Winter is Gone.... For Now...

Hey all,

I've been meaning to post something for the past 2 weeks, but life has been rather busy here. Here's the short version of my life for the couple weeks:

I tried cross country skiing for the first time on a cabin trip with some friends. I am literally the worst downhill skier that's ever put on cross country skis. I say this only because I could not ski downhill if my life depended on it. I was fine as long as I didn't have to steer or stop. I still don't know how to do that. It probably didn't help that I was carrying a pack, and the snow was really slush. There's always next time...



The cabin itself was wonderful! This was my second time there, and it had changed a lot. The blueberries were all covered in snow, and the lake had a layer of ice on the top. Anne and I still took the row boat out though. (The name Urs is written in the ice. It's a nickname of a friend). The guys cooked a wonderful dinner of marinated salmon, veggies and potatoes. That meal was better than what I usually cook at home. It was such a nice break to spend the night just with a group of friends in the cabin. We passed the time playing games (Norwegian taboo), playing music, and enjoying some home brewed glogg.

School has been very busy. On Friday, I turned in my final lab report (all 55 pages of it). For the past couple days, it has felt like I've been eating, sleeping, and breathing dense fiber membranes. My fingers can now type the words nitrogen and oxygen in their sleep... sounds interesting right?

I followed the elections, but I didn't get to vote. I sent my absentee ballot application in back in August, but apparantly something went wrong. Earlier this week, I got a letter from the Cook County Clerk's Office. At first glance, I assumed that it was my ballot. Oh no. It was another application. The exact same one that I filled out this summer. Politics. Too much red tape.

There has still been time for fun. Mom, Dad, and Aunt Colleen, you'd be proud of me. I have finally gone out to eat at a restaurant here. It only took me 4 months to do so. The rowing team here had a Julebord (Christmas Dinner) on Thursday evening. We all got dressed up and went out to a restaurant in one of the nicer areas of town. The restaurant overlooked the harbor and city lights. As much as I hate wearing heals, it's still fun to get all dressed up.


Well it took 4 months, but I also finally took pictures of my room. I don't think a week has gone by without my mom bugging me, so here y'all go. I'll put a couple more on my photo website (see the link to the right). Pictures of the rest of my flat are coming soon, I promise! Anyhoo, I really like my room. There's a flat rate for utilities, so I no longer have to live in an 'Ice Box.' I'm enjoying it while it lasts, believe me!!



The sun came out this weekend, and the temperature rose!! I went trail running yesterday, and I actually wished I had sunglasses with. I think my eyes have adjusted to the low light, because I squint every time the sun gets close to peeking through the clouds. I think my language skills have changed too. I think I'm slowing forgetting English. With a lot of people, I tend to speak an English-Norwegian mix (with maybe a little bit of German) without realizing it. Winter break with the family should be interesting.

I've got one week of lectures left and then exams! The exam period is three weeks, but all of my exams are in the first 2 weeks. I have decided what to during that 3rd week, but I'll come up with something!

Happy Thanksgiving!

J

Sunrise: 8:49 AM
Sunset: 3:17 PM

The other day I got to see the sunset over the city on my way to class (at 3pm... crazy).

Random Thought to Ponder: Ica Maxi, a grocery store, has one of the largest selections here. You can by enough hair dye to dye your hair 35 different colors. You can not, however, buy any form of make-up. Imagine that.