Author: Mirthful

I almost bought an iPod yesterday. Not as in I went to the shop and looked at an iPod and had my wallet out and then changed my mind (I sort of did that Friday, looking at Apple’s web-shop). As in I read a couple of reviews of various MP3 players and realised there was a good alternative at a lower price overall and a much lower price considering the capacity. So I went to the shop just to have a look at that and had my wallet out, all of a sudden and now I am the proud (not to say extatic) owner of a Creative Nomad Jukebox Zen, of 20Gb capacity.

Needless to say, all I seem to be able to think about is ripping CDs in order to get them onto the CreNJuZ (I need a shorter name for it, that seems as good as any, and nice and cryptic, too). I tested it yesterday walking home from town at 1am and it plays beautifully (though I might have to agree with the reviewers and get another set of headphones – not because of the quality, but because I don’t like the way the bundled ones sit on my head). I also ripped all of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, so now I can carry that everywhere. I need to get hold of the other four books as CDs as well… Uhm. This could turn out to be expensive. But just think: Portable audio book library! No more fussing about with tapes and batteries (just remember to recharge). And all my favourite music readily accessible at any one time. No more vain attempts to predict which CDs I might get an uncontrollable urge to listen to when going away for the weekend. Yay.

Right. Back to ripping CDs.

Voice in my head: Sophie Ellis Bextor – Music Gets the Best of Me

Yay! Friday!

1. What was the last TV show you watched?
I saw bits of Torsdagsklubben yesterday while helping P pack her books (she’s moving). I guess that counts.

2. What was the last thing you complained about and what was the problem?
The lack of adequate hardware to test a somewhat urgent problem on.

3. Who was the last person you complimented and what did you say?
I can’t remember. That’s not good.

4. What was the last thing you threw away?
The teabag for my morning mug of tea.

5. What was the last website (besides this one) that you visited?
My webmail, but before that: Nettavisen

Voices in my head: The Eagles – Hotel California

Moles run in the female line in my family. My grandmother (my mother’s mother) had a rather large mole on the left-hand side of the back of her neck, just about at the hair line. So does my mother, in exactly the same spot. Me? I have thousands, not to say millions of moles, all over, mostly pretty small. I have, however, also inherited the family mole, except in my case it has decided to move to a better vantage point. It’s in the back of my head, towards the crown, in the exact spot you would aim for if you came from behind with a baseball bat on a downward stroke (please don’t). Odd that.

Voices in my head: the Muppets – doing the Muppet Show theme tune

This must be Thursday. I never could get the hang of Thursdays.

1. You’ve been given the chance to go back to a point in your life and change a single decision you made; you’ll lose everything that happened since then, but you’ll get to live in the shiny new parallel timeline that develops. Would you? What would you change? And would you want to keep the memory of this timeline, too?

I wouldn’t, I don’t think. A whole new set of difficult decisions to deal with? Thanks, but no thanks. Besides, I can’t think of any single decision I’ve made that I would like to change. I mean, there are several situations I’d have liked to handle differently – a couple of boyfriend snafus that lost me good friends – and a fair few choices where, in retrospect, it’s obvious I made the wrong decisions – I wish I’d done French at IB, for example – but not one, single, momentous, life-changing decision that “went all wrong” – and surely that would have to be the point? I’m pretty happy with my life most of the time.

2. If you could legally sell your vote in the next Presidential election — hand someone a signed, blank ballot in exchange for money — would you do it? And what price would you ask?

No. Not that I have a vote in the next presidental election (though I wish I had, the last one wasn’t exactly a great success and maybe my vote would help), but assuming the question to also mean “in the next general election”, my answer is no. Definitely not.

3. What one object you own has the most sentimental value to you?

I’m having a hard time coming up with something here. I have lots of stuff that has sentimental value (I have lots of stuff – period), and a few things that I keep only for their sentimental value, but not very much that I would be devastated to lose. The things I would be devastated to lose are the things that are irreplaceable – slides and negatives, drawings, paintings, old letters, that sort of thing.

Huh? My coffee tastes of toffee. Why? Have my tastebuds suddenly gone dyslectic? Has someone added toffee flavour to the instant coffee? Is it an echo of last night’s tasting (Clontarf, was it?)? Or am I just going mad?

The latter seems likely.

Voices in my head: Atomic Kitten (sadly) singing The Tide is High

This is my new blogchalk:
Norway, Oslo, Norwegian, English, Robin, Female, 26-30, books.

Yesterday, I was told with great assurance that I am an angel. A little later I was chasticised for “floating” while doing the kata at karate practice.

Got to remember to keep those wings furled.

The urge to call him up, or better yet, just turn up at his doorstep asking for a hug, is almost overwhelming. It would be an unspeakably bad idea considering my continued state of indecision. So. Almost overwhelming. Will concentrate on doing useful tasks instead. Such as paying a couple of bills and updating the NMWL members list.

Then go to bed and hope for a friendly dream.

Voice on the stereo: Poor Rich Ones – Happy happy happy

You may be blithely uninterested, but here’s a report anyway.

Easter was good. Friday night (11th) was my birthday party at The Dubliner, and a lot of people showed up and it was very, very nice to see everyone. We did indeed end up going back to my place at the end, which was also very nice. I threw the remains of the party out at some point, I’m all in favour of late conversations but I’m also rather in favour of just a little sleep. As expected I woke up ridiculously early on Saturday, before eight, I think. However, I messed about the flat for a bit (washed the glasses from the night before and such) so by the time I got out it was almost lunchtime. Stopped by the library and met L there and we went for a wander and had lunch at Bagel & Juice. Saturday night? Uhm. Oh, that’s right, I already told you. I got restless and ended up drinking whisky at Bar & Cigar.

Sunday. I can’t remember what I did Sunday. Must have done something.

Monday I picked up Jane at the airport and we went rambling round town, doing a little bit of shopping. We then went down to the harbour and enjoyed the sunshine, and walked around Akershus Festning to end up at The Dubliner for dinner (and cider). V.g.

Tuesday, weather was still holding up and we decided to be tourists proper and took the ferry across to Bygdøy and saw the Viking ships (yes, actual viking ships, not just reproductions, kinda cool, huh?), Ra II and Kon Tiki and Nansen’s Fram. Following that we went home and made Meg’s Toucan Lasagne in preparation for the evening. P, M and T&hubby turned up to eat it and to play the US version of TP. The guys won (we were playing teams of two), which must surely have been some mistake, but the company was good, so we didn’t really care.

Wednesday, Jane and I popped into town to do some last-minute shopping and then caught a ride with M up to Elverum (the poor boy was driving all the way to Trondheim and then “two hours left”), where we met up with my parents and drove to my grandparent’s.

Here followed a couple of days of way too much fresh air, sun and excercise (we went for walks and Jane took lots of pictures of hills, trees and snow, all novelties to her – I could contain my enthusiasm, though I had to admit it was pretty and that I probably shouldn’t be taking it for granted). The mandatory trip to Sweden on the Thursday meant I could stock up on a little Strongbow and I bought a fridge magnet: “Du får röra dammet, men var vänlig skriv inte i det.” (You may touch the dust, but please don’t write in it.) In Torsby we met L briefly to do a quick exchange of birthday presents, and lo and behold, she gave me another fridge magnet: “Inget går upp mot en god vän, undantaget en god vän med choklad.” (Nothing can compete with a good friend, except a good friend with chocolate.) Saturday was family party time, as my grandmother’s 80th birthday was Monday, lots of great aunts and uncles to deal with and, though very nice in its way, quite tiring.

On my insistence, we set off quite early on Sunday, Jane and I caught the bus back to Oslo from Elverum and manged to go for a walk in the evening which ended up in The Churchill. However, we still managed to get out and about for the planned walk from Maridalsvannet along Akerselva the next day. And now my shoulders are red. And in the evening I saw Jane off, as already recounted.

Og alle var enige om at det hadde vært en fin tur.

Voice on the stereo: Marli from The Fame Academy singing The Track of my Tears (yay, Fame Academy CD in the mailbox today from amazon)

The this or that “what is” edition:

1. Yummier: Chocolate ice cream or strawberry cheesecake?
Chocolate ice cream. Mmmm. Chocolate… (I can hear Homer Simpson going “Donuts” in my head when I say that. I am putting the exact same sentiment into the word chocolate.)

2. Better to watch on TV: Movies or sports?
Ah. Now. Let me see. Sports. I’ve heard of those. You mean you can watch them on tv? Without committing hara kiri out of utter boredom? I must say the thought had not occurred to me. Movies, ok? My answer is Movies.

3. A better web browser: MSIE or Netscape (or tell us your own favorite!)
I used to be a big Netscape fan. Now, for some reason, I seem to be using IE almost exclusively. Why? I have no clue. It’s not as if I think it’s any better, and I still hate Microsoft.

4. A better way to travel: Automobile or bus/train?
I don’t care as long as I don’t have to drive. On principle I’m in favour of bus/train as being more environmetally friendly, but I love riding in cars.

5. Your preferred camera: Digital or film?
Film. Slide film. I would rather like a proper digital camera, though, preferably an SLR that would go with the lenses I already have.

6. A Cooler Vehicle: Motorcycle or sports car?
It depends a bit on what sports car and who’s driving it (seeing as I don’t want to). I’d quite like an old MG and the right person to drive me around in it, but on the whole I’d go with motorcycle.

7. More fun: Video games or board games?
Trivial pursuit! So: board games.

8. Sexier: A perfect body or an intelligent mind?
Whose definition of perfect? The intelligent mind may need an acceptable body (minimum height, minimum – and maximum – weight, reasonably broad shoulders, nice eyes, uhm, I think that’s the easily definable ones) to go with it, but a perfect body (even if it’s to my own definition of perfect) in no way compensates for a pea-brain. I guess that answers your question?

9. A stinkier smell: Skunk or gasoline (petrol)?
Skunk. Petrol smells kinda nice.

10. Thought-provoking question of the week: What is more important to you: making a ton of money and being at the top of your field, or finding your soulmate and living a comfortable but not wealthy life?
The latter. Could he make himself apparent soon, please?