American in Norway

Is that how the saying goes? I have been waiting...and waiting...and waiting and it feels like things are finally starting to come together for me here i Norge . It was just a really nice week overall. My mother in law was talking about a cousin who she ran into...he owns a Ad/Graphic Design studio.. they do all kinds of stuff..printing, mesa's etc. I started pumping her for info neither she nor my husband knew too much. (I have been talking about graphic design /photography for ages... if I could go back & do it all over again... I would go to art school... (I have my degree in Political Science) ANYWHOOO . I was really interested in finding out about his company. So yesterday... I just called him up out of the blue and asked to meet him. (I met him a couple times 12 years ago.) Went to his office and ended up spending pretty much most of the day with him... he showed me a lot of projects he was working on... his programs where he works his magic... all of neat printe...

Dane received this little diddy from his Aunt Ali in Chicago... a 100% A U T H E N T I C 5950 hat. You're probably wondering what the %¤#& is a 5950 hat... I still am not sure...if it has something to do with 50 cent the rapper or what... But it is T H E big thing right now. VERY IMPORTANT...do not remove the sticker on the bill that says 5950 or no one will know it is a 5950. He was so excited when he opened the box last night.... he proudly tried his hat on and said... "Ma, I gotta get me some bling !" GO TTA GET ME SOME BLING ... where the ¤%%#¤ would he come up with that? We don' t have TV, so he isn't watching Gangsta raps.. Very funny to watch these little boys run around with their "Gangsta" style... do they even have gangsta's in Norway? He was pretty disgusted when I pulled out his outfit this morning..Blue Polo & khaki shorts.... "I'm going to look like a dork".... You are a dork...without missing a beat. & I ex...

I always feel bad when I bitch about my life... where I live (post below)... I do know that I am blessed.. I started trying to think about the positives to living here... & I would have to say the 2 cuties above. This is their home...they love it here... they love their friends, schools, rooms.. and they will grow up having a hometown. Which is something I did not. I moved all over the place... I was often asked if we were part of the witness protection program, because we moved so often (dad was a big corporate guy) ... really ...what kid has to go to 3 different high schools --- That sucked. When people ask where I am from in the states... I usually tell them Texas...but in all actuality I ended up living in Kansas City, longer than Houston. My home in the US is where ever my parents are. Despite all of the cool places I have lived, worked traveled...I have missed having a place to call home... Although I think Fredrikstad is on the boring side...my kids love it here & th...

A great little town.... ** Crickets** I am really trying here people ...really.... but I woke up in one of those moods. BLAAAAA... Fredrikstad is fine... really is, in the summer it is very nice..especially if you can get out on a boat. We have the Glomma festival which I really enjoy, We like the beaches in the area. It is a great place to raise kids. It just isn't where I would have imagined myself . Of all of the places in Europe... this wouldn't be my first choice. I must admit, I have been reading a lot of other expat blogs of late...& it makes me jealous. Living in the wine country... or some where central. Where you can take off for the weekend to France, or Austria, or Italy... The most exciting thing I do is drive across the border into Sweden for cheap chicken. DEPRESSING! I am really going to TRY, to find super neat things to write about living here in Fredrikstad.. (I wonder why I didn't get that job with Fredrikstad Tourist Office?)

The list is endless... but these are my top picks.... Well in America.... My best friend.... that's hot... BIOTCHHHHH ! I have noticed saying the above mentioned... and you know if I have noticed it... my co-workers must be rolling their eye's every time I open my mouth. **"Well in America we do this or that... you can buy this" bla bla bla ... My best friend from High school (see?) pointed out when I had moved to Delaware... that I was no longer in Texas... and frankly no one gave a shit what we did in Texas... so stop with the "Well in Texas"... 20 years later I am doing it again... thanks for the lesson Kelly... will try to remember, & work on it. **I notice I mention my "Best Friends" a lot ... My best friend in High School... Kelly, my best friend growing up...Baker... Best friend from College...Sean... then I have my best friend in Norway.. Leanna , Canada..Inge Germany... Jochen . When I hear myself talk about my Best Friends... make...

Made it through another birthday party....This time much more Norwegian.. (read....easier) and I must admit less stressful. I was so "unstressed" on Sat. night, that I started getting STRESSED. B-days are a MAJOR event in our house... (for me anyway) My mother was a big planner... my friends "Martha Stewarts of the Midwest", are big planners... and I am (was)a big planner. *My son usually decides the theme of his party about 11 months before hand. We talk about it all year... *a few months before the big event, I will start having large amounts of crap sent to my mothers house... who in turn will wait to the last min. to send it over to me, paying around $150 to overnight my $5 Oriental trading party favours.... *I send the invites out 2 weeks in advance so everyone can save the date for my 6..7..8..year olds party. (Think I need to get over myself ?) *Pull an all nighter finishing food, decorations etc... All of the games... are planned out... bla bla bla you get...

OK... not sure I am allowed to copy something from another blog as I am new to this...(Can I?) I have now FOUND my Happy Place... I have been sitting here by myself laughing until I am crying this is the funniest thing I have read in ages... & think I have now found my new favorite blog.... especially when I am in my "dark place". Have a look... OMG from http://gofugyourself.typepad.com/ Jagged Little Fug What happened to Alanis Morissette? [Photo: Splash News] She used to be kind of an edgy rocker type, or at least, someone who seemed sort of amused to get to play an edgy rocker type. Now she's your coworker at Kinko's who wears polyester pants and sensible trainers with her large vests, and keeps guilt-tripping everyone into coming to see her wicked-awesome Bangles cover band, Ovarian Love Bracelet, only to get them all to a show and then humiliatingly dedicate "Eternal Flame" to the dude who takes the passport photos. I've got one hand in my pock...

I am in a crappy mood today.... CRAPPY.. meaning no sun although it was promised for the rest of the month...LIARS... SO in an effort to make myself feel better... I am posting things that make me laugh instead of bitching about the friggen post office & furniture I ordered 2 months ago.... Thank you Leanna for this little diddy... made me smile! You know you have been too long in Norway when....... *You only buy your own drink at the bar even when you are with a group of people..... *You can't remember when to say "please" and "excuse me"..... *You always prepare to catch the closing door if following closely behind somebody..... * stranger on the street smiles at you, you assume that:a) he is drunkb) insanec) Americand) all of the above.... *Silence is fun..... *you use "Mmmm" as conversation filler..... *You actually believe that there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing..... *You know Norway's results in the last three years ...

Just had to share.. this makes me giggle. Not sure from where the bathtub or "sauna of vapour" (as we like to call it) is imported, but I am guessing English is not their first language.... And despite the image on the sign... our " sauna of vapour" does not double as a toilet This is reason #496 that I choose to not write in Norwegian.... I don't want to look like a total idiot. Really... if you were going to ship your product worldwide... don't you think you would have someone proofread your English.... ?

OK you have to sing this to "Turning Japanese" by The Vapors... catchy little tune from the 80's. It seems everyday I resist a little less... and I'm turning Norwegian.. Examples of my Norwegianism ... (yes kinda like a Bushism ) The sun is shining... and I feel like yelling it from the roof tops... THE SUN IS OUT... THE SUN IS OUT!. Which of course means I need to be outside doing SOMETHING... You can not be in the house when the sun is out.... In KC... I could give a big shit.... if the sun was out... and Oprah was on... forgetaboutit .... Sun was out & needed retail therapy... I was off to the mall. Because I have never lived in Alaska or Seattle... I just took sunshine for granted. Here I feel like I need to savour every delicious drop of light.... because you really aren't sure when it will disappear or if it will return. RETAIL THERAPY? I used to enjoy my days at the mall--- swinging by on my way home for work, hitting the sales at Jones store... or bet...

You know you have been away from home too long when you feel the urge to write about food! Yesterday was my baby boys 9 th B-day... For a moment there I lost my mind and thought I could run out and pick up a birthday cake for our family dinner last night..... (Note to Americans moving to Norway... There are no Hy- Vees or Wal marts here where you can just run in & pick up a sheet cake).... Ooooo Nooooo ... You need to be prepared! (which I usually am not...) As I realized I was going to have to bake a birthday cake and fast... What do I see but BETTY CROCKER FROSTING... This is a big big deal for me! I have seen chocolate frosting before but never Good Ol ' American Vanilla frosting.... It was of course a MUST have... never mind the fact that it cost 50 nok ... ($10 US... for a can of frosting) Ran home baked a 2 layer cake... with Nugatti in the middle (Norwegian thing... where the best of both worlds comes in...) & Vanilla frosting on top. I must say it was the bes...

Everyone is doing it... thought I might as well. Finally a place to jot down all of the things I think are funny or annoying about living in Norway.... and life out of the US in in general. I read so many neat expat blogs... a lot of them are cool college students traveling around Europe/World with their whole lives ahead of them. Been there/done that... (before Al Gore invented the Internet)... I am SOOO jealous. I had diaries... and rolls & rolls of film. Gosh remember the days ? Back when we would have to wait 4 days to get our pictures back only to discover most of your pictures were crap? I LOVE the Internet & digital cameras... I also love all of the blogs from the expats abroad for a year or two. They cram as much traveling into the time they are abroad.... and enjoy every moment... knowing that it is only a matter of time before they go home. Then there are those of us... who have married abroad and know that this is now home...FOREVER... totally different f...