Saturday, June 30, 2007

The soldier, the graduate and the birthday girl

They were all here this weekend.

Actually I took a pic of Bodil friday morning, she was opening her presents, smiling. It didn't turn out well, so ... instead, here she is friday evening when her big brother came home...

P1020756

Notice the discreet glimmer of gold on his shoulder. These are the needles he has been aiming for the last 3 months. Close up they look like this:

P1020761

They required some hard work - his feet held up the worst, and the following picture is not for the faint - it will scare off prospective Queens Guards...

P1020759

His left foot is one big blister, and his big toe nail on the right foot doesn't look too good. I think it is going to come off - this is what happens when loads of rain wash off the protection on your boots and soak them through.
His feet didn't stop him from going out yesterday. There was celebrating to be done, and perhaps a few beers could ease the aches...

Today we celebrated Bodils birthday with my mom and Brunos parents. Bodil had lots of nice presents and some money too. Kristina and Andreas came here too - and we finally got a look at Kristinas graduation hat!

P1020763

Nice huh??

Now they have gone on to another graduation party somewhere, and the house is quiet. And we are on vacation now - for 3 weeks :-)

Friday, June 29, 2007

Happy Birthday ...

...to you - Happy Birthday to you - Happy Birthday, dear Bodil....

Something like this ... not quite, coz we did the danish birthday song "I dag er det Bodils fødselsdag" instead ... was how Bodils day started at 6.45 this morning. She looked happy and sleepy, all at the same time.

For once she was quick at coming downstairs, where fresh baked rolls (that had spent the night rising in the fridge) were waiting along with a small pile of presents.

She is such a happy, pleasant and lovely girl, and she deserves a wonderful birthday. So we'll do our best to make it so.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BODIL!

Thursday, June 28, 2007

So proud of my boy!

Andreas called me just a little while ago. He is now officially a Queens Guard.

He made it through 60 hours of toil, pain, hardship an no sleep, in thick sheets of rain and with a sleepingbag that was as muddy and wet inside as out.

He made it. All the way back to the camp, where everyone cheered them.

Tomorrow he is doing a tattoo thing for the Queen, and then he is going to come home to us, to celebrate his sisters birthday - and for us to celebrate him.

I am incredibly proud of my boy for his durability and his wanting to go through with this!

I wonder if he survived?

Today is Andreas last day on the Rex trial.

Boy have they had lousy weather!

It has been raining cats, dogs AND medium sized horses tuesday and wednesday - and wednesday we even had winds ranging up to stormy.
Today, though - it is quite fair. Not hot, but at least sunny and not too much wind.

Throughout the day I frequently find myself thinking of Andreas. Is he tired? (Probably) Is he wet? Is he hungry? And worst of all - is he disheartened? I am glad these three days will be over tonight! And I am aiming to really pamper my boy, when he comes home for the weekend!

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

CONGRATULATIONS KRISTINA!

Kristina just graduated with the grade 9 on the danish 13-scale. Her final subject was danish.

VERY WELL DONE, KRISTINA - CONGRATULATIONS!

...picture of the new graduate with her hat on will follow later...

Shame on me

I know - I've been shamefully bad at keeping my english blog up to date.
But then, I do have a busy life, and my weekend has been full indeed.

Andreas came home to recover on wednesday, and by friday morning he was feeling his own self again. That made Kristina appear - she was really worried about catching a bug from him, since she is graduating from highschool - TODAY!!!

She has her final exam at 9.30 this morning, so I will be crossing my fingers for her. I am quite sure she will do really well, she is well prepared, and smart to boot.

This weekend we went for my brothers 50th birthday party. It was midsommer as well, so we had a bonfire with a mock witch on it. She was stuffed with more than hay - actually she was shooting fireworks right and left :-)

Bruno got in a proper party-mood, and Conny and him did their usual song number.... my mom was astonished :-)

1johnny han var

The pic is from my birthday last year ... :-)

This week will be busy too. I have to tie off a bunch of loose ends at work, because on friday I go on vacation. The first week we will be at home, maybe off camping a day or two, but mostly home. Then we leave for the south of France with our tent wagon.

marked 3

I can't wait for that. I am allready in the mood for lavender and wine fields..... rustic markets and handmade soaps.... all that good stuff...

tur2

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Sick bay in my house

Andreas is home from Høvelte - he's got the flu.

A nice female doctor thought he'd be better off being nursed and fed at home, so he is due back there on monday. Plenty of time to get well, I hope.

Tuesday they leave for the Rex-trial - a three day thing where they have to prove that they have the right stuff to guard the royal family. Andreas is dying to go and prove himself worthy!

So I believe he will recover before then!

Monday, June 18, 2007

Night sleep

Note to self:

DON'T drink to cans of Pepsi Max and read 100 pages of Stephen Kings From a Buick 8 just before bedtime.

Saturday, June 16, 2007

The Nivea fairy

I am past the age of believing in the tooth fairy. On the other hand I know for a fact that the Nivea fairy is for real.

A while ago I tested tanning lotions. Someone at Niveas marketing department had spotted my blog, and offered me to test their product - it was up to me whether I wrote about it or not.

I chose to do so - I had a good time testing and it made a good post, well in line with the normal content of my everydaylife-blog. And of course I would have put the product seriously down if I hadn't liked it. That is a fact.

After that, I mislaid th Nivea-ladys mail, so I was unable to write her and tell her I'd done my duty so she could send me some more.

The other day, visiting a rarely used folder in my mailbox, I came upon her email - and hence her email addy. So I hopefully sent her a slightly delayed email (I did the test in march) that I would like to test some more, and a link to my tanning lotion post.

Thursday I realized that the Nivea fairy exists. I got a package containing a true eldorado of care produkts - normal size, no stingy little test products - and I calculated that shopping for the same products in the shops would cost me about 800 hard earned kr. (Equivalent to 110 EUR).

P1020736

Thank you, kind Nivea fairy!
I will be the most well-moisturized woman in this area code! All for free...

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Chili plants on my window sill

A couple of weeks ago I planted the contents of a chili pepper in a couple of flower pots, before I added the chili pepper to my tomato sauce. Now it looks like this:

P1020739

This weekend I will try to re-pot them into more pots, so they get a chance to grow big. Hopefully in a few months I can harvest chili peppers in my window sill.

When Bruno and I first got together, I did the same. We didn't have a load of money at the time, and this got us a whole bunch of potted green plants - lush and lovely - for our home. For free.
I also got chili peppers - just a few, coz the time of year was really not right - but it was great.

Monday, June 11, 2007

Next, please!

It's been a great week in spite of
  • failing internet connection
  • failing energy to blog due to lovely weather

so here is a short illustrated week review:

P1020725

This handsome guy is 5 weeks old - his name is Alexander (or it will be, soon). He is going to be hearing a lot of X-tetten in the next year or so, when his mother comes back from maternity leave - hopefully soon, as we miss our soprano!

He visited us last wednesday, and I got a chance to coo and rock a bit, and even though he is as cute as a button, I can definately say, that the throbbing of ovaries caused by small babies is completely over for me...

P1020730

This is Mathias (Kristinas brother) and Kristian in the garden, performing the olympic disciplin of garden sprinkler gymnastics. Kristian is trying out for a 9,8 score, I think.

P1020733

Oh joy! A nearly naked, gorgeous man on my porch! Bruno has gone to the shade, reading and sporting his silly red shorts. I like him even better, when they are off - but this is a family blog!!

It was a great week. Next, please!

Thursday, June 7, 2007

An email arrived...

"Hi.

Thank you for registering online.
I will see you in september.

Kindly,

NN,
LB Dance"

...I can't wait!

Monday, June 4, 2007

Parents day for my soldier boy

Saturday was open camp at Høvelte, where Andreas is serving. Bruno was riding his bike, so I drove off with Kristina seated shotgun and carrying a card and driving instructions, and Bodil and Kristian in the back.

Boy, we had a hard time finding the way there! We got completely lost at one point, so we pulled into a gas station to ask directions. The first thing we saw there was a BIG poster advertising ... a GPS system ... with the catchphrase "STRESS FREE VACATION?"... we tugged at our hair and laughed!

We did manage to get there - a bit delayed, but better late than never! We were all exited to see where Andreas spends his weekdays...

P1020668

When we finally got to see him, Kristian and Bodil were all over him - it took a while before Kristina got a chance to get a good-to-see-you-hug...

P1020675

I hate to admit it - but I get all fuzzy and motherly-proud seeing him in that uniform - he is surely the bestlooking of the bunch! I never thought it would affect me like that - but it does, and I can't explain why. I am not a great patriot or a militant person in any way ... but still...

First we went to see his quarters. Its a small room with 12 beds (bunks) in it, and a bunch of beat up closets. Bruno laughed when he saw the pictures - the beds and closets look just like they did when he was in the army, 30 years ago!

Bodil and Kristian tried on his helmet and his backpack.
Bruno says that at least those items have been upgraded since he was a soldier...

P1020680

He looks like its real heavy --- good thing that backpack was empty! :-)

P1020683

Bodil looks like she is in a musical with the title "Girls in Arms"...

There were lots of displays. Andreas' squadron (or whatever its called) had a stand, where they served field rations ... so Andreas, Kristina and Kristian munched on powder mash...
Kristian and Andreas checked out a jeep, set for the field.

P1020688

Kristian also got to shoot with a real gun - blanks, fortunately! He killed 3 enemies (cardboard enemies, that is), and seemed to have a real good time, even though the gun was awful heavy.

P1020695

I went along and took pics, and dearly regretted that I forgot earplugs for myself - those things REALLY make noise!!

The grand finale was the tattoo ... Boy its going to be exiting to see Andreas in a uniform like that!!

P1020708
P1020702

After that, there was only afternoon appeal left. We managed to stand right behind Andreas - and after that we drove home. And of course we lost our way, going home ... but not as much as trying to get there .... I surely want a GPS!! If I repeat it often enough, I might even get one...

P1020717

Mr. 503 km.

My Bruno is no mr. 64% - he is a nearly organic bikerider, only doped by red wine and good food. Now, though, I can call him mr. 503 km. - that is how far he managed to ride, before a sore bottom forced him to stop at 8 o'clock yesterday morning.

He was a bit annoyed - he still had a good number of km's in his legs, believe it or not...

My share in the event was, that I had a crew job at the cafeteria saturday night, helping out with different things from 19.45 to 00.00. I was part of a team that was serving food and wiping tables in the food-tent, and brewing coffee and tea. I was also helping in the checkout tent, where there was a table with chokolate, fruit, sandwiches and other things to the riders, that just wanted to grab something on the go.

When I got to Middelfart, Bruno had been on his bike for about 10 hours. He'd done marvellously - in spite of his plans of not going to fast and using up his strenght too quickly, he had made the 125 km route twice, the first time doing an average of 30,6 km/hr and the second time doing 29,6 km/hr - wow!!

He didn't look beat at all, when he came in, 11½ hour after starting, as you can see here:

P1020721

I had plenty to do in that coffeetent! About 10 pm it rained briefly, and suddenly EVERYBODY wanted coffee --- I brewed and brewed and could hardly keep up. But it was fun!

I was done with my shift and drove home around 00.30, and 7 the next morning I woke up again - I had to get up and check Brunos status online. Being up, I might just as well grab som bread and go to Middelfart - and cheer my love though his last km.

It was about 7.30 when i got there. There was a lot of activity in the goal area, and the first spectators were starting to show. The drivers were still on the night route of 16 km, so there were frequently riders going by.

Around 8 Bruno came in. He was looking really good, but he'd decided to quit as soon as I showed up - his butt was really causing him a lot of pain, no matter how he sat on the saddle. At that time he'd just rounded the magic 500-mark, so he'd attained his goal.

P1020723

This is how good you can look after 22 hours on bike and 503 km on your trip counter! I was very proud of him! I think he made around nr. 89 in 220 participants - I think that is a job well done!

Yesterday he was tired. We stayed in the goal area until 10 and cheered Carsten, who was doing his last rounds. Then we packed the tentwagon and drove home. Bruno got himself a well deserved and much neede shower, and som lunch. Then he laid down to sleep for a few hours, and got up again.

He just had to watch a bit of the last stage at the Giro d'Italia.

P1020724

Was it a good stage, Bruno?

Sunday, June 3, 2007

A crazy busy day

Its been a busy day!

We left at 9.20 to go to Høvelte to see where Andreas spends his time.
We didn't get back until 18.15 this evening, and then we had to hurry to make lunch, coz I had to be in Middelfart at 19.45.

Thing is, I promised to help out at the 24 hr race - the one that Bruno is participating in.
I talked to him at 20.00 - he'd been twice around the 125 km track and once around the 30 km at that point. When I left ½ hour ago, he was working his way towards 400 steadily.

Tomorrow morning I am going over there to cheer for him on the last rounds. Right now i really want my bed.

Pics from soldierday and race ... tomorrow or monday - okay??

I am proud of my crazy stubborn tough husband!!