Returns

Hi,, Earlier in the week and having saved up my pocket money especially, I thought I’d take a punt on buying another pair of shoes. I liked the look – good job, otherwise it would’ve been a daft purchase 🙂 – and felt confident, given a previous pair was both a lovely style and comfort. The latter two things are not often said about heels. Thanks to the luck of a day on my own, I was able to wear them for more than five minutes and I think, they will now be going back. They are a little too short in the toe box 😟 So, even sat down, I could feel my big toe against the end of […]

Read more

Lessons Learned: Part IX – Nails

The other night after closing up Chams HQ, I was sat in my car removing my nail polish. Having fancy nails is something I enjoy and as I switched from fab to drab, I realised I’d not written anything about nails in the Lessons Learned series. First off, let’s get the usual disclaimer out of the way, in that this post is based on my own experiences in muddling through life. I am not recieving any kick backs from any products I mention. Shame, as honesty lets you sleep well, even if it doesn’t pay to keep the heating on 😉 The Choices Over the years I’ve tried the following with various levels of success and, uhh, could-do-better. 🙂 Nail […]

Read more

Blue skies and Birkenstocks

Hi, I’m clocking off work a little early today due to a few early starts and late finishes. At least, that’s the excuse I’m using 😉 This week gone I’ve had the pleasure of lunchtime walks under bright blue skies. Occasionally, a little nippy, but so much better than being stuck in an office. While I’m not one for hot weather – at least certainly not if I’ve got to do anything like working, studying, housework, gaming, etc. – the current situation is just right. That and the views of the rolling hills of south Nottinghamshire, hedgerows in bloom, wild flowers, and – if you can get away from the roads – birdsong. All very much ‘reasons to be cheerful’. […]

Read more

An academic exercise

Hi, It was reported in the news that Richard Dawkins – author and humanist – recently posted this on his Twitter account: In 2015, Rachel Dolezal, a white chapter president of NAACP, was vilified for identifying as Black. Some men choose to identify as women, and some women choose to identify as men. You will be vilified if you deny that they literally are what they identify as. Discuss. Richard Dawkins After receiving criticism, he added: “I do not intend to disparage trans people. I see that my academic ‘Discuss’ question has been misconstrued as such and I deplore this. It was also not my intent to ally in any way with Republican bigots in US now exploiting this issue.” […]

Read more

Ride

Hi, I’ve been struggling to write a post this week. Not for any momentous reason, but the usual suspects of tiredness and a somewhat busier than usual few days at work. But, perhaps, the truth of it is some posts are hard to write. The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your doors, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love instead see all of us as ONE Bill Hicks Perhaps I’m taking the late Mr Hicks’s words sightly out of context, but maybe he’ll overlook it this one time 😉 The fear of gay people over won’t someone think of the children?! lead us to the nonsense Section 28 in the 80s. Decades later, […]

Read more

Back in the room

Hi, It’s been a particularly good week at Chez Jones. Having the long Easter weekend off and an extra few days to make it a full week has been very pleasant. The kids needed time off after a full term. Although Wee Man’s A levels are not far off, bless him. Who’d be a teen again eh? 🙂 In the continuing Not Going Away of holidays, the Ever Lovely Mrs J and I have honed our local wanderings with the hounds, to six or so routes that can be extended subject to weather and our energy levels. We’re finding this keeps the variety going and stops walks becoming a plod, if that makes sense. That and knowing were the snickets […]

Read more