Ambling Around Alvechurch

This was a short winter walk that we did to attempt to battle the elements. We went for a Christmas meal afterwards, but got a bit muddy in the process. We parked not at the pub itself, but at the back of the pub at the end of the lane since it’s the village’s own free public car park. Heading east, we followed the footpath through the fenced thicket which brought us out onto the pub’s car park. We crossed the main road and headed north-east down a narrow lane past a series of terraced cottages. At the end of the lane was a small, gated car park with some playing fields. We followed the path around the field to the northern corner where it trailed east to meet with a road. Here, we turned left and followed the road to the next corner and continued north onto a footpath via a stile on the right-hand side of a cottage.

Next Year Fail @jdvance

Is this guy serious or is this guy just going along for the comical journey and filling in the important bits that his boss leaves behind? Is he supporting a project or leading it? It’s not clear when he’s lounging around on a sofa talking to a radio host. Does his boss know what he’s getting up to? Or is he subtly waiting for him to make a mistake so that he can step in? It seems like that he’s the man in charge of making it happen. The trouble is that the video is heavily edited so that you can’t get the full context. It’s as if he’s being made to look like an indecisive slacker. But he recognises the lack of power in people’s lives and wants to do something about it. But you’ve got to take the power away from someone else who’s not going to like it.

Gotcha

 In a time where nothing is certain, it feels great to obtain something that’s so high in demand. This was the latest games console that everyone was trying to get their hands on for Christmas. My cousin who’s a nurse was trying to get one for her son, and I was drafted in so see if I could help out. I had to keep an eye on the stock that we could order in as well as when reserved ones expired. I was lucky enough that one did. I had to check with my manager to ensure that I wasn’t exploiting my position, and she had to check the order history. But it was a genuine cancellation so I was able to make the purchase. I sent a teaser picture to my uncle, who sent my cousin to my doorstep to collect it and gave me a small gift as a token of her appreciation.

Costa Luz

This seemed to be a restaurant of convenience rather than a specialised cuisine. It was on the rooftop of a block of bars and we were recommended to go there to keep things neighbourly, though many of the locals came from there for takeaway pizzas so that’s probably what we should have stuck to. We were slightly disappointed as we were hoping for something a bit more authentic since it was our first venture out of the all-inclusive hotel. Our paellas were well presented in skillets but looked a bit dry and didn’t seem to have any vegetable stock included. We also ordered a burger which came as a huge tower of food but looked slightly overdone. The garlic prawns were delicious but could have been bigger. The pizzas were nice and fresh which was the best part of the meal. We weren’t presented with a dessert menu; instead we got complimentary shots with lollies for the children (I’m guessing they wanted to call time on a late Thursday night).

Masked Santa

I bought this as part of a bundle for my family to remind people that it’s still a certain season however things get. I was a bit worried that they wouldn’t arrive in time, and the seller was concerned too. At least when they did arrive, they were of high-quality material, though I never got any feedback from the fam. Perhaps they weren’t medical grade enough. But they were stretchy and elasticated enough and I don’t know how they worked when it came to washing them. If I had a cold, I wouldn’t spread it, but I would certainly need changing. But it was making an effort to obtain what wasn’t available in stores, and I was disappointed that no-one asked where I got them from. There were different designs for both men and women. I think one of them was a white snowflake design on a red background. Another was plain black with a graphic picture of Santa.

Under Pressure #nuclearmermaid 25

It would only take a few swipes to release some more of this red fluid. It felt warm, rich, and fruity, and she sucked it dry. Then the arm turned soft and white ad it was soft enough to sink her teeth into. There was a bit of a hard bit in the middle though. She sated herself until the whole room was dry. Then she felt the swelling as her skin started to expand and she became heavier. The shiny platform that she was balancing started to tilt, so she decided to slide off it. She managed to push it to the side of the room simply by exerting force through her scales. There was a loud screech as the metal began to bend and slide across the floor. Cracks began appearing on the other side of the wall as her bodyweight was leaning upon it. Suddenly, the wall caved in and she fell through it.

The People you'll meet

You never know what kind of people you’ll meet when you’re out on a walk. Some you just want to acknowledge with a friendly hello as you pass. They might give advice of the route in the direction that you’re going, like if there’s any troublesome livestock in the next field or the amount of mud that’s coming up. Others might want to chat and be glad of a rest. But sometimes you have to drop the hint to keep moving. You might have to get back to beat the time you’ve put in at the car park. You might have to be back at the pub for your booked reservation before they close for lunch. Or you might just be standing around in the cold and you need to keep warm. But keep talking, and one of you might end up looking like this, chilling on a boat while needing the odd push around.

Hallow Road

This was a short and suspenseful piece of drama that didn’t require much in its execution. The terror all came from what you heard rather than what you could see. There was a bit of backstory that was revealed perfectly, and it even had an element of unrealism stemming from the unknown. You could sense the suspense and tension in the actors and there were just enough developments to keep things interested. There’s a touch of folklore and something of evil lurking within a plotline that you’d expect in a soap to keep it away from that genre. They don’t call it Hallows Road for nothing. The characters were young enough to keep people interested but old enough to have the experience. How far would you go to protect your child? It also allows you to draw your own conclusions, though you have to wonder if there could be a sequel which would be even more thrilling.

Dem Bones

We should have carried straight on the road back to the main road, but I wanted to explore and make the walk longer. There wasn’t much of significance, but I was in area that I hadn’t explored before. So we turned round and took the next right at the farm, which saw us walk down a stone track. We then turned right onto a footpath and headed west until we reached a treeline alongside the King’s Norton Rugby Club. There was a bit of activity here and I wondered if we were going to get moaned at for trespassing as we were very close to the pitch but I was sure that we were on a footpath and it turned out that the caretaker just wanted to come over for a chat. At the south-west corner, we headed south through a line of trees which brought us to the motorway services station. We decided this wasn’t the best route back, so we headed backed to the club.

Will You Marry Me?

Will wedding bells ring? Will she detect any passion in my voice? Is the answer honest? Is the answer based on my relationship with her? I’ve asked her to shut up a few times when she goes on so she may not like me. She might change her mind every time I ask. Maybe she’ll send me a link to look at wedding rings. Should I get down on one knee when I pop the question? She’s got no eyes though. Rather than a one-line answer, a series of questions are put to me to assess how well I know it. I’m asked to answer one or two questions but I’m actually asked three. I manage to achieve two out of three, but she didn’t accept my proposal. However, I have got the option of asking again. I’m even asked if I’ve enjoyed these questions, and I’m thanked for playing. I’m asked about animals and pizza preferences. On my second go, I get all three questions right (two were repeated), but she still didn’t accept my proposal. It’s probably because of how I treat her.

From Bone Damage to Solar Radiation -inside the lab trying to protect the astronauts of the future

I understand what solar radiation is but I’m not sure how it has bones. Perhaps the presence of the astronauts affects it. I shouldn’t think this is a major problem as there’s not that many astronauts. However, the last thing we want is to poke more damage into the greenhouse effect. If we could reduce solar radiation through bone dame, it’s probably one of the first things that we should do. But the article focuses on how to survive space. It’s a bit ambitious as most of us won’t get there in our lifetime, but there’s a few spoilers of what mankind’s plans are that way. But I suppose it’s good to be prepared. It’s difficult to determine when you’re going to be free of the laws of gravity. Exercise is very important, and you’ve also got to watch out for natural light s it’s not filtered by the ozone. I wonder what factor you’d need. But if the whole process is so dangerous, why go there in the first place?

Golden Bridge

We started this walk to complete the last section of the canal that we hadn’t completed between Birmingham and Hopwood. Our plan was to park at the pub, but because of it being shut the car park was locked up so we parked on the small road on the other side. From here, we followed the towpath east until it bent to the north. Along the way, we passed under a bridge where the sunlight and leaves touched the embankment just enough to look like everything was golden. A few miles later, the canal gets swallowed up into the tunnel towards Birmingham. Climbing the embankment, we turned left and walked uphill heading north along a road until we found a footpath on the righthand side. Crossing the stile, we headed south down a steep hill with beautiful views of the shire. At the bottom, we returned to  a road and turned left.

Back to the Backpack #dreamdiary 208

I’m passing through some woods with a backpack. A lot of schoolchildren like to camp here with their friends and it’s my job to make sure that they’re OK. I call into a small tent with interconnecting entrance tunnels and a living quarters in the centre. A young girl is in the centre setting up her sleeping quarters. I ask if she’s OK as I crawl through. She just stares at me. I presume there’s another child in the wood gathering fuel and water. I wonder what’s going through her mind, ‘Who is this person and what right does he have to climb through the tent?’ I scramble out and head to the outside of the woods where my bike awaits. I decide to cycle uphill to the next town, which takes me through a set of roadworks. I overtake queuing traffic on the hill, aware, that they’ll have to overtake me at the red light. I reach the lights and I realise that I’m blocking the driver’s view of the lights so I edge forward past them. Then, when they do turn green, I struggle to pull off up the hill. Once I’ve exited the roadworks, I realise that I’ve left my backpack at the edge of the woods where I collected my bike.

Grass v Concrete

It’s a British version of Central Park, only it’s before the buildings surrounded the trees. Here they are lining up to do battle against the city. Some of the buildings even have heads, or they just could be giant cameras. They’ve just marched down the hill, and it’s taken all this time to line up in formation against the buildings. But there’s already some infiltrators on the left. Though they’re not a tall as their generals, they’ve managed to insert themselves amongst the enemy. They might have even fenced them in with a crude piece of rope so that there’s no turning back. They’ve even drawn lines in the sky. We’ve got no idea what those are connected to. On the left, you can see that there’s a bit of land left to conquer. Perhaps this is where nature will be rallying on rock formations that the builders cannot reach or cut through the trees.

Mopsy

At first glance, she doesn’t give the best of impressions. She’s got grey hair that sticks out like a mop and it hasn’t been combed in a long while. At the same time, she’s got the ace of a ditzy blonde that doesn’t take in her surroundings properly. And the dress sense doesn’t help. She’s always wearing thick coats, even in the summer. But when she speaks, it’s quite confident and she’s not afraid to make sure that she’s heard and make suggestions. Sometimes she doesn’t realise what we can and can’t do, but she’s participating and making an attempt, even if it’s easy to shoot down or she doesn’t realise the work that’s required with the request. She’s got a phone but sometimes needs help with the technology. I’m quite baffled with how she got engaged and wonder if anything’s going to happen in the near future, especially when I witness the odd argument.

Elf in a Bag

I filmed this for my friend who is absolutely mad about this film. I was wondering if I was going to get a message back to save it for her. I’m not sure if I even got a thumbs up. I don’t know why I couldn’t get the sound and the audio in the same frame. I suppose I needed both hands to hold the toy and pull the cord. The sound quality is actually quite good and it’s a shame that I only recorded the one phrase. Perhaps the hands are in the wrong place. They do look a bit constipated. I wonder if the arms are posable. You don’t get the full effect while it’s wrapped in plastic, but for some reason the packers have opted to put small punch holes in it. Is it to convince kids that it needs to breathe? I haven’t seen them on the shelves lately.

" A strong, positive self-image is the best possible preparation for success"

-Joyce Brothers

If you take the time to look the part, people will do their best to help you. It’s a projection of confidence and people will be able to trust you. Even if you haven’t prepared a speech, people will be willing to listen if you have a good excuse and they’ll help you out if they’re not eying up the competition or are open to a little negotiation. You may not have to show muscles, but you do need to portray strength, confidence, and the willingness to get things done, and you need to form a bond. Even if you’re late, you might be able to get away with it by a little smile to show that you genuinely respect them. If you don’t prepare, and you believe that you can’t do it, then people may not even want to take a look at you, and they’ll want to form a relationship with someone else instead.

Little Tits

We’re back for a wander around Earlswood. It’s a winter’s day and there’s a lot of frost but we’ve come to attempt to walk around the lake. We’ve found a nice car park that’s free that has a small footpath directly to the lake via a small footpath through some woodland. Once we’re lakeside, there’s a stream of water emptying out into the lake. Turning right, we follow the path alongside the lake until we pass through some woodland. In this section, the ground is quite dry and there’s plenty of bird and bat boxes mounted upon the trees. It’s a great spot to see wildlife in action. As we approach the boatyard, it gets muddier. We try  to swap tip with fellow walkers upon their approach about what the route is like ahead. But in the end, the only way forward is to put your feet in front of you and go for a good squelching.

The Truth about Competition

It can be healthy for you. It will encourage you to do more, not just for profit, but to improve your practices. It can also encourage you to work hard for those extra sales. But in some instances you can be forced to work too hard and if you haven't got everything in place then it can have a detrimental effect, especially if you're struggling. It also depends if there's a team involved and whether everyone wants to share your goal of being top dog. So you have to watch what everyone is doing and react accordingly so that there's an opportunity to overtake your competitors if you can afford it. If you're leading the way, you'll naturally be the first choice, but you have to bear in mind that sometimes people will want to give your competitors a go, especially if there's a promotion on. There's a lot of work involved to keep your top spot.

A Walk Around the Windmill

I’m back for another wonder around the windmill. We’re roughly doing the same walk but with less pubs. We’ve crossed over the railway and we’re just about to get to the canal when someone trips over a root. Panic sets in as we’re quite away from an urban area, though we’re not far from a line of cottages. It’s not going to be easy to get an ambulance here. I’d have to leave her to get the car or maybe find a stranger to help. I might even have to get the air ambulance, though it would need someone to land. Luckily, I manage to help her onto her feet and she’s able to stand. After a little rest, she’s able to walk quite normally and we’re able to finish the route as planned without even mentioning it. But for a moment, we were down. Then we got back up again and got on with it.

I fired an employee for eating a hamburger during his lunch break. Was I within my rights?

There’s lots of questions at stake here which requires context. If you work with hamburgers, it can be seen as theft. If your firm doesn’t have anything to do with hamburgers, there may be a bit of a problem. You can’t tell people what they can’t eat, and employees are legally able to do what they like on their time off including rest breaks on site. You might not like it and it might be contrary to your beliefs but your employee has the right to be free too. You need to provide a space for them to do this so that it doesn’t interfere with your other activities, or have a policy for them when they leave site so that it doesn’t affect your business. But if they’ve eaten somewhere in an area that they’re not supposed to like a preparation room then that does give you grounds for dismissal no matter what time of day it is.

The Future of Pints?

This isn’t liquid inside a plastic bag sent as emergency alcohol. They’re actually paper wipes. I know that there’s some high alcohol content in these disposable sanitising wipes, but I never would have thought that they’d attempt a beer-flavoured one! You can smell the alcohol but you probably wouldn’t want to taste it. Perhaps it’s designed as a new dispense method that you would inhale or maybe even tear up and chew. You might even be able to absorb it through the skin. I wonder if they’re partial to making it as a stout? But its immense ABV would actually reclassify it as a barley wine or old ale. But unfortunately it’s some sort of chemical compound which takes all the fun out of things. Still, it might be a cheaper relief for those addicted to alcohol. It might warn them off the stuff, especially with how it’s administrated. Unless they’re going to absorb it into their skin…

Rancho Texas

 It cost us a fair bit of dosh to come here. We were relieved to see that our transfer was included in the price, but we were concerned that we might be losing time and wouldn’t fit everything in after all the pickups but we needn’t had worried. Upon arrival, a friendly staff member handed us a map and directed us to a queue to have our online tickets scanned; though I did wonder if it was quicker pay on the door.

We made straight for the dolphin arena to get a seat for the show, stopping to look at creatures along the way. Upon arrival, we did manage to get seats near the back but the viewing and performance area looked quite large and the dolphins seemed to be happy and well cared for. We then wandered around the rest of the zoo section. The ponies didn’t seem to be in any shade, but the enclosure for the white tiger was huge with plenty of viewing angles once you’d worked out where he was. We also enjoyed watching the lynxes chase each other. Then we had a go at the canoeing, though we were disappointed to pay a surcharge for this and the experience would have been better if you did a lazy island style circuit with optional rapids than paddle down a u-shaped bend to a dead end with some bushes. We dried off by walking around the reptile house, though I did wonder if the amphibious crocodile-shaped tortoise had enough room.

After some interesting xxx antics from the tortoises, we observed the bird show from the hill, but they did indeed seem to be tied up when not flying. We then headed down to the fast food restaurant for lunch. The portions and freshness were reasonable for the price, and staff were happy here. We shared a pizza and some baguettes with fries and onion rings between six of us before heading to the sea lion show which was also good fun with some great photo opportunities.

Onto the water park. We hired a locker for our valuables then found some sunbeds and grabbed some inflatable rings. There was a bit of confusion about where to queue for the lower slide, but the wait wasn’t long (I wondered how busy it gets at weekends when the locals come along). I think it’s a shame that you have to take these tyres up yourself and perhaps a ramp could be devised. The hidden valley was also a bit of a disappointment; I was expecting a lazy river style circuit that you could swim or float through rather than a waterfall around a corner. But me and the young ones happily spent the rest of the afternoon sliding down on the rings; we did try the larger wave slide once but lost count of how many times we went down Wild Canyon and the Gold Rush.

I had a quick visit to the gents by the gift shop and was surprised to see into the parrot enclosure; the parrots could literally watch you pee! Then it was onto the transfer bus which was waiting for us at the exit and we were directed by more friendly staff. We weren’t the last ones on but we had booked; it appeared that a seat shortage was caused by those who hadn’t booked the transfer and came earlier via taxi. No-one seemed to check us on as we embarked. A few little ones ended up on laps to make room.

Although admission was slightly expensive, we all had a great time as there was a lot to see and do. Hopefully there will be new exhibits to tempt us back and we may be braver to try some of the faster water slides!

Fast Forward

 We must be moving forward through a time loop very fast so that our eyes can’t keep up. Everything’s getting shook up because the world is ageing quickly. We’re moving so fast that others are fading from view. Either that or everything is being spun around. It could even be the same person. The silhouette in the background could be another body with a smaller head from a different dimension. Or it could be a body of things yet to come. It could be a teenage top with a late adult waistline below. Is it all going to fade away? And I’m not sure if those are chocolate flakes, hot dogs or bullets hurtling past her. She seems to have dodged them at any rate, unless they’ve hit her in the mouth which has made her teeth crooked. She could also have something a bit adult in there like a cigarette which has caused this whole mess.

Whitbread Wipeout

They’re a company out there who’s just sitting on assets wanting to get rid of them. They’ve just given up and the place is shut. They’ve still got tables, chairs and equipment in them. Why would you suddenly restrict the use of your property to a certain clientele just because they’re spending less money? At the end of the day, you’re still turning a profit. Restricting your trade just for convenience isn’t going to win you over with the locals who will visit frequently. Instead you’re just forking on money just for protection. You won’t even give it a chance to sell it to someone who wants to keep the place going. Instead you’re just going to sit there and wait for a change in the policy to cash in. Instead, you’re just forcing abandonment which won’t give it much of a lease in life as people will become used to it.

The Graduate

This is a great film with some brilliant comic moments and a great soundtrack to match. Even the cinematography has some great transitions to flick quickly between scenes. I enjoyed Hoffman’s nervousness of trying to get his own way while also doing the right thing, especially when he has to demonstrate a family gift in front of his family’s friends. It’s a strange time as independent women are still hard to come by, yet if there’s a generational gap they can easily command younger people out of respect as they push by through the door. It’s only when pressure is put on by his parents that he begins to question his motives to get what he wants, and there could have been some more scenes slipped in. Some scenes are cut to the point to save time and you could be forgiven for thinking it’s the same scene. You just have to wonder what happens next.

Head Goes Pop

This head’s just popped up, but how long have we been waiting for it? What about all those times when we haven’t seen that smile? The head might as well have been trapped underneath the coat. But just beyond there is something green. It looks as if it’s ready to grab it and pluck it from the coat like a cabbage. It could be a claw or talon of something that’s about to swoop down and get a grip. It’s accompanied by a grabber on its left. Is that to take out the both of them? Then the head will be boiled and the hair will be served up on something’s dinner. It might get the little sister first. If they’re quick, they can grab the ropes and poles while the other one may be able to help. Will she notice and get the harpoon out to rescue her? Maybe it won’t be long until it grows back again.

Pack up your Troubles #dreamdiary 207

I’m at a works conference. It’s in a giant arena in what used to be one of the company’s premises in a  shopping centre structure. There’s an outline of what we’re supposed to achieve over the next year and the tasks we must complete to achieve that. Rather than having us leave the building, lunch is provided for us which forces us to mingle in the auditorium to collect it. Having been stuck inside all day, I fancy some fresh air and the opportunity to  see some daylight. I head into a corner where I calculate that if I head behind a propped noticeboard, I can squeeze through a gap in the chicken wire and head outside. It’s a huge airfield only instead of planes it’s a car park. There’s hangers for the company to store its wares. It’s as if we’re being forced into packing up  the company’s property to ship elsewhere, leaving us jobless in the process.

Pranksters

They’re no longer best friends. The little one doesn’t get on with the big one and the big one doesn’t like it. They will argue over anything, and the little one will always overact to the slightest bit of jest. She’s not sleeping well at the moment so it doesn’t take much to set her off. You have to wander if they’re going to play any pranks on each other, which would be much more entertaining than trying to stop them from fighting all the time. They need to put a bit more thought and planning into their activities rather than just taking things off each other. Perhaps they could build a trap that falls onto them when they enter a room. They might even see the funny side of it, especially if they film each other. It does take a bit more prep and thought though. They’ll have to get googling.