Swedish Cider and Seals

It's rare I wear a football t-shirt.  For today I have a Swedish yellow and blue Kopparberg labelled one.  I won it four years ago when Bootleggers was actually Alley Cat in Belfast.  All I did was buy a Kopparberg and place my name into a draw.  After that my friend Eimer and I went to see Red Lights starring Cillian Murphy and Robert De Niro.

With Eurovision being this evening, I have my refrigerator full of Swedish cider (and a couple of lagers that Kopparberg have struck up).  Once I finish this library session I should have to grab snacks and dash home to clean any tiny fragments of dust.

One is expecting guests.

Last night David, Claire and I were at the Black Box for a Quiz on Black Books.  It would all be too easy become like Bernard (Dylan Moran) in his outlook on life.  He relies on cynicism, alcohol and cigarettes for pleasure.  He rarely washes.  His knowledge of the outside world is limited due to his reading.

Actually sometimes I would prefer to be like that.

And last night I found myself pretty much in that scope.

Minus the cigarettes.

Once Claire and David had got up at the same time.  Me left alone with my bottle of red wine.  Enjoying the ambiance and lack of light.  Before one girl at a nearby table caught my eye.

She said something I couldn't make out.

"Sorry?" I asked.

Again she spoke.  Not a word reached me.

"I'm sorry I..."

Here she stood up.  Brought herself closer to me.  And had in each hand one item

One was a napkin.  With childish hieroglyphics stating something about animals.

The other was a mobile phone.  And she had a video to show me.  It involved two types of animals.  One was a seal.  The other was either a Panda or a Penguin.  At this point I had several installments of red wine.  So the memory of this is altered.

Both animals were very sweet.

And adorable.

And energetic.

As well as being in touch with their animal instincts.

The Seal managed to grab one of the other animals and, without consent, had a One Afternoon Stand.

Naughty seal.

"Awww," I said.

"Aww?" said the girl.  "Aww?  You think a raping Seal is cute.  That's horrendous.  That's..."

"You can go away now," I said.  I wasn't going to be bothered about a tiny video that is featured on YouTube.  These animal videos show up all the time.  And whatever your reaction, it's not someone's place to curve it or criticize it.  That's why when you like or dislike a film, it's not someone's place to change it.

I was just surprised at myself for getting to a point of impatience.  And instead of spending what could have twenty minutes of this girl speaking nonsense, I just got rid of her.

What a bastard I am.

I may start drinking more.

Haunting Libraries

With me only working one job now I can focus on my writing.

And reading.

Maybe my family.

If they behave.

It also means I have to be conscience of my budget.  'Free' is the optimum word.

Which is why I'm glad to report I'm sitting in a library.  Which is free.  The chance to type up blogs and personal writing.  The access to BBCRadio3, BBCRadio6 and YouTube playlists is all inspiring.

And there are two books beside me which I can hire out.  Recently I've been trying to read lengthy novels.  But I'm not absorbing them.  This has always been a problem of mine.  I take on these doorstopper sized books and brace myself to swallow them as quickly as possible.  The disadvantage is I miss several plot points.  The whole series of A Song of Ice and Fire had me swimming in details that I either swallowed some without realizing it and choked later on because it was a pivotal point that was only highlighted when another character mentioned it.

This is bad.

I used to pride myself on various volumes and getting through them.

So it's only wise to start off with smaller volumes.  I have Evelyn Waugh and P.G. Wodehouse.  They should be light enough.

I'm just glad I have a selection of books available here.  It's not like my own.  It will always alter.  Some will be taken away.  Others will added.  Unlike my own collection which may stay the same for the next decade - because ultimately I shouldn't need to buy another book for the rest of my life.

Mother told me the weather in Belfast was to be superb today.  And it is.  By classic Belfast standards.  It's drizzly.  But breezy.  Refreshing.  After the huge heat wave we received over the weekend.  Typical that I was working in the cinema.  A place full of dark rooms and hot popcorn.

Then again as a teenage I was a reclusive soul.  So there's a degree of comfort I gain from that.

With Eurovision appearing this weekend, the excitement is on.

Which is why I typed in 'Scandanavian Pop' into YouTube and took the first playlist on the menu.

This year it's held in Sweden.  Now I believe Sweden's entry last year wasn't that strong.  The success was down to the artist, Måns Zelmerlöw being awfully good looking.  Or at least I believe.  My vote last year went to Belgium's entry, Loïc Nottet.  Mainly because I didn't like it initially - and yet when I saw him perform live, I was won over.

Eurovision is practically Christmas at my place.  Every year I will drink a native item from whichever country it's set in.  And whosoever wishes can pop along to my place.

I suppose because of a dwindling budget, Eurovision is the quickest and most cost effective insight on what Europe is getting up to.  So for this year it's either seeing Stockholm as a pretty haven for music.  Instead of a breeding ground for sinister crimes.

Then again I have to admit Scandinavian crimes can be sexy.