The Niceness Wore Off Today!

Indeed for the last few days life has been good, my moods have been positive and life's little trauma's were kept in their place. I wandered abroad with a benevolent smile on my fat puss and carried with me an aura of freedom from concern. There were of course difficulties, as there is in everyday experience but those I sailed through wafting a perfume of peace and love (Hippy style) to one and all. Not even the queue in Tesco on a Saturday morning could make me bring out the hatchet and place it where it was required. First off all on the two women who thought that splitting the goods in two, and then arguing over who ought to pay for what, should be discussed, at great length, at the checkout. Nor did the old man who took for ever to produce his cash, gave no thought to putting his good in the bag, and instead spent half a lifetime placing his change where it should be, then began, slowly oh so slowly, to bag up, not even he made me buy a combine harvester and test out its various capacities on him! Certainly the lass at the checkout and I did discuss whether he actually had died while standing there or not. I am still unsure as to whether his was thoughtlessness or a mental problem, it certainly was not conducive to fun.

So I have been beaming at children and leering at their mothers smiling at their mothers, I have been allowing others to go first, accepting delays, and failing to swear when caught out in the sudden rain showers. I have even walked and cycled in an effort once again to find fitness, (and when I am fit I will even put some air into the tyres), breathing fresh, warm, air and enjoying the opportunity to awaken in the morning with knees that require two members of the 'Thai Massage and takeaway Curry House' to make usable again.

However today normality returned.

Maybe it was the coffee, strong and dark like I like my women, maybe it was tiredness, maybe it was just me leaking out again (I often do that these days) but something niggled me and I wanted to spit! It was a small thing in itself but I have spent much of the day carrying an imaginary baseball bat in the hope, which cannot be fulfilled, of meeting someone who annoyed me. Instead of allowing this to pass I have allowed it to fester and ruin the day, which was a bit boring anyway, and in spite of watching Houston Dynamos beat DC United 4-3, (a good (proper football) match at that) I still feel miffed. So if you hear of a smart ass, who pushed his luck too far with one comment to many, being found abandoned in a skip somewhere, possibly laid up in one or two different hospitals, or floating down some river trussed up and heading for the open sea, don't mention my name, I have an alibi.

I was on here talking to you while wearing a self satisfied smug grin!

Something Nice

I've been getting too cynical these days, but I'm sure nobody has noticed as usually I am so nice and hide it very well. However I decided just a minute ago to follow the prompting to 'stop hating everything' and say something nice. So I shall.

As I toddled up the old railway on my bike early this morning I enjoyed the early morning sun, remarkably warm for this time, the blue sky, almost cloudless, and the greenery full of chattering birdies. I also enjoyed the emptiness as all too often this is the time the women take the dog for his walk, I suspect the holiday means so many of them have gone of for a few days, how lovely- for us! An occasional jogger puffed by, moving slower than an MP admitting he fiddled his allowances, and one man, struggling on his bike up the slope like I was, passed by with a grunted cheery greeting. Few others were to be seen and that is how I like it. This way it is possible to stop and just sit there, breathing in mouthfuls of flying beasties, among the dappled sunlight and listen to the quiet sounds all around. A squirrel rustling the leaves as he chews on his breakfast and then scuttles high above leaping with no hesitation from one thin tree branch to another, the robins which seem to abound just now singing loudly from a branch, stopping only to observe my movement and then continuing happily. Wood pigeons chase one another, crashing about the district with similar consideration for the neighborhood seen in drunks leaving public houses, and a frog suddenly appears from nowhere sitting in the path, oblivious to the danger from great hairy lumps on bikes! In short, this old railway is just lovely!

To avoid the heart strain caused by too much exertion in a fat slobs body I turned at the far end instead of continuing like my mind wanted to do. There are innumerable things my mind has wished to do in recent days that my body refuses to co-operate in, although some would say that is a good thing! For many years my mind and body were often in agreement as to what ought to be done, although innumerable others disagreed with us. Such is life! It must be stated that my mind is often at odds with my mind itself all to often these days. I suppose a combination of age and genetic stupidity are probably to blame there.

The mind was alert on the way back however when I came across, almost literally, a tiny blue tit which was shaking the wings and posting himself in the middle of the pathway. As I cogitated what to do here the mother, or perhaps father, appeared and began to feed the mite. Having completed the duty the parent flew off again to search for the next course. At this time of year the parents will be busy sometimes having seven or eight chicks to feed at one time! Thousands of caterpillars, insects of all kinds, and most probably peanuts from feeders in folks gardens, go towards rearing these delightful cheeky birds. Delightful is the word unless they have pecked their way through the top of your milk bottle of course! I wandered what to do with the little bird and as I was afraid he had yet to develop a fear of the outside world I gently place my front wheel around him as a form of protection. He just sat there trustingly! Another bike came towards me and I informed the rider what I was doing, he just passed by understanding what was happening and avoided crashing into the bushes at the side. The bird sat still apart from the fast shaking wings. i eventually coaxed him into the side hoping the woman with the big mutt coming along behind me did not let her brute near my bird. Hopefully he will have escaped into the grass and one day produce his own brood.

There, that's nice.