Fender Woes

Could this be my solution to my fender woes? If only I can convince them to sell mail order. If they won't sell them, I might be able to make my own from some leftover rack mounting hardware.

Overcast Ride Report

It was warm today- I was overdressed. I headed out to an island east of downtown Stavanger. It is a strange neighborhood full of old 3 1/2 story buildings made of wood that stand next to the road intermixed with warehouses and new condos. The bridge offers a decent view of downtown.

Bush Meets Wall

The Norwegian Press and BBC have had a field day with this one. Is the US press this ruthless?

Women's Team Handball

Norway just won the World Cup. I just cannot get past how strange the sport is- apparently they can run three steps with the ball without "dribbling" (as we would call it in basketball). It just looks wrong. Does the US even have a team?

Crash

It has been quite some time since I've kissed pavement. Today it was in the 40s and rainy- maybe it was in the mid 30s. All I know is that it was raining and above freezing. I was a few kilometers from home when I realized my combo of bike gloves with liners was not going to be warm enough, so I stopped to put on my real winter gloves. I took off again, headed down through an underpass and the next thing I knew I was on the ground. I could hardly stand up. It was at that point that I realized there was a large patch of glare ice under the puddle of water that I was lying in. I was angy enough to keep riding- and a bit wary of any standing water. I also chose the road more traveled. The rest of the ride was uneventful, aside from the fact that my feet were soaking wet. Cold, wet feet do not make for a fun ride. I really need to solve this issue- and I think it will involve more than just fenders.

The nice thing about crashing on ice is that there is no road rash. I have some swelling and a bruise beneath my knee, but that is no big deal. No shredded clothes or damage to the bike.

På Kino

I took a nice bike ride across a few bridges to some islands east of downtown Stavanger. I really should have taken a camera- the view of the city is amazing from the first bridge. We almost ended up living in an apartment on one of those islands. I think we live in a much better location where we are. I definitely will have to explore the area more. The only problem is that two of the bridges have those steel, self-cleaning bike lanes. They can be very slippery on a road bike. The temperature was hovering just above freezing, and I didn't want to be caught out as it refroze as the sun was heading down.

We went to the movies tonight in Sandnes- the new Harry Potter. If you are a fan, you won't be disappointed. It is a very dark movie- probably will traumatize small kids. If that doesn't get them, the length of it will. It was over two hours long. I think it is rated for ages eleven and up here in Norway. As I mentioned, seats were reserved. It was a very nice theater, and I believe it was sold out. Aside from the Norwegian subtitles, I would have thought I was back in the theater at Southdale in Edina.

Tomorrow is Sunday. Sundays here are like small town Sundays- everything is closed. Grocery stores are not even open. Convenience stores and gas stations are available, but that is about it. That makes Saturday a big shopping day. The only thing on our agenda is that we are delivering a car to Lise's father. Hopefully I will manage to work a ride in.

Over/Under

I do not know why that interview left such an impression with me. It might have something to do with the fact that I really have not been in this position in almost 15 years. At my last job, I was fortunate enough to receive my promotions without having to interview.

The interviewer on Thursday made a very interesting comment. When I was discussing how well-treated I felt at my last job, he said, "Most people tend to over-estimate what they already have, and under-estimate their potential." Granted, he works for a recruiter and makes his living placing people. Still, it was what I needed to hear on the heals of questioning for months whether I was insane for quitting everything and moving. Also, in looking at wages and home prices here, for the first time I am accepting the reality that we may come out far ahead in actual income and quality of life.

Part of this may be in response to a Norwegian work culture issue. Lise and I were discussing our job search with a friend who works in the oil industry. He said they had a difficult time finding good supervisors because most people are not interested. Supervisory positions provide relatively little pay increase over non-supervisory jobs, so most people regard them as more work at about the same pay.

Today's weather is identical to yesterday, minus the sun. Again, there is a very thick frost covering everything. At least I think it is frost. It is nearly 1/4" thick. I think I will wait a few hours before biking anywhere. I really need a mountain bike.

Can't Ask That in the US

There were two odd questions per American standards in the interview yesterday. I was asked what year I was born, and whether or not I had children. Both questions open a US employer up to a potential lawsuit.

I wonder what what either has to do with the job. I also wonder if a woman without children in her mid-20s even has a chance.

Neighborhood Photos

Here are a few photos I took today in the neighborhood.

Down by the tracks during my failed attempt to ride on the ice this morning. I am actually convinced that the ice and "snow" is actually all from frost, since it really hasn't snowed here. The ice on leaves appears to be heavy white cystals.





The rest of the photos were taken during a walk through the neighborhood. As you can see, yards are almost nonexistent. There is still much new development going on.

Downside to IP Phones/Upside to Biking

Our internet went out last night. That means no phone. In reflecting back on my lifetime of phone use, compared to cable TV, electricity, and DSL service, regular good-old-fashioned land-line telephones are probably one of the most reliable utilities we have. VoIP can be a bit more fragile. Yesterday I phoned a work friend, and he reported a delay, which was strange in that I couldn't perceive any from my end. This is the only time I've received a complaint, although a few times people have said the phone has cut in and out.

Before we moved, we stupidly gave away all our cordless US phones. They were pretty nice phones. I thought they were incompatible in Norway. What I didn't realize is that I was comparing them to Lise's parents' ISDN phones. They use a different jack, among other things. All we would have needed would have been a different DC adaptor, and they are fairly universal these days.

The phone we did buy here is the cheapest Seimans cordless. It is so light that it feels like a toy, but the reception has been amazing. It is interesting that we have seen almost no corded phones in any store- everything is cordless. Actually, I did see a corded desk phone, but it had so many features that it cost more than a high end cordless.

I do not think I will ever wrap my brain around memorizing eight digit phone numbers. It doesn't help that they are listed in two formats, reportedly to offer a hint whether it is mobile or not. I've been told that the 12 34 56 78 format is for regular phones and 987 65 432 is for cell phones. Dialing from the US you need to add 011 47 to any number, although many numbers are already listed with the country code as +47 12 34 56 78, just to confuse Americans.

Judging from the Time-Life TV commercials for the entire collected works of Status Quo, Sweden appears to use an extra digit in their numbers. You can also buy 8-Minute Abs in Norway. They have everything here.

I think I may have mentioned how TV uses Norwegian subtitles, rather than is dubbed, like in France. There is one major exception: cartoons. Presumably kids can't read as well, but most cartoons are dubbed, with the notable exception of the Simpsons. I don't know why I find it so amusing to watch Fred Flinstone speaking Norwegian, but it is.

We had a bit of snow that is melted already, but our street is still icy. This side of the hill receives no sunlight at all. We partially slid down the hill yesterday in the car. It should be interesting trying to bike down it. I am still amazed at the number of bikes that I see out, at all hours. Minneapolis is a much larger city, yet I swear far more people bike here. When I showed up at my interview in a crisp black suit, the interviewer asked if I had any trouble finding the place. I told him that we lived just a few minutes away- that I probably could have walked there (a slight exaggeration). He said that I could have biked. I mentioned that I probably would not have looked as fresh, had I biked. But the point is, how many interviewers would mention biking upfront in an interview like that.

Later in the interview, I mentioned biking when he asked about hobbies and other interests. I didn't want to go on and on obsessively- as I am prone to do- since the job had nothing to do with biking. Rather he went on and on, described a bit of the racing scene, suggested resources for hooking up with a bike club, and so on. Like much of the rest of the culture here, biking holds more of an egalitarian role- and there doesn't appear to be such a hierarchy of biking types. Biking is biking, regardless of whether you ride a cheap DBS commuter, a mountain bike, or a road bike. I don't know that I would mention biking with much emphasis in a US interview. So many people there still seem to regard cyclists as annoyances, or regard bikes are children's toys. Still, I don't think I will be riding in a black suit anytime soon.

Survived My First Norwegian Interview

The receptionist offered me the paper to read while I waited- if I could READ Norwegian, said she! Actually, the interview went very well, both from the feedback I received and from how I felt. I should hear back in two weeks or so, since they are recruiting from Stockholm and Copenhagen. Hey- they can't exactly speak or write proper Norwegian either. Anyway, all went great. No fumbles or miscues on my part. No regrets. It is a bit odd interviewing in a language that I know better than my interviewer.

Am I an Ex-Pat?

Today's Strib has an article about Minnesotans living abroad, referring to them as expats. In my ignorance, I never liked that word, so I referred to the omniscient Wikipedia which kindly offerred the following definition:

An expatriate (in abbreviated form expat) is someone temporarily or permanently in a country and culture other than that of their upbringing and/or legal residence. The word comes from the Latin ex (out of) and patria (country), and is sometimes misspelt as ex-patriot, due to its pronunciation.

So it isn't "expatriot," but rather "expatriate." I feel better already.

Nobody Locks Their Bikes Around Here

Do I really need a Kryptonite NYC3000 U-Lock around here? I feel like a freak here, since nobody else locks their bike to anything. If they bother to lock their bike, they usually use a pin that locks the rear wheel through the spokes (and it just stands on its kickstand- cant be ridden, but easily carried off).

I feel like an overprotective freak around here...

What Happens When a Mtn Bike Superstar Gets Married?

Check out the limo bike. Old news, I know, but not that much happens around here, so it is still linked in the news. I did NOT take these photos.

Movie Tickets

We stopped down in Sandnes to buy a pair of ticket for the Harry Potter movie coming out this weekend. They cost more than $15 each. Also, the tickets are not general admission, but rather for reserved individual seats. I find the entire concept to be rather foreign.

Lise has two job interviews scheduled for next week. When we arrived home, we found two letters from potential employers. She expected them to be rejection letters. Rather, they told her the time, date, and place that she needs to be for interviews. Again, I find it strange, considering it doesn't ask anything about her availability. One interview is just down the hill- a one minute walk from here.

The sun is shining today, but it is quite cold. Rumor has it that if the wind is out of the north, it is cold and clear. From the south it is rainy and warm. An odd thing is that the sun never gets very high during the day this time of year. At 1pm, there were very long shadows spilling across the street. The sun just sort of slowly emerges above the horizon in the east, stays the same low height as it slides around toward the west and sets. There is no such thing as high noon in November.

Crazy Keyboards

These Norwegian computer keyboards are driving me nuts (click to see example). They have these extra vowel keys, such as Ø, Å, Æ. These displace regular keys, so when I want to make a contraction , like don't, I usually end up typing donæt. It also has a few weird keys like § and ¤. I donæt even know what they are, but they move the ( ) keys over. Some keyboards donæt even have the ' key, but rather a ` key. The / key is in the wrong place. There is no @ key in ANY normal spot, so I need to hit the ALT GR key and the number 2. I guess it could be worse. I could be using a FRENCH keyboard- ALL the letters are in completely different spots. They are not QWERTY keyboards at all.

Weird Day

-Must be the full moon. I went out for a bit of a bike ride today. I left in sunshine, rode about ten minutes, then was hit by hard pelting sleet. I really don't know what else to call it. It was almost like minature hail, since it was relatively dry, yet it wasn't snow. I rode up to Tasta where the sky was clear. I realized how beautiful the area truly was as I could finally see that there were mountains beyond the fjord. Every other day they have been obscured by clouds. During my trip back I ended up in a chaotic mess of snow. The road was rather slushy. I had my slick road tires. I did fine until I had to stand to climb the final hill home, but I made it in one piece. It is crazy how quickly the weather changes.

Lise arrived home shortly thereafter. She had been babysitting for her cousin. Actually, she was sitting in Tasta, and I had ridden out to meet her, but gave up after riding all over trying to find the place. I had been there before, but we had driven from the ferry- from a completely different direction. The trouble with maps and streets is that the streets randomly change names, and they are not always reflected in the street signs. I was getting cold looking around, and it was ridiculously hilly over there. The roads truly are a labyrinth in this town.

I then went to get a haircut. Since I am unemployed, I wanted a cheap place. I spent a small fortune at a nice salon a few years ago. All I needed was a simple cut. Lise's cousin recommended a place that her boyfriend uses called Mr. X (or some such name). It was "run by immigrants." I was feeling a bit like an immigrant myself yesterday as I waited to sign up for language classes. Anyway, the place was empty when I arrived- so no waiting. I had my hair cut by a Pakistani "barber"- from the looks of things. He was no hairstylist, if you know what I mean. You would have thought there were all sorts of people waiting and that he was behind schedule based on the way he attacked my hair with an electric trimmer and comb. I seriously was thinking he was doing piece work. He finally started in with a scissors for the front part. My hair looks fine, albeit a little short. I will look extra clean-cut on Thursday. It only cost 150kr, so I can't complain.

I finally broke down and we purchased a new phone and a router. All of our IP phone issues have been fixed. I could not be happier. It turns out the phone we had borrowed wasn't working. The router allows us to have only one static IP address and be online and use the VoIP phone simultaneously. Our living room is filled with cords.

That Was Fast

Yesterday I enrolled in Norwegian language classes. I am required to receive 300 hours of classes within three years. Based on a brief conversation with the registrar, I guess am will be in the intense program, and I am almost at the most advanced level. Classes do not begin until January, so hopefully I can learn more and test out of most of the classes. We use the same rotten books I used in the US- they do not have a single word in English, since they are designed for international students. The upside is that I saved all of them, and won't need to spend more money on them. At the registering center, I was probably the only white person around. Maybe Stavanger has more diversity that I gave it credit for.

We are borrowing Lise's brother's IP phone. I can call any home phone in the US for free. I need to sort out some technical issues, since our internet provider did not give us a router, but rather a modem. We have only one static IP and there is no NAT, so we really cannot share the internet and the IP phone at present. I am told that if I buy a switch, rather than a hub, it should work. Apparently the ISP has created this headache to steer customers to their VoIP products, which reportedly integrate seemlessly.

This morning the phone rang. Lise said, "Just a minute," as she handed the phone to me. It could only mean one thing, as no one from the US would be calling at that hour, and the only people with that number are potential employers. I have an interview scheduled this Thursday- already- with an excellent company. I won't give too many details, as I do not want to jinx myself, but the point is, this is happening FAST. I need a haircut, need some clothes dry cleaned. I guess tomorrow will be my prep day. Frankly, I have been amazed how busy I have been for being jobless.

The past few days have been much better than the latter part of the first week here. There is a huge difference between visiting a foreign place, and moving there. I have no idea when I will be back in the US. I feel I have learned a lot of Norwegian by reading the text captioning on the US TV shows, like yesterday's Miami Vice where Frank Zappa played an evil drug dealer. Actually, the National Geographic Channel is my new favorite.

Speaking of TV, Norway's equivalent of HBO (Canal) shows completely hardcore porn late at night, as I discovered the other day- although the satellite reception was very spotty due to the nasty storm. Canal is a huge football sponsor- there is nothing seedy or unseemly about them as a company. The funny thing was that the "movie" was French, and it wasn't captioned. Apparently the plot was of little concern.

Anyway, it has been nice being around people, like Lise's brother and friends. The nights seem less long and less dark, and this place is feeling less like living on the edge of the world. Lise brightened my day by mentioning that Minneapolis was having a winter storm watch already. Not to wish ill upon anyone, but the weather here has been so terrible that I need a bit of relativity to brighten by cloudy, rainy days.

Our landlords are really nice people (how is that for an abrupt transition?). But they seem to be constantly vacuuming. Every day we hear what sounds like a vacuum. I don't know if there is some OCD going on up there or what, but it is getting a bit creepy. Must... clean.... floor.... They have hardwood floors- as does everyone. I have NEVER seen carpet anywhere in this entire country. It would be a very lonely job working in a carpet store, or as a carpet layer. Rugs are OK, but carpet? That is as taboo as using a broom. Don't ask!

Loke

It is so windy today that apparently this storm has its own name, Loke. It is 50, with a high of 55- but windy and 100% rain, per weather.com. In all the time I lived in Minneapolis- even when it was raining- I never saw a 100% chance of rain in the forecast. They measure wind speed in meters per second, which means nothing to me. Local weather radar is almost nonexistent- or maybe I have yet to find it. Weather.com apparently lumps all of Europe on one map- none of the local doppler radar maps of the metro area like we had in the states.

Sunny Sunday

I am on Kvitsøy using a blazing fast 64kb ISDL line (that is sarcasm for anyone unfamiliar with ISDN). Last night, as we left Stavanger on the ferry, it was nice weather. On the trip over, we were tossed around about as much as I have ever experienced on this ferry. The ferry is rather huge- especially when you consider the small size of the communities (actually called communes) that it serves. It probably holds over 300 cars if both car decks are used. A few times, it felt as though we hit something. I am sure this was mild weather, but the contrast between Stavanger when we left was amazing. When we arrived at Kvitsøy, the rain was more horizontal than vertical. Lise's father actually asked if I became sea sick on the ride over. So far, I have never had that pleasure. The closest thing to it was on a boat tour in Alaska where they immediately served us a very nasty, deep-fried meal (I normally never eat fried food)- then we headed out to rough waters as they went on and on about moving people to lower decks, handed out sickness bags, and otherwise hyped up the expectation that the ride would be pure hell. That isn`t to say that some people didn't get sick, but I think if they would have downplayed it just a bit, it would have been a more enjoyable experience for everyone. Anyway, back on Kvitsøy last night, it was so windy that the satellite TV was not working. I hoped the wind would blow out all the nasty weather. By morning it was sunny.

It will take me a long time to read the weather here. Living in the midwest I could predict rain fairly well from looking at the sky. Doppler radar on the internet caused me to erronously second guess myself more times than not, but is as useful as anything for a predawn commute when the sky isn`t really visible. I have yet to find a decent weather website in Norway, but I would question its usefulness. The weather seems to be very localized. Yesterday when I rode to Dale, I was soaked on the other side of the fjord, while I could see the sun shining back in Stavanger. Last night was another good example. For that reason, I like my panniers where I can bring clothing to be prepared for everything.

I feel that I am adjusting to being here more and more each day. It was cool to hear from some friends back home that left messages on my US cell phone. The foreign things are looking more and more normal each day. The next issue I need to address is preparing myself for rejection in the work seeking process. Yesterday I received an automated rejection reply from BP. The only reason I can attribute this to is that I checked a box on the application form that I wasn`t fluent in Norwegian. I highly doubt that humans and automated email responses actually collide. I hope Lise can grab a job quickly. All I really want is to have more income than expenses. Obviously, at present, with no jobs between the two of us, this is not the case. Again, the job search has only begun.

Yogurt

I saw the funniest commercial in a long time. It was actually the music that drew my attention. I first thought I was listening to a "sounds-like" rendition of Nazareth's Love Hurts-- that is, until I realized it was the words "Yogurt" sung over and over: yogurt... yogurt... yogurt... yogurt...

I finally had a decent night's sleep last night. I applied for several jobs today. We hung out with some friends. We also visited the library. I checked out Focault's Pendulum which should avert any possible insomnia in the future.

While I'm reporting frivolous news, we will actually be able to watch the new Harry Potter flick a few hours before those in the US.

It rained all day. Again. I didn't ride anywhere. Maybe tomorrow.

Miscellaneous Musings

We went for a drive today and ended up at a deserted beach in the middle of nowhere. It was so desolate that it was almost depressing. Then again, even beaches in California are usually deserted this time of year. It was very windy as we crossed the dune ridge to walk down to the North Sea. The sun was gradually dropping toward the ocean. We were the only people around. I literally felt like I was standing at the edge of the planet. As we drove away, I swear that I saw two lunatics trying to surf.

In some respects, this has been a difficult week. Stavanger is like the Houston, Texas of Norway. There is a ton of oil money in this city, and there are enough transplanted Americans working in the industry that you can see enough people flaunting their wealth, albeit in a more subtle European manner. I don't even have a job, or a car. I don't have any friends and am beginning to feel socially disconnected. I am basically illiterate in this culture. Even running errands during the day feels very different. More people work "normal" working hours here than in the US- in other words, stores are not open all hours. Everything is expensive here. My days are fine, and fly by relatively quickly. Nights can drag on, and I sometimes lie awake wondering if this was a completely crazy idea. I remind myself that we just arrived, that this is the worst of it, and that things will only improve.

I cannot wait to find work. I really haven't begun to search yet. We have only had internet for one day, and around here, it is almost required for everything. For example, rather than paying rent by check, we directly transfer the money to our landlord by phone or over the internet. I don't think anyone even uses checks here. What we called broadband in the US is primitive in comparison to the fiber optic connections that are taking over the city. For the time being, we will stick with internet over cable and a VoIP phone that can call unlimited to the US for very little money per month. The phone should arrive in a few weeks.

We are a bit limited in what we can do at the moment. We have no credit rating in Norway. Lise spent her entire adult life working in the US, so when they look up her "social security number," it is as though she doesn't exist. I don't even have my number yet, and cannot open a bank account, or even be added to Lise's account. We are stuck using prepaid cell phones. We would have been unable to use an alternative DSL provider anyway. On top of it all, we have no proof of income.

I have watched more TV than I ever have. There are several music video channels that actually play music. One of the strangest channels is a regular broadcast network that plays videos late at night (I am turning into an insomniac) while a woman responds to SMS (text messages) sent in by viewers. It is almost like a web cam with the right side of the screen occupied by messages and the bottom half taken up by the songs that viewers can select. It is a strange form of interactive reality TV.

On the topic of music videos, I really don't want to see Madonna's ass even one more time. It makes her appear desperate, if not pathetic. I hoped Cher had cemented a impermeable age barrier rendering that sort of behavior taboo years ago. Her new video Hung Up plays incessantly. I hate the song, although it is ridiculously catchy, despite the nonstop ABBA sample. Røyksopp is in rather heavy rotation with a cool video, What Else Is There. That Kayne West Gold Digger track with Jamie Foxx is always on, as is Robbie Williams Tripping and Gorillaz Dare. Queens of the Stone Age Burn the Witch is rather listenable, as well as my favorite guilty pleasure that I've already tipped my hat to, Rammstein's Benzin. It is odd that MTV censors so many hip hop videos, while everything plays unedited on broadcast TV. I was surprised to see Depeche Mode and A-Ha are still cranking out material- albeit with updated hairstyles.

Anyway, time to log off. There is a can't-miss documentary on female bodybuilders coming on in a few minutes- on broadcast TV.

One more note... it is Father's Day in Norway this Sunday. Who knew?

Stavanger Weather

Typical weather in these parts... another lovely day. It is so cloudy, it is as though the sun never rose. Another wet ride today.

Finally Broadband

In Norway, all phone service is metered, like long distance in the US. If you have dial-up internet, you pay by the minute- never mind that it is ridiculously slow. Our broadband fiasco has been solved- and -we have two months free. Currently we have an 8000k line- which is screamingly fast. We will actually have a 2000k line after they sort out our installation issues. We will probably go with a VoIP phone so we can call free to the US. Early next year, this apartment will be connected directly with fiber optics. I remember when 348 was fast in Minneapolis.

I made it out for a ride today. It was wet- like that is any surprise. At least it was relatively warm. I needed lights tonight. I am not sure what I think about all the roundabouts here. I came screaming into one when I realized I was going to be T-boned by a car that had the right of way. Since it was wet I locked up the rear wheel and slithered through. The difficulty is that there are virtually no stop signs, and very few lights- especially for a city this size. Going into a roundabout, you need to yield to any vehicle to your left. This is the opposite of the regular roads at uncontrolled intersections where you yeild to vehicles at your right. A city like Minneapolis has no uncontrolled intersections that I recall- meaning an intersection where neither street has a stop sign, light, or yield sign. Here they are all over, and they favor yield signs for stopsigns. The problem is that it is difficult to tell which vehicle is driving through the roundabout that requires me to yield. Signalling just seems to add to the confusion.

A bit later, when it was dark, I avoided a nasty intersection by taking the bike trail. This trail itself actually had a bike roundabout, if you can believe that. I encountered two other bikes who approached me. These were separate incidents where they insisted on riding on the left side of the road. They didn't look like serious bikers, but they left me confused. I almost hit them head-on.

There are an insane amount of bike trails and paths here. There are all sorts of bike tunnels under major intersections. The trouble is that most roads are very narrow, and I generally do not like riding on bike paths. I will need to make some adjustments.

After I rode home, I decided to explore the neighborhood more. I rode all the way up the hill. I became lost near the NATO headquarters. Everything is vertical toward the top of the hill, with freaky terraced apartments. There is no such thing as a straight road around here, and street names change every few blocks, which explains why almost all addresses are only two digits- rather than the five digit addresses common in the US. Then again, I can't get too lost, since I'm almost surrounded by water.

Did I mention we now have internet? Unfortunately, we were required to have cable TV as well.

No Internet Yet

UPC/Cello completely dropped the ball. They were scheduled to install cable broadband yesterday, but said it was incompatible for us- after promising it was compatible. They apparently do not have the best reputation. We will likely be forced to go with DSL- which is better- but it takes up to a month to install. This is a real issue when someone is looking for a job. Anyway, we will be making daily pilgrimages to my wife`s brother`s place for a few weeks.

The problem apparently stems from the free cable that we are receiving from our landlord. Actually, we get only a few channels- and they seem to change during the day- the same channels, that is. In other words, the Cartoon Network turns into Turner Classic Movies in the evening. We also receive the National Geographic Channel, and Euro MTV- which blows regular MTV out of the water. They actually show videos- with much less gangster rap. My newest guilty pleasure is the new Rammstein video Bensin. Monday Night Football came on at 3am on Eurosport. Sometimes we also receive a Swedish station. The Norwegian channels do not come in at all unless we disconnect the cable. I think it helps to read the text captioning of the English speaking networks. Trouble is, half the time is Danish, although it is practically the same thing. Bottom line, it is free. It helps me when I am up late at night.

Every night is like a Sunday night for me- that Sunday night anxiety- except I do not have a job to run off to in the morning. I am finding being unemployed more stressful than I had anticipated- but only at night. I have not even looked for a job. We have only been here a week. I need to learn some patience. On the other hand, during the day I have no regrets about moving.

During the summer, I made an internet biking "pen pal" who picked up a post from bikeforums.net that I was moving to Stavanger. It turns out, he lives about two or three "blocks" away (there really are no blocks here). I will have to give him a call soon.

Again, it is raining. It is always wet. Overnight, my bike chain rusts after a ride. I really wish we had a basement or a mud room. I need to do laundry after ever ride. I really need some good rain pants. The REI junk I purchased are not waterproof- despite their claim. The temperature is in the mid to upper 50s.

Anyway, enough procrastinating. Time to look for jobs.

Music

A few years ago I did some music production that ended up on the Matrix DVD series- the disc 2 material- not the actual movies. Anyway, I just received an email from the same video production company that they are interested in possibly using more of my material. It is feeling very dated, after my hiatus from music, but free money is free money. All my gear is on the boat, or train? Fortunately, I have my hard drives with me in case I need to pull out some old masters. We will see where this leads. I almost forgot about that part of my life... or rather former life?

Riding-- Norway Style

Reader beware: I no longer have an English spell checker. I will work on that.

OK, we should have internet on Tuesday. Also, it never stops raining- well, it sort of stopped today, for a few hours. I actually saw the sun. It was almost enough to make me cry. Yesterday I`d had enough, and simply rode in the rain-- everyone else was. Around here, I see day care kids playing out in the rain. I remember having recess in the gym whenever it rained. Rain stops no one around here. So yesterday I rode downtown. It was probably a half hour ride- much like living in Minneapolis. Unfortunately, it was really raining hard by the sea, and my waterproof rain pants were soaked, as were my feet. Fortunately I have my rain bike. Frankly, I see no need for any other bike. I am seriously contemplating leaving my other bikes boxed up- at least until we purchase a house. All you need is a rain bike here.

Today I was up relatively early, considering how little sleep I had last night. I took a ride down past Forus to Sandnes. Nothing is open on Sunday, so I had the entire road to myself. Actually, I live in an excellent biking area. We actually have bike lanes on the road, rather than the ubiquitous MUTs. Actually we have both, but there is less hostility while riding on the road when it is wide enough and there is a bike lane. Otherwise, roads around here have no shoulders. Everthing is smaller, so lanes are narrower. That also means the bike lane can be between one and two feet wide. Fortunately, speeds are also slower- and speed limits actually receive compliance. Sandnes is set around a fjord. I rode around the fjord and back. There is a former insane asylum at the end of the road that I reconned yesterday, but I did not have time to ride that far, since we had a ferry to catch. It is a frightening looking place that apparently is used to house refugees awaiting political asylum. There is that `asylum` word again.

I had a dry ride, except the roads were still wet. I think the wetness is permanent. I pray for my steel ride. I fear that rust never sleeps. Anyway, here are the images. By the way, we live at the top of a big hill. I mean a real leg-breaker. We face the fjord pictured. If we went all the way up the hill and back down the other side, we would approach the actual North Sea. In other words, we are on some sort of penninsula.

The forecast for the next several days includes rain... daily. The upside to all this is that there is very little temperature difference between the highs and lows- less than 10 degrees celsius. Back in Minnesota, there would be nothing unusual about a 30 degree F range between the daily high and low.

Did I mention it is raining now? Again?

BTW- click any of the images to enlarge... somehow the thumbs ended up being a bit small.

The view from our driveway. We are at present, subterranean dwellers. Downtown Stavanger is off in the distance.

Two housing developments near Sandnes built into the hill. Photo taken from across the fjord.











Sandnes from the other side.

We live near that hill.

Norwegian bike lane... wide version.

Peeing Calvin

You know those peeing Calvin stickers you see on all sorts of pickups? Today I saw a Mercedes with a rather large peeing Calving sticker where he was peeing on a BMW logo. Only in Europe.

Litter Box

We have been all over this city and still cannot find a litter box. At first we thought maybe everyone let their cats out, but it seems most places sell litter. My kingdom for a litter box!

It is really strange being in a city, or a country, or probably a continent that doesn`t have a Target or similar store. We don`t know where to buy anything. Even locating a whisk broom was a bit of a chore.

We took the cats to the vet for their final checkup. I noticed they sold the prescription cat food by Science Diet. If I ever thought it was expensive in the US, it costs twice as much abroad. Our human food budget is coming in at less than the cats'. Maybe they should become outdoor cats so they can catch their own food.

We caused a minor scandal today when we purchased a used washing machine. Most apartments do not come with washers or dryers, and I have never seen a laundromat in Norway. Being unemployed, we thought it prudent to buy used. Lise ran this idea by her relatives. It seemed everyone had their own idea why this was such a bad idea. However, since no two reasons were alike, we didn`t feel they held enough weight to overpower our priority to save a bit of money until we find work. At least now I can get dirty riding in the constant rain.

Do I sound obsessed about the weather?

It Finally Stopped Raining...

...but it is still wet. This morning it was like we woke up in a cloud. I walked down to the grocery store to buy some coffee filters, and it appeared the rain drops were not even moving. I was soaked by the time I arrived home. Tomorrow I hope to get out for a bike ride. I WILL learn to love the rain. Everything is all green... at least.

We are struggling with all our broadband options for internet. Fiber optic connections have just hit the consumer market- but being unemployed, it is not a high priority. On the other hand, I cannot endure the sound of a modem dialing. We should have it all sorted out tomorrow. Also, my cell phone seems to work everywhere, as long as I am outdoors. I should probably ditch this US phone for a European model.

So tomorrow is the weekend? I do not feel worthy, not having a job.

Building an Ark

Will it ever stop raining? Seriously, this is out of control. I rebuilt my bike this morning, but have been too busy running errands to get out and ride. I have my work permit and should have my national ID within two weeks. We are living out of suitcases. I really like this downsized life at the moment. I have no idea where we will put everything when the shipping container arrives.

Unlocking a Cell Phone

I tried my brother-in-law`s SIM card in my cell phone. My phone said it was locked. I spend 20 seconds on google to find a code to unlock it. My phone is now ready for a Norwegian SIM card. Why do they even bother? It is like locking a bike up with twine!

What Turns Grown Cats Into Kittens

I really wonder what life is like through the eyes of a cat. Elijah is about 13 years old, and has endured seven moves with me. For being a cat, he acts much more like a puppy. He loves to be the center of attention and he is very social when we have visitors. We have been together through everything- from my early salad days when I struggled to get by in the early 90s, up to the present. Ezekiel is a year younger. He is a more nuanced cat to appreciate. You would really need to know him to appreciate him. He does not provide the kind of immediate gratification that Elijah offers. Both cats have their merits. I really would not have the time to offer both cats the level of attention Elijah requires. If both cats possessed Zeke`s independence, I might question the purpose of having them as pets. As they are, they compliment each other very well. Also, they appear to be best friends.

I know that it is easy to anthropomorphize the qualities of animals, but I truly believe dogs and cats possess emotions, and at least very basic morals. If either cat ever breaks anything, they usually flee the accident scene as if shot out of a cannon- before they can be scolded. This may well be a basic learned response, much like how the simply disappear whenever the cat carriers are brought out of storage. But I am convinced they know right from wrong.

It was not without some anxiety that we presented the cats to the ticketing counter at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Airport the other day. We were told well in advance that they needed to fly with the cargo, since the connecting flight was too small to keep them in the cabin. I recently read an article about animal deaths on planes, and how there was pressure on airlines to begin publishing their track record in this area. Our vet was quite encouraging, reminding us that people fly with their pets all the time. He stated that they should not be sedated if flying with cargo, and suggested they would be quite stressed when they arrived. I asked if it would be possible for me to be sedated.

Back at the ticketing counter, the agent was excellent- a kindred pet owner that had flown with her animals before. This was much more encouraging than the picketers near the airport wearing full Halloween costumes carrying placards that read "Mechanic`s Strike- Flying Northwest is SCARY!". The agent put my mind at ease. She stated that a flight attendent would let us know when the animals had boarded. Still, I was concerned about their food and water, and what conditions would be like below. We had frozen little water bowls so they would have a continuous supply during their flight. The carriers were much larger than needed. This was an airline requirement for cargo animals. It let us place small litter boxes in them.

We had to pull the cats out so they could run them and their carriers through security. Afterwards, a guy carted them off, along with the oversized bike box. This would be the last we would see of them until we landed. When we were seated on the plane, a flight attendant brought us a note saying the cats had boarded. I slept through most of the flight, but thought about those little guys during my restless waking moments. The flight was first very cold, than very warm. I was quite dehydrated by morning. I realize that animals are very resiliant- especially predators like cats- who can go for extended periods of time without food.

Schipol Airport in Amsterdam is larger than many small towns. We had a two hour lay-over. As we boarded, we viewed a cart indicating "LIVE ANIMALS" near the plane. It was an optimistic sign. We never were, however, notified when they had boarded the cats.

When we arrived in Stavanger, the cats and bike box were hand delivered to the baggage claim area. I could see their glowing cat eyes from across the room. They were both very quiet, but appeared fine. I hoped they hadn`t been too traumatized. They were checked by the vet. I fed and watered them. They still needed to stay in their carriers while we performed a few errands and took the ferry to Lise`s parents. When we finally arrived "home," they then had to contend with a dog in the house. We mostly kept them apart.

As I was organizing my carry-on bag in our bedroom, I felt a lump in the bedding. It was Elijah. He had crawled under the covers- something he hasn`t done since he was a kitten. He later spent much of the night under the covers with us- again, something he hasn`t done in years. It really made me wonder if the emotional trauma had made him regress. At any rate, he is now happy, healthy, and purring- they both are. Maybe I am projecting too many human characterstics unto them- but I really don`t think so. Pets become family. Those that do not understand this don`t have pets.

Sitting In Kvitsøy

We made it. All of us- including our two cats. Two very expensive cats at this point. Two very stressed cats that flew from Minneapolis to Stavanger.

We had a good flight. NWA offered to let my parents back to the gate, even though we didn`t even ask. It was nice in that it allowed them more time to hang out with us before we left. Leaving my parents and their questionable health behind was my last hurdle, and I had emotionally prepared myself for months. My parents have been very supportive about the move. My father, in fact, said he wished that he could do such a thing. My mother was a bit more emotional. Fortunately, we didn`t drag out the goodbye any more than necessary.'

The flight was quite uneventful. While we took an Airbus, our video on demand system was malfunctioning in our section, so I couldn`t watch that penguin film. I probably needed the sleep more than anything anyway.

Amsterdam was the usual- a very international airport filled with beautiful people. Even the oldsters look sharp in Schipol- even if they have been traveling for the last eighteen hours. We were fortunate to have a genuine plane taking us to Stavanger- meaning that we had a proper gate. I hate taking a bus to a plane out on the runway.

The flight to Stavanger was almost nonexistent. We landed in heavy clouds that obscured remnants of a rainy day. I was ecstatic to see the cats hand delivered to the baggage claim area. Their food hadn`t been tipped and they still had water- indicating their kitty cages had been well-handled. We had a short wait for the vet to process their paperwork and we were on our way. We have one more visit at which time they can receive EU passports- no joke!

We made our way to our new apartment to pick up keys and sign the lease. I was not disappointed. It is a very cool neighborhood on a road with an actual bike lane (rather than the usual MUT alongside a road). Also, I was countless cyclists commuting in the rain- at night- far more than I`d ever see in Minneapolis. I am thinking I will fit in more than I had imagined.

We then visited my wife`s grandmother in the hospital- the nicest hospital I have ever seen. Working in healthcare, I am too intimate with all the hospitals in the Twin Cities. This hospital had artwork in all the stairwells, and actually had cool colors painted on the walls in the single room she was staying. Very nice.

We then swung by my brother-in-law`s new apartment (which is really a condo that he is buying), then caught the ferry to Kvitsøy where we will spend the night. Tomorrow we shall gather furniture so we have a place to sleep.

Things are looking good. I already have a very good feeling about this.