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.