Photo on Sunday 2017-15

She took them especially with Sunday in mind. They show me as we had just finished our Thursday jogging training. 

I wore a knee brace on my left knee, which explains the unequal pattern on my legs. And no, we didn't go round that athletics track behind me, we went running (ahem) through the wooded area behind it. 

4

May 13th, 2014

When I first got Miss Oswin in 2014, I was told that they found her in a garage with a small litter. She was about a year old. But when exactly she was born nobody knows.

April 27th, 2017

Fast forward to 2015 and we decided that she could share her birthday with the King of the Netherlands: King Willem Alexander. Ever since, Miss Oswin has celebrated her birthday on April 27th. 

The birthday card Miss Oswin got from Madi and Mom. Thank you so much.
And happy birthday to Madi's Dad!

Guess what: today is April 27th! So, it's Miss Oswin's birthday!! Happy Birthday Ozzie. 

Opposable

Apparently we differ from most other animals in the fact that we have opposable thumbs. So we can grab stuff and get dressed and eat with cutlery and do lots of other things. However, nobody ever speaks about the index finger and how important that finger actually is. 

Until you can't use it. Because it hurts to bend the tip. And it's a bit swollen. And it interferes with your grabbing stuff and getting dressed and eating with cutlery and doing lots of other things.

To all those index fingers out there who don't get the attention they deserve: 

You are great.

You are a great help.

You make my hand look good.

You are needed.

Photo on Sunday 2017-14

This is what I saw when I woke up early this morning. Definitely a reason to head straight back to bed! It's nearing the end of April for goodness sake!!!

Elephants

NOT an elephant...

I was doing my job today, but at some point I wasn't doing a good job of it. I had driven straight past a stop where people were due to get off the bus. One of them came forward and said 'we want to get off'. I stopped, apologised and told him I had been thinking of elephants. He must have thought I was mad (quite a generally held opinion by the way, I don't worry about it too much) and got off.

Now, those elephants live in my wall. They are small and blue and have pink dots (some have yellow dots). Their tail is very short and they like rassspberry jam. Miss Oswin is about their size to give you an idea about how big they actually are. 

In other news: next week I am getting serious. Really serious. And I mean REALLY! On Monday, I will go jogging. Then on Tuesday, a spinning class (cycling on a stationary bike, very fast). On Wednesday we will probably start our annual rowing training. On Thursday another jogging evening. On Friday it will be chocs and telly, it just has to be!

During our very first race in 2013

The jogging is in aid of the first jogging race of the season. I did it last year (well, I trudged) in just over an hour. Of course it is also in aid of the upcoming triathlon. There will be four spinning lessons in total, throughout May, so that will hopefully help me with the cycling bit of the triathlon. And the rowing is of course in aid of our annual rowing race. Until now we've always come in first or second (out of two), but we're always on for a win of course.

So, elephants and training. I wonder whether that rassspberry jam is any good?

Beastly

I don't often go to the cinema. I want to and I know which films I want to see, but in the end, I end up buying the dvd. So, the last time I'd been, was early last year, to see the Swedish film about a man called Ove (raved about the book and film on this blog before). But I really really really wanted to see Beauty and the Beast. 

And last night I did. With a friend. The place was nearly full with a lot of women (and a few men/boys who were dragged along) and the pre-film noise was quite high. Fortunately once the film started, it quietened down and we could enjoy the film. 

Because I live in Norway, films are not dubbed, but subtitled and I must say: they were awful! For the singing parts at least. They had made their own rhymes that did not fit the original songs. Fortunately I do understand a bit of English and was able to enjoy what they actually sang. 

I was pleasantly surprised by the lead Emma Watson who had a lovely singing voice, it took me ages to figure out who her father was played by (Kevin Kline) and the fact that the Beast actually turned out to be quite nice looking (as opposed to the animated version, where he is simply dreadful), only added to the enjoyment. 

It was a good night at the cinema and I know that once the dvd comes out: I will get it. Although not from Norway!

Photo on Sunday 2017-13

Some photos I took on Friday. All of the flowers blooming in the garden right now!

Miss Oswin goes outside

Miaow

It's been a long time since I last wrote, but nothing much happened during the winter. I slept a bit, I ate a bit and sometimes I went outside a bit. But it's spring now and when it's nice weather I just want to go outside and find mice. 

It took some time, but I have now trained Mara quite well. She will let me go outside and when she (or our landlord) opens the door again, I come in. Well... sometimes, because there are times when you just have to explore a bit more!

Today I was about to come in, when Mara closed the door again! She was going to take some photos she said and then I could come in. Well, of course I had to see what she was going to take photos of and it turned out it was yours truly. Mostly. She also took some of some silly flowers, to be used on Sunday she said.

Can we go in now? I am hungry!

So, here are some photos of me today. Enjoying the sun.

Cherry tree

So, these questions then. Were they difficult? Weeeell....

The first question was a bit of a trap question. As Yamini rightly pointed out, it was at the time the British 'owned' India and heads of state being what they are (hungry for bigger titles it seems), Queen Victoria thought it would be nice to be empress of India as well as being queen of Great Britain and Ireland. Vicky became Empress of India in 1876 and was so until her death in 1901. My given dates were 1893 to 1897, which fall within her reign. As I said, a bit of a trap there. Plus I talked about emperor and Vicky of course was empress, since she was of the female woman persuasion type. 

However, I think we can all safely say that Yamini got the right answer, which was Queen Victoria. 

My second question has honestly been on my mind for years. I think the first time I mentioned it, was on a road trip with my sister in Wales. Which was somewhere in 1995 I believe. We were driving up a hill and the road seemed to go nowhere, just up into heaven. Whatever happened to the other six heavens? Well, I expected answers (and rolling eyes, like my sister's), but definitely not Yamini's answer! 

It was probably the longest comment ever on my blog, not counting all those spam comments of course, but it was very informative. Although it did only give us one version of the seven heavens. So, just in case you want to read up some more: here is a Wikipedia link to the seven heavens which explains a bit more.

After those two questions and its answers, I think we all would say that Yamini is the clear winner and deserving of the eternal fame and a klem (which is a Norwegian hug) from Brom, who is very excited!! The photo is NOT photoshopped, since they did actually meet in 2015!

Nearly

It's nearly Easter. Bunnies, eggs, chocolate, lamb. Apparently. For me it means a well needed break. Well, I could do with the chocolate eggs as well. Or chocolate bunnies. Chocolate lambs are fine too. Then again, give me a chocolate santa and I will be okay... 

For some reason the Easter break is a period to have home quizzes here in Norway and a lot of shops sell quiz-books filled with hard and not so hard questions. Which got me thinking (yes, I do that on occasion, don't make too much out of it please). And that thinking got me to two questions I want to pose to you. 

Question 1: Who was emperor of India between 1893 and 1897?

Question 2: Whatever happened to heavens 1 through 6? 

Do you think you know the answers? Write them on a postcard and send them write it in the comments. The winner gets of course eternal glory and a virtual klem by Brom!

Photo on Sunday 2017-12

Thanks to my friend who took this photo while sweeping the basement in that little cottage in the Norwegian countryside last year. Finally. A spider!

Taxes and death

Well, I am not going to talk about death just yet. I have the goal of reaching 120 and I am not even halfway yet. Up till then, I will have to pay taxes. Even in Norway! About one third of my wages is taxes to both national and local authorities. They use that money to build bus stops where there were perfectly fine bus stops to begin with and to close roads for a month and then not open them for six. 

However, once the tax year ends (December 31st), there may be a bit of money in the pot that is due to come back to me. And I know it is, since I pay in extra each month. I get by fine on the wages minus that extra, so getting it back is a nice bonus. However, once the returns go online, it is nearly impossible to see them. Everybody wants to know how much they get back. Or in some cases what the tax bomb will be if they have to pay back. 

So, patience was the name of the game yesterday. And finally, just before I went to bed, I was able to log in to my personal site and see that yes, I would get back. A nice amount as well, not huge, but nice enough. Of course I won't get it back immediately. The tax office will pay me when they get around to it. Which could be anything from June to October. Mind you, the later the better really, since their interest rates are higher than my saving account's rates! 

Oh, and just so you know: I can NOT see anybody else's returns, nor can they see mine. Unless there is hacking involved. But people here in Norway are quite open about money and will gladly tell you how much they get back/have to pay. 

Not even a spider!

It has been a long time since I last wrote on my blog. Two weeks in fact, not counting last week's Photo on Sunday. And the main reason for that is work. The past few weeks I've worked long shifts and it's taking its toll. When I get home after work, I look at my computer, shrug and then plonk myself down in front of the telly. I certainly don't want to dig for inspiration. 

The long shifts will continue through this week and then next week I have some time off. In fact, I will only have to work on Monday. Which means I will have time to finally get back to my genealogy, knit some more and perhaps go on a hike/ride or two. 

In other news, this year's tax returns are done, but everybody and their aunt want to see and I can't get on to my site. I think I get something back, since I pay in extra every month for that express purpose. I will have to check again a bit later, when the rest has seen it. 

So, that is it for now. I hope to get back to blogging a bit more from now on.