So, last post was about how sick I was and how much it sucked. This time the whole family got it. The whole damn family. This time it was fever, diarrhea, and throwing-up. It has been an even more evil sickness. You get sick, can’t eat, and then you feel better after a few days of excruciating stomach pain. All is well and then BAM! It comes back. I have a theory.

I think that, living out in such a rural area, the family is exposed to much more bacteria than our bodies have ever been used to. I think in the long run this sickness stuff might be a good thing. Our bodies get stronger with every one.

It’s been over a year (maybe 2?) since I posted last. Working and kids and health have taking priority over anything online. Now that things are getting, well, a little easier, I figured I would make an effort to post again. I shudder to think how bad my writing will be.

So my Norwegian has improved! I find many moments where I am listening to Norwegian and forget that it isn’t my native language. I credit a great deal to the fact that I have fixed some sleep problems I have had for the last 15-20 years. Sleep Apnea. A sleep test proved it was severe. I have been a walking zombie for many many years.

It’s winter vacation, -20c and I am sitting on the couch watching the olympics. Nice cozy Sunday night.

See you soon.

New Years in Norway is spectacular. I remember the first time I watched fireworks go off in the thousands, in every direction, through a valley, as far as the eyes can see. 

Here’s what I got for this year. 

I just got in contact with a girlfriend I had when I was 16-17 years old. Turns out she lived here in Norway for 14 years and has two kids who were born here. She’s back in Buffalo now. A part of me wished she still lived here. It would be nice to have more American friends to hang out with. 

I have been purposely staying away from politics lately. I don’t want to to know anything more until january 20th. Given the last 7 years and 10 months I dread to read what Bush will leave as a final fuck-you to the country. 

I also have been sleeping 16-17 hours a day. It is as if I have been switching to hibernation mode. Sleep, go to work, sleep… I am just going to let it keep happening. If the body speaks you gotta listen.

I think I have mentioned the air in Norway before. 

When Deb was pregnant with Natalie and she left Buffalo, for Norway, I came to visit a few times. Each time I came I lost weight. I also slept very deeply. It took me a few months to figure out it was the air. There is something about this place that makes the air like a drug. When I told my doctor that I lost weight when I visited, he said it was, partly, because I slept so well. 

I tried a little experiment a few weeks ago. I slept a whole week with the window shut. Then I slept a week with the window open a crack. I slept like a drugged baby when the window was open a crack. Needless to say, I leave it open a crack even when it is arctic cold outside. 

I have searched on for other people who have written about it. Nothing. 

Does anyone know anything about this?

Over the summer, in July, I was part of a commercial for Norway’s largest sport company, G-Sport. We traveled up to Jutenheimen  and filmed for 2 days. It was a lot of fun. The weather was great, the scenery was amazing and the people I worked with were fantastic. 

Here are a few pics from the shoot.

Me during one shoot. My clothes were supposed to be 70

Throwing the backpack

Me fishing ( I thought this one would be in it for sure)

Now, here’s what did make it in… Kinda sucks but hey, I got paid and had fun. 

Just me in a very long shot.

AND FINALLY… The complete commercial airing in Norway now.

  I can’t figure it out. Sometimes I think I have writer’s block. Most of the time I feel like there is nothing to be said. Have I become Mister Blocked or Mister Siddhartha? 

Before you go on, in your head, about me saying I may be Buddha, may I explain? 

  I would never profess to be anything supreme. My problem is seeing repeated situations in my life. A lot of life feels predictable. There are struggles and pain. There are silly moments where nothing makes sense but, with a little background in social behavior, it all becomes soberingly predictable. Sigh…

 You know what really kills it? Hearing stories from others. When a friend tells me a story, I love it. I love hearing the ins and outs, the feelings expressed. I love that someone I care about is sharing an experience. I like listening to them. What hurts is hen I share a story and it is overwhelmingly much more over the top… 

I am not trying to compare or contrast others’ lives to mine. I just find myself… becoming a robot, losing feeling.

I am a skeptic. I like to believe that everything is explainable.Deb and I tried a little test. Guess what the other person drew, without seeing. 4 colors (red, blue, black, green). 4 shapes (triangle, circle, star, heart)

try 1: Deb tries to guess what I drew. Doesn’t get anything. 

try 2: I get exactly what Deb drew but have one color wrong.

try 3: Natalie (our daughter) draws a red heart. Deb then guesses a red heart.

try 4: Natalie draws a green circle. Draws a green circle. 

try 5: Natalie draws a green square. Deb draws a green square!Now, if you didn’t notice, there was no square for choices. That was fucking freaky. Gotta love the Mother/Daughter connection.

 Anthony Hamilton: By far one of the greatest from 2007. Actually, the song seems appropriate for the post. 

I passed over into the living room to find my three girls sleeping soundly. It was heart warming. There is nothing more beautiful than your wife and kids sleeping quietly while you watch a movie on your Macbook and drink beer. Tis the season. I had to make a post before this site started growing mold.Movies I recommend:

• Rescue Dawn
• No Country for Old Men 
• Gone Baby Gone
• The Three Amigos
• The Big Lebowski

(This post as been edited)This post is designed to state what is obvious… to some. 

• - Education is not to make you a genius. It’s to make you a complicit, easy to manage, consumer and worker in this world.
• -George Carlin says all of this well.  - 
•  At the very least… question everything.