Author: lizardek

Thanks to this excellent Time Waster: Ultimate Flash Face, I didn’t get much done of note last night. Work is crazy busy, and I’ve got choir tonight, Social Circle tomorrow, and dinner guests on Friday… yow. Guess the family website updates won’t be finished this week either. I detect a lightening in the sky, which makes me happy as this morning’s drive through yet another dark drizzly grey grey grey rainy WET landscape was just a drag. The little river that bisects Flyinge has completely overflown its banks and there is standing water everywhere. My fingers and toes are wrinkled...

It’s so interesting reading other expat’s takes on the culture shock and acclimatization process. I both see myself in their experiences and wonder at their reactions. Partly it can be the difference based purely on the fact that I’ve moved around so much in my life AND that we lived in Europe when I was a teenager that gives me a different perspective. Partly it depends on the culture that is being absorbed and dealt with. I suspect I would have found it a great deal harder to live as an expat anywhere else than Europe, and especially northern Europe....

At least 4 of the blog writers I read are currently in the process of putting out books based on their web writings. Another one announced her upcoming book (to be out in 2005) today. Brave new world. It’s a little envy-making, but at the same time it’s so ENCOURAGING! Transported Back to High School by a Memory Master: Fresh Meat by the She-Dork Lots of projects that would be fun at work if work was fun going on right now. I just got the proofs back for the four posters I designed for the new offices and they look...

We had both good feelings and mixed feelings after talking to Petra, Martin’s teacher today. She is, at least, aware that she needs to keep an eye out for injustices on the part of the rougher boys towards Martin, and admitted that 1) things have been said and 2) she can’t be everywhere or see everything. We talked about the fact that Martin IS a sensitive kid and that he does wear all his emotions on his sleeve, so that he can easily be a target for those kids who think being tough and cool is the norm. Then she...

It’s pouring rain again. Yesterday was wet enough without rain. You’d think that so much rain would have me a bad mood, but I’m kind of bad-mooded out right now. The swish of windshield wipers was rather soothing this morning. The snow is nearly melted and what remains is dirty and soppy. The fields, denuded of snow, fold ice in their ridges and look swollen. Half-frozen impromptu lakes surprise you in low places. We’re meeting Martin’s teacher right after work to discuss the teasing and borderline bullying that Martin has mentioned to us. There are a couple of boys in...

I’ve thought of all kinds of things to talk about on this journal, when I’m away from the computer, but they disappear in puffs of vapor as soon as I sit down at the keyboard. Yesterday around 3 p.m., I succeeded in getting the kids stirred up to go outside and build a snowman. Anders went out after about 15 minutes to help, and then I pulled on my boots and coat and took the camera out to document like a good mommy should. As soon as I stepped out the door, I reacted like a cat in the rain,...

The snow appears to be blowing in all directions at once. It’s light out with that sort of diffused whiteness everywhere like it’s all just reflection or smoke and mirrors. If you went outside, the snow would snicker with glee and swoop inside your coat sleeves and under your collar and between the buttons of your coat, in effect telling you “We win! we win!” You’d have to pound it hard and repeatedly with a shovel to make it calm down and get the hell out of your way. If you went outside, it would harry you, blowing in your...

Ozswede and my brother sent me lots of good advice about my work dilemma (among other things), for which I’m very grateful, although the urge to squash my brother is still deviling me. 🙂 Today wasn’t nearly as bad, and work was made better by 2 things. First the girl in charge of our seating plan came and let me know she was more than happy to re-seat me wherever I would feel most comfortable. We talked about it for awhile, and ended up deciding that the 4 of us in the department would wait to pin down our names...

It snowed and snowed and snowed last night, wild whirling white flakes for hours. Already at 10:00 p.m., Anders’ previous shoveling efforts were completely undone and recovered with several inches of perfect powder. This morning the damage looks to be about 5-6 inches. Snow is a constant wonder. Every time it’s equally amazing. Nothing frozen solid, despite the -11 temperature. Both kids took their sleds to school. Martin’s class (and the entire school of classes above him) are going to Krankesjön (or Cranky Lake, as I like to translate it) to iceskate and sled and grill hotdogs this morning. They...