Beware Of Sunshine

A young man in our community died a few days ago, from skin cancer that had spread to his inner organs. I don't know if the sun had anything to do with his case, but these days, when it's blazing down on us, it does give food for thought.

The ozone layer isn't what it used to be. In this part of the world, where many of us don't see the sun at all for months, clothes have a tendency to come off fast when it finally turns up again. Our light skin is prone to sunburns, and the consensus for generations has been that " a little sunburn never hurt anyone".

How wrong... Skin cancer sounds harmless, really - you just remove it, right, and it's gone. Wrong again, in many cases. The skin is a large organ, and has connections with most other organs in our bodies. Leave a cancerous mole for too long, and you may well be in serious trouble.

Like mesothelioma, that's linked with exposure to asbesthos, skin cancer is (very often) linked to exposure to sunlight. The good news is that this means it's avoidable.

Sunscreen, T-shirts, staying in the shade when at all possible - this can be done. And don't forget the little ones. As well as being painful, that "little sunburn" can prepare the ground for disaster in the future.

Let's all enjoy the sun - carefully.

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Pfff! What Was That?

- that was your life, mate.
Ooo - that was quick - do I get another one?
- Sorry, mate.

That's what my existence feels like at the moment. Days go by, with very few high points (I'm sure they're there, I'm just not able to see them).

The sorry part is, that there are no problems in my life that huge amounts of money wouldn't solve... I know. The green stuff doesn't make you happy. But let me be unhappy in a rich sort of way, and see what that feels like for a while.

On the upside, as explained in an earlier post - I don't have to buy diet pills. That's cash saved right there. Pounds and kilos fall off like skin off a reptile.

There. See. A positive thought. Sort of.

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Time For A Photo

"Play it by ear". Self-portrait. (c)2009 - Miracle Boy.

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10 Down

I've lost 10 pounds... That, in this metric part of the world, is around 5 kgs. Without the intake of any weight loss pill, without exercise, and without consciously eating less.

I said consciously. Thinking back, I have been eating less. Much less. And at odd times. The miracle cure is very, very simple: stress.

I don't recommend it. Go for a walk, eat salad - do not pursue stress to lose weight. It's not good for you - I can tell.

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A "New" Car

We bought a 2004 Renault Kangoo today. For you Americans out there, let me explain, as everything is big in America: it's like a Dodge Ram that's taken a serious overdose of Liporexall. A tiny, tiny vanlike, carlike thing with 2 seats. And it's a 4X4, which we absolutely need, to avoid being stuck in our little portion of wilderness in the winter.
The cargo room has plenty of room for a couple of... sheep, for example, in case we need to take them out to dinner or something. Very difficult in a regular car with seats all over the place.

We're picking it up tomorrow. It'll be great to have two cars again.

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To Buy Or Not To Buy

Our brats have gone through Play Stations 1 and 2. The latter is now on it's last leg - well, almost, and the charm has gone out of it, at least for the older ones. The two youngest, who are 6 and almost 3, are just starting.
I've been pondering whether I should upgrade to a PS3, but I think I'll let them slowly destroy the one they've got for the moment. They've still got very sticky fingers, and the PS2 has got just enough life left in it to entertain them. It's probably a grand idea to wait at least until they come up with #4..

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Read All About It!

Need a thorough cleansing? Wondering what detox cure to choose? Well, you can always read this Colonix review, to check out what people think of one of the many colonic cleansing products on the market.
I'm sure it's something that should be done at least once a year. With all the toxins we ingest, all the stuff that shouldn't go through our digestive system... well, I guess it doesn't go through, and stays there. Clogging up everything, creating all sorts of bowel problems.
Logical, but whenever I see one of those reality TV shows from various spa treatments, where people poke around in whatever comes out through these treatments, I wonder what happened to good, old-fashioned flushing... You know: flush, close lid, wash hands, and exit toilet.

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Totally Random

Yesterday was our National Day, and we had great weather for it. Kids gorged themselves with ice cream, hot dogs and waffles, after first having been part of the traditional children's parade. Nothing cures blisters like a large ice cream!

Later on, we had people over for a meal, and most of the older brats were out galavanting, so we were only 9 people at table. What a lonely future I see before us...

I'm way behind with this blogging lark, so if you see a weird link anywhere in this post, think nothing of it. Westgate. There! That didn't hurt too much, did it?

National Day here started off as a celebration of our independence from Denmark, and our Constitution, in 1814. As said independence didn't last long, and we were then under Sweden until 1905, and again occupied by Germany in 1940-1945, May 17th has become a mixed celebration of all 3 liberations... So we have a lot to celebrate.

Add to that high school students celebrating the (almost) end of their ordeal, and everyone just elated that spring has arrived. A very nice day, ususally. If May shows its clement side.

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Family Matters

We're an extended family, all in one. Hubby has two kids from a previous marriage, and so have I. To top it off, we've got two together.

Hubby and I are quite... well fed, and so are his two first children. My first husband was thin as a rake - my eldest girls are the same. They absolutely don't need appetite suppressants, and are blown over by a light breeeze.

The youngest two are still very young, and it's impossible to say how they'll turn out. Chances are that they'll be somewhere in the middle. We all eat the same...

Funny things, genetics.

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I Am Now Going To Rant

This country is supposedly one of the richest in the world. Still, many old people in "care", who live in retirement homes, spend the last years of their lives in very undignified conditions.

Over the last few years, my mother in law, who is the youngest of 12, has been visiting quite a few of her siblings in our local "home". One sister was so dehydrated at one point that she had to be hospitalized. Why? The staff didn't have "time" to make sure she drank enough. They did, however, have time for extensive cigarette breaks. One day, MIL came to visit at 11.30 in the morning, and the woman's alarm button had been put out of reach, and the curtains weren't even drawn. No breakfast, no toilet, no nothing.

Now, another sister is in there. She's quite capable of controlling her bowels, but not physically able to "go" on her own. When she rings for help, she's told that she's got diapers on, so there's no need for a trip to the toilet.
Can you imagine the degradation? No amount of adult diapers can take that away. Of course, one holds out as long as one can, just in case someone takes pity, and puts one out of one's misery. Not very good for either your physical or your mental health. MIL's sister is now very ill. Some sort of bowel problem. Imagine that.

Still - the staff have got a canopy up on the balcony now, so that they can enjoy their cigarettes away from the wind and rain. They also have to have their lunch breaks all together, thus leaving the inmates to fend for themselves.

I smoke. Why? So I can die before I have need of their "services". That's probably why they smoke too.

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Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos has been banned in Norway since 1980. Disposing of existing asbestos is regulated and bound by strict security rules.
In many countries of the former USSR, they're still mining it. Which, of course, means that it's still in use in many places. Including, it seems, in the US.
Which has given birth to a whole profession: Mesothelioma lawyers.

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer, that comes from exposure to asbestos.

What a cold world we live in. You take into account how many legal suits you can afford to lose, and carry on using and processing a lethal substance. Knowingly exposing others to lethal danger is manslaughter, isn't it?

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New Job!

Monday was my baptism by fire in my new venture as a homeparty sales person. I loved it! I sold quite well too. I won't need a receipt printer any time soon, but for an extra income, while managing your own time, I can recommend it.

I made a good day's wages for 3 hours work, plus an hour of punching orders on my pc afterwards. Both times will be reduced as I get the hang of it, and hopefully, my commission will go up too.

As I sell more, my percentage increases, and that's just the kind of carrot that's good to have hanging under your nose...

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I'm So Happy

that spring is finally here.
The last, stubborn mound of snow disappeared from our yard the other day, revealing a buried garden hose. Just what we needed... Well, soon, anyway, if we get the sunny weather we're craving!

Also, I've looked at my garden, and found out that I won't need anything by way of weight loss pills, atro phex or anything else. All I have to do is take my trusty shovel and wheelbarrow, start at one end of the garden, and work my way through all the rocks and dirt that needs moving to somewhere else. A few stretching exerciser now and then, and I'll have muscle-building, weight loss and a pretty garden - all in one, without gym fees or chemicals. A wonderful concept.

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My Relationship To Light Bulbs

( A groundbreaking post )

My partner in Blogging has provided me with the key phrase Sylvania light bulbs. I'm sorry to report that I have very little to say on the matter. I've heard about the brand, but in this country, the competition has what could be perceived as a monopoly.
Light bulbs, in my mind, is something that should be obsolete in this day and age. I'm sure there exists technology that would make them redundant. Releasing this technology would be good for the consumers and the environment, but very bad for the light bulb industry.

In the meantime, if any manufacturer of light bulbs could provide me with a type of bulb that can take the fluctuating tension in our house without blowing every month or so, I'd become their most faithful customer.

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An Opinion Post

I like a good sale.
I like good deals.
I like free shipping.
I like a website that's easy to navigate.

I guess that means I like Buy.com, since they've got all of the above. Weekly and daily deals, free shipping, clear and concise navigation - and loads of stuff I never knew I needed.
In short: a perfect place to go web-shopping. For just about anything.

And that's my opinion.

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A Challenge

I have family members who should have been in a drug rehab program, but who are not. I could go on and on about that - it seems like the government in most countries, including mine, think along these lines: "The longer we wait, the more of them will die from their abuse, or work it out by themselves".

In the meantime, those who don't die will wreck their families, traumatize their kids, turn criminal in more ways than "just" using drugs, and lose faith in most things, life and society included.

I don't think that there is a simple solution to the problem. Any action would cost money, too. It seems to me though, that not doing anything, and hoping that it'll go away, has been tried, and guess what? It's not working.

Maybe investing in these people isn't financially viable. Mind you, it could be. Fewer drug addicts = less crime = fewer people in jails = more people working = better economy all round.
Even if I'm wrong in my simplistic approach, I think that one could easily judge a society by how it treats its weakest members. We've all failed miserably.

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Spring Time?

We've had a lovely, sunny day today. The latest snowfall is melting - now all we need is enough warm sunshine to get rid of what was there before - another 25 centimeters...

Easter is coming too - just another week, and the Brats will be on Easter break. Good for them. For me, I wouldn't mind hopping off for a night or two at a nice hotel during the Easter break.

Perhaps not. A lovely, mellow week with the family, with sunshine, melting snow and budding crocus is probably just what the doctor ordered. I'll see if I can dig out the crocus bed tomorrow. I'm sure something is happening under all that snow!

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Not Very Interested

Well, of course I'm going to get quotes from whoever is offering free insurance quotes. Well, really - are there companies that charge you for giving you a quote?

If there are, chances are they won't be staying in business very long. Reason enough not to go near them.

What would be interesting, when it comes to insurance, would be a company that offered to cover my insurance needs for a realistic, fair price. As it is, I'm paying for every idiot who lights candles under their curtains, drive their cars at neckbreaking speeds or build houses on the edge of ravines.

We pay exorbitant amounts of money every year for something that we'll very likely never need. Of course, we're also paying for the peace of mind that comes with the knowledge that if the worst comes to the worst - it could have been worse.

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Me - A Laundromat

Have I told you lately that we're 8 people in this household? Well, all right - with #1 Brat temporarily out of here, we're 7 people who go through clothing as if... well as if nudity was going out of fashion.

This means that the old washing machine rarely has an idle moment. On average, it does 2-3 loads per day. What we don't have, however, is a dryer. Clothes are hung the old-fashioned way, and in the winter, that means indoors, on racks.

This probably creates quite a humid ambiance. Luckily, we've got a state-of-the art air conditioning system, that makes sure that the house doesn't mould from the inside, so we don't need a dehumidifier yet. We've had a couple of service stops to the air conditioning though, and after a day or two, the windows are full of condensed water...

The house is well insulated, and warm/ cool, as the case may be. Still, we never had condensation problems in our old house. It was - old. The wind didn't always stop at the walls, but it was breathing, without a device for moving the air around.

Does this scepticism for all things overly technical mean that I'm getting old? Mind you - take my dishwasher and washing machine away, and I'll bite!

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Working From Home

I do work from home. More and more, actually.
Although the workload - and pay - are difficult to predict, I can't see "normal" work holding a candle to freelance activities. Not to me, anyway.
With my 6 brats, I'd be quite happy to not have a 9-5 job ever again.
We're getting ready to try out a venture that hopefully will create a job from home for hubby as well, but it's early days.
When and if it happens, it will most certainly be blogged about. Huge amounts of cash would speed things up, of course. But, as all the emails telling me that I've got loads'a euros, dollars AND pounds waiting for me in various parts of the world are probably rather dubious, we'll just have to get there in a normal, step-by-step sort of way. With the usual hickups, I'm sure.

Fingers are crossed on a permanent basis.

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