The lady who lives across the street from me is soon to have one of her hips replaced, and so, being the ‘good Samaritan’ that I am 🙄 I volunteered to drive her to the hospital for her pre-operation check-up.

I dropped her at the hospital which is about a fortyfive minute drive from my home and went off to have some breakfast at a nearby supermarket, thus avoiding the queue and the ridiculous parking charges at the hospital car park.

 “Call me on my mobile (cell) when you are ready to go home” I told her “and I’ll be back to pick you up in a couple of minutes”.

Just before we left the hospital I made a quick call to my wife to let her know that I would be in for lunch; and on the journey home my neighbour and I discussed mobile phones and agreed how useful they are in this sort of situation, but wondered what on earth all those people found to talk about who seem to spend all day meandering about in a ‘trance’ with one ‘glued’ to their ear.

Well this morning I ran into two such ‘zombies’ or rather they ‘ran’ into me !

Now I know that it was a bit foggy this morning, but not foggy enough for someone to step off the pavement (sidewalk) and wander straight into the beam of my headlights. Luckily my vehicle was only moving at a ‘snails pace’ as I approached a set of traffic lights. I pulled to the right as the idiot ‘brushed’ along the left side of my car, never giving me a glance as he continued on his way engrossed in what could have been his last conversation.

My next encounter was less dramatic and took place in my ‘favourite’ Sainsbury’s supermarket, where from behind a mountain of Easter Eggs (Yes, only five weeks to go) a young man appeared, trolley (cart) in one hand and phone in the other. He was weaving about at some speed, with one eye on a screaming brat in the trolley’s baby seat, while the other looked vacantly at the aisle signs above his head. He crashed his trolley into mine, but did not seem to notice me as he careered on down the aisle, with his phone still ‘clamped’ to the side of his head.

I wonder if he was receiving instructions in how to navigate around the store ?  … “Turn right at the baked beans. Now left at the breakfast cereals, straight on at the toilet rolls … and don’t forget to watch out for any silly old git who might…

…     get in your bleedin’ way”. 😀      

It seems that my local Sainsbury’s has no sooner cleared away the surplus Christmas and New Year’s goodies and booze, than they have trotted half of it back out again for bloody Valentine’s Day repackaged in pink and red and covered in hearts and chubby infants armed with bows and arrows.

I seem to remember that it was once called Saint Valentine’s Day, but I suppose that the ‘Saint’ got dropped in the same way that Jesus has disappeared under a mountain of chocolate eggs at Easter.

As I recall, it used to be the custom that you sent an anonymous card to the person who you fancied in the hope that they would guess who it was from and respond accordingly. A charming and innocent piece of nonsense that cost almost nothing.

Now it would appear that you have to demonstrate your love with all sorts of expensive gifts, magnums of Champagne, armfuls of flowers, huge boxes of chocolates and even cards with the greeting … “From our dog to your dog on Valentine’s Day”… (note .. St. Valentine is the patron saint of greeting card manufacturers). 

As with the way we now celebrate Mother’s Day (coming soon) , Halloween and other special occasions in this country, I assume that modern Valentine’s day started life in the USA and like so many unwanted aspects of American life, somehow found it’s way ‘across the pond’, where it has become another festival more about making money than anything else. 

Right! … So that’s my grumpy old git rant for today. I’m now off to give my wife a big kiss, to tell her how much I love her … and to …

…    kick a little cupid up his big fat arse !  🙂