The Coolest Valentine Caterpillars EVER.

This year I decided to celebrate Valentine's Day a bit more than I usually do, but only because no one celebrates it in Norway. I don't like to be like everyone else. :) Here is a look at what I created....also, at home, we usually have sugar cookies so I made some of those, too...in heart shapes of course. I'm also sporting a bright pink shirt today. Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

I ski

It's official, I can now say that I ski and I have been dog-sledding. I can't say that I ski well, you would know if you ever saw me....falling down. I have a blast, though. I bought a pair of cross-country skis a couple weeks ago and I absolutely LOVE skiing now. I don't have a pic of my actual skis, but here's one from the first time out on the frozen river....


Another great thing is dog-sledding. I finally got to go!! First there was too much snow, so we couldn't go, then there wasn't enough snow, but then it was perfect. The pictures are a little funny colored and they don't do the experience justice, but at least I got some documentation...


(that's me in the third pic) :) they're justing sitting there so I could get on. If you notice, one of the dogs is even laying down. We ain't goin nowhere.

I am having myself a good time here in Norway! I also finally picked a topic for my thesis. I will be analyzing a census of all the different types of predators in Northern Sweden....oooh. (predators are the animals, not the people, just thought I'd clarify...)

Oh, and since I've been so bored here lately with a lack of things to do until classes start, I've taken up knitting....yes, I'm making a scarf. I also have been baking bread, I can make some kick-butt cinnamon raisin bread. Molly Mormon here I come!!! So, all in all, my new hobbies include taking walks in the winter wonderland I live in, skiing, knitting, and baking bread. :)

"I think we'll be getting a bucket..."

What would you choose?????



Yesterday as I talked to a friend at church she was telling me about the house she will be moving to next week. They don't build very many new houses in Norway and so they tend to live in some pretty old houses sometimes....and some of these really old houses don't have indoor toilets. OH my. Outhouses with toilets are the key to going to the bathroom. Oh my...again. My friend was telling me how I needed to come visit her for a few days when she got all moved into her "new" house. This "new" house does NOT have an indoor toilet....yet. The thoughts that come to mind when she invites me over is that I will have to trudge through the snow every time I have to go potty.....I should be grateful for the invitation and shouldn't be thinking of these things....anyways.....so I humorously asked about the outhouse and how I would have to go outside every time to use the toilet....and she agreed that I would indeed have to do so, but that they were going to be investing in a bucket........................this started some pretty hysterical laughter coming out of my mouth and it wouldn't stop. I hopefully didn't offend her, I don't think I did, but I just couldn't hold it in. A BUCKET???!!!! I think they should call it the chamberpot. How would I ever be a pioneer???

To My Buds

When I was younger, actually the first 19 years of my life, the only thing I was ever going to be when I grew up was a veterinarian. I would go get my undergrad somewhere, then immediately be admitted into vet school and finish up schooling by the age of 25, which was also the age I was going to get married. It all fit so well into my head, that what plan COULD ever be better? Well as you can see, none of those plans worked out...nor do plans ever really work for me, but that's ok, I'm a fly by the seat of my pants kind of girl, so spontaneity in life is the best thing for me. I did have the opportunity twice to go to vet school, but other things were better for me at the time and as you all know, I did not get married at the age of 25...or 26...and it is highly unlikely to be in my 27th year. :) Not that I'm complaining, freedom is something that I absolutely cherish and I love not being tied down to anything. I'm not saying that I wouldn't love to get married and start that portion of life, I'm just saying that I'm thoroughly enjoying being single. I keep getting announcements from close friends about how much they're in love and are getting married soon, and all I think is "another one bites the dust." I'm extremely happy for their happiness, though, don't get me wrong. It's just that the things I think about are vastly different than them. Things to think about during this time in life include: "When is it going to snow enough so I can go cross-country skiing again??" ... or "what am I going to watch tonight on my computer because there's nothing better to do in Evenstad???"...or "how do I ever give a church talk...in Norwegian?????" Different things to think about is all. :) So, to all of you that worry about their kids and fiances and husbands and future kids and what you're going to make for dinner....well, I'm kinda glad to not worry about that...yet.....being single has its perks!!! I'm sure I'll have my moments in the future with all that, so I should bite my tongue, but this post is more for the single people enjoying their singleness since we don't have what we really want. :) This is for my friends that still hang in there with me and complain with me and bond with me. This is for you!!!! Thanks for being my buds!!!!!! You all are the greatest people and examples to me!

Other than that, life in Norway has been a tad boring. I only have one class per week for another month, so I've been struggling to fill my time. However, I have started some new hobbies.......I've taken up knitting.....and cross-country skiing.....and playing ping pong with myself. Very different, yes, fun, yes, productive, YES. It's been snowing for the past few days and I'm in heaven. I LOVE SNOW. I'm excited to go play in it. I don't have anything funny lately to write about my experiences here since I haven't really been in class, but I'm sure something will come soon. I do plan on learning more Norwegian this semester and I'm excited to laugh at myself when I say things completely wrong. It's all about a positive attitude ladies and gents....in whatever situation you get yourself into. Keep on truckin is all I got to say.

Metal Rooster

I was born in the year of the chicken, or rooster. I verified this using good ole Wikipedia and then also found that the specific element for my year reveals that I was born in the year of the "metal rooster." What does that mean?????? (I dedicate my blog to the metal rooster....as seen by the big chicken in the background)........I looked up metal rooster and found that I belong to a clan called the "rooster people." There was a special site just for the metal rooster people telling us all about ourselves. Apparently I am the most high-minded of all the zodiac animals. Hmmm. One would think that we could be called something better than "rooster people."

Turning over a New Year

To start off the New Year I am back in Norway. I flew back here on New Year's Eve and spent the night somewhere above the big pond.....sleeping in a plane. I'm not even sure when the new year turned over. I think I missed it completely because of the time change. I did see the fireworks on TV in Sydney, though. That's gotta count for something. So after a night and a day in the airport, I finally got here on New Year's day. It's a bit colder here than when I left and just a tad colder than Texas. A tad equals about 40-50 degrees colder. I am here nonetheless and happy to be. Much to my chagrin, there were no pants-less men at the Oslo airport when I arrived. It sure does give a little jolt when you're dog-tired. I had no problems while in transit, except for the fact that my shoulders fell off from the bag of books I was lugging all over the world as my carry-on....who needs shoulders anyway....or books, for that matter? Just wanted to say that all is well, Norway is cold and snow-covered :) and I'm a happy kid. I loved being at home for 2 months, but now it's time to have my American conveniences taken away and start roughin it here again. I even got my hair cut a day before I left so I could lengthen the time before I slaughtered my own hair again by cutting it myself. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year! Don't forget about me out here in the land of trolls.

Get out of the Country!

It seems like no country really wants me around....the other day I was in my friends house, just being a good little girl, minding my own business and watching Enchanted when another lady comes in the house and is very stressed because she had just hit a car. A red car. My car. This lady is very nice and knows the people whose house I am in, but she accidentally just backed into my car. She apologized about 500 times. It's not a big deal and very fixable, but these things just keep happening to me! (please reference the last blog!). So I have come to conclude that neither Norway or the USA wants me. First the pants-less man bids me adieu at the Oslo airport and then when I get back home, people steal my stuff, my car gets hit, and I'm in the middle of my second cold in 6 weeks. OR....maybe it's just Texas, YES, it's TEXAS that doesn't want me! Oh what a happy thought! Mutual dislike is always better than a one-sided dislike. I don't want Texas either! No offense to all my grand friends that live in the Lonestar State....I still like you guys. :) Now that I think about it, though, Utah didn't really want me either....I'm seeing a pattern here. Where to next?????! Who knows! I am known to change my mind on occasion....