Friday, 21 April 2017

Torsdag den 20. april 2017 kl 16:30 fredag den 21. april 2017 kl 16:29

17:00 Lois og jeg er meget trætte, som altid om aftenen efter en ”danske” dag, hvor vi har ryddet huset op om formiddagen og ledte vores danske gruppes møde om eftermiddagen. Vi spiser aftensmad og bruger resten af aftenen på at se lidt fjernsyn. Vi er godt oppe i årene – det er der ikke nogen tvivl om !!!!!

19:00 Lois får et bekymrende telefonopkald fra Sheila, én af sine tidligere arbejdskollegaer. Både Lois og Sheila har i nogle måneder ventet på at blive undersøgt af specialister, fordi de havde fået at vide, at de led af mistænkte grå stær. Sheila har haft sin tid hos specialisten, der fortalte hende, at hun faktisk lider af makuladegeneration, hvilket betyder, at hun til sidst bliver blind på ét øje, selvom læger nutildags kan gøre en masse ting for at bremse fremskridtet af sygdommen – stakkels Sheila. 

Men Lois bekymrer sig nu over, at optikeren hos Specsavers fortalte Lois, at hun må blive undersøgt af en specialist for det tilfælde,  at der sker ”noget andet” i hendes øje. Jeg prøver at trøste hende ved at sige, at makuladegeration er ganske sjælden mens grå stær er meget hyppig, men jeg ved ikke, om jeg snakker hen i vejret. Lois’s aftale hos specialisten er bestemt til den 31. maj.

Sheilas nyheder bekymrer mig lidt også, fordi jeg har for vane at gå til optikeren kun når jeg tror, at mine briller ikke længere synes at være optimale – og jeg er begyndt at have svært ved at læse bøger, vejskilte osv. Jeg er ikke gået til optikeren i flere år, og måske har jeg også et eller andet kroniske problem, som en optiker kunne identificere i god tid  – yikes, skræmmende !!!!

20:00 Vi ser lidt fjernsyn. Det viser det seneste afsnit af ”Big Bang Theory”.


Et morsomt afsnit, selvom kort som altid (18 minutter, med 12 minutter tv-reklamer – uha!!!!). Sheldon bliver involveret med et neurologisk projekt, han foretager med Amy, sin kæreste, udover det projekt, som han arbejder på sammen med sine arbejdskollegaer Leonard og Howard, og som er blevet bestillet af luftvåbnet . Begge projekter befinder sig på en afgørende stadium, så Sheldon deler sin tid mellem de to projekter, nogle gange i meget korte tidsafsnit, hvilket tvinger ham til at skynde sig konstant mellem de to laboratoriummer.


et morsomt afsnit, hvor Sheldon prøver at arbejde
på to projekter samtidigt. Du godeste – sikke et vanvid!!!!

Lois og jeg nyder afsnittet, men det minder os lidt om tidligere afsnit, hvor Sheldon blev hyperaktiv og (til sidst) syg. Måske er det virkelig sandt, at forfatterne har løbet tør for ideer, som man siger – det er vi ikke helt sikre på.

Det er interessant for mit vedkommende, at se ”drengenes” afslappede holdning over for klassificerede oplysninger. De arbejder hyppigt på hemmelige regeringsprojekter, men ofte er de lidt skødesløse, når det kommer til at dele oplysninger med deres kærester, hvilket er meget morsomt.

For nogle år siden gik Leonard i seng med en nordkoreanske spion. I dette afsnit efterlader Sheldon sin klassificerede notesbog i en cowboy-bar, efter han har deltaget i en cowboy line-dance med de andre kunder og forklaret detaljerne af luftvåbens projekt til dem – sikke et vanvid!!!!

Det kan være, at Trump er en stor fan af showet, hvilket ville forklare sin egne afslappede holdning til hemmeligheder osv. Du godeste, sikke en skør verden vi lever i !!!!!

20:30 Vi fortsætter med at se lidt fjernsyn. De viser et gamle afsnit af Toppen af Poppen, der først blev sendt af BBC-kanalen den 8. september 1983.


Musikken er for det meste noget skrammel – uha! Selvom publikummet hyggede sig meget med at danse i tv-studiet – det ved jeg med sikkerhed!!!



Lois og jeg så ikke dette afsnit, da det først blev sendt, fordi vi dengang boede i USA, sammen med vores 2 små døtre (Alison og Sarah), og Kathy, min søster, der arbejdede for den britiske ambassade i Washington DC. Vi var lige kommet tilbage fra en ferie i New England, hvor vi boede hos én af mine arbejdskollegaers forældre i New Hampshire, også på et hotel i Boston.

Da dette afsnit først blev sendt, var børnene lige begyndt på deres 2. år som elever i den lokale amerikanske grundskole: Alison i den 3. klasse og Sarah i den første.



tilbageblik til august 1983 - vi boede i et sommerhus
i New Hampshire, der lå ved siden af en lille sø.


vi besøger Boston-havnen og smider
nogle kasser te i vandet – hurra!


i september 1983 rejser vi tilbage til Maryland,
og pigerne starte i skolen igen efter sommerferien

Lykkelige dage!!!!

21:00 Vi fortsætter med at se lidt fjernsyn. De viser en interessant dokumentarfilm , der handler om historien af telefonbetjening og fastnettelephoner i Storbritannien.


En interessant dokumentarfilm, men også lidt skræmmende, fordi den minder mig om mareridtet af at være afhængig af en offentligt ejet forretning. Det var Storbritanniens  General Post Office, der drev vores telefonbetjening, og der var ingen konkurrence. I programmet siger man ikke hvor længe man skulle vente, før man kunne få installeret en telefon i hjemmet – du godeste!

Vi må aldrig gå tilbage til de tider – det har jeg ikke nogen tvivl om! Offentlige ejede forretninger er dårlig nyhede – det ved jeg med sikkerhed!!!

Ræk mig lige opkastningsposen, Alice!!!!!

04:45 Jeg står tidligt op og laver én af mine rutinemæssige danske ordforrådtester.


07:45 Jeg dasker ind i køkkenet og laver to kopper te. Jeg tager dem med op i soveværelse og kryber tilbage under dynen til Lois. Vi drikker teen og står op. Vi spiser morgenmad.

10:00 Vi kører over til Leckhampton med to poser af mine gamle bøger, for det meste romaner på fransk og en stor fransk-engelsk, engelsk-fransk ordbog. Vi byder bøgerne til ekspeditøren i Røde Kors’ lokale butik, der er meget glad for, at få dem – fransk bøger er altid populære, siger han, især ordbøger.  Jeg har besluttet at opgive mine franske studier og koncentrere mig om mine skandinaviske sprog i stedet, med ungarsk som en bifag ha ha ha. Jeg er nu godt oppe i årene, og jeg må ikke forløfte mig (eller spænde buen for højt eller sprede mig for tyndt ud ha ha ha (igen!)).


Bagefter går vi ind i den lokale grøntsagsforretning og så ind i CookShops butik, hvor vi køber 4 fedtfattige færdigretter til to personer. Vi smutter så ind i butikkens café og drikker en kop te og spiser et stykke kage – nam nam (ironien er spildt på os ha ha ha – indtil senere ha ha ha) !!!! (én for mange ha ha has – Red.]



11:30 Vi kører hjem og spiser frokost. Bagefter går jeg i seng for at tage mig en gigantisk eftermiddagslur – zzzzzz!!!!

15:00 Jeg står op og kigger lidt på nettet. Jeg finder Morten Ingemanns seneste tegneseriestribe. Du godeste! Jeg får lidt af et chok, da jeg ser den.

Danskeren Ingemann er min yndlingstegner  – ingen tvivl om det! Han interesserer sig meget for grimme, overvægtige, midaldrende eller ældre folk, de slags mennesker, som de fleste tegnere sjældent giver opmærksomhed til.

Ingemann afslører i dag, at det ikke er nødvendigt at købe dyre luftforfriskere for at forbedre indeklimaet i en typisk lejlighed. Vi ser to midaldrende kvinder, den ene radmage (lejligheds ejer, der hedder Denise) og den anden (hendes veninde) overvægtig, der står i stuen, drikker et glas rødvin og snakker med hinanden. Den overvægtige veninde har bemærket at Denise har gjort noget for at forbedre indeklimaet i sin lejlighed, men hun ved ikke præcis, hvad Denise har gjort.

Det viser sig, at Denise simpelthen har smedt sin partner ud – sin ”partner”, eller som hun kalder ham, ”stodderen”.  Nogle gange er de simpelste måder de bedste – det er der ikke nogen tvivl om !!!!

English translation

17:00 Lois and I are very tired as always in the evening after a "Danish" day, where we have cleaned
and spend the rest of the evening watching television. We are getting well on in years - there is no doubt about that !!!!!

19:00 Lois gets a worrying phone call from Sheila, one of her former work colleagues. Both Lois and Sheila have been waiting for a few months to be examined by specialists because they had been told that they suffered from suspected cataracts. Sheila has had her appointment with the specialist who told her that she is actually suffering from macula degeneration, which means that she eventually becomes blind in one eye, although doctors nowadays can do a lot of things to slow down the progress of the disease - poor Sheila.

But Lois is now worrying about the fact that the optician at Specsavers told Lois that she must be examined by a specialist in case "something else" is going on in her eye. I try to comfort her by saying that macula degeneration is quite rare while cataracts are very frequent, but I do not know if I'm talking through my hat. Lois's appointment with the specialist is scheduled for 31 May.

Sheila's news also worries me a little because I have a habit of going to the optician only when I think my glasses no longer seem to be optimal - and when I've been having trouble reading books, road signs, etc. I have not gone to the optician for several years and maybe I also have some chronic problem that an optician could identify in good time - yikes, scary !!!!

20:00 We watch some television. The latest episode of "Big Bang Theory" is on.


A fun episode, although short as always (18 minutes, with 12 minutes tv commercials - oh dear !!!!). Sheldon becomes involved with a neurological project he is carrying out with Amy, his girlfriend, in addition to the project he is working on with his colleagues Leonard and Howard, which has been commissioned by the Air Force. Both projects are at a crucial stage, so Sheldon divides his time between the two projects, sometimes in very short time slots, which forces him to rush constantly between the two laboratories.


A fun episode where Sheldon tries to work
on two projects simultaneously. good grief - what madness !!!!

Lois and I enjoy the episode, but it reminds us a bit of previous episodes where Sheldon became hyperactive and (eventually) ill. Perhaps it's true that the authors have run out of ideas, like people say - we are not completely sure.

It is interesting for me to see the "boys' " relaxed attitude toward classified information. They frequently work on secret government projects, but often they are a little careless when it comes to sharing information with their girlfriends, which is very funny.

A few years ago Leonard went to bed with a North Korean spy. In this episode, Sheldon leaves his classified notebook in a cowboy bar after joining in a cowboy line dance with the other customers and explaining the details of the Air Force's project to them - what madness !!!!

It may be that Trump is a big fan of the show, which would explain his own relaxed attitude to secrets etc. My goodness, what a crazy world we live in !!!!!

20:30 We continue to watch a bit of television. An old episode of Top of the Pops is on, first broadcast by the BBC Channel on September 8, 1983.


The music is mostly a load of junk - oh dear! Although the audience had a lot of fun dancing in the tv studio - I know that for sure! !!!



Lois and I did not see this episode when it was first broadcast because we were living in the United States together with our two little daughters (Alison and Sarah) and Kathy, my sister, who worked for the British Embassy in Washington DC. We had just returned from a vacation in New England where we stayed with one of my work colleagues' parents in New Hampshire, also at a Boston hotel.

When this episode was first aired, the children had just started their 2nd year as students in the local American elementary school: Alison in the 3rd grade and Sarah in the first.



Flashback to August 1983 - We stayed in a cottage
in New Hampshire, next to a small lake.


We visit Boston Harbour and throw
some boxes of tea in the water - hurrah!


In September 1983 we travel back to Maryland,
and the girls start school again after the summer break

Happy days !!!!

21:00 We continue to watch a bit of television. An interesting documentary is on about the history of the telephone service and landline phones in the UK.


An interesting documentary, but a little scary because it reminds me of the nightmare of being dependent on a publicly owned business. It was the UK's General Post Office, which operated our telephone service and there was no competition. The program does not say how long one had to wait before one could get a home landline phone  installed - good gracious!

We must never go back to those times - I have no doubts about that! Publicly owned businesses are bad news - I know that for sure !!!

Pass the sick bag, Alice !!!!!

04:45 I get up early and do one of my routine Danish vocabulary tests.


07:45 I shuffle into the kitchen and make two cups of tea. I take them up to the bedroom and crawl back under the covers with Lois. We drink the tea and get up. We eat breakfast.

10:00 We drive over to Leckhampton with two bags of my old books, mostly novels in French and a large French-English, English-French dictionary. We offer the books to the salesman in the Red Cross local shop, who is very happy to get them - French books are always popular, he says, especially dictionaries. I have decided to abandon my French studies and concentrate on my Scandinavian languages instead, minoring in Hungarian ha ha ha. I'm getting well on in years and I must not overreach myself too much (or tighten the bowstring too much or spread myself too thinly ha ha ha (again!)).


Afterwards we go into the local greengrocer's shop and then to the CookShops store and buy 4 low fat ready meals for two people. We then sneak into the shop's café, drink a cup of tea and eat a piece of cake - yum yum (the irony is wasted on us ha ha ha, until later ha ha ha) !!!! [one too many hahahas now – Ed]



11:30 We drive home and have lunch. Afterwards I go to bed and take a gigantic afternoon nap - zzzzzz !!!!

15:00 I get up and take a little look online. I find Morten Ingemann's latest cartoon strip. My Goodness! I get a shock when I see it.

The Dane Ingemann is my favourite cartoonist - no doubt about that! He takes a great interest in ugly, overweight, middle aged or older people, the kind of people most cartoonists rarely pay any attention to.

Ingemann reveals today that it is not necessary to buy expensive air fresheners to improve the indoor air quality in a typical apartment. We see two middle-aged women, one scrawny (the apartment owner – “Denise”) and the other (her friend) overweight, who are standing drinking a glass of red wine and chatting to each other in the living room. The overweight friend has noticed that Denise has done something to improve the indoor air quality in her apartment, but she does not know exactly what Denise has done.

It turns out that Denise has simply thrown her partner out - ie her partner, or as she calls him, "the bastard". Sometimes the simplest ways are the best – there is not much doubt about that !!!!


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