26. Have a photo taken with a major celebrity

I figured I keep you guys waiting on this one as I only achieved it very close to my 30^th and wanted to keep it a surprise.  I haven’t fully ticked the item, but I think this is more than sufficient to say my list is complete.

This is Britney Spears, the bonafide, real, womanizing, global popstar who is known across the world for hits such as Baby One More Time and Toxic as well as her rather turbulent personal life of 14 hour marriages, shaving her hair off for no reason and rehab for alcohol abuse. 

Does she count as a major celebrity, hell yes!  Did I get my photo with her….well yes in a roundabout way…I was with her when I took the photo (her security were being rather strict about it all so made it quite difficult to get in the photo with her).

How did I achieve this one, in the end, despite a couple of planned attempts (the photo to the right is Daniel Radcliffe on one of these attempts), completely by chance.  I was due to work from my company’s Oxford Street office (i.e. not my usual location) and decided to walk in from Great Portland Street station.  On my walk down Great Portland Street I noticed a crowd just off it so peered around to see if I could see what it was and noticed the Radio 1 sign, smartphone out, Google Radio 1 breakfast show and saw Britney’s name and, with only a small hesitation, decided that this was an opportunity not to let pass.  15 mins later the star appears and photos snapped and off I went to work.

I’ve done the list, I’ve bloody done the list, with only a couple of swapsies and a minor tweak to this final one!

Thank you to every person who’s helped me along the way – in no particular order: Alex for the movies, Sarah for the west end stage, Jamie for the opera, Abby and Mark for the balloon ride, Kate for the magic trick and the skydive, Duschanca for the dolphins, my big sister Jo for the helicopter, Grand Canyon, hotel, gambling and hotel, Graeme for the Eiffel Tower, Graham and Kirsty for the horseriding, mum and dad for parliament, Holly and Duschanca for champagning with me at the Oxo, Caroline for the three peaks, Chris and Denise for the winetasting, the people at Timeout for letting me contribute and to everyone who has given me moral support and encouragement to get these things done along the way.  Thank you all!!

28. Memorise every country name and capital city

I’m going to try and make this post as un-dull as possible.  I’ve learnt the countries and their capitals.  The american spiritual song sang I've got the whole world in my hands....well, I've got the world in my head.

I’ve been tested thoroughly by my colleagues at work over the past few days (including at the pub tonight after a few drinks) and have managed to answer their queries (my old school teachers would be proud!)  If anybody does a history search on my laptop you’ll see the number of times I’ve played a variety of Sporcle Geography games and the results from these practices.  Photographic evidence of this feat isn’t really possible so you’ll all just have to take my word for it (and continue to grill me – lets see how long these things stick).

Highlights of this experience are :

1. A capital is defined as a country’s legislative, administrative and political centre.  In some countries this is different cities (e.g. Bolivia has 2 capitals - La Paz and Sucre, South Africa 3 - Pretoria, Capetown and Bloemfontein)
2. a greater understanding of where certain countries are.  Togo is in Africa (not in the Pacific as I thought) and East Timor is in Asia just south of Indonesia (not in Africa). 
3. Many of the Caribbean Islands are countries, many of the Pacific Islands are not (they are territories)

In learning the countries and capitals in particular, I found interesting ways to remember names.  Notable ones are Venezuela’s Caracas and North Korea’s Pyongyang – much to my sister’s entertainment as we drove across SW USA.

I also developed favourites, my number one capital city is Burkina Faso’s Ouagadougou – I mean c’mon, that’s just an awesome place to pronounce

This leaves me with the 1 that I always knew was going to be a hard one.  2 days until I turn 30…..

12. Buying shares is boring so I’m swapping it…12 is now ‘Get in a magazine’

Buying shares was a really boring one to have on my list and just required me not to procrastinate and it was a rubbish one to have left at the end (I'll probably do this one anyway, it's just boring to blog about).

Instead, rewind 15 years (i.e. almost half the time I’ve been on this planet) to the late 1990s when boybands ruled the charts and Smash Hits was the UK teen magazine to subscribe to.  At that point in time, my goal in life was to be editor of Smash Hits (probably more because I wanted to meet said boybands rather than the writing side), this is not where I've got to, partly because Smash Hits went downhill as boybands and pop died a small death in the noughties.

I was close to being offered a job at D.C.Thomson on my gap year to write for their ‘Girl’ magazine, but as they were looking for a long term commitment which I wasn't able or willing to give, I instead went to Chile to volunteer and then to study management at university.  I never really went back to the idea of magazine writing…..until about 2 months ago when Time Out London put out a call for contributors to its reader takeover edition (for those not familiar with the publication, it is a weekly free publication that summarises the hot things to do across London whether it be events, museums, music, comedy, dance, drag, movies or theatre.) I thought why not, I love London and tend to use the magazine and website on a regular basis so let's see what I can offer.

I duly submitted an online application which involved me having to write about something I love about London (I genuinely can’t remember what I wrote).  Having totally forgotten about it I got a note to say I’d been shortlisted to write for the Things to Do section.  I was asked to write a short column for the section entitled The Perfect Weekend, with the instruction to theme the piece and ensure it featured museums, parks, places, events etc which are always on in London and can be enjoyed at any time.

The result you can see below – the Great Time Out Takeover was published on 24^th September so for those of you who saw it but didn’t see me, you didn’t look closely enough.  I got my photo published on page 3 (no jokes please, I was fully clothed throughout) as well as getting my section (and a teeny tiny photo) in the ‘Things To Do’ part of the mag.  

I’ve now got two left….I’m almost there with my countries and capitals…just working out how best to evidence it…but will the celebrity item upstage me…only time will tell!!

22. Gamble 100 frivolously

Normally what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, but the one piece of my trip to Vegas I do have to share is the fact that I have ticked off item 22 of my list...Gamble 100 frivolously.

Why have this on my list? Well, because I am what the personality-trait analysers would label 'risk averse', I would say I'm cautious when it comes to money.  Gambling is not something I've ever really dabbled in or had any interest in - just ask my ex-colleagues when they tried to get me involved in lottery syndicates and rugby sweepstakes.  This item therefore was always going to make me extremely uncomfortable and perhaps why I've postponed doing this as long as possible.

On my last night in Vegas, with my sister's primary school teaching colleagues in tow, I put down $100 worth of chips in one go across a set of roulette numbers on a table in Caesar's Palace.  My sister's colleagues (having only met me about an hour earlier) even commented how awkward and uncomfortable I looked....yup, they were 100% correct.  I did it though - totally frivolous....!

Thank you kindly to Jan-Marie for taking the photos and to Jo, Rachel, Matt, Deb, Erin and Jan-Marie for the positive encouragement on this one!

1 week until my 30th ....3 left to tick off.....

21. Stay in a really posh hotel

At the end of my latest travels, I treated my sister and I to a Tower Suite at the Encore hotel in Vegas (the Encore is the mirror image of the Wynn hotel).  The bathroom alone was bigger than my bedroom in London and included a large shower and separate bath.  The room was split in two with a sleeping area and a living area.  Service was impeccable and, ignoring the issue of the club downstairs (folks if you choose to stay here, you have the choice of a great view and no sleep or no view but a great sleep), it was a lovely place to splash out on for a night.

4. Helicopter ride & 20. Visit Grand Canyon

A week ago the prospect of seeing the Grand Canyon was looking a little shaky as the arguing among the kids in Congress led a US Federal Government shutdown, closing all the National Parks, Monuments and Museums across the US, including the Grand Canyon National Park.  However, luck was on our side that the chopper flights across the great scar were still running and we duly booked ourselves in with Papillon helicopters, in doing so allowing me to cross two items off my list in one go.

As me and my sister approached the helicopter the 'boarding manager' pointed us to our seats - I wasn't quite sure how I was going to fit in as there was only about 2 inches of a seat left after a rather large couple were seated in the right and middle seats.  I managed to squeeze myself into the small space and moments later there was lift off.

For those who've not been to see the Grand Canyon, I totally recommend getting a helicopter flight over it! I don't have a comparison from the ground because the park was closed, but I reckon that a helicopter flight over it really gives a sense of the flatness of the plateau around it and how stark the scar in the earth is.  It's called Grand for a damn good reason.....it's huge!!!

3. Balloon ride

Ever since I saw my dad go up in a Dolmio shaped balloon for a birthday trip many moons ago when living in Belgium, I've thought that I should give it a whirl which was why it went on my list.  The Pixar movie 'Up' only made me want to do it more!  I'll be honest and say it was one that I put on the list at the time thinking that surely I wouldn't be single for too long and it would be something that a new man would arrange for me in a romantic setting, but life doesn't work that way.  Instead this trip came about when a kind friend sent through a Wowcher advertising email that had a deal for a Kent-based balloon company with a note to say give it a go.

As those of you who have booked a balloon flight will know, it is very much weather dependent so in a country like the UK where the weather changes hourly I knew that it might take a few attempts to get up there.  Lo and behold though I was quite lucky and only had to re-book once.  On Tuesday afternoon,  after playing an integral role in the set up of the balloon (ballast for the basket), I went up up and away in a balloon with my good friends Abby & Mark into the skies of the Garden of England (Kent).  No cute boy scout kid like in the movie 'Up' but good company from 9 others also enjoying the experience for the first time.  Basking in the glorious sunshine, we sailed up to about 3,000 ft (about 1,000m for my fellow metric friends) and then back down again on a very smooth landing.  A massive thank you to Abby and Mark for sharing the experience with me - will be very sad when you return to the other side of the Atlantic!

I've been rather jammy with my up in the air experiences on this list - skydive weather was amazing last year and now my balloon weather was probably the nicest day we've had in September (so far) so fingers crossed I have the same for the helicopter ride and Grand Canyon experiences that are pending.

Exactly 1 month until my birthday and 7 left to go!  Will I do it.....?  That damn celebrity one may stump me....and I've still got Africa and the Pacific Islands to get through before I've got there with every country and capital, but over the next 2 weeks I've got plenty of down time to bore my sister with reciting countries and capitals! Bring it on!

19. Go horseriding on a beach

I’ve done it, I’ve done it, I’ve done it!!!  I’ve finally galloped full speed along a beach on horseback.  I think out of everything on my list this is probably going to be the best, it’s going to take a lot to top this.  

On trying to find somewhere to do this (surprisingly few accessible places in the UK) I stumbled on a stables that turned out to be a stone’s throw away from my brother’s place in East Lothian.  W

eather had initially not looked promising but turned out to be rather lovely and after a walk and trot down to the dunes we got onto the beach where the horses were let to do as they please and go full pelt.  

The sense of elation, enjoyment and adrenaline in me is something I’ve not experienced for a very long time.  Sore knees and thighs to prove for it!  Just amazing, loved it.  Forgotten how much I enjoy horseriding!

With just under 2 months until I hit the magic 3.0. I have eight left to go (of which 5 are well in the making already!)

13. Learn to say the alphabet backwards fast

A Sunday with nothing to do led to this video….embarrassing but evidence that I’ve done it.  I’m sure with just the right quantity of alcohol in me I can do it again (I did technically do it on my last birthday but lacked proper evidence to tick it off). 

Finally into single figures...9 left!

17. Learn how to make macaroons

God bless Groupon and their vouchers.  I purchased and cashed in a French Macaron making course. Sometimes with Groupon you get a good deal because someone genuinely thinks that it’s worth giving something good away for a cheaper price, other times it’s clear that the only way to get people through the door is through a Groupon voucher.  

I would say the course was more of the latter.  A bit of a tatty, rather cluttered ‘caff’ in Shoreditch run by a lady who lives in a world of ponies and fairies and rainbows.  There was barely space to swing a cat, let alone have 10 girls in there learning how to make macarons.  Nothing was prepped….she had one set of scales and each of us had to come up and queue to weigh each ingredient.  There were enough bowls to go around but only one hand mixer and one mixing spoon.  It was so hilarious it didn’t really matter.  

The outcome though was a large supply of macarons which came out ok (tasted fine, but anything sugary always does). 10 left!

.  By no means perfect (but with us having taken up so much time making them we didn’t get the time to properly set them and the ovens were apparently ‘a bit shit’).  Feast your eyes on my creations!

14. Go and see something at the royal opera house

With a date in the diary for my 30th birthday celebrations, the deadline for my list is looming.  Most of the rest of the items on my list are somewhat a work in progress (although I'm seriously beginning my doubt to memorise all the countries and their capitals!). 

A friend just completed hers with arriving at Machu Picchu on her 30th birthday - that's pretty awesome and I won't try and top it.  I haven't yet decided what'll be kept for my birthday itself - ideas on a postcard please.

On Saturday my friend Jamie and I took ourselves off to the Royal Opera House to see a ballet (or as it turned out, 2 ballets).  The first was brand new, part written by Audrey Niffenegger (of Time Traveller's Wife fame) and was in essence about beastality - a postman gets off with a raven (yes, a bird) and the raven gives birth to a part girl, part raven.  Daughter is more girl than raven and mummy bird isn't happy with the relationship her daughter has got with daddy so kicks her out.  In an attempt to appeal to her mother, girl undergoes plastic surgery to transform her arms into wings.  Cue a new male character (really no clue where he came in or who he was) arguing with the plastic surgeon that he's ruined the girl and end with him killing the plastic surgeon by pushing him out of the window....this would've been a good place for the ballet to end but instead they tag on an odd ending that I didn't really get.  I could've got the story wrong, but that's my interpretation of what was being danced in front of me. 

Second ballet was simply lots of girls in tutus and boys in tights doing classic ballet that has no story - but much lighter and good to see (reminded me of prancing around the Arenberg theatre in Antwerp with Judy Delme's ballet scool many years ago and being particularly envious of the selected 'special' few selected to do the Degas ballet piece).

So that's another one done, leaving 11 left - nearly down to single figures.

PS - please excuse the poor quality of the photo - "photography in the auditorium is strictly prohibited" so I had to do a quicky to get it.

6. Stand on a west end stage

This evening I stood on the stage of the New London Theatre which has been home to War Horse since 2009.  Great show, lovely theatre and this was all thanks to my friend Sarah whose friend Andrew is an actor in the play (he gets to play Joey, the leading horse!! amazing).

There's not much to say on this one other than a massive thank you to both Sarah and Andrew!  Very much appreciated

172 days until my birthday with only 12 items to go, the end is getting closer

25. See three films at the cinema in 1 day

Three films in 1 day in the cinema....done!  There's a marvellous 2nd run cinema in the heart of London called The Prince Charles.  As well as showing 2nd run moview, they also do all sorts of different fun movie based events.  One of their newest is movie mathematics - the basic premise is that the first and second film somehow link to the third film.

In my case, it was a science fiction thriller with Bruce Willis (12 monkeys) + a science fiction thriller with Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception) = a science fiction thriller with Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Looper).

A discussion about this event had come up one Sunday lunch in the pub with my good friends Alex and Erica.  Erica was not keen on these films so more than happy for me to borrow her partner to be my partner in crime for the event.

I remembered I'd seen 12 monkeys and the premise of it - on seeing it as an adult I realised it was actually a very typical Brad Pitt film...a bit shit!  Inception remains an amazing movie - love it love it love it.  It was the first time I'd seen Looper and would recommend it if you like The Matrix / Inception that type of film.

Just 13 to go....will I do it?!

23. Go up the eiffel tower at and age where I can remember it

On a very cold winter’s day in gay Paree, me and my good friend Graeme scaled the height of the Tour D’Eiffel.  Having been up when I was 8 and again when I was 18, I really had no memory of it.  The main memory I had was when I was 8 the top being closed so going up to the first two levels and lucking out that they opened the top for all of about 10 minutes and we managed to squeeze our way in.  This time, I equally lucked out because as we stepped up to purchase our tickets, they removed the top level ticket option because it had to be closed due to the wind.  However, a smile and a pleading of ‘does that mean the top is closed?!?!!’ got us a reply of, ‘ok, you guys can be the last ones’.

Glass of champagne on the top deck whilst shivering in the cold was a must.  The view was only ok, unfortunately it was quite overcast so we didn’t have the best views, but good company, good champagne and a feeling of success having ticked another item off my list.  Will I remember it this time….most definitely!

Still 14 to go …..if anyone can help me get onto a West End stage, or up close with a major celebrity I might just love you a lot!

16. Learn a magic trick

Last Sunday, on travelling back from a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel on a steam train on the central London underground, I ended up at Harrow-on-the-Hill having failed to change tube lines at Finchley Road station.  The reason for this was because I was entirely engrossed in a birthday present I was given - a Paul Zenon Street Magic book which is fascinating to read (and hence my failure to notice how far I was away from home).

This nifty little book allowed me to tick off number 16 on my list!  Prior to the wonderful New Year's party that my friends Abby and Mark kindly hosted at their flat, I learnt a basic card trick from the book and demonstrated it on the day.  Even skeptical John who tried to hide cards to make me slip up was mildly impressed with the trick!

Although ticked off from my list, I am going to continue to teach myself some of the tricks from the book so be prepared to be a guinea pig at some point!

(I'm afraid I have no photographic or video evidence at this point, but I can assure you that my friends present at the party will testify!)