News??

On the news I just heard about a result from a big research project on diets and weight loss. It is apparently the most extensive research project ever made on the matter. Very surprisingly (?) the conclusion of the project was that no diets work, either low-carb, Atkin’s, GI or any other of all the numerous available diets. The only thing that works if you want to lose weight is to eat less and exercise more. Who’s surprised?! That’s what I have always said; it is all a matter of input and output, plus and minus. Why would it be any other way?!

Praise to the People!

Just happened to get stuck in front of the TV broadcasting the Academy Awards. I normally don’t care that much for it and normally don’t watch the show. I do like film but the circus around it is not so much my thing. Nevertheless I got a bit moved by some of the speeches. Not so much the somewhat over emotional thank-speeches, but more so the motivations for the nominations. I found it great to great actors making speeches about how great the other actors are. I believe we all would need some more speeches where we get to hear what wonderful persons, colleagues, professionals, men and women we are…
Ok, you might get to hear some of that when getting married, retire or at your funeral, but wouldn’t it be nice to get to really hear get to it!? So; make more speeches to honour the people that mean something to you!!

New Office

I must say I am not looking forward to become a commuter. From tomorrow I will be working 45 km from where I am living. There are bus and train connections but not very good ones. We are still a few living in The Small Town so for a start we can travel together by car, but of course it is a bit in convenient that exactly now when I really need the car for the first time, it is not working very well… and anyway it means lost of time and having to get up earlier in the morning. So not my thing!

I don’t really look forward to unpacking and getting used to a new office again, and only for a couple of weeks, either. Buy I guess I will have to think about it not being for very long. I am counting the days.

The First of Last Days

Because things have been a bit crazy lately I hardly noticed something that is quite amazing when you think about it. Yesterday I worked the last day in The Small Town!!
The office is moving to The Somewhat Bigger Town this weekend and from Monday that is where I will be working. Ok I will still live in The Small Town for a while, so that is maybe one reason why it did not feel that overwhelming, but it is only a matter of a month or so, then I will be in Stockholm and I will be having a life again!!
There is light at the end of the tunnel!
And it is not the train coming...

A Crazy Day

There have been some crazy days. A lot has happened, most of it actually quite good. I will tell more about it. But yesterday I got a proof of that you are never allowed be completely happy. After a very good day I felt exuberant and to celebrate things I asked some colleagues over for dinner and wine. Before that I went down to town to buy some sparkling and food stuff.

In The Small Town there are a few rather awkward crossings, but after living here for a while you know them pretty well and know what rules here are. Just before where I wanted to park there is a four-way-stop, very unusual in Sweden. I stopped and as it was rather late there were no cars so I drove again. When in the middle of the crossing a car is coming from the right and does not stop at all but just crashes in to the front of my car. As none of us were driving very fast the crash was not that bad, but of course you get a bit upset. I got angry because I knew I had done no wrong and it was entirely his fault. The other driver also got upset at first as he thought he was right while coming from the right. But when I told him to go back and have a look at the sign he changed his mind realising it was his fault. We solved the situation amicable and none was really that angry any longer, although not very happy either of course. His car was actually worse damaged and then of course he will bear all the costs. But most important of course, there were no personal injuries.

Today I called the other driver to discuss how to proceed with the matter. It was actually a rather nice conversation. I was a bit worried that he might have changed his mind about who caused the accident, but that was no issue. He just said he was very angry with himself as he was the sole cause of the accident. He also said that after all, he was happy that if something like this must happen, he was glad it was with someone as nice as me! And that he was impressed that I didn’t get angry with him, as he would have freaked out completely if it happened to him. I told him that it was most likely because I had had a good day up till then and that helped…

Skiing

Today I actually took advantage of living in the middle of nowhere. Both today and yesterday were fabulously beautiful winter days, with white glistening snow, blue sky and sunshine. Therefor I went for a spontanous skiing trip on my own. Just a short drive and three hours skiing in the afternoon. Not bad!! Good for the first skiing of the season.
While skiing though, I remembered that the last time I was skiing was not last winter, but this summer. Indoors. In Dubai. Weird!

Stuck in a Pattern

Sometimes it is easy to get stuck in behavioural patterns. I believe most people have at some time or another felt that you are doing the same mistakes over and over again. This is no less true for relations. I have spoken to many friends about to what extent failed relations is the result of a pattern of action or pattern of how you choose your partner. But it is one thing to have a vague perception of that you might have a pattern that might not be very helpful for you. Because I mean, if you do what you always have done, you get what you always get. Then there is not much opening for a change. But becoming aware of exactly what your pattern consists of and how to change it is a completely different thing.

Therefore it was kind of satisfying or maybe at least amusing when a friend of mine told me some gossip about a former boyfriend of mine today. Talking about being stuck in a pattern!! She told me that he had recently broken up with the girl he met quite soon after we split. And not long after this break-up, or maybe even before, she wasn’t sure; he got together with another girl. The whole break-up and the whole story about the new girlfriend showed all the signs of a very familiar pattern. I can’t help wondering if they are going to Italy this spring…

Stuck

I am stuck in The Small Town this weekend, totally against my will, because I am duty officer this weekend. It really feels like being electronically tagged. After some insistence I managed to get some clear information on how far away from the office I am allowed to go. I found out that in case something would happen that can not be solved over the phone and mobile internet I have to be in the office in less than 90 minutes. I realised that is enough to be able to join my sister and her family to the closest skiing area tomorrow. Great!! I could get out and get some fresh air, sun, skiing and social stimuli. It suddenly all felt quite ok again. Therefore I got quite disappointed when my sister called tonight and told me they had some problems with their car and didn’t feel really comfortable to go for a longer drive before they had the chance to check it up. So skiing is off. And I am stuck in The Small Town again. :-(

Seeing the Light

I am finally seeing it again. The light that slowly started to glimmer at the end of the tunnel during autumn, but then rapidly faded in December and during the beginning of this year has been alarmingly absent. The light; meaning moving away from The Small Town.
Yesterday I received the information that I will receive the key and be able to move into my new apartment in Stockholm in exactly one month!! And yesterday, as well as today my boss confirmed that I will be transferred to Stockholm some time during March, although the exact date is yet not fixed. So, slowly I am returning to life.

The job might still not be what I want to do, and I am afraid t won’t get better in Sthlm, but I will be there!! I will be able to have a normal life outside work!! That’s a good start!!

Homesick

Lately I have been thinking a lot about my new apartment. It is not so long before I really can move in and what once seemed very distant and unreal is actually happening. Now the job-thing actually seems to work out as well, so things are quite good. Still I can’t help worry a little as well.

I think, dream and long for my new flat basically every day. I think about how to place the furniture, about finally hanging pictures on the walls, about really getting things that I like. Longing for my new bathtub, dreaming about getting a dishwasher etc etc. Not to mention the fact that I will be able to live somewhere where I can have a normal life, where I can meet my friends and go out with them and still get back to my own place, not having to sleep over on someone’s mattress or sofa. I will also be able to get active in some organisation or take a evening course or something like that because I know I might actually be around for a while, not constantly on the move. For the first time in a long time (maybe really the first time) I am moving to something instead of moving away from something.

At the same time all these expectations make me feel a bit afraid that I might get disappointed. I still haven’t seen the apartment and what if I don’t like it when I see it! What if it is dark, if I find it tiny and ugly?! What if it has paper walls and the neighbours are loud?! Well, somehow I believe it can not be wrong and it can not be bad, but all the expectation open up for disappointment.