...Other stuff...

....I have only just realised that I do infact have a phone with notes on, made in this past week, which have taken second place to the topic of Mark Cavendish and the World Championships (below). Although I am gulping at a cold coffee as i type this, I can now honestly state that i am not addicted to caffeine. On saturday, I enjoyed my own company, reading a book (David Millar autobiography, a hero) whilst at the cafe. I knew that I was about embark on a 24-hour - coffee free mission. I wanted to prove to not only myself, but others that I am not addicted. I feared the duration just in case that it turned out telling me I was an addict. As it happened, I almost went 25 hours caffeine free. I felt perfectly well and fine, proud of the fact that I felt no need for a coffee. I am not addicted (as I often argue). Perhaps a further test could be  48 hours, but i am not trying to give it up so no. I maintain that my lack of 'addiction' is due to the time of the day that I drink it. I am not used to drinking a coffee in mornings, so, I do not need a coffee in the mornings. I am used to drinking it when desired, maybe afternoons or evenings.

The only other note made this week was, to tell all of my millions of fans (you), to smile when you're walking down the street. Today, I got told that I'm 'always smiling', by a neighbour. Whilst I apologise for sounding very 'up myself', I want to tell everyone how important it is. A smile can last on forever through different people at different times. Although i am physically disabled, there is plenty for me to feel lucky about, knowing that the human mind is a wonderful thing, and therefore everyone should feel lucky. If you feel positive  about something, please pass your positive mood on. Smile, it's too good to forget. When you walk down the high street, make sure you're smiling.

  

Well done world champions, 'Team GB' - heroic masterclass

Enough said, but i'll continue. hehe. Watching the above race as a lifelong cycling fan, brought me so much joy. Experience told me that the complete dominance that the British team showed throughout the early part of the race, was always going to be hard to complete. Sure enough, watching live, I thought that the Australian team had taken over for the final sprint, yet Mark Cavendish unleashed a wild sprint, conquering all. Heroes Bradley Wiggins, David Millar et al, had completed their work successfully. Cavendish, the first British road-racing world champion of my lifetime, much happiness.

A week earlier i had seen him winning at The Tour of Britain, in London.

Thank you  

We've got to hold on.... against SHREWSBURY!!

Sorry about the title. I type as I listen despairingly to football commentary! I am an Arsenal fan, but i hold faith in Arsene, despite difficulties.

Right, anyway......
Sorry. My phone tells me that the first note is simply 'plastic bags'. It provides me with a chance to explain my simple theory. RE-CYCLE plastic bags. When one goes on a trip to Kingston town centre, shopping, carry-bags are offered at every shop, giving so much rubbish away. These simple bits of advertising, are often instantaneous rubbish, and so after we have the first bag, we do not need another. Reject the offer of surplus plastic bags. The Low Density PolyEthylene material is rarely recyclable, and it is non-biodegradable, so if requirement is negligible, please PLEASE refuse the 'offer' of being a free advert for the shop.

My next note is expressing my confusion. I do not really know how to feel by the fact that I am now used to being given seemingly totally random "hiya"s by various people out on the street. Whilst it is clear that no harm is intended, as said in a friendly way, it is sad that it often provides myself with a negative feeling. I often take it as a reminder that I am often seen by people as 'different'. As I am in a wheelchair, people so often work things down to 'the lowest common denominator'. I am immediately seen as someone who needs help. I can't walk, and therefore, people often assume that i can't think. Oh, whatever, sorry. I must accept what people see, is usually a wheelchair first, then, me.

Match finished. 3-1 phew!!
Although i gave instructions earlier, on how I believe we should act to best affect our environment/ecology, I mustn't. I have now learnt to accept, and have 'found peace' in knowing that I do what "I" can do for the environment/ecology. There are endless problems which exist on a large scale, but we must remember that we can only do what we can do. If enough people  act in a certain way, change can be made.

My final note this week, allows me to explain my love of the road racing bicycle. Essentially, I believe that  the bicycle is a simple, purely mechanical, beautiful design. I fear that it is in danger of being damaged by the popularity of  electronic gear shifting. The bicycle is a mechanical design, cars and motorbikes can use electronics NOT BICYCLES! I may have an old-fashioned view, but the bicycle is an old-fashioned design of beauty. I stop there.

      

meow!!.....

As many would know, i have a soft spot for feline friends. I took the above photo, on thursday, as i was on the way to work. I know not, who he/she belongs to, only that it greeted me as i was in a rush to grab an espresso and then the bus to Twickenham. I am quite aware that should a black cat cross your path in a certain direction, then you are blessed with good/bad luck (i don't know which way for which luck, irrelevant because i passed it, and the black cat did not cross my path, as the photo suggests). Anyway, as soon as i slightly spilt my espresso 5mins later, i knew that the black cat had worked his spell successfully on me, that was it, I was due no more bad luck from this meeting.

I often type on this blog as a form of therapy. If there is an issue on my mind, I will type part of it on this blog, and thankfully, I know that somewhere, sometime, someone will hear what is said (typed). I have passed through a temporary time of feeling a bit down, and all is ok, but, just like everyone else, my "life's an ocean, too much commotion, and too much emotion, dragging me down". There,  proof that music plays a big affect on me (Life's an Ocean, A Northern Soul, The Verve)

Anyway, when down, I often rely on my 'Get-Out clause' - 'I am lucky just to be here, so everything that happens is a positive for myself'. I also know that I should consider myself lucky that I can call on this clause. Most humans never do consider this. We are all lucky (like it or not). Something that may be considered a negative experience, is still an experience and therefore a positive.

Confused? I think I am, so I return to notes on my phone. I must admit that by telling far too many compliments too random good looking girls, i feel down. Whilst i tell myself it can only be good, providing people with compliments, i begin to feel that i am seen as 'the weirdo who has no chance'. So although, i feel that i am providing a positive, I MUST learn to keep my mouth shut. I must remember to accept fate, must stop trying to form my own and must stop aiming to reach my desired destiny. We only have so much force/power.

Sorry, I'll stop there. Take care,  

Bonjour!

I type this post, unusually on a sunday afternoon, but fear not I have just made and had a tasty cappucino so, as ever, no sense will be made.

Proof.

Anyway, sorry. It is a sunday afternoon, following a quiet morning involving recovery from the night prior.  There is no football this weekend, SO I am soooo bored! Notes on my phone that i have made recently.
I have a good joke that i want to share. It comes courtesy of my brother (thanks Dom).
"My girlfriend wants to finish with me, because of my Bi-Polar disorder. I don't know whether to laugh or cry."

Hohoho, right. I am quite used to being greeted by totally random elderly women when i am out and about. Now, this shouldn't really be an issue, as, no harm is meant, and often they may be an aid to the situation. It can however irritate me slightly as I am reminded that i've been singled out by them, as a 'special one' (not Jose), but as a wheelchair user and i am made aware that i am treated differently. hmmm.

Second note that i made was, yet again, from inside a cafe. There is no issue really, I just want to share my shock, and admit that i may be a solitary, lonely opinion holder, so wrong. Basically, earlier in the week, i was behind a gentleman in the queue who ordered his coffee in a cardboard cup, but then he preceded to explain that he would have "it in", and went and sat down with the disposable cup! I may be seen as a "whatever", but i was just left in severe shock. He unknowingly, had just acted completely against my rather strong view that I posted earlier in my blog (Sat 6th Aug). I was in shock.

I continue on a different topic in the same cafe. I want to admit that i could be seen as a pedantic perfectionist (I was on the way to my graphic design work, so this is allowed). Anyway, i was just re-arranging wooden blocks, into numeric order on the cafe bar. It sounds stupid but it really annoyed me the way they were stored went 1,2,3,5,8,4,6,7. It irritated me so much, I HAD to change it, so reached over the bar and did. It was afterwards that I realised how much stress i had been caused, by something so stupid. This is me admitting, 'cleaning the slate'.

As you will be able to tell, so much of this blog revolves around cafes. The three that I spend a lot of time in, here in Surbiton, are quite used (and some encourage)to me speaking French. I feel confident, speaking the language, but know that I am far from a fluent expert. It was whilst in Richmond on Friday, i was in a cafe speaking french, as they were French, I mistakenly called a glass, a spoon, and as i tried to correct myself, the staff understandably got frustrated. I need to remember when in England, I should speak English!

My third note has nothing to do with coffee. It simply states "acceptance". I think that i mean to refer to the unfortunate fact that almost five years on, I am very accepting of my situation, following the accident. Although this is clearly a good thing that is improving, I never want to fully accept, because i want to remain on my quest for improvement. If one fully accepts a situation, then nothing will change. I will not let this happen.