Well, hello there, 2014.

Christmas is over and January is here. Back to the grind and all that.

I got all of the Christmas deco put away and the house cleaned, yesterday. It was my first whole day here at home, since last year (that sounded rather dramatic). I also bought two new lamps for the living room. When we bought the book cases at IKEA, we also bought book case lamps. Don't buy lamps at IKEA, guys, they're crap! I've used a fortune in those little halogen weird bulbs and to no use. The lamps just don't want to function more than 5 minutes, before they start going out. I've talked to others who have had the same type of lamps and they say it's the same for them.

I was with my sister looking for lamps to her new cottage and fell in love with these. I bought two. They give a soft light and are perfect for when you watch TV, or movies, or you know, when you don't feel like having the bright glare of the ceiling lamps. The picture doesn't do them justice, but that's just because I'm a lousy photographer.




Dad got hospitalized today. I was there, yesterday to take my mother to her annual Parkinson checkup and he told me that he was feeling a bit under the weather and his legs were swollen. He was sitting with one leg up on the table and while we looked at it, it leaked fluid. I kid you not. By minutes his trouser legs were soaked. It's the freakiest thing I've ever seen.  I made him call his doctor and they decided to bring him to hospital and try fix it with medication. He is on a truckload of medicine and some of the side effects is that his body gets filled with fluid. He takes meds for this, but apparently they aren't helping, or not helping in the way they're supposed to. Hopefully they'll figure it out and get it fixed soon.

My mom's entire world falls apart immediately. She refused to go to her workout today. This is just physical therapy for old people at the local nursing home, with tea/coffee and cookies afterwards, so it's as much a social event as physical therapy that does her much good. And it means my dad gets a little break from her twice a week. Today she'll be sitting in a chair staring into empty space, waiting for my sister, Aslaug to visit her and let her know how things are with dad. Whether or not she manages to take her meds, depends on how sorry she feels for herself. She has always loved to be a drama queen, but with the parkinson it's gotten worse. Well, I'm not sure it's the parkinson, or something else, or just a way to get attention, but whenever something happens to my dad, she needs to feel worse and she acts out in various ways to make sure we give her the same attention... I wonder if she'll blame me for the freak-leakage?

The cold in the States is something, huh!?! I think you got all of this year's winter. And Wizz, minus 50?!? Yikes! That is ridiculously cold. I hope you manage to stay warm.

My nephew and his family got stuck in Pittsburg a week longer than expected, due to the cold. They were all on the plane, but the cold ruined something on it and they had to get off again. Their luggage, on the other hand, did get sent...yeah, I don't know how that is possible, either. His wife had to go shopping clothes and necessaries at Target.

 We're having the warmest winter in years. We're also having the wettest winter ever. This weather weirdness is really getting overboard. Enough, already! Whoever it is that is  P'ing off the weathergods, stop it!

UPDATE:
My father will remain in hospital over the weekend. There is fluid in his lungs and he is still on IV meds to reduce the excess fluid in his body. He'll be having various heart checks, etc too. Please keep him in your thoughts.

This is why smoking is such a bad habit and why I am quitting!