Self-employed

Ok, here's a regular day for me.

First, wake everyone up. Niki...she doesn't like mornings. She's seen here with her dress just over her shoulders as she refuses to put it on. She's listening to her favorite songs. She bosses us around and screams at everybody to shut up. Anders is seen here negotiating a breakfast deal with a person  he and I sometimes mumbling refer to as "the dictator". 

After breakfast, took Joel to a check-up. And filled up on gas. This is not regular stuff for me, but I'm working on it.

At the gas station, you could choose between different car air fresheners.

Options varied from "new car", "paradise" to more tangible fragrances such as "green apples". Fantasized about rubbing these weird creatures against my neck to use them like perfume. Am I the "new car"-fragrance type?

Then parked and took the subway to work. My son and mother took the same subway but decided to go check out baby alligators instead. They don't have to go work. Mom and Joel neither.

On my way to meeting, stopped by Lima to buy lunch.

They had really nice tea bags.

 Had the day's first meeting, with Mattias and Samira. We're talking about Hall of Femmes. 

I love Samira's tattoo.

Maina works in the same office. It was great to see her and her bird necklace.

Then tried on some expensive stuff at ACNE.

I'm thinking the baked potato look isn't too bad for fall.

ACNE decorate with hair.

Walked to my next meeting.

There are still a few smokers in Sweden. But they're almost extinct.

At the meeting, they all wanted a piece of me. Perhaps they wanted to sell my hair to ACNE?

These people are a pleasure to work with.

After meeting - back to my own office to work.

Time for third meeting  - with Karin. 

Subway home.

Picked up rascals.

Walked them home...

But stopped for play at playground.

Cooked and served dinner.

Encouraged home gymnastics initiative.

Went for a run to return DVDs.

And pick up book parcel,

Meanwhile, Anders had prepared dinner for me. 

Runners' reward with what we Europeans refer to as an "American smile" . 

Runners' reward with what we Europeans refer to as a "European smile" . 

Big kids liked contents of book parcel.

As did the littlest one.

Laundry. Then lost phone somewhere so couldn't document
rest of evening which included sorting and folding laundry
and watching that new Soorkin show where everyone talked like noone I know.  

Employed?

Are you employed? Do you go to work?
What's your workday like?
I'll serve up a regular day for me on Thursday or Friday, have not yet decided which one of the two should be an irregular day yet.

That's me up there during a regular workday, working from a cafe right next to my office cause I really needed a change of scenery.

I've been so stressed lately, a feeling I haven't had since I quit my day job back in the 90's. To fight it, I have to drink decaf, which feels undignified but wise. Also run as part of stress management which seems to be working really well. I run with Frank Ocean. He calms me down. When he sings Lost, I feel we're in it together.


Please tell me, Even if it's just "I work in a bank" or "I hate my job".

Sommarpratar idag!!

Älskar denna härliga person. Lyssna på henne idag. 
Varför gillar jag henne så mycket?
Vi träffades via mail, var så sjukt nervös när jag skulle träffa henne första gången. Och sedan lärde jag känna henne bättre och bättre och bättre.
Ibland är det så att förälskelsen lägger sig när man lär känna en människa bättre.
Men Lotta Lundgren...
Hon vill alltid veta lite mer om allt och hon är oförutsägbar på ett underbart sätt.
Jag vet inte om jag någonsin träffat henne utan att skratta. Det verkar otroligt. Och onödigt.

Win a life in Sweden

Once upon a time, a long time ago, I was awarded a scholarship to study abroad. I went to Springfield, Ohio, stayed for three years and came back a changed woman. Going to college changed so much. The atmosphere was so forgiving and inclusive. I learned a foreign language and was the first foreigner many of my fellow students had ever met. The American experience made me less shy, more extrovert and more focused on the many joys of just living. I loved it.

Perhaps you'll love Stockholm too. If you're an American looking for a master's education, you have the chance to win a full tuition waiver here.

Ps. JA! Det är Jenny Strömstedt.

Bonus documentary pic: What the grunge era looked like in Springfield, OH.

Random pics

This weekend, AGAIN thought about the resemblance between Bob and James Franco.

Then took pic of blinged-up daughter.

And saw Madagascar 3 in 3D. Glasses mandatory. Great news if you're already wearing regular glasses: No prob wearing the 3D specs on top of your regular ones.

AH Sarto

My fave pics from guilty pleasure Sarto-browsing.



Ps. Remind me to buy baggy leather shorts whenever I get rich.

Whenever you feel like you should work out but hesitate

Remember the truth as told by Queen B: A little sweat never hurt nobody.

I love this

“When I turned 30, I thought it was the end of the world,” says Daniel Aaron, Harvard Professor who still goes to work every day. He's 100 now. 

HURRA!

Nu går DJURGÅRDSFÄRJAN ÄVEN TILL FOTOGRAFISKA.
TREVLIGT!

Can't take my eyes off you

Hunger games

Playing safe.

Congrats Stan

Just married!

Hunger games x 2

Not many people know this but the Hunger games are also about finishing another chapter before kids' hunger reaches another limit. I'm flipping pancakes in district 13. You can call me Eminiss.

On the move

Have moved around so much this summer, we're all confused.
The other night, Joel stumbled into our bedroom at night.

Joel: Mom, I had a bad dream. Where am I? Where are we?
Me: I don't know, honey, but come here.

Not much help, this mother .

can't beat that, ben & jerry

The Pingviini ice cream brand makes PULLAMURU ice cream. That's Finnish for cinnamon bun crumbles. You want it, admit it. Slut.

Slut means they've sold out (naturally - with such a flavor), nothing else.

Downside of the upside

I love Swedish summer when it's light outside late at night. But YOU try convincing kids it's time to go to bed when it's broad daylight at 9 pm.

We're back in the city after a summer in the countryside. We're trying to get the kids back on their regular time schedule. It's impossible hard.

This morning, Niki fell back asleep in the midst of breakfast.

If you didn't love Frank Ocean before...

...can you resist falling in love with a man who can sing "this neighborhood is going ape shit crazy" and make it sound more beautiful than...well almost anything?

Also: this suburban Swedish mom would like the world to know that Earl Sweatshirt delivers on Super Rich Kids. I love Earl Sweatshirt.

Orla?!?!?!

Year after year, the Orla Kiely brand chooses to showcase their clothes like this, on incredibly thin, seeminlgy tired and shy-looking models with their toes childishly pointing towards each other.

Is this the Orla Kiely ideal?
I've got nothing against the models, it's the overall brand image I'm questioning.

WHEN?!?!?!

WHEN IS ANNA KARENINA OPENING?
I HEAR RUMORS OF FEBRUARY IN SWEDEN!?
Do I have to travel to another country to see this film this year?

Sommarprat

Jag: Vaskning. Det är väl det äckligaste man kan göra.

Anders: Ja.

Jag: Det är så Marie Antoinettigt. Så provocerande. Men idag när jag lämnade tillbaka videofilmerna tänkte jag att det kanske är den fattiges vaskning. För man hinner ju nästan aldrig se båda. Det är ju också slösigt.

Anders: Mmm. Vi får börja vaska så. Hyra två, men säga redan i hyrbutiken: Jag hyr båda, men du kan ta den här direkt och ställa på hyllan.

August 6

Hiroshima day.
The sadness.

You can listen to this if you want. You'll understand why if you do.

Things I've pretended in life

1. Liking The Smiths and Morrissey.

Life imitating The Onion

The Onion has polluted me, damaged me for life. I see this wonderful picture of Americans celebrating the successful landing of Curiosity on Mars and all I can think is:

"Space rover landing on Mars means only once thing: LET'S ALL MAKE OUT AT WORK!!!"