Life in the Land of the Ice and Snow
Infiltrating Sweden one cinnamon bun at a time
It’s the time of year again when some Swedes eat rotten fish. Yes, rotten. It’s called Surströmming. It’s fish in a can that has been allowed to ferment at least 6 months. It has been described as “of the most putrid food smells in the world”. You are not allowed to eat it inside your … Read more
Last week was Culture Week in Stockholm. My friends and I found an area with wonderful rides, our favorite being this one, where kids have to fan their parents for 5 full minutes while classical music is playing. Best ride ever! Strangely, my kids didn’t agree.
The weather report on my computer yesterday actually said, “Pleasant.” I didn’t know that was an option on a weather report. I expect “sunny”, “rainy”, “cloudy”, but I’ve never seen “pleasant.” Sometimes it’s quite lovely to live in Sweden (as usual, please ignore the months of November – March). Near Houston our weather report was … Read more
This morning, “Surfin’ Bird” by the Trashmen came on the radio as my husband and kids were walking outside. It’s such a good song to start the day with. As I stood on the third floor of our building, I held the radio over my head with the window open and blasted it to them … Read more
Today I realized there are 4 security points I must pass through to do my laundry in the basement. All residents have a special coded chip to get in the doors. I have to use my special chip to get in the front door (because laundry is in the next building), use it again to … Read more
….and breakfast on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, etc. Basically any weekday when I need to get my kids up to catch the bus. Amazingly, my youngest son always has some sort of ailment in which he cannot get out of bed (ailments do not apply to weekends). Today his body was so heavy with gravity that he … Read more
Today’s job ad: “Dancer for ‘Sinbad in the Year 2050.” These are the jobs that I find online. Now, believe me, I’d love to be a dancer for Sinbad in the Year 2050. The ad says it’s “oriental/futuristic dance.” Well of course it is! What else would it be for Sinbad 2050? I’d totally apply … Read more
The miniscule electric fan heaves to push tiny breaths of air into the sweltering abode Beads of sweat pour down my neck As I wrap my lengthening hair in my dollar store hair clip The computer – overheated! The television – overheated! The iPad – overheated! The intricate systems were never meant to suffer this … Read more
It’s that time of year again when I keep an eye out for extra jobs. Today’s favorite was “German agent for fraud.” (I like to ignore the “for fraud” part.) I don’t like to read the description. I just want to imagine that they would advertise for secret agents. I imagine that’s how they recruit … Read more
Ikea’s storage solutions are amazing!
When I went to the public pool the other day, I started thinking how I could hide my wallet and keys so I could swim without anyone taking them. Suddenly, I came up with a brilliant idea! You bring a bag and staple a musical greeting card to the opening flap. (Obviously, you have to … Read more
Imagine my shock when I saw this item in the Police Beat section of the paper from my small hometown outside of Houston. Watch out people. Don’t get forked.
While looking for ice cream in my dad’s freezer, I found this. South Texas freezer snacks:
One of the most disturbing things we saw on our vacation was this pile of catfish climbing over each other in the bay. These fish aren’t in a tank or a feeding farm. They have the entire bay that opens out into the Gulf of Mexico to swim around in, yet they choose to group … Read more
I believe I’ve written about the Tiger Truck Stop before. It’s quite a depressing place located about 2 hours east on I-10 in Louisiana. My husband and I stopped there over 10 years ago. Why did we stop? Well, when you see a sign that says, “Fill up your gas tank next to live tigers”, … Read more
My 9 hour flight to London next to a very drunk Polish guy. Each hour, new words of wisdom: Hour 1: “I did not choose this seat. I was pushed! Excuse me, I often vomit during the flight.” Hour 2: “My friends and I drink many drinks at this Ruby Tuesday. You know this place? … Read more
The Liver – Closed for Repairs
When I went to get iced tea at Torchy’s Tacos in Houston, I found myself faced with this decision:
Stopping at the Lousiana welcome center, we came across this sign. It’s the first time our kids didn’t want to go swimming.
