Tag: dailyprompt

Thoughts 26/4/24

What topics do you like to discuss?

To be honest I’ll talk about anything. The only things I try to avoid are religion and politics because both subjects can get a bit heated.

I also love talking about sports. Especially football and my local football Club where I’m a season ticket holder. I love discussing football with people who support other teams. I love to hear their points of view. We share anecdotes, we sing silly songs and we have a tribal atmosphere as such and this all provides hours of stuff to talk about.

King power stadium

I also love my hobbies. You probably already know that hence the reason you’re probably looking at this blog. You may have just stumbled across it and if you have, “hello” and welcome to the Foxes Den where I’ll try and fix things. I’m not always successful but I’ll get immense fun and enjoyment out of it. It all helps me keep a level head.

Our garden pub door sign – same as this site

I’ll try to avoid talking about Work because to be honest it’s starting to get on my nerves now. I’m getting to the end of my working life, I’m looking forward to retirement if I can make it. I just hope nothing occurs in the short period of time between now and then. I don’t want to bore people about my work, i just try to keep people safe but you don’t always get recognised for doing that. You represent a big organisation and that’s it for you really, you’re no longer an individual. You’re just a number and I don’t like that.

Work

I hope this answers the question that was originally put to me for this blog post as I’ve gone on a bit I must admit, but hey it’s 02:30 in the morning. I’m sitting at work waiting for the next job to come in and I’m contemplating whether to have another cup of tea

I think I’ll have that cup of tea. I deserve it.

I wish a happy day to everyone who is reading this. I hope you are successful in all you do, I hope you’re kind to people and at peace with your lot. Be kind to yourself as well because at the end of the day you are the most important person on this planet.

Take care

Thoughts 25/4/24

When is the last time you took a risk? How did it work out?

We take risks everyday. Some bigger than others.

Just getting up in the morning and making it out the front door is a risk.

Getting through that day – risk

Driving with the looney traffic – risk

Every heartbeat a risk.

But do you know what? I’m still here writing this bilge so it must have worked out ok.

Stupid question….

Have a good day all.

Thoughts 23/4/24

Write about a time when you didn’t take action but wish you had. What would you do differently?

I had to ask my wife for clarification here as my mind had drawn a blank. Now the flood gates have opened. In the words of George Michael- “Turn a different corner and we never would have met.”

Yes, this question really is a closing doors moment. We all make decisions on a daily basis, lots of them, and then occasionally a big one comes up and you have to concentrate on how you respond. Not all decisions are particularly bad, but hindsight being a wonderful thing you occasionally look back and say, “ I wish I had done that differently.”

Contentment

For me that moment would have been in the late 80s. As a couple my wife and I have always had a bit of a spend thrift attitude to money, if we had it we kind of spent it. Sometimes we lived beyond our means as I’m sure we all do from time to time but we had good times and made memories and don’t regret that for one moment as you can’t put a price on good memories. They were what we used to call picture moments, we still have them from time to time and we will occasionally say to each other “This is a picture moment” and we know at that point one of us has taken a mental picture of that very moment for posterity.

In the 80s we had a chance to purchase what was our old house for about £80k. Considering we were only 17 miles from central London it was a bargain, but because of our spendthrift attitude for life it was out of our range even at that price. Instead we poured endless amounts of cash into a flat we renting, we should have realised we were lining someone else’s pockets and not ours. We didn’t care, as ignorance is bliss….isn’t it?

Fast forward about 3 years, a little wiser and settled due to impending marriage and the offer for the same house came in this time it was in the region of £140k the price had risen by £60k. This time we jumped at it, it was tough and we had to knuckle down on our finances but we did it.

Looking back yes this is a regret that I wish we had jumped at when we had the chance. If we had where would be now? Would we be in a better position or not? All I know now is we are happy, we are content and happy with our lot. We do not envy people, in fact we are happy they have done well and celebrate their good fortune, yes we could have done things differently but would we be as content with our lot?

Like I said at the beginning, George said it all in his lyrics.

Regrets, none at all, lessons learned definitely, are we better people for our experiences? You bet ya we are.

Have a lovely day all.

Thoughts 22/4/24

What makes you nervous?

I just don’t feel safe anymore. I feel nervous purely for that I guess?

I feel nervous for my family whenever they are out, not for anything they do or are capable of but for what they may or may not encounter. They are all responsible people and in the words of my late step father are “Big enough and ugly enough to look after themselves.“

No it’s everyone else I’m nervous of, society in general. There seems to be a massive imbalance between good and bad and bad seems to be winning.

Maybe I’m being melodramatic, maybe I’m being over sensitive, but I long for the day when the madness of society fades away.

I must be dreaming as I dont ever see that happening.

Try to have a better day than I am having. Be happy.

Thoughts 20/4/24

How do you use social media?

I was on SM pretty much from the start. But more often than not I signed out and had a month or two away every now and then as I just didn’t need it.

I was a child of the 70’s and if someone wanted to call me an arse or show me a picture of their dinner they’d have had to walk a few miles or so to do it.

Facebook was a joke, that was ditched years ago.

Instagram was taken over by talentless nobodies calling themselves “influencers” I was that impressed that I ditched that too.

I go on Twitter or X or whatever they call it now, every once in a while but it’s quite a horrible experience. I use it to follow a few music sites, or technical sites but you can’t help but notice the utter hate and disrespect people have for each other on there. It really is an utter cesspool of depravity and to be honest I just don’t need or want that in my life.

I use WordPress as a blog presence and I quite like that.

So no, I’m not a great fan of SM, my choice, you may love it and good on you, whatever floats your boat I say.

I guess I’m probably not that social. Close the door on the way out please 😂

Have a great day. Stay safe.

Thoughts 19/4/24

Jot down the first thing that comes to your mind.

Tea.

That was it. Tea.

I’m back on nights tonight and I fancied a lay in, but it seems the wife wanted the same. Eyes closed, a sleepy glance to the right to see if my wife was awake. She wasn’t.

It’s going to have to be me isn’t it? Wait a few more minutes. Still no movement.

The dog has clocked I’m awake and he wants to go outside now. Damn it’s going to have to be me.

Dog in garden, two cups of tea to the bedroom and the wife is miraculously awake. She’s better at this game than me. 😂

Good day to you all.

Thoughts 17/4/24

Describe a decision you made in the past that helped you learn or grow.

In the past I’ve struggled with anger at times, not a very nice trait I inherited from my father, not a very nice person I must admit. I’ve tried hard all my life to not be like him and 90% of the time I am successful, but just once every now and then I let myself down and I instantly regret it.

The good thing is that when my anger surfaces it does not get taken out on anyone, I haven’t hit anyone in anger since my school years, it’s usually inanimate objects such as walls and this is where I have learnt one of my most valuable lessons.

I was fixing a heavy wood cabinet at home, I’d been working nights and I was tired, in theory I should have gone straight to bed and rested. Instead I decided to continue, managed to hit my thumb with a hammer, used some ripe old language and then decided to land a right hander square on a solid wood door.

It transpires that after suffering quite a bit of discomfort in my hand I had broken the knuckle on my little finger, also known as a boxers fracture.

Busted

What lesson have I learned I hear you ask? Well to be honest when I feel any anger coming on now I just think of my hand and the anger subsides.

Anger is not worth it and is a waste of energy, it causes pain and upset and no one deserves to witness that.

I was a fool, probably still am but I’m now an educated fool.

Happy day to you all.

Thoughts 16/4/24

What place in the world do you never want to visit? Why?

Well this is another one that’s not going to be hard to answer. I have a friend who lives in the Melbourne area of Australia and thanks to him and the regular pictures he sends me I shall not be visiting that country anytime soon.

Now I don’t know if he’s doing this deliberately to keep me away, if that is the case he has succeeded.

Australia looks a beautiful place and I’m sure it is. However I am an arachnophobe to the point of absolute terror not just being scared. You should see me going into my garden shed here in the Uk, my wife says I look like the Pope giving a blessing as I have a large stick and I’m waving it about so I don’t get caught in any web.

Massive Spider – Australia style

It all goes back to when I was younger and my parents would force my elder brother to take me out to play with him and his mates. They of course used to use and abuse me as youngsters do, and one of the things they loved doing was stuffing all kinds of creatures down my neck and watching me scream and run around, I really was a bag of nerves back then. I’m not much better now especially in the presence of spiders.

To be honest it seems everything in Australia wants to kill you. If it isn’t many varieties of spiders, it’s the snakes. If not the snakes it’s the waterborne animals such as Crocs. Even the bloody Kangaroos want you to fight you!

And then there’s the heat. If the local wildlife doesn’t get you, then the heat does. I like a little warmth just like the next guy, but being a well done piece of meat doesn’t appeal to me.

Nope, I’ll be giving Australia a miss for the rest of my life if that’s ok.

Happy day to everyone 👍

Thoughts 15/4/24

Describe a positive thing a family member has done for you.

Morning all.

When reading these prompts that pop up on a daily basis I can pretty much always relate these questions to the lady lying by my side. It is patently obvious that if she had not intervened earlier in my life I quite simply would not be here today. She is my life and I owe her all of my life.

However that would be too simple. I try to look at other aspects of my life and individuals in my family and I then realise that truthfully not one of them has done anything positive for me. I guess I’ve not done much for them either as we are quite a fragmented family not living in each other’s pockets as such. My wife’s family are different though, they are so close knit it’s unbelievable. I look at them like a family of Meerkats, always together and looking out for each other.

Meerkats – picture courtesy of Unsplash

I have a great relationship with my Brother in law and he’s always there for guidance, he’s also got a fantastic range of tools and he’s my go to when I need something specific to complete a job, and 99% of the time he has the right tool. He’s also my drinking buddy who I chew the fat with so I guess he fits the bill, as I need talking to occasionally and he’s the positive one in that case.

I hope you are all planning to have a wonderful day. Try and do something positive for a family member today. I have some tools to return to my Brother in law 😂

Be happy.

Thoughts 14/4/24

What is your favorite restaurant?

I love these easy questions. I’m not a foodie and don’t judge an establishment on its ability to produce poncey overpriced food that would struggle to feed an anorexic budgie.

I like good portions of old fashioned good food and probably tend to aim more towards Grill establishments rather than posh restaurants.

Yialos beach grill – Latchi

My absolute favourite establishment on this planet sits in the South west on the island of Cyprus in the town of Neo Chorio, Latchi and is called the Yialos beach grill house.

Akamas peninsula

As stated it’s on the beach with the most stunning view of the Akamas peninsula that let’s you view the most stunning sunsets in the early evening, it’s like watching natures personal show of beauty just for your enjoyment….and then you get to eat and drink in the most convivial atmosphere where food is spectacular and service is personal and friendly.

Yialos beach grill – Latchi

Food is Cypriot/Mediterranean, lots of meat and unbelievably tasteful vegetables, along with a free portion of desert made by the elderly lady that runs the kitchen. It’s probably the most relaxing restaurant I have been to in my life, whenever we go back to Cyprus this place features high on the list of things we do, and to top it all off the price is extremely reasonable.

Give it a look in if you are ever in the area.