Challenge 18 - FLY A PLANE

"Captain Peter and First Officer Jen "Biggles" Hogan would like to welcome you on board this Robin Reliant Aircraft for your flight over Corfe Castle, Lulworth Cove, round the Isle of Wight and back over Hengistbury Head to Hurn Airport.  Also here for your comfort, but primarily your safety, is Trolley Dolly Iain.

Conditions for your flight today are excellent with good visibility and clear skies (though First Officer Jen is convinced she can see thunder-clouds lurking on the horizon).  Temperatures outside the aircraft are a pleasant 24 degrees C, inside the aircraft they are a scorching 75 degrees C.

Captain Peter will be in charge today until the aircraft is airborne, when control will be passed to First Officer Jen.  Any turbulence during the flight will not be due to air thermals, but rather to First Officer Jen quaking in her flipflops. We will be cruising at an altitude of 1500 ft, provided that First Officer Jen can hold her nerve and not sneeze, cough, fall asleep, faint, panic or drop dead.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish you a pleasant flight.  In preparation for take off, fasten your seatbelt, put on your life jacket and PRAY......"

One hour later......

"We are now approaching Hurn Airport.  Captain Peter has just wrenched control of the aircraft back off First Officer Jen, whose magnificence at the controls has completely gone to her head.  May we apologise at this point for the poor cabin service you have received during this flight, but unfortunately Trolley Dolly Iain fell asleep.

 Thank you for flying with us today, and we hope you enjoyed the flight as much as First Officer Jen, who will shortly be running round the airfield whooping in delight and bragging to anyone who will listen."


A HUGE thank you to Peter for his generosity, time and patience!

Challenge 17 - SKI OFF-PISTE

Ski-ing and I have had a long, passionate and turbulent on-off relationship.  It was not love-at-first-sight, but started more from a grim determination not to be the one holding the coats and drinks at the bottom of the piste while my children, friends and husband threw themselves down vertical mountains.  To earn my gluhwein at the top of the magnificent Alps I had to be able to stay on skis long enough to get back down to the bottom - to a good Irish girl like myself that was incentive enough!

We have had many lovers' tiffs, when I have ended up botton-skyward with my skis over my head and the sound of 'friends' giggling ringing in my ears!  I have been shamed into contemplating getting down the mountain on my ever-patient friend/ski-instructor's back.  I have cried on the top of slopes begging my lovely friend, Sarah, to let me come down on my bottom. She always refused. I have skied in ridiculous costumes as forfeits for being a ridiculous skier!

We have also had moments of great passion, when I would sell my own children for one more run down the Kanzelwand, or when I skied my first black feeling like Franz Klammer, but looking like Postman Pat on skis.

This trip I had a new challenge - to ski off-piste.  I have been off-piste before, when I have failed to turn and ended up face-planted in 4 feet of snow.  But this time I was going to learn to stay on the surface and not to cry!

According to our guru, Gilly, the key is to BOUNCE, BOUNCE, BOUNCE with equal pressure on both skis, and I did (sort of), leaving new tracks in 2 feet of virgin powder snow. Sadly the ones to the left are not mine, but please forgive my plagiarism.  Mine looked more like a toddler's scribble on a blank piece of paper.  I will continue bouncing till I get there.

 Ski-ing and I fell in love once more.....

Challenge 16 - RAISE £1000 FOR CHARITY

One of my nobler challenges, and one in which I need your help.  During my year, I have to raise £1000 for charity and hopefully have a lot of fun doing it.  My first fundraising effort is taking part in the London 2011 Moonwalk on 14th May, which does involve me and my lovely team walking 13 miles through the streets of London (thankfully in the dark) wearing our bras, and dressed up as rather garish, oversized flamingos.  Any thoughts about what you think the necks of the flamingos look like, have already been aired and giggled at, but all I have to say is "Shame on you!".

Much fun has already been had in my kitchen amidst a flurry of lurid pink netting and feathers, washed down with a little glassette of wine.  We have also giggled our way along the south coast from Southbourne to Poole and back in the dark, just to prove we hadn't bitten off more than we could chew (and it's back to the large pink necks!!!).

Just for the record, I have a sports injury (the first in 50 years!) - a sore knee sustained during my foray into the dangerous world of Tai Chi.  I offer this to you as a bid for sympathy, and not as a premature excuse for failure!

If you feel you could help me in my challenge, please visit our fundraising page and support our efforts - any amount will be greatly appreciated, and will go some way in the fight against breast cancer. It will also spur us on to the finishing line and a large glass of champagne:

Jennifer Hogan's fundraising page for The MoonWalk London 2011

www.walkthewalkfundraising.org

Thanks for Supporting such a Great Cause!

Challenge 15 - ?

This is a tricky one to blog.   Those of you in the 'inner circle of trust' will know what it is.  Suffice to say that it was suggested by my son, Ben, and that it involved a branch of a leading Scandanavian furniture retailer and a plastic spatula.

In my defence, m'lud, I didn't realise I had completed this challenge until I had.  I am not proud, but it did make me smile.

Nee naw, nee naw, - is that the sound of sirens........?

Challenge 10 - TURN VEGETARIAN (Update)

I did it!  Nothing with a face rested on my plate or passed my lips for a month.  I nearly gave in to a piece of pork crackling, but I resisted.  In fact, it was relatively easy (I love pulses), and I felt better for it.  I also gave up alcohol, chocolate and caffeine, so perhaps it was a combination of all my sacrifices that resulted in my feelings of wellness and self-righteousness!   I also lost 12 lbs in a month, so happy days.

Confession time - I did eat a portion of Patrick's cheesecake, purely to qualify as a good and caring mum, and it did contain gelatine.  Please forgive me my transgression, and allow me to tick my challenge.