A State Observed

Specialization is for insects.

2012-03-04T17:11:00.000-08:00

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.

Boston Boxing

2011-12-01T07:48:00.000-08:00

Finally got around to start up some kind of proper exercise again. Joined Boston Boxing a month, or so, back and it's great. It's my way to try to counter all these hours in front of the screens. Not sure why I didn't do this earlier since going and lifting weights etc. is very uninspiring.

It's been too long

2011-05-11T14:21:00.000-07:00

Quick update. We are in Boston. Back Bay even. Small apartment, great location. More to follow.

Listen to The Antlers, Burst Apart on NPR First Listen.

Back in Linköping

2010-05-07T03:48:00.000-07:00

After eight days driving across the US, one week in Spain and two weeks in Italy, we are now back in Linköping. It's good to know that we will be in one place for a couple of weeks. There were a lot of things to see and experience on our European tour and I think that we both are ready to just hang out here for a while. We do not have use for shorts in Sweden yet but spring is definetely on it's way.

There will be more photos as soon as I have that cable for the camera.

In Florence

2010-04-29T03:13:00.000-07:00

We are in Florence after three nights in Sorrento. It has been long between internet access and now we just paid for some time in an internet caffé. I also left the cable for the camera in Leon so new photos will have to wait until we get to Sweden.

Florence is sunny and warm. Today we will be going to the Uffizi gallery, and tonight we are heading out for dinner at Baldevino. We have had some great food while in Italiy, and have managed to stay away from the not so great tourist trap restaurants. The wine is ok, but then we are usually getting the house wine so we are not expecting anything spectacular. Maybe we will splurge tonight and get something nicer.

Ok the time is running out here. Ciao!

In Fondi, after two nights in Rome

2010-04-23T05:21:00.000-07:00

When flying out from Barcelona (or Girona), probably about 75% of the flights were cancelled. Ours was not. Nor was the airport very crowded. I guess people actually stayed away from the airport if their flight was cancelled. So we arrived in Rome without any problems, feeling pretty lucky considering how many people that was stuck.

Rome was busy. Lots of everything. We had a really nice dinner, in a restaurant recommended by Rick Steves, thank you Rick! But his nightmare description of how it is to cross a street in Rome was quite an exageration. Traffic is busy but drivers are still fairly considerate and are not actually trying to hit tourists.

We are now in Fondi. It is raining. We will see if there is a nice place to have some dinner tonight. I would like to sample some of the local wine, if possible.

In Barcelona

2010-04-19T12:47:00.000-07:00

The night train to Barcelona was a surprisingly pleasant experience. We had our own "room" that had a separate bathroom with a shower.

Barcelona has been both very sunny and warm and suddenly very rainy. We saw the impressive La Sagrada Familia among other sites.

It seems like our flight for Rome is still departing on Wednesday. I guess nothing is sure yet but at least it is not among the cancelled flights.

Photos to follow.

Taking the night train to Barcelona

2010-04-18T11:32:00.000-07:00

After a few nights in León we are now about to take the night train to Barcelona. It should take us almost 9 hours. Today we also drove north to the ocean and walked on the beach. Driving there, across the mountains, was rainy and gray but upon reaching the coast the sky suddenly cleared up into a sunny day.

Following the news about the volcanic activity in Iceland has made us a little unsure if we will actually be able to fly to Rome on Wednesday morning. We shall see. Alternatives such as taking the boat instead have been discussed. More to follow on this.

Dinner in Spain is usually eaten around 9-10 pm so we are about to go out for some of that before our train leaves.

Some photos from León

2010-04-17T07:18:00.000-07:00

Some Photos from Salamanca

2010-04-16T09:41:00.000-07:00

Below are some photos from our stay in Salamanca.

In Salamanca, Spain

2010-04-15T02:51:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Salamanca in the afternoon yesterday. We missed our connecting flight from Paris to Madrid (due to very thorough and slow security) but managed to get another flight pretty soon. In this way we still got to the airport in Madrid in time to catch the bus to Salamanca.

Yesterday we went to El Pony Pisador, a restaurant I used to go to when studying in Salamanca about 10 years ago. It still looks exactly the same, and has a Lord of the Rings theme. El Pony Pisador means The Prancing Pony for you fellow Tolkien fans out there. Photos to follow. Now onto a proper site seeing in Salamanca!

In Southborough, Massachusetts

2010-04-10T16:42:00.000-07:00

After a long drive Friday we finally arrived in Southborough a little after 9pm. It's good to have arrived but it was also a really good trip. The route we choose turned out to be a great sampler plate of this enormous country. Our milage for the trip ended on 3608 miles or about 5805 kilometers. The extreme length of Sweden N – S is 1,574 km (978 mi).

We will have a few days here before we head out to Europe. But now it's time for dinner with Ben and Nicki.

Saint Louis - Missouri

2010-04-08T19:56:00.000-07:00

We spent last night in Saint Louis, Missouri. Our friend Jonathan gave us a great tour of the city. Below are some photos from our stay there.

Tonight we are staying in Columbus, Ohio, where we just went and had some really good ice cream. The flavors were interesting to say the least, one of the kinds I had had goat cheese in it. How was it? Fantastic!

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We are in Lawrence, Kansas

2010-04-06T19:55:00.000-07:00

Today's drive took us through Kansas. After driving over the Rocky Mountains the day before we were now in flat country. Fields stretching as far as the eyes could see. The road taking us in a straight line across the state. We did not take that many breaks today and almost drove all the way through Kansas, stopping in Lawrence where we are going to spend the night. We were just treated to a very nice dinner. Tomorrow will see us taking a short trip to Saint Louis.
On our drive yesterday, from Moab to Littleton, Colorado, we took this photo in Utah:

Clouds over Kansas.

Fields in Kansas.

Sky over Kansas

Cows, field and a dark sky.

Our trip tomorrow to Saint Louis.

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Day 3 - Zion to Moab

2010-04-05T09:05:00.000-07:00

The drive from Zion to Moab took us through a widespread, desolate landscape. It's a place where you do not want the car to break down or to run out of gas. Fortunately non of these happened. We were surprised by the amount of snow. The bed and breakfast here in Moab is a really charming place, outdoor jacuzzi, great room and tasty breakfast. Slow internet connection here so more photos to follow. Now onto Littleton, Colorado

Day 4 - Moab to Littleton

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Day 2 - Williams, Arizona to Zion National Park, Utah

2010-04-03T21:12:00.000-07:00

Today's drive wasn't quite as long as yesterday's. We spent about 7 hours in the car.

Seeing the Grand Canyon was spectacular. No photos can do it justice. The vertigo. The birds soaring below you. Also very spectacular was the drive north from Grand Canyon to Zion National Park. The Arizona landscape seemed to change character every 30 minutes or so. Desert to pine trees and back to desert again. Lots of incredible rock formations. Driving through Zion in Utah was breathtaking with mountains on all sides.

Tomorrow: Zion to Moab

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In Williams, Arizona

2010-04-03T08:35:00.000-07:00

It took us a good 12 hours from Lompoc to Williams. We had plenty of brakes and also took a detour on the AAA recommended scenic byway, right after we entered Arizona. While on this detour the sun happened to set and we were driving up and down windy mountain roads in the dark. This is when you are extra thankful for those new brakes.

We got in to our hotel around 10 pm and went to bed almost straight away. There is a lot cooler here with snow left in heaps. Today we will be going north to Grand Canyon and then on to Zion national park.

Below are some photos and a map showing the next leg of our journey:

Outside Maricopa.

Outside Maricopa

Stop

Fourth Photo

The scenic byway on route 66 just before the sun sets.

Williams to Zion

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Road Trip - Heading Out

2010-04-01T20:03:00.000-07:00

After a day of packing we are finally just about ready to head out. Tomorrow, Friday, we will be driving from Lompoc, California, to Williams, Arizona. 589 miles or for our metric friends 948 km. It should take us about 10 hours depending on how many breaks we will take. We are planning on a fairly early start around 8 am. The camera is charged, the mp3 player is crammed with 55 hours of Lord of the Rings, the car has been checked by an actual mechanic, in short: we are as ready as we can be.
Below is a map showing the first leg of our journey.

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A good bye - Some photos from California

2010-03-30T15:40:00.000-07:00

These are taken at the La Purisima Mission State Park in Lompoc while walking the beautiful 3 mile loop.

Below: Pismo beach in late March 2010.

Guilty Pleasures - Exhibit number one

2010-03-19T15:38:00.000-07:00

Yes the song is part of the Eurovision Song Contest. But I like it. So there, it's said.

A State Observed going on a roadtrip

2010-02-17T08:29:00.000-08:00

So it's only about a month and a half until we are moving to Southborough, MA. Things are being sold on Craigslist, we will soon be without our last couch. The Spyker, I mean SAAB, will be filled with as much as it can take and then we're heading east. This weekend will see us host a garage sale, a great American tradition.

Below you'll find our planned travel rout across the continent.

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Neil Gaiman at UCSB

2010-02-04T12:27:00.000-08:00

We went and listened to Neil Gaiman at UCSB last night. He read a few of his newest short stories in front of what looked like a sold out event. Very enthusiastic crowd. All in all a good evening. We got home from SB late.

I really do enjoy his writing, and he seems to be a very nice person, but does he have to mention Twi%$&%tter quite so often? I guess I just need to go with the times and embrace that whole band wagon, but I'm not drinking the kool aid just yet. Any ways this was his twitterage about the event:

"Just talked writing to UCSB lit students for 90 Minutes. So fun and so much enthusiasm and smarts. And I was hugged a lot at the end."

Santa Maria Pre School Website launched

2010-01-26T11:40:00.000-08:00

So the website for Santa Maria Pre-School is finally launched. You can have a look at it here: www.santamariapreschool.com

I've built the site using Drupal. It is at this point only in the initial stage. More content needs to be added and there will need to be some modifications done, but at least it's up and running. Have a look.

It's a Montessori school in Santa Maria that's just starting out.

FDR

2010-01-08T11:04:00.000-08:00

Part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's message to Congress in 1938:

"The first truth is that the liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic State itself. That, in its essence, is fascism — ownership of government by an individual, by a group or by any other controlling private power.

The second truth is that the liberty of a democracy is not safe if its business system does not provide employment and produce and distribute goods in such a way as to sustain an acceptable standard of living."

That was over 70 years ago.

Christmas Break

2009-12-19T21:10:00.000-08:00

is finally here! Yeah. Two weeks off.

Det finns inga ord för det, på det här jävla språket

2009-12-16T13:56:00.000-08:00

Front Page Slide show for Drupal using Views Slideshow

2009-12-11T11:30:00.000-08:00

After weeks of research into how to create a dynamic slide show with thumbnails as navigation I finally found a module for Drupal that seems to do what I need it to. Enter Views Slideshow. Using views I fairly easily set up a slide show for my front page, using thumbnails as navigation. One issue that I've run into is that for some reason when being logged in I cannot see the navigation of the slide show. This caused a bit of head scratching until I just logged out and saw that things actually were working. The look and feel of the thing will take some CSS tweaking but at least I've finally found a working solution. If a module is integrated with Views that is certainly a big plus, seeing that this is the direction things are heading with Drupal.

Other modules I looked at:
Views Carousel - Really cool but not quite what I was looking for. Here is an excellent video podcast from Mustardseed Media
Quick Tabs - Neat module but it did not seem to support thumbnail navigation, at least not out of the box.

Considering the time and research spent on this I do support the effort to consolidate and improve the multitude of modules offering some kind of rotator or slide show functionality. For a good starting point see http://drupal.org/node/418616

My brother just sent me this, and I thought it was funny enough to warrant repeating

2009-11-21T12:44:00.000-08:00

Folgers Commercial

2009-11-19T14:37:00.000-08:00

In the new Folgers commercial, the guy coming home from Iraq / band camp / two years of living in a diner drinking nothing but old dishwater spiked with soy sauce / all of the above, exclaims happily when seeing a canister of Folgers: "Real Coffee!". Enough said.

Be careful what you wish for

2009-11-19T11:35:00.000-08:00

Home with a cold

2009-11-17T08:35:00.000-08:00

And looking for something to read. Maybe Chaim Potok's "My name is Asher Lev". Wish I had an unread Pratchett book.

Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala a slow starter

2009-11-06T15:34:00.001-08:00

So I updated from Ubuntu 9.04 to the latest release code named Karmic Koala, 9.10 in numbers. The process of updating, as opposed to reinstalling, went by without any hick ups. This is just a short list of mostly cons but also some pros.

So let's start with the cons:

1. It's a lot slower to boot up. Not sure why this is but the 9.04 release had a boot time that was pretty impressive. The Karmic Koala on the other hand is a real slow starter.
2. The default colour scheme is ugly. Sure you can change the theme, but that initial brown is just plain old ugly.
3. I've had several weird crash reports so far. Not a big issue and I'm sure it's being worked on.

Ok, enough with the complaining. So what do I like?
1. The sound. Pulse Audio has finally come through on it's effort to create some kind of centralized sound support for Ubuntu. Thank you. I'm currently running my Turtle Beach Riviera sound card with digital out to our Onkyo receiver and it sounds good. For you that are still running plain old analog output: sure it works and you'll get decent sound, but the digital out is so much nicer! Trust me.

Another Year

2009-10-12T08:44:00.000-07:00

So it's time to add one more year on top of the other 31. When I was in my early 20s it seemed that life would end, or at least go down hill rapidly, at 25. I was wrong.

Ps. I had oyster shots yesterday. And yes it was just as horrible as you probably imagine.

Who You Fight With

2009-08-20T16:37:00.000-07:00

One of our neighbours, Larry, said something interesting yesterday as he was talking about his time in Oslo. He had noticed that while Americans fight with each other as they get drunk, Norwegians (and I would say Swedes as well) seemed to wrestle with themselves in a similar intoxicated state of mind. He mentioned that they walked around screaming but that there really wasn't any actual fights. I wonder if this is part of the Scandinavian mindset, to be more self-critical and in a constant wrestling match with yourself. I guess you could argue that Scandinavians when they drink gets too drunk even to fight, but that seems a bit far fetched.

Update

2009-08-17T08:21:00.000-07:00

After a few months working part time I'm back up to full time again. It's good news, even though I've gotten used to the hours.

In the office and having my first coffee of the day in a Santa Maria that is overcast.

Still going to get certified in Java even though the book is as dry as really dry stuff. Been reading up on areas like Hibernate, Spring, JSP, Servlets and Stripes. Stripes is a pretty nice little web framework that, although it lacks some of the name recognition that other frameworks have, it still seems both powerful and easy to use.

Time to go.

Boogie Boarding at Jalama

2009-07-22T08:32:00.000-07:00

So we went to Jalama Beach this weekend and Domenic and I did some Boogie Boarding. We saw dolphins and at one point a sea lion was a little bit too close for my liking. It was fun and lots of hard work. Note to self for next time: keep the mouth shut when being hit by wave.

Yes We Can

2009-07-09T10:37:00.000-07:00

I had a nightmare last night. Part of it was a really big shark. But I will not let this deter me from starting to boogie board. So there, it's said.

Now I just need to find a decent wetsuit for a decent price.

Happy Birthday David!

2009-06-25T09:59:00.001-07:00

Today we celebrate my brother on his birthday. Wish I could be there bro!

Coffee Table update 4

2009-06-15T15:54:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to getting the concrete table top out of it's mold. No nasty surprises and the surface was smooth and without any major air bubbles. I waxed it with beeswax which turned out to give it pretty much just the effect I wanted: sealing the surface without removing that concrete look. It fit real snug in the oak frame, and since it's only about 2-3 cm it's not too heavy. So far the legs seem to support it well. Thanks to Ola and Dan for sharing some ideas on what to put on the concrete to seal it!

Coffe Table Update 3

2009-06-08T15:55:00.001-07:00

I finished building the mold yesterday and I poured the concrete today. There is a metal mesh inside the concrete that was supported by nails in the side walls. It will probably take a few days for the table top to dry. I'm looking into getting a sealer for the surface. They have some fancy stuff here but I'm not sure why I could not just pick some up at any old store.

Coffe Table Update 2

2009-06-07T21:24:00.001-07:00

I finally got around to continuing my table project. The wooden frame is pretty much done. It's made of oak and I've put an espresso stain on it. I might put on another coat of stain just get it even darker. The frame is built without any nails or screws, just glue and dowels. The next step will be to pour the concrete for the table top. I've built the mold for that and will try to get it done tomorrow. More photos coming.

Back from Southborough, MA

2009-06-01T08:38:00.000-07:00

Monday morning and back in the office. We had a good trip to Southborough, visiting Ben, Nicki, Abbi and Elli. Last time we were there Abbi was just taking her first step, this time they were both running.

We went in to Boston one day, otherwise most of the time was spent in Southborough. I like Boston, you can walk around, there are lots of great used book stores, what more can you ask for?

I made some progress on the table this weekend, photos coming soon.

Coffe Table Interrupted

2009-05-18T09:12:00.000-07:00

The progress has been interrupted by illness. *Cough Cough*

Coffee Table Episod 1

2009-05-11T20:28:00.000-07:00

In the words of The Hold Steady I've decided to Build Something This Summer. And starting a bit early just gives me a needed head start. To the right you can see episode 1 in "The Coffee Table Project", and hopefully it will actually turn into a table in the end. I'll keep you updated on the progress.

Dentistry

2009-04-10T13:35:00.000-07:00

So next week I'm having two of my wisdom teeth pulled out. This past Wednesday I went to Dr Slaughter's (!) and had a consultation. Before I got to see the doctor they made me watch a video with basically everything that could go wrong. One of the least desirable side effects is to lose my sense of feeling in the the lower lip and chin. So anyway next Thursday is the day and they will knock me out for the surgery. I've never had that done before so it will be a new experience.

Now we're off to do some wine tasting.

Later!

NIN vs Cash

2009-03-23T17:06:00.000-07:00

The NIN version or Johnny Cash? Not quite sure which one I like the best. In either case, it's a good song.

Life after Battlestar Galactica

2009-03-21T12:07:00.000-07:00

It's come down to the end of Battlestar Galactica. I still have the last two parter to watch before it's all over, and hopefully things will be explained. It's a high quality show but it's probably a good thing that this is the last season. It's hard for a show to maintain a level of interest and quality for more than 3-4 seasons. Battlestar Galactica has mostly pulled it off, even though they spiralled down into the Lost swamp where even the writers don't know where things are heading. But this show never quite falls into that quagmire. So now onto Life After Battlestar Galactica!

Some Music

2009-03-17T14:58:00.000-07:00

As I started listening to Neko Case, Middle Cyclone, a thought struck me: My brother will probably like this music.
Am I right?

Friday is here

2009-03-13T15:51:00.000-07:00

Time to go home for the week. Some good things. Want to watch a high quality British detective TV show? Then look no further, but check out Foyle's War.
Want to see some good journalism from what might be an unexpected source? Check out The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Maybe especially the latest interview with CNBC’s Jim Cramer. You can watch it here.

Now off to have my weekend!

Too Long

2009-03-02T19:00:00.001-08:00

Ok, it's been too long since my last post. I guess I could go with "I've been busy", and it would be true. But enough said. Work is work. Boxing is still fun, and I made a website for our boxing program a while ago. Here it is. This weekend we had a fund raiser for one of the boxers that is about to go pro.

The Saab drives like a jet plane on wheels. Great stuff! Those Swedes know how to make a car.

Sunday Evening

2009-02-01T19:16:00.001-08:00

After a few sunny, restful and productive days, the weekend has sauntered into Sunday evening. It's the blues, with a steady baseline. Last weekend I built a raised bed for the garden and yesterday I got it in place in the warm spot right next to the kitchen door. I poured over 10 cubic feet of potting soil and 6 cubic feet of a compost like soil amender into the frame, and it still is not quite full enough.

Other projects in the garden has involved clearing out the scarecrow anti-cat sprinkler, that happened to be full of earwigs. Probably the most disgustingest critter on earth. It would not be unlikely that this hell spawn showed up after the Fall of Man, with it's claw and general creepy crawliness. Enough said about that.

I have decided to start studying towards getting Java Certified. It will probably take about 6 months of studying, but even so I'm almost looking forward to it. There's something to say about learning to to a thing well, be it a craft or the art of programming. One thing that has struck me during this year is that development/programming can be a creative task of finding patterns and weaving logic and math into a comprehensive tapestry.

That's all for now. Time to go.

Time To Cross The Pond

2009-01-01T12:28:00.000-08:00

"Glorious, stirring sight! The poetry of motion! The real way to travel! The only way to travel! Here today--in next week tomorrow! Villages skipped, towns and cities jumped--always somebody else's horizon! O bliss! O poop-poop! O my! O my!"

- Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows

Back in Sweden

2008-12-20T16:06:00.000-08:00

We're here and the trip went well except that all our luggage got lost. But after a day of not knowing, the bags have reemerged from the airline maze and will arrive in Linköping tomorrow, Sunday. This is probably about time since a t-shirt can only be worn for a certain amount of time before it gets a bit smelly.

Other than the luggage issue it is great to be back!

Chistmas in Sweden

2008-12-14T13:00:00.000-08:00

So for everyone that does not know this already. Autumn and I are going to spend Christmas and New Years in Sweden. I'm looking forward to seeing all of my friends and family in Linköping during the holidays. Most presents are bought, we have bags and we are ready to go. It's still hard to quite understand that it is Christmas soon with the sunshine on our lawn just outside our living room window here in California. But I guess I could get used to it. But now onto a hopefully white Christmas in the North.

Saturday Afternoon

2008-11-15T16:07:00.000-08:00

There have been some very interesting times lately. There is a lot to say about the election and Obama's win. But today is not the day since we're getting ready to have some people over for dinner. So I have to go.

Things Appreciated

2008-10-14T19:02:00.000-07:00

The sound of hummingbirds right outside our kitchen window.

SNL and 30 Rock

The Brattle Book Shop in Boston.

Biden Convinces

2008-10-02T21:44:00.000-07:00

In tonight's VP debate Joe Biden convinced on the two issues of this election: the economy and the war. Time and time again the Obama / Biden ticket has to denounce the barrage of misinformation, half-truths and out right lies. How they manage to do it with such calm is a mystery. This campaign has certainly seen it's dirtier sides, and it would be easy to generalize and blame both sides. But the truth of the matter is that the McCain campaign has run a series of, to be frank, rather pathetic attempt at portraying Obama as, a naive liberal...also known as socialist. Over and over again the Macain campaign keep regurgitating that "Obama want's to raise taxes". Ohh that's baaaaad. But that's beside the point, Obama will not raise taxes on 95 % of the population. Something that he and Biden keep having to repeat over and over and over again. My question is, why does the McCain campaign feel that they constantly have to...well let's face it...lie. Why can't there be an honest debate about what our values are? Because they could never win such a fight? One aspect of politics can be seen in the tension between personal responsibility and systemic issues. Neither one of these will paint the full picture, neither will a watered downed compromise; but what is needed is a picture that shows each one of us responsible for our own life and our own decisions BUT that also shows that we are not all dealt good hands and that there needs to be a system that creates a framework of fairness and yes, this might even take the shape of redistribution of wealth. Because what is becoming increasingly clear to me is that in order for you to have a good life you will have to make sure that your neighbours, the people in your town and in your country also enjoys a decent level of living. Because if they do not, that will in the end come back and bite you. To be your brother's keeper will mean that you are being your own keeper. As in "give and you will receive".

TV On The Radio - Dear Science

2008-10-02T16:06:00.000-07:00

Some good listening.

Early Weekend

2008-08-28T22:32:00.001-07:00

After a month of very long hours I decided to have an early weekend. I took tomorrow off and since Monday is Labor Day, this will be a four day weekend.

Today Obama held his acceptance speech for the Democratic Presidential Nominee. It can be viewed here under Video. It's an hour or so long speech in front of about 84000 people. And I have to say that it was pretty impressive. It's hard not to feel like this is a breath of fresh air. What's not hard is to be cynical, what's even less hard is to use cynicism as an excuse to not do anything. So far Obama has managed to convince, and yes maybe there will be change, even change for the better.

That is, if not too many listen to these people.

Thursday

2008-07-24T20:11:00.000-07:00

The other day I got our garage set up as a little boxing gym. I hung a punching bag up in the ceiling and got some carpet for the floor. It turned out pretty ok. I haven't actually used it yet and am a little bit concerned that the bag won't stay up, but we'll see. So every Monday and Wednesday I'm training and instructing at with PAL (Police Activity League) and Santa Maria Boxing Club. It's a place where kids can come and train boxing in the afternoons/evenings. At the moment I have two kids that I'm training and it's a nice change and break from the work environment. Sitting in front of computer screens and boxing are two quite different things all together and I think that having a place like that to go to is very healthy for me. It clears my mind a bit and helps me to refocus on other things than work.

Well, now I think we are going to watch Sharkwater. Now you might say, "well is that really that smart to do seeing that Magnus is probably the most sharkfobic person I know" ...granted...but they are also very fascinating horrific animals.

Hugs to family and friends!

Friday

2008-07-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

It's Friday morning and the start of a long weekend. A four day weekend as a matter of fact since I also have Monday off. I have been singing a song about this weekend, there is a lot of "la la la" in it. Today it's 4 July, Independence Day, so there will be barbecue. We are going over to some of our neighbours. Probably Autumn will also read the declaration of independence for us. It's very interesting reading and I can recommend that anyone that has not read it have a go at it. It's short too.

Now it's breakfast time. Talk to you later.

Hot hot hot

2008-06-21T22:41:00.000-07:00

Today and yesterday might have been some of the hottest days that I've ever experienced. Finding a small pool for the backyard seemed almost impossible after having tried two of the major stores and they were both sold out. Sold out. People must have been desperate. Yesterday when Autumn was looking for a fan, they were sold out too. This might give you an idea of how warm it has been here the last two days. The garden seems to be flourishing in this heat and the squash is growing into quite a giant monster plant.

Midsommar

2008-06-20T09:15:00.000-07:00

I feel a bit nostalgic today and miss Sweden a bit more than usually, and not just because of the new potatoes and the pickled herring. But we will have our own Midsommar celebration here in Santa Maria tomorrow, and judging from the weather today it seems very likely that I will actually spend one Midsommarafton without rain! Juuuiipi!

Many greetings! I hope you all will have a relaxing day with friends and family!

Kensington Heights

2008-06-16T09:27:00.000-07:00

The Constantines new album Kensington Heights has finally arrived.

The Constantines - because Hockey needs Literature as much as Literature needs Hockey.

Friday

2008-06-06T16:52:00.000-07:00

The weekend is here! Tomorrow we are going to a barbecue and we also talked about going wine tasting. We'll see what happens.

After having been sick for about 3 weeks I am finally better. The antibiotics might have helped. It was good to be back at the boxing again. I've also started riding the bike to work a bit more often. I've been told that when someone rides a bike here they are usually suspected of having been convicted of a DUI and as a consequence lost their license. But rest assured I still have both my Swedish and my California licenses.

And one from our house

2008-05-24T07:25:00.000-07:00

So the sprinkler with the infra red sensor is working wonders. I've seen a few of the little critters sulk and turn away as they realize that our garden no longer is their giant litter box. The kitchen garden is growing really well.

This Monday is Memorial Day which means that we have a three day weekend. One of the great things with a three day weekend that stretches from Saturday to Monday is that it is followed by a four day work week. Work is going well, although it's been very busy.

I am reading Surprised by Joy at the moment which I am enjoying a great deal. I made some kind of attempt at reading this book when I was probably a bit too young so I am glad to have given it another try.

Well, the Primary election is continuing here and as far as I am concerned they should get it over with so we can move on to the actual election. The more it drags on the more a certain individual seems to loose her dignity. You almost get a feeling that there is a sense of entitlement from the Clinton campaign. An entitlement that says that Hillary should win the nomination just because, and it's inconceivable that she won't, even though most indications seem to point towards her not winning it.

I am adding another picture from our house, this time of the living room.

Cozumel Photos 2

2008-05-24T07:15:00.001-07:00

Cozumel Photos

2008-05-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

As promised here are some photos from our trip to Cozumel at the beginning of this month.

The magic bullet?

2008-05-13T08:55:00.000-07:00

Today I bought one of these. The neighbours' cats are using our garden as a litter box, and frankly I am getting quite fed up with it. Any one who has seen Aliens the director's cut will know what I am expecting out of this motion censored sentry gun. Not that cats are aliens but the line must be drawn.

More updates on the Cat Problem coming up.

Back in Santa Maria

2008-05-13T08:50:00.000-07:00

We returned from Cozumel late on Saturday. The snorkeling was incredible. I will post photos of our trip as soon as I get around to it.

Anniversary

2008-05-02T14:16:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we will be leaving for Cozumel, where we are going to celebrate our one year anniversary. We are staying there until next Saturday. If you need to contact us it will probably be easiest to reach us through email. We will be flying out from Santa Barbara, to Phoenix and then to Cancun. From Cancun we'll take a bus or taxi to Playa del Carmen and from there a ferry to San Miguel on Cozumel. I can't believe it's been one year since that sunny day in May. It's gone past so fast.

By Popular Demand

2008-04-24T21:12:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are a few photos. The picture on the top shows the front of our house while the photo below shows our street. More photos coming soon.

Tuesday Morning

2008-04-22T07:04:00.000-07:00

It's about 7 in the morning and I am sitting at my desk at work. It's an important week for our company so there is a lot of work to do.

As promised I will upload some photos of our house here soon. Promise.

In a few hours

2008-04-18T08:27:00.000-07:00

Just a few hours left until the game that will decide whether of not there will be a seventh and final game on Sunday.

For anyone that wants to see todays game go to: http://kanalnio.se/1
and click on "KLICKA HÄR FÖR ATT SE MATCHEN LIVE PÅ WEBBEN!"

LHC 2 - that other team 3

2008-04-16T21:23:00.001-07:00

Ok, the good news is that if LHC wins on Friday I will be able to watch the last game on Sunday, at home without having to work. They are playing in Linköping on Friday so hopefully with the support from the home arena we will see a win and this hockey final will go to the seventh and last game.

I got a lime and a lemon tree the other day.

One lost game and finally Friday

2008-04-11T19:44:00.000-07:00

After 3-3 at full time LHC lost today's game in Sudden Death. On to the next one.

It's Friday and not one day too late. Work is pretty demanding at the moment. Yesterday we went to the Hitchingpost and celebrated Linda's birthday. We had a very good time, even though I probably ate too much.

Today also brought some very warm and pleasant weather. Maybe we'll go to the beach this weekend.

The kitchen garden is growing and our apricot tree is so heavily loaded with fruit that the branches are sagging. We'll need to put up some kind of support.

We are celebrating our one year anniversary on the 5th of May and will be going to Cozumel, Mexico, from the 3rd to the 10th. This will be a very welcome break.

I hope you are all doing well!

LHC 2 - HV71 0

2008-04-10T08:31:00.000-07:00

Yeah! This is looking good.

For some reason the quality of the streaming was a lot worse for the second game. I also had to actually do some work so I couldn't see most of the game.

Now on to Friday!

That's the way to do it!

2008-04-07T21:42:00.000-07:00

Linköping Hockey Club just won the first game of the finals in the Swedish national hockey league. I can watch the finals on www.kanalnio.se with surprisingly good quality. The score? LHC won with 6-4. It was fun to see the arena in Linköping. Now to the next game!

Friday Afternoons are Sweet

2008-03-14T16:50:00.000-07:00

Friday is here. I am staying about 10 more minutes at work and then it is the weekend! It has been an interesting, busy and fun week. Enough said. I am out of here!

Sun Room

2008-03-07T17:48:00.000-08:00

It's Friday and I am sitting in our sun room looking out over our back garden. The apricot tree is in bloom. It looks as nice as it smells. Autumn and I have a date night with dinner and movie.

The weekend is very welcome. Work is busy and fun.

I hope you are all doing well.

Update

2008-03-05T19:33:00.001-08:00

Things are busy. Lots of work and I've started boxing. We're starting to get our house in order which is really nice. Last weekend we went down to LA and did a lot of furniture shopping. That's all for now.

February

2008-02-18T14:46:00.000-08:00

So this month has its fair share of interesting events. One of them was that we had a break in in our car the other day. They took the stereo, the speakers, the seat covers and the fire extinguisher. All in all they could probably get the impressive sum of something like $50 for all this on the black market. I am just making that sum up since I have no connection what so ever with the Santa Maria Black Market...for real. But really, why would someone take the seat covers?

I thought the car was safe with its very advanced anti-break in system. The universal anti-break in system of being all banged up and pretty old. Who would find it worth the effort to steal something from that car? But I was wrong.

Now you might wonder, why the fire extinguisher? Well, the car has been smelling pretty funky, with this smoke, so we thought it was best to have the fire extinguisher in the car, just to be safe. But no more fire extinguisher.

Short update

2008-01-31T08:37:00.000-08:00

Hi all! Things are good. Lots of work. We like our new house. Yesterday someone crashed into a fire hydrant outside our office, the water must have sprayed around 15 meters up in the air.

I hope you are all doing well!

A photo

2008-01-22T14:07:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday I went down to LA, with a few colleagues, to watch the US-Sweden football game. I'm adding a photo here. Not much to say. Sweden lost with 2-0. But it was fun to see some live sport.

Weekend at the new house

2008-01-05T13:09:00.000-08:00

Ok, so it's been some time since my lost update. But here it is!

Things have been quite busy for us here for a while. I started my new job on the 3rd of December in Santa Maria. It's been good but a new job usually takes a lot of energy, and so does this one. It's an interesting place to work with a lot of things to learn. It's with a Swedish company and I am almost daily using Swedish at work, either in writing or speaking. There is around 12 of us at the office in Santa Maria but the company has about 200 employees in Scandinavia. The product we are selling is a Student Information System and I am working as a Developer/Application Systems Analyst.

The second thing that has happened is that we have moved in to our new house in Santa Maria. This means that I do not have to commute back and forth from Lompoc anymore, which is great! Our house is even withing walking/biking distance. This feels like a real luxury in California! This is our first real weekend in our new home and we are tinkering about getting things in order. It's an old house, built in the 1920s, with lots of character (which involves some quirks, but that is part of the character bit).

The third news is that Autumn has also started her new job. She is currently going through the training in Los Olivos but she will work out of Santa Maria. Her job will involve a bit of driving, but she will mostly be going to places in Santa Maria. She will be working for the Santa Barbara County Education with a project that involves helping families with newborn babies.

In short, there has been a lot of good change. We are very thankful for all this and for all the support from friends and family throughout this rather tumultuous year.

Pictures of the house will be posted in the near future. Oh, we do have a guest room now, so you will have a room of your own when you come visit!

God Jul och Gott Nytt År!

2007-12-24T09:51:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Lompoc!

Sunday evening

2007-12-02T18:12:00.000-08:00

On Thursday I passed my driver's test, so my California license will arrive in the mail within 30 days.

But even better than that: I am starting my new job tomorrow in Santa Maria! Santa Maria is a city about 25 minutes to the north of here. At the moment we are considering moving there but nothing is decided yet.

The weather is getting a bit colder here even though it is still sunny. I hope you all had a nice weekend and that your week will be a good one!

Sunday evening

2007-11-25T17:10:00.000-08:00

This Thursday the driver's test for my Californian driver's license is taking place. Up until then they have given me a temporary license. I am glad they did since it is rather difficult to get around here without a car. There are some bicycle lanes but this entire state is built around the car. But I have taken the family mountain bike out for a few airings. Not that long ago I rode down to the almost completely dried up river bed where there is a dirt track. People drive down there with there dirt bikes and ATVs, but part of the track is hard packed enough for a mountain bike. So far no accidents or falls. In the riverbed are these old car skeletons that give the place a bit of a half-life feel.

I hope all of you will have a good week!

Thanksgiving

2007-11-21T12:12:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and the house is already filled with the smells of orange, cranberry and spices. Linda is making her own cranberry sauce and chicken broth. It smells like Christmas. The Thanksgiving holiday reminds me a bit of the Christmas holiday, maybe it is the similarities in the food, or maybe it is all the preparation for tomorrow when the family is coming over.

It's sunny and warm outside, with the birds singing. If anyone is looking for a book to read I can very much recommend "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. That's all for now.

November

2007-11-14T15:49:00.000-08:00

It's November and it's sunny and warm. Shorts-warm. In November. That's nice.

Today I drove to Santa Maria for a job interview for a temporary holiday job. The drive is around 30 minutes. Speaking of driving, I'm thinking that it's time to get my California driver's license. I'll see if I can get that done this week. Compared to the mega-undertaking that it is to get a license in Sweden this seems to be a much shorter process. And a lot cheaper. It will cost me all of $27. Unless I fail the driver's test, in which case I will have to pay...$5...for each new try. And then the Department of Motor Vehicles gives me a brand new Audi. Well, last part about the Audi not true, but the rest is.

Sunny greetings!

Sunday afternoon

2007-10-28T13:26:00.000-07:00

Even though there are still 9 uncontained fires in California it seems like the situation is gradually cooling down. Yesterday it rained here in Lompoc, and it was more than a drizzle. Today, after the rain, the juniper bushes in the back garden smells stronger than usual in the sun light. It's a warm, sunny and lazy Sunday.

Tomorrow I'm going down to LA for an interview. I will be taking the train from Goleta, which is a way for me to avoid the traffic and not have to worry about parking.

I hope you are all doing well!

California Wildfires

2007-10-24T07:21:00.000-07:00

The California Wildfires have now forced the evacuation of almost 1 million residents. There are some videos here.

The fire closest to us in the Santa Ynes valley is contained, according to this article, but the sky is hazy from smoke and you can still smell it in the air this morning. For an overview of the fires go here.

It has been very dry in California for a long time and the strong Santa Ana Winds have caused the fires to spread rapidly. Hopefully there will be a change in the weather soon.

I will keep you updated.

Babies

2007-10-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

A State Observed would like to issue a big and heartfelt welcome to Abigail and Eleanor!

And congratulations to Ben and Nicki! I hope you are all doing well and that you get some sleep in between feeding and diaper changing.

Day of the Cinnamon Bun

2007-10-04T12:59:00.000-07:00

Today the 4th of October is the Day of the Cinnamon Bun. So in celebration of this tasty treat I invite you to have a fika with me, even though it might have to be in spirit. We can call it a long distant fika.

I have it!

2007-09-25T09:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got my Green Card in the mail! I am now officially a Permanent Resident in the United States of America!

With the letter I also got a folder pointing me to a guide called "Welcome to the United States - A Guide for New Immigrants". I am now officially an Immigrant.

In the folder, under the heading "Getting Involved in Your Community" I read:

The U.S. government is a government of, by, and for the people. This means that people can shape the government and its policies. Each person has an important role to play in his or her local community. You can get involved in your community through local organizations, your place of worship or work, your neighborhood, or your children's schools. Welcome to the United states gives ideas for getting involved in your community and learning more about life in this country.

The United States presidential election of 2008 is scheduled to be held on November 4. The average voter turnout in the US is around 50 % depending on what source you quote. These statistics puts it at 48.3% which would land the country a 139th place in the World Cup of Voter Turnout. So right now it seems like the U.S. government is a government of, by, and for half the people.

The short of it: I wish I could vote as a permanent resident.

At the Immigration Office

2007-09-11T16:53:00.000-07:00

Our interview yesterday went very well! The interviewer was easygoing and we talked for a pretty short time and he asked us some questions, and that was basically it. Autumn had spent quite a lot of time preparing these photo albums with a lot of photos showing the two of us together and with friends and family. Did they guy even look at these!? No. When the interview was almost over and we realized that he was not going to look at our super nice photo albums, with pictures of mostly us, I pointed it out to him that Autumn had prepared them. He still did not look at the photos.

I had an appointment for the 19th of September for my biometrics (basically fingerprints), but during the interview the officer gave us a new appointment for the same day. So after the interview we went and got the biometric scan done, which saved me a trip back down to LA!

The officer told us that I will have the green card in about 3 weeks. All in all my experience with the immigration authorities here has been surprisingly smooth. The paperwork, rules and regulations have not been that much fun to deal with, but when we have met a person behind all that bureaucracy they have actually been pretty friendly and human.

Thank you for all your support during this time!

Today has been a very warm day here in Pasadena, where we are house sitting until Saturday. I walked to the library and got some work done and now I have just come back from boxing at the YMCA. It was good to see some of the old boxing gang.

Tonight we are going out for dinner to this place with some friends of Autumn that I have not met yet. It is nice that it has been cooling down a bit since the heat of this day.

This is all for now from Pasadena.

Bona Fide Marriage

2007-09-07T11:24:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday the 11th of September(!) we are going to our interview at the immigration office in down town LA. The interview is to prove/show that our marriage is a real one. We are putting together all the information we need to bring with us, and it is quite a lot of stuff! And some of it is what I would call 'private'. Such as our email correspondence from last summer when we had first met. But if this is what they need I guess that this is what we will give them in order to show that we have a Bona Fide Marriage. So wish us luck for next week!

Sunny Saturday

2007-09-01T17:34:00.000-07:00

We just came back after a sunny day at Refugio Beach. It's a nice weekend.
I hope you are all doing well!

Ps. I will have a headset pretty soon

Great photo, as always.

2007-08-28T14:47:00.000-07:00

At the library

2007-08-28T13:07:00.000-07:00

Not so many days ago I got myself a proper Library Card in Lompoc. Right now I am sitting in that library, using their wireless connection to look for jobs. Some ten meters in front of me there is a glass wall/sliding door to the outside. It is sunny. I can also see posters with famous people such as Mel Gibson, Antonio Banderas and LL Cool J telling me to "READ". It is quite in here. Which is not something to take for granted in a library.

Outside the window there is a (to me) strange collection of trees. I think it is the birch mixed with the palm trees that does it.

Yesterday we watched Hitchcock's Rear Window. Good movie.

Back to work.