RyanAir, it seems, really don’t want you to Check-in for a flight at the Airport – they REALLY don’t.

If you DARE arrive at the airport to check-in (so, to confirm your availability is it?   or What?) you’ll be charged an extra £20 or so, and then £15 per boarding pass to print.  If you’ve got more than hand-luggage, well . . . . guess.
OK, so lesson learned, ticket prices are NOT ticket prices anymore – they’re a sort of starting-point, then add about £100 per person.

It got me thinking about this.  We were encouraged to check-in for our return flight, before we’d even got to the airport for the FLIGHT OUT.  It seemed to me (in some dreamy past, I’m sure, and totally unrelated to the real-world no-doubt) that Check-In used to be, “Yes, I’m here – and not been run over by a Camel en-route”  or  “Yes, here, and No, Aunty Frederika’s new illness hasn’t disrupted our travel plans at the last moment”.

How, in the name of God – can you check-in for something, from SOMEWHERE ELSE?

I don’t DO Sainsbury’s very much.

I have nothing in particular against them, just prefer NOT to avail myself of theirs, or Tesco’s, or Asda’s self-proclaimed bargains, price drops, ‘lower’s, or whatever else they snowball you with, the second you’re in through the door.

I’ve noticed (on one of my non-visits, you understand) that everything in Sainsbury’s these days is labelled-up like it’s some sort of highly-designed, desirable, specialist, rare, beautiful . . . thing.

A kettle, some Spread for you toast, a toothbrush – it doesn’t matter how plain, obvious or ordinary – it’s all “by Sainsbury’s” – where this kind of labelling, only 2 years ago, used to be the unique reserve of exotic merchandise.

Watching the Eurovision last night, Mel Giedroyc and Scott Mills started out with the usual (and plentiful) sarcastic remarks about anything vaguely ‘European’ .

Getting hot under the collar at home, I dialled-up the Eurovision 2015 semi-final Facebook riot and was thoroughly heartened to see many, many similar thoughts aired. “Shut them up! it’s embarrassing!” stormed one, “For god’s sake stop those two with their stupid remarks” was another – good stuff. Favourites of mine: Rumania (Voltaj – De La Capat/ All Over Again) and Hungary (Boggie – Wars For Nothing).

Hey Guys!!  (don’t you just love that?   you can already FEEL the social/political acceptance leeching into your conciousness can’t you? –
I could have been talking to a bunch of Hippos, or Budgerigars, or even . . . a mixed group of ethnic variations, sexual preferences, ages and colours).

‘trouble is EVERYONE’S at it – wander into ‘Consumptive credos R us’  give it 10 seconds, and some twerp will bound-up to You, your 80 year-old-mother, and the 5 year-old grandschild with “Hi Guys!”

Bastards.

New conspiracy theory – Met office Weather forecasts.