Bounce Park #dreamdiary 199

We’re at a holiday park. There’s some great ride here in the theme park. There’s some great water slides and a cable car ride. The last ride that we go on is a rope swing, but we have to climb up a wall to get to it. It’s decorated as a bookcase and at the top there’s a large clock that swings open to reveal a hole to crawl through. My elder niece makes it through the hole but I’m carrying my youngest niece up there. She makes it to the gap but lacks the strength and courage to pull herself up. At times she makes it but I’m sacrificing my rest points to get her through there and at times it feels like I’m pulling her back down just to stay on the wall. Eventually we give up the climb and both descend gracefully back to the floor below while my eldest niece watches.

"If you decide that you're going to do only the things that are going to work, you're going to leave a lot of opportunities on the table".

 -Jeff Bezos.

Sometimes you have to take risks. There’s things that are easy to do and things that you have to force yourself to do. Sometimes you just have to force yourself to try. You can be surprised by the results if you think positively. Often, many people may be prepared to adapt to help you out. There’s always the fear of being rejected; people generally don’t want to be cruel and deny you chances. Sometimes it’s a judgement of character and it’s easier not to be involved. You might feel a bit guilty for lying but a lot of the time you won’t know the full story. You’ve also got to consider what you can get out of the partnership and whether it’s worth your time or if you can get some recognition by doing a favour for someone. But if you have a big network and you’re able to help others grow then they’ll really appreciate it.

Calling all Counsellors

This was an agency that put me on an interesting journey. It didn’t change my life, but it did provide some great tales. It all started with an application to travel overseas to work as a camp counsellor. I didn’t have to travel far to get an interview. We met at a hotel conference room just a few doors down from the train station. There was a morning meet and greet with a welcome session of what to expect followed by a little breakfast then we were free to talk to the directors. It was just a case of walking around to chat with who you liked the look of. Then there was a bit of a talk about caring for those you’re put in charge of. We were young but some of us needed lessons in responsibility. We couldn’t exactly turn round and tell parents that we’d lost their children but they’re young and that they could have another one.

House Party #dreamdiary 198

We’re having a party! We have no idea what’s happening, even though we live in the house, as it’s being organised by another resident. We have no idea of who is coming or what is involved. All that we’ve been told is the date and time of the party and we’re welcome to attend. We’re keen to get things started as soon as possible, but our host hasn’t done much in the way of preparation. He’s in the shower getting ready and we’ve all gathered outside the bathroom to try and decipher what sort of party it will be and what the expected dress code is. We’ve managed to make some Pina Coladas from the ingredients lying around in the kitchen but it seems rude to start drinking them until our host is ready. There’s nothing in the way of extra food or drink being brought in. Perhaps he’s relying on everyone else to bring the big supermarket slabs of beer. Maybe food is being ordered in when everyone else arrives. Or perhaps we’re about to discover that it’s not that kind of party and we’re going to be extremely disappointed.

Wandering towards a river #bidford 5

Our next target was to link back up with the Avon to complete the walk. Heading north-east, we crossed  field keeping the house’s fence on our left, then as we approached the wood a track opened up to the left of it. Once we’d passed the wood, we continued in the same direction through two more fields before we reached a farm. The trees here were very tall but extremely narrow as well. Turning left, we followed the track to a tarmacked road which then passed through a small estate of houses to reach the main road. Here we turned left again, and after a short incline up a very straight road we turned right to pass through a hedgerow to reach the river. Heading west, we had a lovely stroll along the Avon, passing a lovely beauty spot to perch on and also a lock. From here, it was a gentle stroll back to the harbour where we parked.

 

Gladiators: Season 2

An interesting season with new gladiators and new games, as well as a revisit to the old favourites. It was great to see Atmosphere back, though I preferred the original format where the contenders had to roll their cages over pods to get points rather than the new race format which just seems to be easier for the contenders. I also loved the drama that was created in Unleash. I liked the suspense in this season of two new gladiators being called to action, though I’m not yet convinced of their characters. Cyclone seems to be the new bad girl of the bunch which I previously attributed to Diamond and Sabre, so perhaps it gives a bit more freedom for them to be more sporting. Hammer seems quite ancient, and perhaps he’s destined to be the new leader to replace Giant. Some of the actions also seem quite scripted like carrying the ref off into the distance and changing the rules of one of the games in the final (which I hope doesn’t become a permanent fixture as the result was a little mellow compared to the action that we would have seen). I’m looking forward to next year’s show, and hope that its schedule is a little less interrupted.

Founder's Rock #bidford 4

Continuing east, we found this rather poetic rock of a tribute to this strange philanthropist, and although the stoneworks makes reference to any of his friends, there’s no indication of his past activities. We continued east across some fields until a track through a hedgerow deposited us back onto a road. Here we turned right and followed the road around a bend to the left and then to the right which bore south into the picturesque village of Dorsington. After passing some lovely country cottages, we turned left by the church and followed the road out towards Braggington. Just as the land on the left opened up into a field, we entered it through a kissing gate and bore northeasterly through a field, then headed directly east across the next one to reach another road via a kissing gate. The next kissing gate was on the opposite side of the road through a hedgerow.

Can I call the police for a ride to court?

It depends on what number you use. If you call the local station and explain the situation in good time, they may bend a sympathetic ear and will be able to help you out if they’re not busy. If you can provide evidence that you had made plans but they didn’t come to fruition then they’re more likely to help you. They’ll probably have to schedule you a lot earlier and you’ll have to provide a good reason as to why you can’t get there yourself. It does sound a bit desperate if you have to do this though, but at least you’re being honest. If the worst comes to the worst, they will come and get you, though they’d probably lock you up for a while first. Public transportation may be a better option, or maybe a neighbour or family neighbour. Failing that, you may need to make a new friend.

Dotting Around Dorsington #bidford 3

This was a forest walk with lots of maintained paths and little treasures scattered across the land acquired by a charitable trust. The minimum that they ask for is a donation in the car park if you use it, though some of them are optional. The routes are well-signposted so long as you stick to the same colour-coded routes. You can also view them online. We start at a car park next to the river. It’s also opposite a set of docks. Heading south, we cross the road and follow a small track into the forest. The routes are well-signposted so long as you stick to the same colour-coded routes. It’s strange that it’s all founded by a former publisher. Evidently he must have had a turn of consciousness and tried to right his ways. We followed the path in a southeasterly direction to reach this clearing and carved bench.

@daraobriain takes a break from the Paris sport to consider if a ride at Disneyland Paris is the best in the world…

I think he only finds it interesting because he’s managed to acquire a stuffed toy to match the ride. I wonder if that’s his regular mascot or it’s just something he found or purchased while passing through to look the part. Although the ride looks fun, it doesn’t feel more appealing than the live sport on offer, and there’s quite a walk to get through the queues to the ride itself, which is a car ride alongside a screen. It’s very impressive that its trackless, though I wonder if you’re just going around a square on a pre-programmed route alongside a screen. There also seems to be lots of marshalls alongside the queue system; they’re probably really there to keep an eye out on the riders and to stop the system should someone decide to step out onto the track. It’s not the most convincing of expressions and he certainly hasn’t given the game away.

Buzzing around Beeston #beeston 1

Even though the restrictions have been lifted and we’re allowed to travel wherever we want, people are being cautious. I, on the other hand, fancied a change of scenery and wanted to take full advantage of my membership. I also had a voucher. We therefore drove sixty miles to the Cheshire border for a bit of a day out. It was a bit of a steep climb to the top, but there were plenty of viewpoints to stop and rest on the way. We even found a bench and treated ourselves to a picnic Although the top was quite contained, it was quite a view. On the north side, we could see a heritage steam train heading towards Wales, while to the south we saw neighbouring castles. On our walk down, we saw a Bronze Age roundhouse and took a disappointing castle walk. All we needed was somewhere that sold ice creams before the ride home.

Praising Plants

Flowers in a pink tin. The tin looks quite rustic, like it’s been borrowed off a farm and has had a spray job. It’s a bit on the thin side and there’s no handle. You wouldn’t be able to use it as a pail afterwards. But the contents side seems to last for ages. Pink flowers in bloom and plenty of them, though the leaves do look a bit plasticky as they reflect a greeny shine. They’ve got a little bit of weight added to them. Luckily the recipient was delighted with them. They took pride of place on the coffee table for a while before retreating into a corner by the fireplace. I’m not sure how flame retardant they are, but I wouldn’t like to find out. Their plastic glazed look suggests that they’d probably make a mess if they did catch fire. It comes with a handy stake and care tag which for some reason is still in the pail. I guess it’s easier to look up every time you need to care for it.

A Content Finish #bidford 2

 We take a seat in the porch outside of the pub. All the beer is on stillaging and caravans are pouring onto the field opposite. Meanwhile, we’re given the choice of either sandwiches or a ploughman’s for food. We were hoping for something hot but there wasn’t anything else on offer and the staff seemed put out to serve us. Back on the walk, we headed north along the road which became a path which entered a thicket. At the other end, we passed a pumping station then once we’d reached the river, we turned left. We followed the path in a northwesterly direction alongside the river for a while, then the path began to break away from the river through a field. At the end was a gate which led us to the bridge across the Avon, and we just had to cross the road to reach our starting point. It’s a nice walk in general, though the middle bit is a bit boring since it’s on the road.

Robert Jenrick vows to bring coalition together to end Tory-Reform fight

So what has this man been doing all this time? As he’s been sacked and has resigned from different governments, he’s not someone that we can trust. It’s probably why he’s been given the job of sorting his party out. Or at least he’s made it his personal mission to get the leadership role by pretending to do it already. He’s going to have to take a very critical approach of the other parties and their policies. It’s going to be a very patronising election with parties promising to undo the work of their predecessors. But how can he do this if he’s planning to shut up one of the parties that he has dealings with? It doesn’t make sense. As usual, they’re promising too much. They’re appealing to people rather than parties to try to win votes. But in a time when the leadership is unsteady, he has to be seen saying and doing something.