Flu Jab for BBC ALBA

 

Early this morning I took myself round the corner for the Flu Jab.  Last year they gave this jab alongside the pneumonia one, a fortnight later I had a cold that lasted until May!  I await this year with trepidation. Today this was a case of joining the chilled people outisde the surgery, called in one door, ticked off a list, told to stand on the yellow mark, then ordered in, identified, jacket off, needle in, jacket on, out the other door and off to Sainsburys.

It all took around two minutes and the line was moving along happily.  I did suggest she spoke quietly when saying "You are over 65..."  but she refused to believe I was 32!  The girls in Sainsburys took a  smilar attitude in spite of my youthful looks. They did not believe I was blonde either, claiming my hair was gray.

I did not try this in the Butchers, not with those knives around. As I filled my freezer I noticed one butcher was butchering an entire sheep, I commented that it is many years since I have seen an actual animal in the flesh, or what flesh was left of it in any shop.  All comes in plastic packets today.  I clearly remember the butcher in Granton Road, sawdust on the floor for the blood, a long line of cows and sheep hanging from hooks on the wall beside us, and the man scribbling a note which mum passed to the lass behind a glass frame who took her money.  Cash being considered unhygenic!  This local butcher is very hygenic, and indeed well worth going to.  The shop is part of a chain in this area and moved in a couple of years ago when the previous man closed down, they have several shops in other towns, and his meat is worth having.  I did not ask for pies.

Now my freezer is full, meat lies awaiting in the fridge, so what could I have for tea?  Chips and tinned salmon!  Too tired to cook!

 

This afternoon I had a happy time watching the Heart of Midlothian dispose of a worthy Greenock Morton side at Cappilow.  Now it was claimed the last time we were there was 33 years ago!  I was last there a good few years before that, and there was no grass to speak off on the pitch in those days.  

Today however I ventured there by PPV TV.  A great idea that allows us to pay a small amount (£14 I paid this week, to see the game.  The fact that the thing switched itself off FOUR times before kick off did not endear me to the situation, others also suffering stalled pictures and blank screen.  No replay came to our cries.  However when the game began the picture remained constant and all was good, or as good as PPV TV can make it.

One thing stood out for me was that the camera used covered the football match!  By that I mean it watched the game, it did not desperately seek out the back of the managers head, needless replays, close up's of the back of players heads, more replays and following a player when the ball is in action rather than watch the game!    

This indeed was exactly what occurred when later I watched Motherwell disintigrate while playing Hibs.  I say watched, but I mean watched a collection of video Pannini stickers as BBC ALBA insisted on ignoring the game, as they usually do, instead searching out individual players for meaningless baloney from the Gaelic speaking commentators who ignore the actual game in front of them!

I sometimes feel this is done to force people to attend games in person, even now.

The PPV is a great idea, which I hope can be extended, some problems remain however.  The camera is I believe one of those 'A1' things, set to follow the ball.  This caused problems at one game when the camera insisted in following the bald head of the referee!  Maybe he ought to wear a cap?

Sky and Premier, it must be said, are just as bad.  Following the game is less important than the tabloid Hack seeking a story when none exist.

Bah!