I’m the only one that has to smack the alarm clock beeping in the early a.m. and get out of bed and get moving…Anders is still of vacation the rest of this week and the kids don’t go back to school until August 20th (crazy!).
I went back to work last week but there are so many colleagues still on vacation that it doesn’t really feel like normal yet. People are slowly starting to come back; there were more in the office today than last week, but even so, most of Sweden’s companies are still on half-strength and ours is no exception. The work is still rolling in but happily, my time off was so relaxing that I am not feeling stressed about ANYTHING. It helps that I’ve had some lovely lunches out with friends (and colleagues) and am taking things (mostly) leisurely…or as leisurely as I’m wired to do, anyway.
It just figures that after a 4-week vacation filled with chilly temps, cloud cover and rain, that the sun would come out and blast Sweden in its golden glow the moment I went back to work: it’s like a superpower in reverse. *rolls eyes* Thankfully after a week of soaring temps and humidity, things have cooled off again and we can enjoy the sunshine without the sweating.
Really Cool, Every One:
Words as Images (this reminds me of the fun little rebus-like word puzzles I loved as a kid that I’m blanking on the name of)
How big is our solar system? Fascinating! Also: WHOA.
Play it again, and again! Addictive little musicmaker
Cleary & Harding: We No Speak Americano Seen it before but it’s just as mesmerizing every time
I just finished reading Unbroken, the 2nd book by Laura Hillenbrand, who wrote Seabiscuit which I haven’t (yet) read. It was an incredible story and left me with tears in my eyes. It’s astonishing, both the story itself, the man it’s about, the research involved and the writing.
We watched every single minute of the Olympics opening ceremony but that seems to be about as much Olympics as I can take; haven’t turned them on again yet. Why didn’t someone slap down Danny Boyle and make him EDIT IT DOWN A BIT. Seriously 3 hours? Half that would have been plenty. It was entertaining and had some really great things in it, but honestly the best bits were the James Bond sequence and Rowan Atkinson’s piano bit. All hail Mr. Bean! We had to stay up to watch Sweden and the USA parade in, god knows why, and of course, they’re at the very end of the damn thing. I swear, they were making countries up. There were at least 10 I have NEVER heard of.
Every little while this evening I hear this weird noise and turn around to see what it is: POURING rain. In between: blue skies and a spectacular sunset. If I could see over the houses across the street there would surely be a rainbow.
My friend Camilla is finally in town for the summer and we are making the most of it. We’ve already had lunch twice and she came over Saturday and hung out all afternoon and evening with us. She’s still in Poland and just got a new job there, so that means at least one more year.
We rented a pile of movies and I can highly recommend Man on a Ledge (though it’s got some predictable bits, it was sweaty-palm suspenseful…maybe because of my vertigo, but still) and The Artist. In fact, if you haven’t seen The Artist yet, run don’t walk and get it. I swear the leading man was the reincarnation of Gene Kelly and Douglas Fairbanks. Then we watched John Carter: MEH. Too bad it didn’t come out in the 70s…I would have LOVED it then. But now, sadly: No. Also, Taylor Kitsch (what a name!) left me completely cold. He’s no RDJr, that’s for sure.
And 2 movies I am now looking forward to, after seeing the trailers: Oz and Life of Pi.
In other news, I threw my back out last week on Sunday right before I had to go to work the next day. It hurts like a mother, my lower back. I can’t sit on our sofa or big chair; they’re too soft. And if I sit for long at all, I can’t get up. But at least it’s keeping me on my toes (hee!)…I’m standing at work more and moving around more. I keep saying that if it isn’t better in a week I’ll call the doctor, but so far it’s not feeling serious enough to do more than pop an aspirin or advil before I go to bed every other night. At least my tendonitisy-thumb seems to be better, though I feel twinges once in awhile. I can only have one broken part at a time, dammit!
Have to go walk the dog again! Good for my back, yo!