Tuesday

Yesterday's new thing was an easy one. I needed to post a couple of items that I'd sold on eBay, so went to the local post office, which I'd never tried before, in my lunch hour. Very handy as it's just across the road from the block of offices where I work. Got there at 1.02 to find that it was closed from 1pm to 2pm for lunch. No wonder post offices are closing down all over the country.

Monday

The new thing yesterday was going to a pub in the middle of nowhere - just off the M1. It was to meet a couple of friends, who estimated that this pub was equidistant between our two houses.

When on holiday earlier this year, my favourite boy kept leaving items of clothing at people's houses. So when he did it again earlier this month when we went to stay with our friends, I couldn't help but mock. That was until my friend called me to say that she also found my coat underneath MFB's.

So we met half way. I was in a thunderous mood, because the clocks went back at 2am, and we got an extra hour in bed. Except I didn't as my housemate was up at 8am playing Radio 1 very loudly, and singing along. On a Sunday!

Sunday

Saturday's new thing was going to a pub in Covent Garden -called the Toad and Frog, or some other combination of pub words. Haven't been there before, but popped in for a pre-comedy pint. We went to the Covent Garden Comedy Club (which was not a new thing for us), where I nearly had a heart attack when I saw that the bill had been changed. Someone further down the list had been moved forward, and on the day that he had been moved from, there was a comedian with whom I had had a liasion a few years ago. The thought of sitting too near the front with my current partner facing a comedian on stage was too much, so I drank myself into a near stupor before I realised that the said comedian is not on for a few weeks. Phew.

Saturday

Yesterday's new thing - clickety click BINGO! Decided to rope two colleagues along with my favourite boy to the bingo. As I understand it (which is not very much), bingo is undergoing something of a revival at the moment, and with prizes of up to £20,000, it was definitely time to check it out.
We got down there, marvelling at how much it looks like a church from the outside. And mindful of a news story where an estate agent got into trouble for advertising an apartment that "faced Mecca" only for people to find it faced Mecca Bingo, there was a sense of religious devotion about the building.
Inside, the staff were magnificent. Sensing a little unease, they guided us through the game and issued our cards. I'd come prepared with a big fat marker, but the others purchased "dabbers" to mark their numbers off with.
It was smoky and segregated inside the bingo hall itself - a former theatre - not quite the sense of fun and cheeriness I had expected.
I banged the door too loudly and got a cacophony of "tuts". It was the interval, but there was no let up - people were playing table bingo at 50p a pop. The caller was mumbling the numbers rather than shouting them, but the seasoned pros throughout the room didn't seem to have a problem with that.
We looked for a seat, before deciding to head upstairs where there were fewer prying eyes.
The first game got underway, and I didn't know if we were supposed to be playing or not. Leaning precariously over the balcony, it appeared that people were using a red card, so I sat back and waited for the purple.
When it came to our game, I was strangely nervous. Suddenly, my friend had a stroke of beginner's luck! Bingo! She shouted. Except we were going for the full house, and she was calling a line.

Damn. The computer froze on 29. Everyone stared at us and muttered. My friend went a deep shade of purple.

We carried on, and someone won a cool £15,000.

One more game to go. We played a much simpler looking game and my favourite boy shouted "Bingo". But it wasn't. More tutting. I thought to myself, if I actually do get a full house, I'm not going to shout, otherwise we'll be chased with burning torches. This is Slough after all.

Friday

It's Thursday as I type, but since I always write about the previous day, and I've already done my new thing, I thought I would keep the blog updated (I get the impression no-one's reading, but never mind!).
There was terrible traffic in Greenford this morning. Even though I set off at 8am, I was still there at 8.45am. I then decided to take what I thought would be a short cut - and indeed in normal circumstances, it would have been. The worst part of the traffic jam is that there was no apparent reason for it.

Thursday

I went to the garage to get milk today, and thought that I would use the opportunity to do something new right there and then. I bought a packet of parsnip crisps. Not very interesting, and qutie expensive, considering it's one of the few things I can actually cook myself.

Wednesday

Last night was a bit of a cliche, but I took a new route home through the village of Denham. It's a very pretty village, with three very nice looking pubs. Wil stop off at one of these on the way home one night when I'm struggling for something new to do.

Tuesday

Got lost somewhere in Northolt yesterday while trying to take a shortcut home from work. An intentional new thing caused by my temper - a good thing, as I could not be bothered to go out and do something new after that. The traffic jam was caused by cars turning into the left hand lane to turn left at the bottom of the road at the roundabout. Because I'm far too polite for my own good, I got into the lane early, but of course, if you have a BMW or a new mini, then you can't wait and you have to push into the head of the queue because your time is more important than mine. Better not start ranting about the standard of driving in this country, otherwise I won't stop!

Monday

Up again incredibly early. Today though, it was intentional because my favourite boy and I decided to do a car boot sale (or fair as he calls it) to make some cash and clear some space so that the colour of the carpet under the boxes will become apparent again. So my new thing was venturing to a community centre somewhere in Canterbury. Did reasonably well this time. Last time he and I did a boot sale, an Indian woman stole some of my socks and then insisted on paying £1 for a whole bundle of things she had picked up, before running away shouting "God Bless you!" I was quite impressed that I managed to keep my purchases limited to just 2 things - a book and a cup of tea. Quite rare for me to go home with less than I came with!!

Sunday

On Saturday, I had my first lie-in for a long time (yup - up at 8am - thanks to my housemates and their respective weak bladders). Obviously, that doesn't count as a new thing as I had plenty of lie ins when I was a student. My new thing was going into the post office near my house. Moved house not too long ago, so had never been in this post office. It was a joy - partly because the post office that was near me in my last house was owned by a grumpy man who took an instant dislike to me because I used to post parcels and try to buy car tax. But the one I went to yesterday was much better, even if it was empty when I went in, then a queue formed as soon as I was ready to post my parcel. Why does that always happen?

Saturday

Yesterday's new thing was trying out a new fish and chip shop near where I work. My excuse was that it was Friday - but in the end I had a massive row with my conscience who won't let me eat cod anymore, so I just had chips and curry sauce. Felt bad about it all day - the fact that I was feeling fat - not that the fact that I had considered further depleting the world's cod stock.

Friday

The plan was that my new thing today would be to get some shoes from the Chimes Shopping Centre in Uxbridge. And like the best laid plans, it totally failed when accidents on either side of Uxbridge meant that traffic was a disaster last night and I didn't end up going. Fortunately, I had covered myself and done another new thing earlier in the day. I went to Chalfont St Giles or Chalfont St Peter - I forget which, and looked around some of the charity shops. A few crumbs from the rich man's table, as the saying goes.

Thursday

Well, still shaking off this cough, so can't say that I've been to any new pubs, clubs etc as my new thing of late. So I've been confined to doing lame new things around my neighbourhood. Yesterday's was simply sticking my head in the dodgy pub at the top of my road. Think the drinkers inside thought I was mad. They're right.

Wednesday

Still feeling ill and sorry for myself, so my new thing today was a bit of a "diet coke" one. I drove up a rode that I'd never driven along before, adjacent to my route home. The road then doubled back on itself and I ended up on my usual route home, when it hit me! My new car was delivered today- I've been driving around in a new car all day and totally forgot!!! Going in a car you've never been in before counts as a new thing, going on a bus doesn't.

Tuesday

Man, I was ill, ill, ill today. And not drink related. So I didn't feel like it, but I had to do something new. Fortunately, someone had posted on freecycle that they were offering a George Foreman grill - and while I would prefer to have the big man himself in my house, I've been told that these grills are great - particularly if, like me, you need to lose weight and want to fry your chocolate and steak sandwiches in a grill.

I picked it up, which entailed getting lost in Ealing - all new streets and signs to me! - mainly because some dumb-butt was driving round the vicinity with their full beam headlights on, and dazzled me to the point where I thought I saw the Angel Gabriel. I finally arrived at the freecycler's house and met George's owner who told me to take good care of the grill, which I will. I love freecycle - saves things going to landfill. I've successfully given away a broken parasol, and a hot stone grill. I even got lots of interest for my boyfriend as I advertised him on there after we had a row. I changed my mind though, after a good clean, he's as good as new.

Monday

I had my new thing for Sunday planned for some time. The plan was to go to Silverstone for the British Touring Car Championships. However, one of my friends (see previous day's blog) had his head stuck down to the toilet for the whole of the morning. When I mentioned Silverstone, that made him chunder again.

It reminded me of my former housemate Deev who once (well, lots of times, but you know what I mean!), came back from the pub drunk. For some reason, I thought he'd like to hear his new Elvis CD, but when I put it on, the King's vibrations made him throw up. His last words before running into the toilet were "turn off Hound Dog!!!"

So, not very exciting, but my new thing today was going to the petrol station up the road from their house and buying lucozade. Much like the pub near my office, it seemed to be the only thing they had in stock.

Sunday

Saturday's new thing was going to a pub in Northampton - a lot more successful (and probably half as expensive) than the pub next to my office. Think it was called the Moon on the Square or something - appropriately enough, as I did see the whole of the moon. Shame it wasn't the full moon, or even the moon in the sky, but some drunk half wit dropping his trousers.

Went to said pub with friends, who announced much to my horror, that they're thinking of starting their breeding programme next year. That will leave me with approximately two friends who are childless. Perhaps I'll do a Madonna and adopt a kid so that I still have drinking buddies. Even if these drinking buddies are going to be drinking pretend tea out of miniature cups and saucers at kiddies' tea parties. Woe is me.

Saturday

Friday's new thing was more successful than Thursday's. I crossed the threshold of a shop in Rickmansworth that I had never been in before, when I went into town at lunchtime with my colleague. Can't believe how dangerously I live. Any more living on the edge like that, am i am truly going to fall off.

Friday

Yesterday's new thing was going to the pub directly opposite my office.
"Can I have a packet of cheese and onion crisps and a pint of lime and soda, please?"
"Erm, I'm afraid we're out of crisps, and there's no soda."
"OK, can I have a pint of lager and lime".
"Certainly.....oh Madam, I'm afraid we're out of lime".

Thursday

I had the misfortune of going to Reading yesterday. I have been there many times before, so that in itself is nothing new. But since time was ticking by and I still hadn't done anything new, I did something really silly. Sorry Dad if you're reading this. I went to Waitrose in Reading. No, I'm only kidding - I have actually been to this very same branch before. I wanted to see if I could afford anything in there, and came out with some reduced salami. The actual new thing I did was taking a short cut back to where I had parked my car. This involved me walking in my suit, carrying a brief case through a dodgy housing estate, past lots of scary teenagers hanging around - bizarre this really since it had absolutely poured down with rain earlier in the evening.
This whole episode was going on while England were losing to Croatia, so I could have been in a worse place.
Now I realise that this whole blog entry makes me look like someone not to mess with, and it was a new thing, but it's not exactly rivetting to read. I'll make sure I do something really new today (Thursday).

Wednesday

My new thing today was heading down to Chichester for work. I've been there before, a couple of times actually - once with my boyfriend, when we hadn't been together very long and were still polite to each other, and once when I was training as a reporter to review a play.
But today, I headed to a branch of the company where I work, so technically I entered a new building.
I did back it up with a few more new things on my way home when I went into Midhurst, and checked out some of the shops. What a nice place. I really must liven up some of these new things that I've been doing or sharpen up the rules!

Oooh - I nearly forgot - I also watched a French Film caled Les Choristes - superb and highly recommended, and a nice way to round off a day of new things.

Tuesday

One new thing I did today, sadly does not count. I shouted at someone. I have felt really bad about it ever since, particularly as call centre workers are hardly salaried fat cats, and it was not her fault. But all I needed was to take myself off a magazine's mailing list. I bought a subscription as a Christmas present for my sister. I was hoping to get the same thing for this coming Christmas, but since the company wouldn't offer their existing customers the same little prize as they're offering new customers, I decided to cancel on principle. Now the problems were that my address is not the same as my sister's and is not even the same as it was when I initially signed up. This has seemingly caused a mental breakdown for the lady on the phone, who could not grasp the concept at all. Furthermore, she had to change my address on the system before she could cancel it, and then couldn't find my address, blah blah blah.

I felt doubly bad because apart from call centre workers, the only other profession people think they are entirely justified at shouting at is newspaper reporters. When I was a reporter, my top five favourite calls were.

1. The man who shouted at me, threatening legal proceedings for slander because I had written a court report of his appearance in court for theft, which he felt was no-one else's business. Would not listen to my protestations about public interest, or the fact you can't libel someone if you're quoting from court.

2. I needed a simple picture caption for a harvest festival picture. I called the organiser, and had a lovely chat with her. She told me that there were about 60 people at the event; I wrote that down, and then carried on chatting, later mentioning the attendance of 60 people. "YOu journalists are nothing but trouble! You're all the same, I said there were ABOUT 60 people, "she yelled. Yes love, you shouted at a reporter - good for you.

3. As a brand new reporter, I covered an Easter Egg hunt at a local school. Instead of going on the paper's news pages, it went on the schools pages. One of the parents rang me up and started screaming and shouting about the fact that it hadn't attacted as much coverage as the school's appalling OFSTED report months earlier. And it wasn't in the right part of the paper. "What are you - new?" She screamed. "You don't know much about papers!". And nor do you love if you think I have a say in where stuff goes.

4. A woman who said I was biased because I reported the facts of a council meeting correctly - why would I be biased in SUPPORT of a council?!!!

5. I see that there are a lot more than five here!!! The man that wrote to the editor of the paper saying that my report of a local hotel's opening launch event was biased, clearly because I had been given a free feed. Actually this isn't a call, this is just a rant! I had worked a long day, headed down to the hotel and written about the work of the owner in restoring it. I wasn't so much as offered a glass of water. This would be the same guy who would write to the editor to complain that I had not given the hotel owner a chance if I gave it a bad review.

Now that's all off my chest - my new thing was going to the Tesco in the Hoover Building on the A40 - it's lovely to look at from the outside, but it's still Tesco.......

Monday

I really want to say that my new thing was heading down to Speakers' Corner to listen to the varied and amusing things that people have to say, but unfortunately, I was here earlier this year. Some of the speakers were too - definitely recognised some of the guys holding up bibles and shouting about the need for us to save our souls. I don't recall ever seeing the guy who was standing on a step-ladder wearing a sombrero and cowboy boots. He stood extremely still for hours before opening up a monologue on how "the white man is your enemy".
So my new thing today was going into a pub just off Piccadilly for a swift pint and a half. The other punters were all wearing colourful t-shirts saying "north" or "south" in a 10K race to finally determine whether North London is better than South London is better. I honestly don't know, but I felt very unfit after looking at them.

Sunday

If you saw a group of people flicking bits of rolled up paper into each other's drinks on Saturday night, in "Reema" in Brick Lane, the embarrassed girl sitting on the end of the table was me.
Not only was going to the restaurant the new thing that I did on Saturday, but I also managed to step inside a barbers in town that I'd never even noticed before, let alone enter, and also went to a club in Brick Lane. It was while I was boogieing away on the podium that I realised I hadn't seen anyone doing a conga line for a long time, so I attempted to start one. It failed.

Saturday

The new thing last night was a bar near Tottenham Court Road - very nice, and contrary to my worries, I haven't been there before. AS you'll see from Thursday's blog, I can count going to a new place, but meeting new people doesn't count - a shame as I met some great people last night. The only problem is that I couldn't really speak to them due to a cough that's been lingering for a week. Drinking Lucozade and licorice allsorts to try and cure it is a new thing, but since I've had both of these separately, they don't count.

Today's new thing is going to be another new bar - this time it's in Brick Lane to celebrate a birthday. I might take an alternative route to get there, just to make sure
that I do something new.

Friday

Today's new thing is not the beautiful cake that I've scoffed to help celebrate a colleague's birthday, but the fact we've been invited to a party tonight in the West End. I'm hoping of course, that I haven't frequented this place before.
It's happened in the past that I've put aside my "do something new every day" rule as I've known that I would do something new. I've then gone, and realised I've been there before.

Some examples of this include, going to interview someone in my role as a newspaper reporter, then realising that I looked around this house when I was looking for a room to rent, or the time I went on a date thinking we were going to see a new movie, then my date taking me to see Scream 2, which I had seen the day before (I had to fake it).

Another is when I went to Belgium for the first time. I realised that I had actually crossed the border before by accident, when I was trying to get to Maastricht from Paris, but had got on the wrong train.

Anyway, new thing for today is this bar in the West End. However, since I'm going to my friend's house beforehand, I'll make sure I go into the cupboard under her stairs just to make sure.

Thursday

I got the idea from Ross in Friends. I think he was getting over one of his divorces, and decided that he would do something new every day. I liked this idea at the time, as I all of my days were merging into each other - obviously watching too many AMerican comedy shows!

So, like Ross, I began to do something new every day. I set myself just a few groundrules - watching a film for the first time counts - watching a TV show doesn't. Going to somewhere I'd never been to before counts be it a new place - a new town, a new country, a new alleyway, or a new shop, but meeting someone new doesn't count.

I've been doing this for years, and sometimes it's got through me some tough times.

When I was a newspaper reporter, our newspaper deadline was Wednesday, so I lived from Thursday to Thursday, looking up now and again to acknowledge that the weekend was here. So doing something new was a lifeline. Sometimes the new thing that I did was visiting someone's house to interview them, other times, it would be going to review a play or a restaurant.

Sometimes I would really struggle for something new to do. As I was on such a low wage as a reporter, I took a second job waitressing in a local hotel. It was about five to midnight one night when I realised I hadn't done anything new, so I decided to try a door to what I thought would be a utility room or housekeeping. I went in - and it was housekeeping! Only it was a cupboard, not a room - but I thought it would do as my "new thing" that day, and climbed in. Very embarrassing when one of my colleagues saw me emerge.

Other times, I've dived into a convenience store at 11pm to buy a new flavour of crisp as a last resort! If i didn't have this rule, I would never have tried Japanese O-mochi - a kind of sweet rice, which kills lots of elderly Japanese people every year. I would never have got drunk on Jagermeister. I would never have set foot in some of the pubs around my area, and I wouldn't have been the first person ever to visit Ikea in Wembley and not come out with a set of tealights.

So I will be updating my blog with the new thing I've done - obviously I'm always out and about sticking my nose into things that aren't my business and climbing into cupboards, so I won't be able to do it every day.

Shame starting a blog doesn't count as a new thing. My new thing today was a bit of a clinche, but was finding a short cut to work from home this morning....won't be going that way again as the speed bumps weren't kind to the bottom of my car - even at a sedentary 5mph.