Stop the sick

After the rumble of a full belly, one often feels the need to lie down. Flat on one’s back, one drifts off into an unconscious state, without any reflection on the events that may occur. Then there is the sudden awakening, the register that something is about to happen. One feels the need, but one decides that one is going to pull through and no further action is taken; as prevention is preferred to anticipation. Again and again that same decision is made, held back by willpower and gutso. Until, an unexpected surge forces open the gates; spilling its foul contents out of the abyss; that pit where one thought it would be held; and floods into our world. Disgust and regret are our first instincts; yet at the same time a sense of relief is detected; in that the worst is over and there is only the aftermath to attend to.

Team Walsall En Force!

Yesterday was a great day in Walsall and I am proud of how people have come together. While we didn’t get any actual new recruits on the day, we did have people who had already decided that they would venture out to join us. It was a great chance for people to meet and greet each other from other branches and to start the process of a support network. After meeting and greeting each other at the festival, a local guide took us to our first pub; the Fountain. People were a little apprehensive at first as some of them haven’t been on a crawl like this before; but everyone soon got talking to each other and finding out a bit more what they do within CAMRA. We visited a further three pubs, and had an excellent time seeking out many other beers that I hadn’t tried before. It’s just a shame that I felt queasy the day after.

Push!

I need to find a new source of energy. As I arrived home last night I was completely out of energy to even look at a community project. I turned on the computer, looked at the TV, and felt totally shattered. In the morning I set my alarm for a 6am start to get a gym session in, but couldn’t even move. Although I was awake, I couldn’t actually stir until an hour before work. The exact same thing happened tonight; as I put on Haywire, watched a feature-length episode of Family Guy, then flicked over to Wanted. If I’m going to succeed with even shorter hours over the next few months, I definitely need to knuckle down and focus a lot more. I don’t think I can find a stimulant; just a lot of discipline. So to be braver I need to push harder and longer, whatever the cost.

Build the best team

Yesterday I met my new team that I’ll be working with over the next six months. They’re a quiet bunch but it seems that they’ve experienced a lot of changes within the store and that their energy is at an all-time low. We had a lot of flipchart discussions to lay down some new team rules to help support each other. We did some team building activities like building a safety device for an egg to stop it from smashing when it hits the floor. We did some charades to get people to relax and do things that they wouldn’t normally do. And I met my new boss’s four year old mentor. There’s nothing like a four year old to tell you to smile to get you going. But if there’s one thing that I need to do is to be the best that I can be. Push myself further. Be braver and bolder and head into the unknown.

Itsy Bitsy

Today featured a gym visit and, although I had a lazy  Monday, there was still a chance to make a little bit of progress to recover. Though perhaps Monday’s lie-in was a good thing as there was no water for the showers. Not sure how long that’s been going on. But there’s still the exercise bikes that don’t work when you attempt to change the touchscreen settings; and the TVs on the treadmills aren’t receiving anything either, probably because they’re stuffed with bog roll. The car park’s in a disarray because of the road being dug up to look at the water supply, which means that cars are all over the one-way system. And one of the ends of the chest press has wandered off. Still, at least the biceps curl has finally been fixed. I have toyed again with the idea of joining the cheaper town centre gym; but the view is so much nicer here. Then again, I may have to look at accessibility options when I start the new job…

Dog eat dog

The world is full of idiots. Even the simplest instructions can be misinterpreted. And because of what someone has decided to do, I have received an earful of how upset they were because they didn’t follow those instructions, and apparently it is my entire fault. So I now need to find a new team member to replace him otherwise it’s going to be a bloodbath throughout the rest of the year. Because I’m not putting up with any more crap that he chooses to throw at me. So if others want to support him then that’s fine and I can just walk away and carry on in the sidelines as everyone else does. But if people want me at the forefront to organise things then a decision will have to be made. It’s a dog eat dog situation, and the only way out of it is if he comes forward and apologises.

Conspiracy to stop me now

So today I set out with every intention of doing something new. My aim was to go the gym, then hop on a train and visit Birmingham’s new library, do a bit of work and maybe even visit a pub or two. So I woke at a reasonable time, made breakfast then got ready for the gym. As I prepare to leave I decide to wait twenty minutes until rush hour is over. Then I decided to plan my visit by updating my phone with a map of the library. The computer then decides that my phone needs an update, which needs twenty minutes before I can do anything, during which I remember that I forgot to take my paperwork from work which means that I have to call back into work on the way back from the gym. I then have to visit our farm where we keep our beer festival and the road is closed; meaning I have to scout out a diversion to check the equipment. This means that I don’t get home until noon which means a one o clock train and I’ve missed the morning session. I’m finally on the train to Brum which breaks down outside Northfield due to signalling problems and we crawl the rest of the way. I give up at Five Ways, get out, but decide to walk to the nearest Wetherspoons pub for lunch rather than the charming upmarket Bistro I had intended on visiting. It’s a conspiracy against me I tell ya!