An Americhick in Denmark

Being a good Americhick, I have attempted to stay somewhat abreast of the happenings during this election year. Reading at least something about the candidates and their views, trying to find points and counterpoints to what they say and what has been said about them, and watching the debates. The third one is now over, and all I can say is WTF was John McCain thinking about? Sarah Palin, negative ads, condescension, talking down to the American public, repeatedly spouting lies that have been refuted time and time again… it’s an endless parade of irritating pandering to the rich, claiming how much of a maverick he is while planning to tax everyone who can’t afford it, even as he continues giving tax breaks to those who don’t need it. Not to mention his endless whining about how hurt he was when an outside person, someone he respects and hopes to count on if he gets into the WH, speaks out about how negatively he has been running his campaign of late… I know that both candidates have come up with some pretty amazing things about the other’s policies or plans, but only McCain’s campaign and running mate have lowered themselves to making it personal, claiming it’s about Obama’s ‘character.’ Yes, if there are questions about his associations or past actions, then ask the questions, and find the answers. Don’t make them up as you go, claim them as gospel, and then act all shocked and shaken when your supporters believe them and react. And don’t cry foul when you’re called out on what you’ve done, and claim that your opponent must repudiate what someone not even associated with his campaign has said about your actions. McCain has no power over what people outside of himself and his immediate campain people say (as evidenced by Ms. Palin’s loose lips), but I’ve also never heard of him doing more than stating that ‘he’s a good man, devoted to his family’ when one of his supporters called Barack Obama a terrorist… is that repudiation of the tactics that are happening in his campaign? I think not. But that’s just me… Honestly, I haven’t seen someone act this big of a baby since Bush whined about the first election, or had his lawyers at the ready to sue anyone who suggested he stole the second election. Of course, how Bush even got to have a second election is solely due to the unrivaled ignorance of a good portion of the US. Somehow they were sure that he could do a good job. Unfortunately they’ve been proven wrong in a spectacular fashion.

It will be good when the elections are over, and America chooses its next president. I hope that ALL Americans able to vote will do so, no matter where they are, because if you don’t vote, you don’t get a say in what happens when the person you don’t want in office steps in to do his job. I’ll be voting, from Denmark, because I REFUSE to move back to a country where stupidity and special interests have so much sway as they do now. I can only pray that people can get past their party lines and do a little outside-the-box thinking this time, rather than insisting that there’s only one way to do things. That’s what’s gotten us to this state right now…

Yes, I’m talking to Republicans, even as I recognize that Democrats can be just as stubborn, narrow-minded, and stupid. But for the last 8 years, a Republican’s been in charge, and we’re not looking so good, on the homefront or the world stage. Let’s try something new, shall we?

Of course, that’s just my opinion… I could be wrong…

Ok… this was going to be a rambling post about how we’ve having to watch what we spend, and how we’re seeing how we can stretch our cupboard contents through the month, things of that nature. Obviously the economy, whether one is in the States or the rest of the world, is important, and lots of people are talking about it. But, I just read an article on Time.com titled ‘Is Barack Obama American Enough?’ and all I can think is WTF?!?!?! Is he American enough? Where does that come from? His name? How is having a name like John McCain any more ‘American’ than Barack Obama? Because it sounds more ‘American’? Please! Tell that to the hundreds of thousands of millions of immigrants over the years who have moved to the States, making it the country it is today, who have ‘foreign-sounding’ names, but who are as American as Mr. McCain. Tell them that, because of their name, they are, maybe, not American enough. And then see what they say.

Something like that floors me, because not only is it putting importance on a name, but the person attached to that name. In this case, the person attached to that name happens to be black. So, what does that mean for every other person of color, whose name happens to be a little different than John or Sally Smith, or John and Cindy McCain. Are they suddenly becoming ‘less American’ because their name doesn’t fall into the prescribed ‘American’ pattern? Are the Redumblicans (please note that this is NOT a personal attack on my Republican friends, merely a statement against Redumblicans in general) really willing to risk what goodwill they might have with voters on someone taking that attack the wrong way, and passing their opinions to their friends, and so on, and so on, and so on… I’m sure they would insist that what they mean is they are questioning Barack’s associations - his ‘relationship’ with William Ayers, his belonging to a church with a preacher not afraid to speak his own mind - and how those relationships bring to question his patriotism. Obviously the Republicans have forgotten the history of the United States that has encouraged the ancestors of the very people they are seeking votes from today to immigrate to this great country of ours (The USA, not Denmark, I am still a US citizen even as I am becoming a citizen of the world. :D). If I recall from grade school history, the founding fathers were traitors and terrorists, the whole lot of them, and proud of it. At least once they believed they could make a change, and take charge of their destiny. Once they had HOPE that they could make our country great. But, you know, who wants to think about that little bit of the past. After all, we aren’t supposed to think for ourselves any longer, or question the government for things like bailing out huge corporations so they can continue spending money recklessly… why, that’s un-American, to think that one man actually can make a difference!

All I know… if a few people hadn’t felt that they could make a difference, NO ONE would be having this discussion today.

Barack Obama is as American as I am. A bonified American hybrid, with the best of a few different flavors wrapped into one, seasoned with adventures, trials, and daily life, seeking the American Dream, just like the rest of us. He’s one man, trying to make a difference. If that’s un-American, then the US is going to be a very small country very soon. John McCain can have that country, I want to live someplace where it’s ok to question what goes on in the government, where it’s ok to speak your mind and have independent thoughts. And there’s NO WAY I’m moving back to a country with John McCain as president, because I don’t believe he can do that. You can shout about being a ‘maverick’ all you want, but unless you do it, it’s all talk.

So that was my rant for today. Now back to our regularly scheduled programme… :p

Ok, so it’s been a week. Actually a couple of weeks. Good, bad, frustrating, generally a week (or 2). We’ve been kind of waiting for the DH to get his vacation time, and in between then our diet group came off holiday, so we went in to see the tale of the scale after 3 weeks off. The DH lost a fantastic 4.6 kg. I, however, only lost 1.1 kg. Suffice to say I was disappointed, even though it was continued downward motion, and some slacking on my part occurred. I did continue to support the DH, however, so imagine my surprise at the most recent weighing when I lost 1.5 kg, pushing me over the 5 kilo mark, and even beating the DH (percentage-wise)! Yes, there was much more happiness in the nest this week, and a renewed commitment to the whole adventure. As well, the DH got his 10 kilo reward, as he has moved past that number like a snowball rolling down a hill - gathering momentum as he sheds the weight.

Anyway, the adventure continues… As well, I’m heading back to language school, and starting the new program at business school… oh, and I applied for a job at one of the local international companies, doing what I do best… what can I say, I like to keep busy.

So while the DH is on vacation, we’re planning a barbeque, and working on our apartment, and watching summer pass by on little bird feet… life is, as always, good.

Now for the details from the past few weeks of blood, sweat and vegetables:

Weight - 111.6 kg
Weight lost to date - 6.1 kg (approx. 13,2 pounds)

I’ve made my first goal, 5 kilos lost, and a bit more, which I am quite happy about. Next goal is 10 kilos lost, only 3.9 to go. The DH is heading towards 15 kilos gone, with only 3.6 to go. We also measured ourselves about a week before the group vacation ended, so even though my weight itself didn’t go down so much, there was a shift in the numbers on the tape:
Waist - 106 cm - 1 cm lost… total loss - 4 cm
Bosom (beneath the extra feathers) - 105 cm - 3 cm lost… total loss - 6 cm
Bosom (including the extra feathers) - 123 cm - no change… total loss - 1 cm
Wingbone width - 35.5 cm - 2.5 cm lost… total loss - 2.5 cm
Leg - 75 cm - 4 cm lost… total loss - 4 cm

All in all, I’ve lost a total of 23 cm, which works out to 9.05 inches lost, as of 26 July. The DH has lost 34 cm, or 13.38 inches. We’ll have another measuring party in a week or so, after the next weighing, and see how things are progressing. Whenever I get frustrated with the numbers on the scale, I have to remember to turn to the tale of the tape to remind myself that every small step takes me in the right direction, and patience will pay off in the end. Now to find my worrystone and start rubbing the impatience away…

Until next time, keep the feather side up, and the rubber on the road!

I just saw someting funny in one of the online newsletters I get, had to pass it on…

It’s July, holiday month, so this is so fitting: Denmark is currently closed…

hahahahahahahahahahaha… you have no idea how true this really is!

I’m sorry, but Denmark is currently closed, please call back in August. Tak!

lolololololol…

The DH and I, being the good geeks we are, marshalled our considerable geeky forces and were first and second in line for the official release of iPhone 3G in Denmark. While we weren’t the very first ones to receive theirs, as Telia shops in Copenhagen opened at midnight for sales, we were among the first in our little town of Randers, pop. approx. 60k, established approx. 1100 AD or so. (Have I ever mentioned that my new town of residence is far older than the country I was born and raised in, by about 500 years?! Boggles the mind sometimes. Anyway…)

So, after waking up the birds, and being on the very first bus, we arrived at our destination and were pleased to find that we topped the line. In fact, we made the line, which was quite entertaining. We got the pleasure of watching the town wake up, street sweepers and early morning delivery men dropping off their goods, the bakeries and cafes straggling open a couple of hours later, it was really kind of cool. We even got to watch the sun rise over the City Hall where the DH and I exchanged ‘jas’ a little over a year ago. Brings back some lovely memories. *sighs* But, I digress.

At about 5:30 am we took our spot, then proceeded to wait. Slowly we were joined by other folks, and chatting ensued, though unfortunately for me much of it was in danish, so I didn’t pay too much attention. I did end up having a nice conversation with another iPhone devotee, discussing politics, religion, and the upcoming election, Obama and Hillary, and our experiences as citizens of our respective countries. She works at (runs, owns, could be all of the above) a local bookstore, and has strong opinions about the upcoming presidential contest. I enjoyed the time, the conversation, and hope to run into her again. All in all, the wait ended up being very pleasant and stress-free, with much camaraderie and no one acting like petulant children denied their favorite toy.

Then, at 10 am on the nose, Danish time, they began ushering us into the sacred walls of the Telia shop to worship at the altar of iPhone. Perhaps that, in itself, is where the problem began. Besides the usual stinginess in availability of said desired product, it seems the shops didn’t quite plan for the response they were receiving for the new toy. Computers began running slow, and it was about 40 minutes before the DH and I walked out with our prizes - bright, shiny new iPhones, one white and one black (so we don’t mix them up) - waving them to those who didn’t take the diehard geekfan route and queue up at the buttcrack of dawn. Then we headed home, only rushing slightly, as if to say that we didn’t really have to hurry, as we had what we came for. But of course, what good is a toy without the batteries? We started working on getting them set up, and ran into a problem. A small issue, but one with rather large implications for our immediate enjoyment of the new phones. It seems that Telia, still forgetting the potential response, didn’t set up the sim cards for immediate activation. So, we have to wait up to 48 HOURS before the card will be activated. Umm… WTF?!? Who came up with this bright idea?

In the meantime, the DH and I are having a bit of fun setting up our phones, and anxiously looking forward to the time when we have activated sim cards, and can actually call them iPhones… rather than iPod touches. Let’s cross our fingers for soon, shall we? All together now…

Just back from a shopping trip to the Århus IKEA. Now, don’t get me wrong… I love IKEA. Love it in a special way, because of all the goodies lurking, and the flat-packed boxes that turn into fun furniture with some sweat and tools, and the occasional curse because I’m not really inclined to work with my hands that way. But why is it that I must be assaulted by hordes of screaming children when I go to spend some of the DH’s hard-earned kroner on parts and pieces for our little home?!?!?1!!! Honestly… take a perfectly good shopping trip, in a store the size of a small town, that carries pretty much any and everything you could ever want, and serves you tasty swedish meatballs, then add screeching kids screaming for whatever toy or stuffie they’ve just passed, or screaming because they want a nap, or a meatball… you’ve just ruined that perfectly good shopping trip, faster than I can say WTF mate?!? You think I jest? Not bloody likely!

I understand that IKEA is a hard place to resist, and even here the consumerist culture is taking hold (thanks in no small part to the very same IKEA that I hold dear to my heart) and so must be fed from time to time… and a shopping trip can be a fine family outing, checking out all the pretty or interesting things, talking about how you might redo your family room like you’ve been thinking of, the kids happily testing bean bags and bunk beds as you eye that lovely set of sturdy yet still beautiful cabinets that could really refresh your kitchen while the significant other finds the perfect couch for the family room… But must everyone else then be subjected to the pivotal time when the kids go from having fun to just wanting to go home, the parents are still deep in shopping mode, and the kids then do the only thing they know definitely works when they want attention - scream at the top of their little lungs?

Have you ever noticed just how loud a child can get? Today, there was one kid, I swear, at the OTHER end of the store, wailing fit to beat the band, and sounding like he was standing right next to me with a megaphone pointed at my eardrum… If you know how big IKEAs can be, then you know that when I say OTHER end, I don’t mean a few meters away…

Anyway, all this makes me wonder…  Are parents of small kids so addicted to getting out of the house that they forget that others might be hoping for a bit of peace as they browse the shops or stroll around, or do they really feel an overwhelming urge to make others suffer when their kids throw tantrum, as if to say ‘Don’t you wish you could have one too?’ Or maybe it’s a warning… ‘Be careful, or you could be as lucky as we are.’ eep

So the DH has begun, or perhaps re-begun, his blogging, going on about PIM and other geeky things. He’s quite the super geek, a systems administrator in his mild-mannered alter ego, and these sorts of things interest him. He’s found a book that’s sparking his imagination in wonderful ways, and I think it can only do him good.

Of course, now he will be using his superhero powers more and more, so I will have do pull out my own secret identity, or rather work on one… what will it be?

Tonight the DH and I went to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. That was a fun movie! I won’t spoil it for anyone, but I will say that I once again see why I LOVE Harrison Ford. When I say LOVE, I mean it in the way some women LOVE chocolate, some men LOVE football (on both sides of the pond), the way my BFF LOVES her Frankie. It’s in that kind of way that’s indescribable, but you sure want to try, because it gives you new opportunities to love the object of your affection that much more. Even at his slightly advancing age, that man is just delicious! Rugged, worn but not worn out, funny in that wry, slightly self-deprecating way, with I-just-got-out-of-bed-and-I-still-look-this-good hair, a great smile, and the best eyes… *sighs longingly* Luckily, for me, the DH understands that if the ever-so-dreamy Mr. Ford should happen to toss aside his slender chippy and come knocking, I will be opening the door. Of course, I will probably have to wrap a towel around my head to hide the white hairs that refuse any color and continue their relentless advance, in spite of my efforts to stop them. And then there’s the whole “love me, love my husband” thing… I’m sure not giving up the DH just because the hunky Harrison flies his own plane, and has a fab ranch in Wyoming, complete with horses I’m sure, and used to go to Ripon College.

I suppose that will put a bit of a damper on any fantasies of running off with the fabulous Ford… so I will remain supremely happy with the DH… we will wander around this little country (have I ever mentioned that Denmark is just about the size of one of the Great Lakes?), and make lovely american-style apples pies with just a little danish in them - recipe to follow once it’s perfected - when we come home. Seriously, we make a wonderfully, sinfully delish apple pie, deep dish with crumb topping, full of sugary, cinnamony (huge thanks to the lovely Karla for hooking me up with all the fab cinnamon in this woefully backwards little country we live in - can you believe they think cinnamon is only to be used sparingly here… what kind of place is this?!) goodness, you can taste the love and spices when we’re done with one of those. After all, isn’t that really what apple pie’s all about anyway? Tasting the love… mmmmmm… We’re baking one up tomorrow, we’ll save you a piece.

It seems, in my zeal to defend this site from spam, that I accidentally erased a couple of actual comments from friends. So I say here that I’m very sorry for that, I didn’t delete them on purpose, I just got caught up in my spam extermination mode, and the next thing you know, poof… there goes the neighborhood!

I will be much more careful in the future about deleting things, so this doesn’t happen again. I can’t have my precious readership think that I randomly toss out comments, or that some evil twin Wren has gotten hold of my blog and is tossing things left and right.

So what the heck is all the fuss about California FINALLY deciding to allow homosexuals to marry officially? What is the big deal, that even more people want to have it officially recorded that they are with each other, that they want to have the same rights, and responsibilities, as everyone else? How can it be that this is a bad thing? What, because all the heterosexual couples are providing such excellent role models right now? Oh yeah… let’s see now… a married senator (hetero) spends thousands on a call girl, while two female actors live together in a loving, monogamous relationship. But we should deny the couple a right to be acknowledged as a married couple, just like the senator, because they’re lesbians and might somehow encourage our children to become gay because they’re married?!?! Wow, what crack are people smoking to come up with reasoning like that? So, if that reasoning is to stand, that would mean that this particular married senator will be encouraging our children to become cheating morons, since he is legally married, and a role model. Again I say wow…

To be honest, most of the straight people I know, singles or couples, have been in and out of more relationships than I have shoes, and I just added seven new pairs to my collection! Meanwhile, most of the homosexual people I know have had longer monogamous relationships than just about anyone except my parents. Why is that? And, if that’s the case, then the role models we should be following would be the couples that tend to stay together, don’t you think?

Ah, but that would be too logical, wouldn’t it? Oh please… wake up people, get your heads out of your nether regions, and see exactly how stupid it is to complain about this. Is it because you’re jealous that they’re doing something you’re incapable of? Or are you just not wanting a group of folks who might actually respect the institution of marriage showing you up?

All I know is this… if a couple is willing and able to deal with all the goods and bads, and is ready to step up to the plate and take on all the rights and responsibilities that come with the institution of marriage, then more power to you, make sure to sign your full name on the line, and let me know where you’re registered, my husband and I will get you a gift! Welcome to married life!