Category: Little Voices archive entries

Which is kind of appropriate considering this one came way too early. The Friday Five:

1. What time do you wake up on weekday mornings?
Between six and seven. The alarm (the radio) is normally set for about six and I normally need half an hour of half-awake listening before I manage to persuade myself to get out of bed.

2. Do you sleep in on the weekends? How late?
I sleep in compared to weekdays, yes, but I’m normally up around nine on the weekends unless I’ve been up really late the night before.

3. Aside from waking up, what is the first thing you do in the morning?
Put on my glasses – go to the toilet – put the kettle on for tea. Ok, so that’s the first three things.

4. How long does it take to get ready for your day?
Depends, if I’m in a hurry I can do it in 5 minutes, but on a normal day it takes me around 40 (more if the book I read over breakfast is a captivating one).

5. When possible, what is your favorite place to go for breakfast?
I hardly ever go out for breakfast unless I’m forced to when out travelling. I prefer having my breakfast on my own couch and start the day off with a couple of chapters of whichever book I’m reading at the moment.

Voice in my head: Michael Wiehe – Hemmet

I have found myself a patron saint: Expeditus. It sounds like a bad joke, really, but it seems genuine. I should build a shrine to him, I could do with some help. Now if only I were a catholic. On the other hand, what I really need is a patron saint that actually blesses those who procrastinate rather than tries to help them change. I like my Procrastination, he’s an old friend by now, and I don’t really want to be heartless and throw him out in the cold.

On a different subject entirely, Dragonium Major is doing well on Civil Rights and Political Freedoms, which has to be good.

I want a dog. I really, really want a dog.

Yesterday, walking from the customers’ offices to the tube station at Røa, we met a spaniel of sorts out for a walk on his own. He was obviously not supposed to be out on his own, so we phoned the number on the name tag and told them where to find him (there was no answer at first, or we would have waited for them to come, but they rang back shortly after – “Oh, dear, is he out walking?”). Point is, of course, that he was adorable, and super-friendly. So I related to Dag how I really want a dog but figure it would be impracticable ( two of the main objections are: my flat’s too small and I’m too often not at home at all between seven in the morning and eleven at night).

But then, to spite my resolve, one of my co-workers has brought in his new boxer puppy this morning. At 10 weeks old most puppies are irresistable, and this one is no exception.

I WANT A DOG.

I can’t have a dog. I can’t have a dog. I can’t have a dog. (Repeat as necessary.)

At the back of my head there is a voice trying to persuade me that it would be possible, but so far my reason keeps kicking in with objections. I could bring him to work, couldn’t I? (Every day? Oh, come off it, girl?) I could sort some sort of space out in the flat where he could stay during the day. (Yeah, because there’s so much spare space there, right?) I could, uhm, bring him on holiday with me. (Because that’s easy, right?)

Voice in my head: Michael Wiehe – Allt vad jag begär

It’s all over the papers this morning, of course, as Bush tries to grapple with the definitions of common words (such as “marriage”, “sin” and “respect”).

“I believe marriage is between a man and a woman (…)” Bush also urged, however, that America remain a “welcoming country” not polarized on the issue of homosexuality. “I am mindful that we’re all sinners, and I caution those who may try to take a speck out of the neighbor’s eye when they’ve got a log in their own,” the president said. “I think it is important for our society to respect each individual, to welcome those with good hearts.” (My emphasis)

Whoa. We will respect each individual while calling the relationship they have with the one they love a sin. Yeeees. I can see how that would work. No, hang on, I can’t.

And I mean: WOW!

During the holidays I splashed out on a CD-ROM containing a digitalised Book of Kells. Which is fine, I really didn’t mind paying for it.

BUT: The University of Texas have actually gone to the trouble of scanning the whole of the Gutenberg Bible and MADE IT AVAILABLE ON THE NET.

I mean, wow.

My left arm is acting very strangely. Firstly, I have this rashy thing on my fingertips that usually surfaces when it’s warm and humid (which this summer has been, no argument about that), but which has been worse this year and has started to annoy me so much I went to see the doctor yesterday. His diagnosis: heat and humidity (d’oh), stress and lack of sleep (double-d’oh). Prescription: rather complicated. Firstly a potassium permanganate (KMnO) solution to soak my hand in for five minutes every morning and evening, then an ointment of sorts 3 times a day and additionally a course of pills, also three times a day. He also said: “Take vitamin C”, so I will have to try to remember.

The potassium permanganate carries a warning: “May stain skin”. You betcha. Well, the skin is noticably stained only where it’s very dry, so it’s not so bad (except, of course, it looks like I haven’t washed my hand for weeks), but my nails are a lovely brown colour… Nice.

Now, as if a highly irritating rash on my fingers wasn’t enough, my left arm has decided now is a good time to just plain hurt. It feels a bit like the pain I get down my left leg when the sciatic nerve is under pressure. Is there a similar nerve going down the arm, I wonder? I’m quite prepared to believe that my neck is out of joint and bothering all sorts of nerves.

Order of the day, therefore, is trying to forget about the excruciating pain in my arm and at the same time remember to get up and stretch frequently in the hope that this may help.

And I repeat: Nice.

Looking for the English name for potassium I came across this lovely periodic table, btw.

Voice in my head: Shania Twain – Dance with the One that Brought You.

Woot! Askdonna.org is up. Ish. Anyway, it’s cool.

I have to vote for my favourite co-participants, so naturally I’m surfing the other blogs a bit (you can surf, too, use the webring link up top – you can’t vote, though), and I’m finding some Good Things.

Here’s a brilliant Bloggerwocky.

I promised you a link to the new nmwl.no page, didn’t I? Well, if you’re interested you can have a look now – still have a bit of tweaking to do, mind you. This is a sneak preview, by the way, so far only the board-members have had the link, anyone going to the domain and omitting ‘index.php’ will be met with a ‘coming soon’ message.

Consider yourself priveleged ;)

(I notice I’m using emoticons a lot lately, must be the amount of time I spend on forums and msn – I’m considering adding smileys to my blog, but am in two minds about it… What do you think?)

Hello. Remember me? I’m back.

I figured I had better get up for a few hours because there is no way, 100% guaranteed, I would sleep through the 15 hours. I’d be more likely to sleep 8 hours and wake up feeling refreshed and wide awake at, uhm, 11pm. Which would do wonders for my internal clock. Not.

So now I’m going to start in on some of the junk food I had stocked to help see me through the thon :)

Call me mad (again), but I’ve already started thinking about strategies for the Blogathon 2004. Well, well, seems I’m a masochist after all, then – I must be if I enjoyed that, mustn’t I?

Btw, people – the sponsorship links will be active for another 48 hours (actually, make that 43 and a half) – it’s not too late to show your appreciation of my madness (or the madness of some of the other thoners) and sponsor me. All money going directly to Plan International (and I mean directly – I don’t get to say hello to it at all).