'Merica 2016 Part 1

This post is going to be more of a travelogue than I care for it to be but you'll all just need to bear with me. Start bearing.

Our journey to 'Merica began like I only image it began several hundred years ago, a meticulous rechecking of our travel documents to ensure we hadn't screwed up (thanks 'Merica trip 2014 for that lesson). From there it was simply boarding the boat and beginning our long, long trip. Unlike the journey experienced by the poor starving Swedes back then, ours was festooned with  stickers. Many and colorful were the stickers on the trip. On the way to L.A. 50% of the children slept for a little while the other 50% sobbed explaining that she didn't need to sleep, clearly sleeping during the 28 hour trip was out of the question for her. This well of 'not being' being tired ended at the Seattle airport 8 hours later with her sprawled out on the luggage cart, one arm dragging along the ground. No pictures were taken of this portion of the flight. We were too tired to care. Even the smoke smelling hotel room was inviting.

The next morning we began the trip's funner side and were greeted by members of the Searle clan. Whilst with the Searle's we enjoyed hikes at the beach and good company. They had dogs, a cat, chickens, a number of goats, swings, a trampoline, bikes and lots of friends.

After bidding fair well to the Searle's we went off to visit my old co-workers. They'd put together an ice cream bar in my honor (and for the birthday people too). Good to visit my old work again. But first we thought we'd swing by our old 'hood in the North End. It was probably more run down than it had been before. I won't post the work pictures because most of them are undercover.

The next morning we were off to Seattle zoo. The zoo was fun for about 2 hours and then Inara was done. Alba had a great time but Inara was more interested in riding the carousel. Due to an unfortunate coincidence we tried to escape Seattle during two events. This resulted in it taking 3 hours to drive 15 miles. Traffic is much, much worse in the Sound region and it isn't even worth the hassle to go to Seattle. I'm still angry. At the end of the horrible car ride we visited some other old co-workers of mine. I had a lot of co-workers it seems.

Next stop was the cousin's house, a four hour drive away. We chose to do this drive between the hours of 8 and midnight. It actually worked out okay for me but unsurprisingly the girls had difficulty sleeping. Once at the cousins fun was had and poops were pooped on the sidewalk.

Some good uncl-ing going on here.

From there it was time to continue our voyage onto Montana and then Idaho. More driving. This time it was daytime driving. We heading down to visit great aunt Annie and uncle Lamont. There, the girls got to ride a school bus (like they have on TV, cus they don't have that in Sweden) and visit the cops with donuts among other things.

In part 2 of the 'Merica post we will finally get to Southeastern Idaho. I was over ambitious in thinking I could do this in one post. I've worked on it a while now and I've only done the first week. Also in part 2 (maybe part 3?) I will be giving you the vital stats of the trip - a reader favorite.

A pox on your family

The girls have recently gotten chickenpox due to Sweden's refusal to vaccinate against it. The country's reasoning is a bit muddy to me but that is not the point of this post. This post is to highlight and disseminate my children's suffering during this time!

A time line:

Day one: Wooooo! We are home and can play with neighbor cat. Feeling good!

Day 1 part 2: Sun's shining and we're dancing!

Day 1 part 2 part 2: DANCE!

Day 2: Ya. Things are okay today. Not great but hey it is movie night!

Day 2 part 2: The heck you doing dad?

Day 2 part 3: Picture of pox's progression.

Day 3: Life sucks.

Day 3 part 2: Life sucks a lot. Things can't get worse.

Day 4: Hey look, things got worse.

Day 4 part 2: Just what I always wanted! A pair of chickenpox on my eye lids!

Anyways, the pox hit Inara much harder than Alba. Inara ran a fever for about three days and had a large number of pox from her head to her toes (literally). I have made a helpful graph showing the progression of the dots.

This graph was compiled for SCIENCE! As you can see from this graph Inara got hit by a truck and Alba by a moped. These numbers reflect the minimum number of pox as I was unable to get an accurate count of how many they had on their scalps which, as is apparent from the pictures, likely would have added 5-20 to the count. The count stopped because I had to go to work and the other member of this parental team was less interested in SCIENCE. I am comfortable that the numbers remained largely stable after day 4, counts clearly show a leveling off after day 3.

The girls have not been back to school yet as the last of their oozing yellow pustules had yet to crust over until today. Inara hasn't had a fever for about four days and Alba never really had one so they are generally active and happy again. Neither one of them was particularly itchy though, so that was nice.

Run down on the numbers:

• Grand total days missed from work that the Swedish government is on the hook for: 4
• Days missed from daycare: 4
• Number of likely scars from the pox: 1 (On Alba's nose).
• Minimum total pox acquired: 530
• Max fever: 38,5 C (101.3 F)

The Sea, the Forest and Onions

We went to one of my favorite spots by the ocean this weekend. We played on the beach, had a bbq and climbed trees. We also picked a type of wild onions that grow in a forest nearby - makes delicious pesto.

(Not sure what sort of gang-sign she's flashing here)

We've enjoyed our Easter break. Almost five days off and beautiful weather. Here are the kids after they have just received their Easter eggs at the end of the Easter parade.

Also, some Easter crafts made by Inara and Alba at preschool.

Peter Pan tivoli

Hey I'm writing a post completely unrelated to the kids.

This last summer we went to a fair like thing here in Visby...I think they called it kid's day or something. There were probably 10 rides and one of them was a tilt-o-whirl ride that was called the Octopus (or something similar). There were other rides and we took pictures of the girls but I couldn't find any of the pictures right now and I have instead been inspired to write about my experience on the Octopus ride.

First of this is a pretty run down deal. Everything is worn and patched and generally looked like is it just barely kept running, you know the perfect things to put your kids on/in. The staff was also, for the most part, largely aware of where they were. With the exception of the guy at the bouncy castle that was completely unaware of his surroundings for long, long stretches of time, but hey, free bouncy castle for everyone!

This octopus ride looked right up my alley and I went straight there. Surprisingly enough there was no line and I was able to hop right on. The gentleman operating this ride, a younger man around 25, was sporting a very greasy ponytail and had a large soiled bandage on his forearm with dried blood clearly visible through it. I felt immediately like this was going to be good.

One other person hopped on and the operator, clearly aware of our tight schedules, didn't even bother to check if the safety bars were down before heading over to the control station and flipping the ride on and, I can only assume, cranking it up to the level that had been marked as 'meat-grinder' some 20 years earlier but had long since worn away. The man then lit a cigarette up and walked away, no need to get another arm injury from flying pieces of the ride I can only assume. The first few seconds went as expected, the ride slowly picking up speed and alternately pressing me into the wall of the seat and sliding me to the middle of the seat before pressing me back into the wall. At some point the alternations became less noticeable because the time between and middle of the seat and the wall dwindled to a point that really was just a state of constantly feeling like my shoulder was being crushed while my head moved like a pretty standard bobble head doll.

After a few minutes the ride operator came over and put out his cigarette on the side of the control panel, or it could have been in the vicinity of the control panel, my vision wasn't terribly clear. I saw the end of the ride and had mixed feelings that the ride was coming to an end so soon. I was wrong in thinking that to be the cause. The operator pulled out another cigarette glanced up at us and cranked something on the control panel and then walked away. The ride made a delightful grinding noise and slowly came to a brief stop before immediately reversing direction. I was able to lock my legs against the side of the ride and my back to the other side permitting for a bit clearer view of the other person the ride. He looked like he was also having a great time by the drool leaking from the corner of his mouth and the strained look on his face.

Three cigarettes later we both stumbled off the ride. I have to say it was probably one of the best rides I have been on in a long time. Honestly I cannot think of a time when I was on a ride like that and could say I felt like I had as a kid. As an adult most, if not all, of the fear is gone when I ride any amusement ride but this ride was a refreshing taste of youth and the fear that I could get by, for instance, biking down a hill I suspected would be too steep to stop on.  I doubt this could have been achieved without the combination of the staff's general disinterest in the safety and well being of the riders and their long term devotion to neglecting the maintenance of their rides.

Peter Pan Tivoli, I salute you. Keep up the great work!

Sunshine

Sledding (before the face injury)

Check out Alba's face before I push them down...

Wonderland

Today has been straight out of a travel add for Sweden in the wintertime. We went to a small lake and Inara got to try her new ice-skates on. Hot chocolate with marshmallows was on the menu per Inara's request.

Merry Christmas 2015

Just a few pictures and movies from today!

Best wishes:

First and last picture taken of the gift opening. Alba screamed like Maria had cut her when the picture was taken.

At the park later in the day. Notice how Alba is pulling the flesh from my bones, a sign of extreme fatigue. That happens when you get up at 5:30 in the morning after having gone to bed an hour and half later than usual.