Something New

Of all the reasons a shotgun wedding may not be the most desirable option - no champagne being the most important, obviously - lack of availability of cute bridalwear is seldom mentioned.  It should be, though, let me tell you, because there really aren't that many options for the knocked-up bride.  Especially if she doesn't want long or white or too formal and the temperature is barely above freezing.  So I've been pounding the pavement and placing orders online and having no luck at all.  Today, however, a dress that I ordered from Nordstrom in the US arrived and it was exactly what I wanted.  I'm so relieved and super pumped to raise a glass in this little number, which you will see more of soon enough.

Vierdness

Everybody knows that Swedish is a silly language.  One of the sillier features, in my opinion, is the interchangeable usage and pronunciation of the letters v and w.  I'm mystified as to why both are pronounced with the v sound in Swedish (why even have w in the alphabet in that case, am I right?) and never fail to get a chuckle when I hear Swedes pronouncing an English v-word with the w sound.  Wiking, for example, or wolleyball.  Womit is another of my favorites.  Their English is still significantly better than my Swedish, but c'mon, I can't just let it slide.  That wouldn't be very American.  Anyway, I've grown accustomed to this silliness over the past 19 months, but nothing prepared me for the name of the nail polish I purchased at H&M today.  It's called Wawawoom.  It took me a second to even figure out just what I was reading and when it hit me it literally took my breath away.  Because obviously wawawoom is a far superior word to vavavoom. 

My Medalist

Somebody in this family is a champion and his name is The Swede.  Today my betrothed woke up early and headed out to the lake to compete in yet another ice-fishing competition and apparently the practice has paid off because he won in his demographic and, even more impressive, beat Papa Swede, Master Fisherman.  So along with smelly laundry, The Swede brought home 100 kronor, a medal and oodles of glory.  Just one more reason I'm a lucky lady.

Week Twenty-Two

If you've ever been pregnant during the internet age, you're probably aware that there are any number of pregnancy websites that will describe, week-by-week, how your baby is developing.  Beyond details about organ development and how it's looking (ours has eyebrows now!), the sites often compare its size to that of supermarket produce.  So this week, at about 10 inches and 1 pound, Baby Swede is the size of a spaghetti squash.  Now, I enjoy a good gourd as much as the next guy, but I don't know a spaghetti squash from a hole in the ground.  What I DO know is burritos.  I didn't get out a scale or a ruler or anything, but I imagine 10 inches and 1 pound are the approximate specifications of tonight's Serrano burrito dinner.  Which means I fit TWO items of those dimensions in my gut this evening and I probably deserve a pat on the back.

Baking Some Breakfast

I don't feel like cooking especially often these days, let alone get a hankering to try making something for the first time, so when I got it in my head to try baking biscuits today I figured I'd better go with it.  There are plenty of things that biscuits go well with, of course, but they felt like part of breakfast in this case so I picked up some potatoes, eggs and bacon on the way home and fixed a big American breakfast for dinner.  The biscuit recipe promised that they'd turn out like KFC's, which I can assure you they did not, but I can also assure you they weren't half bad for my first attempt.  And now my conscience is relieved a little if I decide to skip cooking the next couple of dinners.

More On The Topic Of Cheese

Hushållsost = household cheese.  Like household cleaner or household budget.  Something that every household requires that you don't necessarily need specifics on.  Maybe I'm the only one who thinks this is funny, that there is apparently not a better way to describe just, you know, cheese.  Because that's all hushållsost is, really.  Not brie, nor cheddar, nor gouda.  Boring, generic and yet something that no household should be without.

With A Capital A

The Swede and I are spending our Monday evening watching the Oscars, which we set up to be recorded WAY after our bedtime last night.  The red carpet was wonderful, as always, but once the actual award show got going, well, geez, Awkward much?  Seriously, we're squirming here in our seats.  I got the impression that it was going to be like this from my Facebook news feed this morning, but I guess I needed to see the trainwreck for myself.  Plus I like dresses.  Big, beautiful, sparkly dresses.

The Corn Cough Kills Me

Just in case you haven't seen it yet, here's the best thing to come out of Sweden so far in 2011.  This is a clip from Las Palmas, which won the prize for best short film at the Göteborg International Film Festival this year.  Does this prestigious festival mean nothing to you?  Fine, here's another accolade for ya:  it won First Prize in my Funny Baby Videos category FOR LIFE.

For Elin

We celebrated Elin's birthday last night at Mama and Papa Swede's.  Love watching this pretty lady smile.

Separate Rooms

As of the last paper-signing session this afternoon, we have officially sold our apartment.  It feels like a huge relief and a great success, as I'm sure you can imagine, and not just because we can catch our breath from constant thoughts of real estate.  No, not just that.  See, one of The Swede's worst burdens is about to be lifted.  We will soon be moving into a home with doors.  Sure, we've had one on the bathroom this whole time, but I can't sleep in the bathroom while The Swede watches late-night television and I can't Skype in there when there's a sporting event on that cannot be interrupted.  Our new floorplan, however, will be much more conducive to my outrageous sleep schedule and his undisturbed sports viewing.  It's just too bad it didn't happen in time for the skiing world championship that will be going on for the next several days.

Awkward Single Girl Behavior

Yesterday I went home from work after lunch to clean then had to vacate the apartment for part of the afternoon and early evening for another showing.  The Swede stayed at work so I amused myself by walking around Kista Galleria, which quickly became exhausting.  So for only the second time in my life I went to see a movie in the theater all by my lonesome.  I bought a ticket to The King's Speech and a small popcorn and settled in among the dozen or so retirees who were also interested in seeing a feel-good period piece at 4:30 in the afternoon.  It was significantly less awkward than my previous lonely-movie viewing experience with Factory Girl, a film riddled with nude scenes, and I didn't have to share the popcorn so, while I felt bad indulging in a movie while The Swede was still at the office, I count it as a success.

Pause

We did a lot of running around earlier today.  We cleaned the apartment once again prior to the open house, took the cats to the fishing cabin to cool their four heels while prospective buyers gave our place the once-over, met up with Sarianne at Babyland so that she could advise us on what we're going to need for Baby Swede, stopped by an ice fishing competition, then picked up the cats and took them home.  All óf this worked up the ol' appetite so we took advantage of the best part of every fishing competition:  the hot dogs.

Kitchen For Sale

Recognize that gleaming, spotlight-illuminated blog photo backdrop?  That would be our kitchen, now famous all over Stockholm because it appeared in today's Dagens Nyheter.  The realtor will be showing our apartment on Sunday afternoon so we've been cleaning,  painting and relocating the cats yet again in our next step toward moving in to our very own Barbie Dream Townhouse in Kungsängen.  By the way, it should be noted that the realtor chose this picture because it showcases the best room in the place, which The Swede renovated entirely a couple of years ago when he moved in.  So that you can get a proper idea of his skills, this is what it looked like before.  Old fashioned and blah.  And totally not a good blog photo backdrop.

Week Twenty

Baby Swede better start really packing on the pounds 'cause its days in there are numbered.  As of today we're halfway to the love of our lives.

The first image was gratuitous baby bump.  This one is gratuitous goofy tooth.  You're welcome.

Meet Flat Destini

Bridget, a friend of mine from college, is now a 3rd grade teacher.  In my opinion, 3rd grade is probably the best of all the grades to teach because it's right about that time that kids learn to hold in farts but they're not yet old enough to throw down all kinds of attitude.  Furthermore, 3rd graders get to participate in the Flat Stanley Project.  It works like this: each student sends a flat paper version of themselves through the mail to someone somewhere around the globe and the recipient then takes their new friend around their area taking pictures and writing about what their flat companion saw.  Bridget enlisted the help of friends who live far and wide to help her students with the project and I got to be one of them!  I got Flat Destini in the mail yesterday, along with a letter that described a little bit about who she is and how she came to be flat, and packed her into my purse so that she can be close at hand when we see any Stockholm landmarks or anything else particularly Swedish.  Flat Destini came with us to the baby store on our lunch break today, which isn't especially geographically educational, but we thought it would be funny how tiny she would look sitting with us at this giant table.  Stay tuned for more adventures with Flat Destini!

His & Hers

The Swede and I hadn't planned to do anything to celebrate Valentine's Day.  They don't make as big a deal about it here as they do in the States, plus we had just had a date night on Saturday, on top of which it's basically romance 24/7 around here anyway.  On the way home from work, though, we decided we would go out for dinner at Gusto, a nice restaurant here in Sundbyberg.  We had a lovely time, but the food was underwhelming so on the way home we popped in to 7Eleven and picked up a dessert that we knew wouldn't disappoint.  Couples Ben & Jerry's.  Thank you, St. Valentine.

Vikingarännet 2011

Today was the annual 80 kilometer skating race from Uppsala to Stockholm and, while we didn't have the same glamorous front row seats as last year, we decided to stop by Kungsängen while out and about today to take in a bit of the action.  The boat house in Kungsi was both the starting point for a half version of the race and a blueberry soup pit-stop for those who had already travelled the great distance from Uppsala.  Folks just starting the race, then, like these two plus the pooch, began by skating through a gauntlet of warm-berry-soup-wielding teenagers on deep purplish-red stained ice

Just A Little Saturday Night

The Swede and I headed to O'Leary's this evening to catch the second half of the Tottenham match out on the town.  It was packed there, though, so we found a cozy corner table at The Bishops Arms instead and chatted for hours.  Sipping water on a Saturday night is significantly more enjoyable than it may sound when you consider that I was with this guy.

Diappearing Act

That's right, ladies and gentlemen:  no more feet.  See you in again in the summer, my little friends.

Best Phase Yet

I have had a very complicated relationship with food these past few months.  Things that I used to love, like garlic, make me quiver at the very thought.  Indeed, it was hard for me to write that word.  Sometimes I'll be in the middle of eating something, literally moving a forkful of food toward my mouth, and realize that I hate it and couldn't possibly taste another bite.  It's also been difficult to know what I'll be able to stomach beforehand, which makes meal planning virtually impossible.  So when I find something I can stand I go with it full-force.  This has made for week-long, three-meal-a-day baked potato, clementine and chicken noodle soup menus, among others.  The Swede has been forced to fend for himself more often that I'd care to admit.  Things are much better in the tummy region lately, but nevertheless today, sometime during a slow afternoon at work, I decided that this evening would start a cake phase.  The Valentine's Funfetti cake my mom sent, specifically.  No, I can't wait the five days until Valentine's Day.  And frankly, I doubt any will still be around for the holiday.

Squeal!

Back when I got that package from my mom I mentioned that there was more to it than I told you at the time.  I couldn't show you then, though, because I wasn't ready to drop the news about Baby Swede yet.  Because the other items in the package were this adorable baby gear: Cleveland Indians onsies from Mom and Ray and a T-shirt and finger puppet from my sister and her family out in Montana.  This baby's never gonna forget where its mommy comes from, that's for sure. 

How To Make Me Laugh

Basking With The Birds

It was super warm today, as in, like, several degrees above freezing and the sun was shining in a way I haven't seen in months.  As soon as I woke up I opened the door to let the cats enjoy the fresh air out on the balcony and made up my mind that there was no way I was spending my afternoon in the laundry room as I usually do on Sundays.  The Swede felt the same so we threw on our jackets and headed out with a few slices of nearly-expired bread and made the ducks' day down by the lake.  Or, I made the ducks' day, since The Swede was concerned that all of the flocking would bring unwanted (i.e. any) attention our way.  He played photographer instead. 

Long Time No See

I spent this afternoon luxuriating in the company of a Serrano Carnitas Bowl, my friend Davida from SFI and her 3-year-old son Raphael.  I don't get as much opportunity to see my friends from school as I used to since the ol' 9-5 has filled up all my 9-5's, so it was really nice to have a whole afternoon of girl talk and to catch up with a friend I haven't seen in months.

Blogging For Two

Oh, yeah.  Baby blogger on board.  Guys, I've wanted to tell the internet about the tiny Viking in my belly for months and months and now that it's time I don't even know what to say.  We had our ultrasound this morning and our baby looks perfect, complete with the majestic triceps surae of its father.  Obviously we're over the moon.  Baby Swede drops mid-July!

Tulpansäsong

It's tulip season in Sweden and your chances of getting a bouquet of tulips, like we did from Gurra and Gunilla as congratulations on our house, are better than ever.  This is especially true on January 15th, Tulip Day.  Oh yeah, it's not just pastries we're celebrating up in this, it's flowers too.  When I first noticed tulip fever last winter I figured Sweden had some trade agreement with Holland to push tulip sales here for no apparent reason (except, of course, that Swedes love a good holiday) in order to get those wooden-shoe-wearing-gouda-eating-windmill-tending-bike-riders through the slow winter season.  The reality, though, is that the tulips are so undemanding of their environment that they can be grown right here (with Dutch bulbs, of course) right through the winter.  At any rate, isn't it nice to see one of the first flowers of spring popping up in vases all over the country when the ground is still covered in snow?  Especially if the vase/drinking glass is in my kitchen?  So I'll forgive you for this ridiculous holiday, Sweden.  This time. 

And No, I Don't Know Why

I can't believe I've never mentioned this before.  Perhaps it's because taking your shoes off indoors is such a regular part of life in Sweden that I don't even notice it anymore unless it happens in some unexpected setting, such as it did last Friday.  It's so regular, and so famously un-American, apparently, that The Swede's folks wanted him to remind me to take my shoes off when I arrived at their home to meet them for the first time.  So anyway, Friday.  We went into the city to sign the papers on our new home.  The real estate agent's office is on Sveavägen, probably the biggest commercial street in Sweden, in an area where one would expect that the shoes would make the outfit.  We're talking Stockholm, not Rome, I know, but fashion matters here.  Curious, then, that we were greeted with a sign asking us to take our shoes off just inside the entrance to the realtor's office.  If I had known, I surely would have matched my socks to the rest of my ensemble.  And I definitely wouldn't have worn my prized Christmas present - those gorgeous Ugg boots you see there - which I dreamed for the next couple of nights that someone stole Carrie Bradshaw-style while we were inside buying our home.      

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!