I had an hour of free-fall this morning, no more REM, pool not open yet. I spent most of the time thinking about Stephen Hawking, making note of what I wanted to look up when I got up.

Like his children's names (Robert, Lucy and Tim) and who was their mother (first wife, Jane).

He was diagnosed with ALS (...) when he was twenty and was give three to five years to live. He lived another 55 years, thanks to the NHS. He was always loud and public in his praise of the National Healtvh Scheme, but what about his wife, Jane, and family and hired help. Think of the daily ministrations, increasing as he succumbed to this disease. TBC

Next day: Well, serendipity: The Theory of Everything, the movie about Stephen Hawking, was on tv last night. I hadn't seen it, and the timing was perfect for me. I'll have more to say..

Lee Child taught me how to fall asleep quickly. Well, really, it was Jack Reacher. The hero of Child's novels, even after a big knock-down fight or a thrilling adventure, goes to bed, lies down, takes a few deep breaths, and sleeps until his built-in alarm clock wakes him. (I have a built-in clock. Can't find my way out of a paper bag but I have an exquisitely tuned sense of time.) Maybe Reacher took Qi Jong, or maybe he could always do it, but three or four breaths and he is asleep.

Here's how:

You lie down, get the covers and your body arranged comfortably because very soon you won't be conscious to do it. Now, you know about the upper and lower part of your breathing to focus on, don't you? Upper is from your chest, lower is from your stomach. Whichever area you choose to begin with, take a deep breath, hold it to a count of four and then slowly exhale. Then do the other section. Three or four of these and you're away.

That's all for today.

Sleep well.