A Room in the Dark #dreamdiary51

It’s a new term at university and I’m staying in halls this year. I’ve grown out of going out for drinks in the evening and tend to confine myself to my room, but as it’s a fresh new year I’ve decided to make an exception. I head to the student bar followed by a night out to the club and stay out until closing time and catch up with a lot of people whom I haven’t seen me for ages and invite me to various functions that they’ve organised throughout the term. I stagger back to the halls and find the corridor, but I can’t seem to find my room. There’s no light apart from moonlight and everyone’s trying to make their away around with the light from their mobile phone. I’m on a walkway and I can see the stone brick walls with the room numbers chalked on them, but I can’t make out the doors. I apologise to the people around me commenting that everything looks different in the dark as we shuffle past each other while trying not to fall off the walkway. I ask a friend for help but he refuses, saying that I need to get used to this sort of light if I’m going to go to one of his events.

The White Good Wipeout

It’s a tragedy that one device can do so much devastation. Many people now live in fear of their appliance doing the exact same thing. Even charity shops have stopped accepting them to sell on as they don’t want to take the risk. They won’t even take it to sell as scrap metal any more. The police believe that this product malfunctioned rather than a case of misuse; but manufacturers aren’t releasing any specific details to the public domain unless. But what adds to the tragedy is that it’s a fault within a fault within a fault, as the building found fault with the fire caused from the appliance too; and also the review and regulation of such materials was also delayed. No single cause can be isolated from the tragedy; and the true cause of the fire will never be known but there were too many holes that could have otherwise prevented it.

Live Your Dreams

"Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears." -Les Brown

There’s too much emphasis on thinking about what would happen if things went wrong and not enough about what would happen if things went right. There’s too many lawyers out to make a killing from suing someone the moment there’s someone to blame. It puts quite a burden on things and most importantly, stops us from imagining how we want things to be. We’re taught to be prepared to expect that things won’t always go our way. But it takes the focus away from how easy it is to achieve our dreams and builds a wall between what we want to achieve. What we really should be asking ourselves is what can we to tear down the wall to increase our chances of success? What can we do to stop things from going wrong? We can’t control everything, but we can control how we cope with failure and practice so that we have a better chance of achieving our goals next time.

A Ditter through Droitwich

There aren’t many attractions in the sleepy town of Droitwich, but it’s a very pleasant place to visit. There’s Vine Park with its canal bridges and green and St. Richards monument, built to commemorate the bringing of the salt to the town which made it a spa. The roads aren’t cobbled but they are narrow and are usually quiet. There’s historic Friar Street with its many medieval buildings and traditional independent shops. For modern shopping there’s St. Andrew’s Square, but the big chains don’t do too well here. There’s a selection of pubs but further out the town just expands into houses. There’s not much to see past the circular road which surrounds the town centre; though pedestrians can pass through easily thanks to its network of footpaths and underpasses. Of course, if you’re looking for something to do, it’s best to visit when the town plays host to one of its festivals.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E (2015)

I jumped into this film with baited breath. Its exciting title had me thinking of James bond-type gadgets and exotic locations as the agents trail the world to solve their mission. The reality is anything but. There’s a bit of amusing banter between the spies as they discover each other’s listening bugs in their rooms but that’s about it. There’s no background information about the actual agency or how it’s different from a government branch. I also thought that Cadvill’s performance was very flat, as both he and Hammer always spoke in a calm, unemotional voice. It was as if Guy Ritchie had asked him to be an American Roger Moore. There was a lot of emphasis on style and wearing flashy suits while staying in plush hotel rooms. I totally lost the plot when Hugh Grant appeared on the screen and had fell asleep by then so I had no idea what was happening.

New Realm American Pale Ale at the Rising Sun, Redditch

For a beer ticker like me, it’s crucial to find out whether I’ve tried a beer before or not before I can tick it off. There’s hundreds of IPAs out there, and the only way of distinguishing them is by where it’s brewed. This isn’t necessarily the same brewer or the same recipe. Often a brewer will visit another brewery to create their beer; particularly international ones who bring their recipes to make a guest beer. It means that they use different water and different ingredients; as these would be very expensive to ship over. So a beer brewed this side of the pond could be very different to it being stateside. Of course, you could calibrate a laboratory to re-create the same pH and cloudiness of the water, but it simply won’t be the same. There’s also the cuckoo breweries; smaller brewers which brew at a bigger plant to experiment with new beers.

Bus Station Congestion #dreamdiary50

It’s rush hour at the bus station. Me and my friends are sitting in my car trying to get home. I’ve no idea why I suddenly decided to drive through the bus station; perhaps I decided to give my friends a tour. But we’re sitting in a queue of traffic waiting to pull out onto the main road. There’s a very strange man in wire-frame owl glasses who looks like he’s drunk or has a problem with walking. In any case, he’s staggering all over the road as he tries to cross it. Then he turns to us and grins, and suddenly we realise it’s a very drunk woman. There’s a white van that manages to overtake us and pull onto the side of the road further down in front. It looks like he’s getting ready to do some roadworks. Then a green estate reverses horizontally in front of us as it tries to turn around and drive in the wrong direction up the one-way street. And all the time there’s people crossing everywhere. Finally, we get to the road and there’s only two cars in front of us but we’re not moving. I decide to get out and see what the delay is but as I walk to the front I can’t work it out. For a moment I consider getting into a car left unattended and drive away, then I remember that I’d be leaving my friends behind who’d be a bit confused as to why I suddenly decided to commit grand theft auto. Then the traffic begins moving and I must quickly get back to my vehicle before I become the one that’s holding everyone up.

Wild Weather Go Man Go at the Rising Sun, Redditch

A large pub known for selling cheap beer tends to attract all sorts of people. And when it’s a quiet weeknight all sorts of people gather to have a drink. You get the working men on their barstools taking the piss out of each other. You get the skanks striving to save every penny for another pint while moaning at anything and everything. And occasionally they’ll meet up with you at the bar. Most of the time, they’re just making polite conversation and they’re interested in what you’re drinking. But once they work out you’re on your own like them and you’ve just popped in for a quick pint; oh how do they pour their hearts out. I refuse to offer to buy their pint to shut them up. But they certainly have their opinion, and if you engage it, you’ll be stuck in a loop until you’re confident enough to think of an excuse to get you out of it.

The Dirt at Domino's

Mum had been out for drinks with friends and we haven’t had time to do a weekly grocery shop this weekend, so we decided that I’d order a pizza to collect after I’d finished work. We’d decided on a ham feast on a barbecue base and we decided to try the Domino’s Double Decadence – two extra thin pizza base layers with a layer of cheese sandwiched between them. We finished on the dot so after I’d locked up the shop I decided to order on-line as we knew what we want and could pay direct. I had a bit of trouble paying by card but it went through the second time round so it was off to collect it. There were three other people waiting in the little shop, but my name was on a screen and a clock was counting down to tell me how long it would take to be ready. There was a guy on the phone but he didn’t acknowledge my presence. All the other staff were busy preparing pizzas. Eventually the time came but he was still on the phone taking complaints. Then another person walked in and was attended to straight away.

The Eagle's Conquest by Simon Scarrow

The Eagle's Conquest by Simon Scarrow
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In this realistic novel portraying life in the Roman army; Scarrow spares no detail in describing the harsh life of an invading centurion. There’s some very realistic banter alongside good humour and emotion within the legion as Scarrow switches from the idle to the pacifist to the disciplinarian. However, there are some drawbacks to his characters. Marco and Cato are indestructible compared to the rest of the legion; and surely they’re too modest to survive their many battles without reward or recognition. They’re pawns for the story who respond to every reaction; and have little time to fulfil or either discuss their own desires. The book is obviously part of a larger saga; but the original plot that the reader expects to endures is only thrust in at the last moment; with only hints of a conspiracy scattered across the rest of the book. I did predict the Roman’s assault plans; though they were revealed at a much slower pace than I anticipated.

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Wires

It’s quite shocking to see someone you know hooked to intensive care. There’s dozens of machines all going beep and pumps at the ready. It’s exactly as what you’d see as if you were watching an episode of casualty. Occasionally one of the machines might flash and bing and you think you might need to grab someone but it’s all part and parcel here. There’s a student nurse on standby keeping close watch on a large monitor which keeps track of all the various machines that he’s plugged into. Entertainment is basic; there’s no view here apart from the fine nurses that are happy to chat to us about their shifts and studies; and they’re always keen to provide us with tea and coffee and some chairs to sit at. I think making tea and coffee must be the first ultimate test of nursing; if you can’t make one then you’re out.

Waterworks

When all is said and done, it’s important to go back to your routine as much as possible. This keeps your mind from wandering and allows you to focus on the more important tasks in life. So what better way to move on from a tragic loss from a loved one than spending time with other loved ones? It was a nice sunny day and my sister-in-law had prepared a Sunday lunch for us. She tends to cheat a lot; she cooks it all the morning before then reheats it in the microwave. But it was nice sitting there with my nieces enjoying a meal then going out in the garden to play. We did a bit of trampolining which is always good fun; though a bit difficult when you’ve just had a big meal. We also got the paddling pool out for a quick dip, though it took a long while to fill up.

Reuben #GC2

A few minutes later, a tall young man in a brown waistcoat with a mop of brown hair walked in and rang the bell. He peered through the vacant hatch then turned around and saw me sitting down with my bags.

‘Oh hello. Did you arrive today?’

‘Yeah, I didn’t know that we could move in any earlier. Are you here to show me to my room?’

‘No, I just came to collect a parcel.’

‘Oh. Well, I think she just went up to look for someone.’

‘Well, how about I show you to your room? She’ll probably come back empty-handed; I expect most people are still in bed hungover after last night’s welcome party.’ Damn. I’d had visions of partying hard with a group of life-long friends, but it looks like I’ve missed the first bonding.

‘Are you sure you don’t mind?’

‘It’s no problem. My name’s Reuben by the way.’

‘Eli-Lizzie. I’m Lizzie.’

In and Out

Dad got moved down to the critical care ward to recover after his operation. It’s on the second floor so access is easier; but it also means that there’s less of a view outside the window. We can just make out the front of the Birmingham Women’s hospital. Admittance is more concentrated here; and you have to press the button and wait to be attended to. Even if you walk through when the door opens to someone else, you’re still halted by the receptionist while she makes sure that it’s OK to visit. There’s a couple of waiting rooms where families wait out and camp for news of their loved ones. There’s piles of carrier bags full of supermarket foods but it’s a bit baffling as to why they let their children wander in and out too. There’s a pile of outdated magazines and a small TV; though it’s never on.

Sole for the Feet

I needed some new soles for my shoes. I’ve got a pair of hiking boots with only one sole intact, I’ve had to pull the other one out and it’s just bare cushion underneath. I also have a pair of work boots with toe protectors, and these soles are fast dissolving into paper. I went to the camping shop but they didn’t have them in my size and they were a bit pricey anyway; so I ordered two pairs off e-Bay. They came quite quickly and were pristine-packaged and were small enough to post through my door. At first they didn’t fit, but on closer examination they had lines which I had to trim down to my actual shoe size. They fit the hiking boots beautifully and had plenty of bouncy support for my heels. They also fitted well on my work boots; though after two days the boots themselves had had it and had to be thrown away. I did manage to get the soles into my new flat shoes; though they didn’t fit as well.

Delivering Targets

We’ve been given new targets at work. The idea is that when the delivery arrives we have to put the first 80% of it away within the next four hours. The trouble is that no-one actually told us for the first month into the new year, so we pretty much spent the rest of the year catching up from the start. It also doesn’t help us when the delivery is late and it’s a large load. Our hours aren’t flexible so we can’t start afresh the following day, meaning that we’ll miss our target for no reason of our own. It does mean that we have to work to a set pace, but we do have to put more effort in to finish the job on time as often there’s little overtime available. When the four hours expire it’s game over. But the best thing is that we did win an award for being the most improved store in the area.

Use Your Heart

"To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart." -Eleanor Roosevelt

Directing others is a big part of our lives. Sometimes we have to use our hands; particularly when they’re trying to attack you. Politicians want us to use our heart; yet some might take it the wrong way. Don’t forget that when we’re out and about; we have more contact with strangers rather than people that we know. I especially hate it when a woman in a supermarket replies ‘yes my love’ when you’re just making a simple enquiry. Are they really declaring their undying love for you? Surely it makes sense to use your head to handle others by thinking what you’re going to say before you say it. If you say the first thing that comes from your heart; your honesty might not impress your fellow civilians; especially if their head is covered in bruises. We know that we use our hearts to pump blood around our body, so using it to handle others would be pretty amazing.

Pud in a Mug

This simple cake mix in a packet contains all that you need to make a quick delicious cake! I thought I’d give it a try when I saw it on offer for 50p in the supermarket. All you need is a mug, some milk, a spoon, and a microwave. It might like a bit disgusting once you’ve added the milk, but as soon as it’s out of the microwave you’ve got a pudding sitting in your mug. It comes in two flavours; chocolate cake and spotted dick. It would be a bit difficult to serve to guests as a home-made pudding; though I suppose you could use posh microwave-proof glasses once you’ve worked out how much milk to put in to get the consistency right. But I tend to have it as a post-pub snack or a late-night fancy, and it’s more fun in a mug to guess the correct level!

Eagle Eye

I enjoyed the fast pace of this film and enjoyed the secrecy of how technology can affect everyday lives. The director could have drawn the film out a lot more by describing how the other agents of ARIIA got recruited. The thing that let this film down was the acting. I wasn’t entirely convinced that Shia LaBeouf would let Rachel kill her, or that Jerry had a life of his own. While watching this movie, I spent a lot of time trying to work out who Madylin Sweeten played and what her role was. I eventually discovered it was a character called Becky and worked it down to either the girl who greets Rachel as she enters the US Capitol, or the colleague who tells Jerry to get back to work at the beginning of the film. It would be good to see some sort of spin-off or sequel as the idea is very novel.

Elland White Prussian at Alestones, Tardebigge

This micropub is getting bigger. If you can squeeze yourself past the locals blocking the door and make your way to the bar; and squeeze yourself past the great hulk of a landlord, there’s a sitting room just behind with a large round table. This pans out into a small corridor which runs behind the bar and has a few tables and chairs to sit at. At the end of this corridor is another large room. If you fancy sitting outside, there’s a few picnic benches and the occasional metal cask with a cushion placed on top to turn it into a stool. Then just as you think it’s finished, a second building next to the café hosts an occasional beer festival with a simple set-up of tables and chairs and a convector heater for when the need arises. Unfortunately, the facilities are for the whole courtyard and aren’t really that glamourous. They’re outside in a separate building opposite the pub, in a building that’s full of cobwebs and full of leaks.

Dude, Where's My Snowmobile? #dreamdiary49

I’ve got a snowmobile and motorbike! I’ve no idea why. I decide to take them both for a test drive down our hill. I give way to a car who turns across me into a side junction then decide that they’re both not for me. I load them both onto a trailer then drive them both to the next town over with the aim of selling them to a friend. I hear a bang and realise that one of motors has come lose. I pull up in a residential area outside some flats that have been converted into offices. I spend some time lining myself up along the curb to ensure that my load isn’t an obstruction to passers-by. When I return to the trailer, the motorbike is nowhere to be seen. A man in a white polo shirt comes out of the building and empties water out of his binoculars into the drain. There’s an airport nearby so plane spotting must be one of his hobbies. There’s a blue bicycle with one wheel parked in the driveway and I come to the conclusion that someone must have chucked the bike into the back of the car while I was parking. I’m too timid to walk round the other side of the office complex to check. I realise that I’ve nothing to show ownership of these items other than the manuals at home.

A Trip to the Town Hall

A small flight of narrow steps leads up to a stone porch entrance. There’s just enough room for two people to squeeze past each other. On the right-hand side is a glassed reception desk; while to the left a flight of carpeted stairs points upwards. Just past the reception is a corridor for toilets; then at the end of the narrow corridor a single door opens up underneath the stalls into a large room. It’s got a plain wood-patterned laminate floor that’s stood the test of time and clocked up a lot of dirt that can’t be vanished by one simple clean along the way. Before you sits a blue carpeted stage in front of a cream-painted organ which matches the décor of the surrounding timber-panelled walls. On the left is a track for a sliding door which gives access to a smaller function room with an ornate bar on the right-hand side and a hatch on the left for food to be served. Meanwhile, the upstairs function room contains the greatest treasures of all; with maps, portraits and histories of the town adorning the oak-panelled walls.

Down the Drain at Wickes

It never ceases to amaze me that when you want just one thing no bigger than your hand you go to the biggest place that you can think of only to find it’s not there. We needed a new plug for the kitchen sink. The old one had snapped from its key snip. I thought that the easiest place to get one from would be Wickes, so I popped down to my local branch after work. The place was surprisingly small for its outside appearance. I wandered about looking in all the obvious sections and thought that the best place to look would be the plumbing section. I found various pipes and u-bends but could not locate a simple 40mm plug. There was a small sign saying that their plumbing section was currently being refurbished and to ask for help if you couldn’t find anything. So just before leaving I decided to do just that and got a vague wave in the direction of the plumbing section. And that was my assistance. Later I went on-line to find that they only sold white rubber ones anyway.

To Kidderminster!

Kidderminster is a fascinating town. Like many towns, its mainline station is on the outskirts, but it’s only a short walk from here down the hill; passing the traditional Severn Valley Railway and many fine drinking establishments along the way. It has its own football team which serve very nice pies and probably the healthiest you’ll find in any football stadium. The major roundabout has a vast underpass system which has some nice gardens to peer into but each subway has its own set of uninspiring graffiti. Just past the clock tower where the buses begin to stop is the carpet museum; one of Kidderminster’s claims to fame. On the high street itself sits a statue of Sir Rowland Hill; inventor of the postage stamp and Kidderminster’s greatest hero. At the end of all the shops sits a beautiful canal and various fine establishments have since taken advantage of this feature to set up a trade.

Too Close for Comfort #dreamdiary48

I’m in a hotel apartment with my boss. We’re in Liverpool attending a conference about the dangers of tobacco. I’m lying on top of the stripped red and black bed sheets reading a book while my boss is on the phone trying to arrange an evening out with one of his friends. I’m reading through the chapter headings in the book trying to find out the name of the person that he’s on the phone to. The door opens and a young blonde woman walks in with an elderly couple who proceeds to show them around the apartment. She explains to them that they’re fully booked at the moment; but she can arrange somewhere for them to store their belongings when they depart on Friday. I wake up and start writing this experience down. Then I wake up for real and realise that I haven’t yet started to write this experience down.

Roses are Yellow

This rose is yellow but mostly they’re red.

It’s not intended to mark out the dead.

It started off as a gift for a man

Who merely had trouble with his bedpan.

The gift was given and a photo was taken

To show the man who was very much shaken

And rested his soul not too far away

But those who visited had to pay

For trains and cars and parking galore

And climb flights of stairs to the highest floor.

The rose got planted and was attached to the wall

And another photo was taken by our man Paul

To show the sick man whose name was Eddie

That an inspection of the rose was just about ready.

The rose still stands but Eddie is gone

And in his place the rose climbs on

And up the fence to remind us that

He hasn’t just left behind his tat.

Ghost Club #GC1

Wherever I’d go, I’d always struggled to fit in. Somehow, no matter how early or how hard I’d try, I’d always be the last person to arrive at an event; or the last person to be considered for an invitation. Most people thought it was because of my surname because most lists run alphabetically. But when it was time for Eliza Young to go to college; I felt the need for change. I’d planned my arrival at Oxbrook College to be one of the first people to arrive at the student halls. But unfortunately, fate intervened.

‘You know, most people arrived yesterday’ said the bursary’s assistant.

‘What do you mean, today’s the first day of enrolment; all the paperwork says the sixth.’

Yes, but because of the snow forecasted for this weekend we decided to open the halls early. Makes it easier for people to arrive before the snow starts to fall.’ She pushed a large silver key towards me.

‘A whole day?’

‘We opened Wednesday. There was a large amount of traffic on the website and we were more or less ready and we had a lot of enquiries from parents. We did send out an e-mail…’

‘I’m not online at home. That’s why I’ve been printing everything out. I’ve had to do all the online registration at my local library.’

‘I see. Would you like me to find someone to show you to your halls?’

‘No thank- actually that would be nice.’

‘Right. Well, just take a seat and I’ll see who I can find. Most of the volunteers worked yesterday.’ She rose and slowly shuffled through the glass door and up the stairs.

Boundaries

We have an elderly man who lives on his own next door. He’s got himself a giant land rover and two dogs which dominates his life; but he doesn’t do much in the way of gardening or home care. He also owns our fence; and upon this fence is a huge ivy bush that is starting to grow over the fence and through it; and into our side of the garden. The branches are actually causing some of the wood in the fence to split. There’s no way he’s going to maintain it; so, we’ve slowly begun doing it ourselves. Out first attempt was a disaster as Mum made a hole in the fence as she pulled away one of the branches; big enough for his adult Alsatian to stick its snout through. We’re now hacking slowly away at each branch we see in the hope of killing it off; and that one day it all collapses and falls onto his side of the garden.

Making the Impossible Possible

9. "Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!" -Audrey Hepburn

Many people think I’m mad for the things that I do. Like the long walk after the night out; or the trek through the snow just to get to work; then walk another ten miles around the site as part of my daily job before walking back again. But I’m not superhuman. I just know it’s possible. And when you know it’s possible; a task becomes easier. And if you can find someone to help out; it becomes easier still; especially when it comes to hard labour. You just have to ensure that your team members have the same focus and drive as yourself. There’s no way of knowing what is impossible unless you try. And if you don’t achieve your goal; knowing how you failed and what you could have done different to achieve your goal also makes it possible.  And by being impossible, you can lead the way for others to follow.

Park Life

A long time ago we decided to get a new garden bench. Mum found one that she liked the look of in Woolworths, and me and my brother met her there after school one summer afternoon. She bought the bench, and the two of us carried it home on a half mile journey for her. While she began cooking our tea; my brother and I started building it and by the time our Dad had got home it was finished. Ever since, the bench has sat in the garden. It’s been varnished a few times and we now have a cushion for it; but it survived a long time. That it, until just last year when three of us were sitting on it and the wood suddenly gave into rot and collapsed. I managed to hold my sitting position while Mum sprang up. Then over the next few weeks I had the laborious job of cutting it into manageable-sized pieces so that we could chuck it away in the wheelie bin each week. Meanwhile, my brother built up this new one.

Requiem

I watched this thriller with my Mum but she often fell asleep so we had to backtrack at times so that she could catch up. This series had drama aplenty at the start with unexplained suicides to hook you in, but some of the investigative episodes had too many conspiracies happening within them and not enough appearances from the afterlife. It’s also more of a why than a who series as the characters try to investigate what caused the deaths. This made the series drag out a bit and made it lose its spooky edge. It also wasn’t clear as to how the protagonist decided to pursue her lines of inquiry; or why she suddenly decided to abandon her partner. It just gave the impression that she’s a spoiled brat who’s used to having her way. The motive behind Hal’s return after his disappearance also isn’t explained properly. Perhaps these are opportunities for plans for a second series.