Sunday, November 22
UK Walking - Take a new look at youself?
So. Back in front of this fag ash littered keyboard. Once more banging down on random keys with a vague hope that something literate, informative, perhaps even entertaining, pops up on your screen to brighten up your day.
Well somebody out there may benefit from my increasingly occasional wittering.
There's not a lot to report from the Great Outdoors at present. Well not as far as this Blogger is concerned.
A recent job role change means I now see far more of the UK during the hours of daylight. Which for one such as myself who hates Autumn's shortening days - well it must be a bonus.
On the down side, any sights I do see are part of a rush from one area of the UK to another. 60-70 hours weeks. Long & frequent hands-free telephone conversations whilst driving. A continual juggling of people, places, and e-mail catch-up 7 days a week. The result? An inevitable disinclination to spend any of my brief free time sat in front of a computer.
I'd hoped the thinking time during long drives would prove productive with article ideas & reflections.
In fact my day to day existence has become such a pressure pot that the 'me' space, source of my creative side, has quietly slipped into dormancy. A reaction to a semi-exhausted body, and a mind full of business matters and related chaff.
A certain lifestyle madness has now slipped into the driving seat. Temporarily.
But I can see the little bugger smirking back at me. And I do know its game, from past encounters.
I have ways to overcome & defeat it, given time.
But for the present I let it steer, awaiting that moment when my internal energies get to grips with the situation and come out kicking and spitting. To strike the interloper in the goolies, and send it packing, bent double and moaning loudly in defeat.
Its not all doom & gloom.
Over the years I've learnt to take the knocks of hard times by keeping an eye out for small benefits along the way.
A short chat about the Wicklow Mountains area with someone who lives on the edge of the National Park, provides personal insight about the Wicklow Way. Later a few minutes of flight wait time at Dublin Airport is used to confirm a direct coach connection from the airport - a trip of around an hour.
With potential for free air travel to Ireland, Powerscourt Waterfall looks a tempting visit.
At another location, the tedium of a long and complex business meeting is lightened by the view of sunset crossing the Cleeve Hill range, an area previously unknown to me. That evening a few minutes on the Internet reveal possibilities for evening sorties in the new year, once the days draw out once again. Once more, any travel costs courtesy of my gadabout wanderings.
Local knowledge, easily provided, is always a useful guide. Even if the people supplying it seem to take their area for granted.
And don’t we all?
With the sea a couple of miles away, a choice of river systems, and the New Forest ten minutes drive, I've been guilty of taking the same approach at times.
I know why that state has come about. But perhaps the saying "Travel broadens the mind" has some unusual spin-offs on this occasion?
True my seemingly constant journeying is reinforcing my long held belief that there is so very much to do outdoors in the UK. Mostly with easy access.
So maybe its time I took a new look at my own back yard once more?
But enough for now. This pesky note, originally a short courtesy jotting on my recent lack of Blogging activity, seems to have once again spawned a life of its own in trying to run off to play with thoughts and words, as the story unrolls.
Time to switch off the monitor; Power down the pc; And pick up a good book to escape into far from electronic temptation, and tired cliché ridden entertainment.Labels: walks
Comments:
Top Notch John - Top Notch (and the capitals are important here).
Grab every opportunity that this 'free' travel provides.
Well John, with the winter months approaching I may well be wandering down your way once more. Currently I am waiting for the weather to settle down a tad. As you may have noticed, my last foray over the border was rather wet. Really I prefer the winter drier and hopefully cold with some snow and ice
#
posted by 
: 22/11/09 9:27 pm
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Well somebody out there may benefit from my increasingly occasional wittering.
There's not a lot to report from the Great Outdoors at present. Well not as far as this Blogger is concerned.
A recent job role change means I now see far more of the UK during the hours of daylight. Which for one such as myself who hates Autumn's shortening days - well it must be a bonus.
On the down side, any sights I do see are part of a rush from one area of the UK to another. 60-70 hours weeks. Long & frequent hands-free telephone conversations whilst driving. A continual juggling of people, places, and e-mail catch-up 7 days a week. The result? An inevitable disinclination to spend any of my brief free time sat in front of a computer.
I'd hoped the thinking time during long drives would prove productive with article ideas & reflections.
In fact my day to day existence has become such a pressure pot that the 'me' space, source of my creative side, has quietly slipped into dormancy. A reaction to a semi-exhausted body, and a mind full of business matters and related chaff.
A certain lifestyle madness has now slipped into the driving seat. Temporarily.
But I can see the little bugger smirking back at me. And I do know its game, from past encounters.
I have ways to overcome & defeat it, given time.
But for the present I let it steer, awaiting that moment when my internal energies get to grips with the situation and come out kicking and spitting. To strike the interloper in the goolies, and send it packing, bent double and moaning loudly in defeat.
Its not all doom & gloom.
Over the years I've learnt to take the knocks of hard times by keeping an eye out for small benefits along the way.
A short chat about the Wicklow Mountains area with someone who lives on the edge of the National Park, provides personal insight about the Wicklow Way. Later a few minutes of flight wait time at Dublin Airport is used to confirm a direct coach connection from the airport - a trip of around an hour.
With potential for free air travel to Ireland, Powerscourt Waterfall looks a tempting visit.
At another location, the tedium of a long and complex business meeting is lightened by the view of sunset crossing the Cleeve Hill range, an area previously unknown to me. That evening a few minutes on the Internet reveal possibilities for evening sorties in the new year, once the days draw out once again. Once more, any travel costs courtesy of my gadabout wanderings.
Local knowledge, easily provided, is always a useful guide. Even if the people supplying it seem to take their area for granted.
And don’t we all?
With the sea a couple of miles away, a choice of river systems, and the New Forest ten minutes drive, I've been guilty of taking the same approach at times.
I know why that state has come about. But perhaps the saying "Travel broadens the mind" has some unusual spin-offs on this occasion?
True my seemingly constant journeying is reinforcing my long held belief that there is so very much to do outdoors in the UK. Mostly with easy access.
So maybe its time I took a new look at my own back yard once more?
But enough for now. This pesky note, originally a short courtesy jotting on my recent lack of Blogging activity, seems to have once again spawned a life of its own in trying to run off to play with thoughts and words, as the story unrolls.
Time to switch off the monitor; Power down the pc; And pick up a good book to escape into far from electronic temptation, and tired cliché ridden entertainment.
Labels: walks
Top Notch John - Top Notch (and the capitals are important here).
Grab every opportunity that this 'free' travel provides.
Grab every opportunity that this 'free' travel provides.
Well John, with the winter months approaching I may well be wandering down your way once more. Currently I am waiting for the weather to settle down a tad. As you may have noticed, my last foray over the border was rather wet. Really I prefer the winter drier and hopefully cold with some snow and ice
Post a Comment
#
posted by : 22/11/09 9:27 pm
: 22/11/09 9:27 pm
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