Mandag den 1. januar 2018

Nytårsdag, og allerede er en lokal mand, der er lidt af en kendis i dette område, Dan Andreychuk, tidligt ude på gaden: Lois og jeg ligger inde i sengen, men senere finder vi ud af, at Dan igen har ramt de lokale overskrifter (rapport, kilde: Onion News). Vidner har spottet Dans i hans svedige skjorte og ikke passende sweatpants, tumle ned ad fortovet: han var tydeligt ude på hans allerførste løb af en plan om at omsætte sit liv, sagde vidnerne.

Dan Andreychuck, en lokal mand, allerede tidligt ude på gaden,

som del af sit spritnye selvforbedring projekt.

”Way to go, Andreychuck!”, tænker Lois og jeg. Og vi føler os inspirerede til af følge hans eksempel. Han er nu blevet vores forbillede. Vi overvejer igen at være ude på gaden eller på den lokale fodboldbane måske senere på året, når vejret er lidt mildere, ingen tvivl om det!

Dan imponerede helt sikkert en flok vidnere. "Han begyndte bare at løbetræne ligesom en blok eller to væk, men han ser allerede rigtig forpustet ud. Denne fyr har sandsynligvis bare besluttet at få sit liv tilbage på sporet inden for de sidste par dage," sagde Paul Gerstein, en lokal forbipasserende. 

Paul formodede, at Dan sandsynligvis havde blevet inspireret til at vælge en løbeafstand langt ud over hans evner, efter at han for nylig havde taget sine begrænsede karrieremuligheder og forholdsmuligheder op til revision, set på sig selv i spejlet i skuffelse eller set en TED-snak om, hvordan man bliver sit bedste selv.

"Se bare på hvor langsomt han løber,” sagde Paul til lokale journalister. Dette er næsten helt sikkert kun en del af et eller andet gennemgribende selvforbedring-projekt, som han har samlet med push-ups og sit-ups og måske også nogle små håndvægteøvelser.”

Andre lokale vidnere rapporterede at de har set Andreychuk, rød i ansigtet, snappe efter vejret  med hænderne på knæene flere minutter senere.

Alt i alt, en hjertevarmende og inspirende historie!

11:00 Vi taler lidt på whatsapp med Sarah, vores datter i Australien, og med sine 2 4-årige tvillinger, Lily og Jessie. Familien sidder på Mullaloo-stranden ved solnedgangen: sikke en modsætning til her, hvor det desværre er meget mørkt og regner kraftigt – mens Sarah siger, hun kan se nogle par ankomme med flasker vin osv for at fejre solnedgangen på stranden. Du godeste, sikke en skør verden vi lever i ! Sikke en verden af modsætninger!

Vore børnebørn i Australien: Lily og Jessie

Lois og jeg føler os lidt stressede i formiddag. Vi har nu til dags ikke megen selskabelighed, men vi har inviteret Sharon, Lois’s niece, Michael, Sharons partner, og deres 2 små børn, Lily Rose og ”Lille” Lois til middag i dag. Sharon og Michael har til hensigt at køre over fra Oxford og se nytårets væddeløbsfestival i eftermiddag, og efter slutningen af festivalen besøge os så vi kan spise aftensmad alle sammen og bytte julegaver.

Formiddagen og eftermiddagen går hurtigt med oprydning, støvsugning, rengøring, madlavning osv. Vi stadser os op, og sidder og venter i stuen.

Vi venter i stuen på, at Sharon og hendes familie ankommer

18:00 Sharon, Lois’ niece, ankommer, sammen med Michael, og deres 2 børn, Lily Rose, og ”Little” Lois. De har tilbragt dagen på nytårets væddeløbsfestival, og de er i godt humør: de sætsede 40£ på den vindende hest i sidste løb (6-1). De havde tidligere sædset penge på ”Colin’s sister”, fordi de troede, navnet ville være heldigt, og den var favoritten, men sluttede bare på tredjeplads – pokkers!

Nytårsdagsmiddag med (venstre til højre) Michael, ”Lille Lois”, Lily Rose,

Sharon (Lois’ niece) og ”Store” Lois

20:00 Sharon og hendes familie skal til af sted, og Lois og jeg slapper af med en kop te i sofaen. Vi er udmattede. De viser en interessant dokumentarfilm, der handler om vores yndlings kvindelige komiker, Victoria Wood, som desværre døde sidste april.

Lois og jeg er begge to generte mennesker, og vi har altid været fascinerede over, at Victoria, denne generte, introverte kvinde, der hadede fester og alle sociale anledninger, kunne have bygget sådan en stor karriere som stand-up komiker.

I aften hører vi Victorias egen forklarelse.

”Jeg tror, at når du er genert, er der noget meget attraktivt at stille dig i en position, hvor du er komfortabel, og hvor du har magten, og hvor du kommunikerer med mennesker.

Jeg tror, at vi genert mennesker ofte føler, at vi ikke udtrykker os med succes. Folk forstår os ikke, fordi vi ikke har de sociale færdigheder til at have nemt ved at holde en samtale i gang.

Mens hvis du er en stand-up komiker, har du hele magten. Du har udarbejdet tingene du ønsker at sige, og folk er nødt til at sidde og høre på dig. Derfor er der så mange mennesker, der socialt er kommet på en forkert hylde, som nu er komikere. Fordi det bare virker for os.”

Victoria forklarer, hvorfor hun synes så mange

generte mennesker bliver til stand-up komikere

Fascinerende! Men Lois og jeg er lidt bange for, at det kan være for sent for Lois og mig til at forsøge os med stand-up, nu hvor vi senere på dette ny år fylder 72 år – du godeste! Først og fremmest kunne vi ikke stå på scenen i et par timer – men måske kunne vi blive ”sit-down” komikere? Det er vi ikke helt sikre på. Juryen er stadig ude om det ha ha ha.

22:00 Vi går i seng – zzzzzzzz!!!!!

English translation

New Year's Day, and already Dan Andreychuk, a local man who is a bit of a celebrity in this area,  is out on the street early : Lois and I are lying in bed, but we find out later that Dan has hit the local headlines again (report, source: Onion News). Witnesses have spotted Dan in his sweat-drenched shirt and ill-fitting sweatpants blundering down the sidewalk: he was clearly out on the very first run in his plan to transform his life, witnesses said.

Dan Andreychuck, a local man, already out on the street early,

as part of his brand new self-improvement project.

"Way to go, Andreychuck!", Lois and I think. And we feel inspired to follow his example. He has now become our model. We again start thinking about possibly being out on the street or on the local football pitch, maybe later in the year when the weather is a bit milder, no doubt about that, we'll make it happen!

Dan certainly impressed a bunch of eye-witnesses. "He just started running like a block or two away, but he's already looking really winded. This guy has probably just decided to get his life back on track in the last few days," said Paul Gerstein, a local passer-by.

Paul assumed that Dan had probably been inspired to choose a running distance far beyond his capabilities, after recently taking stock of his limited career opportunities and relationships, looking at himself in the mirror in disappointment, or after seeing  a TED talk about how to be your best self.

"Just look how slowly he is moving," Paul told local reporters. "This is almost certainly just one part of some comprehensive self-improvement project he has put together, with push-ups and sit-ups and maybe some small-scale dumbbell exercises. "

Other local witnesses reported that they had seen Andreychuk, red in the face, gasping for breath with his hands on his knees several minutes later.

All in all a most inspiring and heart-warming story!

11:00 We talk a bit on whatsapp with Sarah, our daughter in Australia, and with her 2-year-old twins, Lily and Jessie. The family is sitting on the Mullaloo beach at sunset: what a contrast to here, where unfortunately it is very dark and raining heavily - whereas Sarah says she can see couples arriving with bottles of wine, etc. to celebrate the year's first sunset on the beach. My god, what a crazy world we live in! What a world of contrasts!

Our grandchildren in Australia: Lily and Jessie

Lois and I feel a bit stressed this morning. We don't do much entertaining nowadays, but we have invited Sharon, Lois's niece, Michael, Sharon's partner, and their 2 little children, Lily Rose and "Little" Lois for dinner tonight.

Sharon and Michael plan to drive over from Oxford and watch the New Year's racing here this afternoon, and afterwards come to us, so we can have dinner together and exchange Christmas presents.

The morning and afternoon pass quickly with all the cleaning, vacuuming, cleaning, cooking, etc. We dress ourselves up and sit and wait for them in the living room.

Waiting in the living room for Sharon and her family to arrive

18:00 Sharon, Lois' niece, arrives, together with Michael, and their 2 children, Lily Rose, and "Little" Lois. They have spent the day at the New Year's race meet and they are in a good mood: they put £40 on the winning horse in the last race (at 6-1), "Acey Milan". Earlier in the day they had bet money on "Colin's sister" because they thought the name would be lucky and it was the favorite, but it only came in third - damn it!

New Years Day Dinner with (left to right) Michael, "Little Lois", Lily Rose,

Sharon (Lois' niece) and "Big" Lois

20:00 Sharon and her family have to leave and drive home, so Lois and I relax with a cup of tea on the couch. We are exhausted. An interesting documentary is on tv all about our favorite female comedian, Victoria Wood, who sadly died last April.

Lois and I are both shy people and we have always been fascinated by the fact that Victoria, this shy, introverted woman who hated parties and all social occasions, could have built such a great career as a stand-up comedian.

Tonight we hear Victoria's own explanation.

“I think that when you're shy, there's something very attractive about putting yourself in a position where you're comfortable, and where you're in charge, and where you're communicating with people.

I think that shy people often feel that they are not getting across. People aren't understanding them, because they don't have the social graces to hold a conversation easily.

Whereas if you're a stand-up comic, you're completely in charge. You've thought of the things to say, and people have got to sit down and listen to you. That's why there are so many social misfits who are now comedians. Because it just works for us.”

Victoria explains, why she thinks so many shy people

become  stand-up comics

Fascinating! But Lois and I are a little afraid that it may be too late for us to try our hand at stand-up, now that we are turning 72 years later this new year - good grief! First of all, we could not stand on stage for a couple of hours - but maybe we could become 'sit-down' comedians? We are not entirely sure about that. The jury is still out on that one ha ha ha.

22:00 We go to bed - zzzzzzzz !!!!!