Feb 17th

Woke up immediately feeling more in touch with my surroundings. My loving wife brought down toast and grapes and they went down a treat. Still feeling a little hot and sweaty, but no pain in the joints or the head. Thought about getting a foot out of the pit, but felt the shivers and retreated beneath the duvet once more. Was well able today to reach for the zapper, and flute around the channels. Missed Andrew Marr, if indeed he was on, and settled on an old favourite, who I have neglected for far too long, in the name of Lt Columbo. I used to watch his every adventure avidly, then tired of him and cast him aside. After a single episode, in which he did for Patrick Macgoohan (one of four times in all) I was back in love with the crumpled sleuth. Strange that Danger Man was back on the screen for the second consecutive prog, he having been the judge in last night's offering. So smitten anew with the Lieutenant was I, that on finishing the episode and noticing that the Hallmark Channel featured another episode almost immediately, I paid my first ever visit there. Now an ageing film star faced the wiles of the dog the coat and the car, and unusually escaped his hand on her collar, as well as enticing him into a tuxedo, and almost teasing out Mrs C for us to seee at last. This was sickness at it's very best, and when Hallmark follwed up "Columbo" with "Columbo" I couldn't have been happier. The great Maldini (Martini, Bellini, I can't remember, but what the hell, some supposed Italian conjuror) can't have felt as pleased with the bumbling arrival which inevitably led him to the waiting police cars. Six hours passed in no time.
Taking advantage of my illness, Kosovo decided to declare independence, apparently without too many Serbs loading up the wagon trains or turning late in life to arson. Chance of a good pogrom missed there, but watch this space.
If there had been more Columbo I'd have watched it, but in his absence I settled for the 2nd half of Preston v Pompey. A cracking half, dominated by PNE but snatched away from them at the death with a 90th minute own goal.
Another doze, then time to pull myself together and grumble around the house for a while. Eschewed Sunday dinner whilst everyone else tucked in, then watched the "Panic Room" with H, Emsy & Marie Anne, E & Ma staying awake to the end. The film had it's moments, but never really lived up to it's billing. Bed at midnight to be fit for the day to come.