dryyyft

Stop all the clocks

2012-01-25T07:05:00.000+01:00

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,

Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,

Silence the pianos and with muffled drum

Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead

Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,

Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,

Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,

My working week and my Sunday rest,

My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;

I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;

Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;

Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.

For nothing now can ever come to any good.

W. H. Auden

Kommentarer angående gårdagens inlägg

2012-01-17T16:35:00.002+01:00

Här finns en del matnyttiga funderingar angående gårdagens inlägg om KC-filmen:

http://terriermandotcom.blogspot.com/2012/01/kennel-club.html

Dogs - A Healthy Future

2012-01-16T17:15:00.001+01:00

Isak finns inte mer

2012-01-16T17:00:00.118+01:00

Så finns han plötsligt inte längre. Min trogne vän sedan nästan 13 år tillbaka. Känslan är overklig. Enorm.

Natten till den 9:e januari fick Isak något slags epileptiskt anfall. Jag hade precis gått och lagt mig och vaknade av att det smällde till i köket. Där fann jag Isak i desperat försök att ställa sig upp, medan benen vek sig utåt som på Bambi på hal is. Han har haft tre liknande "yrsel-anfall" senaste halvåret och de har bara varat en minut eller så, så jag hoppades detta skulle gå över lika snabbt. Det gjorde det inte.

Isak fick mer och mer panik och fradgade och hässjade och ville UT. Han kunde gå själv och vi tog hissen ner och staplade ut. Där kräktes han rejält flera gånger. Det var nästan -10 grader kallt och jag var till slut tvungen att tvinga in honom igen då jag höll på att frysa ihjäl. Men efter bara en liten stund så krävde han att få gå ut igen. Denna gång fick jag stötta honom mer för att han skulle klara att gå själv. Han kräktes mera så fort vi kom ut. Sedan satte han sig ner och verkade rätt frånvarande.

Då vi kom in så somnade han och sov faktiskt en timme eller så - jag slumrade till lite jag med. Och hoppades innerligt att anfallet nu var över.

Det var det inte. Väcktes av att han hade panik igen och ville UT, men denna gång hölls han inte och stå utan att jag verkligen höll tag i honom. Nu var det inte bara benen som spretade åt alla håll (de var onormalt stela), utan huvudet drogs kraftigt åt vänster i spasmer. Jag hade sinnesnärvaro nog att stoppa på mig varma kläder och mobilen i fickan innan jag halvt bar ut honom till hissen. Som naturligtvis plötsligt var TRASIG. Panik. Måste ut. Jag hade inget annat val än att lyfta upp min 26kg tunga, epileptiskt ryckande hund och bära ner honom. Vi lyckades, utan brutna ben eller ryggskott. Väl ute satte sig Isak ner. Hela han gungade av spasmerna, men han var till synes lugn annars. Det var däremot inte läge att vänta längre - jag ringde sjukhuset medan vi satt där i kylan bredvid varandra, lätt gungande - han av spasmer och jag av gråt.

Vi kunde komma in på en gång. Tur i oturen hade jag lämnat bilen parkerad utanför huset istället för i garaget en kilometer bort. Vi hade kommit tillbaka från Finland på dagen nämligen och jag hade lassat ur bilen och sedan handlat mat och sedan varit för trött för att föra den till garaget. Tur det. Lyckades leda Isak bort till bilen, ett steg i taget, och väl vid bilen så ville han hoppa upp själv även om han inte klarade det.

Vid sjukhuset blev det däremot tumult att få ut honom ur bilen. Han var ju vid medvetandet och VILLE hjälpa till, ville kunna röra sig, ville göra rätt - men kroppen löd inte. Det blev en salig blandning av hund och människa och tappade glasögon (som mirakulöst nog höll) innan jag hade fått ut honom och på rätt köl igen. Han drog hela tiden kraftigt åt vänster så det var svårt att få honom upprätt - men väl framme vid dörren fick jag hjälp av veterinären.

Det var en enorm lättnad jag kände då jag hörde veterinärens röst. Samma veterinär som Isak var till i höstas, en underbart go tjej. Tänk att hon skulle ha jour just denna natt.

På undersökningsrummet la vi ner Isak på golvet men spasmerna gjorde att han inte hölls där om vi inte höll fast honom - och han fick genast Stesolid (kramplösande) rektalt. Han var mycket blek om slemhinnorna. Vi höll fast honom och veterinären sa att visst, de kan ta in honom för observation, det går att göra undersökningar för att se vad som utlöst detta anfall - men hon tyckte det kunde vara dags att låta honom somna in. Och så illa däran som han redan var - och med tanke på att han var nästan 13 år och haft en sjuklig höst bakom sig - så kändes det som det enda rätta. Det var ingen tvekan. Han skulle inte behöva lida mer. Det kunde jag ändå göra för honom.

Veterinären gav honom lugnande och släckte ner i taket och tände några levande ljus. Sedan satt hon med oss säkert över en timme innan allt var klart. Det var svårt att hitta blodkärl på honom, dels för att hans kärl var konstiga (de hade svårt även i höstas), dels pga åldern och dels pga lugnande sprutan som sänker blodtrycket. Det tog ett tag innan en sköterska hade tid att komma och hjälpa, men det gjorde inget för då hade kramperna redan släppt och Isak sov. Allt var lugnt och fridfullt. Klockan var runt tre på natten och sjukhuset låg så gott som öde. Jag fick god tid på mig att säga farväl till min Isak. Och när han väl gått bort fick jag i lugn och ro sitta kvar med honom så länge jag ville.

Det går inte att beskriva. Ofattbart sorgligt. Och det allra värsta - att gå därifrån. Utan...

Allt skedde så snabb, även om själva anfallet var rätt otäckt mot slutändan. Han var hur pigg som helst medan vi var i Finland två veckorna innan - och till och med sprang i skogen och lekte med pinnar! Han var pigg in i det sista. Och när det väl var dags så var det ingen tvekan. Ingen beslutsångest. Och han fick ett värdigt avslut. Så kan man inte leva för evigt så var det ett rätt bra avslut trots allt. Även om det gör ont för oss som är kvar.

Isak blev 12 år och 10 månader.

Han kommer alltid att fattas mig.

23 december 2011

Sommaren 2011

Martin Clunes - A Man and His Dogs - Dereck Scrimgeour

2012-01-13T18:14:00.000+01:00

Kent från Jeppis - trailer del 1

2012-01-13T17:30:00.001+01:00

German Shepherd half dog half frog

2011-12-14T11:58:00.001+01:00

Lyssna vad domaren säger. RASSTANDARDEN är viktigast, inte att hunden kan röra sig och må bra.

Hemlängtan

2011-11-28T06:44:00.001+01:00

"Jag blir berusad av lycksalighet bara jag hör dem tala. Deras sjungande och lätt gammalmodiga svenska tungomål är nog det vackraste språket på jordklotet."

Läs hela artikeln: http://www.svd.se/opinion/ledarsidan/en-finsk-tagg-i-svenska-rumpan_6666576.svd

"Skolparken" - botaniska trädgården i Jakobstad

Strengbergs (Jakobstad)

Skatan - gamla stan i Jakobstad

Vidsträckta sandstränder i norra Österbotten (Kalajoki)

Jesus Christ Superstar

2011-11-26T11:02:00.000+01:00

Yes!!! Jesus Christ Superstar - musikalen - ska gå i Stockholm till våren, fortfarande med the one and only Ola Salo i huvudrollen. Och bästaste Syster Yster har fixat premiärbiljetter med plats på 6:e raden åt mig och henne!

LYCKA!!!

Kortnosade hundar

2011-11-25T18:15:00.001+01:00

Bilden är lånad från "Pedigree Dogs Exposed"

I "Statens jordbruksverks föreskrifter och allmänna råd om hållande av hund och katt (SJVFS 2008:5)" står det klart och tydligt:

Avel
24 § Djur får inte användas i avel om
1. de har sjukdomar eller funktionshinder som kan nedärvas,
2. de är eller med stor sannolikhet är bärare av recessivt anlag i dubbel uppsättning för sjukdom,
3. de är eller med stor sannolikhet är bärare av enkelt recessivt anlag för sjukdom såvida inte parning sker med individ som är konstaterat fri från motsvarande anlag,
4. parningskombinationen utifrån tillgänglig information ökar risken för sjukdom eller funktionshinder hos avkomman,
5. de uppvisar beteendestörningar i form av överdriven rädslereaktion eller aggressivt beteende i oprovocerade eller för djuret vardagliga situationer,
eller
6. de saknar förmåga att föröka sig på ett naturligt sätt.

Att ha en deformerad skalle som gör att man inte kan andas ordentligt, man får andningsuppehåll, man kan ej reglera värmen etc - detta är ett uppenbart och allvarligt funktionshinder. Och det är ärftligt. Hur kan man då få avla på sådana hundar/raser? Varför ingriper inte Länsstyrelsen (som har ansvaret för djurskydd i Sverige) - varför ska dessa hundar behöva lida år ut och år in bara för att det ska långsamt rättas till via utställningar och generationer av hundar som inte mår bra (även om det förstås är bra att det stramas upp via SKK också)?

"Brachycephalic animals are all, to at least some degree, affected by lifelong breathing problems which are particularly pronounced under conditions of elevated environmental temperature and during increased physical activity when insufficient airway capacity hinders an adequate gas exchange."

ALLA hundar med denna huvudform lider av andningsproblem, inte bara en del. ALLA.
Läs hela artikeln om SKKs arbete "The brachycephalic syndrome by Dr Göran Bodegård, MD"

Läs även dagens inlägg på "Pedigree Dogs Exposed"

Jag citerar veterinär Eva Hertil igen

"Hunden får betala ett högt pris för att vara människans bästa vän"

och ber er stoppa in ett sugrör i munnen NU och andas genom detta (håll för näsan!). Läs sedan hela den länkade Bodegård-artikeln ovan och andas enbart genom sugröret. Sedan kan ni som fortfarande tvivlar ta och gå ett varv runt huset i rask takt, fortfarande andandes endast genom sugröret. Precis så känns det för plattnosade hundar. Kändes det skönt? Behagligt?

Känslig diskussion

2011-11-21T18:40:00.000+01:00

Det är inte populärt att diskutera rasavel då man inte har exakt samma tankar som andra. Och inte får man heller ha någon åsikt om man inte är uppfödare - utan bara en simpel valpköpare. Men till mångas förtret så har jag åsikter och funderingar - och ventilerar dem. Jag hoppas bara det framgår att jag inte vill hoppa på någon uppfödare eller ras - utan mer ventilera frågan om rasavel på ett mer generellt plan. Och välkomnar alla motargument, för det är bra att få sina funderingar ifrågasatta.

Så fort man har någon kritik till att utställning alltid är kravet för avel (utom vissa bruksraser/linjer), så får man en lång och välformulerad predikan om att exteriören är viktig och det är viktigt att man håller sig till rasstandarden, hur ska man annars veta att det är den rasen? Rasstandarden är bibeln. Alla andra meriter är en bonus - exteriör biten är A och O.

Men om den då är bibeln - hur kommer det sig då att det är helt ok att avvika från den då majoriteten tycker det är ok att avvika från den - men inte om man vill avvika åt ett håll som majoriteten inte vill avvika åt? Det är här min stilla undran kommer in - över hur argumenten går ihop. Jag har inget emot utställningar vilket många tror. Jag har inget emot dagens utseende på t.ex. bearded collien vilket ännu fler verkar tro. Många verkar dessutom tro att jag tycker beardisen är en sönderavlad fluffhund som inte längre har en hjärna. Jag har själv en beardis, känner massor med beardisar och ÄLSKAR beardisar! Kanske är kritiken bara för att jag rakat av pälsen på min beardis - det anses ju av vissa vara ett tecken på att man inte orkar med pälsvård och borde ha skaffat sig en annan ras (och därmed saknar rätten att diskutera denna ras ytterligare). Få vill höra sanningen, att det berodde på att han fick fukteksem och öroninflammationer och andra hudproblem. Och ännu färre vill höra att man älskar innandömet mer än pälsen och faktiskt inte sörjer att pälsen är nerklippt.

Om vi återgår till diskussionen om att avvika från standarden. Den är som sagt helig har man fått höra - men för att ta ett exempel från den ras jag ändå känner bäst till: Bearded Collie. Dagens bearded collie avviker från till exempel "Pälsen skall bilda ögonbryn som skall spreta uppåt och framåt men inte vara så långa att de döljer ögonen." och "Pälsen får aldrig trimmas. Nosryggen skall vara sparsamt täckt med päls som skall vara något längre på nospartiets sidor så att den precis täcker läpparna." (läs hela standarden här)

Ingen bearded collie idag klarar sig utan att sätta upp luggen i tofs om den ska kunna se ordentligt och mustascherna är definitivt oftast längre än att de precis täcker läpparna - och många trimmar sina hundar inför utställning, under magen och runt tassar. Jag har självklart absolut inget emot att man gör detta - det är ju inget hunden lider av. Och den ymniga pälsen - de flesta vill ju ha en sådan päls på sin hund och hundarna lider inte av det, så låt det så vara. Jag har ingen kritik mot detta. Då man dock påpekar avvikelsen så får man snabbt en motivering till att man här valt att inte följa rasstandarden: beardisen är så mycket finare så här.

Det köper jag. För visst är de fina!

Det jag inte köper är att det tydligen är ok att avvika från standarden om man tycker som andra, men det är inte ok att avvika om man har någon annan åsikt om vad som är "finare" eller letar efter andra kvaliteter och väljer att ignorera andra avvikelser från rasstandarden. Det jag inte köper är att om någon vill ha mindre päls och - gud förbjude - råkar avla på någon hund med öron som inte ser riktigt exakt ut såsom standarden beskriver - DÅ blir det ett sådant ramaskri att man kunde tro att någon blandat en gris med en pingvin. Öron får alltså inte avvika - men det är ok att pälsen gör det?

Det är här jag skulle vilja ha en saklig motivering. Inga påhopp, inga rätt eller fel, det är bra med variation och olika tycke och smak och jag för min del tycker ju inte att utseendet alls är särskilt viktigt och kan gå med på avvikelser både till höger och vänster från en rasstandard, så länge hunden inte lider av det. Men i slutändan så är det ju vi människor som hittat på fenomenet "rasstandard" - och vi människor som diskuterar den och håller fast vid den (eller medvetet avviker från den som exemplet ovan). Hunden bryr sig inte så länge den mår bra.

Nu tog jag här ovan upp exemplet bearded collie - det betyder inte att jag anser den hunden vara "konstigare" än andra raser eller att det är nåt fel på dagens utseende. Bara att jag känner till den bäst.

Bearded colliens historia

2011-11-20T16:57:00.000+01:00

Intressant läsning om bearded colliens historia:
http://beardie.net/hobo/description/bearded_collie_history/index.html

Men läskigt att raser prompt skulle "räddas" och "återskapas" efter andra världskriget och inavlas till förbannelse...

Fina bilder finns också från gamla vykort:
http://beardie.net/hobo/description/bearded_collie_old/bearded_collie_tobacco.htm

Neapolitan Mastiff - 1949-2011

2011-10-30T16:22:00.001+01:00

Pedigree Dogs Exposed - The Blog: Neapolitan Mastiff - 1949-2011

Varför...? Hur tänker man?

Isak har kräkts hela natten...

2011-10-30T07:55:00.001+01:00

Isak började kräkas vid 9-tiden igårkväll och höll på fram till 4-tiden imorse, en gång i timmen eller så... Magsjuka? Biverkning av hjärtmedicinen? Håller på att dö? Nu på morgonen drack han frivilligt - och ville ha mat. Så det verkar ha lugnat sig. Håller tummarna...

Heather Smith and her Bearded Collies

2011-08-05T18:23:00.000+02:00

Temple Grandin on Animal Care - Calgary Stampede Full Interview

2011-07-19T17:18:00.000+02:00

SALOLAND

2011-04-07T16:46:00.000+02:00

Utställningsavel - ras till varje pris???

2011-03-27T12:07:00.000+02:00

http://www.myspace.com/video/bordercollie19/documentary-bbc-pedigree-dogs-exposed/44215931

BBC gjorde en bra dokumentär för att uppmärksamma detta som syns runtomkring oss om vi bara öppnar ögonen en smula... Är det vettigt att avla hundar som tulpaner? Förändra utseendet för att det är "mode" med något visst drag - utan att tänka på deras hälsa först? Och ras = inavel. Är det vettigt även för raser som anatomiskt ser ok ut? Skrämmande...

Normalitet

2011-03-22T13:45:00.000+01:00

Ras till varje pris?

2011-03-17T14:18:00.001+01:00

En artikel i dagens UNT (17 mars 2011) fick mig att ännu en gång förfasas över människans själviskhet då det gäller hundavel...

Foto: Kathleen Long

Hunden längst till höger ser ut som Shar Pei såg ut tidigare, och fortfarande oftast gör i hemlandet Kina. De andra tre har utställningsavlats för mera rynkor.

Detta är ju tyvärr inget ovanligt i människans jakt på utställningsmeriter...

Dosa / Koreans mastiff

Dosa / Koreansk mastiff

Mopsen (en ras som jag verkligen älskar, om den bara vore lite mer proportionerligt byggd...) verkar också få mer och mer skinn... och nosen vet man ju att sitter intryckt i huvudet så de har väldigt svårt att andas samt stor risk för ögonskador... [Se bilder på rasklubbens hemsida]

Det som fascinerar mig är att en rasstandard består av en eller två meningar om hur hunden ÄR, som hund. Sedan är det en mils lång specifikation om utseendet. Men även om de tar upp varenda liten vinkel och vrå av hundens utseende så står det inte alls särskilt detaljerat om exakta mått eller detaljer. Det är stor frihet till tolkning. T.ex. mopsens rasstandard:

Huvud: Huvudet skall vara stort och runt, inte äppelhuvud, och utan pannfåra. Nospartiet skall vara kort, trubbigt och kvadratiskt, men inte uppnäst. Tydliga rynkor.

Det står ingenstans att näsan måste vara HELT intryckt i skallen. Bara att den ska vara trubbig. Jag tycker en amstaff har trubbig nos - jämfört med en schäfer. Det är min tolkning. Utställningsdomarna har uppenbarligen tolkat det som att ju mer nosen är intryckt i skallen, desto närmare rasstandarden.

Utställningsfolk är noga med att påpekat att "man kan ju inte frångå rasstandarden!", men läser man standarden så ser man att det finns stora utrymmen för tolkningar. Och om något drag kan påverka hundens hälsa negativt så varför premiera det? Jag vet att SKK nu har börjat uppmärksamma detta men det är inte tillräckligt. Frågan är - vad är viktigast, rasen eller hunden?

BBC gjorde en bra dokumentär angående detta. Och notera - utställningsaveln ger inte bara sjuka hundar, de gör även om raserna så de inte längre ser ut som de gjorde då rasstandarden skrevs ner.

http://www.myspace.com/video/bordercollie19/documentary-bbc-pedigree-dogs-exposed/44215931

Första låten - Hey Modern Days

2011-03-15T09:35:00.000+01:00

Father Of A Son - den bästa bästa nånsin!!!

2011-03-15T09:33:00.000+01:00

The Lamb

2011-03-14T21:48:00.000+01:00

Ain't Too Proud To Bow

2011-03-14T21:45:00.000+01:00

Superstar

2011-03-14T21:42:00.000+01:00

Martin Axén stipendium

2011-03-14T21:38:00.000+01:00

Skitsnack

2011-03-14T21:36:00.000+01:00

Joy Surrender

2011-03-14T21:33:00.000+01:00

Laurel Wreath

2011-03-14T21:31:00.000+01:00

Sista låten - Calleth

2011-03-14T21:20:00.000+01:00

Nationalsången

2011-03-14T21:17:00.000+01:00

The Ark - Siamese Centerfold

2011-03-14T21:15:00.000+01:00

Om sannolikhet

2011-03-13T17:13:00.000+01:00

Vackra idioter - It takes a fool

2011-03-12T18:50:00.000+01:00

Och jag var DÄR!!! (lite till höger ur bild - längst fram OF COURSE!)

Cygnet to Cygnet Uppsala

2010-10-29T19:42:00.000+02:00

ÄÄÄÄÄÄLSKAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (och jag var DÄR)

Stora vs små?

2010-02-18T15:25:00.000+01:00

Efter lite letande har jag hittat ett tryckeri som jag är nöjd med. Och några kunder har jag redan fått. Skoj!

Nu är frågan: vad gillar ni bäst? Stora (A5) vykort eller små (A6)? De jag beställt hem är i A5 modell med blank yta så ni som redan handlat av mig har sett dessa. Men det har även kommit önskemål på A6 och matt yta, så de ska jag ta hem i nästa sändning.

Hör gärna av er vad ni tycker bäst om i vykorts-modell, om ni har några önskemål mellan dessa varianter!

Hälsningar,
Malin

Dog mania

2009-04-29T21:45:00.000+02:00

Well, it's a fact. My dog mania has reached a new level of insanity. As if it weren't enough with TWO dogs and spending all my spare time with them, training, driving for hours to practice herding (since I don't have any sheep of my own), walking and just having fun with them - I have now decided to get a THIRD doggie!

It's not that I lack anything in the present situation - I'm very pleased with just Eskil and Isak. But then this opportunity appeared... My friend's two border collies Nea and Bravo decided to have a little "fun" in private and eventhough the puppies weren't planned, the combination of these two dogs is excellent. Healthy, hard-working, pleasent and social dogs which I've known since they were both puppies. So - I just can't resist - I really want one of these puppies! Thank god there were 4 of them born a week ago, two females and two males - and that means there is a little male for me! I'm so excited I could pop!

The herding season has now started for real and last night Eskil made real progress again. That dog really impresses me! He's only 2 years old and met sheep for the first time last summer - so we are both beginners, him and me. But he's doing so well! We practise at least once a week at the moment and my goal is to pass the "godkänd vallhund" ("approved herding dog") with him eventhough not many bearded collies have done that here in Sweden.

Of course I will train the new dog as well, but let's face it - no one is as impressed with a "good" border collie since so many of them are really good! But bearded collies have been bred for just "being a family dog" and a "show dog" for so long now that they are not all of them are as good herding dogs anymore. But many are - if they just get a chance!!!

In 7 weeks I will get the little toddler home. And then I will have a summer vacation, to be able to stay at home with the little one for a while. Except for a few days in July when I will go to a herding course down in Blekinge, with an American teacher - and also compete in an inofficial herding competition. I hope my friend can take the puppy (who still has no name) during that time.

On Saturday I will go and visit the puppy for the first time! And also help out milking cows - which I think is very, very nice! I think I was a farmer in my previous life.

Check the doggie-blog for pictures of the little one (and other pics, too).

Malin

Aids

2009-01-16T14:53:00.000+01:00

Last night I watched a documentary from 2007 done by Stephen Fry for BBC, about the HIV/AIDS situation. And I was shocked. Totally shocked.

Not by the disease itself - that's "old news". It's horrible. Absolutely horrible. And it's still here - and it's spreading. And not "just in Africa" as the general opinion sometimes is. It's HERE.

The shocking thing to me was the "rasist" way people are harassed and treated by the fellow human in a "western" country like Great Britain. You're called names like "dirty hore" and people show clearly that they think you are to blaim for getting this disease (even if you got it unknowingly from your husband or you were born with it) and they are not that much into giving charity for research or show much compassion whatsoever. HOW COME?!! I mean - are we treating people with cancer that way?

And - that you are not allowed to get into Australia or New Zeeland if you have HIV. That was also news to me. How discriminating!!! What kind of a threat do they think people infected with HIV really is? Compared to all kinds of other diseases or worse - people who don't know yet that they are infected.

Another really big shock to me was the number of "suicidal" people out there who actually want to be infected with HIV and beg people with the virus to have unprotected sex with them, so that they will get "the gift". I feel so sad for people who are that self-destructive...

The situation in South Africa is frightening - that the government has literally claimed that they do not believe that HIV has anything whatsoever to do with AIDS. And therefore they have not started any programs to offer HIV-medicines to the people and politicians refuse to do the HIV-test themselves. How can anyone in the 21st century say something like that? It's not a "new" disease anymore, it's very well studied by so many researchers and doctors, all over the world.

Crazy, totally crazy.

But the predjudices amongst the "western society" about HIV was really a wake up call for me. Really makes you think. And take a stand.

Malin

2008-12-23T10:36:00.000+01:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

2008-12-18T18:54:00.000+01:00

REMEMBER THIS AT CHRISTMAS TIME:

According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year, male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-December.

Female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give birth in the spring.

Therefore, according to EVERY historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer, EVERY single one of them, from Rudolph to Blitzen, had to be a girl.

We should've known…... ONLY women would be able to drag a fat-ass man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night and not get lost.

A MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Toothless with a limp

2008-11-03T13:51:00.000+01:00

My dogs are totally crazy......... After our long walk in the forest on Saturday, Isak came back with a limp (back AND front leg) and Eskil with a bloody nose and two broken teeth!!! I would really like to know what they were doing - although I know they were probably just running and didn't look out and hit a tree or stone or something... Isak has lost two claws before because of total lack of self-preservation. But Eskil - who is so sensible and agile? I blame it on Isak - that he tricked his little brother into running too fast...

Anyway, it wasn't so easy to find a dog dentist, but I found one about 100km from here and got an appointment tomorrow. I just hope Eskil doesn't get an infection in his broken tooth, the big one is broken in half and the pulp is in open air...

Of course I'm worried about my babies and work at home today so I can keep an eye on them. Isak's limp is much better - it's probably just his almost 1o year old body that won't keep up with him anymore.

Malin

SNOW!!!

2008-10-31T16:22:00.000+01:00

It's snowing, it's snowing!!! First time this season................ Thank god I've changed tyres on the car and checked all my winter clothing. It's gonna be cold tomorrow to go herding - but hey, are we gonna let a little winter stop us? ;o)

Malin

Peaceful day

2008-10-05T18:34:00.000+02:00

The pasta is boiling on the stove, the peaceful sound of dogs chewing on bones fill my ears and I'm half way through a really simple but yet "cannot-stop-reading" book by Dan Brown. It's been such a nice and restful day today, for the first time in ages. Stormy and rainy weather outside and me just lying on the sofa under a blanket, reading (or sleeping). Lovely!

But it's a good thing we get to go herding again tomorrow, cos I really LOVE being outdoors!

Malin

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2008-01-06T18:53:00.000+01:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

It seems I'm never in here blogging anymore. I let "the boys" do it in their blog instead. Oh well, perhaps one day...

Have a great 2008 everyone!!!

Malin

George Michael is THE BEST!!!

2007-07-02T20:39:00.000+02:00

Another George Michael concert... June 29th. I've loved the man for almost 20 years and never thought I'd ever get to see him live ever. And now I got to see him twice in a year!!! And up front on both concerts... Aaaaah!!! Guess if I'm in HEAVEN!!!

Song to the Siren ("Here I am... waiting to hold you...")
Fast Love
Too Funky
Everything She Wants
Precious Box
Another Star
Praying For Time
Star People
Shoot The Dog
Outside
Spinning The Wheel
An Easier Affair
Flawless
Jesus To A Child
Faith
I'm Your Man
Amazing
Edge of Heaven
Careless Whisper
Freedom 90

Puppies

2007-04-20T11:13:00.000+02:00

Finally the puppies are born!!! Mindy (Hairdog's Oh La La) gave birth to 11 puppies (all black) yesterday. At first 4 female pups appeared and I was worried that there would not be a male for me since she apparently had not been "that big". But finally 2 males appeared and I was happy! A few hours later I heard that one more female had been born while the bitch was out to "go to the toilet". And then we thought that was it. But a few hours later 4 more puppies were born, all males! So now I have 6 male puppies to choose from! FANTASTIC!!! :o)

In 8 weeks I will bring him home. Guess if I'm all excited! Ha! Now I will have to get my car fixed (broke down yesterday - typical!) so I can go to Gävle as planned this weekend. Me and my sis were planning to go and watch a sheep herding course for bearded collies at Kennel Hairdog's and now also get a first look at the little babies! But then typically enough the car broke down............ Aaaaaaaaaaaargh!!!!!!!!!!!! Let's keep our fingers crossed that they have time to fix it today.

But of course I can go and see the puppies next week and also later - until it's time for me to bring it home. How exciting! :o)

A very happy Malin

No Baby Peas

2007-03-26T22:00:00.000+02:00

Well, now it's confirmed that Ärtan (meaning "Pea" in Swedish) is not having puppies this time. It's only 3,5 weeks left until Mindy will give birth to her puppies and then I will know if there is a puppy for me. Oh gosh - I'm so impatient! :o)

The spring has arrived early this year and today it was so warm that people were wearing T-shirts and shorts. OK, it's not SUMMER, but... with a little bit of wishful thinking I suppose that it was ALMOST that warm. They will probably catch a cold, though. :o)

I spent some time on the balcony when I got home and gave fertilizers for the plants and inspecting them (most seem to be alive!) and clearing old leaves and stuff from the floor. Aaaah, it's so nice to be in the beginning of a growing season! And sooooo nice with light evenings and the possibility to take looooong walks and the nice smell of the fields and the fog and the birds are singing and the sunsets are pink and... Do I need to tell you that this is my favourite time of the year?! :o)

Malin

Finally

2007-03-15T21:17:00.000+01:00

Good news! The female dog, Mindy ("Hairdog's Oh La La), that was mated with Jigger ("Farmarens Jigger Joe") shows clear signs of being pregnant. And in 5 weeks we are expecting puppies there! Also, Ärtan who I was kind of hoping that would be the mum of my future puppy, finally got in heat and was mated with Jansson a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately the mating did not seem successful so all we got to do is to keep our fingers crossed. Anyway, I hope that Mindy will give me a puppy if Ärtan cannot. All I want is a healthy happy doggie!

Aaaaah, I'm soooooo looking forward to the little one!!!

But I also want enjoy every second of the time we have together, just Isak and me - before we get disturbed by a "baby". Isak and me, we have such a great time together always and I think about it every day, how much we enjoy eachother and love eachother and how far we've really come in understanding eachother. I'm impressed what a wellbehaved dog I really have! :o)

OK, enough with the bragging... *smile* I'm just totally crazy about dogs and in particular Isak of course!!!

/Malin

Long wait

2007-02-06T15:21:00.000+01:00

As it turns out, the female dog that I was hoping would deliver a puppy to me has not yet come into heat. I've been waiting and waiting and waiting - and eventhough it's only about a month I got a little impatient! I so would want a puppy from this breeder since she's so nice and have good dogs. And "Ärtan" that I met was such a lovely little dog!

But no... she just won't get started.

Still - today I got good news. Another bitch has come in heat! And another one is expected to start soon, too. So now I feel I have a backup. Good! Cos I really want a puppy this summer and all these dogs are nice, so eventhough I like Ärtan, I'm OK with the others, too.

Oh my god - who would have thought I'd get into all this? A few months ago, when I decided it was time for a little brother for Isak, I was absolutely sure that I'd get a mixed breed, just anything that popped up basically as long as it was the right size and temperament. And all of a sudden I have narrowed it down to a specific breed and a specific breeder and perhaps a specific female dog!!! How on earth...?

But life is all about changing your mind - or rather, to be able to reconsider. :o)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2007-01-03T17:51:00.000+01:00

After almost two weeks in Finland with my family, Isak and I are now back in Uppsala. After a long journey (8 hours of driving yesterday and then 12 hours on the boat and then another hour driving from Stockholm to Uppsala this morning) we are both totally exhausted, but other than that it's good to be home. Although I wish "my" home was a lot closer to my family's home. I miss them already!!! *sob, sob*

Eventhough it's only the 3rd day of the new year, I am already awaiting my new family member. I will probably not be able to focus on anything but the new puppy until I get it (in May?) and of course after that my dogs are everything I focus on anyway!

During the holidays I did a little more tracking with Isak, and he's sooooo good! My sister prepared a few tracks and also my dad, and Isak followed them step by step. Good doggy! Now I will continue to train more for as long as there is no snow (so far we have had no snow this winter, not since October when we had about a week of cold and snow). It's fun to watch a dog work, to see how brilliant its nose (and mind) really is!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Puppy in sight

2006-12-19T22:01:00.000+01:00

Two days ago I visited a kennel (Kennel Hairdog) in Gävle, and now it's decided - I will get a bearded collie from there! :o) WOW!!! :o)

Of course I already knew I love bearded collies, but to find a breeder where the "chemistry" is right and to really make the decision - well, I was a little nervous. But as soon as I met Tina and her dogs I knew. We spent several hours there, Isak and me, and it just felt right. "Ärtan" was absolutely adorable and if everything goes according to plans she will be fertilized any week now and then the pups will be born some time in March. And I will get the little sweetie home in May. :o)

So - eventhough the sperm hasn't met the egg yet, I still feel like I am "with puppy" and it's such a big step to have made the final decision. And for so many years I have loved bearded collies but never had one myself (Exept half of Isak - but really, next to a pure BC he really does not look like them at all! He's HUGE!!!) and now that I have seen more of them and... It just feels so right!

GOOD LUCK, ÄRTAN!!! :o)

HUND2006

2006-12-10T19:19:00.000+01:00

Today I spent the day at the biggest dog show in Sweden, "HUND 2006" in Stockholm. And GOSH it was big!!! Dogs and people in thousands!!! It's been ages since I visited a dog show so even if I really don't like beauty shows it's so much fun to see so many dogs of all different kinds of breeds.

Of course I headed straight to the bearded collies to get a big enough sample size to be able to confirm my previous statement - that I will get one of them as soon as possible (this spring). And it didn't take me long to realise that everything I had thought of them were true. And then after visiting the "breed information stations" I got to talk to some of the doggies and I like what I saw.

So - perhaps a beardie?

Then we (me, my sister and a friend from work) rushed over to get a look at the Airedale Terriers and aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, how adorable!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But - I was still totally into getting a bearded collie.

Then we saw some performance in Freestyling (dancing with your dog) and some agility and there were retrievers and terriers and... I was still into a bearded collie.

Then we walked by some katalonian sheepdogs, some portuguese sheepdogs, some pyreneeic sheepdogs and eventhough I think these dogs seem great, I realised that they were nothing like a bearded collie. Yes - I want a bearded collie!

Then we went to the German Shepherds. And that was it. Both me and my sister went all misty and it really hit the heart. They must be the most beautiful dogs in the world, both inside and outside. Mainly inside since most of them look really bad these days (bad hips, long hair...). Oh, we both missed Aron so much.

So - now I want a German Shepherd! *smile*

Naaaah, if a suitable mixed breed doesn't show up I will get a bearded collie. They seem to be the right dog for me and Isak.

It's been a great day! But it's sooooo nice to be back home and bury my nose into Isak's soft coat... :o)

Authopsy

2006-11-14T19:57:00.000+01:00

Today I had the most interesting experience - but at the same time the most nauseating experience....... Gosh, I still feel like throwing up!

Me and three of my work collegues visited the Swedish Veterinary Institute (SVA) and the pathology department where they do authopsies on all kinds of animals: wild animals that were killed by car (we saw two otters and a lynx), by train (one bear), illegal hunting (a raptor bird), illness (a monkey from a zoo, a large iguana) and of course domestic animals like pigs (one was opened up and had a bunch of little dead piglets lying next to the mother's head which was sawed into pieces and blood all over the floor...) and birds (rather nice in comparison) and lab animals that are investigated by routine (otherwise the experiments cannot be trusted if the animals have been ill).

I was excited about the visit - it's not often you get to see something like that. And all the security routines to go through before we were let in, change of clothes and shoe protection and washing and signing in - rather cool! But then, when they opened the door to the big authopsy room, I almost threw up. WHAT A SMELL!!! Imagine human vomit, the worst kind, and then multiply it by ten and then let it "mature" for a couple of days to make it even more repulsive - not even then can you imagine the stench from that room!!! The worst smell was the pig, it was just totally disguisting... And we spent almost two hours in there... Yuk.

Thank god there were no dogs anywhere, cos then I probably would have had to leave, but the bodies of the animals, even the horse hanging from a crane upside down waiting to be cut in pieces to fit on tables, didn't bother me at all. I kind of like disections. But they often have dogs that need investigating due to insurance reasons, and I'm so glad there weren't any today, cos that I would not have been able to handle I'm sure.

It was an interesting day - but it took me hours before I could even think of eating lunch and even now I feel a little sick...

Why were we there? Well, we are checking the safety routines at our own lab and needed help to figure out a few details. And since we work with fecal samples from wild animals, we had a lot in common with SVA when it comes to safety routines. And now we have learnt a bit more. Good! :o)

George

2006-10-29T21:55:00.000+01:00

I thought I was gonna write a long, long piece of how I finally - after 16 years of being a huge fan - finally got to see George Michael live. And not only live - but CLOSE and with eye-contact! But... everything I try to write just seems so lame. There is absolutely no way of describing that feeling. It was beyond anything I have ever experienced and I am still trying to recover. There is only one thing to say: I really really love you, George! :o)

The songs I can write down, though. The first two and the last song we (me and my sister) remember for sure, but the rest we cannot recall the exact order but we know for sure he sang them.

Waiting (we could hear him sing but not see him until the very last bit when he sings "here I am" - then he appeared. Aaaah!!!)
Flawless (Go To The City)
Father Figure
Amazing
Praying For Time
Too Funky
Everything She Wants (The Wham! version!!!)
You Have Been Loved (I started crying.................)
Shoot The Dog (Last song before the break - thank god! Cos the huge inflatable George W. Bush with a furious bulldog dressed in the UK flag biting his privates... Ha, ha, ha!!!)
Fast Love
Jesus To A Child (he dedicated it to Anselmo...)
Spinning The Wheel
Star People
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
Faith
I'm Your Man (Another Wham! song performed in original version!!! Absolutely fantastic!)
Outside (Last song before first encore... "Let's go outside...")
Careless Whisper
Freedom 90 (As the gentleman he is, he let the backup singers finish up the concert to really get to show the marvellous voices they have!)

And I just......... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah........................ Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm........... HEAVEN!!!

Jägarna

2006-10-17T16:27:00.000+02:00

Jag förstår bara inte. Förklara för mig! Jägare i Sverige ser sig ha rätt till viltet och om de inte får skjuta ett visst antal djur per år så är det ett brott mot mänskliga (eller deras i alla fall) rättigheter. Så angående rovdjur så måste man ju helt enkelt utrota alla sådana eftersom de konkurrerar om viltet. Men... Jag förstår bara inte. Förklara för mig! När har någon HAFT RÄTT till viltet? Jägarna lever ju inte på det, de säljer det inte för inkomst, det är en HOBBY!!!!!!!!! Ska jag få ersättning för att jag inte kan utöva min hobby enligt mina önskemål? På Jägarförbundets hemsida så bekräftas bara att jägarna inte riktigt tänker som jag gör - men de är MÅNGA, har enormt inflytande och har VAPEN! Kommentaren nedan gör mig som ett levande frågetecken.

---------------------------------------------------

Fråga:
Om vi ska dela det jaktliga uttaget med rovdjuren, vem delar vi kostnader med vad gäller långa resor till rovdjursfria marker? Även fastigheter sjunker i värde där vi har vargar.
Vi borde även upplysa icke jagande delen av befolkningen vad "leken" med rovdjuren kostar.
Evert Hansson, Mora
Svar:
Vi delar din uppfattning att det jaktliga värdet och ersättning för förlorade jaktmöjligheter borde kompenseras. Tyvärr har regeringen hittills valt att negligera frågan och vifta bort den med, "ingen äger viltet". Ett fullständigt orimligt synsätt.
---------------------------------------------------

Ett fullständigt orimligt synsätt alltså att viltet inte kan ägas av dessa hobbyutövare.

Suck.........

Politicians

2006-10-17T14:49:00.000+02:00

Two weeks has passed since Sweden got a new government after the election. After only 11 days two ministers had to quit because it turned out they were not so interested in following the law (pay the compulsary taxes and fees as any normal person must do). And after all, politicians are the ones that make the law and therefore are the first that should follow them! Then the new budget was presented yesterday and eventhough I have no idea if this is going to bad or good yet, it seems like a clear track towards "rich" and "poor" and making sure the rich can live rich and the poor - well, who cares about the poor? FOr instance - students that graduate now and don't get a job immediately will from now on not get any unemployment security (A-kassa). "Students must try harder to find a job" the politicians say. Easy for them to say - they have a job!!! And ridiculously enough, the two ministers that only "worked" for 11 days get millions of crowns (SEK) as a "avgångsvederlag", money that you get when you quit a job. Or THEY get. I'd get absolutely nothing if I quit my job.

Today I'm really annoyed with politicians, but in the end I really hope things will only change for the better. After all we have small problems within Sweden compared to the nuclear war discussions the Americans are leading with North Korea at the moment... What a world... I think I will focus small - what is most important for me right now? Well, eat an apple, have a cup of coffee and read some more ads about puppies. :o)

What the…?!!

2006-10-16T22:24:00.000+02:00

OK, this is a very quiet neighbourhood and I really have nothing to complain about in my new home. But on Saturday afternoon the neighbour upstairs turned up the music so loud that the windows in my apartment were starting to make loud noises and my lamps started vibrating down from the ceiling! I mean - come on!!! I can tolerate that I hear sound, music, from my neighbours. But this hurt my ears and made my home fall apart! Still, trying to be a patient and tolerant neighbour I found some earplugs that I usually use at rock concerts, and after putting them in at least my ears weren’t hurting anymore. Isak was very unhappy though... I gave the neighbours one hour. Thought that perhaps they’d turn it down to “normal loud” after a while (I mean - who can stand that loud noise for too long?!!). But after an hour and a half it was still as loud and I got fed up with everything falling down from my walls, the windows shaking and my dog hurting, so I stormed up the stairs and rang the doorbell.

Then I smiled and presented myself with my name, as the neighbour, and reached out my hand to the guy in his 20’s who opened the door and asked him politely if he could possibly turn down the music a little since my apartment was falling apart. Please. And he blushed, looked really embarrassed and promised to turn it down and I thanked him. Since then the music has been “normal loud” which is perfectly fine. I feel so good about myself that I took action and was rather diplomatic about it.

Four days!

2006-10-12T22:41:00.000+02:00

I have been limping for no specific reason since August 15th (a joint in the front of the foot obviously went nuts) and for a few weeks was in a terrible pain... After resting to an extreme for two weeks (doctor's orders), I have now felt no pain at all for FOUR WHOLE DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yippeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!! Perhaps I can soon start doing again what it is I do - WALK. That is after all the only real hobby I have. To be out walking in nature with my dog is the one thing I really and truly love and the past two months have made me climb the walls! I'm even more restless than my dog! But now - hopefully. The autumn is the best season I know to be out walking in and... perhaps I still have a little time left to enjoy it! *fingers crossed*

How to kill a fly?

2006-09-24T22:13:00.000+02:00

My new apartment is invaded by fruit flies, banana flies or Drosophila melanogaster if you will. And no matter how useful they might be to research and how fun I actually thought it was to remove the saliva glands from a tiny Drosophila larvae once (they have huge glands with nice visible chromosomes - really cool to have a look!) - I just don't want them in my apartment! They are everywhere, buzzing around anything I eat or don't eat and leaving dots of poop on all the windows and furniture.

So how do you get rid of fruit flies? So far I have tried:

1) Keeping everything clean and leaving nothing out for them to eat, taking out the trash as often as possible and just leaving nothing for them to eat.
Result: No change at all. What do they live on? Air? I seriously suspect they eat out and then return to the apartment to annoy me.

2) Setting up these sticky fly traps everywhere in the kitchen where the flies usually sit and poop.
Result: Not one single fly is caught. Not even one by chance. They clearly know a sticky surface when they smell it and do anything to avoid it.

3) Smearing some apple on the sticky fly traps to make it smell irresistable to the little monsters.
Result: Not one single fly is caught. Leave an apple in the garbage bin and you have thousands of flies streaming out of there the day after. But the same apple on a sticky surface, not one single fly was tempted to try it out. They may have few chromosomes but they sure have strong evolutionary fitness.

4) Mixing water, a little sugar and vinegar with a drop of detergent to remove the tension of the water surface so if a fly is drawn to the cocktail, it will surely drown.
Result: NINE flies killed in three days! Whooohoooo!!!!!!!!!!!! :o) Although, considering how many that weren't killed, it's not much of a success. Most flies sit on the border of the glas, sipping the clearly very tasteful drink from the side without drowning in the liquid. Clever bastards...

5) They obviously like vinegar, wine or as I found out - whiskey. To try an lure them into a more deadly trap, I use a bottle instead of a glass to make the escape whole a bit more narrow. Adding a sip of the finest Glenfiddish single malt immediately drew hundreds of flies to the kitchen so I have a feeling this might be more effective (luckily I don't drink whiskey myself - or else I'd be frustrated having the glass surrounded by buzzing flies all the time!). Tomorrow I will know more about those results...

ANYONE HAVING ANY SOLUTION TO THIS PEST?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Airedale

2006-09-22T20:43:00.000+02:00

I have been walking around with a smile wrapped twice around my head since lunch today. When me and Isak were out walking in the gorgeous summer weather (yes, it's so warm and sunny today!) we met this totally adorable 4-months-old Airedale terrier puppy! When I saw it I just couldn't help myself but walked right up to them to say hi, and naturally to cuddle with the little sweetheart. Aaaaah, such a cutie! The coat had started to get curly on its back, but had still a little black tips on the hair on the nose. Anyone who knows Airedales knows that they are blacker when they are young, and then turn brown/tan on some parts of their bodies. The little thing had also had the ears glued - as so many Airedales, including the two we had in my family.

I stood there for quite a while, cuddling and my heart just burst with happiness. I don't think I will have another Airedale, at least not this time (but yes - I will get a puppy next year!) but seeing one always makes me soooooo happy that if I got a puppy today there is no doubt that I might consider an airedale... :o) Such a cutie! It was from a kennel namend Kennel Pinto in case you wanna have a look at some very gorgeous dogs! :o)

Work is killing me (or at least my arm)

2006-09-21T21:43:00.000+02:00

I was starting to wonder why my arm (elbow) hurts so much these days, and thought about what I had been doing today - which was a perfectly normal day at work, actually not very "tough" at all. But to pipette means lifting your arm holding the pipette, pushing it into the rack with pipette tips to fasten the tips to the pipette (you have to push hard), lifting it again to the tube or plate with the liquid that is suppused to be transferred. Then pushing the button to suck up the liquid, then lifting the pipette again to another tube or plate and then pushing it again to release the liquid. Then pressing down (very tough) another "button" to remove the tips. Then continue: Lifting your arm holding the pipette, pushing it into the rack with pipette tips to fasten the tips to the pipette, lifting it again to the tube or plate with the liquid that is suppused to be transferred. Then pushing the button to suck up the liquid, then lifting the pipette again to another tube or plate and then pushing it again to release the liquid. Then pressing down (very tough) another "button" to remove the tips. And then continue... And today I did that at least 308 times in a couple of hours!!! And that's what I do - every day. Apart from the time spent in front of the computer which is in a drafty place where my neck get really ruined. I am seriously starting to wonder if anyone can have a job like this for more than 5 years without being a total invalid... *feeling sorry for myself*

Oh well - most jobs give damages so I suppose you just have to try and make the best of it. Any ideas?

Puppy fever

2006-09-19T22:14:00.000+02:00

Now that I have decided to get a "little brother" for Isak (my dog) in the spring I'm just so impatient, so looking forward to it and just want to get a little puppy NOW! :o) It is so much fun to start thinking of names (although I have to ask the puppy once it gets here what it actually wants to be called - Isak was supposed to be an Emil before I got him, but then he just didn't look like an Emil once he arrived - he was clearly an Isak). And what size and breed? Mixed breed probably, but between what? Aaaah, so much fun to plan! I really hope everything works out as I planned and that I can extend my family in the spring and Isak and me can raise a little one finally! :o)

Sossarna

2006-09-18T15:00:00.000+02:00

Så då var det avgjort. VALET. För den här gången. Och vem det än var som "vann" så är jag bara glad att det är över. För finns det något mer hysteriskt än valpropaganda? Politiker som leder vårt land, bestämmer över våra liv till stor del, börjar bete sig som småbarn och verkar inte få ur sig något vettigare än glåpord om sina motståndare. Beklämligt. Och mer desperata blir de ju närmare valdagen det lider.

Men droppen var verkligen igår eftermiddag, kanske vid fyra tiden, bara några timmar innan vallokalerna skulle stängas. Då körde en skåpbil runt i Flogsta flera varv och någon ropade i megafon medan de körde. Först hörde jag inte riktigt vad de sa och uppfattade endast ordet "...demokraterna". Det högljudda och desperata tonfallet gjorde att jag genast förknippade det med Sverigedemokraterna. Det partiet ter sig inte seriöst i mina ögon (såg till min fasa att de fick mandat i Uppsala och Tierps kommun!) och jag kunde tänka mig att de in i det sista försöker få nya anhängare. Men när bilen körde varv nummer två, eller tre, så lyssnade jag extra noga. Det var SOCIALDEMOKRATERNA. Det parti som varit störst i Sverige i nästan 70 års tid.

De skrek bland annat att studenterna inte skulle ligga och dra sig i sängen (hur länge tror de att studenter sover?), upp och hoppa, och gå och rösta. "Rösta precis på det ni själva vill - så länge ni inte röstar borgerligt." VAD?!! Inte för att jag tror att de högre politikerna gett sitt medgivande till denna sista-minuten-hets-propaganda (det partiet hade ju faktiskt anklagat Moderaterna att ha sina valstugor öppna även på söndag medan de själva ville avsluta allt redan på lördag för att låta väljarna vara ifred på själva valdagen), men det fick mig ändå att ilskna till. Tur att jag redan röstat - så att det inte påverkade mitt beslut.

MORR.

Ja, ja - vi får väl se hur det artar sig med tiden.

5 minutes until...

2006-09-11T21:58:00.000+02:00

5 minutes until the Big Flogsta Scream ("Flogstavrålet"). At 10pm every night you are allowed to scream real loud for about one minute here in this part of town called Flogsta. It's an old tradition here in Flogsta, which is mainly a student area, and every night of the week there is at least some people screaming. Great way to relieve some pressure or anxiety! :o) Ah, 3 minutes left. They are usually very punctual. Since the area is ever so quiet it's really a cute thing this one-minute-scream, I think. :o)

One more minute to go... and... THERE YOU GO! :o) Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!!!!!!!!!!!

Not as impressive as on a weekend, but still - Flogsta is not Flogsta without the Flogsta Scream. :o)

Unpacking

2006-09-10T20:37:00.000+02:00

A bit over a week has passed since I moved to a new apartment and I have spent most of my time trying to get everything sorted out. And I think I'm getting close to having a normal messy house now! But eventhough it's only been a week, I already know I will love it here. I'm totally overwhelmed. For starters it's sooooo QUIET. And have in mind that I now live in an area with 16 houses, 7-story-buildings, of which 12 of them are student dorms. And in my house alone there are 56 apartments (not for students). But eventhough I keep my windows open, live on the first floor right above the entrance of the building, it is still totally quiet. Just an occasional voice (normal tone) or the sound of shoes on the pavement. I hear mostly the wind in the trees! :o) And the house - it smells as clean as a hospital. And there are lots of responsible and nice people with lots of dogs and cats and everyone is smiling.

Compare that to 30 kids screaming (I mean, not just temporarily but ALL THE TIME) all days long, parents screaming, grown-ups screaming (also when talking), cars honking their horns, cars exploding at least 50 times a year right outside my house and filling my apartment with toxic smoke, buses going past every 10 minutes, teenagers roaming around at night, occasional shootings, most neighbours smoking and filling my apartment with smoke (not nice), urine in the elevator (not once, not twice - but continuously every day for over a year!), blood in the hallway from a terrible fight, police cars driving by all the time, neighbour sending his great dane male to attack me and my dog and I was living in terror every time I went out the door... Just imagine the difference!!! It feels like heaven here!!! :o) Aaaaaaah, thank god I found this place!!! ;o)

Blog rookie

2006-09-07T13:58:00.000+02:00

Well, well, well... What on earth would I write about in a blog? There is no other way to find out than to give it a go - so here I am. WELCOME!!!

The world is never gonna be the same

2006-05-21T19:39:00.000+02:00

The world is never gonna be the same. Last night the one thing we all knew could never ever happen happened - the one thing as likely to happen as hell freezing over or to discover a whole new continent on our planet today. It's just not gonna happen and we feel a little comforted knowing that some things are just a certain way and will stay that way. Like we have always known that Finland is never ever gonna win the Eurovision Song Contest. We have once, I reapeat ONCE, been up among the top 10, but that must have been before I was born cos since then we have enjoyed being second or third LAST. I mean, Sweden and some other nordic countries usually give one point to Finland out of pity, but that's all the points we get.

But we have been OK with that, we send a dull middle-aged grey person singing a dull, grey and sad tango-like ballad in Finnish with a beautiful - but lets face it - dull voice. No one on earth will remember a song like that, not to mention actually liking it. But hey - it's the way things are. Or were.

This year Finland voted (tele-votes, it's the choice of the people) for a true hard rock band. Second, rather close, was the standard melancolic grey dull person singing something sad and slow in Finnish. But with a few points this hard rock band Lordi (dressed up as monsters!) won. They had only entered for fun, thought it'd be a good way to be seen in Finland, get a bigger audience. They were ever so surprised that they won. There has been talk about wether a band like this should be allowed to enter the big finals, but in the end it's "just a song" and who can blame the costumes when most artists at the finals are dressed in as little as possible to be as sexy as possible? So eventhough Greece made protests and threatened to demonstrate outside the Finnish ambassy, they were allowed to enter.

I just laughed at the whole thing, thought it was cute that Finland is finally noticed! Then the semifinals happened. And I couldn't believe my eyes when Lordi made it to the finals!!!!!!!!!!! Major laugh.

But then... last night... I'm still in chock. They WON THE FINALS!!! They got full point from so many countries that it's hard to count, and from others they were among the top points all the time and in the end it was a 50 point gap between Finland and number 2, Russia!!! My chin is down to my knees and my eyes have popped out of my head. Finland. Hard rock. Eurovision Song Contest. The odds were never up for discussion - we were bound to go down. But no - Europe liked what they saw and heard. Unbelievable.

The world is never ever gonna be the same. This is a bigger historic event than when Columbus discovered America. This changes everything. From now on everything really is possible and we cannot know what to trust ever again.

WAY TO GO FINLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :o)

ps. Fun fact: The band have only one set of costumes since they really didn't expect to have to be wearing them for a week in Athens during promotion and interviews (they have never shown their real faces to the audience). Result - a rather bad smell by the end of the week. Also - it's the first time pyrotechnics have been used in the ESC. Fireworks all over - like a genuine rock show! And the most cute thing - they couldn't afford the fires at first, but the Finnish people got together and raised the money so that they could go to Athens in flames! Now that is a people we can count on! :o)