Internet troubles

While we were on vacation lightning hit and killed the internet modem as well as the telephone adapter. We ordered a new modem, and a week later it arrived. However after hooking it up we still had internet problems. For weeks our internet was erratic, falling in and out every minute or so and making it impossible to use the phone or skype. We complained to our provider and for a couple of weeks they did nothing. When I started threatening to withhold payment they sent around a repairman to check out the line. Still no improvement as yet another weekend passed. At this point I was calling them every day. The repairman came back, and was able to determine that it was not the line and so had to be the modem, convincing them to send us a new one (finally!). Lo and behold, when we hooked up the replacement modem a week later the net worked perfectly. So now we are finally back on line. I can call my mother (and any one else) again, and pick up my italian studies.


Yes, I have started an online Italian course from the BBC. I was able to sort-of do it while the internet was bad as well, but each page took forever to load so I didn't make much headway - then I'd start solving griddlers while waiting for the page to load and forget all about it... Anyway, now I am studying quite consciensciously. Question is will I actually remember how to say anything when placed in a real live situation in Italy?


Yes, we are going to Italy. That is why I am learning Italian. That week in the mountains and the second week orienteering were just half my vacation. The second half is scheduled for september when we are meeting Mother, Roland and Sharon at the Garda Lake, where we have rented an appartment in Malcesine for a week. Before meeting up in Verona, Husband and I are spending a few days in Venice...



Family News:

Tante Christina spent a weekend with us. We went on walks in the forest and watched the DVDs of her 80th birthday party, and her final Eurythmy performance. I realize I have never seen her do eurythmy before and she is REALY GOOD!! Interesting to see what Jan Benedikt and Åsmund look like on the birthday DVD. Oddly enough, I see a similarity between Jan Benedikt and Adam Helge! Åsmund is the spitting image of Onkel Harald!

Audun is back from Australia. He's staying with us while appartment hunting in Lillehammer. Starting work already on monday at his old market research job there.

Haven't heard from Tormod in a while (due to the above-mentioned phone problems).

Irene is having fun on her interrail trip according to occasional sms' and facebook updates. 

Got to spend some time with Ingvild this weekend. It's been a long time since we hung out together.

Next week my stepdaughter is getting married.

Anesthesia:

I didn't get the anesthesia job here at the hospital in Hamar. I find it hard to understand why. Sure, they could get people with more experience, this was a temporary position. Couldn't they have given me the chance to get the experience I so badly need. I have saved the hospital the cost of a stipend by paying my own way through the course, pluss I am familiar with the rutines of our hospital and the OR from my months of practice nursing. A nagging feeling at the back of my mind wonders if its personal - if they don't like me, or if they for some reason think I'm not good enough.  I try to tell myself that I like ER work (I do), and that I can use my competency in the ER (I can). However I feel a pressing need to practice actually anesthetizing people for a while, in order to get confident and increase my expertise.

Unfortunatly there are practically no jobs to be had. I have registered with Manpower and Addecco pluss a couple of other temp agencys as well as applied to a private hospital in Oslo that are looking for a nurse anesthetist. Unfortunatly unemployed nurse anesthetists are a dime a dozen in Oslo, and temp agencys want folks with experiece so my chances are like zero. Can't hurt to apply though I figure. My proffessional self confidence is being put to a sever test by all this. Sometimes I wonder if those 18 months of training were all a waste of time, money and energy. Thank goodness for the extremely nice swedish travellers with whom I am working a lot during these vacation weeks. Most of them are also nurse anesthetists. They are so supportive and encouraging. One of them suggested I start calling around to all the hospitals in Norway. Seems crazy, but maybe I should.

The Garden

The garden is looking good. Strawberries are almost done. Rasberries are in full fruit. The cherries (there were 3 or 4 - I planted the tree last year - are ripening). Black and red currents and gooseberries will be ready very soon. There are a number of green plums on one of the trees, but no apples. Why not? I have given Husband the task of figuring it out and making those trees produce. The sugar peas were dissapointing. I only picked about 3 times and they already seem to be done. The carrots and onions are looking good (but too early to harvest). What we are getting right now is lettuce, radishes, turnips and cucumbers (from the window sill). The first zucchini should be ready soon as well. The Kale and Broccoli look terrible. All full of holes. Someone told me about a kind of broccoli that gets little thin heads but gets them constantly? Hope I can get some seeds next year for those.