Cornwall QI #dreamdiary 227

Me and my Uncle have come down for a look around Port Issac. Cornwall has been invaded by an influx of hipsters lately in that people are posting graffiti around the villages with QR codes which takes people to harmful or malicious websites when they scan it with a mobile phone. As we park in the village, a purple double-decker bus drives past which wouldn’t be out of place in a scene from Harry Potter. The driver gets out and warns us of the dangers of taking photos of the images as smartphones are quick to detect the link held within, and unsuspecting people believe that they’ve found a secret hidden ‘Easter Egg’ which takes them to a website to find out more about the artist. Fortunately, I’ve got common sense, but a lot of people have been swindled. I leave my Uncle there and head to the Welsh border for a swim.

Toy Story 5

I was so looking forward to this but it turned out to be a bit of a flop. I was hoping for a bunch of the latest characters and a bit of slapstick action alongside memories of previous encounters; but the only experiences of these were from characters that used to deliver punchline jokes. I was disappointed that the action had carried on from where it left off and no-one had seemed to make any progress. I also thought that the two humans that they were trying to unite had a major age difference. Each group of characters seemed to spend their time rescuing each other only for the other party to do the same a few scenes later. I also couldn’t see the method defeating the madness and felt that the antagonist needed to be a bit more evil. It’s a shame that Pizza Planet wasn’t featured, and it would have been more fun if there were more tie-ins from other Disney franchises.

Risk Assessment #habberley 36

 It’s a cautious approach. Both hands are on the rails. She’s done the most challenging section of all; climbing to the top. Then there’s the next bit. The next bunch of steps don’t look as stable. She’s also at the highest point and it’s a long way down. There’s no-one to stop her from falling but it’s also going to be difficult to do that. Perhaps a quick check to make sure that help is nearby if she needs it and also a thought as to what she can do to avoid the risk of getting hurt.  But she has to make it a fun experience as well.  She wants to be seen as being brave and trying new things. You’ve got to balance it right by taking the time to make sure that you’re safe without relying on the people behind you. But if you don’t do it, it’s going to make things harder for you later.

Give a Nicol

He’s tall and blonde with round glasses. He likes his thick casual clothes with hoodies. He likes his hair long with sharp edges and curls on the top. Occasionally he’ll grow it long it long enough to turn it into a ponytail. Then there’s the long shorts or the tracksuit bottoms whatever the weather. He likes to feel wrapped up even in the summer. He’s not an outdoors person. He likes to experiment with goatees and beards. His hobbies are vast. He just likes to blend with whatever’s popular. He’s quite slow and quiet when it comes to talking but he always has a lot to say and pretends to know about everything. But sometimes you’re just exploring and finding out everything about yourself at that age. Sometimes it’s annoying and it doesn’t add value to your time. It’s attention seeking in a way, especially when you don’t come up with the goods.

Testing Grounds #habberley 35

I’m just trying to cross the bridge. I must be doing it like a pro since I’ve only got one hand on the rail. I’m quite high up though. Maybe we wanted to see how much weight the bridge could handle. The top of the chain is quite taunt and rusty. It could snap under the pressure and I could ruin everyone’s adventure. Or someone just wanted me to cross so that I could have my picture taken. I could be demonstrating how easy to cross it is to people. Or maybe I’m trying to get over a phobia. It looks a little slippery; possibly because it’s been sprayed. There may be thorns below or a very muddy demise awaiting me. I might even be about to be pushed by branches stretching out towards me. I don’t think that my fleece jacket can help me here, even if I try to use it as a parachute, though it may soften my fall. 

 

"Out of a Mountain of Despair is a Stone of Hope"

-Martin Luther King Jr.

When you compare a stone to a mountain, it’s not much to go on. But at least you can pick it up and cling onto it. It might be the only thing that keeps you going. Looking at the mountain suggests that you could be crushed in the process. But hope has come out of the mountain, however small it may be. There’s still a chance. All you need to do is keep chipping away at the rest of it and it too will eventually become a stone. It’s important to break down your worries into manageable steps. That is how you will solve them. It’s going to be difficult to take the stone to the top of the mountain and place it on top. But then again, it could take longer to chisel through the mountain. Or you could take the stone with you and take your battles elsewhere.

Don't look back in Anticipation #habberley 34

She’s looking back in anticipation. Perhaps a few words are exchanged. Am I going to press on the step? Is she going to distract me so that she can get across without me spraying her? Or is she waiting for the spray to come through so that she can shield herself and dart across afterwards? Maybe I’ve swung the tree branch and it’s just about to hit her in the face. But I wouldn’t do a thing like that to her. It’s a sunny day so maybe she wants a good squirt to keep her cool after all that moving around. It’s amazing how quickly sweat can build up sometimes; especially on your back when you’re wearing big coats. At least we’re in the fresh air so the smell won’t be noticeable until we get back in the car. Hopefully the hose will wash off any mud on the coats as well.