Danskcolin: Wednesday March 27th 2024

"Do you think people are getting tireder and tireder these days?", said Alice-in-Wonderland, when she was "so much exhausted, that for the moment she forgot how to speak good English".

And Lois and I feel Alice is right. And we're not the only ones. Just look at today's local papers [source: Onion News] if you need evidence.

And certainly the last couple of days have taken their toll on Lois and me, and we're quite thankful that we can get into bed this afternoon for what-we-call our "nap-time". We haven't had nap-time since Sunday, but at 2pm today you can see the anticipation on our faces as we head out of Malvern's oldest pub, the cosy 16th century Bluebell Inn, after a large 3-course lunch accompanied by too much in the way of mocktails and gins-and-tonics - is that the right plural? [No! - Ed], knowing that, at last, our bed awaits us and we'll be in it in about 5 minutes.

Poor us !!!!!!

Read our faces - "It's 2pm - and time for bed"

Today is my postponed birthday treat. Monday and Tuesday were exhausting: a drive into Worcester on Monday, a drive into Gloucester on Tuesday, the stress of finding our way to hospitals in cities we barely know, the stressful panic of parking in typically massive hospital car-parks with great scarcity of vacant "spots", working out how you pay for parking, then finding your way, despite inconsistent signage, to the right clinic and the right waiting-area" etc.

What a madness it all is !!!!!

Now at last the madness is over, at least for a few days.

I've been wearing my new shirt today, a birthday present from our elder daughter Alison, and also wearing my new trousers, birthday present from Lois. Trousers not shown, but take my word for it, they're there somewhere haha! [all the way between your waist and your feet, I'm guessing, Colin - Ed]

postponed birthday lunch at the Bluebell Inn today

One of the great things about going out for a really big lunch including starters and desserts, is that you can just get by in the evening with a couple of pieces of toast and a cup of tea - that's what we think, anyway, and we're certainly not good for anything much else this evening other than collapsing on the couch in front of the tv. [So what's new? - Ed]

We spend most of the evening watching a nice film from last Friday, "The Wife", all about Joan the wife of a Nobel-Prize-winner Joe, the wife who, it turns out, has actually done most of the work that her husband is getting all the credit for.

What a crazy world we live in !!!!!

Have YOU ever won a Nobel prize, dear reader? It seems to be another thing about modern life that's getting more common, have you noticed? And if you've ever been tipped as a possible prize-winner, you'll know that there's always a lot of tension in the air waiting for that phone-call from Sweden, that's for sure.

Here, we see best-selling author Joe with his wife Joan, in their house in Connecticut, and Joe's unable to sleep because of all the tension. All their friends have been saying that he's a "shoo-in" for the Literature Prize this year.

Oh dear, poor Joan !!!!!

But in the end Joan lets Joe have his "quickie", which in a way sets the tone for the film's careful depiction of the couple's relationship, above all the portrayal of Joan's great patience and long-suffering, to put it mildly, over the long years of their marriage. My goodness!!!

Luckily the couple's quickie, which takes longer than forecast, is just about over when the phone rings, and the call from Stockholm comes through.

I wonder what YOU were doing, dear Reader, when YOUR call came through from Sweden - not having a "quickie", I hope!

Do you remember when Sheldon was waiting for that call from Sweden in TV's "The Big Bang Theory"? He had kept himself awake all night with coffee, only to fall asleep just before the time when the winners were going to be contacted, remember? He'd told his room-mates in advance that they were allowed to slap him, if he fell asleep, and there then followed a bit of an undignified competition among them as to "who's going to get the pleasure of doing it to him?". Remember ?

And his room-mates were all there with him, and long-suffering Leonard said that none of them had earned this reward more than him. Sheldon's fiancée Amy then pressed her claim, but Leonard countered.

Sheldon (centre) finally falls asleep while waiting for the call

from Stockholm, but which of the room-mates has earned

the coveted reward of finally getting to slap Sheldon to wake him up?

Sheldon's long-suffering fiancé, Amy, obviously

thinks it's a no-brainer...

.. but Sheldon's long-term buddy Leonard has other ideas

And do you remember the uncomfortable scene later when Sheldon and the "suddenly glamorous" Amy have been declared joint winners of the Physics Prize and the two are getting ready to travel to Sweden to attend the ceremony?

Yes, I DID say "glamorous Amy", and that's not an oxymoron. Do you remember Amy's delightfully sexy, low-cut dress and tiara that she bought for the couple's trip to Sweden?

Here's the scene where Sheldon is writing his acceptance speech, planning to lambast many of his "mortal enemies", figures from his past, including school teachers, university colleagues, etc., all the people in his life who had told him that he would never succeed. He wants them all to "rue the day".

Amy, looking enchanting in her sexy specs, low-cut dress and little tiara, tries to discourage Sheldon, however, saying the Nobel Prize ISN'T really about settling old scores. Remember?

And Lois and I thought that Amy was 100% "on the button" with this one.