Men planning

Went out for dinner last night with my friend Nicky who has a team here in Sweden that she visits a couple of times a year. It was lovely seeing her and I made sure she now knows a couple of places to eat and drink for future visits. We went to Gondolen for a cocktail (can reccommend their Carribbean Stallion) and then to Ljunggrens for dinner. We sat by the bar and either charmed the chefs or looked so starved they felt sorry for us, but we got some free sushi! V nice...

During dinner Nicky told me her boyfriend has offered to plan and arrange the outings for her birthday next week. I think she is quite brave to take him up on the offer and as its only a week away and I have heard nothing from him am wondering if I should ask what is going to happen. N told me not to offer to help as that would defeat the object. I am thinking not getting a birthday party would defeat the object as well...

Lalalalalalala lalalalala

At last!!

Luncheons

Just been to lunch with Carola. How very civilised to meet friends for lunch. Tomorrow I am going to the booze shop for lunch (as I need to bring some wine to the crayfish party at EL and J's on Sat) but then again on Friday I am meeting Anna for lunch.

I would do more ladies luncheons when in Sweden if I didnt have this tendency to book meetings at 11 UK time.

Grappa

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Originally uploaded by evafritz

I spent the bank holiday monday eating with different people, starting with Jenny and Klara for lunch, then shopping and ice cream with mum and finishing with mum and dad at a new italian restaurant in town (Porto Cervo, Timmermansgatan 38.)

I have been walking past it since it was done up ealrier this year on my way to work so on Thurdsday Gunnhild and I went there and tried them out. V good... So I went back on Monday with mum and dad and they confirm its v good.

Reasons to like it:

They offer two 'taster menues', one with 4 dishes and one with 6, which helps us customers chose.

There is a wine menu to go with the taster menu and they take turns to choose the wine so we had a different set on Thursday compared to Monday - both v v good.

The staff is mainly men in their 50's who are very charming and happy to chat and help out with ordering etc. I like being served by grownups rather than 20 year olds.

Its close to where JD lives so that makes getting back home afterwards easy.

Next year Brighton

Great weekend. Gunnhild was here and we spent some quality time with Sofie and Eva. Looking forward to next years trip to Brighton. I shall make the girls very welcome and plan some fun events. Hopefully as fun as polo and crayfish party.

Age discrimination

JD has been on tv!! For about 3 seconds on Sweden's main news program. He can be seen walking past the camera in the middle of a piece regarding age discrimination, he can be seen 11min and 43 second into the stream, for about 3 seconds.

Reason for the tv coverage: Citibank rejects any applications for credit cards for anyone over 75 years. The old man interviewed is really nice and I do think they should give him a card. The head of Citi is less charming so he wont have won any new customers by his appearance I believe. Fingers crossed JD saved the day by looking charming when walking past.

BTW - JD is on his way across the road to see the 200M race at the local gym, nearest place with a TV.

DVT

My friend Johanna was supposed to come to Stockholm this weekend to spend time with me, Gunnhild and Sofie as part of our annual reunion. But yesterday she found out she has Deep Vein Thrombosis so she has to take blood thinning medication, go and get the blood tested daily and definitely NOT fly.

So unfortunately it will just be me and G this weekend. Sofie had a baby a few weeks ago so we will go and see her, but its not going to be the same as the great weekends we have had previoius years:

2007 - Hytte in Norway
2006 - Cirencester, UK
2005 - Borrby, Sweden
2004 - Bergen, Norway

But we are of course very glad they found the DVT before anything serious happened!

Basically one of her calves is 2.5cm bigger than the other, slightly warmer, slithly different in colour and hurt a bit. Not exactly major warning signs so IF the above description fits you call your doctor!

Stilstudie4

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Originally uploaded by evafritz

Wedding went well, I managed to get the cake from Choccywoccydoodah through both UK and Sweden customs as handluggage. It was divine...

Jenny and Kalle had arranged a great party and we all enjoyed ourselves. Of course the food was fab, Marcus cooking along with Kalle made sure of that. And the whole arrangement was spot less, both Jenny and Kalle do have a knack for organising things (and us helpers).

Ignore JD's pained expression, we both had a great time.

Admission

I admit that I havent finished the book yet. I am saving it. As I am off to Sweden tomorrow and its too heavy to lug with me I have decided to not get too hooked as that could cause trauma.

Anyway I have bigger fish to fry. I collected something today to bring over to Sweden and I am now practising looking cute and loveable to be able to convince the security men at Gatwick to let me through with it. Its not liquid so should be ok. I hope. Or there is always tears.

If it doesnt work I promise to post piccies of me with it and the evil security men (well if I am allowed to take photos of them, national security and all that...)

Brookmyre

I got the latest Brookmyre through the post tonight. Dont talk to me til its done.

Do I shop too much?

Do you reccon I shop too much online? Today when I went in to collect a parcel the postman spotted me when I entered and cheerfully called out my name and asked how I was.

This time it wasnt even I that had been shopping but JD who had got me a new clock radio with an IPOD plug in thingy on top. I like.

Second dinner

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Originally uploaded by evafritz

B came round the other night and we had gravlax salad and some v nice rose. And of course a full debrief on our travelling / activities since we last met. The fact that we are both in the same country at the same time feels quite speciall.

Harvest

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Originally uploaded by evafritz

Todays gardening paid off. Potatoes v nice with the last bit of gravlax from the other day.

Rain

We spent the day in the pub yesterday, drinking wine, eating and chatting. It was great especially as it was windy, rainy and miserable outside. Perfect weather for going to the pub.

Somehow someone on a stag do ended up in the sea and drowned yesterday. Now the pub we were in is next to the sea and I cant believe someone not only went down on the beach but actually went in the sea in that weather.

Today its sunny and while all I want to do is stay in and read and watch TV I feel so guilty about wasting a sunny day that I am going to have to do a spot of gardening to appease my conscience, then I can spend all afternoon in the sofa.

Challenge

Photo of Norrkoping by Lennart S Svensson from http://www.panoramio.com/photo/2198749

From Mrs A

Rules:

1. post the rules first


2. answer all the questions


3. send on challenge to other bloggers


4. when you have posted your answers let the person who challenged you know

Name 5 things on your to do list today:

• cut the lawn - not done due to rain


• play golf - not done due to rain


• read through material as prep for BlackBelt exam - maybe later


• turn gravlax - done


• unpack bag from visit to Sweden - started in a half hearted way

What did you do 10 years ago?

• Just started working at Amex as a temp. Probably the worst temp in the world as I spent most of my time looking for other jobs. But somehow managed to impress the boss enough to be given a permanent position after a couple of months. Had just got a flat in Malarhojden and felt very grown up and excited about living in Stockholm and not being a student any more.

Places you have lived?

• Sweden: Taby (1 mth), Norrkoping (18 yrs), Uppsala (6 yrs), Stockholm (2 yrs)


• UK: Brighton (6 yrs), Shoreham-by-Sea (2 yrs)


• Other: Copenhagen(4 mths), St Petersburg (4 mths)

Five things you would do if you were a billionaire?

1. pay off debts


2. work less


3. play more golf


4. travel more


5. give enough money to OG so I get to come back with all my friends as hederledamot

People you want to know more about:

• Malcom McLaren - I heard a bit of a program with him on Radio 2 when he talked about his childhood in London but missed about 2/3 and havent been able to find it as podcast or listen again or in the BBC shop.

I pass the challenge on to Barb and Angela.

Bridget Jones

Am watching BJ's Diary. Oh Hugh is nice. But so is Colin. Nice that she gets to do both. I am somewhat jealous.

And I love her dad. My favorite actor. Sitting on a toad stool in a priests outfit. Ah bless...

Hugh Grant as Mr Wet Shirt after falling in from boat is a favorite scene. Oh but reminds me of Colin Firth as Mr Darcy. Also nice.

Ah, dinner with smug married couples.

Oh and the fight! Hmmm, I think I prefer mr Darcy. He is lovely.

I might have to push JD in the lake next time we are at the summer house. Somehow get him in a white shirt first...

Saturday night didididlalalalala

Have a rare Saturday at home and I am enjoying myself. I just cooked cabbage pudding (literal translation from Swedish, its layers of mince and cabbage which has been softened in a pan with some golden syrup, all cooked in the oven til its set.) Am now watching the Ladies British Open and drinking tea. Plan is to go shopping later for dill so I can cure salmon that I can eat for lunch next week. It is raining so I have an excuse to stay in. And it also means I cant cut the lawn that is in desperate need of a trim. God bless the weather gods.

You have to!

If you have the opportunity you have to go and see Eurobeat the Musical!

Oh how we laughed. And sang along. And voted. And cheered.

I was Hugarian and think we had a very strong song ("Entrails, Entrails" in the chorus).

Estonia won, probably thanks to the very fit men in small Borat style swimming trunks. And being Brighton and Pride did probably help.

I voted for Germany. Sneak peaks offered on web site.

I have the cd, the Hungary badge, Hungary flag and a Eurobeat horn to remind me of a great night. Am not sure the neighbours will come to love the horn as much as I do.