'What do you talk about at the pub when you're drunk?' asked David, when I hummed and ha'd about what to write for this journal today; which made me chuckle – as inevitably during those episodes there is an amount of world-setting-rightness, a sharing of opinions probably best kept guarded but now unleashed to slither over the inhibition barrier, all accompanied by a smattering of hyperbole; and an invincible desire to start texting people... Cringe.... Certainly, my powers of philosophical and psychological perception become diamond-sharp, my insight deepens, my contribution to the world is volubly greater and if people are really, really lucky, I may start singing.

At least that's what has happened two out of the last three times I've been out drinking with friends. Why, oh why, is the lure of the karaoke microphone so mesmerising? I don't think I'm that great a singer, it's more a case of – 'If they can do it, so can I!' or...conversely.... `Look at these boring gits, they don't dare embarrass themselves. Well... allow me to do so on their behalf!'

Now, immediately after my self-massacre last Thursday ('Don't speak' by No Doubt, seeing as you asked...), the conversation took an interesting turn. I'm not embarrassed at being mediocre at karaoke - I freely admit that I am a 'Jack of all trades'. Reasonably adept at a number of things in life, not outstanding at any.... my mission in life is to DO stuff and TRY it, not necessarily be any good at it! But I did drunkenly admit to one single genuine party trick.... of which more later ;-)

This 'trying stuff' is a topic of persistent interest to me at present. This week my mum was taken suddenly ill and carted off to hospital for an MOT. She's fine now, thanks; but it reminded me how many people she and I know (herself included) who are clean-living, inoffensive, kind-hearted, often God-fearing, non-risk-taking, healthy and plain decent people, who end up meeting their Maker rather sooner than they and everyone around them might have expected... 'How come the nice people die younger?' she asked me when her mum, my Nanny, died aged 66, almost twenty years ago, to be followed shortly after by Mum's best friend, then aged 55. 'It's just not fair. She had so much more to offer life and the world around her...' And I don't know if it's statistically true (and if so why or how?) or if it's just that those people's demise is noticed more strongly because more people miss them... but blimey, it makes you think, doesn't it? There's no point sitting around and waiting for things to happen for you! It all goes to show that every single one of us has a right, no, a DUTY, to live their life to the fullest they can? Now! Go on, go!! And forget the clean-living bit!

In the past few years, I've gone out of my way to try new things, widen my interests, broaden my outlook, meet new and interesting people outside of the usual work/home circle; and I heartily recommend it! In the past eighteen months I have: stayed up all night drinking in Barcelona; been photographed naked for an art exhibition; made a 'professional' recording of myself singing; taken part in the Race for Life; told lies to strangers for fun; participated in an all-night treasure hunt by torchlight in the City of London; smoked pot in Amsterdam; picked up the paintbrush and canvas again; learned to ski; written for Arksanctum; dressed as a penguin while skiing and done a parapente in costume (ski'd off a cliff). I AM going to go to an outdoor rock festival this year, defo! I have extended my musical tastes by asking as many people as possible for their personal recommendations. I now include Feist, Sarah McLachlan, Findlay Brown, Pavement, Sonic Youth, Queens of the Stone Age, Martha Wainwright, Hard Fi and The Innocence Mission in my 'favourite acts' playlist – eclectic indeed. I have delighted my palate with new taste experiences: frogs' legs; snails; calves' sweetbreads; eels; lychees (eyeballs, lol!); scallops; octopus; lambs' hearts; pigeon breast; mushroom cappuccino; foie gras with limeseeds.... 'Yeah, I'll try that!'. I've made friends and acquaintances outside of my IT work culture – including a female barrister who frequents the 'London Dungeons' (look it up, it ain't no kiddies' tourist attraction!!); a professional photographer looking to break into nude photography on a commercial basis (give me a call if you're interested, ladies); a songwriter and record producer; a novelist and podcast writer/perfomer; a London Black Cabbie who hates London and loves Prefab Sprout; a plain-clothes armed policeman who offered me a ride in his 'whoo whoo'; and a train driver with a gambling addiction. People are fascinating! I'm hooked on diversity, on challenge and experience. Hell, I'm 41 but there's a bungy jump in me yet!

And so, back to last Thursday night. I'm afraid that what started off as 'something I talked about at the pub while drunk' has snowballed, in my head at least, and could turn into a metaphorical version of that bungy experience. You see, I confessed to my friends while inebriated that my party trick is the ability to sing any song you like (if I know it) in the style of . . . ahem.... Julie Andrews. And an idea was born. We started to compile a list of the most unlikely candidates..... 'Panic' by The Smiths; 'Ace of Spades' by Motorhead; 'I write Sins not Tragedies' by Panic! At the Disco; 'I'm not that Innocent' by Britney.... the more unlikely the better! My indie-loving, music culture-savvy children are in stitches when I sing 'their' songs with that added 'spoonful of sugar'. I even drunkenly (cringe again) texted my record producer friend and told him – 'I have a CRACKING BUT STUPID idea for an album – lol!' Although I haven't told him what it is yet. I talked about the idea while drunk the following day (gosh what a lot of drinking, I sense you mutter with concern...) with my hubby, and we didn't stop laughing all the way home. I suggested calling the album 'Isn't it Iconic?'. I think it could work! There hasn't been anything like it since Mike Flowers. I think this is an idea so bad that a) no one else would do it and b) there are enough dumbass people in the country who would buy it! Especially if the proceeds go to a charity for the terminally deaf.

Ah, me! I don't know if I'll ever carry it through – but I would, I think... just to do it and try stuff. You heard it here first! Just pray that elastic rope holds fast and I don't end up as strawberry jam at the foot of the Chasm of Mortification.