The Hills might endeth

There’s little sign of a town in front, but you get the feeling that years ago, there used to be more trees. At least they’re facing whatever’s approaching us to offer us some cover. Someone’s been busy. But the diggers are approaching them from behind while they’re distracted. I don’t know how you can tell the front of a tree from the back, but you just get the impression that they are. Maybe they’re scared of the sun, and they’re using the hills to shelter from it. How far back do those hills go? Just when you think you can see the sky, another one fades in just behind it. Each one gets steeper as you go up and down to face the next one. Fortunately, we’re not going that far. We continued west alongside a stream, then our footpath shifted ninety degrees and we started to climb north-west. We passed over a track into the next field, then turned immediately left.

How do you tell someone their name is wrong?

You take a deep breath and speak to them. Or you can write it in a letter if you prefer. You don’t even have to post it to them; you could send it as an email. It all depends on how direct you want to be with them and fast you want a response. It depends on how urgent you think this is. If you wanted to be novel, you could splash out and hire a skywriter. But the name that they’re using could be a nickname or it’s shortened for something else. The parent could have really liked the sound of the name but was unsure how to spell it. Or maybe they wanted to be unique. It might be for religious, family or cultural reasons. The person in question might not like their real one. But do you really have the authority when someone’s been using it for so long? Does it offend you?

Watch your Step #bentley 3

At least someone’s made an effort to aid our progress across the brook. A simple plank mounted securely on two bits of wood makes all the difference and we don’t have to worry too much about getting our shoes wet or muddy. I suppose in winter the whole thing floods, but no-one would venture to come out in that anyway. There’s still someone who’s going to be overly cautious though. They just can’t bear to get a speck of mud on their shoes. I can’t stand that type of person. What’s the point of venturing out into the countryside in the first place? You’re there to enjoy it and should expect a bit of dirt. At the T-junction, we turned right and headed north along the road. We crept up a small incline until a farm appeared on our left. Turning left, we headed south-west through the farm to reach a footpath at the end.

More tonne bags of Crushed Granite conveyed to site and unloaded by workboat 'Swinton' this morning. Plenty for the volunteers to work with

I suppose it’s another way of telling us that the towpath is going to be closed for a while. But whereabouts specifically and for how long? When will it be safe to plan a trip out there again? Maybe we can track the boat to find out. Is this a call for volunteers to come and help get the job done quicker? It’s going to take more than one morning, but there’s no call to arms here or indication of how long it will take. Will a morning be a whole session? It sounds like everything is organised and is divided by a number of teams but we just have to wait and look out for future tweets. In the meantime, we have to hope that the work doesn’t get in our way. Maybe we have to revert to previous tweets to find out. Hopefully, nothing got vandalised in the first place.

On the Bench #bentley2

You come across certain features on a walk that look so good that you just have to pose with them. Some places are so popular that people even queue up for them. Spring was in bloom and this was a perfect spot for a weary traveller; though we hadn’t clocked up much mileage yet. We continued past a junction on our left, then just before a barn on our right we took a signed footpath bearing east through a steel gate. Here, we bore right through a field alongside the edge of a thicket, then passed over a stile and through a second field to reach another stile. Instead of crossing, we headed south and followed the outline of the wood and continued directly south through a section of it before emerging into another field. This footpath ended on a small track and we turned right to head west to a T-junction.

 

Left Behind #dream 222

I’m visiting a theme park with a friend. I wouldn’t say it was a childhood friend; it was more like a bully that your Mum had paired you up with for the convenience since they lived up the road from you. But we’d both had a good day out at the park looking at all of the models on display. When it was time to go, the exit to the station was a lift made of lego with red, yellow, white and green bricks. I’d stopped for one last photo, and when I’d put my phone away, my friend was nowhere to be seen. I assume that she must have gone up without me. I pressed the call button and ascended alone. But when I got to the top, there was so sign of her there either. It was an empty walkway with a concrete floor and colourful barriers made of lego to look like those sturdy iron gates with the curves.

Bentley Book Store #bentley 1

This walk had an interesting start and we were quite lucky with the weather considering the time of year. There were also a lot of lambs about which made it fun. There’s been some great use of red phone boxes across the country to keep them in their place as part of our English heritage and this was a good one that we’d stumbled across. Unfortunately, we didn’t bring any cash or books to purchase one. They also don’t seem to be published on the map. There was also no official car park, but we found a lay-by on the edge of a corner which seemed to be suitable without blocking anything or getting in anyone’s way. Bearing east, we followed the road alongside private cottages with pristine trimmed hedgerows as it slowly curved to the south. We came across a beautiful bench placed underneath an oak tree that was begging for a pose.

Can you get Funky?

I’m not expecting her to move, but I’d imagine that you’d have to in order to get funky. I can’t see anyone getting funky while just standing there. She’ll have to play some sort of music. Or she may be honest and just say no and admit to being an inanimate object. After a pause, I’m treated to a variety of sounds before I realise it’s beatboxing. It’s not what I would call getting funky.  I think it’s a slightly different tune every time, though it’s not very memorable. She doesn’t answer the question, but there is an attempt. I wonder how many tunes she knows and whether she can do any other styles of music as well. There’s no reaction at all when I ask her to get jazzy or hippy. I’ve got no idea why the genre of funk is so important to her, but I suppose that’s just down to preference.

The Sheep Detectives

This was a fun and novel idea, with a cure theme, but it could have been a bit more comedic with more jokes. It seemed to be a seriously focused on the murder to get the plot right; though there’s some slight slip-ups for the Americans. The inheritance is in dollars, there’s mail carriers instead of post men who also happens to be the local paramedic, though it’s possible that some roles are doubled up in village life. Some of the voice actors will keep you guessing, and kids will love the chaotic actions that the sheep will get up to. For an ensemble cast, it’s quite well-balanced, although there would have been more chaos and fun if more of the sheep had decided to adventure from, the meadow. But there’s also mockery and common sense amongst the hysteria. But there could have been a bit more mockery with the detective theme.

On the Fence

One of the things that my mum likes to collect are garden ornaments; specifically colourful animals that can be pinned to the fence. These get mounted via tiny nails which is risky during storms. I should invest in proper hooks to stop them from being blown across the garden. Some of them are never found again. The ladybirds an the butterflies are the worst as they’re 3D. It’s as if the tortoise by the pond is jealous of their view. The sets come from bargain clearance shops; but we order the bigger ones online for occasions. Look how bright they are compared to now. We tried to set a scene so that each panel tells a story. The girls love it and they instantly realise when an ornament’s been installed that they haven’t seen before. The ones sticking out of the pots seem insignificant in comparison. Maybe those should be a symbol of what we suspect is growing in them.

Are Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce about to tie the knot? Why speculation has hit fever pitch

Why are you asking me? I’m just a humble reader in another country. Yes she’s a beautiful pop idol, but I won’t let it bother me. Perhaps it’s hit fever pitch because there’s a world cup game involved and the ceremony will be performed as part of a half-time show as a tribute to their country? It is coming up to an American holiday after all. I’m not entirely sure who one of them is either. I thought he might be a singer but apparently he’s an American  football player. I wonder what they have in common? Apparently one of them thinks that they’re at school and they’re both teachers. Weird. Maybe they think they’re getting married at a school. In actual fact, it’s at an arena, and there’s been a lot of celebrity invites. It’s not something that can be easily hidden. The secret’s out. And it’s also getting in the way. It’s easier not to care.

The Pink Flamingo Club

I have a friend  who’s obsessed with flamingos. She’s built herself a little bar in the back garden that’s completely flamingo-themed. It comes with an obvious name because I don’t know of a flamingo that isn’t pink. Perhaps it’s an excuse to exhibit as many pink things as possible. I don’t really know how this fit into a bar though. Perhaps if it was an outhouse, it would fit in with the décor if the building was used for other things as well. I’ve also got no idea why flamingos are ideal for featuring on an ironing board. Perhaps they make people think of happier times or places when they’re doing their chores. Anything that sells. Maybe there’s other products like tablecloths and glasses available. They might be different shades, patterns and sizes, which makes the whole bar seem random. But she might not appreciate this entirely, especially as it’s not bar-themed.

What if your teacher embarrassed someone every day and today was your day?

They might be doing it deliberately to build up your character and resilience. It might even be part of the curriculum. But you just have to put with it. After all, everyone else has had their moment which you’ve enjoyed which is only fair. But what if you’ve had enough? You’ll have to think of a way to fight back. How have other people coped? Have they ignored what is happening? Have they cried; complained, got upset or ran away? Maybe they’ve fought back in an outburst; either physically or verbally. Or maybe someone’s stood up and said this isn’t right. Maybe this person could be you. How cool would that be? You could be the class hero. Or maybe you could get together with your friends to talk about it. You could discuss what’s happening with another teacher if you haven’t got the confidence to talk to your teacher directly. It all depends on how wrong and inappropriate you feel this is. It is important to emphasise that this needs to stop for everyone and not just for the people who complain.

Potato People

This was a homework project that one of the girls had to do for an art class, and it was so much fun that the rest of us ended up joining in. We had to use household items to decorate them, and we got the idea of using pushpins for legs and clothing buttons. I had a small one so I decided to make it into a ladybird. We’ve been watching too much Ben and Holly. I had enough pins to make it 3-D but I’m not sure if they’re eyes, tails or feelers. The youngest one thought that we were just drawing on potatoes so she drew her favourite character which is the blue alien named Stitch. And I’m not sure if the oldest one’s bear has a moustache or a surprised expression. She was going for a Paddington. It was difficult to draw clothes on potatoes so we got the ideas of making them paper clothes instead like dolls. Hopefully they’re warm enough.

Mysterious Bricey Boy

He’s a man that’s mysteriously ended up on my phone. I’ve got no idea why. And with the inclusion on mobile phones, there’s no area code so I haven’t a clue where I know him from. It’s tempting to ring him up and say, “Hi Bricey, how are you, it’s your old mate here’ but I doubt that he doesn’t know me either. He could have even passed away or have changed his number so who knows who I’m ringing. I might get someone bugging me for life that I can’t stand. But if I don’t take that chance, however, bizarre, I might never know. I haven’t added him on social media and he may not use that anyway. But somewhere down the line, I’ll go ‘Oh, he was the guy I met at’. Come to think of it, I’ve just worked it out. He was a teacher who I used to work alongside as a van driver.

Final Take

 

I’ve done my best to get rid of my squeaky voice. I was gong for an X-Factor announcer. I wonder if that’s something that ChatGPT can fix? Chloe’s voice can be heard a lot clearer. Maybe it’s because the microphone is a little closer. I wasn’t sure what was wrong with the other takes, but this was the one that she liked the best. She tries to be so serious in her newscaster pose that it’s cute and hilarious. Maybe she took the time to improve upon everything with each take. But you never know when it’s the final take. You might not get a chance to do another one. You may be out of time and resources. And there may be a take you don’t like that someone else does and vice versa. But there’s always a chance that someone will correct and edit the mistake in editing. Hopefully her teacher was pleased with the project.

"Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever."

Not all pain is temporary. Many will agree with this, particularly those who have been in a serious accident. You might be able to forget about it sometimes, but it still comes back. It might be a long type of temporary that gets numbed with medication. You might need some help to get rid of it, but if you’re an independent type, you might choose to stick it out. But there’s a way forward with everything, though it might not be a path that you like. If you give up on something, it’s a definitive moment. But something or someone may persuade you to return to the role later. You might have been too hasty. There are some things that can be undone, providing that others are willing to cooperate. But you’ve got your morals to follow. It’s up to you. It might benefit just yourself, or it might benefit everyone. You’ve got a decision to make.

Spinning Chairs

 

They’re good fun. And a simple turn can make some dramatic reveals. Sometimes you don’t want to stop spinning. You get to take in a lot of the room very quickly. The smaller you are; the easier this is to do. It’s tempting to make a fun noise as you go. The danger is when they turn too fast, as the older ones aren’t really designed for riding. Parts could fall out very easily; especially if they haven’t been checked and tightened in a while. And when you stop, nothing has changed. Time may have travelled, but so have you. It might take a while for your head to catch up with everything else. Once it stops, it’s irresistible to move it back in the other direction. But you should take advantage of it when you can. You never know when you’ll get the opportunity again. It’s difficult to do it when someone’s watching.

Curvy Corridors #nuclearmermaid 27

Jenny’s curves were confusing after digesting the biped. Some of them had grown larger and beyond her control. She felt heavier, but she needed more. It was a shame that she’d scared the others away. They could still be in the building. Perhaps if she found enough material, she could in good time grow her way up. There must be something nearby that she could consume. Some of the tubing was smaller than others. Maybe she could bend them. But for now, she needed to move. It was no good lying propped up on her globes. To propel herself forward with her fin and stomach would take ages. It would be easier if she slowly rolled across the floor. She wasn’t sure how she’d fit through some of the gaps, but maybe she could fall through some of the other walls. A few strikes from her tail might weaken it.

Where could the Treasure have gone?

 

It’s hard to decipher what our young reporter is saying. It’s probably the low-quality microphone that I had available at the time. I also can’t remember the full subject; but it’s something to do with the Egyptians. It might have ended up with the original family, if they can be traced. That would be nice. If not, it should be sold off to help support the local people. It certainly shouldn’t have gone to the people who discovered the tomb in the first place, as they were the thieves that broke in (sorry Chloe!). I don’t think these groups of people would be willing to share, and there was probably a fight or maybe even a war about this. Some of it might still be lost out there. Some of it might have been taken to a faraway land. And some of it could have been melted down and disguised as other objects. 

Reflex Active 50m SeaVenture AMOLED GPS Blue Smart Watch

I’m familiar with the brand. My niece has one that I’ve set up for her. Some of the reviews weren’t kind, but as long as it was functional, I was willing to take the risk for the price cut. The silicone band isn’t a great look, but as least it’s comfortable and secure. I'm hoping that the abbreviation stands for armoured which makes it sound tougher. I haven’t managed to get the heart rate function working yet, and I must remember to sync it every day so that I don’t lose any data. The different faces are quite fun. I can upload a photo, but I’m a bit disappointed that there’s not a random function. I haven’t tested any of the sport functions or timers yet, but I’m happy with the notifications that I receive. I’m a bit reluctant to test it in water. It’s the sea that killed the last one. But I do have the insurance.

Questions with Chloe

 

This was a little project that we worked on as a piece of homework. We had a question and we decided to answer it in the form of a kids news show, hence the big chair. It was giving off the impression that she was a TV reporter. My voice is a bit crackly with the intro. With a bit of time, we could have rehearsed a proper TV voice, but we didn’t have all the time in the world to get this project done. The wardrobe also needs a bit of work. And we’re not sure what she’s grabbing onto at the end. Maybe it’s a bit of stress relief. But she’s only eight. She wrote down what she wanted to say, then she rehearsed it. What we did do were a number of takes to make sure that we got it right. It’s good to know what kids think. Maybe she’ll get recruited to a news agency. 

Why don't we eat Turkey eggs?

Come to think of it, I’ve never heard of them; even though I’m sure they must exist. |They are birds after all. Duck eggs are widely available; so why not turkey? Perhaps it’s the taste. They might not be fully developed,  or we must wait for them to mature. Maybe they’re like drugs and they’re too good to be put out for sale. You’d have to sneak onto the farm to obtain them yourself or try the black market, though you’d need to know the difference otherwise you could be fooled. Apparently the real reason is all to do with commercial production, and it’s much cheaper to produce chicken eggs as they’re laid more often. Maybe the market for turkey eggs is already saturated, and there’s a secret waiting list to get on it for a supply. You’ll have to ask your local turkey farmer. He’ll probably tell you that turkeys don’t lay eggs.

Wanderlust #dream 221

I’m on a holiday walk with the girls. It’s late afternoon. We should be heading back to the apartment complex for evening showers ready for a night out. We’ve decided to climb a huge steep stone trail which is in the direction of our complex. We think it’s a shortcut as it feels that it’s in the right direction, but there could be a fence or locked gate that stops us from entering our property. The path is lined either side by a walled fence with vegetation growing on top. As we reach the peak of the hill, we literally have to pull ourselves up. At the top of the trail, there’s a bungalow on our left and the trail carries on to the right. The gates of the bungalow and a man in an electric wheelchair comes out. He’s wearing a hat at an angle which exposes part of his brain. He explains that the quickest way back to the apartment complex is to go back the way we came as there’s no throughfare to our apartment complex. We’re baffled as to how someone has managed to build a bungalow at this altitude.

Extra Time

It looks like the course has been extended. A glass table has been set up as an obstacle. Although it looks sturdy, this probably wasn’t the best of ideas. There’s also a bottle slug powder, which we wouldn’t want them to touch. Meanwhile, the judge’s table comprises of a cordless telephone (perhaps we were expecting an important call), a lantern with mock-effect shattered glass that had probably  been blown down by the wind); the worksheet in question alongside a pen, a mobile phone, a tablet, and possibly some medicine as it’s too small a glass to be refreshment. There’s also the possibility of a pink thing that could be a water bottle but its natural soft pink brightness could be a flower or a stuffed toy. But if it encourages them to get out into the open for some fresh air then it’s worth doing, especially if it tires them out. 

 

Can you Hum?

She probably can, but it could be an annoying constant humming rather than carry a tune. Or it could be very repetitive. She could just say yes or no and not provide an example. With a bit of luck, she’ll launch into a creative rap and we’ll hear something different every time. I can’t believe that the first attempt is a Christmas tune. It’s June. And the suggestion was published in May. At least I only get the full chorus. The second time, it’s something different. I can’t name it, but it is one I recognise. I’m ignored the third time around. Perhaps she’s gotten bored of me. I don’t recognise the fourth one. Maye it’s because it’s too short. At least she hasn’t told me that she’s not fed up of trying. On my fifth attempt, I’m back to Jingle Bells. I wonder if the sixth attempt will echo the second?

Obstacle Course

It’s important to land with a really loud noise; especially if you are small, to make yourself heard.  You may want to omit a loud noise as well to be sure that people are paying attention. If you re in an enclosed space, you might be able to create an echo for emphasis. It’s usually a dead sound that bounces off the stone. This may hurt your heels upon landing, so be sure that you’re wearing appropriate footwear. The last thing you want to make sure of is where you land. Landing on a stone could be quite painful with the wrong footwear and the pain could go straight through your heel and into the bone. Ouch. But if you’re lucky, it might end up in a crack in between your shoe print pattern and it’ll come loose the next time you jump or the moment you set that shoe inside a house.

L.A Confidential

This was a great film as we got a glimpse of actors in their earlier elements. It wasn’t immediately evident what era the film was focusing on, but it’s probably because I’m not from that era or area. I loved how all the detectives got around in an old Mercedes Coupe all to themselves. It’s a bit hard to follow who the lower protagonists were but it was hard to favour one main protagonist over the other, and it take me a while to work out the film plot arrests were real. I enjoyed how quickly the events climaxed in the last hour of the film. I was pretty shocked how it all came to fruition. It would have been interesting to see more of a plotline from the antagonist perspective, but it’s not a good look for the public. I guess that they had to go on the values of the time.

Hair Raising

You’ve got to hope that there’s a brain and head in front of all that hair. All we can see are bits of a pink flesh that forms a face, and for all we know, that could be a mask. Something else could be pulling the strings. It could be a small insect or an alien. It might even be a robot controlled by something many moons away, and they’re still trying to master the controls of a child before they move on to master an adult. They’re going to push it to its limits. They might even achieve things that are humanly impossible which might draw a bit of attention to themselves. They might make the hair grow even longer and persuade it to act independently of the body to draw power and use it like arms with superhuman strength without the brain or host knowing. Or they might simply need a haircut.

Iran deal scheduled to be signed on Sunday

This comes from a president who just wants attention. Anything he says will be printed and posted a million times over, but we ought to know by know that there’s no truth in what he says. He’s said this too many times before. Apparently, this is the final decision. It’s also not clear what the deal is. We know that there’s some interest in their nuclear arsenal. Will there be a total bombardment if it’s not accepted? It would be interesting to see what the other side has to say about these deals, but they probably don’t trust us. On Monday we’ll probably be told that they need some time to think it over and we’ll be back to square one. It’s a bit selfish that the rest of the world has to absorb the cost and put up with it. Some of us are just fed up with hearing about it.

Invincible

This little spark has been amazing. Despite not having the best start as a toddler; she’s always been happy and smiling in her demeanour. When young, she’s always been willing to try new things to work out what she likes and dislikes. Now that she’s taller and a teenager; her tastes have changed but she’s found a good circle of friends to look after her. She’s becoming addicted to her phone and it’s becoming difficult to talk to her. The conversations are shorter. When she does start a conversation, it’s very dominant and inquisitive. The biggest discussion we had recently was about dinosaurs and how other animals survived when they died so I might have to read up about this. Apparently she watched a documentary about it. She still likes sport but runs more to keep fit rather than to compete. She’s not sure of her future yet but who is nowadays?

What if you would only eat Strawberries?

Scientifically, it wouldn’t be good for your diet. You’d be eating sugar all of the time which might force you to become diabetic. You’d lose a lot of protein so you wouldn’t be able to develop or sustain any body fat. You’d lose a lot of weight. And it would be socially awkward at mealtimes too. You might have to avoid visits or carry a small supply and ask your hosts to dispose of them afterwards. You might need a guaranteed supply of refrigeration and you’d have to ensure that you can source them wherever you go or be able to have some transported to you unless you can take some for the shole duration of your trip. It may even stop you from having trips away. You might end up with reddish teeth from the constant strawberry stains. People may be concerned about your mental health and will visit you to try to change your diet; or take you to others who will attempt to do the same. You may deteriorate sooner than you think.

The Short Jump

With the wet weather, the field is out of bounds because of the wet grass. but it’s a bit drier today so we’ve been granted patio access. There’s not a lot of room for running but there’s a bit of room for jumping. And even though the athletes don’t have access to their full track and equipment, they’re taking the opportunity to practice what they can. The grass may need cutting but sport comes first; and we make do with what materials we have around the home. It would be impressive if they cleared the three-metre mark, but as long as they stay stationary towards the end, we can still capture record-breaking attempts, even if they’re not able to fully complete the process in proper attire. Their hair might be a bit too long, but there’s nothing that we can do about that and we just cope with what we’ve got.

The handyman can

He’s small but practical and knows his stuff. He prefers to dress professional with jeans. Occasionally, he’ll break into shorts but only in a task that doesn’t involve heavy lifting for safety reasons. He’s a quiet chap who’s eager to help out any way he can. He’s fast to respond, but he’s a man of principle and also likes to stick to his allocated hours. He’s got a family so there’s other commitments but perhaps he has a second job as well. He likes to discuss progress and what we’ve done in past years, but it’s only to ensure that nothing has changed and at the end of the day we’re just a client to him. It’s hard to find out what he really thinks, or if he’s glad that we’re gone, or whether it’s just all part of the job and he has another group to deal with next week. We might even be one of the good ones.

Clicks and...

So what magic can you conjure up? One of the first things that people like to play with are the backgrounds. These can be photos or images that have been downloaded off the internet. You can display your business logo if you want. With the advance of A.I, it’s easier than ever to generate an image. Some people think this looks professional, though others will argue that you’re trying to hide your room and you’re not being honest. And they’re right in a way. I don’t know why people don’t do this when they give interviews on the news. Perhaps they have to follow a broadcasting code. The other effects that you can create is n avatar to disguise your face. You can be a blur; an animal; or have some objects floating above your face like rainclouds or a halo. Just remember how to turn them off if you’re going to be dealing with anything important.

"Be selective in your battles. Sometimes peace is better than being right."

It’s not a great mantra  to go by. Conceding defeat doesn’t look good for your organisation when you give up. But sometimes you have to recognise that continuing your line of disruption may have greater consequences than desired if resisted, and you’d rather keep things the way they were. It’s difficult to know how to choose. Sometimes the enemy will make a threat if you pursue your action that you may not have planned for. If the threat is carried out every time you make your proposal, eventually you can plan to counteract it. At other times, your threat is good enough to create action from other parties to create peace. Sometimes you’ll be asked to join a battle rather than lead one, but you need to think carefully about how this will affect your life as well as the lives of others. You have to time it right. Choose wisely.

People on Seats

Some people appreciate the online chat. It’s usually the people who thrive with others; especially with their peers. They will stay online for hours playing with settings and asking others what the effects are while you’re secretly viewing or tampering with things on another page because you’re bored and you’re not really concentrating. Other people will hop on a brief call for an occasion or a structured conversation, then they’ll begin to feign off when all the important stuff is said and done. They’d rather be taking to their peers who may be in person or they want to jump onto another call. If you’re lucky, you may get an invite. It depends on how intimate and socially awkward the situation is. You might be able to hack the call if they’re hosting it and you are using the same details. The worst thing that they can do is kick you out, though there could be words to be had later.

Tunnelling Out #empress 27

After searching through giant crop circles of footprints, each pair slightly bigger than the last, he came to the realisation that if the tunnel was still there, it had probably been trampled upon and would have caved in by now. All around him was rubble and desolation. The only way in having a hint of where he was right now was to wait until the sun came up and follow that direction back to the city. He could follow the empress, but he could see no reason as to why she’d head back there right now. Maybe he should pick a direction and keep walking that way. And should any rumblings increase, he should turn around and run in the opposite direction. It would be good if he could find a horse, but there was no sign of any wildlife whatsoever. Maybe if he could find some water, he could find one. 

Roasting the Watermill

This classic building is worth checking out. It’s got a lovely sense of history, even though the company that runs it only moved in three years ago. It has lots of nooks and crannies as well as open areas to create a great atmosphere to cater for groups and small parties who treasure privacy alike. There’s high wooden beams above corner booths and a private room upstairs for small functions. The bar and menu is mostly tied, but it’s good quality and value, and the service is fast too; whether you order at the bar or online. It’s got its own large car park and its isolated location feels likes it’s in the heart of the country, even though the town’s ring road isn’t far away. It’s even set alongside a canal with its own beer garden, with a convenient hotel next door as well, although that’s aimed at travellers from further afield.

Coaching Time

It’s Olympic time! As part of our new government-imposed student home study programme, we’re required to do a PE aspect. There’s an indoor aspect which involves watching exercise videos on YouTube, but there’s also an outdoor element if the weather allows. As we’re allowed out for walks; we’ve come to a quiet playing field to stretch our legs and give us a bit more room for the activities required. First up is a standing jump contest to see who can travel the furthest. Adults and siblings are allowed to join in for friendly competition; but it’s only the pupil’s result that has to be recorded alongside their height and weight. I suppose it’s to make sure that we’re taking care of the kids and compare results to find a class champion. This is followed by a running jump contest and there’s tips included on how to travel further. Grab your whistle.  

How can I punish employees who just go home right once their shift ends?

Change their contract to extend their shift upon request. Because if they’ve completed their contracted hours, then it becomes their time and there’s not much that you do. You can offer them extra money in the form of overtime or hours, but they don’t have to accept it. After all, they’re people with lives too. Ut let’s be clear; you’re only punishing people who just go home. Does this mean that you want people to hang out with out after their shift, maybe in a bar or an after-work social? Again, this isn’t part of the job unless it’s specifically within their contract. You might mock them for not joining in, but it has to be in good jest. What about employees who visit friends, go shopping, or meet up with family after work? They might even have another shift to start elsewhere. If you’re going to ask someone where they’re ging every time they finish a shift, it’s a little intrusive and quite frankly none of your business.

Festival in a box

It’s a novel idea. You can get fresh cask-conditioned beer delivered direct to your door. The licensee makes a bit of money and he’s able to keep his regular customers happy. You might not have the time to drink it all in one day, so you’d need to start with the weaker ones first as the stronger ones will last longer. There’s no printed bar guide, but you get that through an email. You also have to supply your own glass and you have to wash it up afterwards, but you do receive a selection of snacks. You also get a good variety of beer styles; not something you’d usually find at a festival as you get to choose them, but I’m sure that he would accommodate your request when you order. A couple of merchandising bits would be nice, but there’s also the risk that you’re giving away tat. At least the doorstep delivery is included in the price, and you can discuss the beers that you’re tasting online.

I spy with my little eye something beginning with A

I hope that the first thing that it suggests isn’t going to be Alexa, but it probably will be. To be fair, there aren’t many nouns that begin with ‘A’. She knows what sort of room she’s in so she’s got a fair idea of what could be in it. I’ve decided to settle with aeroplane, even though there isn’t one here. It could be a model or a poster. It comes up with some very novel things including a list of animals. Who keeps an anteater in their bedroom? Am I going to get the same answers when I answer again? There doesn’t seem to be an opportunity for me to feedback the answer. It’s also the same guesses again. I’m going to change the letter phonetically. Exactly the same. Finally, I change it to L for Lego. This gives better results in alliterative sentences but it doesn’t take the game seriously.

Your To-do list...Solved

It’s important to make everything disaster-proof. You need to plan for the worst and hope for the best. While it’s difficult to remember the protocol for every situation; it’s good to have everything written down and planned out in an emergency. And if you don’t have access to that information, it’s important that you can contract someone that does. The important thing is to remain as calm as you can and hopefully others will understand the situation and will assist you. Your responsibility is to keep everyone around you safe and call the emergency services if you need them. Then you can focus on what needs doing for the business. And if the helpline can’t advise you on what to do, you’ll need to seek support from elsewhere. Hopefully, these numbers haven’t changed or there’s an automated forwarding system, otherwise you’re going waste time trying to look up new numbers.

Masters of the Universe

This film borders too much on the nostalgia; and doesn’t give much opportunity to introduce the franchise to new viewers. There’s a nice nod to the actor who played him in the previous film, but the character is taken just too seriously. There’s not enough room for any love interest either. Instead, we’re treated to patriarchal relationships concluded by people with hearty laughs, though there was an attempt early on in the film. But after fifteen years from boyhood, you’d have thought that he would have forged a few more connections. It’s all a bit too cheesy with a slight mockery of the wonder, and there’s even a cheap plug for teamwork. And the two brief characters that require animation or CGI only make very brief appearances for nostalgia. The film becomes more unreal as we move away from earth, and it’s a shame that the final battle didn’t take place there.

Dragons have bad habits

It’s hard to change habits; especially those of a dragon. The only scenario that I can see a dragon sharing is with its offspring, and even then it won’t be for too long as there’ll be a battle for space in the lair. And because they’re immortal, they’re not too bothered about leaving themselves a legacy or creating descendants. But if they did share, we’d all be rich. But because they don’t, they could be responsible for a lot of problems. There’s a lot going on besides themselves but getting a dragon to care about something other than itself can be difficult, because of their selfish nature. They don’t want to be bothered by you. If you’re going to do something that’s going to directly affect it, they’ll fight to keep it that way, even if you are trying to do something to protect it should their immortality be threatened by something that they don’t understand.

Avoiding Medusa's Gaze #dream 220

I’ve come over to see a friend. I think I’ve been invited in but the rest of the family don’t seem to be very welcoming, though they’ve left the door unlocked because I’m expected. I’ve taken the initiative to make my own cup of tea, but this is solely because I’ve been there too many times before and have often ended up making drinks for the entire family while my friend has asked me to make her one. I headed upstairs with two mugs of tea and knocked on my friend’s door. I’m told to come inside, where her family surrounds her while she’s in bed. Her sister hands me a large brown envelope and tells me that it’s a draft copy of a court injunction. Apparently I’m not welcome here any more because I’m too intrusive. I just look at my friend for an explanation who refuses to meet my gaze.

Don't leave it Hanging

I’m using this app less and less recently. The discounts on offer tend to be less than with instant discounts elsewhere. With this, I have to wait for purchases to be verified and the amounts are so miniscule that it’s not worth bothering with any longer. Most of the big rewards require referrals or they involve spending at chain retailers that aren’t in my area. In the meantime, I get pop-up notifications and emails on a weekly basis. I should unsubscribe, but there may come a time when the app becomes useful again. I should really spread the word. But it was good in its heyday and I’ve actually saved over one hundred pounds in the last six years. I’ve got no idea why I saved this screenshot; it was probably because I pressed the wrong button. But if you don’t mind a bit of publicity and you’re interested, here’s my referral code for £5: TCNKHFQV

Belfast attack latest: Starmer condemns 'sickening' stabbing as man arrested for attempted murder

It seems that everything needs a comment from a politician these days to make it newsworthy. The focus seems to be less on a solution and more on what shouldn’t have happened. Half of the time, they’re not even focussing on the facts. Even the police might not have the facts correctly and the act could have been in self-defence. A motive has not yet been established. Repeating things with timestamps gets you out of liability issues and it shows that you’re aware that you don’t have all the facts. But people have the right to know that these things happen, but the problem is why they happened. The focus seems to be on the attacker rather than the victim. And that’s what causes fear. We can only draw conclusions from what we know. And we put a body of people in place to find these facts out. Hopefully we can trust them.

Time Well Wasted

I’ve been taking the time o do what everyone else has been doing; chilling out; chatting via the web, and playing games. With all this time on our hands, I should have taken the time to invest in a bit of technology, or plot and plan for something. Instead, I’ve been testing the technology, but like everyone else I was cautious. Here, my ambition was to rest an old laptop back to factory settings so I could focus it solely on playing a strategy war game on CD. After reinstalling an older version of windows, it still wouldn’t work. My friend came up with an idea of an emulator on my modern machine which lets you run different versions of windows, but I wasn’t prepared to take the risk. You could probably find the same on an online emulator, but you’d probably have to keep your tab open indefinitely to save your progress.

What if you woke up one morning with green teeth?

It might be a while until you find out. You might be one of those people who don’t smile that often so it will take a while for someone to tell you. Even then, it might not make much of a difference. Could this be because of something you ate? Maybe you went and grazed in a field the night before or ate a piece of cake with green icing. You could have been drinking green shots or cocktails; or you’ve consumed some sort of dyed product. It’ll probably wash off the moment you brush your teeth; which may be the moment that you discover they’re green. You might not recall what you’ve done. Maybe someone inserted something into your mouth while you were sleeping. As long as it comes off, I wouldn’t worry too much. It would be interesting to see what people’s reactions would be and whether they’ll be as so bold as to inform you of the anomaly. Or you could have planned it all. It might not bother you. Or you might want to take action before you even get out of bed.

Cake on your Lap

Cake on your lap,

Cake on your lap,

It’s bound to be a bit of a mishap.

Why is it there? It’s like you don’t care.

You’re too lazy to reach for the table over there.

And with a little wobble, your mind turns from gobble,

There’ll become a gap when the cake is no longer on your lap.

Cake on your lap,

Cake on your lap,

All it takes is one single tap

For the cake to be off-balance

And you’d do a nervous dance

So stop it from falling into your pants.

And because you had chocolate

You don’t need a doctorate

To work out you’re ging to ruin the romance.

Cake on your lap,

Cake on your lap,

It might feel like you’re under attack.

It could happen while you’re taking a nap.

When your legs start swaying, you’d better start praying

Or you might start a new saying

Of cake on your lap.

A Nice Niece

This little spark has been amazing. Despite not having the best start as a toddler, she’s always been happy and smiling in her demeanour. When younger, she’s always been winning to try new things to work out what she likes and dislikes. Now that she’s taller and a teenager, her tastes may have changed but she’s found a good circle of friends to look after her. She’s addicted to her phone and it becomes difficult to talk to her. The conversations are shorter. The biggest discussion we had was about dinosaurs and how other animals survived when they died so I might have to read up about those. Apparently she’s watched a documentary about it. When she does start a conversation, she’s very dominant and inquisitive. She still likes sport but runs to keep fit rather than to compete. She’s not sure of her future yet but who is nowadays?

We need your help! Get tagging

It’s a bit uncertain as to what the purpose of this promotion is. It’s great for the consumer, and if they share it, you’re going to get even more followers. The only way that they can use this information is that if they want to brew a sci-fi beer or add a decoration to their tap bar. This makes them more popular and they might want to brew a collaboration. Of course, they could always talk to people, but they might want to get their inspiration a bit quicker or they might need a written record of what was said. I wonder what other themes they’ve considered. And if you’re not a sci-fan, would you have to wait for a contest that you are interested in? It might be  bit of a wait. You always lie to enter the prize draw, but if you win, would you have to prove your knowledge?

Time to Sparkle

Seventy is a bit of a glam period nowadays. You’re retired but you’ve still got a bit of time to enjoy it. You’re young enough to be mobile to get about; that’s if you’re lucky enough to have taken care of yourself and you’ve got some dosh left to spend. A couple of decades ago you’d be considered lucky to have gotten this far, but nowadays it’s becoming more and more common. Hopefully you’ve raised a family to take care of you and entertain you and involves you in their lives without taking too much of their time and wishes. It’s a time to sparkle and shine while you still can before the lights go out. You may have amassed some wealth so that others can help do this for you. You’ve been blessed if you’ve managed to achieve both. Otherwise, you may be confined to what you have around you at the time.

“I believe if you keep your faith, you keep your trust, you keep the right attitude, if you're grateful, you'll see God open up new doors.”

 -Joel Osteen.

It sounds like a lot to do, but it’s actually quite simple advice to follow. If you’re literally seeing a man in a white beard opening up doors for you, you’ve got some true power. You can’t rely on everyone all of the time though. Sometimes you have to muck in and do your fair share, even if it seems that you’ve got to do more of it. But if you doubt it for one second, then the whole deal’s off. Sometimes it can be hard, but you just have to persist. Sometimes the right attitude turns you into a self-righteous maniac as you should be reacting to different things and try to change them rather than just blindly accepting them. It would also look a bit odd if you’re grateful for everything. You might always try and see the positive side, but others will disagree with you. You should never follow blindly.

The Piece d'Resistance

It’s that delicious treat that we all crave. Made with simple ingredients, it’s evolved into many forms. Its light beginnings had had cream, jam, marzipan and chocolate added to it to create thousands of different combinations. It’s still the easiest way to celebrate something or mark an occasion. Even if you don’t get around to eating it straight away, it can make a very nice centrepiece and sometimes it’s a crime to cut it up. Not everyone will be able to have a slice because of dieting restrictions, and that’s good because there’s more for you to have alongside the people who want a second slice. It also doesn’t make you look greedy and you can offer it to other people who aren’t in the room at the time. You can use it to create a message for your team as well instead of dedicating it to just one person. Delish.

Not what it's cracked up to be #devilsdaughter 27

Picking things up with two giant blimps on your chest can be a bit difficult, especially when you need two hands to hold them. Now she knew how turtles felt. She would have liked to use her assets as pinchers but Luke was down there. However, they weren’t the only pair of assets that she possessed. It would be a bit difficult as the gap was smaller than  the front. But perhaps she could toss the camber. Leaning forward, she used her feet to scoop up the bench and used a yoga pose to place it on her rear. Then she attempted a backwards thrust to launch the bench through the window, thrusting her breasts as low as she dared to counteract the weight without touching the floor. Unfortunately, she thrusted a bit too hard, which sent her flying towards the wall where the bench shattered into pieces followed by a large crack which shook the whole building.

The Waiting Room

It’s the land of the rejected. It’s for those who have yet to configure their systems to be compatible with others. We don’t want them to upset the harmony of everyone else. Usually it’s the audio that’s the problem and you have to send them away to sort it out in a private chatroom. But for those who are placed there, you’re doomed to exile, at least until the moderator has agreed to give you a second chance. You feel trapped and isolated, away from the action. You’ve got no idea when you’ll be allowed to grace the room with your presence. It could be a distorted noise that’s taking over the rest of the feed. Or maybe you haven’t figured out your privacy settings. Everyone else seems to have mastered it. It might be the speed and age of the machine. It’s good to see that everyone else is holding up OK though.

Tabled

It’s black. A bit see-through, but it does the job at short notice and there’s not a lot of choice around. Oddly, someone as decided to include ribbon in the packaging. I don’t think it’s for a gift. I think the idea is to give it a sense of luxury, but it’s not as if you’re going to wrap the ribbon back around it every time you put it away. It’s not silky and you can see that from the picture. It sounds big when you look at the dimensions, but we only had a small table and I expected it to dwarf it and it didn’t. There’s probably better cost-effective options out there, but I needed something quick, not for a table itself, but to hide things behind to make more of a barrier. It was used outside, but it’s amazing how much dust it’s picked up over the space of two days.

Birthday Call

 What can you do when it’s someone’s birthday and you can’t go out to celebrate and they can’t come to you? Get them on a video chat. Some of the folks needed help in getting everything set up for the big moment. It just took a call beforehand to get them set up. Unfortunately, we did have a couple of latecomers who could listen in but couldn’t take part. I also hadn’t managed this large a call before; but everyone seemed to keep up. At a time when not much is going on, I should have put a little game agenda together, but the idea of getting people online together to sing Happy Birthday was enough. I also couldn’t get the zoom on the camera quite right. The evening concluded by us breaking protocol slightly with my brother bringing in  cake followed by my nieces dressed as Hogwarts students. Hope people didn’t get too jealous.

Sing the No Body Blues

I’m expecting a humorous philosophic poem. There may be some backing music. It’s probably going to be very short and samely. I can’t imagine it doing her usual voice. It’s going to have to hold a tune otherwise it’s going to be very annoying. I hope it’s not going to imitate the skeleton song. The music is like a lullaby. It tells you what it can and can’t do. It went on for longer than I thought, but it’s still fairly short. Unfortunately, it’s the same song every time, but at least it’s in tune and it rhymes. It’s quite entertaining, but I doubt that it’s AI generated. It’s hard for it to see the positives, but it might make you feel better about yourself as you’re able to do more. There are some positives though. It can’t hum it, but it does try to find you similar genuine blues songs.  

Do Ya Wanna Build a Snowman?

It’s a classic winter scene. Two children are having fun  in the snow while nanny watches on inside in the warm. You can’t deny them the opportunity if they want to. It’s not as if the virus is going to spread in the snow. The poor chap looks a bit thin, but he hasn’t had much to start with. We could have padded him out a bit but I think we braved the cold for as long as we could. Good arms are hard to find. A borrowed hat an old scarf, and maybe a good part of Sunday dinner are all the materials needed to keep them happy, even though it’s a bit basic. But the smiles are worth it, and they look and feel like little Disney princesses. Maybe the little one wated to add some boots as well, or that was her tool of choice. But the next activity is calling.

Terminator: Dark Fate

This is another separation to the timeline. The events are supposed to happen after Judgement Day, but it’s weird how that could happen since they apparently stopped that timeline. Unless Skynet sent a second robot before they were destroyed in the past. But the film  doesn’t even make an attempt to address that topic. What we do see is more of the same story; albeit with another robot who apparently wasn’t melted by lava and instead has chosen to shelter with a family while waiting for new orders. It’s all very confusing. It’s a shame that the finale didn’t reveal some dastardly plot to end all mankind and again focuses on the protagonists. The acting is believable but it’s the plot that lets them down. It’s expected that a war’s still coming, but can we be bothered to watch them on the run again?

She's Got Sass

She’s just been doing online lessons and she has to demonstrate pairs. There were some suggestions of drawing two identical pictures, but she’s done the easy option of drawing two circles next to each other so that she can run back downstairs to play. I don’t know what this means for the future of her education if she’s only doing enough to get by and she’s not putting the effort in. But there’s not much that we can do about it. I did manage to persuade her to build a tower and took a photograph of it for evidence to upload to the class’s cloud, but I’m not sure if this will suffice. As far as she’s concerned, she’s done the job. She might be young, but she knows that she’s got sass and she knows when to use it. Is she blowing us a kiss or is she just posing?

Cabinet Minister rebuffs Streeting's call to join the EU

Hold on. Won’t we need a referendum here? Or is someone else trying to make decisions for us? Is our government trying to cut down on referendums and take away our democracy? It is an expensive method to resolve things. But this is coming from someone who’s just quit their role. It doesn’t give us much faith to trust them. And it’s a dividing decision. If we have faith in these decisions, we need to know that these people have a plan for us and that they’re not going to waste our time. We want to earn our independence, but we can’t keep doing this by relying on our neighbours. Just think of all the import costs. At the same time, we’re not exporting too much while we’re referring to ourselves as ‘this country’ as if we’re ashamed to name it or we’re too confused over it. The trouble is that no-one seems to do what they’re supposed to do. They’d rather get stuck into someone else’s business.

Bringing back fire

I’ve got no idea what to do here. Usually, I’m the techy of the family, but I haven’t encountered this before. I don’t know what the problem is or what went wrong beforehand. It’s been three years since the previous takeover. Will the problem occur again if I install the latest update? Or does he not care as long as everything works? I think he just wants something to play with or hand over to the kids. It was more of a physical hardware failure than a software one. It also means that each app has to be set up and logged into again, though I don’t think that there were any high-profile ones. Most apps will also restore themselves anyway once you log into them. But I’ve never done this before so these are just educated guesses. But if it all goes wrong I guess I can reset everything and start over.

What if everyone in your class could run faster than you?

There’d be no doubt about it. You’d be the slowest. It might have been close, or you could have fell at the first obstacle. You might be prone to teasing. That’s not nice or right, but are you doing the same things as everyone else? But you’d need to prove that you’re better in another field. Either way, there’s some work to do to help you improve. You’d need to train. Perhaps your friends can help or you can change your diet or lifestyle to improve your performance. Is your time or position noticeable? You could change your routine to do better. Or can you excel in another field and claim bragging rights there? Perhaps your parents can help you, or you’ve got friends that want to see you do better and not get left behind. Maybe it doesn’t bother you as you’ve got your sights on something else that’s more important to you.

The Wedding Crasher #dream 219

I’m off to a festival! It’s the first time that I’ve been let loose for a while so I decide to splash out on a taxi to get to the racecourse. Unfortunately, I’ve got Doncaster mixed up with Dorchester, and I’m at the latter where they’ve never held such an event. I’ve hired an Uber but I’ve gone for the cheapest option not realising that there’s no decimal in the quoted fare, and he’s actually taking me down south. After dozing off in the back of the cab, we near our destination and I tell the driver that the event’s at the main grandstand. Unfortunately, he decides to take a shortcut across the track where a wedding fare is taking place. We drive through marquee after marquee, ripping canvas out of the ground as we pass through a corridor of white and crash table after table full of cakes and gifts.

Rocky Robin

He’s just an innocent little robin out for a boogie. He might just be strutting his stuff, modelling for the next line of Christmas cards, or he might be out just looking for food. Either way, he knows how cute he is and the only thing that would get in his way are predators. Mind you, someone could always capture him to keep as a pet. He can’t always underestimate how cruel humans can be. But it’s worth it for all those Instagram pics, especially when he’s just learnt how to do the moonwalk. He’s making a mess of the Cotswold stone, but he probably knows that it’s going to melt away so no-one has to worry about a clean-up. Even the blades of grass have poked up through the snow to see what all the fuss is about. They might even give a wave of applause after his performance.

What makes HR instantly reject a candidate after conducting an interview?

One thing could be appearance. Punctuality could also be an issue. A lot of the time, an employer can only see what’s on the paper, and they’ll need to get a true picture of what you’re like, and whether you’ll be a good fit for the team. Do you bring something that’s lacking? Is there an attitude or philosophy that they can’t agree with or understand? Are you what they’re looking for or is there someone that they’ve interviewed that immediately stands out as being better? Do you seem interested, or are you only there for the dosh and they give a hint that you’ll disappear as soon as you receive a better offer? They want the best value for their buck, and if you’re just going to be a drone then you may not be what they’re looking for. How do you think it went? Take the time to reflect and learn, and if possible, ask for some feedback.

The last thing I saw

It could be the thinnest slice of wood hurtling to me at a perfect angle in the form of a jigsaw piece. It’s been chucked right into my field of vision. It’s like a warning. Who threw it though? Maybe they’re hiding behind the door and they’re frustrated that the puzzle is being completed quickly enough. The table space won’t be available for that long. With one simple pull on the cloth, it could all be undone. Or, if you line it all up correctly with a cardboard tube, it will compact itself enough to hold together. There might be a clue on the floor as to what the puzzle is. Or it could contain another game. I’m sure it’s not a biscuit tin. It doesn’t give a clue to who our assassin is though. It might be a distraction so that they can make a quick getaway. And a shot like that may take a while to recover.

Chasing the Chinese

 A strange way to do business. They only take cash. And it’s not exactly a big place. They used to run a second operation from another site that offered delivery, but that all fell through. They haven’t embraced the best of technology. The elder ones never smile. There’s a high counter, and beyond a beaded curtain, you can hear the food sizzling away and being tossed. You might get a sile from the younger server. If you’re lucky, you might get given a bamboo calendar as a gift. Phone them up and they’ll usually have it ready for you. It’s not too long of a wait if you order over the counter instead. Plus you’ll get to meet your fellow neighbours. Or at least catch up on the national news and hear what other people are ordering. There’s been something shady going on but they’re not there any more. A renamed business did pop up for a while, but it didn’t last long.

Insert Glass

I’ve just put the washing up. The breeze comes through where the window used to be. It’s a lot easier than having to take everything outside. I can just thread it on and move the line along on a pulley. I don’t even have to get up. I’m just doing tea towels and knickers at the moment. The problem is that the wind comes through and gets them in a twist. I think I’ll try that miniature plant next. Maybe it’s just a decoration and there’s a cocktail inside. I can also chuck the mistletoe on to get me into the spirit of things, but I’ve missed and it’s gone out the window. And there’s so much light coming in. I’ll be all right so long as I don’t look directly at it. But if you could close the curtain, I’d be grateful. I just can’t look out there and I can feel myself heating up.

The Quiz Goblin Rides Tonight

You wouldn’t expect a goblin to be in the centre of Birmingham. It could be someone who just has pointy ears with  lot of earrings and wears leather. Does he go round from venue to venue asking questions in an evil voice? Does he punish people if they get the answer wrong? Perhaps he’ll keep asking question after question and won’t let people leave the pub. The landlord isn’t going to argue as people are just going to keep buying supplies from him. Maybe the goblin himself has to buy supplies. I wonder what he’s riding. Is it a motorbike, or perhaps he has a fancy glider to get around like in Spiderman films. Perhaps it’s a warning to stay out of his way. When he does get out and he can’t host any more, he likes to explore the coffee shops to search for victims to answer his questions.

Tinted

Is the fireplace trying to mimic the TV or vice versa? I think the fireplace is winning. All the TV has managed is an orange glint in the corner. The fireplace could be a TV screen displaying a fireplace. Even my shirt is trying to join in with bits of orange displayed. Maybe it’s going to combust into flames. The golden clock has begun to glow. Is it the cause of all this? Maybe it will melt. The picture in the mirror has also caught the bug. The carpet has started to glow white and will set fire at any moment. Flames are creeping up behind the TV and around the curtains, or at the very least, it’s smoke. And I wouldn’t be surprised if something shot out of the bin. Outside, the flames are starting to lap the window. And all we can do is carry on. Maybe there’s no escape.

 

"It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light."

-Aristotle Onassis.

I’ve been sitting in the dark for too long getting distracted. I’m not focusing. Instead I’m avoiding things. I don’t want to give up, but it’s easier not to do nothing. But nothing happens and I don’t go anywhere or do anything new. I’ve got to try. With a little bit of effort, things become easier. And if others can see you trying, they’ll pitch in too. You need to be very careful of how you manage your time, as it might not always be yours to waste. You need to be doing something, even if it’s the wrong thing, to demonstrate how important things are to you. You need to keep going. You might need to rest occasionally. At other times, you need to go all out otherwise you’ll feel that you’re sinking into a hole and you’ll never achieve your objectives. You must find a way to fight.

A few moments earlier...

We might have even had the grace of being passed over for sharing a learning moment. Something right behind us might not have been so lucky. It’s not quite a pair of feet left behind, but it could be shoes. She just could be learning grid references. We’ve evolved from dressing up to making things to wear to learn all in the space of a morning. We might even be recorded by the black box next to the TV. Will I let her win, or will I let her learn? But there is another child somewhere. We probably need to tidy up a little. We might have ducked unnecessarily and have gotten lucky. Family photos look on proudly as if they’re satisfied that we’re doing our best. It’s been thirsty work. The hands seem bigger than the body. Is that a second long finger sneaking under the black sleeved arm? Perhaps that’s why we need two flasks.

The Advance #vampress 26

For a moment, she considered an outsider who could provide an honest opinion with the willingness to get the job done to earn some cash. She’d later betray them by taking them into the fold to avoid paying, but she’d have to make sure that others would not come looking. People who had visited before would surely note that the topography had changed, but inviting new people from further afield would also attract attention. Perhaps someone young who would be keen to move to make a good impression and create a reputation? Perfect. She would send her subordinates to the cities to see what they could find. She couldn’t demean herself to a lower life form, but she would have to bestow intelligence upon someone, and provide him with some protection as well. Perhaps there was a way of transporting herself further inland by slowly integrating her minions into another community.

Sharp Scratch

It’s not just the middle of the picture that has had this scratch. The same angle has been placed on the picture frame and in the window. The mark will remain scarred forever and it’s going to be very difficult to restore it to its previous state. It’s as if someone’s stabbing to erase us from the picture. What will they replace us with? Or is their mission complete as we’ll have very little chance of recovery? We can’t get that back. It’s not like we can paint over it or peel back the damage and tape it up to heal. Our antagonist(s) might be in a protective sphere outside controlling the scratching via a satellite beam. Or that could be their getaway vehicle and their hair could be hiding behind the portrait, unless it’s echoing the central scar. It’s all heading to the left. It’s the gravitational pull. There’s no way it’s going out the window into the sky.

GDK

It’s as if McDonald’s started to do kebabs. I opt to download the app where I can get my food made before I arrive and I’m instantly treated to a discount kebab but I can’t get my voucher to work. It’s not entirely clear if you’ve selected any options via a dial at the bottom. The fries look interesting so I go large so as not to miss out on anything, but the drink option is a bit basic. It’s just a can of pop. And despite using an Apple device to create an account, I can’t see a way to pay with Apple Pay. I’ve been given an estimate collection time but no instructions on what to do when I get there. I can see a kitchen with a bag on the counter with my name on it. Do I just grab it and go or do I need to check in with someone? Two days later and I’ve still got the taste of onions in my mouth.