Glipho photo writing challenge #2: Write 500 words

I've never written as part of a challenge before but the photo that was to be used as inspiration for a 500 word story... Well, it inspired me.

You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. You'll never find the body. 

Morbid, I know, but it was meant to have a dark theme and I couldn't imagine a darker theme than a kidnapping/murder coupled with a taunting message.

Give Me A Sign!

Having been out of work for over a year I was a little nervous about the prospect of returning to full time employment. Fortunately for me a former employer had a part time job to offer me which I readily accepted. This gave me the chance to ease myself back into work without diving in at the deep end, plus I would be around some familiar faces. This has made my transition much easier and far more enjoyable than I could have hoped for.

The position itself is as Leaflet Distributor, which isn't very taxing nor prestigious, but it has shown me a side to society that I hadn't noticed before. I'm well aware that we are all different (I'm not*) but the varying degrees of difference has surprised me.

When I'm standing in the street most members of the public don't want to be handed a leaflet which may well turn out to be a piece of rubbish after they've seen what it is. Many people, myself included, simply turn down the offered leaflet as standard. There are, though, many ways in which it can be done. I've compiled a list of behaviours and categorised them below to help illustrate my point.

Polite:

Shake head

Raise hand

Little smile

Eye contact

No thank you

Avoid proximity (funny)

Make excuse

Have a chat

Ask what is being offered

Body language (micro expressions)

While it is pleasant for me that people walking by may actually speak to me, simply by saying "No, thanks", it isn't necessary if they would like me to leave them alone. The micro expressions tell me as much as anything else mentioned on the above list with almost no energy required or time wasted. It's not easy to put into words what this group of people do to indicate their reluctance to take what is being offered but once I've seen it, you are no longer a viable target on my radar. Remember, I'm only trying to give people what they want, not trying to offload as much as possible to carpet the pavement around me with discarded leaflets.

Also in this category are those who try to avoid me by walking behind me or placing someone or something between us to avoid my outstretched hand. They have me laughing inside every time, especially when they fail. They suddenly come across all flustered, unsure about what to do. God, I love the British public.

Forgivable:

Concentrating on something else

In a hurry

Didn't see me

Blocked line of sight

Hands full

Quite often, people will stroll past me deep in conversation with somebody, a friend or young child, or they may be texting away busily on their mobile phones, and while most of them will ignore me, it is understandable. I'm just another hazard to avoid bumping into. If they happen to be carrying shopping bags I'll leave them alone, although I regularly get asked to pop a leaflet into one of them. Of course I'll oblige. After all, that's what I'm here for. 

Rude:

Deny my existence

This category fairly makes my blood boil. I can be looking straight at someone with my arm outstretched and they walk past me, their gaze fixed firmly ahead. I know they have seen me by the way they carry themselves. It's kind of the opposite of the micro expressions mentioned earlier. They give away nothing to say they have seen me, therefore they don't need to accept the leaflet being offered. Except that their body language is all but screaming that they have seen me and they wish I would just go away. Rude. Don't forget, I only want people to take a leaflet who are interested in what is being offered. If it is indicated that someone is not interested, I will go away, or at least move my arm in a different direction.

To sum up, apart from those people who are unafraid to politely refuse me, there is a large group of people who feel uncomfortable turning me down. Why this should be, I couldn't say, but if you discover the answer please let me know.

(*Monty Python's The Life Of Brian)

We're putting the band back together

I'm looking to form a band. There, I've said it. It's been on my mind for several months but was just a daydream, until now. I've been a member of a small number of bands in the past and I miss the buzz of playing with other musicians, the thrill and excitement as one idea bounces off another. There are few things in this word that give me as much satisfaction and/or such an emotional high as when I'm in tune with my instrument and the people around me.

I'm a self taught guitarist with a love of the blues, although I'll often stray from the purist path and enjoy a bit of rock on the side. I am by no means the greatest guitar player you will ever hear and what I lack in technical ability, I make up for with heart and soul. Which is exactly what I'm looking for in a band mate. Someone who cares about what they're playing.

What do you play? Drums? Guitar? Bass? Piano? Harmonica? Maybe you can't play anything but love to sing. If you share my love of the blues and don't mind a bit of rock n roll, etc, then you're my man. Or woman. Black or white, short or tall. It doesn't matter to me. I live in Harrow and look forward to meeting you. If you can't travel to me (I know from experience that drums aren't the most portable of instruments) then I'll travel to you. The easiest way to contact me is via Twitter. My username is @LeesMyth. Until then have a pint or whatever takes your fancy and think about the fun we could be having together. Cheers ;)

Welcome To The Stunning Crew

For the second time in as many months we have lost another friend and it doesn't get any easier to cope with the loss of someone taken before their time. Dominic Osborne's death came out of the blue and it hit us hard. We were caught off guard, safe in the knowledge that lightning couldn't strike twice in the same place. How wrong we were.

I can only imagine how hard it must have been for Dom's family to find the words to speak at his funeral, as I struggle for words to post in my blog. I am sorry to say that they did a far better job than me. Actually, that's the way it should be and as such I  asked for permission to use his sister, Louisa's, tribute here. Thankfully she consented, only requesting that I help to promote the VMG (Virgin Money Giving) page that was set up in his honour to help those living with diabetes. Click here for details.

 

 

My darling brother Dom, my Best Friend, my Schemes & my STUNNING!

I have so many things that I want to say but it is just impossible to say it all...

It's extremely difficult to talk about the sheer magnitude your loss has had and will continue to have on myself, Richard & Sarah but especially Mum & Dad. Our lives will never be the same again but I can promise you that as your little sister (which I know a lot of people found amusing as I towered over you) I will do everything in my power to support them all through this as I know you loved us all very much. We will never stop talking about you, thinking about you or loving you.

You don't have to worry about a thing anymore Schemes, nothing at all. You are in a better place, although I would do anything to have you back here with us all now. My heart is broken and I am lost without you but I will continue to find strength and will hopefully one day have my own family who I will be proud to tell all about you.

 

You will be in my life every single day!

 

Spag bol will never be the same.

Leahy!! Your bestie! Don't worry we'll look after him!

Cheese!! It's lovely stuff you'd say. This Christmas we'll eat the best of it for you.

The fry ups, the curry nights, spicy pork with Kendo, the roasts on Sunday! Herb up the gravy it's the best! Blacking it up, the sweat towel and a huge cup of tea. Sausage casserole!!!

The master at pool, pool comps everywhere, the Apollo, The Railway, The Goodwill, The Junction. Pocket blocking in full swing, two shots red, one on the black. North Harrow Snooker hall, I never went but you, Dad & Richard had a ball.

X files, Eastenders, Star wars, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, Ghostbusters, Superman you could quote them all. You know the whole cast of enders and got annoyed if I didn't know who you were talking about... Beale the undead!!! Gremlins too.. Ra Ra that's for you! CSI!!!

Gin & Tonic... Double, Kronenbourg & lime which don't worry I'll drink all the time! Guinness, Vodka & red bull and the special Jack & coke! Yates on a Thursday, Junction on a Sunday... Ice, Ice Baby! Plus all those in between.

The fast show was one of your favs you'd quote it all day long.

Your special language with Richard will be missed most of all, shouting out boggins as you stood in the hall. I will try and learn it to make Richard smile but there is no one as funny as little old you!

Hello Pipe I shouted from the car window one day, no bag that's not pipe you cried as the man walked away. We laughed so much that we were almost sick I was desperate to see his bottle opening trick.

Dougie D all up my arse like fleas we smell panties... all up my crack! Lady D the stunning one, she always had your back! 

Kipping! Piping our eye! The barge holiday, barge poos (I'll explain that one later!) it's drifting, it's drifting... oh what laughs.

Old Bill, stand still... cop shop drop... & Lou Lou & I did drop

The leather jacket... your trade mark! Mr Khan's leather shop with 2fine!

The job!!!

Jumping Bean, Niblet! My feet are brewing & the brewster!! What ever happened to her you'd say!

Weez & Grawwny, let's go for coffee!

The deeds!!!! Deedage!

Take it I'm scared

Mum's choring! She'll keep it up but I will chore now too (bet that's music to your ears mum)

The nights we'd sit and chat about everything... it will never be the same. Smoking your mays one after the other.

The CHOONS, THE TUNES!!

Vanilla Ice

Grant no neck... We'll go here, but it closes in half hour... Don't worry... we'll carry on drinking!

The Colonel your hero, & Mum, your rock

George Lucozade & Lucozade Glucose tablets!

Jany Boy!

Almost thrown out of Claridges... only you! The Ritz, The Connaught, Tea at Browns! We dined at the best!

The fish eye when Mum said No Louisa NO!! The french restaurant where Mum spat out the snails! 

Oily Rag Nuncle? Is it man or is it boy Cliver?

Who do you think you are Ja Rule!?

We love you Jimmy!!!

The list goes on & on & on and on! Sorry that I haven't mentioned it all but I've got my life to do that for you my darling big bro

So much that will remind me of you, WELCOME TO THE STUNNING CREW!

 

 

 

'Anyone fancy a pint?'

 

 

The road less surfaced

Three days ago some huge roadwork vehicles arrived in a street around the corner, you know the kind I mean, diggers and steamrollers, etc. I had been expecting them because a week before signs had been posted in the neighbourhood stating that some road surfacing was due to take place.

Two days ago the road had been completely torn up, signs regarding uneven surfaces and ramps gave drivers fair warning what to expect.

Yesterday a lovely new road, smooth as a baby's bum, had been laid and painted and there was no sign of the industrial vehicles anywhere. That was quick, I was expecting it to take at least a week for them to finish. I shall find an excuse to take my bike for a spin, I thought, and waited patiently for an opportunity to present itself.
 

Today I needed to pop to the shop for some basics (tobacco and Coke) and seized upon the chance to ride the new road. With a smile upon my face and a helmet on my head I rode my bike up an adjoining alley to where the fresh surface awaited. Here we go and here I come.

I was not disappointed. A sigh actually escaped between my lips. Bliss. Heaven. Everything every road should be (I would be happy to pay some form of road tax if this was the standard of London's Roads). It was a pleasure almost beyond measure. Almost, because as I took a bend in the road I noticed that the eutopian surface suddenly ended a short distance ahead of me!

What?
What's going on here? How can this be? Where is the rest of the loveliness? The road workers had only resurfaced a third of the actual road! No wonder they were finished so quickly.
 

 

 

Day 316: Temptation

Getting the proverbial monkey off your back isn't easy. Making sure that it stays that way is much harder to achieve. For me, the monkey's name is Mary Jane and for the past 12 months I've  managed to keep her off my back by simply avoiding her and not giving her an opportunity to climb back on again. Until last night...

 

She strolled in nonchalantly, "Don't mind me, I'm not here for you". And she wasn't. But I kept her in my sights all the while, very much aware of her presence in the room. Seeing her is one thing, I could cope with that, it was her scent that made me feel uncomfortable. I found myself not breathing simply to avoid it. It wasn't a conscious decision, it was a reflex, it was self preservation. Fortunately, she didn't hang around for long and I could relax again.

Until someone else started to miss her.

"Where is she? Why isn't she answering her phone?" And even when she replied and said she was on her way, because she wasn't there soon enough it became "Where is she? Why isn't she answering her phone?" again. I began to feel tense. This is exactly the way I used to behave when I let her rule my life. Now I was watching someone else under her spell and I didn't like it one little bit. From now on she can do what she likes as long as she doesn't come anywhere near me. I thought I could cope with being in her presence.

I was wrong.

And I won't be putting myself in that position again.

Day 312: All by myself

It's been a little over a week since I last saw my psychologist and it's also the last time I would see my psychologist. My course of treatment came to an end and I have been set adrift, left to fend for myself, in a world that isn't much different from the one I came from when it began.

 

Do I feel any great benefit from our time together? On the whole I would have to say, not really, although in her eyes I have made some progress. I guess you would have to ask the people around me if they think there is any real difference.

I'm still taking the Sertraline that I was prescribed way back in November 2012, although I'm not taking it religiously every day. Instead, I'll miss a day here and there as and when I feel I can cope without it. But again, I don't feel that it has made much difference to the way I feel or behave, partly because I used to smoke weed nearly every day for the best part of twenty years and therefore have no real reference for what normal is.

So what happens next? Where do I go from here?

 

 

All the action of (after) the Italian Grand Prix

The Italian Grand Prix is always a bit special with a huge number of Ferrari fans in attendance. Everywhere you look, you will see the famous prancing horse and a sea of red flags but this year there was a slightly different shade of red on show. It's known as rocket red and it's the winning colour of McLaren. So why, when they haven't won a single race this year, was it so prominent? Quite simply, it was because this September marks the 50th anniversary since founder Bruce McLaren gave his name to this multi-championship winning team.

On race day it was the Red Bulls and Ferraris that dominated the front of the pack with Sebastian Vettel leading from pole to take yet another dominating win during his campaign to win a forth consecutive world title. After the opening stint in which Paul di Resta crashed his Force India at the second chicane ending his race prematurely, for the second time in a row, and Kimi Raikkonen pitting his Lotus for a new nose cone, after running into the back of Sergio Perez's McLaren at the first chicane. The Grand Prix was a pretty hum drum affair. It wasn't until the last ten or so laps that it began to get exciting again with Lewis Hamilton, having lost radio communication with the Mercedes team early on, and Raikkonen battling with team mates Jenson Button and Perez for the last points paying positions. Ultimately, it was Kimi and Checo that lost out, with Hamilton and Button crossing the line in 9th and 10th respectively. Vettel stood on the top step of the podium after the GP flanked by Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso and Red Bull team mate Mark Webber. Driver of the day has to be Sauber driver, Nico Hulkenberg who qualified in a very respectable 3rd place and went on to finish in 5th, after only being passed by the two Ferraris at the start of the race.

Two days after the Italian Grand Prix, 4th place finisher, Felipe Massa announced via Twitter that he would be leaving Ferrari at the end of the season. At the time of writing it is unconfirmed who would be taking his place but rumours abound that Kimi Raikkonen is most likely to be partnering Alonso next year. Me, I have my doubts, but I'm betting it won't be long before Ferrari reveal their 2014 driver line up.

UPDATE: Three days after the Italian Grand Prix and I thought I'd better have a peek on Twitter before posting to my blog. Just as well that I did as Ferrari have announced that Kimi Raikkonen WILL be Fernando's team mate next year. Shows what I know!

Changing Fortunes at the Belgian GP

It's been a long four weeks since the Hungarian Grand Prix and Formula 1 couldn't have returned a day too soon. Nor could it have returned to a better racetrack than the classic Belgian circuit of Spa-Francorchamps. It's a firm favourite of drivers and fans alike and has appeared consistently on the F1 calendar since the very first season, way back in 1950. Due to it's unique location it has it's own micro climate and owing to it's length, can often have rain on one part of the track while being simultaneously dry on another, which often makes for an unpredictable race weekend.

This was highlighted during qualifying on Saturday when Force India driver, Paul Di Resta, claimed provisional pole position early in Q3 by being the only driver on wet tyres as rain started to fall. Unfortunately for him the track began to dry very quickly and in the dying moments of the session had his time beaten by the Red Bull and Mercedes teammates with Lewis Hamilton, in the last car to cross the line, securing pole position.

Starting from 5th on the grid would at least give di Resta a good chance of scoring some points come race day. Sadly, this was not to be. Going through the Bus Stop chicane on lap 27 Pastor Maldonado's Williams got caught in a Force India sandwich, bounced off Adrian Sutil's car and ended Paul's race by shunting him off the track with extensive car damage.

Another driver that had a change of fortune was ex-World Champion, Kimi Raikkonen. His record run of 27 consecutive race finishes ended with brake failure, forcing him to retire at the end of lap 24. This is only his second non-points scoring race since joining Lotus and I think I'm right in saying that he was the only driver to complete every lap of the 2012 season.

In contrast, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso started from 9th place, due to the rain affected qualifying session, yet managed a great start when the lights went out and set a blistering pace allowing him to carve his way through the field in spectacular fashion to finish on the podium in 2nd place. The only man able to fend him off was Red Bull driver and Championship leader, Sebastian Vettel. Unless Fernando, Lewis or Kimi can pull off a few more race wins it looks like Vettel will take his fourth consecutive title.

 

Farewell my friend

In the week since Becky Kennett left us, we have each dealt with it in our own way. Many of us (and believe me, there were MANY) left a message on Becky's Facebook page. I have decided to quote as many as I could in my blog. This is what little I can do to show my respect for a woman that lived every moment of her life to the fullest and never gave up.

"You are a beautiful soul Becky and know you will be missed by many."
"Cannot believe that heaven has taken another beautiful angel way too early."
"I can't express how much you will be missed... You have left a huge whole in the world, loved by so many, you will be missed more then you will ever know."
"...glad your out of pain now. R.I.P Angel."
"I hope you have found peace in heaven. Goodbye for now until we one day meet again..."
"...you have touched so many people's life's. You will be missed."
"I didn't even know about your battle Becky. Way way way too young"
"Live life to the full, let go of hatred and be compassionate to others. The people you love and care about may not be here tomorrow."
"Sorry I didn't get a chance to say goodbye, Becky."
"You stayed so strong throughout your battle...every time I saw you, you never failed to have a beaming smile on your face."
"It was a great pleasure to have known you!"
"You have been taken way to soon, I only hope you know how much you touched my life and everyone who knows you!"
"This has made me realise life is too short to wait for things and plan ahead, we must live for the now!"
"In the words of my 5 year old! Don't be upset mummy, u can't go for dinner or lunch with Becky anymore but u can always talk to her in heaven whenever u want."
"Life can be very unfair but, looking at what everyone has written, you definitely left your mark."
"What a terrible loss to the world, a beautiful light has gone out."
"...always made me smile, and a pleasure to have known you...""You have been so brave & I now hope you are at peace."
"...we had a lot of laughs and good times...that is something that I will treasure..."
"...one of the most beautiful, kind, funny girl I've ever had the pleasure of meeting..."
"...such an amazing person, not just a beautiful girl outside but inside as well. so happy to have met u and call u a friend."
"There was never a dull moment with U around Always Smiling Laughing..."
"I've got nothing but fond memories of you..."
"You will be most stunningly missed."
"You were one in a million, who always made everyone smile with your infectious personality. So glad I had you in my life."
"Shine brightly in the sky always."
"You brightened up everyone's lives who were fortunate enough to meet you."
"...such a laugh and joy to be with..."
"Will always remember the good times."
"I want to hear your infectious laugh just one more time."
"You were always the life of the party, I will remember you as bubbly and happy. One of the kindest people I've known."
"Friends are like stars, you don't always see them but you know they are always there."

My own personal memory of Becky was when she danced with me when nobody else would. To put it into perspective, the music that was playing at the time was I Don't Feel Like Dancing by Scissor Sisters and I was totally camping out. As has already been mentioned, she was very brave.

Goodbye, Becky ;) xx