Everyday mysteries

Ok, so it's been ages since I last found enough energy to post on this blog. Explanation? Too much work. As simple as that. Not that things have changed to the better or anything but this morning I took time. New motto: take time! ; )

The busride to work is always a good place for thinking. Most of the time you think about work, what to do after work, what to eat for dinner, what's on tv etc etc but every now and then something happens that breaks the pattern and makes you think about something else. This morning was one of those times. I wish the topic of thought had been something amazing but instead I landed on 'why do grown men giggle in falsetto?' . Let's face it, it's not exactly manly manish, is it? Handsome men who look like they just walked off a Hugo Boss billboard and then they open their mouths to laugh and... *cringe* Anywho, maybe that's what makes life bareble for the rest of us? : )

The rest of my life smells like paint right now. After 1,5 years my landlord finally decided it was time to repaint my kitchen, bathroom and walk in closet (aka the storage room). Of course they made this decision at the worst possible time for me but hey, my flat will be nice for Christmas. So two days in a row the painter has been around, doing his business, and I've come home to a place smelling like a big can of paint. Nice, fresh but smelly. It really did turn out very nicely. And I got a new lightswitch in the kitchen cause the old one broke (*gasp* they only last 40-odd years?!?) and they put in lightbulbs that are energyfriendly so *clap* *clap* for landlord. Now if they could only fix it so that the windows keep the cold winds outside of the flat, that would be great. Well, I'll probably have to wait till Christmas next year for that. Can't be too picky...

Weekend? Not where I'm standing

Normally Fridays mean woho-the-weekend-is-around-the-corner-and-oh-how-much-sleeping-I-will-do. Not for me though. Not this weekend. I'm looking forward to a day at the office tomorrow. Lovely. I stayed untlil 18.30 last night and I'm staying a while today. Then I'm going back tomorrow. Lovely. Really. Can't wait.

They're baaack....

The bus stop this morning was like something out of a scary movie and if that's what it's going to be all year I'll have to seriously rethink how I get to and from work. There have always been quite a number of high school kids waiting there but this morning was an all-time high. Then, to top it all off, the bus company has started a line that runs 5 minutes after 'mine' does. It has the same number but not the same route or destination. Total confusion! People were running between busses at just about every stop. Great planning. One man switched 4 times. Seriously, do you know where you work? I think he ended up at the wrong bus in the end. Fun fact is that all summer the bus company have used their nice busses, clean, with seatbelts, not that the kids are back we're back to old, seatbelt-free busses. I wonder what parents would think about that?

Work is oh so hectic right now. Everything needs to be done for the start of the semester and we're balancing on a fine line between chaos and kind of ok. I get all sorts of questions really and it's kind of difficult to keep calm in all situations. I am a pretty patient person but sometimes it's just a tad too much. It feels like I've got my head above water although there are those who seem to want me under it. Seriously, if I wasn't ok I would say something. Stop assuming that I'm this overambitious angstcase who will fall down any second. Not the case. Just cause I like what I do doesn't mean that I'm on the verge of a nervous breakdown. The only thing I'll own up to is being bored. Cause I am. Nothing, and I repeat nothing, happens here.

I got my new dvds yesterday. I had to watch 'New York Waiting' straight away and it was a good film. Very indie-feelish but in a good way. The music was amazingly good. So, now I'll have Ice Age 1 and 2 plus Bridget Jones (#1) to look forward to for the weekend.

By the way, a man was stabbed to death just a couple of hundred metres from my building the other day. I've lived in Brussels and in Manchester and things happen her, in this tiny place. Unbelievable. Does this mean I'll have to rethink my livingarrangements?

I love myspace!!

One of the main benefits of being back at the office is the opportunity to listen to music on myspace while your working. Could it get any better? Therefore I've decided to start a myspace music-sidebar. Easy access to my favourite bands.

I'm doing my best to get my head around my new office and girl it up a bit. Organizing the office makes me realize what a box and folder-freak I am. My predecessor apparently had this thing for rubberbands, my pet thing is plastic folders. We all have our perks. My main annoyance right now is the cord to the phone. No matter where I put the phone the cord is in the way. Wow, life really is tough. Ain't it.

The downsides of having huge windows

My summer vacation is over and I am back at the office. I'm not too happy about it, I would have needed about 4 more weeks to really get into the kind of mode I was last year when I came back to work. But I guess that's just part of life as an adult. First signs of aging as a 30-something perhaps? (And I've just realised I have huuuuuge windows overlooking the campus. Everyone can see me and I can see everyone. Great.)

The summer has been good. I've spent all of it cooped up in our summer house by the ocean. The first two weeks were a blur for so many reasons but the last two were good. I haven't gotten nearly as much done as I would have wanted but then again, that's ok. My new motto: it's ok. Unfortunately we have to redo the roofing between the two parts of the house but I think the new version will be better and more lasting than the old *holding fingers crossed*. Hopefully it won't cost a truckload of money either. Yeah, cause that's likely when there are screws and wood involved... It's an investment is what I keep telling myself. I am a bit sad I didn't get so much done in the garden cause it needed some work but that's for next year. I did get my mother into the ocean on numerous occasions though which should earn me a medal of some sort. The water wasn't as warm as it has been the last two years but it was more than ok. Let's just say it was difficult to go back here after the vacation was done. When I got off the train I wasn't really sure I'd gotten off at the right stop. I don't know, this just isn't like home. : )

Being back at the office isn't all bad. No one's really around at the moment which is great cause I like the quiet but then again the students are busy e-mailing and calling like crazy. There is so much to be done I'm not really sure where to start.

So, the last and final Harry Potter book has been released and, obviously, I've read it. Not sure what I think. Parts were great, other parts I'm not so sure about, but all in all, it's done. I've also seen the new movie. Can't help thinking they should have signed Alfonso Cuarón (HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban) up for the entire series. His movie was the best so far. I have to get the new one on DVD and see what I think then.

Other than that, saw the Narnia-movie (quite ok actually if you get past the whole Liam Neeson as the voice of Aslan-part. Whatever that Lucy-girl is on she should bottle it cause I could use with a teaspoon of that energy), bought Shadowlands (very good, bawled like usual. It really is the new Out of Africa for me. The end kills me every time. Cause I'm a girl is what I am.), and bought series one of the West Wing (aw, the good old days). I've listened to a remarkably small amount of music which is totally uncommon for me. Then again I've hung out with a remarkably small amount of people which is quite uncommon for me as well. Just didn't have the energy. Didn't even watch a lot of TV and that is uncommon for me. Watched the usual Foyle's war, Midsomer Murders, Ms Marple, Veronica Mars (would she quit tormenting Logan already!!) and the occasional movie (Chicago was better than I expected).

So, beginning of term, new job, possible changes to existing job perhaps (?), new people, erm, hm... Well, no matter what I think of it you can't really stop time now can you? ; )

A visit to the dentist

I spent the first hours of this day at the dentist, drilling and fixing a hole. Well, they drilled, put stuff in my tooth and now I'm supposed to wait 6 months and see what happens with it. Exciting. I just hope everything works out so that I don't have to do the whole rootcanal thing (a bit too much CJ on the West Wing for me). So, fingers crossed!

I've started my progress over to the new job now and it is mucho scary. There is just so much to learn about things I know of but now need to know in detail. And at the same time there's this tugwar going on about when I will quit my old 'job' and go over to the new one. Too much to focus on in other words.

The only thing I'm worried about now is my summer holiday. Everything has to be worked out before tomorrow afternoon or I'll be spending summer in hell. Amazing, and stupid to say the least.

Chinglish.de

Visit Chinglish.de . Do it now! Funny as h*ll!!!

In the summertime when the weather is hot...

This has been the weekend from hell! I'm not complaining, just saying. It has been so incredibly hot that I thought I was going to die more than once. It's safe to say I don't do well in the heat. Well, I do when I'm in another country where the temperature by nature is on the warmer side of hot as hell but here? Not so much! I went out for a couple of hourse every day just to get some air but I don't know what was worse, being outside in the sun or inside in the sun. I kept all doors and windows open and it was kind of breezy but the kind of warm breeze you feel when you walk into a sauna. Not at all comfortable. Anywho.

I got a sign I'm actually 30-something (or a 30-something apprentice perhaps since I'm not 30 and something yet) on Saturday night. I don't do well when watching scary movies. They don't have to be very scary, just a little bit, and my sleeping habits go to pieces for days. Humiliating? Bet your be-hind but I've learnt to embrace it. I love to watch them but they scare the sheut out of me. But! This weekend I managed to watch the Village (granted not the scariest of movies) on my own, with the lights turned off (ok, bathroom light and the natural light of a Swedish summer evening two weeks before Midsummer's Eve), and I slept like a bairn. Ok, so I had to switch the channel when the redcoated 'monster' ran at Ivy the first time but after that it was a smooth ride. Not half bad. : )

This week will be interesting I think. I have to plan everything for the transition over to the new job and plan for the upcoming weeks. Exciting and scary at the same time. It should be good but still, a bit scary. : )

Today's soundtrack is the lovely 'Mark Ronson'. Gotta love the Lilly Allen version of 'Oh My God' and the Annie Mac Minimix. : )

Just how stupid do you think I am?

At work we get a lot of mails from persons claiming to be in charge of bank accounts or bank deposit boxes where someone with our last name has left billions (always written in figures and then in CAPITAL LETTERS) of (Disney)money with no one to claim them. So now these persons are contacting us, with the hope that we will not take offence since we have not been properly introduced (like we lived in 1707). The other scenario is person from country x wanting to ship money to our country and if we do it we will get 20% of the total sum only in reality it means they get us to pay 100% to them since there, *gasp*, is no money to begin with. I feel so tempted to write a reply with a simple question: 'Just how stupid do you think I am?'. But, since I work for the government it's not really proper so I end up just deleating the e-mail and marking the sender as a 'spammer'. But one day...

Friday once again and I'm hoping I've gotten one of my favourite books from when I was a kid in the mail. It's a series of three books and I have one (which I won when I was about 5 years old and already by then the books were like 20 years old) and I want the two others. I've found online and the other is on sale at an online market next Wednesday. It seems there are a lot of people looking for these books so I'll have to work hard to get them. Well, two down, one to go. : ) And yes, I turned 30 last February...

The day after June 6th

This week is odd. Yesterday was June 6th, Sweden's National Day, and these days it's a national holiday which means that this week we got Wednesday off. It's actually much better than it might sound. It's great to get a break mid-week and then come back to work and have not be Monday. : ) Not at all unpleasant.

I spent yesterday sleeping in and going to the local celebration of June 6th. Not that anyone knows why it's our National Day but still. There were ceremonies welcoming 6 out of the 40 people who have gained their Swedish citizenships since last year (this being Småland they were of course Germans, Icelandic people, antother person of blond descent and only one person from the Middle East or former Yugoslavia even though they are probably the majority). Then there were fiddleplayers and a marching band and a truckload of ballons and flags. Afterwards I went to the place where I find my rubharbs and picked some flowers. Some of them are the kind that smells amazing at night so I watched Grey's Anatomy in an almost perfumelike scented room. Very nice. : )

Today's soundtrack is a band I first heard on the TV-show 'Dead like me' (very good. lots of irony and humour. only lasted two seasons). The band is called Metisse and the song they played on the show was 'Boom Boom Ba'.

Sundays, Mondays, brainfreeze

I think I might have an actual job. I mean, I've been offered a job and I've accepted but I'm too cautious to do the happy-dance before all the paperwork has been signed. I know luck, it is seriously unpredictable. Anywho, yay for now and keep all fingers crossed 'cause it would be great, and so much fun! : )

For the last three weeks I've had Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem 'Ozymandias' playing over and over in my head. I really don't know why. Sure, it's one of my favourite poems but it's still odd. Probably my brains way of telling me to take a deep breath and catch up to speed with myself.
The poem goes:

"I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
‘My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!
’Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away."

Happy, don't you think? ; )

Today's soundtrack is provided by Norwegian band 'Susanna and the Magical Orchestra' as featured on last weeks episode of Grey's Anatomy. Their cover of Joy Division's 'Love will tear us apart' is really good. It seems I'm very much into covers right now. another favourite is Ryan Adams cover of Oasis' 'Wonderwall'. Very good.

Fun, fun, fun and then some.

Last night's TV-dilemma was not as big to work out as I'd thought. One look at Robin Hood resulted in a 'naah' and I switched back to a highly yawn-inspiring episode of Doctor Who.

Another Friday, another weekend. My plans are simple: recover from the cold and get some more rhubarb from the park. On my way home from work yesterday I stopped by the park where there used to be an area where people could rent land and grow what they wanted to grow. The area is free for use right now, no one's using it anymore, and there are still flowers and berries around. Since no one owns it you can just go there and pick what you want. Brilliant! Yesterday I risked my life for some rhubarb and beautiful flowers but I didn't have a bag for it so I have to go back this weekend. It's free and it's good for you. Could it get any better?

So the final interviews are today and I try to be all calm about it but of course you can't help but wonder. There is so much going on around here now though so things could change a hundred times before next Thursday (when they're planning to make the final decision).

My Friday fix in music is the soundtrack for the movie 'Last Kiss' with Zach Braff. My favourites are 'chocolate' and 'ride'. Then I'll probably be listening to some Bassboosa before the day is done. : ) Their version of Chris Isaac's 'Wicked Game' is really good.

Robin Hood or Doctor Who, that's the question...

K and J got back from China the other day and hearing about a trip like that really helps you define the anal world of what we call 'first world problems'. I.e. problems that seem big to us but when you compare it to famine and war, they're nothing but a slap in someone else's face and a total non-problem.

My FWP for today is: Should I keep the tradition of watching Doctor Who on Thursday's at 8, even though it really sucks. Or, should I dare to change my pattern and try the premiere of Robin Hood - the tv-series? Could life be more boring than that? What I should do is take out the vacuum cleaner and clean up my flat before the weekend, instead of doing it at the weekend when all you want to do is enjoy a clean house. ; )

It's a good thing I still have a few hours to think about that...

A day in the life of a porridge-brain

I had an interview today. Would have been great, really, had it not been for the fact that I woke up yesterday morning with a sore throat only to find out that someone had stolen my brain and replaced it with porridge. Horrible!! Ah well, if it's not meant to be, it's not meant to be. And let me just say one thing, I've had a bad feeling about this for a while so keep fingers crossed and take cover cause the future's about to happen...

Apart from the sore throat it's been a good weekend. Saturday was spent shopping, going to see the new Pirates of the Carribean - At World's End, dining out and relaxing in front of the TV. Pirates was very good. Weird thing was it felt like this was movie #4 and I had missed #3. Still, it feels as though a #4 is not all that far away since the movie had a rather open ending. Keith Richards, however short his cameo, was marvelous! Even Orlando Bloom brought something to the table. I can't wait for it to come out on DVD. The extra stuff should be good. : )

Since Sunday was the last day with the car I decided to pull my behind out of bed and go to the fleemarket. Since the weather was neither here nor there many people thought like me and it got kind of crowded. I managed to find some really nice things though. It's starting to seem as though I cannot get out of there without at least some sort of glass (bought 4 for myself and 1 for my mother), something made out of glass (I found a perfectly sized bowl, a cream jug and a candle holder), something made of linnen (a cover for my bed, a tablecloth and a couple of pillowcases), a framed painting (small one with a black frame) and either a bowl or a cup for the kitchen (bought a new breakfast bowl and a teacup in my favourite china). All in all very nice day.

On my way home from the fleemarket I wanted to go to the gasstation to fill up some petrol but lo and behold, the gasstation next to my house has some weird-assed system where you can't fill up gas and go into the store to pay, the way we normally do it. Instead you have to use your credit card or put cash into the machine. What kind of dorkish system is that? Since there is only one machine for every set of pumps you have to wait for the other person to finish before you can start. Then you have to somehow assess how much petrol you need, if you pay in cash since you pay first and then fill up. Stupid! So, I'm bying K and J a bottle of wine instead. It really has been great to be able to use the car. Only trouble is that when you're borrowing a car you're not likely to use it the way you would your own. I really didn't like the idea of having the car breakdown somewhere in the middle of nowhere on one of my fleemarket galores. ; )

A musical favourite even though the video is almost a complete, and really bad in comparison, ripoff from Lamb's Gabriel:

Play Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek”

Oh, and one of my favourite covers: Placebo's makeover of Kate Bush's 'Running up that Hill'. Very good indeed:

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=2029442826

(more placebo on http://www.myspace.com/placebo )

The long and winding road...

Life is pretty darn interesting. The only thing you can be certain of is that it will never cease to surprise you. I find that pretty comforting. I could choose to look at my current situation as rather energyconsuming, and it is, but as tired as I may be right now, that's not a particularly healthy attitude. So, I'm going for suck it up, suck it in and the view that everything happens for a reason. Dude, I'll need the entire weekend to work up the energy for that. It's a good thing we've got four days off now. Well, I'm thinking of throwing in a couple of hours work on Friday but at least that will be of my own free will.

I know Wednesdays are proper TV-nights but still I couldn't stop myself from ordering two movies for the weekend. Totally girly movies but ergo girl, ergo girly, right? Makes sense. Anywho, I ordered 'Little Women' cause I love it and 'Finding Neverland' cause I haven't seen it and Johnny Depp is amazing. I could have ordered Pirates of the Carribean 1, 2 but I'm waiting for the trilogy to hit the stores in box-shape with loads of extra material. And no, I don't know if they will but it worked for Peter Jackson. Can't imagine they will let an opportunity like that go to waste... ; ) I'm soooo looking forward to movie #3 next week. After having seen Orlando Bloom on Extras last week I have total respect for him. That was funny!! Extras is my new weekend tv-must see.

Gilmore Girls Galore

I know it's girly and totally childish but I'm actually sad that CW-TV in the US is showing the series finale of Gilmore Girls tonight. Not season finale. Series finale! The End! Finito! Hasta la Vista Dude! It's just that from the first episode it's been the one show my mother and I have always watched, either together or in our separate locations followed by phonecalls about it. I guess Lorelai and Rory's relationship really reminds me of growing up. My mum has always been a bit different, in a crazy good way. (Totally random but I took the pop culture trivia quiz game on the gilmore site and this is my result: "Congratulations! You're a pop culture genius. If anyone can hold their own with Lorelai and Roty it's you." Whoopie! ; )

Anywhoo. Work's the same as it has been for a couple of weeks now. Weirdly vacuum-ish. The WTH-moments are becoming more and more normal and that can never be good. Still got the sense of humour though. Not sure how long it will last but a couple of more days I'd guess. We have Thursday and Friday off this week so it's looking good. Oh, and I got to borrow K and J's car while they're in China. I asked them to get me a happy Buddha, or any Buddha that didn't weigh like a ton. There's probably some sort of rule that says you shouldn't get others to buy your Buddhas for you cause it's major bad luck but as long as I don't know that I should be ok, right? There has got to be a rule of the universe regarding 'doing things thinking they were right'. Right?

Oh, and Patty Griffin really lights up my days on the music front. Or not so light-y perhaps but still very good. Not alone is beautiful!

Rainy day, chasing the clouds awaaaaay...

I haven't blogged in aaaaages so to sum up the last couple of weeks in a ziplock bag, here it is.

- mucho weirdo stuff happening around work. I've been having quite too many wtf-moments and that's generally not good. Well, I think they're funny but the rest of the world, I don't know. The result is that I've turned into Irony girl whose secret power is the ability to become a human balancing act, trying to even out the bumps in the road of human kind. And that is so not meant in a selfloving, airhead bimbo, I'm perfection kind of way. Far from it. ; )

- Eurovishion Song Contest coming up this weekend. I've been listening to the entries and what can I say, East European pop/Balkan ballads still get me going. Favourites at the moments are Russia. My conservative being does not like it but I can't help it, the former Soviet Union fascinates me. Go figure.

- I've applied for two jobs and been to one interview so far. I just hope at least one of them will land on my table. I'm pretty sure one of them won't but the other... *keeping fingers crossed* First interview was interesting in an odd sort of way. Interesting in the sense of being highly different. Anywho.

As boring as it sounds, that's what my life has been about as of late. Note to self: get a life...

Life in outer space and in my office

Just a short shout out to say I'm alive (so might also be the case on the mysterious planet with only a number for name. Calling outer space...? ) and well, only working like mad.

Oh, and visit lillyallenmusic.com and listen to the mixed tapes. Brilliant workmusic!

Oh, and the Harry Potter-trailer? What a let down! Does this mean I'm starting to get too old for this?

Anywho, moving on with the paperwork. : )

Everybody loves good neighbours...

I hate my neighbours. Honestly. With a passion. I don't mind noise but I mind it when it's 3.30 in the morning. I also mind when they listen to best of 80s rock on full blast Sunday mornings... For some reason they've been extremely active all weekend and it's been driving me nuts. Anywho. I hope that will change now since I've talked to my landlord about it. *keeps fingers crossed enthusiastically*

The third and final Pirates of the Carribean is due May 25th. Woho! See the trailer below. I see piracy and Hong Kong-action ahead.



I've spent the weekend head down, feet up, watching the Lord of the Rings-movies. Partly with cast commentaries. Bernard Hill is one funny person. His comment when Éomer throws his spear into the Oliphantguy he says something along the lines of 'that is some Olympic standard javelin chuckin' that is'. Too funny. Although Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens are funny when they ask Peter Jackson to explain who the bloke on the left is in a scene where a body-double has replaced one of the cast in a lineup-shot and someone forgot to put the cast-persons head on the body-double person. It may not sound funny in writing but if you haven't listened to the commentaries on the extended versions, do it now!

Happy Anniversary!

I just realised that I've been working at the University exactly 1 year today. Happy 1-year anniversary! That deserves another post for the day. : ) It's kind of strange that it's also my last day in the office. Come tuesday I'll be stationed full-time in the new office. What can I say, there have been ups and downs, moments I've wanted to kill people, cry some, yell a bit, laugh my a** off, sleep etc and I've used the 'huh?!'-look more than usual. Even for my standards since people who know me know it frequents my face more than it does normal people. In the end I'm glad I came here and I'd like to stay a while longer, if they'll let me. At least it hasn't been boring! ; )

Happy Easter!

A bit too much? No?

Easter is one of those holidays that just sort of loose their glow when you're about 15 and easter eggs aren't enough to get you going anymore. Still, it's a nice holiday. Simply for being a holiday. Funnily enough easter has become more of a religious holiday with me. Strange, since I'm not particularly a religious person. Still, it's a colourful holiday. You can't argue with that.

I'm liking Sony more and more. There may be a lot you can say to their disadvantage but they've got one thing right. They're encouraging people to view their artists' videos and, lo and behold, to share them on your blogs. Well, who am I to argue with that. I know it's easter and yellow and stuff but my choice for today is Wintersong by Sarah McLachlan. Why be predictable and in tune? ; )


Play Sarah McLachlan’s “Wintersong”

Happy Easter! I'll spend the weekend relaxing, biking (indoors and outdoors...), and enjoying good food. :)

Thank G it's Friday

I'm starting to see a pattern in my posting. I mostly post on Fridays. How convenient and utterly boring. Selfimprovement is needed. Note to self: Start scribbling!

These last two days I've enjoyed my new office at my new (temporary) job and it's great. It has been sort of quiet but busy and all-in-all it has been interesting. You cannot ask for more. If I could only finish the jobapplication I have hanging over me like a black cloud things would be marvelous. Ah well. That's what lunch is for.

I did get my DVDs last weekend and they were great. 'This Life' was a lot more nude (those who have seen it will know what I mean) than I remembered it but Jack Davenport was highly talented and Anna Nardini is still a hero. Clueless was just as good as it ever was so my plan to watch DVDs and relax worked out fine.

For a few weeks now I've been eyeing different exercise bikes and lo and behold, on Sunday I bought one. I was slightly fearful of the fact that it came in a box and upon opening the box I found myself surrounded by bike-parts, shattered all over my bedroom. One deep breath and heard study of the instruction on how to put the bike together later I actually managed to get it together and it worked. So, on Monday afternoon I took a 10km turn around my bedroom and tonight I'm going for another. You shouldn't overdo it the first weeks. ; ) With my mp3-player on it's really good. You can sing along to the music, don't disturb anyone (but the new neighbours and after the party they had last Saturday, anything goes) and bike away. Lovely.

Sunny day, chasing the clouds away...

It's Friday, again, and the weather is absolutely amazing! That's truly something to smile about. I'm trying to be more positive in general but this morning I woke up with a headache so it should be noted that staying positive today is rather painful. Anyhwho.

I have no plans whatsoever for the weekend and that feels great! Well, there is one plan and that's watching the first two seasons of 'This Life' and one of my all-time favourite movies 'Clueless' which I ordered online yesterday. I'm keeping my fingers crossed they'll arrive today so that I can watch them over the weekend. I know it's usually never a good idea to review movies or tv-series that you watched and loved many years ago. Yet, since Jack Davenport is part of the cast for 'This Life' I'm hoping it'll be ok. That series was huge when it first broadcast and I loved it. It was just before 'Friends' came on. 'This Life' was darker in a Brittish way and, from what I can remember, much better. If the dvds don't show up I'll have Sunday afternoons to look forward to. Hopefully. Yay, it's the weekend.

And today's listening pleasure is provided by Brittish band 'The View' . 'Same jeans' is a perfect spring song!

Now it starts...

Tuesday and the week is well on its way. Yesterday had Monday written all over it and it was quite a start of the week. I had to get up earlier than usual in order to get my mother to the trainstation before going to work. She packed her bags on Saturday and they were heavy then but then we had a fleemarket galore on Sunday that resulted in more heaviness. Fortunately she was ok changing trains in Stockholm. My dad consisted of getting things done at my current job and going to meetings at my new job. And that's pretty much what the upcoming weeks will be all about. Balancing the two. It'll be tough but ok. It's always interesting to come to new places and observe social structures etc.

It was a good Sunday at the fleemarket, even though the cupboard I had set my eye on had been sold. I came home with silver cutlery that I loved, a small table for the TV, really nice glasses for drinking just about whatever, a really nice painting and the usual odd stuff that I tend to pick up. Of course I got a couple of antique table cloths as well. All in all a very good day. On Friday I managed to get to Plantagen which is a big market for flowers and garden/flower-related stuff. I came home with a nice set of daffodils and the miniature greenhouse I had spotted in the paper. So, now I'm all set for spring and I can actually see myself biking to the fleemarket on Sunday. A perfect combination of exercise and shopping. ; )

Tomorrow, tomorrow. How I love the weekend!

Another Friday and I'm feeling fine. No, actually I am. There is slight proof that the sun still exists today and I like that. There is also a patch of blue sky between the clouds so there's reason to smile. Noted, everything workrelated basically sucks but hey, the weather is fine.

This week most of my favourite reads are out. I got Country Living, Lantliv and Drömhem the other day and Hem och Antik is out any day now. So many great ideas! After work today I'm going to Plantagen to get me one of those dreamy miniature greenhouse and some spring-ish flowers. I'm spending all weekend with my mum who is going back home on Monday morning. It seems as though we're going to our favourite fleemarket on Sunday and hopefully the cupboard I saw last time is still there and that it's ok (i.e. no woodeating flees and stuff inside ; )

When in Copenhagen I found a shop that I hadn't read about anywhere but it was great and I really recommend it! It's called Gronlykke.com and they also have an on-line shop where you can find my favourite calender for the kitchen.

So off for the weekend. Just a few hours work to go but hey, the sun is out. : )

Wonderful Copenhagen

It's two days since I came back from my Copenhagen Birthday-trip and I'm back at work. It's amazing how three days away can boost the energy but there it is. I've had a great time and turning 30 doesn't seem so scary anymore. I haven't actually had to say that I'm 30 yet but for better or worse, i am. : )

Copenhagen really is my kind of town. I don't know what it is but I just love it. My mum wasn't as thrilled about it but it could have something to do with the nightmare snowstorm trip to Copenhagen on thursday. ETA was 10.30 and the actual time became 16.00. The weather was a bit slushy and sometimes slightly violent (icy rain, not at all comfortable when it hits your face) but in general ok. Shopping was great, food was great, hotel was very much ok.

Dear God,

Could you please hold off the bad weather, of make it less scary, until after the weekend. You see, it's my birthday on Friday and I've planned this fun trip for me and my mother to go to Copenhagen for three days (thursday-saturday). I've really been looking forward to it! I wish the train will arrive safe and sound in Copenhagen tomorrow, with us on it, and that everything will be ok. Does that sound ok? I'd really like this to get better than New Millenium's Eve when I was down with the superflu and spent the night with a remote control in my hand. It is after all my big 30th birthday. : )

Your friend always!

Love,

Anna

It was a very good year...

I can't believe I've almost spent one year in this place. On the other hand it feels like I've spent a lifetime here, and not necessarily in a good way. It's been a good year in the sense that I've liked the people I've worked with, or should I say worked close with, and I've learnt a lot. It has been one tough year though. When I talked to V (whom I'm temping for) before Christmas she said I'd gotten the worst year ever in this institution. Brilliant, yay me. Now that it's coming to an end it really feels ok. I have another job on the line, probably starting parttime next week, and that will be stressful for a while but seriously, after this place I feel like things really can't get any worse. Hm, I'm sure I'll get to change my opinion on that. But for now it's my story and I'm sticking with it.

I'm really excited about this week. On Thursday my mum and I are going to Copenhagen and I've found loads of things to do. My mum's a bit worried about the weather and stuff but I say 'bring it on!'. Anything to get away for a couple of days. I'm more worried about my sore throat. Nothing I can't ignore away! Copenhagen or bust dude!

Hitting the big 3 0!!

I only have 11 days left of my 20-something beingdom and that's ok. I'm going to Copenhagen for my birthday so I'm embracing the birthday at the moment. If you ask me on the 23rd my answer might be different but as for now, all ok.

Work is beyond too much right now but I'm trying my best to keep up my spirits. It's a bit difficult since people are getting flus to my left and right. A sure sign I'm not far behind is that my nose is itching like mad! There's really nowhere to hide now either since my mum's visiting and she's both fluish and stomach fluish (not contageous though). Ah well, black coffee and vitamins and I'll be fine.

My mum and I have been fleemarketing three weekends in a row now. I've found great stuff and ever so slowly my flat is turning into a home. This weekend I found a great wicker chair. I've always wanted one so it was all good. Last night I polished some of the silver I found last weekend and it was beautiful! This weekend I picked up a great sifter and a tea cup. Definately a new favourite. Can't wait to go shopping in Copenhagen!

Winter wonderland

I'll probably jinx it by saying it but dude, we still have snow. Amazing, seeing as we've had snow for almost a week now. It may not be much but the ground is white and it's freezing. Can't get much better than that. After having read Anne's blog on her crappy January 23rd I realise that perhaps my day's been pretty good. Any day that involves an appointment to the dentist is crap in my book. To have the dentist's building catch fire while you're there is just a whole new level of crappiness.

Full evening of risotto, Ugly Betty and Grey's anatomy last night. Bad McDreamy!! Go Chris O'Donnel!! I've also watched the trailer for the new episodes of Lost on ABC.com . It actually made me want to watch my Lost dvds and that's saying something since I've been extremely tired of the show for quite some time. So maybe tonight will be Lost-night. It's not like there's anything else on. I should probably clean my flat seeing as my mother's coming to visit on Friday. Yup, cleaning it is. Then Lost.

Rearing one's ugly head and putting things where the sun don't shine

Yesterday was Monday and dude was it a blast! Well, actually it was probably the worst day here since I arrived (and that was a year ago). Things haven't exactly been hunky dory around the office lately, quite the opposite, and I guess it had to end one way or another. Unfortunately, it really wasn't for the best. Our boss decided it wasn't worth it anymore and quit and we totally understand. We're in awe that she lasted as long as she did. Cudos to that.

Anywho, as a result the whole day turned into 'life in the trenches' cause people decided that was a good time to regroup. The reality of it all is that no one knows what will happen next. It's like the Cold War but we all speak the same language. Kind of.

As a result these last two days have felt like two years. I realise this affects my position here at the university and whether I'll be able to stay or not. At the same time it might actually work out anyway. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for the best. That's really all I can do.

I realised I hadn't listened to the old Brittish man on YouTube in a while. He's still around! Woho! Do yourself a favour and visit his site here .

Whoopie

Friday!! Could life get any better? : D

No real plans for the weekend besides watching Inspector Lynley-tapes (which I haven't seen) and perhaps doing some baking. Life in the fastlane...

Just another day in paradise

I just realised that I have but a month left of my 20-something life before I turn a corner and move into the unchartered waters of a 30-something life. Scary? Bet your be-hind!

Anywho, that calls for some serious redecorating of my present situation. My life is completely different from what it was a year ago. That is true. But now my current job is coming to an end (being a temporary job and all) and I'm turning...let's just say it's my turn of a decade-style birthday... in a couple of weeks. I feel like I need a 5-year plan. Very grown up-ish. I know I can do 'grown up' when I make the effort (which, granted, is not very often but I should at least get a B+ for trying).

Only problem is, do I really want to think about where I should be in 5 years? I'm having a hard enough time picturing myself having another birthday. I have a job, sort of, and I have my own place, sort of. I like my life even though my singleton status (also referred to as making me 'movable') tends to raise some eyebrows. I'm looking, but so far Mr Right hasn't knocked on my door but then again I've moved around a bit over the last couple of years. He'll catch up with me sooner or later. Maybe the powers that be (hereafter referred to as TPTB) should make a note on their 5-year plan so send him a map to my house.

So, 5-year plan, point #1: Send current address to TPTB...

Setting the mood

So, first post on new blog. It's funny how it always sort of starts out in a happy way, enthusiastic and all happy -ics and -isms you could think of. Then, gradually, it deteriorates into a moody rant about how life sucks along with everyone in it. Well, I'm not going to make that mistake. I embrace suckyness and moody rants so don't expect hot pink clouds and fluffy elephants. If someone presents those, it's a sure sign they're trying to sell you something, or get you to do something you really don't want to do. Life's lesson #1: Stay clear of hot pink clouds and fluffy elephants. They're a bad omen. ; )

So, first post on new blog. I guess the cliché for today is: this is the first day of the rest of my life... or, to 'dude' it up a little: another 24 hours of energy spent that I'll never get back... ; )