October break

It's October break and Holly is spending her days at home. A rare treat.
She's restless and get's sulky if thing's don't happen, or the focus isn't around her. Which is often, since for the rest of the family it's business as usual.
She doesn' t say anything, she's far too clever to go winding me up, but it's written all over her beautiful face.
- Can I do this? Can I stay up extra late? Can I have candy on Wednesday? Can we watch this movie, this dvd, this thing on TV - do I really have to- ? It's October break, she says.


October break didn't get invented so the kids were gonna get spoilt for seven days, I say. It's so the teachers got to get a break away from you - the students.

Not entirely true, but not far off.
Mostly, I just find the breaks annoying.  They're little hiccups in my schedule I will have to endure for a while until things get back to normal again.

cultural differences

Something that is very hard to explain to a Swede is the Cannabis shops and the debate on legalizing cannabis. I don't think I could find two more conflicting stand-points even if I tried.
And my own opinion on the matter might reveal how long I have been away from my own country: complete indifference.....

He's so clever he will become Einstein

Holly lost her twelfth tooth last night, a molar. This morning she shows Finn the gap, and explains the whole tooth-loosing process in detail, with gap in mouth and tooth-fairy reward in the empty eggcup to proof. He pays close attention. Nods a lot.
Then he sticks his fingers in his mouth and tries out his own teeth. After a little while he smiles:

- Mine are still sleeping.

What they do in China 6.30 in the morning

Someone hacked in to my email account this morning. Suddenly, everyone I have happened to email in the last seven years got spammed.
Apparently I have bought a big load of Viagra.

Just to clarify:
I haven't bought Viagra. And I didn't email anyone telling about it.

But you knew that, didn't you.

In need of love

We have a table for four at Frances, one of the toughest places to get a booking these days, and have been turned down by two sets of friends.

Fred and Russell, where are you when we neeeeeeed you????

Dogowners

I am getting used to the dogs in Crissy Fields. But the other day a mother, her two year old son and their dachshund helped themselves to our blanket and sand toys. After having played for a while she held up one of my sons sand buckets and asked:
- Is it OK if the dog drinks his water from this.

I am getting used to the dogs. It's the owners I still can't figure out.

Sharing nicely

A mother sat down on my and Finns blanket with her 2 year old son and dachshund on the beach the other day. They helped themselves to sand toys and football while chatting to each other.

Then she decided that the dog was thirsty so she reached out for one of our sand buckets and asked "can I use this?" while she filled it with Crystal Geyser water so that the dog could have a drink.


I'm all for what's mine is yours. So was she, but the other way around.

effelent = elephant for a 3 year old

- Mummy. Pick me up please.
- OK.
- Now walk with me please.

Basically, he wants to reach something on the top shelf in his cupboard.

Sniffles

I think I am allergic to sun, and sand. It gives me the sneezes.

Bummer, since I live where I live.

caffein addiction

I have to stop drinking coffee, it's simply not good for me.

All the sleepless nights, I am ageing prematurely, and I am already 37. Guess I will be looking 167 very soon if I don't stop.

The luxury of insurance

I met a Swedish woman last night who had been for a UL that day. She pointed out that the big difference between American and Swedish UL was that the American gel is warm.
Is that the difference between private insurance and tax funded care?

- The gel in England is freezing, I told her.
She could be on to something.

The state of the 21st century

You need a good support network around you. You need family, friends, relatives, physician, dentist, dermatologist, specialists, hairdresser, babysitter, 2nd babysitter, barrista, pest control, electrician, plumber, handy man, neighbors, therapist, counselor, pediatrician, pediatric dentist, teachers, teacher's assistants- and the list goes on.

If all else fails, there is Facebook.

Market and 17th

Tuesday night date-night at Starbelly in the Castro. As we drive down Market, we spot him. He's passing the gas-station on the corner of 17th: the Naked Man, in the prime of his late 60's, bearing it all, hanging out, just chillin' and taking a stroll.

This man is not part of the jock-straps lounging outside Starbucks on Castro and 18th, nor is he a left over from a Burning Man long time ago, he just looks like a sad man who lost his clothes, his head hanging slightly as if bummed out, having to make his way home without his wallet, but still trying to put on a brave face.

When I tell my babysitter about it later she says she sees him quite often in the Castro.
- He usually covers his thing with a fig leaf.

Well, I guess it was particularly warm that night, with the heatwave and all.

Heatwave in the city!

Alembic, friday night

When it comes to basic communication, four year later I am still lost in translation.

As we sit down and sip our cocktails at the Alembic on Friday, hanging out with friends from London, the waitress asks if we think we know what we might like to eat.
- Oh, we're gonna order the whole menu, I say. With this, I mean nothing else than the whole menu is over-the-top good, making it hard for  me to single out one or two dishes in particular. And that the four of us around the table have just talked about how the concept of small plates is somewhat lost on the Brits as they are distinctly reluctant to share food, so it would be better if everyone ordered for themselves, in which case, we'd probably end up with pretty much the whole menu on the table.

The girl, who obviously hasn't been privy to any of this, walks of.
A minute later we see her start sorting out cutlery and condiments.
- Oh, know, I sigh. She took me seriously. She really thinks that I want to order the entire menu.
After fretting for a while, I call her back to explain.

- Sorry, excuse me, but - when I said I wanted to order everything, I didn't actually mean everything.

- Oh, I know. I was just gonna give you a minute to decide, that's all.

I need to stop trying to be funny, and just get down to business. Have I not learned anything in four years?

Monday night at the Filmore, waiting for Eels to come on stage

a sunny day downtown

Drop Box

For all you Swedes out there!

Dutch - California Cloaked In Wool.mp4

Not in the mood for this...

The husband was meant to go to a lunch meeting at 1 and then come straight back with the food shopping so the kids can have dinner before Holly's ballet (ie, before 5.15). When I call him, he's says he'll be home at 5, so too late for bringing any food home for dinner.
How long does a lunch meeting actually take.....

Then he calls and says his car has been towed, and he needs to try to go and pick it up. Seems like I am on my own for a good few hours.

The words "horse" and "head" comes to mind.....

Spells

I think I need to stoop Finn from watching Harry Potter movies with his sister and her friends. He think he has magic powers now. When a little boy walked up to him in the playground, Finn froze up, pretended not to look at him for a long time and the brought out his invisible wand and went "ptch", trying to put a disappearing-spell on him.
Mind you, an invisible wand does look better than a ditto gun, more inoffensive. And it's made him stop pushing other kids so I shouldn't complain.