More horses and cards

After a couple of rainy, gloomy days, today was a 10/10 for many different reasons. First of all, I woke up at three in the morning to have class with the kids, and they were inspiring and interesting to talk to - despite it being three in the morning.

Second, I passed my drivers test and can now finally use a car again.

Third, things were squared out with the radio and I am headed to look at some wolves in YELLOWSTONE, which I am just super psyched about. Hopefully I can go some time next week.

Fourth, I went for a run around the neighborhood and the sun was shining, it was 50+F (10+C), the air smelled like spring and when I looked up just as I was coming down the last hill I realized I wasn´t alone - above me cirkled an eagle, just silently hangning out, enjoying the weather just as much as I did.

Fifth, I came across the owner of those three horses you see up there, and we had a great time talking and brushing them. She said I can come by any time, so now I have some horses I can go cuddle whenever I want...

Kokopelli Grill, Port Angeles

Went for dinner at the Kokopelli Grill in Port Angeles. Decent food, way too much for me to finish on my own but that means Jon gets a nice lunch for tomorrow... He plays basketball with a team in town. Did my knowledge test while there and passed, so tomorrow is my driving test! Keep your fingers crossed!

Things I missed about the US pt 1

Everything bagels

Finally!

Can you all see what color that is? GREEN! My green card arrived today, which is super exciting because it means I get to stop walking around with my passport everywhere.

Lunch at the Sunshine café

Edible bowls - aren´t they the best?

Private viewing at The Rose

Headed out to a friends birthday party in Port Townsend last night. We thought it was just going to be dinner and drinks, but it turned out that we had the whole movie theatre to our selves! A private viewing of True Grit, including unlimited soda, popcorn and candy! Great movie, understood about half of what Jeff Bridges said but Jon tried his best to translate in between complaining about feeling sick after having too much popcorn. He got a large bag and managed to eat it all himself...

Today is going to be a busy day - doing an interview at the Sunshine cafe with the Sequim Gazette, heading to Port Angeles to do try to do the knowledge part of my drivers test, and watch Jon play baskeball!

watch out cougars!

Since Bonnie and Kit told me about the cougar attacks on people in Washington, I decided to get a pepper spray to take with me when I go jogging. Did you know that regular mace doesnt work on cougars? Their tear canals are different, and so mace doesnt affect them at all. Strange. This will do it, though

Late night class

I am in charge of a coaching a group of students at Tallbacken in how to make radio. We are aiming to go on air in February and it is super exciting. We have classes via Skype and because of the time difference, I am ready to go to bed when we see each other and they just got up.

Weekend of mayhem

Jess came out for the weekend and we tried to fit in as much of Sequim as possible.

Saturday morning we went for some breakfast at the Oak Table Café. I have been by it a couple of times before, but it has never been open since they close after lunch hours. They have won a bunch of awards for their food, and I can understand why after having their western omelette. It came with a side of three buttermilk pancakes, and I loved those too.

After that we decided to go for a walk at the Dungeness spit.

The day also included a bike ride around our neighborhood, a little walk in the woods and a visit TO THE CASINO! We decided to check out the place, which is the closest thing to a bar or night club anywhere near us, and it was a great time. We played slot machines, spent 5 dollars but won 4,65 back! Then we decided to check out the roulette table and Jess doubled a 20, so we felt like real ballers until we realized that everyone else was gambling much more money than us. Either way, we found a new hang out spot and they had decent food (no, not the buffet...:) so I think we will be coming back there.

(incredibly delayed) house tour

I have been promising to show you what the house looks like, and I finally got around to doing it. I kept waiting for the house to magically clean itself before I did it, but I guess I realized it is never going to happen and this, right here, is about as clean as it is going to get.

Song of the week

Now, don´t go judging on me because I happen to like this song. Listened to it about five times yesterday and it really is a beautifully put together pop song.

My idea of a perfect evening

Organic squash eatin´

I promise, this isnt going to turn into some kind of food blog. However, this pictures is important for two reasons.

First of all, it ws all produced by my neighbors. Picked up the eggs from our friends across the street (same people who have the horses), the beef is from a farm where we went last weekend and the squash and tomato are from the organic grocery store Red Rooster, that carries produce from local farmers. I love knowing where my food comes from!

Second, this is part of my quest to learn how to eat vegetables! I figured it would help if I started sneaking it into stuff I already like, so I made some meat sauce with tomatoes and squash! Tasted yummy, which means I get to check one more thing off my list!

Now, I don´t want to get too ahead of myself, but I think I will be able to put a check mark right next to making a kitchen herb garden too... Those things are growing FAST!

Eagle search pt1

So, of course everyone around here has seen bald eagles. They are everywhere, especially outside Jon´s office window apparently. I however, have yet to see one!

This weekend, Jon saw one fly right over our house not once but TWICE - the second time, I managed to run out and catch a brief glimpse of it, but that was all. I will keep you posted, and hopefully I will have my camera ready next time!

Lets play..

.."Spot the wedding present"!

So, I finally got around to unpacking those last two boxes. I have been saving them for last, because they contain all the presents from our wedding, and I wanted to savour that moment... Yesterday, I decided it was time and set out to unpack everything.

Not having seen our presents since the day after the wedding, it was like getting them all over again. I LOVED every second of it, and immidiately proceeded to putting them to good use. Here are some of them, making our home a lot more beautiful. Once again, THANK you all from the bottom of my heart!

Horses, radio, big foot and Ljusdalsnytt

Its been a while, and I have been super busy with things. It seems as though no matter how much I say I am going to do absolutely nothing, the day never turns out like that... Weird, huh?

So what, more pricisely, have I been up to?


1: big foot


This weekend, I was invited to come to a meeting with some people who have dedicated their lives and most of their savings into find the sasquatch in the Olympic Peninsula. They needed help setting up a website where their data, video and audio would be collected. I told them I was not a believer, but they said they were looking forward to convince me! However, after looking at my new schedule with courses and stuff, I realized it was not possible for me to do it... Super sad, but hopefully I can still help them out in some way.

2: Ljusdalsnytt

My wonderful ex pupil, now broadcaster extraordinare Iris Ash wrote an article about me for Ljusdals tidning - but she wanted some shots from Washington and our new place, so I managed to put some together and sent them to her. I really hope she picks this one with Jon, it is so wonderfully cheesy.

3: Radio x 2

First of all, I am coaching some bright young students from Tallbacken in the art of doing radio shows. We meet on Skype, and together they are hopefully going to have a show on Radio Ljusdal, our community radio station.

Second, a group of dedicated people in Port Townsend are in the process of starting up a radio station there. It is going to sound a little bit like NPR, a lot of talk, a lot of good music, it is all super exciting and they needed someone who had done a bit of radio before. Well, I have some time on my hands, and I love doing this stuff, so I am volunteering there and will help them train DJs and board operators and set things up in general. You check check them out here. A little warning though - their website has some music playing in the background.

4: HORSES!!

Today, I got the best phone call - it was our neighbor across the road, who wanted someone to go riding with. Two minutes later, I was there, and we went for a wonderful ride around the area. The sun was shining, I had to learn how on earth Western riding works... It was great. Being someone who has only done English ridning, it was a little bit tricky, but I am sure I will figure it out. I rode the horse on the left in this pictures, Abby. I hope this becomes a regular thing, it was so wonderful and our neighbor is soo sweet.

Wolf video

Here it is - you have to select HD on the player yourself, for some reason...

Jan 14th in Sequim

The wolf video is uploading - here are some pics from the day that was. And yes, there are some wolf pics there too.

WOW what à day

Just had the most amazing day. Met, and petted, a wolf. For real. yeah, I know, 'pics or it didn't happen'- and you'll get some HD video when I get home.

But the awesomeness didn't end there- I just might have a new job. Linnea=SASQUATCH HUNTER. I have no idea hos to spell it, but for reals, i am going to be à part of à research team that looks for them on the peninsula. More to come!

I LOVE it!

I can´t believe how much I enjoy playing with this thing. Spent the whole day just walking around taking pictures, trying to figure out what all the settings are and what they do... Here are a couple of the shots, just to show you the neighborhood we live in, and the town of Sequim.

Sequim Jan 13

New toy!

No more shitty iphone pictures for me (no offense, iphone)! I am about to head out into the snow to pick up my new Canonrebel ti1. Good news for me, because it means I can get to work, but also good news for you because the pictures on this blog are about to become a hundred times better!

Building a compost

I found a video about how to build a compost that I thought sounded easy and fun.




So using their techniques, I set out to build my own. Since its been snowing a little bit, I was able to spot some tracks in the snow. I took a couple of pictures of those too - does anyone know what they might be?

Saturday in Port Townsend

Gardiner-Sequim bike ride

It was getting dark, but you at least get a feeling for what this 10 mile bike ride looks like.

I guess someone liked it...

... just not the birds

Best class in the WORLD

Signed up for some online classes - I was going to study media and development, but had a last minute change of heart when I found this - "Context and intertext in the British novel".

This is going to be a great class! I mean, check out the reading list:

Agatha Christie, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Arthur Conan Doyle, The Best of Sherlock Holmes

Elizabeth George, A Great Deliverance

Reginald Hill, The Wood Beyond

P. D. James, An Unsuitable Job for a Woman

Laurie R. King, The Beekeeper's Apprentice

Dorothy Sayers, Strong Poison

What about... peanuts?

Getting the iphone wasnt todays big project though - I ordered all the equipment I am going to need for my freelance work, and then I was ready to try to lure those birds to my yard...

That first feeder is still depressingly empty but I figure that if I put up ANOTHER feeder, this one on a tree outside my office and made out of delicious peanuts, then maybe they will find their way to the first one as well.

AT&T confusion

My darling sister (she´s reading this, better be nice) gave me her old iphone (this makes her sound like a little angel, when the truth is that she was unable to use it because it was locked) and I thought I would use it here in the US.

Went to the AT&T-store where the manager assured me that it would work just fine, I just had to put in an American SIM-card, which he gave me, and call AT&T and they would just set up a plan for me.

I went home, a long grueling 10 miles, happy as a clam, just to spend over an hour on the phone with representatives for said phone company who had no idea what they are talking about.

First two people told me that sure, they would love to do business with me but unfortunately I was calling the wrong department and transferred me. Third person got really flustered and said I needed to talk to the "Iphone people", gave me a phone number and then disconnected me. Called said phone number, ended up with a really frustrated Apple rep who could not for the life of her understand why an AT&T rep would transfer me to her, since she just sold phones and I clearly already had one. She then promptly transferred me back to AT&T, who then dropped my call.

Had to start back at the beginning again and called the number I had gotten in the store, talked to one lovely lady who assured me it wasn´t a problem, it was really easy to do, all she had to do was... transfer me. Dropped my call again.

Once again from the top, this time got transferred to a woman who seemed to know what she was talking about. Unfortunately, she told me it was impossible for me to do it over the phone, and I had to go to a corporate store. The nearest one is about two hours away. I asked her if she could think of any alternatives, so that I at least could use the phone as an ipod touch, or maybe I could go to the store here in Sequim? She went to ask a manager - and I got disconnected again.

Knowing I would have to travel two hours to unlock a phone that I would then have to pay 60 dollars a month to use, I opted to spend a couple of hours on the net trying to find ways to unlock it. Not being particularly experienced in these types of things, it took me all morning but I can now say that i am proud owner of a WORKING iphone! Its not a phone per say, but at least I can use it as an ipod touch.

For those of you who want me to have an actual cell, with a number that you can call - don´t worry, I ordered one of those too...

Kitchen garden pt 2

I dont think it is just a herb garden anymore - haven´t made it to the store to pick up thyme or rosemary yet, but I found these extra pots and some seed in the mud room and I figured I would plant them as well. Basically, it is bell peppers, spring unions, sallad and wild strawberries. Have no idea if they are going to make it on my window sill, but there is plenty of room so I thought "why not?"

Recent purchase

Alright, everyone over the age of 40 will know what this is instantly - for the rest of you, it is a bread maker. To be more precise, it is a 1998 West Bend Bread & Dough maker, 41048, and it will probably change our lives for about two weeks and then be abandoned to a corner of our shed, collecting dust.

But for the time being I would like to thing we are going to have a long, happy life together, so I purchased it for $6.99 at Goodwill and spent 1h 30min trying to find a recipe/instruction manual for the thing.

Eventually, I did, and found it to be full of insightful tips such as this one, from the troubleshooting part. First column: problem. Second: possible cause

You are not using the proper knife? What could possibly be the solution to this problem?

Thank you, West Bend.

I will get back to you on the quality of the bread.

Kitchen herb garden!

I really want some herbs in my kitchen window sill - just for snacking and putting in food! Have always dreamed of being one of those people who so effortlessly grab a pinch or two of fresh herbs and this is the time to do it.

Jon thought it might be ok to just take some soil from our garden, but after trying and failing at getting my spade through the very top layer, we thought differently and got some from the store.

Step one: I took whatever I had at home, being five glass jars

Step 2: Got some seeds from Sunny Farms, planted and watered

Step 3: Volia! Now let´s just hope that at least one of these babies make it!

Birdin'

This area is well-known for its birds - so of course I wanted to make sure some of them found their way to our house! We went for a walk around the neighborhood with our guests Sandra and Matthew, and checked in at Wild Birds Unlimited, a place where they specialize in all sorts of bird food and other wilderness stuff.

It is one of the few stores around and it turns out that the owners are of the few other young people living in the neighborhood! So hopefully we can hang out with them at some point.

We bought some bird food, hung it outside our window - and then we waited. That was two days ago, and I have yet to see a bird...


Why don´t they love us? What did we do wrong?

I went outside to take a couple of pictures with the camera on my computer - and as I was doing that, I realized that there were a couple of HUGE birds soaring in the sky! No idea what they were, but since I think all big birds are eagles I am sure thats what they were!

View from our kitchen window

View from the porch

Eagle!!!! Ok, now know most of you cant see it. but believe me, it is there!

Made it!

I made it!

Turns out it wasnt that hard - the immigration people just looked at my paper work, asked me a couple of questions and half an hour later I could run through the last set of doors and meet up with Jon! It was amazing to see him again, of course, and these past couple of days have been just crazy.

Made it to the house and it is gorgeous. Way bigger than I thought, and the area is really nice with lots of grass and horses. Just the way I pictured it. :) The garden will need a LOT of tending too, though, but I guess I have nothing but time...

Today we walked out to the Dungeness spit together with my friend Sandra and her boyfriend Matthew, visiting from California, and saw some birds and seals. Alright, it was just one seal, but we still enjoyed it. I promise to upload lots of pictures as soon as I get my camera, but for now you will just have to trust me when I tell you this part of the world is amazing.

They are leaving tomorrow, though, and I will have to figure out what to do with the rest of my life.