Exceeding Occupation #dreamdiary 206

I’m back at one of my old family holiday haunts. I haven’t been there in a while. I’ve walked on the beach and I’m following an old trail back to the hotel. It’s a bit overgrown. There’s grass everywhere and I have to push through, but the plants and branches are soft and haven’t hardened in the heat. Then I emerge onto concrete and a wave of humanity hits me. There’s people everywhere gathered around sunbeds on the pool, and there’s children dressed in swimsuits sitting on towels on the floor. The pool itself is also busy, and though there’s places to stand there’s nowhere to swim. There’s hardly a space that isn’t occupied, and the only route to the hotel’s reception is one drawn from my memory. It’s clearly the result of an increased population. I look back at the trail that I’ve left and all I see is a wall of hedge. I wonder if anyone knows if it’s still there.

"Don't wait. The time will never be just right."

-Napolean Hill.

There’s the perfect moment, the most opportune moment to take advantage of something , and there’s the moment that you’ve missed and you know that you’re not going to get a better one. If you wait, you’re just being too polite. You need to make your presence known, even if you have to interrupt someone. You have to make them see that spending time with you is more beneficial. It’s hard to know when that perfect moment is, so sometimes you just have to go for it and hope for the best. The other person might think that you’re a bit rude for intruding though. You might not get what you want after all. How are you going to know? What works for one person may not work for another, not matter how far away they are. You will never have our unique moment when all the attention is on you.

Getting a Good Deal

One thing that we always want to be sure of is if we’re getting the best deal. But it’s better if we seek it out rather than be put on the spot via the phone. It’s often that you’re unsure if the person that’s calling you is genuine anyway. You don’t want to  hand over your details to a scammer. I’m told that Carl is calling. He doesn’t sound like he’s a Carl. Maybe he’s renamed himself to make things easier. If you call him back, no-one’s going to know who you’ve dealt with. And your money’s gone with no trace. At least a real caller would already have all your details on file. They’d probably have to confirm all your details first to make sure that they’re dealing with the right person. But then a scammer could ask for those details then run off with them and open a line of credit in your name. Sigh…

Enter the Shadows

They’re creeping in. It must be the time of the year when the sun isn’t as high as it usually is, and shadows tend to  be longer. Tall objects like houses and trees have more power to create the dark. It could also come from the railings on the bridge, or someone standing on the bridge itself. There might even be a high vehicle passing by. Then there’s something creeping up the wall in the corner. Could that be the shadow of the fingers? Could it be an animal on the other side of the road who’s stuck its head over the fence to check out the townies arriving at the pub? Or could it be a mouse-like creature that’s been trapped within the walls of the pub and it gets stronger as the light begins to fade? Is that a connection to an outdoor outlet or is its tail beginning to form on the next wall?

Do people actually get on the wrong flight when travelling?

I don’t think it can be done. The amount of checks that are carried out nowadays together with electronic boarding passes means that people should be denied entry to the flight at the gate. I suppose that if the electronic check should fail there might be a possibility of the wrong person being let through, but that would be quite rare. There’s probably exceptions for people with missed connections and they have to take a transfer on a different flight, but they’d probably follow the same boarding process. There’s also the possibility of human error where the scanner is too sensitive and what should have been flagged as an error doesn’t record a boarding. I did make a dash for a gate once as I heard it was the final boarding call, only to realise upon reaching the queue that it was the same destination but a different flight. But that was the closest I’ve been to boarding the wrong plane.

Perhaps not all People

We all know what that symbol’s for. It’s why we tolerate people but don’t necessarily welcome them. If that’s what they want to do then so be it. Maybe the dog will join in. Is this the behaviour we expect from the locals as we visit? Perhaps the pub itself is preparing to take vengeance on them. There’s a mound of green climbing down the side of it as we speak. If we can keep them distracted for long enough, it’ll slide over and engulf them completely. Will they end up in the chimney? Perhaps there’s a chute that leads directly to the ovens. Or maybe they’re engulfed in green and put in the corner for all time, or at least until it decides that they’re going to behave again. Or it could have taken over the whole of the inside of the pub already and these people are celebrating their escape.

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.

People Tolerated

I suppose that there are some people that we have to put with. Family members because we love them and they look after us no matter what we do. Customers are important too otherwise we wouldn’t be able to keep things going. But we have to identify what we really want the most. In this case, it’s our four-legged friends. They have to bring their owners, otherwise the operators wouldn’t be able to continue to run their business the way that they want to. Children could scare the dogs since they’re going to be running around more, so that’s why they have to be kept on leads. It makes sense to the dogs, who are then free to sniff each others’ butts and steal and beg food off the tables as they please. This policy is so strict that a person has to carry a sign around outside to let people know as they enter.

Burton's Brewing Heritage

So much of this has been thrown away in order to save costs and make money. The museum has been packed away out of public sight because they can make more money selling off the historic buildings. The traditional way of doing things is too expensive and a lot of the equipment has been dismantled, though fortunately some of it has been sold for brewing. It seems that if we want to save it, we have to pay for it. We can’t put it on display and let people wander around it for free. Things need to be fixed to stop people from wandering off with them, and the fixings themselves need to be safe. If they’re placed in a building, it must be maintained with adequate lighting so that no-one trips and has an accident or sues the people that built it. It’s a shame that we have to throw away our past to continue our future.

Hide & Seek

Given the size of the road here, the last thing you’d expect to come across is a pub. The brickwork blends well with the autumnal background of the leaves. It would take a large truck at speed to take out a sizeable corner of the pub, but being in the countryside, there’s not much cause for large trucks to come down this road anyway. There’s some great signs of tradition. There’s plant pots made from barrels which I guess was the site’s main trade to send down the canal. There’s a wagon wheel leaning against the conservatory. And there’s lots of chimneys which suggests that there’s real fires in every corner. There’s also signs of modern amenities like an alarm system and lighting in the form of a mock-Victorian lamppost. There’s not much that’s hidden. It might all be on the other side of building, but it’s certainly not on show.

Almost had it my way

I decided to give the old BK a go. Everyone else seems to be calling in after work for fast food, and I wasn’t feeling super hungry. I haven’t been in a while. It used to be a regular treat at a motorway service station at one time since we didn’t have one at home, but now we do. So I had a look at the menu and compared it to what else is out there. The BBQ Kansas burger seemed to be the one to try with onion rings and bacon, which included a box of chicken fries as well. Ordering on the app was easy, and there was no queue when I arrived. It wasn’t great to see staff in the kitchen wandering around eating burgers, but the staff were friendly. The burger was chicken instead of beef, but that was what I’d selected. It could have done with more sauce. The fries were slightly cold, and the chicken fries were a bit on the thin side, but substantially it was enough.

Canalside Hillbillies

You can just picture a group of men in straw hats and blue overalls come out from behind the back sporting banjos and jugs marked XXX. You could even expect a bunch of animatronic bears spring out as you pass in your narrowboat. Everything just looks so miniature. But as cute as it seems, this is someone’s digs. Perhaps an arm of the railway used to pass here, and it was decided to flood the embankment to create the canal. The boxes left in the doorway looks like antique luggage. They could be there for show, or they could have useful items inside since only boaters would be able to gain access to them, unless someone was brave enough to take the plunge and swim across the canal. Next to this, I think it’s a trick of the light that’s shining on the firewood. I don’t think they’d keep a real fire unattended, although you never know with these people.

The Truth about Betrayal

Someone is doing the opposite of what you want them to do. You feel disappointed in them. Are they doing it on purpose? In most cases; the harm is unintended, but if they’re doing it purposefully to upset you, that’s when you’ve been betrayed. Perhaps they don’t have time and they feel that other tasks are more important. Sometimes there are rules to follow. Sometimes it’s a case of who is right and who is wrong. Sometimes they just don’t like you and they do it because they know that it’s going to upset you. You’re going to want to get back at them. But what would be an equal reaction? Wars could be started because of this, and this conflict often entertains others. How will the situation be resolved? Will they get loud or violent other the pettiest of actions? Will they shun it in the hope that karma will take over is some form, hopefully within view? Will justice be served?

Bricks and Bridges

I love the way of how something old has managed to retain a purpose without having to be replaced. You’d think that over time, the cement might have loosened or a few bricks might have given way to the weight of the embankment of which it holds up. Of course, even the soil behind it might have settled down nowadays. And we don’t know if the Canal Trust keep an eye on it and touch it up with repairs. There are a few loose bits at the bottom, and there’s a bit of moss growing as well which could stop boats from going through if left untendered. Perhaps the cockerel is going to whip out a leveller and fly down to give it a good coating. The gate itself has a 2003 plaque, which doesn’t look great considering how long ago the wood was installed. But then I suppose wood deteriorates quicker than water.

Madeleine McCann and the Hit-and-Run Theory

So they think she’s no longer out there; other she would have come forward by now. She’s certainly old enough to be an adult. Just think of all the royalties she’d earn by telling her true story. But she’s been groomed. There’s many theories floating about. This is the first time that I’ve heard about a hit-and-run, and it also accounts for the two other children (but we never hear their story; perhaps they were asleep). Are the local police getting that desperate? Of course she’s never going to admit her guilt if she’s got away with it for this long. There’s not much evidence to prove this theory, and you have to wonder who they’re going to go after next. But there’s still a suspect who’s yet to be proven guilty, and though he’s not at large now, he soon will be. It doesn’t sound like a promising rehabilitation.

 

Homeward Bound

Leaving the pub, we headed back to the canal bridge and turned right to join the towpath. We then headed north where a railway embankment ran alongside the canal. It wasn’t far to reach the junction back to the Stratford canal. Staying on the towpath, we turned left and walked past the bridge where some boats were moored up on this straight section of the canal. After passing under the railway bridge, we crossed over the canal using the small footbridge and turned right onto the island. After walking alongside the marina, we crossed another bridge and turned right to reach our starting point. This was a nice easy walk, but it’s a shame that the section between the canal and the pub was mostly uphill road. In total, it’s about a four-and-a-half-mile walk, but there’s only a mile between the pub and the return journey back to the car, and that section is mostly flat.

Post-Match Nibbles #nuclearmermaid 24

Jenny felt a bit wounded after all this activity. She needed substance, both food and water. She didn’t fancy turning on the metal tubes in the room, as she had no idea of what would come out and whether it was safe for her. The man lying on the floor didn’t have much meat around him apart from a small lump midway, but perhaps there would be something tasty inside. There must be some kind of juice held within. She considered using her teeth like animals but that would make her a vampire. Then she remembered how sharp one of her fins were. She’d managed to graze one of the white-coated technicians before he’d fled, and an amount of red oozed from his arm. Perhaps she could do the same to this creature. She scrambled her body over the metal surface so that her tail was facing over him. It was the  same size as the body.

Give me some words of Wisdom

Am I going to get a quote, or some genuine advice? Will I be asked for some context first? It could have been stopped for legal reasons. I could receive a message that she refuses or doesn’t do this any more, or that she doesn’t understand. Will it be different every time? Will it contradict itself? Will there be a harp playing in the background? Will I be able to understand it at all? Of course not. It’s just text written out as usual and I need a translator to understand them. She might as well tell me that she’s too tired to do this right now. As usual, I can’t remember how to find the response hidden in the app. When I do, it’s a quote about choice. It’s light-hearted, but some people may choose to take them a bit too literal. I wonder how many of them there are and whether you have to do any specific actions to unlock them all?

Pub Approach

After reaching the top of the hill, the road peaked as it crossed over the Grand Union Canal and the pub was on the other side. From the outside, it looks to be a purpose-built, red-bricked pub, with an excellent beer garden to aid the rest of weary canal travellers. There’s even private outside booths for those who like a bit of both worlds. Inside, there’s a choice of two real ales alongside a menu of home-cooked food. An open conservatory looks out onto the beer garden, while wooden beams are above the bar. Log-lined walls offer a cosy atmosphere while comfy cushions are scattered across windowside banquettes for road-watchers. Just behind is a more formal dining room with a chimney and fireplace. The resident dog has his own spot next to the tills. While being in the middle of nowhere, it’s a centrepoint where roads and walks converge, and there’s even places nearby for trainspotters. 

"Do not cry because it is over smile because it happened."

-Dr. Seuss.

I’m guessing the AI is finally losing it over these quotes. There’s punctuation missing. Then again, it could be trying to make sense of the source; after all the man did talk in riddles. It’s probably not the best advice to hand out when discussing funerals. Maybe you can do it when it’s all over. It will help to reflect on your best memories and the time that you’ve spent with people today. People will also want to see that you are able to move on. But grinning like a maniac as soon as it over isn’t going to help. The important thing is to be yourself. You might put on a red hat and whiskers and drive away, but you could make others feel worse by making them feel that they don’t matter, or they may have concerns that your actions are inappropriate and take action to assist you.

A lap around Lapworth

We’re here to explore two different sections of canal. There were some stunning views as we took in trains and canals. We started our journey at a car park adjacent to the canal. Amazingly, this car park sheltered in the wood was free. We walked forward towards the canal and turned right to follow the towpath south. We passed the lockkeeper’s cottage and an interesting sign marking the junction in the marina. We continued south and the towpath took us underneath the motorway. It was a good mile and a half before we reached the next bridge at lock thirty. Here, we walked underneath the bridge then turned round and climbed the towpath back to the road. Turning left, we followed the road east where we started to climb a hill, passing cottages along the way. Passing a farm shop on our left, we continued to climb until we started to dip, passing a stables on our right.

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.

How long is too long?

Have I overstayed my welcome? Hours are getting stretched because there’s not enough people to cover the shifts. Sometimes we struggle to cover lunch breaks. We spend a lot of time running around like headless chickens and queues can build up quickly if someone has a complicated problem. We aim to give quick service to everyone, but we have to think about everyone’s experience so we might have to leave customers to conduct their own enquiries. I often think that me leaving would free up more people. I’m effectively doing the work of at least two people. But I’ll be out of a job and they’ll lose a lot of experience. Perhaps I’m selling myself too cheaply. I’d like to break away but I need to prioritise the time to do it, especially when the processes are becoming more and more ridiculous. I need to find my passion and inspiration to create some time to make it happen. 

A Right Royal Loss

It’s a shame when a local business goes under, but sometimes you wonder if things have been done properly and they’re trying to hide something. One woman loved the product but didn’t know how to make it, and her partner didn’t like the product but saw it as an investment opportunity. So many other places were left empty in their wake, and you wonder if it was purposefully done. It’s a mystery as to why they left their first site in the process, but perhaps it was fear of being caught out in the current circumstances. We’re not sure where the product was being produced after that, but they did take over a couple of premises to sell it. Then the whole business went under a whole name change with one last new premises; with all the other locations being sold. The whole business is now wrapped up, with one final location sold to an independent owner. 

The Room

I don’t use this very often as a form of communication now. We spend so much time deciding if we were going to do it or not. When we did, the novelty of it wore off and we got bored of one another. We’d be telling each other something without really paying attention, and we’d be clicking on something else on another screen. We’d spend half our time figuring out hidden features and realising that we had to download the latest updates to get them. The avatars were excellent fun to play around with, and you could upload your own backgrounds too. It seems to be owned by an independent company. I wonder if anyone actually ended up making any money from it. All you had to do when the time was up was to start a new session, which would be a cinch if there were just two of you.

 

Absolutely Anything

This film is quite childish despite the star-studded line-up. It’s typically set in London, which seems to be the only place available if you want your film to reach international markets. It’s as if the rest of the world can’t recognise anywhere else. It’s a shame that the actions that he chooses are always reversable, and that many of the wishes are just too literal. It might have worked out better if there was a cosmic battle in the finale. Otherwise you might have just stuck a genie in place which would have been cheaper. Some of the global effects are interesting, like making the police wear pink. It’s a shame that they didn’t paint the cars as well. I don’t know why the protagonist decided to upon the suicide option when he could have lived his life quite comfortably travelling the world as he pleases and maybe helping others in the process. There’s a few chuckles but it’s not something that you’d deliberately seek out.

Wye Valley HPA at the Eagle & Sun, Hanbury

It’s hard to get a good view of this pub. The outside view from the road makes it a little run down, and its small car park doesn’t do it any favours either. However, drive to the other side of the building and you’re instantly presented with a long car park with picnic tables outlining the canal, with steps down to the towpath and mooring points. You enter through a conservatory into a stunning dining room with a large window opposite the canal. You’re then back into the old bricked building which hosts the bar and toilets, with a carvery counter opposite and a kitchen at the rear. There’s tables for drinkers but you’re better off going outside or anywhere else really. You can sit by the road if you’re really desperate. Perhaps it’s handy if you’re looking out for a lift. The lunchtime menu is reasonable, but it’s changed hands a few times in recent years.

Why do some passengers get called to the desk before boarding their flight?

This happened to our party twice in our lifetime. The first time was when we were very young. It was regarding a pushchair that we’d checked into the oversized baggage. Apparently we’d left an item in the pushchair, but fortunately it could be placed into our hand luggage. The second time was when we’d already cleared passport control but the check-in hadn’t been processed properly so the clerk needed to see the passport again to complete the process. Sometimes the flight team need a little more information. Perhaps you need assistance to board the flight and the team need to make arrangements for a prompt departure. Sometimes you might be asked if you’re comfortable switching seats to accompany another couple’s request. Or perhaps you’ve bought too much duty-free and your boarding pass has been flagged. Someone might have a query about their destination. Or someone might be trying to reach you. There’s hundreds of variables here.

An Autumnal View

The sun is out, but the ducks are insisting on staying in the shade. Perhaps it’s too warm for them, or they don’t like the red and yellow colours. Maybe there’s a fear that they will change colour, as they’re used to seeing green foliage, but perhaps without the little lights dancing off the reflection beneath them. Or maybe they’re vampire ducks. But the season is coming. The evidence is on the floor all around them. Maybe it’s time to migrate. But which way to go? Heading north will avoid the sun, but it will be colder and they’ll be more autumnal colours. It might even be a bit sparse. Heading south, they’ll be more green, but it won’t be long until the environment turns to the same conditions that they’re in now. Just down the end, it’s even brighter. Perhaps night travel is the best solution in sparse areas.

Fidget Spinner Creator isn't making money off the toy craze

There’s a problem in the copyright world. Sometimes it’s easier and cheaper to buy the cheap Chinese knockoffs rather than the genuine article. And if you haven’t put your name on the original, there’s nothing you can do to get the law to enforce your creativity. If you’re serious about your business, you need to plan ahead and prepare for your expenses and costs accordingly, or seek help so that you’re prepared. No-one’s going to be forced to  pay you compensation  for lost royalties, but everyone wants to cash in on your success. And the public won’t care because they’ve got a good deal, so long as the product they hold doesn’t crumble though their fingers in a few days. But if it does, they’re going to complain which is going to ruin your reputation of future sales. You’re either selling your product too cheap or to the wrong people.

Fielding a View

It’s good to see crops sprouting up at this time of year. You’d think that everything would be dying off, but there’s still some sun about and we might even get a second harvest if the field is tended right. It’s like the clouds have been rolled or peeled back to reveal the blue sky. The one on the right looks like a man being eaten by a shark. Meanwhile, down below, the growth seems to increase the further back you go. You can see that the field is respected by the walkers since they’re a bank between the field and the well-used footpath. There’s no way anyone’s going to want to cross that field. It’s a miniature jungle of vines. There might even be some traps hidden underneath the ridges. I wonder if the farmer has a lookout set up in his attic watching people cross? He might even have a gun…

My Biggest Fan

I bought this in the sales last year. I was pretty sure that I was getting a bargain. It was quite a reduction and had a fair bit of power. It even came with a remote control. The only problem was that there was a concern that it would use too much electricity. So it sat in the garage for a fair while until I had an opportunity to plug it in and test it. It ran quite fast, and it didn’t generate too much noise. There was even a timer. What I’ve yet to figure out is the humidifier function. I guess that if you fill it with water, if will blow a cool mist into the room. But water and electricity don’t mix, and the last thing I need is making the whole room wet or electronics being sprayed. One day I’ll have to sit down and read he instructions properly.

I'm deprived of my UK citizenship but I'm not a convicted terrorist

So what citizenship are you? There must be a reason for your deprivation. If you’re going against government advice travelling to places that you’re not supposed to be visiting, they can’t stop you from doing it but by stopping you from coming back makes it easier to stop you from doing it again. But if you’re sending government officials to the same place, then it’s certainly not a universal rule. But why do people want it in the first place if they’re going against our values? It’s probably for protection and to claim benefits. You’ve got to run the risk and be sure of what you’re doing; and that there’s a back-up plan if something goes wrong. Perhaps another country will take you in. the truth is that the government has no idea of what you’ve been up to when it comes to terrorist activity and it’s safer and easier to say no. 

Bird is the Word

A new craze has hit town. In an effort to make transport more accessible, the town has been given a special licence to allow a rent-a-scooter firm to operate on the roads. Overnight, these scooters were scattered around, allowing people to unlock them with their phone to get a ride that cost somewhere between a bus fare and a taxi ride. They were also geo-locked so that the motor would cut out to stop you from riding out of town, or going in restricted areas like dual carriageways and pedestrianised areas. The app required you to have a provisional licence to unlock the scooter, though you could always get someone else to register it for you. The law also required you to wear a helmet; though the only way that you could prove that was to snap a photo of yourself wearing one after the ride to get credit afterwards.

The Truth about Changes

No-one likes change. You get used to things the way they are. Sometimes, they’re forced upon you. You might have to do things a different way which takes longer to learn and process. There’s supposed to be a benefit to someone for doing it this way. It’s probably to reduce costs in the long run. But in other instances, some people feel the need to improve things to make them faster and easier; if only to compete with whatever everyone else is doing. Then there’s the middlemen who make change for the sake of progress but they’re restricted to what they can do; so what they think is an improvement ends up making it a longer task for everyone else. It’s a double-edged sword which usually ends up as a compromise for the sake of cost. Improvements need to be tested on a smaller scale to make sure that they’re suitable for everyone. But there’s always someone trying to find the most efficient solution.

System of a downer

What kind of a company allows a system to prioritise its back-of-house processes over customer service? Surely you’d want your employees to care for the customers that are currently on  the premises rather than those who haven’t arrived yet? This system is not interested at all. It would rather interrupt an order halfway though to ensure that a back-of-house process takes priority. So you’ve got to constantly keep an eye on the control computer to ensure that you’re taking the right course of action, otherwise the customer could be witing a lot longer than anticipated. If you’re the only one working behind the scenes, you have to make sure that you support your front-of-house team when they need it, otherwise your customer could be waiting for ages necessarily. Sometimes the front-of-house team can help you out, but only if they know what’s going out since there’s no control computer out front.

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.

Boot Camp

Laces are hard to come by. When they snap, you have to tramp around and you feel like you’re walking around in clown shoes and they feel like they’re going to fall off at any moment. They also seem to be hard to find in any shop other than a shoe shop. If the anklet snaps off, you can usually survive providing that you don’t have to thread your shoes regularly. It’s not every day that you see someone sitting down outside threading up their shoes. Nevertheless, they’ll need to be done eventually; though some people will just look at their shoes and end up going to buy new ones. I eventually ordered new laces off Amazon which took a day or two to arrive; during which time I’d have to wear different shoes or stomp around. When they did arrive, they were ridiculously long to the point that I was constantly tripping over them.

Escape Options #empress 24

Zhong could now see that the empress was only interested in her own desires. In any case, it would be a major risk to continue on what was left on his farm. Already the temple was in pieces and she was terrorising the neighbourhood. And she also owned the army so there was little chance of rebellion by normal folk unless the military could be persuaded to break their oath. He might be better off back in the city or leaving the country altogether. Perhaps the ocean was out of her reach. The only alternative that he could think of was to find the source of the Empress’s growth. Was there an elixir back in the city? Had someone created a pill? And was she likely to leave it behind? If the palace was deserted, it would be quite easy to get in. H=Failing that, he could charter a boat somewhere if he could find a crew.

A Pint of Pride at the Four Alls, Welford

This pub has a relaxing view of the river, and it’s made skilful use of this view with a huge patio on the one side facing it with roped off areas of tables and umbrellas. At the end, there’s even a little play area so that people can lose themselves to spend as much time as possible here. There’s a designer gazebo with lighting to cater for any kind of weather. There’s even a harbour to hitch up a boat, and there’s a bricked extension with a riverside indoor dining area. On the opposite side of the building, there’s a huge car park which is clearly marked, and there’s a field opposite which can be used for overflow parking or to host camping or events. Inside, the bar and the kitchen are back-to-back which serves the whole building, and it has a modern yet rustic décor with staff wearing traditional formal dress.

Voice Blast

I’m not a big fan when it comes to recognising celebrities. I can do actors by sight but not by voice. I’ll probably spend half the time googling who these people are. Half the fun is gone when you can’t discuss your answers with your fellow competitors; though there’s nothing to stop others in the room from joining in with you. And it’ll probably be American people as well. The welcoming bass tone makes it hard to understand what is being said. Maybe I should switch Alexa back to female mode. And if you don’t know the answer, saying that you don’t know isn’t acceptable. The game just stops and you don’t find out how you do. Fortunately, I’ve heard of all the celebrities involved so far. I wonder if I can change my nickname on my next go? I can. But I can only play once per day so it’ll take me a while to grab a win.

Keeping Right

We’re driving over to the pub for our post-walk meal. To get to the pub, the road crosses a bridge over the river. Crossing points for this river have been a bit scarce recently as a number of road accidents have caused them to be closed and re-built. This particular bridge also has a narrow lane. There’s a dedicated footpath painted on the road, and vehicles aren’t permitted to pass at the same time. There’s also some lights to allow people to turn off the main road since the bridge further up is under repair. People coming uphill have the right of way. So I set off to cross the bridge then a pickup truck comes hurtling towards me at speed. He thinks he can force me to give way. The only thing that I could do was jam my brakes on and blast my horn so that he doesn’t hit me.

"Make your life a masterpiece; imagine no limits on what you can be, have, or do."

-Brian Tracy.

You want to get the very vest out of life compared to everyone else. You want to make them envious of you and put your abilities on show for everyone to see. You want to be the example that inspires others. It’s a good starting point for a career. It’s sounds comforting, but it’s going to be too good to be true. There’s only so many resources, and it’s often the case that people aren’t going to fund you for these projects. You’ve just got to go and do it yourself. You need to get real and form a plan to break through those restrictions to help get you there. There might be a lot against you. We’re only human and we can only do so much. You’ll have to work out who can help you and what you need to do to gain their assistance. And you’ll also have to get rid of the barriers.

Eddie's Wood

I’m not entirely sure who Eddie was, but I’m sure there’s no family connection with the landowner, although it’d be nice to think that there was. I’m also not sure where we actually walked, though we didn’t plan a long one owing to the forecasted bad weather. We  probably started at the riverside car park. We specifically set off to find this wood, then worked out a circular route back. We felt that the woods were creeping in around us to hide the clearing to stop us from making our return journey. It’s a new method for the forest commission to raise funds and generate interest. Wearing jackets that blend in with the foliage doesn’t help, though it’s great if you want to try and spot some wildlife. We didn’t because it was too open, but this might have happened if we disobeyed the sign and made our own footpath.

Phil Unharmonic

Short and thin with a stereotypical crooked smile, this is one person who just hasn’t mastered the art of conversation. There's a lot of things that seem like a joke to him, and he doesn’t like learning anything new. Expect baggy trousers and tight shirts, or shorts and long socks on show in the summer.  He’s in his old age and often has difficulty hearing people when there’s background noise, so sometimes conversations get a bit repetitive and things don’t seem to sink in. He also doesn’t grasp the concept of what’s around him and how his actions affect others. He’s a big fan of caravans and by the sound of his adventures, he’ll go anywhere to park up to save money on accommodation. He’s very good at complaining. He has a long-suffering wife who doubles as his carer, who I think originally set out to help find him some new companions.

Gassing Around

If this pump could talk, it’d have a story to tell. How many accounts it must witness of people helping of hindering other, from dropped keys and forgotten bags to rage in the lanes and the ultimate catalogue of hits, bumps and scrapes. Some need help in figuring out the system. Some might have forgotten their payment and need to beg others to help them out. Others might be insistent that you collect their nectar points or ask to swipe their cand if you don’t have one. All this is monitored by the people behind the glass who think that they can control you with their words or shut off everyone’s supply until you comply. Occasionally they’ll eave their fortress to help keep thing running, whether it’s to refill the paper in the machines, remove hazards and empty the bins. They might even have to replace the nozzle when someone’s driven off without paying.

Mandy

This is a short but enjoyable comedy series, but it’s quite surreal and unrealistic at times owing to the situation that the protagonist faces. There’s some famous faces that pop up in some quite small roles alongside a regular supporting cast. The comedy is mostly situ, and Mandy’s deadpan carefree attitude to the world doesn’t help, nor do we learn of how Mandy came to be in her current situation. She gets to explore a variety of careers and work environments, and in some cases, she’s just unlucky, in others, it’s down to her character traits to getting the sack fast. But it’s a great insight into the attitudes of people who generally just want to spend their days larking about. There’s some interesting parodies that have already been done elsewhere with different characters, and don’t expect much in the way of stunts. We’re on a budget here. You’ll pick up some great excuses though.

Will the airport care if I arrive ten hours before my flight?

It depends on how much of a security risk you’re planning to be especially in a 24-hour airport. I imagine that your boarding pass would only grant you access to the airside lounge during a particular time window to avoid overcrowding, especially if delays have occurred. It’s quite common to see someone kipping on some seats while they wait for their check-in to open. There might be a café open that you can hang out at, but you may have to keep buying items to remain a customer. However, there may be periods with no flights at all, which would give the airport an opportunity to do some maintenance. In this case, they’d ask you to leave. It’s best to know before you go, or have a back-up plan in mind. Take a look at what airside services are offered, and if there are any alternatives nearby to stop you from spending a fortune. 

Canalside Cover-Up

I feel like I’m about to be sealed into the cliff forever, like some kind of frozen pod. The handrails look like they’ve been supercharged by some kind of electricity and it’s going to zap me straight in. I could cook, be transported somewhere, or be frozen instantly. It must be hydropowered by the canal below. The hole in the left of the wall could be the release mechanism. You’d probably need a key. I’m not sure if that’s my revenge pose or if I’m preparing to knock on someone’s door. Perhaps there’s a glass door in place that’s sealed me into the cliff already. Will I be put on show as a warning to trespassers, or will the vines above be lowered down to hide me? I wonder what my crime was. Perhaps my backpack contains a supply of clothes for a few days to allow me to blend into this new society.

Everyone on Twitter today is a business expert.

There’s a bit of sarcasm at play here. I’ve got no idea what they’re saying, but judging by your response, you need to be careful of whose advice you take. There might be too much advice, and some of it might be obvious. But there seems to be a lack of evidence of these things being done, otherwise it wouldn’t be offered in the first place. The critics seem to be the one complaining, otherwise they’d offer praise. Is it coming from one of your competitors, or is it someone who genuinely wants to see you succeed? Are they praising you as well? And if they’re all out there commenting, why aren’t they running their own business or commenting on LinkedIn? But you never know. It could be a day where only business experts are allowed to post. Didn’t you get the memo? Tomorrow it’ll be all about the garden.

Department of Beer and Social Affairs

I always wondered where it was. I thought it was a circle of people meeting in London wearing suits, and deciding who should get paid for what, but no. It’s a private underground chamber. You can almost hear the  chanting. I’m surprised that there’s not a queue to get in. It must be a dedicated place since there’s a bottle opener next the door and a handy tray to store the bottle tops in. Judging from the boat next to it, perhaps this is a meeting point for all the different departments. And the doors are numbered, so perhaps there’s different branches. Or perhaps this is a sign of things to come. All that’s left of the pubs are these boats. You couldn’t buy beer here, but you’d just bring the bottles in to socialise under supervision. It must have been a wild night last night as someone must have brought in the whole branch.

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.

Canalside Cardigans

This cardigan has been places. It’s left strands in rivers, houses, on walls, and has been brushed by people while sheltering its protector. I wonder what’s caused it to have so many folds. Perhaps there’s a layer template that’s removed at the end. Look closely and you can clearly see that it’s been out and about. Everyone and everything wants to get their hands on it, if only to prick it. The plant behind me looks like it’s getting ready to grab it. Perhaps it wants to claim the fabric back for the sake of nature, or that I’ve committed a crime against the environment. Or maybe the trees are assisting a nearby clothing store and they’re acquiring some more goods. I’m going to be shook up and down while being undressed until I slide off into the canal below. They’re just waiting for the people on the towpath to get out of sight.

Folding Camping Chair (Blue)

It’s got a light aluminium frame which makes it practical in weight, and one of the armrests has a handy cupholder. It’s crossed legs makes it secure when setting it up, but it’s not going to offer a great amount of support. It also comes in a light bag, but this material is cheap and easy to rip. It doesn’t like it closes all the way either. You have to open and close it carefully to avoid pulling on the stitching. Why the colour blue was chosen remains a mystery. The only other colour that it comes in is red. Perhaps there’s a plan to roll out other colours in future years to distinguish it from its predecessor and change the price. Or maybe it’s the cheapest colour in the manufacturing process. I would have thought white, but that would be easy to stain. Black would be the next in line, but that would absorb heat.

Don't Look Down

A pint and a roll might be enough to keep you going, but it isn’t a meal. So on the way back down, there was an opportunity to visit the other canalside pub. This is the Lock Inn at Wolverley. The pub itself is quite small, but it’s a nice spot to sit outside and enjoy a pint while watching canal users pass by. While we  didn’t enter the pub here, we made use of its excellent enterprising beer garden opposite which had a garden shed set up to sell ice creams next to the towpath. There’s a separate tearoom set up in the old stables, and there’s even a food truck so the owner is trying everything to make ends meet. A lock alongside the pub offers an ambitious exit to its  extensive car park, but we were parked in Kidderminster and had to continue underneath the road bridge.

Next time in Moscow: Five Takeaways after Trump and Putin's Alaska Summit

They could have visited local chip shops. I hear the fish is excellent in Alaska and perhaps they were both looking for an exotic entrée for their next soiree. But I think the article’s referring to five incidents of a  meeting rather than the economic progress of five outlets after their visit. But you’ve got to feed those security personnel somehow. Some may have even be forced to stay late, without payment to feed the whole entourage. Let’s hope that the visitors went for the healthy options and didn’t gorge themselves on the local dessert. They might have even met each other at the same takeaway at the counter and discussed peace options at the till. But in just a three-hour meeting, they managed to visit five outlets. Of course, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they ate five meals in this time.  I wonder who ended up with all the food.

A Good Cause for a Cob

After about four miles of following a towpath in a north-easterly direction, we passed underneath the village of Cookley. We knew we were there when we walked through the only tunnel of the walk. After passing a retirement community on the right, the towpath headed north again but we turned left and crossed a footbridge over the River Stour. This led us to a main road where we turned left to reach the pub. COVID restrictions were still in place; but the pub was rammed. A huge marquee was placed over the pub’s car park. People were queuing to get in and take a table. Some were just queuing for cobs to take away. We wanted to sit and drink and were directed to a table after we’d ordered a ham and cheese cob, and the amount of salad that came out with it was insane. Some people were just eating the rolls and leaving the salad which was a massive waste of food.

The Truth About Relationships

Relationships are tricky. There’s good things and bad things. Some are strictly for business; like your internet provider or for commerce. But you want to keep these people happy so that you can get the best deal for your buck. Others require a bit more trust like the people in your family who will help to look after you no matter what happens. These are the people who will help you with your mistakes and support you so that you can solve your problems. You’ve got to find out how to get the best out of these people and learn when to put the effort in to keep them happy, such as manipulating them with a cup of tea or doing chores for them in exchange for a service. You’ve got to hope that they’re going to do what they say they’re going to do, and you’ve got to do the same. Once this is established, there may be things that you can get away with and steer them into doing your bidding, but you’ll have to ensure that this is a delicate balance.

Hanging Tough

These look like innocent, cliffs, but what exactly is behind the ivy? It’s probably a stone face, but even that could be covering something up since we’re not too far from an urban area. It looks like it’s just a wood above, but how do you make sure? Any crack in the cliff could lead to a retractable door. And the cliffs just keep rising. Someone could have a very big basement attached to a long tunnel. It’s fenced off at the top so someone doesn’t want people going there, though of course they’d argue that it’s to  stop people from falling into the canal. But who would be up there in the first place? Has anyone had the urge to swim across the canal and attempted to climb the rockface? I’m not sure that those branches could support a person and you might get pricked a bit when moving some of the greenery.

Planning a Pampering #vampress 23

Should she go with the cream of the crop and get the best of what she could find, or at least what her minions could find for her? Or should she start with someone pure and train them? At least there wouldn’t be any bad habits. But with the town under her spell, she figured it would be quicker to get the married men involved. Perhaps she could get their wives involved too, though it could create a bit of jealousy. But if treated right, the wives could be the slaves. Perhaps they could be rewarded by making love on her person. It would be like a massage to her. Then when one partner tired out, she could take on the other. She wondered if one couple could nestle in her apex while another could massage her buttocks. Then she’d need a bed big enough for all this activity. That would require a different team altogether.

Pansying Around

It’s the pansy version of cruising around a city in a limousine. They’re flowers so they won’t get far but it looks like they’re enjoying themselves. They’re in a party mood and they’re happy waving to passers-by. They might not have speed, but they’ll certainly catch the wind in their hair, especially when a narrowboat passes by or a gust of wind or any moving object for that matter. I wonder if the boat is going to be painted to match the flowers? You kind of wish that its windows would wind down to reveal another row of pansies, but you know that you’re just going to see a load of roots instead. They’ve even got a stripper pole that lights up. It would be great if it flashes, though that would probably require a bit of work with electronics and there’d be all sort of complications when it come to watering the flowers. Still, a cruise is a cruise.

Baking Innuendos

This is going to cause a bit of a stir. There might be some interesting sound effects of things getting longer. Or I might come home from work tomorrow night to find a strange and kinky package on my doorstep. I wonder if many of them were used by chefs that have since been banned from taking part in any further shows. I might have to verify my age. Or maybe the whole phrase has been deleted from the databank. But I’m just given a random statement. There’s not even a call to action. But it’s something to work with, though you might get into trouble using them in the workplace. And I haven’t had one repeated yet. But it’s hard to understand her sometimes when she uses that same monotone, and if she’s going to say something that you’re not expecting, it can be hard to understand. But they’re short and sweet.

"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.

Little Steps

It’s a bit strange how the firs have wrapping ribbons on them. They look like they’ve been dressed up like giant Easter eggs. Maybe it’s to preserve their shape. Oddly, they’ve got the road ‘bathroom’ on them, but I don’t think that’s the best place for them. Either that or it’s the wrapper off something else. Maybe they’re using the ribbon as a guide to wrap some lights around later. It’s a shame because the rest of the garden is thought out well; especially the narrowboat planter that looks like it’s been custom made. I’d like to see it painted on a later visit, and for the plants in bloom to be watered as well. But it does look like there’s an artist present. I wonder if there’s any space to sit behind the shrubs on the other side. I hope that nothing goes walkies or ends up in the canal too often.

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.

Dirty Deeds Around Town #dreamdiary 201

I’m lying at home in bed. I’ve got a nice pillow stuffed down the back of my boxer shorts to give my bum a bit of curvy bounce. I’m thinking of putting a duvet in at the other side to give my front a nice hourglass figure. Then I find myself lying on the floor at work in the stockroom. I’m peering through the glass in the door to the sales floor dreading the moment that any lights come on indicating that someone is coming to find me but I can’t seem to move myself or come up with a credible reason as to why I didn’t go home the night before. Oddly, I would have tripped the automatic alarm but it doesn’t seem like I’ve been doing much moving about anyway. Then I wake up and discover that nothing at all has been stuffed down my shorts. It’s all natural.

Mind the Doors

These doors seemed to be always under a constant strain. They were fire doors that we could keep open with a metal chain that hooked onto the door. The other end of the chain was hooked up to an electronic magnetic lock which would cut out if the fire alarm was activated so that the door closed. . The problem was that the chain was made out of hooks that were constantly being stretched which meant that it would often unhook itself. Sometimes the door would become knocked which meant there wasn’t enough chain. Sometimes the magnetic plate that it hooks onto needs screwing back on. And sometimes the chain would become so strained that it would just slip off the hook. When we needed a repair, we had to keep the door closed for fire safety purposes. And when they did repair it, they would always use the same cheap materials so that it would inevitably happen again. It’s as if they needed to be kept in employment.

Where the Crawdads Sing

This is a retrospective, slow-moving but fitting film about innocence, abandonment and reputation. There’s a good soundtrack but there’s not enough heartfelt to make it an emotional journey. There’s some beautiful views but it would be interesting to have seen some wildlife in action to reflect on Kaya’s actions. Some of the lovemaking is quite intense, and the protagonist doesn’t always fight back. It’s also a bit confusing in places as the young antagonists look very similar. It’s also very unmasculine for the lead protagonist to wear a shell necklace. You’d have thought that one of his other lovers would have picked up on it immediately. There’s a great relationship with other characters who build up her rapport and give her support, but it’s not clear as to why the attorney comes forward and what his interests are. There’s an interesting conclusion though. You think it’s so obvious, but the truth is revealed many years later, and you feel that you’re missing out on an exciting part of the story.

Carew Castle

Our last castle visit of the trip was just outside the town, but it was in the direction of home. It’s in a small village just off the main road. The car park had recently been recobbled to prevent erosion, and there was easy pedestrian access to the main entrance. There’s a lot of history here as well as lots of nooks and crannies to explore. The large windowpanes clearly show that in the past, the castle had extravagance. I love how they built the frames into the rounded towers. Be prepared or some great views and some exbibits that you can interact with, including a wooden horse and a wooden giant sculpture near the café. There’s also a small walk to the mill house and its pond. It’s a great place for birdwatching. The pub alongside it looked interesting, but unfortunately I had a long drive back. Maybe next time.

If a police vehicle is tailgating you, should you speed up, maintain speed, slow down, or pull over and stop?

The safest method is to pull over and stop. You need to do this in a safe area where it’s legally acceptable to pull over and park, and not on a hard shoulder. If the officer questions you, you can always inform them that their driving is distracting you, and that you’re giving them the opportunity to pass while maintaining a safe environment. Until then, you should maintain your speed so as not to attract them to your presence. Speeding up might draw suspicion to escape from their eyesight. If you slow down, you become a hazard to them. Of course, you’ll need to prioritise all hazards as a priority over their actions unless they give you specific instructions. You’ll also need to consider if you’re trying to avoid suspicion or whether you’ve got anything to hide, and what your best opportunity is. The important thing is not to give them an excuse.

A Ponder In Pembroke

I love this sleepy town. The highlight is of course the castle but I wasn’t keen to visit there as I’d already done it on a previous trip. Instead we took a walk around the grounds on the Mill Pond walk. It was pleasant, but it wasn’t particularly inspiring in places. On our wander, we also went past the B&B that we tried to book but no-one picked up the phone. By the time that they’d returned my call to confirm their availability, we’d already booked somewhere else. It looked nice from the outside, but parking would have been a bit of a struggle. We also took the opportunity to pop into a few souvenir shops and do a bit of shopping. It was a shame that most of the bars hadn’t reopened for business yet, though we made a couple of notes of where we could go if we were to return.

What a day, walked about 30k and swam in two lakes.

Many people might walk this distance without even knowing it. You might be doing a long walk, but you’ve also got to travel to get there. If you’re in a hotel, you’ve got to get from your room to breakfast and back again before you leave it. If you’re not using a lift and you’re on a high floor, that’s a lot of steps. Many people would take the stairs down and head back up in the lift, though it depends on how long you have to wait for it. If you’re driving to the start of your walk, you’ll also be making steps as you press the pedals. And the route you actually take is much longer than the route says it is as you make wrong turns and correct yourself, and wander off to explore the area around the route too. Must have been a long day though.

Cafe No. 9

Just down the road from our Travelodge was a local café. Its surroundings may not be much, but they’ve made the best out of what they’ve got. We got there just after opening, and I think we got the last but one table. It was very clean and warming like you’d just walked into someone’s kitchen. The prices were reasonable and the service was friendly. It was also a great place for locals to pop in to start their day as they collected their breakfast sandwiches and lunch orders. The team was certainly organised as they were prepping orders to be delivered as well. We were that impressed that we decided to order lunch to take away as well in the form of baguettes which were freshly made. We ate these on the beach later. As we left, there was a queue of people waiting to get a table, so we knew that we were onto a good thing.

Hanging Out

I got a message that our washing line airer had unexpectedly collapsed and that we need a new one right away. I wasn’t given an opportunity to see if it could be fixed, and it felt like this was a family emergency. I felt that it had to be set up right away otherwise our laundry programme couldn’t continue, so this had to be done as soon as I got home from work while it was still light. It didn’t require much work since we already had a ground spike fitted. All I had to do was to get rid of the packaging and made sure that it fit and that it opened and closed. The only problem that we had is that sometimes you have to give it a good tug to come out. We also don’t have a cover for it. It makes me wonder how long it’ll last as the old one was made by a better manufacturer.

Hello Sailor

The view that this pub offers is fantastic. It has something to offer everyone, apart from a great choice in beer. It’s where the locals go and you have to be here as the sun sets. The pub itself is a small building with a cosy lounge and a pleasant conservatory offering views of the river. But to really appreciate it, you have to sit outside to enjoy stunning views of the bay. You can watch the locals sail in and head straight to the bar for a pint. It’s not a quiet pub. You’ll be able to hear the traffic passing over the bridge for a start. There’s also an aviary nearby and lots of room for kids to run about. The seats are just benches so you might need cushions. But the homemade food is delicious. While I was queuing to order, I noticed a specials board that wasn’t on the menu, and I had to place a quick phone call to tell everyone what they were. They’d have been disappointed if they’d missed out!

Mother of IDF soldier taken hostage by Hamas fears he'll be one of last freed

Well, he’s a soldier so tactically speaking they’re doing the right thing. If you release a soldier, it won’t be long until he shares some intel and he’s able to be a soldier again. They could injure him so that he couldn’t fight then set him free, but he wouldn’t be the same. It’ll either be through a surrender or an invasion of a foreign force. It’s all part of modern day war tactics. But I had no idea who the IDF were until I googled them. They could have been the International Defence Federation. But it’s a nerve-testing time for the family as every day is another wait for news. It’s not something that’s easy to obtain. Even a ceasefire will cause a huge amount of administration. It’ll be much quicker for an invading force to create an escape, ideally with an extraction. But you need a team with guts to attempt it.

The Truth about Fear

It’s real. It can put you off doing things. But you have to face up to them. If you do nothing, people know that you’re incapable of resolving things. They may do them for you, but they might not trust you with the task of doing them again. Sometimes you can use fear as an adrenaline rush to get things done, but you might end up doing them in a bit of a rush and miss key steps out. But it occupies your time. You can spend all day with your thoughts on the subject or lose focus on what you’re meant to be doing. It might even cause you to run away rather than face up to it. It could be better than you thought it would be; but you won’t know the outcome until you get it done. Until then, you’ll be inventing scenarios in your head and this is where things get out of control. You need to plan how to react to each scenario and look into what you can to in the future to prevent it from happening again. And talking about your problems to others may suggest solutions that you hadn’t thought of.

Raising a Glass

This is quite a modern pub that you’d expect to see anywhere. It’s on the edge of town where there’s lots of space to meet groups in one large environment. There’ll be a big menu but you can almost guess what’s on it, and it won’t be particularly memorable. And it’ll be the same for the drinks. The portions are a decent size, but they won’t be fresh and you’ll want a pudding afterwards, probably a sundae. There’ll be a large bar with very few people serving who are just paid the minimum wage and aren’t expected to be tipped because of the clientele. Get there after the dinner rush and there’ll be piles of plates everywhere. There’ll be a nice patio where you can sit outside and wait for your mates to come in or watch the world go by in the sunshine. Its translation is the Blue Stones which sounds romantic, but my first guess would be the Large Glass.