Month: September 2024

P’s and Q’s

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

You can give this question a lot of thought and really overthink it. I can think of a few items of advice that have struck a chord with me over the course of my life, but I don’t think you can get better advice than that instilled by your parents (if you had polite ones that is!) at an early age.

The simple advice to say Please and Thank you.

Three simple words that are basically the leverage you need to get on in life.

It’s a pity that they seem to be dwindling in certain sectors of our society, however it is still nice to hear them being said.

I still use them, and will continue to use them.

Great advice, for life.

Have a good Sunday.

Staying occupied

What things give you energy?

At my age probably a pair of jump leads to the..

David stop yourself 😡

No seriously, keeping occupied keeps me energetic, as my good lady would tell you, she even said that this week when we were on an activity based holiday that I was a different person.

Hobbies are my go to, and I’ve let them slip recently as I’ve sunk into a pit of self pity. Last night though I sat at my work bench and fixed two old electronic items and fault found another and I really enjoyed it. It was a kick in the pants that I needed, thanks to my wife who had threatened to clear my work area unless I got back in there, I love her for that.

That’s the thing with me. When I have a day off I always feel it is wasted if I haven’t done something productive, I’m slowly getting to learn that some days you just have to simply rest and turn off. However I do struggle with that and can be a right pain in the ass sometimes, I guess in a way I’m afraid of giving up and just jumping on to some slippery slide that I can’t climb back up again. It’s stupid I know as in all reality I’m not really that old, I’ve been in the company of some individuals during the last week achieving amazing feats and some of them are well into their 90s, all wonderful people.

I’ve got to stop imagining the worst, and calm down a bit, rest sometimes is just as important as food and drink, the body craves it and your body must be listened to at all times.

Hope you are all well on this fine day (Grey and damp in the East Midlands) and that you too have a superb day. Enjoy every minute. Stay safe.

Pinch pottery

This last week I have been away at a lovely location in Norfolk enjoying a few days away with the family.

There was an activity taking place that was an introduction to pottery, and here they were going to teach a technique that has been around for millenniums – Pinch pottery. I did pottery at school and was ok with it but I never made anything to write home about.

A simple pinch pot

To be totally honest I had no idea as to what I was going to do, but everything I’m doing lately seems to be in memory of our little dog who passed away in August of this year. Still very raw, I think of him a lot, and I’ve made this little pot for him. Yep it’s crap but it’s my crap, it’s a reminder of good times for me, a cartoon representation of him and on the rear of it I’ve signed it and stated where I made it.

It’s my first attempt in about 45 yrs and everyone has to start somewhere. I doubt I will take it up as a hobby at home but I enjoyed it, and for a small period of time I was productive, something I have been lacking in of late. It was most therapeutic.

My finished masterpiece…not

It’s now home, and in the next few weeks I will paint and seal it and hopefully have a nicely presented little keepsake. You can see the finished item here: Pinch Pottery Pt:2

I love trying new things, I loved doing this and who knows I may book a class and look at doing more in the future, just not at home. The missus would kill me 😂

6 little numbers…please

Which topics would you like to be more informed about?

  • What numbers will win this weeks lottery
  • When a politician is telling the truth
  • Why total incompetents get promoted and not fired
  • Why those groups who shout loudest get all the coverage
  • Why the silent majority have to suffer
  • Grief – why does it hurt so much

That’ll do for now.

Good day everyone

Pretty dull

What would your life be like without music?

Pretty dull I’d imagine. Yes I love my silence, but I do have a soundtrack to my life like many people do. I love all genres of music, and to be honest, i listen to some pretty random stuff across the entire music spectrum.

But.

I do have a number of playlists that reflect my moods.

And I love playing them.

Music comforts, calms and allows things to be put in to perspective. It revives both good and bad times as well as having a motivational aspect that we all need from time to time.

It would be pretty miserable without music.

Good day all.

In silence

How do you celebrate holidays?

Not sure what’s exactly meant by celebrating holidays but I’ll have a crack at it. Working the hours I do pretty much every day I get off is celebrated just like a holiday because those days are few and far between. They are very much days that are treasured and always spent with my wife and family.

If you mean public holidays such as “Bank Holidays” they are nothing special and to be honest I pretty much work every single one of them so no celebration there.

If you mean annual holidays then I still don’t quite get what is meant by celebrating them? Do you imagine that everyone is a crackpot dancing a jig and running around like a banshee just because they are on holiday.

I imagine just like me, most people celebrate in silence, just happy that they’ve made it to a holiday and to be in the company of those they love. And no more work for that period of time.

Have a super day.

Trust

Share a lesson you wish you had learned earlier in life.

I think I’ve stated in an earlier post that i believe myself to be a pretty good judge of character. This happens in my case fairly quickly, and though sometimes people say it’s wrong to judge someone that quickly it has saved me from some pain and discomfort in the past. That all comes down to one word.

Trust.

And in many cases lack of it. People go on about being disrespected, it’s thrown about today as if it’s a badge out of a jamboree bag, a god given gift to be demanded, whereas as a child I was told respect needed to be earned before it was given and I’ve always stuck to that what I have been taught. Trust ties in perfectly with this and again needs to be earned before it is handed out.

I’ve been stung a number of times when I’ve dropped my standards occasionally in the past regarding these words, it won’t happen again.

Yes it might make me appear a miserable old git, but at least I’m a protective miserable old git that’s no longer going to be taken for a ride.

Have a good day all.

A nice Stifado

What are your favorite types of foods?

Probably one of my biggest downfalls is in the calories I eat. I’m known throughout the family as “Swill bin” due to when we are a restaurant I always end up with stuff the family don’t like, being piled on my plate. It’s not that I ask for it it’s because they don’t like to waste food so I guess it gives them comfort to shove it in my direction, and if I try to refuse I get asked if I’m unwell? I can’t really win so I don’t normally complain.

There’s not much food I don’t like, and I am a staunch believer that if you visit a foreign country that you show them respect by indulging in the local cuisine. I love this about foreign travel and it’s one of the things I enjoy most about being on holiday.

When we visit Cyprus we go to all the really out of the way eateries in the local communities and I have to say my favourite is the beef stew meal called “Stifado”. It’s amazing how the taste changes as you go through different towns, all eateries use different recipes passed down through the ages and all have different additions and spices. I love it.

I also love a lamb dish called “Kleftiko” that is cooked for many hours in an oven, absolutely gorgeous.

And the Mediterranean fruit and veg is on a different level. Tomatoes and cucumbers have a devine taste and are not the tasteless water parcels we get here in the Uk. They are gorgeous.

At home I like spicy foods, living in the East Midlands means I have a penchant for curries, and again I’m lucky to have neighbours who will knock to give me something to try that they have just prepared and would like an opinion of. I’m lucky here.

Yes I like a whole multitude of food but for me the eastern Mediterranean gets my vote every time.

Have a good day.

Walk don’t run

How often do you walk or run?

It’s late in the day, only a couple of hours of it left now so I thought I’d answer this one before I hunker down to try and get some kip.

I do a lot of walking, my job involves a lot of it depending on what incidents are cracking off at the time so walking is a big part of my day… running however? Read on.

I used to love my running, my last real run of any noticeable distance was in April 2002, the Flora London Marathon.

London Marathon 2002

That race ended my running career if it could be called that. I did most of my training runs on roads, hard surfaces, and my right knee got the right hump about that and I developed tendon and knee cap issues that culminated in an operation. That was it. Game over.

I have looked at reviving a light run at times and even explored the route of Couch to 5K and park runs, however other medical conditions have played their part to ensure that it becomes a non starter.

I miss running, the training was right boring but to run in a mass participation event was always exhilarating and exciting.

Don’t be like me, try the softer ground options to preserve your joints later in life.

So Walking plays a major role in what’s left of my fitness, I walk miles, I enjoy it and I’m grateful that I can still do it.

Have a great day (What’s left of it)

Leader or worker ant?

Do you see yourself as a leader?

No. I’ve done it and put my spin on it in the distant past, but I didn’t enjoy it. I believe I was good at it as I do care about others and their welfare, but I think you can concentrate on that aspect at the detriment of getting a task done.

In general the Definition of a good leader is someone to coach, guide and inspire others.

Someone needs to tell the company I work for about that as to be honest, if you’ve spent your entire working history doing university degrees and have had very little social contact in the workplace then you’re the one. It’s not just the graduates, it’s those who seem to get the jobs who just don’t know how to work with people. They seem to think because they are a leader they have somehow increased their status in society despite not having a Scooby doo about what they are doing.

I can honestly say I have not met what I would class as a good leader in my entire working life.

The last good leader I met was a fantastic man who was my year four teacher in primary school back in the late 70s. God he was good, and has inspired me to this day.

Considering this, I believe I was below average as a leader as were all the others I have met along the way.

A true leader is a special person. If you are very lucky you might meet one genuine one in your life. The rest are probably just bullied and harassed worker ants who selfishly believe they are good.

Have a good day.