>
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Camden Lock Vinyl (Camden Lock Place) was next on the list. I come here every December and always like flicking through the boxes of old punk 7" singles, although I rarely buy anything cos my visits are always a little too close to Christmas to be able to treat myself. Well, not today. Today I'm going to buy those old punk singles I always drool over.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogLnmqxkyiA_MrpnQj7bG32UgXbzZrPhH4d9BSFob_x3iXAQd9xmXr0ypT0wkHVopdR7QcrUk5Pm_HMwRso_D4GVAlA01OOIEfSH4fWEKrJA8dogKcnAjhztKbsUqs0gKQJbBKclax-fL/s1600/image%5B2%5D.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogLnmqxkyiA_MrpnQj7bG32UgXbzZrPhH4d9BSFob_x3iXAQd9xmXr0ypT0wkHVopdR7QcrUk5Pm_HMwRso_D4GVAlA01OOIEfSH4fWEKrJA8dogKcnAjhztKbsUqs0gKQJbBKclax-fL/s1600/image%5B2%5D.jpeg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXW1kUn-7f4" style="background-color: #f3f3f3;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #4c1130;">The Clash</span></a> and Sex Pistols singles</div>
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Then it was on to some place in the market that I'm not sure even has a name. I also come here quite often, but I think this visit was a lucky one as I found me 'Come on Pilgrim' by The Pixies from '87, which was probably my favourite find of the whole trip. It's got some of my favourite Pixies songs on it, including <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJb8mStmejw" style="background-color: #f3f3f3;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #4c1130;">'Nimrod's Son'</span></a>.<br />
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The sleeve's a little battered, but I kinda like them like that as it shows they've been loved and used.<br />
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The Pixies was probably my fave purchase</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQtNnreNkpZ5-E1i_kd_N6h1fph0abv3d3HZBbReksRUJ79rYBFOFye6S2qwxK2470k8qLzbbzhDLfWEDm7tMJA4P4VTqd0TAtu4upwQalqlLdUNkg0QvSUyf0eimYlyB0uZvP8vUjEPe/s1600/image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQtNnreNkpZ5-E1i_kd_N6h1fph0abv3d3HZBbReksRUJ79rYBFOFye6S2qwxK2470k8qLzbbzhDLfWEDm7tMJA4P4VTqd0TAtu4upwQalqlLdUNkg0QvSUyf0eimYlyB0uZvP8vUjEPe/s1600/image.jpeg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Somewhere in Camden market</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Rough Trade West (Tube station: Ladbroke Grove)</span><br />
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Then it was off for my first ever visit to <a href="http://www.roughtrade.com/" style="background-color: #f3f3f3;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Rough Trade West</span></a>. I visit Rough Trade East every time I'm in London, but I'm not sure what took me so long to make it West, since it's awesome. East is great cos it's massive, has loads of vinyl and new stuff, plus a great book section, but West is a bit of an Aladdin's cave thanks to the downstairs second-hand section, meaning you've no idea what you might find.<br />
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It's also got a lot of heart thanks to the sleeves and posters all over the walls and the fact that it's tiny. My only complaint is that the racks are quite high up, so if you're a short arse like me you can only look about half way through before you start struggling.<br />
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I loved routing through the second-hand section. I actually an original 'Motown Junk' by the Manic Street Preachers that had me weeing my pants for a few minutes, but I decided to put it back as it was a little out of my price range. Plus, this was only my fourth stop and I knew I still had a few stops left of my tour.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipmWoeDiJzFsf9fDP3QkUoXsbJFsALU8mJEwfwvtmILpMt6T6NkMBLw1sh3csd6RQ2XgIP4MpPtr9XZON_2NULw2A2r3hU6T1as8LCsei3r-z4vyRYZXlr6ijjVCN_1hmrnI3e3KjvBKOs/s1600/image%255B3%255D.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipmWoeDiJzFsf9fDP3QkUoXsbJFsALU8mJEwfwvtmILpMt6T6NkMBLw1sh3csd6RQ2XgIP4MpPtr9XZON_2NULw2A2r3hU6T1as8LCsei3r-z4vyRYZXlr6ijjVCN_1hmrnI3e3KjvBKOs/s1600/image%255B3%255D.jpeg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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I decided to go for 'True North' by Bad Religion on record, which was released in January and also came with a free CD of the album too. The awesome thing about buying new vinyl now is that most come with a download code too, so you can still add it to your iPod or what-not, as well as drinking in its beauty and actually holding it in your hands. And you just can't go wrong with a bit of Bad Religion.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Rough Trade East (Tube station: Aldgate East)</span></span><br />
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Rough Trade East is by far my favourite record shop for the following reasons: cool punk n hardcore sections in CD and vinyl, great book section, has an old school photo booth, does nice coffee and the staff are friendly. I have never once visited this shop and left empty handed. It's impossible.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfp4gcWv7Wskw_5gh-YpE_5NJbAn5JmgKlu_TDT47ywG3BZNq58DPIOnJxtI03W28ltUjwvPVgtyCPW_e46IG4fjg-wj0rcgWHhRZe2GGHCIrdCwrBGjaxRW1r_Xer3O9o4_OwLW2JSJe/s1600/image%5B8%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfp4gcWv7Wskw_5gh-YpE_5NJbAn5JmgKlu_TDT47ywG3BZNq58DPIOnJxtI03W28ltUjwvPVgtyCPW_e46IG4fjg-wj0rcgWHhRZe2GGHCIrdCwrBGjaxRW1r_Xer3O9o4_OwLW2JSJe/s1600/image%5B8%5D.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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After a dangerous amount of time browsing - for every five minutes you look you find at least one thing you want - I narrowed it down to the latest <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3u4gOc72BE&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PL205194538AFCF3F2" style="background-color: #f3f3f3;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Mariachi el Bronx</span></a> record (even though I have the CD cos I knew it would sound amazing on record), 'God Save the Queen' by the Sex Pistols (reissue), Eight Miles High by Husker Du (reissue), Vaya by At the Drive-In and 'Songs the Lord Taught Us' by The Cramps. Awesome stuff.<br />
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Showing off the Mariachi</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Reckless Records and Sister Ray on Berwick Street</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #4c1130;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">(Tube station: Tottenham Court Road)</span></span><br />
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Then it was off to Reckless Records, which is the kind of record shop I really love. Since all the stuff is second-hand you don't know what you might find, so putting aside at least an hour for trawling is recommended. I got my hands on a Pegboy 12" EP from '93 and a Volbeat CD for a tenner. Not bad, not bad.<br />
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Sadly, while I like Reckless, what letting it down are the incredibly rude staff. The guy that served me basically just grunted at me, looked at me like I'd taken a shit on the counter when I asked for a bag - surely not an unusual request - and then chucked it at me. So while it is a pretty awesome shop, I'm not keen on the idea of giving my hard earned cash to such a dickhead.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdYLTRjtnn50U9CyQ_5d5pB2k-F7gpolPPHjh2i9Y7VgLQZMsR3yMnQRCvZMcBrHZm0i1YijV23zJ0meHv_URfPzwyYufvGiAh1go80dF8LRgNPqHcSFKREP9MgFh5uMDw_F_f-AaNBFFO/s1600/image%5B10%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdYLTRjtnn50U9CyQ_5d5pB2k-F7gpolPPHjh2i9Y7VgLQZMsR3yMnQRCvZMcBrHZm0i1YijV23zJ0meHv_URfPzwyYufvGiAh1go80dF8LRgNPqHcSFKREP9MgFh5uMDw_F_f-AaNBFFO/s1600/image%5B10%5D.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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Me and my Pegboy</div>
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Ahh, Sister Ray. I'm including it on my list, because I went in, but I didn't actually get to buy anything from here as there was only one person serving and a fucking massive queue. Since I had to catch my train home I left empty handed, which was obviously disappointing. I have been here before though and bought stuff, and I'm sure I'll be visiting again at some point, so it's not the end of the world.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFyQZTXZ4dsxCjaTfEpgQ9sXraQXWaPEf-LWVk-1kCRU99JFcKGTrUNwOGw5R5CzPlfB6sm0q129gxbQQJ3Pbl_ftH7WOgtARxenUDHMHslPk7np1to3-U0Hf6FnoncYRJigvN1N6X8Dz2/s1600/image%5B11%5D.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFyQZTXZ4dsxCjaTfEpgQ9sXraQXWaPEf-LWVk-1kCRU99JFcKGTrUNwOGw5R5CzPlfB6sm0q129gxbQQJ3Pbl_ftH7WOgtARxenUDHMHslPk7np1to3-U0Hf6FnoncYRJigvN1N6X8Dz2/s1600/image%5B11%5D.jpeg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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That's my I-wanna-buy-shit-but-the-</div>
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queue's-too-long-and-if-I-stay-</div>
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I'm-going-to-miss-my-fooking-train face.</div>
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And so that was it, homeward bound with my arms about dropping off thanks to the weight of all that awesome shit...<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Interesting little fact for you... </span><br />
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Sister Ray and Reckless Records, on Berwick Street, can be seen on the left-hand side of the cover of '(What's the Story) Morning Glory?' by Oasis.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKUejSZYh_vMAmrLxhZbWDLXo1vjldsnVE7ARZQyscfhNHrniXfZkzA7XhEmjRJtFZYkLkfQ71x_vj02B-ooLQIBJowGlH8d7p3Cw8cZOvnlSDOJu9aYIQVSRZ5_of-2nLvGxaOJNwDrA/s1600/Oasis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKUejSZYh_vMAmrLxhZbWDLXo1vjldsnVE7ARZQyscfhNHrniXfZkzA7XhEmjRJtFZYkLkfQ71x_vj02B-ooLQIBJowGlH8d7p3Cw8cZOvnlSDOJu9aYIQVSRZ5_of-2nLvGxaOJNwDrA/s1600/Oasis.jpg" /></a></div>
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Berwick Street 1995</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSZL5-UDp1g7FGWa_axhuAAwjKyx9VsYZUiivqU_mxjK6DSW8kDpVO-_nxGmkWdQFrz1n_iK6wBxf4wvNegkWRvf1beNai4Pk7SOI0Vf-CabvhVXBFeX3dEBx2MhSP9si72AGEjBCFCN8R/s1600/image%5B12%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSZL5-UDp1g7FGWa_axhuAAwjKyx9VsYZUiivqU_mxjK6DSW8kDpVO-_nxGmkWdQFrz1n_iK6wBxf4wvNegkWRvf1beNai4Pk7SOI0Vf-CabvhVXBFeX3dEBx2MhSP9si72AGEjBCFCN8R/s1600/image%5B12%5D.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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Berwick Street 2013</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Run down of my finds</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifYcGqN84VnHH_WvNvm3CpI27sFqMLitQ328lp4dwo_ScVsAz46dyBhDtVmWTN6Ks4ArESfMSnFom9ksy9qI1mCKITRkeGJT7yBN629VWqg_KLrHfrILgpSvN8a-aDlAdstIATNJk6HO4t/s1600/image%5B1%5D.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifYcGqN84VnHH_WvNvm3CpI27sFqMLitQ328lp4dwo_ScVsAz46dyBhDtVmWTN6Ks4ArESfMSnFom9ksy9qI1mCKITRkeGJT7yBN629VWqg_KLrHfrILgpSvN8a-aDlAdstIATNJk6HO4t/s1600/image%5B1%5D.jpeg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Let's Get a Bit a Rockin' - 101ers (12")<br />
Anarchy in the UK - Sex Pistols (7")<br />
Know Your Rights - The Clash (7")<br />
Come on Pilgrim - The Pixies (12")<br />
True North - Bad Religion (12" plus free CD)<br />
Mariachi el Bronx II - Mariachi el Bronx (12")<br />
God Save the Queen - Sex Pistols (7")<br />
Eight Mile High - Husker Du (7")<br />
Vaya - At the Drive-In (CD)<br />
Songs the Lord Taught Us - The Cramps (CD)<br />
Fore - Pegboy (12")<br />
Guitar Gangsters and Cadillac Blood - Volbeat (CD)<br />
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<br />
<span style="background-color: #4c1130;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Total spends</span></span><br />
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Errrm, it was something in the region of £100. Whoopsies.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Thoughts </span></span><br />
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The coolest and most fun way to lose a load of cash in two days. Also the perfect way to spend your 30th birthday if you love music. And I'm pretty sure I should take some of the credit for the rise in sales at independent record shops in the first half of the year - <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/vinyl-revival-boosts-independent-record-stores-as-sales-surge-by-44-8732059.html" style="background-color: #f3f3f3;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #4c1130;">sales grew by 44% in the first six months of 2013</span></a>. With this trip and then my <a href="http://www.recordstoreday.co.uk/" style="background-color: #f3f3f3;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Record Store Day</span></a> splurge at Rough Trade East in April I think I've certainly done my bit.<br />
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Unfortunately, I didn't quite have enough time to visit all of the shops I had put on my list, but I did give it a good go and I'm sure I'll get to all the others at some point.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Plan your own record buying adventure </span></span><br />
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If you fancy a little a record shop tour of London yourself then you might find the map below handy. Just remember to take plenty of cash!<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="450" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=217690105560169740567.0004d613db5af428254ea&hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=51.533708,-0.140003&spn=0.119243,0.134738&output=embed" width="500"></iframe><br />
<small>View <a href="https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=217690105560169740567.0004d613db5af428254ea&hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=51.533708,-0.140003&spn=0.119243,0.134738&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Sarah's Record Shop Pilgrimage</a> in a larger map</small>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Verdict: A most excellent win for my record collection!</span></span> </div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">A massive fail for my bank balance.</span></span></div>
Sarah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11813694076431038136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321253130802460430.post-39463101153176219312013-02-26T15:58:00.000+00:002013-02-26T15:58:55.617+00:00Challenge #26: Sarah vs GolfIt's a cold, wet, miserable and windy morning in February. I have a week off and by rights should be horizontal on my sofa with some punk rock blasting out of the stereo, a good book in one hand and a steaming cup of coffee in the other. Instead, I am stood in a soggy field trying to hit a ball with a stick. <br />
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When I added 'play a round of golf' to my list of things to do before 30 I envisioned blue skies, blazing sunshine and ice creams. I thought it would involve sun cream. Unfortunately, the summer of 2012 was heavy on the vile side and heavy on the rainfall, which is why I had put off the task. If I had known it would mean playing golf in the drizzle on a February morning I think I would've gotten it over and done with earlier.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0gOoDGsvEb3-ez7iSS5rlvrNv8wDehGCX_eowHuitjvJYfdIZRRVI8BvLbFDIbsywMoyhaUKPjfh9EJPqXtoGlO4nOvLczxxLKVvVSBaH-cxS3jMqyY48uu9glPFU0ppEvzBiCWRzjxaM/s1600/Golf+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0gOoDGsvEb3-ez7iSS5rlvrNv8wDehGCX_eowHuitjvJYfdIZRRVI8BvLbFDIbsywMoyhaUKPjfh9EJPqXtoGlO4nOvLczxxLKVvVSBaH-cxS3jMqyY48uu9glPFU0ppEvzBiCWRzjxaM/s1600/Golf+2.JPG" gsa="true" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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So here I am at the Melton Mowbray golf course at 10am. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinmmuZ1vmBlGEZrEvyaBife3r2MLNxvI_Tn6wr5y6I0YBD3GYqsp6MBnrCGii3H8lm6t4-4nZ2XLtUqmZKGPuZahOLwLCfbjINNfK36AESXP9BEvQ2wE7R678d9zxjyHhKyj5hm3J2wXZQ/s1600/Golf+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinmmuZ1vmBlGEZrEvyaBife3r2MLNxvI_Tn6wr5y6I0YBD3GYqsp6MBnrCGii3H8lm6t4-4nZ2XLtUqmZKGPuZahOLwLCfbjINNfK36AESXP9BEvQ2wE7R678d9zxjyHhKyj5hm3J2wXZQ/s1600/Golf+1.JPG" gsa="true" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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Ready to tee off.</div>
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I've got all the professional gear on, </div>
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leopard print wellies and skinny jeans.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC-bPaLmIaiHmYDKSeno4f5zfnEHDKOy-QgzFB_-ucujbV4dDb1UvhEE5uwPSbAB1TdZSXEU7rqh7btnM6wT61cYj_KdgnCmicEKQ5lzHMjRr7hj7guikJ9nkmUNOZ-9syKch06HhcjIsN/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC-bPaLmIaiHmYDKSeno4f5zfnEHDKOy-QgzFB_-ucujbV4dDb1UvhEE5uwPSbAB1TdZSXEU7rqh7btnM6wT61cYj_KdgnCmicEKQ5lzHMjRr7hj7guikJ9nkmUNOZ-9syKch06HhcjIsN/s1600/photo.JPG" gsa="true" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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I took many chunks out of the grass.</div>
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I put them back though.</div>
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I know you're thinking it must've taken </div>
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me ages to tee off, but after missing </div>
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the ball completely the first time I </div>
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actually hit it on the second attempt. </div>
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I was impressed even if you're not.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz6cr9FCZj74Sk21_RfPbKVNx8mrm6XifsgojLpid9x9Fjuo64TsPw_z2N0YY9gszY25L0t8s6dt_980sWARtrcjEYlyliGGnEmOLPFL8edzd5KcRLr1EBSmlie5ZR12TyoELweQhVL8zA/s1600/photo1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz6cr9FCZj74Sk21_RfPbKVNx8mrm6XifsgojLpid9x9Fjuo64TsPw_z2N0YY9gszY25L0t8s6dt_980sWARtrcjEYlyliGGnEmOLPFL8edzd5KcRLr1EBSmlie5ZR12TyoELweQhVL8zA/s1600/photo1.JPG" gsa="true" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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It's in! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQTMLFF0immaOYgxjgm464MeH-wpNZI17XspsVSwUKdV2jKLLvka-BhI3eMUAcMim_sMitDHEg_lpaA22GhL-yDNGsOjO-A-TTx_nZqCUmrx598Vf8P6-5jFpNzf4X9EZ8vCSoZtFfDKAB/s1600/image4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQTMLFF0immaOYgxjgm464MeH-wpNZI17XspsVSwUKdV2jKLLvka-BhI3eMUAcMim_sMitDHEg_lpaA22GhL-yDNGsOjO-A-TTx_nZqCUmrx598Vf8P6-5jFpNzf4X9EZ8vCSoZtFfDKAB/s1600/image4.jpeg" gsa="true" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Wow, it only took 16 shots to complete one hole - I'm a natural!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4-jyPe-Qk0-c3_Wcwgnte0IvuxEwSCHgGibb07jMV9GQ7kUNJveVVOa9sjL_ClTgKLfn0JaEd6z-vvtPhC82Xe-_XJALgAJCd25cO4C8dgHJn4f6eS91zle_EUVk_FeY3U3x2Mg12WYwa/s1600/image6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4-jyPe-Qk0-c3_Wcwgnte0IvuxEwSCHgGibb07jMV9GQ7kUNJveVVOa9sjL_ClTgKLfn0JaEd6z-vvtPhC82Xe-_XJALgAJCd25cO4C8dgHJn4f6eS91zle_EUVk_FeY3U3x2Mg12WYwa/s1600/image6.jpeg" gsa="true" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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This was on the second hole.</div>
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At this point I got bored and pretended to play </div>
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polo on an imaginary horse. </div>
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I don't need drugs to have a good time. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-5wBUAke98jQ6GvNz9_wyEYuemge5qBZYPhyAy9nH7LmcHlaDUP7ZAeMoXs4GxqjRLxEOPhLW_1MglC0TYWg4QJajYGaIquCnzeRaEOtXjwb2zzbu2Ogj336glcNxDwZtn-c2mZfnqMW/s1600/image10.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-5wBUAke98jQ6GvNz9_wyEYuemge5qBZYPhyAy9nH7LmcHlaDUP7ZAeMoXs4GxqjRLxEOPhLW_1MglC0TYWg4QJajYGaIquCnzeRaEOtXjwb2zzbu2Ogj336glcNxDwZtn-c2mZfnqMW/s1600/image10.jpeg" gsa="true" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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I made improvements on the second hole and </div>
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managed to get it in with just 12 shots.</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Confession time...</span></div>
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I known I said I was going to play a round of golf, but it took me over half an hour to play two holes. TWO HOLES! Plus it was cold and damp, so I called it a day after just the two. I still gave it a go though and did try really hard, but it is quite difficult to hit a ball with a stick. It's also not the most thrilling sport. Maybe in the summer it's more fun, but I don't recommend playing it for the first time in this weather.</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Verdict: I gave it a go, so I win.</span></div>
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Sarah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11813694076431038136noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321253130802460430.post-2480602727003300682013-02-26T14:51:00.001+00:002013-02-26T14:51:47.798+00:00Challenge #25: Sarah vs the Bucket List This wasn't on my original list of things before 30, as it came as a bit of a surprise challenge that I thought I would be waiting a very long time to do.<br />
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Jack Kerouac's 'On The Road' sat on my bookshelf for about 10 years before I finally got around to reading it. I was packing my belongings up ready to move out, deciding what to keep and what to give away. Even though I hadn't made the effort to read it, I was reluctant to give it up. I sat on the floor and read a couple of pages, telling myself it would have to go if I couldn't get into it quickly, and ended up reading the whole book. Since then it has been my favourite book.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">"The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones that never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars..."</span></div>
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The story of how Kerouac wrote 'On The Road' on one huge scroll of paper - supposedly in a three-week burst while on benzedrine - has always fascinated me and in my head I thought one day I would go and see it on display in America. So when I heard that the scroll was heading for the British Library late last year I had to go and see my favourite book in its original form.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKSMNcGbRT_Sz7jSzfJx9tU6EfG7Nm3Y7v2m67lbAr9p_uNgDRRVD5qcar6P1J8Qhx77z22MEA1_ShhyphenhyphenaV1RDlmRkKFuHOuXinEGi1w-cuQDDVXbcNP2z9O6NjhLcQKsX60-3ZFrBcYVFg/s1600/IMG00663-20121020-0936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKSMNcGbRT_Sz7jSzfJx9tU6EfG7Nm3Y7v2m67lbAr9p_uNgDRRVD5qcar6P1J8Qhx77z22MEA1_ShhyphenhyphenaV1RDlmRkKFuHOuXinEGi1w-cuQDDVXbcNP2z9O6NjhLcQKsX60-3ZFrBcYVFg/s1600/IMG00663-20121020-0936.jpg" gsa="true" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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The original 'On The Road' scroll</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2-uLQpfG-BDGvya3vUUTqnmh3BEPKCjsC84f5SfTOfHWPQIbedDpkaPfMDhguWXOdgpimwSOg1MDQg7NeIe5aYeeMOtDUSxZby1rp_PIUeTW2OjprZcnulXBIIbqnrQRsp1TG9eLENgjy/s1600/IMG00664-20121020-0952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2-uLQpfG-BDGvya3vUUTqnmh3BEPKCjsC84f5SfTOfHWPQIbedDpkaPfMDhguWXOdgpimwSOg1MDQg7NeIe5aYeeMOtDUSxZby1rp_PIUeTW2OjprZcnulXBIIbqnrQRsp1TG9eLENgjy/s1600/IMG00664-20121020-0952.jpg" gsa="true" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigjIlJ-1oQz3wh_vrDrOq-L-XFaDAFvcbzLC3maqFzjkERw5pRYfMmDnxOZW765J-zyaL9BBz7pZBScnZs6H9dnXu3Yn4c10vhkrLuwRXNrqBAHuzFCA0V72I-7rmtMk12UpuR5MRnVNT7/s1600/IMG00665-20121020-1006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigjIlJ-1oQz3wh_vrDrOq-L-XFaDAFvcbzLC3maqFzjkERw5pRYfMmDnxOZW765J-zyaL9BBz7pZBScnZs6H9dnXu3Yn4c10vhkrLuwRXNrqBAHuzFCA0V72I-7rmtMk12UpuR5MRnVNT7/s1600/IMG00665-20121020-1006.jpg" gsa="true" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Me and the scroll.</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">A few facts about 'On The Road'</span> <br />
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<li>The original scroll manuscript, typed by Kerouac in a three-week burst, measures 120ft</li>
<li>It's only been fully rolled out twice</li>
<li>It was bought for $2.43 million (£1.51 million) in 2001 - the highest ever amount for a literary manuscript</li>
<li>That's $20,250 (£12,555) per foot</li>
<li>It has a typo on the first line - 'I first met met Neal...'</li>
<li>The end of the scroll was chewed by a dog</li>
<li>More than 10 million copies of 'On The Road' have been sold - I own two of those</li>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Verdict: WIN!</span> </div>
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Sarah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11813694076431038136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321253130802460430.post-57168679176297955352013-02-26T14:22:00.002+00:002013-02-26T14:22:54.590+00:00Challenge #24: Sarah vs The NationalsIt's a long time since I had anything published in a national magazine or any magazine now I think about it. I thought setting myself the challenge of getting something published nationally would spur me on to get writing and help me to keep my hand in features. Since I began working in PR I've been really worried that I will lose this skill, so writing other stuff is important to me.<br />
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I tried pitching my '30 before 30' thing to a couple of publications, but it's hard to get anyone to take any notice and I gave up. I realise now that this was a mistake, that I should have put a bit more effort in and worked a bit harder at it, but with two days to go before I turn 30 it's too late to be working on it now.<br />
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However, I do have a way of cheating through this challange in order to say I've completed it. My cunning plan involves using an article that was published in the Guardian last summer and passing it off as my own, because the basis of it was my own. You see, my press release about <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/jun/22/community-investment-schemes?INTCMP=SRCH" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">the country's first woodfuel co-operative</span></a> made it into the Money section of the Guardian. Yes that may be Rupert Jones' name on there, but I did the donkey work so I'm claiming it as my own. Told you I had a cunning plan.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRiGU4ODH-G1kSGxXpPDCdigH6Q_xb88TQCuyIf4mgTdsH5F2wo2rOir61-PsdGpnwduPKuUsOLjv8o1ZwSrBfTdNtFRnzMmhiYQ5XuHK1b3MppC_FzDg73Ttc53ZVEiBWIEia2Z5XWju/s1600/MyBurningHouse+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRiGU4ODH-G1kSGxXpPDCdigH6Q_xb88TQCuyIf4mgTdsH5F2wo2rOir61-PsdGpnwduPKuUsOLjv8o1ZwSrBfTdNtFRnzMmhiYQ5XuHK1b3MppC_FzDg73Ttc53ZVEiBWIEia2Z5XWju/s1600/MyBurningHouse+007.jpg" gsa="true" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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Guardian article from my press release</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Verdict: It's not quite what I had in mind and it's not my byline, but I don't have enough time to be picky type of win.</span></div>
Sarah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11813694076431038136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321253130802460430.post-49961980415067902042013-02-26T13:59:00.001+00:002013-02-26T13:59:34.332+00:00Challenge #23: Sarah vs Sleeveface<a href="http://www.sleeveface.com/" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">Sleeveface</span></a> describes itself as 'one or more persons obscuring or augmenting any part of their body or bodies with record sleeve(s) causing an illusion'. It's basically a game that involves holding record sleeves over your face to create an amusing picture.<br />
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That doesn't sound too challenging I hear you say, but my brilliant plan was to create a whole series of photos using different records. I even got up before 8am on a Sunday - ON A SUNDAY - to trudge round the carboot sale in search of the perfect sleeve faces and bought some vile 80's pop records that have no place being in my collection. In fact, they are so vile I plan to melt them into vinyl bookends so that no-one can listen to them ever again.<br />
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Where was I? Ahh yes, the idea behind adding this to my list of things to do before I get dementia was to get creative with some records and camera. This being me, however, I did one and told myself I would come back to it later, obviously I didn't. It was July when I did the first one. It's now February.<br />
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So here it is, <a href="http://www.sleeveface.com/?p=3456" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">my one attempt at Sleeveface, which got posted on the website.</span></a> You have to admit though it is pretty awesome for a first go, especially when I just happened to be wearing the same jumper...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSlEIIqLTa106q60p-eML-aE-GDUW7nyR6Qitkab2VEZ8-DWptcIhlG9O5Aj9AItEY9UWuKlJdlqQzpB-PWTYaAJqTbBlc5d_bXgyug2ZvDAh-lPo7MCJpaOPeGEztIr-2gFReFYNTCiQ5/s1600/Breakfast-with-Tiffany-sarah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSlEIIqLTa106q60p-eML-aE-GDUW7nyR6Qitkab2VEZ8-DWptcIhlG9O5Aj9AItEY9UWuKlJdlqQzpB-PWTYaAJqTbBlc5d_bXgyug2ZvDAh-lPo7MCJpaOPeGEztIr-2gFReFYNTCiQ5/s1600/Breakfast-with-Tiffany-sarah.jpg" gsa="true" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Verdict: Win</span> </div>
Sarah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11813694076431038136noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321253130802460430.post-62407555623654073712013-02-25T16:40:00.001+00:002013-02-25T16:40:53.322+00:00Challenge #22: Sarah vs The Burning HouseI hope escaping a burning house isn't something I have to do before 30 or after it, but ever since I found <a href="http://theburninghouse.com/" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">The Burning House</span></a> I've thought long and hard about what I would save were such a heartbreaking thing to happen.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">The Burning House...</span> <br />
<br />
'If your house was burning, what would you take with you? It's a conflict between what's practical, valuable and sentimental. What you would take reflects your interests, background and priorities. Think of it as an interview condensed into one question.'<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">My Burning House...</span> <br />
<br />
So after much consideration, I've come up with the following precious items that I would scramble to save in the event of a fire. <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5e0v1u3FyZ3GXhgx1PKI9urZqzrnLdsjtxwiHg4kfdSNXAWzHF8JuZtkxk9v0HoZhPsAJd9f_2e2VSRZigIyovJCeB_shJ0Pa88LV2fKdL8mexOGaeyXdbqto-jbDOWTw2tvKtBKTXTRD/s1600/MyBurningHouse+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5e0v1u3FyZ3GXhgx1PKI9urZqzrnLdsjtxwiHg4kfdSNXAWzHF8JuZtkxk9v0HoZhPsAJd9f_2e2VSRZigIyovJCeB_shJ0Pa88LV2fKdL8mexOGaeyXdbqto-jbDOWTw2tvKtBKTXTRD/s1600/MyBurningHouse+014.jpg" gsa="true" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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1. Journal<br />
2. Amoeba Music bag, I'm rarely seen without it and it'll come in handly for carrying all this stuff<br />
3. Memory cards<br />
4. Purple belt with silver hearts that my mum made me for my 18th birthday<br />
5. Letters from my teenage years<br />
6. Festival wristbands<br />
7. Ticket stubs<br />
8. Teddy bear I've had since I was little, known as Poorly Bear because he has a plaster on the side of his face<br />
9. Favourite photos<br />
10. 'Sarah Music' compilation tape and CDs from my boy Daniel<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Close ups...</span> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_TE9Y-yXvvJISrkyIjNZhBCTi4WVV-TvYY9-1GuENb1kQ5mJlljqz8-39vr26a_VDIJLflbf5cB50oa5FPH_lR4xsVcr75wnBhZd-72d4Vg6m49jq8VltAvHCS0jGrPsV902NMZVlMqHv/s1600/MyBurningHouse+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_TE9Y-yXvvJISrkyIjNZhBCTi4WVV-TvYY9-1GuENb1kQ5mJlljqz8-39vr26a_VDIJLflbf5cB50oa5FPH_lR4xsVcr75wnBhZd-72d4Vg6m49jq8VltAvHCS0jGrPsV902NMZVlMqHv/s1600/MyBurningHouse+015.jpg" gsa="true" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLiooEqQCGL_jSKlsazD0iNdtk3_g-ocvYjIWUEkl9lOc6kYKOlQkS3OE7G8ldQbf7UCvjBeEp0KqK-7jdmurf9SLWwYqUsTvbPf1jx88SQCgBszFFt6lmTzAjIEW0Y9lZaeTSQ_5thWl/s1600/MyBurningHouse+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLiooEqQCGL_jSKlsazD0iNdtk3_g-ocvYjIWUEkl9lOc6kYKOlQkS3OE7G8ldQbf7UCvjBeEp0KqK-7jdmurf9SLWwYqUsTvbPf1jx88SQCgBszFFt6lmTzAjIEW0Y9lZaeTSQ_5thWl/s1600/MyBurningHouse+004.jpg" gsa="true" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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The collective shot didn't do my ticket stub collection </div>
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justice, so here they are spread out a little bit.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
CDs, records, tapes and even my band t-shirts can be replaced, but these little bits of paper are irreplaceable and I would be devastated if I lost them. I feel like they tell my journey through music, where I've been and who I've watched. If I had time I'd share all those stories, but I think that's game for another day.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Verdict: Win</span> </div>
Sarah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11813694076431038136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321253130802460430.post-64004108081797765732013-02-25T15:48:00.002+00:002013-02-25T15:48:41.763+00:00Challenge #21: Sarah vs Star WarsI've never been one for going out on New Year's Eve. I've probably done it a handful of times in my almost-30-years and there's never been any remarkable about them. I find I encounter enough knobheads on a night out anyway, but the amount of orange flesh, cheap looking slags and scummy lads seem to increase significantly on this occasion. <br />
<br />
My way of welcoming the New Year usually involves a DVD, a lot of food and some of my favourite beverage, so this year I decided I would watch three films back-to-back. I was going to tackle the Star Wars original trilogy boxset marathon. <br />
<br />
Now I realise there is no possible way to make a blog post about me watching three Star Wars films interesting, hence why I'm writing this in February. So, here are just a few photos that show what happened that night...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkbisD5Cg74XOHESk1x_l_3CdGc8VrsjJRXQgWUkrsHDFAR_2YIqCXUaLtnJnXCaJSAW9WihDq8M00l5-8b-bxirYoSurMNsb3lYOVmLJ9B_4U1AP5EHYDvI1Qil2_jViQ6C-GXu3bTuve/s1600/Cushions2+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkbisD5Cg74XOHESk1x_l_3CdGc8VrsjJRXQgWUkrsHDFAR_2YIqCXUaLtnJnXCaJSAW9WihDq8M00l5-8b-bxirYoSurMNsb3lYOVmLJ9B_4U1AP5EHYDvI1Qil2_jViQ6C-GXu3bTuve/s1600/Cushions2+005.jpg" gsa="true" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's 6pm and I'm feeling good about this challenge. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKbpRGjvCCj_dmJQ09FPElmCa8EW8J8MsQy1Pth4Xugp6AwANhq-UWR2U3A-YZXpsv7OzoVZAhnRCMmv2d-hgeLuiFMSZBex_4zYqwBkToeRLbglTPci7eSyaJhlaucnyGeMq_uM9VIjwk/s1600/Star+Wars+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKbpRGjvCCj_dmJQ09FPElmCa8EW8J8MsQy1Pth4Xugp6AwANhq-UWR2U3A-YZXpsv7OzoVZAhnRCMmv2d-hgeLuiFMSZBex_4zYqwBkToeRLbglTPci7eSyaJhlaucnyGeMq_uM9VIjwk/s1600/Star+Wars+2.JPG" gsa="true" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Essential tools for a Star Wars boxset marathon:</div>
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a Star Wars boxset, a full tin of Quality</div>
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Street, a bottle of gin and some tonic water (not pictured). </div>
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Sarah's top tip: pace yourself on the gin </div>
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otherwise you will be asleep before 9pm</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGth4poHYnmgV06aZdlODCm_Ys4xVGjjaE_Z68xiRmoG9lxgvA7yAyxlsNspeVt4au4XKE7W2LmaZImQ9gvK3pK8mrliE8ougZ-Wv_87W_Z3sG5f7J6O_K5_WH1Yj7r0xYF1FeRPjb1COt/s1600/Star+Wars+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGth4poHYnmgV06aZdlODCm_Ys4xVGjjaE_Z68xiRmoG9lxgvA7yAyxlsNspeVt4au4XKE7W2LmaZImQ9gvK3pK8mrliE8ougZ-Wv_87W_Z3sG5f7J6O_K5_WH1Yj7r0xYF1FeRPjb1COt/s1600/Star+Wars+3.JPG" gsa="true" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Two thirds of the way through. </div>
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Feeling sick...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZIcaquOgLTuZug_44faPNnfW-XOY6KuKQSi17UWA870VoB_FW-pbROCBiWkQyzBn-ezS79f2EZfvvXO2IB4clPIo_xhKkgNJtYWD5EuCwEjOsA5XvVrg6A6DRjmob2fsBLeVQlHeOdLI/s1600/Star+Wars+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZIcaquOgLTuZug_44faPNnfW-XOY6KuKQSi17UWA870VoB_FW-pbROCBiWkQyzBn-ezS79f2EZfvvXO2IB4clPIo_xhKkgNJtYWD5EuCwEjOsA5XvVrg6A6DRjmob2fsBLeVQlHeOdLI/s1600/Star+Wars+5.JPG" gsa="true" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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I can't feel my arse. So much time has passed</div>
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I might even be 30 already. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LTiZN0Vlfnn25cqz9ym8OtVGKIqQptTii9Ld3UtVK2UtaLfC2UN3iOaA9A13R2yxtZdhR33ttOasp8E0_RCh5t_IdcKeAx1pymAWUJtA4P4QxVbscHYgJC6gMEXyY57NSJberHkxoliT/s1600/Star+Wars+9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LTiZN0Vlfnn25cqz9ym8OtVGKIqQptTii9Ld3UtVK2UtaLfC2UN3iOaA9A13R2yxtZdhR33ttOasp8E0_RCh5t_IdcKeAx1pymAWUJtA4P4QxVbscHYgJC6gMEXyY57NSJberHkxoliT/s1600/Star+Wars+9.JPG" gsa="true" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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2am: Is it over yet?? Please can I have my life back now.<br />
<br />
I took the <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4509737.stm" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">BBC's Star Wars quiz</span></a> afterwards and got <br />
9 out of 15, which isn't a bad score <br />
when you consider I<br />
was off my face on sugar and gin.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Verdict: WIN! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">p.s. I love Star Wars, but I'm never doing that again.</span> </div>
Sarah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11813694076431038136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321253130802460430.post-90785263456795192512013-02-25T14:35:00.005+00:002013-02-25T14:35:44.119+00:00Challenge #20: Sarah vs Pottery PaintingAfter the traumatic experience of BMXing I need to think about something calming, so I'm finally getting around to blogging about my pottery painting, which happened before Christmas! In my defence I did move house just two weeks before Christmas - something I haven't fully recovered from yet - so I've been pretty poor at doing any challenges, never mind blogging them since then.<br />
<br />
Anyway, there's a cute little coffee shop, art gallery and ceramic studio all rolled into one a short walk from my house and I walk past it at least twice a week. For a long time I've promised myself I will go in and be nosey, and on the run up to Christmas it seemed like the perfect opportunity to make some festive decorations. <br />
<br />
My favourite thing about this place is that you can have coffee, cake and be creative all at the same time. You don't actually make the pottery items, you pick out readymade items to paint, such as a plate, tile, mug, money box and Christmas decorations, then you choose your paints and away you go. Once you're done you leave them to be fired and collect them a couple of days later. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeyHWxqzVKm1TrUvMnAxSdcobBnA8KjVN2i82MZjr7yD47hxukOuw86iZKlE9tbfeX15sxRCmaF7EuvTfWqxoq5i-M7cSaPsFxDeAUGn9uzdfmycwFnxjwyYZRxFmJsxqwdOgA6JrmJ0tk/s1600/Cushions+027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeyHWxqzVKm1TrUvMnAxSdcobBnA8KjVN2i82MZjr7yD47hxukOuw86iZKlE9tbfeX15sxRCmaF7EuvTfWqxoq5i-M7cSaPsFxDeAUGn9uzdfmycwFnxjwyYZRxFmJsxqwdOgA6JrmJ0tk/s1600/Cushions+027.jpg" gsa="true" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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Reindeer and snowman tree decorations</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9nN-4TsctXleNKTZpLhmOmy6LMygaiN5aSfr3IAv6v6NfK5BiVTO9U1_ukE7gCDcOZBSxrYPCVhkR7jJb02u5_O9NGwQOOf6eRQODwFfK3y8sJNu_aKS1XCziNbTtTwi_P_kukzzqVyP/s1600/Cushions+032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9nN-4TsctXleNKTZpLhmOmy6LMygaiN5aSfr3IAv6v6NfK5BiVTO9U1_ukE7gCDcOZBSxrYPCVhkR7jJb02u5_O9NGwQOOf6eRQODwFfK3y8sJNu_aKS1XCziNbTtTwi_P_kukzzqVyP/s1600/Cushions+032.jpg" gsa="true" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Hard at work</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5pDrpUlOBh1Z-RBp2VEbPOQPuo3i3yBSiodufElBuc5W5PbqlovVUL2dCbkpY9rGA_UEzrqSCqpode4bUcTXMIe5vvDa5djm-yn0_qMLVitHihEOqnyek9zSY9KNjYD2fA9fmvpmF9Xzt/s1600/Cushions+031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5pDrpUlOBh1Z-RBp2VEbPOQPuo3i3yBSiodufElBuc5W5PbqlovVUL2dCbkpY9rGA_UEzrqSCqpode4bUcTXMIe5vvDa5djm-yn0_qMLVitHihEOqnyek9zSY9KNjYD2fA9fmvpmF9Xzt/s1600/Cushions+031.jpg" gsa="true" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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Ta-da!</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Daniel putting the finishing touches to his snowman</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Ct-P8LRhROGmuZwKIiRyKSyO8dPywOpuEadh643yg0rwyGUh4IWE7IIljiK_WmIvUeqcCaPMx2ik_e-GH5qFVxh8CJPn7Zi-INMMy7NEuesoqYajKEaHzy19VIGTwJBmQE4V8tJkfb_b/s1600/Cushions+035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Ct-P8LRhROGmuZwKIiRyKSyO8dPywOpuEadh643yg0rwyGUh4IWE7IIljiK_WmIvUeqcCaPMx2ik_e-GH5qFVxh8CJPn7Zi-INMMy7NEuesoqYajKEaHzy19VIGTwJBmQE4V8tJkfb_b/s1600/Cushions+035.jpg" gsa="true" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Verdict: it's an awesome win!</span></div>
Sarah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11813694076431038136noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321253130802460430.post-51317011314180921132013-02-24T15:47:00.001+00:002013-02-24T15:47:33.091+00:00Challenge #19: Sarah vs BMXingI was probably about seven-years-old when I gave up riding my little blue bike. Coincidently, it was around the time I bombed down the hill where I grew up, took my hands off the handle bars and went straight over them, creating a mess of both the pavement and my face. <br />
<br />
That painful face-planting incident - along with the very wise decision to give up riding a bike - flashed through my mind as me and my BMX smashed into the ramp we were attempting to ride up. It was a combination of nervousness and indecision, I got a bit of a wobble on, made a half-arsed attempt to go up it, couldn't quite decide which ramp to go up and then... crunch. We were only 20 minutes into a two-hour BMX session and it was already the second time I had fallen off. <br />
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I like doing things that have an element of danger to them and get the adrenaline pumping, so I thought BMXing would be right up my street. Sadly, I hadn't taken into account the number of years it had been since I last rode a bike or my ability to injure myself at any given opportunity. I was crap and the falling off certainly didn't help my confidence, especially when the place was full of children who weren't falling over.<br />
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Having said that, normally in these falling over/knocking something over/doing something incredibly silly situations I would be mortified, but on this occasion I wasn't. I didn't actually give a shit whether anyone was watching it or filming it for YouTube because it was very funny and I'm happy to laugh at myself. Within just 20 minutes of entering the building I was bruised and bleeding.<br />
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That face says 'what the fuck am I doing??'</div>
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Evidence I did ride the bike</div>
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And went up the ramps</div>
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Dan's so fast he's a blur. He was also very good, </div>
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which made my efforts look even worse.</div>
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Bless</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Things I've learnt</span> <br />
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Ok, so I was completely rubbish at this challenge, but I'm glad I gave it a shot. Up until now I had enjoyed all of my challenges and while I was a little gutted I couldn't get the hang of it, it's not the end of the world. I'm good at lots of things, but I can't be good at everything and there's no shame in that. <br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Other things I've learnt</span> <br />
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BMXing is very cliquey. If you're into it and good at it, they have time for you. If you're not your 'instructor' will watch you fall over and bleed and not bother to ask if you are ok, and will then piss off and leave you to it because he basically can't be arsed with you. On a positive note, not everyone that worked there was a dick, but some really were.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Even more things I've learnt</span> <br />
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Cheesecake makes everything better...<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">The aftermath</span> </div>
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It wasn't until I got in the bath that night that I realised quite how much damage I'd done to myself. I haven't counted the bruises yet, but there are a lot.</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Verdict: A wobbly and bruised win, but I don't think I'll be trying it again</span> </div>
Sarah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11813694076431038136noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321253130802460430.post-47092145081414938242013-01-21T13:45:00.002+00:002013-01-21T13:45:47.448+00:00Challenge #18: Sarah vs FoodPlease don't get the wrong impression about this post, it's not a 'Man vs Food' inspired excessive eating challenge, but my attempt to make something new in the kitchen. I'm not a big foodie, but I do have a sweet tooth and when I stumbled across an amazing <a href="http://www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk/cookie-tape/invt/5533464160004/&bklist=" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">cassette tape shaped cookie cutter</span></a> it seemed the perfect excuse to spend a whopping £10 - gulp - on something I don't need but must have. <br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Peanut Butter Biscuits</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Ingredients</span> <br />
225g margarine (plus extra for greasing)<br />
225g smooth peanut butter <br />
200g brown sugar<br />
200g granulated sugar<br />
2 large eggs<br />
275g plain flour (plus extra for dusting)<br />
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I had planned to add some melted chocolate to them, but couldn't be arsed in the end.<br />
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The recipe also mentions 2 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt, but I didn't have either of these so I just left them out. <br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Tools</span> <br />
mixing bowl<br />
scales<br />
baking tray <br />
wooden spoon shaped like a drum stick<br />
guitar shaped spatula<br />
awesome cassette tape cookie cutter<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Additional Extras</span> <br />
'On the Impossible Past' by The Menzingers for singing along to.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Method</span> <br />
1. Mix margarine and peanut butter together until smooth, then add the sugars.<br />
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2. Beat eggs and add to the mix along with the flour. It helps to keep the mix smooth if you do this a little at a time.<br />
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3. Make into a massive ball and put in the fridge for half an hour to chill, which leaves just enough time to make a bookend out of a 12" record (how to blog post coming soon).<br />
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4. Grease your baking tray with some margarine and pre-heat your oven to 180C or Gas Mark 4. <br />
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5. Pull off some of the mix to roll out. Dust your surface and rolling pin with flour first to stop them sticking to the mix. Cut out some biscuits with your awesome cutter - they may stick a little even with the dusting flour, so this is where you spatula comes in handy - and put them on the tray, but not too close because they expand while cooking. I forgot so my biscuits all stuck together, but it's fine I got away with it.<br />
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6. According to the recipe you only need to bake them for 10 minutes. I don't know whether it's because my biscuits were massive or too thick, but mine took 30 minutes to bake, which is something you probably need to know if you've only allowed yourself one hour's baking time and it turns into three.<br />
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7. Once they've eventually cooked - they should be golden brown and not too squidgy to touch - take them out, allow to cool slightly and place them on a wire cooling rack (or if you don't have one a chopping board will do).<br />
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8. Stand back and admired your handy work until they're cool enough to scoff four in one go.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Tips for not destroying your kitchen</span> <br />
It is essential to know where your biscuit mix is at all times, something I learned the hard way. Apparently it's really easy when rolling out the mixture to accidently drop some on the floor and not realise at all until you've stuck it to the bottom of your slipper boots and managed to walk it around most of your house. Only then will you realise, once it's all been deposited and all that remains is a greasy mess on the soles, after skidding across the tiled kitchen floor at a dangerous speed. <br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Verdict: I took them to work, everyone had some and no-one died, so I think it's a win.</span> </div>
Sarah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11813694076431038136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321253130802460430.post-89190868322292397382013-01-01T14:00:00.002+00:002013-01-01T14:00:33.427+00:00Challenge #17: Sarah vs The Sewing ProjectI love butchering things with a sewing machine. I find it quite theraputic and like the feeling of satisfaction when I manage to make something wearable. I have a stack of old clothes piled up that are waiting to start a new life, so my idea behind this challenge was to start doing something with them. Originally I'd planned to transform some old trousers into a skirt, which I have wanted to try for a while, but then there was that pile of old band t-shirts that really deserved a better life than the one they were living in the bottom of the wardrobe...<br />
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I think band t-shirts are precious things that really need to be shown off, so turning them into cushion covers means they can be admired and loved as much as being worn. Plus, they look fucking ace and fit perfectly with the CD and record mountains dominating my front room.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Here's my guide to the band t-shirt cushion cover...</span> <br />
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1. Take one lovely t-shirt that no longer fits.<br />
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2. Measure the width of your cushion. Mine was about 17", so I measured a square around the print to ensure it was kept central on the cushion cover.<br />
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3. Turn t-shirt inside out and pin the 17" by 17" square around the pattern. You can machine around it from here, but I'm a nervous sewer when I have an important bit of cloth in my hand so I like to put a rough safety stitch by hand around it first.<br />
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4. Cut off the arms to get them out of the way. To be honest you could probably cut around your square now to get rid of the excess material, but I always leave that til afterwards in case I balls it up.<br />
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5. Sew three sides, leaving the bottom open. Chop the excess material off. (Check out my amazing leopard print sock in the bottom left corner. I know. Amazing.)<br />
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6. Fold the bottom flap inwards and sew. Turn the t-shirt over and repeat on the opposite side - I do the same on both sides just to get rid of the extra material. These will create a flap like on a pillow to keep your cushion in. Originally I'd planned to give them button fastenings, but that was going to be way too much hard work though. I did manage to teach myself how to sew button holes using a YouTube tutorial, so I've learnt something extra that may come in handy one day.<br />
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7. Ta-da!<br />
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8. Repeat until your sofa looks awesome. Here's my collection so far...<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Verdict: Major win for my sofa.</span> </div>
Sarah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11813694076431038136noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321253130802460430.post-58959729124493134042012-10-30T13:45:00.001+00:002012-10-30T13:45:50.274+00:00Challenge #16: Sarah vs Pumpkin CarvingIt's only taken 29 years, but I've finally got round to carving my first Halloween pumpkin. This challenge wasn't on my original list, but with Halloween just around the corner, it seemed like an ideal addition.<br />
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Pumpkins at the ready</div>
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I went for a Nightmare Before Christmas theme</div>
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I drew the design freehand by the way</div>
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Dan went for a Super Mario theme with a Boo Buddy</div>
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Scooping the brains out</div>
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Mine smelt funny cos it had a rotting bum</div>
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Poking the eyes out</div>
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Ta-da!</div>
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Feeling very proud of myself</div>
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Dan's turn</div>
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RAAAAAGGGGHHH!</div>
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I ain't afraid of no ghost</div>
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Candles in, fire brigade on standby</div>
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Pretty damn awesome, even if I do say so myself</div>
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Thanks to my parents for letting us destroy their kitchen with flying bits of pumpkin, rather than our own.</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Verdict: WIN!</span> </div>
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Sarah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11813694076431038136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321253130802460430.post-6681607538887800112012-10-27T16:12:00.001+01:002012-10-27T16:12:24.255+01:00Music-related Adventures in the Nation's CapitalI love gigs, I love record shops and I love music-related exhibitions, so cramming all three into one weekend is my idea of heaven...<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Someday All The Adults Will Die!</span> <br />
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First stop was the <a href="http://ticketing.southbankcentre.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">Southbank Centre</span></a>'s Hayward Gallery, for a gawp at its punk graphics exhibition. 'Someday All The Adults Will Die!' celebrates the raw and unique feel of punk design during the '70s and '80s, and how bands, artists and DIY-ers adopted its style for posters, flyers, t-shirts, fanzines and record sleeves. Partly curated by <a href="http://www.jonsavage.com/" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">Jon Savage</span></a>, the knowledge on all things punk, this exhibition has some absolute gems from the early years of punk.<br />
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Like a hand grenade thrown at popular music, fashion and art, it's hard to imagine now just how shocking punk must have been in during its infancy, how different it must have sounded and looked to everything else that was going on. The story behind the exhibition and the punk graphics in general is displayed as you enter, complete with a great quote from Jon Savage, which I think really sums up punk's impact and legacy: "A few years later, people wake up and wonder what happened. They're still wondering."<br />
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Some notable items that got me all excited included posters and artwork from <a href="http://www.jamiereid.org/" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">Jamie Reid</span></a>, the artist behind the Sex Pistols' iconic, cut 'n' paste style 'Nevermind the Bollocks...' album sleeve.<br />
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Work by Jamie Reid</div>
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There was also an original copy of the front page of the Daily Mirror from 2nd December 1979, the edition that ran the famous 'Filth and the Fury' headline after <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0knFHyDD150" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">the Pistols' notorious appearance on the Today show</span></a>.<br />
It also includes the story of the guy who kicked in his TV because he was so angry. Twat.<br />
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Daily Mirror from 2nd December 2012</div>
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What I'm thinking: Umm, this lot would look </div>
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lovely on my walls at home...</div>
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DIY Crass poster. They like their stencils.</div>
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Original t-shirts, mainly designs from Vivienne Westwood</div>
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Unfortunately, this was the last shot I was able to get, because Mr Security Man came and told me off for taking pictures. It means that I don't have a photo of one of my favourite pieces from the exhibition, a copy of the press release that accompanied promo copies of The Ramones' debut album, released in 1976. I also would have loved to get some shots of cut 'n' paste posters and flyers, and the whole wall of fanzines from '71 to '84, including an issue of Sniffin' Glue! Alongside the 'zines were two walls of 7" singles, all self-released by the bands themselves. Here's a little fact for you, the very first self-released 7" was <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFJ71w_ez6Y" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">'Spiral Scratch'</span></a> by The Buzzcocks. <br />
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The 7" allowed bands to record and release their own music for the first time because it was such a cheap format, which is why so many emerged during the punk years, as bands desperate to be part of that DIY culture recorded and issued their own music. Those records would make a lovely addition to my own collection.<br />
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After picking out sleeves, songs and bands I knew, I started thinking about all of those I didn't recognise, who those people were and how life turned out for them. There was a music room tagged onto the exhibition that offered an opportunity to listen to some of the bands/songs I was unfamiliar with, which was pretty cool. I heard some tracks from a scary Norwegian punk band whose name escapes me now and a Japanese trio called Mirrors.<br />
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<a href="http://ticketing.southbankcentre.co.uk/find/hayward-gallery-and-visual-arts/tickets/someday-all-the-adults-will-die-1000314" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">Someday All The Adults Will Die!</span></a> is on until the 4th November. Go! Now! It's free!<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Kerbdog at The Garage</span><br />
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It's been 15 years since their last album, 'On The Turn', was released. It's been 14 years since they split up. Aside from the occasional reunion gig, mainly in Ireland, Kerbdog have remained off-radar for a fucking long time. So, when rumours on Twitter began surfacing about a one-off London date I just about pissed my pants. In the year that I've witnessed reformations from Refused, Ugly Kid Joe, Black Sabbath and Soundgarden (I missed out on At The Drive-In, but that's an open wound I can't talk about too much), adding Kerbdog to the list was an opportunity not to be missed. And that's how this whole weekend came about.<br />
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A lot of people had travelled a long way for the gig, outside in the queue we got chatting to two lads from Stafford about '90s music and waiting forever to see Kerbdog. It seemed to be a common theme. It also made me laugh how specific the age range was, everyone was in their late 20s or early 30s. There was certainly no need for the '14s and over' comment on the ticket, it's highly unlikely anyone under the age of 25 would know who they were.<br />
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It was also very funny how excited a bunch of grown-up girls and boys can get when they finally get to see something they never thought would happen. The atmosphere in The Garage was like Christmas. A group of about eight dudes were so excited they came dressed in matching Scooby Doo costumes, one even stage dived. <br />
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It was an awesome set mainly made up of 'On The Turn' tracks, with a few from their debut thrown in too, and I enjoyed a great barrier view down the front. When they played <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ph9xuNPsS8w" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">'Sally'</span></a> the crowd went absolutely mental, in fact, it's been a long time since I've seen so many people crowd surfing at the same time. There were a couple of fuck ups, of course, and the band looked pretty worn out afterwards - then again so did the crowd - but you wouldn't think it had been so long since they were touring band. <br />
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View from the front</div>
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Kerbdog's Cormac Battle and Dan</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Rough Trade</span> <br />
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Independent record shops are awesome, but are sadly dying off. I always try and seek one out when I'm visiting a city - cos they're the only places that have them these days - and I always buy something. I can't help myself, it's like crack to me.<br />
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Before I get into how awesome <a href="http://www.roughtrade.com/" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">Rough Trade</span></a> is, let me do my preachy thing about why you should buy independent. They have a wider and better selection of music than you will find in HMV, because they stock more than just that pile of bilge played by Radio 1. They sell more than just major label releases. They have proper genre sections. They stock vinyl. The staff are actually interested in and know stuff about music. You can buy something you can look at and hold in your hand! Oh and they don't tell their staff to cover up their tattoos.<br />
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As record shops go, Rough Trade is one of the sweetest experiences I've had in recent years - second only to <a href="http://www.amoeba.com/" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">Amoeba Music</span></a>. They have a punk/hardcore section, American/Canadian section, they've got some cool music documentaries, a decent book section and 7" and 12" racks. Impressively, they even have a tape section, all independent releases, with some beautifully packaged. I love just trawling through the racks, looking at album covers, letting band names jump out at me. I came away with '119' by Trash Talk, 'Couple Tracks' by Fucked Up and a stunning Sex Pistols re-issue with foldout sleeve. I could've bought much, much more.<br />
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Other little touches that make Rough Trade special are the old school photo booth, and its black and white pics that adorn the walls, and hand prints,signatures from Billy Bragg and Nick Cave. Apparently Sonic Youth have also signed the ceiling somewhere, so spotting those squiggles is a game I'm planning for my next visit.<br />
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Looking suitably rough outside Rough Trade East. </div>
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I'd just washed my hair with tea tree shower gel. </div>
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I wouldn't recommend it. </div>
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I would recommend a trip here though, you can find it just off Brick Lane.</div>
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Awesome haul of goodies picked up over the weekend. </div>
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Items of note include Sex Pistols 'God Save the Queen'</div>
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re-issue 7" - well it is Jubilee year -</div>
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and '119' from Trash Talk.</div>
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Sarah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11813694076431038136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321253130802460430.post-54352172241723969562012-10-07T17:25:00.001+01:002012-10-07T17:25:07.260+01:00Challenge #15: Sarah vs SnowboardingWay before this blog and my list of things to do before 30 came along, learning how to snowboard was the one and only thing I really wanted to do before my milestone birthday. It's always looked like such a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Livlwz7cSDc" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">cool and fun sport</span></a>, for years I've been saying I'll get around to learning at some point, but I've never actually done anything about it. Luckily, this list gave me the push I needed and so I booked myself onto a course that would teach me how to snowboard in a day at <a href="http://www.snowdome.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">Tamworth SnowDome</span></a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtui56rjJkTk1elXzs8C_hCYUfbMMgopm0cCO3bPFIE8EryjqRqJpg5lWznG6hkra1c_YFQGfitNNnHPemEJiyvpPCoeUASpS0aJNbHylrqZTB1R3DTdYVlvwggxAQI8mqxj0gRPB2366b/s1600/snowboarding+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtui56rjJkTk1elXzs8C_hCYUfbMMgopm0cCO3bPFIE8EryjqRqJpg5lWznG6hkra1c_YFQGfitNNnHPemEJiyvpPCoeUASpS0aJNbHylrqZTB1R3DTdYVlvwggxAQI8mqxj0gRPB2366b/s400/snowboarding+003.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Up at 5.45am to be in Tamworth for 8am. </div>
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Someone get me caffeine. Now.</div>
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My previous snowboarding experience consisted of a one-hour taster session at <a href="http://jnlswadlincote.co.uk/#" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">Swadlincote Ski Slope</span></a> a couple of years back, so there were two things I knew for certain about the course I was going to take: it would be awesome fun and it would hurt. <br />
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After collecting boots, helmet and a board, I stomped my way clumsily upstairs to meet my instructor, AT, and the other people on the course. There were only five of us, so it was a nice little group, although I was the only one who wasn't a dude. Later I noticed there were only two other women snowboarding that day, which I think is a real shame.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0elfq7IvmKjt6aLJ970Ume2NjWLnEpFlQaLUFfMf3C4AYwy3Jqy0wVoWP9AfLfLFpKgW7lNsOJMp3X9UwO4DgNXE55JpWaJuVrm4oz4DlJyPITlkEj6hTDcidg-h2vOA3c8V_0ZNufWx/s1600/snowboarding+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0elfq7IvmKjt6aLJ970Ume2NjWLnEpFlQaLUFfMf3C4AYwy3Jqy0wVoWP9AfLfLFpKgW7lNsOJMp3X9UwO4DgNXE55JpWaJuVrm4oz4DlJyPITlkEj6hTDcidg-h2vOA3c8V_0ZNufWx/s400/snowboarding+004.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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These are my snowboarding moon boots. </div>
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You have to do them up really tight to protect your </div>
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ankles, but it means you have no choice </div>
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but to walk like a robot. I added my own sound </div>
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effects as I walked along, but I think that's optional.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ0tWhofOHkJ0Fy3yMAw8gR4OrYgNJtTu-f1PFnRZZZA2YuR3cUdsKlaKQu_-ENF_lfVmId24DFxb-x1RZEPYrUEkbOlcLWX6avWDg4Fb0tZelKSWywGkHSFddzFFQdcLdp2H5ZS365AFz/s1600/snowboarding+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ0tWhofOHkJ0Fy3yMAw8gR4OrYgNJtTu-f1PFnRZZZA2YuR3cUdsKlaKQu_-ENF_lfVmId24DFxb-x1RZEPYrUEkbOlcLWX6avWDg4Fb0tZelKSWywGkHSFddzFFQdcLdp2H5ZS365AFz/s400/snowboarding+006.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Boards at the ready. The floating head </div>
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you can see to the right belongs to a guy called Simon. </div>
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He smashed his knee into the wall during the </div>
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morning session, so he didn't get to finish the course. </div>
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Before we got onto the slope, we ran through the basic techniques. It turns out snowboarding is all about your toes, heels and head, so it helps if you can forget you have arms. Obviously that's easier said than done, especially when you fall over and you're natural reaction is to put your arms out to stop yourself. AT referred to this as something your stupid monkey body does that your brain struggles to override.<br />
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Toes and heels are basically the different ways you balance on the edges of the board and act as the brake, while all of the steering is done just by moving your head. Sounds weird, is weird, but it works. I found it easier to get the balance right on my toes to begin with and picked that up a lot quicker than the heels technique, where you have to stick your arse out at a completely unnatural angle.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSp5h3kWUXFOiU_LkqiWXncUpmPoKIu1d9X4-9Dq4XtJ5-ngK1sMWGYhCzg_Ri4mlGgjps1HyfTg5xZbLL65abBZyLN3TJ2x-4fRlzMR4jDL99qYDodb7qGowu36BXHx23r1Fx8eTb_MkV/s1600/snowboarding+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSp5h3kWUXFOiU_LkqiWXncUpmPoKIu1d9X4-9Dq4XtJ5-ngK1sMWGYhCzg_Ri4mlGgjps1HyfTg5xZbLL65abBZyLN3TJ2x-4fRlzMR4jDL99qYDodb7qGowu36BXHx23r1Fx8eTb_MkV/s400/snowboarding+009.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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My little board.</div>
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You have to put them down the wrong way </div>
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when you're on the snow so they don't slide away.</div>
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<br /> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDkqLmOnjOl8dybfAlmUvsuDjQzZib58z9Deiu0f6kmiXt5_Z1ZcZQP76EQAglsmEiqy1cTOKquQ3_RWFa-ffhOzC0xv1sRcDxgv_7X193vZcHPE9_CQ_eoSKJQxoQPeqrkSneCb0tWaMh/s1600/snowboarding+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDkqLmOnjOl8dybfAlmUvsuDjQzZib58z9Deiu0f6kmiXt5_Z1ZcZQP76EQAglsmEiqy1cTOKquQ3_RWFa-ffhOzC0xv1sRcDxgv_7X193vZcHPE9_CQ_eoSKJQxoQPeqrkSneCb0tWaMh/s400/snowboarding+014.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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On the slopes. </div>
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You can tell I've been working hard as my </div>
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board's covered in snow. You would think </div>
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it'd just slide off, but it sticks to it. </div>
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You have to slam it on the ground to get it off. </div>
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This is Dan having a rest</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBvwrWY9hftlW4TQscji6KQX-T95GKs8caDc5Tj5IQ1ef212Lt3Jg-5HbAWbaER9iFSSNcZ6tuhpHPEdm5zD_VjozTgdsXi6rFhTDBhfwPUh3KlkVso5ESyL18eGTpdi36HPh2JdUMjv2P/s1600/snowboarding+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBvwrWY9hftlW4TQscji6KQX-T95GKs8caDc5Tj5IQ1ef212Lt3Jg-5HbAWbaER9iFSSNcZ6tuhpHPEdm5zD_VjozTgdsXi6rFhTDBhfwPUh3KlkVso5ESyL18eGTpdi36HPh2JdUMjv2P/s400/snowboarding+012.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here I am working on my heels with help from AT</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnvlML623RU5ObBRggnkkn28doAnbyk6IQRtkuqX_98DG2aYlORFQofkSl49dnUkz1-LL6RzvYTgH6OTlHqVMhByKW6psiOKcCw8DC1DZzxm-4k0xRB9QfvhmSbv4pmDXuMrpWuQw7yBBD/s1600/snowboarding+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnvlML623RU5ObBRggnkkn28doAnbyk6IQRtkuqX_98DG2aYlORFQofkSl49dnUkz1-LL6RzvYTgH6OTlHqVMhByKW6psiOKcCw8DC1DZzxm-4k0xRB9QfvhmSbv4pmDXuMrpWuQw7yBBD/s400/snowboarding+016.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Look, no hands!</div>
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This is me snowboarding on my own!</div>
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The key to balancing on your heels is down to how you stick your bum out. I struggled with it at first, partly because you can see you're going down a steep hill and partly because I couldn't get my posture right. AT's professional trick to assist people with the posture problem is to give them a wedgie. Yes, he gave me a wedgie. But it worked!</div>
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Just before lunch I was struggling to piece the different techniques together, but after a food and caffeine refuel I came back out and completely nailed it. I did a run of the middle and bottom sections of the slope, switching from heels to toes and back again and made it down to the bottom without ending up on my arse. It was a proud moment that I marked with a celebratory 'FUCK YEAH!!!!'</div>
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Then it was time to tackle the slope from the very top. It was pretty terrifying when I got up there and noticed it has a steep curve to the left, we'll refer to it as the death zone. AT came up with me to show me how to negotiate the curve of the slope without killing myself - the tactic is pretty simple really, keep to the right! I think this was the only time out of the whole day that I actually felt nervous, but once I pushed off I felt more confident about what I was doing and before I knew it I'd heeled and toed (that's how you do turns, but you're not allowed to call them turns) it all the way to the bottom of the slope on my own. I couldn't believe I'd actually done it. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3elKadV3CWEL2T1IY-VxGqPJTWxwXRf7p4GBVN-DXng6ti7uZd26d7lTVIub_uhJZyP9em8rjhPztM7kPYCYpcAqJAgt6BczxsPjwlUe2YlmNEHdCyOgscfi4Ugcx9avELNJ1M6Dd-IuD/s1600/snowboarding+020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3elKadV3CWEL2T1IY-VxGqPJTWxwXRf7p4GBVN-DXng6ti7uZd26d7lTVIub_uhJZyP9em8rjhPztM7kPYCYpcAqJAgt6BczxsPjwlUe2YlmNEHdCyOgscfi4Ugcx9avELNJ1M6Dd-IuD/s320/snowboarding+020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's a shame this picture's really dark because I'm </div>
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doing an awesome bit of snowboarding here <br />
completely unaided. You can see AT following me <br />
to make sure I don't kill myself on the way down.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjPbhZIWqq5X_5JmI26kTbJztxY4ffTiR3iVXsUcHs9nAuFlgDddu2IGPE9twxUlsFo03vHxbPgMYvrmpdr9yrv3efKH02SPHgX4JTPXUAWWSV4PSyNFHPY0mlNdBSeXaUA0gOQNTGoKS/s1600/snowboarding+021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjPbhZIWqq5X_5JmI26kTbJztxY4ffTiR3iVXsUcHs9nAuFlgDddu2IGPE9twxUlsFo03vHxbPgMYvrmpdr9yrv3efKH02SPHgX4JTPXUAWWSV4PSyNFHPY0mlNdBSeXaUA0gOQNTGoKS/s400/snowboarding+021.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This is how you celebrate when you've gone from the very </div>
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top of the slope to bottom without falling over.</div>
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The award for awesomeness goes to me.</div>
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Look at the dirty skiers behind. Urgh.</div>
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After my triumphant run we had a quick coffee break before we did our last runs. By this time I was completely knackered, but determined to keep going until the end. Unfortunately, on one of my last goes from the top of the slope, I got up a little too much speed and found myself straying into the death zone.</div>
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Even though I've learnt how to slow myself down and how to change direction, I panicked, started flapping my arms about and inevitably fell on my arse. My right cheek took the full force of the impact and at the time of writing - two days after the incident - is still killing me. It knocked my confidence a little, but I know exactly what I did wrong. So, I got back up and did another run, despite the pain, because I wanted to end the day on a good note.</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Thoughts</span> </div>
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Snowboarding for an entire day is absolutely exhausting and I'm now aching all over, but it's one of the best days out I've ever had and I wish I'd got round to doing it sooner. The course covered the three different levels that take you to a recreational standard and I passed all three, so I am really pleased with myself. It's been a really worthwhile challenge, as I now have a skill I can use whenever I want and am already plotting when I can get back to Tamworth. I should also say that the staff at SnowDome, particularly AT, were lovely and really encouraging.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAjCvXT93Jla0lMRnXVvw8XmPTvNclPtOW15MEOhgM291qDjubVENXySX823LZQ9EJH_gWdcebGxLK9CuqJZqn0-uDiMw-tokB6-zbU5bHwmVTa9cxelkkVcMCwOXvJUGKaqQLgtAYo4cI/s1600/snowboarding+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAjCvXT93Jla0lMRnXVvw8XmPTvNclPtOW15MEOhgM291qDjubVENXySX823LZQ9EJH_gWdcebGxLK9CuqJZqn0-uDiMw-tokB6-zbU5bHwmVTa9cxelkkVcMCwOXvJUGKaqQLgtAYo4cI/s400/snowboarding+023.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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We both passed the course and are now recreational </div>
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snowboarders, which means we're allowed on </div>
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the slopes unsupervised!</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">My snowboarding experience in numbers:</span> <br />
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3,000 - number of calories I burned by taking the day course<br />
3 - times I went down the slope from the very top!<br />
1 - run from the very top without falling over<br />
50 - guestimated number times I fell over in total<br />
50 - number of times I put my arms out as I fell when I shouldn't have done<br />
50 - probable number of times I said 'fuck'<br />
1 - can of Red Bull to give me wings<br />
2 - massive coffees to keep me going<br />
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2 - the surprisingly low number of bruises I ended up with, one on my knee and one on my arse<br />
3 - number of levels I passed to get to recreational standard</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Verdict: probably the best WIN yet!</span></div>
Sarah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11813694076431038136noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321253130802460430.post-35640007584768267362012-09-19T08:51:00.000+01:002012-09-19T08:51:02.671+01:00Challenge #14: Sarah vs The Mixtape<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">30 Songs For 30 Years</span> <br />
<br />
If you were to make a mixtape to sum up your life, what would you put on it? As challenges go, this one has been my toughest yet and has actually taken me months to complete. Compiling what is perhaps my ultimate mixtape, a collection of songs that somehow sums up both me and the last 30 years, was always going to be a bastard - where the hell do you start??<br />
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I started mulling over the tracklist six months ago, when I was making my list of things to do before turning 30, but it has finally reached the point where I've just got to stop and realise that not everyone can be included. <br />
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My first tactic was to write a list of the bands I couldn't live without and when that got out of hand I turned to picking out songs that I can't imagine never hearing again. Some have been chosen for the memories associated with them, others for their awesome riffs and, of course, there are plenty with lyrics that just click with me. <br />
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My love of making mixtapes stretches back as far as my love of music, but while my compilations have since shifted to appearing on CDs and as playlists on my iPod for sheer convenience, I still prefer using cassettes for this game (they still sell them in Poundland if you want to play along). It's what I grew up with, what I bought my first single on ('Any Dream Will Do' by Jason Donovan, in case you were wondering... I was eight, don't judge me) and what I listened to on the go right up until I was 21. It's not just the combination of music that I like pulling together, it's also the cover...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyiY8DWLC4oV1kWk0f1PusvYcpsvWfH54MUTn2UbA_3o-DrEg8wGaqH6p97BhcfdI286_1tCmg9mRvfMGAljLt1oCQpxmzxrPDEAEUJxNiHgvrh8O8Gv1xyUU1od-WAOK_sAXxwjl3m_Ft/s1600/IMG00583-20120902-1113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyiY8DWLC4oV1kWk0f1PusvYcpsvWfH54MUTn2UbA_3o-DrEg8wGaqH6p97BhcfdI286_1tCmg9mRvfMGAljLt1oCQpxmzxrPDEAEUJxNiHgvrh8O8Gv1xyUU1od-WAOK_sAXxwjl3m_Ft/s400/IMG00583-20120902-1113.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Yes, that is a picture of me.</div>
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According to my mum I did nothing but scream, </div>
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with fists clenched, for the first three months </div>
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of my life (to be honest, I would cry for three </div>
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months now if I had to wear pink dungarees), so </div>
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I think it's quite fitting that I grew up to </div>
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like punk and hardcore.</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">The Rules</span> <br />
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My original plan was to create a mixtape of my 20 favourite tracks of my 20s, but it seems more fitting to have 30 songs for 30 years. Just to make things more difficult for myself the 30 tracks had to last no more than 90 minutes in order to squeeze them onto a C90 - good job I'm more into punk than metal otherwise this never would've worked - and every track had to be released after I was born, so post 1st March 1983.<br />
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While having the date restriction helped to cut down the volume of music I had to choose from, it also meant I had to leave out some of my most beloved bands/songs, including <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeTw_p_WglY" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">The Clash</span></a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-_0V0IXEkc" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">The Sonics</span></a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwAtifCoB3I" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">The Buzzcocks</span></a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVc29bYIvCM" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">Joy Division</span></a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kAiQiz_XDs" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">X</span></a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRW14H4BQXo" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">The Misfits</span></a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-4EZyPIsSY" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">The Ramones</span></a>.<br />
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There were also some agonising decisions that had to be made, resulting in Weezer, The Smiths, The Descendents, Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen, The Wildhearts, King Adora, Refused, AFI, Kerbdog and A Wilhelm Scream (I could go on forever with this list...) not making the final cut. It's important to point out though that my life is richer for their part in it.<br />
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About five times I thought I'd got the final cut, only to realise a key band/track had been missed out and the whole process would start all over again. <br />
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Just to give you a rough idea of how tough this challenge was, here's my music collection. Please note this doesn't include the shoe boxes of tapes that are stashed at my mum's house.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdKhXCbuB0bjsKWAlwfaIJ6xa0RKc1meBiSMNi3p0qphrBY9T-tv3EIu559aXdQ6tbeTaeCvbCwKpClJWL-HaUB5PZ2jeIcajMwkmlHX5rTEUUyrA27J6lC2YE6cHDDRFu6_5xip4Q9UP/s1600/musiccollection+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdKhXCbuB0bjsKWAlwfaIJ6xa0RKc1meBiSMNi3p0qphrBY9T-tv3EIu559aXdQ6tbeTaeCvbCwKpClJWL-HaUB5PZ2jeIcajMwkmlHX5rTEUUyrA27J6lC2YE6cHDDRFu6_5xip4Q9UP/s640/musiccollection+023.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
It's probably a good job I had a bit of a clear out a couple of years ago, otherwise this could really get out of hand. I'm already out of shelf space...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8y7cUL52DK86OiGoT89b4gpRL4NvjTTFwa4FD7lAeQ5mP_JIWMEugCRIMkmjF0uHnBiQJUFZVo_DsL8qJ-Afb_aBbfsFZyO2QV16cuF7dJYwktsRN_xLLAyBHus5Jf8cwF7dD0dP6M1aC/s1600/musiccollection+036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8y7cUL52DK86OiGoT89b4gpRL4NvjTTFwa4FD7lAeQ5mP_JIWMEugCRIMkmjF0uHnBiQJUFZVo_DsL8qJ-Afb_aBbfsFZyO2QV16cuF7dJYwktsRN_xLLAyBHus5Jf8cwF7dD0dP6M1aC/s640/musiccollection+036.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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This is where the overspill ends up.</div>
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So here it is, my 30 Songs For 30 Years. My story in music. I hope you enjoy...<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">30 Songs For 30 Years - Side A</span> <br />
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<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" height="515" id="gsPlaylist7665531099" name="gsPlaylist7665531099" width="500"><param name="movie" value="http://grooveshark.com/widget.swf" /><param name="wmode" value="window" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashvars" value="hostname=cowbell.grooveshark.com&playlistID=76655310&bbg=000000&bth=000000&pfg=000000&lfg=000000&bt=FFFFFF&pbg=FFFFFF&pfgh=FFFFFF&si=FFFFFF&lbg=FFFFFF&lfgh=FFFFFF&sb=FFFFFF&bfg=666666&pbgh=666666&lbgh=666666&sbh=666666&p=0" /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://grooveshark.com/widget.swf" width="250" height="500"><param name="wmode" value="window" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashvars" value="hostname=cowbell.grooveshark.com&playlistID=76655310&bbg=000000&bth=000000&pfg=000000&lfg=000000&bt=FFFFFF&pbg=FFFFFF&pfgh=FFFFFF&si=FFFFFF&lbg=FFFFFF&lfgh=FFFFFF&sb=FFFFFF&bfg=666666&pbgh=666666&lbgh=666666&sbh=666666&p=0" /><span><a href="http://grooveshark.com/playlist/30+Songs+For+30+Years+Side+A/76655310" title="30 Songs For 30 Years - Side A by ssoRharaS on Grooveshark">30 Songs For 30 Years - Side A by ssoRharaS on Grooveshark</a></span></object></object><br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">30 Songs For 30 Years - Side B</span> <br />
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<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" height="475" id="gsPlaylist7665848338" name="gsPlaylist7665848338" width="500"><param name="movie" value="http://grooveshark.com/widget.swf" /><param name="wmode" value="window" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashvars" value="hostname=cowbell.grooveshark.com&playlistID=76658483&bbg=000000&bth=000000&pfg=000000&lfg=000000&bt=FFFFFF&pbg=FFFFFF&pfgh=FFFFFF&si=FFFFFF&lbg=FFFFFF&lfgh=FFFFFF&sb=FFFFFF&bfg=666666&pbgh=666666&lbgh=666666&sbh=666666&p=0" /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://grooveshark.com/widget.swf" width="500" height="500"><param name="wmode" value="window" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashvars" value="hostname=cowbell.grooveshark.com&playlistID=76658483&bbg=000000&bth=000000&pfg=000000&lfg=000000&bt=FFFFFF&pbg=FFFFFF&pfgh=FFFFFF&si=FFFFFF&lbg=FFFFFF&lfgh=FFFFFF&sb=FFFFFF&bfg=666666&pbgh=666666&lbgh=666666&sbh=666666&p=0" /><span><a href="http://grooveshark.com/playlist/30+Songs+For+30+Years+Side+B/76658483" title="30 Songs For 30 Years - Side B by ssoRharaS on Grooveshark">30 Songs For 30 Years - Side B by ssoRharaS on Grooveshark</a></span></object></object><br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Verdict: possibly the most awesome mixtape ever and therefore a massive WIN!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">So what would be on your ultimate mixtape?</span></div>
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Sarah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11813694076431038136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321253130802460430.post-56267353883783490042012-08-29T13:31:00.001+01:002012-08-29T13:31:04.384+01:00Challenge #13: Sarah vs Urbexing<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Urban Exploration</span> <br />
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I find abandoned buildings strangely intriguing. Places that were once full of life just left empty and still, as if they never held any significance at all. Whenever I look at the crumbling walls and boarded up windows, I can't help but wonder what stories unfolded within them and the scenes they've witnessed over the years.<br />
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While real urban exploration, or urbexing, involves entering abandoned buildings and having a snoop around, mine doesn't because <strike>I couldn't get in</strike> I didn't want to trespass.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVdufmoFd22O23F-tm-Gvdwq3AyEFwCJRXyJLKjfpHldYe0hd4fXzupu4j_vg4DMRLpuo-xdI8pvMnOG3wT9N0GbhuFwTw9uit9Q3ii7mIM25kMjWrEqGxkRpQ-Acv9sThsnQkDfJDnNj/s1600/urbex+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVdufmoFd22O23F-tm-Gvdwq3AyEFwCJRXyJLKjfpHldYe0hd4fXzupu4j_vg4DMRLpuo-xdI8pvMnOG3wT9N0GbhuFwTw9uit9Q3ii7mIM25kMjWrEqGxkRpQ-Acv9sThsnQkDfJDnNj/s320/urbex+001.jpg" width="240" yda="true" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">King Edward VII (Upper) School</span> <br />
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It's funny that my old school became the scene of my (not quite) urbexing, because some of the stories its walls hold are mine. Like every teenager in Melton Mowbray, the Upper School was the place I suffered through my GCSE years, bored shitless and desperately counting down the days until I could leave and get a job. <br />
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Anyway, King Edward was closed a few years back, boarded up and is now left derelict, so it seemed like a good place to have nose around, especially as I hadn't set foot on its grounds in 13 years. It also has no gate, which is pretty much an invitation really...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ5d6fxZQnG5Ey3_FfgmSNFf0oqb30JzbyuikquBEAJ9CWeTdIY4gdoH1aQIdfWmGjYDgLxbMZDClk0cET2OqFwfMJog_Av71ueIUptAtaeVsmScQkopG4Sob2BCKxv_s6lT3Euo0iw8zh/s1600/urbex+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ5d6fxZQnG5Ey3_FfgmSNFf0oqb30JzbyuikquBEAJ9CWeTdIY4gdoH1aQIdfWmGjYDgLxbMZDClk0cET2OqFwfMJog_Av71ueIUptAtaeVsmScQkopG4Sob2BCKxv_s6lT3Euo0iw8zh/s400/urbex+009.jpg" width="400" yda="true" /></a></div>
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As you walk up the drive, through the gates of misery, this is the first building you see. It was the IT centre and I don't think I ever actually stepped foot in it. This was between 1997 and 1999, when there wasn't much to see on the internet. I'm not even kidding.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvShb2mh0dZK3WIOfSA_W4_NA8NqTl9W_zHk-4af1rxIAOEmsMmFGm0M6GhFdylbgeCoUhU5LWKCpqSdD_i762pNXw9rCr_FHxmbWMNXx9Z-Ahw0ZEPFtIDxmy1ZEwxGlfrlysOyrAOGVz/s1600/urbex+029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvShb2mh0dZK3WIOfSA_W4_NA8NqTl9W_zHk-4af1rxIAOEmsMmFGm0M6GhFdylbgeCoUhU5LWKCpqSdD_i762pNXw9rCr_FHxmbWMNXx9Z-Ahw0ZEPFtIDxmy1ZEwxGlfrlysOyrAOGVz/s640/urbex+029.jpg" width="480" yda="true" /></a></div>
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The building on the right was the dreaded maths block. I say dreaded because my maths teacher was a crumpled old battleaxe. She had shark eyes - completely dead - and probably should have retired about 20 years before I arrived at the school. Admittedly, she wasn't my biggest fan either, as I preferred playing truant to learning algebra. I feel it's important to point out here that I've never needed the algebra I never learned and I've done just fine without it, thank you very much. I think Bruce Springsteen was right when he sang: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ42tp5I5DM" style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;" target="_blank">"We learned more from a three-minute record than we ever learned at school."</a></div>
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The building that you can just see a bit of at the back was the hall, with the language rooms above. There was a quad in front of it where everyone would meet in the mornings or at lunch time and where all the fights took place, while the sports fields are to the left. I didn't spend much time on there either.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7sF1Nhh9KW4BhdNOO0z9UKz9SvMwWqLcrJxUQ7-jdUoZY1assWnMh2S5bsgMZyznXJPVe1-GJTM_79bNO76T_LaBtH-Xb54xKDDElklOGxTnqUGdHwHSRSH5RXUiilQ9z_BiVMD2UkXOJ/s1600/urbex+027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7sF1Nhh9KW4BhdNOO0z9UKz9SvMwWqLcrJxUQ7-jdUoZY1assWnMh2S5bsgMZyznXJPVe1-GJTM_79bNO76T_LaBtH-Xb54xKDDElklOGxTnqUGdHwHSRSH5RXUiilQ9z_BiVMD2UkXOJ/s400/urbex+027.jpg" width="300" yda="true" /></a></div>
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The maths block</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsNwkahc9czsyfkcniVCM9csBVTjQQlaKTUCxDGN0kbSWJsrl0fhg7iq6XoSa6aPD5HM3w7memOd9OC7haZiRRLj29pUFySqLSlZrQWOL1pWmaHcWGb288AmgXY41ovRWNXDLhqn51fBRQ/s1600/urbex+025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsNwkahc9czsyfkcniVCM9csBVTjQQlaKTUCxDGN0kbSWJsrl0fhg7iq6XoSa6aPD5HM3w7memOd9OC7haZiRRLj29pUFySqLSlZrQWOL1pWmaHcWGb288AmgXY41ovRWNXDLhqn51fBRQ/s400/urbex+025.jpg" width="300" yda="true" /></a></div>
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This is the maths block (on the left) with the English rooms pictured in the background. I find it funny that I chose a career that involves writing, as English classes here weren't really worth bothering with. My teacher, who insisted on being called 'mzzzzzzzzz' not 'miss' and looked liked Sue from Mel and Sue, insisted on re-arranging the seating plan every single lesson. It was a tedious exercise that took up most of the hour and left us with little time for any learning. I actually did ok in my exams, which is definitely down to me and not any teaching provided by that school.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2lXZt3PHZEqg629YKJ7HuAtSiJ90COG59vest1WDrDgAw4vIMqWuLzkCy0IZrJrcEfpsCVDy2Crlb0m7V7xbf-gZBWixSyJgznCX4c_sTP3j0x3WCWgiC5hSzrb6Ff0CObVzsSqsu8BQ/s1600/urbex+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2lXZt3PHZEqg629YKJ7HuAtSiJ90COG59vest1WDrDgAw4vIMqWuLzkCy0IZrJrcEfpsCVDy2Crlb0m7V7xbf-gZBWixSyJgznCX4c_sTP3j0x3WCWgiC5hSzrb6Ff0CObVzsSqsu8BQ/s400/urbex+006.jpg" width="400" yda="true" /></a></div>
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This is the back of the art block, which led to the cookery rooms and some windowless cavern where I was forced to take some bullshit sewing class. It was bullshit firstly because my mum taught me to sew from a young age and therefore I didn't need to learn how to do it and secondly because I wanted to take graphics and they said it was full, so I moaned constantly until they let me change. Graphics was much better and was taught by a guy who only owned two jumpers, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOLyDXH9B3Q" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">one burgundy and one blue</span></a>. </div>
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It may shock you to know that I actually liked art and it was probably the only class I always turned up to. Well, nearly always. I loved drawing as a kid and thought it was art I would pursue careerwise. </div>
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This is the back of the music block. The less that is said about my guitar playing abilities, the better. I think if it had involved listening to a lot of music I'd have been a star pupil.</div>
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And that's it for what I could access of my old school. Everything was fenced off and either painted with anti-trespass grease or spiked up, so all of the photos were taken through the fencing. I'd love to go in and nose around, see what's left inside. It's weird because I hated that place so much as a teenager, yet it was sad to see it all just left to ruin, left to sit there as it will no doubt do for a couple of decades before it's pulled down. On the other hand, I struggled to think of a happy story associated with that place. The day I left was probably my favourite, released into the wild clad in a spray painted skirt and Doc Martens.</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Extra pictures of the sixth form</span> </div>
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I can't share any stories of these buildings as I've never been in them, but they are pretty and worth a look.</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Verdict: WIN (because it's my blog and I'll make up the rule as I see fit)</span> </div>
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Sarah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11813694076431038136noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321253130802460430.post-3520818258420629212012-08-06T13:28:00.002+01:002012-08-06T13:28:31.234+01:00Challenge #12: Sarah vs Blood Donation<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Inspiration</span> <br />
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This challenge was inspired by my mum, who is the kind of person who always considers the needs of others before her own and who was a regular blood donor when she was my age. Although donating blood has been something I have wanted to do for a long time, like a lot of things I had just never got round to it. Partly because of finding the time and partly through fear. My main concerns were that it would hurt and I might faint and/or throw up. <br />
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Of course, the fact that <a href="http://www.blood.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">96% of us rely on the other 4% to give blood</span></a> was also enough to shame me into taking action. <br />
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The blood truck</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Drain the blood</span> <br />
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There were a lot of people waiting to donate when I arrived, more than I imagined there would be if I'm honest, and there was a quite an age range, which was really encouraging. As it was my first donation, I was asked a lot of questions about my health, before the nurse did the prick test to check if I was anaemic.<br />
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The drop of blood is added to a solution and they time how long it takes to sink. Mine just floated there, unwilling to play ball and the nurse said they would have to do a further test to determine whether I had sufficient iron levels to donate. My heart sank slightly. If I was low, I would have to abandon the challenge.<br />
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Thankfully, the test showed I had a higher than average score and we were good to go. I was ushered into the express queue to wait my turn. Dan told me later that at this point I had gone very pale - I think it was because I was so nervous about the task ahead.<br />
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I needn't have worried though, because the nurses were so reassuring and helpful, and once the needle had gone in I didn't feel anything. Also, as it was my first donation, they let Dan come and sit with me to help take my mind of it. <br />
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The guy in the bed next to me looks dead in this</div>
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picture, but don't panic I'm pretty sure he survived</div>
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The time went by really quickly and before I knew it the machine was bleeping to let me know I was done. And that was it, I had done it, with passing out or chucking up and I felt fine. In fact, I felt quite pleased with myself and proud that I had done something that might help someone else.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">And then...</span> <br />
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Once I had been unhooked, I was ushered over to the refreshments table for a drink and biscuits, so they could make sure I was ok. Just as I tucked into my third custard cream I felt my temperature rise really quickly and knew exactly what was going to happen next. My close friends refer to me as a flaker, because on odd occasions I like to add a little drama to situations by passing out. Usually somewhere really inconvenient like queuing to get into a festival site or right at the front of a gig. <br />
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Everything went black and seemed to move in slow motion, and I felt arms pulling me backwards. I came to with a cold towel on my head and a nurse fanning me. Apparently I started a bit of a domino rally, because right after I passed out a young woman followed my lead and did the same. The feeling passed as soon as it had come on though and the nurses were so quick to respond that I felt I was in good hands.<br />
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Adding a bit of drama to the situation<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7cI4cJzCaluv8i23TVYvwJQi-83xEd-i9cEVOHsCoWrC-xJmpyXjxu-zaxlWHGJV9P_w9aG8v7zosIkTT9PERDl5tGLd4JB2tSy3Oo4RVCkUsQ58-09UCCCWTq-xPD9MuNRWjdm3bg7iw/s1600/Dear+Photograph+034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" eda="true" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7cI4cJzCaluv8i23TVYvwJQi-83xEd-i9cEVOHsCoWrC-xJmpyXjxu-zaxlWHGJV9P_w9aG8v7zosIkTT9PERDl5tGLd4JB2tSy3Oo4RVCkUsQ58-09UCCCWTq-xPD9MuNRWjdm3bg7iw/s400/Dear+Photograph+034.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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One of the nurses insisted I take loads </div>
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of biscuits and stickers home as a reward</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">My blood donation in numbers:</span> <br />
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10 minutes 15 seconds - The time it took to drain a pint of blood from me. The machines beeps like you're in Super Mario World when it's done. Sadly I didn't get to ride home on Yoshi as a reward.<br />
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131 - My iron levels, the average is 115, but you need to be over 125 to donate.<br />
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2 hours - The time spent at the donation session, which was longer than normal because of...<br />
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10 seconds - The approximate length of time I was out of it following my dramatic fainting episode.<br />
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3 - The number of wounds I left with thanks to the prick test, anaemia test and blood donation.<br />
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4 - Number of months I now have to wait to donate again.<br />
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War wounds</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Conclusion</span> <br />
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I was so pleased that I managed to get through this challenge and complete it successfully. It is such a nice feeling to think I may help to save someone else's life and I couldn't help wondering where my blood will go, who it might end up with and the reasons they might need it. <br />
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Despite the slightly embarrassing fainting episode, I will definitely do again. The donation didn't hurt and it wasn't unpleasant, so please do not be put off by my post-donation dramatics, because it doesn't happen to everyone and it passes so quickly. Besides, the knowledge that you've done something worthwhile far outweighs a minor bit of fainting.<br />
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Well of course I look rough, </div>
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I've just lost a pint of blood</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Do something amazing, give blood</span><br />
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Search for your nearest blood donation session by clicking <a href="http://www.blood.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">HERE</span></a>.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Verdict: A very proud WIN!!!!</span> </div>Sarah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11813694076431038136noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321253130802460430.post-9379050643671459932012-07-13T13:40:00.003+01:002012-07-13T13:40:56.029+01:00Challenge #11: Sarah vs Ten Pin BowlingI have vague memories of a ten pin bowling party I had as a child, but there isn't any photographic evidence to prove this ever happened and I have no idea how old I might have been at the time. What I do know is that I haven't been bowling since this event - which may or may not have even happened - and is probably something I should have done well before turning 29.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">What people say</span> <br />
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It's worth mentioning here the amazing reaction I get when I say ten pin bowling is on my list of things to do before turning 30: "WHAT?! You've never been bowling?? What have you been doing with your time?"<br />
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It's the exact same reaction you get when casually remarking that you haven't seen some classic film. <br />
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In my defence I may have been bowling before, but if I haven't, it's because I've been busy trashing my ears for fun at gigs, occasionally stalking bands and working on enhancing my record collection. These things ain't cheap you know.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">The Rules</span> <br />
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The only rule I'd come up with for the bowling challenge is that I wasn't allowed to have the sides up - I like to call them wings - because I thought that would take all the <strike>skill</strike> flukiness out of the game. And possibly some of the fun too. <br />
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Shoes</div>
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Balls</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Let's play...</span> <br />
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Without any thought for how shit an afternoon it might be if I never hit anything, I insisted we were going to play three games. For some unknown reason I was quietly confident that rolling a ball down a lane would be quite an easy task and that knocking pins over would be do-able. I was being cocky. I was also wrong...<br />
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My first shot was a gutter ball. I was gutted.<br />
It's lucky you can't hear what I said at this point,<br />
but to give you a clue it began with an 'f' and ended in an 'off'. </div>
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This is Dan looking confident as he goes to take his first shot.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7sCizCIVLQr5GNELoBURTGz1kSUYZPGJrnJo_1q9Ou1G8rB83LOs7dF4i7tsvqbHMvigc74QrRLrE2ulcCYdrTZ-rw7zkVBVGLBoZGZFy-UX1_XWtPABkEKb7VE_NSqW6TMJ3NzSz8u5z/s1600/London+&+Bowling+117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7sCizCIVLQr5GNELoBURTGz1kSUYZPGJrnJo_1q9Ou1G8rB83LOs7dF4i7tsvqbHMvigc74QrRLrE2ulcCYdrTZ-rw7zkVBVGLBoZGZFy-UX1_XWtPABkEKb7VE_NSqW6TMJ3NzSz8u5z/s400/London+&+Bowling+117.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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You can tell that his first shot is right on course.</div>
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We're not putting this down to skill, we're putting </div>
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it down to being incredibly spawny.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibFoTqnmSndwjWxyi_NtrR_nbM50XcXTF1ZBZrOfHS4jspxiLzvqWm1T3dAQ4MnAtnbEeJYB_inaIpRyyXmrhP6YAcbM6HDlR7xIlM76bNofBy-AGJOYg-EjgK9CkGt19M8MUdkU5F6y-f/s1600/London+&+Bowling+124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibFoTqnmSndwjWxyi_NtrR_nbM50XcXTF1ZBZrOfHS4jspxiLzvqWm1T3dAQ4MnAtnbEeJYB_inaIpRyyXmrhP6YAcbM6HDlR7xIlM76bNofBy-AGJOYg-EjgK9CkGt19M8MUdkU5F6y-f/s400/London+&+Bowling+124.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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What I'm thinking: Yay, I finally knocked one over!</div>
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I would love to say that this shot was taken shortly after my first gutter ball,</div>
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but it wasn't. I did at least four of them before I managed to knock over one pin.</div>
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It was a proud moment though and this picture was taken just after</div>
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my celebratory dance.</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">First game score:</span> </div>
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Dan 47</div>
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Sarah 22</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKk0DKFAKgxSCXA_SZf3EdSggfl07IGr31SgrEeAEwn22icXBgAL9P7eO32dNRqID8DbGcWdPdLUYxA31dwty_SSAjIQCgHuPkeyCcOksaBXzhWj3rD2piI_z7tljxLZrIcShtKSxTIjhd/s1600/London+&+Bowling+121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKk0DKFAKgxSCXA_SZf3EdSggfl07IGr31SgrEeAEwn22icXBgAL9P7eO32dNRqID8DbGcWdPdLUYxA31dwty_SSAjIQCgHuPkeyCcOksaBXzhWj3rD2piI_z7tljxLZrIcShtKSxTIjhd/s320/London+&+Bowling+121.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Action shot</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHmj5O-pM41csiQnPj2uGRBM2Kc44jeUjHJURZW_cfOGpE2ig15DSSj90ozdNhPWYoOgX-ozr5sNKIMYuJfuZz67tij1HPjW1_JYzovUiHKCpHJpQYKrlmgsOKY2exCOVftjOCfecOSToR/s1600/London+&+Bowling+129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHmj5O-pM41csiQnPj2uGRBM2Kc44jeUjHJURZW_cfOGpE2ig15DSSj90ozdNhPWYoOgX-ozr5sNKIMYuJfuZz67tij1HPjW1_JYzovUiHKCpHJpQYKrlmgsOKY2exCOVftjOCfecOSToR/s320/London+&+Bowling+129.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Action shot</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidOqEoM3tZiyMwYHTFCfSizRYhE7YmadGI1jG7_sgCWczwgJBeL5ruYxX_Y-C4_myT4yePvjihDg3qKuPpHWLim-SRM0W2GfVq455LYha_bIA6-3GF_6XRacqHSX-iWbKwE1UapCyc5nn/s1600/London+&+Bowling+135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidOqEoM3tZiyMwYHTFCfSizRYhE7YmadGI1jG7_sgCWczwgJBeL5ruYxX_Y-C4_myT4yePvjihDg3qKuPpHWLim-SRM0W2GfVq455LYha_bIA6-3GF_6XRacqHSX-iWbKwE1UapCyc5nn/s400/London+&+Bowling+135.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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This is Dan looking smug because he got a strike. </div>
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Or two. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVlA_ZQ7Z8VfZ-erdrTG9gB7R4nys1ukMFy4DjShFSJSNNXczfn_hezcNbfIxfcRCTO74wGPpyMK1QJggen4YvmDnqTKrCGG6JOnzqxCjYjrZxssYlVlIswZUPEDB_vuNX-Cot0-qvDn7/s1600/London+&+Bowling+136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVlA_ZQ7Z8VfZ-erdrTG9gB7R4nys1ukMFy4DjShFSJSNNXczfn_hezcNbfIxfcRCTO74wGPpyMK1QJggen4YvmDnqTKrCGG6JOnzqxCjYjrZxssYlVlIswZUPEDB_vuNX-Cot0-qvDn7/s320/London+&+Bowling+136.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is me looking pissed off because I didn't get any strikes at all.</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Second game score:</span> </div>
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Dan 59</div>
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Sarah 43</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUHXgmCul0I8xnv0aq0qmGFkKtHY3zn8xPW9cOGyK4fFIAMsEq23rsKXkprzErEAcRkkjDeyGy2OnhCJqXu3EfRFM_fah2nPBANn_SlxV7MnDIMZvPR8dxS1swP9Vre_JrXvdDa2utlMgO/s1600/London+&+Bowling+127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUHXgmCul0I8xnv0aq0qmGFkKtHY3zn8xPW9cOGyK4fFIAMsEq23rsKXkprzErEAcRkkjDeyGy2OnhCJqXu3EfRFM_fah2nPBANn_SlxV7MnDIMZvPR8dxS1swP9Vre_JrXvdDa2utlMgO/s320/London+&+Bowling+127.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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In the last game, Dan's tactics kind of went to shit. <br />
I was delighted.<br />
He was not.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Third game score:</span> <br />
Dan 66<br />
Sarah 69<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8yczkzMK_mIgkaR3WvJrEjBZQU8JzlWX_9bNDX-CZ2m0eozV_6Rq_dr6jXZErD_Qgvo9V7UQZXfXNR-TIgVrV-LYdUTwqbDzi9L-DJMJH1qZ2uuuuj2-uPraHNF0lwjD1mfR216fNc-OE/s1600/London+&+Bowling+152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8yczkzMK_mIgkaR3WvJrEjBZQU8JzlWX_9bNDX-CZ2m0eozV_6Rq_dr6jXZErD_Qgvo9V7UQZXfXNR-TIgVrV-LYdUTwqbDzi9L-DJMJH1qZ2uuuuj2-uPraHNF0lwjD1mfR216fNc-OE/s320/London+&+Bowling+152.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I finally won a game!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDyDiHB4JRqP8I4fOEj0EHzNK801FViQAXOSWAWa4FsFfNvEZ_0EMHHjBN3mSXsge2V3OVssVMD7dz95SMrjbD0A5LJy23jP9QVDGP41kB_W5_8Cqbo4RQFOLK04_vtaXm4Q2SzC_Zb9Lm/s1600/London+&+Bowling+150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDyDiHB4JRqP8I4fOEj0EHzNK801FViQAXOSWAWa4FsFfNvEZ_0EMHHjBN3mSXsge2V3OVssVMD7dz95SMrjbD0A5LJy23jP9QVDGP41kB_W5_8Cqbo4RQFOLK04_vtaXm4Q2SzC_Zb9Lm/s400/London+&+Bowling+150.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Dan putting on a brave face.</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Thoughts</span> </div>
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Ten pin bowling is actually quite a tricky sport to master and what I've learned from the experience is that running and lobbing the ball somewhere in the direction of the pins is not the way to win. Also, having some coordination really helps, but is sadly something I seem to be lacking.</div>
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I've also discovered that playing against someone with more bowling experience will only lead to disappointment and name calling, so if at all possible, play against someone who is either shit or a small child.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrV-vSbhfAk3a5IEcYQPM05qUb-d3sl9iUepS0X2vxrRVet_ZnFN0YKOMqIdg1CKK1WGhiqVpB94lCW_NuOYLalGaa5HJ-VnbwkRt5RIiPAwjF9Vi906Bh4-G0z59e6GwItkp1TwU05uD/s1600/London+&+Bowling+149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrV-vSbhfAk3a5IEcYQPM05qUb-d3sl9iUepS0X2vxrRVet_ZnFN0YKOMqIdg1CKK1WGhiqVpB94lCW_NuOYLalGaa5HJ-VnbwkRt5RIiPAwjF9Vi906Bh4-G0z59e6GwItkp1TwU05uD/s400/London+&+Bowling+149.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Verdict: I hit some pins, so that's a win in my book</span></div>
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</div>Sarah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11813694076431038136noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321253130802460430.post-40869873833328948572012-07-10T13:28:00.000+01:002012-07-10T13:28:40.464+01:00The Melton Stay-cationYou'd be forgiven for thinking there's nothing else to Melton Mowbray but pork pies. I've spent 29 years believing the same. So, having escaped for a week and having no cash to splash on an adventure or a holiday, I thought I'd have a look at what else, if anything, my home town has to offer.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Melton Carnegie Museum</span><br />
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I live a short walk from the <a href="http://www.leics.gov.uk/meltonmuseum" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">Melton Carnegie Museum</span></a> and yet I haven't set foot inside it since a primary school trip some time in the early '90s. The fact that it's free to have a mooch around made it a good place to start, but it also houses Melton's second most well-known item - a taxidermied two-headed calf. Although admittedly this may just be a locally known thing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15oId4brRYIbcmDB6EO_dZ9p6B9lIKshU1bdj33sVhTIq8ZTeJgKwb7474Ks1jf4IB8lRsU6yMcItXuXE25I_b9rcHuX1KnDGX-s_GccEihtQwjacgipZEpi-NmGA9PNtzaisyrIt-DDe/s1600/London+&+Bowling+092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15oId4brRYIbcmDB6EO_dZ9p6B9lIKshU1bdj33sVhTIq8ZTeJgKwb7474Ks1jf4IB8lRsU6yMcItXuXE25I_b9rcHuX1KnDGX-s_GccEihtQwjacgipZEpi-NmGA9PNtzaisyrIt-DDe/s400/London+&+Bowling+092.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Melton Carnegie Museum used to be a library </div>
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back in the old days. Fact.</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">The two-headed calf</span><br />
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Born in Braunston, Rutland, around 1900, these female twin calves lived for just a few hours. They were taximdermied by the vet that delivered them and put on display in his practice in Melton, later putting in appearances at the cattle market, where the public would pay to have a gawp at the two-headed freak show.<br />
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I remember seeing this exhibit as a child, but it's funny how your imagination can warp memories over the years. The two-headed calf I thought I remembered was smaller and posed differently, but then I have been to Ripley's Believe It Or Not and they have a fair amount of animals with extra heads and limbs there, so this may have skewered my memory slightly.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ylE9L9MnCpcGcI3zTy9z2mC4Ye05cNxAJsBSPAhHoYJlWqnOGocAmZCtWobxo8Qhxrk2gfo_loZSO92WsI-vs7adKqbGUBaIDTnq-qyK1GjZ90esn3dimriJzNyIw-9XwEGD5YJA64ND/s1600/London+&+Bowling+085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ylE9L9MnCpcGcI3zTy9z2mC4Ye05cNxAJsBSPAhHoYJlWqnOGocAmZCtWobxo8Qhxrk2gfo_loZSO92WsI-vs7adKqbGUBaIDTnq-qyK1GjZ90esn3dimriJzNyIw-9XwEGD5YJA64ND/s400/London+&+Bowling+085.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Melton's two-headed calf.<br />
I named them Bessie and Buttercup in my head.</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Other stuff of note</span><br />
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Cheese. Stilton cheese to be precise. Melton's Tuxford and Tebbutt is one of only five cheese producers in the world that make Blue Stilton. I've never eaten any though because it smells worse than my feet and looks a little like a fat lady's veiny legs. Umm. But you go ahead and indulge.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4riNliudGHlWmNHXi-cJwS-PKr8M0RyIkOxPTimJIxxt4w7t26MITyaibhIiFGPOLc9l_cpDXik1eAjjYHzdRlDUD2VprnkHkBD37wUda3-fXC51u7NQlAHkpeEvzo4RYIWFPY2Y6y_VO/s1600/London+&+Bowling+055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4riNliudGHlWmNHXi-cJwS-PKr8M0RyIkOxPTimJIxxt4w7t26MITyaibhIiFGPOLc9l_cpDXik1eAjjYHzdRlDUD2VprnkHkBD37wUda3-fXC51u7NQlAHkpeEvzo4RYIWFPY2Y6y_VO/s400/London+&+Bowling+055.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Stilton cheese making stuff</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTG4v5pO1omWhyphenhyphenK9Ve_c-7S2fb-t5EZchBw6T1EvOYYgkQ2Vlpo-_LQLDal2rBSjHuZ_tqqi0Jkpvjuess0rB3Ran7wURqj8NBx0A4WqFJALfBsojGhjOYHDEYdceHJWUHhcoPS5tryemZ/s1600/London+&+Bowling+060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTG4v5pO1omWhyphenhyphenK9Ve_c-7S2fb-t5EZchBw6T1EvOYYgkQ2Vlpo-_LQLDal2rBSjHuZ_tqqi0Jkpvjuess0rB3Ran7wURqj8NBx0A4WqFJALfBsojGhjOYHDEYdceHJWUHhcoPS5tryemZ/s400/London+&+Bowling+060.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Stilton inspired hat that isn't made of real cheese </div>
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because that would be silly. And smelly.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZozQQQ3P2ECX-zUBxi6xq7gxnY3JPfN9yVwDAs2YA_g5y8YPdSSQPPZnhGyUwz8Hmvc-o5E1w-Npz4H-6t6iTBKPG5XVf-DAll_q1GDlLHFh5p_vUGD_fQuI9MPM2qyyTuN7LTgjJSMjy/s1600/London+&+Bowling+062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZozQQQ3P2ECX-zUBxi6xq7gxnY3JPfN9yVwDAs2YA_g5y8YPdSSQPPZnhGyUwz8Hmvc-o5E1w-Npz4H-6t6iTBKPG5XVf-DAll_q1GDlLHFh5p_vUGD_fQuI9MPM2qyyTuN7LTgjJSMjy/s400/London+&+Bowling+062.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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A photo of the 1922 Melton flood makes me <br />
think we've only had a little rain in comparison this summer</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQy-WBZTL8bTQBvlf2L5diypROEggl1k7yu3sEP7bJTtLhTTUicHUhDNLbxHzkL6eNt9M6qI9c6NFvEsdkao-F-qCM8MVoCIZOLzkc22ote9KfUqOdlbFmlhGPxr6i7iLPxGllGyZJQFt/s1600/London+&+Bowling+075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQy-WBZTL8bTQBvlf2L5diypROEggl1k7yu3sEP7bJTtLhTTUicHUhDNLbxHzkL6eNt9M6qI9c6NFvEsdkao-F-qCM8MVoCIZOLzkc22ote9KfUqOdlbFmlhGPxr6i7iLPxGllGyZJQFt/s400/London+&+Bowling+075.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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This game kept me entertained for ages.</div>
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You have to stamp on all the clouds to turn them into sunshine.</div>
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If you do really well you also get a rainbow.</div>
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It's the simple things in life.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-FF17YKl7ClBttrhUMRO1VeZaTxBujjIZ_Fk_D7avjNYRNjKfVcGR6gtHXOsYbDLfKk0EYLtLfexGsrQBYAh12F2SUHFthKSLx6UqtXO5MyrR9w-gmy0AkMvlndMxVmzSGwRDWlPWKSXN/s1600/London+&+Bowling+066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-FF17YKl7ClBttrhUMRO1VeZaTxBujjIZ_Fk_D7avjNYRNjKfVcGR6gtHXOsYbDLfKk0EYLtLfexGsrQBYAh12F2SUHFthKSLx6UqtXO5MyrR9w-gmy0AkMvlndMxVmzSGwRDWlPWKSXN/s320/London+&+Bowling+066.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Dan looks smug here because he just won at dominoes.</div>
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I'm taking the photo while also sticking two fingers up at him. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFC7q2IPznZMPDGC_HDuRB6np7IemKTrkgxzOIKS6ZJIBFhOtPGXdB4H4_SBKLsQpf5jRdYeYvsfM7TbHCyeD_GbPUPCJ4Ps40ixA_Dm2cdaDcWpjUVjslWAU-jQbGhvxZg4xr2ybFzIS/s1600/London+&+Bowling+074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFC7q2IPznZMPDGC_HDuRB6np7IemKTrkgxzOIKS6ZJIBFhOtPGXdB4H4_SBKLsQpf5jRdYeYvsfM7TbHCyeD_GbPUPCJ4Ps40ixA_Dm2cdaDcWpjUVjslWAU-jQbGhvxZg4xr2ybFzIS/s640/London+&+Bowling+074.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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The phrase 'painting the town red' was coined in Melton. </div>
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Oh yes.</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Melton Country Park</span></div>
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Stepping out of the museum, we was shocked to discover it wasn't raining, so a trip to the park to feed the ducks and have a walk seemed like a good idea.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiukSeAbGBlO1JL_r5JrHrf8r4Ma7VGJ0_WH4CFKxJccs5OmF9pBvIjF0LbyIqZUlbtboZGo4c0v4B2ezJX4c62OFczC9IOrQzVVC7jPvKaHvdAfwCYlLcnUTN9EV9bOBiUrlGOqazSkNs9/s1600/London+&+Bowling+096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiukSeAbGBlO1JL_r5JrHrf8r4Ma7VGJ0_WH4CFKxJccs5OmF9pBvIjF0LbyIqZUlbtboZGo4c0v4B2ezJX4c62OFczC9IOrQzVVC7jPvKaHvdAfwCYlLcnUTN9EV9bOBiUrlGOqazSkNs9/s320/London+&+Bowling+096.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Attempting a pull-up.</div>
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I'm going to blatantly lie here and say I just did the 20</div>
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because I didn't want to show off too much.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgveU5_-HPHfz1tYYm1OMNKTN56NjTUj1lUfQwXWVNsRxPvTUMVuK3FPJtaOTD091MZ7807CKkiQdhZZ7NrDjl3-onqIEs9CVzdJi44d4beXe5hSWBkmTltQB5SBxPjxZ2-9vPYItQKz4ul/s1600/London+&+Bowling+099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgveU5_-HPHfz1tYYm1OMNKTN56NjTUj1lUfQwXWVNsRxPvTUMVuK3FPJtaOTD091MZ7807CKkiQdhZZ7NrDjl3-onqIEs9CVzdJi44d4beXe5hSWBkmTltQB5SBxPjxZ2-9vPYItQKz4ul/s320/London+&+Bowling+099.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I'm also going to lie here and say Dan didn't manage any</div>
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at all, because I'm very competitive and don't</div>
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like to lose at things. Especially to boys.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIewZ5qYTM92Kph4tcjJE3feqckqZ397egbx_aUjgcaBuDB03n9Gx5HM0KqlK3nefK0eSFEkbjB0UWKSvi4Aw7cmNgw636Qi-18eauNGymF7RXjNWp70jLA8MzG1lc1YhuYjWIB_VicocF/s1600/London+&+Bowling+101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIewZ5qYTM92Kph4tcjJE3feqckqZ397egbx_aUjgcaBuDB03n9Gx5HM0KqlK3nefK0eSFEkbjB0UWKSvi4Aw7cmNgw636Qi-18eauNGymF7RXjNWp70jLA8MzG1lc1YhuYjWIB_VicocF/s400/London+&+Bowling+101.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Feeding the ducks. <br />
Note how they've started creeping up the bank.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8gWX9RFwhlDIEUkx9DGHvAsUx5MHglPQgrWgTdmXvTsVrNXRZvUmI983XO4yyWitwqyN-kJ_3RVAYyzPwkIsXncrkCAQnUDu97bmRLpu55WtheMqMsze3dMhLzlcXSJWC2j9dp0PKvCF_/s1600/London+&+Bowling+103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8gWX9RFwhlDIEUkx9DGHvAsUx5MHglPQgrWgTdmXvTsVrNXRZvUmI983XO4yyWitwqyN-kJ_3RVAYyzPwkIsXncrkCAQnUDu97bmRLpu55WtheMqMsze3dMhLzlcXSJWC2j9dp0PKvCF_/s400/London+&+Bowling+103.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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That awkward moment when you run out of bread and</div>
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the ducks start chasing you...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAEp2G_1SeZ1Gaf9h7JLjusaJyHQJvig9bQltocBjoOtYd-O5qfJvo7zg6C4LnkjthJpGNAWsmXY-xWqnZ2iinQZjt9MDy-MRFgOdKKrhz9iq0GNw5lslOkVoBFpWkrWHgLHZgt9ZN6x1/s1600/London+&+Bowling+104+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAEp2G_1SeZ1Gaf9h7JLjusaJyHQJvig9bQltocBjoOtYd-O5qfJvo7zg6C4LnkjthJpGNAWsmXY-xWqnZ2iinQZjt9MDy-MRFgOdKKrhz9iq0GNw5lslOkVoBFpWkrWHgLHZgt9ZN6x1/s400/London+&+Bowling+104+2.JPG" width="267" /></a></div>
Trying to make a getaway while feeling a little<br />
like the piped piper.<br />
Even after this pic was taken they carried<br />
on following us.</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Thoughts</span> </div>
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On his hometown of Blackwood, Richey James of the Manic Street Preachers, once remarked: "If you built a museum to represent Blackwood, all you could put in it would be shit... rubble and shit."</div>
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When I was younger, I thought this could easily describe my hometown, where nothing ever happened and there was never anything to do. I'm a little more forgiving nowadays and have grown thankful over the years that I didn't grow up in a city, but I do often wish there was more to do here that doesn't involve gambling or perusing charity shops.<br />
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Having said that, I don't think I fully appreciate what there is here - I hadn't been to that museum in about 20 years and probably visit the park about once a year. So I think next time I feel the urge to bad mouth my home town for being a little on the dull side, I'll bite my tongue and think of all the things it has to offer that I don't fully appreciate.</div>
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<br /></div>Sarah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11813694076431038136noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321253130802460430.post-89577625333566068562012-07-07T20:30:00.000+01:002012-07-07T20:30:01.726+01:00Challenge #10: Sarah vs Abbey RoadIt's easy to assume there's no real challenge involved in having your picture taken at Abbey Road. Surely all you need to do is pose and pull a big cheesy grin, right? Wrong. It's a dangerous game posing on a zebra crossing while angry taxi drivers are pipping and revving at you, and it's actually quite distracting when you're trying to get a nice smiley snap for the family album... <br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">A gift from Laura</span><br />
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This challenge wasn't on my original list, because I wasn't smart enough to think of it. It only found its way into the game thanks to my mate <a href="http://laura-hyde.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">Laura</span></a> who kindly gifted it to me from her bucket list (thanks bird). The challenge was to try and recreate the famous Abbey Road album sleeve, which shows The Beatles on the zebra crossing outside the studios back in the late '60s - a decade when there was weather other than rain.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Spot the difference...</span><br />
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<a href="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/02/ciu/6e/14/59bc017b42a08a9efa6ae110.L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="cmuImage" height="400" id="cmuMainImage" src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/02/ciu/6e/14/59bc017b42a08a9efa6ae110.L.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'm fairly confident that you'll be able to tell which </div>
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version is which, but in case you're struggling this one</div>
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is The Beatles. I'm pretty sure there were no angry </div>
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taxi drivers revving engines out of shot here.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7HPo9vWh1yHQezsmUOnEBgrb5WDk8JY_AUAnIdSWbz2A99Grdc5eMJ-tydjMpYeCFPKqk7amCrIPAcHrhA1WwpjumjfYKbcLl_uzhcU3iud-hITItMzOl9Zb7wgvHYsPd5zSqll5nOC4J/s1600/IMG_0146%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7HPo9vWh1yHQezsmUOnEBgrb5WDk8JY_AUAnIdSWbz2A99Grdc5eMJ-tydjMpYeCFPKqk7amCrIPAcHrhA1WwpjumjfYKbcLl_uzhcU3iud-hITItMzOl9Zb7wgvHYsPd5zSqll5nOC4J/s400/IMG_0146%5B1%5D.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Left to right: Tom, Dan, me and Laura</div>
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Note how Laura is playing along by looking straight ahead, while the rest of us are posing.</div>
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Well, Tom looks a little like he's about to run away.</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Getting the shot</span></div>
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It's a bit much to ask a total stranger to stand in the middle of a busy road and take a photo of you, unless of course you offer to trade a little life risking to return the favour. </div>
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Being very British and having good manners, we queued politely until we decided it was our turn, then screamed 'go, go, go!' as the cars came to a stop and we ran to our places. </div>
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Considering this was a one-take shot, we hadn't actually come up with any sort of plan, so I think we did quite well to stand evenly spaced and one of us even found the time to put a hand on the hip. Laura had obviously done her homework, which is why she is looking ahead, but I think the rest of us just panicked and went with the usual drill.</div>
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It was quite a weird experience though, having your photo taken while taxi drivers glare at you, trying to get it over as quickly as possible before they lose patience and just mow you down. Then again, I can't help but wonder why they don't drive a different way, they know the crossing is there and have had at least four decades to come up with an alternative route.</div>
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(By the way, it wasn't me standing in the road taking the photo of the strangers after they had kindly taken ours, I left that one to Dan.)</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Abbey Road graffiti</span></div>
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As soon as we arrived at Abbey Road it started pissing it down, so we dashed over the zebra crossing to take shelter under the trees of the studio and indulged in a little graffiti and photo taking to pass the time. </div>
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As you do...</div>
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Laura and Tom Hyde in front of the Abbey Road sign</div>
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Dan and me outside Abbey Road Studios</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">How to get there</span> </div>
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Take the Northern Line on the Tube, getting off at St John's Wood. Follow Grove End Road onto Abbey Road. Singing Beatles songs while walking to Abbey Road is optional, but it's better if you do.</div>
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Verdict: WIN!</span></div>
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Abbey Road Studios has a webcam trained on the crossing, so you can watch people getting their geek on right now by clicking <a href="http://www.abbeyroad.com/Crossing" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;">here</span></a>.</div>
<a name='more'></a>Sarah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11813694076431038136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321253130802460430.post-48706095301573734532012-07-01T14:04:00.001+01:002012-07-01T14:04:51.908+01:00Challenge #9: Sarah vs. Zelda (A Link to the Past)This battle has gone on for nearly 20 years. It was Christmas 1992 when my Snes arrived, excitingly packaged in its yellow Mario-themed box and unwrapped from its Christmas paper within five seconds flat.<br />
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If you're old enough to remember the Snes, you'll remember every boy you knew declaring that there would never be anything with graphics better than this. If you're not old enough to remember the Snes then you should probably be hanging around somewhere else looking sickeningly youthful and using slang words I don't understand.<br />
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It was my first games console and like many firsts, it still holds a special place in my heart. While everyone else sold theirs off for the N64 or the Playstation, mine has spent the last two decades juggled between the top of the wardrobe and the bedroom floor, plugged in a couple of times a year in order to provide a regular nostalgia trip.<br />
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The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past was one of my favourite games as a ten-year-old, but one which I always approached a little half arsed. I would do a few tasks, then eventually get stuck, get pissed off and not play it again for ages. Remember people, this was in the days before I could go on the internet and cheat my way through it, which as a ten-year-old I definitely would have done given half the chance. So, it seemed natural to add it to my list of things to do before I become too weak and feeble to be able to lift the controller.<br />
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The basic idea of Zelda is that some evil dude has taken over the land and captured the beautiful princess, and it's your job to save the day. The thing I loved about it was the story it had to it and as well as killing people, you had puzzles to work out. Some puzzles were easy to solve, but sometimes they were so difficult to work out I would resort to call the game unspeakable things beginning with the letters c, f and b. <br />
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As mentioned previously, my younger self would've been more than happy to cheat the entire way through, but it wouldn't have been much of a challenge if I'd done that. So, the two rules I set myself were no cheats to be used at all and I was only allowed to StrategyWiki it if I had reached a point where I really couldn't work out where to go next and the swearing was getting out of control. <br />
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Being the idiot I am, I didn't keep a log of how many hours I spent playing, but I think it took around six weekends to complete the game, completing about two sections of the game every weekend. Sometimes I played for hours at a time, occasionally it was just a brief stint, but the further along I got with it the more it seemed to consume my Sunday afternoons and evenings. Then, from out of no where, suddenly I was facing the last big bad ass dude (are they still referred to as bosses?? I'm calling them bad asses these days) and it was all over. <br />
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You're welcome.</div>
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First rule of Snes Club is you don't talk </div>
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about Snes Club. Second rule is you're not</div>
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allowed to brush your hair and you must</div>
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wear half of your pjs. </div>
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Also, looking a bit like the love child of Rebekah</div>
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Brooks and Dave Mustaine here, only</div>
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happier and less whiny. </div>
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And less orange of course.</div>
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Apparently it took me 155 games to complete it. Oops.</div>
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Well, it may have taken me almost 20 years to complete, but it just shows that you can do stuff when you put your mind to it. Or when you add it to a stupid list.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #4c1130; color: #f3f3f3;">Verdict: WIN!</span></div>Sarah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11813694076431038136noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321253130802460430.post-33801761684534110202012-06-25T13:26:00.000+01:002012-06-25T13:26:15.797+01:00Weirdest Thing I Saw This WeekendBy far the weirdest thing I saw this weekend was a re-usable condom from 1948. That's right. Re-usable. Urgh.<br />
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Visiting the <a href="http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/" style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;" target="_blank">Science Museum</a> has been on my list of things to do in London for ages, so I was excited to finally get my geek on and take a look at what they have to offer yesterday.<br />
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This crusty gem is part of The Science and Art of Medicine, an exhibition of terrifying instruments and artifacts from medicine from the last few centuries.<br />
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There were some truly horrific tool boxes with saws and clamps from the 1800s, items for leach therapy and forceps that looked like instruments of torture.<br />
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Much of the exhibition put the fear of God into me and I felt thankful to have been born in an age where medicine is so advanced and doesn't involve cutting people and letting them bleed in order to relieve pressure in the body.<br />
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So it was with some relief when I found this little rubber beauty, still sitting in its original box, complete with instructions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihSUM03lHpmNJNLFfSB9-5722B_p21H2XTo7M4xlB3VDuihXLeLfO3_Wn0_f3w8WD-iCCmlj-3lZMXkmdlg8SJ-3b9_vj_Lne5h5scjQLKvbXb3HyXiXlWanOTawnGU8Ppngsv3TEwEnDh/s1600/STA77541+%282%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihSUM03lHpmNJNLFfSB9-5722B_p21H2XTo7M4xlB3VDuihXLeLfO3_Wn0_f3w8WD-iCCmlj-3lZMXkmdlg8SJ-3b9_vj_Lne5h5scjQLKvbXb3HyXiXlWanOTawnGU8Ppngsv3TEwEnDh/s400/STA77541+%282%29.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The re-usable condom </div>
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After use you simply wash it in tepid water, towel dry and you're good to go again.<br />
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As museum exhibits go, this one comes (ha) second only to the steam powered vibrators I saw at New York's <a href="http://www.museumofsex.com/" style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130;" target="_blank">Museum of Sex</a>.<br />
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I'm so grateful to have been born in the '80s.Sarah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11813694076431038136noreply@blogger.com1