Reasons Why I Still Have My Christmas Tree Up

I was thinking this weekend that maybe I should put my Christmas tree away (see previous post for picture).It's only 2 feet high and has a few ornaments other than the round glass ones, so it should have been done a long time ago, right? Well, here are some reasons why it's still standing by my fireplace:
1. Time. It's just one of those things that has not been on the top of my Saturday to-do list, especially since I did take an 11 hour nap after my road march last week (fell asleep at 3 pm, woke up at 2 am on Sunday morning).
2. It provides some "greenery" since it is just barely warming up to temperatures that a plant might survive in...but then comes the wind...
3. I don't have to water it.
4. The red base and red ornaments are festive enough for Valentine's Day. i guess I could acknowledge the holiday in some way. Maybe the red could be patriotic enough for the 4th of July? Maybe? Haven't you heard of celebrating Christmas in July? I did do it on my mission.
5. Since it is still winter, I can leave my snowman ornament on.
6. My Norwegian ornaments (thanks to my sis!). I can leave it up until at least the 17th of May!! (Sytennde Mai is Norwegian Independence Day, how else am I going to celebrate it in El Paso?)
7. Are we not suppose to celebrate Christmas everyday?

Words of "Experience"

This weekend a friend and I drove through the town of Daggett to get some awesome shakes at Peggy Sue's Diner. The name of Daggett reminded me of the familiar expression of my parent's, "dagnabbit," and I used it as I thought we had missed the diner. In honor of my mom's recent birthday, I want to share some other words (most of them exclamations) of "experience."
I'm trying to refrain from the term "old fashioned."
If you have parents/relatives/friends that have other "words of experience," feel free to share them. Here is just a sample. Please forgive the spelling, as I don't come across these words very often:

dagnabbit
gol
criminey
shiminey louise (one of my favorites)
spiffy
looney
cattywompus
for the birds
golly willickers
Holy Toledo!

It's almost time...

I was reading my sister's blog and I realized that it's about that time of year again. I'm not talking about the "post-Valentine-breakups-leaving-everyone-single-for-a-summer-fling-until- the-end-of-the-year-holiday-hook-ups-and-dating-and-engagements-begin" time. It's much, much better than that. It's time for...

Girl Scout Cookies!!

Is there any thing better that happens in March??(unless you are a college basketball fan)

I like all of the cookies, but my favorie are the Samoas, or whatever they are called, because I guess that name is not PC. It's the chewy, chocolately, caramely, and best of all- coconutty- goodness that is like a legalized version of crack for me. As much as I love the Dreyer's ice cream version, it hardly has enough pieces to get enough of the buzz that such a cookie brings.

Why must we "Beware the Ides of March" when there are wonderful cookies to enjoy??

Food For Less at 11:35 P.M.

This may seem kind of weird having a second consecutive post about shopping. And it's a bit weird because it is not one of my favorite activities. Maybe I just have a little "blogger's-block."

Last night I had to make a stop at the grocery store to pick up some frozen corn for a FHE-related elbow injury. There were probably about 3 other shoppers in the whole store when I entered. A positive feeling enegized me at such a late hour. I felt like I practically had the store to myself. Like I almost owned it. No carts to go around or collisions to avoid from turning around blind corners. It was almost powerful enough to sing along to U2's "In the Name of Love," but I settled for lip syncing. And there was hardly anyone to stare at me.

Maybe I should always do my shopping at 11:30 at night all the time.

Would I Do It? Would You?

Last week in my adventures of job searching, I came across this post:

"Meet Your new Neighbors! (Picture of a family of penguins)

Dark, Cold, Icy area needs a PA or NP from Feb through end of October, 2009.
Seeking a unique adventure as well as employment? How would you like to be one of the few people on the planet to have the opportunity to live and work in Antarctica. We are currently looking for a Physician Assistant/ Nurse Practitioner to deploy to one of Antarctic research stations on a contract basis starting approximately February ~1 through October 2009.
We are looking for Primary and Alternate employees to fill all contract positions. The Primary is first in line for the position. The Alternate is next in line to deploy should the Primary be unable to meet deployment requirements.
Responsibilities: The Physician Assistant/ Nurse Practitioner is responsible for patient care. Performs other clinical and facility duties within the clinic. Provides backup support to field camps and South Pole.
Required Qualifications: Minimum nurse practitioner degree or physician assistant degree required. Current licensure and certification in ACLS and BTLS required. Minimum of two years experience as a nurse practitioner or physician assistant working in a primary care environment required. Computer competence is required.
Desired Qualifications: ATLS certification and licensure to prescribe medications is desirable.
Additional Polar Info: All contract positions include competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package. For the time you are in Antarctica compensation also includes travel to and from the ice, room & board, and you are eligible for a performance-based bonus upon successful completion of your contract. FYI - Only authorized personnel are allowed on station and you need to remain on station for the duration of your contract except in case of emergency. All applicants must be able to provide proof of U.S. or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency once employment is offered and pass strict physical, dental, and psychological (for winter-over positions) examinations in order to qualify for deployment. Offers of employment are also contingent upon ability to pass a pre-employment drug screen and background check. Failure to meet these requirements may result in withdrawal of employment offer or other employment action. All employees must also comply with applicable safety, environment, health, and waste management policies and procedures.
Pay is $60,000 for 9 months, plus $18,000 finish bonus (more for the other location). Can't leave during the 9 months unless really sick and if they can fly out."

I am not qualified to apply for the job because I lack experience, but if I could, would I? Maybe. It may sound weird to some that i might actually consider it. Others are probably not surprised. I definitely would not consider it if I had some family obligations or I was at a job that I really loved. But it would be quite an experience and something to think about...

For now, I have to stick with the Northern Hemisphere...

An update: I was actually surprised that they responded. They asked me some questions and asked me if I could go in February. What the..? I reminded them that I do lack the required experience and would not be the ideal candidate, but they could still contact me... And even though it is for 8 months, this would mean I would be spending a WINTER in Antarctica. Get out those light boxes! The likelihood of me going is still very, very slim. It was an interesting thought...

Do I really want to go back to my "roots"?

I don't think so. As much as I loved going to Scandinavia this summer and exploring the lands of my ancestry, I don't think some of the other locations significant to personal and family history would have the same appeal as potential work locations. Today I noticed there was a job opening in El Centro, CA (where I was born) and there were quite a few openings in Rapid City, South Dakota (where my maternal grandparents were from). I figure there was a reason why they moved to Los Angeles and never moved back. I was emailed another job opportunity at an ortho clinic one hour from Sioux Falls. It's weird to think of Sioux Falls, SD as "the city."

Job search update: Still waiting to hear back from a couple clinics here in CA. Still not sure what to think of the one I interviewed at in Santa Ana. She said she would get back to me in the next week or two. Just found one in the Riverside area this past weekend and I emailed my resume yesterday. Not quite sure if I'll check Washington out this week due to the weather. I have to make a decision very, very soon.

Stay tuned!

50th Post: 50 "Little" Things to be Thankful For

I can't believe I made it to my 50th post. I was looking back on some of my old posts last night, and I laughed at some of the memories that came back even if they happened only a few months ago. I think one of the joys of blogging is being able to find humor in the little things of daily life. So, in the spirit of this weekend, I want to give a list of 50 "little" things that I am thankful for. Of course I am thankful the most for the big things like family, faith, freedom, friends, and other things that start with letters other than "f". These are the most important things in life, but for this post I want to acknowledge some of the more "overlooked" blessings and joys of life. This week I came across a journal that I haven't seen in at least five years. I had written in quite a few pages a list of things that I was grateful. Many of them were roommate and school-oriented, and refelective of the daily blessings of my early 20-something life; nevertheless my gratitude for these things still stand years later. Here are 50 of them, in no particular order, taken from that journal:

1. Sunday phone calls from the family.
2. The way the grass looks a little bit greener after I water it.
3. Plumbing that works
4. Professors who remember my name
5. Being able to laugh everyday
6. Air conditioning, even if it freezes me in class/church/work
7. Performing in a good concert.
8. Left-overs
9. Eating ice cream with friends.
10. October daylight savings time when I get an extra hour of sleep.
11. High-5's.
12. Wintergreen mints.
13. Seeing people that I know in the temple.
14. Walking to school when it's still dark and seeing the moon and stars still out.
15. Laughing at myself when I am soaking wet from rain or snow.
16. Coming home from a long day at school and seeing that my roommates (or mom) have already finished making dinner.
17. Sales on bananas, especially when they're slightly under-ripe.
18. Remembering good/funny dreams the morning after.
19. Making homemade hot chocolate.
20. Dancing silly with roommates.
21. Movie nights with friends.
22. Clean restrooms.
23. Sharing a new CD with friends.
24. Getting email from people from the mission.
25. Evening conversations with a friend on the porch.
26. Being able to stay awake in the most boring classes.
27. Being involved in the education of others and watching them succeed.
28. Beautiful Sunday weather.
29. Free bus fare in Utah.
30. Rain, especially the sound of it at night.
31. The feeling of confidence and relief after a test.
32. New sweatshirts.
33. Laugh attacks.
34. When people understand and laugh at my jokes.
35. Cool-looking clouds on full-moon nights.
36. Smell of fresh-dried laundary.
37. Hearing the weather report before leaving the house.
38. Catching the bus or train just in time.
39. Flannel pants.
40. A camera with a new roll of film (this was before digital of course)
41. The silence that hangs in the night air after a fresh snow fall.
42. The feel of new socks.
43. Eating cold cereal at any time of the day.
44. Hearing a frog croak.
45. Roadtrips.
46. Making homemade tomato soup.
47. The feeling after a funeral of wanting to become a better person.
48. Canadian geese.
49. Walking in soft grass barefoot.
50. The moment of the day before the sun goes down when the landscape glows for one last moment.

On a lighter note...

A couple weeks ago I moved to an apartment. I guess it's my first long-term (more than 6 weeks), all-bills, non-roommate living situation. I've been lucky to get some second hand furniture from the fam and won the battle of the couch with my Mom (it was easier to get her when she was in a good mood and thousands of miles away -- "Ask your father.." Victory!!) As of last Thursday I finally had a place to sit, woohoo!!! I'm still patiently waiting for a table and some chairs. I figured I'll get more "less-needed" stuff such as a television after the post-Thanksgiving or post-Christmas sales.
I think I'm now starting to miss television.
I thought getting by without it would be great for me, I can have more time to pursue other things, less temptations and distractions. I've gone for longer times without it. Now that I go home for lunch I don't get my daily mind rot of "Maury," but I am starting to miss watching the news and being caught up with things going on. I completely missed all the fun of the presidential debates (there's always the internet, I guess). There are those few other shows that I do miss. I had a funny thing happen last week. As I was locking my front door to run an errand, I heard the voice of Steve Carrell subliminally beckoning for my attention. I turned around and from my second-floor door step, I could easily glance into one of the neighbor's living rooms on the first floor across the way. Their sliding glass door was open and I could hear and see "The Office" so clearly on their big screen television. I stood by my doorstep for about a minute or two in my "Office"-induced daze until I realized that this could look very bad. Could my love for "The Office" drive me to become a voyeur? A peeping Thomasina? This would not be a good way to make a first impression with my neighbors.
::Sigh::
There's always repeats. And DVDs. My dear "Office," I have not forgotten thee. We just need a little time apart. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. On to more productive uses of my time...

Oslo, Norway

This was it. This was my gateway to achieving my 17 year dream of going to Norway and now I had achieved it. I had only one day to explore Oslo. Oslo is a beautiful city, lots of statues, clean streets, (except for the section of downtown that was torn up for construction), fountains, a mix of old and new architecture (the majority still had the antique feel) and lots of flowers.


My first stop in Oslo (after a much longer than anticipated trip the day before from Copenhagen) was the Akershus fortress and castle. Much of the building dates back to the late 13th century. This was a great place to take some pictures and get a view of the city.



















My second stop in Oslo was the National Gallery. So many wonderful works of art and masterpieces that were centuries old from different Norwegian artists. My favorite part was the room dedicated to the most well-known artist, Edvard Munch. I am fascinated by how he is able to convey such intense and personal feelings, philosophies, and experiences into his work. He is most well known for his painting of "The Scream", which I have a parody on the left side of my blog. It was fascinating to learn about how this painting was inspired by a personal experience of his. This particular version (he made multiple "Screams") was stolen a few years ago and recovered earlier this year. The restoration efforts, due to some defacing it underwent, were amazing. I was also able to enjoy the beautiful "Madonna" painting that was also recovered this year. Another painting that I was fascinated by was "The Sick Child" which was a work he painted at the age of 22 and was inspired by the death of his own sister. Despite the harsh criticism he received for his style and technique, I thought it was an excellent work. If I had more time, I would have visited the Munch Museum in Oslo, but I felt like I did get a good introduction to his life and works.

After an afternoon visit to the Royal Place and gardens, I spent the evening in Frogner Park and the Vigeland Sculpture Park.












The theme of the Vigeland Sculpture Park is the Human Condition and the cycle of life. Over 200 bronze and granite statues were designed and created by Gustav Vigeland during the early half of the 20th century. One of the highlights of the park is the Monolith, a single, carved piece of stone consisting of piled figures that look as though they are struggling to rise to heaven. This work is said to represent man's desire to become closer with the spiritual and design. It is suppose to portray a feeling of togetherness as the humans embrace one another as they are carried toward salvation. Another interesting point about the Monolith is that the humans at the top are children and babies, those who are closest to heaven and all that is divine. There was something about the range of human affections, emotions, and relations portrayed in all of the statues in the park that I found intriguing. The essence of the human soul and its basic relationships- parents, children, friends, siblings, lovers, enemies - all depicted in stone and bronze; giving life to the lifeless. It was a very memorable experience.

My day in Oslo ended with a trip back to the hostel on the tram, just in time to barely miss the beginning of a thunder and lightening storm. I wanted to see it, but it was quite late and I had a morning train ride to Bergen. Plus, risking electrocution when one is alone in a foreign country may not be a good idea.

Some other random observations about Oslo:
* I've never been to a city where street performers are dressed up as famous natives (well, maybe the exception of the Ben Franklins in Philadelphia). In Oslo's case , it was the playwright Ibsen.
*There were a lot of Spanish-speaking tourist in Norway. I would have never thought...
*I finally caught on about the true value of the recycling redemption value of plastic water bottles. A refund of a krone (probably about 20 cents) is a krone more to spend, especially in a country like Norway. I finally gave up buying bottled water in Bergen anyways.
* I did take a couple breaks from walking all over the city to watch some children play in the city's fountains on a hot, summer day. I was tempted to join them, but I refrained.


It is safe to say that Oslo was the cultural highlight of my trip. Stay tuned for more Norwegian beauty and adventures...

Kobenhavn (a.k.a. Copenhagen)

Copenhagen is an interesting city and has some of the "classic" European things including a castle, a palace, and a windmill. I think compared with other major cities I went to, it has a bit more of an urban, yet still historic feel to it.

* I attended Church and fortunately had all the meetings translated in English with the use of some interesting headphones, amazing technology!! Luckily I wasn't the only one who was wearing them. I still had the opportunity to slaughter the Danish language by attempting to sing the hymns. The Copenhagen temple was around the corner from the chapel and I was glad I could see it. Another highlight for that Sunday was seeing the original Christus statue (as replicated in LDS temple Visitor's Centers). It, as well as the statues of the 12 Apostles by the same artist in the same church, are wonderful works of Christian art. I attempted to catch a Carl Bloch painting but that shall have to wait until a future trip.

I had a nice walk along the harbor and was able to see the Little Mermaid statue. Hans Christian Andersen (no known relation to myself) is the famous Danish author of the tale. Tourists swarmed the statue but I was fortunate to get a few shots.

Fredericksberg Garden was a lovely park to spend a Sunday afternoon in. It even has hammocks! I rocked out, literally.

Copenhagen was still a pretty busy place at night and was bustling with tourists who were enjoying the end of the weekend. There was a long pedestrian street with lots of shops and some museums (I did stay away from the Erotic Museum). Other sites included the Round Tower (one of the oldest observatories in Europe, dating from the 1600s) and the World Clock Tower (supposedly one of the most accurate clocks). I set my travel alarm clock to it, but unfortunately a couple nights later it fell and the battery came out. Oh, well. Someday I would definitely like to go to the top of the Round Tower to get a sweet view of the city.

Some other random observations:

* Outside the train station I saw a male bike-taxi driver wearing a shirt that said "BYU Women's Track" which included the old BYU cougar logo. I thought it was pretty funny. (I know this must seem like an inside joke for some readers.)

* I don't like Copenhagen laundromat dryers. I couldn't get the dryer off of the "cool down" setting. At least the dryer was in English, unlike the washer with which I had to take a complete guess on how to operate.

*It was my reminder to put on sunscreen. Th sun seemed to be on steroids and I did get burned. I had a really nice ankle-sock line the next day to show off with my sandals.

* I cannot praise the strawberries enough. So good! And so good looking!! Not quite like the genetically-induced-oversized - mutant-looking strawberries that I have grown accustomed to in California.

*This was my first time staying at a YMCA hostel. I really had the urge to start singing the YMCA song and do the dance, but I settled for a more discreet whistling of the Village People tune.

*Danish danishes (the pastries, they're not called danishes in Denmark) are, not suprisingly, better in Denmark than the United States. I made sure I bought one at the train station before I left for Norway.

That's Copenhagen in a nutshell. Stay tune for Oslo, Norway next.

Stockholm

My first and last destination in Scandinavia was the beautiful city of Stockholm. It is one of the most beautiful cities I have seen. From the greenery, to the cleanliness of the streets, to my favorite part of the city, Gamla Stan (a.k.a. Old Town) with it's history and beauty well preserved including its narrow cobblestone roads, colorful buildings, and numerous waterways. I admit that in my travels that Oslo did prove some good competition as far as "most beautiful city" with its historic buildings, parks, and flowers; but Stockholm does beat it with its beautiful old town, just barely. I had to withhold from expressing my true envy towards the Scandinavians about how beautiful their country is, with their green landscapes, enormous blue skies, rivers, and lakes. I just wanted to shout, "Do you realize how beautiful your country is??" As I continued through my journey and pondered more about it, I did gain a greater appreciation for the composers and artists that had the ability to capture it their patriotism and spiritual connection to their surroundings through brush strokes and musical notes and communicate the feelings that words can't describe. More on that in later posts.

Just a few other things I noticed when I arrived in Sweden:
* I learned that since I know a second language, I automatically go into Spanish mode when I hear a non-English language being spoken. From the time I got off of the plane, all I wanted to speak was Spanish. I even caught some Spanish slipping out. As I progressed through my trip, I wasn't sure if I should speak Norwegian or English and sometimes I felt the ability to verbally communicate in either language abandon me in my moment of need, reducing me to a mute (sometimes mumbling), pointing customer.
*I couldn't help smiling when I saw some pre-teen boys get on the train, sporting some interesting hairstyles. Yes, I thought, I am definately in Europe now.
*Scandinavia is a lot more diverse than I imagined. There is a huge immigrant population, especially from the Middle East and Africa. I had more pita kebabs than Swedish meatballs.
*I found it kinda funny how the airport terminal seating reminded me of Ikea furniture. Same fabric, in "airport-standard" black, yet with a touch of European style and comfort. If I had to take a nap in any airport in the world, Arlanda International would be my top choice.

On my last day in Stockholm, my "big" Stockholm day, I made it to a couple popular tourist sites. The first one was the Vasa Museum. In the 1600's a huge warship with 2 decks of cannons was built. It was set to sail to Poland, where the kings of both countries had some conflicting issues with each other. On its maiden voyage, supposedly to Poland, some gusts of wind toppled the top-heavy ship and it eventually sunk, no more than a mile or two away from the harbor, where it laid underwater for 333 years. Remarkably, due to the amazing Baltic Sea's mix of salt and fresh water in the harbor, the ship was preserved quite well and 95% of the original ship is displayed to the public. It was quite an amazing site! I'm also very glad to not have been a sailor in the 1600's.


After the Vasa museum, I hopped back on the ferry and journeyed to Skansen park, one of the most popular tourist destinations. It's a large park that preserves its Swedish culture and traditions with re-creations of Swedish buildings, shops, farms, windmills, and a small zoo. After eating a waffle with Swedish cloubberry jam and cream, I watched a couple of the craft demonstrations including pottery and glass-blowing. It was cool! As I was leaving Skansen, it began to sprinkle. The sprinkle soon turned into a downpour. The green beauty of Scandinavia does have its cost. I attempted to seek refuge at the National Gallery but I found out that it was closed on Mondays. Despite my little travel umbrella, my feet and legs began to get a bit soaked, and I sought temporary shelter in the tourist center (where I noticed a large collection of Abba CDs for sale, props to the Swedes for their loyalty to their pop culture) and a nearby mall. I made one last stop in Gamla Stan with the hope of a short break in the rain and maybe I could take more pictures. The rain never stopped until I got on the plane the next morning. By evening time I was pretty soaked and decided to stop by the grocery store for dinner and head back to the hostel. I wasn't the only one looking for a warm, dry place. The place was really hopping!! Some of the hostels I had been to were pretty busy, and most people kept to themselves, but this time dozens of people were sitting around and just talking, eating, drinking, and having a good time. I met some of the jovial French and Australian people I was sharing a room with, and talked with a concert pianist from London who was performing in Scandinavia. I met a guy from Zambia who was studying in Stockholm for a few months before he goes on to continue his studies in Spain. Nearby a young men's choir from Germany was singing (and I love it when guys sing) in impressive harmony of songs ranging from the 1950's pop to modern songs. As they started a card game and the beer came out, the singing turned into lots of laughter. It was a fun evening, and a great people watching/meeting experience. Probably for the first time in the trip, I felt like I was one of the first ones to retire early to bed at 12:30 in order to get up at 6:00 for my flight the next morning.

This is just a brief post on Stockholm. I definately want to go there again. Stay tuned for Copenhagen, Denmark next.

Notes on the train

I may have mentioned before that I spent a lot of time on trains while in Europe. A lot of time, some journeys consuming practically my whole day. Most of the time it wasn't bad at all. In fact, one of my favorite parts of my trip was the train ride between Oslo, Norway and Bergen, Norway. I knew Norway was beautiful, but I was practically floored. Here are some of my notes that I wrote while on my journeys:

*Copenhagen to Oslo (a trip that took me four hours longer than I previously planned, one of the rails was closed so I had to hop a bus in Goteburg, Sweden, and take one or 2 more trains from Sweden to Oslo.)

One of the cool things that I noticed as I was standing in a very crowded Swedish train to Goteborg, was a mother and son, both in full back-packing gear. I thought, how cool is that? What a great bonding experience for them both. I'm guessing they were German. The boy, who looked no older than 8 or 9 years old had his own large backpack with a tent hooked to it. Clad in typical outdoor wear, including a bandana around his neck and his shaggy hair poking out from his hat, he looked like he could be a model for REI. They finally were able to get a seat and there was such a tender moment to see the boy napping on his Mom's lap. I really was tempted to take a picture, but circumstances wouldn't let me, and I had no idea how to ask their permission in German. It was a sweet moment. I had seen a lot of young adult backpackers, but this moment was special.

As I spent a lot of time looking at the scenery (and I apologize for lack of pics in this blog, my windows on the trains would not open), it would start to bring out an inner poet. As I was accomplishing my 17 year dream of going to Norway, I could not help expressing some of my thoughts, so here are a couple...
"I stare at the horizon where my dreams and reality meet,
A view only attainable by the hills I climb.
The heavens above watch over me like a protective parent,
Reminding me of its consistency and infinite presence..."

Oslo to Bergen route
It's hard to describe some of the beauty of Norway in English, but here is an attempt with some words that I wrote down:
"Wildflowers of purple, pink, yellow, and white against the green back drop of fields, hills and fjords. Pine tree needles hanging from the boughs like the oversized sleeves of a wizard or the wings of angels. Patches of snow in late July cling settles in the crevices of the hills. Lakes and streams of emerald green. Grass-covered roofs, some occasional livestock, and capsized row boats catch my attention." For a moment I considered living out the rest of my days as a Norwegian shepherd in such scenery, but I realized this would not pay off my loans.

Some notes based on random thoughts from 7/30/08:

"The train system has not been as easy as I thought it would be. I'm stuck in a tunnel on the way to Bergen and we've just been advised to open the windows, (I was in that tunnel fo almost an hour, that's when I broke out my notes and camera and kicked off my shoes a seen above). Oh, and did I mention there's no air-conditioning? I'm beginning to worry about my trip from Bergen to Stockholm, since I jus have such a short window of time to catch the train from Oslo. From one end of a country to the end of another... "
In regards to eating on a shoestring in Europe: "They say man cannot live on bread alone (that's all I had on my train ride). Well, maybe kebab-pitas, an occasional hot dog, water, and chocolate milk can be sufficient. Not very well-balanced, I know. I still await mytaste of the famous Norwegian strawberries (bought at the fish market in Bergen, I liked the ones in Denmark better, but they're soooo good! And little too! And beautiful - almost took a picture of the Danish ones, but was holding out for the Norwegian ones.) I have become a con osier of Scandinavian chocolate milk. My favorite was called Chocio, which I believe was from Denmark. I have also discovered that there is such thing as hot dog dressing. Some dressing comes with a bit of a garlic taste, it was quite good. Sometimes potato salad might be added to the hot dog wrapped in a Scandinavian tortilla. That was new. "
"Phillips batteries stink - will not buy any more of them." I bought 2 packages of Phillips in Copenhagen for my cameras, none of them worked. I tried to uphold this oath when I was looking for camera batteries in Stockholm. Four or five stores - all Phillips. Finally got some more expensive German batteries at an electronic store, but oh, the peace of mind.
"Train seats are more comfortable than airplane seats." I had painful circulation issues on the flight over that kept me up most of the flight. Love the space of train seats.
"Why does a cool lightening storm have to begin once I get back to my hostel?"
"Scary, I'm starting my new job a week from now/ Luckily I have my Tarascon Outpatient Pediatrics pocket book. Something to rotate between my pocket Book of Mormon and Norwegian phrase book."
"Dutch guys rock!"
"Time to liberate my feet from my shoes. They've been so good to me. On Sunday I counted about 6 blisters. I curse my sandals!"

I'm going to leave it at that for now. I'll probably post more thoughts traveling between Bergen and Stockholm.

Mind Decompression Part 2: Yay for Ikea!

As I watched in sadness the elimination game of Sweden in the Euro Cup 2008 this last week, I thought I would highlight one of the important things that we, in the United States, receive from the Swedes: Ikea. For those who have never heard of Ikea, it's a huge 2-story home furnishings store that is complete with cafeteria, day care center, a "bistro", and a small food market where one can buy food products from Sweden. Though some of their European fashion designs are a little out of my field, their prices are a bit hard to beat. It is one of the few stores (other than book, music and recreational/outdoor equipment stores) that is hard for me to spend less than an hour in; and this is from someone who avoids malls and weekends at Walmart at all costs. I may not be the typical girl because I really do dislike shopping very much (and I would never, ever expect a boyfriend/husband to accompany me to share in the torture of clothes shopping with its sensory-overloading and crowed environment). Nevertheless, if I have an excuse to go to Ikea, well then...

My excuse came a couple weeks ago as I was coming back from an interview. Ikea is about 35 minutes away from where I live, but since it was on the way home, I thought I would stop and get the lingonberry jam that I had been craving for weeks. It's soo good on toast - such a simple pleasure. I meandered around the showroom floor that includes exhibits on how to live in a 400 square foot apartment with style. Since it was lunch time, I did grab a cheap lunch for under five dollar that included a slice of this great swedish chocolate cake. Not too much time later, I saw it... something I haven't seen in five years... a six-pack set of them...dessert spoons!! I fell in love with dessert spoons when I was in Argentina and vowed that I would someday have a set. They're just a smaller version of typical spoons, but for some unknown reason, I think they're great! I didn't buy the set that day, although I think it was under $7, but I figured I'll return soon once I get a paycheck. Until then, I shall enjoy my lingonberry jam on toast. I will be back Ikea, oh yes, I will be back...
Oh, and their yearly catalog is due out at the end of this month, what joy fills my heart...

A little bathroom humor...

Some people search for the road less traveled, I search for the restroom less used. They tend to smell less, and well, you know... A few months ago I discovered a new restroom where I go to school and noticed this on the door:

Pull to operate... yeah.... Fortunately this restroom wasn't in the area of the basement-consigned USC PA program, so I guess it doesn't really insult the intelligence of myself and my classmates. It does stay open a little longer and closes by itself, so I guess that's the big deal.

I've been tagged!

My darling sister tagged me. I guess it shouldn't be too hard to come up with weird things about me....

1. I have trauma shears and The Alchemist in my purse and a stroller in the trunk of my car.

2. I have a pink stuffed elephant named "Brother Hirschi." It was a gift from him and now a memorial to him.

3. I have never been able to blow a bubble with gum. I've tried many times and have blown the gum out of my mouth. Be careful if you make me attempt this again.

4. I spent quite a few Friday and Saturday nights in the cadaver lab at Weber State University. Alone. I see dead people... they smell bad...

5. I was bit by an ostrich.

6. The muse that inspired my third-grade writing assignments was Bud the class guinea pig.

7. While I was in the MTC I developed an addiction to wintergreen breathsavers (I think it was the retzin buzz). I once consumed a whole roll in under 2 hours. I've also been known to get a little buzzed off of Orange Bang. It's probably the sugar.

Hmmm... who am I going to tag next??

A VERY random thought

Okay, I just had a random "light-bulb" moment about 5 minutes ago. As I was getting my last drink of water before bed, the words of the theme song to the 80's sitcom "Mr. Belvedere" popped into my head for no apparent reason. It has been years since I last heard that song. But what surprised me was that I finally understood the first line - "The STREAKS on THE china - never mattered before... who cares... When you dropkick your jacket as you come through the door, no one glares..." For YEARS I never understood the first line, I thought it was talking about the STREETS down in China, like Beijing. It all makes sense now!! Wow!

I just thought I would share that. Am I just weird or do other people have random moments like that also?? Anyone care to share one?