Looking forward to May 25th :)

This premiers when I'm in San Francisco. What do you think, Julie?

Rarity's back! (2)

See? And with photos of the royal family and all... She doesn't promise anything, but it seems not many others have discovered her re-posting, so I thought I'd tell y'all... (And Rarity - a tiny screen dump like this doesn't infringe any copyrights. Right???)

Dilemma

We've been asked by the Norwegian broadcasting corporation if they could come and make a programme about quads. They've got this series about 'cozy family chaos' and will no doubt be expecting quads to cause chaos.

It's the Norwegian equivalent of the BBC, which vouches for quality, and it's an ok show concept (not that I've seen it. But...). I'm sure they'd let us see the show before aired, and they'd probably make us look good. That's not really the issue... But do we want to be on national television? Do the kids want to? (Of course, yes, if you asked them, they would, but later, will they appreciate having been...? Or regret it miserably?)

The quad family that has been on television here a few times is really chaotic - they seem to have no control over their kids whatsoever, the kids wear the same clothes day and night - "there's no time for pyjamas!" - in school and home and in bed... So I guess it wouldn't hurt showing "people" that it doesn't have to be like that.

And I wouldn't mind bringing across the fact that our set of "rules and regulations" is both necessary and actually working. You can't leave everything to anyone in a family of 7. I would secretly like to smirk, and say "I told you so!" when people say that "my, they're actually well-functioning and cool kids"...

But on national television? Would you?

The cocoa maker!

I thought I'd share a cup with you. Wanna come over?

To make a short story really long...

What I want is your help to translate a (very!) Norwegian expression. It literally translates as "good day man, axe handle" -- but as this isn't particularly explanatory (I'd imagine!) I'll have to provide you with the entire folk tale where this comes from. Sorry guys...

“Good day to you!” – “Axe handle”
Once upon a time there lived a ferryman who was so deaf he could neither hear nor gather what anyone said to him. He had a wife, two boys and a small girl, and they took no heed of him, but lived happily as long as there was something to live on, and after that they bought on tick from the innkeeper and every day was a party.
When noone would vouch for them in the end, the bailiff was coming to pledge for as much as they had borrowed and wasted; so the wife and children went to stay with her relatives, and left the deaf man stay behind to meet the bailiff.
The man went about his business, and he wondered what the bailiff would be asking him, and what answers he should give.
“I will start making something”, he said to himself, “then he will ask me about that. I will start whittling an axe handle.
He will ask me what I’m making; and I will say:
“Axe handle”
Then he’ll ask me how long it will be; and I will say:
“Up to this twig”
Then he’ll ask me where the ferry lies; and I will say:
“I was going to tar her; she’s lying on the beach with cracks in both ends”
Then he’ll ask: “Where’s your grey mare?” and I’ll say “she’s carrying, due any minute”
Then he’ll ask: ”Where’s your cattle, and your summer cowshed?” And then I’ll say:
“It’s not far at all; when you go up that hill, you’ll be there in no time”
And he thought this was a cunning plan.
Verily, after a short while the bailiff showed up. But the ferryman had been to see the innkeeper, and had a few drinks, before his arrival. “Good day to you!” the bailiff said.
”Axe handle” the ferryman answered.
”Is that so” the bailiff said. “How far away is the inn?” he asked.
“Up to this twig”
The bailiff shook his head and stared at him.
“Where’s your wife, man?”
“I was going to tar her; she’s lying on the beach with cracks in both ends”
And where’s your daughter?
“she’s carrying, due any minute” the man answered; truly content with his answers.
“Oh, go to --, you’re such an ass!” the bailiff said.
“It’s not far at all; when you go up that hill, you’ll be there in no time”, the ferryman said…

So -- the expression is used if someone's answers are worse than a shot in the dark... If I ask you what the capital of Ireland is and you answer "11", or I ask you what you think of blogging and you answer "very well, thank you"... Is there an English idiom covering this? (One dictionary has "at cross purposes" but that's not the same - this is really without purposes...)

For once, I'll be serious. Please help.

As you read this, over 3 million people in Darfur, Sudan are crammed together in concentration camps, dying of disease and hunger, while government sponsored troops slaughter civilians, use rape to destroy group unity, and shoot children for sport. 400,000 men, women, and children are already dead. Entire races have been exterminated by the Sudanese government's campaign of ethnic cleansing. Automatically repost this petition and spread the word! Or Get the code here and repost manually or put in your profile. Where is Darfur? Darfur is a region in western Sudan, an eastern African country half the size of the United States Why are people being killed? Sudan is an Islamist Dictatorship controlled by Omar Al-Bashir. Bashir maintains control by ruthlessly crushing rebellion. When Ethnic African groups in Darfur started a war for independence, Bashir responded with a campaign of violence targeting civilians. He has used proxy militia groups to torch whole cities, rape and kill thousands of women and children.	This two year old girl was shot in the back. Her mother was killed.
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Just imagine

Just before Easter, hubby and I went out to a concert. (Yes! With no kids!) You can't really see much in this video, but his voice stands out, and you might even recognize the song? No, I'm not pulling your leg trying to sell you some local hero, it's a world star, promise :)

As I was watching the band (good show, by the way, I love his music), I thought - just imagine what it would be like to do this for a living. To be able to do what you like most of all, with your friends, and have people pay for it and even applaud!

And then I thought, I wouldn't really want to be on a stage, though... And I wouldn't want 8-10,000 people watching me work, no matter how friendly they were.

So finally, it got down to this. I'm in this cozy, friendly, sunny, music-filled room, with lots of computers, and my bloglings sitting around fiddling with their own computers. Noone is applauding, but we're showing eachother fun stuff that we find, or brilliant stuff that we're writing, and there's a lot of oohing and aaahing. And this is our dayjob.

How about that, anyone? (Update: You're spot on, Just sayin', it's good old Bob Dylan!)

The world's by far coolest bus company!

I know, it doesn't sound very cool, "bus company" - but it IS!

Now, they've got a service called the "bus oracle" where you can type complete sentences and ask when the buses for so-and-so are going etc. But it can also answer other queries...
Updated way to go...
Now, go here. In the box named "spørsmål" (i.e. "questions") type "what is the meaning of life?" (possibly works better without the " ".) Click "spør >>" (i.e. "ask"). And wait for your answer...

Seriously, I'm in love with whoever came up with the idea of including that in a bus search...

Perhaps it's not quite as bad as I thought...

Last night I was just about to turn off the telly and turn to my beloved computer, when Nanny 911 (or some such show) came on. And the story was too close to home for me to turn it off... The mum (i.e. the main problem...) was like an amplified me! Not exactly mother Teresa. She was henpecking husband and kids constantly. Now, I don't go around believing I do that all the time, but some of the situations - esp. her being sarcastic to her kids - were uncomfortably familiar.

I watched till the end of the show to learn what to do. A revolutionary thought, that'd set it alright! But no, nothing extraordinary. She was just told to stop it... I've figured that one out myself, I'm not always that good at it, though. [Incidentally, her husband was the type that enjoyed doing manly things, like lifting heavy objects and spitting. Conversation not included. As far from my hubby as you can get, actually, which is probably why our family seems to work a little better!]

But to see if I'm such a horrid person I took this test that EllasDevil just did too:

Greed:	Low
Gluttony:	Medium
Wrath:	Low
Sloth:	Medium
Envy:	Very Low
Lust:	Very Low
Pride:	Low

- And it turns out I'm almost angelical, see? Ok, a bit of a sloth... (I didn't need a test to find that out!) And possibly they didn't ask the right questions to get me out on thin ice?

Take the Seven Deadly Sins Quiz yourself and see what's your worst...

Scholiast trivia II

This, my dear bloglings, is my 400th post, apparently. Hurrah! Etc. So far I've had a little over 16,000 visitors altogether (or since I installed Statcounter, at least). Which is about as many as Josh & Josh have in a day...

But I did a calculation (hurrah! again...), and it means I've had 40 visitors to every post. Some of them really aren't that memorable, and there has never been as many as 40 comments to one post (unlike people like Chloe...), so I'm actually rather pleased with it all!

Hip hip Hurrah!
(The painting is actually called "hip, hip hurra" and was made by P.S. Krøyer)

This is just not on!

I don't know if anyone else cares, but really - here I am, peacefully, browsing Amazon. I stop by (natural choice) the world's greatest footballer, and they team him up with that?!!

It really is unheard of. "Perfect partners"? Pah. Glad I got that off my chest...

- By the way, don't mention this to my hubby. His birthday's coming up... And no, he doesn't read my blog :)

'nother fun exercise!

Yes, we're back... And here's proof of our wintery disposition - me on the toboggan with Filip. And yes, that's yours truly creating the soundtrack ;) Filip will no doubt grow up to be a rally driver. Phew, I'm just glad we managed to stop before actually hitting those people. Truly, we were inches away from the heads of happy picnickers...

(Incidentally, the people standing in the middle of the photo to begin with has nothing to do with us...)

Happy birthday, mum!

The cutest baby ever...

And the best mum in the world! :) MY mum!

That's it, I'm off

5 days without a computer... Like good Norwegians we're chasing after the snow to do a little more skiing before spring really takes over. I know. I'll tell you largely about this apparent defect in the nation's soul later...

But in the meantime, enjoy yourselves and have a happy Easter!

(I will be checking my online- and gmail mailboxes via mobile, though, so feel free to...)

New turf

My new office: Easter present: an egg full of goodies... And the key to the new office...
The view from my office!

And, we live in interesting times...

New surface on the terrace outside my office...

Corner office view

Oslo cathedral down the road City Hall --- where my boat comes in, so not that long a walk...
Don't look down

Ok, it's slightly better than mine, but still... Besides, as we've got glass walls to the main "mingling room", it's everyone's view!

Conversation of the day (2)

I was towelling a couple of the kids after their bath.


Anna: My friend "I" said, to make babies, mummies and daddies have to put their [insert appropriate childish word here - in Norwegian, a unisex word] together!
Thomas: hihihi
Hubby (leaving, chuckling!): It's all yours!
Me: erh... *

* Now, I've explained to them earlier, about daddy "seeds" and mummy "eggs". Only not gone into the details around the actual bringing them from point A to point B...

Anna: Did you and daddy do that?
Me (sounding dreadfully normal, well, trying to): Why, yes
Thomas (still giggling): Did it take long?
Me: Erh, well, it doesn't have to take long in order to ...
Anna & Thomas: Were you naked???!?
Me: Yes.
A & T: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaa (leaving...)

... and cut!

More about me

(For want of a Tuesday Tale, I stole this off Moncrief Speaks)

The phone rings. Who do you want it to be?
Hmm. Probably 'Norsk Tipping' - they're the ones who call when your lottery ticket comes in...
When shopping at the grocery store, do you return your cart?
Of course. Always. It's fun too.
In a social setting, are you more of a talker or a listener?
I'm very much a talker, I'm afraid... Although, at very formal settings, I'm neither - I'll be too freaked out having to wear a dress, to actually be there, if you get my drift...
Do you play Sudoku?
I do. But I'm not dreadfully good at the most difficult ones. And I'm not yet completely hooked, as I can go months without :)
If abandoned alone in the wilderness, would you survive?
You know, I think I would. I'd be totally freaked out if there were spiders and snakes, and I'd be in a really foul mood without music around, but I'd probably survive, somehow.
Do you like to ride horses?

Never tried. And I doubt that I'd enjoy it, as the only horses I've ever seen up close are police horses - they're huge - and I fear I've developed some sort of hippophobia...
Did you ever go to camp as a kid?
Yup. Quite a lot, actually. Right up through 20-something. Loved it! (Provided "camp" means what I think it means..)
Could you date someone with different religious beliefs than you?
Not if they were very religious about it... If they were more laissez-faire, I might. Not that I'm going to date anyone but my hubby for the rest of my days, though!
Do any songs make you cry?
Sometimes. Could be any song, really, if I'm in that sort of mood... Can't name one right now, though.
Are you continuing your education?
Continuously. My job is continuing my education. And there's the odd Greek class I take etc. I've got an MA, but if I had more time I'd do another dozen. I'm the sort of person who needs brain-feed (who'd a thunk it!), I've got to learn stuff, otherwise I'll be bored to death.
Do you know how to shoot a gun?
In theory. I've watched James Bond... And I have tried air guns, years ago. How hard can it be, anyway, people seem to be shooting eachother wherever you turn these days!
If your house was on fire, what would be the first thing you would grab?
Thing, as in not people? I've always said photo albums, but now I think - my iPod...
Do you think more about the past, present, or future?
The past. Not necessarily my past, though, I haven't really got a very good memory when it comes to myself, but historic past, that's where you'll find me most of the time... I'm trying to get into the present from time to time, but the future's way off!
What is your favourite children's book?
It's got to be The Secret Garden, I read it 8-10 times a year from age 6 through 16. Admittedly, I read Little Lord Fauntleroy almost as many times.
What colour are your eyes?
Some bluish shade of grey.
How tall are you?
1,70 m - apparently that's 5'7''.
Where is your dream house located?
Here. I don't care what the house looked like, as long as it's right there...
Have you ever taken pictures in a photo booth?
Yes, tons of times. Who hasn't? But after watching Amelie I wish I'd done it even more :)
When was the last time you were at Olive Garden?
What's Olive Garden? I've been to a lot of olive gardens (in Greece), but somehow I feel this isn't what is meant here...
Where was the farthest place you travelled?
Hmm. Probably Mexico. But I was 5 and can't remember anything. Only a vague feeling of people patting my head because I was blonde. (Well, more like blond back then...) In my mind, though, I've been as far as The restaurant at the end of the universe.
Do you like mustard?
Not really. As in I'll never put mustard on anything, but I sometimes eat food that's already got mustard on it. And stuff...
Do you prefer to sleep or eat?
I feel I must say eat, as I don't sleep much, but I really, really much prefer sleep. If I could have a pill instead of food I'd replace 4 out of 5 meals. Eating is boring, unless there's something extra going on. Like good company or a special occasion. But 'normal' food? That's just for not going around all sulky because I'm hungry... So the answer? I prefer sleep. I do. It just doesn't look that way....
Do you look like your mum or dad?
A little of both, I think. I definitely walk like my dad....
How long does it take you in the shower?
For some reason I was timing it this very morning! And it came out about 20 minutes. Which did involve quite a few minutes leaning my head against the wall trying to catch some extra sleep....
Can you do the splits?
You've got to be joking... Unless split hair-ends count?
What did you do for New Year's?
We stayed home, the kids were in bed long time before midnight. My mother and her husband were there, and we had a good meal and a nice, quiet celebration. I realised I just sounded like I'm a hundred years old, but so be it.
Do you think The Grudge was scary?
What's The Grudge? But yes, probably, whatever it is. I don't like scary stuff...
Do you own a camera phone?
Yep. Although I prefer using my proper camera.
Was your mom a cheerleader?
Hehe, no, nothing of the sort... She's an excellent mum, but perhaps not quite cheerleader type? I'd be totally embarrassed if she had been... (Besides, there were no cheerleaders in Norway at all until a handful of people - one colleague included - started playing American type "football" (should be handball!) maybe ten or so years ago. And, as it was recently established I'm 100, my mum can't be only 10...)
What's the last letter of your middle name?
E
How many hours of sleep do you get a night?
Truly? About 4 or 5. Ideally I'd need at least 7. Maybe 8. There's just too much life to be had to spend it on sleep!
Do you like the Care Bears?
No. They're just too cute.
What do you buy at the cinema?
These days, i.e. once a year or so when I'm at a cinema, I don't buy anything. When I was a student, though, I used to see at least one film a week, and I always bought "M" - which isn't like M&M, but more like milk-chocolate covered peanuts.
Do you know how to play poker?
I know the rules, yes, but I haven't played it in years. And never about money. There are other ways to play...
Do you wear your seatbelt?
Always. Well, if I'm in a car, at least. And my kids honestly believe that cars won't move unless everyone's buckled up. Good, eh?
What do you wear to sleep?
Usually a long T-shirt and underwear. Fortunately, I haven't developed vestiophobia ;)
Anything big ever happen in your hometown?
Now, we must bear in mind it's a very small hometown. It's hardly even a neighbourhood, by American standards... But there were the odd visit by kings (sic!), and possibly some sporting events, there's even the world championships in cod fishing as well as the traditional Lofoten fishery, but no, can't say anything major happened there. Except that I was born there, of course :)
How many meals do you eat a day?
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, supper. That should make four.
Is your tongue pierced?
No. I did pierce it when I was about ten - I bit right through it (by accident, of course!), and it took three days to heal. Never really wanted to repeat that... Besides, there's something about the way people talk when they've got a pin or suchlike stuck through their tongues...
Do you always read Myspace bulletins?
No. And I'm only recently a myspace visitor at all. But I've read a couple, by my friends :)
Do you like funny or serious people better?
Funny people. I mean people who are really funny, not just think they are. And if they can be serious at times too, we'll be best friends!
Ever been to L.A?
No. Well, I don't think so. But we did go to California too when I was 5, so ... Mum?
Did you eat a cookie today?
It's "have you eaten..." And no, I haven't.
Do you use cuss words in other languages?
I do, actually. I don't curse in Norwegian at all, but sometimes I'll let out a s**t - which has the same literal meaning as the English, but none of the connotations. Mine's definitely derived from English, though. Still, it's better than cursing in one's own language, as long as I remember not to do it around English people...
Do you steal or pay for your music downloads?
Both. It depends where I'm at when I want / need a song. At home there's limewire too... But I've probably paid for most.
Do you hate chocolate?
I hate that I want it so much...
What do you and your parents fight about the most?
We don't fight. Honestly, we don't! I didn't even fight them as a teenager, although I'm sure I wasn't just a joy to be around at all times... I haven't even had a fight with my hubby, we've been together almost 12 years now - I think we're just not the fighting kind. (And no, we're not bottling it all up, we just talk about stuff, instead of bottling & exploding. It works. You should try it sometime...)
If you could have any job what would it be?
This one! (i.e. my current job, not blogging...)
Are you easy to get along with?
I think so. Unless you're really pathetic, of course, in which case I'd be easy to get rid of ;)
What is your favourite time of day?
11-2, morning (...) and night. It's the only 6 hours a day I'm really truly awake.

Lofoten in wintertime

This is from Ballstad, a smack coming into the harbour.

And if you go here, you'll find a whole bunch of recent photographs from the same area. You wouldn't want to miss out on that, would you?

Football in our hearts

First, there was the football tournament. With Filip in one team, Mathias and Thomas in one (they're in different classes) and Jakob in one. Meaning 12 games altogether, the ones who weren't playing managed to see most of the games -- and Anna, luckily, had a birthday party to go to in the middle of it all. There were wins, losses, Mathias scored, Thomas saved, and a good time was genereally had by all! The cups they all received at the end also helped, of course!

Then there was football on television in the night. Norway was playing Bosnia home. A few of their "fans" spent the first 40 minutes of what should have been the start of the game throwing bengal lights on the pitch, their own goalkeeper, setting fire to the billboards... Well, eventually the game started, we still lost (1-2). Not as bad as Greece though, who were slaughtered 1-4 by Turkey. A sad night indeed.On the bright side, Filip has made a little football story: Here's Liverpool FC vs. France (well, it could happen...). Reina shoots from the goal, Kuyt heads it on... ... to Gerrard, who kicks it to Riise, heading it on to ...
... Pennant, kicking it on to Gonzales, who does an amazing trick shot on to ...

... Crouch, who kicks it fiercely into - the crossbar...

No worries, though, they (= LFC!) still won 1-0, according to Filip. And yes, the names and the story were entirely his, as are the drawings.