Monthly Archive: December 2014

31
Dec
2014

RETROSPECTIVE

ust went back and checked and it seems I started writing my year-end retrospective in 2007. Seven years of looking back at my year and seeing what I’ve done and read and listened to. It’s nice to have a record for posterity, don’t you think? And since today is the last day of 2014, this week I can start formatting 2014 into a book for print. One more green-spined book to add to my collection of printed obiter dictums! Family & Personal Highlights of 2014 Being promoted to Senior Corporate Graphic Designer at work Martin breaking his arm Karin being...

30
Dec
2014

CHOCOLATE RESURRECTION

One of the things I really miss about the time we spent in Belgium when I was a teenager was the food. Not everything, of course, but it was our first experience with European cuisine and I’m sure any Belgian and Dutch friends of mine will be horrified to hear how much I miss frikandels. It’s a taste I can still conjure up in my head. Mmmmmmmm! I still eat mayo with my french fries pommes frites whenever I can. Ketchup is for you vulgar Americans who don’t know any better. I missed Napoleon lemon balls too, for years, until...

28
Dec
2014

MUSICALLY INCLINED

I never listen to the radio nowadays. I never listen to the more than 500 CDs we own, either. And since last year, the only tape player we own is a small boombox that is up on the top of a shelf… so I never listen to any of the mixed tapes that I made or received long ago, and haven’t for years. But I listen to music all the time. All day long at work and whenever I’m in the car. I’ve built a Spotify list with over 2000 songs on it and that’s what I listen to. It’s...

27
Dec
2014

ALL THAT’S LEFT

Guess what? Only 362 shopping days until Christmas! HAHAHA! Megsie, that was for you. (sad part: how fast that will go) We woke to a white Christmas, which made all of us very happy, especially since it was just a dusting. It was a very family-filled, present-filled, FOOD-filled week around these parts. We had Anders’ mom over on the 23rd for her birthday. Anders made raclette. She’d never had it before and really enjoyed it, and we had, surprise, leftovers. Märta spent the night as the next day was Julafton, the day that Swedes celebrate Christmas. Anders’s sister and her...

23
Dec
2014

EK FAMILY CHRISTMAS LETTER

2014 is nearly over and the holidays are upon us! As all the years seem to do, we zoomed through this one as well and it was full of ups and downs, though thankfully, mostly ups! We didn’t have nearly as much traveling this year as last, at least for work, which was kind of nice. Anders went to Italy and Liz to the US, and we had two vacation trips, plus Anders had a ski week with friends in the Czech Republic in January and Karin went to Gothenburg in July for the Gothia Cup soccer tournament. Martin, who...

17
Dec
2014

MIRROR OF THE MIND

I know, I know, using my blog to write to-do lists is the ULTIMATE in lame. And yet. Who else should I share the most important things in my life with? You think my husband and children give a rat’s ass about my to-do list? It’s short. Or at least it is from this end, when I haven’t actually started it yet. Write Christmas cards Buy stamps Mail Christmas cards Post online Christmas letter Bake Christmas cookies Check gift pile status…are the kids’ presents balanced? If not, remedy Clean the freaking house Buy Christmas food, Swedish and American style Work...

16
Dec
2014

56 MINUTES OF FAME

The podcast interview is up! Chuck put it up late last night Seattle time, and I didn’t see it until this morning at work where, of course, I didn’t have time to listen to it. If you would like to find out just how interesting I am, click here! Note: the entire thing is just under an hour long, but I’m okay with you listening to it in pieces 😛 If you prefer, you can download the app for SoundCloud and search for ChuckSigars and find it there. Thanks, Chuck!

14
Dec
2014

SHE SAID HE SAID WE SAID

Being interviewed is weird. What makes it at least a little easier is when the interviewer is a friend. Yesterday, I was interviewed by a blog friend who asked me to participate in his new series of podcasts on people he knows “with interesting lives.” “Ha!” I thought…”I think you think I’m more interesting than I actually am.” But he persisted, and I agreed, since you know I HAVE been interviewed before, at least 3 times since I moved to Sweden, which totally makes me a professional interviewee, right? And I agreed because I trust him. I’ve been reading his...

10
Dec
2014

XMAS HALF-STATUS

I am half-stressed about Christmas, but only because I’ve mislaid half my motivation. I just finished Christmas shopping for my brother and his wife, and all I have left is to check the balance of presents for my kids, and see if I have enough stocking stuffers and I am DONE. Oh, and maybe one more thing for Anders…though I probably have too much already and he, poor guy, doesn’t know what to get me, since I have a very short wishlist this year, and practically everything on it has to be ordered from the US, which is not usually...

08
Dec
2014

THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE YOU KNOW

If you are American, you DO NOT NEED to capitalize every word of every sentence or bulletpoint. Please stop it. We are not German. You DO NOT NEED to add 2 spaces after every period when you are typing. That went out with the typewriter. Stop it. If you are walking somewhere, anywhere, DO NOT stop in the middle of passageways or doorways or anywhere where someone might want to get through or past you. MOVE OUT OF THE WAY. If you are driving and turning, there is NO NEED to slow down to a complete STOP before you turn....

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