Advanced maths

Fifteen 12-year-old boys finish 8 pizzas in approx 6 mins 34 secs. Each pizza is divided in 12 slices.

a) how many slices per boy per second?

b) how much football cake can they possibly eat after that?

*dies*

I was in England recently, London, to be precise. There was this concert... And I'll leave you to guess... :)

Reading - and readers

I think I've become a horrible reader. I didn't use to be, in fact - one of my favourite authors once signed his book for me by saying "I wish I was as good at reading as you are" (this wasn't the first time he signed a book for me)!

When I was in school, especially up till I turned lazy teenager, I would read a book a day. At least. At 11 I was let out to the town library once a week when my classmates went to the school library - I had read all the books there.. (No, not the encyclopaedias from A-Z (or A-Å as it were!), but you get my drift!)

I consumed books. (Not having five children did mean more sparetime...) Some I found enchanting, some horrible, some funny, some unbearably sad - but it was always about the book, the story, the characters, somehow.

Now, I don't know. Lately it seems my liking for the characters completely decide whether I like the book or not. Example - I really didn't like The Kiterunner. At all. "Everyone" says it's fantastic and amazing and possibly the best book ever written and so on and so forth. But I ... Well, firstly, when I'm told by masses of people to read a book, I rarely do. (Except when recommended by favourite authors, in person, of course!) But this one I did. And for 2 reasons I decided I didn't like it - I didn't like the main character, he was a coward and a liar; and secondly, after a while I could guess the entire rest of the book, give or take a detail or two, but on the whole - no surprises. At. All...

But does that have to mean it's a bad book (no pun intended)? I mean - the language was flowing, I obviously felt the characters were extremely true to life, as I disliked one of them so much? So perhaps it was actually a brilliant book?

I don't know anymore... What makes a book a good read? That you want to read more of the same author / about the same characters? That you can't put it down once you've started reading? That it'd be worthwhile reading again?

I'll just keep reading until I find out - and beyond.

bloggers come to life!

On 3rd March 2006, at 01:00, I posted a quiz I'd made, about me (selfishly!). There were a few comments, and one was from a new blog friend / bluddy / blogling -

At 19:05, kimananda said...

Hey, considering I don't actually know you, I'm pretty pleased with myself! Now, I'm off to look around your clearly very hyggelig blog a bit more... :-)

We visited each other's blogs from then on, Kim and I, and at some point figured we should get together! After all, she lives in Copenhagen and it's not _that_ far away.

Well, it took us more than three years, but last weekend Kim and her daughter got on the boat, travelled right here, and we got to spend a day together! Here we are in all our splendid togetherness... It was wonderful meeting live (though we blog less, these days, and hang out more on facebook) - and it surely won't take us another 3 or 4 years to meet again!

one of those mornings...

I woke up this morning... Which in itself is good, considering the alternative! But I crave my few minutes alone in the shower to wake up. So, three kids up while I'm grabbing the shampoo is not ideal. Same three kids demanding me to find them clean clothes, that apparently being impossible for 8-year-olds to manage themselves, I had to muster up enough motherly spirit to do just that. Then dry off...

One of the 8-year-olds actually managed to find clothes alone. Go figure.

Now, there was to be another blow to the general well-being of the world, as it were. Jakob woke up. And before I knew it, and had said hello, he was back in bed, furious! Yesterday, he'd lost his first molar. Quite unexpected

ly, but he was very pleased about it. So, as tradition has it, we put the tooth in a glass of water, and waited for the tooth fairy to visit...*

*) Jakob is 11, he doesn't believe in the tooth fairy. But he likes it that way still...

And we the tooth fairy had forgotten to visit! He refused to get out of bed. I said 'maybe we can coax the tooth fairy to visit the kitchen...' and took the glass upstairs. Then realised I had no cash... So, instead of making breakfast, as I'd usually do around then, I had to sneak around and see if any of the kids had any money I could borrow. Found it! And if you're wondering - the current rate for first molar, plus extra for late payment i

s NOK 50 (a little over €/£ 5, or $ 7.5)...

So, time for breakfast, right? Nooo... It turned out, as I was making the beds - one of the kids had had an 'accident' that night. Tried covering it up with the duvet, resulting in everything being wet. Even the pillow... So I had to drag it all to the washing machine, undress the child in question, as clothes ha

d mysteriously appeared on said person's body (no names mentioned!) without my help earlier, and give said child a proper washdown. So much for independence...

Finally, breakfast. Which on Fridays include yoghurt. Hurray! Note to self: yoghurt on trousers and socks and floor comes off more easily if not hurled by the gallon. *sigh*

And it has started snowing again.

How was your morning?

This is why I'm going to England in the summer...

Everything is amazing, and nobody is happy...

When I was little we didn't even have a rotary dial - we just wound the phone up and were put through to the operator...

This guy makes a lot of sense! And yes, I still think technology is pretty amazing!  :D

What's in one's nature

Last night hubby and I was at a gospel concert, Oslo Gospel Choir, very christmassy event, and they're very good! The concert hall was chock-a-block - for the third time that day ( = 1,600 x 3), so you could say they're rather popular...

Sometime in the middle of all this singing and rejoicing, the conductor told us of a "gospel church" in Chicago that he's visited on a number of occasions. And asked us to participate a little more - urging the soloists on, that kind of thing. And we weren't asked to go out there and be outrageous, or anything like this, just clap a little more spontaneously and at "odd" times  :)

Now, I will remind you, good people, that this was all happening in Norway. And for Norway, the audience was excellent - ecstatic, almost. But now - participating more? Even though I wanted to, I found I couldn't do it. I mean, really couldn't. It was impossible _and_ embarrassing. Though I was happy enough that other people were at it, wholeheartedly!

It were as if I'd been asked to walk on my hands. Naked. 

Every reason I couldn't do it... 

And it wasn't like dancing - I really couldn't dance to save my life, but secretely I wish I could - this was different, I really had (and still have!) no idea how to do it or what to do or when or... 

I guess it just isn't in my nature... 

(Drawing: Erich Heckel, Handstand (Acrobat), 1916)

Me Me Me

A meme I stole from Sam. No, really, it's ages since I did one, isn't it? The basic idea is that there are questions and you have to answer them in one word. We'll say how I fare... 

1. Where is your cell phone?

Pocket

2. Where is your significant other?
Kitchen

3. Your hair colour?
Greying

4. Your mother?
Travelling*

5. Your father?
Travelling*

6. Your favourite thing?
Laughing

7. Your dream last night?
Vague

8. Your dream/goal?
Freedom

9. The room you’re in?
Livingroom

11. Your fear?
Spiders

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years?
Here

13. Where were you last night?
Home

14. What you’re not?
Childless

15. One of your wish-list items?
Rufus

16. Where you grew up?
Lofoten

17. The last thing you did?
Bake (!)

18. What are you wearing?
Jeans

19. Your TV?
Off

20. Your pet?
Dead

21. Your computer?
Loved

22. Your mood?
Improving

23. Missing someone?
Sometimes

24. Your car?
Garage

25. Something you’re not wearing?
Hat

26. Favourite store?
iTunes

27. Your summer?
Crete

28. Love someone?
Several

29. Your favourite colour?
Blue

30. When is the last time you laughed?
Recently

31. Last time you cried?
Recently

*) Not together, of course  ...

Help!!!

A short film made at school by my oldest son Jakob and one of his mates. Not bad at all for two 11-year olds, methinks!

Seriously funny

I found it over at Josh and Josh's place!

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

The outcome was decidedly blue...

Luckily...! 

But on a distinctly bluer note... Amidst all voting & rejoicing for Obama, California voted FOR prop 8, and thereby making gay marriage illegal again - after it was only legalized in May this year. Though it hasn't been finally decided yet, there's even a chance this will have retro-active effect, thus rendering marriages from these past months null and void!

This morning I felt hungover. I felt sick. What if it was suddenly decided that 'all marriages from 1996 [yes, I'm that old...] are hereby declared null & void!' -- "and while we're at it, you can never marry again either, except with somebody else, whom we choose. Mwahahaha!" 

Hence the sentence that's been numbing my brain since I woke up this morning... "The outlook was decidedly blue..." I wish there was a way that this would end on a happy note, just like the song!

But as I walked through the foggy streets alone 
It turned out to be the luckiest day I've known (...)

the age of miracles hadn't passed!

Black to start

I play backgammon on my mobile a lot, especially going to and from work. The phone always has the white pawns, I'm black. When starting a new game, the programme will always inform me "you're black". Then, after the dice have been cast, it 99% of the time says "white to start".

This morning it said "You're black. Black to start."

CONGRATULATIONS OBAMA!!! And thank goodness for sensible Americans :D

The Guys from the Caravan

New favourites - a Lisbon band:

My friend Daniel has designed their CD cover & sleeve, which is how I found them - and they're worth listening to! Proper feelgood music. You can find out more here!

Another "dear blank"

Dear Mathias

I'm sorry I couldn't hold your hand going to school this morning, but with five children and only two hands it just wasn't your turn.

I'm also sorry I yelled at you, even though you stayed behind and made me run back to get you. There was enough time and all you really wanted was to hold my hand.

So sorry!

mum

Nightmares IV

This is the classic one. I dreamt it years ago, but I remember it vividly. Now, I've read somewhere that we only ever dream in black & white, but this was so distinctly black & white - like an old movie, so different from my other dreams / nightmares - I have come to the conclusion this was an exception.

It even had a soundtrack. Cue Mafia music...

We're in a stable. Large one. (Very Godfather-like, actually, only I had never seen Godfather at that time, and had actually never even been to a stable - but anyway...) I'm not there - luckily! There are two guys there. One is just hanging around, it seems, chatting. He carries a rifle, but that seems to be part of the job. There's nothing dramatic about the scene. The other one is preparing to have a bath in an old zinc tub.

All the time they're chatting idly - possibly they're brothers. Or working partners. Or something of the sort. The bather gets into the tub, sits down on his knees. Or stands on his knees, more precisely, there's no room to sit. (The tub's on a table, just like in this photo...)

Change of angle - the camera man (who must have been there, anyway, this is my nightmare!) goes past the first man to get a good shot at the bather. His friend puts his rifle down. Picks up an axe and goes over to the tub.

Loud music. Very dramatic all of a sudden.

The man with the axe says something, we can't hear him for the music, but the bather looks a little surprised. Then his puts out his cigarette, smiles friendly (really!) and plunges the axe into the bather's left thigh. Thick, red, curdling blood trickles out. (You'd expect it to pour out, but it didn't. Was too thick.) But that's not what woke me up. Not the blood, or the shock of 'why?'.

The music died the instant the axe was lifted and it was his scream, the bather's insane cry of pain that woke me up. I can hear him still.

The Aging Meme

From EllasDevil
Rules: All you have to do is either finish the sentence or fill in the blanks...

At a certain age women should: stop trying to look 17.
At a certain age men should: start shaving their ears!
When I was a kid I thought I: would be world famous by now...
Now that I am older I wish: that I'll stay un-famous!
You know you are too old to party when: there's football on TV and it's a lot more tempting.
You know you are too young to retire when: your mortgage is still larger than your house.
When I was in high school I listened to the music of: U2, Sting and de Lillos.
Nowadays I find I like the music of: Rufus Wainwright - U2, Sting and de Lillos  :)
On my last birthday I: probably had too much cake and a sugar rush, 'cause I can't remember anything...
On my next birthday I want to: be surrounded by friends and family! (Wait, I think I was last year too..?)
The best birthday present I ever got was: one of many - which one to choose!
The first time I felt grown up was: when I could admit to my own flaws without flinching.
The last time I felt like a kid was: today, around lunch. And yesterday. And ...
When I read "Roots" by Alex Haley (at 12) it changed my life.
Last year was: surprising!
Next year I hope: the world hasn't changed too much.

randoms

Ireland's President is in town - Oslo is full of Irish flags, and flowers in Irish colours - I love it!

And Monday Martha Wainwright was in town! (Yes, she's Rufus' sister, but her music is her own!) Her concert was truly amazing - what a voice! You can see her perform on her own blog, if you want a sample... And afterwards, there was a meet & greet. See, we're practically sisters ! And yes, that's an R.E.M. T-shirt I'm wearing...

Quote of the day (18)

Been listening to Tom Lehrer a lot lately, like (re-)discovering a fountain of youth! Amongst his many nice and accurate quotes is this gem:

Life is like a sewer - what you get out of it depends on what you put into it!

Insanity streak

Or insanity vein, rather!

Thursday the Manchester International Festival revealed its 2009 programme, which includes (to no surprise for some of us...) Rufus Wainwright's new opera Prima Donna. Friday tickets went on sale at 10 AM GMT. 

At 9 AM (GMT) there were a lot of us anxiously waiting for it to open, typing messages to and fro as we did so, and laughing hysterically at anything. Really, you had to be there! (And you were, I guess, at least had the opportunity to, as this insanity went online...) Then it turned 9:58 - lines were open!

... For about half an hour or so, noone spoke (or "spoke", as it were), then messages started trickling in, where they'd got seats and so on. Neither of my browsers (Explorer and chrome) would let me do the final bank confirmation (aaaaaaaarghhh!!) so even though I got to reserve seats a number of times, I just couldn't buy them.

Panic time.

Then ... One of the boardies had bought too many! I got just the ones I wanted  :)  And then insanity really hit - all of us ticket holders screaming (silently, online) and shouting of gleeee! 

So much joy - and then we're all meeting up at the opera - next July...

Yes. I'm planning next year's summer already, and it does not include my family - but involves almost all of my "online family". It's not just the music. Or the man. It's what he means - and that's more than you might think or guess, even. If you have a look at these posts you'll know how someone's lives have changed forever! And if that's not insane, I don't know what is!  :)