Tag: Thoughts

I thought you said Bands!

What are your favorite brands and why?

Got exited originally as I thought this said favourite bands, had to sit back down and rethink my reply, as well as putting away my collection of R.E.M memorabilia.

So Brands it is then. I have no real affinity to brands to be totally honest, I have Apple devices, and Dyson devices at home but to be honest with you I would be just the same if they were Samsung phones or a Shark hoover, as long as they do the job I’m not that fussed.

Lindt shop Wembley

Chocolate though is a whole different topic. I love chocolate, but my go to brand has always been Lindt. I don’t think you can beat or replicate the taste of their offerings. I will actually go out of my way to purchase from their own shops. Some people prefer Cadbury chocolate, but to be honest if you go to any branch of Aldi and try their own brand fruit and nut bar you will be hooked. It actually has fruit within and that is something the Cadburys bar severely lacks.

So it’s Lindt chocolate for me. No contest.

And as for Coffee it can only be this bad boy.

Skull Crusher it does what it says on the bag

At work where we are fighting fatigue through long hours of working a 24hr Roster, you cannot beat this coffee. Too much and your heart rate is racing and you will be awake for the next millennium, just like a fine wine or good medicine it has to be taken in moderation. But by heck, does it make you alert. Just what you need, and that’s why we have a tea kitty that we all contribute to so we can keep a good stock of it at hand.

So no real fancy brand expense for me, as long as I have good Chocolate and good Coffee, then Dave’s a happy chap.

Get the kettle on!

Have a super day.

A little advice…

List the people you admire and look to for advice…

I guess we will all at some time look to a mixture of people for different kinds of advice.

Contentment

For emotional advice there is no one but my wife who I’d turn to in the first instance. I think for her, I’d fit that bill as well, heck, we’ve been together so long we sometimes know each other better than we know ourselves. She’s my confidante and I know anything we discuss stays totally between us. She’s just such an understanding and calm influence for me. I need that sometimes. Don’t misunderstand me, when she cracks she goes full loop de loop, and is known in the family as the Rottweiler, you just don’t cross her. And when this does rarely occur I’m the one that calms her. God, we were truly meant to be together to keep each other at peace. So far so good.

At work I’m in probably the best work team I have known in all my working days. We are always there for each other, there is always support for each other 24hrs a day, and when things get a bit too much, there is always a calming elder figure to talk to. I guess that is why it’s recognised in our organisation that our depot pretty much runs itself, with no issues and no need for guidance, we self manage and are a well oiled machine in all aspects. The guys I work with are just the most fantastic, supportive and caring bunch you could ever work with. And a combined fabulous sense of humour doesn’t go unnoticed.

Work

Outside of these two highlighted above, I look to some older and much wiser friends, elders of my life if you like for that additional advice, that advice that sometimes you just have to run past someone on the fringes of your group, to see if you are thinking it all out correctly, and addressing any issues logically.

I don’t really look to anyone else in my family group for advice, but saying that it is sometimes good to discuss approaches to issues with the younger members of the family to see their reactions and ways of dealing with similar issues. Sometimes they just seem to have a less tangled and somewhat easier approach to problem solving. Some times though they don’t.

So here I guess I am saying, that I can advise the younger generation from an experienced point of view, but at the same time I must be open to learning from them. It really is two way traffic.

Advice must be listened to and acted on, if we are to learn how to deal with a multitude of problems/ issues. Taking advice and not following through with it achieves noting and leaves you empty and confused. And that is where the “What ifs” arise. Good advice can definitely alleviate doubt.

Want some advice?

Be happy and have a great day – there you go 👍

Yes. I do.

Do you vote in political elections?

This is going to be quite a short post. Do I vote? Yes I do.

And if apathy has gotten to you and you don’t vote, do you have the right to complain when it all goes wrong? You could have made the difference, but you just couldn’t be arsed, could you?

Many good people died on the way to ensure we all have a right to vote.

Do your duty for you and your fellow citizens, make your voice heard. Kick apathy into touch, then maybe we might not end up with so many half wits in positions of power.

Have a great day.

Garden therapy

Currently I’m in the west of London in the Sunbury on Thames area. I’ve brought my wife down to spend ten days with her friend as I’m about to embark on a long stint of night shifts. It will allow them to spend good time together. I shall be heading back to the East Midlands later today on my own.

Anyone who reads my posts will know that last year we spent a lot of time down here as her friend went through quite a bad episode of poor mental health. My wife assisted her through that, and helped put her on a care plan and arranged for her to have visits, so she could be checked on regularly to ensure she was receiving the necessary care and attention that she required.

I’m pleased to say all that worked out well, her friend has recovered and is back to her old self, confident and strong willed, you’d have thought nothing had happened. She has been weaned off her medications by the doctor, the welfare visits have ceased and it is so wonderful to see her back to her old self. We all need a little care and attention at times, and it certainly helps. And it’s good to have such a friend as my wife.

Azalea

And the above picture from her garden sums it all up for me. Last year there was none of this, the garden, though well kept lacked colour. This year it is so different and is ablaze with colour. This is what she is capable of, producing things of beauty just like this fantastic Azalea plant.

I’m lucky if my Azaleas get just a few flowers each year. She is so talented when it comes to gardening.

As I’ve always stated, never show envy, always turn that into appreciation and that’s what I have done here, she has such a talent, she is so capable and knowledgeable and I can only appreciate that I will be a better person, a better gardener by listening to the wisdom of those such as her.

Have a wonderful day everyone.

Cyprus & Iceland

What is your favorite holiday? Why is it your favorite?

For me, there are two places on this planet that I’d go to at the drop of a hat and those two places are southern Cyprus and Iceland.

The two features that both destinations give me are safety and a feeling of being welcomed. I feel safer in these two places than I do in my own home city, and that is quite sad and real in equal proportions.

Akamas peninsular- Cyprus

We’ve been going to Cyprus on a regular basis for pretty much 30yrs now. The sunrises and sunsets are amazing. We avoid the really touristy parts and situate ourselves on the west coast of the island in two areas pretty much untouched by all the madness of modern day tourism. We get on exceptionally well with the locals who have come to know us like “Neighbours “ as we are there that often. We have regularly thought of upping sticks and moving there, but something has always held us back. It is still an option to this day though. Friendlier locals you’d struggle to find anywhere, they are just so welcoming and friendly, and you feel safe to go anywhere and that is most important.

Skogafoss – Iceland

Now Iceland is a relatively new destination for us, we’ve been there three times now and number Four has already been booked. Horrendously expensive but don’t let that put you off, it is such a friendly, welcoming destination, it’s a “New” country that is constantly evolving due to its volcanic and seismic state. It is a fascinating island to witness nature at its most violent, and it is amazing to witness the locals just taking it all in their stride. There is no panic and madness, a calmer bunch of folk you’d struggle to find anywhere else in the world.

That’s it for me, my two favourite places. If I’m not at home you know where to find me.

Have a beautiful day.

Camping and Scrumpy cider

Have you ever been camping?

Oh yes many a time, always with my friends back in the day. Whenever there was a bank holiday we would all pack ourselves up and head off to a little place called Farleigh Hungerford not far away from Bath in Somerset.

Perfectly placed for visiting places such as Glastonbury Tor, Wookey Hole and Cheddar gorge we used to always have an enjoyable few days away, and were always suitably chaperoned by one set of parents (Well to be honest they always tagged along because they enjoyed our company and we enjoyed theirs). There was a local delicacy that could only be found in the Cheddar gorge area and that was Knee Cracker cider.

Knee Cracker

Unfortunately no one will ever be able to experience the joys of Knee Cracker again as I believe the company that produced it ceased to trade a few years back. They used to say that when purchased it had to be left to settle for a few days to be fully enjoyed. Nah, we were impatient teenagers and we would drink it walking across the fields heading back to the campsite after a day out, hence we would be taking in all the sediment and nastiness and by god it was potent. They also used to say, “Drink too much of this cider and you will fall to your knees, praying to the gods for forgiveness”. They weren’t wrong, the hangover this and many other “Scrumpy ciders” from the region used to leave you with were well documented. I remember being so drunk one night I actually fell over a cow sleeping in the field, the resulting noise from said bovine suddenly awaking and alerting the rest of the herd, sobered me up fairly quickly and I went through that field like Usain Bolt on acid.

I’ve tried to convince the wife all through our married life to go camping, and she’s having none of it. She always says it’s fine for me to camp but she would be in a local hotel. So I know where I stand there.

I still have camping equipment, in fact I renewed it all only a couple of years ago, and intend to do some wild camping when I get the chance. I really love camping, being out in nature, absolute peace and quiet and tranquility is unbeatable, the campsite full of families though is not for me.

Give it a try, it’s one of those things you’ll either love or hate. For me it’s definitely love.

Have a superb day.

Nicknames

Very shortly I will be heading off to work for another fun filled day of shenanigans on Britains railways. Whilst sitting here at the living room table looking out to the road that passes by, I watched a van with a friends surname on it pass by, and that suddenly flooded my mind with happy and fun memories about old friends, and especially how did they get their nicknames.

A nickname is a familiar or informal name given to a person, place, or thing, often based on their characteristics, habits, or traits. Nicknames can be a fun way to personalize relationships and add flavor to interactions.

We had a little group of four that hung about together through our childhood years all the way up into the teenage years. We did everything together and pretty much knew everything about each other. There were only four of us so here we go with the explanations.

Balders – that’s me. A simple play on my surname, and that I used to have a constant crew cut hairstyle as a child, so bald by name and bald by nature.

Daz – his name was Darryl and his clothes used to always stink of the washing powder his mother used to use, that also just happened to be called “DAZ” again a play on his name and this time his aroma.

Doug – His name was Derek and he loved Wolverhampton wanderers football club, so we named him after one of their players at the time who had a suspicious “Mullet” hairstyle, as Derek had at the time, so Derek Dougan leant his name to our Derek, it was shortened hence “Doug”.

And finally the most complex and humorous nickname goes to our old buddy Mick.

We were walking home from junior school one day back in the late 70s when Mick was complaining of stomach pains, he was doubled over in pain, so he leant on a brick wall and began to attempt to break wind quite violently. He was unsuccessful in this activity and in polite terms, he followed through. Or in layman’s or younger speak he “Sharted”.

How we got Mick home after this I fail to remember, I think the stinging of the tears of constant and uninterrupted laughter clouded our memory of this part of the day, even Mick, a fantastic person was able to see the funny side of it all, and took part in that laughter. He had a lot of explaining to do to his mum when he got home.

Anyway, fast forward a couple of days and the three of us came up with the name “Mick muddy pants” that stuck for a while but was eventually reduced to the one word “Smudger”.

He, in fact we, are all still known by these names to this day. Sadly Doug passed away about two years back, but when we see each other, rarely do our real names ever get mentioned.

The phone I’m writing on has all their names in, in a nickname format. I’ll be seeing Smudger in a couple of weeks, and it always makes me smile when someone asks, “Why is he called Smudger?” You just don’t seem to see such childish behaviour in today’s world, and I think that’s quite sad.

Give me those old days of being out with your friends, rather than being stuck behind screens as everyone is today. (Me included writing this piece)

Keep smiling. Be happy.

Silence

How do you unwind after a demanding day?

Silence. That’s the way to do it. However living on the outskirts of a city, silence is not always a viable option so I’ll settle for peace and quiet instead, oh and a cup of tea.

From the moment you arrive at work, your ears are open to a barrage of demands and orders, your brain filters them into some kind of chronological order and you deal with the demands accordingly.

When a spare moment appears in between all the organised chaos that single letter “T” appears in your mind informing you it’s time to consider a break and in a good old English fashion a cup of tea is the order of the day.

Getting the day started normally involves two cups before settling down to business and winding the day up is also another. Yes tea plays a large part in my unwinding process as well.

Not too long though as there are always jobs to be done.

Off we go again.

But nothing beats the end of the day, a comfy seat, a cup of tea and some well deserved peace and quiet.

The wise man will however, always avoid having a demanding day. I am not that wise man though.

Have a lovely day.

Bread and Dripping

What is the weirdest food combination you enjoy?

To me, honestly, I don’t believe any food combination I enjoy is weird. And that’s the thing with this question, with most people they would view their awkward combinations as totally normal.

Some choices early in life are made for you purely as a result of whatever was available at the time and in many situations as a result of what money was available. My early life had some really strange combinations that would be looked on as awful nowadays, but back then it was totally the norm.

I give you bread and dripping as one example.

All the fat that was accumulated from cooking during the week went into a big bowl on the kitchen window, it looked just like the layers you’d find in the earths crust as every layer of fat had its own colour and consistency, so if you wanted a snack, some toast and a scrape of whatever was in the bowl was the order of the day. How bad does that sound now?

In comparison to what went on then, my current combinations are quite tame, here’s a few:

  • Marmite: with or without cheese is glorious, in a sausage sandwich it is another level, cooking mushrooms in it is something else. Not everyone’s favourite taste.
  • My family’s pet hate with me is that I always have red and brown sauce on a Sunday roast. I get the feeling they’d rather see me eat on my own than in their company.
  • Beer and ice cream. I just love having an ice cream if one is available when I have a beer. I think the tastes are super complimentary.

Well, that’s a few of mine, what combinations do you enjoy. I won’t judge, that’s not me I’m just genuinely interested in what you class as a weird combination. You never know it might be something I’m willing to try.

Have a great day everyone.

Punctures up a mountain

Describe a random encounter with a stranger that stuck out positively to you.

I’ve rarely stumbled across a stranger where they’ve had a positive effect on me but I’ll turn it around the other way where I may have had an encounter where I have projected a positive attitude to them.

I loved going on long mountain bike rides when I used to holiday in Cyprus. We used to base ourselves in a town called Pelathousa, about 6km up into the mountains away from the seaside towns of Polis and Latchi. A beautiful little town with very few occupants and stuck in a time warp, a wonderful peaceful existence, we stayed with friends there and it was a wonderful place to spend some time.

I used to strike out on some rides from here and this particular one on June 14 2015 was probably one of the most beautiful, hilly and memorable rides I have ever done. It was an epic ride.

I retrieved this information from Strava

I started on this particular ride well stocked with energy snacks and plenty of hydration, with the plan to meet with my wife and her friend who were going to be my support team at about the halfway point to serve the purpose of giving me a lift home if I was tired, or to give me some more substantial food should I require it, to continue.

My support team at the halfway point

After about 15 miles of mountains, very quiet roads and superb scenery that I just drank in, I finally dropped down into a small town called Stavros tis Psokas, a small town at the foot of the mountains. Here the elusive “Mouflon” a wild sheep can be seen if you are very quiet, and this was an exceptionally quiet place, you had to keep making little noises just so you could assure yourself that your ears were functioning. I found a little cafe, where the elderly owner didn’t speak English, but I was able to get across my requirement for a coffee in broken Greek/Cypriot. I just love Cypriot coffee, it was a much needed boost.

Cypriot Coffee

It was time for my return and it was a hellish mountain climb back out of the valley, however I was meeting my support team at the top for that much needed refreshment, I already knew I wasn’t going to give up, I was going to continue on.

I pulled into the lay-by at the top of the valley and was pleased to see the girls. It was lovely, I had the customary half way photo taken.

About halfway with my support team

It was here that we then became away of another vehicle in the area parked up on the opposite side of the road with the two occupants now walking over towards us. A conversation began, but no one understood what was being said. Us being English and the other two people being German, we were totally lost at what was trying to be communicated, until they motioned me towards their car, and off I went with them.

Flat tyre

It was plain to see that they had a flat tyre, they had no idea how to change one, and it now became obvious that I was their only hope, as there wasn’t a garage anywhere remotely accessible in this region. So after a tiring long ride I now changed their wheel for them, intimated to them that they turn back to where they came from, as it was only one of those temporary wheels, they shook my hand, I understood them saying thank you, they turned around and off they went on their way.

I returned to the girls now covered in dirt from the old wheel, washed my hands had a drink and some food and told them to head off on the way, they would stop every few miles and wait until they saw me in the mirror and then move on again until we eventually arrived home a few hours after the adventure began.

So that was my random meeting with a stranger. And what was positive for me is that no matter what the boundaries are we can always help and assist. And that is what was the big positive for me. I’d hope in a similar position of need that someone would kindly offer me similar assistance. It’s just being human isn’t it?

Have a great day.