I went back to the village today for the traditional “First Sunday of Advent-coffee” with my old neighbours.
After that back to town to check out the displays for Christmas in the store windows. Not much to write home about, but quite nice after all.
The temperature dipped down below -20 Celcius today, so it was easy enough to decide that this would be a day of indoor activities. I had great plans for all the things I was going to do, but… Nothing much was accomplished – aside from a couple of loads of laundry, coffee with my neighbour, dinner and a nap on the couch.
Actually, I needed a day like this!
I thought this was quite appropriate, what with American Thanksgiving this weekend…
I’ve almost forgotten about Urban Dictionary over the past 3-4 months, so I thought it was time to sample from there again.
I went by to see -H- and -R- after work today. They, along with the other guys and the staff, were gettting ready to go to the hockey rink to try out skating for the first time in their lives… I hightailed it home to get my camera and met them there.
These guys are real troopers! Most of them have never experienced snow or ice and yet they were all game for this! They may not be studies in grace and comportment – but they sure gave it a good try!
It’s just so annoying that I didn’t manage to get really good shots of them. However – I’m sure there’ll be more opportunities as time goes by.
I also came home with some homework… The other day -B- bought a pair of pants that were too long. I offered to hem them for him, so today we went to check how much I needed to shorten them. He made clear to me that they should be just so long (sort of scrunched up a bit over his shoes…)
then he proceeded to haul out one more pair that needed to be shortened….
and then another pair…
This was accompanied by a charming smile and many “Thank You’s” in Swedish – and who was I to say no??? The other two pairs of pants were from the clothing people in town have donated, so it’s not exactly haut couture-items, but I suspect quite a bit more stylish than what he is used to.
When I first got this, I was ready to start protesting before I had even read it through. My feminist side didn’t want to own up to how true this actually is… Not much has changed since -68!
(1) Fine : This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.
(2) Five Minutes : If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.
(3) Nothing : This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.
(4) Go Ahead : This is a dare, not permission. Don’t Do It!
(5) Loud Sigh : This is not actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to # 3 for the meaning of nothing.)
(6) That’s Okay : This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That’s okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.
(7) Thanks : A woman is thanking you, do not question, or faint. Just say you’re welcome. (I want to add in a clause here – This is true, unless she says ‘Thanks a lot’ – that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say ‘you’re welcome’ . that will bring on a ‘whatever’).
(8) Whatever : Is a woman’s way of saying F– YOU!
(9) Don’t worry about it, I got it : Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking ‘What’s wrong?’ For the woman’s response refer to # 3.
I got this from a young lady whom I will spend a lot of time with, come December 16th. She plays a significant role in my son’s life. Nuff said on that topic.
This is what my brain feels like right now – fried sweetbreads…
Remember my cretinous neighbour with her music in the middle of the night and the phone call to someone in the wee hours?? Yes, that one!
Early, early this morning she must have let her dog out for a weewee – and then gone back to bed. About 4 AM the dog was on my patio, whining and wanting to get in… I put a pillow over my head in the hopes that I’d be able to fall asleep again, but no such luck. By 5.00 AM when my alarm went off the dog was still out there, but then she apparently returned to life and let the poor thing inside…
No, she wasn’t at home this evening – but I. Will. So. Talk. To. Her!
The trip to the coast to see the lawyers went without a hitch. Despite drifting snow on the road, I made good time and both -H- and -B- caught some Z’s in the backseat. The lawyers??? Well, like most of their colleagues I guess (I haven’t had any reason to meet that many over the years) but they were definitely very professional, both of them.
Now all we can do is to get ready for their interviews at the Migration Board. -B- on December 5th and -H- a week later.
Personally, I’m going to collapse on the couch and await “Grey’s Anatomy”. However, I have a feeling I’ll end up seeing the re-run on Sunday to catch the last half hour of the show…
This from a few days ago….
Today has been the type of day that makes me wish I could fast-forward time. I’m not normally the most patient when it comes to dealing with stupidity – now I can’t even pretend at being understanding and gracious in the face of utter thickheadedness. Am trying not to loose it, but it sure is hard…
I managed to coordinate the appointments with the lawyers for my two teenagers to the same day!
Now, what are the odds this would be possible with such short notice – I ask you?
When I was talking to the secretary at the law firm this morning, I was almost led to believe that my request to have the lawyer call me about such a piddly thing was tantamount to sacrilege. Luckily, he came across as a sensible person when he called back this afternoon – and I. Am. So. Relieved.
First of all because this way both -H- and -B- will get to see their lawyers well in advance of their hearings at the Migration Board.
Secondly I save myself a one-day trip to the coast and the attendant loss of income. We do get paid for the hours we spend doing things for and with our charges, but it does not cover my wages for an entire day.
Last but not least – I won’t have to make preparations for a sub-teacher for one day. That may seem like a not-so-big-a-deal, but it is. Given that I like to maintain a certain standard on the lessons even if I’m not present myself, it does involve quite a bit of extra work to prepare for a sub.
On that note, her’s another picture from yesterday.
The cold weather of the past week has meant that the ice is making progress even where the water is flowing. I went back to the same spot as where I was last Sunday, partially to get this shot:
… and to record the position of the sun at about the same time as last weekend. This shot tells its’ own story…
… pretty soon there will be no more than an hour of good light for photography in the middle of the day.
There were two sundogs, but I didn’t have enough time to get to the right vantage point to get a shot of both.
All in all – a perfect Sunday!
This van was parked outside the apartments the other day but was gone by the time I came out with my camera at the ready. Well, this evening it was parked there again – and I made a fool of myself by going out in the dark to shoot this. With flash…
My neighbours will no longer doubt whether I’m sane or not – they KNOW I’m barmy!
-H- now has a warm jacket and ski pants, shoes for playing soccer indoors as well as some gadgets you use to increase the strength in your hands. I am sure they have a name – I just can’t think of it now.
I came away from this trip full of admiration for this child who was forced to grow up instantly when his father disappeared some 5 years ago. He had to take on responsibilities far beyond his years and then ultimately leave his mother and younger siblings behind. Coming here as an “unaccompanied minor” immediately propels him back to being a child again… Can’t be easy to revert to a role you left years ago! Here he is – facing a winter close to the Arctic Circle where the days are getting progressively shorter. He is surrounded by people who natter away in a language he himself only knows a smattering of words in. He rides 90 km one-way in almost total silence with this strange lady to buy clothing. His big dream is to by a small stereo system, but after the clothes and shoes are paid for, he has to realise that he can’t afford to. I tried explaining to him that maybe we can arrange something some other way – but I don’t think he understood that. Not until we were back at their dorm where one of the other teenagers translated for me.
I tried imagining myself in the same situation – 16 years old, in a strange country with a strange language, even stranger customs and a climate I had never before encountered… I am full of admiration for these teenagers and I really hope they will get a chance to fulfill their dreams and aspirations for the future!
Once back in town, I just had to take a walk along the shore and this was one of the sights I rested my eyes on.
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