The Monday Mission:

1. When was the last time you helped out a friend in need? What was going on that made you want to help?
It’s a case of “never and all the time” here. I can’t think of any one occasion that I’ve helped a friend in need – I can’t think of any occasion where a friend has been “in need”. On the other hand, I’m there for my friends, obviously, that’s what friendship is about after all.

2. Are you a “pet” person? Do you like to keep pets or would you rather not bother with them? Why?
Yes and no. I have kept pets. I have a Betta at the moment. I’d really like a dog. On the other hand I have had long periods of not keeping pets and haven’t missed keeping any.

3. In a dating or married relationship, is it possible to change someone to be more like you want them to be? Have you tried to or had someone try to change you? How did it turn out?
In little things, perhaps. Not in fundamentals. But then, in fundamentals you should really look for a match to start with anyway.

4. In your opinion, why is it that some married people have affairs? Is it ever justified?
Why? I don’t know. Moral cowardice? And, no, it’s never justified. It is possible that it’s sometimes justified for the other person to ‘forgive and forget’ and stay in the relationship to try to make it work again, but I have my doubts even about that.

5. Do you tend to make the same mistakes over and over? Got any examples?
I never travel light. Every time I struggle to fit everything into my backpack at the end of a holiday (end? how about the beginning?) I think “Next time I’ll be more sensible.” It hasn’t happened yet.

6. What do you find distracts you the most when you are trying to concentrate?
An interesting discussion going on at the next table. Lack of sleep, an itch or pain. The boyfriend doing his best to distract me.

7. What do you know “now,” that you wish you knew “then?”
Je ne regrette rien. Well, except, perhaps, that I didn’t put an effort into learning French properly when I had the chance at school.

I’ve just learnt that the husband of a dear friend passed away yesterday. Jim was a lovely man and will be sorely missed by his family – his youngest grandchild was born only a few weeks ago. I’m feeling somewhat stunned. I want to go over there and give her a massive hug, but Florida is a bit far off. That’s the problem with this global communication – you can rally round, of course, but only with words and words are so inadequate at times like these. Luckily, prayers can be wordless.

…as a bee. This week’s going to be a bit mad.

Monday (today, that is):
8:30 (not going to make it by 8) – 4 pm or so: work
5-6(ish) pm: NWX at Spektrum, to hear Glenmorangie’s master blender talk
7-?? pm: Nydalen, ‘beginner’s class’ in Scottish Country Dancing
?? pm – morning: sleep

Tuesday:
8 (ideally) am – 4(ish) pm: Work
half 4 to half 6 (ish): NWX again – it takes some time to get around to all the exhibitors
7pm- late: board meeting of NMWL
late-morning: try to get at least a little sleep

Wednesday:
Morning: attempt to make it to work on time
3 pm – ?: a sailing trip organised for all the developers
Late: again, sleep would come in handy

Thursday:
8(ish, or earlier): work
Between 2 and 4 pm: leave town to drive north to Trondheim

Friday to be spent in Trondheim, scanning some slides hopefully and getting a key cut for the cabin while I have a chance of borrowing the original. We’re invited to a friend of Martin’s for dinner Friday night, which should be interesting. Saturday we’re going out to Hitra where I’m supposed to face up to the whole of his family. That should definitely be interesting… (yikes!)

Via Anja and Anette.

And, well, I had to ask about love and all, didn’t I?

(Cast the runes here:
Rune Caster.)

Sounds good, doesn’t it? Pity I don’t believe in this sort of stuff, really.

Ok, then – the site also figures “The Useless Quiz”, which was very good. I like my result:

…of the medical profession. Not that I’m in it, obviously, but I hover around the edges. And you don’t have to be a doctor to appreciate doctor’s slang. I especially like GROLIES. Very descriptive. I know a few of those.

This week’s Friday Five tests your short-term memory…

1. When was the last time you laughed?
I definitely laughed last night. The boyfriend hit a couple of ticklish spots. I have probably laughed this morning already as well, though, I laugh a lot.

2. Who was the last person you had an argument with?
Uhm. Tough one. I don’t have many arguments. The last proper argument (as opposed to “heated discussion” or similar) I can remember having was with my mother – and that’s three years ago.

3. Who was the last person you emailed?
The mailing list for the EDS PAUC-course in Detroit oct./nov. 1999 – I had a notice from Yahoo groups that the list would be shut down unless there was some activity, so I sent everyone an update on how I’m doing.

4. When was the last time you bathed?
Bathed? Well, in a lake: Near Arvika two weeks ago. In a bathtub: In Wigtown, Scotland 9th July. Had a shower: Yesterday morning.

5. What was the last thing you ate?
Breakfast – which consisted of waffles left over from last night and a huge mug of tea.

Today’s twiddler:

1. Would you rather your boss were better at his/her job, or a nicer person?
Well, my boss is already both a nice person (far as I can tell) and pretty good at his job. However, I’d chose the former in almost all cases (unless I had a boss who really wasn’t a nice person) as I don’t want to be very chummy with someone who’s my boss – being good at his/her job is therefore much more important to me as that’s the capacity I’ll notice the most (and it’ll make it all the more likely that I’ll still have a job – and a boss – a few months or years down the line, too).

2. Your company is going bankrupt. You still have a little cash on hand, and you can do one (and only one) of three things: provide refunds to customers for unfulfilled orders, pay your employees their back wages, or pay suppliers for goods they extended you on credit. Which would you do, or would you do something else altogether?
Yikes. Don’t we have something called ‘lønnsgarantifondet’ (the wage guarantee fund) in Norway? I think we do – in which case the employees would be sorted through that. In which case I’d probably prioritise the customers. If the empoyees were not provided for, I’d see to them first.

3. The US government has chosen you to select a creature other than the bald eagle to be the new symbol of America. What would you choose?
Oh dear, you’re really inviting insult here, you know… Hm, better not rise to the bait, I’m not that fond of trolls. How about the cougar?