Thor: Ragnarok

This film was going to be a lot of fun. There was going to be a lot of comedy between God and beast; and I had a lot of questions for this film to take place? For instance, how does Hulk get to Sakaar? And what causes Thor to follow him? I’d totally forgotten that they both disappeared at the end of Ultron; Thor to search for more infinity stones and Hulk left on his own in the Quinjet; though surely a journey like that would take millions of years? Also, the fact that Odin dies doesn’t make any sense in itself; since he himself is a God; and it’s also a very emotionless family moment; especially when they’re reunited with their sister. Towards the end of the film; we see a very dark God emerge; he’s lost his home; his hammer and his eye. And we’ve yet to see the end of Ragnarok as the city of Asgard needs to be re-born. But I’m very much looking forward to Thor meeting Nick Fury again; a meeting of two eye patches…

Highgate Vampire at the Weighbridge Inn, Burton-upon-Trent

From the main road, this pub is a bit tricky to find. Our little blue dot came to an end on the main road just outside the historic Grainstore House. Spotting a flight of stairs, we headed down into the yard itself; and after wandering around we came to a small building consisting of three sheds that had been placed outside to form an admin office for the deliveries. Little did we know that this was the pub itself. Inside was a very warm welcome with a log fire; a blackboard listing all the ales and pub snacks available; and a very cosy pub painted in a very royal red. We squeezed oursdelves around a table before the hoards arrived to work their way through the beers. The beer we had was a bit plain considering it had been brewed by Fownes; but at first glance I thought it was from the former Davernport brewery.  Maybe it was one of their former recipes.

A Date with Valhalla #dreamdiary41

It’s early in the morning and I’m tucked up nice and snug in bed. Suddenly there’s the loud sound of a car tooting its horn outside. I look out the window and there’s a large stretch white limousine parked in front of the driveway. Through the window in the passenger seat is a large obese woman with bubbly arms wearing a curtain for a dress waving at me. My hungover brain is telling me that she’s vaguely familiar and that she’s some kind of God from Valhalla; and that somehow we’ve agreed this rendezvous. An image of Tinder springs to mind alongside a solo session of drinking in the pub while flicking through likes on my phone and forking out for a subscription. A time of 6:30 was agreed upon; which is what is showing now on my digital alarm clock; although I didn’t realise that it would be that early in the morning. She’s definitely a bit over keen. I’ve got no idea where I’ve agreed to go and I’m nowhere near ready. I also need to cancel my work plans for the rest of the day.

Beer is Best!

Whenever Mike was in battle, he always made sure that his best mate Dave the Dray wasn’t too far away. As soon as they’d gained some ground on the battlefield; Dave was always safely parked behind the nearest bunker with the greatest protection possible. Mike would always make sure that there wasn’t a scratch on Dave’s truck, commandeering the whole squad where necessary to keep the shell shiny. And should they have the need to fall back; Mike was the first to get the message to Dave and ensured that the retreat point was known to him at all times. For Dave carried the very best of supplies; the evening’s beer rations. Mike was never allowed to ride with Dave; the urge to crack open a brew before Sarge’s permission was just too tempting; but Dave always thanked Mike for keeping safe by letting him be the first to cap off the day’s rations. 

The Woes of World Cup Rugby

What’s going on with the Rugby League World Cup? It’s all gone a bit too commercial. Suddenly there’s adverts for KFC and Australian phone companies jumping out of the pitch. Like that’s a great way to help promote a healthy lifestyle when you’re playing sport. It might be OK if you’re a professional bulking up for your next game with a protein fix; but what is it saying to the spectators; especially when it’s broadcast on a Saturday morning, which is primetime TV for youngsters. And why are the referees wearing pink? I appreciate that New Zealand might not appreciate an all-black shirt; but they could have least added some white stripes to cover themselves? Even the head trainer wore orange. Finally, the England team have taken sponsorship to a new level by getting their arses sponsored by a betting firm. It looks like they’re trying to attract a new audience. Anyway; if you’ll excuse me I’m off to buy some large chips with gravy for $2.50.

The Honesty Buffet

As part of the tour, a buffet was put on as requested which attendees had to declare an interest in advance. There was also tea and coffee; as well as a choice of beers at the bar; though the demand to be served was quite high with some people queuing and others propping up the next available space. The staff supervising the tour all seemed to be junior team members; so perhaps that caused a bit of a stir in some minds. Unfortunately; names were not taken and not all contributions were collected; despite it being quite demolished. Naturally, the offer of a buffet is up for debate in future. I for one have this quite astonishing; as many of us have been given a free tour of a brewery which would usually involve some admission fee. I decided to contribute; not because I partook (which I didn’t); after all it was a very basic cold buffet); but I felt that the group shouldn’t leave out of pocket when we got something for free. 

The Memories of Others

Maya Angelou: I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

How do you want to be remembered? What makes someone think of you? For many people it’s what you do that counts. You may say the wrong thing which puts them off from visiting you again. You may act in a manner that causes upset or even offence. If you belittle someone; are they going to remember the next time they address you? Are they going to comment on it; or will it cause a scene? A part of good character interaction is looking how each character views each other. Is there conflict, or is there joy? Will they forget and forgive? Have they forgot how you helped them out the last time they saw you? Will they take an interest in what you told them the last time you met and engage in that conversation? Or is something else going on in their lives that preoccupies them with other thoughts?