Hemnes and Ektorp

Today was spent driving around a bit. First my sister collected a van to take some of her furniture to my new garage. It was in the way because of me staying here for several weeks. She also wanted a new chest of drawers for herself, which I will be using until moving out again. Which meant that after dropping her stuff off at my garage, we made our way to a certain large furniture and furnishings store.

It was also a good idea for me. Even though I have taken quite a bit of furniture with me, I did leave some behind as well, for which I will need replacements. So, we walked through the store, looking at measurements and prices, picking things that I liked and deciding a bit ahead of time. After all, I won't be moving in for another six-eight weeks yet, although hopefully before my birthday.

I would love a corner sofa, but on my budget and with the size of the room it has to be in, I don't think that will be an option. I did find a couch I liked however. In fact, I owned one of them before and have been lugging the armchair around Europe for the past 6 years!

The next thing I wanted to look at was a guest bed. I am quite partial to metal frames, but then I saw a wooden one that I loved. It is what they call a day-bed and can be turned into a double bed as well. Having found the bed, the next thing was a cupboard. I have a fair amount of stuff (and that is an understatement) and even though some of it will not get unpacked, I will want to display some of it as well. Because the ceilings in my new apartment are sloping, I needed something that wasn't too high. And I think I found it. Actually from the same series as the bed.

It didn't end there though. I also needed a chest of drawers. When I first moved to Norway I did have one, but it got damaged and then after the last move it was stored in a wet dark place and grew mould. After which I threw it out! A new one then. Which again came from the same series as the bed. My sister spotted a lovely rusty brown/red version that I fell in love with, so that went on the list. 

Bought already

In the end there were two cabinets, a bed, a sofa, a chest of drawers and a desk on the list. I bought the chest there and then, but the rest will wait until I have moved in and can see what I really need. Oh, and to see how much money I have to buy the stuff I want/need.

Tomorrow will be another big day. First of all, we will try and get a bank account opened, at a different bank this time. Then it's time for the sight test and then during the afternoon we will have to get car insurance sorted, so we can go and collect the car (a Renault Twingo) on Friday.

Pain

Always a trial to go to the hairdresser's

I have always considered myself a bit of a cry-baby, because of a very low pain threshold. When others wouldn't feel a thing, I have a raging headache. When others sit in the hairdresser's chair and without any problem have their hair combed and pulled and such, I flinch and try to get away. Needless to say perms are out of the question. When somebody tries to stick a needle in me, I tense up and want to jerk my hand/arm/whatever else away.

However, when I do get a headache, I don't go running to my gp, I don't call in sick, I take a paracetamol and go to work. The same happened when I started having pain in my leg. I didn't know what it was and even though I did go to my gp in the end, I didn't skip a day of work over it. When the pain in my stomach started, I took more pills, but still kept working. 

The pain got worse, I finally got myself to my gp, who finally got on my side, sent me to have tests and then to the gynaecologist. After nearly a year since I first got the pains and aches I got the operation to remove the cancer (which I didn't have) and then the endometriosis (which I did have). Apart from the operation lasting longer than originally thought, it all went well. 

The pain was there, but managed beautifully by epidural and pills. Getting up was painful, lying down was painful, walking was painful, heck even doing nothing was painful. I was glad I had the medication I got, everything from morphine based to paracetamol. The pain wasn't about to go away that fast either: I got an infection in one of the worst places, swelling the area, stretching the skin with the staples still in. More pills, this time antibiotics.

The epidural was taken out after only a few days, the morphine pills were stopped after two weeks, the antibiotics lasted until early last week and on Friday I decided that enough was enough: no more paracetamol. No more pain killers. And since then I haven't needed them. Yes, I know it's early days, but I think the pain is gone. It is of course still sensitive to the touch, but it doesn't hurt anymore. 

Fly away pain! And STAY away!!

Goal 4 of this year has been met! I got rid of the pain.

The buckets for 2015

I made a list last year of all the things I would like to get/do/learn in 2014. And I managed several on that list. Half in fact! Which I was very pleased about. Here is that list. I have highlighted the ones I actually got/did/learnt.

1. Have a professional photo shoot

2. Learning how to ride a horse

3. A visit to Northern Ireland (my sister lives there)

4. A tattoo

5. A German Christmas market

6. A musical in London or just London with my sister

7. Aurlandsdalen (ie hiking)

8. Visit my parents

9. See more of Norway

10. Get a satellite dish

11. Get a dishwasher

12. Meet a fellow blogger

For this year I am going to do the same again. Write a bucket list and hope I can get at least half crossed off! Here it goes:

1. Go to the Edinburgh Tattoo

I love tattoos and the best known one is probably the one in Edinburgh. My parents and my sister also would love to see that one, so guess what...

2. Learn how to play a musical instrument

It doesn't matter how badly. Honestly. Just would love to learn.

3. See more of Norway

I have been living here for just over two years and have still not seen a great deal! I would love to change that. So, it's back on the list. 

4. Get rid of the pain

This should be entirely feasible. The surgery is on the cards already and even though I have some trepidation about the whole thing, being rid of the pain will be so great! 

5. A musical in London

I will give this one another outing and hopefully it will come real this year!

6. Meet a fellow blogger

Yes, again, but it has worked so well in the past, why not do it again?

7. A German Christmas market

I even missed our own local one this year, and the German ones are such fun. So, back on the list it is!

8. See friends and family

Either here in Norway or back where they live. 

9. Start walking again

I have been slacking of lately and that is not good. I should really start again and perhaps get so good I could do another of those Norwegian 'walks'! 

10. Holiday

Now, I would really love to see Morocco or Poland. I know people from both countries who might be willing to give me a hand in planning a trip to either of those two. However, I do have a holiday to Scotland in the cards already (see bucket 1), so I am set (sort of).

11. Do a sky-dive

I will probably need to wear a nappy, but I would love to be able to say I have done it at least. Not sure how I would feel if it were really happening...

12. Find Ed

And no, that doesn't mean getting another cat!
13. Blog
I was only going to put down 12 buckets, but then I thought: blogging should so be on the list as well! Especially since 2014 was a bad year for blogging. I had my second worst full year of blogposts and that so needs to change! So, my goal is to have at least 250 blog posts by the end of the year. Which would still not be top (the most ever was 2009 with 321 posts), but it would/should be managable!

Here's to 2015!

Hello Doctor

One dish

Ever since I moved to Norway, I have been amazed by several things and one thing in particular. Norwegians are fond of British television and will broadcast quite a few British programs. But, it is impossible to get the regular 'terrestrial' channels on tv here. No 'Strictly', no 'Russell Howard', no 'Mrs Brown's Boys'. And no Doctor Who!

Of course it had to be rectified. But once I got a place of my own (albeit rented) and got a satellite dish, I didn't even have Swedish or Danish tv, let alone British. And it would cost me a lot of money to get the channels I wanted. Money I didn't have. Or would rather use on something else. 

But, with my 43rd birthday just gone, the price of the whole thing not as much as I was originally told and me wanting to watch the new Doctor when he makes his entrance on August 23rd, there was only one thing for it: get a new satellite dish!

Two dishes

And I did. The dish itself was installed two days ago and today the installer came by to program the lot. I then had to sift through about a gazillion channels, many of which were the same, to get to a list containing 89 channels. I can now watch the Doctor, Wimbledon (yes Mum, you can come next year and watch your favourite), as well as a whole load of German channels. Oh, and one Dutch channel: the best of channel I think.

I think my bucket number 10 is filled. I got my dish so I can watch the BBC! Happy happy happy!!!

Bucket number 1

I had wanted to do it for years: get a professional photo shoot done. Hair, make-up and wardrobe. And then lots of photos of me in different poses. How to go about it though, after all, I am not one for the women's magazines and the make-overs and things. Then I moved to Norway and some of my new friends recommended me to a photoshoot thingy. The first time they called was about five months ago and today I finally was able to go.

I arrived at 9.30am and was the first in the make-up chair. A lovely Swedish girl (the whole thing is Swedish apparently) did my make-up and told me exactly what she was doing. Especially about my eyes, since I don't think having my eyes covered in heavy make-up is any good. But she did a splendid job. The hair I had to do myself, but with it being short, there is not much I can do with that. Wardrobe as well was my own and I chose a lovely lilac sweater. 

I only had to wait a few minutes before I was called (first again) to start with the photos. Stand behind a box, sit on the box, a hat appeared, sit on the floor, a mirror. I had to have my hands in weird positions, look up, look down, look away and even look straight ahead! She kept asking me about my glasses though: could I take them off? Well, no, not really. It's not that I don't see anything, but my glasses are part of me and I want photos of me!

After about 30 minutes (I think) the photo taking was done. I only had to wait a few more minutes and then I could see the photos myself and choose any I wanted. A total of 60 photos to look through in black and white and in colour.

The make-up and photoshoot were free (since I was a recommendation), but I would have to pay for any photos I wanted. And after looking at them, I decided I wanted, since they were fantastic. Most of them anyway, but the difference between only 10 and all (60) was so little, I decided to take the lot. 

The whole experience was a great experience. Even taking the make-up off afterwards. Which took the better part of 20 minutes and a lot of cotton pads. No wonder I don't usually wear make-up and certainly not that amount. The work involved in first putting it on and afterwards taking it off is too much for me. I had rather spend time in bed! 

So, my photoshoot is in the bag. My professional photoshoot! I just hope they will be around some time in the future when my sister is here. I would love to share the experience with her and possibly get some photos taken of the two of us together! For now though: mission accomplished. One down on my bucket list for 2014!

Moving along

Royal Military Band Johan Willem Friso

If there is one thing that I hate about the internet it's when it's not doing what it's supposed to do. Like ordering tickets to the tattoo (and no Janice, it's not an ink tattoo, it's a music tattoo, a military one at that). I have tried several times now and every time the site just doesn't do anything. I can see the empty unsold seats, I just can't fill any of them! Very annoying. I will have to phone tomorrow. I tried today, but they close at 5pm. 

But, the flights are booked. I will be flying on Friday night, leaving me free to work during the day and fly back again on Saturday night and then I will go to the afternoon show. This leaves the Sunday free to work as well if I choose to. And according to my current rota, the whole weekend should be a work weekend. First the ticket to the show though and then I will see what I can do about the rest. Oh, and a hotel room of course. No sleeping in a box for me! I am no cat!!

One at a time

I should have made one resolution: be a better blogger. Because I have been awful lately: not posting anything at all. Even my sister commented just now. We talked for a while on skype. Or at least tried to, since my connection was a bit on the iffy side. 

The reason we talked was 1. we are sisters and 2. I had booked a flight to go and see her. Yes, one of my bucket list 2014 is about to happen. Not for another three months, but when in April I will fly to Oslo and then on to Dublin. Back will be from Dublin to Copenhagen to Oslo and then home. Easy it ain't!!

I also got other news today: my request for a few days off to go and see the military tattoo in Oslo has been granted, so tomorrow I will get on the phone and try and get all that sorted. For some reason I can't book a seat for the event online, which is annoying to say the least. 

So: numbers 3 and 4 are a definite go! April and May are sorted. Apart from that: next month will see my friend Pepperfly taking a plane to come and see me for a few days. Exciting. And then there is the thing happening this Saturday. It is on my list, but I won't tell you which one it is!! You will have to find out for yourselves. 

Other than that not much is happening. The rain is ever present here, although the outlook does seem to be a bit better early next week: dropping temperatures and more importantly: no rain. Yesterday was my first day off of the new year and I enjoyed it by doing not much at all. Which is the best way to celebrate a day off in my opinion. 

The photo at the top was taken before Christmas. And no, I wasn't visiting Russia. Although they did sell potatoes. Very special potatoes apparently, since every time I drove past (from 8am to 3pm, several times) there was a huge queue. I had seen it before, but had never taken a photo of it. This time I just stopped the bus and took one. 

A new bucket

Linette wishes you a great 2014 too. If she weren't sleeping that is!!!

Let me just start by wishing you all a very happy, healthy, relaxed and fun 2014. I hope this will the year all your dreams come true, however small they may be!

Now, I have long since stopped making New Year's resolutions. Basically, because they are broken by noon on New Year's Day already. But this year I decided to do something similar to resolutions. I will make a list of the things I want to see/do/learn this year. It will be a list of twelve, so it should be doable to do one a month. Some will come from my main bucket list, others are new. All have in common that they are relatively easy to accomplish (she says, confidently). So, here goes:

1. Have a professional photoshoot (from the main list). Should be achievable in February/March, depending on the photographer. 

2. Learning how to ride a horse (from the main list). Should be achievable. Not quite sure where to go, but I can find out.

3. Visit my sister in Northern Ireland. Well, if the Tide planners work with me on this one, this should happen in April. 

4. A tattoo. This year it will be the 200th anniversary of the first constitution of Norway and that will be celebrated by a bigger and better tattoo! And when 'my' band (KMKJWF: the one I occasionally drove around in the Netherlands) is also on the poster, I certainly should go! May for this one.

5. A German Christmas market. Yes, yes, I know Christmas has just been and most of you probably still have the tree up, but this is a list for the whole year and I hope that in December I can make my way over to Hamburg to visit its Christmas market.

Buckingham Palace

6. A musical in London. Or just London. With my sister? In November? 

7. Aurlandsdalen. You have read the horror story that was Aurlandsdalen. It was the one where I was walking on the fumes of the fumes left over after the fumes had burnt! And I want to do it again? Well, yes. Since I hope to be in better shape this time. I should be, because if I'm not, I won't be allowed to come! Probably August.

8. It will be my Mum's birthday this year. Strange thing: it happens every year! But this time she will turn OAP! So, definitely worth a visit. August/September.

9. See some more Norway. After all, I haven't really seen that much of this vast country. I would love to visit Hardangervidda. I only drove through it a couple of times, but we never stopped to enjoy the scenery. Summertime for that!

10. Get a second satellite dish so I can FINALLY watch Doctor Who and so much more. End of January most likely! Yippee!!!

11. Get a dishwasher. Since I am not too fond of washing dishes (understatement here people), I think this would make me a perfect birthday present. So, June it is!

12. Meet a fellow blogger. Somewhere. At some point.  

So, that's my list. Should be doable, achievable and accomplishable. There will be a lot more things happening hopefully: like the May 17th Parade and rowing race. Outings to other places. People visiting and me visiting people. Hope you will be there enjoying the stories with me. 

Coffee Klatch 3

A bucket list she asks for! A bucket list!! (imagine my voice going up a bit now) But then again, it was easy for me this week, since I've got a bucket list all ready and waiting to get out of that bucket. Which is a weird thing to say in the first place. Bucket list. Anyway, here's mine!

This is more my size of horse!

Learn how to tapdance
When I was younger I was allowed to take tapdancing classes, but unfortunately I had to go to bible class. Since they were on the same night...

Learn how to ride a horse
Even though the horse I have been on was huge, I think there must be smaller ones out there. A shetland pony or something similar!

Do a sky-dive
Not really sure about this one, but once I get over the fear of jumping of the high board in the swimming pool, I might give this one a try.

Do a bungee-jump
See above!

Have tea at the Ritz in London
Ever since the doorman at the Ritz saved my life (or so it felt at the time, he only pointed me in the direction of home), I've wanted to go there some day and take tea! With scones and sandwiches and such...

Have a professional photo-shoot
Fancy clothes, great make-up, possibly a handsome model to pose with, what's not to like?

Learn how to play a musical instrument
I've tried the recorder and I've tried that Irish flute, but the only sound I have produced was a high screechy sound. I won't be playing in the Boston Philarmonic any time soon...

Emigrate to Canada
If you don't know this by now, you haven't been reading my blog at all and I suggest you go back to all the posts about me wanting to emigrate to Canada!

Own a bright pink car
And I mean properly pink. None of that baby pink for me.

Get a tattoo
I did! I got myself a tattoo!
Go mud-flat hiking
One of the great mucky things to do that sounds like it's great (albeit cold) fun. One day though, one day...

The next question was about my favourite candy. Well, when I was younger I used to love liquorice all-sorts, although I tended to pick those awful coconutty jobbies out of there: yuck! Nowadays, jellybeans I love, but since my stomach doesn't...

If you want the chance to win a desktop calendar, please leave a comment on my previous post! Click here to get there. 

10. Tattoo (reprise)

It was uncomfortable, but didn't hurt. It wasn't as big as Johnny originally planned, but still looks great. It was done in under an hour and I now know that if and when I move, I won't hesitate to get another one on the other shoulder!

For now though, this one will be enough. Right now it's covered in vaseline and clingfilm (I feel like a chicken about to go into the oven) and I can't take a bath or go to the sauna for two weeks, but I like it.

10. Tattoo

According to some people I have a weird taste in music. I love brass bands for example and drum bands. Marching bands as well and Dolly Parton. Well, Dolly Parton didn't feature last night, the other ones did. The Royal Marines were there, as were the Airforce and the Territorial Army. There were pipers and dancers all the way from New Zealand, a great band and dancers from Surinam (our last colony that was), a British artillery group and a fantastic Swiss drum band.

The drumband 'Top Secret' from Switzerland

So, how did I get there? Well, I may have mentioned in the past that we do a lot of jobs for the Ministry of Defense and one of the jobs I occasionally get is driving the Royal Military Band Johan Willem Friso around. And last week while visiting the Queen I had to drive them as well. Before leaving in the morning though, I sat in their little staff room and saw leaflets of the Military Tattoo to be held this week. My parents always used to go, but I never had the chance before. And then one of the men offered tickets. At first I declined and then I thought, no, I want to go. So I called my boss, I called my parents and yesterday my dad picked me up to go to the tattoo (my mum unfortunately had to work).

Some of the women/dancers from Surinam

We didn't go to the official show, we went to see the dress rehearsal. One or two groups still needed a little tweaking (especially the only civilian group), but it was brilliant. We had great seats, could oversee the lot and I was able to take great photos, even without flash.

The piping band from New Zealand

The music was lovely, although they could have had about twenty more pipers in the piping band (I love the sound of a lot of pipers). The drumband from Switzerland might have been small, but they were making enough noise as it was and I loved the way they were dressed!

The dancers with the piping band from New Zealand

On our way home my dad said that they still wanted to go to at least two other tattoos: the one in Edinburgh and the biggest one in the world is in Halifax, Canada! Hm, I might have to go along with them.

The finale

Of course by now you may have realised I didn't get a tattoo and may not get one for a while yet. After all, I have been told it hurts to get one...

Seven on Monday 1

During all my travels, I get to see a lot. But I never see as much as I would wish. My last trip to Italy meant I finally got to see Rome up close, but it still isn't enough for me. I would love to be able to spend more than one day in that beautiful city. Have a great (local) guide who shows me around and not just the 'touristy' bits. So, I've decided to give you a little list of places I've been but haven't really been long enough to see everything. And of course the places I could go over and over again, because every time I discover something new! Here goes...

1. Rome, Italy. Such a beautiful city deserves to be visited for more than a day. And walking behind a guide with 40 other tourists doesn't really do it justice. At all! So, I would love to visit again. Properly.

2. Florence, Italy. I had never really visited this city, because the coach park is quite far from the center of town. Last time however, I managed to see a bit. What a beautiful city and definitely worth coming back to.

3. Leipzig, Germany. It must have been about five years ago now that I was there and I kept looking up the whole day. I never saw what was on street level and I didn't have enough time to see more than the fronts of houses and buildings. Definitely worth going back to...

4. Paris, France. The only time I visited I was so tired I didn't really take it all in. However, next year my parents are taking me, my brother and his family and my sister to Paris for a week. I should have plenty of time to see the sights then.

5. Prague, Czech Republic. Again, I only visited for a single afternoon and it was absolutely freezing! Most of the time we were there was spent drinking coffee, so you can imagine how much I actually managed to see!

6. London, England. I've visited London five times this year so far and I don't know how many times before this year. I find something new to see every time though. My most recent (and brilliant find): Camden!

7. Dublin, Ireland. Though I am always a bit wary of this city, I've never really had a good opportunity to see it properly. Even while there privately, I didn't. It should be rectified!

Now, you may have noticed I haven't got any non European destinations on this list. The reason for that? I've never been out of Europe! And the places I would love to see beyond will be for another post!

Dreams

Like everybody else in the world, I have dreams. Some dreams are easy to realise, others a bit harder. Just to remind myself what my dreams are, I have made a small list and put it on the side of this blog. They are not in any particular order, just the order I thought of them. Whenever there are new dreams bubbling to the surface I will add, whenever I've made a dream come true, I will first of all blog about it, and secondly, I will cross it off.

There are three wishes to learn something. The first one on the list is learning how to tapdance. When I was about 14 that wish first came to me. And I was lucky, there was a dance school in my town actually teaching it! My parents gave me permission to go, but there was a catch. On the evening of the dance lessons there were also bible classes. I was allowed to do tapdance. I had to go to bible classes! The choice was made for me: bible classes it was. I never had another opportunity to take the dance lessons (even though I did learn the waltz, the tango, samba, rumba, jive etc). I don't know whether I would be any good at it. And to be honest, I don't really care whether I would. I just want to learn!