It's Tumble Time!

So it appears as tho I wasn't gonna see to the end of 2009 without a winter related tumble. Yesterday it happened. I tumbled. The snow had cleared.. it had rained a bit so the ground was still wet when it decided to get to freezing temps again.. and so there were icy patches.. which we managed to dodge on our way to the supermarket but then while we were in the supermarket.. the weather gods thought.. I'm gonna get you Jo! and it bloody snowed.. just enough to blanket the ground in a very fine silk like blanket.. so you couldn't see all the nasty little icy bits.. so careful I was.. walking along and then it happened.. a HUGE icy patch I stepped on and a tumble bumble down I went.. in my slow motion strange way that I do. It hurt. I didn't cry.. honest! I picked myself up and tried to walk it off. This morning I woke up worse than the day before.. all my joints ache so this is me giving the weather gods the big fuck you, I hate you and if I ever see you in a dark alley I will so kick you in the shins!! That's right weather gods.. the SHINS!

Now I can sense you thinking.. why weren't you wearing your o so wonderful Yaktrax! that you bragged about.. well smartypants.. that would be because there wasn't enough snow for me to be allowed to wear them coz those stupid weather gods made it all go away.

Oh and I have further proof that adults aren't smart cookies.. Emma has managed to throw away one of my birthday gift vouchers.. *poof* bye bye 300sek! but I'm just happy she didn't throw away the IKEA vouchers.. which were in the same envelope to start with.

And on an even brighter note.. Nemo farted me in the face today. I heard it before I smelt it. Maybe I should just go to bed and get up in 2010!

What Is It About Time?

Just the other day Em and I were having a convo about how time moves so slowly when you are young and as you get older.. time just slips on by and the years blend into each other. Why is it that we aren't warned by our loved ones about this? Or are we and coz we are young just choose to not believe anything that adults say.. coz afterall.. adults aren't smart cookies!

And I have proof that adults aren't smart cookies.. coz I am an adult and I did something so very silly! I got Emma the New Super Mario Bros Wii game for xmas and now that is about all she wants to bloody do! Play that bloody game.. the music is driving me insane! or well.. more insane!

See look how insane I look?

Attractive right?

Nemo has a hard life.. it seems the music doesn't drive him insane like me.. just to sleep.. lucky some! Altho he can look quite creepy when sleeping.

I can't say I have done much with my time over the last few days.. it has been wet and miserable. Seriously miserable. I have however gone and fed the duckies a couple of times.. there is so many of them and they seem so very hungry.. I sure do love feeding the ducks, I guess it makes me feel like I am doing something good and worthwhile. Anyways I shall leave you now with a pic of Em and I showing off our spunky.. really really warm new felted scarves.. that were made by our bunnie killer friend! I shudder to think how much time went into doing it.. with my own horror story experiences of needle felting.. never again shall I attempt any felting but yeah here is the photo.. us in the scarves, with new haircuts.. not that they change much from time to time being that we don't have much hair to start with.. in our tiny tiny.. inhumane bathroom! It is just not right making adults have such tiny bathrooms! I really do miss having a decent sized bathroom!

It's Xmas Time!

So this is christmas? Wet.. cold.. dark and not snowfilled!? How did this happen? Oh that's right.. I moved to bloody Swedeland! Gone are the days a summer filled christmas.. with BBQ goodness and well... sunshine! Not that I am complaining about the spread that we get.. coz I sure do love this mix of everything on the christmas table.. which I get to enjoy again today once we head around to the parentals to polish off some more goodness. I was sooo full and bloated when we got home last night from the christmas feast.. but I wouldn't change that for the world.. afterall that is what christmas is about.. right?

This morning I had some more of my birthday cake for breakfast and then again for lunch.. it wasn't really lunch but we haven't eaten anything for lunch so I'm calling it my lunch.. and it was grand! I sure do love me cake! Heavenly!

Nemo enjoyed his christmas.. first by tucking into the wrapping paper from my birthday presents.. he seriously thought he was in heaven and then he got to rip open his own present to discover a wonderful bone thingo inside.. nom nom nom says he! Then he got another dog candy log thingo.. and it was at that point that he knew that today was an extra special day lol and that was his breakfast while we tucked into my birthday breakfast.. that he also wanted a bit of! Cheeky!
So after the birthday morning I had to snap into christmas mode and head over to the parentals where we all sat around and watched donald duck reruns.. like total old school.. and drunk some lingon glögg.. which actually wasn't bad at all and I don't usually like glögg! Enjoyed the nibble of gingerbread and the yummy sweet santa lollies.. nom nom nom!

Then Emma got to be santa.. but she didn't wear the mask.. spoil sport! and the presents were handed out and Cato seemed to have the most fun.. hoping that each package belonged to him. He is a funny funny doggy! I often wish Nemo was as playful as him.

Once all the presents were opened.. Emma, her dad and I bundled them up in the.. new car and headed home to let Nemo out for a walk and drop off the presents, coz we were gonna walk home later that evening. While Emma walked Nemo.. coz I didn't have the right shoes for going out walking in that mess.. good plan with sticking on clogs I say! hahaha so anyways while Emma walked.. her dad and I sat in the car trying to figure out how to change the time and the language.. we couldn't work out the time but we got to the language to discover that Swedish wasn't even included.. I guess that is what you get for buying a jappa. So now I really think her dad is going to have to read the manual.. as much as he doesn't want to. Good news about the new car is.. so far it doesn't make me sick.

Now it is time for the spread and christmas beer! Gobble gobble gobble down the hatch.. I tried a couple new things this year and they weren't too bad at all.. I even re-tried the sill and I quite enjoyed it.. one more than the other two.. I like mustard but the mustard one was my least favourite.. but this is exactly why I continue to try things that I have previously tried and not liked.. like the bloody saffron buns.. I keep trying them and still my taste buds don't want a bar of them.. same goes for caviar of the proper variety as well as that tubed stuff. ick!

After all the food had settled we all got stuck into some of the home-made goodies that Em and I made.. but we didn't have any of the Brandy Snaps! why o why?! I must make sure we have some today after foodage! Anyways here is a pic of my very first attempt at making brandy snaps.. ..which everyone loved when we had some on little xmas eve.. that is what they call the 23rd. And anyways here is also a photo of the Dooley's Mocha Tops that I made all by myself and didn't break a single one! So I think the trick to making them is to have Emma nowhere near! hahah Thinking about them now just makes me want one!

Today.. I slept in until about 8am.. noice! got up and have been catching up on Dexter.. currently Em is playing her new Wii game and soon we shall be heading off.. and that pretty much sums it up. Once the stores open up again.. Em and I shall head off to spend spend spend..

It's Kylie Minogue Time!

My Birthday Card from Emma's parentals..

Fan-fucking-tastic and even more so coz I can't stand KM!

So I am 30 today and I got many wonderful things.. the best thing being the little coupon booklet that Emma made that gives me a selection of meals at different places.. including Boston! Now we just have to get the airfares together and get our asses to Boston lol

It's still only early but so far my birthday has been painless.. altho I am starting to feel a little itchy from my new necklace so I might not be able to wear it everyday.. but it is a very nice necklace.. damn my sensitive skin! Or maybe it is just coz I haven't worn a necklace in YEARS so it will take a little adjustment.. I ain't gonna give up!

Currently Emma is cooking me popovers and eggs for my birthday breaky.. I must say with this kind of treatment I would want to have a birthday everyday.. altho then I would be as big as a skyscraper rather than just a house lol

Oh.. and the snow didn't last for my birthday.. it has warmed up and rained, now we have a grey, brown, slushy mess.. typical right? Ah well.. win some lose some!

And lastly.. my birthday flowers.. aren;t they preeetty! Go Green!!

It's Photo Time!

Ok.. I'm not sure where to start so I will start on the movie Avatar. We went and saw it on Saturday.. late afternoon, not that that really tells you anything about the movie but yeah thats when we saw it.. went in at 4pm and come out just after 7pm and it was total darkness and felt like it was closer to 9pm! Nuts! But that is what our days are like these days dark dark dark! Like this morning it was still semi dark at 8am! Anyways moving back to the topic I started out on.. the movie. It was a good movie.. the CGI was ace and I did enjoy it and I even managed to follow the alien speak with the subtitles in Swedish! I'm not a huge fantasy movie fan but I did enjoy it but in saying that.. I feel they could have lost about an hour and still had a good movie overall.. but yeah if you want to see it then seeing it at the movies is a must otherwise I think the movie would just fall flat. They are also showing it in 3D.. but there is no way in hell I could see it without throwing up then.. there was loads of motion as it was.

Also on Saturday, we went out and fed the ducks and boy were they keen! I made them 2 fresh breads and chopped it up into nice managable pieces.. I dropped only a few bits on the floor while I was doing the chopping which seemed to upset Nemo.. he likes to stand under the chopping board, staring at the floor waiting for the goodness to fall.. but sadly for him I did a good job of not making them fall lol but yeah I do enjoy feeding the ducks and it makes me feel good.. just like it makes me feel good to bake the oldies (the old people where Emma's mum works) goodies.. Saturday morning, Emma and I baked up some saffron buns.. I still don't like them but everyone else in Sweden does.

It's like a little wintery wonderland and was snowing a little while we were out feeding the ducks, like proper snowflakes and it was AWESOME!!! Getting covered in little snowflakes makes everyone look pretty.. even Nemo.. see? lol
How pretty are snowflakes? Seriously! I was like a kid in a candystore.. meaning so happy! Could my grin be any bigger?
Because it was the weekend.. the roads and footpaths didn't get scraped at all so it was very snowy.. and people still continued to drive like morons.. I am surprised there are not more accidents with how stupid people drive in this weather.. yesterday we saw one dude doing handbreak skids around every corner.. seriously what are you thinking dude? & while I was standing outside the bakery in the middle of town waiting for Emma.. there was a dude in a huge 4wd.. he breaked hard to stop so that people could walk across the crossing.. and it caused him to skid.. and then when he went to go he spun his wheels hardcore.. the whole way down the main and around the corner.. stupid! I am starting to lose all hope for the human race.

However I am not losing hope in Nemo's snow eating abilities and the cute little snowbeard he gets from rushing along eating the snow.. and no I still have not made the motion picture of him eating the snow! It isnt that easy ya know.. especially when you have a camera shy dog.. I did try to do it once.. without Emma along and well it resulted in him actually behaving for the walk and my hand nearly freezing off coz I didn't bring gloves! Anyways here you can see Nemo's snowbeard.. cute right?

It's Yaktrax Time!

Yesterday the snow came and came and so Emma and I had the perfect opportunity to try out the yaktrax walker thingo's that Emma bought a while back.

This is them here.

I would just like to say that they have to be the best thing that Emma has bought.. this year! I actually felt like I had some control while walking in the snow and on the slippery areas.. you aren't 100% non-slip on the hard bad icy parts but you still feel in control and not all tense coz you are just waiting to fall on yo ass! It helped none of the snow had been cleared away.. there wasn't even an attempt.. today however is a different story.. they have attempted so now the footpaths have very dangerous slippage icy packed snow.. but still it was no match for my yaktrax! I stayed upright with not even the slightest hint of slippage.. and Nemo tried his hardest to get me off balance the little bugger! I <3 br="" my="" yaktrax="">
Today there is actually blue skies and sunshine to go with the snow.. simply beautiful! Still cold but it is a worthwhile cold. Currently -5.. Jealous much? lol

We have this table thing that hangs on the balcony, but it used to have cable ties that held it in place but I guess Emma didn't replace them when she removed the tattered thingo that went around the balcony so I could stand out there in my over sized, over worn boxers without anyone actually being able to see.. anyways.. I heard banging all morning and at first I couldn't work out what it could possibly be as the chain was adjusted so that it wouldn't move.. Emma was clever enough to do that! But then it dawned on me so I headed off to remove the table thingo from the balcony.. I didn't have to adust anything.. it just slid right off! I went out on the balcony with no shoes on and wow who knew snow was so damn cold! In just the few seconds my barefoot tootsie rolls were out there.. it felt like they were going to freeze off! but o my.. that soft powdery snow felt so wonderful between my toes.. for that split second that is! lol and anyways I am telling you this little story coz I am leading up to the photo.. of my foot imprint in the snow! Ace right?

What Time Is It?

It's Snow Eating Time!
According to Nemo anyways.. it had snowed a little so there was a very light covering of snow on the lunchtime walk.. but that was more than enough for Nemo to take every chance he could, a nip in the snow.. he thought he was in heaven when he came to a good white patch of the fluffy white stuff. It really.. really... really was the smallest amount.. really! LOL

But then.. this afternoon it snowed more.. and then snowed some more and soon enough there was a nice white fluffy blanket.. and that meant only one thing.. Nemo was going to eat as much snow as he possibly could and get all sidetracked and forget to do his business! Sure enough for the most part of the walk, Nemo would run along and nip at the snow.. nibble nibble nibble... mmmm nom nom nom! He doesn't eat the yellow snow.. just the fresh white stuff and he really likes it when it is light and fluffy. Luckily once we got to the church he realised that he had to do his business or have to hold on for the night walk coz I sure as heckles aint hanging around outside when all he is doing is eating snow. Maybe on one of the walks where Emma is along I will try to record him doing his snow eating thing coz it is actually rather cute.. no promises.

Sooo all this snow and cold might actually mean that I get to experience a white xmas for my birthday! How cool is that? It has been all I have wanted since coming to Sweden.. give me a white xmas already and if the weather holds up this way.. for my big 3 0 I am gonna get it! Fingers crossed!

It's Embarrassment Time

Ok so I wasn't going to blog about this but then I realised that it indeed is totally blog worthy.. Especially after seeing how much Emma laughed when we spoke about it at home.. So the story goes a little something like this..

There I was on the computer.. mucking around as one does. It was early.. or well it was just after 9am and I wasn't quite dressed.. I was dressed but just not in clothes that people are allowed to see me in.. or well no bra, a tee, my popeye one which is just awesome and everyone should see me in that one! oh and my over sized, over worn, refuse to actually stay up boxer shorts.. they are comfy alright! Also, I can't forget the state my hair was in.. after going to bed with wet hair the night before.. I'm sure you can imagine that crazy! Anyways.. Nemo was in his bed as he usually is after having breakfast and a good rug roll.. when we hear the flap of the mail slot go.. which instantly makes Nemo bark and so I get up to tell him off.. look over and there is no post! How strange right and then it happened the door bell rung so I told Nemo to stay and he had him sit by the hall cupboard and I try to flatten my hair some, one side is better than the other so I keep my head to the better side as I carefully opened the door so that the mailman could only see the top of me and the good side of my head.. he hands me the mail and tells me in Swedish that it didn't fit and then I thanked him and we said our good byes.. and just as I was about to close the door.. Nemo smashes on past and tries to run off with the mailman! His tail was a wagging.. he was sooo excited and down the stairs he tried to go with the mailman and I had to actually come OUT of the apartment and call for him and tell him off coz he wasn't listening to me.. as per usual! So there I was in the stairwell with crazy hair, no bra, over sized boxers and my awesome popeye tee.. that tee is prolly the only thing that stopped me from feeling like a complete loser! lol O How Embarrassment! Nemo finally listened to me and the mailman looked all shocked.. I'm hoping it was coz I was speaking English to Nemo after having a small exchange of words in Swedish with him.. I am really hoping that was what his shocked look was! So he sulked and growled his way inside, the mailman left and I went and made me a cuppa coffee to make myself feel betterer. Nemo stayed in his room until it was time to take him out for his walk.

Am I really that hard to live with that one must try to run away with the mailman?

And now coz I have learnt my lesson I must go and get properly attired just incase I need to open the door again.. which could happen today or tomorrow coz we have a pair of Camper shoes on the way via courier.. Camper shoes for Emma.. not me.. I don't like how they feel on my feet!

It's Vodka Time!

Of the Skittles variety!

It's Snow Time!

Where o where is December going? but in saying that I would like it to hurry on past and get birthday and xmas out of the way.. coz quite frankly it is the worst time of year.. or well apart from the yummy food that you get to eat and the great excuse to over do it and then the new years resolutions of being good that will only last a month or two if you are good.. which I am not.. or well I am gonna have to be coz it seems we are doing the now annual liver cleanse.. I suppose its a good thing and at least it is both Emma and I doing it.. always easier when you have someone to share the pain with.. right?

And speaking of pain.. I nearly slipped over while out walking Nemo this lunch time! Can you guess on what part of the walk I nearly came a crashing down to the ground like a wounded heffa? The freaken pedestrian crossing! That's right.. the thing that is supposed to keep me safe from being hit by a car is so freaken dangerous to walk across with just the slightest hint of snow.. or even rain for that matter.. it is not the easiest to walk on when it has rained either.. you have to wonder why this is? Why are they not smart enough to make it non slip or something.. because really the last place you wanna slip and fall on your ass is on the road where people are bloody crazy and drive like they are the only ones on the road. I need my own island already!

So anyways.. yesterday was the start of some pretty snowfall and I got to enjoy a softserve ice cream outside IKEA in the light trickle of snow.. what a way to spend my Sunday! It was all totally worth that sickly feeling I get from being in THE car.. and I say THE car coz it is quite frankly the only car that has ever made me sick and it doesn't matter where I sit in it. Anyways here is the pic Emma uploaded to her Facebook of me enjoying my ice cream outside of IKEA in the light trickle of snow.. best part of my day!

Moving onto a completely different topic.. and something that amused me ever so muchly. I was listening to an old 'this american life' podcast, it was about insurance.. first human insurance and then animal insurance and whether or not it was a good thing or not. There was this one lady who had her hedgehog on anti-psychotics.. she had insurance however that wasn't covered by the insurance. nuts. Not nuts that it wasn't covered but nuts that a hedgehog needs anti-psychotics.. I wonder if the hedgehog turned into some kinda of assassin when not on the druuuugs! Then it got me thinking.. maybe we should put Nemo on some kind of drugs to get his moods under control.. the cranky little shit that he is! These days when we leave we have to close him off in a small area in the kitchen coz he pissed.. not only on the xmas curtains but on his kitchen bed! What sort of dog pisses on their own bed? They say dogs don't know how to be spiteful.. well those people have not met Nemo!

He is really is one of a freaken kind.. for instance.. last night Emma took him for his before bed walkies.. after getting home he has wet ickly paws and he takes off.. and I mean takes off.. he puts everything he has into running that short distance from the hall to the couch.. anyways Emma yells no at him and he didn't have enough time to actually stop proper and he ran straight into the side of the couch and yelped coz he prolly hurt his already bung neck.. it was ever so funny but we did kinda feel sorry for him. He has this love affair with running and jumping on the couch.. also he seems to love to take a few pieces of his kibble and jump up on the couch to eat it before actually going to eat his dinner and it doesn't matter how many times I tell him off he will still bloody do it.. so yeah like I said he really is one of a freaken kind.

It's Ho Ho Ho Time!

So it is that time of the year again.. where people are in total chaos trying to buy the so called perfect gifts for their so called loved ones.. just chaos! I have done all my shopping and sent off all packages in the hope that they will arrive in time for xmas. I did however feel like a bit of a doof as we had sent off a package to Hanna in the US and I had forgotten to add the one thing that she actually asked for.. so off we toddled and sent that off. I wonder which will come first?

We decided this year we would not have a xmas tree, coz they are generally too big and too much hassle and then we are at the supermarket.. or well the one we don't usually go to and we see a large assortment of small xmas trees! typical right? So anyways.. we have decorated for the festive season.. with just a small amount of xmas things, a few ornaments, placemats, xmas curtains, the warm glow candle light things that go in the window and of course the stuffed angry santa.. he by far is my fave! oh and this thing.. the candle thing in the background.. you light one candle every sunday or something.. oh and the thing in front is something that we made on the weekend with the start of our xmas baking.. actually we managed to do all the baking for xmas so now all we have left to do is the candy.. which will be done on the week leading up to the feastage.

Speaking of feastage.. also on the weekend I purchased a big babybel cheese.. so there it sits.. in my fridge.. calling out for me to eat it! but I can't.. I have to be good and share it.. plus I think it would make me sick to eat that much cheese.. but still.. I just want to grab it and take a big bite out of it.. like its a little one!

yummy yummy yummy!

Now moving on to the not so yummy.. last night I tried Jul Svagdricka..
It was not really to my liking.. it was rather malty, not much fizz and rather beer like.. basically tasted like flat beer.. not really my cuppa tea but hey at least I tried something new and trying new things is rather fun.. and Hanna has agreed to try chocolate coated bacon with me the next time I am in the US! Noice! It is always more fun to try new things with someone and Emma just aint that willing..