Upside Down Blinds #dreamdiary 205

We’re having the lounge redecorated. As part of the agreement, the decorators asked if we’d like to feature in a sketch on TV. The gist was that we’d have some blinds installed but they would be upside-down and placed over a wall instead of a window. They’d then have a film crew in and some actors as cowboy builders who we’d complain to, and we’d receive some cash to put towards the bill. It wasn’t mentioned in the contract so that the mistake would be put right afterwards. The blinds were installed in the director’s place alongside a rack where curtains could be attached to if the director changed his mind. The filming took place and the set crew took the rack with them, leaving a mess of erased floral wallpaper alongside a brightly coloured painted wall. We got paid and we contacted the decorators to begin the restoration work, but they wouldn’t commence it.

Attic Beers #dreamdiary 204

I’ve finally sealed something away in my life. I’ve managed to convince a load of old duffers to meet in the attic to talk about beer. They’ve actually climbed up the ladder and through the hatch in my house to sit down and drink it. Luckily there’s a few cans hanging about, and I’ve offered to go downstairs and fetch more. Instead, I’ve actually removed the ladder and put the hatch back in its place. I wonder how long it will take them to figure out that I’m not coming back. But one of them always finds a way to track me down. When I return to work the following day, there’s a new desk next to mine with crates of bottles of beer shrink-wrapped and stacked against it. There’s even a hogshead of beer waiting to be unwrapped. Then one of them arrives, eager to investigate what this new offering is all about and whether I’ve got anything to do with it.

Pizza on the Go #dreamdiary 203

I’m studying in the city at one of the most prestigious universities. Rent isn’t cheap round here so I’m confined to whatever I can seek out to live. Most of my things are in storage so that I can find somewhere with the least amount of room. In this case, I’m on a bunk bed in a flat above a corner shop. It also means I spend most of my life on the go and I have to be as mobile as possible, resorting to meals out at cafeterias and staying at libraries until closing time or the last train departs. I’ve managed to treat myself to a live recording of a comedy panel on campus. I’ve decided to treat myself to a pizza on the way back. But where can I eat it? I can’t take it on the train. I’ll need to either get it delivered which is hard to get someone to do so, or find one close to a place of shelter. It’s not an easy task.

Ice Bar #dreamdiary 202

I’m in a holiday complex. It’s hosted in a huge curvy arched brick building with chandeliers hanging down from the ceiling over a central infinity pool that’s not just for show. Dotted around the edge are shops and bars just like at a mall. One if them is simply called ‘Ice’. It’s a bar made solely of ice. The window frames are giant carved out ice cubes that you can curl up and sit in, the walls are made of giant see-through sheets of ice, and the furniture is made up of large ice bricks clipped together, apart from the bar tops, and tables which are made up of large thick sheets of ice. The seats are curvy and convex. Even the flooring is a smooth surface. Amazingly, no-one’s got their coat on here. They’re all in their swimwear apart from the wait staff who wear tuxedos. Everything is kept surprisingly clean and pristine with no marks whatsoever.

"Happiness is not by chance, but by choice".

-Jim Rohn.

But try as you might, you can’t control everything. There’s always going to be something that will get in your way. You can choose what will make you happy, but that might not make others happy. Sometimes you have to rely on luck to get the outcome that you want. You can plan everything, but sometimes something will go wrong and you’ll have to react accordingly. Otherwise, every night everyone will be spending their time planning what they’re going to do the following day. It’ll be difficult to find someone who wants to share your goals. You’ll have to persuade people that your view is better. Sometimes the choices that you make don’t give you the outcome that you want it to, and others might not agree with your decisions. You have to be very dominant. It can be a selfish attitude, but sometimes there’s nothing that you can do about it.

Camping in the City

This didn’t have the glamour and excitement of a normal hotel. It was quite a trek to get there, and the route didn’t take us through the most glamorous of parts on foot. There was a comfortable room which was functional, but the lobby just consisted of vending machines that could be accessed by anyone and there wasn’t really a private lounge. It did feel a bit gated, but I suppose you’d need to in a city to protect cars. We had a great view of the ringroad, but for the price, we were paying for a basic function rather than any convenience, but it was easy to get a taxi when we had appointments. And when we came back at night, the walk was downhill and we only had to cross the road to get hot food. I think we had the breakfast once. It wasn’t particularly memorable, but it did the job. It’s a Travelodge now.

Canalside Church

This was a great little trip that we did for a breath of fresh air. I wanted to catch the bus over and kick back a bit  more but I was overruled. The only car park that I knew of was a bit expensive and it was a fair walk to the starting point but we just went with it. After an uninspiring walk through the town centre, we joined the towpath of the Staffordshire & Worcestershire canal. Heading north, there were a fair few sights to see on this journey. Firstly, the raised floodproof houses all had little decorated canalside gardens complete with ornaments. We also bumped into one of my beerclub friends who was out for a bike ride. After a chat, we continued along the towpath. As we left, the cliffs of Staffordshire came into view, and I loved how the ivy hung off the sides into the canal. There were even some caves to explore.