Day 7

DAY 7 – Wednesday 29^th February 2012 – Better not weigh myself today.

Worked today: Didn’t want to be there, wanted to be home getting all my other stuff done!  It is amazing how far behind I get when I take just one day off for myself!

After work, did the shopping, collected kids from school, arranged a venue for a charity event and half way to booking Richard’s Sca Band “Madness” to play for free for us.  Free DJ next, then selling tickets for £10 each! 

Watch this space “INVITATIONS WILL BE ON SALE SOON”

What do you think with will do for the blood pressure?!

Day 6

DAY 6 – Tuesday 28th February 2012: Can’t be arsed to weigh myself – too depressing!

Blood pressure very high! 178/97 – that is with the tablets! Ops, best make an appointment at the doctor, don’t want to be working my heart too hard without even going up the stairs (or indeed walking hundreds even thousands of steps up hill! LOL

Had a day with my friend Les today, we went into London for his birthday and walked along the Thames.  Up and down escalators, not, I may add, letting them do the work for me, I walked up.  We walked from the Embankment right through to Tower Bridge which from the AA Route Planner, is 2.7 Miles, we walked there, other bridges and back again – obviously stopped for a nice health lunch, a chocolate brownie and a few coffee’s but, it was his birthday!!!  It was fantastic, I loved every minute of our day and felt that tomorrow I could rest.

Day 5

DAY 5 – 11st 2lbs..... arhh, now that must be the curry from the other night! (plus a little chocolate may be)

Today, walked Cassidy to school to meet my friend who was going to walk with me this morning, she was a little poorly so we just did a short circuit around the school and headed home. Drove to Rachel’s and made her take me to play a little tennis... A sport that I really love but have only played once in 20 years.  It was fun, loads of fun, I huffed and puffed as she tapped the ball gently over the net, at my feet my I add, bless her.. quite out of character.

We had a cuppa in the sports house hut thingy and I chatted to a few of the residents.  Managed to wangle a few free passes to play again with Rachel on Mondays and also spoke to a very incredible lady who was 70 and had just returned from her hike up Machu Picchu and then proceeded to show me a video of her skiing on the black slopes in Switzerland!  She was some wonder woman who’s job was “Hiking Leader” and she proceeded to give me some excellent tips.  “What the F... am I doing clearly came to mind with the beetroot red face, sore hip and blistered hand from a 15 minute warm up on the court!!!

Evening: Worked from 5 – 11pm: Completed and posted my application form for the walk.

Day 4

DAY 4:  11st (even after the curry last night... wow) Sunday 27th February 2012

Woke up very early to finish off my entry in Dave’s journal.  Unfinished business, I realised that I played the “Mother” role and needed to explain why.  Dave is very special to me, he is my inspiration, my mentor and one of my very best friends and I needed to make sure that this was clearly written in his book (even though he knows this already).

By 9am Dave had to leave, dropped him off at the station in my PJ’s and headed home to get showered and dressed.  Checked out the painting from the night before and it was still as wet as it was when first created.. this one will take about a week to dry the amount of Acrylic paint we used!

Little visit from my friend Shelley, which is always a pleasure and ordered Cassidy to get dressed...... IDEA.... “Come on Cass, let’s walk to Nana’s and Pa’s house”.

Cassidy on her bike and me in my little trainers and off we set.  I purchased a couple of bottles of water mainly to hold as weights along the way (are you impressed) and I marched and marched.  Up the hills of St George 5th Avenue and down the other side, from Pinner to North Harrow, door to door 2 ½ miles!!! This is further than I have walked since the Outback of Darwin, Australia.

(Since found out that too many people saw me... one commented “had my car broken down”, other comment was... “that can’t be Beth” followed by “How Strange!” )

We did stop, to say hello to the cows at Halls Farm.... we also stopped a few times to lighten up my weights with the odd swig.  Other than that, my six year old daughter and I made it without damage.

On arrival, I made us both scrambled egg and beans on toast (see Sarah I do listen to you), noshed it down and Dad took us back home.... well, didn’t want to over do it and Cassidy’s bum was quite sore!
Back home and I designed and painted my next masterpiece that I am going to put into the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in March.  Dave and I are entering four art works as a joint venture giving us a better chance of acceptance.  Prices per painting will be anything from £2,000 upwards.  However, the masterpiece of the Red Bask I think I may try and sell at my dentist surgery, it isn’t that good!!!!

Right, off to make my children some healthy kind of dinner...... I don’t want to admit this but I am loving life.

Day 3

DAY 3 – 11st 2oz Saturday 25th February

Great day, best for a very long time, I feel positive, on my way to fitness and generally at peace with the world.  The sun is shining, haven’t seen the sun in months and I have my trainers on, the little ones that fit me, size 4 ½ they look like they would fit Cassidy to be fair but they seem a little more comfortable and I don’t need three pairs of socks.   OK, showered, hoovered again with zest, cleaned the kitchen and put a couple of loads of washing on... I seem to be delaying the inevitable walk I had planned!  OK, now, I am ready.

This time, I didn’t call Ruth to put the kettle on, I decided to surprise her and that I did. “Did you walk here AGAIN”, I figured she would be impressed, “YES, twice in as many days” so proud of myself.  Quick cuppa with her and a Ceroc Dance in her kitchen, then back through Pinner on the long trek home! I even broke a sweat...

Quick chat to Sarah who advised me to eat Protein within ½ hour of exercise was a very important thing for the muscles to repair themselves.  So without delay, even though I didn’t really feel my muscles had done enough to warrant repair, it was a chance to eat again.  Scrambled three eggs and noshed them down with a glass of milk! Yum

So, preparing for entertaining seventeen 8 year old girls with my arts and crafts, I pack the car, set the Tom Tom and get stuck in Traffic... late.. ho hum... arrive with happy welcome from kids and set up the table with all manner of fun stuff, from glue, glitter, paints, brushes and Marabou feathers.. the girls were in heaven.
Lunch consisted of the most amazing Indian food that Grandma had been preparing all day long, OMG it was amazing, the most delicious samosa that I have ever tasted in my life... on the kids tables went the rest of the food, Pizza, Fried the old fashion way Chips, onion bargie things and hot chilly type dip, all hand made with onion and spices, truly amazing and I kind of fell in love the Grandma.  The chocolate fingers came out next, they are a killer, I knew that if I had just one then the kids would end up with the fruit bowl.  When I thought no one way looking I stole one from the plate, and another and another and then finished it off with a juicy strawberry cause it made me feel a little healthier.

Job done, jewellery boxes painted and looking fantastic, paid a vast amount of money for two hours work (£270 – all going towards my trip) and made my way home from Gerrards Cross (not walking may I add, I do have a car you know).

So, on route, a text from Dave, one of my bestest friends in the whole world who I have known and loved for 20 odd years stating that he had arrived and was at the SYNC Bar across the road with a pint in hand... Knowing that he would be happy, I didn’t rush – not much, I couldn’t wait to see him.  He has come to see me from Leeds so that we can create a masterpiece together that we are entering into the National Art Gallery in March.  £100 worth of acrylic paint and the back end of a paintbrush and we were away.  Spent the evening, drinking, smoking and creating magic, – unfortunately it was just the paint on canvas type of magic... It was a good day, but not that good!!!

We ate the goodie bag that my new favourite Grandma had prepared, chick pea curry and rice followed by a whole packet of those double chocolate Oreo cookies. I could blame the munchies but I am just a chocoholic with a very sweet tooth.

At 1.49am after a delicious tuna and onion sandwich a la Dave, we retired for the night.

Other achievements of the day include: Asking Rishi, the Club manager of the SYNC Bar, Pinner Green if I could host a Charity event in his bar... YES

Asking Louis, the DJ and good friend from Massimo if he would DJ for me on the right for free... YES

Asking Jimmy (Dave’s friend) if he would set up a webpage for me with Gift Aid to enable me to ask people to donate money to Marie Curie via the internet directly into the charity fund..... YES

Quote of the Day: “it is not what you do, it is what you have done that matters”.

Day 2

DAY 2 -  11st 2oz - 24TH February 2012

Walked Cassidy to school, it was tough up the hill at first but then after a little help from my six year old I began to get into the swing of it.  At school then march on home, via Massimo the new Portuguese Coffee Shop that sells cakes to die for.. a little one won’t hurt with a Cappuccino surely... a skinny one!
Right, now get some work done on the website for my So Very Crafty Company that it doing reasonably well and then I have a little think about the possibility of going back to bed! No chance, housework follows, hovering the stairs rapidly with mucho gusto and doing a painting suitable for any Art Gallery! Not. A little interlude with a friend, quick drive to get car filled up with Petrol (not that I am going to be using it), then off to collect the kids from school..... via Ruth’s house – yes, I walked all the way took me 20 minutes.  Had a cup of tea and a handful of crunchy nut cornflakes and then, cause we chatted so much, she gave me a lift to the school! Ops, I was meant to walk.  Collected Henry too and went to the park with them for a while.  Walked back home, had a handful of the most delicious biscuits ever (I knew I shouldn’t have bought them) and a nice cuppa.

After tea, I ran up the stairs with the kids, again and again and again, kids did 103 odd ups and downs and I managed 32, not too bad for an old girl and it was a laugh, I felt the burn... haven’t felt the burn in quite a while.. so to speak!

Pasta for dinner, another cookie and more tea! Two apples (that was good) and I am starving!  I think, kids to bed then TV with the rest of the cookies yum yum.... and I really going to do this? All I can think about is food... was supposed to go to the gym with Rachel but she never called.. or maybe she did, I didn’t check my phone as usual.

Question of the day:  Why do I have to eat the whole packet of biscuits?

Day 1

Thursday 23rd February 2012

Well, embarking on a journey along with Great Wall of China, sounds like a good idea?! At least I think it does!   Post, three children, dislocated hip, post nearby death experience after contracting septicaemia, post hysterectomy and here I am... still able to tell the tale of my experience at the age of 46.

So

DAY 1 – 11st 3oz

Finding my old pair of walking boots at the back of my cupboard, I realise that they haven’t been put on my feet for 20 years since my trip around the world.  Mud still heavily dried on them and now sprinkled over the bedroom carpet!  Funny, they don’t really fit, two pairs of socks and a cut of the toe nails and still they seem too big! Possibly time for a new pair.... how the devil to expect to be able to do this... I must be the most unfit person this side of Pinner and I am going to walk for hours on some very dodgy terraine. Up and down thousands of steps and in something like 30 degree heat!

By the way, that fit bird isn’t me... I look more like the girl on the next page only my hips are a little slimmer!

So, how to I transform myself?  What are the first steps.  Well, filling out the form is a challenge in itself.  I walked, yes walked all the way into Pinner town to get my photo taken at the local Kodak shop, exhausted from there collect my youngest ‘Cassidy’ from school and walked home.  My boots cut into my left toe, sharp pain in the hip and tummy scar smarting a little.  After a packet of biscuits and a small bar of chocolate I began to feel a little more like myself.

Question of the Day: Do feet shrink the older you get?

Introduction

Do or die

Why and I doing this?

Born Beth Laura Gevell and married to Todd Benjamin Riley Routt.  Well, I say married, that is only legally, we have been separated for over a year now as Todd has turned over to the dark side! He has become a spiritual guru and feels that helping all others and the universe is more important to him than his wife and three kids.  It is his calling, I can understand that knowing what he is like.

Marriage was something that he did try quite hard at, obviously not hard enough but it really didn’t suit his personality, he is best suited “Serving the Nation” with meditation, spirituality, out of body experiences, remote viewing, to name but a few.  I still love him dearly and always will, hence letting him go smoothly without too much of a fuss.

Now, single and quite empowered.  The longest I have seen single since I was 14 and I am actually quite enjoying myself.  If feel in control, I am getting back to being Beth Gevell who I have almost forgotten.

Hence, my children and I have decided we would like to revert back to my maiden name.  Todd has since changed his name to Todd Acamisis to suit his job title so permission to change ours was not really something that he could argue about.  Paperwork arrived yesterday, so more forms to fill in... watch this space, we will be Gevells again very soon. Dad will be so happy, it will be worth it to see his face when we tell him.  Beyond anyone in the world he deserves us to have his name and it is an honour to change it back.