Blogtober 2018

To shake things up again (and to post more than once a week), I’m joining Blogtober – on Lisa’s suggestion. We’re using the original of Laura Morningstar, who also provided a helpful  list of topics on her blog:

1. If you won the lottery you would…
2. What was your dream job when you were a kid?
3. Do you have a favorite season? Share things you love about it.
4. If you could have any superpower, what would you choose?
5. Share an old photo of you and the story behind it.
6. Do you have a book you can read again and again?
7. What are your most loved ways to relax?
8. Who are your fave YouTubers?
9. Do you have a bucket list?
10. Share a quote about autumn.
11. What’s your go-to recipe?
12. Describe a day in your life.
13. List your top three phone apps?
14. Share a local ghost story.
15. Why did you start blogging?
16. Does pineapple belong on pizza?
17. Pop your music on shuffle and share the first 10 songs.
18. What are your thoughts on piercings and tattoos?
19. Share your funniest memory from childhood?
20. Do you have any hobbies?
21. What is your favorite song?
22. Five blogs you love.
23. Recommend a TV series you think everyone should watch.
24. Is there a place you would love to visit?
25. Who is your celebrity crush?
26. Share seven Instagram accounts you follow.
27. What are you currently reading?
28. Your top 3 tips for new bloggers.
29. Tell us about your fave gig/concert/festival performance.
30. List 10 facts about you.
31. What does Halloween mean to you?

week 39 / #ibelieveher

Music

Reading list

A colleague lent me Belinda Bauer’s book Snap and I finished it in 2 days. She doesn’t have the most original story lines, but man how she writes, and how real her characters feel!

Insta/Twitter/YouTube

This week has shown me again why I prefer Instagram to the other social medias. (Yeah yeah, it also depends on who you follow.) #ibelieveher #believesurvivors

Question
I’m debating with myself about whether or not I should buy this shiny thing:

Pros:

• I can make smoothies and shakes without having to lug my food processor out of its drawer.
• The cups can go in the dishwasher (not so for the machine mentioned above).

Cons:

• I mean… another machine? Will I use it?

Plans

Going (when this is posted I guess it’s went?) to Haarlem with friends S & S after work Friday and staying overnight. There will be drinks and good food and probably some shopping.

week 38 / the guests have left

Food

So much food! When I’m not at work I rarely eat lunch (because I get up later, and so have breakfast later). No such nonsense with my mom and aunt here though, lunch every day! And dinner. And breakfast. And maybe things in between those meals, some days.

Insta/Twitter/YouTube

My aunt played us this clip (in Swedish, sorry):

Personal

After having walked around Leiden several days, I can only say – again – that it’s a very pretty city. If you like old houses and canals, if you don’t, then it’s not for you.

Purchase

Recommendation

Took the visiting ladies to the Zuiderzee museum after a recommendation from a colleague, and it was very nice. We were very lucky with the weather too, so that helped.

She did it better (#2)

This weekend I fell down the rabbit hole that is Youtube, and watched lots of music clips. Then I remembered this one (saw a clip where Max Martin got the Polar Prize and mentioned Lasse Holm’s “Växeln hallå” – watched that, then a comment mentioned “Just nu”, which made me think of this). There’s this show on Swedish TV4 where (more or less) well-known artists get together a week and cover each other’s songs. One of the first years, two of the participants were E-Type and Laleh.

This is the original (which I recommend you watch/listen to first):

(This was a hit when I was in high school btw, such was the popular music in end of nineties Sweden.)

Then she did this, and I still get goosebumps from it:

week 37 / better late than never

Food

Wed-Fri my breakfast (which I’m usually very poor at actually eating) consisted of an oatmeal/protein powder shake from this book, and I have to say… not bad! The taste is fine (I quite like artificial flavors, so no issue using protein powder) and I didn’t get hungry before lunch. Also tried bell pepper with hummus as a “snack” during the day (mmm, hummus) and that was nice. Don’t worry though, I have no intention of changing lunch or dinner, especially since we’re still doing the food box thing for dinners.

Insta/Twitter/YouTube

To-do list

• Checking if we’re actually signed in with our new doctor. (Pref. before anyone gets sick.)
• Get a dentist.
• Get new night lenses.

 

 

the times (well, the gym) are changing

As you may or may not know, we moved to a different city in May. The first 6 or so weeks, we were busy every weekend and did not prioritize going to the gym.* And then we were lazy. Three weeks ago was the first time my partner went to the gym, and yeah. We’re going to switch. The old gym (in old town) had a pool and relaxation area, which is why I thought it was fine to pay the fee we did every month. This new one does not, and it’s tiny, and they barely have any machines.

But next to my work (I’m not joking, it’s like 150 metres) there’s a gym. It’s pretty busy from what I’ve seen, but it’s new(ish) with up-to-date equipment and friendly staff. And a lower monthly fee than we used to pay, even with a “family discount”.

Yesterday I had an “intake” chat with one of the trainers. I could do a rant here, but I’ll cut it short and just say that after I insisted that I want to get stronger(!) and hence preferably not do 2 sets of 20 reps, he adjusted the plan for me to be 3 sets of each 8 reps, and 6 different machines. I know, I know, machines, but hear me out. The plan is 6 weeks with the machines to build some starting strength, then to move on to free weights (note: he said this, not I). I’m fine with it. Means I have time to get my socially anxious self used to the gym, and less intimidated by the machine-hogging males.

And the machines are super techy and keep track of your program (through a smart key) and how much weight and reps you should do. Once finished, it tells you the next machine you should go to according to your plan. I like it (yeah, yeah, after 1 time).

We shall see how it goes!

*I would like to point out that I was right though. I had already told my partner that I don’t like the location “our” gym has in this city. He is a man of rational thought and convinced me we should at least try it out.

week 36 / one I actually put some effort into

Podcast/episode

Sommarprat av Sara Parkman och Samantha Ohlanders. (link) “Hellre solidarisk än solid och arisk.” Om folkmusik, politik och feminism.

Music

Reading list

Watch your step: why the 10,000 daily goal is built on bad science

Insta/Twitter/YouTube

I have a new insta account I love (note the hashtag)! This:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @datingafeminist_ on Aug 27, 2018 at 8:53pm PDT

Purchase

So I guess I just buy books Lisa is enthusiastic about now? 😛

(Both written by men! So I’ll have to read extra book so they don’t ruin my stats!)

 

 

August wrap-up

My baby brother (I mean, yeah, he’s almost 34, but still baby brother to me) came to visit, and I didn’t touch my computer (barely the phone), so the week 35 post was never made. There aren’t many pictures either, since the ones I made are mainly of my brother eating/drinking stuff (to send to mom), which I won’t post due to privacy stuff. HOWEVER. It was wonderful. Probably the most enjoyable time I’ve spent with either of my brothers? We walked a lot, biked a lot, saw Leiden, the Hague, and beaches. Like this:

Books

Katie Cotugno’s Top Ten
Sofia Nordin’s Som om jag vore fantastisk
Sofia Nordin’s Om du såg mig nu
Chibundu Onuzo’s Welcome to Lagos
Jandy Nelson’s The Sky Is Everywhere

Movies

Elder Millenial (Iliza Shlesinger’s Netflix special)
Ant Man & the Wasp
The Bookshop
Lion
Lady Bird
Please stand by

Elder Millenial was funny (I mean, it’s a stand up special so it should be), but my favorite was Please stand by.

Shows

Lucifer
Fresh Meat
Final Space
Disenchantment
Buffy (finishing off what I began like 2 years ago…)
Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency

[something punny about voting]

Sunday is election day in Sweden. For expats in the Netherlands yesterday was the last day to vote at the embassy, and I did. I really did not want to go (horribly humid weather and they’re working on the tram tracks in the Hague), but then I thought of the Swedish “democrats” popularity and off I went. And I certainly did not vote for the racists.

(And there was a line! Gotta love the Swedes’ trust in government and commitment to voting.)