What An Ordeal!!
Walked into town - 20 minutes, mostly downhill - for my 8.30 Covid jab. 2 burly guys outside, one threw me against the wall, saying, "Assume the position!" Then he frisked me, a little too eagerly, before shoving me inside the centre. Immediately grabbed by two more burly guys, forced to park my aris in a chair facing a rather stern-looking woman (think Nurse Rathched of Cuckoo's Nest fame). "Name", she barked. I mumbled my name. One of the guys punched me in the stomach. "Speak up", he growled. I yelped my name, then my address and date of birth.
Suddenly a brass band began playing and streamers were popped all around me. The stern-looking woman produced a little cake with a candle in it. "Happy Birthday for tomorrow" she said. She blew the candle out - health and safety reasons - then popped the candle back in her drawer, explaining they had two more victims later who were celebrating a birthday today or tomorrow.
Having answered all her questions, i was yanked from the chair and transported to Vaccination Area 51 where, once again, i was forced to sit on a chair. This time, though, i was bound to the back of the chair by thick cord. Again i was asked to confirm my name and address and whether or not i was taking any blood thinners. Remembering the earlier punch, i answered immediately - and very, very clearly. The person asking the questions looked past me and nodded his head. I shifted my gaze to where he had nodded and saw a very, very large woman (Big Bertha was my immediate thought) sat astride a strange looking contraption. I soon discovered that this was a harpoon gun.
"Distance?" she asked. "Ten meters" came the reply. "Ten meters." came the echo. Elevation?" she asked. "3 inches" came the reply. "3 inches" came the echo. "Fire!" someone ordered. The echo was drowned out by a rather loud whooooooosssshhhh as the harpoon closed the distance between barrel and arm in the blink of an eye. Her aim was true and the harpoon thudded into my arm with a 'twang', it's rope trailing on the floor.
It took 3 of the burly guys to retract the needle from my arm, one of them having wrapped the rope around his waist, acting as the anchor - a-la tug-of-war.
I was then asked to sign a 'waver' saying that i had been treated with the utmost courtesy throughout the procedure. "What if i don't?" i asked, a little petulantly. "Then you get one in the other arm," sneered the burliest of the burly guys. I signed and was immediately thrown back out onto the streets of downtown Burnley.
That, my fellow ABers, was the dream i had last night. Reality? A piece of urine, as posh people say. Highly recommended:-))