40 by Forty

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER! Don't try and break into shit you don't own! This challenge is courtesy of... Me!  The challenge Learn to pick a lock.  Why?  Well, if you've ever played any RPG on your games system of choice (or, indeed, a pen and paper RPG), you've undoubtedly encountered a lock picking mini-game. If you've read any amount of crime fiction, you've read about a character finessing their way into places they shouldn't be with just the aid of a few bits of metal.  As I've done a fair amount of both in my life, I've always wondered what's actually involved and just how hard it is. Thanks to the internet, lockpicks and some basic instruction are now just a simple Amazon Prime one-click order away.  Time to learn to pick locks! Challenge accepted. The Theory The transparent practice lock, a pick and a tension wrench (All this refers to Yale type locks. Deadbolts are a different kettle of fish.) Put at a needlessly reductionist l

The visitors continue to be visiting, the puppy continues to chew absolutely-fucking-everything and my challenges have taken a bit of a back seat to life this week. I've missed a few days of French, I've not even picked up my drawing stuff except to fashion a quick card for my wedding anniversary and I thought I was heading for a week with no one-off completions. Thankfully, the last challenge on my list turned out to be 2/3rds of the way done already, so a quick diversion on Saturday and boom, blog for the week! This challenge is courtesy of... Graham Rogers. The challenge Visit three local tourist attractions I haven't been to before.  That'll be easy, right? Challenge accepted. Attraction 1: Yellowcraigs Beach Due to vaccination status, Cooper had to ride in the buggy to the high tide line. We went here last week.  Despite it being only 14 miles away - and lovely - I've never been to this particular beach before. We had a picnic, we let Cooper p

So, I've actually had this one complete since early May, but I've kept it dans la poche (French note: this is actually an idiom that means "a done deal", but I'm using it in the British sense of keeping something in reserve) for a week when life intervened to mean that I couldn't tick off another challenge. With visitors, birthday parties and puppies, this is that week. This challenge is courtesy of... Andy Law, whose challenges you can identify by the "40" theme. The challenge Paddle out to neck deep in freezing cold water and stay there for 40 seconds.  I'm taking "freezing" to be colloquial here, so just the usual bloody cold Scottish sea temperature will do. Also, due to being really, really tall, I'm going to cheat a little and count bending down to neck level to count, otherwise I'd be wading out for hours! Challenge accepted. There was, briefly, a sudden heatwave during May.  After an almost eternal winter, we

One of my rules of my challenges is that they're suspended when I'm on holiday.  Unfortunately, while it's the school holidays and we've got Renae's mum, step-dad and brother staying with us, I'm not on holiday, so the challenges continue unabated! This challenge is courtesy of... Matt Boyce. The challenge Skinny dip.  No specifics, so I'm taking this to be swimming naked somewhere public.  No other restrictions. Challenge accepted. This is probably not how you expect a skinny dipping challenge to start, but yesterday I was at a kid's birthday party... Listen, don't dial that third '9', just put the phone down and hear me out. OK, our nephew Charlie turned 6 yesterday.  As his party, he chose "cake in the woods".  It was pretty much what you might expect.  Cake.  In the woods.  The woods being Roslin Glen Country Park.  There was cake.  There were party games.  There was lots of splashing about in the river. The d

When I first created my list, I included a number of "backup" challenges - basically alternative challenges that I wouldn't go out of my way to attempt, but which I'd do if the occasion presented itself.  Once done, they count as one of my 40, giving me the option of not doing one of the main list if I don't manage it.  They're official wiggle room, if you like.  And I do like, which, given I set my own rules, is damn handy! This challenge is courtesy of... Danielle Christie who, as a Beltaner and general hippy, is well into this sort of thing. The challenge A nice simple one: do some acro. Simple in explanation, at any rate. I'm 6' 4" and about as flexible as an icicle, so acrobatic s are not my natural mode of physical expression.  I'm more couch potato than circus performer. I'm also nt super strong, so the more physically demanding acrobatic activities (body balance and the like) are well beyond me.  Oh well, time to humila