Ah, it's great to have my car fixed! Whee, serviced n all, and sitting outside. So the plan for today was to go get it washed - as my taxi driver friend remarked, it was so green it looked like Kermit's car. Now, there's an excellent handwash car service - cheap too - on the way in to Ennis. So I thought.. if I got done in time, Don't Breathe 2 has a matinée showing at the Arc Cinema in Ennis.. I wasn't so impressed with the original, but what the hey, I said I'd give it a go. Again, with hardly any seats booked, I thought I could afford to head in without booking. Of course, parking isn't free on Saturdays, nuts - would just have to grin and bear it. (And I'd be tempting fate, because I was at a film in the same cinema, the day my car broke down. Ah well..)
I wasn't even sure the carwash was open - you can't see it as you approach. So it was with some relief that I saw a queue, which I joined. Shortly, I was second in line - and I could see the sole carwash worker giving me the odd look. He was done with the car in front in about five minutes - it was hardly dirty - and I drove forward and parked where he indicated.
And that's when he got a proper look. He spent about five minutes just scratching his head, looking at it, walking all around, scrubbing at some of the dirt with his hand. He duly ran off to get his mobile and take a photo of it. He felt obliged to ask me how on earth it got in this state.. um, parked under trees? I mean, over the last year and a half, it hasn't had much exercise, and has indeed been parked under - and near - greenery, as opposed to outside my taxi driver's house, where it is when I'm in London, and where there isn't as much. Well, he duly started his task.
15 minutes into the wash, I was texting my taxi driver - for something to do - to let him know it was getting washed at last. It took 40 minutes in all, and he charged me just under double the basic price for a small car. (Well, it does say "from.." on the price list.) Well worth the money - an automatic carwash would never have managed it! The car that came in behind me gave up and left - the car behind that one stayed, the driver taking the opportunity to do his shopping in the adjacent store, pump his tyres with the convenient airpump beside him.. Water-blasted, washed and waxed, I rolled out of there in a sparklingly clean car. Unreal. The environment had better keep away - next up is valeting, and the test is scheduled for the third of next month; Ennis is the more convenient centre, but didn't have availability before that week, which I conveniently have off - and didn't have a convenient time until that day.
Right! That sorted, I had about an hour before my film - drove around and around Abbey Street car park, but couldn't get a spot, and finally parked a bit further away - it's not a large town anyway. Waited a bit - I didn't want to pay too early, as there's only supposed to be two hours' parking, and the film wouldn't be over by then. Not that anyone probably checks, but wouldn't that be just my luck.. Parking in that part of town is just €1 for two hours, and I headed off in due course, bought my ticket (and a packet of chocolate M&Ms, just because it's been so long), and the lady who took my ticket actually took it upon herself to show me to my seat! There were a few people sat at the back - wow, that made the screen feel positively crowded..
I had just settled myself when the lights went down. They don't have a long ad program here, but what they did show was a trailer for Free Guy, which has made me feel like I might like to see it, now. I wasn't sure at first about this comedy where Ryan Reynolds plays a videogame character (called Guy) that's happily going about his daily business, until one day he discovers that he is actually in a videogame.. but the trailer looks decent, and goodness knows, he's easy on the eye. With or without glasses.
And so, without delay, to the main feature. Now, the original film has a blind guy, ex-military, providing more than able resistance to the gang of thieves that invade his house. He also has a fixation on getting another daughter, to replace the one he lost in an accident. Well, in the sequel, he has one - and I have to say, Madelyn Grace is the most bright-eyed and bushy-tailed youngster I can think of since Shirley Temple! Not that he'd know that, being blind. Anyway, unsurprisingly, she's not actually his - he found her after a house fire, and pretended to be her father as he raised her, and taught her survival skills. It's not much of a spoiler to reveal that her real father shows up - but is he really any more fit to raise her than the man who did..?
So, it's better than the original - the blind man is more sympathetic here, there's more of a plot (even if it is over the top), and it's a bit less gruesome. Still not terrific, but interesting - and a couple of beefy dogs for the aww factor. I wouldn't rush to see it, but it's not terrible.
Rising quickly to leave (I wanted to get back to the car), I was surprised, when I looked around, to see that all the others had beaten me to it! Crikey, they moved fast. Anyway, I got back to my unrecognisably clean car - this was the first proper look I'd got at it since - to find.. that no-one had penalised me for overstaying. Gee.
My mother was spoiled when I brought back prawn crackers from my last trip - they're good at An Teach China, the closest Chinese to us, and I'd promised her I'd stop there again. Didn't fancy the same as last time, so I decided on fillet beef szechuan (always go for the fillet, it's melt-in-the-mouth). Mind you, the young lady they had behind the counter was completely stumped when I ordered the mint trufito - just as well I had a poster I could point to! She had to bring out the manager. Nonetheless, I was served quickly.
An uneventful drive home - the car survived - the food was still hot when I got it back, and ooh, was I right in my choice! Delish. I was stuffed - couldn't manage the trufito, which is still in the freezer, and we only had some of the prawn crackers - but they kept for several days the last time, so we wrapped them up and will eat them as we feel like it.
Tonight's late-night film was one I just had on tv in the background, but soon paid more attention to. Unless has Catherine Keener as a middle-aged woman whose happy life is turned upside-down when her and her husband's eldest daughter suddenly drops out of college to go and sit on the side of the road and beg. Refuses to communicate with anyone. Sleeps in a shelter.
My attention was immediately caught when I heard a Leonard Cohen track playing, close to the start of the film. A very easy way to get me onside. But although no more of his music was on the soundtrack, I found this a compelling and intense watch. Silence is always powerful, and that of this girl now sitting on the pavement is complete. The family has to deal with a host of people who don't understand, and with a lot of useless advice - as for the girl who's caused all the trouble, everyone can only speculate why she's doing what she's doing. We do get an explanation at the end - but the film is more powerful while she remains a mystery. I really liked this - watch, if you get the chance!
Well, tomorrow - now that I'm mobile - I've promised to take all those empty wine bottles that have built up, down to the bottle bank. And wouldn't you know it, that's on the way to Limerick. ;-) And they're showing Free Guy there. So I've booked it, for late tomorrow afternoon. Well, it's free to book, there.. and I was getting worried, with all the seats that are blocked off as soon as any seats are booked.
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