More needless domesticity

So, last Saturday, we stayed at home and defrosted the freezer. This evening was given over to trying out our new washer/drier (yes, we got it). First, the washer. Then the centrifuge. Then the drier. Each step of the way accompanied by instruction reading, discussion over which setting was best. Not to mention deep questions like how much detergent to use, and in which small plastic compartments to put it, how much laundry can be washed, or dried in one go. It was not un-fun, but I'm not sure how much more domesticity my life can stand. At the very least, it continues to be impressed upon me the extent to which I now live (and have the lifestyle of someone who lives) in the suburbs.

The verdict? The drier isn't very powerful, but otherwise, I'm pretty impressed. It's also much quieter than I imagined it would be. At one point after the wash was well underway, and we had gone to another part of the apartment, Thor suddenly emerged, said 'I can't hear it. Is it still running?' and went out to check it. Not in itself unusual. But keep in mind that this is the same man who finds the idea that anyone would want to actually check on their newborn's breathing to be totally mystifying. Well, everyone's priorities are different, I suppose.

The photo shows our justification for buying a washing machine/drier. I am totally aware that any money we would otherwise save on cloth over disposable has already been way more than used up for this expensive piece of household machinery.

39x365 #6: Mrs. Cunningham in the first grade

When I went into your classroom by mistake, I tried to stay there. Because your classroom had a loft. My brother was your student later on, and based on his experience, I think it was all for the best.

My current life in photos

Here is what I'm focusing on most at the moment. You may, and in fact are encouraged to, supply the captions. Or the story line. Or whatever. Answers in an up-coming post, probably in answer to a meme.

Is this what getting old will feel like?

Sometimes, there is nothing to do but go to bed. Not that I'm tired, but the minor aches and pains that I have, seem to collectively encompass most to all of my body. I am hopeful that this will clear up after a good night's sleep.

While waiting to go to sleep, I will probably be thinking of this book. The first time I laid hands on a copy (it's in my local library), I read it from cover to cover and savored every single little thing that could kill me. Hiccups. Farts. Eating. Sleeping. Not sleeping. You name it, it can kill you, apparently. The last few times I've been in the library, I've read only the section on pregnancy. I especially like the question and answer section. My favorite question? The one that says something like, 'I'm pregnant. Please tell me something that will scare the shit out of me.' The answer? A list of the most horrific birth deformities and their latin names. Because it's important to know the technical terms for 'baby born with no head or arms,' or 'baby born with only a head, no body'. I would share them with you, but I still haven't actually checked the book out; it's just too much fun to read in the library.

In closing, I'm a bit too out-of-sorts to find an image of a baby with only a head to put with this post. It's probably for the best.

39x365 #5: Lady on the bus to school

I was eating liqueur-flavored chocolate next to you, a random passenger. You responded with a lecture on alcoholism. It didn’t occur to me that this was probably a personal issue for you. I've never been very observant of people.

Ode to defrosting

Our freezer has been rather full of more than frozen food for a goodly while,
and today was the day to finally break the ice.

For this, the most adventurous of household maintenance chores,
we attacked. But gently, lest we harm a cooling pipe or punch through a wall.

Our weapons a single salad server, and the wooden end of a plastic spatula,
traded periodically when the whim overtook us.

When no more would be loosened, we'd pry ourselves away,
only to come back to the sound of calving ice shortly thereafter.

My ice-picking companion had, it turns out, never defrosted in this active way,
and I felt like a true pioneer, my enjoyment enhanced by his novice enthusiasm.

Now the ice is largely gone, leaving only residual dripping
which should subside by the morning, to be finally wiped dry.

Leaving me with a clear freezer and fond domestic memories.
Is this not how everyone in suburbia spends their Saturday nights?

*Not my refrigerator/freezer, but one I keep seeing in stores, where we go looking at washing machines. If I had a reason to get a new fridge, I'd have to consider this one; it calls to me.*

Friday night -ology

I've been meaning to address the topic of astrology for a long time now, but today is more a day for numerology, as this is my 200th post. Not such a great achievement, but seeing how long it's taken me to get to this point, well, maybe it is. I suspect that endeavors such as NaBloPoMo and Blog365 are much to blame for my reaching this milestone. While I am off celebrating (both the 200 posts thing, and of course, weekiversary), feel free to analyze my blog's horoscope (courtesy of astro.com). Or better yet, go out and celebrate in my blog's honor.

Real life vs. blog

I've come across many in the blogosphere for whom a blog is the secret to a special compartment in their lives, unknown to their real life contacts. For me, it has always been the opposite - I encourage everyone close to me to read my blog, family, friends, whomever. And some of them actually do so. More importantly, many of them read it without me actually realizing it. This leads to some embarrassing situations, not because of anything I say about anyone, but just because I'm so generally crap at corresponding by more personal means (e-mail, phone, Skype, chat programs, etc.), that the only way for people to find out what's happening in my life is to read my blog. And people do clue in to this. Which leads to incidents like the following:

1) After my mom died, there were several people, childhood friends, ex-boyfriends and the like, who should have gotten messages from me about it. But I found it really strange to write about, and so didn't do it. In the month that followed, all of those people, without exception, wrote me really nice condolence e-mails, having figured out the situation from my post on the memorial service. I still cringe when I think of the sheer tackiness of it.

2) A few close friends who are far away in space and time have also written me nice e-mails congratulating me on my pregnancy. Which of course they read about on my blog. This includes a good friend to whom I did write with the news (long after I should have), who responded with a lovely Christmas card saying something along the lines of, 'Pregnant? I'm shocked! No actually, I'm not. I've been following your blog'. I would imagine that, at the rate I'm going, she'll read this before finding any follow-up e-mails in her in-box. It shouldn't be that way, but it is.

At least these incidents are only one-way...me not communicating with others, who in turn are good at communicating with me (luckily, as otherwise, I might have no contacts at all). But now it seems to be getting totally out of hand, as shown by a comment on my last post from the ubiquitous and prolific 'Anonymous'. In it's entirety, the comment reads:

Dear readers of this blog.
It's sad but true - this is the only way, I can come in contact with my girlfriend....

Kimananda: Pick up your phone and call your boyfriend (you know... the one you live with, father of your unborn child etc.) ;-)

Which basically means that not only can other people only find out about my life through my blog, but I myself am now only finding out about others through my blog. You know, I think I'll go and find an old e-mail (I don't throw them out, I just keep putting off responding to them until they are forgotten) and answer it. Or maybe I'll just go and start a conversation with my boyfriend, Anonymous.

Yes, I know my posts are getting shorter and shorter...

...but it's because I've been far too busy lying perfectly still, and allowing myself to be repeatedly kicked. Pretty masochistic, I know. I presume that after the birth, I will no longer find it a good thing to be kicked. Until then, I plan to enjoy it as much as possible.


Drawing from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proportional_reasoning, and accompanied by a simple math problem. It came up first on a Google image search for the word 'short'.

If you meet the Buddha on the road...

...take his picture. It's much more civilized than killing him. I met this Buddha on the road into Stege, on the island of Møn. He is clearly trying to inspire me to be more mindful, but I don't seem to be listening for some reason.

A dichotomy between image and words

The Buddha on my windowsill symbolizes peace. Which is to say that he does not fit in with my overall day, marked by annoying appointments, unproductively foreshortened classes, and not least, clogged toilets. Which is not to say that I've had a bad day...actually, I haven't at all. But what could make future days more meditative? All solutions gladly welcomed.

My current solution to all ills is a glass of milk. Actually, several glasses. It's highly effective, but perhaps not very long-term. I'd give a more coherent post, but I'm still traumatized by the toilet clogging incident (I won't go into too many details on that one, but you can take my word for it that it was rather impressive, in a really disgusting way).

That much closer to a completed nest

This you may remember having seen in an earlier stage of incompleteness. It's almost done...now, there's just the wait to see what the name and date will end up being. And time to find another project; the cross stitch part of my heart and brain feel somehow empty. Candidates to fill that aching void are this and this.

39x365 #4: Mrs. Norris

Second grade, not the worst, not the best. You left your mark by giving out for Christmas the biggest candy canes I had ever seen. You would not countenance the spelling x-mas, which in retrospect lessens your appeal somewhat.

39x365 #3: Heather

Summer, a Massachusetts private school. You, the chemistry teacher, I an English teacher intern. You cooked for me, and showed me how to cross stitch, for which I am grateful. After that summer, I never heard from you again.

Ei blot til lyst

This is written above the stage at the Royal Theatre, and translates to 'not just for pleasure', meaning that it should also offer culture, education. Tonight's showing of Mozart's early and lesser known opera 'Lucio Silla' gives the phrase a whole new meaning. If you are ever given the chance to see this opera with a minimalist set, where the performers dress in plain grey suits, and in those suits sing about intrigue in the Roman empire, if you have that chance, don't take it. Just don't.

On the other hand, it's always good to hang out in the Royal Theatre, because there's so much in the theatre itself to look at when one is bored.

39x365 #2: Sasha

You thought you were a person, and loved all people. A strawberry blonde, whose leg kicked uncontrollably during a pet, with unbounded enthusiasm for any sentence containing 'wanna', 'cookie', 'walk', 'ride'. You became, you are, my definition of dog.

Did you know...

...that sometimes it's much more fun to hang out with friends than to blog. Yes, it is rather shocking, isn't it? But true. But yet, I find time after to blog anyway...I wonder what I would be feeling if I'd gotten home an hour later?

And no, we didn't go out for malted peppermint milk shakes, but the feel was somehow the same.

All those amazing things in store for us!

I've given a couple posts over to 2007 so far this year, but it occurs to me that I still haven't fully, publicly embraced 2008. But what's more important than 2008? At this point, at least. In 11 months or so, my ideas on this will have changed.

For me, what will happen is obvious, and equally obvious is that everyone is so aware of it. I don't believe I recieved a single Christmas or New Year's card this year which didn't mention how 2008 would be so special for me. And it's true. For all sorts of reasons, not just the obvious one. But it's special for everyone. We cannot even know how amazing the year will be, but must help it unravel like a ball of yarn, while collecting all the presents.

Yes, ball of yarn. Yes, presents. Every Christmas from my youth, we'd wake up to presents, small presents in the stockings, and bigger ones wrapped up underneath (and no, we weren't Christian, but I think my mom just wanted to have the presents on the day that all the other kids got them, there was nothing religious about it in the slightest). At the top of the stocking was the most amazing part...the ball of yarn. Always the exact same balls of cheap Woolworth acrylic, pepto-bismol pink for me, an equivalent blue for my brother. You could see they were in a tight ball, but not quite. There would be things hanging out of them, small things. I no longer remember what kinds of things were in the balls, but think pencils and erasers, matchbox cars, mini-candy bars, things like that. We'd start to unravel the yarn. Things would fall out, we'd see how soon we could guess what that tiny snub just barely showing yet would turn out to be. I vaguely recall my mom making a disparaging comment about how after all the work getting all the big stuff together, my brother and I would beeline for the cheap stuff every year (true, though after the unraveling, we would then turn our attention totally to the bigger ticket items).

So, may your 2008 be a ball of yarn, with small gifts spread throughout. Happy unraveling, and finding, and making a mess of yarn all over the living room. Because that is what it's all about, isn't it?

*Original photo from http://www.stringofpurls.com/About_Our_Yarn_Shop_s/41.htm.*

From the sublime to the disgusting

I had read, but not really understood, the extent to which pregnancy is really disgusting. And sort of painful (mostly back pain, a little leg pain)...but mostly disgusting. When it's not beautiful and life-enhancing, that is. If you ever want to really, really understand what your digestive system is, and what it does at every stage of food processing, and if you, further, want to understand all the things that can go wrong with that system, then become pregnant. I'd give you examples, but the very act of giving those examples might inspire in you some of the same symptoms, if you're eating at the time of reading, or if you have recently eaten. And I'd rather you find out for yourself, if you're so inclined. It's like I imagine the pain of childbirth will turn out to be, which is to say much worse than anyone will ever say, because they don't want to scare everybody off, thus dooming the human race.

*Photo note: of course, this Danish sign reads 'bath and toilet', but I prefer to ignore the + sign, and read it in English.*

39x365 #1: Mom

Of course it starts with you. But the words that I have - funny, generous, private, crafty - were compiled for the rabbi. I never needed to characterize you - you just were. An amazing mom, you would have been the perfect grandma.

I see you your Rowlf, and raise you a Gonzo

I tried to resist...and I was doing so well, too, avoiding this YouTube thing, not really watching any, and certainly not linking to anything. But this clip has stolen my heart, and begged to come home with me. How could I say no to such a pair?

This post is for Gondul. You can see her original bet here.

Suburbia personified

They say that having a child changes a relationship. They fail to say that it also turns relatively hip boyfriends into domestic obsessives. Watch the video on this page, and imagine having certain phrases whispered in your ear by your beloved. Phrases like 'buy me', 'you love me', 'baby needs dryer'. All of these having to do with the product itself. Unlike the video, which seems to have very little to do with the Miele washer/dryer being sold.

I'm very much hoping not to be swayed. Not by the thought of having a washing machine in the house, which goes along nicely with my idea to clothe our daughter in cloth diapers. (Maybe my delusion? Time will tell.) But rather by the thought of spending such a ridiculously large amount of money. I've never bought a washing machine...no, I take that back, I've never bought a new washing machine, and I've never bought a dryer. Is it really worth spending more than twice as much as any other machine just because it's a brand that's known for being reliable? I have the definite idea that Thor has his heart set on this one, and nothing else will do. I just keep thinking about what else we could do with the price differential, and for that matter, if we have that kind of money at all.

Photo credit, http://cititorg.ru/pictures/big/wt2670wpm1.jpg

2007 Year in Review

I first saw this over at Devil Mood's place, and then afterwards at Scholiast's place. I figure now's the time to try it out myself, while I can still actually remember something about 2007. Or is is already too late?

1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?
Now that I think about it, it's been a pretty monumental year. I experienced life's limits, both the very end (dying) and the very beginning (conception). On a more mundane level, it was pretty much business as usual.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I kept almost none of my resolutions, and so this year, purposely made fewer. So far, I'm keeping up with one out of three. I'm still optimistic about the others though.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
I don't believe so, but I have the idea that I'm forgetting someone. I'm getting a bit forgetful that way.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
My mother. It doesn't get much closer than that, really.

5. What countries did you visit?
The States, several times. England. Holland. Sweden. The only one I hadn't been to before was Holland.

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
I could have used some hope at several points in 2007, and networking skills would be really useful as well.

7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I tend not to remember dates, more the events themselves. However, June 11th and mid-August. Why? See question #1.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I'm pretty pleased with my thesis...well, now I can see all the ways in which it could have been better. But it's by far the best thing I've done of that kind, and I'm proud of it.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not having more follow-through on my thesis, and losing momentum. I seem to be getting it back though, slowly.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nope. I'm generally pretty healthy. Unless pregnancy counts as an illness or injury?

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Hmmm...I'm quite fond of my iPod, but the best thing I bought? I'm not sure there was a 'best thing'. Things are just things, after all.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Thor's behavior is generally deserving of great merit. All my blogging friends who haven't abandoned me even though I've been a particularly bad correspondant.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
None that I can think of, which I think is a good thing.

14. Where did most of your money go?
It's not so much where the money went as in why wasn't there so much money to go anywhere? Answer, a lot of my year's events prevented me from working as much as I otherwise would.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Right at the moment, my two babies, the real one and the metaphoric (that one would be Tristino).

16. What song will always remind you of 2007?
I used to listen to so much more music, but seem to have lost it somehow. 2007 is more a podcast year for me. But if I have to choose, I choose the Beatles, Golden Slumbers/Carry that Weight. Or maybe Kate Bush, This Woman's Work.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer?
(a) happier, all things considered
(b) I should hope fatter, but not counting the pregnancy, probably about the same, and
(c) poorer, but richer in spirit.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Writing. There is always room for more writing. All kinds of writing.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
There are so many things that took time away from other things, but they all add to where I am now, so nothing.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
In Vienna, wandering around Schönbrunn Palace (including hot chocolate at the Gloriette), eating, drinking and being merry.

21. Did you fall in love in 2007?
Yes, I fell in love, I re-fell in love, and I stayed in love. Not necessarily all at the same time.

22. What was your favourite TV programme?
No TV, so not too much to say about this one. I'm not really sure what's one, to be honest.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I normally don't have the time to hate anyone. Hate takes far too much premeditation and planning.

24. What was the best book you read?
Probably Moby Dick. I should have read this in both high school and college, but finally got around to it only in 2007.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
As mentioned previously, I need to take my music much more seriously than I have in recent years. I'm sure I found some new things, but honestly can't remember any of them.

26. What did you want and get? and 27. What did you want and not get?
I'm not sure how to answer any of these questions. I'm sure there were lots of things that I wanted, some I got and some I didn't. But surely wants don't work in this compact a format.

28. What was your favourite film of this year?
My memory is totally gone. But I really enjoyed The Golden Compass. And Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 39, and it was a low-key event. Nice, but low-key. No party or anything.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Immeasurably? That's a strong word. I would have preferred my mother to stage a miraculous recovery. A PhD stipend would have been nice, too. But immeasurably?

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
I go for basic, simple, and lots of black and grey. Not too casual, not too dressy. My wardrobe had been in slow decline for a while due to variable finances, but 2007 was the year where I revamped my wardrobe...a combination of all my decent clothes self-destructing at the same time, combined with the need to buy maternity clothes. So, now I have a very limited selection of clothes that I truly like.

32. What kept you sane?
I seem to stay about the same level of sane whatever happens, which is not to say that I'm ever totally sane, by the way. Talking to my brother helps profoundly. Thor helps. Friends, generally speaking.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
None that I can think of. Unlike most periods of my life, I can't think of many people in my real life that I fancy either. I'm with the one I most fancy, which I appreciate.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Immigration issues. With climate/environmental issues in second place.

35. Who did you miss?
Who do I not miss? That's the real question. I miss many, many people.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
Once again, so many. I wouldn't dare to single out just one.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.
I sort of knew that persistence is a virtue, but I seem to relearn that one, and to need to relearn it again and again.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Mama, Mama, many worlds I've come/since I first left home. -Grateful Dead, Brokedown Palace. Actually, this one sums up just about every year.

I should go to bed, but...

...I am really curious to hear the final results in New Hampshire. I can't remember ever being this interested in a presidential election, especially this early on in the proceedings. In honor of the occasion, I found two of the most fun political items in my limited archive of old photos...taken from a giant 'no more war in Iraq' rally in London, my then home, in 2003. I'm especially proud of the tea one. And with that, I will try to force myself to go to bed, knowing that the results will be waiting patiently for me when I awaken.

What I'm learning

The problem is, that I can't think of a single thing that I've been up to that in any way inspires a post, or anything to blog about at all really. Which is not to say that I haven't been doing anything. I am clearly being slowly transformed, not a steep learning curve, but a really, really long one. Here are some of the highlights:

I am a traveloholic. And so is Thor. It's not our fault; Sterling was having a sale.

I'm beginning to slowly realize that some of my life plans are not really very feasible. The problem is that I have no other plans to take their place at the moment.

It's only now that I'm beginning to understand the true nature of heartburn. Really, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. In fact, it's kind of gross, in an unpleasant kind of way.

I'm also learning that it's possible to worry about and be protective of someone I haven't even met, who in fact hasn't even been born yet. I'm already crying over not-yet-existent hurts and skinned knees. It's scarily exhilarating. I suppose my mother felt the same way about my brother and I, which I'd never really considered before.

I really do not multitask. My one task at the moment is cross-stitching baby samplers. I interrupt this task to do other things, like go to work, sleep, and eat. And, yes, you guessed it, blog.

Posts are always more interesting when accompanied by an image. You can find the original of this one here.

Just a tiny paradox

Before the paradox can be truly set up, I sent you forthwith to read this.

O.K., now that you're back, let's talk. I agree so much with the whole idea of blogging without obligation. We should all blog when we have something to say or share. Yet, at the same time, I believe so strongly in Blog365, with external motivation to blog regularly. I can't, however, pretend that there's no obligation, ever, inherent in such an endeavor. So, why do it?

The only thing I can think of it that, for me at least, blogging is good for me. If I don't have a deadline to blog (as I am a deadline oriented person, for better or worse), then I do it far too little. With a deadline, blogging becomes much easier, and fulfilling. Does this mean that every post is a gem? No, but that's no different than if I didn't post everyday. The main difference is that, the more posts, the more likely that one of those posts might appeal to any given reader, or more importantly, to me.

So I suppose that what I'm saying is that blogging is on the level of all the other things our mothers warned us to do. It's eating your vegetables, it's wearing clean underwear, it's flossing.

More chocolate?

I believe I'm beginning to sense a pattern. The book, A Natural History of the Senses, by Diane Ackerman. The passage, chosen totally at random, from a passage entitled 'The psychopharmacology of chocolate'. It starts, 'what food do you crave? Ask the question with enough smoldering emphasis on the last word, and the answer is bound to be chocolate.' Following is a several pages on the history and chemistry behind that marvelous substance.

Is this, however, the food that you crave? I certainly like chocolate, but truth be told, the following section in the book 'In praise of vanilla' is perhaps more to my particular taste. Garlic and especially ginger also feature heavily in my cravings. And comfort food, peanut butter (if I ever really need proof of where I was raised, that's probably it), pasta with elaborate sauces, or just with butter, or just with parmesan. Cheese on toast. For my sweet tooth, ice cream. Whenever possible, new foods that I cannot even imagine before they present themselves to me, or I stumble upon them. However, all that said, I do have the occasional craving for chocolate (dark or white, not so much all the stuff in between).

And what about you? When you find that only a certain food will suffice, what food is it that inspires such passion? Do you agree with Diane Ackerman's assumption that we are all chocolaholics?

What hypochondria really is?

I've long been to a certain extent obsessive about my weight, well, at least since getting a scale in the house. Every time I gain a bit, I worry a bit. But now with pregnancy, I've discovered that I can also get worried and upset over losing a bit of weight. Not that I haven't gained overall, but I seem to be gaining, then losing, then gaining then losing, in somewhat of a cycle. Which is probably perfectly normal, but still...who knew that my range of worry could be made so much greater just by expecting? Normally I'm not so much of a hypochondriac, well not more than a teensy bit, I'm really quite healthy, but the stakes are not normally so high, are they?

Oh, and this photo is my weekiversary present to myself. You see, I've also developed a paranoia about gaining weight in inappropriate ways (some might say that certain websites and books that I have read repeatedly might just as well be burned), so this is about as close as I will get to a chocolate based concoction for a while at least. But it looks good in any case. You can find the real thing somewhere in Florida, from what I can tell from looking here at the original site. I invite you to find an image of the beverage of your choice, so that you may join me in a virtual weekiversary toast to hypochondria, and being healthy despite whatever might be imagined to be wrong.

Does this count as nesting?

I believe that this might just count as nesting, but then again, I have gone through several periods of my adult life spend huddled over a cross-stitch frame for hours each day, for days at a time, not nesting. But this time there is a theme. Stemming from a compulsion to pore through my giant folder of patterns to find baby samplers, of which I frankly don't have very many. But a small few, bought long ago just in case someone close to me was expecting. And one or two much more elaborate ones which I thought, these are far too complicated and would take far too long to justify doing for any child who is not my own. So, now that I have justification, it's time to break out the complicated stuff and see what I can get done before I never have a moment to stitch again for years and year.

This pattern, just to make it clear, is not one of those complicated ones. It's dead simple, just to get me back into the habit (which took all of about 10 minutes, I'm easily addicted to this stuff). I'm especially fond of the cat, who has since been finished, backstitching and all, and is looking very cool indeed. Next stitching stop: the toy train.

Resolutions made to be broken

Things I have committed myself to doing this year, making them my resolutions. Keeping in mind how many of last year's resolutions I didn't in the end do (in fact, did I do any of them? I know I did parts of some, but in any case, I'm not sure I want to see what I had planned), the following are only advisory notes to myself, things I might want to attempt, but am not necessarily planning to finish. They seem to be largely blogging related, with a bit of academia thrown in.

1) Blog365. Yes, I am signed up to post everyday in 2008, and seeing as it's only the 2nd of January, and I almost forgot to post, well, it's gonna be a long year. And as I'm not planning on organizing my eventual labor around my blog schedule, I'm almost positive I won't make it. However, it was good motivation to post everyday in November, and I'm curious to see how long the effect will last.


2) 39x365. Yes, write 39 words each for 365 people I've met in my life. This is because it looks like it could lead to some interesting exploration of my (not-so) sordid past, because Erin is doing it, and anything she does is cool, and because it will surely help with the whole blogging everyday thing. Strictly according to the rules, I should be posting about one person a day, but I plan to take breaks. So, of course I will not finish this in 2008, but would hope to get a good start.

3) Write an academic article each month (not applicable for the months of May through until August, where I'll have more important things to do, like checking my daughter's breathing). I have loads of ideas but no deadlines. So, now, deadlines. Just like that. Hey, that was pretty easy. I don't suppose the actual writing will be this easy, no? Didn't think so.

And I suppose I should quit while the list is short, if not exactly easily managable. Please let me know if there is anything I should add.

Altered meme states: a holiday post

O.K., before I change them, let me repeat the rules for the original meme, which the prolifically entrancing Smiler so kindly requested. Though apparently, it's not a 'meme', but a 'hoopla', as the original 'm' word is perhaps overrated, or wrong, or maybe just a wee bit annoying. Smiler has tagged me in order that I might give my own insights on what it is to celebrate Christmas in Denmark.

The Rules Of The Hoopla
1. List 12 random things about yourself that have to do with Christmas.
2. Please refer to it as a ‘hoopla’ and not the dreaded ‘m’-word.
3. You have to specifically tag people when you’re done. None of this “if you’re reading this, consider yourself tagged” stuff is allowed…then nobody ends up actually doing it. The number of people who you tag is really up to you — but the more, the merrier to get this ‘hoopla’ circulating through the Blog-o-sphere.
4. Don't forget to link back to the person who tagged you.
5. Please try and do it as quickly as possible. The Christmas season will be over before we know it.

Now, here are some alterations. I'm no expert on Danish Christmas, having only been in Denmark for one of them, which was rather hazy and jetlaggy (I'd only just moved to Denmark two days previously, after a month visit to California). I have been around both before and after the twenty-erm, somethingth of December (more on this in item #1), so will be blogging about the holiday season (broadly speaking) in Denmark, from Christmas preparations to the New Year, which should also help make it all a bit more timely. And I really prefer 'meme' to 'hoopla'. Not sure why that is (well, actually I am sure, but it would take a post of it's own to explain), but there you have it. Otherwise, I'm following all the rules exactly as they are.

1. As I never tire of telling the Danes, they celebrate Christmas on the wrong day. By which I mean the 24th. Because who can resist sparring over something where both sides are convinced they are right, knowing that no one will ever be converted? When a Dane says Christmas, they mean the 24th, and not the 25th. Which is 1st Christmas Day (logical as it comes before the 26th, which is 2nd Christmas Day).

2. It's not Christmas without Christmas eating events with each and every circle of one's life, events called by the name 'Christmas Lunch' (julefrokost...more on that here). They can be simple or elaborate, and can happen as early as November, or increasingly, as late as January, just because all the good eating places book up for December. My small section of my work hasn't had one, but we are to start (this January) thanks to the efforts of a colleague who successfully made a connection between access to a work julefrokost and basic human rights. And she's not really that far off, in a Danish cultural context.

3. There are as many traditions for New Year's Eve as for Christmas Eve (erm, make that Christmas). My favorite is coming to be the Queen's speech. Margrethe II isn't the only monarch to make a yearly speech, but I believe she is the only one who does so live. Which leads to some interesting gaffes (from last night, apparently, this is time not only to greet 2008, but also to bid farewell to 2006...the subtitles said 2007, but she definitely said otherwise). I have come to believe that the New Year cannot be brought in without that 6 o'clock speech, and will even go so far as to borrow a television in order to watch it.

4. The other big reason to have a television on New Year's Eve is the (in my non-Danish opinion) not very exciting Dinner for One. This is always on right before midnight. 'The same procedure as last year, Miss Sophie?' 'The same procedure as every year, James.' The best part is the extent to which everyone in the room (particularly the guys) knows every line, every drunken gaffe, and every interaction with the tiger-skin rug, discussing every move many seconds in advance.

5. I know of very few Danes who will allow themselves to pick a Christmas present at random; most people seem to make wish lists. Though I haven't for the past couple of years, and it seems to have worked out o.k. for me. Maybe this isn't the oddity, maybe the oddity is that my family doesn't make such lists.

6. It's all about food. I know that is true for any holiday (well, it is to me anyway), but especially for New Year's Eve. There seems to be a rule that the 31st of December is about decadence in food and drink, multiple courses, amazing desserts, alcohol in both quantity and quality. Which leads to all the effects you might imagine from such over-indulgence. This year's menu consisted of whole roasted sirloin accompanied by roasted red onions (marinated with a star anise and balsamic vinegar dressing), olive-infused mashed potatoes, parsley root salad with sun-dried tomatoes, and parsley pesto. That was just the main course. The only complaint was that I couldn't have all of the dessert (I'm of course not drinking at the moment, only tasting, so had to settle for only a spoonful of the homemade gin and tonic sorbet, which was really really good).


7. Christmas is also always about food, but the menu is pretty standardized. Roast duck or roast pork (with the skin). Various sidings. And risalamande with kirsebærsovs (erm, rice pudding with almonds topped with a cherry sauce). There should be a whole almond in the pudding, only one. The one who finds the almond gets a special 'almond present'. Apparently in some households, it's rigged so that each child gets an almond, and thus, a present. I'm not quite sure how I feel about that, but I suppose I still have a few short years to think about it.

8. On the other hand, Christmas in Denmark is all about kids. Maybe this is true everywhere, but I didn't grow up with Christmas (well, I didn't grow up without it, but as a non-Christian from a non-Christian family, it's not my holiday), so I'm not sure. Here, it is. I have lots of (adult) students who say that only the kids in their family get presents for example. Which I cannot countenance...adults need presents, too! Though I find no fault if the kids get more presents, or more elaborate ones. This says nothing about Denmark, but Thor and I have sort-of accepted that we may never be able to travel outside of Denmark over Christmas again. Something about grandparents, quality time with the new granddaughter, and vague threats of mafia hit men, I'm not sure I understand exactly what it's all about, but I have an understanding of the end result. Namely, that I'll have more to say about Christmas in Denmark after next year.

9. All holiday events may be marked by the giving of really silly gag gifts. Sometimes, games are played in order to win these silly gifts. Although I no longer remember the rules, I do remember a memorable julefrokost where two of Thor's relatives (well, a relative and the girlfriend of a relative) engaged in a game-long feud over who would end up with the present that Thor and I brought (which wasn't any less silly than any other gift, but it was the biggest, and so maybe seemed more likely to not be quite as silly). But that was the exception. Normally, silly gifts can be fun. We're still working out how to use that apple slicer/peeler/corer we got at our last Christmas occasion. We have not yet found a use for the plastic-broccoli topped knives stuck in the plastic broccoli sculpture...any ideas?

10. I miss eggnog, but I am somewhat contented with having gløgg. And especially æbleskiver. No, especially the combination. Thor's mom has a gløgg party every December, with homemade everything, and it is a highlight of the season. I could describe them in depth, but I might end up having to make some myself, and the stores aren't open today. So, it's best not to risk it.

11. The third reason to have a television for New Year's Eve is of course to know when it is officially midnight. And then, to see a live broadcast of a chorus of young women who sing a couple of hymns. The same hymns every year. As far as I can see, it's an excuse for everyone to sing along (the hymns are subtitled, and after a while, I suppose one learns the tunes) drunkenly and off-key. It's also a time for unattached men to comment on which of the singers seems particularly nice-looking.

12. After 'Dinner for One', after the clocks have struck midnight and the hymns have been sung (and to some extent before), everyone goes out and lights fireworks. Everyone. Thousands of fireworks. It's the most amazing thing. Even in the suburbs, even out in the boonies. It goes on for hours. Then the next day, the newspapers report on whether it was a good or a bad year for firework related death and destruction (this year, apparently there weren't as many eye injuries as in the past). You can see something that is in fact fireworks in the photo at the top of this post. The deeper message of this photo is that I got my first 'real' camera for Christmas, and clearly don't know what to do with it. The food photo is from the same camera, but not taken by me, which might explain the obvious difference in quality.

So, that's about it. For more traditions and such, please look here. And now, to the tagging. I hereby tag the following bloggers to blog about the holiday of your choice in the form of 12 facts. You may choose to label it a hoopla or a meme, and can of course blog about Christmas or something more timely. I look forward to seeing what you come up with, Devil Mood, Scholiast, Roro, Dok Holocaust, and Vanessa.