Thursday, 3 August 2017

Onsdag den 2. august 2017 kl 16:30 indtil torsdag den 3. august 2017 kl 16:29

17:15 Lois og jeg spiser aftensmad, lidt tidligere, end normalt, og bagefter skal vi ud. Lois ønsker at deltage i Hilarys døb i aften, der finder sted i et udendørs badekar i baghaven af et hus, der ligger lidt uden for byen Tewkesbury. Jeg kører Lois over til Frans hus i den anden ende af Cheltenham, og Fran skal køre hende resten af vejen. Desværre er det nu myldretid, og jeg skal sidde fast i nogle trafikpropper, før jeg når hjem – pokkers!

Det regner lidt, så jeg formoder, at det er lidt af en skam for Hilary, men Lois fortæller mig, at badekaret er opvarmet. Meget bedre, end floden Avon – ingen tvivl om det!!!

Jeg tænker altid på et morsomt afsnit af ”Curb Your Enthusiasm”, hvor Larry David i en kaotisk scene tror, at en mand er ved at drukne i en flod, og hopper i vandet for at redde ham. Senere bliver det klart, at manden er jødisk, og han bliver døbt, så han kan gifte sig med en kristen kvinde. Mandens jødiske venner roser Larry for at redde manden, ikke fra at drukne, men fra at skifte religion – du godeste, sikke et vanvid!!!!


i en kaotisk scene hopper Larry David i floden for at redde
en jødisk mand fra at drukne, (tror Larry):
mandens forlovede er rasende...og med rette!!!
Manden dropper hende lidt senere og der er ikke noget bryllup - uha!!!!

18:30 Jeg kommer hjem. Jeg har lidt alenetid, for første gang i over en uge. Jeg smækker benene op foran fjernsyn. De viser en interessant dokumentarfilm, der handler om historien bag Einsteins generel relativitetsteori, der først blev offentliggjort i 1915.


En meget interessant dokumentarfilm, der indeholder en meget god forklaring af teorien, og et meget klart billede af de lange år, da den unge Einstein brugte masser af alenetid på at kæmpe for at løse uoverensstillelser i Newtons fysiske univers.

I dramatiske rekonstruktionsscener ser vi den unge Einstein trave hvileløst frem og tilbage i sin studerekammer. Vi ved, hvornår han får en idé, et gennembrud måske, fordi han pludselig sætter sig og tænder sin pibe – hurra! Jeg husker gennembrudøjeblikke på mit arbejde, da jeg pludselig blev klar over, at jeg havde løst et vanskeligt problem, som jeg havde brugt mange måneder på at arbejde på. En følelse anderledes, end alle andre. Lykkelige dage!!!! Og jeg tændte ikke nogen pibe, jeg købte en stang Aero chokolade på den lokale butik!

i dramatiske rekonstruktionsscener ser vi den unge
Einstein i hans studerekammer, arbejdende på nogle af hans vigtigste gennembrud

Mange mange år senere, efter Einsteins død, spørgsmålet om sorte huller begejstrede mange forskere. Vi ser dokumenten, der registrerer det berømte væddemål i 1974 mellem Kip Thorne, en amerikansk forsker, og Stephen Hawking. Hawking troede, at der var et stort sort hul i Cygnus X1, men han var bange for, at hullet ville ikke blive bekræftet, så han besluttede sig for dette væddemål med Thorne som en slags forsikring. Resultatet var, at Thorne modtog et års abonnement på Penthouse magasin – den britiske version af magasinet, som var mere sjofel, end den amerikanske, ifølge Thorne – du godeste, sikke en skør verden vi lever i !!!!  

Thorne og Hawking på Caltech



dokumenten, der registerer de to mænds væddemål
om sorte huller

 
Penthouse magasins britiske version
-        meget mere sjofel, end den amerikanske, ifølge Thorne.
Du godeste – sikke en skør verden vi lever i !!!!!

21:00 Jeg fortsætter med at se lidt fjernsyn. De viser den 2. del af en interessant dokumentarfilm, der handler om et eksperiment, hvor 4-årige børn regelmæssigt besøgte et plejehjem lidt udenfor byen Bristol. Eksperimentets mål, var at undersøge, om oplevelsen fik plejehjemmets ældre beboere til at forbedre sig, når det kom til fysisk eller psykisk helbred.


Jeg så filmets første del i går aftes, og dette 2. del bekræfter, at de ældre menneskers fysiske og psykiske helbred er blevet meget forbedret af kontakt med de unge lokale børn, der deltog i eksperimentet. Lois og jeg har 5 børnebørn, men desværre bor de alle i udlandet, så derfor må vi være afhængige af Skype, for at vedligeholde vores helbred – stakkels os!!!!!

Børnebørn er bedre, end en stimulans, tror vi. Vores yndlingsfoto af Lily viser hun lidt udenfor Perth, Australien, i en chokoladefabriks souvenirbutik, hvor hun åbenbart spekulerer på, hvor mange hvide chokoladeæg hun kan slippe af sted med at opsamle, før en eller anden skrælder hende ud!

Lily i chokoladefabrikkens souvenirbutik, hvor hun åbenbart
spekulerer på, hvor mange hvide chokokladeæg, hun kan slippe af sted
med at opsamle, før en eller anden skrælder hende ud!

Det kan være, at vores børnebørn i København flytter ved slutningen af året til Hong Kong, så vi ville have ingen børnebørn i Europa. Yikes!!!! Hvem vil skifte vores pærer, når Lois og jeg bliver for svage til at gøre det selv????


Hong Kong i lykkeligere tider under det gode gamle UK –
Margaret Thatcher på besøg i 1980’erne.

21:30 Lois kommer hjem midt i programmet, meget senere, end forventet. Jeg ved, hun og Fran ville stikke af så snart dåben var overstået – Fran kan ikke lide at køre bil i mørke. Men dåben blev desværre forsinket med en time og en halv. Andy, en af kirkens ledere, blev forsinket af et uforventet møde, han skulle deltage i i den oprindeligt danske by Derby. Også Lois og Fran var blevet første gæster til at ankomme, så deres bil blev indespærret af andre biler i husets indkørsel – du godeste, sikke et uheld!!!!

22:00 Vi går i seng – adskilte senge og værelser i nat på grund af min forkølelse. Jeg vil hellere ikke forstyrre Lois i løbet af natten, fordi hun kommer til at have travlt i morgen i sin kirkes pop-up shop. Zzzzzzzzz!!!!!!

05:00 Jeg står tidligt op og kigger lidt på nettet. Susan, min kusine i Monument, Colorado, har sendt mig en mail. Hun besøger slægtninge i England i september, og hun håber på, at hun også kan mødes med Lois og mig, sandsynligvis hos John og Chris, sin bror og svigerinde i byen Witney.

07:30 Jeg hopper tilbage op i sengen til Lois og vi drikker vores morgenté. Vi står op og spiser morgenmad.

09:00 Vi skal ud. Lois har indvilliget i at hjælp med at bemande sin kirkes pop-up shop i midten af byen Tewkesbury i formiddag, og hun er ikke tilladt at køre bil for tiden, på grund af grå stær. Jeg sætter hende af over for biblioteket og kører hjem. Det er skoleferier for tiden, så trafikken er forholdsvis tynd, gudskelov.

Lois i sin spritnye pop-up shop t-shirt

09:30 Jeg kommer hjem. Jeg har lidt alenetid igen og kigger lidt på nettet. Jeg finder 8 jokes, som kun kloge mennesker forstår, ifølge den inflydelsesrige danske nyhedswebsted, Ekstrabladet.dk.
1. Hvad får du, hvis du krydser en joke og et retorisk spørgsmål?
2. Der findes 10 slags mennesker i verden. Dem, der forstår det binære talsystem, og dem, der ikke gør.
3. Der er en fin linje mellem tæller og nævner.
4. 'Velkommen til Anonyme Plastiskoperationsmisbrugere. Jeg ser en masse nye ansigter i aften, og det skuffer mig'.
5. Et palindrom går ind på en bar, og siger ’egis go rab ne åp dni råg mordnilap te’.
6. Sodium Sodium Sodium Sodium Sodium Sodium Sodium Sodium Bat Man
7. Det nye band hedder 1023 MB. De har endnu ikke haft nogen gigs.
8. Nostalgi var bedre i gamle dage.

Disse jokes er alle ny for mig, bortset fra den sidste, men de gik sandsynligvis  viralt for mange år siden. En ting er sikkert – jeg fortsætter med at være dybt umoderne, og jeg ved ikke, hvordan jeg kan redde mig selv og komme ud fra hullet, jeg har gravet mig ned i. Dette er et råb om hjælp for resten, for at tale klart og tydeligt for engangs skyld !!!!

12:30 Jeg skynder mig ind i køkkenet og laver to portioner frokost og lægger dem i to plastikbøtter, der engang indeholdt is.

12:45 Jeg kører over til Tewkesbury for at hente Lois efter sin formiddag i hendes kirkes pop-up shop. Jeg beslutter at køre via Ashchurch – stor fejl! Jeg sidder fast i enorme trafikpropper. Der må være et problem på M5-motorvejen, måske en større trafikulykke eller enorme vejarbejder. Jeg ankommer  5 minutter sent, da jeg henter Lois, i stedet for 15 minutter tidligt, som jeg forventede. Pokkers!!!

13:45 Vi kommer hjem og spiser frokost. Hun har haft meget travlt i sin kirkes pop-up shop.

Den unge mand, der lider af ”hallucinationer”, smuttede ind og ud af shoppen flere gange i morges igen. Han bor i et telt, lader det til. Alarmklokker  ringer i mit hoved, da jeg igen hører om denne mand. Desværre er jeg ikke så menneskekærlig, som Lois og hendes venner - uha!!!

Lois siger, manden virkede meget rastløs og distraheret i dag. Han sagde, at de sociale myndigheder truer at stoppe hans dagpenge. Hun spurgte ham hvorfor, men han svarede ikke. Det kan være, at de tror, han har evnen til at søge betalt arbejde måske!

Sønnen af en eks-kirkemedlem smuttede også ind i shoppen i morges. Lois siger, han lider af ADD/ADHD (forstyrrelse af opmærksomhed og aktivitets lidelse) og han afhørte shoppens indvillige ekspeditører på en ganske rastløs og utålmodig måde. Du godeste! Sikke et vanvid!!! Kirker har desværre tendens til at tiltrække nu og da mennesker med psykiske problemer – jeg spekulerer på, om der er en korrelation mellem disse slags problemer og interesse i religion måske, men det er jeg ikke helt sikker på.

Man tager altid en risiko, hvis man serverer i en butik og omgås offentligheden. Langt bedre at blive siddende hjemme – det ved jeg med sikkerhed!!!!!

14:45 Jeg går i seng, lidt senere, end normalt, for at tage mig en kort eftermiddagslur – zzzzzzz!!!!!

15:45 Jeg står op og vi slapper af med en kop te og et stykke brød med hjemmelavet arbricosmarmelade – nam nam!

16:15 John, min fætter i Witney, ringer til mig. Vi aftaler, at John og Chris (Johns  kone) vil besøge os den 13. september for at spise frokost hos os. De vil tager Johns søster, Susan, med. Susan bor i Monument, Colorado. Hun besøger England mellem den 6. og den 16. September for at besøge nogle venner og slægtninge.

English translation

17:15 Lois and I have dinner a bit earlier than usual and afterwards we have to go out. Lois wants to attend Hilary's baptism tonight, taking place in an outdoor tub in the backyard of a house located a little outside the town of Tewkesbury. I drive Lois over to Fran's house on the other side of Cheltenham, and Fran will drive her the rest of the way. Unfortunately, it is now rush hour and I find myself stuck in traffic jams before I can get home - damn!

It's raining a bit, so I suppose that's a bit of a shame for Hilary, but Lois tells me that the tub is heated. Much better than the River Avon - no doubt about that!!!

I always think of a fun episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm", where in a chaotic scene Larry David believes that a man is drowning in a river and jumps into the water to save him. Later it becomes clear that the man is Jewish and he is being baptised so that he can marry a Christian woman. The man's Jewish friends praise Larry for saving the man, not from drowning, but from changing religion - good grief, what madness !!!!


In a chaotic scene, Larry David jumps into the river to save
a Jewish man from drowning, (thinks Larry):
the man's fiancée is furious ...and with good reason!!!!
The man later dumps the woman, and there is no wedding - oh dear!!!!

18:30 I get home. I have a little alone-time for the first time for over a week. I stick my feet up in front of the television. An interesting documentary is on, all about the story of Einstein's general theory of relativity, which was first published in 1915.


A very interesting documentary that includes a very good explanation of the theory, and a very clear picture of the long years when the young Einstein spent a lot of alone-time struggling to solve contradictions in Newton's physical universe.

In dramatic reconstruction scenes we see the young Einstein pacing restlessly back and forth in his study. We know when he gets an idea, perhaps a breakthrough, because he suddenly sits down and lights his pipe - hurrah! I remember breakthrough moments in my work when I suddenly realised that I had solved a difficult problem that I had spent many months working on. A feeling quite different from any other. Happy days !!!! And I didn't light a pipe, I bought a bar of Aero chocolate at the local shop!

In dramatic reconstruction scenes we see the young
Einstein in his study, working on some of his most important breakthroughs

Many many years later, after Einstein's death, the issue of black holes was exciting many researchers. We see the documents that record the famous bet in 1974 between Chip Thorne, an American researcher, and Stephen Hawking. Hawking thought there was a big black hole in Cygnus X1 but he was afraid that the hole would not be confirmed so he decided to make this bet with Thorne as a kind of insurance. As a result, Thorne received a one-year subscription to Penthouse magazine - the British version of the magazine, which was much more raunchy than the US one, according to Thorne - good grief, what a crazy world we live in !!!!

Thorne and Hawking at Caltech



the document that registers the two men's bet
about black holes

Penthouse magazine's British version
- much more raunchy than the American one, according to Thorne.
Good grief - what a crazy world we live in !!!!!

21:00 I carry on watching television. The second part of an interesting documentary is on, all about an experiment where 4-year-old children regularly visited a nursing home a little way outside the city of Bristol. The aim of the experiment was to investigate whether the experience caused the elderly residents to improve in their physical or mental health.


I saw the first part of the film last night and this second part confirms that the physical and mental health of the older people has been greatly improved by contact with the young local children who participated in the experiment. Lois and I have 5 grandchildren, but unfortunately they all live abroad, so we have to be dependent on Skype to maintain our health - poor us !!!!!

Grandchildren are better than a tonic, we believe. Our favourite photo of Lily shows her just outside Perth, Australia, in a chocolate factory's souvenir shop, where she is obviously wondering how many white chocolate eggs she can get away with picking up before someone bawls her out!

Lily in the chocolate factory's souvenir shop, where she is obviously
wondering how many white chocolate eggs she can get away with collecting
before someone bawls her out!

It may be that our grandchildren in Copenhagen could move to Hong Kong at the end of the year, so we would then have no grandchildren in Europe. Yikes !!!! Who will change our light bulbs when Lois and I get too weak to do it ourselves????


Hong Kong in happier times - under the good old UK.
Margaret Thatcher on a visit in the 1980s.

21:30 Lois comes home in the middle of the programme, much later than expected. I know that she and Fran wanted to shoot off as soon as the baptism was over - Fran does not like driving in the dark. But the baptism was unfortunately delayed by an hour and a half. Andy, one of the church leaders, was delayed by an unexpected meeting he had to attend in the originally Danish town of Derby. Also, Lois and Fran had been the first guests to arrive, so their car was blocked in by other cars in the driveway of the house - my goodness, what bad luck !!!!

22:00 We go to bed - separate beds and rooms tonight because of my cold. I'd rather not disturb Lois during the night because she's going to be busy tomorrow in her church's pop-up shop. Zzzzzzzzz !!!!!!

05:00 I get up early and look online. Susan, my cousin in Monument, Colorado, has sent me an email. She is visiting relatives in England in September, and she hopes she can also meet up with Lois and me, probably at the house of John and Chris, her brother and sister-in-law in Witney.

07:30 I jump back into bed with Lois and we drink our morning tea. We get up and have breakfast.

09:00 We have to go out. Lois has agreed to assist in manning her church's pop-up shop in the centre of Tewkesbury this morning and she is not allowed to drive a car currently due to cataracts. I drop her off opposite the library and drive home. It's school holidays at the moment, so the traffic is relatively light, thank goodness.

Lois in her shiny new pop up shop t-shirt

09:30 I get home. I have a little alone time left and take a little look online. I find 8 jokes which only clever people understand, according to the influential Danish news website, Ekstrabladet.dk.

1. What do you get if you cross a joke and a rhetorical question?
2. There are 10 kinds of people in the world. Those who understand the binary number system and those who do not.
3. There is a fine line between numerator and denominator.
4. 'Welcome to Cosmetic Operations Abusers Anonymous. I see a lot of new faces tonight and that disappoints me. '
5. A palindrome walks into a bar and says 'syas dna rab a otni sklaw emordnilap a'.
6. Sodium Sodium Sodium Sodium Sodium Sodium Sodium Batman
7. The new band is called 1023 MB. They have not had any gigs yet.
8. Nostalgia was better in the old days.

These jokes are all new to me, except the last one, but they probably went viral many years ago. One thing is for sure - I continue to be deeply out of date and I do not know how to save myself and get out of the hole I've dug myself into. This is a cry for help by the way, to speak plainly for once!

12:30 I hurry into the kitchen and make two portions for lunch and put them in two plastic tubs that once contained ice cream.

12:45 I drive over to Tewkesbury to pick Lois up after her morning in her church's pop-up shop. I decide to drive via Ashchurch - big mistake! I get stuck in huge traffic jams. There must be a problem on the M5 motorway, perhaps a major traffic accident or huge roadworks. I arrive 5 minutes late when I pick Lois up, instead of 15 minutes early as I expected. Damn !!!

13:45 We come home and have lunch. She has been very busy in her church's pop-up shop.

The young man suffering from "hallucinations" popped in and out of the shop several times this morning again. He lives in a tent, it seems. Alarm bells ring in my head when I hear about this man again. Unfortunately, I'm not as charitable as Lois and her friends - oh dear!!!

Lois says the man seemed very restless and distracted today. He said the social authorities are threatening to stop his unemployment benefit. She asked him why, but he did not answer. It may be that they think he could be looking for paid work!

The son of an ex-church member also popped into the shop this morning. Lois says he suffers from ADD / ADHD (attention deficit disorder) and he interrogated the shop's voluntary assistants in quite a restless and impatient way. Good grief! What madness !!! Churches, unfortunately, tend to attract people with mental problems now and then - I wonder if there is a correlation between these kinds of problems and interest in religion maybe, but that's something I'm not entirely sure about.

You always take a risk if you serve in a store and interact with the public. Far better to sit at home - that's something I know for sure !!!!!

14:45 I go to bed, a little later than usual, and take a short afternoon nap - zzzzzzz !!!!!

15:45 I get up and we relax with a cup of tea and a piece of bread with homemade apricot jam - yum yum!

16:15 John, my cousin in Witney, calls me. We make an arrangement that John and Chris (John's wife) will visit us on September 13 to have lunch with us. They will bring John's sister, Susan, with them. Susan lives in Monument, Colorado. She is visiting England between 6th and 16th September to visit some friends and relatives.


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