Tagged: americanabroad

10
Nov
2024

PLENTY OF UGH

I can’t write much about my reactions to the election results. I find I can’t think much about it either. I don’t want to talk about it, especially at work where everyone seems to think that a) I should defend them or b) I should explain them. Neither of which can I, nor do I feel obligated to, do. I can’t answer for the 51% of the country that voted for insanity AGAIN. I am angry, depressed, saddened, boggled, and most of all numb. I can’t watch or read the news right now, though I am still reading the newsletters...

19
Aug
2024

ERIN GO BRAGH – GoT AND THE END

A long afternoon of traveling by bus and train from Belfast landed us in Dublin again. We had a new AirBnB, but it was also up 5 flights of stairs (ugh), but had a magnificent view of the River Canal right outside our window. One room to share, but only for one night. We rested for a bit and then went out for surf and turf for dinner at a place called Beef & Lobster, which was excellent, with a very engaging waiter. Afterwards, we walked back into the Temple Bar neighborhood and had dessert and drinks first at Little...

18
Aug
2024

ERIN GO BRAGH (NORTH) – BELFAST

We arrived quite late in Belfast, after spending most of the day traveling both by train and bus, and then walking about 15 minutes to our AirBnB, the only one that was ground floor with NO stairs. The next morning, we got up early, found a café for breakfast and then met our bus for the day’s excursion. Ériu (today more commonly known as Éire) is the Irish name for Ireland – named after this powerful female goddess. Skinny building along the canal in Belfast Waiting for the bus Our guide was named Harry and despite his magnificent mustache, he...

17
Aug
2024

ERIN GO BRAGH – GALWAY

Waking up in Galway on your birthday is a good way to do it. Or rather, being awakened, as per the usual Swedish style. We had to get up early to catch our daytrip bus, so of course the kids and Anders woke me up even earlier with singing, hugs, and a new iPad (yay!). The next morning we walked through Eyre Square on our way to the hotel where we were meeting the bus. And Karin ran into someone she knows! Because of course she did! She knows everyone! Someone she went to school with, who had actually been...

16
Aug
2024

ERIN GO BRAGH – DUBLIN

We were only in Ireland for a week, but we did a LOT of things and saw a lot, and ate a lot, and I took a bajillion photos. If you are going to turn 60, Ireland’s a fun place to do it in. It’s as green as promised, and the people are lovely. We stayed in AirBnBs, all of which but one had a million stairs, which was a bummer, since I am still in a knee brace, but I managed. We flew to Dublin on Wednesday, August 7 and stayed right down in the city center near to...

24
Jul
2024

I UNDERSTAND THE ASSIGNMENT

Just 23 days ago, I wrote a post about how deeply ashamed I was of so many people in America. I was at the point of despair, which I haven’t felt since 2016. During the 4 LONGER THAN NORMAL years of Frump’s presidency, I stopped reading the news, I stopped watching it, I stopped watching late night shows, I barely kept up with the headlines, because everything about the US and the pandemic sucked so bad. It was a relentless horror show of awful, and I could not keep my chin up. I wasn’t thrilled about Biden but he was...

01
Jul
2024

MY COUNTRY ‘TIS OF WTF

I started this post by writing that I was ashamed to be an American again. But you know what? I’m not. I’m ashamed of the 7 conservative members of the Supreme Court who have been bought and paid for and made a mockery of actual justice. I’m ashamed of the Republican party and all of those who have kowtowed and worked tirelessly to put the US in the state it is now: divided, corrupt, following a felon, rapist, power-mad lying psychopath who cares about absolutely nothing but himself. I’m ashamed of everyone who voted for him the first time, and...

22
Jun
2024

MIDSUMMER MEALS & MORBIDITY

Another midsummer eve in the books and contrary to CNN’s strange idea of how Swedes celebrate, we only did the drinking part. And actually only 2 of us did the drinking part, since one was driving, one doesn’t drink, and the other can only drink limited liquids due to a heart condition. We had an absolutely lovely day, weatherwise, which was extra appreciated, because today is rainy, cloudy, and humid. Anders was out in the yard for most of the day: mowing, weeding, trimming the hedges, and putting down slug-killing pellets. I cleaned inside and outside, tidying up the deck,...

03
Jun
2024

LA LA LA

Sometimes I feel out of step with the other members of my team. I don’t know if it’s because of ME, personally, or a cultural difference (they’re all Swedish), or my age, or what. They all agree on some things that I don’t agree with at all, or at least I don’t care about. I’ve talked to my manager(s) about it, and they seem to think that it’s just me, and have reassured me more than once that they are grateful I am different. Ha! Tonight it’s cooled down quite a lot from the humidity and high temps of yesterday,...

13
May
2024

TRAVELER

I’m back! 3 weeks in the US went at the speed of light. It was, as always, great to spend time with my sister and my mom, but a bit disheartening to see my mom’s memory issues up close and personal. Karin was the perfect traveling companion. Thankfully, I was recovered from the stomach bug and traveling wasn’t an issue. Our plane from Copenhagen was delayed and then delayed again, which was fine with us, as it meant we could sleep a bit longer before leaving for the airport and it also meant our long layover in Toronto was shorter...

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