"Perhaps she'll thaw"

In a happier start to 2015, it looks like Fred Spencer - of fleeting Fred-and-Sharon fame - is out of the motor home.

This is fantastic news. Although I'd tried to plug his work over Christmas, grateful for the laffs, I hadn't actually kept up with the "My Strange Life" updates over the holidays - Fred Needs a Shower Day 161, say, or A Sad Start to Christmas Day 162 - because he'd always kept so happy, and I wasn't sure I wanted to see that end. But New Years Resolutions Day 163 (from which these images are taken) has clearly seen a turnaround in Fred's fortunes...

With typical gallantry, all he'll tell us about Sheryl Anne Wilson - seen on Day 163 proudly relaying details of the various self-improving courses offered by the Penticton Community Centre and hammering frozen vegetables - is that she is "a good friend, who took me in during a cold winter". But he's put her name on the opening credits now, I notice. And he's made it spin.

 

Sheryl Anne makes an earlier appearance in the video below. Ostensibly, the star of Day 159 is Betty (whose anecdote about angora I'm not sure I really get) but I suspect it's really Sheryl Ann's presence that was responsible for restoring the giddy life to Fred's work (and those familiar with the work of his sadly estranged wife Sharon will also have to admit that Sheryl Anne seems a lot happier in front of the camera too).

Whatever happens, I wish them both as much happiness as they would wish for themselves. To quote Fred's clearly improvised closing number:

"Where'm I going? I don't know.

Hope it's warm and sunny.

Hope there's lots of money

And

Lots of friends.

Rains all night.

Suns all day (?)

Everybody likes to play.

Hope I have lots of friends.

Lots of girls.

Lots of boys.

Hope I have lots of money.

Hope I have...

Nice and sunny.

Sitting on a beach somewhere

Within my hand up air (?)

And a little bit of noise

Just to make

Things happy.

Good music every day.

Good things to eat, to play.

Hope it's always sunny.

Except

It can rain at night.

It's going to be funny.

Hope I have a great time."

So say we all, Fred. Happy New Year, and thank you.