I'm subbing again, back at my old junior high school. It sucks in a way, it's not a fun job, but it is pretty sweet to be able to just walk in and get a full week of work.
Yesterday we went into the city and met up with some couchsurfer and old friends from working at Harry's, a good time but getting up at 7:30 this morning was a little rough.
Other than that life is slow. I work and Dylan watches the olympics. Next week we'll be in Luleå with my sister and her family.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
My Valentine
Valentine's day today, still early but I think it will be a good one. The weather is great, sunshine on the snow and not too cold. In a couple of hours my brother and his girlfriend will be out here and we're going to the Holmsund House of Tropics with them, supposivly they have monkeys there...although it seems strange. Then my parents are treating us all to coffee and desserts at my mom's favourite café, Nisses Konditori. Later tonight me and Dylan are going in to the city to make home made pizza with Karin, her sister Frida and their boyfriends, a nice dinner for 6, should be fun.
Yesterday we went to the hospital in Skellefteå and visited my grandfather. I should say it was great to see him, but I'd be lying. That's just not how I want to remember him, he was so thin and grey and old. It was like hugging a bird. I don't know what else to say, I feel bad.
Yesterday we went to the hospital in Skellefteå and visited my grandfather. I should say it was great to see him, but I'd be lying. That's just not how I want to remember him, he was so thin and grey and old. It was like hugging a bird. I don't know what else to say, I feel bad.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
We're up early today because we have a shared dentist appointment in about an hour. When you're married you do everything together, even going to the dentist... No, it's not that bad, just that my parent's next door neighbour -who is also our dentist- just booked Åsa+1 so we're going together. I saw her before leaving for the US this last spring, but chipped my tooth eating shellfish in Chile so I need her to look at that and Dylan hasn't been to the dentist in years so it's about time.
My grandfather is scheduled to have his surgery today and we are going to try and visit him saturday. Tomorrow we're going to go to my old office at the university and join my old co-workers for a wine lottery, should be fun.
I have told the two local high schools that I'm back and ready to sub if they need me, but so far got nothing.
Yesterday we went cross country skiing. Dylan packed coffee and sandwiches in a backpack and then fell on it probably three times before we stopped to eat. He has a hard time going downhill, but other than that he's not bad for a non-skier.
My grandfather is scheduled to have his surgery today and we are going to try and visit him saturday. Tomorrow we're going to go to my old office at the university and join my old co-workers for a wine lottery, should be fun.
I have told the two local high schools that I'm back and ready to sub if they need me, but so far got nothing.
Yesterday we went cross country skiing. Dylan packed coffee and sandwiches in a backpack and then fell on it probably three times before we stopped to eat. He has a hard time going downhill, but other than that he's not bad for a non-skier.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
English still
Had a hard deciding what to do about this now that I'm home...keep the blog in English or switch to Swedish? Since the outcome no doubt will affect the lives of millions, I feel it's very important...
Well, since I'd like to keep writing even though our lives won't be very exciting anymore, I decided to keep it English since the only people who might find life in northern Sweden somewhat entertaining will be the people who are not here. Once back in the US, the opposite will be true and then I will go back to writing in Swedish. There...the decision has been made.
It's been a little more eventful than I had anticipated, comming home. My uncle died last week, the day before we left Argentina. Nobody told me, although I actually read about it on our local newspaper's website right before we went for the airport but thought nothing of it since they didn't reveal the name of the person. It was my mother's brother and the funeral will be later this month. It's all very surreal.
My grandfather (on my dad's side), whose health has been declining rapidly this fall is now in the hospital and will probably have his foot amputated this week. We will try to go visit him this weekend.
There's also more of the neverending Green Card hoops to jump through, but I feel selfish worrying about that stuff now that people are really suffering around me.
And in the middle of it all, it's good to be home. We had a great weekend with family, friends, sunshine on the snow and frost bitten cheeks. Dylan will no doubt be ready to leave on March 3rd and I will definitly be ready to follow him on the 24th. But for now, it's good to be home. Good to be around.
Well, since I'd like to keep writing even though our lives won't be very exciting anymore, I decided to keep it English since the only people who might find life in northern Sweden somewhat entertaining will be the people who are not here. Once back in the US, the opposite will be true and then I will go back to writing in Swedish. There...the decision has been made.
It's been a little more eventful than I had anticipated, comming home. My uncle died last week, the day before we left Argentina. Nobody told me, although I actually read about it on our local newspaper's website right before we went for the airport but thought nothing of it since they didn't reveal the name of the person. It was my mother's brother and the funeral will be later this month. It's all very surreal.
My grandfather (on my dad's side), whose health has been declining rapidly this fall is now in the hospital and will probably have his foot amputated this week. We will try to go visit him this weekend.
There's also more of the neverending Green Card hoops to jump through, but I feel selfish worrying about that stuff now that people are really suffering around me.
And in the middle of it all, it's good to be home. We had a great weekend with family, friends, sunshine on the snow and frost bitten cheeks. Dylan will no doubt be ready to leave on March 3rd and I will definitly be ready to follow him on the 24th. But for now, it's good to be home. Good to be around.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
so close now
One thing I forgot on the list; best invention - couch surfing. We saved a decent chunk of money doing it, met some great people and got to know places in ways we would not have otherwise. I hope we will be able to host people on our own couch one day, but if we live in Pocatello I have a feeling they won't be beating down the door...
Our last night in Buenos Aires ended up being more eventful than we expected, as Tom brought us along for dinner at his favourite Italian restaurant and then to a couch surfing get together in Palermo. It was really fun, almost made me wish we weren't leaving the next day. A really anoying guy from Israel who insisted we payed a twelvth of the total bill (even though all the others had eaten dinner there and we only ordered one drink) couldn't even ruin my night even though he was trying pretty hard at times. I talked to a Turkish guy who had studied in Luleå and spoke a really impressive Swedish. It was a good time, but we still left pretty early since we had a plane to catch the next morning.
Today (no wait, this is Thursday now..) yesterday when we woke up the rain was comming down hard over Buenos Aires. The flight to Madrid was one of the bumpiest I've been on, the "Fasten seat belt" sign was turned on almost the whole 12 hours. Dylan was seated next to a lady who kept talking about how afraid she was that her dog was getting cold, she had a little chihuahua somewhere on the plane, in Spanish. I hardly slept at all, I can't sleep sitting up. The flight to Stockholm was better since the plane was almost empty and we could stretch out over three seats each and sleep for a good 2 hours.
Now we're killing time in Stockholm, waiting for the last flight to Umeå. The snow is comming down hard and heavy so I really hope we won't be delayed. So close to home now, so close.
Our last night in Buenos Aires ended up being more eventful than we expected, as Tom brought us along for dinner at his favourite Italian restaurant and then to a couch surfing get together in Palermo. It was really fun, almost made me wish we weren't leaving the next day. A really anoying guy from Israel who insisted we payed a twelvth of the total bill (even though all the others had eaten dinner there and we only ordered one drink) couldn't even ruin my night even though he was trying pretty hard at times. I talked to a Turkish guy who had studied in Luleå and spoke a really impressive Swedish. It was a good time, but we still left pretty early since we had a plane to catch the next morning.
Today (no wait, this is Thursday now..) yesterday when we woke up the rain was comming down hard over Buenos Aires. The flight to Madrid was one of the bumpiest I've been on, the "Fasten seat belt" sign was turned on almost the whole 12 hours. Dylan was seated next to a lady who kept talking about how afraid she was that her dog was getting cold, she had a little chihuahua somewhere on the plane, in Spanish. I hardly slept at all, I can't sleep sitting up. The flight to Stockholm was better since the plane was almost empty and we could stretch out over three seats each and sleep for a good 2 hours.
Now we're killing time in Stockholm, waiting for the last flight to Umeå. The snow is comming down hard and heavy so I really hope we won't be delayed. So close to home now, so close.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
A look in the review mirror
Last night in Argentina, last night of this trip that started out as a sailing adventure and ended up being pretty much a bus ride through South America. I'm going home and Dylan is going to his second home. Sweden will always be home for me and I'm excited to go back and see all the people I said good bye to before the summer started. But I am also very excited to soon be back in the US and start building a new home, with Dylan - finally.
Anyways, looking back on this trip, it's been a ride. Good and bad, fun and boring, safe and not so safe, well planned and totally spur of the moment.
Most boring: All the waiting, for and on buses, endless days with nothing to do in Punta Arenas, waiting for this damn Green Card.
Funniest: Probably when Dylan squirted himself in the face with bide water. He was afraid he'd get pink eye, I laughed so hard I almost had to use the bide myself.
Best place: Mendoza or Rosario, love Argentina.
Worst experience: The guys trying to rip us of and the night at the police station in Lima. For Dylan probably also the food poisoning that followed, for me the food poisoning on the night bus from Mancora to Truhillo is still a vivid memory.
Most over the top: Jaime and Feliepe's wedding. So much fun, so many people, so out of this world.
Most windy: Punta Arenas, seriously I still don't understand how people can actually live there.
Best dog: Ljuiba, we miss our little foster puppy.
Best troopers: Randy's grandparents who threw a kick ass BBQ and stayed up till 5 am with the youngsters.
Best purchase: the blanket we bought two days after we landed in Colombia and have kept with us throughout the trip and used almost every night. Throwing it away tomorrow, though.
Worst purchase: the clay pitcher Dylan bought in Peru, kept in his carry on and didn't even unwrap before it broke in Chile.
Best/worst gifts: for Christmas Dylan gave me a seafood dinner at a fancy restaurant and for my birthday I got a cat. Very excited for both of these gifts, have yet to see them though.
Worst updated border crossing: Ecuador, they had never heard of Sweden and looked at me and my passport like I was claiming to be from Neverland.
Most unexpected: the guy recognizing Dylan from SFI in Umea at a bar in Rosario, Argentina.
Most optimistic: Gary about his boat - as far as we know he has still to leave the US.
Best birthday: Mariah's in NYC before we left.
Can't think of any more ones.... Today we spent walking around the Buenos Aires zoo (which was cool but not spectacular) and soon we are going to dinner with Tom. Next time I write I will be in Sweden and unless anyone would mind (and maybe even still) I will soon go back to writing in Swedish. Hasta luego!
Anyways, looking back on this trip, it's been a ride. Good and bad, fun and boring, safe and not so safe, well planned and totally spur of the moment.
Most boring: All the waiting, for and on buses, endless days with nothing to do in Punta Arenas, waiting for this damn Green Card.
Funniest: Probably when Dylan squirted himself in the face with bide water. He was afraid he'd get pink eye, I laughed so hard I almost had to use the bide myself.
Best place: Mendoza or Rosario, love Argentina.
Worst experience: The guys trying to rip us of and the night at the police station in Lima. For Dylan probably also the food poisoning that followed, for me the food poisoning on the night bus from Mancora to Truhillo is still a vivid memory.
Most over the top: Jaime and Feliepe's wedding. So much fun, so many people, so out of this world.
Most windy: Punta Arenas, seriously I still don't understand how people can actually live there.
Best dog: Ljuiba, we miss our little foster puppy.
Best troopers: Randy's grandparents who threw a kick ass BBQ and stayed up till 5 am with the youngsters.
Best purchase: the blanket we bought two days after we landed in Colombia and have kept with us throughout the trip and used almost every night. Throwing it away tomorrow, though.
Worst purchase: the clay pitcher Dylan bought in Peru, kept in his carry on and didn't even unwrap before it broke in Chile.
Best/worst gifts: for Christmas Dylan gave me a seafood dinner at a fancy restaurant and for my birthday I got a cat. Very excited for both of these gifts, have yet to see them though.
Worst updated border crossing: Ecuador, they had never heard of Sweden and looked at me and my passport like I was claiming to be from Neverland.
Most unexpected: the guy recognizing Dylan from SFI in Umea at a bar in Rosario, Argentina.
Most optimistic: Gary about his boat - as far as we know he has still to leave the US.
Best birthday: Mariah's in NYC before we left.
Can't think of any more ones.... Today we spent walking around the Buenos Aires zoo (which was cool but not spectacular) and soon we are going to dinner with Tom. Next time I write I will be in Sweden and unless anyone would mind (and maybe even still) I will soon go back to writing in Swedish. Hasta luego!
Monday, February 1, 2010
two days left
Monday morning, just two days left now. Yesterday we spent walking around a rainy Buenos Aires looking for a cheap hotel for the last two nights. We just figured we couldn't surf Tom's couch for five nights, that it seemed too much. But when we told him our plans last nights he said he'd be working around the clock these next couple of days and that we were more than welcome to stay since he wouldn't really be home much anyways.
So we quickly weighed comfort and privacy (the futon we're charing is about as comfortable as wearing pants backwards) against money saved and not having to pack all our stuff up and move. Money won without a fight. Besides, we do have a lot of privacy here when he's at work and tonight I'm going to try to fashion something on the floor with couch cushions to sleep on, so it will all be good. And Tom is a really nice guy, if we can lure him away from his work at the computer for long enough, we are going to take him out for a Parilla dinner before we leave.
Today we have to find some more gifts. Saturday was really productive in that field and now we just need to get something for Pontus, Kasper, Dana and the grandmothers. We got some ideas so it shouldn't be too hard. I think we will also have to stop for Helado a few times, Dylan loves the ice cream here and is starting to miss it already.
So we quickly weighed comfort and privacy (the futon we're charing is about as comfortable as wearing pants backwards) against money saved and not having to pack all our stuff up and move. Money won without a fight. Besides, we do have a lot of privacy here when he's at work and tonight I'm going to try to fashion something on the floor with couch cushions to sleep on, so it will all be good. And Tom is a really nice guy, if we can lure him away from his work at the computer for long enough, we are going to take him out for a Parilla dinner before we leave.
Today we have to find some more gifts. Saturday was really productive in that field and now we just need to get something for Pontus, Kasper, Dana and the grandmothers. We got some ideas so it shouldn't be too hard. I think we will also have to stop for Helado a few times, Dylan loves the ice cream here and is starting to miss it already.
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