At work

When something unexpected happens, we have to wait. And this is what we do! Play with our mobiles!!

Jews harp

Today Frauke came over for a lesson on jews harp with dad. They started it all with a walk in the forest while I was practising, continued with sunday dinner and played a bit in between. I sneaked in the lesson too. Great fun!!

Tur med far og Pauline!

Saturday - and it was such a beatiful spring weather that being inside would have been an insult to nature. Dad took us for a walk up to Ullevålseter past Skjærsjøen. It took us a bit longer time than usual, because he had brought his camera. Every now and then off the track; down by the stream, barking up the tree (haha) - always looking for a good shot of beauty.
Up at Ullevålseter we sat down outside, drank our own tea and ate homemade muffins a'la Pauline. Yummie!!!!!
And we got a four legged friend called Rambo. He was 5 months old, very playful, and with a cute face somewhat resembling a gremlin.
On our way back home we stopped by the Bakke farm for a quick hello. Yeah, right. There is no such thing as a quick hello with my family, and absolutely not there. Randi called us in to the kitchen for some coffee, and were offered some delicious homemade bread. Then we had to see the newborn lamb. It was premature - a tiny creature! It had not yet found its way around his mum to find his food, nor had he understood the point of sucking anything. Even swallowing was a challenge. Yet, he was wagging his tale.
It was hard to leave him for the second last performance of Don Q.

Strings and rice noodels

Mum is now in Vienna with her quartet, but the day before she left we had a great day out shopping. Strings! And then we ate a fantastic dinner at Far East. I'll come back there for sure!

The Norwegian Operas new hobby

Headhunting! And so far they've gotten quite many...

Sunday dinner

Pauline invited her russian orthodox part of her family and her mum over for dinner. A true american one, with stuffed turky, mango chutney, mashed potatoes and as company for the coffee-gonger cake. Knert, we missed you! Here, the tired but happy hostess relaxing in the rocking chair.

Good byes and cello airport trouble

I've left Stavanger for Oslo - again. Next time I'll return - it'll be for the audition (anxiety!)

The day started being filled with grief and sad colleagues in the funeral. An incredibly touchy ceremony where his colleagues, friends and students (all trombone players) played hymns and interludium, and the string players from SSO played Barbers "Adagio".
I couldn't just go home again after this, so I joined a few others for a cup of coffee.

Back home it was time for packing my loads (cello, handbag and a few things in my backpack - all as hand luggage). Robi came home quite early (17.00) and offered to drive me to the airport around 8. We had time for a talk over a cup of tea before sending me off to Sola.

I should have understood this was a day who had several things up its sleeve for me when Robi dropped me off at the Helicopter terminal...
We got some second and third and... good byes through his car window while I walked over to the ordinary terminal. There I used the automates to check in, printed out my two boarding cards (I had been a "nawti, nawti little girl" -booking ticket for my cello without asking Norwegian for permission. And then checking it in by the automates. "Nawti, nawti!!" (hear this with the tiniest, sharpest voice you can imagine..)) and went upstairs. I met Solveig there too (a violinist) so I had company.
I put my creams and lip gloss and other girly artifacts in the plastic bags, my handbag and backpack on the belt and then preparing my cello to go through the machine. But - NO!
"It's too big, it'll ruin the machine!" said the female guard.
"It always goes through, and it has never been a problem anywhere", I told them.
"No, the machine is so expensive and we can't send it through" said the female guard. "I'll ask the guard in charge to take a look at it"
The guard came, and asked "What instrument is that?" -got his answer, called a phone, left, came back and said: "No, I don't think it'll fit". (Even though I have sent my cello through these machines several other places - Stavanger included - before, without ruin one single machine.)
"You have to check it in and send it" he said.
Great! An idiot!! I had my ticket and everything, and luckily he wasn't such a big idiot that he insisted on this. "ok, I'll beep it then" he said.
I went through to the other side, and he took my cello on the side.
Then I had to open the case, take out my cello and wait until he came back with the beeper.
He checked the case in 3 places, and my cello on the shoulder and upper back. He was going to check it directly on the furnish - something I didn't let him to do without checking the material of the beeper. Apparently, he had to do it all over again because I touched it. Arrgh.
Solveig was waiting, but found company in a conductor we both know.

You can't imagine how happy I was to see that the stewardesses knew how to deal with cellists! They gave me the extension belt straight away, and left me alone after that. Yay! My flight was delightfully peaceful - and I finished my book "Tett intil dagene" by Mustafa Can. (Read it!)

Coffee!

On our terrace. I bought some weird croissants in a can (fun to make, nice enough to eat), made coffee and arranged it all as you can see. With furniture from mum, and coffee cups and table cloth from Grandma, I made Grandma's little dream come true.

Groth, Games and Gardening

This easter was filled with the three G's.
Robi and I went to an art exhibition at Rogaland Kunstmuseum with Jan Groths work, under the title of "Traces and spaces" a day when the sky were bursting out its wrath over Stavanger.
We played backgammon in pubs and cafes, and when the weather allowed us to: gardening!

Mum, it's actually very pleasing to do gardening if your patch of land is not too big... And the wild thyme you gave us has now got its own little space in the tiny garden of ours.

Practice lunch

Outdoors! Using our terrace and the cafe table & chair for the first time. Very eastery, yet not really sunny. But I want it to be, so then it is. Yeah.

Sad, just incredibly sad

R.I.P Leif

Šišky, tea and movie

Mum and my brother left today, leaving us lost and bewildered. Now we're comforting our selves with these slovak doughnuts, tea and a movie. Eivind, this fantastic picture is a tribute to you! Isn't it just artisticly amazing? ;)

Windmills on the roof

Mum wants to be environmently friendly. How many of there would she need to light up her house? Would 2 on the roof be sufficient?

Spring!

I'm delighted!!
But can't enjoy it fully yet, because I woke up with the stiffest neck in history this morning.

Location: Bærum
Eating: Waffles soon!
Drinking: ...with additional coffee
Mood: sad and frustrated! Want to be fit for fight - and easter. Not feeling like an old woman.

Earthquake?

As I was practising for yet another audition, I heard a noise which gave me a fright. It sounded like Grandma was pouring potatoes over her floor or dragging furniture around. The only problem with those theories is this: I can feel the floor vibrate!

Earthquake?

Nope, it's in the ground all right. It's explosions from the making of a new tunnel for double train tracks. Yeah.

The tunnel


Location: Mums kitchen
Mood: Slightly stressed
Eating: ----
Drinking: hmm... should have some water soon
Listening to: My own cello sound, trying to keep the intonation within the green light.