progress report

Well, after the last dismal post (I'd hit the bottom) I hope today's mood will be improved. Outwardly little's changed (details will follow) but I'm ok now. The financial effects will take a while to kick in if there is never any more benefit, and hopefully the time will either allow me to find a regular/ish income or reclaim benefits. So that's off the system now, it'll take care of itself in its own time.
The latest birthday's less than 24 hours away, (45, it's on my profile) so, for a birthday treat, I'll list (which is one of my great loves in life) what I have and haven't done in that time that I wanted to. Much overlaps with my 100 things, but of course most here is what I haven't done which wasn't there...

I have:

Got a law degree, professional counselling, psychotherapy and hypnotherapy qualifications.
Bought my own house. (These were my first two aims in life, and were fulfilled)
Been to 10 countries
Been on TV, including big brother (5 seconds), but not spoken
Had a number of articles published (unpaid)
Lived with a woman for 2 weeks (with a gap in the middle!)
Self published and sold a booklet on counselling
Seen auras
Proved (to myself) clairvoyance/collective mind
Performed music and comedy to audiences between 3 and a couple of hundred
Driven a large motorbike (550cc)
Driven a Cadillac in America
Seen performances from many A list celebrities, including Frankie Howerd, Bill Haley, Uri Geller (ok, maybe C list...), Artur Rubinstein (a pianist who was almost 90 at the time), The 'Carry on' and 'Hi de hi' casts, Lenny Henry, Rowan Atkinson, and my personal favourite (though just rehearsing) Patrick Stewart of Star Trek (next generation). I also saw Roy Orbison when I was about 4 which I just about remember being in.
Learnt probably the best way to meditate, from Maharaji.
Taken the Eurostar (bloody amazing as well).
Seen the queen (Maldon, Essex, around 1970, sitting in a parked car waving to the crowd). I missed a second view more recently at Portsmouth Harbour as the place was crawling with police so I carried on walking, and when I came back some minutes later had just missed her car arriving to collect or deliver her to the station.
Seen England play at Wembley (football) and The Oval (cricket).
Been to 73 football matches (League/Cup/International/reserve).

I still (and may never) have not:

Been married
Had children (intended to do one before the other anyhow)
Spoken on TV
Been paid to write
Had a single full time job for longer than 2 1/2 months, though I did have two for a total of about 4 without a break!
Had an enlightenment experience
Gained an official profession (ie where people are required by law to have one to practice)
Skiied (probably too late)
Jumped out of a parachute (probably too sane to)
Visited Leicester (probably too boring to)
Had any regular girlfriend for over 8 months
Had an out of body experience
Been to the southern hemisphere or the tropics
and finally Esther... Had anyone send me an email from Friends Reunited (apart from replies to mine) since I joined at the very beginning in 2000. Wankers!

At least the second list gives me some ambition, though the control I have over them, and the effort involved in doing so where I do have, means they're really up to fate rather than any other factor. On the TV one, Channel 4 TV have a list of reality programmes they want people for, and I may have to have my house overrun by crew for a month in order to get there at the moment, unless my actual talents get me there first!