Saturday, December 31, 2005
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Slombhaugen
As you may recall, I am rather interested in family history research. My cousin Megan started a blog a while back to post stuff about the Haugen family (my maternal grandmother's family). Just today Megan posted a very cool picture (see below) of my great grandfather's family farm back in Norway. The farm is located in Vågåmo, in Vågå municipality, in Oppland county, in Norway. The farm is now used as a summer/weekend home by relatives (at about the 3rd cousin level) who still live in the area.
Just a few things
I had a good Christmas.
First off, I didn't have to work. Last year I worked nights (BOO!!!) This year, in fact, I had five whole days off (24th - 28th).
Second, I got to spend some time with my family. I actually stayed over at my parents' house on the 24th and 25th. We had the previously mentioned traditional Swedish smorgåsbord on Saturday night. On Sunday, my sister and I made breakfast between opening stocking presents and opening under the tree presents. The menu was from a 30 Minute Meals episode and consisted of gingerbread waffles, chicken sausage patties, mulled maple syrup, and toffee hot chocolate. As Rachel Ray would say, "“Yummo!" After presents we worked on a puzzle most of the rest of the day.
I got some great presents including many little uncomplicated but essential gadgets for my kitchen. My favorite present, however, was a book on CD. The book is a Swedish children'’s classic called "“Vi På Saltkråkan,"” which roughly translates to "“We On Seacrow Island."” It is written by Astrid Lindgren of Pippi Longstocking fame. The book is about a family that rents a summer home on an island (Saltkråkan) in the Stockholm archipelago. The book was actually first written for television and then as a novel. I would love to have the DVD of the television series, but unfortunately US and Sweden are in different DVD zones, and so far I have only been able to find the DVD for the Swedish zone.
Yesterday day night we had a "“fancy dinner."” This event was initially created for the fact that I had these two really pretty cocktail dresses and nowhere to wear them. (I need to find some friends that have or go to fancy cocktail parties.) Then it just seemed fun to plan a fun "“fancy"” menu. We ended up with salad of mixed greens, pears and parmesan cheese; parslied rack of lamb; potato and goat cheese gratin; green beans with applewood smoked bacon, brown sugar and caramelized shallots; and, chocolate mousse. Drinks included Prince of Norway cocktails before dinner, 2005 Beaujolais Nouveau with dinner, and Bonny Doon Muscat Vin de Glacier with dessert. Quite tasty! And we all felt so dignified and civilized in our "fancy"” clothes.
Today I went shopping. I got a bunch of cheap (but classic) DVDs at Target. Then I went to Pentagon City. I spent a good deal of time milling around there, not finding much that I liked. I did, however (as sort of a Christmas present to myself), buy a new cashmere wool coat. It was on sale for 50% off, plus I got an extra 20% off by paying with my Macy'’s charge. Pretty good deal if you ask me. See below for a picture of said coat.
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Nerds in the Hood, Stars on the Web
Check out this New York Times article about the SNL "Lazy Sunday" video (aka Chronic of Narnia). Apparently this video has become an overnight sensation. There are even t-shirts inspired by it now. Also check out Lonely Island, which is the website of SNL performer Andy Samberg and his childhood friends Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, who helped write "Lazy Sunday." They have a bunch of other funny videos to watch.
Dagens Namn -- 25 December 2005
On Sunday there was no name day because it was Juldagen (Christmas Day).
Friday, December 23, 2005
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Just a few things
1) Got my grades back for the semester…two A’s and a B plus. Not too bad. Of course it would have been nice to have three A’s, but I’ll get over it.
2) I always like to read the Yahoo New! Odd News. Recently they posted a story summarizing some of the strangest stories of the year. Check it out!
3) Apparently some woman in Oklahoma just recently delivered (luckily by c-section) a 14 pound 3 ounce baby. Can you say gestational diabetes? Although from her picture the mother appears quite large herself. Some time last year at work, we delivered a 13 pound 2 ounce baby. That baby was delivered vaginally. Granted it was the woman’s fourth or fifth delivery. But still, I don’t think I’d be all too proud of something that large coming out of me without too much complication. Apparently the biggest baby ever born, was born in Brazil and weighed 17 pounds!
7) I had lunch the other day with my friend the Serpent Lord. We were discussing how Christmas Day and the first night of Hanukkah fall on the same day this year. He said he usually spends the first night of Hanukkah with his family and he would therefore be missing a very cool concert at the 9:30 Club. The artist is a Lubavitch Hasidic Jewish guy name Matisyahu. His style/genre is reggae/hip hop/rock. At the Serpent Lord’s suggestion, I check out his official website and MySpace page. The guy seems pretty awesome. Check him out!!
8) On Saturday night my family will be having a big traditional Swedish Christmas Eve smorgasbord. My dad started the preparations the other night by beginning the gravlax. For those of you who don’t know, gravalx is raw salmon, cured in a salt-sugar-dill mixture. It's sliced paper thin and served on dark bread as an appetizer, often accompanied by dill-mustard sauce. Other things on the smorgasbord will include: Swedish meatballs, various kinds of sill (herring), Sillsallad (“salad” made with herring and beets), ham , Janssons Frestelse (Jansson’s temptation, a gratin with potatoes, onions, cream, and anchovies), and various breads and cheeses. Dessert will be ostkaka with strawberry or lingonberry preserves. YUMMY!!
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Friday, December 16, 2005
Master Bedroom
Inspired by my friend Molly, I have been looking around online at condos for sale in the area. I would rather have a 2 bedroom place, but I thought I would look at 1 bedroom places too just in case there was something spectacular. I find it amusing that listings list a place as having a master bedroom and master bathroom when it is only a one bedroom place. As far as I am concerned, you must have 2 or more bedrooms to have a "master" bedroom. More to come about my search later.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Bound for Glory
There is an exhibition at the Library of Congress right now called "Bound For Glory." It features color pictures taken by photographers of the Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information between 1939 and 1943. The description of the exhibit says, "These vivid scenes and portraits capture the effects of the Depression on America's rural and small town populations, the nation's subsequent economic recovery and industrial growth, and the country's great mobilization for World War II." We are so used to seeing photographs from this era in black and white, so it is very different and very cool to see these pictures in color. The exhibition will be at the LOC until January 21st and will then go on tour.
Congratulations
1) To my friend and coworker Kathleen and her husband Chris on the birth of their son William. He was born at 7:01 am on December 5th, weighing in at 6 lbs 12 oz. Of course the baby of a labor and delivery nurse would be born at change of shift!!
2) To my friend and coworker Gemma who got engaged to her boyfriend Paul on December 5th in the snow at the monuments. Ah young love!
3) To my friend and coworker Molly who was finally able to buy her own condo. Can't wait for that wine and cheese housewarming party!
2) To my friend and coworker Gemma who got engaged to her boyfriend Paul on December 5th in the snow at the monuments. Ah young love!
3) To my friend and coworker Molly who was finally able to buy her own condo. Can't wait for that wine and cheese housewarming party!
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Dagens Namn -- 13 December 2005
Today is your name day if your name is Lucia.
In Scandinavia, December 13th is always celebrated as St. Lucia day. See this Wikipedia article for more info. See below for a picture of me as St. Lucia.
In Scandinavia, December 13th is always celebrated as St. Lucia day. See this Wikipedia article for more info. See below for a picture of me as St. Lucia.
The Dash
The Dash
I read of a man who stood to speak
at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
from the beginning...to the end.
He noted that first came the date of her birth
and spoke of the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between the years.
For that dash represents all the time
that she spent alive on earth...
And now only those who loved her
know what that little line is worth.
For it matters not, how much we own;
The cars..the house...the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.
So think about this long and hard...
are there things you want to change?
For you never know how much time is left.
(You could be at "dash mid-range")
If we could just slow down enough
to consider what's the true and real,
and try to understand
the way other people feel.
And be less quick to anger,
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we've never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect
and more often wear a smile...
remembering that this special dash
might only last a little while.
So, when your eulogy's being read
with your life's actions to rehash...
will you be proud of the things they say
about how you spent your dash?
Unknown
I read of a man who stood to speak
at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
from the beginning...to the end.
He noted that first came the date of her birth
and spoke of the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between the years.
For that dash represents all the time
that she spent alive on earth...
And now only those who loved her
know what that little line is worth.
For it matters not, how much we own;
The cars..the house...the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.
So think about this long and hard...
are there things you want to change?
For you never know how much time is left.
(You could be at "dash mid-range")
If we could just slow down enough
to consider what's the true and real,
and try to understand
the way other people feel.
And be less quick to anger,
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we've never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect
and more often wear a smile...
remembering that this special dash
might only last a little while.
So, when your eulogy's being read
with your life's actions to rehash...
will you be proud of the things they say
about how you spent your dash?
Unknown
Monday, December 12, 2005
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Quote for the way I feel today
Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted.
Aldous Huxley
English critic & novelist
(1894 - 1963)
English critic & novelist
(1894 - 1963)
Friday, December 09, 2005
The Ninth Beatitude
Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.
Alexander Pope, Letter to Gay, October 6, 1727
English poet & satirist (1688 - 1744)
Make A Flake
I love this website. On it, you can make your own snowflake. You can preview the flake as you are working on it and if you screw a part up you can undo it. If you make an extra cool one, you can even save it so other people can see it. Try it out!!
Dagens Namn -- 9 December 2005
Today is your name day if your name is Anna.
My little sister's name is Anna. We actually celebrate her middle name, Karin, which is on August 2nd. All the same, here is an old picture of her as I don't think she appreciate me posting any of her more recent pictures.
My little sister's name is Anna. We actually celebrate her middle name, Karin, which is on August 2nd. All the same, here is an old picture of her as I don't think she appreciate me posting any of her more recent pictures.
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Dagens Namn -- 7 December 2005
Yesterday was your name day if your name is: Angela or Angelika.
Below, my good friend Angela with an armadillo.
Below, my good friend Angela with an armadillo.
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Dagens Namn -- 6 December 2005
Today is your name day if your name is: Niklas or Nikolaus.
The Dutch are big on celebrating the feast of Saint Nicholas, or Sinterklaas. This is one of the very popular children's songs sung on the day, that my sister and I always like to sing.
Sinterklaas kaopoentje,
gooi wat in minj schoenthe,
gooi wat in mij laarsje,
dank u, Sinterklaasje
See this website for a little history of the holiday as celebrated by the Dutch. Sinterklaas is actually the basis for our American Santa Claus, so all the Santa lover/haters can thank/blame the Dutch I guess.
The Dutch are big on celebrating the feast of Saint Nicholas, or Sinterklaas. This is one of the very popular children's songs sung on the day, that my sister and I always like to sing.
Sinterklaas kaopoentje,
gooi wat in minj schoenthe,
gooi wat in mij laarsje,
dank u, Sinterklaasje
See this website for a little history of the holiday as celebrated by the Dutch. Sinterklaas is actually the basis for our American Santa Claus, so all the Santa lover/haters can thank/blame the Dutch I guess.
Monday, December 05, 2005
Dagens Namn -- 5 December 2005
Today is your name if your name is Sven.
I don't have any pictures of my uncle Sven to post, so instead I post a picture of Sven the fish who was named after my uncle. If you look really hard, you can see him in the background.
I don't have any pictures of my uncle Sven to post, so instead I post a picture of Sven the fish who was named after my uncle. If you look really hard, you can see him in the background.
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Favorite new snack
Ok, so my patient today introduced me to my new favorite snack. Greek yoghurt with honey! Yummy yummy yummy! I have seen it at Fresh Fields before, but I only tried it for the first time today. It is made by a Greek company called Fage. Check out their website!
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Pride and Prejudice
Maria, Karin, and Gretta came over yesterday and we had a little Pride and Prejudice marathon. This was mostly brought on by my displeasure with the newest remake out in theaters. We watched all six tapes (about 5 hours) of the Colin Firth version. Good stuff. When I have time I'll have to watch the old 1980 version again too. I'm also still working on rereading the book, but what with all the other stuff I have to do before the semester is over I haven't had time to finish it yet. Anyway, there are tons of great quotes from the book, but the following is one my favorites:
"And your defect is a propensity to hate every body."
"And yours," he replied with a smile, "is wilfully to misunderstand them."
Friday, December 02, 2005
Vegetarian Chili
I made some fantastic vegetarian chili last night and just thought I should share the recipe. It is originally from Cooking Light magazine. Aside from a little prep work it was relatively quick and easy to make.
Chunky Vegetarian Chili
Makes 8 servings (serving size 1 cup)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 (16 oz) cans stewed tomatoes, undrained
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell peppers, and garlic; saute 5 minutes or until tender. Add sugar and remaining ingredients, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
Chunky Vegetarian Chili
Makes 8 servings (serving size 1 cup)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 (16 oz) cans stewed tomatoes, undrained
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell peppers, and garlic; saute 5 minutes or until tender. Add sugar and remaining ingredients, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
Stand To The Right
Anyone who has ridden the Metro here in Washington knows that it can at times be very frustrating. People (especially tourists) have no concept of escalator etiquette. When you try to get off the train at your stop, you are bombarded by all the other impatient riders trying to get on the train at the same time. According to a Washington Post article I read this morning, "After pondering the problems for five years, the Metro board of directors approved several pilot projects that will start in February, aiming to move people on and off trains and escalators with speed, grace and, maybe, civility." The proposed changes will include platform markers, large stickers on the escalators reading "Stand to the right," and a new male intercom voice telling people when the train doors are closing.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
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