Saturday 11 May 2019

Today my late brother Steve would have had his 67th birthday. He actually died approx. 1 month before he would have turned 61, something which I know he was thinking a lot about, when he died - it was in his farewell letter. My god, poor Steve !!!

It was a bizarre experience when we heard about his death - Lois and I were on holiday in Denmark in May 2013, visiting our elder daughter Alison and her family. We had both just seen a wonderful exhibition at Ordrupsgaard Art Museum, and were on our way home on foot to Alison's house right there on Vilvordevej, when my cell phone started buzzing  in my inside pocket. That’s a moment I will never forget – that’s for sure.

Flashback to May 2013: Lois and me in front of the Ordrupgaard Art Museum

Our route from the art museum home to Alison's house

It was a police officer calling  me from Oxford's St. Aldates (central) police station to tell me about Steve's death, which was a bit of a shock, to put it mildly.

I had tried to contact Steve a couple of times before we left England - but he was without doubt already lying dead somewhere in his lonely apartment when I made his phone ring. I was not worried about him not picking up, because such a thing was unfortunately not unusual. He had been a dyed-in-the-wool recluse for some years, and used to answer calls only when he was in the mood to do so, which unfortunately was quite rare.

Flashback to January 1955: Steve in happier times, aged 2 and a half,

with me (8) and my late sister Kathy (7).

1960: from left to right: me (14), Steve (7), Kathy (13), Gill (2)

March 2009: the last photo I have of Steve (no. 2 from the right): my 63rd birthday lunch

at Cheltenham's "Storyteller" restaurant (now closed unfortunately!),

together with my late sister Kathy and husband  Steve (who are sitting to the left), and Lois (right)

Coincidentally later today, I finally manage to pass on the bookshelf seen in the background of the 1960 photo to our neighbour, Bob, as part of our current downsizing mini-project. The bookshelf has always been almost like a symbol of my childhood, and Lois and I "inherited" it from my late mother at some stage. Sad in a way to see it go, but there you are.

07:00 I wake Lois early with a cup of tea. She has to take a shower, have breakfast and be in Tewkesbury by 9:30 at the latest - Hilary has agreed to drive her and their friend Mari-Ann to Solihull so that all three can participate in their sect's "Sisters Day". I admire Mari-Ann - just yesterday she arrived home from South Korea, where she was on a two-week visit at her son Jeremy’s, who’s working over there, teaching English. My god, what madness!

08:30 We have breakfast. I use my brand new QuickChop kitchen tool, which I hope will save me a lot of time whenever I have to cut up or chop up an apple to sweeten my porridge in the mornings. Unfortunately, I find that the whole palaver, not to mention the washing of it, takes three times longer than it usually does when I do it all by hand - damn!

My brand new QuickChop kitchen tool

I chop an apple into tiny flakes (much smaller than I need)

using my brand new QuickChop kitchen tool,

but the whole circus unfortunately takes me three times longer 

than doing it by hand - damn !!!!

09:30 Lois has to leave and I now have almost 9 hours of alone time, which is a little unusual to put it mildly. I want to keep the momentum going in our downsizing mini-project so I go up the ladder to the attic. Our elder daughter Alison has said she would like to leaf through her old school and university notes before we throw them out. Good grief, what madness !!!!

Unfortunately, today I discover that most of the notes in the attic belong to our younger daughter, Sarah, who now lives in Australia with her family. The notes are all carefully and neatly filed and categorised by subject, date, etc., which is typical of Sarah – my god! I need to contact Sarah before I throw them out – that’s something I know for sure. I just hope she doesn't ask us to keep them all - yikes !!!!

I lug Alison's school and university notes down the ladder and put them in a large box in the garage. I also drag down some out-of-date tourist brochures, also tons of souvenirs of our 2 daughters’ school work, when they were students in an American school 1982-1985. I need to let Lois leaf through all that schoolwork and those tourist brochures, so we can perhaps keep at least a few examples of the children's schoolwork for old times’ sake. It's all very nostalgic - I have to admit.

In the attic I come across tons of out-of-date tourist brochures

and souvenirs of our 2 daughters school work 1982-85 in the United States

You goodness - what a madness !!!!!

11:00 I relax with a cup of coffee and watch some television. I start to look at a Danish crime series, "Follow the Money". I saw the first two episodes a few weeks ago, but I haven't seen the remaining 8 episodes yet, because Lois thinks there is too much sex and violence in the series, and I rarely have enough time to watch them when she is out of the house.

I see the first 15 minutes of the 1st episode to remind me of the main characters, the plot, etc., but then I decide to give up. I would have to sit and watch 10 hours of the programme, not to mention struggling to understand the plot, remember who is who, and all that crap.

Life’s too short!

Flashback to April: "Follow the Money" - the early episodes

Typical scenes from the second episode

12:00 I sit down with the computer and start designing and ordering three photo books on the Snapfish site - books made up of our March and April photos. I'm halfway into designing the first photo book, when unfortunately some problem crops up with the site - I send a message to their help desk, and they reply that I have to log out and log in again in 30-60 minutes - damn!

The whole project takes a lot of time and I have to sit at the computer and have lunch there and then while I continue to work on it. I even have to miss out on my daily afternoon nap, which is a rare event, and a bit of a shame, to put it mildly.

the 3 photo books I eventually manage to design and order from snapfish.co.uk

15:00 I decide to vote (by post) in the upcoming European elections - I had considered boycotting it all, out of disgust for our current "Stupid Parliament", also because it is not very important who we send to Strasbourg (? ), where I believe the European Parliament is based.

But who should I vote for? Not an easy decision! I have the feeling that our local Conservative MP (Robertson) is one of those who has prolonged the process by voting against Theresa May’s deal, whereas  most voters want them to get it finished with, so we can all move on in our lives. Obviously I need to "punish" Robertson for being an awkward bugger, but I don't want Farage to have too big a majority, so I decide to vote for the Liberal Democrats - hurrah!

"Simples" ha ha ha !!!!!

The polls speak of a large increase in support for Farage. Let us hope that that encourages May and Corbyn to reach a compromise, so that we can all get some peace and quiet for a change!

16:00 I order a sweater from Woolovers.co.uk - they say they can't promise that I will become a new man in my shiny new sweater, but they promise that I will look like one, which is nice . Perhaps the new sweater will make me more popular and win me admiring glances, which will be a refreshing change.

I choose the grey version

my cool new look - potentially me in my shiny new sweater 

- an artist's impression

18:00 Lois calls me - she will soon be home - at 6:30 pm or thereabouts. I hurry into the kitchen and make one of my 2 signature dishes: tonight it's going to be corn beef, boiled potatoes and peas - yum yum! Lois comes home on time and we eat. Then we spend the rest of the evening listening to the radio and watching a bit of television.

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

Danish translation

I dag ville min afdøde bror Steve have haft sin 67. fødselsdag. Han døde faktisk ca. 1 måned før han ville være fyldt 61, hvilket jeg ved, han tænkt meget på, da han døde – det stod i sit farvelbrev – du godeste, stakkels Steve!!!

En bizar oplevelse - Lois og jeg var i maj 2013 på ferie i Danmark, på besøg hos vores ældste datter Alison og hendes familie. Vi havde lige begge to set en vidunderlig udstilling af på Ordrupsgaard Kunstmuseum, og var på vej hjem til fods ned til Alisons hus lige der på Vilvordevej, da min mobiltelefon brummede i min inderlomme. Det tidspunkt vil jeg aldrig glemme – det ved jeg med sikkerhed.

Lois og mig foran Ordrupgaard Kunstmuseum

Vores rute fra kunstmuseet til Alisons hus

Det var en politimand, der ringede til mig fra byen Oxfords St. Aldates (centrale) politistation for at fortælle mig om Steves død, hvilket var lidt af et chok, for at sige mildt. Jeg havde prøvet at kontakte Steve et par gange, før vi tog af sted fra England – men han lå uden tvivl allerede død et eller andet sted i sin ensomme lejlighed, da telefonen ringede. Jeg var ikke bekymret over, at han ikke tog telefonen, fordi den slags ting desværre ikke var usædvanligt. Han havde i årene været en vaskeægte eneboer, og plejede at besvare opkald bare når han var i humøret til at gøre det, hvilket desværre var sjældent.

Tilbageblik til januar 1955: Steve i lykkeligere tider, på 2,5 år,

sammen med mig og min afdøde lillesøster Kathy.

1960: fra venstre til højre: mig (14), Steve(7), Kathy (13), Gill (2)

marts 2009:  det sidste foto jeg har af Steve (nr 2 fra højre):  min 63. fødseldagsfrokost

på Cheltenhams ”Storyteller”-restaurant (nu lukket desværre!),

sammen med min afdøde søster Kathy, Kathys mand, Steve, og Lois (til højre)

.

Tilfældigvis senere på dagen, lykkes det mig endelig at videregive den bogreol, som ses i  baggrunden af 1960-fotoet, til vores nabo, Bob, som en del af vores nuværende downsize-miniprojekt. Den bogreol har altid været næsten ligesom et symbol af min barndom, og Lois og jeg ”arvede” den fra min afdøde mor.

07:00 Jeg vækker Lois tidligt med en kop te. Hun skal tage et brusebad, spise morgenmad og være senest kl 9:30 i Tewkesbury – Hilary har aftalt at køre hende og deres veninde Mari-Ann over til Solihull, så de alle tre kan deltage i deres sekts ”Sisters Day”. Jeg beundrer Mari-Ann – lige i går ankom hun fra Syd-Korea, hvor hun var på et to ugers besøg hos sin søn Jeremy, der arbejder derovre. Du godeste, sikke et vanvid!

08:30 Vi spiser morgenmad. Jeg bruger mit spritny QuickChop-køkkenredskab, som jeg håber vil spare mig en masse tid, når jeg skærer eller hugger en æble for at forsøde min grød om morgenen. Desværre opdager jeg, at hele circusset, udover dét, at vaske redskabet efter, tager tre gange længere, end normalt, når jeg gør det hele i hånden – pokkers!

Mit spritnye QuickChop-køkkenreskab

Jeg hugger en æble i småbitte flager (meget mindre, end jeg vil have)

ved hjælp af mit spritny QuickChop-køkkenredskab,

men hele cirkusset tager desværre tre gange længere, end normalt – pokkers!!!!

09:30 Lois skal af sted og jeg har næsten 9 timer alenetid, hvilket er lidt usædvanligt for at sige mildt. Jeg har lyst til at holde momentummet  i vores downsize-miniprojekt, og går op ad stigen til loftet. Vores ældste datter Alison har sagt, hun gerne ville blade igennem sine gamle skole- og universitetsnoter, før vi smider dem ud. Du godeste, sikke et vanvid!!!!

Desværre opdager jeg i dag, at langt de fleste af notaterne i loftet tilhører vores yngste datter, Sarah, der nu bor i Australien sammen med sin familie. Notaterne er alle omhyggeligt og sirligt filede og kategorisede  efter emne, dato osv, hvilket er typisk af Sarah – du godeste! Jeg behøver at kontakte Sarah før jeg smider dem ud – det ved jeg med sikkerhed. Jeg håber bare, hun ikke beder os om at opbevare dem alle – yikes!!!!

Jeg slæber Alisons skole- og universitetsnoter ned ad stigen og lægger dem i en stor kasse i garagen. Derudover slæber jeg ned nogle uddaterede turistbrochurer, også tonsvis af souvenirs af vores 2 døtres skolearbejde, da de var elever i en amerikansk skole 1982-1985. Jeg behøver at lade Lois blade igennem alt det der skolearbejde og turistbrochurer, så vi måske kan opbevare i mindst et par eksempler på børnenes skolearbejde, for gamle dages skyld. Det hele er meget nostalgisk – det må jeg indrømme.

 I loftet falder jeg over tonsvis af uddaterede touristbrochurer

 og souvenirs af vores 2 døtres skolearbejde 1982-85 i USA

Du godeste – sikke et vanvid !!!!!

11:00 Jeg slapper af med en kop kaffe og ser lidt fjernsyn. Jeg begynder at kigge på en dansk krimiserie, ”Follow the Money”. Jeg så de første to episoder for nogle uger siden, men jeg har ikke set de resterende 8 episoder endnu, fordi Lois mener, der er for meget sex og vold i serien og jeg kun sjældent har alenetid nok, til at se dem, når hun er ude af huset.

Jeg ser de første 15 minutter  af den 1. episode for at minde mig om hovedfigurerene, plottet osv, men derefter beslutter jeg at opgiver. Jeg ville måtte sidde og se på 10 timer af programmet, prøve at forstå plottet, finde frem til hvem er hvem, og alt det der lort.

Livet er for kort!

Tilbageblik til april: ”Follow the Money” – de tidlige episoder

Typiske scener fra den 2. episode

12:00 Jeg sætter mig med computeren og går i gang med at designe og bestille tre fotobøger på Snapfish-webstedet - bøger, der består af vores fotoer fra marts og april. Jeg er halvvejs i at designe det første fotobog, da der desværre opstår et eller andet problem med webstedet – jeg sender en besked til deres helpdesk, og de svarer, at jeg må logge ud og logge ind igen om 30-60 minutter – pokkers!

Hele projektet tager en masse tid, og jeg skal sidde ved computeren og spise frokost der, mens jeg forsætter at arbejde. Jeg skal endda gå glip af min daglige eftermiddagslur, hvilket er en sjælden begivenhed, og lidt af en skam, for at sige mildt.

de 3 fotobøger jeg har designet og bestilt fra snapfish.co.uk

15:00 Jeg beslutter at stemme (ved post) i det kommende europæiske valg – jeg havde overvejet at boykotte det hele ud af afsky for vores nuværende ”dumme parlament”, og fordi det er ikke særlig vigtigt, hvem vi sender til Strasbourg (?), hvor jeg tror det europæiske parlament er baseret.

Men hvem skulle jeg stemme på? Ikke en nem beslutning! Jeg har på fornemmelsen, at vores lokale konservative parlamentsmedlem (Robertson) er én af dem, der har forlænget processen ved at stemme mod Theresa Mays aftale, mens de fleste valger vil have at de gør det hele færdigt, så vi alle kan komme videre med vores liv. Jeg behøver at ”straffe” Robertson for at være en vanskelig stodder, men jeg vil ikke have, at Farage har en for stor flertal, så beslutter jeg at stemme på liberaldemokraterne – hurra!

”Simples” ha ha !!!!!

Meningsmålingerne taler om en stor stigning i støtte til Farage. Lad os håbe at det der opfordrer May og Corbyn til at nå frem til et kompromis, så vi alle kan få lidt fred og ro for en gangs skyld!

16:00 Jeg bestiller en sweater fra Woolovers.co.uk – de siger, at de ikke kan love, at jeg bliver en ny mand i min spritnye sweater, men de lover, at jeg vil se ud som sådan én, hvilket er rart. Måske vil den nye sweater gøre mig mere populær, og vinder mig beundrende blikke, hvilket vil være en forfriskende forandring.

Jeg vælger den grå version

mit cool ny look - mig i min spritnye sweater – en kunstners indtryk

18:00 Lois ringer til mig – hun er snart hjemme - kl 18:30 eller deromkring. Jeg skynder mig ind i køkkenet og laver en af mine 2 signaturretter:  i aften bliver det corn beef, kogte kartofler og ærter – yum yum! Lois kommer hjem til tiden og vi spiser. Vi bruger resten af aftenen på at lytte til radio og se lidt fjernsyn.

22:00 Vi går i seng – zzzzzzzzz!!!!!!