Landers

I went to the doctor yesterday and have it semi-confirmed that I have Swine Flu.

Joy!

She examined me and listening to my chest and then said that given all the symptoms it was quite obviously swine flu. “Without swabs and tests I can’t confirm it but I assure it’s swine flu!” she said.

I have a antibiotics to fight the infection and stop it turning into pneumonia but she wouldn’t give me anything to fight the virus as she says it’s too late. She’s also given me steroids to help with my breathing as on occasion I don’t seem to do it so well.

I’ve had colds before and when I was little I actually had proper real influenza (spent a week or so in hospital in a big plastic tent with no contact from anyone!) but I don’t ever remember feeling as ill as I do now.

Occasionally it feels like the inside of my head is spinning and then I get a buzzing sound in my ears. My eyes get a bit bugged out and my nose is totally blocked. I feel so incredibly weak, to the point that even typing this takes more energy than I currently have available. It takes me an age to get warm and when I finally do I’m too hot and it takes just as long to cool down. My throat feels itchy and it hurts to cough.

I’ve had man-flu and gay flu but nothing compares to this.

On a more positive note I have discovered a new colour. When you look at it you think it’s green but the more you look the more it becomes brown and then on closer inspection it appears red before returning to green. It’s am amazing effect and I’ve yet to think of a name for it. It’s best I not tell you how I found it.

There was a time, back in the day, when I used to make short films. I’d advertise for actors and extras, find locations, and turn a short script or joke into a five or ten minute film.

I actually have a feature length film in the planning but after having the funding refused a couple of times I decided to put it on the back-burner, as they say, and reapply at some other time.

I think now is that time, but I also think it’s been that long since I’ve actually done anything along these lines that I need to get back in to the swing of things.

So, with that in mind I’ve decided to make a couple of short films and enter them into a couple of film festivals. I’ve entered some of my other works into festivals before and won a couple of awards at times, a fact I’m quite proud of and will happily display (brag about) on any curriculum vitae I attach to any future projects.

I’ve already got the story for my first short film sorted. It’s a short story by someone most of my viewers will know quite well. I’m not going to mention names, that’s up the author but I’ve spoken to them and have their full permission to use the story and they’ve even offered to help out here and there. I’m quite glad they’ve offered as it saves me begging in a couple of weeks when things don’t seem to sound as good as they should and it’ll all be because I’ve made some stupid mistake somewhere. Many of you won’t believe this but there are times I’m wrong you know.

All I have to do now is turn it into a script, organise a shooting schedule, find the locations and get the actors! Editing will be easy, music will be okay-ish and I even have a gimmick to ensure it’s entry into festivals! I’m not revealing the gimmick just yet as it’s something I want to be revealed at the very end of the short film, in the credits or such like.

I’ll keep you updated on here and on the soon-to-be-redeveloped-website and may even give some of you a preview. There is a small eighty seater cinema in Galway I can hire and I’m very tempted to have a “premiere” just for the hell of it!

So, anyone fancy acting? I’m looking for young woman, she is the only speaking part (this may and probably will change as the time goes), and loads of extras. The only requirements are that you can get to Galway and own something black! Let me know.

As seen here.

1. Have you ever taken part in a demonstration?
Yes.  It was fun.

2. Is there an issue you’d protest against no
When isn’t there an issue I’d protest again?  I love soup in a polystyrene cup and standing round a burning oil drum!

3. Through-out history there has been an event that has lead to every day at one point or another being called “Bloody.” What’s the worst day of the week for you?
I don’t really have one as my work is seven days a week.  I don’t work seven days a week though!  Does any of that make sense?

4. There have actually been eleven Bloody Sunday events around the world, the last one (1972) leading to a song by U2. Which world wide event would you like to see a song written for?
I wouldn’t.  I can’t abide tribute songs and shit like that.

5. The one person I’d like to see in prison is …………………… for the crime of … ?
I have a real issue answering this as there are so many people I’d like to see in prison for various crimes

Stitches out today.

Relax in the bath they said.

Want to see the results? It’s not pretty. You’ve been warned.

Click here – Picture 1 Picture 2

Now I have a splitting headache.

So today we headed off to Enniskillen in Northern Ireland. For those of you that don’t know (and yes there are some surprisingly) Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom but Southern Ireland (the Republic of Ireland) is not, it’s a whole separate country. Bert and I live in the Republic.

On the radio last week they talked about how people are travelling “up north” to do their shopping, christmas and general grocery. I decided this sounded like a good idea so thought we should give it a try.

Enniskillen is only a couple of hours away from where we live and interestingly enough my maternal grandmother and all her family are from there so it was an extra special trip for me.

We set off around 7.30am and got to Tesco for 10am. We didn’t even realise we’d gone across the border until we saw the PSNI station in Belcoo. The PSNI is the Police Service for Northern Ireland. They didn’t want to be known as the Northern Ireland Police Service. The PSNI station is incredible. It’s like a small prison! It certainly makes you feel unwelcome as you enter the UK but it’s a left over from the troubles and as a border station has blast walls and bullet proof glass.

The Tesco store was laid the same as any Tesco store I’ve been in so we, thankfully, knew which aisles to head for.

Our purpose was to buy birthday, christmas and anniversary gifts and once we’d done that we’d do a bit of grocery shopping.

We had a nice slow walk round Tesco and then over to Asda and then into the Erneside Shopping Centre and by the time we’d finished we’d got a car full of goodies and sore feet.

The trip home took longer than the trip there as we missed two turns and really had no idea where we were going.

We unloaded the car in the rain and then loaded up with the stuff we need for tonight and tomorrow as we’re staying with Mr & Mrs Duggan tonight and tomorrow Helen and I are having a baking day.

So there you have my day and I bet you’re wondering why we travelled north to do our shopping given that we live in a very beautiful part of Ireland with every shop you could imagine. Well the cost was the issue.

I’ve already been told how I’m not supporting the Irish economy by doing this and I agree that I’m not but I have my reasons. I’m currently paying a pension levy on my pension contributions in my wages on a pension I will never get. This started in April of this year. In January we got hit with a 1% income charge to try and stabilise the economy and, as we all knew and expected, this failed hence the pension levy. Sadly the pension levy is only for those of is in the public service and in December we’re going to get hit by more taxes. In one year my income has gone down by 12% and even though the government tell me that the cost of living has gone down and I can assure them it’s not.

Fuel (petrol, diesel and heating oil) has all gone up, milk and butter has all gone up and alcohol has gone up. This list is not exhaustive. The only things I know that have down are house prices (we not buying yet), rental house prices (ours hasn’t!) and clothing prices.

Great, so the cost of clothing has gone down but the cost of food has gone up! It’s just as well it’s that was round so I can afford to buy new clothes as I get thin from not being to afford to eat.

Cowen and his fucking cronies can tell me as much as they want that the cost of living has come down but the people they really need to tell are the shops! Maybe they’ll reduce their prices then and prove him right! Until then my taxes think he’s a lying cunt, just like the lying leader before him (I’m stating opinion there – mine, no one else’s! I’m allowed to state my opinion!)

So once we’d bought all our christmas (and etc) gifts we bought some things from ourselves.

I’d now like to share five items from our shopping trolley.

1 x 250g Kenco Really Smooth Instant coffee.
20 x Tubes of Pringles*.
6 x 900g Tin of Cadbury’s Heroes
1 x 1ltr Smirnoff Red Label Vodka
1 x 1ltr Teachers Whiskey.

The coffee cost £2.49, the Pringles were £1 per tube, the Heroes were £5 per tin and the alcohol was £20 for the two (on offer).

In total (just those items) cost us £72.49.

In Tesco Ireland same items have a very different cost! The coffee is €4.50, the Pringles are €2.49, the Heroes are €12.49, the Vodka is €29.99 and the whisky is €22.49. There is no offer on the alcohol in Tesco Ireland.

That total would have been €181.72.

In sterling that’s £162.40. That’s a saving of £89.91 which is over €100!

Should we really shop in Tesco Ireland? I think not! This trip will now become a once-a-month spin. Not just for the shopping but so I can find my relatives!

* We bought 20 because they were so cheap!