right now I am just not sure

Sorry I have been so absent. I just really have not felt the writing mojo. You know how it is, right?

Not that things are bad, in fact things are pretty ok, but I just haven't felt like writing it down.

So, here's what's what, as far as I know, which seems to be shocking little at present.

Um, went to Sweden yesterday with a friend to go grocery shopping. It's considered to be a bit tacky to go do that, spend your money in Sweden instead of supporting the Norwegian (tax and monopoly) economy by buying stuff here, but stuff there is WAY cheaper. Mostly. So I got my usual chicken and beef, and some stuff I can't get here (Cocoa Krispies, for god's sake) and hit the Swedish version of the wine monopoly and got wine at a little more than half price. It pretty much takes the day to go shopping in Sweden. It's about a two hour drive each way on very low speed limit roads that are constantly under construction. You go through insanely beautiful rural country. Meadows, rolling hills, farm houses dotting the landscape which breaks into impressive gorges with blue water and vistas out to the sea. Wow.

The shopping centers themselves aren't that impressive, considering I just drove two hours to get there, but the prices and selection are much better. (Why oh WHY are Cocoa Krispies not allowed here? Why can't I get canned chili? Why is chicken less than half the price there? WHY?) The only bad deals were on American imported goods, which, honestly, I can get better ones here for about the same (astronomical) price.

There was one shop that was fairly spectacular. It was the biggest shop dedicated to candy and junk food that i have EVER seen. It was the size of a regular grocery store. It was packed to the roof with nothing but candy, chips and sodas. (And beer.) I've never seen anything like it. I'm not actually a big candy eater, so only got some peanut M&M's, which are so expensive here as to be prohibitive. The wierd thing was, the second level of this behemoth store dedicated to, well, behemoths, was one of those 'health food' stores catering to men trying to build muscle. It was all Creatine powder and chromium and weight lifting gloves and energy powders. I was just stunned, seeing that chapel to the body beautiful (photos of muscular abs everywhere) tacked onto the church of the obese. It seems the marketing guys were either really brilliant or smoking crack when they teamed up those two business enterprises.

I got a call this morning about going back to work...today. I'm not really sure what's up, but it's kind of short notice. (I already missed the trains and busses I would need to get there, and a cab? Why bother working, just give all your money to the cab driver.) Not that I don't appreciate it, but I like some warning so I can plan my week. I'm not good with last minute. I'm a planner. So I arranged to go starting Thursday, tomorrow being a holiday and all. Sounds like the work will be more interesting this time, a little more challenging.

Tomorrow is 17 May, the Norwegian Independence Day. It's always fun, with parades and cook outs and lots and lots of flag waving. And of course, a day off work. Today, May 16th, is also apparently a day when many many Norwegians get drunk. (Well, especially the Russ kids, as it's their last day of Russ.) This I was told by Norwegians, so don't kill the messenger. Hell, I'll probably join them.

My hair is trying like hell to show its orangey-ness through the temporary cover. I'm gonna have to figure out a permanent solution soon.

Rich has booked us tickets to Milan and Bergamo for early June. He's on a travel frenzy, spending every evening looking up flights. I have a feeling it will be a busy summer of four day weekends. (Hmm. Maybe I'll get my hair done in Milan....)

And this, dear people, is the end of this uninspired transmission. I think all the sun and spring weather has my thoughts outside to hikes and walking and blooming fields. Ahh.....