It’s an early sunny Christmas Day morning. I’m off to the other side of town to see the family. There’s a blue Volkswagen bug parked outside the house that I’ve never seen before but it’s not blocking the driveway. I back my car out, but I accidentally tap it. I have to stop and pull up to see if a mark has been left. A woman dressed in white is inside with her two children. They get close as I back up and try and line up my car on the other side of the driveway. I can see that their boot is filled with presents. How long have they been sitting inside? I’m about to give a bad start to someone’s Christmas. Hopefully there’s no visible damage and I can get away with swapping insurance details and that’ll be the end of it, though it’ll probably have to be reported. She doesn’t look happy though.
Adventures of Mr. Paul
Musings and misadventures of a wannabe writer...
Friday 4 October 2024
Friday 27 September 2024
What's the medal count?
I assume I’m going to find out some sport results rather than expect a definition. I’m also wondering if this feature works when a tournament isn’t in session. Will it default back to the latest international tournament or will it find an event that is taking place currently? Will I get a response at all or will it ask me to back another time when a tournament is taking place? I get a lengthy list of the top five countries and how many medals they have won. For the winner, I get a full list of bronze, silver and gold totals. But I can ask for a specific country to be told its bronze, silver and gold totals. If I ask for the event, I’m told that Team GB didn’t win anything this year, though to be fair I did specify UK rather than Great Britain. When I get the phasing right, I’m told that it doesn’t know. I guess it’s back to Google.
Thursday 26 September 2024
Smoke Signals #warwick 18
Wednesday 25 September 2024
“Just put one foot in front of the other and don't worry about the length of the path. Once you get on that path, and the longer you stay on it, there eventually will come a time when you will not turn back.”
-Martina Navratilova
Little steps always help when you’re facing something big.
As long as you’re making progress, it’s still progress, especially if people
can see it. Stopping to do nothing won’t help things at all. They’ll be many
distractions, and some of them will need dealing with while others can be
ignored. But if you can stay the course without looking back, then eventually
you’ll reach your goal, wherever or whatever that may be. You might need to
keep an eye on the length of the path if it’s a literal one though. You’ll need
rest stops and supplies to keep you going, otherwise you’ll arrive wishing you’d
never departed. With a bit of training, you’ll get used to it. It’s also nice
to know that at some point you can leave your troubles behind and you won’t
have to face them again, though hopefully others won’t have to finish the work
for you.
Tuesday 24 September 2024
Snack Time #warwick 17 #dozo 2
Monday 23 September 2024
Passing Trade
He’s tall. Taller than me, but not by much. He’s also a bit lankier and has a slightly better physique but it’s not too much on me considering he’s a builder. He’s not the brightest when it comes to technology but what he has in place is practical skills. He’s not the best conversationalist when it comes to topics unless you’re discussing his trade. He keeps himself smart and well-trimmed unless he’s been working hard (in which case a few signs of stubble will start to show). And while he never formally suits up, the clothes that he does wear while out and about are always branded. He’s always great at playing the host and sources quality ingredients for his guests. Though he doesn’t have much interest in the way of hobbies, he loves spending time with people he values. He’s happy with the work that he does, he’s good at it and he charges a fair price.