Great progress

Well week 3 of training is over and this week we walked 11.78miles in approx 3 hours. Each week we are getting a wee bit quicker and finding it less difficult (i.e. we are less out of breath by the end of it haha). We are also aiming to add a small (stress the word SMALL) jog into each session just to add a wee bit of extra difficulty to it.

We are still using the same walking routes just now but will have to look into other walking routes as we start to walk more in each session - so if anyone has a suggestion of walking routes then feel free to let me know :)

On the sponsor side of things, it's all looking great. We decided to set ourselves a joint target of £200 and so far we have almost doubled that. I know I keep saying thank you but I can't stress enough how appreciated every single penny is. I don't have to tell people how important t cause this is and how every donation helps in a huge way.

Don't be shy though, feel free to donate:

http://www.walkthewalkfundraising.org/carebears

x Shelley x

Jack the Ripper

The next show I have the pleasure of being part of is with Larbert Opera. We are putting on, the rather interesting and "different", Jack the Ripper.

God knows why but the company have entrusted me with the role of leading lady. So I think since I will be putting in so much work to be ready for May, it would be utterly smashing if folk would come along and see it.

I don't think I have to describe much about the story since most folk will be aware of something about it. I will, however, say that it's probable to quite what you expect and it's gonna be great :D

10th - 14th May 2011
Dobbie Hall, Larbert
See me for tickets (ta)

xSx

Walking update...(and explanation)

Ok I've come to the conclusion that I clearly need a purpose to post to my blog. What better purpose than to keep people up to date with my training for The Edinburgh Moonwalk 2011. Ok maybe a wee bit of an explanation of exactly what it is would be useful :)

This event requires you to walk a marathon length (26.2miles), starting at midnight and walking through to the wee hours of the morning, hence the name Moonwalk. The event is in June, so hopefully the weather will be not too bad. There is no way I would be able to tackle something ike this on my own so my friend Claire decided that she too is mad enough to challenge herself to do this.
Now for someone like myself, who very rarely does any form of physical exercise, the prospect of walking 26.2 miles in one go is quite daunting (make the bloody terrifying!). After taking the advice etc on the Walk the Walk website I thought it best to actually follow the training schedule properly and not just think that I could walk a wee bit every so often, thinking that would be enough preparation, I mean it's just walking right? God how I was wrong!
After carefully sitting and planning our walking sessions around the many commitments we both already have, and making a pretty calendar to make it easy to follow (any excuse to get my pens and paper out). The training consists of 18weeks of carefully planned walking, which I have to say is no easy tasks to fit in with my, as per usual, busy schedule. This year not only am I working a full time job Monday - Friday and Im still working a few nights a week at The Outside Inn. Not only that, I also have rehearsals 2 nights a week for my latest show (which, by the way, I will detail later) so it's safe to say that it was no easy task to try and fit in around 3 or 4 walking sessions a week. I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to my walking partner for having to constantly re-arrange things over the past 2 weeks due to work etc...I promise that won't happen in the coming weeks (well I promise to TRY and not let it happen :P ).

I'm not going to go into any more detail about preparing for training but lets just say we used it as an excuse to spend money on new stuff that we probably could have done without :P

We started our training on 12th February and should take us busy until 8th June (last training session, to give ourselves a few days to chillax before the big event).

Week 1
Miles to walk: 8 (actual miles - 7.75)
Time to walk: 2hrs 40mins (actual time - 2hrs)

For our first foray into proper exercise this week actually went pretty well. We managed to walk almost the distance required and slightly quicker than we needed to :) Thoroughly enjoying it so far and really hope that it continues this way.

Week 2
Miles to walk : 8 (actual miles - 10.13)
Time to walk: 2hrs 40mins (actual time - 2hrs 25mins)

Our first walking session this week was on Tuesday night and it was, in one word, miserable! Cold and raining, combined with having to walk at night makes it not quite as fun. Saying that we powered through and I'm really proud of us for doing it....it felt so good to sit down after we got done :P
Next week we go up a tiny wee notch to 10miles for the week...NAE BOTHER!

Ok I think that's enough for one post.....

PLEASE VISIT OUR SPONSOR PAGE AND DONATE :)
xSx

Worst blogger ever!

Ok it's official, I shall accept my award now - OVER A YEAR SINCE MY LAST BLOG?!?!
OMG :D
Erm that's all I have to say. oh and this "lala la la lalalala"
DONE!

xSx

Hope at last!

Well I woke up this morning and it feels like Xmas cause there are finally jobs to apply for in my local area. I'm hating this unemployment thing and to add to it all apparently I am not entitled to any Job Seekers - I HATE THE GOVERNMENT!!!! Why is it people who work hard all their lives get nothing for it and those lazy buggers who do nothing get all the help under the sun?!? This is not something new to people I know but never really given it much thought until it happened to me.

Anyways back to better stuff - LOVING my cinema unlimited pass right now and have put it to good use. Went to see Funny People which was not quite what I thought it would be but it was still really good. Jonah Hill was def the star of the film and I urge people to go see it if you enjoy such films as "Knocked up" and " Superbad" etc. Adam Sandler is playing something very different from many of his other roles and it includes the cutest kids ever!

Last night I went to see "500 Days of Summer" and I came out desperate to go and see it again. It has an awesome soundtrack and an even better cast. At some points my heart was actually aching for the main character and I think that most people who go to see it will feel his pain and sit there and think "oh my god I've been there". Please please please go see it you will not be disappointed. Next film on my hit list is The Final Destination and looking forward to seeing what the 3D element brings to it.

Well need to go for now as I have preparations for a baby shower to continue with. Bring on the cupcakes and baby bottles!!

peace out (OK I cant get away with that)

xSx

Are you aware you have to be seeking employment?

Well I called to make my very first ever benefit claim today and the dude read me the different rules etc that go with it and he said "and you realise you have to be actually seeking employment?" Well forgive me for maybe thinking that the majority of the human race understand plain English but is that not why it's called Job Seekers Allowance? Not to be too critical of people but of course I'm seeking work, does my previous employment and education history give any indication that I am the type of person who wants to sit on their arse for months on end while trying to survive off the pittance that the government offer you? ah well at least I can make use of the free dental and eye care that you get but hopefully unemployment wont last long, dont really fancy having to go and "sign on" every fortnight.

On a better not had a good day back at my old school. Went to pick up some things that I left at the end of term and ended up staying for ages and helping Lynn do stuff in her class but it was a good afternoon. Enjoyed having lunch with her and Keith, gonna really miss that staffroom at lunchtimes but there is a job coming up there in October hopefully so fingers crossed for that....would love to go back there.

Had another jam with Stu and I pose the question "how long does it take two quite intelligent people to work out how to operate a piece of recording equipment?" well it seems the answer is about an hour! Fuck's sake how bad is that hahaha we sort of worked it out in the end and had some time left to record voice and guitar and sounds not too bad but will hopefully manage to remember the working from this week to next and get a bit more done but then again I am a dole bum now so many I will slowly lose brain cells from watching too much Jeremy Kyle and other such day time TV!!

xSx

Overdue update

No apologies just straight into it......

Things that have been happening to me this summer:

Finished my probation in teaching and now have my full registration but it really means very little considering I have no job to go to :( Life is now filled with going to the job centre to find out how to sign on as I have never done it in my life which I think is quite an achievement considering Im nearing 30 (fuck that is scary to see that written!)

Had an another amazing summer with Team Activity - the usual old team is back with some great new additions to the team. Camping trip to Beinglas was "epic" and so many things to keep as a memory form that trip (ahem Craig, Stu & Melissa, rain, tumbling drying our clothes after the rain flooding the tents, getting pissed in the shelter resulting in the manager displaying a sign for future residents telling them not to drink in the shelter, walking in the pissing rain to the nearby pub and dancing to some random guy playing bagpipes, rain, drinking lots, enjoying the morning after jokes of Stu & Melissa, gatecrashing a 50th birthday party and dominating the karaoke, being thanked by the manager's wife for the fun we brought to the party! haha, being up really early on the last day and me and Niall being the only ones to make breakfast, packing up quickly and trying unsuccessfully to wake Gary and Stu to get them to pack up...think that's about all I can remember).

Went to London and had a fab time with Claire and met Michael Ball and Daniel Boys oh and saw Kelly Jones waiting at the bus stop :). Had fun watching the incestuous mother and son on the bus eugh!!

Yet more Team Activity fun on the end of scheme night out and was highly buckled but managed not to be sick or fall over despite not having my glasses on for most of the evening fuck knows why I took them off :s

Having a wee "jam" (sorry Stuart still cant use that term without cringing) and finally managing to start the song on time, fingers crossed that we actually manage to work out how to record something :P

Things to look forward to hope to include getting a job and having a fab birthday (god 28)

xSx