30 Amazing things

Friday 29th September 2006

As part of my celebrations, I have decided that before 30th December 2007, I will do 30 amazing things....(Amazing to me, ok!?)
Obviously the trek along this wall thing in China will be fairly amazing, so only another 29 to go!

Yesterday, courtesy of the nice chaps at Cheltenham Fire Station, I got to sit in a fire engine (Or as my friend (Dr) Benit called it, "the big red brum brum twuck") I wasn't allowed to play with the lights or sirens, but hey - I pretended to drive it!!! and then the next time the truck was taken out, they flashed the lights and sounded the sirens just for me!

28 things to do......I have an idea for another 2 things, which will take me down to 26 needed...thinking caps on people, leave a comment on the blog with your ideas.... Mike's idea of singing on the tannoy at kingsholm only showed that he's never heard me sing before!!!

This week has also seen donations arrive from Marky G (thanks boss!) and Karen (smiffy). The donations website (www.justgiving.com/racheldavis) has been updated to show all donations to date...

Ladies night tickets are selling well - and raffle prizes are drifting in slowly....
The quiz book is almost ready to be printed now...
and plans are afoot to have a valentines singles night next year!!

All of this, and I'm still studying for my exams!!!

Dizzie does Derbyshire

Saturday 23rd September 2006

Apologies for the lack of entries....I've been a very busy Dizz....!!

Last Friday was Hattie and Ali's wedding - lovely day had by all at Birmingham
Botanical Gardens, Hattie looked gorgeous (as always!) and to be honest, I was
impressed at her "matchmaking" skills - having placed me on a table with some
very eligible young men!
Anyway - not a lot of walking was done that day (apart from back to the hotel).
The next day, I collected Tyson (Tyson.D.Dog for those unfamilar with him) and
we drove to Derbyshire to start our (well deserved) holiday.
We arrived at Wheeldon Farm Holiday Cottages just after 6pm - it was still light,
so we had a quick investigate before settling in for the evening.

Sunday arrived - pure fog! Lovely! Tyson and I climbed to the top of High Wheeldon
(apparently 1384 feet) - it was foggy, but dramatic! That was a steep climb, and as
it is part of the National Park, dogs have to remain on their leads - which is a good
excuse for Tyson to drag my sorry ass UP the hill, but when it comes to walking back
down it, Tyson moves faster than I do - and it's not funny!!

Monday morning and the weather looked much more promising - the sky was bluer,
and we headed off to Weeton Mill. Tyson thought it was great - he got to play in the water!
We walked along the road for a while - but there was nowhere to play, so we walked back
to the Mill and sat down for a sandwich and a slice of cake (we share!) another quick play in the water and we got back into the car. Next stop Hartington, where we attempted to do the nature trail (2.5kms) however - after the best part of a kilometre, we were chased across a field by twenty sheep! Although Tyson is part Collie, he obviously didn't watch "One man and his dog" as his sheepdog skills were sadly lacking!!

We did an about turn and resumed part of the "Tissington Trail" which goes from Hartington to Ashbourne. We stumbled across "Ruby Wood" - which is a plantation. Not very big, but nice all the same - apart from the big wooden carved mole in the centre of it that Tyson thought was a threat (I'm sure he was protecting me and not being a wimp!!) but he crouched and growled, and generally was a wimp about it all...!

For the rest of the week, we were out and about - we saw Julie Mellons, had a lovely meal at the Church Inn at Chelmorton (well worth a visit if you're in the area). We went to Carsington Water - and had planned to do the 8.5 mile circular walk (why had I planned to do that?!?!) but after reaching the village of Carsington, the way markers disappeared, and I wasn't sure which way to go -so, I tried the public footpath route - but after a while I was striding out onto deserted moorland, on my own, with no mobile signal, and no idea of where I was! So, instead of becoming one of those "never seen again" statistics, I turned around and headed back. So, we walked for six miles instead of the 8.5 we'd planned. It was still a good walk.

On Thursday, we visited the Lathkill Nature Reserve (should've been worried when we were the only car in the car park!!) the steep hill down to the reserve was a bit heavy going - and about half way down, I realised we'd have to walk back up it too! (Hottest day of the week!)
Anyway - we got to the nature reserve - another place that dogs aren't allowed off their leads (Derbyshire is not the place to take dogs who like to run free!) - the first thing we find is a notice telling us that the River Lathkill has dried up - for a mile anyway - either side of the mile stretch, the River is free flowing (Very strange!) Another sign asked me to keep my dog out of the river (when there was a river - further along) Sod that, sorry English Nature, but there were no water birds for Tyson to scare - and the water was no more than two inches deep - so I let him paddle, and drink!! (is that sirens I can hear?? they're coming to arrest me!)

Friday - the last day of our holiday. It was grey and misty - but still warm. The plan had been to visit the Nine Ladies (Derbyshire's answer to Stonehenge) but we couldn't find it! so instead, we went to trusty Chatsworth and walked along the park there. We collected some conkers and played in the water - then it started to rain! Headed back to the car just in time for the downpour!

So, in a nutshell, that is the week of my holiday. I didn't walk a huge distance - but I did walk EVERY day, and there were hills EVERY day! My favourite purchases so far - my walking poles and my camelbak!!

Generous Friends

Saturday 9th September 2006

This week started really well - a donation from Elizabeth started the week on a good note (thanks Lizzie!). After that, I was summoned into the retail section at work, where I was
told that they had decided they wanted to do something to help me with my sponsorship.
As a group, they had decided to donate a pound each month to me until I go to China...
how flipping generous is that??? (So, thank you VERY much Clive, Heather, Amanda, Matt, Mark, Lesley, Paul and Cath)

After the donation from Paul last week (Very generous when he's only just started working
for us!) and the donation from Julie Mellon (bless her bum) my fundraising is looking quite healthy!! with the gardening money, it is rapidly approaching five hundred pounds!

I've written 160 of my 200 questions for my quiz book....
I've written 25 begging letters....
and I've started planning a "ladies night" for November

At this rate, I will exceed my target (Which won't be a bad thing!!)

Tyson and I have already had our walk this morning - out to Highnam Woods, where it was a bit wet underfoot, but a nice walk all the same - fairly brisk, got the heart pumping. And today, I refused to throw a ball or a stick for tyson and remained upright the whole time! And my back doesn't hurt now - so it's definitely the way to go!!!

I'm not the only one!!

Sunday 3rd September 2006

I'm not the only one!! HOORAH!!! Two more people have signed up for the China Trek!!
Andy and Gary look much fitter (health wise,obviously!) than me.

My fundraising has hit the TWO HUNDRED POUND mark now - that's hard cash, not the
promise of cash.
That is not taking into account the money I earned last weekend with the gardening.
Whooo hooooo! We're doing well.....

I've started writing my quiz book - it should be ready for Christmas!
Get your money ready - I'll be trying to sell you a copy soon!

Training has been seriously hampered recently. My kidney infection is ongoing, and walking
even short distances is hard for me. The last week I have made myself walk a mile each day, but it's not far enough. I've done a couple of trips to Crickley Hill, so that I can do some terrain walking, but still, not far enough.

Saturday 16th September, I am off on Holiday (yes, it DOES deserve a capital H). Tyson and I are off to the land of Mellons, we're going to Derbyshire. We'll be staying at www.wheeldontreesfarm.co.uk

Hopefully, while we're there, not only will we get to see my best friend Julie Mellon (Yes, that really IS her name!) but we will also do a fair bit of walking.....there are no beaches this time, but I'm sure that Ty and I will have a great time - providing that the kidney infection has gone by then!

Anyway, I'll be hard at work for the next two weeks, making sure that they can cope without me while i'm gone....I will also be working on my quiz book, and next Sunday (10th September) there is an "It's a knockout" competition in Cheltenham, which I will be helping out at! (I will definitely need this holiday!)