Posts

Showing posts from December, 2004

Over 70 000 dead.

I was telling my boss yesterday that this'll be the disaster of my lifetime. Not only are the nations directly hit by the tsunamis affected, but the tourists from other nations are also affected. 3 000 Norwegians were vacationing in Thailand, and as of this writing, 300 are still not accounted for. For Sweden, the numbers are much higher. Tamils living in Norway have lost many family members on Sri Lanka. And the earthquake was so huge, it even shifted the planet a little! I'm trying to understand why this is affecting me so. There have been other disasters and – awful as this sounds – 70 000 is nothing compared to the millions that have died of hunger and disease in Africa over the years. So why is this particular event getting my attention? The only thing I can say is, I'm not alone. Many Norwegians are choosing to spend less money on fireworks for this New Year's celebration, and giving money to various humanitarian organizations to help the victims of the

40 questions (as it turns out)

Stolen from Ultraviolet 1. Name the last four things you have bought: Ack, my darned attention deficiency! Uhm, oh! Bejeweled 2 for my Zire 72, and, ah... Can we do last four things I actually remember? OK, new mouse with right button and scroll wheel and pretty little yellow and orange fishes on a blue background; Christmas decorations for my Mom and a friend and a big Christmas ornament showing Bryggen for me, and, er, oh, the groceries. (Hrmph. Nobody said it'd be on the test.) 2. Name four drinks you regularly drink: Easy! Coffee, coffee, coffee and water. 3. Last time you cried? If almost counts, last night. If actual tears, then day before yesterday, when I laughed so hard, I cried. Good ol' fashioned bawl? Last year, I think. 4. What's in your CD player? Cat fur. CDs play well in spite of that. 5. What's under your bed? You don't wanna go there. Trust me. 6. What time did you wake up today? What? I was supposed to notice

My thoughts about things not being what they were

I never thought I would "outgrow" company parties. When I started as a young thing, all generations were represented at the parties and no one was left out. I feel I've lost touch with people, and I wonder (yet again) if my future lays with this company. I just turned 44 (on Dec 3rd), and though that feels like nothing to me (I still feel young inside), I realize my years of being the youngest must be nearing their end. You see, I have always been the youngest in class (with one exception), and in the various departments I've been in at work. Even when my current department was hiring a printer, my boss managed to hire an old friend about his age (50-ish), so I remain the youngest. (The other candidate considered for hiring was 29.) We now have a very high average age in my department, and sometimes I think I should leave it and take my weird "jinx" with me, so they can hire some younger folks and have a future. Where would I go, though? That I haven'

It sucks to be me

No, it doesn't, really. But right now it does. Rather, some parts of my life suck. Every year, my employer throws a big Christmas ball. Attendance is voluntary and with a "deductible". With the exception of one year, our ball is held at the same hotel every year. I've been employed by the same company for over 21 years, and have attended the ball at least 10 times. It's a tradition and I love the elegant ladies and stylish gentlemen. Also, we are a dancing bunch. The folks from my firm love to boogie. A good band is more important than good food. My body isn't what it used to be; I've lost my waistline completely. Now I'm going to try some a yoga programme to try to lose weight. (In case you're wondering, the positions are: Warrior, Candle, Bow, Plough, Fish, Pulling in the stomach, Pump and Twist.) Anyway, this meant shopping for new clothes for Christmas, and I found a long, satiny black skirt that fit well and which I wore with a black long-