12. Obtain 40 albums in a single year (Year 1)

So, the last day of 2013 and I thought I'd share with you my list of albums I obtained during the year and how I obtained them.  I had to get hold of at least 40 albums this year because I present an annual "Top 50 Albums of [insert year here]" radio show at Northwick Park Hospital Radio.  This isn't an official top 50 - this is my personal top 50 which I like to share with those who care to listen.  Feel free to comment below about what your favourite album of the year is and why.

No.	Band/Singer	Album	Obtained
50	Diana Vickers	Music To Make Boys Cry	Bought
49	Tom Odell	Long Way Down	Bought
48	Hanson	Anthem	Bought
47	Justin Currie	Lower Reaches	Streamed
46	Avril Lavigne	Avril Lavigne	Bought
45	James Blunt	Moon Landing	Bought
44	Caro Emerald	The Shocking Miss Emerald	Bought
43	Fall Out Boy	Save Rock And Roll	Bought
42	The Feeling	Boy Cried Wolf	Streamed
41	Josh Groban	All That Echoes	Bought
40	Alter Bridge	Fortress	Bought
39	Paramore	Paramore	Bought
38	Darius Rucker	True Believers	Bought
37	Natalie Maines	Mother	Bought
36	The 1975	The 1975	Bought
35	KT Tunstall	Invisible Empire / Crescent Moon	Bought
34	Stereophonics	Graffiti On The Train	Bought
33	James Arthur	James Arthur	Streamed
32	Pearl Jam	Lightning Bolt	Bought
31	OneRepublic	Native	Bought
30	LeAnn Rimes	Spitfire	Bought
29	Joshua Radin	Wax Wings	Bought
28	Robbie Williams	Swings Both Ways	Bought
27	Bastille	Bad Blood	Bought
26	Michael Buble	To Be Loved	Bought
25	Allison Weiss	Say What You Mean	Bought
24	Goo Goo Dolls	Magnetic	Bought
23	Al Lewis	Battles	Bought
22	Miles Kane	Don’t Forget Who You Are	Bought
21	Gabrielle Aplin	English Rain	Bought
20	Charlotte Campbell	Blue Eyed Soul	Bought
19	Newton Faulkner	Studio Zoo	Bought
18	Jake Bugg	Shangri La	Bought
17	Diane Birch	Speak A Little Louder	Borrowed
16	Daughtry	Baptized	Bought
15	Orianthi	Heaven In This Hell	Bought
14	Keith Urban	Fuse	Bought
13	Gary Barlow	Since I Saw You Last	Streamed
12	Brad Paisley	Wheelhouse	Bought
11	Lady Antebellum	Golden	Bought
10	Rubylux	The World Goes Quiet	Bought
9	Paper Aeroplanes	Little Letters	Bought
8	Kodaline	In A Perfect World	Bought
7	Andy Burrows	Company	Bought
6	Lissie	Back To Forever	Bought
5	John Mayer	Paradise Valley	Bought
4	HAIM	Days Are Gone	Bought
3	Kacey Musgraves	Same Trailer, Different Park	Bought
2	Arctic Monkeys	AM	Borrowed
1	The Civil Wars	The Civil Wars	Bought

As you will see from the list, I technically obtained 50 albums - 44 of these I did actually buy.

The Civil Wars are my number 1 album because I'm a sucker for amazing harmonies, great melodies and good lyrics.  Despite the fact they're currently in a "civil war" themselves it's still a superb album.

Year 1 is DONE!

Looking forward to some amazing album releases in 2014. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR READERS!

1. Learn "Cornflake Girl" by Tori Amos on the piano (Part 1)

I have ALWAYS loved the piano part in "Cornflake Girl" by Tori Amos.  For years I've been wanting to know how to play it but never got around to learning it.  I suppose the fact I haven't owned a piano has meant that I have been unable to learn.

It was the first thing I put on my list.  The list came to pass at The World's End in Finsbury Park as my friend, Marion, was doing her 50 list.  "Cornflake Girl" came on through the speakers at the pub so I said that I'd always wanted to be able to play the song on the piano.  I then made the decision it would be a good first item to put on my own list - my 40 list!

Last month I decided to look for the sheet music.  I thought if I at least had the sheet music, it would push me to start actually learning it.  I found it after a few attempts and got it posted to me.

So, here it is.

I now need to find a piano or something similar!

In the meantime, I will keep listening to the Tori Amos version.

2. Find 40 Geocaches (Part 2)

Two weeks of Geocaching - brings me to 9 caches

After the bug of cache searching earlier in August, I wanted to try to find some on my own. There were some around my office building and I was determined to find them.  I work in Lincoln's Inn Fields in Central London.  

On 28th August I decided to start what was to be two weeks of geocaching.  I got up early to get to the first cache site before the square started to get busy and people thought I was a weirdo wandering around the greenery.

I finally found the cache - it was easier than I thought it would be.  You can't tell where it is here but it is here.

Where could you be?

So the next day I went out on my lunch break - I went a little earlier than usual as I knew it would be quiet.  This one was a very clever hide.  After following the clue, embarrassingly, I found a tin of lip balm which I thought contained the cache but it didn't and also a bag which definitely did NOT contain the cache but something a bit stinky.  I eventually found the cache. I'm not going to give it away but it was down here.

You can't tell but it is down here

I couldn't give up - there was one other cache I HAD to find in the area.  The next lunchtime I went out for a wander following my GPS and I figured out from the hint where this one was hiding.

I saw the sign and it opened up my eyes

So, after three days, the three caches nearest to my office had been found - yay me!

I love seeing smiley faces

Before the week was out I decided to find the next cache - 3rd September.  I was heading down towards New Oxford Street to my favourite street in London - Denmark Street.  This was such an easy find that I wasn't even sure that what I'd found was the cache.  It wasn't an obvious cache.  I had to write my Geocaching username, the date and what part I would play in the "Tin Pan Alley" Band.  It's not a real band though.

Band on the run...

So, here's another smiley face.

Here it is!

The first week in September I took a week's holiday from work so, on the Friday, I met up with my friend, Marion to find some geocaches in my local area.  The weather was up and down. At the start of our caching day, it was raining.  We walked down Stratfield Road (round the back of the Eastenders set) where we found our first cache of the day.  Some odd looking things in the container but we signed our names and moved along.

Cache under rocks...ain't no surprise

Odd little items in the container

We walked down to Borehamwood station to start our first ever "multi-cache".  This is a cache that can be found after solving several clues.  The following photos helped us along the way.

"Fortune and glory, kid.  Fortune and glory"

After a lot of searching, wondering if our GPS devices were working properly and having local residents thinking we were "casing the joint", I found the cache.  They hid it well!!

The weather started to improve so we decided to walk down the Watling Chase Timberland Trail around the back of where I live, which I didn't even know existed.  A huge expanse of greenery.  The sun came out as we trudged through tall grass after following the path.  The clues (and luckily GPS) were good and after what felt like an age walking we found the last cache of the day.  My phone had died by then so Marion took these photos.

"Take me to the place I love, take me all the way"

Blatantly taking advantage

We then had to find our way back to where we came in.  Marion's battery was low and, as previously mentioned, my phone was dead.  However, we worked out our way back safely!

Even though we only found three caches, the multi-cache (orange one below) had taken us most of the day.  We did good!  It was good exercise and it was a lovely day spent walking and chatting and exploring with Marion.

There's still a few to find in Borehamwood - who wants to join me? 

9 down - 31 to go!