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.