Bagged #dreamdiary 226

I’ve been out for a day in London with my brother and his family. We’re on the underground heading back to the mainline to catch our return train home. As we leave the underground train, I realise that I’ve left my backpack on the carriage and bolt back to retrieve it. I make it back to my bag, but the doors close and the train starts leaving the station. I call my brother and tell him what’s happened and that I’ll get off at the next station and change trains to come back again and hopefully I’ll make it back before our mainline train departs. That’s easier said than done. I get off the underground with twenty minutes to spare but I’ve still got to change trains to come back. The route to the other side of the platform seems to take me outside the station. It’s snowing and I’m struggling to walk without slipping. I make it to the ticket barricade which is manned by a small boy. As I struggle to find my credit card, a teenage girl pushes in front of me.

Instant Ink

I was initially against this from the start. You’d get charged regardless of whether or not you print, and it could work out to be expensive. But everything on the screen encourages me to sign up, and I get the first three months free. The next thing I know, I get an email telling me that my new cartridges are being despatched, even though I’ve barely used the ink that’s come supplied with my printer. The three free months have past and I’m now being charged, but I don’t mind as I haven’t paid for the cartridges that I’ve used. Fast forward five months later, and I’ve just installed the new cartridges. I haven’t got any instant cartridges ready in case my current ones run out. Do I cancel the plan and go back to shop ones? Will I get a hundred emails inviting me back if I do? I’ll have to sit down and work out the cost.

Bridge Battle #habberley 31

 This was the moment before Princess Peach got sucked down through the hosepipe into computer game land. It starts as a drip then it forms into a downpour followed by a tornado as you’re forced to follow the direction of the water. Or the hose could wrap itself around her leg to drag her deep underground. A second one is already lined up to target the person behind. Will they go down together or will the second person get a moment to react? Will they reach forward to try to help the first person unaware that they are to share a similar fate? Or will they attempt to save themselves by just backing off and running away? They might have even broke an arm off the banister in an effort to defend themselves. Meanwhile, one of the trees has decided to join in on the action by giving her a good whacking.

Time to close some roads I think. We need the space for the people.

Motorists don’t like road closures. They have to follow diversions. Satnavs don’t help as half of the time they don’t recognise the fact that the road’s closed and they’ll try to get you to turn around or take the next road to allow you to do so. Delivery drivers will be even more confused. Pedestrians and bikers love it though. They can parade around without fear of being beeped at; sworn at or knocked over. Some will appreciate the extra space and will be able to spread out. Sometimes not even the locals will know why it is closed and what’s going on. They might have scrolled past it on social media but it hasn’t sunk in. but it might et them from A to B a little bit quicker. And the people who get to put the barriers up to stop traffic coming through get to be a little bit important as well.

Hair Loss #habberley 30

Someone needs a haircut. It’s terrible on the top and all the sides just sticks out. It looks like I’m a crazy lab assistant who’s recovering from a round of chemo. What was I thinking? Hopefully it was a very windy day so I would be able to get away with it at the time. That would explain why I’m carrying a fleece while the others are wearing large coats. Hopefully everyone else is in the same boat. There’s some very open-top areas with winds rushing over the ridges. But it looks like I’m not used to the outside world, especially with that ensemble that I’m wearing. I’m clearly hoping to shelter somewhere warm after this excursion, probably nursing something while standing up. There could be a possibility that I’ve already gone through across the bridge and have gotten wet first. But why am I carrying my coat around for a second time?

Burnham ignited a massive political battle -Beth Rigby unpicks Prime Minister's Speech

So our new fearless leader has just given a big speech. No doubt there’s something in it about pensions and looking after our elderly. But with the price of fuel rising, where is the cash going to come from? The year 2030 has been mentioned; should we be prepared for an expensive year of tax hikes? And that’s assuming that the current administration will still be in power. The ‘not the usual perspective on politics’ is fair enough. The man has just recently lost his father. But there’ll come a time when the government will need to be seen acting to protect society rather than continue to give out handouts.  I wonder where the ‘rocket’ is being stowed. Past policies are being undone. And that creates help for the people now but not necessarily in the future. People will question it but they won’t want to challenge it for fear of becoming unpopular. But at least he looks human in his appearances.

Snapped #habberley 29

How long will it hold for? There’s got to be hundreds of kids riding this thing every day. Hopefully the owners test it each day before they open the park and walk round to inspect everything regularly. Safety must be prioritised over fun, otherwise it could become a costly business. That smile could vanish in a moment. Her enjoyment of the whole day could vanish too, and she might not want any reminders of what she’s been up to either. It could take a windy day and a tree branch  to fall onto the equipment as well. You can’t depend on the trees to support your infrastructure forever. It looks like her shadow is swinging off her foot to try and pull her off. Or it could be trying to snap off a tree branch or make a crack in the ground. Hope she’s aware that it’s not just gravity working against her here.

What's the joke of the day?

So is this going to be a topical twister of the day or a simple pun? Will it be a clean long tale to understand and chuckle at and will it allow for my tastes? And will it be the same joke every time for the remainder of the day? I hope not. With the first joke, I’m not sure if it’s kidding or not. It tells me to drink a gallon of water at night to make me get up earlier in the morning. Some people will do that anyway as they come home from the pub. There’s a good chance of me getting up earlier in the night then returning to sleep afterwards. I might not even make it to the bathroom. Of course, Alexa won’t be bothered by that because she wants me to use her to order more sheets. There’s no punchline or musical sound effects either.

Hoo-ray Up She Rises #habberley 28

Dealing with children is a little bit like dealing with drunks. They prise on happiness, and it often overcomes them. Take it way and they get upset very easily. But their mood is easier to change than an adult’s. is it because they forget things too easily? You want to allow them time to enjoy things, but you also want them to move on and discover other experiences. They may not want this and will object as much as they can. You may give them an opportunity to come back later, even though it may be a false promise. If they’re not enjoying it, you’ve also got to make them try it for a bit. You’ve also got to look out for signs of boredom and give them the option to leave if they want to. And when they’re down, you’ve got to try and pick them up again. It’s all part of being a parent.

The Church

It depends upon what you came here for. Most people visit to listen to a service. You won’t overhear many topics of conversation in the long term other than what’s said in the sermon. Anything else would just be considered as rude. Get there early enough and you’ll see the regulars outside greeting each other and asking how’s their week’s been or even inside, hanging over the pews, shaking hands and sharing family news. They might seek each other out for a chat or an invite to take place after the sermon and they want to establish where individuals are sitting. It’s also an opportunity to account for people in the community by working out who’s away, who’s ill and who is missing. Outside the sermon, you’ve got the visitors who talk in hushed whispers so as not to try and disturb the solitude. They might circle back to each other to make sure that no-one’s missed a key part in the community’s history. Usually there’ll be a war memorial but occasionally there’s another local tragedy to commemorate. You might not discuss it in detail until you’re safely outside.

Sweet Swinging #habberley 27

She’s just enjoying the peace and tranquillity of the glide. There’s no effort to be had any more. It’s time to sit back, relax, and enjoy things. The hard work of seeking out the seat, mounting it, and getting it to move has all been achieved. There’s a sense of grace and royalty as she glides around, bemused by the effort required. Or maybe she's pondering what's beneath the hill. Are the panels there for her safety? Or are they covering something up? Perhaps there's a giant pole underneath that will raise her higher. Maybe it will activate if she pulls the rope above her. Maybe she's comfortable with things are and she doesn't want this to happen. Maybe the children behind her are waiting to coordinate with her so that this can happen. They'd like to see her get off so that they can go higher. Let the negotiations begin.

Motherland

This was a fun yet sadistic little series. I love the fact that each character had their own outlook yet is forced to conform to come together for a shared goal but somehow manages to make themselves the ultimate bitch while the children suffer in silence in the process. There’s a little bit of sympathy towards what mothers have to go through and perhaps they weren’t ready to have children and then they happened. It would have been more interesting to focus on a prequel rather than a sequel based on the most selfish characters that I can’t stand. I would have liked to witness Julia go through a divorce at some point but the conclusion was very emotional and should be something that we all dread and should be something that we all dread. Each series seemed short and I would have liked to have seen more mishaps But there are some real heart of community scenes.

Christed Up

It all depends on how dedicated you are to the cause. Is it a day job or are you genuinely interested? Or are you just volunteering for the role because no-one else has come forward? It’s a shame to let traditions die but it might have to be the way if you can’t get the support you need. More importantly, you need to enjoy doing it. Even if you want to get rid of the position, you need to stay positive to convince others that it’s worth doing. You might never ever hear from them again, but if you provide a positive experience and their inquiry is easy to deal with, they’re more likely to help you out next time. If you get into an argument, it might put the final nail in your coffin and force you to leave whatever the consequences may be. Then the organisation will be in the shit but at least you can justify your reasons.

Drifting #habberley 26

Do we give in and give them a push or do we let them do the hard work? Ideally, we’d lie them to figure it out for themselves. We want them to be independent but at the same time we don’t want them to drift through life. We have to drop clues from time to time. We also want them to enjoy the experience without being fearful. We want them to be in control; though we’re still there to keep an eye on them just in case. But we can also take a step back and relax; though we can step in if they get scared or we think that they’re being too dangerous. They’re enjoying their time but someone could step in at any moment and cause a hazard. They also look ridiculously small compared to the size of the thing. Maybe that’s why she’s clinging on. She looks secure though.

"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."

-Oscar Wilde.

It’s important to stay unique. Copying the work or mantra of others might help you to develop skills; but to copy someone else completely is just going to devalue both yourself and them. It would be great if you could completely impersonate them without being discovered. If you’re looking for someone specific; the world is full so you may just have to copy yourself. But you have to get to know yourself first. But it’s quite a factual statement. How do you know for sure? Will there be a battle to see who is the best? Probably. You may struggle to find your uniqueness in the process. And it’s important that you don’t lose yourself or forget about your past. And it’s also important that you don’t worship others who try to follow the same path. There may be too many for you to get into that game. It’s better that you create your own.

Powering the County #habberley 25

These things seem like massive scales but they’re really good fun. The view over the hillside is excellent too. If you time it right, you might be able to make out the smoke of the local heritage railway. But you’ve got to put the effort in to have a good ride while having a partner that will work with you to yank the chain at the right time. This little one seems exhausted to try to get the thing started but she’s determined to give it a try. The young could be powering the country this way in the future. They might be powering some of the country right now by having a turbine hidden deep underneath the hill. Rural communities might have to rely on this sort of power so that its traditional infrastructure isn’t dug up. Either that or it’s an interesting way to weigh kids without their knowledge.

Unstoppable Force #empress 28

Meanwhile, the empress was taking great pleasure in her new size. She was constantly looking for ways for her subjects to please and amuse her. If they wouldn’t, they would be sacrificed for food; either as a sacrifice themselves or put to work farming nearby fields. Soldiers would just create labour camps across the lands that she trod on. Anyone who wouldn’t comply would be killed and cooked. There seemed to be no shortage of people, as they’d always get excited when they saw the royal banner though these days they were likely to see their empress first. It would give them reassurance after the monstrosity. No-one would be spared. The generals thought it be best to steer the empress to their borders where she could confidently destroy the enemy populaces. But getting control and persuading her would be quite a feat. Perhaps they could train a team to please her while heading in the right direction.

Natural or Man-made?

Once again, the land of blanks has conjured up another rubbish image. This could be the inside of my jacket pocket. It’s amazing how nothing is the same when you get up close and personal and zoom in on it. It would be nice to think that this is some kind of forest. Maybe I just need a new phone. Perhaps you can make out an island or two amongst a sea of oceans. Or maybe I’ve dropped my phone into a puddle. It could even be algae or some kind of fauna growing in a pond. Or it could simply be the grass at night. The different shades could reflect different amounts of moisture or angles of the blades of grass. I almost thought that I could make out a face but the screen may need cleaning. There is something creating layers and steps on the centre left. It could be a gateway to another world.

Taking the Telly #dreamdiary 225

I’m desperate to watch TV. It seems to be an addiction. I seem to be breaking into people’s houses to do it. I’m supposed to be delivering newspapers but I’m learning peoples’ habits as I travel. When I know that a house is unoccupied, I can either snap the door handle to gain access to the lock or kick the door in. If someone comes, I just move onto the next home. I wonder if I can get through an entire program before someone discovers me. If I had somewhere to stay, I could just take the TV with me, but I seem to be homeless. If I could find an outlet somewhere that I know that I’m not going to be interrupted then I’ll be happy. In the meantime, I’m just wondering around looking for the next house with people leaving their doorstep. Sometimes I pass houses that I’ve already been inside and there’s a police car outside and people are taking photographs.

Face or Head?

It’s hard to know which is which, but it’s probably more likely to be the hand. It doesn’t matter if it’s a selfie or not. There’s not many instances where you have your phone pressed against your face; unless you’re taking a call while the camera’s still running. Or you might have zoomed in on someone else’s face. There’s not much else it can be other than skin. But how has this occurred? The shutter has been pressed in a quick attempt to return the phone to the pocket. There’s no marks or scars and the smooth colour suggests that it’s someone quite young. Maybe they stuck their hand out to attempt to stop the picture from being taken and to cover up the lens. Or I could have just dropped the phone in a patch of soil. If it wasn’t for the photos that preceded or followed this picture, I might have mistook it for another time and place.

Can I legally unplug or remove anything my neighbour has plugged into my outdoor outlet without getting into trouble?

 For god’s sake, grow a spine! They’re stealing your property. Are you going to let them enter your house and eat your food next? So long as you’re sure that you’re the bill payer and it’s your property; it’s yours to do with as you wish regardless of the situation. Even if it’s a life-threatening situation, you still have the right to unplug and they should have probably told you beforehand. But it’s very rare that this is the case. You might want to see if your neighbour has any problems with their supply first just to be on the safe side. Otherwise, go ahead and remove the cord and place it back on their property. If they complain, ask why it’s there in the first place. Make it clear that this isn’t OK. If they’ve asked your permission, or you already have an agreement in place, you’ll need to let them know the reason that you’ve changed your mind first.