After summer!

Almost thought my blogging days were over. Things were looking up over summer, days got longer - weather was good! But now we are in October and I would just like to say a few words about that before proceeding to detail summer just gone.

Once again we have cold and darkness. Have had the worst few weeks imaginable at work, in fact - sitting here with computer right now missing out on night out with friends as one should refrain from acting crazy in front of ones friends when one can avoid it. And I am slowly but surely going crazy. Therefore, I now feel it would be beneficial to post daily (or possibly weekly) rants to this regard.

After deciding to stay in, discovered that cannot even watch DVDs in the living room as some insanely uninteresting football game is on, and I am living in someone else's home. Beans on toast for dinner - and life seems to have plummeted to previously unexplored lows.

So then - summer.

BRILLIANT time spent at festivals, namely Rock am Ring in Germany and Glastonbury in... well, Glastonbury. The big moment was when Craig got down on his knees and proposed marriage (rehearsed Swedish speech) during Leonard Cohen's set at the Pyramid stage. My friends and I were totally taken by surprise but all was very dignified and graceful and I said YES! And the ring fit. Very impressed by this to this day, and absolutely believe that is a sign that it's meant to be.
I had been drinking cider all day, but I have been told after what was said. I clearly remember the moment itself. It happened right before my friend Alex fell head first down a slope which wasn't a slope and crashed right into a bunch of people - after which Craig and I took off walking round the whole festival area telling everyone we just got engaged. Good times.

BRILLIANT time in Serbia for the EXIT festival, where we celebrated Craig's 30th. He is quite old.

Also spent one week in Sweden which was great.

Would love to post some photos but seems Craig has hidden them in some extension of laptop called portable hard drive or memory or some such - will work out how to post some later on.

Craig does not like laptop very much.

Springtime!

Everything seems so much easier and more fun when there is daylight and the weather is good. Never knew actually was so affected by weather - have forgotten what living in Sweden used to be like. Suddenly the sun is shining and everyone is out all the time, drinking in parks etcetera, making the minimum 48-hours work week seem bearable and sort of lighting up the crap and dirt everywhere and making it look lovely.

Just did spring-time mailshot at work. I suggested the heading "Springtime for xxrecruitment" - strangely, nobody found it funny. Nobody knows anything about design but me - and giraffes ARE funny.

Think may be losing the plot a bit again, all to do with fab weather. Maybe will rain soon?

Went home to Sweden the other week, again, to visit family. Was good, started new exercise regime and have been running most mornings now. Unfortunately have seen no results at all so will probably give up and quit soon.

Heathrow...

Jetted off to Stockholm on a secret mission to visit friends. Was crucial family could not find out, as would not have time in between arriving after midnight on Friday (after most unpleasant Heathrow experience involving standard 2 hour delays and expensive junkfood) and leaving on Sunday afternoon - slightly worse for wear (and experiencing another Heathrow related delay). Atleast arrived in London before tube shut down - Craig was not so lucky. He arrived after midnight and had to take a BUS from middle of nowhere (Heathrow) to home. He got home at 3 AM, three hours before Anna sprang out of bed ready for another week of work...! Or whatever.

In most bizarre fashion ears have not yet recovered from flight, and have finally realised need to take a lunch-break (never previously tested at current job) tomorrow and trek across the street to a clinic. Never fun going to doctors in new countries as one does not quite know what to expect. Remember with horror the highly questionable idea by the Marrickville Centre doctor (whose sole purpose it is to sign medical certificates for aussies on sickies) that I do a gynecological exam THERE. Yeah. Said - give us the pills mister. No unnecessary chatting. Although, cannot imagine similar suggestion when only going to have ears looked at.

Very tired in general, far too tired to have started my new exercise regime. Cannot go running in morning until feel completely 100% and tip top. Maybe next week.

Easter

Think that last quote should have been "unbearable but we persevere" instead of "unbearable but we persist" but didn't think could spell "persevere." Anyhow.

Went on very pleasurable boating vacation over Easter. We now know houseboats are for summer enjoyment; and in England it snows over Easter.





Who would have figured? Had an absolutely amazing time though, apart from trying to sleep in below freezing conditions.

X-mas and NYE

It's a leap year

One very interesting experience was having mom, Magnus, the kids AND their grandparents all over here at once. Had booked a "hotel" right near Bethnal Green tube, which turned out to be building site without functioning bathrooms; lit up by neon lights and conveniently located right next to a liquor-shop. Also was very neatly located right under train-tracks with only the minor disturbance of the occasional train passing and shaking the entire building. But since this only happened around every ten minutes, nobody complained constantly or drove me mad.

The first couple of days we tried Indian food and Chinese - with varying degrees of success and appreciation, so spent last two nights eating pizza. Which is also nice.

Have become a student, once again. Is like hate self and cannot keep from setting self up... At least seems really easy, have done more than half the course in one weekend - then will just have to wait until exam in June.

Work bit better but still a very tragic sales-job marketed as pleasant human resource / recruiting gig. Oh well. As they say - unbearable but we persist.

Issue of Savings

Plan to save lots of money and buy flat is not working out. After expenses, left with a very humble budget for rest of month, have today managed to book another festival in Germany and book a BOAT over Easter. Easter - England - Boat... Rain? Ah well. Sure was money well spent!

Thing is, could get hit by car or mad cyclist tomorrow and then what good would savings be? So better to live life today.

Yes.

Moose-Lasagna

Last weekend jetted off to Stockholm to meet mother and then be transported about two hours north to visit with various members of extended family. Had somehow coerced dad and wife to come get us at airport, a completely unprecedented event in the 25 or so years we have been living apart. Being assertive gets you places. To Häverö for example. Pleased to report absolutely everything is still the same way I left it, every time I left it. The neighbours are still hopeless idiots to be bemoaned repeatedly and in exactly the same words (whilst parked firmly around table with cops of coffee and plates of cake). Different neighbours, same difference. This is all making an enormous amount of sense.

Stepsister has baby which just turned 1, very cute. Sister cannot wait to offload baby on boyfriend and run the opposite direction - even if it means having to come to Häverö and drink boiled coffee and talk about the neighbours.

Must definitely say highlight of weekend was making moose-lasagna.

Was good to be back, and feel like should probably visit over Easter. Would miss out on tip around UK, but what can you do.

Nadia!!!

Freakiest thing happened today at work. Had an interview at 10, and in walks - Nadia! At least someone who looks exactly like her. Not a bit like her - but precisely like her. So did what any sane person would do, stared. Kept staring throughout most of interview (which, by the way, consisted mostly of me going "so...." "hmmm... then" "...and..." and so on) until finally I says "You look so much like a friend of mine - have you got Lebanese parents?" Candidate goes quiet and then offers "Er... No, we are Israelis." DOOM!!! MUST learn to think before speaking. Just emailed Nadia saying wish had camera - although maybe is rude to take photos of candidates during interview?

Christmas then! Spending a week in southern Sweden at mother's house was nice. Good food, very good - and LOTS of it. Do not have to go hungry in that house, this is for certain. Hardly have enough time in the day for all required meals. Some lovely traditions in which Craig got to part-take were:
- marinating herring
- cooking knäck (candy) which nobody eats
- throwing out the Christmas knäck on boxing day
- watching one hour of cartoons at exactly 3 PM on Christmas Eve, whole country stops
- handing around bags and bags of useless gifts which, mostly, the recipient has purchased and wrapped for themselves

NYE spent in civilized fashion in Madrid - from now on am doing house parties...