I've started writing again, working on my science fiction novel Anagama, which is entirely unlike my previous book and the other novel I started working on after my first psychotic break (that one I called Hypnagogia, and it was based heavily on events I remembered from the Christmas vacation that, according to my shrink, triggered the whole mess ( Read more... )

Things I want to accomplish this year ( Read more... )

 Yay for free stuff. Today we found a sewing machine, a couple of plastic storage containers for underneath beds, and a coffee table book (Swedish) the title of which translates to "Wild Sweden". I'll let Seth play with the sewing machine and see if it works this week. This was all stuff that was placed next to the trash bins up where we live- ( Read more... )

 Well, it was nice while it lasted. I spent a few days thinking Seth and I would be ahead for this pay period (which is three months- I get paid for three months in advance, and need to budget for everything). I made up a budget, and saw that we had a lot of extra wiggle room, which relieved me, since I hadn't seen that since 2005 ( Read more... )

My dinner (meatballs and noodles) makes me think of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Mom, you can learn more about FSM here: http://www.venganza.org/  My mouse pad has the FSM on it holding out a strand of spaghetti to Adam, and reads, "Touched By His Noodly Appendage". I still don't have a desktop set up anywhere where I can use it. Eventually we ( Read more... )

 On Friday night I went out with some people from the department, and learned that I am not the only postdoc floating around from job to job for a long time. Shahid, another postdoc like me, also graduated in 2001, and Stephan, again another postdoc, even worked next to Mary Beth Leigh- who now has a permanent job while none of the rest of us do ( Read more... )

 Waiting for a paycheque so you can pay your bills, when the paycheque should have arrived in your bank account two days ago and hasn't, and your bills are due tomorrow, really sucks. Luckily I can ask the office secretary to handle paying my rent, as they did last month, from the grant I will (eventually) be paid from ( Read more... )

So today is Midsommar, when Swedes everywhere have BBQs and go on vacation or relax. My boss is unfortunately working, I think, but later on we are going to her house for a BBQ. She wanted to be away on vacation already but her husband had to work. I would have had to go in myself but stayed for a full 12 hours getting my crap done, so it's all ( Read more... )

 Sweden so far has been awesome. My only complaint is that it took us so long to get personal numbers, which you need for health care and a bank account, that I still haven't been paid yet. I keep looking at my credit card bills and wincing- the balance is huuuuge! I'm emptying my retirement savings to pay it off and pay for other things related to ( Read more... )

I kept a travelogue of Seth's and my epic moving drive across the continent, from Fairbanks AK down the Alcan then across Canada to Guelph, Ontario. I don't have it with me at the moment, or I would just type what I've written down. It was a fun drive but the last two days (driving across Ontario, which is the widest province) were pretty miserable ( Read more... )