Weather yakk

I was sitting here in front of the computer, trying to come up with something to write. I tried to open up the 'new post' feature in hopes that the white, empty box was going to inspire me to start writing. 'Cause sometimes, thats what happens...sometimes. Not this time...

So I was staring at this white, empty section of the computer screen, wondering what to fill it with. I checked plinky.com, but they wanted me to write about something that makes me want to be a kid again...which I guess is an ok topic. Ok, but not inspiring. I dont want to write about being a kid again. I am a kid. At heart, and sometimes mind too, it seems.

Then I started writing a few lines about the weather. Simply because people expect you to talk about the weather during awkward silent moments. Not that the moment was awkward...lets face it, Im the only one staring at the white box. But it got me thinking about this whole concept of awkward moments, about silences between two people talking. Why do we always fill them with weather talk? Why the weather? Why not politics, or personal opinions about topics. In stead of saying: "Oh, boy, it sure rains today." Why not go for: "Oh boy, I wish the bus tickets were cheaper."... Personally I would have skipped the "Oh, boy", though...

Perhaps people talk about the weather because it is safe. There are few people in this world who prefers a cold, rainy day over sunshine (and yes Beat, I know you are the exception), and few who would be offended if you said you hated "that annoying wind". Which means that you can express your opinions about the weather without irritating anyone. This is obviously in contrast to talking politics, where the potential provocation is so much higher. You say Obama sucks and the guy you talk to plants his fist in the middle of your face.

That just doesnt happen with the weather. The weather sucks! And everyone agrees. Personally I understand the safety of it, and the peacekeeping qualities that it holds...But it truly is boring. It truly is coward.

Next time someone brings up the weather during a quiet moment, I will start talking about chopsticks. It makes just as much sense.

Where do flies go when it rains?

Im back in the lab (where Im usually at when I update this blog) and noticed a tiny fly buzzing around the window...desperate to get out. Normally I would let the poor creature out and let it fly, "fly up and away"...back into the freedom of the wilderness. However, it is raining cats and dogs outside today, and I figured it was safer for the bug to stay indoors (Yes, I made that executive decision).

But this tiny winged animal had me wondering...where are all the flies when its raining? Do they gather up in special caves? Do they hide somewhere? First I thought of rocks and places they could crawl under...But everytime its raining, the rocks get flooded...right? So the bugs would drown underneath them. I mean...this is why worms crawl up and out of the soil during rain, cause the tunnels get flooded.

Then I thought about leaves. Perhaps they sit underneath the leaves on the trees...which I guess could be possible. There are still leaves on the trees, although they will probably fall off pretty soon...but what about the wind? Rain usually comes with a great deal of wind (like today)...so...won't the bugs fall off? Or at least get wet? And if their wings get wet, wont they drown?

You may be reading this (if you havent left the page already) and wonder why the heck you should keep reading this...and I wont blame you for leaving...I just seriously want to know the answer. So if you are a zoologist (Im afraid Im only a biologist...ecologist...and microbiologist) or just have a general deep facination for bugs, please give me a shoutout.

Cause the way I see it...Rain may suck balls some times, and we get irritated and annoyed by the need to walk around with an umbrella, or a raincoat...
But for a fly...Rain is Armageddon.

Superpowers

I dont like to break promises...In fact, I never break promises. And I promised to get back to the blog and post something interesting...or at least something semi-interesting. As if I have tried to come up with something engaging to write about. So hence I am currently updating the blog. I am writing this as you are reading it...sort of. Or actually, when you are reading this, I have finished writing it, but still, it is an update, so stop complaining.

I was browsing through my facebook homepage earlier today, and discovered that I had over 100 different invitations. Not invitations as in the oldfashioned; "I want to hang out with you, want to come over for a party?"-invitation, but the typical facebook invitation similar to: John took the "If I became a giant, how many people would I have stepped on during my first day"- quiz, and wants to invite you to take the quiz as well!! (with lots of exclamation points to emphasize how exciting the quiz really is).

Usually I skip all the invitations, just browse through them and leave them be. I probably should delete them once Ive decided not to do them, but I dont. Why, I cannot tell. Perhaps because I never like to throw away stuff and because I might want to do them later. I mean, you never know when it is crutial to find out how many people the giant version of yourself would have stepped on. Perhaps your life will depend on it...some day. So I keep them. And today I did one. I did it because I actually, believe it or not, wanted to know the answer. I wanted to find out what my superpower would be.

I figured the answer would come out as something like: You will turn blue when you become angry. Or: You will gain strength in the presence of children...the latter would actually be pretty cool...I could have a kid strapped to my chest all day...like a nanny-dayjob, and still be a superhero which no one could harm. Super-nanny. The real deal...not the stict british ladies who yell at american families on TV...

Anyways, my superpower turned out to be way cooler. I will get the gift of telepathy. Controll your mind with my own brain. And I started thinking about how awesome that gift would be. Always get my will, always have things done my way, get stuff for free and never have to fight for anything. I was thinking out ways to use my power for my own benefit, and I started laughing. A deep, heavy laugh from the bottom of my stomache, through my throat and out between my lips. A sincere, real; mwahahaha!...And I realized that if I gain a superpower, I will fall into the evil hands of power and become a supervillan. A telepathetic maniac who wants to destroy our safe society, step on the little people and truly be a giant. "With great power comes great responsibility" my ass...

I love it.

And at the same time, I am truly greatful of not having the power of telepathy... And if I...who honestly believe I am a nice, gentle person, could have thoughts like these...what wouldnt a fundamentally bad person be capable of...given the same powers? I can only imagine, and only sigh in relief.

Superpowers are ment to stay in books. Thank [insert religious preference]. But I guess it is still legal to fantasize...
Mwaha..ha..ha

Logic and the lack of it

Ah, the wonders of being useful. And with being useful, comes the natural and logical "updating of the blog". It is one of those activities which follows working in the lab just as naturally as drying ones body after a shower. The minute I enter the lab, I register the computer in the corner, and as soon as there are a couple of minutes to spare, I log on. It is how it works. It is how it has always worked. The very fact that I still feel that way after having been away for months, indicates a strong pavlovian respons. Blogging and laboratory-work goes hand in hand...or so it seems.

I have been away for months, hence no "updating of the blog". It really is quite logical if you think about it. Obviously when one is going through the "updating of the blog" phase of the day, you need something interesting to write. There really isnt any point in updating something, if you dont have something to update. Right? Also very logical.

However. I am not always a fan of logic. (Excuse me for a minute when I check the temperature of the autoclave) Ok. I am back. For you that was just an annoying extra sentence to read, for me it took quite some time. Anyways. I was talking about logic. Or lack of it. The blog entries I have most fun writing, are the completely uninteresting ones. The ones which really dont have a story to tell. Only a situation to describe, or a thought Ive been holding in for a while and suddenly feel the desperate need to get out.

This is not one of those entries.

As if you hadnt already noticed. No flies on you.

This one is just uninteresting. Or at least meaningless. It is simply my respons to being back in the lab. Me testing the water if you will..making sure it is safe to swim in after such a long time. Hopefully I will be back to update again with something more interesting within a couple of days...Time will tell.

In the meantime I can tell you that if you live in Bergen and want pizza, they serve great pizza at Kjøttbasaren, but you will get food poisoning if you order the chorizo sausage.

There you go...an update with a good advice at the end.

Logical...

Didn't you use to have a blog?

I did...and I do. I really do. I just seem to have lost my creativity a bit...or that is, I am using it on something else these days. Something which I am enjoying a bit more. But I have not forgotten my faithful companion, my dear web log, my blog. My conscious is letting me know it is there, and it will not let me forget it. I am sorry for the neglect.

As I have no news to report, I will instead wish you all a wonderful summer... with a promise to update as soon as I get my mojo back.

~Ski å

The end of one phase and the beginning of another

I realize I have somewhat neglected my blog lately...In part out of exhaustion, in part due to the uneventfulness of my life. But I am not complaining. I finally finished my master thesis...and I did well. In fact, I will admit I am proud of myself. I have no plans of going further than a master degree (although I should be careful to utter the word never) so I guess that means I have officially ended my education. It feels good.

But I am tired. 9 years, 2 bachelors and a master have taken its toll on me and I have been in desperate need of some time off. So thats why Ive been absent lately. I have been enjoying myself. Ive taken care of stuff I should have taken care of ages ago, like fixing my national costume so that I could finally wear it for the constitution day this year (yay!), Ive slept, Ive read books, Ive worked out and explored some other interests which I am not going to bore you with right now. Ive also booked 2 weeks of bliss in Turkey this summer with my man, and I cannot wait! To be perfectly honest...I cannot remember the last time I had 2 weeks off without feeling guilty about anything. It will be heaven.

It has also been a time of recognition for me. I have spent 21 years in school...which is 3/4s of my life...Although I have learned a great deal, both about the topics I have been studying, and about extracting information and separating good info from bad…reliable from non-reliable, I am happy to be done. I am ready for a steady income and some real responsibility…

Being a student usually means putting the “starting-a-family-phase” on hold. I have friends who ended their education years ago, who is now getting into that phase of their lives. As much as I would like a family one day, I am more excited about having some time to travel and enjoying time away from study halls. So...that's where I am right now. I have the time...but not the money. Ironic as it is.

So if you'd ask me what I am up to these days, besides enjoying myself...I will say: saving money. I have worked a little extra at my part-time job (which I have had the past 9 years) and I am trying to live cheaply so that I can spend the next couple of months planning a trip to somewhere exotic. The idea of being able to travel to some place Ive only dreamt of visiting before, excites me beyond comprehension.

You know...this is probably when I get accidentally pregnant...

Either way. Let life begin!