So when I go to the US, I’ll have a lot to do:

20 November 2003
Depart: Stockholm
Arrive: Boston (via London)

21 November 2003
Depart: Boston
Arrive: New Orleans (via Dallas-Fort Worth)

23 November 2003
Depart: New Orleans
Arrive: Boston

28 November 2003
Depart: Boston
Arrive: Atlanta (via Chicago-O’Hare

29 November 2003
Depart: Atlanta
Arrive: Boston (via Chicago-O’Hare)

Depart: Boston
Arrive: Stockholm (on 30 November 2003 via London)

I’m trying to fit in an trip to New York on that Tuesday for some shopping. Any of my NY friends wanna put me up for the night so that I can stay over instead of having to return right away? And maybe even take in a show? 🙂

Oh yeah, and thanks to all of my Swedish friends who have volunteered to house sit whilst I am in the US. Don’t go breaking things now! 🙂

I am not sure why I am so happy. Maybe it has more to do with the fact that I didn’t go out last night. So I woke up around 07.30 today, started corresponding with friends and reading my friend’s journal entries, and I have my favourite jazz CD in the player and I have a cup of Starbucks coffee in hand (I have to have the coffee imported since they don’t carry it in Sweden) and some fresh-made strawberry bread.

It’s 09.30 now, so on today’s agenda:

• Go to gym and workout
• Go into town to systembolaget and get a bottle of champagne for a house-wamring party tonight
• Finish the rest of my shopping at the supermarket
• Clean the guest bedroom

But most importantly, I need to get Maha’s wedding present. And I think she will love it. It will be stylish and classy….just like my Maha! 🙂

So I am conflicted at the moment regarding what to do with all of my pictures.

The way I see it, I have 3 options:

• My personal website
• Fokti
• O-foto

So here is a summary of the options:

My Personal Website

• Advantage: The advantage to my website is that I keep the visitors in one place, and I don’t have to work very hard to try and create a seamless visit.
• Disadvantage: I have loads of pictures, and not that much space, which matters because hosting at Fotki and O-foto is free (for the moment)

Fotki

• Advantage: It’s free to use, and you don’t have to be a member to view public pictures (not that I post private galleries at this time)
• Disadvantage: It’s not on my website

O-foto
Advantage: It’s one of the most popular photo-sharing places on the net
Disadvantage: It’s not on my website, and it requires everyone to register to see any pics at all (some people might not bother with that)

So, let’s go to the polls to see what you guys recommend….

The Poll

So far, it looks like it will be a busy November, and loads of travel. I am spending all of the days in blue traveling!

Maybe I can add in a few more trips. I am so anxious right now…but only because after this call, the weekend can begin!

So, it’s been a fairly long time and I haven’t updated in so long. I feel kinda bad about that, so let me give you an update now of where things are in my life.

I was having a pretty bad period at work…and I still am. I have kinda felt under-valued, but I have gotten some encouraging signs from management that my services are still valued and appreciated. So that does in fact make me kind of happy.

Yesterday was the last day of the audit. It was an intense experience, but now we have loads of administrative actions to take, so the fun isn’t really over yet.

And the washing machine is broken, so it takes twice as long to wash my clothes due to a water pump issue.

So since I last wrote (I can’t remember when that was), I was at a party with the Prime Minister’s daughter and some of the Foreign Ministry staff, I partied way too hard over a 3-day weekend period. I went to Denmark and Norway, and I have scheduled return trips to each place as well for November. I will be in the US for a week or so in November to see Maha married off, Thanksgiving, and some relaxing.

At the moment, I am feeling entirely blah…too much stress, too much fun…too much everything…I have to bring it down a level in all aspects of life…besides, I have a cold.

Does your name begin with: A
U are not particularly romantic, but you are interested in action.You mean business. With you, what you see is what you get.You have no patience for flirting and can’t be bothered with someone who is trying to be coy, cute, demure, and subtly enticing. You are an up-front person. You often don’t get hints & you ever pass any. Brains turn you on. You must feel that your partner is! intellectually stimulating, otherwise you will find it difficult to sustain the relationship. You require loving, cuddling, wining, and dining to know that you’re being appreciated. Your mate’s physical attractiveness is important for you. You tend to be very Practical, & not very emotional Your choices are very good & can only lead to trouble. You are very self satisfied & egoistic.

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Does your name begin with: B
You give off vibes of lazy sensuality. You enjoy being romanced, wined, and dined. You are very happy to receive gifts as an _____expression of the affection of your lover. You want to be pampered and know how to pamper your mate. You are private in your _____expression of endearments, and particular when it comes to love. You will hold off until everything meets with your approval. You can control your appetite & feelings. You require new sensations and experiences. You are willing to experiment.

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Does your name begin with: C
You are a very social individual, and it is important to you to have a relationship. You require closeness and togetherness. You want the object of your affection to be socially acceptable and good-looking. You see your lover as a friend and companion. You are very sensual, Needing someone to appreciate and almost worship you. When this cannot be achieved, you have the ability to hold out on affection until you receive this.. You are an expert at controlling your desires and doing without.

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Does your name begin with: D
Once you get it into your head that you want someone, you move full Steam ahead in your suit. You do not give up your quest easily. You are nurturing and caring. If someone has a problem, this turns you on. You are highly passionate, loyal, and intense in your involvement’s, sometimes possessive and jealous. You are very sharp & talented often with sense of humour. When people bother to look deep inside they cannot resist what they see. You are stimulated by the eccentric and unusual, having a free and open attitude. You get jealous of other people and lose your temper .

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Does your name begin with: E
Your greatest need is to talk. If your date is not a good listener, you have trouble relating. A person must be intellectually stimulating or you are not interested sexually. You need a friend for a lover and a companion You hate disharmony and disruption, but you do enjoy a good argument once in a while-it seems to stir things up. You flirt a lot, for the challenge is more important. But once you give your heart away, you are uncompromisingly loyal. You will fall asleep with a good book. sometimes, in fact, you prefer a good book to a lover)

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Does your name begin with: F
You are idealistic and romantic, putting your lover on a pedestal. You look for the very best mate you can find. You are a flirt, yet once committed, you are very loyal. You are sensuous and privately passionate. Publicly, you can be showy, extravagant, and gallant. You are a born romantic. Dramatic love scenes are a favourite fantasy past time. You can be a very generous lover. ___________________________________________________________
Does your name begin with: G

You are fastidious, seeking perfection within yourself and your lover. You respond to a lover who is yourintellectual equal or superior, and one who can enhance your status. You are sensuous and know how to reach the peak of stimulation, because you work at it meticulously. You can be extremely active-never tiring out. Your duties and responsibilities take precedence over everything else. You may have difficulty getting emotionally close to people. ___________________________________________________________
Does your name begin with: H

You seek a mate who can enhance your zest for life ,fun & everything You seek for. You will be very generous to your lover once you have Attained a commitment. You are very affectionate & very strong. Your gifts are actually an investment in your partner. Before the commitment, though, you tend to be very careful with your every move and equally cautious in your involvement’s often as you believe that you have to look out for yourself. You are a sensual and patient lover. You will hold off till everything meets your full approval. You are a perfectionist, hard to satisfy and strong in your beliefs. Not influential, you always stand your ground. People can always count on you to stand by them in a crisis. You are a dreamer with/ a passion for life.
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Does your name begin with: I
You have a great need to be loved, appreciated… even worshiped. You enjoy luxury, sensuality, and pleasures of the flesh. You like necking spend hours just touching feeling & exploring. You look for lovers who know what they are doing. You are not interested in an amateur, unless that amateur wants a tutor. You are fussy and exacting about having your desires satisfied. You are willing to experiment and try new modes of _____expression. You bore easily and thus require adventure and change. Your commitments don’t last very long & you often tend to stray. Loyalty is not one of your strong points. You are more sensual than sexual, but you are sometimes downright lustful.

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Does your name begin with: J
You are blessed with a great deal of physical energy. When used for a good cause there is nothing to stop you, except maybe that they aren’t always used for the good. (you could dance all night.) You respond to the thrill of the chase and the challenge of the mating game.You can carry on great romances in your head. At heart you are a roamer and need to set out on your own every so often. You will carry on long- distance relationships with ease. You are idealistic and need to believe in love. You have a need to be nurtured deep within.

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Does your name begin with: K
You are secretive, self-contained, and shy. You are very sexy, sensual, and passionate, but you do not let on to this. Only in intimate privacy will this part of your nature reveal itself. When it gets down to the nitty-gritty, you are an expert. You know all the little tricks of the trade, can play any role or any game, and take your love life very seriously. You don’t fool around. You have the patience to wait for the right person to come along. You are very generous & giving, often selfless. You are kind-natured & sweet, which is found to be attractive by many. You are a good friend.

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Does your name begin with: L
You can be very romantic, attached to the glamour of love. Having a partner is of paramount importance to you. You are free in your _____expression of love and are willing to take chances, try new sexual experiences and partners, provided it’s all in good taste. Brains turn you on. You must feel that your partner is intellectually stimulating, otherwise you will find it difficult to sustain the relationship. You require loving, cuddling, wining, and dining to know that you’re being appreciated. “You require loving, cuddling, wining, and dining to know that you’re being appreciated “.

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Does your name begin with: M
You may appear innocent, unassuming and shy; but we know that Appearances can lie. When it comes to sex, you are no novice but something of a skilled technician. You can easily go to extremes, though, running the gamut from insatiability to boredom with the whole idea of love. You can be highly critical of you mate, seeking perfection in both of you. It is not easy to find someone who can meet your standards. You have difficulty expressing emotions and drawing close to lovers. You are often selfish, thinking you are always right no matter what. You never give in. Winning is your prime desire- at any cost. You often forget friends and family and you live for the moment.

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Does your name begin with: N
You are emotional and intense. When involved in a relationship, you Throw your entire being into it. Nothing stops you; there are no holds barred. You are all-consuming and crave someone who is equally passionate and intense. You believe in total freedom. You are willing to try anything and everything. Your supply of energy is inexhaustible. You want to be pampered and know how to pamper your mate. You also enjoy mothering your mate. You often have the greatest love affairs all by yourself, in your head. You are very imaginative.

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Does your name begin with: O
You are very interested in fun activities yet secretive and shy about your desires. You can re-channel much of your energy into making money and/or seeking we. You can easily have extended periods of celibacy. You are a passionate, compassionate lover, requiring the same qualities From your mate. Love is serious business; thus you demand intensity, diversity and is willing to try anything or anyone. Sometimes your passions turn to possessiveness, which must be kept in check.

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Does your name begin with: P
You are very conscious of social proprieties. You wouldn’t think of Doing anything that might harm your image or Reputation. Appearances count. Therefore, you require a good-looking partner. You also require an intelligent partner. Oddly enough, you may view your partner as your enemy…a good fight stimulates those vibes. You are relatively free of hang- ups.You are willing to experiment and try new ways of doing things.You are very social and sensual; you enjoy flirting and need a good deal of physical gratification.

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Does your name begin with: Q
You require constant activity and stimulation. You have tremendous physical energy. It is not easy for a partner to keep up with you. You are an enthusiastic lover and tend to be attracted to people because of their ethnic groups. You need romance, hearts and flowers, and conversation to turn you on and keep you going.

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Does your name begin with: R
You are a no-nonsense, action-oriented individual. You need someone who can keep pace with you and who is your intellectual equal-the smarter the better. You are turned on more quickly by a great mind than by a great body. However, physical attractiveness is not very important to you. You have to be proved to be worthy for a partner. You have a need to prove yourself the best. You want feedback on your performance. You are open, stimulating & romantic.

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Does your name begin with: S
For you, it is pleasure before business. You can be romantically idealistic to a fault and is capable of much sensuality. But you never loose control of your emotions. Once you make the commitment you stick like glue. You could get jealous and possessive. You tend to be very selfish often regarding yourself as the only human being on the planet.. You like being the centre of attention. You are very caring sensitive, private & sometimes very passive. Turned on by soft lights, romantic thoughts. When it gets down to the nitty-gritty, you are an expert. You know all the little tricks of the trade, can play any role, or an! y game, and take your love life very seriously. You don’t fool around. You have the patience to wait for the rightperson to come along. You are very generous & giving, often selfless. You are kind nature & sweet which is found to be attractive by many. You are a good friend.

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Does your name begin with: T
You are very sensitive, private & sometimes very passive. You like someone who takes the lead. You get turned on by music, soft lights & romantic thoughts. You fantasize & tend to fall in & out of love soon. When in love you are romantic, idealistic, mushy & extremely. You enjoy having your senses & your feelings stimulated, titillated & teased. You are a great flirt. You can make your relationships fit your dreams, all in your own head. Once you put your mind to something you manage to stand by it and see your dreams through. You aren’t very good at expressing your feelings. You lik! e things your own way. You do not like change, you like to hold on to things. This may not always be good because if given an opportunity things may develop into great things. You work your way to the top. Attention must be given to what others say because even though you don’t want to hear it their advice may turn out to save your life. !

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Does your name begin with: U
You are enthusiastic & at your happiest when in love. When not in love you’re in love with love and always looking for someone to adore. You see romance as challenge. You are a roamer & needs adventure, excitement freedom. You enjoy giving gifts & looking good. You are willing to put others feelings above yours.

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Does your name begin with: V
You are individualistic & you need freedom, space & excitement. You wait till you know someone well before committing yourself. Knowing someone means psyching her/him out. You feel a need to get into his/her head to see what makes him tick. You are attracted to eccentric types. You believe that age is no barrier. You are good at responding to danger, fear & suspense.

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Does your name begin with: W
You are very proud, determined & refuses to take no for an answer when it come to love. Your ego is at stake all the time. You are romantic, idealistic, often in love with love itself, not seeing your partner for who she or he really is. You feel deeply about love & tends to throw all of your self into a relationship. Nothing is too good for your lover. You like playing love games.

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Does your name begin with: X
You need constant stimulation because you get bored quickly. You can handle more than 1 relationship at a time with ease. You can’t shut off your mind. You can do 2 things at once. You are very talented.

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Does your name begin with: Y
You are sensual & very independent. If you can’t have it your way, you will forget the whole thing. You want to control your relationships which doesn’t work out too well. You respond to physical stimulation. However if you can make money you will give up the pleasures of the flesh for the moment. You have a need to prove yourself the best. You want feedback on your performance. You are open, stimulating & romantic.

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Does your name begin with: Z
You are very romantic but show feels that to love means to suffer. You wind up serving your mate & attracting people who have unusual trouble. You see yourself as a lover’s saviour.

So I just made Tom Kha soup for dinner. It has coconut milk, chicken, mushrooms, and some spices. I made it from scratch. It was quite good in fact. I was impressed. But I had to add a fish cube to it to make it a little more salty, but to my suprise, it enhanced the soup. So I am pretty happy (and stuffed…three bowls of it).

I’m eating soup over the weekend to atone for my sins of being tjock (Swedish for fat). So so fat. A fat heffer whale. I put on 1.5 kilos (3.3 pounds) a couple of weeks ago and I haven’t gotten rid of it yet. 🙁

Robin called and is hanging out with Tommy, but wants to meet up later. Maresel is out with friends, but wants to meet at Berns or Sture later. Maria is hosting pre-drinks at her house, and Mats and Markus will be there. Or I can just stay home and relax the evening away. Next week is goona suck, I have a trip to Norway on Friday (coming back on Saturday) and have to be in Denmark that following Monday (will probably just go there on Sunday night, or maybe even get there on Saturday night and pay for the extra day out of pocket…been a long time since I’ve been in Copenhagen. Not sure yet.

So anyway, I’m gonna go take a nap.

And Roxy, if you are reading this…where’s my mail sister? 🙂

OK, so I have gripe here to share with you guys, if for no other reason than to share with you the issues that plague me!

During my morning commute, I have the opportunity to visit three McDonalds if I so choose to go to them. However, 99% of the time I avoid them. But once every often, I get a craving for a breakfast sandwich or a hash brown. And that is my problem.

Once you at the counter and order a hash brown, you quickly realise that hash browns are an “on demand” offering, meaning that they won’t make one unless you ask for it. Despite the fact that during breakfast. most people want hash browns. So they make them one at a time. Which is the strangest damn thing I’ve seen.

Now although IBM has an e-business on demand strategy, I am not sure the Swedish McDonald’s Hash Browns on Demand strategy is going to net them anything positive.

Another McIssue I have is the fact that they run out of breakfast items. Like yoghurt, bread, and hash browns. So some days they can’t even serve breakfast. So strange to be part of a multi-national conglmorate fast food chain, yet struggle to find an english muffin.

And this happens at all of the McDonalds I’ve ever been to in Sweden. Oh well, guess that’s why I don’t go to them very often…and that’s a good thing 😉