Travel Planning

# 3 Brat is going to Ecuador with his school. It's going to be quite an adventure for him, and we've started thinking about what he needs.
We've got plenty of time, they're not leaving till February, but it's good to be at least a little prepared.
He does need a new passport, which we'll have to start sorting out soon, since he needs his mother's signature as well. (That would be his birth mothers, not mine). Then, there's the shots. We'll have to check whether his Diphteria/Tetanos/Polio shots are valid, and he'll also have to be inoculated against Yellow fever, Hepatitis A and tourist stomach bug. The latter is probably absolutely necessary. He' probably need to bring along some Malaria tablets too, depending on where they're going.
Luggagewise - as long as he's got enough underwear and his swimming trunks, he'll probably be ok. Boys travel so much lighter than girls!

I really hope he gets the trip of a lifetime, and that the school prepares the kids for what they're up for. They're going as part of a charity program (they're supposed to be working as builders), and chances are they're not just going to see the sunny side of life in Ecuador.

Read More......

Happy Halloween!

Halloween isn't as big a deal in Norway as it is in the States. It's quite a new thing, immortalized by the retail industry, and kids are more than happy to comply.
Mums too. I went and bought a witches' costume for #5 Brat yesterday - she'll look ever so cute at the party she's going to this evening.
Me, I'll light a candle for my dear departed, and hubby'll be on kiddie transport duty. I'm happy as long as they don't insist on going trick or treating - old folks here aren't used to it, and having a little devil knock on your door in those circumstances can be life-threatening...
Anyway - happy Halloween to all - have fun, and don't cause a heart attack!

Read More......

What's In A Brand Name?

I'd never heard of Hydroxycut - have you?
I somehow assumed it would be a novel way to style your hair. You know - Hydrogen peroxyde - Hydrdoxy... And when you've bleached it, you cut it. Kinda like Annie Lennox in her prime Eurythmics days. Turns out I was way off.
It' just another diet pill.

No - give me an all round drug - that will style my hair, get rid of wrinkles and cellulite, keep me slim, make me non-menopausal, fill up my bank account and keep my house in order, without any nasty side effects, and I'm all in.

Until then, I'll just toddle on. Life happens - must deal with it.

Read More......

I've Always Thought...

... that if one were to compile a blog or website with all the latest "news" and research on weight loss, it would become a traffic magnet in a very short time. The # 1 rule of quality content would apply, of course - but people want to lose weight, and many think that the way to get it done is by sitting in front of a computer.

I might be wrong. If you look at Google Trends, there's very little on health or weight loss in the top 100s.
No one wonders: "does orovo work?", but there must have been a taco campaign or something, because there are three search terms on taco in the top 20. Someone's concerned with their health, though - "what's in a hot dog" is # 71.

In 45th place, I find "how to make chloroform". Hmmm. Best not to think about it.

Other than that, it's mostly sports and celebs, and surprisingly few political searches, if you don't count "obama birth certificate" or "palin wardrobe"... There's 2 weeks left, people - have you all voted already???

I haven't used Google Trends much - it's quite fun though. And one learns. Today, I learned that Pierre Niles, who's today's top search, is a basketball player, and that The Weepies (#2) are an indie pop band. So there.

Read More......

A New Experience

I've set myself up with a Norwegian blog - right here, on Blogspot.

It's weird, it's like starting to blog all over again. Since I began blogging in English, I've made some "friends", found some places to socialize, hooked up with paid blogging sites - now I'm exploring a whole new "world".

It's fun, but a bit daunting. I find that it's more difficult to be personal in my own language. Having visitors from all over the place assured my anonymity, and although there are 5 million people here in Norway, I feel more exposed. Also - I've pottered about writing in English for so long now, that I find my Norwegian writing style to be a bit... unnatural.

I'm sure it will pass. For now, I've got about 10 visitors a week over there, which is fine for now. I'm hoping, as I find my Norwegian "voice", that people will find me...

Read More......

Daylight On A Diet

I really don't care much for this time of year. October and November - wet, cold, and with the daylight hours shrinking, as if they've overdosed on diet pills.
December is even worse, but has Christmas as a saving grace, and even though it's the darkest month, it's also when the sun "turns" and the world becomes gradually lighter.
This weekend is when we revert to winter time here. For some reason, the powers that be have decided that we need an extra hour of semi-daylight in the morning, when all people do is go to work. Which of course means that we get an hour less when we might actually need it - in the afternoon/evening, when people are off work, and have time to enjoy a bit of daylight. I don't get it.
There's but one good thing about this, and that's the extra hour's sleep we'll have Saturday night. Theoretically, of course. My bet is that Miracle Boy will wake up at the usual hour Sunday morning...

Read More......

A Contest/Raffle - C'mon Over!

I'm having a contest (a raffle, really...) over on my .com blog to celebrate a blogoversary, post # 500 and 50 000 visitors - all in one!
Entering is easy (all you have to do is comment), and there is a surprise prize. (It's even a surprise to me... As of yet)

Everyone is welcome (Almost. Spam comments will be deleted.)- and there will be a draw on December 1st.
As for the prize - all will be revealed.

Read More......

A Summer Photo

Read More......

HDMI - Another Definition

We seem to find ourselves in the HDMI (High Debt - Medium Income) category these days. I'm not quite sure how it happened - the two were quite well suited a while ago, but then the government started to up the interest rates.
One quarter of a percent at the time, over three years - not enough to make you notice, but suddenly, the interest rates you used to be able to live with are doubled.
Then comes a global financial crisis, that puts everyone in a state of panic, and our nice government finds it in its heart to start lowering the rates again. Too late for many, and since the banks are all tethering on the brink, they won't put their interest rates down until they're absolutely certain that the markets have stabilized. So - it will be too late for even more people.
Our minister of finance actually said, the other day, when asked whether she could understand that the situation was difficult for a lot of people: - They should have seen it coming, and acted accordingly.
Wow! What an insight!
At least now we know: We should all shape up and turn into psychics, or else we may not be allowed to have mortgages in the future.
We should all be on State benefits too. Makes people so much easier to control.

Read More......

A Party Tomorrow

We've got a double birthday party tomorrow - #2 Brat will be 18 on Tuesday, and it's Hubby's birthday too. We'll be 20 people all in all, and I went and bought all the food today. #4 Brat went with me, and we got a bit of window-shopping done as well. Always good to collect a few ideas before the Christmas shopping starts...

I wasn't very inspired - I did see a pair of absolutely gorgeous Manolo Blahnik pumps, though - as if I could even afford to try them on. Not that I'd be able to walk in them either - my two club feet are best off not wearing pumps at all. Flatfoot - that's me.

We managed to find some lovely presents for the Birthday boy and girl - now all we have to do is decide whether they get to open them tomorrow for the party, or must wait until the actual birthday. We shall see. There will be cake though, and I've found a new recipe for a chocolate/walnut cake with nougat cream, which looks absolutely yummy. Maybe I should make two. MIL is bringing cake as well. And only nice people are coming. I look forward to it!

Read More......

Domino Effect

It seems that Iceland is bankrupt. If a country goes down the drain, it's probably not good if that country is an island.

I don't presume to be able to comment on the financial crisis - I somehow thought Outer Banks had something to do with banks in Iceland going bust... I can only observe the general panic, and note that Norway is the only country that keeps the interest rates on their way up. Wonderful. Lucky us.

A few years from now you'll be considered a weirdo if you didn't go down the drain in 2008...

Relax, Iceland - I'll be joining you soon.

Read More......