Driving a Fiat Cinquecento to the Arctic Circle? Mad or what?

But that's exactly what a mate of mine at work is doing and all for a very good cause - Macmillan Cancer Support.

Alan and his mate Jason are painting that little Fiat in the style of an American cop car and driving it all the way from Holland to Norway and back again (hopefully!) The only thing is, they have to have the heater on all the time to stop it overheating, which is fine for when they get to the Arctic, but Holland in August I'm figuring won't be much different climate wise from here!

They'd be grateful for any support and you can show some by visiting their blog where you can follow their progress.

Dear Readers ...

... what do you think of the new look blog? Yes? No? Don't care? I fancied a bit more colour but I don't want you to all go "UGH" and recoil in horror! So if the general consensus is 'NO' then I an easily switch back to the original. Please leave a comment and let me know how you feel, ta v. much!

BIG NEWS!!! No, not Katie's exclusive interview with Piers that the nation has been waiting for because we were all so shocked at the break-up ... not ...no, Matt has finally learned to ride his bike! Only, it's four years old and far too small now, so we've had to buy a new one - bless, he still had a load of birthday money left and now he's got the bug he was determined to spend it. He brought home a smashing school report the other day though, so we've gone halves with him. He's picking it up tomorrow!

I thank his school friends - they had bike week a couple of weeks ago and since then his best friends have been cycling in. So on Thursday he dusted the old bike down and announced he was going to ride it! He'd sussed it inside of half an hour, from not going anywhere to suddenly just getting it. His little face was a picture. Looks like I'll be dusting my own one down now because I know what I'm going to get on Monday morning: "Can we cycle to school mum, can we, can we?"

Not so funny facts and figures about we Brits!

I couldn't believe these! Then I read them again and thought, well, actually, yes I can ... I've seen people do some of them.

3 die each year testing if a 9volt battery works on their tongue.

142 were injured in 1999 by not removing all the pins from their shirts.

58 are injured using knives as screwdrivers.

31 have died since 1996 by watering their Xmas tree with the fairy lights plugged in.

4 broken arms in Xmas cracker pulling incidents.

19 have died eating Xmas tree decorations, believing they were chocolate.

101 people since 1999 have had broken bits of plastic toys pulled out of the soles of their feet.

18 had serious burns in one year due to trying on a jumper with lit cigarettes in their mouths.

543 admitted to A&E in the last two years, after opening beer bottles with their teeth.

And my two personal favourites:

5 injured in accidents involving out of control Scalextric cars "...Help, help I've been run over by a small plastic toy car ..." I'm surprised they told anyone.

And finally, last year 8 people cracked their skull ... whilst throwing up in the toilet!

3BT: Sport, music, fun

We did have a finalist at Wimbledon and, just in case you missed the commentator in the men's Final mention it, her name is Lucy Shuker. Together with Australian partner Daniela Di Toro, she was runner up to a Dutch pair in the Ladies Wheelchair Doubles. STOP PRESS: Jeremy Bates won the Senior Men's Doubles!

Listening to the radio in the car and I was tapping away to this, never heard it before but found it quite infectious. So I was surprised to find it was JLS, not that I'd anything against them in X-Factor, in fact I quite liked them. I think it'll do well!

Matt spent some more of his birthday money today, on The Simpson's Board Game and the Moe's Tavern section is hilarious. At least, Matt as Bart was - he had to sing a love song about bananas, pretend to be the Road Runner and tell a joke in a Russian accent, which he didn't have a clue about, rolling up instead at my attempts. Great fun for a Sunday afternoon. Very easy to play - unlike the Simpson's Game of Life, which has only been out of the box once ...

The things they say ...

This time he really left me speechless.

I'm making our morning coffee and hot chocolate and turned up the volume on Jazz FM, since they were playing one of my favourites, New York Afternoon. Hm, I thought - the Cha Cha I learnt at the Strictly Kent do will go nicely with this and there was just enough room in the kitchen.

Matt walks in and says: "Stop it mum, before I need therapy."

SportsDay

Archery: Gold for Terry ; Canoeing Bronze for Florence, Hounslow and Cawthorn
Bronze for womens kayakers.

Gymnastics – but not as we know it! Louis Smith, Olympic Bronze medallist, is taking part in this year’s X-Factor. He mentions Montel Jordan in this clip and I’m reliably informed by The Hobbit that he is 'legend', so I’m expecting great things from Louis! He’s setting himself up post 2012, good luck to him.

European success for Modern Pentathletes, along with one I missed on an earlier round-up *slaps wrist* Alistair Brownlee wins second ITU Triathlon on the bounce.

Athletics: Third for GB in European Team Championships. Weir, Woods and Bushell all record wins in Jona International, with Bushell adding to his recent world record.

Three Golds and a silver for adaptive rowers with Gold for Lightweight Womens Double Scull, three silvers and three bronzes also.

Goodison takes third sailing world cup victory; Windsurfer Bryony Shaw clinches a Bronze medal in European Champs (but the link isn’t there so not sure when it was!)

The things they say ...

Matt saunters out to the car, leaving me to bring his cricket bag, drink and fleece.

"What did your last servant die of?" I ask him.

"He choked on some beef," he answers back casually "and the first one was eaten by a crocodile."

Michael Jackson

When the shock wears off – and I’ll admit, I was pretty choked when hearing any of his songs today and some of the tributes being read out on radio – I’ll remember Michael only for his wonderful music and dancing. Off The Wall and Thriller were part of the soundtrack to my life and whilst I wasn’t a fan dedicated enough to embrace all his subsequent recordings, he consistently delivered some cracking tunes.

Clearly, Michael had been unwell for some time; I was reading a list of the various ailments he was suffering from and I couldn’t help but wonder, why hadn’t all those people who surround him put a stop to these rehearsals and shows for his own good? Yes, he can demand to carry on, but it’s not like he physically organises them himself is it? Why didn’t anyone have the courage to say NO – enough is enough? Just because someone is so famous or rich doesn’t mean they’re not vulnerable and in need of some honesty. What kind of management let him get to that state? Obviously, sadly, the one that needed him to make more money.

It seems his cardiac arrest may have been caused by an overdose of prescription medicine and his private doctor is being sought by police. Tragic enough that he died, that it might be brought about by the possible negligence of a medical professional makes it worse.

I doubt we’ll ever know the whys and wherefores, just like we never knew the real Michael, remaining an icon in death as in life, joining that should’ve-been-immortal list with the likes of Monroe, Princess Di and JFK - any sins forgotten, elevated to saint status.

Me, I’ll just continue to listen to this, this and this and rock with him forever.

3BT: Twinterview, cricket, funny story!

The second 'twinterview' has been posted, it's with dancer and choreographer Leah Hather (@Brighteyes08) of Bright Eyes Long Lashes dance group. Mosey on over and check out the Pirates at WITS End video, it's excellent!

Congratulations to Charlotte Edwards and the England Ladies cricket team, who have won their 20/20 World Cup to go with the 50 over game and the Ashes. See, if you want something done, ask a woman. Unless it's houswork, in which case just ignore me.

Crop Circles Culprits Finally Discovered: I couldn't make it up! Really, I don't think I'd have thought of it, although I shall probably nick the idea at some point ...

Well, duh!

Matt's birthday today - just spent 2 hours wrapping. (I might be exaggerating there slightly, it felt like hours) Among the little things I got him, a big badge with a '9' on it. Which is just as well, cos that's how old he is now. Anyhoo, health and safety being what it is these days, there's a "CAUTION" notice: "This Badge Pin MAY Have a Sharp Point!" I sincerely hope so, or he's going to have helluva job pinning it on ...