I've been horrible at blogging these last months. So here is a quick entry from me just to say that I'm still alive. :)
We have started to learn to dance! Marius and I, along with another couple we know, have signed up for a dance class for couples. We're going to learn a little of different dances such as swing, tango, quick step, waltz and so on.
The first class was yesterday and we started out learning the basics of quick step and swing. It was a lot of fun! :) Dancing makes me happy! :) It was a good workout, too, I was all sweaty when we finished. And I felt it in my legs today at the spinning class - I had used muscles that I didn't know I had. :P
It's really fun to do it as a couple too! I was worried that Marius wouldn't like it, as he's not really into music in general, and had never tried dancing before. But he was willing to give it a shot, and he did enjoy it, so we're allready looking forward to next week. :)
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Meme time :)
Since it's vacation time and I'm lazy, I've added this meme just to show you that I'm still alive. :) Oh, and also because I love memes. :)
These are the rules:
Leave me a comment and I will give you a letter. Then go to your journal and post ten things starting with that letter. Give your friends letters, too.
Spookykcs gave me the letter P. So here goes:
1) Puzzles: I love all kinds of puzzles and brain teasers! I got The lady or the tiger and other logic puzzles for my birthday, and I love it! :)
2) Paperback books: I love them because they are cheaper and easier to bring on the bus on my way to work. I love audiobooks even more, but that doesn't start with a P, so... :P
3) Popcorn: This has been my favorite snack for as long as I can remember. I'm a big fan of salty things. I can never resist popcorn, and if there is a bag around me it never lasts long. When I lived in the US, they made popcorn cake and after I got back home to Norway I had to phone them and get the recipe! I kind of overdid all the candy, so it didn't turn out so good. And that was the last time I ever tried that, but still, I love the idea of popcorn cake. Oh, and when I lived in the US the family gave me a popcorn popper for Christmas, that's how much I love popcorn! (I'm quite sure that's not what most teenage girls wish for, but what can you say, I'm special :P). So thanks you guys, I still remember that gift! :)
4)Pets: I love all kinds of animals, but cats especially. I can't imagine not having animals around, and my cats were very important to me when growing up. So for me, pets are a very important part of a family.
5) Parking: This is something I dread. As you know, I've been slowly learning to drive, and still I can't get the hang of parking. I have no idea how people do it! I still have a ways to go I guess. At least I understand parallell parking a bit better now, but parking outside of malls, for instance, that's just a big mystery to me.
6) Pasta - I am a pastamaniac! I eat lots of pasta, and especially dishes with lots of cream (yeah, healthy me! :P). Well, at least nowadays I only eat whole grain pasta. I was very skeptical the first time I tried this, but it tastes pretty much the same as ordinary pasta, and is much healthier and more filling. Right after I dared to give it a try, I switched to this type and I have never looked back.
7) Potatoes: I've never eaten much potatos, and the reason is that I just don't know how to cook them. It's quite embarassing, but every time I try to cook potatoes I either underdo or overdo them. I know, I should be able to cook potatoes by now, right? But I always make Marius do it. And speaking of, he makes the most wonderful cream gratinated potatoes. (don't know what that is called in English, it's just a word-by-word translation from the Norwegian name). They are to die for! :) Now, as you might have guessed, they are not very healthy, so they are typically reserved for special occasions. My mother loves them, too, so when we celebrated her birthday in June, they were on the menu.
8) Programming: That is what I do for a living. I'm a computer geek, and except for cabin holidays when I refuse to bring my computer, I'm usually not far from one. I don't program much on my spare time, but I think it is a lot of fun to work with.
9) Python: This is my very favorite programming language EVER! I think it's so neat, and it looks just like normal Enligsh sentences only it DOES STUFF! Unfortunately, I'm one of the few persons who realize how great this language is, so I don't get to use python at work. :'(
10) Piano: I loved to play the piano when I was younger. Nowadays I don't have one in my apartment, so I only play once in a while when I'm in Bergen visiting my parents. But I still love to play. :)
These are the rules:
Leave me a comment and I will give you a letter. Then go to your journal and post ten things starting with that letter. Give your friends letters, too.
Spookykcs gave me the letter P. So here goes:
1) Puzzles: I love all kinds of puzzles and brain teasers! I got The lady or the tiger and other logic puzzles for my birthday, and I love it! :)
2) Paperback books: I love them because they are cheaper and easier to bring on the bus on my way to work. I love audiobooks even more, but that doesn't start with a P, so... :P
3) Popcorn: This has been my favorite snack for as long as I can remember. I'm a big fan of salty things. I can never resist popcorn, and if there is a bag around me it never lasts long. When I lived in the US, they made popcorn cake and after I got back home to Norway I had to phone them and get the recipe! I kind of overdid all the candy, so it didn't turn out so good. And that was the last time I ever tried that, but still, I love the idea of popcorn cake. Oh, and when I lived in the US the family gave me a popcorn popper for Christmas, that's how much I love popcorn! (I'm quite sure that's not what most teenage girls wish for, but what can you say, I'm special :P). So thanks you guys, I still remember that gift! :)
4)Pets: I love all kinds of animals, but cats especially. I can't imagine not having animals around, and my cats were very important to me when growing up. So for me, pets are a very important part of a family.
5) Parking: This is something I dread. As you know, I've been slowly learning to drive, and still I can't get the hang of parking. I have no idea how people do it! I still have a ways to go I guess. At least I understand parallell parking a bit better now, but parking outside of malls, for instance, that's just a big mystery to me.
6) Pasta - I am a pastamaniac! I eat lots of pasta, and especially dishes with lots of cream (yeah, healthy me! :P). Well, at least nowadays I only eat whole grain pasta. I was very skeptical the first time I tried this, but it tastes pretty much the same as ordinary pasta, and is much healthier and more filling. Right after I dared to give it a try, I switched to this type and I have never looked back.
7) Potatoes: I've never eaten much potatos, and the reason is that I just don't know how to cook them. It's quite embarassing, but every time I try to cook potatoes I either underdo or overdo them. I know, I should be able to cook potatoes by now, right? But I always make Marius do it. And speaking of, he makes the most wonderful cream gratinated potatoes. (don't know what that is called in English, it's just a word-by-word translation from the Norwegian name). They are to die for! :) Now, as you might have guessed, they are not very healthy, so they are typically reserved for special occasions. My mother loves them, too, so when we celebrated her birthday in June, they were on the menu.
8) Programming: That is what I do for a living. I'm a computer geek, and except for cabin holidays when I refuse to bring my computer, I'm usually not far from one. I don't program much on my spare time, but I think it is a lot of fun to work with.
9) Python: This is my very favorite programming language EVER! I think it's so neat, and it looks just like normal Enligsh sentences only it DOES STUFF! Unfortunately, I'm one of the few persons who realize how great this language is, so I don't get to use python at work. :'(
10) Piano: I loved to play the piano when I was younger. Nowadays I don't have one in my apartment, so I only play once in a while when I'm in Bergen visiting my parents. But I still love to play. :)
Monday, June 22, 2009
The day of the very expensive walk and the deer that got away
When the government and health gurus tell you that walking is good for you, they don't give you the whole picture. They go on and on about how you should walk half and hour each day, and the great benefits this will give you. They also claim that this is a costless activity that rich and poor alike can partake in. I am here today to tell you that this is just plain wrong.
It started out innocently enough. Yesterday, the weather was nice - warm and sunny, finally feeling a bit like summer. So, to take advantage of this, my boyfriend and I decided to go for a walk.
Marius had ordered some tailor-made clothes, and so we decided to walk to town and pick them up. That sounds like a good, efficient idea, right? WRONG!
At the tailor, Marius was quite pleased with the result. A couple of the fabrics were really gorgeos. And, before I knew it, I had suddenly been talked into buying tailor-made clothes for myself! Between two persuasive tailors and an even more persuasive boyfriend I really had no choice. And the price for this whole ordeal was conveniently kept a secret until I was done being measured and had ordered several pieces.
So, I'm here today to tell you that walking can in fact be a very costly business. Don't believe for a second those tales you hear about free exercise. Remember, there is no such thing as a free lunch!
-------
After I had recovered from the shock of spending more money on clothes than I have ever done before, I went to a friend's to play boardgames. She lives about an hour outside of Oslo. It is just a whole different world out there!
We were sitting on the porch eating dinner, when we noticed several deer just across the road. There was a large field which, apparantly, is a meetingplace for the deer. My friend sees them each day!
Well, this was not an everyday experience for me. So naturally, I wanted to capture the moment. I skolded myself for not bringing my camera, and was resigned to use my crappy cellphone camera instead.
I tried to take a picture, only to find out that there wasn't enough space left on the memory stick. Some frantic deleting of old photos (for instance several demonstrating my poor parking skills) later, the deer had vanished! I kept looking for them the entire visit, but alas, they seemed to be gone. Until the very last moment, just as we were leaving. I spotted a single deer! Finally I would get my souvenir!
My cellphone, however, had different plans. This was apparently a little too late in the evening for the poor thing, because now it had run out of battery!
I have to say I am really annoyed that I was about 50 meters away from actual, live deer without being able to take a picture! Very, very annoying! :(
Just so you won't be bored, I've included a picture of a different deer here. It'll have to do for now....
It started out innocently enough. Yesterday, the weather was nice - warm and sunny, finally feeling a bit like summer. So, to take advantage of this, my boyfriend and I decided to go for a walk.
Marius had ordered some tailor-made clothes, and so we decided to walk to town and pick them up. That sounds like a good, efficient idea, right? WRONG!
At the tailor, Marius was quite pleased with the result. A couple of the fabrics were really gorgeos. And, before I knew it, I had suddenly been talked into buying tailor-made clothes for myself! Between two persuasive tailors and an even more persuasive boyfriend I really had no choice. And the price for this whole ordeal was conveniently kept a secret until I was done being measured and had ordered several pieces.
So, I'm here today to tell you that walking can in fact be a very costly business. Don't believe for a second those tales you hear about free exercise. Remember, there is no such thing as a free lunch!
-------
After I had recovered from the shock of spending more money on clothes than I have ever done before, I went to a friend's to play boardgames. She lives about an hour outside of Oslo. It is just a whole different world out there!
We were sitting on the porch eating dinner, when we noticed several deer just across the road. There was a large field which, apparantly, is a meetingplace for the deer. My friend sees them each day!
Well, this was not an everyday experience for me. So naturally, I wanted to capture the moment. I skolded myself for not bringing my camera, and was resigned to use my crappy cellphone camera instead.
I tried to take a picture, only to find out that there wasn't enough space left on the memory stick. Some frantic deleting of old photos (for instance several demonstrating my poor parking skills) later, the deer had vanished! I kept looking for them the entire visit, but alas, they seemed to be gone. Until the very last moment, just as we were leaving. I spotted a single deer! Finally I would get my souvenir!
My cellphone, however, had different plans. This was apparently a little too late in the evening for the poor thing, because now it had run out of battery!
I have to say I am really annoyed that I was about 50 meters away from actual, live deer without being able to take a picture! Very, very annoying! :(
Just so you won't be bored, I've included a picture of a different deer here. It'll have to do for now....
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Another attempt at driving solo
Contrary to what I promised myself the last time I blogged about driving, I haven't been practicing as I should. Come to think of it, I don't think I've been driving AT ALL since then. Until today, that is.
I was home alone, and decided it was time to get over my nerves and try driving alone again. This time a little bit further than around the block. :P
I needed some groceries, so I decided to drive to a store close by that had plenty of parking spaces available. That would mean a whole of two minutes of driving alone. AND a roundabout! Good place to start I thought.
Lucikly, when I reached the store, the parking lot was almost deserted with lots of available room for me to practice my parking skills. But it seemed like I had forgotten everything I had ever learned. I just could not get the car parked between the lines. I tried twice, then just gave up and parked across two spaces.
When I came into the store, I noticed that my legs were trembling. Probably both from the scarey thought that I had driven all of two minutes on my own, and the shame from not being able to park well. I rushed through the store, afraid that someone would come and tow my car away because I was occupying two spaces. (Yes, I realize that this is not a rational fear, but I was stressed out and not really thinking clearly).
When I got back out, I decided I just had to take some photos of my first (well, technically second) drive on my own. I only had my crappy cellphone, so the pictures aren't that great.
On the short drive back home, it seemed like I had forgotten how to drive as well. I stopped in front of a pedestrian crossing, and when I tried to start driving again, the car stalled. AAAAARG!!!!
Well, I did manage to get home and park the car (there were lots of easy parking room there, I checked before I decided to go :) ). And throughout the whole trip, I never hit anyone or anything. So that's something I guess. Other than that, I have to say I feel like the world's worst driver at the moment. :P
I was home alone, and decided it was time to get over my nerves and try driving alone again. This time a little bit further than around the block. :P
I needed some groceries, so I decided to drive to a store close by that had plenty of parking spaces available. That would mean a whole of two minutes of driving alone. AND a roundabout! Good place to start I thought.
Lucikly, when I reached the store, the parking lot was almost deserted with lots of available room for me to practice my parking skills. But it seemed like I had forgotten everything I had ever learned. I just could not get the car parked between the lines. I tried twice, then just gave up and parked across two spaces.
When I came into the store, I noticed that my legs were trembling. Probably both from the scarey thought that I had driven all of two minutes on my own, and the shame from not being able to park well. I rushed through the store, afraid that someone would come and tow my car away because I was occupying two spaces. (Yes, I realize that this is not a rational fear, but I was stressed out and not really thinking clearly).
When I got back out, I decided I just had to take some photos of my first (well, technically second) drive on my own. I only had my crappy cellphone, so the pictures aren't that great.
On the short drive back home, it seemed like I had forgotten how to drive as well. I stopped in front of a pedestrian crossing, and when I tried to start driving again, the car stalled. AAAAARG!!!!
Well, I did manage to get home and park the car (there were lots of easy parking room there, I checked before I decided to go :) ). And throughout the whole trip, I never hit anyone or anything. So that's something I guess. Other than that, I have to say I feel like the world's worst driver at the moment. :P
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Spotify invitation
I just got an email inviting me to join Spotify. I already have an account and I don't need another one. So if anyone wants a Spotify invitation, let me know and I'll give it to the first one who cries out.
I don't know if you can actually "transfer" your Spotify invitations this way, but we'll give it a go and find out. :)
I don't know if you can actually "transfer" your Spotify invitations this way, but we'll give it a go and find out. :)
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Christian the lion
A couple of days ago I got the pleasure of watching the full length movie about Christian the lion. I had already seen the highlights on youtube, and so I didn't waste the opportunity to watch the whole thing.
I'm not going to tell you much about it, but you should definitely watch the "highlights version" (or one of them anyways) here:
Christian the lion
For those of you who haven't watched it, you're in for a special treat. And those of you who have already seen it, well, you know it's well worth watching again!
I, of course, bawled like a baby pretty much throughout the entire film. And the best part is that it is a true story! :)
Enjoy! :)
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Sushi endeavor
As some of you may know, I hate all kinds of seafood. So when I refuse to eat prepared fish, what are the chances that I'll actually enjoy RAW fish? Pretty slim, I tell you.
Still, I have a rule that I should try anything at least ONCE, no matter how much I think I'll dislike it. After all, you never know. So, some years ago I tried sushi. And absolutely HATED it. Apparently my face when eating it said more than a thousand words.
Then, a friend talked me into trying it again. Because, apparently, it is SO much better when you make it at home. (I can tell you, she was WRONG, it tastes every bit as bad when made at home, trust me!)
But the thing is, my boyfriend is crazy about everything Japanese and he loves sushi. As does his family. So I figured it would be great if I could learn to like it, too. And Marius has been telling me tales about sushi without fish, where you have cucumber and avocado and other vegetables (or even meat that is not RAW!) in it. So I thought that was the way to go.
Luckily (or perhaps unluckily) for me, I have my very own personal sushi chef in Marius. So a while back we set out to make sushi (or rather maki, for those of you who know the difference) with cucumber and avocado (and salmon for Marius).
I'm sorry to say that while it was a lot of fun MAKING the sushi, eating it was a whole different story. I think it was the green stuff surrounding it that destroyed it for me. I tried every variant, with soy, without soy, with the green strong paste thingy and without. I just had to give up in the end. :( So, despite my best efforts I still don't like sushi. But I had a good time! :)
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
The stroke song
Don't know what made me think of this song today, but have you heard the stroke song?
If not, you can hear it here.
I think this is a genious idea! Someone took the three signs to find out if someone is having a stroke, and made a song out of it so that it's easy to remember. And the refrain is catchy too, so it's even easier to remember.
Now I hope that noone who reads this blog will ever have to know how to recognize a stroke, but it doesn't hurt to be safe and listen to some music as well. :)
If not, you can hear it here.
I think this is a genious idea! Someone took the three signs to find out if someone is having a stroke, and made a song out of it so that it's easy to remember. And the refrain is catchy too, so it's even easier to remember.
Now I hope that noone who reads this blog will ever have to know how to recognize a stroke, but it doesn't hurt to be safe and listen to some music as well. :)
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Yay!
Norway won the Eurovision Song Contest! :)
My sister and I have a long standing tradition of watching the "Melodi Grand Prix" as we call it here in Norway. We always give our own votes to the different songs and judge the performance, dress and songs. This year our boyfriends joined us as well. And I have to say it is so much more fun when you win! :)
Also, Aleksander Rybakk is very cute, he looks so innocent!
And tomorrow (well, technically today) is Norway's national day, so this is a good pre-celebration for that. :)
I've made a vow to not watch tv or eat candy this month, with a few exceptions. Obviously watching MGP today was one of those exceptions! And tomorrow is a special day as well, so I'll be allowed to celebrate with ice cream and stuff. Great weekend! :)
My sister and I have a long standing tradition of watching the "Melodi Grand Prix" as we call it here in Norway. We always give our own votes to the different songs and judge the performance, dress and songs. This year our boyfriends joined us as well. And I have to say it is so much more fun when you win! :)
Also, Aleksander Rybakk is very cute, he looks so innocent!
And tomorrow (well, technically today) is Norway's national day, so this is a good pre-celebration for that. :)
I've made a vow to not watch tv or eat candy this month, with a few exceptions. Obviously watching MGP today was one of those exceptions! And tomorrow is a special day as well, so I'll be allowed to celebrate with ice cream and stuff. Great weekend! :)
Monday, May 11, 2009
My first drive on my own
As you may remember, last summer I bought a card (or half of it, anyways) without actually being able to drive. Well, since then I've practiced a lot, although not as much or as regularly as I should have.
Because I already have my licence, there is no test to pass, no authority to tell me I'm good enough to drive by myself. And since I'm a wuss, I have been putting it off, always feeling like I'm just not a good enough driver yet.
However, yesterday I drove alone for the very first time! Well, it was a really short drive, I was only going to get a parking space. But because our street was full, I had to drive a LITTLE while to find a good space.
It seemed like a good idea at the time, I have learned how to parallell park, and it should be a piece of cake. However, I tried two different spots and I just could not parallell park! So in the end I just gave up and found a place where I could just drive straight in. More parallell parking practice for me in the future, I think. :)
I have to say it's hard re-learning how to drive at this age. I am much more of a wuss now. I can't remember thinking much about the huge responsibility driving is back when I first got my licence.... But I do think about it now, all the time!
I just have to start driving alone and get used to it. It's totally stupid being too scared to drive without someone supervising me. So I'll take a few lessons from a professional driver's ed teacher and get his opinions on how I'm driving. And I'll be good and practice parking a lot more (no use being able to drive if you can't park the car!), and then I'll start driving seriously. It is about time!
Because I already have my licence, there is no test to pass, no authority to tell me I'm good enough to drive by myself. And since I'm a wuss, I have been putting it off, always feeling like I'm just not a good enough driver yet.
However, yesterday I drove alone for the very first time! Well, it was a really short drive, I was only going to get a parking space. But because our street was full, I had to drive a LITTLE while to find a good space.
It seemed like a good idea at the time, I have learned how to parallell park, and it should be a piece of cake. However, I tried two different spots and I just could not parallell park! So in the end I just gave up and found a place where I could just drive straight in. More parallell parking practice for me in the future, I think. :)
I have to say it's hard re-learning how to drive at this age. I am much more of a wuss now. I can't remember thinking much about the huge responsibility driving is back when I first got my licence.... But I do think about it now, all the time!
I just have to start driving alone and get used to it. It's totally stupid being too scared to drive without someone supervising me. So I'll take a few lessons from a professional driver's ed teacher and get his opinions on how I'm driving. And I'll be good and practice parking a lot more (no use being able to drive if you can't park the car!), and then I'll start driving seriously. It is about time!
Friday, May 8, 2009
Spotify
A couple of days ago I was finally able to get my hands on an Spotify invite. I don't know if it's only at my job, but it suddenly seemed like everyone had a Spotify account but me. And the way everyone talked about it, it seemed I was missing out on a lot.
However, once I got the invite I must say I was a little disappointed. I couldn't make my own playlist. I couldn't mark songs as favorite. I couldn't find new songs similar to the ones I liked. In short, there wasn't much I COULD do but listen to individual songs. But there's still a lot of music in there, so I've been alternating Spotify and the radio when I work. (EDIT: Right after I posted this blogpost, I found out that I COULD, in face, make playlists. So maybe you can do all the other things I wanted, too, and I was just too blind to see it. :P)
Today, though, my thoughts on Spotify improved a lot. Just for a laugh, I searched for "Which witch", which is an old Norwegian musical. And Spotify could actually produce the songs! That just amazed me, I would never have believed it! So today I've been listening to different musicals and enjoying Spotify much more than before! Go Spotify! :)
Monday, April 20, 2009
Easter vacation
It was great to finally get a week of vacation. Like I've said before, I've been catching all kinds of cold and generally been tired and under the wheather this winter. So a whole week of vacation was just what I needed! :)
I don't have much to write about the vacation, though, as I spent most of it just relaxing with my family in Bergen. Marius came over for the first few days to visit. I got to meet most of my friends. I watched A LOT of TV.
My father gave me a book to have some Easter reading, and although it wasn't an Easter crime, I really enjoyed it nonetheless. So if you want a good read, you should try The return by Victoria Hislop. It's quite long and a bit slow in the beginning, but well worth it. :)
I also managed to get some walking in. The weather was nice - warm and sunny for the most part so I was great for walking. I really miss having a mountain walk outside my livingroom!
Oh, and the best part was that when I got back to Oslo, the snow was FINALLY gone! This winter has been crazy, there hasn't been as much snow for 20 years! (and I'm not kidding on that one!) So it was just great to find out that Oslo was ready for spring as well.
I don't have much to write about the vacation, though, as I spent most of it just relaxing with my family in Bergen. Marius came over for the first few days to visit. I got to meet most of my friends. I watched A LOT of TV.
My father gave me a book to have some Easter reading, and although it wasn't an Easter crime, I really enjoyed it nonetheless. So if you want a good read, you should try The return by Victoria Hislop. It's quite long and a bit slow in the beginning, but well worth it. :)
I also managed to get some walking in. The weather was nice - warm and sunny for the most part so I was great for walking. I really miss having a mountain walk outside my livingroom!
Oh, and the best part was that when I got back to Oslo, the snow was FINALLY gone! This winter has been crazy, there hasn't been as much snow for 20 years! (and I'm not kidding on that one!) So it was just great to find out that Oslo was ready for spring as well.
A blast from the past
Yesterday, we had an halfhour to spare in-between things, and so we decided to find somewhere to eat ice cream. We ended up at Mc Donald's, as I wanted to introduce Marius to McFlurry with daim (which I just love). Well, once inside I noticed a large poster about a brand new flavor - McFlurry with OREOS!
Now, of course those of you in the US know what this means. For the others reading this post, though, I can tell you that when I lived in the US for a year, I was obsessed with Oreo Blizzards from Dairy Queen. I would go out of my way to buy it, and once I returned to Norway, I vowed to get Dairy Queen to Norway.
Well, no such luck. But a while later McDonald's introduced McFlurry, which is quite similar. But they only had daim, and not oreos as topping. That same summer I interrailed across Europe, and everywhere I came, I checked whether McDonald's had McFlurry with oreos. But to no avail, there was no McFlurry with oreo to be found anywhere.
Until now, over 10 years later. So, while Marius was introduced to McFlurry with daim, I of course went for the oreo one. And, yes, it was good! :) But, believe it or not (and I know some of you might find it hard to believe), I actually prefer the daim one! How's that for irony? I once spent so much time finding this flavour, and now that it's freely available to me, I prefer the one I could eat all along... Well, I guess that's a good example of "the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence".
Friday, March 13, 2009
Beautiful song
Have you heard the acoustic version of "Devil in me" by Kate Voegele? It is just a beautiful, beautiful song that sends shivers down my spine every time I hear it. She does some incredible stuff with her voice in this song.
I was lucky enough to notice it in an episode of "One Tree Hill", otherwise I would probably have missed it. And that would have been a crying shame, so now I'm letting you know about the song so you can enjoy it too. :)
Also, in case you wondered, I DID get up at 05.30 today and made it to my spinning class. It's nothing short of a miracle! :P
I was lucky enough to notice it in an episode of "One Tree Hill", otherwise I would probably have missed it. And that would have been a crying shame, so now I'm letting you know about the song so you can enjoy it too. :)
Also, in case you wondered, I DID get up at 05.30 today and made it to my spinning class. It's nothing short of a miracle! :P
Friday, March 6, 2009
The importance of a good instructor
Today my favorite spinning instructor told us that they are changing the schedule for the class. Instead of starting at 7.00, it will now start at 06.30 (AM) on Fridays. Well, this would mean that I would be half an hour earlier to work, and thus be able to leave earlier for the weekend. Sounds great, right?
In theory, this is perfect. In reality, however, I have signed up for this class every week this year, and this is the first time I've actually made it there. (Granted, that's partly because I've been catching every cold there is this whole winter, and I think I "invented" some of them too. :P But still, 7 AM is just EARLY!). I am really not sure that it is humanly possible for me to get up at 05.30 AM to work out as I will have to do now!
On the other hand, she is a really good instructor. She has a great taste in music and she's good at motivating us. Plus she also talks a lot about cool sportsmen (and women) that I happen to like watching too.
I realize that this is almost sounding a little like a love story, like "no one can ever be as good for me as him (bla bla bla)". And I DO know that there are other good instructors out there. But I've also recently learned that it is important to find an instructor you like.
The last time I worked out before today was also a spinning class. But that time, the instructor sucked royally. Her music was totally uninspiring, and she was plain boring. No encouragement whatsoever, just "do this" - "do that" in a monotonous tone. I left feeling bored and not very fulfilled.
I thought maybe the reason why I didn't like the class, was because I wasn't very inspired to begin with. But today, when I went to class I was really not in a mood to work out at all. It was early, I was tired, and just wondering whether I had time to buy a Coke Zero to wake up a little. Yet, I thoroughly enjoyed the class and left feeling happy, well worked out and energized. THAT's why you need a good instructor.
And that's why I have signed up for that extremely early (at least for me) class next week. I'm still not sure if I'll be able to get there, but I will give it a try. And maybe I should read this post the night before to remember how good I feel afterwards. :)
In theory, this is perfect. In reality, however, I have signed up for this class every week this year, and this is the first time I've actually made it there. (Granted, that's partly because I've been catching every cold there is this whole winter, and I think I "invented" some of them too. :P But still, 7 AM is just EARLY!). I am really not sure that it is humanly possible for me to get up at 05.30 AM to work out as I will have to do now!
On the other hand, she is a really good instructor. She has a great taste in music and she's good at motivating us. Plus she also talks a lot about cool sportsmen (and women) that I happen to like watching too.
I realize that this is almost sounding a little like a love story, like "no one can ever be as good for me as him (bla bla bla)". And I DO know that there are other good instructors out there. But I've also recently learned that it is important to find an instructor you like.
The last time I worked out before today was also a spinning class. But that time, the instructor sucked royally. Her music was totally uninspiring, and she was plain boring. No encouragement whatsoever, just "do this" - "do that" in a monotonous tone. I left feeling bored and not very fulfilled.
I thought maybe the reason why I didn't like the class, was because I wasn't very inspired to begin with. But today, when I went to class I was really not in a mood to work out at all. It was early, I was tired, and just wondering whether I had time to buy a Coke Zero to wake up a little. Yet, I thoroughly enjoyed the class and left feeling happy, well worked out and energized. THAT's why you need a good instructor.
And that's why I have signed up for that extremely early (at least for me) class next week. I'm still not sure if I'll be able to get there, but I will give it a try. And maybe I should read this post the night before to remember how good I feel afterwards. :)
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Book recommendation
When I started my job, one of the first things I did was to also join the book circle. I think it's an ingenious concept. There are typically 12 people in each circle. Each person buys a book, and then once a month you switch books so that you get to read lots of books for the price of one! Also, I end up trying books that I might not have thought about getting myself.
Earlier this week I got my first new book, and it was one that I had been planning to buy myself, but never actually got around to. And it is SO good. :) This is one of the books where, when I'm at work, I just want to get home and read my book! And also, if I have other plans it kind of annoys me because it takes time away from reading the book!
So, you're probably wondering what book it is, and it's The house at Riverton by Kate Morton. It is really good, and I'd recommend anyone to try it! It's an easy read although it's quite thick. (At least my edition is, but that might be because of large typing, haven't seen the paperback version so can't say for sure).
The best thing is that the author has already written a second book, The forgotten garden, which will be published in April. So now I have something to look forward to! I just love it when I find new authors that I like. :)
On another hand, I notice that reading a book takes a lot longer these days. When I was a student, if I found a book I loved, I usually read it in one sitting, staying up the whole night to finish it. That's not an option anymore, unfortunately I can't skip work just because I read a great book the night before. :P
Consequently, my reading has dropped since starting to work. But in my current job I have a long (for me at least! I'm kind of spoiled) commute to work. So I try to listen to audiobooks on my way there and back again, which helps me get in some reading time. :)
Earlier this week I got my first new book, and it was one that I had been planning to buy myself, but never actually got around to. And it is SO good. :) This is one of the books where, when I'm at work, I just want to get home and read my book! And also, if I have other plans it kind of annoys me because it takes time away from reading the book!
So, you're probably wondering what book it is, and it's The house at Riverton by Kate Morton. It is really good, and I'd recommend anyone to try it! It's an easy read although it's quite thick. (At least my edition is, but that might be because of large typing, haven't seen the paperback version so can't say for sure).
The best thing is that the author has already written a second book, The forgotten garden, which will be published in April. So now I have something to look forward to! I just love it when I find new authors that I like. :)
On another hand, I notice that reading a book takes a lot longer these days. When I was a student, if I found a book I loved, I usually read it in one sitting, staying up the whole night to finish it. That's not an option anymore, unfortunately I can't skip work just because I read a great book the night before. :P
Consequently, my reading has dropped since starting to work. But in my current job I have a long (for me at least! I'm kind of spoiled) commute to work. So I try to listen to audiobooks on my way there and back again, which helps me get in some reading time. :)
Friday, February 13, 2009
Annoying commercials
I usually listen to the radio online at work. I usually listen to KlemFM, which basically plays slow songs all the time, so it doesn't interfer with my thoughts.
There isn't too much commercials there, either. Usually I can just ignore the commercials and I'm not bothered by them. But the last couple of days, there has been this extremely annoying commercial playing. Basically it just repeats one word FOREVER (for instance "boss - boss - boss - boss - boss" and so on). That makes it impossible for me to ignore it, and I have to take off my earphones every time it plays. So I don't even know what the commercial is from, I just hate it!
And that made me wonder, do people really think that making extremely annoying commercials is a way to make people use their products? Because I don't know about you, but for me it does the opposite. So basically it's wasting a lot of money on advertising if you ask me.
Anyways, I promise I'm going to write an actual update soon, but I figured that a little snapshot of my thoughts might be a good start. :P And then I got to rant about this horrible commercial, so I'm in a better mood now too. :)
There isn't too much commercials there, either. Usually I can just ignore the commercials and I'm not bothered by them. But the last couple of days, there has been this extremely annoying commercial playing. Basically it just repeats one word FOREVER (for instance "boss - boss - boss - boss - boss" and so on). That makes it impossible for me to ignore it, and I have to take off my earphones every time it plays. So I don't even know what the commercial is from, I just hate it!
And that made me wonder, do people really think that making extremely annoying commercials is a way to make people use their products? Because I don't know about you, but for me it does the opposite. So basically it's wasting a lot of money on advertising if you ask me.
Anyways, I promise I'm going to write an actual update soon, but I figured that a little snapshot of my thoughts might be a good start. :P And then I got to rant about this horrible commercial, so I'm in a better mood now too. :)
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