Hi Y'all!

Hi! We're in Savannah, Georgia now. What a gorgeous city! I have tons of pictures to post later (including some very spooky ones from our ghost tour last night.) Hope everyone had a very merry Christmas!

Hi from Detroit!

Kevin and I are in the Detroit airport now--it has been such a long trip! Oslo to Amsterdam, then Amsterdam to Detroit, and eventually Detroit to Syracuse (so far the flight to Syracuse is delayed until 10:00). Hopefully we'll be in Syracuse by midnight, and then to my mom's house by 1 AM! As much as I enjoyed the bigger plane and better food on Northwest, I really wish we had done the Continental Oslo to Newark flight again. It's so much faster and the chance of luggage being lost is greatly reduced. Somewhere en route to Detroit, one of our suitcases was lost. Thankfully it wasn't the bag with the Christmas presents, but it did have a couple of fabulous pairs of shoes in it--I hope we get it back! We were able to get some good sushi in the Detroit airport--that was a nice treat that I haven't had in months. Amazing how quickly yummy food lifts my spirits...sure, my suitcase is missing, but I have avocado maki--all is right with the world!

Photographic Evidence that Kevin is a Bit Crazy!

Kevin returned from a brief trip to the U.S. around 1 AM. He was so exhausted that he didn't bother to unpack his suitcase, he just went straight to bed. This morning, I started to unpack for him....look what I found! The man hauled 20 pounds of dog food and 20 pounds of cat litter back with him! I really do understand that it is expensive to live here, but I would rather pay more for the convenience of buying pet supplies here than to save a few (okay, many) dollars and drag a massively heavy suitcase around the airport! (Although I will be buying cat treats in the U.S. at Christmas--our finicky felines have turned their little pink noses up at the inferior Norwegian cat treats!) Anyway, I hope he doesn't expect me to follow suit--on January 1st, I expect to be hauling suitcases full of new shoes, sweaters and jeans back to Norway! I too love saving money, I just get more excited when the bargains can be worn, and not eaten by a dog or pooped on by a cat!

The Little Hothead in Gingerbread

The picture on the right is of the "Little Hothead" statue, one of the most famous statues in the Vigeland sculpture garden in Oslo. The picture on the left is my pepparkake rendition of the sculpture. He was delicious...

Bad Dog Blog

How To Drive Your Human Insane in 5 Easy Steps
by Kermit the Dog and Honey Bunny

1. Run away from your human. This is most effective (and hilarious) if you can escape during that first early morning walk--you know, when your human is still in her pajamas. It is also really funny if you live in a place that's very rocky and icy--the look on your human's face when she slips and tumbles into the mud and slush in her pajamas is priceless! And don't just run away and come right back--make it a challenge for your human. Run really fast and far through the brambles of the forest as your human crashes along after you screaming your name. Once said human has collapsed and is gasping for breath, bark maniacally so that she thinks that the possibility of catching you is possible and will start running again. Repeat for at least an hour!

2. When you decide to casually saunter back to your home, make sure you've had the chance to roll in something good and stinky. You want to make your presence known! When your human brings you into the house, crying with relief that you are okay, shake mud and pine needles all over the kitchen--it will give her something to clean. Humans seem to love to clean, they are always vacuuming up fur and wiping up paw prints!

3. When your human trudges upstairs to take a shower and do some chores, open the refrigerator. (Unfortunately, the freezer is no longer an option, as the other, bigger human who lives here has sealed it with some bungees and suction cups after many shrimps and ice creams mysteriously disappeared.) Find a big package of jalapeno cheese, bought especially for the bigger human who likes spicy things. Rip it open, while grumbling about how maybe your human should buy you special cheese too. Devour cheese and everything else on the shelves low enough to reach. Shred wrappings and scatter liberally throughout the kitchen.

4. Drink buckets of water--wow, that jalapeno cheese was extra spicy. When your human doesn't reappear for over half an hour, pee all over the floor. (In the end, you are saving your human all kinds of money--what if you had held it too long and got a kidney infection? Your human must realize that if you bark once in the kitchen, she must come barrelling out of the shower and take you outside again--otherwise, there will be consequences!)

5. Take a nap. Make sure to tuck your paws under your head just so--humans melt at the sight of warm, sleepy puppies! Dream about more ways to drive your human over the edge. Hmm, that jalapeno cheese is rumbling around uncomfortably in the tummy. Maybe another way to drive the human crazy is in "production" right now....

***We are always looking for new and unique ways to torment our humans. If you have any creative ideas, please do let us know! We are very secure in the knowledge that our humans expended a lot of effort (and spent a lot of money) to haul us to Norway, and most likely will not beat us to death! Really what can they do to us, we've already been fixed!***

Cold and Dark

This photo was taken at about 8:30 on Sunday morning--wow, it stays dark late now! A few days ago, I was marvelling at how warm it was here. Now it is so cold, so very, very cold! I forgot my gloves when I was out with the dogs Sunday evening, and I really thought my hands were going to freeze and fall off. It has been very clear at night the last couple of nights--hundreds and hundreds of twinkling stars and a crescent moon. It is all very pretty, but damn, it's cold and dark! And despite rumors of magnificent Northern Lights over the past few nights, I haven't seen anything. Oh well, I have a long winter ahead of me, I'm sure I'll see a Northern Light or two before spring arrives.

Pepparkake Baking Dag

Last night we went to our first "Pepperkake Baking Dag" (gingerbread baking day) party, held at the home of one of Kevin's coworkers. We had so much fun--Kevin works with some of the kindest and funniest people anywhere. We started the evening off with some glogg (hot spiced red wine, port and brandy or aquavit concoction with raisins and almonds). Yum! Our hostess had whipped up a massive batch of dough the day before, so we put on our aprons and started rolling and cutting away. To keep our energy up, the men got together to sing a Norwegian song about a little mouse who works in a bakery and mixes up the amounts of pepper and sugar, and then makes up a song to help him remember the correct recipe for pepperkake. It was very cute, and I was highly impressed at Kevin's ability to sing along.
After all the dough was finally used up and the cookies were cooling, we sat down for dinner. Rakfisk was the main dish, and wow did it reek! But again, the peer pressure got to me. Everyone, including my husband, was oohing and aahing over the rakfisk, so even though I had a nice plate of smoked salmon and potatoes, I foolishly decided I wanted to try rakfisk again. I took a little bite off of Kevin's plate--oh my, it was so much worse than the first time I tried it! I think this particular rakfisk was much stronger than the first one I tried. (I should have known by the stench that enveloped the room as soon as the rakfisk was opened! It was pretty funny, the host's daughter was cracking eggs to make scrambled eggs, and when the rakfisk was unsealed, there was such an overpowering odor of sulphur, she started sniffing the eggs to see if they were rotten!) My first instinct was to spit the foul fish out, but I'm not 5 anymore, so I couldn't. I gulped a ton of water to wash it down, but yikes, I think that aftertaste will last until Easter! Everyone laughed at my horrified face, and explained again that it really is an acquired taste, much like very strong cheese. Well, my taste in cheese is pretty limited too--I don't put any green or blue cheeses in my mouth, and if it smells like sweaty socks, there's a good chance I won't eat it! I don't think I'll be trying rakfisk again--I really have been a good sport and tried it twice and despised it twice. In the grocery store today, when I passed a cooler full of it, my stomach did a big flip flop, warning me, "Don't even think about it next year!" But I really did like the glogg--that counts for something, right?
We now have 2 huge tins full of pepparkake that I have been snacking on throughout the day. I particularly enjoyed my little tigerhawk cookie--no matter how far I travel from Iowa, I'll always be a Hawkeye!

More Fun With Paper

All of the paper ornaments pictured above were created by the teacher of my papirklip class. They're so pretty, and really not difficult to make. (They are time-consuming, and wow, my hand is really cramped up!) I don't think any hanging ornaments in my house would escape the wrath of the cat paws, but I think I can use this same technique to make some really beautiful greeting cards. Maybe I'll go get started right now...or maybe not, ow, my hand is seriously aching. Papirklipping is brutal!

Kurs I Papirklipp

I just got home from my class on the art of Danish paper cutting--it was fun and I was wowed by the amazing decorations the teacher had on display. I made the little wreath of stars in the picture above--not perfect by a long shot, but I'm pleased for my first effort. The class was just what I needed--a reaon to get out and meet some new people and use my brain in a new way.
At the beginning of the class, because I was from the U.S., the director of the Folkuniversitet made me come to the front of the classroom and introduce myself. I was so embarrassed--I must have turned 10 different shades of crimson! I was able to blurt out who I am and where I'm from in Norwegian, and then I reverted to about age 13, started giggling and squirming, and said a couple of inane things in English. Yessiree, I made the good ol' U.S. of A. proud today--no dispelling any myths about stupid Americans for me! (Sadly, this is how I conducted myself throughout my whole academic career--I would rather write a 30 page paper than give a 30 second speech!)
I was able to compose myself during the 2 hour class, busily cut, cut, cutting away. And then, at the end of class, I stuck my foot right in my mouth...sigh. One of the ladies in the class said something to me in English, and I was impressed by how beautifully she spoke--such a polished British accent, so I complimented her on it. She and everyone else in the class burst out laughing, and then she said, "Well I should hope I speak English well, I am from Great Britain!" Oops! In my defense, it's not like I live in Oslo--Gjovik is a little town of 30,000 with very few immigrants. Just about everyone I have met here is from here, so I really was not expecting to meet another foreigner in my paper cutting class! (And she also spoke Norwegian really well!) Thankfully, she was amused by my gaffe, and said, "At least you didn't say I speak good English for a Norwegian!" Well, of course I didn't! And I wouldn't, to anyone! Really, I do have some social skills, occasionally...sigh.
Trying to muster up a little dignity after class, I walked out of the school and promptly fell off the curb, ripping a hole in my new jeans. (It was ridiculously dark out and there were no streetlights--yeah, that's why I fell, that's the ticket!) Oh well, the second half of the class is tomorrow evening, so I'll have another chance to make a good impression (or at least try to keep the blurting, babbling and falling over to a minimum)!

Global Warming

It's strange--we live so far up north (latitude 60 47'--about as far north as Anchorage, Alaska), yet it has been so warm. When I left for my vacation in New York in mid November, we had a good foot of snow on the ground. When I returned on December 2nd, all the snow was gone and it just hasn't been that cold out. I wouldn't wear short sleeves or anything, but I ran errands today in a turtleneck and fleece pullover, without a coat, and I was fine. Today's Aftenposten has another article about how much the Arctic has warmed up and how quickly the ice is melting away:
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1567233.ece
It's so sad, both for the wildlife and for the Norwegians who depend on the snow for their livelihoods. I can imagine that all the people who work at the various ski resorts are having a tough winter so far. On a far more selfish note, I'm pretty annoyed by the lack of snow too--I love to downhill ski, and was really excited to learn how to cross country ski as well...it doesn't look like I'll be doing any skiing any time soon. Also, it gets dark so early now--by 4:00 in the afternoon, it is pitch black out. I have noticed that snow reflects the moonlight and brightens everything up a bit, so this snowless December has been incredibly dark and dreary.
On a lighter note, I guess all the warm weather is good for the rats!
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1567417.ece
(Though those nasty spring traps in the picture don't seem to be too good for the poor little guys!)

Lillehammer photos

Here are a few of the pictures I took in Lillehammer yesterday evening--funny how photos just don't turn out so well when it's dark out! All of the candle light and the decorated tree were really beautiful, but I'm afraid the pictures don't do the scene justice. So far, all the Christmas decorations that I have seen here in Norway have been fairly understated and tasteful--lots of greenery and candles and tiny white lights and advent candelabras. It has been nice not to be blinded by the glare of all those inflatable snowmen and santas that have become so popular in the U.S. over the past few years! I don't think I'll escape the tackiness entirely--we leave for Christmas in New York and New Year's Eve in North Carolina in just 11 days. Plenty of time to overdose on millions of flashing lights--my retinas are beginning to burn just thinking about it!

Domkirkeodden

Today, Kevin and I drove to Hamar, about a half hour drive from our house. Like many Norwegian cities, Hamar is home to an open air folk museum with several historical buildings. The ruins of the Hamar cathedral, built around 1152 A.D., are on the grounds of the museum, overlooking Lake Mjosa. In 1998 a huge glass structure was built around the old limestone cathedral, in order to protect the historic site from further damage from the elements. This protective structure is the largest glass building in Europe, and covers 2600 square meters. Sometimes concerts and plays take place within the old cathedral walls--watching a performance in that spectacular setting is definitely high on my list of things to do here! Unfortunately, the museum was closed today so we couldn't go inside. Happily, the architects of the glass construction were thoughtful enough to install heat vents at frequent intervals, so even though the temperature was below freezing today, and much of the glass was frosted over, there were many circles of thawed glass to peek through. The ruins of the bishop's quarters are also on the museum grounds, housed within another stone building. As we walked by, we heard beautiful music--a children's choir was performing this afternoon. We lurked by the door for a while, listening.

Usually the stores are all closed on Sundays, but today, because Christmas is coming, all the stores stayed open and there were bands and various holiday activities going on in the town centers. After wandering around Hamar sentrum and listening to a brass band all decked out in Santa outfits, we got back in the car and drove up to Lillehammer. There was a Christmas bazaar going on, candles everywhere, a horse drawn carriage and the Julnissen himself. I just love Christmas...I'll post photos later!

Splish Splash!

We spent the afternoon grooming the dogs. (I guess I should say Kevin spent the afternoon grooming the dogs, I spent the afternoon reassuring them that everything would be okay, and then taking goofy pictures of them!) Maybe next time, we'll try to find a professional dog groomer in the area--our upstairs bathroom is now a swamp!
The dogs are now almost dry, though very frizzy! Maybe we should have used conditioner? Hopefully their fur will relax a little as it dries more!

The Ugliest Kitchen in All the Land

This is our kitchen--it is the ugliest kitchen in all of Norway, possibly in all of Europe. Our house was built close to 100 years ago, and then extensively remodeled in the 1960's...ugh! The kitchen cabinets are this weird green, wood grain laminate, the backsplash is made up of orange tiles with huge green flowers, and the flooring is disgusting peel and stick orange linoleum tiles. It is beyond awful. Sadly, we are renting this house, so it doesn't make sense for us to make to many home improvements, especially given how expensive everything is here. (We did rip up the tomato orange shag carpet in the master bedroom and refinished the pine floor--that was a non-negotiable for me! It cost us over $1000 to rent the industrial sander and buy the polyeurethane and sandpaper, plus the lovely deep blue paint to cover the brown walls!)
In typically optimistic Norwegian style, our friends here try to reassure us that the retro look is very popular right now--our kitchen is very in style! First of all, I don't care how trendy orange and avocado are, I will never like them. Second of all, I could deal with the kitchen if it was new and fresh and painted unappealing "retro" colors, but our kitchen is old and vile--the cabinet doors under the sink are so warped that they don't close, some of the drawers no longer slide in and out smoothly, and the revolting peel and stick tiles on the floor are unsticking and peeling up. In the U.S. there are all kinds of home improvement shows and contests to make over truly hideous rooms--is there anything like that in Norway? Does Oprah's interior designer, Nate, do trans-Atlantic room make-overs?
Oh well, enough compaining, I'm going to venture into my ever-so-foul kitchen for some chocolate!

Tubes O' Shrimp

The picture above is of some sort of squeezable shrimp flavored cheese in a tube. The tube has been sitting unopened in our refrigerator since August--when we first got here, we went a little nuts in the grocery store and grabbed anything and everything that was new and different to us. Unfortunately, the shrimp in a tube was a little too different, as it has just been hanging out in the fridge ever since. It expires on the 9th of December, so if either of us wants to try it, we'd better get brave soon! And if we do end up liking it, there are so many squeezable cheese options out there--bacon, salmon, garlic...the list goes on and on.
I was at my friend Nina's house today, and she helped me brainstorm what I should bring back to the U.S. when I return for Christmas. My friend Amanda wants to try the brown cheese (it's brown and kind of sweet and nutty tasting--Kevin likes it, I am not yet a fan.) Nina suggested some kind of meat that is made out of the heads of pigs and then spiced with cloves! When she saw the horror on my face, she said, "Don't worry, it's not made from the brain or anything, just the meat of the cheeks and neck." Amanda, good thing you don't eat meat either, or I'd be sending a big, spiced loaf of pig face your way!
There are all kinds of gingerbreads and marzipans and other desserts in the grocery store right now, so maybe I'll just play it safe and stick to the sweets. But if I have underestimated my American friends, and any of you would like to try shrimp in a tube, or any other local delicacy, let me know!

Eat Tons of Cake and Help Save the Earth!

I love "Aftenposten"--it's got all sorts of wacky Norwegian news in English. This has to be one of the wackiest stories I've read in a while:
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1559489.ece
The plastic surgeons involved must be jumping up and down for joy--first, they make oodles of money from their patients, then they make oodles more by selling the fat to this Norwegian guy. Well, hopefully this plan will work--I'm going to go do my part and have a cookie now!

And I Thought It Was Just Jetlag

According to this article, it is the lack of daylight that is making me such a lazy bum these days!
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1557600.ece
The first morning back in Norway, I didn't actually wake up until 3 in the afternoon, so I missed daylight completely that day. It all makes so much sense now: the lounging in my pajamas, the reluctance to vacuum the floors, the compulsion to watch too much T.V.--it's not my fault, it's the sun's!

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Importing Pets to Norway

I really thought that after their harrowing van ride and trans-Atlantic flight, the cats would be a little scared and withdrawn for a while. They're not at all, as you can see from the photos. Toonces is the big guy (about 20 pounds) in the top photo. He has been lounging around, cuddling and trying to steal the dogs' food ever since he arrived. Frank (the little orange cat) and Figaro (the black and white cat with his head stuck up the flue) are absolutely fascinated with our fireplaces. I hope they get over their obsession before we decide that it's chilly enough for a nice fire!
Now that all of our animals are safely here with us, I can laugh about the whole importing experience, but it was truly an awful, ulcer-inducing journey. (Mostly because I was an idiot, I willingly admit it!) If you are trying to bring animals from the U.S. into Norway, the good news is there is no longer a 4 month quarantine, as long as all the medical requirements are met. The bad news is there are so many medical requirements, and none of them are cheap! All animals must be microchipped with either an ISO or FECAVA chip. After they have been chipped, they must receive a rabies shot. At least 120 days after the shot (but no more than 364) a blood draw must be done to determine the rabies titer levels. (This one test costs about $200 per animal.) It takes about 3 weeks for the results to come back, and if they are acceptable (I believe the number has to be over .5) then the animals go to the vet for a final exam/flea and tick treatment/tape worm treatment/reams of paperwork fest. Once they are seen by the vet, all their paperwork goes to the USDA, and if everything is approved, the animals have a 10 day window to be imported.
It doesn't sound so complicated, right? But when I first found out that we were moving to Norway this past spring, I was so overwhelmed with everything that we needed to get done in a couple of short months, and apparently my brain stopped working. I read the requirements and didn't understand that after the microchip is inserted, the animals have to receive a rabies injection. I just assumed since all of my pets were current on their vaccines, once they were microchipped, they could just get their titers measured. Wow, what an expensive error on my part! We did eventually hire a pet moving company and thankfully they explained what I had done wrong. Unfortunately, by the time I had spoken with them, it was the middle of June, so my animals would not be able to travel with us by August, as they still had to be revaccinated and then wait the 120 days. The pet moving company employees did talk to the Norwegian border vet, who said that an exception could be made with the dogs as their titer levels came back very high and because they had received a 3 year rabies vaccine only a couple of months before. No such deal for the cats, though. Luckily, I have incredible friends, and one of them, Carrie, offered to take all of the little feline monsters for the 3 months until they could join us in Norway. I can't explain what a gift that was, to know that they would be living in a home and getting lots of attention, instead of being boarded in a cage at a kennel. (And I don't have normal cats, either. I volunteered for years at an animal shelter, and I adopted some "special needs" cats. One has chronic upper respiratory infections, one was semi-feral as a kitten and still bites a little, one has some neurological problems and falls over a lot.)
Once I knew the cats would be okay, I just focused on getting the dogs overseas safely. I took them to their final vet appointment, and then brought the paperwork to the USDA. The vet at the USDA wouldn't approve the paperwork because I hadn't done everything in the right order. I tried to explain that the Norwegian officials already knew and approved their entry into the country anyway, but the vet wouldn't budge. Kevin and I ended up having to change our plane tickets (at $500 apiece) so we could stay an extra day in the U.S. and obtain a letter of exemption from the Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food to present to the USDA vet.
During the two days when it looked like the dogs would not be able to come with us, my friend Amanda in North Carolina and my friend Katrina in New York offered to take care of the dogs until November. I am so blessed to have the best friends in the world! (Of course, after hearing about all of the things the dogs have eaten and destroyed in the past couple of months, I think Katrina and Amanda have realized that they really dodged a bullet when the USDA finally approved the paperwork!) On those days when I feel especially homesick, it helps to know that even though I am so far away now, I have the most amazing, supportive and wonderful people in my life...just a phone call away.

Julebord

We went to Kevin's company's Julebord party last night--lots of drinking, eating and singing. In the picture of the buffet, the third tray back is the rakfisk. Kevin had never tried rakfisk before, so he was very eager to earn his Viking horns too. The next photo is of him taking his first bite of rakfisk, and the last photo is of his priceless reaction to the very unique flavor! He tried to be very polite about it, but I think he had a bit of trouble convincing our hosts that he was a rakfisk enthusiast! After downing a couple more glasses of wine, he did manage to finish most of the rakfisk on his plate. I didn't have any rakfisk (one tiny bite several weeks ago was all I'll ever need!), but I did try some lingonberry sauce. Very yummy!

After dinner, the company gave out "awards" for the dumbest quotes and acts of the year. Kevin was nominated for moving to Norway from New York. His coworkers teased him, asking him what exactly lured him here... the bright and sunny weather, the pristine beaches, or the very affordable cost of living? It was really funny, but unfortunately Kevin lost out to a colleague who has lived in Gjovik for the past 20 years, went out cross country skiing and got lost, then had to call the office for help navigating back. We also sang Norwegian Christmas songs. This one is called "Glad Jul, Hellige Jul" and is sung to the tune of "Silent Night".

Glad Jul, Hellige Jul.

Engler daler ned i skjul.

Hit de flyver med paradisgront,

hvor de ser hva for Gud er skjont,

lonnlig i blant oss de gar--

lonnlig i blant oss de gar.

I haven't figured out how to type the o's with slashes or the a's with circles over them yet, so there are some errors. (I still can't type Gjovik properly, as the o has a slash through it. The pronounciation sounds kind of like Yervick.)

By about 11 p.m., I was absolutely exhausted and jet lagged, so I drove home. Kevin was still drinking wine and beer and whiskey and aquavit with his coworkers--I think he finally took a taxi home around 4 a.m. I guess it's official, my husband is a Viking--he willingly eats rakfisk, drinks aquavit, and stays out all night. Me, not so much! I was happily curled up on the couch with my cats, hot cocoa and a book in hand, by 11:30.

Home at Last!

I'm finally home--what a crazy trip! My flight from Syracuse was delayed on Thursday due to weather in the midwest, and I would have missed my connection to Oslo, so I rented another car (a PT Cruiser--wow, not a fan!) and drove back to my mom's house in Sherrill. On Friday, I took the 10 AM flight out of Syracuse, but the Oslo flight was booked, so I had to take the flight to Amsterdam instead. That flight was delayed by 3 hours due to weather, so Friday I spent 8 hours hanging out at Newark airport, and then another 3 hours sitting on the tarmac. Because of that delay, I missed my Amsterdam to Oslo flight, so I got to spend another 2 hours at the Amsterdam airport. Oh well, I'm home now, and best of all, the cats all made it safely to Gjovik. They seem healthy and happy and I am so pleased that the trip went so smoothly for them. I'm off to get ready for our Julebord party tonight, hopefully I can keep my eyes open and not yawn in anyone's face!