The Bells Have Made Me Deaf

The very mention of reality TV now promotes a reaction in me that I can only describe as the absolute uttermost flesh creeping disdain. *spit* I loathe reality TV. Loathe it to scorn. Gimme a shotgun and I’ll blast the tv while the whiney people are managing their ridiculous tasks in the name of entertainment. I just do not see the point of it. Maybe one program for one series wouldn’t have been so bad but they have to lay it on thick with endless repeats to the point of not being able to escape one reality or another if you turn the tele on at all. I tend not to use mine much and turn it off pretty fast if I get a wiff of Big Brother or any of the other reality shows that I proudly cannot name. The glimpses that I have unfortunately seen, while in a panic to find the remote, have left me in a state of utter confusion as to what the purpose is or what the world’s coming to.

What is so entertaining or educational (ha!) about watching a bunch of loveys shacked up together in a house, an island, a jungle or anywhere else? I DON’T GET IT… and I dont wish to be converted to that mind numbing appreciation club either so don’t try…. at least not while I’ve got paint to watch drying (or a partial eclipse to ignore)!!

Must be one of those strange ideas brought about by solar eclipse. Seem to be not working properly yet though. I wonder how many will use the BK Blogs when there are already so many other well established blog sites and or the choice of setting up an independant.

Blog and forum combined?? Hmmm… it’ll never catch on!

This mornings solar eclipse was missed entirely by me. I was otherwise occupied at the time and didn’t get to run out an look directly at the sun to see the partial effects visible all over Europe. I’m sure it was like any other solar eclipse. See one, you’ve seen them all and yet the Beeb headline still says World marvels at total eclipse. Ho hum…

This morning I slept through the alarm, or rather, in a semi zombified slumber, I reached out and banged it with clenched fist and rolled over. Most mornings that wouldn’t matter much. This morning I was supposed to be up bright and early to get a job finished and be in Bangor to meet someone at 5pm. Well, when I finally woke up at 11am I was already a couple of hours behind but still no need to panic. Then the phone started ringing. Yak yak yak… problems, needs, advice, queries. On any other day FINE, but not today. I eventually get down to it, still in good enough time and the machine starts playing up. I spend the next hour dismantling, cleaning and fiddling with it’s bits, screwing it back together and getting it to purrrrr. Time’s marching on. There is no way I’m going to make it to Bangor for 5pm, so I ring my excuses while walking the dog and tell a white lie. “I’m sorry I’m going to be a couple of hours late, I’ve had a breakdown.” Seemed better than saying “I’m sorry I’m going to be a couple of hours late, it’s just been one of those days”. I didn’t want to be labelled unreliable due to unforseen circumstances… so I opted for the white lie.

It was heading to sunset and I took the coast road. The scenic route, wishing I had a snazzy enough camera to capture the lighthouse on the Copeland Islands in the last of Tuesdays sunlight. I managed to hit the rescheduled appointment with ease. Overjoyed with what I’d done to their chair I walked away smiling that self satisfied smirk that only comes through making someone else happy, even if that happiness came a couple of hours late.

Home through Carrowdore. It was getting dark. I stopped off in Ballywalter to get something for dinner. A few necessities, nothing major. A mile further on, something hits the road and scrapes beneath the van. Thinking it’s the tyre rack dropped down, I drive on slowly until I get to a part of the road where passing traffic can see what’s oncoming. I only have a couple of miles to go to get home. I reckon that setting it back on the clip should hold it till I get there. I can tie it back up tomorrow. In the half light of dusk, I feel under the van for the fallen rack. Nothing is there. I take a look. No rack. Looking further under I see something on the road. It was the fuel tank! Brackets had rusted through. So now I really had a breakdown. Fate making truth out of my own utterances.

I rang the RAC. The lady declared, I’m afraid it’s a 90 minute waiting time for that area. I can wait 90 minutes without much fuss. Daydream the time away. So I sat with hazzards blinking in hypnotic metronome precision. 60 minutes passed and a big truck pulled up, hoisted the van onto the back and trundled me home. Narrow drive… truck couldnt get in he said, although I think the driver wanted home for his dessert. Unloaded me on the road and I had to get towed into the yard from there.

I’ve learned my lesson. No more white lies!

I woke up Saturday morning with that ominous razor blade in the throat announcement that something alien had invaded my body. As per usual I did the Lion, a yoga exercise that illiminates the razor blades every time. (Yes I know it looks scary/ridiculous but it really works.) All the other symptoms continue but no sore throat which is a always a boon. Yesterday was sweaty. Another good sign. This morning my face was stuck to the pillow. yeuk! Now all I need to do is expectorate what’s left of the invasion and things can get back to normal.

First cold I’ve had in yonks. It’s quite a novelty to be phlegm filled with a red nose and uncontrolable sneezing. Thankfully the stuff I’m working on is easy wipe vinyl. Hehe…

Achoooooooooooooo!

That’s a joke if the weather is anything to go by. It’s been lashing down here all day.

I could never see the point in changing the time twice a year. Apparently it’s something to do with farming and school children although I’m not sure exactly what it has to do with either. Other than having daylight in June until 11pm or later…. I cant see any benefits at all. The hour change throws my already strange sense of time keeping right out of sync for a few days until I get used to the idea that we’ve moved into a different time zone.

Then there’s the problem that other parts of the world seem to change at a different point in the calendar further adding to the confusion. What fool came up with the notion that daylight saving time (or whatever you want to call it) is in any way beneficial? Piffle!

Today’s news is that Jacques Chirac made the decision to walk out of an EU summit after a French business leader abandoned his mother tongue. For some reason that gesture led me to thinking about Ulster Scots.

My Aunt often told a story that tickled her about my great granny’s response to “How are you?” being “Guy lee bae thunkit”. That was the way the Larne yins talked. I suppose it explains how I was half familiar with some Ulster Scots words before I lived in any of the areas that use the language. My grandmother never lost her Larne accent even though she lived her entire married lifetime in Co. Armagh.

You can now take the test on the Ulster Scots Agency website to see if you’re the real McCoy!