Worrying about work or other problems is a common reason to not fall asleep. For this guy, lying in bed, and “counting his sheep” (thinking about how many he has, if he has enough, if they’re in the right area, etc. . .) is a cause of insomnia, not a good way to fall asleep.
Well, thanks to this ‘counting sheep’, I just watched an hour of Rowan Atkinson talking about the development/history of Mr. Bean and his other characters; thanks (it’s pouring rain, again, so this was a definite day brightener for me). I first ‘met’ Mr. Bean in, of all places, a Museum of Australia Research Station on Lizard Island in the Great Barrier Reef. Talk about being famous the world ’round.
I myself when I cannot fall asleep recite in my head – the presidents of the US in order, their wives (not first ladies, their wives as not all wives were first ladies and not all first ladies were wives), the states in alphabetical order – including capitals, the states by geographical order from NE to SW – ditto, the monarchs of England, then if still awake, all of the above in reverse order.
Like Meryl A., I do “counting” things (not sheep) when I can’t fall asleep, though I’m impressed by some of her choices. (Presidents are easy, but I’d be hopeless at wives/first ladies — and I assume the distinction may include that some presidents had wives who died before their term of office and/or were married after term concluded?)
Former WWF (as it was then) wrestling champion and noted real-life loon Bob Backlund reportedly has or had a policy of not giving autographs to anyone who could not on demand recite for him, in order, all presidents AND vice-presidents of the U.S. I imagine he didn’t give out very many.
Bill: I think there might have been some widowed presidents, or presidents who married (again) after serving.
As for not being a First Lady despite serving as such… what then makes a First Lady? (This must be what it’s like in the UK all the time, making up their “unwritten constitution”…) And if you claim merely being married to the current President, then what about those wives who didn’t serve as First Lady? It’s an undefined, unofficial role — what is more important, the doing, or the meeting unofficial, undefined criteria?
I see Shrug beat me to posting… But I forgot one case where I don’t even have to speculate because I know: Reagan was married and divorced before Nancy was First Lady!
larK, I’m assumed Meryl meant “wives at the time if the presidency,” which by definition made them First Ladies. Nobody eber refeered to Marla Maples as First Lady.
And while the occasional daughter or sister or niece served the function of First Lady — in some cases better than a First Lady would have — they were not First Ladies.
@ Bill – This list of first ladies explains that the “position is traditionally filled by the wife of the President of the United States, but, on occasion, the title has been applied to women who were not presidents’ wives” and gives a number of the exceptions.
Dolley Madison sometimes acted as hostess for widowed President Thomas Jefferson, prior to becoming actual First Lady (though the term was not yet in use) when her husband James Madison became President.
It was a while before she began selling packaged baked goods.
Bill – not all of the various President’ wives have served as first lady and not all of the first ladies, as you mention, have been their wives. Some presidents have been widowed and remarried or in one case divorced and remarried or in the case of Buchanan, never married – he had his unmarried niece serve as his first lady/hostess.
Jefferson’s wife died long before he was President so one of his daughters and Dolley Madison filled in as such – so in this case we have a first lady who was not President’s wife and one who was the wife of a later President while the actual President’s wife, Martha Jefferson was never First Lady.
Per what Mitch4 said technically Jefferson had no first lady nor did Washington or Adams. Martha Washington was called Lady Washington. I believe Abigail Adams was called only Mrs. Adams. The first woman to be called by the title of “First Lady”was Dolley Madison while her husband was President.
I thought it was ice cream that named for Dolley Madison and the joke was that she was making and selling it (especially since it was for sale just outside the Madison home in Philadelphia when we were there. :-)
If a complete list is wanted of wives and of “First ladies” the list can be provided. Wives from memory, first ladies may need looking up as I never memorized same.
Did you know that there is a first lady/President’s wife who is a much later generation (but not descendant) of a President? 20th century first lady/wife, 19th century president.
Comics I Don't Understand 
This is how Mr. Bean counts sheep.
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Worrying about work or other problems is a common reason to not fall asleep. For this guy, lying in bed, and “counting his sheep” (thinking about how many he has, if he has enough, if they’re in the right area, etc. . .) is a cause of insomnia, not a good way to fall asleep.
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Well, thanks to this ‘counting sheep’, I just watched an hour of Rowan Atkinson talking about the development/history of Mr. Bean and his other characters; thanks (it’s pouring rain, again, so this was a definite day brightener for me). I first ‘met’ Mr. Bean in, of all places, a Museum of Australia Research Station on Lizard Island in the Great Barrier Reef. Talk about being famous the world ’round.
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@ Andréa – I’d love to have a direct link to the rabbit hole in which you landed. None of the links that show up on my right side menu seem promising.
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Good thing you asked – I sent this out to several people and forgot to include the YouTube URL . . .
(four 15-minute videos, one leading into the next)
ENJOY!
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and then . . .
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I know humor can be individual, but I never found Mr Bean to be the least bit funny or entertaining.
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Dark Side Of The Horse has been mining the counting sheep trope quite a bit:
https://www.gocomics.com/search/full_results?category=comic&short_name=darksideofthehorse&terms=sheep
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I myself when I cannot fall asleep recite in my head – the presidents of the US in order, their wives (not first ladies, their wives as not all wives were first ladies and not all first ladies were wives), the states in alphabetical order – including capitals, the states by geographical order from NE to SW – ditto, the monarchs of England, then if still awake, all of the above in reverse order.
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Meryl, are you saying that some presidents’ wives were not first ladies? I’m not sure how that would work.
And there have been a few non–wives who took on the First Lady role, but that doesn’t make them First Ladies.
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Like Meryl A., I do “counting” things (not sheep) when I can’t fall asleep, though I’m impressed by some of her choices. (Presidents are easy, but I’d be hopeless at wives/first ladies — and I assume the distinction may include that some presidents had wives who died before their term of office and/or were married after term concluded?)
Former WWF (as it was then) wrestling champion and noted real-life loon Bob Backlund reportedly has or had a policy of not giving autographs to anyone who could not on demand recite for him, in order, all presidents AND vice-presidents of the U.S. I imagine he didn’t give out very many.
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Bill: I think there might have been some widowed presidents, or presidents who married (again) after serving.
As for not being a First Lady despite serving as such… what then makes a First Lady? (This must be what it’s like in the UK all the time, making up their “unwritten constitution”…) And if you claim merely being married to the current President, then what about those wives who didn’t serve as First Lady? It’s an undefined, unofficial role — what is more important, the doing, or the meeting unofficial, undefined criteria?
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I see Shrug beat me to posting… But I forgot one case where I don’t even have to speculate because I know: Reagan was married and divorced before Nancy was First Lady!
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larK, I’m assumed Meryl meant “wives at the time if the presidency,” which by definition made them First Ladies. Nobody eber refeered to Marla Maples as First Lady.
And while the occasional daughter or sister or niece served the function of First Lady — in some cases better than a First Lady would have — they were not First Ladies.
So my curiosity about Meryl’s list remains.
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@ Bill – This list of first ladies explains that the “position is traditionally filled by the wife of the President of the United States, but, on occasion, the title has been applied to women who were not presidents’ wives” and gives a number of the exceptions.
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P.S. @ larK – The current occupant has managed to double Reagan’s record.
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Dolley Madison sometimes acted as hostess for widowed President Thomas Jefferson, prior to becoming actual First Lady (though the term was not yet in use) when her husband James Madison became President.
It was a while before she began selling packaged baked goods.
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Bill – not all of the various President’ wives have served as first lady and not all of the first ladies, as you mention, have been their wives. Some presidents have been widowed and remarried or in one case divorced and remarried or in the case of Buchanan, never married – he had his unmarried niece serve as his first lady/hostess.
Jefferson’s wife died long before he was President so one of his daughters and Dolley Madison filled in as such – so in this case we have a first lady who was not President’s wife and one who was the wife of a later President while the actual President’s wife, Martha Jefferson was never First Lady.
Per what Mitch4 said technically Jefferson had no first lady nor did Washington or Adams. Martha Washington was called Lady Washington. I believe Abigail Adams was called only Mrs. Adams. The first woman to be called by the title of “First Lady”was Dolley Madison while her husband was President.
I thought it was ice cream that named for Dolley Madison and the joke was that she was making and selling it (especially since it was for sale just outside the Madison home in Philadelphia when we were there. :-)
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If a complete list is wanted of wives and of “First ladies” the list can be provided. Wives from memory, first ladies may need looking up as I never memorized same.
Did you know that there is a first lady/President’s wife who is a much later generation (but not descendant) of a President? 20th century first lady/wife, 19th century president.
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