If there is a certain way of assessing how often you get to sit down, it is by going into your sitting room and seeing if there is anything in there that you were not expecting. In mine there is a Christmas tree.

I have not sat down and watched television since Christmas. I only went in there because it was widely reported that the television does not work. The reports were accurate. In fact, none of them work. Nor does the ariel.

I have had to break the news that since I am no roof climber and since funds do not extend to such expenditure - they will have to accept that they now live in a house with no television. It was news that was not met with joy. However pragmacy all around, television does not work, so don't watch it.

Middle child and I discussed the Christmas tree and its obvious power of needle retention, We are impressed. Getting rid of it adds another entry of things of my list of non priority. Getting rid of it means hauling it out, tying it to the car and finding an appropriate disposal venue. Frankly....

So we have decided a different approach. It is a plant with a specific label attached, one of 'Christmas tree'. The simplest solution is to re brand it. It is a plant that is in the house. It is now a house plant. As one would be proud of such a commanding growth, we are now proud to have such a large specimen of house plant adorning our sitting room. We can all sit together and admire it instead of watching television.

It is fascinating how you can take an object and make it something else, simply by another name. You can do much the same with any information. Take an event an put a different spin on it and the scenario becomes an altered one. The presentation will lead people to make all sorts of assumptions. Their assumptions would be correct based on the scenario you presented and but not necessarily on the truth. Thus it becomes an altered version of the truth.

I imagine this is much the same as Chinese whispers, all based on an interpretation from a single point. Yet the end rarely bears much relevance to the beginning since it has been distorted along the way. It's fascinating when you hear the final version and yet you were there at the start. I think a healthy place is to know the truth and not fight the altered version. Distortion is a reflection of the needs of others and not a reflection of you.

I went for a dog walk with a very glamorous, very gorgeous single and definitely yummy mummy this morning. I was explaining my reasons for my brothers generous gym gift. When I explained the rational of having somewhere to go where nobody expected you to go with anyone else, she was visibly shocked.

"Why would you want to go anywhere on your own"? she declared

"Surely the whole point is that you are trying to find someone to go to places with'?

She also declared that anyone who did not want to marry her simply had to be gay. I liked her. I loved her confidence in this statement but I loved it even more that I do not agree. I cannot think of anything worse than being on a permanent hunt to find a 'partner'. I like the fact that I can be on my own and the thought of having to hook up with a series of possibilities over an extended period would depress me. The thought of being in a relationship that I wouldn't die in a ditch for, makes me cold.

The benefit of choice, the benefit of being happy on your own, the joy of being able to go out and about without answering to anyone else - is that I do not need to compromise on what is right for me. I do not need to compromise at all. Being in a relationship because it is better than being on your own has to be the worst kind of lifestyle choice. The art of life is to move forward and not back.

So I shall carry on being happy going to the gym because I am able to go on my own. There are all sorts of things involved that challenge me about myself and it is a safe place to push those boundaries. Being on your own challenges all sorts of perceptions about yourself. This, if ready to face them - can only be a good thing.

On the subject of challenges....I had a few days of frantic credit card application. Middle child's SEN tribunal is imminent and I have to find several hundreds of pounds to fund that attendance by the Educational Psychologist. This has been a three year battle and the nights spent up until 3am wading through paperwork do not bear recall. Challenging the education authority and the medical establishment has been an emotionally draining process and is all set to come to a head.

So it was with some dismay that I received an email from the Ed Psych office to say that they do not accept credit card payments. This is 2010 for Christ sake. I am sure that there are many people that have the odd thousand pound sitting in their bank account, but I am not one of them. Given that most of the people that fight education authorities are parents of children in the state system, it would be a fair assumption that some of them are a little cash strapped.

I struggle in the concept that any company with fees that high, do not accept credit card payment. I can pay for a glass of wine and three chicken fillet skewers in my favourite pub with a credit card, yet not 1k attendance fees. Tis ridiculous. I am not entirely sure how to proceed. I could drive down there tomorrow and leave them the car. Missing a body part, two bald tyres and the contents that contain growth is unlikely to sway them. Perhaps if I washed it.

I have until tomorrow to solve this challenge