Sleeping like a baby.

Niel asked me the other day if I am fit yet. My reply was “as a fiddle”. Which made me think: “Who on earth came up with such a silly saying as “fit as a fiddle”. So, starting my intensive research (ie Googling the internet...), I found out that the phrase “fit as a fiddle” was made famous through the movie Singing in the Rain. And then I stumbled on an interesting webpage www.phrases.org.uk. This web page is like a Phrase Thesaurus Bible! The original meaning (in 1616) of “fit as a fiddle” was not intended as “being physically fit” but actually “fit for purpose”.  Rethinking my answer of being fit as a fiddle, I decided that I am most definitely fit for purpose - perhaps not yet for this specific purpose of climbing Kili, but who am I to be pedantic?

So where does the saying “sleeping like a baby” come from? Obviously this comes from someone who never had a baby.  How many times have you heard new parents say: “Oh, we all slept like babies last night”. Hmmm, let me think... - yes you are right - Never. You would more like get a response of Hhuh – did you ask something? Sorry blanked out a bit. You know, our baby was up all night last night so my brain is a bit befuddled now...” It seems that even the phrases website is bowled out on this one as they also don’t know where it comes from.

Checking Delmence’s very thorough “Kili Drug Supply List” I notice that this is one thing she did not list. Sleeping pills! Ok, I know I complained about not liking pills and already being a drug store on the mountain, but I like not being able to sleep even less! Delmence often work night shifts at the hospital, so she is used to sleeping on cold, hard, hospital trolleys. I am assuming that sleeping at high altitude in freezing conditions would be nothing new for her. So I guess I will really be sleeping like a baby on the mountain – yes you have it – little and interrupted!