Ramblings from the cold north

Barf Festival

2012-02-13T13:03:00.001+01:00

Saturday afternoon, hubby took Georg for a walk along the beaches. Georg not only bathed in the winter cold sea, he drank it. Liters of it. This morning he barfed all over himself, the hallway floor, parts of the wall and a door. Without my knowledge. Apparently he tried to eat up the evidence. Obviously he failed. Naturally he decided to hide the evidence by rolling in it, pretending to play Barf Festival. Craptastic!

Also one of the windshield wipers just up and died on us on the automatic. One of the back tires blew up on the stick shift car, which also happen to be the only car with studded winter tires. Temps suddenly decided to rise above freezing, giving us a bit of sleet and rain on Saturday. Yesterday, the weather gods discovered this mistake and temps quickly dropped below freezing again. We no longer have snow. We have various types of ice.

Dear Mr Murphy. Go home!

Hubby took me completely by surprise today

2012-02-11T12:50:00.001+01:00

It's Mother's day tomorrow, up here. Runar took Georg and told me he was heading for the farm and that he'll be gone all day, so that I'd have some time to myself and would be able to relax when my niece, Trine, visits with her 1.5 yrs old son, Jarand.
Georg is a gentle giant without so much as a single aggressive cell in his body, but he IS a pup and he doesn't quite realize that his paws feels like a knockout hit when he - in his mind - discretely paws you for attention. I was very pleased and surprised that he thought of it.

About 20 minutes after he had left he came back with this cute little chocolate cake and a huge bouquet of flowers, gave me a quick kiss, told me "Happy Mother's Day" and ran off again.

I'm not his mother and he shouldn't have given ME this, but I don't really care. My heart is flowing over in giddy happiness. This is the man that forgot our wedding anniversary 15 times out of 21. Suddenly, out of the blue, he does this. He'll be able to get away with murder now. =D

Zombies; state of mind, art and the apocalypse. Makes sense? Don't worry, it'll make less sense after reading this.

2012-02-09T11:44:00.000+01:00

I'm working on a new embroidery these days.

White background, what is black on this picture is black, the gray-ish is brown.

I kinda feel a bit zombie-like. No reason, really, I'm just in a zombie state of mind. What better cure for that than turning a black zombie mood into wacky zombie art?!? Runar doesn't quite agree, but he wouldn't believe in zombies if one ate his right arm off, anyhow. So pfft, his opinion doesn't really count when it comes to these things. Which I told him, but then felt a bit bad about, so I asked him for help in gluing the 4 sheets of paper with the pattern he printed out for me at his work, together for me so that I don't accidentally sew parts of the pattern twice, because the print-version of the pattern that's on 4 pages, has overlapping edges. And we both felt better and useful and loved.

I'm still doing it...freehand(?) not sure what it's called, but I just sew and count, I don't draw any patterns on the fabric I'm embroidering on. I got a link from Sue - thank you friend - which had beginner's tutoring and explanatory info and I learned that the thread used for embroidering is called floss and that you're supposed to separate the strands, only using two or three strands of thread when you sew.
Explains why the previous embroidery I did of the nekkid fat-bottomed lady was so awkward to work with... I also made Runar help me check that I had converted from inches to cm correctly so that 'my middle' and my starting point actually was the correct and actual middle.

Simen showed interest in my work, which is rather odd as he's a 16yrs old homophobic I-DON'T-DO-GIRLIE-STUFF kind of guy. Alas, this is probably and most likely due to the motif and not his mother's craftsmanship :P

Runar has been bragging that when he walks Georg in the evening he doesn't use the leash and that he's been working on commados like 'come', 'sit' and 'whatever-English-phrase-you-use-for-walking-close-to-your-side'. So, yesterday I decided to tag along and see for myself, and he's actually doing a great job. I mean, to keep it real, the pup still only has room for 1 thought at a time in his head. If he's sniffing something interesting, like horse poop, he is blind and deaf to everything else, but hey, that also means that whatever else is going on around him he's completely ignorant of it and thus it doesn't really matter.

Unless a meteor was coming down on top of us, in which case it wouldn't really matter either way. We'd all be doomed, or turn into zombies. Another good reason for doing a zombie warning sign. which reminds me, I should stop typing and just go back to sewing before I contaminate the lot of you and you'll end up in the same zombie state of mind and start doing wacky zombie art and we'll start a zombie group, that would spread, as zombies are very contagious, which we all know, and before we know it, the ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE would have happened and...right. ~poof~

R.I.P. LAIKA

2012-02-08T06:36:00.001+01:00

Laika is now in the eternal halls of food and snooze. She was 11.5 years old and kept her dignity until the last. She was greatly loved and she'll be greatly missed.

Weekend!!!

2012-02-03T17:18:00.001+01:00

Finally heading for the mountain. Clear sky and so cold the snow makes crunching noises when you walk in it. I've got books and audiobook. Bliss!

Hope you guys have a great weekend.

Georg, the boys, Vera. ...and Georg snoring. Enjoy

2012-02-01T16:34:00.000+01:00

Georg has suceeded in charming his way into the hearts of both hubby and Simen. Georg now spends much of the day in the hall, waiting by the door for his buddies to get home. That's when the fun begins! The boys are good for more than wrestling and games, they're perfect for sleeping on.

And a couple of Vera when she dropped by to say 'Hi' She immediately claimed the biggest chewing bone. She's a character, alright.

Hang on, I gotz it, I gotz it

The giant bone is all mine!

And just because I love his snoring. It's freakin AMAZING!

Blizzard, fish au gratin and puppy training

2012-01-27T13:31:00.001+01:00

First proper blizzard of the year. I love it! Runar didn't love it quite as much early this morning driving to work before the plow trucks had cleared the main road. Good thing he's an experienced driver and old enough to know that you just have to take it slow and easy on such days. He called when he got to work, telling me he had gotten to work in one piece, because he knows I'll be worried sick about him if he doesn't. Is it any wonder I love this man? It was chaos on the roads, alright. Part of the main road closed off. Semi trucks without chains blocking the lanes, etc. This happens every year when the first proper snowfall comes. People go nuts. I get that foreigners aren't used to winter climate and get in trouble in this weather, but the rest of us? How can people forget about winter and slippery roads when living in Norway?!? Amazing! He'll be working overtime today, no doubt about that!

The day beforeyesterday I made the perfect fish au gratin. Best part, the boys loved it!Simen even ate the leftovers the next day – which, you know, you don’t getbetter proof than that. Why was itperfect? I’m not sure, as I didn’t use any premium quality fish. Either way, Ichoose to give the honor to my kid sister, who whipped the egg whites and thus madethe dish perfect.

I know itseems silly to go all overboard for a stupid au gratin, but it’s alwaysbothered me that the boys won’t eat fish. I’m of the opinion that fish is good for youand should be on the dinner menu regularly. Helene and I love fish and we’ll evenmake grilled salmon filets when we’re alone, having an all girlie night dinner.

The boys? Notso much. The only fish dish they have eaten without complaining loudly has beenfreshly fished mountain trout, but you only get that during summer. They’veeaten fish au gratin, but it’s sort of a forced kind of effort for them. Now Ithink I finally found the recipe that will make them want to eat fish moreoften. Huzzah!

Yesterdaymy brother in law dropped by, looking bedraggled and completely warn out. Puppy training takes its toll :P He wasdesperate and didn’t know what to do. I think he regretted ever getting apuppy. He’s been bringing the pup with him to work, because he made a deal with theowner allowing him to keep her in the upstairs office. Verataught herself how to walk down stairs. Not only did she jump on customers, but shealso figured out how the doors to the street opens…yeah he had to leave earlyand he got today off as well, explaining he needed to train Vera some manners. :P

Vera is a feisty,smart and clever puppy. My kind of dog. This morning I helped show him some puppytraining tips – the kind that function both as fun games for the pup as well asobedience training. It’ll create a bond btw dog and owner and it’ll wear the pup out mentally, which isimportant with smart dogs. All the walks in the world won’t do you any good, ifthe pup is still full of curious feistiness when you get back home. I showedone trick once. That was enough for Vera to get it and for Thomas to know howand what to do. I watched them go at it and it was such a joy. There is clearly a loving bond between themalready. I believe they'll be fine. =)

Advice of the day

2012-01-26T13:44:00.000+01:00

Blah, blah and blah

2012-01-24T12:05:00.000+01:00

My town has finally put on her winter coat. It's been snowing almost non stop since Sunday. As it's been a few degrees below freezing, it's been those light flurries, which means we're not drowning in snow. It stops snowing at night when the temps drops and starts up again in the early morning. It looks unbelievably beautiful when everything is dressed in pretty white new snow. It lights up the day and the dusk gets this unmistakably blue hue which is absolutely magical.

We got a vacation post card from Heidi, my sister in law and her bf who have spent Christmas holiday on Zanzibar. They've had the time of their lives, going on safaris watching lions and whatnot. She lists up a bunch of things they've done and ends it with blah, blah and blah. No wonder I love this gal =D I so wish it was me who got to spend Christmas on a tropical island. I hope I get the chance to do so at least once in my life.

Sunday, when we got back from the mountain, I took the dogs for a walk in the woods at dusk, just when the day's hue goes from ordinary daylight, to blue, to black. It had cleared up and the night sky lit up with billions of bright stars. Just the dogs and I, nobody else around, all the sounds becomes soft and muted when you walk in the woods freshly covered in snow. I felt like I was walking inside a fairytale.

I wish I could say it energized me, but alas, I'm utterly burnt out. Maybe it's the winter blues. Maybe it's the price for overdoing things during Christmas holiday that's being cashed in. Maybe it's the cold seeping into my joints and muscles making me ache all day and all night. Maybe it's just because.

I know a large part is due to me lapsing and setting myself back to starting point with quitting smoking. Dang it! I'm so mad at myself for this I want to puke. Hubby's doing better than me, at least I think so. I don't know how many cigarettes he's had since we decided to quit, but he doesn't smoke at home as far as I can see and he says he sleeps a lot better - he actually snores a lot less, so that's fantastic. We are both quite determined to quit for realz this time.

I'm so proud of my daughter. She's been on antidepressant for a while now, a couple of months ago, they increased her dosage, causing her to sweat in buckets and break out in zits. What does she do? She accepts it and goes on. She worked almost every day, even some Sundays these past few months, no matter how bad she's felt and no matter how little sleep she's gotten. She is such a fighter! She's been more under the weather than usual lately and got a doctor's appointment for last week. She agreed to an extra long wait, so she could see her regular doctor and not some stranger. When she showed up for her app, turned out they'd messed up and she was given a complete stranger. She broke down there and then. They took some blood tests and sent her home telling her it wasn't mono, or pneumonia. Stupid peeps!

She's got a new app later this month. In the meantime she keeps on going on. She goes to work and she hangs in there. Is it any wonder I'm so proud of her?!? ...and also worried sick! I told her she needed to make them take a new extended blood test for Mycoplasma pneumonia. It's a nasty, little sneaky bugger that completely drains you of all energy, at the same time you don't really feel all that sick, perhaps just having a cold that sort of hangs on. Of course, it may be just me being a neurotic mom, I know. Actually there is no maybe about it, but (there is always a but in there with these things, aren't there?)both hubby and I have had it and it took a long time before the docs found out as they don't normally do these tests unless you make them....Cross your fingers. She could need some strong happy thoughts ;-)

To end this on a happier note, yesterday Vera came for a play visit. She is sooo cute! And feisty. She was not in the least frightened of Georg. She even jumped his face to play fight him. We had to restrain Georg as he is still just a stupid pup himself and we were worried he'd club her with a paw out of pure uninhibited joy, or accidentally step on her. Hubby took him for a walk while Vera and Laika got to socialize. Laika is the grumpy old aunt, but she soon gave in to Vera's charm and the play fight was on. Vera raced her to anything and everything, spinning across the floor to get to the water bowl first, or to the chewing bone first. She was quite the sight balancing Georg's extra large chewing bone. It was as big as she was, but she still managed to carry it - sort of - and she looked mighty pleased with herself laying down on the big dog bed all alone with her new treasure. She will be such a character, I love her already!

Weekend

2012-01-19T15:53:00.002+01:00

We're heading up to the mountain. Huzzah! I need this so bad. The dogs need it so bad. Hubby's tractor needs it so bad :P And it's snowing. Fuuuun!

Have a fantabulous weekend y'all!

Georg snoring

2012-01-19T06:24:00.001+01:00

Just a little clip of Georg snoring. This is very discrete snoring as Georg go. I'll try to get one where he does his loud snoring with muzzle-flapping and the whole cha-bang, but that involves me knowing exactly where the camera is and also that I'm able to get it without waking him up....

Winter blues

2012-01-17T09:45:00.002+01:00

Winter temps have finally arrived. Even though it's just in the lower 20s, it's quite noticeably how much longer it takes to get the house warmed up to my comfort. Guess that is one of the downsides to having the house heated by wood burners, instead of electric heating. Fingers are stiff and sore and I don't get things done as fast as I want to. When we're outside for the morning toilette, it's FREEZING! I miss spring and summer and warm sunny weather.

Also, I'm more or less out of yarn. I need more, but with the No Spend Challenge, I don't want to go to the local craft shop - the yarn is almost double the price from other places - and the 'new' car has some break issues. Apparently, they hang up, which makes long drives impossible. Hubby says it's an easy job to fix them and that he'll take care of it....just not WHEN.

He's quite handy when he wants to be. He's almost finished with making the extra oil tank and the new central for the Lamborghini tractor. It will bring more power to the front loader, which will make the wood cutting work a lot easier and smoother.

The coming weekend, hubby's youngest brother will be getting their new Golden Retriever puppy girl. She'll be called Vera. I'll post pictures when I get them. Runar will come with them when they pick her up. I'm quite certain Vera will be spoiled rotten. I can't think of anyone who I think will be better suited to becoming puppy owners.

I have had to admit to myself and hubby that the chances of Georg ever becoming a healthy dog is very slim. If it was only the elbow osteoarthritis, I think he would be able to have a fairly painless, happy life, but it's more than that. There is something very wrong with his hip region/back legs. He is stiff and he won't use his left back leg more than as a support, it seems. He has major issues with walking up and down steep hills and stairs. He forgets these things when playing, but it is tragically obvious he is in a lot of pain afterwards. We don't know the results from the X-Rays, yet, but we don't really need those to see this is not good. It breaks our heart, because we've come to love the drooling monster, but chances are he'll be around for a relatively short time =(

As promised a video. It's just a silly video clip I took this weekend up at the farm. You can see how well his eczema and skin issues have disappeared. Right before the video, Georg had pestered Laika to play. She will play for a little while, but then she tires and she can't stand him for a while. You'll notice how he has learned how to charm her by being dignified and gentle. After the video I had to play with him. He showed me how to kill a plastic can. Utterly dead. The voices in the background belong to Runar and Simen as they're working on the tractor. (this will probably be the only video I upload, I hate my voice)

Hah!

2012-01-16T13:16:00.000+01:00

Finally got around to getting Pintrest My name is Cara_1969 and Goodreads My name is Cara - you'll recognize me by the little ballkickin' man photo

No Spend Challenge report and a short update

2012-01-13T11:32:00.000+01:00

I joined this with the gang. Goal is to reduce spending money on things that you don't really need. To make ourselves more aware and alert on what we spend our money on and how we spend it.

Week 1
1/1: groceries
1/2: Bills
1/3: Zero
1/4: Dog food
1/5: zero
1/6: groceries++(double as runar and I went to the cabin, while Simen stayed home)
1/7: zero
1/8: gas

Week 2
1/9: gym mattress for the dogs and car repair bill - the car repairs has killed my budget =(
1/10: groceries
1/11: zero
1/12: two small chocolates for meself for watching my new favorite scandinavian TV series "Broen" (The Bridge - not based on the Canadian series)
1/13: dog food+groceries (double of some as we're heading for the cabin, but we can't afford to buy any special treats foodwise. And a bottle of JD(it's not bought yet, but we decided on buying one when driving up)

I'm predicting that tomorrow will be a zero spending day and Sunday there will be some gas needed.

My dad experienced a setback health wise this week. He's been dealing with dizziness and earlier this week he suddenly fell over out cold. They've changed his meds and the dosage on the meds he's still on. He's not feeling well, yet. Cross your fingers and if you pray, pls pray he'll recover and be his ole self again soon.

Georg seemed to have finished with his jerk-ass tantrums and limit-testing last week. This week he's been a dream and such a good boy. I'm not complaining about the limit testing and the 'neener neener I'm not coming and you can't catch me' behaviour of his, because it just shows that he completely trusts us and his new home and feel safe enough to be an ass :P Let me tell yah, wrestling a big Bernard boy trying to see if he's able to psych you out (it is quite obvious he has been able to do so in his previous home) is a challenge physically, but at the same time I can't help but chuckle His jerk-ass face is TEH cutest!

Have a fantabulous weekend, ya'll and Court, hope your BDay turns out to be as fun as predicted =)

Calm?

2012-01-11T11:33:00.000+01:00

I've had time to ponder

2012-01-10T09:30:00.001+01:00

...that seldom bodes well

Who or what makes us who we are?

There are countless theses on this and who only knows how many hours researchers, doctors and professionals have pondered this.

Inheritance and Environment is what makes us who we are.

Or, so we are told.

I always figured 'Choice' was a part of this picture. We praise ourselves - the us that comes from free democratic countries with countless opportunities and choices - of having freedom of speech, press, beliefs, of having free will. We talk a lot about the importance of multiple alternatives to choose from. Yet, the main ingredients of the recipe that is 'Me' is who my parents were and the environment I grew up in.

I sometimes say that Life is a deck of cards and everyone is dealt a hand. These are the cards you're given. It is up to you to make the best of it. What you do with your hand and how you play it, comes down to the choices you make.

Some people are brilliant players. They'll sit there with a hand of twos and threes and still manage to end up winning the game with a Royal Flush. How? By bluffing, of course.

Some are given a house from get-go, but end up losing the game to a player with a pair of fives. They're honest and trustworthy, good people.

Life is like that. I think. Some poeple start out with a silver spoon in their mouths, but end up as bitter has-beens drowning in drugs and alcohol, while bitching about how unfair everything is.

Some start out as a deformed wreck, all odds against them, but not only do they make it, they make it with integrity and style (Hawkins)

We are full of awe and admiration for those who make it against all odds. We can easily perceive the hardship, the tough choices, the self discipline needed to get where they are today.

We have little or no sympathy for those who fail.

"Tsk! They had it all and just threw it away. Serves the bastards well, it does!"

Even those who didn't really stand a chance, but went for it all the same, gets little sympathy. Apparently THEY had the chance, but threw it away. Imagine the guts it takes to go for it? We do think about that at times. We pity! them...

So, unless I'm wrong. Who and What you are largely comes down to Inheritance and Environment, while Where you are (On the ladder of success) comes down to the choices you make, Since the choices we make largely comes down to Who and What we are....

Confused much? Aye, welcome to my brain.

I'm not smoking, but my mind is not a safe place right now.

PS! I'm going to make a no-spend-blogpost one of these days, I haven't forgotten, just trying to focus on one thing long enough to make sense out of it. When I do, I'll get it up

This weekend

2012-01-06T13:35:00.002+01:00

We'll be taking the dogs up to the cabin for the WHOLE weekend. W00t! And we'll be quitting smoking.

Laika is on her feet again, she has still got some problems walking up stairs, but she's a fighter and she gets up without help, regardless. There is snow up at the mountain. Forecast says sunny most of the weekend and temps around 0 C (32F) Perfect!

Have a fantabulous weekend, peeps! =)

Ahh, so this is the real reason :P

Georg - Puppy update

2012-01-04T13:32:00.000+01:00

Is doing a lot better. He's become a proper member of the family and I think we've all decided that he's here to stay regardless of what the Vets say about his health and prognosis. We still haven't heard a word, but according to his former owner, the bill needs to be paid in full before they will tell us anything and the bill is sent to his ex girlfriend...yeah...interesting.

He is full of puppy energy, wanting to play and fool around whenever there are somebody willing. He jumps about in joy when we start our daily walks. He races around the garden like a camel, yes, I said C.A.M.E.L. I kid you not, have you seen a 70 something kg St Bernhard puppy run? picture a camel body with a puppy brain. Eloquent is not a word that comes to mind... But he is adorable in all his drooling puppy happiness.

We're now quite convinced that, in no way, did he get the proper care at his former home. He needs lots and lots of love and attention.Our cure with plenty attention, play and small frequent walks seem to pay off. He's hardly limping at all these days and he seems to be getting stronger and happier each day. He is hungry and digs into his food. He was quite the spoiled brat food-wise when he first arrived. I don't believe in buying a lot of expensive dog-snack in order to get your dog to eat. I've always figured that if the dog gets enough attention, care and play and the food is nutritious and correct for their build, age, etc, then the appetite won't be an issue - so far it seems I'm right. I haven't checked his weight, so I guess I can't really be sure...although, judging by his looks and behavior, he's doing quite alright.

There are still issues we need to work on, by all means. Things aren't all peace of cake. His fright of riding in cars, for instance. Last Friday we took the dogs up to the farm. I left early, but without the dogs, because there is no way I can get 70 kg unwilling dog into the back of a Volvo on my own. I didn't even want to try. Runar had to get his youngest brother to help him. I so wished I could have been there to watch those two wrestle Georg into that Volvo. According to Runar it must have been highly entertaining for the neighbours. After countless tries, they ended up with Runar dragging Georg to the car, then giving the leash to Thomas, who was positioned in the back seat of the car, who then held on for dear life, while Runar lifted up first the front paws, then pushed the back part the rest of the way in.

Georg, then settled down quite calmly and slept the entire ride. When he jumped out of the car up at the farm, he greeted me with nonchalant dignity and was his happy usual self.

He absolutely luuuubed being up there and running free in the fields. He completely melted Runar's heart when he lay down next to Laika and kept a careful watch towards the woods, while Laika slept They were allowed to stay outside on their own for a bit after dark.They didn't roam, but stayed close to the front steps taking turns keeping watch while the other slept.

When we were leaving the next day, he came willingly enough to the car, but wanted help into the car, so we're getting there. Just need to let time and repetition do our work here...I'm hoping to get him to at least put his front paws up on h is own making it easier for one person to help the rest of him all the way inside.

The only sad part in all of this, is that Laika, poor thing, isn't doing so well these days. Runar took them for a long walk on Sunday in the gale and the rain. Her arthritis acted up badly. She's hurting badly in her hip and one leg. She's on rest and sleep only treatment. She's very brave and tries to do her usual things without complaining. It is heartbreaking to watch. I'm giving her anti-inflammatory pain relievers. I know she'll get well again in a few, but it feels a bit like we've failed her

I'm keeping her downstairs today, so that Georg won't bother her if he gets bored. Georg doesn't go down the stairs, only up...He doesn't really have any problems walking down stairs as he's done it outdoors, but I don't plan on forcing him to walk down the staircase and don't mind him thinking it is impossible to walk downstairs indoor. Easier to avoid him getting himself into trouble that way. He's still a pup and I don't want him accidentally eating or chewing stuff that isn't puppy-safe

here's the two of them napping on their new gym mattress.

Laika takes up most of the space. I bet she thinks it's a lady's privilege and that's fine by Georg. He adores the ground she walks on =)

2011 End of Year Survey - stolen from Lorin and Courtney

2012-01-03T16:26:00.002+01:00

1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
I knitted my first pair of socks. It escalated and I think I've knitted more than 20 pairs and a friend will start selling them on her site

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Some, but I didn't quit smoking. This is so hopelessly stupid. I know I in particular should have quit years ago. Doctors have specifically told me that my lungs are permanently damaged and that continuing smoking will see me die in a slow agonizing way. I can't afford it either. It's like my self-harm weapon or something and I'm so ashamed

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, my nephew had his first son and Lorin her first daughter =)

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Grandma Crazy

5. What countries did you visit?
None, not even Denmark

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
Some luck? Determination to do what I need to do

7. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
July 28th - my dad had a stroke and nearly died. It made me realize just how much I love him and need him in my life.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Managed to remain[Edit: maintain...sometimes I get lost in translation) my sanity - more or less- through all the crazy madness that happened this year

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not quitting smoking

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
duh

11. What was the best thing you bought?
A new laptop

12. Were you satisfied by your sex life?
Yup

13. Did you read enough books?
Yes, I've read some great books this year and I've gotten 4 books signed by some of my favorite authors. Wee

14. Where did most of your money go?
Debts and bills and car repairs. No vacations or nights on the town for us this year

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Georg! We bought one of those gym mats the other day. It's big enough for both dogs, hopefully he'll sleep on it all night through as it will make it easier on his legs in the morning when he gets up - we have floating wood tile flooring...

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
Not sure, but I discovered Florence + The Machine

(Edit: I thought I had put a link to the song "Shake it Out"...apparently I failed)

Compared to this time last year, are you:

17. Thinner or fatter?
About the same

18. Richer or poorer?
I suddenly got about 500 $ poorer a month at the end

19. What do you wish you'd done more of?
hikes in the wood

20. What do you wish you'd done less of?
worry

21. How did you spend Christmas?
At the Inlaws, hubby and I made dinner, everybody helped clean

22. Did you fall in love in 2011?
I'm not sure it is called falling in love when you've been married over 20 years, but I got confirmations of why I love him many times

24. What was your favorite TV program?
Hubby and I have watched reruns of QI. Otherwise there is Fringe, supernatural and several other series I've watched online

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

As Lorin, I don't hate - lack the energy - I do loath a few about as much as last year

26. What was the best book you read?
Can't really pick out one single book, I've got some favorite authors for 2011: Joe Abercrombie, Brent Weeks, Ruthfos(The Kingkiller Chronicle.), G.R.R. Martin(A Song of Ice and Fire,), Sanderson (The Way of Kings), Mieville (Embassytown)

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
? Dunno

28. What did you want and get?
?Dunno

29. What did you want and not get?
?Dunno

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Harry Potter DH 2 - Court I totally agree. There are others I liked a lot, like Thor, but HP DH2 got to me the most

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 42 and I spent the day in the hospital wondering if dad would be okay or not from the major stroke

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
That my disablement insurance claim would have gone through

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
*snort* Fashion?!? I've been out of fashion since I got kids and I don't really mind

34. What kept you sane?
my dog(s), books and most of all; you guys!

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
No one in particular, but several half-nom-noms

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Internationally - the messed up middle east crap. Domestically - that they almost turned the awful tragedy at Utøya into a political farce about who suffered the most and thus was allowed to say anything and get crazy-assed racial laws passed =(

37. Who did you miss?

My magic dragon who can take me away from it all and make everything alright

38. Who was the best new person you met?
I don't think I've met anyone in person that blew me away, but Thank you, Court, for introducing me to The Bloggess

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:
Don't trust your boss when she/he tells you that they always act in your best interest and would never pull any stunts that would fuck things up for you in the future, they lie!

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

Frank Turner - Photosynthesis

Well I guess I should confess that I am starting to get old
All the latest music fads all passed me by and left me cold
All the kids are talking slang I won't pretend to understand
All my friends are getting married, mortgages and pension plans
And it's obvious my angry adolescent days are done
And I'm happy and I'm settled in the person I've become
But that doesn't mean I'm settled up and sitting out the game
Time may change a lot but some things may stay the same

And I won't sit down
And I won't shut up
And most of all I will not grow up
And I won't sit down
And I won't shut up
And most of all I yeah I won't grow up

New Year's Resolutions

2012-01-02T15:08:00.001+01:00

Don't have any. Don't really believe in them. I have one resolution that covers every year that I try to stick to as best I can.

Stay positive and do the best I can with what I have.

Happy New Year. May 2012 be a good one for us all =)

PS! We survived New Year's Eve while Armageddon took place outdoors. Laika couldn't really care less as long as she didn't have to move from where she slept under the table, Georg was not happy, but took great comfort behind Runar's recliner. With the blinds turned down, curtains drawn and the TV volume turned loud, he fell asleep as well and we could say: "To hell with fireworks and loud party-people, we'll just sleep until the world settles into normality again!"

2011

2011-12-27T10:50:00.001+01:00

"Det året det var så bratt" A Norwegian saying, translates something along the lines of "The year that was steep" meaning it's been a tough year. I did an 'End of year' post on TBF and realized 2011 has certainly been that.

To sum it up(it's a rather depressing read, but hey, Pssst, there are puppy-pictures at the end - feel free to skim over and/or skip):

Winter and spring: Fought the Health and Social Service peeps and lost – sort of. Fought insurance company and lost - totally. Dealt with daughter's depression and anxiety attacks. Dealt with kid sister and her psychotic bf (he's in a mental institution now and I wont be sad if he stays there indefinitely...sorry sis). Sister in law got breast cancer and had to remove her breast, part of her lymphatic gland and part of her muscle in one arm, followed by chemo and hormone treatment. Bad case of fibro and inflammations. Psoriasis outbreak and major hair loss. They discovered a brain tumor in my mom's head, but luckily not a cancerous one. Doctors decided to leave it be and monitor it with regular checkups – for now.

Early summer: Grandma Crazy passed away. Lots of family drama and fights between my father in law and his two brothers with families. Got my doctor to fight the Health and Social Service peeps for me and won – sort of.

Summer: Health got better, hair starting to grow back.. My dad suffered a major heart attack, underwent surgery, then had a minor stroke and then another major one (on my birthday) and nearly died – worst day of my life. All of it during the time-span of 10 days. He lost most of his sight, ability to speak and his balance, but struggled through it and trained himself back to his old self. He's my hero and I love him to pieces!

Fall: Hubby inherited some money from Grandma Crazy. We covered the down payment so daughter could move into a new mould-free flat. Huzzah! My mother got diagnosed with Parkinson. Another round of psoriasis and hair loss. Dog got sick - 1 week of painful terror!

December: Health and Social Service peeps decided I am permanently disabled, reducing my monthly income with about $500. Big fuckin' suck! Since this basically means I no longer need to deal with their crap, it's a 'win', albeit a somewhat sad one. We got a puppy. But a very sick puppy. Car broke down.

This is copied and pasted from my post.

December decided to dump some extra crap on us before the year was done...My father in law fell down the ladder - he didn't break anything, but he got badly bruised and as his back was ruined from before, he is still in a lot of pain and barely able to move around.

We didn't manage to fix the old car- CRAP! So we bought a 'new' old car - same type, Volvo 940, 3 yrs older and with stick shift instead of automatic. YAY! - that also broke down - December 23rd - CRAP-CRAP!

Hubby, my hero, managed to fix it, but not until he broke a fuel hose and drowned himself in gasoline. As he is allergic to all kinds of solvents, he got sick as a dog. Of course, being the hero he is, he pretended otherwise and helped prepare the moose roast dinner. And he dressed up as Santa for the benefit of his 3 youngest nieces/nephew. Poor guy fell asleep in his chair twice during the Christmas Eve dinner party at his parents.

My hero!

Christmas day was spent at my sister's, where Georg found a new best friend in Olga, my niece's boxer ...and a gooey, stinking mud-hole. He was one stinking, happy, dirty dog!

The bath we had planned on postponing until he was properly settled, was suddenly unavoidable. Seems he is settled quite thoroughly, as he didn't mind the shower and he absolutely luuubed the attention and the hair-dryer treatment afterwards :P

The drooling, clean monster is sleeping flat out on his back with his paws in the air snoring loudly. He's adorable.

It doesn't get more relaxed and laid back

Anyways, I'm not sad to see 2011 end. Good riddance! In comparison, 2012 will be great. I just know it!

And with that I leave you with two good friends who brightens up my days, no matter how dark and shitty they get.

Laika and Georg, two good friends. Georg shares his blankie, Laika shares her toys.

MERRY CHRITSMAS

2011-12-24T12:10:00.000+01:00

Neighbours - we need a new sign

2011-12-22T10:25:00.000+01:00

Our neighbours hates our guts. They think Georg is a drooling monster waiting behind our fence for a chance to jump out and eat their babies. Georg would never eat their children. Unless they dipped them in beef stock, of course. Most parents don't do that, so I don't really think there is any danger of babies getting eaten any day soon.

Neighour 1: Wide-eyed pointing - "What is that?!?"

Neighbour 2: Shocked staring silence

Me: "Oh, meet Georg, our new puppy.

Neighbour 1: "Puppy? Try drooling baby-eating MONSTER!"

Neighbour 2: Shocked staring silence

Me: "Oh, he's a gentle giant. Babies aren't on his menu. Yet."

Neighbour 1: "You guys have finally and totally lost it!"

Neighbour 2: Stuttering "How much baby does he eat?"

Me: Getting slightly annoyed on Georg's behalf, deciding this is getting ridiculous. "Oh, just a couple a day if they're small. He can go two days on a big one..."

Neighbour 1 and 2: Shocked staring silence

I need a sign. In big friendly letters.

DON'T PANIC!

GEORG DOES NOT EAT BABIES

Don't dip your kids in beef stock before going out

PS! We don't let our dogs out un-supervised and we don't let them outside our property without a leash.

Puppy Update - Vet

2011-12-20T13:39:00.000+01:00

Poor little baby. We were at the Vet today, Georg wasn't happy. Laika and our former dog, Doris, both loved going to the Vet. They viewed it as a place where dog-candy grew out of thin air and a place where they would get cuddle-hugs and praise. Georg seems to think it is a place where scary people do painful things to you.

His former owner seemed rather unsure as what to do, that immediately transferred to Georg who got even more reluctant to do anything but lying down, pretending to be dead. When I took the leash, things went a little better, as so far as him standing up and coming along when I called, but he was scared and I had to hold him down and talk comfortingly to him until he fell asleep from the anesthesia.

We got him weighed and measured and his temp was taken and he was given a shot of general anaesthesia for a thorough X-Ray and went to sleep. They will be taking X-Rays of his bad foot/leg, his hips, etc

His former owner will pick him up when they are done with him and bring him back here. I don't know when the results will be in - probably after New Year sometime. I'm glad we get to spend Christmas with him at regardless whether or not we're to keep him permanently.

At least he's gotten in a whole lot better shape while he's been with us. The Vet and her assistant praised his recovery, which is good. No fever anymore, no eczema with infection anymore, no stiffness and soreness all over apart from in his one bad leg. All considered, things are looking good.

He's been gone 3 hours and I miss him terribly already.

Georg, come home!

Jumbled up shite

2011-12-19T14:23:00.000+01:00

Things have been crazy busy over here.It's been an insane week.

I wish I did a better job of just saying; 'No'.

A year ago, I got a call from a friend asking me if I would please agree to be the secretary on the board of the local Humanist Association. This man was the one in charge of the humanist confirmation my kids both attended and he's also a former teacher colleague of mine. I said 'No!' right away, but he kept nagging and sure enough I was persuaded to sit on the darned board as long as I wouldn't have to do anything other than write stuff down and email it.

That lasted until November, when I stupidly agreed to be in charge of the decoration-making at our annual solstice get-together workshop day. (Basically it is making Christmas decorations on a non-religious basis.) I didn't know I would have a very sick puppy to take care of, back then.

As this is a tradition that has gone on for years, I naturally thought they had a storage of needed stuff and a routine for how they did it all. I was wrong... It involved A LOT of work and preparation, finding, ordering, collecting and paying for all the material in advance. I also had to sit down and practice, as I had forgotten how to make santas, chess-board patterned baskets and whatnot. Thursday night I had a minor anxiety attack. I haven't been in charge of any big events or organized things involving many people that's not family for 10 years. I was terrified. I was seriously contemplating running away, starting a new life as a hippie on Grenada.

The workshop was Saturday and it all went quite well, but it cost me a few years of my life, I'm sure!

That killer cold flu that knocked hubby out a couple of weeks ago, finally got the better of me, early this week. It was a killer, alright, but I didn't have time to be sick. I drank Lem-sip Max, bunkered up on tissue-paper and pretended I wasn't really sick...yeah, it didn't quite work.

And then our car broke down. And it won't start. He put it at a garage, but it's none of the 'usual' things that is wrong with it and we don't know if it will ever start again. He took it home from the garage, as we can't really afford to take the chance that the mechanics get it right and manages to fix it when it's a 50/50 chance of epic fail. Hubby has been borrowing his dad's and his brother's car - they're the best family possible.

We need a new car. Why do these things always happen at THE worst times?!?

He's going to look at a used Merc. E-type(apparently these are the huge kind with room for dogs in the back) tonight. If he decides to buy it, it means good bye to all our savings =( We can't really afford a car loan, so we're buying used. We were planning on using the savings for hubby's new business plans, but....life and it's little surprises, eh?!?

If he manages to figure out what's wrong with the Volvo himself, we can sell it and get some of the money back, but he has no way of measuring or testing the electronics, so it'll be a measured risk of changing parts and see if that takes care of it. I'm not so sure about this, parts cost money and if he doesn't 'strike gold' the first few times, the cost will be more than the car is worth. He might as well sell the car off in parts...time will show!

This also means that I have to take care of all the Christmas shopping myself., again. I wonder how many years we've been on this particular dance. Hubby: "Oh, no, don't sweat about the gift-shopping, I'll help you with that, it'll be fun and easy." Riiight! Without any car. ...I will have to find gifts that are small and weightless....and doesn't cost much.

My fingers have swollen, my right arm and shoulder are acting up bad and my neck is killing me. Wrestling with an 80kg pup is fun, but hells bells it takes it's toll on an old body:P

There are some good stuff that have happened in between all the madness. George has gotten better. We've been taking walks for the last 3 days. He still limps, he has a swollen ball on his one elbow(?), but he's now happy and gets bored and restless, which is a good sign all considered.

He has worked his charm on our 4-legged ole Lady and yesterday he won her over completely. They were such a sight. Laika, even though not hostile, has been skeptic to this huge fur-ball suddenly invading her quiet life. Her arthritis makes her stiff and sore and also she's starting to lose her eye sight. Georg, however figured out a way to persuade her to play with him. he got down on his belly and crawled over to her, nudging her with his snout making soft whimpering puppy sounds until she gave in. Soon after they were both goofing around, tails wagging, happy-growling and generally acting like crazies.

Tomorrow Georg's appointment with the Vet is due. He'll be having an X-Ray too. The former owner is picking us up tomorrow morning. Keep your fingers crossed.

Norwegian butter shortage

2011-12-15T12:43:00.000+01:00

I don't want to be Norwegian anymore!

I'm so ashamed and I apologize on behalf of all my countrymen and women. It's ridiculous. We're even on the Colbert report

And the worst part is that it is all true. At least to a certain extent. The shelves are full of all kinds of margarine based and olive oil based butter, but we're out of two specific types of butter

This one; Bremykt - a 70% butter and 30 % rapseed oil product (my favorite, but that's beside the point)

And

This one; Tine Meierismør a 100% pure butter product with added D-vitamins.

All because the Norwish peeps have suddenly gone insane, or stupid, or both over this hyped up High Fat Low Carb diet shite.

FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING GOOD, ALL THE HIGH FAT LOW CARB DIETS IN THE KNOWN UNIVERSE WILL NOT HELP YOU LOOSE WEIGHT ANY FASTER THAN GETTING OFF YOUR LAZY BUTTS AND EXERCISE!

And cut out the sweets, which is almost impossible, I know, but there you have it and you know it. Deep down. Inside. That voice you do your best to mute. You can admit it. Not out loud, but to yourself.

...You don't even have to exercise all that much, either, as long as you MOVE your body - as in using your limbs.

I'm no genius, far from it, but even I know this as a fact. The more you eat the more you have to move your body. It's as simple or complicated as that!

I blame the Swedes! More specifically this guy Dr Fedon Lindberg I bet this guy is sitting at home in his living room rubbing his hands together laughing manically:

"MUAHAHAHAHA FOOLED YOU ALL, MOTHERFUCKERS!!!"

And making annoying 'Ka-c$hing' sounds to his wife - if he's married - constantly and she has to praise him, because he does bring in the money, while she's secretly planning a long vacation, alone, somewhere nice where nobody knows her, or her husband, or his diets and she's not planning on going home again anytime soon, because she really hates his diet and she wants to eat whatever she herself chooses to eat without him commenting on how many high fat low carb points there are and she can eat dinners consisting of only imported potatoes from Sweden with olive oil based margarine on them and breakfasts of sliced bread with raspberry jam and coffee while reading her newpaper in delightful silent bliss.

(I don't really blame the Swedes(or Fedon), or hate them any more than others, but as a proper Norwish person, it's my duty to hate you a little...just is. It's a tradition. Don't take it personally :P)

I mean...seriously? What's gotten into people?!? It's like they're all hypnotized into zombie-like dieters.
They sell butter on the black marked for more than $80. That's 80 bucks for half a kilo butter for chiissake! When will they start murdering people?

Still, this is just plain ole stupidity. Or wishful thinking, if you will. It's so much easier to believe in a magic diet that will remove all extra kilos without too much hard work and effort. I understand that very well. It's human. We've let ourselves be fooled by con artists and quacks since the dawn of time.

So we're out of butter. Big deal. I can't help but ask: Who really cares? It's not like it's the end of the world. It's annoying and inconvenient, but in a larger picture, it's nothing!

But this is not the reason why I don't want to be a Norwegian anymore. It's embarrassing as hell and it makes me ashamed, yes, but it doesn't make me want to emigrate, hide in a corner pretending I'm invisible or deny my nationality vehemently, claiming I'm an alien eating babies for breakfast and should be locked in a dark prison in Antarctica.

No. This is why:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

PLEASE, SOMEBODY, ANYBODY OUT THERE, ADOPT ME!

Puppy Update

2011-12-13T12:06:00.001+01:00

Georg is settling in well enough. He appears to be a big 'mama's boy', which is adorable. He stinks something awful, but we will just have to do our best to ignore that until he's well enough and settled enough for a bath.

The dog-sitter girl said that the Vet thought the Lyme disease affected his joints and that it would 'wander' through his body. It looks like he's right. Georg is still careful with his left front foot, but he also seems to be stiff and sore in his one hip/back leg.

I'm expecting a phone from his former owner today or tomorrow. I would like for the two of us to go to the Vet and get another check.

1) I would like to hear the Vet's prognosis first hand.

2) I would like to hear his thoughts on Georg's recovery and what chances he has to become quite well again.

3) I would like to know his 'Vet-history' as they're using a different Vet from the one we use.
4) He's almost out of painkillers, I've been reducing the dosage and he's down to half a pill twice a day. I need to know if he needs more or what....

He has a healthy appetite and eats everything I serve him. As he's still a pup, he gets fed twice a day. He's been 'doing his business' regularly and daily.

He is truly a gentle giant. Very careful not to topple things over, or bumping into tables and such. My love for him grows by each day we've had him =)

He is playful and loves to play-fight. By that I mean rough cuddling and no growling or dominance acts. I haven't dared take him on any walks yet, as he is limping so much as he does. Instead I've let him run loose in the garden and played with him there several times a day.

He loves to sleep on the veranda, but I haven't let him take long naps out there as I'm worried the cold and rain will worsen his achy joints, etc.

I feel there is a lot I don't know about what he likes and doesn't like, his habits and what toys he prefers. I've let him play with his blankie. He's ripped it some, but it keeps him happy and moving about and ensures he doesn't get bored or stiff and sore. I'm looking forward to meeting the former owner and clear these things up.

Here's a couple more pictures of him


Playing with his blankie

Hai, me Georg!

Puppy in da house

2011-12-11T10:18:00.001+01:00

Yup. After 3 minutes I was completely in love with the little() bugger. As the girl watching him was going on a vacation to Asia tomorrow and the owner isn't due home for another week, we decided we might as well take him with us and see how things go.

I mentioned he had an infection, well, turns out he not only had an infection, he had Lymes and it apparently affects his joints. The poor fellow suffers from rheumatism and is in rather poor shape as he's still on meds.

I'm half zombie from lack of sleep, but I got him to eat all his meds(he has a truckload of them) and his puppy breakfast - which apparently isn't always so easy according to the dog-sitter girl. I'm guessing he's suffering from lack of sleep himself and forgot how to deny being hungry?

He didn't sleep well his first night in a strange home. He finally tuned out for real at about 4:30 am. Holy smokes but that dog can snore!!! and slept until 9:30 - at least I didn't wake up earlier and I slept on the couch in the living room with the dogs.

Laika shows no aggression towards the huge new sloppy baby, but she doesn't show any particular excess of love either. There is mild jealousy as expected, but nothing too bad. Time will show if she starts behaving like an adolescent and misbehaves just to ensure our attention.

Cross your fingers things will continue going as smoothly as they seemingly do. Suddenly moving in with a new and unknown family is traumatizing for a fit and healthy pup, I imagine doing it when you're under the weather and hurting, must be terrifying. Poor little(!) baby. He's about 80 kg - he won't be fully grown and adult in another two years...

The owner called him 'Happy'. Lame or what?!? Hubby wanted to rename him 'Brute' and my son wanted to call him 'Tiny' (in Norwish) I suggested we call him 'George'. What can I say, he looks like a 'George'. 'George is a good name. After some pondering the boys agreed. He's a George.

So

2011-12-10T13:51:00.001+01:00

cringes

2011-12-09T09:55:00.001+01:00

I just read my previous post.

If you think it was painful reading, imagine reading it and realizing that you yourself wrote it... I need a cat like this

On a different note, the weathergods have gone bananas. They apparently can't decide on what to send us, so they just gave us everything. At once. It's bleeding ridiculous! We're having freezing temps, rain, snow, sleet, hail and hurricane winds at the same time, resulting in the rain/sleet/hail freezes the second it hits the ground. Black ice hell! One of the local rescue-car companies said they were so busy people had to wait more than 4 hours before getting help. Even two school buses ended up in the ditch, but luckily nobody were injured.

Yesterday when I walked to the store - I didn't dare take the car - I had my very own comedy-drama-on-ice experience. I took the dog with me. Seeing as she has claws I figured she would be safe enough on the ice. I was wrong. I wore those spike-thingies that you can put on your shoes to avoid slipping - the kind old people wear to avoid falling - so I was quite safe. When we started on the last little steep hill down to the store, she started sliding and my ingenious dog thought it smart to sit down.

Of course, she started sliding faster. What did the superdog do then? Oh, she went for laying down flat. Did it help? No. Gravity set in and as her butt is heavier than her head, she slowly swiveled around, sliding down the rest of the hill backwards. She quite clearly found it more humiliating than scary, because she gave me the: "This is all your fault!" glare all the way down, until she came to a stop. I wish I had videoed it, but I guess she was embarrassed enough as it was. Besides, I was busy trying to follow after her fast enough not to choke her with the leash without falling on my own butt.

She was so embarrassed, she practiced the "I'm invisible, you can't see me." act all the time I was in the store, instead of the usual getting impatient and start barking just when I reach the checkout counter, leading to me blushing while profusely apologizing to everyone, and the checkout lady feeling embarrassed on my behalf and trying so bad to hurry up, she uses twice the amount of time as usual to finish.

Laika got an extra treat when we got home. She forgave me. I'm not taking her out for a slide today.

Oh well

2011-12-07T14:37:00.001+01:00

The reduction of more than 80.000 NOK a year is a fact. There is nothing to do with that but reduce our spending equally and or earn more money. How we're supposed to do that, I'm not sure of right now, but it h as to be done, simple as that. According to the new rules for disablement benefit, I am to get an average yearly amount based on all the years I've worked since I was born. There is nothing wrong with that. I was stupid, that's all. Too stupid and kind to be frank.. I got married and had kids early, I didn't have a full time job before the kids came along. because I was still in school. Apart from the last 7 years I worked, I had part time jobs, because I wanted to 'do the right thing' and take care of the kids and the home. Because I married a man equally young and immature, and because he got exposed to nasty chemicals in his job, ending up very sick mentally and physically, I ended up taking care of the kids and the home alone, plus having to deal with a husband who was seriously fucked up.

And because I'm too stubborn for my own good, even though I wasn't strong enough to deal with it all, I just pushed myself and kept on going until I got too sick to function at all.

...in this view I guess I deserve all the shite and the punishment is a ridiculously low benefit and a ruined health.

I am, thankfully allowed to work some, I'm allowed to earn about 79.000 per year. I have already emailed the one company I had a deal with regarding translation work. I will have to try to get more work. I will have to somehow magically avoid getting too sick to work and I will have to try sell what I knit/sew.

We are able to save a lot of money on quitting smoking - I guess I needed the knife on my throat to actually quit - and luckily the E-cigarettes just arrived, so there is no excuses left. Hubby, who has got a killer cold - the kind only men get - is presently in bed and will use today and tomorrow in bed smoke-free while he is more or less unconscious from fever and snot. We don't really have a choice, so we'll manage to quit this time around.

I want to roll up in a fetal position, cry my eyes out and die in self pity, but I can't. I have a family to take care of. they shouldn't have to suffer for my mistakes. They shouldn't be punished because I'm not strong enough or healthy enough. Right now, everything sux, but we'll get through this. We've b een in rough weathers before, and likely we'll end up in rough weathers again, I'm sure.

Spit and spew

2011-12-06T00:47:00.001+01:00

This week is starting out rather lousy. We haven't met the St Bernard yet. He's got some skin issues and apparently he had a rash that turned to a sore that got infected. He's presently on antibiotics. Poor thing, I hope he gets well again soon. I didn't want to work him up unnecessarily, so I just told them to give me a call when he's well again.

Also the social security and health authorities have given me 'the verdict' I've been granted disablement payment and an extra amount for children under the age of 18. This extra amount, however will not be paid to me, the letter said, because hubby's income is too high. (How odd is that?!? I'm granted something but I'm not getting it? Why the hell grant me the extra child support amount in the first place if our joint income is too high?!?. Stupid, much?)

For reasons I don't know they have seemingly picked a semi random yearly amount I'm to be paid. 246,000 NOK (45,810 $) They claim it's based on my yearly income the 3 last years I worked full time. The amounts are 247,653(43097$), 235,688(41,015), 216,400(37,659). So you see, it's not even the average. It's supposed to be based on either the year with highest income or the average of the 3 years, whichever is the highest amount. How they came up with the 246' I have no idea.

Earlier this fall I got a letter from them stating that my yearly payment was 326,647 (56,844), which is based on my last year's income added the % increase per year according to index regulation. I was to continue getting this until my case was officially decided upon.

They have obviously seen it fit to reduce my yearly income with more than 14,000 $. WTF?!? I'm taking both letters down to the office tomorrow asking them to please explain to me how they came up with that amount and why they reduced it at all...I am so sick and tired of this shite

Yes or no?!?

2011-11-29T14:12:00.001+01:00

We've just been offered a St Bernard for FREE. 1 year old boy. Apparently fully trained and well behaved. The owner just got a job offshore and can't keep him. If we don't say yes, he'll most likely be put to sleep @_@ What to do?!? That is one HYUUUGE dog....

This is him...I notice he likes to get dirty. Hmm...

I want

2011-11-29T12:02:00.001+01:00

I'd love to have The Jetson's maid

...but if I can't have her, I'll also settle for one of these

I just wished I didn't have to wait an entire decade....

Baking cookies

2011-11-28T11:07:00.001+01:00

Today my sister and I will be baking Christmas cookies. Only easy ones [read quickly and easily made] We've done this before and we're a good team. Half of them will be for my parents - as has become the tradition....I'm not sure how that arrangement came about, but it's been the custom for years, now.

I'm not quite done with the Christmas cleaning. I've finished washing windows and all the doors. I've done the walls and ceiling, etc in the bathrooms, hallways and the kitchen. I've got the living room and the master bedroom left. I've also left to clean out all of the cupboards in the Kitchen. I'll be doing the living room tomorrow. Simen has done his room himself and hubby will have to do the ceiling. I can't get my right arm up above my shoulder anymore - dratted fibro! <.<; He knows this and agrees to help me, but he maintains the right to not like doing it. Noticeably. Loudly. And demonstratively.

Also, because there's been so much crazy stuff happening at hubby's work place and because he's been working almost around the clock, he's getting 3 days off this week. Ka-ching! Happy cabin-time!

We had Berit, the Atlantic storm, visiting this weekend. Poweroutages happened all over the coutnry on and off for most of the weekend. There is something otherwordly when the winds howl around corners and threaten to rip off roofs and uproot trees. We had to keep the doors locked, or they'd be opened by the wind and blown off the hinges. It's happened before and since it was also raining sideways, we didn't feel like taking the risk of having to struggle in the freezing rain, getting hinges repaired and the door back on...

On our way home we drove out to the sea. The sight of a storming ocean is spectacular and the roar of the battling waves, deafening. The storm didn't hit my parts of the country too bad. They got it worst on the west coast and along the coast up in the north. Huge mud-slides took out roads. There were several floods and several communities were completely isolated while it lasted. Linky to some stormy pictures

This is for Scott

2011-11-25T11:08:00.001+01:00

This is because I am no good at embedding stuff or copying links on blogger. I try and try, but every time all I get is EPIC FAIL.

I totally blame it on Christmas cleaning. My brain starts bleeding and craziness just pours out...

PS! Scott, I uploaded it to my photobucket. If you are able, feel free to edit and embed it in the comments on your blog as it was meant to be in the first place. Comic for Scott

Christmas cleaning - Somebody kill me and end my miseries!

2011-11-24T09:05:00.001+01:00

It never ceases to amaze me why I willingly put myself through this agony every year. And I know I'm but one of many who HATES Christmas cleaning.It sux toefarts! I'm glaring at the bucket and the mops with such loathing right now, it's a wonder they don't disintegrate into nothingness in shock and horror. My dog senses the HATE. She just sneaked out to hide in the hallway pretending she's invisible. She hates Christmas cleaning too....well, she hates all forms of cleaning in general and the vacuum cleaner in particular.

I contemplated killing myself by cutting my throat open with the mop, but realized it'd be too slow a death. I'd get bored our of my mind long before I died. Then in my insane boredom, I'd scrub the place so thoroughly that when the hubby come home from work he'd be convinced I'm no longer me, but an alien impersonating his wife and kill me in a most horrible and painful way, making such a mess my house would never be clean ever again. And pieces of me would be imprinted in the wallpaper for evermore...Gross!

I could also break one of my legs. Just that with my luck, I'd be stuck doing the Christmas cleaning anyway. With my leg broken and in plaster. It would take me three times longer and be a lot more painful..

Why bother at all, you ask? What do I think would happen? Would the world come to an end? I've wondered myself for years.One sad, but true answer is that I'm a wuzz. Plain and simple.

I fear that if I didn't, the kids would be embarrassed our house was dirtier than all the others and claim I totally ruined Christmas and hate me. And hubby would claim I'm a lousy wife unable to keep my house clean and then he'd blame it on the troll and goblin books I read - he calls all sci-fi and fantasy books that, including the LOTR - and he'd forbid me to read any more. That would really make me miserable and then I'd make EVERYBODY miserable with my misery and self pity. And what good would that do?!?

The other reason is because, quite possibly, I could go truly crazy and become a psychopathic mass murderess and start a world scale killing spree, and then I wouldn't know how to stop and in the end I'd eat the sun and everything would die and disappear. I'd be all alone. And sad. It could happen.

***

Oh, here's the photo of my sassy embroidered lady:

I'm relieved I didn't chose a career as a sewer. I'd be living under the bridge by now... Keep in mind that this was taken with my sister's lousy cellphone camera and before the finishing touch of ironing, etc. We just wanted to see it framed so badly we couldn't wait...

***

And now to work! Dust Bunnies and Grime Imps beware! ...if I don't show up again ever again, I drowned myself in soap water. And since nobody will be there to hear them, I put my last words here. Just in case

So long and thanks for all the shit

***

PS! My house Imp, that now resides in the dishwasher, senses the HATE too, it has blown the fuses thrice. That's 3 times! Scary! Perhaps I should stop and acknowledge I'm a grown up and shut up....naaah as Frank Turner so ...eloquently puts it:

Shopping with mothers

2011-11-23T14:27:00.001+01:00

We - 3 of us sisters - took mom clothes shopping yesterday. Let me tell you, it had us all totally pooped by the end of the day, and yes, it takes most of a day to buy clothes when the mother in question is mine and 75 stubborn years old.

The three of us plus both of the store assistants were running around finding clothes, helping undress and dress, etc. She gets annoyed easily and loudly... She found some clothes she was happy with and we had a wonderful lunch afterwards. I believe she was tired, but happy when the day was over.

My sassy embroidered nekkid lady is done, I'll upload a picture when my sister gets around sending it to me....

...

2011-11-19T00:40:00.001+01:00

Also, embroydering nekkid ladies taking their bra off is difficult. Just sayin'

...and I may have a temporarily fling with Jack Daniels.

The blog of Awesome

2011-11-18T23:53:00.001+01:00

I've been reading this blog lately that has me falling over on the couch kicking my legs in the air and holding my stomach laghing. And after myu stomach cramps up, my neck locks and my shoulder twitches and I'm in agony. And damn, it is SO worth it.

Meet The Bloggess

I love this woman. Just do. I don't think I've ever said that about a woman before, but I do love her from the bottom of my heart. In a non-lesbian way. She brightens up my life.

A trip down memory lane

2011-11-18T16:12:00.001+01:00

We’ve been watching Coupling lately and some episodes are about pregnancy and birth and all thelittle shocks you go through during your first time pregnancy. It brought medown the memory lane.

We were quite youngand ignorant of most things concerning pregnancies in general and births inparticular. We were students and couldn’t afford any prenatal classes. We livedfar away from most of our family and could therefore continue our blissfullyignorant existence too, until hard earned experience killed our naïve ignorance…

5 weeks into thepregnancy I went through an emergency surgery as one of my ovary tubes explodedinto smithereens. (This is a story of its own for another time). Obviously Isurvived and I didn’t lose the baby either. Otherwise I was in my opinion quitefit and had a healthy pregnancy. Except from an annoying heartburn, I didn’tsuffer from any of the usual pregnancy ailments.

The doctors didn’tquite agree. I had twice as many appointments as other pregnant women and atthe end of the pregnancy I wondered if I should perhaps just change my addressto my doctor’s office. They were worried about all kinds of things due to thesurgery, among other things they worried that the surgery scar would tear open.It didn’t.

Hubby was terrifiedthey’d accidentally cut off limbs during the surgery. I tried to tell him that atthe time of the surgery the little microscopic pea that was to become ourdaughter didn’t have any arms or legs to be cut off, but to no avail. Evenafter we’d had seen the ultrasound pictures on the screen where our daughterquite clearly had all limbs intact, he was convinced she’d be born with half anarm or leg missing. She didn’t.

6 weeks before termI started bleeding during intercourse. In our blissful ignorance it neverdawned on us that having sex while pregnant could be a potential problem latein the pregnancy. We were young with a healthy sex drive and had humped away asusual up until this point – having a lot of creative fun making room for agrowing tummy. The fun stopped abruptly, that’s for sure. I experienced nopain, so I wasn’t too worried that something terrible had happened and I arguedvigilantly for us to do nothing, but just wait and see. I didn't particularly feel like explaining myself to strangers about the whats and whys and hows...

Hubby disagreedjust as vigilantly, of course, he was now convinced he was going to lose bothhis wife and unborn child. I have to admit that I was more terrified of havingto explain what had happened and more to the point, how it had happened, thanof anything being wrong with the baby and I downright refused to go to the ERunless he agreed to come with me and do all the talking. We argued back andforth and in the end he agreed to come with me and help me explain.

Then came theproblem with transportation. We didn’t have a car and we didn’t really have theextra money for a cab. After another round of arguing, we decided to call on ourfriend, Axel whose girlfriend had a pimped up hot pink bubble convertible. Ittook a lot of stuttering, shifting of legs, kicking at invisible dust and a lotof blushing, giggling and mentally dying to explain our need and then a lot ofpromising that, no, I wasn’t bleeding that much and wouldn’t mess out the car.And no, I wasn’t going to give birth in the car either, etc and so on.

Finally we arrivedat the hospital. I had completely made up my mind about not needing to see anydoctor at all by now, but Axel and Runar unceremoniously picked me up andhauled me inside and told the receptionist that I was bleeding and neededimmediate medical treatment as I was 6 weeks from term. I was secretly planning on sneaking out ofthere, but hubby knows me too well, or my plans were written all over my face, because they placed me between them on the waiting bench and kept a firm hold of meuntil it was my turn.

Some nurse came toget me and Hubby; the dastardly Judas, promptly proclaimed that he would justsit there on the bench and wait with Axel and before I knew it I stood there inthe examination room alone, with 4 nurses and a doctor wanting to know what hadmade me start bleeding and how.

Oh, how I wanted tocrawl into myself and just disappear. All my telltale signs made it prettyobvious, I think. Regardless they had me tell it in details and before I wasdone every single person there – somehow, even more medical personnel came inand insisted on taking part of ‘examining’ me while I was agonizingly stumblingthrough my explanation – was giggling and/or laughing uncontrollably and quitefrankly showed little to no professionalism.

My embarrassmenthad by now mostly turned to indignation and when I stomped my foot and shouted:“It’s not funny!” the doctor shooed most of the extra people out while workinghard at controlling her own mirth.

I was examined,tests were taken and the doctor told me that the bleeding was due to a burstvessel and that nothing was wrong with the baby. She continued with telling methat while it was healthy and good to have sex during a pregnancy and that Ishould consider myself lucky that my partner and I had such a good relationshipblah, blah, blah, she as a medical expert sadly had to absolutely forbid me to have sexfor the next two weeks as having sex late in the pregnancy could start thebirth prematurely. And that I wouldn’t want that, but that when I only had 3weeks left to my term and I could fuck(I swear she used this word) all I liked.Then she laughed, hugged me and sent me out.

I stomped out ofthe hospital as fast as I could get my overgrown stomach to move with hubby andAxel trailing after me while laughingly trying to make me repeat what I toldthe doctors and what they told me. I seem to recall some gruesome threats of horrible deaths that would happen to them if they didn't shut the f@$k up!

As if this wasn’tenough, a report of this …incident was sent to my regular doctor – who happenedto be an older highly religious and righteous man - and I had to not only explain myself one moretime, I had to sit and listen to him lecturing me about proper and healthy behaviorwhile pregnant. I had 4 weeks left of it. I’d say he was a bit late in tryingto get me to change my sinful, evil ways…

So to all you pregnant people out there, sex during pregnancy is safe and apparently good for you, but not during the last(second last?) part of the pregnancy, so unless you enjoy having to explain yourself to doctors and nurses while dying of mortal shame, just refrain from having intercourse during that time.

Have a wonderful weekend

Morning, life and dreaming

2011-11-17T10:37:00.001+01:00

We're done with that nasty bug and I've knitted 2.5 more socks, now I'm about to start that guerrilla embroidery. I've only got the picture in the book to go by. I was told there would be instructions and patterns online, but nope, there wasn't any, so this should be fun as I haven't really embroidered anything before since those mandatory lower elementary du-dahs, which I'm not sure can be reckoned as embroidery...

Hubby overslept this morning. Nothing too bad, but enough so that I had to get up and put on the coffee while he got dressed. That black stuff is important for waking up on a good morning, on a morning you oversleep it's essential to survival! Hubby is complaining he has no life. I was happy to enlighten him

Hubby: "My life is only work and sleep. I have no life! [look of doom on his face] And I slept 12 hours(this is true - he came home from work at 6, ate and went to bed), how can I oversleep when I've been asleep for 12 bloody hours?!?"

Me: "You have a life. You're just not aware of it, because you're asleep and last night you were definitely not here."

Hubby: "What?!? What are you rambling on about now? Have a heart, for crissake, it's early morning, pleaaase talk normal speek."

Me: "I am talking normal and you weren't here last night, you were somewhere else living an interesting life. Toasted Toads!"

Hubby: "Eli!" [and he gave me that look that says ~I Swear I'm calling the guys in white to come and get you and we both know they'll never let you out again~ you know, That look]

Me: "When you fell asleep last night you were snoring, loudly. And when I went to bed I tried to ignore the snoring, but you know it's kind of difficult to ignore. I mean you snore LOUDLY. And..."

Hubby: [annoyed] "I snore, yes. Is there a point? If so, get to it, I don't have time for your rambling. I'm late for work"

Me: "Yes! I called your name softly and shook your shoulder to ask you to roll over on your side and you told me quite clearly "Oh, just hit me in the back, that's what Eli used to do!"

Hubby: "eh...and, then what happened?"

Me: "You just rolled over and continued sleeping. Snorelessly."

Hubby: "What did I say, again?"

Me: "Exactly! [raised inquisitive eyebrow] You most definitely was not here and I was most definitely not me, I mean "Eli useD to hit me"? ...I wonder who you thought I was? Do you remember? Was I even still alive? I mean, you must have been doing something very interesting, don't you think?!? "

Hubby: "Wow!" [then he laughed heartedly] "I wonder what I was doing and where I was too"

Then he gave me a kiss, chuckled and left for work and I'm pretty sure he was thinking about his nightly adventure all the way to work, because he called me about an hour later and asked me

Hubby: "Did I get any?" [we have no phone etiquette when talking to each other. No "hi's", "How're you doing?" we get down to the point and keep it brief.

Me: "Excuse me?!?"

Hubby: "You know, last night in my dream, did I score?"

Me: "How the hell should I know? Besides, I don't think that is a question that is normally asked by the husband to his wife...."

Hubby: "C'mon! You're not normal by any standard, babe, normality does not abide in you and you wouldn't want it to, I'm just curious, I mean I am sure I must have done something fun and interesting...I deserve to have great dream sex"

Me: "Yeah, fun and interesting = having sex, I know, while I'm not normal wifey-standard-wise, you're completely in the middle of normal male-wise ....I am sorry to disappoint you honey, I couldn't tell whether or not you were having crazed out wild sex with a she-monster vagina....but when I think on it, you did snort and chuckle every now and then - you know, the way you snort and chuckle when you're dreaming up an evil plot to conquer the worlds and I wake up to your hand brushing my face while laughing manically and shouting: "Fooled them all, muahahaha, fooled them all!" in a disturbing way...."

Hubby: "Pfft, that was almost 20 years ago and only happened once, I was probably just trying to calm you...and I did come up with a good scheme to play the lottary."

Me: "Yeees, waking up like that was oh, so calming....and I know, that is why we're not millionaires.... "

Hubby: "So, I chuckled? I must have had quite some fun...."

Me: Yeah....so you see, you DO have a life."

Hubby: "hmm..." and he hung up

Aii

2011-11-11T22:39:00.001+01:00

I've been sick as a dog. Some kind of shitty flue bug that had Runar and I flat out <_<; I hate being sick, so I pretended not to be sick and knitted 2,5 socks. Also I'm not evven slightly sober, so if somebody who shouldn't be reading this blog reads this, pls rewind and erase. Thnak you. We're home alone. All weekend. In civilized surroundings with internet and Tv and ...stuff

Thank goodness it's Friday!

2011-11-04T11:56:00.002+01:00

I ran out of spoons before the week started, but kept on pushing because I just don't ever learn. The Fibro beast roared up and by Wednesday my fever dreams were so insane I was afraid to even close my eyes. My dream self has fought bank rubbers, rapists and mythological monsters. I've ridden bicycles in snow storms and I've driven tanks (that was rather fun btw). I had the most sensible conversation of my life - with a dog! And I gave birth to the son of god and the devil. His name was Equality... I know, WTH right?!? My mind is such a scary place sometimes.

We never did go fishing as my sister refused due to bad weather and instead invited herself to dinner. Naturally I made her walk the dog with me, go grocery shopping with me and carry the bags home in addition to helping me make dinner. She is head over heals in love and obnoxiously happy, it's impossible not to bully her! I am happy for her, really, I am. ...just that her nervous energy drives me up the walls. I got a case of bad conscience and agreed to taking a long walk along the beaches with her Wednesday morning. Too long it appears, as Laika has given me the evil eye since and I didn't dare take her for a walk at all yesterday.

Things at hubby's work are now beyond crazy with people getting sick due to the stress, etc. Oddly enough, hubby seems to thrive under such conditions. His male ego grows out of all proportions and he becomes loud and manly and generally annoys the hell out of me! Of course, it may be he is just his usual ole self and I'm just imagining him being worse than usual because I am sleep depraved. achy and in a murderous mood. Especially considering his subdued comment yesterday evening: "I think perhaps I should just quietly get up and go watch TV in the bedroom..."

Those pesky cottage neighbors called and it got pretty ugly. My diplomacy skills were nonexistent. All the same, I think we kind of came to some sort of agreement by the end of it. Turns out that what they really want is simply legal access to the dirt road already there. Why they felt the need to give us that letter claiming they not only had the right to a a 4 meter wide road, but also the rights to go hunting and fishing, and collect fire wood, I am still in the dark about... Anywho I agreed to giving them legalized access to the road - only that and nothing else and asked them to send us the necessary documents. A huge envelope with forms and letters, a return envelope with postage stamps already on it and - I kid you not - A BOTTLE OF CORRECTING FLUID came in the mail today. Good Grief I must have been a real bitch on the phone....I'll be scrutinizing the content more closely during the weekend.

Perfect weather for

2011-11-01T12:23:00.001+01:00

...fishing! It's raining, it's foggy, but temps aren't too bad - 52 F. Time to take the dog and my sister down to the sea and see if we can get some Pollock for my fish au gratin recipe. Who knows, we may get Cod or Pollack too =)

I took some pictures of the results from yesterday's candle light session, but the cord to upload photos to the computer has gone missing. I blame the house Imp! I do believe I created the ugliest brown in the universe. I was trying for orange *sigh* Picture proof is coming one of these days...

Also, I know Halloween is now officially over and I need to change the background. I stink toefarts at this and I ask your forgiveness in advance for a messed up layout until I find one I can live with

Scented candles

2011-10-31T12:33:00.000+01:00

Yup, it's that time again. Murky cold days and long dark nights makes for perfect candle light joy. My sister is coming over this afternoon and we'll be making some candle gel lights, a bunch of scented tea-lights and perhaps something else, depending on our level of creativity. We've gotten some new colours and renewed our storage of scent oils

When we were at the hobby store - my all time favorite store evah - the store owner (who happen to be my kids former day care lady) she showed us this book with the most hilarious, bad-assed cross stitch sewing pictures and quotes. We immediately decided that we simply HAD to have it. We'll be making my older sister, Turid, a birthday present that's bound to make her day ^__^ I'll be uploading pictures when it's done.

Oh, apparently I'm knitting My daughter - The Bunny - a yoda hat, sort of like this, but adult size...should be interesting.

Advice of the week

2011-10-28T16:06:00.000+02:00

HAPPY WEEKEND, FOLKS!

Much wants more and sneaky sneaky neighbours

2011-10-21T11:04:00.001+02:00

We have a saying in Norwegian "Mye vil ha mer og fanden vil ha fler" Meaning something along the lines of "Much wants more and the devil even more" This saying fits some people like a glove...

There are these people who bought an old ramshackle cottage up at the mountain. The cottage is next to our land (this land isn't cultivated - talking woods here). They started repairing the cottage and rebuilding it larger than it was. They came over to us last summer asking for our signature allowing them to build 0.5 meters closer to our border than what the laws allows (law says it has to be 4 meters from any building to the neighour border) I figured that half a meter didn't really matter and since they were decent enough to come ask for our permission beforehand and apparently went about it the correct way with county laws etc, I would be nice and play ball, so I said yes and signed. Major mistake!

At this stage I hadn't seen their rebuilt cottage and didn't really know how close this cottage was to our land. Turns out that not only have they sneakily removed the old boundary stones and cut down the row of trees that the previous owner had put up to function as a border AND built half a meter closer to our land, they had built their cottage ON our land =( Not far onto our land, granted, but still.... We can't really use that bit of land to anything as there is a dirt road crossing our land to a couple of other cottages further up in the woods. My father made a deal with these two cottage owners that they were allowed to build a dirt road on our land, given that they took all the cost of making it and all maintenance expenses and we were allowed to use the road when we were working in the woods, cutting trees, etc. Also in border disputes, the authorities demand very clear border-maps (there aren't any - this is old men country, boarders are shown with boundary stones, creeks and other such landmarks and orally told/shown from generation to generation) and still they tend to decide on joint expenses for the law suit and court procedures and let the buildings stay - so it's a typical lose/lose case. We were not happy and we let them know, but didn't go any further.

The other weekend they show up at our door again. This time they wanted a road and they showed us this old paper from 1968 stating that they had the right to have a 4 meters wide dirt road, were allowed to hunt and fish and cut firewood on our land. WTF?!? The paper isn't valid - legally or otherwise. These people also bought another house up there, even more worn down and ruined than the first cottage. This house was part of an old farm whose owners went bankrupt and the bank took over the entire farm and sold the land to the neighbour farmers up there (my father and Mr Lillekvelland) in the late 1980s.

So the farm no longer exist, the rights to fish and hunt and work the woods no longer exist. The old house was sold as a cottage, not a farm. The letter they referred to was a deal with the old farm owner and the previous owner of the cottage. Even if it was legit, it would only be valid for 10 years.... Who do these people think they are?!? They started to argue with us and hubby was about to lose his temper completely, so I just stated calmly that we were not signing any paper until we had discussed it with my father and that was that. They couldn't really say anything more and so they left. I am NEVER going to sign ANYTHING these crazies bring EVER again!

One thing is certain, they're not going to get a dirt road where they want it. Oh, I'll let them build a road over our land. I don't have the energy to be difficult just for the sake of argument - we really don't want anything to do with these guys. period. But I'll let them build a road from the other side of the cottage, up from the main road. I am not going to take any chances of them being able to complain and demand financial compensation because our tractors and forest-equipment make dents in "their" road....

Otherwise, I'm finally able to knit a pair of woolen socks to myself - unless my sister steals them, she came by yesterday and whined about this pair looking a lot cooler than the one I gave her -rolleyes- and listening to Neil Gaiman's "American Gods" and "The Anansi Boys" I luuuub these crazy stories. I've got the books and I've read them before, but having them read out loud by a fitting male voice doing the various accents and voicing the characters well is such a nice experience. Finished with American Gods and I've just started on the Anansi Boys and this one is read by a British guy with the most fitting accent - it has me laughing out loud again and again.

Hope you guys have a great weekend ^__^.

New Coat

2011-10-18T12:22:00.000+02:00

Since it's getting close to Halloween and I haven't really found a template I'm happy with, I'll just celebrate Halloween until I do

Here are a couple of photos of Helene and her bf, Krister last year's Halloween. No, I don't know what Krister is supposed to be, his aim was to freak us out, which he did!

I'm not sure what is happening here....

I'm at war...

2011-10-15T13:43:00.001+02:00

...With my lawnmower. I'm in a rather bad shape and gave in and agreed with hubby not to join the hunt today. Since I'm no good at doing nothing I decided to get the lawn mowed the last time before winter, but that evil piece of machine wont start>_>. I've been at it so long that Major Pain decided to go to war against me. The battle is raging in my upper right arm and Pain's army is now moving toward my shoulder. What Major Pain does'nt know is that I've got a secret weapon; 4g of ibux *MUAHAHAH!* The Empire of Cara strikes back!
...I'll get that lawn even if I have to chew my way through every straw!

Test

2011-10-14T13:10:00.000+02:00

Test trying out email clogging from cell

Aaaaah

2011-10-14T07:13:00.001+02:00

Suddenly got the idea I needed to change templates. Bad idea! Messed up (no surprise) and got so caught up with the work of fixing it I forgot to wake my son on time. Not late for school-late, but too late for shower-late. He forgave me since I offered to make him a lunch pack. I would never have forgiven me for that. My kids are so much better than I deserve...

I'm calling it a week. Going up to the cabin for the weekend. I'll have to fix the template and layouts next week...if I can muster up the nerve

Okay, I've done it!

2011-10-13T14:36:00.000+02:00

I've ordered E-Cigarettes online for hubby and I. I am taking some serious measures to stop smoking. We simply cannot afford it anymore, besides, I don't want to end up a wrinkled prune of a wreck in a wheelchair, hooked to an oxygen tank at the age of 50-something. Even if I end up being addicted to the E-Cigs, it's still less than half the price for the real deal and a whole lot less dangerous and harmful for me and the surroundings. I also need to stop drinking coffee after 6pm, which makes me wannna commit suicide and lay down to die, but that's another story...

Not sure when they get here, as the guy who imports these non-cigarettes are having issues with the custom authorities who have quarantined some of the gift-packages. Apparently the Norwegian authorities are having difficulties deciding whether or not E-Cigs are actually tobacco products being disguised as non-tobacco products...yeah,the word: stooopid comes to mind, doesn't it?!?

I mean, the Norwegian health authorities have been doing their absolute best discouraging people from taking up the unhealthy, bad habit of smoking for years. And tried to make all of us stupid people already hooked on those damned cancer-sticks to quit for just as long. They've now prohibited stores from showing any tobacco-products being visible at all in all stores - they have to hide them in drawers or in special closets. They've raised the prices ridiculously high - A pack of cigarettes now costs 100 NOK (that is almost 18 bucks) a pack of rolling tobacco now costs 200 NOK ($35). Basically they're saying: "Yes, well, we can't forbid you to smoke, but we sure can make you bleed for doing it!"

It could, of course, also be that there is some especially smart authority guy going: "Heey, E-Cigarettes, now that is brilliant, they're the perfect remedy for helping people quit smoking. And they're not even very expensive. No, this won't work! We - the authorities - ought to make money on this, not some lowlife caribou-farmer up north. Let's ban E-cigarettes from being sold by anybody else but us - The Government!"

If the latter, I can understand the reasoning, if nothing else, but I'm crossing all digits for the lowlife caribou-farmer up north who was ingeniously smart enough to understand that there is a lot of money in this product and turned around and set up a business for it. He deserves getting rich on this =)

Pictures of the moose shavings dish

2011-10-12T13:25:00.002+02:00

I tried to find photos of this dish, which wasn't easy, but I did find a few.

here is one where they only use onions and no mushrooms. It's how I make it half the time...

here is one where they use mountain cranberries

and here is one where they use the chantarelles

Moose Shaving - a handy recipe for small pieces of meat

2011-10-12T11:57:00.001+02:00

We got one of the three appointed moose on this first moose hunt. A bull approximately 1.5 years old. The great part about that is that the meat is tender like veal is. The not so great part is that there is relatively little meat to be divided among the group and you end up with bits and pieces of meat that is too small to be used as a roast and too tender and fine a meat to be ground to beef.

Now, you have to remember that this is like butching any animal you hunt or butcher yourself on a farm. After the dividing of the meat is done, you start the proper preparing and packing of the meat. Roast with bone, roast without bone. There will be pieces of meat with bones that are best suitable for making soup. My parents always save bones with a little meat on them for this purpose. It makes for a delicious tasting soup, but it is a helluva job to do as you have to keep skimming constantly to keep the soup clear looking. There are those pieces of meat that may have tendons, etc and are packed as stew-meat and the pieces of meat only suitable for being ground to beef. Then there are the pieces of meat that don't fit any of the categories. This is a recipe for those.

Scott, you asked me to mail you some meat. Would have been fun to see what the postal customer peeps would do when it started to really stink up the place :P Instead I can give His Magnificent Chefness a recipe should His Magnificent Chefness get his hands on some moose meat.

It is originally meant as a recipe for reindeer/caribou meat, but works with all types of meat. I've used ox meat and that worked quite well. It is fairly cheap and a great dish to serve when you don't know exactly how many people you're cooking for, just that it is rather many. I tend to use about 1 kilo meat which is enough for 6-8 people, although you can make it work for up to 12 people without the use of magic, or too much difficulties.

Ingredients

1 kg bone-free meat

2-3 onions

mushrooms (whatever suitable for the season - we use chantarelles)

3/4-1 litre of cream

salt(meat stock/buillion), pepper and if you prefer a spice mix of your choice

oil or margarine for frying

Slice the meat in very thin shavings - I prefer to do it while the meat is still semi frozen, using foil and a cloth to protect fingers against the cold - with a properly sharpened knife. Cut and slice the onions and mushrooms.

Fry/sautee the shavings, spice while frying - remember that wild game needs more salt than the meat you buy in the stores. (I don't use too much salt, as I use a couple of dice of bullion in the pot instead)

Fry/sautee the onions and mushroom. Don't fry too much at a time and don't fry for too long, the thin shavings don't need much time in the skillet - a couple of minutes are more than enough.

Put it all in a suitable pot - I use the old fashion iron pot both for the frying and the cooking. Pour the cream over and let it simmer until the cream thickens. Serve with taters and vegetables, or with rice and a salad on the side.

Okay, this is the neat bit about this recipe. It is relatively easy to "stretch" the dish.

Say you're already cooking and preparing the dish and what do you know, out of the blue 5 more people show up and not only that, they're hungry as hell. What to do? What to do? Coming from a large family, marrying into another large family, this is more the rule than the exception for me. Family members dropping by unannounced all the time.

If you're almost done there isn't time to add more potatoes/rice. If served with a salad, there isn't much to do about the amount of salad unless you live next to the store and run over to get some. What you can do, is add bread, or rolls (preferably freshly baked) on the side. -I usually have baked bread/rolls in the freezer and it's only 15-20 min needed to thaw in an oven, making it appear as if they're freshly baked - You can easily stretch the dish by adding some more cream or some milk to the pot and use a sauce thickener. It doesn't change the dish, or the taste noticeably. If you do have the time, you just add more potatoes/vegetables, or rice/salad instead of adding extra bread/rolls.

One time I was serving this dish with taters and veggies and 4 more people suddenly showed up hungry, I simply added a pot of the 5 min quick-cooked type of rice in addition to the taters, added some more milk to the pot and thickened it. Voila, everybody happy and more than satisfied!

It's that time of year again - yep, it's Moose Hunt weekend

2011-10-06T11:14:00.000+02:00

The first day of the annual Moose Hunt is this Saturday. I think we're up for 3 animals this year. (I'm crossing all digits, hoping we get them all the first day) I'm not going to be a chaser this year. Laika and I will hold the fort, mind the fireplace and make dinner for the ones who are participating.

My sister is picking up Simen at the LAN party as she got off work this morning and it's not that much of a detour, really. Then we're heading off to my parents to pick up the crib and high chair, etc and I'm off to the cabin to get the fire place going and make everything ready, while my sister picks up my niece, Trine and her son at the train station.

She wants to participate in a chase or two, hiking with Jarand in a carrier. Simen and Hildegunn will be helping taking turns with the carrier. Will make sure to take pictures. Trine was supposed to stay with my parents, but truth be told, they're just too old and not really fit to be hosts for toddlers for days on end. They'll end up utterly worn out and complete wrecks, so instead I've invited them to stay with me at the cabin until Saturday. Hubby will just have to swallow any grumpiness at me leaving a day early and at having two extra visitors at the cabin Friday night. (I've got to hand it to him, he's getting much better at handling things that he hasn't planned or been the mastermind behind, he only fumed for half an hour or so :P) Then she'll spend only two days at my parents, which they are really looking forward to and will be able to enjoy without it wearing them out totally.

I was lucky and was asked to mind(read borrow) my brother in law's car while they are on their 2 weeks honeymoon. That means I have a unique opportunity of getting about without depending on buses and me own legs.

Bought a starter oil-painting kit when my friend and I were in town yesterday. I'm planning on getting a few paintings done for the cabin. I'm not planning on doing some proper high class stuff that takes skills, just going to play around with colours and patterns. I've bought a few stretched canvas on frames, which are ready to be hung up on the wall as soon as the paint/varnish is dry. We're a few friends who will get together for an artsy day just for the fun of it. I've painted on glass and china, but never on canvas, so it'll be a first time for me.

Hope you guys have a great weekend.

It's back

2011-09-30T09:22:00.000+02:00

I've had a break from most online activities for a while and it did me good. I've also not been very social. Maybe it goes to show I'm not really an extrovert person at all, regardless of what people around me think... I haven't really been depressed - tired, yes, but that has more to do with a lot of aching and lack of sleep more than anything else.

Things are still busy around me, but not half as busy as it was this summer, thankfully.

Dad is doing well, he's started with his physical therapy and the prognosis seem to be quite good
Mom appears to have Parkinson. Scary, but at least she's started taking meds and hopefully that will help
Daughter is struggling and has had to take stronger meds for depression and anxiety. Sad. It's always tough knowing your kids aren't doing well. Been trying to get her to start up therapy again and hopefully she'll be seeing a new psychologist soon. (She is no longer a student, so she had to quit her sessions this early summer)
My sister seems to do quite well, She still has a lot of debt to take care of, but it's not out of control. Huzzah!
Hubby is ...meh. He's doing the best he can, I think, but he's way too strung out from too much work and it sort of affects his personality and the way he acts and reacts a lot.
Hubby's plans on starting up his own business are still going strong. There should be new developments on these by next week, so I'll get back to this then
The disablement insurance is a lost cause. It's nobody's fault as such, but I lost a lot of money which is always sucky. Turns out that even though I worked full time when I assigned for my insurance, my employer made a deal with the social security office to avoid paying my wages of the period I worked, as it wasn't more than 2.5 months. Bottom line is that in the official health authorities' papers, I am listed as having been on sick leave that entire year....I COULD take it to court, but the cost of that will be too much and the risk too high.
My disablement case is still not finished and may not be for another four months
Dog has been sick. We took her out hiking two days in a row and her arthritis turned her into a cripple for 4 days. She could hardly move at all. It took me half an hour of massaging her hips and legs and working some flexibility into them for her to be able to get up at all. She stopped eating, but I made sure she got enough water to drink. (The only times she was on her legs was when she needed to go outside to do her business). She's moving about again today, but she still won't eat....I'll have to find her some food she can't resist. I know that as soon as she starts eating, her appetite will come back in full. Poor thing.
I found a new recipe for a very easy and yummi dessert. I tested it on my sister and Simen the other day and it's decided I'm going to make this dessert for the big birthday dinner tomorrow. It's almost like an apple pie, just that I use pares instead of apples (my mother in law hates apples) you peal and slice the pares, roll them in a cinnamon and sugar mix. Put them in a suitable baking pan - or pie pan. then you mix a dough of equal measures of sugar, butter and all purpose white flour that you sort of sprinkle on top of th pares and bake in the oven.. Result is a pare pie with crunchy topping. Serve with ice cream.
The big 60 years birthday party for mother in law is tomorrow. There's been all kinds of drama concerning gifts, entertainment, menu and location for the party. Hopefully the bday 'girl' will be happy with the results. Either way, tomorrow will tell.
Daughter and her bf is coming home today. Huzzah! I've hardly seen her at all this summer and I miss her so much.

I've ploughed through a bunch of books while I've been offline. Will be blogging some reviews next week

Short message

2011-09-23T09:01:00.003+02:00

Out of order while batteries are recharging.

Fall is here

2011-09-07T12:43:00.001+02:00

We're having proper autumn weather with gale winds and rain that falls sideways, the kind that no matter what you wear you get wet from head to toe. I like it. I don't particularly like working outdoor in this type of weather, but going for a walk dressed up in rain clothes and wellingtons is kind of neat too. Especially when you can sit down i front of a warm fireplace with a good book afterwards.

Things are still busy around here. I thought that as soon as hubby got back to work and Simen started school things would calm down, but nope. We've painted two coats of white on 3.5 sides of the house and the gotten the drip boards painted green. I have no idea whether or not we'll get dry enough weather to finish the job this side of winter....oh well.

My sister moved into this cute little house she's renting here in my town. We'll almost be neighbours. She's gotten a new() job. That is she got hired on a new project with the job she has had working with minor orphan refugees. She'll be in charge of the economy on this new project. It will make a lot of difference on her resume when she's applying for jobs in the future and also, if she does a good job, which I'm sure she will do, she'll stand a good chance of further projects with the refugee minors. I'm so proud of her. Believe me, it is not an easy job. Not everybody is mentally strong enough to deal with traumatized teenagers from parts of the world where a person's life isn't worth more than shit and kids' even less =( Oooh, and best of all, she has finally ended things completely with that nut case drug addict boyfriend of hers. W00t!

My parents are hanging in there and trying to adapt to their new situation. 1) They're without a car - that is, they have a car, but dad can't drive due to poorly eyesight and won't get his license back until January at the earliest. 2) He is eating a truckload of meds every day. 3) My mother is getting weaker and more confused.
My two sisters and I help them out as much as we can, but we can't be there all the time. They are both taking up physical therapy though, which is a good thing and will hopefully help them regain some strength and stamina at least.

Got a letter from my insurance company. They are denying my claims for insurance on the whole. They claim I lied and tried to play them when I applied for the insurance. It hurts being accused of lying and scheming when I wasn't and especially when I sought their advice and was completely open with my existing health issues at the time. I mean, I understand if they judge me a bad case, insurance wise, I am. Still, why the hell did they accept my application in the first place and took my money for 6 friggin years, before deciding I am not up to par for their insurance?!?

I am not sure what I will do. I have a weak case, because the truth is that my health took a turn for the worse the fall after I got the insurance. Even though they were things completely different from the things I suffered from and told them about when I applied. I don't remember the name of the lady who assisted me and helped me fill in the forms when I handed in the application. I'm sure they know very well who assisted me, but they will under no circumstances let me know who that was, of course... I'm seeing my insurance guy tomorrow. I will at least demand that all the premium money I have paid for six years be returned to me if they are to annul it.

Simen decided on making his room into a 'living room' and use the small extra room to sleep in. We've been clearing out, cleaning out and sorting all week. I've washed all the downstairs curtains. Go me! Funny how those things work. When you start clearing out of one room, you can't just clear it out and be done with it, at least I can't. No, no, no, I have to use the opportunity, giving it a thorough scrub down while at it....and it just escalates, I mean when you have done two rooms, might as well continue and take the other two rooms as well, and then there was the huge pile of clothes and table cloths that needed ironing....and so on.

Besides, I had a lot of frustration I needed to get out without letting it out on people around me. Cleaning works perfect. I get to use some of that aggravated energy and I get to use it in a way that helps me in the long run. Also, I get to beat myself up - metaphorically speaking, because I hate cleaning and especially ironing which happened to take me a whole day of work to get through curtains and all. And literally speaking as I am a complete aching wreck for having worked myself too hard. So now I can feel sorry a little sorry for myself knowing that I didn't beat myself up wasting energy only on self pity. I got stuff done. So there! ...Oh, who am I kidding?!? I have no idea why I play the martyr and do these silly things. I'm sure there is a reason and that a psychologist would be all too happy taking my money while telling me all about it :P

What I do know, is that it'll do both Runar and me a lot of good, spending a few days up at the farm.
Runar has tomorrow and Friday off. We're heading for the cabin tonight. Simen has been 'rehearsing' waking up to the alarm clock without me for two days. He should be fine. He plans on having an all night nerdy game party with his friends this weekend.

The punishment does not fit the crime

2011-08-29T13:24:00.000+02:00

I had too much wine at the summer party. It was fun while it lasted and I danced a lot, but hells bells! I was sick as a dog yesterday and I'm still a bundle of nerves. Seriously contemplating hibernation for a few months...

On a happier note; Runar got a substancial advancement of his inheritance and all debts(apart from mortgage which is up to date already) and bills are paid. Huzzah!

Runar called Helene and had a nice chat with her, telling her he was happy and proud of her grown up decision about working instead of continuing her studies when unmotivated. Go, go Dad-man!

Oh, and it went well at the doctor. Got a whole storage of meds, which is nice as it means I don't have to go see her that often and it saves me a lot of money. Got a copy of the letter she wrote the health and social authorities, which will make my job of filling out the form a lot easier. I need to see my caseworker this week and hand in the form, whether I want to or not, though, so I guess that plan about going into hibernation has to wait a bit more...

Ugh

2011-08-23T10:05:00.001+02:00

The guys painted the house, Saturday. That is, they painted one coat of white. The green around windows, stair rails etc, is left. They're painting the second coat of white today. It's supposed to rain for almost a week from tomorrow. Huzzah for everything that gets done!

My oldest sister and hubby are picking me up today. They've put down marks to where they plan to build their cottage up at Vintland(the farm) In order for them to build their cottage exactly where they want it, they are putting it up right next to the border to my land. They want me to come and take a look, because they want to buy a few meters from me.

Runar's hostility is peaking. He becomes all sharp pointy edges whenever it comes to my family and the farm. I wish it didn't get to me so much. It's annoying. I should be able to tell hubby to shut up about it or get a grip on himself and deal with it in a decent, calm and adult way. I've tried, but it's like throwing gas on a fire....So, I chicken out. I get scared and go silence. Ugh!

Fringe

2011-08-19T07:54:00.000+02:00

I've been watching Fringe and I love it. Dr Walter Bishop is my new mad scientist hero! The actor playing him - he played the completely mad Denethor in LOTR - does such a wonderful job in portraying him too.

I like the set up of the show, the plots, the actors, it's all good and kudos to JJ Abrams. Fox network and more specifically, those in charge of broadcasting episodes, on the other hand, ought to die from shame! They ought to be fed live mutant parasitic hookworms larvae and explode two weeks later! Yes, I'm talking about season two, episode 11.

I mean... Charlie not only alive, but alive and well? Charlie dies in season one, his corpse gets thrown in a friggin' oven (by his shapeshifter lookalike - who also dies) for crying out loud!

I don't care what excuse they use, you just don't mix up episodes like this. Charlie still alive, but not quite - fox tv messing up Unforgivable!

Short trip down memorylane

2011-08-17T08:01:00.000+02:00

Watching Simen this morning, filled to the brim with nervous energy at starting a new chapter of his life - High school - brought me head first down the memory lane to when I had my first day of high school. I overslept and had to take the moped, take some crazy shortcuts to catch up with the school bus. Came to school without shower, no makeup and with helmet hair.

It seems half a life time ago and you know what? It IS half a life time ago :P Man, am I glad I don't have to re-live that stage of my life! Sure high school and all that jazz was fun, but all that angst and dying a million deaths over stupid little worries. No, thanks!

Taking the bus to my parents. I have to go to the 'city hall' to get the necessary papers we need to sell a little piece of land up at the mountain for a parking lot for some cottage owners up there. It's cold. It's raining. Meaning I'll be wet AND cold -brr- will be fun to see my sister tho' I've finished her pair of wool socks that she ordered. Did I mention she has got a full time job? It's the same job she substituted for earlier - assisting young adult orphan refugees with various mental issues, functioning in everyday life. It's a temporarily 6 month job, but it is a great start and I'm sure something will show up or this job will be prolonged. Go her!!!

August - everyday life and normality is back...almost

2011-08-15T15:19:00.001+02:00

Hubby started working again today and Wednesday will be Simen's first day at high school. Which reminds me, I need to get that boy downtown for a pair of new shoes and some decent clothes...thank goodness for gift certificates.

Holy mackerel, am I glad this summer vacation is over and done with! It's been three weeks of madness.

The craziness started Friday 22nd, even before Runar was finished with his last day of work with the bombing of Oslo and massacre at Utøya, then my dad's heart attack.

Saturday was Thomas and Charlotte's wedding, which was lovely and happy sprinkled with several rounds of panic attack from both mothers' side due to everything essential missing at the place of the reception - from chairs to cutlery and ...everything. I can't help it, but I find such things highly amusing...I know, I'm weird.

About 3 min before we were heading down to the reception for the big wedding dinner my mother in law called me. No greetings, or 'hi, it's Brit' No, she was screaming out of the phone on top of her voice: "SAUCEPANS! DO YOU HAVE SAUCEPANS? POTATO BOWLS? I NEED 10 OF EACH! CALL AROUND TO FRIENDS! JUST GET IT! BE HERE IN 5 MINUTES!....Eli, there is nothing here, I'M LOOSING MY MIIIIND!!! Oh, any news of your father?" ...And so it went on and off the entire evening. As I was staying sober in case I had to rush to the hospital, I was the dedicated driver and collector of all things missing...kept me rather busy :P But the wedding couple were happily unaware of all the chaos and all in all it was a wonderful ceremony and party with lots of great speeches and funny little stories.

When the party was over and I sat alone in the living room enjoying the peace and quiet - around 3am - the Groom called:

Thomas: "Eli, I'm dying, you have to help me!"
Me: "What?!? Hang on, who's dying, what's...."
Thomas: "I can't get my eye lenses out and I've tried everything and Charlotte is waiting and it's the wedding night and...yah know....Can I come over and you can get them out for me? Super! I'll be there in 5 I have a chauffeur." 'click'

20 min later a red eyed groom could take his newly wedded wife off to consummate the wedding :P

The next few days were spent driving to hospitals - 3 hours each way the first days and then he was moved to a local hospital only 2 hours away. A few birthday parties and repairs on boats, tractors and cars ate up the rest of the time. My father was released from the hospital the 27th

Then came Thursday 28th and my bday. 8:30 am I woke up to my sister calling; my dad had had a minor stroke and was at the hospital, no reason for panic. Two hours later another call came, he had had another stroke - major one, and they weren't able to wake him up at all. Reason for panic and everybody were needed at the hospital ASAP.

Then followed some nerve wrecking hours of trying to get contact with him and a few more hours of agonizing waiting while watching how my dad struggled 'back to life' He couldn't open his eyes, nor speak the first few hours, he had no idea of what was going on and I am not sure he even knew who he was. It was the scariest day of my life.
Remarkably, some time during the evening, when my nephew dropped by at the hospital with his 2 month old boy strapped to his front, calling out from the doorway to his room: "Hey, Gramps, how're you doing? Magnus and I are here to see you" Did my father suddenly open his eyes and say: "Heey, Eyvin, how are you...and Magnus" Then he smiled his regular lopsided grin and was back among the living again.

Isn't it funny how old people, even those who are starting to get demented and forgetful of names etc, 'gets too' and remembers their great grand children's' name and faces?

The rest of the vacation was a race to get through everything that we had agreed on doing before the vacation started and that we now only had 1.5 weeks of doing it all in.

Our two nieces (5 and 6) and nephew (2.5) spent two days with us up at the farm. It was pouring cats and dogs most of the time, so it was quite the challenge keeping 3 young kids happy in a small cabin with no TV, but we managed thanks to two Wallace and Gromit DVDS. Apparently - according to the other Jakobsen Clan members they loved the stay and are looking forward to next summer's stay already :P

The house is not painted yet, but it needs to be done this weekend...if the weather allows it. The car, boat and tractors are fixed and running well....enough.

My father is back home from the hospital, he talks okay and walks with a cane. His eye sight is poorly, but hopefully it'll get better in time.

We visited Helene, brought her and her bf a new(used) double bed and took them out for dinner etc and so on.

All in all we've managed to do most of the things we agreed upon doing before the summer started.

Oh, I've knitted 3 sets of baby socks a baby scarf and two pairs of adult socks during these three weeks as well.

Now, I'm just looking forward to regular boring everyday life. I had to stay up all night in order to wake up hubby at 5: 30 am, because he was so afraid he'd oversleep.... He procrastinated getting back into every day day rhythm with getting to bed early and getting up early. Of course yesterday he couldn't sleep at all. at around 3am
Runar: "Eliiiii, are you asleep?"
Me: "Errr, not anymore"
Runar: "GET UP!"
Me jumping out of bed looking wildly around for whatever catastrophe threatening.
Runar: "Good, can you get up and stay up and then wake me at 5:30 so I don't oversleep? Thank you!" ZZZzzzz
Me: ...

Autumn colors and stormy weather, well met!

Letter

2011-08-11T09:22:00.000+02:00

Dear person in charge of vacations

This vacation needs to end. I want regular every day life and normality back. Please make it end. Now.

Thank you, that's all.

PS! I'll make you a cake.

Love Cara

Phew

2011-07-25T16:38:00.000+02:00

My father is doing better than anyone expected. Doctors are very pleased with the surgery. He is being transferred back to the local hospital today and will come home sometimes this week. It looks like we'll get a father home in better shape than he has been for a long long time.

Thank you for your prayers and your strong happy thoughts. They helped.

The insane evil terrorist, Anders Behring Breivik will be detained until September 22. He will be in total isolation for 4 weeks and he will not be able to receive visitors or receive or send letters during the entire period. He mentioned in the court hearing today that there are two cells in 'his organization' that are still active. I hope and pray they catch those as soon as possible.

He will most likely get 21 years in prison, which is maximum in Norway. However. He will most likely never be able to walk free ever again. We have a system that allows the authorities to keep people in locked wards in mental institutions. This is done to people who are deemed dangerous to themselves and/or others. This man clearly is. If I was to guess, I would say that he will spend 21 years in isolation - as the other prisoners will all most likely hate his guts and try to kill him - then he'll be locked up in a guarded mental institution and will be denied access to all types of communicative equipment/means. We will 'silence him to death'.

Runar says that they ought to put him on that island, naked, together with all the mothers who lost their children, equipped with rounded rocks and very dull scissors. That would be justice. I can't help but agree. It would be what he deserved.

We're heading up to the cabin today. I don't know how long we'll be staying.

Laters

Update

2011-07-24T02:46:00.001+02:00

It seems the heart attack was category medium strong. 2 veins going down the front wall of the heart was clogged, 1 95% and 1around 85. Due to the fact that they didn't treat him with the right procedure for heart attacks soon enough, there will be permanent damage to his heart.

He'll be getting medicines, some which might reverse some of the damage, and the operation did go well. We are hoping they have found all there is to find and that a more close examination and further tests will take place soon.

Dad himself is now able to sit and walk to the toilette. He is eating and is receiving visitors. My mother and 3 of my sisters plus one of my nephew have been to the hospital. They say he looks good under the circumstances and that is a good thing. We are positive.

I'll visit him tomorrow.

The wedding went well. Lovely ceremony and party. The bride was gorgeous looking in her dress and the groom was very handsome.

Scary

2011-07-22T21:06:00.000+02:00

Scary 1: My father was rushed to the hospital - heart attack - they believe it is a minor one and that there was no permanent injuries on his heart. He is relatively well off at the moment, but will be kept for further tests and for observation. Will get back to you when I know more.

Scary 2: Bombing in Oslo - Governement headquarter buildings. several deaths and injures - utter chaos.

Scary 3: Shooting at a youth summer camp where about 650 kids were gathered. Political gathering for the same party our Prime Minister belongs to. witness reports says a man dressed as a police officer showed up and asked people to come close to him, then he started shooting like a madman.

here is a link to BBC News update about it. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14254705

Marathon

2011-07-21T10:36:00.000+02:00

Yesterday I was dress shopping. For the wedding on Saturday. Procrastinating much?!? I met hubby after work and off we went. I hate clothes shopping and especially shopping for a dress, even more so dress shopping with da hubby. It's more a race than anything else. Speed shopping. We had to hurry up so hubby could get to the boat part store before closing... I ended up with a dress that was a size too large and one I can't wear with a bra...plus it has glittery stuff on it. beads and whatnot. I'll be going to this summer wedding as a christmas decoration. Good thing is that it was 70 % off. Also, I found this nice skirt and jacket/top in linen that I don't really need but bought anyhow. 70% off as well.

Today I'm walking to town - stupid bus not running during summer vacation - to buy a bday present for my niece who'll be 5 Sunday, then it's home to bake pizza for my daughter and her boyfriend who is coming home today. Then it is off to my mother in law to pick up a cake she baked for my dad's 80th bday (a little late which is my fault for not telling her in time) then off to my parents to give them the cake and to show them that Helene and Krister are in fact alive and well, even though they haven't been visiting since Easter. Then it's back home to check on everybody's suits/dresses so I get time to buy/fix them tomorrow if needed.

Friday it is buying cider and prepare whatever is needed to the welcoming drink table that Helene and I are responsible for. + + +

Saturday: big wedding day
Sunday: bday party for Eva/saying good bye to Helene and Krister
Monday: VACATION TIMEEEEEE!

Happiness...

2011-07-18T10:54:00.000+02:00

Is getting a letter from the Social Sec Office saying they, in agreement with their advisory doctor have decided I qualify for full work disablement!

Now I just have to fill out the forms and officially apply for full disablement so they can do the official paperwork and work out how much I get paid per month and how much they owe me for the years I've been in their system.

Runar called me at the cabin late Wednesday evening saying there was a big letter from the SS Office and if he should open it and read it out loud over the phone. I heard him tear open the envelope, then he said: "You better sit down for this". Pretending it was the worst news, ever.

I went to sleep still not quite believing it. All of Thursday I walked about, all by my lonesome, with this silly grin glued on my face saying stupid things to the dog like: "Let the good times roll" etc.

The Weekend was busy with my dad's 80th bday and Simen's 16th bday. He is now old enough for driving practice and we've got the extra rear mirror and the big red "L"( for Learning) ready. He's already been out driving.

We took the boat out for a ride yesterday evening after we had cleared away and tidied up after the bday party. It had been raining cats and dogs all day with strong wind - almost like a tropical storm, but it stopped and the sun came out making for a lovely evening.

Even though it was sunny and the wind had settled, it was clear that there had been some nasty weather out on the sea. Rolling waves at least 1.5 meters tall greeted us when we got out in the open sea. Coffee cups, thermos, keys and whatnot were thrown about in a complete mess.

I'm somewhat of a landlubber and I cannot for the life of me see the fun in struggling through waves where you fear the boat will capsize any second. Runar on the other hand being used to the sea and boats, had the time of his life watching me clinging on to my seat with everything I had. He reassured me that we would keep on the lee side of islands and avoid the patches of open sea where the big waves came rolling in and that he would test the boat's abilities and how it handled rough seas when I was NOT in it....as if. He kept coming up with one lame excuse after the other and we basically ended up crossing the worst patch of rough sea back and forth until I was clinging on with nails and teeth!

I did not panic. I did not yell. In my mind I killed him ten times over, but I gritted my teeth an kept my tongue. At the end when we turned and were coming back in to shore, we rode the waves making it feel like we were surfing. It was rather cool and it would perhaps have been quite fun, if I wasn't in a state of near panic...

When we finally got back up into the river and calm waters, Runar was wearing this huge boyish grin on his face proclaiming the boat was behaving much better than anticipated and that the same could be said about me :P

I'm taking the week off

2011-07-11T23:41:00.000+02:00

Well, I guess I'm not taking it off as such, but I'm leaving for the cabin tomorrow and will spend the rest of the week up there. Things are taken care of here at home, the boys should be able to survive well enough.

Runar's got two weeks more of work, then he'll have a 3 weeks vacation. He needs a break so bad he's having problems tuning out of his work-mode. When he gets to the point where he feels the need to tell me when to eat, what to eat, when to sit, when to work, who to talk to and what to say...yeah, I need to get away or I'll start yelling back...which will do none of us any good.

It'll be good to have a week up at the farm. My sister and niece and grand nephew will be there for a bit too - huzzah!

Next weekend is my dad's 80th bday and Simen's 16th bday. We'll be at my sister's cabin for my dad's party. Not sure where we'll be for Simen's on Sunday... either who I'm baking the traditional chocolate cake up at the farm and making everything ready. Whether it'll be up on the farm or here at home doesn't matter as I've done the tidying and cleaning etc today. I'm prepared.

We've decided on giving Simen a new cellphone - all I know is that it has to have 'the necessary essentials'. Runar and Simen will be buying it this week.

Huzzah

2011-07-08T13:46:00.000+02:00

The reply from the high school application for Simen got here today and he got his 1st choice - he'll be studying electrics and automation. W00t! That means two years of studies, then two years apprenticing and after he gets his certificate he can work offshore in the oil business, as is his dream, or a bunch of other places. Best news of the summer so far!

I've been working in the garden almost every day for a week now, whenever it has NOT been poring down and It's starting to look like a nice and proper garden. Yesterday Simen helped me digging and nailing up the little mini fence for my 'new' flowerbed. We filled it with dirt and I visited my parents in law and got a bunch of plants and flowers to fill it with *beams*

My roses in the flowerbed underneath the balcony finally sprouted. I have no idea why they were so late, but I thought perhaps it was because, although it's been raining quite a bit, it's also been windy - drying out the ground quickly, the roses being underneath the balcony didn't get enough moisture. So for the last week I've been watering the roses regardless of weather - ignoring neighbors snickers when I stood in the rain with the hose - and what do you know, it worked. I don't know if my theory was right or not and I don't care, I've got beautiful red roses in clusters and the huge peace roses with the white-yellow petals with a hint of pink at the end. AAAnd best of all, it appears my roses are healthy with no bugs or diseases. Huzzah!

As I told you, last Friday we got the boat on water. Turned out that Runar forgot to empty the cooler in the transmission box before the frost came and naturally it expanded and broke. They worked on it all last weekend and this week. He called all the boat mechanics he knows and got a bunch of advice and tips.

Conclusion - there is no point in fixing on the transmission cooling system of a 17 HP old motor.
We'll be driving it without the cooler until it breaks and then we'll replace it with a new transmission.... They - the expert - THINK it'll run fine without it.

Runar, his father and Simen has had it out on the sea for some short test runs and it works fine. And I wouldn't be worried if we just planned on taking small trips in the archipelago stopping at small islands, but we're not.

We're going to my sister's cabin for a summer party tomorrow. In order for both of us to be able to enjoy some wine for dinner and coffee avec, we want to take the boat. What worries me is that this is a trip that will take several hours with boat....what will that do for the cooling of the transmission box? Guess there is only one way to find out and we'll be finding it out tomorrow.

Good thing is that it looks like it'll be a rainy day, but not much wind. Bad thing is that IF the temps start rising and the transmission box goes to pieces, we're stuck somewhere out at sea...

First adventure of the summer is about to begin

Have a fantabulour weekend!

Somone else who is unhappy with the summer weather :P

2011-07-05T19:53:00.000+02:00

Meet Olga, my niece's dog. Olga thinks that the weather ought to be more summer-ish so that she can be outside and play. I agree, gray cold summers are no fun

Piglets and foals

2011-07-01T10:27:00.001+02:00

Sue gave me a link with a live cam of a farm, the piglets has just been born. They're sooo cute

Oh, they'll be switching between Queenie - the shire horse who's expecting her foal any time and the piggery.

Enjoy live-webcam of piglets

Thunder storms

2011-06-29T12:42:00.000+02:00

Woke up 6:30 dead certain the roof was falling down on me. Summer's first proper thunderstorm had finally arrived. I can't help it, I still get exhilarated by them. I don't freak out and crawl under the sofa or fight with the dog who's gonna be underneath the other, as I did when a kid. Still, I have to admit that my heart does pump a little extra. Watching the lightning and counting seconds until the crack of thunder. Both Simen and I woke and ran upstairs to watch from the large living room windows. Of course I first ran around pulling out plugs from sockets like crazy (I've had two computers and one router killed in thunderstorms; I've learned my lesson). It didn't last long, but it was awesome for as long as it lasted.

All of yesterday it was humid and the air was as it only gets before a thunderstorm. I worked furiously in the garden all day to get everything done before the rain set in. The flies were obnoxious and biting like crazy - they always do before thunderstorms. The humid air and biting flies, plus the birds being silent. 3 sure signs. I knew it was coming. I had hoped it came in the middle of the night when it's dark. As we live so far north, it's only dark for a few hours from midnight till 3 am. The lightning is extra awesome when it's pitch dark and it lights up the entire sky. The thunderclouds darkened the sky enough for us to admire the lightning all the same. Huzzah for thunderstorms during summer!

Otherwise, things are still crazy-busy over here. Charlotte's party was a huge success and she couldn't have been more surprised or happy, which is as it should be. Runar's birthday was Monday and only his parents and siblings were here. He had begged me not to notify anyone. He's working late most days and whenever he's had an extra hour or two, he's been working on our boat. He's ordered the crane truck for Friday and he's hired() me and his youngest brother to help get it ready in time. The boat is going on the water come Friday no matter what!

I've given up waiting for Runar or Simen to help me get the garden in order and started on it myself. I'm aching like hell and by the end of each day I can hardly move at all, but at least I see improvements and at least I can enjoy being in the garden while it's still summer.... I got Runar to buy an electric lawnmower with wheels, small enough for me to handle. It was a bitch to mow the lawn the first time - especially since it was 3 weeks since it had been mowed last and the new mower wasn't really up to the task of 3 weeks worth of weed.... I cringed most of the hour and a half it took me by the strangled desperate sounds it made and I'm surprised I wasn't charged with lawnmower molesting by the neighbours :P After I mowed it again yesterday it now actually - at least almost - looks like a garden.

I discovered 3 anthills in my garden while mowing. The first one I didn't notice until something stung and I looked down. Both legs were covered in frantic angry ants. Yes, I wore shorts. Nasty little critters <_<. I have now, hopefully, massacred them all. I don't mind ants - in the wood. They're not welcome in my garden or in my house.

Oh, my disablement case is on hold. If I understood my caseworker right, my doctor has refused to give them extra info regarding my psoriasis. He informed me that until their doctor had heard back from my doctor, nothing would get done on my case. I called my doctor's office and she was on vacation. I love bureaucracy....NOT!

Update randomness

2011-06-24T19:51:00.000+02:00

I'me 'home alone'. I've got the whole evening all by meself. I've had most of the day for myself too. Damn, it's been a good day!

My sister in law, Heidi, came down south to spend some vacation time at home. She brought her cute little red-striped kitten; Ginger, or Posi [poosy], as we call all the cats in the family regardless of name. Yesterday she called me and we went for a walk along the beaches. It did me loads of good. Heidi is a wonderful person and it's always great spending time with her.

Tomorrow we'll be taking part in our sister in law to-be; Charlotte's Bachelor(bachelorette?) party. We start 9:30 in the morning and keep it going until the next day. They've ordered her a plane ride early in the day (I've been a sneaky coward and will stay home while this little event takes place - there is no way they'll get me up in one of those small kamikaze planes!) Then we'll meet at the seaside restaurant downtown for a nice dinner, before we head out to a cabin out on an island in the archipelago outside Mandal. We'll be spending the rest of the evening out there at the island cabin. Those wishing to may spend the night and enjoy an early morning bath in the sea before breakfast. Sea temps today were 55 F -brrr-

There will be no vacation trips for Runar and I this summer. We had our hopes up that this year we'd manage at least a week abroad, but there's just not enough time, nor money. One of hubby's co-workers crashed his motorbike and smashed his ankle. He's had surgery done and is on long term sick-leave (they say he'll be fine when it heals). This means that the summer will be a true hell for Runar and the other guy who are left. It means that for 3 weeks each, they'll be alone doing the work of 3 persons. He is already worn out from all the craziness from this winter and spring - one co-worker suddenly quit - let's just say we're not looking forward to a peaceful summer this year. The good thing about this crazy situation at his work, is that it gave Simen a part-time summer job. He'll be working 3 weeks and he'll be getting 20 $ an hour, which is quite a lot for a 15 years old inexperienced boy.

There are tons of things that needs doing here at home and up at the cabin, but I'm sure we'll have plenty of fun all the same. If only the weather would change and bring us some sun and warmth....

Since I'll be staying home around the house most of the summer, I used some of the money meant for vacation trips to buy some new summer flowers for my urns and terracotta in the patio and on the balcony. We bought some extra dirt to make a new flowerbed too. I'll get some pictures up when it's all finished and pretty.

I did some trimming of bushes and trees today. Laika has been lazying about the garden very pleased by the door being open wide all day. She loves being able to walk in and out of the house as she pleases, when she pleases. When I had cleared away all the cut branches and stuff, she walked over to one of the bushes cut away a lot of branches on. She sniffed it and then started pulling on a branch stub, lay down and started chewing on it. She obviously had some issues with my trimming skillz :P

Embassytown by China Miéville; Review - Cara-style

2011-06-20T15:29:00.000+02:00

I ordered me a signed copy of Embassytown earlier this spring, from a friend of mine; Shawn Speakman who runs the The Signed Page . I didn't request anything other than mr China's signature, but I was over the top thrilled to discover I was granted a little personal greeting all the same, a quotation by Kaynes: "Words ought to be a little wild". How true. They really ought to, don't they?!?

I first met this word-smith in his book; Perdido Street Station , one of his New Crobuzon novels and it absolutely blew my mind away. Most of his work has blown my mind away and this novel is no exception.

The blurb on the book cover says it quite well:
"China Miéville doesn’t follow trends, he sets them. Relentlessly pushing his own boundaries as a writer—and in the process expanding the boundaries of the entire field—with Embassytown, Miéville has crafted an extraordinary novel that is not only a moving personal drama but a gripping adventure of alien contact and war.

In the far future, humans have colonized a distant planet, home to the enigmatic Ariekei, sentient beings famed for a language unique in the universe, one that only a few altered human ambassadors can speak.

Avice Benner Cho, a human colonist, has returned to Embassytown after years of deep-space adventure. She cannot speak the Ariekei tongue, but she is an indelible part of it, having long ago been made a figure of speech, a living simile in their language.

When distant political machinations deliver a new ambassador to Arieka, the fragile equilibrium between humans and aliens is violently upset. Catastrophe looms, and Avice is torn between competing loyalties—to a husband she no longer loves, to a system she no longer trusts, and to her place in a language she cannot speak yet speaks through her. "

I don't think I can adequately describe the journey this novel takes you on. I am not even sure I want to, because it is a journey that should be experienced, not told, or explained. It is a fascinating, exhilarating and fast paced journey. I loved every part and every word of it.

It isn't for everybody, this style, or genre. There are odd new words like; "Immer" - a person who immerse into deep space, dive into "immer", or the "out". There are the odd, what I call, sci-fi words like "datchips", "wespcams" and so on as there ought to be in a proper sci-fi novel. It may take you a few pages to get into the lingua, but in my opinion that is also how it ought to be.

Avice Benner Cho's story isn't just a story about her life, how she was born in a ghetto in a city on the edge of known space, how she grew up, matured and arrived where she is at the end of the book. It is a story about much more.

It's a story about language and culture; about how different cultures meet and how such a meeting changes things and leave both cultures different forever afterwards. It is about moral topics of what is good or bad; right or wrong. It is about maturing and learning as you go. It is about making choices or, perhaps changing your mind and alter your set course, because the well sorted out reasons you based your choices on in the first place, have completely changed. It touches themes such as we face in our world today. Ghettos, religions, culture and race. It faces elite society, poverty, slavery, violence and control. It faces politics, trade, spying, corruption, power games and war.

We meet Terre, or humans and we meet aliens. Among humans the Ambassadors are among the least human-likes; genetically engineered humans who can speak Language. Among the aliens, the Ariekei, or the Hosts are who we get to know best, although if you asked me how they looked like and to draw you one, I'd fail. Miserably. Not because of any lacking from the author's side, but because I'm no good at that sort of thing.

Embassytown is a ghetto in a city on Ariekei, owned by the Hosts. The humans are the settlers and are allowed there by the grace of this alien race. They have a sort of understanding between them that has worked for a long time and there is trade mutually beneficiary for both parties. Then something happens and things start to unravel at an alarming pace and we're spectators to a galloping race towards a catastrophic war and an end with no apparent solution at hand.

We are told the story from the protagonist Avice's point of view, but even though we are told about her opinions, dreams and fears, we aren't given more than glimpses of her personal inner self. The tone is set somewhat aloof, which gives us the story in a sort of documentary-ish account of what happened and happens as the journey of her life takes place.

There is love, found and lost, there is joy, sex, sadness and grief. And it all feels real, but at the same time it's not a story about a female character alone, it is a story about a different culture, of an entire world and way of life; recognizable and familiar, still completely different from ours at the same time. And I found it intriguing and fascinating. Almost overwhelmingly so. Like how they speak Language. I can't explain it without giving away spoilers, but I am dead certain it must have been a bitch to work with and actually write.

It is a story that will linger in my mind and in my thoughts for a long time and Embassytown is a book I will pick up and read again. I am sure that when I do, I will be surprised by all the 'new' stuff I'll rediscover on my 2nd journey through the pages from cover to cover. I also have a secret dream that we'll be seeing more of Avice, Spanish Dancer and their universe in the future.

All in all Embassytown was a great read. I recommend it highly. It is well worth both your time and your money. If you haven't read anything by this author before, I'd urge you to read his New Crobuzon novels and if you're into fast paced mystery and/or crime dramas, his newer novels The City & The City and Kraken

As promised - pictures

2011-06-16T13:19:00.001+02:00

The forest mirrored in the lake

A very young spruce greeting the late spring sun welcome

strolling through spring green medows

old trees are awesome - One large branch had been hit by lightning during the winter

A mini lighthouse. The shifting weather makes for spectacular variation in light

'Oh, hai!'

"Wait! Let me fix my pants...heey, there are living things in here!" (the ground was wet and muddy and I had to roll up my pants and I automatically got transformed into a public transportation vehicle for bugs)

"Okay, I'm ready" Why do I end up looking like an old aunt when posing?

Me: "Look happy!" Hubby: "Whaat?!?"

7 pictures later "Get that thing out of my face, already, or I will kill you slowly and painfully!"

There is a bird on the upper left branch of this dead tree

Water plants are blooming

This wading is Laika's definition of swimming and it's as sassy as this landlubber gets near water :P

And because I promised you - the sorry state of my scalp and what's left of my hair

There aren't any open sores anymore, but the skin is still red and irritated...I just hope my hair will grow back eventually

Okay, sort of an update

2011-06-15T10:09:00.000+02:00

Things are still a bit 'bob-bob'. There are no catastrophes happening, it's just really hard keeping my head above water, being the strong, positive force giving support and energy to everybody around me when all I want is to go into hibernation until things get better, or easier.

I can't really bring it all up here as my blog isn't private and I have to keep that in mind

Money issues are a bitch even on the best of days. I am the one in this household who manages the bills, loans, insurance, etc. The first 3-4 months of the year are always tough, because that is when the big nasty bills regarding electricity, municipal taxes and national road taxes are due on top of the regular nasty bills. This year has been worse, because all our savings are gone. (confirmation party for son, driver's license for daughter and a wedding abroad all in the same year, have a funny way of eating up savings).

Hubby is more than grumpy about our finances and is looking for a scapegoat. Since he refuses to have anything to do with planning and dealing with our finances, it's my job to try figure out how to make money last. Sadly I lack any magic abilities to create money from nothing. Hubby thinks that's the least I could do as he thinks it's my fault we're in this mess as I'm the one whose health didn't keep up.... and things are still at a stand still with my disablement and my insurance, which sux beyond sucking. I'm making calls, I'm checking up on caseworkers, doctors, etc, but....yeah...no decisions have been made yet, no payments are ready yet. Hubby and I are having these wonderful and fulfilling [Yes, I am being sarcastic] discussions about who's more to blame these days.

I'm aware that I'm not the breadwinner, particularly the last 5 years with 40% cut off from my already low paid wages. Which are low, mind you, because I had to pick a job where I could leave at 4 pm to pick up the kids at daycare/school(because you claimed that was a woman's responsibility) and those jobs don't grow on trees and neither are they well paid.

I understand that it sux to work full time and never having any extra for personal spending, but hey, that's the norm for most of us, right? It's not like I have ever had that luxury. Well, yes, I HAVE purchased books, but that is money I have taken from the clothes budget, besides, if we compare hobbies, I'd say my 5 books a year is far cheaper than your guns and ammo. Yes, I am aware that you hunt and OCCASIONALLY, bring home dinner, 4 ducks in two years and a rabbit if you take credit for your son's kill as well as your own, HALLELUJAH! [Yes, still dripping sarcasm]

Latest issue on the who-is-to-blame-the-most-for-all-our-misery contest is smoking. Aye, that's one I'm guilty of charge at. I smoke tobacco. I shouldn't smoke at all, I know. Even though I smoke half of what hubby does, it doesn't really matter. I have health issues that doesn't get better with me smoking. Will they get better when I quit smoking completely? I really doubt it, but I do know my general health and well being will benefit from quitting.

Thing is, quitting smoking is a personal thing for me. I don't want to do it when somebody else says so, or the way somebody else tells me to. I want to quit when I want to quit, how I want to do it and I don't want to be responsible for anybody else quitting or not. period. Hubby wants me to quit first and he wants to control the when and how....yeah....it's stupid. Am I using him as an excuse to keep on smoking. Probably. I know I need to just block out his words and actions and just do it, but dawg gone it, I'm a mere morta just as he is. He wants to be proud of me, he says.....he should have married superwoman or a mutant.

No, we're not getting divorced. When you've been married for 20+ years the idea of actually divorcing your spouse seems more work than just riding the storm till it ends....because it will end. It always does. At least it has done so for us....I can't really speak for others

And we can even make temporarily truces, like we did on Saturday. We decided to put everything aside for the day and took the dog and went hiking in the woods. Did us worlds of good and we had a nice evening too. 'Nudge, nudge, know what I mean?' and all that jazz. I'll get some pictures up when I get around to uploading them to the computer. We haven't worked it all out, but at present we're not fighting either....

This too shall pass

2011-06-07T09:57:00.000+02:00

Things are pretty bad. I'm hurting. Family is hurting. I know I've withdrawn, but right now that's all I can do. I know things will get better, I just wish I could fast forward time...

Still here

2011-05-21T11:21:00.000+02:00

Whaddya know, we're still here. Whatever Rapture is, it's not the end. Have a fantabulous weekend!

Grandma Crazy passed away yesterday

2011-05-14T16:10:00.001+02:00

She died peacefully while napping in her favorite chair. She'd spent the day at the activity center for the elderly as she used to do twice a week. She has had a long fulfilling life, but she was much reduced the last year, shaking badly due to strong medicines and she was nearly deaf - we communicated with pens and notepads as she didn't like her hearing aid. She was dealing with heart condition and her back and joints pained her quite a bit. I will miss her, but I'm also glad she has passed on and will no longer have to deal with pain and suffering.

Grandma Crazy was hubby's paternal grandmother. She was one of the most colourful ladies I have ever met. She loved her family fiercely and passionately. She worked hard all her life to provide and care for her family and for that she has my utmost respect.

She was also a bone fide madwoman. Seriously, she was so far out there, I think she would be forced on some heavy duty medicine if she was young today. Hubby believes her experiences during WWII may have a lot of the blame for her craziness. She was among the many who had to escape over the mountains over to Sweden when the Germans burned off the northern part of the country. She had a newborn baby at the time. From what she's told us about that time, it was beyond horrible. They didn't have more than the clothes they wore and the little food they were able to grab as they ran. She told stories about how they had to leave the sick and the weak to die where they collapsed. They barely had any food and nobody had enough clothes to protect them against the cold and the weather. I don't think anyone can survive such an experience and not suffer some sort of trauma, but I think much of her craziness is something she was born with and something that existed in her blood and still exist in some extent in all her bloodline, but I don't really speak of this out loud too much...

At various times she has disowned members of her family. She disowned us as well, but I'm happy to say that we had all made our peace with her before the end and she was among family who loved her and cared for her the last few years of her life.

In loving remembrance of her and all the fun crazy stuff that always seemed to go on around this lady, I give you a couple of stories about Grandma Crazy.

Grandma Crazy

2011-05-14T16:10:00.000+02:00

I loved this lady. She has provided me of countless fascinating stories about her life from her childhood in an isolated community way up north where myths and old folklore were still very much alive. For all her craziness and for all her errors and mistakes, she had a loving heart and worked harder than most people to provide and care for her family all her life.

There are too many stories about Grandma Crazy to tell them all here, so I've chosen one old and one not so old to give you an inkling of who this bone fide crazy lady was. Most of the time, her craziness was just funny, but she did have a terrible temper and her ....unique view of reality could make things difficult to handle at times.

This is an older story about her and this really shows hermadness quite well...

It was my daughter's 3rd birthday both grandmas, hubby's sister(then 20)
and hubby's youngest brother(then 8) were at the party.

Well let me for the record inform you that this other grandma - hubby'smaternal grandma is this sweet old lady, veryreligious and very frightened of getting ill - all kind of illness(there's somestories of her as well) ...ooops ok anyway...during this party Grandma Crazystarted telling us about her life as a wife on a farm up in the inland mountains(Knaben) when her kids were young.
It started out innocently enough, but ended up in a very colorful and downright perverted story. I'm not kidding you! She went on and on abouthow scared she was of going out to the barn where her cow was about ready tocalf - cos in her mind she suspected their neighbour of doing it to the cow!she was afraid the calf would have a human head!

I'm telling you, you should have been there! I was behind the kitchen wall onmy knees tears streaming down my face, biting on my arm not to laugh outloud while for the life of me, not daring to look over at my hubby who alternated with clasping hishands over his face doing grimaces and fighting the urge to laugh. During this whole story
grandma Sweet was clasping her hands together exclaiming; "oh my"," oh dear" oh..., oh, really" "oh, I'll say" in ashaking voice.

My sister-in-law was shouting and yelling at Grandma Crazy to shut up. My poor
brother-in-law sat numbed between the grandmas with eyes the size of dinner-plates, while my daughter at 3 was too young to understand and happilyplayed with all her new toys.

***

OK,here's the story of how Grandma Crazy ended up disowning father-in-law and his entire family.

Hubby's younger brother got married some years ago. They invitedhis Grandma Crazy- she reclined due to her hearing problems - which is true she usesa hearing device, but doesn't like them and turns them off - but she gave them NOK1500.- andeverything was "just dandy"

hubby's younger cousin - the same age as his younger brother and a close buddy since childhood - got married this weekend, and before the wedding Grandma Crazy was bragging about what a wonderful weddingpresent she was givinghim. My parents in law asked her how much she was giving them and she told thema coffee set worth NOK5500

They and hubby's uncle and wife asked her to please not treat her grandchildrendifferently or she would end up hurting them. But to no ends - they weretalking to "deaf ears" instead she was deeply wounded and not only ended up giving the expensive present but also attended the whole wedding ceremony and party.

The result being that my parents in law got offended and told her what she had donewas wrong and that she was in fact telling my brother in law that she liked his cousinbetter. They told her they were angry with her and thought she owed them an apology.
You'd think they'd wrongly accused her of murder from all the ado that arised afterwards.

She has now declared war. Let me just tell you that this old lady is 83, she isfrom up north in norway, she has the foulest mouth - she cusses worsethan a sailor and she is somewhat lacking in empathy - she actually left her childhood girlfriend passed out on thefloor when she was very sick with canser. Not only that, but she even got mad ather friend for having the nerve to do that to Grandma Crazy while SHEvisited - I'm notkidding you, she went on and on about it to me afterwards. I couldn't believe myown ears! Worse, she is still mad at her and what she refers to "such rude behaviour" and the poor old girlfriend is nowdeseased!

Anyway, Grandma Crazy came visiting the other day! She wanted my compassion and my support for her being treated sobadly by my mother-in-law. She cussed her to 7th hell and back calling her(mannskjit, hespetre, jævla hurpe, etc) I don't know the English words but"f**ing bitch" is complimentory in comparrison.

Hubby had to go out on theporch, he can't handle her foul mouth eruptions and wild lies and was afraid he'd grab her and physically throw her out the door. I maintained my calm but as I agree with my inlaws that what she did was wrong, I let Grandma Crazy know as much. Lets say she wasn'texactly happy with me when she left.

By this time she has turned this whole thing into my parents in law being after her cos they want hermoney. Good one isn't it?!?

I tried to tell explain why her actions could seem offensive, but she wouldn't listen to that; "NO! Those no good for nothing *****" she shouted, theydidn't want her to be happy, and was only afraid they wouldn't get her money...and so on . She was working herself up to the point of snapping completely. I was a bit scared she would start hitting me with her purse, instead of the furniture. The lady was actually jumping up and down screaming obscenities on top of her voice. I had to stand up and shout "Enough! Grandma, I don't allow such language in my house, please calm down." She did calm down for 2 min. Her language became so ugly, I had to ask her to leave in the end. I didn't know what else to do, to be honest, so I told her that it would be best if she left and talked to my parents in law about it.

Upon leaving she also wanted me to tell her; "what that old cowin buhølen" (local placename) gave XXX for the wedding. the old cow" being hubby's maternal grandmother. A very sweet and mild spoken lady we call; Grandma Sweet. Grandma Crazy's last words while stomping down the steps was that we could all take a hike and that she no longer considered us her family.

Raymond E. Feist's A Kingdom Besieged - not quite a review

2011-05-11T11:39:00.002+02:00

I was thrilled when this book finally landed in my mail box. I'm always thrilled when I get a new book in the Midkemia series, although, I have to admit the thrill hasn't been quite as big as it used to be before Wrath of a Mad God. I miss Nakor and I don't think I'll ever quite forgive Feist for killing off my all time fantasy character.

I can forgive him for his multiple continuity errors - like forgetting that Erik married Kitty, etc. I noticed them, went: "oh-uh, someone didn't do their job right editing this" and read on. I could do that and chuckle, while Nakor was still around, I'm experiencing less leniency towards these mistakes and also the lack of new interesting characters in his After-Nakor novels.

A Kingdom Besieged(AKB) has two new interesting characters. The demons; Child and her teacher Belog. Refreshingly different from the usual lot of descendants of former books' long dead heroes.

The other characters are not really that remarkable. There is Pug and his Conclave members and Pug is still the annoyingly slightly boring character that I've always found him to be, nothing new there.

Magnus is as bloodless as always - will his chance of being a proper protagonist and hero ever happen?

There is Sandrina the Sergant Knight-Adamant of the Order of the Shield ofthe Weak and James Dasher Jamison, who has rounded 40 and notice how his body isn't responding as well as it used to - this made me sympathize a lot with this character, though. I have rounded 40 and sadly notice the same. There is a lot of soreness and pain involved to being physically active when you pass the age of 39 and this came well across as Jim spies for his king and the Conclave.

The new young additions are The ConDoin sons of Duke Henry of Crydee; Henry(Hal), Martin and Brendan. There aren't really anything new about them, we've seen them before, we've followed them from a relative carefree adolescence to responsible adulthood so many times through this series there is nothing interesting to add about them. Same goes for Ty, son of Tal Hawkins who becomes a good friend of Hal as fellow combatant of the Masters' Court Championship and fellow student at the University of Roldem.

There is trouble brewing anew. No reports are back from the various spies in Kesh. Jim and Sandrina both travel down there to investigate, Jim to find out about his agents and spies, Sandrina to check out her suspicions of the Black Caps being back. Not only are the Black Caps back, or the Nighthawks as Jim knows them as, but it appears the Pantathians are back as well.

Kesh is clearly planning an invasion of the Kingdom of the Isles and their first goal is the coast of Crydee. It is left to Martin and Brendan to take a stand and protect the western region of the Kingdom. It is left to Pug and his closest Conclave members to figure out why and who and what is behind the scene holding the leash.

*Spoilers* highlight if you want to read

Sure enough, it is the Dread that again works to gain access Midkemia and this time it seems Pug and his friends are going to lose it all. Until the end of the novel where a thoroughly surprising reincarnation of none others than Miranda and Nakor left me completely bedazzled and confused. Is this really happening? Oh, yes. Feist introduced those interesting characters Child and Belog only to make them be reborn as Miranda and Nakor. They escape the demon realm, enters the Hall of Worlds and enters Midkemia through that tavern in LaMut. The last joke where the demon Child asks the demon Belog if he has an orange made me cringe.

Okay, I have missed Nakor so much. I think it was a mistake of Feist to have him die. But, having him reincarnated again together with Miranda? Oy Vey! Now that's a proper facepalm for yah. I mean, seriously? I'm disappointed. This seems to be a rather awkward way of getting around a major mistake, doesn't it? Having the most popular character come back to life, because it suddenly dawned on you that this character is really who the readers wanted to read about? Earth calling Raymond!

I'm still going to continue reading the supposedly two last novels in the midkemia series. Maybe I can manage to pretend I never read the books where they died and got reincarnated, maybe I can pretend that they have just been away on a long journey....but I doubt it.

At the end, I'm left with mixed feeling about this last Midkemia novel. I'm still curious as to how it all will end, but...I don't like it when things get too weird.

Short update on insurance issues

2011-05-06T15:22:00.000+02:00

I decided to talk to my local insurance guy before I did anything. Lucky call. He told me what I needed, which was a written confirmation from my employer at the time I took out my insurance.

Apparently they are trying to nullify my entire insurance by claiming I was on sick leave at the time I signed it. A quick call to my former employer took care of that. She'll give me a written confirmation that I was in fact working 100 % at that time, no problem. The other stuff, he said, was either way pointless as Asthma isn't covered and the missing date they are referring to is concerning this. He also told me to point out that it was one of their employees who guided me in what to type.

According to him, the insurance company owed me quite an amount of money, which is why they were trying their best to wiggle out of the deal, but as long as I got that written confirmation from my employer I should be safe.

Now hubby and I are heading up to the mountains for a rare occasion of work-free weekend. W00t.

...just to be on the safe side; I'm sure it doesn't hurt my case if you keep your fingers crossed that things will turn out alright ;-)

Have a fantabulous weekend, guys!

Issues with insurance company

2011-05-05T15:25:00.000+02:00

Being honest and doing the right thing ought to pay off. Right?!? I mean...it really should. I believe in honesty. I have raised my kids to be honest. I've told them that they're smart enough and that as long as they keep to the truth, work hard and do right by themselves and others, they'll do okay and that in the long run they will have far less worries than a lying, sneaking cold hearted cynical bastard would and have far happier lives too.

Reality, however doesn't work that way. In reality people screw you over again and again and when you do things the right way and you're being honest; reality doesn't only screw you, but screws you TWICE over.

ARGH!

It's frustrating and it is making me a cynical cold hearted bastard and I hate that! Of course I've told my kids this as well. I've told them that life isn't fair, never has been and never will be so many times I can't count them. But, I have claimed and still do claim that it is possible to grow up and not become a cynical cold hearted bastard as long as they work hard, keep to the truth and do what is right...because I really don't want them to grow up into cynical cold hearted bastards. The world has too many of those already. The way the world is today and where the world is heading, the expression: "Go to hell!" becomes more or less meaningless...

-whine whine, pout, whine, display of cynicism, complain, hate, sulk, whine, blah blah blah.-

Got a letter from my insurance company. They are charging me of lying and giving false information. Damn them to seventh lower hell and back!

At the time I got my disablement insurance I had problems with anemia and asthma. I was honest about these things - I mean, there is no point not to as they can get info about medical records eitherwho. I think this is what irks me most about this whole thing. Hells Bells! Do they think I'm STUPID?!?! In order to get an accident- and disablement insurance, you need to fill out this form regarding health and accidents etc. I took this form to my bank/insurance comp. and asked for help filling it out. I told them truthfully about my health issues that I was aware of at the time and that I had had various periods of sick leave from my job and didn't remember them all. I was told I did not need to worry about that as they would get the necessary info from the authorities and doctors. I was told to just leave the part with sick leave blank and that she would write a note explaining why and about our meeting.

The issues with my anemia and asthma was noted and I was told that any health issues regarding those would not be covered - which I knew and which is why I told them about it. (oh, and this part of that meeting and about my insurance, they do have info about. How surprising....NOT!)

Anyhow, I filled in what I was told was necessary and handed in the form and believed everything was okay. Earlier this winter I had a talk with my insurance guy who informed me that I was missing out on a lot of money as I was eligible for disablement insurance since 2006/2007. He helped me fill out a request form and I was happily awaiting feedback from them, believing all was well and fine.

Until I get this letter where they point out the missing date-info about my earlier sick leaves and used this against me, claiming I lied about important info and was thus not eligible for any disablement insurance at all and never would be.

I've been on phones with them all morning and have written a letter - as requested - to them, so now I guess I will have to wait and see what their next move will be. I don't doubt for a second that they will have one or many. Dastardly vultures! <_< .

Lesson for future: Don't trust anybody (this is old news) Get the names - full names - of everybody you talk to, be it banks, insurance, government, doctors or priest(Yes, priests, in my experience these are the worst liars of the whole lot) and preferably get everything IN WRITING. Never trust employers to help you when they say they will, never trust them when they say that you don't need to bother about this and that. Always do the bloody hard work of gathering all copies - always keep copies of documents regarding banks, insurance, governments, doctors and priests in a secure place.

And last but not least; when they pull out their insane charges and claims, slap your copies and documents with full names and correct info in their laps and roar in their faces and get what you are owned!

PS! I know I promised a review that is not quite a review on the boos I've read lately, but I can't write fairly about books I like when I feel like axing someone...I'll get there, though...eventually

Weird night

2011-04-29T17:42:00.001+02:00

Tonight I woke up suddenly, with a feeling of cold dread and a shiver running down my neck. What was that sound? It sounded like muffled screaming, like somebody being strangled under a pillow or something. For a split second I thought someone was trying to murder my daugther - only that in my confused not quite awaken brain she was a toddler again. I heard the sound again and realized that the direction the sound was coming from wasn't right. I turned my head and sure enough. It was my hubby's nose making a long thin wailing sound :P

So, I lay back down, thinking about what a truly fascinating man I'm married to. The sounds that man can NOT make in his sleep, isn't worth mentioning. I had almost fallen back to sleep when there was another sound. This sound was the most pitiful whining ever. Quite softly and oh so sorrowful. I sat straight up. OMFG! I had forgotten to let the dog in from the balcony. That poor old thing sat huddled up against the door crying barely audible as if she was certain we'd abandon her and she was all alone in the world. I still feel worse than bad for her.

Earlier that day I had trimmed her fur using one of those hair trimmer machines. She must be the most patient dog out there. I had forgotten that piece letting you decide what lenght you want it to cut, so it was basically just a razor, but she didn't seem to mind. She'll let me lay her down, roll her over, turn her around. She sits still while I run the machine around her ears, even.

Then there was the scrubbing down in the shower - which she thinks is very scary and she'll be shivering all over until she's done, but she'll go into the shower freely and she'll stand and sit and move as she's told. ...and as a thank-you-gift I forget her out on the balcony in the cold and the dark. Oy vey! The worst part is that when I finally came and opened the door for her, she was all happy. I was immediately forgiven. I love that dog!

And now we're heading up to the cabin for the weekend. I'm going to buy Laika a special treat and that's a promise!

Have a fantabulous weekend, guys

PS! I've just finished Raymond E Feist's A Kingdom Besieged. Holy smokes. I'll be doing one of my not-quite-a-review blogs when I get back from the cabin

It's official

2011-04-27T21:15:00.000+02:00

I'm an old mom. Today when my son, who is proud of his height and was standing on the couch, reaching the ceiling with his head, called out: "Mom, look, my head is touching the ceiling!" My instantaneous reply was: "You're getting the ceiling dirty!" Doh! What kind of remark is that?!? The strict old mom image may have gotten a crack by me starting to chuckle. The look on his face was too funny and his comment "Here I'm fishing for compliments about my height and what do I get? I get yelled at for getting the ceiling dirty." had me falling over laughing. Still, it's scary how you unintentionally morph into your own mother @_@

Oh, nooo!

2011-04-26T14:49:00.000+02:00

That's what I moaned to myself this morning when I quite painfully realized I had a urine infection. We have a door to the patio/garden in our bedroom. It was so warm outside yesterday I thought it would be nice to sleep with the door slightly open. An idea that goes right next to the others in the box of THE WORST IDEAS EVER! I just wanna die.

I had a different blog about climate changes and sensible ramble of the like, but my cellphone ate it all up and I'm too busy dying to figure out how to find and rescue that one...

Cellphone blogging

2011-04-23T17:16:00.000+02:00

Blogging from my cellphone is such a pain I can't quite express just how annoyingly difficult it is. The former 'So sad' post was such a blog. I'm sure it's cause I'm no good at these things and that my cellphone is crap, but seriously, why do they have to make it so much work?!? I managed to write half of the blog the first time, before I got 'the boot'. The second part I ended up having to write in notebook, then copy and paste it. Thank goodness for automatically save draft-option, because it wouldn't let me publish the darn post until the day after...

Other than that, it's a beautiful day, we've been using my gift certificate I got from translation work to update my wardrobe. Yayness!

Tonight Runar is taking me out for dinner on his boss' expense. I have to say that was a pretty decent thing to do. Hubby got a text from his boss: "You've worked late a lot, take your patient wife out to dinner and send the bill to me." Needless to say his boss has been married with children...

So sad

2011-04-21T19:53:00.001+02:00

...there will be no more cows grazing in the fields. No more will I feel like peeing myself when the heard comes running towards me with their crazy happy cow-dance. No more flying low over the tufts of grass, while grabbing a calf's tail for dear life, shouting that you're trying to save his sorry life. Arve, the neighbor farmer has sold the farm and all the animals and is moving to town. We know nothing about the new owner except what we've heard from other neighbor - which Includes everything from being an oddball to having angst issues... Small town gossip at its worst. I'm gonna miss Ferdinand the bull so much! -Sigh- otherwise cabinlife is wonderful and things are sprouting new leaves and flowers. Spring has arrived to the mountains as well, huzzah!

Easter - a time for crime and stick bread

2011-04-19T13:41:00.000+02:00

Easter is big up here. School's off for nearly two weeks and family gatherings at mountain cabins are a tradition. Another typical Norwish traditions is crime stories. I'm not sure where this came from, but every Easter we read crime stories or listen to or watch crime stories/shows. The old British classics with Miss Marple, Mr Poirot or the slightly newer Mr Daglish are always shown at least a couple of nights during the Easter holiday.

I'm reading 'Beneath the Bleeding' by Val McDermid, but I'll probably go through at least one more of her books before Easter is over (I borrowed 3 of her books from my sister). As we don't have TV up at our cabin, I'll probably follow whatever Easter crime story the 'radio-theater' has put up this year as well. It should start tomorrow night and go on for about 3 or 4 nights.

Hubby and I are heading up to the cabin tonight and plan on staying there for the rest of this week. The son will be there during days working in the woods (As he has gotten an order for a 4 000 NOK worth of firewood already, he's got a lot of work ahead). He has however set his eyes upon this young girl he is working really hard on going steady with and has told us that he absolutely HAVE TO spend evenings at home, or else one of his buddies are going to 'grab' his girl of his dreams while he is out of town. So he'll be riding the bus back and forth - not sure how he'll have time for much sleep, but as he puts it: "I'm young and can sleep when I get old"

Daughter and her bf are going on a road trip to Sweden with friends. I hope they spend a day or two with us up at the cabin. I'm sure we'll have family visiting more or less daily up there, at least if the weather is nice. Outdoor dinners on open fire is another typical Easter tradition. Boiling egg in water with onion peels make the eggs yellow and if you put in a few juniper berries, they'll turn green. This will have no effect on how the eggs taste, mind you, just a little magic for the kids. hotdogs and sausages fried on sticks and 'stick-bread' is another must. 'stick bread' is dough wrapped around a stick or a hotdog/sausage and fried over open fire.

Easy to make and popular with the kids. Here's the recipe:

Stick bread

4 dl(deciliters or 400 grams) flour
2 ts baking powder (to make it rise)
2 ts sugar
1/2 ts salt
approximately 5 table spoons oil - olive or soy
approximately 1 1/2 dl (decilitre or 100 - 150 grams) lukewarm water

-mix the dry ingrediants and add the oil and water, work the dough until it is even and not too sticky. put it in a plastic bag and add a bit of oil to avoid it sticking. Find suitable straight sticks that are unbarked and sharpened in one end. Take a pinch of dough and roll it in your hands to a thick string, wrap it around the stick and fry, or 'impale' a sausage on the stick and wrap the dough around it and fry. Bon Appetite!

Bad-ass or not, here goes

2011-04-15T15:19:00.002+02:00

Lorin, this is for you

I've done some serious thinking and I admit, perhaps my childhood was a tad bit more eventful than what most kids live through. Still, I firmly believe I had a relative safe and happy childhood. The time I grew up in - the 70s and 80s - and the place I grew up in - a lazy small town - allowed us kids a lot of freedom to explore and learn life's lessons, both good ones and those not so good, in a way that not many kids are allowed to do today.

I'm not sure I'm all that bad-ass tough some of you guys seem to think I am. Sure I've been in some fights and lived through a few stunts, but nothing serious nor out of the ordinary, really. I am independent, impulsive and have a lot more imagination than is good for me. Growing up these things would sometimes get me into trouble, but it also taught me how to avoid serious trouble - or at least most of the time. Here's a story from when I was around 10 or 11. My mother was institutionalized much of the period from my little sister was about a year old up to she was 7 and naturally it fell to me to look after her.

Boredom and imagination - not always a good mix

It was early summer, school was off for the summer, but nobody had gone away on vacation yet and a bunch of us kids hung around the school yard wondering what to do. I was watching how the cleaning ladies were opening windows to air out the girls' shower and changing rooms for the gym and an idea struck me. Wouldn't it have been fun if we could sneak into the gym and have fun with all the apparatuses and whatnot? Problem was, how to get in unnoticed? I mentioned it to some of the others and the discussion was on. Now, the group of childhood friends was an odd sorts of mix with kids from the age of 3 (my sister) up to 11 and both girls and boys. One boy my age who was from a big city and was spending the vacation at his cousin's to keep him out of trouble, knew a great 'big city trick' to make open windows appear to be closed. These were old fashion windows that could be opened all the way - no locked position or safety measures. So we waited and watched, and as soon as the cleaning ladies left the changing room we sneaked up to one of the windows, placed a small coin on the frame and closed the window. The window appeared to be closed if one didn't look too closely - and discovered that the hasps weren't locked.

We got lucky. when we got back in the early afternoon, sure enough, the window opened. By now we had dispersed ourselves of the youngest children and we were about 10 kids from age 8 - 11 plus my little sister at 3. My dad was busy working at the farm and she was too young to look after herself. I am not sure how my logic worked. I didn't want her to be left alone and let harm come to her, but turning her into a juvenile delinquent obviously didn't bother me at all. By then she had been along to numerous break ins to local factories and empty houses. We never stole anything though, after all we were not thieves, we told ourselves. We simply wanted the thrill of getting into places we weren't supposed to. Admittedly, we'd break a few windows, but most often we managed to avoid doing serious damage to property and equipment. There was a reason for this, other than not wanting to become sinful thieves - which is what we scared the younger kids with "You'll be a thief and the lord Jesus will know and you'll grow black spots on your tongues and your parents will find out what you did and you'll get both a beating and go to hell" Yeah...I know, not very nice, but very, very effective. There was a different reason much more important. As long as we didn't steal or break anything, if caught, we'd be able to talk ourselves out of it without our parents getting any knowledge of it.
I don't think any of us kids ever ratted on anybody. My sister at 3 was way too young for this to be effective, though. I used a different method of threatening her to silence. "If you tell dad, I'll beat you black and blue and you'll never, ever be allowed to come with me on anything fun ever again!" It worked. I don't think she ever told my parents any of the uncountable pranks and break-ins she was in on. She told me when she was a proper grownup that for her it was all like living in an adventure movie and the fear of being let out on the fun was enough to keep her lips sealed.

So, here we were, 10 kids roaming around like madmen in the gym. climbing ropes, jumping on apparatuses, balancing, throwing balls of all sizes and doing everything we never got to do enough of while in PE with teachers to kill the joy of it all. The gym was in the basement of the Admin building, the door to the hall was open and by chance of pure luck - I believe I had more than a fair share of luck as a kid - I heard a familiar coughing from the entrance hall just a few stairs up from where we were. My blood froze in my veins, I knew that cough and I knew the sound of those foot steps; they belonged to my dad.

I should perhaps mention that my dad was the janitor of this elementary school, my uncle was the headmaster and at least one of the teachers were an aunt.

My thoughts raced through my head. If I was caught breaking into the school I was a dead person. and Oh my fraking gawd! If I was caught breaking an entrance with my little innocent sister in toe, I was not only dead, I was dead twice over. I think the look of pure panic on my face must have been warning enough for the rest of the gang. Silence settled over the gym like a graveyard. Everybody stood frozen in place, my sister didn't quite see the problem, for her it was only the dadman, nothing to worry about, but she dutifully kept her mouth shot at my gesturing finger across my lips and a look that could spear straight through her if she even thought of uttering a single sound.

The only thing on my my mind was to get my little sister out of there. Being a Janitor's daughter sucks toe-farts most of the time, not only do you have a dad who knows everything that goes on at school, interrogating you constantly during dinners about every prank happening and you can never get away with ANYTHING what so ever without him hearing about it. As if this isn't bad enough... you also have to step in for cleaning personnel, help do repairs and crawl around in nasty places I came to hate the phrase: "because you're small and nimble enough to fit, Eli, that's why". When I got older, I had to step in for my dad whenever there were serious break ins. And let me tell you, entering that huge building after someone had discovered broken doors, not knowing whether or not some nuthead drugfiends were still inside with weapons ready, was absolutely terrifying. Why a 14 - 17 years old kid would be ordered by her headmaster uncle to go check out what damage had been done and if something had been stolen - which was reason for calling in the cops, is beyond me, but, hey, that is how it was back then...
This day, however, I finally drew an advantage of being a janitor's daughter - I knew all the ways in and out of the school buildings and I suddenly recalled there being a back door out of the gym that wasn't well known and that didn't have the kind of doors that only opens with a key. This particular door had the kind of lock you could open from the inside without the use of a key. I gestured to the rest of the gang, grabbed my sister in a death grip and started running. I am not the kind of person who can run for very long, not even as a kid, but I have always been a sprinter and that day I ran faster than I have ever ran before or after. My sister's feet were far too small to be able to follow me. Did that slow me down? Hells no! The poor child was flying horizontally behind me like a kite. I reached the back door and I remember I thought the rest of the gang sounded like bloody hippos and snarled at them to keep quiet, while struggling to get the lock - which was old and tended to get stuck - open. Finally it clicked open and out we went. I didn't stop running though, I continued running with my sister flying behind me up into the woods and didn't stop until I reached the top of the nearest mountain. None of us uttered a word, we were too scared and I doubt any of us had any breath left for talking for several minutes. Then we spent several more minutes in pure agony wondering whether or not we had been noticed and I nearly decided upon emigrating to a different country when we remembered the coats and shoes that we'd left behind.

Everybody got out. I still don't quite understand how we got away with it. I haven't ever dared tell my dad about it and I am not sure if he knew that there were kids inside the school and if that was the reason for his extremely loud coughing and he just pretended not to hear us - my dad had a soft spot for pranksters, which saved my sorry ass more than once - or if he truly didn't hear us. When we dared to go back, to clean up and collect our things, the back door was wide open.

We broke into the school again after this - the coin trick was quite the handy trick for sneaking into buildings, but I never joined the gang playing in the gym again. I figured I had used up all my luck regarding that place.

We did get caught at times, but never while breaking into the school. I managed to talk us out of it the times we were caught while I was in on it. I think my vivid imagination helped somewhat. I had these crazy explanation for how we ended up wherever it was we were when getting caught. Highly improbable, of course, but wild enough to get the owner laughing. And one thing we kids knew - if an adult starts laughing, the kids have won. We'd get away with a talking to, a slap to the back of our heads and having to promise never to do it again.

The breaking ins lasted until the before mentioned city-slicker cousin started a forklift inside a factory and didn't manage to turn it off. It was just him his youngest cousin - neither boy could be said to be among the brightest of people. Apparently they ended up tying the steering wheel so that it ran in a circle all night until the workers arrived in the morning and could turn it off. Police got involved, the guilty were found out and our career as non-stealing thieves came to an abrupt end. Although they did not rat on the rest of us, we figured it was not worth the chance as long as all the factory owners in the neighborhood was now aware of local kids breaking into places all over town...

Only one time did I not manage to talk myself out of trouble. That was in comparison more than enough to last me a life time. I got caught drinking in public at 15... but that is a story for another time.

Mysteries

2011-04-08T14:29:00.000+02:00

Mysteries had a large part during my childhood years. I’m sure some of it is due to me having been read to from an early age, thus sparking an already vivid imagination, but the mystery of folklore and fairy tales was very much a part of my everyday as a child. For me magic was real and my logic for why it was real was simple. Magic is created by b...elief – as long as I believed, magic existed. The same applied to Santa, by the way. We had an ironing board closet in the kitchen and inside it were also the chimney with a little hatch that could be pulled open far up under the ceiling. My father would gather us young kids and tell us he heard something and that if we truly watched closely, we might just barely catch a glimpse of his red topped cap as he scurried downwards, or a bit of his boots as he climbed upwards. I would solemnly swear I saw him and toasted toast, I firmly believed I did.

In Norway there are more than one type of Santa. There is the American Coca Cola Santa, of course, but we also have our Norwegian type of little santas from our ancient folklore that we call *nisse’ or, if you live on a farm; the farm-nisse and it was this type of nisse that would reside in our chimney around Christmas time. He was there to check up on us kids, to make sure we’d behaved well.
The barn nisse was not necessarily a kind guy. Oh, no. The little nisse was of the fae people and could be both mischievous and downright mean if he felt he was not treated with the proper respect. There were stories of how farm animals would get sick, how the cows started milking blood instead of milk and all sorts of bad luck happening to both man and mouse on the unfortunate farm that’d insulted the farm nisse. On the other hand, he would also ensure healthy animals and good crops if he was pleased. I would always greet the nisse I believed lived in my grandpa’s barn when I entered. Nothing fancy, just a “hi, it’s me”, or a nod, if I was not alone – it was important to keep all knowledge of the barn nisses secret and not discuss their ways out loud, etc. For a curious girl constantly exploring in old barns and in the forests around my town and those surrounding our mountain farm, I figured it was best to be on the safe side and ensure that I had the faes’ aid should I ever need it, or be in danger. From I was around 6 years old, until I was around 10-11 I would remember to bring a bowl of rice porridge to the barn santa in my grandpa’s barn. It’s an old tradition to eat rice porridge on the 23rd of December. We’d make twice as much as we’d need, because the left over porridge was made into Rice pudding, which is the traditional dessert served on Christmas Eve up here.
Grandpa’s farm was just across the road from our house and it didn’t take me more than 5 minutes to do it. Sometimes a friend came with me the next day to check if the nisse had accepted my gift and eaten up the porridge and thus would continue to guard the barn and watch out for the people and the animals. It never failed, the bowl was always empty and we never ceased being amazed that he was for real – In our minds this was more than proof enough for his existence.
The nisse could make himself invisible, or as my grandpa used to explain, he was such an expert at hiding in plain sight that he was near invisible. I kept believing in the mystery of the nisse long after I stopped believing in Santa. I think having parents and grandparents, uncles and aunts all telling us “true” stories about him and how and where they had spotted him, kept the mystery surrounding him alive. I had relatively old parents and my grandpa was so old for us kids, that he was sort of considered a grandpa for half the neighborhood.

My friends and I would sit with eyes as round and wide as plates while he told us all the old fairy tales and the local folklore stories from our region. Stories about “nøkken” were especially frightening. Nøkken is a fae creature that lives in ponds in the deep forests. Those quiet black lakes you can’t see the bottom in, with water lilies and a myriad of life crawling and buzzing and swimming in and around them. There is always a mysterious ripple or several on the quiet surface, if you just have the patience to sit quiet and watch it for more than a minute. Naturally, as I grew older I knew that it was just the natural creations of nature making the sounds and the ripples, but as a child, boy, were there a lot of fascinating and frightening mysterious creatures about. Magic was very much alive and not only that, but it could threaten of death and danger too. Nøkken was said to drown children who ventured alone near ponds and lakes. He could drown grownups too, if they were careless.

The marshes were filled with mysterious creatures working for nøkken, and then there was the “huldra” too. The beautiful female wood nymph with a cow’s tail, that was known to lure men of all ages with her and keeping them all captured among the people of the underground. We called them underjordiske, which translates directly into under-earthlings. They were greatly feared by everybody in the old days and I recall more than one old aunt who refused to walk home alone on paths through the forests in the dark.

The mysterious creatures and superstitious beliefs were numerous. I can’t mention them all, but two creatures that particularly haunted my childhood were “fjellgeita” (mountain goat) and “harekjetta” (slang for hare). My father and grandpa loved scaring us kids with those. I have to admit that today, I can’t quite understand how they could scare me into hysteria with two animals as innocent as a goat and a rabbit, but they sure did. Up at the mountain farm, we didn’t have an indoor toilette, but used an outhouse in the barn instead. There were no streetlights up there. I’m not sure you can truly understand how utterly dark the night is away from city lights, etc, unless you have experienced a night in the forest or up on the mountains far away from civilization. The nights were pitch black, unless there was a full moon casting an eerie dim light in open spaces. A somewhat odd thing happens when you are outdoors in utter darkness. Every sound becomes that much louder. The hooting of owls sounds otherworldly. The barking of foxes, the grunting of larger animals like deer and moose sounds quite frightening to a young child. And let me assure you, the sounds of a hare’s death-cries will freeze the blood to ice in your veins. I kid you not!

There were no lights in the barn and we’d have to use a torch light or a candle light with us if we had to visit the outhouse at nights. I would hear noises nearby that I was certain came from murderous creatures. I would see movements and shadows just outside the limit of the lights from my torch/candle. It was a mystery to me, that my heart didn’t beat itself right out of my body. Even when I forced my dad to stand on the steps waiting for me, I would have Goosebumps and be a shivering wreck barely able to breathe when I finally reached the safety of his side on the steps or closed the door to the realm of darkness outside. Not that he would make matters better by chanting “Ooooo, the “fjellgeita” and “harekjetta” are coming, hurry!” And for some irrational reason, it didn’t help either, that I was well aware of him and the others just pulling my leg with these two creatures, nor that they would laugh their heads off of me. I could not let go of the fear. To me, the darkness was a completely different realm from the daylight.

Even after I married, there would be nights where I pleaded with my hubby to stand watch at the steps while I visited the outhouse. We didn’t get an indoor toilette until my youngest were 5. It still remains a mystery to hubby how it is possible to be afraid of a goat and a rabbit when I am grown up and fully aware of what they are. Honestly, I don’t think it is those two creatures I was afraid of as an adult, it was more the eerie feeling of having utter darkness behind me, a darkness that could hide all sorts of imaginable and unimaginable monsters ready to devour me with hair and bone and skin. Rational logic simply does not abide with one who’s afraid of the dark.

Still, I wouldn’t be without the many frightening mysteries of my childhood. Even the scary ones were exhilaratingly fun to discuss with my friends on lazy hot summer days while hiding in the fields to avoid all the chores we knew we’d have to help with if we were spotted.

Even if I utterly failed in making a mystery story for this assignment, I firmly believe that I owe my creative imagination to my early childhood mysteries. All my crazy stories that have been created in my mind and all those who have yet to be created, have been born in some sense through the magic and mysteries of my childhood.

Book meme

2011-04-01T13:51:00.002+02:00

I am following up on Fiz' book meme
1. Did you grow up in a book-loving household, and did your parents read to you? Pick a favourite book from your childhood, and tell me about it.
Yes I did. Books have always been important to my family, my parents would read for me, but they would also tell old folklore stories and fairy tales that weren't written down. The bedtime story telling/reading time is something I still look back on with great fondness and a tradition I continued with my own kids. I have to admit that I loved telling/reading stories for my kids just as much as I loved hearing them as a kid myself. It was a precious routine, my kids would refer to something I read and bring up topics from their day's event and we'd talk about it, just as my parents would do with me. My favorite books that my parents read to me again and again would have to be Tove Janson's Moomin tales. I loved the whole moomin universe and Little My was and still is my favorite - I've even got a tattoo of her. Jansons' books taught me about compassion, friendship, tolerance, about not giving up on your dreams. I read the old moomin stories for my own kids too, but by then there were videos and they would watch the videos and recognize the stories from the books and love them all the more.

2. What was one of the first 'grown-up' books that you really enjoyed?
That would have to be Tolkien's The Hobbit. One of my older sisters was into fantasy and had a paperback version of The Hobbit in English. She had told me about it briefly and I just couldn't help myself. I struggled through that book for 6 months and I loved every bit of it. English is a second language and back then we didn't start learning English in school until we were 10 years old. I didn't understand everything I read, so at 15 I read it again and sure enough, I loved it even more then.

3. Pick a favourite book that you read in your 20s or early 30s - especially if it's one which helped set you off in a certain direction in life.
I didn't really have much time for leisure reading in my 20s I read a lot from I was 15 - 20 that perhaps molded my way of thinking and my way of interacting with others. I can't pick one single book, I'll have to pick a genre instead. The fantasy genre was by far my favorite and because of some poor translations, I would prefer reading them in English. I went on to study English at the university and I've used English both in my work and in my free time ever since I picked up that first Tolkien book. During these years my older sister was my biggest influence in what authors I would read. In my 20s I preferred Fantasy, as I got 30 I would alternate between Fantasy and Sci-Fi, but I still can't manage Sci-Fi IF THR S 2 MHC SCIFI SPEEK Books were expensive and there were no English books at our local library, so my sister and I would agree to which books to buy and then we'd share them - this has since spread to our entire family. My sisters, my parents and my nieces and nephews and now my kids all swap books back and forth whenever we visit each other.

4. What's one of your favourite books that you've found in the last five years, and how has blogging or the reading of blogs changed your reading habits?
Again, I have trouble picking a single book, but my preferences have changed somewhat in the last 5 years. Reading blogs and discussing books on forums have had a huge impact on my choices, or perhaps it is more correct to say that they have broadened my horizon. I'll be forever grateful for all the 'new' authors my online friends and bloggers have introduced me to. I find that I now prefer a much darker type of Fantasy. Authors like Lynch, Abercrombie, Weeks, Rothfus - King and Gaiman have been long time favorites, but I wouldn't have known about many of the others if it weren't for online blogs and forums. As for my reading habits, I don't know if they've changed all that much, I still have as much trouble putting down a book I like as I have ever had. I still have to force myself to go to bed, because I need to get up early the next day. I still count minutes until I can sit down and pick up the book again. I believe that will be the case for me always.

5. For your final choice - a guilty pleasure, or a favourite that might surprise people!
Oh dear. The guilty pleasure reads -shifty eyes- I've got them alright and I think I've mentioned them somewhere too. Anne Bishop's Black Jewel series and Gena Showalter's Lord of the Underworld series, I tried one of her young adult series, but it made me throw up in my mouth, so I never finished that one... It was my niece who introduced me to Anne Bishop and I borrowed a few of her books to check them out. They were different from anything I had read. Bishop played around with the good vs bad notion. Here we have Saetan Deamon SaDiablo high lord of Hell and his sons and allies being the good guys. You have the female witches as being the ones 'on the top' while the males are plenty strong and fierce enough, the female witches are the ones holding the leash. She also uses a somewhat dark wit and sarcasm that has always appealed to me. There is explicit sex and SM and whatnot that I didn't know were allowed being sold except in porn shops and I forbid my kids to read them until they've turned 18 and/or have been in a steady relationship for more than a year. (my kids would sometimes pick books off the shelves based on the covers, so I pointed out the ones they were not allowed to even open as it was much easier - and no, they have not felt the need to go against my advice one these things yet).

Gena Showalter is another matter. I think it was the sheer madness of her mixing Greek mythology into her warped up stew that drew me into her world. Contemporary paranormal romance, I think this genre is called. It's hilarious far beyond the point of being ridiculous in so many ways that I find myself howling with laughter at times. Then there are the main characters - hotter than fire, sexy, handsome male immortals housing the demons of Pandora's box. More muscles than brain, but enough compassion to last a few lifetimes. When hubby asked me what the hell I was reading that amused me so much, I told him I had found a new genre - housewife porn for wives that aren't particularly into housework. As I sometimes use audio books, he has listened to some of it and yes, he was howling along with me, but his first question after listening the first time was: "I wonder how this female author looks like or what kind of life she's lead to be able to dream up these male characters of hers?" I told him we'd probably be better off not knowing...

Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy

2011-03-30T23:05:00.000+02:00

Just finished the last of the First Law trilogy books by Joe Abercrombie. Holy f...! Say one thing about Joe Abercrombie, say he's a helluva writer! This trilogy absolutely blew my mind away. Dark, gritty, violent and as ugly as you can get without it becoming too ridiculously so.

The characters are interestingly different and plausible, full of shortcomings, but also honor and strength.
Inquisitor Glokta, the master torturer who is a torture victim himself and thus knows intimately well what sort of pain his occupational instruments can give. He shows an unusual sane insight to the insane twists that life serves him and his dark witted inner thoughts and comments are quite brilliant.

The spoiled self absorbed noble born coward Jezal dan Luthor, who thinks so high of himself he nearly reaches climax just by looking at himself in the mirror.

The barbarian Northman; Logen Ninefingers or "The Bloody Nine" as he is also called due to his ruthlessness in fights. He's surprisingly thoughtful, respectful and kind when he's not in one of his bloodrage where he kills enemies as well as children and longtime friends.

And there is Bayaz, the magus, at first seeming like a Gandalf-ish kind and wise old man, but holding and controlling all the strings like a giant venomous spider forever scheming and planning how to use people and situations for his own personal gain. He is every bit as arrogant and megalomaniac as a proper wizard should be.

There are other minor characters that are both brilliantly fascinating and brilliantly disgusting. The mercenary Cosca, the ferocious female warrior/ex slave Ferro, the female red haired torturer and mother, Vitari, the mysterious Yoru Sulfur, Dogman, Black Dow and all the other Northmen that quickly got a special place in my heart.

Bayaz takes his odd group of completely different persons on a long trip to the end of the world and back, a trip where our characters learn some new, some disappointing and a few positive things about themselves and each other. We, the readers, are taken by Abercrombie on a long trip into the ugliness of human nature. Those who are good aren't really all that good when it comes down to it and those who are bad can be fairly decent and downright compassionate at times. Life is neither fair, nor pretty and usually things go from bad to worse. It's cynical, dark and ugly, but there is room for love, compassion and beauty all the same.

I did one mistake, though. I went about it the wrong way. I read his stand alone novel Best Served Cold before I read the trilogy. It's set in the same universe and we meet again some of the characters from the trilogy in this novel, 3-4 years after the events of the trilogy.

***SPOILER ALERT*** (highlight to read)

I spent the entire last book biting my nails just waiting for Logen to be killed by Shivers - all in vain. It never happened. I dreaded it so bad I wasn't sure I could stand reading the last chapter at all. How stupid of me is that?!? The trilogy began and ended with Logan's free fall into a river. We don't really know if he survives, but I doubt he died, he's just too badass to die like that...

Oh and the best part of it all, there are more stories to be told about these characters and I can't wait to see what will happen to Logen, Dogman, Shivers, Glokta, Sulfer, Ferro, Vitari, etc

Have you ever...

2011-03-24T12:56:00.000+01:00

...had the feeling that something went suspiciously well? A little too easy? The feeling of disastrous accidents and bad luck waiting to catch up with you, still out of sight, but there all the same, lurking, waiting?
That is my feeling after yesterday's meeting with my caseworkers.

It went well. They were nice and polite and my 'old' caseworker informed my 'new' caseworker of the situation and the history of my case while we waited for my doctor to get there.
When my doctor arrived we got down to business of discussing my health, the development of it and results of various tests. My doctor told them that my pain and inflammations were real and that the pain I was living with every day was severe. She told them that I had declined the offer of strong pain medicine and neither did I use sleeping pills. She said that she had never felt I was particularly depressed or had any mental issues that she had noticed. Usually when I did go see her, my inflammations were raging and my fever so high I had difficulties communicating properly. She said it was her firm opinion that I was unfit to work and that 4 years of keeping on trying to after I had to quit my office job ought to be enough to show that it wasn't for a lack of effort on my part, but for a lack of health.

The caseworkers concluded the meeting with the decision that they would await my doctor's written report, where they asked her to specifically point out the things she mentioned during the meeting and that they'll use this to re-apply the central authorities for full work disablement. My new caseworker will call me in for a new meeting when my application has been viewed and decided upon.

It was so completely different from the last meeting with them, that I was left with a surreal feeling when I walked out of there. I have absolutely no idea what has happened between September last year and now, but something must have, or I have utterly lost grasp of reality altogether.

I should just be happy and relieved, I know. It's just that...I don't know...I think this explains it:

Short update

2011-03-23T10:28:00.001+01:00

Playing with templates...

Hubby's home all week, won't have much time to blog, or go online at all.

Meeting with my caseworkers today. *shudders* My doctor is supposed to come to the meeting. I hope she doesn't forget...

Changing our evil ways

2011-03-18T13:53:00.001+01:00

It snowed again last night. I want to kill something. I had actually started to hope we would get rid of all the snow and ice. Early yesterday the sun was shining and it almost felt like spring. Ole Man Winter's sense of humour is rather mean if you ask me.

Runar has next week off. He's quitting smoking. I thought I would too, but Runar is convinced we'll kill each other dead if both of us quit at once...maybe he's right, I've wanted to kill him often lately They're having audit at work this week, he's been working crazy hours. I've been in bad shape aching bad and my psoriasis has been worse. Sleep deprivation hasn't made things better.

The other night I slept in the guest room. Runar changes into the Snoring Monster of Huge Moans most nights, He will quit breathing all toghether if he's sleeping on his back and I have to wake him or make him turn over. It's actually quite frightening to be honest and I've tried to suggest him seeing a doctor about it, but to no use. It's all in my head, says he. I'm exaggerating and making things up...I have about as much success in this as I have at keeping his feet off my half of the bed, or keeping his one pointy hard elbow out of my back. Too bad I don't bruise easily, or I'd have evidence to show him in the form of a black eye. Crashing into an elbow eye first is not a pleasant way to wake up.

Anyways, the other night he had alternated quitting breathing and gasping loudly for air. I was unable to fall asleep, aching, tired, annoyed and getting worse. My attempts at getting him to turn over had only resulted in him inching further over to my side of the bed. When he lay spread-eagle in the middle of the bed pushing my feet off the edge on MY side of the bed and with a satisfied sigh landed his hand in the middle of my face I'd had enough and

"AAAHHRRGGHHED"

He sniffed offended, but crawled back to his side and lay on his side. This was around 2:30 am and I hadn't fallen asleep yet. Because of the aching joints and muscles I had problems finding a position where the pain didn't get unbearable, so naturally I tossed a bit. Side, back, other side, back. Whereupon that arse I'm married to sat up yelling at me for keeping him up all night. WTFH!?! I wanted to keelhaul him, skin him alive, wring him inside out and make him into a maggot. I didn't. I think it seemed like too much work at the time... Instead, I bit my tongue, got up and went to sleep in the guest room. I fell asleep quickly too. He apparently had barely slept at all. I'm afraid I did not feel particularly sorry for him...
and now we're quitting smoking. Should be fun :P

Eitherwho we're heading for the cabin today. We'll be drinking and smoking ourselves silly and sick, becoming the best of friends with abundance of love for each other, before we change our evil ways and start hating each other worse than ever...and hopefully become healthier and better persons in the long run.

... This song is playing in my head "One of these days I'm gonna change my evil ways" Bon Scott is singing ..I think that day is here for the hubby and I

Things to blog about

2011-03-17T20:02:00.000+01:00

Following up on Court and Countess' topic-suggestion game.

What would you like me to blog about? Is there something you would like to know about me? Is there something you would like me to blog more about? Or less about?

Please feel free to make suggestions in the comments section. If you join, I'll come up with some topic suggestions, etc on your blog as well.