Springing and karmic highs

I love Spring. Spring just makes me happy. It seems like good things happen to me whenever Spring comes around. It might just be that after the darkness and total lameness of winter, more things happen in Spring because more people are out and about, but whatever, things are hopping and I have stuff to look forward to. So in no particular order, here is:

What's up in Karlaland

1) This will be a fun weekend. On Sunday, we have tickets to see the Ski Jumping competition at Holmenkollen. This is a big deal, in Oslo, it's always completely packed. It sort of signals the end of the ski season for the year, and everyone goes to watch. It should be full of flag waving, woolly hatted Norwegians showing their national pride. I've never been, and am psyched to finally get to go!
Then, on Sunday night, I am going to see Eddie Izzard. I am so excited about that I could just pee. My only worry: How do I dress for an outdoor ski competition and an evening with a cross dressing comedian? This will be a major test of my wardrobe's capabilites, that is for sure.

2) Next week I will go to Amsterdam (for Karen's birthday) and thence to Scotland. Woo! In Amsterdam we are going to go see a show at Boom Chicago. Always a treat, great comedy and a good meal. I hear there is good coffee in Amsterdam as well. Ahem.
In Scotland Rich and I will go to Edinburgh and Glasgow. We plan to drink ale and see the sites. I am reading a biography of Mary Queen of Scots right now to prepare myself.

3) I'm considering a quick trip to London early April. Maybe I should get going on that, huh, as it's already the second week of March?

4) Last weekend my Norway Jennifer and her husband Per took Rich and I out for Dim Sum. It was incredible. Since getting here, almost three years ago, my biggest disappointment has been the dearth of good Chinese food. So Jennifer took us to this kind of divey looking place in Oslo she discovered. We went in, and Rich, Per and I are the only non-Asians in the joint. And it was packed. Then, Jennifer proceeded to order all the food in Chinese! Who knew? Damn she's talented. Anyhow, we ate until we were ready to burst, it was all phenomenal, AND it cost no more than what we would pay in the US! Imagine my glee! Great Chinese food and it was affordable! I am still happy about that, as I feel like I finally got to discover a little "secret" in Norway (a place that hoards its secrets like Viking gold) and found good Chinese food to boot!

5) And here's the one that really has me all excited (though I am still wiggly and squirming a bit with leftover happy dance from yesterday's ticket score). I got a catalog in the mail for summer courses at Central St. Martin's College of Art and Design in London. I have been wanting to take some classes for ages, and it looks like this school is a very viable option for a summer class or two. They offer cheap housing, and fascinating courses in Jewelry Design/Fabrication, Interior Design, Painting/Design for Stage and Scene, and Creative Writing. These are all things I'd like to pursue and have some experience in. I know it seems like alot of different interests, but there are so many things I want to learn more about and get my hands dirty with! It will probably end up being a jewelry class, to increase my fabrication and mechanical skills.

I love taking art classes. When I was a kid, I thought I was not artistic because I couldn't (and still pretty much can't) draw. As I got older and realized that art is not just drawing, it's opened up a whole world to me of what is possible, and I feel like I wasted my whole life previous by not exploring those options. Rich gets confused by my constantly trying new things, but when I die I don't want to ask "What if/why didn't I/what would that have been like?". I wanna say "Wow, that was cool, look what I learned and saw and did!"