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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI decided – in a rare and frightening instance of actually feeling up for it – to mow the back garden. I wrestled the mower from the shed, got ready, cast my eyes over the busier patches of grass… and not only realised something <\/strong>(possibly the cat, though possibly foxes) had pooped there, I also realised I had trodden <\/strong>in the offending material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was an unpleasant experience, and it led to my shoes going into the washing machine. I could do without any further hijinks along those lines!<\/p>\n\n\n\n A decadent chocolate brownie that evening soothed my frayed nerves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eww, People<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n After a relatively peaceful day off, I came back to work to face various demands upon my time, which meant dealing with that most irritating of creatures: the British public. A few quotes later and I was exhausted, which I guess is a byproduct of A: not wanting to deal with the British public and B: continuing to recover from a cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I really need that big lottery win. Forget all the flashy new stuff, big new house or luxury holidays, a big lottery win would mean less of dealing with the public, and that<\/strong> is the biggest and best incentive to buy a ticket!<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Work Infects Your Brain<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Such is the impact of my job on my thinking that I had a dream where I was helping my brother and sister-in-law to design a new bathroom for their home. In the event they decide to get a new bathroom, they won’t need my help; my sister-in-law knows a thing or two about this field, and so I’m quietly confident I won’t be involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The dream was quite detailed, with discussions around plans, the ripping up of flooring, and examinations of boxed in pipes. In many respects, the dream could actually be considered rather sad. I am now dreaming about work. I can think of a million other things I’d rather dream about. It’s really yet another sign for the fates to intervene and grant me that big lottery win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Cock Cookie<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n My daughter recently decided she wanted to make biscuits, and she duly did. They were very nice, especially once covered in vanilla icing. She did however decide one of them needed an extra special bit of decorating…<\/p>\n\n\n Pausing the Dream<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As of right now, I am pausing my writing efforts. My books aren’t gaining any form of traction, and my attempts to find a new publisher are going nowhere. I do not have the energy or the confidence to keep at this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I should note that I am not abandoning<\/strong> my efforts. I am postponing them. If I gain traction with a publisher, I will push all the harder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Is the World a Dumpster Fire?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It certainly feels like it is. There are some crazy, scary and downright evil things going on at the moment, and whilst I part of me feels I should be bringing some of that to light, I just don’t have the motivation to dig into the dregs of humanity and write about it. It’s emotionally and psychologically exhausting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There isn’t a lot I can do except scream into the void. I would scream into the abyss, but the abyss is meant for staring into, not shouting. You upset it if you shout into it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Greatest Cheats<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There’s been a lot in the news about Manchester City football club. In short, they have been found guilty of 114 rule violations, over a period of several years, which has cast serious doubt over the legitimacy of several trophies they won in that era. Some fans of rival clubs have suggested they be stripped of their prizes. Others believe that they should forever be considered tarnished. Some clubs are considering legal action over considerable lost revenue from prize money City effectively stole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The whole saga has rumbled on for a very long time, and it seems that City will appeal, which could drag it out even longer. Then again, there will be pressure to get this wrapped up quickly. Regardless of when punishments are handed out, it looks like City’s dynasty will be left in tatters, and if they are given hefty fines, if other clubs persue for compensation, and if they are relegated to lower leagues, all of that will have a huge affect on their revenue stream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n City fans are up in arms on Twitter, suggesting the Premier League needs them more than the club neads the Premier League. I dare say that they are vastly overestimating City’s importance. The Premier League provided plenty of drama and excitement before City cheated their way to the top. It will provide plenty after they are gone. The big question remains: what will their punishment be? Points deductions seem too mild, it needs to be something that serves as an actual punishment, or it will be meaningless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trying Times<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n What is it with irritating and awkward customers of late?! Their timing sucks, and their attitude also sucks. Plus, why do they insist on bringing their annoying little goblins (kids) with them?! In the midst of dealing with stressful stuff regarding my daughter, I do not need snark from the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That big lottery win is long overdue. Whoever keeps claiming my winnings needs to give them to me!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dreamscapes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n I’m not particularly sure where this dream came from, and I think it was actually two dreams, separated by experiences not yet had, and experiences had some time ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first half (or first dream) involved going to see comedian Jimmy Carr live on stage. It was a small setting, in what seemed to be a school hall rather than a theatre, and Jimmy answered questions as well as telling jokes. I don’t recall the questions or the jokes, but if I could, I doubt my brain would have conjured the sort of material Jimmy Carr is capable of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The next half (or second dream) saw me visit the home of an old friend, where we sat and played video games for a while. I haven’t actually spoken to this guy for years, so the dream popped up out of nowhere. It’s not like we fell out or anything, we simply wound up living different lives, and drifted apart. The dream did give me cause to wonder if I should reach out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eww, People, The Redux<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n Saturday was yet another day with a regular flow of people, and typically with more at once than the showroom is equipped to handle. With three of us in (reduced to two in the afternoon for a home measure), and with appointments to deal with, there is inevitably an unfortunate set of circumstances where not everyone can be seen to. It’s frustrating, but it’s the nature of retail sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I still maintain everything would be better if I won the lottery and could retire. Well, better for me at least! Honestly, not feeling like I can grab five minutes to gather my thoughts is aggravating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More Dream Stuff<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n An initially restless Saturday night eventually collapsed into a dream where I was acting as a short of shepherd for three pregnant women, all of whom were due the next day! I rode with them in a taxi to a hospital, only I was wary of this, as the hospital was in the USA. Maybe my dream reflects my bias here, but the interior of the hospital had fast food restaurants, and an extremely commercial feeling to the place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I bid farewell and good luck to the expectant mothers (one of whom, it turned out, was a nurse), and watched people queue up to get donuts and burgers (somehow, I don’t think this is standard fare, even in US hospitals!), and then got into a brief discussion with a random guy who told me I wouldn’t be able to handle the NFL, which was playing on a TV screen in a hospital shop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I advised him he was right: I’d fall asleep out of boredom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I then woke up, thanks to the rude interruption of the alarm. I was left dismayed at the realisation I had not won the lottery, and would therefore face another day at work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trying to find the Groove<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I am not feeling massively motivated to write at the moment, and that’s probably been reflected in the output – or lack thereof – of Meerkat Musings. There’s a bunch of topics I could<\/strong> write about, but I suspect I’d merely start arguments I have no appetite for. I’ve also been scratching around the edges of my book projects, but even there, my desire to write has been dampened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That said, I have been doing some recent… let’s call it exploratory work.I’ve put to metaphorical pen to paper on a few projects, in the hopes of inching forward. It’s tough when you really don’t feel like it, but sometimes you have to write through the pain, as it were.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Constant Pain<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I don’t know what I’ve managed to do to my left shoulder, but of late I have been in constant pain. Of course, I have done that classic bloke trick of not getting it seen to, because ignoring it till it goes away is a perfectly viable tactic, right? Right?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I ought to get it dealt with. The pain is presently manageable, but it’s persistent. As always, it’s a question of time and hassle. I don’t especially like going to the doctor’s at the best of times, and I don’t particularly want to end up in a situation that requires invasive treatment. Then again, ignoring an issue until it gets really serious isn’t smart. I should bite the bullet and get it done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Random Scaffolding Attempt<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There was a knock at the door the other day, from someone contracted to put scaffolding up around the front of our house, in order to check the guttering and do some maintenance. I have no problem with that, except the local council did not advise us this was happening! Without confirmation of it, it could have been anyone doing this for any reason, so we had to respectfully decline the work. It remains to be seen when it will be rescheduled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eww, People, The Third<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n Yet again, I had to suffer the scourge of customers who showed up late, and proceeded to lazily take their time to finalise a purchase, waiting right up till closing time to actually sit down and complete their order. This meant everyone got out of work late. It wasn’t like we were late by a lot, but it’s the principle. I swear this particular couple took their time on purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our opening hours are clearly advertised. Show some awareness of them, and of how those of us working in retail have lives outside of the shop. We want to get home at a reasonable hour too. If you’re running late, don’t make everyone else late too. Be more organised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So concludes a rather tepid Muse cycle. I can’t say it offered great moments of excitement or activity. We shall see if the next one is more interesting!<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/meerkatmusings.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260926_174054-768x1024.jpg\")
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