It's so hot! I'm not made for temps around +30C, at least not when there's no water nearby. And my shower isn't cooperating either, it's stuck on 38 degrees and that's ok for a shower, but I'd like to cool off and would like the temp to be 18-20. Everything else is stuck too, it's pretty fancy shower with "rain forest" function and steam heads, but I can't use those either, because the levels is stuck... I can only turn the water on and off. So I'm thinking I'm going to buy me a new shower, just a normal one, with out all those fancy settings, which I wouldn't have used even if it worked.
Sunday we're off to the mountains, to Solifjell. It was my mums wish to be cremated and then for her ashes to be spread on this mountain. It has to be done when all the snow is gone, which has just happen. I think it'll only be my brother and his girls and me. Have let my aunt know, but I don't think she'll travel all the way from the other end of the country. She did attend the funeral of course, with her whole family - was nice to meet my cousins again, been a while since we all were together.
Last weekend we celebrated my dads 76th b-day and he sponsored food at a specisl place called Torsætra. All the food is homemade and short traveled (local produce) and it's the best! The chef is a friend of my dads, they both spend the winter at Lanzarote, one of the Canary Island. My dad has arthritis, so the cold winters here in Norway is too hard on his health. We all ate too much and could only moan the next 2 hours, we had to taste everything, of course - haha
Saturday my friend and I went to Ikea, both to return some stuff and buy something new. She's renovated her apartment and I've just moved into a flat, so was out for a supply run and since we weren't supposed to buy *that* much, we just used my car, which is the bigger of the two. Ikea is a dangerous place - hahaha Everything comes in flat packs, right, so no worries about room for it all in the car. I bought a new office chair, a floor protector, a recliner with separate footrest, tv-bench, table for the terrace, small bench for the hall, 3 lamps, a doormat, some kitchen ware and 2 blackout curtains. My friend bought a glass cabinet, some kitchen ware, picture frames, a coffee table. We had to visit 2 other storages to get all the stuff and of course the recliner was te last thing - and the biggest... The chair was in one piece... Not what we had expected... So in the parking lot, on a busy Saturday, we had to unload the car, out with everything... Then playing Tetris as we started to put things back in, chair first... This isn't our first rodeo and we don't call my car the Tardis for nothing, but I seriously had my doubt about this task - we did manage though, nothing was left behind, except cardboard (we had to unpack the footrest). I was very impressed both with my car and our skills at packing.
Rest of the weekend we had our work cut out for us with all the assembling and as Whit Monday is a holiday here, we had time for some relaxation in the sun as well. And to make it extra special we ate sushi the whole weekend, as I have a great sushi place just a short drive away - I was soooo happy when I found that place, they have the best food, generous portions and reasonable prices. We didn't have a sushi place in my old town, so another good thing coming with this moving.
Went to the movies last night, haven't been able to do that in a while - naturally. But they've been allowed to open again, with certain restrictions; only people on every other row and gaps of 2 seats in between people, tickets are only available online. Sooooo, I bought my ticket and went to see the new Bad Boys movie, got my soda and popcorn and went to find my seat - only to find that the seat beside me was sold to a stranger... Yes, 2 seats beside each other is available and then 2 seat closed and then 2 seats available... But when I go alone at the movies and they have rules in place to separate people, you don't sell the seat beside me! Luckily the guy was there with 2 other friends, but they'd not gotten seats beside each other, because they were 3 and bought tickets separately. So we just removed the string from the closed off seats and he got to sit with his friends and I got to sit alone. And the movie was great fun - all's well that ends well :) But I've sent a complaint to the cinema in question, they need to look at the online order system, because this - this doesn't work.
Yesterday, 17th of May, Norways constitutional day, a national holiday and celebrated by everyone all over the country. Usually we have marching bands and school kids march behind them. In Oslo the train of marching bands and kids gets pretty long, every kid waving Norwegian flags and every school is marked with their own tab, passing by the Kings palace, where he and the royal family is out on the balcony waving.
Yesterday was a bit different, marching bands only heard over the loudspeaker and instead of kids waving flags, shouting "Hurra", most places arranged a motorcade of tractors or vintage cars and enthusiast cars, decorated with Norwegian flags. No games in the school-yards after, but I'm in no doubt that the kids got to eat just as much ice cream and hot dogs as if it was a normal celebration.
For me personally the day went as usually, didn't do anything special, just relaxing all by my lonesome and don't get me wrong, that's kind of what I like best. Back in the day when I was still married, we went out at the sea with our boat... I miss doing that... That's about the only thing I miss though...
This years Swedenrock Festival is over and among the highlights was Kiss and Saxxon, not to mention Jon English. I had a huge crush on him as a 12-14 year old, when he stared in the tv-serie Against the winds. You might remember the sound track - 6 ribbons. The old man still rock as hell :)
Anyway, I'm lucky enough to have the worlds best friend - she participated in a contest and won a meet and greet with Jon English at the festival, which included me <3 So we had VIP for the whole festival and was allowed into the backstage bar, in addition to meet Mr English after the gig. I brought my vinyl album from 1981, for him to sign and got both hugs and kisses (I'll never wash my right cheek ever again *giggles*) and Siw took lots of photos. Which I can't show you right now, since she still has them in her camera and is on her way to Malta for 3 weeks with hubby. btw - the backstage bar is overrated; I was hoping to see some decent looking people, but nope - it was the same lout as outside. Neither did we see any "celebrities", the good thing was that we could buy booze there, else on the festival you 'only' get beer, cider and wine.
But it was 4 days in splendid weather, bright sun, not a cloud in sight and warm evening/nights - perfect festival weather :)
Now I'm gonna work some weeks and then it's time for the annual 3 weeks in Tampere and more music
I love my life :)
Wish you all a great summer - take care and don't forget that Wolverine, the movie, premiere August 3rd :D
Am at work... But not in the office :) We're doing it the easy way today, office is open from 7.30 to 12.00 and I'm to answer the phone and check for emails, which I can do from home. I don't expect it be very busy; everyone who needs immideate help is patched through to the guy on duty, it's just the other calls I get. From the emails already in since Friday I can tell Thomas (the guy on duty) has been busy, no wonder with the weather we've had.
Boxing Day it was -3 degrees and no downpour, so that was nice, then Thursday it turned to +3, stil no downpour, but fullmoon and clear weather made it cold, so Friday morning it was -17 *g* Then the temp rose again and late Friday night it was again +3 and snowing like fuck, which turned into rain during Saturday. Made it very "exciting" to both walk and drive a car. The rain and warm weather continued and we got wind in addition, so now most of the snow (and ice, thankfully) is gone. As usual it's gonna be a grey, wet and foggy NYE :/ At least we had a white Christmas :)
Christmas Eve went down good, everyone was happy with their gifts and no one fought *lol* Not that we usually do fight... I got loudspeakers for my computer from my brother and suddenly I've got lots of new music - was a remarkable difference in the sound, so all my music sounds new. Mum bought me a drill, I asked for it, 'cos hubby took all the tools with him and I've found I needed one - drill, not a hubby *giggles* And my brother got a food processor - I think that was kind of iconic, says something about the time we live in. Else Christmas has been spent home alone, just relaxing in between shuffling snow, my snow thrower decided it didn't want to wake up from it's summer hibernation. I'll have to get a cord, so I can start it electrical, I'm not able to pull the string fast or hard enough, when it's not been started for 6 months, I needed elp with that last year as well, but when it's been used a few times, it's okay. But here all shops are closed during Christmas, so first chance to get one is tomorrow.
I have to do some other shopping as well, my mum, brother and his girls are coming over for dinner Friday and Seekie's making it, I'm just getting the groceries for her. And after the duty with the family is done it's time for a girls weekend, so Seekie to can get a feeling of Christmas vacation. New Years Eve will be spent with Seekie at her place, then on Wednesday it's back to the daily grind.
Hopefully with a trip or two to Finland before we leave for the summer vacation.
It's been a busy week at work, there really are a lot of people that thinks the world will end tomorrow, I believe *lol* But just a few hours more and I'm ready for a small holiday - not going back to work until Thursday. In between all the extra hours at work I manage to go shopping for Christmas presents with my mum and got to point out and then carry my own gift out into her car :D Now I just need to wrap them all - oh joy! *g*
Yesterday I got 2 bottles of wine, one from each of two companies we use a lot to help us out workwise; I guess they wanted to make sure they get jobs in 2013 too ;) And today we had Christmas lunch at work, no speech from the boss, as he's a member of Jehovah Witness, so has fled the country, but we got Christmas presents; a huge box of traditional Norwegian Christmas breakfast food - yum :) and from central HQ main big big boss over all bosses we got a drinking bottle with, of course, the company logo on - yay! *is sarcastic* Lets see what tomorrow brings of gifts and craziness...
I've also been a salesperson for Seekie again. Brought a lot of the glass art and various jewelery she makes, with me to work. So now she has more money to buy new stuff :) And I got my request for summer vacation approved, so am now gonna order hotelroom for us in Tampere, I'm already looking forward to staying there for more than a weekend again.
If I don't see you - Merry Christmas! *hugs all around*
Been busy buying, wrapping and sending off Christmas presents to my foreign friends, it was a day to late for the shipping if you wanted to be absolutely sure it got there on time, but hopefully it'll reach them in time.
Work is a bit more busy, we can tell that it's soon Christmas with all the small fires from candles, etc - people never seem to learn. Or the other classic example; coming home from a night on the town, being hungry and puts a pizza in the oven, next thing you know the firemen are knocking your door in... If you're drunk and hungry - eat a burger on your way home or make a sandwich. Do not, and I repeat - DO NOT! use the oven or the frying pan, it almost always ends in a catastrophy :/
Yesterday I had lunch at a fancy restaurant, was a Christmas lunch for us "secretaries", very nice. And next week I'm off to one with some of the self emploid assessors, will be nice to get a face behind all the e-mails and phonecalls :)
And I have a date with some dwarfs, elfs and a hobbit :D Also shopping for Christmas presents with my mum is on for next week, but before that I'm gonna relax all weekend and do "nothing"
Still cold, but at least we've got a tiny bit of snow, so I'm happy :) Car came through the service without me being totally ruined, but I realize more than ever how cheap and good a car Sir Lanzelot was ...or is - he's still going strong, now in the hands of Vegard, Seekie's son. Tomorrow I'm off to another pre-Christmas party, now with 3 of my life long friends, then staying rest of the weekend with Seekie. Gonna try to sort out some Christmas presents for our oversea friends.
On another note: Happy independence day to Finland! I still need to move there, every other week it feels like I'm missing out on something... *sigh* Ahh well - lottery ticket is bought *crosses fingers* *lol*
working
exhausted
satisfied