Expanding Waistlines Ahead

Some of the dudes in our office have been going to this all-you-can-eat Asian buffet for lunch every once in awhile and always come back looking extremely satisfied and ready for a siesta.  Needless to say, I was intrigued.  So Linda and I checked it out last week while The Swede was in Gothenburg, for educational purposes.  Just to make sure it was good enough for The Swede, naturally.  It got an A+, so we introduced Thai House to The Swede during our lunch break today.  Having an hour-long lunch is a luxury I had not experienced at any of my previous jobs and I have to say it is real, real nice.  Especially when you need time to fill your plate, eat, fill it again, try to clean your second plate, stretch, unbutton your pants, take a few more bites and, of course, get a photo for the blog. 

Number One Birthday Dinner

Here's Papa Swede celebrating his 57th birthday this weekend with some swank whisky at a swank dinner hosted by Mama Swede.  We got to benefit again from their dinner party contest with neighbors Gurra and Gunilla, which Mama Swede ended up winning last night.  Anytime anyone wants to invite me over for a prize-winning dinner, you just let me know, m'kay?

Still More Good News

What a day!  Adding to the excitement of today was a package in the mail from my mom and sister, chock full of amazing things.  A Cleveland shopping tote, the soup mix and Pop Tarts I've been craving, lotion, lipgloss, a Cosmo, VALENTINE'S FUNFETTI CAKE MIX HELLO! and some other stuff I'll tell you about next week.  It was like Christmas, if half of your Christmas presents were food.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for the package full of America!

The American Dream

My apologies for dropping off the face of the blog for the past couple of days.  See, we've been busy.  We're going to be moving this spring so we had a photographer come in and take pictures of our apartment for the realtor.  This may not seem like a big deal, but it required weeks of preparation in the way of repairs, cleaning, packing and generally making our place look better for the next person than it has ever looked for us.  But it's all been worth it because today I became a homeowner for the first time when The Swede and I signed papers on our very own radhus with a terrace and a yard and a dishwasher and everything.  I wish I had pictures to show you right now, but the realtor already took down the listing online so I'm afraid you'll have to wait till we move in in April.  I can tell you this, though:  it's perfect. 

Berlin Style

There are super exciting things going on at the office these days.  Our company is expanding into the office next door so there have been constuction workers on site getting that location ready.  And today, with saws buzzing and dust and sparks flying, they cut a hole into the wall and two offices became one.  They announced their plan ahead of time so natually we spectators gathered to watch the big show.  Our salesman Michael even got some refreshments ready for when the construction workers finally made it through just so they knew how fun and hospitable we are on our side of the wall.

Lovemobile

I don't want to make you jealous, but I think you should know that I'm with a man who, when he's rushing to catch a train to Gothenburg at 5:15 am, dragging a suitcase behind him, will cross the street to write me a message in the snow on our car.  Yeah.  I know.

Décor

We're planning on selling our apartment soon and to that end we've spent the afternoon packing some things into storage to get the flat in order for the showing.  All of the obsolete gaming systems have been moved out of the TV stand, however the minimalist style we're going for was immediately cramped by the feline Pig-Pen. 

Reality TV At Its Finest

Six o'clock and time for our favorite program of the moment, MTV's 16 and Pregnant.  You guys, if you have the occasion you really ought to take a peek at this show as it is fascinating.  Watching each and every episode of this documentary series makes me feel grateful on so many levels for my situation in life.  Right deep down into my bones.   

Gradient

See that bright, beautiful blue running across the center of the photo?  That's daylight, baby!  A little dab'o'daylight at 5:00 pm is good for the soul for sure.

The Taste Of America Is Artificial

Have you been to Europe and tried orange soda?  It's amazing.  It tastes so much more like actual oranges than we're used to in the States and is, I think, so much more refreshing.  I tasted an orange Fanta for the first time in Italy and never forgot it, so when I came to Sweden nearly a decade later I was pumped to get to enjoy it again.  Sometimes, though, one just wants to taste something familiar, if sickeningly sweet, and as this country's soda offerings are predictably slim* I selected the American-style, aggressively-colored orange flavor.  And dang.  It was good. 

*To be fair, there are a few food items that one can find more varieties of in Sweden than America.  Flavored sparkling water, for example, and gummy candy.  And who can forget cheese-in-a-tube?  The USofA can't touch Sweden's tubed cheese situation.

Our Future: Now Government Approved

So check what came in the mail this week!  In case you don't read legal Swedish, this would be our marriage license.  If it appears a little used and abused that's because The Swede spent four hours ice fishing in the rain today and needed a spot to dry out the contents of his wallet.  I'm hoping he didn't realize what he was spreading out sopping-wet leather and credit cards on, otherwise what does that mean, am I right?  At any rate, this sucker is good for the next four months and I wanted to say that if you don't see an invitation in the mail please don't panic and think that we don't love you because we totally do.  We're just planning on keeping things as simple as possible because, honestly, all I really want out of my wedding, all that I've ever dreamed of, is to marry this man.

Date Night

The Swede and I just got home from an early dinner at O'Learys.  Make that an awesome early dinner.  While The Swede went to the driving range early this morning, did some grocery shopping and watched a miniseries on television, I stayed in bed until 2:30 just because I could, so by sunset I was feeling like a trip out of the apartment was necessary.  And where better to spend that trip than Sundbyberg's finest American restaurant?

Typical

And, of course, the day after I throw away all those 50 ören, we find out you can still donate them to help vulnerable children. 

A Shocking Disclosure

Here is an extraordinarily poor-quality photo of a couple of 50 öre coins, because some posts don't really need a picture but I've got a pattern going here, haven't I?  These coins are half a krona each, so equivalent to about 6 cents.  They were recently discontinued but that's not the point of this post.  Today when we got home and parked the car, The Swede looked for some change for the parking machine and found only a few 50 ören, which he suggested I take out of the car and throw away.  This after he became infuriated watching me throw away a penny when we were in the States last summer.  Ridiculous, I know, but still not the point.  The point comes when I said that we should keep the ören and start a rare coin collection and sell them later and make a bundle and The Swede replied, "Haven't I ever shown you my rare coin collection?"  Um, hello?  Here I am writing desperate blog posts about windshield frost and number 2½ pencils and the man has a rare coin collection!  When was he planning on filling me in on this?  The honeymoon?  I mean, geez, talk about surprises.  Stay tuned for the best blog post ever when he finally reveals this thing.

It's About Time

It's been snowing a bit.  Kind of a lot actually.  And basically for the last two months, so I imagine you can imagine that it's been building up along the sidewalks and berms.  Much to the chagrin of The Swede.  It's funny sharing your life with someone, you know?  Some days you feel like you know them inside and out and others they surprise and charm you with something ridiculous like how incredibly annoyed they are that nobody has cleared away the djävla snö.  I like it.  I can't wait till The Swede reads this post and learns that he missed some big time snow clearing action in our neighborhood today while he was hard at work at the office and I was hard at work at home trying not to vom.

Playing Chicken

Most days The Swede and I arrive home from work before six o'clock and therefore within the timeframe during which one must pay to park on our street.  So I stay all warm and cozy in the car while my sweet fiancé takes a walk to the parking machine to buy us a ticket.  Inconveniently, indeed even less convenient than having to pay to park in front of your own home, the machine is located in a spot that requires The Swede to cross the same street twice to get to it.  Unless, of course, he races the traffic down the middle of the street.

Stating the Obvious

Update on the American food section:  SOLD OUT. 

Girl's First MAC

The week before Christmas, our boss presented my colleagues and me with a generous gift certificate to NK and I immediately knew in which department I would be investing:  maaaaaakeuuuuuup!!!  Because NK doesn't offer anything less pretentious and because I thought Lollipop26 would approve, I plunged an outrageous amount of gift certificate into my very first MAC.  Times two, actually, because the sales lady convinced me that I was going to need to blend two shades to match my skintone.  Oh, and I needed a pretentious brush to apply it with, of course.  I expect to be discovered by a modelling scout any day now.

Men Gärna Ikea Katalogen

As you know if you're an observant Christian or a Swede, today is Epiphany so we had the day off from work.  We hadn't been to Ikea in awhile so we headed over right when it opened this morning to avoid the crowds.  The Swede was so relaxed not having to wade through millions of other shoppers that we really took our time and looked at everything.  It was my dream Ikea trip.  And then, among so many cute things, I found the cutest thing:  a room divider painted like a door that even included the traditional message on the mail slot.

Bling

Would you look at these sweet icicles we have on our property here?  They're just out of reach of our balcony, which is probably a good thing because they're making me thirsty but I have zero impulse control and who knows what kind of crazy pollutants are contaminating the Swedish precipitation.  Pssht, just kidding.  This is probably, like, the cleanest place in the world but certain naysayers still won't let me eat the snow.  No fun at all, these Swedes.

Blinking Crescent Suns

How lucky was I to get a job in an office chock full of dorks just like me?  This is Eric and Per using random tinted plastic materials they found lying around the office as light filters to view yesterday morning's solar eclipse.  FYI, if you missed it it may be because you don't live in Europe, Africa, Asia or especially Sweden where it was most apparent.  Or perhaps you're just blasé about such things like The Swede, who said that eclipses are no big whoop because they happen so often.  Whatever, Too-Cool-For-School.  Either way, you probably saved your eyes some damage since translucent grey report covers don't get the filtering job done at all. 

Gonna Need More Magnets

Today was a great mail day.  I got a book I ordered online, a late Christmas card from my brother Kris's family that included an adorable photo of my neice and nephew and a letter and drawing from Elin.  And no bills.  Not a one.

Untapped

Well, I'm feeling much better today, you'll be happy to hear, and since I hadn't seen the light of day in over 24 hours, The Swede and I headed over to Bromma Blocks to check out the new mall.  New to us, anyway.  I think it may have been around for awhile but we missed the memo.  At any rate, it's beautiful.  The shops are very open - no doors to speak of - so it kind of feels like an airport.  Next time I shall go unencumbered by a Swede who doesn't like browsing quite as much as I do.  Or drop him off at the kids' play area with all the dads amusing themselves with their iPhones.

1-1-11

Dudes.  I'm really only here so that my mom knows that I haven't died.  Though, really, I feel like I might.  That's right, I majored in drama.  Thing is, I'm ill, and not in a way that I can blame on New Year's champagne anything, but in a way that totally isn't my fault and deserves all kinds of sympathy.  I don't even feel like eating, which is, like, my favorite so you can imagine how serious the situation is.  If my mom were here I'm quite certain she'd make me drink warm Jell-O water and I'd feel better in a flash, but they don't have Jello-O here, nor do they have my mom, nor would I touch un-set Jello-O with a ten-foot pole now that I have the will of an adult, but still.  Okay, The Swede just said I smell like an old travel trailer that no human has lived in since '77 and is inhabited by cats, so I'm going to go take a shower.  NOT.  Hopefully I'll see you on nicer terms tomorrow.  Happy New Year, at any rate!